A Strong Spirit

     Making sure her ears and hair were safely tied to keep from flopping as she ran, and her new jersey – sentimentally she kept a piece of the old pink-and-purple jersey under her uniform for luck – was straightened, she gave her sling the once-over twice. Undamaged and fitting – perfect for any kind of Yooyu that came her way – and if she got frustrated, smacking that laughing Jelly Chia a few times – and Delma smiled at the feeling of the sling on her arm again.

     “There... that oughta do 'er,” she said confidently, looking herself over in the mirror to make, then flashed a victory smile when she was sure everything was in place. Grabbing her entry pass and her keys, she made the quick dash out the door – she knew if she was late, Captain Kakoni would be furious at her, and she sure as Moltara wasn't going to be late today!

     “This year... even if we don't win the cup, we're going to do our best! We're going to have the best year ever and raise the spirits of Faerieland back into the clouds!” she exclaimed, her wings picking up speed as she made her way to the stadium in Altador.

     Delma Harrence wasn't always like this, radiant and positive. It wasn't very long ago, before the Altador Cup began, that she was a Zafara down on her luck, wandering the streets of Faerieland with seemingly no hope. It was on one fateful day, in Year 8 in the Month of Running, that her life changed...

     ****

     Delma Harrence sighed – she was tired, hungry, cold... ah, she was everything but comfortable and happy. She thought she had the good life: she was hand-painted by her owner, given her favorite foods and a nice room to live in, pretty clothes to wear, everything a girl could ask for. However, in a blink of an eye, it seemed, her life changed and Delma found everything she once loved so dearly taken away.

     Her owner had abandoned her. Just cruelly abandoned her for another pet. Delma found her food and clothes given to the new “baby”, then her room, which forced the Zafara to sleep on the cold kitchen floor, and finally her owner had taken away the keys to the Neohome just as she was heading off to school.

     Now she found herself only comforted by her wings, leaning against the Faerie Foods shop and taunted by the smells that emanated. She didn't know if she really had the strength to make it to Neopia Central to visit the Soup Faerie for a handout – it had been too long since she'd had a real meal.

     Closing her eyes, Delma ignored the painful growl in her stomach and bent in her knees in order to rest her arms and head upon them. “Maybe... maybe this is what I get for having it so well...? I guess...” she muttered softly, drifting off to sleep, ignoring the rain that was starting to fall – it only seemed to fit her mood.

     “Hey... hey! You shouldn't be sleeping out here!”

     Opening her eyes at the sudden noise, Delma looked up to see a Faerie Bruce staring down at her, a book in his flipper that he was trying to keep dry from the falling droplets. In her state, she just stared at him, almost finding it incredible that anyone was staring at her, let alone talking to her.

     “...Huh?”

     “Come on! You need a place to stay, huh? You can stay with me – it's better than here, right? Not too far away; I think you can walk it!”

     Delma stared at the Bruce's outstretched arm, then back up at his face. “Huh...” she said again, extending her paw out weakly to grab it.

     ****

     “Well, I didn't really introduce myself too well, huh? I'm Kakoni Worrill. Sorry 'bout the mess – I've been working like crazy on these strategies and stuff for the Cup and haven't had time to clean up...”

     Delma only half-paid attention to Kakoni's explanations – she was just grateful to be inside of some place that was warm and comforting, so much better than leaning against the wall of Faerie Foods and getting soaked as she slept. Curled up on the end of the couch, trying her best not to mess up his books and papers, she smiled in the warmth. The sudden growl of her stomach, however, got both of their attention and forced a blush onto the Zafara's face.

     “Haha! I see you're a bit hungry. Well, I'm not much of a cook, but I think I can whip up a little something.”

     “...It's... You don't have to...”

     “Hey, if I let a pretty lady sit out there on a rainy day, starving and cold like that, what kind of gentleman would I be? Speaking of, what's your name? It's a bit rude to keep calling you Pretty Lady, if you ask me.”

     “Delma... Delma Harrence,” she said, biting on her bottom lip; it had been a while since she said her name, since she was abandoned those months ago. She thought she had forgotten it, but no, it was clear on her tongue as she spoke. She looked up at Kakoni, who smiled at her and said, “Well, pleased to meet ya, Delma! I'll go and make us up a good meal right now. As long as you don't mind fish... I'm afraid that's a bit of my weakness.”

     The Zafara shook her head furiously, knowing it would be too rude to refuse the meal, and Kakoni scooted off to his kitchen. Delma took the moment to look around the room – it was a nice room, cozy more like it, with the staples she felt every home should have.

     The only difference was the amount of papers and books that were scattered around. Strategies on these papers, rulebooks here and there, names of other Faerielanders on another paper, and in the corner was a strange-looking sling as if it was going to be used for some sort of game. Curious, Delma picked it up, examining the design and even slipped it on and off her arm once to try its fit.

     “Kakoni... what's all this stuff for? All these papers and stuff?”

     “They're for the Altador Cup!”

     She raised a brow, entering the kitchen to ask further, “The Altador Cup? What's that?”

     Kakoni didn't look up from his cooking as he explained, “It's a big event going on in Altador in the Month of Relaxing. Sixteen teams get together to compete in a game called Yooyuball – a Yooyu is a Petpet that is exclusive to the Altador region and rolls up into a ball – in order to be named champions. Don't worry, the Yooyus are so resilient that they aren't even harmed in the game, which is why they can be thrown across the field and back without a scratch. Can't say the same for the players, though...”

     Delma contemplated what he said; she never heard of such an event, but it sounded like a lot of fun. When she was at home, she was always great at the games she played with her brothers... she mentally sighed at the thought of playing in Yooyuball, at the fun and glory that could be gained.

     “Are you playing for Team Faerieland?”

     “Yep! I'm the captain, so that's why there's a big mess out there. I've been trying to come up strategies and plays for even the best teams, and working find another member for our team, but--”

     “You need another member!?”

     The exclamation almost made the Bruce fall to the floor. Delma clasped her paws together, “Kakoni, please! Let me try out for the last member you need! I want to give it a go!”

     “Wh-wha?” he asked, “You just now heard of Yooyuball! Are you even sure that in a few months you even be able to play it?”

     Looking down at the floor, scuffing her foot across the tile, the Zafara sighed, “Well... I don't know...

     “But in the past three months, I've been crawling around Faerieland, feeling so hopeless and wanting to give up. My owner, my brothers, they all abandoned me for a new sister, a sister that didn't care about including me in the family. I wanted to give up, I felt like this was revenge or something for having it so good. But maybe... maybe this is a chance for me to turn it around! I've always been great at games, and I'm sure with a little practice and knowledge Yooyuball will be no exception. Please, Kakoni! Please give me the chance to try and make Faerieland proud! To... to make myself proud!”

     Kakoni couldn't say anything – he could only stare at Delma as her eyes brimmed with tears and her body stood firm in order to stand by her decision. What else could he say?

     With a smile, he turned back to the meal. “Well, we'll wait until tomorrow. For now, how about some food and rest? Yooyuball is a tough game.”

     Delma's face lit up and her lips formed a smile a mile wide. “Yes, Captain!”

     ****

     Reflecting back on that day, Delma was always grateful to Captain Kakoni for giving her the chance to turn her life around. She now had her own place, new clothes and food to support her, and all the happiness she could possibly have. No longer did she feel so downtrodden – everywhere she went she smiled and showed off her positivity, even when Faerieland faced their darkest days in their fall from the clouds.

     Landing in front of the large stone stadium, Delma smiled. Outstretching her arms and taking in a deep breath, she cried out to anyone that could hear her, and without an honest care to her volume level:

     “LET'S MAKE THIS THE BEST ALTADOR CUP EVER!”

The End