Wishfulll-star: (*^‿^*)
"Ready?" Marco asked, and Ace nodded. His brother came into view, and said hello to Ace. He slowly walked in, trying to bring comfort to the scared teen. He started breathing quickly and curled into a ball. "This is Thatch. He'll never hurt you, and won't tell anybody else about you being here." Thatch nodded in agreement. Ace shifted into dragon form instantly to feel safer.
Thatch looked shocked, but Marco assured him Ace wouldn't hurt him, he was just nervous. "Oh, okay. You look pretty cool. I've never seen a dragon before." Ace shuffled a bit when he came closer, regretting this decision. But he didn't want to be a coward. He was embarrassed by his terror of other people.
Thatch sat down next to Marco, and he nudged Thatch to talk about himself. The brown haired teen, about the same age as Marco, explained that he enjoyed cooking. And that Marco had been secretly smuggling his treats out to Ace. "So, I made those treats. I hope you liked them." Ace didn't nod, but Marco affirmed this for him. Ace enjoyed the treats a lot.
Thatch tried to talk to Ace a lot, and he tried desperately to not be afraid. These people weren't the Fire Nation. He could trust them. But he'd already trusted somebody who deserted him, though he didn't remember or think of those people anymore, ever. Marco was right, they didn't matter anymore. And Ace hated anyone who was Fire Nation.
If he had been, he'd deserted anything having to do with that. He'd discarded everything from before. It was a blank period of time, fifteen years. A long time, but he was better off this way. Well, in a different way. His friend now was soothing and understanding, helped him in any way he could from the start.
The newcomer kept talking, and Ace appreciated it. The effort he was making and the understanding he was giving Ace, not expecting him to contribute to the conversation. He felt safer just watching and observing not letting his guard down at all. His body was tense, but he listened and didn't try to get him to go away.
Ace did absolutely everything he could to be comfortable. And when Thatch left, Marco said he was so proud of Ace, who blushed, and nodded. "It didn't feel like I did that good, though…"
"Well, you didn't try to get him to leave. You listened, even if you were scared. That's a big step!" Marco said genuinely. Ace nodded, and asked if he pitied him. He wouldn't feel bad if that was the case. "I do feel pity about what you went through. But also sympathy and understanding. I really like you Ace, you're my closest friend. And I like helping you."
Ace smiled, glad he wasn't doing all of this just because he felt pity for Ace. That was a part of it, but not the only reason. "Someday… I promise I'll go to the water tribe and see everything," Ace said. Marco told him to take his time, and Ace thanked him with a smile. A real smile, not a tiny one.
A few weeks later, after getting to know Thatch as best as Ace was capable, the two of them brought maps and all information on what the Northern Water Tribe was like, and how he could visit smoothly. "Since you have been living away, but still on the continent, and have not approached or targeted the tribe a single time, I don't think anyone will be suspicious. And your blue eyes look like many of ours."
Ace was glad he wouldn't stick out horribly. He had their clothes, Marco's ones he hadn't worn in years. And he just acted shy and was not confrontational at all. Knowing Marco thought he'd be fine was a relief. So, he wore their clothes and had the hood up, and they made the trek to the Northern Water Tribe.
Ace was walked around the beautiful, cold city. He was in awe that so much was made of ice. He was skittish and stayed tightly between Thatch and Marco, not making eye contact with anybody. Someone asked who he was, and Marco simply said he was a traveler. "A traveler? Here? How on earth did you get here to travel?" the man wondered in interest, not confrontational or sounding demanding at all.
"He got stranded here after floating around on a chunk of ice."
"Hah, sure. Well, if you guys trust him, no problem. Welcome, hope you like our city." Ace quietly thanked him, and they moved on. They went to the prettiest places, and then to Marco and Thatch's home they both lived in. It was cozy inside, and warm. It was just one large room with a bathroom and kitchen area.
Ace looked around, and said it was cozy. "Nothing compared to the higher ups' homes. But it's a perfect size for us," Marco said lightly. "Anytime, if you want to come over, you're welcome to." They were amazing friends, and Ace thanked them for all the trouble they had to try and make Ace act normal. He said it sincerely, not in pity about himself.
"Ace, we don't try to help you because we feel obligated or just feel sorry for you. We help you because we care about you. Even if you never came out of your shell or could be around more people, we're still friends. You're the kindest, most understanding person we know."
"Only cause I don't talk…"
"You're a wonderful listener, though. And you listen no matter what. You never feel sorry or think anything bad of us, and you're so honest. Ace, no matter what you were like before, or what your life was, you're a good person as you are now." Ace started to sob, something he had never done in front of them.
Marco walked over and hugged him tightly. He said he felt horrible that he was a bad person before, and he didn't deserve them and they should just leave him and get on with their lives, not having his baggage. Marco was upset with this, but just assured him they weren't leaving him, and that they didn't think anything of his old life.
Ace eventually calmed down, and sat on their bed with his face in his hands in humiliation. "You've been holding that in for a long time, haven't you?" Thatch asked, with Marco sitting next to Ace. The dragon teen nodded. "Well, do you feel any better getting it off your chest?" He nodded again, but his face were still red in embarrassment. Marco and Thatch shared a look and a nod. "Do you want to move in with us?" Marco asked.
The youngest was shocked and confused. Why would they want him there? "Well, we love being around you, and we do spend so much time together. You feel like our little brother. Besides, you can always isolate yourself here. We have closed windows and a thick door and thick walls and everything. Plus, it's actually warm.
"Nobody is pressuring you, but it's just an offer," the blonde said firmly, but with an encouraging smile. "And if not yet, then some day you'll be comfortable enough." Ace was unsure, and was told he didn't need to decide that day. He nodded, and thanked them.
The day was full of shopping and watching the waterbender classes. Ace wished he could waterbend. He hadn't ever been a bender, but waterbending sounded nice and peaceful. And Marco had healed his terrible wounds. He wished he could heal his mind, but he didn't think that would work. Nobody knew Ace, or had known of Ace, so it was a surprise to see a new person in the Northern Water Tribe .
It wasn't like the Earth Kingdom where people traveled, the water tribes were very isolated. So people were a bit suspicious until they saw how seemingly helpless Ace was, hiding behind Marco a bit when someone looked at him. He was coming across as completely harmless and meek. Because he was; he wasn't hiding his "real" personality or anything.
Some women offered them warm food to welcome Ace, who it seemed everyone had already deemed as a traumatized boy. But at least the food was good, and everyone was nice. Well, besides some of the older men, who looked at him with glares that had him looking down in shame. Maybe they knew something was wrong with him.
"Don't worry, they always glare," Marco assured him, putting his arm around Ace's shoulders. His time there was very nice, and he was invited to spend the night. There was an extra mat there that Ace could sleep on, with soft blankets below him and thick fur blankets on top of him. It was the warmest he'd been in many weeks.
Then they had breakfast that wasn't just charred or raw meat for Ace's dragon side. Marco and Thatch's neighbors in the same, rather large building, were welcoming to Ace, and very kind to all three. The water tribe people were kind folk, and made Ace not feel bad about himself. But that day he returned to his place, and at night, he couldn't sleep, the wind too loud and him too cold. It was lonely. He was lonely. But he was also scared to be around people, though being with Marco and Thatch had helped him exponentially that day and the day before, where he was around others! Without cowering and fleeing! Or turning into a dragon.
He thought that maybe he could heal with them. When he went back, before they came to him, he slipped on the way down and landed on a sharp rock that sliced through the clothes and left a long gash on his arm. The blood scared him, bringing back memories about when he was bleeding from the throat and nose.
The teen curled into a ball and started to quietly cry, behind an ice wall as his arm bled. He was having things flit through his head he hadn't thought about in months, and hurried to Marco and Thatch's house, face bright red and covered in cold tears. He knocked on their door, and they saw the blood and tears, and freaked out, asking what happened.
He hesitated a bit, embarrassed, before he explained what had happened. Marco healed the cut easily, and they wiped off the blood and scrubbed it out of the clothes. "Are you okay?" Ace nodded. He was glad nobody saw him. "We were going to come," Marco said, wiping the tears off his face with a nice smile.
Thatch was scrubbing the blood out without complaint. Ace slumped his shoulders, and said he came to tell them… something. "That you'll stay?" Thatch asked, unable to hide his hope. Ace meekly said yes.
"But I had a total melt down just cause I cut my arm," he said in embarrassment.
"Well, then we'll help you out. Overcoming those two years, it will not be easy and it won't happen fast. You have to understand that. It'll take time, probably, but you have to not lose hope that it will never get better," Marco said kindly, and hugged Ace, his face in his chest, who nodded, glad he was hiding his face, sure the older teen did this on purpose. Ace did feel important and cared for.
Marco had never once gotten annoyed or impatient. Frustrated or disappointed with Ace's slow progress and ever present fear of everyone and everything that might hurt him. That had any capacity to harm him. And Thatch was really positive, too. They were both such good people. Maybe Ace could learn to heal with them helping him. They didn't seem like they would abandon him when the going got tough.
Well, it was tough for everybody already. "I'll stay, if that's okay…"
"It's more than okay," Thatch declared, with Marco nodding in agreement. "We'll need to tell the city leaders, but you'll be welcome." Ace was nervous about that. Getting Thatch and Marco in trouble or something. "But first, let's go get some stuff from the hide out to make you more comfortable."
"But it was all your things," Ace said.
"Well, it all of ours now. We'll be living in the same space." Ace muttered they should leave it all in case they wanted him to go back. "We're getting it all now. We'll destroy that hut too, if that's what makes you realize you'll stay." The traumatized dragon nodded.
They moved the things to their home, and Ace was really worried that they'd realize how much of a burden he was in life. Needed constant care and couldn't go anywhere with people on his own. He'd annoy them eventually. He just… he had to hope they'd keep him. He'd find a way to be useful. Somehow. He wasn't a bender or anything, and there wasn't anywhere that would be useful for him to fly them to on a dragon.
After a bit, and after breakfast, the three headed to the place the leaders stayed, with Ace holding Marco and Thatch's hands with both of his, truly being the younger, little, meek brother. He had a family now. That's what they said, and he didn't object openly. They would get annoyed with his rock bottom self esteem.
The walk there was peaceful, as the Northern Water Tribe was a nice and quiet place. It wasn't overwhelming, even if there were many people. But they all seemed mellow, and wouldn't harm him. Not now. Maybe they would some day, but that wasn't now, which was enough. When they knocked on the door, it opened. It seemed kind of informal for how to interact with a leader.
"Who's this?" Chief Arnook asked, a tall man with an intimidating, but not scary, presence. But of course he was suspicious of a newcomer in a place as remote as the Northern Water Tribe. Any water tribe was remote, so it was strange Ace was there. He moved aside to let the three in, seeming to personally know Marco and Thatch, and were clearly on good terms.
Marco explained, "This is Ace. He's been living in the tundra for a couple months, us visiting him. We want to take him in and have him live with us." Ace wasn't making eye contact, nervous to mess up and make his friends look bad.
"Where did he come from? And how did he get here?" the man asked. He didn't sound angry or accusing. Marco asked Ace if he could, and Ace nodded. The chief recognized something grim was about to be said and clasped his hands on the table, face serious. So Marco explained Ace's situation. How he could turn into a dragon, but didn't know why or how. And his story, that he could remember.
Tortured and experimented on by the Fire Nation, with somebody helping him escape. Then he fled the nation and traveled a bit, looking for someplace safe, before Marco found him wandering around the tundra. Ace was silent the whole time, body tense. "I see. I'm sorry that happened to you. You're welcome here, Ace. It's nice to meet you."
Ace felt completely relieved and nodded back, not offending him. "Well, we'll give you civil status. Many have been touched with the cruelty of the Fire Nation. Luckily, they've not breached out citadel. And they won't."
"Thank you," Ace said quietly, but sincerely. "I promise I won't mess anything up." He was glad the chief didn't say something reassuring, how he wouldn't mess anything up. He just said, "Thank you, that is appreciated." Ace liked him.
"There are a few peaceful places you can go to if you need space. Quiet time to reflect is a good tool for healing. The only place that you cannot visit is the spirit pool, as nobody is."
Ace nodded, and said he wouldn't try. "Um, can I go on flights and all sometimes?"
"You're welcome as a citizen, but we don't bar traveling. It's just it's not easy for people to leave and return here safely. So I have no power over you on whether to leave sometimes. Marco and Thatch often leave for the tundra to hunt. Have for awhile. So, you are not shackled here." Ace thanked him, and the three left, Ace getting one more welcome before they walked out of the room.
Ace commented, "He's really nice. So much better than the… other guy." He wouldn't speak of his ties to the Fire Nation. Well, nobody would hate him after learning his relationship with the nation, though. Still, he wasn't going to say the names, just like Marco requested. Thatch agreed. Their dad had been close to Arnook, so he was like their uncle. Ace did wonder where their dad went.
But he didn't ask, not wanting to be nosy. They got him his own clothes, and Ace was shocked at the respect and kindness he was shown. It was no doubt pity based on his demeanor, silence and how he hid behind Marco. Ace even got blue beads in the longest parts of his hair. This made him very happy, and feel honored and undeserving. But, he didn't protest, and kept thumbing the beads in his new outfit, with nice new boots.
"Everyone is so nice here," Ace commented, still holding their hands, with both brothers having no problem with that.
"Yeah. Being isolated from the large Earth Kingdom, and difficult to visit, makes all of the citizens be closer to one another. I heard the Southern Water Tribe is similar, but much, much smaller." Ace wondered why it was smaller. "After the Fire Nation's attacks, the main tribe split up into pieces and they are nearly all gone. Mostly women and children remain while the men fight in the war. Communication with them was cut years ago."
Ace frowned. "That's so sad. The Fire Nation is evil." The two nodded, and the three returned to the little home. "I don't understand why they are like that. What did the world ever do to them to deserve all that?" Ace wondered. Even though he was angry, it seemed he couldn't manifest that emotion on his face or voice, because he only sounded sad.
Marco sat and said it was simply for power. To be the best. Thatch huffed, and said he'd never want to be a Fire Nation citizen. "They use firebending and it just destroys things. Waterbending is better, I wish I could." Ace was quiet before he mentioned firebending being useful for some things.
"Why don't they use it for good things? All they do is destroy stuff with it, right?" They nodded. "They could use it for other stuff… I don't know what, but fire has to be useful for something other than destruction." But he couldn't think of anything. At least not on the top of his head. "I wish I could have been born here."
Marco smiled brightly, and said he was there, regardless of where he'd been born. Ace was happy the chief thought his situation with the dragon ability was interesting, but not a single bad or threatening vibe came from him. And it had had to be explained for him to stay. But Ace honestly didn't think he'd ever be treated here how he was at the Fire Nation prison - wherever that was.
They spent that day mostly in the little hut, Ace being sort of reprimanded for trying to be so small. Sitting in a ball to not take up too much space. "This is your home, too, take up space. There are people with parents and multiple children that live in small spaces like this just fine," the 19 year old cook insisted. Ace uncurled in the ball, but still tried to look small. Thatch stopped pushing, and Marco changed the subject.
"Can you read, Ace?" Marco asked. Ace wasn't sure. He didn't remember ever reading before. The blonde (which seemed odd since the whole water tribe's people all had dark brown hair) pulled out a book, and handed it to Ace. He took it and handled it gently, opening it. It was a fiction story about an "Avatar" going on a long adventure that lasted three lifetimes.
Ace wondered, "What's the Avatar?" Thatch and Marco looked dumbfounded, and Ace knew he'd said something wrong or stupid. "Nevermind…"
"Ah, no, we were just surprised. You don't know anything about the Avatar?" Thatch asked. He sat on his bed. Ace tried to think, but shook his head. So, they told him all about the Avatar, and their purpose and history. When they spoke of the spirit world briefly, a little tingle was in the back of his mind. But it disappeared.
It sure would be helpful if the Avatar showed up soon. Ace didn't want the Fire Nation to be able to hurt anybody again, let alone everybody. He really hoped he was never a bad person, never helped the Fire Lord with anything. He hated him, and the man had jailed and tortured Ace, so clearly they hadn't been on friendly terms.
Then there was Azula, who he wished would drop dead deep inside, but didn't remember anything about her other than the torturing memories. And he was happy to continue to stay blank about the first fifteen years of his life. Well, he'd like to forget the previous two years, as well.
But he was happy now, and he definitely wasn't whoever he had been before. He just couldn't imagine him being this broken from anything other than the past two years. "I'm glad I came here," he said abruptly before looking embarrassed. The two brothers grinned and said they were, too.
The first night there, Ace was on his mat on the floor. It was so comfortable. He hadn't slept on something that comfortable in any of his life he remembered. It was soft, and he was so warm and cozy. And hearing the breathing of more people, light though it may be, was comforting. He wasn't all alone in the dark.
After Marco and Thatch, he never wanted to be alone again. And he desperately didn't want to be annoying and have them kick him out. He wouldn't recover emotionally from that, and might do something regretful. The thing he'd wished to happen for so long. But, he had nice dreams.
