by Ko, John
“Did what?” she asked him.
“Touched my heart to theirs. And as good as they may feel at having their hearts touched by mine, imagine how my heart feels being touched by all of theirs.”
She takes it all in. Now, I know, Father. Thank You.
“Thank you,” she whispers. “Thank you, my friends.
“Thank You, Three Kingdoms. I couldn’t have done it without you!” she shouts, causing them to roar even more. She sticks out her hand and grabs Sense’s. She lifts their hands high and then bows. She turns and bows again. Finally, she motions them to let her speak and says, “I’d like to thank Sense for accompanying me—and all my friends on Monsters To Believe In. Go, Monsters!” she yells.
And there they are, each and every one of her friends. They are cheering loudest of all. I am lucky, she thinks before spotting one of their opponents. Before she met them, there was one guy that actually stuck up for her, at least once in awhile. She won’t forget that.
“Also, I’d like to thank Kase Shake, who when no one knew who I was, defended me like he does everybody else,” she says before grabbing Sense and running of the field.
She runs up to Fate and gives him a long, held-in hug. He gently pushes her aside and asks, “Excuse me, I am looking for someone.”
“It’s me, Poe … Pooh,” she says.
He tilts his head as if that would make things more clear. It doesn’t and he turns to walk away. “ Pooh? We need to find him and make sure he is unharmed.”
Poe dashes around him and cuts him off. “It’s me. I’m fine. I’m sorry I tricked you. I wanted to tell everybody, but by the time I got to know you and trust you, I just didn’t know how.”
“You look like him and you sound like him,” he admits. “But where is your scar?”
“It was make-up!” Poe says. “It’s really why I was in the bathroom so long in the morning, not because of what you thought. You can stop calling me Pooh, but really, I don’t mind.”
“Pooh cannot talk in front of other people,” he says.
She grabs the white-metal chain around her neck. “My uncle brought this with him. It’s that necklace I told you about.”
“So you tricked me?” he says.
“Yes, I’m really, really sorry,” she says. “Really! You’re my best friend ever. You woke me up—inspired me when I was at my lowest. If I never met you, I could never have done it alone. You’re everything. You’re my muse.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just do.”
“I amuse you?”
“Muse! Like being around you inspired me. I learned so much since meeting you all. You’ll always be the best teacher I’ve ever have. You reminded me why, when I lost it. Thank you so much,” she says, realizing she has to tell him all this now before it’s too late. He stands there twitching ever so slightly, trying to process it all.
“Fate, did you like the song?”
“Yes, of course,” he says, grinning widely. “It was the best!”
It’s her turn to be quiet. He looks at her and says, “So, you really are Pooh? And you are safe and unharmed?”
“Yes, and yes!” she says.
“You found yourself?”
“Yes!”
“Thank you for being found,” he says, turning to the rest of their friends. He smashes his fist into his palm and says, “Monsters, are you ready?”
“Yes!” they shout back.
“Okay, then … Let us do this!”
Sense goes over the game plan as they walk. By the time they reach the Staging Area, each knows what they have to do. The plan is simple and to the point. The fact that there is no mention of the Fate in the game plan must mean it actually is true. He really won’t be stepping onto the battlefield. She has so many questions, but decides now is not the time. By the looks on the others’ faces, they have just as many for her.
“That may just work, Sense,” Riser says as the strategist finishes.
Poe looks around: Riser is grinning, Wake’s worries dance across his eyes, Monster stays strong and quiet, and Rachel tries to hide the tremble in her hands underneath the hem of her sweater. But still, they look relieved. They’ve all been so good to me. Will I ever meet the likes again? she thinks, grateful for them all. But someone is missing.
“Where’s Spikey?”
“He is sleeping in here,” the Fate says, pointing to his hood. “He is very tired and asked to be left alone for as long as possible.”
“You can understand him now?”
“I do not really understand anybody and I do not try to,” he says, staring at battlefield. “I do not think most people even understand themselves …”
She laughs, knowing that’s the best answer she will get.
Riser puts a hand on her shoulder and says, “I should’ve known you were my sister. You’ve always been far too talented to be a stinky boy.” Riser pulls her in for a hug full of laughter.
“I still can’t believe it, the daughter of The Maestro, Lord Hardrime himself,” Wake says. “Your performance was beyond amazing.”
Wake’s really changed, they all have. Well, except for Fate. He’ll always be the same. That’s something she can forever count on.
There’s no time for any more. The match will wait no longer. She follows them to the Staging Area and watches as they don their gear. They look so tired. Have they slept? Have they eaten?
She closes her eyes and prays. Her eyes shut so tight they squeeze tears out of the corners.
The announcer is talking. The horn will blare any second now.
Fate puts his gauntleted fist forward. They form a ring of sorts, hands touching in the middle.
“Aye, Riser?” Fate says.
“Yes, Oppa?”
“I was just wondering if you could be anywhere in the world just now, where would it be?” Captain asks.
“Why, there’s no where I’d rather be than right here, right now.”
“Is that so?” he asks. “What about you, Way? Anywhere in the whole wide world, where do you most want to be most, right now?”
“Well, I guess, I really want to be here too,” Wake says.
“How about you, Shine? Monster? Sense? Pooh?” Fate asks.
Each of them smiles and answers in turn. “There’s no where I’d rather be.”
“Not on some beach, basking in the sun? Fate asks.
“No way!” they all answer.
“How about in a nice fluffy bed?”
“No way!”
“Where do you want to be?”
“Right here, right now!” they shout.
“Good,” Fate says softly. “Because right here, right now is where dreams are made true. Right here, right now is where legends come from. And right here, right now, we are together.”
“Together!” they all repeat.
“Now, together let us go out there and do it …
“The impossible—the hard way!” They shout as they throw their hands in the air. The horn blares and they rush out onto the field. The Fate follows as far as the other end of the Staging Area and stops.
He trembles, watching as they go. Poe is there for him, though.
“Everything’s going to be alright.”
Chapter 63
PRINCESS
[Battlefield: Rainbow Forest]
When the announcer finishes spewing out all their titles there is no breath left in him. The Princess hears not a word of it. This is her final chance at gaining some measure of Virtue during these games. How did things end up like this? Even a victory now is failure—a loss unimaginable.
She spares a glance at her champion, Kase Shake. Grim-faced, his eyes quake with the fury of his namesake. She has seen him like this before. It is a good sign.
The horn sounds and so begins the last match of the year. She watches her champion leap on ahead, followed by the three from the Boryeon Tribe. The three Mud-Men were handpicked to ensure their victory over the Troublemaker. Why hasn’t he been leaving the Staging
Area? Is it some sort of trick or something else?
There is no chancing it, though. The plan is set and in motion. The Royal Team will not be suffering another defeat today. Princess Achylsa floats a short ways behind the others, her slippers leaving wisps of violet that disappear into the wind.
She takes her time. There is no hurry. She knows every inch of the Rainbow Forest, every crystalline tree that sparkles reflections of their leaves of many colors. It is not only where the last match of the Grand Finale is set each year, but also where she learned to play.
If her enemies have any sense at all, they will meet in the Alabaster Fields. The large clearing of white grasses in the middle of the battlefield is where every match for as long as she can remember has been decided. The thought gives her pause. Will they surprise us even in that?
A steady stream of numbers and letters are whispered over the speakers. They are coded messages from the Royal strategist that let her know all she needs to know. Her enemies await her at the Alabaster Fields and their captain has yet to enter the battlefield.
Her enemies have split into pairs, dark blotches on an otherwise spotless field. It is so quiet that she cannot hear her own thoughts. A single infant’s cry breaks the crowds’ silence. And then there is only wind. The tall ivory grasses begin to dance. It is time.
She gives the signal and the trio of Mud-Men circle Esperanza and the Half-Orc. Kase Shake draws his short spears and advances towards the Avenoys. She looks over at the brother, a wasted act, unbefitting someone in her position. She wonders why.
The Princess positions herself between the two groups so she may aid whoever needs it most. The advantage is theirs and it will only grow. A drum begins to beat and her enemies come to life.
Kase makes his move. The Chosen One raises his twin spears high above his head and drives them deep into the ground. The air fills with strands of fine, white grass that remind her of the whiskers of the late King’s beard. His mustache had been short and prickly, but those on his chin were so soft she would nuzzle them out of sheer joy. There, tucked tightly against his neck, was once her favorite spot. After her grandfather died, this field made a poor substitute.
“Earth Craft: Plow Through!” Kase shouts. He charges forward holding the handles of his spears like a wheelbarrow and driving his spearheads deeper into the ground. The ground before him tears apart. Dirt, rock, and stalks of white fly all about. Wake and his sister move out of the way easily enough.
But the Chosen One’s goal is accomplished. “Earth Summon: Rock Armor of the Lion!”
The bits and pieces of earth thrown asunder coalesce around him. In but a moment he is armored in rock and stone.
Kase is already tall as boys go, but now he is almost twice that. Covered from head to toe in thick stone, he is now more behemoth than man. On his chest is the face of a lion, and it roars.
She looks towards the other grouping. The Mud-Men have already turned the surrounding ground into muck. Esperanza has activated her boots and hovers just above the sinking ground. The Half-Orc however is stuck. They will not last much longer.
On the other side, Kase draws a wide circle around the siblings. When the ring is complete, he shouts, “Ground Seal: Plateau Stage!”
The ring of earth shakes violently, thrusting upwards to form a giant platform of solid stone. Wake and Rachel stand in the middle, back to back. While Kase looms on one end, his spears look small in his current form, nothing but claws.
Everything is going exactly as planned. All that is left is … “Terraform: World of Muck and Mire.” All three of the Boryeon shout it in unison. It is a Unified Tech that requires all three, but with it the whole battlefield turns to mud. Even if the Troublemaker decides to leave the Staging Area now, he’ll not manage a step through the thick sludge.
Princess Achylsa hovers there, her slippers exuding violet mist. The Mud-Men slide through the sticky muck as if on ice. Esperanza is the only one on the other team that should not be hindered by it. Rachel Avenoy may Trip the Light for a step or two, but eventually she too will be mired. The others have no chance at all.
She turns her concentration back towards Kase’s battle. Wake Avenoy has summoned a globe of water, and the siblings deploy their Dual Stance: Shimmering Ocean.
Kase swipes at the pair, a single slash that sends dust and grass flying. He follows through with a fury of strikes that manage to separate them. In a single leap, he clears the sister and manages to land an attack on the brother, bringing him to his knees.
“Wake!” the sister yells, charging forward with her orb. She swings it around wildly, hitting nothing but air. Kase takes a step back before striking again. This time, his spear is greeted by the brother’s sword.
A low horn blares and the gates to the Staging Area slam shut. The Fate has yet to enter the playing field. Why? she wonders for a moment, but not for long. Nothing he does surprises her anymore.
On the other side of the field, the Mud-Men have taken damage, but the Half-Orc has paid the price. His one good hand is encased in mud and his feet mired in muck. She heals the Boryeon to full and heads back to her champion.
“About time,” Kase says.
“I apologize if I kept you waiting,” she answers. The Chosen One has suffered not a scratch, but neither have their opponents. He wants to change that and in order to do that he needs her backing. “I’m here now. Feel free to begin.”
When her eyes fall upon Wake, he’s looking at her, eyes desperate, but managing to grin through it. What an odd boy. So different from what I had imagined.
“Rock Armor, Release!” Kase shouts and his stony armor comes crashing down around him. He stretches his arms out wide and shouts out, “Earth Summon: Dust and Grass, Wings of the Falcon.”
Tiny curls of dust and swirls of thin white stalks fly about him. As he lowers his arms, they flap, feathered smoky white. And then he’s above them—so high, he’s leapt the moon.
“Violet Summon: Blood Mist,” she commands. A thick purple fog surrounds them, one she may turn deadly poisonous at will, but not just yet.
Kase dives. She concentrates on thickening the mist. Now, neither will be able to see. “Desert Hawk Talon!” he screams.
Instead of Wake’s voice, she hears his sister’s. Rachel Avenoy is calling out where their enemy’s attacks are coming from. Kase is deflected. He flies high and dives again.
Rachel is not supposed to be at the level of seeing attacks; at least that is what her latest reports had said. She must have little problem with head-on attacks, the Princess realizes.
Her suspicions are confirmed as Kase’s second dive ends as the first.
“We’re going to have to do this the slow way. Stay up there,” she orders. He will only be able to maintain his wings for a short while longer. She has to do this now or he too will be caught in the poison. “Blood Mist Transform: Violet Smog.”
The cloud turns a pernicious purple, thick and sweetly smelling afoul. One of them is quick enough to escape. Whoever it is, manages to activate their boots and land a short distance away. But what does it matter, they’ll be trapped by the muck wherever they land. She turns her concentration onto the one who remains.
Whoever it is, they are on their knees, grasping at their throat.
When the Violet poison finally clears, Wake Avenoy stands there with his head stuck in a Globe of Water—the very same one he’d summon to see behind him earlier. He pulls his soaking head from the sphere and begins to laugh. “What do you know, that actually came in handy.”
The Princess never gets mad, but his mirth strikes a cord deep within her. Kase Shake’s Wings blow off into the wind and he lands next to her.
The object of her ire doubles over in laughter. “Secret Technique of the Bae: Mul HoHeup!”
“What is he talking about?” Kase asks, not understanding what’s going on.
She understands, though. Wake Avenoy stuck his head into the Globe of Water and activated some sort of Water Breath Technique. Did
he plan it, or was he just lucky? She’s tired of being made a fool of.
“Finish him!” she whispers. Kase is strong enough to beat him straight up. With her heals for support, this should end quickly enough.
Kase charges in with both spears thrust forward. Wake is barely able to slip out of the way. Why won’t he stop laughing?
“This isn’t funny. This isn’t some game!” she yells. “You have no clue what’s at stake!”
“I don’t know about all that,” Wake admits, barely avoiding another blow. He summons his own weapons. “Water Summon: Dual Falchions.”
“Freeze!” He raises his swords to deflect a jab and a thrust. “Melt!” he commands, turning one of them back to water, all the while laughing that maddening laugh.
The Water Knight strikes back. Kase blocks easily enough. With each blow, Wake’s Swords of Water trickle splashes in all directions. The Princess looks down at her dress, annoyed at the water dripping down its front.
“Why?” she asks. “Why are you doing this? You have enough points for you and your sister by now. You can stop trying so hard. What are you fighting for?” He just laughs some more.
“I’m sorry, no disrespect intended,” he says. “Really, the last thing I want is for anyone to get embarrassed.”
Wake whirls and slashes both swords before him to meet her champion’s attack. Their weapons clash and are locked in a standstill. Kase throws the boy backwards with a mighty shove. The Princess looks down at her newly sodden sleeve. At this rate, that boy is going to ruin her dress. Not that it matters. She just hates being wasteful.
“I didn’t mean you, by that. I meant, I didn’t want to embarrass myself, mostly … but my teammates, too. Captain would do the same for me, has done it for me.”
“You don’t even know anything about him,” she says. “And you never will! I’m the only one …”
She almost clasps her hands over her mouth for saying as much. She’d never meant to betray the secret. In fact, she barely ever even thinks about it. At least she tries not to—that is until now.