Epilogue.

Beniko sat sadly on the window-sill of the highest window in the palace. Over the top of the volcano’ ridge, she could see the vastness that was the open sea. She missed it. Sure these past five years with Katara had been brilliant, and little Ben was such fun to play with, even though he was only three, but the sea was where she belonged. All she had ever truly known was the water, so being stuck on land, even if it was living in Fire Lord Zuko’s own palace, was hard on her. She rested her head back against the wall to see if she could see further, but it did no good. A rap on the door broke her silence.

“Come in.” she called with out looking at the door.

“Beni-Ben’ Mommy said you’d be up here.” Ben said, his short arm barely reaching the door handle. “Why do you keep on stayin’ up here?” The blue eyed black haired child had been named ‘Ben’ for her.

“I like to see the sea little Ben.” She smiled sadly. She climbed off of the window-sill and placed the three year old on her wider hip. She walked back over to the window and pulled it shut, not wanting Ben to get cold. For a few moments, she looked at her reflection, and realised how much she now looked like her mother. Her hair she now wore down in a neutral style. Her clothes were still males, but no longer hid her femininity. “So, why’d you come up here, kid? Your Nursemaid’ll go ape if she knew that you climbed those stares by yourself.” As she spoke, she sat him on her bed.

“’Cos I wanted to see you Beni-Ben’. ‘Sides, Mommy said she has a surprise for you.” Beniko jumped up in mock over-excitement.

“A surprise? For me?” She cried placing her hands over her mouth, she suddenly placed her hands on her hips and lowered her face down to his with a fake smirk. “Tell me what it is.” Ben giggled.

“No!” He knew exactly what to say, and what she was going to say next.

“Be ye refusing a pirates orders? Do ye know what ye’ll get for disobeying a pirate? Ye’ll be made to be tiggled by the fastest tigglin’ fingers in the world!” All this he had said along with her.

“Yes!” He cried out loudly and excitedly.

“Ah, so ye be challenging me now. Avast ye, little pirate!” And then she practically dove at him, tiggling him until he cried with laughter.

Katara turned a little in her seat in the dining hall when she heard the voices of her young son and pirate friend singing an old pirate song with loud almost drunken pride. Beniko kicked through the door, just finishing off their last verse in a ridiculously loud voice, with her son riding on her shoulders, gripping tightly her hair and singing with the same muck-drunkenness tone. When they where finished, she stood there, wavering lightly with a goofy grin on her face. Zuko rose an eyebrow at the two. After a moment, Ben’ swung the younger, male version of herself off her solders hand stood him on the floor before her. He immediately ran to his father, and laughed. Ben’ herself crashed down onto the seat before her and asked what lunch was. Soon after the food was served, a man creped into the room.

“Miss? I wish to speak with the Gods.” He pleaded meekly, Ben’ rose an eyebrow at him.

“I am only the envoy to the Goddess of the night, you know… But I’m sure she could pass it on to whomever it is you wish to speak with.” Beniko replied. He nodded and smiled in an almost apologetic manner. Her eyes suddenly drifted closed and the room grew darker. Ben’s hair began to blow as if moved by a godly wind and her skin began to glow white. She suddenly snapped her eyes open and they were the pools of sheer night that Katara had first seen so long ago. (What is it that you wish for my mother to say) Her voice was that of a thousand souls lost to the night.

“I wish to ask for them to heal my wife and unborn child. They are ill and none of the healers can help her.” Beniko’s mouth suddenly made movement without producing any words.

(They will try, but they will not save both; you must choose one or the other.) The man merely gawped for a moment.

“But-but how can I choose that? Why are the Gods so cruel?”

(Do not question the will of the Gods!) Beniko snapped. The man cowered right back for a moment as Ben’ rose to tower over him intimidating. Just behind her, she heard Ben whimper. Her head snapped around to face him and Zuko, and the Fire Lord swore that within the menacing pools of night, he could see her own, normal eyes looking sorry. She closed her eyes for a moment, still looking at the small boy, before releasing a sigh. (I shall give you a week for you and your wife to decide. If you spare your wife, the baby will be absorbed as if it never was, but if you spare your wife, I shall give her enough time to say her goodbyes and give birth... But on the very moment the baby is fully out of her, she shall die.) The man nodded quickly and left praying thanks to her and her mother as he disappeared. Beniko returned to normal and slammed her head on a blank spot on the table. She muttered something about hate and scariness into the hard wood before mouthing a chain of cusses.

The next day too was no spectacularly special day for most people, just the fourth anniversary of Beniko moving in to the palace. Beforehand, she had wondered the Fire Nation, exploring between her Grandmothers village and the hidden temple of her mother worshipers primarily. After she fell sick on her way through the city, Katara decided for her that the Ex-cabin boy should just give up with her endless yo-yoing and take it easy in the palace grounds, if just for a short while. Said ‘Short while’ lasted four whole years, so Katara decided that it was long over time for the sea-born tomboy should return to where she belonged. Katara sat with Ben’ in the royal carrage, heading down to docks where a surprise for her friend awaited. Beniko giggled childishly.

“Please tell me. Tell me. Please, please please pleeeeease.” Beniko begged from behind the blind she was wearing, sounding more like Little Ben then she should. Katara rolled her eyes and shook her head. Ben’ had been asking that same question and plea since breakfast, and it almost drove her husband to attacking the irritating pirate. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Katara managed to hurry Ben’ out of his earshot before she could demand again, a nasty little accident could have happened.

Beniko soon heard the most comforting, pleasant sound that had passed her ears in too long; it was the sound of waves lapping at sand wood and more water. Had she been born a long-eared animal, her ears would but perked right up.

“The sea!” She smiled. “Ah, the glories of the open ocean, with it's glorious constant movement and ever-lovably unpredictability.” A bright smile cracked across her face. “Did you get me a sea-side home?” Her surprise was not a place by the sea exactly. Ben' giggled like a fangirl meeting the person she admired. It was all too much. Katara led Ben' out of the carriage when it pulled to a stop on a wooden dock. The smell of the sea tiggled both of their noses.

“Welcome home, Captain Ben'.” Katara smiled, pulling off the blind. Beniko's brown eye's shot open wide they rimmed with tears landing on the most beautiful ship she had ever seen. It was made primarily out of a deep, red tinted wood that gleamed lightly in the sunlight from its polish. Three huge masts towered towards the heaven, holding two or three snow coloured sails each, all rolled onto the wooden supports that kept them up. A flag danced in the breeze at the very top of the mizzen, hosting a clever combination of all four nations and her mother's worshippers' emblem. The stunned pirate walked slowly up to the ship and brushed her blunt fingertips against the smooth wood of the ship, testing if it was real, and then again for assurance. The pirate the pressed her full hand against it, putting some of her weight against it, making sure, for absolute certain, that it would not vanish.

“Yes, captain, it is defiantly real, else I’d be pretty damned wet by now.” Joked a familiar voice from up on deck. She looked directly up to meet with a pair of eyes the colour of Cherry wood, they even had specks of moss green in them. The messy, spiky brown hair of her childhood crush and companion pointed down at her. The tiniest blush appeared on her cheeks.

“Damien?” She called, one blue eyebrow crawling up her face.

“Yup!” He laughed, “’Tis me all right!” Ben’ backed away from the side, and the ran up to the gang plank. The boy did so as well. They met at the bottom of the wooden board that let people on board, and crashed into a violently powerful hug. “Gah! Ben’, my girl! You’ve changed; You’ve grown up so much, but you’re still the same old Ben’ that made those village kids older than us run crying.” Beniko gave out a faux growl, causing Damien to laugh again.

“You too, Fluffers. You too.” She felt so happy as she let her head fall against his chest. “Come on, you dog. We have a whole world to explore and pillage, and not nearly enough time.” She snaked out of his hug, and dragged him away onto the ship.

Katara stood on the end of the dock, waving at the grand ship as it left. Her husband was on one side and her young son on the other. Captain Ben’ stood as far back on the stern of the ship as she could, waving like a madman and crying out her fair-wells. As she got further out of earshot, she climbed up on the rail-guard and leaned out dangerously over the water, calling out the last of her goodbyes. She nearly fell in when Damien pulled her away with a mini panic-attack. As Ben’ slowly shrank from view, Katara shook her head. That poor crew, they were going to have quite a hard time keeping up with Beniko’s antics. Her heart especially went out to Damien, whom naturally would be the one to have to stop the nutter from getting herself killed!

And so this story of pain and madness, of horror and love, of trust and friendship comes to an end, with the end of one long adventure, and the beginning of another…

The End

(sob! :C )