A/N: Don't be afraid but this chapter is almost completely about an OC. If you've read Parts of a Whole you'll know what's going on. If not then maybe you'll enjoy it anyway.
Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter. You're the best!
MacFie xoxo
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Healing
The old man sits with ten or fifteen younger men surrounding him hanging on his every word. The teacher with his pupils, commanding their under-educated minds with his exquisitely turned phrases and glib observations.
"Why has he been granted so much social time?" Bokkusu asks the warden as they watch the yard from the walls of the Banshu prison in the Omashu province of the Earth Kingdom.
"Xin is a model prisoner. Many of these young men couldn't even read and he offered to teach them. They look up to him and it seems to have helped their self-esteem to finally have a father figure." The warden replies.
"He is in this prison for leading a conspiracy to assassinate Fire Lord Zuko. It hasn't crossed your mind that he could have ulterior motives for his charitable behavior?" The box man asks irritably. He hates the Earth Kingdom and would not even be in this cursed place if he hadn't gotten a message from Prince Yukio that he should come check on the despicable former ambassador from the former Unified Council.
"When he first started teaching we had guards on him at all times. They reported nothing suspicious and so we've given him a little bit of leeway. An hour or two a day visiting with the young people is an excellent tonic for all involved." The warden smiles.
"So you don't even have anyone listening to what he's teaching them?" Bokkusu is awestruck at the laxity of the Earth Kingdom prison system. Surely somebody must have imagined Xin would try to manipulate his situation. It would seem that nobody did or if so that person was not in a position to do anything about it … much like the box man himself.
"No we don't." The warden replies curtly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to conclude this tour. Thank you for stopping by Mr. Bonksu. Please give the Fire Lord my regards."
Bokkusu doesn't even correct the mispronunciation of his name. The security man glares back down from the wall at the old ambassador still holding court in the yard and his flesh crawls. He's exhausted. He's covered in Earth Kingdom dust and he has a headache. And now he has a strangely familiar gut feeling that someone evil is up to no good.
And he still has another errand to run before he has to sit down to compose a formal letter of protest regarding the privileged incarceration of Xin.
He sighs as he leaves through the prison gates. He had planned on coming here right after the attack five years ago to wreak vengeance. Very quickly the ambassador was arrested however, and then the Earth King was put under close observation until he was retired and then replaced to great fanfare.
By the time it had all shaken out, there was no way he could seek revenge without dishonoring himself and the Fire Lord. So he has been pushing himself to the limit with investigations and work.
One of his greatest achievements was the liberation of the Hong-Shu mining camp. Seven years after the end of the war the owners of the Hong-Shu mine were still using Earth Kingdom prisoners as slave labor. They had been able to keep it astonishingly secret but one tiny thread presented itself and as Bokkusu followed it he unraveled an atrocity that makes him sick even now.
The liberated prisoners were escorted home by Prince Yukio and the Fire Lord's personal fleet, the palace's own archivists and the box man's agents having found each and every one of the forty or so men's families. Bokkusu had wanted to come himself in order to keep the prince safe, but he was prevented by the Fire Lord's order from leaving the princess's side. There had been no actual threat to Katara, but the security man soon realized they were worried about his residual frustration at the Earth Kingdom's collusion with Xin and they didn't want him emotionally traumatized.
He still laughs at their concern. If he has been able to handle the emotional trauma of spending his adolescence at war with all countries including his own a simple trip back to the place of his greatest failure is nothing more than a mosquito bite.
Even he doesn't believe that.
Tense as a coiled snake he reaches his destination and knocks.
The woman who slides the door open is pretty. In fact she defines the word. Long brown hair and big deep green eyes, she's a picture worth staring at. Except that she's real and she's asking if she can help him.
"Uh, I have a gift from Fire Lord Zuko and Princess Katara. They send their regards." Bokkusu stammers as he hands her a wrapped box.
"How nice, won't you come in?" She slides the door open wide enough to admit the box man and he enters the main living space of a serene home. "I was just about to have some tea, would you like some?"
Before he can say a word she is showing him to a low stool in front of a table and moving to the tea service she has already prepared.
"Have a seat." She tells him and he does. "My name is Song."
Memory suddenly floods Bokkusu of a story Prince Zuko once told the Crimson Dragons of how he had accepted the kindness of a family and then dishonorably stolen their only ostrich-horse. He remembers the young woman in the story's name was Song.
"Do you have a name?" She's speaking to him again and he focuses.
"Yes, I'm Bokkusu." He bows from his seat.
Now that he knows the nature of the visit, reparation on the Fire Lord's behalf, he feels more comfortable. For so long he's been a man who survived day to day on missions. It's easier than taking life as it comes.
He looks around the room and notes the calming colors, the jasmine plant twining up a stake under the window, easily kicked aside should someone need to make a quick exit. He looks at the grass mats and the bamboo stools, useful for camouflage and missiles. Everything in the room is placed for maximum comfort and flow, not a lot of places to hide although the long, low table can be flipped on its side to make a shield.
The scent of the jasmine is lovely and soothing. Bokkusu doesn't want to relax though; he doesn't remember how. He doesn't want to take tea with a pretty young Earth Kingdom woman. He wants to get back on a giant metal Fire Nation ship and go home where he belongs.
He sips his tea quietly while Song opens her package.
"Ah! Perfect!" She exclaims, pulling out four jars that Bokkusu can only assume contain healing herbs or oils. "Prince Yukio brought some supplies to me when he stopped here recently, but they go so quickly. Ground fire orchids make the best cold remedy we've ever found. And the oil of juniper flax has such a wonderful aroma. We use it in all our massage oils."
He doesn't care. He can't wait to get out of here.
"Well I suppose I'll get my chance to smell it then. I've been ordered to have a massage and spend time in the hot springs." These orders came from Katara and Bokkusu didn't argue. She was sitting right next to Zuko when she gave the command and the Fire Lord didn't flinch. Bokkusu probably wouldn't have fought her on this anyway. She seems to be able to get the security man to do just about anything.
Even come to a sissy healing hut for "therapy."
"The princess ordered Commander Chin to do the same when he delivered supplies to us." Song laughs.
"Just doing her part for the economy." Bokkusu says.
"Or maybe she thinks it will do some good." She smiles sweetly at him as she joins him at the table.
"I'm sure it will." He pulls back his cynicism for the sake of politeness.
"What brings you to the Omashu province?" She takes a sip of her tea and waits for him to answer.
"I work directly for the Fire Lord. He wanted me to check on a convict of interest at the prison." Bokkusu wonders if that sounds as vague as it needs to be, or if he's just given too much information.
"Someone being treated badly?" She asks her huge eyes full of concern.
The box man barks out a laugh that startles Song. She's surprised the teapot didn't crack at the concussive nature of it.
"No. Unfortunately, he's one of the ones who isn't being treated badly enough." He says chuckling. May as well find some humor in the matter before becoming deadly serious.
"The ambassador?" Song asks quietly and Bokkusu eyes her suspiciously. "We heard about his attempt on the Fire Lord's life. Many Fire Nation sailors come to us for healing and they sometimes gossip a little."
The security man nods.
"We heard he also tried to kill the Earth King and take over the Kingdom." She shudders.
"Well, he actually planned on taking over the Fire Nation. As far as the Earth King goes…" He stops himself. As much as he'd like to shout it from the rooftops, he is not allowed to mention Keui's perfidy to anyone.
"Yours is a stressful line of work." She states the obvious.
"Sometimes it is."
She can see the tension in his body. The stiffness of movement. The eyes shifting around the room.
"So have you found them?" She asks him mischievously.
"What?"
"The exits and the cover in case we're attacked." She grins knowingly. After all the soldiers she's treated she knows one thing for sure. They always find the way out and the place to hide when they enter a room.
"How did you know…" Bokkusu looks at her stymied for a moment and then gifts her with a big, genuine smile as he realizes she knows a lot of things most pretty young women wouldn't.
"When you're finished with your tea you can go through that door and an attendant will take you where you need to go. We'll throw in a mud bath at no extra charge." She says, leaving him alone in the room with his thoughts.
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After being pummeled mercilessly by two large Earth Kingdom masseurs, the box man sits in the natural springs that supposedly have healing powers. He does feel more relaxed than he has in years. But with relaxation comes memory and with memory comes tension and so he finds himself in a vicious cycle he knows all too well.
The door to the bamboo structure opens and Song steps in bearing towels and a supply of candles.
"I'm sorry!" She says when she realizes the hut is occupied. "I thought you would still be in the mud bath. I brought towels for you. And candles can provide a nice atmosphere for relaxation." She says, flustered.
"I appreciate your offer, but I don't care for mud baths." Bokkusu says hating the fact that he's blushing at her intrusion.
"Of course. Some people find them too messy." She nods understandingly.
"Yes." He agrees not willing to tell her his reason for disliking the treatment has more to do with the fact that he was once buried up to his neck by earthbenders during the war and the thought of having the same experience by choice is laughable.
"Well, I'll leave you to it." She says heading for the door. "You'll stay for dinner?" She suddenly turns and asks.
"I've heard the roast duck is good." Bokkusu smiles back at her.
Song grins recognizing that her mother's cooking is becoming internationally appreciated. The older woman will be so pleased.
And then she blushes.
"I thought we could go out." She says looking at the floor.
Bokkusu almost looks around to see if she's actually talking to him. Most women are terrified of him. Because he's sitting, fully unclothed in the hot spring, she can see at least the tops of his scars. The masseurs hadn't said a word when they'd seen him, but that was their job. Their eyes did open a little wider though. And she hasn't stared at all. Hasn't avoided looking at the marks, just didn't react to them.
If he were wearing clothes right now he'd feel utterly naked. She's not afraid of him. She's not bothered by the scars that run all the way up each shoulder in straight diagonal lines and disappear back down under the water to form the "X" he's been labeled with for eight years.
"I don't think so." He says quietly. "But thank you for offering."
"Oh." Her face gets impossibly redder. "I'm sorry to have interrupted you. Take as much time as you like." She hurries to the door.
"I mean, yes. I'd like that… dinner … out." He suddenly hears himself saying and bites back a groan at how insane he must appear.
She stops and looks at him, a bemused expression on her face.
"Are you sure?" She asks.
"Yes." He responds somewhat sheepishly.
"You're not going to change your mind again?" The corners of her mouth quirk up a little.
"No."
"Okay. Take all the time you like. We'll go to the village when you're ready."
"That sounds nice."
Now her expression is amused as she closes the door behind her.
The box man sinks down into the water until only his thick, black hair floats on the top. He considers drowning himself literally since he's already halfway there with embarrassment before he realizes he's actually looking forward to something non-confrontational for the first time in five years.
