Chapter 28 Ice Challenge
Yani was already on the grounds looking around and at the same time she looked at the ground made of ice for skating. Jethro cleared his throat.
“Welcome to the Ice Challenge,” Jethro said lifeless but everyone still applauded. “So for the first challenge, we will have ice skating. First five persons to make it to the finish line will be the challengers for the second challenge,” he said coldly.
The players started wearing skating shoes.
“Players to the starting line,” and they positioned themselves at the starting line.
“The game will begin in 3… 2… 1!”
Boom! At the same time an ice ball exploded in the air and it started to snow.
“Go Yani!” Femme shouted.
TOOGSH! From the very beginning of the game, almost everyone was surprised and Yani even looked at what happened. A player collided with a boulder. Wait, when else there was a boulder there? She asked herself.
She immediately looked at the Earth guy and the man was still laughing so it was obvious. Isn't that unfair?
Then the fire guy skater attacked a fireball on the ice path of the air girl skater so the road turned into water and she fell and both of them were laughing. Yani got angry and at the same time scared so she looked at Jethro and wow, the prince is just sitting pretty.
So that's not a violation? She asked herself as she turned around and…
BOOGSH! She was hit by a large rock in front of her and sat down. She also rubbed her head and looked at the earth guy skater who was smiling foolishly.
“That's okay Yani! You can do it!” Donna shouted.
Yani stood up and started skating again. She was a bit dizzy so she didn't notice that the road she was skating on was water so…
Splash! Toogsh! She stumbled. The audience laughed. She sat down and just watched the spectators and stood up again while skating and this time, she glared at the two guys.
Do they want a fight? An evil smile formed in her lips. GAME! Everything is just the beginning. They don't know who they are dealing with.
She put both her hands on her back and let out a strong wind so she came in fast. When she confronted the earth guy skater, the earth guy was surprised while Yani looked at him seriously. The earth guy lifted the ground on her path but Yani avoided it and immediately controlled the ice up to the man's stomach so he stopped while holding his stomach.
Yani just smirked at him and immediately looked at the fire guy skater. He looked at where the fire guy was skating and focused on it so it slowly melted until the fire guy's path was just water so he sank into the water and wondered.
“What the heck? How did this happen?” he asked angrily.
Yani kept skating and smiled triumphantly. They saw that Yani was ahead so the earth guy lifted a large rock right in front of Yani.
What do you think happened? She's the girl who can control all elements so she made an ice ramp in front of her and skated up.
She landed right on the finish line. She stood there and looked at the two guys who were dumbfounded by what had happened. Yani just gave them a smirk.
“First challenge is finished. Have a break,” said Jethro.
Yani first took off her shoes and went straight to their resting place. When she arrived, they were not there yet so she just sat on a chair. She thought to herself that they might not go down.
“Uhm Yani. You are great.”
She was surprised when she saw Hera coming down the stairs while the others followed.
She gave Hera a weak smile. “Thanks.”
She looked at the others who were just leaning against the wall while the others avoided looking at her. Callie approached her.
“You were good earlier. You learned ice skating fast. Keep improving,” said Callie.
She smiled weakly again. “Thank you too Callie.”
“Good for you knowing how to ice skate. I also want to try,” said Flare so they looked at her.
Callie gave Flare a straight face. “I'll teach you.”
“Pssh. Even if you teach me nothing will happen because the ice will melt when I skate on it,” said Flare.
“Oh is that so,” Callie said coldly.
Flare just rolled her eyes at her.
“Attention everyone!” Eaux said suddenly so all the audience fell silent. “The second challenge for the Ice Challenge has technical difficulties so we will extend your break by 10 minutes? Or more depending if my brother, the Ice prince can fix the problem immediately. Thank you for your consideration,” he announced.
They just looked at each other.
“Tss. Why does that have to happen now?” Flare whispered enough for them to hear.
Yani just looked at everyone who was just quiet in their place. There was an awkward silence not when Hera talked.
“Uhm Yani I have a question. Is it okay?” she asked.
“Of course. What's that?” Yani replied.
“Uhm while we were watching you, we were surprised when you suddenly got so fast…”
Yani was surprised by what Hera said. “Also, did you notice that the ice on the fire guy's road turned into water? I don't think it was done by a water girl or maybe an ice girl skater earlier because they were surprised when that happened,” she continued.
Yani was just quietly listening. She knows where this conversation will go.
“Then the ice ramp in front of you or if I saw it right, did you make that ice ramp?”
There was a build-up of silence between them. “Uhm but it's not really you because you don't look like an ice girl—”
“I made the ice ramp,” Yani cut her off.
Hera fell silent while everyone looked at Yani. “I also melted the ice on the road of the fire guy skater and I took air out of my palms to speed up.”
They were all surprised. “What does this mean Yani?” Callie asked.
Yani let out a sigh. “I thought you would be wondering because I met someone in every cabin but you might think that I met them in the Main Cabin. You know what I mean there, right?”
They looked at each other.
“I know you met me at the Fire Cabin but don't say you met Femme at the Water Cabin?” Flare asked.
“That's right,” Yani replied.
Flare was silent for a moment. “But how is that possible?” Flare asked. “A water girl in the Fire Cabin or even a fire girl in the Water Cabin is not allowed. Also, you say you can control the wind, ice and water?! I'm confused.”
Yani paused for a moment as everyone looked at her.
“Yani, all we need to know is what element can you control,” Callie pleaded.
“All of it,” Yani replied. They were all surprised again. “I can control the eight elements that each of you can control.”
They looked at each other again and just kept quiet but Flare also broke it. “Is this the secret you're keeping that you don't want to tell?” she asked.
Yani looked at Flare. ”No. It goes deeper,” as she looked at Callie who was surprised.
Callie knew what Yani meant so she nodded and the surroundings became quiet first and Yani would have spoken when,
“Wow ah. Why so serious?”
They were surprised and looked at the speaker and saw Kyrie in a corner with her arms crossed while carrying a plastic bag.
“Are you doing this Jessy? The weight of the wind here is heavy,” said Kyrie. Jessy didn't say a word and just avoided looking at her.
“Shacks Jessy! I'm not used to you not talking back at me. Did you eat a stone and then it got stuck in your throat so you can't speak?” Kyrie asked.
Jessy still didn't say a word.
“You know what you would say then? DARNA!” and Kyrie posed like Darna. (A/N: Darna is a famous female superhero in the Philippines.)
They were surprised by what Kyrie did and looked at each other. “Oh why? You don’t know who Darna is?”
They knew Kyrie was just joking but still didn't say a word.
“Pfft…” everyone looked at Jessy who kept herself from laughing but she kept her composure.
“Oh why are you laughing Jessy? Did I tell you to laugh? I told you to do what Darna is doing.”
Jessy looked at Kyrie… and she gave up. “What is your problem?! You think you are funny? I have no time to joke with you!” Jessy answered irritably.
“No time, but you’re the one laughing,” Kyrie replied. “Here,” she threw something at Jessy at the same time.
Jessy caught it and wondered at the drink she was holding. “Don't ask. Just drink it to get rid of that stone in your throat,” said Kyrie. “And here’s for Donna…” at the same time she threw one to Donna and she also caught it.
“This is for you Hera…” at the same time handed the bottle of oil to Hera. “…it's good that I found that, then here’s for you Callie…” at the same time giving the bottle to her. “…it's hard to find very cold drinks.”
She looked at Femme and saw that she was ready to get something from her like a child waiting for a gift.
Kyrie smiled foolishly. “Sorry Femme I did not bring anything for you. You will just throw it away anyways,” she joked.
“Huh? N-No ah,” replied Femme. “Promise! That will never happen again—”
“Haha. You’re easy to tease. Here,” and gave a bottle at the same time. “That has a flavour.”
“Yehey!” Femme happily said once she opened the bottle and drank.
“And to Flare…” was given to Flare at the same time but she just looked at it and looked at Kyrie while wondering. “Here. You don’t want to? Don’t worry that’s hot water so it’s in a thermos. It's good that I found a thermos,” Flare was still wondering and just took it.
“Hmm is there anything missing?” said Kyrie.
They stopped and looked at Yani who was looking at them but she immediately looked away. They looked at Kyrie.
“Oh why are you looking at me like that?”
No one spoke to her question and they just looked at each other. Yani sat quietly in her chair and bowed. She knows to herself that she is expecting something from her but she also knows the reason why she will not give anything so…
She was surprised when a hand reached out to her with a bottle holding it right in front of her so she looked up.
“I was just teasing you,” Kyrie said with a smile. Yani just looked at her and couldn't believe it but just took the bottle she was reaching for.
“Don’t worry, your drink is special because…” said Kyrie. “…well I remembered that you are the challenger now and I think that is the best of all I have tasted. You are also our leader.”
Yani was surprised and looked at Kyrie as well as the others.
“I know I can’t do anything. I chose to join your group, so I'm really just your team mate.”
Yani was surprised. “Kyrie—”
“Besides, I also realized what Femme said,” Kyrie said. “All we can really do is wait. I don’t know what you are going through but for now I think we should adjust to you, not you adjusting to us. You are new here, right?”
Yani was silenced.
“Tss. Dramatic,” Flare commented as she drank from the thermos she was given.
“I'm not being dramatic okay?” Kyrie replied. “All I want is for us to get along. The Tradition is coming to an end and we will end it on a bad note? That's so ugly. It seems like we just ignored what Yani said that we should enjoy for this event…”
She looked at the others and smiled at them. “…but honestly because of this, I understood what Yani said that we should have learned something. I learned a lot, even in this fight we have.”
They fell silent and looked at each other again but they smiled one by one after Kyrie said that.
Jessy let out a sigh. “Oh my. My rival is really good. It's really nice that you are my frenemy,” said Jessy.
“Tss, frenemy. I only think of you as a rival,” said Kyrie.
“Ouch hah. Even just for a little bit, you don’t see me as a friend?” Jessy asked.
Kyrie rolled her eyes at her. “Whatever. Yes. You are my only frenemy,” and she smiled at Jessy. ”…but all of you who are here now, nothing will change and I will not change the way I look at all of you as friends,” Kyrie took her bottle and opened it. ”So what do say, friends?” while lifting her drink in the air.
They looked at each other and smiled while others also lifted their drinks.
“Cheers,” Jessy smiled as they drank.
After Jessy drank, she approached Kyrie and stretched out her arms to hug Kyrie. “Can I hug you?”
“No wait, wait—” Kyrie complained but she hugged her and just sighed. She hugged Jessy back.
“Eeii. My frenemy is really sweet,” said Jessy.
“Shut up,” Kyrie denied.
“Me too!” Femme also hugs happily.
“I also want a group hug,” Donna said while hugging them.
Callie, Flare and Hera just looked at them. “Oh, what are you looking at?” Jessy said to them. “Come here.”
Hera went with the hug. ”Don’t include me in that. You might just get burned,” said Flare.
“Aww. Even if you don't hug us Flare, we felt your care,” Femme said happily.
“Tss,” at the same time she avoided looking at them and blushed.
Callie just stared at them with a poker face. ”Don't insist Callie,” Donna whispered to them.
Callie just gave them a sincere smile that surprised them.
“Oh my gash! There’s her smile again girls!” Jessy could not believe it.
“I was really not dreaming that time,” Kyrie said.
They let go of the hug and Yani suddenly stood up on her seat so they looked at her and were surprised because there were tears in her eyes that were ready to fall.
“Uhm Yani,” Kyrie started. “Are you okay—”
“I'M SORRY!” she said and bowed in front of them all which surprised them even more.
“Hey girl what are you doing—”
“I'M SORRY,” she said once again and stood upright while her tears flowed. “I'm sorry for everything I did. I'm sorry if I haven't been a good leader to you. I'm sorry if I can't tell you my problem. I'm sorry if you feel I don't trust you. I'm sorry if you feel I don’t need your help because I’m not even saying my problem to you. I'm sorry… I'm sorry…” she cried.
Everyone was stuck in their places watching her cry in front of them. “I don’t know if my reason is even reasonable why I can not say it but I just don’t want to hurt you all and carry this problem. I know you just want to help me but I don’t want you guys to be part of this problem because you are all very important to me. Believe it or not, even if we only spend a little time together, you are all very important in my life…”
The eyes of the others began to water and they were surprised again when Yani suddenly knelt in her place. “I apologize. I hope you forgive me for everything I did,” at the same time she bowed her head while crying.
They were all surprised by what she did but the only one who approached her was Callie. ”Stand up.”
Yani was surprised and raised her head and saw Callie's serious look at her so she immediately stood up but she was surprised by what she did next. No matter how many times she did it, she’s still shocked.
“I already told you earlier that you are not at fault, did you understand that?” Callie whispered to her as she hugged her.
Yani wasn’t able to reply and just cried on Callie's shoulder. Flare immediately approached.
“I must be the one who is sorry because I started it all,” her face was full of remorse and joined Callie's hug. “Sorry Yani. I'm sorry if my hug is too hot,” Flare cried.
The others approached and joined the hug.
“I should be the one to apologize. I was rude for leaving earlier,” cried Kyrie.
“Sorry too girl. I even have this silent treatment going on a while ago,” Jessy cried.
“Me too. I don't know what to say,” Donna cried.
“Waaahh! I’m such a bad girl. Sorry Yani!” cried Femme like a child.
“Uhm sorry too.”
Everyone stopped and looked at Hera with oil falling on her eyes.
“What's your fault girl?” Jessy asked.
“Uhm…” she was surprised because everyone was looking at her. ”Uhh I also don’t know.”
They looked at each other and wondered. “Uhm I’m saying sorry because all of you are saying sorry too.”
They let go of the hug and there was an awkward silence between them.
“Wait, is Hera joking?” said Kyrie.
Kyrie, Jessy and Flare looked at each other… at the same time they laughed out loud.
“Hahahah whooh! She doesn't look like it but… hahaha,” Jessy laughed.
“Hahahaha that was new. Hera joking? Hahaha,” laughed Flare.
“Hahaha yeah. Whooh!” Kyrie laughed. “Sorry Hera hahaha we know you're not joking but… haha what you said is really funny,” while she wiped her tears.
“Uhm I'm really sorry,” Hera panicked. “I have nothing more to say earlier.”
“Oh come on Hera,” Donna said smiling. ”You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m even envious because you are the kindest in this group.”
Yani was just watching them and the happiest smile of all formed in her face.
“Break is over. Challengers, please return,” Jethro said coldly. Yani immediately wiped her face.
“Oh yeah. Your challenge is not over yet,” said Kyrie.
“I forgot about that,” Jessy said.
“Yeah. I still want a group hug,” said Femme.
Callie tapped Yani on the shoulder so she looked at her. “Now go Yani. Good luck,” Callie told her.
“Yes. Good luck Yani. Do your best okay?” said Donna.
“Do your best even if we don't know what the challenge is all about yet,” Flare said.
“Good Luck Yani. I hope you have fun in this challenge,” said Hera.
Yani just smiled at them all. “Thank you for everything. I promise I will do my best,” said Yani and suddenly he realized something. “Oh right, about the problem—”
“That will be later. They are already waiting,” Callie immediately interrupted.
“Yes. Didn't we say we would wait?” Kyrie said.
Yani smiled again. ”Okay. I’ll be going. Bye,” and she ran away. The smile just engraved on Yani's face and she's so thankful to have them not just her teammates, but as her friends. She seems to be having doubts if she will leave the nation after this event because she knows to herself that she doesn’t want to leave her group.
Well, let's find out after this last second challenge.
Yani saw the stage so she climbed up where the other four players were. “For the second challenge, challengers will sing in front of us,” said Jethro.
They were all surprised, as was Yani. “You can use any genre of music, with or without an accompaniment. If ever you need an accompaniment, instruments are provided and even though you don’t know how to use it, there are certain instructions to follow so you can play it. I must be impressed. 5 minutes to prepare yourselves,” Jethro said coldly.
Of all the possible challenges, why singing? Yani knew herself that she’s not good at singing.
The players entered the back stage and found instruments of various kinds made of ice. And he also knew to herself that she doesn’t know a single instrument that she could play.
“5 minutes is over. First performer,” said Jethro.
“May I call on the first challenger,” calls a woman who looks like she is the stage manager and a player climbs up. Good thing Yani is the fifth challenger but she’s panicking because she still can't think of a song to sing.
“Hey, are you alright?” an ice girl asked her.
She looked at her and Yani was surprised because her face was familiar. “Uhm well uhh I don't know what song to play and I don't know how to use any of the instruments,” Yani replied shyly.
“Oh is that so? You know you can just pick a song where you can release all your emotions and pick any instrument here. It will play for you.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Yani's astonished question.
“Haven't you heard? Each instrument here can be used whether you know how to play with it or not but as long as you can feel the song, the instrument will play it for you. That's what Prince Jethro said a while ago,” replied the ice girl.
“Oh. Is that so?” Yani replied, still can’t believe it.
“Well good thing I told you that even though we belong to a different team. So good luck on choosing a song,” said the ice girl.
Yani smiled at her. ”Thanks,” she once looked at the floor and also turned her gaze to the ice girl. ”By the way, uhm what song will you play?” Yani asked.
“Why are you asking me that?” astonished, the ice girl answered. “We're players and we shouldn't be telling each other's song.”
“Oh. Sorry,” Yani apologized.
The ice girl sighed. “You're really nervous huh?”
Yani just nodded.
“You're not alone and this song is actually dedicated to him, because he made me realize that I wasn't really for him.”
“Fourth challenger, you're up next,” the manager called.
Ice girl stood up and walked up to the stage while picking up a guitar. She stopped and turned to Yani. “It's very familiar. I hope he can hear me,” she climbed the stage at the same time.
Yani stood up and listened to the song.
(Music Now Playing: Teardrops on my guitar by Taylor Swift)
“Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see. That I want and I'm needing everything that we should be. I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about, and she's got everything that I have to live without…”
Yani was surprised and because of the song, she remembered who she was. She is the ice girl who confessed to Jethro that one time so she also realized who she’s singing the song for.
Yani is watching her from the back. So she's trying to move on, she thought to herself. How about her? What good song can she sing?
She looked at the guitar made of ice...
“Fifth challenger, you're up next.”
Yani just looked at the manager. “It's your turn,” she said to Yani directly.
“Huh? Uhm me?” at the same time pointing at herself.
“Yes. You're the fifth challenger, right?”
Seriously?! She started to panic because she had never thought of a song.
“Hurry up before you get disqualified,” said the manager.
Yani just picked up a guitar just near the stairs and went up on stage. Good luck world!
When she reached the stage, she was surprised and her eyes widened. Everyone applauded when they saw Yani.
“Whoooh! Go Yani!” Donna shouted.
“Hey! Yani is going to sing!” Femme shouted.
“Go girl!” Jessy shouted.
Yani was stuck in her place and couldn't move. She swallowed her nervousness so she gained strength and walked over to the mike once wearing the guitar strap.
“You may now start,” Jethro said coldly.
Yani could not speak and seemed to stiffen in her stance.
“Hey, start!” complained one of an audience.
“Uhm...” she pushed the mike stand out of nervousness so it fell and made the crowd laugh.
“What a loser,” said the one in front of Yani. She put back the mike stand and bowed.
“I'm sure she'll belong to the last.”
“Yeah. She can't even talk in a mike.”
Yani backed away. She wanted to run away. She wants to quit. They are right anyways. She knew to herself that she would lose.
“Can everyone keep quiet?” full of authority, says Jethro. They were all surprised as well as Yani and they fell silent.
“If you're not interested in watching, you better move out of this oval immediately. I'm not stopping anyone,” Jethro said coldly.
They were silenced. “Challenger, you're taking most of your time. If you won't start any minute now, you're disqualified,” Jethro said coldly and looked straight at Yani.
Yani also looked him straight in the eye even though he was far away.
“GO YANI! YOU CAN DO IT! DON’T MIND THEM!” Femme shouted.
“DON’T WORRY BECAUSE WE ARE STILL LISTENING TO YOU!” Donna shouted.
Yani looked at the crowd and smiled at them at the same time she took a deep breath and brought her mouth close to the mike.
“I hope you are listening and for my group, everything about my problem is here. I hope you understand,” she said which surprised her group.
(Music Now Playing: The Story of Us by Taylor Swift)
The intro played. He was right. The instrument knows what they want to play. She raised her head and looked straight into Jethro's eyes.
“I used to think one day we'd tell the story of us, how we met and the sparks flew instantly, people would say, “They're the lucky ones”
“I used to know my place was a spot next to you, now I'm searching the room for an empty seat, 'cause lately I don't even know what page you're on…”
Yani suddenly remembered when she tripped over their first breakfast and Jethro caught her. She told herself that it was impossible for her to stay with someone like him who was numb but because of it, that incident was the beginning of everything.
“Oh, a simple complication, miscommunication leads to fall-out, so many things that I wish you knew, so many walls that I can't break through…”
The memories of the two of them every after her tour came back. Every time they were together, Yani just smiled.
“Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room and we're not speaking, and I'm dying to know is it killing you like it's killing me, yeah”
“I don't know what to say, since the twist of fate when it all broke down, and the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now”
“Next chapter”
Here is how she describes how problems started to come, since she found out that his heart had ice and she was the one who is melting it.
“How'd we end up this way? See me nervously pulling at my clothes and trying to look busy, and you're doing your best to avoid me “
“I'm starting to think one day I'll tell the story of us, how I was losing my mind when I saw you here, but you held your pride like you should've held me…”
At first, she was the only one avoiding but he also realized it. It's not obvious but Yani's whole body is itching to be with him. It was as if she still regretted that he realized it.
“Oh, I'm scared to see the ending, why are we pretending this is nothing”
“I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how, I've never heard silence quite this loud…”
She wished he would have heard that. How much she missed talking to him. How much she misses the silence when they are together…
“Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room and we're not speaking, and I'm dying to know is it killing you like it's killing me, yeah”
“I don't know what to say, since the twist of fate when it all broke down, and the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now”
[Interlude]
“This is looking like a contest, of who can act like they care less, but I liked it better when you were on my side”
“The battle's in your hands now, but I would lay my armor down, if you said you'd rather love than fight…”
As she thought of the times Jethro was avoiding her, tears welled up in her eyes...
“So many things that you wished I knew, but the story of us might be ending soon”
“Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room and we're not speaking, and I'm dying to know is it killing you like it's killing me, yeah”
“I don't know what to say, since the twist of fate when it all broke down, and the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now, now, now...”
There were tears on her face. She couldn't stop it because she knew how painful it was but she still knew to herself that…
…that she did all of it for him because… she loves him.
“And we're not speaking… And I'm dying to know is it killing you like it's killing me, yeah”
“I don't know what to say, since the twist of fate 'cause we're going down, and the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now”
“The end”
There was silence after the song. Yani did not wait for what they would say so she just turned around and walked away.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
She stopped when someone applauded but it was only one person so she turned around and looked at who. She thought that it was one of her group mates… but it was him, Jethro. He was the only one applauding so Yani was surprised.
She just returned to her senses when suddenly everyone applauded and shouted which made her even more surprised.
“WHOOH! GO YANI!” Femme shouted.
“YOU’RE NOW MY IDOL!” Donna shouted.
She smiled and her tears flowed again but she wiped them away immediately. She didn’t know if it was joy or sadness was why she was crying but more importantly, she was able to say what she had to say.
“Yes that was really good Yani dear. You have a wonderful voice.”
She was surprised because someone spoke from behind her so she turned around and saw a shadow. This shadow walked closer to the light so she could see his face but she was even more surprised and backed away.
“Ki… King Gabi?”