Fire and Ice

Klare's Not Klare

As they stepped into the room, Zuko gasped. What they saw was a six-year-old Klaresa and six-year-old boy, who Zuko assumed was Rin as he looked the same as Klaresa, sobbing next to the woman from before. The woman laid on a soft, blue bed on the floor. However, Zuko noticed something different about her this time. There were dark bags under her eyes, her skin was an ill grey, and her previously neat hair was now in disarray. His suspicions were confirmed when Klare squeezed his hand a bit and looked away from the trio. Klare stiffened as a cracking voice softly spoke to the young children. "Hush, my little snowflakes. Everything will be fine. Just remember, you'll always have each other and the sisters." The woman tried to sooth the children by patting their heads, but it only made them cry more as her body started writhing in a coughing fit.

"Momma! Don't leave us! Please! We still need you!" Young Rin yelled, being the only one of the two that was strong enough top speak through his tears. "Now, now, don't say that. You are both strong children. Both of you have made me proud thus far, and I'll always be proud of you. You need not worry of me leaving. I'll forever be a part of you both." She smiled as if everything would be okay, but Zuko could tell that she knew her time was running out. What he didn't understand though was why she seemed to be willingly accepting death.

"Rin, my child, come here." He did as his mother commanded and scooted closer. She carefully pulled his forehead to hers. "Take care of your sister when I'm gone, okay?" He nods. "Y-Yes, Momma." He pulled away as the woman signaled for Klaresa to come to her. Klaresa and Rin switched places. "My dear, please stay strong for me. I know everything will be hard on you from time to time, but you're a bright young lady. I believe in you. Carry yourself with pride, snowflake, for you will now have the essence of the Phoenix within you." She raised her forehead up and replaced it with her lips, kissing Klaresa's forehead. A soft glow surrounded the two females.

The woman's white hair slowly changed to a soft blue that transitioned into lavender halfway through. As her hair changed, so did Klaresa's, but it was the opposite. Klaresa's hair became  snowy white. Strangely enough, as Klaresa's hair changed, so did Rin's. The woman rested her head down on the pillow and smiled at her children one more time before her light-azure eyes dulled and her body when limp. 

Klaresa noticed the woman's breathing stop and shook her. "Momma?" No response. She shook her again, a bit faster this time. "Momma! Wake up!" There was still no response. Klare pulled Zuko over to the side right before the two older girls from before came into the room. Their appearances had changed as well. The now eighteen-year-old had dark brown hair and the twelve-year-old had dark grey hair. They both crouched down and held each child in their arms, Klaresa in Yuka's and Rin and Akia's. The pair of girls had tears in their eyes as Yuka gently took Klaresa's hand and had her carefully brush her mother's eye lids closed.

After that, Klaresa and Rin buried their faces into the older girls' shoulders, continuing to cry. The girls stood up with the smaller children in their arms and walked out of the room.

The white light came once again, but as the next memory was coming into view, Klare spoke up. "The day after that, everyone in the shrine transitioned from calling me Klaresa to calling me either Chilam or Lady Chilam until I finally got used to it after a couple months."

The scenery formed again, but they were in a different room that had scrolls everywhere, on shelves, tables, even the floor was covered in scrolls. In the middle of the whole mess was a seven-year-old Klare, fast asleep, with an unrolled scroll covering her head. "Chilam? You in here?" Akia, who now went by Brisa, poked her head into the doorway. When she saw the younger girl, she smiled and chuckled softly. Yuka, or Ira, who was passing by, stopped and looked in beside Brisa with a smile of her own. "She's really been working hard... at not only her studies and lessons, but at ways to take breaks from them too." "Yeah. Do you wanna get her up this time, Ira?" Ira chuckled. "With pleasure. Chilam? Wake up, it's snowing!" Little Klare immediately jumped up and raced toward the window, only to be disappointed by the sunny, summer day. "Meanies! It's not even close to winter!" She pouted. Rin walked up next to the older girls and gave them a confused look as they both burst out in laughter.