Summer Home
Topical disclaimer, I own nothing having to do with the Avatar Series used within this work.
Scene set for the point when the Gaang goes to Ember Island to finish preparing for the comet at what most have presumed to be Zuko's family summer home.
Appa was flying low and almost sluggish as they made this way across the sparkling seas below. it was like the poor beast felt every pound of his additional passengers as the new gaang stared out in all directions while riding. Clustered there on his back it couldn't have been easy to carry so many teens. Their group had grown from four to six now that Zuko and Suki were among them. As the large air bison huffed down in the courtyard of a great house, or would it be better to say a small estate, he seemed to give way to the ground like he had just flown for days not just a few hours.
Aang patted Appa's fur gently as he slid down from his head, Momo cittering from his shoulder at his companion creature. The lemur leaped from his master and took to a tree nearby. "I thought you said this place hadn't been used in years Zuko." As the taller teen climbed down beside him Aang motioned to the fairly clean landscape of the yard. "It hasn't, or at least it shouldn't have been." His brow furrowed slightly as the scarred boy stalked toward the nearest house entrance. "Hey wait for us," Sokka called as he treader into the shadows.
"What's wrong?" Toph questioned as she was helped down. "I can feel the tension coming from princess, is there something I'm not getting?" Sokka shook his head at first then stopped himself remembering who he was trying to answer. "I don' know. Something isn't right." At his side Katara shrugged lightly. "I don't see what's so wrong with the place not being all run down." Stepped down behind her Suki held a darker tone as she spoke. "Nothing would normally be wrong, if anyone had been supposed to live here in the last few months, or even the last year. He said no one had done that in several years." As soon as she finished the warrior started in the same direction Zuko had gone.
The old Gaang looked at each other over Toph's head as she couldn't see their gaze. She was already moving, a bit carefully as she felt for steps other then her friends'. As the potential threat sunk in from Suki's words they turned and hurried after the others with defencive poster. Entering the darked halls with only the vaguest idea of which way the others had gone the three felt like they'd entered into a trap, even if it wasn't. A short way in they found Toph standing stock still.
"What is it Toph?" Katara called lightly, her water skin held in one hand. "The floor..." "What about it?" The girl shook her head. "I can't see it's made of wood. I don't know which way anyone went... And I don't really wanna go any farther inside where I won't be able to see at all." Her voice carried an hint of both worry and shyness. "I'll stay with Toph, you two go ahead and find Zuko and Suki." Katara turned at the volunteering of her brother. "But Sokka if this is a trap... Aren't you worried?" The other young water tribesman grinned at her. "I'd worry more about what Suki will do to the trappers then what they would do to her sis." His smug look was all his friends needed to continue.
The hallway branched out at several points, as they passed a few possible turns Katara glanced at Aang for answers. "How in the world can we tell which way they went? For that matter how do we tell which way we've been if we take any of these out of the main hall?" The boy shook his head at her while glancing to the side. "I guess if it wasn't for the heat we could leave ice or water marks sense they wouldn't damage the wood, but they'd just end up disappearing and we'd be in the same problem again." He signed as he looked across the floor of the large house into a room to his side. He saw a picture there, in a round frame, a woman holding a bundled baby.
"Katara look at this," He picked it up lightly off the floor so as not to tear it. The paint of the work was still dark and as fine as it had been the day it was brushed on. "She looks kinda like you." The Avatar commented as he turned the picture so his friend could look, "She's pretty." As the dark skinned girl took the frame from him she studied it closely. "I wonder who that is she's holding," the girl said as a creak from behind made her turn a bit jolted.
Zuko stood there in the door frame. "Me," he answered the almost question as he put a hand out for the image. Katara handed it over with one last glance at the painting on the tiny canvas. "We didn't mean to pry." Zuko waved it off as he looked at the picture, "I know." He touched the dark inky paint, "And she was beautiful." He turned setting the frame down with the face down to a small night stand next to him, then motioned the others after him as he left the room. Aang hurried after him, but Katara stopped at the doorway. She reached over and sat the picture back up like it should of been.
"I found something that explains the state the house is in." Zuko told them as he guided the two to the main entertainment room of the building. There on the long table rested a few piece of folded parchment. The teen picked one up and looked it over before handing it to Katara. "The Ember Island Keepers Association? The Association would like to inform you the owner of this house hold that there was a small break in during your time away. The Association apologizes for this unfortunate mishap, we have been unable to identify what was taken or why, but the house had been cleaned and repaired for your convenience. If you find any problems that we can address please come to our home office located in the central square of Ember Island. Have a wonderful stay, and don't forget the market always has new stands opening up for you to check out every day." She stopped and turned the letter over, "It goes on like some sort of advertisement." Her face showed a touch of confusion, "What is this Zuko?"
"Better question, just who is the Association?" Aang piped up as Zuko shifted through the couple other sheets of various notes on the table. "They're a group that the various merchants here have built and use to make sure their customers keep coming back year after year. They watch over and occasionally fix or clean the homes of important guests on the Island. I guess they just never stopped looking over this one, even though my family is never here." He leaned back, letting himself fall onto the floor lightly as he stretched. "I was worried someone was actually here, waiting for us or something..." He stared blankly up at the ceiling as he said it.
"Well if they're gone then I can go tell the others that every thing's okay and they can come inside." The airbender stopped before he got more then a few steps away. "Did you see Suki?" He questioned as he looked back at his firebending teacher. "Yeah, I'd found the letter when she found me. She's in the pantry seeing is any thing's still good down there. It's the third turn on your right from here. I'm sure Sokka will be thrilled if the food is still okay." His voice was dry and almost hallow like he wasn't really thinking as he spoke. Aang bounded off with the information not thinking twice about it.
A few moments after the boy left Zuko turned his gaze up to Katara who was still standing there the paper held to her side. "Aren't you going to go too?" She looked away for a moment and then knelt beside him, making the teen lean up a bit startled at her. "You were hoping it was something else weren't you," she said softly, not as a question, but as a statement. "What do you mean? I wouldn't willingly walk us into a trap." He seemed to take on a quick defense as he turned back to the table. "I know that, now... I mean, you were hoping it was your mom." Her words make his jaw tighten as his eye twitched toward her, the motion seeming hard as he was only giving her his scarred side to look at.
"You couldn't of known that," he said, trying to sound firm. The girl glanced around the room not seeming to want to look too hard at his expression. "Call it a hunch." She rested her gaze finally on him again as he stared at his hands on the table. "I only just found out she could still be alive, it was stupid to think it'd be that easy... I was foolish like I always am." The last of his words were said harsh and almost painful. He abruptly stood and started toward a fireplace on the far side of the room.
"You know maybe it was foolish, but I still feel a little jealous." Zuko turned sharply toward her as the words rolled from Katara's mouth behind him. He was looking down at her as she still sat by the table, but she wasn't looking at him, instead she was staring out the window. "When you mentioned coming here to prepare for the next battle, and how there might be clues about someone important to you it made me wonder. When Sokka asked who and you told us all, it just almost infuriated me... Made me feel so cheated in a way... Still though when I put myself in your shoes it would make me so happy to even have the slightest hint that my mother was alive somewhere that I could only imagine how you must have felt, and feel now. It makes me feel sorry that you can't go after her right away, and makes me want you to find her. I guess you could say it's a let down for me too." She turned and faced him now, "I wish I could have the kind of hope you have, even if it is foolish."
The ex-prince's face had fallen a bit a mixed set of confusion and shock as he tried to respond. "Katara," he started, then a yell from another room drew both their attentions. By the time he had recovered the waterbender was already scurrying away and out of site. Zuko slid down against the stone of the fireplace till he was sitting with his knees up and his cheek resting on them, an arm in his lap as the other lay limp at his side. "I guess I am home now after all. I already have a girl making me feel like a guilty, stupid, fool at least..." He gazed idly over at a case of various collectibles across from him, seeing an assortment of pretty things his mother had collected, his posture going soft as he reached toward it.
"I am lucky in a way..." He stroked the glass that separated him from the figurines as he stared at one that caught his attention. His mother had a strange habit of collecting such things. Come to think of it his uncle did to an extent as well. A tiny ornate tea set sat in the case, tenderly painted water lilies decorated the pieces. "Really lucky..." He stood slowly a smile creeping up on him as he went to meet his friends. Maybe it was only going to be their home for the rest of the summer, but he'd decided not to sulk in it, he'd remember what had made it worthwhile to come here with his mother. He'd make it his summer home again, not just his family's, but his. And maybe, just maybe he could give it a reason for him to come back next year, because there had to be a next year, he knew that.