Hey, King Spike Rules here and her is the next chapter to Spike's Basketball. The train camp has begun and every single one of them are pushing their bodies to the limit with Sandbar struggling to keep up and Twilight's plans seem to be having an effect on one of the players.

Chapter 9: Starting the Climb.

The six sighed as they walked up to the school with tired expressions on their face's as it was five in the morning and many of them it was the first time they had gotten up this early, even morning practice started at seven and they were all still in their pjs. Twilight walked up in a track suit and clipboard as she looked at the six of them.

"Alright, are you ready for the start of training camp?" she asked them, and they all nodded as an answer to her, "Great, now to start we have a five-mile run and then breakfast before dribbling practice." She said cheerfully starting to jag in place and looking at them as the five looked at her in shock when Sandbar's hand touched Spike's shoulder.

"I-isn't that a little extreme for the first day?" he asked dread spread across her face.

"Na, you should have seen it before I talked her out of the more, extreme stuff." Spike answered smiling following his sister as she began to run with the others following close behind them, their mind now going to what could he possibly means by extreme.


After the run and breakfast, the group moved to their dribbling training as Sandbar, Snips, and Snail all work on getting better with the ball handling as the other three move around the court avoiding obstacles and took shots. Sandbar watched them move in ways he wished he could, but also felt that he was way out of his league when he thought about it.

"What's on your mind Sand?" Snip asked dribbling his ball and watching his friend look at the others doing their practice as they were separated.

"Just wondering what it would take to get to that point." he nodded and the three of them saw Spike zip past most of the stuff in his way and to a single clutch in an instant with a smile on his face.

"Don't worry about them." Twilight blew her whistle and they turned to look at her as Luna had finally joined them, were watching them from the sidelines. "Worry about mastering ball handling and then passing is after lunch, trust me."

"Alright, let's get moving." Sandbar said resuming his dribbling practice with his friends while the others continued to own practice.


Galous was watching them from the corner of the gym, seeing them all work so hard and he scowled at them with anger in his mind.

"It's all pointless that they'll even trying to compete with the other teams." he turned to leave them when Luna's voice caught his ear.

"So, how did you get the Shark's to agree with the practice?' Luna whispered to make sure that the guys didn't learn about it too soon.

"The Shark's?" Galous said walking back to the door and placed his ear to the doorway to listen in on them.

"They said they wanted to try new seating arrangement and I said we'll be happy to help them with this practice." Twilight answered and they both smiled as their guest grinned from ear to ear.

"What luck., i could learn how their work and put in my transfer to them after the game." he picked up his ball and headed on out away from the practicing team.


As promised, passing practice started after lunch till five where they were allowed to rest for the night to regain their strength. The six all sat in the locker room panting as their clothes where drenched in sweat and drinks to cool them down were in hand.

"Damn, this is tough." Sorain said his blue hair draped over hier face and looking at the others, "I remember hating these kinds of practices when i was playing back in the day."

"Yeah, helping Granny Smith with the allowed for more rest than this." Mac added pouring water over himself to cool himself down and then drank more from it.

"I know it's tough, but i know we will get better as a team." Spike said smiling through his drooping green hair adn tired expression while he looked at the other three. Snail's was barely awake leaning against one of the lockers, SNip's was out-cold laying on a bench, and Sandbar sat next to his friends looking at them witha long sigh escaping his lips.

"You don't need to pity us." Sandbar said pouring water over his head, his mind locked on the practice they had went through and thinking that if he did this bad on the first day, then he'll be worse the next day.

"Hey, relax." Spike said patting his back, "this is a training camp, so that means more strict training and building up your bodies to compete." Sandbar didn't answer, his eyes on the locker with his name on it.

"I-i'm not so sure." Sandbar started standing up yet his legs gave out from under him and without Spike shooting up to stop him, he would have went face first into the locker.

"Sandbar?" Spike called out holding him as the other three shot up from the bench to check him.


Twilight was in the girl's locker room, removing her coat and pants, leaving herself in a pair of panties and a with tee shirt. She put them to the side and released a long sigh while reaching to remove her shirt.

"Twilight." she turned to see Luna by the door, a smile on her face as she walked into the locker room and took a seat across from her as Twilight's face was covered in blush stare at her vice-principal., "How do you think the first day of the training camp is going?" Twilight slowly calmed herself down and sat on a bench near Luna, looking at the lockers.

"Honestly?" she asked and saw her nod, forcing a long sigh escaping her lips, "Better than I thought it would honestly."

"But Sandbar, Snips, and Snails are far from ready to even practice against regular teams or even play real games, right?" Luna finished Twilight's thought and all she could do was nod.

"Their trying, and i know they'll get better over time.' Twilight started but stopped herself, "But the tournament starts in only two months and I need to rush their training."

"Twilight, i don't think..." They were cut off by Spike bursting through the door.

"Sandbar just passed out!" Spike screamed out and the two young girls looked at him in horror.


Sandbar groaned his head killing him and his eyes straining to see what was in front of him, soon coming into view to see it was the nurse's room and the lights hurting his eyes even more thing before.

"Damn, my head." he said holding his head and just stared at the ceiling for a few moments when noise from the other room drew his attention to the door that opened to reveal Luna and Twilight walking in.

"Oh, good your up." Twilight said with a soft voice sitting next to Sandbar and placing her hand over his head to make sure he had no fever, "You seem to be cooling down. it was just a little overheating."

"W-what happened?" he asked looking up at her and watched her place her hands on his head.

"You passed out from overheating." Twilight told him and smiled at him, "You just need rest and drinks, you'll be okay with light training tomorrow." Luna looked at Twilight at shock from what she said, and Sandbar hung his head down.

"S-sorry for scaring you." he said and got a pat on his back as he turned to look at Twilight smiling at him with a carrying smile.

"Don't worry, your health is very important." she said standing up and looked at him flashing him a caring smile, before heading out to join Luna who had been waiting outside.

"Twilight, why are you making him train after passing out like that?" Luna asked looking at her student concern and looked at Sandbar who resumed his resting, "he should have a few days off to fully heal before doing anything."

"Then he'd be day behind and never improve to where he needs to be." she said walking down the hall, "Spike came here to become a great basketball play, and so I will give him a team that will help him get there."

"Twilight, you need to think more with your head." Luna said but Twilight had already left down the hall and leavin the teacher in shock at what she had just heard from her student. Not knowing another one was listening, and they shook from hearing that from their coach.


The next day, training went as normal with them working as hard as they could to get better while Sandbar was allowed to rest a little more and got a few more drinks. But as they continued, Soroan eyes were still locked on their coach with himself having a scowl as he took another three, missing it and getting a whistle from Twilight.

"Soroan, that's the tenth shot you missed today." Twilight said looking at him as sweat fell from his face and he turned to look at her, "If your going to be a starter, that record wouldn't work."

"What?" he asked looking at her and standing up, making everyone look at them, "I'm the only shooting guard on this team and your thinking of replacing me with one of them." His arm waved at the trio still focusing on their dribbling skills and turned to look at him.

"Hey." Spike said stepping up to Soroan and looked at him, "we're all a team here and you can't treat them that way."

"Really, golden goose?" Soroan snapped and glared at Spike, looking at him and Twilight, "you really thing we all equals and that none of us are better than others?" Spike looked around and at the trio.

"There will always be..." Spike started but Saroan got into his face.

"Cut that bullshit right now, do you think there are better players on this team then other." Soroan said his eyes burning with anger and Spike didn't flinch from the stare down.

"Yes, but that means nothing." Spike shot back and Soroan chuckled before throwing a punch across Spike's face, knocking him off balance and then stormed off. Reaching Twilight, who stood in front of him and they glared at each other.

"It's people like that made me quit in the first place." Soroan said with venom and stormed off through the doors, heading on out of the gym as Spike rubbed his chin in shock at what had just happened as was the rest of the team with all of them looking at the doors that Soroan had just stormed out of. Yet the most worried person there, was Spike watching him leave through the doors and looked at Twilight who seem to be nerve over something, with everyone in the gym in a state of shock over losing their shooting guard.

TBC.


Well, that is it for this chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a reveiw.