Prompt #03 Undying: "Gold and Glory " (rating: K+), Omoni
Title: Gold and Glory
Author: Omoni
Rating: K+
Words: 500
Genre: General
Char/Pair: Kyoshi, Koko
Warning: None.
Summary: No one ever thought that the might Avatar Kyoshi would die. Especially her daughter.
Gold and Glory
No one ever suspected that some day, at some point, Kyoshi would die. She had lived for so long and without any hint of stopping that it seemed to be the eternal norm. She outlived her consort, three of her second-in-commands, and most of the school children she had grown up with. Even her own daughter was convinced that she would die before her mother, the great and mighty Avatar Kyoshi.
But one day, in the middle of the preparations for the Summer Solstice festival, Kyoshi - who usually kept herself in the middle of preparations - suddenly vanished into her house. When Koko realised that her mother had gone, she went to find her, searching the shorelines, the marketplace and even the temple, before even considering checking her mother’s home.
What she walked into was a house darkened intentionally, the flames extinguished and the windows covered. She crept through the silent house, realising with a chill that this was the first time she had even heard the house so quiet in all of her life - if it wasn’t full of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, it was full of townspeople or visitors or politicians. Not once in all of her life had Koko walked into this house to find it so seemingly void of life.
She found her mother sitting up in her bed, her covers pulled over her legs. Her face was bare, startling Koko, who honestly couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her mother’s naked face. In her hands lay her headpiece, and her plain, lined with her age and her experiences, was drawn with emotion.
Wordlessly, Koko went to her mother’s side, kneeling beside the bed. Kyoshi looked down at her, her eyes kind. “In all of my years of living,” she said slowly, as if it were difficult, “I never would have imagined that I would be afraid to die.”
Koko leaned in closer; Kyoshi’s voice was very thin and soft, so unlike the brusque timbre she was used to.
“And yet, here I am. Moments away and terrified.” Kyoshi smiled slowly. Koko felt a kick to her chest, and she reached out and grabbed her mother’s hands into hers, holding them around the headpiece.
“You don’t look like you’re dying,” Koko blurted out. “You never told me. You never told any of us.”
Kyoshi reached out and placed a hand on her cheek. Koko was dismayed by how thin and frail it felt, how cold the skin was. “Dying is a private affair. It’s between you and your demons,” Kyoshi replied with that same sad smile.
“Demons?” Koko echoed. Kyoshi merely smiled wider. “Mama, you can’t die.”
“I can and will and that will be that,” Kyoshi answered, her voice firmer. “You people are spoiled, always taking the fact that I’m around for granted.”
“Mama…”
“Koko, you’ll be fine,” Kyoshi cupped her face into her hands, just like when she was a kid. “Just keep on living.”
Koko swallowed hard, then nodded. She would live.
Author: Omoni
Rating: K+
Words: 500
Genre: General
Char/Pair: Kyoshi, Koko
Warning: None.
Summary: No one ever thought that the might Avatar Kyoshi would die. Especially her daughter.
Gold and Glory
No one ever suspected that some day, at some point, Kyoshi would die. She had lived for so long and without any hint of stopping that it seemed to be the eternal norm. She outlived her consort, three of her second-in-commands, and most of the school children she had grown up with. Even her own daughter was convinced that she would die before her mother, the great and mighty Avatar Kyoshi.
But one day, in the middle of the preparations for the Summer Solstice festival, Kyoshi - who usually kept herself in the middle of preparations - suddenly vanished into her house. When Koko realised that her mother had gone, she went to find her, searching the shorelines, the marketplace and even the temple, before even considering checking her mother’s home.
What she walked into was a house darkened intentionally, the flames extinguished and the windows covered. She crept through the silent house, realising with a chill that this was the first time she had even heard the house so quiet in all of her life - if it wasn’t full of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, it was full of townspeople or visitors or politicians. Not once in all of her life had Koko walked into this house to find it so seemingly void of life.
She found her mother sitting up in her bed, her covers pulled over her legs. Her face was bare, startling Koko, who honestly couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her mother’s naked face. In her hands lay her headpiece, and her plain, lined with her age and her experiences, was drawn with emotion.
Wordlessly, Koko went to her mother’s side, kneeling beside the bed. Kyoshi looked down at her, her eyes kind. “In all of my years of living,” she said slowly, as if it were difficult, “I never would have imagined that I would be afraid to die.”
Koko leaned in closer; Kyoshi’s voice was very thin and soft, so unlike the brusque timbre she was used to.
“And yet, here I am. Moments away and terrified.” Kyoshi smiled slowly. Koko felt a kick to her chest, and she reached out and grabbed her mother’s hands into hers, holding them around the headpiece.
“You don’t look like you’re dying,” Koko blurted out. “You never told me. You never told any of us.”
Kyoshi reached out and placed a hand on her cheek. Koko was dismayed by how thin and frail it felt, how cold the skin was. “Dying is a private affair. It’s between you and your demons,” Kyoshi replied with that same sad smile.
“Demons?” Koko echoed. Kyoshi merely smiled wider. “Mama, you can’t die.”
“I can and will and that will be that,” Kyoshi answered, her voice firmer. “You people are spoiled, always taking the fact that I’m around for granted.”
“Mama…”
“Koko, you’ll be fine,” Kyoshi cupped her face into her hands, just like when she was a kid. “Just keep on living.”
Koko swallowed hard, then nodded. She would live.