Author's Note:

I'm so sorry that took me forever to post. School started last week, and I've been in therapy for the emotional damage caused by the sudden shock of it all.

Okay, this chapter the characters arrive, but not all, as you soon find out...MWAHAHAHAHA! It's all part of my madness go with me here. So um, I think thats all I really have to say, I can't tell you all how sorry I am this took so long, I'm typing this story on my laptop but I can't transfer it onto my computer with the internet, so I have to transfer it to my older computer then to this computer then edit out all the junkie crap that pops up with it not like you care. So never mind. I'll post faster.

The small, local airfield was covered in frost and snow, and though a cold breeze was blowing, the sky was a light powder blue with minimal cloud cover. Nate Logan looked down at the rapidly approaching airfield from his window seat on the plane. It touched down, no problems, and Nate felt himself relax slightly.

He was nervous for a lot of reasons. This was his first big competition. He had just flown on a three hour flight to get here. His goals in life were getting closer and closer to completion. And he had had to pinch himself several times to assure that he wasn't dreaming.

The captain's voice sounded throughout the cabin, telling everyone they could grab their carry-ons and thanking them for flying with their airline, yatta yatta yatta. Nate pulled his pack out of the overhead compartment and slowly moved to the front of the plane with all the other passengers. Finally, he made it out of the cramped aisles and trudged up the walkway into the main body of the airport. Out f the corner of his eye, he saw a slim, dark complexioned woman holding up a sign with 'SSX3' written across it in red and black marker. He made his way over to her, and she smiled as he approached.

"Nate Logan?" She asked, holding out her hand. "I'm Vivian Clifford, it's a pleasure to have you here." Nate returned her smile and her handshake, trying not to look as nervous and excited as he felt. Vivian looked at her watch and sighed, then looked back up at Nate's towering 6'2" form. "I hope you don't mind, but I have another boarder whose flight is just getting in now. Would it be a problem if we picked up the rest of your luggage after we get them?"

"Sure, that's no problem." Nate's curiosity kicked in. Another boarder, huh? He knew there would be plenty of other riders, after all, a competition needs more that one competitor, but he had assumed he would meet them later on. The idea of meeting a possible enemy or ally intrigued him slightly.

Readjusting his pack, he followed the woman towards a different gate that had just began to spill passengers into the airport. Vivian held up her sign, glancing from one passenger to the next and ignoring Nate, who felt a little awkward standing around doing nothing to help.

"So uh, who is this guy anyway?"

The woman spared him a quick glance and another smile. "HER name is Allegra Suavagess." She stood on her tiptoes in an attempt to see better into the crowd "Ah! And there she is!" Nate saw a blonde, spunky looking girl heading in their direction. She looked up at Nate then back towards Vivian and her sign.

"I take it you're the welcoming committee?"

Nate smirked. Cute.

Vivian made introductions and led them towards the luggage carousels. Nate immediately spotted his board and guitar and made a beeline for them. Checking them over for signs of any rough handling, he saw Allegra grab her board nearby, looking over hers with the same care and enthusiasm as he had. She seemed like a genuinely nice person, and a serious rider. Maybe he should get to know her better. After all, he was going to be here for a while. Having a friendly face around might make things a little easier to bare.

"So, where are you from?" She glanced up and smiled lightly.

"Oregon. But hopefully I won't be living there permanently. I wanna travel and...stuff."

"You don't like living in Oregon?" Nate asked. He had never really traveled anywhere outside of Colorado. Allegra waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh no, I love it there." She grunted as she lifted one of her suitcases off the carousel and set it heavily on the floor. "But I'd like it a lot better if my entire family didn't live in the same state I did." Nate laughed, shaking his head and spotting his one and only suitcase.

"What about you?" Allegra dragged her bags over to Nate, and hopped up onto a dividing rail. "Where are you from?"

"Colorado."

"Ahh, the Rockies," She nodded her approval. "I've boarded there a few times. Kickass runs."

Nate shrugged. "Yeah, but it'll be nice to try some fresh runs too, you know? I've never technically left Colorado." Gathering his bags and checking they were all there, he motioned in the direction of their one-woman welcoming committee, who was waiting for them beside a cab. "Shall we?"

OKAY! SHOUT OUTS!

princesspie45: I'm so sorry! I'll update faster, I swear! Forgive me! Blame it on the school.

DJ Atomika: Of COURSE you're a faithful reviewer! You were one of my first people to review! I hope you had fun in the Bahamas btw...

WhiteLillies: Yeah I know. I wanna write her in. The vets are so close I can smell them though! So stick with me. I'll post it soon!

Spadde: Glad you asked! This fic is taking place before the competition, sort of how the whole thing started and the characters get involved, so hopefully that explains it for you. Thanks so much for the review!

Ssxrules: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

Alright people! Here it is! Feel free to ask questions, and I hope you stick with me! I'll update more often, I promise!