Ye Chang Meng Duo: Chapter 5

Ye Chang Meng Duo: Chapter 5

[Disclaimer: Nickelodeon (and all others) own “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”  I own whatever I write/create.  Don’t steal and don’t sue.]

[A/N: This is a collaborative work between myself, and the artist Mag (fortheloveofpizza.deviantart.com).  Please make sure to visit Mag’s deviantArt page for artwork that is, not so much inspired by this story, as the story is inspired by Mag’s exceptional imagination.  The title is Chinese for, “The longer the night lasts, the more our dreams will be.”]

“You wouldn’t want to talk, would you?”  Katara looked up from the urn of water, feeling the skin beneath her eyes burn.  The sun had barely risen, the fog gathered at the edge of the sea still hanging in the air.  Toph stood just inside the courtyard, eyelids drooping as much as Katara’s and her shoulders bowed in the same way.  Katara sighed and dipped a hand into the urn of water, pressing her wet fingers to the tender skin under her eyes.

“About being awake at sunrise?” Katara asked.  “I’m not very happy about it.”

“I mean about yesterday.”  Katara let her fingers return to the water for a moment, closing her eyes and laying her fingers over them.

“I’m not really happy about that either.”  Toph sighed, walking toward the other woman.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” she said, shrugging her shoulders and holding up her hands.  “And if I did—I’m sort of sorry.”  Katara lifted her fingers from her face and opened her eyes, letting her hands fall back into the water with an audible slap.  Toph halted, able to see Katara turn as the woman’s feet dragged against the ground.

“How can you be ‘sort of sorry’?” she demanded.

“Because I’m sorry that I made you uncomfortable,” Toph replied, “but I’m not sorry for what I did.”  She let her hands return to her sides, and did not take another step toward Katara.  Neither woman moved, and neither spoke for many minutes.

“Are you?” Toph asked.

“Sorry?”  Toph watched one of Katara’s arms rise, hand waving in a gesture that had no meaning.  “For what?  For showing you waterbending forms?  For helping you braid your hair?”

“Are you sorry at all?”  Katara let out a slow breath, arm falling to her side and her head tilting forward.  After a moment, she crossed her arms, and Toph scowled when she saw, through Katara’s shuffling feet, the woman reach up to touch the pendant hanging from her necklace.

“Yes,” Katara murmured.

“Why?”  Toph began to stride toward the other woman, pausing when the echoes of her footsteps brought her the sight of Katara’s hand gripping the pendant tightly, her shoulders tense.  She stopped, and Katara let out a sigh as she opened her hand.  Imprints of the three swirls lay in her palm, and she stared at them, unable to look up at Toph.

“I don’t know,” she said.

“Don’t know what?” Toph demanded.  “What you’re sorry for, or what you want?”  Katara sighed again, shoulders falling as she closed her eyes.

“Both,” she said, voice cracking.  “Toph, please, I don’t want to do this now.”  Toph could not keep the scowl from coming to her face, hands tightening to fists at her sides.

“Do what, Sugar Queen?” she asked.  “Stop being so—mysterious about everything!  I’m sick of it!”

“Then why don’t you stop?” Katara asked.  “All you’ve done is this—this back and forth with me!”  Toph put her hands on her forehead with a groaning sigh, pressing hard to ignore the way Katara had grown still and invisible.

“I already told you that I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” she said.  “Katara, why can’t we just talk?”  She took another few steps toward Katara, her scowl fading as she moved.  Katara looked up as Toph drew near.  She did not ignore the sad, confused frown on Toph’s face, and did not stop Toph’s hands from reaching up and laying their cool fingertips on her cheeks, just beneath her eyes.

“Am I making you uncomfortable now?” Toph asked.

“I—no,” Katara murmured.  She laid her hands over Toph’s, closing her eyes at the roughness of the other woman’s fingers.  The warm palms Toph had laid against her cheeks were ones she wanted to kiss and to push away all at once.  Katara drew in a deep breath, simply holding Toph’s hands against her cheeks.  Toph moved to stand closer, resting her forehead against Katara’s.

“Now?” she asked.  It was a moment before Katara responded with a soft sigh and a slight shake of her head.  She opened her eyes, and Toph felt the warmth of a blush spread under her hands.  They stood for a moment, Katara’s eyes watching Toph’s, and Toph letting her fingers move slowly and gently on Katara’s face.  They felt each other’s breath on their skin, and when Toph finally spoke, her voice was soft and low.

“Then can we just talk without you being uncomfortable?” she asked.  Katara nodded once, and Toph smiled as she slowly stepped away.  When she opened her mouth to speak again, however, a high-pitched whine made both women jump in surprise.  Katara turned toward the sound, blinking when she noticed Toph drawing back her foot.

“Toph, wait!”  Her cry came too late to stop Toph from kicking her heel against the ground.  A large rock shot up from the ground, inches from the source of the whine.  A raccoon-dog, more fluffy brown and black fur than natural fat, howled in surprise and reared back on its hind legs.  Toph turned, blinking as the raccoon-dog began to run about the stone when it fell back to the ground.  It barked at the rock, stopping only to sniff at it before starting up in its frantic circle.  Katara bit back a laugh, letting go of Toph’s hands and covering her mouth.

“Fai!”  The call was drawn out, the voice familiar.  Kailas jogged around the corner of the courtyard, and the raccoon-dog all but tripped over its paws turning about to run to the woman.  She crouched down and the animal leapt up, barreling into her chest with enough force to knock her from her feet.  Katara bit her lip harder to stop her giggles, and Toph simply laughed aloud as the raccoon-dog sniffed and snorted at Kailas’s face and head before she stood up.

“Sorry,” Kailas said, gesturing toward the raccoon-dog running around her feet.  “Fai hasn’t been bothering you for food, has he?”

“Not lately,” Katara replied.  “You’re out late today.  And you don’t even have your flute.”  Kailas shrugged, and Katara could not tell if her eyes were open at all above her smile.

“Fai was whining loud enough to wake me from the first sleep I’ve had in days,” she said.  “Hova must have gone to see if she could get some food already.”  She bowed slightly, patting at her hip to get the raccoon-dog’s attention.  “Good morning, miss water and earthbender.”  She turned and jogged away, Fai outpacing her with his quick run.  Katara looked at Toph, and the two women shook their heads, laughing.  When her stomach groaned loudly, Toph grinned crookedly.

“I guess food right now isn’t that bad of an idea,” she chuckled.

“I’ll get something for us,” Katara said.  “Wait for me here?”

“If we’re finally going to talk?” Toph asked.  “Absolutely.”  She paused, eyes narrowing in thought.  “What do you want me to do if Aang comes here?”

“It’ll be fine,” Katara replied.  “He likes ‘patrolling’ the city in the morning.”  She reached out and took one of Toph’s hands, squeezing gently.  “I’ll be back.”  Toph smiled at her and nodded once.  She watched as Katara walked away, the echoes of her footsteps fading soon after she had left the courtyard.

----------

The baker gave Katara a sleepy smile and sluggish wave as the young woman strode up to his storefront.  She returned the gestures, and the man took the opportunity to let his chin fall back onto his chest.  Katara looked over the fresh breads, leaning over slightly to breathe in the scent that accompanied the small wisps of steam that rose from the still hot dough.  She straightened, but did not reach for any particular loaf or roll.

Her cheeks were still warm when she lifted one hand and pressed her fingers to her face.  The faint smile that she had given the baker quickly disappeared, and she put her fingers on her lips after a time.  Her mind began to wander, thoughts flitting from memories to prospects and back and again.  The thought of the fleeting, single kiss she had given to Toph years ago made her cheeks burn.  The idea of Aang’s kisses, given freely and often, made the blood drain from her face.

No words came to her, neither for Aang nor for Toph.  Katara stood, half reaching for a loaf of bread, unable to think.  The urge to touch the pendant was equaled only by the desire to touch her lips, and Katara felt her stomach churn and her legs shake.  She dropped her hand in an effort to reclaim her balance, closing her eyes and drawing a deep breath.  When a hand touched her shoulder, she jumped and let out a strangled gasp, spinning about.

“Sorry, Katara!”  Aang put both hands on her shoulders, smiling sheepishly as he steadied her.  “I didn’t mean to scare you so badly!”

“It—it’s all right,” Katara said, her voice little more than a squeak.  She cleared her throat, giving him a small smile while touching his wrists.  He grinned and took his hands from her shoulders.

“Well, good morning,” he chuckled, waving one hand.

“Good morning, Aang,” Katara replied, nodding her head slightly.  She glanced over her shoulder at the breads piled on the table, blinking when she turned back to Aang.  “I was—Toph and I are going to have breakfast together.”

“Boy, sometimes I wish I didn’t start my patrols so early,” Aang said with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head.  “I’d have loved to join you guys.”

“It’s all right!” Katara said quickly.  “We—we can all eat together later!”  Aang’s grin grew broader, and he nodded.

“It’s great having Toph here, isn’t it?” he asked.  “I missed her a lot.”  The smile that appeared on his face made Katara’s throat grow painfully tight.  “Didn’t you?”  She stared at him, unable to breathe or to blink for fear that the burning in her face would become tears.  Eventually, she swallowed hard enough to push down the lump that had swelled in her throat.  She smiled, and Aang saw how slowly it came to her.

“I did,” she said.  “It’s nice that she’s here.”  They fell quiet, and did not meet each other’s gaze for many moments.  When the moments passed, Aang leaned forward to kiss Katara gently.  She hesitated before returning the kiss, and they gave each other small smiles when they drew away.

“I’ll come by later today,” Aang said.  “You go back and have a nice breakfast with Toph.”  Katara nodded, looking at the ground when he turned to walk away.  He glanced back over his shoulder as he walked, only looking away when Katara asked the baker for two small loaves of fresh bread.

----------

It was Fai’s high-pitched whine that Katara heard first as she made her way back toward the center of the city.  The sound was urgent, only stopping when the animal drew breath to cry further.  Katara’s steps quickened as she heard the sharp barking howl only a kicked raccoon-dog could create.  She turned a final corner, backpedaling to avoid crashing into a man.  The small crowd that had gathered in a wide circle was made of the early risers and storekeepers eager to prepare for the rush of morning market-goers.  Katara stepped into an empty space in the broken circle, stopping immediately and dropping the bag that held the bread she had just purchased.

“You’re just a pair of dogs, like that stupid mutt.”  Kailas knelt with one hand resting gently on Fai’s fluttering stomach.  The raccoon-dog panted and whimpered, lying on the ground.  “Look at me when I’m talking to you!”  The man that had been speaking kicked a loose stone with his bare foot.  Kailas’s head jerked back when the rock struck her temple, and she lifted her head, barely noticing the trickle of blood that began to follow the curve of her cheek.  Three men stood before her, one man holding Hova’s arms behind her back.  Hova could not move as the man pressed her wrists against her back, feet encased in stone.  Katara saw Kailas’s jaw tighten at the whimper of pain that Hova could not bite back.

“You think you’re too good for us?” the man holding Hova’s arms demanded.  He tugged Hova back against his chest, grinning broadly.  “Oh, I think she’d be much happier with any one of us.  I bet I could actually give her enough to eat.”  Kailas patted Fai’s back, and he rose to his feet.  He licked at her hand before she pushed at his rear and sent him limping away.  She stood straight, open hands at her sides.

“Hova?” she said, voice carrying despite its softness.  Hova paused in her struggles to stop the ache in her shoulders, breath coming in quick bursts as she looked at the other woman.  “You know that I’m sorry, don’t you?”  Katara watched Hova swallow and nod, quickly turning her gaze back to Kailas.  The woman’s shoulders, once sagging, rose up, hands tightening into fists.  Her head rose up as she shook aside the hair that hung in her face, half-lidded eyes opening completely.

“Then—duck.”  Katara could hardly look away from the rage that had built in Kailas’s gold colored eyes, but watched the woman’s feet slide apart as she crouched into a low stance.  Hova wrenched her arms free of the man’s grasp, dropping to her knees and covering her head with her hands.  Kailas drew back her fist, and Katara’s breath caught just behind her tongue.  A simple punch would have fallen laughingly short of the men standing far out of reach of her arms.  Kailas, as she thrust her fist forward, let out a sound that was both sharp breath and snarl of anger.  Flames rushed from her hand, and gasps of astonishment and shouts of fright accompanied it.

The man who had been holding Hova’s arms in his hands found the shoulder of his sleeveless shirt alight with fire, shrieking in horror as he slapped at the flames and crying out again in pain when his skin began to blister and burn.  Kailas bent forward, putting her hands on the ground and lifting her rear foot back as she turned.  More fire followed the kick, arcing out to strike the man full in the chest and knock him from his feet.  He howled as he rolled about on the ground, shirt turning to ashy tatters and his flesh burning until the flames were put out by his frantic rolling and slapping.

“Get away from Hova!” Kailas shouted as she returned to a ready stance, fists up and voice booming.  The two men turned away from their whimpering, prone compatriot, staring at the woman before them.  Around them, the men, women, and children of the crowd stood silent, mouths and eyes open wide.  Katara could not bring herself to move forward, to stop the men she did not know and the woman whom she had never seen so angered, and she did not know why.

“You—firebending filth!” one of the two men snarled, spitting on the ground near Hova’s head.

“I said to get away from her!” Kailas snapped in return.  She swung her left arm wide, the wave of fire missing the men as they ducked low.  As he dropped to his knees, one man lifted his fists and brought them down onto the ground.  The stone beneath Kailas’s feet rose quickly and unevenly, launching her into the air.  She landed hard on her back, rolling aside before another pillar of rock shot up from the ground where her head had lain.

Katara found herself barely able to breathe, her throat painfully tight.  She watched as the two men, both earthbenders, hurled rocks at Kailas from different angles and blocked her fire with more stones.  The woman continued to lash out with punches and kicks that sent out arcs of flame.  With her attention divided between the men, their rocks, and Hova, still kneeling on the ground with her hands over her head, Kailas’s attacks only made rare contact with skin or cloth.  When her eyes lingered for too long on anything, a massive stone would strike her, catching her shoulder or side and sending her to the ground in a heap.

No matter how many times she fell and Katara felt her eyes grow wider, Kailas always regained her footing and renewed her firebending.  Blood flowed from her nose from a fall that had her head bouncing against the ground, from her lip when a stone fragment shot by, and from scrapes that had torn through the patches all over her clothing.  The two men continued to jeer at her despite their accumulating burns and scorched clothing, spitting at Hova and stomping the ground to launch Kailas into the air when she ran forward in an attempt to reach the other woman.

Katara, hands shaking and eyes burning, still could not move.  She wanted to reach for the skin filled with water resting on her hip, but stood as silent and unmoving as the others in the loosely formed circle.  One of the men snapped his heel against the ground, a rock popping into the air.  He punched the stone, and Kailas fell aside to dodge it.  Katara stared as the boulder-sized stone rushed toward her, eyes widening even further.

“Katara, move!”  A callused hand grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her aside.  Toph crouched down and slammed her fists against the ground, a thick wall of rock rising up.  The boulder crashed into the wall, shattering on impact.

“What’s going on?” Toph demanded, taking hold of Katara’s shoulders.  “Are you okay?  Why are they attacking Kailas and Hova?”  Katara shook her head slowly, Toph’s presence enough to let her breathe once more.

“I don’t know,” she said, voice cracking.  Toph stood for a moment with her mouth hanging open, brows furrowed.  Her eyes widened suddenly, and she let go of Katara’s shoulders, putting her hands on the wall of stone and digging her fingers into it.  She all but threw the stone back into the ground, taking a step forward.  Katara turned in time to see why Toph had let her go so quickly.

The two men, on opposite sides of Kailas, had both thrown boulders.  Kailas, legs threatening to buckle beneath her and breath coming in deep rushes, took half a step backward, turning slightly, before the stones crashed into her.  The single snap that issued from Kailas’s right arm was audible in the abrupt silence that followed, Kailas’s eyes growing wide and her jaw going slack.  The boulders fell back onto the ground and Kailas to her knees, bending over her arm.  Her breath shuddered as she drew it, her head bowed.

“Kailas!”  Hova scrabbled at the ground with her hands, wincing when her entrapped feet did not budge from where they were.  Her eyes welled over with tears, and she gave a cry as the man nearest to her strode over and struck her temple with his heel.

“That’s enough!”  The man jerked back when his cheek began to sting, pressing his hand to the pain and finding a thin line of blood in his palm when he pulled it back.  He looked up to find Katara standing with a sphere of water hovering over her hand, a scowl on her face.  Toph stood beside her, palms turned up and arms bent at the elbows.  With a quick drag of her foot across the ground, Toph shattered the stone holding Hova’s feet in place.  The other woman began to stumble toward Kailas.  When the man started to follow, Katara swung her arm in a wide curve, the sphere of water elongating into a whip and striking him hard across the face.

“I said that’s enough!” she snapped.  “Take your buddies and get out of here!”  The men opened their mouths to object, but two bursts of wind knocked them from their feet.  As soon as they hit the ground, landing on their rears, Toph jerked her hands up and closed them into fists.  Stone shot up from the ground and covered the men to their necks, holding them tight despite their struggles.  Toph grinned, putting her hands on her hips.

“We could have gotten them without you, Twinkle Toes,” she said.  “But thanks anyway.”  Aang jerked his chin up and down in a swift nod, striding past Katara and Toph.

“Whatever reason you’ve got, I don’t want to hear it,” he said, voice hard.  “There’s no excuse for what you’ve done here today.”  He went to Hova and Kailas, kneeling down.  He put a hand on each of their shoulders.  Only Hova looked up, face streaked with tears.  Kailas turned an unfocused gaze to look at Aang from the corner of her eye.

“Come on,” Aang said in a softer tone.  “Let’s get you healed.”

“Can’t pay for it,” Kailas muttered, blinking slowly.  Katara crouched down beside Aang, brushing aside a blood-matted lock of Kailas’s hair.

“It’s fine,” she said.  “Come on.  Toph—can you help her?”  Toph nodded, and when Aang moved away, she crouched down, carefully lifting Kailas’s left arm to lie over her shoulders.  With Hova bracing Kailas’s shoulders, Toph helped Kailas to her feet.  She felt the woman’s head hang forward, hitching Kailas’s arm higher around her shoulders and wrapping her free arm around the woman’s waist to keep her from falling.  Toph nodded, and Katara’s familiar footsteps soon moved before the two women.  She began to walk slowly forward, and Toph followed, letting Kailas’s feet shuffle against the ground.  Hova lingered for a moment with Aang, watching the crowd part to let the trio pass by.

“You can come too,” Aang murmured, laying a hand on her shoulder.  She nodded and swallowed, standing completely still before turning and wrapping her arms around the man in a tight hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered.  He smiled and patted her back, gently lifting away her arms and turning her about.  He nudged her along in the direction the three women had gone, and she hurried after them.  The young man stood and watched them before turning his gaze on the people in the crowd.  There was disgust and shock in all their faces, and they all were turned toward the three men on the ground.  Aang jogged away, never glancing back.

----------

Hova worried the loose strings of her sleeves until they broke, one by one.  Katara, hands gloved with water, let her touch linger over each wound.  The scrapes healed over in moments, bruises fading away.  She pressed her thumb against the cut on Kailas’s lip and a fingertip against the bridge of her nose.  When she came to the woman’s bared right arm, Katara blinked slowly.

“It’s just one break,” she said quietly.  “It’ll be all right, as long as you let it rest for a while.”  The water extended from her hands, wrapping around Kailas’s slightly bent forearm.  Kailas sat without speaking, propped against a wall.  Aang stood a few feet away, pacing back and forth with his arms crossed over his chest.  Toph knelt beside Hova, one hand on the smaller woman’s shoulder.

“You can relax,” Toph said.  “Katara knows what she’s doing.”  Under her hand, Toph felt the jerk of Hova’s nod, but the woman’s faint trembling did not cease.

“Why did they attack you?” Aang asked, speaking in a rush.

“Stop, Aang,” Katara murmured.  “Now’s not the time.”  The man sighed and resumed his pacing, glaring at the floor.

“I’m amazed that none of you seem to care that you’re helping a firebender,” Kailas said.  “Or a woman who’s with another woman.”  Katara glanced up, but the woman’s eyes were half-closed and fixated on the faintly glowing water around her arm.

“You never did any firebending before,” Katara said.  She smiled, chuckling.  “And if you thought that you and Hova were some kind of secret, you’re not nearly as smart as I thought you might have been.”  Hova snorted and started to laugh into her hands, the tension Toph felt in her shoulders vanishing.

“Thank you, Katara.”  Katara looked up to find Kailas’s open gold eyes upon her.  “And thank you, Toph, and Aang.”  As Katara pulled away her hands, Kailas touched her forearm, fingers passing over where the bend had been.  “I guess I’m not good enough at firebending either.”  Hova rose suddenly to her feet, walking to Kailas and crouching back down.  She knocked her knuckles against Kailas’s forehead with a small smile.

“I’m never cold at night, and I’m not going hungry,” she said.  “And you make me happy.  I call that good enough.”  Kailas’s smile slowly returned, her eyes closing partway.  She took Hova’s hand with her left, kissing Hova’s palm.  Aang, Toph, and Katara smiled at the women.  As Hova helped Kailas to her feet, Katara’s smile faded and her eyes fell to the floor.

“Thank you, again,” Hova said, bowing at the waist.  “I guess we’re spending the day at home now.”

“Toph?” Katara asked suddenly.  “Could you walk them home?”  Neither the two women nor Toph could protest before Katara spoke again and said, “I just want to make sure nothing else happens.”  Her eyes remained on the floor even as she rose to her feet.

“I could go,” Aang said.

“It’s all right,” Toph said in return.  “I’ll go.”  The three women paused awkwardly before Hova and Kailas made their way to the front door, Toph following close behind.  After a moment, Katara went to the door, stopping when Toph turned at her approaching footsteps.

“Can we still talk when I get back?” Toph asked.  Katara’s hand moved toward Toph’s, but jerked back to rise and touch the pendant.  She swallowed hard and sighed, her eyes returning to the floor.

“I don’t know,” she murmured.  “Please be safe.”  Toph hesitated before nodding and turning back to the open door.  As she, Hova, and Kailas strode away from Katara’s home, Aang walked to stand behind Katara.  He put one hand on her shoulder, and she turned to lay her head against his chest.  Aang did not ask why Katara’s shoulders trembled so violently, or why her tears were enough to soak through his shirt to his chest.  He simply held her close, kissing her hair and wiping away her tears when she let him.

—to be continued—