.Author's Note. Alright, so I really have no idea what drew me to write this. I just recently started watching Tai Chi Chasers and I'm not very fond of it, but I had random inspiration, so I was randomly writing, and this is what came of it. Wonderful.
Important note: This is a teaser. I don't plan on continuing it, but maybe if people really like this and I get some positive reviews, I'll continue. I actually have ideas for future parts, but really, I may just leave this to rot. It is pretty cool being the second person to ever post a Tai Chi Chasers fic, though...
Also another thing. The narrator of this, my OC Ara (a Korean name for a Korean cartoon. That was done on purpose), has a condition called Selective Mutism, in which a person (usually a child) involuntarily goes mute under certain circumstances. They get their voice back either around certain people or at certain places. Ara has it and only can talk when she's at home.
Now, Ara's background is really dim and unclear in this, mostly for the fact that I didn't plan it out completely and also for the fact that gradually revealing details is kinda my writing style.
So anyway, all of my babbling aside, it'd mean a lot to get at least a few reviews for this. I hope you enjoy it :)
.:Whisper:.
My feet slipped from under me and I fell backwards, banging my head against the concrete. I mentally cussed as I jumped back up and held my hand to the back of my skull. I felt the warmness of blood on my fingertips through the downpour of cold rain. Biting my tongue to prevent more obscenities from slipping out, I continued on in a hard run. It's here somewhere… My eyes darted about rapidly, despite the combination of the rainstorm and the darkness of night heeding my vision.
A glitter of pale blue light was caught in the very corner of my eye. I swerved toward it, almost again losing my balance by slipping in a collected puddle of water. I wasn't yet used to this, despite all of the preparations I had gone through. No, more like forced through… I furrowed my brows and tightened my eyes, feeling it all come back to me in a single instant. Ara, you just shut up about that. The way you seem to shut up about everything else…
The light was farther off than I anticipated. The rough feeling on my fingertips as I ran my hands along the brick walls on both sides of me began to wear away my skin. It was short-lasted, because the alleyway quickly opened up into a park. It was dotted with a few trees about and a children's playground off to the side, but in the very center where the glow was coming from was an elegantly-designed fountain. The light made the water flowing down it shimmer and glow. Atop the statue that centered the fountain was a symbol, the source of the light. I recognized that character from my studies. Ki. Breath.
I picked up the pace, not hesitating to leap into the fountain and climb to the top of it. The stone was slick from the rain that was still coming down in sheets, but the entrancing light kept my motivation in the front of my mind. As soon as my hand grasped it, I felt the touch of someone else meeting me to it. My head shot upward, my eyes flaring.
Through the shrouds of nighttime with the gentle light of Ki, I could see his bright red-brown eyes gleaming like a feline's as he ground his teeth in instant anger at me. His unruly, red hair was matted down from the rain and his bangs drooped down into his face. "Hey! What's the big idea? That's my Tai Chi Card!" he snapped, trying to yank the Card toward him, but I put up resistance. His voice hit my ears hard with their notes; it seemed like he didn't have a good hold on his emotions. "Who are you?"
My mouth opened, but no words came out. I should know that nothing will come out unless I'm home… I resorted to merely pursing my lips and yanking the Card from his grasp. Keeping my gaze on him, I launched myself from the statue and landed nimbly on the ground. The Card stopped glowing and I knew that'd assist me and a getaway. My eyes scanned around, my head not moving, and aside from that boy, I had a feeling there were others around, waiting for me to make a move.
I slid my finger up and down along the edge of the Card as I calculated. No amount of planning I could do was going to do anything, and so I took my chances. I stepped backwards, preparing to turn tail and run before they could react, but without warning, my feet slid and I landed on my back again. God, I'm not this clumsy, am I? My hands ran along the ground and it was unusually a numbing cold. How is there ice here…? It was Bing, wasn't it?
The red-headed boy jumped down from the fountain and approached me with a grin. He looked off to the side into the darkness. "Heh. Nice one, Finn."
A second boy materialized form the blackness. His face was expressionless and deathly pale. His blue eyes were like the ice he wielded and his dark hair fell before them. The marks of the Tigeroid were marred on his face. He didn't respond to the words directed to him; his stare bore into me and I tried to decrypt what his irises were trying to say. He was a master of his own emotions; he wasn't going to show anything that he didn't want seen.
My head adjusted toward the redhead when he began to demand things of me again. "Now unless you want to get hurt, I suggest you hand over that Card!" I could see in his face he was tempted to jump on top of me and wrestle me for possession of the Card, and he was merely suppressing the desire. "Do it or else!"
Pulling myself up into a crouch, I turned my head to the side to analyze his face a second time. He's so cocky. He really has no doubt in his mind that he'll stop me from getting away with the Tai Chi Card. I opened my mouth as a habit that wanted to spit out an insult, but instantly closed it again. But he's mistaken… I swept my leg, using the ice to gain momentum in my motion, and tripped the boy. My attempt was made to fell the other as well, but he anticipated my move and gracefully leapt over my leg, pulling out a Card of his own and preparing to use it.
Did I just see the smallest of smiles? I'm amusing him… Before he could put slide his Card into his Activator to unleash its power, I was on my feet and on the move. I don't have to waste my time on a fight that I'm not required to take part in.
A girl's voice echoed from nowhere. "Tai Chi Pong! Wind!"
Out of nowhere, through the sound of the downpour, I caught ear of a gust just as it hit me hard, halting my motion and causing me to block my face from the blast of air and the pelting drops that heavily handicapped my vision more so than prior. I turned my head away and my hand shielding the conditions partly, I saw the owner of the voice and the attack emerge. She was just short of my height and had long brown hair that matched her eyes in color. The lines on her face showed uptightness and possibly a complex regarding operating correctly.
"You will hand over that Card," she stated, as if her command would make me that much more eager to obey. "If you hadn't noticed, you're outnumbered three to one." The wind whipped her hair around as she came closer. We locked eyes and held matching gazes of aggravation. "So, is there anything you'd like to say for yourself?" Her lip curved upward on one side to make a small smirk.
I don't have anything to say to you. My eyes fell and I just stared at her shoes. Blue flats with lavender straps that slightly resembled butterflies. Those are just disgusting… My look moved around the ground. Her feet were before me, and now on my right, I could see that cocky boy's, and on my left, that other kid. Of course, that stupid redhead took the side of me closest to my hand that's holding the Card. He's so eager for a chance at it…
He showed off a toothy grin. "Looks to me like you're surrounded! Don'tchya think it's about time you give up?" A long pause ensued as I didn't bother even trying to get words out. "You could answer me! C'mon, I'm trying to intimidate you here! Man, I just don't get girls…" You don't get much of anything, if you ask me…
The wind died down, but the rain persisted stubbornly. I dropped my arms back down to my sides and stared at nothing in particular in the dark, shapeless distance. The cocky boy was right that I was surrounded, if you included the fountain behind me. Judging by what they've already shown me, that girl be the easiest to get past, but she's in the middle. Hm…I could try backtracking. It'll probably do more bad than good, though…
Apparently I was taking too long and the redhead was growing impatient. Figures. "I've had enough!" He pulled out an Activator and two Cards, slashing them each one by one. "Tai Chi Hwa! Fire! Tai Chi Po! Aggressive! Come together and form Tai Chi Pak! Explosion!"
The symbol appeared in flash of crimson light and I knew I had to act fast. I back-stepped only once when the attack activated. I jumped backwards for all I was worth, the fire meeting my face just before I let my body fall back into the basin of the fountain where all of the water collected. I was submerged under the water and I watched the flames burn in air just above me. If I had reacted just a second slower, I'd have burns on much more than just my face…
I pushed myself with just a slight motion of my arms until I was on the other side. The fire was still burning, and I didn't believe that any of them had seen me drop into the fountain. Good, that means they'll still be distracted… I threw up with my legs and when I got to my feet, I was suddenly face-to-face with that cold-eyed boy. What did that kid say his name is? Finn? Whatever his name is, he is too smart for his own good. We glowered at each other, his aquamarine irises facing off against my dark magenta.
I wasn't about to admit his ghost-like appearance intimidated me, but truthfully, it did. It seemed that out of all of them, he was the one I had reason to be concerned about. That emotionless mask he had brought me to the thought that he wasn't afraid to hit a girl to get what he wants. That fact didn't surprise me; I knew enough people that hit me for their own, selfish reasons. And they're the reason I'm standing right here, right now, trying to steal one, useless Card.
Pivoting my figure slightly, I had to turn my head to keep my gaze on him. I could feel the glares of the other two Tigeroids digging into my spine. I moved my legs through the water as if in slow motion, watching him, waiting for his move. I can't tell if he's even got any thoughts going through his head at all…Hmph, he's beginning to get on my nerves… I adjusted my head so I could see all three of them. The redhead looked as though he was going to pop any second from edginess, but that girl seemed eager to see how things were going to play out between me and that boy. That makes two of us…
My finger continued to move along the Tai Chi Card's edge absentmindedly. The water of the fountain was beginning to numb my legs, causing me to grow anxious to take action. Might as well. Otherwise I might lose all the feeling in my toes. I took off. I had no plan; there never was any plan to begin with. Get the Card. Leave. This nothing-more-nothing-less scenario had gone completely a-bust without so much as my consent. I don't know who's worse: The Tigeroids for complicating things, or the Dragonoids for making me do this.
I'm not sure how, but I managed to make it to a gathering of trees on the opposite side of the park. They must be toying with me. They could've gotten me right away if they really wanted to… I scaled a tree and perched in the thick, concealing branches. Here I took a moment to catch my breath, but not once tuning out the sounds of everything around me. It was hard to hear through the pattering of rain on the leaves, but I was concentrating on any sounds out of the ordinary.
Nothing.
Maybe they let me get away. I shook the thought from my mind. Doubt it. They all seemed pretty interested in getting this Card. My eyes went over the print of the Card; the character for Ki was etched in the center and in the background was a canvas of hues of blue, accented by marks of white that seemed to represent how you can see your breath in winter. I couldn't determine the ability of the Card through its design, but it was still part of the Tai Chi One Thousand, therefore, it was necessary to have it under my possession. Because if I failed with my mission, I knew only bad could come of it. That I knew full well from experience. Experience I really didn't want to fall back to after coming so far.
Peeking through the smallest opening in my hiding place, I couldn't see much. Even if the opening had been bigger, it was far too dark to make out anything from my current place. So instead, I retreated backwards towards the trunk of the tree, my eyes focused tight to the small barrier of leaves that divided me from the outside world. Inching backwards slowly because of my distraction, it took a moment to realize my back was suddenly up against something that wasn't the tree trunk.
My head shot over in an instant, and my eyes locked onto him in an instant, trying to portray one word with my glare. You…
I'm not sure how he had been so noiseless when coming up from behind me, but something inside me told me that this boy with no emotions just wasn't natural. I took my first instinct when I set my eyes on him, opening my mouth to let out a soundless scream and slashing his cheek open with the edge of the Tai Chi Card before I even considered what to do. I dropped backwards off the branch and landed on the ground in a half-crouch. My ankle twisted under me, but I knew I had to just walk it off if I was going to get anywhere.
The last thing I suspected was a tackle. Within a single second, that stupid redhead had tackled me and pinned me down. His ruddy-hued eyes pierced through the darkness and all I could do was stare sharply back with a frown designed with the curves of my lips. Get that stupid look of dominance off your face before I take it off for you. Painfully. My gaze shifted to the hand that still grasped the Card. He had my arm pinned down at the wrist. Correction. I'd take it off if I could… I attempted to groan, but an emptiness came out of my mouth and it didn't satisfy the emotion I tried to portray. Ara, you've gotten yourself in deep this time... Just give up the Card. Drop it. It's okay if you go back empty-handed. I knew that was a dumb thought as soon as it came to mind. Of course it's not okay if I go back empty-handed. They would kill me. Maybe for real this time. All right, don't let go. No matter what you do, Ara. Don't. Let. Go.
And I complied to my own demands. My fingers held fast, and neither Card nor physical force that they used could pry the Card away from me. I wasn't exactly sure what did it, but I couldn't remember ever being so set on something. I needed to get away with that Tai Chi Card, no matter what injuries I sustained in the process. I couldn't face them if I went back without anything to show for my efforts. They wouldn't care about my twisted ankle, my soaked hair and clothes, my scorched face. It was all about that demeaning Card, and all else was just inferior. That included me. They didn't care what I had to go through, what my methods were; they just wanted what they sent me for. I was merely a pawn in their games.
After a while of struggling, the redhead had become seriously ticked that they had gotten nowhere. "Okay, seriously! Let go of the Card! We don't have all night!" Oh, but I do… "Don't make me cut off your arm!" Ha, you've got a pretty messed up mind, kid. I know you don't have the guts to do anything remotely like that.
The brown-haired girl scolded him for such a remark. Wow, she's putting you in your place… But then she suddenly turned, looked down at me, quickly back at him, and demanded, "Now if she isn't gonna give up the Card, then we'll just have to take her along and figure out what to do later!"
...Wait, what?
