A/N: This chapter takes place a year after the prologue.
Chapter One- Welcome to Republic City:
Things have definitely changed for me, I thought while looking toward the city. It had been a year since my arrival here and I was still trying to get used to everything. About the only thing I can lie back on is that I at least have Cathy's elemental spirits with me...along with her spirit guides, of course.
Sighing, I got down from my perch and decided to head into the city to get my mind off of things. Let me help with the recap. A year ago, I had woken up in a hospital in Republic City. Apparently, I was found unconscious on a beach just outside the city and was brought there a few days before I woke up. Once I had, I was questioned by Chief Lin Beifong.
Of course...answering the questions were a bit hard as I had no knowledge of the world I had ended up in or how I got here. The only things I could tell them was what I remembered...which was a lot considering that I had been older than I looked as a vampire. Though, it wasn't very believable at first and I admit, if I had heard some random strange telling the same tales, I'd have questioned their sanity too.
But, I guess that was all they had to take. Especially since I still had all the scars from my years of being a part of a clan of the night. It seemed like I hadn't stayed a vampire, thankfully, since I managed to stay in sunlight without getting burnt. The only things reminding me of what I had been were the memories of it along with scars. Scars I could handle...it was the memories that were slowly eating away at me.
After I got released came another problem...where would I stay? I didn't know anyone from this place or even had the money to rent a place to stay at. I got lucky since-
The commotion caught my attention, snapping me out of my thoughts. Okay...introductions later, then. "Falc, little bit of flying help?" I asked.
He appeared on my shoulder. Falc had been one of Cathy's many spirit guides and usually helped with getting to places she couldn't get on foot. Since I'm not a vampire any longer, I have to rely on him for fast transportation. "You got it!" he replied, flying off my shoulder and changing to a larger form. I jumped onto his back as he took off.
I looked down toward the ground. I saw what was causing the problem. "Falc, I'm going to need you to get me down to the ground, okay?"
"Geez, now I wish you did keep your vampire speed. This is getting ridiculous." I rolled my eyes as the spirit falcon angled down.
Once he was low enough, I jumped off of his back. He pulled out of his dive and disappeared into thin air. Wow, has there ever been a spirit that skittish? I thought, dusting off the red coat I was wearing. I liked wearing it for two things: one, it reminded me of my vampire mentor Mr. Crepsley as he had worn red; two, I didn't like having my burn scars (while fading) exposed to everyone.
What had caught my attention from the sky was a polar bear dog that had been running around along with a rider: a young woman about my age with dark skin and wearing water tribe garb. How did I know that? I've been studying like crazy once I managed to get over the initial shock. With a bit of help, of course.
"We'll take one of everything, please," the girl said to the shop owner.
"That'll be twenty yuans," was the reply.
"I...don't have any money." Ohh boy. Better intervene while I can.
"Ahh, don't worry. I can pay for it, miss," I stated, making myself known finally.
"Oh, no, you don't-"
"Twenty yuans, right?" I pulled out my wallet, getting the amount of money. "There we go." I paid for the order, turning to the girl afterward. "Say something."
She sighed, covering her eyes with a hand. "Never mind..."
"Hey, it's not like I'm asking you to pay me back for this later." I accepted the bags of food and lead the polar bear dog some ways from the stand. I set some of it on the ground.
"Well, um, thanks for the help," the girl said, giving a slight bow.
"Ah, it's nothing. And you don't have to bow. I'm not really used to it." It feels like it's been a decade or two since I was a Vampire Prince.
"I'm Korra, and this is Naga." The polar bear dog, Naga, let out a bark.
"I'm Darren Shan. So...you lost?"
"Is it that obvious?"
I rubbed my chin in mock thought. "Well, considering the little run around back there..."
She held her hands up. "Okay okay, I get it! Think you can show me around?"
"Sure. I've only been here a year, but I know this city like the back of my hand...mostly. Well, I promise I won't get us lost."
"Alright. Well, lead on, Mr. Tour Guide."
"Leading on." I walked on ahead with Korra and Naga following right behind. We had gotten as far as the park when I had realized I forgot to ask where she was heading. "Uhh...stupid question...where in Republic City are you needing to get to?"
"Oh! Right. Well, I'm trying to get to-" Korra started when a megaphone came on. Oh great, another of these...
"Are you tired of living under the tyranny of benders?! Then join the Equalists! For too long, the bending elite have forced non-benders to live as lower class citizens," the speaker said. A small crowd had gathered to listen. "Join Amon, and together we will tear down the bending establishment!"
Ugh, I didn't like to listen to a lot of these. It was pretty much about the same thing over and over. While where I had come from definitely did not have bending, I wasn't about to join some people that seemed to be putting anyone down who could bend an element.
"What are you talking about? Bending is the coolest thing in the world," Korra spoke up. Uh-oh...
"Oh yeah? Let me guess, you're a bender?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Then I'd bet you'd just love to knock me off this platform with some waterbending, huh?"
"Uhh, Korra? I think we should be.." I tried to cut in but was ignored.
"I'm seriously thinking about it." She crossed her arms while saying this. I slapped my forehead. Crap...
"This is what's wrong with this city! Benders like this girl only use their powers to oppress us!" The crowd that gathered started shouting in agreement with the speaker.
"What! I'm not oppressing anyone! You're...You're oppressing yourself!"
"That didn't even make sense!"
"Okay!" I cut in. "It's time to go now. Come on." I managed to get us out of there before the situation could get a whole lot worse.
"What was all that about?" Korra asked.
"Some group called the Equalists. They're pretty much non-benders who hate anything to do with bending. But I swear they're being a bit extreme about it," I answered, ruffling my hair. Then my bangs got in my eyes. "Son of a-!"
"Needing a haircut?"
I moved my bangs to the side where they had been previously. "Yeah, but I kept forgetting. I think I'll do that once I get back to the island."
"Wait, what?"
"I'm staying at Air Temple Island. Have been for months now."
"That's where I need to go!" She glared at me. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"
I started getting nervous under the glare. "Uhh...you didn't ask?" Charna's guts...I could swear I've seen that glare before... "Um, how about we get going, yeah?"
We kept walking on. Wonder why she's wanting to head to Air Temple Island... I thought as we were heading down one of the streets when the screeching of tires caught my attention. "Shit, don't tell me I walked into this again," I groaned.
"What?" Korra asked, looking down at me from the saddle.
I held up a hand. "Be right back." With that, I started heading for where the red satomobile had parked. I can't believe I accidentally had us walk right into the Triple Threat's territory. The three thugs that had stepped out of the vehicle were harassing a shop keeper. "Hey! Why don't you lot leave the poor man alone for once?"
"Well well, if it isn't the city's crazy man. You still going on about being from a different world?" one of them mocked. Yeah, one reason why I stayed at Air Temple Island mostly was because of that. A lot of people thought and still think I'm crazy.
"Now I'm saying you lot should back off!" My hands clenched into fists. It'd be sooo easy to break his nose. While I didn't have my full vampire strength, I was stronger than a normal human despite how I looked.
"You'll be the one to back off, or else-"
"Or else what, hoodlum?" a new voice said. Standing right behind the thugs was Korra.
"Korra?! What the hell are you doing?!" I hissed.
The three gang members looked at each other before laughing. Then the one I had been talking with spoke. "Since you're obviously fresh off the boat, let me explain a couple of things. You're in Triple Threat Triad territory, and we're about to put you in the hospital."
"You're the ones who're gonna need a hospital. And for your sake, I hope there's one nearby." She started cracking her knuckles near the end.
"Who do you think you are?"
She smirked. "Why don't you come and find out?"
Before I could even stop it, the waterbender thug sent some water at her. She caught it and bent it right back at him, freezing his head in ice. While he staggered around, she kicked him right into the decorative lion-turtle face on the vehicle.
I blinked, surprised. "Nice," I complimented with a grin.
The other two were stunned for a bit until one of them, an earthbender, snapped out of it. He tried to attack only to be sent flying when Korra uses earthbending. My jaw dropped. Wait a second...did she just...bend TWO elements?!
I noticed that the waterbender thug had regained consciousness. An idea popped into my head to make sure they wouldn't get too far. I pulled the blue and green wolf head pendant from inside my shirt and whispered, "Sword, I've got a job for you."
'What is it THIS time, Shan?' a voice in my head replied.
"Think you can mess up one or two of the wheels of this satomobile for me?"
'...FINE...' A steel gray wolf with icy blue eyes appeared right beside me, slinking out of view to do what I asked of him. The pendant had belonged to a Lycan by the name of Cathy Wolf at one time. All of the spirits she had, both the elemental and the guides, were still attached to it. I was able to call on them...but there was also a new feature added to that. They could allow me to bend the elements of this world when I needed it. The only one I haven't tried...was fire. For certain reasons.
While I had been distracted, Korra had dealt with the last of the thugs. She was standing in front of the hole that had been made from sending the thug through it. "Got an idea who I am now, chumps?"
I walked up to her side. "By the way, when were you going to let me know you were the Avatar?" I asked, crossing my arms and giving her a look.
She looked at me. "You didn't ask."
"Hey! You stole my-" An engine revving caught our attention. WE both moved out of the way as the vehicle went right past us. I glared ahead. "Sword, I thought I asked you to mess up the wheels."
He trotted up beside me. "Wait for it..."
The car swerved around until crashing into another shop. Korra looked at me, shocked. "You didn't tell me you talked with spirits!"
"Technically, they're not the same spirits you'd think of. Also, you didn't ask."
She was about to retort when sirens blared overhead. "That's my cue to leave. Next time, do your own dirty work, Shan!" Sword said as he vanished.
Yeah yeah, screw you too. Seriously, where did Cat find some of these guys? I thought as the officers, metalbenders, descended from the airship in the air above us.
"Cool, metalbenders," Korra said in awe. One of them stopped in front of us. "We caught the bad guys for you, officers." She motioned behind us where the car had crashed.
"Arrest them!" he told the others. The thugs were trapped in the metal wires. He then pointed at us. "You're both under arrest too." Korra gasped.
"What do you mean we're under arrest? Those are the bad guys over there. They were smashing up a shop!"
"Yeah," I agreed. "Plus, technically, we didn't make them crash like they did."
"You can explain yourselves down at headquarters."
"Time to go!" I was jerked back and pulled onto Naga's saddle.
"Ah! Korra! What are you-?!" I yelped as Naga took off. I clutched the back part of the saddle behind me. "I just forgot to mention I get motion sickness easily!"
"Well, you'll have to deal with it!"
"Charna's guts, what did I get myself into this time..?"
Long story short, we still got caught by the police. Korra had been taken to the interrogation room while I was left sitting outside. I swear, it seems like everything is déjá vu here in this world, I thought, trying to keep my head up. Well, look on the bright side, at least I'm not being framed for murder this time.
Someone cleared their throat, making me tense up. "Darren."
I grinned sheepishly, turning. "Uh, hey...Tenzin," I greeted nervously. "Look, I can totally explain!"
"We'll discuss this later." He walked away.
My head slumped. "Yep, I am so dead...again..."
A bit later, we were at the docks at Air Temple Island after riding a ferry to get there. Korra was to be sent back to the South Pole since she wasn't supposed to have arrived at the city. A bit of a shame. It would have been nice to have someone my age to talk with.
I scratched the back of my head. "I guess my job as your tour guide will be put on hold, huh?" I said, trying to lighten things up.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Well, uh...it was nice meeting you." I held out my hand to shake.
She took it. "You too."
I walked off afterwards, heading to the boy's dorms. A flapping sound came into my hearing and then a voice I didn't want to hear at the moment spoke up. "Hey, Darren! Sword said you had gotten into another tangle with one of those bending gangs!" the owner of the voice, Falc, spoke.
"Not now, Falc," I said in a bit of a growl, swatting him away when he got too close to my personal space.
"Wow. Haven't seen you this mad for a long while now. I forgot what you were like like that." He flew a bit faster to keep up with me. "So, like, what...get into trouble 'cause you beat them up too badly or-"
"I said I don't want to talk about it, Falc!"
"Yeesh, calm down, Shan. Some would think someone made some comment about your accent."
"What accent?! I don't have one!"
"Never said ya did. I guess your voice is a bit different than what most people hear, ya know? I bet they'd say that to any of the others if they had ended up here."
"That doesn't-"
"AHH! Look out!"
Before I could even ask, something tackled me down to the ground. "Ow! What the hell hit me this time?!" A woof was my answer. "Wait...is that..?"
"Hey, Darren!"
I managed to push what had tackled me down, Naga, and saw Korra coming up. "Huh?! Korra? But, I thought-"
"Tenzin said I can stay here for airbending training."
"Really? That's great!"
"Ahem, sorry for interrupting new besties, but you do realize that she's on the wrong side of the place, right?" Falc cut in.
"Falc! Get out of here right now, you rainbow flying chicken!" Seriously, why did Cat have to have him as one of her spirit guides?
"Hey, want people to get the wrong idea?"
"FALC!"
"Fine, going! Geez..." He flew off after that.
I muttered under my breath. "Annoying little..."
"So...are you going to explain more about that gray wolf or whatever kind of bird that was?" Korra asked.
"Oh. Well, I think I'm going to wait 'til tomorrow. Kinda burnt out all my energy running around the city."
"Hey, you could have walked away at any time."
"Says the girl who didn't give me a chance to say no to a free polar bear dog ride." She rolled her eyes and hit me in the shoulder. "Ow! That's the shoulder that got shot!"
"Shot? Shot by what?"
"Uhh...tell you later. Really tired now. Bye!" I made a dash for the building.
"Hey!"
"Later!"
Next day, I was more or less grounded and wasn't allowed to leave the island for a few days. Which was fine by me as I didn't feel very rested from last night. While I was laying in bed, Falc decided to fly in and land nearby.
"You know, it's kinda funny," Falc said.
"What is?" I asked, not opening my eyes.
"You always seem to be a magnet for some very interesting people whether you're in your own world or in some other."
"I'm not even going to reply to that."
A/N: Well, this is it for chapter one. Oh, about the accent thing...every time I hear Darren's voice for this, I have imagined it sounding like Primeval's Connor's voice. So yeah, that's going to be a bit of an inside joke for a while. Updates may take a while as I jump from different episodes a lot. But I'll try to work on the next chapter as soon as I can.
