Travels Back to Gormball Championship Year 2

     His colouring meant the notion of royalty and attention was destined to go to his head and indeed it had. Flip acted like a price: fairly spoiled and a little bit arrogant, but with his heart in the right place. Of course, his inner kindness was buried under a layer of pretentiousness and fanciful whims. “I’ve never cleaned before in my life!”

     He and his sister Kita stood at the foot of the stairs that lead to the attic. They Grey Draik had just informed it was time to organize the long abandoned attic.

     “It’s a miracle you throw as many fits as you do, given that it’s physically difficult for you to throw a proper temper tantrum,” Kita commented dryly. She eyed his tail and raised one brow, unimpressed. It was true. Flip had merely been flailing around, flapping his tail around and risking his only form of proper balance.

     Flip frowned in response and huffed. “I thought you were supposed to be mopey, not sassy and rude.”

     “Mm. I suppose that’s your department, isn’t it?” Kita shot back. “I don’t appreciate you spewing common misconceptions about Grey Pets. Just because we’re a little slower and are not as easily excited, doesn’t mean we all hate life.”

     “Fine,” Flip muttered. “Sorry, okay? Just help me up the stairs, because if you don’t, it will take me ages to climb these steps and we’ll never get the job done. All I want to do is go outside and play gormball, not waste the day away and clean. Ugh.”

     The stairs were long and winding, a daunting task for a pet without proper paws or wings. Kita realized this and acquiesced. She fluttered beside her brother and smiled gently, gesturing towards her wings. “Okay, truce. Climb on and hang tight.”

     They flew up the steps to the attic and Flip whooped with delight, despite the ride being so short. He admired his new sister’s ability to move so seamlessly. When they pushed the attic door open, they were greeted with pretty much the worst possible scenario. It was cluttered and dusty and far worse than either of them expected it to be. Boxes lined the perimeter of the room. Some lay turned on their side in the center, their contents spilling out onto the unswept floors.

     Kita sneezed. “Oh no! This is going to take ages. Look at all this stuff.”

     Flip carefully climbed off her back and sighed. “I know. I’m extremely displeased we even have to do this but I guess we had better get started. This is worse than the family safety deposit box, honestly.”

     They sorted through boxes for an hour in silence. Having been instructed to categorize items and label boxes, Flip and Kita had their work cut out for them. It was a time consuming task. They mostly came across wearables (Flip slipped a fanciful yellow gemmed crown into his pockets) and ratty, torn plushies.

     Everything was going fine. Kita had only gotten lost inside her own thoughts and accidentally ignored Flip once. And in return, Flip had only had one minor freakout involving a spot of dirt staining his robe. After being assured the stain would come out, he had dutifully returned to sorting. It was all very impressive, really.

     Until he came across something too interesting to be ignored.

     “Kita! Look at this!” Flip unboxed what had to be the twentieth box of the afternoon and pulled out a Time Traveller Peophin Watch. “I wonder if it works!”

     Kita recognized the notorious golden artefact and stepped back hesitantly. “Doubt it,” she responded with a note of anxiety in her voice. “Plus I bet you have to be a Peophin for it to work. If it were to work. Which of course it won’t. Time travel isn’t a thing.”

     Naturally Flip was not discouraged. The Royal Tuskaninny slipped the pocket watch on his wrist and tinkered with the dial. “I’ve read stories about this watch. Neopets lucky enough to stumble across it have boasted of going to wonderful places during insane, monumental time periods. Based on their personal interests. I wonder where it will take me…”

     “Flip, don’t!” Kita urgently grabbed his wrist, just as the watch began to whir and hum.

     Moments later, there was a flash of blinding golden light. Kita squeezed her eyes shut on instinct. When she opened them again, she was still tightly gripping her brother’s wrist. But they were no longer in the attic. They were on a vibrant green grassy field. Around them, Gormball champions were stretching and doing throwing exercises while the stands were filling up.

     Kita gaped at the site of Ember and Ursula chatting on the sidelines.

     Flip bounced on his tail with exuberant excitement. “Kita, look! It’s THE Thyassa!”

     The Grey Draik did not respond, her gaze fixed on something else entirely. In front of them there was a large crimson banner labeled: Annual Gormball Championship Year 2.

     “No, you look!” She hissed. “We’re back in Year 2. Instead of Year 27!”

     Neither sibling felt the need to point out the obvious. The Time Traveller Peophin Watch had lived up to its potential.

     “Wait a second,” Flip whispered. “Year 2 is the year Brian was disqualified for using a rigged ball! Instead of just believing in his abilities.” He nodded to his right where Brian was inspecting a crystal blue Gormball, a devious smirk on his face.

     Kita dragged her brother to the stands where they snagged front row seats. “Let me guess. You want to stop him.”

     Flip shrugged helplessly. “He’s misunderstood, Kita! I identify with that. Maybe I can just go give him a quick pep talk. From a fan…”

     “No WAY are we altering history,” Kita firmly disagreed. “Besides, you love Thyassa as well. You wouldn’t disrespect his historic win like that!”

     The Grey Draik could see her brother pondering her words but determination still flashed in his eyes. The pair spent the next several minutes hotly bickering. Finally, Kita went to her last resort.

     “Let me make you a deal,” she suggested. “We’ll stay and WATCH the championships. As spectators. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity after all. To travel to the past and witness something so special. You will let things play out the way they are meant to be. We’ll have the best seats in the house to Brian’s upcoming cheating shenanigans. In exchange, I will finish cleaning the attic by myself AND I’ll even join your silly Gormball league.”

     Flip brightened at the offer. “Really? You’d do that? Clean the attic AND play Gormball with me and my friends?”

     “I’m definitely cleaning the attic so I can get rid of that ridiculous watch,” Kita grumbled under breath. “But yes, yes I would.”

     The siblings shook hands and turned their attention back to the championship just kicking off. They cheered for Kevin’s grand introduction in Dr. Sloth’s stead, gasped at Gargarox Isafuhlarg’s epic throws, and groaned at Brian’s twitching eyebrows. A dead giveaway at his cheating antics. Sure enough, his first place victory was short lived; his rigged ball was discovered mere moments later.

     Flip wilted a little at the scandal but sighed in admiration when Thyassa was crowned the winner. Kita had a point - things worked out the way they were meant to.

     “I’m ready to go home now,” he murmured, pulling the magical watch out of his pocket. This time when the golden light flashed, neither sibling braced themselves with fear. They knew they were going home.

     As the pair continued to work through the attic (Flip had ultimately taken pity on his sister and agreed to stay), eagerly discussing their recent adventure, Kita gasped when she came across a dusty poster featuring no other than Gormball Championship Year 2.

     There stood Thyassa on the first place podium, grinning with pride. Behind him, in the stands Kita caught sight of a familiar looking Grey Draik and Royal Tuskaninny, looking on in awe.

     The End.