Untimely Reunion
"It's time for the doubles!" The announcer blared, and the crowds revved with energy.
"Yes! Kicking off the first of the doubles matches is Vale's own Team Tourmaline."
"Is that Professor Burley? What's she doing here?" Roxo turned to Lake, curiously feeling the location.
"I guess she's a fill in for the other announcer." Lake replied.
"Versus, Shade Academy's Team MNTS!"
"Our competitors are—drum roll please." Burley said, trilling her fingers on the desk. "Roxo Grimmsickle and Lake Hikari-Akiro, facing…what's this? Nyx Grimmsickle and Sera Tenchi! What an interesting combination!"
"Coincidence? I think not."
Roxo's eyes widened. "I…Nyx?!"
The boy across from him reddened. His pulse rose so quickly that Roxo could hear it loud and clear, like elephant stomps in the earth. Lake appeared nervous as well, cautiously eying the two siblings. Roxo frowned when Nyx didn't reply. The countdown began.
"Three!"
"What happened, Nyx?"
"Two!"
"I'm sorry."
"One!"
Lake cast a watery jet across the concrete arena, throwing steam into the air. An enormous, hazy cloud billowed into the coliseum, slowly burning away from the desert sun. A beach and a cliffside surrounded them, building both a breeze and a glaring light. Lake cautiously watched the shore, ready to dive in when the time was right.
"It seems the game has played into Roxo's favor." Burley commented.
Lake concentrated on keeping the fog intact as Roxo snaked through the field. He prepped his sword as soon as he heard concrete crumble under his feet. He listened to reeling chains and muffled grunts as he advanced. Roxo moved quickly through the mist, knowing the location of his opponents without seeing them. The mantis herself, Sera, wandered with her bow in hand. Roxo pulled her closer and struck. Her arrows pierced through the fog, clipping his side and forcing him to dance around the ammunition. The shrill touch of cold jade was a shock; a reminder that her accuracy was unmatched, even in the blinding fog.
He sprinted for Nyx, greeting his brother with a grim cleave. He dug his heels into the ground, spinning at blinding speed and slamming his scythe into Nyx. The boy guarded by crossing his arms in front of him, though Roxo broke through his shield and forced him backwards. Nyx's cold cast iron chain wrapped around his ankle and flipped him over. Roxo's scythe clattered aside as he hit the ground, sending spiral cracks in several directions. When he dove to retrieve his weapon, a sharp tug threw him into the air. Roxo was brutally slammed into the ground again when Nyx drove him down.
"I'm sorry we have to reunite like this, Roxo." Nyx said, though his voice was stoic and lifeless. Roxo fought the chain around his foot, throwing it back to Nyx. He bit back his reply, retrieving his weapon. He sprinted forward, driving his entire force into Nyx and throwing him into the cliffside, leaving a crater in his wake.
"Roxo!" Lake shouted, dispersing the fog with a wave of his hand. The moment he opened his eyes to search for his teammate, Sera sailed above him, raining several arrows down at him. He saw everything in slow-motion, firing jets of water into the arrows before they burned into his aura. Lake sliced through two of the arrows with his cutlass, dividing them into four slivers. The remainder caught him in the chest, and a volley of arrows forced him back. Sera was relentless and silent, quickly transitioning to nun-chucks. Her tough emerald chucks slammed into Lake's icy sword, sending a hairline fracture into the weapon. He pushed back, as did she, neither gaining any footing against the other.
"How's it going?" He asked, shoving her away. She replied with a light chuckle before sweeping her leg under his. He slipped and cracked the concrete under his back. He then rolled away from her following burst of assaults, summoning a fiery Dust sword. As the blade made contact with her weapon, it combusted in a evanescent flame, forcing her backward. She flew back with a hard kick, and retreated to higher ground. Lake chased after her, though she easily outran him.
In the distance, Roxo and Nyx fought atop the mesa, constantly entangling each other in chains. Lake squinted when they flew, as a column of earth propelled the two into the air, each fighting for foothold over the other.
Lake dove out of the way when they crashed, Roxo hitting the ground first. Nyx leapt off his opponent and returned to Sera's side, giving Lake a chance to heave Roxo out of the crater. Roxo brushed the dust from his shoulders and cheek. He was totally complacent, unusual for his usual battle attitude. Lake reared his fiery sword and icy shield, while Roxo's scythe spun in his hands, itching to battle.
"Shield." Roxo muttered. Lake understood, and held the platform up. Roxo hopped and pressed his weight into the shield and vaulted into the sky, coming down in a sharp spin. Lake advanced, catching Sera off her feet before Roxo struck. Nyx attempted his escape, but a watery rope around his foot reeled him closer. Roxy's scythe whirred through the air like a circular saw as he came down and struck, sending a wave of dust into the arena. He trembled as his scythe connected with Sera's palm. A window of green aura flared between the two surfaces, and Roxo flew back the same path he fell from.
"We've seen it all folks! What a fantastic display of Sera Tenchi's semblance!"
"Tell me more about this semblance, Wimbledon."
"Well, it's a risky move by Mantis, but very, very handy. You see, her ability allows her to utilize what's called aikido, or the art of using your opponent's momentum against them. Though it only works on inanimate objects with large mass, Sera is able to deflect heavy attacks, as we have just seen."
Lake's eyes glazed over when the familiar buzz of a knockout sounded. Roxo flew out of the arena, hitting the invisible ceiling of the coliseum itself. Lakes mentally prepared himself, changing his stance and tightening his grip. A stream of curses
"It's all up to you now, Lake!" Roxo's voice broke through the crowd. Lake did his best to find the voice, but he caught onto a more sinister face.
He froze, seeing the man in the crowd. The older, gray haired man wore a solemn look, waiting to see what Lake would do next. An arrow and chain dragged Lake back to reality in a split second. He deflected the attacks with his shield, retreating behind a rock. He held his breath, hearing them approach. The arena flashed before his eyes; the cliffs, the sun, the beach…the beach.
"The beach!" Lake said, and sprinted for the water before the two struck. Sera's arrows chased him down to the shore when he dove into the water. When his fingers broke through the surface, Nyx's chain hooked around his ankle and dragged him across the hot sand.
"Too slow." He taunted.
"Yeah, too slow." Lake said, and a ribbon of water followed him from the surface where he dipped his finger. He pressed his weight against Nyx when he crashed into him, and whipped him into submission with a powerful wave. The Scorpion of team MNTS flew across the stage, tumbling backwards over the concrete before slamming into the mesa. Lake encased his jacket in the icy water, glowing glyphs illuminating his sleeves and chest. Sera's arrows flew from point blank range, but froze and shattered when they connected with his coat. He dredged across the arena, leaving icy footsteps in his wake. Sera took a hesitant step back, readying her nun chucks. She took a step forward and threw herself at him. The clubs hit him with full force, but his burst of water and ice threw her off her feet.
When she fell back to earth unconscious, the announcers and the crowd blared. "Team TRML of Vale will be advancing into the final rounds of the Vytal Tournament!"
Lake fell to his knees, overwhelmed by the victory. The crowd stood in ovation, applauding and cheering. He peered back at the seat where his father sat, and saw the man with a smug look on his face. Roxo hobbled out of the arena, waiting for Lake in his bruised and scratched glory. Dust and rubble decorated his shoulders and face. His right cheek wore a hash-shaped scratch and flushed red. Lake aided the big guy in walking back to the fairgrounds.
"Great battle, Rox." Lake commented in between huffs before meeting with Teal and Magnolia. Magnolia accepted Roxo's weight onto her shoulders as well.
"Was Nyx…is he your—
"Yes…that's my older brother." Roxo interrupted, finally dropping himself onto their spot by the willow tree.
Lake's heart dropped. "How much younger are you than Nyx?"
"Three years, but he was able to enter Beacon at fifteen since advanced classes at Strike Elementary put him ahead. That's how I was able to get in two years in advance as well."
Teal's jaw dropped. "You're fifteen?!"
Roxo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Of all people, you should know this Teal."
Teal blabbered on about how Roxo never 'cared' enough to share that bit of information. Lake frowned and drew in the dirt with a twig.
"Lake," Magnolia's tiresome voice wore and plucked the stick from his fingers. "What's wrong with you now? You just won a battle and you're moping."
"That means she's graduating." He sobbed. "They're fourth-years, Mags! Sera is a senior and I'm a freshman."
Teal froze and shot a weary look at Lake. "And? One time, back at home, there was this dashing young tutor leaving. He was twenty-one, and I was fifteen, but that didn't stop—
Magnolia grabbed her brother's lips and clutched them tightly. "I don't want to hear that story again." She shot an endearing look back at Lake. "Then what are you waiting for?! Go get her number!"
Teal punched Lake in the shoulder and looked Sera's way. She was currently chatting with a familiar face. Their previous adversary, Ward Willow, leaned against a post, making advances with the girl. The pale Atlesian sunlight cascaded over Ward's orange outfit, shining across his rusty crew cut and chiseled face. He wore a white woolen scarf, though it didn't quite suit him. His draping orange coat was trimmed with bright silver and stopped below his knees. The boots wrapped around his feet were black and cuffed at the top. He wore a thin cotton tee that exposed the pale skin underneath and several chain necklaces to be modest.
Teal couldn't help but stare, and proceeded tugged on Lake's jacket. "Let's go! I'll play wingman if you do too!"