Disclaimer: All copyrights of Terry, Rock & company belong to SNK, Neo Geo,
Eolith.
The winds were frigid, yet somewhat comforting, as tresses of its gentle breeze tousled his blond hair. Aureate strands flagged generously behind, creating streams of golden silk so amiable that the beholder would be tempted to touch.
His ruptured crimson vest bloodied the moonlight and its soft splendour. Peeling his cap off, he sighed. Earlier as he trudged through the lazy evening boulevard, he had an unavoidable brawl with a particularly long- nailed, short-tempered, bosom friend.
"Trust me to help Andy with Mai."
After a seemingly endless walk, he finally reached grounds where plateaus of lush green stretched beyond, lacing the earth with its verdant resonance. The terrain had a spectacular view of dusk, and the subtle blues complimented its greenish radiance. Sedges trimmed the plains, soft as tissue; their gentle blades leaning towards the delicate bask of moonlight. Sapphire skies splashed its glory across the scenery, studded generously with glitter. A heavy sigh settled into the ether, along with the dull thud of a tote bag.
Groaning, he grasped his left shoulder, kneading a sore joint. After selecting a commodious-looking grassy spot, he thumped butt-first on his temporary home and proceeded to nurse some mean injuries, particularly those caused by blazing fans and oversized busts. He took a luxurious stretch and regretted almost immediately.
"Argh!"
Every move he made had ached. And with every ache, he winced. He started ranting in bursts of colourful potpourri, which made him feel somewhat half as miserable as he thought he initially was. When finished, however, the young man experienced slight abasement, for he saw a clutter of young rabbits cowering their maltreated ears as close to their backs as possible. Being a compassionate soul at heart, he apologised graciously, surrendering the rest of his dinner as an offering of peace. The curious things fluffed closer, noses twitching, uncertain with this new intruder. Then again, the succulent tomatoes off the sandwich were so enticing; the bunnies' stomachs gave in, paying no heed to their mother's grave warnings of creatures as cunning and as devious as humans.
"Yo! Terry!"
Hearing his name, the man's azure eyes swiveled to the caller's direction, body stilled, so as not to appall the rabbits. Cobalt met crimson ones, a fast; yet powerful battle. A flash of recognition, and Terry acknowledged the intruder's presence with a trademark grin.
"How's your training?"
The youth nodded enthusiastically, his immediate reaction confirmed Terry's casual assumptions. He had a short rush of platinum blond hair, and like Terry's; were soft as satin. Throwing himself onto the waves of grass beside the older man, he returned Terry's grin with a similar one of his own.
"Fun!"
"That's good.OW OW OW ROCK! What'cha doing?"
The boy burst into fits of laughter, immensely enjoying himself with prodding into Terry's injuries. Alarmed at the blatant sounds, the bunnies sprung off in a hurry; determined never to step close to a noisy human ever again in their little lives, even if those rowdy beings were so kind as to offer delicious morsels of tomatoes. Rock casually noted the sudden scurry of fluff, and gave the older man a rueful shrug.
"Had a fight with Mai?"
Terry blushed furiously, and let out a hearty laugh.
"Oh shut up.I had to stop her from scratching Andy to bits, don't I?"
"True, true."
Rock chuckled while handing a neatly wrapped parcel to Terry. The older man accepted smoothly, and gave the chestnut-coloured box a strange glance. As Terry pried both wrappings and lid off the box, he sniffed in a mock fastidious fashion while eyeing its contents; and then he threw a cheekily suspicious expression.
"Rock Howard, you trying to poison me?"
"Heavens, no."
"Then what is this gook in the box?"
"Food."
"YOU CALL THIS FOOD?"
"And very delicious at that. I made it myself."
"Ah, I see. So you're unintentionally trying to poison me."
"HEY!"
The youth laughed as he lunged a half-hearted fist to box Terry's stupid grin off his face. Terry parried with the ease of a proficient martial artist, and returned Rock's knuckles with a deft one of his own, stopping only a hair's width from the target. Stunned, Rock sat paralysed for a brief moment before cocking his head to one side, and issuing a boyish grin. It wasn't long before his smile was replaced by a queer look of intense seriousness one could hardly associate with a growing youth.
"I can never surpass you."
"Ah, but you haven't really tried."
The older man stretched long and luxuriously, ending his straightening with a rudely enormous yawn, arms over his head and across the grass. He eyed the bento once more, and turned over to rest on his stomach, deciding to eat the gunk if it meant satisfying the boy.
". . .You don't have to eat it if you don't like it."
"It's the thought that counts. Besides, we'll part soon, and I don't know when I can taste your crappy cooking again."
At the mention of his sensei's leaving, Rock could not help but wear a forlorn expression on his face. He snuck a glance at the sprawled figure beside him, and sighed faintly. He had expected, but was not prepared. It was all too sudden, too soon.
"Sometimes I wished I'd never grow up."
"And depend on me all your life?" Terry's voice sounded slightly annoyed.
"This is why you can never defeat me! You rely too much. How can you ever be strong then?"
Silence.
"That's why I have to go, Rock." The man's voice smoothened once more, in a gentle, but firm manner.
Rock made no reply. For he knew, nothing could stop the Garou. Terry pressed the empty bento into his disciple's limp hands, stood up, and brushed the grass off his knees with his cap. He picked up the canvas tote bag and turned to leave.
"You abandoning me now, Terry? The same way my father abandoned me?"
This time, Terry did not answer. Instead, he trudged through the immense fields, oblivious to the other man's question. That, probably, was his unspoken answer. As his silhouette slowly diminishes into the moonlit night, Rock made a tight-fisted vow.
"So I shall need no one to guide my path from now. I will be the Miburo you force me to become, father, and the Garou mightier than Terry."
- End -
The winds were frigid, yet somewhat comforting, as tresses of its gentle breeze tousled his blond hair. Aureate strands flagged generously behind, creating streams of golden silk so amiable that the beholder would be tempted to touch.
His ruptured crimson vest bloodied the moonlight and its soft splendour. Peeling his cap off, he sighed. Earlier as he trudged through the lazy evening boulevard, he had an unavoidable brawl with a particularly long- nailed, short-tempered, bosom friend.
"Trust me to help Andy with Mai."
After a seemingly endless walk, he finally reached grounds where plateaus of lush green stretched beyond, lacing the earth with its verdant resonance. The terrain had a spectacular view of dusk, and the subtle blues complimented its greenish radiance. Sedges trimmed the plains, soft as tissue; their gentle blades leaning towards the delicate bask of moonlight. Sapphire skies splashed its glory across the scenery, studded generously with glitter. A heavy sigh settled into the ether, along with the dull thud of a tote bag.
Groaning, he grasped his left shoulder, kneading a sore joint. After selecting a commodious-looking grassy spot, he thumped butt-first on his temporary home and proceeded to nurse some mean injuries, particularly those caused by blazing fans and oversized busts. He took a luxurious stretch and regretted almost immediately.
"Argh!"
Every move he made had ached. And with every ache, he winced. He started ranting in bursts of colourful potpourri, which made him feel somewhat half as miserable as he thought he initially was. When finished, however, the young man experienced slight abasement, for he saw a clutter of young rabbits cowering their maltreated ears as close to their backs as possible. Being a compassionate soul at heart, he apologised graciously, surrendering the rest of his dinner as an offering of peace. The curious things fluffed closer, noses twitching, uncertain with this new intruder. Then again, the succulent tomatoes off the sandwich were so enticing; the bunnies' stomachs gave in, paying no heed to their mother's grave warnings of creatures as cunning and as devious as humans.
"Yo! Terry!"
Hearing his name, the man's azure eyes swiveled to the caller's direction, body stilled, so as not to appall the rabbits. Cobalt met crimson ones, a fast; yet powerful battle. A flash of recognition, and Terry acknowledged the intruder's presence with a trademark grin.
"How's your training?"
The youth nodded enthusiastically, his immediate reaction confirmed Terry's casual assumptions. He had a short rush of platinum blond hair, and like Terry's; were soft as satin. Throwing himself onto the waves of grass beside the older man, he returned Terry's grin with a similar one of his own.
"Fun!"
"That's good.OW OW OW ROCK! What'cha doing?"
The boy burst into fits of laughter, immensely enjoying himself with prodding into Terry's injuries. Alarmed at the blatant sounds, the bunnies sprung off in a hurry; determined never to step close to a noisy human ever again in their little lives, even if those rowdy beings were so kind as to offer delicious morsels of tomatoes. Rock casually noted the sudden scurry of fluff, and gave the older man a rueful shrug.
"Had a fight with Mai?"
Terry blushed furiously, and let out a hearty laugh.
"Oh shut up.I had to stop her from scratching Andy to bits, don't I?"
"True, true."
Rock chuckled while handing a neatly wrapped parcel to Terry. The older man accepted smoothly, and gave the chestnut-coloured box a strange glance. As Terry pried both wrappings and lid off the box, he sniffed in a mock fastidious fashion while eyeing its contents; and then he threw a cheekily suspicious expression.
"Rock Howard, you trying to poison me?"
"Heavens, no."
"Then what is this gook in the box?"
"Food."
"YOU CALL THIS FOOD?"
"And very delicious at that. I made it myself."
"Ah, I see. So you're unintentionally trying to poison me."
"HEY!"
The youth laughed as he lunged a half-hearted fist to box Terry's stupid grin off his face. Terry parried with the ease of a proficient martial artist, and returned Rock's knuckles with a deft one of his own, stopping only a hair's width from the target. Stunned, Rock sat paralysed for a brief moment before cocking his head to one side, and issuing a boyish grin. It wasn't long before his smile was replaced by a queer look of intense seriousness one could hardly associate with a growing youth.
"I can never surpass you."
"Ah, but you haven't really tried."
The older man stretched long and luxuriously, ending his straightening with a rudely enormous yawn, arms over his head and across the grass. He eyed the bento once more, and turned over to rest on his stomach, deciding to eat the gunk if it meant satisfying the boy.
". . .You don't have to eat it if you don't like it."
"It's the thought that counts. Besides, we'll part soon, and I don't know when I can taste your crappy cooking again."
At the mention of his sensei's leaving, Rock could not help but wear a forlorn expression on his face. He snuck a glance at the sprawled figure beside him, and sighed faintly. He had expected, but was not prepared. It was all too sudden, too soon.
"Sometimes I wished I'd never grow up."
"And depend on me all your life?" Terry's voice sounded slightly annoyed.
"This is why you can never defeat me! You rely too much. How can you ever be strong then?"
Silence.
"That's why I have to go, Rock." The man's voice smoothened once more, in a gentle, but firm manner.
Rock made no reply. For he knew, nothing could stop the Garou. Terry pressed the empty bento into his disciple's limp hands, stood up, and brushed the grass off his knees with his cap. He picked up the canvas tote bag and turned to leave.
"You abandoning me now, Terry? The same way my father abandoned me?"
This time, Terry did not answer. Instead, he trudged through the immense fields, oblivious to the other man's question. That, probably, was his unspoken answer. As his silhouette slowly diminishes into the moonlit night, Rock made a tight-fisted vow.
"So I shall need no one to guide my path from now. I will be the Miburo you force me to become, father, and the Garou mightier than Terry."
- End -