Chapter Text
Hunter couldn't sit still at his desk. Hunter couldn't pay attention to his teachers. Hunter couldn't contain his excitement. All Hunter could focus on was counting the class periods until the end of the day.
Today was his first Flyer Derby game since becoming a Hexside student.
Hunter had dreamed of this moment for months. He had dreamed of this ever since he first played back when he went undercover at Hexside, and as time went on, Hunter began to think that this moment would never come, that this was just another one of his dreams that would end up crushed. But after finally getting to enroll as a Hexside student, it was just a matter of time before his first Flyer Derby game.
Flyer Derby had changed Hunter's life. Hunter wouldn't know where he'd be if it weren't for it. Well, he did know: he'd be dead. Despite that, Flyer Derby was such an important step for Hunter to break away from the isolation of being cooped up in the castle. The sport was how he made his first-ever friends. Willow, Gus, Viney, and Skara. All of whom were very dear to him.
Skara's dramatic personality was something he grew fond of. She was always up to date on everything, from the newest Flyer Derby strategies to the professional crystalized Flyer Derby games to the latest trends on Penstagram to even the newest rounds of Hexside drama. Skara was Hunter's go-to person if he needed the latest updates on almost anything.
Viney, on the other hand, was a much more down-to-earth person. Hunter could go to her for a casual conversation or advice on how to handle various things. Hunter was the one who got hurt the most often during practice due to his aggressive play style, so Hunter had grown used to Viney constantly having to heal him. However, to say Hunter and Viney's pet, Puddles, didn't get along would be a vast understatement. Puddles had been aggressive to Hunter from day one, and it would be quite awkward for him to explain that griffin noodles were his favorite demon realm food. Despite the tension with Puddles, Hunter knew he could go to Viney for advice and help on pretty much anything.
Gus had become Hunter's best friend. They loved spending time being nerdy and geeking out over interests that nobody else understood. Stuff that not even Luz or Willow was in on. Hunter and Gus would have long talks about Cosmic Frontier, their headcanons, theories, passion, ideas for fan art and fanfictions, and their infatuation over their favorite ship between O'Bailey and Aiko, which they called O'Aiko. It was something Hunter didn't have with any of his other friends, and it made Gus such a joy to be around.
Willow was someone who meant the world to Hunter. She was the one who had seen his true potential and offered him to join her Flyer Derby team in the first place. Willow was the only one who was willing to give him a second chance even after he kidnapped her and her team, and Willow was the first person ever to see him for his true self and not just the Golden Guard. If she had never convinced him to play Flyer Derby that fateful day, he wouldn't even be alive right now, and Hunter couldn't thank her enough for that. It was no wonder he had fallen for her… badly.
The fact that he had made such great friends alone made Flyer Derby so important to him, and finally, the day was here. Two weeks of daily after-school practice and months of dreaming were all coming to a head. Soon, he'd be on the field playing his first real game.
Hunter was in his final class of the day, Beastkeeping 101. Despite this being one of his favorite classes, his excitement for the big game made it impossible for him to pay attention. Plus, the fact that it was the final class of the day only made his inability to sit still and focus increase tenfold. Hunter was fidgeting so much that the teacher had to repeatedly tell him to sit still, which was rather embarrassing every time it occurred. Despite that, Hunter kept eyeing the clock on the wall rather than listening to the teacher's lecture, watching the second hand slowly tick to 3:00 PM.
"Five… four… three… two… one-"
"AUUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!"
Hunter sprung out of his seat, dashing out of the classroom. He sped for the boy's locker room as his ears perked up, his pupils dilated, and he smiled ear to ear.
This was it. The moment he had been waiting for.
Hunter was the first member of the Emerald Entrails to get in the locker rooms by a long shot. He gently tickled his locker for it to spit out his Flyer Derby uniform, and Hunter's smile, which was already ear to ear, somehow grew even wider.
Finally, he could wear this authentically. It wasn't just some uniform he had to borrow while infiltrating Hexside undercover or something he had to wear because he was hiding from the government and had no other choice.
It was his uniform. It truly belonged to him.
Hunter used Waffles to cast a clothing change spell. He then began squealing, flapping his hands, and tapping his toes. Seeing her wielder so happy, Waffles smiled, as she was excited for this, too. Waffles began happily flying around Hunter, tweeting, "Go Hunter! Go Hunter! Go Hunter!" Over and over.
Gus arrived a couple of minutes later. Seeing Hunter not only already here but also fully dressed was something Gus would say he was surprised by, but considering Hunter's magic, that was not shocking. Gus walked towards him, waving. "Hi, Hunter! Wow, you're quick!"
Hunter smiled upon noticing him. "Hey, Gus! Came as fast as I could!"
"Well, you are the only one who can get here in ten seconds flat." Gus joked, "Someone's eager to play."
"Oh my Titan, I couldn't even sit still or pay attention all day because of the game today!" Hunter beamed, "I can't tell you how many times my teachers told me to stop fidgeting. Titan, in Construction, the teacher called on me when I was daydreaming about the game, and I had no idea what the question even was. I was so embarrassed."
"Hey, if it makes you feel better, being called on while not paying attention happens to everyone at least once." Gus consoled, "Can't tell you how many times I've seen it happen to others, as well as myself." Hunter warmly smiled upon hearing that. Gus tickled his locker to get his uniform, then cast an illusion to make himself invisible as he dressed himself. Once he was done, he poofed himself back into existence, "I'm excited for the pre-game snacks today. They're on Willow this game, and she makes some pretty awesome stuff." Gus said as he applied his face paint.
Hunter froze before his eyes immediately lit up, "We have pre-game snacks?!"
Gus chuckled, "Yeah, we all have first lunch this semester, so having the extra fuel before a game is important." Gus said as he and Hunter began walking to exit the locker room.
Hunter nodded, "That's really smart. I'm always hungry after school."
"I think every kid on the planet is when they have the early lunch," Gus replied.
"Maybe we should consider having pre-practice snacks, too." Hunter suggested, "I mean, why only keep it to our games?"
"That's a great idea, actually!" Gus replied, "We should talk to Willow about it."
Gus and Hunter chuckled as they left the locker room, meeting up with Willow, Skara, and Viney outside. Hunter smiled so wide his cheeks hurt, as seeing the whole team there really solidified that moment for him.
"Alright, looks like everyone is here and accounted for!" Willow announced.
"What did you bring for the pre-game snacks?" Skara asked.
"Oh, it's nothing too special…" Willow then summoned a platter of pixie kabobs.
The rest of the team instantly lost their minds, "No way!" Viney cried.
"Oh my Titan!" Gus shouted, "You went out of your way to make this just for a pre-game snack ?!"
"What do you mean ‘it’s nothing too special’, Willow?" Skara said in a dramatic tone.
Hunter simply stood there in pure awe. Judging by how everyone else was reacting, this wasn't a typical thing Willow brought. Did she actually go out of her way to make this just for them? Willow clearly was so passionate and cared so much about her team… It was sweet.
Each Entrail took a pixie kabob and started eating it. Gus ate his fast, practically inhaling it. Skara wasn't far behind, eating it with as few bites as she could, while Viney and Willow ate theirs at a regular pace.
Hunter would normally down food he liked, but the pixie kabob was just so delicious that he never wanted to stop tasting it. He ate as slowly as he could, savoring each bite for as long as he could. The fairies were cooked to just the right rarity and were seasoned to absolute perfection. It was just how Hunter liked his fairies.
Hunter never wanted to stop eating it. He had no idea Willow could cook so well, as he had never eaten anything she had cooked before. Titan, it was nearly on par with Darius' cooking… and Darius cooked the best food Hunter had ever had in his life. Darius now had competition, and that was something Hunter would never have thought he'd say.
Hunter, unsurprisingly, was the last to finish his food. "Whoa, dude." Skara said, "For someone whose magic revolves around speed, you sure ate that slow."
Hunter bashfully chuckled, "Sorry, it was just so good I never wanted to finish it."
"That… makes no sense," Skara replied.
"It makes sense to me," Gus interjected, shrugging.
"No, it doesn't." Skara insisted, "Viney, back me up!"
"...It makes no sense how it doesn't make sense to you," Viney said after a short pause.
It went silent, soon interrupted by an eruption of laughter from everyone, including Skara.
"I'm so glad everyone liked it so much." Willow said with a smile, "I was worried it was a bit much, but I wanted to make the snacks extra special today since…" Willow hesitated, "...Well, since Hunter is back on our team."
Hunter's eyes widened. He almost thought he heard wrong for a moment, "This was all for… me?"
Willow nodded, gently twirling the end of one of her braids. "Yes. I noticed you like fairies as a topping on pizza, so I figured you'd like pixie kabobs."
Hunter swore he was turning into mush. Titan, Willow had already snuck into his heart in a million ways, but somehow, she had found yet another way, through his stomach. "Oh-" Hunter uttered as his ears tinged red, "You… really pay attention. I love fairies."
"Ha!" Skara laughed, "Maybe you should've enrolled in the oracle track, Willow." Viney and Gus angrily nudged Skara while Hunter gave her a glare. Skara remembered that teasing Willow wasn't the brightest idea considering their history, "Oh, right, uh, sorry."
"It's fine, Skara," Willow assured her. "Now, who's ready for the first game of the season?!" Willow shouted.
"ENTRAILS!" Everyone else chanted.
"Who's ready to take down The Ghouls?!"
"ENTRAILS!" Everyone else chanted again.
"Woo! That's more like it! Grab our staffs, fly fast, and snag some flags! Let's do this!" Willow cheered.
After the pep talk, Hunter simply couldn't contain himself anymore. "Oh my Titan! I'm so excited! This is my first real game!" He squealed as he flapped his hands and tapped his toes.
The rest of the Entrails smiled, "Yeah!" Viney beamed, "It's going to be awesome finally having you for a game!"
"And your teleporting is gonna give us the upper hand!" Gus pointed out, "I'm sure we'll win many more games with you back!"
"Fast and hard to catch, you'll help us kick The Ghouls' butts!" Skara declared.
Willow walked up to Hunter, resting her hands on his shoulders, "With you back, our team is finally complete." She told him as her cheeks began to dust red, "I'm so glad you're actually here, Hunter. I've been waiting for this moment for what feels like so long."
Hunter swore he must've been a pile of mush by now. His ears flattened as a bright red blush came to them. "T-Thanks," was all he could muster out.
Willow smiled but then broke into a nervous sweat. "I see that you… haven't put on your face paint," she spoke with a nervous tone. "Do you, uh, want me to put it on for you?"
Hunter's blush spread to his cheeks at that moment. He gently tugged his bandana around his neck as he began to sweat, "O-Oh, sure."
Skara, Gus, and Viney all exchanged smirks in response to this. "They just need to confess already…" Skara whispered to them.