I sat in the sand, my arms propped up on my knees, staring out at the ocean ahead of me. The beach was always empty during winter and gave me time to be alone, not that I wanted to be alone. I had felt so alone ever since my bending got taken away. But today, I needed it. Walking through town, watching everyone stare at me and whisper things to each other. I knew what they were saying, "Look, it's Tahno, the pathetic cheater that got his bending taken away. It's no more than he deserved." Half of the people didn't even have the decency to lower their voices. I rubbed my face with my hand, wishing things could just go back to normal. Everyone had left me, my friends, my mistresses; there was nothing left for me anymore. Sometimes I even contemplated ending it all, just giving up on life. I could never do that though. I didn't have it in me to do something like that.

I squeezed sand in my fists as tears rolled down my face. I was crying again, which seemed to happen a lot these days. I stopped trying to control it anymore because feeling the tears roll down my cheeks made me feel like I still had a connection to the water. How pathetic is that, crying just to feel something. I screamed and threw the sand out in front of me. I hated what I had become; nothing more than a sad and pitiful human being. Surely there was more to life than bending. Why'd I have to keep acting like everything was over, like my life was over? There was a soft mewing sound behind me and I turned to see a gray tomcat come trotting out from behind a trashcan. He pranced through the sand and rubbed up against my side, pressing his head against my arm. I smiled weakly and rubbed his head.

"Hey there, little man. You obviously don't know who I am, do you?" The cat mewed again and nuzzled into my hand. "Oh, you'd care if you knew. You wouldn't want to have someone as pathetic as me petting you." He crawled under my legs and came out on the other side before climbing into my lap. I laughed lightly and rubbed his ears. No one had gotten me to smile much since my bending got taken away, let alone laugh. His fur was matted up and he had scars on his body and I'm sure he's seen his fair share of abuse, yet still, he wasn't scared of me. "You don't care, though, do you? You just want to feel loved?" The cat pawed at my hair hanging across my eyes and I smiled down at him. I knew how he felt; I knew exactly how he felt. Everyone he had ever loved or cared about had left him and he was just looking for some affection. I stroked the cats back and he purred loudly, collapsing into my lap. "Maybe we can help each other out. I'll be your friend if you promise to be mine." He rolled over and mewed again. He was such an adorable creature.

I picked him up and cradled him against my chest as I stood up. "You don't mind coming home with me, do you?" The cat licked my fingers and I smiled. I had a friend now. And perhaps I could finally feel like myself again.