The Exhibition

     The teams lined up in the middle of the practice pitch and a Normal Yooyu appeared. Whimsi dashed toward the middle while the Faerie Team appeared caught off guard. She took the Yooyu and quickly shot it over Naia who was not anticipating such a quick turnaround.

     “Team Faerieland 1, Team Faerie 0!” Ciona Broan shouted.

     Moments later, a Faerie Yooyu appeared. Aethia fielded the Yooyu and quickly passed it to Jhudora.

     “Meaghan, I’m going to you!” Jhudora shouted.

     However, the earth faerie stood there, refusing to take a pass from Jhudora and allowing the Faerie Yooyu to sail past her.

     “What was that, Meaghan?!” Aethia screamed.

     Ciona Broan, usually not a forward, stood there and decided the opportunity was too good to pass up so she shot at Naia and the Faerie Yooyu curved around her, despite Naia’s best effort to block with her tail.

     After that moment, Aethia pulled Meaghan aside.

     “If you’re not going to be a team player, I have an alternate player who really wants to play. The Tooth Faerie just barely missed the camp and she’s been training on her own!” Aethia articulated sternly to Meaghan.

     “You will pass to and accept passes from Jhudora, or else,” she added.

     “Whatever,” Meaghan scoffed.

     “Can you at least make life easier for Naia then?”

     “Oh, but Tears of the Water Faerie is needed for some spells.”

     Aethia sighed. “One more slight against either a dark or water faerie and you’re off the team.”

     “I can manage her. She’s much blander than salad mix but I guess she’s slightly more athletic,” Jhudora scoffed.

     “Hey! Just because I’m injured doesn’t mean I’m not here anymore!” Illusen sat on a bench, nursing her ankle which was now wrapped up and then placed in a brace. She also glared at Meaghan after she lightly shoved Jhudora for her comment.

     Jhudora instantaneously blasted Meaghan with a jet of green magic from her hands, tossing the earth faerie backward.

     “Hey now! Stop fighting!”

     Team Faerieland and Aethia rushed to the scene to separate the two as Illusen managed to stand up and threaten Meaghan with her own magic. Aethia grabbed Jhudora while Team Faerieland tried their best to tug Meaghan away.

     “You’re off the starting team, go have a seat on the bench or leave. Fluoria! You’re up!” Aethia yelled. The Tooth Faerie who showed up rather suddenly and sneakily, appeared on the pitch.

     “Fine, I didn’t want to play this stupid game anyway.”

     “Good riddance,” Jhudora retorted.

     “You shut your mouth you…”

     “Evil dark faerie, I know. You hate dark faeries. And I hate broken records.”

     Meaghan stormed away from the pitch as Jhudora shrugged. “She had it coming.”

     Meanwhile, the Tooth Faerie trotted onto the pitch as if Meaghan didn’t exist to her at all.

     “Do we need to go over drills with her?” Delma asked.

     “No, I’ve seen many Yooyuball players due to the amount of teeth injuries. I’ve heard all their stories, and I’ve watched Yooyuball before,” Fluoria boasted.

     The practice match resumed and a Fire Yooyu appeared. Whimsi quickly dove for it and flipped it over to Kakoni. However, Jhudora stood right in his way and stole the Yooyu away.

     “Aethia!”

     The Battle Faerie got right into position and received the Yooyu that Jhudora had flipped to her. She then weaved around Ciona and Delma and shot it at Valtonous Rea. The Uni dove and missed, and the Yooyu landed right into the net.

     “2-1, Team Faerieland leading still,” Kakoni called out as he returned to the center to field a Darigan Yooyu.

     However, he ran right into the Fluoria.

     “Oh, your teeth look awful,” she said.

     “What?”

     The moment of hesitation was all she needed. She seized the Yooyu and flipped it backwards to Vivianna.

     “How do I pass this thing?” Vivianna inquired. Not feeling particularly confident, she just held the Yooyu until it decided to roll out of her grasp and into Whimsi’s racquet. Whimsi seized the opportunity to go down the pitch and then toss it backwards. Naia was ready though and smacked the Yooyu away. This allowed Aethia to take control and counterattack in the other direction. She tossed the Yooyu backwards and it sailed over Valtonous Rea’s head into the net.

     “2-2, but time’s up for this short little scrimmage.”

     Aethia folded her arms with a stern expression on her face.

     “Oh, so we’re going to stop the game just because us faeries caught up now. I see how it is.”

     “No, I mean we literally hit the time,” Kakoni gestured towards the game clock.

     “Anyways, I think we’re ready for the exhibition match. Keep practicing when you can. See you here in a week for the real deal,” he continued.

     Word of the Team Faerieland vs Team Faeries exhibition spread to Faerieland and even to the lands beyond. When it was match day, faeries appeared to have lined up to fill the stands. Tobias and Hovri even showed up to provide their esteemed commentary and so did the Techo Fan, who took a seat next to Illusen. A Red Scorchio dressed in an officials’ uniform made his way to the center of the makeshift pitch that covered the poogle racetrack.

     “Welcome everyone. This is a friendly match between Team Faerieland and Team Faerie. Captains, please step forward and offer the opposing team handshakes. Proceed to your positions afterwards. The match begins on my whistle after the Yooyu takes its position. Good luck everyone. May the best team win!”

     Aethia offered her hand and Kakoni grasped it firmly. The rest of the team members formed a line, and they shook hands then walked to their side of the pitch. The teams then settled into formation, Team Faerieland preferring 2+2 while Team Faerie electing 3+1 with Aethia in the front.

     The official blew their whistle and a Normal Yooyu trotted onto the pitch. They blew it again to start play.

     “Dia goes in for the Yooyu, and so does Aethia. Who will win out? Oh, wow Aethia snatches the Yooyu away from Dia! What a swift power move,” Hovri’s booming voice rang out as the faeries cheered for their side. Aethia then quickly passed the Yooyu over to Jhudora who was instantly met by Ciona. Delma came from Jhudora’s rear and blocked her right into Ciona who seized the Yooyu.

     “Oh, what a steal by Broan!!!” Tobias exclaimed. However, the Tooth Faerie stuck her racquet out and poked the Yooyu free, enabling Aethia to scoop it up again. She was near the goal and fired her shot. Valtonous tried her best to reach up to block it, but it was just too high for her.

     “GOOOOOOOAAAL! 1-0 Team Faerie!”

     Loud cheers erupted from the faeries, including the Faerie Foods shopkeeper and Illusen.

     The teams regrouped in formation. This time it was a Faerie Yooyu. Kakoni lead the charge this time with Whimsi right behind him. Whismi faked going for the ball, causing Aethia to flinch slightly before Kakoni controlled the Yooyu. He quickly tossed it to Whimsi who was already near the goal.

     “Shoot it! Naia’s not in position!” Kakoni shouted. Whimsi took her shot and watched the Faerie Yooyu fly around Naia and just of reach for tail.

     “GOOOOOOOOAAAL! 1 all!”

     The faeries groaned as the other Faerielanders cheered loudly, drown the groans out.

     A Clockwork Yooyu wandered onto the field. Aethia ran ahead and snagged it before anyone else could move. The Tooth Faerie and Vivianna escorted Aethia ahead, knocking others away and then Aethia flipped it to Jhudora. Jhudora, seeing that the defenders were closing in on her yelled at Vivianna who was nearest.

     “Vivianna!”

     The light faerie received the Yooyu just in time and batted it towards the goal. Valtonous jumped and blocked the shot and then the Yooyu exploded.

     “Ooops, ran out of time!” Tobias commented.

     A Fire Yooyu popped up next and both teams juggled for it before Delma ended up with the Yooyu. Vivianna tried to block her, but the Zafara was much too fast for her, and she weaved her way around Jhudora and shot the Yooyu over her after jumping. The Yooyu rolled to a stop near the line. The official blew their whistle and knelt adjacent to the Yooyu. The Yooyu was just barely touching the line.

     “That’s a goal for Team Faerieland!” he declared.

     “Now hold on! The Yooyu was stationery and then it rolled on its own to the line!” Jhudora disputed.

     Whimsi whispered to Delma. “She may be right, and the rulebook says no goal in that situation.”

     Whimsi went over and whispered to the official. The official nodded. “After further review, the goal has been reversed. The Yooyu will be dropped on this side, and the game resumes as soon as that happens.”

     The official dropped the Yooyu and Jhudora instantly scooped it up. She handed it off to Aethia who jumped and flew over Whimsi. “Wait a second! She flew for longer than five seconds, which is a foul!”

     Aethia stopped in her tracks as the official blew their whistle. “What?”

     “Dia is correct; therefore, they get a penalty shot,” the official said.

     “What a turn of events!”

     Team Faerieland selected Kakoni to take the shot as the rest of the players lined up behind the penalty line that the official drew on the ground. The official placed the Yooyu inside Kakoni’s racquet and blew their whistle. Kakoni ran to the left and then released the Yooyu over to the right. It clipped Naia’s tail and bounced into the goal.

     “GOOOOOOAAAL! 2-1 Team Faerieland!”

     “Awwww!” the faeries groaned loudly.

     There was no time to dwell on that though. The Snow Yooyu trotted onto the pitch and Team Faerie had to regroup quickly. Aethia grabbed it and tossed it back to Vivianna.

     “Ahhhh! Cold!” Vivianna yelped. Aethia ran to the official and called a timeout.

     “Vivianna’s gloves aren’t affixed properly,” she explained. The official granted the timeout and play stopped.

     Vivianna readjusted her gloves and touched the Snow Yooyu to make sure she was properly insulated. The official blew his whistle to indicate the end of the timeout. Play resumed with the Yooyu at the position the timeout was called. Vivianna took the Yooyu and bounce-passed it over to Fluoria. The Tooth Faerie carefully navigated around Ciona and Delma. She then made it near the goal and said, “Valtonous, reminder that you still need to get your teeth looked at this year. Remember those cavities last year?”

     “Huh, what?”

     The small hesitation was all the Tooth Faerie needed as she tossed the Yooyu between Valtonous’ legs.

     “GOOOOOAAAL! 2 all!”

     It got very loud in the stadium and the players could barely hear each other as the match was nearing the final few minutes. Unfortunately for them, a Mutant Yooyu popped up with a devious grin on its face.

     Whimsi fielded it and tried to pass it, only for it to go backwards.

     “Ugh! Darigan mode!” she lamented.

     Jhudora scooped it up and then tossed it over to the Tooth Faerie who was open at the time. The Tooth Faerie once again tried to tell another Team Faerieland member about their appointment, but this time the crowd was too loud. She then attempted to pass the Yooyu only for it to curve away from her intended target.

     “Darn it!”

     The Yooyu sailed slowly towards Valtonous who caught it and began directing traffic.

     “Whimsi, get open! You’ve got a straight pathway!”

     The Vandagyre floated to an ideal spot to receive the pass. She then tried another pass, the Yooyu flew straight back to her. However, this worked to her advantage as it froze the other team. As she went to shoot it though, the Yooyu came out very slowly and rolled to a halt well short of the goal.

     “Snow!”

     However, right behind her was Delma who picked up the Yooyu for another shot, only for it to go backwards and into Jhudora’s glove.

     “Argh, what a mess!”

     “It seems like both teams are struggling with the randomness of the Mutant Yooyu,” Hovri reacted with a grin across his face.

     “We are getting short on time though. I think there may only be one possession left and Team Faerie has the Yooyu! They can certainly take the lead in the final seconds!” Tobias added.

     Jhudora’s pass went swiftly like a Fire Yooyu to Aethia. Aethia then lightly tossed it to an open Vivianna who quickly moved towards the goal. She saw what she thought was an opening and took a shot… only for the Yooyu to barely hit the edge of the goal and bounce out. The official then blew their whistle.

     “Time’s up! Final score is 2-2. The match ends in a tie!”

     “But wait! Rea touched the Yooyu last and there was still time when it went out of play! It means we get one last throw in and shot!” Aethia argued.

     The official went into a small tent on the side, presumably to review the play. Moments later, they returned with a ruling.

     “Team Faerie gets one last possession and shot. There was still time left on the clock when she touched it, and it bounced out.”

     The Faeries cheered so loudly that the groans of Team Faerieland supporters could not be heard at all. Vivianna stood in the corner as Aethia steadied herself. The whistle blew and Vivianna tossed the Yooyu right toward Aethia and she whacked it towards the goal. The Yooyu grazed the left corner of the goal and bounced in this time.

     The stadium erupted loudly as many of the faeries jumped out of their seats. The official could barely announce the score, but Tobias and Hovri had it covered.

     “The final score is Team Faerieland 2, Team Faerie 3! Team Faerie wins!!! What an amazing story! The faeries barely knew how to play this game weeks ago and now they managed to squeeze out a victory!” Hovri could barely contain his excitement.

     “Yes, but you know, in a year where the official tournament is canceled, this truly is great for the sport. Now faeries are interested too! We would love to see them watching and even taking part in the future!” Tobias continued.

     On the pitch, the faeries and Team Faerieland hugged each other tightly.

     “I really enjoyed that, and the rest of the team did too!” Aethia exclaimed.

     “We’re just glad to see so many faeries interested,” Whimsi and Kakoni replied.

     “You’re always invited to cheer us on!” Delma encouraged. “Maybe you’ll get the committee to allow faeries to play too!”

     Outside of the stadium, Meaghan stood alone, pondering what could have been had she been on the team. She resented that she was kicked off the team.

     “Who cares about this dumb sport anyway?” she whined as she kicked around rocks.

     And then a large group of faeries began to run out and a dark faerie took Meaghan by the hand randomly and raised it up.

     “Congrats to us faeries! We won!”

     “Get your hands off of me!” Meaghan scowled.

     However, the crowd soon surrounded Meaghan in celebration, drowning out her complaints. She had no choice, but to follow them away from the stadium and pretend to be happy. Soon the crowd thinned out leaving the two teams who continued to sit on the bench before Whimsi proposed an idea.

     “How about we all go to Faerie Foods for sundaes!”

     Aethia looked at her team and nodded. “Oh yes, we could use the refreshment.”

     “Thanks again for playing us! Congrats on your win!” Kakoni said. “This is for you!”

     He handed them a small trophy in the shape of a Faerie Yooyu.

     “I’d like to extend an annual invitation to play us before the real Altador Cup. We shall call this the Faerie Cup.”

     Aethia took the trophy and shook Kakoni’s paw again.

     “Challenge accepted. See you next year!”

     The End.