Archive of Our Own

All that could be seen from the deck of the single Southern Water Tribe ship was a vast expanse of blue. The sun that shone from an azure-tinted sky reflected onto the Northern Sea and its waves, which lapped gently against the hull of the wooden vessel. Though the crew was small, they were no less efficient; two tribesmen manned the jib and mainsail each while the captain of the cutter sailing ship manned the tiller. 

The sails’ cloth bore a cobalt shade similar to the fabric of the parkas worn by those aboard the ship. The wind that blew against those sails was neither violent or weak; if anything, the rate at which the wind blew kept the ship trekking at a consistent pace.

‘With any luck, we may arrive sooner than anticipated,’ Wasuke thought to himself, taking in the scenery. ‘Not that we’re super far at this point.’

“Grampa!”

Wasuke blinked a moment before focusing on the child sitting in front of him. Yuuji smiled once he’d garnered his grandfather’s attention before pointing to the pai sho board sat in between them. 

“It’s your turn!” Yuuji exclaimed, his restless posture almost causing the tiles to rattle off their spots on the board.

Wasuke chuckled before stroking his chin deliberately. “Hmm, is it now?” the old man mused. His eyes carefully scanned the board and the placement of the pieces. Wasuke easily noticed several places on the board where he could place a tile, create the final harmony, and end the game. 

But where was the fun in that?

Wasuke hummed and closed his eyes, pretending to be deep in thought. Once he’d finally “decided”, he deliberately placed his fire tile atop a knotweed piece to “destroy” it before crossing his arms and nodding affirmatively. Wasuke could hardly contain his laughter as he watched his grandson groan and hold his head in his hands in response to his move. 

“I really thought I’d blocked you that time!” Yuuji cried, his cheeks puffing slightly in frustration. 

“Instead of focusing on blocking me, why not aim to create your final harmony?”

Yuuji blinked at his grandfather a moment before understanding seemed to dawn on him. Mimicking his grandfather’s mannerisms from moments earlier, Yuuji cupped his chin with the palm of his hand as he scanned the pai sho board. He reached forward, about to move his White Lotus tile, until someone cleared his throat behind him. Yuuji whipped his head to face the individual, who he recognized as one of the men in charge of manning the jib.

“Sorry to interrupt, Chief, but we’re within sight of the Northern Water Tribe. If we keep up this pace, we may make good time and make it before the sun begins its descent.”

“We’re already almost there?!” Yuuji shot up from his seat cushion and immediately ran towards the bow to see for himself. Any crewmates in his way immediately cleared a path for the young chief-to-be as the soles of his fur-lined boots tapped against the deck. 

Yuuji’s eyes and smile grew in tandem as he took in the sight. Stretching across the horizon were the icy cliffs the Northern Water Tribe called their home. The sun’s light caused the near-white terrain to shimmer like a polished diamond. Carved into the very middle of the icy landscape and surrounded by cliffs was their destination: Agna Qel’a. It truly was one of the most magnificent sights Yuuji had laid eyes on.

Yuuji gripped the railing with his gloved hands. They were so close he could almost taste it! Memories of previous winter solstice festivals flashed in his mind’s eye: images of lantern-lit streets glowing softly in contrast to the night sky, vendors with as wide a spread of food and souvenirs you could imagine, and dancers dressed in ceremonial attire performing to a variety of music. Though he couldn’t actually remember any specific memories he had of any of those things, the celebration and sense of togetherness wasn’t lost on him. It was one of his favorite times of the year.

It was for those reasons that it was also one of his least favorite. 

If Yuuji could change one thing about the Winter Solstice festival, it would be the amount of time he got to spend with his grandfather during it. The ample amount of time they spent together traveling to and from the event was one thing. But when it came to actually celebrating/partaking in the festivities, his grandfather was always swept up in the politics surrounding being the chief of the Southern Water Tribe and what that meant in relation to the Northern Water Tribe. Not that Yuuji was able to notice or name all of those intricacies; all he knew was that as soon as they got there, he’d basically be all by himself.

When a palm suddenly came to rest atop the crown of his head, Yuuji’s turbulent thoughts suddenly slowed and brought him back to reality. The young boy slowly tilted his head backwards until he locked eyes with his grandfather. 

“Yuuji,” Wasuke started, his lips forming a shadow of a smile when his grandson merely blinked at him. “When we get there, I’ll have to take time to meet with their chief like usual.” The frown tugging Yuuji’s mouth downward caused guilt to settle in Wasuke’s stomach. 

“But,” he added, noting how Yuuji perked up as he continued. “Given how we’re expected to arrive earlier than expected, there’s a good chance I may be able to slip away for a little bit so that we can visit the stalls together.”

Yuuji’s eyes immediately shone with excitement. “Really?!” he asked, quickly turning around with a hop so that he faced his guardian fully. 

Wasuke nodded. “I’ll even let you explore downtown by yourself this year.” He crossed his arms over his chest and flashed the boy a smirk. “After all, you’re practically all grown up now. Surely that means you’ll be able to behave yourself while you take a look around, right?”

Yuuji nodded vehemently and puffed out his chest slightly. “Right!” he affirmed, his face forming as serious an expression he could muster. 

Wasuke ruffled Yuuji’s light pink hair and smiled. “I’m holding you to it, then.”

Yuuji held onto the small, coin-filled purse in his pocket with a vengeance as the sounds of the busy Northern Water Tribe streets washed over him. 

“Be back at the Chief’s Residence by the time the sun descends behind the cliffs. And don’t cause any trouble.”

His grandfather’s instructions rang through Yuuji’s mind repeatedly as his eyes desperately tried taking in all that was going on around him. Stalls lining the edge of the streets had vendors calling out the names and prices of their wares. People, whether traveling in groups with their family, as couples, or individually happily chittered not only in the streets but beneath the bridges and even on the rafts that lazily drifted past in the canal.

Yuuji walked up to the side of one such bridge to catch his breath, which came out in small, gaseous wisps with each exhale. He didn’t know where to start; he didn’t remember it being so busy and hectic when his grandfather and he arrived in the past.

“Maybe because we’re early this year,” Yuuji mumbled to himself. Rising onto his tip-toes, the young boy peered over the railing to see if anything the festival had to offer would catch his eye in particular. He blinked in surprise when he suddenly saw a kid, who couldn’t have been much older than himself given their stature, suddenly run through the street on the other side of the bridge. Not far behind them came a couple of angry-looking adults. 

Yuuji was running after them not even a second later. Packed snow lightly crunched beneath his feet as he ran across the rest of the bridge and followed after them. He gradually closed the distance with each passing moment. Just when he’d thought he’d caught up to them, the two adults suddenly rounded the corner into an alley. Yuuji barely managed to skid to a halt and follow their new direction. As soon as he noticed the dead end, Yuuji scrambled back a bit to stand flush against the adjacent wall, peer his head around the corner, and look down towards the end of the alley. He watched as the two adults slowly approached what Yuuji could only assume was the kid he’d seen running earlier.

“Come on, now, Megumi,” started one of them, his words dripping with annoyance. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” 

When the child offered no response, it seemed to only further agitate the pursuer. The man scoffed as he turned to his compatriot. “You grab him from one side while I grab the other. Let’s just get this over with so that we can get back to the festival.”

Yuuji’s eyebrows furrowed angrily at the sight. “That isn’t fair! That’s 2 vs 1!” When both men paused and slowly glanced over a shoulder in his direction, it was then that it dawned on Yuuji that what he’d thought was just a thought had actually been spoken aloud.

Oopsie.

“What’re you doing here you--” 

Yuuji didn’t give the man a chance to finish his question. He sprinted forward  with a small gloved-hand outstretched, quickly closing the distance between them. As soon as he felt said hand hook beneath the man’s waistband, Yuuji slammed his thumb down onto the corner of the fabric and held fast as he pulled the man’s trousers down to the ground. The toddler didn’t wait for a reaction; the slew of angry curses he heard behind him was more than enough confirmation that his diversion had worked. 

Yuuji then lunged towards the second man in a similar manner to before. When large, calloused hands came to wrap around his small forearms, Yuuji kicked off his left foot to immediately shift his weight downwards and into his upper body. The momentum of the motion caused Yuuji to not only push the back of his opponent’s forearms into the ground but to let his right leg continue arcing forward until the sole of his boot slammed squarely into the man’s face. The man soon released Yuuji from his grip in favor of nursing his now bleeding nose. As soon as his feet returned to the ground, Yuuji darted past the two men, locked eyes with turquoise hues for just a moment, grabbed a small, gloved hand similar in size to his, and ran like his life depended on it.

He led the kid whose hand he was dragging out of the alley, onto the crowded street, and across the bridge in record time. Yuuji managed to lead them a little farther after crossing the bridge until he heard the kid behind him start to gasp for air. Yuuji flitted his gaze every which way until his eyes locked onto the entrance of a much less sketchy-looking alleyway. 

“Just a little longer,” Yuuji managed to breathe out over his shoulder. As soon as they rounded the corner, Yuuji hid behind the first stack of crates he noticed and lowered to a crouch. When he heard the kid whose hand he still held shift beside him, Yuuji finally turned to take a look at just who it was he’d saved.

Staring back at him was a boy with jet black, unruly hair that spiked out every which way, intense turquoise hues, and furrowed eyebrows. His mouth was set in a hard line with his lower lip jutted forward ever so slightly. 

“What’re you staring at?” the boy asked, his voice only sounding slightly agitated.

Yuuji could only gulp and stare. “Um…” Yuuji started, blushing when he realized he was still staring. “You?” he added quickly, opting to instead peek behind the crate and see if they were still being pursued.

Megumi blinked incredulously at the boy beside him. Had anyone else supplied that kind of response to him, he would have immediately taken it as sarcasm. Yet something told Megumi that the boy who’d helped him’s answer was genuine, even if it was a little stupid.

Megumi sighed, slipping his hand from Yuuji’s grasp as he slowly rose to a standing position. “You didn’t have to do all that, you know. I could’ve handled it by myself.”

Yuuji slowly returned his gaze to the now standing boy, eyebrows furrowing with confusion. “Wait, really? Even 2 vs 1?”

Megumi closed his eyes, haughtily lifting his chin ever so slightly. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”

“You must be pretty strong, then!” 

Megumi’s eyes snapped open incredulously as he watched the pink-haired boy quickly stand up right beside him. He’d half expected to tell off the unwanted help, thinking the remark he’d received was a pointed or sarcastic one. However, the face the stranger gave him took Megumi aback and conveyed the exact opposite; he watched as both brown eyes that shone in genuine awe and a wide grin that only kept growing were cast his way by the boy at his side.

“Oh wait that means…” Yuuji’s voice trailed off. His smile quickly turned sheepish as he placed a hand against the back of his neck awkwardly. “I’m sorry.”

“...for what?” Megumi asked, clearly confused. 

“Getting in your way back there.”

When all Megumi did was stare at him, Yuuji dropped his gaze to his feet while he nervously tapped his hands together before continuing. “You just said you could handle it by yourself and I… I…” Yuuji’s lower lip began to quiver while tears welled in the corner of his eyes. 

Megumi blinked incredulously for a moment, his gaze gradually flitting all around him in growing disbelief. “Wait, are you…” When Yuuji sniffed and wiped at his face with the back of his sleeve, Megumi felt his heart stumble over its own rhythm in panic.

“Wait you don’t… I didn’t mean to…” Megumi groaned as he struggled to find the right thing to say. Eyes shut in frustration, Megumi turned the other way and anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Look, it’s fine,” Megumi finally managed to ground out. When he neither heard or saw a reaction from the boy whose tears he caused, Megumi swallowed the growing lump in his throat.

“Thank you.”

Megumi only chanced a glance backwards when he heard more sniffling. He watched the pink-haired boy behind him desperately rub at his face with his hands for a moment before looking up completely to flash Megumi another smile. Megumi couldn’t help the ghost of a smile that twitched the corners of his mouth upwards. It wasn’t as though those hands had managed to wipe all the sadness away; Megumi noticed how the boy in front of him's eyes and nose were still red and puffy from crying while tiny tear-trails marred his equally red cheeks.

Still…

“No problem!” Yuuji happily chirped, his smile somehow managing to grow even wider. Megumi’s gaze softened slightly at the sight. 

‘Kind of reminds me of Tsumiki…’ Megumi thought absently, images of his sister donning a similar smile flashing in his mind. 

…

Wait.

Megumi grit his teeth and slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Dang it, I’m late!” 

“Late for what?”

Megumi whipped his head towards Yuuji, who’d since come to stand beside him and was leaning forward to catch his gaze. Megumi sighed and slid his hand down to cover his eyes. “I’m supposed to be visiting my sister right now,” he explained. “But those guys back there…”

Yuuji watched as the words seemed to die on Megumi’s tongue. Yuuji couldn’t quite place the expression the boy beside him wore; his eyes were downcast, and any traces of the smile from earlier had been replaced with a gradually growing frown. All Yuuji knew was that the expression didn’t look like a happy one to say the least. 

“Why don’t I go with you?” Yuuji offered. 

A single eyebrow rose of Megumi’s own volition. “Why would you offer to do that? What’s in it for you?”

“Nothing,” Yuuji immediately replied with a shrug.

Megumi blinked and stared at Yuuji incredulously but otherwise said nothing.

Yuuji’s head tilted slightly confusedly in response to the expression being sent his way. “Does there need to be?”

Megumi opened his mouth to reply, to tell him “yes” because that was all he knew. But when no words left his mouth, he closed it just as quickly to instead stare at Yuuji in confusion. 

“Besides, that means I get to help you out!” Yuuji added happily, not missing a beat. “It’s not like I’m doing anything else right now, anyways. I’m pretty much all by myself until the sun starts to go down.”

The tinge of loneliness that colored Yuuji’s words wasn’t lost on Megumi. It was an emotion Megumi was very used to feeling. Mulling it over for only a moment more, Megumi finally sighed almost defeatedly once he’d made up his mind before purposefully locking eyes with Yuuji. “If you really want to come… then I won’t stop you.” 

He didn’t wait for his new acquaintance’s response, nor did he need to; as soon as Megumi turned around to head towards the orphanage, he heard and felt similar-length strides fall instep with his own. Silence swiftly draped over the pair for a moment. It was a tug on his sleeve that brought Megumi out of his musings.

“I’m Yuuji, by the way,” the pink-haired boy beside him said quietly with a grin.

Megumi flitted his gaze to the snow at his feet before responding with his name in turn.

The boys’ trek to the orphanage was thankfully short and uneventful. Even though both children had made sure to be as aware of their surroundings as possible, they’d spotted no one who seemed to be hot on their trail.

As soon as he was certain they weren’t being followed, Yuuji couldn’t help but be taken in by his new surroundings. This was a part of the Northern Water Tribe he’d never been to before. Tucked in a small corner of the settlement were several smaller igloos and buildings snugly nestled together. Though it was obviously more crowded than the openly lavish parts of the city Yuuji had been to, it wasn’t as if the buildings’ closeness made him uncomfortable.

“It’s kinda cozy,” Yuuji mumbled to himself absently.

Megumi looked over his shoulder at the boy who was supposed to be following him and sighed in frustration. Stopping dead in his tracks, Megumi waited until Yuuji finally wandered within arm’s reach before swiftly grabbing his hand and holding fast to continue trekking forward.

“Watch where you’re going,” Megumi mumbled angrily, not bothering to look over his shoulder as he continued leading the way. Yuuji blushed slightly in embarrassment, but that embarrassment was short-lived as soon as he heard the tell-tale sounds of children at play. 

Yuuji walked a little faster so that he walked beside Megumi rather than behind. His smile grew with each step as he noticed a large group of children milling around a courtyard just in front of what he assumed was their destination. Some were building snowmen via a mix of waterbending and good old-fashioned elbow grease. Others played very involved-looking games of pretend. It even appeared as though some were sweeping outside a doorway. 

‘What’re they sweeping for, though?’ Yuuji thought absently to himself.

As soon as some of the kids noticed them approach, they immediately stopped whatever they were doing and ran to meet them.  

“Megumi! Megumi!” 

“Megumi’s back!”

Yuuji blinked as several younger children immediately crowded around Megumi to try and grab his attention. Some tugged at his sleeves, others at his trousers. A few even tried hopping in front of him to catch his gaze.

“Where’ve you been? It’s been too long since you were here last time!” 

“Who is this with you? Did you make a new friend?”

“Where’s Tsumiki? Is she not done with her chores yet?”

Yuuji grinned and lightly nudged Megumi with his shoulder once he noticed how flushed the other boy’s face looked. “I didn’t know you were popular,” Yuuji teased.

Megumi closed his eyes, nudged him right back, and purposefully deepened his frown. “Shut up.”

“Megumi!”

Yuuji watched the boy beside him’s demeanor change entirely when a slightly older-looking girl came near. She had long, dark brown hair put up in a pony-tail, brown eyes, and probably one of the kindest smiles Yuuji had ever seen a person wear. Once she pulled Megumi into a hug, Yuuji noticed any tension Megumi’s body had held melt the moment he returned the embrace.

“Hi, Tsumiki,” the younger boy said softly, his voice muffled as he spoke into her shoulder.

Tsumiki held Megumi out at arm’s length as soon as she felt satisfied with their hug. “I’m so glad to see you!” she said, absolutely beaming at her little brother. When her arms returned to her side, she finally scanned the boy beside Megumi up and down. “Is this a friend of yours?”

Just as Megumi was about to tell her no, he hardly knew this boy, Yuuji stepped forward and raised a hand in greeting.

“I think we’re going to be great friends!” Yuuji exclaimed with a happy grin.

Megumi immediately clenched the hands at his sides into fists and glared at Yuuji. “Wait a sec--” The sound of Tsumiki gasping stopped him from finishing that sentence.

“That’s wonderful!” Tsumiki exclaimed as she clapped her hands excitedly in front of her. “How did you two end up meeting?” she asked excitedly, taking a step towards them.

Any lingering anger or frustration Megumi felt slowly melted the longer he looked at his sister. She looked so genuinely happy for him… He didn’t want to put a damper on that happiness. But he was at a loss for what to say. When he heard Yuuji clear his throat beside him, he couldn’t decide if he was thankful or not that his new acquaintance had come up with a response.

“I pulled a guy’s pants down,” Yuuji stated matter-of-factly, hands proudly on his hips as he closed his eyes thoughtfully and nodded once. Tsumiki, Megumi, and all of the other kids crowded around them simply gawked at Yuuji for a moment. Silence swiftly descended upon the group. The longer it dragged on, the more Yuuji thought he’d messed up and said something too stupid.

It ended up being Tsumiki’s laughter that broke the silence. She covered her mouth with one hand and clutched at her abdomen with the other as a hearty bout of giggles coursed through her system. Soon enough, the other children joined in, much to Megumi’s surprise. When Megumi heard Yuuji’s laughter eventually join the fray, he found he couldn’t help the laughter bubbling in his own chest from joining either.

The small group of kids managed to laugh for quite some time. Their tittering bounced off the ice and packed-snow walls of the adjacent buildings to ring around the small courtyard they occupied. Once the laughter finally managed to die down, some of the kids went back to the games or tasks they’d been doing previously while others stuck around Megumi and Tsumiki to try and vy for either sibling’s attention.

Yuuji smiled at the sight, memories of similar gatherings he’d have with his friends in the Southern Water Tribe coming to mind. When Megumi, Tsumiki, and the few kids hanging around them started walking towards the other children, Yuuji found himself rooted in place. His arm came across his chest as he grabbed the opposite forearm nervously. He bent his head slightly and felt his eyebrows furrow in frustration.

He didn’t know what to do.

“Yuuji!”

The pink-haired boy’s head snapped upwards and watched as Hana ran through the snow towards him. Her light brown hair was up in a ponytail, the hues of her irises rivaled that of the sky, and the smile she wore felt warm despite their cold climate. As soon as she got close, she clumsily skidded to a stop in front of him before reaching a hand towards him.

“You’re coming too, right?”

Yuuji tentatively reached forward to hold Hana’s gloved hand in his.

“Yuuji?”

The memory he’d been enveloped in quickly evaporated once Megumi’s voice finally reached him. Yuuji blinked a moment as he slowly came back to reality and registered what was going on. Megumi, Tsumiki, and the children still hanging around them all looked expectantly towards him.   

“You’re coming too, right?” Megumi asked again, an eyebrow raised in inquiry.

Yuuji’s eyes and grin gradually grew wide until he started nodding enthusiastically.

“Right!”

Just as Yuuji took a step forward to join them, a large bell suddenly rang across the courtyard. The bell’s chime was followed by an assortment of sighs, groans, and cries from the children who’d been at play. Yuuji scratched at his temple in confusion as he watched them all trudge towards an open doorway at the edge of the courtyard.

“But we just got here!”

Yuuji’s gaze snapped towards Megumi, whose head was now in his hands after his pained exclamation. Tsumiki stood next to him with an arm draped over his shoulders and a sad smile, her hand rubbing small circles against his back as his tiny frame was wracked with barely-choked back sobs.

“I know, ‘Gumi,” Tsumiki cooed, trying to meet her younger brother’s gaze. “But we get brought back inside earlier to celebrate the Winter Solstice festival together as an orphanage.” When Megumi’s tears showed no sign of stopping, she gently pulled her brother towards her to envelope him in another hug.

“We’ll see each other soon, I promise,” Tsumiki added, squeezing Megumi tighter for a moment. Once his breathing began to settle, Tsumiki gently peeled Megumi off of her and wiped any remaining tears off his flushed face. “Just be brave a little longer for me, okay?”

Though Megumi’s head hung slightly, he otherwise nodded his acquiescence. Tsumiki watched her brother sniffle for a moment before looking up to lock eyes with Yuuji. When she gestured with her head to come join them, Yuuji quickly obliged. His boots lightly crunched the soft snow beneath his feet as he quickly closed the distance between them. 

“Yuuji, right?” Tsumiki quickly asked once he was near. Yuuji nodded. When Tsumiki smiled at him, he felt his cheeks burn slightly as he remembered the similar smile Hana often sent his way. 

“Would you take care of Megumi for me?” she asked.

Megumi immediately blinked incredulously at his sister. “I can take care of myself!” he quipped, angrily crossing his arms against his chest for good measure.

Tsumiki giggled and ruffled his hair slightly. “I never said you couldn’t take care of yourself.” She turned her gaze towards Yuuji before continuing. “That doesn’t mean it hurts to have other people in your corner either, though.”

“Tsumiki!” A very adult-sounding voice suddenly called from the edge of the courtyard. 

“Be right there!” Tsumiki quickly called back over her shoulder. She then returned her attention to the two boys in front of her. Both Megumi and Yuuji looked expectantly towards her. Tsumiki couldn’t help her smile from growing larger as she brought a hand to each of their heads and ruffled their hair.

“Have fun together at the festival,” she told them cheerfully. Tsumiki then leaned forward, pecked Megumi on the forehead, and immediately scurried off towards the voice calling for her. Yuuji took that as his cue for them to make themselves scarce. Without missing a beat, Yuuji grabbed Megumi’s hand in his and immediately started running towards the festival with him in tow.

The quickly setting sun painted the Northern Water Tribe’s icy landscape in a gradient of warm hues. Dark reds, oranges, and yellows mixed together and slowly spilled into the cityscape and onto its denizens as Yuuji pulled Megumi behind him for the second time that day. Lanterns in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors were lit not only around the stalls they decorated but in front of many peoples’ homes and in the hands of those who carried one with them. 

Yuuji placed one such lantern between the two of them as they settled behind a crate in another alley. Though not their original venue of choice, they’d had few other options; as soon as Yuuji had purchased the lantern, he’d heard some men at just the stall over describe both him and Megumi in detail before asking if they’d seen any kids meeting that description.

“Sorry,” Yuuji whispered to the boy sat in front of him. “This probably isn’t how you wanted to celebrate the Winter Solstice.”

Megumi shrugged, eyes glued on Yuuji’s hands as they messed with the flint to light the inside of their lantern. “I’ve never really celebrated before.”

Yuuji immediately halted in his ministrations and stared dumbfoundedly at his new friend. “What?!” he exclaimed. When Megumi shushed him, he immediately blushed and remembered not only himself but their situation. 

“What do you mean you’ve never really celebrated before?” Yuuji whispered, already fiddling with the flint and lantern’s wick again.

“I mean I’ve never really celebrated before,” Megumi returned matter-of-factly.

Yuuji puffed his cheeks in frustration. “I’m trying to ask why you haven’t celebrated before.”

Megumi stayed quiet a moment and watched the lantern between them slowly spark to life. It was a simple, rectangular lantern made from wood cross-thatched together and treated hide. The light glowing between them was a soft, subdued offwhite color. It was almost as if they’d picked a star from the soon-to-be night sky and merely placed it in their lantern.

“Your sister’s really nice, by the way.”

It took Megumi a moment to realize he’d been lost in thought. As soon as he registered what Yuuji said, Megumi couldn’t help but smile softly and nod in agreement. He then closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable set of probing questions: Why aren’t you two celebrating together? Where do you live if not at the orphanage? Are you actually siblings?

But they never came. When Megumi opened his eyes again, he watched as Yuuji continued to fiddle with the lantern in his hands with a very concentrated expression. His eyebrows were knit together while his tongue stuck out if just slightly as he turned the small, lit ornament every which way in his hands.

 “What’re you trying to do?” Megumi asked without thinking, curiosity getting the better of him. 

“I’m trying to see if this is the kind that floats in the sky or not,” Yuuji replied as he peeked underneath their lantern for the umpteenth time. 

Just as Megumi was going to ask if their lantern had to be the floating kind, his stomach suddenly growled loudly of its own accord. Megumi instinctively placed a hand on his stomach and blushed. Before he could stay too embarrassed about it, Yuuji’s stomach joined in with its own set of growls. Both boys gradually met the other’s gaze and blinked in tandem before immediately bursting into laughter. 

“Hey, is that them down there?!”

Megumi was already being pulled to his feet by Yuuji before any panic could set in. When Yuuji briefly looked over his shoulder to flash him a smile, Megumi couldn’t help but return the expression, even though it was more subdued, as he ran behind Yuuji. 

‘This is easier than I thought,’ Yuuji thought to himself as he and Megumi watched the vendor fry up their fish on a stick. The festival was in full swing at this point; both the moon and stars shone faintly against the inky-black sky to paint the busy streets and canals of Agna Qel’a in such a way that it caused the snow, ice, and anything in between to glow faintly beneath it. The jubilance of the festivities and its participants had only managed to grow from earlier that day, much to Yuuji’s amazement. 

“I can’t believe your stupid idea worked,” Yuuji heard Megumi mutter beside him. Yuuji turned his head slightly towards the boy standing beside him and watched as he adjusted the black wolf mask covering his face. 

“Don’t you mean brilliant ?” Yuuji countered quietly, adjusting the white wolf mask on his face for good measure. It had been a stroke of pure genius, truly; while they were being chased for what felt like the millionth time, Yuuji had spotted the particular stall out of the corner of his eye. After getting the slip on their pursuers and a quick purchase, the two boys were able to easily blend in with the crowd and enjoy the festival in its entirety.

Megumi rolled his eyes but grinned despite himself. Just as he was about to offer a rebuttal, the man preparing their food leaned over the stall with a steaming fish on a stick in each hand.

“Here you go, boys,” the vendor offered with a smile. The smell that wafted towards them only made both boys’ stomachs growl louder as they gratefully accepted the food being offered to them. Yuuji then dug for the small coin purse in his pocket, felt for the proper sized coins, and placed them into the vendor’s waiting palm.

“Thank you,” Megumi and Yuuji said in unison before continuing on their merry way. The boys stayed hand in hand as they slowly walked through the crowded avenue. Megumi lifted his mask slightly to immediately dig into their meal on a stick while Yuuji continued taking a look at the shops. It was then that something caught Yuuji’s eye; just down the street sat a stall with a wide variety of polished, azure blue stones in a myriad of shapes and styles. The way both the moon and nearby lantern’s light cast off the stones made them shimmer with an almost otherworldly sparkle.

“You okay with one more stop?” Yuuji asked, watching as Megumi continued working on his fish on a stick.

Megumi shrugged but otherwise said nothing. Taking that as a “yes”, Yuuji stuck a tongue out slightly in concentration as he expertly weaved through and around the large crowd. He made sure to keep a solid grip around Megumi’s hand and only lessened it when they were just a measly few steps away. 

The shopkeep sitting to the side instantly perked up when both boys approached. Sitting up straight, the vendor waited patiently as she watched the boy wearing the white wolf mask slowly scan his gaze across all her wares. 

“Are you looking for anything in particular?” the shopkeep finally asked once she’d noticed Yuuji’s deliberative posture.

“Well…” 

Yuuji’s voice trailed off as he glanced towards Megumi, whose attention was on the crowd that continued to pass by behind them. Nodding resolutely to himself, he then took a step towards the shopkeep and gestured for her to lean forward and bend an ear. She blinked in confusion for a moment before smiling softly and complying. As soon as the little boy had stated his request, she placed a hand on her chin to mimic Yuuji’s deliberative posture from earlier. 

It was at that point Megumi’s attention returned to the scene unfolding in front of him. Megumi tilted his head slightly and watched as Yuuji was handed a small set of boxes stacked together and held fast with twine. Just as Yuuji reached for the coin purse in his pocket, the shopkeep shook her hand at him as if to say “no need” before flashing the pair a wide smile. Megumi watched Yuuji send the vendor a small bow in thanks. Yuuji’s grip tightening around his hand was Megumi’s only warning as he was quickly pulled to a running pace.

Though his legs pumped at a similar pace to Yuuji’s, it was Megumi’s mind that raced the most as they continued running through the festivities together. He hadn’t expected to have as much fun as he did today. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled or laughed this much. Hanging out with Yuuji felt almost natural; as if he were hanging out with his sister. They were both kind, empathetic, caring… the list of positive accolades could go on.

“I guess I forgot there are other nice people too,” Megumi muttered to himself under his breath. Yuuji gradually slowed to a walking pace as soon as they turned the corner into yet another alley.

“Did you say something?” Yuuji asked over his shoulder.

Megumi shook his head. “Nothing important.”

Yuuji thought about questioning him further but immediately dropped it when a familiar item caught his eye.

“ There it is!” Yuuji exclaimed, letting go of Megumi’s hand to quickly run towards the lantern they’d had to abandon earlier. Yuuji turned the lantern every which way and examined it. When he found no real damage done to it, Yuuji cast a smile towards Megumi while lifting the lantern for good measure. 

“Looks like our luck hasn’t run out yet,” Yuuji said cheerfully, making Megumi smile softly. Both boys immediately lowered to a sitting position and leaned against the wall behind them. Though there were no other sources of light, the boys were not completely in the dark. The moon’s light shone upon them and their surroundings just enough for Yuuji to easily re-light their lantern and set it between them once more. 

Megumi took off his mask and watched the lantern light up their small space. Its light washed the boxes Yuuji’d recently purchased in a soft, off-white color. Megumi opened his mouth to ask what the boxes were for, but decided against it at the last minute. Asking questions made it feel like their adventure together was coming to a close. And that was the opposite of what Megumi wanted.

Megumi’s concerned expression wasn’t lost on Yuuji, however. Once he’d removed his own mask and placed the boxes on the side away from Megumi, he leaned forward from his spot to catch his friend’s gaze.

“Something wrong?” Yuuji asked simply.

Megumi averted his gaze and shook his head “no”. The longer Yuuji stared at him, however, the more Megumi felt his resolve crumble. His curiosity became too much to bear, and without missing a beat Megumi asked a question that’d been burning in his mind since they met.

“How come I’ve never seen you before?” Megumi asked softly, his tone almost accusatory. 

Yuuji rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly, unable to meet Megumi’s gaze once he realized his blunder. “I guess I didn’t mention it before… but I’m from the South Pole.”

Megumi blinked in surprise. That wasn’t the answer he’d expected. But surprisingly, it was an answer he was okay with. Megumi didn’t know what he would’ve done if he’d found out Yuuji had lived in the Northern Water Tribe all this time without him knowing. 

The sound of Yuuji fiddling with the contents of the boxes he’d purchased immediately brought Megumi back to reality. Curiosity guiding his actions, Megumi immediately tried to look over Yuuji’s shoulder to see just what it was he’d bought. Yuuji quickly caught on, however, and immediately spread his arms out to further block Megumi’s view.

“It’s a surprise!” Yuuji whined, cheeks puffing slightly for but a moment before immediately breaking into a smile again. He just couldn’t contain his excitement.

Megumi crossed his arms over his chest, rolled his eyes, but otherwise left it alone. “Fine, fine,” he said almost teasingly. The raven-haired boy leaned his head back to let it lean against the wall he was sat in front of and closed his eyes. Moments later, the sound of what Megumi could only describe as metallic scraping reached his ears. He opened a single eye to see if he could manage to get a peek at what Yuuji was working on to no avail. The pink-haired boy had expertly situated himself in such a way that his back was to Megumi, making seeing over his shoulders stealthily almost impossible. 

Megumi closed the other eye once more and sighed. When he began to feel a wave of fatigue course through his body, Megumi immediately blinked furiously and clapped the palms of his hands against his cheeks. He didn’t want to fall asleep. Not yet.

“What’s the South Pole like?” Megumi asked, half in interest and half in an attempt of staying awake.

Yuuji hummed thoughtfully for a moment as he fiddled with the tools at his disposal. “Well, for one thing, it’s not as fancy. It’s a lot smaller than what’s up here.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Yuuji shook his head, paused in what he was doing, and looked over his shoulder. “Not at all. In fact, that place we visited earlier today to see your sister kind of reminded me of home.”

Megumi blinked and tilted his head. “How come?”

As soon as he felt his cheeks start to burn up, Yuuji snapped his gaze forward. He continued with his project before answering. “Your sister reminded me of a friend of mine back home.”

“Really?” Megumi asked, legitimately in disbelief. He was already amazed that there were more kind people than just Tsumiki.

“If I didn’t mean it I wouldn’t say it,” Yuuji said half in jest as he referenced one of their first conversations. 

Megumi immediately shoved his shoulder into Yuuji’s, causing the boy whose back was turned to squeak in surprise. “If you’re gonna quote me, be accurate.”

Yuuji just laughed. “Guess I’ll work on it.”

For the remainder of the time Yuuji spent working on his project, Megumi and he exchanged questions and answers on things as mundane as a favorite color to things as serious as their favorite food. It was right when they’d reached an impasse on a certain favorite food of Megumi’s that Yuuji finally finished. Rather than gracing the boy beside him with a retort of argument of any kind, Yuuji cupped his hands around his small creation before turning while seated towards Megumi.

“Close your eyes and hold out your hands,” Yuuji instructed. 

Megumi raised an eyebrow skeptically but otherwise did as bade. As soon as his eyes were shut and arms outstretched, Megumi felt something small and circular get placed into his waiting palms.

“Okay. You can open them now!”

Megumi’s eyelids slowly fluttered open as he took in the small object in his hands. Dark blue hues scanned over the circular stone of a similar color in his hands. Crude swirls and squiggles were carved onto its surface. Megumi squinted and held up the circular stone to the lantern light between them. It almost looked like…

“Is this supposed to be the Water Nation emblem?” Megumi asked, his voice colored with disbelief. 

Yuuji sighed with relief as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m glad you were able to tell! I was worried I may have messed it up too bad.”

Megumi stared blankly at the circular, carved stone in his hand. He didn’t have the heart to stomp on Yuuji’s kindness.

‘It’s the thought that counts, right?’ his sister’s words rang in his head.

“Do you like it?” Yuuji asked expectantly, slightly scooting closer towards Megumi.

Megumi continued staring at his new gift blankly. “Aren’t these given to people you wanna marry when you’re grown up, though?”

Yuuji opened his mouth as if to correct him, but when understanding began dawning on him Megumi could tell he’d been terribly disillusioned. 

“ That’s why Grampa doesn’t let me wear his,” Yuuji mumbled aimlessly to himself.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” Yuuji supplied quickly, trying to salvage the sincerity of the moment. “I-I didn’t make it for marriage… I don’t even really know what that is.” Yuuji paused for a moment, his gaze turning serious before continuing. “I just made it because you’re special to me.”

Megumi couldn’t fight the burning sensation rising in his cheeks. “But we just met today--”

“Does that mean you don’t feel the same?” Yuuji asked worriedly, feeling his heart drop as he leaned forward despite himself and accidentally cut Megumi off. 

Megumi reactively leaned back, slightly overwhelmed by Yuuji’s forwardness. “L-Let me finish!” Megumi managed to spit out, frustration getting the better of him. When he noticed Yuuji’s excited posture deflate slightly, Megumi could hardly hold back the sigh building in his throat. He slowly brought the palms of his gloved hands to rest against his face and hide his eyes before continuing.

“I was just… surprised,” Megumi admitted softly. “No one’s ever made me something before.” Megumi turned the small pendant over in his hands repetitively. “That doesn’t mean I don’t like it, though,” he added matter-of-factly. “Even if it doesn’t look right--”

“It looks unique ,” Yuuji quickly interrupted, planting his hands against his hips almost proudly from where he sat across from Megumi. 

Megumi leaned over and shoved a gloved-finger into Yuuji’s cheek, causing the pink-haired boy to erupt into laughter. “Yeah, yeah.” Yuuji’s laughter was so contagious, though, he couldn’t help but join in seconds later. Soon both boys were grinning ear to ear as their laughter lightly echoed around them. 

Once they’d both managed to settle down, Yuuji reached an open palm towards Megumi. “Can you give me the pendant back for a second? I’ve got to attach it to…” Yuuji produced a small length of dark blue, rectangular fabric. “Whatever this is so that you can wear it.”

Megumi simply nodded as he handed the crudely carved into stone back to his friend. He watched with hardly veiled fascination as Yuuji easily slid the circular stone into what appeared to be a small latch situated at the center of the fabric. As soon as it was fastened, Yuuji lifted his finished creation proudly before presenting it to Megumi a second time. 

“I’ll put it on later,” Megumi promised, his voice sincere as he carefully placed the necklace in his pocket. “I just don’t want anything happening to it.”

Yuuji nodded in understanding. “Okay.” He then shifted himself slightly so that he was sitting right next to Megumi rather than across. Megumi, in turn, grabbed their lantern and placed it front and center between them both, its light then washing both of their faces with a soft, off-white glow as they and the festivities around them began settling down. 

Without thinking, Yuuji leaned his head until it came to rest against Megumi’s shoulder. When Megumi’s form tensed beneath him, Yuuji immediately made to sit up again but was stopped once Megumi’s head leaned against his. Yuuji giggled, partially because of Megumi’s reaction, partially because the boy’s unruly raven hair tickled slightly against his skin.

Once they’d settled against each other, they picked up their conversation from earlier with a vengeance. Megumi shared stories of some of his escapades involving some of the other orphanage children and how they inevitably got caught by Tsumiki of all people each and every time. Yuuji, in turn, shared tales of his adventures with his few friends back at the Southern Water Tribe: penguin-sledding with Hana, scary stories with Sasaki and Iguchi, pai sho with his Grampa… his list was inexhaustible. 

Neither could tell just how much time had passed; the waning excitement of the festivities was only so much to go by. The time of day didn’t matter to either boy though; they were so caught up in interacting with and getting to know the other that the many, many hours that passed simply flew by. 

It was only when morning’s first light crept over the icy cliffs that it dawned on both Yuuji and Megumi just how much time must have passed. 

“Did we really talk all night?” Yuuji wondered softly, his inquiry followed by a yawn.

Megumi barely held back a yawn of his own as his eyelids began to feel heavy. “Seems like it.”

Both boys silently watched as the sun’s rays slowly spilled over the icy cliffs and onto the city. The serene and comfortable silence that had enveloped them and the city as a whole for the latter part of the evening began to be replaced by something neither boy was familiar with. It was an unsettling, unnatural, incessant whirring kind of sound. 

“What is that?” Yuuji whispered, his body gradually growing tense.

A sense of dread began settling in the pit of Megumi’s stomach. “I have no idea.”

The general unease spurred the two of them into action. As they went about collecting their things, they both began to notice black flecks begin to descend upon them from the sky. With how slowly they fell, they almost looked like black snowflakes. As if to test that theory, Yuuji opened his mouth to catch one. The second the black speck hit his tongue Yuuji doubled over and coughed violently. His hands subconsciously reached for his throat as whatever it was that he’d swallowed began to make his throat burn.

“Are you okay?” Megumi asked worriedly, leaning forward to catch Yuuji’s gaze. Yuuji’s face went flush from the coughing, but just as soon as his coughing fit had started did it end. 

“What is this? It almost tastes like smoke,” Yuuji rasped.

As Yuuji began to stand straight, a large boom! rang from beyond the alley towards the city’s center. Sounds of a similar timbre not only began increasing in number but started getting closer. A shadow suddenly passed overhead both boys only to land with an explosive crash into the building behind him.

Megumi looked up at the sky and felt his eyes go wide. Streaking across the otherwise bright blue sky in starkly contrasting dark reds, oranges, and yellows were projectiles that almost looked like comets. Each large fireball left a thick trail of smoke in its wake as it flew through the sky.

“Megumi! Megumi! ”

Yuuji’s voice snapped Megumi out of his quickly spiraling thoughts. Once Megumi’s blue hues locked with his brown ones, Yuuji grabbed Megumi’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

“Let’s go,” Yuuji said, tone deadly serious. Not waiting for a response, Yuuji began to drag Megumi behind him. At least, he tried to. Yuuji whipped his head over his shoulder when Megumi wouldn’t budge after the second and third tug.

“Megumi, come on!” Yuuji cried, worry seeping into his voice. “We have to go!”

“Go where ?!” Megumi shot back. Angry tears pricked the corners of his eyes. 

“To the chief’s lodging! My Grampa--”

“ No! ” Megumi screamed, pulling his hand out of Yuuji’s grip. “Who’ll help Tsumiki if we go there?”

The sound of distant screams, shouts, and shrieks began building behind the pair from the city square. Yuuji couldn’t hold back his frustrated groan. This wasn’t the time or place for this.

‘Would you take care of Megumi for me?’

“We’ll grab her on the way there,” Yuuji said quickly. He wasn’t about to break the promise he’d made. Yuuji reached forward to grab Megumi’s hand again only for Megumi to swipe it out of reach.

“ Please! ” Yuuji pleaded, frustrated tears welling in his eyes.

The sound of metal quickly creaking behind him was Yuuji’s only warning before a large hand grabbed the back of his parka to roughly lift him off the ground. Yuuji immediately started to kick and squirm when he felt the ground disappear from beneath his feet.

“Yuuji!” Megumi exclaimed, starting to dash forward towards his friend.

The Fire Nation soldier holding Yuuji by the proverbial scruff of his neck sighed as he brought a small ball of fire to life starting from the palm of his hand. Megumi immediately skidded to a halt and could only watch with wide eyes as the destructive element was brought close to Yuuji’s face. The fire’s warmth and light dancing close to his skin was enough to give Yuuji pause in his struggles.

“Look, don’t make this more difficult than it has to be,” the soldier whined.

“You catch anything good?” Megumi heard a voice call from behind him. Megumi’s heart jumped in his throat when he saw another Fire Nation soldier approach.

“Not really,” responded the soldier holding Yuuji. Quenching the small fire he’d started in his one hand, he then adjusted the boy he’d grabbed in a way that looked more akin to how someone may handle a bail of rice under his arm. “Just two runts. When I heard all their yelling, I thought there may be even more brats down here.”

“Why bother with that one anyways?”

“Well, he sort of looks like the young lord, don’t you think?”

The soldier paused, gave Yuuji a onceover, and shrugged. “What about that one?” he then asked, pointing to Megumi. The young boy was frozen in place as he watched everything that was happening unfold in front of him. Their voices faded away as the overwhelming weight of the situation settled over him. Glimpses of the many memories he’d made in just one night flashed through his mind: memories involving many firsts, unexpected turns, and an abundance of smiles from the first friend he’d ever made.

Megumi’s body began moving of its own accord as he widened his stance and lowered his center of gravity. He brought his hands in front of him, fingers outstretched, right in front of left. 

“Hey what’re you-- Ow! ” the guard holding Yuuji howled before dropping Yuuji to the ground. Yuuji scooted back and watched, eyes wide with fear and confusion, as the guard who’d held him’s body began moving unnaturally. His arms appeared affixed to his sides even though nothing kept them there while his face was scrunched into a pained expression.

Yuuji slowly turned his head when he noticed movement out the corner of his eye and nearly gasped at what he saw. “Is he… bending?” Yuuji breathed. He couldn’t come to any other conclusion; Megumi was now leaned forward in a very particular stance. With every move Megumi made, the guard’s body he had under his control moved in time in jerky, abnormal movements. Yuuji winced at the unnatural cracks and pops he heard coming from the soldier’s body. He almost felt sorry for him. 

“Yuuji.”

Yuuji shot his head upwards when he heard Megumi call his name. Yuuji didn’t like the slowly building sense of dread that started to settle in the pit of his stomach. The smile Megumi wore neither looked happy or sad. It was an emotion Yuuji couldn’t place. It was an image Yuuji would remember for the rest of his life.

“Thank you,” Megumi said softly, landing with a soft thud against the snow as his body crumbled beneath him. 

Yuuji and the remaining unscathed Fire Nation soldier’s eyes were both wide as they both finally processed the scene that had unfolded in front of them. Yuuji was so concerned about making the first move once he’d come to his senses that he didn’t hear the set of heavily approaching footsteps until it was too late. As soon as Yuuji looked over his shoulder, the pommel of a sword rammed into his temple and caused his vision to swim. His small body fell forward into the snow despite his protestations, making him unable to do much else but watch as Megumi’s limp form was draped over a soldier’s shoulder before his vision faded to inky black.