Chapter 63

Everyone trained until the sun set. By then, we were all very hungry. Epel said there was a welcome party waiting for us at assembly hall. Before we could head over there, whoever, we realized that Grim, Jade, and Sebek were missing. Luckily, we found them in the market, eating.

"Aha!" Epel said. "I knew we'd find you here! I had a feeling you'd come to Kokko Market, what with all that talk about being hungry."

"We were looking for you!" I said in exasperation.

"My apologies," said Jade. "Grim and Sebek were most insistent."

I gave him a look. "And I bet you didn't try very hard to stop them." He merely gave me an innocent smile.

"Hey, Epel!" said Grim. "What gives? This takoyaki ain't got no octopus in it!"

"What are you talking about?" said Epel. "Those are pancake balls. It's a flour batter cooked into round balls with jam on top."

"Oh, I see," said Jade. "I mistook what they were because they look so similar."

"It threw me off at first, but I'm diggin' the crispy outside, fluffy inside combo!" said Grim.

"I had a hankering for something sweet after all that exercise," said Sebek. "This is just the ticket."

Jade appeared thoughtful. "A dessert that looks like takoyaki... That would certainly catch Floyd by surprise." He grinned.

I nodded with a smile. "Yeah, it'd be fun to see his face."

"I should try to observe the vendor and memorize how they're made."

"Oh, I know how to make 'em," said Epel. "I cook 'em up all the time when I've got a late-night craving for something sweet. After all, store don't stay open late in these parts. I'll give you the recipe later."

Jade brightened. "Thank you kindly, Epel."

"But now we need to hustle over to the assembly hall! They townsfolk are waiting for us."

"Right. Let's hurry and..." Jade suddenly stopped, his eyes stuck on something. He immediately ran over to a stall. "What's this?! They're selling it here?!"

"What is it?"

Jade turned to the person working the stall. "Excuse me, could I have a bowl of that soup?!"

"What's gotten into you, Jade? I just said we needed to get a move on!"

Jade took a bowl of soup from the worker and then looked at Epel. "This is important! It's one of the main reasons I came to Harveston!"

"Whoa, I've never seen Jade so amped before," said Idia. "Talk about a rare spawn..."

"Mrah? Is the soup that good?" said Grim.

Jade beamed at him. "Oh, yes, you won't find it anywhere else. I've always wanted to try some."

"Then I'll have some too!"

"Okay, I'll get some for both of us," I said, trusting Jade's recommendation.

"Likewise!" said Sebek.

"You guys..." Epel said with a sigh.

"Here ya go!" the vendor said, handing us our soup.

"And now, the moment I've been waiting for..." said Jade. We all took a sip of the soup. It was pretty good. Jade, though, looked like he was in heaven. "Ahhh... A rich flavor with a lovely mountain aroma. It's everything I dreamed of!"

"Mmm, soup-tastic!" said Grim.

"It is great," I agreed.

"It's delicious!" said Sebek. "I notice there are thin slivers of something in it. What manner of soup is this?"

"It's a soup made from a real rare variety of mushroom," said Epel. "They look pretty strange... See, there's a whole one right there." He pointed to a mushroom in Sebek's soup.

"Lemme see..." said Grim, looking into his own soup. "Whoa, that's one funky fungi! It's like a mix of red and brown!"

"It's also exceedingly wrinkly and shaped like a human ear," said Sebek.

"It's so gross, I can barely look at it!"

"You're just wolfing it down, huh, Jade?" said Epel. "Most places don't use this mushroom for cooking. It's one of our traditional foods, but it's a real finicky ingredient— only experts can cook with it at all."

"So basically, it's jank," said Idia.

"I've always wanted to try a soup with this mushroom," Jade said happily. "This is a dream true..."

"Wow, I never knew that about you..." said Epel.

"I'll eat anything as long as it tastes good!" said Grim.

I smiled as I looked at Jade fondly. "I like this side of you, Jade. It's cute."

"Cute?" said Jade. "No one ever calls me cute." He smiled, seeming pleased.

After a couple more detours, we finally made it to assembly hall. Marja walked out before we could enter. "We're back, Grandma!" Epel said.

"It's about time, ya rotten apples!" said Marja. "Y'all better have been practicin', or you're goin' to bed without any supper!"

"Uh, yep! We absolutely were! You'd never guess they were beginners now! We're ready to win this race!"

"Ohoh... Look at you boys, all confident. Well, now... Been puttin' the ol' nose to the grindstone, huh? Glad to hear it."

"Granny went from mad to glad in no time flat!" Grim said, impressed.

Epel chuckled. "Ahaha... She's real sweet and caring, sledathon aside."

"By the way, did you settle on a team name, Epel?" Marja asked.

Epel's eyes widened. "Oh no, I forgot!"

"WHAT IN SAM HILL?! I told you that was as important as pruning an apple orchard!"

"Sorry, Grandma! We'll pick something right now. Uhh..." Epel turned to me. "Quick, Ona, got any suggestions?"

I tried to think quickly. "Something with a Harveston theme?"

"I guess nothing says Harveston like apples." Epel suddenly brightened. "I've got it! How about we base our team name on the apple lantern on my sled?"

"Ah, it could be our symbol during the race," said Jade.

"The Apple Lanterns! I like the sound of that!"

"Uh, what?" said Idia. "Is that really the best you could come up with?"

"Yes, it's not bad, but could stand to sound more imposing," said Sebek. "How about The Fearsome Apple Lanterns?"

"We could improve it even more by going with The Fearsome Mountain-Loving Apple Lanterns," Jade suggested with a smile.

"Okay, I take it all back," said Idia. "Let's just stick with Epel's suggestion."

Epel smiled happily. "Great, then that settles that. Thanks for the help, Ona."

I smiled back at him. "You're welcome."

Epel turned to Marja. "Grandma, we're gonna be The Apple Lanterns!"

"Is that right?" said Marja. "Okay then, I'll put that down as your name. Now, are you all gonna stand here freezin' all night or come in already?"

"We're coming. Hey... Do I smell what I think I smell...?" Epel led the way into the assembly hall. "Well, hot dog! We've got barbecue!"

"And a whole lotta other stuff too!" said Grim.

"Of course," said Marja. "We wouldn't dream of skimping on your welcome party."

"Thank you, I'm honored," said Jade.

"Okay, time to go to chow town!" Grim said, running up to the food.

"Yes, I can hardly wait to sit down," said Sebek.

"Yiiikes..." Idia said, looking around nervously. "Do welcome parties normally have so many people?!"

"You must be tired after your practice," said the mayor, who we had met earlier. "So eat up and recharge all that energy! We could only throw together a modest little party, but I hope you enjoy it! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" we all said. Then we all sat down and began to eat.

"Sweet!" said Epek. "I can't remember the last time I got to eat barbecue without havin' to worry about bein' all dainty about it. Time to dig in!"

"Epel's rather excited," said Jade.

Sebek looked at Epel in surprise. "Do you love barbecue that much?"

Epel blinked. "Hm? Oh, I like it as much as the next person..."

The party turned out to be a lot of fun. I enjoyed eating and talking with my friends. After the villagers left, we even played some music together. Then we came up with a plan to tackle the race the next day.

"Okay guys," Epel said at last. "Now that we've done that, let's hit the hay. We've got an early day tomorrow."

"Hm? You mean you're not going back home?" Sebek said in surprise.

"Well, it'd be awful rude to ditch you guys when you came all the way out here for me. Now go on, pick whichever cot you like." Epel opened a large closet, which was filled with tiny cots.

"We're sleeping on these...?" Idia said uneasily.

"They are rather... small," said Jade.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIT ON ONE OF THOSE?!" Sebek shouted.

"People don't normally stay in the assembly hall, so it doesn't have proper beds," Epel explained. "We borrowed some cots from folks nearby, but... they must've been for people of shorter stature."

"You mean the dwarves?" I said in amusement.

"Grim and I will be fine, but I guess you guys won't be able to comfortably fit on one. You think yours will be big enough, Ona?"

"Oh yeah, it'll be fine," I said.

"I think so too. It's just the other guys who are so dang tall."

"Can't you just stick two cots end-to-end and lie on 'em that way?" Grim suggested.

"You can do that?!" Sebek exclaimed.

"Sorry guys," said Epel. "I think you're gonna have to just spread out some blankets and take the floor."

"Well, there's nothing for it," said Sebek.

"I don't mind at all," said Jade.

"I'll take one of the smol cots," said Idia. "It'll be fine if I just curl up." He grabbed a cot for himself, and I grabbed two for Grim and me. Soon enough, we were all settled for the night.

"All righty, then I'll turn out the lights," said Epel. "Good night every—"

"Wait, hold on!" Grim cried. "I got an emergency here!"

Epel looked at him in alarm. "What's wrong, Grim?"

"I'm hungry! I need a late-night snack!"

"You just ate a whole feast!"

"GO TO SLEEP!" Sebek bellowed.

"Mrah..." Grim groaned.

"Good night, guys," Epel said wearily.


"It's finally time for the big race!" Epel said excitedly as we all stood at the starting line. It was a cold day, but I was too excited to care. "Can't you feel the tension?"

I nodded in agreement. "Oh, yes."

"I certainly can," said Jade.

"You don't look tense at all, Jade..." said Epel.

"Hey, Sebek!" said Grim. "You've been shiverin' this whole time. Still not used to the cold, eh?"

"I'm not shivering," Sebek retorted. "I'm simply trembling with anticipation for our victory!"

"Come over here, Epel," said Marja.

"What is it, Grandma?" Epel said as he walked over to her.

"I want you to wear this." Marja held out her cloak.

Epel's eyes widened in shock. "What?! But it's your cloak! Why are you giving it to me?"

Marja smiled. "You used to love this cloak when you were little. You'd always pat it and get all bright-eyed whenever I wore it."

"I guess I did, huh? That takes me back..."

"I sewed it myself. It's a traditional part of our applepoms. And I've worn it in plenty of sledathons myself."

"Whoa, Granny was a musher?!" Grim said in surprise.

"Oh yes! I was our team leader, as a matter of fact. We never lost a race back then, even when we were up against more than a hundred teams. I was actually kind of famous back in those days. Heh heh, it's a little embarrassin' to say now... They even made a cartoon years later based on my sled team."

Idia stared at her with wide eyes. "...Wait, I'm sorry, WHAT?! Are you talking about Beauties Sleeping, the main team in Sled Over Heels?!"

Marja clapped her hands together. "That's the one! You're pretty well-informed for a young'un."

Idia appeared stunned. "So that means that Epel's grandma is the inspiration for Ai, the team leader!"

"What?!" Epel exclaimed. "She is?!"

"DUUUDE. SHE'S BEST GIRL BY FAR!" Idia moved in close to Marja. "Would you autograph my Sled Over Heels guidebook? And can I take a picture with you?!"

Marja placed a hand over her heart. "Goodness, what's all this now?"

"So Epel's grandmother inspired the Sled Over Heels anime," Jade said thoughtfully. "How very interesting."

"This is the best anime pilgrimage ever!" Idia said excitedly. "It's 10 billion levels beyond cool! I'm so glad I came to Harveston!"

"Epel, I want you to wear the cloak I always did when I won my races," said Marja. "I retailored it a bit last night to make sure it'd fit."

"Golly... I'm touched," Epel said, taking the cloak. "Thanks a bunch, Meemaw!" He immediately put on the cloak. "It's so warm and cozy! And it fits just right! The apple and flower embroidery's incredible too!"

Marja smiled. "You look just like a picture. My little grandbaby's all grown up..." She dabbed at her eye.

Epel looked at her in surprise. "Meemaw, are you crying?"

"No, silly! The snow's reflectin' the sun into my eyes, that's all."

"Look at the lovely snowflakes on the shoulders," Jade said, examining Epel's cloak. "This truly is an exquisite cloak. You're looking more gallant already, Epel."

"I'm sure it shall further kindle your spirit," said Sebek.

"YOOO!" Idia exclaimed. "It's just like the cloak Ai wears!"

"Looking cool!" I said.

Epel smiled. "Aww, shucks. You're makin' me blush."

"I'm tickled pink you like it so much, Epel," said Marja.

"The race will begin in 30 minutes!" the announcer said through the loudspeaker.

"It's nearly time!" Marja turned to my friends with a fierce expression. "Listen up, boys! You better mush like you mean it! If you lose, you're all on apple-peelin' duty!" They all recoiled in surprise.

"Scary Granny's back again!" said Grim.

"Eep! She's even more hyped up than yesterday..." said Idia.

"Well, it IS the big day," said Jade.

"Harveston's honor is ridin' on your shoulders!" said Marja. "You got that, Epel?!"

"Yup!" said Epel. "I'm in it to win it!"

"Hey, those Royal Sword Academy guys are over there," Grim said, looking in the distance.

"Hm..." Sebek murmured.

"One, two, three, GO!" said the dwarves. Then they played rock, paper, scissors.

"Wooo! I won!" said Hop.

"Yes! I'm in!" said Grum.

"Guess I'm racing now..." said Timmy. "Oh boy, this is gonna be embarrassing!"

"That's our four racers!" said Dominic.

"They used rock-paper-scissors to determine their team...?" Sebek said in disbelief.

"They appear to be quite laid-back about all this," Jade commented.

"Meanwhile, we were training and planning all day and night..." Epel murmured.

"We're the Seven Swords!" said Dominic. "Four of us may be competing, but we're always a team of seven!"

"YEAH!" the Seven Swords cheered.

"UGHHH, again with the cringey friendship junk!" Idia groaned.

"They never fail to irritate!" Sebek grumbled.

"Oh, there's the Night Raven College group," Dominic said, looking our way. He waved at us. "Hello there! We'll see you on the racetrack."

"Hmph. You mean you'll see us far ahead in the distance as you eat our dust."

"Pfft, whatever!" said Grum. "You guys are toast!"

"C'mon, Grum, don't be a poor sport," said Dominic.

"All sledathon participants, please line up at the starting line," said the announcer.

"Okay guys, let's get to our places."

Marja, Grim, and I followed everyone to the starting line and watched them get into position. "You boys better tear up the snow, y'hear?!" said Marja. "We'll be taking a bus to the first pit stop, so we'll see you there."

"You better win!" said Grim.

"You can do it!" I said with a smile.

"Thanks!" said Epel. "We'll do you proud!"

Then the announcer spoke again, "The race will start in five! Four! Three! Two! One! GO!" We listened to the man detail what was happening in the race. My heart sunk when I realized our team was not doing so well. "The Seven Swords have taken the lead! The Apple Lanterns have dropped to fifth place!"

"C'mon, Epel!" said Marja. "You can do better than that!"

"Sounds like they're having trouble," I said.

"It's sad is what it is!" said Grim.

"All right, folks!" said Marja. "We gotta get to that pit stop on the double! We'll give the boys a pep talk when they get there!"

We headed off to the bus to ride to the pit stop. Once we were there, Marja and I made sandwiches for the team. I made sure to make Jade's with extra mushrooms. They arrived soon after we finished. It looked like they had caught up int he race, for they came at the same time as the Seven Swords.

"Hey, guys," I said happily.

"Hello, Ona," Jade said with a smile.

"You boys managed to pull to the front of the pack again!" said Marja. "Well done! Now just need to stay on your toes and keep the lead!"

"Right," said Epel. "We had a bit of trouble on the course, actually. Sebek's plushie came apart."

"What?!" Marja exclaimed.

"I patched it up and got it going again, but could you take a look at it?"

"Can do. Fork over the squirrel, Sebek!" Marja held out her hand.

Sebek handed her the plushie. "Here you are. Is it all right?"

Marja examined the plushie. "Let's see here... Ohoh, those are some strong stitches. You did pretty good for workin' in the dark, Epel."

"Yes, thank you again, Epel!" said Sebek.

"I'll reinforce the seams to be on the safe side. Gimme just a minute." Marja walked off to fix the plushie.

"Thank you, Ms. Marja! I appreciate it!"

"Oh, you're addressing her respectfully now?" said Jade.

"The only reason I've made it this far is because of the squirshie Ms. Marja made for me. She is a highly capable individual deserving of respect!"

Jade appeared amused. "You are a man of extremes, Sebek."

Marja chuckled softly. "Heh... No need to be so formal, Sebek. Just call me Marja!"

"No need to be formal?" said Idia. "Huh..."

"They're getting along fabulously now, aren't they?" said Jade.

I smiled. "Indeed."

"See you later, Night Raven College team!" Dominic said suddenly.

"It's so awkward being in the lead!" Timmy grumbled.

"Hey!" Grim exclaimed. "The Seven Swords just took off!"

"Okay, the squirrel's good to go!" said Marja, handing it back to Sebek. "Now get on back out there!"

"Ona, could you give us our snacks now?" Epel asked.

"Sure thing!" I said before handing a sandwich to each individual. "I'll be cheering you all the way to the finish line!"

"...Thanks," Idia mumbled.

"I'll endeavor to not let you down," said Jade.

"C'mon, guys!" said Epel. "Let's hurry!"

After all the teams came and went, Marja, Grim, and I took the bus to the finish line. From there, we listened to the announcer account for everything happening in the race. I thought I was going to freeze to death by the time I saw the teams racing towards the finish line. The Apple Lanterns and Seven Swords were tied for the lead.

"The Apple Lanterns have all crashed!" said the announcer. "They're just 20 meters from the finish line! Talk about brutal! And the Seven Swords are comin' in hot!"

"Don't stop now, Epel!" Marja shouted. "Hang in there! GET UP! So what if your sled's busted?! Just grab your plushie and run for it!"

"C'mon, guys!" said Grim. "You're right there!"

"RUUUN!" I yelled.

"I ain't gonna lose this race, dagnabbit!" I heard Epel say.

"Stop talking and MOVE!" said Sebek.

"Ugh, fine, one last pre-wipe DPS race!" said Idia.

"Let's sprint for it!" said Jade. I watched as the team raced for the finish line while the Seven Swords did the same on their sleds.

"Incredible!" said the announcer. "Both teams have crossed the finish line! But which team won?!" I waited with baited breath while he decided the outcome. "After careful review of the footage... We've determined that first place goes to... The Seven Swords!" My shoulders deflated in defeat.

"WE WON!" the Seven Swords cheered.

"We... We lost..." said Epel.

"To Royal Sword Academy..." said Sebek.

"We let them turn things around at the last possible moment," said Jade.

"I don't think I've run that much... in years..." Idia said between pants of breath. "Ugh, this is why I shouldn't do stuff I'm bad at!"

"Let's give them all a big round of applause!" said the announcer.

"Shame our team didn't come in first, but BOY was that inspirin'!" said one villager.

"What a touching show of friendship!" said another.

"It sure was somethin' else! You young'uns fought the good fight!" said a third.

"Friendship...?" Idia said in disbelief. "That's the LAST thing we have! These people are off their rockers!"

I smirk in amusement. "Sure you don't..."

"Rgh... To think that we're meeting this applause from second place..." said Sebek.

"Yes, it's terribly embarrassing," said Jade.

I shrugged. "Well, you did your best."

"Hey, guys," Dominic said, walking over to us with his teammates. "Good racing out there!"

"You really gave us a run for our money at the end!" said Grum.

"Yeah, totally!" said Hop. "We had such a fun time!"

"It was a solid race from start to finish," said Dominic. "Everyone was so focused on sledding fast... We didn't even consider crossing the finish line on foot! That was pure genius!"

Epel sighed as the Seven Swords left. "This stinks."

"They don't have to gloat about it!" said Sebek.

I rolled my eyes. "You guys are impossible."

"I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it," said Jade.

"Yeah, everyone doesn't think like you."

"That makes it worse, actually," said Idia.

"Agreed," said Jade.

"Well, time to give the victors a little congratulatory smooch," Marja said, approaching the Seven Swords. "Bring those foreheads over here..."

"Woo hoo!" they all cheered. They were grinning as Marja kissed them one by one. It was almost cute how excited they got.

"MAN!" Grim exclaimed. "We lost to Royal Sword Academy! Hey, Epel! You woulda won if I'd been racin', ya know!" Epel gave him a weary look. Then he turned away with a frown. "Hm? What'sa matter?"

"You okay?" I asked Epel in concern.

"Epel looks rather upset," said Sebek.

"Yes, he was more invested in the sledathon than any of us," said Jade.

It took several moments before Epel finally said something. "Consarn it..."

"Epel," Marja said sympathetically.

"I'm sorry we didn't win, Meemaw. You won all those races, and I didn't live up to that... Everyone in town expected better from us... Ona and Grim were cheering for us... It just really gets my goat!"

"You did good, Epel!" Marja said after a long moment of silence.

Epel looked at her in surprise. "Huh?"

"You boys pulled out all the stops! Why, there hasn't been a race that exciting in decades. You made this a sledathon to remember. Thank you, Epel."

Epel's expression softened. "Aw, Meemaw..."

"I had a blast!" I said.

Epel smiled at me. "Glad to hear it! It was all worth it, then."

I nodded. "Exactly. I would say this was a trip worth taking." Everyone else murmured their agreement. Soon after that, we all headed back to the assembly hall for some well deserved sleep.

We were almost there when Jade grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "Ona, may I talk to you for a moment?" he said with a friendly smile.

I gave him a warm smile in return. "Sure."

Jade waited until everyone entered the assembly hall before speaking again. "I am glad you enjoyed yourself during this trip."

I nodded. "What about you? Did you have fun?"

Jade's face immediately brightened. "Oh, yes! Mount Moln was everything I dreamed it would be. It is a shame I could not explore it myself. Do you think they would let me stay for another month?" He gave me an eager look.

I laughed lightly. I think it's adorable how happy he gets about the things he loves. "Probably not. We do have school, you know. It would be cool to climb the mountain, though."

Jade raised his eyebrows. "You wish to climb Mount Moln? I can appreciate why anyone would, but mountains are dangerous in the wintertime. You might consider starting with easier climbs, then working your way up."

I grinned at him. "Well then, I suppose I should join your club so you can help me practice."

Jade gave me a warm, genuine smile. "I would be honored."

"Good. When it gets warm enough for me to start, let me know."

Jade appeared very pleased by the idea, which warmed my heart. "Of course. We could do some foraging as well. Speaking of which, did you make that sandwich with all the mushrooms and seeds?"

I nodded. "Yes! Did you like it? I tried to make it perfect. I hope I didn't put too much-"

Jade placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Ona, it was perfect. I loved it. Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

I relaxed under his touch and gave him a small smile. "Oh, good. You're welcome."

Jade moved his hand up to lightly touch my neck, and I shivered. "Oh dear. You're quite cold."

I laughed weakly. "I've been cold for hours. I can't feel my toes."

"Then let's get you inside." Jade wrapped his arm around mine and then led me into the assembly hall. It was dark when we got inside. "It looks like everyone else is asleep."

"Then we better follow suit." We returned to our respective beds and changed with our backs turned to each other. I was about to get into my cot when Jade grabbed my arm again. I looked at him curiously. "Do you need something?"

Jade gave me an innocent smile. "Cuddle with me."

I looked at him in surprise. "Wh-what?"

Jade's smile brightened. "You said you wanted to cuddle with me, right? You were annoyed that I always made you sleep beside Floyd instead of me. This is your chance."

My heartbeat picked up speed at the thought. "W-well, sure, but there are others around..."

Jade seemed amused by my words. "So what? You do not care what others think, do you? Besides, I'm cold and need you to warm me up." He held out his hand for me to take.

I hesitated before tentatively taking his hand. He had a point. I shouldn't care what other people think, and I had been wanting this. I gasped when Jade pulled me down onto his sleeping bag with me. Then he wrapped his arms around me, holding me close to him so our bodies were completely pressed against each other. At first, my heart raced at the contact, but then I relaxed in his hold and wrapped my arms around him in return. This felt really nice. I could hardly remember why I protested in the first place.

"Is this good?" Jade spoke softly.

I smiled as I snuggled into his chest. Then I let out a contented sigh. I felt perfectly content and at peace cuddled up to him. "It's perfect."

Jade gave me a soft kiss on the top of my head. "Good night, princess."

"Good night, Jade."