Zuko

X

By the time, we return to camp, it is dark. I glance at Tia whose hands are cuffed behind her back as Tom-Tom holds her and helps her from the ostrich horse they shared. If things were different, under other circumstances, they would make a great couple. The way he handles her, the way he makes sure she dismounts the animal properly, safely, is reminiscent of a chivalrous young gentleman with a lady. They are about the same age; probably mere months apart yet their lives are radically different.

I look away when Tom-Tom sees me staring.

They follow me into one of the camp's investigation rooms, where two men stand guard outside. The boy sits her on a chair at the table. Maybe I am imagining it, maybe not, but there is a kind of reluctance on his part as they part ways. I am barely able to hide my intrigue at the blush that colors his cheeks. When he catches my barely suppressible expression his blush intensifies and he clears his throat loudly. Glancing at me for approval that he might proceed with the interrogation, I nod.

"Please state your full name for the record," Tom-Tom says and takes out a brush, some ink and a small stack of papers, bound together to form a book of sorts.

"My name… it's Tia Tanling," she says and looks down. There is an uncomfortable pause as he tries to figure out what he should say next, his unfamiliarity reflected in his silence. This gives me the perfect opportunity to observe the suspect. She is pretty, with soft, flawless skin and green eyes, her hair is pleated loosely as bangs frame her face. The girl is slim, dainty as she carries an air of uncertainty about herself. There is an expression of discomfort on her features. I'm guessing that she isn't very at ease at having her arms stuck behind her back.

"Are they hurting you?" my tone is scarcely cordial, and not amused, though it isn't hostile. She looks up at me and meets my gaze shortly before glancing away. She doesn't answer. "The cuffs… are they hurting you?" I reiterate, this time with less patience and watch as she looks up, a timid expression playing on her features as she nods. I turn to Tom-Tom. "Release her," I say. This is not protocol, certainly, this is against the rules, but frankly, I don't give a damn. I figure if we want her to cooperate, we had better start treating her like a person, though, if convicted, she will be severely punished.

"Why did you do it?" I ask as Tom-Tom does away with the cuffs around her wrists. When they come from behind her, I note the slight redness on her skin.

"I…" she begins, there is trepidation in her tone, almost as if she is pondering whether she should indeed tell me the truth. "He raped me," she says. I glance at the Corporal seated next to me. There is surprise in his eyes, followed by more than a little pity for the girl. "The first time it happened, I was just fifteen, a few days away from my sixteenth birthday," the tale obviously hurts her but it is apparent that the girl wants to share the story of what I imagine is horror. "He was very nice at first, buying me gifts and showering me with what I thought was love."

"The first time we…" she pauses and looks at the both of us. Her face reddens considerably.

"You can tell us," Tom-Tom urges. The tenderness in his voice is unmistakable as I toy with the idea that there might indeed be something called 'love at first sight'. I distantly consider that it might not all be bogus and liken his gaze to one I bore when I first met Mai.

Glancing at him, she continues, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade. "When he… when we first did it… he was very gentle, very tender. He kept telling me that everything was going to be all right," the tears that she has so persistently held begin to fall. "He always told me that he loved me, and I believed him. Slowly as his visits grew frequent, as he treated me with what I thought was love and kindness, I began to see him in a better light, as more of a partner than a customer," at her confession, Tom-Tom shifts in his seat, uncomfortable.

"Did you love him?" the boy blurts out, glancing at me as if he's committed a sin. She pauses a moment, as I imagine, she notices the blush on the young man's cheeks. Contemplating the answer, she continues.

"No, I didn't. I just thought that he wasn't that bad of a person," she responds and Tom-Tom visibly relaxes.

"What happened next?" I ask and she closes her eyes, as if she cannot bare the pain.

"He… began to demand rougher sex, to which I complied, although hesitantly. The first time he carried out his fantasy, it was painful, and I asked him to stop," she says and there is a new curtain of tears falling from her eyes. "Then he continued, and when I struggled against him grip, he beat me and even heated his hand and burned the skin of my shoulder, slapping me and spitting at me," I glance at Tom-Tom, whose face reflects his disgust with Tanaka. "Then he forced himself inside of me again. It was awful and every time he… took me, I felt like I was being raped," her hands come up and cover her face.

"I thought it was over, but then he kept coming back. And every time I refused, Mika would beat me and throw me into my room where Tanaka would lock the door and force himself on me again. This repeated every time he visited," my eyes close. It's never easy, hearing the cries of a rape victim or the woes of their families. "I told Madam about it this evening and that's when you came in," her eyes shine in the candle light as more tears are shed.

"Bastards," I hear Tom-Tom mutter under his breath. There is an expression of deep anger on behalf of the girl as I gaze upon the Corporal. I hate to admit it, but a part of me is actually quite empathetic of the girl. I watch as Tom-Tom's expression changes suddenly as he forms the question that is at the back of my mind. "Who is Mika?" he queries and a tinge of sheepishness colors the girl's features, almost… almost like she's in love.

"He's my boyfriend," she states softly and Tom-Tom's expression becomes downcast. "We met about three months ago. He's Madam's son," she says. I consider this for a moment, rape and the assistance in the act is illegal, and I have no doubt the boy beside me wouldn't mind arresting that wolfdog. In the meantime, however, our concern is over this girl and her suspected murder of Tanaka.

"All right," I say and stand, signaling Tom-Tom to apprehend her. "It's late, take her to her cell," I tell my subordinate who nods, I watch as he cuffs the young lady and takes hold of her. His movements are laced with gentleness and what I know is the genesis of a forbidden romance.

X

Tom-Tom holds the space in between the cuffs as he escorts the girl through the icy winter. The young man shivers slightly as the cold hits him full force. He glances at Tia whose hands are stuck behind her back. A blanket of sheepish apology comes over his features as he garners the courage to speak with her. It will be his first words to the girl that do not concern the investigation; it will be the first time that he will be merely a boy, and she merely a girl. Their positions as military police personnel and murder suspect will flutter away with the gusts of wind that chill their bones.

"It hurts you," Tom-Tom states about the cuffs, as he notes the dip of the fabric over her chest, it is low enough for the contour of her breasts to show. He consciously tries to stop staring. The Corporal swallows hard and attempts, but fails, to focus on her features instead of her curves, his face a crimson hue. He watches her for a response as she looks into his eyes and nods. "If I let you free, you won't run right?" he asks. Pausing, Tia nods. His smile feels awkward and misplaced as he takes the key in his hand, inserting it into the cuffs' keyhole and twisting. They come away easily.

When his fingers accidentally brush against the softness of the skin of her wrists, he jumps a little. The young man feels a tingling sensation along the length of his arms as he clears his throat and writes this reaction off as just the cold getting to him. Although when the girl meets his gaze and smiles tentatively at him in thanks, his heart rate unmistakably quickens. The two teens share a moment and an unidentifiable emotion comes over the boy as he gazes at her.

"Thank you," she says finally and the Corporal feels his stomach flutter. This is the closest he's been to a woman in almost a year. The last time, he was with a hooker in a city, far north from the place where his family once stayed, opposite the palace. His father had caught him having sex with a woman who was about seven years his senior. It was his third meeting with her, and remains, to this day, one of the most exhilarating experiences of his life.

The Fire Nation prostitute had laughed at his initial hesitance just before his first time, and declined the money he had offered her. You, boy, will need this. Thank me later, she had said. The young man recalls spending the better part of the afternoon lying naked, atop her in the groundkeeper's garden shed, his pants thrown aside and forgotten. He remembers her writhing beneath him, while he had a hand in her hair and one tentatively brushing against the firmness of her breast.

Her tongue had caressed the roof of his mouth, as he felt every inch of him crawl. In truth, he was scared, terrified really, at the notion of losing his virginity. Although, that didn't stop him from allowing her to take it. Tom-Tom shudders and instinctively glances at the girl, his throat going dry.

They trek through the snow for a few more minutes. When they finally reach what seems like a barn, he brings her inside, into one of the cells, away from the Fire Nation arrestees. Tom-Tom knows that they are incredibly racist. They hate all Earth Kingdom citizens, their actions probably leading to the crimes they had committed which in turn landed them in prison. Incidentally, the cell he assigns Tia is in a secluded section of the makeshift prison.

An expression of discomfort crosses her features. Tom-Tom immediately takes notice and feels his ears warming as he acknowledges the throbbing in his loins.

"Well," he says tentatively as a means to dismiss the wind of awkwardness between them. "It gets quite cold here. Take these," he tells her and pulls two thick woolen blankets from where they hang just outside the cell. Pausing a moment, she takes them into her hands. There is an expectance in her eyes, almost as if she thinks he is looking to get some sexual favors from her. Tom-Tom ignores this and smiling uncomfortably, lights a small fire just outside the cell gate, he turns on his heel and moves to leave.

"Goodnight," she says suddenly and he glances at her. When he catches sight of the girl, he registers an expression of gratitude on her face.

He nods in her direction, and with an unexplainable emotion, forces himself away. That night, the Corporal lies in his bed and tries hard to fall asleep, but whenever he comes near to dosing, all he sees is the haunting emerald of her eyes.

Zuko

X

I retire to my chambers. The night is chilly, the ground is covered in a blanket of white as I trek through the snow with slight difficulty. It has come to half way up my shin and every step is labored. The cold, every firebender's adversary, though winter was Mai's favourite time of year, is more than a little daunting. After moving through the snow for a brief period, I reach my quarters. I look at the two young men who are tasked to watch my chambers.

Both are more than ten years younger than I, their faces are smooth and lack the severity of a veteran soldier. They are clothed in thick coats, with the Fire Nation insignia covering their left breast. I appreciate every one of my guards, even though there is no doubt in my mind that they are redundant. I am after all, more than capable of looking after myself. My councilors had demanded that I take guards with me. I had protested, citing the fact that I was going to the Earth Kingdom as a Colonel and not the Fire Lord.

As I politely rejected their suggestions, and they politely insisted on them, we reached a still mate. Finally agreeing that the guards would follow me on my journey but would not come between my work and I. They were to guard me only when I slept, stationed at only my chambers. The councilors were adamant that there be three eight-hour shifts, with two guards each. I not so subtly disagreed, insisting that there only be guards at night. Although, again their persistence, which can very well annoy me to death, ensured that there were guards throughout the day.

"Good evening Colonel," the boys say in unison as they stand at attention and pressing their fists to their open palms, bow in respect. I nod at them and greet them in return.

"That will be all," I say. Both guards exchange cautious glances and then look uneasily at me. "It's late, you ought to get some rest," I tell them to which they shift uncomfortable. I look at the taller of the guards. He towers over me, his eyes are grey and his lips set in a thin line. He raises his hand and stomps his foot, the protocol when talking to a superior whilst standing in a drill position. "Private?" he hesitates for a moment, trepidation reflected on his features.

"Sir, we have orders, Sir," he states, a little jittery.

"And they are to leave… now," I tell him, there is slight impatience in my tone which is completely unintentionally. I have no time for any of this nonsense. I need to be alone tonight, it isn't an option.

"Sir…"

"You are dismissed, both of you," I raise my voice. They look at each other, and then after a heartbeat, bow and leave me. When I am comfortable enough with the distance between us, I head into the place where I am to sleep. The room is less cold than the temperatures outside, but there is still a distinct coolness that I quite enjoy. It would do me no good to live in a stuffy, overwhelmingly hot hut. Despite my liking for the chill, it is far too cold a night to go without lighting the fireplace. With a single blast of fire, I ignite the tinder and the pair of torches on either side of the hut.

Then I take in a deep breath and pull the cloth covering the altar next to the dresser. Her face is as beautiful as I remember. The picture of my beloved Mai almost glows with her beauty. I take a moment to enjoy her gorgeousness and then I light the candles on both sides of the painting of her. It takes only a brief moment for the scent of the candles to fill my nostrils. It is welcomed and makes me calm. Can/dles, scented with fire lilies and a hint of cinnamon, Mai loved the smell, and would light them every night before she slept.

They would be lit every time we were together, every time we lay sleeping, every time we made love. I shut my eyes and hold back the tears that I am so close to shedding. When I have regained composure, I take a joss stick from the drawer below the altar and with the fire from the candle, light it. Holding the unlit portion to my forehead, as I close my eyes, I bow three times before placing the incense into their holder.

"We arrested a suspect today," I tell her as if she is here with me. "She's a pretty girl, I think Tom-Tom would be a good match for her…" if only things were different, I think as I swallow hard. What I would give for another day with Mai, hell I'd face Koh himself if it meant being with her for a single hour more. I strip my uniform off my form, noticing that I am not wearing my outer coat I recall my earlier actions of placing it over Katara's frame. Remembering this, I make a mental note to return to the brothel to collect it from her.

Katara's image comes to me. She was wearing blue, a sign that she is Water Tribe. The vision of her eyes, piercing, deep and the most brilliant shade of blue I have ever seen, carves itself into my mind. There is an unfamiliar tugging at my heart as the possibility that she was sold into prostitution sends waves of sympathy through my veins.

For some reason, Katara reminds me of Mai. It is ridiculous, I know. For one thing, she wasn't a prostitute, but a woman far more fortunate, until her untimely death. Yet they are not all that different, they are both people who deserve love and care and to be seen with value.

The Water Tribe woman, during her twenty odd years must have had many partners. I'm sure that she must have been humiliated, degraded. It must be difficult to have one's days riddled with unwanted sex and constant belittlement. Although, this doesn't make her any less of a person than my beloved, or anyone for that matter. In fact, I respect the woman immensely for her loyalty to her friend, as she stripped herself of her clothing to help her. The thought makes me feel comforted that there is still good in this world.

The notion fades away from the material world, as does my mind. And that night, as I lie sleeping, all I dream about is the cosmos, where the sun and moon spirits lie side by side, connected by the curve of their fingers. There isn't an eclipse, simply co-existence and I take comfort in the fact that despite the folklore of yesteryear, where the sun and moon feud, there can also be peace, if only things were a little different.

A/N: Thanks for reading! please review! on another note... TOM-TOM IS FALLING IN LOVE... awww :') btw, the theme of this chapter is 'if only things were different'. rmb to review!