An Obstacle in Our Path!

'''An Obstacle in Our Path! '''is the nineteenth chapter of Season 1 and the nineteenth chapter of the Lorecraft Academy series. It started on February 24, 2018 and finished on March 14, 2018.

Plot
The next day, Natalie and Jocelyn are expecting Sara’s return. As they begin to talk about it, a knocking is heard on the door. Jocelyn heads to the door, only to find nothing behind it. Just as Jocelyn thinks that Carol pulled a fast one on her, she feels a tap on her shoulder. She looks in the direction of the tapping, only to be startled by Sara who appears. Sara gives Jocelyn a big hug, and Natalie rushes over to join in. After a bit of idle chatter, Jocelyn then tells how she found out about Natalie’s ability. The trio then go to Amelia’s and Carol’s room, to reunite with the two. Carol literally lifts Sara up in the air out of excitement. As the group talks a bit, an announcement is heard in Carol and Amelia’s room. Sportman announces for all of those who made it to Stage Three of the Talent Showdown criteria events to head to the Assembly Hall within the next 10 minutes. The group meets up there, where Lewis is waiting for them. The group’s attention is then directed to the stage, where Sportman announces the next event. The next event turns out to be an obstacle course, where the use of magic is not allowed. The top 20 will be able to move on. It will take place the following Wednesday, after classes end. Nat seems to be a bit nervous about this one, but everyone comforts her. Jocelyn at the end seems to have a bit of trust issues once again, and everyone leaves back to their room.

The following Wednesday, the event starts. Natalie is the first one called up, to her dismay. In order to pass the obstacle course, she cannot fall in the water. If she does, wherever she falls into the water is where she’s recorded to be at in the end. The timer starts, and she’s presented with the first obstacle of the course, the Circle Steps, 5 round platforms on the water, about a foot in diameter. Natalie successfully makes it across, to be greeted by obstacle number 2, the Wall of Punch, a wall with boxing gloves coming out with a 4-inch ledge to walk across. She gets punched once in the stomach, but she makes it across. Obstacle number 3, the Spiral Staircase of Doom, a spiral staircase in which she needs to climb in time, or else the stairs will flip downwards into a slide of a soaky situation. She barely makes it up due to a trip-up near the top. Next obstacle, Chain Swing, chains in which Natalie will have to swing across! Natalie is struggling mightily, but makes it this time thanks to the encouragement of her friends’ and the audience’s cheering, and she’s onto Obstacle number 5, the Careful Climb, a climb down onto a very thin platform. She carefully climbs down, and successfully makes it across the platform without it breaking, onto the final obstacle, the Warped Wall, a curving wall of 10 feet she has to run up to get to the top of within three tries, to press a button. Her first and second tries result in failures, but in the end, she makes it just barely, pressing the button, resulting in victory. Carol’s up next. She blazes past all the obstacles, being very reckless. She makes it to the final obstacle, which is the wall. She fails twice, just like Natalie. The third time, she barely makes it by chomping onto the ledge. Sportman is impressed by this recovery. Next up, Lewis. Lewis starts off strong, being the first one to make it past the Wall of Punch without being punched. Lewis makes it to the end just like the other two, and fails twice. The third time however, he uses his Anima powers to make an extraordinary leap. After he makes it, Jocelyn becomes suspicious of the jump and his bodily capabilities, and Natalie hears from a thought that he’s an Anima. Sara is last to go, being a crowd favourite. Everyone’s cheering for her, including Sergel who is in the crowd. She makes it past the first two obstacles flawlessly, jumping all the way from the second-to-last Circle Step to the end, and cartwheeling through the Wall of Punch, after analyzing it like Lewis did. He notes how she’s actually learned from him for once. The Staircase only poses no problem whatsoever. Then when she gets to the Chain Swings, she aims to clear it with the same confidence she’s had the entire time. She grabs the first chain and swings herself almost the entire way over, but then tragedy strikes. Sara misses the grab on the chain swung towards and falls down, into the water. The entire crowd gasps, a favourite ended just like that. Lewis and Jocelyn both now try to comfort a distraught Sara, saying there’s still a chance for her. As the results come up, Carol comes in 1st, Lewis in 5th and Natalie in 7th, as the slowest student to have completed the course. Everyone is anxious on whether or not Sara is going to move on. Place 15, and no sign.. Place 16, and no sign still… and when everyone’s hopes start to dim, place 17 shows up. It’s Sara Butterfly. Everyone cheers loudly, Sara shouting “That’s my name!” several times in relief and happiness, Lewis just nodding, Jocelyn launching Amelia up into the air in victory, and everyone crying tears of joy. After the long day, the students start to head back to their dorms. The students have some final words to end off the day, regarding the whole event, and head to bed.

Cast

 * Mistrala – Jocelyn
 * The Phoenix – Natalie, Amelia
 * DoubleDubbel  – Sara, Sportman, Proto
 * AGNerd-Bot – Carol, Lewis