Chapter 2: Ancient Shadow Unbound
Tenzin landed Oogi at the docks. It seemed to be the only place not burning.
Tenzin hoped off of Oogi and gave a glance at Korra. Korra looked at him and she recognized that glare immediately. It was his signature, If You Move I Will Make You Meditate For Five Straight Hours, glare. Korra and Mako didn't dare move.
Tenzin, being satisfied, ran into the carnage. Dodging what flames he could and airbending the rest. He was moving so quickly and gracefully that he didn't even notice the shadow ahead.
"Pema!" he called, but their was no answer. "Pema!" He yelled again...Still no answer. "Father, if you are out their watching me now, please help me find my family." he whispered silently to himself.
Suddenly a shriek broke the air. It wasn't a Come-find-me scream. It was more like a, Come-save-me-from-certain-death scream.
Tenzin ran in the direction of the scream. Hoping it was his family, but Also Hoping It Wasn't. As he jumped over more debris more sounds could be heard. Soft crying, snapping wood, and a babies crying.
He jumped through the door that used to lead to the kitchen. He looked around the area. He saw a big dragon and his family. Thinking only about his family and not the dragon. he ran towards them at full speed, but was suddenly stopped by a rather large object.
It had a leathery look to it, three sharp claw like objects, and it was all connected to a blood red dragon.
"AAN JUL KAML KRIF FUSRODAH? NIID JUL HED MAJR KRANN FUSRODAH JILW FIN DOVAHKIIN! TIID WAH DIR HAKN JUL!"
(A mortal dare fight FUSRODAH? No mortal has dare challenged FUSRODAH besides the dragonborn! Time to die foolish mortal!)
The dragon jumped into the air and shouted, "YOL TOOL SHUL!"
Tenzin was in too much shock to move. He stared in awe as the dragon made fire appear out of no where. The only thing that saved him from getting burnt to a crisp was a tackle from his wife.
They landed hard on the wooden floor, but luckily it didn't break. Pema and Tenzin quickly got up and ran over to a rock and crouched behind it."Tenzin!" she shouted with joy and gave him a long hug. "Thank the spirits that you're here! After you left we started to get worried and-"
Tenzin put his hand over her mouth. "Look, we don't have time to talk. Korra and Mako are at the docks waiting for you. I'll hold off the dragon until you get far enough away."
Pema looked at Tenzin as if she was thinking of a way to decline his offer.
"Go!" he yelled as he got out from behind the rock, "I'll be okay!"
Pema had no choice but to do as told and get the children. All three of them were huddled in the corner trying to evade as much fire as possible. She glanced over at the dragon to make sure he wasn't looking then took off running to where the kids were.
"Where's Rohan?" she asked when she was at their corner. Looking around for the six month old baby.
"Up there" Ikki pointed up.
"Up where?"
"THERE!" she said in an aggravated voice while pointing at the dragon. "Right there!"
For a minute of horror Pema thought the dragon had ate Rohan, but that thought was dismissed when she saw the baby swinging on it's diaper in the middle of the dragons tail. "Oh my gods!" she yelled.
Shock turned to rage. Rage turned to strength. Yes, she could feel the strength in her now. It felt odd having so much rage and strength. Tenzin would never let her get mad. Now, she had so much rage she could have scared Amon with just her facial features.
She jumped straight for the dragons back. As she landed she grabbed onto the dragons spikes to keep herself from falling. She yanked at the spike in her left hand as hard as she could until a, "Pop!" could be heard.
She took her dagger spike and began to stab the dragon repeatedly in the back. The dragon screeched in agony every time the spike entered his skin. "Stab, Stab, Stab" she told herself.
The dragon took off into the skies in an attempt to shake her. She stood her ground, but Rohan didn't. Rohan slipped off of the dragons tail and began his half a mile fall towards the ground.
Pema knew she had to save her baby, but she didn't know how.
Suddenly she had an idea. She carefully walked up the dragons neck. Every time the dragon flapped it's leathery wings she feared she would fall. With little time remaining she climbed on top of the dragons head. She put the dagger right on top of his head.
"I have a dagger at your head. Fly me down so I can catch the baby. If you choose not too then you can earn a dagger it the brain." she said. The dragon hesitated but obliged and flew downwards to catch the baby.
The dragon was way faster than Rohan and easily caught up with him. Pema reached out to grab him and when she had him in her hand the dragon swooped down for a landing at the destroyed kitchen.
Tenzin stared in awe at his wife. She had conquered the beast with it's own spike. She had shown more strength than the most talented police guard. Yep, he had married a good one.
All of the children had the same awe struck looks to. They had seen their dad fight, but not their mom. It made them wonder if she could do anything else.
Pema jumped down off of the dragon and looked at Tenzin. She was hoping that Tenzin would negotiate with the dragon. Tenzin only nodded in response. "So are you willing to quit your rampage through Republic City?"
The dragon answered back in English. "NO! I AM ONLY SURRENDURING TEMPERARIALY DUE TO ANCIENT LAWS. SOON I WILL EXACT MY REVENGE! HIS ANCIENT SHADOW WILL BE UNBOUND. THEN HE WILL BE ABLE TO STOP HIS HUNGER BY SWALLOWING YOUR WORLD!"
Tenzin looked at him strangely, "Who is HE"
"ALDUIN, BANE OF KINGS." the dragon answered
Tenzin remembered the giant hole at Hammers Hotdogs. Could it have been Alduin who made that hole? "So he's your master?"
"YES, HE WILL CONQUER THIS WORLD. THEN WITH HIS NEW POWERS, KILL THE DOVAHKIIN AND USERP HIS THRONE!"
"Who is the Dovah dude you keep mentioning?"
The dragon shot a glare at Tenzin, "THIS IS NOT TWENTY QUESTIONS!" He yelled, "YOU ONLY HAD THREE AND YOU HAVE USED THEM ALL. SO FAREWELL MORTAL. MAY WE MEET AGAIN ON WORSE TERMS!" After that last sentence the dragon flew up and into the afternoon sky.
Pema looked up into the sky. "Who is this Dovahkiin?"
Tenzin looked at the rubble of their house. "I don't know, but if we don't find him soon then we may be facing a doomsday."
"What's a doomsday? Ikki asked.
"A very bad type of day. Now why don't all of you go play."
A chorus of yeses and YAYs erupted amongst the children as they ran off towards the rubbles.
"Don't play near the fire now!" Tenzin Yelled.
"We Won't" They all yelled.
Tenzin shook his head and turned towards Pema. "What if we never find this Dovahkiin?" she asked
Tenzin stood in silence for a moment then replied, "Then may the spirits help us all."
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A man in a gray cloak stood atop the rubble of the once great cabbage corp. He looked at all of the people trying to help each other. He saw the worried looks of mothers and fathers trying to find their children. He saw men in full metal suits yanking rubble out of the way in hopes of finding survivors. After seeing all of the effort these people were willing to put in, he decided that this world was worth saving.
He Placed a stack of septims in the palm of his right hand and started to chant, "Oh great nine divines, accept my offering." he tossed the golden coins up into the air. Instead of landing on the ground, they floated off with the breeze. Where the airborne coins stopped was a ripple. "Good, I was hoping that would work." He walked up to the ripple and spoke. "Tell Paarthurnax we found him." he swallowed "I am coming back over. When I get there be ready to summon the Dragonborn." He waited a minute for a reply. He heard Borri walk up to the ripple and reply. "We have a problem." Borri said scratching his beard, "Wolfgar was watching the dragonborn in case this was the right world and we needed him. The bad part is that he's in a serious battle with Miraak and he's loosing." "Then we have no choice. Transport the Dragonborn here then transport me back."
"Are you sure Arngier?"
He waited a moment before replying, "Yes."
"Ok then i'm On it." After Borri said that the ripple disappeared and Arngier turned around to get off the building. "Talos guide him."
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5 days later
John woke with a start. He was laying on some hard surface that was like rough rock. He slowly got up off the ground and as he did he felt the wind on his cheek. He put a hand on his head and noticed that he wasn't wearing his helmet. He looked around until he saw his helmet laying on the ground. It was totally black, No holes for the eyes or mouth, and it looked like something you would see off of a spartan from Halo.
He put the helmet back on his head and made sure he had everything else he needed.
He had full black armor the had small gashes in it from his many fights. He had his special ring that could transform into any weapon he needed. A few hundred septims, and four spells. Lightning, invisibility, detect life, and wall of storms.
Now that he had what he needed he walked into the street and noticed what other people were wearing. They were wearing strange looking tunics. Crap. He thought as he jumped back into the dark ally. "This isn't my world. What's going on?"
He slumped against a wall and thought about what he could do. How can I travel through this place without getting spotted? I didn't see any guards, but there were so many people. Where to go? Think! He hit his helmet with his fist. "Where can I go!" He yelled.
Suddenly he heard a voice coming towards him. "So where should we eat today, no hotdogs. It got destroyed."
"That sushi last week was good."
"Yeah right. It tasted like tree bark!"
"That food was better than my bending!"
He took a risk and looked around the corner and saw who was talking. Two males in a gray tunic, a female with a light blue fur tunic, and another female who wore a black tunic.
"Then your bending must suck." said one of the males in the gray tunics.
"Fine we'll have an earthbending competition." said the girl in the light blue tunic.
"Your on! Let's see who can earthbend the farthest down that ally!"
"Let's Go!"
John quickly moved to the end of the ally and hugged the wall as the two benders got in their positions. His eyes opened wide as they stomped their feet and the earth bent to their will and launched straight at him.
He was about to shout fus ro dah at them but the rocks came to fast.
One rock hit him in the shoulder but the other hit him square in the face/helmet causing him to release a quick grunt.
"Great you guys, I think you managed to hit a hobo." said the other one in the grey tunic.
"Come on out. It was an accident." said the woman in black. John was thinking what he should do. Should he stay or go? After a few seconds of debating he decided to stay there.
"My turn." said one of the gray tunics. His hands burst into flames and he sent two fireballs to the end of the alley. Both hitting right beside John.
What they saw startled them. They saw a 6 and ½ foot tall black thing.
The girl in the blue tunic started to say something but the thing only held a finger up to where it's lips were supposed to be. Then it simply dissapeared.
Everyone was stunned momentarily until Korra broke the silence, "What was that?"
"That wasn't from Future Industries. Equilists maybe?"
"No," Mako interjected after he put the flames out, "It would have chi blocked us then took us to their HQ."
"Alright" Korra said trying to sound confident, "If we don't know then we ask Tenzin. He is the only one who may be able to help us."
Mako scratched the back of his head. "Korra, we can't ask Tenzin he is too busy trying to find this Dovahkiin."
Korras face hardened like she was thinking then spoke, "He might need this information if his search. We need-" She was cut off by a second voice coming from nowhere, "What do you know of this Dovahkiin?"
Bolin cowered behind Asami as Mako replied, "Show yourself coward, or are you going to hide in the shadows because your afraid?"
Laughter came in response, "Me? Hiding in the shadows because I'm afraid? It is you who is afraid. Why else would you stand in the light? If you are truly unafraid of me walk into the shadows."
Mako stood there pondering the situation. "I am not a coward, nor am I an idiot. Walking into the shadows would give you an advantage."
"You are not coward or an Idiot..." the voice replied. "...But you are an arrogant fool. You might not walk into the darkness but you still stride in the light and call it showing yourself. Ha! You always show your true colors in the darkness. It is the only place that isn't over rated."
Mako was surprised at his answer. It was so truthful and wise... Who was this guy? "The shadows are over rated. Anything that harbors light can shatter it, and if you are too dumb to understand that then you can keep lurking in the shadows while we are doing things that matter in the light."
The voice let the words settle in his mind until he came to a conclusion, "You think wisely. You put thought into your words. As a reward I give you knowledge. Each of you may ask me one question."
Korra was the first one to ask, "Who are you?"
"I am John Priars."
Asami asked next, "Are you with the equilists?"
"It depends on your definition of equilists. What kind of equilist do you speak of?"
Asami took a moment to think about his question before answering, "The anti-bending group known as equilists."
John was satisfied that he got the information out of her so easily. "No, I am not with these equilists you speak of."
"Are you a boy or a girl?" Bolin blurted out.
John sighed quietly to himself at the boys stupid question. "Male. There is only one question left. Use it wisely."
Korra, Asami, and Bolin all turned their heads to look at Mako. "Are you him?" he asked, "The Dovahkiin we have been looking for?"
Everyone looked at the shadows as the 6 ans ½ foot tall man walked out in his black armor. "Yes, but by all means call me John."
Korra looked back at her friends, "Guys, we need to go to City Hall." the others nodded and started their walk with the Black giant to the City Hall.
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Walking down the street with a man in full black armor was rather challenging. People around them stopped in the middle of their stride to stare at the man. Some photographers even set up cameras to take pictures. Korra couldn't help but feel a little jealous because she didn't get this kind of treatment when she appeared.
As they approached City Hall John stopped. "Is this your City Hall?"
"Yes, why?"
"This is no hall. It is a building, are you sure this is the place?"
Korra tried to hold in a laugh as she realized that he thought it was a hall. Mako poked her in the stomach with his elbow. "Don't laugh Korra you may offend him." he said in a barely audible voice.
She only nodded in response and regained her composure. "This is City Hall. It's not an actual hall. It's just a name."
John just shrugged and walked up the stairs. He stopped at the door grabbed the golden handle. He cautiously walked inside and saw people at a U shaped table arguing.
"I won't have my troops going around on a manhunt! Especially if we don't know who we're looking for!" said a woman in what looked like blades armor, but for everyone else it was officer Lin Bei Fong.
John realized that they did not hear him enter so he casually cleared his throat to get their attention. Only two members of the council noticed but they just waved their hands and went back to the heated debate.
John cleared his throat a little louder, but this time no one noticed.
John felt rage as the people didn't listen to him. "HEY!" he yelled, he got a few people to look at him. They took a quick look at him and his armor and labeled him as someone who wanted to patent something, and lost interest in him.
John had had it by this point. He was ticked. He hated being ignored. He jumped on top of the U shaped table and began to speak. "All of you need to SHUT UP AND LISTEN! If you don't have enough manors to let a man speak then you need to go home! I am talking to ALL OF YOU! That includes monk man" he said while pointing at Tenzin "And miss inperial!" he also said pointing at Lin Bei Fong.
The entire room fell silent as Johns rant ended. Korra started to walk up to the table until Mako put a hand on her shoulder. "Let him speak. They need to talk to him. Not us." Korra stepped back to her previous spot and listened as they spoke.
"Someone arrest this man for breaking in here and disrupting a heated debate."
Police officers appeared out of no where and started to put hand cuffs on John. "You've got to be kidding me. What good will restraining me do?" John simply spread his hands apart and the hand cuffs broke in two. "Now I don't believe that I ever mentioned my name. My name is John Priars, but like most of the world already does. You can call me dragonborn."
The councilmen looked at each other and wondered what a dragonborn is. "Do you happen to know where a Dovahkiin is?" Tenzin asked.
John couldn't help but smirk at the comment, "I am the Dovahkiin. Now the real question is what do you want."
Lin stood up before Tenzin could reply, "You walk in here with black armor on and say you are the man we are looking for. How can we trust you? You could be an equilist!" a bunch of murmurers of agreement could be heard around the room.
John turned around, "Fine then. If you don't need me then you can have fun watching your cities crumble to the ground and you precious people suffer."
Lin only watched as John exited the room. As he was only 10 feet away from the door she signaled the guards. They shot their metal rope around Johns feet and he collapsed.
John laid on the floor and replied, "You attempt to send me to prison, you insult me, then you call me an equilist, then you attack me. If you let me go now there will be no consequences. If you do not then I will have to dish out some consequences."
Lin glared the man on the floor. "Are you threatening the head of police?"
"You have 20 seconds to let me go."
"Why should I? You are a criminal now. If I let you go then I will be breaking the rules of my job."
"15 seconds"
Tenzin stood up and reasoned with Lin, "Lin...what if he is the Dovahkiin?"
Lin shot a glare at Tenzin, "What if he isn't? We can't have criminals loose can we?"
"10 seconds"
The room fell silent as no one dared to speak when Lin and Tenzin were fighting.
"Should we do something Mako?" Bolin whispered.
Mako stared at the situation, "No. If he can't find victory here then he won't anywhere."
"5,4,3,2,1" John finished counting. "My turn." he griped the cables that raped around his legs and used a lightning spell on them. It did not effect John but it did knock out the two policemen.
He got up off of the floor and looked at Lin. She had summoned five more police guards. Lin pointed at John and they ran at him. He didn't move at all. Instead he just took a deep breath. "FUS RO DAH!" he shouted. The policemen were hit directly and sent into a wall.
John walked up the steps to the U shaped table. "Now I believe that someone owes me an apology for what she said."
Lin slammed her fist on the table. "You must not understand. An apology! For what? You just sent my men flying into a wall!"
John shook his head. "It is you who is misunderstanding. I told you I was the one you were looking for. You did not believe me. I gave you a chance to let me go. You did not. Actions have consequences you know..."
The councilmen agreed to themselves that Tenzin was right. "If I recall." Tenzin said scratching his head. "You wanted to know why we need you. We need you to stop a dragon named FUSRODAH..." John nodded in agreement. "And another dragon named Alduin."
"ALDUIN!" John shouted. "If he is truly back then we will have to kill more than two. We will need to kill around one-hundred and twenty!"
"I was afraid you would react like that, but I did not think about you saying that we would have to fight one-hundred and twenty of those things."
John put his hands behind his head, "Just one problem...I have no where to stay."
"After a small debate, it has been decided that you will be living in the recently rebuilt air temple with me, Korra, and my family."
John walked up to Tenzin and stuck his hand out. Tenzin shook it. "I might be the Dovahkiin, but please call me John."
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Authors Rant: Well I Hope You Liked It. I Found This Chapter Really Hard To Make. If It weren't For The Reviewers Then This Story Would Still Be In It's Early Stages. Thank You So Much For Those Of You Who Reviewed, And If You Haven't and Like The Story. Feel Free To Drop A Comment Of Any Size. It Helps Me Write. Thank You!
Quote of The Day: This is Not A Song It's A Sandwich!
"I Know What Your Thinking. Your Thinking This Is A Song. We'll I Guess I'll Just Have To Show You. Exactly Where You Are WRONG! Aren't You Feeling The Meat? Aren't You Feeling The Bread? If You Don't Listen You'll Miss It You Don't Understand! I'll Explain It All Once. I'll Explain It All Twice. And Give You Plenty Of Brain Until Your Taking A Bite!
It Couldn't Be A Dam Cause It Doesn't Have A Beaver.
It's Not The DMV Cause It Doesn't Make You Wait..."
Peace Off. BOOP!