The spirit world is broken and in desperate need of a restoration. True heroes and ancient beasts that once walked are now a thing of the past. Between the empty spaces of forgotten treasure halls there are whispers of one who has returned. One lege...
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The tournament's eight finalists were all sitting in a designated zone so they could view the competition during each demonstration. Sun Ritsu was seated between Sparkplug and Sun Yong Kid. Thanks to Bodhi and Seven, Ritsu was able to secure the last slot for himself. He knew that he should be using this time to build up his qi, but all he could think about was how much he had screwed up.
While the stadium filled up and the casters went back and forth with their lighthearted banter, Ritsu thought back to the night before when he opened his eyes for the first time. He was in his bed, propped up on a pillow. His nightstand was covered in several containers of Melonrade, which Seven said he had to drink immediately in order to replenish his electrolytes.
Once Sun Ritsu's vision had cleared, he was able to perceive Seven sitting on the edge of the bed, popping straws through the plastic seals of each Melonrade before holding them under Ritsu's chin. Meanwhile, Ham Song was snuggled on top of his blanketed feet.
"Ham Song, I'm sorry, but could you move? I can't feel my legs."
"Good!" the pig wheezed. "I'm not letting you out of my sight this time. Plus I'm transferring my Luck to you right now, so be quiet and let me concentrate on getting better."
Ritsu was about to comment on how sweet that was of him when Bodhi suddenly entered his periphery on the other side of the bed, grilling him on what the hell happened back at the theme park.
After a few deep sips of Melonrade, Ritsu told them everything. The school field trip that needed his help, depleting all of his qi, the transformation of the staff – all of it. Sun Yong Kid and Kevin even made it into the story.
By the end of it, Ham Song was dumbfounded.
"Monkey... you did all of that? Erased everything you had built over the past two weeks... all for some little snot-nosed brats?"
"Did you eat peaches, Ritsu?" Bodhi interjected. "Any sodas?"
Ritsu shook his head. "No. I'm clean." Then he groaned and leaned his head deeper into the pillow. Seven attentively laid a hot towel over his eyes.
"The urge to help them was so strong, Bodhi. All I could think was that there were people that need to be fed. Hungry children."
Bodhi made a thoughtful sound. "That was probably a side effect of carrying around so much qi in your system at once. Not to mention, everything happened in a place that holds a lot of sentimental value to you, whether you want to admit it or not. You're not used to the feeling. Well, at least now we know what to avoid next time."
Ham Song swore colorfully. "Benevolent monkey, you didn't just burn through your qi. It sounds to me like you made something wondrous and true the day before it actually mattered."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Seven patted the top of Sun Ritsu's head. "Hey, why the long faces, everyone? Can't Ritsu just do the same thing tomorrow? All he has to do is imagine that everyone in the stadium is about to die of starvation and Blam! Free lunch heroes for everyone, am I right?"
