Destiny Altered (READ DISCLAIMER)

11 - Always

Standing on a cliff, I overlooked the ocean, watching as the sun set over the horizon. It was a relatively cool evening and the wind whipped against my face. Even though I was a firebender, I felt an affinity with the water and the night. Suddenly, strong hands were on my shoulders, and I turned to see amber eyes. They sparkled with happiness and it was because we were together. I embraced the possessor of those golden orbs then, treasuring one of the increasingly rare moments of time we had alone.

The man in my arms was a Fire Nation noble of high rank, the commander of the Southern Fire Nation Naval Fleet, and one of the greatest firebenders in the world. I was his second in command, and tomorrow we would be heading to the Southern Water Tribe to lead an invasion targeted at the waterbenders who lived there.

Neither of us were comfortable with the task, but he was always bound by his sense of duty to the Fire Nation and Fire Lord Azulon. And I was bound to him.

"Maybe in our next life, we'll be able to get it right," he whispered as he held me close.

"Maybe you'll be Fire Lord in your next life," I smiled, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. I felt him smile and he turned to kiss me full on the lips.

"And you'll be by my side," he said as he pulled away.

"Always," I replied, sealing my promise with a kiss.

-0-0-0-

The battle was intense. It had started during the day when we were at our strongest, but night was coming and the tide was beginning to turn in favor of the waterbenders. As the fight raged on, I saw a young Water Tribe girl who was running toward the fray. What was she doing? I heard her calling out to someone and realized then that she was looking for her mother, but she would never make it to her alive.

Without thinking, I ran from my position to keep her from getting killed. I narrowly missed a water whip aimed at my head, as I ducked out of the way. Just as the girl was about to get hit with a fireball, I reached her, tackling her to the ground and out of harm's way. Looking at her, I told her to go back from where she came from and to stay away from the battlefield. But she was frozen in place it seemed, scared out of her mind being so close to a Fire Nation soldier.

Her hesitation cost me dearly. I briefly heard a woman cry out, "Get away from her!" before the sensation of icicles piercing my skin hit me.

"Shoji!" I heard him call out my name as I fell into the snow, the white powder now being stained by my blood.

"Lee…" I tried to call back to him as he ran toward me. Upon reaching my side, he created a wall of flames around us before kneeling down and cradling me in his arms.

"Shoji, please hold on. Don't leave me," he pleaded, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that it was bad.

"I'm sorry, Lee…" I struggled to say the words. I didn't regret what I had done to save the Water Tribe girl, but it pained me to leave Lee—to break my promise of always being by his side.