When Skara woke up, she wasn't groggy in the least. Her eyes didn't sting or flinch at light, and she didn't try to roll over to get back to sleep. Her eyes just shot open, looking up at the ceiling. She laid on her back, rigid, almost like she was standing to attention, just, well, laying down. Her alarm screamed a few seconds later, and she reached her arm out and switched it off instantly, without even looking at it. She blinked a couple of times.
Then, it all hit her at once.
And she felt like she had ingested a ball of lead.
Today was the day - The Grudgby match between Hexside and Glandus.
The day that the last couple of weeks had been building towards. A day Skara was both dreading, and thankful for, because once it was over, and she was laying in this bed tonight, she wouldn't have to worry about waking up at the crack of dawn to do drills that defied all common sense and logic. A weight would be lifted from her shoulders, one way or the other.
It was what was supposed to come next that had Skara worried. And that depended on how well they played today. How well she played. Win or lose, Skara honestly couldn't care less. It was Boscha she was concerned with. How she would take it if they lost. If she would blame Skara for it, and how... Fun that would be.
But after today, it'll be done, she reminded herself. After today, this is all done with.
With a sigh, Skara sat herself up in bed, leaning back against the headboard. She glanced around her room, noting how messy and unkempt it had gotten. These last few weeks, she'd had no time to focus on anything else other than Grudgby training and doing whatever homework she could do to keep her teachers off her back. She had kept telling herself she would clean it up, but just never did. She never had the time to. Granted, she was never the tidiest person on the Isles, but normally there was at least an attempt to make it look organized. Now there was no rhyme or reason whatsoever. Everything was just strewn about all over the place. Books, shirts and skirts thrown about the floor, instruments disorganized - She was pretty confident that some of her percussion instruments were buried under a pile of clothes in the archway of the door.
In all that clutter though, there was a space at her desk that was relatively clear, so she had a workspace to actually do all that homework. Just some books and papers laying around, nothing too major. In the center of it, left there from the night before, was something that recaptured Skara's eyes, and pulled her away from everything else, just as it had done the night before.
The glyph.
Once again, it had all her attention. She looked at it, and somehow, Skara felt like it was looking back at her. Like it had questions of its own - Like what it was doing here.
That at least, in a physical sense, Skara could answer: It had been a rough few weeks, but the last five days in particular had been, in a single word, brutal. Every new training drill was more intense and insane than the last, and nothing that anyone did seemed to be good enough for Boscha. Each drill, they ran until it was as close to absolutely flawless as possible. Then, they'd run it another hundred times. And every time they bested their previous times, Boscha wouldn't be happy until they bested it again.
This match means a lot to Boscha, Skara reminded herself. Things will return to normal once it's done.
So when Skara was taking care of all her Grudgby equipment the day before, she took pause for just a fraction of a second. Made her run her eyes across the books lined up in her locker, and land on a piece of paper between Magical Musical Theory, and Petrimo's Greatest Compositions. The glyph Willow had given her on Monday. And like the Magic it was supposed to invoke, it seemed to glow in front of Skara.
Ever since Willow had given it to her, Skara had felt conflicted. Actually using it would be a weakness, and not to mention completely unnecessary. But at the same time, something about it was... She didn't know.
Compelling? Comforting?
But all that did was circle back to it being a weakness. And the whole cycle began again. And she had enough on her mind as it was. So she had just thrown it in her locker, and tried her best to forget about it.
But she hadn't been able to. That was why her eyes had been pulled towards it. She couldn't forget that it was there.
She had shut the locker, and had been about halfway down the corridor before she stopped, cursed, went back, opened the locker, and took the glyph out. Whatever was going on, it had gone on long enough.
When she got home, she had gone straight into her room, and done nothing but put the glyph on her desk, sat there, and just stared at it, trying to figure out what the heck it was about this thing that she couldn't get out of her head. To find some rhyme or reason, some logic to explain why she couldn't just crumple the thing up and toss it in the trash. To find some reason why every time she tried, her hands turned to jelly. To explain why... Why any of this was a thing she had to deal with. She sat there for hours, searching her head for some explanation as to why any of this was.
It had all been in vain, though.
There was just... Nothing. Nothing that had occurred to the Bard. Nothing she could think of. And come morning, still nothing had come to her. She didn't know what it was about this glyph specifically that was messing with her.
Getting up out of bed, Skara walked over to the desk, and looked down at the glyph. It looked the exact same as it had the night before. Not that Skara had expected it to change, she supposed, just that maybe... she didn't know, something would be different.
She picked the paper up. It felt heavier than it should have been, but just as much as it did the night before. She stared at it for a solid minute, before she sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Why did I bring this thing here?" She wondered aloud, and to no one in particular. It hadn't accomplished a thing. If anything, she felt like she had more questions than answers now.
Before she could contemplate anything any further, her scroll beeped. Summoning it with the flick of her wrist, she opened it up, and to absolutely no surprise at this point, read a message from Boscha.
'Meet up at the gate in an hour.'
Skara sighed. "Morning to you, too." . She was about to type up a message in response, but paused. Instead, she just replied with a thumbs-up emote. There wasn't really much point in responding with anything else. Once sent, her arms flopped at her sides, and she sighed again. "It'll all be over and done with after today..."
An hour to get ready. Right. That was enough time to get something light for breakfast, at least.
Sending her Scroll away, dropping the glyph back on her desk, she lazily pushed some clutter on the floor to the side with her foot so she could actually open the door, before making her way out of her room, towards the kitchen and the pantry.
The pantry was more like a walk-in closet. Hundreds of ingredients and spices for all the greatest meals on the Isles; the finest cloven hooves were neatly stacked next to the freshest of fairies, still trying to claw their way out of their jars, and a thousand other ingredients Skara couldn't name, all adorned the shelves. If Skara was looking to cook, she'd probably be grateful for the endless ingredients. But right now, she was just a hungry fifteen year old on a time crunch - All she needed was a snack.
Not that it would be easy to find one in here.
"Alright, let's see here." She scanned the pantry's contents as quickly as she could, hoping to spot any breakfast bars or readily available snacks. "Hmm... C'mon, there's gotta be something here..."
"Skara, dear?"
Turning around, Skara spotted her mother at the entryway to the pantry. She must have just woken up recently, since she was still wearing a pale nightgown, and her hair was floating, uncoordinated and haphazardly..
"Oh. Hey, mom. I didn't wake you, did I? Sorry, I just-"
Her mother shook her head, chuckling lightly. She stepped forward, and placed her hands onto her shoulders. "Oh, my sweet little Skara. I promise, you did not wake me. I was simply coming down to cook us a wonderful breakfast before heading to theater practice." She let Skara go. "Would you like to help me whip up something?" She turned her attention to the pantry shelves. "I was thinking Screamberry Creapes, those sound delicious."
That... Did sound good, but... Skara shook her head. "I'd love to help mom, really, but... well, I actually gotta get ready for the game."
Her mother turned to her daughter, confused for a moment, before understanding crossed her face. "Ah, right. Your Grudgby match. That's today."
Skara nodded, trying to hide her wince at the reminder. "Yeah. And I gotta leave soon, so I was gonna just grab a breakfast bar or something."
"Bleh." Her mother's face contorted into pure disgust. "Nothing so plain and abhorrent. Only the finest meals will do for my child."
"I've only got five minutes to-"
"Then I'll cook you a masterpiece in five minutes. I promise you, your stomach will thank me."
"...Well..." She had to admit, her mothers cooking would be the risk of being a little late to the meeting. "... I guess a quick omelette wouldn't hu-"
"Oh, delightful!" The luminous mother seemed to become more alive at the mention of cooking. "Then pull out the pots and pans, I shall collect the ingredients, and we'll make you something to rival even the finest of feasts!" She took a nimble finger and booped her daughter's nose lovingly.
A minute later, Skara was leaning on the countertop, handing her mother a pinch of salt while the older woman began to turn the gooey innards of two griffin eggs into a piece of flavourful art.
"And don't forget a smidge of Runa Peprika," her mother declared, "to add a bit of pep to your step."
"But not a dash," Skara remembered, "Or you'll be dead in a flash."
"Exactly!" Her mother ruffled Skara's hair, a smile piercing her lips. "Such a smart girl!"
Skara chuckled, a little dryly. "Heh. Well, I try to be."
"Speaking of trying..."
Skara looked up at her mother, quizzically. The woman was speaking in the sort of tone a parent gives when they try to be coy, but they can't really hide their feelings from their kids. "Oh?"
"I heard that Hexside was planning to put on a big play later this year."
"Oh. Really?"
She nodded, flipping the now softened egg's in their pan. "That's right."
"Do you know what the show is?"
"Not sure. Only that it's one of the classics. I was curious if you considered, perhaps, auditioning?"
Skara blinked. Honestly, in all the rush of Grudgby, she'd forgotten theatre. Which was terrible because theatre was something she lived for..
She enjoyed theatre. She really did. Growing up, she'd seen at least one performance of her mothers shows, awe inspired at witnessing a woman she thought she knew everything about showcase a brand new side each night. She'd learned to read by helping her mother learn lines. She'd even insisted on auditioning for commercials as a child! And despite horrific trauma brought on by failed exploding toothpaste, Skara still wanted to at least attempt stage acting. It was wild she'd forgotten theatre season was coming up!
"I'd love to! I just, I've been busy with school and everything, and this big match, so I just... well, I just haven't thought about it."
Her mother nodded. "Oh, you've been under a lot of stress these last few weeks, I know. But if you'd like, perhaps I could help give you some classes on acting. I don't know if you've heard, but your mother just so happens to be-"
"The biggest diva on the Isles?"
Her mother drew back, hand over her mouth in mock horror. "Oh, well I never!"
Skara just chuckled. "But, yeah... some acting classes wouldn't kill me. I'd need to work them in between Grudgby practices, those wouldn't be over, but... it be..."
Skara couldn't help but imagine being on stage, performing in real theatre, getting into character, being someone entirely new.
"It'd be nice."
"Splendid!" Her mother clapped her hands before flipping the omelette. "I'm sure you'll get the lead role in a heartbeat!"
Skara shook her head. "Oh, well, I'm just a freshman. Probably couldn't get the lead if I tried."
Her mothers face lightly fell. "Oh. Ah, the cruelties of youth..."
"Maybe I could be the understudy. I know I'd just be a replacement but-"
"Nope!" Her mother raised a hand to force her daughter to stop. "Never think of yourself like that. Or anyone else. An understudy is just as important as the lead actor." She smiled.
The timer screamed out, and the biggest diva on the Isles smiled. "There. A five minute omelette, just as promised." And, not only was it on time, but as always, it looked and smelled beautiful: fluffy and bright, filled with delicious peppers and spices, with a hint of something Skara could only ever sense in her parents cooking, a sniff of something she could only ever describe as pure magic. She had to admit, this sure was gonna beat a breakfast bar.
"Now, I may not understand the appeal of your sportsball." Her mother took her spatula, sliding the omelette off of her pan and onto a plate with a fork and knife, handing it to Skara. "But, I assure you, as long as you're happy, then so am I."
"Really?"
Her mother nodded. "Of course!" Leaning down, she kissed her daughter's forehead gently. "All that matters is that my favourite little bard is happy."
Skara blushed in embarrassment, despite the distinct lack of anyone else to witness the act of affection. "Moooooom-"
She simply smiled. "Now, you head out for your game."
"Thanks. I... I appreciate this."
"Don't worry, sweetie." She gave a sparkling smile. "You have a great match! Your father may have a few child exorcisms to do but I promise, we will be with you in spirit."
"Think dad can send a few my way for more support?" It was meant as a real joke, but it came out a little hollow, like it was rehearsed, staged.
Her mother rolled her eyes, as if not noticing the awkward delivery of her daughter's words. "Oh, you."
Skara simply smiled as she waved back, taking the omelette with her. She had to admit, even when she was shoving it into her mouth to try and finish it fast... her mom's cooking was really dang good.
Returning to her room, Skara threw on a faded old t-shirt and some plain, baggy sweatpants. Not her usual style, but she wouldn't be wearing it for long anyway.
She was good to go. But before she could set off, her eyes fell back onto her desk, and back onto the glyph.
For a solid five seconds, she just stared at it.
Then, she shook her head, grabbed it, stuffed the cursed thing into her pocket, and headed out the door. If she couldn't figure out what it was about it that was bugging her, and couldn't bring herself to throw it away, she could at least put the stupid thing back in her locker whenever she got the chance.
After all, the game would be over. She'd finally be free.
She'd finally be happy.
_________
Hexside had pumped a frankly disturbing amount of resources and hype into the Glandus match over the last few weeks. Though, to be fair, that wasn't anything especially new. The two schools had always been rivals, and Hexside always made a big show whenever it hosted a match. And though it meant that the weeks leading up to such an event were choppier than usual, it always worked.
Even on a weekend, a huge amount of the student body had turned out for the match. There were banners, stalls, ribbons, and what Willow assumed - and would choose to believe even if told otherwise - were decorative bones that petrified from the ground, like miniature versions of the Titan's Ribcage, to form an archway along the path to the entrance towards Hexside. Said archway was decorated in blue and gold streams, so people would have to walk underneath Banshee-themed decorations before they arrived at the entryway steps, and underneath the giant, levitating blue banner with huge, golden writing that read, 'Go Get 'em, Banshees!' that had become a traditional decoration for the team.
"You've gotta admit," Gus said, hands on his hips, and a smirk on his face, "the Illusion Track has outdone itself this time."
After everything that the school had done to pump it's students up for the match, and all the resources they'd thrown the Banshee's way, anything less would have been a disappointment. That might have been why they had recruited the Illusion Track to help them get everything prepared and in place for today.
"You guys got all of this set up since yesterday?" Willow mused, impressed. Just yesterday, the area was as barren as ever. Now, it looked like a fantastical birthday party for a baby Titan. It would have taken days to set all of this up normally.
"We're Illusionists." Gus said, proudly. "If there's anyone who knows how to get a show set up quickly, it's us." Then he paused and shrugged. "Also we got first dibs on seats for the game if we got it done on time."
"There's something to be said for incentive."
Illusion Track assisted or not though, the sheer spectacle and feeling like she was part of the moment was something that Willow had always enjoyed.
She scanned the courtyard, seeing that even the trees and sides of the building had been covered in decorations. Motivating posters of Banshee's blasting Phoenixes and extinguishing their fires adorned the walls, and the trees were coated in just as many, if not more, gold and blue ribbons as the bones. Willow had to admit, the space looked like it was decorated for a major league game.
And it didn't stop with the decorations. Plenty of the student body had shown up, and there wasn't a shortage of people from Glandus already here either. Groups of students, wearing jerseys and hats of their respective teams. Some students had set up miniature stalls, selling team merchandise to those who didn't have any, while a few smart scammers sold refreshments at twenty snails a cup. Everyone was acting so carefree, so jovial, that outside the team-based rivalries that flared up occasionally, it almost looked like a carnival.
Willow had to smile at it all. The revelry was infectious; all the excitement and joy, everyone enjoying themselves. It was the sort of thing Willow lived for. Nothing made her happier than everyone else being happy.
For just the briefest of moments, Willow almost forgot that underneath all of that, this match wasn't just about the game. Then she remembered.
Her smile faltered.
"Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope."
Turning her head, Willow saw Luz and Amity returning to her and Gus. Luz had her arms crossed shaking her head and looking like she'd just seen a Spirit-Demon. Amity had one of her hands on Luz's shoulder, and the other arm around her neck so the respective hand could hold Luz's other shoulder in a sort of half-hug.
"Hey, are you okay, Luz?" Gus asked.
"Luz got Cotton candy." Amity explained, glancing at the Human with concern. "It had spiders in it."
"Who puts spiders in cotton candy?" Luz asked, shuddering. "Who, I ask you, who?!"
Willow felt a cold shiver run up her spine. She'd had one too many experiences with Spider-Yeti's recently to be especially fond of spiders generally.
Meanwhile, Gus raised an eyebrow at Amity. She just gave a small shrug. "I... Think it's a Human thing?"
"Look, I like spiders as much as the next spider-breathing griffon," Luz grumbled, "but I'd prefer to not eat them."
"Why didn't you just ask for it without spiders, then?" Gus asked.
"It's cotton candy - I didn't think that I'd need to!"
"Come on." Amity gently nudged Luz back towards the stalls. "We'll see if any stalls have any water or something that we can get you."
"Just as long as it's not... Boiling Isles-y water?"
"We'll do our best."
Luz and Amity walked back to see if the Boiling Isles had anything to eat that didn't taste like it was from the Boiling Isles, Willow and Gus following close behind. Normally, Luz's various antics and Amity's responses to them would have made Willow smirk an all-knowing smirk, but today, she didn't have the heart to. Too much on her mind.
It wandered to Skara. The last few weeks had been... Revealing was the only real word that Willow could think to use. That was the only word she could think of that felt truly descriptive.
She'd been there when Skara had been all but dragged into playing for the Banshees. She'd seen Boscha's training methods dozens of times, as they grew more and more extreme and absurd. She'd heard the way Skara spoke about her relationship with Boscha and her friends. Seen her paranoia and loneliness manifest. Saw the way that Boscha treated Skara during all of this. Saw how Skara had just taken it with barely a word of protest.
Thinking about it all, there was... A lot. And none of it was okay.
Yesterday, when she had been on her staff, and saw the team training in the field, it all finally... clicked for Willow. What was really happening there, and why it was happening.
What it reminded her of.
"Thank you." To her side, Willow heard the vendor of the stall that they had ended up at, speaking to Amity and Luz as they purchased the Human something to drink. "Enjoy the game!"
To everyone here, this was just a big Grudgby match. That was what it was on the surface.
To Skara, It had to feel like everything was on the line.
To Willow, it felt far too much like her time back in the Abomination Track, where her day-to-day was going to be defined by how well or by how poorly she performed.
And the worst part was that, if Skara was anything like Willow, she was good at things she felt a passion for. But the most high stake things they were forced into... she didn't have any passion for them. At all.
It was hard to be enthusiastic about the event when all that was running around inside her head.
Before her mind could continue to wander, she felt a jolt up her side. "Hey."
She looked down to spot Gus, elbowing her in the ribs lightly, looking up at her. "You okay, Willow?"
"Oh. Yeah. I'm okay. Why?"
"Well, you've been sort of just walking forward."
"And?"
"...And Luz and Amity went... This way."
He pointed away from Willow's walking path, closer to the arena, where Luz and Amity were standing. Willow had been about ten seconds away from walking into a stall.
"Whoops." Willow blushed, embarrassed. "Sorry. Got... distracted."
Before Gus could ask her 'by what,' Willow jogged her way past him and over to the others, hoping to see what had stopped them in their tracks.
"Ooooh, what's going on over there?"
Luz was pointing towards a crowd, and Willow tilted her head to look at that.
The crowd was made up of students, overwhelmingly from Glandus, while the few Hexside students that were there kept their distance, just watching on. They had clamoured around something that was in the middle of one of the footpaths, just a little bit away from any of the nearby stalls, but whatever it was, it was obscured by the people in the crowd. Some of them were shouting and cheering, though from this distance, it was hard for any of the four friends to make out anything that was being said.
"Any idea what that huge pile-on's about?" Luz tilted her head, curious about the site. Ever the curious soul drawn to the crowd, Luz wandered towards the rabble. "I'm gonna see if it's anything cool."
"Er, Luz-"
"Relax Willow, It's just a bunch of Glandus fans - How bad can it be? C'mon, follow me!" Luz gestured for the others to follow as she wiggled her way between a pair of Glandus kids.
"Hey, Luz, wait up!" Amity called out, following the Human into the crowd.
Willow sighed. Well, might as well get trampled on with friends, right?
She followed the two of them through the same space the others had entered through, and heard Gus close behind. After a moment of struggling through the tight knit gaggle of crazed students, she came to the front of the group, Luz and Amity already there, and all of them seeing what was going on.
At the centre of the crowd, there were three people, all of them dressed in Grudgby uniforms, though they weren't Hexside uniforms: the centre gem was a triangle as opposed to an oval, their uniforms were purple with white highlights instead of blue and gold, and their 'warpaint' as it was traditionally called was a simple rectangular block, not Banshee tears. They were the Glandus team, Willow realized. She felt like she had a rough memory of one or two of them from other games she had seen, but they were incredibly foggy and non-descript.
The Glandus students were all handing them pieces of paper, articles of clothing, or just holding up a limb - most of which were still attached to their bodies - while the players themselves were signing autographs on everything that was put in front of them.
One member of the team, a girl that Willow vaguely recognized, seemed to be relishing the spotlight in particular. "No need to rush, everyone! We still have some time before the match starts! We'll get to as many of you as we can! And if we miss you, don't worry, we'll get back to you..."
As if to punctuate the point, the girl tapped her marker pen against the forehead of a student she was writing on, dotting the letter 'I' in her name, with force that the student in question actually stumbled back.
"...Once we've crushed Hexside's team into the dirt!"
Another chorus of cheers followed from all the Glandus Students. Cheers of "Crush them!", "Show no mercy!" And "Glandus! Glandus!", filled Willow's ears, and the team at the centre of it all had only the smuggest and widest of grins, complete with an air of sheer confidence and determination that was hard to ignore.
"Man, and I thought Hexside made a big deal about Grudgby." Luz stated. "Glandus is really pumped for this!"
"It's a rival match." Amity said, simply. "Both teams are fired up."
"Everyone's fired up!" Gus added, gesturing around him at all the students, staff, and townsfolk that were there. "It's gonna be the match of the year!"
Without meaning to, Willow's mind wandered back to Skara.
"No pressure or anything, then." She muttered to herself.
"You're as delusional as ever, aren't you, Bria?"
The crowd began to part as they turned to face the source of the insult. Willow already knew who it was, not that it made her excited. The Glandus girl, though - Bria, apparently - her face morphed into another smug grin, but one that made her seem more amused than anything.
"Boschy! " Bria's voice turned almost sickeningly sweet as she twirled around to face Boscha. "You came to see us before the match! How sweet of you! I'd've thought you'd be teaching your team how to gracefully accept defeat!"
Willow blinked, and raised an eyebrow. If the situation wasn't so quickly becoming tense, and all context were sandblasted away, she might have found the name 'Boschy' funny.
In this context though, she was more just confused.
"Like I said - You're delusional." Unlike Bria, Boscha's tone was far darker, like she was talking through gritted teeth. "You should probably see someone about that."
"Confident, aren't we?" Bria grinned. "I'm guessing you've trained those lackeys or yours to actually play then?"
To Boscha's sides, Cat and Skara stood, completely overshadowed by the back-and-forth between Bria and Boscha. All Willow could do was blink again - She had been enraptured by it too. She hadn't even noticed Skara standing there.
She looked... Uncomfortable was the only word for it. Clearly, she didn't want to be there. If Willow didn't know any better, she'd almost say that Skara had stage-fright. It wasn't like that was unheard of in Bards, but it was rare, so it surprised Willow. But then again, Skara was entirely out of her element - How wouldn't she have stage-fright?
"My team is just fine." Boscha bit back.
"You're sure? You do still have the Bard, you know." Bria smirked. She then briefly glanced at Skara. "Nothing against you personally, sweetie, just, you know. Bard's aren't exactly well known for being great at sports."
Skara shifted, and just looked away, towards the floor. Willow felt her hands ball up into fists.
"You should worry about your own teammates." Boscha warned. She jabbed a finger towards one of the players, the shortest one there. "You don't want that one chasing after butterflies again instead of actually playing the match, now do you?"
"Don't you worry about him, Boschy."
She took a couple of steps forward, so she was face-to-face, nearly nose-to-nose with Boscha. Each step forward, Boscha's face grew redder and redder, and morphed angrier and angrier. Bria just grinned.
"Worry about me."
Before another word could be gotten out between them though, the sky above grew darker. As everyone turned to look up above, they saw a large banner, large enough to cast a large shadow, floating overhead. After a few seconds, giant, glowing letters began to appear on the banner.
'The match will begin in thirty minutes. Players, make your way to your dug-outs. Attendees, make sure you find your seats soon.'
"Aw, well.' Bria sighed, and put her hands on her hips. "And I was having so much fun here, too." She glared at Boscha, eyes like daggers, and smirking. "Guess we'll solve this in the match."
"That's been my intention this entire time." Boscha replied.
"Always so serious." Bria chuckled. "I always did like that about you. Looking forward to it."
Without missing a beat, she turned around to the crowd, and adopted that much lighter tone of voice once again.
"I hope everyone here is, too!"
Another round of cheers followed. Boscha's face just got redder, she'd been caught out - Like she'd forgotten that there were other people around her in the first place. She looked for all the world like she wanted to scream at Bria, but was now holding herself back because she remembered there were people around. Willow couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Boscha like that.
Turning around, and gesturing towards Cat and Skara, Boscha stormed off towards the dugouts. Skara and Cat stood still for a couple of seconds, before following her.
For a moment, Willow considered running after them, mostly just to speak to Skara - To offer her luck, or reassure her that Bria had no idea what she was talking about, or something. But by the time she had thought to do so, Skara was already out of sight.
"What was that all about?" Luz questioned, eyebrows raised.
Amity just sighed. "Those two haven't changed in the least... Come on, we should find our seats. I'll tell you all about it."
"I know where we're at!" Gus cheerfully told everyone. "C'mon, follow me!"
Willow kept looking in the direction she had last seen Skara, kicking herself for not running after her. Then, she sighed.
"...Alright, let's go."
Everyone began to make their way towards the stadium. Willow double checked the direction she had seen Skara go off in though, as if by doing so, somehow she was going to be there again.
It felt weird, being worried about Skara like this. But Willow couldn't help it.
"You ever seen the Bard before?"
"Never."
A couple of Glandus students were standing still, speaking with one another, as Willow walked next to them. 'The Bard' could only refer to Skara. Willow's ears perked up.
"I dunno what Hexside's thinking, having a Bard of all things on their team." From their uniform, they had to be from the Construction Track.
"Apparently their usual player was in the Healers until recently. They had to bring in a benchwarmer." The other seemed to be another Plant Track student. "I guess it'll be an easy win for Glandus."
"You'd think they'd get someone other than a Bard, though." The Construction Track one said again. "Bard's aren't suited to Grudgby at all. Pretty much anyone other than a Bard would be a better choice. They might as well have dragged me out there."
"Or a Yuxa-Serpent."
"Hah!"
"If that's true, then why is Skara the one on the team, and you're the one watching her play?" Willow questioned.
Both of them turned around to look at Willow, utter confusion on both of their faces. If she were being honest, Willow felt just as surprised as they looked that she had actually said anything.
She didn't back down though. She stared both of them down, like she was daring either of them to make an actual response to what she had said.
"Willow?" To the side, Gus called over to his friend. He looked as confused as the Glandus students. "What's going on? "
A single moment passed, and Willow sighed.
"...Nothing." She answered, and broke her glare from the two Glandus students, and made her way back to Gus. "Come on, let's go."
_________
Skara stood just outside the player's changing room inside the players' tunnel, looking out into the stadium. She could see the stadium lights shining bright as flames, and hear the cheers of both schools' respective supporters were excited, energetic, and loud. Skara's keen Bard ears twitched at the noises, trying but failing to make out individual, passionate chants, aggressive jeers, and everything in between.
And there was... A lot of all of it. Skara didn't get stage-fright. She adored an audience. She was a Bard, for goodness sake! She wouldn't be a very good one if she got stage-fright!
She was a performer, a musciscian. She was amazing at music and rhythm and playing with instruments she had spent months, if not years learning the ins-and-outs of, figuring out exactly what made them tick. She was good at bouncing off of the crowd, who were there for the same reason she was - A love of music, a love of stories, and a love of performance. That, she was good at. That, she could do.
Grudgby though?
For a short while, Skara had let herself feel like she would be able to handle this. Practice was horrendous, but she could at least get herself through each session without breaking down. She had at least gotten better at the game - If Boscha's insane drills were good for one thing, it was making sure people got good at Grudgby fast. She had thought if she could do that, then just playing the game wouldn't be so different. Playing in front of a crowd wasn't a big deal, she had thought. Between her Bard Track classes, recitals, and performances, she was used to having an audience. She handled them all the time.
But this crowd was different. Unlike anything she'd dealt with before. They weren't here for a performer - They were here for a fighter. Someone who reveled in the chaos of a contact sport like this. They were here for a brawl, because that was what Grudgby was once you got right down to it.
They were here for everything that Skara wasn't. And it all hit her at once.
She couldn't help it... she was scared.
We're going to lose. We're going to lose and lose hard and I'm going to be entirely responsible for it.
"Hey."
A soft, reassuring voice cut through Skara's fears for a moment, and she turned to see Cat, smiling, a hand on her shoulder.
"You ready?"
'Not really' was the answer Skara honestly wanted to give. But because she didn't want to worry Cat, instead, she glanced to the floor, took in a deep breath, exhaled, and nodded . "As ready as I'll ever be."
Cat raised the corner of her lips up, offering a reassuring smile, like she could see through Skara's façade, but understood. "We got this Skara. Don't sweat it."
"Alright you two - Listen up!"
Both of them turned and saw Boscha, coming out from the locker room, clad in her full Grudgby uniform, standing tall, proud, and angrily, with an air of authority and drive surrounding her every movement and word. Boscha was clearly in her element. The same chaotic energy of the stadium that caused Skara to shrink was the same power that drove and invigorated the Grudgby star. Like just being here had fuelled the spark that made her... well, her.
"This is it. We've been training for this day in, day out, and now it's here." The Captain walked over to the two girls, wrapping her arms around their necks with a teeth-bearing grin, her fangs sharpened almost to a point, like she had filled them just for today. It made Skara ponder if Boscha intended to bite her opponents if she felt the need. "All my coaching, all the training, finally, for this ! Our fight with Glandus."
"Yeah. Our Fight. With Glandus." Skara mumbled, remembering the 'confrontation' with the Glandus team.
Boscha's enthusiasm was not infectious, not that she seemed to realize that. "Today we show that loser school and their loser captain who's boss, and neither will ever wanna show their face around here again!"
Skara was just glad for it all to be over soon.
"Good evening, Hexside School of Magic and Demonics!"
The stadium crowd began to roar like lions at the loud, aggressively excited voice of the loudspeakers.
"I'm BBN-HXN's very own number one Banshee fan, Perry Porter, and with me for the most exciting game of our lives is my co-host, Wendil! Wendil, are you ready for what will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting games of Grudgby you've ever seen?!?"
"I have already seen the outcome of this game, along with all their tragic ends."
"Well, that is positively terrifying!" Perry noted without skipping a beat. "ANYWAY - Today is the big game! Hexside versus Glandus! Banshee against Phoenix! Rival versus Rival!"
Wow. People... Really take this game too seriously.
"Now." Boscha unsnaked her arm from around Skara's throat, and held it out before them all. "Counting down from three. Ready?"
"Ready." Cat nodded. She put her hand on top of Boscha's.
"R...Right." Skara did the same.
"Alright, girls. Three, two, one!" Boscha threw her hand into the air. "Let's get out there and win this thing!"
Or just finish it. That would be nice too.
Skara watched as Boscha and Cat stepped out from the darkened hall and into the stadium, waving hands to the Hexside side of the aisles. She stayed back, though, for a second. The feeling in her gut, the fear of embarrassment she'd felt, stuck in her. She would cost them all the game. She knew it.
But she sighed. Let's get this over with.
_________
"Ah. So dad's gonna be the commentator today." Gus muttered. "Great. "
He sighed as he looked up from one of the hand-out pamphlets he had been given when they had entered the stadium. He grumbled as he also lead the rest of the group to their seats.
"You didn't know?" Willow asked.
"No, he didn't mention it. Would have been nice if he had. Knowing him, he probably thought it'd be a cool surprise."
"I mean, I like your dad's commentary." Willow shrugged. "It's very lively. Makes the game more interesting to watch."
"Yeah.... but it's still embarrassing ."
Willow chuckled. Gus wasn't easily embarrassed, so she had to admit, it was funny whenever he did.
"Alright!" Gus suddenly said, coming to a stop. "These are our seats."
They were closer to the Glandus side of the field then Banshee's, but it was only one row above the one closest to the field. It was a good stop to be able to see the game from.
Luz took the furthest spot, quickly followed by Amity, then Gus, with Willow taking the last available spot. She nestled herself into the seat, and had to admit, even with her earlier reservations and worries about Skara, she couldn't help but be excited for a game of Grudgby this big.
"This is gonna be awesome." Her statement wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, but more a general statement to help calm her nerves and help her get into the Grudgby spirit.
"I know, right? I am pumped! "
"So am -" Willow blinked, and turned to the voice. "Wait, what the - Amelia?"
In the row below her, and one seat to Willow's left, sat Amelia, waving up at her. "Heyo!"
"Hey," Willow greeted the other Plant Track student, but felt her eyebrows raise. "Aren't you... Supposed to be in the Healers, still?"
"If you wanna be technical about it, sure." Amelia shrugged, and pointed to the seat next to her, and Willow noted a pair of crutches, being held by Bo. The Healing student just nodded at Willow in greeting as Amelia carried on, "I'm not 'Play Grudgby' better, but I am 'Watch Grudgby in person' better."
"That and you insisted." Bo added.
"That and I insisted, yes."
Bo rolled her eyes and smiled lightly. "And I'm here if something happens to her."
"That's great to hear." Willow smiled as well. "Glad you're feeling better."
"Yeah, thanks," Amelia grinned. "Even had the time to make this awesome sign for Cat!" A pause. "Er, I mean, the team. And, well, also Cat."
"What d'you mean?"
"Well, I mean, it sorta has Cat on it. And, well, it's mostly about her. But it's just, well, a thank you thing. Like, you know, she was there with me a lot during the surgeries, and she was super funny and sweet the whole time, and maybe I thought her laugh was really cute and-"
Another pause. Amelia's face had been getting more and more scarlet with each flustered word. Now she just remained silent.
"...I'm just gonna stop talking now, okay? Okay."
With that, Amelia turned back around to firmly look out to the Grudgby field, and hid her face from Willow. Bo gave Willow a knowing look, and Willow returned the look, before leaving Bo to speak to Amelia on their own. Willow hid her smirk behind her fist, trying not to laugh, not wanting to upset Amelia in case she heard.
She was distracted from that by feeling an elbow lightly prod at her in the ribs. She turned, and saw Gus. He had his 'I'm being serious' face on.
"Hey, what's going on?" He asked, quietly as he could so as to still be heard, clearly not wanting Luz, Amity, or anyone else to hear him.
"What?" Willow blinked, confused. "Nothing? Why-"
"Willow, you've been acting... Odd for a while now." His voice was gentle and concerned, but it also conveyed a curiosity and firmness to it as well. Like he already knew Willow wasn't going to tell him unless he pushed her. "After... Heck, even before that whole mess on the Knee, you've been... Off. I mean..."
For a moment, Gus didn't move, or say anything. His eyes rolled back for a second as he thought, and his hands made vague, non-specific, non-committed gestures. He then sighed, and looked back to his friend.
"Okay, I get that you were stuck on the Knee with Skara, and that stuff happened there." He elaborated. "And I didn't pry about that cause you didn't seem like you wanted to talk about it, and that's all fine. But you seem... I don't know, distracted, I guess? I thought you'd been looking forward to this match for a while? But you barely even seem like you're all here, and I just..."
He paused again, not sure how to further proceed. Willow didn't say anything, not wanting to push him. He sighed lightly.
"...Are you alright?" He eventually asked. "Is there something wrong?"
Willow... found herself unsure how to answer that question.
"Is it something to do with Skara?" It was the only real question he could think to ask. "If you're not comfortable because of her, we can leave if you want. I'm not too bothered about missing this -"
"No, no." Willow shook her head. "No it's... Not that. It..." She sighed. "Look, it... I want to be here, but... I learned some stuff that makes this all feel... Different, I guess."
"What stuff?"
"...The kind of stuff I'm not comfortable telling you." She sighed again, and quickly added, "I'm sorry, it's not 'cause I don't trust you, it's 'cause... I don't think it's for me to say. Any of it. If any of this was happening to me, I wouldn't want you to tell someone. Not without me telling you it's okay to first."
"...That's not always the best idea, you know." Gus said. He wasn't accusatory with his words at all. Just observant, and gentle. "If it was something serious happening to you, I don't know if I could live with myself if I didn't say something to someone."
Another exhale escaped Willow. "I know, and I might even feel the same, but... I don't think that applies here."
There was another moment of silence, made all the more deafening by the sounds of those in the arena around them, cheering and wooing and chanting for their team.
"...Okay." Gus finally said, nodding. "I trust you. Just... If things get too much, we can go."
"...Thanks." Willow offered a small smile. "I'm sorry I can't say. If something changes, I'll-"
But before Willow could finish, the loudspeaker literally sputtered and coughed as it began to speak.
Officially signalling the players were about to enter the field. And that the game would begin.
_________
Stepping forward, Skara entered the roaring cheers of the crowd. She decided to at least attempt waving to the crowd, if for no other reason then to try and calm her own nerves.
Thankfully, looking at the crowd did actually help cheer Skara up, at least a little. Dozens upon dozens upon dozens of Hexside students were standing tall, draped in the school's gold and blue outfits and chanting or singing the team's praises. Signs proclaiming such colorful statements as "BASH' EM, BANSHEE'S" were held high and proud. To Skara, it was a little bit like a standing ovation, albeit before the performance rather than after one. Once again, she tried to reassure herself.
It's just like a performance, Skara. Nothing wrong with that. Just perform like you practiced and you'll be fine.
As her eyes scanned the stands, one sign caught her attention: A large sign, adorned with large shining stars and... Skara blinked. Was that a heart? It was hard to tell, since some of it was covered by the people in front, but she swore that she could make out "GO CAT, MY #1!" alongside a cutsified drawing of Cat.
Somehow, Skara had a feeling she knew the owner of that sign.
But before she could craft up a witty way to ask Cat about one Plant Witch, her eyes stopped on another. Sat not at all far from Cat, and unobscured by other attendees, there was Willow, sat with the rest of her friends, cheering, like everyone else in the crowd was.
Skara blinked, her wave faltering. What in the world was Willow doing here? Skara had always just sort of assumed that Willow didn't like this game. Especially after that match that she had had with Boscha earlier in the year. And besides that - She didn't exactly have much reason to want to cheer for the Banshees of all teams.
Why are you here? You know that literally everyone on this team has...
It's nothing. She's just here for the sport. For school spirit, probably.
As she scanned the stands, her neck turned, eventually landing on the Glandus side. Sure enough, as opposed to Hexside, the visiting team was jeering and shouting, booing the Banshee's with wild abandon. Signs reading "BURN THE BANSHEE'S" and "HEXSIDE THE SUXSIDE" were looming over the stands, held aloft by students from the opposing school..
Even if the Bard could probably think of better insults and threats given the same amount of time and effort, Skara had to admit, the sight of so many signs made solely to bash her and her team was... a bit unnerving.
And as her eyes drifted to the top of the stands, she even spotted a camera, along with a reporter, seemingly speaking to an audience of... probably at least a... couple of people .
"Introducing the Home Team, Hexside's very own Banshee's!" Perry's voice filled the arena again. "Team Captain 'Iron-Hands' Boscha, 'Healing-Touch' Cat, and, filling in for 'Flower-Master' Amelia, we have... uh..." The sound of papers ruffling atop a desk filled the stadium for a couple of seconds, and then, "The... Uh... Skara!"
Wow that's... Somehow even more underwhelming than I expected it to be.
Skara reached the centre of the arena, left of Boscha, who stood in the centre, chest puffed out, and eyes glaring ahead. She looked like she was ready for war.
" And coming up, the Away Team, the Glandus Phoenixes! "
From the opposing hall, Bria and her friends stepped forward, looking as if each one of them was ready for a fist-fight. They all smirked like hydra-snakes hunting for prey, and their strides conveyed a sense of pride and strength that made Skara step back, if only just a tiny bit.
But for a second, she caught Bria's eyes dart towards her, and somehow Skara knew the sign of weakness had been caught.
The announcer began to introduce the Glandus students, but Skara's mind tuned them out as she watched them take up their positions. She was too focused on trying to not let any more weakness show.
Bria stood in front of Skara, which surprised her. She had thought that a team captain would always want the middle section, right? There wasn't any rule against it, but still. Meanwhile, Gavin took the center stage, leaving Angmar to take the left side, in front of Cat.
Bria just grinned at Skara.
"Okay - Due to an... Incident during the Livershore and Molars Peak match, I've been asked to remind everyone of the Official League Rules that this match will be following." Perry announced. "This match will be an hour and a half long, with a break halfway through. The winner will be whichever team has the most points by the end of the time limit! And, in following with the official rules of competitive play, the Rusty Smidge will not be released onto the field. This will be a match based on the pure skill of it's players!"
"So you're basically screwed, huh, Boschy?" Bria taunted, only glancing towards Boscha in the corner of her eyes.
The look of contempt on Boscha's face would make the sun itself shrink back. "What are you-"
Before she could finish her sentence though, the shadow of a Witch fell onto the field, as they stepped up to the side of the field. He was dressed in a black and white striped short-sleeved shirt and Grudgby hat. The referee, Skara realized. He seemed fairly normal, aside from the dozens of eyes that coated his body. He cracked his neck, grunting.
"Alright, kids," the ref growled out in a gruff voice. "Listen. I want a good, clean game out here."
That made Skara feel better at least.
"But, this is Grudgby, so I'm expecting a vicious, barbaric slaughter." He shrugged. "Either way, Go nuts. Have fun."
That... Made Skara feel much worse.
Bria smiled, shifting her form as if readying herself to strike. "Oh, don't worry. We will."
And now Skara was terrified.
"In that case, LET THE GAME BEGIN!"
Wait - what?
"In three!"
What did Boscha tell me to do the other day? The Orange Maneuver or-
"Two!"
Uh, no, it was the Huffleback? Maybe?
"ONE!"
Whatever Skara was meant to do didn't really matter.
Because what Skara actually did was immediately get hit in the stomach by a sudden, swift column that lunged from the ground.
She was launched backwards, the wind itself leaving her body. Her mind went blank at the pain, feeling somehow both lifelessly light and horrendously heavy all at once. But since Skara herself was so skinny, she ended up going pretty far.
Directly into the stadium back wall, in fact.
A jolt of pain surged through her before she collapsed to the ground. She was amazed none of her ribs were broken, though that could very much be the fact her body was in so much shock she couldn't feel it yet.
For a few seconds, she found herself unable to breathe, winded as she was by the immediate attack. And that left her unable to move. All she could really do was tilt her head, look around, and see all the people in the stands. It felt like all of them were looking at her, surprised by the sheer speed of the attack.
Her eyes darted to Willow. She looked just as shocked as everyone; her already wide eyes were wider still, her hands raised to her mouth.
Why did that surprise Skara?
A new face entered her sight , though much closer. It took Skara a a second to register that it was Cat. Quickly, she spun a magic circle in the air.
A stinging sensation ran throughout Skara's body for a couple of seconds, before it, along with the initial pain, all but disappeared. It was so quick that without it, Skara almost felt unnatural. It took her a second to properly adjust.
"....Ow." Was all Skara could think to say. "Th...Thanks, Cat, I-"
"And that's a point for Glandus!"
Skara looked up. In her suffering, she'd almost forgotten the game that caused it.
Sure enough, Angmar and Gavin were laughing, slapping their knees as an angry Boscha tore at her hair. Bria, meanwhile, simply stood there, cracking her knuckles and feigning a yawn.
Then, her amber eyes met Skara. And her smirk made Skara think only four little words.
I hate this game.
_________
QuirkQuartz - Last chapter I said I hoped we'd be back sooner than it took last time. Turns out that didn't happen I'M SORRY - Basically all the stuff we mentioned last time is still a major factor in how long it takes for these chapters to get out but we're doing the best that we can. Hopefully it won't take as long next chapter - We've already got half of it written already.
In other news - The Lumity Zine Luminescence I took part in is now accepting orders! All proceeds go to charity and, having seen the full thing already, I am BEYOND proud of it and to have been part of it. Please be sure to check out the zines Twitter for more details if you're interested!
Luminescence Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/thelumityzine
Fanart of the chapter - Nothing too special, just a GODDAMN WHOLE ASS MORNINGMARK COMIC - https://moringmark.tumblr.com/post/676443088248602624
I also have a Twitter I guess if people wanna follow me there - https://twitter.com/QuirkQuartz
DesmondKane: Mostly what Q said already; Apologies for this taking a long time, support the awesome zine, MORNINGMARK SKARLOW COMIC!
Alongside that, I just wanted to thank you guys for sticking with the story and ship for this long. Skarlow's been a blast to see develop in the fandom, even if it's still small but mighty. If you guys make any Skarlow fanart or fanfiction, we'd love to see it so we can support it!
Also some house cleaning; I have a tumblr now, actually. I have a bunch of stuff on there, from fanart ice commissioned to Headcannons. I'm a little off now but I do write there still and update it with cool stuff on occasion. I also have a Reddit where you can find most all of my commissions and an instagram I still occasionally use.
Tumblr: https://desmondkane-of-ao3-fame.tumblr.com/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/DesmondKaneofAO3Fame/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desmondkaneofao3fame/
Check them out for updates and art.
Skarlow Song of the Chapter: Tonight at 8 from She Loves Me (imagine the disaster Skara would be trying to get herself ready for her first date with Willow? Too cute.): https://youtu.be/zQcPQQfpjqI
Slightly more sombre note from both authors: In more serious news, at the time of writing this out, it's February 27th, 2022, and we want to offer our support to the people of Ukraine who are fighting Putin's invasion in Kyiv, Karkhov, Mariopol, Lviv, and everywhere else in the country. It's not much, but we hope that it means something to someone. And to any Russians who see this - We said it was Putin's invasion for a reason. We've been seeing the anti-war protests across Russia and want to extend our support to you as well. This is a war launched by a lunatic fascist, and the fight against him has been inspiring, if terrifying, to watch. Stay safe, be strong, and remember that you are an inspiration to the entire Human race. Слава Украине!