Fight 66: Feelings Unveiled

"NO!" Actress Chenlian yelled and attacked actress Azula.

"My sister!" Zuko suddenly ran over and attacked Chenlian from behind. She collapsed at Azula's feet. The prince ran to his sibling and asked if she was alright.

"Yes, I am fine thanks to you. You saved me, brother." She placed a hand on his shoulder. Mai and Ty Lee ran to them. The four hid the fallen bodies and posed. "Chenlian the Traitor and the Avatar are no more!" While this declaration was met with huge cheers and much clapping from the audience, Katara, Sokka, and Toph were more... disgruntled, annoyed. Zuko hid his eyes with his left hand, unable to keep watching his shameful past. On the other hand, Chenlian's expression was completely inscrutable. As she stood up her lover caught her hand.

"Chenlian..." He gazed up at her with wet eyes, looking quite like a terrified, trembling puppy.

"What is it?" She smiled.

"No... nothing..." He stood up too and tightly hugged her. Her eyes had been like glass beads, not revealing anything. And while her smile was not the chilly one from not that long ago, it held no warmth either. So he held her strongly with his trembling arms. Whenever she doubted him, he would hold her. But it was also to reassure himself, that she was still there, with him... and that she was still warm, not cold like the day he had gone to ascertain her death. That was in the past. But the past was not completely gone.

Time for the second intermission. Everyone came out in the corridor or down in the entrance hall. Most were chatting in small groups. There were a number of couples too. Suki noted that they often lost. It seemed like they barely made it out alive whenever there was a big battle.

"You're one to talk, Suki. Didn't Azula take you captive? That's right, she did." Sokka did the question/answer on his own. He had wanted to wipe that smirk off her face. And he succeeded a bit too much.

"Are you trying to get on my bad side?" She frowned, serious again.

"I'm just saying." He shrugged matter-of-factly. Katara voiced her worry about Aang, asking where he could be, since he still hadn't returned. "He left to get me fire gummies like, 10 minutes ago. And I'm still waiting." Sokka did not sound very patient as he folded his arms. His sister left to check outside.

Katara found Aang standing alone at the balcony. She walked up to him and asked if he was alright.

"No, I'm not. I hate this play." He threw his hat on the ground.

"I know it's upsetting but it sounds like you're overreacting." She approached him.

"Overreacting?! If I hadn't blocked my chakra, I'd probably be in the Avatar State right now." The boy turned to explode at her before leaning back onto the railing.

As Sokka had some jokes he wanted to give to the actor him, he enlisted his girlfriend's help to get him backstage. After all, she was an elite warrior who had trained for many years in the art of stealth. So they walked away too.

"Guess I'll be going to." Chenlian also moved.

"Where to?" Her lover asked.

"I told you it was boorish to pry into a woman's affairs." She waved without even glancing back.

"Jeez. Except her, everyone's getting so upset about their characters." Toph complained. "Even you, Zuko, seem more down than usual and that's saying something." An amused smile was playing on her lips.

"You don't get it. It's different for you. You get a muscly version of yourself taking down ten bad guys at once and making sassy remarks. And Chenlian's character is like a last ladyboss in power and cunning."

"Yeah, we're pretty great."

"But for me, it takes all the mistakes I've made in my life and shove them back in my face." He hung his head, obviously full of shame and regrets. "My Uncle... he's always been on my side even when things were bad. He was there for me. He taught me so much... and how do I repay him? With a knife in his back. And I'm not even talking about Chenlian. It's one of my greatest regret and I may never get to redeem myself."

"You have redeemed yourself to your Uncle. You don't realize it but you already have." Toph said comfortingly, sitting down too.

"How do you know?"

"Because I once had a long conversation with the guy and all he would talk about was you."

"Really?" Zuko lowered his hood and smiled.

"Yeah, and it was kind of annoying." The earthbender could not help but admit. The Fire Nation prince apologized for his uncle. "But it was also very sweet. All your uncle wanted was for you to find your own path and see the light. Now you're here with us. He'd be proud. And Chenlian too. She did accept you back, didn't she? But she's still in pain, so you'll keep working hard for her sake, to heal her, make the regrets disappear, and prove she wasn't wrong to accept you."

"Yes, of course." He replied, causing the earthbender to smile and punch him. "Ow. What was that for?" The young man rubbed his arm.

"That's how I show affection." She grinned. But then, a little boy with an Aang disguise who was running by paused in front of them.

"Your Zuko costume is pretty good but your scar's on the wrong side." He pointed at his face before running off again. Zuko's jaw dropped, then he gritted his teeth and balled his fists.

"The scar is not on the wrong side!" He finally yelled, bringing his hood down again, much lower than usual. Geez, what was he doing, letting a little kid throw him off like that... or so Chenlian would have sighed had she been here.

Suki and Sokka walked down a flight of stairs and arrived at they destination. The two peeked out the corner and saw their target, actor Sokka, coming their way, a hand on his chin. The real one swiftly popped up in front of him.

"Can I help you?" The thespian offered.

"Actually, I think I can help you. I'm a big Sokka fan but I don't think you're representing him quite as well as you could be."

"Oh no... another fan with ideas." The actor attempted to turn and leave but the Water Tribe warrior quickly cut his escape route.

"Just hear me out. Here's something I think the real Sokka would say." He produced several cue cards from his belt and picked one, clearing his throat. "'What does the cabbage merchant use to fix his cabbages?A cabbage patch.'!" He grinned proudly and thrust his arms out. His girlfriend smacked her forehead. But to her greatest shock, the actor laughed. He had actually found it pretty good. He read through the cue cards offered to him, and laughed again at 'rocky relationship'. Seeing as the performer had already warmed up to him, Sokka wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Also, don't be afraid to make up some phrases, especially before an attack. Something like "Flying Kick-A-Pow!"" The two men walked away together all buddy-like.

"Who are you, anyway?" The thespian finally asked.

"I'm just a guy who likes comedy." The comedy-lover replied innocently. Suki watched the fellow comedians leave together to further discuss how to best portray the greatest charm of the character known as 'Sokka'.

Chenlian left the lavatories and went to get some fresh hair. Staying inside all the time with all those people was a bit stuffy after all. And she likely also needed time to compose herself for the next part. It did hurt to have salt, and pepper and spices rubbed on your wounds. But Zuko was clearly paying the price too. And that was enjoyable. It was cute when he'd look at her all teary-eyed and trembling. Even now, that made her giggle and want to tease him more. Guess she HAD become somewhat of a bully. Now she could understand the good sides of wickedness. Feeling better, and thinking it was time to return to her boyfriend so she could see more of his cutely pitiful expressions, she turned heels to go back inside only to be hailed by two familiar voices. She was surprised to recognize Chan and Ruon-jian.

...What were they doing here?! After what happened to their house too. They also voiced their surprise, and happiness, and asked why she had left so suddenly, without even saying goodbye. They had been worried about her. The girl looked down and apologized, muttering she was no good with goodbyes. Chan smiled, relieved, and petted her head, forgiving her. Right, she was completely different from that scary woman who had burned his house. This one was strong, yes, but also cute, and sometimes weak and docile. If it was her, he would protect her, and she would support him in turn. He changed subjects and questioned her about the people she had wanted to find, and also if she had got a boyfriend since then.

The three had no idea that Zuko, who had come to fetch his lover, was spying on them. After all, last time she had called him boorish was in order to trick him at the Sun Warriors' island so now he was more on guard. And it was also true that men tended to accost her whenever he left her alone. But to think it would be those two idiots. If only they didn't know him already... Chenlian answered she had found the people she had been looking for and was travelling with them.

"And I am with someone... for now... I guess..."

"For now? You guess?"

"Well, he's the type to pursue passionately, and then rest on his laurels, and lose interest once he obtains what he wants, taking it for granted. So who knows how long it will last..." She smiled derisively, shrugging. Hearing her words and tone made Zuko ball his fists even tighter.

'There's no way you can rely on a guy like that to protect you and make you happy."

"Oh my, are you implying you would be a better match for me? I heard what happened at your house..." Her smile turned more mischievous. "It might not be my place to say, but if you're an admiral's son, you should learn to be more careful. Some people might try to use you, and others, like political rivals, might want to ruin you and your family. Or you can simply anger the wrong person. And if you're a man, then you should take responsibility for your actions. Take this advice as thanks for the care you've shown me." The girl placed an encouraging hand on Chan's shoulder while the back of her other hand lightly hit his chest. Her words might be somewhat harsh but her expression was really gentle.

While Chan was used to teens his age trying to butter him up, it was the first time he was scolded. And yet, she seemed to care more, be more sincere than all those around him. That was why, when she tried to leave, he grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"Wait! Where are you staying? Can we see each other again? When are you free?"

"...For your own safety, I will not answer those questions. It'd be bad if your current place got burned too." Chenlian removed his hand and returned inside. However, she stopped again after having turned a corner. "So you were there... as usual, you have such bad manners."

"How are you acquainted with them?" Zuko responded sullenly.

"They invited me over when I needed a place to stay."

"So you willy nilly went alone to a guy's place?"

"Who am I to refuse kindness when I am in need? I am stronger and smarter than them too. Besides, it's not like you can talk. Back then, I was a traitor who was still in jail as she deserved, for all you knew, and you were much more preoccupied by the Avatar's capture..."

"I know, but I still can't help what I feel right now..." He pulled her towards him and tightly held her.

"At least, you understand that beating them up will not make you feel better, and will not make you a better person. People drag others down to make them smaller than they are. They don't want to put any effort in improving themselves because it's so much harder than destroying. However, constantly trying to better yourself is proof of a worthy person. Now what can you do to prove you're better than them? Think for yourself. Also, we can't go back to the others if you keep hugging me like this."

"Isn't it fine even if we don't return immediately? With that play, it's not like we'll miss anything." The young man squeezed her tighter.

"Oh my, I'm having quite a bit of fun though... with your reactions that is." She taunted.

"You weren't that much of a bully." He pouted.

"People change. Aren't you the one who insists on that? Or did you not change?"

"What doesn't change is that I can never seem to win an argument with you."

"That's why you're using other methods to try and win me over."

"That's right. But the fact that you're aware of it reduces their efficiency." Zuko sounded frustrated about it, but also intent on improving, and practicing those methods. Or so she gathered from the way he was nuzzling and pecking her.

"Katara, did you really mean what you said in there ?" Aang questioned, his arms crossed, but she had no idea what he was talking about. "On stage. When you said I was just like a brother to you and you didn't have feelings for me." He gestured towards the theatre before placing his hand on his chest. Katara corrected him. She had not said that. An actress had. "But it's true, isn't it? We kissed at the invasion and I thought we were going to be together but we're not." He looked down dejectedly.

"Aang, I don't know."

"Why don't you know? " While it might (arguably) stand to reason that he was upset, he was speaking like a petulant child throwing a tantrum because his mom wouldn't give him what he wanted.

"Because we're in the middle of a war and we have other things to worry about. This isn't the right time."

"Well, when is the right time?" He selfishly and impatiently pressured her more.

"Aang, I'm sorry but right now, I'm just a little confused." She tugged a lock of her hair and closed her eyes. Despite her refusal, he still attempted to push things through... by pressing his lips against her. Her eyes snapped open and she backed away, startled, and angry.

"I just said that I was confused! I'm going inside." Obviously furious that he had tried to take advantage of her confusion to force his feelings onto her, Katara ran off. Aang hit his own head several times.

"Argh! I'm such an idiot!" He realized a little too late.

After a time, he finally returned to his seat where he brought his knees up to his chest. However, the fact that he was sitting next to Katara made it quite awkward. Zuko and Chenlian had returned earlier, with Chenlian now observing him. She didn't say anything but she could easily guess from his behavior that something must have happened. Apparently without noticing (or maybe caring about) the child's dark mood Sokka told him he had missed their coming to the Fire Nation, his getting better, Zuko being mean to imprisoned Chenlian, but Chenlian making him doubt and seducing him (with a scene where Zuko fell for her provocation, grabbed her face, and kissed her between the bars), Katara being the Painted Lady, himself (Sokka) getting a sword, and Chenlian escaping and killing Combustion Man upon rejoining them. Now the invasion was about to start. Actresses Katara and Aang were standing on top of a submarine prop. She told the avatar that she would always love him like a brother. And 'he' cheerfully replied that he wouldn't want it any other way. They shook hands and nodded in a friendly gesture before he took off. The real airbender blushed at the scene and pulled his hat down while Katara looked away sadly, having both been reminded of the conversation they just had. Then actors Sokka and Toph joined their fellow performer atop the submarine.

"Hey Toph, would you say you and Aang have a rocky relationship?" The man playing Sokka asked, causing the audience to erupt in laughter. The true Sokka went ballistic, guffawing and grabbing his head, Suki, and Aang, revealing to his friend that he had told the actor to say that. And it was not over... "I hope everyone's ready for The Invasion. Slop-A-Pow!" He punched the air in front of him, surprising his colleagues, and making the spectators roar with laughter again, especially the comedy-lover who had given him the idea. Suki gave her boisterous boyfriend a weird look at first, only to end up warmly smiling at him, glad that he was enjoying himself.

The next scene took place in the throne room of the Royal Palace. Aang, Toph, and the Water Tribe siblings came running, only to find it empty. Then actor Zuko (now with spiky hair) walked in and pompously declared his intention to join them. The one playing Sokka lowered his boomerang, only saying "We have no choice. Come on." But Chenlian told them to wait, and punched her ex-boyfriend, sending him flying once before agreeing. Now he could join. And the group ran off again.

"I guess that's it. The play's caught up to the present now." The genuine Sokka stood up, ready to leave. But Suki grabbed his shirt and made him sit back down. The play was not over. "But it is over. Unless... This is the future!" He pondered, cupping his chin.

"With the energy harnessed from that comet, no one will be able to stop the Fire Nation!" An evil-looking Ozai appeared from the shadows behind the throne and declaimed. A comet prop was very slowly making its way across the ceiling above the throne.

"Father! Zuko, Chenlian, and the Avatar are at the palace. They're trying to stop you." Azula pointed at her 'father' who ordered her to take care of Zuko and Chenlian while he shall face the Avatar himself. And the Fire Lord vanished in a puff of smoke. Azula stood up and moved to the centre of the scene. Her brother and Chenlian entered, and Aang was also lowered onto the stage.

"Aang, you fight the Fire Lord, we'll hold her off." The prince of the stage said. Actress Aang got pulled up once more.

"You are no longer my brother! You are an enemy!"

"No, I am the rightful heir to the throne!" He pointed at her.

"We'll see." The Fire Lord's daughter retorted, smirking slyly. The two fought with red and blue ribbons respectively. Then, to simulate Azula unleashing a big move, billowing flame-like-cloths sprouted up, growing in size as they reached Zuko, mostly hiding him from view.

"Honor!" The actor screamed, his silhouette raised his arms as if in pain. He was lowered through a trap door in the floor. The princess bowed to the spectators who clapped their hands and cheered. The real Zuko blinked, stunned, his friends worriedly turning to him.

"Zuko!" Stage Chenlian yelled, her hands on her cheeks, as if horrified. But then... "Tsk! What a useless man. Now that it's come to this, I guess I have no choice but to end you myself!" She attacked Azula. Their battle was more grandiose as even Chenlian got to unleash a big move. A red curtain fell from the ceiling, down towards Azula. It separated and fell down like she had cut the wave of fire in two with a vertical slash. The two charged at each other. But then from Azula's side, a very large wooden sword, with sharp protrusions and painted red to simulate a flaming blade, was thrust at Chenlian, or rather in her direction. She stopped dead in the tracks like she had been stabbed through. "No... I can't die without having accomplished anything... my revenge... my ambition..." She raised a trembling hand towards the Fire Lord's daughter. The sword was pulled out, and she collapsed.

"All those who betray the Fire Nation, the Fire Lord, will die." Azula brought her arm down and a red cloth fell on Chenlian's body. The cheering of the crowd doubled. The real Chenlian watched the portrayal of her demise without the slightest change of expression. As always, her lover and friends were much more concerned about her than she was about herself.

Small fire props popped up along the front of the stage. Aang walked in, warily looking around. Ozai was sitting in the dark on an armchair towards the back of the stage. A spotlight shone on him when he started speaking.

"So, you have mastered all four elements?" He questioned. The comet was slowly flying above him.

"Yeah and now, you're going down!" The womanly avatar grinned like a child about to swat down a fly.

"No, it is you who are going down! You see, you are too late. The comet is already here and I'm unstoppable!" The Fire Lord declaimed to the heavens. The actress was merely acting shocked with a hand on her cheek, but the real Aang had a truly frightened expression. Actor Ozai attacked relentlessly. Female Aang only dodged while twirling her glider. That was until he released a torrent, or sheet of fire that wrapped around her.

"NOOOOoooooo..." She twirled while holding onto the orange-red cloth, quite like children would roll themselves within a blanket to mimic a caterpillar. As she fell to the floor and Ozai was staring down at her with a satisfied smirk, Azula came over.

"It is over, Father. We've done it."

"Yes, we have done it! The dreams of my Father, and my Father's Father have now been realized." As he spoke, large flame props surged up both in the fore- and background. The stage had become a sea of fire. The spot he was standing on rose like a tower and a Fire Nation unfurled behind him. Azula knelt down. "The World... is mine!" He declaimed, his arms reaching out to the heavens. The audience gave a standing ovation. On the other hand, the Gaang could only look on, speechless.

They exited the theatre as soon as they recovered and went down to the beach. They followed the shoreline towards their safehouse, their expressions still unhappy.

"That... wasn't a good play." Zuko was taking the lead, an arm possessively wrapped around his lover's waist.

"Duh. That's why I said it wasn't going to end well." Chenlian added.

"I'll say."

"No kidding."

"Horrible." Aang, Katara, and Suki fully agreed.

"You said it." Even Toph was of the same mind now despite having enjoyed herself most of the play.

"But the effects were decent." Sokka, a casual arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, and a thoughtful expression on his face, managed to mention the sole good point. Truly, you could always count on him to find even the faintest silver lining to the darkest cloud.

Aang was made to switch mindsets by the end of that play and focus more on duty. Yes, but the switch had caught on something, and the swap from romance could not be complete. He still needed some sort of answers. So he grabbed the two firebenders by the back of their clothes and brought them down a little.

"I have things to ask you two. Can I come by your room later?" The boy inquired. The couple glanced at each other quizzically.

So, when everyone had retired for the night, Aang went to visit Chenlian and Zuko for counsel and told them about the incident with Katara. After all they were back together after everything that happened between them... meaning they were the least likely couple. Heck, it should have been just plain impossible! Yet they had reconciled even before he could formally go out with Katara. And it had just happened, while they were still at war. So how did this happen?! How did they do it?! How did Zuko manage to succeed in the end?! What were girls thinking?! When, and how did Chenlian think Aang could finally get through to Katara?! Why wasn't she accepting him now?!

"Aang, don't make me say something as obvious as everyone being different." The girl sighed. Even through Aang had watched and heard, it seemed like it hadn't gotten through to him. "Also you took that play far too seriously. That actress playing you said she'd like nothing more than a siblings relationship with Katara, but that is not how YOU feel, right?"

"Of course not!"

"Then why would Katara be exactly as they made her out to be? Stop putting words into her mouth or making them overlap. Or like you believed she truly thought of you as a brother, you believe I am manipulating you to get revenge?"

"No! But... then, why isn't she accepting me as a man?!"

"Didn't she say she was confused? She's just scared and unsure of the future. However, since she didn't reject you when you kissed her at the time of the invasion, you can believe that you still have hope. Everything should be alright after you defeat Ozai and end this war. There are things that you just cannot rush or force. Just give her time to settle down and regain her composure."

"Yet, Zuko was quite forceful with you, and he succeeded..."

"Oh, but he got much more than just a cold shoulder for it, and it wasn't just once, right?" Chenlian grinned.

"Right..." Zuko agreed somewhat bitterly. "You really did beat me up time and time again. Well, I was prepared for it given what I had done and I was really just that desperate. In my case, if I hadn't been this forceful, my feelings would have never gotten through to her, and it would have been truly over between us. That's why no matter how much she hurt me and how many times she rejected me, I had to persevere and try again. Endure, be patient, and try again later. That's all I can say to you, Aang." Because he had endured without giving up, he could once more embrace the woman he loved.

"'Endure, be patient'... huh? I never imagined I'd hear you of all people say that..." Chenlian voiced both her and the monk's feelings as the two had equally weirded out expressions.

"Hey, I, too, am learning and growing..." The prince retorted a bit sulkily.

"And I guess I was tired of this constant fear and doubt, of feeling like a coward and a weakling... While I still don't fully trust him, I decided I'd deal with things when they came. He's the one who can choose whether to fight and endure in hope to get back my full approval... or to give up. And you have the same choice, Aang. If you don't want to give up, you can only endure while believing in her, that she will come to eventually, and in yourself, that your feelings are strong enough to reach her..." The female bender smiled with a challenging glint in her eyes, causing the avatar's own gray eyes to widen.

Ah... Chenlian had talked about believing in others, and in oneself... How long had it been since Aang had last heard her say something like that...? Was it when they had passed each other by in the Earth Kingdom? Or was it even before, when they used to travel together up to the North Pole? After she had joined up with them in on their way to the Fire Nation Capital, he had strongly realized how she had ceased to believe, to the point it was painful. So hearing her say that now brought a smile to his face.

"Got it!" The boy's eyes were shining. His friend was starting to heal. So surely, everything was going to be alright. It was alright for him to believe.

It was all good that Aang had come to peace with himself, but it seemed like it wasn't the case for Zuko... He was still troubled by what happened earlier with Chan and Ruon-Jian, and her words from then. He had decided to accept the consequences of his actions, yes. So he could not remain ignorant and questioned her about it. He was working hard to sound all calm and cool, but the agitated undertone in his voice betrayed him. The young woman instantly guessed what he was referring to and smirked slyly.

"...Well, indeed, a lot happened during all those years. I only met those two once though. I stayed like two or three days with them. They took good care of me, or rather, I took care of them, they were so helpless, not even able to cook for themselves, but Chan had especially warmly welcomed me... Being in his strong arms, against his firm chest, is more than enough to make the average girl feel completely safe."

"What else have you been hiding from me?" He gripped her shoulders. It couldn't be more clear that he was trying to control his strength and anger. Seeing him battling with himself like this caused her grin to widen.

"I never hid anything though. It's just you never bothered to ask. Or is it something you just up and casually drop?"

"Stop playing on words." Zuko continued to quietly storm, but she remained impassive.

"I already told you, didn't I? A woman someone neglects and discards will be picked up and treasured by another who will see her true worth. While you went and forgot all about me, I met many kind people who took good care of me. Did you not take me seriously? Did you ignore it because you had gotten complacent, or maybe because you didn't truly care? Or did you simply assume that since I was strong, I could easily bear the cold, pain, and loneliness without ever wavering? Did you really believe I'd be entirely alone all this time? Did you think I could not be touched by someone's sincere affection, by their warmth, and respond to them in kind?" Chenlian kept taunting him, provoking him, relentlessly pushing him over and over until he snapped and pinned her down on the bed. His grip had tightened to the point it was almost painful, but he was still struggling not to hurt her too much. He was trembling, and his face was lost between rage and pain. "... Just kidding."

"What?! You were messing with me?!"

"Well, of course. How excessive, to think that you didn't trust me..."

"Who's being excessive?! Even if it's a lie, that's a line that shouldn't be crossed!"

"What's the big deal? Even though I knew my feelings were not reciprocated, you were still the one person I thought about. So just let me say whatever now." The girl chuckled sightly. Anger all but faded from Zuko's face as her casual words stabbed through his heart. He had tried to forget her when everyone called her a traitor and during his search for the Avatar. He had tried to forget her again using Mai. And they weren't even talking about the reason why she had been left alone in the first place, about what his father had done to her family.

"...It's my responsibility for having made you feel lonely for so long. I've always wondered why you weren't by my side and never once thought of going to yours. Because of me, you've had to bear much more than you should have. So if you hate me and can't forgive me, just say it. But you can't say things like that again." He might have been the one who had asked, and he truly believed that he should not remain ignorant and let her suffer alone, in silence... But after all, it might have been too soon for those questions. Given his total lack of composure, he clearly wasn't ready. "You know I'm the type to get overly jealous. When it comes to you, I'm always unable to control myself."

"I know. That's why I said those things. It's fine for you to be jealous. So, in your current state of jealousy, what are your thoughts?"

"...That I want to make you mine, and mine only..." He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers for a deep, intense, impassioned kiss. Chenlian's mischievous gaze had apparently kindled a different kind of fire in Zuko, a fire that might not burn out until morning...

Author's note: muhahahaha they're all burning! The flames of jealousy, revenge, love and passion! They're burning scorchingly strong! *cough cough*

Anyway, next chapter: Fight 67: "Price and Value" (unless I find a better title) the content of which is entirely non-canon.