The Firebender
Chapter 13: Dark Arts
Water, Earth, Fire, Air
Long ago the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the avatar master of all four elements could stop them but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and my cousin and I discovered the new avatar. An airbender named, Steven. And although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Steven can save the world.
August 20, 1245
Okay, it's official; Sapphire is definitely not feeling like herself lately. I know, how can Sapphire be acting any different; she barely speaks a word and when she does it's soft and fleeting. But I've known my cousin for years and she's never been this distant. Usually she keeps to herself, inside the group, and mumbles a few agreeing words or bickers softly at Pearl and Amethyst to stop fighting.
But lately she doesn't say anything.
Like, last night Amethyst and Pearl got into this huge argument about which element is the best and Sapphire didn't do anything to try and calm them down. It's like she wasn't even aware of it. But luckily Steven was there with his calming Avatar wisdom.
I think Ruby and I are the only ones who have noticed the change. From time to time Ruby gives me a worried glance, silently asking if my cousin is okay. And to be honest, I don't know; she's never been like this.
She just stares off into space, she's in her own world…I wonder what she's thinking about.
Connie closed her journal apprehensively before placing it under its protector. She winced at the rain that began pouring down harder than before when it was a soft drizzle.
She bit her bottom lip, worried.
"Don't worry," Steven said from where he was meditating on the floor, eyes closed. "Sapphire is one of the best waterbenders I've ever known, she can handle a little rain."
Connie huffed. "It's not just the rain, Steven, they're in the bowels of the firenation! There are wanted posters of Ruby everywhere and—"
"And Ruby has been living there her entire life, I'm sure she knows the best hidden routes," Steven said, sighing softly before opening his dark brown eyes; he grinned. "It was your idea, to have Sapphire and Ruby go into the city to get us more supplies; we're stocked up pretty good though, so what are you trying to accomplish?"
Connie shrugged. "Sapphire just…I think she needs some time to take a breather."
"You've noticed too then?" Steven wondered, shocking her once again with how much he actually knew opposed to him acting oblivious; must be part of the Avatar appeal. "I don't know what's wrong and I haven't tried to ask, it's not my place,"
"Then whose place is it?" Connie asked, wondering if she had done the wrong thing.
Steven smiled softly. "Well, Ruby has done a good job with getting the rest of us to relax; maybe she can help Sapphire out too." He leaped up from where he was sitting and stretched. "I hope she does it soon because I really miss Sapphire's cooking,"
Connie shuddered, thinking about having to suffer through Pearl's burned fish for another night.
"You and I both,"
Ruby bowed politely to the old woman as she finished paying for the sack of fruit she purchased. "Thank you," She gave a soft smile before walking over to the waterbender, she plucked out a bright green apple. "Alright, fruit is covered, now we just need some fire-flakes for Amethyst," She noted, crossing of the imaginary list in her mind.
Sapphire nodded. "Where do we get those again?"
"Just over there, not too far a walk," Ruby mumbled, glancing around the town for any wanted posters. "…I think we're safe here, it's a small town and they don't hear much form the richer part of the firenation." She glanced over at the unusually mute teen beside her, she frowned. "Are you okay?"
Sapphire answered slowly, as if she were pulled out of conceit. "…just, I have a lot on my mind,"
"Silver piece for your thought?" Ruby asked smoothly; she sighed softly when the other girl didn't say anything. "Come on, I give you stories about my life all the time. Plus you promised to share a story with me one day, how about today?"
The waterbender fiddled with the loose strand on her fire nation dress, she complied. "It was exactly ten years from today; I was seven when it happened,"
Ruby quickly noted their age similarities before listening to the story with rapt attention.
Small feet slid with ease on the smooth snow, bended into multiple sidewalks, in the Northern Water Tribe. Short hair, only up to the child's neck, whipped around wildly as she ran towards the house made of snow.
"Mommy, I'm back," She cheered as she shoved the door open before slowly closing it; she smiled at the twenty-five year old woman who was preparing soup in a large family pot. "I got the seal skins from uncle Dewy just like you asked," She carefully placed the neatly folded, dark, skins on the floor near the door.
Her mother, holding a striking resemblance to her daughter, smiled softly; she brushed away a stray hair that escaped her tight braid. "Thank you snowflake," She finished stirring the soup and nodded towards the bowls that were on the kitchen table. "Grab a bowl so I can fix you a plate, you must be famished,"
Sapphire obeyed her mother, also grabbing a bowl for the older woman; she stopped to stand beside her mother who began fixing their food. "…I've been practicing," She said, barely able to hold her joy.
Her mother grinned, a special glint in her baby blue eyes. "You have? What did you learn from Dewey today, hmm?"
Sapphire grabbed her bowl, sitting down on the animal furs and began to sip her soup. "I learned how to do the water whip and he taught me about how much the moon affects our bending," She swallowed, fidgeting in her seat nervously. "…he also mentioned something about blood bending and—"
Her mother gave her a look. "Sapphire, you know what I've told you about that; it's evil,"
"…but powerful," Sapphire mumbled under her breath.
The older woman gave her daughter a look. "Too powerful to get into the wrong hands, Sapphire; maybe you can learn it when you're older,"
Sapphire shrugged, silently sipping her dinner.
They didn't speak about it anymore that night.
"But my mom told me I couldn't learn it until I got older," Sapphire told her teacher as she sat down beside the older man.
Dewy patted the child on her head, smiling. "What my little sister doesn't know won't hurt her, besides, blood bending is one of the most powerful arts of waterbending; it can be used during battle and espionage attacks, very helpful."
"Mom told me it was evil," Sapphire lowered her head, looking down at her hands.
Her uncle stood up, offering her his hand. "Not if you use it for a good cause," He hefted the little girl up, holding her hand, and led her to the secluded side of the ice bank. "Sapphire, one day some really bad guys are going to be coming for our family and when that happens I want you to be able to protect yourself. Your mother and I won't always be there,"
Sapphire looked down at the snow beneath her feet, she sniffed. "…I know, I'll be ready,"
"I know you will," Dewy smiled softly before hardening his features, he released her hand and plucked out a stray rat from his pocket. "Before you blood bend humans, you have to start small,"
Sapphire flinched when her uncle twisted the rats' limbs, hearing the unpleasant screech it released in return. 'It's an evil art…' Her mother's words ran through her head.
"Now," Dewy said, releasing the rat from its encumber and letting it run freely but not too far. "The reason why we can bend blood is because of the water inside of us, the human body is composed of 65% water. That's why we are starting with small creatures, then once you're strong enough we can work you up,"
The long haired girl nodded, pointing her hand to the rat. "…"
"Feel the water inside him, use that to your advantage," Dewy cheered on.
Sapphire bit her lower lip, frowning. "It just feels wrong," She dropped her hand, feeling her body shake and shiver. "Controlling someone without their permission, I don't want to force them to do something they don't want,"
"But it's okay if the firenation does it to us?"
Sapphire whimpered, tears forming in her eyes. "No, it's not! That's why we shouldn't stoop to their level, if we want a change then it has to start here!" She backed away from her uncle, using her glove clothed hand to whip away her tears. "Two wrongs don't make a right, Uncle Dewy,"
"You have to get rid of the hate in your heart," She mumbled before running back towards the village.
The next few days followed with Sapphire nervously going back to her Uncle and training as promised, careful to sidestep him every time he mentioned blood bending. He still hadn't accepted her wish to not learn the forbidden art, but he didn't force her to learn it but he did teach her small things related to it each day; she could agree to learning those things, as long as they never came together.
"That's all for today," Dewy said, watching the little girl bow to him before running out. "..." He sighed.
Sapphire was two feet from her house when she suddenly stopped, a black piece of snow had fallen onto her nose; she frowned. "Black snow?" She looked around the Northern Water Tribe and saw the defiled snow falling everywhere, along with everyone shuffling into their homes quickly.
The smaller girl spotted a fire nation ship at the bank of their iceberg, she gasped. "Mom!" She dropped her waterbending scroll and shoved the drapes to her home open. "Mommy!"
Her mother smiled nervously at her daughter, she shoved herself away from a large unknown man. "Sapphire, sweetie, go back with Uncle Dewy,"
"Are you one of the waterbenders, little warrior?" The grotesque man asked with a haunting sneer.
Sapphire, immediately taking an un-liking to the man, frowned. "Leave my mom alone!"
"Sapphire-" Her mother tried to intervene but the guard shoved her back to the floor.
He spat near her before turning back to the smaller child. "What are you going to do about it, peasant?"
"Meanie," Sapphire spat out as if it were the most viscous word in the world before lifting her hands and pushing them back down in a fluid motion.
Her mother shook her head. "Sapphire, no!"
It was too late, suddenly a large bundle of ice fell upon the guard, causing his knees to buckle and him to fall to the ground. "You little brat!" He snarled, trying to shove the heavy ice off of him but to no avail.
"Snowflake, come here," Her mother called out, running to her daughter as she side stepped the man stuck in place. "Don't scare me like that, you could have gotten yourself killed," In her mothers distraction, the guard had disentangled himself from the snow; he lifted his sword.
"No!" Sapphire screamed, throwing her right hand in the air.
The sound of metal clashing to the ground and a startled gasp filled the air. Sapphire's mother swallowed thickly, slowly turning around with wide blue eyes as she scrambled away from the soldier who was suddenly frozen in place; his body was twitching as he tried to gain control of his motor functions.
"D-devil, filthy devil child!" He accused.
Sapphire, snapping out of her senses, released him and fell to her knees. "I'm... I didn't..." She looked down at her shaking hands, her breathing unsteady.
"Dewy!" Sapphire's mother said, relieved. "He's over there," She pointed to the soldier who was slowly gaining his strength.
"Over there men," Dewy pointed towards the native man, letting his fellow waterbenders know who to reprimand. "Lock him in the cellar and then we'll look around some more for anyone else who got off the ship," The men nodded, Dewy glanced over at the distraught girl who was a shivering mess in her mothers arms.
"I didn't mean to..." Sapphire cried, digging her nails into her mothers robes.
She hushed her daughter, pulling her close. "I know sweetie, I know,"
All the while she was glaring at her brother.
Ruby swallowed. "Was that the invasion where your mother was killed?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Sapphire shook her head. "No, that happened later on when I was old enough to fight but not nearly as strong enough to take on Jasper. She didn't kill me because my Uncle came to the rescue again, they took as many waterbenders as they could before leaving; they managed to hide me and some of the younger benders alike,"
Sapphire ran a hand through her hair. "The next day I left to the Southern water tribe to train other benders there, I didn't want to stand still and do nothing. My family needed me but I knew I wasn't meant to stay there, plus they had other benders to protect them there,"
"Then you met up with Connie and found Steven," Ruby concluded with a smile. "And now you're on your way to ending this war with us," She held out her hand, grinning.
"But I still blood bended," Sapphire refused her hand, getting up herself and walking past the confused firebender. "It's an evil art and now it's part of me, something I can never get rid of."
Ruby looked away, she scratched the back of her neck. "...I'm sorry, I don't know how to comfort you right now. If it was something with parents or bending I could but not with something like this," She frowned. "But just because you blood bended doesn't mean you're a bad person, you're one of the nicest people I know!"
Sapphire shrugged, her back turned to the other girl. "So, it doesn't mean-"
"It means," Ruby placed a comforting hand on the other girls shoulder, eyes filled with something undefinable. "It means that blood bending doesn't define you. I'm Yellow Diamonds daughter but I'm nothing like her and I refuse to be,"
Ruby turned the other girl around, her eyes remaining soft as the other girl remained impassive. "You chose your fate, don't ever let this evil thing define you because you're more than that; so much more,"
Sapphire let out a quiet sob, letting her tears finally fall. Ruby immediately pulled her friend into a tight embrace, welcoming the warmth brought on by the usually cold girl.
"...we're causing a scene, everybody is starring," Sapphire mumbled through thick locks, trying to pull away but was stopped when the firebender held on tighter.
Ruby whispered, her warm breath blowing over her ear causing her to shiver. "Let them,"
Sapphire, flushing, smiled softly and snuggled deeper into the embrace.
Connie hit herself on the head with an angry groan. "How can I forget today, it's one of the most tragic things that's ever happened to her! She's told me a dozen times about how she learned how to blood bend, I am the worst cousin in the world!"
Steven patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, she seems fine," He gestured to Sapphire who was walking into the camp with Ruby beside her carrying the bags.
"...she seems happier," Connie observed, frowning as Ruby mumbled something causing her cousin to burst into a fit of giggles; Ruby grinned at the laughing girl, a certain spark in her gaze. "No way, she's magic or something,"
Amethyst wiggled her eye brows. "Or maybe, Sapphire got a little..." She trailed off only to be nudged by Pearl. "What, I'm just saying. Maybe Sapphire finally made a move,"
They watched Ruby give Sapphire a fleeting hug goodbye before handing her the bags and walking towards them. "Hey guys," She smiled brightly at them.
"Hey," Connie mumbled, slightly upset about how Ruby could always cheer her cousin up with ease. "So, how'd you get her to calm down?"
"Oh, she just told me about it and I just let her know that it doesn't define who she is," Ruby shrugged. "She's too amazing to let something like that get to her," She concluded with a sappy smile as she glanced back to the girl who had begun making dinner.
Amethyst nodded. "That's nice and all but did she tell you something, you know, something that will change your friendship forever. Something that will help you two get closer?"
"Well, I did learn more about her and her past," Ruby shrugged. "But I'm sure it'll make our friendship even stronger if that's what you're wondering,"
Connie and the others groaned, even Steven was shaking his head.
Amethsyt sighed, patting the firebender on the back in pity. "You're so oblivious,"
Ruby frowned, just as she was about to question it everyone walked away. "...what's their problem?"
Sorry for not updating in a while but here's a little something, hope you liked it.