Accidental Avatar 3: Totally Lit

Still don't like him

I found a stick... but I had already whittled it into a tiny nub. I had burned each whittled flake as it left my knife. To everyone else, I was training. To me, I was burning some of my anger.

I hated the pipsqueak. Like a rip out his guts and burn his face kind of hatred. Or maybe a hatred of suspending him an inch off the floor, so his hands were always up and always on tippy toes. Oh, or I could put a toothpick underneath his toenails while he sleeps. That hurts like a son of a motherless goat.

"Need another stick?" Muteki asked from behind me.

"Nah," I sighed. "I'll go find one for myself."

I stood.

"I'll come with."

"No!" I almost shouted. "I can do it myself."

"You OK?"

"No."

"Me neither."

"How?" I asked. "You always have it together."

"Not always."

"But how can you stand that she isn't here anymore? How can you accept him when he has just taken over what should be her job? How can you not be hurting right now? When that parasite is up there with Sokka and Amaya is dead and gone? I feel lost."

"Mogui," he said gently. "Why do you care so much?"

"How can you not care at all?!"

"Why do you feel hurt?"

"Because Amaya was my friend!" I sobbed. "My closest friend! I told her everything. She kept all my secrets, and I loved her for it. And I know I wasn't her closest friend, but she was mine."

"And as her friend," Muteki smiled gently. "Shouldn't you honour her memory?"

"How?" I actually started to cry at this point.

"Be his friend," Muteki smiled sweetly at me, laying a hand on my back. "Because she would if she were here too."

"Amaya? She wouldn't make new friends herself, even if she were sharing skin with them. They would have to reach out first."

"So reach out to Mangetsu," he stood and left.

I furiously scrubbed my eyes with the backs of my hands. It wasn't fair. Life is never fair. Muteki had helped me cry out some of my anger, but I still felt a distant discomfort at the thought of the munchkin. Maybe I should try to make it up to Mangetsu.