Spathodea: Hmm ... Lights ... checked.
Spathodea: Width of the entrance ... checked.
Spathodea: Support structure for the ceiling ... checked.
Spathodea: Camera parrot for broadcasting the Games, hmm, very fluffy, so ... checked!
Spathodea walks slowly along the clay runway, under the wide and bright rooftop of the renovated Stadium.
Spathodea: Spare torch for the Uluru Flame, obstacles for Steeplechase, tenacity of the branches and temperature of the red clod ... Alright, checked! Only one more item to go before the flame lighting ceremony this midnight!
Ulu: sobs
Spathodea: The Uluru Flame ... Ulu? You alright?
Spathodea: Wh-What's with the tears?! Did I make you sad again?
Ulu: No ... nothing. I just have sand in my eyes ...
Desert Flannel: Oh, sand is common here. It gets into your eyes very easily.
Desert Flannel: Just like when my granny saw me walking for the first time.
Ulu: Young lady, you should've preserved the dignity of this old flame!
Desert Flannel: Waah-ah! You burned me!
Spathodea: ... Ulu, burning hot and energetic, checked.
Ticking off another check in the notebook, Spathodea looks upwards.
Spathodea: Safety factor of the field ... checked.
Spathodea: Laplace ... really did us a huge favor ...
Spathodea: Shame I haven't had the time to talk to Ezra since we had that fight. We were both busy, and when we met, it was ...
Desert Flannel: What? You haven't talked about it? But I didn't feel anything wrong between you two ...
Spathodea: We did make up, that's for sure.
Spathodea: But we never really talked about the fight. It's like you break your knee and just cover the wound up with trousers, as if it had never been there …
Spathodea: You may feel fine when you jump and run, but it hurts whenever you sit down for a break ...
She scratches her hair and then starts to play with her fingers, a glum look on her face.
Spathodea: sighs I wonder if Ezra and Vertin are going well with the patrol.
Ulu: Relax, Flammy.
Ulu: It will be the opening ceremony tomorrow. Our checklist is even more intricately designed than a robe made with pine needles. Besides, the Bunyips haven't turned up in quite a while ...
Ulu: Everything is working like an unsinkable ship at sea. There isn't anything that may cause it to sink.
Spathodea: Alright ... but the last ship that claimed to be "unsinkable," um, what was it called ... um …
The stone door is opened without warning from behind the thinking girl.
Spathodea: Oh! I got it!
Ezra: We have an emergency!
Spathodea: It's called the Titanic!
Audience: I've bought tickets! Let me in!
Audience: I came all the way here just for the Uluru Games, because you said that it is open to all for the first time!
Makower: Everyone, please be patient.
Holding a microphone, Makower stands on a pile of rocks, making him stand out from the group.
The whirlwind brought up by the airship only makes the travelers' steps more staggered.
Makower: We are now standing at the entrance to the Uluru Stadium, and this is where the rumored "reincarnator" will come with flames and bring about the rain!
Makower: The rain will comfort the thirsty travelers and soothe their dry heels!
Makower: I guarantee you, as the ambassador of the Games, that no matter what your lineage is, you are welcome here as long as you have a ticket! All you need to do is wait patiently and with sincerity!
Audience: Sincerity? We've followed the guide and circled around the desert for a whole day!
Audience: We need water and food! Some kids have become dehydrated!
Audience: Yes! We need water! We need to get into the Uluru Stadium! You've promised us!
Audience: We need water! We need to get into the Uluru Stadium!
Makower: That's right, yes, that's right.
Makower: Revival Squad, I'm sure you will enjoy this gift from me.
Audience: We need water! We need to get into the Uluru Stadium! We need water! We need to get into the Uluru Stadium!
Getting louder and louder, the rumble shakes the whole desert.
And echoes above the giant rock.
Spathodea: Gosh!!! It's him, that guy!!
Spathodea: How shameless! We never sold a single ticket or invited so many outsiders to the Games! How can they tell such a lie?!
Vertin: He's whipping up public opinion—just his greatest strength.
Vertin: I took a glance at the crowd. There are at least 3,500 of them out there.
Vertin: Not a number Makower can incite alone. Some of them must be his accomplices. I'm sure they are good at mobilizing, swindling, blackmailing and stuff ...
Desert Flannel: It's the Eucalyptus Brotherhood! The leader is one of them. I know his face!
Desert Flannel: Dn it! Seems like they're not going to make this easy for me, since I took their tickets. And there's Makower—how convenient for them!
Spathodea: We can't just leave them here. Outside the Stadium, they have no food or shelter. They will suffer sunstroke in no time!
Desert Flannel: How are you going to handle this?
Spathodea: Desert Flannel, do you still have those fake tickets?
Desert Flannel: Yeah, why?
Spathodea: Sell them.
Desert Flannel: Excuse me?! I thought you knew that I'm not doing this for money. I'm doing it for ...
Spathodea: I know why you need money.
Spathodea: You have always wanted to buy the house where your grandmother spent her life and raised you. It's important to you, just like the Uluru Games to me and Ulu.
The young girl stands up.
Spathodea: Ezra, Vertin, please contact the Foundation for help. Desert Flannel, I need you to prepare to guide the crowd and maintain order!
Ezra: Spathodea, you're not planning to ...
Spathodea: Let's go all out, mates.
Spathodea: I am going.
Holding the Ulu soaked in tears in her arms, Spathodea shakes off Desert Flannel's sweaty hands.
A dry breeze follows after her, kicking up the dust and forming that shadowy gate.
Spathodea: ...
Spathodea: Everyone, your attention, please!
The crowd's attention turns, murmurs surround the girls like a vortex.
Audience: Ah! That is the door of the Uluru Stadium! Behind her! She is the girl in the newspaper!
Audience: What? That girl is the "reincarnator"?
Audience: Oh, dear, there she is! And look! That flame! Isn't that the Uluru Flame in the newspaper?
Audience: Open the gate for us, Priestess! Show us the Uluru Stadium!
Makower: Open the gate for us! We have tickets! We have tickets!
Standing above the crowd, Makower raises his hands, showing everyone the ticket.
Audience: Open the gate for us! We have tickets! We have tickets!
Like a summoning.
A tumultuous clamor goes up from the crowd, punctuated by Makower's questioning.
Makower: Look at those girls, my friends! That is Ms. Spathodea and Ms. Ulu!
Makower: The newspapers have been praising them for facilitating the union of mankind and arcanists, bringing back the true spirit of sporting events, and calling them the pioneer peacemakers ...
Ulu: In the name of the Uluru Flame, I swear it's not a lie!
Makower: Of course, of course, you are not lying. You never lie.
Makower: No lies have been spoken. Every word was true!
Makower: A junior student from Melbourne, an old soul, a "reincarnator." What's her attitude, and what will she do? Please find out with me!
The microphone in his hand points up at the sky, reflecting the airship's spotlight glaring down at Spathodea.
Spathodea: ... Uh ...
Scattering audio photos fall from the sky.
"Photos": "Humans? What are they doing in the Stadium?"
People hear Spathodea's voice crystal clear.
"Photos": "The world is full of sports games for humans! One after another and another!"
"Photos": "Guide arcanum with science, tame the orderless power with sense" ... "And now they're even taking away the Uluru Stadium with metal bars!"
Ulu: Th-That's ...!
Makower: How ridiculous! She said she stands for peace, yet she has never considered mankind's safety, technology, assistance, or rights!
Makower: Arcanists, arcanists ... that's all she's talking about!
Audience: It's the voice of the Priestess? H-How could she say that ...
Audience: Nonsense! It is the first Uluru Games with the help of Laplace human technology. They've been talking about equality, peace and love all the time.
Audience: Dn you! How could you be so despicable!
Audience: All the constructions are built by Laplace! These are all human contributions!
Audience: I'm out of here! It's not the Uluru Games, not the one I heard from my grandma at all!
Makower: We should believe that she's an honest girl. She would never have lied!
Makower: Ms. Spathodea, did you really say that?
Makower passes the microphone to Spathodea, with a celebratory flair.
A Bunyip appears out of his coat. Its body starts swelling as it devours the air.
From the turmoil of lies and distrust, it gains additional power.
Ulu: Flammy, confront it.
Ulu: Light it up, conquer it, and make it burn ...
Spathodea: I will. I know what my duty is.
COMBAT
Spathodea: You are right, Mr. Makower.
Spathodea: I did say that. I take responsibility for every word heard in that photo!
Spathodea: But people! Listen to me!
Spathodea: Those words are wrong, so am I. I am a fool, an idiot, the stinkiest rotten egg in the kitchen!
Spathodea: I've seen countless humans on my way here, from Melbourne to Alice Springs, and then Uluru.
Spathodea: I've met the construction team from Laplace, the receptionist at the City Hall, the considerate doctors, and ... and my first human friend, my good friend!
Spathodea: In the past, I saw humans as "the other kind." I thought they were unreasonable, cruel people who deceive others with bureaucratic jargon …
Spathodea: But now, when I think of humans, I'm reminded of …
Spathodea: Of ...
Spathodea: Of my friend, my gentle, brave, smart, selfless, clumsy human friend.
Makower: Wh-What? Are you going to ...?!
Ulu: Confront it, light it up, conquer it, and make it burn for you.
The flame lit by Ulu burns all the way to a crawling Bunyip.
In an instant, the only thing left on the red soil is burned ashes. The Bunyip didn't even make a sound.
Bunyip: Ahh ... AHHH!!
The rest of the Bunyips scatter. Fleeing into the crowd and corners, causing a chorus of screams.
Spathodea: And I'm willing to believe, everyone here loves sports as much as I do.
Spathodea: I must apologize for being an idiot with such a narrow view. I'm sorry.
Spathodea: Now, I hope everyone can enjoy pure sports and have fun sweating!
Spathodea: Those of you who have tickets, please enter the Stadium in order!
Spathodea: Those of you with no tickets, you can buy one from Ms. Desert Flannel for just one dollar!
Spathodea: I hereby declare the opening of the Uluru Games!
The gate is already open. Flammy puts her arms in the air as the crowd cheers.
Spathodea: Everyone is welcome!
Makower: D*n it! How come ... The source has confirmed the rift between them!
Makower: Run, if I'm fast enough, there is still a chance.
Grabbing the camera tightly, Makower and his team hurry out of the crowd in a panic.
Desert Flannel: Or maybe, you don't deserve that chance at all.
A wall of people stand at the exit.
Vertin: We've got a helping hand.
Ezra: More than one hand.
Desert Flannel: Aha ...!
Desert Flannel: This is what we call "the hammer of justice."
Desert Flannel: Take that, you s***y little long-tongue pig. I will pull your tongue out through one of your eye sockets. You should have known better than to mess with me.