The winds scoured the cursed grass, half-dead, of the Ashen Villains’ stadium. Heads bowed mournfully, the Green Glade Hackers didn’t notice its bitter teeth. Today had been Clooney’s funeral, and even the threat of their Dark kin could not wake them from their woeful gloom. The Villains revelled in their misery, pressing their advantage. Before the first ball had even touched the foul earth, they were upon their foes, hammering home a mocking touchdown, smashing the Wood Elves’ drive.
It was Stormwind, the strongest of them, the one called the Golden Tornado, who raised the Hackers from their deep grief-slumber. Two words, a whisper, carried to all with the timbre of song: ‘For Clooney...’
‘FOR CLOONEY!’ leapt up their reply, the light of the sun as reflected on a spring stream, burning deep in their eyes. A defiant equalizer burned too upon the scoreboard just moments later.
But the cunning and resourceful Villains fought back and fought hard. The Hackers strove to hold their tide at bay, but another touchdown for the Dark Elves was inevitable. The Wood Elves however would not be beaten. Not today. Not Clooney’s day! They pressed hard and once more won the equalizer.
‘Thoroughly Dubious’ Duran was brought low as an Ashen Villain attempted with some success to ram one of Duran’s pom-poms down his throat. It is thought that he will have to miss the next game while the Hacker’s newly-appointed tree surgeon attempts to remove it.
As the referee raised his whistle to his mouth for the final time, a chance came for the Hackers. Caught off-guard, the Villains had lost the ball and the Hackers were quick to take advantage. The ball was plucked from the feet of the Dark Elves, thrown down the pitch. Stormwind waited, so close to the end-zone that victory was inevitable, and she raised her hands to grasp the ball and score the winning touchdown...
And then she saw it, glimmering yellow on the side of the pitch... a single buttercup, sprouting from the hateful earth. A buttercup. Clooney’s favourite. Tears welled as the Wardancer remembered her friend, Clooney the Bear.
Then the ball hit her full in the face and everything was black.
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