Fight29: Resolution
Early morning, in a conifer forest on a shoreline, Katara and Sokka were sleeping atop large tree stumps while Aang was resting on Appa's saddle. A spider had built a web in Sokka's open mouth and was patiently waiting for its prey at the center. And Momo was intently staring at it. The lemur was standing on the boy's chest. A fly got caught in the web and when the spider moved to get it, Momo shoves his hand into Sokka's mouth, catching both bugs in the same time. The boy's eyes bugged out and he chucked and spat and got angry at the lemur that ate the bugs while lying upside down on Sokka's chest. The young man asked the animal to be a little more sensitive to his boundaries. But suddenly, the lemur heard something that made him bolt on his feet, scared. There were galloping sounds and Aang and Katara woke up and looked in horror at the war komodo-rhinos that encircled their camp. Each was mounted by a Fire Nation soldier although they didn't wear the standard uniform. They looked like mercenaries.
"Give up! You're completely surrounded!" The muscular and cruel-looking leader, Colonel Mongke, barked. He was wearing a nose ring and a short sleeve uniform. Four beasts were circling Appa and the kids and there was another on a rock outcropping. A long haired archer with red paint on his face (who had certainly once been part of the Yu Yan Archers) fired three flaming arrows at Sokka who was earthworming his way in his sleeping bag. The projectiles pinned his bag to the ground. He freed himself and the two siblings ran to Appa. Aang was already on the driver's seat. But Katara noticed she had left her waterbending scrolls behind. A komodo rhino stopped at the stump and its rider planted his halberd into the wood. She charged nonetheless and bended a jet from her waterskin to freeze the blade to the stump. She quickly took a box of scrolls and returned. But that had reminded the airbender that he had forgotten his staff. He jumped and ran to it. The halberd user broke the ice and retrieved his weapon. Another soldier launched a weighted chain that wraped around a tree trunk, bringing is down with a huge crash right in Aang's way. The child airbended himself over it. The masked mercenary threw a grenade from his belt at the Avatar. However, the latter had recovered his staff and used it to bat the bomb deeper into the forest where it exploded. Aang jumped back onto Appa and the bison took off on his command. Mongke launched blasts of fire at them but they ducked in time. It was only then that Sokka remembered his boomerang. He wanted to get it back but his sister told him there was no time.
"Oh, I see. There's time to get YOUR scrolls and time to get YOUR staff, but no time for MY boomerang ?!" The warrior was angry.
"That's correct!" Katara replied cheerfully.
"Oh." Sokka said resignedly.
Appa landed in a forest clearing near a trail leading to a walled town built near a cliff overlooking the ocean. The humans went to a small shop on the roadside. Katara was doing the shopping while Aang, wearing a conical hat, was apologizing to Sokka about his boomerang. The teen warrior felt he had lost part of his identity, the same as if Aang lost his arrow or Katara her... hair loopies... he walked over to the stall, where his baby sis hugged him comfortingly. The merchant gave a basket of food and other products to Sokka, calling him 'ponytail guy'. The boy lamented he used to be 'boomerang guy'. The merchant closed his shop and bid them a nice Avatar Day, which intrigued the children who decided to go see the town festival.
They saw a giant Kyoshi float rolling to the main square, and followed by Roku. More than having a huge festival in his honor, Aang was grateful just being appreciated. However, more than anything, Sokka appreciated the deep-fried festival food. And then, a giant Aang float passed by. The three floats were lined up before the spectators. A muscular and bare-chested young man ran into the square with a lit torch.
"Now a torch... that's a nice prop. It's bright, dangerous..." Sokka deeply breathed in. "Smells manly. But I'm not sure I could carry it off." But they were shocked to the man jump through the lower half of the Kyoshi statue and light it on fire before going to the Roku float and setting it ablaze too. The crowd was repeatedly chanting 'Down with the Avatar!' At the mayor's signal, the man, who had climbed on a roof, threw his torch at the Aang float whose right eye and began to burn. The boy showed a pained and distraught face. Katara bended the water from two nearby caskets and quenched the fire. A spectator accused that party-pooper of ruining Avatar Day. Aang airbended himself to the left shoulder of his own float and defended the party-pooper, his friend. And he revealed himself. People panicked, believing he was going to kill them with his awesome Avatar powers. The monk tried to convince them otherwise. The mayor snootily asked him to leave as he was not welcome here. But Katara didn't understand why, Aang helped people, he was on their side.
"I find that hard to swallow considering what you did to us in your past life. It was Avatar Kyoshi; she murdered our glorious leader, Chin the Great." The mayor accused, shocking the child. He was supported by a hideous old man who stated they used to be a great society before he killed their leader. Katara defended the airbender. Aang would never do something like that. No Avatar would. And she also accused the townspeople: it wasn't fair of them to question his honor! A man broke wind and stuck his butt out at her in response and the crowd noisily voiced its agreement. And so, in order to clear his name, Aang glady accepted to stand trial and follow all their rules, including paying bail. However, they refused his Water Tribe money and he was put to jail, a stocks device around his neck and wrists.
"So, some people don't like you. Big deal! There's a whole nation of firebenders who hate you. Now let's bust you out of here." Sokka demanded.
"I can't."
"Sure you can! A little... swish, swish, swish! Airbending slice! ...and we're on our way." The teen warrior was quite upbeat. Katara translated: what 'Master Swish' was probably trying to say was that he was supposed to be out saving the world and he couldn't do that if he was locked up. The Avatar replied he couldn't do that either with people thinking he was a murderer. He needed his friends to prove his innocence. Sokka doubted it was possible since the crime had happened over three hundred years ago.
"That's okay, Sokka. For some reason, I thought you were an expert detective." Aang shrewdly motivated him. Sokka admitted it, clearly faking modesty. His sister played along. Back home he was famous for solving the mystery of the missing seal jerky! The young man bragged about how he had solved this case, failing to notice Katara's gesture of despair and Aang making fun of him to amuse her. In the end, Sokka accepted the request, although for that he needed new props.
"You sound restless and irritated." Senya noticed. Chenlian kept playing, her eyes closed, her aura so waspish it was prickling. "Are you still angry about yesterday?"
"Of course. You still haven't apologised." She replied sharply. But it wasn't the only reason she was on edge. This morning, Zuko had tried to follow her to see where she was going. She had managed to lose him in town but still, it had been dangerous. And surely, she was going to get an earful again upon her return...
"I've done nothing that would require an apology." He declared with shameless confidence. "More importantly, I want to know why you're so guarded and apprehensive about love. Each time I try to get close to you, you shield your heart with a hard armor. Perhaps were you deserted by a horrible man?" He inquired, his piercing eyes boring into hers. She stopped playing and kept quiet, only her eyes twitched as she remembered the pain she had felt when Zuko had repulsed her so strongly and chosen Azula at the bathhouse, how he had snapped when he had captured her and Katara during the waterbending scroll incident with the pirates... and all those times when she had felt distance, rejection, a wall between them... "Are you afraid to love?" He young man asked softly. After a time, Meiling smiled sadly and derisively.
"Maybe... I am." She admitted her weakness against all expectations.
"So am I."
"What?!" Chenlian exclaimed, incredulous. "How could that be?! Don't you make a move on every pretty girl?!"
"That's something I can do because I'm playing around, and so are they. But if I found someone special to me, someone I truly want, surely I wouldn't hesitate."
After having put a strange hat on his head with an extending magnifying glass that restes above right eye, he declared he was ready, making his sister giggle at his ridiculous outfit. They went to the sea side of the town where a small temple right on the cliff was overlooking the water expanse. Between the temple and the city walls, the benches of an amphitheatre were cut into the hillside. While sokka was studying the temple, Mayor Tong stood right at the edge of the cliff and pointed at a small footprint at his feet, saying this was the crime scene, and the footprint of the killer, Kyoshi. It was at sunset three hundred and seventy years ago today that she had emerged from the temple and struck down... he indicated a statue of a stern Earth Kingdom warrior made of marble near the temple... Chin the Great. After that tragic day, they had built this statue to immortalize our great leader. He told them to feel free to appreciate it, which Sokka did. He noticed that the temple and statue were cut from the same stone. And they knew that the statue was built after Chin died.
"So if they were built at the same time, that means-" Katara began, worked up.
"Shhh! I wanna solve it! That means Kyoshi never set foot in this temple." Her brother interrupted.
"That's a big hole in the mayor's story, but it's not enough to prove Aang's innocence." She concluded. Her brother agreed. Although the biggest mystery nobody thought of addressing was how this footprint could have lasted over three hundred years in perfect shape without being eroded by time and elements. Sokka produced a water pipe out of nowhere and blew a few bubbles. They needed to go to Kyoshi Island. Katara asked where he had got that pipe.
Actually, Aang was confined in a walled courtyard with a partial roof overhanging the opposite side. Only one wall had a round opening with bars. That was where visitors could come talk to the inmates. A tall, muscular, bald tattooed prisoner came forward.
"You got a bald head... some nice tattoos..." He ran at Aang with a cry of fury, but was restrained by chains before he reached him. "You're going to fit in real well around here." He balled his fists. The Avatar smiled fearfully.
The Water Tribe siblings arrived at Kyoshi Island on Appa. Of course, they were immediately surrounded by the townspeople. Koko stomped her foot and demanded to know where 'Aangy' was, and when Katara said he couldn't be here, everyone was disappointed. The crowd dispersed, but Oyagi approached them. The two explained the situation. Aang was in jail. The town of Chin believed Kyoshi murdered their leader in a past life. The indignant old man took them to Kyoshi's shrine in hope there would be something there would help them clear her name.
"So, uh... what's Suki up to ? Is she around?" Sokka inquired with feigned casualness on the path up from the village to the shrine. The chief told him that, inspired by them she had wanted to help change the world and left along with her warriors to fight in the war. "Oh, well... that's great." Although he had entirely forsaken Suki for a time to be consumed by an intense yet tragic romance with Princess Yue, that did not stop him from feeling depressed now due to his inability to return to his old love. They walked under a paifang gate to another temple overlooking the sea. It had been converted into a shrine to Kyoshi. They entered the dark room, filled with the former Avatar's clothing and weapons. The clerics had said that these relics were still connected to her spirit. Then Katara noticed Kyoshi's boots. Her feet must have been enormous. She recalled the small print by the Chin temple and instantly realized what this meant.
"Little footprints ... There's no way—" However, she was interrupted by her brother clearing his throat.
"Ahem. Special outfit? Hat and pipe? These things mean anything to you ?"
"You're right. I'm sorry. Please." The waterbender apologized with mock respect.
"Aha! There's no way Kyoshi could have made that footprint and therefore there is nothing linking her to the crime scene!" He declared dramatically. The girl flatly and sarcastically praised his brilliant deduction.
Chenlian was doing her shopping in the street market. Surely, Zuko had given up and left. Senya had decided to accompany her to 'protect her' and 'spend time with her'. And indeed, he kept sticking close to her at first, but as expected, he was accosted by girls within five minutes. They appeared to be of relatively high status. They wooed him, while subtly expressing their displeasure at her presence. They did not dare be open about it for the sake of appearances and not to anger Senya. She felt their jealousy in their patronizing attitude. A low-born person like her wasn't fit to be the young master's companion. She reacted with extreme politeness, and cold. And soon after the greetings, Chenlian left her employer in their care with a smile. However, he chased after her and hugged from behind. He mentioned how glacial and irritated she had been, even to him... like she had been jealous...
"I have no reason to be jealous. I just don't think social standing should be a criterion to judge people or relations."
"The women I've known believed they deserved something simply because they wanted it or impaired themselves with self-imposed limitations. But you're different." He pulled away and turned her around. "You're truly a person of exception. Since you look with your heart, you don't get swayed by appearances. You cherish people. You pretend to be indifferent but you care. Even your harshness is a proof of care. You don't reprimand someone you don't care about."
"You're overestimating me. I just don't like what I don't like." Meiling looked away.
"But I believe a man who loves you must be prepared. You're the type to choose the people over him if you were to be in such a situation, even if you were to suffer from that choice."
"You speak as if I could be in that position." The woman noted. She was trying to hide it but she was agitated. His words had struck a chord in her heart, one she had ignored all this time since she, Zuko and Iroh had escaped Azula and started living together. Senya smiled mysteriously.
"But you know, that kindness you lavish on everyone makes you really cruel. He won't ever be number one in your heart and will suffer severe fits of jealousy. He will resent you. Because he loves you, he wants to monopolize you, but still you won't be entirely his even if you love him back. What should a man do then, give up or endure?"
"How would I know?" She replied, covering her fear with bravado. Enjoying a simple everyday life with Zuko without having to fight, without being separated by the war, simply being together, talking, sometimes laughing... even if there were hard times and tensions, that time was still unspeakably precious to her, even their arguments, because you wouldn't waste time arguing for so long with someone you didn't care about. Even if it was a conflictual one, that relation still gave her hope, for her, for him, for the two of them, like a green bud sprouting over blackened soil. She wanted to cherish it and protect it. But because she had once more found something precious, she had been reminded of the fear of losing it.
"You're right, that part is up to the man. The sun lights and warms this Earth, but if it's too bright it will parch and burn it. And you shouldn't forget that even the sun can be engulfed in the darkness of the night."
"I don't get what you're talking about."
"Just talking to myself. By the way, if it was me, I'd do anything for you, I'd give you everything you desired and I could sacrifice anything too..." He cupped her chin and tilted it upward, and gazed at her such with magnetic green eyes, deep enough to let even her drown in them. "... the world... or myself..." He leant in but before he could kiss her, her palm connected with his chin and forced him back.
"Then please stop getting ahead of yourself."
"Ah." The young man said with the sheepish and mischievous smile of one who just had his plan thwarted.
"I won't let my guard down again. And I'll be doing my shopping alone after all. Now please be a good boy and return home."
"Yeeeees."
"You're being unexpectedly docile." Chenlian noted, surprised and a little suspicious.
"Well, I don't want you to hate me. I have to behave every now and then." He smiled like a child. But his eyes were still those of an adult. The girl praised him and left. He waved until she was out of sight and then turned to sneer at the young man with the burn scar behind him, a superior and provoking light in his eyes. A distance away, his fists balled up, Zuko fiercely glared back at him, his face distorted by an intense wrath.
Aang was sitting in a circle with three other prisoners. The one who had called out to him reassured him. This girl he was talking about was sure come around. He just gotta hang in there until then. The boy easily got out of the stocks (that were too big for him) and rested his elbows on top of it. He hopefully asked if they really thought so and they confirmed all at once. He was a catch. Indeed, he was fitting in quite well. But he was still unsure. The first prisoner insisted. He was smart, handsome, funny, not to mention he was the Avatar. Aang smiled, saying they were great. The third prisoner sniffled and wiped a tear from his eyes, touched. Aang shouldn't be afraid to tell that girl how he felt.
At the Kyoshi Shrine, Oyagi showed the siblings a beautiful mural called "The Birth of Kyoshi." It had been painted at sunrise on the day the island was founded. In fact, it was this very day three hundred and seventy years ago. The information made Sokka spit out his pipe. This ceremony didn't take place at sunrise but at sunset from the shadows. They pointed east, so the sun must have been in the west. If Kyoshi had been in the ceremony at sunset, she couldn't have been committing the crime. She had an alibi! With that, they returned to the city of Chin. At Aang's jail they informed the mayor that after the investigation they had conducted, they had found some very strong evidence and prepared a solid defense for the Avatar.
"Evidence... Hmph! That's not how our court system works." Tong scoffed. The monk asked how he could prove his innocence. "Simple. I say what happened and then you say what happened and then I decide who's right." The official explained smugly, making everyone gasp, horrified, as they realized the implications of his words. "That's why we call it justice. Because it's 'just us.' Hahaha!" He walked off laughing maniacally. So basically, here all trials were sham.
The villagers had gathered on the benches of the amphitheatre for the Avatar's trial. The mayor made an incredibly short and simple speech. "Everyone loved Chin the Great because he was so great. Then the Avatar showed up and killed him! And that's how it happened." No basis, no proof, nothing, and that didn't matter since they didn't know the meaning of 'reason' or 'sense'; unless they didn't care. It was now the accused's turn. Sokka quietly and vainly encouraged him. Right... evidence. However, Aang completely messed his own defence, and couldn't sound more impersuasive. So in a last ditch attempt to save him, Katara called for the court to hear one last testimony. Of course, Tong jumped in anger and refused her. He had already told her it was just him and the accused. She couldn't call any witnesses. However, this wasn't just any witness. She was calling for... Avatar Kyoshi herself! Aang wore Kyoshi's clothes (that were way too big for him) and makeup. There was much mumbling among the crowd. The waterbender returned on her seat next to her brother who emitted his doubts concerning this strategy. But Kyoshi was Aang's past life. Maybe wearing her stuff would trigger something. The official protested. This was a mockery of Chin law! The girl begged him to wait a little more. The child greeted everyone in a mock female voice, calling himself Avatar Kyoshi but of course didn't fool anyone.
"This is ridiculous. For the murder of Chin the Great, this court finds the Avatar-" But as Mayor Tong was going to finish, a whirlwind of dust appeared around Aang, obscuring him from view and the sky darkened. The whirlwind dispersed to reveal Avatar Kyoshi herself.
"I killed Chin the Conqueror." She stated. "A horrible tyrant, Chin was expanding his army to all corners of the they came to the neck of the peninsula where we lived, he demanded our immediate surrender. I warned him that I would not sit passively while he took our home, but he did not back down. On that day, we split from the mainland." She had used her avatar powers to rent the earth all the way down and separate the peninsula and ease the movement of the newly created island with magma and wind. As the gale had blown Chin's army and propelled the island, the Conqueror had screamed in frustration at his defeat and the rock under him had crumbled, making him fall to his death into the water far below. "I created Kyoshi Island so my people could be safe from invaders." As she concluded, a whirlwind surrounded her, the darkness vanished and her spirit left Aang. Drained, the child swayed and let go of Kyoshi's fans. Katara rushed to hold him. He asked what happened.
"Uhh... you kind of confessed. Sorry." The waterbender apologized.
"And I find you guilty! Bring out the wheel of punishment!" The mayor ordered as he stood up and brushed himself. The wheel was brought. It was divided in eight wedges with a picture for eight sentences including getting boiled in oil, a torture machine, eaten by a bear, eaten by a shark, forced to lie on a bed of spikes, getting burned alive, falling into a pit of razors, and community service. On top was an indicator that determined the punishment when the wheel stopped spinning. As he had declared he would face justice, Aang spun the wheel. The spectators asked for the sentence they thought the worst like the torture machine, the razor pit or being eaten by bears while Katara prayed for community service. However, the wheel stopped at 'boiled in oil'. The crowd cheered and Aang and his friends looked horrified. Suddenly, a bomb bounced on the plaza into the temple where it exploded, blowing the building. A few seconds later, Colonel Mongke's voice resounded.
"We've come to claim this village for the Fire Lord! Now show me your leader so I may... dethrone him." He commanded as his soldier destroyed the statue of Chin the Conqueror with his halberd.
"That's him over there!" A spectator pointed at the mayor who hid behind the wheel. Such loyalty and strength of character... it was truly nothing short of amazing...
"You! Avatar! Do something!"
"Gee, I'd love to help, but I'm supposed to be boiled in oil." Aang replied unconcernedly. Tong spun the wheel to the next wedge, the community service one.
"There! 'Community service'. Now serve our community and get rid of those rhinos!" The mayor arranged, although it sounded more like 'serve me', since his community had deserted him. But that was enough for Aang who smiled and ran forward. He jumped into the air, shedding most of Kyoshi's clothing. The rider readied his halberd. The child unfolded the fans, sidestepped the komodo-rhino, and used the fan to airbend the rider out of his seat and off the side of the cliff. The Mayor peeped out over the wheel as the riderless anime closed in on him. He turned in horror and slid down the back of the mechanism. Three horns busted through the wheel, one just above each shoulder and one between his legs.
The Colonel Mongke ordered his Rough Rhinos to the town. And the four dispersed through the village, setting it on fire with arrows and blasts of fire. The masked rider dropped sticks of dynamite as he went. The stocky shirtless mercenary used his chain to break wooden pillars and collapse buildings. He was soon faced by Katara who blocked with ice, sending the flail back against her attacker. It coiled around him, leaving him bound by his own weapon and helpless. She then whipped the beast with her water and it ran away. Sokka reflected the sun with his magnifying glass to distract and blind the archer who turned and fired the two flaming arrows at him. They missed the boy, but took his silly hat on the way and hit the side bag attached to the masked Fire Nation's soldier rhino behind Sokka. Sokka smiled and ducked. The masked man picked up the bag of dynamite and threw it on the roof of a neighboring house that exploded a second later. Caught in the explosion, the Rough Rhino was projected against a wall. His helmet rolled by Sokka. Another bag landed before him... with his boomerang hanging out of it.
"Boomerang! You do always come back!" He exclaimed happily. The archer aimed at Sokka, who after a second of fear, threw his water pipe that engulfed both arrow and bow tips in its maw, putting out their fires. Katara took advantage of his inattention to cut the saddle straps. The rider fell off and was dragged away by his animal.
Aang ran across a T junction and stopped in the middle of the street. Colonel Mongke and his rhino appeared at the other end. They stared at each other and the mercenary produced a constant flame from both arms and charged at Aang. The Avatar ran at him as well, jumped of the wall of alley and propeled himself over the Colonel's head. He extinguished the fire aimed at him and landed on the other side. He had lost the fans and headdress but he lost no time, got back up and made an air scooter on which he hopped on and ran down the street as the Mongke charged him again. He passed under the Colonel's rhino, avoiding his fire, though in turn, the Colonel avoided Aang's jet of air. They faced again, ran at each other, and the monk leapt into the air, sailed right through a blast of fire, and kicked the Colonel off his rhino. The Fire Nation soldier crashed through a wall.
Zuko was waiting at the edge of the woods and watching the town exit. After he had lost Chenlian, he had been looking around town all day, determined to confront her this time. And he had seen her with that man. He had frozen, pierced by a now familiar sense of betrayal and along with the pain of this stab wound, he felt his mind blank out, overcome by an all-consuming rage as he looked at that man. When he had seen him leaning in, he had been about to lunge to beat him down, unable to stop once he would have started punching. But Chenlian had pushed him and left. And that look in his eyes... he had noticed his presence! And he was challenging him! But then he had suddenly vanished. And unable to find either him or Chenlian, he had gone to ambush her on the road. And then he saw her come out of town. She entered the forest and soon left the road. When they were out of earshot of any passerby, he silently approached and called out to her.
"Where were you?" He asked harshly.
"Out working, and you?"
"You were with that man! I saw you! I told you not to see him! What are you doing, letting yourself be played by him?!"
"I don't think a thief and spy has any right to judge someone who's doing an honest work. You're too proud to beg but fine with stealing? How is that logical? Being poor isn't not a crime, stealing is. Since you're so hung up on your honor I'll tell you this: you only become shameful once you abandon your virtue." She replied scathingly. She slowly turned to face him. "And even if he's indeed after me and I had any sort of feeling towards him, who are you to decide for me who I should see and who I shouldn't? My brother? My father? Since what happened to my parents, when have you ever believed in me? Sided with me?" Her voice lost its mocking tone and started oozing anger, frustration and pain. Zuko stiffened, at a loss. He had not expected to be accused like this in return. Nor was it Chenlian's type to suddenly snap like that and show pain and weakness. "You never once questioned anything! You're with me when everything's well, and when things went bad for me, you simply gave up saying it couldn't be helped and moved on! And now you're telling me what to do and trying to control my life? Stop screwing with me! Why should I listen to you? I'm not a servant you can discard and reinstate whenever it's convenient! I don't exist for you to order around as you see fit! Stop taking people's affection for granted! Instead of simply expecting others to wait on you like some spoiled brat, why don't you try making a move towards them?! Why don't you try showing even an ounce of consideration for my feelings for a change?!" She snapped, her voice cracking. The young man's eyes widened and he snapped too. He gripped her arms. Shocked, Chenlian instinctively tried to break free. She tripped on a root. Her load dropped on the ground and she fell backwards, Zuko on top of her, his lips on hers. He pulled away.
"And you... what do you know about how I've felt these past years...?! Ever since I first met you you've been much more important to me than you could ever imagine! Stronger, braver, brighter, kinder than anyone else, and yet always so cool about things like you didn't really care. The one people relied on and yet who never let herself rely on anyone. The one who protected people but would never let anyone protect her." He raised himself just enough so that he could look at her in the eyes. "I wanted to surpass you! I wanted to become a man you could rely on and who could protect you! I wanted you to care about me like I cared about you! And then I heard about the coup d'état and how you escaped before being caught again and imprisoned... I wanted to believe you but I didn't know if I could! That you'd betray us... that you'd betray me... even though you had promised! Do you have any idea how painful it was?! And I was sent to search for the Avatar, and just when I thought I was over you, you reappear in my life... as my enemy...! Even though you had promised! And now you've forced yourself into my life again without even considering my feelings, completely messing my life! I get so irritated around you! I lose my control! Sometimes I would stop and realize I've been thinking about you the whole day and it would piss me off! I love you... I love you. I love you! So this time don't ignore my feelings! Don't be so friendly with other guys like it's nothing! Keep your promise and stay with me and only me!" And there was so much adoration and desperation in his eyes, his voice, that Chenlian's breath was taken away. Seconds ticked as they gazed at each other, and entranced by the sheer affection they saw, they drew closer, leant in... their lips brushed, their kiss deepened, and instantly, suddenly, as if this mere contact had shattered the dyke of their emotions, they locked in a fierce embrace. The kiss grew incredibly passionate, intense, before softening to an amazingly tender and loving one. They pulled away, panting slightly, and, mesmerized, kissed again.
"If I could just be the most important person in his life, then how happy I would be..." How many times did I think that? Chenlian wondered. I think I've always wanted to hear those words. But because he had people he loved much more, I too tried to shift my feelings. And then, because he was their son, I tried to harden my heart, I tried to hate him too, with all my might, because if I didn't, it would have been too painful, so painful I would be crushed. But after all, she hadn't been able to. Because he was him, because he was different from his family. Even if the circumstances had made it hard for him, deep down, he was a man of justice, mercy, and compassion. He had even tried to save Zhao. And when she had been with the Avatar, he had also tried to 'save' her a number of times, when he had captured her and Katara during the waterbending scroll incident, when they had saved the Avatar from the Pohuai stronghold... and he had exhibited jealousy towards Aang and now he was jealous of Senya.... It really can't be anybody else but him. I love him. And he loves me. That's why he's angry. That's why he's jealous. And it makes me so happy. He loves me and I hurt him, he was hurt because of his feelings for me. And that too makes me happy. Loving someone so madly like this... I'll never be able to love someone like this again... It can't be anyone but him... I... love him.
Night had fallen. Fireworks were blooming in the sky, and confetti falling like flower blossoms.
"From now on, we'll celebrate a new Avatar Day in honor of the day Avatar Aang saved us from the Rough Rhino Invasion." Mayor Tong declared. The three children were grinning, each holding a bowl. Sokka looked down at the cookie-like figures made to ressemble Aang in his and asked what it was. "That's our new festival food: unfried dough. May we eat it and be reminded of how on this day the Avatar was NOT boiled in oil." He addressed the crowd who cheered. The teens looked uncertain. They each picked up a dough cookie that drooped in their fingers.
"Happy Avatar Day, everyone." Katara said half-heartedly.
"This is by far the worst town we've ever been to." Her brother commented. They contained their disgust and ate a few more cookies.
Author's note: here it is, what many of you must have been waiting for... :3 Hope you liked the kiss and confession
Anyway, while I usually ignore grumbling quitters who don't have enough manners to mention a single good point or suggestion to improve said story, a word caught my attention: 'separator'. I never thought of using those within a chapter to separate point of views as it's not in my habit (and everything is properly separated in my Word document) but I admit the POV IS kinda jumpy in this fic.
So what do you think? Would it ease your reading if I put separators? Should I use them?
If enough of you say 'yes please', I'll start adding them from next chapter on (and go back to the previous ones at a later date), and if no one says anything, I'll just continue as is - safe for a few exceptions.