Wow! People reviewed! dies of surprise I believe this is the first time I have gotten more than 2 reviews. (Sad I know, especially since I feel that my stories are not cruddy, and i take some pride in them.) So sorry for it taking FOREVER for me to update, but being 20 (my b. day was christmas) does have its drawbacks. Like... work, babysitting, sleeping, trying to eat, and oh yeah, the holidays. well enough about me, let's talk about you! To all my reviewers: moofins galore for you all, oh and hello-kitty shaped flaffles (thats what I call waffles. i just got a hello kitty waffle maker yesterday and had my first ever homemade waffles. they were delicious!)
Loalaa: I know the formatting seems kinda weird, but i am trying to put spaces between my likes, like a normal double-spaced paper. I never could follow single-spaced stuff as easily as double spaced pages. If you know of a better way to do the double spacing, please let me know because I don't want my story to be difficult to read
Kiba: um... thanks... I think... I'm glad you liked it... though you had your doubts? oh well i can see why, what with all the tons of fanfics out there nowadays.
Banannas: I hope you like the chapter. Yes yes, poor Appa. I didn't want to get rid of him, and I racked my brain trying to figure out how to get around it, but in the end it seemed the most convenient thing to do would be to kill him off. I mean caging a lemur is one thing, but trying to hold back a giant flying bison is a whole different story. Oh, and When I watched the season finale, I threw things at the t.v. Then, I watched it again! (i know, you wonder why. just because it made me mad doesn't make it any less awesome!) I haven't decided whether or not to put in information about the others for a few reasons: 1. I have to really look into the other characters more if I want to portray them well. 2. I'm not sure what they're doing yet (lol.) 3. This story is supposed to be centered around Aang and Zuko, and I don't want there to be any chances of rescue for a while at least. Zuko and Aang both have a lot to learn from one another, and thats the point of this story, giving them a chance (or in zuko's case, forcing him into a position where he has to )to learn from one another. and please don't tie me to a stake by my wrists. I sorta need those... I think...
Anyways thanks to my reviewers, especially Banannas, for your constant support.
I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH AVATAR:THE LAST AIRBENDER…sorry again. Just… feeling a little shout-y today… I do, however, own the idea of this story, as it came from my own mind. (Scaaaaaarrryyyyyyy).
Last time on Finding Honor:
As the canteen left Aang's hand, the boy felt
something cool, hard and round pressed into his palm. Looking
down, the child couldn't help but crack a smile at what he found:
It was an apple, Aang's favorite fruit.
"Thank you." Aang mumbled. His voice, Zuko noted, sounded slightly
more full. Not happy…. But not so quiet and forlorn as before.
"You're…… welcome…" The words came uneasily to the young
Prince, and he mentally cursed at the way his voice faltered. Shaking his
head, Zuko swiftly left the Avatar's cell, wanting to remove himself
as quickly as possible from this uncomfortable situation.
The next seven days passed by slowly for the banished prince
of the Fire Nation. He tried to busy himself by constantly brooding
over maps, counting and re-counting the ship's provision stores, and
finding every tiny problem present on his ship, from cracks in the
wood of the main deck to a patch that he claimed was "improperly sewn"
onto the canvas of the mainsail. His sailors would groan over his
nit-picking, but only behind the prince's back. As for Zuko himself,
the teenager was at his wit's end attempting to occupy his mind 24/7,
so as not to have to think on his last major encounter with a certain
twelve-year-old airbender. While the fire prince now only saw his
prisoner once a day ( he would never let anyone other than himself
feed the boy and administer the anti-bending serum ), as far as Zuko
himself was concerned, even those scant minutes he had to spend in
the presence of the caged child were too much for his comfort. But
somewhere, in the back of his mind, Zuko sensed that he was being
drawn to the young monk. As much as he tried to ignore the feeling,
it was always there, nagging him like an itch that is most impossible
to scratch.
And so it was that one day, roughly a week after Aang's capture,
Zuko found himself once again face to face with the silent Avatar.
He fingered the bottle of serum carefully, eyeing the small figure just
beyond the bars of his cell. Normally, Zuko would rush in, give the boy
his serum, feed him, and leave as swiftly as could be managed. But today,
the prince stood for a few moments, watching his captive in silence.
Aang had become quieter, less confrontational, over the past week.
It seemed the boy was resigning himself to his inevitable fate. Zuko
should have felt good about this…. He SHOULD have, but he didn't.
He felt awful, not that he would ever admit it even to himself.
Now, looking once more at the young avatar, Zuko saw just how much
the boy had changed. The child had once been so happy-go-lucky, so
energetic and hopeful. But now…. All of that youthfulness seemed to
have drained out of the young monk. Zuko supposed he should not be
so surprised by this. After all, had it not been for Aang believing all his
friends were dead, Zuko knew that the younger boy would have never
given up hope, and most likely would have escaped many days ago.
Yet again, Zuko told himself that he should feel proud about being able
to find a way to break the airbender's spirit. But of course, he instead felt
like a monster.
The fire prince shook his head to rid his mind of all such thoughts,
and entered the Avatar's cell. As he did so, Aang looked up, right into
Zuko's eyes.
"I'm not gonna fight you anymore about that stuff." The young voice spoke,
it's owner's head nodding towards the vial in Zuko's hand.
"Oh really? How can I be sure you aren't planning something?" the teen
asked suspiciously, his only eyebrow cocked slightly.
Aang sighed heavily. "Believe it or not as you like, but I've decided
it's not worth the fight. You always win and it just makes me tired when
I try and fight you."
Zuko said nothing, but knelt in front of the boy. "Open your mouth."
Aang did as he was told. Mildly surprised, Zuko poured the serum into
the child's mouth, watching as Aang swallowed it willingly. Satisfied
that the boy had swallowed all of the anti-bending concoction, Zuko
quietly handed the captive his meal, then sat and began unwrapping his
own lunch from his cloak. The two sat, eating in silence.
"Prince Zuko…." Aang's tiny voice finally shattered the fragile quiet.
"Huh?' came the prince's soft reply.
Aang shook his head. "I just don't understand… Why do so many
people hate me? I mean, I know that lots of people do, I just…..
I don't understand why? What did I do wrong?"
There was no easy answer that Zuko could give the boy. What COULD
he say? That the boy's very existence threatened the fire nation, so fire
nation citizens hated him; while the rest of the globe often felt angry at
the boy for taking 100 years to reappear? Sure, this was the truth,
but what sort of inhuman cold-hearted jerk could tell such things to a
twelve- year-old boy?
"Avatar…" The prince began, not really sure what he would say.
"Aang…. Please, just call me Aang. 'Avatar' is something I was
born to be, but it isn't who I am. I'm Aang…. Just Aang."
"Avatar." Zuko insisted, eyes suddenly hardening. "That's what you
are to me, just the Avatar." The teenager stood in a hurry. He had to
leave… Otherwise, he thought to himself, I risk becoming too personal
with this boy… I mean, this child… I mean the Avatar… Aang….OH!
"I'm sorry… I had no right to tell you what to call me." Aang spoke now
with an air of defeat. He had ruined it…
Shaking his head, Zuko hurriedly left the cell. Finally, reaching his own
room, the fire-headed youth yelled out his anger, letting the flames
spurt from his clenched fists.
Thanks again... And remember, please feed the author! I only way 94lbs, i need to be fed. Oh, and review too...