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Post by kurosai on Mar 23, 2006 2:23:06 GMT -5
Returning from another one of his bloody missions, Kurosai took note of the chaos caused by the loose emu as he entered through the main gates. His piercing, dark emerald green eyes followed the emu's trail with annoyance as he brushed back some of his long, silky black hair. Noting his gaze, one of Kurosai's men asked nervously, "What.. what are you orders sir?" Kurosai took a while to respond, noting the emu's path by how the crowd was splitting. "You're all dismissed. I'll handle this myself."
After the men left, Kurosai leapt up into the air and began to bend his way over the crowd, making temporary platforms out of the surrounding buildings' stone walls. "Ugh... I just wanted to go to the tavern and drink, but it figures as soon as I get back there's trouble already... Whoever's responsible had better have a good reason for this!" Kurosai thought angrilly as he made his way closer to the target. Little did he know that he was about to encounter an old comrade that, along with others, would change his way of life forever.
Tightening his sandy brown cloak around himself, he leapt off the final platform and dived down towards the group, slowing his descent as he neared the ground by earthbending the dirt sewn into his clothing. Landing in the center of them all, he turned to the man holding the emu's reigns with a serious face which soon faltered. "Mesheiko?"
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Post by suoh on Mar 24, 2006 16:10:48 GMT -5
Suoh saw the bender extravagantly making his way over, bending buildings as if they were nothing. He didn't know if this man was loyal to the Earth Kingdom of a deserter to the Fire Nation, but he wasn't going to wait to find out. Quickly, Suoh bended his staff into a large, flat disk. He supercompacted the stone to cause it to keep shape. He kept his will on the shield, ready to bend against the other bender if he tried to alter the shield.
Suoh reassessed the situation. This man was bending buildings, and Suoh didn't think he could do that. This man would overpower him in bending, that was a certainty. Suoh changed tactics and bended his shield back into a staff, backing away from the others as the spectacle unfolded.
After getting a good 10 yards away, Suoh turned and fled down the street. Several guards, suspicious, tried to stop him. Suoh bended balls of conpacted earth and flung them into the faces of the guards, not pausing long enough to watch them sputter with sand in their mouths. He ran across the cobbled streets, not looking back. Eventually, he came up to a city wall. He stopped, leaning up against it. He didn't have the enrgy right now to bend anything, least of all a wall.
Panting, Suoh crouched next to the thick wall, his hands on his thighs.
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Post by atalanta on Mar 24, 2006 19:26:35 GMT -5
Mesheiko's head tilted up as he heard a voice that rang a bell just faintly in his mind. The face was familiar as well. As the word that was spoken registered to Mesheiko, his mind reeled in bewilderment and puzzlement. This young man knew his name. Why? It wasn't often that strangers simply walked up to him and called him by name.
Then an odd thought hit him...perhaps he wasn't a stranger? Strange, yes, but logical. His fist tightened on Banshee's tether, as he delved into his memories. Visions of a younger face of this person flashed in his mind, visions of this boy fighting off the Fire Nation desperately in a battle, but there was also a determined air to him. Not many soldiers had that after battles.
Then he knew. The name wouldn't come to him, but Mesheiko knew then and there. Before he had resigned from the Army, Mesheiko knew this face from his division. This brought up both painful and pleasant memories, and he wasn't sure whether to feel glad he knew this young man or not.
The name hit him like like an emu charging blindly in fear. "Kurosai.." came the name, the syllables formed ever slowly.
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Post by midori on Mar 24, 2006 21:09:43 GMT -5
Midori watched in slight bewilderment as an earthbender made his way towards them. The young woman hugged Banshee’s neck as she gazed at the man wide-eyed. While the man’s bending was very impressive to watch, it was also quite intimating and made Midori slightly weary of his presence. Her village possessed few earthbenders, but many were sent to war at an early age, and Midori saw few of them or their bending. This man appeared very strong. But she had nothing to worry; they were in Bai Seng Sei after all! Surely the man didn’t wish poorly of them. However, one of the men at the stand seemed worried about his appearance… and was causing quite a scene down the road…
As the earthbender confronted them, Midori let her lips curl into a sweet, friendly smile. Her gaze swept over the young man quickly, and her expression became slightly puzzled as the man confronted Mesheiko by his name. They must have been old comrades, was Midori’s conclusion; Mesheiko had been a soldier after all… and would be again soon. Midori’s bottom lip stuck out slightly as she pouted at this fact. She was still wasn’t big into the idea…. So many things could happen to him. But it didn’t seem as if there would be any way of turning Mesheiko around.
Midori let herself smile yet again as Mesheiko recognized the earthbender; so they must have met. Not wanting to interrupt the reunion, Midori stayed silent, keeping hold of Banshee and stroking the emu’s tether with her thumb.
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Post by kurosai on Mar 24, 2006 21:32:13 GMT -5
Kurosai nodded slowly as Mesheiko recognized him. "Yes, it's me... We were in the same division... I thought you resigned from the military, why are you back in Ba Seng Sei with an armored emu?" He glanced at Banshee, obviously suspicious about how he could obtain it. His lack of control over the bird suggested it didn't belong to him, but he witheld judgement since he had seen him as an honorable soldier on the battlefield.
While speaking with him, Kurosai noticed the child run off but paid it no heed, he was used to people being frigthened of him. He also noticed Midori, but as she was keeping silent he didn't acknowledge her, awaiting Mesheiko's response. Even if he was a former member of the military, Kurosai couldn't allow his bird to run amock in the city. He didn't have time to waste on this either, General Krishna likely already had another mission lined up for him.
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Post by atalanta on Mar 24, 2006 22:06:01 GMT -5
After those words, Mesheiko had no doubt that was Kurosai. Strange that he came across one from his division just when he was looking to return to it. He looked over to Midori, and knew that she certainly had her suspicions. He pondered them over in his mind, and it didn't surprise Mesheiko one bit that Kurosai was asking about Banshee. The emu was an object of attention even when he was being inconspicious, and Banshee wasn't doing a very good job of that.
His voice started out quietly as he told the tale of Banshee, "I found a man dying in some bushes a few weeks back, but I spotted the emu before him. He was delivering a message, but I delivered it for him.." his voice paused for a moment, thinking of the letter that told of Xia Feng's husband's death, and all the trouble it had caused.
"Meant to return Banshee here," said Mesheiko, gesturing to the emu beside him, "but I never came across a way how."
He hadn't meant to sound as emotional as he did, but it was very tumultous, the entire adventure he'd had since first coming across Banshee.
"Kurosai," Mesheiko said, steeling himself for the words that could very well determined life or death, "I want to go back. I want to rejoin the Army."
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Post by kurosai on Mar 24, 2006 22:23:52 GMT -5
Kurosai nodded as Mesheiko finished his explanation, accepting it as believable. He was taken aback by Mesheiko's sudden desire to rejoin the military, however. Most people never wanted to come back once they resigned, it didn't make sense to him. Mesheiko didn't look like he had a desire for revenge like he did either, so Kurosai couldn't interpret his reasons.
Still, they needed more men. The Fire Nation was growing more powerful each day, and veteran soldiers like Mesheiko were hard to come by with many resigning as soon as they could. Kurosai considered this for a moment before answering, "You could accompany me when I report to Krishna. If anyone can reinstate you it's him. We can also return the emu to the stables or request Krishna to allow you to keep him, seeing as his former owner is no longer an issue."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "You should know, things have changed since you left. The Fire Nation is much stronger and our missions have higher fatality rates. Are you sure you want to rejoin?"
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Post by midori on Mar 25, 2006 9:39:54 GMT -5
Midori’s grip on Banshee’s tether tightened. Out of all that Kurosai had said, one phrase had firmly grabbed her attention and failed to let go: higher fatality rates. That’s what she had been afraid of. She knew war was fatal to many and was working on accepting it… but just the thought of Mesheiko being a casualty or just getting hurt… It was too hard to take in. Mesheiko was her companion, her friend. They had been through quite of lot together and she had grown used to his company. Midori didn’t want to lose him; it would hurt so much. Midori silently strolled over to stand next to Mesheiko, her expression slightly saddened. She gave Kurosai a weak smile before lightly laying her hand on Mesheiko’s shoulder.
“Are… you sure you want to do this?” She asked quietly. She knew what the answer would be, but a girl could hope.
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Post by atalanta on Mar 28, 2006 1:21:39 GMT -5
He first heard Kurosai's words that might have been devastating to some, but Mesheiko knew what to expect. The Fire Lord was gaining power more rapidly, so higher casulaties were to be expected. In fact, if not for the Avatar, they would most certainly lose the war. Next, Midori's words came to his ears, and her hand to his shoulder. It was obvious to him that she didn't want him to go. In a way, Mesheiko didn't want himself to go either. The survival sense in him was saying no, but both his mind and heart were saying go.
Mesheiko knew to trust those guides. After all, those kept him from going insane after all he'd been through.
"Yes...I'm sure. I know it's dangerous; and I know the casualties are high."
And in that moment, Mesheiko realized Midori wouldn't come with him to war. She had been spared most of the destruction so war, it almost seemed cruel to make her come. He knew they had to go their separate ways sooner or later.
"General Krishna, hm? Last I remember you were just a mere infantry soldier, and now you're off reporting to General Krishna? You're going up in the world, I see." Mesheiko said, trying to make a joke even when his heart was torn in two.
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Post by kurosai on Mar 28, 2006 1:30:25 GMT -5
Kurosai noticed his indecision after Midori spoke but didn't comment on it, only speaking after Mesheiko's little joke. "Yes, I was promoted to captain early this year and have been doing everything in my power to thwart the Fire Nation. I hope you're certain of this... 7 out of 10 of the people in our division that survived the raid are dead. It's not going to be like you remembered. In any case, if you're certain, follow me."
He began walking towards General Krishna's office, talking as he went assuming they followed. "What do you want to do with the emu? If you wish to keep him we could settle something. You'll probably want one for the tough missions ahead. Also, before you can be reinstated we'll need to give you a brief review. If you're not up to the task of being in the military, we can't have you as a burden. I'm sure you'll do fine though..." He smirked faintly, reviewing troops before they rejoined after having left was his idea. It was sorely needed when rusty ex-soldiers kept ending up in the military and causing numerous loses.
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Post by midori on Mar 28, 2006 8:56:38 GMT -5
Midori tugged on Banshee's tether as Kurosai began to move, weaving the emu through the many people who still scurried through the streets. She hardly paid attention to what was being said, her mind too fogged to focus on much of anything. She merely kept her eyes downcast, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and not running into anyone. Her feet barely left the ground as she walked, kicking up a bit of dust and sand. She didn't feel as if she fit into conversation and really could think of anything to say.
As Kurosai left another comment about death, Midori's mind was instantly brought to how much she hated war. It did nothing but bring pain and rip people appart. And this war had been over one hundred years! It had caused so much loss and so many tears; just thinking about it tore a hole in her heart. Mesheiko was going off willingly, risking his life for everyone else... which was a great, brave thing really. Maybe she was just being selfish. But it still hurt. Nothing good would ever come from war.
Trying to keep a straight face while Kurosai talked of a review, Midori gazed off into the crowds. She tried to think of something a pleasant to cheer her up, but nothing came to her.
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Post by suoh on Mar 30, 2006 6:48:16 GMT -5
Suoh finally caught his breath. No one had followed him, so that was a plus. He stood in front of the wall, setting his feet wide and grounding himself. Even though he only wanted to make a small hole to crawl through, it wouldn't be too easy afterward. Suoh, now fully ready, exhaled while pulling his arms, fists balled and elbows bent to have them in front of his hips, apart. The wall began to shift, finally a small hole was made, though which Suoh crawled, quickly sealing it up again.
Now the hard part. Suoh was on the edge of a cliff, which seemed to have no bottom. He knew there was a bottom, though, for he had climbed up the cliff. Now he would bend his way down.
Suoh waved his hands in front of him, smoothing a path. He threw his hand forward, palm parallel and facing the ground, and the path stretched for a nice distance. Then he threw his staff onto the ground, bending it into a small, hard disk on which he could sit to slide down.
He began sliding hurriedly, too fast to keep anything distinct. The smooth path he'd made was what he rode on, hurriedly waving his arms to bend it longer and longer as the need arose with is right hand, while his left hand unbended the path behind him. He was rapidly growing tired, and didn't know how he would make it to the bottom. He shut his eyes. Maybe if he just kept bending without seeing how much further it was he's make it, somehow.
Finally, Suoh felt the disk's speed declining. He stopped bending, opening his eyes, and the disk of his staff reached the bottom, carrying him a short ways before stopping entirely. Suoh stood, then fell, losing consciousness from fatigue.
Some time later he woke up, in the same spot. He was lucky he was still safe. Standing up in the pale moonlight on this star studded night, he bended his staff back to normal. It was almost all he could do as far as bending. Then, that done, he used the staff as support as he hobbled away, fatigue slowing his every movement.
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Post by atalanta on Apr 2, 2006 19:05:21 GMT -5
Mesheiko jogged a little to keep up with Kurosai, motioning for Midori to follow. This was it; the office of General Krishna couldn't be too far off. This was the end of his wandering and onto a new adventure. He was eighteen years old now- nearly a man, and he was taking on the work of a man. Kurosai was right; if he couldn't measure up for the military, he couldn't be in it.
He'd have to practice Earthbending much more often. Mesheiko hadn't really had the chance lately, wandering around with Midori and Banshee.
"I'd like to keep Banshee, the emu, if that's alright. I didn't figure to be remembered when I came back; nearly a 1/4 of the division were killed or captured in the raid. That was nearly two years ago."
He then turned around to face Midori and Banshee. Mesheiko gently slipped the emu's tether from her hand, and nodded solemnly.
"I guess this is good-bye.."
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Post by midori on Apr 2, 2006 20:08:53 GMT -5
Midori's face contorted. She was trying to smile at Mesheiko pleasantly, but her cheeks kept pushing the corners of her mouth down. So many feelings were trying to rush out of her - sadness, worry, slight happiness, and other things she couldn't dicifer. Was this really goodbye? It hurt to think of that way, but she couldn't help wondering... Would she ever see Mesheiko again? Even if he survived war, would their paths meet? Would he even remember her?
Slowly, Midori's eyes lifted up to meet Mesheiko's. She looked into them for a moment; they were a perfect grass green, calm and wise. She liked them. She couldn't get away from that. She liked his eyes. With that relazation, all of Midori's feelings burst forth.
Midori wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, tears silently slipping from her eyes. Gently she laid her head on his shoulder, trying to hide the tears. She breathed in deeply, taking in his smell and memorizing it before she made a stuttered reply.
"I... I'm.. going to m-miss you..."
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Post by kurosai on Apr 4, 2006 5:36:44 GMT -5
Kurosai watched this drama unfold silently and unphased. He had seen it many times before, when men left their partners to join the military and often didn't return. Either way, it wasn't any of his bussiness. He waited patiently for them to settle their parting, keeping an eye out for the General should he be out and about.
Meanwhile, his thoughts drifted back to the day of the raid and Mesheiko himself. Kurosai had never really gotten to know anyone in the division personally, but Mesheiko was among those that stood out more, mainly because he could earthbend while most could only wield a spear. Still, his abilities didn't exactly reach far, Kurosai had far more power up his sleeves that he had concealed when he was reassigned until after the day of the raid.
Ever since then, he had resumed his old ways and mostly worked solo, concealing his true powers as best he could when commending groups of men. In any case, he would evaluate Mesheiko's abilities during the review. If he was lacking in any way, Kurosai could always tutor him and toughen him up before the next mission. He had one strict requirement of his men, and that was that they be strong and ruthless towards members of the Fire Nation.
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