DDLC: Element Guardians! (Sayonika + Natsyuri)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Running In Pain

We lined up to face a patch of thick trees.

Our starting line.

The wooden stick was in front of us, ready to guide and taunt us. Mrs. Smith called out from behind us where she sat at the table, sipping her tea. "Ready?"

"Why does she get to do all the easy work?" Natsuki growls quietly.

"Yeah!" Sayori calls back, giggling.

"We don't even know how long the run will be.." Yuri mentioned quietly.

"Who cares?" Natsuki said back. "We'll just prove to her that we can do this. She's underestimating us."

"Get set.."

"Go!" Mrs. Smith yelled. Amused. The wooden stick flew forward and into the forest, starting the run.

The race.

I darted forward, letting my legs push off the grassy ground. We weren't told where we were running in, what the track looked like, or how long it was. Which meant I needed to maintain a steady pace.

The problem was that they were also maintaining the same pace, trees flying past the sides of my vision, the branch continued to move faster straight.

You can catch it. Just go faster.

All neck in neck, I quickened my pace, the sounds of my breathing coming into rhythm with my steps. Sayori sped up. Then Natsuki. I couldn't see Yuri.

Why are they speeding up? Do they realize that this is a competition too? Do they want to win just as bad?

I moved faster, running to the left as a tree stood in the way. The stick still remained un harmed, continuing forward at a rather quick speed.

"Sayori!" Natsuki called from behind me. She slowed down. I ran faster, hearing a faint, "Thanks!" And "Watch out for trees, you klutz!"

They were behind me now. Good. Even though I am going at a faster pace than I would like, I stick to it. As long as they are behind, they don't matter.

Focus on the stick. What a trick. Only a fool would do that. You make sure you are going at a right speed, make sure you know your surroundings in a second. Make sure you know where your competition is.

I glance behind me, a risky move. Natsuki and Sayori are both side by side, soon catching up, as Yuri is not on this side.

A few minutes pass and we continued to run deeper in the forest, jumping past tree roots and branches. I glanced to the other side. Yuri. Maintaining a fast pace, her violet eyes directly at me.

Green meets Purple.

Her eyes were only cold, deep. Not the sparkle when she's deep in thought, but when she's worried or upset. Annoyed.

Focus. You can't get distracted.

Keep running. More time flys by as quick as our surroundings. No one says anything. The trees eco our footsteps and the noises of dirt sliding under our feet.

The stick turns right. We turn right. The stick turns left. We turn left. The stick floats straight. We run in a straight path.

I was still in the front, energy seeming to try and distract me. Making me feel the pain of my burning legs and then making me feel replenished and full. Confusing. But not distracting.

The stick is still in the very front. If only I can get closer. Are we coming to the end?

We follow it. Like a leader. That's life. The first one is always the leader. The others follow. But I'm not a follower. I'm a winner.