Hee hee, my first Avatar fan fiction (woot woot!) So, um, yeah, as the summary stated, this is a Zutara fic, based after episode 22: The Cave of Two Lovers. Enjoy and please review! …Oh, and don't mind the title. I have no idea what I was thinking.
Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender definitely does not belong to me (although I often wish it did... )
Penetrating the Smokescreen
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Chapter one
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The midday sun shone brightly, its warm rays reaching to touch the forms of three teens that were slowly clambering their way up a sparsely vegetated rocky hill. Katara glanced upwards towards the sky, reserving a moment to watch several white fluffy clouds scuttle lazily across the azure horizon. It was not long, however, before her solitary thoughts were interrupted as she became aware of her brother Sokka's voice being carried back to her on the breeze. He walked several feet in front of her, leading the group up the incline. Katara grinned as she began to make out his words, most of which were referring to the odd band of nomads that they had just recently parted with.
"The journey was long and annoying, but now you get to see what it's really about: the destination. I present to you the Earth Kingdom city of Om-"
Sokka halted at the crest of the hill, looking triumphant as his gaze moved from the two still-climbing teens behind him to admire the great earth-bending city of Omashu. His body stiffened visibly as he caught sight of what lay before him.
"...oh no..."
Katara heard Aang's sharp intake of breath beside her as the sight before them filled their vision.
Dark smoke funneled upwards from certain areas of the smoldering city, creating a dirty haze that spread across the valley like an infectious disease. A flash of red caught Katara's eye as she scanned the city, and she was immediately drawn to the large red banner that hung condescendingly across one of the city's main walls. The emblem of the fire nation was a blatant declaration of their victory over Omashu.
"How could this have happened?" Aang's quietly stated words were nevertheless a shocking interruption of the silence that had hung over the three like a stifling blanket. Katara glanced up, catching her brother's worried gaze. Appa grunted softly behind them, and Sokka finally seemed to return to himself.
"I don't know, Aang. But we definitely can't stay standing up here; there're probably Fire Nation troops patrolling this area." Sokka glanced back the way they had come, noting with relief that there was a nearby forest that could provide them some shelter from unwanted attention. "Come on."
Putting a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder, Katara's sapphire blue eyes made contact with his own set of large and confused ones. "Let's go, Aang..." She gently led him back down the slope, her worried eyes watching his back as he dejectedly followed her brother into the nearby woods.
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Zuko awoke to a loud grumbling sound, and an aching discomfort in his stomach region that had become all too familiar recently. Rolling over onto his side, he caught sight of his uncle sleeping beside him. The growling sound persisted, and Zuko placed one hand on his stomach with a frustrated growl of his own. If I had any food for you, I would have fed you already!
A ray of golden sunlight slid through the branches of the tree that they had spent the night under. Its limbs had offered them protection from unwelcome eyes, which for the banished prince was attention from pretty much anyone. Running a hand through his short, bristly hair, Zuko glared at his still-sleeping uncle, silently debating whether or not to give him an ungentle nudge to wake him.
As if sensing his nephew's internal strife, the retired and now exiled general cracked open one of his amber eyes, regarding Zuko with a gaze that was somewhere in between an accusation and wry amusement.
Zuko sat back on his heels, his eyes widening with mock innocence. "What?"
Zuko's good mood, however, vanished once again as his stomach reminded him, once again, that it had been a full day and a half since he had last eaten. "We must be nearing a town soon, Uncle. We need to stop and find something to eat."
"But Zuko, we are fugitives! We cannot simply stroll into a town, whether Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation, and buy supplies. We will be either arrested, or killed."
Zuko cast his uncle a scathing glare, managing to keep his voice level with evident effort. "We have no other choice. We obviously can't trust your knowledge of plants and herbs, and my efforts at finding us food have been... less than successful." The exiled prince spat out the last words as if they were poison. He had never been very graceful at handling defeat, and admitting to his failure at thriving - let alone surviving - in the wilderness was, well, embarrassing.
Iroh met his nephew's eyes, and Zuko knew that his uncles' resolve was weakening. He was hungry, too; although thankfully not desperate enough to try tasting some of the unknown plants they had passed during their travels. Finally he spoke, his eyes speaking words of caution to his often-brash nephew. "Well, it has been some time since I had a nice cup of ginseng tea..."
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"I don't understand. Omashu wasn't even under Fire Nation attack when we visited last time!" Aang sat beside Sokka, gazing emptily at a spot in front of his feet. Sokka exchanged worried glances with Katara. Neither of them were certain what they should do next.
"I have to find out what happened. I need to make sure that Bumi is alright." The sudden resolve that had found its way into Aang's voice startled the two siblings from their previous stupor, and Katara shifted her gaze towards her twelve-year old companion. Aang rose gracefully to his feet, turning to face both Katara and Sokka. "You two wait here; I'll go to Omashu and scout for information."
"Aang, are you crazy!" Sokka's loud exclamation startled Momo from his slumber on Katara's lap, and the lemur glared towards the Water Tribe boy with his large green eyes. "Omashu must be crawling with Fire Nation troops! There're probably wanted posters for you all over the place; it'd be way too risky for you to go!"
"Sokka, we need to find out what happened there. I was supposed to learn earthbending from King Bumi, but how can I do that if I don't even know if he's still..." Aang's eyes filled with tears as the realization that his friend might be dead hit him like a load of bricks. "...If he's still..."
Katara, who was now free of Momo, walked over and kneeled next to Aang, who had begun to cry. "Shh... Aang, it's okay. It'll be okay." Her blue eyes met the identical ones that belonged to her brother. "Aang is right, Sokka. Someone needs to go to Omashu to get some information. Maybe the earthbenders and King Bumi are still fighting..."
Aang glanced up hopefully, wiping the remaining tears from his eyes. Sokka inhaled deeply, then sighed, realizing that Katara was, of course, right. "I'll go, then."
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"Look, uncle! Smoke! That must mean that there is a village up ahead!" Zuko had a hard time keeping the anticipation out of his voice as his pace quickened forward. Smoke meant fire, which meant civilization, which meant food…
"Slow down, Zuko. We shouldn't just barge ahead without knowing our destination. After all, it could be-" Iroh paused, having finally caught up with his nephew. Zuko was gazing at the city before them with a look that spelled disappointment and hopelessness. All it took was to see the Fire Nation flag hanging on the wall of the great city for Iroh to understand the gravity of the situation. The city itself was unmistakably the earthbending stronghold of Omashu.
Iroh watched as a flood of emotions surged through his nephew's eyes, unsure as to whether or not to be apprehensive or pleased with the look of iron determination that finally settled on Zuko's features. It was a look that Iroh knew he could not hope to argue with. "Uncle, wait here and find a place to hide. I'll be back by nightfall with food and some supplies."
Pulling a dark brown cloak out of his bag, Zuko ensured that it lay so that it hid his unmistakable scar, hiding his features in layers of darkness. Catching his uncle's eye, Zuko sighed softly. "Uncle, we need food. I won't be long." With that, he turned on his heel, melting into the welcoming darkness of the surrounding trees.
Iroh's eyes followed his nephew as he made his way towards the city, and he could not help but call out after the banished prince: "And Zuko, don't forget the tea. Ginseng is my favorite."
Be careful, Zuko.
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So, what do you think? Good or bad? Regardless, I'll continue writing anyways. But I'd appreciate some feedback so I know what to work on. Oh, and don't worry. Zuko and Katara will definitely be meeting soon, and sparks will fly... Literally…