𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐒

#.. TWENTY-FOUR

seungmin was crying as he was getting ready to leave. the sun has already set, the ocean looking dark, mixing with the horizon the further seungmin looked.

he received a small boat, with which he'd have to travel back to the earth kingdom. having nothing he could bring to his journey, he got onto the boat, grabbing the paddle.

but someone joined seungmin. throwing a pouch in front of the prince, the person sat across him - jungsu.

"i heard what happened.." jungsu explained, gently touching seungmin's knee. the younger just scoffed, not ready to talk about it.

"so you're willingly returning home, knowing that you'll be executed?" seungmin then asked the boy, who just shrugged with his shoulders.

the elder grabbed the second paddle from seungmin, ready to support him. "i won't let you go through your father's rage alone."

seungmin really appreciated that. leaning forward to kiss jungsu gently, the earthbender felt how he relaxed a little.

jungsu's free hand quickly found seungmin's, intertwining their fingers to radiate his support and love.

there was no reason he felt like staying. as much as he loved to rebel against king oh and his regime, he loved seungmin more.

jungsu was ready to die for him. if that was a good fact was another question.

they didn't even tell the others goodbye, feeling like jooyeon wouldn't allow them to.

seungmin failed terribly - jooyeon hated him again. how much he fought for that to disappear, there it was again.

if there was a thing seungmin was scared of then it would be the fifteen year old. having invented a new technique, one that would bring down every soldier on their knees.

blood bending. no matter how strong his opponent was, jooyeon would always find a way to defeat them.

that's why the victory is already secured to be theirs. jooyeon will not hesitate to kill his father. and him, too.

the small island of the water tribe got smaller and smaller the further the two navigated, a silence filling their conversation as they focused on rowing.

"we're basically dead" seungmin sighed, speaking out the thought jungsu had. but the elder just shook his head. "don't say that" he started.

"we'll survive whatever is about to come. we don't have to return to the earth kingdom. we... we could run away and hide in the fire nation.

get knew identities, create our own shop and enjoy our peaceful life there."

"and wait for either my father's troops or jooyeon's extreme fighters to destroy the world?" seungmin asked, louder than expected.

he slapped his hand against his forehead, clearly not wanting to be so aggressive. and jungsu understood.

sighing, he brought the paddle up and carefully put it down in order to reach out for seungmin's hand again.

"the war will continue, no matter the outcome of the attack. there wont be peace, seungmin.

we can't influence that anymore.."

seungmin sighed and nodded. that was correct. either jooyeon and his friends will die and king oh will continue to wipe out generation after generation.

or king oh will be successfully killed and jooyeon and his radical ideas would crumble down the weak harmony between the elements into bits.

"i don't accept that" seungmin exclaimed, pressing jungsu's hand. "we have to change something. i don't care about the outcome, i care about my friends.

i'll go to the earth kingdom to protect them and fight against my dad on my own, then. maybe i can then prove that i am worthy of something."