Heya!
Welcome to chapter one of this oh so (spectacular?) Legend of Korra Fanfic! Join me on the journey of Jetta, Kili, and Ume, Ru Li, and their merry band of friends as they face adversity in the face of danger, kick some Equalist buttock, and throw Republic City into general chaos. Who knows, maybe something interesting will happen along the way? This chapter is mostly going to be introductions of the main characters (Jetta, Kili. . .you get the idea), of which Ru Li is my personal OC, so all of her opinions will be in first person. All changes of view will be marked by the name of the involved character at the head of the section. Stay tuned for further updates! Summer is just around the corner, so expect rather frequent uploads of new chapters. Comment and review and such, anything is welcomed! (Disclaimer: I do not own LOK, just my characters and the other OC's associated with this Fan Fiction.)
. . .
Jetta
. . .
Jetta could swear she could taste the tangerine sun that beat down on her from in between the lush greens of the trees. Water rushed through the causeways that lined the park, gurgling, children daring each other to touch the clear blue crystalline pools. Families and young couples all made their daily forays into pristine Republic City Park. She looked at them, passing by her, wondering; bender, non- bender, water, earth, fire? It was easy to mistake everyone for anyone in the big city, she had learned. One minute you'd be thinking you were giving a sweet, young girl directions to the closest noodle shop, the next she'd swipe your satchel and swindle money from your coin purse. Of course, she had no idea that was what city life would be, and really. . . It didn't live up to her expectations.
"Yeah, some big illusions of grandeur I had,"Jetta thought.
She shook her head, smirking, and laughing at herself. She had walked into the city without a single chip on her shoulder, not a doubt in her mind that she could make something of herself; but now, things were more complicated. No income, no where to stay, spending her days at the stupid park looking at happy families and couples that hadn't a care in the world. Now, she wasn't starving, and she wasn't completely homeless, but Jetta was tired of constantly shifting from hotel to inn, half the time treating herself to a feast, half the time skipping out on the rent and sneaking out the back before day broke. She wasn't a criminal, not at all, she was simply someone down on their luck, doing anything to pursue her dreams.
Guuuuuuuuuurghjphrumphphph-
". . .And also down on her breakfast."
Standing up with a long drawn sigh, she arched her slender back, working out the cricks and stretching out her sinewy muscles. Her cream colored tunic slipped up past her minutely tanned stomach, not yet bronzed by the new summer sun. Realizing that it would be just another one of 'those days' she frowned. So she didn't have even the slightest chance of being a successful Pro- Bender, whatever. It turned out that she was a great earthbender, but lacked all necessary skill to compete with it. But despite everything, she was ashamed that she hadn't made anything of herself. . .maybe she should just go back to her sleepy Earth Bender town and take her father up on his offer of giving her the old noodle shop. After all, it wasn't like she was going places here. Picking up her satchel, Jetta wondered if she really should just give up trying to be a city girl. . .
When she suddenly smelled the most divine scent to ever grace her presence.
And not only that, but it was close by, making her stomach roar like an armadillo lion.
Wheeling around from under the cover of her tree, Jetta stepped out onto the white path, now surrounded by various park- goers, attempting to hunt down the source of the smell, trying not to get drool all over everything. She looked down the cobblestones that lead to the labor district, seeing nothing promising, then turned her attention to the direction of the residential quarter, picking back up on the delicious smell.
"Maybe some nice old lady is carrying something back home, then? Funny that it wouldn't be someone heading to the factories. People cut through here all the time to eat their lunch before heading back to work."
She wove through the crowd, sniffing around and observing everyone, plus the contents of their hands, finding. . .absolutely nothing. At all. Nada. No-
"Ugh. If only I had a dumpling for every sap happy couple that I saw in this place, then I could be happy. Scratch that, I would get ridiculously fat."
Bowing her head in defeat, she closed her eyes, swaying from side to side in the wallowing in her own misery, suddenly hearing a set of soft footsteps approach from in front of her. Curious, she looked up, peeking through one barely cracked eye, and gazed into the jade eyes of a nearly barefoot girl.
Who was also holding a bag of dumplings.
Jetta's eyes flew open, and she flailed in delight and surprise, almost knocking over an older gentleman, making the other young girl stare at her with an extremely confused expression.
"VICTORY! Ok, Ok, play it cool Jetta, you got this. Don't beg for a free meal, just ask for one, right? Don't look needy. You aren't a desperate hobo living in a bush. . . But you were just living under a tree. . . NO STOP THAT. Get yourself together, girl! You got this. No going back!"
So then, Jetta, sank down onto her knees, shuffling toward the girl, then clinging to her leg, sniffling, and motioning to her to bring her head down closer to her own. The girl, obviously thinking that Jetta should be in an institution, reluctantly lowered her head down to her level.
"Uh, I'm not quite sure how to express this," sniffled Jetta " but, well, you see. . ."
"I WILL LITERALLY LOVE YOU FOR THE REST OF MY EXISTENCE IF YOU JUST LET ME HAVE A DUMPLING, I BEG OF YOU."
". . ."
"Oh, well, uh. . .maybe just a little corner bite, then?"
". . ."
". . . Can I at least lick one?"
The strange girl broke out into a peal of laughter, not seeming to have control of the fit, leaving Jetta kneeling on the ground away from her, wearing the most embarrassed expression that had ever been had within the confines of Republic City. Wiping her eyes and attempting to cease the giggling, the girl finally spoke to Jetta.
"Well, I guess you can lick one if you want, but your not gonna get much out of that. I was really just going to give you one, cause I've been watching you follow me for the past few minutes."
Jetta stay on the ground, stunned.
". . . You were?" She said.
"Normally I don't just throw food at strangers at any given day, but these are actually promotional! I'm giving them out to bring some good business to the noodle shop I just opened. It's actually just down past the park in the residential quarter, I'm going there now. Name's Kili by the way, earthbender, pragmatic individual, lover of the art of cuisine. . . Oh, and you should probably get up, yeah?"
"UUUUH," Jetta clamored "YEAH! That sound, uh, great."
Kili extended her open hand, Jetta latching on and letting her hoist her to her feet. The two girls stared at each other, smiling awkwardly, waiting for the other to say something. After a stagnant pause filled with idle shuffling and clearing of throats, Kili motioned to Jetta, telling her that she should come back with her to the shop, offering her a full course meal, on the house. Jetta just couldn't refuse. The two earthbenders then started to make their way to their destination, making small chat, unaware of the close bond they had already begun to form. . . unaware of the dark shadow moving behind the trees, silently observing their every move and word.
"Soon," it whispered, "Soon, you all will die. And I will smile."
With a rustle of leaves, it was gone.
. . .
Ru Li
. . .
My knees ached, and my arms were shaking. Kneeling there under the damned summer heat, I had no words to describe my anger, my anguish. Kneeling there over my father's grave, words weren't able to form on my lips. Anything, anything would have been better than the paralyzing silence that I had, for whatever reason, subjected myself to. I couldn't even shed a tear. It wasn't spite, no, but an unaltered, seething hate, one for a man that I didn't even know.
Amon.
The godless creature that had killed my father, pushing his helpless body into a merciless crowd of Equalists, letting them play judge, jury, executioner for some earthbender they didn't even know. He could have just taken his bending away, using him as an example, but no. No. It wasn't enough for that worm, he had to make my father into a martyr. And what's worse. . . I had been there. I had seen him cast into the lot of people, them clawing and tearing at him, trying to draw some blood from him, seeking some unnamed and impersonal vengeance for reasons that even they had never thought of. Ones that I couldn't think of. I wondered, what could drive someone into that kind of madness? Better yet, who? Well, I had my answer, clear as day, hiding behind his painted mask, the coward. I could that mask, unmoving, yet warping into a callous smile as the light drained from my father's eyes. Narrowing my eyes at the thought, I stood up then, my rage simply overtaking me. I had been there long enough, anyway, and my father wasn't coming back. Nothing held me there any longer. Even though I didn't like it, I knew that my tether had been tied to a different place now, not my quaint little earthbender hometown, what little family I had left. . . my fate rested with Amon. . .the Equalists. Reaching into my pocket, I revealed the worn flyer that had nested there since that fateful night, turning it in my hands, reading the bold red words on the front. I shuddered, not in fear, but in anticipation. I would let the Equalists know the pain they had caused me tenfold. Mercy, would not be an option I had with them. Taking a final look at the grave, I laid a single flower upon the freshly turned dirt, praying that in whatever life he was in now, peace would follow him there. I turned around then, and grabbed my belongings I had brought, hoisting them onto the ostrich- horse I had borrowed earlier that day. Climbing onto its back, I didn't look behind me again. I only had eyes for my destination; the place where I knew I could find vengeance.
My fate. . . rested within the walls of Republic City.
. . .
Kili
. . .
Kili looked around the lofty space above the noodle shop that acted as her residency. . . and at the sleeping girl, sprawled across the second extra futon, barely covered by the blanket, snoring quietly. Shaking her head, and thinking about just how she had ended up in the situation, Kili smiled.
"Well, you were the one to bring up the fact that you had an extra futon in the first place." She thought.
Walking over to the sink and setting the last of the dishes into the frothy, sudsy mixture that filled it, Kili began her nightly routine to close up 'shop.' She walked to the windows, laying the heavy drapes over the steel and rock reinforced wide panes, blew out the candle flames dancing in the moonlight, and threw the bolt over the sturdy rock door that lead to the staircase, the only exit in the room. Kili had designed it that way, in all actuality. She would have included a 'fire escape' like so many other Republic City citizens were doing, but having one entry and exit point better suited her in case of. . .
"In case an Equalist or some of those Chi- Blockers tries to pay me a little visit."
It was a likely possibility, seeing as she was a member of the anti- Equalist group, L.E.A.F.
"Yep, I'm really livin' on the edge, aren't I?" She mumbled to herself, crawling into the mass of white sheets that was her bed, exhausted from the days events, "Founder, worker, and chairman of the Localized Equalist Attack Force."
Kili rubbed her hands over her face, pausing to sigh.
"Yeah, how's that working out for you, eh Kili?"
She pulled the blankets up and over her face, burrowing down into the swath of warmth and comfort it provided. Turning over to lay on her side, she looked out through the sliver of window that the drapes didn't cover, barely catching sight of the pale moon that drowned in the clear black night. Kili had started the force a month prior, motivated to do something against the Equalists after they had completely destroyed her mobile noodle cart at the Pro- Bending Championship between the Fire Ferrets and the Wolf Bats. Not that she really cared for that kind of thing, even if she was an earthbender herself. After that night, something had really caught hold of her though, and she now lived with a certain tugging feeling, and she couldn't figure it out. She had thought that if she maybe kicked some Equalist butt, it would have helped ease that displeasure, but all it had done was confuse her. Moving into her own place, starting a business, L.E.A.F. . . it was all supposed to give her direction, but it just wasn't. . . complete. She still had an empty feeling, almost as if there was a hole in her body, waiting to be filled with whatever. Kili looked over at Jetta who still hadn't moved from where she collapsed earlier.
"Or, maybe, I'm looking for a 'whom.'"
After all, she had been recently thinking of getting a roommate or two, ones that could fill the three extra beds the loft had, maybe even joining L.E.A.F with her. Maybe, she thought. Kili yawned.
"Maybe I'll just ask her tomorrow. Maybe."
Turning back toward the wall, Kili dozed off, thinking that maybe a friend or two was just what she needed.
. . .
Ume
. . .
"HEY! What's the big idea, now?" Ume shouted at the young, smirking boy, who quite frankly smelled like he had bathed once in the past month. Without answering her, he simply turned on his heel, running behind the statue of Firelord Zuko, vanishing into one of the dark alleyways behind.
"Stupid Skoochy," Ume growled.
She shouldn't have looked away for those few seconds; that was all that Skoochy had needed to rob her blind. Picking up what remained of her cash, only thirteen Yuans, Ume groaned, wishing she hadn't blown all of her money playing Pai Sho earlier that week. It had turned out that her opponent had been cheating anyway, so she had gambled away the last of her savings for nothing. Ume knew that she probably should have been more cautious, but she just couldn't resist a good game when one was right in front of her. She had walked into the square, hoping that the street rat would have some odd sort of job for her to perform so she could get some cash to rent out a place for a few days. A sixteen year old girl really shouldn't be running around on the streets in Republic City, after all.
"Speaking of which. . .it's getting dark."
Ume hopped off the curb and sprinted to the other side of the street, briskly walking past the large municipal building in front of her. Barely anyone was out now, everyone trying to get home before dark. The night had a different sort of feel in the city, now that the Equalists had thrown everything into chaos since the Pro- Bending Tournament earlier that month. Ume really didn't see why everyone was freaking out over one group. . .yes, they had destroyed the arena and probably done some major bodily harm to a few jerk- benders, but the anti- Equalist movement was starting to retaliate too. They had killed their fair share of revolutionaries. She shook her head. Ume really and utterly detested senseless, and even condoned, violence. She was a thinker, always believing that if there was a peaceful action, it could speak louder than a harsh voice or a furious blow. That was how she was raised, and she felt that no-
THUNK.
"!"
Ume screamed, looking down at her bruised leg, having tripped over a dip in the walkway and landing awkwardly on a metal pole. Hopping on one leg in pain, Ume flared up, practically blowing steam out of her ears, thrusting her hands out and ripping up the metal pole from the ground, throwing it up into the air and over the top of the nearest building with a clamor. Well. . . some violence was all right. Still gingerly patting the newly bruised skin, she had failed to notice exactly where the metal pipe she threw had gone. As it turned out, it had conveniently flown in the direction of a shop, crashing into the place, shattering decorative pottery that had lined the kiosk. A tall girl ran out of the place, fists clenched and heading in the direction of Ume. Finally looking up, she yelped, and ran away as quickly as possible, hoping that the girl hadn't gotten too good of a look at her face. Ume didn't have any money to pay for damages, and she certainly didn't want to have to deal with getting in trouble with Lin Bei Fong, police chief. Heading down the nearest alleyway, she continued to run for what seemed like miles, and eventually collapsed next to one of the tall residential sky scrapers that were clustered in the heart of the city. Catching her breath, and not knowing what to do, Ume moved out of the yellow tinged glow of the street lamps and into the darkness behind them, making a rock fort to sleep in for the night, hoping that the next day would bring better things.
. . .
So, there you have it, folks, the first chapter of the fic! Be sure to comment with anything you wish to add, and I'll certainly read it and put it to good use. Sorry if this chapter was a bit strange to follow since it had four separate stories, but I felt that I needed to introduce the characters in one go. I know that some were longer, some shorter, but the important thing was to lay out how they all would either come to R.C, or what they'd been doing in it.
Till next time, Mojo- out!
