Have you heard of the Keyblade War?
Long ago, in ancient times, the world was made of light. The people of the world loved the light, relished its warmth and safety. However, some wished to keep the light for themselves, and people began to fight over it.
From this, Darkness was born in their hearts.
The conflict began to escalate, and Keyblade wielders, those who wielded weapons of great power, were soon at war with each other over possession over the ultimate Keyblade.
The X-Blade. The one key that could allow access to Kingdom Hearts, the ultimate source of light.
In the end, however, all those who fought in the Keyblade War died in the violence. In the process, the X-Blade that they fought to achieve, was destroyed. And the world was completely shrouded in Darkness.
Then, a glimmer of hope appeared. After the X-Blade was destroyed, it was split into 20 pieces. Seven Lights and 13 of Darkness. Those seven lights were able to restore the realm. The world was divided, but each one was able to live within the light once more.
The lights, since then, have been the key factor in ensuring that the worlds won't fall into the dark once again.
However… while the lights have gained a purpose, what became of the original Darkness? What role will they have to play in the days to come? Will they help bring about aid for existence… or will they bring about its destruction?
Or now… only time will bring that answer.
'There are those who believe that Darkness is the source of evil that comes from people, but there are those who use it for good. While there are champions of light who fight for what is right, only to become blinded and be led astray.'
'We forget that we live in a world of balance. Light and Dark co-existing. Leaning towards one side will bring nothing but ruin, and we must learn to accept them both…'
'But… given what I am… can I ever hope to be a part of that reality?'
A feeling of weariness seemed to overcome the boy as he awakened from his slumber. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing a clear, blue sky. He sat up, feeling slightly dizzy as he did do, making him wonder how long he was lying down for. He looked down, seeing a white, marble ground. At his sides was a town made of the same material. The houses looked a bit different from each other, but nothing extravagant.
He was concerned when he noticed something very unusual about the town. It was quiet. So sounds o people, animals, only the sound of the waves splashing against the port could be heard. Why was it that there was such a town, but there was no one there to live in it?
Apparently, it was all built on the side of a slope. He looked in front of him again, his eyes finally catching the sight of a large structure, the cone-like building was a breath-taking sight. Whatever the building was, it seemed to be of some importance.
He looked around, feeling slightly giddy over the possibility of seeing other new sights. His eyes seeing other Islands. He squinted when he saw a lair of white on some of the islands, recognizing the same marble this town was made of. They looked like more towns, all of them suspended over a large body of water. He also spotted how each town was connected by cables, all of which were equipped with cable cars.
The more he saw, the more eager he was to see more. However, he became concerned when he thought that all the other towns might be abandoned as well. If that was the case, then for what reason would the residents need to leave?
"… Have I…"
The sight looked familiar to the boy, but… he couldn't quite place his finger on where he saw this place before.
Before he could get the chance to think more about it, the sky slowly turned dark and cloudy, streaks of lightning traveling across the clouds. Several bolts rained down and struck various parts of the town, one of them very close to striking the boy. He dodged out of the way in time. He rolled back onto his feet, looking at the spot the lightning struck in shock. The sudden change was inexplicable. How could the weather have changed so quickly?
Hearing a loud bang, he looked behind him to see that the citadel was also hit, becoming obliterated from the largest lightning strike. The force was strong enough it created a large shockwave that damaged the town, pieces of the houses breaking off and flying away. The boy held his arms up as he braced for impact, resisting against the blast for a few seconds. Eventually, the force proved too strong for him, and he was blown away, sent flying back. He was sent back far, flying over the port and hitting the water, and briefly skidded across the water before sinking beneath the surface. From underneath, he could see the island he was on crumbling to pieces.
It wasn't long before he felt the need for air. He swam back up to the surface, looking around to see the rest of the Islands crumbling in the same fashion, falling into the water. Seeing the debris coming his way, he dived back into the water, proving to have excellent swimming skill as he moved quickly through the water, avoiding the remnants of the buildings.
As he swam through, more debris came at him from the side, forcing him to quickly maneuver around them so as not to be hit. While difficult, he successfully managed to avoid the debris. He stopped swimming for a bit when he noticed that the debris stopped falling into the water. He swam back to the surface to see what was going on.
As he broke through the surface, he felt himself being pushed up, finding that he was suddenly standing up. He looked down, seeing that he was still on the water. He turned his head to check on the islands. He was wide-eyed with surprise when he saw that everything was fading into black. The islands, the water, everything.
The boy wasn't able to make sense of anything that happened… and yet, he felt no fear.
The darkness then quickly faded. After it wholly vanished, the boy found himself standing in a desert-like area. The ground was dry and cracks, the sky dull and dusty. But that wasn't the most significant part. He found himself standing in the middle of a crossroad… of sorts. The baron and cracked lanes separated fields of sword-like objects. They were all in the shape of keys, old and rusted like they had been there for a very long time without care.
The sky quickly changed from day to night, causing the land to darken. He thought things were about to change again until his eyes picked up on a light shining from behind. He looked back, seeing another key-like. This one, however, was much more pristine and magnificent. Two of the key-shaped weapons were formed in the shape of an 'X', a blade in between the two and designs on the sides.
The boy reached out to touch it, only for the weapon to shatter, one of the pieces struck him in the chest, sending him flying back. As he came to a stop, he grabbed his chest, the pain from the impact still present. He did his best to ignore it, standing back up on his feet.
He looked back at where the weapon was. There was no trace of it like it hadn't appeared at all. Before he could question it, there was one last surprise. Looking up, he saw two pillars. One was made from a pale blue light, the other from a red-orange light.
The two pillars began leaning towards one another. The boy took a step closer, wanting to know what was going on. As he began to walk over, the two-pillar intersected one another, creating a single arc that creating a blinding blast of light. The intensity made the boy cover his eyes with his arms, but the light was well able to shine through them as well.
The more the light shun, the found that he was losing his concentration. He fell onto one knee, trying his best to stay upright. Eventually, the intensity proved too much and he fell onto his side. The last thought he had before losing consciousness was what all this meant.
What were those places? Why did they seem so… familiar?
"KURO!"
The boy shot up, looking from side to side as he was practically frightened awake. He saw that he was no longer in any strange place in particular. In place, he knew exactly where he was now.
It was the interior of a small store. There were shelves packed with various herbs, medicines, and so on. There was a single door beside a glass window, which displayed various more items. He looked down, seeing that he was seated in one of the waiting chairs. He looked down to see that there was an empty take-out box on the table.
"Kuro! Are you still here!?" the same voice came again.
The boy, Kuro, grinned before calling out. "I'm out front, Yuna!"
Behind the counter, a door opened to reveal the person that was calling out to Kuro. It was a young woman with long, black hair tied into a ponytail, dark skin, and bright green eyes. She wore a green sleeveless dress, dark green arm wrappings, and brown shoes.
She had a grin on her face when she saw the person she was looking for. "Kuro, you last ass. Should've known you've been sleeping here."
"… Yeah… late night." He answered, stretching his arms. "That guy's pretty strict on the procedure."
Yuna rolled her eyes, knowing full well what the boy meant.
Kuro has been living with Yuna for a couple of months. During that time, Kuro has been acting as a courier, delivering homemade recipes for people who were under the weather, or recovering from an injury of some sort. Her stock was made with traditional ingredients. Out of all the establishments in Republic City, hers was one a good few that tried to stick to some of the more traditional methods.
One such customer was Mr. Muzo, who worked at the town council as the finance manager. His role includes several meetings with people all over the city, business owners, entrepreneurs, and people from the council that needed to fund. This led to a very long line outside his office, one that Kuro had to wait for several hours.
"At least it was the last delivery," Yuna said, trying to find a bright side.
"… True…" Kuro said.
After a few more seconds, Kuro stood up, walking and trying to get the blood flowing. He walked up to the front door, looking at his reflection in the door. He had spiky, black hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin. His clothing was different from the usual styles seen around the city. He wore a black turtle-neck jacket with sliver stripes going down from his shoulders to the sleeves and around the cuffs of his sleeves. He wore simple blue pants and grey shoes.
He ran his hand through his head before pausing for a moment, smiling at his reflection soon after.
"Okay, good to go."
Yuna shook her head. "Seriously? Is that all you're going to do?"
"…" Kuro looked back at Yuna, slightly confused. "Should I do more?"
The shop owner walked up to Kuro and leaned forward, sniffing the boy. As soon as she did, she straightened up, looking surprised.
"… Huh… you actually smell nice." She said. "Did you shower before falling asleep?"
"A quick wash, yeah," Kuro answered.
"… Okay." Yuna said, slightly surprised. Usually, she would have to remind Kuro to wash. She was glad he was actually remembering this time "Well then. It's time to get to work then."
"Where to?" Kuro asked, seemingly ready to work.
Yuna went behind the counter again, pulling out a jar of a dark, green liquid from a cupboard. She held out the jar for Kuro to take. The courier took the jar and placed it in his jacket pocket.
"Anything else?" Kuro asked.
"Nope. Just the one today." Yuna replied. "It's Mr. Chung's back remedy, said the old stuff ran out."
"… So… what about the other places?" he asked, genuinely surprised that there weren't more requests today. Usually, he would be delivering numerous items a day and judging from how happy the customers looked, the remedies were really popular.
Yuna spotted Kuro's confusion. She shrugged her shoulders. "Can't say. They didn't place in any orders…" She herself began to look unsure. She quickly shook it off, however. "Just make sure that Mr. Chung gets that. After that, you've got the day to yourself."
"Are you sure?" Kuro asked.
"Yes!" Yuna said. "Seriously, you've been helping out non-stop since you came here. You need a break, take time to explore the city for FUN."
"…" Kuro was indecisive about what to say after that. Much of his time was spent working with Yuna with her work. He wouldn't know what to do with all that free time… then again, there were some places around the city that he was hoping to explore but wasn't able to…
Kuro nodded. "Okay. I'll be back by this evening."
Yuna mentally sighed with relief, hoping he would say yes. "Great. See you then." She said before turning around. "Oh yeah, what do want for din…"
She turned back around, seeing that the boy had already gone.
"… How does he do that?" she asked herself.
Republic was already bustling with huge crowds.
Every area, road, the park, shopping district were all filled with people. All its citizens were kept busy, either with their work or looking around the city to keep themselves entertained. Normally, this would make it difficult to get around some of the busier places around the city.
Kuro, however, was able to quickly run through the crowds, taking in the sights. He was easily able to avoid the clusters of shoppers and tourists, all of whom gave him strange looks as he zoomed by. He guessed it was because of his appearance like Yuna always said, or because he was the only one willing to run in a crowded area like this. It was his first time in any kind of large shopping area. Usually, he would go towards small business stalls or at people's homes. Because of the crowds, he stuck to the alleys to get to the right places. Although, since he only had one delivery and it was early in the day, he took the chance to see the more popular places.
He slowed down after a bit, his eyes catching sight of one large store with glass windows. In them, there were several bottled medicines. They all had signs written on the bottles around them made of our parchment, talking about how effective they were. At the doors, he saw many people walking in and out, the latter carrying out bags of the stuff.
Kuro shook his head. He could tell that the stuff wasn't nearly as effective as Yuna's remedies.
"… Why do people go for flashy looks over quality?" he asked himself, turning away from the store.
He thought it was the same reason people were so fond of Bending. The Bending arts, allowing a portion of the world's population to manipulate one of four elements. Who wielded what had several conditions, but those who were born with the capability had great power at their hands.
*CRACK*
Kuro perked up at the sound of something shattering. He looked back to see a man dressed in mostly red, aside from a white shirt and brown shoes. Before him was a broken bottle of that medicine, and a young girl with brown hair and blue clothes standing in fear at the man.
"You stupid brat. Do you know how much that stuff COST!" he yelled.
The yelling caused the girl to flinch and step back in fear. From the look of it, she was afraid that he was going to do something to her.
"Please stop!"
A woman broke through the crowds, having the same hair color as the girl, dressed in a blue dress. She pulled the girl into a hug, keeping her face buried in her shoulder and away from the sight of the man.
"It was an accident. She didn't mean to"
The man raised his arm, his hand suddenly becoming engulfed in flames.
"Keep the brat under control. Otherwise, I'll burn you both. Understand?"
Kuro saw the mother and child both began to shake in fear, but the mother tried her best to hide her fear. She wanted to try and calm her child, and looking afraid wouldn't help her at all. He was impressed with the effort she was making… it was far braver than anything other people have tried in the past.
It was then that Kuro remembered something. Yuna had warned him about people in the city who had control of some areas through threat and intimidation, carrying out organized crime for money. The groups that did this were called 'Triads'. The red outfit worn by the man signified the 'Agni Kai'.
She told him to avoid them at all cost. That they would make peoples' lives a living hell if they got close. She made sure that they stayed away from her shop for a while now, and wanted to make sure that no one she knew got hurt by them either. He didn't want to upset Yuna. As such, he was about to turn and walk away, when he heard a scream.
He looked back, seeing a scorch mark in from of the mother and child, the child shaking even more.
"Didn't you hear me?" the Triad member said. "Do you understand what I want!?" he demanded.
"…" the mother was reluctant to speak. However, the fire in the man's hand sent a clear message. "I… I understand, sir…" she said shakily.
After she said that, Kuro went completely still. The mother lowered her head. It wasn't just to avoid looking at the Triad member. It was also to avoid the gazes from the crowd. What happened to her had to be just as humiliating as it was frightening. The Triad member knew this… he wanted to make the mother feel worse about the whole thing. He looked like he was enjoying it…
Kuro didn't like it one bit.
He walked over, weaving past the crowds and towards the scene. Some people in the crowd saw what he was doing and tried to stop him, but they weren't able to stop him.
The Triad member spoke again. "Glad to hear. And if that happens again, I'll be sure t-AAAGH!"
Kuro grabbed the wrist of the non-flaming hand twisted as hard as he could, as well as grabbing the back of his head pushing him down onto his knees. The Triad member wasn't expecting this. He tried to look up, but Kuro's grip kept his head locked in place.
"W-What's going on!?" he yelled.
"Apologize," Kuro said.
He could tell that the Triad member was surprised. He probably didn't expect anyone to stand up to him. Kuro tightened his grip on the wrist and twisted more, so much so that the wrist threatened to break.
"AAGH!" the Triad member yelled. "GET OFF ME!"
"Like I said. Apologize." Kuro said. His tone sending the message that wouldn't relent.
"… L… Like…" smoke started to emit from his clothes. "Like I'd listen to a PUNK LIKE YOU!"
The arm Kuro held ignited. Kuro let go before he was hit, but had to quickly move out of the way before the Agni Kai member launched a stream of fire at the boy. The Triad member swiped his arm across the air, sending a crescent wave at Kuro. He Kuro charged at the Triad member while ducking underneath the attack, showing no hesitation. The Triad member curled his hands into fists, forming knife-like flames. As Kuro got close, the Triad member slashed at Kuro. The boy was easily able to dodge the wild swings. When the Triad member tried stabbing from above, Kuro rolled to the side, spinning on his shoulder and kicking his opponents in the legs, the force causing the criminal to spin the air before falling face-first onto the ground.
Kuro grinned at the Triad member as the latter looked back at the former, not expecting Kuro to have such speed and agility. From the expression on his face, he could tell that the Triad member was feeling the shame of being on the losing side of this fight.
A fight against a non-bender to make it worse for this man.
Kuro eyed the sides, prompting the Triad member to see what Kuro was looking at. Kuro saw the surrounding crowds. They saw how well Kuro was fending himself against the people this city was supposed to be afraid of. Doubt and confusion in their eyes. Giving this guy a taste of his own medicine… felt good.
He looked over his shoulder, looking back at the mother and child. They were surprised by what Kuro was doing, and he couldn't blame them. Yuna had told him that there weren't many people around that could do… what he could do.
"Boss!"
Kuro looked behind the Triad member. There in came four more Triad members. As they came, the crowd began to look afraid again. Two of the members helped him up, while the other two stood in front of him.
"You okay man?" one of the first member's helpers asked.
When Kuro's first opponent was back on his feet, he looked at Kuro angrily. It seemed that Kuro was more than effective in his effort to humiliate this man. What more, it wasn't lost on Kuro when one of the new four called him boss.
Kuro grinned, realizing he had been taking on the leader of the Agni Kai.
The leader pointed at Kuro. "Kill the son of a bitch!"
At that, the other four ran at Kuro, intending to cause harm. They ignited their hands, preparing to launch more streams of fire. At this point, Kuro knew two things. One, he could easily dodge the attacks. If the leader was easy to evade, then the rest should be more than simple to take care of. Two…
He looked over his shoulder, seeing that the mother and child were still there. If he was to dodge, then the two would get hurt.
At this point, he wasn't sure what to do…
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Two metal cables appeared from above, wrapping themselves around one of the Triad members. The member was pulled back, Kuro's sight following him. In a split second, that Agni Kai member was punched in the face with great force, knocking him out instantly.
The culprit was a woman in her fifties but looked to be in great physical shape. She had mid-length grey hair, green eyes, and pale skin. She had two scars on the right side of her face. She was wearing the grey and black armor worn by the police.
More specifically, the Metalbending Corp.
"Aw crap! It's her!" One of the remaining Triad members said. He tried to make a run for it, but the woman in question fired another cable from her wrist, catching him and swung him through the air with ease before slamming him into the ground.
Kuro looked back at the woman and child. "Both of you, go somewhere safe!"
The two looked back at Kuro. The mother nodded, picking up the child, and ran through the crowds. Said crowds moved out of the way, allowing the mother and child the chance to escape. At least they had the decency to do that.
He looked back at Triad members and the police officer, seeing that the leader and one of the two remaining helpers fired streams at her. The police officer slammed her foot onto the ground, a wall of earth rising from the ground, defending her from the attacks. The Agni Kai members were busy trying to get through the wall, they failed to notice when their opponent shot out from the ground behind them, shooting both cables out, both hitting the ground on either side of them.
With great force, she pulled the cables, propelling herself at the leader, slamming him into the wall. He roared in pain before he was cut short, the officer slamming her foot into his face and knocking him out. Kuro winced at the amount of force used in those attacks.
The remaining two helpers were looking terrified. Their boss had been easily beaten and was more than likely afraid she would be just as brutal with them. Despite their fear, they felt they had to fight back. They readied their flames, but soon found themselves interrupted.
Kuro had taken action, sweeping his feet at their legs, causing them to spin through the air. He struck the closest first while he was still in the air, kicking him in the face. The last helper, who was also still in the air, watched helplessly as Kuro threw a fist right into his face.
With that, all of the Triad members present were beaten. Kuro let out a sigh of relief, glad that the conflict was over. He patted his jacket, seeing that Mr. Chung's remedy was still in one piece.
"Phew." he sighed.
"What the heck were you thinking!?"
Kuro looked to where he heard the voice. The Police officer that took out the majority of the opponents was standing before him, and she did not look happy.
"I got a report of a Non-Bender taking on the Leader of the Agni Kai. Thought they were high on Cactus-Juice as I was on my way here." She yelled. "How could you be stupid enough to do that!?"
"I knew I could beat him," Kuro answered assertively. "And he was attacking two people. Why shouldn't… I…"
Kuro lowered his head, a sudden feeling of shame overcoming him. Earlier, he was going to leave them simply because he wanted to follow Yuna's advice. Looking back, he feels guilty for having thought like that.
The officer was silent for a moment before sighing. "… Alright. Just this once I'll let you off with a warning."
Kuro looked back up in surprise. He didn't expect her to let him off like that. He thought that she would take him to the police station and lock him up. Considering what had happened, she should be at least restraining him. So why...
"But JUST this once." She said harshly. "I don't approve of Vigilante justice. So if I see you acting like that again, I WILL throw your backside into a cell. Understand!?"
Kuro nodded. "Yes… uh…" he wasn't sure what to call her.
"Beifong." The officer said. "Chief Beifong. Don't forget it."
With that, the Police Chief used her cables, attaching them to a nearby building, pulling herself up and over the building. With that, she had vanished from view.
Seconds later, the rest of the police force, officers, vans, and more, ready to bring in the Triad members. It didn't take long for the police to cuff and place the Triad members in the vans. After which, Kuro let out a sigh of relief. He was confident in his ability to take on the Agni Kai, especially now, but Chief Beifong… Yuna told him about her as well. As strong and capable as she was cold and ruthless. Under her watch, the Police were a force to be reckoned with. He must have been remarkably lucky that she let him off.
"Hey! Kid!"
Kuro turned around, seeing a man walking up to him. He was waving his hand wildly and holding a rolled-up poster in his other hand. He came to a stop, breathing heavily just after.
Kuro glanced at him. "Can I help you?" he asked.
The man stood up straight, a hopeful look on his face. "Actually young man, I was hoping you could help us." He answered.
"… Us?"
The man unrolled the poster. It was a picture of a masked man, a message written on it as well. He didn't understand the script, so he wasn't able to understand the meaning behind it… if there was any at all.
"I would like you to join our campaign to save Republic City." The man said.
Kuro stayed silent, allowing the man to explain what he was talking about.
"As you saw today, the people of our city are being oppressed by people like that. The Benders of this city think that they can get away with harassing us. It's not something that we should just allow to happen."
"What about the police?" Kuro asked. "They have Metalbenders protecting the city."
"That, in lies, another problem." The man said. "Bending is not only used to harm people but it's glorified. So much so to the point that anyone in this city that can use Bending is automatically risen above the ranks, leaving the rest of us and the rest of the hard work we put in forgotten… practically thrown away like trash.
"…" Kuro stayed silent again.
The man then got to the point. "I'm a part of a group that seeks equality among Benders and Non-Benders. We need to show the city and its officials that we are just as important and valuable to our city. And you, kid…" he wrapped his arm around Kuro's neck gently. "You showed to be stronger than the Agni Kai. We need people with power like yours if we are going to spread our message."
"… Power?" Kuro asked.
"Yes." The man said, holding the poster up to Kuro's face. "How about it? Wanna join?"
Kuro looked at the poster. The way the figure was shown on it… it gave off an image of intimidation. Like he wanted people to fear him. That didn't sound like someone who sought equality. He then looked back at the man, more specifically his eyes. It was then that Kuro felt like speaking.
"I refuse."
Kuro swatted the man's arm away, followed by gently pushing the poster away from his face. Kuro walked away. Before Kuro could get far, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"W-Wait! Hold on, kid. Are you serious?" he asked. "Don't you want to hel-"
Kuro looked back at the man, immediately feeling annoyed. He saw the man back away with a scared look.
"What would you do if you had Bending?" Kuro asked him. "Would you try to act like a hero? Or would you go after the same fame and fortune other Benders have?"
Kuro saw how nervous the man was looking. He grinned when he saw that this man was put on the spot. Kuro saw it instantly when he looked him straight in the eyes. He wasn't the kind of person interested in the idea of equality. He felt spite… and jealousy. This man looked just as keen to hurt and humiliate as the Agni Kai leader was.
"I only acted because that man was treating those two horribly. If they were benders and he wasn't, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. I still would have taught him a lesson." He said sharply. "… Power… doesn't make people bad or good. It reveals the kind of person inside us. Those Triads did nothing but abuse that power to suit themselves, showing that they were scum from the start!"
Kuro turned and started walking away as he said "You remind me too much of them. Whatever it is you're after, leave me out of it."
With that, Kuro had managed to get some distance away from the man. After all the excitement today, he figured that he would just head over to the tea shop that he liked going to. As much as he liked the idea of seeing more of the city, seeing what some of its citizens were like today acted as a bit of a turn-off.
Hopefully, he wouldn't have to deal with any other crazy events that day.
The man slumped in disappointment. He honestly thought that the boy would be keen on joining the fight against inequality. He saw the way the boy fought. He didn't think a regular person was able to move like that. Fast, agile… it made him wonder if there was anything else to the boy.
He looked at the poster again, sighing as he looked at the figure printed on it.
"Do not worry, Amon." He said to the poster. "I'm sure we'll find more strong people to aid us in your mission."
"What mission is this?"
The man jumped with fright. He turned around to see who was questioning him. He looked rather surprised. Standing before him was a young man with tanned skin and a head of messy brown hair. He wore a grey, long-sleeved button shirt, a black vest, black pants, and slightly worn shoes. The man noticed that this boy had dark amber eyes, like those from the Fire Nation. However, aside from his clothing choice, he looked like a Water Tribe native.
The young man snatched the poster from the man, looking at it with mild interest.
"Hmm… 'Witness the Revelation'…" he looked back at the man. "What's this?"
"Huh?... Oh, yes!" the man said. he was still focused by the man's unusual appearance. He saw that he was dressed as unusually as the last kid, but both still contrasted each other greatly. "It's a movement to promote equality between Benders and Non-Benders."
"…" the formally dressed boy looked back at the poster. "… I see…" he looked back at the man. "Who was that kid who you were talking to."
"Oh, uh… well…" he looked back over his shoulder but saw no trace of the boy. He then had an idea in his head. He looked back at the man in formal wear, thinking he may have found a new selling point. "He is a warrior for justice! One who stands against the oppressive Benders of this city! He took on the Agni Kai Triad and defe-"
The man in worn formal wear grabbed the promoter by the shoulder, his grip was stronger than a vice. The promoter wasn't prepared for this, not even having a chance to scream as this person pulled him in close.
"Do you know… who he is… or don't you?" he asked, his tone become darker than before.
Slowly, the equalist promoter shook his head. He found it difficult to move from both the pain now coursing through his shoulder, as well as the fear of what this surprisingly strong person might do to him. Much to his fortune, however, the formally dressed person released his grip, allowing the promoter to back away, holding his pained shoulder as he did so. She tripped over his feet and fell onto his backside, still looking at the strange person before him.
The dark ember-eyed person was adjusting his sleeve before speaking. "Take my advice. If you lie to get people to follow a worthy cause, you'll only drive them away. Use emphasis rather than exaggeration and fibs." He explained. "… Of course… I can help with that."
That last part caught the promoter's attention. "… You'll… you wish to join? Why?" he said. He then covered his mouth, regretting asking why he would join.
The well-dressed figure grinned. "I have my reasons… however…" he kneeled onto the ground. "In exchange, I wish to meet the one in charge. If I'm going to be taking part, I wish to know if the main man is worth aiding."
He stood up and offered a hand to the promoter. "Do we have an agreement, Mr…"
"Yuang!" the promoter said. He gently grabbed the stranger's hand. "My name is Yuang, sir. Amon will be giving a speech in a week, you can see him then." He said.
"… That's acceptable." The stranger said, pulling Yuang up. He gently shook the Yuang's hand before saying "My name is Argent. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Oh man, I hope he's not mad!"
Kuro ran as fast as he could to make it to Mr. Chung's workplace. He was worried as he was usually quick with his deliveries in the time that he was making them, and he hoped that his being late wouldn't reflect badly on Yuna as a result.
He ran out of an ally, coming onto a road where several stalls and shops were set up. He found the place he needed to go to, jogging up to the shop. He saw the owner polishing one of many phonographs.
"Mr. Chung?" Kuro called out.
The man in question turned around, showing a man with grey hair and green clothes. Upon seeing Kuro, the man smiled. "Oh, Kuro! How are you today?"
Kuro slowed and came to a stop, glad to see that he wasn't angry. "I'm good, sir." He answered before pulling out the medicine. "Yuna asked me to bring you this."
"Oh, that's great!" Mr. Chung said. "Thank you so much, Young man."
Kuro gave a small nod. "That medicine should be around ten Yuans."
"Of course." Mr. Chung said. "Please wait here a moment."
Mr. Chung went back into his shop to collect the necessary funds. Kuro, meanwhile, looked at the merchandise Mr. Chung had outside. The phonographs he had looked good. He saw them in some of the businesses he delivered to, even Yuna had one. Although Yuna's seemed to have had less used for some time if the dust was anything to go by.
"Here you go."
Kuro turned his head to see the store owner walking back out. He handed an envelope to Kuro, who put it in his pocket. Right after, Mr. Chung handed something else to the boy. He gave Kuro a brown bag; Kuro found after looking inside that it was a small collection of vinyl records.
The courier looked back up at Mr Chung with a confused look. "What's this?"
"Just a small thank you." He said. "Thanks to you I don't have to wait nearly as long for my medicine. Yuna sure hired a reliable lad, eh?" he said.
Kuro didn't think much about the compliment. He simply gave a nod and a grin. "Thanks, sir." He said. He couldn't help but be surprised by the coincidence. Perhaps now Yuna might have a reason to use that phonograph now.
A thought then occurred to the store owner. "Oh, I should've asked. Does Yuna have any preferences for-"
He was interrupted when the sound of an engine revving rang through the air. Kuro and Mr. Chung both turned to where the noise was coming from. The answer, a red and black automobile. Kuro recognized the design, seeing them all over the city. He was sure they were called 'Satomobiles' for some reason. From the corners of his eyes, he caught sight of other store owners packing up and going inside, while customers seemed to be taking their leave as quickly as possible.
The vehicle came to a stop outside the phonograph store. Stepping out of the car were three people. One was wearing blue and light blue clothes and a hat. Another wore a green shirt, brown pants, and shoes, while the third wore a black and grey outfit with a red scarf. One thing they all had in common was that they all had that same dark look in their eye as the Agni Kai…
"… Kuro…"
The courier looked back at the store owner.
"I think you should leave." He said.
Kuro looked down, noticing that the storeowner's hands were starting to shake. Kuro was about to ask what was going on when he heard the blue-clad of the trio speak.
"Mr. Chung…" He walked up to the man, shoving Kuro out of the way with little respect. "Please tell me that you have my money, or I can't guarantee that I can protect your fine establishment."
For emphasis, the man in black raised his hand, a small ball of flame forming while he kept that dark grin.
Mr. Chung looked extremely nervous at this point. "I-I'm sorry. The business has been slow." He looked around, hoping to find something to appeal to them. "Here, take one of my Phonographs."
The same Firebender soon raised his foot, igniting it before slamming it down onto the phonograph, shattering the item, letting what was left slowly burn to ash. The sight alone angered Kuro, prompting him to take a step forward. He stopped, however, when he saw Mr. Chung look at him, trying to silently tell him that he didn't need to interfere. Yuna gave him that look many times before, but it never involved a problem like this before.
"My friend is not a music lover." The blue-clad man said.
He looked to the side when he saw the store owner's sight was focused on something else. He also looked to see what it was, only to see Kuro standing there. Kuro met his eyes. The courier didn't show any signs of fear or reluctance, instead, he allowed his eyes to reflect all the anger he felt about the situation.
"And who do we have here?" he asked, walking towards Kuro.
Mr. Chung panicked at this. "No, please! He has nothing to do with this!" he begged.
The blue-clad man stood directly in front of him. He looked down at him, trying to look intimidating. Kuro wasn't phased by this at all. This guy was exactly like the leader of the Agni Kai leader. He looked at the other two, who were also looking at him.
Kuro gave the man an exasperated look. "And you are…?"
"…" the man lost his smile, seeing that the courier wasn't afraid. "You new in town?"
"…" Kuro didn't answer, instead waited for the man to explain.
"Hey kid!" the green-shirted man said with an aggravated tone. "Don't you disrespect the Triple-Threats! Or else-"
The blue-clad man raised his arm, signaling him to stop.
"That's enough." He said.
"But Viper, th-"
The blue-clad man, now known as Viper, looked back at him, glaring at him. Kuro saw that it worked well. From the looks of things, they had a little backbone as he expected. Kuro was going to look back at Mr. Chung to see if he was alright when he felt a hand grab him by the neck of his jacket. He saw that it was Viper who had the grip with one hand, lifting his other hand. His jacket lifted, revealing a flask hanging at his side. The lid came off, water floating out of it and up towards Viper's hand. A Waterbender, much to his surprise.
"Mr. Chung." Viper started. "I highly advise you get our money, else I leave this boy with more than a bruise." He said, quickly turning the water into an ice spike.
"No, wait!" Mr. Chung said. "I-I don't have the money yet. Just give me a couple more days and I'll-"
"Not good enough." Viper looked back at Kuro, raising his hand, causing the Ice Spike to raise into the air. "Sorry kid. But this man needs to learn what happens when you don't pay up."
Viper brought his hand down, launching the spike at Kuro. Mr. Chung yelled out, not wanting the boy to get hurt. The three men kept a grin on their faces, feeling good about displaying their power again. However, much to the surprise of everyone present, the ice spike didn't hit. Instead, it morphed back into liquid, simply splashing Kuro in the face.
"Huh? Viper?" the Firebender said. "What are you doing?"
Viper looked back, now seemingly angry. "That wasn't me, you idiot!"
"You got that right."
All froze at the new voice. The three men looked to see who it was, still looking angry. Mr. Chung also looked to see who it was, still looking like he was trapped by his fear. Kuro was the last to look to see who had spoken.
Upon seeing the new arrival, a strong shock went through his whole body. Every part of his body was experiencing pure, paralyzing fear, his eyes widened from the panic. He wasn't sure why it was. He had never felt anything like this before. And it was all because of the sight of this one person.
Before them stood a young woman the same age as Kuro. She had long, dark brown hair tied into a ponytail, as well as a pair of tails that hung on both sides of her head. She had dark skin and cyan eyes. She wore a light-blue sleeveless shirt, blue arm-wrappings, and an armband on her right upper arm. She had dark blue pants, a pelt wrapped around her waist, and beige shoes.
She had her arm raised, pointed towards where the ice spike once hovered. She grinned at the group, showing no signs of fear. Kuro's fear quickly faded after keeping his gaze at her steady. The way she stood, the confident look. It was nothing like the Triads. There was something about her. She looked keen to show her power, but there was no malice in her being. It looked like she was planning on helping.
… So then why was he so afraid just now.
"Are you guys done yet?" she asked, before cracking her knuckles. "If you are, then either back off, or you guys are in for a world of hurt!"
And that's that. Just wanted to give a small note to say, especially for those who already read the first version of this story, I read back over it after being away from Fanfiction for a while... and I was NOT happy with my work. As such, I decided to try again, this time going about in a way that I feel is much or not people like it or hate it, I'm going through with this one. The previous version will be discontinued. I was going to take it down, but I'll leave it up for now. Just in case anyone wants to read it again.
Well... that's it. Hope you guys liked the start of this rewrite. Feel free to leave a review or PM on your thoughts, just no flaming (doesn't do anyone any good at the end of the day, does it?). Hope you guys are staying safe, and I hope everyone has a good day.