I'm baaack! Yes, I know its been a while…a really really long time and I'm really sorry for taking so long to update this. I honestly do not have a decent excuse for keeping you waiting… the truth is… I'm just really lazy. As you can tell…
Been forgetting me disclaimers….
Disclaimer: avatar not mine. Sigh.
Chapter four
Back at the guesthouse where the group of teens were staying, it was dinnertime. Sokka did away with his meaty bulk of food in his usual fashion and Toph chomped at the meal almost as hungrily too. Momo chewed heartedly on his portion of nuts, chittering and gnawing away. Katara chewed on her food thoughtfully as she mulled over everything that had happened today. When her thoughts drifted back to the present she looked up to see the boy avatar pushing his vegetables around in his plate distractedly. His head rested in the palm of his hand, staring at his plate like he could will it in to his mouth.
"Aang?" She said softly, jolting him out of his trance. He looked up and flashed his grey eyes around the other occupants in the room. Sokka continued devouring his mass of food but Toph seemed to have suddenly noticed Aang's quiet presence. The Avatar sat up straight but his eyes where still lowered on his untouched food.
"Aang are you alright?" Questioned the concerned Katara. She looked to him with a worried expression waiting for his response.
"I'm fine." He stated blankly.
"But you've barely touched your food." She said.
"I'm fine. I'm just not hungry." He repeated a little harshly this time.
"Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it?"
"No." he stated coldly. He pushed his food away from him and stud up.
"I'm tired. I'm going to go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning."
"Sure…" muttered Katara, she knew there was something wrong with him but she didn't pursue it any further. The young boy sighed and slightly bowed his head. Then added softly in an appreciative tone.
"Goodnight Katara." she responded with one of her many smiles.
"Goodnight Aang." He bid the rest of his friend's goodnight, and then walked out of the room to go to bed. After his departure the blue-eyed water bender sighed deeply.
"He misses Appa." Said Katara sadly.
" Did you find any news?" Toph asked the water tribe boy. He swallowed a mouthful of food before he spoke.
"No. Nothing. You?"
"Same." answered Toph sadly. Then there was silence. Everyone hung their heads low in grief, thinking about the obvious. It's been so depressing. There was so much pressure on them right now. Summer was nearing, Aang had yet to master all the elements, the eclipse was soon, and they still had to tell their plan to the earth king. And Aapa was still missing. Katara looked around the room and a thought suddenly occurred to her.
"I know what will make us feel better!" she broke through the stillness of the room.
"What?" said her brother unenthusiastically.
"A party!" she exclaimed. " To cheer us up! Aang could really do with some fun, something to take his mind of everything."
"And so could we." Muttered Toph dully.
"But where are we going to find a party?" accused Sokka.
"Well, whilst I was at a tea shop in the lower ring I heard about this party at the fountain down there."
"You went to a tea shop?"
"Yes." silenced Toph
"It'll be perfect!" confirmed Katara, unperturbed by her brother's suspicious gaze.
" That's not such a bad idea Katara." agreed the blind girl.
"…I don't know…"started Sokka. But Katara cut him of by interjecting knowingly,
"There'll be lots of food too…it's going to be a huge celebration meaning that they'll be serving all kinds of treats…" Toph smiled at the deviousness of her friend.
"Fine." Gave in the Sokka.
"So it's settled. Were all going." Concluded Katara briefly wondering about her confrontation with Zuko.
Back at the teashop…'Zuko? Are you alright? You've not said a word all dinner and haven't even touched your food…"
Zuko looked down at the bowl before him, and then up at his concerned uncle as if only just realising he'd been in the same room. His golden eyes shifted to concentrate on an empty space and his brow crumpled in thought.
Iroh put down his teacup to give his nephew his full attention.
"Is something bothering you nephew?" he said, voicing the obvious. In response, Zuko stood and approached the window, his steel gaze scanning the view as if searching for something, always searching. Iroh waited, patient as always. He had a small idea of what could be bothering his dear nephew's mind. His own elderly mind, traced back to the little blind girl he'd had the privilege of meeting again, and the image of the water bending girl (Katara, Toph had said her name was…) with her hand on Zuko's cheek…Iroh had a small idea what his nephew was pondering over.
"I met the water bender the avatar travels with this morning." Stated Zuko steadily, but with no emotion. Iroh studied his pose, standing still in front of the window.
He noted that he wasn't tense, instead relaxed, and amazingly, was not bolting for the door, furiously shouting 'I must capture the avatar!'.
So Iroh pursued further;
"And…?"
"The avatar wasn't with her." Iroh nodded as if in understanding before speaking again.
"Well…if the water bending girl is in Ba Sing Se…then that must mean…" but he was harshly cut off.
"I know what that means uncle."
"Did you manage to get the girl to tell you where the avatar is in Ba Sing Se?" Iroh watched Zuko's unmoving back, waiting for him to show what his final decision was.
Silence. And then;
"No. She hit me over the head with a tea pot."
Iroh couldn't help but choke on his drink, surprised and slightly amused by this unpredicted answer.
"…And then she…healed me." said Zuko, as if the surprise of such an action was still fresh.
"How generous of her." commented Iroh having cleared his throat of the tea he managed to clog it up with.
Zuko brushed his fingers over the cut Katara had left in place of the bruise she'd tried to heal. Then his callused, pale fingers automatically touched the rim of his scar, remembering how the water bender had looked at him when she touched it.
Not repulsion. Not…disgust, was it pity? That's just as worse. Or was it…understanding?
"So, what do you plan on doing now nephew?" Iroh sipped his tea; content that his nephew had finally got the message he'd been trying to give him for so long (thanks to the help of one water bender).
"Nothing." Said Zuko softly.
"Are you sure you don't want to go pursue the water bender? Knowing she can take you to the avatar? How do you feel about letting such an opportunity slip through your fingers just like that Zuko?" the retired general held his breath, expecting at any moment for his desperate nephew to shoot out the door and start his mad chase for something that has always eluded him. Almost driven him mad with desperation for three entire years of his young life.
Outside the window, the sun hung low, delivering its last rays to the people that were below. It gave the room a warm, orange and hazy glow, which was now surrounding the young man blocking the window with his body. The heavy light poured in through gaps around his body, illuminating his strong frame. Iroh waited in the stretching silence for his dear nephew to answer.
"Hungry, actually." Replied Zuko finally. He turned around with a thin smile on his marred, yet beautiful face, and sat back down to eat his dinner.
Im baaack! Yeh…I've already said that haven't I? Moving on then….
This is more of a filler chapter as you can tell, but don't worry I've got a really good idea for the next one coming. Also, I'm in the middle of holidays! Yay! So it means that I can probably squeeze in another chapy or two before the holidays are over…but that's not a promise, because I may suddenly get another urge to be incredibly lazy…again.
Thanks to all that reviewed! I love y all! Especially the zukoxkatara1010 person who reviewed like ten times! This is for you! Thank you so so much! Oh god… sniff… I'm getting all emotional.
Don't forget to review…