Ripping Races

Part II, Chapter III

The boys continued to the mystery destination, and by now Pen was getting impatient. "Arlo, where are we going!?"

"Just wait! You'll see, and I know you're gonna love it."

Right when Arlo said that, the two arrived at a small opening, where tons of lumans were flying in the sky, playing air ball. Pen's eyes lit up, he loved air ball.

"Air ball! This is amazing!"

Pen then flew over to the others, eager to get started. As he approached the game, someone gave him a hug from behind. Pen then turned around, and saw Halley,

"Pen! It's so good to see you out of your house!" She said in a loving tone.

"Thanks! I feel a lot better. But you guys should have told me there was air ball here earlier, because I would have been out of that house in a second!" He laughed.

The Ref then called to Pen, "Hey, kid with the black hair, you in?"

"Yeah I'm in!"

Pen rushed over to the game, and began playing.

The Ref began explaining the rules of air ball, but since Pen already knew them, he didn't pay much attention. After five minutes of explanation, the game was getting started.

"Hey kid, what's your name?" The Ref asked.

"Pen."

The rest of the players stopped what they were doing and looked over at him.

"Hey! You're the kid who's responsible for the destruction of Soba!" One kid screamed.

"What? No I'm not! I was just trying to give everyones wings back."

"Well you should have just stayed out of it and let the mayor control it, but, thanks to you the mayor can't fix Soba because he's dead!"

Pen stood there in awe. He had blamed himself for what had happened, but he never knew everyone else did too. He rushed away from the field, sitting on a cold bench on the side lines.

"Kid, you in, or out?"

"Out."

As Pen spitted the word with all his fury and sorrow, an old man approached him.

"So, you're Pen?" The human asked.

Pen was hesitant to respond, he didn't want another person yelling in his face.

"Yea... But -"

"- No need to explain yourself kid." The man said in a kind voice. "I think it's wrong for people to blame you, I mean, you were just trying to help them."

"Exactly!" Pen said in a defensive voice. As Pen's nerves began to settle, it sunk in his mind that he was having a conversation with a human, and a decent human at that!

"You know who is really to blame, the Setchi." The old man said.

"You know about the Setchi?"

"Oh yes. I know about the Setchi, mysterious, isn't it?"

"I guess, but, I don't really even know what it is. All I know is it had the power to blow up the top of Kaze Mountain, and that's scary."

"You know, I could teach you all about the Setchi, I have faith that if you know enough about it, that you could stop its wraith, and restore Soba!"

"You'd do that?"

"Pen, It's my destiny to. Meet me at Cola's Taproom tomorrow at 5, what do you say?"

Pen knew he had to restore Soba, it's the only way he could redeem himself.

"I'll be there."