THE EDGE OF DARKNESS

~An "Alliance of Worlds" story~

Countless people refuse the shadows, mostly because by essence, these dark entities incorporate everything that is unknown and mysterious. Shadows embrace their surroundings; they conceal, distort and misshape anything into nightmarish monsters. The latter is what drives us to fear these obscure entities. It may be a ridiculous, childish thought when we imagine how frightened we become for things that simply aren't there. However, in a moment we least expect it, shadows are effective veils for hiding beings that are watching us.

It's unthinkable that some choose to embrace the shadows as a way of life, but these beings do exist. One sentient creature, envisioning himself as a master of martial arts, considered that the dark, mysterious environment to be a valuable asset to raise the perfect shadow warriors. "Become Kage, my sons," that's what the great master would tell his students. He was strict by nature, but caring as any father would be; however sad the reality was, the master taught his sons everything he knew, preparing them for a world that would never entirely accept them.

There was only one deep, dark place that offered refuge from prying eyes: the sewers of Manhattan. Perpetual darkness lingered with the occasional glints of lamp lights. The sewers chased away any unwanted visitors, especially civilians, seeing how they would rather spend their days indoors than having to bear the stench emanating from the dirty waters below the city. The only sound that disturbed the silence was the rush of underground waterfalls. However, if you listened very closely and drowned out the rush of crashing waters, you would hear the sound of light splashes bouncing off the walls.

A group of creatures paced through the dark, murky waters of the sewers, making their way to the surface. They clambered up through the manhole and quickly rushed to find cover in the night of Manhattan. Their existence would be described by some as a fortunate accident, but they are so much more than that. Destiny intervened, giving birth to a father trained in martial arts and four brothers. All of these beings may be regarded as freaks of nature to many, but these five together form one fighting team to defeat evil in quick moves and powerful strikes.

Now, your question about where this city is has only partially been answered, for while this place bears a resemblance to the city you know as Manhattan, it is not the same. If you desire to know where this world is, then the only response you will receive is in another dimension. If you lack in patience, then I'm afraid you will have to cope with it. Many steps need to be taken before you can partake on this long journey.

But hush now, we must not distract these individuals with our conversation. Watch as they quietly climb up the buildings and use their skills to jump from one rooftop to another, discreet as shadows, and savor that sight while you still can. We cannot be witnesses to their spectacular acrobatic skills for too long. After all, there are more things to show you...

Author's Note:

Hey everybody! As you may have noticed, this is actually an excerpt of one of my ongoing crossover stories, "Alliance of Worlds". If you'd like to know who's involved in this crossover, then check out the story on my main page! ;D