Sands of Time chapter 12

Author’s note: Bit of a flashback today, mostly because I’m full-time writing my dissertation and I needed something cute to tide me over. It’s probably cliche and toot-rottingly fluffy and I hope you enjoy it! 😉

Oh! About that thing Akefia says about hieroglyphics: from what I could find out there were two or three different ways you could write using them, Hieratic being (obviously) the most complex. I figured, what with all the tomb robbing, he’d at least know enough to figure out hints about the traps inside the pyramids/tombs…

And no lyrics on the title. This one came completely out of nowhere…

***Chapter 12***

Akefia was woken by the sound of coughing, coughing loud enough to make his ears ring (no thanks to his soulroom’s acoustics) and the Millennium Ring tremble. Confused he materialised outside the Ring, hovering in his host’s bedroom. The sun was peeking through the curtains, signifying mid-morning, but other than the hum of the several appliances the house was silent. So the Caretaker had taken the day off again…

 

Another round of coughing drew the Thief’s attention from faulty parenting models to the child still wrapped up in bed. Ryou’s face was flushed and his breath came out wheezing as the coughing subsided. Still, he seemed to sense the Spirit because his eyes cracked open and he tried to say something around his sore throat. It came out garbled and Ryou winced. Akefia rolled his eyes, because he was not concerned, and tapped in their mindlink.

Are you…he paused, searching for the right word, ill? Ryou nodded, before adding silently:

I think it’s the flu. It hurts! he added, in a tone just shy of whining.

 

Akefia was not sure how serious a “floo” is but he remembered the box that Ryou had explained contained medicine. For a moment he toyed with the idea of taking over their shared body and fetching it, but if his Landlord was truly sick that might make him worse. Their link wavered slightly, breaking Akefia from his thoughts, and he turned his attention to the boy in alarm before breathing a sigh of relief. Ryou had simply fallen asleep again.

 

With nothing better to do the Spirit wandered the apartment, entering the bathroom and glaring at one of the closed cabinets. Sure his non-corporeal form could phase through anything blocking his way, but that was of little help when he actually needed to interact with his surroundings. Still glaring he placed a careful hand on the cabinet door, willing it to not phase through. He needed to open it, dammit! Ryou needed medicine and he was not about to let something as trivial as his lack of a corporeal body stop him from doing right by his Landlord!

 

Let it not be said that the Millennium Items didn’t do their best to obey his wishes. The irate thought had just enough time to form when he felt a strange weight surrounded him, starting from the centre of his chest and moving outward. Surprised by the sensation he stumbled and braced himself against the offending cabinet…and did not fall through. Akefia blinked in confusion, looking at his suddenly-corporeal hand, still clutching the cabinet’s doorknob. Carefully he moved his arm and the cabinet opened, revealing the coveted medicine box. Still not sure how it happened, and worrying it might have been a fluke, he slowly reached for the box and brought it to the counter next to the sink. His eyes moved absently to the mirror hanging above, and he nearly fell over his own two feet at the sight that greeted him. It wasn’t as much that he looked like Ryou’s older brother (though that was still something he was getting used to). It was that, for whatever reason, he seemed to be wearing a larger version of the boy’s pyjamas.

 

That wouldn’t do at all. Allowing himself a moment of vanity Akefia focused his attention on his appearance. He could feel the Shadow Magic thrumming around him, allowing him to remain corporeal and he let his thoughts drift to what he had seen adults wear at this time and place. He opened his eyes to find that his outfit had shifted to a blood-red T-shirt and dark jeans. Much more satisfied with his looks, Akefia turned his attention to the box, looking for anything with the word “flu” on it. Ten minutes later he marched out of the bathroom, a bottle clutched in his hand. Entering the kitchen he paused hesitantly. Medicine was not supposed to be taken on an empty stomach; that much he had understood from the tiny print on the instructions (and part of him was thanking the gods for the Ring’s ability to at least transfer to him his host’s language skills if nothing else…). But while Ryou had no problem letting him take over his body every now and then, neither of them had done much in terms of cooking. Well, Akefia reasoned uneasily, bread was bread no matter the century, right?

 

To his relief bread was indeed recognisable and soon he was walking back to Ryou’s room not only with the medicine, but also some bread slathered with honey and a glass of water. If whatever was in the bottle tasted even half as sickly sweet as it smelled the boy would definitely need it… Resting everything on the bedside table, Akefia sat next to the still-snoozing Ryou. As gently as he could, his host looked so much smaller now, he shook the boy awake.

Akefia? Even his mental voice sounded sleepy. Akefia smirked.

“Right here Landlord,” he said out loud and waited for the moment that the monumental change would register. It took less time than he expected. Ryou’s mind caught up with his body and he realised that there was an extra weight on the bed next to him. His eyes opened and he nearly flew to a sitting position, looking at his other self in surprise. Akefia got to enjoy Ryou’s astonished expression even less as the boy’s face lost all colour and his consciousness nearly followed.

“Hey, hey!” Akefia snapped, grasping Ryou and pulling him against him in a half-sitting, half-lying position. “Keh! You’re still burning up,” he mumbled, placing a cool hand on the boy’s forehead. “Where did you even get sick anyway?”

Ryou shrugged awkwardly but didn’t answer.

 

“Here,” Akefia passed him the bottle. “That’s medicine, right?” Ryou checked the label and nodded sluggishly before pushing himself to sit up –more carefully this time– and downed a dose, scrunching his face at the taste. Akefia wordlessly took the bottle back and handed him the glass. A few sips and a short bout of coughing later Ryou turned to him smiling.

“Thanks,” he said, his voice still a little scratchy but at least audible. Akefia shrugged and handed him the plate.

“You can go back to sleep if you want,” he said, “but first eat something.”

“Ok!” the boy said happily, munching on the sweet slices and looking curiously at the Thief who, now that he had done all that he felt he could for his host, started pacing around the room, running his hands over things and pausing to examine the half-full bookcase next to the door. His eyes fell on a collection of stories from the Egyptian mythology and after a small hesitation he eased the book carefully from the shelf and returned to his previous place on the bed.

 

By then Ryou had finished his food and, not feeling sleepy for the moment, entertained himself with observing Akefia. When the Thief sat next to him on the bed, his eyes glued on the picture of hieroglyphics on the cover, Ryou leaned up against him again.

“Can you read it?” he asked hesitantly, noticing that the Spirit seemed to be silently mouthing words. Akefia startled, having not realised that he had an audience.

“It’s Hieratic,” he said disappointed. “I can tell it’s some sort of prayer but for what…” he trailed off.

“Oh,” Ryou said quietly. He had really hoped to hear what Ancient Egyptian sounded like. Forcing himself to perk up he took the book in his own hands and opened it. “The stories inside are in English. Do you want to read some? Together?” He didn’t dare to get his hopes up. After all, Father never seemed to want to read with him these days… Akefia caught the stray thought and took the book back, pulling the boy closer to him in the process. Just to make sure his fever doesn’t spike again, he told himself, as Ryou all but snuggled against him.

“Alright kid, let’s see how much these people messed up the stories they’re telling.”

Sands of Time chapter 10

Author’s note: In which the author is twitching nervously because she’s almost out of material (again) and will have to stop binge-watching Supernatural and do some work. Also, in which there is a BAMF!lady and one of the creepiest characters that anime has ever gifted us with gets his ass handed to him. Fun times…

It also occurs to me that the chapter titles appear to be rather random. They are, in fact, lyrics from whatever song I had on repeat while writing the chapter in question. My music taste and thought process are clearly on that side of bizarre!

***It’s like you’re a demon I can’t face down***

The irony of the fact that he was once again staring certain defeat, and this time in Shadow Game with such high stakes, did not escape Yami Bakura. Marik was oddly quiet at his side, watching in horror as his darker counterpart summoned Ra in his Phoenix form. The Spirit’s lips curled in disgust. There was only one person whose soul was pure enough to deserve the Phoenix’s power and that was most definitely not Yami Marik.

“Any last words before I cast you to the darkness?” the dark creature asked tauntingly.

“You fool!” Akefia smirked, “Don’t you realize that I am the darkness? I will be back.” Yami Marik did not seem worried.

“Perhaps, but not before everything you hold dear is destroyed,” he said, looking over the white-haired man’s shoulder. The Thief snapped his head in alarm, in time to see Elena followed by the Pharaoh bursting to the arena, before darkness enveloped him and Marik.

 

Yami Marik walked to where the Millennium Ring landed, but before he had a chance to grab it, it glowed and flew to Elena’s outstretched hand. He frowned.

“I won that Item fair and square,” he told the woman. Really what did the Thief see in her was beyond him. But then again he did not really see the point in caring about anyone.

“Over my dead body,” came the calm response. The Pharaoh looked at them nervously.

“You are not a duelist,” he said cautiously. “If you have a claim on the Ring, how will you duel against him?” Elena shrugged her red robe off to reveal a golden bracelet covering her entire left arm from the wrist to her elbow.

“I like doing this the old-fashioned way, Your Majesty,” she said as she stepped on the platform. “A Ka against a Ka and the strongest soul remains standing.”

“Name your terms then,” Yami Marik said intrigued. Did this girl think that she could yield ancient magic, old enough to defeat the Shadows?
“If I win, you will release the souls connected to the Millennium Ring. And if you win, I will surrender the Ring to you.”

“And your soul will follow your boyfriend to the Shadows.” Yami Marik grinned at her. Elena frowned.

“He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my husband.”

“Elena, I can’t let you risk your soul for…” Yami Yugi began, determined not to see anyone else being banished to the Shadows.

“Stay out of this Pharaoh!” the Thief Queen snapped. “You know nothing about me.”

“You heard the woman Pharaoh,” Yami Marik said mockingly. “Let her destroy herself if she wishes to.”

 

Hidden under his mockery was unease though. He had only encountered Dia-Danks on the memories of his weaker side’s lessons. His new opponent looked hardly over her twentieth birthday and was certainly mortal. Nevertheless he faked a respectful bow.

“Since you are about to be destroyed, you may summon your creature first.” After all, her Ka spirit couldn’t possibly defeat Ra. He watched Elena knit her fingers together and close her eyes, as if to pray. His eyes widened in alarm when a familiar chant was heard.

“Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry. Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight. Envelop the desert with your glow and cast your rage upon my foe. Unlock the power from within so that together we may win. Appear in this Shadow Game as I call thy name.” Her eyes snapped open and a bright glow enveloped her. “God Phoenix!”

 

Yami Marik took involuntary a step back. This was nothing like the Phoenix version of Ra that stood now by his side. Elena’s Ka was shining brightly and with an unearthly cry attacked his creature, reducing it to ashes. Yami Marik cursed as he felt the burning sensation of the attack as well as two (?) souls escaping his clutches. The Ring shone for a moment, its connection with its bearers reestablished but by the time Yami Marik had blinked the stars from his eyes, he was alone on the arena.

Sands of Time chapter 9

Author’s note: And here is the episode (or part of it) that first had me thinking. Long before I saw the sub or read the manga this episode just…bugged me…Many years and literature classes later I’d learn this is what we call “subtext”. So, there you have it: Subtext becoming text. Also, Marik is annoying and any chance to inconvenience him needs to be taken!

***And as you ripped it all apart,/ That’s when I turned to watch you/ And as the light in you went dark/ I saw you turn to shadow***

Yami Bakura couldn’t remember the last time he had been so furious but he was quite certain that it had been before he had been sealed inside the Ring. He had only agreed to work with the Marik-brat to keep Ryou and Elena out of trouble (though the prospect of gaining two more Millennium Items was a definite bonus), had even injured himself to go along with the brat’s plan and now it was all going to go down in flames. He frowned.

“I can’t lose,” he said, more to himself than his thrice-damned opponent. “There’s too much at stake!” Sadly there was nothing he could do other than brace himself for the impact of Slifer’s attack when he felt his soul being violently pulled back to his Landlord’s mindscape.

“What is the meaning of this Marik?” he asked angrily.

“Your opponent won’t attack his friend,” came the smug reply. The Spirit turned his attention to his hikari.

 

Ryou had been in his soulroom during the entire ordeal and to be suddenly forced in control of their body meant he would have to deal with phantom pains of the Spirit’s stab wound. Indeed, the boy was on his knees, clutching his arm and asking confused what was going on. Akefia sent a look to Elena and saw her standing a little ways from the Pharaoh’s gang, her face livid with anger. He had a feeling that it took all her self-control to not jump on the platform and stop the duel.

“Yugi would never attack Ryou,” the Thief King mused.

“Unless he doesn’t want to risk his position to the finals,” Marik shrugged uninterested. Akefia’s eyes snapped back to the Pharaoh. He was hesitating, and the Thief King hated uncertainties.

Yami…Ryou’s voice floated weakly through the mind link. Akefia gave a strange smile to Marik.

“Perhaps you’re right Marik,” he said, “but I won’t risk Ryou’s health in that game of yours.” Ignoring the boy’s surprised exclamation he forced Ryou’s soul back to its soulroom, taking control again.

“I’m back!” he taunted the Pharaoh, who seemed unbelievably relieved to see him. “So why don’t you attack me and end this duel.” Yami Yugi was only happy to comply, surprised to see his opponent greet the Egyptian god’s attack with a laugh.

 

The moment the platform was lowered Elena raced to Ryou, pausing only to grab the Ring from where it had fallen. Reverently she put it around her neck, relieved when it gave a soft glow of recognition. The Pharaoh and his friends had gathered around the half-conscious Ryou, trying to get his attention. The boy seemed concerned by only one thing.

“Where is my Ring?” he asked desperately, looking around in the vain hope that he would see the artifact hopping back to him.

“Right here Ryou,” Elena said, kneeling next to him, sparing the Pharaoh a nasty glare. To her satisfaction he flinched a little. Tea seemed to be the first to recognize her.

“Hey, aren’t you the girl we met at Duelist Kingdom?” she asked.

“Indeed,” Elena nodded, her attention focused on the white-haired boy staring longingly at the Millennium Item. “I will give it to you as soon as we go inside,” she told him. Ryou nodded and tried to stand up.

“Whoa! Easy there buddy!” Joey exclaimed as he steadied his friend.

“I’ll be fine,” Ryou objected softly. “I am just worried for my Yami.” He suddenly became conscious of the strange looks he was receiving. Elena frowned.

“As you should well be,” she said disapprovingly. “No matter how many times I warn him, he still doesn’t get it through his head that he takes too many risks.” She wrapped Ryou’s arm around her shoulders and helped the boy inside the blimp.

 

They were both aware of the Pharaoh’s entourage following them as they hurried back to their cabin.

“How do you know that psycho anyway?” Tristan asked, unable to hold off the questions any longer. Elena took her time helping Ryou sit on the bed and giving him the Ring before turning to glare at the brunette boy.

“Care to rephrase that?” she asked icily. Tristan gulped.

“What Tristan meant,” Tea rushed to rectify the situation, “was, how you know Ryou and the Spirit of the Ring?”

“Akefia,” Ryou said quietly. Seeing everyone’s confusion he explained. “His name is Akefia.”

“He is my, well I suppose you could say husband, though we never had a priest to make it official.” Elena smirked at the bewildered looks she got from the Pharaoh, Joey and Tristan.

 

Sands of Time chapter 8

Author’s note: In which I’m playing the Mamma Mia soundtrack while update my blog because I’m feeling nostalgic. Also in which I play around with a snippet that I curiously find one of the funniest in Season 1. Don’t ask me why, I have no idea!

***The reason to change***

It was only for the fact that Akefia’s mood was much better thanks to Elena’s return that he didn’t reach for the knife hidden in his pocket and murder one or more of the Pharaoh’s entourage. Since Ryou was their friend, Yugi had invited them to tag along. Now they were stuck wondering around, aimlessly looking for the blond boy, Joey, who had gone ahead on his own and disappeared. Seeing a cave up ahead he took the lead, silently guiding the rest of the group towards it.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Tristan asked suspiciously. No matter what Ryou had said, he had a hard time trusting the guy.

“You found your friend’s wallet nearby, didn’t you?” Akefia asked, showing said object that he had snatched from Tristan’s pocket. “The only footprints around here lead to the cave.”

“What footprints?” Tristan insisted, annoyed at having his pockets picked. Akefia shrugged.

“Thief King,” he said as if that was explanation enough. Ryou followed silently his Yami, knowing that his friends would follow. The Thief was not an easy person to be around and the white-haired boy often wondered why didn’t his gruff manner put him off as it did anyone else. He reasoned it had to do with the fact that the Thief had practically raised him after his mother and Amane had died.

Like I told Elena once, you are too soft-hearted Landlord. His Yami’s voice echoed in his head suddenly. There’s no other explanation to it.

 

The cave was lighted ominously by candles inside human skulls. While the teens looked around nervously Akefia smirked and led Elena, holding her hand. Neither of them was unnerved; having lived in a village filled with restless souls tended to make you immune on these things. Elena had been taking in everything in her usual calm way. The only way to notice her quiet happiness was to pay attention to the way her face lighted every time she turned to Akefia, and that was quiet often.

“What’s up with those coffins?” Tea, the girl of the group suddenly asked as two coffins came to view. She and Ryou wondered over to them.

“Beats me,” Ryou said. “Who would leave them just standing here?”

“I wouldn’t touch those,” Yugi cautioned them and the Thief King couldn’t help but approve. Then roll his eyes as the coffins opened to reveal two skeletons. Moving closer to his hikari, he grabbed the boy and shook the skeleton of him.

“For someone playing with an Occult deck, you sure get scared easily Landlord,” he remarked, getting a sheepish smile as a response from the boy.

“Maybe you should take the lead Yami Bakura,” Yugi offered. The older white-haired man made him uneasy but if Ryou was willing to trust him, then so would Yugi. With a grunt the Thief pulled the Millennium Ring from under his shirt and walked ahead, once again holding Elena’s hand. The things he did for his hikari…

 

Sands of Time chapter 7

Author’s note: A direct continuation from last week since it would have been cruel to just leave everything hanging… And for the record: I know that the implication on the song lyrics I’m using as title here is not the one I’m going with. Just roll with it.

***Deep inside, you cry cry cry/ Don’t let your hopes, die die die***

After so long in the shadows even the soft glow of the stars seemed foreign to her. Blinking, trying to adjust her eyes, she became slowly aware of her surroundings. There was a heated discussion on the background which she chose to ignore in favor of looking at the man holding her. He was pale and his eyes were hidden under a mess of white hair. When he talked though, his voice was the comforting, raspy one she had known and missed for so long.

“It’s been too long, Elena,” he said at the ancient tongue they spoke when they had been alive.

“Akefia,” she whispered, raising her hand grasp his own. The Thief King gave her a soft smile, before sending an annoyed look at the direction of the noise.

 

Joey’s face had been steadily moving past the red spectrum to an attractive violet as he tried to comprehend why there were apparently two Bakuras. Ryou was trying to be heard over his shouting so that he could explain the situation when his Yami’s sharp voice cut through the argument.

“Leave it be Landlord,” he ordered the boy. “There is someone you need to meet here.”  Ryou obediently walked towards the Spirit, ignoring the warnings he got from his friends.

 

Akefia steadied Elena against him, seeing her still weak from what he assumed was the summoning of her Ka.

“Elena, this is Ryou,” he introduced the boy as soon as he sat in front of them. “He is the current holder of the Millennium Ring.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Ryou said shyly. The woman smiled at him softly.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Ryou,” she said with a slight accent. She saw him noticing the blood in her dress. “It’s alright,” she said soothingly. “This blood is old and the wounds have long since healed.” Akefia tightened his arms around her waist, remembering where this blood had come from.

“But it looks fresh!” the girl that hung out with the Pharaoh’s hikari exclaimed somewhat worried. “Maybe we should find someone to check you.”

“No,” Akefia snapped. “She will be perfectly fine as long as you stop crowding over her.” Yugi seemed to get the message and with one final wary look he turned to his friends.

“Come on guys. Let’s give them some space.”

 

Ryou sat near them, but far enough to not hear what the pair was talking about. He watched curiously as his usually reserved Yami softened his expression as he talked to Elena. Akefia was perfectly aware that more than one person were trying to overhear their conversation so he slipped back to his mother tongue, focusing his attention on his love.

“How?” he asked her softly. He had felt her heart stop, pierced by the knife that was meant for him.

“The Phoenix saved me. I don’t understand it myself, but I have been wondering the Shadows since that day, looking for something familiar. I never expected that something would be the Dark One’s presence.”

“So I suppose I should be grateful to that damned demon.” Akefia didn’t seem pleased with the prospect. “It was Phoenix back there that pulled us out of the Shadow Realm, wasn’t it?” Elena nodded.

“What happened to you?” she asked grasping his hand, now pale and graceful and so much different from what she had known. “You look so different.”

“They sealed my soul inside the Ring. I suppose my appearance changed to accommodate the body of my host.”

“Ryou you mean?”

“Yes, although my powers have grown enough to allow me to have a physical body, I’m still bound to the Millennium Ring.” The Thief King scowled. This was a detail he resented about his situation. Even if he wanted to leave the boy, he could not. Elena seemed to understand it as well.

“Then I suppose it’s a good thing you care for him.” She said with a smile. Akefia rolled his eyes at her coy tone but kissed her nonetheless.

“I’ve missed this,” he murmured against her lips. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.”

 

Twilight of the Spirit World: Epilogue

Author’s note: In which a short “x years later” snapshot is offered, the author teases the Korra canon in a hopefully subtle way and for once happy endings do not have strings attached to them. It’s been a journey and a half everyone!

Previous chapter: link

***Epilogue***

The summer sun heated gently the sandy beach and a gentle breeze caused small waves in the sapphire blue sea. It was a truly beautiful place, serene and picturesque, a place that would certainly calm the most troubled of minds.

“MOM! SUYIN AND BATO TOOK MY SCROLL!”

“Suyin Bei Fong give your sister her scroll back!”

“Bato! Start acting your age or your father will NOT be taking you ice-dodging anytime soon!”

Well, perhaps not all minds.

 

Not far from the seashore Toph and Suki were berating their more mischievous offspring, much to the amusement of their friends. With a huff Lin snatched the scroll that her pouting twin held and marched off to sit next to Zuko and Katara’s eldest, Izumi. Next to them, and closer to their parents was Izumi’s younger sister, Kya, and Suki and Sokka’s youngest (for the time being), Yue. The two little girls were watching in fascination Lin and Suyin’s little brother, Bumi, as he re-enacted an over-the-top rendition of the epic tale of “The Bear of Ba Sing Se”. If in the process he raised more sand than his sisters’ attempts at sandbending that was certainly not intentional.

 

With a huff the two women sat back down, Toph taking baby Tenzin from Aang. Suki turned exasperated to Katara.

“Was Sokka like that too at that age?” Katara chuckled.

“More or less,” she said, ignoring her brother’s indignant look.

“Is that true Councilman Sokka?” Zuko asked laughing. Sokka glared at him.

“I’m sure if Azula was visiting Fire Lord Zuko she would have some interesting stories to say for you too.” Zuko raised an eyebrow.

“No doubt about it,” he said dryly.

 

Before ribbing between the two men could escalate, or Toph could get involved, Kya happened to look up. Seeing a familiar portal opening in the distance she jumped to her feet, dragging her cousin up excitedly.

“Aunt Azula!” the two girls squealed in delight as a very pregnant Azula stepped out of the portal, with Ao on her side looking very much like he would prefer to be carrying his lover rather than letting her walk through the sand. The little girls were almost instantly at their sides, seemingly determined to drag them were the rest of their family was standing and approaching them at a more sedate pace.

“Wait little ones,” Azula said as she carefully kneeled to hug them. Yue giggled, feeling the baby kicked. “We have a surprise for everyone.”

“And what would that be?” Zuko asked, hugging his sister carefully and giving a friendly nod to Ao. The couple smiled mysteriously.

“Turns out that when Agni and Lia went up to that mountain of theirs, they weren’t just coming up with new firebending moves,” Ao said mischievously. Katara’s eyes widened.

“You don’t mean?” she asked. It had been nearly a year since Lia and Agni had last visited the mortal plane after all…

“Oh, yes!” Azula said enthusiastically. Zuko paled slightly. Two daughters and several nieces and nephews later this kind of code was no longer lost to him. That did not mean he cared much for the implications. When Azula and Ao had first told them they were expecting he had been torn between wanting to congratulate them and wanting to punch Ao. Sokka had actually punched him when they had announced they were expecting Izumi! Ao turned towards the portal.

“Well?” he called. “What are you lot waiting for?” Almost as if cued Agni and Lia stepped through, both with wide smiled on their faces. In Lia’s arms, wrapped in a white-gold blanket, was a new-born baby.

“Everyone, meet Kōjin,” Agni said softly as the portal closed silently behind them. Even little Tenzin turned curiously in his mother’s arms towards the new centre of attention.

 

The children immediately surrounded Lia, the shorter ones standing on their tip-toes in order to peer at the latest addition to the family.

“He’s so small!” Lin whispered, her eyes widening when Kōjin opened his eyes and turned slightly towards the sound of her voice. Lia smiled at the girl. Of all of Aang and Toph’s children she had been the one to inherit most of the blind earthbender’s brash attitude. And, like her mother, Lin tended to melt when around babies.

“Let’s go sit down,” the redhead said, “and you can hold him if you want.” Lin nodded eagerly and the group moved back to where they had originally been sitting.

 

Much later, when the sun was setting over the sea, bathing everything in a soft red glow, the entire second generation of the gaang was sat around Izumi as she read to them, with the occasional interruption from Bato, an account of General Iroh’s travels through the Earth Kingdom. Tenzin was napping in a blanket next to his father, too young to stay awake after a day of excitement, while the adults were talking quietly among themselves. Zuko turned to Lia, who was leaning against him contently.

“Are you happy?” he asked her. Lia looked around thoughtfully for a moment, her eyes resting at Agni, who was rocking Kōjin gently, lulling the baby to sleep, and gave her brother a soft smile.

“Yes,” she said. “I am.”

The End

Finding the one

It was the best of times

It was the worst of days

But in the end

So long as we stood together

We could watch the world burn…

 

That’s what he told her with a smile

As she handed him the match,

And at their feet there stood

Piles of old photographs,

Letters, mementos of people they knew.

 

There were no tears-

There need not be.

As the smoke spiralled upward

They left the past behind

And hand in hand they walked,

Out to the sunlight,

Out to their own new world.

Twilight of the Spirit World: Homecoming

Author’s note: In which the story is almost over, hints are dropped (some more subtly than others) and everyone slowly finds their own place.

Previous chapter: link

Next chapter: link

***Homecoming***

The morning that dawned was glorious, the sky awash with shades of red and gold that gave way to a vibrant blue. The whole Council City was buzzing with an inexplicable euphoria and people found themselves laughing and smiling without even being sure why. And in the centre of it all Lia could be seen walking around, looking more like her old cheerful self than ever. Sokka, the first to come across her in one of the gardens, had to make a double-take to make certain he wasn’t seeing things.

“Are you…alright?” he called after her uncertainly. The fact that fire lilies were spontaneously blooming around her was a little distracting. Lia turned to look at him with a bright smile.

“Just fine!” she said. “All is good in the world!” Sokka frowned and moved closer to look in her eyes.

“You haven’t been drinking sake again, have you?” he asked cautiously. She didn’t look drunk, but then again… Lia laughed.

“No,” she assured him. “Just had a really good night is all. Oh, and I passed Suki on my way here. She said that if she doesn’t have her leachy nuts soon there will be hell to pay.” Sokka gulped, appropriately fearful of his fiancé’s recent mood-swings and hurried back inside. Lia only chuckled and turned back to her original mission of finding her brother and assuring him she wasn’t about to lock herself away from the world.

 

In another part of the palace Zuko had decided that pulling the protective brother act when it came to Azula and Ao’s budding relationship would no doubt cause more trouble than it was worth. Azula didn’t take kindly people telling her what she can and cannot do and, to be fair, Ao had been nothing if not a gentleman. There was someone else however, with a close relationship to one of Zuko’s sisters who could use a grilling. The Blue Spirit was more than happy to help him with that plan and that was how the two of them ended up prowling the corridors, looking for a certain, recently-awakened Fire Spirit, hopefully before Lia came across him.

 

Agni, oblivious to the plans of his impending pain, had also been strolling around, too wrapped up in blissful memories to notice the two overprotective men closing in on him. Until his back was slammed against a wall that is…

“Seriously, why can’t anyone just call out when they want my attention?” he complained, wincing at the bruises that were no doubt forming.

“We just wanted to have a little chat,” Zuko said pleasantly and Agni decided that the bruises were probably the least of his worries.

“You see,” Ao continued, “we both view Lia as our sister.”

“And you have made her cry more than once,” Zuko picked up the speech, his smile replaced by a threatening look. “So, if you ever think of…”

“Boys,” a feminine voice cut through the string of threats about to be unleashed. “I think he gets it.” Agni gave Lia a relieved smile and easily shrugged off Ao’s and Zuko’s hands.

“I have never been happier to see you love,” he said, walking up to her side and wrapping an arm around her waist. “Well, last night excluded,” he added with a mischievous look and teleported the two of them to the other side of the palace before what he said sank in the younger men’s brain.

 

Too his surprise Lia didn’t even call him out on possibly traumatising her two adoptive brothers. Instead she waited until they had materialised in a different room before leaning against him and laughing hysterically. Agni started chuckling as well, too happy with life at that moment to bother finding an explanation as to why they were laughing. The sound of someone delicately clearing their throat cut through their mirth.

“So I take it you too have figured things out?” Toph asked sweetly, in a tone that everyone who knew her agree that was scarier than any yell could ever be. The two Fire Spirits looked up, although neither bothered disentangling from the other, to see not only the earthbender, but also Aang, Sokka, Suki and Katara sitting there, looking at them in amused confusion.

“Something like that…”Agni smirked, “Shorty,” he added for good measure. Toph raised an eyebrow and drummed her fingers against the floor. A faint ripple followed her movement and the two Spirits stumbled a little before regaining their footing.

“Nicknames are my shtick Lover-Boy,” she said. “Get your own.”

“What Toph means,” Suki cut in, pausing to sprinkle her bowl of grapes with a liberal amount of curry dust, “is that it is great to see you both well and happy again.” The others looked at her nervously as she popped some grapes in her mouth.

“Um…sweetheart,” Sokka said nervously, “Are you sure this won’t upset your stomach?” Suki looked at him and then at her bowl confused.

“No,” she said, “They taste great!” Katara and Lia exchange a suspicious look, even as everyone else gagged at the idea.

 

Short of Suki’s increasingly bizarre food combinations during mealtimes (and her increasingly violent reactions when it was pointed out to her that maybe rice and melted rock candy should not go together…) the next few days were peaceful. Everyone was aware that their time at the Spirit World was drawing to a close, even if they were not eager to acknowledge the fact. This however didn’t change the fact that they had responsibilities in their own world, responsibilities they could not ignore for much longer. So it was decided that at the end of the week, they would return. No one was surprised when Lia said that she would stay behind. There was much that still needed to be fixed in the Spirit World, and even if there hadn’t, it was obvious to everyone that she was not letting Agni out of her sight anytime soon. Although she did promise to Suki, in a tone that had the women in the group smiling in secret understanding and the men looking at them incredibly confused, to be there when the time came.

 

What did cause some surprise was Ao formally asking Zuko’s permission to court his sister. Azula had already talked with her brother (in what must have been the most awkward conversation the siblings had ever had) and told him that she wanted to stay behind just a little longer, explore the Spirit World like she hadn’t had the chance with a battle for all reality looming over everyone’s head. Zuko had grudgingly agreed to allow it, but only if she didn’t travel alone. Now, with Ao’s request, his mind could rest a little easier, not that that stopped him from tagging a threatening “and you had better be a perfect gentleman” to his assent.

 

In the end, it was a smaller group than had started that stood in front of the glowing portal that would take them back to the mortal world. Toph and Katara had returned their respective Crystals to the elementals they belonged to and Aang had said his farewells to Roku, so that it was only Agni, Lia, Ao and Azula that saw them off. With last minute hugs and solemn promises for regular visits by those who stayed behind, Zuko and Katara, Aang and Toph, Sokka and Suki stepped through the glowing energy to find themselves standing under a blazing sunset in front of the Fire Nation palace, with Ursa and Iroh there to welcome them back. And it would have been a bold-faced lie if any of them said that this didn’t feel like coming home.

Twilight of the Spirit World: Ever After

A.N.: In which the various sub-plots begin to conclude, characters discover that sometimes good things do come out of terrible situations and Agni…well, I’m not spoiling this for you even more than I already have!

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***Ever After***

As it turned out the Council did not have any back-up armies hidden somewhere. In fact, it seemed they had bet everything on one decisive battle, much like the Avatars and their followers had. In the aftermath an uneasy peace had settled as those well enough to travel left for their domains and to inform those that had remained neutral of the situation. Some tentative talks of establishing a new Council had started but the consensus was that it wasn’t a first priority. Most Spirits were old and experienced enough to know how to fulfil their responsibilities without someone breathing down their necks after all. Nearly a week later and in the Council’s palace only a small number of the original arrivals remained, mostly those connected to the Elementals or the more seriously injured.

 

Among the last were also those hit by the black energy. The water Spirits, led by Yue, and Katara (who was holding on to the Water Crystal until the time came to return to the mortal world) were trying everything in their power and, while some progress had been made, most of the victims remained unconscious. Not being able to help much the rest of the gaang had taken to exploring, taking turns to make sure that Katara would remember to eat and rest every once in a while. And, amidst all that, Lia had completely disappeared. Zuko had gone to check on her the morning after she woke to find her room empty. They figured she was still somewhere in the city, but when the redhead didn’t want to be found then she would not be found even by the most determined tracker –not that Toph or Zuko had given up….–.

 

It was therefore no one’s fault really when some of those hit opened their eyes and the news didn’t reach her. Those that did hear however were relieved to learn that, other than complete exhaustion, no other side effects seemed to be lingering. Yue was hesitant to let them out of her sight just yet but she was confident that soon they would be well enough to be moved out of the healing chambers. Agni wasn’t among those first to wake, probably he had been hit in a much closer range but for the last couple of days his aura had been spiking and calming at odd intervals so they figured he would be up and about soon enough.

 

As it happened, when he woke up it was Azula who was the closest, having come to the chambers for some peace and quiet, away from the spontaneous parties that seemed to be springing up everywhere with no warning lately. So deeply she was absorbed in her thoughts, thoughts that centred on a certain lightning Spirit, that she didn’t notice Agni’s eyes opening until he spoke.

“Who rained on your parade Princess?” Azula turned her head so sharply, she could have sworn she heard something crack.

“You’re awake?” she squeaked surprised, wincing at how high her voice came out. Agni managed a small smile.

“Surprisingly yes,” he said, before pausing for a few deep breaths. He still felt so damned tired… “And surprisingly I found you of all people at my bedside.” Azula blushed a little. He had a point. While she didn’t fear his presence anymore, she didn’t go out of her way to be in his company either.

“It was quiet in here,” she explained awkwardly. Agni hummed in agreement.

“I suppose this means we won?” he asked, closing his eyes tiredly. Azula nodded and, realising he couldn’t see her, she added,

“Yes. Everyone’s been celebrating since those hit with the dark energy started waking.”

“What…about…Lily?” Agni asked, his words slurred by the sleepiness that caught him again. Azula turned hesitantly to answer and stopped herself. He had fallen asleep again. With a sigh the Princess stood and went to inform the healers. And if she was relieved not to have to explain to Agni that no one had seen his partner, well, who could blame her?

 

As it was Lia had spent the last few days in a non-corporeal state, floating around the palace and its extensive gardens. She had once told Katara that she didn’t much like to take her Spirit form, considering it impractical, and while she had been confined in the mortal world that had been true. Even in the Spirit world she tended to remain in her more human-looking state, in part to remind herself who she had been before she became fire incarnate. It was exactly these memories that she sought to avoid now, drifting around, visible only as the wispiest of smoke trails, only aware of the different incarnations of her element surrounding her. It was a serene, detached state of being, one that she would have easily made permanent if it weren’t for the most persistent memories and emotions still clinging to her psyche. Much as it hurt sometimes, she still couldn’t leave those she cared about completely behind….

 

It was with that thought being acknowledged that she forced her body and consciousness to be condensed back to her human-shaped form. As her senses slowly returned to her she saw that she was in one of the gardens, one of the older ones, with ancient trees shading the ground and Fire Lilies gently swaying at the breeze, reminding to the morose Spirit of drops of fresh blood. With a despondent sigh Lia sat against a tree, closing her eyes and momentarily blocking her Spirit-nearby-sense. Maybe if she tricked her mind in thinking that she just couldn’t feel him nearby, she could trick her heart into believe he’d come back…

 

A pleasant haze came over her, like sleepiness but not quite, and with it the sensation of warm arms embracing her. She smiled softly at what she was certain was a daydream, if not a hallucination, when a very real pair of lips brushed against her own. Immediately she pushed the person, not even pausing to see who it was, away from her, jumping to her feet and preparing to blast them away. Then her brain caught with her wide-open eyes and as fast as it had come her rage washed away. Agni was laying on his back in front of her, rubbing the back of his head, looking half-amused and half-exasperated and all-together alive.

“You really need to work on the way you greet people!” he grumbled. “You can’t still be mad at me!”

 

He really shouldn’t have snuck out of the healing chambers just yet. He still felt bone-tired and even trying to conjure the smallest flame took more effort than it should. But Agni hadn’t survived for millennia by listening to what others told him to do. And more than the fact he had nearly died he was worried about no one knowing –or knowing and not telling him – where Lia was. So the moment the chamber was empty of healers he snuck out. He had sensed her the moment she condensed back to her human form and headed straight for the gardens. When he saw her resting against the tree he had acted on impulse, not knowing what her reaction would be, and not particularly hopeful either. After all, he had foiled her attempts to save his life in saving hers… Lia had never taken kindly to people helping her without permission… And yet, even with knowing all this, Agni found himself surprised when he ended up on his back…

 

For once in her life Lia found that his snark could not get under her skin. Heck, she’d listen to him snark about anything and everything if it meant that she could have him by her side without worrying about omens. With a trembling laugh she threw herself in his arms, pressing her ear against his chest just to make certain that his heart was beating again. Agni looked at her bemused, but just as he began to ask her what was going on she looked up at him determinedly.

“I love you too, you know,” she said before leaning in to kiss him. For once Agni was more than happy to remain silent. The two Spirits were too absorbed by each other’s presence to notice the petite, green-clad figure that walked away quietly with a smile.

 

Toph nodded to herself, satisfied she hadn’t needed to take any drastic measures to make those two idiots talk properly to each other. Now all she had to do was to let the rest of her friends know. And collect the bet money from Sokka. It had taken them less than a century (starting at the making of the bet, Toph would insist later) to get their acts together. And really, the Water Tribesman had known her for what? Five years now? And he still thought he could win on a bet against her? The earthbender laughed at the silliness of men in general and went off to find Aang. With all that had happened they had had hardly any time to spend alone. And she had a few ideas regarding the restoration of the Southern Air Temple…

 

On her way to where she could sense Sokka and Suki sitting together, and no doubt saying sickeningly sweet things to one another, Toph paused at the sound of quiet talking. Walking closer to the half-open door, she leaned against the wall, unnoticed by Ao and Azula who were too engrossed in their discussion of travel plans to notice much of anything going on around them. It would seem the pull of the Spirit World had caught both the royal siblings even if it was in different ways.

 

Speaking of Fire Nation royalty, when Toph finally found Sokka (Aang was heading over in their direction anyway), Suki and him where sitting with Zuko and Katara, enthusiastically planning something. Toph filled the words “Earthbending police” for later before interrupting the impromptu meeting in her signature way.

“Pay up Snoozles!” she yelled, marching in the room triumphantly.

“What?” Sokka exclaimed startled. “No way!”

“Sokka!” Katara looked at her older brother disapprovingly. “What did you bet on this time?”

“Nothing!” he said in a high-pitched tone that fooled no one. Toph decided to stir his memory.

“Lia and Agni sitting under a tree…” she started singing. Katara and Suki forgot their annoyance with Sokka, instantly turning on the younger girl excited.

“Really?” Suki asked even as Katara exclaimed “Finally!” Toph nodded, satisfied at the reaction her news caused. Grumbling Sokka reached for his purse even as Zuko stood up and headed for the door.
“Zuko?” Aang said confused as the Fire Lord bypassed him on his way out. “Where are going?”

“To find Ao,” Zuko called over his shoulder.

“Last I saw, he was talking with Azula,” Toph called after him, cackling as she sensed the firebender’s steps speeding up. Aang looked at his girlfriend confused.

“What’s going on?” Laughing, Toph pulled him to sit next to her.

“Oh, Twinkle-Toes!” she chuckled. “Where to start?”

 

As it was the two overprotective brothers of Lia didn’t get a chance to corner either her or Agni that day, and by the time everyone had turned in for the night, their drafts on the Talk they would give to the male Fire Spirit had become more elaborate and significantly more violent to the amusement of everyone else. Lia herself had gone to bed in blissful ignorance of the schemes the two hot-heads were concocting. A few hours later she was torn out of her slumber by a nightmare. At least she hoped it was a nightmare…. With everything that happened during and after the battle she was having a hard time distinguishing reality from her visions and her visions from the simple nightmares that played on her fears. Nervously she jumped out of bed and, not wanting to bother with walking, teleported herself to Agni’s room.

 

Instantly a wave of sweltering heat hit her, relaxing her tense muscles. Agni, secure in the knowledge that most people wouldn’t be barging in his room uninvited, kept the temperature in there just shy of that of a lit fireplace, with small clusters of fire floating around the room, seemingly out of their own free will. Lia gently pushed one of them away as it came a little too close to her loose hair. With steadier steps than she would have thought likely she approached the bed, observing the man sleeping there deeply and peacefully. Or maybe not so deeply, she amended in her mind, when Agni cracked an eye open and smiled to her mischievously.

“You’re welcome to join me, you know,” he said, moving closer to the middle of the bed invitingly.

“You know,” Lia said with a smile, “I think I will.”

Twilight of the Spirit World: Dies Irae

Author’s note: In which an ominous Latin choir is mandatory soundtrack, hell indeed has no fury like a woman enraged, battles are concluded and an uncharted future begins.

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***Dies Irae***

The hit never connected. Agni had practically launched himself between the two opponents managing to incinerate the Faceless one second before the black bolt hit him on the chest. He hit the ground hard, while fell on her knees next to him, almost as if someone had cut her strings. With trembling hands she turned him around so that he was facing her.

“Not you too!” she choked out, running a hand tenderly on the side of his face. Agni was having trouble focusing but managed to meet her eyes nonetheless.

“Anything for you love,” he said with a pained smile before he went limp.

 

Everyone in the battlefield froze as a heart-wrenching scream rose above all the noise. Zuko and Katara paused a few meters away, taking in the scene of Lia cradling Agni in her arms, tears rolling down her face as she silently mouthed “no” again and again. Zuko’s eyes were drawn to the crystal fearfully. He still remember what she had told him when she had given him her pendant all those years ago.

“If the carvings turn red I know you’re in danger. If they turn black…Let’s just hope that they won’t.”

The Fire Crystal had turned black.

 

This time there was no warning, no gathering clouds or yelled threats. One moment everyone stared uneasily at the tableaux in the middle of the battlefield. The next they were running for their lives as the very air they were breathing started to burn. With Lia as its epicentre a raging inferno spread across the plain, destroying everything in its path. Everyone fell on retreat, even the most resolute of Faceless realising that there was nothing they could do against such an assault. A red dragon landed in front of Zuko and Katara and the waterbender hurriedly dragged them both on the creature’s back. No sooner were they securely sitting than he took off, flying as low as possible towards the Avatars’ protective barrier. The air there was pulsing the energy, energy that seemed to be slowly compressing to a semi-corporeal figure.

 

The dragon-riders hurriedly joined the rest of their friends, relief to see everyone accounted for waring with trepidation over the new situation.

“What are we going to do?” Sokka asked nervously, eyeing the slowly approaching wave of fire nervously. “Will the barrier hold against,” he gestured wildly, “this?”

“If we are very lucky,” Koh answered from nearby. Everyone jumped at his silent approach and the fact that his face had changed to a human one for now. He turned to face the inferno as well. “Our best hope is that using the Crystal so much will knock her out soon,” he added, watching indifferently as the inferno consumed their enemies.

“But what will happen after that?” Azula asked quietly. “Will she be alright?” Koh gave her an unreadable look before shifting back to his Noh mask face.

“What do you think?” he asked before slithering away.

“She was trying to prevent this!” Toph whispered as soon as she felt the Face-Stealer out of earshot.

“What?” Suki asked her confused.

“She’s been trying to push him away since we came here,” the earthbender explained. Zuko’s eyes widened in realisation.

“She must have known this would happen!” he said. Azula looked at him confused.

“How could she have known?”

“The white flames,” Katara’s eyes widened in realisation. “She can’t just see the past, she can see the future too.” Zuko nodded grimly before turning to his sister.

“Lia has this…ability,” he explained haltingly. It was only now that he realised that since the war had ended, Lia hadn’t mentioned any visions she might have had. “Sometimes she catches glimpses of the future. But they are usually too jumbled for her to make more than vague hints out of them.”

“Unless she saw the vision more than once,” Ao said. The others turned to him, hoping for answers. He shook his head. “She doesn’t like talking about it. It’s not a very pleasant ability to have, even if it can be useful. I only knew she had visions because one came to her once when we were travelling together.”

 

Any more speculation was cut off by a sudden spike of energy. A slow hum built, just at the edge of their hearing range. The Avatar Spirit was finally awake. It looked more like a cloud of energy, amorphous and ever-shifting than anything they had ever seen before. It stretched leisurely over the battlefield, covering it and smothering the flames in the process. By the time it had reached the enemy lines, with only a few desperate attacks trying to halt its advance to no effect, the hum had become a roar. The Avatar Spirit seemed to rise up for a moment, as if it was measuring up its opponents, before descending to them, stretching to cover the entire battlefield for a few short moments.

 

When it lifted the Council and its forces had completely disappeared. A nervous hush fell over the remaining Spirits as the Avatar Spirit hovered above them all. For a moment it seemed as it would not return to its human incarnations but then is slowly moved to envelop them. There was a bright light and as one the Avatars opened their eyes, some collapsing to the ground from the effort. Toph was on Aang’s side as fast as she could, checking him over as best as she could even as he reassured her that he was fine. Similarly Zuko and Ao had ran back to the battlefield, closely followed by Azula and Katara. They found Lia unconscious, still clutching Agni’s body against her. The two men shared a grim look before carefully separating the two. Neither failed to notice the deep fiery red that the Crystal was, even in the state its bearer was.

 

In silence the group trudged back to where the healers were stationed, where a haggard-looking Yue pointed them to where those hit by the black energy were laying, separate from the rest of the injured.

“However they managed to create that weapon, it creates an energy imbalance,” she explained to the group. “Spirits are being of energy, regardless of how they reached that status. To be hit by something like this, it causes their own bodies to be at war with themselves.” She gave the group as sad smile. “We’re doing everything we can but it is not certain whether they can be healed.”

“What about the rest of the injured? Are they safe for teleportation?” La asked from the entrance. Yue gave him a confused look.

“Yes,” she answered hesitantly. “But why…”

“We’re moving everyone to the Council City. If the Council has any hidden backup armies we’ll be safe in there, at least long enough to regroup.” Yue didn’t seem convinced and neither did Katara.

“Yes, but what of those that are unconscious?” she asked. “They will wake in a completely unfamiliar environment. They will panic!” La gave her a sad look.

“We’re vulnerable here as it is,” he explained. “Most of us don’t even have all that much energy to fight left. Unfamiliar to some or not, the city is right now the safest place for us.” Any further debate was cut off when an antelope-headed Spirit appeared at the entrance of the tent they were in.

“We are ready to move out,” he told the Elementals respectfully. La nodded.

“I will join you in the teleportation circle,” he said before nodding to the others and leaving. Mindful of their previous experiences with teleportation everyone hurried to sit down.

 

It was a testament to how well everyone involved had coordinated that when the world stopped spinning around them they realised they were inside a large healing chamber with beds lining the walls. The healer Spirits started immediately organising everyone, moving the more seriously injured to the beds, while the less injured and the gaang helped anywhere they could. Soon quite a few of the less serious cases were led out of the healing chambers with strict orders to find a resting place and sleep. After most of them had left Ao pulled Yue to where Lia was still unconscious, her head resting on Zuko’s lap.

“Is there anything you can do for her?” the Blue Spirit asked anxiously. Yue shook her head.

“She is exhausted in every sense of the word,” she explained. “Only sleep can heal that. I suggest you take her to a bedchamber and let her be. She will probably want some space once she wakes.” The others nodded in grim understanding. Ao picked the redhead carefully and marched out of the door with Zuko following closely. Everyone knew better than to try and talk to him into letting Lia out of his sight.

 

The pair travelled silently to another wing on the enormous complex, Ao obviously familiar with its layout. Eventually they reached a door with the symbol of fire carved in it. Wordlessly Zuko opened the door and, taking in the red and golds, dragons and lilies, dominating the room’s appearance, he wondered why Lia would have her own room in this place.

“All Elementals have chambers here,” Ao answered the Fire Lord’s silent question. “It’s more of a token gesture, considering their status amongst other Spirits.” He lay Lia on the bed and moved towards the door. “Aren’t you coming?” he asked Zuko when the latter didn’t budge.

“She’ll need a familiar face when she wakes up,” Zuko answered simply, taking a chair and moving it close to the bed. Ao nodded in understanding.

“Try to get some sleep yourself,” he said simply, before leaving to join the others again.

 

Lia did not wake up until late the next morning. Her eyes snapped open and, recognising her surroundings instantly, her heartbeat quickened, as she looked around for any possible enemies or escape exits. Her mind was still foggy but she knew for a fact that this was not where she had been when she lost consciousness. Warm hands covered one of her own where it was clutching the bed sheets.

“It’s alright,” Zuko said soothingly. “You’re safe.” Her breath hitched and she turned to face him.

“It all came true, didn’t it?” she asked brokenly. Zuko looked pained but nodded once. Lia lay back down on the bed and turned her back to him. “Just…let me have a moment?” she said quietly. Zuko sighed but stood up.

“Come find me later,” he told her. “You’re not alone.” Lia didn’t acknowledge his words so the firebender gave her turned back one last sad look and left the room. Lia waited until his energy signature had faded in the distance before she let the tears fall.