//------------------------------// // Old betrayals, new beginnings (Fixed) // Story: Strangely Resilient Ember // by DeliriousCrimson //------------------------------// "Tomorrows the day, huh?" echoed a voice in a dark room. In the middle of the said room stood a medium-sized bed, the moonlight serving to illuminate the young man who currently occupied it. He laid flat on his stomach, his lean and muscular torso highlighted beautifully by the moon. He fondled his jet black hair while his pajama pants expanded under his persistent squirming. The man found himself restless, and for good reason. In a couple of short hours a new day would arise, a day which the lean young man had been awaiting his entire life. His twentieth birthday. It was the day in which by law, he was to meet his fiancé, it was the day in which he was to be officially given the honorable title of warrior, the day when he was to be considered a full fledged man of the Fire Nation. A Fire benders twentieth birthday was an event of utmost glory, utmost honor, utmost respect. A respect which the young man had sought for so long. His skills in the art of Firebending were without a doubt above average, however nothing compared to that of the royal family. Even so, for so long he has had the burning desire to prove himself to them and his country... or that was at least the mindset expected of him. Truth be told, Kurama had no interest in any of this. As far as he could remember, he never had much ambition compared to the other hot-heads in his country. Welp, whatever he thought. The tired young man decided to just leave it all to fate as a yawn managed to escape him. He closed his eyes, sleep soon beginning its tight embrace upon him. Memories of his friends and family flashed through his mind. A wide smile slowly formed across his face. Even if honor and glory wasn't particularly huge on him, he was still genuinely excited out of his mind. His consciousness began to fade, his eyelids heavy against his eyes. With a final yawn Kurama forfeited his match of tug of war with drowsiness. Slowly, consciousness returned to Kurama. Steadily but surely, he managed to escape the death grip that sleep would usually tend to have on him. His reason surged back into his mind while he roughly stretched his hands out, his eyes snapping open upon realization of the fun to be had on this special day. However, he didn't have much time to contemplate it as he took notice of his 'different' surroundings. Trying to make sense of where he now was, the drowsy man shifted his leg only to be audibly met with a rattling of sorts. He glanced down at the origin of the noise and saw that his left leg was bound by a short chain to a wall. Kurama's eyes widened as he began to make out the other features in the room, all which resembled that of a jail cell. He looked towards the thick metal bars which also served to keep him securely within this space. Carefully, he tried to heat up the chain which bound him in hopes of melting it away. His efforts were for naught, for the chain barely glowed the slightest hint of orange. "What in the emperors name?", questioned Kurama, still trying to make sense of the situation. After a few seconds a man who seemed to be a guard crept up to the jail cell and gazed in his direction. Kurama gazed right back, a look of irritation occupying his face. "Tell me why I'm here before I introduce that sweet helm of yours to my fist, and trust me, their relationship will be intimate!", barked Kurama. "Silence, flesh!", replied the guard. He took out a contraption of sorts from his pocket and aimed it at the prisoner. It was an indigo colored tranquilizer gun. Upon sight of the gun, Kurama widened his eyes and readied himself. The guard secured his finger tightly around the trigger and with a loud bang he sent two projectile darts in his direction. A dart grazed his cheek as he barely managed to dodge it, a sting soon washing through his shoulder as the second dart sank into it. Immediately, his vision became blurry, his muscles quickly going numb. Kurama struggled to utter a single phrase before speech too, was taken from him. "Curses." With a triumphant look in his face, the guard returned to his post, leaving the young man to struggle on his own. Kurama stranded there completely paralyzed, his eyes frantically attempting to further survey his surroundings. What's going on? Where's ma and pa? Why am I here? Countless questions flushed through his mind, his eyelids also beginning to go numb. He persistently fought to keep them from dropping further, but his attempts were fruitless. Inevitably, Kurama's mind was once again dragged into a deep state of slumber. "....." A maddening sting washed over Kurama's face. He awoke in a frenzy as the pain stubbornly remained active upon his cheek. He looked around frantically, his eyesight still unfocused. Startled, the dazed young man attempted to sit upright but his hands and feet were carefully restrained. His eyesight slowly locked on and focused on a figure standing before him. It was a man with a whip, his face adjourning an array of scars which extended from his forehead to his neck "You've slept for long enough, sacrifice.", said the man. Mildly exhausted, Kurama defiantly attempted to gather up energy with the intent to burn his unpleasant face off, scars and all. However he could summon none. His shackles must have been made of moonstone, a Fire benders weakness. The man took notice of Kurama's hostility and struck him for a second time with his whip, a gasp of agony then escaping his mouth. The man then gently released an eerie chuckle. "Know your place, flesh.", he softly warned. Flesh? Sacrifice? Kurama's pained face shifted into a confused and puzzled expression at the mention of these words. The man's unnatural perception seemed to have noticed this as well and chose to relieve him of his ignorance. "Happy birthday Kurama!", he said somewhat sarcastically. "Im sure you must be at a loss as to why you're here! You see, long ago you were among a very fortunate few at birth who were chosen for this day." His vague explanations were answered with a bewildered and angry look. Kurama clenched his teeth in a secondary attempt to summon flames, it was still no use. "Why am I here!?", he yelled. "I was getting to that.", replied the scarred man, seemingly not very amused. "Today we are to offer flesh to the gods so that our nation remains dominant for yet another generation... you Kurama, are among three others that are to be sacrificed for this cause", he casually explained. As he registered the meaning of his words, sweat began dripping down Kurama's face and torso, an eerie sense of nervousness beginning to creep up on him. "Stop with the jokes... I've never even heard of such an event before!", he argued. The scarred man simply gazed at him with a bitter-sweet smile across his face. The man took a glance at his clock and signaled someone to come in. It was a person thickly garbed in fire-resistant cloth who also carried a large iron box. "Lets get started, time is of the essence", squealed the scarred man as his face took to a perverted expression. "This was always my favorite part of the job.", he chimed. He began to unlock the box while glancing out of the cell. "Restrain his movements!", he ordered to the two guards visibly stationed outside. They marched into the cell and with ease, managed to cease Kurama's thrashing and squirming. The scarred man then revealed the contents of the box. Inside it lay a single necklace. It glowed orange with heat and the man abruptly smothered it in ink. The necklace seemed entirely comprised of stones shaped like commas. After a few puffs of fire, the ink was boiling hot along with the necklace. Carefully, he picked it up with metal pincers and approached Kurama. Upon realization of what was about to transpire, the restrained young man began to shiver, his eyes wide in fear. "Why..? Why me!?", he pleaded, large amounts of sweat accumulating on his face. "Simple", replied the scarred man. "Because it's your fate", he then finished, deep dimples forming on his disturbing smile. Soon, the man fully closed the distance. Kurama shivered as he licked his scarred lips and brought the necklace closer. Soon, loud screams of agony began to encompass the cell as the necklace was placed around his neck. Tears of pain quickly streamed down his face whilst his mind danced in the unbearable, excruciating, and burning sensation. The man began a demented prayer, an expression of melodic satisfaction upon his face as if he currently dwelled upon some sort of rythm. Meanwhile, Kurama's vocal cords were pushed to their limits, the scalding hot ink boiling into his skin, the superheated necklace drying it before it could drip. The person in heavy cloth swiftly removed the necklace before it could further fuse with his skin. On his neck and upper back laying several branded markings, each one throbbing in pain as hot ink quickly dried itself in place. The scarred man continued his prayer in an unknown language, his face visibly disappointed at the lack of further relentless screaming. The guards released Kurama and casually searched a cabinet at the opposite end of the cell, the poor young man immediately slumping over. He panted loudly, his markings sending waves of pain across his entire anatomy. Soon, the scarred man finished the prayer and ordered to the two guards. "Quickly, change him into the sacrificial attire! He shall be the first offering!" A guard forcibly stripped off Kurama's pajama pants and underwear, the other guard then swiftly replacing them with baggy red pants tied together in a fine white silk. Together, they clipped a jet black cape on the back of those pants and left his upper body exposed. It seems the intent was to display the markings. Lastly, they roughly clipped a metal bracelet on each of his wrists, the limp young man putting up no resistance, his mind still attentive to the pain. "Well then, see you soon", softly muttered the scarred man as he exited the cell. His subordinates followed after him, leaving the grimacing birthday boy to himself. Kurama stared limply at the ceiling, unable to muster any words... unable to muster any thoughts. "....." The pain was still far from gone, but his body managed to relax, his mild panting still surely present. His mind began to process thoughts once more and a single question was brought to his consciousness. How could this be happening...? *An Hour later* Bags began to form under his eyes as he struggled to stay awake. Kurama did not move an inch, not daring to drift off. His mind however, simply wanted to escape this harsh reality. He never really accomplished much in his life. He was poor, bullied as a kid and never got good grades at school. All he really had going for him was his Firebending... and even that only got him so far. It seemed like his future of becoming a pawn to the fire nation and dying out in battle was set in stone. However, no one could have warned him of what was to come. He frowned at the ceiling. Perhaps.. it was a good thing. To at least die being of use to someone. That his death would at least bring a smile to an unaware persons face. Kurama's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the cell being opened. He lazily glanced over at two hooded men and three guards who entered it. It was time. They released the shackles on his leg and left the moonstone shackles tightly secured on his hands. Slowly, they escorted him out of the cell and over to a set of stairs. The stairs descended into darkness. Kurama who was unable to summon the will to resist began descending, the guards closely behind him. After a few moments which felt like an eternity, the bunch finally arrived at an open altar. Surrounding it were dozens of men and women dressed in white. They all turned to look at the presented sacrifice with disgusting smiles. Kurama lazily glared at the crowd, his eyes widening as he spotted a certain few. In the mob were his family and his closest friends, all adjourning the same repulsive grin at the sight of him. M-ma?... Pa?.. Bakura?.... Lee?? Tears once again streamed down his face as the demented crowd formed a path towards the altar for him. On the altar was a masked man garbed in reaper clothing. Kurama's eyes closed shut while he was escorted down, for his sake he couldn't bare to look at their wretched smiles any longer. The tears persisted as he was strapped down on the altar. The masked man began a prayer similar to the last he heard, this time with a crowd to chant along. He picked up a scimitar coated in black and aimed it at Kurama's neck. He and the crowd continued their alien prayer while the scarred man from moments ago skillfully lit the surrounding candles, his flame not so much as touching the wax. Surges of emotion rushed through Kurama's mind, his tears however, halted as his brain gripped onto a single one. His face contorted into one of seething anger as the scimitar was swung down. Quickly gathering his rage into one sentence, Kurama loudly screamed his last words. "DANM IT ALL TO THE SPIRITS!!!" A loud chop echoed through the poorly lit room... his body and mind quickly going limp. *First Person* Darkness was all I could see... well.. to be honest, I am not even sure if "seeing" was the correct way to describe it. I couldn't smell anything, feel anything, hear anything, or even taste anything. It was as if all my senses had been taken from me. I no longer felt the burning pain around my chest, I could no longer feel my face twist in anger, nor could I feel the moisture of sweat upon my body. All I could confirm at this moment was my consciousness and even that felt a bit transparent. Was this... death? Could this have been the afterlife? Could it be that my mind was doomed to wander in darkness for all eternity? If so, then death was a really screwed up thing. To just wander here in nothingness, to be filled with it, to endlessly revolve around it, just the thought shook my being. It seemed that it wouldn't be long before I lost what little remained of me to insanity in a place like this. My mind would eventually destroy itself at this rate. Rate... I wonder if something like that could even exist here. Of course not. Nothing exists here, absolutely nothing. Not even time from the feel of it. I have absolutely no clue whether I've been here for minutes, days, or millenniums for that matter. My mind simply continued to wander, though I had no way of knowing if it was truly wandering or not. However for the sake of preserving myself, I had to somehow give what was left of me some purpose. Even if it was extremely obscure and groundless, I needed a sense of vitality. No matter how aimless or vague, my fiber craved for significance. In truth, it was all I could really do. I absolutely wanted to keep myself from being forever lost in this dark, cold, and empty place no matter what. It was the only thing that- Wait... cold? Suddenly, a bright light flashed quickly through the endless darkness. It appeared and left at an incredible speed. However, it did come, I was sure of it, I definitely witnessed a light. Hold on... witnessed? Confusion washed over my brain. But it was cut short by an enormous pain originating from my chest, it throbbed as a slight breeze swept over it. Amidst the pain, I could feel my chest heave up and down in rhythm to my muffled breaths. Slowly, my eyes opened only to be harshly met by a blinding light. The... sun? I lay there face up looking directly into a clear blue sky, a weird looking sun reigning dominantly across it. The view was partly blocked by tall trees, but it was still without a doubt, mesmerizing. Weakly, I looked down at the origin of the pain. The branded markings were still present upon my chest region, the pain only adding to the huge sense of relief welling up inside of me. I was.. alive? I wasn't exactly sure why it happened so.. abruptly maybe? Or was it suddenly? In fact, for some reason being alive felt new to me, even though I was a hundred percent sure that I lived a life before my death. Wait, was it even a death at this point? I wasn't sure, but thank the spirits! I was alive! I weakly stood to my two feet, the feeling of gravity mildly shocking me. I then looked around and dropped my jaw in awe at my surroundings. I was inside some sort of dense forest, the endless vegetation having a very odd appearance to it. But before I could further ogle my surroundings, my mind began to forcibly recall many events from my past life. From my childhood, to my teenage years, to my end at the altar, everything seeped back into me as if I was a sponge in water. My supposed "final" moments being what came back to me the most vivid.. The dark void seemed to have also been impeding my ability to feel emotions. Even if temporarily, I had forgotten what it was like to feel the emotions I was currently experiencing. I placed my hand on my chest and slighty squeezed my peck, my facial muscles contorting in a fruitless attempt to keep my angered tears at bay. My chest only ached.. It was negatively palpitating, this pain. However, it was my proof of being alive. That I could still be burdened with this maddening scar on my body, and that tears could still flow down my cheek.. yes, it was my grim reminder that my chapter was not over just yet. I wiped my tears and refused to think any further regarding the past. The truth of the matter was that I was already beginning to fill my mind with numerous questions about why I was subjected to that dreadful fate. And in truth, I was also teeming with questions regarding my current predicament.. the dark void, me waking up in this strange forest, so and so. Alas, I simply decided to focus on the present. I took a deep breath, slapped myself, and plastered a huge, cheesy grin onto my face in an attempt to truly push the subject of my doom into the pits of my consciousness. It seems to me that physically speaking, it hadn't been that long since my body received the markings. However, I couldn't say the same for myself mentally. Wherever my psyche was, it was there for a while... or at least that's what it felt like. The thought of the void made me quite glad to be here.. wherever this was. An idea then struck my head. Carefully, I called upon any energy I may have had stored inside. To my satisfaction I had a mediocre amount, my body feeling a bit weak at the moment. It was indeed a body that had just freshly suffered abuse, but the feeling of energy meant one very important thing that made the trip here with me. Firebending. With a sturdy punch, I sent a stream of flames toward a bush. I smiled in acknowledgement as the stream hit the bush with formidable force, setting it ablaze in the process. I could still Firebend, even if It was a bit sloppy at the moment. Nothing a bit of training couldn't fix overnight though. But now that this was established, there was the issue of waking up in a strange forest at hand. The trees and vegetation were unlike anything I've ever seen before. So, it probably meant that I was no longer in the Fire Nation. But where.. where could this weird place be..? A loud yelp suddenly echoed throughout the forest, my line of thought being unexpectedly interrupted. Startled, I gazed at the flaming bush where the noise had originated, a creature swiftly emerging from it. Whatever it was, its features were obscured by the fire engulfing it. Looks like my previous attack set it on fire. It released an eerie howl before it tumbled over motionless, suspensful silence filling the forest once again. I raised an eyebrow and catiously approached it, ignoring the slight pain which movement brought to my chest. I gradually closed the distance between me and the creature and in response, more strange creatures leaped out from within the overgrowth and surrounded me. Unlike their dead comrade, their odd appearances were in bold, plain sight. They resembled armadillo wolves, except that they were entirely made of wood and lacked protective skin plates. Their eyes glowing a sinister green while an unbearable stench emanated from their jaws. I quickly took up my desert tiger stance, recalling it to be the stance I was to use when I found myself facing multiple opponents. They were six in total, not counting the one I mistakenly took out. Obviously, I couldn't afford to give them the first move. With a swift clockwise kick, I unleashed a wave of fire towards the one at my front. Then with minimal wasted movement I kicked backwards, sending a fireball towards the one at my rear. The two attacks hit with considerable force as the two targets were blown back and set ablaze. The remaining four quickly lunged towards me in hopes to catch me off guard. As they advanced, I summoned flames to my hand and with a loud bang, I took the nearest assailant out with a flaming claw-strike to its wooden skull. I rushed to eliminate the rest but found myself to be too late as the remaining three sturdily clamped their jaws shut onto my body. "Arrgh!!", I yelled as their wooden teeth sunk further into my shoulder and both sides of my torso. I could feel the absurd force of their jaws, the intense agony rushing back and forth the length of my spine. Their weight forced me onto one knee as they leaned downwards in an attempt to thrust me to the ground, which would undoubtedly secure their kill. "Gaah!!" I painfully gasped as my muscles struggled vigorously to keep my body upright. With no time to think, I swelled unrestricted amounts of desperate concentration into my windpipe and took a deep breath. I made sure to let out a formidable cry as I spewed the flames outward from my mouth, completely engulfing all three of them in the process. Almost immediately, they let go and flailed on the ground in pain. They yelped in agony as my fire greedily devoured their wooden bodies. I panted as I looked on in high alert, my new wounds sending stinging rushes of pain with every breath. I struggled to get off my knee and stand on two feet as I looked on in lazy caution. To my increasing nervousness, the now presumably dead creatures began to glow a mysterious green. The seven wood corpses tumbled apart and slowly approached each other, the surplus of lumber levitating and smashing together in mid air. I looked on in shock while the pieces massed together into a huge lump of green glowing wood. That lump then took shape into a towering wood wolf, its size being several times that of my own. My breath was thrown into highly alarmed disarray as the huge wood wolf crouched down to eye level and pierced into my eyes. With unrelenting might, it roared into my face, it's bad breath engulfing a good portion of the area with ease. "Curses!!" I swore as I leaped back vigorously to gain distance from the apex predator before me. My wounds stung and bled, not to mention my body was in bad condition from the start. My only choice was to fight too, in this state I wouldn't be able to outrun a flightless sky bison much less a giant wolf. The wood behemoth crouched down and readied its illogical mass for a final lunge, it seems like its intent was to finish me off with a bone crunching bite. However, I still had enough energy to summon just enough flames for a lethal dose of force. I might screw it up as I am now but it's do or die, I had to aim for its head and hope for the best. I raised my right hand above my head and lowered my left hand below my waist. Then I took a deep breath as the last of my perseverance was used to engulf both of my open hands in flames. As the wolf dashed its huge body towards me, I clenched my biceps and took careful aim. "AARGH", I yelled as I swirled my arms in a swift whirlpool motion to enhance impact. The wood wolfs enormous open jaws then quickly met with a twisting fire stream attack as I continued to power it from behind with physical and spiritual force. The attack clashed with the wooden titans jaws, both sides holding unrelenting force. The two forces seemed to be at a stalemate, my remaining energy quickly leaving me. I clamped my eyes shut in pained effort as I let out a cry and with a final push, my attack burst into the towering beasts jaws. It let out a mighty roar of pain as my attack rid it of a lower jaw before dispersing. Immediately, I sat on my posterior no longer having the strength to even stand. I weakly looked on panting heavily, a mixture of blood and sweat running down my body in large quantities. The creature regained composure and attempted a snarl with its lone upper jaw. It glared intently in my direction as its jaw began to regenerate itself. My eyes struggled to widen, fatigue embracing tightly onto every nook and cranny of my body. Was I about to meet my end so soon...? Again?? No! I can't go back to that darkness! However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move a single inch. The huge creature carefully approached as I looked on in lazy horror. I clenched my teeth in vibrant fustration while despair began to also sink its dirty jaws into me, my breathing even struggling to hyperventilate. It was just my luck to encounter this freaking thing as soon as I regained life. I closed my eyes and readied myself for yet another imminent end. I sat there waiting for my ragged breathing and roaring pain to be once again silenced into nothingness... I awaited my death in shameless defeat... but.. something was wrong. That giant was surely taking its time. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw the big wolf to be paralyzed. (pause the music) Its piercing green eyes widened as its entire wooden mass began to rumble. I looked on in bewilderment as the huge organism collapsed into a huge pile of wood. Among the pile were multitudes of charred lumber from my previous attacks. I ogled at the pile intently for a very prolonged amount of time, the lumber showing no indication of activity. An enormous sense of relief swept across my mind at the unreal realization. By a hairs breath, I managed to defeat this bizarre creature and survive. I softened my facial muscles and relaxed my stiff shoulders as I allowed myself to breathe. "And stay down!", I weakly scolded the dead wood in resentment. I winced in pain, my sudden outburst not exactly treating me well. Panting heavily and sweating like mad, I lay fully on my back with arms out wide. I was barely alive but alive nonetheless, I almost didn't mind the stinging, burning, and searing pain I was in... almost. I glanced backwards at a tree and enthusiastically dragged myself towards it, doing my best to ignore the explosions of pain in response. When I arrived before it, I sat upright and leaned on its bark. "A little rough but it'll do for now.", I painfully chuckled. After settling down properly, I took to a more serious mood and carefully surveyed the area. This forest was now clearly a dangerous place, if anything else decided to pay me visit it would mean my death. I wasn't a very big fan of death. I sharply gazed for any shadows or unnatural movements within the heavy vegetation, a new feeling then presenting itself to me. It was the first time hunger revealed its ugly face in all this mess. Just what I needed. "Burned, bitten, exhausted, and hungry. Hm.. and here I thought I wasn't gonna get to experience my wedding," I weakly joked to brighten the situation a bit, the dreadful sound of a bush rustling reaching my ears in the process. I snapped my neck towards the rustling bush, ignoring the short outburst of pain. No. Do not. Please.. do not. A new unidentified striped creature emerged from it. For spirits sake, NO!! The creature paused upon sight of me, its face making a very puzzled expression. I glared at it in hopes of scaring it off but it didn't seem to have any effect. I guess this was really the end. My luck was truly at an all time low, was it possible for anything to be this unlucky? seriously, why in sozin's comet does this always- "I do not know of the species in which you belong, but those wounds of yours, to ignore them would be wrong." ...Did that thing just talk? I gave it a shocked but still defiant look, if it was truly intelligent enough to speak, it could pose quite the threat. "Do not fret for I bring you no harm, the aroma of smoke is what brought me to my alarm", it rhymed. Whatever it was, it didn't want me to think it was hostile, but that didn't mean it wasn't. And judging from its poetic speech, it was indeed pretty smart, however I don't have much choice but to bargain with it. "Just let me go... I wont disturb you or your brethren I promise", I hoarsely choked. It was definitely surprised at my ability to speak, its jaw was practically making love to the ground when it heard me talk. It shook its surprised expression off and responded. "Nonsense, if another day is what you want to see, then gather your courage and come with me. It is my duty to help those in need, you see creature, medicinal craft is my one true creed." Its expression sure seemed to convey a strong desire to help me even though it did not seem to recognize me as creature, and I knew a good liar when I saw one... It could most likely be trusted, not like I had any room to reject any help regardless. With that set in stone, I decided to converse with it a bit more. "What are you?", I asked. It looked at me with yet another puzzled expression before answering. "That is the question that I'd like to know, I've never seen anything much like you in this overgrow. But I'll answer you in the name of Libra, if you were from around here, you'd know that I am a zebra," it chanted. Zeb-what? Like a zebra seal? It had the stripes but it looked more like a horse.. It began to approach me, much to my surprise. I tried to stand up but pain and fatigue made sure that didn't happen. It chuckled at my attempt before speaking yet again. "Be at ease, for you cannot stand, just how do you expect to get to my land", it chimed as it bit onto my pants. Before I could object, this "zebra" began to drag me along with it. I simply gave up and let it do as it pleased, or as she pleased. This creature did have a feminine voice, so until I find out otherwise, I'll just assume she was female. With a small sigh, my eyes once again gazed at the magnificent blue sky. Lets see just what becomes of me...