Impossible Dream
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'I never would have thought that you would be the one to save me...'
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The morning wind blew softly through the pale-green leaves as Aang sat, deep in thought. He knew he had to get back to Katara and Sokka, and soon, but even so...
A slightly disturbing chill ran down his spine as he thought about the events of that past night. Captured by the Fire Nation... held prisoner in their fortress... and all the while, Katara and Sokka suffering, miles away, with him helpless to do anything about it...
Aang slowly rubbed his wrists, where the metal bands had chafed at his skin only hours before. He noticed with dismay his torn clothes, where the Yuyan arrows had pierced the soft, though strong cloth. That would be a good bit of explaining right there...
But if he were to tell his friends about his liberator... the ninja in the blue oni mask, who had wielded the double blades... Aang shivered again.
For even unconscious, Zuko had an air about him that made one slightly uneasy.
Barely moving, Aang shifted his sight to the still-sleeping teenager, laid out on a bed of leaves in the shade. Even in the dim light, the gray scar thrown across Zuko's left eye showed prominently. Aang could only wonder what in the world could have led to such a disfigurement.
Then again, he could only wonder why Zuko would have gone to such lengths to rescue the avatar, his enemy, from Admiral Zhao's fortress.
Aang looked at Zuko again. Of course, it was only the right thing to do to take care of Zuko, once he had been incapacitated by the arrow. Luckily, it had only struck the stone-hard mask that he'd been wearing; whoever had fired had either missed their mark, or had terrifyingly good aim. Aang felt like leaning toward the latter... after all, the blow had not only been enough to strip Zuko's mask from him, but knock him unconscious as well...
When the dust had cleared from his savior's fall, Aang had forced himself to look back, fearing the worst for his new "ally." But with the mask askew, it was fearfully easy to see that spot of hardened, gray flesh... and with that, Aang knew without a shadow of a doubt who his rescuer was.
Although they were deep in the forest, deep in the mountains, Aang was surprised by the relative silence. Perhaps it was because of the Fire Nation's activities, only a few miles away... perhaps with such a force so strong and so close, the wildlife here could never be at ease. Just as how Aang had thought he was in relation to Zuko...
But here he was, mere feet away from his adversary, and less than twelve hours after events that had thrown them together into intense cooperation. Smiling a bit, Aang thought back to those feats. Fighting off the soldiers, jumping the walls, escaping the fortress...
Escaping the fortress... Even now, it was a bit startling to think about. Aang could remember, quite clearly, the cold touch of his recent rescuer's double swords against his neck... the admiral, reminding his troops that the avatar had to be taken alive, for, just as Zhao had told Aang in the prison, once the avatar dies, he is reincarnated yet again...
And then, Zuko's bluff... or had he been serious?
Would Zuko have rather killed the avatar than let Zhao have him? Aang sighed. He'd probably never know. In fact, he still wasn't all that sure of why Zuko was after him in the first place. Something about his father...
Regardless of the reason, Aang recalled being pulled back, always having to step a little more, in case his savior should become his murderer. Despite himself, he couldn't help trembling, a profound contrast against the strong, sturdy stance of the person behind him... They'd continued that way, never turning their backs on the fortress, for maybe three hundred yards or so, when the archer let fly the arrow...
Upon realizing that under the blue mask was Zuko, Aang suddenly felt a tremor under his feet, and not just from the shock of his rescuer's identity revealed. Turning back to face the fortress, he could see hordes of Firebenders, all of them charging toward him. Immediately, the response rang in his head to flee, but glancing at the fallen Zuko once more, Aang knew there was only one right thing to do...
Moving his hands through the air, he began to channel it, using the forces that seemed so natural to him. Aang focused the still night air, feeling it bend and move under his will. Moving it faster and faster, creating a veritable wall of wind, Aang shot it at the oncoming soldiers, hoping for nothing more than precious seconds for escape. Without a moment's hesitation, for his mind was as fleet as the wind itself, Aang lifted up Zuko, adrenaline-triggered strength coming to him in torrents, and ran as fast as his legs could bear to carry him.
He wasn't sure how long he had run or even how far... all he knew was that Zhao's fortress was well behind him (although still a bit close for comfort), and that Katara and Sokka were still further ahead, up in the mountain ruins. But when they were well-hidden in the still-dark forests and his strength nearly gone, Aang summoned what little he had left to make a soft bed for Zuko to lie on, then retired to a low tree branch.
Although he was truly tired beyond thought, sleep seemed to elude Aang still. After all, no one would be that eager to put himself in such a defenseless position, not with a known enemy so close by. So, without anything else to do, Aang thought.
Things seemed so different than when he had been back at the Air Temple, before he knew he was the avatar. Back there, he'd been free to have fun, without having to worry about what training or danger he'd have to face the next day, without having to worry about the Firebenders after him. In fact, he'd had friends in the Fire Nation, just as he'd had friends everywhere. True, it was a long way to travel, all over the world, but with such a carefree life, time was not an issue...
... whereas now, time was everything. How many more months before summer came? How many weeks, even? Time was no longer on Aang's side, just as the Firebenders were now.
'But maybe that isn't right...' Aang thought, still watching Zuko for any sign of movement. After all, the prince of the Firebenders had helped him just that last night...
... but then again, maybe it had just been to secure the avatar for himself...
Aang sighed and buried his face in his arms. If only he hadn't decided to run away... if only he could have stopped this war, 100 years ago. Maybe then he could still have his old friends...
"But then, I wouldn't have met Katara or Sokka," Aang pointed out to himself. "I guess... Katara's right...
"... maybe this is meant to be..."
Still, though... Sighing, Aang recalled the faces of his old friends, the ones from all over the world, the ones from the Air Temple... his friends, from before everything had changed...
He remembered sliding through Omashu, with Bumi. He remembered getting in all sorts of trouble, and then getting out of it, with Kuzon. "And Kuzon was a Firebender, too," Aang murmured in a barely audible voice.
How alike the names sounded... the thought crossed Aang's mind.
Kuzon... Zuko. Then again, maybe the sort of names they gave kids in the Fire Nation all sounded a bit alike. Who knew.
Aang thought about it, smiling a bit. He sounded the names out, whispering to himself...
"Kuzon... Zuko..."
Suddenly, the second moved. Aang glanced down at him, partly relieved that Zuko was all right, although now slightly edgy himself. But it was obvious that Zuko was still a little disorientated, in no condition to fight. Aang relaxed, despite himself.
Zuko didn't see him, at least not quite yet. Carefully, Aang studied the teenager's features. Certainly, he was strong... something to be cautious of in a foe. And that scar lent a fearsome look to Zuko's face...
... but somehow, almost asleep, Zuko didn't seem like that commanding person in charge anymore. He seemed... maybe... normal. Just someone growing up in a time of war. His face remained a bit hard, just as it was in his waking hours, but still...
... it was hard to explain... but...
Maybe... tired. Tired of what was happening. Weary of this life.
Aang turned away.
Maybe, underneath everything... Zuko had a heart?
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Without warning, Zuko's eyes opened slightly. He blinked groggily a few times, then turned his head toward the cause of a shadow across him. Aang.
Immediately, a look of surprise came across Zuko's face. Of course he would be surprised... after all, having been raised in an every-man-for-himself environment, he wouldn't have been fazed at all if Aang had left him for dead in the road. But instead, his enemy had rescued him...
Much to Zuko's astonishment, the avatar noticed his waking... but didn't move. Did he think that the Firebender was that small of a threat? But to dumbfound Zuko further, the avatar started to talk...
"Do you know what's the worst thing about being born a hundred years ago?" Zuko was silent, while the avatar continued. "I miss all of my old friends. I had a friend named Kuzon, you know. He was from the Fire Nation, just like you!" A small smile began to spread across the avatar's face.
"We used to get in and out of trouble all the time," he kept going innocently. "We were really great friends... and I was thinking... maybe we could be friends, too."
A shock of cold ran through Zuko, followed by almost every emotion he had ever felt in his lifetime. Friends? With... the avatar...?
Seconds passed... the longest seconds that Zuko could remember since that fateful duel against his father. Suddenly, thoughts began coming to him... thoughts that he would rather not have considered at all... thoughts that screamed at him to do the impossible, that would call for him to go against everything he had been raised to do...!
Without hesitation, for he knew the avatar was skilled enough to evade it, Zuko sent a stream of fire extending from his fist. Along with that fire went all of his thoughts.
Aang yelped, a little startled, but his movements were as fast and fleeting as the wind while he dodged the flames. Zuko did not shoot again.
A little sadly, Aang looked back at the Fire Prince, his heart suddenly sinking. Perhaps such a dream couldn't happen after all...
Zuko watched as the avatar lept from tree to tree, like some sort of animal dashing away. But he had no more desire to follow. It was time to go back to the ship...
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'I got back, not much later. Uncle asked where I had been, but I didn't answer. Of course, I had let the avatar slip through my fingers again...
'As I got ready for a well-earned rest, I found myself hesitating, looking at the insignia on my wall. It was the sign of the Fire Nation... of my people, my country...
'... my father... my honor...
'... and I knew that the only thing that could bring those back to me was my capture of the avatar. So much was riding on my ability to find him and bring him back to my father. More than that silly boy could ever know about.
'Friends? Hah. You don't make friends with the enemy... in fact, you don't make friends during a time of war. Although, I suppose it couldn't get much worse for me... considering I am already banished from my own land...
'But as I was lying down to sleep, his words came back to me. Haunted me. And I found myself thinking of what I had thought before...
'When my father's army finally does destroy what civilizations were left... then what? What was life like without the war? The avatar spoke of times when he could be... friends... with people from all throughout the world. Even though that's such an unbelievable statement, the way he said it... I found myself... believing...
'But... when the war is over... and everything the avatar fights for has been destroyed... I doubt that he'd still... want to be...
'No. It's no good thinking about that now. It's no good dreaming such a pointless dream, when I know it can never happen. I know that I will capture the avatar, and that my honor will be restored. When the war is over, I know that someday I can go back to my people, the people who will someday follow me... the country that I will someday lead...
'But as I start to close my eyes, I realize something. I can never look at the avatar the same way again.
'Maybe he was just evening out our debts to each other. Maybe what he spoke about those times, a hundred years ago, was just pointless reminiscing...
'... but even so...
'... he got me away from Zhao and the army...
'... that's not the kind of debt that I can let go of that easily.
'I know... that the avatar can never be my friend. You can never be friends with a person who is against everything you stand for... My mind is made up.
'But as I drift off to sleep, that same, silly thought that I pushed out of my mind comes back...
'Zhao will not kill the avatar. My father will not kill the avatar.
'Maybe, when the war is over and there is no more fighting...
'Maybe then... for the first time, I can have someone to just... talk to... To do stuff with...
'Because I'll never forget that feeling... just being there, listening...
'But...
'I can't look at you the same way ever again, avatar, because...
'I never would have thought that you would be the one to save me...'