For the Love of the Game

      I had made a triumphant return to Neopia Central after three years away. The Wild Warfs-my minor league team-welcomed me back with open arms. Of course, things had changed. The team had seen other members come and go. So, I once again had to fit into a ‘new’ team.

      “I feel like such a failure,” I admitted to Karin, who was still the captain of the Wild Warfs.

      Karin raised her eyebrows in surprise. “A failure? Elbin, you played professional Yooyuball. You were living the dream!”

      “But look how long it lasted! I wasn’t good enough and no team will touch me now that I’ve proven to be a loser.” I hung my head, overwhelmed by how bad saying that out loud made me feel.

      “Elbin, look at me,” Karin said softly.

      Reluctantly, I raised my eyes to hers.

      “Did you enjoy playing Yooyuball?”

      “What?”

      “Did you enjoy playing Yooyuball?”

      “Of course I-” My response was almost automatic but I cut myself off as I realized something. “Didn’t.” My time as a professional player had been so consumed with being good enough and winning that I hadn’t been able to enjoy the game.

      Karin nodded. “Thought so. Why do we play this game at all, Elbin? It’s not to win though that’s certainly nice. We play this game because we love it. Or at least that’s why I play.”

      I swallowed as I considered her words. Karin wasn’t just my captain, she was my friend. I remembered the joy I had discovered when I was introduced to Yooyuball. How it had made me feel to be a part of a team. I had loved every second of it.

      That love hadn’t died. It had just been crushed under the pressure of professional expectations. No longer caught up in that high stress environment, I could nourish the love I still felt for Yooyuball. I felt a huge weight off my shoulders. I was free!

      I smiled. “Thanks, Karin.”

      Karin returned my smile. “It’s good to have you back, Elbin!”

      With this new frame of mind, I hopped into the minor league season. I adjusted quickly, energized to be back with a team I could connect with and that shared the same love of the game I had. We played our hardest and it showed. We almost made it to the playoffs but I wasn’t crushed by the almost. For the first time in years, I felt like myself again.

      The month of Awakening Y13

      “Elbin Kroe?”

      I turned to face the last ‘pet I had ever expected to see: Kakoni Worrill, captain of Team Faerieland. I was surprised but recovered quickly. “Yes, that’s me.”

      “Can we talk?”

      “Sure!”

      I led the way to the nearest café. Being the month of Awakening, we opted to sit inside and grabbed a couple of hot drinks to ward off the cold. I sat in a comfy armchair with one leg crossed over the other and my mug carefully balanced on one knee. Now settled, I looked over at Worrill expectantly.

      Worrill sat on a loveseat across from me. He didn’t speak at first, taking a sip of his tea. The steam fogged up his goggles in the process and he took the time to wipe them clean.

      “So,” I said, dragging out the word as I gave the faerie Bruce a look.

      Worrill cleared his throat and finally began to speak. “You’re aware of the Fall, I presume?”

      “Of course.”

      Everyone had heard of the Fall. During the last Faerie Festival, every faerie in Neopia had been petrified. It was discovered that a speckled Xweetok named Xandra was behind it. She had been defeated but it came too late to save Faerieland. It had crash-landed to the east of the Haunted Woods.

      I couldn’t imagine the devastation that had caused to its inhabitants. They were literally rebuilding their home from the ground up.

      “Well, during the Fall, one of my teammates, Babolino, was injured. He has made the decision to retire and I am now tasked with finding a replacement,” Worrill explained.

      I had just taken a sip of my Fiery Coffee but quickly swallowed as I realized what Worrill was saying. “You want me?”

      Worrill’s gaze sharpened. “What I want is a player that cares about the journey and not the destination.”

      “Um, what?”

      “You are aware of Faerieland’s performance in the Altador Cup?”

      I grimaced.

      “That isn’t going to change anytime soon. My team’s first priority is to rebuild our home. Training will be greatly diminished. Any player we add to the team must understand and accept that. We are more than a group of ‘pets that play Yooyuball together. We are a family.”

      Worrill shifted in his seat, placing his mug down on the table between us before continuing. “Now, I am aware of your history. You started as a rookie with Terror Mountain and stayed with them a couple years before being traded to Tyrannia. You lasted only a year with them. I don’t need to know the reasons behind all of that. What I need to know, Elbin Kroe, is what sort of ‘pet are you?”

      I heaved a sigh, looking down at my own mug. “I’ll admit that I got caught up in the pressure to win. I lost myself while trying to be the best player in the league.” I grimaced as I thought about how foolish I had been. Then I looked up to meet Worrill’s gaze. “But that’s not who I was, not really. Returning to the minor league is the best thing to happen to me so far because it reminded me of why I started playing Yooyuball in the first place. I play for the love of the game.”

      Worrill nodded, satisfied. “Ciona was right about you.”

      “Ciona?” I was shocked by this admission. I didn’t exactly consider us to be friends.

      “She’s the reason why I’m here. She remembered meeting you back when you were both rookies. She thought you would be a good fit for us and I trust my teammates’ judgment.”

      “You’re asking me to join your team?”

      “I understand I’ve given you a lot to consider. You can think it over and give me an answer after you’ve made up your mind.” Worrill hopped up from the loveseat, prepared to leave.

      It was true. My mind whirled as I tried to process what this offer meant. Team Faerieland was consistently at the bottom of the league. Their home had been decimated and they couldn’t train like a professional team needed to. I knew joining their team would require far more of me than anyone had ever asked before. No professional that cared about their career would even consider it. Except that didn’t matter to me anymore.

      “Wait!”

      Worrill paused, looking over his shoulder at me with a quizzical expression.

      “I accept.”

     The month of Running Y13

      The next month was a blur. I packed up and moved to Faerieland. I saw with my own eyes the destruction that had befallen it. Everywhere I looked lay debris and the rubble of ruined buildings. Even with the help of magic, Reconstruction would be no easy task.

      With the help of my new team, I had found a small studio in Faerie City. Moving day was when I met the entire team for the first time.

     Kakoni Worrill. A male faerie Bruce and the team captain. I had already met him of course and could tell from that first moment just how much he cared for his team. He prioritized their wellbeing rather than winning. It’s what ultimately made me decide to join the team.

     Valtonous Rea. A female faerie Uni and the team goalkeeper. She was an exceptional goalkeeper in more ways than one. I knew from experience that it was difficult to get a Yooyu past her. I was glad to call her teammate.

     Delma Harrence. A female faerie Zafara and the left defender. Like Val, she was a wily one and a strong defender that was difficult to get past. It wouldn’t do to underestimate her. Though, there was something about her that immediately put me at ease.

     Ciona Broan. A female faerie Kyrii. Of course, we first met back when we were both rookies in the league. I already knew we had a lot in common. For the first time, I felt comfortable pursuing a friendship with her.

     The entire team helped me move and while they couldn’t give me a big party, I felt more welcome than I ever had with my previous teams. I saw at once that Team Faerieland was close-knit. Yet it didn’t matter that I wasn’t painted faerie or new to the team, I never felt like an outsider. They readily included me in their conversations and jokes, treating me like an old friend.

      As Kakoni had warned, we did little training that season. Our efforts were focused on rebuilding projects across the crater. We worked from dawn to dusk wherever we could be of service. I was exhausted but never more content. There was something extremely satisfying about seeing a structure built and knowing you had helped in the endeavour.

      Reconstruction was a monumental task but not an overwhelming one. The spirit of unity and goodwill between my teammates extended to the rest of Faerieland. Every citizen shared the vision of seeing their home rebuilt. I had never felt anything like it. I marvelled that I had been given the opportunity to be a part of it all.

      I grew closer to my team remarkably quickly. We weren’t able to do much in the way of real training but it felt as if we had known each other our entire lives. We just fell into a natural camaraderie that I had lacked in my previous teams. I understood now what Kakoni meant when he said that Faerieland was more than a team. They were a family.

      When we could, we stole a few hours a week to train. It wasn’t just running drills and talking strategies. It was an open discussion of the game and how we could improve. New ideas were encouraged and nothing was dismissed. I didn’t have to worry about keeping my mouth shut if I disagreed with something.

      “Just a quick recap for the benefit of our newest member, we are banned from using any magic or our wings during gameplay,” Kakoni reminded us.

      “Right, the only magic allowed is official power-ups,” Ciona said.

      “Which shouldn’t be a problem for you, Elbin. Unless you’ve been hiding your secret fire powers from us all this time,” Delma teased.

      I laughed. “Nope!”

      “Another thing we’d like to share with our new teammate is how to properly handle a faerie Yooyu,” Kakoni explained, holding the sky blue and cotton candy pink creature in one flipper.

      “Kinda looks like you, El,” Ciona joked.

      “You mean small, fast and cute?” I quipped. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

      “No way!’ Delma protested. “The faerie Yooyu isn’t just cute.”

      “It’s adorable!” the rest of the team finished before breaking into laughter.

      This was an inside joke the team had that stemmed back to the first AC and the team’s constant struggle to be taken seriously.

      “Alright, alright,” Kakoni said, reigning us in to focus. “Elbin, why don’t you tell us what you know of the faerie Yooyu.”

      “Unlike a normal Yooyu, it travels in a curve,” I said.

      “Correct! So how do we counter that?”

      Valtonous shrugged. “Think of it like chess. The knight travels in an L-shape to go around obstacles in its path. The faerie Yooyu behaves in the same manner.”

      Ciona nodded. “Yeah! Shoot it straight and it does the work for you, bypassing any attempts to block its course.”

      “The faerie Yooyu is my favourite!” Delma exclaimed.

      “Elbin, let’s put this into practice to show you what we mean,” Kakoni said.

      I quickly got the hang of it, thankful that my team took the time to actively teach me new things. Now I would return the favour.

      “You guys know how to handle a snow Yooyu?” I asked.

      Unlike my previous teams, Faerieland was able to train with all Yooyu types since they lived in a temperate climate.

      My teammates shook their heads, interest sparking in their eyes.

      “As you know, snow Yooyus are much slower than normal Yooyus. To combat that, we need to make sure every shot is clear,” I said.

      “We usually make short, frequent passes between us,” Kakoni admitted. “Mostly so that our limbs don’t freeze right off.”

      “I thought Bruce were supposed to like the cold?” Valtonous teased.

      Kakoni chuckled. “Well not this one.”

      “I understand but that strategy tends to open you up to getting the Yooyu stolen,” I explained.

      “Let’s try your strategy, El.”

      My team learned quickly. I was amazed at how well they worked together on the field. It was like they could communicate without speaking. Every manoeuvre went off without a hitch. Best of all, I fit right in as if I’d been there from the start.

     The month of Eating Y13

      Before I knew it, I had been in Faerieland for a month.

      “What’s the plan for today?” I asked Kakoni.

      “We’re having tea.”

      “With the Queen!” Ciona blurted out.

      “What?!” I almost dropped out of the sky at this. With ninety percent of Faerieland still under Reconstruction, those that could travelled by air. Thankfully, I recovered quickly. “I’ve never met a world leader before. Am I dressed up enough? How should I act? What should I say?” I fretted.

      “You’re dressed just fine and Fyora doesn’t expect you to treat her any differently than you do me,” Kakoni reassured.

      “Really?” I checked, taken aback by how casually Kakoni spoke of Queen Fyora.

      Kakoni nodded. “She takes an active interest in Neopian affairs, especially those in Faerieland.”

      “Of course she wants to meet you, El,” Delma said with a smile.

      “Who wouldn’t want to meet someone as kind, considerate and dedicated as you are?” Val asked.

      “Yeah, El. You’re awesome!” Ciona grinned, elbowing me lightly in the ribs.

      Their reassurances eased my anxiety a little. Before I knew it, we had arrived at Faerie Castle. It was a massive structure, built of pink and purple stone with towering spires. My mouth went dry as the Queen’s Guard allowed us entrance. This was actually happening.

      I was going to meet the Queen!

      Kakoni led the way through the castle’s grand hallways with rounded arches, large columns and decorative statues. The colour scheme was muted inside with a sense of beauty and grace throughout. Not one of my teammates batted an eye at the grandeur. Clearly, they had all been here before.

      Meanwhile, I stared around with wide eyes and mouth agape, trying to take it all in at once.

      “Come on, El!” Ciona urged, grabbing my arm. “Fyora is expecting us!”

      We swept through one final archway and into an inner courtyard. It was as beautiful as the inside had been. There was a vast expanse of grass with bright flowers, impressive topiaries and stepping stones. At the very center was a tiered stone fountain. Though none of that stopped me dead in my tracks or took my breath away.

      That was caused by the sight of Faerie Queen Fyora, Lady of the Western Skies, guardian of Neopia. Like every faerie, she was a timeless being and easily the most powerful in Neopia. One would think that she would be immensely intimidating but I didn’t feel that way. Rather, a peace pervaded the garden, gentle as a spring breeze.

      Queen Fyora was tall and willowy in appearance with long hair in various shades of pink. She was clad in a simple pink dress that swept her ankles, satin ribbons adorning her otherwise bare arms. She stood barefoot in the courtyard, a gentle expression on her face. If it weren’t for the simple sky blue tiara with the small purple jewel, one wouldn’t have known she was royalty. Except of course that she could not be mistaken for anything than what she was: a queen.

      My teammates went to meet Queen Fyora and she greeted them in a most familiar manner. Then her soft eyes danced up to mine and I felt my face flame.

      “You must be Elbin Kroe, Faerieland’s new right forward,” Queen Fyora said.

      “Yes, Your Majesty,” I managed, sketching a bow.

      Queen Fyora smiled at me. “No need for formalities here. Please, call me Fyora.”

      Taken aback, I could only nod.

      “I look forward to getting to know you, Elbin.” Queen Fyora returned her attention back to the rest of the team. “I’m so glad you’re all here. We have a lot to discuss but first, let’s take tea.”

      Queen Fyora led the way to a gazebo with a table and chairs and a spread of food. We all took our seats and I began to relax. Over our finger sandwiches and tea, we talked about many different things. Queen Fyora was interested in my past and how I was settling in. Yet, she never pushed for information, letting me start and stop as I saw fit.

      “I’ve heard only good things about you, Elbin. I’m so glad that you’re doing well here though I’m sorry that Faerieland doesn’t have much to offer you at the moment or in the foreseeable future,” Queen Fyora said with a slight furrow of her brows.

      I almost choked on my sandwich in my haste to respond. “Oh no, Your Ma- I mean Fyora. I know exactly what I signed up for. Everyone’s been so friendly and welcoming It’s nice to feel a part of something.”

      “I’m happy you feel that way.” Queen Fyora smiled. “Now, onto business.”

      Just then, a dark faerie arrived. I had grown used to faeries of all elements. Over the past month I had learned that as long as you treated dark faeries with respect, they weren’t as dangerous as was generally believed. So, I wasn’t concerned at her sudden appearance. Though it was immediately apparent that this dark faerie was different.

      She had a genuine smile on her face rather than a malicious smirk. Goggles perched atop her short magenta hair and she had a friendly glint in her eyes. She wore a punch scarf and matching gloves that stretched to her elbows. Instead of a standard dress, she had a purple vest and leather tank top. A tool belt slung about her waist completed the look.

      “Everyone, this is Delina, the Crafting Faerie,” Queen Fyora introduced.

      “Hey, guys!” Delina greeted us with a short wave.

      We chorused a greeting.

      “What does a crafting faerie do?” I asked.

      “Why we craft of course,” Delina replied cheekily with a wink.

      I laughed, instantly taking to this one-of-a-kind faerie.

      “But in all seriousness, my passion is fashion! There’s nothing I like more than designing outfits and sharing them with Neopia.”

      “I’ve tasked Delina with designing new uniforms for the team,” Queen Fyora explained.

      “You believe there’s something wrong with our current ones?” Kakoni asked softly.

      Queen Fyora gave a short dip of her head. “Faerieland has suffered a drastic change these past few months. Our old uniforms reflect our former place in the skies. We should wear uniforms that reflect our new region.”

      There was a moment of heavy silence as my teammates absorbed this.

      “We’ve already lost so much. Do we really have to lose this too?” Delma implored.

      “I believe it’s for the best,” Queen Fyora answered, not without sympathy.

      “So what do you suggest?” Kakoni asked, eyes flicking to Delina.

      “I’m glad you asked!” Delina whipped out a portfolio I hadn’t even noticed she was holding. She removed several sketches and showed them to us. “As you can see, I took inspiration from our relocation on the continent.”

      The sketches were quite a contrast from what I remembered of Faerieland’s former uniforms. Instead of pink and purple, the sketches bore swatches of green and red-violet. Instead of cloud shoulder pads, they were leaves.

      “So we can’t keep any aspects of our current uniforms?” Delma checked.

      “I’m retaining the braided leather and silver straps you use to secure your gear. See?” Delina shuffled through her sketches to point out the detail.

      Delma frowned, clearly disappointed.

      Ciona draped a comforting arm over Delma’s shoulders.

      “These look wonderful and I’m sure they’ll look even better once they’re finished,” Kakoni told Delina, a small smile on his face.

      “That will be all. Thank you, Delina,” Queen Fyora said with a nod of dismissal.

      “I’ll be in touch. See ya!” Delina said as she gathered her sketches and left.

      Queen Fyora returned her attention to us. “I know this comes as a shock so I wanted to prepare you for it rather than springing it on you all at once.”

      Of course and we appreciate the consideration,” Kakoni said.

      “We’ll meet again soon.”

      Dismissed, we trailed out of the courtyard. We were unusually subdued until we left the castle.

      Delma heaved a sigh. “Everything’s so different! I thought we would at least get to keep the uniforms we’ve always worn.”

      “I know it’s hard but this is a good change,” Kakoni said.

      “Yeah, Delma! New life, new look, right?” Ciona smiled encouragingly at our friend.

      “Just because we live on land now and wear new uniforms doesn’t mean we’ve changed who we are. We’re still us,” Val said.

      “We’ll always be the Faerieland Fighters,” Kakoni added.

      “The new uniforms didn’t look that bad.” I added my reassurance to the rest.

      We were rewarded with a smile from Delma. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

     The month of Hunting Y13

      It was a fortnight before the beginning of the Cup. Delina had finished our uniforms and had called us in for a final fitting.

      My jersey had vertical stripes of green and red-violet. My pants were green, secured with a braided leather belt. My gloves and boots were brown and red-violet. My shoulder pads were green leaves secured with a silver and brown strap. My racket was green with silver trim.

      I had to admit I’d never looked so good in a uniform. I left my dressing room to meet my teammates.

      “Guys,” Ciona announced, “we look good!”

      “No!” Delma protested.

      We all exchanged uncertain glances before Delma continued.

      “We look great!”

      We all grinned at that.

      I loved everything about my new life. I had fallen in love with Faerieland-work in progress that it was. I had felt a sense of peace and harmony since the day I arrived. A feeling I credited completely to my teammates who had quickly become so much more than that. It had taken me years to find it but now I knew.

      I was home.

     To be continued…