Sun Rising
Summary: Dancing has been her only passion since she was twelve, when a boy named Kuzon changed her world. Now On Ji realizes that for the first time, she has something that she loves more than dancing. She has Shoji.
Pairings: On Ji/Shoji
Warnings: None.
A/N: Well, I tried not to put in any pairings, but the ending practically wrote itself. For those wondering, Shoji is a student that Aang meets at the Fire Nation school when he's 'Kuzon.'
It has been five years since the Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai, effectively ending the war. During these five years, many changes have been made by the new Fire Lord, Zuko. One of them was the reintroduction of dance in the Fire Nation. Dance has become increasingly popular, as the people of the Fire Nation find new joy in learning how to express themselves through it.
Currently, there are three major troupes in the Fire Nation devoted to dance. One of these, aptly named New Beginnings, is putting on a show, using the finale as a way to introduce its two newest members.
Inside the theatre, the music ends abruptly and the dancers freeze in their positions. The dance has ended and now it is time for the finale. This has been heavily advertised; the whole show has been leading to this number.
A hush comes over the crowd as a girl pads onstage. Much has been said about this talented young dancer.
At first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything special about her. She is dressed the same as the other two girls: in a low-cut, sleeveless black top that clings to her torso and a long, red skirt with high slits up the side for movement.
Subtle differences in her outfit show that she is the main dancer. The headcraft in her hair flashes in the light, as does the gold that snakes up her arms. She wears a dark red choker, unlike the others, whose necks look so much barer in comparison.
She bites her lip, nervous, when she sees that she is the centre of attention.
The silence is broken by a shout. "Yeah! On Ji! You can do it, Sis! Woo hoo!" A boy stands up on his seat unabashedly pumping his fists. His sentiments are echoed by a few other Fire Nation students scattered around the theatre.
A shy smile graces her features and she bashfully waves. This sets off another round of sporadic cheers and whistles.
The sound of a lone flute note cuts through the noise. The theatre falls silent again as the dancers ready themselves. On Ji takes her place in the middle as the two younger Fire Nation girls standing on either side of her. Armbands glitter as she slowly raises her arms up above her head.
A man begins to beat on a large drum. Every time he strikes the drum, On Ji jerks, her body contorting into different poses.
A woman draws her bow across an erhu, the sweet sound harmonizes with the flute. Swaying to the music, On Ji and the two girls begin to dance. Their movements are gentle and melodious, matching the music perfectly.
When the deeper sounds of Tsugi Horns are introduced, On Ji plunges into the dance. Her ardor and devotion are obvious, as is the joy on her face. Her skirt flares around her as she spins, exposing legs sheathed in black.
Weaving and ducking, she moves in a loose imitation of Firebending. Thrusting her arms out, she jumps and kicks. She tucks her arms to her body and dives into a roll. The design on her skirt seems to come alive as she lunges; tongues of flame seem to be licking at the bottom of it. Glints of gold thread can be seen running through the fabric of her clothes, adding to the illusion of fire.
She lifts a leg up behind her, effortlessly twirling. Leaping and twisting in time to the music, she lets the passion running through her body take command. She moves faster and faster, leaning forward, then pushing her body back into an arch.
Slowly, the other dancers are forgotten as the spectators' attention is captured by the ethereal being working her way fluidly across the stage. Unobtrusively, the other dancers begin make their way off of the scaffolding.
For On Ji, dance is the ultimate expression. Dance is her way to convey what she cannot put into words. On stage, her fears melt away. She is safe in the assurance that this is where she belongs. This is what she is meant to do. Fervent rapture takes hold of her, and she moves with a new urgency.
The music changes, letting her know that her partner Shoji has entered. She whirls a few more times, waiting for the audiences attention to turn to him. When she thinks that enough of the audience has noticed him, she turns. He stands there, his expression holding the proper amount of awe.
She looks at him coyly and tilts her head. He moves toward her. Nimbly, she skips just out of reach.
He pauses.
She crooks her fingers in invitation. He pursues her and she leads him on a whimsical chase across the stage.
Suddenly, she runs at him and jumps into his cupped hands. With the ease born of many practices, he throws her into the air. She launches herself out of his arms, pushing her feet against his hands for extra air time. A quiet gasp is heard as she summersaults in the air. She lands delicately, with hardly a sound.
He makes his way toward her. She flits away again, pivoting and weaving by herself. His face darkens, tired of her teasing.
The music takes on a sinister undertone. On Ji acts ignorant of it, and continues dancing alone, oblivious. The audience notices though, and a chill runs through the theatre.
Shoji's features are twisted in anger. He leaps towards her and grabs her. The music is discordant, jangled tones mixed in with the tune. She wrenches her arm out of his grip and pushes him away. He snarls and lunges, extending his first two fingers in an unmistakable gesture.
Her entire body jolts as she absorbs the imaginary fire. On Ji quivers and moves about shakily, her hands clutching her chest. Crossing his arms, Shoji watches her impassively.
Enthralled, the audience leans on the edge of their seats.
The music reaches a crescendo as she stumbles. Her entire frame seems to crumple as she collapses. Her body resembles a rag-doll, inhumanly limp. The music stops. The silence says more than the music ever could.
Shoji's face takes on an expression of horror. Overcome by grief, he falls to his knees and bows his head. He stays in that position as the lights overhead dim.
For a few moments, the silence seems to resonate, born of a reluctance to ruin the moment. Slowly, a ripple of applause makes its way through the theatre, swelling until it is all On Ji can hear.
Her chest heaves, her heart races, partly from fatigue, but mostly from exhilaration.
Shoji offers her his hand. She takes it and he pulls her up. She pushes sweaty bangs out of her face. She can't help but notice the light sheen of perspiration covering his body. She knows that she looks much the same, rumpled and panting, but it doesn't matter how tired she is. What matters is her dance. Her art.
They've worked for months to perfect that piece, and now, this is their reward. Standing in front of the cheering crowd with Shoji, it's easy for On Ji to feel invincible.
Shoji grins at her, not bothering to veil the excitement in his eyes. "Listen to that, On Ji! They love you!" He has to shout to be heard over the noise.
"They love us!" she corrects.
The elation she feels must be impairing her judgment. Without stopping to think about the consequences, she grabs a handful of his shirt. He makes a surprised noise as she drags him down and kisses him. The roaring sound only gets louder as they stand there, lips locked. When she lets go, he stares down at her and doesn't say anything.
Her heart sinks, and she lets go of his shirt.
"Sorry," she says, trying to speak around the lump in her throat, "I…don't know what I was thinking. It won't happen again." She turns away, trying to ignore the sharp pangs in her chest.
She doesn't expect his arm to wrap around her waist and pull her back to him. He tilts her chin up and the love she sees in his eyes leaves her breathless. He leans in for another kiss, the stops just short of her mouth.
"It won't happen again?" he questions, hot breath ghosting over her lips. "That's a shame. Because I was kinda hoping it would."
When she looks at him in shock, he smiles and seals the distance between their lips.
Dancing has been her only passion since she was twelve, when a boy named Kuzon changed her world. Now On Ji realizes that for the first time, she has something that she loves more than dancing. She has Shoji.
Smiling so widely that her face hurts, she turns to the crowd, and she bows with him.
A/N: This was an exercise in imagery and it was actually pretty difficult for me to write. So do let me know how easy this was to visualize. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.