Chapter 8:

Jun:

I walked out from under the metal shelter; cover my eyes with my hand to block the rays of the sun. I blinked a few time, adjusting my eyes to the light before removing my hand from my face and looking around. You could hardly tell that it had rain for the entire of yesterday. The streets were dry and packed with people and the sun was blazing high in the centre of the sky.

That made it around midday, I supposed before smelling the freshness of the air and another smell that made my mouth water; food. Precious, tasty food. I followed the smell and came to a stop in front of a small bakery. I walked inside and heard a soft ring of a bell.

A few heads turned to me, but after contemplating my appearance for a mere second, went back to their respective conversations. I shrugged before walking up to the counter and scouring the shelves behind it. Bread here, cakes there, but that didn't matter to me. Everything just looked so delicious.

Someone behind the counter approached me, giving me a soft smile (probably because of the fascinated look on my face). "Anything you like, dear?" She asked politely.

I looked from her to the food a couple of times before finally making my decision. I pointed to the nicest looking bread loaf I could afford and said, "I'll take that one!"

The kind lady reached behind her and grabbed the loaf I was pointing at. As she did that, I reached into my pocket and dug out the correct few for the loaf. We exchanged the loaf and money before I thanked the lady and walked out of the shop, the soft ring of the bell still echoing in my ears.

I smiled, opening the wrapping and taking a giant bite of the loaf I was carrying. This would definitely last me a few days, if not more. That meant stealing no food from any vengeful bandits like the ones a few days before.

I sighed almost instantly as the thought popped into my head, that memory leading to me back to the boy I didn't want my mind to linger on. Haru. Forget about it! I repeated in my head over and over. It'll only be a distraction.

My mind seemed to be persistent as ever though, and refused to cooperate with its logical side. I groaned, before taking another – if slightly agitated – bite out of my bread loaf. I wouldn't see him again anyway. To think about him like that, especially after I had only just met him, was totally wrong.

I shoved all thoughts of Haru to the back of my mind and wrapped the bread loaf back in it's wrapper before placing it in the bag slung over my shoulder. Sometimes I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. I gave another quick sigh before deciding my next location.

Perhaps another village? No, the nearest village was the one where those bandits were hiding out and although they were caught, they probably wouldn't stay that way for very long.

Maybe a village further away, like halfway across the world. Trouble was, did I have enough supplies for a journey that far? I knew of a travelling merchant who wouldn't be that far off. Infact, he'd probably be right near the ruins of the southern air temple this time of year.

Yeah, that sounded just about right. And anyway, I'd need to go back there someday to pay my respects to all my fallen comrades. Why not do it sooner then later? I smiled softly, remembering how sudden everything changed and just because one petty ruler was paranoid about element benders attacking him.

But I refused to think about that right now. Finally, after 6 long years of travelling, I would be going home. I also doubted that there'd be many visitors, if there were actually any people there at all. The one person I really hoped was there was the travelling merchant, my old friend who showed me the way when I needed it most. I didn't want to have to run into any bandits either. I don't know if I would be able to take it.

With my newfound resolve to return to my homeland I gripped the bags I carried on my back harder, tugging on the straps and pulling them further up my back. With one deep breath, stepped over the threshold of the entrance to the village and began my journey to the air temple. Hopefully, it wouldn't even take me a day to get there.

Sora:

I stretched my arms before resting them on top of my head. The sun was blazing down, its rays reaching through the trees and lighting up the forest. The path was perfectly clear, no branches above and not much uneven path below. With the sun being at its peak and practically reflecting off the paths crystal like surface, I covered my eyes and tried to focus on anything but the light.

A few steps later I felt the sweat slowly trailing down my face. I knew I had been walking for hours but I hoped to make it to the temple ruins before night fall. If I made it there, hardly anyone (if anyone was actually there) would care about my appearance in such a deserted place. However, sleeping alone in the middle of a forest at night was a sure fire way to get killed.

Instead of resting, I decided to stop for a few seconds so I could take of the thick jacket I was wearing and place it in one of my bags. My white shirt stuck to me because of the sweat, the sun reflecting of it glistening surface and the cool air blowing into my chest.

I breathed in the air like it was the first time I ever had, a new found freshness filling my lungs. I picked up my two bags and set off once again. With no one to talk to, I chose to admire nature's beauty. What else was there to do?

The trees stretched out into an eternity of forest, their glossy leaves slowing in the rays of the sun. Their trunks stood in the shade, the dark brown bark blending in with the dry dirt making it near impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. The crystal path created a reflective shield of light, the rays from both the path and the sun rebounding into my line of sight. The river that trailed next to me just a few yards away showed its true colours, the sight of the water glistening in the midday sun was a beautiful sight.

I looked up to the sky, my hand still covering my eyes. It was clear, not a cloud in sight. Infact, the sight was a rather rare one. It had been years since I had seen an absolutely clear sky, especially after it had rained so much. Maybe it wasn't normal weather, but what was I thinking. Did I really expect that an element bender could do this?

I laughed at the idea, running a hand through my dampened black hair. It stayed in that position, spiked backwards, with the small beads of sweat visible in the gaze of the sun. An elemental bender changing the weather, ha! What would be the point? Although, it was one of the only options right now that made sense. Why would it be naturally sunny with all the doom and gloom that's been going around?

I let out a deep breath before reaching the peak of the hill I was on. The sight I saw when I reached the top was outstanding. I was spellbound by its natural beauty, even if it was a graveyard for many airbenders. The sight was stunning and I was at a major loss for words. My lips parted and a gasp escaped my lips. How could such beauty ever come with death?

There, like an island in the middle of the ocean, stood the ruins of the southern air temples. They still reached peak heights, a few of the ruins even taller than the hill I was stood on. The ancient structures and although they were old and tattered, they looked like they could have built mere moments ago. It didn't look like a battle ground that had been surrounded by flames, or a memorial sight to those who had died to try and protect its secrets. It just looked somewhat peaceful, like it was meant to be there, always had and always would until the end of time.

I ran down the hillside, this beautiful disaster coming closer and closer. I came to a stop at its broken bridge. I took a few moments to decide how to get across the river, but then I decided I'd just swim across and get it over with. The water was cool and refreshing, splashing over my body and face, instantly cooling me down. I felt more refreshed then ever. I swam to the other side without looking back; as a member of one of the last water tribes swimming came second nature to me.

When I reached the other side I climbed out slowly, taking as much time as I could to bask in the cool waters that lay dripping down my body. I shook my hair, the droplets of water flying from my face. I dropped back onto the grassy surface, the soft dirt easing my landing. I laughed; this place was almost a paradise now, even with the death that surrounded it. I wondered what it was like in its prime, bursting with life and laughter. I chuckled softly in my own little world. Perhaps this really was paradise.

"Oi, you shouldn't laugh in a memorial place. It's disrespectful!" I jumped at the voice, quickly turning round to see a girl sat not too far off staring me right in the face. My heart rate was elevated, my breathes came out quick and short.

"Who the hell are you?"

Jun:

I arrived at the ruins of the southern air temple to find that I was not alone. I watched a man swim across the river, separating my homeland from the terrible kingdom around it. He fell to the ground and I could here his laughter from where I was stood. I walked over to see if he was alright, but when I got there I noticed he seemed more mesmerised by the sight rather than injured.

"Oi, you shouldn't laugh in a memorial place," I called out to him and he instantly stopped laughing. I heard his breath quicken and I felt his senses sharpen before me. "It's disrespectful!" I shouted at him and he stood up and spun around, quickly moving into a defensive position.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, but I wasn't listening to his question. His white shirt had gone see through because of how wet it was. Not only that but it was sticking to his body, showing his defined muscles and his abs through the shirts material. I blinked a few times, the pause between the question and my answer was too long. I noticed that and so did he.

"I-I… I should be asking you the same question!" I fired back at him, my eyes once again falling to his luxurious abs. I could feel my cheeks warming, the blush forming on my face and looked away.

I looked back at him for a second, noticing the blush on his face after realising why I was so uncomfortable. His hand moved to the back of his head and he rubbed it slightly, a soft yet embarrassed smile forming on his face. "Sorry… I guess." His embarrassing apology made me smile.

"It's okay, but you still didn't answer the question." I beamed back at him, he didn't seem like he was going to harm me, and so I thought it safe to let my guard down. It he seemed like he thought the same thing of me.

"Neither did you." He pointed out. We stood in silence for a few awkward moments before one of us decided to speak. We both opened our mouths at the same time, but I instantly closed mine and allowed him to speak first. "The name' Sora." He walked up to me slowly, still cautious of my intentions.

He offered me his hand – a bit to quickly for my liking, and in my already jumpy state I flinched back into a defensive position. He simultaneously pulled his hand back. I loosened up and dropped my defensive state before muttering a quick sorry under my breath. "My name's Jun." I smiled and slowly offered my hand, trying not to make the same mistake Sora made.

He grabbed my hand gently and shook it and we smiled at each other, staying in that position for a few more moments. I reluctantly drew my hand back as he broke of the handshake.

"So… how long have you been here?" I asked, trying desperately to start a conversation before another awkward silence fell upon us. I looked up at him, his white shirt drying quickly due to the searing heat of the sun but still see through from earlier. Jumping in the river I guessed.

"Err… No, I've only just got here. You?" He asked, keeping the conversation alive. Shit, I didn't want to answer that question. Or maybe I just didn't know how. I wanted to lie, but I didn't want to lose my new found friendship with Sora. I certainly didn't want him not to trust me; I could've used a companion in my time of need.

"I only got here about an hour ago, although I've been here before." I wasn't lying to him; I had technically been here before and had only arrived an hour ago. But it didn't matter; it still felt wrong; like I didn't trust him with everything (which I didn't, with good reason). I mentally groaned but only too late did I notice he knew there was something I wasn't telling him. It must've shown on my face.

"Really? How long ago was this 'before'?" he interrogated.

"Just a, err, few days ago." I replied, knowing just how terrible that lie had felt.

He raised a questioning eyebrow, but I shot him a warning look. Unfortunately, he wasn't familiar with my emotions, so he didn't get the message. That or he chose to ignore it. "Right, a few days ago. Whatever. But if you ever to lie to my face, I suggest you get running. I don't tolerate liars."

I growled the sound resonating low and deep in my throat. "You calling me a liar?" It was a rhetorical question, but this seemingly kind man decided against a wise decision by teasing me further.

"What if I am?" He mocked, a smirk appearing on his face. I really wasn't in the mood to fight, especially not in this place, but it seemed he had pushed on too many of my buttons.

"Then you're the one who should be running." We stared each other down, the moments passing by slowly, dragging out the antagonizing staring contest. I backed down, far too tired from my trek to fight and turned to face the other way. I folded my arms across my chest, sighing as I let Sora off. I could feel the smirk from his silent victory pounding into my back.

I looked into the sky, the sun still quite high. That question took me back, my memories floating to a distant past time, unable to grip onto anything and pull away. I felt the tears start to stream down my face. I heard Sora calling my name, but everything felt so distant. I was ripped away from the terror, the screams of my friends dying one by one, by Sora. He was stood in front of me, a concerned look on his face.

I tried to push away, using all the energy I had left (which seemed to have depleted since my short trip down memory lane). However Sora refused to let me go and strengthened his grip. He sat me down on the grass as I laid into him, the thoughts of my past haunting me. Maybe I really wasn't ready to come back here.

I don't know when I fell asleep, I just did. All I remembered was Sora's soft voice whispering words of comfort into my ear before drifting into my slumber.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to drop by and review :) and the next chapter will be on it's way shortly.

Until next time, See ya!