The door was small and up against the back of the small stand, In reality it was actually part of the stand, but it was sectioned off by a wall; separating his room from the inside of the stand. The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Zhe, lived upstairs. Both of them were old in their mid to late 60s. They were always nice to Yi, offering him a nice meal instead of his usual meal of rice and soy sauce, and sometimes noodles.

Yi could feel his whole body shaking slightly as he reached for the small cheap lock that held the sliding door shut. The lock really didn’t do anything… it just kept the door shut and nothing more…Yi rose his head slightly as he glanced over at Li. A small faint smile appeared on his face. She is the first person to ever set foot inside Yi’s small living space. Yi undid the latch and slid the old rickety door open.

The inside of the small room was dark. The only time there was light from the sun is early in the morning; otherwise that apartment was always in the shadow of a building. There was a small window with wooden shutters to the right of the door. The shutters were cover in dust; a sign that they were always closed, and haven’t been open in a long time. The room was small and quant. On the right wall were a small counter and a set of cupboards which comprised his kitchen. All of it was made of old wood, but unnaturally clean. On the opposite wall on to the left of the door was another small door that led to the small washroom. Next to the washroom door was a small dresser with a small mirror hanging on the wall above it. The mirror had a large spiral shatter in it, as if someone slammed their fist into it. On the wall directly across from the door was a small mattress. The mattress was noticeably old, but appeared to be in somewhat good condition; several cloth patches could be seen along the sides of the mattress. On the ground at the head of the mattress sat a small pillow, a pillow that had seen better days; lost of all its fluffiness a well as a few thin blankets. Next to the bed was a set of two small wooden stools. But overall... it was surprisingly clean. Almost to the point of obsessive compulsion clean.

Yi slowly walked into the room and glanced around, everything was exactly as he left it. He wasn’t that proud of it, but this was all that he had. Yi stood by the door and waited for Li to enter before closing the door. Despite the room being in shade and darkness most of the day, it was surprisingly comfortable.

Li Mei followed Yi into his home and looked around, studying his abode carefully. Why is it so dark? she wondered, her eyes traveling to the dusty and closed shutters. She wasn't surprised that the room was clean. Yi just seemed like the kind of person that wanted to keep their things clean. She walked into the shadow of the room and moved closer to the broken mirror and touched the glass gently. How familiar... she thought, tracing her finger along one of the many cracks in the glass.

She involuntarily thought of her father again. When she was 12, her father had broken a small hand mirror and had threatened to cut her mother's throat with the glass while Li Mei sat and watched. She needed to forget. Li Mei turned to Yi and smiled as much as she could make herself. "Your home is very nice," she said, softly. It wasn't a lie. Li Mei did think it was a nice quaint spot, but the mirror bothered her. And so she simply refused to look at it. Wasn't there something he was supposed to give her? The clothes! "Oh Yi? Can I have the extra clothes please?" She asked, moving away from the mirror.

((sorry for this being late… work))

Yi closed to door once Li entered, not bothering to latch the door shut… there was no reason to… He stared around his bleak room and sighed coldly… regardless of it being dark and depressing, it was at least a step up from the hell he used to live in. A cold chill shot down his spine when he thought about his original home…even the voice involuntarily shuttered at the thought… he was just as afraid of that place as Yi was. He walked into his room and watched Li with an eagle eye; watching her observe and look around his small pitiful excuse for a home… Yi couldn’t help but feel embarrassed… such a nice girl should not see such a disgusting, dark place….

“Your home is very nice,”

Nice… an unfamiliar word to Yi… nothing was nice… only degrees of disgust… Part of Yi wanted to take her comment with a grain of salt, but another part wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe she was right and just… but he... didn’t know… He was lost in his conflicting thoughts… Regardless of what she said.. Yi felt comfortable le in this place. This was his safe zone; he has spent many nights curled in a ball in the far corner of the room crying his eyes out in sheer horror and pain. With slight more confidence, Yi was able to hold his head up and look at Li with his full vision; her vision locked on the mirror. She looked happy… happy…and sad at the same time….

Happy…

“Oh Yi? Can I have the extra clothes please?

Yi quickly snapped out of trance and nodded softly… He quickly passed her and walked up to the dresser. He made sure not to look into the mirror… he hated that mirror… but yet he couldn’t bear to part with it… With shaky hands he opened the top drawer of the three drawer dresser. Inside was a series of neatly folded clothes, each one equal in fold length and almost identical seams and folds. In the back of the drawer was a small wooden box. A box that haunted him every night… He quickly grabbed an old grey long sleeved shirt and a pair of black cotton pants. It was simple peasant wear… but it was cheap an inconspicuous… Yi sat the clothes on top of the dresser and quickly closed the drawer. A wave of relief flooded his body as he picked up the neatly folded clothes and handed them to Li.

“You can use the wash room to change… you can keep them if you like… I have no use for them…”, replied Yi meekly as he looked at Li in the eyes. He was ashamed that he couldn’t give her anything better… another fault to forever rest on his shoulders.

((It's cool. I totally understand))

With trembling hands, Li Mei accepted the clothing. She looked around, searching for the washroom he spoke about. Spying it, she moved toward it and slipped inside. It was dark in there too, so Li Mei left the door open just enough to let what little light existed in the living area filter in. She set the folded clothes down and slowly began to undress.

Li Mei hated her body. Crescent shaped scars decorated her abdomen, shoulders, and back. The scars served as a reminder of a life she desperately wanted to forget. The life she knew before had warped and distorted her views on life and relationships. The shirt was almost a perfect fit. It followed her curves and flared out as it reached her waist. The pants however was a much different story. They weren't much too big, but they were big enough that Li Mei had to pull them up from time to time.

She slowly folded her clothing and pushed opened the washroom door. Li Mei emerged and set her clothes on the floor close to where she was standing. She smiled shyly at Yi before pulling her braid in front of her shoulder and trapping it in her hands. She had the clothes and she had lost her stalker. Now what? she wondered. Then she figured this would be the best time to get to know Yi a little better.

She moved toward him, her hands still clutching the braid. "So...Yi...are you from here?" She asked sheepishly.

Yi saw Luan walk into the washroom; her feet squeaking slightly on the wood planked floor. When she closed the door slightly, Yi turned away and headed towards the small counter. He quickly pulled out a large metal plate from the cupboard above him and sat it neatly on the counter. He pulled out a small iron strand and a small clay tea pot and sat both of the metal plate. With the skill and precision of a doctor, Yi instantly had the teapot on the stand on the metal plate; ready to be lit. He opened another cupboard and pulled out a box full of mulch looking material. He reached into the box and pulled out a small hand full and emptied it under the stand. He quickly put the box away and pulled out his striking stones; his hands shook violently making it almost impossible for he him strike the two jade stones together to make the fire. A few agonizing seconds later, Yi finally got a spark and a small fire going. Yi felt a wave of fear flush through his body as he gazed at the fire… Every time he lit a fire, he was pulled to it… it burned him from the inside…

Visions of the fire filled Yi’s mind… he could feel it reaching out to him… consuming him… but he could not resist… It jumped with claws onto his face and bit so hard… The fire filled his body, and pained him greatly… Yi could see his hands burning and his hair. He glanced down and stared in horror... for his whole body was ablaze. The fire loved him… the fire loved him not…

Yi quickly snapped out of his day dream; his heart was racing and adrenaline coursed it way through his veins. Small beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he quickly wiped them away and prepared the tea. Hesitantly, he put some water from a jug into the tea pot and placed it on the stand. He knew that while Li was here... he had to be a good host…

When the tea pot was boiling he walked back to where he originally stood and waited for Li to come out. He tried not to think about the past… but couldn’t help it.. The voice letting repressed memories flow freely though his head. A few seconds later Li walked out of the washroom with her old clothes messily folded in her hands. He could tell that the pants were slightly too big... but the shirt seemed fine… He felt ashamed that he didn’t have any pants that fit better… He was indeed worthless… he noticed her placing the clothes on the floor and look back up at him…

“So...Yi...are you from here?”

Yi didn’t know how to answer the question... he was afraid to tell her anything…. What a mess he had gotten himself into… he quickly turned and walked to one of the small wooden stools and sat down. The sound of the simmering water could be heard behind him. He knew it was impolite to ignore her question… and decided it was best to keep the answer vague.

” I have lived here all my life… I wish to leave... but I can’t…”, replied Yi softly, in an almost inaudible voice. He wrapped both his arms around his stomach and lowered his head slightly… fearing that he would have to explain more…

Li Mei followed Yi across the room and sat down on a stool close to his. They sound of simmering water caught her attention and she looked into the kitchen at the boiling water. Another painful memory was associated with boiling water. Why was it that her memories was always triggered by everyday items? Her face saddened as she began to realize how truly pathetic she was. He wanted to leave but he couldn't? She was kind of the same.

"I was born in Ba Sing Se." Li Mei's voice was low and gave away her sadness. "I escaped...but I it's like I'm still trapped there. My body is free...but my mind isn't." She looked down at her hands. She wasn't going back voluntarily. But why did it feel like she was still there? A few hot tears slipped down her cheeks and she wiped her face with her sleeves. "Sorry..." she whispered, looking up at him. Her eyes had a slight hint of red to them and a few tears clung to her eye lashes.

She was silent for a long time after that. Both of them wanted to escape but for one reason or another, they couldn't. "...We're the same." Li Mei tried laugh cheerfully, at least to make Yi feel good. But it came more like a bitter chuckle. And that was all she had to offer to him. Her father had been right. She was pathetic and quite honestly it was sad.

Yi lowered his head even further; resting his chin on his chest. He slowly shifted his arms; his left still across his belly but his right hand was now resting on the back of his neck. He brought his right arm close to his chest successfully making his chest small. He forced his eyes shut and slowly shook his head in disagreement with Li’s observation. “No... You’re wrong… We are not the same... You had the courage to flee and run away… I can’t… I’m weak… I’m not as strong as you…” , replied Yi, his voice filled with pain and sorrow. He could feel his body shake ever so slightly as memories rushed into his head. Even though there was nothing on his skin, he could feel it burn.

The sounds of boiling water soon filled the uncomfortable silence of the room. Keeping his left arm across his belly, Yi stood up and walked over to the counter. He reached up into the counter and pulled down two small teacups. He fought back tears as he poured hot tea into the two glasses… he broke his original posture and sat the pot back onto the stand, steam dancing its way out of the spout. With a cup now in each hand, Yi waked back to the stools and offered a cup to Li, keeping his head down.

Courage? What courage? She never had any courage and if wasn't for her mother, she never would've left her prison. "I only left because of her..." she said, her gaze returning to her boots. She heard Yi's stool scrape across the floor as he stood and she watched him move across the room to the kitchen. The scar on the back of her neck began to ache again and she reached behind her to rub it gently. Without her braid to cover it, it was quite visible from Yi's prospective, if he leaned back on his stool a bit. However, Li Mei hadn't noticed this.

When Yi offered her the tea cup, she graciously accepted it and whispered her thank you. Her hands shook a bit and the tea reflected that. She wanted Yi to hold his head up, because she thought she had only seen his eyes once. But she got the feeling he wasn't going to be doing that anytime soon. Taking a quiet sip of her tea, Li Mei looked down again at her feet.

Yi held the small cup in his left hand and returned his right hand to its original place on his neck. Feeling a bit more relaxed, he managed to keep his head slightly up, but his eyes were locked on the ground. He always felt better when he had tea… He glanced over at Li; her head and eyes focused on the ground… He lowered his hand from his neck and rested it across his chest; keeping his shoulder bowed inward. He thought long and hard about her response… because of her… She was indeed lucky…

“at least you had someone… I have no one…”, retorted Yi, his voice still showing his constant depression. She had someone... someone that gives her a reason keep her going… someone that gives her a reason to live on… a reason to try and get through the plight that life has dealt her. Yi couldn’t help but feel envious of Li… She was indeed lucky…luckier than him anyways… He could feel his stomach cramp up in shame… His chest grew slightly tight as he fought back tears… “Tell me about her… please…”, asked Yi meekly. Maybe hearing about someone who gave Li hope, would help him… He turned his head towards her and flashed a sad smile.

You have no one?! I was the one who got you out of that hell! I sat here and listened to your cries of pain! I’m your pain when you cant feel! I am everything to you! How dare you dismiss me like that! If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead or dying right now!, retorted the voice sternly, the voice was filled with rage.

Yi shook his head in response. “No... look where you have gotten me! I would rather be dead then where I am now!, whispered Yi to himself, clenching his eyes shut tightly; the tea cup shaking slightly in his hand.

He wanted to know about her mother? Li Mei smiled, a big grin that stretched from ear to ear. There was so much to tell and Li Mei wasn't sure she had time to tell it all. "My mother...Her name's Amaya and she was a traveling merchant from the North Pole. She sold beautifully hand crafted necklaces. She's very stubborn and strong minded." Li Mei laughed a bit, a genuine laugh. "She met my dad, an earthbender and blacksmith, while she was working in Ba Sing Se... They were happy and then they had me." Her voice trailed off and she blinked several times.

Should she continue? After all, it wasn't like her past was exactly easy to relate. But Li Mei didn't quite feel like herself then. Something inside her hand just taken over. The next words were out of her mouth before she had the time to reconsider.

"Everything was fine...for a while. But Dad...he started losing business and pretty soon, he started drinking...a lot. Then he and my mom started fighting. He did most of the yelling and then one day...he just lashed out at her. He had hit her so hard, I could hear it in the kitchen which was like two rooms away." She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip to keep herself from talking.

"I'm sorry Yi...I shouldn't have...told you that. Just forget I said anything."

She saw him shaking his head out of the corner of her eye and she figured she had disgusted him in someway. She turned her back to him and clenched her eyes shut again.

Yi managed to listen the best he could, the voice still nagging him… he was finding it hard to listen fully… He wanted to listen so badly… he managed to listen with some attention… but not full attention. Her story was almost as bad as his… She was right… they we’re somewhat the same… She’s lying Yi! Get rid of her now... or I will…[/i], threatened the voice with a cold, sharp, and unrelenting tone. He could feel his hands shaking in sheer terror… Yi didn’t want him to have control… he wouldn’t let that happen… He could feel his lower jaw start to tremble slightly. He closed his eyes and held them closed with all his might; he returned his right hand to his neck, squeezing tightly.

He quickly glanced over at Li who now had her back turned to him… Yi lowered his head and shook it in disagreement. “No… please go away… go away… Please... leave her alone... She’s nice…”, pleaded Yi quietly. There was an unsettling silence in Yi’s head. FINE then! But I warn you Yi… she will cause you nothing but pain! And when you break down again.. I won’t be here to help you anymore… you’re on your down now… You can now deal with all the sh** I have to go through to keep you happy…[/i], sneered the voice, its tone showing no remorse or emotion. The voice knew that all it had to do was sit and wait for the perfect time… a time that he had been waiting for…

Things instantly became clear to Yi… there was no more noise in his head… no more quiet whispering ran through his head. He still felt depressed and sad, the weight not lifting from his shoulder… Oddly enough... he felt the same... if not worse… Wave after wave of repressed memories rushed into his head causing him to relive his entire life in a microsecond… all the evil things will now haunt his every waking moment. Pain flooded his body as he scars began to burn, his bones screamed in pain as if they were broken again. Yi tried his best to push the horrors out of his mind.. He still noticed Li with her back turned… he had made her sad, and he knew that there was only one thing to do…

“My parents never loved me… from the day I was born… they never cared for me... I was a disgrace to them… nothing more than a failure and a source of dishonor… They… they did things to me… I remember the pain I experienced… There was no comfort for me… My mother was just as abusive… if not more abusive then my father… Despite the daily tortures… I still tried to please them... even though I knew it wouldn’t help… I prayed every night to the spirits to end my life… But they never listened… They watch me get beaten to a pulp every day in and out… I pleaded and pleaded until my throat rebelled in pain… I clinged to a hope that I could make my parents happy… it only made the tortures worse…”, confessed I, his voice shaky and filled with sorrow, He struggled to fight back tears, but failed…

He hated remembering such horrible things… he silently pleaded to himself for the voice to come back… come back and relive him from the pain he was feeling… but there was no response… Yi was now alone… alone with his haunting past… Yi could feel what was left of him fade away… He no longer knew who he was…

Li Mei opened her eyes and turned to Yi again. She had listened to every word of his tale and her heart ached for him. So they really were the same...in more ways than one. Slowly, she slid off of her stool and stood in front of him. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled her against him, in a gentle yet firm hug.

She pulled away from him gently and stared intently at him. Her hands went for the sleeves of her shirt and she pushed them up, showing Yi her secret. The same crescent scars that decorated her abdomen also graced her arms.

"My mom and I thought I was safe from him...but I wasn't. He came after me too." She whispered. The sleeves fell again and Li Mei dropped her arms to her side. She stared at Yi intently and waited for him to say something...anything at all.

Yi crossed his hands in front of his chest, he felt so vulnerable… so open…he couldn’t feel anything anymore… he felt emptier then he had ever been before… he couldn’t keep his head up…. He was now nothing more than an emotional wreak; the sorry petty end of a sad and tragic life. All he could do was sit there, motionless, waves of apathy flushed through his body... nothing but pain registered to him… A single tear slipped out of his eye and ran down his cheek. No matter how clear his thoughts were now, he hated this empty feeling that the voice left within him… He felt like there was no longer a reason to live… He wanted to end his life so badly… he wanted to take away the pain... the suffering… and the torment… That was all he had left… he was only a remnant of his former self… like a long forgotten piece of art; cast away into the abyss... never to be seen or cared about… ever again…

Yi dropped his tea cup in sadness… His muscles slipping in and out of atrophy. he was lost.. Utterly lost… lost in the woods without a guide or a compass. Out of the corner of his eye, he was Li move… he probably scarred her away… he wouldn’t doubt it… to be honest… he scared himself… Without warning, Yi felt something warm and soft around his neck and an equally warm and soft body against his… He could feel his mind and heart melt into goo... She was so soft… He was lost in a sea of despair and confusion... but yet he was slightly happy… maybe not singing and dancing, but just a bit happier then he has been in years or for as long as he could remember. Yi couldn’t stop thinking about how good Li felt… her skin so soft and warm… go gentle… so sweet…

The thrill was immediately broken when she pulled away. He looked up at Li with what little strength he had left; his deep auburn eyes making contact with his rich light blue eyes… Yi watched as she rolled up her sleeves to see countless scars along her arms. A glimmer of happiness could be seen in Yi’s eyes as he watched her lower the sleeves… her words left a strong impression in his mind.

Yi closed his eyes and slowly stood up, making sure not to slip in his spilt sleeve. With a lowered head, Yi unrolled his sleeves to reveal the piece of metal the covered his forearms. With a deep swallow, Yi undid the small leather straps that held the gauntlets in place and removed them one by one. His arms were red and dark, his whole forearm was nothing but a large scar. Scar after scar layered on top of each other. Once his sleeves were rolled up, Yi slowly lifted the front of his shirt to reveal a badly scarred, slightly built chest; lines of black, deep purple and red zig zaged across this chest. It seemed as if his chest was one big scar.

“Scars are powerful things. Our scars have the ability to remind us that the past is real, and should not be forgotten… The pain you feel only strengths the memories... for in our memories lies our true strength… A strength I have yet to embrace…”, replied Yi softly as he dropped his shirt and slowly unrolled his sleeves.

Li Mei placed her hands on Yi's chest. She could feel the scars through his shirt and it made her cringe. She could only imagine what horrors caused them. Li Mei was only attacked when her mother wasn't around, and that was because Amaya would take the blows for her. Both of Yi's parents hurt him. He didn't have someone to protect him like she had. Her hands curled into fists and she drew closer to Yi, close enough that she could hear him breathing as she rested her head on his chest.

She wanted to say something, anything to make Yi feel better. "...I can stay with you...for as long as you need me. So you...we won't have to be all alone anymore, ya know." She felt silly. Why had she said that? She had meant it, though. But had she wanted to say it? He was right, the past did hurt. And it hurt to remember. And no matter how hard she tried to forget, she never could. And Yi...

Li Mei glanced up at him and wished he would put his arms around her.

Yi cringed slightly he Li touched his chest; sending a slight chill down his spine. Even though most of the flesh was scarred and partial numb, there were some patches of living skin; skin that felt pain, pressure, and the softness of her hand through his shirt. He could feel a weird emotion arise in him… it was foreign to him… a feeling that he has never felt before… His body felt somewhat alive. A small sense of purpose dripped into the black hole that was his empty soul. He felt oddly content and safe… he didn’t know how to describe this… feeling… it felt good… it felt right…He loved it…

He could feel Li get closer to him; her body heat registered on his face. And her smell… she smelt so good… Like fresh flowers, a sweet smell of pure euphoric delight. It smelled so good… he blushed slightly; feeling very anxious from her being so close. He wasn’t used to people being this close to him… his body shivered slightly, as if he was cold. Yi wasn’t sure on what to do… never before has he been in such a situation; he was treading in unknown waters without a life preserver.

“...I can stay with you...for as long as you need me. So you...we won't have to be all alone anymore, ya know.”

Yi felt his heart skip a beat in shock… One would see this as a joyous offer, how often does a person you like ask to stay with you, and take care of you? But Yi couldn’t help but feel guilty, for it was the only feeling he truly knew. He didn’t want her to throw her life away just to take care of him “alone…”, repeated Yi in a hypnotic voice., he was utterly confused. Making these decisions was foreign to him... he always relied on the judgment of the voice to steer him in the right direction… but that was no longer an option… He picked Li over himself, and that was going to leave a permanent hole in his heart that no one can fill… Yi was too speechless to answer her, and all he could do was nod his head in acceptance… he now had one more thing to feel guilty about…he was forcing Li into the cave of a dragon… He only hoped that he wouldn’t cause her to break…

Li Mei watched him nod his head in agreement and she smiled wide like she had before. It was nice that he had accepted her offer. Now neither of them had to deal with their problems by themselves anymore. Even though Li Mei had a feeling she would be quicker to open old wounds than Yi would. And that was okay. She was quite willing to wait until he was ready. She straightened just a bit to look around the room again. So this was her home now? She smiled at the thought. The last time she had a home, she wasn't safe there. But here...as long as Yi was here with her, she would always feel safe.

Her hands pulled away from his chest and she turned around, facing the room. Perhaps living here with Yi would benefit her more than she thought. And maybe before it was over with, she would be able to go back to Ba Sing Se...and face her fears.

She turned back around to face Yi and her soft smile slowly vanished. She knew her next question was going to upset him. But that was a risk she simply had to take. "Your parents...have you seen them lately?"

Yi’s auburn eyes shot wide open in horror; his pupils shrinking to the size of pinholes. He felt his breathing become rapid and shallow as fear rushed into his body. Almost out of instinct, Yi turned and walked away from Li, his eyes forced shut. The only thing Yi could do was wrap his arms around his chest and lower his head. He walked over to the far corner of the room, the corner where he had spend many night curled up in a ball. He kept his face turned into the corner, in a vain attempt to hide the pain that we was going to feel… he didn’t want Li to see him in such agony.

“It’s been almost 4 years… 4 years since I saw my parents… 4 years since I saw my sister…”, replied Yi; his voice shaken and filled with fear. He hated talking about his parents… Even though four years have passed…it seemed like only yesterday that he was locked in a small cell of a room; bars on the small window and only allowed to eat once every few days. Waves of depression flooded his mind; each wave more intense then the last. Yi wanted to cry, but fought them back by clenching his eyes shut, tightening his hold around his chest in a vain attempt to relive that pain and sadness his head was engulfed in. he waited for the pain to relent before returning slowly back to Li; his head low in shame and pity.

Li Mei had no idea that mentioning his parents would have this kind of effect on Yi. She had expected him to become angry with her. Her heart fell into her boots. How could she have been so stupid? Now that she knew how sensitive the subject was, she was never going to bring it up ever again. Not if it hurt him like this. Li Mei watched Yi in the corner with his face turned from her. She couldn't really blame him either. She moved quietly to the corner and sat down close to Yi, a concerned look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Yi. I shouldn't have asked that. I was being stupid and insensitive." she whispered, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. It had been four years since he had seen them? Did he run away? Li Mei could only assume because she dared not ask. Her hand wandered up to his face and she touched his cheek gently in an attempt to get him to look at her and acknowledge her apology.