The Thief |Sokka

FIFTEEN

As festive as the morning was, all the more soul-crushing was the evening. Jaya had danced until her feet hurt and her hair was so tangled she had had to stand in front of a mirror and try to comb it for minutes, she had laughed so hard the muscles on her cheeks were aching and there was a light feeling in her chest, as if any worries she had were lifted and evaporated with each turn she took. But the evening was different. Her cheeks that hurt from laughing were pulled into a straight line, the light feeling in her chest was still there but it now seemed mocking, her feet were almost dragging against the dark pebbles of the beach as she followed the rest of the people who had come to pay their respects to Akemi. She supposed she had no proper reason to be here. She had never seen Akemi and her relationship with Akira was one of acquaintances. Her presence here would be of no comfort to him, but she had come still, if only to keep up appearances. 

The funeral took place at sundown. She stood in between Aang and Sokka, a few ways behind Zuko, Mai and Katara. Even Sokka and Toph were quiet, serious for one of the few instances they had been together, and as they sat side by side, their somber expressions only seemed to point out how awful this occassion truly was. Fire Sages placed around the boat that was Akemi's resting place started chanting. In front of her, she heard Katara talk to Zuko.

 "What of Akemi's family? Why is only Akira standing by the boat?"

"Because she had no other." 

The Fire Sages stopped chanting. They pushed the boat into the water and moved to the side. Slowly, Akira took the place the boat had once been. Yet again, Katara's whisper reached her ears.

"What is he doing?" 

"It is tradition that a member of the family burns the boat."

The boat was almost unseen in the horizon now, and it was at that moment that Akira fired at it. Jaya was familiar with the tradition although she had never once attended a funeral like this. Even from a distance, she could hear the sea water sizzle as the fire passed by, travelled all the way until it had reached the boat, and then it was engulfed in flames. She did not quite know what she felt of this tradition although she was certain, watching it happen only made her lips purse – she would hate to say goodbye to a family member this way. Akira straightened up. It was done. Jaya waited a while longer, and then she turned to Aang, brushed her hand against his.

"We should go."

Around them, most people were doing the same. Aang nodded his head, looked to Sokka. He looked at him for a moment, and then he reached for Katara, patted her back. He turned around to leave and Jaya followed right after him, Aang and Toph right behind them. Jaya managed to keep herself from talking until they had moved far enough that Zuko and Mai wouldn't be able to hear her.

"This tradition is cruel. Setting fire to the dead, making their loved ones do it. I would never be able to do it."

"You would if you knew you have to," Aang softly replied even though she shook her head at once, her disagreement evident. 

"I think it's great if you need to let go of someone," Toph took Aang's side. "There's no burial site you can visit and cry over. You learn you need to move on without them sooner."

"You could always cry over their picture or their things," Jaya pointed out at once. "I never returned to my family home until I had to, but even though I had no picture or grave I still cried over the memories sometimes."

"You will cry if you feel like it," Sokka agreed with a small sigh. "Comparing experiences will not make a difference. You say you could not do what Akira did and that's fine. You should be grateful you aren't a firebender."

Jaya's lips curled into a bitter smile and that was the end of their conversation. 

Dinner was spent in silence, with Akira absent. Jaya had been quick to excuse herself, using as a reason to leave her morning spent dancing to head back to her room. There, she was quick to bathe herself—her excuse did hold some truth, after all, her legs still hurt—and then she laid on her bed and attempted to sleep even though she didn't feel like sleeping. She was in the midst of considering leaving the bed and heading to the balcony when there was a faint knock on her door. She opened her eyes wide, looked to the door as it slowly opened and Aang peered inside.