Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Bound Together ❯ Always Smiling ( Chapter 1 )

Bound Together

 

Chapter 1

Always Smiling

 

The still of the dark night was halted by the sound of heavy feat. Leaves crackled as feet padded hard against the forest floor. The reflection of the blue moon reflected itself in the dew and the fresh puddles of rain. The sounds of crickets were slowly beginning to stir once again and a light breeze was shifting the tops of the trees.

 

Ragged, tired voices heaved in the cool crisp air. A dark figure thrusts against the other and a loud gasp echoed shortly after contact. In retaliation, the shadowed figure gripped the figure in front of him and pushed him back. The figure flew back towards a black trunk of a tree. It limply fell and as it hit the ground with a soft thud, leaves and water splashed and scattered everywhere. The other figure advanced slowly upon the slumped shadow.

 

“Get up.” He commanded and halted shortly in front of the slumped figure.

 

The figure sitting on the ground slowly responded. He placed his right arm in front of him and slowly hoisted himself up. Even in the dark, his smile could still be seen. He stumbled slowly and leaned back against the trunk of the tree.

 

“Tai-Shi can't…” He laughed.

 

“You're a damned fool, you know that? Smiling, even during something like this. Come on, we'll call it a night.” He said, not being able to help himself from smiling. He laughed lightly as he helped the figure to stand upright against him.

 

“No, Tai-Li, Tai-Shi wants to practice more.” Tai-Shi whined slightly as he tried to push back against Tai-Li to stand on his own.

 

“You're going to…” He paused, “no…” Tai-Li said suddenly became frighten when he heard whistles and saw fire from lanterns not to far away from them. “Come on Tai-Shi, if they catch you out here they will beat you again.” Tai-Li quickly grabbed his brother's arm and slowly pulled him away from the tree and out to the middle of the secluded area.

 

“Tai-Li should go. Father would be angry with Tai-Li if he finds Tai-Li with Tai-Shi.” Tai-Shi gently fell again, pulling himself from his brother's grasp.

 

“Tai-Shi…” Tai-Li said, not wanting to leave Tai-Shi behind again.

 

“Tai-Shi is used to it. Tai-Shi will be in his room later all alone. Tai-Li comes back then.” Tai-Shi smiled brightly to his older brother.

 

Tai-Li heard the heavy footsteps closing in. He reluctantly let go of his feeling of letting his brother get caught and ran off in the opposite direction from which the footsteps had been coming from. Tai-Shi smiled as he fell against the dirt and sighed. The guards finally came to the small secluded area and surrounded Tai-Shi.

 

“We found him.” The guard sighed in relief. “Tai-Shi, why do this? You know what will happen when we take you back inside.” Tai-Shi smiled up at the guard and the guard looked away, not wanting to see the innocent look on Tai-Shi's face. It hurt him, to see the boy smile, evening knowing what will come after his return.

 

“Father will acknowledge Tai-Shi. Tai-Shi will be alive in Father's thoughts when Father sees Tai-Shi.” Tai-Shi said happily, closing his good eye and imagined the picture in his head.

 

The guards sighed as they picked Tai-Shi up and slowly and led him off to the Master's chambers. “Tai-Shi, stop running away, please. We don't like doing this.”

 

~ * ~

 

Tai-Li ran into the kitchen in tears. The light of the fires revealed a tall handsome man, just almost in his twentieth year. His hair brown and cut short. His emerald eyes closed as he collapsed to the dirt-covered floor in tears, dirtying his wet, green cheongsam. By now the guards should be in front of his Father. One of the kitchen maids ran over to Tai-Li and kneeled down next to him.

 

“Young Master, what's wrong?” She asked wiping his cheeks free of the salty liquid.

 

“Tai-Shi is-is…” He couldn't finish. He wept harder. Times like these made the grown man seem but only a child.

 

“Shh, your brother is strong. Young Master, he will smile for you when you see him next. Just wait a while longer.” She said, trying to soothe Tai-Li.

 

~ * ~

 

The doors opened with a rumble and the guards threw Tai-Shi at the feet of their Master. He looked down at the boy struggling to kneel in front of him. The light blue trousers, torn and dirty, lay in heaps on the floor around him. The boy was much older now. He was sixteen. His build was small, and he had some muscle tone. His light blue eye stared up happily at the man before him. Upon the boy's face were small scars and bandages. He wore an eye patch over his right eye because of an accident when he was younger.

 

“Trying to escape again? Do you know what happens to dogs when they try to escape?” Master Kay said looking down at the small blond haired boy. Master Kay, having not changed too much throughout all the years, his light colored hair had turned to a light gray, but he still looked as vibrant as ever. Tai-Shi smiled up at his father, having his full attention. “They are beaten and chained.” He said coldly as he waved his hand. Tai-Shi was quickly taken off to his punishment.

 

~ * ~

 

The castle was quiet before Tai-Li covered his ears. Hearing the yells from the guards upstairs soon to come, and they did. “I don't want to hear this!” Tai-Li yelled, shaking upon the floor gripping his head tightly, trying to block out all noises.

 

“Tai-Li! Calm down!” The kitchen maids surrounded him trying to get him to stop.

 

“Cry!” Brutal yells rang out through the halls. “Scream!” The voice said commandingly. “Do something! Why don't you cry?” Countless more shouts were heard.

 

“Tai-Li!” Came the voice of his father through the halls.

 

“Young Master…please make yourself decent. If your father finds you like this, he will punish you too…” The kitchen maid said, as she looked towards the door as it flew open.

 

It was already too late. Master Kay burst through the door and saw Tai-Li on the ground in a heap. He quickly walked over to his son and the kitchen maids moved, knowing there was nothing they could do as they watched Master Kay kick Tai-Li over onto his left side.

 

Tai-Li let go of his head and grabbed his stomach when he felt the sudden pain, finally being brought out of his moment of hysterics.

 

“Tai-Li! Follow me.” His father ordered and Tai-Li did as he was told. He shakily rose from the stone floor and then to his shaky feet.

 

Master Kay walked down the elaborate hallways that led to a certain room that Tai-Li had wanted to avoid at all costs, especially now. He opened the door and the sound of a chains rattling and a whip snapping was heard.

 

“Come here Tai-Li. There is no reason to cry over a dog being whipped.” He said coldly, ordering his son over to watch the sight beyond the door.

 

Tai-Li numbly walked forward, almost in a daze as he approached the door. Another sound of a whip cracking made him flinch as he closed his eyes and looked away from the door.

 

“Look!” Master Kay knew well that Tai-Li was with Tai-Shi earlier. He knew that his son had disobeyed him, so he was going to try and make it so that he wouldn't go near Tai-Shi, if by means of showing exactly what they did to him.

 

Tai-Li slowly turned his head to the door and opened his eyes slowly. Tears welled up as he saw his brother chained from the ceiling. The eye patch that was around his right eye had fallen off and laid, stained-red, on the floor below him. Tai-Shi looked up and weakly smiled to Tai-Li as a small trail of blood outlined his cheekbones. The guards behind him held a black whip tightly in his hand and lashed it at Tai-Shi's back. Tai-Shi winced slightly but he did not make a sound. Tai-Li silently cried seeing the sight before him. He saw the bloodied chains the small puddles of blood below his brother's body.

 

Master Kay smiled as he looked over to his son beside him: “See what happens when you spend time with him? He gets hurt because of you.”

 

Tai-Li turned and ran back towards his own room. He ran so fast that when he got to his room he collapsed again. His legs having no will to move. He cried upon the floor. Why did he have such a horrible father…one that was this cruel to anyone? Why did his mother have to leave them alone? So many questions that was unable to be answered.

 

“Damn this family, damn it to hell…” He wept upon the floor where he soon passed out.

 

~ * ~

 

Latter in the night, Tai-Li awoke, cold on the floor. His room was dark and he knew that the night was late. He was still light headed and he didn't feel too well as he slowly stood. His legs were shaky as he slowly opened his door. He heard a tap and looked down at the small medical kit at his feet. One of the kitchen maids must have placed it there for him to use on Tai-Shi. He picked it up and had already taken off to Tai-Shi's room.

 

Upon sneaking through the halls, he finally reached his brother's room. He slowly opened it so not to make a sound and quickly went in. He closed the door behind him and with a match; he reached up and lit a small torch in the room. Tai-Shi hung from the ceiling above. The boy's blond hair was now streaked, and his body stained with red. He slowly stirred when Tai-Li lit the torch.

 

“Father?” Tai-Shi weakly asked looking up, squinting his good eye.

 

“No Tai-Shi, it's Tai-Li. You know father won't come…” Tai-Li said quietly as he opened the kit and walked over towards his brother. He took a small cloth and padded his brother's cuts and bruises gently. “Why don't you ever cry…all you ever do is smile…” He said weakly, his lip quivering softly.

 

“Tai-Li no cry…Tai-Shi—”

 

“Speak correctly Tai-Shi…you're not a child anymore.” Tai-Li sighed.

 

“Don't cry. I don't want to hear Tai-Li cry.” Tai-Shi said sadly, closing his left eye so that Tai-Li could dab it.

 

Tai-Li dropped the cloth and grabbed another clean one. “If you cry…or yell…the guards wont have to keep hitting you.”

 

“But it doesn't bother Tai—me.” Tai-Shi corrected himself.

 

“Then pretend Tai-Shi…for me.” Tai-Li pleaded to his younger brother.

 

“Alright…I will pretend from now on.” Tai-Shi said softly.

 

Tai-Li dropped the second pad and leaned against Tai-Shi. He placed his head on Tai-Shi's right shoulder and softly cried. He couldn't stand seeing his brother in this state.

 

“Tai-Li, don't cry.” Tai-Shi said nuzzling his older brother softly.

 

“You're all I have here. I don't want you to end up dead. After mother died…father turned cruel.” Tai-Li cried, burring his face into Tai-Shi's stained neck.

 

“Tai-Li…” Tai-Shi said softly, sighing.

 

Tai-Li collected himself slowly and reached down for another pad, going around to his brother's back…knowing the sight he was going to look upon wouldn't be pretty. For the remainder of the morning, he would be cleaning his brother's stained body.

 

“Tai-Li…when can we train again?” He asked curiously.

 

Tai-Li couldn't help but smile, after all that has happened…Tai-Shi still wished to risk it all just for a little training. “When you're all healed. It wouldn't be fair if we trained and you weren't at your best.”

 

“You're just afraid I'll beat you.” Tai-Shi smiled, chuckling softly to himself.

 

“You're a damned fool Tai-Shi…you know that?” Tai-Li laughed to himself as he finished cleaning Tai-Shi.

~*~

Author's Note: Well that's chapter one. I plan to develop more as I think of it. I have a lot of past to cover…and a lot of planning ahead for the future. I hope to read some feedback.

 

Updated: Oh yes…it's been a little over a year since I've edited…only thing I did was fix some grammar…I don't exactly know how to make the chapter longer, but I guess I'll leave it as it is. Also…I noticed something. x.x Upon reading…I noticed I made a medical kit appear out of no where…poof! So I gave a possible reason. Someone left if. =3 only way I can justify it being there…cause I really don't remember how it got there.

 

As I read through the first chapter…I noticed something. My characters have changed… I completely forgot I had Tai-Li be the 20 year old adult o.o. Yes…Tai-Li is about 4 y ear's older…but he's supposed to be in his late teens…as in almost 20 >.>. That was a boo boo…I'll change it here…and in the prologue when I edit that.