I stepped over to the mirror, dipping my hands in a bowl of water before washing my face. I stared at my reflection, at my dark brown hair which reached past my shoulders, my amber eyes, and my thick, dark brown beard that reached down to my chest. A year ago, my life had been radically different: I had been my father's right hand, serving under him as we campaigned to end the war and victoriously conquer the Earth Kingdom. Now, I was a different man: I was a fugitive and traitor in the eyes of my countrymen, my father was dead, and I now found myself traveling with the Avatar, whom I had been previously been commanded to hunt.
Everything had changed when my father had commanded me to follow Prince Zuko.
The reminder of the scarred Prince brought a scowl to my face; after everything his uncle and I had taught him, after we had aided him through the most trying time in his life, he had stabbed us all in the back, capturing Ba Sing Se along with his despicable sister. I couldn't help but smile, thinking of the burn I had marked her with. Azula was many things, none of them good, and hurting her after she had given me and those I cared about so much pain was one of the most satisfying things I had done in life.
Taking a deep breath, I picked up the knife and gripped the tip of my beard, slicing it off. After we had fled from Ba Sing Se, we had managed to meet with the warriors of the Southern Water Tribe who were encamped in the mouth of Chameleon Bay. It was there that I had met Hakoda, one of the chieftains of that people and the father of the Avatar's two companions.
He initially distrusted me, but the need to work together had forced him to overcome those concerns. After working together, the two of us had started to form a mutual respect for one another in regards to the other's military acumen and love for our children. As it turned out, we had actually met previously: shortly before my father had commanded me to follow Prince Zuko in order to capture the Avatar, we had clashed with several Water Tribe vessels in the waters off of the southern edge of the Earth Kingdom. Several of our ships had been damaged by underwater mines, and they had been undergoing repairs when Prince Zuko had arrived at my father's harbour.
The Earth King, having lived his entire sequestered life in the royal palace, had elected to travel the world so as to one day become a better ruler, leaving with his pet bear, Bosco.
With Ba Sing Se captured, the Fire Navy poured into the Eastern Lake, and our little alliance of convenience had been forced to abandon the camp at Chameleon Bay. Luckily, my knowledge of Fire Navy ships had been put to use, and we summarily captured a ship, gaining us disguises and a temporary base of operations. When that had been accomplished, we hunkered down and waited for the Avatar to awaken and recover from his injuries. During that time, we had all gotten to know each other better.
Sokka, the only non-Bender in the Avatar's little group, had been quite distrustful of Jin and Li for a time. He felt betrayed about their lying to him about their true relationship with me, and the twins were obviously upset by it. They had come to see the Water Tribe boy as a friend, and his anger troubled them. So, I had taken Sokka aside and talked with him, explaining how I had found the twins years ago in Ba Sing Se and taken them in, giving them a home. I was the only family they had ever known, and when they became separated from me, their natural instinct was to survive until they came back to me.
Once I had posed the question of what he would do in their place, he soon came to realize that he would have done the same thing with his father.
Katara, his sister, was a remarkable young woman, and I was honoured to make her acquaintance. She was one of the finest Waterbenders I had ever encountered, and she possessed a natural empathy that I found very admirable. She was much more accepting of Jin and Li's lie, having grown quite attached to the Earthbenders, which made me glad. Eventually, during a conversation over tea, she had told me of how her mother had died during a Fire Nation raid when she had been a little girl. I expressed my sympathies, telling her in turn of how I had lost my own mother when I had been little. When she was not among the rest of us, she spent most of her time sitting with the Avatar, awaiting his revival. It was obvious to me that the two of them shared a strong bond; after everything they had been through, they deserved to have someone like that.
Toph was just as I remembered her from when Iroh and I had encountered her in the wilderness: brash, head-strong, and self-confidant. I was completely amazed at her story, how she used her Earthbending in order to 'see' by sensing the vibrations, a skill which she had passed on to Jin and Li. I could see that my boys were quite taken with the snarky blind girl, and I completely understood.
As I finished cutting the excess hair from my face, leaving only my thick sideburns that I had sported for most of my adult life, I tried to push past the fact that I almost perfectly resembled my father. I pursed my lips, moving on to the hair on my head; he had been solely focused on his own legend and glory after my mother's death, and he had become a symbol for everything that was wrong with my country. He had been a horrible father, and I swore to myself that I would be a better father to Jin and Li than he had been to me.
Having those two back in my life made me happier than I could ever express. Even if they were not my own flesh and blood, they were still my sons; I was still raising them in the traditions and customs of my people, and they were every bit my family as my parents had been. They were equally overjoyed at being reunited, and we often spent innumerable hours regaling each other with tales of our exploits while we had been separated. They had been through quite an ordeal, and as a father, I couldn't be more proud of them. I was also astounded that they, along with Toph, had done the unthinkable and discovered how to Bend metal, something which Earthbenders had not been able to do for all history. They were truly special.
Takara, however, presented the most difficult challenge. She was scarred, both mentally and physically, by her slavery under Azula, and she had needed much recovery. I often came to visit her in her quarters to converse over tea and Pai Sho, and we would discuss anything from what we wanted out of life to simply the events of the day. I could tell that our conversations were just what she needed, and I endeavoured to do as much as I could in order to help her recover. Some nights, however, when walking by her quarters, I could hear her crying in her sleep. Whenever that happened, my heart ached in my chest, and I longed to rid her of whatever demons plagued her.
With a final slice of the knife, I was finished. Setting the knife down, I dipped my hands into the bowl of water once more and thoroughly rinsed my face. With that, I tied my hair into a top-knot and held it together with a simple bronze ring. It was very strange, looking at my reflection; I now looked as I did not even a year ago, and yet it felt… foreign, as if I were stepping into the shoes of someone else. Turning around, I craned my neck in order to see the purple Dragon tattoo on my back and to reassure myself that I was still me. This feeling endured as I equipped a Fire Nation uniform, and I elected to take a walk and clear my head.
I made my way outside, into the dark night. The moon was full, and it bathed the ship in pale, white light. The sea was entirely calm, and there was no wind to speak of, resulting in a very tranquil silence that permeated my surroundings. As I stepped onto the platform on the conning tower that overlooked the rest of the cruiser, I saw that someone else was there. It was Takara, and she was leaning against the railing, gazing out at the distance.
I walked over beside her, leaning against the railing. She turned to regard me, and she said "You shaved".
"I did" I replied, glancing over at her. "I thought it was about time for me to trim my hair and beard; they've been growing out of control for weeks".
"I like it" she said. "You certainly look very handsome, especially in the moonlight".
"And you look especially beautiful in the moonlight" I added. The Kyoshi Warrior blushed, looking down at the floor. I smiled, and we returned our gazes to the still sea.
"I've been coming out here the last few nights" she said, absently tugging on a few strands of her long, black hair, which ran down to her back. "I haven't been able to sleep at night, so I come here". I nodded, knowing that she was still plagued by nightmares. "There's just something… comforting about the silence".
"I know what you mean" I agreed. "There is no background noise, no distractions, nothing but you and your thoughts; it's very peaceful".
For a moment, neither of us said a word, content in enjoying the still silence the night offered. Takara stared ahead, clearly burdened by something. I said nothing, knowing that she would say whatever she needed to when she wanted to. Eventually, she said "I don't sleep anymore. My bed doesn't offer any comfort. Every time I close my eyes, I see her standing there, that smug little smirk on her face. I wake up covered in sweat, out of breath, and convinced that she's standing right next to me".
I cast a surreptitious glance at the Kyoshi Warrior, and saw that her eyes were starting to grow misty with tears. I placed my hand on top of hers, and her fingers gripped mine tightly.
She turned to look at me, and my heart ached as I saw the pain in her eyes. "You were all that kept me going" she choked, letting her emotions take hold as the tears ran down her face. "I thought of you every day". She then reached into her sleeve and took something out. I saw that it was the White Lotus tile I had given her before her capture. "Whenever I felt the darkness and despair threatening to drown me, I looked at this and I thought of you. It was all that kept me sane".
"I thought of you, too" I told her. "In those moments when I would despair, when I thought about all that I had lost, I thought of you and the twins. I thought of you because, in our time together, I grew to care about you a great deal". While I spoke, we gazed into each other's eyes, and I found myself unable to look away from the enchanting green and blue orbs that seemed to gaze into my very soul.
As we were both transfixed by some sort of spell, we ever so slowly started to lean closer to the other. In that moment, nothing else mattered; everything fell away, leaving only the two of us. Our lips came closer and closer, until…
"No, I will not lend you my boomerang!" Sokka's voice shouted, shattering the tranquil silence and snapping us out of our enchantment. Takara and I looked down below, and saw that Jin and Li were standing near the edge of the deck in front of the Water Tribe boy, who indignantly held onto his prized weapon. "I don't care if you only want to 'try it out'; you're not touching my boomerang!"
I smiled, and turned back to Takara. For a long moment, we stood there, staring at each other, until she leaned over and gently kissed me on the cheek. "Would you like to play a game of Pai Sho?" I asked, still holding her hand in mine.
She smiled. "I'd love that".
The following morning, we were all on the deck. The sun hadn't quite risen yet, and I was enjoying some quality time with Takara and the twins, who were back in their usual Fire Nation garb with their hair tied into ponytails. Suddenly, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning to my left, I saw that Aang was lying on the deck in front of Hakoda and Bato. "He's awake!" I said, causing the others to turn and look at the Avatar, who, after a month of recovery, had grown a fair amount of hair over his tattooed head.
"Twinkle-toes, that's got to be you" Toph said, and we all gathered around the boy.
"Aang, you're awake" Katara eagerly said, and I could sense just how much relief she was feeling.
"Are you sure?" he asked meekly, rubbing his eyes. "I feel like I'm dreaming".
"You're not dreaming" Katara replied as she embraced him in a tight hug. "You're finally awake".
Sokka then brushed past me in full Firebender armour as he walked up to his companion. "Aang, good to see you back with the living, buddy" he said, his voice muffled somewhat due to the skull-like faceplate.
"Sokka?" Aang asked, clearly confused. He then groaned as he suddenly passed out, falling backwards.
"He's gonna…" Toph started to say, but she was too late. He fell backwards, landing on the cold metal.
I crouched beside him and pressed my hand against his forehead and cheeks. Jin went below deck, and a few minutes later, he returned with a ceramic tea pot with water in it, along with a cup. I took the pot and lit a blue flame in my left hand, bathing the group in blue light. Once the tea was ready, I poured it into the cup before holding it up to Aang's nose. A moment later, his eyes slowly opened, and I helped him to sit up as Li wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.
He looked at me, and shouted in fear, probably thinking that I was my father. Katara was at his side in an instant, and he was relatively calm a moment later. "Why are we on a Fire Nation ship?" he asked. "Why is everyone dressed this way? And why am I the only one who's completely out of it?"
Katara crouched down beside him, and the rest of us proceeded to give them some privacy. Hakoda attempted to introduce himself to Aang, but Katara quickly dismissed him. "He's been through so much" Takara said, referring to the Avatar.
"He was brought back from the dead" I replied. "That's an experience that none of us can truly understand".
"Then how did Katara bring him back?" she asked as we turned to gaze out at the water.
"She told me that she used water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole" I explained. "It's one of the most spiritual places in the world, which gave the water unique properties that allowed Katara to work a miracle".
A short time later, I stood beside Hakoda as we, Bato, and the others gathered in a circle. We ate noodles from bowls as the sun shone down on us, and Sokka explained "After what happened in Ba Sing Se, we had to get you to safety. We flew back to Chameleon Bay, where we found my father and the other Water Tribe men". He paused as he loudly slurped some noodles into his mouth before continuing. "The Earth King decided he wanted to travel the world in disguise, so he set off alone. Well, not completely alone. Soon, the bay was overrun with Fire Nation ships. Rather than fight them all, we captured a single ship and made it our disguise with Shan We's help".
Aang turned to look at me in slight surprise, and I bowed my head.
"Since then", Sokka continued, pointing at a map of the Earth Kingdom, "we've been traveling west. We crossed through the Serpent's Pass a few days ago. We've seen a few Fire Nation ships, but none have bothered us".
Aang nodded absently, staring up at the sky. "So, what now?" he asked.
"We've been working on a modified version of the invasion plan" Hakoda replied. He, Sokka, and I had spent the last several days altering the plan to accommodate for the fact that we no longer had access to the Earth Kingdom armies. I had been very impressed with Sokka; he possessed a natural cleverness and penchant for strategy that was beyond his years.
"It's Sokka's invasion plan" Katara corrected, the bitterness towards her father quite evident in her voice.
"Yes, Sokka's plan" Hakoda agreed, looking somewhat dejected. He then turned back to Aang. "We won't be able to mount a massive invasion without the Earth King's armies, but the solar eclipse will still leave the Fire Nation vulnerable".
"So we're planning a smaller invasion" Sokka elaborated. "Just a ragtag team of our friends and allies from the Earth Kingdom".
Swallowing some noodles, I added "Like the serpent, we must strike our target with precision where he is most vulnerable".
"We already ran into Pipsqueak and The Duke" Sokka added, motioning over to the massive and tiny boys who used to run with Jet.
"Good to see you again, Aang" the large one rumbled as he ate.
"And the best part is, the eclipse isn't even our biggest advantage". Sokka then held his hand beside his mouth and whispered "We have a secret: you".
"Me?" Aang asked in confusion.
"Yep, the whole world thinks you're dead" Sokka replied cheerfully, standing up and raising his arms into the air. "Isn't that great?"
The Airbender wasn't as enthused as his companion, and he stood up before walking over to the edge of the deck, looking like he was about to be sick. "The whole world thinks I'm dead? How is that good news? That's terrible!"
"No, it's great" Sokka countered. "It means the Fire Nation won't be hunting us anymore. And even better, they won't be expecting you on the Day of Black Sun".
"Any surprise, no matter how significant, can turn the tides of any war" I added.
"No, no, no, no, no. You have no idea" Aang said, scrunching his face in frustration and tightly gripping his head. Suddenly, a foghorn sounded in the distance, and we turned to see a Fire Navy cruiser coming towards us. "I'll handle this" the tattooed boy said confidently, turning his staff into a glider. "The Avatar is back". He grunted in pain as he held his stomach, and as he gripped his glider, he looked just about ready to pass out.
"Aang, wait" Katara cautioned. "Remember, they don't know we're not Fire Nation".
After a moment, he reluctantly closed his glider. "Everyone, just stay calm" I said as Hakoda and Bato put their helmets on. "We can take care of this". Pipsqueak and The Duke covered Appa with a large tarp, while the others hid in the stairwell leading below deck. As the other ship came to be parallel with ours, I told Hakoda and Bato "Just let me do the talking".
The other vessel then lowered a gangplank, and an officer accompanied by two Firebending soldiers walked over it towards us. "Commander, why are you off course?" the officer asked me. "All western fleet ships are supposed to be moving toward Ba Sing Se to support the occupation".
"We're from the eastern fleet, actually" I replied evenly, clasping my hands behind my back. "We have orders to deliver some cargo to the homeland".
"Ah, eastern fleet" the officer replied, sounding like he understood my explanation. "Well, nice of Admiral Chan to let us know he was sending one of his ships our way".
Admiral Chan: I had met the man a few times. "I'm sure Admiral Chan meant no disrespect, sir" Bato said.
"I mean, how hard is it to write a quick note and send a hawk our way?" the officer asked. Admiral Chan was infamous in the military for his lousy communication skills.
"Next time, we will be sure to send two hawks, just to be sure you get the message" I replied. We then bowed to each other, and Bato, Hakoda, and I proceeded to walk away. I was pretty sure the captain bought by explanation, and hopefully, we would be well outside of the Earth Kingdom before they realized that we were not, in fact, from the eastern fleet.
Suddenly, Toph cried out "They know!" I whirled around just as she planted her hand on the deck. A line then crept over to the gangplank, causing it to split in half and fall into the water, taking the captain and his two guards with it. Several soldiers on the other ship gathered against the edge of their deck, looking ready to attack. I made a horizontal slice with my arm, casting an arc of blue flames to shoot towards them. Katara followed through by lifting her arms, causing a large wave to form in between the two ships. She then thrust her arms forward, and the wave violently shoved the other ship away.
"Get us out of here!" I shouted. The smokestacks then belched forth black smog as we started getting away from here as quickly as possible. Takara and the twins then hurried over to me, and I explained "Unfortunately, my little excuse for our presence here was not accepted". Just then, something struck the water just off of our port bow. I turned and saw a flaming fireball arcing through the air towards us. Taking a deep breath, I began to move my arms in circular motions, separating the positive and negative energies around me. My hands began to crackle with electricity, and I proceeded to thrust my arms forward. A bolt of white lightning arced from my fingertips, and it struck the fireball, creating a fantastic explosion.
Unfortunately, more kept coming, and I couldn't keep up with them all. Pipsqueak hefted a sizeable boulder onto the deck, and Jin and Li stood on either side of it. Working together, they ripped a circular chunk from the boulder before thrusting their arms forward and launching it at the pursuing ship. The rock struck one of the enemy's catapults, taking it out, while another one fired a flaming fireball.
As Jin and Li took it out with another chunk of rock, the other ship fired a harpoon at us. It struck the hull underneath the water, and our ship shook from the impact. "We have a hull breach!" I warned.
Katara moved over to the edge of the deck, proceeding to create a line of ice that crept along the side of the hull until it reached the breach. Once that was sealed, she said "I'm gonna give us some cover". She then used her Bending in order to create a massive veil of fog that covered both ships. My hands clenched into fists, prepared for a fight despite the cover we had just been given.
Suddenly, a fireball pierced through the fog, and before I could do anything, it struck the boulder Jin and Li were using for ammunition. A few moments later, and the fog dissipated as we were continually pounded by fireballs. One of them struck the engine, and I quickly hurried over to where a fire was burning. Holding my hand out, palm facing upwards, I used my Bending to gather the flames into a tiny ball that hovered over my palm. I then turned around and thrust my arm at the enemy ship, firing a powerful, compressed stream of crimson flames at our pursuers.
"How we doing?" Toph asked in her high-pitched voice, and I turned to see Sokka dissuading Aang from doing something foolish.
"Things couldn't get much worse" he replied. Things instantly became worse as a massive sea serpent burst from the water, roaring as it looked down at us. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jin and Li slapping their foreheads as Sokka asked "The universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?"
"You make it too easy" Toph replied.
The sea serpent reared its head back, but before it could attack, a fireball struck it in the side of the head. It turned its gaze to the other ship, and it dived beneath the surface of the water. It re-emerged beside the other ship, and it proceeded to coil its green body around the vessel's hull. "Thank you, the universe" Sokka said as we sailed away.
I entered into a fighting stance, as did my opponent. For a moment, we stood perfectly still in the ship's sparring room, neither one of us moving. Eventually, Shan We made an almost imperceptible nod, and we proceeded to duel. I charged towards the Firebender, who wore nothing but a simple pair of pants, leaving his well-muscled torso bare. Ever since we had fled from Ba Sing Se, he had been getting back into shape after meandering through the Earth Kingdom as a refugee, and his body was already starting to fill back into what it was like before.
Suddenly, I saw a fist flying towards my face, and I barely managed to redirect the attack. "A little distracted, are we?" the Firebender asked with a smirk.
I narrowed my eyes as I punched him in the gut, sending him back a step and giving me an opening. I leaped over him, landing a moment later and attempting to sweep his legs out from under him in the same motion. He pushed off the ground, and my leg swept uselessly beneath his feet. I instantly reacted in the half second before he touched the ground, standing up and aiming a spinning kick at his head.
He ducked beneath my leg, proceeding to sweep my other one out from under me in the same motion. I quickly found myself falling backwards, but I managed to have my hands touch the floor first. I pushed off, getting back on my feet in the same motion. I then pushed off the ground with my feet, somersaulting through the air before landing gracefully on my feet away from my opponent.
I turned to face him, and he started to slowly circle me. I matched his every move, and we moved in a circle, sizing the other up like a predator hunting its prey. Eventually, we charged each other, tired of waiting and wanting to get back into the action.
He pushed off the floor and aimed a kick at my head, while I elected to slide down below him. Once he was past me, I stood back up and attacked. For the next few minutes, we engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand duel, both of us seeming to be of equal skill. Eventually, he managed to catch one of my hands, and he proceeded to flip me onto my back. He smiled triumphantly, and I took advantage of his belief that our duel was over by locking my legs around his neck and flipping him onto his back.
I then got on top of him, smiling triumphantly as I beat him. However, I fell victim to the same trap, and Shan We used his greater strength in order to roll me onto my back. He then used his arm to pin both of mine above my head. Resisting was useless, and I found that I was truly beat. However, that was quickly forgotten once I realized just how close our faces were.
We were bare inches from each other; I could feel his breath tickling my skin, and I gazed into his rich, amber eyes as he gazed into mine. For what seemed like an eternity, we remained perfectly still, and I was perfectly aware of his strong, muscular body pressing against mine. As we stared into each other's eyes, Shan We started leaning in close. Just as our lips would have made contact, the door to the sparring room opened.
I growled in frustration. Why did the universe hate me so much?
Shan We looked over at whoever had entered, and I craned my neck as Sokka and Katara stepped inside. "We've got a problem" the Water Tribe boy said. Upon noticing us, he suddenly became very nervous, tugging at his shirt collar as he said "Or, uh, we can always…"
"What is it?" Shan We asked, cutting him off.
"Aang is gone".
The Firebender looked down at me with slight shock, and my mouth opened slightly. He stood up and offered me a hand. I took it, and he helped me to stand before he re-equipped his Fire Nation uniform. "Another time" he whispered as we followed Sokka and Katara through the ship.
"What happened?" I asked as we stepped onto the deck. It was still dark out, and while I had no idea as to how long we were sparring, I figured that it must be close to sunrise.
"Aang has got it into his head that he has to end the war by himself" Katara explained. "He thinks that he failed back at Ba Sing Se, and now he wants to prove that he can do it on his own! He never even talked to me before deciding to leave!"
I saw just how hurt the girl was, and I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry; we'll find him".
"The only place he would go is the Fire Nation, so that's where he have to go" Sokka said, proceeding to get Appa ready.
"We're coming, too" Shan We said, referring to myself and the twins. "I'll be able to help guide you all with my knowledge of the Fire Nation, and I won't have my family be separated again".
Sokka, Katara, and Toph nodded, understanding. Hakoda then walked up to us. "We can meet up on the day of the invasion" he said as Toph and the twins climbed onto Appa's saddle. "Hopefully, you might also be able to gain some useful information along the way".
Shan We walked over to him, and the two men took each other's hand as they placed the other on each other's shoulders. "It's been an honour" the Firebender told him, and the Water Tribe warrior nodded. I then climbed onto the Bison's saddle with him as Sokka and Katara embraced their father in a tight hug.
"This isn't goodbye" Sokka said, sounding like he was willing the universe to obey him.
"It isn't" Hakoda agreed. "I'll see you both soon enough. Just know that I am so proud of you, both of you".
"We'll miss you, dad" Katara choked, and with that, we were off, leaving the stolen Fire Navy cruiser behind as Appa soared through the air. We traveled for some time, eventually spotting a fleet of Fire Navy ships forming a blockade.
"We should fly above the clouds" Shan We suggested. "That way, it will be harder for the ships to spot us". Sokka, who was handling the reins, did so, and we passed over the blockade without incident. Eventually, the sun started to rise, bathing us in brilliant orange light. We then approached a crescent-shaped island with a volcano at its centre. The volcano was active, and most of the island was covered by rivers of lava. Down below, on the very edge of the island, I spotted something.
"There! I think I see him!" I cried, pointing down to where I saw him. Sokka brought Appa down onto the shore, and we all proceeded to dismount and head over to where Aang was lying at the edge of the water.
Katara practically sprinted over to where he was and wrapped her arms around him. "You're okay" she said, tears of joy running down her cheeks.
Jin and Li then joined the others as they embraced in a group hug, while Shan We and I were content with smiling as we stood close by. Once the embrace was broken, Aang gazed out at the ocean. "I have so much to do" he said, sounding like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, which in his case was true.
"I know", Katara agreed sympathetically, "but you'll have our help".
"You didn't think you could get out of training just by coming to the Fire Nation, did you?" Toph asked sarcastically.
"What about the invasion?" Aang asked.
"We'll join up with my dad and the invasion force on the day of the eclipse" Sokka explained.
"Hey, what's…" Toph started to say, turning to her left. She then picked up the gnarled and twisted remains of Aang's staff from the water. "Oh, it's your glider".
"That's okay" the Airbender said solemnly as he took it in his hands. "If someone saw it, it would give away my identity. It's better for now that no one knows I'm alive". He then hopped away, landing near a river of lava. He planted his glider into the ground, and as he walked away, it caught fire, burning like a plant in a forest fire. As it burned, Shan We wrapped an arm around my waist. I did the same, resting my head against his shoulder and taking comfort from his presence.
In the immortal words of 'Get Smart': "Missed it by that much!"
This part of the story is one that I have been looking forward to for a long time now. Shan We and Takara are finally reunited, and it gives me a chance to fully explore their romance together. The first book was all about kindling the initial flame, the second was the cliché "my heart burns for you!" while they were apart, and now we get to see their relationship blossoming. However, it's far too early for them to share their first kiss; that would just be too easy. Muahahaha!
So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I appreciate your continued patience in regards to the new time gap in between postings. Stay tuned for: The Headband!