"Do you think this cup was a good idea?" Clamp asked Dame Simbai. The two of them had slipped outside whilst Aarch was talking to the Snow Kids.
"I did, but now, I'm not sure," replied Dame Simbai. "Mei taking that shot to the stomach in the Rykers game and Tia getting blasted in the Shadows one and on top of those two, Micro-Ice badly injuring his leg, it just doesn't seem worth it."
"It's because they won the Galactik Cup, every team is playing their most aggressively." Explained Clamp.
"I'm worried, how much more can they take?" Asked Dame Simbai, more to herself than Clamp.
"Our last match: the Cyclops," said Aarch, "we have not done very well today," he admitted. "So we need to win this last match."
Aarch took a deep breath and all the Snow Kids looked down miserably. "The Shadows have won the Quad Cup hands down. You need to beat the Cyclops, to have a chance of coming second."
"Now then, starting squad:
In Goal: Ahito
Defence: Thran and Derek
Midfield: Rocket and Mark
Attack: Rose and D'Jok"
"Sir, I'm not sure I can play," admitted D'Jok.
"Micro-Ice can't play on that leg D'Jok," explained Aarch, "I'm sorry but you have to play."
Clamp hurried into the room, "Snow Kids, its time to get on the pitch."
The players filed out of the locker room. D'Jok looked back to Mei as he left, but she refused to even look at him.
"Mei?" asked Tia softly, once they'd all gone.
"Yes?"
"What's the matter with you and D'Jok?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Mei mumbled, getting to her feet and heading out of the locker room. Tia was left alone.
"Where are Micro-Ice and Yuki?" she wondered.
"This was such a good idea Micro-Ice!" Grinned Yuki as she looked out at the view of the lake.
"And the food's great as well," he answered, tucking in heartily.
"Chill out Micro-Ice, no one's going to steal it from you," laughed Yuki.
"Sorry," mumbled Micro-Ice, feeling red from embarrassment. There was a slight awkward silence and then,
"I bet I can finish mine before you!" challenged Yuki, shovelling food into her mouth.
"You're on!" answered Micro-Ice, stabbing his fork into the meal.
Rocket gasped as the Cyclops ran together creating a shield of bodies around the player with the ball. Mark was pushed out of the way, Thran and Derek were unable to reach the ball, however they tried.
The Cyclops' dispersed, leaving the one on the ball in perfect position to shoot.
"Ahito, watch out!" Gasped Aarch.
The ball flew at goal, but Ahito was ready. Surrounding himself in blue flux, he grabbed hold of the crossbar and swung like a monkey, deflecting the ball away from goal.
"Yes Ahito, nice work!" Grinned Aarch.
The Cyclops' roared with fear as they realised that all their players were in the Snow Kids half, leaving their half undefended.
Rose sprinted towards the goal, she had no opposition but the goalkeeper. She was ready to score. She looked at the goalkeeper and noticed that his eye was beginning to spin.
"Rose, don't look into his eye!" But it was too late. A sharp stabbing pain shot into Rose's head, causing her to fall to her knees, clutching her temples. The ball rolled across the floor, straight into the goalies grinning hands.
"Come on Snow Kids, I know you can do it!" Encouraged Aarch.
Rocket ran at the Cyclops on the ball and dragged the ball out from under his feet. However the Cyclops wasn't just going to let himself get pushed around. The Cyclops' eye glowed blue and Rocket was frozen in place, the ball rolling slowly away from Rocket's feet.
"No, Rocket…" growled Aarch.
"I'll take that!" Grinned the Cyclops as it took the ball, it waved back to Rocket as it trundled down the pitch towards the Snow Kids goal.
"Quick, take the ball before they clump together!" Ordered Aarch.
Derek launched himself at the small one eyed alien, shoulder barging the alien. It span in an ungainly pirouette before collapsing. Derek stomped down the pitch, as a Cyclops ran at him he gave it a wrathful look and the alien whimpered and fell back.
Derek passed the ball to Rose, who took the ball on her chest. She bounced the ball onto her knee and kicked it over a Cyclops defender. She ran at the goal. Once more, there was nothing stopping her. The Cyclops' goalkeeper's eye began to spin again. But this time Rose kept her eyes clenched shut, refusing to even look at the goal.
She felt her foot connect with the ball and she skidded to a halt. Fearfully, she peeled open her eyes. The ball was lying in the back of the Cyclops' net.
1-0 to the Snow Kids!
Rose squealed with excitement, jumping up and down at the prospect of her first ever goal. She pulled Rocket, Mark and D'Jok into a crippling hug and then sprinted off down the pitch whooping.
"Is that the same Rose that came onto the pitch with us?" Asked a bemused Mark.
The buzzer rang for half time and the Snow Kids, for once feeling happy, jostled into the locker room.
"This has been wonderful Micro-Ice," Smiled Yuki, as they walked down the main boulevard. "And it's totally taken my mind off of my failure."
"What failure?" Replied Micro-Ice incredulously, "you were awesome!"
"Thanks Micro-Ice," she said softly. She linked her arm through his and for a moment their eyes met, before Micro-Ice looked away, embarrassed. Yuki put her hand on Micro-Ice's cheek and turned his face to face hers. "Really, thank you so much for everything you've done for me," She leaned up and brushed her lips against Micro-Ice's before pulling her arm from his and heading into the Football complex.
Micro-Ice stood stunned.
"Are you coming or what?" Giggled Yuki, poking her head back out through the door.
"Don't let them dominate!" Yelled Aarch.
Thran ran at the Cyclops but the alien kicked the ball through the defender's legs and then slid through himself leaving Thran looking surprised.
Derek charged at the Cyclops, slamming into him and sending him toppling to the floor. The red light flashed again and Derek was penalized. The red screen let itself down on top of Derek, lifting him into the air.
"Damn it! Derek don't play so aggressively," demanded Aarch. "Ahito, get ready for the penalty!"
The Cyclops stepped towards the ball, Ahito dropped into a defensive stance. Then its eye turned blue and Ahito was frozen just like Rocket had been.
The Snow Kids gasped as they saw their goalkeeper stuck to the spot and the ball flying towards goal.
"Ahito, no!" Wailed Aarch.
Ahito's eyes bulged as he begged his body to move, the ball racing closer and closer. At the last moment, Ahito broke free of the Cyclops' spell and burst into action. He unleashed a burst of the Breath and cushioned the ball in a blue, ghostly hand. The ball floated gently into Ahito's grasp.
"Nice work Ahito!" Grinned Aarch.
Ahito smiled goofily and then kicked the ball downfield to Mark. Mark ran down the pitch towards the Cyclops' goal. He saw two Cyclops run at him and gulped as he realised it was too late to turn back. The two Cyclops slid towards Mark, desperate to take Mark off the ball.
Mark watched as the Cyclops slid towards him. At the last moment Mark squeezed his feet together, trapping the ball and hopped into the air. The Cyclops gasped as they slid straight underneath the Snow Kid midfielder.
Mark landed back on the floor, the ball bouncing into the air as he let go of it. Mark swung his foot at the ball, sending it flying at the goal. The Cyclops goalkeeper leapt for the ball, but it slipped through his fingers, flopping into the back of the net.
2-0 to the Snow Kids!
"I did it!" Roared Mark, cart wheeling across the pitch and laughing.
"Nice work Mark, brilliant goal!" Grinned Aarch.
D'Jok watched as the Snow Kids congratulated Mark, but he couldn't feel happy. They were winning, he should be happy. But without the Breath, it was as though he had lost a part of himself. He felt almost empty inside.
D'Jok made his way over to the centre of the pitch. He found himself standing opposite a Cyclops attacker, both players prepared for the kick-off.
The ball shot into the air and D'Jok was able to take the ball easily from the stunted alien opposition. He dribbled around a defender and then kick flipped the ball into the air to get round the next.
"I have to score! It's my destiny!" chanted D'Jok to himself, running towards goal. D'Jok fired the ball as hard as he could at goal. It raced towards goal, but at the last moment it curled away, falling into the space around the edge of the pitch.
"Bad luck D'Jok," said Aarch.
D'Jok cursed under his breath as he stomped over to Mark.
"Wow D'Jok, I'd of thought that you'd be happy to be winning," Mark joked, "am I missing something?"
"It's the Breath," moaned D'Jok, "I'm nothing without it!"
"Me and Rose scored without the Breath," insisted Mark, "I'm sure you can do it!"
"That's easy for you to say," mumbled D'Jok hurrying off to the left wing, leaving Mark looking less than amused.
The Cyclops stormed down the pitch pushing through Rose, Micro-Ice, D'Jok and Mark.
"Thran, Derek's still in penalty, it's all on you!" Ordered Aarch, watching as the Cyclops drew nearer and nearer to the lone Snow Kids defender.
Thran gulped and then began to sprint at the incoming Cyclops attacker, the Breath swirling around him.
Thran squeezed his eyes tight as the Cyclops began to use his mind power. Eyes shut, Thran clamped the ball between his two feet, pushing the Cyclops feet apart. Thran launched himself high into the air, the ball still at this feet.
Jumping up, up, up into the sky, over the very scoreboard.
Thran whooped as he span in a diver-esque front flip, narrowly avoiding the girders which held up the electronic board. He opened his feet and kicked the ball hard, sending it flying down to D'Jok.
D'Jok swung his leg back and connected with the falling ball with all of his force. The ball flew at goal, racing past the goalkeeper and sinking into the back of the net.
3-0 to the Snow Kids!
"Finally we won one!" Grinned Aarch and the whole team grinned back.
"However," he continued, suddenly looking more grave, "we only tied second place with the Rykers and the Shadows were way out in front. We're not going to win a Galactik Cup with that playing."
"But it was great practice and we've had a chance to see where we need improvement," encouraged Clamp.
"Alright everyone, its time to go to the ship and we'll head back to Akillian," announced Aarch and the Snow Kids flocked out of the locker room.
Mei and D'Jok were left in the locker room, each staring into the others eyes.
"You were great," she said softly.
"I was lucky," replied D'Jok breaking their eye contact and turning away.
"D'Jok, please," she called, grabbing his arm. "Why aren't you talking to me?"
He looked down at her little hand, clasped around his big arm, like a baby and its father. "I just need to think," he answered, peeling Mei's hand off and letting it drop to her side.
D'Jok slowly walked out of the locker room, leaving Mei standing in shock.
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