A/N: This was written for the "memory" prompt over at avatar_500 on LiveJournal. And, it has inspired me to write more for the Yue/La pairing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.
Warnings: Set many years post-series.
Time is Irrelevant
By: Nuit Songeur
Her old life was all but a blur of colors and dark faces. Every time she tried focusing on one of these faces, the features would always slip away. Always. And then she would go about her duties, hoping that eventually, the faces would return to her.
Occasionally, some faces would be clearer than others and evoke a sort of emotion behind the dim, colorless eyes. That one contained sorrow, that one warm affection. This one would always produce a sense of loathing, usually self-loathing. Whenever that one appeared, she would always be quick to remove it from her mind. And thus, she began forgetting. First the ones she didn't care for, and then eventually, the ones she wanted to remember started going as well. It got to a point where they all became too painful.
She would sit, desolate, on the dark nights, crying and grieving for the lost faces before she had to return to her endless cycle.
Her partner Pull was a silent, solemn creature. He never felt compelled to remember any faces or to fill silent moments with conversation. He never understood her humanlike trifles as she never understood his in-humanlike ones.
He would always scold her when her mind became filled with these distractions, but it was never in a malicious way. Rather, tough love. Either way, it depressed her, being the fragile creature she was. He would never address her by her name and so, with time that meant nothing to beings such as him, she forgot it as well. She felt as if she were losing her identity. "Moon," he would always say when her dismal thoughts led her astray from her duties. "What is wrong with you now?"
"I do not even know my own name," she responded miserably. Pull did not respond for a very long time, not until it was on the night of the full moon and she was shining down brightly onto him.
"Yue was your name," he said at length. "It means tragic child. Fitting in its own way since the reason you are here is because of a great tragedy. But you yourself are not a tragedy and you are no longer a child. Therefore, the name is no longer suitable. Your memories are no longer with you because now, as an immortal being, they're irrelevant to your existence and only hinder you from your duties."
"My duties…"
"Are to provide balance to the world, as my other half."
"I am Yue."
"But you are no longer human."
"I am… the moon." He nodded. "You are… La, the ocean."
"I am your ocean as you are my moon. Embrace the fact, let your memories go, and you shall be content."
But, she always would shine brighter when her old human emotions came back to her.
I hope you enjoyed! Please review!
-NuitSongeur