Chrysanthemum || An ATLA Fanfiction

Finding Strength

A/N: So here's the new chapter! Hope you like it! Don't forget to comment your thoughts! Comments give me life!

Oh and a slight trigger warning for a panic attack and traumatic flashback...

Boqin was solemnly staring at the father-daughter duo. Reina took a moment to observe him closely. He was a well-built man with a tall stature. He wore tattered clothes, consisting of a short-sleeved mustard-coloured tunic under a protective leather vest and a pair of dark-coloured trousers with a heavy-looking sword strapped on his back. His exposed arms were littered with burn marks and scars. His face as well. Two prominent scars could be seen on his upper lip and near his left eye respectively. So close to his eye, in fact, Reina had a hard time distinguishing it from where she sat. His dark brown hair was held in a bun on the top of his head. His eyes were a dark green that glittered with determination.

Reina turned to look at her father. He was as impressed as her. Boqin was the first man to seek this kind of knowledge from her father. Piandao was known in the Fire Nation to be a swordmaster, an artisan, not an enlightened person. And suffice it to say he was intrigued.

"Why are you seeking enlightenment Boqin? Why is a man your age searching for this kind of education?" her father inquired,

"I am but a mere commoner, basic education was something I fought nail and tooth to receive. It is something I want to dedicate myself to and thankfully that is a fact realized quite early in my life.", Boqin answered earnestly,

Piandao raised a single eyebrow, "And how did you come to this conclusion?" he questioned further,

"I was a mercenary, previously employed by the Fire Nation. At a very young age, I was given to an orphanage on the border of the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation run by a wealthy Earth Kingdom nobleman, who is supporting the imperialist ventures of the Fire Nation. In reality, it was a military camp that raised children to become mercenaries for the Fire Nation." He gravely replied,

Reina's eyes widened at the revelation but kept quiet. This was definitely not in the show. The origins of this "orphanage" sounded more akin to something from Reina's old world. There was more to this world than meets the eye. And frankly, this scared her. This world was becoming more and more real by the second.

Her father's expression turned grave. He could not imagine what terrors those kids had to face in their youth. He could not stand the thought that kids, just like his precious little daughter, were abused there. A dangerous glint entered his eye. And he spoke;

"This establishment... is it still running?"

"No. It burned to the ground months ago." Boqin spoke in a steady voice, there was a tinge of... pride(?)... accomplishment(?) in it, Reina wasn't too sure but coupled with the man's steady gaze, she was sure there was more to the story than it seemed.

"Good" was all her father said.

After a moment of silence, Reina spoke, "Why did you choose my fathew to be the one to teach you?"

Boqin turned his attention to her and gave her an exhausted smile, "War is all I've known Miss Reina, I am a soldier tired of war and its terrors. Your father is known amongst Fire Nation soldiers as the one who was able to escape the vicious cycle of war. Something I desperately want to do myself. I've realized my soul calls out to artistry and enlightenment. And I thought there's no better man to teach me the way."

Piandao resonated with the young man's story. He too grew up in a not-so-good orphanage and later in his teenage years became a soldier of the Fire Nation out of necessity. After years and years of battles, he grew tired of war. His soul grew wary of all the violence. And so he defected and started the search for his true self. He had never been more thankful for a choice he made. After all, had he not left the army, he would have never met the love of his life and had the wonderful bundle of joy that was his daughter.