This is my first fanfiction on so be play nice,kitties! The story is yours for the taking. Zutara? Taang? Sukka? We'll find out eventually. And of course, reviews are graciously appreciated.
This story takes place years after the defeat of the Fire Lord.
"Open your eyes, the world needs you awake..."
"What is love but an obsession with love itself?"
Outside the streets were not quiet. It was a hazy Friday noon. Everyone was extremely busy, people were hustling through the streets of Ba Sing Se, the great capital of the Earth kingdom. It was a very important event about to occur later that day. No one knew that better than Aang.
"Aaw,Mizaki do I really,really have to?" asked the young monk to his companion. "I mean,Mizaki,I just arrived from my trip to the Fire Nation and the Union meeting. I'm tired. I just wanna rest,eat something and sleep..." Mizaki,an old vivacious man looked at him sternly. He understood the Avatar was a comprenhensive,reponsible person yet he was still a youngster who acted on emotions and was very lazy at times. "Hush. You should be grateful the people of the Earth Kingdom care about you this much." the old man said strongly. "To them you are a very important person. You are treated as you were the king! I say,if I was you,I would be a little more appreciative young Avatar!"
Aang made a face,unaware of course,he hated being scolded by Mizaki. Especially when Mizaki seemed to have a little more reasoning than him. "I am appreciative! It's not like I like being treated like royalty around here..." he said looking out the window.
In fact,he hated it. He hated being treated like he was a prince,a king, an emperor. The people,here,worshipped him. Like he was one of the royal family. Or even greater. Of course,he was the Avatar,the maginificent Airbender and savior of the Four Nations. The ONE,he had defeated Ozai. He had brought peace back to the world. He was the greatest. His Highness,he was adressed that way by the Earth people.
Aang knew he was far from being "his highness",he was another guy trying to make his place in this world and fill in the great responsibility to him as Avatar. He had been doing his best. And frankly,things have been going good. Things were almost peaceful in fact. Almost.
Aang's thoughts were interuptted as the carriage moved brutely causing Mizaki to bump his head. "Hey,will you slow down? Do you think we are in a horse race?" Mizaki yelled out the window to the coach. "Rude people," he said quite loudly. "Note to self: get better coach drivers." Mizaki said now more relaxed. "Yes sir," said a squeeky voice. Ozzy was Mizaki loyal assitant,wherever Mizaki went,Ozzy went,too. And wherever Aang went,Mizaki went,so basically Ozzy was always sticking around them.
Aang snickered quietly. Despite his stressful duties,he never forgot his sense of humor. He enjoyed Mizaki's outbursts,he lost his temper quite easily. Mizaki had been a faithful and close friend of Iroh, Zuko's Uncle. They shared some similarity, Aang noticed. Including a love of tea.
"Now,now,don't laugh. It is not a laughing matter. Infact,if I was you, I wouldn't be laughing. You got a long schedule ahead of you... Now,Ozzy,remind the Avatar of his royal duties." Mizaki said. Aang made another face,he hated when Mizaki used the word "royal" and that was,infact,the reason Mizaki used that word.
"Yes,sir. Okay,tonight party..." Ozzy began.
"Yes,the party." Mizaki repeated
"Tomorrow dinner with King and Queen..." Ozzy continued.
"Yes,the dinner with the royales. Very important." Mizaki said
"On sunday,meeting at the Union/breakfast..." Ozzy continued in his squeeky voice
"Yes,the meeting." Mizaki repeated.
"At noon,tea with delegates afterwards.."Ozzy said.
"Oh yes,to discuss further ados." Mizaki added
"Monday,the Red Dragon festival at the Fire Nation..."
"Wait,the Fire Nation? I just came back from there!" Aang protested. "Can't I have a day off or something,Mizaki?" "Day off?" Mizaki said. "That's nonsense!"
"Nonsense!" Ozzy repeated.
"You have a packed schedule. And various affairs you must attend prior to any resting. Or consideration of it." Mizaki said
Aang grumbled. Complaining was useless,Mizaki was a master of debating. He was very good at proving his point of view. Aang looked outside. He looked the sky,mostly. The clear,cheery quite cloudy day. When was the last time he had a day-off? You know,a day to go on Appa and fly away (not in a business trip) but in an adventure. Like one of those he had when he was just a kid and he had to face the Fire Nation with his two best friends,Sokka and Katara,and of course,Toph.
Traveling the world,meeting new people,facing adversity. Yes,that had been the life,HAD been. Now,Aang was condemned to duties,schedules,meetings,appearances,schedules,parties,conferences,and even more schedules.
He sighed heavily,he really missed that his old life. Before defeating Ozai. Now how things had changed. He felt he had lost some of his freedom. And he really longed for it.
Mizaki noticed the sad look on Aang's face. "Aang,cheer up! You have always seemed a giddly fellow ever since I met you." Mizaki said now more relaxed. "A bit foolish but very happy." "Besides," he added "I got a surprise for you."
"A surprise? What kind of surprise?" Aang asked curiously. Mizaki wasn't known to give out "surprises" infact,last birthday Mizaki "surprised" with a new pair of red slippers. "oh, a very good one." Mizaki said slyly,he almost giggled.
Now Aang was even more perplexed. What kind of "surprise" would cause Mizaki to giggle. "Aang,as you know I have been taking care of you ever since I met you a year or more after the end of the war." Mizaki said as Ozzy passed him some strong ginger tea. Mizaki loved tea very much,Iroh and him would have tea binges where they bet who could drink the most. Aang wondered what kind of conversations they had under their tea binges.
"Anyhow,I took you under my wing. I grew fond of you quite quickly. You are very likable." he said sipping his tea. The carriage rumbled a bit again,but Mizaki took no notice of it.
"Aang,I... I just want you to be happy,you are like a child to me." Mizaki said warmly. Aang was bit surprised to see the softer side of Mizaki,the man of steel. Well,not quite. Mizaki's family had served the Avatars for many years. He and his family had a long history of offering companionship,devotion for every Avatar. Mizaki had sworn to protect and care for Aang for years to come and he somehow meant it.
"Really,you are." he continued. "It would break my heart to see end up,well,unhappy. You know,all alone,without any family...or children or...wife."
Oh no,Aang knew where this was going. He was hoping he wouldn't dare mention,that he wouldn't bring up of all day of the year. "...Mizaki..." Aang tried to say.
Mizaki interuptted,"No,no,let me continue. Aang you once told me that when you were younger a fortuneteller told you she didn't see any love in your future and you said that you actually believed it. Of course after all that happen with your young friend...oh,Aang you were so young..."
"Stop" Aang thought." Please stop don't go there. Don't mention her..."
"...I mean you were only twelve and she was fourteen what do you expect? For you two to get married and have kids and be happy forever after?" Mizaki said. Ozzy,meanwhile,nodded to Mizaki's words. The room went quiet and Mizaki finally added softly, "Sometimes it doesn't work out."
Aang's mind went blank and at the same time,not so much. He remembered, he remembered everything. He remembered that day. They had just got engaged and they were as happy as can be. Or so he thought. It was two months before they got married. He remembered what she said,"I just don't know what I feel anymore. I think we need to go our separate ways. Sometimes it doesn't work out."
Those words rang hard in Aang's ears and stayed in Aang's heart. He remembered, he would always remember.
Mizaki kept going,"Aang, you know,after Katara..."
"Oh no he said that word",Aang thought.
"...you haven't really dated anyone or been emotionally involved with anyone or physically,for that matter." he said. "Sure,you've gone on a couple of dates because I forced you to." Mizaki continued. He turned to Ozzy,"more tea," he muttered.
"I mean,Aang,I just want the best for you. And it isn't fair that while your suffering the mourn of your loss love,which happened ages ago,she on the otherside,has many suitors and is prancing around." Mizaki added quite angrily. "Yes,she is very fancied by many." Ozzy added. "But she isn't that pretty," Mizaki responded. "No,she is not" Ozzy repeated in his squeeky voice.
Aang beg to differ,he personally thought Katara was the most beautiful girl in the world. She was the greatest,most caring person he had ever met. No one could be as wonderful as her,he said to himself. No one.
"...I mean,Aang,I want you meet someone new. I want you to fall in love,again. I want you to be happy." Mizaki said sincerely. "But I am happy!" Aang protested,somehow both him and Mizaki knew he was lying.
"You are happy,in that way. But you need love,you need something to spice up your life." Mizaki said almost sweetly. "I mean don't you think I don't see your unhappy face whenever you have a meeting,or a packed schedule or something? You need some kick in your life,boy!" Mizaki said giddly while sipping some hot tea.
"And you think getting a girlfriend will help?" Aang said almost bitterly. It was very ironical because Aang actually did NOT believe having a girlfriend would make his life better.
"Well,not exactly..." Mizaki admitted quite guilty. Aang looked at him curiously. "Aang,I want you to get married."
"WHAT? Mizaki please don't start this..." Aang said uncomfortably. He had this conversation with Mizaki when he was 16,again when he was 19 and now again,in the eve of his 22th birthday.
"But not to ANYONE!" Mizaki added anxiously. " Remember these past 6 months I have been very busy? I had been taking trips and we rarely saw eachother..." he was saying. Aang remembered it fondly,it was actually quite nice to get away from Mizaki and Ozzy altogether.
"Well I traveled,alot. All over the world,the four kingdoms if you may. I went to all corners of the world. I started going off the South Pole,since I know you fancy those types...and some were very gorgeous. Beautiful creatures..." Mizaki was saying. "Wait,what types?" Aang interrupted.
"Aang,these past six months I have been looking for the most beautiful girl in the world. Of beauty so striking it would make the deserts cry and oceans dry up. Something so beautiful it would make you forget about any previous girls. Something worthy of the Avatar,himself." Mizaki said at once. "Someone for you,to marry"
Aang stood in shock,he suspected sooner or later Mizaki would set him up with some girl,but he didn't realize to what extend he go to.
Mizaki looked at Aang face, he continued,"Anyway,although beautiful girls do inhabit there. Wth bright blue eyes and beautiful bronze skin,nothing convinced me. Then I went off to the Fire Nation,and I saw the most sensually intimitating girls one might ever find. White pale skin and long locks,feisty eyes. Real charmers but not fit for you,my dearest Avatar. "
Mizaki continued,"Then,I explored throughly the Earth Kingdom,very beautiful nymphs I found. From all over the region. The Kyoshi warriors,such a goddesses,but none satisfied need the best,the most greatest,beautiful creature in the world. And just as I gave up hope and was returning hope,atlas I saw it! Or her. I was stopping by one of the cities on my return to Ba Sing Se and to my wonder,infront of my very own eyes, the most wonderful creature passed by. She was beyond beautiful,no words to describe her. I found out she was linked to very rich family and I automatically went to talked to her parents. They were more than pleased to find out she would become the wife of a very powerful and I may say 'royal' man." Mizaki said happily.
"Yes,yes,it was a very easy deal. Yuk yuk." Mizaki threw himself back and laughed a bit.
Aang couldn't help but stare blankly at Mizaki, horrified. "You,you bought her?" Aang said hysterically. "No,don't be silly it wasn't a bit like that. It was mainly politics,my boy." Mizaki said sternly.
"Still! You basically bought me a wife! Mizaki,are you insane? How do you even know she's gonna like me?" Aang asked loudly. "Oh,hush,marriage is not a matter of like. It's a matter of politics and reasoning." Mizaki said at once. "Mizaki are you crazy?" Aang said hysterically.
"I am not crazy!" Mizaki said now raising his voice." I want to have a wife and be happy,don't you want that?" Aang put his head down,he did want that,he really did.
"So you are getting more than you bargained for. You are getting not only a wife,but a very beautiful one,too. The most beautiful one as a matter of fact." Mizaki said touching his goatee.
"But I don't want a wife!" he protested "I don't want any girl,I already lost the one I wanted! And frankly I don't want anyone else!
"I lost the love of my life!" Aang said very loudly,he didn't realize he said this out loud until a few seconds later. It hurt very much to say it but it was true.
"Hmm." Mizaki said looking down at his empty cup of tea,"we'll see about that when you meet her." Aang nodded unapprovingly. Ozzy looked at Aang,he felt a bit sorry for him. "Poor fellow." Ozzy thought to himself.
"Anyhow,we're approaching Castilla. Might as well,change your clothing and look presentable. You got yourself a big party to attend"
Aang looked out the window,depressingly.