CHAPTER 16: Fun
The hooded Victor sat at the end of a pier, staring out at the lake. The moon danced in the waves, as did his own reflection. From his hoodie pocket he pulled a black feather, the one he was meant to return with days ago. I can't do this. Those freaks are criminals...but who else can help me get back at Gren? The conflicted teen holds the feather up to his face, then moves it above the water to let it go. Suddenly a voice catches his ear. Gren? Victor's rival was further up the pier, cheering at a carnival game. His eyes narrow, and the feather remains clutched in his hand, tighter than before.
Still wearing her black tee and shorts, Komo smashes yellow, dog figures as they pop out of holes. "You're doing great, Komo!" Gren cheers. The girl grunts, smashing each one harder and harder. "Uhh, the game's over now...Komo?" After Gren tugs the shield on her back, Komo stops and looks at the damage. Nearly all dogs have their heads dented in, and she drops the BONK mallet on the counter. Both look at the other teen behind the prize booth, who shrugs and hands them a stuffed yellow dog with the word, 'Wow!' on it.
Throughout the next hour, the two played many games: Skee-Ball, Big Wheel, Zombie Shootout, and more. Gren's excitement never wavered, but Komo couldn't seem to care less. The only hint of emotion came from the arm wrestling game; anger, of course. Now boarding the ferris wheel, the boy looked much more eager than his partner. "Have you ever seen the lake from high up?" No reply. "It's breathtaking. I like to swing as high as I can sometimes just to look over the buildings and see it." Nothing. A sad look came over Gren, unable to share a conversation.
As the ferris wheel rotates them up, Victor stands next to the engine and patiently waits for them to reach the top. "Good luck keeping your curfew, losers." The teen places his right hand on the machine and transfers all electricity into his crystal gauntlet. The traveling sensation through his body makes his hair stand and eyes glow yellow.
The pier suddenly goes dark, leaving the apprentices stranded at the highest point. "Whoa! What was that!?" asks Gren in concern, "The whole pier is down." BANG! Komo slams the car with her fist in rage. "UGH!! I knew I shouldn't have come here! Waste of time!" Gren quietly twiddles his thumbs, unsure of what to do next. "Umm...It wasn't a total waste. You won a stuffed dog." Like a vicious animal to its prey, Komo rips the head from the toy's body. Now she refuses to even look in his direction, just staring out the window. The reflection of her bored face covers most of Gren's, but his sad expression begins to turn.
The boy stands up from his seat in frustration. His body so short that his hair doesn't quite touch the ceiling of the car. "Look! We're partners! That means we have to talk to each other! Like friends!" Komo suddenly grabs his wrist. "We are NOT friends! I'm just your training partner! I don't care about you, Delle, Ellia, or even Percy! I just want to get stronger and be done with this!" "Don't you get tired of being rude, Komo!?" The boy's outburst catches Komo off guard. "You're a rude, mean, selfish jerk! I don't even know why I try being your friend sometimes! But I'm not giving up!" Now Komo stands, bumping her head against the wheel car's ceiling. "Oh yeah!? Would a friend do this!?"
Komo kicks Gren through the ferris wheel gates, sending him spinning with his arms and legs out. With quick reaction he flings his scarf around a beam and jumps on the roof of a lower car. "What was that!?" The tough girl climbs out as well and shouts, "Me telling you I'm not your friend!" Komo pulls her shield off her back and jumps over to the ninja boy's car. Gren leaps off just in time, and the shield maiden's metal pierces through the roof. A kissing couple inside scream, ruining the moment. From his back, Gren summons his shuriken and yells back, "Yes you are!"
Shuriken and shield meet, sending both wielders stumbling backward. Gren slips and catches the side with one hand, while Komo waves her arms to recover her balance at the edge. The tough girl stomps over and looks down, but Gren is gone. Using his scarf, the ninja boy swings underneath and around to kick Komo in the back. She nearly falls, but catches herself on the ferris wheel beams. "Say it! Say we're friends!" Gren yells. "NO!!" Hanging with one arm, Komo throws her shield and knocks Gren off again. The barrier flies back to her hand, and she climbs further up the beams. Pulling her weight starts to affect her breathing, but Gren has stamina to spare.
The ninja boy swings up and summons water around his shuriken. The blade spins from his hand right at her, and Komo barely shields herself in time. However, one hand was not enough to keep her grip on the ferris wheel. Now in freefall, her eyes fill with fear, and so do Gren's. Oh no! He jumps onto the four-story high ferris wheel car and throws down his scarf to save her. Komo firmly grasps onto it, but her weight nearly brings Gren down with her. His body slams against the car roof hard, but he refuses to let go. "Komo! Grrrr! I'm gonna pull you up!" As hard as he tries, Gren can't make any ground. His feet slip across the car, unable to gain any traction.
As Komo watches from below, a sad look comes over her face. "You can't, Gren! You're gonna fall too!" "NO!! Hngh!...I'm not..." A sweat drop falls off his nose as he grits his teeth. "...Letting...GO!!" Gren forces himself to rise on one knee and pulls with more than all his might. Much to Komo's disbelief, it almost looked like she rose a few inches. "CLIMB!!" The sad girl's expression changes. Determination fills her, as she reaches up with her right arm. Then the other. Gren's entire body trembles, like a massive earthquake afflicts him, but it doesn't matter. He just keeps pulling.
Komo reaches up again, but her body suddenly lowers. Both teens look in horror at the ripping fabric, giving them only a few seconds to stare into each other's eyes. Gren has one shot. One chance to save her from the bone shattering impact of the fall. He swings his arms out, holding the scarf with both hands. The cloth snaps, sending Komo downward, but not towards the ground. Instead she falls farther out, into the lake waters. Gren stumbles after, unable to keep his balance.
Both teens scream and pointlessly flap their arms to fly. Komo plunges into the lake with a massive splash, while Gren lands flat on the water's surface before sinking below. Seconds later, Komo resurfaces to the top and catches her breath before diving back down. Ripples in the water come to a still, then she returns with Gren's energy drained body. She brings him to the shore and shakes him by the shoulders. "Hey!" *cough!* "You still breathing?" "Yeah...I guess so." *cough! cough!* A small fish launches out of the boy's mouth, returning to its home.
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