Release <Earth Kingdom>

[midori]

Midori watched Mesheiko leave silently, reluctant to see him go, but insuppressibly pleased at what had taken place simply a few seconds before. A delighted flush filled her dusty peach cheeks, and there was a renewed brightness in her eyes. Midori didn’t think she would have ever seen the day where Mesheiko would break though the stubbornly solid wall of keeping their ‘relationship’ (which seemed to have taken a large jump in the last few minutes) secret. Or, at least not soon or while in the camp. Yet, his act had not embarrassed her in any way as if might have earlier in the month, but instead filled her with a bubbly sort of pleasure.

It was only after Mesheiko was nearly completely out of sight that Midori remembered that she was accompanied by two other men. Quickly Midori turned and glanced back at them with one of those politely shy smiles, unsure exactly what to say that would nicely follow up what had just happened. Instead, she decided to move onto a different, though equally vital topic.

“We should be going then, shouldn’t we?” Midori said in a nearly laughing tone, but she quickly refined her stance; she was attending a very formal event after all. “It’s this way, I believe…?” Midori added lightly in a soft, dignified sort of voice.

Swiftly, Midori began heading the direction in which Mesheiko had left, hoping Mesheiko’s father and Cheng would have a decent idea of where she should be placed; however, she didn’t worry about it that much. Midori was more excited with finally having Mesheiko out of this horrible place and back with her out traveling – just like old times.

After a few minutes of traveling, Midori finally came upon the place where the ceremony would be preformed and took her place among the many other well-dressed guests. She glanced up and over the crowds by standing on her tiptoes, trying to tune out the soft murmur of chatter that was taking place among the people, looking out for where Mesheiko would enter and stand, so she could clearly see what would happen during the ceremony. She wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.

[atalanta]

Mesheiko took a deep breath, but couldn't seem to let it go. So many people, so many faces, so many lives, all here to see him. Put in that perspective, Mesheiko found it a little unnerving. He wondered why they all would gather here just for him. His acts of "courage" in battle, as some said, were not as courageous as some would say. He did his job, no more, no less. Now why was he being released for performing the very job well? It made little sense when he withdrew into the sanctions of his own mind and thought about it logically. Now, it felt as if he had broken free of his very physical body and while he was sitting atop Banshee, he was also watching himself from afar. Both of the parts of himself felt extremely nervous, and the separated piece told him to leave the ceremony, to leave all he knew and planned and simply to stay.

However, despite the voice of himself whispering in his own ear to break the tradition of release and to stay, he willed himself onward. Mesheiko hadn't failed at his duty yet, and he wasn't about to start now, for now his duty was to lay the duty he had sensed and performed so well down. Mesheiko was a man of honor, and he had to honor his commitment to many things- the Army, his father, Midori, and himself. Thus, he closed his eyes and released the breath he had been holding for but a moment, but the moment seemed to last an eternity in Mesheiko's eyes. Still so many eyes were fixed on him and solely him. It was disconcerting, for he had never known such a feeling, and he probably never would again, which was why he needed to close his eyes. He needed a moment to digest the moment, for it weighed heavily on him. The voice now whispered to savor the moment, for it would never come to him again.

He opened his eyes and all the eyes of others were still trained on him, but now Mesheiko felt ready to be worthy of all those gazes. He recognized the officer approaching the opposite side of the aisle as Major Jin-Ho, which provided an extra comfort to Mesheiko. The major was not only an extremely important officer in the Army but also an extremely kind fellow. Major Jin-Ho had visited Mesheiko a few times in the infirmary to reassure him and assuage his fears about leaving the Army. The man also riding an ostrich-horse, one considerably larger than Banshee to show his rank over Mesheiko, but Mesheiko was glad for it. The major had chosen to perform the ceremony on ostrich-horse back to save Mesheiko the trouble of dismounting and remounting Banshee. Mesheiko now felt ready, for it was now or never. He once again tapped lightly against Banshee's sides with his heels and the ostrich-horse started forward.

A hush fell over the crowd as the pair, man and beast, progressed down the aisle. If every had not been on him before, Mesheiko felt they certainly were now. Banshee gait was smooth and a little slower than his average, for he seemed to understand the importance of this moment. The aisle seemed terribly long and Mesheiko wished once again that he could dismount and walk beside Banshee, to show their partnership with the ostrich-horse instead of his dominance over Banshee, and also to take a little of the attention off of himself. Raised far above a man's average height on Banshee's back, Mesheiko felt like an abnormality being put on display for all to see, but he did his best to appear regal and "heroic."

The two finally reached the end and Mesheiko breathed a silent sigh of relief. The hardest part was over for him, for all he had to do now was to listen to Major Jin-Ho and answer the Major's questions, and nod at the appropriate times and such. At least now he wouldn't have to face the crowd, only his fate, which now seemed far less daunting. The Major gave a smile to reassure, but quickly erased it, for it was a serious ceremony, but Mesheiko needed it no longer. He had built his own store of confidence to tap into.

"Private Mesheiko of the 19th Cavalry Division," the Major began with his title. "You have served well. You have fought hard, followed orders, and always did your duty. However, your injured state forces me to release you from the ranks of the Earth Kingdom Army. Please hand over your weaponry," Major Jin-Ho asked of Mesheiko. Officers had gone over the procedure of the ceremony a week in advance, and read him exactly what was going to be said earlier that morning, so Mesheiko was prepared. "Yes, Major," Mesheiko answered. He took his sword and staff from the same young boy that had guided him to the ceremony earlier, and made a mental note to ask the boy for his name later. Mesheiko handed each piece of weaponry to the Major in turn, and in turn the Major handed them off to a young man beside him. "Thank you, Private Mesheiko. Now only your bending and courage remain from your time with the Army, but they are your most important gifts. Use them wisely."

The Major's eyes left Mesheiko and went to the crowd. "You may all know of Private Mesheiko's heroic deeds in the last battle for Ba Seng Se, which earned him his injuries. The Army has seen fit to reward him for it. First, I shall bestow upon him the Necklace of Honor, given to all who resign or are dismissed honorably. Let this always be a reminder of your service in the Army and the honor within you," Major Jin-Ho said, and slipped the necklace over Mesheiko's head and let it fall around his neck and onto his chest. Mesheiko glanced at it for a moment, and recognized the green beads and the carving of the Earth Kingdom and Earthbending symbol on each side from his first service as a boy, more of a servant to the Army than a soldier. "And now, this award is only bestowed upon those worthy of it. Let all recognize Mesheiko for his heroic deeds from this day forth, and all shall know it by this award. This is the Medal of Courage. Always wear it within your heart," Major Jin-Ho said and slipped another necklace over Mesheiko's head. Mesheiko only recognized it from seeing it in cases in the Army or around the necks of portraits of famous heroes. He never thought he would one day see it around his own neck. It too was composed of green beads, though he thought these were more beautiful, but it was the centerpiece that was far different. The color was golden, with a phoenix engraved in the middle and various other decorations and signs adorned it, while the symbol for courage rested solely on the backside.

"And now, Private Mesheiko, I, Major Jin-Ho, dismiss you. Leave us with honor," the Major said and extended his hand. Mesheiko shook it, and wheeled Banshee around the face the crowd. A small round of applause began, to be noisily broken by a whooping yell. Mesheiko saw a young man standing up, alone, sitting by two young women, and Mesheiko recognized him as Cheng, and at least one of the young women as Midori. Beside her was his father, cheering as whole-heartedly as Cheng, and followed suit to stand up. Mesheiko pressed his heels against Banshee's sides one more time, though he knew he wouldn't be the last, it felt like the last time for much, and it was. His service in the Army was ended; he should consider himself free, but he wasn't. He wasn't exactly weighted, either, but he simply floated in the void in between his service and the life ahead.

Banshee again started forward, seeming to hold his head a little prouder and stepped a little higher than before, and Mesheiko tried to do the same. This was the proudest moment of his life, so he could only imagine how his father, Cheng, and Midori felt. The swell of emotions from within and outside overwhelmed him and it was all he could do to keep tears from springing from his eyes while they were walking again down the aisle. He seemed to become deaf to the noise all around him, and picked up another sense, a sense of emotions. There was the end of the aisle just ahead of him, and he pulled at Banshee's reins a little to tell the ostrich-horse to go a little slower. The voice from earlier whispered to him again, telling him to savor this above all, for this was truly what he would never feel again. Mesheiko drank it all in pleasurably, glancing around at the world around him, one he was about to leave behind forever. Banshee finally stepped beyond the reaches of the crowd, and Mesheiko knew somehow that this was ending of an era, but he did not look back, because it was also the dawn of another.

[midori]

Midori watched attentively as the ceremony began, and her glittering eyes seldom departed from Mesheiko’s form. From the time he had entered to now, when he was departing, she gazed at him admirably, as if trying to silently communicate encouragement, pleasure, and the pride she felt for him. After all her friend had been through, this was the very least anyone could have ever done for him, and she wanted him to know she was with him every step of the way, in spirit if nothing else.

The ceremony was nice, Midori thought as she stood, clapping, grinning at the enthusiastic yells the men around her burst with. Midori too clapped enthusiastically, but refrained from cheering, for she felt as she might have laughed instead; Cheng was cheering enough for her.

As Mesheiko walked down the center, Midori stood on the tips of her toes, trying to distinguish the expression etched into his face, the type of glint in his eyes. He looked calm, regal, appropriately, but Midori wondered what was really going through his mind. She knew him, his stubbornness and roughly how he had felt about this entire event. Did he still hurt? She wasn’t really worried about his physical state (he seemed to be maneuvering himself fairly well, all things considered); however, Midori was concerned for his mental one. How was he feeling about all this as the people cheered and he strode away from the army, which he had been obsessed with all this time? Midori knew he had never wanted to leave, but she hoped he was seeing everything in a brighter light today. Midori knew she was.

Mesheiko away from the danger and with her instead. She could have never wished for anything better.

“Come on!” Midori swiftly urged as people began to move around a little, speaking to others about the ceremony, some still cheering. Impatiently she tugged Cheng’s arm and took a step. She wanted to get to Mesheiko quickly.

[atalanta]

Banshee stepped a few paces from the fringe of the crowd. Even just a bit beyond it, the noise suddenly seemed to fade into nothing more than a background. But even as he and Banshee had traversed the great expanse known as the aisle, the noise had been blocked to him. He had only heard it right after he was released, and right at the end of the aisle. Perhaps his mind had unconciously guarded itself against the raucous cheering for him, for he was nervous enough without such loud sounds startling him. His feelings, at the moment, were enough to deal with; if much more seeped in from the outside world, he felt he would break with the weight of it. Mesheiko ran his fingers over the soft surface of Banshee's feathers in a gesture of congratulations to the ostrich-horse. Banshee had become more than an ostrich-horse to him over their time together- much, much more. They had become friends, companions, partners. The relationship ran much deeper than most people had with their animals, and certainly much more so than the average soldier had with their war ostrich-horse. The battle had changed them, transformed them, and ultimately molded them together.

Mesheiko looked back to try and spy the faces he felt were most important- the ones had gotten him here to this day, whether he had liked or not. However, whenever he thought he spotted any sign of them it was quickly swallowed by a sea of people. The sea began to burst over its banks and flooded into the aisle, leaving a stream of debris behind and now charging toward him. Mesheiko urged Banshee forward once again to try to stay away from the crowd, but he knew that they would follow his every move. After all, unfortunately for Mesheiko, he was the center of attention, something he had never gotten accustomed to and he imagined never would become accustomed to, for as long as he lived. This, Mesheiko was sure, however, would be the worst day for the limelight for the rest of his life. Never again would so many people come officially just to see him. Mesheiko felt that would be alright by him. It had been bad enough at the beginning, when he had been terribly injured and weak, and the nurses were always gossiping about him or coming to see him or something of the sort. A monuementous task had been laid before, and Mesheiko knew he must pick it up, though he deeply regretted it. He would rather face another battle than this great crowd. Although, as his leg bumped against Banshee's saddle rather roughly, a sharp twitch of pain shot up through his leg and coursed through his body, he thought differently. Perhaps he would choose the crowd instead.

A swarm soon formed around him, and the majority of them were either noblemen or his fellow soldiers and their families. They were very gracious, not at all like he thought they would be. Most simply offered their congratulations and thanks, and a few even mentioned leaving a gift for him, though he refused simply be to polite, inside pleased that people might think to bestow him with gifts. He would need it soon in the upcoming days of trial, he was certain. If perhaps Mesheiko could not find a job, he could live for just a little while off of what people had given him. His mind was elsewhere as he greeted the people. That was his ultimate fear and worry now: that life couldn't go on as it used to. Obviously, he was deeply changed and things weren't as they used to be; that fate had been decided for him the moment the blade of a Fire Nation soldier slashed into his leg. His life had been greatly altered; there was no going back, he knew that. What he was most afraid was not being able to function, to fend for himself, to lose the independence he had fought so hard to gain.

The people had been far kinder than he had expected, and Mesheiko hated to see them go now, but now the sea began to recede. Mesheiko knew he would never see some of these people again, and was strangely overtaken with emotion, but perhaps it wasn't so strange. It was a rather emotional day, probably more so for him than for anyone. Mesheiko had remained mounted on Banshee simply because with all the people that had surrounded him he was afraid to fall once again. Banshee was his source of greatest physical support in these times of trouble, and had been mentally and emotionally as well. But, however, he avoided Banshee having to carry his weight whenever possible, which was becoming slimmer and slimmer lately. However, with the crowd gone and only a few stragglers coming to greet him, Mesheiko felt it would be safe to dismount. Among all the people he had not seen his father, Midori, or Cheng, and so he would wait beside Banshee. Mesheiko spotted them and called out a greeting, waving them over, and then began to dismount. It went rather smoothly until his feet touched the ground. His bad leg began to cramp, for it had not been used since before the ceremony, which had lasted approximately an hour. It suddenly gave out from under him, and before he knew it Mesheiko lay crumpled on his back against the ground. Normally he reached for Banshee in such a time, but it happened so quickly. The confidence Mesheiko had felt earlier had been dashed against the ground along with his body. He reached for Banshee to stand, bruised. How would he ever stand on his own?

[midori]

Midori had been joyous and excited enough when Mesheiko beckoned her over, but her optimistic feelings were quickly crushed as Mesheiko himself was sent crumbling to the ground. Gasping, Midori quickly hurried over, not paying much attention to any scattered, remaining guests who were still hovering around after the ceremony. All she saw was Mesheiko, and the fact that he needed her help.

It wasn’t long before she was right beside him, chuckling a little breathlessly, still trying to make the best out of things. Just as Mesheiko was reaching up for Banshee’s support, Midori’s hand intercepted, and she quickly intertwined her fingers with his, holding his hand firmly.

“Need a little help?” She said with a sweet, crooked smile, giving Mesheiko’s hand a gentle squeeze. With this, she did her best to pull Mesheiko to his feet (as she did have a decent bit of muscle on her), hoping he wasn’t feeling embarrassed; she tried to contact this feeling with a soft, understanding stare, as well as with her light attitude of the matter. It was only natural for him to stumble a bit, she knew, but she would always be there to help him back up…

[atalanta]

Mesheiko grunted a quick yes, and gripped Midori's hand and wrist, pulling himself back on his feet. Why did this keep happening? How many more times was he destined to fall? With every crashing against the ground, his pride would take another blow. His leg would always hinder him, he knew now, but Mesheiko was not sure how much more he can take. It didn't matter how much he could take, though. Despite how much he could take, his leg would always be injured until the day of his death and he would just have to learn to cooperate with it. Eternity seemed to stretch before him, an eternity condemned to being a cripple. Midori had been incredibly sweet about the whole thing, more than he could ever ask for, but surely she would eventually come to want a man who was strong and whole. After all, he could provide nothing for her, and could give her nothing but his love. He only hoped it would be enough.

One hand rested on Banshee's back still while the other still gripped Midori's hand. In one smooth, fluid motion, he pulled his hand from Banshee and placed it on her should while the other slid up her arm to reach her shoulder. Quickly, he pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers softly. For the moment, with his eyes closed he was oblivious to the world around, concious only of Midori, her lips, and the warmth between them. A slight tap on his shoulder broke the wonderful spell, so Mesheiko broke the kiss. "Hey, loverbirds, enough time for that later," said Cheng. Mesheiko was not surprised. Cheng seemed amused, but secretly looked a bit proud of Mesheiko and Midori. They were both so conservative, he wondered if they shared any physical affection at all sometimes. He was glad to see they had proved him wrong. "Sure, Cheng," Mesheiko said. "What do you want?" Mesheiko asked, because he knew Cheng well enough to know that Cheng would not disturb them like that unless there was something he, or someone else, needed. "Oh, it's not what I want," Cheng said. "It's what these lovely ladies here want." Mesheiko raised an eyebrow in confusion, then groaned a little. Probably a few young girls who wanted to meet him, no doubt. The fame was beginning to wear thin.

However, it was not the young fans that he expected. Three young women, escorted by a small company of children in front and his father behind, were coming toward him. There was something familiar about them. Why was his father with them, though? And then he realized. The children had bewildered him for a moment, and the women looked different than he had remembered, but the familiarity was there all the time. They were his sisters. He hadn't seen them in years, but they were his sisters, all the same. They seemed to have matured a great deal, as he could tell by the children running alongside them. The middle sister, Utari, was even accompanied by a young, handsome looking man Mesheiko took to be her husband. Before he could even say a word, each hugged him in turn. He was in shock. Why were they here? How had they known? What had happened?

He tried to speak each question in his mind, but they came out in a jumbled mess. "How..w-why...what?" The three women and a few of the children giggled, but the man he presumed to be Utari's husband remained eerily stony. The oldest, Arzu, began, while a young girl of about seven along with a young boy of about five or six years and another of perhaps two or three played around her feet. "Well, you know Dad came here looking for my husband and found you. Though, he found my husband too. He is buried under six feet of earth." Her tone was fairly bright at the beginning, but it quickly dropped into a deep sadness as she spoke of her dead husband. "He wrote me about that, but he also told us of your great adventure and how you would be released. So, we decided to come and see your dismissal. How have you been?" Mesheiko still had trouble recovering his voice due to the shock of it all. "G-good, I guess." Arzu laughed heartily, while the other two giggled. Mesheiko looked to his father for some explanation, some support. His father smiled and began, "I didn't want to tell you until I was for sure they would come. The last thing you needed was to have your hopes crushed, and once they wrote back that they would come, well, I just thought I'd keep it a surprise." Mesheiko's father said pleasantly. "Oh," was all Mesheiko to muster to such a situation.

Mesheiko realized there weren't as quite as many children as he thought, just four playing on the ground. Three beared a resemblance to Arzu, while one beared a resemblance to Utari. Utari also cradled a baby in her arms. Maral, the youngest and perhaps the most quiet had no children scurrying about, only a somewhat swollen stomach. His sisters had brought nearly their entire families that they had made with them, just to see their brother. Utari noticed Mesheiko looking so closely at all the children. "Oh, I guess you didn't know you're a uncle now," she said with a slight giggle. "Well, this is my husband Sukarno, my son, Ala, and my most recent, my daughter, Chenda," Utari said with a certain pride. Fortunately, Sukarno did break free of his stony appearance to smile at his children.

Arzu began to introduce her children as well."My daughter Iseul, my son Temir, and my youngest son Musa," she said, pointing to each in turn. Maral stepped forward for the first time, smiling. "And my unborn child. My husband would have liked to come see you, but unfortunately he needed to stay behind and tend the farm," she said with pride. Maral was the youngest of his three sisters, only a few years older than Mesheiko himself. He slightly suprised she was going to have a child so soon. Arzu was twenty nine years of age, and Utari was twenty-six. His sisters had grown and mature so quickly. They fussed over their children just as they had fussed over him when he was young, but with less of the hen-like nature Mesheiko thought they had when they were children. Cheng had simply observed the whole introduction, and Maral, with no present children to watch over had glanced between Cheng and Midori. She seemed most curious about Midori, her gaze lingering on the girl with extreme curiosity. Maral had been the quietest, but she had always been the most observant.

"Hello, dear," Maral said, extending her hand in a greeting, her eyes tender despite the curiosity lurking beneath. "This is Midori, my friend," Mesheiko introduced her somewhat awkwardly. He never thought he would have to introduce Midori to his sisters. "Well, can we expect any children from you in the near future, then, Mesheiko?" she said playfully, but there was a serious question lying underneath, and it was half-directed at Midori as well as Mesheiko. Mesheiko simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. So like his sisters, to jump to such conclusions. He would be surprised if any woman, including Midori, would be willing to marry him and bear his children now, after all that he had been through.

[midori]

A pleasant rose had swiftly brightened Midori’s peach cheeks as Mesheiko swiftly kissed her and, more so, as that kiss had been interrupted. Her blush had not been because of his family, however, but for the kiss itself; for a few moments she still found she was quite dazed, still unused to the soothing yet exciting warmth of Mesheiko’s lips, and, more the so sudden and exuberant nature that Mesheiko had tended to do it with. She never had time to prepare, or really savor the texture to get used to it, or even really understand what was going on… The truth be told, she was still unsure of many aspects of their relationship (mostly because of its suddenness), and yet, the tenderness of his lips was so pleasing.

It was only after this brief musing that Midori blinked and became aware of the large crowd that now confronted them. Bright eyes widening, she soon realized this gathering of people was none other than Mesheiko’s sisters and their children. Her first thought was that he had such a big family! As an only child, it seemed so odd to have so many people so immediate, and her heart swelled warmly. Mesheiko was so lucky to have such a supporting family. As the introduction continued, Midori’s smile became sheepish, though her eyes twinkled as she glanced at all the frisky children.

Yet, at Maral’s voice, Midori’s smile broadened sincerely, and she took the woman’s hand firmly and shook it. She seemed very kind, and wondered why Mesheiko had not seemed to like them that much. Though, she couldn’t help but grin and chuckle a little at her comment. She glanced at Mesheiko after he had shaken his head and spoke with light but obvious teasing.

“Well, Mesheiko, first we’re married and now we’re having kids? When am I going to hear this from you and not your family?”

At this, she laughed, and quickly looked to Maral with a more sincere glint in her eye.

“It’s nice to meet you. And… No, probably not soon.” She grinned a little at the lovely sister, glad that she was actually dressed nicely for the occasion. Maybe she would make a good first impression! … If his sisters didn’t mind the kissing part. But they all seemed nice enough.

“Mesheiko!” Midori began again with sweeter teasing in her tone. “Your sisters are much more lovely than you made them sound.”

[atalanta]

The trio of sisters giggled at Midori's words. The thought of what a sweet girl seemed to cross the minds of all three. His father, too, laughed a little. They all seemed to presume things about Mesheiko and his personal life. Mesheiko really didn't have much of one before he left for the Army, so they were surprised to see him with young girls, known to him as his fans, and the constant presence of Midori was enough to fool anyone into thinking their relationship was more serious than it currently was. Mesheiko, however, knew differently. Due to his injury, he knew it would be a long time before he could truly love a woman, though he did truly love Midori, and give her all she needed and build a family. He had enough trouble taking care of himself. He had enough trouble walking. Why, he could just be learning to walk without support by the time his children did. He couldn't set such an example for his children. Mesheiko knew that when he had children, he wanted to be as physically strong as he had been before.

Before he could respond to Midori or Maral, the oldest of all the sons of his sisters- his nephews, he supposed he should call them- Temir, he believed he was, was tugging at Banshee's leg. Mesheiko thought nothing of it, an unwise move looking back at it, because Banshee gave a slight kick and a slightly deafening screech. Mesheiko moved quickly to Banshee's side, soothing the savage beast, while Arzu swept up her son and scolded him sternly. "I'm terribly sorry, Mesheiko. I don't know what he was thinking," she said with another stern glance back at Temir. "That's alright," Mesheiko replied, "Banshee's a little sensitive to that sort of thing, especially with strangers." She backed away from Banshee, holding Temir's hand and now keeping a close eye on the rest of her children.

"Oh, you'd be surprised how Mesheiko's news can get around before it actually reaches the person it's meant for, Midori," Utari said. "Oh, yes," Maral chimed in, "the stories we could tell you about that." Even the children, his nieces and nephews seemed to respond to that. All children enjoyed story time, and they were no exception. They had grown a fondness for stories about their uncle Mesheiko ever since Arzu and Utari had told them of his heroic status. "Why, before Mesheiko told us he was joining the Army for the first time, the entire village knew before we did," Arzu told her, arousing a round of laughter from everyone, even Cheng, who seemed somewhat obsolete in this conversation, only an outsider, an observer. But of course, Cheng was not happy with that given position. "Why, when he goes outside these walls, the entire camp knows before I do," Cheng joked, although it was somewhat true. Mesheiko didn't have quite that big of a mouth, his news just had a way of finding its way to a lot of people before it reached its true destination.

Mesheiko was a little uncertain of having nearly his entire family here. It had been so long since they had all been together, and the only of his nieces and nephews he knew somewhat was Arzu's oldest, her daughter Iseul. The rest seemed almost strangers to him. He wished he had been there for all of their lives. His sisters wouldn't have minded. They all seemed to have changed so much. Arzu, with a trio of children of her own, and now a widow, had seemed to have matured a great deal. Utari, perhaps, was the same as always. She had married into a rich family of landowners. No doubt, Utari had been able to bring her husband Sukarno and her two children because they could pay someone to watch their household until they returned. Maral, as freespirited and quiet as ever, seemed to still have the least ties to anyone with no children yet and a husband who had to stay with their farm. Maral had married the poorest, and despite her youth worked the hardest and seemed the most weary.

The picture was not quite complete, however. Mesheiko wished his mother was accompanying his father. His mother had died in childbirth, giving birth to him. Well, not quite, his sisters had told him when they were children. His mother had died a few days later because of the massive loss of blood from her body. Still, he could not remember a few days from his birth. That would be remarkable. He wondered what she had been like. His sisters and father had told him many things, but some often conflicted, so he relied most on descriptions of his mother from his father. However, it was deeply painful for him to speak, so Mesheiko had never asked, only taking what little bits of information that were handed out to him. "Well, it's probably just as well that Mesheiko's not expecting children, too," Utari said, with a bit of seriousness and comedy. "Yes, the carriage ride here was noisy enough with the ones we've got," said Arzu affectionately to her children.

"Oh?" Utari said to Midori's last comment, stepping forward. "I'm sure they've been nothing but wonderful things you've been telling her," she said, her words again embedded with two hidden meanings. A darker side of his sisters, much darker than the one Midori was seeing now, flashed back to him in a torrent of memories from his childhood. Well, if anyone was going to retain some of her hen-like personality, it would be Utari. Mesheiko loved all of his sisters dearly, but Utari had always been the worst and some things never changed. Her circumstances changed the least. With a rich husband, she probably did not have to work nearly as hard as Maral to keep up her household; probably, someone did it for her. With less children and a husband present, she did not have the full motherly nature of Arzu. Utari's comment didn't seemed to register so seriously with anyone else, except for perhaps with Arzu and Maral. He saw a flicker of a desire to roll their eyes at the moment. "Nothing but wonderful things," Mesheiko said pleasantly. "Then we must seem like heroines, too," Arzu said, laughing.


"Nothing but wonderful things," Mesheiko repeated, except now the words were whispered tenderly into Midori's ear, and seemed to take on a far deeper meaning.

[midori]

Midori smiled softly, glancing at Mesheiko with an admiring glint in her eye. His deep, gentle voice filled up her chest with a pleasant warmth, and the message it surely sent only made her smile broaden; and yet her eyebrow was raised at the same time, for as well as being charmed and amused, she was curious. As she continued to observe Mesheiko for those few short moments, Midori realized how much he had truly changed from when they had first met.

Sure, he was a little weaker physically perhaps, but it happened to everyone eventually. In fact, it was in his mental state and emotions where the real changes were found, and they weren’t all negative changes. Midori knew his injury would probably be a learning experience to both of them, and while Mesheiko might have thought of it as negative, Midori saw it for the blessing in disguise she knew it was. He was injured but safe, improving, and with her, which is more than she could have ever asked for. The lack for his physical state would make him mentally stronger – more stubborn perhaps but accepting eventually and maybe more confident. And if no one believed he would become more confident, Midori knew better, because it was already beginning to show; the headstrong, war bound soldier she knew had grown increasingly romantic in the last two days alone.

Midori chuckled softly along with the sisters, stroking a wisp of her for-once-smooth, black hair behind her ear.

“Of course!” She laughed before smiling politely at Mesheiko’s father. “It must be a family trait.”

With this, Midori was sure to glance down at all the scampering children, her eyes soft with joy at the sight of them. It was so refreshing to see them – so young and innocent in the midst of so much war. It made her long to take up one to hold in her arms… But as this would have been rather awkward she intertwined Mesheiko’s strong arm with her own and held it gently with her opposite hand. It was good to have him so solidly with her, especially when she wasn’t sure of where he would be heading to next…

[atalanta]

Mesheiko was somewhat lost as to what to do now. Among his family, there was so much unsaid- yet there was nothing to say as of right now. The conversation felt as if it had been rightly ended for the moment. The initial shock of seeing his sisterse once again and meeting most of their children for the first time had worn off, leaving him with a quiet and overwhelmed feeling. So many had come, simply to see his release. Even now, it still seemed strange to be given so much attention. His family, after his birth, had consisted of a still single father raising four children- three daughters, one son, and his sisters had always demanded attention. It had bewildered him enough simply to have Midori lavish so much attention on him, but to have so many come to the military camp outside of Ba Seng Se seemed simply overwhelming.

He had hardly known what to do during the ceremony, and only repeated what the officers had told him to do over and over in his head. Now there was no instructions, no scripts. What was he supposed to do? Surely he wasn't supposed to leave right now, right after his dismissal. Surely there was something more, or at least some time to be able to say goodbye to some of his less close, but still beloved comrades. Mesheiko had awoken to Cheng, Hung Yong, and Kun Tu all preparing in the tent for the ceremony, and Hung Yong and Kun Tu left early to secure seats, while Cheng stayed to help Mesheiko. He had seen all of his tentmates at the ceremony, and that along with his father and Midori, had given him strength. But how had he not seen his sisters and their children? Well, they had changed physically quite a bit, considering they were all grown women and mothers, even if Maral was a mother-to-be. To see them all standing before him, so changed, was a strange sight indeed. It seemed his entire world had been overturned in one day.

Just as he was about to mount Banshee to pack up his things and leave, Mesheiko felt a comforting, familiar hand on his shoulder. Mesheiko honestly was not sure who it was, for it seemed his entire family as well as his friends were here. Turning around, however, he found Hung Yong standing behind, with the man's hand on his shoulder, smiling. They embraced briefly for a moment, and then Kun Tu stepped forward from behind Hung Yong. His sisters and their children seemed to have part entirely down the middle to let Hung Yong and Kun Tu. Despite their having seen the ceremony, they still seemed a bit wary of the soldiers in the camp. And knowing quite a few, Mesheiko couldn't entirely blame them. Even Cheng, he supposed, could be intimidating to women and mothers like his sisters. Mesheiko and Kun Tu shook hands, for they did not have quite the relationship he did with Hung Yong and Cheng, though they were still friends. "Are you ready to feast, Mesheiko?" Hung Yong asked pleasantly. Cheng and Kun Tu, meanwhile seemed mysteriously anxious for something. "On what, the leftovers Cheng stole from the kitchens last night?" Mesheiko replied. Cheng seemed a little guilty, and so said, "Hey, they gave that to me of their own free will. I can't help it if I can pretty much woo female on staff in the camp."

Hung Yong gave a hearty laugh. "No, no, on the feast-" he was going to say, until Kun Tu cut in with, "Cheng ate that already, as we all know. The crumbs are all over my cot." Mesheiko was used to the banter back and forth between his tentmates, especially between Cheng and Kun Tu, but his sisters, however, seemed very amused by Mesheiko's companions. His father and Midori, of course, had already met Mesheiko's tentmates, and so seemed less surprised by the constant chatter running into each other. Kun Tu and Cheng bickered a little, and when Hung Yong felt it was safe to speak again, he did so. "No, a feast has been prepared in your honor." Hung Yong said. "Well, as much of a feast as the cooks can possibly come up with, considering the rations the Army gives us," Cheng said, invoking a nod from the four soldiers- well, now three. Mesheiko was a soldier turned hero turned veteran now. "Why didn't I know this?" Mesheiko asked, a little confused as to why no one would tell him of his own feast- or anything, it seemed, for that matter. "Well, someone asked for it to be a surprise. Cheng, it was, I do believe," his father said, glancing at a moment at Cheng. Just like when Mesheiko had been a child, it seemed his father always had the answers.

"Well, then let us eat!" Arzu said, and began walking with Hung Yong, who was directing their party, as usual. As the rest began to move in that direction, neither his family nor his tentmates waited for him. Only Banshee and Midori remained, which was what Mesheiko preferred. It was almost like the old days, and he always liked to fight for what he needed to do. It made him stronger. His body, though weakened by the injury of his leg, was made stronger by it, as well as his mind. Mesheiko knew he was not as crippled as he led himself to believe sometimes, but that seemed to make him stronger, too. For if he could beat his crippled label, then he truly would be stronger in his mind. Mesheiko was suddenly incredibly aware of the presence of Midori's hand against him. The warmth seemed to seep through him, like sitting beside a fireplace in the deep cold of the late hours of the night. Before his mind quite had a grip on what he was doing, he had slipped his arm from Midori and instead came behind her, wrapping both of his arms around her waist, pressing his chest against her back. He was balancing on his good leg dangerously; he knew that despite the romance of the position, if he were to fall, he would most likely bring Midori down with him. That, in fact, was what frightened Mesheiko most about his relationship with Midori. He knew, because of his crippled state, if he were to stumble in any area of life, he would be bringing her down with him. And that was not what he wanted, but he wanted her to stay. She should be allowed to leave if she so wished, Mesheiko knew, but what he did not know was what he would do without Midori.

[midori]

While Midori was already grinning from the easiness and amusement of the previous banter, her smile only seemed to grow warmer as Mesheiko’s position shifted, and she felt his comforting grasp around her waist. Her cheeks were swiftly rosy, and Midori’s bright eyes seemed to soften.

It was quite amazing, really, what an injury could do to a person, or a relationship, she marveled, as the tenderness of the moment caught up with her. He had just been so war and headstrong when she had first met him, and now… it was almost as if his priorities had been completely rearranged. It was as if she was becoming the focus of his attention now, with all this romance… And, of course, Midori was only human, and female at that. She couldn’t help but eat it up, especially when it was from Mesheiko, and his intentions felt so honest and pure. Her heart thudded warmly at his touch during these loving thoughts, and Midori knew their relationship would never be quite the same as it was before. And, yet, it was still easy to be her old self around him.

“Well, I’ve certainly been privileged today.” She laughed easily, flattered, and yet her voice was tender. She grinned, turning her head slightly, as if yearning to meet his gaze or touch his cheek. However, at the same time, Midori couldn’t help but think of the others who had gone on before them and feel the slight, pulling need to follow. Not that it was stronger than her desire to stay with Mesheiko by any means; it felt as if there were so many things they still had to discuss…

“It’s different…” She murmured, her voice softer.

[atalanta]

He reveled in the tender warmth and romance of the moment for just a moment more, because while the crowd around the ceremony had slimmed to attend the feast, there were still some people trickling that way. Most took notice of Mesheiko, and currently he and Midori were so closely entwined that it would be very difficult to notice one and not the other, and especially the position they were in. He caught a few amused, impressed, and happy glances, and even a couple of glares on the faces of a few hopeful young women. That, perhaps, was the strangest aspect of his new heroic status: the fans. All were female; he had very little experience with females simply falling all over him before. Despite his increasingly close and intimate relationship with Midori, she had never fawned over him, and perhaps that was one of the reasons he loved her so. It was nice, comfortable feeling to have someone to have a girl still treat him so normally, yet still engage in a relationship with him, making him wonder if that was what they might have been like if Mesheiko hadn't been injured. But if he hadn't been injured, they wouldn't have been likely to meet each other ever again, which he considered a great shame. No, no, it would have been far more than that. He wouldn't have lived through the camp without her loving support.

Feeling pressured from stares all around them, Mesheiko reluctantly withdrew his arms from around Midori, and without her weight to counteract and balance his own unsteady weight, he nearly fell backwards once again, but fortunately, as usual, Banshee was there as a handhold. He stayed on his feet this time, at least, which was an improvement. Then, he just registered a sudden collective intake of breath, which he found rather funny. Most people who weren't around him were not used to his rather common falls. Bruises just seemed to collect upon themselves from his falls, a sign that he probably indeed should take it easier. Still, Mesheiko was and always would be a stubborn and determined young man, one not to give up easily. He wouldn't let his falls set him back, physically or mentally, though they seemed to prey more upon his mind than his body. In response to Midori's words, he said, "Yes, everything's different now." His words encompassed more than just their relationship now. The entire world was in turmoil, and had been for a hundred years. Would it ever come to an end? Perhaps the world wasn't capable of achieving a normal state after all.

"But no, the privilege is all mine," Mesheiko said, taking her hand and kissing it once in a gentlemanly manner, joking a little bit in words and gesture. He lifted his good leg and pressed into the left stirrup on Banshee's side, treacherously swinging his immobile right leg over from the hip onto Banshee's side. Hung Yong had brought of a few of his things, things he knew Mesheiko would need to transport immediately and had loaded it onto Banshee's back. Mesheiko would had offered Midori a ride to follow up on his gentlemanly manner, but Banshee was already was somewhat laden with the weight of Mesheiko and his possesions. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally injure Banshee, his best friend and mode of transportation before the injury and even more after it. The ostrich-horse was strong, but Mesheiko didn't want to test him. "Shall we feast, then?" Mesheiko said, urging Banshee forward a little bit with slight pressure from his heels. Banshee was walking slowly for an ostrich-horse to stay with Midori. They followed the crowd, for it wasn't far.

A few of the long tables from the main dining room in the camp had been moved outdoors to enjoy the good weather and so the guests wouldn't be exposed to the less than impressive interior of the camp. The buildings looked nice enough from the outside, but the truth was that the camp housed many, many soldiers. It was simply impossible to keep the place looking nice enough for any guests to the camp. The tables had been laid out with some of the best selections of bread, fruit, vegetables the cooks could scrounge from the normally meager rations they distributed. A few selections of meat, he noticed, were still being prepared, as he could see through the window into the main kitchen. Meat was extremely rare among soldiers; the Army could hardly afford it. Most meat from farm animals were from simple farms concerened with only feeding themselves. Very few ranches in the Earth Kingdom were prosperous these days; the economy had dropped drastically since the Fire Nation had increased their attacks. He found his family along with his tentmates seated near the head of the middle table, and he assumed the head was reserved for him. Mesheiko was hardly used to such treatment.

Approaching the table, smiling at Midori all the while, he carefully dismounted from Banshee's and nervously took his seat, and he assumed an empty seat near him was for Midori. Banshee knelt beside him, the ostrich-horse folding upon himself onto the ground, like a massive dog, for kneeling in such a fashion Banshee's head was nearly level with his own. Mesheiko observed the table with some hunger. His stomach had been churning so much during the ceremony he hardly noticed his hunger, but now it roared within him like a fiery monster. Mesheiko noticed the reactions of those around him to the food. Cheng, a poor man since birth, used to such rations as those the Army gave, was practically licking his chops in anticipation of the food to come. His family, though considered crippled by some of the higher class for their lack of a mother, was fairly well to do. Their father never hired a nanny; they couldn't afford one, but he raised his children to the best of his ability on his salary, so the feast looked appetizing to his father but not nearly as much as Cheng. However, his sisters had gone their separate ways. Arzu was not above such a meal, as her husband had been a soldier, and she looked fairly pleased. Utari and her husband looked at it as if they were pleased, but Mesheiko could sense the controlled the disdain behind it. Maral seemed almost as eager, if more controlled, as Cheng. Hung Yong was as indecipherable as ever, and Kun Tu looked happy to receive something other than rations for once.

The slight, but clear, ringing sound of a bell sounded out over the tables, and he could see Major Jin-Ho standing up from his seat, the head of the table to Mesheiko's right. "I ask for a toast," the Major said and lifted his glass. "Here's to Mesheiko, a long, happy life and good health! You have done far more than the average soldier is expected of, yet you were simply doing your duty. For that, we who are gathered here honor you. May you prosper in your life ahead after you leave the Army. And here's to our great nation, the Earth Kingdom and its spectacular Army!" Major Jin-Ho called out after his small speech. The people around him, too, lifted their glasses with a chorus of shouts of "Here, here!" "To the Earth Kingdom!" "To Mesheiko!" Mesheiko was more than a little overwhelmed when Major Jin-Ho called out once more. "Let's eat!" he shouted, followed by cheers. Mesheiko smiled once more at Midori before looking at the plate set before him and beginning to eat his fill. Perhaps this was the way to start off a prosperous life, as Major Jin-Ho had toasted.

[midori]

Midori laughed softly at all cheering that went on after the toast, cheerfully observing all the faces around her. Everyone seemed in high spirits, including herself, so she couldn’t help but fill herself up with her typical optimistic outlook; things would work out okay, she reaffirmed cheerfully. The spirits had brought her here for a reason, she knew, and Midori had a pretty decent idea of what that reason was… They wouldn’t ruin that now. Smiling at these scattered, happy thoughts, Midori calmly soaked up the warm, friendly atmosphere that seemed to encompass them now, and smiled encouragingly at Mesheiko when he glanced in her direction.

As everyone was eating, however, Midori’s attention was naturally diverted to the delicious meal that was presented to her. After living off a nurse’s simple rations for about a month, the somewhat different proportions of foods seemed quite an honor. Smiling broadening, Midori was about to dig in, before she remembered the elegant gown she was adorned in, and decided to at least try and act the part.

With a bit of restrained eagerness, Midori picked up her chopsticks and ate. After a few short moments of chewing, she grinned sideways at Mesheiko and his family.

“Well this sure beats typical hospital food," She said, her tone hinting to a laugh. She pondered for a moment.

"But then again, it's not that hard to beat, is it?"

[atalanta]

Mesheiko ate eagerly, courses and plates flying past him all in one delicious blur. He could hear bits and snippets of conversations all around him, but of course he could most easily hear the conversation currently occuring at his own table. He was aware of it, yes, but not really a part of it. He only really concentrated on two things: his food and Midori. Both seemed rather silent, so so was he. Mesheiko inserted a nod here or there when it seemed appropriate, and answered of course when he was spoken to or questioned, as he had been taught rather well to do by the military, but his words were few and far between. He was quiet by nature, and now was no exception to that rule. Besides, it was impolite to talk with one's mouth full of food, was it not?

A few seemed not to follow this rule, however, such as Cheng. Cheng, as sweet and charming as he could be, came from a poor farming family and thus had never been taught class or more than basic manners, but this seemed to bar none from speaking to him. Debates and arguments seemed to spring up always in the Army, and even a feast was no exception. Cheng and Kun Tu, of course, were in a heated debate turned argument which was soon probably going to turn to a bickering match. Kun Tu and Cheng really never were at peace with each other; they were simply too different. It was amazing to see how two entirely different lives could be led in the same kingdom, and fight under the same banner. One would think those fighting for the same thing would be similar, that the enemy- the Fire Nation- would be diferent. Such was not the case. Mesehiko had never personally met a Fire Nation soldier, and he didn't really want to, for to do so would be treasonous and his patriotic soul wouldn't allow it. But, still, he could imagine that perhaps the men from the Fire Nation really weren't all that different from the men from the Earth Kingdom. It would be nice to think so, but as a soldier, he could not think about such things, even though he wasn't really a soldier anymore.

Mesheiko caught the eye of Major Jin-Ho as he glanced over to that table after hearing a few wafting notes of speech. The Major winked encouragingly at him, almost ordering Mesheiko to engage in his own table's conversation. Focusing in on his own table once again, trying to pick up what people spoke of, but ended up focusing solely on his food and Midori once again. For, after all, Kun Tu and Cheng seemed to again be arguing, but Hung Yong seemed to have both younger men's tempers under the control of his own will. Mesheiko admired Hung Yong in many ways; Hung Yong was perhaps one of the things he was going to miss most about the Army. The food, however, was definitely not one of these things, he thought just as Midori spoke of such a grand feast before them, and the not so grand food they typically ate. His family were a rather social bunch, father, sisters, and all, and had talked thoroughly throughout the feast, making Mesheiko the black sheep of the family in more ways than one, but they seemed unable to comment on the subject of the military food.

Even after seeing Midori for quite a while looking more amazing than usual, Mesheiko was still breathtaken with her appearance yet amused as she struggled to fit it with her naturally quirky personality. Perhaps that was what he loved best about her; she was a woman all her own, never following others' influence yet always influencing others. She was an amazing creature, indeed. So it was no wonder Mesheiko, quiet as he was feeling currently from the great ceremony that had just taken place, was rather silent at the feast and was still a little unknowing as how to respond to Midori's comment. "No, not hard at all," he said with a laugh. She had a certain way of making people laugh and putting things in perspective at the same time.

Cheng and Kun Tu's ears seemed to perk at Midori's words, and they quickly took this up in their argument, and from there it seemed to spark a fire throughout the table. "It's no worse than Cheng's cooking," Kun Tu said with a sneer. "Hey, how was I supposed to know that cow-deer was infected?" Cheng said, a bit wounded. "You could have cooked it a little bit more." "You said that it would have blown up if I had cooked it anymore!" "Better than all of us getting sick from it." "Fine," Cheng said, admitting defeat somewhat. "I'll let it go, considering you actually made a joke, which is, in any country, world, dimension, or universe, nothing short of a miracle." Mesheiko laughed raucously as his tentmates went back and forth. Cheng and Kun Tu were both quite the characters. Together, it was a recipe for pure disaster, yet united under the Earth Kingdom banner they had learned to work together for a greater good. Perhaps the world could learn a thing or two from Cheng and Kun Tu, Mesheiko thought.

[midori]

Midori happily continued soaking up the pleasant easiness of conversation, making small, witty comments when she found it appropriate or comical. She chatted a little bit with those around her while she ate, and graced many with gracious smiles and polite nods. Throughout the meal, however, she saved most of her radiantly amused smiles for Mesheiko, particularly when Cheng and Kun Tu began their bickering match, for it was quite amusing indeed. While she tried to respect their opinions and keep her interferences to herself, after completely finishing her meal, she found that she couldn’t hold in her natural liveliness for too long.

“Oh, I’m not that surprised.” Midori commented sincerely. “I’m sure Kun Tu has a whole inner liveliness just waiting to break out.” With this she grinned radiantly at her little joke, winking at the two of them.

“But I can’t really go against you, Cheng.” She soon added fairly, that playful glint still apparent in her eyes, “…as you probably cook a lot better than I do. I could burn water.”

Midori laughed a little at herself at this because of its complete actuality. Her lack of such womanly culinary skills often exasperated her mother, but Midori didn’t mind as much. She had always managed one way or another. Food wasn’t always bad a little toasty.

After finally expressing a little of her perky self, Midori calmed her smile and glanced back at Mesheiko with sparkling eyes, hoping he was having a good of time as she was. She thought so, as he had been laughing quite exuberantly just a moment before...