Burning Brigh
Part XXI
A strange sort of silence ensued as soon as Jin introduced her father. Katara and Aang, who's faces were already on the point of enthusiasm, promptly paused into a more shell-shocked and somber expression. Toph, who had absolutely no idea what was so wrong with the fact that Jin had just reunited with her long-lost father, furrowed her brow and wrinkled her nose in confusion. Haru, the Duke and Teo seemed extremely petrified and humbled by Shangdi's tall and towering form combined with his grim and grave aura. Sokka, who had been spouting and whispering insults and gripes about Shangdi, all the way from The Boiling Rock to the camp suddenly looked sheepish and he seemed unsure what he was supposed to feel and how he should behave.
Zuko felt the worse out of all of them. He immediately felt sick in the stomach though he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the fact that Jin's dad was so scary. Maybe it was because Zuko knew that he absolutely despised Firebenders and he would probably blow a gasket if he found out that his daughter was dating one. And the prince of all those disgusting, putrid Firebenders no less. Maybe it was because Jin and her father looked nothing alike—his grim and serious face completely clashed with Jin's usual cheerful and chirpy expression.
Or maybe—and this was what made Zuko feel the most squeamish about—it was the fact that Jin's father seemed…really unstable. He looked so serious and slightly mad—he had a look of a man who was mad, completely knew about his madness and accepted it and would not hesitate to act on it. Throughout their whole trip, Chit Sang mentioned to them numerous stories about Shangdi. He had said that many said that Shangdi was one of the oldest of the oldest war-dogs—a man who had lived in war and was seasoned in it for his whole life. He was also apparently a very illustrious Earth Kingdom general and was a noble but that had yet to be verified since Chit Sang's account of things seemed murky from there and at best, it seemed only to be a collection of rumors put into a rather colorful tale and Sokka was very skeptical about the whole matter from that point on. But he was very sure about one thing.
And that was that Shangdi was utterly ruined by war.
He had gone slightly crazy by his numerous encounters in the battle field and his scarred sinews were there to prove it. Also, he said very little and had only two expressions-his usual grim, austere look or his infuriated look.
Shangdi of course, didn't emanate too much of a reaction. He merely gave a short snort before returning to his cool, collected and grim state, standing straight and erect as Jin timidly faced her father. His expression was the same as always—he looked as if something horrible was about to happen and that he already knew it and he didn't care and he had already accepted his fate and would just stand there and wait.
Jin on the other hand, didn't look too cheerful. Zuko expected her to break out into a hug. Or start crying tears of joy. Or run up to her father screaming, "Daddy!" Instead she walked over to him in a nervous sort of way and began to bite at her lip and pull at the hem of her clothes.
Then she gave a sort of little roll on her shoulders before saying in a rather nervous manner, "Um…hi dad…"
Shangdi nodded and for a short while he broke out of his usual grim stupor, looking embarrassed and unsure. He mumbled something incoherently before saying in his usual coarse, rough and grave voice, "Daughter."
Sokka, Zuko, Aang and the rest looked at them expecting more. A hug maybe. A small kiss on the cheek. A fatherly-daughterly pat.
Instead Jin merely stared at him and he stared back. Jin spread her arms out as if to hug him but after a second's deliberation and the stoic reaction on her father's face, she instead quickly held her hand out and her father awkwardly took it and Shangdi's massive hands roughly took Jin's and shook it hard and together they exchanged subdued greetings before promptly facing everyone else, a good meter's width apart. Katara and Sokka, who were used to more demonstrative displays of attention with their father, stared at Jin and Shangdi, completely flabbergasted.
"I'm new. What's up, everybody?"
Everyone broke from their stupor and turned around to face Chit Sang who was jovially walking towards them. Only Shangdi stayed still. Chit Sang scratched his brow in confusion as everyone stared on blankly at them.
"Dad."
The weirdness of the whole situation was momentarily broken by Katara who rushed towards Hakoda tears in her eyes. After enveloping her father in a bone-crushing hug, Zuko cringed a little as he examined Jin's face. She was smiling though he could detect a hint of embarrassment and even…jealousy in her eyes. He understood.
Jin and her dad just had a really confusing and weird reunion while Katara's reunion with Hakoda was riddled with joy. She was embarrassed and slightly jealous that she and her father couldn't put out the same kind of affection for each other.
He had lots, if not, more of those moments before with his father, the Supreme Fire Lord of all. Zuko internally scowled.
"Hi, Katara," Hakoda said happily as he patted his daughter's head.
"How are you here? What is going on? And Suki? How are you? You look good!" Katara gushed. She then turned to Sokka and said, "Where did you go?"
"We… kind of went to a Fire Nation prison," Sokka sheepishly said, managing to look cheerful and awkward at the same time as Shangdi threateningly loomed over him.
Katara, Sokka and Hakoda submerged into a group hug once again which only propelled Jin and her father into a more awkward, unloving and very unfamilial light. Katara, whose motherly instincts never failed to give way said, sounding slightly annoyed, "Going to a Fire Nation Prison….how risky! You should've at least told us! Or left us a more decent explanation—''
Sokka cut her off with a condescending wave and said patronizingly, "Seesh Katara. Relax. I mean we came back didn't we? And not only did we come back…we brought others back. We brought dad—''
Hakoda flashed a grinned.
"Suki," Sokka said affectionately as he wrapped his free arm around Suki.
"Um…Chit Sang—''
Chit Sang nodded enthusiastically.
"And….oh yeah…Shangdi."
Pause.
After awhile and after realizing that Shangdi was Jin's father, Sokka broke into a more enthusiastic grin, "Yes! Shangdi! Who also happens to be Jin's dad! See, Katara? Our little trip has made lots of happy family reunions! See Katara? Lots of big, happy families!"
Katara, Sokka and Hakoda smiled happily. They certainly seemed to be having a happy family reunion. The three quickly went into a group hug once again.
Jin and Shangdi on the other hand were another matter.
Shangdi let out a long and annoyed snort and his left eye twitch revealing a small, barely noticeable scar on his eyebrow and he looked irritated with all the joy and hugging and happiness.
Jin cringed and looked away as if she was about to go through an especially painful roller coaster ride.
"Dad, you already met Jin! Hey—wait! I never got a chance to introduce you to Jin, Suki! Hey, Jin! Jin! Jin—''
Zuko had to nudge Jin, who was starting to look absentminded and deep in thought to catch her attention and reel her back in focus. Jin's head snapped up and she nodded a little vacantly as Sokka continued to enthusiastically introduce everyone to his dad and his girlfriend (he was pretty sure that they made it official now), "This is Suki. We met in this Earth Kingdom Island and we bonded over her giving me a Kyoshi Styled Training—''
His introduction lasted for a good half-an-hour and it involved Toph looking slightly peeved and Shangdi fostering no other reaction but a silent grunt here and there and an annoyed look in occasion. He was so massive and huge that he was like a lumbering shadow that always looked mad. Finally, as soon as Sokka was done with his extremely long, introductory, everyone stood there and faced Jin with a look of expectation.
It took Jin a good five minutes to realize that they were all staring at her and another five to realize that they were expecting her to introduce her previously unknown and never-mentioned dad. Jin cleared her throat and nodded, squared her shoulders and opened her mouth. Then she closed it again when she made nothing but a weird, choking sound and realized that the words had died on its way out of her mouth. Finally after a few more seconds of hemming and hawing Jin said in a rather timid voice, "Um…so guys. I guess I should introduce you to my…erm…dad."
"We were travelling with him for like three hours and all along he was your dad! Isn't that hilarious?" Sokka chuckled.
Everyone gave an edgy laugh including Jin but Suki gave Sokka an annoyed punch as soon as everyone stopped laughing.
"So erm…dad….these are my friends—''
Shangdi nodded and gave a small shrug saying that he clearly didn't really care.
"This is Sokka and Katara, they're siblings and I guess you've met their dad, Hakoda—''
"Yeah, I met him," Shangdi said shortly though he was giving a small look of approval. Hakoda gave a small smile.
"Aang, the Avatar—''
Shangdi bowed deeply and respectfully saying, "I pledge my undying service to you Avatar."
Aang blushed.
"Haru, Toph…erm…the Duke, Teo…they're from the earth Kingdom too—''
Shangdi wrinkled his nose.
Zuko's heart pounded.
He was next. He wondered how Jin would introduce him seeing as her father seemed to have an apparent dislike for anyone from the Fire Nation. He stared at Shangdi, preparing for whatever reaction Shangdi might have.
"And this is Zuko….my…um….friend."
Zuko could barely keep his temper in check.
He couldn't believe it.
How dare she? He couldn't believe that Jin is actually ashamed of introducing him as her boyfriend. After all they've been through! After all the issues they were having! How could she just turn around and introduce him as her friend. He knew that she probably had a good reason for not telling her dad right there and then, seeing as he was looking at Zuko as if he was a piece of really disgusting and foul-smelling garbage but his pride and not to mention his feelings could barely stop themselves. He noticed that everyone was staring at him a little nervously as if they expected him to do something stupid.
Well, they can rest their stupid, little brains.
He'll do nothing of that sort.
"Actually, I'm Jin's boyfriend," Zuko said before he could actually censor them from coming out.
Uh oh.
Everyone slapped their palms unto their foreheads.
And Jin looked livid with horror.
Shangdi face turned into an extremely horrible shade of purple. He glared at Zuko, his fists balled and he seemed to be seriously contemplating on whether he should pummel Zuko until he looked like mush or he should control himself and just simply sock one on his head. Apparently he chose neither of his options because he merely stamped his foot on the ground and a small—no, not small—huge, rock column spiraled a few inches away from Zuko. Zuko's instincts took over and he swiftly dodged it.
His head then looked ten times bigger and Sokka was pretty sure that Zuko would be eating through a feeding tube by tonight. Jin looked so hapless and afraid and worried and concerned and she looked as if she was about to say something.
Then, her dad grunted but his face still looked purple and a vein was sticking out of his temple and he said in a voice filled with disdain, "And I thought my daughter had better tastes!"
And with that he stormed off in big, heavy footsteps.
"I still can't believe creepy guy is Jin's dad!"
"Are you sure she didn't mistake him for someone more…friendly? Cheerful? Happy—''
"Less neurotic?"
"Funny. Now that you guys mention it, I've never heard Jin mention stuff about her dad."
"Actually….I don't think that I've heard Jin talk about…her you know...family at all."
"You think they have problems?"
"Problems? Are you kidding me? I've seen hyena-lions get show better displays of fatherly affection!"
"Well…I mean…don't you think she would've told us if she had problems with her dad? We are her friends after all—''
"But still….that was so weird…."
"Maybe it's just the feng shui of the whole place that's throwing them off—''
"Or just you know…Zuko's presence in general—''
"Hey! Shut up! He's over there…."
"But yeah…I mean…he seems to really hate firebenders…."
"Yep. He most certainly does. I heard that—''
"No one wants to hear any more of your loony stories you old goat—''
"But still. I don't think that there isn't anything too majorly wrong. I mean Jin's so bright and happy and—''
Zuko rolled his eyes as he stared at everyone in the campfire talk on and on and on about Jin and her dad. It seemed to be the topic of the night. And Zuko couldn't help but feel frustrated as he listened to the turn of their conversation.
He was frustrated because as Katara had so eloquently pointed out, he really didn't know much about Jin or what her life was like because she never really talked about it. He was her boyfriend for Agni's sake! He should know things about her by now. He should know that she's having problems with her dad. He should know that she had a dad! Jin always said that he was at war. It never occurred to him that it might have affected Jin in some sort of way. He should know that maybe it was a really bad idea to bring up that he was Jin's boyfriend when she clearly didn't want to tell her dad yet.
Zuko sighed.
He should've known that it was wrong to rock the boat when it was obviously much rocked already.
Everyone grew quiet as soon as Jin entered the campfire.
"Hey Jin!" Sokka said as soon as Jin sat down next to Zuko to everyone's, including Zuko's surprise. He thought that she'd be furious with him after the whole incident though she seemed fine except for the mild look of confusion on her face.
"Hey guys!" Jin said as she began to spoon some noodles into her bowl. Zuko stared at her blankly.
"So…um….how's it going with your dad? Is he still...um…"
"He's okay. I got him settled into his room and all that. He's always like that when he gets into his moods," Jin said shortly, obviously not wanting to discuss things further.
"Maybe we should invite your father to dinner? The noodles don't taste as good when it's cold," Hakoda said as soon as he cleared his throat.
"Oh…that's really nice of you guys but seriously….just give him some space. He doesn't want to be bothered when he gets into this mood," Jin said as she forced a smile.
Everyone didn't give it too much thought since they immediately lapsed into a series of frivolous discussions. Only Toph and Zuko seemed to notice that something was extremely off because Toph was giving Jin a look of disbelief when she told everyone that she made sure her dad was fine and Zuko was giving her a look of confusion. They ate dinner. Katara refused that Zuko and Jin go off on their own again since she wanted a big celebratory gathering because of the reunion with her dad and Suki and…Jin's dad.
Jin and Zuko chatted with everyone else.
They never mentioned Jin's dad or his extremely weird and explosive behavior anymore. Sokka and Katara were too caught up with the return of their dad and Suki. Finally, dinner ended with everyone dispersing. Hakoda decided that he wanted to rest in and so did Chit Sang. Haru, Teo and the Duke volunteered to show them their rooms. Sokka and Suki hurried off to do…only Agni knows what. Katara, Aang and Toph stayed awhile to chat with them about small matters. When it was already almost midnight, Katara yawned and said she wanted to go to bed. She then washed the pots of with Aang assisting her before stalking off to bed. Soon, Aang called it quits, and Toph after a few more hours which involved her look pointedly at Jin and asking lots and lots of question about her dad, finally went to bed leaving Jin and Zuko alone.
Jin sighed loudly and looked away while Zuko gave a small cough.
"You're mad," Zuko said after awhile.
"No," Jin denied.
A little too quickly.
"You're mad."
"I'm not."
"You're making that crinkly thing in your eyebrow—''
"Oh, please."
"You're wrinkling your nose—''
"And I'm not allowed to do that?"
"And you're mouth is doing that adorable little pout—''
"That's just 'cause I want to kiss you!" Jin smirked before giving Zuko a small kiss on his lips before he could talk again. Zuko gave a small smile and a quick silence ensued.
After a few more moments, Zuko said quietly, "I'm sorry."
Jin didn't say anything but she silently leaned on Zuko's shoulder as he placed an arm around her.
"Is he still mad?" Zuko asked as he began to stroke her shoulder.
"Who?"
"You're dad."
"Oh."
"Is he still mad at me? At you know…."
"I don't know."
"Huh?"
"I said I don't know," Jin said sounding impatient.
"You don't know if he's mad at me or you…just don't know?"
"I just don't know," Jin said sounding a little embarrassed.
"You mean he said nothing about me at all while you were showing him around his room?" Zuko said a little worriedly.
"I don't know because…I never spoke to him."
"What?"
"I never even showed him to his room," Jin said looking a little ashamed.
"Huh? But you said—"
"I don't know. He just stormed off somewhere. And I never had the courage—I mean, I just left him alone," Jin confessed.
"Oh."
"I don't even know where he is. I don't which room he took. I don't even know if he's still in this temple," Jin said sounding more confused, embarrassed and distressed with every word.
"Jin—''
"Look, it's no big deal okay? This happens all the time," Jin said trying her best to sound like it was a very normal thing. It sounded more as if she was trying to convince herself instead of Zuko. Zuko furrowed his brows at her.
"What happens all the time? You avoiding your dad when he gets mad?" Zuko couldn't help adding that comment in.
"When he's angry it's always best not to bother him. Trust me," Jin said as she grimaced and subconsciously she began to rub at the spot where her extremely painful looking bruise was located. Zuko caught it even after she hastily pulled her hand away from the area.
"Is um….everything okay with you and your dad?" Zuko asked awkwardly feeling very unsure on how he was supposed to phrase the question. He detected that something may be wrong between Jin and her dad. He could see the parallel in the relationship. How Jin never talks about her dad. How she and her brothers work so hard to erase that aspect in their life. He could remember how the three of them always dodged questions pertaining to their family life.
Jin frowned at him and said sounding a little irritated, "Of course. Everything's perfectly fine with me and my dad."
Zuko defensively raised his hands up, "I'm not…I'm not saying anything! All I'm telling you is that if you have any problems—''
"I don't—''
"—then you can tell me. Because I've been through a lot with my dad too," Zuko said trying his best to sound like a good, caring and supportive boyfriend instead of some awkward guy trying to get his girlfriend to talk about her daddy issues.
Zuko then added a little shyly, "I understand. I know what it's like."
His hand subconsciously rose to his scar.
Jin, in her constant delusional state of happy denial said insistently and stubbornly, "Thanks. But I'm pretty sure that we're doing fine right now."
Zuko, feeling a little miffed at Jin's annoying refusal to talk or to acknowledge that she and her were having a less-than-perfect fatherly relationship. He was about to open his mouth to argue with her once again when they heard a large crashing sound, a shrill scream, lots of yelling and thudding footsteps.
Sokka immediately came hurtling into view looking extremely rattled with Suki close behind him. Jin quickly sprang off physical contact from Zuko and said in a rather dry voice, "What happened?"
"I swear I didn't—He was in my—I thought you got him into—I had no idea—''
"Sokka what's wrong?" Jin asked worriedly as she heard more yelling from the distance.
"Your dad is in my room!" Sokka declared looking extremely incensed and worried. He gave Jin a pointed look.
"What?" Zuko said.
"He's in my room! He's in my—do I really need to just repeat that? He's in my room sharpening a really scary-looking knife right now—''
"There's no knife. Sokka's exaggerating," Suki scoffed as soon as she saw Jin's horrified expression.
"Okay, fine! There is no knife! But Jin—he's in my room! Doing push-ups and a bunch of really scary stances! And he nearly crushed me, might I add when I got in! I thought you got him settled in!" Sokka said accusingly.
"I—I did," Jin stuttered.
"Well, I didn't think you'd give him my room!" Sokka said hysterically. Obviously they had a very violent and less-than-peaceful altercation.
Jin sighed and stood up and rubbed her head as if she was about to go through a really painful ordeal.
She glumly said, "I guess I have to sort this out."
Zuko sighed, perfectly aware that he received no goodnight kiss seeing as Jin hurriedly stalked off to Sokka's room with Sokka and Suki in tow.
Zuko always waked earlier than everyone else. He did it to meet the sun so he could feel its rays and soak up the power it emanated. He also trained hard because he loved the feeling of the power surge he got whenever he felt the sun rise. No one usually woke up during that hour, not even Katara who had to prepare breakfast.
Zuko, needless to say, was extremely surprised when he heard loud sounds coming from a particular pagoda. He silently hurried to where the sounds were and as soon as he saw the person who was there he quickly ducked out of view.
It was Jin's dad.
And as of the moment he was doing a very intense and disciplined drill. Zuko examined him and watched him from the corner of his eye and saw that he was very rigid and very serious in his drill. He knew that look from visiting so many of his father's training camps. It was the look of a soldier who has been trained all his life to never show fear and to always be ready for battle. Zuko contemplated on deciding if he should go out and alert Shangdi of his presence. He decided against the latter and instead silently clambered back into his room.
Zuko felt stupid. He felt ridiculous for letting this man get the better of him. Why should he be afraid of Shangdi? Zuko was very sure that he didn't need to be. He was strong-willed and he could take on Shangdi if the situation ever arises. And plus, he was very sure that somehow, he was a horrible father. He shouldn't be kissing up a man who probably treated Jin badly.
But still, even Zuko couldn't hide the fact that a small part of him was craving to impress Jin's dad. He wanted to show Jin's father that he was more than just the average Fire Nation scum. Zuko shook his head. He didn't really understand the point in all this. But then, wasn't it normal? Don't all boyfriends try to impress their girlfriend's fathers? Zuko was sure that although Shangdi was a horrendous father, Jin still regarded him with respect and love (and he figured that out when she continually insisted that she and her dad were fine).
Zuko breathed out a column of smoke. He as very determined now. He was going to make Jin's father see things differently about him.
By the time he finished his internal rant, it was already near dawn and he knew that in about thirty minutes breakfast would be ready. He hurried over to the pagoda where they usually ate together. Everyone wasn't there yet. Sokka was there sitting at the far end of the camp circle glowering at Jin. He was still miffed about the whole ordeal last night. Jin had to convince him to relocate into another room since she obviously decided that between Sokka and her dad, Sokka would be most likely the one willing to compromise.
Jin on the other hand didn't seem to care at Sokka's obvious approval. She looked pale. She looked tired. She looked like she hadn't slept properly. Zuko greeted her and they kissed each other and he sat next to her and placed his arm around her. They exchanged small talk and eventually Sokka stopped being mad at Jin once Suki arrived along with Toph and Aang. Suki was pretty enthusiastic with meeting Jin and Sokka as usual, couldn't help butting in. Hakoda arrived with Chit Sang and the rest and soon it was amassing to a pretty average morning.
That all ended when Shangdi came stomping into camp.
Zuko didn't take his arm around Jin, even when Shangdi gave him a small little growl but he tensed up considerably. Everyone tried to keep the same lighthearted atmosphere they had before they came though they were failing miserably since Shangdi had a very strong aura about him. He sat down, grabbed a bowl and just piled tons and tons of food unto it without saying a word.
So that is where Jin gets her huge appetite.
"Daughter. How long has it been since I've been imprisoned by those Fire Nation bastards?" Shangdi grunted as he shoved food into his mouth.
Everyone gasped at Jin's father's lack of wholesome language.
Jin promptly answered in clipped voice, "Five months, seven weeks, three days."
Shangdi scowled and said in his rough gravelly voice, "Long time. Long time. Your brother tells me of the failed rebellion—''
"You met He Shen? Ge Jiang?" Jin asked.
Her father glared at her, obviously infuriated that he was interrupted. Jin shrank and immediately muttered a sorry.
"Yes. Yes, I've met him. In the Boiling Rock. He escaped," Shangdi said after some time.
Sokka chose the moment to speak up, "Oh yeah! Your son! The guy who escaped!"
Shangdi scowled. Jin elbowed Sokka sending him a clear message. No interruptions.
"Did he…did he tell you why it failed?" Jin asked a little fearfully and Zuko tensed. He realized why she was so nervous at introducing him in the first place. He was the cause of why the rebellion failed. It was his entire fault. And Jin was the one who vouched for him. He could only imagine what her father's reaction would be when he found out.
"No." Her father looked disappointed. Jin sighed, sounding relieved.
"He didn't need to tell me why it failed. The reason is very obvious. The weeks and months that had passed since the Attack has left you and your brothers to grow complacent. Blithe. Weak. Doubtless, the three of you have never bothered to pursue you're training after I had been captured," her father said in a scathing tone.
Jin began to look down and was suddenly interested at examining her shoes. Her voice sounded strong though she looked edgy, "We have continued our training—''
"Pah! That's what they all say! That's what my soldiers used to tell me! But you can't lie to me, girl. I've seen you earthbend yesterday. Your form is weak, you have no power in your strikes and good spirits daughter, you've lost lots of muscle since I last saw you," her father rattled off.
"Oh," was the only reply Jin could offer.
"The war is at hand. It is merciless. It is vicious. It never dies. You shouldn't have been so lax. But then what can I expect from you, children? You're all a disappointing lot, so far," her father chided her sounding angry.
"I should've known better," Jin echoed almost robotically. Zuko raised a brow at her. He couldn't believe that this was the same stubborn girl who would never back down on an argument with him.
"Oh come now. They're all just teenagers. And I've seen Jin fight. She seems to be in excellent shape," Hakoda said smiling at Jin kindly. Jin gave him a weak smile in return.
Shangdi was not pleased at Hakoda's obvious jab at him and his patronizing tone. He said gruffly, "I doubt it."
He then turned to Jin and said shortly, "I expect you to be in better form by today."
And then he gobbled up his squid, gave a respectful bow to Aang and turned around and left.
Jin disappeared almost immediately after her dad left. She claimed that she was no longer hungry and that she at lots of dinner the night before. Everyone stared after her despondent form as she stalked off. Not a single person said a word for a good thirty minutes. Zuko in particular had no idea what he was supposed to do. Was he supposed to go after her? Comfort her? Or just…leave her alone since she obviously did not want to talk about it? Zuko was busy contemplating on what he was supposed to do when Toph spoke up, "Boy, what a jerk."
"Well…he seems….scary," Sokka offered as soon as he was finished with his bowl.
"Eh. What can you expect? He's a war dad, kid. I guess you can't stop war from spilling over to family life," Chit Sang shrugged as he ate more noodles. He was obviously very hungry and appreciative of food that wasn't from the prison kitchen.
"My dad's in war and he never behaves like that," Katara pointed out significantly.
"I don't know. Guess not all fathers can handle things like your dad," Chit Sang said.
"Still, I can't believe Jin and her dad are actually related," Aang said.
"At least he treats you nicely," Sokka said referring to Shangdi's really good treatment of Aang.
Aang sheepishly ducked his head.
Zuko didn't participate in the conversation which was slowly blossoming because he didn't feel like talking about his girlfriend, especially since she seemed to be really shaken up. Toph on the other hand remained unusually quiet after she made that comment. Jin was upset and she was hiding something. She could feel her hastened heartbeat a mile away and they pulsated in her feet in such a glaring way. Toph had to get to the bottom of this.
And plus, she had never been more insulted her whole life. Her father basically told Jin that she was a sloppy Earthbender and that was the same as insulting Toph's handiwork. Most of Jin's training fell to her now; ever since they met and for her father to just go and tell her that it was so obvious that she wasn't properly trained put a big, huge dent in Toph's ego as a Sifu.
As soon as breakfast was finished, Toph, to everyone's surprise, declared that Aang was free from training today and that Zuko and Katara could split their time between him. She then, hurried off to go look for Jin. It was a little difficult finding her. She couldn't feel Jin anywhere in the temple. She came across her father who was busy training and Toph shot him a pointed look, annoyed seeing that he was actually a very good bender, before stalking off to go look for Jin some more. Finally, after many hours of searching she found Jin outside the Western Air Temple, on a cliff that jutted just ahead of the Western Air Temple.
She couldn't see Jin, obviously. But she could feel her. Toph could feel her uneven footsteps, clumsy and awkward strikes and shaky countenance. Toph could feel Jin's nervous heartbeat pounding all the way to armor of her skin. Toph could feel all the raw emotion and bitterness and sadness and fear injected in her every single movement. Toph frowned. Jin was never this overly-emotional when she trained nor was she this horrible. She was always focused and well prepared. It was as if she never learned any of the drills Toph taught her. It was as if they were right back to square one.
"Aargh!"
A frustrated growl ripped through the air.
"Hey, Smiley! What was that? What happened to everything I taught you?" Toph demanded as she stomped over towards Jin.
She couldn't see the expression in Jin's face but she felt her surprise at Toph's arrival. She said nothing for awhile and Toph tapped her foot impatiently. Finally, Jin gave a weary sigh and said in a hollow voice, "I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? What kind of answer is that?" Toph said.
"I feel like my game's thrown off…I just can't…I just can't…get it anymore!" Jin said her voice cracking a little. Toph could feel her frustration.
"Oh, please, Smiley. We all know the reason why. Focus. You need to focus. Something's pulling your leg," Toph declared as she stomped over towards Jin.
"I—''
"And why are you doing this drill? I already taught you this, weeks ago and you already mastered it!" Toph snapped after realizing that Jin was still performing the drill.
"Because my performance in this drill isn't good enough!" Jin said.
"Hey! I'm your Sifu and I'm the only one allowed to say when something's good enough or not!" Toph scowled.
"Well, my dad says it's not good enough," Jin muttered.
"Well, he's your dad, not your Sifu. And besides, what was his business calling my training sloppy? I don't care if he's some bigshot Earth Kingdom soldier or whatever! My student's training is my business and no one else's!" Toph barked and ranted as Jin continued with her drill.
"Yeah…" she said quietly as she made a high kick. She lost her balance and nearly fell. Toph could hear her feet skid against the ground.
Toph squared her shoulders. Something was bothering her student and she wanted to figure out what it was and how she could fix it. She was never one to be gentle and light when it came to confronting problems. She was blunt and she did things head-on. Jin obviously wanted to avoid confrontation. Well, Toph wasn't that kind of person. Toph breathed in deeply, ready to give Jin a little taste of tough love.
Toph said snippily, "Hey, Smiley! Put a little more strength into that kick and reign in your balance—''
"I'm trying okay? But nothing's ever good enough! I can't do a proper form, I can't do a proper strike, I can't do a proper stance, I can't do this, I can't do that! Nothing I do is ever right!" Jin said her voice rising a little. Toph stepped back, a little flabbergasted.
Jin then continued on hysterically, "I'm so sorry if I can't master that drill or if I can't hunt properly or if I can't play earth soccer or rough it up—''
"I never asked you to play earth soccer—''
"—and I'm sorry if I throw like a girl because the reason why I throw like a girl is because I am a girl, dad!" Jin exploded and she slipped once again in her drill. Toph stared at her with her blank eyes, a little shell-shocked. Toph could feel Jin's heart furiously pounding against her chest in the one minute silence that expanded after Jin's outburst. Jin began to kick at the dirt on the ground.
"Dad?" Toph questioned.
Finally, Jin schooled her features and voice and she tried to say in a calm manner, "I—I'm sorry. I'm just a little out of sorts today."
Toph could've said its okay. Toph could've just nodded and turned around and leave. Toph could've just gone on pretending that things were fine. But Toph wasn't like that. She was very straight to the point. Perhaps, she was a little too harsh. She does need to reign herself in sometimes.
"I'm sorry," she said in such a way that it seemed to contain two meanings.
"Its fine," Jin said in a tight voice.
Toph wasn't sure what she was supposed to say next. She decided to be as honest as possible. Bluntly and a little sympathetically, she said, "Why didn't you tell us?"
Jin continued on with her drill silently.
"You don't have to be afraid or scared to admit that not everything in life is perfect. That not everything isn't the bright and happy place you want it to be. It's okay to admit that you're angry and a little scared at the people you love sometimes," Toph said.
Silence.
"You can't keep dodging problems like these. You can't keep putting up a happy face. It's not healthy. It's not the Earthbender way. You have to go on and face these problems head-on. Otherwise, it's going to mess you up," Toph said.
She could hear a soft and quiet sound patter through the air.
Were those tears?
Toph couldn't be too sure. She wasn't too good with feeling or hearing little things such as tears.
"We understand," she continued quietly.
"Thanks. But I have to practice now," Jin said in a strangled voice.
Toph stood still and decided not to pursue the topic any longer. In an effort to break the tension, she said in a more lighthearted voice, "Come on, Smiley! Let's put you back into shape! I'll teach that wartime ding-dong to criticize my training!"
Toph offered her hand and Jin shakily took it.
"Hey, Sparky! Snoozles!" Toph called out to Sokka and Zuko. Zuko seemed to have lost any enthusiasm he had in training Aang and he immediately dismissed Aang from having to repeat the drill three more times after deciding that he was too distracted to train his student. Sokka just had nothing to do in general. Suki was out doing her Kyoshi training and she wanted to stay focused so she sent Sokka out to do "man" things with his buddies. Sokka, deciding that hanging out with Zuko was much more fun than hanging out with Haru, the Duke and Teo, caught up with the former prince of the Fire Nation.
The two were talking about which has the better navy, the Fire Nation or the Water Tribe, when Toph called them. The two looked up as Toph stomped her way towards them looking worried and little miffed. Zuko and Sokka immediately stopped their debate and listened as Toph rattled, "I need you to take Jin out to town!"
"Huh?" Sokka said cluelessly.
"You obviously have nothing better to do. I need you guys to take her out to town," Toph declared.
"Why?" Zuko asked, concerned.
"I don't know if you've noticed but—''
"If you're talking about the fact that she turned into a zombie overnight, then yes. Me and Zuko noticed," Sokka said as he sat up.
"Did she tell you anything about her…um…dad?" Zuko asked cautiously.
"No. She's being her usual optimistic self. I swear, she's in denial," Top said sounding frustrated that she hadn't been able to get Jin to open up.
"I thought you guys were training," Zuko frowned.
"Oh yeah…and about that…it would probably take a wrench for you to pry her out of her training. She wants to impress her jerk daddy but obviously she's not focused enough. I've never seen her this bad. That's why I need you guys to take her out to town. To make her forget. Cheer her up a little bit. You know…loosen her up," Toph said as she frowned.
"Alright. Come on, Sokka," Zuko said, anxious to see his girlfriend and to make her feel better.
"How about you Toph?" Sokka asked before Zuko and him scrambled off. To Zuko's surprise and Sokka's nonchalance, Toph gave a small blush. He raised his good brow.
Toph looked away embarrassed before saying, "I can't. I might as well train Twinkletoes since Sparky here, bailed on him. I can't leave the Sugar Queen and him alone now can't I?"
They managed to convince Jin to go to town with them under the pretense that Katara sent them out to get some supplies and that she only trusted Jin enough to pick quality meat. Jin seemed relatively suspicious and she refused to go with them up until she fouled a move in the drill for the fifth time and was so frustrated with her horrible training that she sighed and grudgingly told them that she will go. She seemed eager to leave the temple in a more subdued manner but as usual, nothing went as planned. As they were trying to sneak out they encountered Jin's dad who demanded to know where she was going and who wasn't all too pleased with her answer. He roughly berated her, telling her that she was lazy and complacent and that she was ditching training once again. Zuko made a very brash comment that sparked Shangdi's temper and Sokka had to calm him down to keep him from going crazy on Jin's father. Things steadily went downhill from then.
Jin was much unfocused and very disconnected as they shopped around town, ticking off from the completely imagined list that Katara supposedly gave them. She just nodded absently as Sokka continued to crack his jokes and as Zuko tried to coax her back into enthusiasm. She muttered a quick yes or no as Sokka and Zuko began to examine different cuts of meat. It was as if she wasn't on earth right now. Like her consciousness was off floating somewhere else. Zuko decided that of course, it was because she was thinking of a lot of things but he really wants her to just feel better and so far, it seemed as if he wasn't doing a very good job at it.
After going around in circles and generally buying nothing, Zuko decided that maybe they should just leave. They've accomplished nothing and Jin seemed more down than she did before.
"Hey, are you…um…okay?" Zuko asked as Sokka scuttled off, completely distracted with a stall that sold stain removers.
"Yeah….I'm just a little…off," Jin said quietly.
"I noticed," Zuko smirked.
"I bet you did," Jin said as she cracked a small smile though she still looked sad.
"Is there…any reason why you're a little off?" Zuko asked trying to sound comforting. Sokka, after being enraptured by the stain remover stall, had caught up with them. He was on the verge of babbling again when he realized that Jin and Zuko were in the middle of a really serious conversation.
"Okay. Don't mind me. I'm just here…looking at the pavement," Sokka said loudly as he looked away though it was very obvious that he was clearly still listening.
Jin sighed and shook her head.
"You want to talk about it?" Zuko asked.
Jin looked away.
"You know—'' Sokka spoke up. Zuko frowned at him.
"—my dad always tells me that you shouldn't try to carry a problem on your own," he finished as he countered Zuko's annoyed look.
Jin looked slightly hesitant but after a few minutes of silence she said uncertainly, "It's just that…I don't know. I'm just surprised I guess. It's been a long time since I last saw my father."
"How long has it been?" Zuko asked a little cautiously. He didn't want to be too intruding, especially if she had no plans to share.
"Months. Weeks. Days. I don't know. It's just been a really long time," Jin said absentmindedly. She still looked guarded though she seemed a little ready to open up a bit.
"Oh—''
"Memories of my dad seem so far away. I think I've forgotten….forgotten what he was like a little bit. Maybe that was why I'm a little…." Jin looked away trying to find the right adjective to describe what she was feeling. "….startled…er…overwhelmed by his return. I don't know. I really just don't…understand anything…."
She sighed heavily and she looked deep in thought.
"Funny. I've never heard you talk about your dad that much," Sokka said. He just couldn't help adding that in.
Jin started to look uncomfortable.
Sokka continued ramble obliviously, "I mean he literally came out of nowhere. I've heard you talk about your mom but I've never heard you talk about him—''
"Okay, we get it Sokka," Zuko said as soon as he realized that Jin was looking more and more uncomfortable.
"Oh. Sorry," Sokka said after realizing the discomfort he was giving Jin.
"It's okay…Sokka. It's not a big deal," Jin said though the emotion that fluctuated from her voice didn't exactly match her statements. Zuko decided to break the tension as he spied a coconut bar stall. He immediately recalled how much Jin loved coconut bars and he quickly suggested that they buy some. Sokka, upon hearing the word coconut bars was immediately on board. Zuko looked at Jin, searching for approval and he was rewarded with her first genuine smile of the day.
After they had bought their coconut bars (Zuko bought one too despite the fact he despised the taste) things became more lighthearted and Jin was on the verge of having a happy conversation when she paused and became rigid. Zuko frowned and Sokka stared at her curiously as she stopped walking and froze in her place. She looked startled as if she saw something shocking and then her eyes promptly narrowed.
"Jin?" Zuko asked concerned.
Sokka began to poke her, "Hey, are you okay—''
"Come on!" Jin declared as she hurtled forwards and started to sprint forward. Zuko was a little surprised but he quickly matched Jin's pace stride for stride while Sokka lumbered on behind him.
Zuko had no idea what was going on with Jin or why she suddenly decided to run a marathon when he noticed that they were following a man who had a hood drawn across her face. Zuko had no idea what his relevance to them was but he understood that this was obviously important to Jin. They continued to follow him and it seemed obvious that he was aware of their presence because he began to run at the most difficult routes. In the amount of time they had spent chasing him, they had gone through alleyways and stalls and carts.
Finally, after realizing that Sokka was losing his wind, Jin spoke up, "Wait! Ge Jiang!"
In a softer voice she said, "It is you….isn't it?"
Zuko froze and his blood suddenly felt heavy like lead as he watched as the hooded man turned around, drew his hood back and said, "Jin?"
Before Zuko had time to see Jin's reaction he suddenly felt something hard hit him on his knees causing him to topple over. Then everything went black as he felt something hit his face. He heard a scream ripple, an angry grunt and Sokka yelling, "Whoa!"
"You! What is he doing here?" Ge Jiang roared, sounding enraged as he stomped towards Zuko looking annoyed.
"Hey! What's going on in here?" Sokka yelled.
" Ge Jiang…don't—''
Ge Jiang swung a punch towards Zuko and Zuko quickly caught his balled fists. Ge Jiang glared at him and hissed, "You….you ruined our lives!"
He kneed Zuko but Zuko was more than prepared and he caught his balance. He didn't fight back because he knew that it would upset Jin and well, it was sort of his fault why the Resistance crumbled. But he most certainly was not going to become Ge Jiang's punching bag.
"I didn't do anything—''
"You betrayed us! You betrayed the Resistance! You betrayed my sister!" Ge Jiang growled as he swung another punch at Zuko. Rock spires began to emerge from the ground and as Ge Jiang made a quick slicing gesture they sprung up and nearly hit Zuko. Giving in into his fighting instincts he quickly blew a spurt of fire that blocked his rock spires. Ge Jiang narrowly dodged them and sent an earth wall towards Zuko when Jin suddenly screamed, "Stop it! Stop it right now!"
"Alright everybody…let's all just calm down…." Sokka declared in a soothing voice as he tried to get everyone to stop fighting.
Ge Jiang didn't listen and as he had finally sized Zuko up and gotten his wind in the battle because in there quick movements he managed to hook Zuko's shoulder with his left hand, cause himt o trip on a small rock spire and pinned him on the wall with a rock spike. Zuko of course, lost his temper and retaliated, sending spurts of fire everywhere. A small stream lightly grazed Ge Jiang's arm.
"I can't believe you have the nerve to look me in the eye after the way you've treated my sister!" Ge Jiang hissed as he and Zuko continued to wrestle.
"I don't have to have the nerve for anything…" Zuko snapped back.
"Stop it! Zuko! Ge Jiang! Would you please just stop it! I'm seeing you for the first time in months and you're just acting crazy!" Jin screeched as she tried to break the two apart.
"Jin!" Ge Jiang breathed as he examined his sister, finally realizing that this was supposed to be a happy family reunion not a murderous affair where he conks Zuko. He seemed torn, like he couldn't decide whether he should hug his sister or whether he should continue killing Zuko.
He suddenly hugged his sister and said in a choking and strangled voice, "Jin. I've missed you."
"Me too," Jin said as her voice struggled to keep its calm.
Ge Jiang stared at his sister and looked at her for a long time, as if she was trying to memorize her facial features. She looked haggard and so much more mature. Gone were her carefree smile and demeanor and radiant skin. He said a little sadly, "You look so different. You've changed."
"You too," Jin said as her voice cracked. Zuko stared at them in shock. Jin and Ge Jiang argued and as far as he was concerned, Ge Jiang was her least favorite sibling. This was the first time wherein they actually didn't try to kill each other. But perhaps she just really missed him. And she was right. It broke her heart to see how much Ge Jiang changed since the fall of Ba Sing Se. His hair grew longer and wilder, his skin had become more tanned and dry underneath the harsh Fire Nation sun and he had lost his cool and calm demeanor. Instead it was replaced with a slightly crazed and maniacal stare.
"You're hurt," Jin said as soon as she saw that his hand was wrapped and bandaged. The cloth that covered it started to look gross and disgusting. It was damp and moist and it was riddled with dirt.
"Yeah….a little souvenir from the Fire Nation," Ge Jiang said as he glared at Zuko.
After being reminded of how horrible the Fire Nation was his happiness quickly morphed into anger and he subsequently said, "What is he doing here? Why is he still with you!"
He sounded angry and slightly betrayed.
"Ge Jiang…Zuko's good—''
"Oh, so you're calling him with his real name now? Or is that even his real name?" Ge Jiang sneered.
"Um…who's that?" Sokka whispered as he helped Zuko up.
"Jin's brother," Zuko muttered as he looked down.
"I'm getting the vibe that he doesn't like you very much," Sokka chortled.
"Don't we all?" Zuko mumbled.
"I don't' want him anywhere near you!" Ge Jiang snapped.
Jin defiantly raised her chin and snapped, "I can do and be with whoever I want!"
"What's he doing here?" Ge Jiang demanded.
"He's here because I want him to be here!" Jin snapped, her relieved expression quickly curdling.
"Don't tell me that you're still with this clown! Did he do anything to you? Did he touch you?" Ge Jiang demanded worriedly.
"He did nothing to me! Ge Jiang, he's good now…" Jin insisted.
"Oh please," Ge Jiang snorted.
"He's not the person that he was, Ge Jiang! He's on our side now!" Jin said as she tried to keep her brother from pummeling Zuko.
"Are you forgetting that that's what he made us believe before completely selling us out to the Fire Nation!" Ge Jiang said in rage as he broke free from his sister's grasp and headed towards Zuko who faced him calmly. This achieved nothing but made Zuko feel crummier. As if it wasn't enough that Jin's dad who really hated him was there. He also had to deal with her brother. Who also hated him.
Ge Jiang was ready to sock him when Sokka spoke up frantically, "Hey, it's all true man. Zuko's in the side of good. Believe me, I couldn't believe it either."
"Well, I'll never believe it. You're a liar and a traitor! You deserve to be castrated and to have your spleen gutted!" Ge Jiang snapped as he tried to make a lunge towards Zuko. Zuko glared at him and felt ready to throw a punch.
"Ge Jiang! Stop it! Zuko! Stop! Just stop! For me! Please," Jin screeched as she tried to stop her brother and her boyfriend from causing a scene.
"I don't want him near you Jin. I don't want him near us. I don't trust him," Ge Jiang growled.
"Hey, it's all really cool. I mean aside from the fact that he's a total jerk sometimes—''
"Hey—'' Zuko protested, glaring at Sokka.
"—he's cool. He even agreed to teach Aang firebending. Now helping the Avatar is pretty much the best good deed I know," Sokka said.
"Wait—he's teaching the Avatar. You've met the Avatar?" Ge Jiang asked looking awed and excited as he stared at Jin.
"Yes, and Zuko is Aang's firebending teacher," Jin said as she forced a smile. She smiled proudly at Zuko.
Ge Jiang glared at Zuko, daring him to say otherwise but when Zuko merely replied with a smug smirk, Ge Jiang was forced to stop trying to kill him. He stepped back and gave a small growl as Jin gave a bright smile; looking the happiest she's been in days. Quickly, she said, "Come on. Let's get to camp. Freshen you up a bit. And maybe we should take care of your wounds."
"Boy, this is one crazy day. A whole family reunion! Your dad will be so surprised," Sokka said as Jin tried to keep Ge Jiang and Zuko apart.
"What? Dad's here?" Ge Jiang said looking surprised but looking the farthest from pleased.
"Um…" Jin began.
"Yep. I could definitely see the family resemblance. The angry glare and fiery temper is hard to miss," Sokka jokingly said as he elbowed Ge Jiang. Ge Jiang snorted.
"But…but…that can't be! He was in the Boiling Rock when I left him! He didn't make it out with me!" Ge Jiang said hysterically. He sounded proud of himself when he mentioned that he left his dad behind in the boiling rock. Zuko was starting to think that Jin wasn't the only one who was unhappy with her dad's arrival.
"Ge Jiang, they…he…he got out," Jin said looking a little afraid.
"What? And he's in camp? He's in camp with you?" Ge Jiang said sounding angry.
"We busted him out," Zuko grudgingly added.
"Why? Is that a bad thing?" Sokka asked.
Ge Jiang looked livid. Then after a few minutes, he sighed and said in a tone as if he was accepting a particularly horrible fact, "No. I guess there's nothing we can do about it but go through with it."
He then scowled and stomped away leaving Zuko to wonder what was so horrible about their father being there.
For some insane reason, neither Ge Jiang nor Jin wanted to alert their father on Ge Jiang's presence. The two immediately hurried off to a corner dragging along Katara after a quick introduction to everyone else. Apparently their father was out training and hunting. Katara asked if they wanted to see him but Ge Jiang impatiently shook his head and declared that he would just like to rest and tend to his wounds first.
They met Aang on the way and Ge Jiang was ecstatic. He bowed and bowed and shook Aang's hand and told Aang that he was the Avatar's biggest hand. Jin had to pry him away so that they could immediately tend to his wounds.
Jin unwrapped his bandage and she was disgusted to see that his wound was turning into a sickly yellow and green color. Jin nearly puked but Katara who was much more used to seeing wounds such as these merely looked at it with a critical eye. She slathered on some herbs and instructed Sokka to gather water from the nearby well.
Katara kneeled before him and waterbent a small sliver of water around his hand. Ge Jiang gave a small gasp but he complained no more.
Katara sighed and said sadly, "I'm sorry. It won't heal."
Jin stared at Katara and said, "You can't do anything at all?"
"It's beyond healing now. This is usually what happens when you keep a wound like this untreated and wrapped in a well…dirty and damp bandage," Katara said as she paused from the waterbending.
"It's alright. I've got worse wounds," Ge Jiang grumbled as he sat up trying to shoo everyone away.
"Where have you been? Have you seen He Shen? They say you met…dad," Jin said as she began (at Katara's instruction) to make a new bandage by tearing strips of cloth.
"Where do you think? After he—'' Ge Jiang sent a glare at Zuko who quickly returned it. "—betrayed all of us and sold us out to his sister, I opened a tunnel and tried to get some civilians out. Dai Li found us though. Rounded up the civilians and all the Resistance members. I expected to be in the same prison cell as them but surprisingly they took me to this place in the middle of a really hot lake—''
"The boiling rock," Zuko nodded.
Ge Jiang wrinkled his nose and said, "Yes. That's it. The Boiling Rock. I think it was because I was a leader. Anyways, I met lots of people there. I met Liangqiang there. Also Zhi. They say Dui passed away—''
"Really?" Jin said looking sad. Zuko had no idea who those people were.
"Yeah. Fever. Bad working conditions. You get the picture. And I also met…." Ge Jiang paused and looked hesitant.
"Your dad?" Sokka spoke up.
Ge Jiang froze and looked deep in thought. Finally, he declared, "Yeah. Dad. I met dad there too."
Jin looked away and said, "He said you told him about the rebellion in Ba Sing Se."
"Yeah," Ge Jiang grumbled as Katara began to bandage his hand.
"Thanks for…you know…not telling him," Jin said referring to the fact that her brother didn't tell her dad that it was all her fault that the Resistance fell. Katara, Aang, Toph and Sokka were absolutely clueless as to what was happening right now.
"Yeah. I didn't think that he really needed to know," Ge Jiang said absentmindedly.
"Did you meet He Shen? Did you hear about him?" Jin asked.
"No. I haven't heard from him at all. Last I heard he was in Sozin islands," Ge Jiang said vacantly.
Jin tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and said, "I hope he's okay….I don't want anything bad to happen to him—''
"Can I talk with you for a minute?" Ge Jiang suddenly said looking serious.
Jin gave a nod speechlessly.
"Alone," Ge Jiang said as he eyed everyone.
He then grabbed his sister's arm and dragged her away, behind a pillar.
"We shouldn't," Katara said as soon as she saw the look on everyone else's face.
As usual, everyone ignored her and they all but Zuko scrambled towards the pillar, listening in as Jin and Ge Jiang started to talk.
"What is he doing here?" Ge Jiang demanded as soon as he was sure that no one was listening. He looked as if he was on the verge of hysterics.
"I already told you. Zuko and Sokka—''
"I knew that Firebending scum had something to do with this—''
"Ge Jiang, he didn't know—''
"Jin, I just can't—can't handle him right now. I thought that I would never have to deal with him ever again—''
From behind the pillar, Sokka, Toph and Aang craned their necks to hear more. They could hear Ge Jiang making a choking sound. Aang cautiously stuck his head out and saw that he was running his hand through his hair in frustration. Jin wasn't looking him in the eye and she was wringing her hands.
"Do you know what I had to go through for the past few weeks? I was tortured into oblivion and I was stuck with dad for weeks and weeks!" Ge Jiang said as he began to pace forwards and backwards.
"I'm sorry Ge Jiang," Jin said in a strangled voice.
"And how can you act so calmly about this? How can you allow him to stay!" Ge Jiang screeched as he whirled around and faced his sister who was on the verge of crying out.
In their places, Sokka, Toph and Aang were beginning to realize that they were intruding into a really big family issue and they started to feel really uncomfortable. Still, they were a little eager and curious to understand what was going on. The three of them backed away a little bit, only to be pushed forward by Katara and Zuko who said, "Hey, you guys started it. Might as well finish it."
The group then listened as Jin answered, "Because he's our father Ge Jiang! He's our dad. What do you want me to do?"
"We're a mess. We're such a mess. Our brother's missing and our dad's back. I don't know if I can deal with it anymore," Ge Jiang said as he began to pace back and forth.
"Ge Jiang, please don't make a big deal out of it okay? You know dad. He won't stay long," Jin said as she tried to calm her brother down.
"He shouldn't even be here at all!" Ge Jiang roared as he struggled to calm himself down.
"Stop making a scene!" Jin snapped. She then turned around and said, "We shouldn't talk about it right now, okay?"
"Is this how it's always going to be? Are we supposed to just never talk about it? Are we supposed to just ignore every bad thing that's happened to us like we have been doing for the past few years!" Ge Jiang said as he spreads his arms.
"You're being overdramatic! Please, Ge Jiang. Can you just be nice for one second?" Jin pleaded.
"He has never been nice to us Jin. Not when we were kids, not when mom was here, not when we were teenagers. Not once. Not ever. Why should I be nice to him, huh, Jin? I'm sick and tired of always having to put up with him and his—''
"Ge Jiang, you don't know what he's been through! War's done something to him. It's not fault," Jin said as her voice raised octaves higher.
"That's no excuse for the way he treats us!" Ge Jiang snapped. He then stomped towards her and said, "Why are you always trying to stick up for him?"
Jin couldn't answer and although she was staring at him with as much defiance she could muster she suddenly looked fragile and scared. Zuko could barely contain himself. He rushed towards her and wrapped an arma round her shoulder, glared at Ge Jiang and said, "Look, she doesn't want to talk about this."
"How is this any of your business?" Ge Jiang hissed as he advanced towards Zuko threateningly.
"Boy?"
Ge Jiang paused mid-step as the gravelly voice pounded through the air. Aang cautiously stuck his head out of the pillar and saw Shangdi walking towards them. Ge Jiang looked like a string that had unraveled. Like a scared little boy, he yelped and gave a very low bow. Jin did the same and they didn't stand up until their father gruffly said, "Boy, you look weak since I last saw you."
Ge Jiang nodded limply.
"Father," Ge Jiang said.
He then roughly forced Ge Jiang to stand up by grabbing his collar and in a frighteningly calm voice he said, "Don't think I've forgotten that you left me in the boiling rock on purpose boy. I never forget."
Jin's head spun and she lost a breath as Ge Jiang shuddered and squirmed. Ge Jiang however stopped moving and he faced his father with an angry glare.
"Um…everyone! Let's have dinner, shall we?" Aang said as he rushed towards Shangdi and Ge Jiang.
Shangdi, after realizing that the Avatar was there quickly schooled his features and said, "Of course Avatar."
And with that he dropped his son and walked away leaving a very angry looking Ge Jiang.
Dinner was very tense and uncomfortable. Jin, Ge Jiang and Shangdi all sat in one corner though the three of them looked the farthest from being a happy family. Ge Jiang looked furious and embarrassed at his father's treatment of him. He looked like he was on the verge of turning at his father and punching the daylights out of him. However, Zuko could see that he was afraid because whenever he was on the verge of doing something he would immediately pause and look away.
Zuko wished that Jin would just tell him what was going on. He knew. He understood what she was going through. He had a horrible father too who burned half his face off. He couldn't understand why Jin and her brother were so reluctant in talking about it.
But he understood Jin a little bit more. She was unfailingly optimistic. So optimistic that it was to the point of denial. Zuko knew how that felt like. He wasn't the type of person to share his problems or his emotions to other people. And Jin was like that. She just masked her sadness with extreme happiness while Zuko did so with anger and his temperamental outbursts.
"I saw you training today," Shangdi suddenly spoke up from the din of silence.
Jin flinched.
"You were horrible. Fouled every single move. Don't know how I could even be related to you," Shangdi rumbled. Zuko cringed. Ouch. That was painful.
Ge Jiang's hands, which were holding a small, ceramic bowl, gripped it tightly. Toph was ready to say something scathing no doubt but Shangdi beat her to it.
"I honestly don't know why you children insist on falling off your training. Especially you Ge Jiang. You're the eldest. I expect you to be better," he roughly said.
"Yes, father," Ge Jiang said through gritted teeth.
"Instead you become bums and start slacking off. Start ruining the family name," Shangdi continued on.
"Now wait just a minute! These kids are good kids. I've seen Jin. And I've heard about her brother. They seem to have their head in the right place," Hakoda immediately spoke up.
Shangdi snorted and said, "Last time I checked, you weren't there father."
Hakoda's eyes narrowed at him as Shangdi babbled on, "You're turning into your brother. The second one. Always going on and on about his damned music—''
Another collective gasp for his bad language.
"—Music is for weaklings! I always tried to weed it out of the boy. It's not good. It's not manly. I'm so sorry I allowed his mother to encourage him," Shangdi said speaking to no one in particular.
"Now their mother…she's the one I blame for all this nonsense going on with my kids. Ask Jin over there. That's why, as I have come to realize, why Jin is so weak. Can't even hunt a proper stag-monkey—''
"That's because she's a girl dad. You can't treat her like me and Shen. It's a little difficult hunting for a stag-monkey when it's twice her size," Ge Jiang said through gritted teeth.
"Did I ask for you to speak, boy? And don't get smart with me. I haven't forgotten that stunt you pulled in the boiling rock," Shangdi said threateningly as Jin cringed. Ge Jiang however was struggling to keep his tongue and temper in check. Zuko was struggling with the same thing. He desperately wanted to punch Jin's father. If only his princely decorum and the fact that Jin was here weren't there to contribute to his decision.
"Anyways, her mother was a total weakling. Always going on and on about peace. If peace was possible then I'm a rooster-pig. I'm so sorry I allowed her to coddle my children—especially Jin. Turned them into saps," Shangdi said.
Jin, to the surprise of her brother said, "Don't talk about her in that way."
"What?"
"Don't talk about mom in that way," Jin said her voice growing agitated.
"And don't talk to me in that way, girl. Or have you forgotten that I'm your father—''
"Shut up," Ge Jiang snapped.
Silence.
Everyone held their breaths for the explosion that was about to happen.
"What was that boy?" Shangdi hissed.
"Shut up," Ge Jiang said, enunciating every word.
"Don't you dare talk to me in that way, you little piece of—'' Shangdi made a move to punch Ge Jiang but Ge Jiang grabbed his hand and defiantly gazed back up to his father.
"I can talk to you in anyway because you don't deserve my respect!" Ge Jiang spat.
"Ge Jiang….please…" Jin murmured.
"I'm so sick and tired of the way you treat us. I'm so sick and tired of pretending that everything is okay!" Ge Jiang roared as his father stood up in rage.
"Don't you dare talk to me in that tone boy! Especially since you and you're siblings have disgraced yourself in every single way possible by—''
"By what? By not being good enough! By losing the Ba Sing Se rebellion! You don't need to tell us that dad! We know already! We know we're not good enough!" Ge Jaing roared.
"Silence—''
"I will not be silenced! I will not be submitted into fear like I have been for the past twenty years of my life! If you think that I'm going to allow you to hurt me and my siblings one more time—''
"Ge Jiang, stop it! Just please, stop it!" Jin screamed, finally breaking out.
"I think we all just need to calm down," Hakoda said as he placed a hand on Jin's shoulder.
"Listen to your sister, boy…" Shangdi menacingly said.
"Dad's just trying to—'' Jin began but Ge Jiang whirled around and screeched.
"Why do you keep defending him Jin? Why? He's been nothing but horrible to us Jin! He beat you! He beat Shen! He beat me! He beat mom!"
"I never touched you're mother!" Shangdi screamed.
"Yes, you did! And I'm not going to stand by and watch you ruin our lives all over again! I'm not. Jin, we can't just keep going on as if nothing's wrong. That's what mom did. That was mom's biggest mistake," Ge Jiang said.
"You have no idea what I have gone through for you ungrateful children! You have any idea how painful war is! How it could break a man!" Shangdi roared. He looked like he was itching to beat Ge Jiang but the Avatar's presence stopped him.
"That's no excuse for the way you've been treating us! We've been good children to you! We have done nothing—''
"You are disrespectful children—''
"I'm done with you. I'm done with all of this! I'm not the scared little boy that I once was, dad. I could fight against you! I could defend my siblings now! I don't have to watch you helplessly as you beat them from the sidelines," Ge Jaing roared and it was as if a small tremor echoed through the entire pagoda.
"You're a horrible father and you deserve to rot in prison!" Ge Jiang snapped as he pointed at Shangdi.
Jin tried to raise her voice as she feebly said, "Ge Jiang…just stop it—''
"You stop it, Jin! Stop defending him! You're either with me or with him! But I'm not going to take another moment of his dung!" Ge Jiang snarled and with that he glared at his father before rushing off.
Shangdi stared after his son and gave an angry roar. A huge tremor shook the pagoda. He then scowled and left in the other direction.
Jin watched in horror as her family started to break apart. She always believed that things could be fixed. That nothing in the world was unfixable. That included her family and her dad. Her dad had been through so much in the war and she understood that war could break a man. She understood why he was so temperamental sometimes. She understood why he was never there most of the times. She understood why he beat her and her brothers all the time.
Her mother always told her the yielding was more difficult than fighting. It was difficult becoming the smaller person in the conflict. It was difficult saying nothing. But yielding kept the family together. It kept them together. And Jin understood that in this situation it would be her that would have to yield.
She is the one that would have to understand her father. She is the one who would have to be patient. But she's been having a really rough time lately.
She could have kept a lot, pent up inside. She was used to it. She could always laugh off every bad situation. There was always a bright side to things as far as she was concerned and every mistake, every bad event could be chalked up to a learning experience. She was an expert when it came to living in an obscenely, ridiculous state of denial.
But her brother yelling and her father on the verge of violence were too much to bear. Jin bit her lip and struggled to keep her optimism. She should think positively. There's always a bright side to every bad thing. Happy thoughts. Happy memories. Funny things. Her mom. She should think about those things. They make her happy.
Happy.
The word felt so contrived and so ridiculous to Jin's ears.
Her father was a violent man who beat his children and his wife. Her only family was no broken beyond repair. Her mother is dead.
Her mother is dead.
She rushed away from the campfire. Away from everyone.
On her way she met Ge Jiang who was staring at picture in his hands.
Their family picture. With her violent father. Angry brother. Missing brother.
Dead mother.
Jin burst into sobs.
"Where are you going?" Jin asked her brother in a cracked voice as he packed. Her eyes were red. Her skin was pale. And she absolutely hated it. She hated crying in front of other people. It always made her feel vulnerable and weak.
Ge Jiang stared at the picture folded between his hands. It was all five of them. It wasn't anything grand or fancy but it was a simple family picture. Shangdi had his army uniform on and on his chests were medals. His mother stood beside him in her best silk dress and jade earrings. Jin was at the middle, kneeling in her adorable little flowery dress while Ge Jiang and He Shen were at either side. They were happy. They were smiling. He didn't understand how a family that looked this happy could turn so bitter and angry at each other. He was ashamed for upsetting his sister. But he wanted to stop being so afraid. To stop living in a shadow.
"I need to go away. To get away from him," Ge Jiang said.
"It wasn't always like this. We had happier times," Jin said as she struggled to keep herself from crying even more.
"They don't make up for the bad times," Ge Jiang said simply.
Jin hiccupped and Ge Jiang stood up and hugged his sister. He then told her, "I love you. You remind me so much of mom. You shouldn't have to deal with him."
"He's our dad. He's family," Jin said and her hand automatically went to her bruise.
"There's no more chance for him Jin. There's no more second chances for a person like him," Ge Jiang said and his voice cracked.
Jin began to cry harder.
"Mom realized…realized that. But she didn't act on it. And she was too late," Ge Jiang continued.
"No. Mom realized that we have to be a family," Jin said.
Ge Jiang told her in a slightly bitter voice, "Why can't you go with me?"
Jin simply shook her head. She suddenly felt so empty and hollow on the inside.
Ge Jiang said in a sad voice, "I have to go. I can't be around him anymore. There's no fixing things between me and dad."
Jin sniffled.
"There's no fixing between you and dad also," Ge Jiang said.
Jin shook her head and hugged her brother, "That's not true. Everyone…everyone deserves a second chances."
Ge Jiang held his sister tightly. They always argued. They never agreed. But she was his sister. And he loved her. He said as Jin silently cried, "There's no saving him, Jin. It's easier if you let go."
HOLY COW! 16 reviews (unless I counted them wrong)! The most I've gotten in one chapter! Thanks you guys! Whoa. Major drama and angst in there. But anyways, the next chapter won't be as serious. Jin has a lot of issues to deal with. She strikes me as a person who's just a little too optimistic. As you can see, the timeline is a little deviated. Not to worry. Next would be a Southern Raiders chapter. A little more focus on Zuko.
Bastard and damned are not really curse words but eh...it's a rated G show. I imagine that this would be the reaction of the characters (or most children's parent's for that matter).
Anyways, MERRY CHISTMAS!
Thanks for all the reviews, story alerts and for those who added me in their favorite authors list and favorite stories list.
Thanks to those who reviewed: SuperninjaX, Panther-Strife (zuko's life story, definitely coming up soon), tgbwe, ArrayePL, daveshan, Inhibitor (thanks a lot man!I'm glad you're so patient ), 64PageBook (why yes, in fact that was intentional. And I'm pretty decent in speaking Chinese ;)), Kaeso Corvinus (sorry about the lack of Zuko-Azula interaction. I promise there will be lots of Zuko-Azula interaction later on), Charmed-Ravenclaw (thanks for all four reviews!) and the person who wrote a review but didn't write your name.
PLEASE keep reviewing.
Always R and R.
And again, expect a long waiting time for the next update. Maybe before New Year.
Thanks for the reviews and again, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
:D