So I spend the whole day vomiting. Then I can't fall asleep all night. Probably not good for my health, but I banged out a new chapter of Parlor Tricks and two chapters of Prometheus in that time. God I feel like crap. On that happy not, here's some Avatar!
CHAPTER 2
"Wan? Wan where are you? I need you!"
Wan poked his head out from behind a shelf, alarmed. Sol had just come running into his library, and she sounded upset. He hastened toward the door.
"I'm here, I'm right here," he said quickly. She turned and looked at him, and he was surprised by what he saw. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks red, and there was water running from her eyes. "Sol…"
She immediately stepped toward him, much closer than usual, and buried her face in his chest. He stood there stiffly, not sure what to do, as she made strange noises as if she was having trouble breathing. He was trying to think where he'd seen this before…
Then he remembered the humans who lived on the island in the far west. He'd seen a few of them do this when they were upset. It was called crying. Sol was sad, or angry, or something along those lines, so he had to comfort her somehow. He hesitated, then awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She sobbed and balled her hands into fists, wrinkling his robes, but he didn't mind. This hugging thing, they'd never gotten it right, but this felt good.
"What happened?" he asked quietly.
"Shangdi caught them," she cried, her voice muffled in the fabric of his robes. "He found out Tui and La were going to the physical world. They were teaching the humans something, how they pushed and pulled against each other, and the humans learned how to bend the water." Wan's eyes widened in surprise. So that was what he'd seen the people in the northern and southern tribes doing. They had learned to control the water. "And Shangdi… he banished them."
"What?"
"He banished Tui and La to the physical world. They can never come back home, Wan. I don't know what to do…"
Her words dissolved into tears, and he held her a little closer. Nobody had ever been banished before. Sure, Shangdi reprimanded a spirit on occasion, but he had never done something like this.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye…"
Wan felt a strange stinging in his eyes. He wondered if he was starting to cry as well. Sol loved her sister dearly, they were so close. Now she could never see her again, unless…
"Come with me," Wan said suddenly. Sol sniffed and looked up at him. "The next time I go to the physical world. Come with me, we can visit your sister."
She shook her head. "Wan…"
"I don't understand," he burst out suddenly. She stepped away from him, surprised. "Why won't you come with me?"
"Because I'm scared," she replied angrily.
"Scared of what? Scared of Shangdi?"
"No!" she shouted. "We're mortal down there, Wan! Don't you understand that? I'm scared one of us will die!"
Wan hadn't been expecting this. All the anger left him, and he just stood there, feeling stupid. Sol stepped back from him again, wiping her eyes on the heel of her hand.
"What would I do if you got killed, Wan?" she asked, glaring at him. "Or what if I got killed? I'd have to leave you forever. I couldn't bear that." She wiped her eyes again, roughly this time, and looked at the ground. "I couldn't stand it, being without you."
"Sol…"
"I hate it when you go down there," she cut him off. "And I hate that I hate it, because I know you love it so much. I worry while you're gone, and I watch to make sure you're okay, and I'm so scared. You're all I have now, I can't lose you."
Wan's eyes were stinging again. "I never… I never knew, Sol," he said quietly. "I'm so sorry, I never meant to make you feel this way."
"I love you."
Wan blinked several times. He was hearing things. That had to be it.
"What?" he asked with some difficulty, as it felt like the air had been knocked out of his lungs.
She was gazing at him, biting her lower lip, tears sparkling in her eyes. "I love you, Wan," she repeated quietly, her cheeks turning red and her glow intensifying. "I've wondered what this feeling is, when I'm with you. And I finally figured it out."
"But…" Wan stammered. "But I'm just me, I'm just the Knowledge Spirit. I'm not a greater spirit like you."
"I don't care," Sol replied gently, stepping toward him. He swallowed hard. "I've never cared about that. You know that." She hesitantly wrapped her arms around his torso and laid her head on his chest again. He stood frozen, shocked.
"What about you?" she whispered. "What do you feel, Wan?"
He couldn't believe she even had to ask. It took a bit for his brain to catch up to him.
"I love you so much," he said quietly, enfolding her in a warm embrace. She glowed so bright he had to close his eyes.
"Wan?" she said, very quietly, after a long silence.
"Hm?"
She pulled back from him for a moment, looking up into his face. "I want to try something."
Wan's curiosity was piqued. "Okay," he said with an eager smile.
Sol bit her lip for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she looked at him thoughtfully. "Close your eyes," she whispered. He did so instantly. She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned up on her toes. She hesitated a moment, unsure of how to proceed. And still, Wan just stood there with eyes closed obediently, his hands folded behind his back and a small smile on his face. Her heart fluttered. So this was love.
She smiled faintly and leaned forward, pressing her lips gently to his. His eyes snapped open in surprise when she pulled away from him. He blinked several times.
"What an odd feeling," he whispered.
She grinned at him, cheeks flushed. "I liked it," she said, excited.
"Me too," he replied, blushing and smiling back.
"Want to try again?"
"Absolutely."
0000000
The two of them sat together on the floor of the library hours later, leaning against a bookshelf near the entrance. Sol rested her head on Wan's shoulder, and he had an arm wrapped around her waist. They had been speaking quietly for a long time, trying to untangle Sol's predicament to no avail.
"I can't help it, Wan," she sighed. "I'm so worried about her. She could… she could die down there."
Wan was quiet for a bit, thinking hard. "I'll go visit her," he said quietly. Sol glanced sharply at him. "I'll be careful, I promise. But maybe if I speak to her, it will clear up some things."
Sol sighed heavily. "Only if you promise to be careful," she acquiesced, sounding as though it was against her better judgment.
He smiled gently and kissed her cheek. "I'll be back before you know it."
Just like that, he faded away, and she was left alone in his silent library.
0000000
Down below, Wan Shi Tong faded into existence, only to find himself up to his ankles in snow. He looked around slowly. It was the early morning at the North Pole. The people had begun building a city since learning to bend the water, and it was slowly rising out of the flat sheet of ice beside the sea. So far it consisted of a few low buildings built around a canal and surrounded by walls, all created from sculpted snow and ice. Overseeing the creation of the walls were two familiar faces.
"La, Tui! Over here!" Wan called, waving as he jogged toward them. He smiled when Tui and La turned to see him.
Tui, the Ocean Spirit, was tall and proud. He had broad shoulders and dark skin, and his eyes were wild. He was untamed, impetuous, completely unpredictable. He could be calm at one moment and furious the next. But through all his temper, he never turned it on the spirit standing beside him.
La looked a great deal like her sister. They had the same delicate features and beautiful smile, the same dark, sparkling eyes. But La was quiet and serene where Sol burned with passion. Her long hair was silvery white where Sol's was black. And most of all, La seemed happy while Sol cried for her in the Spirit World.
Tui stepped forward and embraced him like a brother, which left Wan a bit shocked.
"Wan Shi Tong, the Knowledge Spirit!" he boomed, his voice deep and full of good humor. "It has been some time since I've seen you. What brings you here?"
Wan smiled sadly and turned to La. He had the feeling she already knew why he was there.
"I didn't get a chance to say goodbye," La said quietly, her voice low and calm. "Sol is strong and she burns bright, but she is broken easily by things close to her heart."
"She's afraid for you," Wan admitted. "As long as you dwell here, you can be killed."
"Not if I can help it," Tui cut in with a frown. "You think I would let anything happen to her, Wan?"
"No, no, it's not that," Wan stammered, sensing the Ocean Spirit getting angry. The waves began lapping loudly at the shore.
La just smiled and put a gentle hand on Tui's arm. He visibly calmed in seconds.
"I understand her concern," she said quietly. "And I wish more than anything I could have said goodbye to her. But tell her I am happy, would you? And Tui would never let any harm come to me, nor would I let any come to him. I'm afraid that's all I can give you."
"She just wishes you to take care," he said, sadness coloring his voice. "I tried to convince her to come visit you, but…"
"Ah, she's afraid," La sighed. "Don't you force her, Wan." A warning tone entered her voice. "Don't tell her I wished she would come. That's her choice. I wouldn't want Shangdi to banish her too."
Wan started stammering again. "I would never, I mean, you don't have to worry about-"
La held up a hand to stop him. She smiled. "I know, I just want to make sure you understand," she sighed again. "She would talk about you all the time, you know."
Wan smiled a bit. "Yeah?"
La nodded and Tui laughed a bit. "We never heard the end of it. We probably know more about you than you do," he said, grinning.
"She's not like anyone else," Wan replied, unable to stop his smile from growing. "She loves learning and understanding as much as I do. None of the other spirits are like her."
"Well I'm glad you see that," La said, moving forward to embrace him. Wan stiffened in surprise again. "Now get back up there. I worry about her when she's left alone too long."
Wan sighed and smiled. "Thank you," he said, bowing. Without another word, he vanished.
0000000
It was weeks before Sol started glowing again. The world below was plagued with rain and snow every night when Wan wasn't there to keep her company. He had given her the message from her sister, but it had done little to allay her fears.
Wan tried to keep her busy, taking her on walks through the newest parts of his library. He even created a calendar that took up a whole room just for her, which managed to distract her for a few days. She spent hours moving the large stone dials and pulling the lever to show the position of the sun and the moon through the progression of the years.
The two of them ended up sitting on the floor, leaning against the stone dial in the center and gazing up at the starry ceiling.
"I wish there was something I could do," Wan said quietly. Sol was sitting between his legs and leaning against his chest, glowing faintly. Her hands rested on his, which were wrapped around her waist.
"You've done so much already, Wan," Sol whispered, a smile on her face. "Don't forget that. I'm so grateful."
Wan sighed. "I'm glad."
"No you're not."
"What?"
Sol bit her lip. "You're sad, like me. Because I've been in this dreary mood for so long. I don't mean to make you unhappy."
"Don't be silly," he murmured, tilting his head forward and lightly kissing her neck. She shivered and her hands tightened on his. "I wasn't happy until I met you."
She sighed again. "There's nothing left for it," she whispered. "I have to go see her."
Wan stiffened behind her. "Are you… are you sure?" he asked, his voice low and halting.
Sol turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. "I thought you'd be happy. You've been trying to get me to come with you since we met," she said with a ghost of a smile on her lips.
"It's not that I don't want you to come," he muttered, grimacing as he struggled to find the right words. Her smile became a bit more sincere when she saw the look on his face, but he didn't notice. "But the past weeks prove that you were right to be cautious. You're much more important than most of the spirits, Sol."
"What? Don't be-"
"I mean it. You've been sad, so the sun hasn't been shining on the world. There have been storms for weeks now, and the people are having a hard time of it. If you were to be killed, they would all die without the light and warmth you provide them," he said thoughtfully.
"I know that," Sol replied, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "But what else can I do? If I continue to be in such a black mood, it will do the people more harm than good. I can't control how the sun shines on their world. It all depends on how I feel, and I can't keep that in check any more than Tui can."
They lapsed into a thoughtful silence. Sol idly stroked her fingers over the backs of Wan's hands. She had become very interested in human hands lately. The way them moved and articulated without her even thinking about it fascinated her. Not to mention how much she could feel through the nerve endings in her fingertips.
She sighed again. Wan was coming to deplore the sound. It meant she was upset, and he felt helpless.
If only he could protect her.
"That's it," he said suddenly. She waited patiently for him to continue. "You could create something- a creature, perhaps- to protect you while you walk the earth." Her head tilted slightly to the side, a gesture he had learned meant she was listening and thinking carefully. "That's within your power to do, isn't it?"
She nodded. "Yes… that's a good idea," she grinned. "You're a genius." He laughed a bit. "But what should I create?"
They fell silent again, thinking. "Something that represents the sun," Wan said slowly. "Something strong and solemn."
Sol snapped her fingers and sat up. "Oh, I have an idea." She got to her feet and grabbed Wan's hands, pulling him up beside her. "Come with me." And she ran off, dragging Wan behind her.
