The Moon Series Extra (Background stories + alternate ending + fun facts)

Cole's past

Cole's past

Protecting people was all Cole ever dreamed of. For as long as he can remember, his family taught him how to be good to others and help them in times of need. That mindset encouraged him to join the Kitaling. He was young and, due to his training during his childhood, strong. He had always looked up to the men who had sworn loyalty to the king to protect the citizens. Nasty rumours tended to float around, but he paid it no heed. How could they be true? Kitaling were supposed to protect others, not torment them. True, there could be a few rotten apples among the basket, but that didn't mean they were all like that. He remembers when he received the uniform like it was yesterday. He wore it with pride. He did until that one day. The orders were simple: stop the rebels from overthrowing the throne by attacking their village. Little did he suspect that those orders would be so hard to follow.

Cole is waiting in a squatting position in the forest, hiding behind some bushes. He holds his fingers tightly around the handle of his sword. It seems that the villagers haven't noticed them yet. Together with the other soldiers of the small army, he's waiting for the orders to continue from his superiors. As a matter of fact, King Rodian had decided to join them. Cole feels quite nervous to be in the presence of such a high person. He is just a normal person and it is quite an honour to be here on this glorious momentum. Everyone awaits in silence. The only sounds audible are the voices coming from the town, the forest animals and their occasional breathing. The sun is already down. Several lampposts in the streets emit light. After a few more minutes, they receive the signal. Soon everyone is on their feet again and runs forward towards the peaceful town. A few men who are still in the streets spot them eventually and they start warning everyone around. He hears some cries behind him, possibly from the owners of the houses the other Kitaling break into to search for rebels. Cole has his eyes set on this man who was holding a basket filled with apples and threw it away once he noticed them. Running away usually means you're guilty. He immediately chases him down. He watches the man go around the right corner into another street. The moment he reaches that corner, he notices that there's a wall in front of him. Ah, an Earth Mahubi. That makes things interesting. Fortunately, the wall isn't that high, likely because the man made it in a hurry. With the use of the trashcans nearby, Cole can easily make it across. The man glances behind him. Realizing that his little trick didn't have that much effect, he concentrates on creating a stone spike which he sends to his assailant. Cole can easily dodge it. He speeds up, decreasing the distance between them. The man also seems to be aware of this. He sends another spike, but Cole avoids it. When a third one is coming his way, this time he decides to destroy it. He grabs one of the falling pieces while it's still hovering in the air and throws it forward. With precision, it lands against his legs, causing him to trip. There isn't enough time for the man to crawl back on his feet. Cole pins him down, his voice loud enough:

"You are under arrest for being a suspect of rebellion."

Before the man can even retort something or use his Mahubi powers, Cole puts the handcuffs around the wrists. He pulls the man back on his feet, who pleas that he has nothing to do with it. Likely story. That's one down. He wonders how many rebels the others have captured. He turns around to go back to the outskirts of town, where they had started. He's quite surprised of what he sees and hears. During the chase, he hadn't given it that much thought. His focus had been on the man. Now, he had taken the time to glance around. In the distance, he could hear cries of help and pain, laughter and battles being fought. Some houses were lit on fire. What is going on? He drags the man with him all the way back to the burning houses. At some point, he spots two colleagues. One of them is someone he used to work with a few months ago. No harm in asking him about the situation.

"Hey, Frank," Cole calls out, "What's happening? Why is there fire?"

Frank takes a moment to scan him before replying: