Toph wanted to stay like this, tightly snuggled in a loving hug with Tabari, forever and ever. Like all the best moments, however, it had to end eventually. The two slowly exited their embrace, with Tabari helping Toph to the ground, but their smiles remained as Tabari's paw lingered on Toph's shoulder.
"You feeling better now, Tabari," Toph asked gently.
Tabari let out a hum as he began to mess up Toph's head fur, causing her to yip as she attempted to get him to stop. And he had the audacity to laugh, the jerk. "Tabari is feeling much better now," he smiled gratefully as he finally drew his paw away from her head, which made Toph smile a bit.
As Toph fixed and smoothed over her fur, Tabari's face became more thoughtful. "Toph?"
Toph perked her head up. "Yeah?"
"You know how Tabari always prays to his God," he asked ricke–ruhc–reh–rhetorically, and Toph nodded. It had been the first thing she'd seen him do on their journey to Tianyang. "Would it be alright if this caracal prayed for guidance? It would help set his heart at ease."
Toph didn't really care about God's one way or the other, so she needed only a second to think. "If it makes you feel better, I'm happy with what you do," she smiled, and Tabari smiled back gratefully.
"Thank you," he said as he knelt down on the ground and folded his paws together. "Before Tabari prays, he asks that Toph copy what he's doing."
Taking a short moment to look at what Tabari did, Toph got on her knees beside him and put her paws together. "Like this," she asked.
Tabari smiled and said, "Yes, like that. Now, close your eyes, and Tabari will pray."
Toph quickly shut her eyes as asked, and Tabari, his voice still and reverent, began to pray. "Oh, gracious Father in Heaven," he cried out, "who loves us so very much despite all our flaws, we come to you now on bended knee to ask for Your guidance and wisdom. Lord, Tabari–
Wait..."
A lttle startled, Toph hesitantly peeked with one squintily-open eye at Tabari, whose face was something she would have laughed at in any other moment. Tabari then let out a loud groan and facepalmed. "Tabari, you idiot! Why didn't you think of this sooner?"
The caracal, tutting to himself, then turned to face Toph, who now opened her other eye. "Toph, could you please gather everyone at the village center," Tabari asked. "He has just realized something very important."
Though slightly confused, Toph nodded. "Yes, Tabari," she replied as she got up without hesitation and rushed for the front door, leaving Tabari muttering to himself behind her.
Half an hour later...
Village Square
Sitting on a barrel, Haoran tapped his feet impatiently against it as he, Bolin, and Ying waited for the others to appear. He'd already been annoyed when the binturong brat had barged in and told him to drop everything and head to the square, so having to sit down and waste time doing nothing was even more grating. Fiddling with his claws, he picked out some dirt that had gotten stuck in them. Clicking his tongue, he turned his attention toward his current companions.
"I am bored," Bolin mumbled as he placed his head in his paws, the kindred soul breathing out the flattest sighs Haoran had ever heard.
"Me too," Ying muttered as she swept away some dust on the ground with her feet. "What do we do while waiting?"
Bolin opened his mouth to give an answer, only to close it at an awkwardly slow pace once he realized he didn't actually have an answer to say. Awkward silence filled the air as neither of the two had any idea what to say, and it seemed the conversation would be messily aborted just after its birth. It was then, however, that Ying's eyes widened with realization. "Oh! We could talk about the fight yesterday."
Haoran unconsciously puffed his chest out a little with fake bravado, and he made to get down and walk over to the two. Before he could get down, however, Haoran noticed the violent flinch from the sun bear at the mention of the fight. His paw faintly hovered over where he had been stabbed in the chest, a single claw grazing it.
A mutter barely audible escaped Bolin's mouth, and Ying tilted her head in slight confusion. "I'm sorry, Bolin, but could you please repeat that?"
"I... I do not really want to talk about it."
Ying's brows furrowed with concern as she tried to figure out what Bolin's problem was. Haoran did his best to stifle his immediate reaction to the situation; it would not have been appreciated by anyone else. Haoran was far too experienced a liar to be fooled by Bolin's facade. He had mastered such tricks when he was young, and if Bolin insisted on playing the hero, he too would have to learn how to obscure what he was feeling better. Haoran scowled away from the two as he remembered how exactly he'd learned to hide pain and weakness. Hopefully Bolin would pick it up in a... gentler manner than he had. Haoran shook his head; the past was better off left behind in the ditch it died.
"Why not," Ying asked gently, the spoonbill slowly cottoning onto the fact something was wrong.
Bolin turned his face away with his eyes closed, his breath catching in his throat as he struggled to say why. "It is nothing," Bolin shakily stated after a moment, and Haoran discretely choked out a disbelieving scoff that tried to escape his throat.
From the concerned look on Ying's face, it was clear she was not fooled either. "Bolin, lying won't help anyone. And no one is this bothered by nothing."
Bolin's head drooped in shame at that, and the dam that held the truth back broke. "I almost died yesterday. I... I do not want to get hurt again. I'm scared, Ying. Really, scared."
As Bolin quivered, Ying, her eyes wide with worry and filled with uncertainty, turned toward Haoran and gestured at him, silently pleading for help from the water dragon. Unfortunately, even Haoran didn't know the right way to answer this, so he reluctantly shrugged and shook his head negatively. As Ying's expression dropped, an oddly strong discomfort washed over Haoran, and he unwillingly shivered a little because of it. As Haoran, scratching his arm, tried his best to ignore the odd feelings within, Ying turned back to Bolin as she tried to come up with a way to raise his morale. Tip-tapping her feet and shaking her head slightly, Ying's eyes lit up with inspiration, and the tension in her body seemed to flow out like air from a squeezed sack.
"How about a story," she asked with a relieved smile. "A good story always helped me feel better."
Bolin's head perked up a bit, and, after tapping his paw against his cheek thoughtfully, slowly nodded. "...It is worth a shot."
Ying clapped her wings together in a calm manner of calm excitement, her smile growing ever so slightly. "This is a story my father would tell me and my sisters before we'd sleep. Ahem. A long time ago, in a village a lot like this one, there was a brave young man..."
Haoran quietly scoffed to himself as Ying began to tell her story, crossing his arms as his mind began to wander. The story was probably going to be a slightly different variant of the same old tale about a scrappy young hero saving a village from bandits, a flood, or whatever oh-so-great calamity was going to destroy the town this time. He'd flawlessly save the village, earn the respect and praise of his peers, and maybe get a girl whose character was as flat as a plate.
"...Then one day, the village was attacked by the bandits," Ying continued as Haoran's attention faintly returned back to her, the spoonbill unaware of Haoran's cynical monologue. "The villagers tried to defend themselves, but they were powerless in the face of their dastardly foes. The young man's father was one of those who fought back, striking down a bandit who dared to touch his son. In turn, the father was run through the stomach by a sword."
Haoran stiffened unwillingly as Bolin's eyes widened in genuine, if subdued horror, the sun bear's anxieties having been forgotten due to the story. If Bolin had been unaware of the story being fictional, he would have started tearing up; as it was, he was merely very emotional at the moment.
"As he held his dying father, the young man swore with tears in his eyes that he would avenge his father and save the village from the bandits." Ying continued to tell her story, a solemn yet hopeful tone weaving into her words. "After burying his father, the young man took up his father's armor and sword and set out for the bandit camp. He would return either with the bandit leader's head or only as a head.
"Stumbling through the dark of the woods, the young man found the camp as the bandits were gorging themselves on their ill-gotten loot, wine, and food. So clouded had their minds become with strong drink that they had forgotten to appoint guards. Seeing this, the young man rushed toward the camp and, with a booming war cry, began to carve a path through the brigands' camp. As the bandits, too drunk to defend themselves, were defeated one by one, the young man yelled out for their cowardly leader to show his face and fight him like a man.
"As the young man took care of one more bandit, the leader, snarling with rage as he menacingly swung his spear around, finally appeared. The blood of the young man's father still stained the bandit's shirt. The young man, standing firm and uncowed, repeated his oath, swearing to avenge his father and save his village from the likes of bandit scum. He then charged forward, and the two began to clash. Blade clanged against blade, neither side giving ground or letting up. Time seemed to blur as the two battled, and for a moment, it seemed as if the two would continue to fight until the end of the world. But then, the bandit, drunk from wine and sluggish with overconfidence, made one little mistake. One little mistake was all that was needed for the young man to dodge, swing, and lop off the bandit's head.
"At once, the will of the remaining bandits had evaporated, and they all scrambled to be the first to run away, though not before swearing that they would return someday and that they would have their vengeance. The young man held his head up high and promised that every time theu came back, he would be standing guard ready to defend his home. After that, he picked up the bandit leader's head and returned to his village a hero to his friends and family. There was a great, big feast in his honor, and joy was had by all. Though, the young man couldn't fully enjoy it. His mind still dwelled on the bandits' words as he prepared himself for what was to come. He trained and practiced and readied himself whenever he could so that he could defeat whatever evil came his way and protect his village. Eventually, the bandits did return and the young man, now a young hero, once again fought them off. But that... That is a story for another time."
For a moment, there was only silence. Then, Bolin began to enthusiastically clap and grin. "That was amazing, Ying," he lavished praise upon his friend, who blushed modestly at the praise. "You are a master storyteller."
"It was n-nothing, Bolin," Ying mildly protested as she fidgeted with her feathers. "My father is the real master of storytelling."
"Then he has a worthy successor," Bolin continued to smile, which only served to fluster the spoonbill even further.
"That was a decent enough story, I suppose." Haoran interrupted, suddenly reminding Bolin and Ying of his presence as the two turned his way. The cynical water dragon seemed more prickly then usual, though neither sun bear nor spoonbill could tell why. "The plot is contrived and hackneyed, however, and so removed from reality that it's farcical. Ying does manage to cover the worst of the contrivances, but you can only travel so far in a boat filled with holes."
"...Thank you?" Ying hesitantly asked more than said, unsure if she should be offended by Haoran's mockery of her favorite story or be pleased by his praise of her skill.
"You're welcome." Haoran responded with all the confidence Ying's statement had not had, a small smirk on his face that distracted from the odd look in his eyes. "With that being said, I could tell a story of my own... if you want, that is."
Ying, a bit surprised by this, thought for a moment before smiling. "That would be wonderful, Haoran." She said.
Bolin nodded with an eager grin. "What is it about?"
"My story is also about a young man in a village like this one," Haoran began to regale as he leaned forward slightly, haunching his shoulders as Ying and Bolin copied his movements. He fought the urge to smirk. "This young man's name was Yu, and he was brave, generous, kind, and all the other virtues you could slap on a hero. The other villagers... were normal people. Sure, there were probably some decent folks among them, but they were stupid and selfish and jealous. These flaws, generally speaking, weren't so crippling that you would consider the villagers bad people, but they were certainly not as virtuous as Yu."
Ying and Bolin were both slightly confused, though neither bothered to comment. The water dragon, unaware of this, continued his story.
"One day, after several days and nights of heavy rain, the nearby river overflowed one drop too much, and in a flash, water began to flood from the river toward the fields surrounding the village. Farmers scrambled and fled for a nearby hill as the ensuing flood drew closer, but it was clear that not all would be able to make it to safety. Until Yu sprang into action. Dashing to and fro, the young hero grabbed whoever he could and carried them to higher ground. Each time he got up the hill, he'd drop the person he was carrying before immediately rushing back to save at least one more. On and on he did this until, carrying the thirteenth farmer, he barely managed to leap onto the hill just as the flood swept through the fields. Every single farmer had made it to safety thanks to Yu. But instead of looking upon Yu with humble gratitude and praise, the villagers began to regard him as a treasure chest. One from which riches and benefits would seemingly flow without end...
"They began to 'depend' on Yu to solve all their woes no matter how small they might have been. Out in the cold with no coat? Yu will happily provide you his own! Dropped something in a well? Yu will pull it out in a second! Too sick to head to the market? Yu will get you what you need free of charge! His charity knew no limits, and his kindness was free for all. And despite all this, the villagers barely ever returned the kindness to Yu, with them providing no gifts nor help of their own to him. For if they could gain benefits for no cost, why should they make it have cost? And so Yu, ever so graciously, served the village without thanks or reward."
At this point, Ying's confusion had turned into concern, with a frown growing on the spoonbill's beak, while Bolin's face had become more thoughtful in expression as he listened.
"Some time later," Haoran continued his tale, "a monster of some sort began to prowl the nearby woods, killing any poor souls it found wandering the trees. The village went into hysteria and begged and pleaded with Yu to slay the hideous monster in a hunt they were too cowardly to contribute to themselves. The heroic Yu did not hesitate; immediately grabbing a sword and shield, he set out to find the beast. For days, he prowled the woods alone, hunting for a beast–of which he had no image or idea of other than that it was murderous–until he found a cave. Tired from the hunt, Yu approached the cave in order to take a short rest before continuing his hunt... before freezing as something growled from inside the cave."
A guttural growl emanated from Haoran's throat to puncuate the moment, causing his audience to flinch just a little at the effect. Haoran then continued, "From out of the cave, the monster–an ugly and rabid beast with a single eye that lusted for blood, patches of furless skin, and teeth that gleamed dangerously–appeared, sizing up Yu for just a second before letting out a roar and pouncing. Yu dodged, but not before the beast managed to slash his chest with its claws. Rolling on the ground, Yu was given no time to rest as the monster threw itself at him, and a brutal clash ensued. Yu was forced onto the defensive, barely managing to keep up with the beast's ravenous rampage. He endured wound after wound as he fought, desperately holding on until he could find an opening. Slowly, the monster began to slow in movement, its frenetic and crazed movements swiftly tiring it out, and it's attack grew sluggish. It was then that Yu struck, turning the tables so that now he was attacking. The beast, tired and weary, was finally struck down, its death avenging those it had slaughtered. Grabbing the beast, the tired but smiling Yu began to drag it back to the village, having saved it for a second time. Yet still the craven villagers barely showed any gratitude for his heroic deeds, reasoning that of course Yu would handle it all. That was what Yu always did, and that would be what he would do until the day he died. There was no need to help or contribute to anything Yu did, the indolent villagers reasoned. Life was hard enough for them as is, and when the next crisis came, he would once more solve it for them.
"Shortly thereafter, the next challenge came and a large band of bandits began to terrorize the countryside, taking and looting all that wasn't nailed down. The bandits seemed unstoppable and not a single soul was safe, but when Yu's village was next to be targetted in their rampage, the villagers were unafraid. Yu would handle it, the villagers rationalized. Why should they do something risky and dangerous? Yu was there to do it for them, and he'd be so happy to suffer and be a hero for them. The torpid villagers all felt that their lives were plenty hard; sure they didn't get hurt fighting monsters, but they didn't want to, so it was just better to give it to Yu to handle that suffering for them.
"The villagers callously pleaded with Yu who, despite his injuries and previous sacrifices, felt he could not condemn the villagers to the fate they would bring upon themselves with their shiftless manner. Yu was a hero, so even if the village wouldn't help him at all in this endeavor and was never grateful in the slightest, Yu had to defend them.
"He sucked in the pain from his wounds, as of course the village hadn't bothered to help him with that either, and once more he was left to handle the village's problems for them.
"Sneaking about so as to not be spotted, Yu followed a group of bandits to their lair, a small grove next to a flowing river. Finding himself a good hiding spot in some bushes, Yu, as still and quiet as a placid lake, patiently watched the bandits go about their camp, studying the layout and memorizing the guards' patrols. He waited until the sun had gone down and the moon had taken its place to strike the bandit camp. Knowing he could not face them all at once, he struck down the patrolling guards outside the camp before scurrying up a wall and entering the camp. Under the cover of night, as bandits dreamt of plunder and booty, Yu crept about until he found the tent of the bandit leader. Dispatching the guards right outside, he carefully slipped into the tent and made his way to the sleeping bandit. Yu took his sword, raised it above his head, and thrust it into the chest of the bandit leader–and the bandit screamed bloody murder.
"Caught off guard, Yu frantically delivered a second blow–this one fatal–but it was too late. Those nearby had been awoken by the dying scream, and the rest of the camp would soon awake as well. Yu wasted no time and attempted to flee, but the brigands now blocked his paths of escape. Left with no other course, Yu brandished his sword and charged forward. A fierce battle ensued as Yu began to carve through the swathes of bandits, cutting down any who came close. But the bandits seemed to endlessly pour out from every tent and corner of the camp, and as the fight wore on, Yu grew more as his injuries began to increase. But still he fought, possessed by a righteous fury to see his duty through to the end. So on and on he slew the bandits, until at last, he drove his blade into the last bandit before him, the rest having either fled or been slain. Yu, satisfied with his handiwork, took a step forward... and collapsed, a great, flaring pain erupting all over his body as the excitement of battle snapped away.
"His wounds had become too numerous and too grievous in the fight, and now, he was bleeding to his death. Lying impotently on the ground and unable to move, all he could do was weakly cry out for help; but only the night sky heard his cries, for the villagers had left him to fight and die on his own. It was then that a heartbroken Yu realized that no one was coming to save him; he was all alone. And so, Yu died surrounded by the bandits he had slain; no effort was made to find him even weeks after he had left to confront the bandits. There is no grave nor monument to remember him by. Only this sad tale remains to lament his tragedy."
With that, and a grand flourish of Haoran's arms, the Tragedy of Yu had been told. Taking a moment after saying all those words, Haoran let out a small breath before turning to see the reactions of Ying and Bolin. Ying was... not horrified, per se, but she was certainly disturbed by the story, judging by her wide eyes and the covering of her beak with her wing. Bolin, by contrast, seemed far less disturbed and more contemplative, the sun bear's chin leaned against his paw as he adopted a "thinking" pose reminiscent of sages and philosophers.
"Well?" Haoran asked, sporting a casual grin as he attempted to break the awkward silence. "What did you think?"
"I think it was bloody stupid and that you're goddamn moron," a grating voice arrogantly scoffed, and Haoran's grin fell into a deep scowl with recognition as he turned to see the
takin Aiguo and Lin standing behind him. How the doddering old fool hadn't tripped onto his own sword at this point was a mystery Haoran still wasn't able to puzzle together.
Despite this, the water dragon quickly put back together his grin; though, it sharply bared more teeth this time around. "Of course a brutish, senile goat like
you wouldn't be able to appreciate a story as fantastic as mine. Why should I have expected anything else?"
"And of course, a simpleminded twat like you would enjoy a story with a hero as idiotic as you are," Aiguo spat back, a sort of sadistic glee as twisted as the bastard's horns gleaming in his eyes. "Your story requires Yan–"
"His name was Yu." Bolin absent-mindedly said.
"
–Yu to be an utter imbecile in order for the ending to even remotely work. Why didn't he just slit the bandit leader's throat or even cover the man's mouth to avoid him making any noise. Furthermore, why wouldn't he try to find even just one ally to help him fight the bandits? I've met trees with sharper wits than your 'hero'."
"Ah, yes, the soldier wizened with age comes to bless us with his intellect and insight once more. I suppose you're right." Haoran smiled an ugly smile, the kind that came before a murder. "Since you know oh know so much about the obvious thing to do, I suppose that means you wanted Bolin to die.
A deadly stillness overtook Aiguo, his eye twitching and his teeth grinding like mortar and pestle as his grip tightened on his sword, and Haoran's smile became a savage grin, a mocking little thing that promised more barbs to come. Behind the water dragon, Bolin stiffened with shock as Ying let out a gasp of horror.
"Haoran, that's out of line–!" Lin attempted to intervene, but Haoran plowed right through her.
"After all, an experienced soldier would never make such obvious mistakes, so obviously he intended for Bolin to get stabbed." Haoran continued to hiss, a venomous bite seeping into his tone as a fire seemed to burn in his eyes. "So yes, Aiguo is not like Yu at all. Yu was a hero who died because he couldn't bare to see others die. Aiguo's a soldier who wishes for others to die and thinks himself a hero for it. All hail the mighty warrior
Aiguo–!"
In a flash, Aiguo hurled himself at Haoran, screaming bloody murder. Haoran's smirk dropped as he let out a scream of shock and scrambled back a panicking Lin grabbed the takin and desperately tried to pull him back while Ying and Bolin, snapping out of their own shock, rushed forward.
"You slimy, cold-blooded half-wit, I'll kill you!" The takin roared as he violtently flailed in an attempt to escape Lin's grasp, the two tangling in an awkward dance of sorts. "Come here, you bastard! If you want to run your tongue so much, I'll lop it off and slap you with it!!"
"Aiguo, please!" Ying, half-scandalized and half-horrified by the vivid image Aiguo had painted, exclaimed as she attempted to get between him and Haoran, who had retreated to safety behind the wall that was Bolin.
"He couldn't have known, Aiguo!" Lin pleaded as she tried to wrestle Aiguo to the ground, though she didn't have much success as the two continued their impromptu wrestling match.
"Such thin skin you have, you oafish goat!" Haoran taunted, a smug grin on his face growing ever so slowly. "Your first course after losing an argument is resorting to violence! But I shouldn't have expected anything more from the likes of–!"
SMACK
"GAAAGH!" Haoran cried out as a slap from the gods struck him on the back of his head, nearly eating dirt. Hissing as he rubbed his head, Haoran looked up to complain... only to falter when he saw the genuinely annoyed, even somewhat angry face of Bolin staring down at him.
"Will you stop doing that?!" The sun bear exclaimed as he towered over Haoran, and it was then that Haoran truly realized how gargantuan Bolin was when he was pushed. "Do you
want to get hurt?!"
"No–!"
"Then stop throwing yourself into the fire!" Bolin groaned as he threw his paws up in the air, a thousand times done with the situation, before letting out a long sigh. As Ying and Lin still tried to calm Aiguo down in the back, Bolin looked to Haoran and said, "I know that you and Aiguo do not like each other, but is it hard to be quiet for
just five minutes?"
Hesitantly chuckling, Haoran weakly shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, he called me an idiot first," the water dragon attempted to defend himself, pointing to the still near-rabid takin rolling around on the ground as Ying frantically danced back and forth to keep between him and Haoran.
"Yes, but you did not have to call him a coward who doesn't care about his friends." Bolin crossed his arms with a cross look on his face, his posture rigid and his mouth formed into a thin frown.
"I didn't
really call him a co–"
"We both know you implied that, do not pretend that you did otherwise."
Before Haoran could say anything else, Bolin then leaned forward, his face close to Haoran's. Very close. With a low, flat voice, Bolin then said, "I especially do not appreciate my
near death being dragged into your argument."
Haoran gulped silently, not daring to blink wrong as his claws trembled faintly. The fight had changed Bolin, hardened him into a fiercer creature. Or had it merely brought into the light what was always there? Either way...
"...Then I apologize." Haoran slowly said as he held out a hand, an apologetic grin wobbling its way onto his face. "I promise I won't do it again."
Bolin looked at the proffered hand, staring holes into it as if to discern how since the gesture was. Finally, Bolin let out a sigh, his body relaxing out of its rigid stance, and took it into his paw.
"I accept your apology, though I expect you to keep your promise." The sun bear said firmly, and Haoran deflated slightly with relief.
"Of course I will." Haoran replied.
"We will see." Bolin softly smiled, a lighter thing than the glare and frown of before. "Though, Aiguo might not forgive you after this."
"You mean he
won't." Haoran softly muttered, something which Bolin didn't overhear as they watched Ying and Lin slowly manage to calm Aiguo down. Haoran wished it would go faster.
"About your story," Bolin suddenly said, "I have a question."
Haoran, happy to swerve into a more comfortable topic, smirked. "Ask away; what do you want to know?"
"Was Yu happy?"
Surprised, Haoran blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Was Yu happy during the story?" Bolin said.
"Uh, yes." Haoran said after a short pause, a bit confused as to where Bolin was taking this. "Until the end when he was dying, but for the most part, he was happy."
Bolin gave a small nod before asking, "And did he save the village?"
"Multiple times." Haoran stated.
"And would the farmers have died to the flood without Yu's help?" Bolin pressed on with his questions. "Would the monster have continued to kill people? Would the bandits have razed the village to the ground?"
"A definite yes to all three." Haoran said with a quizzical look.
At that, Bolin smiled sagely. "Then Yu did the right thing."
Haoran let out a sigh at that; while he still respected Bolin enough, it seemed that he still clung onto some of that naivete. "He did some great deeds, yes, but he died miserable and abandoned by the villagers."
"That doesn't contradict what I said." Bolin responded. "Even though he died alone, he saved an entire village many times. The good he did made everything worth it."
"But he died for people who did not care for him and who abandoned him when he needed help." Haoran argued back. "The villagers didn't deserve his help."
"The children too?"
"Pardon?" Haoran asked.
"Did the children also not deserve to be saved?" Bolin asked with a raised eyebrow. "Should Yu have condemned them because of their ungrateful parents?"
Haoran faltered at the admittedly good question, but quickly bounced back by saying, "Obviously not, but the point still stands that he was abandoned and forgotten by the villagers when he wasn't useful anymore. He didn't receive the proper respect or thanks he deserved; hell, he didn't even get a
gravestone."
"So what?" Bolin shrugged his shoulders, not noticing Haoran's shock at the casual dismissal. "Fame and fortune are useless when you die, and a gravestone is just a fancy rock. Yu saved people and gave them a chance to not just live but to possibly become better people. To me, well... that seems like a life well lived."
Stunned, Haoran found he had no response. It felt oddly rude to say anything at all, really.
"What's going on here?"
But fortunately, that was when Tabari showed up and started talking. Haoran secretly sighed in relief at that, thankful that someone else would break the silence for him.
Toph wasn't blind or deaf–no, scratch that; even if she
were blind and deaf, she would've been able to see that something had gone wrong. The air was tense enough to cut with a knife, Aiguo continued to flash hateful glares at Haoran, and Ying, Lin, and Bolin were standing very rigidly between the two as if expecting a fight to break out. What the heck had happened?!
"We just got into a bit of argument, that's all." Haoran, giving a half-hearted thumbs up, hesitantly attempted to reassure Tabari. The fact he wasn't eagerly throwing Aiguo under the rickshaw or generally being a slimeball disturbed Toph more than it should have. "It's all resolved and good now."
Obviously unconvinced, Tabari just stared at Haoran for a good while. Then he slowly turned toward Aiguo. "Aiguo?"
"...It's resolved." Aiguo replied, though it barely came out of his mouth with all the grinding his teeth did.
Tabari quietly sighed into his paw and shook his head bit. "Alright,
fine, we'll circle back to that later when we have time. Right now, Tabari wants to talk about the defense of the village. "
Immediately, the air shifted as everyone was reminded about the stakes at hand; Bolin's back straightened, Lin's mouth formed a thin, straight line, and even Haoran seemed to become serious. Toph, for her part, nervously figeted with her paws behind her back.
"This caracal is sure everyone knows just how dire the situation is." Tabari slowly, solemnly said as his gaze sweeped over everyone. When everyone nodded and made noises of agreement, he continued. "Everyone knows that the battle ahead of us will be tough and that..."
Tabari's breath hitched slightly. "...That some of us might not live to see tomorrow."
Toph sucked in a sharp hiss as the mood continued to become even more depressing, with Bolin placing a comforting paw on the wing of a slightly distressed Ying while Aiguo and Lin stoically nodded. A soft paw lightly touched Toph's shoulder, and she looked up to see Tabari giving a soft, reassuring smile. Toph tried her best to match the smile, and Tabari patted her shoulder before turning back to the others.
"So, before we fight, Tabari would like to ask if he could pray to his God over us." Bolin and Ying blinked at that with a little surprise, while Aiguo eyed the caracal with some skepticism.
"Sure, I don't see why not."
Surprised, everyone turned to look at who had said it.
"What," Haoran of all people asked as he nonchalantly shrugged, scratching his cheek with one of his claws. "We've got nothing to lose by doing this, and we might as well try to get Tabari's God on our side while we still can. Right?"
"That's not precisely–" Tabari began to retort, only to trail off as he thought over Haoran's words. Then, he softly smiled. "Sure. We can work with that."
"So, how would this work?" Aiguo asked, still a bit skeptical, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Are we gonna burn some incense or something as an offering?"
"My family has some incense we can use." Ying offered, but Tabari chuckled with a shake of his head.
"No, but the offer is appreciated." The caracal smiled. "It's a bit more simple. Tabari will be the one to pray while the rest of you silently follow along."
Ying was a bit surprised. "Oh. That seems a bit... simple for an occasion like this."
"True, true." Tabari shrugged casually. "But that's the beauty of it, Tabari supposes. That talking to his God is as simple as talking to another person."
With that, Tabari then got on his knees and folded his paws together, and Toph quickly did the same. "If you would join Tabari?" He inclined his head.
Haoran was the first to kneel down with them as he languidly stretched his back and shoulders a bit. Bolin and Ying quickly joined him, though Ying kneeled back instead of forward. Toph did her best to not giggle at the sight. Lin then quietly knelt down as well, a serious quiet about her. Aiguo, thought still seeming a bit unsure, finally joined in after a moment.
"Are you all ready?" Tabari asked.
"Ready." Toph quietly said, and everyone else did the same as well.
Tabari smiled. "Then please fold your hands and close your eyes for prayer."
Toph closed her eyes.
"Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for teaching us how to pray." Tabari began, his voice solemn and measured at first. "Lord, Tabari and his friends humbly kneel before You in a time of great need. The enemy before us is far greater in strength and number, and we cannot stand against them alone. As You did for David, help us to stand against this Goliath that approaches us."
But then his breath hitched, and Toph swore she could hear him holding back a tear as he shakily continued. "Help us not so that we might gain any earthly fame or fortune, but so that we might protect those we cherish. Please... give us the strength and courage to see this battle through. But not our will be done, Lord, but Your's alone. Forgive us our sins, in the mighty and awesome name of Jesus Christ we pray...
"Amen."
Toph hesitated before opening our eyes, blinking a time or two as she did so. She felt... a bit better now. She was definitely still scared, nervous as well, but Tabari's prayer had helped soothe them enough that she felt more brave than scared. She then turned to Tabari and saw perhaps a big smile on his face. It seemed as if a very big rock had been rolled off his shoulders.
No one said anything for a while; this was one of those silences that needed time before being broken. Only the breeze bothered to talk, blowing through her fur.
"...So what happens now?" Toph awkwardly broke the silence after about a minute, fiddling with her paws as she did so.
It was Aiguo who answered that question, a rare, wry smile on his face as he turned to address her. "The worst part of fighting." The old man chuckled. "Waiting for the fight."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes:
I AM ALIVE!!!!
View: https://youtu.be/I0H-rjz4xSA?si=CQ2oW3GnND1SvSZV
Random Animal Fact–The wood frog can survive in hibernation with two-thirds of its body water frozen. Japanese tree frogs are able to survive in even colder temperatures, with them being able to survive in -35° C (-31° F) for up to 120 days.
This update was brought to you by a movie that was twisted by one of the actors on Good Will Hunting.
It's a flick bent by Ben Affleck.
Oh, and we also have some dessert prepared by his ex-wife. J-Lo's jello.
