Princess of Ice

Thursday 7:00pm

"Go Ami! Go! WOO... HOOO!"

Whistles, loud stamping on the floor, and clapping was heard from above as Ami pushed off from the side of the rink, away from Asuka and her coach, to warm up before her turn. From the audience, people turned around to stare down the three girls who were making the racket. Two blondes held small Japanese fans, cheering; dancing and yelling encouragement, but causing more embarrassment. While the brunette next to them cupped her hands over her mouth to yell. Beside the three wayward girls, sat two other people. A young dark haired man, and a raven-haired girl. The two sat beside them silently, turning away and shielding their faces as if to disavowal their acquaintances.

Below them, the judges turned towards them disapprovingly as a solemn voice filled the hall. "Silence. Silence please!"

Along the aisle, security guards rushed towards their row, and reached towards them, quickly hushing them, threatening removal if they kept on yelling.

While Ami, calm as ice, as always, slid across towards the middle of the rink like a swan on a lake. She raised her chin slightly, and pulled back her shoulders as she remembered the professional skating posture. Underneath, her insides quivered, but as she took a deep breath, her composure returned. Smiling, she skated past her coach and Asuka, then scanned the audience, it didn't take her long to find the source of commotion, her friends. She closed her eyes again, bent her knees, and prepared herself for a double axle. A cool breeze rushed across her face as she sped up, and she erupted high into the air, gracefully spinning, then landing just as smoothly as she took off. The force which she left the ice, yet the gradual drop that had not caused a sudden bump.

"Ladies, time please." A small phrase that meant the beginning of the competition, the competition for a place in the All-Japan Figure Skating Competition. A wave of anticipation swept over the audience, who were all here to support their friends, members of the family.

All was silent except for the rolling of the cameras along the side of the rink. Tonight was the night. Although tonight was only the trials for the All-Japan, but it was the most distinguished competitions in Japan. It occurred every four years, and the top 3 were automatically given a spot in the Winter Olympics, while the others spots were separately competed for. The significance that the Genius Girl Ami Mizuno had chosen this competition to debut in figure skating was not lost on the media. With the landing which she had just flawlessly performed, she had just announced to the previous year's champion, Akiko Watanebe, that she had a challenger, a challenger for the top spot. Ami Mizuno was here to add yet another honor to her name.

"Number 119."

Once again, silence swept across the stadium as a young competitor slid quickly to the middle of the rink. The music started, the girl raised her arms, her left leg pushed off as she circled the middle, preparing for a jump. She spun her body quickly, too quickly, as she tumbled onto the ice.

It was going to be a long night. 30 girls had already given their best shot, 119 girls to go until the Japanese Champion. Ami had been placed as 111 according to her name in the list of unknown competitors.

When Number 119 finished her routine without many other mistakes, polite applause sounded in the stadium. A few people cheered wildly, possibly her family. Chatter resumed, as the family and Number 119 anxiously awaited the results.
"3.0, 3.2, 3.6, 3.5, 3.2, 3.1, 2.9."

Usagi was stunned at the results and looked at Makoto who, apart from Ami, knew the most in the group about ice-skating, "isn't that really bad?"

"We'll this is the trials. Ami-chan will need an average of something in the 5.6's to get into the final of the trials, but 3.3 isn't bad for a starter."

"Number 118." The group dipped into silence once again. The mundane routine started and ended without excitement. The girl stuttered and fell, tripped without grace. That was expected from starters, judges leaned back and rubbed their eyes. It was not the most fascinating performance they had ever seen.

"2.7, 2.9, 3.3, 3.2, 3.0, 3.1, 2.8."

"Number 117." ...

"Number 116." ...

"Number 115." ...

"Number 114." ...

"Number 113." ...

"Number 112." "1.1, 1.5, 2.1, 2.3, 1.6, 1.8, 1.0."

A nudge pushed two girls from their seats. Rei sighed and turned away, while Usagi and Minako loudly fell as they woke up. The people in front turned around and stared at them, they were not pleased. "Huh? What's happening?"

"She's on! She's on!"

"What? WOO...HOO! Go AMI!"

Down below, Ami blushed as she left the coaching area. She reached up and took the bowl-shaped medal from her neck from her neck, handing it to Asuka for safekeeping. She stepped out onto the ice delicately, hesitating slightly before she pushed off from the side. The crepe that was attached from the end of her sleeves to her shoulder blades fluttered and floated behind her. Two pieces of crepe (one ice blue and the other white) were tied onto each of her white skating boots, long enough to catch attention, yet short enough to dismiss the problem of tripping. In that brief moment, she had caught the judges' attention. This competitor had wings.

Once she reached the middle, she smiled confidently, and raised her right arm to shoulder height in preparation for her routine. Her chest rose lightly as she took a deep breath, she nodded to the music technician, she was ready.

The soft angelic music of the 'Emperor' wafted throughout the stadium, a hush of silence fell among the audience. Her right arm drifted above her head as though it was led by a piece of string tied to her wrist, she twined her hand as it reached the top to let her fingertips point to the left side of her body. With her knees bent gently she twisted her body 90 degrees to the left, her left arm embraced around her waist, she jumped and cut a spiral through the air.

The audience drew a sharp breath, Ami had not taken a run-up in preparation for the jump. No, that wasn't a jump, she had merely drifted over the ice.

As she rejoined the ice surface, she spread out her arms, her left leg lifted, her whole body bent forwards as she became parallel to the ground. The crepe wings drifted behind her, rising and falling as she came to a slow stop back towards the middle, her arms and leg connected above her head, she spun, tracing a character of eight on the smooth ice.

As though she owned the ice, she leisurely stood straight, lazily stretching her back, she dipped her shoulder to one side and swivelled around twice, allowing her arm to lead the way. Then, quickening her pace she flew around the rink, preparing herself for a double-axle loop. She imagined herself as sparrow, a graceful albatross flying free, defying all the laws of physics and escaping from the constraints of gravity. She took off. Again, she sailed through the air.

The judges almost rubbed their eyes. Normally, the trials were an uninspiring experience. This type of performance was most definitely not expected from a starter. This was only her first competition... As this competitor raced around the walls of the rink, her grace, with the illusion of the crepe from her dress, showed a glimpse of angel wings. She glided on the ice, like a bird in the sky. They could imagine tiny pieces of white down feather cascading from behind, falling on the ice.

Her jumps so far had been perfect, showing excellent ground cover, skill and control of each movement. Her routine fitted for the music faultlessly, no, the music suited the routine. It was as though the music and the dance were composed hand in hand, as though Beethoven had composed this piece with this dance in mind. She was dancing on ice like ballet, this girl was not merely skating.

They looked down on her performance chart... what?? A triple-triple? Watanebe had tried it a few times, and never succeeded. The Japanese women's jumps weren't strong enough for high jumps that accommodated such complexity. Watanebe had made a fool out of herself doing that in the Pan-Pacific Competition, the girl had landed on her backside, twisting herself flat to the ground. Her coach had been reprimanded for causing such embarrassment. This starter was going to try it? For a trial run?

Once again she quickened her pace, she felt exhilarated, the muscles on her stomach were firm, the cool breeze rushed over her forehead. Everything was under control. She was ready for the big one. Her feet left the ground as she catapulted into the air, touching the ice again for a split second, she was in the air again. First half completed, now came the difficult part, the landing.

As she was about to land after the sequences of twists and turns, she panicked for a moment, she was going too fast to complete it with perfection. She took a deep breath, pulled her muscles tautly. Her left foot touched the ice, too fast, her right foot crashed on roughly. Her arms held outwards for balance, she remembered what she had to do, pulling herself towards the left side, she regained her poise.

It was amazing. This competitor was still up and off the ice. The landing was a little rough and she looked as though she would fall, but it was not due to height, or speed. Well, at least the lack of speed. It was something that the judges had never seen before. A rough landing due to too much speed in a triple-triple. So much so that the competitor had almost stumbled. The fact that she had never competed... with polish and experience, this girl could take on the world.

Ami's face lit up immediately. She had managed to stay off the ice. Now, a simple 360-degree spin to end the routine. The happiness that she felt was visible in the way she had conducted herself during her spin. It seemed to yell excitement out. Again, the result impeccable. She gently slowed to a stop in the middle of the rink once again, right in time with the music. She smiled and waved up to her friends in the audience who were cheering at the top of their lungs, then she turned rejoined Asuka and her coach on the sides at the waiting area.

Asuka smiled at her, overjoyed with her performance. Handing her a large bouquet of white lilies, he hugged her. "Well done! You did great!"

"Did you see the judges' faces?" Ami looked at Asuka, her smile brightly on her face. She was bursting with happiness, the magic of having so many people applaud and approve of what she had achieved. The sensation was magical, it was not like anything she had never known in her whole lifetime. The people were admiring her work in something that she loved. She had felt confident on the ice, she had melded into its touch.

"Wear your jacket otherwise you will catch a cold. I'm sure your mother will not be pleased." Ami smiled at Narai-sensei, her dear coach who enjoyed fussing over her students.

She was in a dream. Her mind drifted to where her mother might be at the moment. Mum was probably in the emergency ward right now. She couldn't blame her mother to be in the hospital one bit though. Saving people was her mother's passion, just as it was hers. She thought proudly, her mother was probably saving someone's life right now. Her work there was important. She was sure that her mother would be supporting her mentally, whatever she was doing.

Little did this little girl know that her mother was hidden behind the curtains, away from Ami's sight. "Ami!"

Ami gasped and turned at the sound of her mother's voice. Although she had skates on, the difficulty of running to her mother's arms was not a task too difficult to be achieved. "I didn't think that you would make it!"

"Of course I would make it, it's your big day!"

"5.3, 5.1, 5.7, 5.0, 5.4, 5.4, 5.2!"

The media gaped at the scores that were announced over the speakers. "That's the highest score they have ever given anyone at the trials."

"Well, Asuka has been getting straight 5.9's for the past three years."

"We have to remember that this young lady is only a starter, Asuka Akiyama is the Men's Champion."

Arms and bodies crushed on top of her as her friends reached the waiting area. "You made it! You made it!"

She turned and pulled herself away from the wild human crush of bodies. Her marks were up on the screen. She looked at Asuka and Sensei Narai for their verdict on the score. Their wild cries of joy were all that was needed to confirm the results.

The senshi of ice had become a princess of the ice.