Hello all you SOW fans out there! How's it going?
Anyway, here we are with the sixteenth chapter of SOW, Yellow Wings Part II! Which is going to be…uhh…long.
So, I hope you don't mind! Here we are!
Shades of Wings
Chapter Sixteen – Yellow Wings Part II
"What happened to Rikku?" Adrian asked Tiffa as Tiffa emerged from the forest near the Moonflow. The group had all assembled on the road and were ready to move on towards the Djose Temple. Adrian was obviously slightly antsy; she was tapping her foot on the ground and throwing glances at the brush that Tiffa had been in.
"She left."
"How?" Tai asked. "There's no way out of that brush except the way you came."
Tiffa shrugged and flashed a small smile. "Maybe she swam."
"In that machina?" Ashnigh asked, glaring at Tiffa. Tiffa rounded her head on Ashnigh and the two exchanged glares.
"Enough you two," Adrian snapped, not wanting the two at each other's throats already.
"So now what?" Briu asked curiously. "Heading to Djose?"
"Of course," Adrian shrugged. "Next is the temple of Djose where I'll be able to pray at another Fayth."
Spiler remained silent, looking at his feet forlornly. He stared at his blitzball and gave it a slight kick. He began to juggle it with his feet and head as the rest of the group conversed with one another.
Adrian caught a glance towards Spiler, and he dropped the ball from surprise. "Uhh…what?"
"Am I supposed to take that incessant annoying habit of yours as a hint?"
"Uhh…no…"
"You're still going on about that Blitzball tournament, aren't you?" Adrian scoffed.
"Why not go?" Juka finally interjected. "It might be fun."
"It would be out of our way," Adrian explained. "The tournament starts tomorrow. We'd never be able to cross the Mihen High Road and travel the Mushroom Rock Road and pray in Djose and make it in time. My pilgrimage takes first priority."
"Blitzball is Spira's only real entertainment," Tai argued. "Seeing a summoner there might lift the spirits of the people."
"Tai's got a point!" Juka nodded.
"A point, he does have!" Luna nodded sagely and put on a strange voice. "Blitzball good for the soul."
"Stop talking weird," Adrian narrowed her eyes and Luna just laughed.
"All those in favor of going to the tournament, say aye!" Briu cheered.
"Aye!"
"Aye!"
"Aye!"
"Aye-aye! Do I count twice?"
"Aye."
"A-Aye…sorry Adrian."
"Ashnigh!"
"Aye!" Tiffa finished and the group looked at Spiler. Spiler gave them all a grin and nodded, raising his blitzball into the air.
"Aye!"
"All those against?" Juka asked.
"Me!" Adrian interjected. "And since I'm the summoner, my vote counts as ten! You lose! Majority rules!" She threw her hair behind her and started to stomp through the forest in the direction of Djose.
"Adrian, wait!" Ashnigh called after her and started to follow her. Juka frowned after the two.
"What's her problem?"
"Maybe she doesn't like sports?" Briu suggested.
"Lady Adrian!" The entire group turned their heads as a few men dressed in Yevon soldier attire came running towards them, looking out of breath. They had come from the Mushroom Rock Road and ran into Ashnigh and Adrian first. "Lady Adrian!"
"Soldiers!" Tai gasped. "What do you think's wrong?"
"Something to do with that machina?" said Briu.
"Whatever it is, let's get over there!" Tiffa told them, and the guardian troupe ran over to where Adrian, Ashnigh, and the soldiers were standing.
"Lady Adrian," one soldier with a husky voice announced. "We've come to drive you to Luca."
"Luca?" Adrian asked, her voice low. "What for?"
"Lord Albatross specifically requested your presence at this year's opening season Blitzball Tournament!" The other commented and the guardian troupe looked at each other.
"Albatross?" Tai grinned. "We get to see him again?"
"Awesome!" Juka cheered.
"As long as Katrina isn't there, I'm fine," Tiffa smiled to herself.
Ashnigh was silent, her face reddening slightly.
"Tell Lord Albatross that I sincerely apologize," Adrian bowed low and offered the soldiers a prayer. "But I'm far too busy to accept his invitation."
"But Grand Maester Mika is in support of Lord Albatross' decision," one soldier brought up and Adrian's face drained of color. "The Grand Maester would be most obliged it all summoners would make an effort to attend the tournament."
"What's she going to do?" Juka whispered to Kevi and the others.
"No way she can turn down Grand Maester Mika," Kevi nodded. "She's gonna have to go."
"Hey dude!" Briu whispered to Spiler. "You might get to Blitz after all!"
Spiler's grin was too wide for his face. "Yes! This year, I'm going to play in the Opening Tournament! I can just feel it! I'm sure that since I'm coming, Mair will let me play! This is too cool!"
"We have a carriage ready to take you to Luca," the soldier told Adrian, offering her a prayer. "If we're lucky, we should reach Luca by daybreak."
"…Thank you…for your…hospitality…" Adrian muttered, praying to them, then turning to the group, looking mightily upset.
"Ready to go, m'lady?" Juka asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You. Off. Cliff."
"HEEEEYYYY!" Juka screamed as Adrian gave her a sharp push. She barely grabbed onto the side of the carriage that they were riding on, then turned to Adrian. "Meanie! I really COULD have fallen off that cliff!"
The group had boarded a carriage driven by the two Yevon soldiers and Chocobos (liberty of the Chocobo Knights). The carriage was large enough to hold all nine of them, and Adrian sat in the front, Juka and Ashnigh by her side.
The carriage bounced across Mushroom Rock Road, and it was obvious that they had already passed Djose temple. Adrian was in a sour mood, and had tried more then once to drop Juka out of the carriage.
"Tell me, are we almost there?" Ashnigh asked the drivers politely.
"We should reach the Mihen High Road in a few hours M'lady Guardian," the soldier replied. "Would you all care to rest at Rin's Travel Agency? It is Al Bhed…but…"
"Hey!" Juka shouted, making the soldier jump a foot in the air from shock. "What's that thing?" She pointed out of the carriage and the entire group crained their necks to see what Juka was pointing at.
It seemed to be a gigantic canon of some sort. Huge, pointed, and suspended in the air by a large pole. Al Bhed were working feverishly on it.
"What is that…?" Ashnigh asked.
"Nothing," the soldier replied hastily. "A Crusader operation."
"Why are the Al Bhed working on a Crusader operation?" Ashnigh asked sternly.
"They offered to help… Their technology is some of the finest in Spira."
"That technology brought about Sin," Ashnigh muttered. "It can't possibly stop it."
"The Crusaders, huh?" Tai asked. "That's the special army of Yevon, right?"
"Yeah," Kevi nodded. "Everyone's invited to join their ranks. They work with the Chocobo Knights to help protect Spira. Hundreds are stationed in Luca."
"My uncle was a Crusader…" Adrian murmured lightly.
"That thing sure is weird…" Juka murmured as the carriage drove around the bend and the gigantic machina disappeared from sight.
By nightfall, the entire group had fallen asleep as the carriage moved along. Juka and Luna snored loudly, Luna leaning on Tiffa's shoulder in an uncomfortable manner. Tiffa's face was scrunched up, as if she was having a bad dream about a giant rock that she had to carry on her back…or a head she had to keep on her shoulder. Briu had fallen asleep, murmuring "Copy Image" in his slumber. Tai had scrunched up, facing away from Kevi, his hand over his pocket. Kevi had fallen asleep sitting up, his axe in the crook of his arm. Even Adrian had dozed off.
But Spiler's eyes were still wide and open. The brown flecks in his irises gleamed off the light of the moon and the stars. He was too excited to sleep.
"This is my year…" he whispered, staring at his blitzball. "The year I'll help the Kilika Beasts win the tournament. I've gotten a lot better since last year…I'm sure Mair will let me play."
Spiler smiled and stared at his ball, his eyebrows arched in anticipation. "C'mon Mair! Let me play!"
"Hey dude, what are you talking about?" Briu murmured, rubbing his eyes. "I can't hear you."
"That's because you're asleep, doofus."
"Am not…" Briu said groggily, slapping himself slightly to wake himself up. "There. Anyway…who's Mair?"
"No one," Spiler smirked. "Just my coach."
"Coach?"
"The coach of the Kilika Beasts."
"Woah," Briu blinked. "I see. So is Mair the captain?" He stopped and paused. "Hey…" Briu murmured. "Why are you so excited anyway? I thought you said you weren't good enough to play yet."
"You're not going to play?" Briu asked him.
"Nah, not good enough yet, I have to work harder if I want to make the front team," he told him.
"Well…I didn't actually think that we'd get to stop in Luca," Spiler shrugged. "So I didn't get my hopes up. But now that we're actually going, I'm sure that Mair will let me play!"
"Well, good luck to you man," Briu smiled, patting Spiler on the back. "Wait...so does Mair play?"
"No, Mair doesn't play," Spiler shrugged. "Just the coach."
"Why doesn't h--" Briu began, only to be cut off as the carriage gave a large jolt, sending both Spiler and Briu rocking to the side. "Crud! Where are we, anyway?"
Spiler looked out of the carriage and grinned wildly. "I see it! We're almost there!"
"See what?" Briu asked, leaning his head out of the carriage too.
"Luca!" Spiler pointed as the gargantuan city came into view. He pointed towards the tall buildings and hot air balloons in the air. "We're finally in Luca!"
"We're finally in Luca…" Adrian muttered as the group walked through the streets of Luca that morning. "What crap."
"This is awesome!" Juka cheered. "I've never been to Luca before! It's huge!"
Luca was indeed gigantic. Children were running all through the plazas and streets. Vendors were selling balloons and candy. Old men and women were arguing about which teams would win the cup this year. Blitz fans were asking players to sign their blitzballs.
"Giant, HUGE!" Luna agreed, nodding rigorously. "It's huge!"
"Hey look! You made it!"
The group turned their heads from the plaza to a small café behind them to see none other then Albatross, Lairon, and Katrina emerging from the doors.
They looked different from the party. Albatross was adorned in crimson robes with gold clasps and tall black boots. He held a golden staff with a white intricate jewel at the end, and his sash was a cream color.
Katrina was wearing a pink top with thin straps and dark black pants. Her long sword and Hawk Eye were attached to her back, and she wore silver arm guards, not to mention black gloves on her hands. She stared at Tiffa, and Tiffa returned the glare.
Lairon was dressed in dark turquoise pants with a navy jacket over his chest. A large silver necklace rested around his neck, and silver bracelets decorated his wrists. He wore brown boots and had an assortment of jeweled gloves attached to his belt. He flashed a handsome smile at Ashnigh and she blushed, turning away. He looked slightly hurt.
"How's it going?" Albatross asked, and his party offered a prayer to the troupe, of which they all returned. "I was afraid you wouldn't come. You wouldn't want to miss all the fun, would you?"
"Uhh…of course not…" Adrian murmured, biting her lip.
"Albatross," Katrina interrupted. "We're supposed to be at the docks in a few minutes to welcome the Grand Maester."
"Of course, of course," Albatross sighed. "Come with us, all right?"
"The Grand Maester?" Ashnigh asked, gasping and performing the prayer again. "Are we really invited to come see him?"
"He'd be glad to see you," Lairon smiled, stepping next to Ashnigh. Ashnigh glanced at Lairon and turned her head away. "So, you want to come?"
"Sure!" Tai nodded. "Let's go."
"His boat should arrive in a few minutes," Albatross grinned. "Let's get a move on!"
"Woah! There are so many people!" Juka observed as they reached the dock. Truthfully, at least fifty people were lined up in front of the boat that had just docked, hoping to get a view of the Grand Maester.
"Lord Albatross!" A Yevon soldier gasped, walking up to Albatross and the others. "Your Lordship, this way."
"Make way!" Another soldier called as Albatross and the others walked through the crowd. "Lord Albatross is amongst us."
Murmurs went through the crowd, and Albatross offered the crowd a prayer. He turned to the boat and kneeled. The others followed suit, as did the crowd.
"Woah! Look!" Tai rasped to Briu beside him.
"That's a Guado, right?"
"Who could it be?"
"Isn't that... Maester Seymour?"
The crowd murmured amongst themselves as none other then the blue haired Maester Seymour stepped off of the ship. He offered the prayer gesture, then stopped and turned his head toward Briu, offering a very small smile before kneeling towards the boat.
"Here he comes…" Juka murmured.
And just as Juka had said, none other then Grand Maester Mika stepped off the boat and faced the kneeling people of Spira. Mika was an older man with a white beard and an ornate robe fit for a Maester on his body. He was slightly hunched over, and looked weak in the knees.
"This tournament is being held to honor his fiftieth year in office," Albatross explained to Juka who kneeled beside him.
"Woah! Fifty years? That's heavy!"
"You bet," Tai agreed. "Shouldn't he be…uhh… 'gone' by now?"
"That's where I come in," Albatross smiled slightly sarcastically. "I'm his replacement, remember?"
"People of Spira, I thank you for your generous welcome," Mika spoke, to the crowd. Many murmured amongst themselves. "Rise, Maester Seymour. And all of you as well."
Seymour rose from his kneeled spot and turned to face the crowd. He had a pleased smile on his face and his eyes were narrowed.
"I present to you...the son of Maester Jyscal Guado, who departed for the Farplane a fortnight past," Mika explained.
"So soon?" Juka asked Briu and Briu nodded.
"I could hardly believe it myself. He died just before I left for the pilgrimage. It was so sudden. He wasn't sick or anything," Briu shook his head. "Seymour was a bit shaken up about it. He could only see me for a few minutes when I came over to his place to talk to him. Said it was nerves. Couldn't blame him."
"As some of you already know, he has been officially ordained a maester of Yevon," Mika told the crowd.
"I am Seymour Guado. I am honored to receive the title of maester," Seymour announced, finally speaking to the crowd. "In life, my father Jyscal worked to foster friendship between man and Guado. I vow to carry on his legacy, and to fulfill my duties as maester to the best of my abilities."
"He's part human, isn't he?" Kevi asked Briu. "A half-breed? I can understand why Maester Jyscal was so heavy on relations between human and Guado."
"Anyway, let's go," Albatross stood up and Maester Mika and Seymour returned to the boat and the crowd began to disperse. "Want to get something to eat before the tournament starts in a few hours?"
"The tournament!" Spiler shouted suddenly. "I totally forgot! Guys, we have to head to the locker rooms! I've got to see Mair!"
"Huh?" Adrian asked as Spiler ran off.
"Crap! Time to follow!" Briu rolled his eyes and ran off. "Bye guys! Catch you later!"
"Sorry Albatross!" Juka called as the group ran off. "We'll see you at the game, all right?"
"You got it!" he waved after them, a smile on his face. Soon, they were all out of sight, and the three were left alone, standing on the dock.
"Mair! I'm here!"
The group had followed Spiler past the docks to the Blitzball stadium and into a small locker room in the left section of the stadium. The Kilika Beasts, dressed in their green uniforms, were warming up. "Mair!"
"Spiler?" A woman with short brown hair asked. "What are you doing here?"
A woman with red hair nodded, "Why are you looking for Mair?"
"I'm here, and I've practiced real hard!" Spiler told the two women. "I'm so ready to play in this year's tournament!"
"Don't be crazy," a voice from a small corner of the room called. The group turned their heads to see a tall woman leaning against the wall in the corner of the locker room, her arms crossed, a frown on her face. "You're joking right?"
The woman was certainly intimidating. She was as tall as Spiler, maybe even as tall as Tiffa, and had short cut brownish reddish hair. She had brown colored eyes…or at least she had one. The other one was covered by a brown leather eyepatch. She wore a crop-top colored a light green with a cream and green trim that was designed in a triangular pattern. The top connected to a pair of light green shorts using two leather straps that attached to the bottom of the shirt and the top of the shorts. She had tall cream colored boots with green soles and silver buckles. At her side was a red and white blitzball.
"Who's that?" Briu asked Spiler. "Another player?"
"No," Spiler shook his head. "That's Mair."
Briu stopped, then stared at the woman, color draining from his face. "BUT I THOUGHT SHE WAS A GUY!" Briu screamed. "Why did you tell me that this chick was the captain of a blitz team?"
"I thought it was obvious," Spiler sweatdropped.
"Sorry that I don't have as much testosterone as you would have hoped," Mair grunted, standing up from her corner.
"But…but your name! 'Mair'! That's a guy's name, ain't it?"
"Actually, my full name is Mairie (Meh-ree)(As in "Mary had a little lamb")," Mair told Briu. "But the team calls me 'Mair'." Mair got up from her corner and walked over to Spiler. The group frowned as they saw her limp slightly as she walked. "Spiler, there's no way I'm letting you in that Sphere pool."
"Huh?" Spiler asked, looking upset. "What do you mean?"
"You're a guardian now," Mair told him. "You haven't been at practices in weeks. How am I supposed to let you out there?"
"B-but…"
"Spiler," Mair sighed. "Why did you become a guardian?"
Silence.
Spiler remained silent, then looked at his feet. "Don't talk about that…"
"Are you really so fickle that you're already coming back to blitz?" Mair asked. "Ophelia would be upset."
"Shut up about Ophelia…" Spiler muttered, gritting his teeth.
"She's my sister," Mair murmured. "I can say what I want about her."
"I told you to shut up!"
KLANG! Spiler's fist hit the metal locker with a resounding clash that made the entire team look up at the two. Spiler's teeth were gritted, and Mair was looking at him with narrowed eyes. "I'm not putting you out there. End of story."
"C'mon Mair!" Spiler shouted. "Give me a frickin' chance!"
"Better luck next year," she frowned. "Sorry Spiler…but you're a guardian now. Think about sticking to that."
"But!"
"Get out of my locker room. I've got to go through warm-ups with my team. Our game is in a few hours."
"Hey!" Juka stepped forward towards Mair. "At least give him a chance! You're being really nasty!"
"Spiler has more important things to worry about then Blitzball," Mair snapped back at Juka, staring at her.
"Juka's right!" Briu agreed. "Why don't you let him play?"
"I told you to get out of my locker room," Mair said. "Now go."
"We're leaving," Adrian told them, stepping out of the locker room. "I don't want to spend another minute in this atrocious place anyway."
"B-but Adrian!"
"We're going."
Juka and Briu shot Mair one last look, then walked out of the locker room. Spiler dragged his feet outside, and Juka took special care to slam the door as she left.
"What's with her?" Juka asked, gritting her teeth. "She's being totally rude!"
"Mair's just like that…" Spiler muttered, sitting against a wall. "And who am I kidding? I'm not good enough to play in the tournament."
"I think you're good!" Briu told him. "You're a lot better then anyone else I've seen."
"Who's Ophelia?" Adrian asked, butting into the conversation. "I'm curious."
"Yes…" Ashnigh nodded, sitting next to Spiler. "You seemed to react pretty strongly when she was mentioned."
Spiler remained silent for a few moments, then sighed. "About five or six years ago, Sin attacked Kilika. Ophelia was killed in that attack."
"I see…" Ashnigh nodded, putting her hand on Spiler's. "Were you friends?"
"Yeah," Spiler nodded, then chuckled. "I kind of had a thing for her, actually… She was Mair's younger sister, you know?"
"How old is Miss Mairie?" Ashnigh asked.
"Twenty-four," Spiler told her. "She was nineteen when the attack happened." He looked at his feet and bit his lip. "When Ophelia died, I swore that I would become a guardian to kill Sin for her. But…" Spiler shook his head, "no opportunities came along. Until I heard about Adrian of course. So…I stayed blitzing. Mair's just mad at me for breaking my word."
The entire group remained silent, staring at one another, then back at the door of the locker room.
"What's wrong with Mair's leg?" Juka asked finally. "And her eye?"
"The attack," Spiler told her. "Mair actually saved my life that day. It cost her though…"
"Spiler!" Mair called to a sixteen year old Spiler as she ran on the dilapidated wooden path towards him. "Spiler, where's Ophelia?"
"I don't know!" he cried. "I heard she was going to the store!"
"Dammit!" Mair cursed, looking up towards the sky. Sin was directly above them, and debris was flying everywhere. The wind ripped at their hair and wood danced around them, rising towards a gigantic tornado that Sin was making. "We've got to find her!"
"R-right!" Spiler nodded.
"WATCH OUT!" Sin's wind picked up drastically, and a tree was ripped off its water roots and flung towards them. "SPILER!" Mair pushed Spiler out of the way, and the tree hit her straight across the face, making her fall back into the water, hitting her leg against the wooden path. "ARRGHH!"
"Mair!" Spiler screamed, holding out his hand for her. She fell into the water, her right eye bleeding and her right leg mangled from the fall. "MAIR!"
"It was a miracle we survived…" Spiler muttered. "But Mair's eye was gone. The tree and taken it clear out. As for her leg…well…that's why she limps."
"And that's why she doesn't play…" Briu murmured.
"Mair was the best blitzer I knew," Spiler shook his head. "And she loved Blitzball with everything she had. She was looking forward to joining the team that year. She had already been accepted and was going to play in the tournament. Then…the accident happened and…well…she was a permanent bench-warmer.
"But she can still use her left leg," Spiler told them. "Her kick's still pretty strong. I bet she could knock out a few fiends with that blitzball of hers."
"And Ophelia?" Adrian asked.
"Dead and sent…" Spiler muttered. "They found her, drowned, near the store where she had been shopping. She probably fell unconscious and drowned under water. No pain…" He frowned.
"So…what are you going to do?" Briu asked. "Try to convince her?"
"Nahh…" Spiler shook his head. "There's just no way that I'll get to play in this tournament."
"Maybe not with the Kilika Beasts…" a voice said. "But how about with your own team?"
The team…uhh…guardian troupe turned around to see a man with a small cap on his head smiling widely at them. He had a deep accent and auburn colored hair. "O'aka XXIII at your service!"
"O'aka?" Tiffa asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who are you?"
"Haven't heard of me?" O'aka asked. "Ahh…well, not many have, yet. But soon, the name O'aka will be heard throughout all of Spira!"
"What were you saying about 'your own team'?" Juka asked, curious.
"I know a way to get you in the tournament!" O'aka told them, smiling. "I could tell you where to go…if you do me a little favor."
"What do you mean a favor?" Adrian asked, narrowing her eyes.
"You scratch my back and I scratch yours!" O'aka laughed. "It's as simple as that!"
"What do you want us to do?" Tiffa asked, looking suspicious.
"Getting together funds for your own traveling shop can be tough sometimes, you know? How am I ever supposed to spread the great name of O'aka without enough funds to…"
"Get to the point."
"Could ya spare some gil?"
"I knew it."
"We're out of here."
"What a gip."
"No, wait!" O'aka called after them. "Now come on! Can't you spare just a bit o' gil? I swear I can get you in the tournament!"
The group looked at each other and sighed. She pulled out a small pouch and handed it to him. "That's five hundred gil. What do you want?"
"Ooooh! Now this is mighty fine!" O'aka grinned widely, quickly pocketing the gil before Adrian changed her mind. "All right. All you have to do is talk to the attendant in the front of the stadium! When they ask you what you want, say 'There are chocobos in the sphere pool.'"
There was a silence.
"This has GOT to be a hoax."
"Serious!" O'aka nodded to them. "O'aka's honor! If you say that, then they'll ask you where the chocobos are. Tell them "in the sky" and they'll let you in!"
"Are you sure?" Kevi asked, narrowing his eyes. "This seems pretty farfetched."
"Just try it!" O'aka assured them. "I'll be seeing you later!"
With that, the short man trotted off, away from the locker room, leaving the nine alone with the strange encrypted password.
"Umm…hello," Spiler said to the attendant in front of the stadium. All nine were blushing a crimson red, embarrassed at the spectacle they were about to make of themselves.
"Hello sir," the attendant smiled. "How can I help you?"
"Th-there are chocobos in the sphere pool!" he spat out and the entire group gritted their teeth. The attendant blinked, then smiled.
"Where are the chocobos, sir?" she asked. The group looked at one another, amazed at their luck.
"Uhh…in the sky!" Spiler replied. She smiled and motioned for them to follow her.
"I'm glad you could make it," she told them. "The surprise teams are always a huge hit at the tournament."
"Surprise teams?" Briu asked, only to have his shin kicked by Adrian. "Ow! I mean…uhh…yeah! That's us!"
"What exactly do you want us to do again?" Adrian asked, her eyes narrowing. "My mind draws a blank."
"Well, you're going to be participating in the tournament, aren't you?" the woman asked and Spiler's face lit up. "Here's your locker room."
She pointed into a locker room and the group walked inside, Spiler grinning from ear to ear. "Your uniforms should be in the lockers. Your match starts in fifteen minutes, so get out here quick!"
"Yes ma'am!" Spiler nodded.
"Oh, and your last player should be arriving soon, right?" she asked. The group's faces turned white. "You said there were ten of you, correct? Five for each half?"
"Uhh…yeah! He, I mean she, I mean they'll be here soon!" Spiler said.
"Oh wait!" Ashnigh laughed. "I forgot! He…he…uhh…couldn't come! He contracted a case of…uhh…the mumps! That's it!"
"What are you talking about?" a familiar voice asked from behind the woman. "I'm right here guys."
The woman stepped aside to reveal none other then the smirking face of Stiven Athana. Stiven walked into the locker room and waved the woman away. She smiled and shut the door.
"Stiven!" Spiler growled. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to blitz, right?" Stiven shrugged.
"Why aren't you with the Goers?"
Stiven paused, and gave a small gulp. "Uhh…they were…full…"
"They wouldn't let you play either, huh?"
Stiven sighed. "You got it."
"Wait, wait, WAIT!" Adrian interjected, slamming her foot on a bench. "What the heck are you talking about? Us? Playing blitzball? None of us can play blitzball!"
"It's not that hard!" Spiler assured her. "We'll do fine!"
"I played blitzball once!" Juka told them. "In a puddle outside the temple!"
"That's not blitzball, stupid!" Adrian shouted. "This is ridiculous! What are we supposed to do?"
"Win!" Stiven told them. "C'mon, let's get our uniforms!"
"Yellow?" Adrian asked, looking extremely annoyed. "Are you joking me?"
"They're not yellow," Spiler frowned. "They're 'golden'!"
The team had all been dressed in golden colored shorts (women) or pants (men) with matching golden chest pads and arm guards. Adrian and Ashnigh had put their long hair up, and Tiffa had tied hers out of the way as well. Luna had discarded her cap and Juka and put her hair in pigtails.
"So, what's our strategy?" Tiffa asked.
"Get out there and flail?" Adrian asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Look, you can breathe in the water, so don't worry," Spiler explained. "The water has high levels of oxygen in it so blitz players don't have to worry about losing air. Anyway, Stiven and I will play forward. Adrian, I want you to be mid-fielder for the first half…"
The positions were finally derived as such:
First Half:
LF: Stiven
RF: Spiler
MF: Adrian
LD: Tai
RD: Kevi
GK: Ashnigh
Second Half:
LF: Spiler
RF: Stiven
MF: Juka
LD: Tiffa
RD: Luna
GK: Briu
"See, now, Stiven and I are in both halves," Spiler told them.
"I'm in goal?" Ashnigh asked. "Do you think I can handle it?"
"No problem! Kevi and Tai will keep the forwards away from you!" Stiven assured her. "Right, Tai, Kevi?"
The two glared daggers at each other, and nodded.
"How come I'm mid-field in the second half?" Juka asked.
"So you can get the ball in the beginning and pass it to us quick," Spiler smiled and Juka growled.
"I want to score too!"
"You've never even played blitzball! Leave the scoring to us!" Stiven gave Juka a sharp whack over the head and she frowned.
"You can't make me do this," Adrian growled. "I refuse!"
"You're out in five minutes!" a man called, knocking on their door.
"I won't!" she called to them.
"Come on Adrian," Spiler smiled. "Time to go!"
With that, Spiler and Stiven grasped Adrian by her arms and dragged her forward; Adrian kicking and screaming the entire time.
"And here we are folks, with the first match of the tournament!" an announcer called as the teams entered the giant stadium. Stiven, Spiler, Adrian, Kevi, Tai, and Ashnigh all looked in amazement as they walked into the stadium. The stands were packed and fans cheered wildly as the teams emerged. A gigantic sphere pool stood in front of them, and they couldn't help but gasp.
Stiven and Spiler nodded to each other and sprinted into the sphere pool, diving into the liquid, splattering it slightly. The other four nodded to each other and ran forward, diving into the sphere pool as well.
"Well Jimma, first up we have, in gold, our special team, the Bevelle Chocobos!"
"That's right Bobba, and on the other side, opposing them with our other special team is the Djose Moogles!" Jimma announced.
"We're the Chocobos?" Juka asked from the locker room as she watched the screen that was playing the game. "What a lame name…"
"Better then the "Moogles"…" Tiffa muttered.
"And to start off the game!" Jimma called. "We have, leading the Chocobos, Captains Spiler and Stiven! Lady Summoner Adrian Lexington is also participating!"
The crowd gave tumultuous cheers, and Adrian grimaced. "It sure does give a lot of joy to the people of Spira to see a summoner in the sphere pool today, Jimma."
"You got it, Bobba."
"The game's about to start!" Luna squealed. "I hope we win!"
"Just watch!" Tiffa smiled. "I'm sure we'll do fine!"
Five of them swam forward, Ashnigh swimming back towards the goal. Spiler stuck out his hand, and the captain of the silver-clad Moogles shook it. The team was made up of all humans, the team noticed.
"Teams get ready! It's time for…" Bobba paused as the blitzball appeared in the center of the arena. Adrian and the Moogle's mid-fielder got ready to catch it. "BLITZOFF!"
The ball zoomed into the air, and Adrian sped up to catch it. But the Moogle's mid-fielder was far ahead of her and grasped the ball just as her fingers touched it. He wasted no time in passing it to a forward, who grabbed it and started to swim forward.
Kevi nodded to Tai and motioned him over towards the forward. Adrian swam as well, and the three of them challenged the offense.
"Looks like he's cornered Jimma!"
"Ouch! An impressive attack by Kevi Sora, defender on the Chocobos! But the offense is still standing!"
Tai made a tackle, and the ball was released. He quickly threw it towards Stiven, only to have it intercepted by a Moogle defender.
Stiven frowned and swam towards the defender, Adrian also swimming towards her. The two cornered the defender and the Moogle player chucked the ball in a pass towards an open forward in the corner.
Adrian and Stiven jumped in the air, only to have the ball graze their fingers and sail on. The pass barely connected and the forward wasted no time in taking a shot!
The ball sailed with great force towards Ashnigh and she narrowed her eyes. Ashnigh swam a bit out and barely grasped the ball before it landed in the goal. She opened her eyes and smiled to see the ball in her grasp.
She looked around and finally passed it to Kevi who started to swim up the sphere pool with it. He didn't get far before three Moogle players tackled him, making the ball fly from his hands. The mid-fielder took a shot on goal once more and the ball sailed through the water.
Ashnigh made a move to catch it, but it veered off in a curve and landed straight in the goal.
"Oh no!" Juka gasped. "They scored!"
"It's just one goal!" Tiffa assured her. "And there's still three minutes left in the half!"
"And the Moogles score! A great play by their mid-fielder there, Bobba!"
"You've got that right Jimma! The Moogles are in fine shape today! The Chocobos can't seem to stop them!"
Play resumed, and, although the Chocobos were doing their best to get the ball down the pool, the Moogles still had a heavy advantage over them.
"And another goal for the Moogles!" Jimma announced as the Moogles scored their second goal. "With only thirty seconds left in the half, the Chocobos are down, two to nothing!"
"They're going to need some pretty great plays to stop this dynamite team here, Jimma," Bobba commented.
"And the ball is placed in the center again…"
"C'mon Adrian!" Briu cheered from the locker room. "Catch it! You can do it!"
"BLITZOFF!" The ball was thrown into the air, and Adrian pushed off with all her might from the sphere pool base.
She kicked her feet, letting the water wash her towards the ball. She was neck and neck with the Moogle's mid-fielder, and she strained her hand out to grab the ball.
She felt her hand grasp it and she flashed a huge smile. She threw it towards Spiler, who caught it with ease and started to swim up the pool.
"A great catch by Adrian Lexington!" Jimma announced. "Now, let's all hope she has the same luck against Sin!"
"Spiler Nairmen is heading up the pool!" Bobba called. "But watch out, the Moogle defenders are on him!"
True, two Moogle defender ambushed Spiler. Spiler, knowing he was outmatched, decided that his only option was to try and shoot pass them.
"I can't believe it Bobba! He's trying to shoot!"
"And there goes the shot!" Spiler threw back his leg and the ball flew forward with an enormous speed. "It's going, going! It's passed the defenders!"
The ball swam forward towards the Moogle's goal keep. She put her hand out and the ball bounced off of her palm, away from the goal. Many fans groaned in disappointment and Spiler frowned.
"And the ball has been blocked! But wait…what's this?"
The entire group leaned forward in their seats as none other then Adrian caught the loose ball and reared her foot back. "Why…Adrian Lexington is shooting the ball!"
Adrian's foot snapped and the ball flew forward at an alarmingly high speed. The Moogles' Goal Keeper didn't even have time to move before the blitzball hit the goal!
"GOOOOAAAALL!" Adrian screamed, then gasped as water filled her lungs. She regained her breath using the oxygen and nodded.
"And that's half-time!" Bobba announced as the clock ran out. "And the score at the half is two to one due to an amazing play by Adrian Lexington of the Chocobos!"
"Yes!" Juka cheered. "We've scored! We're only one behind!"
"We're back in the game!" Briu nodded. "And now it's our turn!"
"Great job team!" Spiler nodded to them as they sat on the benches. "You guys were great! We're only behind by one goal!"
"Nice goal there Adrian!" Tai commented, shaking his hair of the water. "You were great!"
"It was nothing…" Adrian shrugged, but a small smile flashed by on her face. "The faster we win, the faster he'll," she jerked her head towards Spiler, "stop whining about blitzball."
"Right!" Stiven nodded. "It's time to get serious guys! We're launching an all out offensive against the Moogles!"
"Right!" Juka nodded. "Leave it to me!"
"Yeah right!" Adrian laughed. "I doubt you can swim."
"WHAT WAS THAT?"
"Calm down you two," Stiven told them. "It's time for the second half to begin!"
"And the second half is already off to a great start, Jimma!" Bobba announced. "Right now, the Chocobos are in possession. Defender Luna Lee holds the ball at thirty seconds into the half!"
"Here comes the Moogle Mid-fielder, challenging her for the ball!"
The Moogle mid-fielder swam up to Luna, who just smiled widely and hummed a small tune. He made a move to tackle her, but she ducked and he sailed straight over her. She then grinned and threw the ball to Juka who was immediately tackled by a defender and lost the ball.
"Man!" Tai grimaced. "They're taking a beating out there!"
"C'mon guys, you can do it!"
A whistle blew as Tiffa and another player collided with each other, the ball floundering in the water.
"Dangerous Play!" The referee called from the top of the Sphere pool. "Blitzoff!"
"The referee calls dangerous play on Tiffa Carminata and Hugo Recluse! Play is restarted from a blitzoff!" Jimma called.
Juka smiled and swam towards the center just as the ball was put into the center. "BLITZOFF!"
The ball flew into the air and Juka ran up to catch it, but she was too late. The other player had already grabbed the ball and passed it to a forward.
"Juka's too slow for that player…" thought Spiler, biting his lip. "These players are much faster then our team. If only we had a faster player…"
His eyes widened, as if suddenly realizing something.
"I've always wanted to try Blitzball," Briu noted.
"Yeah, you Guado are pretty fast," Spiler nodded, almost dropping the ball. "Unlike those Ronso…"
That was it!
"Oh! Looks like Captain Spiler is motioning to Juka Sammisen, his mid-fielder!"
Spiler was motioning Juka, pointing rigorously at Briu in goal. Juka looked at him oddly and he pointed again.
"Looks like he's switching his player's positions! Briu Guado is now in the mid-fielder spot!"
Juka heard the announcement and she nodded to Spiler and started to swim towards Briu. Briu nodded to her and swam off.
Before Juka had even come near the goal, Briu was at the mid line, looking around for the ball. He was so fast it was almost god-like! Spiler had definitely made the right choice putting him on the field.
"And new mid-fielder Briu Guado intercepts a pass!" Bobba called as Briu snatched a pass from the water. He immediately chucked it to Stiven who wasted no time in catching and shooting.
The ball flew straight passed the goal keeper's hand and into the goal! The score was tied at two to two!"
"And the score is now tied Bobba!" Jimma called. "Putting Briu Guado in mid-field position was obviously a wise move on the Chocobo's part!"
"The Guado are definitely the fastest swimmers out there, Jimma."
"And the ball is back in the center!" Jimma called as Briu rushed back towards the middle, the Moogles now looking extremely intimidated.
"BLITZOFF!"
The Moogle's Mid-fielder shouldn't have bothered to even try for the ball. Briu had grasped it in seconds and chucked it towards Spiler.
"There's only thirty seconds left in the game, Bobba!" Jimma called. "Can the Chocobos score and win the game?"
"It looks like we're going into overtime Jimma!"
"And a pass is thrown to Spiler Nairmen with only twenty seconds left in the game!"
"Two defenders are on him! This looks bad for the Chocobos!"
True, two defenders had converged on Spiler, and he was trapped. The seconds were ticking by; he had no time to break through them.
"What will Nairmen do?"
Spiler narrowed his eyes and threw his foot back to shoot.
"He's going to shoot! I can't believe it!"
But the ball didn't go towards the goal. The ball knocked back one of the two defenders, then the other, then returned to Spiler. He reared his foot back and launched forward, the ball sailing past the goal keeper into the goal.
"And that's it folks!" Bobba shouted. "With an amazing shot from Spiler Nairmen, the Chocobos win the match!"
"Why, I haven't seen anything like that in years Bobba!"
"Neither have I, Jimma!"
"We won!" The team cheered, swimming out of the pool and giving each other high-fives. "We advanced to the next round!"
"What was that shot you did?" Stiven asked Spiler. "It was pretty cool!"
"I call it the Ophelia and Mair Shot!" Spiler grinned widely. "Great job guys!"
"I hope you all enjoyed our pre-tournament game folks. Our first game, the Guado Glories versus the Luca Goers will begin in just a few minutes."
The team remained silent. "Pre-tournament game?" Spiler asked, raising his voice. "This wasn't an official game?"
"I thought you knew that," the woman from before commented, stepping out from the locker room and into the stadium. "We always have special teams put on a pre-tournament show! The amateur teams from Spira come to play."
The team remained silent. "Am-amateur?" Spiler asked, then sighed. "Maybe Mair's right. I need more practice."
"Well, a win's a win, right?" Juka asked, grinning. "And you got to play a game in the tournament! The crowd loves us!" She pointed to the crowd above them.
Spiler smiled. "I guess so…" He flashed a thumb's up to the crowd and they cheered wildly for them. "Yeah! I guess I did get to blitz in the tournament after all!"
"Now let's get changed," Adrian snapped. "I'm tired of being a Chocobo."
The End!
I hope you all enjoyed it!
Next Time on Shades of Wings!
Chapter Seventeen: Green Wings
Until then, Ciao for now!