Where the Battle Rages

Written by Zelda

 

                The puck swung lightly around the boards, hounded after by Nosedive and the Yellowings' center. Zelda watched intently. This game was a jumper, and both teams were really going at it. It had been an edge-of-your-seat game ever since the first drop. The Yellowings were a good team, and this game was going to prove to be challenging. The puck scurried back and forth so quickly across the ice, that Zelda felt quite sorry for it being beaten around so. But in the midst of her fun, she was indeed worried, for it was her teammates who were getting battered around as well. She watched as the Yellowings had swung back up, fought the puck back from Nosedive, and began a swift start down towards Wildwing. The right wing was passed the puck, and was getting ready to shoot from the right side of the goal, when Mallory suddenly slammed him hard into the boards. She stood over him, pinning him into the side, while Grin smashed the rest of the offense away, and skated away quickly with the puck. She shoved away from the boards, and was about to skate away, when she felt something yank her back. Suddenly, she felt something smash into the side of her helmet, and was spun around.

 

                "Oh no, it looks like the Yellowings' right wing has started a scuffle with Mallory!" reported the announcer, watching high up in his press box. "Whoa, it looks like he's real mad....and there's the ref's whistle! This is a bad one!" At the shrill of the whistle, Zelda was off like a shot. As the rest of the Ducks skated towards the fight, Zelda swooped around, roaring defensively. Mallory was buckling under, trying to block the numerous blows to her head. The right wing had taken off his gloves, pounding at her head. Zelda rammed into his side, making him slide backwards, but the right wing picked her up and threw her over his head. Zelda hit her back against the ice hard, yelping out as the rest of the team made it to the end of the rink. Wildwing took advantage of the block, and slid between the right wing and Mallory. But he didn't stop, and swatted Wildwing out of the way. Many of the refs were busy trying to hold the Yellowings back, while the Ducks crowded around, trying to separate the two. Finally, Grin lifted the right wing up by the back of his jersey, and tossed him gently away, upon which the team huddled around Mallory, who had nearly collapsed on the ice.

 

                "This is bad, folks. It looks like Mallory is down, and the team is simply refusing to let the refs have a look at her." reported the announcer, still leaning nervously out to the window of his box. "The team is doing some talking... and now Mallory is getting up... I can't really see her from here, and she and Zelda are going down to their medical room. She is walking, but I think the big question is whether she will be able to continue to play or not...."

 

                Mallory sat slowly down on the Medicom table, still holding her head, and her right eye.

                "Jeez, okay Mal, let's have a look at you..." said Zelda gently, slowly taking her helmet off, and guiding her hand away from her head. Her ragged red hair was crisscrossed by several cuts and black bruises, and there was a thin gash over her right eyebrow. "Oy, how do you feel?" she asked. Mallory sighed.

                "I have got the biggest headache right

now... What happened out there anyway?" she snorted.                            

                "Relax, the others'll take care of it." sighed Zelda, looping a thin white bandage around Mallory's head.

                "Can I go back out and play?" Mallory asked suddenly, lifting her head.

                "Well, that's more your decision than mine..." Zelda began. She trotted over and turned on a small TV, so Mallory could watch the game. "I'm going back up for a few minutes, no doubt the others are worried about ya." said Zelda, walking for the door. "Take it easy, I'll be back."

 

                Zelda lit lightly on the Ducks bench, while the team crowded grimly around her.

                "Well?" asked Wildwing.

                "Well, she's got several cuts and bruises on her head, and the Medicom scans read that her orbital bone, the one that supports your eyebrow, is chipped."

                "Is she gonna keep playing?" asked Nosedive.                            

                "Well, I don't know. She's got a real bad headache... I would suggest that she rest a while." Grin sighed. "Look guys, hockey is an aggressive, frustrating game. You should know." started Zelda. "Adrenaline soars, and fuses are short. Fights often result."

                "Yeah, but we have to keep playing the same way. We can't stoop to their level of brute force." said Wildwing.

                "Hockey is about skill, it is never won by fighting." agreed Grin.

                "Yeah, I mean, we still do have the lead." said Tanya.

                "Fighting is so undignified. Let's do this by the book." snorted Duke.

                "Yeah, let's get out there and show them we mean business!" yelled Nosedive, eager for the time out to end. Zelda smiled.

                "I'll be back in a bit, I'm going back to check on Mal. Good luck!" she called, as she flew away, and back down into the locker room.

 

                It was almost the end of the third period, and the once festive and jumping game had sloped wildly downhill for the Ducks. With the Yellowings' three period power play, the Ducks were forced to dig their skates in and fight back, and they were now completely spent and exhausted, being forced to watch as they lost their two point lead. Now, the best they could do was hang back, exhausted, on the defense, and act as a shield against the Yellowings' offensive aggression. And the announcer agreed in full.

                "With just about six minutes left in the last period, the Ducks are desperately trying to hold onto a two-two tie." he reported. Zelda swooped up from the locker room, and perched on the boards just beside the bench. Slowly, Mallory, with her head still bandaged, made her way out onto the ice, while Zelda stood over her proudly. "Oh, and now it looks like Mallory is making a last minute return to the ice!" yelled the announcer happily. Mallory skated out, teeth gritted, determined to get the game over with.

                "Welcome back Mal." greeted Wildwing warmly, as Mallory skated back to her position, and play began again. The Yellowings obviously appeared distressed by Mallory's return, but tried not to show it. The center came skidding up towards the goal with the puck, and Mallory skated up to the defense, slamming into him and swooping away with the puck.

                "Oh, and with three minutes to go in the fourth period, Mallory has stolen the puck!" yelped the announcer. Zelda bounced around, cheering Mallory on with the rest of the team, as she shoved herself forwards. The puck took a good two and a half minutes to change hands as it swirled across the ice, and, as the final seconds of the game drew near, Mallory once again had the puck. She slid in-between the defensive line, lined up, and delivered a smashing rocket-of-a-slapshot, which never even gave the goalie a chance to block it. "Oh! And Mallory scores the winning goal! Ducks win!" yelled the announcer, as the team converged on their side of the rink, to point their sticks to the sky in victory.

 

                Trudging happily back into the Ready Room, the team flopped down in various locations.

                "Man, Mallory, that was a great shot!" said Nosedive. Mallory nodded and smiled, rubbing her head.                            

                "You okay?" asked Duke.

                "Hey, I'll be fine." she said.

                "What I think we all need is some rest." smiled Zelda. "You guys played one hard game today, and earned that victory. This is just another thing to prove that our battles aren't always raging with Dragaunus."

                 "I'll second that." laughed Tanya, and she got up, walking off towards her living quarters.

                "Hey, that thirds." corrected Grin, as he too got up. Slowly, the team filed away to sleep, and Zelda went slowly with them.

 

 

The End

 

Mighty Ducks-The Animated Series, including all logos and characters (except mine) are copyright and property of Disney. You may copy, print, or whatever with this document, so long as it is not altered and I (Zelda) am credited. Thanks!