Avatar Rose: Justice

Ch.18: Reminiscing

Nathan's POV:

Xander looks after Rose as she leaves. Liesel still clutches onto him, just shaking her head and crying her eyes out.

"Liesel!" Gwen scorns. "Pull yourself together!"

"Shut up, Gwen," Xander shoots, his hair standing a little on end. "Leave my sister alone."

We eat our gruel with Liesel's raindrops as our only sound. Her bottom lip is quivering. "Why?" she finally says. "Why is she like this? Why can't things go back to normal..."

Xander rubs her back, and whispers some kind of mantra into her ear. Rowan runs and grabs some tissues. Gwen stares at nothing in particular, but eventually waterbends all the tears that sit on the plastic table across the room and into a sink in a single, fluid, motion.

"Gwen?" I ask.

"What?"

"Could you come to the water training grounds with me? I... I need to clear my head."

She looks at a fancy pocket clock. "Sure. Right now?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Let's go." She stands up, swinging her dark braid over her shoulder. She looks over her shoulder, to the sobbing Liesel, and pats her quietly on the shoulder. "Hang in there, air girl," she says softly. She touches the broken bridge of her nose, and then walks towards the hallway, dumping her tray in a bin.

I quickly follow suite after her, and we head towards the water area.

It's a gymnasium- like thing, but it's incredibly huge. There's four pools, a big open space with wells of water around, it's even got a place for healers. It seems so irrationally big for the number of people there are- five- including us.

The pale-eyed boy from before, that weirdo that tried to kill me, and some guy that is quite obviously not a waterbender and looks like he's trying to set up a drug stand. It's not something you would call a hot turnout. Then again it's morning and most people are out for morning drills and the like, so I don't blame 'em.

Gwen takes a spot about 15 meters away from me. "Rowan tells me you learned a new parlour trick," she calls.

I wave my water around in the air a couple times, concentrate on the small water droplets all around and pull, then make it into a little ice ball and throw it playfully at her.

Her eyes widen. "Oh, that again," she remarks barely loud enough to be heard. Her eyes let off a little smoke curl of regret, and then she catches the frozen ice ball and bends it with ferocious power- and it slams into my gut.

"AAAIIIIIIYAAA!" I yelp.

Wendy laughs, brushing her dark brown hair away from her face. "Oops, sorry bout that Nate..."

I fall to my knees and dramatically bring my hand up to the sky. My eyes roll back...

She fish-slaps me with water again. "Sheesh Nathan don't be a drama queen."

"I'm joking! Don't overreact people won't like you."

"Say that to yourself."

"Touché."

The time moves slowly throughout the day. Soon it's ten after two, and my eyes start to droop from fatigue. I forgot about lunch. Strangely, my stomach isn't growling.

I'm pancake spread on a bench in the change-room. To be specific, the change-room in the water zone, so it's empty and I can hear my weary breath echoing. Gwen left a little while ago to sign some papers, said she wouldn't come back because she scheduled to lead a leadership/motivation class in the next slot. I'm alone, and I'm staying here 'til someone tells me to move.

It takes about 15 minutes for someone to come along. And when he does swing the door open, it's that kid. Doesn't that mean he's a water bender?

I sit up. "Kid."

He stops. "What?"

"What's your name?"

"Why?"

"You're a waterbender, aren't you?"

"I asked why."

"There's just not many of us here, water benders I mean. If you are one I want to at least know you're name."

His hand reaches up and tugs at the neck of his cloak. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not like you or that lady. I don't bend water, I just feel it. I'm not a waterbender in that way." He pauses, but continues when he doesn't hear a response, "Do I still have to answer that question?"

"That doesn't matter. Just tell me your name, kid, I don't feel like playing games."

"It's common courtesy to give your name before you ask for the name of an other."

"You talk like a monk."

He snorts.

"I'm Nathan."

"Mamoru."

"You fire nation?"

"No. Why?"

"Sounds like a fire nation name, that's all."

"I don't care."

"You know, it's common courtesy to face someone when you're talking to them."

"I can see you just fine."

"I can't see you though."

"You don't need to. I'll go ahead and dismiss myself. And please eat lunch. Your pulse is going up by the minute and it's making me feel sick. Drink some water before you get even more constipated than you are right now.

My.....
M-

My pulse?

"What do you mean, pulse?"

Could this boy, too, be from that same bloodbending line as him and I?!

No response. He had walked past me. I whip my head in his direction,

And he has disappeared.

"Mamoru!"

Gone.

A faint call comes from behind the door. "Nathan!"

I head outside, towards the voice.

"Oh here you are!"

"Liesel?"

She smiles. "Rowan asked if I can check on you in place of Gwen."

"Oh?"

Rowan? That playboy?

"She was apparently convinced that you didn't eat. Don't tell me that's true..."

She sees my facial expression.

"We're going to the mess hall."

"Okay."

She leads me there, but doesn't drag me or anything. All the while I think about how I can possibly tell her about Mamoru, who reminds me of Evan so much it's uncanny. But as she plunks me down and slides me a dish of lentil soup paired with lemonade, it's obvious she's got bigger things on her mind.

"Nathan," she starts, "can we talk?"

"What's up?"

"Can you please talk to Rose?"

My heart does a little jump.

"Please, it's like she's a different person and I need to know that she's okay."

"Can you do it?"

"You're the one she trusts the most by far, please, Nathan."

I look down in my bowl. "It's not that simple, Liesel."

"Do it for her sake. You love each other right?"

"Stop, Liesel, I don't want you to push me around too. "

"She's struggling, Nathan, she needs rescuing, and badly."

" then liesel, tell me what to say . please. i need your help."