Every seat in the crowded stadium was filled with someone, bearing the colored jersey that matched those worn by the team they were rooting for with pride. From down on the grassy turf and away from all the seated spectators, Skye could see all the ecstatic fans that came to root for her throughout the important and soon-to-be eventful match. Things hadn't even begun yet and the sounds of them cheering her team's name and clapping like they always did already welcomingly filled her ears, mismatching with those in the stadium that came all this way to see the opposite team.
Throughout the season she had developed quite a fanbase in the world of this sport, and so she took a moment to simply wave to all the audience members that had followed her journey from its humble beginnings. It was as she did this that the acclamation and roaring cheers grew even more thunderous than before, nearing making her unable to hear the oncoming music that signaled the appearance of the competitor's team.
The white-furred vixen dressed in her blue jersey glared over to the opposite side of the field just as her competition was making her entrance. An equal amount of applause ensued as she saw the gray rabbit in a purple striped jersey speedily run out with her fellow teammates behind her. The face of the doe that had become a definitely skilled player to compete against was both a bubbly and ecstatic one, and it was evident that she was pumped up for the start of the match.
You've been training super hard for this very match, Skye thought as she started to step forward. You're gonna nail it tonight! All your fans are counting on you.
She and her teammates were most definitely feeling some tensity, but surely enough their coach, a tall coyote, came up to them just in time to provide the words of encouragement before things kicked off.
"Listen up, you guys," the coach said to them as she stepped up, the rest of the team huddling in as per usual before a game. "You and I both know that rabbit on the other side of the field's pretty good, but you know I believed in you guys since the start. You guys are gonna show everybody here who's the champions here. And that's because we're who?"
"The Invincible Tides!" the team exclaimed back in unity.
"What's that?" The coyote held a paw up to her ear as if she didn't catch what they cried out. "I didn't hear you!"
"The Invincible Tides!" everyone said a second time.
"You got that right!" replied the coach enthusiastically, looking back at her clipboard before returning her attention back to them. "Now go and show The Amethyst Team what ya got!"
"Sure thing, Coach," remarked Skye as she ran out into the middle of the field, just as the rabbit from the other team was approaching the midfield.
Tonight's soccer match was one that meant just about everything for either team, but even with this in mind the doe still smiled back at who she would be competing against for the title. "I wanna offer you my congratulations on making it here, Skye," she said. "You're an amazing player."
Skye didn't feel the need to be reminded of her natural-born soccer talents, but she wouldn't mind it if credit was given where it was due. "Good luck out here," she responded as the two shook paws. "You're gonna need it, Judy."
The gray rabbit named Judy grinned back and uttered a chuckle under her breath. "We'll see. Our team's giving it out all tonight."
When the blow of a whistle filled the air a small amount of time later, the action out on the soccer field started to pick up as the audience watched attentively. The teams dressed in blue and purple, kicking the ball to their fellow members and away from their opponents when possible.
A grunt arose from behind Skye as she turned around and saw the lioness from behind kicked the ball in such a way that it seemed to fly by in a flash. The defenders on the Amethyst Team were caught completely off guard as the vixen and her teammates up front ran forward. The feline to her left kicked the ball in her direction, and she ran it down before kicking it over to the gray wolf to the right of her.
"Head's up," Skye called out as she did so.
The canid instinctively took control as she brought it up toward the opposite team's net and powered it in, the otter goalie dressed in purple a tad too slow to avoid anything from happening.
The first goal had been scored, easily putting Skye and her team ahead for the time being.
A takeover in who was in control within midfield came next for the Invincible Tides. A skilled brown bear from the team maneuvered and pivoted the ball with ease, and she started to pass it back and forth with the hippo to her side. The ursid then sent the ball in the direction of the nearby tiger teammate, only for this to backfire unanticipatedly.
A leopard from the other team foresaw where the soccer ball would land, trapping it to bring its motion to a stop. She grinned as she speedily started to dribble it past the others that hadn't expected this sudden change in events. "Svetlana," she called out, looking to her side. "Over to you!"
The stoat nearby heard her name and looked back as the feline passed the ball towards her. She carefully prevented it from being trapped by the taller defenders of the Invincible Tides, keeping the ball moving forward as she passed it with Judy. Once the penalty line had been approached, the incoming caribou goalkeeper eagerly prepared herself for the impending strike of the ball to be made towards her.
Svetlana slyly faked the kick. The caribou goalie's reflexes causing her to move in the direction she believed the ball would have been traveling in. Instead, the mustelid ended up kicking it where the net was more open thanks to the goalie. The crowds of the stadium ended up roaring even crazier once the teams' scores became tied in that moment.
The caribou picked herself back up and huffed under her breath, shaking her head after letting her instincts get the best of her and not trying to read the oncoming player beforehand. The stoat grinned before she blew a kiss in the air and waved a paw at her applause.
The sound of a whistle arose from nearby, with several members from The Amethyst Team joining their coach on the side. It was during this moment Skye turned her head to look over and saw that gray doe smiling back at her innocently.
"Never underestimate a team led by a bunny," she then remarked in reply as she walked away.
Guess she's more skilled than I first thought she'd be out here.
"Looks like I'm getting better at this," Judy said with a smile, lounging back in the chair on the left side of the living room.
The screen on television showed the scores (which confirmed that she was currently the winner), as well as a notice that the game was about to continue onward.
Skye gripped the controller in her paws harder out of agitation, realizing that she was experiencing defeat in this moment. "But..." she started to say frustratedly. "How did... I-I..."
"How did I get so good at this game?" Judy replied, answering for her since she was clearly at a loss of what to say then. "Well, let's just say I've gotten good at a couple of games over time thanks to my siblings. I used to be really good at the older ones, but this one's pretty much the same."
"But I don't understand," the vixen seated on the other side of room remarked as she shook her head. She had honestly believed that she was pretty good at the game she had played inside the new console, but clearly Judy had a knack for it that she was previously unaware of. "I honestly didn't even know you could do that thing you just did at the last quarter."
"All it takes is a little finesse," responded the doe, grabbing her controller again just as the screen was changing to display the two sides of the soccer field.
"Very well. Guess I better kick things up a notch."
The vixen and doe continued playing the game, mashing the buttons on their controllers so quickly as if it were second nature. Cheering sounds and announcers stating everything happening came from the television as things ensued.
Meanwhile, a certain striped jackrabbit stepped into the room behind the chair the vulpine was seated in. "Uh, Skye?" he said as he tapped her on her shoulder nonchalantly.
"Yes, Jack?" answered Skye, her eyes still focused on the screen as she pressed several buttons on her controller repeatedly to kick the ball on the screen.
Jack paused a moment and looked back at her, their friend Nick walking back into the room in that moment as well. "I just wanted to know for sure if-"
"Hang on a second," interrupted the vixen as she held a paw up, proceeding to flick the analog stick of her controller. When the sounds of cheering and music came from the game, she pumped a fist in excitement. "Yes," she said to herself. "Now I got a chance to win this."
Jack decided to wait to talk to her until, perhaps, a different time, as he could notice that she was stuck in this game with her friend. If there was anything he knew about the games that she liked to play with either him or her friends, it was these kind that truly brought out her full competitive nature until it was all over. And as for Nick, who watched them alongside him, he knew the same went for his bunny as well.
Author's Note: Hey there, everyone! I had the feeling to write something that was somewhat about the sport of soccer and this was the story I was able to come up with quickly.
I honestly don't know too much about soccer compared to other sports, so the descriptions of the match (which turned out to just be part of the game Judy and Skye we're playing) in the beginning of this story are based off of some little articles and such on how to play soccer that I read.
As always, your thoughts on this, good and bad, are always appreciated. Excited that the holidays are coming up soon as well, so now I can get to work on some stories for the season. I've had some sitting around for awhile and I've wanted to put some touches to them before sharing them to get everybody in that holiday mood. :)
'Til next time, everybody! :)