TxW: Never Alone, Forever Together

Chapter 8: The Rundown

Tari POV:

I stood outside the building, staring at where I would compete in a video game tournament, one more time...

It had been a long, but very happy week of training", I thought to myself, "but the fight's not over until I come out with that win. I owe it to all my friends!"

I took a deep breath in, and then a deep breath out, as I proceeded to walk into the building

I walked up to the concession stand, ready to enter myself into the tournament

"I'm here to compete", I said with confidence

"Psh, after last time?", I heard a familiar, by which I mean very aggravating, voice behind me say, "doubtful"

It was, of course, Evelyn attempting to put me down again

"Don't you have anything better to do than harass me like this?", I said with a slightly aggressive tone

"Sure, but when you're the daughter of the coolest dad in the world", she said, with a very smug tone in her voice, "you learn to honor the small stuff..."

"Speaking of dads... where's yours again?", she said with a sadistic smile, "Who even raised you anyways, that depressed clown I keep seeing on the streets with the rats?"

"Nothing but a weak, sad, utter little embarrassment who's going to get dunked on the same way she's done so every other time she's stepped foot in my tournament", she said, with a mocking tone, as if she wanted me to lose my cool and assault her on the spot, "because why wouldn't a loser like you stick to what she knows? That's just who, you, are..."

I felt a great rage within myself. I was tempted to give in and give her the knuckle sandwich she was asking her, more tempted than even I could conceive

But I remembered what Kaizo and Saiko said to me about anger. "Harness it, give it the form you want", the words echoed in my head, as I took a deep breath, and sparked a fire within myself

"Well, if that's really all I am..." I said with a smug tone and a chuckle, "then I guess you giving me so much attention to me says a lot about you!"

"See you in the tournament", I said, as I proceeded to walk into the room where the tournament would take place, "that is... if you actually think you stand a chance"

I saw a very angry look on her face. I could tell she wasn't happy with how badly I owned her. She tried to put me down like always with her insults and her verbal abuse, but now? I'm just adding that to the list of reasons to take her down

"I know I'm not the type to want to embarrass anyone in front of a huge group of people...", I thought to myself, "but if Evelyn wants to beat me so badly, then I guess I'll make an exception here

Nearly an hour had passed, until the announcer revealed that everyone competing in this tournament had arrived. The tournament would now begin

My first opponent was Frankie, a mushroom kid with glasses who I've always found quite endearing. It's a shame he's my first opponent, though I suppose I'm better to deal with than Evelyn...

"I've got this..." I thought to myself

"3...2...1... GO!", the announcer said, staring the beginning round

It was me with Yoshi verses Frankie with King Dedede

I started out with a charged rolling attack, but King Dedede dodged it. Frankie then tried to hit me with a slightly charged thruster hammer, but I had Yoshi dodge this and land behind King Dedede. Yoshi then ate King Dedede and kicked him as an egg