Duality

Chapter One - Inciting Incident

The inciting incident is typically the event that throws the protagonist(s) into the story. It might not be the first event, but it's typically within the first five chapters.

For this, though, it'll be in the first chapter.

"For the light of the ring is both blessing and curse."

-from The Stars' Prophecy, line 20

It was supposed to be the start of another normal day. He'd woken up, gone down the slide, greeting his friends-Ryan, Tina, and Goldy-as per the usual. They'd messed around for a couple hours, before-

"Hey guys, wanna go get something to eat?" Ryan asked, interrupting the comfortable atmosphere.

"Sure." Unicorn said, setting his deck of cards facedown. Across from him, Goldy did the same, climbing down the ladder and shouting something about food as she did so.

After descending the ladder, Ryan suggested they go to the tea shop, though Tina shot it down.

"I don't care where we go, I'll eat anything." Goldy said.

"I still think we should go get tea!" Ryan protested.

"I told you, Ryan, tea is not acceptable for a lunch!" Tina growled.

"Just because you don't understand that tea is the path to true happiness doesn't mean you can berate me for it!"

"Well, just because you have an addiction doesn't mean-"

"Hey, I got an idea." Unicorn said, interrupting their argument before it could escalate any further. "How about we go to Azzip's pizza place?" He paused, and at Ryan's pleading look, said, "and if Ryan wants tea we can stop at the tea shop. Sound good?"

There was a grumbled 'yeah' from Tina and cries of joy from Goldy and Ryan.

"Great." Unicorn smiled. "Let's go."

Turning the corner, they walked down the sidewalk towards the bus stop.

When they got there, however, there was a sign hanging on the glass wall.

"'Closed?'" Ryan read aloud. "That's weird, the bus driver is always doing rounds."

"Maybe they're renovating the bus stops? Or the bus?" Tina suggested.

"Maybe." Unicorn said. "But this doesn't make any sense. Why would the bus just suddenly shut down?"

"Eh, it doesn't matter." Goldy said, pulling them out of their thoughts. "Let's go guys, I'm hungry!"

***

"Ryan!" Tina yelled, seeing the mountain of tea he had bought. "That's too much!"

"No it's not!" He said from the other side. "There's no such thing as too much tea!"

"I'm going to have to disagree." Unicorn said next to him, staring (though they couldn't tell, because of the mask) wide-eyed at the stack of tea Ryan was holding. "When I said we could go to the tea shop, I meant you could get one or two cups worth of tea. Not forty-five."

"..How has he not collapsed from holding so many boxes?" Goldy asked. "Aren't they heavy? And how'd you get through the door?"

"Anything is possible with the power of tea!" Ryan said, before all the boxes slipped from his hands and tumbled into the ground, most of them breaking.

"No!" Ryan shouted, diving to the ground. "My tea!"

"And that's why we only allow you one cup of tea." Unicorn muttered under his breath.