A/N:
I am well, tired XD
Ha ha-ha-ah- ha-ha *something seems to have broken when I wrote for Aang*
I am so afraid to update…I think it's because I have never in my life written romance…. Or… slash….. Or for Avatar…
So many FIRSTS! O_O
I am so Happy so many of you Liked my little bit of Aang's point of view! It was Difficult to write…
I thnk this might be the Shortest chapter since the intro *laughs* Ironic huh
"YEAH, Like rain on your wedding day Ironic"
"Shut up Sokka now is Not the time for Pop-Culture References!"
ANYWAYS…
Just in case anyone couldn't tell this take place after The Blind Bandit
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Chapter Nine: Feeling The Earth
It really wasn't something difficult, he had threatened some kids they led them to the girl whom Aang saw in that weird swamp, and they had given a girl the courage to show her parents who she truly was. They rejected it, she ran away.
He was just the guy who helped get things done when people needed threatening. And when they kidnapped Aang and the Beifong girl and refused to hand his Avatar over. Well it was pretty easy to threaten people.
Afterwards he had felt so ashamed for being so afraid, and so emotional. Part of him worried that if Toph refused to help he would have tried to take on all the Earth Benders alone and only the spirits knew what would have happened then.
It had been some time after the event of the day that he sat just staring at the stars, thinking of how stupid he was being letting himself become attached to the boy who would no longer have a use for him once the war was over. Destiny would have been served, a destiny that he had no idea how to fulfill. Ta Min had told him he had needed to unify with Aang, he had been so confused at the time he had only asked how he would know it had been done.
The Prince had no idea what this Unification even entailed, for all he knew he could be giving up his soul and life.
He had believed everyone to be asleep as he sat away from the camp, but the small Earth bending girl suddenly plopped next to him.
"So…" She began as if he had called her, "Are you gonna tell me your real name or are you just gonna keep lying and let me call you Lee?"
He looked at her in confusion then realized none of them had told her who he really was, then he realized she had no reason to think they had lied.
"How do you know my name's not Lee." He frowned and she just laughed.
"I can tell if some one's lying, I can feel their heart beat through the vibration in the Earth."
It was the same way she saw, the Prince realized and was slightly impressed, "I'm Zuko."
"Ah…" she smiled in understanding, "Fire nation, no wonder they all had you covered, you know none of them even skipped a beat before calling you by that phony name."
"Yeah… We just keep using it." He shrugged, "It's easier that way."
"Mmmhmmm" She smiled, "You're pretty far from home, I bet you made Mommy and Daddy a little more than angry when you left."
"Well, considering my father is the Fire Lord, then yes."
"You're kidding!" She laughed gleefully surprised and pleased all at once, "That just too rich!"
He rolled his eyes at her, but she just continued her voice teetering on laughter, "I bet you have a huge price on your head! Man, you better be a Fire bender because if all you can use are those swords then I am ditching you the first sign of weakness!"
It was silent for a moment before she chuckled again, "How did you end up here I mean with Twinkle toes and the incredibly insane duo?"
"It's complicated." He sighed, pulling his knees into his chest, running away, just like he always did.
"Trust me, nothing is ever really complicated" she smiled almost mockingly, "It's just stupid feelings that mess things up."
"The spirits commissioned me while I was chasing Aang in order that I could return home with Honor." He frowned and waited for her snide remark, and sure enough it came.
"WOW." She guffawed, "Talk about a voice of treason."
"Can we talk about something else?" Zuko sighed, "If not, then leave."
Toph smiled broadly, "Well you seem to have some guts talking to me like that after seeing what I can do."
"Your an Earth Bender…" Zuko sighed, "It's not that big of a deal."
"It not just that, it's a lot more" The girl frowned, "A lot of Earth benders try to take out opponents in as few blows as possible using nothing but force. But really that gets you nowhere but exhausted, and fast."
The Prince's ears perked up at this, "Then what would you suggest, As an Earth bender?"
The girl tilted her head sensing his interest, "You interested in this for yourself or the little guy?"
"What makes you think I'd care about this for Aang?" He almost growled and the Earth bender just laughed.
"I dunno but my feet have been picking up some really strange things from you two…"
"Me." Zuko rolled his eyes, she nodded and continued.
"Whatever, but the best way to earth bend in a battle against more than one person, is several small shots and one finishing blow."
The Fire bender though about this and realized that when he had been using his fire it had been so exhausting, and that maybe he should Apply this to his bending, and fighting style.
"You know, everyone thinks you like Aang so much." Toph began catching him off guard, "Heck even he likes you more than seems normal, but you don't even seem to wanna be here."
Zuko turned away, "You don't know anything about me."
She shrugged, "I'm just saying maybe instead of treating Aang like some object you should treat him like a human being."
Looking to the ground he just sighed, she shrugged, "Oh well your business…"
She then just left with, "I got what I wanted so… There's no real reason to be here anymore."
He just groaned dejectedly, no matter how much he fought he had a growing attachment to the boy, and here she was telling him he was being a jerk for it. It wasn't even Katara or Sokka; if it was them he would just shrug it off as them being overprotective.
But this was some girl they had just met telling him he was being a jerk.
This was the girl who demeaned Aang by calling him Twinkle Toes, and seemed to have been working on names for the rest of them.
And for the first time the thought struck him, what if he did grow a friendship with Aang? What if he allowed himself to feel all the things he was holding back; would that give him a place after the war? Would that give him a chance to have a different life?
He was still the Prince of the Fire Nation, yes banished and considered a traitor; sure he was wanted as a criminal. But he still had that blood in his veins, he had almost forgotten who he was, and now it seemed so clear.
And maybe he could still preserve that part of himself, and be Loyal to the Avatar, wasn't that how the world used be before his Great Grand Father messed everything up?
He found himself shocked, but he didn't take back the thought, the little he had seen, the fire Nation had really done some terrible things to the world.
Maybe, he could somehow do something if he just stopped trying not to feel anything, maybe thing would work out somehow. Maybe for once fate wouldn't be so cruel to him, because his feelings were growing even if he didn't want them to, and if they were going to grow maybe he should just let them.
And suddenly he found himself fighting to let go of fear, and when he was finally able to say to himself that everything would be ok.
Instead of feeling amazing as he had before he just felt ill.
