Eclipse (Avatar the Last Airbender)

Chapter 9: Ebb

"And what did you tell them?"

She grinned at her friend easily. "To take their best guess at it, of course."

He pushed her arm with a laugh. "Don't make fun of the children, they don't know any better." He burst into a fit of laughter. "You haven't changed at all, Miyu."
"You haven't changed either, you know." She felt her lips tug into a faint smile. "And the children need to learn how to think for themselves, or they'll be sucked into the ignorant vortex of town rumors in no time."

They joked and laughed as they made their way over canals and across bridges until there was no one else in sight. She hopped up onto the ledge of the bridge and sat down. "Still, I'm surprised at how stagnant things are here. Maybe it's because I'm constantly going to new places now, but nothing has changed at all here."

It was a little disappointing, if she was being honest with herself. A part of her must have hoped that this place would improve while she was gone, or because she had left, but she supposed that was just wishful thinking. There was a bit of conceit mixed in as well, considering the fact that she hoped that she would be the trigger, admittedly, but it was wishful nonetheless. That was the way of wishful thinking though. It was just that. Wishful.

Like the predictable ebb and flow of the tides, things in the Northern Water Tribe seemed to be ever constant with the general closed-mindedness in regard to changing traditions. Izuki and Kyo were the only things she'd ever liked about this place, and her trip back here only solidified that fact in her mind.

Her friend smiled weakly in return, unable to deny her assessment. "Well, if people getting married counts, then not really. But you know how things are. The elderly don't really like change and a lot of the younger ones don't really know better or are content with the way things are. Things will slowly change though, Miyu."

She sighed. "True. Like rock eroding against the waves, things will slowly change here too, I'm sure. Emphasis on 'slowly.'"

It was quiet between them for a long moment. "Do you remember when we were kids and we used to talk about traveling the world one day?" Kyo asked as he dangled his feet over the ledge.

Miyuki leaned back to admire the night sky and nodded. "Of course. We used to talk about going to see Ba Sing Se and exploring the crystal tunnels or going to the beach and kicking back on one of those tropical Fire Nation islands."

"So after going out there, what do you think?"

She thought about it for a long moment. "The world is vast and so many small things from one village to the next are different. There are good people and bad people, and cowardly people and brave people." She grinned. "And I've yet to see them all."

"So being out there- you like it then?"

She hummed thoughtfully for a moment as she tried to think of a comparison that was more directly related to him. "Do you remember those waterbending puzzles that old man Po used to let us try?"

"Yeah, you would challenge them again and again until you found the solution with the fewest steps possible."

She nodded. "When I'm out there, every day is like tackling a new puzzle."

"Then you must be really happy," he murmured.

"It has its challenges," she admitted with a sigh as her thoughts drifted back to that first set of long, difficult months when she was just setting up. "It was hard starting a business and hard finding and making a place for myself, but you know how I am."

"Tough as a polar bear dog and as stubborn as an arctic hippo."

She punched his arm playfully at the comparisons. "Flattering."

He laughed fully and punched her arm back. "Hey, nothing but the best for the prettiest bachelorette in Agna Qel-" Kyo seemed to choke on his words the moment she inhaled sharply at the sight before them. Their eyes followed the dark colored snow that started to fall from the sky.

"Fire Nation," Miyuki said just above a whisper.

Kyo's eyes widened. "What?"

"The soot and smoke from their ships mixes with the snow and- It doesn't matter right now. We've gotta go."

Her friend leapt to his feet and she followed suit. They began to dash through the streets using waterbending. "As expected, you were right, Miyu. The Council spent too long debating what you said when they should've been taking action. We need to warn everyone else."

She nodded. She hated a lot about this place, but she wasn't lying when she said that she cared enough about them to come back and warn them. There was no one she hated enough to let something like this just unfold without her doing anything about it.

·:*¨༺ ★ ༻¨*:·.

To their credit the Council summoned everyone of Agna Qel'a quickly. She sat with her brother as Arnook addressed them from front and center. "The day we have feared for so long has arrived. The Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness that I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe, but they will never vanish from our hearts. Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call upon the great spirits. Spirit of the Ocean! Spirit of the Moon! Be with us! I'm going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission."

The Southern Tribe boy, Sokka, was notably quick to volunteer himself.

"Be warned, many of you will not return," the Chief continued, "Come forward to receive my mark, if you accept the task."

She glanced at her brother to see if he would volunteer himself, but he made no move to do so. It brought some level of relief to her heart. He was a skilled warrior, but she felt at ease knowing that he would not be taking part in whatever Arnook had planned.

He leaned closer to her and whispered the phrase "infiltration team" before moving back to his original position. She nodded subtly.

When the call for the elderly, women, and children to evacuate came, it was her brother's turn to glance at her. She stayed seated where she was next to him.

"Did you hear, Miyuki? Women should evacuate."

Her eyes scanned the crowd for the source of the voice and landed on Hahn. He cast her a smug look and she stood. "Thanks, I heard. I don't plan on evacuating though."

He scoffed. "It's your life to lose, I guess."

"It is, as a matter of fact. I'd spend more time worrying about yourself though." She shrugged. "The Spirits know I've seen more actual combat than you have." She looked around the crowd to see if there was anyone else that felt like dissenting.

"Do as you will, Miyuki," she heard Chief Arnook agree. "The Spirits know that you'll do so regardless."

She bowed before taking a seat again.