Author's Note: Hey evryone. Ok, so last chp Zuko proposed to Malika :D. YAY! Happiness and more happiness...maybe. Hmmm, guess you have to read and find out what Malika says.
Chicagobender31: That's a good idea, but you'll find out why i didn't have him ask her inside the party. Everyone would've been disappointed and Zuko would've been humiliated.
Malika's P.O.V.
I stared at him. I could no longer breathe. I tried to speak but words wouldn't come out. "I thought that since you missed the South Pole so much, I'd propose to you in the traditional Water Tribe ways. Katara and Sokka helped me." I took the necklace in my hand and stared at the carving. "The carving is supposed to be based on who you are."
I traced my finger over it. "Yin and Yang." I whispered. I looked at him. "Zuko, I…I don't…why me? Why me of all the women in the Fire Nation?"
"Because none of them are as beautiful and skilled as you are. Not in just your bending but regular fighting skills. No one is as smart as you."
Tears fell down my face. "I…I can't. I don't belong here."
"You're probably right. You don't belong in the Fire Nation. But you do belong in here." He grabbed my hand and put it on his chest, right above his heart.
I closed my eyes and let the tears fall rapidly. I wrapped my hand around the necklace. "Well?"
I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Would you be mad if I asked to give me some time?" I slipped the necklace into his hand and he wrapped his hand around it. I saw pain in his eyes.
"Not at all. Take as long as you want." He turned around and walked away, putting the crown back into his hair. I wanted to call after him, but decided it would be best not to.
I walked into the party and found my group of friends. Katara smiled at me. "I'm guessing Zuko found you." I only nodded. "What's wrong?" She asked me.
"What? What would make you think something's wrong?"
"Just, the way you're acting."
I looked around and grabbed her hand. I pulled her away from everyone and to an area where there were little people. "You have to promise not to tell anyone." I said.
"Of course."
I took a deep breath. "Zuko just…proposed to me."
She smiled. "He did, did he?"
"Don't act all surprised, I know you helped him make the necklace."
Her face fell. "Why do you sound angry?"
"Because I don't know if I should say yes or no."
"Say yes. Come on, Malika. We all know that you're both deeply in love with each other. Why didn't you say yes?"
"Because I want to go back home. I don't belong here."
"But it's a part of who you-"
"Exactly, it's only a part. I have more Water Tribe than Fire Nation in my blood. I just know it."
"Malika, it's a half chance. Half and half. There's no fifty-one to forty-nine. There's just fifty and fifty."
I looked at her with watery eyes. I searched her face. "How do you know?"
She smiled. "Because, in just the days that we've known each other I can see it in you."
"It's amazing how much you sound like my mother and you're younger than me."
She smiled again. "It's a gift. So, say yes. It'll make both of you happy."
I took a deep breath. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"So, go find him and give him your answer."
I nodded. "Thanks, Katara." "Of course, any time."
She walked away, leaving me in the corner. I walked into the crowd and began to look for him. I found Iroh. I tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around. "Lady Malika, what a surprise. Where have you been?"
I smiled. "Outside. I couldn't…take this crowd."
"Yes, it does get crowded in here and stuffy." He laughed.
"Have you seen Zuko?"
"The last time I saw him he was walking away with a disappointed look on his face. Do you know why that is?"
I frowned and looked away. "It's because of me."
"Oh? And why, may I ask?"
I looked at him. "He proposed to me just now and I didn't give him an answer. I have an answer now, but I can't find him."
He smiled and nodded. "I knew this would come sooner or later. Now that you mention it, I saw Ty Lee running after him. Just follow the sight of pink, the sound of joy and the smell of papaya. That's her favorite fruit." He said with a laugh following.
"Thank you."
"Of course." With that I took off.
After almost half an hour I still couldn't find him. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Mai. "Hey."
"If you're looking for Zuko he's probably in his room. At least that's what Ty Lee told me."
"Thank you."
She took her hand off of my shoulder and I ran out of the ballroom. I asked passing servants where Fire Lord Zuko's room is. They pointed down the hall and I followed their directions. I stopped in front of huge double doors. I opened one and slipped into the room. Zuko and Ty Lee looked at me.
"Am I interrupting something?"
"No, you're not." Zuko said as he walked towards his closet.
"I should probably leave you two to talk." Ty Lee said as she walked out.
I took a deep breath before speaking. "You're angry, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not."
I flinched at the sound of the anger rising in his voice. "You can't lie to me. Zuko…"
"What?"
I took a few breaths. I hesitated, scared to say my answer. I wasn't exactly sure how he was going to react. "Yes."
"Yes what?"
I bit my lip and took a deep breath. I didn't know how to put it, but I came straight out with it before he yelled. "I'll be your Fire Lady." Silence. I took another deep breath and turned to leave.
"Wait." I stopped. My heart began to race fast, mostly because it was preparing for the yelling that was soon to come.
Zuko's P.O.V.
I stood with my shirt off. Glad that I was blocked by the closet so Malika couldn't see the expression on my face. Confusion and hurt. I wanted to yell at her for not deciding sooner, but decided that if I wanted her to be with me for as long as we both live, I shouldn't anger her. I shivered when I was hit with a breeze and I noticed the window was open.
"Yes?"
I snapped out of my thoughts at the sound of her voice. "I'm not angry. Disappointed, yes, but angry, no."
"Why are you disappointed?"
"For you not deciding the first time I asked you."
I heard her sigh. "I'm sorry, I was just really shocked and I didn't know how to respond. It's just…we know so much about each other and we only met not too long ago. So…I'm sorry."
I laughed to myself. "You have to stop apologizing so much." I slipped on a shirt and walked toward her to see her looking at the floor, hand on the handle of the door.
"I should just go. If you're not going to be at your own party I might as well be there."
"Don't. Malika, I can't stand to keep hurting everyone around me. I'm sorry if I hurt you."
"No, you didn't."
And with that she opened the door and walked out. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. If I go after her someone could catch me and drag me back to the party. If I don't go after her, she'll think she made a mistake in ever loving me in the first place. I could tell just by her reactions. It was worth it.
I ran after her and caught her just in time before she walked into the ballroom. "What do you want?" She asked, without looking at me. Anger and hurt rising in her voice.
"What I want is to find out why you just walked away like that."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because you know that you and I love each other but you don't want to admit it."
She looked at me, her blue eyes drowning me. She fell into my arms and I wrapped them tightly around her. I felt her shoulders slightly shaking. She was trying to hold in her emotions. The fire bender within her was trying to show. But I didn't want to see that part of her. I wanted to see a mixture of her water and fire bender self. Not too sad and not too angry.
"Does this mean you forgive me?" I whispered to her. She nodded and I held her tighter. I took out the necklace that was hidden in my pocket. She pulled away and stared at it. "Can I?" I asked.
She looked at me and smiled. Then she nodded and turned around. She pulled her hair over her shoulder. I put the necklace on her, but before she turned around I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her cheek.
"Don't we have a party to attend?" She asked.
I smiled, but didn't pull away. "I suppose…but we could always do something else like…run around the Fire Nation and forget about this party."
"Nice try. Come on, I actually want to go the party. Don't ruin the happy moment."
She grabbed my arm and pulled me inside. "You do know that I'm not wearing my crown or the appropriate robes, right?"
She smiled a devious smile. "I know."
My eyes widened. "Malika!" She laughed.
I tried my best to hide, but it was difficult when anyone could spot me from over a mile away. All they had to do was look for a teenage boy with a huge scar on the left side of his face. I stood next to Malika and tried hiding from passing by people. Malika leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.
"What are you so worked up about, Zuko?"
"What do you mean what am I so worked up about? I'm supposed to look like the Fire Lord, not a normal Fire Nation citizen."
"Relax, it's not like they're going to execute you. They can't, they don't have anyone else to take over."
"I don't care! What will everyone think if they see their new Fire Lord walking around at his own party wearing normal training clothes?"
"Did you ever think that if you calmed down instead of yelling you wouldn't bring so much attention to yourself? No one's looking now, but they would've sooner or later if I hadn't stopped you. Now, you can go change before people start looking for you."
I took a deep breath. "I guess you're right."
"Good, now go get changed…and leave your hair down."
"I can't."
"But if I'm going to be Fire Lady I should be able to make some changes around here. Starting with you being able to wear your hair down."
"But I need-"
"No back talk! Now go get changed!" I didn't argue. I just rolled my eyes and headed out of the ballroom. I was almost out just before I heard Malika say, "I saw that!"
Aang's P.O.V.
I sat next to Toph, looking around for Zuko. I had questions for him. Many questions. "What's wrong with you, Twinkle Toes?"
I looked at her. "What? What would make you think anything is wrong?"
"Stop it already. I'm tired of all of you guys saying the same thing when I try to figure something out. Do you guys keep forgetting that I can feel heartbeats and tell if you're lying? You guys are sometimes clueless. So, what do you need anyway?"
"I need to ask Zuko something."
"About Sugar Queen?"
I raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"
"You're seriously asking me that?"
"Sorry."
"I'll be back."
"Where are you going?"
"I said I'll be back. Just…don't leave." She got up and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Toph's P.O.V.
I walked deeper into the crowd. Trying not to hit anybody, but completely failed. My "vision" was blurry with so many vibrations going around. I found my way out of the crowd and stopped. I felt familiar vibrations. The vibrations of Malika. I walked towards her.
"Hey, Toph."
"Hey, where's your boyfriend?" I felt her heartbeat pick up. Soft stuff.
"He went to his room to change. Why do you need him?"
"Aang has questions for him about…Sugar Queen." I hung my head low.
"Are…are you jealous?"
I snapped my head up. "What? About what? I don't get jealous."
"Toph, even I can tell you're lying to me and I don't have your senses. Tell me what's up."
"Nothing is up."
"Do you…like Aang?" I punched her in her arm. "Hey!"
"Tough Cookie, if you tell anyone I swear you'll regret it."
"I won't tell anyone, I promise. So what are you going to do about Katara?"
"I don't think Sugar Queen has the same feelings for him. I know he loves her, but I think she only likes him."
"What about you? Do you like or love him?"
"In between?"
"Don't put it in question form. What is it?"
I sighed. "I think I…I think I love him." I turned away. Malika's heart began to pick up again.
"Oh Toph, I…I'm the only one standing in the way…aren't I?"
"What? What do you mean?"
"Zuko proposed to me and I said yes. If I never joined you guys his feelings would've stayed with Katara, same thing with her feelings with him. They would've been together and you would've been with Aang. That makes sense…"
"Don't blame yourself."
"But you and I both know it's my fault." I felt a different set of footsteps. One I knew too well.
"What's your fault?"
I no longer felt Malika's vibrations. "Zuko, put me down." I felt them again. "Nothing you should know. Go find Aang, he wants to talk to you."
"Why?"
"He has questions, Sparky! What more do you need to know? Now go find Twinkle Toes so he can ask you question after question after question." I said.
"Ok, fine. I'll go." I felt his footsteps get farther and farther away. "What am I gonna do, Malika? I mean, I could always go without being with someone. Lonely for a long time."
Malika's P.O.V.
I felt bad for Toph. I could tell that she's never felt like this about anyone and Aang was the one. But I was in the way. And Toph knew it, she just didn't want me to feel more guilty than I already am. "You're my friend, Toph. So I'm gonna make it up to you."
"What are you doing?"
"Making things right."
I took off my betrothal necklace. I held back the tears knowing that I was giving away everything from being free. I was going to leave it all behind. All of my new friends. I walked back over to the group of friends. Before Katara said anything I pulled her away from everyone.
"What's wrong?"
I stopped her and took her hand. I put the necklace in her hand and folded it around so she couldn't see it until I left. "It's yours now. I've only been in the way of everything. I messed it all up and I'm sorry I ever did that. I want you to always think of me as a sister, no matter what." I looked at her one last time before leaving the ballroom. Leaving the hallways. Leaving the palace.
Author's Note: Malika left! OMG! I feel bad for Toph and Zuko and a sad part is i made myself leave. Eh, oh well. but really if this happened in real life i would've done just that because i want my friends to b happy nd as long as they're happy i'm happy. Well, let me know what you guys think.
