I figured I owed everyone a fast update. promise that we'll be back on schedule with updates every 2-3 days. I will let you know if you should expect otherwise. :)
Disclaimer: don't own ATLA or the song "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
please enjoy! and get ready for more adventures since Briar is on this suicidal mission high...haha
-TSA
Chapter 21:
"A life with love will have some thorns, but a life without love will have no roses." ~Author Unknown
The night was beautiful, millions of stars twinkling above her. The half moon shone in the sky to reflect a path of light across the metal ship. The ocean water was mesmerizing as the waves bounced along to the pull of gravity. Though she much preferred being on land, she wasn't going to say that she hated the water. She just hated ships. Arms swinging over the side railing, she wondered if she stretched a little more, then she could touch the waves that laced the air with brine.
Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming around.
It had been three days since they left Ba Sing Se, which now sat in the hands of the Fire Nation. The Earth King was dead, which left it to fall into the command of Lord Chronos, who needed to assemble his armies and reclaim his newfound throne. If she was fortunate enough, then Hikaru was home safe in the Southern Earth Kingdom while preparing to hunt her down. It all seemed a bit weird, to be sailing to the Fire Nation as a traitorous earth bender.
Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears.
Shaking her head with a laugh, she tugged at the sleeves of her new dress. It was a crimson red with gold trimming along the skirt. The Fire Nation emblem was sewn on the back of it, which was an even stranger feeling than being in red. Though she admired the color, she didn't expect to be wearing it often. She'd left her shoes somewhere on the deck and wasn't keen on looking for them anytime soon. Being trapped out on open water was tough as it was, so she figured that being barefoot would be one way to sense some form of the earth in the metal deck.
Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by.
She stretched her arms to the sky while sauntering around the deck, spinning in circles as if she were dancing. It seemed like so long ago that she had been at the festival for the coming of Spring, but now the months were melting into Summer. Smiling to herself, she imagined how angry Zuko had been that she "forced" him to attend the event, and then that moment where he leaned against her hand as if to savor the delicate touch that soothed his scarred face, soothed his misery of searching for who he was.
Turn around, every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see the look in your eye.
But had he truly discovered himself?
Stopping her silly twirling, she glanced around the deck to see someone standing at the starboard side. She slipped into the shadows, discerning the person to be Zuko, but she didn't approach him, for he wasn't alone. Her heart weighed heavily in her chest no matter how she tried to push aside all jealous thoughts. That black haired girl strode up next to him and she strained to hear their exchange of words. Nothing but silence met her.
Turn around bright eyes, every now and then I fall apart
She cursed herself for the attachment she felt toward him. There had been a goodbye in Ba Sing Se, but it had been off the notion that he would not return to the Fire Nation. Now that he was, she felt he was trying to take back what had been his in the past. What was the point of that? The past can't be repeated in the future…or so she was telling herself. Her throat ran dry when she saw Zuko lean closer to the girl, hands tentatively embracing her skinny waist, before he brought his lips against hers.
Turn around bright eyes, every now and then I fall apart
Dignity was all she could ask herself to have. There weren't tears this time around, for she felt she had cried her eyes dry from her adventures in Ba Sing Se. Her emotions were proving to get in the way. Her father told her over and over again that emotions would kill a soldier sooner than a blade did, but she didn't want to listen to that. It always felt like he had been telling her that she couldn't love anyone, not even her mother or him.
And I need you now tonight, and I need you more than ever, and if you'll only hold me tight.
When the girl walked away, Briar fought with herself about whether to confront him. If she did, would she crumble? Hands hiding in the sleeves of her gown, she strode from her shadowed haven and made her way to the side of the ship, where Zuko stood staring out at the ocean waves. She cursed herself so many times that she was starting to find stupid reasons to be angry with him. Those arms of his were meant to hold her tight as if she were the last gasp of oxygen in his lungs as he was drowned under a raging current of her scorned affections.
We'll be holding on forever and we'll only be making it right 'cause we'll never be wrong.
He was hers.
"Who's she?"
Why beat around the bush? Straightforwardness was the way to catch him off guard, despite that his response was calm.
"She's my old girlfriend."
"I see you're rekindling that flame." She impatiently tossed her hair over her shoulder, combing through it so she could avoid looking at him, "I hadn't realized it was so easy to fall back in love with someone."
Zuko grabbed her arm, pulling her around to face him, "What's your problem?"
Together we can take it to the end of the line. Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time.
She wanted to hit him, but refrained from giving him the satisfaction of seeing her weak, "Did nothing in Ba Sing Se mean anything to you?"
"You seduced me! It wasn't like you ever wanted to be with me!"
"I told you now wasn't the right time!" Damn those tears coming back, "That didn't mean forever-!"
"It feels like forever to me!" His grip on her was shaky, "You pushed me away, Briar. We said our goodbyes at the crossroads of our destinies."
"Your destiny wasn't supposed to lead us down the same path!" She tore herself away from him, shaking her head in disbelief, "You were supposed to decide your own fate, not let your sister decide it for you!"
"My destiny was my own!" He went to take her hand, but she viscously slapped him across the face. He felt that familiar burn of her nails tearing through skin and leaving gashes in his cheek, "Why are you so mad at me?"
"I didn't want to say goodbye!"
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark. We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks.
Zuko glanced around nervously, hoping that their yelling wasn't drawing anyone's attention. When he looked back at Briar, he saw her try to choke down her sobs. One arm latching around her waist and the other crossing around her shoulders, he suffocated her against himself and drew her lips to his in a heated kiss that longed for painful memories. He was fighting to keep her close to himself, keep her lips against his while he strained to regain that beautiful familiarity.
I really need you tonight. Forever's gonna start tonight. Forever's gonna start tonight.
But it just hurt worse.
Lips falling from each other, they could feel one another slipping apart. He still held her tightly while her fingers gently stroked the flushed skin of his neck. Their breathing was in tandem, chests pressing against each other with each drawn breath. Her bottom lip stuck out as if inviting him to kiss her, as if that kiss would make all the difference.
Once upon a time I was falling in love, but now I'm only falling apart.
"Hold me tight…" she muttered.
"You don't love me, Briar."
"Am I supposed to?" She laughed spitefully, "Am I supposed to love someone who can't decide who he is?" Pushing him away, she turned her back, "I fell in love with the Zuko who was too stubborn to let me know he thought I was attractive, too stubborn to go off his impulses and just kiss me, too stubborn to share a dance…"
There's nothing I can do…A total eclipse of the heart.
She let her words linger, deciding she needn't say more. Her last tear was wiped away by the back of her hand as she stumbled along the deck with her heart weighing heavily in her breast. She wanted that metal encasing back, that sense of not knowing how to act on those ugly things called "emotions". She wished she'd never fallen in love with Zuko, especially now that their destinies were interwoven. Why did she have to have forced him into her life?
Once upon a time there was light in my life, but now there's only love in the dark.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Zuko leaning against the side railing of the ship, eyes caught up in the tug and pull of the ocean's waves. She shook her head, for it was all she could do, and ran as far away from him as she could. What was the point now? She had assembled the rest of her pieces in her little game, preparing for the moment that she'd reclaim her position in the Earth Kingdom. But that one knight was causing problems. If she felt she could do it, she'd allow him to be sacrificed for the sake of better positioning and focus in her game.
Nothing I can say…A total eclipse of the heart.
But would victory become fruitless?
. . . .
He was glad to have the definition in his muscles again, glad to have eaten a few decent meals, glad to be on the shore of a quiet beach where the water tumbled through his toes. He stretched his arms to the blue sky above him, the cloudless rays of sunshine that danced across his face. It felt like eons since he had last seen the light of a glorious afternoon. Closing his eyes as the salty wind washed through his mangled brown hair, he held his hands out in an attempt to capture the cool breeze.
Staring out across the glistening water, he waded further out from shore. He made it out to his hips, where he could still see the sand and fish beneath him. He cupped the clear water into his hands and ran it up along his sleeveless arms, pleased by the cold feel that left a trail of goose bumps. Shifting his weight, he licked his lips to taste the salt of the wind, which was a delicacy compared to the dust and dirt of his prison cell. He was sure that he'd never see such a beautiful sight again.
In the back of his mind, he was wondering if Nalren was still alive. If he figured he knew anything about Briar, it was that she thought people were expendable. Though her letter preached of different means, he wasn't sold by it. Why he was so worried about Nalren seemed quite a bit silly. He was rightfully accepted into the Council of Five as an eighteen year old. That was a phenomenal feat as it were, but that didn't make him feel much better.
Reaching into his steel blue tunic, he yanked out the gold pendant on a chain around his neck and stared at the emblem of his city. He smiled upon remembering that Ulysses had it crafted for him upon his father's death. Such a sad day in his life! Losing the man who had been his closest friend and wisest advisor…He was thankful that his mother lived well still despite the loss of her companion and lover. And that thought made him wonder if she would be pleased with his ascension to the throne of Ba Sing Se, of the entire Earth Kingdom.
In his opinion, as strange as he felt it sounded, he needed a woman to rule beside him. A woman with her own ideals and a headstrong attitude that looked for what was best for the people, but she was soft enough to be rational if he begged her a little. Ideal as it sounded, he felt it would be impossible to find such a woman.
"Hey! Mr. Fabulous! What're ya doing out in the water?"
His hands clenched into fists while he slowly turned around to see Toph standing on shore with her hands on her hips and the water bender, Katara, beside her, "Will you quit calling me that?"
"Nope!" Toph was laughing hysterically. He really wished she knew how much he hated her at the moment, "Though seriously, what are you doing in the water?"
"Why don't you join me and I'll show you." He waded closer to shore, but Toph threw a boulder at him. He ducked under the waves, surfacing with a gasp as Katara began laughing, "It's only water, Toph!"
"I don't like it!"
Chronos rolled his eyes, stomping onto shore. Discarding his salt soaked tunic onto the sandy beach, he held his hand out Toph. Though he knew she couldn't see it, he had a feeling that she knew it was there. Getting the hint, she extended her hand out and allowed him to take it. He carefully led her down to where the water tickled her toes, watching as her features contorted, but she didn't push him away. Closer and closer, further and further, until she was waist deep. He could tell she was uncomfortable, but he was glad to see that she had trusted him enough to venture out.
"Not so bad anymore, eh?" he asked.
Toph dug her toes into the sand, "I still don't like it."
He still held her hand tightly, for he knew that even she was nervous to let go. The waves washed over them, building momentum as they clawed at the shore and were yanked back out to sea. When Chronos looked over his shoulder, he saw a larger wave coming, one that was certainly taller than Toph. But he didn't get the words out to warn her before the water crashed over them. Instinctively, and he was glad Nalren wasn't around to make fun of him for it, he nestled Toph tight against his chest before they were tossed under.
Surfacing, he listened to her cough a few times while he tucked her hair out of her face, trying his best not to laugh. When she gained her footing, he was very surprised that she didn't punch him or something. Instead, she held onto his forearms to assure she would remain standing and turned her blind gaze as if she were looking up at his face. He laughed to himself, thinking about the natural imperfections of her face. She certainly looked prettier up close-
"What's up with the flirty feelings, Mr. Fabulous?"
"Can you do me a favor and not announce my emotions?"
Toph was smirking, trying to restrain a fit of laughter, "I want to get out of the water."
Chronos' face was a deep shade of red, thankful that she couldn't see it. Guiding her back to the shore, he saw Katara standing there, smirking, with his tunic in her hands. He wiggled back into it to find that it was still damp and heavy with salt. When he went to say something to Toph, he found that she and Katara were already walking back to their little camp. He sighed, finding himself just a bit saddened to be alone again.
Picking up his sandals, he shuffled along after them, figuring it was now or never if he wanted to get to know his new companions. It was strange being in the company of such ordinary, yet extraordinary people who were an unlikely group of friends. He wanted to assume that he could take command as the Earth King, but he wasn't going to push his luck. At the moment, he needed to get back into the Earth Kingdom and assemble her armies.
First, he needed to contact Lady Susanoo and Ulysses.
Actually, now that he thought about it, he needed a pen, ink, and paper first….
Strolling over to where Sokka had started a fire, he smiled at the smell of fish that he assumed Katara or Aang had caught. He felt awkward, nonetheless, as he sat down with all of them, the silence bringing more heat to his skin than the rays of the sun. He didn't want to think that he had bad people skills, but he honestly didn't know what to say, so he resorted to just staring at the fire.
"So, where're you from, Lord Chronos?" Katara asked, noticing his silence.
"I'm from The Southern Earth Kingdom." He sat up a little taller, "Although, now I'm the Fifty Third Earth King…"
"How'd that happen?"
He shrugged, "Guess my advisor, Ulysses, was more ambitious than my father. He arranged that should the late Earth King not produce an heir that I would be most apt to ascend the throne."
"That's a lot of responsibility," Sokka muttered.
Chronos gave him a nod of the head, "But I think in this time of war, I'm the best choice in uniting my fallen nation."
"That's a rather arrogant statement, Mr. Fabulous," Toph snickered.
"I told you to stop calling me that!" He was blushing furiously, "And I'm not being arrogant!"
"Yes, you are! What makes you think that Ba Sing Se will even listen to you, let alone the Earth Kingdom?" Toph rolled her eyes, "You can't do it alone."
He smirked, slipping over next to her, "Would you care to assist me with this?"
"What makes you think that I want to?"
"Well, I just figure that two is better than one-"
"What he really thinks is that he likes you, so he wants to spend more time alone with you…" Sokka sneered.
Chronos nearly leapt across the fire and strangled him, especially when Toph stood up and moved to seat herself beside Katara. His face was so red that he could feel his skin melting. Falling backward, he laid across the ground while grumbling to himself about how stupid he was acting…but maybe that was how one was supposed to feel in the company of friends?
Here we are! Another ending! Soooo...anyone think that Toph and Chronos have a chance? They are seriosuly amusing for me. He's probably as bad with girls as Zuko is. haha. and he's got a lot to learn about hanging with the GAANG.
I kinda really liked Toph's little water moment with Chronos. Idk about anyone else...
and Briar and Zuko are now facing some serious relationship issues. Zuko wants everything in his old life back, but at the expense of his newfound affections for Briar? That seems a bit rough... So what's Nalren going to think?
All just a bunch a questions for you all to keep in mind.
please review!
-TSA