The Promise

Zhen had never laughed so hard or smiled so much. She could not explain it, but Chun was so…different. She felt a kind of tugging whenever he looked in her eyes

She had a connection with him. She felt safe around him, though she never felt unsafe by herself before.

He was nice to her. He bought her candies and played games with her. Zhen didn't know why he did those things. Or why she let him. She was moving with the flow of it, like she had always known what to do on 'A Date'.

Chun asked her questions about who she was and what she liked to do, which flattered her. He danced with her and Zhen finally put her fan dance to good use. They had dinner together, the first time in her life that she ate away from her sisters.

But the strangest and the most exciting thing Chun did was just before they both went to sleep. The boys and the girls slept in different temples, so before leaving her, Chun gave Zhen a little kiss. Zhen's body froze when he did, numb with a nervous tingle.

"Goodnight." Chun said to her, not breaking eye contact with her. Zhen slowly waved to him as he walked away.

"…goodnight." She said when he was out of ear's reach.

Ji had left her alone on that first night, but finally approached Zhen when the boy had gone.

"Are you okay?" Ji asked. Zhen looked like she was in a trance."What did he do to you?" Ji sounded worried.

"I don't know." Zhen giggled and danced away, knowing that she would never get to sleep.


She didn't.

The stars kept her awake. So did the wind. And the snoring from the Sky Bisons.

The whole night, she didn't stop smiling.


And the next morning, she was smiling again. Chun found her and they spent another day together.

Not wanting to get involved, Ji went her own ways during the festival.

She ate some dumplings by the food carts and she saw Zhen out of the corner of her eye, sharing a loaf of bread with Chun.

A handful of younger children begged Ji to play with them. Just before agreeing, Ji saw two gliders fly over the trees in the north part of the temple. She knew who they were.

Fireworks exploded that night, imported from the Fire Nation. They scared some of the young kids, but Ji loved them. She thought they were beautiful. So did Zhen. She and "that boy" watched them together. Ji pretended to not see them.

And the next day…the same thing happened. Ji was left alone while Zhen chased after her new crush. Ji didn't know how to feel.

Zhen became so attached to Chun that they stayed together for every day of the festival. Each day until then was filled with laughter and flirting, food and music, dancing and gentle kissing.

Ji watched them hold hands and tease each other. It wasn't until she saw Zhen led Ji to her Secret Spot, the place furthest from the Temple Center, that she finally got jealous at the boy.

They didn't come back from that spot for over an hour. No one stopped them.


The last day of the festival was mostly clean up. There was a HUGE feast to finish the final bits of food and then everyone took turns disassembling the tents. Zhen and Chun were still inseparable, helping each other with their tasks.

"How far away is the Southern Air Temple?" Zhen asked as she put a pile of streamers back in a box.

"It's pretty far away. We traveled for a three whole days before making it here. And we only stopped in the Earth Kingdom at night…" Chun picked up a tent's support beam and moved it. "…in Omashu. They let us stay there."

"Is it a town?"

"Ha! It's a city. A HUGE city, but not as big as Ba Sing Se. Lots of different people there, lots of trading. It is very nice."

"You've really seen the world, haven't you?" Zhen smiled widely.

"Nah…" Chun lowered his head. "Omashu is the only place I've seen. And this temple"

"But… you want to see the world, right?" Zhen prayed that he'd say 'yes'.

"Of course. I'm happy at my home…" Chun picked up another beam. "…but I want to see the Earth Kingdom. I want to…" He gulped. "…one day, I want to leave the temple and have a family. I don't want to be an old man and be unmarried. I want children. And a wife." He smiled

"That…sounds really nice. I want the same thing as you." She smiled back. There was a long pause between them. Very long. "I wish you didn't have to leave." Zhen said, frowning.

Chun saw her smile vanish and felt sorry for her, for both of them.

"Wait here." He said just before running off. He left Zhen alone for only a moment before hustling back with a purple ribbon in hand. It was long enough to wrap around a man's wrist twice. "Here. This is for you."

"Wow! Oh wow! Thank you! Thank you so much!" Zhen smiled. She had never received a (non eatable) gift before. Not once in her life.

"I will make a promise if you take this."

"…what?"

"I want you to wear it in your hair. To remember me." He gulped. "Meet me in Omashu. On the winter solstice. Three years from now."

"What?" Zhen blushed and felt nervous, even afraid.

"I mean it. I want to finish my airbending training. I will focus on and try to become a Master in three years. Whether I succeed or fail, I will meet you there."

"But…that means…" She looked at the ribbon and then back at him.

"Will you take it? Will you make that promise with me? We can already leave our temples. Three years, that is all. I will meet in the front gate of the southern entrance of Omashu. I swear that I will."

Zhen tried to think , but she could not. An older woman would blame her emotions and say that they were too strong for a young girl to control. An older man would say that they were both infatuated. But Zhen's heart screamed an answer at her, and it was much louder than anything her better judgment said.

"Yes." She said, smiling. "I will meet you there."

Chun's smile grew. He took her hand and gently gave her the ribbon.

"I will be there. I swear I will." Chun put her hands together and he kissed her knuckle. Zhen giggled lightly, knowing in her heart that he was telling the truth. All young girls know that boys do not lie. Older women tend to know better.


That evening, Zhen watched the Sky Bisons from the Southern Air Temple fly away, her eyes fixated on Chun. She saw him wave to her just before he became to small to see. She waved back, feeling that strange sensation in her chest again.

Within an hour after the men left, the temple grounds were clean and any and all evidence of the festival had been stripped away…except for the purple ribbon that Zhen proudly wore in her hair.