About you
Your nickname: Ephie!
Your E-mail address: Ssqueakers@aol.com
Your webapge address (If any): Uuuhm…I’ll say pass for now. ^__^
The character you wish to play: Knight Lightningopal! <3 to orange-ness.

Civilian Form
Name: Inazuma Hayai. Put it together and what do you get? “Lightning fast!” :O
Age: 14
Birthday: June 7 (…yeah…uhm…I have no reason for the seven other than it looks sorta like a lightning bolt. XD;;)
Astrology Sign: Gemini, Moon in Aries, Leo Rising
Blood Type: B. B’s are known for rapid action, optimism, and objective thinking.

Likes:

Glass: Well this one is mighty obvious, seeing it’s the family business. But Hayai really wants to continue it, maybe with whatever miniscule spare time he has left now XD;; and finds it relaxing due to the nostalgic factor in it.

Running: Let’s face it, Hayai’s just really fast. He felt  that since he was so small in stature he had to make up in something and speed was the next best thing. He usually goes jogging around the kingdom early in the morning before the storms hit.

Speed: This ties in with the one above. Hayai has the need for speed and wants to go even faster. There is a legend of a man back at the beginning of Oparu’s history that outran a storm, and has been Hayai’s hero ever since he heard the fable as a little tyke. He’s also quite agile, which helps a great deal in dodging.

Being a role model: Hayai has always been the little guy. Literally. But since he’s really short (despite the fact his parents are very tall) and he’s still pretty young, he’s not old enough or tall enough to really do anything or be looked up to, except by perhaps someone a lot younger than him. But now, since he’s the new protector and heir for Oparu, the entire kingdom looks up to and relies on him, which has placed a lot of weight on his bony little shoulders that hasn’t quite registered yet. ^__^;; But he’s just thrilled all the same.

Dislikes:

Direct sunlight: It’s just too bright. o__o Oparu is not exactly a “dark” kingdom, but it’s dark-er than most kingdoms. The only time out of the year it has actual direct sunlight, not filtered through the clouds, would be during Jigokushu, which isn’t exactly a fun experience for anyone. There is a lot of glare off the clouds during the day, and more so when there isn’t a storm, but it there’s a huge difference between glare and actual sunlight.

Loud noises: Not so much that he doesn’t like loud noises, just that he doesn’t like loud noises when working, as probably most everyone does. But his family is particularly anal retentive about it not being loud since they work with glass and a startled person can do a whole lot of damage. He usually also ends up in some sort of injury if he’s suddenly shocked by a loud BANG or some such while running.

Waiting: Hayai is very impatient when it comes to waiting. Wait, lemmie rephrase that; he’s very impatient when it comes to waiting on someone else. If he’s engaged in something, he’ll take however long it takes him to do it, but if he’s waiting on some sort of outside factor he has no control over, he goes crazy. O__o He’s a somewhat hyper young man and favors things that are fast and efficient.

Hobbies:

Glassmaking: It’s kinda the family business, as mentioned before. ^__^;; And Hayai loves every minute of it. He’s still only apprentice level, but hopes to get better through skill, practice, and the times he tries to sneak away from boring guardian duties. XD;; Also, glassmakers, especially ones who blow glass, need strong lungs, which Hayai gets from…

Running: Hayai does this every day! In fact, it’s how he starts his day. Usually Hayai will wake up, grab something to eat and start munching while stretching. By the time he’s done eating whatever he grabbed, he’s all warmed up and ready to go! But not only do his lungs strengthen by running, but by glassblowing as well. It’s like…the never ending cycle. (Aaaohaaaah aaohaaaah aaaohaaaaa… o/~)

Goals: Hayai’s newest goal is to be the best damn Lightningopal, but I think all of his predecessors and the rulers of Evalon had that goal too. ;D But aside from that, Hayai really wants to become a skilled glassmaker and try to sort of carry on the family tradition. He also wants to show people that just because you’re short, doesn’t mean you’re any less of a person…uhm…you know what I mean. -__-;; But becoming Lightningopal has helped him get one major step closer in proving his point.

Good points: Hayai is not only very quick on his feet, but he’s small too and able to fit into smaller spaces quite easily. He really knows his glass and knows all sorts of things such as resistance, strength, and probably who made it. Hayai is also quite confidant in himself and what he does, which seems to be a slight morale booster to others around him, and he also has a very high tolerance for electric zaps. Things like static shocks just don’t phase him anymore. Hayai also knows a lot of weak points on various things, including people. Since he isn’t exactly the strongest person, he can’t rely on his strength alone so he’s knowledgeable about how to bring down an opponent in ways other than by brute strength.

Flaws: Hayai tends to be a little hyper and somewhat bouncy if he’s not really concentrating on something, such as, you guessed it, running and glassmaking! (I’m sensing a theme… o__o;;) But with the hyper comes the need for speed and the tendency to rush. That doesn’t always give the best results. Hayai is also as snotty as all 14 year old boys. The lad also has a tendency to curse foreigners he doesn’t like to his home kingdom. XD;; (“What can I do for you, little guy?” *Hayai looks up at the tall, broad shouldered man…* “…I hope you visit Oparu.” or “I hope you stay for Jigokushu…”)

Appearance
Hair: A very light orange, almost peach in color, and cut long in front while short in back. Hayai also usually wears it in the fashion of having it stick STRAIGHT UP in the front with the tip beginning to curl back down toward his head. So his hair probably makes him a good half a foot taller, at least. Actually, all of his hair sticks up and curves in slightly to the center of his head and the front is just really really long. So either he’s trying to be taller or he’s trying to be a human lightning rod. XD;;
Face: Hayai’s eyes are very lively and a light “pumpkin gut” color, somewhat ebbing on yellow a bit. They are set evenly apart in his young, angular face, which makes a nice addition to his pale orangy copper-tonned skin that is shared by most inhabitants of Oparu. Fortunately for him, though Hayai shares the trait of fair Oparu skin, he does tend to get out into sun more often and can stand it better than the average Oparu bear. He’ll still get burned, yes, but not as severely as the other natives. Though it might be wise to keep that aloe handy.                                                                                                                                  Voice: Somewhat high, perhaps around tenor range, and it tends to crack. On top of that, Hayai’s voice also sounds somewhat rough, almost like sandpaper, or a zap.
Build: Hayai probably stands around 5’4”, including his hair. XD;; He hasn’t quite reached his major growth spurt yet and knows very well how tall (or short) he is, thank you. And while he is short and somewhat on the slim side, he isn’t tiny. He has his share of pudge as everyone else, but he’s also built for speed. It’s also important to note that Hayai isn’t all too strong. He has loads of Endurance Power! but as far as brute strength, he’s quite lacking, if not just average of any normal 14 year old. Sure he works out as any guardian should, but he relies more on his speed, agility, and ability to take people down with fast blows to their week points. Like he knows very well that the taller the person is, the harder they’ll fall, especially with a well placed whack to the back of the knees. XD;; He’s also always had that “So what if I’m small? I’m still better than you are” air about him, even more so now that he beat people twice his size to become Lightningopal.
Clothing: Hayai’s attire ranges from activity to activity. Colors really don’t matter, as they’re most likely to either just get dirty or have a slight orange-tinge to them due to the light reflection of the kingdom’s most predominant color anyway. (you know…seeing it’s a lot of dirt and sand…orange sand…) But usually for training, or jogging, he wears something lightweight or non-constricting, sort of like a rough outline of shorts and a shirt. When working with glass, he wears materials a little heavier and more protective against the heat, and he always has some sort of rubber gloves or other rubber-esque articles of clothing while just walking around Oparu, as should most people. He also never wears any sort of metal at any given time. Heck, even his henshin stone is on a plastic-rubber cord. Hayai also seems to almost never be without his headband, an almost dirty color of greenish-brown. He claims it keeps his hair back and out of his eyes, but most people are under the impression he only wears it because it looks cool. During “Jigokushu” (aka: “hell week”) it’s not uncommon to see people of Oparu not going outside, but for the ones who do, they wear what they usually do sans the usual electric protection and go out in moderations. The paranoid tend to wear almost Arabian styled wrappings to shield their skin from the direct sunlight, and everyone also usually have a light rubber-coated coat for when it rains.

Personality  
Usual Moods: Hayai is a somewhat hyper person who likes taking people under his wing, so to speak. He enjoys having “followers” and doesn’t mind too much showing them the ropes of something. Though if they’re too slow in learning, he will just get extremely frustrated. But you’ve got to admit, the idea of little underlings is still really cool. He tends to be a little moody at times and quick to answer, which sometimes leads to bad decisions. But as quickly as he says something, he usually counters with another option, usually trying to at least attempt to look at all the options before he’ll just pick whatever he thinks will be best (or sometimes easiest) for him and everyone else. He’s a bit impatient and sometimes figuring out which choice really is the best just takes too much time, which is where he rushes himself. Hayai is also a multi tasker. He is able to take on many jobs at once and get them done in a reasonable amount of time. But again, he also tends to rush a bit more than he should. He really needs to work on that. But he has no problem in keeping several tasks separate from each other and has almost never mixed instructions on each task. He also is a bit pigheaded in the way that he’s a 14 year old boy. A 14 year old boy who is the next ruler, and therefore believes himself to be somewhat invincible. XD;; (“I’m not afraid of noth-what was that?” o__o) Hayai is also just a curious boy who will usually go poking his nose in places, whether or not he should, and can’t really sit still for long periods of time. He needs action, excitement or just something to do. Hayai also tends to come off as somewhat serious. Luckily for him, and everyone else, the King usually tries to lighten his mood and get him to calm down, hoping some of his humor might rub off on his young successor, and is quite successful in doing so most of the time. So with the king’s help, there might be hope. XD;;

Character Interaction: You know how they say that it’s always the little guy who tries to start the fight? Well, Hayai almost acts as if he tries to cause trouble so he can show them he can get out of it. He doesn’t do this all the time, but only around people who he believes they believe he can’t do things as well as they can. (Seriously, that’s a lot of people.) Well PAH! It’s almost as if he has to prove to everyone, including himself, that he’s just as good, if not better. Hayai also has that “just wait till I get bigger” attitude. He knows he’s small and just as good as everyone else, but he believes he’ll get as tall as the rest of his family. Hmph, then they’ll be sorry. That is, if he remembers who they were. He’s not one for keeping grudges for very long. But Hayai always gives the person the benefit of the doubt at first before he’ll go off and make some sort of mess that he’ll try and get out of.

Personal Interaction: Hayai is always ready to lend a helping hand to his family and friends and loves showing off. He likes to inject different topics, not always about himself, in on a conversation to make him seem just that much more important. His families, Inazumas and the people of the palace, have all learned to just somewhat humor him and generally go by with only half listening to him. But really, that’s all Hayai wants anyway. But Hayai is always there to back up a friend or family member with whatever he’s got. While spending some “me time,” Hayai enjoys trying to just make himself better at everything. And usually, everything constitutes to running faster. XD;; He really can’t stand it if he’s not the best at what he is best at doing.

Way of Life: “It’s not the size that counts, but what you do with it.” This is what Hayai lives by. And he’ll even go as far as to prove it to you, too. As long as everyone does their own share and the job gets done, it doesn’t matter how tall or short you are. Especially how short you are. XD;; And I think Gavroche said it best when he sang:

Little people know, when
Little people fight, we
May look easy pickings
But we've got some bite!
So never kick a dog
Because he's just a pup
We'll fight like twenty armies
And we won't give up
So you'd better run for cover
When the pup grows up!

History  

Hayai was born into a family of three during one particularly large storm nearing the summer. The Inazuma family, consisting of Akiko, his mother, Gin, his father, and Akeno, his uncle, welcomed the little orange tyke into their loving arms. Hayai has always been short, especially compared to the rest of his family, all of whom are very tall, at least reaching the height of six feet. But Hayai soon learned to make up for his diminutive stature by becoming a fast little bugger. But where did he come up with the idea that he wanted to work on becoming faster rather than taller?

Well, it finally hit Hayai that he wasn’t getting any taller by doing stretches, eating certain diets (like the “large food” diet XD;;) or trying to make his hair get taller for him, which only worked up to a certain point. ^__^;; Actually, as a form of encouragement, his family would tell him of a Lightningopal long ago in the history of Oparu who wasn’t very tall himself. But he was so fast that he actually outran an ongoing storm and his height never mattered. Woah. Well this guy just became his new hero. So he figured if he could be as swift as this legendary Lightningopal was, he wouldn’t be looked down upon as much as he thought he was anymore.

Well life went on, Hayai got faster and soon got the task of digging up natural glass after a storm passes, as well as some other things like delivery boy. One afternoon, during a calm of two storms, Hayai was coming back from delivering a particularly large shipment of raw glass to a client when he noticed a large crowd gathered around one of the news and trading posts. After trying to peek to see what was up, Hayai finally abandoned his sled/tank hybrid-like contraption by a mealy looking Powerblossom bush and wormed his way through the crowd until he reached the front and had to keep his heart from leaping out of his chest with the news: The current Lightningopal and king was resigning his post and opening up a challenge to all the new, young residents of Oparu. Hayai signed himself up right then and there, much to the amusement of the man taking the names of other excited hopefuls, and he quickly made his way home, the sled practically flying behind him in his wake.

Well, as anyone might have guessed, Hayai won the title of Lightningopal and now lives at the palace where he is still learning the rather slow paced and BORING process of governing a country. -__-;

Current Situation
Hayai now lives at the palace on the second floor…or…first basement or whatever you want to call it. It’s the first floor below ground level. The floors in the palace go down, so that the topmost floor is the only one sticking out of the ground. The part of the palace that sticks above ground looks very much like a greenhouse, with mostly orange tinted glass, so that visitors to the palace can stay safe inside but watch the marvels of their daily storms. ^__^ It really is a sight to see. Hayai also tries to sneak away back home every once and a while to work on his glass skills. Usually he’ll try to swing by when he goes on his morning jog, but doesn’t stay long.

Kingdom
Oparu

Appearance: Oparu is very very flat. There are no hills, and the only holes or dips in the land are man made. Every building is one story above ground, and the additional floors are built underground. Small bushes are the tallest plant and anything that’s manmade and above ground has a metal lightning rod with a grounder. There are also hardly, if any livestock in Oparu, as the bright light flashes generally spook the animals and only endanger themselves and the natives. The orange kingdom is also surrounded by a ring of light orangy sand and has a pool of orange sand in front of the palace, which is the centermost point in the kingdom. (basically, if you were to see it from above, it would look like a giant bullseye.) At night, everything takes on an eerie glow with constant flashes of light from the lightning. Oparu also uses a great deal of lanterns from Daimando during the night hours, and have been trying to work on their own light source with the glow and energy given off from the juice from Powerblossoms, but so far all they’ve been able to make are hot, sparking orbs of a dull glow. ^__^;; Now there is one exception to the usual gloom and overcast nature to Oparu, and that’s during Jigokushu, or “hell week.” Jigokushu usually takes place toward the end of the time most people would call winter (seeing their temperatures stay fairly temperate all year, they go by other kingdom’s seasons or by how far away Jigokushu is) and is probably about the same time the new year would start. During this feared time that marks the end of the Oparu year, for one week the clouds begin to clear away, having nothing left to give, leaving the people to bake in the direct sun. After a few days, it begins to slowly cloud over again and gives the land the gift (or curse) of rain until the end of the week, making it an EXTREMELY dangerous time for anyone to wander around during a lightning storm. (which is why all people of Oparu own a thick rubber coat to shield them in this week of Jigokushu.) Also, as a final note, though Oparu gets daily lightning storms (save Jigokushu), it does not rain, and there is never EVER any thunder. It actually gets quiet enough at night that one can actually hear the constant buzz of the kingdom as the natural electric currents zoom around. In conclusion, Oparu is a desert. A dry, temperate atmosphere with little rain and STATIC CLING! :O

Usual Attire: People of Oparu generally wear light to medium clothing, and tend to favor their native color, as most kingdoms do. The style of clothing is very simple and has sort of an Arabian feel to them. Oparu people also have only shoes with at least a rubber sole, if not a boot, and they ALWAYS use rubber gloves whenever handling something remotely metal. But they have come up with a solution to their metal shortage and most often substitute it with glass, or a crude kind of plastic. Wood is only used on occasion and basically is only for decoration and fires, since a well placed bolt from a storm will make it go up in flames. But aside from the high levels of flammability, wood is highly prized, especially since it doesn’t attract lightning such as metal does and Oparu has no trees of which to speak of. People of Oparu also have  skin that looks as though it should be a coppery-tan, but is just a pale, almost sickly version of it. Oparu didn’t always used to be constantly overcast, but even with the forever lingering storm clouds, there still is light and sun, especially near the outer edge of the kingdom and the natives still get slight, half-assed tans. People who wear more than a miniscule amount of metal in Oparu is either a foreigner or just plain stupid. XD;;

Flora: Powerblossom: The only plant unique to Oparu. It thrives in dryer, flat areas and likes to take root either in the form of short bushes or just beds, close to the ground. They are very bulbous looking, almost a cross between a tulip and an artichoke with thin, needle like leaves, and range in a variety of oranges, anywhere from the browns up to yellows. The more rich the color becomes, the more ripe it is and the more electric energy it will discharge. The people of Oparu generally use Powerblossoms for exporting and trading, but they also take advantage of their native flower and use them for powering whatever small and simple machines they have, such as a simple magnet or a device along the lines of a cattle prod. (The Powerblossom juices are poured into a insulated box with two metal prongs at the end which don’t touch. When the prongs make a complete circuit by coming in contact with something else, it creates an electric zap. Power depends on how concentrated the juice or sap is.)

Fauna: Lightning Bugs: Not exactly the same things that you go out and catch in jars during fall. These little bugs are more of a nuisance than anything else, but they do pollinate the Powerblossoms. Basically they’re little orange bee looking bugs with stripes that flicker with electric energy that have a pronged stinger at one end. And like most bees, once they sting, or in their case, shock something, they die. Feelings and effects are roughly the same as bee stings as well. A good rule of thumb is if you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone.  

Sky Eel: These creatures aren’t much different from their aquatic cousins, except with the major addition of four leathery wings, two main ones for staying aloft and two smaller ones, used mostly for steering. They have glowing orange eyes and a rubbery skin the greenish-grey color of storm clouds, which allows them to blend into the sky. They can emit a powerful jolt of electricity from two small antenna-like nodes on the tops of their heads. They are also omnivores which enjoy eating a mix of vegetables, Powerblossoms, and small animals. While the Sky Eels’ rubbery skin helps protect them against the brunt of a lightning attack, one good shock can make them grounded if not finish them off. They are most often seen traveling around right after a major storm and don’t tend to attack people, though there have been a few instances in the past.

Exports: As mentioned before, Powerblossoms are a major export for Oparu as they are the only safe things with which people can harness the valuable electric energy. But on top of their bulbous plants of energy, Oparu is also known for their exports of glassware. With the frequent lightning storms and with a lot of the kingdom being surrounded by smooth sands, there is a lot of natural glass being made by the weather. Glass smiths in Oparu try not to loose the general structure when working with these glass statues, but will take sands from the surrounding area and make elegant bowls, jars, glasses and anything from useful to small trinket. Also, while there is the technology for colorations, the smiths prefer to work with the natural colors, which happen to look clear. On a closer inspection, you’ll find that it’s actually a clear with a slight orange undertone from the color of the sands. So naturally, the thicker the piece, the more orange it will appear.

Warrior Form
Symbol: It means, “Lightning without thunder.” It is basically an arrow with a right angle tilted at a 45 degree angle. So I guess it starts off going southwest and then gets knocked halfway though and then goes southeast. Can be seen here. ^__^
Main Color: ORANGE! :O I swear, I’m just as surprised as you good people are. It would probably be described as “crayola” or “pumpkin” orange at best. ^__^;;
Secondary Color: A light orange, almost yellow. It’s like that happy medium orangy-yellow color between…uhm…orange and…yellow. (Methinks I need a color thesaurus. XD;;) More or less the same color as Hayai’s “pumpkin gut” colored eyes. XD;;

I used to have a shirt in those two colors…

Transformation Phrase:
Evalon senshi: “Opal Elemental Power!”

Transformation Sequence: Hayai takes his stone and flips it up in the air with his thumb, similar to what people do with coins. It hovers in the air for a while, flipping around and around as it suddenly grows to a dark, cloudy grey. Suddenly, orange sparks and bolts (of electricity…we didn’t go to a hardware store, afterall) fly in every direction but curve back around to Hayai’s now glowing figure. As soon as the electric energy all strikes at once, it’s gone, leaving Knight Lightningopal standing there, prod slung over his shoulder. 

Introduction Phrase: “Blink and you’ll miss it. Knight Lighningopal, in a flash!” Basically he just stops where he is with his left hand on his hip, left eye in a wink, while the right hand makes that ASL “L” shape and points off into the distance somewhere.

 
Outfit (For Males)
Okay, this should be interesting…*rubs hands together* Let’s go!

Okay, first layer: consists of a short sleeved turtle-necked shirt that ends before his belly button. Sleeves and collar are trimmed in his secondary colors while the shirt is primary. Regular pants in his primary color with a trim of secondary color around his waist. The shirt and pants are connected by zigzag bungees in black that criss cross eachother, imitating lightning strikes. On his head is a greenish-grey wrap, the color of stormclouds, going around his forehead and scrunched in the middle, where his henshin stone now resides.

Second layer: Lightningopal next sports a pair of shiney rubber boots in his secondary color with a black trim around the top that ends right below his knees. He also has a pair of gloves that follow in suit and cover ¾ of his forearm.

Third layer (armor): Lightningopal wears clear plastic armor (because metal is a nono!) He has shin guards and kneepads which curve around and cover only the front of his leg, and are attached together. (So when he bends his knee, he has sort of like a knee scoop.) His elbow pads follow the same pattern as the knee pads, flat against the arm when stretched out, creating a scoop when arm is bent. His sleeves are also attached to the elbow pad straps by four more black bungees, two for each arm and one on each side. (front and back) His breastplate comes to a slight peak around his chest and only slightly curves back and fits closely to his chest. His shoulder pads look similar to those of Sailor V’s only with a peak like his breast plate and they are attached to the breastplate’s shoulder straps. All straps holding on the armor is a black elastic-like strap.

Yeah…I planned on having a picture to go along with it…but it turns out I was just too lazy to complete one past the ugly sketch stage. XD;;;;;;

Attacks (2 per senshi/Thaumus/Knights):
Name: Shocking Grasp
Description: Lightningopal closes his eyes and the air around him seems to grow very dry. He then rubs his hands together, starting out like a slow lather and building up to a fast friction moving rub. He suddenly stops when his hands begin to spark.
Effect: Well, that’s all well and good, but what does that have to do with the price of powerblossoms in Oparu? Well, basically he creates a very LARGE electric shock in his hands and is just looking for someone to zap. So when he’s done, he’ll usually run up to the nearest target and try to touch them. Once the connection is made, all the built up electricity quickly flows to his target and gives them a really smart zap. I mean, it really really hurts. Think of the worst static shock you’ve ever received…and double or triple that. When placed in several strategic spots, it can bring an enemy to their knees long enough for Lightningopal to construct another plan of what to do with them.
Power Usage and Restrictions: Well, it can be blocked by someone not being grounded, wearing rubber, or somehow pushing him out of the way or simply stepping aside. Also, as one might guess (and with the knowledge gained from extensive watching of Pokemon XD;;) the zaps do really well on a target wearing metal or wet. Now Lightningopal is pretty fast, but sometimes not fast enough. ^__^; And basically this isn’t so much of a really strong attack as it is just really annoying and smart. X__x An advantage of this attack is that it can be used over and over and over and very quickly.

Name: Electromotive Resistance
Description: Lightningopal twirls his cattle prod above his head and then plunges it into the ground. Large sparks then come from the prod and rush through the ground, creating a very thin glass-like layer behind it as it travels to the opponent. The sparks, now formed as a rope, coil around the enemy and not only gives them a powerful electric shock, but magnetizes any sort of metal they may have.
Effect: This attack is a mighty ass kicking one. XD;; It not only leaves the person dazed and tingly from the big initial shock (ahaha, I kill myself XD;;) but it gives any metal the person is wearing the same magnetic power as a kitchen magnet! Yeah, it’d be really annoying if your sword was attracted to your armor. XD;; The magnetism lasts about twice as long as the tingly feeling does after the attack, so about a minute or so. 
Power Usage and Restrictions: Well, if you don’t have any metal, the magnetism has no effect. Doy. And if they’re not on the ground, or anywhere near the ground, it can’t reach them. Also, rubber is a good blocker, as always. Unfortunately this takes away most of Lightningopal’s energy and he will rarely use it more than once in a battle.

Weapon: It’s a big cattle prod. No really! o__o It’s about four feet long and it’s all black with the exception of the orange wrapped handle and Lightningopal’s symbol imprinted on the prod end, also in orange. It’s the same type of device that runs on Powerblossom juice and can pack quite a punch. And if for some reason it doesn’t work, I’m sure he could swing it around like a bat. e__e Cows everywhere have reason to be afraid. XD;;

Send your application to Pixle_Rpgs@hotmail.com (I'm nagging, I'm nagging but just in case you forgot ^^)

 

The storm had passed and it was not yet time for the afternoon’s to show its head. Hayai was kicking up dust and sand behind him as he jogged with his sled. Well, actually, it was more of a sled with wheels like a tank, which made it easier to travel over some of the hard rocks and sands of Oparu’s desert-like terrain. He was coming home from another one of his chores of delivering and decided to take the long way home, though th middle pits of the kingdom, hoping to swipe some glass from the morning storm that maybe the local scavengers overlooked. He rounded the corner of a merchant’s booth, glancing at her wares, some of which he recognized, and slowed to a walk at what met his eyes; a large crowd of people gathered in front of the information post. This sparked a curiosity and Hayai wandered over to the crowd, abandoning his sled by a nearby powerblossom bush that had probably seen its better days. Not seeing any way around the crowd, Hayai forced himself through it by the spaces left by people’s legs, crawling and squirming between people, not even bothering to murmur an excuse. Once he wormed his way to the front, his heart nearly leaped out of his chest. The king and current Lightningopal was stepping down from his position, offering a challenge to strong, young resides to fill his job. Hayai glanced around at all the other hopefuls and grinned to himself. Though strong, they all looked to slow and stocky for him. He could take them! Hayai promptly marched over to the official taking down the names of hopeful candidates, chin held high, as he signed his name. More than ready to get started, he pushed his way back out of the crowd, grabbed his sled, and ran all the way home, the sled soaring slightly behind him due to the sudden and unaccustomed speed.

Encouraged by his family, Hayai showed up to training the first day, eager to start. Warming up was a breeze as the jogged around the center pit of the kingdom, the air above them giving off its usual hum. Once the returned to the training hall, located in a small building to the side of the palace just outside the pit, the group was ready to begin their actual training. They were all instructed various positions and moves, and once a large handful of simple basics were down, everyone was paired up against each other. Hayai grinned at his partner as he stood in the middle of the room. He was somewhat heavy and had an expression on his face that didn’t make him look all too bright at that. When the signal came, Hayai immediately went for the back of the knees, seeing his opponent had carelessly locked them, and brought him stumbling over his feet, accomplishing to make his opponent look quite clumsy. Proud in getting that far, Hayai waited for his opponent to fall, but to his surprise, he did not, but recovered instead. Hayai quickly dodged from the oncoming path of his charging opponent, wondering how someone so large could move as swiftly as he could. Hayai then rushed forward in a blur, trying to throw off his opponent when he received a smart kick to his side, being almost thrown across the room in a daze. After determining that he was alright, the instructor awarded Hayai’s opponent the victor and called the next pair forward. Hayai scowled as he returned back in line, rubbing his side. Hayai looked down the line at the other candidates as they watched the sparring pair in the middle of the room. He frowned as he didn’t see anyone else his size. He returned his attention back to the middle of the room. That’s alright. He was faster than all of them. He knew it. He’d show them.

Weeks passed and the class progressed, a few dropping, feeling it to be a little too stressful, but Hayai only grew faster and more determined. He had managed to take down many of his fellow classmates in some of the fastest times the instructor had seen, not just because of the new technique, but because he had a chance to watch everyone go at it at least once or twice, noting their weak spots and hitting them dead on when they would leave themselves wide open. It was hard to try and not be the first to attack, but in order to win, he had to wait, which only made him more impatient and frustrated at his partner. But all his speed and frustration paid off when he saw his name on the list of advancing pupils.

The next half of the week was filled with instruction on how to harness the power of Oparu’s most abundant energy; electricity. It was hard work, and every one of the ten students were up to the challenge. Hayai made sure he worked harder than everyone else, which resulted in one of the mages pulling him aside to tell him to tone it down a bit, or he might collapse in exhaustion from overusing the magical element. Hayai did end up toning it down a bit, but would try to practice more when he thought no one was looking.

Before anyone knew it, the competition was upon them. During a day where only late afternoon storms were to take place, the arena was set around the large center pit, plastic stands being constructed effortlessly by the power of the mages. Those who could make it so early in the morning piled into the seating as the obstacle course was being completed. One by one, the ten finalists raced through the course, each trying to beat the time of the ones before them. Hayai, unfortunately, was picked dead last. He was never good a drawing straws. He stretched and sprinted on the sidelines until it was his turn to go. He shot through that course like a bullet, not missing a single beat or getting caught in a single trap, and was easily the fastest time of the ten. Jogging to cool off, Hayai fanned himself as he waited for the other four to join him in the pit where they were to meet for the next challenge. They all whispered to each other about his incredible speed, but all agreed that though the smallest contestant was fast, he wasn’t too strong. They’ll just see how well he does in the next one.

The next event was against a mage. Hayai was the first up, placing first in the previous event. The mage gave him a quick smirk before they began. A blast went right for Hayai’s side and he dashed out of the way and ran right at the mage, his hands aspark. The mage set forth a wall, which knocked Hayai down and dragged him across the sand. He winced but quickly got to his feet as the mage was fast approaching. Hayai ran to the side then twirled and somehow ended up behind the mage, sending sparks to the back of his knees before swiping the mage’s heels with his foot, sending the mage off balance and to the floor. Hayai quickly got his hands sparking again and pushed the mage down the rest of the way with his foot, holding his hands menacingly in front of him. Before the mage could hit the ground, he stopped falling. He smiled warmly at Hayai and told the crowd he’s seen enough and is satisfied and floated back up to a standing position as soon as Hayai removed his foot. The sparks in his hands faded from not being used and Hayai returned to the resting area with the rest of the contestants.

Only one other was able to get to the same situation as Hayai, the others either accidentally attacked themselves, or couldn’t get close enough or weren’t fast enough on their toes to dodge. Due to it nearing the afternoon, the platform was quickly constructed in the middle, only off the ground by a couple of feet, looking like a table if nothing else. Hayai and his opponent, Rai, clambered atop the small table, not much bigger than the size of a twin bed. First one to touch the sand below looses. The two contestants silently shook each other’s hand, each one resisting the urges to spark them right then and there. The fight soon began. Or, it should have. Both Hayai and Rai were waiting for the other one to make the first move, and neither were willing to make it themselves so it was reduced to a staring contest, each one ready to spring into action with the first sign of movement.  Hayai couldn’t stand it anymore, getting overly impatient and finally rushed at Rai, who tried to step aside to just let him run off the platform. Hayai slid to a stop and zapped Rai behind the shoulders, which caused him to try and rub the feeling away. Hayai then tried to lunge at Rai again when he sent a mini bolt after shouting the attack’s name. Hayai dove and clung to the platform floor, making himself a small as possible near the edge. The bolt whizzed over him and Hayai held onto Rai’s foot as he tried to kick him off the platform. Now both of them hung on to each other, hoping the other one would fall first, since their opponent was the one thing keeping them from going over the edge, each one trying to push the other over. Hayai then rubbed his free hand against the top of his hand hanging onto Rai’s foot, causing a slight stinging and tingling sensation, which didn’t hurt, but unfortunately for Rai, he didn’t have rubber soles and it caused an itch so bad that in his attempt to try and relive it and get a swipe at Hayai, it caused his center to go off balance, and he landed in the sand, face up. Hayai followed a few moments later, rolling onto his knees. As Hayai was busy wiping his face with his arm, the king strode over and hoisted the smaller winner to his feet, announcing Hayai to be the next Lightningopal. He took off the long, rubber corded necklace with the stone dangling in the center and placed it around Hayai’s neck. Hayai grinned broadly at everyone, especially himself. He showed them. He showed them all. He was the best.

“Opal Elemental Power!”