Sunset

The sun is setting on Republic City, and its inhabitants are getting ready to end the day. Workers are on the move while they commute home to join their families for dinner. Children playing on the street are called inside by their parents.

On Air Temple Island, the monks and their families have gathered in the Dining Hall. The Hall is loud with the noise of chatter and loud chewing.

I love having dinner at Air Temple Island. I think to myself, a small smile forming on my lips as I look at all the merriness around me. I turn to look at the person next to me. I was just about to comment on the delicious soup we were served. But I stop, and I'm startled by his expression. Tenzin has always been serious and it's true that he doesn't normally participate in the chatter while eating but there's something troubling about his current seriousness. Like an even bigger cloud hung over Tenzin and took over the small cloud that was normally there.

I'm about to ask Tenzin if he's alright when he speaks first.

"Lin, can I have a word please?" he says, he seems to have broken away from his reverie.

I stand up and follow Tenzin out into the garden. He stops right at the steps that go down into the garden. We end up standing side-by-side staring at the pristine garden of Air Temple Island. It's the middle of spring; the flowers of different colors are in bloom. The garden is filled with Reds, pinks, blues and a multitude of other colors. If you were seeing it for the first time, the garden can take your breath away. It sure did take mine when I saw it then.

I grew tired of looking at the garden and I turned my gaze onto the horizon. The sun was slowly dipping into the sea, setting the sky on fire. Another thing about Air Temple Island, you could always find the best sunsets here.

I wait for Tenzin to start talking. After all, he's the one who called us both here. But moments pass and he stays quiet. More moments pass and the silence becomes deafening.

I clear my throat.

"The gardens are looking a bit wild, Tenzin" I say "Don't tell me the monks have been neglecting it." Now, this wasn't true but I had to say something to break the silence. Another moment of quiet, I would have gone mad. I take a glance at Tenzin, but he's still staring away into the distance.

"Tenzin" I say loudly, to be sure that he can hear me. He turns his gaze from the view and focuses it on me, "Is there any particular reason as to why we're in the Garden, staring at nothing?"

"I needed to talk to you" He replies, his voice very soft, just like a whisper.

"Well," I say and I cross my arms "that's what you said earlier, but you're not talking, so I don't really see the point" I give him a scowl, my patience was wearing thin.

"What I have to say, is just very hard to say" He says, refusing to meet my gaze

"Unless you want to stay out here all night, I suggest that you stop beating around the bush and start talking" I couldn't keep the annoyance out of my voice any longer.

And Tenzin still stays silent.

"Obviously, you're not ready to talk about whatever it is you want to talk about" I tell Tenzin, keeping my voice calm "Maybe I should just go, and we can talk some other time."

I turn around as soon as I'm about to take a step forward, Tenzin grabs a hold of my wrist. I feel that his hold is firmer than usual.

"I think that it's best that we talk about this now" Tenzin says, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "We need to talk about . . . Us"

I turn back around to face him. Suddenly, a chill runs down my spine. I realize that I'm afraid of what Tenzin has to say.

"What about us?" I ask as I take my arm back, my arms suddenly awkward at my sides, so I cross them in front of my chest. He turns around. He's facing me now, but his gaze isn't on me, he seems to be looking intently at something behind me.

"I just. . ." Tenzin falters a bit but he clears his throat to continue "I just don't think that we should be doing this anymore."

His words hit me and they have the same impact as a punch to the gut. I try to stay as calm as I can, to prevent myself from exploding. "Doing what, exactly?" I ask him, trying to remain oblivious and denying to myself what he was saying "We're not doing anything wrong."

Tenzin crosses his arms as well, his whole posture tense. "I mean, our relationship, Lin" He says, and edge creeping into his voice "This . . . Us . . . It isn't working anymore. We're not like we used to be"

"And what did we used to be?" I snap at him. I don't believe him. Why is he doing this? I think to myself, I'm pretty sure that confusion is very evident on my face now.

"Happy" He whispers, his gaze is now on my face and he looks as though he's pleading with me.

I feel as though someone trapped me inside a bubble. Tenzin's voice sounds muffled. No. no no no no no. This cannot be happening. I think that I'm about to burst into tears. I wrap my arms around myself in a futile attempt to keep myself together. I turn away from Tenzin so that he couldn't see me.

Then it dawns on me. I turn back around, put my hands at my sides and stare daggers at Tenzin.

"Who is she?" I spit out at him, my words full of venom.

For the first time since we stepped outside, Tenzin's calm demeanor cracks. He coughs to cover it up. "What do you mean?" he asks me.

".she?" I say again, my voice is now dangerously quiet.

"There is no one else, Lin, we're here to talk about us. There's this rift between us and I know that you've noticed that it's there too. It's been there for a while, and all this time we've been ignoring it so it just got bigger and bigger." He says, a hint of exasperation visible in his voice "We've grown apart and we're not as happy as we used to be"

"Oh, gee, I wonder who put it there" I say sarcastically.

"This is not about anyone else Lin!" Tenzin exclaims, throwing his hands up in the air. He takes a breath to calm himself down.

But I can't be stopped. It's like the effect of his earlier words have taken over me and I can no longer control what I'm saying. "I bet that it's that sweet little non-bender that's been hanging about you for a while now" I say waving my hand in the air, I glare at Tenzin, challenging him to deny it.

"Don't you drag Pema into this!" Tenzin's calm demeanor has now fallen away "I'm trying to talk to you as calmly asI can so that you can understand what I'm trying to say and that you don't blow it out of proportion, like you usually do"

"Oh so now, I'm blowing things out of proportion?" The volume of my voice is now visibly a few decibels louder "I'm not the one who's ending our relationship without a tangible reason! How long have we been together, Tenzin? And you've only decided to bring this so-called 'rift' up now? Isn't it just convenient that a sweet girl like Pema has just shown up and haven't you been spending a lot of time together? I'm sorry, Tenzin but that's just what it looks like right now."

I take a few deep breaths to calm myself down. I close my eyes and I say softly "Just tell me this Tenzin, if it weren't for her, would you have even had the thought to have this conversation right now?" Heavens, I can't even say her name. I brace myself for his reply, wrapping my arms around myself once more.

"I just think that it would be better for the two of us to be friends. I promise you that Pema has nothing to do with this." He says. He seems to be calm again.

Tenzin moves toward me and takes my face in his hands. He tilts my face upwards so that he can brush away the tears that I didn't realize were streaming down my face. "Lin, look at me" he says, his voice soft once more. I open my eyes and I gaze into Tenzin's stormy gray eyes. This is not the first time this scene has happened. But there's something different about it this time. In his eyes, I find myself looking for something that is no longer there. "Remember that no matter what, you know that I'll always be here for you. I do love you, you know that"

I break free from his arms and push him away "Just not in the way you used to" I tell him softly. I turn away so that he can't see the tears falling once more. Stupid, stupid tears I reprimand myself for crying.

"Lin, please" Tenzin is pleading with me.

I turn around and he looks defeated.

"You know what?" I tell him, wiping the tears with the back of my hand. "Never mind, don't mind me, go do what you want Tenzin, it's not like I can stop you."

I turn around and start walking back inside. Tenzin quickly catches up with me and blocks my way. He puts his hands on my shoulders.

"I can't let you leave with you not feeling okay about this" He tells me

"Well tough luck" I snap at him. I push him away and continue walking.

I don't think that I'm going to be okay with this. I leave the island, not looking back at Tenzin.