A/N: Decided to switch back to Tess. This is a sort of sad chapter.
Tess rose from the riverbed, now calm. Mackenzie had greatly irritated her, but she had meditated over it and chosen to forgive her friend. It had only been a small fight, after all. Though Mackenzie's words had cut deep.
Because deep within herself, Tess knew that she wasn't as open to love as her friends were. When she did open up, she got hurt. And then she'd vow to never love again until she was certain that she was ready to bear the pain that came with it.
She sighed, putting her hands in the water beyond the riverbed, and brought her hands up to meet her face to cool herself down. Staring at the sparkling water, a thought struck her. She brought her hands down to the water again. Concentrating as hard as she could, she pulled her hands up again. She clenched her teeth, fighting off an unseen strain. A trail of crystalline water followed her hands, curving elegantly when she moved her palms and finger simultaneously.
A triumphant smile came to her face, and she flowed the water around her, looking at it in wonder. It danced away in the air with a graceful twist, an overhead flare, a spin between her arms. She was content; she was proud. Not everyone could Bend two elements so proficiently as her.
Slowly she let the water slide out of her summons, watching in awe at its grace—her grace. She was graceful, elegant, proud, strong—she was everything she ever needed to be and she didn't need any male to rescue her or be her lover. Ever. She would escape love, for it was evil and heinous and horrible and always brought pain and misery.
Tess walked from the riverbed to a nearby hill. She followed her natural sense of direction to Chey's home and found Jan showing off for Cally and Mackenzie. Brinn was absent from the little display, and that angered Tess. But she kept her emotions in check, for that was what she was always cursed to do.
"Guys! Guess what!" she called.
Jan stopped Firebending. Mackenzie stared at Tess blankly. Cally looked shocked.
"I'm really a Waterbender!" Tess exclaimed, and proceeded to show her friends that she was, indeed, a Waterbender. Jan just stared at Tess with an envious, murderous look.
"How come you are so gifted? Why should you of all people get to Bend two elements? Why do you have to be so great at everything you do?" screeched Jan. Tess backed away, shocked. But Jan just kept going. "Ever since we've been here, it's been all about you, Tess! You've the perfect little leader while I don't matter at all! Why is it that only the things you say are true? Why can't I just say, 'Oh! I'm an Airbender as well as a Firebender,' and then have it happen? Why do only you know the truth? Or, even worse, are you messing with our minds?" Jan practically screamed.
Tess stood rooted to the spot. She didn't need this. Not after the fight with Mackenzie. Why was she, Tess, always the one being blamed?
"Shut up, Jan!" Tess retaliated. "Just shut up!"
"No!" bellowed Jan. "You're only concerned about learning Bending, Tess, while some of us want to go back home! Why can't you just say that we're able to find our way back home or something, since you're so gifted? Huh?"
Tess growled. "That's not how it works, Jan! I can't just say, 'We found our way home!' and then have it happen!"
"Well, you could've at least looked for a way to get home instead of being so self-absorbed and worrying about yourself."
Tess paled. Jan was accusing her of—not trying to get back home? Well, it was the truth. She hadn't even thought of how to get back home at all. She'd been selfish; she was guilty of all the things Jan claimed. Realizing this, Tess instantaneously hated herself for what she had (or rather, hadn't) done. She hung her head in shame.
"I'm sorry, Jan," she whispered.
"Humph," muttered Jan, "I have an idea of how to get home, but no one would listen."
Tess turned to Cally and Mackenzie. "Listen to her, guys. Jan's not stupid."
"But you sure are," Jan muttered coyly.
And the friends could not help but laugh merrily as they planned their return home.
A/N: Isn't that sweet? Well, just to let you know, I'm very proud of my characters, because they are really well developed characters. They're not just flat. They have depth. Even if Tess has powers that normal people don't, she still is a normal person. She's selfish and self-absorbed and scared and hateful of love and she thinks herself superior to everyone else. She's got that spark to her that makes her a real person.
So. Just my little rant. Review!