Another short chapter here, but I feel that it's necessary in order to create the kinds of moods I want this story to carry through itself.
Davis panted as he caught up to Tai. The guy ran as hard as he could after his friend, almost losing him among the trees at the edge the park.
The few trees.
The few, spaced out trees.
"Dude," He gasped as he stopped. "Don't run off like that. I can't keep up when you take off like that all of a sudden."
Tai looked at Davis with a raised eyebrow. "Didn't you play soccer during high school?"
"I haven't played ever since my knee was ruined in that one game."
"Davis, you scraped your knee on a loose rock. It wasn't that bad."
Davis rolled his eyes. "Not that game."
"I know, now shut up and help me find my sister." Tai looked around. All kinds of people ran around in play. Couples dotted the landscape, some with picnic baskets feeding each other lovingly, while others felt the need to forget that they were in public and prove their love for one another in ways that could only be described as making out against trees.
None of them interested Tai. None of them were the particular couple he was searching for.
"Davis, look around. Try to find them."
Davis scanned the area. "Are you kidding me? How're we supposed to find anybody with all of these people around?"
Tai slowly turned to look at Davis, who hadn't noticed the glare his friend was shooting him.
"I mean, it's like trying to find a needle in a hay-hey!" He pointed out a jogging couple in the distance. One had gray clothes and familiar blue hair, while the other was in a mess of lavender hair and flailing limbs.
"Ken and Yolei! Maybe they've seen Kari and T.K."
Tai's eyes widened. "I hope not. Otherwise, they're in serious trouble."
Davis eyes his friend questioningly. "Why?"
Tai didn't answer. Instead, he ran toward Ken and Yolei without warning. "Dude..." Davis whined as he followed behind.
Ken continued to jog just fine. Years of soccer, Judo and karate helped increase his physical stamina. Yolei dragged herself along. Years of sitting behind computers, writing computer programs and dreaming about living in a high-tech society did nothing to help her stamina. Which is why she felt slightly insulted by the fact that Ken was currently leaving her behind.
"Ken!" She shouted, ignoring the upset looks she drew from families and couples trying to enjoy a peaceful day. "Get back here, you jerk!"
Said genius stopped to turn and see Yolei hunched over in agony. He walked up to her as she wheezed heavily.
"Having an asthma attack?" He asked, half a smile on his face. Yolei, however, was less than amused.
"Remember how we agreed that you'd be on top next time?"
"Yeah..." Ken wasn't sure he liked where this was going.
"Deal's off."
His eyes bugged. "Yolei! That's not fair!"
"Neither is watching you take off without me." She huffed indignantly.
"You were the one who wanted to keep going, you know. I offered to take you back home."
Yolei waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah. I know, I know." She coughed hard, nearly choking on her saliva. Ken patted her on the back to help her clear her airway. Yolei raised her hand as she finished, signaling to her boyfriend to stop.
"I'm okay," she said. "I'll be fine."
"Do you want to go home now?" Yolei shook her head.
"No. Let's get to the middle of the park first, just to say we got there. Then we'll head back." Without giving Ken a chance to answer, Yolei ran toward the center of the park. Ken could only sigh and follow after her, hoping she wasn't pushing herself too hard.
As one gets closer to the center of the park, one would notice that the number of trees increased, minimizing visibility and making a jog harder to maintain.
Kari and T.K. pushed their way through the miniature forest in an effort to reach the middle. Kari brushed a branch out of her way, only to have it whack T.K. in the face when she released it.
"Dammit." T.K. growled as he cupped his cheek. It felt like the branch scraped his sensitive skin.
"Quit crying, T.K." Kari said as she rolled her eyes. "It's not that much farther now."
"I know, but-" Another branch smacked him in the face. "Ow! I hate these trees."
"You know, a real man doesn't have a problem with nature."
"I don't. Nature just seems to have a problem with me."
Kari rolled her eyes again as she continued her way to the center. "It isn't that-ack!"
Yolei hurried her way through the trees. She desperately wanted to get to the park center.
I can get there, she thought to herself. I know I can. She, unfortunately, didn't pay as much mind to the terrain as she probably should have.
Ken followed as closely behind her as he could. He lost ground as he exercised more caution than his overzealous girlfriend.
"Yolei!" He called after her. "Slow down!"
"I can't!" She called back. Ken rolled his eyes.
"Of course you can. You're just choosing not to."
"No! I really can't!" She screamed. "I'm going downhill!" Ken's eyes widened. That wasn't a situation he could find a positive outcome to.
"Hang on!" He called, picking up speed behind her. "I'm coming!" He found the same downhill slope Yolei had stumbled down and continued his pursuit. He only hoped that...
"Yahh!"
...something wouldn't happen.
Tai and Davis made their way through the dense trees. How the hell did the city pull off having a mini forest here, anyway?
"Are you sure they're headed over here?" Davis asked, hoping he wouldn't run into any poison ivy.
"I think so." Tai said, brushing some plants out of his way.
"You think?"
"Yeah. My superior 'Tai' senses are pointing this way."
Davis rolled his eyes. "Aren't those the same senses that digivolved Greymon to Skull-"
"Jun." Tai cut Davis off. Davis delivered as hard of a punch as he could muster to Tai's arm.
"Jackass."
"Bitch." Tai returned the favor in kind, but certainly not kindly. The two commenced to having a small fist-fight between the two of them. Punches flew back and forth between the teen and young adult, guaranteeing the formation of bruises along their chests and arms. Davis threw a stray right hook, catching Tai in the jaw. The Digidestined of Courage reeled back, holding his jaw. Davis stopped his attacks with wide eyes.
"Dude, are you alright?"
Tai flexed his jaw a bit and spit out a touch of blood. "You hit me in the mouth!" He cried.
"I know!" Davis cried as well, flailing his arms about. "I'm sorry!"
"That's very un-bro, Davis! We agreed, no shots to the face!"
"I know!"
"Ack!"
"Yahh!"
Both men turned their heads to the direction the voices came from. They then turned to one another and spoke at once.
"Kari! Yolei!"
Change of plans. Next chapter is going to determine just how big this story is going to truly be.
