Hazy Shade of Winter
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The Prologue ~. ^
Angel_Charity, this is for you and your contest…you'll see why, even if not in this part.
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Innocent relationships are what start it all.
Illusion.
Light strays to alight the darken paths of the forgotten. Hope is lost and is rarely ever found again unless it is burning in one's soul.
Fate ends it.
The wind whispers softly to whoever will listen.
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Winter. It was in the air. The cool, crisp, clean air that blew around, leaving ice and cold in their path. Snowflakes trickled to the ground like shining pieces of glitter, unless they grew clumped and more solid, less fresh and perfect. It was only the end of November, however the blizzards had started somewhat earlier that year.
The park is beautiful in the winter - autumn's leaves are far-gone, leaving the bark bare and brittle. The green sleeps until the spring come again.
Ice-skaters often seen twisting along the frozen pond. Happy, dancing little feet, slipping, sliding, gracefully or not so, it didn't matter. Or over on the hill, where little children throw snowballs and go sledding with each other on those perfect, clear days after a fresh snowfall. Perfect.
Her shawl glided about her like mist, her coat was cleverly fastened, with soft fuchsia-colored earmuffs, which matched her shawl, mittens and glittery ice-skates, which she held in her lap, as she was sitting on a bench, watching the scenery fly by, waiting.
"Kari?" her name rang across the snow-covered ground and the chilled air, the owner of the voice having a set of blue eyes and blonde hair, wearing a hat on top of it, and the voice was clear. Chipper.
"Takeru." She responded, and he was at her side in an instant, holding his own ice-skates, turquoise and gold, and he looks into her fawn colored eyes and smiles.
"Ready?"
Of course she is. Soon his skates are on, and he helps her put hers on, the skates he had gotten her for her birthday, which was much earlier in the year, just for this occasion.
"They're lovely!" She had exclaimed, as she examined them, the shawl, the earmuffs, loving every moment of it, and even forgot about the upcoming summer, for a chance to be on the ice again. That was after the previous year, when she ha sprained her ankle. Now she was going to take it slow.
"As ready as you are." She chirped, and her cheeks are rosy and full of color and together they glide onto the ice, and he helps her. She is feeling free the wind is fresh and cool and she takes a deep breath. She feels like it's flying, fast and free.
"Perfect." She says, after she returns to him, from getting her balance, from doing figure eight's. Just like she used to. Just how she likes it.
Takeru smiles. 'What would I ever do without you?' he thinks, as his hands round her waist, and they hold each other in the stillness, then slowly begin to skate to a music that they both can hear.
What would I ever do.
Don't ever leave me, Kari.
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A new dawn had already arrived in the eastern sky. It is a new day; ice and snow still linger, though in the busiest of places the beauty in it is already destroyed.
And yet, as it nears the close, something happened that surprised them all.
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Voices.
He tries to open his eyes. What's going on. What happened.
A blur, it all was.
What happened? -
Looks like here was a bit of an accident here. Motorcycle gangs… kids always think they're so tough. -
Are they both okay? -
He opened his eyes, revealing a shocking blue to those who were standing near him. His blonde hair matted down, his helmet having been removed by the EMT's.
"Matt!" called a relieved sounding voice. He redirected his gaze. There was Mimi, standing a few feet away, wide-eyed and completely pale.
"I'm fine." He mumbled as he tried to sit up. Except for, oh, ah my leg!" the numbness he had felt for a moment suddenly disappeared as he looked at it, a wave of pain washed over him. "Broken. I see."
His leather coat was still reasonably fine, but his jeans were ripped and ragged, his leg had been shattered.
"What happened?" the general collective voices all asked in unison. But he shook his head. 'That idiot Kamiya…I hope this knocks some sense into that fat head of his.'
He turned his head. Tai was sitting up, talking to his sister.
'Figures. I take the brunt of the collision.' He thought, slightly furious, but a calming voice told him inside, 'easy, keep it easy Ishida.'
The Garage and the Hangout, both places where motorbike gangs frequented. Some of the ones who were members of this particular one were most involved with the 'Digimon' era, or so they called it. Both Matt and Tai were part of the same motorbike gang, and, as usual, they had been previously arguing about who should be the leader, and the group could not decide, for they both had leadership qualities and were amazing bikers.
Matt had said, "…that's it, I give up, I will leave, I will start anew on my own, and change my name from 'Ice Archer' to 'Lone Star'. Tai had snorted.
"Well, if you really want to settle this, one on one, then I challenge you to a race, with use of tricks and stuff. If you win, I will kindly step down, if I win, you can do what you want. My challenge, my rules: I would suggest you bring a 'second' with you." He stopped a moment, and looked towards where his sister was standing, and smiled at her. "Parker, Drew and Kitten will judge. We're taking the 'Shiruba' Route."
Several of the other members' mouths dropped open. Matt glared at him with his piercing blue eyes. "That's only for summer, you dolt," He hissed. "It's not safe."
"Oh ho, scared are you?" Taichi laughed. "I was under the impression that even though I'm the best rider around here, you were at least second best. I prefer the long extensions, the more tricks the better."
Once Tai made up his mind, there was no backing him down for it. And the group didn't want him to leave, to give up either. 'I don't want to let them down, but this is insane.'
None of them wanted to look 'chicken' in front of Tai either. He was known to gloat, especially lately.
"You're higher than a kite, Kamiya, but I'll bite." Matt said angrily. Tai smirked. "Reciting poetry now, eh?" he turned around to face the other members. "Daisuke, You're with me. I suppose you're picking Takeru," He said, turning back to face Matt.
Matt hesitated. Takeru hated riding, especially when it wasn't necessary. But he was there now, talking to Kari, and with a resolved look on his face turned around. "Fine," he said. "So let's get this over with."
Matt nodded towards Tai, who stuck out his hand, and they stalked off to the garage, followed by Daisuke and Takeru, who were keeping their distance. Miyako, who was standing on the other side of Kari, whispered to her, "I hope they know what they're doing."
"So do I." Kari sighed, wrapping her shawl tightly around her. "Come on, let's go into The Hangout and wait there."
Matt shook himself out of his memory. That's what happened all right. And one little accident because Tai wanted to play games. Total and complete wipe out.
Still, a line stuck in his mind. 'Higher than a kite, Kamiya.' He had said. Was he really? Or was that the true Tai, being thickheaded as usual?
Mimi came next to him and put her arms around him. "I can see that you're upset about this, Matt." She said softly. He looked into her amber eyes and reached out to touch her hair, golden tendrils of honey.
"Mimi, swear to me, that you will never start riding."
She smiled. "Of course I wouldn't! I'm much too clumsy anyway. I rather watch you. Tai is such a show off…" she looked down at his leg. "I hope that it heals soon. It would be a shame if you missed the winter fun."
"Well, I guess I'll have to suffer on the sidelines while I watch you skate in that new sequined skirt." He said smiling despite the pain, of the thought, the plan, and the idea. "And Ice-Archer goes solo for now on."
Solo. No more arguing with Tai let him be leader. It's what he wants.
Quitting the team; wasn't that what he did best? What did the team do for him anyway? A broken leg?
They are inside the ambulance now; the wailing sirens had long arrived. As they lifted him onto the stretcher, he thought 'Thank god it wasn't worse. But it could have been…it could have.'