*Click*
I considered myself lucky to only have my hair to get mangled in a couple of branches. I spent most of my time trying to keep my hair out of my mouth. By the time I was a foot over the trees, I felt a weight against my back that slowed my fall but couldn’t prevent my drop into the crown.
I managed to hang on to the branches and give a cursory glance over the scenic woodlands. I was bummed to not be able to see or make out anything. I wasn’t too surprised. This was one of the worse places for me anyways.
‘Odd… Not even a single bug around…’
(Hello?)
Within my psyche, the three specters were hanging out together in one room riddled with pillows in their pajamas. Bearing witness to everything from a grand projection screen
B: (ROLL CALL! JACK!) The pasty child with a giant green baker boy hat sliding off his head stood his ground, pumping his fist into the air with his trusty satchel by his side. With his striped pjs, as you can guess…. brown.
S: (Ella.) Raising a black-gloved hand atop her sun-kissed skin and giggling to their heart’s content, sticking to an aesthetic all their own in a rich navy nightgown transitioning to a black night sky with white dots speckled across the trimming.
(Hotaru!)
M: (Mn…) Finally, burying himself in pile after pile of pillows from the others was a burly figure dressed similarly to Kohaku now actually. Only that he was in a black wife beater and gray sweatpants.
(Still a sloth.)
M: (Still single.) Popping his head out of the pile with his hair unkempt kept his eyes hidden but if you were able to see his face, it’d probably have dark bags under his eyes.
(Urk!)
B: (And a 1, and a 2… Ding Ding! She’s out! We have our winner!) Jack raised the arm of our resident grumpy boy with a little struggle just to be met with no resistance.
S: (Woo!) (Ella)
(You’re all bullies.) I pouted, keeping watch of my periphery.
M: (I’m going back to sleep.)
(W-wait!)
M: (What is it now?)
(Why aren’t there any creatures around this tree?)
M: (...You may want to check on yourself first.)
B: (He’s right, he’s right!) (Jack)
I couldn’t find anything odd about my appearance; the outfit was the same as before, and it wasn’t until I picked leaves out of my hair that I brushed the tip of my ears.
“Wha-, no way!” They were a little longer than before ending in a point.
B: (Careful!) (Jack)
“Whoa!”
M: (She’ll never learn.)
(Not if you don’t tell me!)
M: (Mn…)
(Ella!)
S: (What? I was happy to you having fun, you’re an elf here and there now.) (Ella)
(Ehehe~... B-But watching me fall!)
S: (I’m sure you’re too busy fantasizing to hear us anyways.) (Ella)
(... Sorry…) I got up and scuffed the dirt off my pants, uselessly trying to hide my red face when I heard them laughing before a yellow panel blinked into existence.
<Quest: Tag! You’re it!>
-Join your allies in finding a wonderful partner!
-What is it that you need?
-Question Answered- ERROR!
‘Again?!’
<...Join your allies in finding a wonderful partner!>
<0/4>
<Accept or Decline>
S: (You won’t be able to hear us for a little bit if you click it, we’ll still be here. Whatever you get is what you want to help you get by. Got that, sugar?) (Ella)
(Mhm.)
S: (Good. Remember though, call us when you need to. We’re still here for you, the reward might not be as grand though.) (Ella)
(And then we’re done?)
M:(And then we’re done for now.)
(...Right…)
B: (Good luck!) (Jack)
S: (You’ll do just fine.) (Ella)
M: (We still have people to annoy after this.)
(Yes, we do!)
I clicked the accept button and watched as my surroundings’ greenery faded. The once verdant leaves were now a cobalt blue and the wood was drained of color, making this dreary gray. The grass was a darker shade, nearly black.
I could’ve sworn I felt a sharp gaze against my neck and when I turned to face it, a surge of power warmed my body. I could barely make out the wad of color flickering as it moved further from me. I felt like it was calling out to me.
Before I realized it, I was hopping through the trees after it. It was so familiar… the wind rushing past my face when I leaped. The small thud that came with each of my landings was becoming more of a whisper. The exhilaration I found whenever I chased like I’ve done it all before.
Reaching out to the figment of memory on the edge of my mind while something tried to bind me to the ground.
‘To never be caught off guard again, nothing will stop my path to glory!’
With every inch of focus, I dragged that memory closer and closer until I grasped it and watched the hustle and bustling of the city amid the night. One person making their escape with a silver briefcase under their arm.
‘Target is on the move.’
I kicked off the wall and dragged my hand back, not held by the problems with my status, not bound to the person I once was. This was me.
It was like the trees and shrubbery were just a figment of my imagination. A small blip crossed through the see-through splotches that made up my obstacles. C’mon, I knew what I had to say next.
“Lock on.”
[SUMMONED SOUL BOUND]
I couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to the locked leather-bound book going from a dull brown to a rich maroon. Everything was laid out for me with this memory however, it was missing something.
A cherry on top of this dessert. So, why not implement what I learned during my time here?
‘Keep it small, keep it small, keep it small!’
‘Snake, Dragon, Rabbit, Tiger!’
“Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu” (Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu)
Now listen, listen… It was the only one I knew; I mean who wants to teach their kid how to play with fire at the age of 6?
… Okay, I would. That’s not the point though!
Besides, it wasn’t harming anybody with what I was doing.
[Shift]
It was out of my range, but something pushed me to take the chance. Instantly, I was ahead of the white streak and ground my foot firmly into the dirt pathway. It landed right into my arms, and I stood there. My arms wrapped around the fluffy sensation, warm to the touch.
“Ha…ha… Got you.”
I managed to shut off the chakra going through my eyes so I could finally peer at what I was chasing down for so long.
“Well done.” The cutest thing caught my eyes in the form of a white rabbit with eyes as lavender as mine.
[Shift → Flicker Technique]
<Fire Style: Dragon Fire → Fire Bolt>
<2/4>
“Oh, so things will translate now?” (Hotaru)
“Of course, that is my job after all.”
“Great, I’ve been meaning to do this then.” (Hotaru)
“Hm?”
I launched a fire bolt into the distance before snickering, “Have fun!”
“What are you-”
[Stealth] [Shift]
[Stealth → Transparent Escape Technique]
The ear-screeching squeal I heard in the distance was enough for me to break stealth and cackle on the ground.
‘That’s what they get for making me run a mile! Good luck, little bunny!’
“Man, that was refreshing… Now wha-” (Hotaru)
‘Uh oh.’
I turned to watch the same fire hit one of the trees and sit there for a minute.
“Ahh….” (Hotaru)
The fire fully encompassed the tree.
FWOOSH!
“Ahhhhh!” (Hotaru)
‘Not again!’
Then a small section of the forest was lit a flame.
“AHHH!!!” (Hotaru)
‘SHIT! HOW DO I MAKE IT STOP?!!!’
“Ah fuck, fuck, fuck! WATER JUTSU!”
‘How did it go again?’
I paced back and forth trying to jog my brain and the fire was growing and growing. Until-
“OUCH! HOT! AHH!” I was dumbfounded by the white hair person running through looking goopy through everything like the fire was the least of their worries.
SPLOOSH
HISS~
“MOVE YOU FOOL!” If that wasn’t enough, it sounded like a pompous guy was yelling at me while the flames died down.
“I DON’T WANNA DIE- HI-HI!!!”
“What the” (Hotaru)
“RUN IF YOU DON’T WANT TO DIE, WOMAN!” I didn’t think twice before listening to the screaming squirrel after meeting that rabbit.
We took off sprinting. Our sandals pounded against the bleak grass.
“WHAT ARE WE RUNNING FROM?!” (Hotaru)
BOOM! BOOM! Two trees behind us started to tilt over, I took that as enough of a sign to not look back as I shared a dreaded look with water boy, puckering his mouth.
I was already weary from my little hunt and that exhaustion was taking its toll. I could barely keep up with Kohaku when a hole was jutted through a tree in the middle of us.
“Ha…We gotta… split up!” (Kohaku)
‘WHY DIDN’T WE DO THAT SOONER?!!!’
“H-How is he still running?” (Hotaru)
“Who said I was running?”
A chill ran down my spine from the peppy voice behind me. I slowly turned my head just to feel the cold breeze before an arrow struck the ground and sealed our fate.
If it wasn’t for the surge of warmth I felt from my hand, I don’t think I would’ve been conscious to see what happened next.
I could barely move out of my frozen prison when a slow clap began. Each one coming in closer and closer, with my clan I recognized a minor genjutsu any day. I had just enough strength to surge the chakra in my eyes a little too late. “Well done, I must say.” (Hanashi)
The only chakra source used I found at first was Kohaku’s hand in mine. While Hanashi stared at the two of us unblinking.
‘What?’
Truly neutral, would be the way I described him. From the look on his face to the walk, even his chakra never circulated energy aside from its normal operations.
“Ah~. That’s quite a discovery we got right here. I’m sorry but, I need to cut things short. After all, the two of us aren’t in the best state to keep playing around. Usami, if you will?” I caught a faint light coming off Hanashi’s shoulders.
“I-Isn’t this a little much?” A familiar small white rabbit hopped by his side.
“...No. They’re destroying the point of this quest, are they not?” (Hanashi)
“...Y-” (Usami)
“I’d rather not keep those waiting any longer. So, before you give me some spiel, how much time has passed?” (Hanashi)
Usami’s ears flopped over as she turned her gaze to the ground. “... 10-.”
“I think that’s plenty, thanks for making this easy by the way.” With the sheer shattering of the thick ice by my head and the small appearance of a blue bird on a branch, the screen reappeared.
<4/4>
<QUEST: Tag! You’re it!- COMPLETED>
<DETERMINING REWARDS BY PLACEMENT>
<1st- Kohaku>
<2nd- Hotaru>
<3rd- Makoto>
<4th- Hanashi>
<THANKS FOR PLAYING!>
I felt like I had a massive migraine by the time I woke up. It made me glad I played sick as my excuse to sleep.
“Ugh...”
*Click*
