MrCcoz: I should have thought of that, cause he has an older brother in the army that we never met right? Too late now though. No connection there, sorry.

NATSUxERZA 123456: Not until after Cheng learns energy bending. I did say it might be a little while. We haven't gotten to them yet, but Aang and the rest have already started their adventure. Cheng will meet up with them after they've already gone through some stuff together. I'm only being vague because I haven't written that yet and I'm not sure what I might change.

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I never managed a victory as great and complete as my first. But I knew i had a chance to win every fight afterwards. After defeating the general, everyone in camp was beatable, not consistently, but beatable. Lee was still an expert where I was learning, and his swords proved deadly even during a friendly spar. The general could still pummel me into the ground on a good day, which he had.

Normally after a fight, the general would berate me for any mistakes I made during the fight, and harshly correct them before returning to his work. Unless he lost, then he would return immediately. I had finally won another spar after a losing streak against Lee and the general, in which I held back from pulverizing his knee when he was in the middle of an evasive roll. After he dusted himself off and congratulated me, he asked me to follow him to his stone shack.

I knew the question was coming, what I would do once I turned eighteen. My birthday was only a few days away. At that point I would have to choose between staying officially, or leaving.

The general didn't know that I was already packed, that I had been for a week.

In the near three years I had traveled with the generals platoon, the layout of his office had never changed. The bed stayed in the same place, the same water horn sat on the same wooden table. Even with his diligent work on it, the same stack of paperwork and documentation sat on his desk. At least it looked like it, cluttered as it was.

We spoke for sometime at the small table in the corner of the room. He quizzed me on battle tactics, fire bending counters, his family's earth bending forms. He even had me display a couple of the more complicated routines until he was satisfied. When dinner came in I was reminded of my first day at the generals camp.

"Cheng, I would like to make a formal request of you." The generals utensils were set down on either side of his plate, and his arms were crossed over his chest in a very general like fassion.

"Yes, general?" I mimicked his position as best I could, but I still felt like a fifteen year old boy in front of him. Even if I stood eye to eye with him.

"You probably already know, the contract is coming to an end. Soon you're going to have to choose whether you're going to join the army officialy, or leave." He sat silently, waiting for me to give an answer, but continued when I didn't give one. "I just want to remind you that you have no obligation-"

"I know where this is going, general..."

He cleared his throat lightly and swallowed before continuing, he almost seemed nervous. "Your answer?"

"...I'm sorry. It was never my intention to join the army. From the beginning. There were moment's when I considered it, when I wanted to. But I can't bring myself to join."

"I see" he nodded lightly with his brow furrowed, but not a hint of anger crossed his face. I had expected some retaliation to my answer, it was a relief that he didnt.

"I've enjoyed my time here. I've become a better and more skilled person thanks to efforts of everyone. You and Lee especially. But I can't stay once my time is up."

"... I understand... dismissed" there was no disdain in his voice, but the command was spoken as if he was giving it to a foot soldier.

I bowed at the hip "thank you, general."

I went about the rest of the day and the next day as I normally would. Sparring Lee in the morning and a couple of the other soldiers through out the day. Our spars always drew a crowd, from the village we occupied and from the soldiers in the platoon. I very nearly changed my mind when I heard the cheers at my victory against Lee.

But meditating after dinner cleared any doubts I had about my future.

I removed my pack from its hiding place under my stone shack that night.

It was easy work sneaking in between the earth made tents and buildings, avoiding fielight and walking quitley. It wasn't until I reached the last building that I ran into trouble.

When I stopped and turned around for one last look, Lee was standing against the building. I jumped, and nearly shouted when I saw him with a small grin on his face.

"Hey Lee... nice night for a walk..." there was no answer for a while.

"Yeah. Sure is... Let me join you for a bit."

We walked in silence until the camp was a good distance away. "you know why I was out at night."

"Oh, yeah I knew."

"What are you going to do?..."

"What do you mean? I'm gonna do nothing. You were never trapped here you know. You could have left whenever you wanted, and you still can."

"So you're just going to let me walk away?"

"Believe me, I don't want to. But like I said, you're not a prisoner." He walked towards me slowly and wrapped me up in a hug. "I don't like it but I can understand why you're leaving. You come back some day, arlight?" he looked me up and down for a moment "I'll tell the general you said goodbye" with that, he pushed me away and walked towards the nearest fire.

I looked back one more time before fixing my bag on my shoulders and walking away.