A calm breeze swept over sleep warm skin as golden eyes opened slowly. The sky up above was blue, its colour peeking through the gaps in the foliage of the surrounding trees, seeming to rustle as if whispering to each other.
Slowly Prince Zuko turned his head to the side; his eyes meeting those of the young boy perched on a fallen tree. The eyes of prize he had desperately tried to capture all this time, The Avatar.
Memories of their escape flashed in his mind and he let out a breath. He had saved the Avatar but at what price? It was only a matter of time until it was discovered it was him and then what?
"Thank you...For saving me."A voice said quietly and his eyes focused once more on the young monk before him.
Zuko looked away, his body feeling tired suddenly.
Moments passed before he could speak and only one question passed his lips.
"Why did you come back for me?"
Light footsteps were heard on the forest floor before his head as lifted gently and a leaf full of water was pressed to his lips. The fire prince drank the offered water. Feeling the boys hands tremble slightly, he looked up at the younger males face.
The Avatar was looking away, his grey eyes uncertain as he bit his bottom lip.
"I-"the boy began before he paused, "The monks taught us that the choices we make define us. You saved me...I-I couldn't leave you there. Not after you risked yourself for me."
The boy looked at Zuko and he couldn't help but glare at him. No-one but his mother and uncle had looked at him like that and now his enemy-
"I saved you because I need to capture you to restore my honour."He snapped.
"No." Aang said quickly, his eyes looking into Zuko's again before he lay the bys head back down, his eyes going to his hands now folded in his lap, "No-one would risk so much, not even you, just for that. You could have died yet you stayed behind so I could escape. There is good in you. I can feel it."
Sitting up slowly, Zuko reached for his swords, though he did nothing once they were in hand, "There is nothing in me but rage, hatred and pain. Nothing"
"No-"
"Leave me alone!"The prince yelled, lashing dodged it but still managed to get a small cut on his left cheek. A trickle of blood escaped the wound and Zuko looked down at the swords in his lap, "J-just leave me alone."
Getting to his feet from his fallen position Aang looked at the young prince, "You know what the worse thing about being born a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with. I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us, we'd get in and out of so much trouble together. And he was from the Fire Nation, like you."At this the boy looked back at Zuko faint smile on his face.
"Do you think...if we knew each other back then, we could have been friends too?"
Zuko looked away at the saddened stormy eyes and into the opposite direction, his eyes following the shifting light of the sun between the leaves. He stayed silent, eyes closing as the sound of the Avatars glider being opened was heard in the quiet clearing.
Before the boy could take off he heard the others whispered reply on the wind.
He nodded a slight smile on his lips and, after a quick glance at his...enemy? He took off into the vast skies; the fire prince's words echoing in his mind.
'Maybe in another time. Another place...Another lifetime.'