---King Cruel---

"No, no, it'll be okay!" said one of the many people in earshot. "Of course he still loves, he's just a bit shocked is all. Love is blind, remember?"

Love is blind. I repeated the thought in my head and laughed. As I walked past yet another mindless teenager gabbing into their plastic shells, I turned the thought over in my head. Love is blind. It is indeed blind. As blind as the people who claim it, to their own meaningless emotions. The word love has about as much value as a grocery bag full of decapitated puppies. I made a mental note to bash the next person I heard repeat the phrase with something large and lethal.

More people silently passed each other on the narrow sidewalk, collectively bringing the total of brain cells in the area to a laughable 0, myself not included, of course. The buildings in the area were tall and gray with dark windows, which made it hard to see who was more miserable -- the people inside of the buildings, or the people heading to them. A flurry of dress coats and briefcases passed me, each of them hiding a bout of extreme depression behind their short hair and clean-shaven faces. I see the same people maybe a hundred times a day, maybe less. It's hard to tell any of them apart, really. They may as well all share the same empty mind.

"This seems like a good spot." I spoke aloud. Nobody payed a bit of attention and continued shuffling to work, school, or back home. I dropped a small footstool on the ground and sat on it, and set the dark leather case in front of me. I began to play my guitar as the briefcases passed. Some looked at me as if they derived pleasure from my playing and wanted to donate, but no one dared to break the mold of normality, and continued their long walks.

I cleared my throat and started to sing the lyrics for the song, which I started over from the beginning.

♬♫♪ Terrible frost, bright lights and cold
Are what fills this city, so old
And when the night falls, the city lives
For what you will ask, the city gives

People come and people go
People you'll be glad to know
Just stop for a moment, extend a hand
To help come and unite the land

An honest smile, and happy eyes
Our city enlightened with bright blue skies
Food comes easy, in a city like this
So join me in the unending bliss ♪♫♬

With the singing, a lot more people turned their heads and a few, including the girl who was on the cellphone, walked back over and dropped what they could into my empty leather case. The girl was now starting at me and I lifted my head and gave her one of my dashing smiles as my eyes met hers for only a moment, which is when I chose to look away. Although not before observing the blush which had turned her cheeks a deep pink.

I emptied the case into my pockets a couple times over a few hours, and when there wasn't anymore room in them, I emptied the money back in to the case, stashing my pick and guitar with it. I grabbed the stool and hung the guitar case over my back again and made my way home.

About half way there, I went off my course to a few shops, buying a bottle of whiskey and a big sack of fast food, filled with chicken strips and burgers and fries and the such. I took it and handed the guy exact change, which I had already counted in my head and left before he had the chance to count it, to his great protest.

I slipped into a back alley and the cold breeze stopped almost immediately. The cold air had little chance of entering the alley with it being so narrow. There I found a man, dressed in filthy rags, sleeping under a newspaper. He was covered in dirt and car oil, as if he had bathed in mud and got in a losing fight with a car motor. I put a hand on his shoulder and shook him awake.

He grumbled as he awoke. but the grumbling soon halted completely when he laid eyes on the cause of his awakening. He lunged at me and wrapped his dirty hands around my lower back in a surprising embrace and looked up at me. I gave him a caring smile and handed him the bag and the bottle.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he said, as he dug into the bag and ate all he could. To me, it was $21.64. To him, it was three feasts and a party. When he had finished his binge, he took a deep whiff of the bag and sighed happily, remembering all the tasty food he had just devoured. I sat across with him, my guitar case next to me and watched him.

After the initial shock of food, company, and decent booze, he started conversation up. "Where've you been, man? It's been weeks!"

"Well," I spoke gently. "I have been kind of tied up lately, but I thought it was about time I came back to pay you a visit." I put my hand on his shoulder and frowned. "I also came because I have something to ask of you."

Just at that moment, a shadow overtook the alley and without a second thought, I lunged at the owner.

"Auuuuuuuuuugh!"

"I can't believe I'm late!" said a half naked Koru, staring in disbelief at the clock. She jumped up, letting her covers fall to the ground as she sorted through her wardrobe for something to wear. After settling on jeans and a tight t-shirt along with her light blue coat, she grabbed her lunch money and cell phone and took off for school.

She ran as fast as she could to get to school, which was several blocks away from the apartment her family lived in. She could have made it there, if perhaps she had grabbed breakfast on the way out. Instead, she had rushed out, leaving her stomach growling and her energy sapped. Her run slowed down to a jog, which slowed into a hybrid of panting and walking.

"Oh Koru.. why'd you have to go and stay up late.. oh, now you're in for it.."

She sighed and took out her cellphone, and texted one of her friends while she walked through the city.

Korutama: im late again, i can't believe this
cloudofhate: lol mebbe u shuldnt stay up so late
Korutama: thats what i was saying to myself
cloudofhate: ur in for some serius shit u kno
Korutama: maybe i should just call in sick and not go
cloudofhate: well i think ull be in wurse troble for tht
Korutama: ill just tell them my moms car broke down or something
cloudofhate: ur mom doesnt evn have a car lol
Korutama: which is why i walk a mile to school..
cloudofhate: ok gtg class is starting
Korutama: already?? oh i hate this walk so much

She sighed and kept walking, pulling her coat tightly around her to warm up. After another block or two, her cellphone went off. She considered jogging the rest of the way and ignoring it. She would have done it too, if she wasn't going to get screamed at by her teacher when she got to school.

She picked it up and was greeted by a wailing friend. "K-KORUUUUUUUUUUU!" her friend cried.

Koru pulled the phone away from her ear and held it at a safe distance before she spoke again. "Y-yes? What is it, Malie?"

"He.. he HATES ME! He's been avoiding me! He's probably seeing other girls!"

"Who, Allen? No way, nobody in their right mind would date Allen."

"Wh-what?"

"Err- because he's so obviously in love with you! Everyone knows they couldn't come between you two!"

Phew, she thought. I think she bought it. In all truthfulness, she had a minor distaste for both Malie and Allen, though she wouldn't say it to them.

"Oh.. but.. but I told him about how I want to get married and have kids someday and.. and.. he freaked! He just.. I don't even think he loves me anymore!" And the wailing continued.

Koru clenched her teeth and after her ears stopped ringing, said in a desperate attempt to get off the phone, "No, no, it'll be okay! Of course he still loves, he's just a bit shocked is all. Love is blind, remember?" And apparently deaf, too. she thought. At the same time, a man laughed, as if reading into her thoughts.

"D-do you really think so?"

"Yes, of course I do, Malie.. If you want, I'll talk to him for you. I've really go to go, though. There's quite a ways to school and I'm late again."

"Okay.. th-thank you again, Koru.." And with that, the two of them hung up. She sighed and ran a hand through her long stands of blonde hair. "I'm so late.. this wouldn't have happened if I had a car.." Suddenly, from the crowd, she heard a guitar, and soon after, a strong, clear male singing voice. A small crowd gathered around him and dropped bills and coins into his case.

He had charisma, she admitted that. She pocketed her cell phone and searched around for some money to give the man. She listened contentedly to the song, which was about the city she lived in and how peaceful and hopeful it was. She walked up to the case and set her money inside it, and watched the musician.

His outfit consisted of mostly black. He wore black jeans and black and white shoes that both look like they were made by hand instead of being bought from a store. He was also wearing a long-sleeved black t-shirt that clung tightly to his chest and stomach, which were admirably built.

She couldn't quite see his face from the angle she had taken, so she walked around the crowd and eased herself into a free space, all the while he played his songs, pleasing the crowd enough to have filled a fourth of his case with small bills already.

And then, as she took a closer look at his face, he turned up to her and met her gaze with his deep dark blue eyes and a smile that made her heart beat nearly out of her chest. He then looked back at his guitar, leaving her blushing with a wide smile on her face.

W..wait. She thought. Oh no, I still have to get to school! And she sprinted the rest of the way there.

"You're late!" I growled loudly.

"S..shit! Get off me!" Sputtered out the man I had just brought to the ground. I complied and he sat up, rubbing his neck. "God, if this is how you treat FRIENDS when they're late, I'd hate to see you throw a party."

I laughed and said "Only difference is, most of the people I'd invite wouldn't be trying to kill me."

The homeless man looked back and forth from me to my friend a few times before speaking. "Andy.. you were saying? What do you need to ask of me?" The smiles faded off both of their faces and a solemn expressions replaced them. "Well, me and Marcus.. we have to travel back. And I wanted to enlist your help before we do."

"You mean.. go back to.."

"Yes, go back home. There will be a long journey there, and we can discuss the details on the way."

"Wh-what makes you think I'm coming?!" he dropped the empty bottle he had been holding and it bounced off the cement and rolled away. "Because I know I can count on you for anything."

"Awwww." teased an annoyed Marcus. "When's the make-out scene?"

"I'll ignore that, but only because you'll probably die anyway." I glared.

He rolled his eyes and went back to looking out from the alley.

"Andy.. haven't I done enough? Haven't you used me to my fullest extent? How can I serve you more than I already have?"

"Haven't I made that clear? By coming with me!"

He sighed and went silent.

"Don't give me that story about how you're settling in." I said, looking around. "As far as heroes go, you've fallen a long way."

"I'm not a hero." he spoke quietly.

"Pardon?" I repeated, getting sort of impatient.

"I said, I'm not a hero!" and this time, he shouted it.

"Now I've heard it all. The man who saved both of our lives multiple times and thousands of people.. isn't a hero." I laughed loudly. "You're running out of excuses, Roderic."

Marcus turned around and sat, figuring we were at the end of our conversation, and started talking again. "You know, even if Roderic does join us, we're going to have a difficult time over there."

"Well, with or without him, I'm going, and you are too. I'm sick of the people here and I'm sick of the standard being depression and self-pity. You know, none of us belong here. We never have."

"I know." suddenly spoke Roderic, with a disheartened expression on his grimy face. "The people here hold nothing sacred.. But some of them try to be kind and giving."

"You don't have to tell me this. I've lived among them for years now, and I regret every moment wasted. Now, for your answer, Roderic. We may very well die with or without your help, know that."

He swallowed hard and thought hard while I turned back to Marcus and talked to him.

"It would just be wrong not to have him on the mission. We need him."
"He's a dirty drunk, Andy!"
"But he's our dirty drunk."
"Eww. How about he's YOUR dirty drunk?"
"Don't be foolish. I know you care about him as much as I do."
"Yes, but.."
"But what? We can use all the extra help we need."
"I suppose, but it's just that.."

"Marcus, Andy." We both looked over at Roderic as he spoke our names. "I'll go."