When the moon rose high
an Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfiction
by Blind and Painted Avatards
Chapter 1: Long forgotten love
The moon glistens, staring at me as I stare at it with my mouth open wide. I can feel Suki's eyes watch me as I shed my first tear of the evening.
"Beautiful," I manage to blurt out trying to give her a look that might convince her that there isn't anything bothering me.
"I know," she responds with a small returning smile but her voice is concerned, she senses that something is wrong. She knows me too well to be fooled that the only thing that was making me tear up was simply being awe-stuck by the moon's beauty. She leans in for a small kiss, attempting to distract me. I can't return the action. In fact, my entire body is unmovable: frozen in a state that even my fiance-to-be could not understand. Yes, I was planning on proposing to Suki. I was going to do it tonight. Pull out my hand-made ring, get down on my knees and beg for her to complete my world and let us be husband and wife. But then the waiter in the restaurant, her favorite roast-pork cafe down by the water, had said nine words that had halted me moving forward with my proposal, and with my life.
"The moon," he'd said. "It's the fullest it will be tonight. A beautiful sight." Really, all he had to say was "moon" and it was like my entire mind had altered back to the way I felt during the aftershock of those few days I had spent with the moon spirit in human form so long ago. All was lost exept the thoughts of her, of Yue. I remembered looking in her eyes and thinking-knowing- that she was the one. The one who I would make happy. The one who would make me happy. She was the first girl I kissed on the lips and I wanted her to be my one and only. Only a few days later, she was the moon. She was gone from my world forever.
"Let's go," Suki had cried excitingly. "Let's see the moon!" Covered in guilt, I let Suki lead me to the balcony to stare at the moon's glory. When I looked up at the round, white, glistening circle in the sky, all I could think of was kissing Yue. Soft and confused at first, then sorrow-filled and sorry. Yue was going to be married off to another man. I thought about the kisses that had been happy and the last painful goodbye. The kiss I had given to the spirit and not the flesh-and-blood Yue I had fallen for.
So when Suki tries and kiss me now, I can't move. I can only stay frozen.
"Sokka are you all right?" she asks. "Do you want to go back inside?"
"I'm sorry," I mutter. The tears come down quicker now. "It's just that...I miss her so much."
"Who?" There is a little bit of anger in her voice. A little bit of a jealously. But mostly just loving concern.
"Her." I repeat, staring at the ground. I stumble at her name, but it comes out. "Yue," I gasp. "Yue."
"Is that the girl...you lost so long ago?" Her question pains me. I don't want to talk about it. But I can't stop from telling her how I feel.
"She turned into the moon."
"I know the story," Sukie sighed. Katara told me. "It was a very honorable thing she did the night she sacrificed her human-form. Honorable for you to let her go."
"I can't believe," I blubbered, brushing all the salt water off my eyes as a tried to recollect myself. "I can't believe she left me alone like this. How could she do that?"
"Your not alone," Suki assured me. "You know that. Come on. Let's go inside."
"Suki!" I cry. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"I know."
"It's just that...when I see her so close and full like this...I can't help but wonder....what life would have been....if she...."
"I know."
"Lived. I love her. Loved her."
"Sokka, is there any other reason why you so suddenly are bringing up your one-and-only passed love? Like maybe, you don't want to be with me anymore?" Her voice had changed. From sympathetic to defensive. Hurt. Confused.
"What? No. Just the moon."
She gave me another look: disbelief. "Sokka...talk to me. Something is bothering you. I want to know so I can help, even if that means leaving you."
The words spilled out before I could stop them. " I...I want you to marry me."