Chapter 04: Explanation
Rating: K
Alright, 4 chapters in 4 days. Hopefully the quality isn't hurting too badly with this. This chapter feels a little disjointed to me, so let me know if that is the sense you all get as well. More subdued than the previous chapter, and a little more development of their relationship towards romantic ending. Comments appreciated, and enjoy the story.
Pulling himself slowly to his feet, Zuko worked the Water tribe boy's words through his head, wondering what he was insinuating. With a sudden realization, his face lit up like the fire that could be summoned from his fingertips, scandalized by the simple notion.
"Wait, it's not like that! I would never, with her," A mental slap as he heard his own words, winces of pain on the faces of Suki and Sokka, and he imagined on Ty Lee's as well.
"Ouch. That was cold, man," Sokka teased, shaking his head in mock disappointment.
"I know. You didn't have to say it like that, Zuko," Suki scolded in addition, Zuko pinching the bridge of his nose. He seemed to always know the exact wrong thing to say in situations like this.
"Look, that's not what I meant. I just mean that I didn't come here for that, and in case you forgot, I'm still with Mai," he reasoned, feeling a strange lack of conviction in his own voice. The others he could see had a similar look on their face, seemingly picking up on his tone of voice as well.
"I'm sorry, Ty Lee. I didn't mean to say it quite that way," he apologized genuinely, turning his head slightly to watch the girl pull herself into a sitting position.
"Oh, it's okay Zuko. I know what you meant," More unconvincing speech from the young brunette, sending a wince of pain through Zuko's chest. The look on Ty Lee's face was not so different from the look of sorrow on his uncle's face in the catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se. But it was not disappointment in actions, but seemingly a more deep seated hurt.
"Suki, I'll explain why I'm here in a little while, but first, I need Ty Lee to show me around," Zuko continued his explanation, nearly chuckling as Suki and Sokka's eyes nearly bugged out of their heads.
"Wait, you can't mean you are going to be staying HERE, can you?" Suki nearly shouted, watching as Zuko clasped his right fist against his left palm, bowing in respect to the lead figure of the village.
"Only if it is alright with you guys, that is. As I said, I will explain my reasons to you shortly, but first I would like Ty Lee to keep her end of the deal," Zuko smiled warmly as his honey colored eyes again drifted to the peppy brunette.
Suki looked to Sokka for some sort of advice on the matter, nearly groaning audibly as he simply shrugged his shoulders. Turning her gaze then towards Ty Lee, she had half expected to see a look of hesitance, of hurt, but was surprised to see none. The grey eyed beauty looked to the older girl imploringly, a sort of wounded puppy look on her face.
"Fine, you can stay, as long as you give me a good explanation for your purpose here, and if you don't cause any trouble," she responded finally, sighing in near abject defeat. Ty Lee made a sound of unbridled happiness, clasping her hands together as she thanked the girl who served as her leader.
"Thank you, Suki," Zuko replied, bowing towards the leader once again, she mirroring the gesture. Turning on foot towards his old friend, Zuko reached a hand down towards her, watching with some amusement as she blinked in apprehension at his gesture.
"Geez, it's not like I'm going to bite," he joked, smiling as she finally reached out for the outstretched hand, clasping her fingers tightly around his hand. With a sudden pull, Zuko found a lump residing in his throat as he pulled too hard, the girl's soft, warm frame pressing tightly against his. Ty Lee noticed the position as well, blushing a bit as she pulled back a bit, gaze diverted towards the ground.
"O-kay," Sokka intervened, eyes shifting from one nervous teen to the other, smirking at the awkward moment between the two.
"Remember, Zuko," Suki cautioned, poking a finger strongly in the center of his chest, "no trouble here, alright?"
"I promise," he responded, a sense of déjà vu passing over him. Memories of his first night as part of Aang's group, and a stern talking to from the water bending girl. More a threat than a lecture per se, he could still feel the goosebumps on the back of his neck at the thought. The icy tone of her voice had reminded him far too much of Azula, something he would never dare mention to the girl.
"Alright then, come on Zuko. I'll show you around town," Ty Lee broke in quickly, a sense of excitement replacing her embarrassment as she grasped his hand. Tugging him eagerly towards the exit of the training hall, she paid no attention to the surprised looks of Suki and Sokka, or of Zuko himself.
"Okay, Ty Lee, but you don't have to drag me," he said as they exited the large structure, leaving a curious pair of onlookers behind.
"Are you sure about this, Suki? I thought you hated Zuko," Sokka stated after the other two had disappeared from sight. Stroking his chin, he rested his dark blue eyes on the girl who he had grown nearly dependent on.
"Well, I couldn't really say no with Ty Lee looking like that," she responded in exasperation, turning her emerald eyes to her future husband. "So, why did you want him to stay, Sokka?" Suki asked knowingly, watching the boy's face fall into a catlike leer.
"Well, I heard that Zuko used to be pretty good with swords, and I wanted to let him know who the number one is," Sokka proclaimed proudly, thumping his chest as he ran the situation through his mind.
"And what happens if you challenge him and he beats you?" Suki sighed, nudging Sokka in the gut with her elbow. The dark skinned boy looked quite surprised, as though the thought had not occurred to him before.
"You think I could lose?" he asked, only a half sarcastic hint of hurt at the suggestion.
"Well, he is bigger than you," an indisputable fact, sending a pang of reality through the teen's mind. "And, did you not see the way he and Ty Lee were going at it? I wonder if anyone could handle either of them," Suki continued, referring more to her situation with Ty Lee than Sokka's desire to beat Zuko.
"Don't worry, Suki, you're always going to be the best," he responded, wrapping his arms around his girl. The auburn haired girl returned the gesture, not entirely convinced of the matter, but content to enjoy Sokka's attempts at comfort.
"Thanks, Sokka. Do you suppose Zuko will be alright on the island?" Tense silence passed between the two, near identical thoughts passing through their minds.
'It'll be fine… won't it?'
"So, Zuko, where to first?" Ty Lee asked, hands clasped neatly behind her back as she walked to Zuko's right. The young Fire Lord seemed curious about the entire place, his eyes scanning from side to side.
"Well, how about getting cleaned up first?" he suggested, sniffing himself before making an exaggeratedly disgusted look. Ty Lee gave herself a try, and finding herself far from pleasant, decided it was a good idea.
"Sounds good to me. I assume you remembered to bring some extra clothes?"
"Of course I did."
"Wow, Zuko, you're so responsible," Ty Lee sing songed, causing the older teen to smile despite himself.
"It's just the obvious thing to do, isn't it?"
"I don't know. I always forget things like that," she responded, giggling a bit at her occasional tendencies towards ditziness. Zuko simply gazed at her, watching as she slowly walked down the road.
'Why can't I seem to take my eyes off her since I got here?' he questioned himself, actively trying to divert his gaze from the bouncy girl. She had a personality so unlike any girl he had ever met, a direct contrast to his girlfriend, Mai. Where Mai seemed to hold a near contempt and disdain for most things in life, Ty Lee was a moving bundle of positive energy, finding the positives in nearly any situation.
"I'm sorry," he spoke, pulling himself to a stop in front of the entrance to Ty Lee's wooden home. The young girl turned to him as she opened the door, surprised by the suddenness of his apology.
"Umm, it's okay?" she answered hesitantly, wondering what he was apologizing for.
"I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, Ty Lee. You've never been anything but nice to me, and I was just mean, so I'm sorry," For a moment, a sense of silence passed between the two, Zuko looking directly down at the ground, Ty Lee's crisp grey eyes falling directly on the young man.
"Zuko…" she murmured, taking a step closer to her friend. "It's okay, Zuko. I know you never meant it, and if anyone should apologize, it's me," she responded, smiling sheepishly as she lightly scratched her chin.
"What do you have to apologize for?" he asked, warm golden eyes falling on the girl's lithe form.
"For all those times I was teasing you along with Azula. It wasn't very nice, but I couldn't stand up to Azula. She was always the boss, but that's no excuse," her voice sunk just a bit, the peppiness that he had begun to enjoy disappearing. Another moment of silence between them, neither unsure exactly what to say.
"It's alright, Ty Lee. I know first hand how controlling and manipulative Azula can be." he replied, wincing internally at all the times he had unknowingly been made to dance in the palm of his wicked sister.
"I think she was just confused, lost in life. But she didn't have Iroh there to guide her along, like you did," Ty Lee responded, trying her best to cheer up, but finding it somewhat difficult. She didn't want to be angry with Azula, or anyone for that matter. It was so frustrating, not knowing how she could help her other long time friend.
"It's not your fault, Ty Lee," Zuko's soothing voice hung pleasantly on her ears, bringing a smile to her face. "Azula had the misfortune of being raised directly by our father, and when the time came, she made her choices. If anyone is to blame, it is me, her family," Zuko continued, resting his hands reassuringly on the girl's slender shoulders.
Ty Lee felt an odd surge pass through her at his touch, a nearly indescribable warmth, a sense of security, of compassion. It made her happy that there were others worrying about her friend, even one who had been made to suffer so much at her hands as Zuko had.
"Wow, you're so mature, Zuko," she replied truthfully, giggling at his naïve reaction as he turned away from her.
"I-I'm not that mature," he huffed, dropping his hands from their perch on her shoulders.
"So, you want to bathe here or go down to the baths?" the girl questioned, changing the subject to the reason for their appearance at her home. He seemed to ponder the question for a bit, before deciding that it would be easier if they did it there. A gentle nod of the head, and the girl bounded into the home, Zuko following closely behind.
Closing the door gently behind him, the young Fire Lord made his way towards the olive green sofa, where his pack rested against the back side. Grabbing the pack, he took a seat on the comfortable cushioning, rummaging through it for his spare change of clothes.
"I'll be out soon, so just hang on Zuko," Ty Lee spoke breezily, bursting from her room towards the bathroom in a quick burst. Barely a word of acceptance passed Zuko's lips before the bathroom door was closed, and he could hear the steady sounds of water filling a large basin.
Leaning back against the backing of the sofa, he focused his attention on the varying shades of red of the second set of clothes he had brought with him, reminders of home. Trying not to imagine the slender figure in the next room dipping into the hot water, Zuko attempted to force his thoughts to other matters.
Would his reasons for visiting be accepted by the Kyoshi warriors' leader? Why had Sokka seemingly accepted it with no argument? And why was he so interested in spending more time with Ty Lee? A rough growl sounded from his throat, and he clutched his messy black hair tightly.
"God, it's all so confusing. Why can't things be simple?" he asked to no one in particular, not paying attention to his surroundings.
"Things are not always simple, but they can become simple if you let them," Ty Lee's flowery voice startled him from his contemplations, her face upside down in front of his own. Nearly choking on his own breath, he watched as she leapt onto the sofa next to him, staring intently at his worried expression.
"God, Ty Lee, don't do that," he managed between frustrated coughs, letting the surprise wear off as he attempted to begin breathing normally again.
"Sorry, Zuko, but you weren't paying attention. I'm all done, so it's all yours," she responded, her normally warm smile bringing a light pink to Zuko's hardened features. Muttering some words of thanks, Zuko quickly made his way to the bathroom, resting against the inside of the door as he nearly slammed it shut.
"Come on, Zuko, no reason to get so flustered," he told himself, slapping his cheeks as he gradually got back to normal. Making sure the door was locked, more out of habit than any fear of intrusion, Zuko began to disrobe, enjoying the cool sensation as his skin came into contact with the air.
Tossing the still sweaty shirt to one side, he set his new garments to another, looking himself in the mirror as he turned the dial for the water to start. The soothing, steady flow of water calmed him as he watched his mirror image mimicking his movements. Making a silly face, the young royal felt a chuckle escape his lips, quickly settling in a happy smile.
"This place really isn't so bad," he spoke to his mirrored self, running his fingers appraisingly against his chin. Feeling the little bits of stubble growing, he reached beneath the small pile of red cloth, producing a small straight razor. Tilting his head upward, he carefully ran the sharpened edge along his skin, the scraping sound grating uncomfortably on his ears.
After an uncomfortable few moments, he felt his face once more, and felt a sense of increased comfort at losing the bits of bristly hair. Setting the razor on the edge of the sink, he turned towards the bath, turning the dial to shut off the steady flow. Looking over the basin of water, Zuko set his hand into the clear fluid, to test the temperature.
"Damn, I forgot to adjust the temperature," he complained, mentally scolding himself for his lack of attention. Closing his eyes, Zuko produced a flame through his hand, letting the ball of warmth dance on his palm for a moment. Opening his eyes, they then widened at the sight in front of him. The momentary lapse in control caused the flame to sputter and then disappear.
"W-what was that? It was… green?" he looked questioningly at his hands, wondering what it meant. Focusing again, he produced another flame in his hand. This time it was the more familiar orangish-red tone, and as he sent the flame softly against the cool water, he could not help but wonder what had caused the flame to look green at that instant.
"I'm sure it was nothing," he excused the situation, smirking to himself as he finished disrobing before slipping into the now comfortably warm water. Sighing deeply, he let the heat seep into his body, billows of steam wafting carelessly up towards the ceiling.
After a few minute of soaking in the hot water, Zuko decided that he was reasonably clean, and stepped out of the large basin. Grabbing the nearest towel, he ran it roughly through his hair, feeling a few droplets spraying against his bare neck. Reversing the thick material, he dabbed at his body, letting the moisture accumulate on the towel.
Once he was dry enough, he stepped back towards the pile of red cloth, first slipping on a pair of crimson pants. The fancy gold trim he usually favored was now replaced with a dark blue, and as he clasped the hold in the front, he reached for his shirt.
A long sleeve silk shirt slipped easily over his strong frame, the smooth material sending shivers along his skin with its sensitivity from the heat. Finally as he finished the buttons on the shirt, he grabbed the last garment, a crimson sleeveless shirt that was close to a vest, its tone matching that of his pants.
Sliding his arms through the openings in the shirt, he straightened the outfit a bit as he looked in the mirror. He did not necessarily fuss over his appearance, but he did enjoy looking presentable. Satisfied with his look, he wheeled to his left, and exited the bathroom.
"Ty Lee, what should I do with the other clothes?" he asked, coming to a stop as he realized the girl was staring right at him, her grey eyes wide, her lithe body not moving.
"Ty Lee?" he asked again, watching her body slowly come back to life.
"Oh, what is it Zuko?" she responded, a bit more flustered than he would have expected.
"I was just wondering what I should do with these," he said, indicating towards the pile of various shades of green in his arms.
"Oh, just toss 'em anywhere," she muttered, eyes still fastened to Zuko's body. The light material held close to his well muscled frame, giving the young girl a good look at his toned arms.
"God, how can you be so careless with your clothes," he muttered, letting the clothing drop onto the floor next to him. "Do you even do your own laundry?" he asked, raising his good brow in accusation.
"Well, sometimes," she returned weakly, rubbing the back of her head as she giggled nonchalantly.
"I thought so. I guess I'll have to do it."
"You can do laundry, Zuko?!" the girl sounded more surprised than Zuko was comfortable with, and it ignited his usual indignant side.
"Well, I was traveling all around the world, so of course I had to do some laundry once in a while," he responded, referring to the fact that Ty Lee had gotten to travel throughout the Earth Kingdom with all the benefits of Fire Nation royalty behind her.
"Good point," she admitted, apologizing for jumping to conclusions.
"So, how about we get something to eat," Zuko suggested, rubbing his stomach as it began to growl. Hearing the odd sound, Ty Lee giggled out loud, watching Zuko's embarrassed face. Her giggling soon died down, as her own stomach made its desire for sustenance known as well.
"Sounds like a good idea, and I can do a little showing around at the same time," she added helpfully, earning an approving nod from the older boy.
"So, where can someone get something to eat around here?" he asked, closing the door behind him as they left. Looking around the small village, he got the impression that a high quality restaurant would not be seen anywhere, but decided that anything that filled his stomach would be acceptable.
"Well, there is this one place, but I'm not sure it's up to your standards, Zuko," Ty Lee spoke, just a trace of hesitancy.
"That'll be fine. After all, I am the guest here, and I assume it's so out of the way for a reason," he mused, earning an approving nod from the younger girl.
"Alright, then it's over this way," she added, tugging his arm roughly.
"Ty Lee, I already told you I know how to follow directions!" he shouted, watching the girl as she completely ignored his words. As they walked towards the small restaurant, Zuko felt his gaze shifting from person to person in town, familiar reactions on the faces of each.
"Zuko, the people in town seem to be staring at you," Ty Lee pointed out, concern evident on her voice as she turned to gaze at him.
"I figured it would be that way. It's alright though, Ty Lee, I'm used to it," he responded sadly, the amused grin he had worn only moments earlier replaced with a forlorn, depressed look.
"Used to it?" she asked, feeling a twinge of pain in her chest at the look on Zuko's face.
"It's only natural, since all the evil things the Fire Nation did to the world, and the mistakes I made in the past on my own," The way he said it made Ty Lee want to simply encircle her arms around him, to warm him with a big hug. But she remembered that he was always against such things, and decided it was not the right time to push him.
"I'm sure they just need to get to know you, Zuko. You're different from your father, and Azula," the brunette supplied, closing the short distance between them. Looking into his warm, golden eyes she smiled at him, the happiness shining in her own grey spheres.
"Hmph, if only everyone were as forgiving and positive as you, Ty Lee," Zuko chuckled, patting her shoulder as he walked past her, making his way towards the small restaurant. Ty Lee stood in place for a moment, watching the retreating form of the young Fire Lord. In all her time, she had never had any kind of real responsibility, while Zuko, who was only 2 years her senior, had the fate of an entire nation on his shoulders.
"He needs a vacation," she said to herself, smiling in thought as she bounded towards the restaurant after Zuko.
Over a light lunch of simple stew with bread, and some tea which Zuko admitted was surprisingly good, the pair simply chatted, catching up on what each other had been up to. Ty Lee was most certainly not envious of the position of Fire Lord, given the amount of politicking which seemed to be involved in smoothing over relations with the other nations. Zuko was intrigued by the peaceful life that the Kyoshi island seemed to provide, a feeling he found himself wishing he could experience.
"Sounds like things here are pretty nice," Zuko spoke as they walked up the hill towards the training hall. He turned his head slightly to the side, catching Ty Lee's gaze with his own. "If only I could be sure that things would go well if I were to step down, I would love to live here," His admission took the young girl quite by surprise.
"I thought you always wanted to be Fire Lord, Zuko. Why would you want to give it up after all this time?" she asked, curious as to the reason for his seemingly sudden change in demeanor.
"Well, when you're a kid it's all about being royalty. You always wanted to be a princess yourself, right?" he teased, watching her eyes flash with the memory.
"Of course. Princesses are so lovely, and they get their prince on a white horse, big balls and they're loved by the people," Ty Lee spoke rather dreamily, imagining herself in a flowing white gown, attending a huge royal style wedding. At the happy expression on her face, Zuko didn't have the heart to remind her that Azula was a princess, and that his father had once been a so-called "prince".
"But when you get to be at the very top, it's all so stressful, even if you have the backing of the Avatar to hold you up. I think I got lucky I had to get there the long way, but it's not the situation to raise a kid in," As he spoke, his lips crooked up at one corner, a dry smirk showing his sadness at the prospect of raising a child in the Fire Nation court.
"I'm sure you and Mai will make great parents though, Zuko." Ty Lee tried her best to sound reassuring, finding an odd thought sticking in her mind. Somehow, the thought of Zuko and Mai together held a tint of bitterness, a small speck of envy. She had always pushed Zuko and Mai to be together, and had been overjoyed when they had finally gotten together.
So then, why now did the thought of them together bother her at all?
"Ty Lee?" Zuko's questioning brought her from her short daydream, as the face of her "prince charming" had come into focus. Shaking the thought from her mind, she turned quickly to Zuko.
"Ah, sorry, just spaced out for a second there," she giggled playfully, mockingly knocking herself on the head as Zuko groaned in annoyance.
"Well, we're here. I guess you're going to get your wish, since I have to explain to Suki anyway, so it looks like the spar was pointless," he joked, smiling as she did.
"I wouldn't say it was pointless. It was a lot of fun, Zuko," she added, before following Zuko into the large room. Their footsteps echoed loudly off of the empty room's walls, filling the void with the audible clack of soles on wood. Suki and Sokka quickly appeared from a side room, both in a rather disheveled state of dress.
"Wow, looks like someone's been busy," Ty Lee teased, watching as Suki began to blush faintly, Sokka seemingly undisturbed by the state of their garb.
"And you told me not to get into trouble, look at you two? In public no less," Zuko joined in, teasing the pair slightly.
"Don't lecture me, Zuko. You're the one who pinned poor Ty Lee like that in front fo everyone," Suki shot back, earning a wince of embarrassment from Zuko and Ty Lee.
"U-umm, t-that was, uh," Zuko fumbled for the right words. Frustrated with his lack of explanation, he simply apologized for his rude behavior, falling into a sitting position. Gradually the other three followed suit, Suki and Ty Lee curious for Zuko's reasons for arriving.
"So, what brings the great Fire Lord Zuko to our humble little island?" Suki asked with teasing emphasis of his important position.
"Well, as you know I have been… busy recently," An understatement. Everyone in the three remaining tribes was aware that next to the Avatar, the Fire Lord was the busiest person in the world. Traveling from place to place, holding conferences and other forms of negotiation between the various tribes.
Reparations, return of conquered lands, downsizing of their military, and all factors in between. Some wondered whether Zuko could handle such responsibilities at his young age, but he had proven himself a capable negotiator and leader, earning the respect of the various peoples in relatively short order.
"So I have heard. I heard that recently you made a trip to Omashu for a conference with the leaders of the Earth Kingdom. But I still don't get what brings you here," Suki responded, feeling a sense of sympathy for the burden placed on the young man.
"Well, after some long thought, I came to a decision."
"And, what is that decision?" Sokka asked, interjecting into the conversation. Zuko straightened himself out a bit, staring intently at the leader of the Kyoshi warriors.
"I need a vacation," he answered easily, to the surprise of all present.
Ah, now we get an explanation directly from Zuko on why he is there. Being the Fire Lord after a 100 Year's War must be difficult, especially for someone as young as Zuko. Can't imagine the stress. The color of Zuko's fire does have some explanation, and anyone who can guess it must be on the same wavelength as me. Won't explain it here, but it will come into play later to be sure. Next chapter we get some more fluff between Zuko and Ty Lee, and a concrete romantic development. Hopefully you all continue to enjoy this story, as it is really fun to write. These two just play so well together, to me.