Chapter 29: The Exhibition Rally

Now it's decided that the Savanaclaw dorm can still compete in the games, the games will be able to take place. However, there is one more thing that needs to be settled.

Grim walks to the headmage and calls out, "Hey, Headmage! We caught your guy! You know what that means… Time to cough up the reward you promised!"

"Grim, don't be rude," Briar sternly says.

Crowley quickly turns to the group, "What?" and remembers, "Ohhh... I did promise you that, didn't I? But it's far too late. The tournament brackets have already been announced. What to do...?" and tries to think on what to do.

This makes Grim very upset, "WHAAAAAAAT?! You wretched, backstabbin' swindler!" and angrily says, "I am gonna make it rain fire, you liar! MYAAAAAAAH!"

Crowley quickly says, "Stop, please! Retrain yourself for a moment! I will...come up with something. Uh…"

Crowley begins to think and then an idea hits him, "Ah! I've got it! What would you say to playing in a special exhibition match? If it were held before the tournament itself, it wouldn't interfere with anything. And the eyes of the world would be squarely on you!

"On me?!" Grim questions.

"B-but of course," Crowley answers.

Grim grins, "Well, so long as I'm the center of attention, I guess that will do."

Then Grim happily says, "This'll be great! After the scouts see me kickin' tail on TV, they'll be swarmin' all over me!"

"That's nice and all, but we still need to have other people play with us. Remember, each team needs seven players to participate," Tanzanite says.

"The other players…" Crowley replies.

Then remembers, "Ah, right. And we'll need an opposing team as well. Perhaps we could cobble one together out of faculty members…"

Grim becomes shocked, "Myah?! You haven't given this any thought at all!"

"Don't worry Grim, I'm sure we'll come up with something," Briar says.

"Like what?" Grim asks.

"Well, I like to play in the tournament, so that's one," Briar says.

"Well, I do too, so I'll make two," Grim adds.

Then Jasper says, "I'll play too, so we have three people."

"Um, I don't think I'm ready to play, so I'll just sit this one out," Sereia sadly says.

"Yeah. I do like playing sports, but I'm not an athlete like Jasper," Tanantie says.

Trinket then shakes her head.

"You're right Trinket. You'll get squashed if you play," Grim says.

"So far we've got three players, we'll need more," Briar says.

"Where are we going to find 4 more players on short notice?" Grim wonders.

Right on cue, Ace and Deuce walk over to them.

Ace is the first to speak up, "Hey, so, couldn't help overhearing…"

"If you need some teammates, we could help you out," Deuce says, confidence.

Riddle questions, "What are you doing? You're members of Heartslabyul!"

"There's no tournament rule that says we can't play for another dorm's team," Ace says.

Trey laughs, "Ha! He's right! I guess no one thought that would ever happen, so no one ever wrote it down."

"Ooh, now this sounds totes fun! I wanna be on Briar's team too!" Cater says.

But Riddle points out, "B-but you're an actual member of our team!"

"Oh. Poo," Cater says with a disappointed grin.

Then Ace says, "I didn't go through all that just to sit back 'n cheer for you guys. If I'm getting the chance, I wanna play!"

Then Deuce says, "I'm not like him, okay?! I just want to have my friends' backs."

Character Jack Dorm Uniform

Then Jack says, "If you need someone to play against, Savanaclaw will be happy to help."

"Myah?! You will?!" Grim asks, surprised.

"Of course. Playing against the faculty would be no fun. We'll give you a proper match," Jack says.

"Sa-weeet! Guess you ain't such a jerk after all," Ace says.

But Jack says, "Don't get the wrong idea—this is just payback! I don't want that debt hanging over my head. You don't got a problem with it, right?"

Ruggie sighs, "... Yeah, sure, what's one more game when we're already at the brink of exhaustion? You're a monster, Jack."

Leona scoffs it off, "Pfft. I don't even care anymore. Come and take your best shot, herbivores. It may be an exhibition match, but we ain't gonna be playin' footsies here. You better be ready for us."

"Ah, splendid. And here I was bracing to endure another three-hour scolding from Professor Trein," Crowley says, in relief.

Then says, "Well, I believe that's five members on your team now, Briar. You only need two more!"

"Hey, that's still not enough!" Grim says, annoyed, "And that's WITH people comin' from whole other dorms to join us! Why does our dorm only have six people in it?"

Briar grins and questions, "Are you sure our dorm's just the two of us?"

"You know, I think Briar is on to something," Jasper says, understanding what Briar means.

Grim realizes it as well, "Oh... That's right! If they live in the dorm, they're our dormmates, right?"

"Sounds like solid reasoning to me," Ace says.

"Then there are more members of Ramshackle House than just the six of us!" Grim says.

"Yeah. The players from ninety years ago!" Briar says.

Sereia soon understands, "The ghosts!"

"Pardon? Are you telling me you intend to register ghosts as members of your team?" Crowley asks, confused.

"That's right," Briar says.

"One of 'em said he used to be a real good player!" Grim says.

"That's right. John told us that he was also team captain in his days. And he taught us how to play," Tanzanite says.

"They'll be perfect!" Grim says with a grin.

And happily says, "Sit tight, I'm gonna go get 'em! Wahooo! I'm gonna be on TV!"

"Seriously? A match against ghosts?" Jack questions as he rubs the back of his head.

Ace says, "Hey, Briar is playin' despite having about as much magical talent as a box of crayons, so what's the problem?"

"Hey! My magic is not bad," Briar says, feeling insulted.

Deuce soon thinks of it and says, "I'm actually going to be on TV? S-suddenly my knees won't stop shaking…"

Then Crowley says, "Hurry off to the tournament site, now. Ah, but first, has anyone spotted a black, stone-like object on the ground?"

"Huh? A black rock?" Ace says, confused.

Then Deuce asks, "Did you lose something like that, sir?"

"No... Simply wondering if anyone had noticed one," Crowley answers.

Then says, "Right, then. Let's all hurry to the coliseum now.

Jack turns to Briar, "C'mon, Briar."

"Alright then everyone. Let's play some Spelldrive!" Briar cheers.

Everyone grows excited about playing the game.

Time has passed, and everyone is in the coliseum. The game is about to begin and the audience cheers with excitement. Team Savanaclaw vs. Team Ramshackle. The Ramshackle Team are Briar, Grim, Jasper, Ace, Deuce, John, and Patrick. On the Savanaclaw Team are Leona, Ruggie, Jack, and four other players. The players are ready to get the game started.

Ace calls out, "You're gonna pay for making fools out of us last time!"

"That's the spirit. Bring it on, and don't hold back," Jack says.

Soon, Deuce is starting to get nervous, "The cameras aren't rolling, a-are they...?"

"Don't worry Deuce, you're going to be great," Briar says.

Ruggie snickers, "Shyeheehee! If I were you, those cameras would be the least of my worries."

"All right! Time to show the world what Grim the Great is made of!" Grim calls out.

Then Leona says, "Count yourselves lucky you get to face me. You better make it worth my while."

"We're going to show you and your team what we're made of, Leona," Jasper says.

Ruggie snickers, "Shyeheehee! You sure are a feisty little feline."

"I'm not little!" Jasper angrily says.

"Alright then, let's play," Briar says.

And with that, the game begins, the Ramshackle Team has taken the disc and are heading towards the goal on one side of the field. Of course, Leona, Ruggi, and Jack are flying on broomsticks in order to stop it. Grim has hold of the disc as Briar and the others do their best to block Savanaclaw's attacks. However, Savanaclaw is not making it easy for them. As they play, the Ramshackle Team are reaching towards the goal.

Grim calls out, "Myahaha! Do you SEE all the slick moves I'm making?!"

"Yeowch. You sure don't pull any punches against the injured, do you?" Ruggie says.

Then Leona turns to Ruggie, "Here's the plan, Ruggie: you keep playing up being hurt like that… And Jack, you hit 'em with a counter once they rush in.

"...Right! Will do!" Jack says.

And with that, Savanclaw begins to follow up with their plan. Briar and the others do their best to dodge the Savanaclaw students who are following the plan as they try to get it into the goal. Of course, the Ramshackle group are doing their best to dodge the plan, and reaching close to the goal.

And soon enough, the group are able to reach the goal, and Ace takes the shot. The disc flies and goes through the goal.

Ace cheers, "OH, YEAH! SCORE ONE FOR US!"

"That was a great shot, Ace!" Briar says.

Then Leona says, "Ha. You're all right. Bask in your moment of triumph while you can, though. It won't last."

This makes Grim angry, "That's what YOU think! Wait till you see Grim the Great land a goal from HERE! I call this baby the Great Grim Hurricane!"

And with that, Grim throws the dice as hard as he can, and it flies across the field, and… Bam! It ends up striking Briar on the back of her head. Briar falls down to the ground and is knocked out. This ends up as a shock for the group as Briar falls to the ground and is knocked out.

"Briar!" Ace cries out.

Everyone rushes to Briar to see the bad bruise on the back of her head.

"Are you okay?" Jasper asks.

"She's knocked out cold," Deuce says, worried.

"Nice going, Grim!" Ace says.

Grim turns away with his paws behind his back and whistles a tune, trying to look innocent.

"She has a really bad bump on her head," Ruggie says.

"We should get her to the infirmary," Jack says.

Seeing Briar hurt, the medical doctor arrives to tend to Briar's needs.