“POWER TEN! AND PUT SOME ACTUAL EFFORT INTO IT THIS TIME!”

Kirino’s voice bellowed from the coxswain’s seat. The other four girls in her boat put all they had into every stroke, sending the boat zooming across the lake.

“ONE! TWO! THREE!”

Calling every stroke, her voice didn’t soften at all. Her teammates’ faces were strained, sweat dripping off into the cool autumn air.

Reaching the end of the ten, her boat had hit the end of the lake. Kirino continued to yell.

“Starboard hold, Port row. I’m not liking our times, we need to be better! We’ll lightly row back to the other end of the lake, then try again!”

Scott was on another boat, a coxless four, practicing with his team. Kirino’s screaming ended up distracting him, breaking his flow with his teammates every time she shouted.

The day of practice continued, until the sun started to descend the horizon. Kirino took the lead, helping her team return their boat to the boathouse. Racking and strapping down the boat, she turned to her team, a frustrated look on her face.

“I’m assuming this is an off day for you all, because your performance was…” She was about to say something, but paused. “Not what I’m expecting of you all. You’re putting in the work needed, so we should NOT see our times getting worse and worse.”

Her teammates stared at her silently. Kirino sighed.

“If there’s any other things going on, say it now.”

One of the girls stepped forward. “I…” The other two looked at her, looking somewhat nervous. “I’ve been bogged down by a few large projects at school, it’s hard to focus on rowing fully.”

Kirino gave a slightly intimidating stare. “And when are these projects due?”

“This friday, an essay and a presentation.”

The other three teammates held back, expecting Kirino to explode.

“Are any of you opposed to taking the day off tomorrow?”

They now looked shocked.

“N-no.”

“No…”

“Nah.”

Kirino nodded. “Jen, just make sure to prepare well tomorrow. I still expect to-.”

She nodded. “Th-thank you Kirino.”

Somebody smacked Kirino on the back. She lurched, whirling around to find Scott, looking down at her with a goofy smile.

She turned back to her teammates, who now stared at Scott in shock. “As I was saying, I’ll still expect to see you all this Thursday. Kylie, Marisa, Lily, unless you all have important school work, treat tomorrow like a ground day. I’ll see you all later.”

Kirino whirled around to Scott, looking furious, as her teammates cleared out.

“Can it wait? I’m pretty busy here?”

Scott took a step back, holding his hands in front of him. “Woah hold up. I was gonna ask if you’re doing all right? Pretty sure all of El Lago could hear ya yelling on the lake.”

“I’m not seeing any improvement from them. Jen has a good reason, but the other three are slacking.”

“Nothing wrong with not being on your A-game every day, right?”

Kirino glared at him. “What’s the point of training if you’re going to keep slouching into bad habits? We’ve been slow for a few weeks now.”

“That’s not all that’s bugging you, is it?”

“It’s exactly that: Training. I don’t think a week is enough for Dom and Clarice to iron out their flaws, but they’re at least showing more dedication than my rowing team. Then we got school to focus on as well, I have to deal with The Collector when he returns, there’s too much at stake as of late, I can’t afford to relax on anyone.”

Scott tapped his foot, thinking. “Well, I think I learned something that can help a bit. Just meet me at the boathouse after everyone’s left. And bring along your katana too, that’s important.”

“It’s called Dragontail.”

“Dragontail, yeah. Just bring it along.”

The parking lot to the boathouse was almost empty as a waxing moon glowed overhead. All that sat there was a motorcycle and sedan. Kirino waited at the front of the darkened boathouse, wearing a jacket over her rowing unisuit and Dragontail slung over her shoulder. Scott walked by, hands in pockets.

He smiled, revealing the boathouse key in his hands.

Kirino glared.

“You’re not going to-”

“Relax, the boats in there are ours, right? We deserve the right to take them out on the water whenever we please.”

He unlocked the shutters to the boathouse, lifting up the door.

“Come on, get your boat and let’s go onto the water. I gotta show it there.”

Kirino gave a judgemental glare. “And what you’re going to show will be worth this?”

“Just trust me, it’s gonna help out a whole lot.”

The two carried their boats down to the water, the moon providing just enough light for them to watch their steps. The night was silent, a cool breeze rustling the leaves of trees and causing small waves on the surface of the lake. The sky was cast full of beautiful stars.

Setting their boats down side by side, Scott led the way. The two rowed until they ended up side by side at the center of the lake.

Letting go of one of his oars, Scott reached behind him, taking off his jacket; At his hip was the Teal Lantern. He turned it on, the ghastly teal flames engulfing him, and GG manifesting at his side.

“Time to crew up!”

GG entered his body, the blaze engulfing Scott. He leapt out of the boat, and the moment his sneakers touched the water, it froze solid. The patch of ice continued to grow, surrounding Kirino’s boat as well. It continued to grow more and more, until the patch of ice was a sizeable arena.

“Now, since nobody’s gonna be watching us in the middle of the lake, I say let’s have some fun.”

“Fun?”

“You know. A bit of fun with our artifacts to unwind.”

Kirino sighed. “Are you serious?”

“You have a sword that turns you into lightning, and you never thought about the fun you could have with it?”

“Aye, long ago I heard a saying, lass.” GG’s voice echoed. “‘The world's mine oyster, Which I with sword will open.’ Why are ye limiting yourself?”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“Well, so long as you aren’t causing anything terrible. Some rules are good to follow, ya know G.G?”

“For landlubbers like most of ye, perhaps.”

Kirino rolled her eyes. “It’s a weapon, not a toy. I’m not to draw it unless I’m given good reason.”

“How about to have fun with a friend? Besides.” He smirked, tapping his foot on the ice sheet. “This ice isn’t gonna melt anytime soon.”

She stood up, taking off her jacket and dropping it into her boat. Revealing her well-trained, rippling physique, she slung Dragontail around her hip.

“I’ll make this game quick then.”

Scott leapt back to the edge of the arena. “It’s gonna be a tough, but fun one! So long as I’m standing here, this water isn’t gonna defrost, so all you gotta do is knock me off and into the water!”

Kirino bolted forward, slipping because of the ice. As she regained her footing, she was skating towards Scott. He laughed, stepping to the side as the girl slipped towards the water. She drew her sword, plunging it into the ice, and used it to spin herself towards her opponent. She kicked towards Scott, but Scott grabbed her leg. She felt it begin to freeze up.

“Come on, you know how I work!” He shouted.

For a fraction of a second, there was a flash. Scott watched as her body dissipated into a thin strand of electricity, reorienting itself. It re-shaped into Kirino, back on her feet. She skated backwards, keeping a fair distance between her foe.

“New trick?” He said, clapping.

Kirino didn’t say a word, watching his eyes.

With a sway of his hands, several small pellets of ice shot up from the sheet, and a gust of wind launched them forward. Keeping her blade drawn, she charged forward, deflecting a few, and dodging around the rest. He snapped his fingers, and the ice beneath her feet dissolved back into water. Instead of falling, however, there was another flash. He felt a tiny buzz run through his stomach, and behind him, Kirino’s hands around his abdomen.

Despite her arms beginning to freeze, Kirino suplexed Scott to the water behind.

As Scott made contact with the lake, he slammed onto a patch of ice that froze beneath him. He rolled back to his feet, the ice following him as he trailed further away from the original patch of ice.

“Not gonna be that easy!” He boasted, shaking the blow off. He skated towards her, and she held a defensive stance with her blade.

Kirino gripped her blade. She could sense that his next move would push her off the ice into the water.

The ghastly aura left his body, and she realized that GG was behind her. Pillars of ice rose between her, preventing any means to dodge the oncoming blow.

She dug her feet into the ground, and sheathed her blade, the two grappling each other by the hands.

Scott’s charge pushed Kirino back as the two pushed against each other with all their strength. GG floated nearby, watching the two. Every time Kirino felt herself getting an advantage, Scott redoubled his efforts, all with that same goofy grin. He could feel how tough she was pushing against him as well, feeling blood and adrenaline rush through his veins.

“Come on, aren’t ya feeling it? Good old fashioned, magically enhanced fun!”

Kirino skidded back more and more, to the edge of the ice.

This was a prime opportunity to finish it, almost as if Scott was taunting her. If she could get him in the water here, GG wouldn’t be there to freeze it. But like this…

She let out a scream, and headbutted Scott on the forehead. He took a step back, staggering. His vision was swirling.

“GG, back to me!”

GG wasted no time re-fusing with Scott, and following his instinct, he cast a freezing gust of wind forward. It nearly tipped her off the edge, but she grabbed her blade from its sheath.

The seconds slowed down between the two of them. Seeing her reach for the weapon, the boy spread his hands apart.

“Smokeshot, now!”

The chilly wind blew down, sending a thick cloud of snow exploding in every direction. The entire arena was covered in a fog that neither of them could see through. Except for GG.

The spirit had split off from him, watching for wherever Kirino would re-materialize.

There was the flash, but Scott felt no jolt. Instead, flying through the cloud if ice was Kirino. Her legs were outstretched in a drop kick, flying at a speed far too fast for him to react to. He was struck in the stomach, sent flying away. Without hesitation, GG re-fused with him. He flew out of the cloud of the snow, his back striking the water. It still froze, but he slid for a while, before getting back to his feet.

A massive bolt of lightning struck the main ice patch, the blast blowing away the cloud of ice. Scott’s grin waned for a moment, watching the warrior girl holding her sword overhead, crackling a bright blue with electricity.

Kirino stared at the distant Scott, expression stern as ever.

Expanding his ice patch, the boy plucked several dozen BB sized pellets of ice. Floating alongside him, he skated forward, freezing the water ahead.

“Let’s give her a point blank grapeshot, then take this game home!”

Kirino steadied the grip on her blade as her heart beat harder and harder.

She breathed in, then out.

Dragontail made Scott’s intent clear. The first grapeshot was a diversion. There was something else he had planned that would strike her from behind.

She dashed forward, head first into his torrent of ice. She gritted her teeth as many of the pellets bounced off of her. Scott paused in shock as she continued to dash forward.

“I’ll end it thus!”

She drew her blade overhead, and stabbed it into the ice below. The charged blade let out all of its energy, the thick sheet of ice shattering. Scott lost his footing, attempting to freeze the ground beneath him, but heard a splash to the side of him.

The Teal Lantern had been cut from his hip with a swing of Kirino’s blade.

It landed in the water, and so did he. But, he was still smiling as he fell.

Kirino re-sheathed her blade, staring down at him. Her eyes widened, as she turned around.

The frozen ice sheet was dissolving quickly. Her and Scott’s boats had already defrosted, and she dropped into the water as the melting ice reached her.

She plunged into the cold lake, quickly swimming back to the surface. Scott laughed, as he grabbed the Teal Lantern.

“Ahh, man you actually got me! But you owe me a new belt!”

The soaked Kirino shivered, glaring at her friend with the same stern expression.

“Happy you got your game?”

“Oh yeah. Definitely, I wanna do it more often too!”

“If it’s training, we can set aside-”

“Nah, training is just more work, this is just plain old fun! And it helps a bunch, didn’t you say something like that?”

“Helps?” She shouted.

“Yeah! A bit of fun exercise helps burn the stress. You showed me that with rowing, yeah?”

Pouring all of her focus into besting Scott was all that mattered at the moment, nothing else was on Kirino’s mind. But now that the moment had passed, all her concerns seemed less pressing. She was exhausted, shivering cold, but overcoming Scott’s seemingly impossible game had…

She sighed.

“Yes, you’re right. It’s… Not like watching a bit of TV or enjoying a nice dinner. Not even comparable to a morning on the water in the single scull… You know, why weren’t you direct about this?”

“I was direct! I wanted to have fun, you said no. But it was important!”

“I suppose it’s too bizarre to directly tell without showing…” She lifted her head up. “Did your game have to involve both of us getting soaking wet though? It’s way too cold to be out for a swim.”

“You were steaming mad earlier today! Only one way to cool you off”

Kirino punched him in the shoulder.

“Yeow…” He said, rubbing the spot.

“And no, I don’t owe you any new belt.” She said, cracking a small smile. “Your game didn’t have any rules against that anyways.”