Beyond the Tests: Chao / Arc

Beyond the Tests: Chao / Arc

## **Ground Flight**

The rabbit was outside enjoying the morning sun when something unusual happened. The ground began to glow.

Being a rabbit, the unsuspecting creature only panicked for a small amount of time. Then the pounding of several large creatures dashing toward it caught the rabbit’s attention. Again, it only ran around senselessly for a few moments until it felt safe. The rabbit then went on with its daily routine. Until, of course, the already fragile ground began to rumble with intense power. In the last moments of the rabbit’s life, all it could do was hide until the world caved in around it.

———

Chao, to say the least, was not certain how he had managed to catch up with the others, but he had. Under normal circumstances, he would have hid until they had passed by. But, as anyone could see, these were not normal circumstances. It would be hard to hide himself in this rocky landscape anyway, as his bright white pelt and red eyes made him easy to spot. He hoped that there wasn’t much more distance to cover. Then again, he had spent his entire life running away from one danger or another. The only difference was that the ground was much less forgiving than cats.

He took deep breath after deep breath, pacing himself in spite of his racing heart. He would not fail his first Test. He didn’t even have a power yet. He was farther from the other cats now. He needed to hunt and rest. The day was drawing to an end, anyway. The squirrel he had caught earlier had just managed to get him through the day. “Well, another day, another challenge.” He chuckled to himself. This would be his motto until the end of his days. Unless, of course, he passed the Tests. Then his days would be much less numbered.

## **Emeralds**

Chao stared at an empty Twoleg den, wondering what had happened to cause such desolation. Had monsters driven the population away, and torn the city apart? As he scanned the wreckage around him, he decided that there was no way that the large creatures could have done so much damage, even if there were several of them. As he walked around, light flashing on something caught his eye, and Chao took a closer look. He carefully reached out with his paw, touched it, and jumped back. He looked down at his paw, and saw a thin line of blood across his pad. He hissed at himself, cursing his stupidity, and instead withered some of the plants that were obscuring his view. What he saw took his breath away. There was a white emerald trapped under a strange looking piece of metal. He knew that he needed to get it out; it couldn’t be left here. He activated his fire, and began burning a hole in the plants, clearing a path to the perfectly cut gem. After a while, he was able to reach his prize, and he pulled it out of its odd container. Chao looked at the emeralds on his paw. “Three down, four to go.” He was very close to completing his life mission. And as he looked at a black tom with dark orange splotches, he realized he already knew where another of the mysterious emeralds were.

## **Flame**

Flame was an interesting element. Every force of nature had a good and a bad side. Water gave life when consumed, but breathing it in could kill. Air occasionally created large storms in the sky, carrying everything they touched into the clouds, never to be seen again. But fire wasn’t the same. Fire only burned, devouring anything it made contact with.

And Arc was no exception.

If he were a normal cat, Arc wouldn’t stand a chance against nature’s deadliest creation. But in this corrupted state, he almost embraced it. He found that he didn’t need to feel pain any longer. Every injury he sustained burst into flames, deadening the sensation. Even after Palm had accidentally extinguished the fires he had started on himself, all he felt was a dull ache. But ever since that encounter, his powers had weakened considerably.

Because of this, he may not make it out of the Tests alive. . .