The Tale of Kotori (LOK)

Chapter 2: A Sleepless Night

Chapter 2: A Sleepless Night

     Kotori ran as fast as her legs would carry her until she made to the hotel. But her running didn't stop there, she didn't slow her fast pace until she was in her room. She flopped onto her bed with a huff and just laid there. When her breathing was steadied, she stepped down into the lobby. This time there was a boy, a few years older than her at the desk.

     "Excuse me, I would like to know if there is a radio I could listen to, or rent." Kotori asked, rushing her words together slightly. "Yeah, we have one. But it'll cost a silver coin per day." He replied. She tossed him a silver coin. "I'll only be using it tonight." She said. He handed Kotori a wireless radio and she took it up to her room. She flipped it on and turned to the pro-bending station and listened intently.

     "He's- he's going out through the roof, and the Avatar, Korra is going after him!" The reporter shouted frantically. "She's the Avatar?!" Kotori asked to herself. "Looks like she's gonna make it- oh no! She's falling! This is terrible! It-" and the station was cut off. "It what?!" Kotori shouted, banging on the radio.

     She turned to Republic City news, seeing if it's was being reported on that channel. "Amon has gone to the pro-bending match and has taken away Tahno’s water bending!" "What?!" Kotori asked to no one frightened. "And he says he plans on taking all bending, so we will all be equal." The reporter says. "No!" Kotori shrieked. She continued to listen, and became more frightened as the documentaries went on.

     Soon, she found herself in an awkward position on her bed. She had fallen asleep and it was probably three in the morning. She turned the radio off and set it on her counter and was about to go back to sleep when she saw a shadow over her window. The hotel she was staying at was made of stone so she could feel everything. There was someone hanging above her window. She quietly grabbed her bag, which held everything she owned, and snuck out the door, she was already dressed from falling asleep in her cloths.

     Once she was out of her room, she started to run, bumping into the walls as she went. She flew out the door of the hotel and continued to run. She had all the pieces together; Amon's guard had chased her the previous night and was after her now, because of her bending. She had heard people had been disappearing all over the place and no one knew what the connection was. They were all benders.

     She thought maybe someone reported her to Amon, letting him know she was an earth bender. The figure which was outside her window was now almost caught up to her, but he was on the roof tops. Kotori had no choice. She took a rock and threw it into a shop window with earth bending, causing it to shatter. She then launched herself into the air from a rock she pulled from the road, sending her a good ways from the man on the roof tops. She fled for probably eight minutes before seeing the Metal Bending Patrol. She ran to them gladly then stopped.

     She turned around her and the man was gone. He had seen the police and branched off. "Excuse me young lady, did you damage the property of the store several block down?" One asked with no expression. "Yes sir, I did." She answered, figuring this would go much faster if she cooperated. "How did you do it?" He asked.

     "I was kicking rocks around for fun like I usually do, and the rock I kicked bumped off another rock and flew into the window. I was looking for someone to tell, so I could pay." She lied, she handed them her remaining six silver coins. "I'm sure that will cover it." She smiled. "Yes, I'm sure it will, it's late and you need to be getting home. Now run along." He instructed.

     She smiled and ran off. Her plan had worked; she had lost the man chasing her. But now she needed somewhere safe to go, but she knew they would be waiting for her at the hotel. Because of this, she was glad she had grabbed her bag. She ran to the hat shop she was working at and waited around the corner, she just knelt with her hand to the ground, all night. The sun rose, and the people of Republic City were starting to come out and about. She looked all through the crowd and spotted Jett. He unlocked the door to the shop and walked in. She came from around the corner and walked right in.

     "Kotori! You're here early, you know you don't have to be here until-" "it's an emergency." Kotori cut him off. "Okay but what-" "are you on the benders or equalist’s side?!" Kotori asked. "The benders. Definitely." He answered. "Do you have any close friends or family members who are benders?" Kotori asked. "I supposed you could say that..." Jett answered. "And if they somehow had their bending taken away, you would be upset?" Kotori asked. "I would be very upset." Jett answered.

     "Okay, new subject, you know the disappearances of all those people in Republic City?" Kotori asked. "Yeah, what about it?" Jett asked. "I would have been added to that list last night." Kotori admitted. "How do you know? What happened?!" Jett asked, slightly frantically. "I figured out what all the victims had in common. They were all benders." Kotori explained. "You're a bender?!" Jett asked. "Yeah..." Kotori said, rubbing her arm. It would have been a risky move, but she could tell he wasn't lying, she could feel his steady heartbeat.

     "Lemme guess, Earth Bender." He concluded from her Earth Nation cloths. "Yeah..." Kotori stated. "Who is doing this? Wait, never mind, I know the only person who can take bending away. It's Amon. So Amon is kidnapping benders, taking away their bending and then just keeping them so they can't warn people?" Jett asked. Kotori nodded.

     "So how are you still here?" Jett asked. "Well, luckily, I am an earth bender, and I can feel them coming if I want. They were hanging outside my hotel room, but it was pure luck that saved me. I woke up in the middle of the night for no real reason, and felt them there. I grabbed my stuff and ran." Kotori explained.

     "How did they know you're an earth bender?" Jett asked. "When I first came to Republic City, I didn't know the equalists or Amon even existed, so like most cities I thought bending was fine. One of Amon’s guards, more like puppets, probably saw me earth bend." Kotori told Jett. "And what do you need from me?" Jett asked. "Somewhere to go at night. I can watch my own back during the day, but I can't stay awake forever." Kotori imposed.

     "Why me? Why didn't you ask-" "because I don't have anyone else! I’m gonna be honest with you. You’re literally the only person I know personally." Kotori cut him off, her eyes starting to become glassy. "But what about your famil-" "I'm an only child and my parents died four years ago." Kotori almost shouted, a tear trickling down her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." Jett apologized feeling awful. "Listen, I have a big house with my family, you can stay in one of the guest rooms, but I want you to keep my family out of this. I don't want them getting hurt." Jett compromised. Kotori nodded and hugged him. It was unexpected, so at first Jett tensed up, but then hugged back.

     "But for now, why don't you sell some hats?" Jett asked. Kotori smiled and went into the back to change into her uniform. They spent the whole day selling. They sold many different hats. Men’s, woman’s, children’s, frilly, formal, causal, you name it they sold it. At the end of their exhausting day, Kotori looked to Jett wanting to crash for the day. She only got a half nights worth of sleep the night before. They closed up the shop and Jett lead the way home.

     Jett opened the doors of the enormous house and they walked in. It was late and there was no one about the household but Jett's father. His dad looked at Kotori confused. "Hey dad. Something happened to the place she's staying and I figured it would be alright to allow one of my employees in need to stay in the small guest room." Jett pleaded. "I suppose that's alright. You must be Kotori." He smiled. Kotori nodded with a smile and gave him a weak handshake. "She's had a rough day." Jett whispered to his father.

     Jett led Kotori to the room and she crashed onto the bed, not even bothering to take her bag off. Jett simply flipped the light off and closed the door. Then left to his own room for the night. The next morning, Jett wobbled down the stairs in his pajamas to the breakfast table. There he saw Kotori looking much more lively and awake. Her hair was no longer messily tucked into a hair tie, but nicely brushed and pulled into a ponytail, and her green eyes no longer looked tired. Overall she just looked like she was feeling better.

     Jett nearly jumped when he realized he had forgotten she was staying with his family and ran up the stairs to slide out of his pajamas. Kotori had already started a conversation with Jett's mother. Telling her the stories of the Earth Nation (leaving out the fact that she was an earth bender), how she came to Republic City, things like that.

     Jett's younger sister was obsessed with asking Kotori questions. "So how long have you worked for Jett?" She asked. "Two days" Kotori answered. "Have you ever had a boyfriend?" "No." "Do you want one?" "If the right guy comes along." Kotori answered. "Do you like Jett?" His sister asked. "I think that's enough questions!" Jett halted as he walked in. His mother served breakfast to Jett, his little sister, his father and Kotori and the conversation started.