#I mean Sun’s reaction and all is somewhat important to the story so eh

[yourfavoritecascade]

Some Robotic Mythology comic sketches I made in class today

Suns finds out about their true purpose of creation and has an existential crisis :)

[ripley95]

Echoes of Old Embers

Chapter 5

Pairing: F!Shepard/Kaidan Alenko

Rating: T

Chapter length: 4K

Story Synopsis:

After surviving the war, one of Shepard’s biggest regrets was rejecting Kaidan at Apollo’s. Fate has a way of bringing Jane and Kaidan back into each other’s lives. A misunderstanding with his family makes Kaidan and Shepard relive old history and question where they stand.

Link to Chapter 1 on AO3

Chapter Synopsis:

Kaidan shows Shepard around the orchard and shares an important memory of his.

Link to Chapter 5 on AO3

Tumblr Links:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14

Read the chapter here below the cut:

After finishing the lunch that Ada and Libby prepared, Shepard and Kaidan made sure to stay long enough to help put away the leftover food and clean up all of the dishes. Ada shooed them out the door the moment they were done helping so they could go enjoy themselves.

As they walked out the back door, Shepard immediately had a better view of the orchard than when they landed. It spanned for kilometres and was met with a pine forest along the edges, proving that this was a much larger property than she had imagined. Growing up in space, learning about agriculture wasn’t particularly high on the list of learning priorities, so she really had no idea what to expect. Seeing the scope of it first-hand was surprising. The additional view of the hills and mountains in the distance was enough to make her feel small, which wasn’t an easy feeling to achieve after seeing the vastness of space. She had to pause and take it all in.

The sun was out, which was nice considering they only just escaped the rain that had started pouring that same morning back in Vancouver. Spring had only just started, so the sun blanketed them in a pleasant warmth to contrast the cooler temperatures and the light breeze surrounding them. The weather and the scenery couldn’t have been more perfect. She had to credit Libby with having impeccable taste when it came to choosing a time and place to have a wedding.

After taking in the initial scenery, Kaidan started walking, leading the way at a slow and relaxed pace. He waited for Shepard to match him before leading her towards the apple trees.

“So… that was… uh,” Kaidan stammered.

“Interesting?”

“That’s one way to put it,” he said with a slight smile.

“Don’t worry about it. It was fine,” she said, trying to be reassuring. She didn’t want him to feel more guilty than he already did about Maisie’s misunderstanding or the fact that his family had such a shocked reaction to her at first.

“I’m sorry, were we in the same room?” he asked with a lighthearted laugh.

“All right. Yeah, that was a bit of a disaster, wasn’t it? Happy now?” she asked, teasingly.

“As long as we’re on the same page about it,” he said with a smirk. “I’m sure mom will have a talk with Maisie. It’ll probably be fine.”

“Ah. ‘Probably.’ I’m feeling very reassured here, Kaidan.”

“Well, you saw how she reacted. She’s not one to let an idea go easily once she’s made up her mind about something, but she’s harmless enough. Even if it were true, she wouldn’t be selling that information to the tabloids or anything. She’s way too loyal and protective to do anything like that,” he said, somewhat amused before turning his tone more serious. “But then there’s everyone else’s reaction.”

“They were just taken off guard. I get it.”

He turned to her and let out a small laugh. “Yeah, I still can’t believe I didn’t expect that reaction though, because I probably should have.”

“It wasn’t all that bad,” she said, almost believing it herself. “Especially with the way lunch went, I think they calmed down a bit.”

Kaidan nodded in agreement. “They really are a good bunch once you get to know them,” he said as they continued their leisurely pace towards the trees.

“If you’re anything to go by, they can’t be all that bad,” she said with a smile before she realised what she said could have come off as being flirtatious, which is the last thing she wanted. Damn her heart speaking before her brain. An awkward moment of silence passed between them before she cleared her throat. “I just hope I haven’t complicated things too much. I didn’t even think about the fact that I might be stealing Libby’s thunder or anything.”

Kaidan looked at her then. “You heard that, eh?” he asked, sounding guilty. “Yeah, I didn’t even think about that possibility. I’m sure we can think of something to make it up to her. She usually needs some space to cool down, though, so it’s probably best to give her some time.”

Shepard nodded at that. She really didn’t mean to cause such an upset for something that was supposed to be such an important moment in his sister’s life. If worst came to worst, she would end up excusing herself from the wedding anyway. She wasn’t about to be ruffling any feathers at a time like this. She knew Kaidan wouldn’t be happy with that idea. He would have hated for her to be excluded after he invited her here, so she kept it to herself for now. Her thoughts faded into the background as she realised that they finally reached the treeline.

“That’s where the reception’s going to be,” he said, pointing towards a barn off to the side of them, then he turned back to the orchard’s treeline. “And I think this area right here is where Libby’s going to get married. We’ll mow the grass and set up some chairs. She’ll probably walk out from the house, and get married with that view in the background,” he said, pointing to the mountains.

“She certainly has good taste,” Shepard said, taking a glance around the area. Something caught her attention, and she noticed someone standing on the porch watching them out of the corner of her eye. “Don’t look now, but there’s a target at our six,” she said jokingly.

“You don’t say,” Kaidan returned, picking up on the playful banter, determined to play coy along with Shepard, and not turn around to chastise whichever sister it was.

“If I had to venture a guess, I’d say it was Maisie,” Jane said under her breath with a smirk.

“If I had to guess, I’d say you’re probably right,” he said with mirth, shaking his head at his sister and her antics.

“Should we mess with her?” Shepard asked with an evil grin.

Kaidan looked to her with a mix of intrigue and hesitation. “For the record, Maisie’s basically a big child, so the answer to that question is almost always a ‘yes,’” he said with a quiet chuckle.

Shepard nodded, the devilish grin still firmly on her face, as she reached for Kaidan’s hand with her own, gently intertwining their fingers. She immediately revelled in the warmth of his palm against hers, coinciding with an almost immediate sense of regret. Clearly, she hadn’t thought this through. Holding hands was an intimate gesture, and she suddenly realised how big of a mistake she just made. She looked back up to him, not knowing what to do, her evil expression faltering slightly. Kaidan didn’t seem to notice, trying to act as nonchalant as possible to play along with it.

“You sure stepped in it now, Shepard,” he said with a grin, matching her own.

“Yeah,” she said, dragging out the word. “I’m starting to realise that. I may not have fully thought out the repercussions of this.”

“Well, not much more to do now than let it play out,” he said with a smile still plastered to his face. At least he didn’t look as perturbed with the idea of it as she was. “We should head up this way. There’s something I want to show you.”

“Sounds good,” she barely managed to get out before she felt a gentle tug at her hand as Kaidan started to guide them.

They slowly made their way up a small hill past the apple trees. She figured he was probably taking it so leisurely today thanks to her leg being stiff. Kaidan’s thoughtfulness was one of the many qualities that she admired about him, but in this particular instance, she couldn’t help but wish they were moving a little faster. All she could think about was how long her hand had already been safely cradled in his, and how much this ‘prank’ had crossed some kind of line. She could feel the sweat beading between their palms like this was some school-aged crush. Maybe the torture she felt was a fair punishment for doing something so foolish.

He led her towards the outer edge of the pine forest that bordered a corner of their land, and as they got far enough away from the house, she felt his fingers slip out of hers. It was exactly what she wanted, yet somehow, the air now bit at the flesh of her palm. The loss of contact stung as much as the thought of maintaining it. She put her hand in her pocket as a way to distract herself from the sensation of it.

“Is this all part of your property, too?” She asked. She was genuinely curious, but also mostly just wanted to try to forget about what just happened.

“Some of it. The forest extends beyond our border, but the neighbours are really good about sharing it. We won’t be going that far today, though.”

She nodded in acknowledgement, still amazed at the contrast of upbringings they had.

They continued to walk along a small path briefly. She even noticed lights following the trail, implying that it must be one that’s used frequently. It didn’t take long before they reached a clearing with a tiny log cabin right in the middle.

Shepard paused in her tracks, taking in their new surroundings briefly. “This is also yours, I take it?”

Kaidan turned to her, with a soft smile on his face. “Yeah,” he said with a nod. “It’s one of my favourite things here. This is what I wanted to show you,” he said pointing towards the cabin as they walked closer towards it.

The exterior of the cabin left a lot to be desired, though, she had to admit it had a rustic charm. The setting was very calming and private, so she could understand the appeal. It seemed perfectly suited to Kaidan, so no wonder this was one of his favourite spots.

Kaidan led them inside the cabin. It was a relatively simple structure with only one small room. Clearly not meant to be a livable building by any means. Not for any extended periods, anyway. There was a decent looking couch opposite the entrance. Maybe a little dusty, but still in good condition considering it’s been staying in a building that hasn’t been maintained for who knows how long. There was a coffee table, some end tables, and a couple of boxes of what looked like old books strewn about. The air was stale, but Shepard figured it could look pretty quaint with a bit of tidying up. She wasn’t about to disturb anything, but she could picture it being a cozy place to spend an afternoon.

“Why don’t you have a seat and relax for a second,” he said, before opening the curtains and windows to let some natural light in and air out the room.

Shepard followed his direction and sat on the couch, only to have unsettled a small cloud of dust. She coughed slightly and waved her hand around to dissipate any remnants in the air before brushing off the cushion next to her in order for Kaidan to sit down without a repeat of events.

“Thanks,” he said with a genuine smile as he sat next to her on the cushion that she cleaned off.

“I’ve gotta say, Kaidan, this is pretty nice.”

“Yeah. I always liked it.”

“So, is this one of those childhood forts that all you Earth kids got to have?”

Kaidan huffed out a laugh at that. “Not exactly. This is probably pretty luxurious for something like that. And I think it’s pretty rare for us Earth kids to actually get something like a fort out in the woods.”

She nodded with a smile. She was sure he had a point, but her only reference for that kind of thing was from the vids and extranet searches when she was young. She wasn’t exactly the most well versed on planetside upbringings. She was silent after that. Clearly, there was more to this place than meets the eye, and he brought her out here for a reason.

“Sounds like there must be a story about this?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yeah- yeah, there is.”

Kaidan tried to relax into the couch a bit more, and looked out through the window, appearing as though he was trying to distract himself. Shepard silently waited for him to continue, seeing that it was already a difficult story for him.

“Well… you know about Jump Zero.”

That caught her off guard, not expecting this to have anything to do with that. This really was going to be serious then. “Yeah,” she said quietly.

“I know I’ve told you about Vyrnnus before, but we never really discussed what things were like after that.”

Shepard immediately felt guilty. She didn’t mean to dredge up old memories. “Kaidan, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“No. It’s okay,” he said, with that wistful smile again. “That time in my life was hard. I won’t lie about that. I mean, I killed a man in cold blood, Shepard.”

“It wasn’t your fault. He was a man abusing his power. Abusing children. You were protecting someone you cared about.”

“Yeah. I know that now,” he said solemnly, nodding his head in affirmation. “It was a bit more complicated at the time, though. I mean, I was sure I had done the right thing, but then Rahna, well, she made me feel like I was some kind of monster. When I came back home, I wasn’t exactly myself anymore. Obviously, I was in therapy, but therapy really isn’t any good unless you accept the help, you know?”

Shepard nodded quietly, understanding the sentiment. She sat intently, studying his features as she listened to what he had to say.

“But anyway, I was only seventeen. I didn’t know how to handle that, and I was too stubborn to actually use the help that was given to me. I was dangerously close to losing myself to the rage that pushed me over the edge that day when I killed Vyrnnus. Either that or getting lost in a deep pit of depression, knowing that I had the power to so easily take away something as precious as someone’s life. I started secluding myself away from my family. I thought I was a danger to them. Siblings can be annoying. I didn’t want to snap at them and lose control again, so I stayed away, hidden in my room most of the time.”

“Obviously, my parents picked up on the fact that therapy wasn’t helping. My dad took me to stay in our apartment on English Bay for a while, just the two of us. I was still angry, and I didn’t know why he brought me out there. He found me one afternoon out on the deck, and he had a case of lager with him. That was the first time I ever had a beer,” he said with a faltering smile. “In retrospect, I don’t know if it was all that smart giving alcohol to a seventeen-year-old with an attitude problem. I guess he had a plan, though, and he knew what he was doing.”

Shepard smiled regretfully. Kaidan’s dad sounded like an amazing man, and someone she wished she could have gotten the chance to meet.

“I think at first, he mostly took me out there to give me some space and try to let me cool off, but he knew that wasn’t going to be enough for me. I think the alcohol was supposed to be a kind of peace offering, knowing that I needed something big to snap me out of it and get me to open up. I think it was supposed to almost be symbolic in a way, letting me drink alcohol like that even before the legal drinking age. He was trying to show me that he trusted me and let me know that I was capable of being responsible with something like that. I didn’t fully realise it at the time, though, you know, but it worked. It was enough to calm me down and be willing to listen to what he had to say.”

Shepard just watched him speak, sad that Kaidan had to go through something like that so young.

“We sat there for a while before he started talking, but then out of nowhere, he told me that he was lucky. I had to stare at him, not having a clue what he was talking about, but then he continued, saying that he left the Alliance before first contact was ever made, so he never even had to be at war. He had done all the training and was well aware of the toll that taking a life can have on a person, but that he was lucky to never have had to do it himself. And then he told me that he was sorry. Sorry that I had to experience something so awful that young. Sorry that he couldn’t relate to me or offer me any words of wisdom. Sorry that he ever let me go up to Jump Zero in the first place,” Kaidan said, his eyes becoming a bit watery. “He said he regretted it. That the turians were trying to make us out to be dangerous and that since humans didn’t have any experience with biotics that I had to go. They said it was the only option for me to learn to control myself. He said there was always something that felt wrong about it, and that he wished he had fought harder to have been able to keep me here with them, but that biotics was just so new and he had no idea what to do about it, but that he made a mistake.”

Kaidan paused for a moment before continuing. “Then he said that he was proud of me. He said that the fact that I had taken a life was something that would likely weigh on me for the rest of mine. That it was important to remember that it wasn’t an action done entirely in cold blood like I thought. That I was standing up for something I believed in, and that I was trying to protect innocent lives. He did go on to say that the situation was more complicated than he knew what to do with. That it was still important for me to learn control and how to deal with my emotions. He didn’t say so specifically, but I think that was his way of pushing me to try harder in therapy. I listened to what he had to say. It was still hard for me to understand it at the time, but I knew he was right. It was better than the pit I had dug myself into, trying to hide away from everyone.”

Shepard continued to listen intently. Kaidan clearly seemed to want to get this off of his chest, and the least she could do was be there for him, but it pained her to see him reliving such a difficult time in his life.

“I kind of thought that would be the end of it. Like it was my dad’s way of relieving his own burden, so he wouldn’t have to feel guilty anymore, just as much as it was meant to persuade me to do better for myself. I almost expected him to wash his hands of me and pass me off to the therapist then. I think I must have just had a hard time knowing what to trust back then, having felt abandoned at Jump Zero once already. It almost felt like my dad was about to be doing it to me all over again with the therapist. I should have listened to him better and trusted him, because of course I was wrong.”

“After we came back to the orchard, he had arranged for a bunch of supplies to be delivered during my first appointment back in therapy. As soon as I got back home, he brought me out here to a bunch of tools and logs and schematics. I think he tried to pass it off as innocently as possible. He said that he knew I was a teenage boy in a house packed full of women, so he knew I needed my privacy. Somewhere to be quiet and contemplate things. So this became our project—a place to be my own, away from everyone else when things got difficult. We came out here and built a little bit every day for a couple months. It probably took us a lot longer than it would for a professional since I didn’t know anything about tools, and he was trying to teach me along the way. Eventually, he even encouraged me to use my biotics to our advantage with it, lifting the logs and trying to place them accurately. He taught me a lot about being patient and learning control,” he said, glancing back to Shepard now, his eyes beginning to shimmer with unshed tears.

“I haven’t been back to this cabin since… well, since he-” he cut himself off, not able to continue.

“Oh, Kaidan,” Shepard said softly with a hint of shock flooding her voice. He hadn’t even had a chance to truly mourn his own father yet with how busy he’s been since the end of the war. Here she was intruding on something deeply personal again. “I should go. You should have some privacy,” she said as she started to adjust herself to get up and leave.

“No, wait,” he said, while simultaneously reaching out to grab her hand, and pulling her back slightly to get her to sit back down again. “Please stay,” he said, with the slightest hint of a pleading tone in his voice. It wasn’t something that Shepard was used to hearing from him. Even when he feared the worst about his father in the observation lounge on the Normandy, he kept his resolve.

She relaxed back into her seat, clasping his hand tightly within hers, trying to exude some level of comfort for him. “Okay,” she said softly. “I will.”

He nodded slowly, before relaxing slightly again, not releasing his hand from hers even still. “I miss him, Shepard. I never even got to say goodbye.”

“I know,” she whispered as she grazed her thumb ever so slightly over his skin. It was the only way she knew how to attempt to take his pain away without crossing that boundary into something more intimate again.

They sat there in silence for a few more moments. She didn’t really know what to say in a situation like this. Of course, she had experienced loss in her own life, too. More than most people’s fair share, even. She’d even lost her own father, but none of it was exactly comparable to this. Kaidan lost one of his lifelines. One of the only people who was capable of bringing him out of one of the darkest times in his life. How was she supposed to be able to comfort him in a time like this?

“It hurts, Shepard,” he said, a tear finally shedding down his face.

She finally gave in and relinquished his hand, unable to sit idly by while he was in so much pain, seeking an outlet and comfort. She wrapped an arm around him, pulling him to her. She held his head tightly to her shoulder, stroking her fingers through his hair, cradling the back of his head as he let out a sob. She continued to hold him tightly and leaned her head against his in a sign of affirmation that she wasn’t going anywhere. Crossing boundaries be damned.

[ryqoshay]

How to Handle a Nico: Nico in Paradise

Primary Pairing: NicoMaki Words: ~3.6k Rating: T Time Frame: Maki may still be working through her residency, elsewise is a doctor. Nico is working as an idol producer. They are living together as a happily married couple. Story Arc: Stand Alone

Author’s Note: My apologies to Nico for being almost a week late. Happy Birthday, belated.

Maki was excited.

She stared out the window at the endless expanse of blue; water below and sky above with the occasional wisp of white cloud for contrast. It was quite picturesque, to say the least.

Picture… Maki was suddenly tempted to retrieve her camera from her bag. The urge was quickly quashed, however, as she realized getting up would disturb the sleeping woman leaning against her.

Phone… there was a camera on her phone. Not as good has her dedicated device, but good enough for a casual shot through the double panes. Where did she leave her phone? She couldn’t trace the cord of her Bluetooth earbuds, which she was using because she wasn’t currently sharing with a certain someone.

Ah, there it is… Of course, it was just out of reach.

Oh well. Maki gave up. There would be plenty of picturesque scenes at their destination. And one picture wasn’t worth waking Nico. Well, a picture of Nico sleeping, just before waking might be worth it… Maybe…

Nico-chan…

Maki smiled and turned her head just enough to catch ebony tresses at the edge of her vision. Nico was sleeping soundly after a busy few weeks at work. Maki had been busy as well, but it had been surprisingly calm at the hospital recently, at least as far as dealing with patients was concerned. This left her with some much needed time to catch up on administrative duties. And as such, she was nowhere near as tired as Nico. Still, both were overdue for a change in latitude and some time away from the chaos of running a hospital and a production company.

But instead of joining her wife in slumber, Maki calmed her anxious energies with music, a lovely view and Nico’s comforting warmth. She also continued to run through the plans she had laid out for the next few days. She couldn’t wait to see Nico’s reaction to the surprise awaiting her at the end of her special day.

“It’s so beautiful!” Nico exclaimed, holding her arms out wide as she took in the scenery before her.

She stepped off the veranda on the seaside of the bungalow. She had barely dropped her bags in the bedroom before changing course and heading outside.

“Mmm…” Maki replied, following a few steps behind and idly considering how much said beauty was currently being enhanced by the presence of a certain someone within her view.

“Let’s go for a swim!”

“N-now? But we just got…”

Maki’s protest was abruptly halted when Nico began peeling off her shirt to reveal a floral-patterned bikini top underneath. As the skirt was shimmied down and tossed haphazardly across the back of a nearby lounge chair, Maki found herself remembering an article Nico had shown her way back when. The general premise was that certain outfits were not always appealing due to what was revealed, but what was covered and how.

The swimwear in question was fairly simple when compared to others of its kind. No frills or ruffles that so often adorned those worn by Nico in her younger years. But there was pink. Of course there was pink. Maki wasn’t quite sure, but she believed the scattered flowers to be hibiscus, though they could easily be some other tropical flower. Either way the petals seemed to dance along with…

“Entranced by Nico’s beauty?”

Maki blinked back to reality to meet her wife’s teasing gaze. “… Yeah…” She admitted somewhat sheepishly.

Nico giggled. “After all these years, Maki-chan is still embarrassed about staring at Nico.”

“I… but…”

“And can’t take her eyes of Nico despite all the rest of the gorgeous scenery.” She twirled on one foot for effect, obviously thrilled with the attention.

“I’ve seen the ocean and the beach and palm trees before…” Despite the heat in her cheeks, Maki found a foothold to use in her defense.

“You’ve also seen Nico in a swimsuit before.”

“But…” Apparently her reprieve was short lived.

“And many times in even less…” The raven-haired woman smirked seductively as she sauntered over to close the distance between them.

“…” The redhead felt heat gathering elsewhere as well.

“You know I’m just teasing you, right Maki-chan?” Nico’s smile returned to normal, happy joking. “Now come on,” she said, reaching up to the bow behind Maki’s neck that secured the strap of her dress, “if Maki-chan gets a nice view, then Nico deserves one too. You did wear your own swimsuit as well, right?”

“N-Nico-chan…” Maki breathed as fingertips brushed against the nape of her neck.

“What, does Maki-chan wants to do something other than swim?” And just like that, Nico was back to pushing Maki’s buttons for a specific reaction.

And it was working. Far too well. As the tie came undone, her fingers slid down toward Maki’s collarbone.

Maki couldn’t resist anymore. Giving in to her desires, she pulled her wife into a hug and leaned down. Nico flashed one last self-satisfied smirk before tilting her chin up to meet the incoming kiss.

“Ah, that was fun.” Nico said in a content tone as she made her way back indoors.

The couple had spent the last several hours out on the beach, playing in the water or just soaking up the sun on the sand. As well as a few other activities. Multiple times.

“Nico is thirsty now.” The raven-haired woman said, heading toward the kitchen.

“It’s important to stay hydrated in this heat.” The redhead stated.

“That much is obvious.” Nico replied with a shake of her head. “And we’ve been doing fine with that. I meant something different.”

“Mmm…” Maki hummed without commitment.

“Want anything?”

“I’ll just have whatever you have.” Maki replied, heading to the bedroom to change out of her swimsuit.

“Wow… they really stocked this place up.” Nico considered the options as she opened the cupboard to reveal a sizable selection of booze.

“Isn’t that normal?” Came the reply from the other room.

Nico wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. Under different circumstances, she would snark back to the still occasionally naïve rich girl. But since she had personally never been to a private resort like this before, she had nothing for comparison. So, it looked like teasing was the best response.

“Let’s see, we have Grey Goose, Aspen’s Peach, Chambord, plenty of fruit juices… I could make…”

“No, don’t say it.”

“What? Why?” Nico inquired. “Nobody else is here and it can commemorate what we just did.”

“Nico-chan…”

“And for that matter, we should probably have more than one.”

Maki groaned, earning laughter from her wife.

“Oh, here’s a blender. How about daiquiris? Those are classic tropical drinks, right?”

“I thought margaritas were the stereotypical tropical cocktail. How did that song go about Margaritaville or whatever?”

Nico scrunched her nose. “You know how I feel about tequila.”

“Yeah, you hate it almost as much as vodka.”

“Exactly.”

A thought occurred to Maki. “So why was your first suggestion s…” She cut herself off before saying the drink she had stopped Nico from naming.

“First suggesting… what was that?”

“Nevermind…”

“Anyway, daiquiris are pretty much the same as margaritas, right? Just with rum.”

“I guess.”

“Oh come on, I know even lightweight Maki-chan likes rum.”

“I like tequila too…”

“Well Nico is making daiquiris.”

“I suppose the rum is for all your good vices or something like that…” Maki mused as she returned to the living area.

“Got any vices in mind?” Nico smirked.

“Not really, no…”

“’Cause Nico’s vice would be Maki-chan.”

Maki’s blush was all the response Nico needed for a good laugh.

“Ne, Maki-chan?”

“Mmm…?”

“Why did you bring me here?”

“Eh?”

The two women were sitting together near a fire built from wood brought by employees at the main lodge. They had watched the sunset over the ocean and were now counting stars.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean that to sound how it probably did. I know this vacation is for my birthday, I’m just curious about this particular location. Why not one of your family vacation homes or one of those you have access to or whatever?”

“I wanted to go somewhere we hadn’t been before.”

Nico wondered if she should point out that she hadn’t personally been to all of the vacation homes.

“I mean, Mama and Papa and I have gone to our places often as a sort of family tradition.” Maki continued. “And don’t get me wrong, I was happy to start including you in such traditions once we started dating.”

Nico sensed a “But…?”

“I wanted somewhere new. Somewhere that was just for the two us. Somewhere where we could start our own tradition.”

Nico felt warmth spread through her that had nothing to do with the fire in front of her. Smiling, she pushed herself up and out of her chair.

“Nico-chan?” Maki questioned.

Without a verbal reply, Nico set her drink in the holder opposite Maki’s before pushing her wife’s knees apart. Next, she turned and sat in the spot she had opened for herself. Finally, she leaned against the younger woman and pulled one of her arms around herself.

“A new tradition, huh?” Nico finally said after a moment.

“Yeah…”

“So, does this mean Mak-chan is spoiling the surprise of Nico’s next birthday?”

“No, I… uhm… maybe?”

Nico giggled. “It’s fine. It’s fine.” She assured. “This place seems nice. And I’ll happily go wherever Maki-chan wants to take me.”

“Thank you.” Maki said, wrapping her other arm around the other woman to complete the hug.

This earned more laugher. “Nico should be thanking Maki-chan. So, thank you, Maki-chan.” She reached over to retrieve her drink. “We haven’t even been here a day and I’ve already had a ton of fun.”

“You’re welcome.” Maki tilted her head down so she could plant a kiss on top of Nico’s head. “Happy birthday, Nico-chan.”

Nico glanced over to see Maki’s phone displaying the time as midnight. “Thanks, Maki-chan.” She said, snuggling in more. “I love you.”

“I love you to, Nico-chan.”

Something smelled good. Really good.

Maki slowly opened her eyes to the disappointing, though all too familiar sight of empty sheets beside her. Frowning, she tried to recall if Nico had agreed to sleep in this morning due to it being her special day, but the lingering alcohol in her system hazed her memories. Sighing, she crawled out of bed and headed for the kitchen.

There she was. Standing at the stove, sleepshirt slipping off her shoulder and hair unkempt from the previous night’s activities, Nico hummed to herself while she cooked as part of her morning ritual. And like so many mornings before, Maki obeyed the magnetic pull that drew her toward the woman she loved.

“Morning, Maki-chan.” Nico chuckled as arms wrapped around her waist and a chin dropped down on her shoulder.

“I thought we were going to order out for breakfast.” Maki mumbled, mostly intelligibly.

“I did, sort of.”

“Mm?”

“I had them deliver the ingredients, since we didn’t have anything on hand.”

“But…”

“Shush.” Nico gently swatted her wife’s nose. “It’s Nico’s birthday today so Nico gets to do what she wants.”

Maki wasn’t quite awake enough to give voice to her thoughts about how Nico pretty much always did what she wanted anyway, even when it wasn’t her birthday.

“And Nico wants to make breakfast for her favoritest Maki-chan.”

“… Alright…” Maki agreed after a moment. Despite her initial protest, she couldn’t deny that she loved when Nico cooked for her.

“And this place really goes all out.” Nico commented as Maki shuffled over to the counter to sit on a stool so she could watch. “I don’t think these eggs even had a chance to hit the refrigerator. And Nico can’t remember the last time she cooked with goat cheese. And these herbs.” She held some up to her nose for effect. “They must get fresh local deliveries pretty much every day or something.”

“Probably.”

“And vine ripened tomatoes.” Nico motioned to what she had prepped.

“…”

With no verbal response given, Nico turned to see Maki’s face. “Hey, no drooling on the counter.” She pointed her spatula at her wife.

Maki pouted, earning a laugh from Nico.

“Anyway, I’m almost done, so just be patient a little while longer.”

“Alright.”

“Ooo, a food truck! Nico is hungry! Let’s get lunch there.” Nico grabbed her wife’s hand and pulled her toward her target destination.

The couple had taken the shuttle into town and spent the morning exploring several touristy shops and local points of interest. As they had slept in and had a late breakfast, as well as snacked on treats from the shops, they had put off lunch until well past noon. However, once Maki’s stomach started grumbling, conversation had turned to food.

“Burgers?” Maki inquired, glancing at the menu. “You don’t want to explore more and try to find something more… exotic or tropical? Something you haven’t had before?”

“I’ve always wanted to try a <Cheeseburger in paradise.>” Nico sang the last part in English.

Maki raised an eyebrow while the young man in the truck grinned.

“<Medium rare with Muenster’d be nice.>” He sang back.

“<Heaven on earth with an onion slice.>”

“Nico-chan…” Maki couldn’t help feeling that people were staring.

“<I’m just a cheeseburger in paradise!>” Both Nico and the cook finished in unison before laughing.

“Two cheeseburgers then?” The young man inquired, indicating the two women before him.

“You want one, Maki-chan?” Nico asked.

“… Sure…”

“<I like mine with lettuce and tomato.>” Nico chanted.

“<Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes.> The young man continued.

Maki’s blush bloomed even more.

“<Big kosher pickle and cold draft beer.>” The two sang together again. “<Well, good god almighty which way do I steer?>”

Nico turned to her wife to observe her reaction. “<I dunno where Nico gonna go when Nishikino blows!>”

“Ughn…” Maki groaned, shoulders slumping.

“Nico is just fulfilling her role as an idol and making people smile.” The producer motioned to the cook as well as several people who had paused to watch the little show.

“I know but…” Despite her own years as a school idol, as well as recent piano concerts in the local mall, the doctor still had some issues with public attention.

“Let’s get you something to drink to take your mind off of it.”

“I’m sorry,” The young man in the truck apologized “I don’t have a tap, but I have bottles. Ice cold.”

“That’s fine.” Nico stood up on tip toes to check the selection. “Two of those.” She pointed.

The couple continued to chat with the truck attendee while he prepared their meal, though more Nico than Maki. The latter contented herself in her beverage and watching her wife do one of the things she did best; turn on the charm and schmooze with anyone. Eventually, it was time to move on and continue their tour of the town.

“You know, I didn’t know you knew of Jimmy Buffett.” Maki commented as she stood from the dinner table.

The couple had decided to eat at the restaurant in the main lodge before heading back to their bungalow.

“Mmm? You mean that thing at lunch?”

Maki nodded.

“That’s because Maki-chan mentioned Margaritaville and the rum thing last night and we’re on a tropical holiday and such.”

“I guess I just didn’t think that would be the type of music you would listen to.”

“Not everything Nico listens to is idol music. Maki-chan should know that by now.”

“I suppose.”

“And besides, I could just as easily turn that around to you.”

“Mmm…”

“Anyway, the only thing missing from our Boats, Beaches, Bars and Ballads collection now is the boat.”

“We can take a tour boat tomorrow if you want.”

“No romantic boat ride by moonlight tonight?” Nico drawled into teasing mode.

“I, uhm… actually had something else in mind…”

“Oh?”

“Yeah… So, if you’ll come with me.” Maki took the other woman’s hand and lead her down the hall away from the lodge exit.

“Maki-chan?”

Even after all these years, it was still uncommon for Maki to take the lead like this. As such, Maki couldn’t help but revel in the switch and for what she knew awaited just behind the door. She also wondered how quickly Nico would realize the situation.

Coming out from backstage, the couple were greeted by applause from a modestly sized but enthusiastic audience. Without hesitation, Nico stepped past the speakers and grabbed the mic.

“Nico Nico Ni~!” And just like that, her idol persona switched on.

Of course it would be instantaneous. Maki knew she shouldn’t be surprised. Nico was an entertainer through and through. And Maki doubted she would ever cease to be impressed by, and even a bit envious of Nico’s skill.

“Nico Nico Ni~!” The audience cheered in response.

Nico turned her beaming smile toward her wife. “What’s my first song, Maki-chan?”

“A fan favorite.” Maki replied, moving to the karaoke machine off to the side.

Her finger hovered over Play as she gave a countdown to begin the concert. She then settled down to watch Nico immerse herself fully in her element. Wearing street clothes with her hair down and minimal makeup didn’t stop the No. 1 Idol in the Universe from shining brightly on stage. No lack of preparation or rehearsal would prevent Nico from giving everything she had to an impromptu live. And it was all Maki could do to keep herself from being completely starstruck so she could queue up songs to keep things moving along.

“And now we have a special surprise for you all tonight!” Nico suddenly announced as a song concluded.

“Eh?” Maki blinked as her wife motioned to her and all eyes followed.

Movement at the edge of her gaze drew Maki’s attention to a resort employee setting up keyboard and stand.

“Don’t be shy, Maki-chan.” Nico beckoned. “Come on over here and play with Nico.”

“Wh… wh… What was that?” She fell back on her habitual phrase.

“You don’t get it?” Nico reworded the second half with a smirk. “What’s not to get?”

“You… knew?”

“Maki-chan is horrible at keeping secrets.” Nico laughed lightly. “Nico found a flier under your desk. Maybe if Maki-chan was better at cleaning, she’d’ve found it herself.”

Maki pouted, earning more laugher. This time the audience joined in as well.

“I will give Hanayo credit though.” Nico continued. “She did her best to avoid answering my questions until I showed her the flier I found. Then I had her help me set up this. So stop stalling already and get over here.” She made exaggerated beckoning motions using both arms. “It’s not all that different than your birthday a few months ago.”

Finally working her way past her initial shock and embarrassment, Maki slowly moved toward the keyboard. As she ran her fingers gently across the keys, she allowed her desire to play take over. Audience or not, Maki’s love of music seldom failed to triumph.

For her part, Nico obviously recognized the change in demeanor. “Ready?”

Maki nodded. And without further hesitation, began to play. Then, flashing one more smile at her wife, Nico turned back to the audience to sing.

A second night and second fire. The sunset was missed due to the concert and following impromptu meet and greet session. Nico was still buzzing from the show and was grateful to have Maki around to help her come down. As such, she had dropped all pretense and immediately reclaimed her place on Maki’s chair, comfortably nestling into her wife’s warm embrace. It was so better than an empty hotel room or mere skype session.

“I could really get used to this, you know.” Nico broke the silence after a while.

“Mmm…”

“I wanted to stay awake until the date change last night, but tonight I could honestly just fall asleep like this.”

“Mmm…”

“Is Maki-chan still pouting about the live?”

“No…”

Nico giggled. “It was still a surprise, I assure you. Just a bit earlier than you intended.”

“…”

“And Hanayo was sure to point out how little you actually let her do. You wanted to do as much as possible on your own, and I love that you did. That concert was your doing, Maki-chan. You made it happen. And in doing so, you made a lot of people happy; Nico included, obviously.”

“… Yeah…”

Nico pulled Maki’s arms tighter around herself. “You know how important being an idol is to me, and that means a lot to me. And I know how important music is to you, which is why I wanted you to join me.”

“I know.”

“So stop being upset about the details and just enjoy this paradise with me.”

“… Alright.”

“Of course, as amazing as this place is, it’s only really paradise because Maki-chan is with me.”

A nose nuzzled into her hair and lips pressed lightly against her head before a voice said softly, “It’s paradise for me as well because Nico-chan is with me.”

Nico smiled as she pulled Maki’s hand to her lips to place a kiss of her own on the back of it.

“Oh, a shooting star!” She suddenly pointed out, returning her wife’s arm around her waist. “Make a wish, Maki-chan!”

“Alright…”

Nico wasn’t sure what her wife wished for and wasn’t about to ask. However, she hoped it was somewhat similar to her own; that she and Maki could continue to celebrate together for many birthdays to come.

Author’s Note Continued in Followup Post.

[shir0ch4ns-art]

Chapter 22: Voe

The sun scorched the arid land below. Its unforgiving rays kissed the dunes and the people who inhabited them. Bleaching one and darkening the other. This does not bother the denizens of the desert, in fact they thrive in it. Building bazaars and towns in oases. Eventually leading to a kingdom and palace. All entirely lead by women. The Gerudo were an ancient race, molded by the harshness of their home, and built to withstand anything.

Hylians on the other hand have to be absolutely mental to travel that far into the desert. Which was what Vincent thought as he tried to keep cool in one of the outer oasis bazaars. Although everyone was free to travel the desert, Gerudo town was very strict on their no man policy. And so he had to wait elsewhere for their informant. But by Din it was hot. Even in the shade it was still sweltering, that informant better arrive soon or he might just turn into a puddle in this heat. Now that he thought about it, whom, did they send here. There was no way a hylian can withstand this place for an hour, let alone a week.

As the troop pondered this someone came into his view. And his jaw dropped. A gorgeous gerudo woman had arrived with two servants. She was decked out in all sorts of finery; circlet, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, you name it. She wore an elegant attire that blended perfectly with armor, with the exception of a sheer veil over the upper half of her face hiding minute details. Her body was toned and athletic, as is the case with the Gerudo, but somehow it seemed a bit more so than usual. Basically she was the prime example of a Gerudo elite. Now Vincent can see why so many would flock here, if to just be able to even have chance at glancing at one of these beauties.

Distracted he didn't realize that the woman was headed in his direction until she was practically in his face. All logic flew out of the window as he attempted to speak. All that came out was a high pitched squeak of "I'M MARRIED!" He remembered a tradition of the Gerudo was to go out and find men to marry or mate with. So he said what he thought was important at the time. Unfortunately he read the situation wrong as the gerudo stopped in her tracks and burst out laughing. A deep belly laugh that was bordering on hysterical.

Red faced from not just the heat anymore, Vincent slowly came the realization that this woman was most likely the informant he had to meet with. And that her laugh was starting to sound suspiciously familiar. Very familiar. Embarrassment turned to horror as he realized the laugh was the exact same laugh he had heard before if somewhat huskier now. He had to ask, because it was just impossible for it to be him, but just in case it was him. "Volga?!" He managed to squeak out. Goddesses he was going to turn into a mouse with all the squeaking he did.

Yet to his further mortification the woman managed to nod amidst "her" giddy fit.

"Wha- how- I mean- wha?!" Vincent spluttered. He was thoroughly confused and horrified at the knowledge that he was checking his friend out. He needed answers dindammit.

"I *wheeze* I was, oh man you should've seen your face. I was ch-ch-chosen t-t-to- I can't do this. Lana! Oh goddesses," she turned around to control her mirth as one of the "servants" walked forward. How the hell did he not notice she had blue hair. Oh, she didn't have blue hair, it was black now. Looking at the now raven sorceress he silently pleaded for her to explain what was going on.

Despite her own giggles she managed to explain the, quite frankly hilarious, situation. Apparently the princess had held a secret audience with one of the gerudo guards. She, Kara, had explained that they feared there was an interloper among their ranks but had no way of discreetly weeding them out as they all know each other. So she proposed to the princess that she offer someone to "tour" the palace and listen to the walls. But they also had to be well trained, otherwise they will not gain any respect. And a woman for, obvious reasons. Of course they will try to make the lucky female appear as gerudo as possible but there were a few problems with that. One being that naturally occurring redheads among Hylians was quite rare, especially in castletown and the area around it where most of their female soldier are from. Two, no Hylian woman was as tall as a gerudo, it was just too tall even with heels. And Impa could not go as she would stick out and she needed to be at the princess' side at all times in case of an attack.

The dilemma was resolved when one lost, red headed, 7 foot, knight barged in by accident looking for a different conference room he was suppose to be at. With a bit of magic and a wardrobe change he became Visalia, an ex guardswoman who was honorably discharged due to a grievous injury. She then traveled around Hyrule gaining an enormous amount of wealth due to the fact that she had found a vein of precious gems in Death Mountain. Feeling homesick she returned to see how much had changed in the palace and requested a tour of it and to stay for a week.

The rest, as they say, is history. She was well received, told all of the gossip, discreetly found the mole, and was to be escorted home, end of story.

"But what are you two doing here?" Vincent queried. Cia had revealed herself as the second, now blonde, "servant" while Lana explained the events leading up to the encounter.

"Oh, that's simple. We're Visalia's handmaidens to help her out with her 'grievous injury.'"

" The spell we used to turn him into a woman actually needs to be constantly redone so this was the least suspicious way we could do it." Cia cut in.

"Aaaannd you were ok with all this?" He turned towards the bespeckled knight.

"Of course. Why, should I not be?" The genuine look of confusion was what really got to Vincent. Of course the dragon knight wouldn't have a problem with this, his whole family was like this. How could he expect anything less.

"No, you shouldn't have any logical reason to not be ok with this," the troop then slyly queried, " Sooooo, what's it like?"

Knowing exactly what he meant the hybrid merely stated, "Eh, different. Not bad but not really my thing."

"Really, why?"

"My center of gravity has really shifted and I need to be more careful when I walk in tight spaces. And believe or not I actually can't fit in most places I used to be able to."

"Yeah. Big, busty, and hippy couldn't fit between two walls!" Cia guffawed.

"They were too close together!"

"Oh! Don't forget the hidden crawl space under the palace!" Lana squealed.

"You said you wouldn't tell anyone about that!" Volga shrieked. "Whatever, lets go to the inn and change me back. Kara had better hold up her end of the deal." Swishing around he sashayed off in the direction of an inconspicuous building to the left, jewelry swaying perfectly with the movement.

"...so, how long did he practice doing that?"

"Two days."

A/N: When I got to Gerudo Town in BoTW I made the joke that Volga could easily be a gerudo based on the guard's description: Tall, red hair, and abs. Of course I had to write this chapter.

Regarding Volga's lack of reaction to being a woman I realized I kinda created a perfect society for quite a few marginalized groups. The Reptilian Clan can virtually be anything they want to, there are no secondary sex characteristics and nobody really cares about how they identify themselves since they're mostly a militant group so if they can fight then it doesn't matter. Females can still lay eggs regardless if they had mated with a male or not and it's all done in secret so nothing is actually revealed. And everyone's adopted so there's no "oh but he's the father/she's the mother" backstab reveal. -\_(ツ)_/- Of course he wouldn't find anything wrong with being a woman for a few days.

Up Next: And they call it puppy love.

[zutaraverse]

Chapter 9: Badgermole Caught in the Sun

Chapter 9 of Blood, Chi and Full Moons: Find previous chapters here or: Chapter 1 Part 1 | Chapter 1 Part 2 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 Part 1 | Chapter 3 Part 2 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 Part 1 | Chapter 7 Part 2 | Chapter 8

Zuko decided that he rather liked waking up with Katara in his arms. They both slept late but woke up with the first rays of sunlight, stirring against the other's body. Neither spoke for a long while, simply enjoying their skin next to one another, the steady breathing and the comfort of the sheets. The grey dawn was racing towards daytime and they knew their respite wouldn't last, the chinks in the curtains allowing light to fall across their features in the stillness of the room.

As the morning sounds started up around the palace, they both knew they could hide no longer. Zuko sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawned. He looked back at Katara still lying down, the bed sheets pulled down to her hips by his movement. Zuko's breath hitched in his throat at the figure lying beside him. This was nothing like anything he had felt with the other girls he had woken up beside. In fact, he distinctly remembered being somewhat frustrated that there was somebody in his bed.

Katara yawned too and stretched, rolling over onto her side facing away from him.

"I don't want to get up," she grumbled into the pillow. Zuko chuckled.

"Hmmm. Well we could let the Fire Nation collapse today… I wouldn't mind," he teased, pulling her into a cuddle from behind. She sighed in resignation.

"Fine. I'm up! Wouldn't it be wonderful to be irresponsible for once? To just do what you want all the time instead of trying to fit it in around wars and meetings and families…" Katara sat up and tried to locate her clothes from the night before. Zuko managed to see her scars in the half-light creeping through the curtains. His stomach clenched at the sight and he ground his teeth in anger. Katara didn't notice Zuko's reaction as she scrambled around finding her things. She held up her clothes triumphantly and started pulling them on, clearly upset about the fact.

"Right. I will go back to my room and get washed and dressed. And I guess I will try to get Toph out of bed! Remember, we talk to her over lunch," she reminded him while she smoothed out some of the creases in her clothes. Zuko watched sadly as her body was covered up piece by piece. He held out his hand and beckoned her to him with pleading eyes.

When she stood in front of him, he pulled her into one last kiss, before brushing his lips against her forehead and letting her go. Her fingers lingered on his longer than they should have, but Katara straightened her back, took a deep breath and crept out of the room back to her own.

Toph had not been as stubborn as she used to be about getting up early. Katara suspected it had something to do with her general unfeelingness towards life; it would make no difference if she got up to if she stayed in bed. Katara knew depression. She had known it at various points throughout her life, and she could tell first hand how far gone Toph was. Her mocking comments were forced, her senses dulled, her expression eternally blank. The only feelings she would be experiencing were frustration and indifference - a combination that forms part of a vicious cycle of self-loathing and confusion.

Katara was glad that Zuko had agreed to teach Toph. It would not be immediate, but she hoped giving the girl some sort of a project to concentrate on and making her feel important might reignite some of the essence that was Toph. After all, when she had last lost her path it was the book in Ka' Bei and fire that sent her on her way once more. Zuko had been second guessing his position due to his own boredom and loneliness, and water brought him back to beauty. Perhaps Toph would be able to latch on to both water and fire to pull herself through back to stable rock.

Or at least, Katara hoped.

Lunch came and Zuko entered Toph's chambers where they were due to eat right on time. He was surprised at how diligently he had worked that morning, but he figured that the satisfaction of the previous night coupled with his excitement for the lunch time conversation must have given him enough motivation to finish on time.

"Right, what is this thing you two want to talk to me about?" started Toph, being the first to take a bowl of rice.

"Erm. I don't really know how to start… I guess the back story?" Katara wondered aloud, looking at Zuko for encouragement. He nodded, indicating that she should continue.

"Right. The back story - except I will shorten it, the details aren't important. When I was travelling I learned blood bending. Hama taught me but I was far more powerful than her and ended up teaching myself. I used it for healing - which is actually far more effective than water," Katara paused to sip some tea as Toph raised her eyebrows in appreciation.

"I stumbled across an old Fire Temple on Ka'Bei island in the Fire Nation. I stayed there a long time reading all their old records in search for any mention of blood bending. Eventually I found a copy of a very ancient text belonging to a population that inhabited the world at least during the times of the lion-turtle cities, if not before them. It took a while to translate it, but when I did I found many things about bending in general - as well as blood bending," Katara took a deep breath, feeling an odd sensation prickling over her body, as if she were about to jump off a very high cliff.

"Blood and chi are linked. By controlling blood you can also control chi - or more accurately chi flow. Every type of bending requires a different - eh - route of chi flow… but I can change this so that it encompasses more than one type of bending." Katara paused to let that sink in. Toph was sitting stock still, her rice forgotten in her lap.

"You can't do this with everybody, though. Yue came to us and told us that -"

"Wait," interrupted Toph, holding up her hand, "Yue spoke to you?!" Katara and Zuko glanced at each other.

"Yes, she did. She told us that not everybody can have their chi flow - eh - altered, and those who can, have some connection to her. Since then I've been observing people's chi flows. Many people have sort of pools of chi in key areas connected with their bending style - which means that any redirecting would do nothing. Others though, have chi flowing in equal amounts all throughout the body and you can shift it so to bend more than one element. Zuko and I are two of those people. You are too." She let her words hang in the air, both her and Zuko waiting calmly for any sort of reaction.

Toph drank some tea. She placed her cup back on the table. She then picked it back up and drank some more. She placed it on the table again. She opened her mouth to speak twice before closing it again. Finally she spoke.

"So. Can you both bend fire and water?" she asked.

"Yes," replied Zuko simply.

"Can you bend earth?"

"No."

"So, since there is something weird about the three of us, you two want me to teach you to earth bend in exchange for fire and water?" she stated quietly.

"Er… well, yes. There is another thing though, when Yue spoke to us, she said that the world was out of balance and that her children (that would be people like us) would rise to set it in balance again. I don't know what that means exactly, but she was happy I was learning water bending. But why the world should be out of balance now that we have the Avatar I'm not sure," explained Zuko.

Toph pursed her lips in thought.

"Since Aang has returned he has ended the war, but then he disappeared to recreate his Air Nomad culture. He has ignored the other three nations that are all in some sort of internal conflict. Bringing the elements together is distant from everybody's minds - if anything he has separated them more by disappearing with the air nomads. Now that there is no war, not even the earth kingdom and water tribes have a common goal," said Toph to both Katara's and Zuko's surprise. When had the little, rude, master earth bender become so wise? Then again, she had always been the most perceptive of all of them.

"So maybe we are destined to fill in the gaps left by Aang?" reasoned Zuko. Katara rolled her eyes.

"You and your destiny Zuko! Look, I have no doubt now that Yue had something to do with all of this, but there is still so much we do not know. She did say though that people… people like us are drawn to one another and that we would find them among our closest friends," started Katara in her old authoritarian voice.

"And Toph is one of our closest friends and has chi flowing throughout her body… so you could say that it was our destiny after all," teased Zuko with a small smile. He still found it incredible that he could find humour in her teasing. Rewind the clock a few years and when anybody questioned his destiny he would attempt to snap their necks.

Katara huffed in defeat.

"Alright, alright, quit with the flirting, its sickening," interrupted Toph, snapping out of her stupor. "I'm in. I'll teach you and you teach me and we do whatever it is we're destined to do," Katara squealed in delight but was silenced by Toph's hand held up to stop her. "I hope you know, though, that it isn't going to be easy. I'm blind. I can only teach you the way I learned, and I don't think I can learn the way you did easily, if at all. Have you thought about how to get around that?"

"Meditation," said Zuko and Katara simultaneously.

"Really guys!" groaned a still very sleepy Toph when Zuko and Katara kicked her out of bed just before dawn the next morning.

"It is what it is, Toph," chuckled Zuko, leading them down to the gardens and their usual meditation spot. All three sat on the grass, facing east.

"What am I searching for exactly?" asked Toph, resigned to her early rising.

"When I change your chi flow, you will have a heightened connection with the sun. The light won't mean much to you but the heat will - the sun gives heat and life to all living things and you should be able to feel it seeping through as the sun rises. If you want to you can meditate on something familiar to you - the earth or the rocks or the marble of the palace, and try to feel how they change with the sun. It may be difficult but stick with it! Eventually you should feel a… a sort of power pooling in your stomach. But that may not happen yet. Are you ready?" explained Katara, calming herself in preparation of letting somebody else into her secret.

"Lets do it!" cried Toph, punching the air with a mocking enthusiasm.

Katara took Toph's hand and closed her eyes, willing herself to follow Toph's blood ways. She let herself drift along with the flow of chi, appreciating how the orbit was different to her own. When she reached the area around the torso, where the fire bending chi orbit focussed, she pushed gently so that Toph's flow would expand to encompass it too. She sighed in satisfaction. She would wait to do water when Toph started appreciating fire - otherwise it might confuse her.

"Dawn is starting," observed Zuko, making himself comfortable and focussing his breathing. Zuko and Katara lost themselves with practiced ease into the heat waves of the garden, loving how they became more and more enhanced by the rising of the sun.

Toph, however, felt nothing. Contrary to many people's belief about her, she was really very good at meditation. Sure, her brash personality and energetic character may seem opposed to the usually quiet and self-reflective stereotype, but it was only through meditation that she learned earth bending at all. She'd had to follow and focus on the badger moles, she had to learn to feel to the minutest degree everything that happened within the Earth. It hadn't been easy.

But this? This she wasn't getting anywhere with! She bit down her frustration and decided to take Katara's advice and meditate on rocks instead. She focussed a rock right in front of her, by the pond. She felt every vein, every crack than ran through it. She felt the quiet vibrations of the bugs that lived beneath it and a slight pressure from above - a frog maybe? She became the rock.

She decided that she needed to think of the changes that were happening. Of the exact position of the rock, of the pressures coming to the rock from around it. Toph lost track of all space and time apart from the rock. She noticed that it was becoming bigger. Not by very much, hardly anything, but it was growing. That was strange! What could it be? She explored the surface of the rock and felt that it was different to the inside. Not just in texture, but in activity. It was excited? Do rocks get excited?

She realised this must be heat! She moved in and out of the rock again; yes, the inside was cold, it felt solid, smooth, devoid of energy. The outside was different. It was vibrant, alive almost. Instinctively she followed the strange force that brought the rock alive and flowed with it throughout the garden. She realised that there were intense pockets of energy scurrying around, both near and far from the earth. The ones further away must be birds; the others animals. There were other objects that were less hot, but still warmer than rocks. These were very still and strong - she realised trees! Her excitement seemed to grow with time as more and more energy was being poured into her surroundings, more and more life was buzzing.

Then suddenly, when she felt actual, physical, tangible warmth hit her face, an energy seemed to explode within her. Her stomach felt giddy and she felt like recoiling from the sheer power she felt.

Toph opened her sightless eyes and broke her meditation position to curl up slightly and catch her breath. So this is what the sun felt like.

She realised that Katara and Zuko were moving as well.

"You found the sun," stated Zuko. It wasn't a question. Toph wondered what her face betrayed in that moment.

"Its … its pretty strong isn't it?" she asked.

"Yes. It is energy. Katara is still getting used to it," said Zuko, a smile in his voice. Toph imagined him being affectionate to Katara. It was disgusting.

"Well? Are you going to teach me or are we going to sit here like lame turtle-ducks all day?" quipped Toph sharply. They could be gooey if they wanted to be - as long as it was not around her. She discarded her initial plan of being very annoying and not letting them have any time together… she would most definitely be letting them have a lot of time together so they could get it all out of their damned system and be at one another's throats as they should be.

Or maybe I'm just jealous, she thought to herself. Yeah, probably. But that doesn't change the fact that they are making me feel sick!

Both Zuko and Katara expected Toph to be hesitant at best when it came to fire bending, given the fact that she couldn't see the flames and the memory of Zuko burning her feet. However, they once again had underestimated the girl; she was used to handling things she couldn't see. For a while all she did was play with heat - if she was going to learn this, she had to feel the heat flows like she felt the ground vibrations.

"Right, tell me when I make fire," she said finally. Katara was the only one left in the indoor arena - Zuko had had to see to some disgruntled guards.

"Alright, go ahead."

Toph took up the stance they had taught her and focussed her breathing. Up till this point she had pushed about heat, removing it from one side of the room and focusing it on another. Now she wanted to make it hotter until she achieved fire. But you need eyes to judge that!

She went through the punching move Zuko had demonstrated and felt heat moving away from her. She tried again. This time, it was hotter. Again, and hotter still. As she gradually increased the amount of energy she was putting into her punches, she noticed two things. First, like Katara, she found the same giddy, powerful sensation in her stomach that she had felt that morning with the sun. Secondly, she realised that the moment before she was punching, the heat surrounding her would rush to her, through her, and then out in a condensed form from her knuckles.

"Toph! You did it!" squealed Katara, clapping her hands. Toph repeated the same move to get used to the sensation of creating fire. Now that she knew how much power to put into it, she could feel the difference. This was more like an explosion rather than a push.

"Ok, now I understand why fire bending is so dangerous," she muttered, half to herself as she relaxed her stance.

"Because it burns?" asked Katara, regarding the girl in front of her.

"Well, yes. But also because its like an explosion; see if I scatter bits of rock everywhere, I have no control over where each little one goes. Thats kind of the same thing here - the heat of the fire is scattering as well as going where I want it to. So accidents are bound to happen…" she trailed off, thinking of Zuko when he burned her feet at his camp. He was probably just trying to defend himself, sending out a warning shot that a person with full eyesight would see… but of course she was blind. And at the time would not have known what was heading towards her.

She would make sure to talk to him about it later.

The three friends decided to have dinner in the sitting room. This seemed to be one of Toph's favourite places in the palace - she could lounge around on the cushions and there was all the tea anybody could ask for!

Zuko looked distracted though. Katara could see the worry creasing between his eyebrows, crinkling the edge of the scar in an odd way. Whenever she or Toph weren't directly addressing him, his eyes would wonder away and flick back and forth as if he was trying to make a decision. Katara frowned. She would have to ask him about it later.

At this moment they were going through the steps Toph had made in her lesson that day. She explained about the heat being drawn the the person bending.

"So I'm guessing that the highest security prisons in the Fire Nation are really really cold?" she asked. Zuko blinked.

"Yes. Yes they are. You can't bend when you are too cold…"

"Right, because you are drawing heat in and compressing it and shooting it out!" Toph grinned at herself.

"So… its sort of like water in the sense that it is always there," reasoned Katara. Zuko considered this.

"Yes. I guess it is! What I don't understand, though, is how that works with lightening? Uncle taught me how to redirect lightening - and that is like heat and water in the sense that you let it flow in and then out again. But how is it that we create it?" mused Zuko. Katara pursed her lips in thought.

"I don't know. But it has to be something to do with moving heat since it burns… right?" she considered.

"I guess we play around with it tomorrow? But not in the indoor arena," started Zuko.

"You know, Sparky, the floor of your arena is stone," pointed out Toph.

"And?"

"Well, if you shoot lightening at the metal walls it won't touch us. Lightening likes metal," she stated as if it were obvious. Katara and Zuko looked skeptical. Toph could feel their hesitation and rolled her eyes.

"Look, where I come from we have really really tall buildings, right? So what happens when there is a storm? The lightening hits the tall buildings, and they either crumble of burn or a bit of both. So, in order to protect said tall buildings we stick metal rods on the top that run all the way into the ground. That way the building is not hit, but the metal is. The metal takes it to the ground," explained Toph, in her best condescending voice.

"We could try," concluded Katara.

"So," started Toph again, arousing them from their thoughts on lightening, "will I be water bending tomorrow Sifu Sweetness?"

"No. We wait for the full moon to start your water lessons - which is next week. Tomorrow we earth bend," stated Katara simply. She was pleased nobody argued with her. She also wanted to teach Zuko blood bending under the full moon. He had picked up water as quickly as she had picked up fire - she thought because they had both mastered their own elements and watched one another bending for years. Also, combining the bending styles made the transition very simple. He might not be able to handle blood yet, but they could try.

Katara felt funny after dinner. She was more tired than usual and could feel the dark bags under her eyes eating into her skin. Her hair felt greasy even though she had already washed it that day, and she was unnaturally annoyed at Zuko for not telling her what was bothering him. When she started feeling pain in her lower abdomen, she knew for sure - it was that time of the month. She groaned to herself and found the cloths she used to soak up the blood.

Of course! When she had arrived she had just finished… and then there was a full moon. The full moon always brought her relief from her cycles, and a calm after the storm of a very frustrating week.

She knew that if she didn't get herself some painkilling tea immediately, she would get no sleep at all that night. Having made sure she looked acceptable, she padded down to the kitchens to ask for the right kind of tea. They handed it to her without question, and watched her leave with sympathetic looks.

By the time the tea had brewed, she was already incapable of standing up straight. The cramps had her almost doubled over. She controlled her breathing as Yugoda had taught her to do, and kept one hand over her cramping muscles coated in water to ease the pain. Katara hated this time of the month. She could only relax muscles and heal wounds, redirect blood and move liquids - but she could not eliminate pain. Relaxing the muscles seemed to help somewhat, but never enough. It was as if her own body and her own element were turning against her. And she couldn't do anything about it! Once she had tried to blood bend all the blood out in one go so it would be over quickly, but soon found out that it was not as simple as a sack of blood that needed to come out. She learned from the healing scrolls in the Northern Water Tribe that it is the lining of the womb that is shed - blood is merely a by product. So trying to take out blood only left her weaker than before, and she kept bleeding where the lining was freshly separating itself from her.

She did not understand why she had to go through all of this, nor why some women hardly felt it at all while she was sometimes reduced to a pale, shivering corpse on her first day, and an aching, stroppy wreck the rest of the week.

The tea had started to take effect. She could feel her body's priorities swap from dealing with pain to dealing with tiredness. But she knew, from experience, that if she didn't finish all the tea she would be up in a few hours reduced to the same state. To sleep the whole night she needed the whole teapot.

There was a timid knock at the door, and a hesitant voice calling her name.

"Zuko?" she asked. "Zuko, come in!"

Zuko walked into the room, still looking very unsure about himself. He was in his night trousers, shirtless and shoeless as if he were about to go to bed. He bit his lip as he looked at Katara, and scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Katara? Have I… have I done something?" Katara was confused. He thought she was mad at him? Well she was irritated, but she was irritated at the world in general, not just Zuko.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko looked away awkwardly again. "Oh for Agni's sake Zuko, spit it out!" she said a little too sharply. Zuko looked slightly frightened.

"Well you usually come and sleep in my bed… and well you didn't turn up so I… have I made you mad? Because if I have I'm sorry and I'm sure I didn't mean it…" he was looking at her with pleading eyes, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

Katara laughed. Oh he is so awkward! She thought. She stopped laughing as the movement triggered another spasm and she forced more tea down.

"No, Zuko. It is the wrong time of the month," she said, still smiling. However Zuko only looked confused. Katara sighed. "I'm riding the red tide, getting acquainted with death, trapped in the bloody torture chamber," she said listing off the most entertaining names for it.

Zuko's eyes widened in realisation, but his shoulders relaxed and he breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Oh! I thought you were angry at me!" he exclaimed, approaching her with a smile. "Are you feeling alright? Can I do something?" he asked worriedly, taking in the darkness under her eyes and her face drawn in pain.

Katara held up her tea cup.

"Painkilling tea. There isn't really much more to do," she explained. He sat down next to her on the bed and kissed her forehead affectionately.

How was Zuko - the Zuko who had knocked her out in the North - how was he so gentle and caring? Katara found herself wondering more and more if this was a side to him that was always present but buried, or if it was something he developed when he was surrounded by people who cared about him. Right now, she didn't care. She was so moved by his affection that she felt tears spring to her eyes.

Somewhere in the back of her mind there was a small panicked voice telling her that she should be scared of such an attachment, that she was better off alone. But she suffocated it and leant on his shoulder, brushing away her tears.

"Katara? What's happening? Are you still in pain?" asked a panicked Zuko, noticing the tears. He forced her to look at him in the face. She shook her head.

"No, I'm just happy!" she croaked, reaching for some more tea.

"Generally speaking, you don't tend to cry when you are happy," started Zuko uncertainly.

"You don't understand. I'm happy you're here and not hiding from me," she explained with a logic that escaped him completely.

"Um. Why would I be hiding from you? You're not making much sense right now," he said, teasing her gently. She shrugged. She didn't care if he understood or not.

"Do - uh - do you want me to stay here tonight? Uncle always told me that it is better if women stay warm when they are bleeding because it hurts less…" Katara looked at him to see if he was in earnest, but she didn't detect any reservedness behind his words - on the contrary, there seemed to be a hope in his eyes.

Katara nodded.

"I'd like that."