~You can try and try, but you can’t hide from me. Wherever you go, I’ll always find you.

 

*Flamme Heilen – Flame Heal

*Eaux Protecteur – Water Protector

 

                The night air was abuzz with excitement, for come morning five females and one male of the Flamme Heilen clan were coming of age. For the clans of Water, Air, Fire, and Earth countries, a member of their clan would be of age by the age of 20, and would be eligible for marriage. On the birthday of said members, a sort of game would take place; a game wherein the newly eligible batch can and would be chased by anyone who wants to claim them as their partner.

 

                Junsu was walking by a café when he heard familiar voices talking.

 

                “Neh, Chie. He’ll go after you for sure.” Misaki said to Chie.

 

                Junsu’s ears perked up and he stealthily moved toward the table of girls to eavesdrop.

 

                “Huh? Who would?” Chie asked innocently, sipping at her juice.

 

                “Don’t act dumb Chi, you know we’re talking about Junsu.” Utami replied.

 

                “Oh, him.”

               

                “Yeah, him.” Rui said.
 

                “Uhuh, the one about five feet away from us, and is listening to our conversation. Right, Junsu?” Chiharu said, not bothering to look behind her where Junsu was.

 

                “Aaah. I really can’t slip past your radar huh?” Junsu whined.

 

                “Nope.” Chiharu replied, smiling as she sipped her coffee.

 

                “So, you’re joining in the chase tomorrow right?” Rui asked Junsu.

 

                “Of course.” He replied.

               

                “Told you.” Misaki said to Chie.

 

                “So?” Chie asked.

 

                Junsu leaned down and said huskily against her ear, “It means, after tomorrow, you’ll be mine forever. You can’t escape me anymore Chi.”

 

                Chie shuddered as she felt his hot breath fan her ear and nape. Her heart thundered in her chest.

 

                “That is, if you can find me.” Chie replied nonchalantly, hoping her slightly quivering voice wasn’t giving her away.

               

                “Oh, I’ll find you. You can try and try, but you can’t hide from me. Wherever you go, I’ll always find you.” He said before straightening back to his full height. “Well then, enjoy your evening ladies.”

 

                All of them watched his retreating back, except for Chie.

 

                “He’ll get you. I’m certain.” Chiharu said.

 

                “No he won’t. Maybe you’re forgetting how good I am at hiding.” Chie replied.

 

                Chiharu raised an eyebrow. “That may be. But I think you’ve also forgotten that since we were kids, he’s always been able to find you during hide and seek when nobody else could.”

 

                Everyone of her friends nodded except for Misaki, who looked confused.

 

                “Uh…Who’s good in hiding and finding someone?” She asked.

 

                Utami clapped her hands on her forehead while everyone else just shook their heads. It was a common occurrence that Misaki can’t follow conversations very well.

 

                “So, what are you going to do?” Utami asked Chie.

 

                “Hide.” She answered.

 

                “That’s it?”

 

                “And if he finds me, I’ll fight.”

 

                “He’s better at fighting than you Chi.” Rui interrupted.

 

                “I know, but I’m better now, Haru taught me.” Chie replied as she nodded in Chiharu’s direction.

 

                “She’s better in fighting than you since she’s from the Eaux Protecteur clan, you’re clan’s fire mostly about healing remember?” Utami said.

 

                “All of that is irrelevant as of the moment, more importantly, why don’t you want to get caught by him? As I recall, you like him right?” Rui asked.

 

                Chie felt her face heat up.

 

                “Ah, kawai.” Misaki said. “Chie’s blushing.”

 

                “I- I – I d-d-d-o, but—“

 

                “But?” They all asked.

 

                “I’m not sure about how he really feels toward me. I’m not sure if he’s serious about me or if he’s just messing around.”

 

                Chiharu sighed. “I know how that feels.”

               

                “We know.” They chorused, which made her glare at them.

 

                “It’s the reason why until now you’re not engaged or married yet.” Misaki said.

 

                “Anyway, just follow your heart Chie, it’ll tell you what to do at that time. If you really don’t want him to catch you, and if both of you aren’t meant to be, then maybe you’ll be able to elude him.” Chiharu said.

 

                “Gambaro Chie.” Rui said.

 

                “Hwaiting.” They chorused.

 

                Chie looked at her friends, all from different clans and possessed the power of different elements as well. Seeing them cheer for her gave her the strength to face what was to come in the morning.

 

 

Next day…

 

                Bystanders stared as three males ran after one of the female celebrants. The female was fast, but unfortunately for her, one of her suitors— who was patiently waiting for her to pass the house, whose roof he was sitting on— possessed the power of air and was able to catch her without so much as breaking the sweat. When she was safely beside him, he marked her as his.

                Meanwhile, amidst the excitement taking place in the village proper of the Flamme Heilen clan, Chie had managed to sneak out and elude most of her suitors. Out in the woods surrounding her village, she swiftly made her way to one of her favorite spots. A cavern surrounded by trees that she discovered long ago, and was her haven when things went tough for her. She was confident that only she knew the location, she didn’t even tell her friends about it.

               

                She began to smile as she neared the place and felt the soothing presence that was always present there. She closed her eyes as she broke through the trees and stopped just outside the opening of the cavern. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and smiled, feeling at peace.

 

                Aaah. No one will be able to find me here. Not even Kim Junsu.

 

                “What took you so long?”

 

                Chie’s eyes snapped open at the familiar voice that spoke from behind her. She whirled around to face…Junsu. A smirking Junsu.

 

                “What…? How did you…? When did you…?” Chie stuttered out as she took seven quick steps away from Junsu.

 

                “What?” Junsu asked back. “What am I doing here? I presume is what you’re asking. I’m here to claim you. How did I…find this place? Three days after you found it I guess. I followed you one day when you ran here in the woods crying. When did I…get here? About two hours ago, I thought you’d be here earlier. Did I answer all of your questions satisfactorily?”

 

                Chie swallowed. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest, somehow she felt the even if she fought him she’d lose anyway. The pounding got louder as Junsu walked closer to her. She tried to take a step back but found herself frozen in place.

 

                Junsu caught her by the waist and held her chin so that she looked directly into his eyes.

 

                “Mine.” He said. He lowered his head to mark her.

 

                Chie shut her eyes. Iie, I don’t want to be marked with this doubt in my heart. I want to feel secure when I’m claimed. I want to be sure of how he really feels.

               

When there was but an inch left between their lips, Chie found the strength to push him away. Caught off guard, Junsu stumbled a bit before he regained his balance.

 

“You’re going to fight me?” He asked calmly.

 

“Hai, something like that.”

 

“The outcome won’t be like Changmin and Chiharu’s. She’s one of the best fighters of those who possess water powers, and I’m one of the best on fire’s side.”

 

“I don’t care. I won’t let you claim me that easily.”

 

“This might be fun.” He said, smiling. He bent down slightly and was suddenly in front of her.

 

Chie was so startled that she just let out a burst of flames instinctively and leaped further away from him. Junsu stepped out of the flames’ path before a of it could touch him.

 

Chie was breathing hard, nervous, afraid and excited at the same time. She’d seen Junsu fight and it was amazing. It felt even more amazing now that she was the one fighting him.

 

“Do your best, my Twin Flame.” He said. As he bent down this time, Chie created a circle of flames around her and whispered an incantation that turned her green flames yellow.

 

“Impressive.” Junsu commented. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, purple flames engulfed his entire body. “Here I come.”

 

He shot out toward Chie and got through the yellow flames with no problem, but he was stopped short by a second ring of fire, orange flames. He stopped a second too late, one of his fingers touched the orange flame and got a slight burn from it. He closed his eyes again and blue flames shot out from him, outlining the purple flames. He tested a finger on her flames, when he felt nothing he went through it fast. Again he was stopped by another ring of fire, the red flames— the hottest, most dangerous flames. He was impressed that a healer was able to conjure such a flame.

 

This is the last one. He thought, because he could see her silhouette through the flames. Only one type of flame can get me through this.

 

When he was about to close his eyes, he saw her silhouette collapse just before the flames went berserk. Oh, !

 

Junsu was starting to sweat as the red flames got bigger.

 

I have to get to her.

 

He closed his eyes and hurriedly recited an incantation, white flames burst out to outline the blue flames on his body but was quickly extinguished. A tongue of red fire, across him arm, burning him.

 

“Ah!”

 

He closed his eyes again and concentrated. If he didn’t get to her in time, she would die. Her powers were being drained away slowly by the monstrous fire and she could get turned to ashes. He recited the incantation again. This time, white flames burst into life over his blue flames and he quickly went through the red flames and beside Chie. Junsu cradled her in his arms as he transferred some of his power to her. He needed her to wake up, for only the creator of the red flames can control it.

 

“Chi, wake up. Wake up. You’re supposed to fight me remember? Not lose out to your own flames.”

 

By the time Chie began to wake up, Junsu was almost drained of his own power. When she opened her eyes, Junsu was looking pale and was sweating hard.

 

“Junsu?” She said as panic took hold of her when she sensed that Junsu pulse was slowly fading.

 

“Flames Chi. Must…control…fla—“ Junsu wasn’t able to finish as he slumped against her.

 

“Junsu-ah!”

 

Chie looked around and understood what he was trying to say. She quickly laid him down on the grass, and recited the incantation for all of the flames she called out to be gone. The yellow and orange flames were easy enough, but the red ones were not so easy. She had to recite three times again before they disappeared. She was exhausted by that time.

 

She turned her attention to Junsu’s form, checking to see if he was alright. When she felt no pulse at first, she panicked. But when she checked again, she felt it, a faint little pulse.

 

Chie willed herself to calm down and let everything she learned while training to take over. When nothing she did worked, she began to panic again.

 

“Bakka Junsu! You can’t die yet.” Chie said, sobbing. She was unaware that she had let out her green flames, that they were engulfing them. “I don’t even know if you really love me or if it was all a joke.”

 

She held his hand as she sobbed. Slowly, Junsu’s strength began to return, making his pulse beat stronger.

 

“Bakka Junsu! Don’t die on me.” She sobbed.

 

“Who are you calling an idiot?” He whispered hoarsely.

 

She gasped in surprise as she stared at him.

 

“I do love you Chi. Do you think I’d go through those freaking red flames if I didn’t?”

 

“Why did you?”

 

Sigh. “Because I love you Chi. I told you, ‘you can try and try, but you can’t hide from me. Wherever you go, I’ll always find you.’ even if it’s through those dangerous flames.”

 

                More tears spilled as she looked at the man who had the uncanny ability to find her, when no others could, at the man who almost died because of her.

 

                “Be mine?” He asked.

 

                She smiled tremulously and shook her head. “I- I’m not some possession you can own Junsu.”

 

                “I know. Let me rephrase that. Be mine? My partner, my equal, my wife, my love?”

 

                She sniffed, convinced that he did love her. Hell! He almost died for her.

 

                “Yes.” She answered.

 

                Junsu smiled, reached out and cupped her nape to draw her toward him. As their lips met in a kiss, blue-green flames leaped out of Junsu and created his mark on her in the form of a flame tattoo on her arm. At the same instant, Chie’s green flames created her mark on him, in the same form as his mark was, on his arm. The form of the flame tattoo would be distinctly their as is every mark for every couple.

 

A/N: I was sort of feeling the after-effects of The Last Airbender, and I've always wanted to try something that involved clans with powers, plus it's my cousin's birthday...so...TADA! LOL...That aside..Hoped you guys enjoyed it...Sorry if i haven't been able to update my Scarlet Pleasures or Touch yet...don't have my own laptop and my NC-17 fics take a lot of time and neurons to finish...peace ya'll...Please don't forget to tell me what you think...