"Choices" by gotelf
Prologue I
Choices make the person. Choices also have consequences. Good choices have positive consequences. Poor choices have negative consequences.
Choices make the person. You can shape your destiny with the choices you make. No matter what you look like or what nation you are a part of, choices will prove to everyone your worth, and give away your character.
Logic is a large aspect when dealing with choices. Common sense, or sometimes even the most thought out decisions, are always difficult to make.
What if we don't want to face reality? Shouldn't we be allowed to hide in a world of our making, of our choosing? Or would that be running? Would that be lying to your self?
Living a lie. It is not running or hiding…or so we tell our selves.
And thus we land back at the beginning.
Choices.
Prologue II
The Age of the Fire, Earth, and Water Nations.
A new hope, the Avatar, a boy named Aang (112 years old, frozen for the past 100 years), born of the air nation, raised and trained by the air temple monks, is preparing to save the world. To do so, he is traveling with water-tribe siblings Katara (a girl of 14 years) and Sokka (a young man of 16 or 17 years), all the while trying to learn fire and earth bending. He has slightly mastered water bending, but he still has much to learn.
The fire nation is slowly conquering the world, having already dominated the air kingdom. Earth kingdom is holding up as steadfast as ever. The water nation is barely surviving.
Banished from the fire nation, the exiled Prince Zuko (who is apparently a very hot young man of 17 years) has taken it up as his mission to track down and capture the Avatar, eventually bringing him to his father, the fire lord Ozai. He has become obsessed and has constantly failed to capture the heroic monk and his friends. His drive to capture the Avatar is solely founded upon his quest for honor (he was shamed back in his fire nation—long story, I'm not getting into it). All he wants is for things to go back to the way they once were: to be happy and carefree and have his father's approval, pride, and love…
(Cutting back to the focus at hand)
The Air Nation has previously been exterminated 100 years ago from present time.
Or so we thought…
Chapter 1
The Age of the Fire, Earth, and Water Nations, present day…
Summer.
"I found some berries, Trinity!"
Trinity looked up from where she was kneeling, like a panther crouching. She was studying some mushrooms embedded in the forest's rich, green carpet, deciding whether or not the mushrooms were edible. They looked harmless, so she grabbed them and stuffed them in the folds of her skirt.
"That's good, Rajah! Just don't eat any—collect more and bring them to me so I can inspect them!" She shouted back, glancing through the thick woods all around her, looking for something else she could bring back for Rajah and her to eat. Her delicate hand brushed back a curly wire of her hair from her face.
"I'll come soon—let's meet back at camp, all right?" she added.
"Fine by me. I've got lots of stuff here!" Her little brother replied.
Trinity smiled, a bold, assertive, yet gentle—and perfectly beautiful and pure—smile. It was the kind of smile that made all the young men in her old air tribe nervous and uncharacteristically shy.
She was 16 years old, and still had yet to see a man just as courageous and clever as her. And she couldn't wait to meet him—her perfect match. A light, easy blush danced upon her face as she had this thought. He always came to her in her sleep, when shadows and music played in her head. But he was different every time she dreamed, and yet, strangely the same. She never saw his face, and his clothes were always black, but somehow she could tell each of her dream men apart. His clothes were always covered with armor, because even as tough and domineering as she was; she always had a thing for warriors.
She wished she would meet a man like any other—one who's knees wouldn't buckle when he saw her, or stutter when he spoke. She was aware of the power she had over men, but she hoped there was a guy who was even more proud and intimidating than she was. She wanted to be swept off her feet by prince charming…
Trinity sighed and looked around once again, studying the paradise around her.
She was five feet and five inches—not that tall. Her silky hair went down lower than the middle of the back, and it was dark and very wavy, sometimes even curly (it depended on the humidity) and even though it was a very dark brown, it wasn't black, because in the sun you could see highlights of lighter shades of brown, and if you were lucky, red. She wasn't really Asian, more of an Indian type, but her skin were tan, not dark, and her eyes were beautiful, and she had the longest, darkest eyelashes you'd ever see, her eye color was a dark, pure chocolate color, and her lips were full. Her nose was the only imperfect thing about her. It was not huge, but it was out of place in her face. It seemed strange, it just being there, but when you really studied her, you saw it added to her beauty and somehow fit her. She was naturally pretty even though she had flaws.
Bored, Trinity gave up. She couldn't find anything else, and she really, really hoped that the mushrooms weren't poisonous. Her brother, Rajah, would probably know, she decided. After all, he spent all his godforsaken time exploring. He was fascinated with everything: the rocks, the trees, the water, the earth, the sky, and the air.
The air, that beautiful world they knew so well. They were air benders—it was in their blood, really. They were a part of the air nation. Well, what was left of it anyways. The water, earth, and fire nations all thought that the air benders were dead.
How very wrong they were.
But it wasn't just them, you see. Air nation people that fled when the attack came over 100 years ago, well, they survived…some of them. And by now, there were little groups of air nation people living in scarce areas of the earth and water nations, blended in, so they wouldn't be discovered. Some of them had taken up the other nations as their own. Those that could bend tried to stop, so they would not be found out.
Yes, they tried.
But that will in your blood was just too strong, wasn't it, Trinity, Trinity thought to herself as she walked back to her family's camp, taking her time.
Trinity and Rajah, especially, couldn't resist that sweet temptation to bend the air to their will. It was too fantastic—a free feeling, built inside them.
They had begged their parents for ages to teach them, to let them bend. And since they lived in an isolated spot 7 miles from the nearest village, and they were dressed in earth kingdom clothes, they were allowed to train.
Before she was allowed to bend (she started learning when she was 12, and Rajah was 6 at the time, he was 10 years old in the present day) she always had this empty feeling within her. And when she filled up that empty spot, she filled it with passion. She learned air bending with passion. Everything she did, everything she felt, was filled with passion—and so much emotion.
Trinity arrived at camp: a very large, circular opening in the woods, right by the seashore, which had average-sized huts around the area, with a campfire in the middle.
It was midday, so the sun's golden light shone brightly on Trinity, as there were no more trees hovering over her with their shade. People were bustling this way and that. There were maybe 20 people in her tribe.
Trinity made way over to her male cousins and Rajah, who were playing over in the sea. Their laughing made her grin to herself, because the two eldest of her cousins, Serra (13 years old), and Keeta (14 years old), (both boys), were probably telling the other boys perverted stories again. Rajah was laughing so hard, along with Serra and Keeta, but the two younger cousins, Rayha (9 years old), and Kanye (8 years old) were staring in wide-eyed amazement.
"Don't be so stiff, you two!" Rajah laughed at Rayha and Kanye.
"I know, it's funny, not…well..—" Serra tried to finish.
"Umm, gross? Sick? Queer?" Trinity finished for him. She gave Rayha and Kanye a warm smile.
"Why don't you two go play with the girls? Dinner's about ready anyways." Trinity added.
The boys hugged Trinity and ran off to play jump rope with the girls on the other side of camp, by the woods.
"You boys need to stop freaking out those poor sweethearts." She sternly told the boys, her brow furrowed. She was even more beautiful when she was angry.
"Yes Trinity. But we—" They all said. Rajah was still laughing.
"Ugh." Trinity rolled her eyes in disgust at Rajah. "I'm taking a bath."
She stormed off, leaving the boys standing in the cold seawater.
Serra and Keeta looked at each other knowingly with raised eyebrows and mischievous smiles. Rajah stopped laughing—finally.
"Ew. If you guys think my sister is hot, easy there, okay, 'cause she is, like, your goddamn cousin, for bamboo's sake." Rajah told them, obviously annoyed. Rajah was the best-looking boy in the whole tribe, even if he was only 10. He got an air of superiority sometimes.
Serra and Keeta looked at each other and shrugged.
Rajah looked at them, disgusted, and left, murmuring, "She's your freaking cousin."
Meanwhile, On Prince Zuko's ship, not too far off…Prince Zuko sighed, as he looked at the tapestry beside his bed. He collapsed onto his soft, dark bed, still looking at the tapestry. It had the fire nation symbol, a flame, embroidered onto it.
He sighed again and turned onto his back, so that he was staring up at the iron ceiling above him.
He was lying inside his dimly lit bedroom, on his ship. As he turned onto his side, he stared deeply into the lit candles that stood on his dresser. His armor was piled in a forgotten corner in the room, as it was too hot to wear them.
He put his hands over his eyes, and turned over onto his stomach, and after awhile, nodded off….
Chapter 2
Prince Zuko's ship
"Prince Zuko! Wake up!"
Zuko's Uncle Iroh burst into the room with much enthusiasm.
Prince Zuko groaned and turned away from his uncle.
"Zuko…"
"Oh, what now, uncle?"
"Zuko, there is a quaint little village right along the coastline. We are pretty much out of supplies, so I believe it would be best to stop for some, since there will not be another stop for at least 30 miles…I thought, perhaps, the people wouldn't mind bartering, perhaps."
"Do as you wish, uncle. The trail we are moving on is following the Avatar, so I guess it is all right."
"Zuko? Are you okay?"
Prince Zuko sighed.
Uncle Iroh looked at him, surprised and curious.
"I…I think I've given up."
"Given up on what," Iroh looked at the ceiling and rolled his eyes. "Ohhh…Prince Zuko, don't be silly. This isn't like you."
"But what if it is like me, uncle? What if I've changed? I don't care about finding the Avatar any longer! I know it doesn't seem right, what with these words coming out of my mouth, of all people."
The prince stood up, his eyes traveling the floor.
"But. Well, that is very fine and all, Zuko. I am happy for you, if that is your choice. I…I just want to know…why?"
Zuko turned to look at him. He bent his head in defeat. Iroh glanced up at him, and moved over to the door.
"It's alright, Prince Zuko. You don't have to tell me. Take your time. Just be ready in half an hour. We are docking soon. Join me in the safety boat. Okay? Remember, tonight is music night, so we must be getting back soon." Iroh chuckled to himself.
The door clanged shut.
Prince Zuko sat on his bed, eyes closed.
Chapter 3
Back in the earth nation woods, a little away from the village in a private clearing…
Trinity rushed through woods, and heaved a sigh when she entered a little clearing.
Alone at last, she thought to herself, running her hand through her hair.
She was standing by a lovely lake, waist deep, and connected to this lake were a series of tiny waterfalls, each varying in size. Some were big enough to stand behind and be totally covered, and some were small enough to be partially covered. There were a succession of very slippery ancient stone steps that went up to the waterfalls and mist hovered over the blue water, by the waterfalls.
Trinity hummed to herself (she had a wondrous voice) as she washed her hands in the water. She splashed the water onto her face, her hair falling in wet tendrils. A solemn look crossed her face as she looked up at the sky. She never looked more beautiful than in this very moment: her eyes pondering, her lips moist and full, and wet fallen curls around her cheekbones.
Something would happen today. She could feel it.
Meanwhile, on Prince Zuko's safety boat…"So boys. You want to join me for a Pi Cho game later this evening?" Iroh smugly asked some of the crew that joined him and Prince Zuko in the safety boat.
The crew groaned.
"I'll take that as a yes," Iroh agreed.
Zuko, determined looking as ever, was looking out towards the little village, trying to ignore his uncle's stupid whims.
Maybe, when we reach the shore, uncle will be so busy that he won't be able to notice me slip by…Maybe I can finally be alone, and have some quiet, do some meditating…
Thoughts swam by in Prince Zuko's head, but he didn't know what he was thinking. All he knew was that he needed to get out. This fresh air was just what he needed.
He breathed it in. He could feel the cool evening air rush into his lungs, calming the flames that burned inside him. He looked down into the seawater, and caught his reflection—but just barely. It was difficult to see, as it was getting dark.
He could faintly see his pale complexion, but his scar—his massive red scar—well, that was a little difficult to miss. He silently eyed it, and impulsively ran his hand against it. He tore his hand from his face and quickly spun around, expecting to find someone who saw.
Zuko looked at everyone. Thankfully, no one noticed. Uncle Iroh was busy bragging to the crew, as they sighed and looked at each other with annoyance, and yet, tolerance.
Uncle did have his ways with people.
Prince Zuko turned back towards the sea, his hands clamped onto the railings.
He breathed in the fresh evening air once more, and let it out. Zuko looked towards the small village.
He was ready for anything that would come.