El Avatar

"Hey, Avatar."

Aang looked over his shoulder. He was about to get on Appa. Everything was ready. Next stop would be this quiet, humid forest at the south of the Earth Kingdom. Zuko walked up to him. There was a bag thrown on his back. The prince that had refused to become Fire Lord –in the meantime, at least- stared at him with an expectant look on his face.

"What are your plans, now, prince Zuko?" said Aang, turning to face him. Zuko smiled and Aang smiled, too.

"I'm not sure."

His travels had led him here. Just like Aang's travels had led him here. Both were alone.

Zuko had refused to become the Fire Lord, and had asked his uncle to take the role, at least for a while. He said that he still needed to learn, to grow, to become stronger. He just couldn't take such a great responsibility, knowing that he wasn't ready. His uncle decided to let him find his own way, and so took the role as the Fire Lord. For a while. Zuko would return.

As for the Avatar, he had found himself still aching for adventure, for freedom and for learning. He knew that, as the avatar, he was far from being ready, far from being a full savior, no matter what he had learned and done in the past. There was still a long way to go.

But Katara hadn't felt the same way. Nor had Sokka, or Tsuki, or anyone else. Toph had gone back to her home, with her parents. She needed them. After all, she was a child, no matter how strong and how mature, she was still a child and after such a great ordeal, she needed some time to just be home and be with her family –and tell them about all of the great adventures she had lived, and all the dangers she had faced-.

Sokka and Tsuki wanted to settle down. Both needed to think about the future –their future- if they wanted to be together. Sokka had moved to the Earth kingdom.

As for Katara… Katara was the one that had hurt the most. Flying away from her (but Aang had felt that she was the one leaving him) had felt like leaving behind his own home. Like there was something wrong. Like Aang was making a mistake. He was lonely, lonelier than ever.

But they did say that the Avatar's journey was a lonely one.

After everyone had left, Aang had expected Katara to be the one that would stay. But she didn't. Not even after everything, not even after- she didn't. And when she had told him that she couldn't go with him, that she had things to handle back at the South Pole, Aang had felt hurt and betrayed. But he had smiled, nodded, and whispered a quiet "I understand."

So he was traveling alone. And so was Zuko –although, in his case, it had been his own choice. Mai had wanted to go along with him, but he had refused. Hurting her for the last time-.

That's probably why, when they met, the prince had felt the urge to do something (it couldn't be a coincidence after all, could it? The avatar was here again, in his path. It couldn't be a coincidence).

"What are yours?" Added the prince, swiftly. He was afraid that if he didn't say quickly enough what he needed to say, the avatar could drift away. And then he would never know what it meant to find him in his path.

"I'm going to the south of the Earth Kingdom. There's a forest there that is said to have a strong spiritual energy."

"Hmm." The prince didn't know what to say. He stared at Aang, at his big dark eyes. Aang waited. "Maybe…" he started.

"Maybe you can tag along." Said the youngster with a wide smile. "It's been a bit lonely, traveling on my own… so, if you want…"

Zuko blinked (he was surprised that the avatar would be the one to suggest it. Was he even worthy of traveling with him?) and then he rapidly nodded. He was pretty sure he had looked like a moron. He coughed and tried to recover a bit of his dignity.

"Yeah… sure."

Traveling on a flying bison was actually pretty soothing. The clouds were pink by the time they neared the Earth Kingdom. The air was fresh. Zuko was lying on his back on Appa's big seat. All he could see of the avatar was his back. Aang's sight was lost in the immensity of the world ahead of them. This was his perfect environment, after all. The perfect union of him and his element. The avatar was like the air.

"Do you mind if we make a stop in the Kyoshi island?" Aang asked suddenly. Although his soft voice didn't seem at all disruptive. It melted with the air surrounding them and just sounded as if every world belonged there, in the middle of the silence that had traveled with them since the moment Appa had taken flight.

"Are you visiting your friends?"

Aang finally looked at him, over his shoulder.

"Yes!" He exclaimed with a happy smile. And Zuko was compelled to smile back, even if the idea of visiting Aang's friends –that were somehow his friends, too- didn't seem at all too appealing.

"Yeah. Sure."

They descended on the island. They were greeted by a bunch of noisy kids and soon found themselves being treated to a fantastic feast on Sokka and Tsuki's home.

"You should know that I am a great cook!" Sokka exclaimed as he served dish after dish. Zuko had to admit everything was pretty good.

"So how come the two of you are traveling together?" Tsuki demanded.

"Oh, we happened to bump into each other at a small village at the south of the Fire Nation, and we decided to travel together for a while."

Zuko looked at him. They hadn't really "decided" anything. Zuko had only agreed to come to the mystical or whatever forest and nothing else. He didn't know if he wanted to keep traveling with the avatar after that. This was a journey of self-discovery, of growth. He needed to do it on his own.

"Right, Zuko?" But Aang seemed to want to get some sort of confirmation out of the fire prince. And he almost choked on what he was eating.

"Yeah…" he said. "Sure."

Aang smiled widely and Zuko smiled back.

"You know that Aang needs this, right? He's the Avatar."

Zuko was just leaving the bathroom when Sokka approached him.

"I need it, too" he answered. He somehow felt like he suddenly needed to defend his right to travel with the avatar.

"Why do you need it? Your path is clear. You will be the Fire Lord and that's that. He's the Avatar. Avatar stuff is more confusing and mystical."

Zuko smiled.

"I think he needs it, too."

"Needs what?"

"Me."

When they left, Sokka made sure to give them a bag full of bread and pastries and cakes that he had cooked on his own. Aang waved happily as they left. Zuko saluted them with his head.

They didn't stay for the night because that wasn't how this trip was like. They needed to be away, to be far and uncomfortable in places that weren't cozy nor familiar. Of course they both had done a lot of that in the past, but it was different now. Because they were on their own and, when night came and they tried to sleep next to a bonfire, with their eyes lost in a dark sky, they were left alone with their thoughts and there was no-one close to say 'good-night' to.

Except that now there was.

Aang turned to Zuko and stared at him in silence. The prince, that was lying on his back, staring at the sky, with the light from the bonfire dancing over his skin, slowly moved his eyes to stare back at the avatar.

"What is it?" He said.

"What are you thinking?"

Zuko resumed looking at the sky and meditated on that. On his answer.

"Two years ago I hated you" he said. Aang nodded and allowed him to continue. "Did you… did you ever hate me?"

Aang exhaled.

"At some moments I was really, really mad at you. But no, I never hated you."

"Why?"

Aang shrugged.

"I guess it's not an Avatar thing to hate."

Zuko smiled, a bit weakly and a bit sadly.

"So I wish I could be a little bit like the Avatar."

Now Aang smiled, but his smile wasn't weak nor sad.

"Maybe that's the reason you're here right now."

"You think?"

"Yes!"

But then, what was in for the avatar? What could Aang ever want from him?

"I'm glad you're here, Zuko."

All doubt was erased.

The third day since they started to travel together was dawning, hurling colors and light over the open sky. Zuko was seated behind Aang. The kid had said that they would be arriving soon to the forest. They had traveled the whole night –Appa was starting to complain- but once they landed they wouldn't be flying again for a while. So, when Aang told Zuko to remember the colors of the sky, as they wouldn't be so easy to see once they were in the dense forest, Zuko obeyed. He tried to absorb in his golden eyes all of the beauty and freshness of the morning sky. And then they were swallowed by the forest. Zuko could only see a sea of trees before they were engulfed by the green leaves.

The floor of the forest was damp and smelled strongly of earth and rain. Zuko had the slightest suspicion that he didn't like this place. His boots were dirtied by leaves and little sticks that got stuck because of the mud. They walked for a while, leaving Appa behind to rest. They needed to find wood and a source for fresh water. Aang led the way and Zuko followed.

"There are all kind of stories about this forest, you know?"

Zuko stumbled with a big root and almost fell. His fall was stopped by Aang's back.

"Sorry" he said and he felt himself blushing. It was embarrassing to make such a fool of himself in front of the avatar. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, it's okay, are you okay?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, just wasn't paying attention."

Aang smiled.

"I know that this may not be your dream adventure, but I think we can learn a lot from this forest."

They resumed walking.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out."

They came back to Appa with wood, water and a lot of fruit. The big bison was still sleeping, so they sat close to him to have some lunch.

"It's a really big forest, isn't it?" Zuko said, trying to break the silence.

"Yeah, it is."

"…"

Silence.

They ate some of the fruit and some of the bread that Sokka had sent them.

"I can't believe Sokka can cook."

"He probably also knows how to clean the house and do laundry."

Aang giggled.

"You think he's the lady of the house?"

Zuko smiled.

"Probably."

Aang laughed and his laughter was contagious. Zuko laughed as well and when he was able to stop, he saw Aang staring to the top of the trees. There was a dense cover made of leaves and branches over their heads that prevented them from seeing much of the sky. Only little spaces of blue here and there, little entrances for the light.

Zuko stared at him, observed him with some kind of fascination.

This was the same kid that had faced his father. The same kid that had looked so immensely powerful and indestructible while he sent gigantic tongues of fire against the Fire Lord himself. The same kid that could control the seas, the storms, the mountains and the fires of the earth. The kid that had carried the weight of a world in crisis over his shoulders and at just twelve had felt responsible for the safety and happiness of thousands. The same powerful existence that was one with the wind and had a heart so kind that he couldn't even kill an ant.

How could someone keep from feeling small and completely unimportant when he was in the presence of such an individual? How could such terrifying and ancient power be held in such a small and noble body?

Aang caught Zuko staring at him and looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

Zuko blushed again.

He was the Fire Prince. But even that title seemed like it meant nothing in the presence of Aang.

"Why are you traveling alone?" Was all he managed to say. Aang's expression darkened and Zuko felt guilty. "No, forget it, you don't have to… I'm… I'm sorry."

Aang sighed.

"It's okay. Everyone's moving on, you know? I'm not saying I'm not, it's just that… it's different. I'm the Avatar, this world is my responsibility and there's just so much that I still have to learn. But they… they need to continue with their lives and I understand that. They can't be living their lives like nomads, they can't be living their lives like me. I'm the Avatar, not them. They have to… they just have to keep going on a different path…"

He surrounded his legs with his arms and looked down. Zuko felt that he had to do something to cheer him up. This was his fault. Not really knowing what to do, he approached the young airbender and put a hand on his back. Then his hand moved to his shoulder, the one that was farther from him, and he ended up kind of embracing him.

"It must be… weird… not having them around…" He was never good with words. Or with anything.

"Yeah it is."

Aang looked at him. And for the swiftest moment, Zuko could have sworn that he saw a lost soul in those eyes. The soul of one that had suddenly lost his way to go.

Aang saw the same in him.

This was pretty much inspired by the story The First Kiss After Heartbreak by chi-of-ink. Check it out, it's a really great one-shot about Zuko and Aang after the end of the series. I thought that it would be interesting to explore this same idea but with a multi-chaptered story. Of course I don't pretend to say that this is any way better than what chi-of-ink did. My mother tongue is Spanish so I'm far from having her sublime writing style in English. This is just different, and a kind of a tribute to the great story she wrote thanks for reading and I will be even more thankful if you can leave me a review telling me what you think.

Cheers!