ZITAO - or how to take a chance
Over the rainbow, second star to the right and straight on till morning
Huang Zitao wasn't one to complain. Although he was adopted, he felt loved and taken care of. He didn't remember much of his real parents and he didn't want to think about them or look back on this dark time of his life where he had to steal and lie and beg. Zitao hated that. Somewhere he always believed he was destined to be great and that he was surely part of royalty in one of his past lives. The boy also had quite an ego.
So as much as he was grateful to his Colonian family and enjoyed his life on the farm, there was just no way he was ending up here. Tao wanted to travel and see the world. Maybe find a wushu teacher. He learned and practiced alone at night or sneaked out from time to time when he was sent to town to shop for groceries. He was good and he knew it but hid it from his parents and especially his grandma who was too worrisome.
Zitao was now eighteen and a grown man, and he was waiting for his chance to fly away. And this chance came under the name of LuHan, but Tao didn't know that just yet.
"That would be me."
The raven-haired boy was holding his favorite pitchfork -it was his wushu training stick- and stood tall in front of the two strangers. The blond was Chinese, Tao knew being one too, and the other was too smiley for his taste and it was getting a little on his nerves.
"What do you want?"
The words came out harsh but Zitao didn't care. He was still pretty angry at himself for letting that beast get away last week and it ruined his family business. He had to throw some of his frustration away.
"Taozi!" his grandfather warned, implicitly telling his grandson to watch his manners.
"We are not in business currently," Tao said in a monotone voice. "This is a private property. Please leave." And that was him being nice. And Zitao was only nice once.
The blond studied the boy from head to toe and came forward.
"My name is LuHan."
He had a melodious voice that was sweet to the ear and Tao didn't like that. He was weary of people who looked like angels because they were mostly devils inside.
"What do you want?" the tall boy asked again but before LuHan could say anything, the chestnut-haired man answered.
"You," he said with his smiley face and the captain wanted to face palm because that totally came out wrong.
"We need you to come with us," the blond added, trying to clear things. "It won't be long."
This was getting more and more suspicious but Tao had to admit it felt nice to get out of the daily routine.
"Why?" the raven-haired boy asked, knowing he probably wouldn't get an answer.
"There's someone who wants to meet you," the short man explained. "But he can't come out, so we're taking you to him."
"Who?"
"Just come with us, will you." LuHan wanted to get this over with because he had a lot on his mind and he wanted to put SeHun at ease as soon as possible.
Zitao was still on the defensive but complied. He could totally take those two down and even if there was more, the self-claimed wushu master was confident. And it was better to do that away from the farm and his grandpa anyway.
"Lead the way," Tao said in a calm voice. He always had to be cool and composed. "I'll be right back," he turned to his grandfather and the latter smiled, telling the boy to have some fun. Zitao rolled his eyes at the old man's lack of judgment. He was too gentle and innocent.
As the tall boy followed the two men, the Korean one, JongDae, asked him about the incident that happened last week, making his family business crumble.
"What did you see exactly?"
"An animal," Tao answered honestly even though he thought the man was a little out of his place. "I'm not sure what, but it was definitely furry," the boy recalled the night of the events. "It eyes glowed and it was dark but I'm pretty sure I saw weird colors."
JongDae smiled at that and it confused the Chinese boy. But he didn't have time to ask about it as LuHan signaled that they had arrived.
"A spaceship."
It wasn't a question and Zitao was in awe in front of the metallic ship. It wasn't the first time he saw one, living on Europe there were plenty of those, but he neither had the chance to see one so close nor did he have the pleasure to climb into one.
"Come," LuHan said after typing the code to unlock the automatic door.
Zitao was getting excited and started to enjoy this tiny trip.
Maybe he was going to have some fun.
The Ariadne was small compared to the spaceships Tao often saw at the stations in central town, but he liked it better. He was lead to what looked like a kitchen and three other people were waiting there.
One was short and obviously human. The red-haired Nereid was beautiful but made Zitao a little uncomfortable as he wasn't used to a female presence except from his mother and grandmother's.
Tao had no idea what race the multicolor-haired boy was, and it really caught his attention. The colors and features were oddly familiar. The pointy-eared alien was about the same age as Tao and had a long face that was somehow very well-balanced and the raven-haired boy could swear he had seen those dark orbs somewhere.
Where?
"This is JunMyeon, Krystal and SeHun," JongDae introduced, pointing to them one by one as he said their names, but Zitao kept his eyes on SeHun.
"And I'm here because...?" Tao turned to LuHan, still looking calm, ignoring the fact that he was totally raising an eyebrow in his mind.
"SeHun," the blond called softly and the boy stood up. He looked nervous, playing with the hem of his shirt.
"Hm...I-I-" He was stuttering and it annoyed the Chinese boy. He hated weak people.
Tao saw the captain give an encouraging pat on the rainbow-haired boy's back and wondered what kind of relationship they shared.
"I'm sorry," SeHun bowed in a perfect ninety degree angle.
Zitao was feeling more and more lost about the reason why he was brought here. But again, he kept his calm and just stared at the young one, waiting for an explanation.
"I'm the one who ate half of your farm and caused you and your family to go bankrupt." SeHun said that in a whiny voice while still looking down at his feet. "Please feel free to do whatever you think fit so I can redeem myself."
LuHan was actually quite impressed by how fast the Therianthrope learned. In less than a week his vocabulary had increased so much.
But the farm boy finally lost it and his eyes went wide.
"What?"
A single word was pretty much all he could manage right now.
"I'm sorry," SeHun said again but the raven-haired boy ignored it.
"But you're- I mean you don't look- You're so-"
JunMyeon pulled out a chair to let the Chinese boy sit.
"I don't understand," Zitao finally admitted in defeat.
"Well to make it short," JongDae crouched to look up at the boy. "SeHun here," the Korean man began explaining, "was lost and starving. He had to eat to survive. You understand that."
Tao ignored the annoying tone the chestnut-haired man took to speak to him like he was a little child.
"How?"
There it was again though. A one word question. But Zitao was really having a hard time to process all that was told to him so suddenly.
"That is something we cannot tell you."
LuHan's voice was sharp and Tao knew he shouldn't insist.
"All you need to know," the captain continued, "is that SeHun is sorry and is asking for you and your family's forgiveness."
Zitao was still trying to make heads and tails of what little information he had. "But why just me? I mean my grandpa was here. Why not ask him to come too?" The raven-haired boy got more and more confused. He turned to JongDae
"And I told you. All I saw was a wild animal, not a-"
Tao stopped and the chestnut-haired man raised an eyebrow but he was smiling, knowing exactly what was coming next.
"It was you."
And Zitao put the pieces together.
"You're a shapeshifter, aren't you."
He turned to SeHun and the boy nodded weakly. The farm boy didn't know what to think anymore. If he was angry or kind of impressed by all this. He had heard many rumors about shapeshifters, but had never met one.
Tao thought about the pros and cons. Pros. SeHun only killed animals and called him here to apologize himself, Zitao got on a spaceship for the first time in his life and saw a Therianthrope with his own eyes. Cons. His family was out of business.
Three pros and one con. Zitao had to admit it was not all bad even though it was a pretty big con. But the Huangs were getting back on their feet.
"So you owe me." Tao smiled as an idea bloom in his head.
"Yes," SeHun said eagerly. "If there is anything I can do, anything at all."
Tao stood up and he was smiling so widely that LuHan put a protective hand on the rainbow-haired boy. But at everyone's surprise, Zitao got on his knees for a formal bow.
"Please take me with you!"
Tao knew that if he asked the captain, he would refuse. So if he asked SeHun there was a better chance that they accepted the Chinese boy's request.
"And I forgive you, by the way," Zitao said to the younger boy, to remind everyone that it was SeHun's choice only.
It was a little unfair but necessary. Tao really wanted to get out of here and travel like he always dreamed of. This was maybe his only chance and he wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers. So what if SeHun was a Therianthrope. At least he felt sorry. Meaning that he was actually a nice guy. And with all the crew protecting the boy, Tao knew that he was right and that these people could be trusted. That was all he needed really.
"I won't be burden," the raven-haired boy tried to convince everyone. More LuHan than the others, thought. "I can fight, I can cook and clean and I know a lot. I've heard stories and rumors over the years. Whatever you're doing and wherever you're going, I can help."
The cooking part was a lie and Tao hated touching dirty things but what they didn't know couldn't hurt now. He had to take all the chances he could get.
"SeHun," LuHan said again in his soft voice. "This is your responsibility. You decide," and before the boy could say anything, the captain added, "I trust you."
Zitao saw something change in the Therianthrope's eyes and it fascinated him. SeHun asked Tao to stand up and the boy took his hand.
"Welcome aboard the Ariadne."
JongDae and JunMyeon smiled and Krystal shook her head in disbelief but she seemed to be agreeing to this. LuHan just nodded but it was enough for Zitao to know that he was also OK with SeHun's decision.
This is where my life finally begins.
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So Tao's just being a brat xD
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
And I'll be happy also if you went to see my tumblr !
Lately it's all EXO but I don't think anyone is complaining x)
xoxo~
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