Avatar Rose: Dusk

Ch.76: Nathan

I lean against a tree. Gwen's cooking something. Evan's teaching Liesel to load guns. Xander's tinkering on a new prosthetic finger. Rowan and Rose are embracing.

"Hey," Xander says. "If one of us dies, then what will we do?"

I frown. "What do you mean?"

"Y'know, we should go around and say our wills. We're one day away from the army base. If we end up dying we'll not... I dunno."

Liesel sports her attention. "Basically, we're saying our last words just in case we don't get the chance to say them?"

"Yeah. Who's first?"

Gwen suggests, "Alphabetically?"

"Alright, that makes me first." Evan crosses his legs and looks up at the sky. "All of my guns and chemicals to be dumped in that lava moat back there. Cremated, with my ashes dumped in the... Let's see. Dump it in Nathan's toilet. I'll creep him out forever."

My eyes widen. "You wouldn't dare..."

He pretends not to hear me. "Take just a handful of ashes and go to the south tribe, and then find a town called Summer Triangle. Go to the graveyard. You'll find a tree in the far back corner. The name, "Tsukina" will be carved there. Put me beside that tree. For my marker, write 'E.L, the man who regrets he lived longer than her'. That's all."

Gwen's turn. "Bring my body to my mother. Get her to put me beside Father. All my possessions go to her."

Wow, that was brief. "That all?"

"That's all."

Liesel's turn. "Bury me in the earth kingdom, at my hometown, next to Xander. My glider goes to a girl named Aurtia at the eastern air temple. " Her eyes lowered. "Take a lock of my hair and either give it to Evan or place it beside his marker."

Gwendolyn gives the tiniest, subtle smile.

"Nathan, your turn."

"Um." I think hard. "Bury me next to my mother. Gwen gets my satchel. Tell my father that I forgive him."

"Why do I get your satchel?"

"You're the one that first complimented it.

"Oh that! I had forgotten. Rose, it's your turn."

Under her blond hair, Rose's eyes seem to darken.