I hope you have trained your creatu well, because they will need the highest stamina for this tournament.

She looked down at him. “Get a good night’s sleep, you’ll need it.” she said, walking back inside. Hurricane sighed and followed behind her reluctantly.

Over the next two months, Iris and Hurricane trained vigorously. By the end of each day, Hurricane’s legs ached and Iris’ throat burned from yelling. But they did not stop, and each day they progressed or learned a new skill, they went out to Penny’s for ice cream. When the day before the opening ceremony arrived, Hurricane was hoping for a rest, or a scoop of ice cream. But Iris made him do what felt like a entire day’s exercise that morning. After a lunch of chicken legs however, they did go to Penny’s and Hurricane enjoyed playing with Misty almost as much as he enjoyed the snow cone Penny had offered him.

That night they slept in late, even though they had gone to sleep early. When Iris finally woke up at 10 o’clock, it took her barely 10 minutes for her to wake up Hurricane, get dressed, and make breakfast. They were busy eating their cooked Relcore berries when they heard the cheering. It seemed to be coming from a coliseum-like building down the street. At that precise moment the doorbell rang. They quickly finished their berries and went to see who it was.

When Iris opened the door, there was a flash of magenta, and there was a letter on the doorstep. Hurricane nudged it, sniffed it, and picked it up in his mouth and handed it to Iris. Iris wiped the slobber off the envelope with her shirt and opened the seal, the same golden one that Anthousa’s letter had had. There was a simple letter inside:

The Great Relcorian Coliseum.

His claws made a clacking sound on the pavement as he stumbled, right at Iris’ heels. Iris was so exited her brain clouded. All she knew was, I have trained Hurricane. No need to worry, I trained him. We will win. Glory and fame! Riches and prizes! These words swam through her head like a never-ending train, going passed at high speed. They turned a corner, down another street( Relcorian Lane ), and stopped in front of a large coliseum that took up an entire block. The building was painted in modern colors, in Gold, Blue, and a Trance pattern that caught many passerby’s eye. Apparently these were the tournament colors.

Iris gulped and started down the lane that led up to the doors. The day was sunny and fair, and not a cloud in sight. The trees rustled from a light breeze. It was a perfect day, yet Hurricane was shivering despite the warm sun directly overhead. Why him, why did he have to be the one to compete? Because Iris wants you to he said in his mind. Then he thought a moment. Because I want to. He and Iris reached the doors. She pulled them open…

A blast of cold air hit them. The corridor beyond was bright azure blue, even the floor. A ticket booth stood off to the right. As they walked by it the man running it eyed them suspiciously. A open door led out into the stadium of the coliseum. When Iris and Hurricane walked through it a security guard with a mutant chimby on his shoulder stopped her. “Name?” he asked, with a tone in his voice that suggested he did not want to be there. “Iris Diamondscale. And this is Hurricane.” she said, gesturing to Hurricane. The security guard checked a clipboard he was holding. Then he gestured to his chimby. The mutant jumped onto Iris‘ shoulder and sniffed deeply, apparently able to sense weapons or explosives with just it‘s nose. “You’re in.” He said, pointing to a line of people and their creatu standing in a line at one end of the field. The chimby crawled back to his owner and Iris and Hurricane walked off.

When they reached the line of contestants, a few giving Iris smiles and waves, which Iris returned hesitantly, yet most giving her the evil-eye, which she also returned. “Man, this looks like some tough competition.” Hurricane growled in a low voice. Glancing down the line, Iris realized he was right. Many of the creatu, of all species, looked muscle-bound and had a determined look in their eye. Hurricane scuffed his claws into the dust nervously. Just then, a horn sounded, and onto a platform on the other side of the field, up at the tops of the seats, appeared a short-haired woman followed by two other judges.

The judges images were projected onto a screen above their heads by some hidden camera. Then the middle one spoke. “I am Pyro Barden, and Welcome all to the first modern annual Great Rescreatu Tournament!” her short, curly, mousy brown hair swayed back and forth over her red jacket and khaki pants as she swept her eyes over the line of contestants and cheering crowd. She continued, “ I would like you to meet our mascot, Dionia!” she gestured to a lemon jahra that had taken a seat in a chair in front of a plaque that read the name Dionia. Anthousa flew out behind her and sat in front of her name, and she was followed by a orchid veram, who was a little smaller and sat in front of the name Aiyanna.

Then Pyro went through a speech, and introduced the judges and contestants. One judge in particular seemed to be the only one who really meant business. Her name was Cyclone Beta, and next to her stood a adult cream Ulius Pyro introduced as Owlie. He whispered into his owner’s ear occasionally, and Cyclone replied with another murmur. Hurricane knew this was the judge he would have to look out for.

Iris was listening intently to Pyro, who’s voice continued to blare out through the speakers connected to the microphone. Hurricane eyed the other creatu. It would be hard for him not to maim the other creatu with his fierce desire to help Iris win. Iris, meanwhile, knew it would be hard for her to control Hurricane. “You must be on your best behavior.” she whispered to him. He nodded, a small nod that told Iris he wasn’t really listening. She sighed.

Pyro announced that, for a grand opening that “Was to be truly grand,” she told her verams to pass out bags of confetti to all the flying creatu. They did, and when they returned to her with their own bags, Pyro shouted, “Go!” and all the flying creatu flew into the air and showered it over all the other people and their creatus. Cries, growls, and barks rang throughout the coliseum, as the contestants ran after their creatu or shouted to them as they flew above. Hurricane was one of the few vogars that started in a rowdy game of tag, in which they nipped each other’s tails to tag the other.

They continued on like this all day, with some other festivities, including a tour of the Prize Room, and at sunset the crowds cleared, and dinner was served. Then kind butlers the coliseum had hired for the occasion showed the contestants to their rooms in the next-door hotel. Iris insisted she didn’t need a room, she lived down the street. But then the butler told her it was a requirement of the tournament, and Iris and Hurricane were quick to accept.

Their room was a hazy green, and the bed was nicely done in the tournament colors. There was a large oak wardrobe in which Iris stored the clothes she had quickly run home to get, and a T.V. inside the bottom cabinet. As Iris changed into her pajamas, with the T.V. on channel Six( Atquati Creatu 101), and Hurricane curled up at the foot of the bed, she exclaimed, “That was some Opening Ceremony, right?” Hurricane grunted. Iris got into bed with her feet resting next to him. “Can’t wait for the first round.” She said, thinking of the Prize Room, where they kept all the prizes, including a Trance Shaefu. Hurricane did not say anything, he was already asleep.

Sorry It's so long. My opening ceremonies story, a sample of my writing.