The Legend of Heroes II: Trials by the Light

[Pachamac]

Cuttersbury: Drych Lake Spa: Arena

"Sorry Jett," A voice came up from behind the rookie Guilder, gently taking the ball off his head and placing it upon her own, tying the straps around her chin and making sure it was securely fastened. "I'm sure you'd make a great ball, but I think it'd be better to have someone who can mix speed and durability to an extent… no offense, but I'm not quite sure you can take a hit yet. This is about our bodies," Estelle continued, a fierce look of determination twinkling in her eyes as she glared at her smirking opponents standing across from her, her nostrils flaring and teeth baring. "And so it's not something we can afford to lose, at all. This isn't a game, this is serious."

"Estelle, you look ridiculous." Marcus laughed from behind. Estelle's face shot towards him, shooting daggers into her best friend.

"Aww," A crestfallen Tobi watched his friends, his new, delicate lips curling into a pout. "I wanted to be the ball!" His chest fell with a heavy sigh. "Oh well! I think you make a great ball, Estelle! You match it perfectly!"

Estelle's temple twitched. "…what's that even supposed to mean?"

"Gyahahaha, now this is what I call interesting!" A hearty laugh echoed from across the dividing line of the pitch, originating from the Spa's very own Gramps. The short man stepped forwards upon his wooden clogs, his hands resting upon his hips along the soft black and white buttoned fabric that was his outfit. Lifting one hand up, he stroked his fine, whispy beard as his eyes glanced over and inspected each of his team's opponents, particularly the ladies. A part of him was a tad bit unnerved at the thought that those fine lovelies were actually male, whilst the males themselves were female to begin with… it kind of made him feel conflicting thoughts, but at the end of the day this was Mrs. Stevenson's decision, and he couldn't very well argue against her. He'd try to bury the reality of the beautiful women in front of him's origins for later, and simply take happiness in what he saw before him. This was going to be a spectacular match, that was for certain!

"They're pretty angry but we got this, I promise!" Tau whispered with a grin.

"I… I wanna go home…"

A larger, chubbier and taller man beside Tau oofed from the younger lad's elbow hitting his stomach, and Harvey Jr gingerly rubbed the spot where he was hit, whilst blinking at those before him, his own eyes darting from one person to the next. Sweat trickled down his cheek from his anxious nervousness. Even though he was relieved that the two girls he had accidentally stumbled upon the day before in the springs weren't here, he still didn't want to get dragged into something like this. But Mrs. Stevenson and his Gramps simply wouldn't take no for an answer. Both of them, and Mr. Stevenson and Miss Degoiller and even his brand new friend Tau had all insisted on him taking part, and so the nervous man followed suit, his whole body shaking and quivering. His friends had told him that they all needed him, but he'd much rather be back at the Spa, cleaning the floors and hot spring again instead.

"Ruff!" Came a delightfully happy voice from below. Looking down, Harvey Jr saw his best Jasper looking up at him, his front two paws on Harvey Jr's leg. With his tail happily swishing from side to side, he ruffed again, and a smile grew on his best friend's face. Harvey Jr bent down, stroking the sides of the happy Jasper's face (the top of the little puppy's head being impossible to stroke, thanks to the ball he wore), and nodded.

"Okay Jasper, if you say I can do it, then I can!"

"Ruff!"

A trumpeting fanfare and explosion of confetti from the stands drew the attention of everyone else on the pitch. From a small opening in the middle of the earthern seating stand emerged a procession of figures, all walking out onto the pitch, to the cheering adulation of the crowded Varren watching. To fill out the rest of the Spa team's numbers in comparison to the Pride, a team of Varren all-stars stepped out onto the pitch, all wearing a red shirt adorned with the Drych Lake Spa's logo on the front, and a number and pompous sounding name on the back (Rooney, Messi, Suárez, etc). Several Varren swooned and fainted as their heroes emerged, and the playing Varren threw their claws up into the air as the atmosphere began to turn electric. The Pride could only watch in stunned disbelief.

The playing Varren turned their attentions to the bench, and at the giant Varren seated with his arms folded. The Varren's Big Bro now had a new pair of sunglasses and wore a fancy looking bomber jacket with his spines slicked back. He raised a claw up and thumbs upped the players, and the Varren all returned the gesture. Was he their coach or something…?

 

[Bunanigans]

Drych Lake Spa - Arena

Finally the posing Varren took their positions on the pitch alongside the spa members, the blue goal behind them. And in the middle of it all, a little ball of a fluff with a tiny blue stripey ball hat on it's head barked happily in anticipation. The Varren in the stands roared and cried out and cheered for the Drych Lake team, and right in the middle of the crowd...

Sat a little girl.

"Pride! Pride, yeah!" she cried, alone in her allegiance but loving it all the same. "You can do it Mr Dyjani's friends! Woo!"

Moira put her hands to her head in bewielderment. "WHY THE FUCK IS YOUR BALL A DOG?!" The strange man who kept staring at their butts and nodding in appreciation said they picked well, and they chose a god damned dog?! It should be easy as hell to get a dog into the ring. Right? Look at the size of the thing!

"Hey, does that mean we can make Nani's parrot our ball?" Syed asked, feeling somewhat less confident than his partner.

Penelope looked down upon them all. "Your ball has already been decided."

Oh.

Still, they had Estelle, with her red ball hat! Estelle was tough as hell. The red goal behind them, the goal they had to do everything they could to prevent Estelle from entering. This should be very much different from what they usually faced. But in many ways it was also the same - rather than their mortality, they were gambling their identities.

"The rules are as follows," Penelope continued. Geez, she really did love the sound of her own voice. "Rule one, no blades or firearms are allowed. I do not want people maiming one another. Rule two, you must not leave the pitch. If you do, you will be penalised. And rule three... if any part of the appointed ball's body touches the floor inside the ring, their team loses. A foot. A hand. Anything. It must make contact with the ground inside. The hat does not count, it is simply a marker."

"Oh for fuck's sake," Moira growled, sheathing her greatsword once more. Syed stared at his hands, not entirely sure how well he could use his magic without injuring anyone.

With that, Pen raised one arm into the air, something metalic glinting in her grasp. She brought it to her lips... and the sharp singular note of a whistle pierced through the air, complete with more over-the-top confetti being launched above the stands. The game had begun.

Within an instant one of the Varren dug straight into the earth, while others darted forward. Tau led the assault, staff held firmly at his side as he rocketed forward with that speed of his. He ran around to flank them all, eyes only on Estelle. He began to spin the staff, leaping into the air...

Meanwhile, Rhoden stayed put with his arms crossed. He glanced around the pitch, seemingly without a care in the world. "I think I'll hang back, my dear," he smiled towards Marcy. "And enjoy the view a little." His eyes settled on Quentin.

Moira had no idea whether she should attack or defend - while the idea of attacking and trying to catch that dog was lucrative, defence was pretty much her deal. No doubt the actions of her allies would soon make her mind up for her.

 

[Capt. Blu]

Cuttersbury: Drych Lake Spa- Outside


The game was explained and Nani couldn't help but laugh. "You mean ta tell me, we have to wear those silly things and get the opposite one in a goal? This game does sound interesting." She watched the ridiculous hat get passed around. "I thought Pixie would've been a good choice. Small in size, and easy ta maneuver. And lightweight if we had to carry her." She shrugged since Estelle got to keep the hat. The illusions did sound like a good idea too though, but nonetheless, they were decided.


Seeing that the opponent's ball was stuck to a dog, Nani raised an eyebrow. "Well this is gonna be interesting. Easy to fit in a ring, sure. First ya gotta catch the little fluff. Dogs are hard to catch... Oi, weren't you catching dogs Jett?" She recalled the poster and the dog when he showed up at the guild. "Looks like you get to put your skills to the test." The mention of putting the ball on Cap made Nani frown. "None of you are touching my bird." Though that was short lived since the princess made everything final.


Her sword twirled in her hand for a moment before it was sheathed. "I can work, with or without my sword." She patted Cap's head. "You'll be an extra pair of eyes alright? Tell the crew if someone tries to sneak up on us, eh?"


Cap saluted and flew into the air. "Aye, aye!"


As the whistle sounded and the confetti flew, Nani grinned and eyed where the dog was. "Let the games begin." There was a Varren underground so she was sure just grabbing the dog wouldn't be easy. Then again, none of it would really be easy. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going on the offensive side. No fun hangin' back!" She noticed Tau's leap and then saluted the others. "I got this one!" Nani grabbed her blade, but instead of grabbing just the sword, she grabbed its holder as well to defend Estelle from the hit. "Can't maim if it's not the sword!" Nani figured she could get away with it considering one- she didn't use her sword and two- all she did was block Tau from hitting Estelle.


"Heh, under control!" Nani gave a thumbs up and grinned before turning her attention to Tau. "I'm not sure it's very nice ta hit kids. But I'm sure the dear little Pixie plans to have fun pulling your hair out... Now ta help grab that dog..."

 

[Rapidfire]

Drych Lake Spa - Arena

Quentin scratched her head. She was not precisely certain of all the rules. There was something about wearing a funny hat and being pitched into a ring or something. There was also a scrappy, little puppy wagging its tail eagerly. It was so adorable! She would have run and cuddled it if that was allowed. Or was it? She would have paid attention, but Penelope was so dull. She was like every teacher Quentin had ever had rolled up into one. And also a witch. That was not cool.

Penelope tweeted on her whistle. The game was on? Oh, it was on! Quentin watched one of the Varrens immediately burrow underground. That was no good. Neither was the other team's advance. If firearms were out, water was in. Quentin assumed a steady, low stance. Her tai-chi-like arm movements raised a sizeable quantity of water out of the nearby lake. The water mage smiled; it was almost too easy. She moved forward, the embodiment of poetry in motion, flowing like the water she was carrying...

And tripped over her own feet.

The water above the lake splashed down, no longer sustained in the air now that Quentin's concentration had been broken. She tried getting up frantically. That Varren could pop out anywhere, at any time, and the other team was rushing the Pride. Quentin did not much fancy getting tackled by a Varren, especially since these were probably the ones that the Pride had encountered along the way. They definitely would have an axe to grind. Quentin scrambled onto her feet and focused on the water. Still unbalanced in this body, Quentin felt the ground getting nearer. She looked down and found her legs not as muscular as they had been. She unceremoniously slipped with a textbook pratfall. The mage turned over, struggling to get up, and flopped again. The result was to be face-down with her cute tush in the air, hardly the most dignified position for a lady.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Drych Lake Spa – Arena

And the ball was gone. The poor rookie tried to jump and grab it, but Estelle was currently much taller than he was. Jett pouted cutely as he crossed his arms till he realized Estelle was talking to him nicely for a change. Jett perked up immediately and he gave the Pride's red haired volunteer a thumbs-up.

"Yea… you are the better choice, Ms. Estelle. Promise I won't let you down!"

He placed his hands on the back of his head as he surveyed the opposing side. His expression softened considerably when a cute dog appeared. Inwardly he cringed as his girly self began squealing with delight.

"Those eyes … and that tail! So adorable!"

He would have continued gushing if Nani hadn't spoken up. Jett faked a cough as a blush began creeping up his cheeks again. Why did he do that? Urgh! He wanted to change back before this behavior becomes permanent.

"They can be. Bowie wasn't and this un's lively." He rubbed his nose with the back of his hands as he observed one of the Spa staff stroking the dog's face. "More worried about the rest tho."

Jett felt completely unprepared when the whistle sounded. He looked left then right then left again. As his head was slowly turning to the left the second time, he spotted the dog. He cracked his knuckles.

"I'm off!" He yelled loudly as he took off.

The novice was barely a few feet away when he started slowing down. A strange jiggling sensation was coming from his chest. It almost felt like there were two weighted balls tied to his chest. Annoyed he wrapped an arm round his chest as he tried to run again. It didn't work! He turned to the one of the supposed girls – Aria was it?

"Eh…Ms. Aria," He paused for a second trying to find the best words. He drew a blank. There was way to avoid sounding crude. FML. "How did you deal with having boobs? They're so annoying."

 

[Pachamac]

Cuttersbury: Drych Lake Spa: Arena

"Nice, Nani! Way to go! Keep him busy!" Estelle cheered with a grinning thumbsup, as the pirate turned rookie Guilder intercepted Tau's assault on her and blocked off his staff with her own sheathed sword. The two began to trade blows, parrying one another and giving Estelle the time and space to break free and move, coincidentally avoiding another familiar pair of Varren claws popping up from underground at where the swordswoman's feet had once been. The Varren (Rooney)'s own head poked up a second later, its large midnight eyes blinking in confusion and searching for where his target had gone.

It, along with every other player on the pitch, was surprised to see where Estelle had gone. Contrary to any sort of actual logic, Estelle, the Pride's 'ball', was actually charging towards the Drych Lake Spa team. Specially, the Spa team's ball, the irresistibly adorable and cute Jasper, who simply sat in the middle of the field with his tongue sticking out and panting, one foot kicking and scratching his ear, oblivious to any sort of danger about him.

"Alright, you!" Estelle said with a grin. "I'm gonna catch you then score you then we'll get our bodies changed back to norm-ah!"

Estelle's feet suddenly collapsed from underneath her, as her body swung forwards thanks to a great, powerful arm grabbing her and lifting her up over his shoulder.

Harvey Jr began to sweat from nervousness as he gripped Estelle, standing in front of Jasper and doing his best to protect him no matter what. It didn't matter what these other guys were doing, he wasn't going to let them try and hurt his friend! No way! And now, Estelle was trapped in his clutches.

"That's my boy!" Gramps grinned from behind, snickering.

But that was about the extent of what Harvey Jr knew what to do. He didn't know that with Estelle in his arm, he and his team actually had a golden opportunity to move forward and drag Estelle back to the Pride's side and their goal to score and win. He kind of just… stood there, even as Estelle thrashed and raved inside his arm, struggling to break free, only to discover it being completely futile.

"G-g-guys?" Estelle looked over her shoulder. "Some help would be nice???"

"Run, Harvey! Run!" Gramps shouted from behind. "Carry him all the way to the goal over there and put him in...! No, not this way, the other way! Yes, that way!" Gramps' large chest fell with a heavy, exasperated sigh. He shook his head, as he started to talk to his companion beside him. "Poor Harvey. There's so much going on, he's simply confused. But once he gets the hang of this game, he'll be perfect! Nobody can beat him! He's the ultimate defense! And nobody will be able to catch Jasper, either! Hehe, little guy's way too quick and agile to be taken, and then there's us to help support them as well! Our eyesight and reactions are that well trained that we can catch and stop anyone before they even try, and… and… and… oh… Marcy…"

Gramps stopped, his eyesight, reactions and the rest taken completely away from the game in front of him, and instead transfixed on his lovely female companion Marcy to his side, who was now completely soaking wet after Quentin's 'foul up' with his water concentration.

This game had only just started and it was already proving to be completely spectacular!

 

[Bunanigans]

Drych Lake Spa - Arena

"Ha...! You're good!"

It was taking all Tau had to even keep up with his duel with Nani, even with her sword still sheathed as to remain in the rules. The girl had experiance back up her skills. Tau was constantly finding himself suprised by her moves, barely moving in time to block or counter them. His staff constantly span and move along with his stance, a world apart from the usually much more solid stance of a sword-wielder. A much, much more fluid way of fighting.

A style which enabled him to suddenly duck under a swipe and position himself behind her, spinning as he went and swiping Nani's feet from under her. She managed to stay on her feet...

A cocky grin spread across his face. "But I'm faster!"

He brought his staff back, before striking her in the middle of her back with one of it's metal capped bunt ends and knocking her towards the Spa side. If he could clear the path for Harvey as much as possible...

Speaking of. "Hey! Harvey! This way!"

Rhoden raised an eyebrow, cocking his head to one side. He knew that this chick with her butt in the air was actually a guy of course, a fact which kept nagging at the edges of his mind. But a butt connesseur cannot be picky. This guy had a nice girl's ass. Even better, just look what she did to Marcy!

"Oh darling," he said calmly, nodding in approval. "You shouldn't get us all so excited so early in the morning. I'm a married man! Will you admit I'm right now, old man? Although if you don't mind..." He crouched down, touching his fingers into the newly formed puddle beneath her. It had started sinking into the grass, although with his touch... it stopped.

"Thank you for bringing this over here," he smiled as the water began to instead creep up his arm. "And so much too! You're spoiling me." The water covered his arm from shoulder to fingertip, forming a water whip beyond that. It appeared that he too had control over water magic - a control he seemed at absolute ease with. "Oh, don't bother trying to get this back. I quite like it."

He threw the whip out, painfully striking Quentin's stomach and sending him rolling across the floor and into Lute.

Moira snarled at the sight of Estelle and Harvey, buckling herself down before launching herself after the pair. She sprinted forward in a shoulder barge...

...Only for a Varren to launch itself out of the ground, colliding with her newly born... crown jewels. Only a Varren named Suarez could inflict a blow that vicious. She screamed, she screamed like she had never screamed before. Syed cringed in empathy. Janie gasped and covered her mouth in shock. As did the rest of the Varren in the crowds.

Oh gods, joking about this will never be the same again for her. Never again will she go for the low blow. Her voice was probably back to normal now. It'd just be her without her trademark puppies. That ain't right. That just ain't right.

"No... no we gotta do this," she growled with manly tears in her eyes, clawing herself across the floor and towards Harvey's feet. "...You ain't getting shit past me." What a brave, brave soul.

"Estelle! Hang on!" Syed began gesturing, electricity sparking around himself. If he could fire a low voltage shock towards Harvey... get him to loosen his grip on Estelle...

A high pitched whistle cut through the air. "Electrical attacks are prohibited!"

Syed let his arm drop, glaring back at Pen. Yeah, sure, electricity could be dangerous. He understood that better than anyone, and he had the scar to prove it. But this was leaving him with very little in the way of options. "Guys?!"

 

[Rapidfire]

Drych Lake Spa - Arena

"Ouch!" Quentin squeaked. She hastily pulled herself to her feet after Rhoden whipped her. That was not very gentlemanly at all! Quentin had no idea who this bloke was, but he was asking for it!

She pulled up her sleeves and then frowned. Instead, she pulled off her top robes, leaving on her undershirt, before hoisting Lute onto her feet. This meant business.

Rhoden whipped at Quentin again. Quentin's arms waved in circles over her head, parting the water whip like she was some kind of prophet of old. She could not tell what Rhoden's expression was trying to convey, but she sure hoped it was not that he was way out of her league and was only showing her a fraction of his talent. The last kind of opponent she expected to encounter was a fellow water mage. The fact that electricity was also banned did not help; seeing that Syed had electrical prowess had given her a few ideas. All of them were unfortunately tossed out the window the moment Penelope forbade that. Syed did not look like the sort who could maim a gnat if he wanted to. What was the big deal with making up rules on the fly?

Oh well. Go with the flow.

Quentin backpedalled, only stumbling once as she did, and drew more of the lake's water. As she did, she hoped no one came in and gave her a whack; she was wide open while preparing to lay down the law on a certain gentle masseur...

 

[Capt. Blu]

Cuttersbury: Drych Lake Spa- Playing Field


"Aren't you a polite little runt? Heh, thanks." Nani continued her duel with Tau, occasionally having the urge to take out her sword. But she remained a fair player, not wanting to get them disqualified or maim the nice kid. When he tried to trip her, she laughed. "Not gonna work kid, a pirate needs their balance for rough seas." Though, as she started to turn around, he hit her in her back, causing her to stumble forward and giving him the chance to run off. "Hmph, not bad kid. To think I was going easy on you."


Nani rolled her eyes and then noticed Harvey getting away with Estelle. She whistled to Cap and he squawked before flying down towards them. He flew right at Harvey's head and pecked at it before flashing the bright pink wings to make him pause if only for a split second. A simple pause should have given at least one of the Pride a moment to attack and collect Estelle.


Nani decided to chase after the dog who was left unguarded- or so she thought until the Rooney Varren nearly captured. "Oi! If I can't use my swords, shouldn't that rat not be able to use its claws!?" She yelled at Penelope, dodging attacks from the Varren.

 

[Rexcalibur]

Cuttersbury: Drych Lake Spa- Playing Field

Trixie licked her lips when she saw who their "ball" was. Some annoying little punk-butt dog? This game was in the bag. Even with her guns banned (and tucked safely in her butt pockets where they belong), getting the pipsqueak where they needed to get him was easy peasy. ... Except the other team already had Estelle in their hands, literally??

"Supersis! I'm coming!" Trixie cried out and sprinted after her captive friend, instead of the dog. Thanks to Cap's interference, Harvey Jr. found himself slowing down, if not completely distracted from the pecks. The prankster took advantage of this to pounce at the masseur.

Except, despite her trivial body change, she was still small and runty, and not strong enough to knock the man down. So she practically clung onto him instead. "Hey! Hey! Put her down now, or else!" She barely gave him a chance to react before she began trickling her fingers along the man's waist and stomach. A tickle here and a tickle there should loosen his grip on Estelle even more, now!

Naturally, gorgeous gals like Marcy would go ballistic over having their image ruined in such an unkempt fashion. But Gramps seemed to still enjoy the view, so as long as she was still pretty to someone, the watery mess was worth it. Marcy sighed and brushed her flattened afro from her eyes. She glanced up in time to see Rhoden use Quentin's water to strike back.

A smile crept across her promenade pink lips as she watched Quentin prepare another attack. "Ooh, look at this little minx. I don't think so, cutie." While he was far off from any Varrens to attack him suddenly, what he didn't expect was to suddenly go dizzy. It was as if his vision was hit with a sudden pang, as everything seemed to fall out of place and double, swarming around in gross circles.

Marcy giggled. In her hands, unlike her usual nail filers, were dual pugil sticks, both also wet from the water flub earlier. She held one out in the opposing water mage's direction, while twirling the other.

Despite Amy's new body, she was anything but used to cardio activity, so she still hung back as she usually would in cases like this. While she seemed absolutely useless now, considering no one should be getting "maimed" enough to need healing, she not only had a good glimpse of the overall battlefield (with no one directly targeting her), but also still had her shield magic.

Instantly she began casting one for Nani. An invisible wall materialized in front of the pirate's upper torso; Nani only realized it was there when the Varren's claw bounced off it with sparks from the hit. It would follow along with Nani herself wherever she moved, and best of all, it was a one-way gig - she could move around and through it, but any opposing forces would bounce right off it. Of course, it was still a relatively new trick for Amy, so it wouldn't last beyond a few tough hits; plus, she had to continually cast for it to keep it up.

 

[Cephalogod]

Drych Lake Spa - Arena

"How did you deal with having boobs? They're so annoying."

"Usually people wear bras, but it's a bit late for that now, isn't it? Not that I had that problem..." If Jett was paying any attention, he would've noticed Aria give a rather jealous huff at the question. "You're going to just have to hold on to them for now, unless you have anything to tie them down with."

She surveyed the field with a determined frown on her face. Battles, if it could be called that, were already breaking out. "Hey Jett, you're fast aren't you? You go after the puppy! I'll go help the other free Estelle."

She darted forwards, rather pleased to find that her increased muscle mass had given a boost to her speed. There were already quite a few people on Harvey so instead she turned her attention to Cutie, who was in quite a spot of trouble. She remembered having to go against someone with her own power- Aria gave a twitch as the face of a certain mercenary came to mind. First she would have to deal with the woman who had poor Cutie staggering around like he was drunk while Lulu was focused on the water mage who had knocked him and Cutie down.

"I'm terribly sorry, miss," She purred as she approached the woman, drawing one of her fans and snapping it open and giving it a wave. If metal-tipped rods were allowed there shouldn't be a problem with mere fans, right? "I don't suppose you would mind stopping what you're doing to my friend right now?" She didn't quite expect it to work and was ready to throw out an illusion to break the woman's concentration on the magic at any time. It was more that Aria was hoping the woman would focus on her instead- she was quite well versed in magics that dealt with disorientation and distractions after all, and would be better prepared to combat it.

 

[Pachamac]

Drych Lake Spa – Arena

As Estelle's fists and futile protests hammered down on Harvey Jr again and again, the gentle masseur was absolutely oblivious to both the hits and shouting, his body not only naturally hardy against hits, but his reactions to stimuli being quite slow compared to most other people. It felt as if something was just nudging him slightly, and that was it. The same was unfortunately true for Cap, whose attempts to slow down and distract the large young man proved as effective as a buzzing fly. The look of irritation on Cap's own face at the result was quite obvious.

"Ahhh supersiissss why isn't he stopppinnnnng?" Trixie wailed as her body bounced up and down from her own precarious position, latched onto Harvey's side and having her body bounce up and down with every step he took. She tried tickling him, and whilst it seemed to have some sort of reaction, Harvey Jr smiling and giggling, it wasn't doing anything else to slow him down. This was bad. The amount of gainage he was having across the field was becoming extremely dangerous for the Pride… he had actually already gotten halfway into the Pride's side of the field, leaving only a quarter left of the total distance to the goal!

With the majority of the rest of the Pride distracted by other adversaries on the Drych Lake Spa's team, with Nani caught up by a pesky Varren, Aria attacking Marcy whom had just ruined Quentin's attempt in magical concentration, and Rhoden's eyes set on both the rookie water mage and Lute, things seemed to be turning dramatically against the Pride's favour, and the match had only just started!

"Someone stop him!" Estelle yelled for help, towards anyone who could hear. But Harvey was like a runaway freight train, and it didn't seem like it was even possible for him to be stopped!

With his body surrounding by a fresh new emerald glow of magic, Tobi ran across the field as quickly as he could towards the barrelling locomotive. His own speed had been radically heightened thanks to Marcus' magic who was, like Amy, keeping his distance away from the rest of the group, to be able to survey the entire field and to pass out agility buff after agility buff to each ally who'd need it. Aside from Tobi, there was very little in the way left of defence. Moira and Syed were in his path, but Moira had been felled by a critical blow from one of the Varren, and Syed's magical talents had been restricted thanks to Penelope's latest cry of rules. It was as if both Guilders had been neutered. And then there was Jett who was stumbling over himself thanks to his own certain inconvenient assets.

"Don't worry everyone! I've got this!" Tobi grinned, despite how he too was unable to use his gunblade thanks to the restrictions on, well, guns and blades. But for Tobi that was a small, nebulous and unimportant matter, and not something to worry about. He'd do whatever it took, even if he didn't know what that was yet!

But then suddenly, before him, the ground exploded, as four Varren appeared from underground, surrounding Harvey Jr as an impromptu shield. One broke off and charged after Tobi, stopping his advance, whilst another did the same to Jett, just in case he would try something.

So that left… who?

"Oh gods, what do we do?!" Syed asked, stammering back. Moira was still trying to painfully pull herself back up onto her feet, but the pain was too much. Far too much. Hopefully Amy could help heal and repair them, because they needed it. Harvey Jr and the two remaining Varren, plus the Varren Suarez who had attacked Moira, all started barrelling towards them…

…and then Harvey Jr stopped (even as the Varren continued). It took him a while to stop, but stop he did, much to Estelle, Trixie, Moira and Syed's disbelief. He had been unstoppable before, so what had changed?

Harvey Jr was staring right at Syed. Suddenly, his cheeks grew powerfully red. She was… she was beautiful! The most beautiful woman he had ever seen! Harvey Jr had forgotten all about whatever it was he was supposed to be doing.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Drych Lake Spa – Arena

"Bra?" Jett asked totally confused.

He sensed she was annoyed about something, but he chose to focus on the problem at hand. Aria's last suggestion was worth a try. The boy-turned-girl tugged the back of his shirt till the fabric was taut over his chest. It felt nice and tight! However a little wiggling and loads of bouncing proved that it was useless.

"Hey Jett, you're fast aren't you? You go after the puppy! I'll go help the other free Estelle."

"Ms. Aria…"

She was gone even before he could finish his sentence. Nearly everyone on Team Pride was gathering round the man with Estelle thrown over his shoulders. Ma'am Moira, Tats man, Wonder Kid and now Ms. Aria. He wanted to join the fray too. Still Ms. Aria did ask him to get the dog.

Oh! The pup was just ahead! He licked his lips a little. Now this was the time to concentrate. No more jiggly-juggly woes. Just run and let those things take care of themselves!

He muttered mostly to himself. "You'd better be ready!"

The air whipped his face and the wind whistled in his ear. Jett whooped loudly as his heart started pumping. The boy was nearing the opponent's unsuspecting ball at a rapid rate. He was more than half way across the pitch when one of the hedgehog-mole things appeared.

"Out! Out! OUT!"

His yelling fell on deaf ears as the creature waved its claws around menacingly. There was no way he could stop in time and the crowd knew it. Many fans covered their beady eyes as they anticipated the incoming collision. Even Jett himself dreaded the moment.

As there weren't that many options left, he placed his faith in whatever was guiding him. Jett threw out his hands. He smacked away the flailing claws with his left arm and then pressed down on the varren's head with his right arm.

"Woah!"

He was … it was awesome! He had just vaulted over the mole thing. Jett braced himself as the ground drew nearer. As soon his feet touched the ground, he got ready to sprint off when something yanked his hair. A second harder pull made him stumble several steps back towards his waiting opponent.

 

[Bunanigans]

Drych Lake Spa - Arena

"Oi! If I can't use my swords, shouldn't that rat not be able to use its claws!?"

Pen simply looked down at her from her vantage point above them all. Then, after a pause, she spoke. "I don't see a problem. Those are simply it's fingers. You are using your fingers too, am I right?"

The Varren in the crowd began to jeer.

Rhoden smiled as he watched the water girl backpedal, water once more drawing from the lake to her will. Ah, so she was avoiding him now? Trying to make something bigger. He almost wanted to laugh. "Ah, Marcy my dear. It looks like this cute couple are ganging up on us," he said cheerfully, his eyes resting on Aria and Lute. "They do make a cute couple, don't you think?"

It didn't look like Rhoden was really taking this all that seriously. He smiled, cocking his head to one side. "Now, what is it the youths say these days? 'Come at me bro'?" The tendril of water snuck out, catching yet more of the water from Quentin's second disrupted spell. The water fanned out across his body, creating multiple tendrils across his torso. Then in a smooth movement it all flowed down to the one arm. The long and thick water tendril snaked around Lute's ankle, picking him right up into the air.

"Now, isn't this fun?" He reached up with his other hand, poking Lute on the tip of his nose. Then just like that he flung the man right back at Quentin. After all... the mage didn't think he'd just leave him alone, did he? Taking on two at once would be a bother, but hell if he was going to miss out on the fun.

"Gotcha!"

Tau pulled back with all he had, bringing Jett stumbling back towards himself. He wasted no time in spinning his long wooden staff around his body, before bringing it around and striking Jett in the gut. The blow was not enough to send Jett flying or anything, but it did what he wanted it to do. It caused Jett to falter.

The greater distance he could keep between the Pride and Jasper, the better.

"Hey, why don't you take a breather?" Tau winked with a grin, swinging his staff around and aiming another blow towards Jett's arm. He guessed that along with Pix, he must be the group's secondary speedster or something? Well, this should be interesting. Before the blow had even hit Tau was already changing his stance, preparing for the next. He was not a guy who stayed in one place, and therefore would be quite difficult to counter.

Syed, being the somewhat oblivious person he was when it came to matters of love or sexuality, didn't immediately click as to what Harvey Jr. was staring at. He had braced himself down a little, his mind working overdrive trying to think of anything to stop this guy in his tracks when he... did just that. He didn't know what to think. Syed frowned slightly in confusion, turning to look behind him before looking back to the blushing Harvey.

He looked back to Moira, who lay crumpled on the floor... watching him. Except unlike Harvey's expression of quiet and shy awe, Moira was staring at him expectantly. "Do somethin'!" she hissed. "Now! He ain't gonna wait forever!" Wait for what? Wait for him to attack? "Flash yer tits or somethin'!"

Syed glowered and... oh. He was an idiot. Now it was Syed's turn to flush crimson, bringing his arms slightly defensively before himself. Oh. So it was like that.

Except now he didn't know what to do instead. This guy was a bloody juggernaut, and appealing to his mind was the only way to stop him. But he didn't know this guy, and small-talk about the weather weren't going to cut it. That left... he flushed even further, averting his eyes. Oh god. Oh god what was he even thinking. He had no idea how to even go about this, having no concept of sexual attraction himself. All he could do was draw inspiration from the one person he knew could deal with this situation with relative ease, and make the most of this opportunity while it still existed. And throw up a prayer while he was at it.

He screwed his eyes shut, tucking his long curls behind his ears and visualising her movements to the best of his ability. Then with a grimace... he began to move his hips. At this point the flushing had reached his ears, but he was no stranger to humiliating himself. The movement was awkward and clumsy - after all just because his body was now female didn't mean he was any good at being... well. Feminine.

"...Heyyyyyyaaaaaaa..." he sang, his voice shaky and awkward and horrendously out of tune. Partially because of the drastic change it had undergone this morning thanks to his transformation... and partially because he never had much in the way of musical skill in the first place. "Heyyyyyaaaaaa."

Moira's eyes widened in horror. No. No stop. "Shut up!" She hissed, her legs once more collapsing beneath her. "Gah! Fuck! You're ruinin' it!"

"Er," Syed continued, trying his best to block her out. "Shake it like a photograph picture. What's cooler than being cool? Alright alright alright alright alright."

Moira snarled. This was dreadful. That's it, kiss their old bodies goodbye. Plus they still had the Varren approaching them... she grimaced, once more attempting to haul herself to her feet as the pain continued to flash through her body. One, she could possibly deal with one if she could get up. So long as it went to her so she didn't need to chase the thing. She had her eyes on the vicious fucker who crippled her. But they desperately needed help for the other two.

 

[Capt. Blu]

Cuttersbury: Drych Lake Spa- Playing Field


Nani hadn't been able to dodge in time for one of the Varren's hits. Surprisingly, sparks flew instead of physical contact. Both the Varren and Nani were confused for a moment. Fortunately the latter caught on quickly to what had happened and man was that Amy lass, or lad in this case, useful. She heard Penelope and paused fully. At the time, Amy still had a barrier up so she could. Nani gave the woman a death glare before sidestepping the Varren. "So she's condoning cheating... Of course the cheeky-" Before she could finish her out loud grumbles, she had to dodge the Varren once again. Though, Rooney managed to catch her leg and send her into the dirt. "Alright I've had it with you!" Nani practically growled in annoyance.


From her peripheral, she noticed Jett vault over a Varren. "Good idea." She murmured and this time waited for Rooney to attack. "What kinda name is Rooney anyway?" She thought out loud, nearly missing her chance. He swiped and she jumped onto his arm, only to leap- though instead of over, Nani decided to propel herself onto his head. She made her feet plant and then drove the hilt of her sword onto his head before jumping off. She didn't know how bad he was injured, but the time it disoriented him gave Nani enough time to shove him backwards and take off.


"Thanks Amy!"


Nani noticed Syed doing something rather odd with his hips and snorted. Whatever he was doing, it was distracting the one who was still holding Estelle. Seeing Trixie doing no more than become an ornament on the guy, she called out. "Oi! Trixie, help me catch the dog?" She could use the girl's speed since Jett was out of commission for a moment. Nani seemed to be getting closer on the opposing side, so she might as well try scoring while Harvey and everyone else was distracted with their own fights. Doing that would definitely require a bit of help though.


Cap had been quite upset that the flash of feathers didn't make Harvey stop. It had to be because they were pink... Normally, his multicolored feathers always did the trick! Instead, Cap decided to fly over and peck and scratch at the Varrens in order to give the Guilders chances to escape or attack.

 

[Rexcalibur]

Cuttersbury: Drych Lake Spa- Playing Field

Trixie climbed up this behemoth of a man the moment he stopped, ready to pry her redhead friend from his clutches - or at least try to. Until she too saw just what Harvey Jr. was looking at. The prankster gasped loudly at first, then shrugged it off. "Boy, I seen hot mamas in my days, and that is one faaaine mama, but that ain't no hot--diggidy dog." She caught herself just as Syed started to speak. Like she totally forgot everyone was genderbent and all these new faces were on her team. Whoops.

"Oi! Trixie, help me catch the dog?"

"Eh? Oh, okay. Bye, Supersis!" Trixie immediately let go of the man and dropped to the ground, taking the two nearby Varren by surprise. They stared at one another for a moment, all three of them frozen in an attack-ready position. Except Trixie just took off before anyone could launch an attack.

"Hey doggie, doggie, doggie, doggie, doggie!" she called out the opponent's ball as she ran to him. "Do you like potatoes? I like potatoes. Have some potatoes!"

She plucked out a round contraption from her belt pouch - one of her splat bombs - and chucked it at the floor nearby where Jasper was. Indeed she had tried to hit him, but miscalculated her throw, so the puff of potato stuffing blurbed along the ground without touching him. Well... it did smell quite nice, like it was freshly cooked out of an oven. Maybe that'd catch his nose? Maybe?

Trixie slowed down but still approached the dog, hunched and ready to take off depending on Jasper's move. The evil magic lady didn't say anything about no food on the field, so Trixie assumed it was good game.

"Oh, they do, they quite do!" Marcy replied to Rhoden as she turned her attention to the illusionist approaching her. "Ooh, wait a moment - it's you! The cat with the hips!" Not that Aria would know Marcy was trying to copy Aria's walk since the time she had first seen her. "Shame it's lost now, but you still make quite a fancy man. Ooh, I love it!"

While she dropped her hallucinatory hold on Quentin (seeing as Rhoden took care of him), Marcy stopped spinning her second staff and extended it to Aria. Whatever had befallen the water mage, surely the illusionist was expecting the same, but instead she got swat at by Marcy's rod. Right on her head. Like an angry mother with a rolled up newspaper. She continued roughly swatting Aria after every sentence. "Get! Get that thing out of my face. Can't you see my hair is already a mess? Get! Get!"

Once she saw Syed start doing that thing with his hips and voice, all Amy could do was turn away with a hand to her face. "I can't even watch." The amount of second-hand embarrassment from seeing her genderbent teammate do this was beyond words. Now that Nani's duel had moved on, Amy too focused her spells on something new: getting Moira back on her feet. She noticed Moira attacked earlier, but was still getting used to seeing everyone genderbent; she didn't realize such a hit would hurt the berserker the way it did until she realized Moira was grounded moments later. How embarrassing...

 

[Rapidfire]

Drych Lake Spa - Arena

Quentin was being very patient, and more than a bit optimistic that she was not going to get clobbered by something in her undefended state. Even as she was about to clean Harvey Jr's clock, everything in her eyesight went all wibbly-wobbly. She managed to retain her concentration but it was a tenuous hold at best; the disorientation that rattled her sight was giving her a massive headache all too quickly. Her head lolled around unsteadily, wondering what sorcery was responsible for this. Had Quentin noticed Marcy, it would have made little difference. The mage was in no shape to be remotely accurate.

Quentin ground her teeth. The last thing she wanted to do was be a sitting duck but she was a complete liability to her teammates if she misdirected all this water. She could wash Estelle right into the goal for all she knew, and that was not a risk she was willing to take. She tottered unsteadily on clumsy feet, her arms raised in fisticuffs like she was about to box the next person who got in her way. Somewhere, in her doubled and dizzied line of sight, she spied fiery, red hair. Estelle! And she was moving...fast, in Harvey Jr's clutches. Quentin blinked hard, trying to maintain focus. She was nearly about to swing out for the masseur.

POW! Something collided with Quentin so hard it knocked the wind out of her and the water out of her grasp. She went down with a grunt and a splash, unintentionally soaking Gramps in the process. She craned her head to see a double image of Lute atop her.

"Ungh," was all she could manage. She reached out with one defiant hand in Estelle's direction, trying to will Harvey Jr to stop.

And he did.

And the most horrid singing Quentin had ever heard reached her ears. As if she did not have enough of a headache already. The water mage grimaced but stayed down. She focused her energy on the water all over the pitch.

 

[Cephalogod]

Drych Lake Spa - Arena


"Shame it's lost now, but you still make quite a fancy man. Ooh, I love it!"

Not the reaction she had been expecting, but it got the woman's attention away from Quentin as was her original intention. She braced herself as the woman raised the strange baton, preparing to face down the strange dizziness, only to be met with a whack to the head.

"Ow! Wh- What are you doing, you crazy- Ouch!"

She certainly hadn't been prepared for a barrage of knocks to the noggin, and with a bit of effort managed to make a momentary illusion of her trying to back away to give her the opportunity to dart to the side, causing the stick to whip through thin air.

Aria tried to ignore the horrid singing that had started, not wanting another unexpected stick to the face. The sounds certainly was distracting, though. She grimaced, hoping for whoever it was to stop soon. Right now, however, she needed to keep the woman occupied and her pesky ability away from the others.

"Like your hair wasn't a mess before," Aria jabbed, crossing her arms with a smirk playing across her lips. "everyone knows that afros are soooo last decade. Are you trying to look like an old lady? Then again, I do see some wrinkles so maybe I'm not that far off?" There was no way she would be able to fight at all without being called out, so instead she focused her efforts into keeping this woman's sights on herself. The jeering should do the trick.

 

[Pachamac]

Drych Lake Spa - Arena

"Thank you, Rhoden," Gramps grinned a toothy grin as he trudged along the pitch at a leisurely pace, moving further back into the Drych Lake Spa's half of the field and past the water manipulating Spa Owner to rest at a relaxed stop behind him, blocking off access to the goal that the Pride would need to put Jasper at in order to score and win. His body was completely dry thanks to Rhoden snatching the water that Quentin had summoned from the nearby lake, adding it to his reservoir of water about his body, the tendrils of waters shimmering and flowing nonstop. Gramps stretched out his hands and feet, his joints clicking and a rather loud, audibly grating snap followed him cricking his neck loose. He seemed completely at ease and relaxed, utterly unconcerned with how the match was faring. He had the utmost confidence in the rest of his teammates, but should anything happen he would be his side's last defence in blocking the ball from being scored. And this was something Gramps was incredibly confident in, no matter what his age was.

Even so, the game was in the bag. With the majority of the Pride otherwise distracted or being beaten at by the Varren and his companions, there was nothing stopping his adored grandson from winning at all…!

And their his eyes widened in complete disbelief as he both saw and heard what was happening down the length of the pitch, and at where Harvey Jr had completely frozen still.

He was absolutely mesmerised by Syed.

Even though it caused the Guilder great pain and personal damage to his pride, his singing and dancing was working. Harvey Jr was becoming more and more enraptured by Syed's beauty, and his singing and dancing to him was absolutely wonderful. It certainly didn't hurt that he was singing his favourite song! A large smile crept up the blushing man's face, and he started clapping his hands in time to the song, as his lips silently mimed the words to the song, a fraction of a second slower then Syed was singing them.

Nobody could believe it was actually working.

Harvey Jr was so completely lost and entrenched in Syed's wonder that he forgot all about Estelle and the match. His grip loosened, and she found herself able to easily swing down to the ground with a relieved sigh. She turned back to Moira and Syed, looking at them, and the deeply ashamed way Moira shook her head back to Estelle. Syed was almost on the verge of tears. Estelle shrugged. She had no idea.

She turned back to the rest of the match, knowing that they had to capture that adorable little dog and cuddle him forever bring him to the goal at the far end of the pitch to score. Unfortunately, in her way were three more Varren, who unlike Harvey weren't distracted by Syed's pathetic act. And with her being the Pride's ball… she needed all the help and defence she could get…!

Jasper cocked his head to the side, his ears perking up in surprise at the splattered mess that landed a short distance in front of his paws. He looked up, his eyes blinking again and again at the two new figures approaching him – Nani and Trixie, both absolutely adamant in their intent to catch the little doggy. Both of them hunched down, poised to strike and capture him the moment he made a move!

Except none quite expected Jasper to be that fast.

With a resounding NYEOW, Jasper had completely vanished, a line of smoke and dust shooting up from the ground and into the air, marking the trail that Jasper had left behind. He had shot straight to the nearest edge of the pitch then scampered all the way along it, to its corner, and then to a stop in front of the goal.

The Pride's goal.

The goal at the completely opposite side to where Jasper had to be if the Pride wanted to score, and where the Pride had originally started at.

Sitting down again, he raised up his paw as if to say hello. "Ruff!"

 

[Bunanigans]

Drych Lake Spa - Arena

Pen frowned, leaning forward as she narrowed her eyes at the fiasco which was ensuing. Were they even taking this seriously? She had no idea what to say about what they were doing. She was completely beweildered.

Quite the contrast to her husband on the pitch. Instead he wore a large grin, the mass of water under his complete control swirling around his body - his arms remaining submerged within the mass. Oh, he was quite enjoying himself. He even started chuckling. He could feel more water magic begin to swirl through the air... no, he could even taste it. However, before he could really have the chance to turn his attention back to Quentin, a man's voice pierced through his conciousness. A woman's even. As much as her body implied otherwise.

"Well now, that was uncalled for," Rhoden raised an eyebrow as Marcy bristled in indignation. "And to think we were showering you in compliments just a moment ago! Shall I hold this one down for you, Marcy?" He stepped forward, extending a hand and with it another tendril of water towards Aria... only for it to miss. Huh.

"How odd," he mused. His aim and control were pretty damn good, he didn't tend to mess up like that. "Ahhh, so it's hide and seek, is it? Interesting!"

He probably shouldn't have taken his gaze off Quentin and Lute.

Meanwhile, a smile pulled at the corners of Syed's mouth. He had done it! He had actually done it! Estelle had escaped, and with that bought them another chance. All it took was the complete destruction of his pride and image. It hurt... but it was worth it.

Not that he could stop. He couldn't let Harvey get near Estelle again. Not to mention, once he got past the humiliation he found this all pretty funny. He could only imagine Lucien's face. He'd probably join in, once he had done poking fun at him anyway. So... what should he do now?

That was when he heard it. A solitary cheer and applause from the crowd. He recognised the voice immediately as Janie. "Ah," he smiled, emboldened by his tiny victory but still blushing like no tomorrow. "Time for one of the classics."

He began to sway left to right, clicking his fingers as he went. He hummed to himself, before...

"It's not unusual, to be loved by anyone,
It's not unusual, to have fun with anyone,
But when I see you hanging about with anyone,
It's not unusual, to see me cry... I wanna die."

He began to shuffle, enjoying himself despite everything. Sure, he was a terrible singer. Sure, his dance moves were... eccentric. He wasn't even a patch on the members of the Pride who actually had talents in such things. But if this was how he was to support the team, then so be it. Plus, there was nothing wrong with making someone smile by making a tit of yourself.

Moira groaned, even as the golden glow of Amy's spell encapsulated her and soothed her pains. To all her organs except the auditory ones, anyway. Fuckin' Don, rubbing off on everybody. Urgh. Not that she had the time to stop and think - indeed one of the Varren had continued onwards towards her, as the Varren which had menaced Jett earlier had diverted it's attention to Estelle instead.

Captain had done his job in distracting it as it approached, as the Varren snapped and snarled at him instead. Moira in turn brought back her fist...

...Her punch connected, and the next thing either of them knew it was sent flying back across the pitch and colliding with one of the Varren which was advancing on Estelle. She stared at her hands. What the fuck was up with her strength?! First the door and now this?!

"Ruff!"

Moira's attention slowly turned behind her. Oh hell no talk about insult and injury! Although as much as Moira much like Gramps served as the last line of defence, she was still just out of reach of the pup! Which... was probably for the best right now all things considered.