Chapter 1

"Thank you!" Nora cheered as the server handed her a tray with pancakes, a few packets of syrup, and a bottle of milk on it. It was hardly a normal lunch, the same meal she had eaten for breakfast in fact, but it had just been so good. She suspected everything would be good anyway. The dining hall at the Olympic Athletes Village had much higher quality food than Nora usually ate, and it was free! Well, sort of. Everyone was entitled to three meals a day.

Nora headed toward a group of long tables. There was a group of athletes gathered there, and she recognized a few from the opening ceremony. They were from Vale like her. She found an empty spot and put down her tray before plopping into a chair. "When I'm not training I usually just hang around and play Hunters." One of the athletes said. "I even brought my console with me."

"You play Hunters too?" Nora asked with glee. The man nodded. Nora did not know his name or what he competed in. She only really knew the other members of the weightlifting team. "Maybe we could play together."

"Maybe." The man shrugged. "You any good?"

"Yep!" Nora confirmed. "This one time I was sniping on the Cliffside Temple map and…" Once Nora got her story started she did not stop. She did not even take breaks to eat, just shoveling food into her mouth as she spoke. As she continued she grew louder and more excited, whipping herself into a frenzy and wildly gesticulating. Slowly the other athletes started to drift away, moving to other tables to escape the madwoman ranting and raving. Many did not even wait to finish eating before they fled.

When Nora finished her story there was only one person left, a thin man with long black hair. He even stuck around past when he had finished eating, waiting for Nora to finish. "Good day." The man said once she focused herself on her food, as he quietly got up and departed. In the end Nora realized what she had done. She had gotten carried away, scaring everyone off...just like she always did. As she finished eating she sighed and frowned. A second later her melancholy was gone and her smile returned. She got up, disposed of her garbage, and headed out. Her event did not start for a few days so she decided to go sightseeing. After all, she had never been to Vacuo before.

"Thank you!" Nora cheered as the server handed over her tray. Lunch was pancakes again. They were just too good to not have. She looked around at the collection of tables. The same group of athletes from Vale had gathered, in the same place as the previous day. Nora started walking toward them, hoping to sit with them as she had the day before. One of them spotted her and pointed. They talked amongst themselves for a few seconds, then got up and scattered. One person remained behind, the tall man with long hair. He continued to eat his lunch as if he were oblivious to the world around him.

Nora walked over and sat down across from the man. "Hello." He said.

"Hi." Nora said. "Having fun here?" The man nodded. "I am. Weightlifting in my class doesn't start until next week so I went sightseeing yesterday. Vacuo is so beautiful! And the people are so nice! And…" Again Nora launched into an ever louder, ever more excited story, barely taking the time to breathe as she prattled on. By the time she finished her story the man had long finished eating. "Interesting." The man said with a little smile once Nora finished. "Good day." He got up quietly and walked away. After she finished her own meal, Nora did some training, then went to watch as some of her teammates competed in other weight classes.

"Thank you!" Nora cheered as the server slid her tray across the counter. Most people would find eating pancakes for breakfast and lunch for three days in a row to be odd, but they were super tasty. Nora headed for the tables, looking for a place to sit. Today there was no group of athletes from Vale. A few were scattered about the room, but in ones and twos rather than a clump. Nora spotted a friendly face, the thin man with long hair. He was sitting alone in the same spot he had occupied for the previous two days. Nora walked over and placed her tray on the table across from him.

"Hello." He said as Nora sat down.

"Hi." Nora said. Why did he not run like everyone else? It was odd. No one stuck around Nora for long. "Uh...why are you here again?"

"Hmm?" He said.

"I mean...no one else still hangs around when I show up." Nora explained. "Why do you?"

"It would be wrong to just leave." The man replied. "Such a disregard for your feelings would be immoral. Besides, I like your stories. They make for wonderful lunchtime entertainment. You have such enthusiasm."

"Oh...uh...thanks." Nora said, unsure of how to react. "What am I doing? I haven't even introduced myself! I'm Nora Valkyrie, just call me Nora. I'm here for weightlifting."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Nora." The man said. "I'm Lie Ren. You can call me Ren if you like." He reached out his hand and Nora shook it. "I'm competing in Judo."

"Judo huh?" Nora said. "Is that like wrestling?"

"A little." Ren replied. "It would be easier to show you than explain it. I have a match this evening. Why not come watch?"

"Ooh, I'd love to!" Nora exclaimed. "I don't start competing 'til next week."

"Very good." Ren said. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. After searching for a few seconds he produced a ticket. "Best seat in the house." He said with a smile as he handed it to Nora. She only just noticed that he had finished his meal. "It's been fun." He stood. "I'll see you there."

Nora felt like jumping up and down and cheering. She made a friend! But that would be weird, and there was still time for him to run away like everyone else. "Thanks so much." Nora said. "I can't wait!"

Ren tossed his opponent to the mat. "Ippon!" The announcer said as the referee gestured. The two combatants moved to either edge of the mat, bowed to each other and then the referee. After a few seconds the referee raised his arm toward Ren. "The winner by ippon, Lie Ren, Vale."

"Woohoo!" Nora cheered, easily louder than the rest of the crowd. "Yeah Ren!"

Soaked in sweat, Ren made his way back to the locker room. Nora stuck around as he had asked and watched a few more matches. After a bit Ren - now in street clothes - walked up and took the seat beside her. "Do you mind staying to watch a few more matches?" Ren asked.

"This is super exciting!" Nora exclaimed. "I'd love to." She and Ren watched the rest of the matches contested that evening. Nora got very into it, cheering wildly for the other athletes from Vale. Ren sat there in silence, sometimes subtly miming the fighters' movements. It was quite late by the time the day's event was over. "Hey, want to get dinner?" Nora asked.

"On one condition." Ren said.

"Name it." Nora said.

"Eat something other than pancakes." Ren said. "You need to eat healthy if you want to be your best."

"Yeah I...that's probably a good idea." Nora laughed. "Those pancakes are just so tasty though!" She thought for a moment. "How about we have pizza?"

"That's not exactly what I had in mind." Ren admitted.

"Well...what if I got it with vegetables on it?" Nora asked.

"That's a little better." Ren answered. "Good enough for me."

"Sweet!" Nora cheered. "Pizza night!"

"So tell me again why we couldn't just eat in the dining hall." Ren requested.

"My room is a lot comfier." Nora said, carrying the pizza box. Even as she hopped around with her boundless energy she managed to keep it level. "What's the big deal?"

"I wouldn't want to bother your roommate." Ren said.

"I don't have one." Nora shrugged. "Now come on." Shifting the pizza to one hand she dug around in her pocket, finally locating her keycard. She swiped the card across the sensor and the lock clicked open. Nora bounced in and placed the pizza on the table.

Ren slowly followed and put their drinks - a soft drink for Nora and a sports drink for Ren - beside the pizza. "I've...never been in a girl's room before." Ren admitted.

"What are you 12?" Nora laughed. "We're both adults, just friends hanging out! It's no big deal."

"There are two beds." Ren observed.

"So?" Nora shrugged as she grabbed a slice of pizza and started eating.

"You should have a roommate." Ren said. "Did she get hurt or…"

"No, nothing like that." Nora sighed. "I guess I talked a little too much for her liking. She said she had a headache, packed her bags and left. I've seen her around, but she keeps avoiding me."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ren said. "People can be cruel."

"It's no big deal." Nora smiled. "Now I have lots of extra room...for activities!" Ren studied Nora's face. She was smiling, but the smile did not meet her eyes. There was something there, something in those shining blue-green orbs that told him there was far more to her than the bubbly exterior. "What? Is there something on my face?" Nora asked with her mouth full.

"No, sorry." Ren said. He picked up a slice of pizza and looked at it with a bit of confusion. "We didn't get plates...or utensils."

"You don't eat pizza with utensils!" Nora gasped. "Just pick it up and eat it."

"Oh...okay." Ren said. He tried to mirror Nora's technique but struggled. It felt so unnatural, but liberating. He ended up limiting himself to two slices. Nora vacuumed up the other six and was hungry for more. She grabbed an apple from a bag under her bed and started chomping away at it. "So you do eat something other than pancakes."

"I love apples." Nora cheered. "They're so sweet." She took another big bite and chewed it for a few seconds. "Judo is super-cool." She said before swallowing. "I don't exactly understand it though. There are so many words I've never heard before."

"I could explain it if you like." Ren said. "What don't you understand?"

"You won by...ippon?" Nora said. "What's that?"

"Well, and ippon is…" Ren started. Eventually he ended up explaining just about every Judo term there was, along with various strategies used by the athletes.

"Are there any other weird names?" Nora asked.

"Well, we call practice Randoki." Ren replied.

"Hehe, more like Rendoki." Nora giggled.

Ren smiled and almost laughed. "Good one." He said with a big smile, bigger than Nora had ever seen on his face.

"I'll have to teach you about weightlifting sometime." Nora said. "Though...it's not really that complicated." She laughed. "I pick things up and put them down." She said in a bizarre Atlesian accent.

"There must be a technique to it." Ren said.

"Of course there is!" Nora confirmed. "It's just...a lot easier to show than explain. Kind of like Judo I guess. You looked really good today. I think you'll take the gold!"

"I don't know about that." Ren shrugged. "A medal would be nice, but I'm just here to experience it all really."

"Well I'm taking home the gold!" Nora declared. "No one will outlift me!"

The buzzer sounded to end the bronze medal match. Ren took a few deep breaths as he stood at the edge of the mat. Across from him, his opponent did the same. They bowed to each other, then to the referee. Ren had lost badly in the semi-final, quickly being tossed hard onto his back by his opponent. This match had been very different. He and Fox Alistair had battled it out to the time limit, and the match would go to points. Both already knew the result when the referee raised his arm toward Fox. "The winner by score, Fox Alistair, Vytal." The announcer said.

Ren bowed to his opponent again, then to the judges, then to the crowd before silently heading to the locker room. Nora was tempted to boo, but after Ren had lost his semifinal and she had done so, he had admonished her. Respect was of the utmost importance, no matter the result. Cheering for a winner was fine, but jeering a loser was improper. When Ren sat down beside Nora in the stands he was still dripping with sweat, still breathing more heavily than usual. He did not look disappointed. In fact, he did not look any different than he usually did. He just sat back and waited for the gold medal match to start.

"It sucks that you lost." Nora whined. "I thought you won but the ref…"

"The referee called the match properly." Ren cut her off. "I lost, fair and square."

"Aren't you disappointed?" Nora asked. "I wanted to cry...or scream...or both."

"Of course I'm a little disappointed." Ren replied. "I would love to have walked away with a medal, but that's not what's really important. For me at least, it's not about winning. It's about testing yourself, pushing your limits and learning about the extent of your potential. In that way, it was a victory, because I learned a lot about myself, and about the art of Judo. The next time I compete, I'll be better. It still might not be enough, but I'll never stop trying to get better."

"Wow, that's so wise." Nora gasped. "You're like a philosopher."

"Maybe." Ren shrugged. "Even without a medal, I've enjoyed my time here. I got to see things I never would have seen, do things I never would have done...and I got to meet you."

"You're...glad you met me?" Nora asked.

"Yes." Ren confirmed. "I consider you a true friend, and that makes you precious to me."

"Precious...but we're just friends?" Nora asked. "I thought...we might be dating…"

"We have." Ren said with a smile. "But while romance may be fleeting, friendship knows no bounds."

Nora began to squeal, the high-pitched noise growing louder and louder. "Oh Ren!" She exclaimed. She pulled him into a crushing embrace, the sort only a weightlifter would be capable of, and kissed him. She pulled back for a moment and they gazed into one another's eyes.

Ren smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "Now, hush, the match is about to start." He said.

"Sorry." Nora said in a loud whisper.

Mercury Black of Mistral, the fighter who had defeated Ren in the semifinal, ended up taking the gold. His victory in the final was just as dominating as the one against Ren. "That guy had everybody out classed." Nora sighed as she and Ren walked.

"That's the way it happens sometimes." Ren shrugged.

"Hopefully I can be that dominant in my event!" Nora cheered.

"Hopefully." Ren agreed.

"So, how about we go eat?" Nora asked.

"Sure." Ren said. "I just need to grab my wallet from my room first."

Nora followed Ren back to his room. He swiped his keycard and the door clicked open. Nora had seen his room before but was reluctant to spend time there and risk bothering his roommate. "Wait...why are your bags packed?" She asked.

"Originally I planned to fly home after competing." Ren replied. "They expect me out tomorrow morning. Don't worry though, I've changed my plans and I'm sticking around to cheer you on. I could probably stay here, but I don't want cause confusion. I'll just get a hotel room in the city."

"Well...uh...you don't have to do that." Nora said, for once seeming very unsure of herself as she nervously broke eye contact. "You could...um...I don't have a roommate so...you could stay with me? We are dating after all."

"That would be wonderful." Ren said with a smile. "Thank you, I'm very grateful."

"Oh...it's nothing." Nora said with a nervous laugh.

"So, should I move my things in now or would you rather wait until morning?" Ren asked.

"You could move in now!" Nora exclaimed. "I'll even help you carry your bags!"

"No thanks." Ren said. "I can handle it." He picked up his two bags, both relatively small. The pair started walking back to Nora's room.

"You know, we could push the beds together." Nora suggested. "For warmth!"

Ren smiled and laughed. "We'll see."

There were still a few days before Nora started to compete, and she spent those days training and spending time with Ren. They went sightseeing, took in some of the other events, and generally did the things tourists attending the Games would do. Then it all had to be put on hold. Nora had to focus. She was a favorite for a medal and she was not going to let the chance slip away, even if it meant spending more time away from her new best friend. All her effort paid off when she got to the qualifications.

Nora roared as she hefted the weight over her head. She held it there for a few seconds before letting it slam to the ground. 150 kg clean and jerk, a personal best and tops in the qualifying round. She raised her hands in triumph, jumping up and down in celebration. She rushed back to the locker room to get changed, then met up with Ren again. She had two days off before the finals, but they would be spent training. Dinner tonight would be the last good chance for them to spend together.

"It looked incredible." Ren said as he followed Nora.

"It felt incredible!" Nora exclaimed as she carried the pizza back to her room.

"You have a real shot at the gold." Ren said. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks...ah." Nora groaned and started bouncing on one foot.

"Are you okay?" Ren gasped, rushing to support her at the shoulder.

"I'm fine." Nora said. "I just tweaked my knee with that last lift. It's no big deal. I just need to ice it."

"Are you sure?" Ren asked. "Maybe you should see the trainers."

"No, it's alright." Nora persisted. "I have ice in my room. This happens a lot."

"Well if you're sure." Ren said.

"I just want to enjoy a nice, relaxing dinner with you." Nora said.

"Same." Ren said with a smile.