Lwaxana threw her B'Thoon towards her friend, Lauxia. Lauxia didn't see it coming, and the long stick made a fresh contact right to the poor young woman's stomach. The light lit up. Lwaxana laughed gloriously. Lauxia fell forwards some, but then she managed to swipe her own B'Thoon to Lwaxana's legs. It hit, and the light did not go off. It only made Lwaxana bow some, but she soon recovered. "Ah ha! The only hits that count are the ones between the neck and waist!" Lwaxana shouted. Her voice echoed in the aerobic center of the high school, and several of the other students turned to see the Daughter of the Fifth House beating up the lowly citizen of Betezed. Lauxia choked some, and she looked to Lwaxana from the mat, "Well, aren't you special? Aw, you got me that time, Lwaxana." Lwaxana laid her B'Thoon down. She at first thought to finish Lauxia off, but she figured that they were friends and Lauxia would not appreciate it. Bending down to help Lauxia stand, she laughed at her friend, "Come now. Your not going to let me beat you, are you?" Lauxia stood and faced Lwaxana. Sweat dripped from her brow, and she sighed, "Yes, I am." Lwaxana shouted a warrior-type yelp, and she said, "One less challenger for me to beat at the competition!" Lauxia looked to Lwaxana, and she laid her own B'Thoon down, "Yeah, whatever you say." Lwaxana turned on all her senses, but she knew that Lauxia couldn't hear her. Lauxia was only half-Betezed, a more common sight in her time then the times of her forefathers. She sensed a feeling of embarrassment from Lauxia, and Lwaxana took a mental note.
Days later, most of the parents of the students in the high school were gathered in the aerobic center. Lwaxana and the rest of the B'Thoon challengers were in the dead center, warming up on the soft mats laid carefully down. Lwaxana was the starter of the competition, and she proudly took her lucky B'Thoon. Lauxia was trying to challenge, and Lwaxana eyed her before the competition started. Lauxia saw Lwaxana approaching her, and she raised a brow, "You planning to win today?" Lwaxana answered back, "Oh yes. I have been planning on it for a long time. I'm not worried about beating anyone except…" Lwaxana trailed off, and Lauxia finished for her, "Rayxtra? He's going to be hard for you." "Yes, I know, but I am tired of him beating everyone. I almost won once…but he beat me. Today, I'm taking him down. You'll see." Lauxia smiled warmly, "Yes, I see. And then you're going to be bragging one day about being the B'Thoon champion of the graduating class? Am I right?" Lwaxana thought for a moment, and then she replied, "I'm not going to have to brag. I am going to be the champion!" A sudden horn announced the official beginning, and Lwaxana smiled. Lauxia nodded to her friend for good luck and they parted their ways. The game of B'Thoon was a simple and fun game, and it consisted of hurling a long stick at an opponent until it makes contact to an area between the neck and waist. One hit is counted as a point, and anything besides that is not counted. The rounds lasted for three minutes, and whoever got the most points won. Then, the winner would be challenged to an equal opponent, and then the competition would continue until one winner was left. Since Lwaxana was the starting competitor, she paced herself to the center mat. The audience was silent, and Lwaxana flexed her wrist. She looked to the other competitor, a small-framed girl by the name of Terxca. The girl looked at Lwaxana, and for a brief moment, their eyes met. Lwaxana was not intimidated, and she slowly circled the girl. The girl fell after the first successful hit to the ribcage, and Lwaxana received one to the upper chest. Terxca didn't manage to make another hit, and Lwaxana won with a score of 4 points. Lwaxana headed back to the benches, where Lauxia sat. Lauxia didn't have a chance to speak, for she was up next. Lauxia fought well, and the young Lwaxana watched with intentful eyes. Lauxia won surprisingly, and she also won by 4 points. Roughly, 5 more competitors fought, and as usual, Rayxtra won by at least 7 points. Lwaxana was called up finally, and she fought furiously. She was fighting a male at least 20 pounds more then her, and she took him down with a deafening blow to the upper waist. The male fell, and he forfeited. Lauxia won also the next competition, and she won by the same score as Rayxtra. This made Lwaxana nervous for her friend, for she knew that Lauxia would probably have to fight the champion, and would probably lose sorely. Lwaxana fought once more, and she almost lost. She won by one point, and she was getting sore. Her arms shook as she realized that she was getting closer to the championship, and she gulped as she saw Lauxia return to the center of the mats for the next challenge. The competitor for Lauxia was the dreaded Rayxtra, and Lwaxana silently closed her eyes as they fought. She heard several low grunts, but then a surprising fall made her open her eyes. She saw Rayxtra on the ground, and Lauxia holding the B'Thoon proudly above him. Lwaxana gasped. Lauxia had beat Rayxtra! Even Lauxia couldn't beat her a few days ago! Was this destiny, now that she was going to have to beat her own friend? Lwaxana was next, and Lauxia stayed in the center, holding the B'Thoon. Lauxia smiled at her friend, and she said, "This is for the championship, Lwaxana. It's you or me." Lwaxana stared into her eyes, and she regained her confident pose once more. "It will be me." Lauxia nodded, and she let out the usual battle cry. Lwaxana responded, and she swung at Lauxia's weak spot, her waistline. Lauxia blocked it with a counter attack, and Lwaxana felt the rod make contact with her chest. She gasped for air, and she regained in seconds. Lwaxana threw herself into a heavy blow that knocked Lauxia right in the side. Lauxia fell back a few steps, and Lwaxana finished her move with the traditional soft blow to the back to stun. Lauxia's breath flew from her, and she looked to Lwaxana with angry eyes. Lwaxana felt extreme determination from her friend, and Lwaxana smiled innocently. Lauxia fiercely growled and forced a strong hit towards Lwaxana's upper chest. It barely missed, and Lauxia's hand went flying with the B'Thoon in it. She fell forward, and Lwaxana hit her in the waist once more. Lauxia stopped for a moment, and then she regained her balance. She swirled and came at Lwaxana at a surprising rate. Her B'Thoon struck Lwaxana midline, and Lwaxana was thrown back. She choked at the heavy blow, and she almost totally fell over. Lauxia roared once more, and Lwaxana ducked just in time of another blow to the neck. Lwaxana fell behind Lauxia and struck her lower back. It stunned Lauxia, and the buzzer above them flew into play. The three minutes were over, and the judges found the scores. Lwaxana's score was 4, and Lauxia's score was 2. When Lwaxana found her score out, she raised her B'Thoon high above her head. She was the champion of the class! Lauxia made a good sport about it, and she lowered her B'Thoon to Lwaxana in respect. Lwaxana's mother and father gathered around Lwaxana, and Lauxia went home with Lwaxana that day to a celebration. They were best friends, and no B'Thoon could sever their golden cord of respect and loyalty to each other.
THE END