Disclaimer: Seriously? If I owned anything having to do with Avatar you know the show would have been different!
The next morning was cool, but the sun was slowly rising, fanning its rays over the horizon and blanketing the earth in warmth. Slowly, the Fire Nation palace began to bustle with life. The servants Zuko had permitted to remain there began to roam the halls and gardens, tending to whatever chore they could. Inside their chambers, Katara, Zuko, Aang, and the others prepared for a difficult goodbye.
They all met outside the palace, in its most impressive garden. Surrounding the group of teenagers were trees of various shapes and sizes, ponds complete with koi fish, and dazzling flowers blooming. It was stunningly beautiful, but uneasiness clung to the group like morning dew to leaves.
Zuko and Katara stood side by side, their bags hanging heavily off of their shoulders. A servant approached and announced that the war balloon was being prepared for take-off; it would only take a few minutes.
"Just enough time to say goodbye," Katara stated. She looked gently at Aang, but the Avatar's eyes seemed to avoid hers. The waterbender frowned and stepped forward, pressing her body to his in a tender embrace.
"Take care of yourself, Aang. I'm going to miss you," she said softly. Pulling slightly away, she leaned in and brushed a feather-light kiss on the Avatar's cheek. "You'll keep watch of my idiot brother while I'm gone, right?"
Aang finally cracked a small smile. "Yeah, I'll be sure to do that."
"And make sure Toph doesn't crush anybody."
"Of course!" Aang halfheartedly laughed. "Katara?"
"Yes, Aang?"
"I'm going to miss you too. A lot more than you know."
The waterbender smiled at his sweet remark, but the happiness was hidden in her eyes. Aang held her for one more moment and then leaned in and kissed her. Katara made a small noise in surprise, but then allowed the romantic gesture. Aang relished the moment, even though it lasted little more than a few instants. Katara pulled away, her cheeks blushing bright red.
"Really, Aang?" She whispered to him, clearly embarrassed. "In front of everyone?"
Aang's eyes darted around and he noticed that—yes—everyone was staring at them now.
"Sorry," Aang offered Katara, and his eyes darted to the side. He noticed Zuko's eyes were fixated on both of them. The Avatar turned away to hide his unpleasant feelings.
"Where's Mai?" Zuko asked, and the Avatar allowed himself a breath. "I can't leave without saying goodbye to my girlfriend."
"She doesn't seem like one who likes goodbyes," offered Sokka, tottering clumsily on his one good leg. He paused, and then made a face. "Actually, Mai doesn't seem like a girl who likes much of anything. Except for you, Zuko."
The Fire Lord smiled lightheartedly. "That's Mai, alright." He moved towards the palace. "I'll see if I can find her in time."
Zuko stepped quickly past the gardens and under the first stony overhang. He glanced to the side and saw his girlfriend leaning miserably against a pillar, casting him one of her trademark unhappy glances.
"I knew you wouldn't be far away," the Fire Lord said.
Mai shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not one to say goodbyes in public," she replied. "Zuko, do you really have to go?"
The girl reached out and pressed herself to him, and Zuko returned the embrace passionately. "Trust me, if I didn't have to leave, I wouldn't." He kissed her. "I'd much rather stay with you."
Mai smiled, and playfully tugged at Zuko's hair. "Promise me you'll write? I don't want just another lousy letter like the last time you disappeared."
"I'm not disappearing this time."
"You'd better not be, because if you do, I'm going to have to find you and you will not enjoy it when I do."
The Fire Lord rested his forehead against hers. "I wouldn't have it any other way." The pair shared a soft kiss, and then Zuko was forced to pull away. "I have to go now."
Mai nodded. "Okay."
Zuko hesitantly turned and began to walk back towards the garden, where he could see the large war balloon was finished being prepared. Suddenly, Mai's voice sounded behind him once more.
"Zuko?"
The Fire Lord eagerly spun around, eyes wide. "Yes, Mai? What is it?"
The warrior pressed her fists nervously to her chest, an anxious smile gracing her lips. But she shook her head, as if dismissing some unwanted thought. "Nothing…it's nothing."
Zuko smiled and spun around again, but Mai abruptly leapt forward and grabbed his hand, cradling it tightly in her own. The two Fire Nation youths stared into each other's eyes, but then Mai managed to choke out what she had really wanted to say all along.
"It's just that…I…I love you," she admitted.
The Fire Lord gaped for a moment, but then words slowly rolled out of his mouth. "Mai…I love you too," he breathed.
The two held their gaze for a moment longer, and then parted. Mai adopted an unusually sad and lonely expression on her face, but she tried her best to smile for Zuko as he pulled away and slowly reentered the gardens.
"Good luck," she called softly after him.
"Are you ready to go?" Katara asked eagerly as Zuko approached the group, who had gathered in a small semi-circle of bodies beside the giant, swelling shape of the war ballon. The airship rose up high above their heads, casting a shadow down upon the group of teenagers.
"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," replied the Fire Lord. He turned and nodded towards the others as he and the waterbender climbed aboard. "Goodbye, everyone."
Katara waved and smiled, then walked from the deck into the cabin area of the airship. Zuko adjusted some of the various wires and ropes securing the balloon to the metal basket on its underside, and was just about to life off, when he heard the Avatar's voice ring out suddenly.
"Wait!" Aang shouted and approached the side of the ship. The shorter boy gripped the metal railing and hoisted himself up so he was eye-to-eye with Zuko. The young Fire Lord blinked, confused as to why the younger boy was staring at him so seriously.
"What is it, Aang?" Zuko asked quietly.
"You have to promise me something," Aang explained, his eyebrows lowering.
The firebender's eyes flickered past the Avatar, then back again. He regarded his young friend with sincerity. "If it's within my power, I'll promise anything," he swore.
The boy cast his eyes downward, and he sucked in a sharp breath, then gradually pushed out his request. "Promise me that you'll take care of Katara," he said, emotion splitting his voice. "If anything happened to her while I wasn't there I would never forgive myself."
The Fire Lord raised his eyebrows and grinned lightheartedly. "What on earth makes you think that Katara needs taking care of?"
The Avatar didn't return the gesture. "I'm serious, Zuko. I…I love Katara and I can't let anything bad happen to her."
Zuko's expression hardened and he nodded seriously, placing a reassuring hand on Aang's shoulder. "Don't worry; I'll take care of her."
"You promise?"
"I swear on my honor."
Aang visibly breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thanks, Zuko."
The younger boy began to scale down the side of the giant airship, bouncing lightly to the green grass below on an air cushion of his own creation. He spun around lightly and then raised his hand to give the Fire Lord one last wave. Suddenly, Zuko's mind gave birth to another thought, and he leaned over the metal railing towards the waving airbender.
"Wait!" he cried, and gestured for Aang to come closer.
The boy once again flew up on gentle air currents towards the Fire Lord. "Zuko? What is it?"
The Fire Lord glanced downward thoughtfully, then back at the Avatar. "Aang, I'm going to make you one more promise."
The younger boy's eyes narrowed; he was perplexed. "What's that?"
"I promise that this time in Ba Sing Se, I'll make the right decisions. I won't let you, or Katara, or anyone else down again, I swear."
The Avatar lightly smiled. "I know, Zuko."
The boy floated downward one last time, and Zuko nodded in silent gratitude towards him. His hands worked more of the war balloon's controls, and soon the roar of hot air entering the balloon sounded above him. The ground and the people on it began to float sluggishly away and grow smaller. Zuko watched them for a moment, granting them a final wave, but then retired to the cabin.
Katara was lounging on one of the padded chairs installed in front of the many windows. Her legs were casually swung over one arm, and she turned her head to glance in Zuko's direction as he entered.
"I have to admit, your father spared no expense when it came to building every luxury into his airships," she said. "Did you know you actually have an icebox in here? Complete with drinks?"
"No, I didn't," replied the Fire Lord distantly.
They were probably put there to be used when the soldiers toasted their victory, Zuko thought. Thank goodness that never happened.
He leaned his arms on a windowsill, gazing into the approaching clouds considerately. They young Fire Lord's thoughts kept freewheeling back to Mai, and the final words they'd exchanged on the ground. He wondered if those few words that had so unexpectedly rolled off his tongue had been as sincere as he'd meant them to be.
Katara watched him, studying Zuko carefully. He had a grim expression cast across his face, like a shadow had permanently fallen upon it. Curious and concerned, Katara sat up.
"Zuko, are you okay?"
The firebender started, as if woken up from a daydream. "I'm fine," he answered, much too quickly.
"Right," Katara replied sarcastically. "That was convincing. What's wrong now?"
"It's private."
"Well, I'm not going to gossip to anyone."
"I mean really private. Like between-me-and-Mai-only private."
"You can trust me."
Zuko was silent, but he did bother to cast the waterbender an irritated glance, and then crossed his arms and turned back to the window, staring at the clouds with a determined look.
Katara spun around in her chair, a smirk crawling up her face. "Is it a girl thing? Because—you might have noticed—I am a girl, and maybe I could help give you an inside look into our mysterious world."
The firebender seemed to respond to this. He turned away from the window and faced Katara, worry crossing his face. "Do you promise never to tell?"
"Waterbender's honor," swore Katara, holding up her right hand.
Zuko's mouth formed into a tight, thin line, and he turned away again. Withdrawn and shy like he was now, he seemed so much more like a typical seventeen-year-old—not at all like a man who ruled the world's most powerful nation.
"Mai said she loves me," he finally admitted, in as few words as possible.
Katara blinked. "What? What's bad about that?"
Zuko waved his hands around in exasperation, desperation, or both. "It's just that…I told her that I loved her too!"
"So?" Katara was now thoroughly confused.
"That's not it…I think I might have lied to her. I really don't know if I love her or not. Not yet." Sighing and rubbing his forehead, Zuko slid miserably down into the chair besides Katara. "I'm just confused."
Katara frowned, suddenly feeling of déjà vu swept over her. She vaguely remembered saying that same thing once. "I know how you feel," she replied sympathetically, her voice whispering softly.
Zuko's eyebrows darted up in surprise. "What did you say?"
"I know exactly how you feel…I'm kind of in the same situation with Aang." Katara bit her lip nervously. "Or at least I think I am. I still don't know for sure either."
"But you're certain he loves you?"
"Oh, he's told me several times," Katara continued. "But I've never been able to return it honestly…and it makes me feel guilty because we've known each other for so long, and I've always liked him…but when it comes to love I'm still unsure. I suppose it's just a problem I have opening my heart to someone, because so many people I've loved have abandoned me somehow."
The waterbender closed and opened her eyes, expecting a reply, but she heard none. Spinning around in her chair again, she peered back at Zuko and was surprised to him staring at her as if she were a ghost.
"What?!" she asked, alarmed and somewhat embarrassed by the firebender's shameless gawking.
Zuko leaned back, still eyeing her suspiciously. "Okay, that was just strange. You pretty much explained my entire life right there."
"Really?" Katara reacted. "Wow, Zuko—it looks like we have more in common than we realized."
"Funny how that works out, isn't it?"
The two benders sat silently in their chairs for a few minutes, neither one brave enough to cast the other a glance or exchange words. Both looked out to the distant horizon below them, their hearts like the deep blue sea that seemed to stretch forever. Finally, Katara broke the ice.
"How long will it take to get to Ba Sing Se in this thing?" She tapped her chair affectionately.
Zuko pondered a moment. "About a day," he replied confidently. "We should arrive early tomorrow morning."
"And then what do we do?"
"First thing's first—we meet up with my uncle and then begin to inform the city's citizens of the truth about war. After that, we should look for the Earth King."
"Well, that will probably take some time," Katara supposed. "And we'll have to send agents to every corner of the Earth Kingdom to find him. What about the Dai Li?"
"We'll go after them too," replied the Fire Lord. "There are still some left in the city, and according to my uncle they're using fear to continue to corrupt and control its citizens."
Katara grinned and pumped a fist into the palm of her hand. "That ought to be fun," she said excitedly. "That will definitely allow me to vent some of my frustration with this whole relationship thing."
The firebender laughed half-heartedly at that comment, then spun his chair around again, facing the broad glass windows and the sky beyond.
Me too, Zuko thought secretly.
The clouds ahead lazily dragged across the vast expanse of blue; their edges twisted and stretched with the winds. The ground below rolled past like a giant ball, covered in patches of grassland and forest.
Personal Thingy:
Yay for me! Second chapter is finished, and I'm pretty satisfied. I hope all my readers enjoyed!
