A/N: Hello there again! Here's my submission for this week. I think I droned on too much with the fluff(is that what you call it?) but I had to set up some stuff in this chapter for future chapters and also heres the chapter theme...
Chapter Theme: The Piano Guys - A Sky Full of Stars
Life went on as normal for the past week and a half. During their free time, Jirou had been busy teaching Rina how to firebend to the extent of his knowledge in the art. He also decided to teach Rina his cooking technique as he figured it was something he could give her as a parting gift for when the day of her departure arrives. Jirou was amazed at how quickly Rina got used to firebending which made him have this sneaking suspicion that she was a firebender in the past. She was able to do forms that would normally take years to accomplish; it was as if it came to her naturally because her movements were so fluid and sharp that you would almost think she was doing a dance. The main beauty of her firebending however, was her white flame that glowed vibrantly as it sparked and faded in the air, and the heat that radiated from her flame felt as if the Sun itself was shining right in front of you. He had not seen anything like it before in his whole life and it certainly was a sight to behold. Aiko and Airi were also surprised to learn that she could firebend. Whoever would have believed that such a gentle young woman could have such power and finesse in the art of firebending.
The night before her departure, after she had finished packing her things, Rina was walking throughout the whole inn as to take one final view of the place before leaving; before she knew it, she was once again in the garden looking up at the night sky. She felt nervous about her departure for tomorrow but as soon as she was looking up at the stars, her uneasiness had completely faded away.
"At least this is a something I won't be leaving behind." said Rina smiling ever so beautifully. The door slid open behind her prompting her to turn around. She saw Aiko holding in her arms what looked like a parcel that was wrapped in paper.
"There you are. What are you doing out here all alone?" said Aiko as she approached Rina. "I've been looking for you."
"I was just looking at the stars." said Rina as she turned her gaze back to the stars. Aiko was now standing beside her, also looking at the night sky.
"Pretty, aren't they?" commented Aiko, remembering the first time they shared a moment in the garden together.
"Indeed. The next time I'll be looking at these stars, I will be thinking about you and Jirou." said Rina. "You said you were looking for me?" asked Rina, remembering what Aiko had said earlier.
"Ah, yes I was. Come with me, I want to show you something." said Aiko.
Rina followed Aiko and soon found herself in Aiko and Jirou's room. Jirou was on the bed sleeping like a log. Rina could not help but notice the empty bottle of rice wine tipped over on floor next to Jirou.
"What happened to him? I know he's not one to drink that much." asked Rina with a worried look on her face.
"Oh, don't mind him. The old fool was out drinking with his friends earlier and ended up drinking himself to sleep." informed Aiko, smiling faintly at her husband's silliness. "You know he may not seem like it but he's quite dejected with the thought of you going away." she added. Upon hearing this Rina went ahead and picked up the empty bottle and placed it on a small table top next to the bed. She then went beside Jirou, leaned down to him, brushed her long hair aside and gave Jirou a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you for caring for me so much Jirou." Rina whispered to his ear.
"Mrmrrmrmmr…" grumbled Jirou, still sound asleep. The two women could not help but giggle at his reaction.
"Even while sleeping he still manages to make us laugh." commented Aiko. "Come here Rina, I have something to show you." said Aiko, motioning for Rina to stand in front of the mirror and Rina did as she was told.
"Close your eyes." instructed Aiko with a scheming grin on her face.
"What is it?" asked Rina as she closed her eyes, excited to know what Aiko was planning to do. Moments later she heard the sound of paper being unwrapped and the rustling of cloth.
"You'll find out soon enough. I'm going to take off your yukata, ok?" said Aiko. Rina agreed and Aiko proceeded to undress her, leaving her with only her undershirt and underwear for a brief moment. What came next was the sensation of a smooth, silk fabric that wrapped around her. Rina could only guess that she was being dressed up in something as Aiko lifted her arms to fit in what seemed like sleeves for a garment.
"Alright, open your eyes." instructed Aiko after she finished tying up an elegant jet black sash, which was indelibly painted to have what looked like Cherry Blossoms and petals, around Rina's waist. Rina opened her eyes and they widened in awe when she saw her reflection in the mirror. She was now wearing a silk furisode that was dyed in Scarlet Red with streaks of Snow White and just like the obi around her waist; it was also painted to have pink and white Cherry Blossoms and falling petals. The garment complemented Rina's pale skin and pretty face really well that she now looked like a noblewoman or a princess even, all that was missing now was a headpiece.
"Aiko, this is so beautiful!" said Rina, who was now busy turning her body around in front of the mirror, trying to look at the dress from different angles.
"Yes indeed, and I want you to have it." said Aiko. Rina quickly turned around and glanced at Aiko with a surprised look.
"I… This is too much, how much did you –"
"The cost matters not." declared Aiko, cutting Rina off before she could finish her question. "It is a gift for you Rina, from both Jirou and I. We want you to have it, as a reminder that you mean so much to us. That you will always have a home waiting here for you… and that you will… always… be in our hearts." whimpered Aiko, unable to hold back her tear any longer.
"Aiko…" said Rina, quickly moving in to embrace the woman. "thank you… thank you for everything… I love you." she whimpered, now with tears also streaming down on her face.
"I love you too… my dear daughter." said Aiko.
Rina woke up early the next morning to make sure everything she needed to bring was packed and ready to go before she left. She did not bring much, just her clothes, some pocket money, and a small picture of her with Aiko and Jirou. After taking a bath and getting dressed up in her travelling outfit, she took her luggage and went outside to take in the fresh morning air like she always does. Airi soon joined her along with Aiko and Jirou and they went on to walk into the village. Soon they found themselves at the village dock which was bustling with people who were busy with their work. The four of them stopped in front of the sailing ship that would take Airi and Rina to the Capital City. While the ship's crew was busy loading crates onto the vessel, a man who was carrying a crate at the side of the ship greeted them. The man's name was Shen, one of Jirou's close friends and the captain of the ship.
"Ah, there you guys are! Jirou, hope your head's doing ok, you've had too much to drink last night. Hahaha!" Shen exclaimed as he walked on by. "Hop on board ladies, we will begin to set sail shortly. I just need to get some shipments and supplies on board." he said as he boarded the ship, leaving the four alone to bid their farewells.
"Well, this is it young la… Rina." said Jirou looking Rina with watery eyes, trying to hold back his tears as much as he can. "Don't get yourself into too much trouble now ok?" he said and gave Rina his farewell embrace.
"I will, goodbye Jirou." said Rina, she then went to Aiko and embraced her as well. "Goodbye Aiko."
"Goodbye my dear, take care of yourself." said Aiko. Rina then waved the two of them goodbye and boarded the ship. The couple then turned to Airi and said their farewell to her as well.
"Don't worry too much about her, I'll take good care of her." reassured Airi.
"Thank you Airi, take care of yourself and come back and visit again okay." said Aiko. Airi nodded and boarded the ship.
After Shen and his crew were finished loading supplies on board, the ship had set sail into the river shortly after. Rina and Airi were at the side of the ship waving the couple goodbye. Rina was unsure of what she was feeling as she got farther and farther away from the dock. She was smiling but tears ran down her face at the same time; Airi held her hand to assure her that everything was going to be alright. When the village was out of sight and over the horizon, Rina went to the ship's bow and looked forward onto what looked like the mouth of the river where it meets the sea. Her eyes glowed with excitement at the beautiful sight as if it was her first time seeing it. Shen, noticing the curious young lady, walked up beside her.
"Like what you see, Miss? I remember my first time looking at this sight, welcome to the sea." Shen said proudly as if he was introducing his home.
"Yes, it's beautiful!" exclaimed Rina. "How long do you think it will take to reach the Capital City?" she asked.
"About two or three days, depending on the winds." said Shen. "Come, let me show you and Airi where you can rest while were sailing." The two women then followed Shen as he showed them to a cabin.
Meanwhile, back at the village, Jirou and Aiko were walking through the village, heading back to the inn. The two were silent for a while until Aiko broke the numbing silence between them.
"She really blossomed into a quite a woman don't you think so?" asked Aiko, trying to get her husband to talk.
"Mhm... indeed" replied Jirou with a lifeless look on his face. Aiko looked at him and took it as a sign that he did not want to talk for the time being. That is until Jirou put his arm around his wife's waist and pulled her closer to him.
"I want a boy next time." said Jirou. Aiko's eyes widened in surprise as her face turned red and looked again at Jirou who now had a cunning smile on his face.
"Oh you… silly husband mine."
"Rina… Rina wake up." said Airi as she shook Rina trying to wake her up from her slumber. Rina woke up and stretched her arms as to get her blood flowing.
"What time is it Airi?" asked Rina as she rubbed her eyes trying to get rid of her sleepiness.
"Dawn is about to break. Get your things ready we're near the Capital City." informed Airi.
Two days had passed since they departed from Ko'miya and now they were almost at their destination. Rina suddenly felt her drowsiness fade away as her thoughts filled with excitement. She grabbed her bag and rushed outside to the deck of the ship. The ship had just passed the large sea wall, built to protect the Capital in the event of an invasion. To the east, Rina saw the Sun which was just beginning to rise up from the horizon and to the west, she saw the Fire Nation Capital City which lies below a dormant volcano. As soon as Rina had set her eyes on the metropolis, her head started to throb in pain for a brief moment, prompting her to drop her bag on the deck, and she suddenly remembered a memory.
"Ah!" cried Rina as she put her hands to the sides of her head. Airi, who had just come out from inside the ship, saw Rina holding her head with a pained expression and rushed to her aid.
"Rina! What's wrong? Are you alright?" asked Airi, holding on to Rina trying to see what is wrong. Rina looked to Airi as the pain slowly subsided and Airi saw that Rina's eye color were golden for a split second and then faded to back to silver. Airi thought it must have just been her imagination and dismissed it as she was worried about Rina.
"I… I think I'm alright." said Rina trying to reassure Airi that nothing was wrong and that the headache had subsided. "I just had a memory come back to me." informed Rina.
"What did you remember?" asked Airi, still with a worried look on her face.
"I've seen this sight before..." said Rina as she looked towards the Capital City. "But I remember that air above the city used to be darker, filled smoke and ashes, and the docks… it used to be full of warships." she added.
"I see… I didn't really live here until the war ended, but I heard that's what city used to look like. But on the other hand, it looks like were headed in the right direction as to where your memories are concerned." said Airi.
"I hope everything's alright over there, we should be docking shortly!" called out Shen, who was looking at them from the ship's bridge. The ship's crew was busy running all over the ship preparing for the ship the dock and a few minutes later they were at their destination. Airi and Rina stepped off the ship followed by Shen shortly after.
"Well were we are, the Fire Nation Capital." said Shen.
"Thank you for taking us with you Shen." said Airi. She then took some coins from her bag and handed them out to Shen. "Here for your trouble."
"No need to pay me Airi, anything for an old friend." refused Shen as he held up his hand. "And besides, having someone on the ship who knows how to cook food is enough to make up for it." added Shen as he looked towards Rina.
"Oh, it's nothing really. Thank you for the ride." said Rina and then smiled and bowed at him for the praise.
"I see, well here off then. Thanks again Shen, until next time." said Airi.
"Goodbye Shen. Thanks again." said Rina. "And goodbye to you guys up there on the ship!" called out Rina and then she smiled and waved to the ship's crew whom Rina had unknowingly charmed during the duration of her trip. The men's faces turned red and were stopped in their tracks as they waved back at her. Shen turned around only to see his crew love-struck and now standing in place seeming to be like statues.
"Get back to work ya bunch of slugs! We have shipments to unload!" Shen scolded them and immediately they rush back to their work. Airi giggled and Rina looked at her seeming confused as to what just happened.
"What is it?" asked Rina.
"Oh it's nothing. Come Rina, let's be on our way." Airi replied and the two of them then went off into the city.
After about half an hour of walking and chatting with Airi, Rina found herself in front of a flower shop located in a shopping district at the outer parts of Harbor City; Harbor City was the name for the lower, commoner area of the Capital. The shop was a two story building like one of the many others in the shopping district. On the lower floor was the flower shop and the upper floor was where Airi and her family lived. They enter the shop and a door chime ringed as to inform the shopkeeper that there were customers.
"Wow! Look at all these beautiful flowers!" Rina exclaimed as they entered the shop. The exterior of that shop was filled with a variety flowers neatly and carefully arranged, on the shelves and platforms, by type and color.
"You should see the garden at the back; there are more flowers over there." informed Airi. Shortly after, a middle aged man, who was wearing glasses, then came from the back of the shop to check on who just entered the store.
"Airi, you're back!" the man exclaimed as he dashed towards Airi, hugged her, and kissed her. "I missed you my sweet sugar honey pie." he added. Airi blushed at his comments which something Rina found amusing as Airi was more of a serious type of person in comparison to her sister. Rina chuckled at the sight of the affectionate couple in front of her.
"Uh… Ren, calm down will you. We have a guest with us." said Airi. Ren noticed the young lady standing behind his wife.
"Whoa! Who's the pretty young gal my darling?" said Ren, looking at Rina who was smiling at him.
"Well… Maybe if you would let me go, I can introduce you." demanded Airi in a serious tone. Ren quickly broke of his embrace with Airi upon sensing Airi's hostile aura. Immediately afterwards however, a young little boy, who seemed to be about six years of age, ran down the stairs to check on what was going on at the shop.
"Mom!" the boy exclaimed as he dashed towards Airi and hugged her by the waist. "I missed you so much." said the boy, burying his face on his mother's clothes.
"I missed you too sweetie." said Airi, smiling at her son and patting his head. Rina could not help but smile as well.
"How come you don't get mad when Rei does it." said Ren, who was now pouting.
"Because he's a kid and he's acting like what a kid should be, unlike someone around here." said Airi, giving her husband a spine-chilling glare.
"Dad's jealous cause Mommy loves me more than him. Bleh!" said Rei, sticking out his tongue at his father.
"Why you little brat! Why I oughta –"
"That quite enough both of you!" barked Airi. Ren and Rei immediately stop bickering and stood silent with terrified looks on their faces.
"Now as I was saying…" said Airi and turned to Rina. "This is Rina. Your Aunt Aiko and Uncle Jirou had asked me to take care of her while she's in the Capital City so she will be living and helping us with the shop for the time being. Rina, this is my husband Ren and my son Rei." informed Airi.
"Hello, it's nice to finally meet both of you; Airi has told me so much about you both. I'll be in your care." greeted Rina and then graciously bowed at the two.
"Oh! So you're the girl Aiko mentioned about in her letters. Nice to meet ya!" greeted Ren. Rei approached Rina and examined her.
"Wow! You're pretty. Does this mean you'll be my big sister now?" asked Rei. Rina crouched down to meet the little boy at face level and smiled.
"I can be if you want me to." Rina replied as she gently rubbed Rei's head.
"Yay!" Rei exclaimed and embraced Rina which caught her by surprise.
"I'm guessing that's a yes." said Rina, embracing the little boy and letting out a chuckle. The two of them then broke their embrace and Rei started chatting with Rina asking her many questions. While the two were busy conversating, Ren got closer to Airi and leaned in towards her.
"She kinda reminds me of Aiko, don't you think? You know that's something Aiko would do." Ren whispered to his wife.
"She really does, doesn't she." Airi replied, happy to see that her son got along with Rina just fine. "Alright, I think that's enough questions Rei. Rina, come with me. I'll show you to your room and you can take a bath first and rest afterwards if you want. I'm sure your as tired as I am." said Airi.
A week had passed since her arrival to the Capital. Rina was already getting used to the life in the City. Every day, the shopping district would come alive and thousands of people would walk by. It certainly was busier than when she was in Ko'miya but to everyone's surprise, she seemed to adapt pretty quickly. She had also introduced herself to the people in the neighboring shops and they were pleased to find a new friendly face in the neighborhood.
Rina was at the garden, behind the shop, tending to the plants. As soon as she was finished watering the plants, she could not help but look up at the sky and be delighted. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cold. But as soon as her gaze met with the dormant volcano to the west, the elated expression on her face turned to disappointment. Unfortunately for her, she still has not regained any of her memories other than when she first saw the city from the ship. Her only clue lies in the Caldera City but only nobles and elites were allowed to enter there. Airi got out from the shop looking for Rina only to find her looking towards the dormant volcano.
"Rina! Would you like to go to the market today?" called out Airi. She thought it might be a good idea for Rina to explore the city for now.
"Sure Airi." replied Rina as she approached Airi. Airi then took out a folded piece of paper from her pocket.
"Here is a list of what I need you to buy." said Airi, handing over the list and some money to Rina.
"I'll be back before you know it." said Rina.
"Take your time Rina. You can go explore the city if you want. You might be able to recall your memories as you explore." suggested Airi.
"Alright, Thank you Airi. I'll see you later!" said Rina, now with a spark of excitement in her eyes
"Be careful okay?" advised Airi. Rina nodded and then went on her way out to the market
The market was a busy place, especially during the noon and after noon hours. The streets were crowded with people buying and selling their merchandise and sometimes the occasional carts used to transport merchandise. Rina had already bought all of the things in Airi's list and was now exploring the city. For some unknown reason, Rina found it easy to navigate through the city; although she didn't know the street names, she knew where to go like there was a map inside her head.
Rina would occasionally stop to window shop in front of stores that caught her attention. She stopped in front of a store, this time what caught her attention was a golden headpiece in the shape of a flame on displayed in front of the store and she could not help but be mesmerized at how beautiful it looked. She started looking at her reflection on the glass window trying to imagine what she looked like if she wore that headpiece but moments later she saw in the reflection a woman, dressed in a royal garment, standing right beside her. Rina's eyes widened in shock as she realized that there was no one standing next to her. Initially, her reaction was to gasp and run away but she noticed the woman was trying to tell her something and she managed calmed herself down. The woman's mouth moved but there was no audible sound coming out so Rina tried to read her lips.
"I… love… you… A…" mumbled Rina, unable to discern the last word. The woman slowly started to fade away.
"Wait! I-"
A man suddenly grabbed her on shoulder and Rina turned around to see who it was. Rina was now surrounded by a group of men with a tattoo of a red dragon on the side of their faces.
"Hey there miss, you look kinda cute. Wanna hang out with us for today?" said the man who grabbed her shoulder. The man seemed to be the leader of the group as he was the one with the most intimidating face.
"No thanks." Rina said as she noticed their malicious intent. She tried to leave but they have surrounded her in such a way that all the paths are blocked. The man then grabbed Rina's arm and pulled her closer causing her to drop the things she bought for Airi.
"Come on it will be fun." he said. Rina now realized what was happening and tried pulled her arm away but the man's grip was too tight. However, instead of feeling fear, Rina became furious.
"I said NO!" Rina declared as she stomped on the man's foot causing him to release his grip and scream in pain. She then assumed a fighting stance threw a punch to the man's chest. When the punch connected, white flame burst out of her hand and launched the man back, along with two of his men, into a passing cart. The cart, full of cabbages, was destroyed due to the strong impact.
"No, my cabbages!" cried the old man who owned the cart. The rest of the men who were left standing went to the aid of their leader as he got up.
"What are you doing?! Go get her!" he commanded and his men ran towards Rina. Rina surrounded herself with a wall of white flame to prevent her assailants from getting closer.
"Tsk! Get back men, let's retreat for now." commanded the leader causing his men to run away while carrying their injured comrades. "You will pay for this humiliation! No one messes with the Red Dragon Gang!" the man yelled to Rina as he was getting carried by his men and pretty soon they were out of sight.
Rina, realizing what she had done, extinguished her flames and quickly went to pick up the things she had dropped. She then went to the old man who was crying over his destroyed cart and ruined cabbages.
"Are you alright mister? I apologize for hitting your cart, I didn't know they were going to crash into it." apologized Rina and then helped him get.
"Well I…" the old man paused as he saw the beautiful young lady with an apologetic face and blushed. "It's quite alright young lady. I can't blame you for trying to protect yourself." said the old man.
"Are you sure? I don't have much with me but I can give –"
"No, no… don't worry about it. In fact you should be worried about yourself." said the old man who now had a serious look on his face. "You, young lady, just angered the Red Dragon Gang. They'll be sure to come after you, so watch you back. Now off you go! Before the city guards get here and get yourself in trouble." warned the old man. As Rina walked away from the scene, she could not help but notice the worried look of the people around her as they stared at her. It would seem that Rina had just gotten herself into a big mess.
