Log On Chapter 12
Hey everyone! We're back with chapter twelve of Log On! I'm happy to all those who are showing their support!
But…before we begin, we have a little bit of product placement from the lovely author!
I'd like to recommend to you .hack AI Buster, a novel that's just been released in America by TokyoPop. It's got an awesome story, a quick read, and lovely pictures by Rei Izumi. You'll also meet a character from Rei Izumi's manga and learn even more about the One Sin Event!
It really is a great book, so, if you haven't read it, pick it up! It'll make you that much more of a .hack fan!
Now finally! The chapter! FOR GOD'S SAKE!
Log On! Chapter 12 – Grunty Jousting
"So Ayumi," Mai was sitting in her room, lying on her bed and talking to Ayumi over the phone. "Want to play online tonight? You guys just caught up to level 23, right?"
"Sorry Mai, can't," Ayumi told her. "Remember how Kirisawa assigned that huge project due in a few days?"
"You put it off to the last minute, didn't you?" Mai sighed and Ayumi grumbled over the phone.
"So what? The others did too!"
"You mean everyone still has to finish that project?" Mai asked skeptically. "I finished it last week!"
"Well you know Hiromi-sama; he's a bit of a slacker, even if I love him to bits," Ayumi cooed. "But the others are all procrastinating too."
"Great," Mai sighed. "So I'm stuck by myself, again?"
"Hey, hang out with Tiyra and Sersen again," Ayumi offered.
"Fine, fine," Mai sighed. "See you later Ayumi. Don't blame me if I'm level forty when you guys get back!"
"Ha, ha, very funny Mai!" Ayumi pouted. "Goodbye!"
"Bye Ayumi," Mai smiled and hung up the phone. Mai gazed over at her computer, sighed, and then turned out her light. "I'm not in the mood for playing today. I'll log on tomorrow."
The next day after school, Mai turned on her computer after finishing her school work and noticed new e-mail in her box.
"Hmm…what's this?" Mai asked, clicking on the e-mail icon. "It's from…CC Corp."
Subject: Grunty Jousting Tournament!
Sender: CC Corp
Today at 4:00 P.M., CC Corp and "The World" will be hosting the first ever Grunty Jousting tournament. Participants are to pair up into teams of two and compete in a pre-ordained area selected in the Theta server.
Grunties will be provided, rules will be explained once contestants have been signed in.
Thank you,
CC Corp
"A…what?" Mai asked. "What's a Grunty?"
It was almost 3:30, so Iam decided that she would log on and find out exactly what a Grunty was. After all, this seemed to be a big event if it was being officially hosted by CC Corp.
"Maybe…Grunties are some sort of rare item or monster!" Mai thought, stroking her chin thoughtfully.
Mai clicked "The World" icon on her desktop and was brought to the starting screen to see a few new messages. One in particular interested her.
Special Grunty Jousting
Poster: Xicado Nova
Hey, how the heck are they actually going to do this thing? I mean…you ride Grunties right? Are we just going to joust with weapons or something?
Re: Special Grunty Jousting
Poster: Monogram
I guess they'll give us jousting weapons or something. Doesn't anyone have special info from the net or something?
Re: Special Grunty Jousting
Poster: DarkSamurai
Nah, they just announced the event today, so no one's got info on it. It sounds cool. I'm gonna do it. Anyone else?
Re: Special Grunty Jousting
Poster: Gein-Gein
Hey DS! I'm doing it! Let's be partners, kay?
Re: Special Grunty Jousting
Poster: Reki, System Admin.
Hey! If you want to pair up, use e-mail! And stop asking for official info! Just find out at 4:00!
Re: Special Grunty Jousting
Poster: Seiftis
Geez, what's your problem dude?
Mai didn't read any more of the messages, even though there were at least fifteen more (most of them from Reki). She closed the boards with a few clicks of her mouse and pushed herself away from her computer.
"So…you ride Grunties?" she reasoned. "Maybe they look like horses or something?" Mai turned to the computer and smiled, pulling out her Headset and putting it on. "I don't know! Maybe I'll enter with Tiyra or Sersen!"
When Iam logged in on the Theta Server, she gasped to see that at least thirty or forty people were gathered on a certain plateau to the north east of the Chaos gate. She smiled, and realized that that must have been the Grunty stable.
She ran quickly over the rickety bridges, pushing her way through the passers-by. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she finally reached the Grunty stable.
"Ex-excuse me!" she apologized as she squeezed through the large crowd of players. "S-sorry! Pardon me!" She kept apologizing and pushing her way through until she finally got to the front of the crowd. What she saw before her made her gasp.
A Grunty was just a big brown pig.
"What a rip!" Iam sighed. The Grunty had a pig-like snout, a huge body, a large squarish head, and a small tail. It was a like a cow and a pig combined really. It was not the magnificent steed that Iam had been expecting.
Next to the Grunty was the same administrator that had been at the Valentine's Day Event. He was a wavemaster with blondish hair and a red ensemble. He held a microphone in his hand and was looking at the pressing crowd with a look of worry. "Uhh…hello! Can everyone hear me?"
A murmur of agreement soon turned into a shouting match of cheering. Many rumbled in the crowd, and the administrator began to grow even more wary of his situation. "Umm…hello players of "The World"! My name is Reki-" So he was the poster on the boards… "and I'll be the overseer of this event!"
"I thought Lord Balmung would be a special guest at this event!"
"Yeah! Where's Lord Balmung?"
"Umm…as I was saying!" Reki laughed nervously, doing his best to ignore the screaming girls. "Welcome to the Special Grunty Jousting! This event is a special test of Grunty riding skills!
"Teams will be divided into pairs, so I hope you all brought a friend today! The tournament will follow as such! All pairs will have to defeat their enemies using the special jousting weapons that will be given to you. Whoever can maneuver their Grunty and strike their opponent off his or her Grunty is the winner! For each qualifying match, only one person shall represent the team. But, every match, the resident rider must switch! Grunties shall be given randomly!"
"A partner?" Iam asked herself, then quickly scanned her friend's list. Her face fell as she realized that Tiyra and Sersen were not online. "Maybe they're at class or something…"
"Okay!" Reki called to the crowd. "Please pair up and form a line in front of me to sign up!"
Immediately, everyone started to mill in the crowd; asking for partners and teaming up with friends. Many rushed forward immediately, others searched around for partners in the large crowd. Iam sighed. "It's too bad I don't have a partner. It sounds fun."
"Okay…so…I'll team up with Ouka! Shugo, you and Rena can team up!"
Iam turned her head around to see a group of five people standing in a circle, obviously deciding on partners for the event. One was a short wavemaster girl whom Iam had seen before with Zaiten. The woman next to her was a shapely Werewolf wearing a bikini outfit and a feather boa with claws and wolf feet. Her hair was a silver color and two ears poked out of her head.
The only boy in the group had teal colored hair and wore a red hat, shirt, and baggy pants with brown boots. He was a twin blade and had a few red markings on his face.
Next to him was a girl that Iam thought she knew. She had the same character design as BlackRose, of whom Iam had met at the Valentine's Day event. But this girl was shorter and a little younger looking.
There was one other girl in the group. She looked to be a wavemaster with a green hat over her blonde hair that matched her green ensemble. She seemed to be the quiet type, not saying anything in the conversation.
"But who's Hotaru going to be with?" The werewolf asked and the wavemaster, now known to be Hotaru, looked up. "We can't leave her out! You know how much she loves Grunties."
"Th-that's okay…I don't need a partner…" Hotaru told them feebly. "I'll just watch you guys."
"But Hotaru-chan…" The girl who looked like BlackRose interjected.
Iam smiled. "Hey!" She called to the five, and they turned their heads. Mirielle's face broke into a huge smile and she bolted foreword.
"It's you! It's you! The one with the rare rings!" Mirielle smiled widely, then looked at Iam's right hand. "Oh wow! The rare ring now has a rare hand piece! I can smell that it's even rarer now!"
"Uhh…hi!" Iam smiled. "You're name's Mirielle…right?"
"Yep!" Mirielle nodded. "How's Zaiten doing? Has he got any rare treasures that I can look at?"
"Not sure. I'm Iam by the way," Iam chuckled. "But hey, do you guys need partners for the grunty tournament?"
"Well," Mirielle smiled. "I'm pairing up with Ouka," she pointed to the werewolf. "And Shugo and Rena are pairing up together." She pointed to the boy and the girl. "But Hotaru and you could team up!"
"Th-that's okay!" Hotaru blushed. "Y-You don't have to team up with me if you don't want to…"
"Of course!" Iam smiled. "I'd love to! I don't have a partner, and you seem nice!"
Hotaru blushed, then smiled gently. "O-okay! Let's enter together."
"Yay!" Mirielle cheered. "Now we all have partners! Quick, let's head over to Reki!"
The group of six nodded to each other and quickly ran over to the line behind Reki, getting into their teams. "Don't worry!" Iam smiled to Hotaru, who looked up.
"W-worry?"
"You seem tense," Iam told her. "Don't worry! It's a fun game!"
"I-I just hope I don't screw up and mess it up for you…" Hotaru mumbled.
"That's not true! We're a team," Iam winked. "We celebrate victories together and take falls together!"
"Oh look!" Mirielle smiled. "It's our turn!"
"Hey there," Reki smiled. "You two together? What's your team name?"
"Huh?" Ouka asked, turning to Mirielle. "A team name?"
"Team Rare Items!"
"No! Team Victory!"
"Team Rare Victories, got it," Reki nodded, jotting it down. The two facefaulted, then growled at one another for messing up their team name. "Head to area Theta, Doomed Hailing Reef. That's where the event is taking place."
"Off we go!" Ouka called to Mirielle and the two ran off towards the Chaos Gate.
"It's our turn Onii-chan!" Rena called to Shugo, pulling him forward. "What should our team name be?"
"Uhh…Team Shugo and Rena?"
"No! That's dumb! Team Dusk! That's cool sounding," Rena told Reki and Reki jotted it down.
"Head to that area I told your friends," he explained. "You know the drill."
Shugo and Rena walked off after Mirielle and Ouka, and Iam grinned as she realized it was her and Hotaru's turn. "What should be our team name, Hotaru?"
"Umm…whatever you want is fine…" Hotaru mumbled.
"Then…Team Hoam!" Iam told Reki. "It's like a mix of our names!"
"Okay, Team Hoam, head to Theta, Doomed Hailing Reef," Reki told them. "Be quick about it. The event's starting in about five minutes."
"Right! Let's head out Hotaru!" Iam smiled to her, grabbing her hand and leading her past the few people still milling around towards the Chaos Gate. "First place is ours for sure!"
When the group arrived at the area, they gasped to find out that the entire area had been redone for the event. The area was a grassy plane with two sides of spectator stands set up along with a small room for the administrators. The grass between the two stands were painting with white lines. It looked just like a medieval jousting tournament! Red and gold banners lined the stands, and flags stood everywhere.
"Wow!" Ouka exclaimed. "This sure is cool!"
"Look how rare it is! I'd better take screenshots!" Mirielle shouted in excitement.
"So they're doing it like a medieval tournament," Shugo observed. "Do you think they'll have us wear armor and stuff like that?"
"I doubt it," Rena shrugged. "But still…"
"What do you think the rare prize will be?" Mirielle asked, obviously completely entranced in the event.
"Who knows?" Ouka asked, sighing. "But, jousting sounds cool to me!"
"Onii-chan, look!" Rena pointed over to where a large group of people were standing. Behind them, if you craned your neck, you could see a small stage with a microphone stand. The six of them nodded to one another and ran over to the join the crowd.
"Hello and welcome!" A voice from nowhere boomed. The entire crowd turned around, searching for a trace of the mysterious voice. "This, ladies and gentlemen, players of "The World", I, Balmung of the Azure Sky, welcome you to the first ever Grunty Jousting tournament!"
In a flutter and flash of wings and light, Balmung of the Azure Sky appeared on stage behind the microphone to the screaming of the entire female half of the crowd, excluding Iam's group of course. He gave a dashing smile as Reki appeared behind him, looking quite put out that he hadn't gotten such a grand entrance.
"Does he do every event around here?" Iam asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Every weird one, yeah!" Mirielle laughed, cheering with the rest of the crowd. "But Balmung is actually a really nice guy! He loves the game a lot!"
"And now, my subordinate Reki shall explain the rules of today's tournament," Balmung stepped aside and Reki stepped forward, then looked over at Balmung.
"Wait…" he whispered. "So you only wanted the microphone to look showy? You didn't actually have anything to say?"
"Reki, the players are waiting!" Balmung laughed, waving to the crowd and ignoring Reki to his fullest. Reki gave a great sigh and then turned to the microphone.
"Hello everyone. I'm here to explain the rules of the contest today. You've all already divided up into teams of two. Your team will be challenging other teams in a jousting tournament today. Both teams will be mounted on provided Grunties and will do their best to knock the other player off of their Grunty. The one to do so in the least amount of time is the winner."
"Then why do we need to be in pairs?" Shugo whispered.
"Each pair will alternate jousters for each match," Reki explained. "No player may joust twice in a row. The team that defeats all the other competitors shall win the Team Trophy. But, the player with the best score will be the winner of the rare prize."
"Best score?" Mirielle asked. "What does he mean?"
"Whoever has the least time for knocking their opponents off of their Grunties shall be named the Champion," said Reki. "Now--"
"And now!" Reki was easily thrown aside as Balmung jumped in front of the microphone once again, throwing his hair behind his head and smiling widely to many cheers from young girls. "We have thirty two teams in today's tournament, divided into four blocks!"
Behind Balmung, a large board popped up with the four blocks that the teams would be divided into. "Your block has been chosen randomly! Enjoy the tournament!"
The crowd cheered wildly as Balmung finished, and Iam's group sweatdropped. "What a show-off…" Iam mumbled. "But…at least he's passionate."
"Quick!" Mirielle smiled. "We have to go find out our block!"
The five others nodded and ran forward through the crowd up to the large board, where teams were already checking their spots.
"Umm…" Iam looked over the four blocks with Hotaru. "Do you see us, Hotaru?"
"N-no…"
"Yay!" Mirielle cheered. "Ouka and I are in Block C!" Just as Mirielle said those words, a small yellow flag with a black "C" appeared on her chest. She fingered it lightly. "Woah!"
The same happened to Ouka, only the flag was put in her ear. "Oh…clever…" She growled.
"Look!" Mirielle laughed and pointed forward. Iam and the others looked out to see what had to be at least forty Grunties all lined up by color order where they had entered. "I guess we get the yellow ones, Ouka! Let's go and find the best one!" Her eyes full of fire and determination, she grabbed Ouka and jumped off the stage, racing at full speed towards the Grunties.
"Oh, look Onii-chan," Rena smiled and pointed to the blue Block B chart. "We're in Block B."
Just as Rena spoke, a small blue flag appeared in Shugo's hat and her arm band. Shugo frowned that the flag had been placed in such a ridiculous place, but sighed and walked off with Rena towards the line of blue Grunties.
"Umm…Iam-san?" Hotaru spoke up.
"Just call me Iam," Iam smiled.
"Umm…all right Iam-chan," Hotaru smiled. "We're in Block D." She pointed to the red block, and as she spoke, a small red flag appeared on her sleeve, and a matching one appeared on Iam's right pant leg.
"We get red!" Iam smiled. "Let's go get a Grunty, shall we, Hotaru?"
"All right," Hotaru nodded. "I'm a little nervous."
"Why's that?" Iam asked as the two started to walk off towards the long line of red grunties with white "D's" painted on their sides.
"I hope I don't lose a match for our team," Hotaru murmured. "I wouldn't want to cause problems for you."
"You won't lose," Iam smiled widely. "You can do it, Hotaru-chan!"
"I've never been very good at competitions," Hotaru smiled, rubbing the back of her head. "But I do love Grunties…"
"Woah! You do?" Iam asked, her eyes wide. "I'm so lucky!"
Hotaru looked up, a puzzled expression on her face. "Wh-why are you lucky?"
"Because I have someone who knows a lot about Grunties on my team!" grinned Iam, and Hotaru's eyes widened. "We'll be the best!"
Hotaru gave Iam a warm smile and chuckled. "Let's go find a Grunty then."
"And now for the first match of Block B!" Reki announced. Hotaru and Iam had picked out a Red D Block Grunty for themselves and had found a spot in the stands next to Ouka and Mirielle. All the losers would sit in the stands, along with those who were waiting for their turns. "Team Dusk vs. Team Carrot!"
"That's Shugo and Rena's team!" Iam cheered.
"GO RENA!" Mirielle screamed over the crowd, jumping up in the stands as the group saw Rena riding forward on her Blue Grunty with a white "B" on the side. She was facing another Blue "B" Grunty, ridden by a tall red haired heavy-axeman with a scar over his nose.
Balmung and Reki were sitting in the royalty booth, Balmung snuggled comfortably in a red velvet throne while Reki announced the matches. "Can't I sit down?" Reki asked, looking extremely annoyed. "My legs are tired. You announce for once!"
"Reki, haven't you ever seen any medieval movies?" Balmung scoffed. "The King always sits in his throne while the announcer stands up for the entire joust."
"WHO MADE YOU KING?"
"Now all I need is a Queen," Balmung frowned. "What kind of queens are popular nowadays…?"
Reki gave a soft sigh and returned to the microphone. "Jousters Rena and Cariot!" Reki called, then lifted his hand into the air. "BEGIN!"
Rena ran forward, her lance already aimed. The Grunty sped off with her, its pudgy hooves causing a storm of dust underneath its hooves.
"Rena's starting out strong!" Ouka called out.
"But watch out!" Iam called. "That Cariot guy's coming!"
True, Cariot was charging Rena with the same fierceness as she was charging him. Both Grunties were coming closer and closer…
"RENA-CHAN, DUCK!" Hotaru screamed from the sidelines.
Rena took a dive on her Grunty and aimed her lance slightly upwards. In the next moment, the Grunties met!
Unfortunately, due to his height, Cariot's lance sailed right over Rena's head while hers landed straight in the middle of his chest, making him sail off his Grunty and onto the ground. Rena, however, trotted pleasantly to the end of the track, smiling widely.
"Winner, Rena! Team Dusk advances!"
"YEAH! Go Shugo and Rena!" Mirielle cheered from the stands, jumping up and down from excitement.
Shugo and Rena joined them in the stands a few moments later. "You guys were great!" Ouka congratulated, and Hotaru nodded.
"First match down!" Shugo sighed. "Now all we have to do is win a few more!"
"Don't mess up Onii-chan!" Rena reprimanded him. "You're next!"
"Ack! I won't, I won't!"
"The second match of Block C!"
"It's Ouka and Mirielle!" Iam told the group, pointing down to the pit where Ouka was jumping onto a yellow Grunty with a black "C" painted on the side. "Ouka's going first!"
"No way Ouka's going to lose!" Rena cheered. "She's too tough for that!"
"Team Archea vs. Team Rare Victories!"
"THAT'S NOT OUR NAME!" Both Mirielle and Ouka shouted as the entire crowd laughed uproariously.
"Jousters Yaibal and Ouka!" Reki called, "BEGIN!"
Ouka went off like a shot, her Grunty galloping faster then any other the group had seen that day. The other jouster looked frightened as the hard-core werewolf came bounding at him.
The next moment, Yaibal was on the ground and Ouka had clearly won the match without even breaking a sweat. "Too easy!" She cheered, flashing the "peace" sign to the crowd who was cheering loudly.
"Go Team Rare Victories!"
"THAT'S NOT OUR NAME!"
"I-I'm a little nervous…" Hotaru murmured. It was the second match of Block D, and she and Iam were up. They had already piloted their Grunty to the track and were deciding who would take the first match. "I don't think I can go first…"
Iam stopped, then smiled. "Okay! I'll go first! That way, I'll be the one to do the final match. Is that better on your nerves?" She asked and Hotaru nodded.
"Yes, thank you," she bowed. "I hope you'll be okay!"
"I'll be fine!" Iam nodded, mounting her Grunty and piloting it to the track where the other team was waiting.
"Team Hoam vs. Team Sushi!" Reki read, then frowned and turned to Balmung. "Team Sushi? What are people thinking?"
"Keep reading Reki, I've seen odder."
"Jousters Iam and Shiiko!" He announced. Iam looked across the track to see her opponent was a female fighter dressed in green and black. "BEGIN!"
"Giddy up!" Iam kicked the sides of her crimson Grunty and it bounded forward. She put her head to the Grunty's neck and aimed her jousting lance in front of her.
Shiiko was coming on fast, her stick also read to knock Iam off. They were coming closer, and closer. Iam could feel the wind rushing through her ears.
"Iam!" Hotaru called. "Thrust now!"
Iam thrust her jousting lance forward, and, to her surprise, felt Shiiko on the end of her lance. Shiiko was thrown off the Grunty back first, and landed straight on the ground.
"Winner, Iam!" Reki announced, and the crowd burst into applause. Iam smiled widely. She had won her first match! Only four more to go and she and Hotaru were the champions!
In the next hour, Shugo and Rena had been able to win all their matches in Block B and were officially in the Semi-Finals. Shugo had almost fallen off during the second match, only to have grabbed onto his Grunty's nose and throw his lance forward, making his opponent lose his balance. Not the most graceful victory, but at least he had won. Rena was obviously the better jouster; she had been able to defeat her next opponent with little problems and Team Dusk was only two matches away from being crowned the champions.
As for…ahem…Team Rare Victories…
"THAT'S NOT OUR NAME!"
They also had been able to advance pretty easily. Although Mirielle did not have Ouka's speed and power, she made up for it with her wit and calculation ability. She seemed to know where to aim in order to get the jouster to fall off his or her Grunty and could also dodge her opponent's lance well. Mirielle's match had gone on for three runs before she had finally clawed her opponent off his Grunty.
Ouka had intimidated her last opponent so much that they barely went four feet before Ouka's lance snatched them straight off their Grunty. Team Rare Victories…
"WE TOLD YOU, THAT'S NOT OUR NAME!"
Was officially the champions of Block C.
As for Team Hoam?
At first, Hotaru had been very nervous about the second match of Block D, but Iam had convinced her to get on the Grunty and give it a try. Surprisingly, Hotaru, probably from nerves, had gone so fast that her lance's momentum had been more then enough to send her opponent flying seven feet in the air and off his Grunty.
"Now it's my turn!" Iam told Hotaru, jumping on their Grunty. "Don't worry Hotaru! We're in the Semi-Finals for sure!"
"Team Hoam vs. Team Rain!" Reki announced. "Jousters, Iam and Light Angel! Begin!"
Iam kicked her Grunty and she started to move forward quickly towards her opponent, her lance at the ready. Unfortunately, Light Angel was going much faster then Iam, that much was obvious. Her character was small and light, making her Grunty much more maneuverable.
"Man!" Iam bit her lip. "If she's going that fast, how am I suppose to get her?"
"Iam-chan!" Hotaru called. "She's coming! Stand still!"
"Huh?" Iam called, and her Grunty skidded to a halt on her command. "What did you say Ho-"
"WINNER, IAM!" The next thing Iam knew, Light Angel and driven herself into Iam's long lance and off her Grunty. She hadn't expected Iam to just stop, and Light Angel was going so fast that she couldn't skid to a stop herself. She had plain run into it!
Iam looked down to see Light Angel on the ground and laughed out loud. "We won! We did it Hotaru!"
"Team Hoam is the champion of Block D!"
"We did it!" Iam cheered and ran over to Hotaru, who was smiling widely. "We did it Hotaru!"
"Thanks to you Iam-chan!" Hotaru gave a warm smile. "You're amazing!"
"And now!" Reki called, and in front of the "royalty" booth, a small stage appeared, each with a colored section. "The winners of the Blocks who will move on to the Semi-Finals!"
"Champion of Block A!" Reki was thrown aside as Balmung rushed forward to the microphone and began to speak. Thousands of girls screamed, but he ignored them and continued. Reki, meanwhile was glowering at Balmung. "Ryo-Oki and Ryu! Team Twilight!"
"Ryo-Oki?" Iam asked. "Why didn't I notice her?"
"Probably because we were weren't paying much attention during the Block A matches…" Hotaru reminded her softly. "None of our friends were in it, so we didn't bother."
Iam watched as none other then Ryo-Oki appeared on the Green section of the stage, carrying a Wave Master staff. Next to her was obviously Ryu, a boy Iam hadn't met.
He was a sour looking Heavy Blade with a scar over one of his eyes. He had bright green eyes and long silver hair. On his back was a long Katana. "Odd place to keep it…" Iam muttered, frowning.
"Player Ryo-Oki is…umm…a Wave Master who has beaten one opponent so far!" Reki announced, getting back up to the microphone. "Her time is 34.6 seconds!"
"Ryo-Oki! I want your member address!"
"Ryo-chan, look over here!"
"Ryo-Oki, we love you!"
Ryo-Oki sighed and shook her head. Ryu scowled at the blonde girl.
"Player Ryu is a Heavy Blade who has beaten two opponents so far!" Reki shouted. "His average time is 27.4 seconds!"
"Block B's champions!" Balmung pushed Reki out of the way once again, only to have Reki push him back.
"Players Shugo and Rena!" He panted, relieved that Balmung had given a small sulk and had returned to his velvet throne. "Team Dusk!"
Shugo and Rena suddenly appeared in the blue section of the stage next to Ryo-Oki and Ryu. Ryo-Oki smiled at them, while Ryu just frowned.
"Shugo and Rena are the winners of the limited edition .hackers characters!" Reki announced. "Player Shugo is a Twin Blade who has defeated one opponent so far! His time is 39.4 seconds!
"Player Rena has beaten two opponents so far! Her record is 29.5 seconds!"
The crowd cheered for Team Dusk, and Rena blushed pink while Shugo gave a triumphant smile.
"Now, Block C's champions! Players Ouka and Mirielle! Team Rare-"
"DON'T SAY A WORD!" The two screamed as they appeared suddenly in the yellow section of the stage. Reki sweatdropped and sighed.
"Uhh…that team. Player Ouka is a werewolf who has defeated two opponents so far. Her record is 27.5 seconds!" The crowd cheered loudly as Ouka formed a fist and waved to them all. "Player Mirielle is a Wave Master who has defeated one opponent so far! Her record is 56.0 seconds!"
The crowd gave a huge cheer for the team as Mirielle blew kisses to all of them. Reki nodded and continued.
"And finally! The champions of Block D! Team Hoam!"
Iam and Hotaru felt themselves seemingly dissolving, only to find themselves rematerialized on the red section of the stage. The crowd was cheering and Reki was announcing their names.
"Players Iam and Hotaru! Player Iam is a Long Arm who has successfully defeated two opponents so far! Her average time is 34.7 seconds!
"Player Hotaru is a Wave Master who has defeated one opponent! Her average time, the lowest of the entire tournament, is 20.6 seconds!"
"Woah!" Iam laughed. "You sure were going fast in your match!"
"I-I was just nervous," Hotaru murmured. "That's the only reason I went that fast."
"Now, here are the match-ups for the Semi-finals!" Reki called. "Team Twilight vs. Team Dusk! Players Ryo-Oki and Shugo!"
Ryo-Oki gave a small gulp and Ryu looked annoyed. "I should be the one to joust. My time is lower then yours."
"Don't be mean!" Ryo-Oki scowled. "Those are the rules! I'm facing the pervert."
"I'm not a pervert!" Shugo called, his face growing red.
"Rules, schmules," Ryu sighed. "Whatever, just don't mess up. Leave the Final match to me."
"Jousters to the track!" Reki announced and Ryo jumped off the stage, Ryu following her to their Green "A" Grunty. Shugo and Rena waved to their friends on the stage and ran off towards the blue side of the track.
"You can do it Onii-chan!" Rena assured him.
"Don't screw it up!" Ryu warned her. "Remember, I'm only with you in this dumb tournament because there was no one else to pair up with."
"Will you just shut up and let me joust?" Ryo-Oki growled and the two exchanged lightning bolts.
"Jousters, ready?" Reki called. Shugo and Ryo-Oki nodded and he lowered his hand. "BEGIN!"
Ryo-Oki kicked the Grunty to make it start galloping forward, and Shugo copied the move. Now, both were moving towards each other, gathering momentum.
"You can do it Onii-chan!" Rena called.
Shugo closed his eyes and threw his lance forward. Ryo-Oki copied him, and the next thing both of them knew, they had lances in their stomachs, knocking them bck.
"ARRGH!" Shugo cried.
"OW!" Ryo-Oki grasped her stomach and tumbled off her Grunty, hitting the ground. Shugo also toppled off his Grunty.
"Is it a double-knock out?" Reki called.
"Good!" Ryu cheered. "Now I get to joust!"
"Wait a minute…" Ouka murmured. "Wait! Look, Shugo's not on the ground!"
The entire crowd looked to the Block B lane to see no sign of Shugo on the ground!
"But…but if he's not on the lawn…" Iam began.
"And if he's not on the Grunty…" Hotaru murmured.
"Then where is he?" Rena called from the end of the track. "Onii-chan?"
"Don't worry Rena! I'm fine!"
A voice came bellowing from Shugo's Grunty, but Shugo could not be seen. The entire crowd made murmurs of confusion until the Grunty came to a stop at the end of the track.
A figure dropped from under the Grunty, and from under the Grunty's large stomach crawled Shugo.
"Onii-chan!" Rena cheered.
"Lets go to the video!" Reki announced, pointing to a large screen behind him. A video began to rewind violently, then stopped just as Ryo-Oki hit the ground.
The entire crowd watched Shugo as he toppled off the back of the Grunty. "He's going to hit the ground!" Mirielle cried.
But Shugo didn't hit the ground. He grasped onto the Grunty's back leg and hoisted himself under the Grunty's stomach, grasping its sides for support!
"That cheat!" Ouka laughed. "He rode on the Grunty's stomach!"
"That's GOT to be against the rules!" Ryu shouted. "Riding on the Grunty's stomach?"
Reki turned to Balmung and the two exchanged a few words. Reki returned to the microphone. "Ahem… As Player Shugo never left his Grunty, he is officially the winner of the match!"
"WHAT THE HELL?" Ryu screamed as the crowd cheered. "He was riding on its frickin' stomach!"
"Shugo, you pervert!" Ryo-Oki shouted to Shugo. "You just knocked me off to look up my skirt!"
"I did not!" Shugo blushed, and grasped his head.
"Team Dusk advances to the finals!" Reki announced and the entire crowd erupted into cheers. "The next match! Team…you know which…vs. Team Hoam! Jousters Mirielle and Hotaru are up!"
"Oh no…" Hotaru bit her lip. "I'm up? Iam-chan…I'm really nervous."
"Don't be Hotaru-chan!" Iam assured her. "Just do what you did last match!"
Hotaru gulped and nodded. She and Iam headed off towards their red Grunty while Ouka and Mirielle ran off towards the yellow side of the track.
Hotaru mounted the red Grunty and Mirielle, with Ouka's help, climbed on to the yellow one. Hotaru gave a gulp as she faced the confident Mirielle.
"Jousters, ready?" Reki called. "BEGIN!"
Hotaru shot out like a canon; even faster then she had during the last match! Mirielle was completely dumb struck, but, none the less, she started out as well.
Hotaru's Grunty was only going faster, and Mirielle was gathering speed as well. Hotaru closed her eyes and put her lance out. Mirielle laughed and thrust hers forward as well.
Hotaru ducked at just the right time and extended her right arm just slightly. Mirielle's stomach was now completely open due to her hard thrust, and Hotaru's lance made perfect contact with Mirielle's chest, making her plunge off her Grunty and hit the green grass with a hard "thump"!
"Winner, HOTARU!" Reki shouted and the entire crowd erupted into cheers.
"Ohhh, dangit!" Mirielle pouted. "And I really wanted that rare prize!"
"That's it folks!" Reki shouted to the crowd. "It'll be Team Dusk vs. Team Hoam in the final match! Jousters Iam and Rena, please get ready!"
"You did great Hotaru!" Iam hugged her. "You're amazing!"
"I-it was just luck," Hotaru smiled weakly. "Good luck Iam-chan!"
"I'm ready!" Iam nodded to her, mounting the Crimson Grunty. "We're going to win this thing Hotaru!"
"Go get 'em sis!" Shugo cheered Rena on. "You can do it!"
"Right Onii-chan!" Rena nodded, mounting the blue Grunty. "Let's do it!"
"Jouster Rena!" Reki nodded to her. "And Jouster Iam! BEGIN!"
Rena kicked off hard, her lance ready to take Iam off her Grunty. Iam answered the challenge with her own defiant charge. Faster and faster they charge, the hooves of their Grunty's ringing louder and louder in their ears.
The crowd was holding its breath as the two charged at one another. Iam was a stream a red, Rena a stream of pink and blue. They were coming closer and closer and closer!
WHAM!
A huge sound exploded through the stadium, making both sides of the crowd gasp. Each Grunty was still moving forward, but their riders were slowly falling to the ground.
"A double knock-out!" Reki announced.
"Dang…" Iam grimaced, feeling her bruised chest. "I couldn't do it."
"Both Rena and Iam are down! A second match will ensue between Hotaru and Shugo!"
"Wh-what?" Hotaru asked, her eyes wide. "B-but I can't! What if I mess up?"
"C'mon Hotaru!" Iam called to her, slowly getting up from her spot on the ground. Shugo was already helping Rena up as well. "You can do it!"
"B-but…"
"Look Hotaru," Iam ran over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You may not realize it, but you're the best jouster in this entire tournament!"
Hotaru's eyes widened. "Th-that's silly…I always get nervous and choke up…"
"That's not true!" Iam shook her head. "Don't you remember?"
"RENA-CHAN, DUCK!" Hotaru screamed from the sidelines.
"Iam!" Hotaru called. "Thrust now!"
"Iam-chan!" Hotaru called. "She's coming! Stand still!"
"You were giving everyone advice that led them to victory!" Iam reminded her. "Even me! I wouldn't have won that last match with Light Angel without your help!"
Hotaru looked at her feet. "But…"
"Not only that!" Iam assured her. "But you've got the best time in the entire tournament! You're the strongest jouster here! You can do it!"
Hotaru looked up at Iam. "You…you really mean it?"
"I know it!" Iam assured her. "You've got to grab life by the reigns and take charge! You're amazing Hotaru! You just have to believe that you can do it!"
Hotaru stared at Iam with wide eyes for what seemed like forever. Then, slowly, she gave a warm smile and nodded. "Let's go Iam-chan! I'm going to do my best!"
"Final match!" Reki called. "Hotaru vs. Shugo!"
Both Hotaru and Shugo had mounted their Grunties are were ready to face off against one another. Hotaru held her lance shakily, then took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Are both jousters ready?"
Hotaru gave a defiant nod, and Shugo nodded as well. Shugo nodded to Reki as well and Reki lowered his arm. "YOU MAY BEGIN!"
Hotaru wasted no time in showing off her signature speed. Off she was like a rocket, her Grunty galloping faster then ever before. Shugo was coming fast as well, his lance aimed towards Hotaru. Hotaru also readied her lance.
"C'mon guys!" Ouka yelled from the sidelines. "Give each other all you got!"
"Hotaru's going so fast!" Rena gasped. "This'll be over in seconds!"
"You can do it Hotaru-chan!" Iam screamed from the sidelines, and Hotaru nodded and gave a smile.
With one final thrust, Hotaru threw her lance forward and pinned Shugo right in the chest. His lance sailed harmlessly under her arm as he fell to the grass, defeated.
"Team Hoam is the winner!" Reki shouted and the entire stadium erupted in a maelstrom of cheers that echoed throughout the entire crowd. Hotaru gave a wide smiled and jumped off the Grunty. She gave the Grunty a hug around the neck, then ran to Iam, who she also gave a hug.
"You did it Hotaru, you won!" Iam laughed. "I knew you could do it!"
"Thank you, Iam-chan," Hotaru smiled, hugging her new friend.
"Will Team Hoam please come to the Stage to receive their prize!" Reki announced. Iam and Hotaru nodded to each other and ran over to the stage, standing next to their red Grunty who had trotted up next to them. Hotaru gave it another hug as Reki and Balmung walked down a set of stairs towards them.
"First! The team prize!" Reki announced. "Both Iam and Hotaru shall receive a Grunty Food Package with ten pieces of each Grunty food!"
Balmung passed both Iam and Hotaru a large box and Hotaru smiled widely. Iam looked at it oddly. "Grunty good?"
"And now!" Reki smiled. "It's time to see the best time in the tournament!"
The screen above them started filtering through character avatars, then stopped abruptly on the winner. "The winner with the best time is…" The crowd looked up to see none other then Hotaru pictured! "Hotaru!"
Hotaru gasped and Iam gave her a hug. "I told you! You're the best!"
"Hotaru shall receive this!" Reki snapped his fingers and in front of him materialized a magnificent Grunty. It was pure gold with brightly colored stones decorating it, not to mention a crystal crown on its head. "The Prize Grunty! A special one-of-a-kind class!"
Iam looked at Hotaru, expecting her partner to be extremely happy, but, on the contrary, Hotaru seemed slightly disappointed. "What's wrong Hotaru? I thought you loved Grunties."
"I…I do," she nodded. "But…it's just…"
"As for the runner up on Team Hoam!" Reki called. "Iam shall be awarded the winning Grunty, Crimson D!"
Iam's eyes widened as Crimson D walked over to her and gave her a playful nuzzle. "You mean…I win this?" she asked, pointing to Crimson D.
"Yep! It's your consolation prize!" Reki nodded.
"I'm getting a lot of consolation prizes lately…" Iam murmured, then smiled at Crimson D.
"That's all for this years Annual Grunty Jousting!" Balmung called, making the girls scream once again. "Thank you all for coming! See you next year!"
"Iam…?" Hotaru asked as the entire group arrived back in Dun Loireag. Iam turned around to see not only Hotaru behind her, but also the Prize Grunty. Crimson D had already galloped past Iam to explore the town. "You can have Prize Grunty if you'd like…"
"Huh?" Iam asked, her eyes wide. "Why aren't you keeping it?"
"You…you see…I already have a Grunty," Hotaru explained.
"Where is he?" Iam asked, looking around. "What is it?"
"He's not here," Hotaru shook his head. "He's…umm…I mean…"
"Can I see him?" Iam asked.
"Oh…okay," Hotaru sighed, then turned to the Chaos Gate. "Theta, Closed, Safe Haven!"
"Huh?" Iam asked, but it was too late. She and Hotaru had been whisked away to the area.
"He's here."
Iam got up from her spot on the ground and looked around. "I…don't see anything."
"He's right there," Hotaru pointed behind Iam, and Iam turned to see what she was talking about.
Iam gasped as she saw what had to be the largest Grunty she had ever laid eyes on. It was gigantic with a horn sticking out of its humongous head and wings. "OH MY GOD!"
"I call him Mr. Grunty," Hotaru smiled. "He can go small when he wants…but I keep him here so he can graze freely." She turned to Iam. "That's why I want you to have Prize Grunty. I already have one after all…"
"Why can't you have two?" Iam asked and Hotaru looked up. "Mr. Grunty may want a friend, you know!"
Hotaru looked at Prize Grunty who was already making his way over Mr. Grunty. Mr. Grunty gave a small sound and the two continued to eat Grunty food together. "See?"
"Thank you Iam," Hotaru bowed. "You really are a good friend."
Iam looked over at the Grunties and smiled. "Ahh…well," she gave Hotaru a warm smile. "Everyone needs a friend."
The two stood there, smiling at one another for what seemed to be the longest time. The only sounds that could be heard were the two Grunties munching away at a few mandragoras.
"Medieval Knights?" Mai asked Ayumi a few days later in Kirisawa's class. "That's your project?"
"So?" Ayumi asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "It's all about jousting and stuff! I think it's cool!"
"Jousting huh?" Mai asked, grinning. "I bet I could tell you a few things about that."
"Oh yeah right," Ayumi rolled her eyes. "Mai, you may be smart, but how much could you possibly know about Jousting?"
"The best way to win is by grabbing onto the steed's stomach."
"What?"
The End! I hope you all enjoyed this slightly silly chapter! I know I did!
Oh, and for Ryo and Ryu, glad to see you guys in the story! Thanks again for everyone who provided help with Helba!
As for the cookie question from a few chapters back…here's a hint:
The relationship is from a work by Rumiko Takahashi, creator of Inu Yasha and Ranma ½ .
Don't forget to review!
Sammy