A/N: Hey guys! Back with a really long chapter, nearly 7K, to make up for the two week wait. Thank you so much for all your kind words, I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy it.
Katara's POV:
2 days later:
My hand is clasped around Sokka's wrist as I drag him towards our usual table in the quieter than usual canteen.
"Katara I told you, as much as I love food, it's still early for lunch. And I should be working on my dissertation." My brother complains, but I pay him no heed as we round a corner. There at the back table is the young airbender who is tapping his foot anxiously as his mind appears elsewhere. Behind me I feel my brother stilling. "Wait. Why are you taking me towards him?" Sokka's voice drips with venom.
"Because you're going to talk to Aang." I answer bluntly, prompting the man to rip his hand out of my grip.
"No way in spirit's name! He's the reason...!" I cut him off with a withering glare.
"No, he's not! He was a child when the gang became involved in his life! Mum...she wouldn't want us blaming someone who didn't have any say in what happened to her. Blame the gang, blame the shooter. Heck blame Dad if you want to, but don't you even dare blame him. He's gone through enough as it is and he doesn't need you making things worse." I fire back. Sokka stares at me, his mouth slightly agape. Slowly he shakes his head.
"You're defending him over our own Dad?" My brother finally utters.
"Have you talked to Dad about it?" I retort, snapping the man's jaws closed as he averts his eyes.
"Well, no. But I feel that's something to ask in person." He mutters. I put a hand on my hip.
"Dad was the one keeping secrets. If he just told someone then maybe Mum would've had protection or something. But that isn't the point, you need to go over there and apologi-"
"He doesn't need to do that." The quiet voice mumbled behind me has me spinning on my heels to face Aang, who's shoulders are hunched all the way up to his ears. "And he isn't wrong." He adds a beat later as he finally flickers his gaze up to look straight at Sokka. The ponytailed man presses his lips tightly together as he stares the boy down.
"Good, because I'm not apologising." My brother mutters. Anger flashes through me and I reach forward and slap the stubborn student behind the head. "Hey!" Sokka shouts as he reaches behind his head to rub the area.
"You're being a jerk." I hiss, prompting the man to cross his arms.
"If you want me to give a fake apology, I can do that." My brother retorts as he flickers his blue orbs to mine. I grit my teeth, 'times like this, Sokka can be a real pain.'
"I'm sorry." Aang interjects in quietly. "I'm so so sorry. I know you hate me and I know I can't fix what happened to your Mum." He pauses before taking a deep breath. "But I can do something before they target anyone else. I'm...I'm going to give myself up." At those words my eyes widen and I snap my head towards the boy. From the corner of my eyes, I see Sokka drop his arms to his sides, but I'm too busy clutching at Aang's shoulders to check his expression.
"No way! I refuse to let you do that!" I express firmly, my voice quivering at the mere thought. The airbender stretches his arms up until his hands are resting on mine.
"This is the only way I know how to keep everyone happy and safe. If they have me, they can't threaten anyone else." Aang insists, but my hands grip him even more tightly.
"I'm not accepting it." I voice stubbornly. "Who knows what they want you to do for them! Or what they'll do to you if you refuse. I'm not allowing it! What about the people you'll hurt if you go?" I shout, 'I can't lose him. I just can't.'
"Katara it's ok. You still have your brother, father and Yue. I...no one will look for me if I'm gone. The perk of being an orphan I guess, no one really cares." Aang jokes weakly as a faint smile appears across his lips. My heart constricts at those sad words.
"NO!" My screech pierces the room, earning me a few looks, but I don't care. "I'll look for you! I care. How many times do I need to say that until you believe me?!" I beg as my throat constricts and the tears burn the backs of my eyes.
"You didn't even know me a few months ago. You'll forget about me. People always do." The airbender's mutter sends a jab straight to my heart. 'How did I not notice that he's been hurting this much? He always knew when I was down and tried to cheer me up, but I haven't done anything!'
"What about your guardian? I'm sure he'll disagree with this." I point out, almost desperate at this point. A flash of shame crosses his eyes.
"That's all he is, just a guardian." Aang voices, his face twists slightly at those words, but he shakes his head. "Don't worry, I'll be f..." I jerk my head, stopping him in his tracks.
"Don't say it. We both know it's a lie." I whisper lowly, making the boy close his mouth slowly.
"That's the dumbest plan I've ever heard." The masculine voice has both me and Aang snapping our heads up towards Sokka, who I somehow forgot was still here.
"What?" The airbender croaks back. The non-bender takes a step towards him.
"I said, that's the dumbest plan I've ever heard. Suppose you refuse to do whatever they want, which I think we've all decided isn't going to be anything good, what's stopping them from blackmailing you?" My brother points out, only for Aang to shake his head.
"With what? Everyone I love is dead." The airbender replies ruefully. My heart lurches at this and I have to press my lips tightly together to hold off my protest.
"You said they've been looking for you, how do you know they don't already have some information on you? Or what if they threaten other people's lives to get you to do what they want? We all know you wouldn't let that happen." Sokka clarifies. "Giving yourself up will just make their lives easier." He adds after a beat of silence. I sigh silently in relief when I see Aang's shoulders dropping in defeat.
"Then what am I supposed to do? Your family is in danger and I can't continue to hide." The airbender points out, his tone tired as if he has the weight of the whole world on his shoulders and I suppose after losing everything from a young age it probably does feel like that.
"Exactly what I told you before, we find out who's behind this so we can put them behind bars." Sokka reminds, as if it were that simple. Aang's face screws up briefly before shaking his head.
"That's not good enough." He urges, making me frown.
"What do you mean?" I ask. The boy hesitates as he rubs the back of his neck.
"I mean...it's not that simple." The child genius replies, but if anything his vagueness makes me suspicious. Sokka must've felt the same as his eyes narrow.
"Why do I get the feeling you know who's behind this?" My brother says with a quirked eyebrow.
I watch Aang as his lips part slightly and he averts his gaze. That expression is enough of an answer in itself. And I can't deny the pang of hurt that hits me. I don't stop Sokka when he takes a threatening step towards the airbender.
"So, you're telling me you know who killed your parents, destroyed the orphanage and murdered our Mum, but you're protecting him?!" The ponytailed man states incredulously, too shocked to even allow anger into his voice. The boy's jaws tense as he continues to refuse meeting our eyes.
"It's complicated." He mutters. Silence descends between us for a full minute before Sokka raises a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"When is it not complicated with you?" My brother groans. "So, what were you going to do with this information then? Nothing? Do you not care about your family that mu-" I nudge Sokka hard, but it's too late. The damage is done. Aang's eyes fill up with tears and a lump at his throat appears. I stretch out an arm, ready to comfort the boy, but he turns away from me.
"Of course I do. Spirits knows I do." The airbender chokes out. I give my brother the death glare as I take a step towards the airbender.
"Sokka didn't mean that. He just doesn't understand why you wouldn't want to report them to the authorities?" I express quietly, reaching out for him once more.
"Because I can't let a certain person down. I've done that enough." Aang mumbles as he stares at the ground.
"So you don't mind letting u-" I jab Sokka in the ribs, harder than the last time to stop his insensitive comments. "Ouch Katara! I'm not being unreasonable here. You're the one who took a photo of the murderer when Dad wasn't looking." My brother discloses, making me flush in embarrassment.
"You said you wouldn't tell anyone!" I hiss just as Aang perks up.
"Wait, you have a photo? Can I see?" The airbender requests with intense eyes. My lips part in surprise, but I dig in my pocket regardless.
"It's not that significant. There's probably dozens of gang members." I mumble as I flick through my photos.
A sense of rage runs through me when I find the picture of the killer. I've wanted to delete it ever since I took it, but I need that clarification. To make sure I don't forget his face. To be the one to put an end to his terror. I push the device into the boy's smaller hands. Less than a second later, a sharp intake of breath escapes the airbender. His eyes are transfixed on the screen and his hands start shaking. Sokka and I share a glance.
"Hey, are you alright?" My brother asks, sounding surprisingly gentle in comparison to his prior hostility. Aang takes a shuddering breath before pressing the phone back into my hands.
"Yeah." His reply is detached, far away. I look at my brother again who scratches the back of his head.
"Erm, do you know him?" Sokka probes lightly. Aang doesn't look at us when he opens his mouth.
"He's the one who shot G-Gyatso and the other caretakers." His voice is so small that I just want to bundle him up in a hug, but his body is so tense, silently screaming not to touch him. My lips form an oval while my brother bites his lip.
"Gyatso, he...was he your main carer?" I query quietly. It's a question I wanted to ask when he first mentioned him a couple of days ago.
"They all cared for us, but he...he always made me feel special." The airbender explains quietly as he looks down at his gloved hands before clenching them. "And not because I was a genius. He loved me, for me. Even when the other boys bullied me or when the other carers got annoyed when I knew more than them, he never did. He was like...a second father." Aang murmurs as if lost in his own memories.
I swallow, unable to imagine just how traumatising it must've been to see your father figure killed right in front of you. But for me, what's worse is the way he handles that trauma and guilt. Self-harm isn't the answer, but I haven't managed to broach the subject with him yet.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. No one should have ever experienced that, especially not at your age." Sokka says, interrupting the silence. I watch as he kicks at the ground and digs his hands into his pockets. "And..." He pauses to release a sigh. "...I'm sorry for what I said. You didn't deserve that. I don't blame you for what happened to Mum, not really. It's just hard when it could've been prevented. When she could still be here." Sokka mumbles.
My heart lurches at his words and I go to sling an arm around him in a half hug. He shoots me a small smile, before turning to look at Aang.
"I know you're a good person and that if you have a reason to protect this gang, then it's a good one. I hope you can forgive me some day." My brother ends with, his eyes skirting from the airbender. I turn to look at the boy who's shaking his head.
"You don't have to hope, its already done." Aang answers with a reassuring smile.
"Thanks buddy." Sokka voices gratefully as he reaches forward to clap his shoulder. "You're a much better friend than I deserve." He finishes with. I bite the inside of my cheek at that remark, and hesitantly flicker my gaze to Aang, knowing that it's a word that the airbender has had great difficulty in accepting. 'I'm still not entirely sure why, but if I had to guess? Probably to protect us.' The boy stiffens slightly before forcing his lips to remain upturned.
"I don't think I am. I lied to you remember?" Aang says, before turning to face me. "To both of you. And I'm still hiding things. What kind of friend does that make me?" He mumbles. I step forward and grasp the boy's face.
"The kind of friend that wants to protect people, even if he suffers in the process." I answer strongly, keeping my palms against his cheeks. I watch as his grey orbs flicker away from me.
"I don't know." He mutters. I can feel my brother's gaze on us, but even I don't know how to deal with self-esteem as low as Aang's.
"Maybe you don't, but I do. Now, use that genius brain of yours and tell us what should we do." I utter firmly, surprising the boy. His lips curve into a small smile before it falls.
"That's the thing, I don't know what to do. I don't know anything anymore." The airbender expresses with a hand clutching the top of his hat.
"You say you want to protect someone, but are they really worth protecting?" Sokka suddenly asks, prompting the boy to nod his head with certainty.
"They are." He voices sternly, providing no room for argument. My mind flashes to an image of that strange man I met a few days ago. I bite my lip.
"The person you're protecting, is he quite a lot older than you? With dark amber eyes and spiky black hair?" I blurt out. A bewildered expression crosses my brother's face, while Aang's eyes widen.
"What?" He echoes back. I clutch my elbow.
"When I went to the cemetery, I saw someone who said he knew you, but he disappeared before I could ask him any more questions." I elaborate, before turning my head briefly to Sokka. "The same guy I thought I saw at Mum's funeral." I add, making the man blink. I turn back to look at the airbender to find that his face has hardened.
"He's been watching you too?" He asks quietly, but based on his expression I can tell he's barely holding his emotions together. Sokka glances at me before frowning.
"Who is he?" He asks with furrowed eyebrows. Aang scrunches up his nose.
"Someone I used to know. He's been watching me for years. I thought I imagined it at first or was going crazy, but I'm fairly certain it is him. He always vanishes before I get too close though. But no, he's not who I'm referring to." The child genius explains, his knuckles becoming white with how tight he's clenching his hands. I frown.
"But why is he watching you?" I ask, only for the boy to give me a half-hearted shrug.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Aang answers, but his gaze hardens ever so slightly.
"He told me to stop looking for answers; said it was dangerous." I add cautiously. His nose scrunches up and he releases a bark of cold laughter.
"Funny he would say that." He mutters, before shaking his head and directing his grey orbs to me. "He's not wrong though. You are entangled in my mess." His eyes flicker to Sokka. "Both of you are. I'm sorry." Aang mumbles tiredly as he rubs his eyes.
"So, let's untangle it." My brother cuts in with a determined expression, surprising the airbender.
"How?" He echoes.
"Why are you protecting this person?" Sokka asks instead, making the boy blink.
"Because I promised I wouldn't tell. It...it has a knock-on effect on...other people he knows." Aang utters vaguely. My brother massages his forehead.
"You need to be a bit more specific than that so can come up with a plan. Don't mention any names if you insist, but we need more that." Sokka urges.
The airbender rubs at his eyes again, drawing my attention towards the dark bags etched underneath. A rush of concern fills me and I just want to protect him from the world, or at least hold him. But I refrain from doing so, with Sokka being my only restraint. 'The last thing I need is relentless teasing from him.' Heat crawls up my neck at the thought, but I dutifully shake myself. 'I don't need this. Aang doesn't need this.' I silently rebuke as I zone in on the conversation.
"So, you're saying that their family member will be put in prison, but that won't stop the gang because there are other people involved... people that are part of some company? Why don't we just put them in prison too?" Sokka queries with a cocked head, prompting a sigh from the boy.
"Because pen on paper there's no evidence that the other people running the company are involved except for this one guy and those that are directly involved in his crimes such as Yon Rha." Aang explains patiently.
My body tenses at hearing the name of my mother's killer thrown about so easily. It takes a moment until I allow myself to release a breath. And I only do so when I realise that if Aang can say his name after watching Yon Rha kill Gyatso right in front of him, then I can at least hear his name without complaining.
"So even if we put the person that runs the company in prison, there will just be others that will take his place?" I interject with a tinge of frustration. The boy nods his head slowly.
"Exactly and these people aren't dumb, they'll just ensure that future activity can't be traced back to them." Aang adds. I bite my lip and glance to my brother, hoping he has some ideas to tackle this. I watch as he taps a finger against his chin in thought.
"So, we need to find evidence for all the share-holders of the company then? That can't be too hard, just ask that person to give you a list and then we can record them or something." Sokka suggests with a wave of his hand. But Aang appears hesitant.
"It's not just that. This person I know isn't of age to take over the company. If we put everyone in prison, then he loses it." The airbender mumbles. I furrow my eyebrows at him.
"That's a small price to pay to stop a murderous gang killing more people." I point out, only for the child genius to shake his head.
"It isn't if that's the only source of income you live on. We'd essentially be making him homeless and passing up a great opportunity for that company to be used for good. We should wait until he's old enough to take over the company." At Aang's suggestion, Sokka and I shake our heads vehemently.
"You want us to wait?!" Sokka hollers before I can voice my own protests.
"It's only one year!" The airbender defends with raised hands. I cross my arms.
"And how many more people will be killed or harmed in one year? You said the pressure to find you is on and they've already targeted our family once. It's only a matter of time before they target us again. We can't just wait!" I argue firmly, making the boy's shoulders sag in defeat.
"This is why I don't know what to do, there's a road block in every direction." Aang mutters as he drops his head to stare at the ground. I bite my lip, hating that we are the ones to be adding to his burdens.
"Can't he, I don't know, stay at someone else's house? Some relative or friend?" My brother asks hopelessly. The boy's eyebrows furrow.
"It's not just about being homeless. I've researched it; that company has been in their family for a century. He can't just give it up. It wouldn't be fair on him." Aang insists and I can't help the flair of anger that surges through me.
"And it's fair that whoever is responsible for all this suffering to get away with this?!" I retort. A pained expression is etched into the airbender's features, making my own face soften as I release a light sigh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap, I just..." I trail off as I massage my forehead. Aang gives me a reassuring smile. His hand twitches by his side, as if going to reach out towards me, but he doesn't move. It makes me wonder what holds him back from doing so. 'Is he...is he scared to get too close?' I swallow thickly at the thought. His prior words running me over like a truck.
"It's safer this way."
"Why else do I cause destruction wherever I go?"
'I'm such an idiot, how can I convince him to break down his walls?'
"Katara?" I blink at hearing my name and realise both my brother and Aang are gazing at me with frowns.
"Sorry, what did you say?" I query in embarrassment.
"I said, I understand. I'm thinking to talk to him again. Maybe convince him somehow." The airbender suggests. I'm tempted to say that it won't work, but I decide to keep my lips pressed together instead.
"I don't think that's going to work, but might as well I suppose." Sokka mutters, sounding totally unconvinced, but the child genius shrugs helplessly.
"It's the only thing I can think ooo- Zuko?!" I frown at hearing the unwanted name and spin round to spot the approaching firebender. A scowl has already made its way to my mouth as I glare at the man. He scrunches his nose slightly at me, but walks straight past me to reach Aang.
"Got a minute?" He starts as I cross my arms.
"I thought that day I caught you two together was just a fluke, but I didn't realise you two were friendly." I spit. The firebender quirks an eyebrow at me before a glint enters his eyes.
"Oh, me and Aang talk lots. Practically buddies at this point." He jeers as the airbender laughs awkwardly. My scowl deepens as I take a step towards him. I don't get far when Aang quickly cuts off my path.
"Hey come on Katara, Zuko is cool." The boy defends, but my eyelid twitches.
"Cool? His sister tried to burn my face!" I remind hotly.
"And he tried to strangle me!" My brother interjects. My eyes widen as I whip my head towards Sokka.
"He what?!" I echo back, appalled.
"Hey now, you technically provoked him." The airbender interrupts, eliciting a sour expression from the ponytailed man.
"Gee thanks Aang, way to go and pick the wrong side." My brother mutters as the boy's eyebrows knit tightly together.
"I'm not picking sides! I'm just being truthful." Aang protests.
"It sure feels like it." I mumble under my breath. I must've been louder than I realised because a flash of hurt crosses his face. I bite my tongue, hating that I put it there.
"If you've all finished arguing, I'd like to talk." Zuko interferes.
I'm about to lash out another biting retort, but when I catch the crestfallen expression on the airbender's face, I just bite the inside of my cheek and jerk my head up to indicate he can continue. I watch as the firebender turns to face Aang.
"There's something important I'm researching about. But the information is hidden in a library. A library I can't get access to unless I have some help." Zuko ushers quietly.
"What kind of help?" Sokka asks with a raised eyebrow. The scarred man glances at him briefly before returning his attention to Aang.
"4 righteous benders, one from each nation. It's what opens the door. You're the only airbender I've ever come across. I need your help." The firebender urges and I can't help but snort at him.
"Ignoring the fact that this all sounds crazy, what on earth makes you think you're righteous?" I point out, prompting the man to narrow his eyes at me. I meet his glare in kind with one of my own, but a tug on Zuko's sleeve has me turning away.
"Do you know a watebender and earthbender then?" Aang asks simply. The scarred man clenches his jaws before shaking his head.
"I was hoping you'd get your delightful friend over there to come with. And...that Toph girl." Zuko mumbles, his eyes flickering to mine briefly. If I didn't know better, I'd say I saw a hint of desperation in them, but he jerks his head away before I can confirm it.
"I'm not doing it." I announce with a tone of finality as I cross my arms roughly across my chest.
"Katara-" Aang starts, but I'm already shaking my head.
"No Aang, I'm not going to do anything he wants! For all we know it could be something bad. I'm not helping him." I voice firmly as I fix my blue eyes on the younger boy.
He moves towards me and to my surprise reaches out to uncross my arms, taking my hands in a rare occasion of initiating touch. I swallow, but keep my gaze on the child genius.
"I know you don't trust him, but if we can help someone we should." He urges softly. I furrow my eyebrows at him.
"How do you know you're not helping him to do something dangerous? He hasn't even told you what this so-called information is about." I point out.
"Scared water tribe girl?" Zuko taunts. The muscles in my jaws tighten as I try to clench my hands, only to remember that Aang is still holding them.
"Zuko, please." The airbender ushers with a backward glance at the firebender who scrunches his nose briefly before digging his hands into his pockets.
Aang returns his attention to me, his eyes wide in a plea. Small crinkles form around his forehead as he furrows his eyebrows while his hands are slightly cold against my own. My resolve wavers at his expression and I can feel my shoulder sagging as I release a quiet sigh.
"Alright." I finally say, catching myself before the words 'anything for you' falls out of my mouth. From the corner of my eyes, I spot the way Sokka's jaw drops as he frantically snaps his head from me to Zuko to Aang.
"Are you insane?! Just because you like Aang doesn't mean you follow him into any craziness!" My brother argues. My lips part in stunned silence while Aang blinks several times in shock and what's worse is the firebending bully has the gall to smirk. Heat crawls up my neck before I can command it not to as I shoot a glower at my brother.
"That's what friends do, they like each other." I grit out.
"Sure, water tribe girl, that's why you're still holding hands." Zuko jeers. My eyes narrow into slits, but before I can fire out a retort, I feel small fingers loosening between mine before slipping out entirely. I blink and glance at the boy who refuses to meet my eyes. My stomach twists and I have to take a step back as anxiety churns within me.
"Can we just go back to what we were talking about?" Aang mumbles and somehow that makes my heart drop even more. I clutch my elbow insecurely as I fix my eyes in the ground.
"Well, if you want to take my sister and one of my best friends then I'm coming too." Sokka expresses stubbornly as he crosses his arms, daring Zuko to challenge him.
"I'm one of your best friends?" The airbender asks in surprise, derailing the ponytailed man who lifts one of his fingers, only to let it wilt a moment later as he reaches behind him to rub his neck.
"Well, I was referring to Toph but erm sure?" Sokka voices in discomfort. I glance at the boy to find his features contorting in embarrassment.
"Right, of course!" Aang replies with false gusto and an awkward silence settles between us until the firebender breaks it and I never thought I'd be more grateful for his presence right now.
"Well, you lot are a mess." He says, making me take it back. "Anyway, I need to be somewhere, but meet me on Saturday at 9am just outside the campus on the field." Zuko finishes with a lazy wave and walks past us without another word. I feel Sokka's eyes skirting between Aang and I before he rubs his neck again.
"I, er - probably need to be somewhere. Like telling Toph that she's joining us on an outing whether she wants to or not. Boy that will be fun. Erm, see you on Saturday Aang." My brother bids, a silent apology buried in his eyes as he gazes at the boy. The airbender seems to read it well enough as he gives the man a small smile.
"See you." He utters quietly. Sokka opens his mouth, wanting to say something else before shaking his head and giving the boy a pat on the shoulder. The man turns to me with a strained smile before disappearing down a corridor, leaving me alone with the child genius. I bite the inside of my cheek, hating the sudden tense air.
"I should probably go back and listen to some lecture recordings. I'm pretty behind." I try to excuse myself, earning the boy's attention. He scrutinises me.
"Is...is Sokka right? Do you..." He trails off uselessly, but I don't need to be a genius to know what he meant. I chew my lip before answering.
"You're my friend, of course I like you." I state strongly, repeating what I said earlier because honestly what else can I say? 'It's not like I know myself.' A small frown appears on Aang's face as he watches me steadily. His eyes drop as he tugs his beanie further down.
"Nothing else?" He questions quietly. I feel my heart squeezing in my chest as I shake my head slowly.
"No. Do...do you?" My question is barely above a whisper as I watch him carefully. His gaze remains on the ground for a moment longer before he lifts them up to meet mine.
"That's…for the best. I'm not good for anyone. Be it a friend or... anything else." He utters quietly. Alarm bells start ringing in my head as I take a step towards him.
"Aang, no wait-" I protest, but he's already dancing out of my reach and disappears before I can say anything else. I fist a tuff of my hair in frustration at myself. Until something suddenly occurs to me. 'He didn't answer my question.' I realise with a mix of nausea and... relief? 'Spirits Aang, how did you make me care about you so much?' I voice silently as I spin on my heels to get out of the canteen, any appetite I may have had before this whole conversation started has vanished completely.
Azula's POV:
I watch as the water tribe peasant exits the canteen with a smirk. 'Well, this is going a lot more smoothly than I anticipated. Finally, the secret un-doer of all my great grandfather's plans will be put to an end. A world without a meddling peacekeeper, the Avatar. Whoever they are, their hiding days are over. Father will be most pleased that he has one less person to search for. And the airbender? Well, father doesn't need to look very far him.' I think with a devious glint.
A rush of power runs through my veins at my genius plans. 'It feels good to be in charge. If Zuko was half of what father and I are like, I'd have told him the truth of turning in the airbender after finding and ending the Avatar. But of course, he wouldn't agree with that plan so I had to lie. If only he understood.'
A small sigh escapes my lips as I push myself off the pillar. 'Now time to hold my end of the deal. Apologise to the watertribe peasant.' A grin slips past my lips. 'The fire in that girl is almost amusing.' I think to myself as I push open the canteen door and scan for the girl. I spot the watebender a few paces away with her arms hugging her middle. I roll my eyes at the sight as I approach her.
"Someone looks like the world has been swallowed up by flames." I drawl out, making the girl jump as she whips her body around to face me. A scowl appears immediately on her face at the sight of me. I almost roll my eyes again, but hold it off, especially considering that I have to pretend to be genuine.
"What do you want?" She bites, dropping her hands to her sides. I shrug.
"Zuzu said I should apologize for my less than stellar behaviour last term." I state. Her jaw drops as she shakes her head.
"Sure, I believe that." She says with a snort. I quirk my eyebrow at her.
"I apologise for wanting to burn your face off." I voice smoothly, making the watebender widen her eyes as she stares at me in disbelief.
"You're joking right?" The brunette echoes back. I purse my lips.
"That's up for your interpretation, but if Zuko asks if I had, tell him I did." I say with a wave of my hand. The watebender crosses her arms over her chest in defiance.
"So that's what this is? Some sort of dare?" I snort at her assumption.
"As if I'd waste my time on some childish game." I retort.
"And yet you waste your time trying to get into fights." She shoots back. My lips twitch in amusement.
"It was Katara, right? You have a fighting spirit that I quite like." I voice with a hint of interest. I watch as her face darkens.
"I don't want you to like me." The watebender bites. I laugh.
"See you around watebender." I bid with a half wave, already giving the girl my back.
"Wait!" I pause at her shout and turn my body slightly to glance at her with a quirked eyebrow. She shifts from one foot as she grasps her elbow insecurely. I almost snort at the look of weakness she oozes out, but instead I continue to gaze at her steadily.
"Yes?" I prompt impatiently.
"I'm sorry." She blurts out a second later. I blink twice in surprise and turn to face her fully.
"For what?" I echo back. Katara flickers her eyes away from me.
"I'm being a jerk. You came to apologise and here I am still holding onto the past." She mutters, genuinely shocking me. 'Usually, I have to make people fear me to get a nice response from them. But this time...I didn't have to do anything? That's not how it works.' I furrow my eyebrows before shaking my head.
"The past is me. That's who I am." I remind, but when I see her expression tighten, I kind of wish I didn't say that. 'Gah! No - I never take back my words. It's the truth.'
"So, you'll burn some other girl's face off when you feel like it?" The watebender questions with downturned lips. I open my mouth, but no words come out. "You don't have to bully people." She continues, as if seeing this as an opportunity to change me. I scowl at her.
"Watch it watebender, I don't take kindly to your attempt to manipulate me." I express dangerously. The girl scrutinises me for several moments before taking a step forward with her arm outstretched and on instinct, I grasp her wrist tightly. A grimace crosses her face, but she schools her features and looks slightly off to my right. I frown and glance quickly to my side to find an icicle by my temple. I laugh and release her.
"If you weren't a waterbender, I'd ask you to join my group of friends." I say, my tone taking on a degree of amusement.
"Why do you make it sound like the other nations are underneath you?" She asks, sounding genuinely curious.
"Because they're weaker." I answer simply. Katara's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline.
"You want to prove that?" She threatens, but I just roll my eyes at her.
"I don't have time to waste fighting someone that I know I'll beat." I utter in boredom, making the girl flush red.
"Then you have nothing to be scared of." The watebender fires back. A bark of laughter escapes from me.
"I'm never scared. You're just not worth my time." I repeat. A flash of annoyance crosses her eyes but intead of replying she again stretches out an arm towards me. I growl. "What are you doing?" I spit. Her blue orbs watches me steadily.
"Give me your hand." She says. I almost gawk at her before shaking my head.
"Why?" I ask with narrowed eyes, annoyed at her pathetic attempt at trying to get me to fight her.
"I'm not going to do anything, just give me your hand." The brunette insists. I snort.
"As if I'd trust you." I utter.
"You don't have to trust me. You say you're stronger than me, so if I try anything you can overpower me, right?" The watebender reminds. With a sigh I give her my hand, ready to flare them up if she attempts the slightest thing. Instead of freezing my hand however, she simply just takes my appendage in hers until we're...holding hands? I wait, expecting her to bend, but nothing happens. I frown.
"What are you doing?" I demand as discomfort pools in my gut.
"Shaking hands." Katara answers as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. My frown deepens.
"I can see that, but why?" I ask in annoyance.
"A truth. I...I might've misjudged you. I might've not. But maybe..." She pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Someone wise once told me I should look past outer appearances, and maybe there's more to you than I know." When the girl has finished her rambling, I look down at our joined hands.
It's a common gesture, but the strange amount of affection it brings has me feeling queasy. 'I was never Mother's favourite. But... holding hands was something only she ever did. Father would never and if Zuko ever had when we were little, I certainly don't remember it. But mother...her hand was slender, soft, protective against my small one.'
I snatch my hand out of the watebender's, angry at her for making me remember. For making me feel. I glare at her, but when I spot the flickering fear in her eyes I swallow.
"There is no truth. We aren't the same." I mutter.
"Do we have to be?" I almost choke at her question, but turn my body away from her.
"Yes." I grit out.
"Pick a day." I blink at the random statement and stare at her.
"For what?" I ask, my body on edge.
"To spar. I'll show you that you're wrong." Katara states a matter-of-factly. Her stubbornness is almost inspiring if it weren't so annoying.
"I'll have to look at my busy schedule." I say vaguely and walk away before she can say another word, my heart still drumming against my chest. And I hate that feeling. The feeling of not being in control.
I clench my hand as it still tingles with her warmth. A warmth that attempts to get through my stone-cold barrier. I allow my hand to burst into flames, the fire licks at my fingers, but never hurting. 'It was then I realised how powerful fire is. And how far superior it is to be a firebender.'
When I extinguish the flames from my hand the previous warmth from the waterbender's touch has vanished. In its place is just remnants of the cool feeling from my own fire. 'Good.' I turn my head and spot the waterbender still looking at me from the distance.
"You might not want to wait for the airbender or you'll be disappointed." I holler back. I spot the flush in her cheeks and spin on my heels with a smirk.
"W-what?!" She splutters, but I ignore her and round the next corner, feeling satisfied that I regained the upper hand. 'That's more like it.' I voice silently as I light my hand once more, enjoying the sense of power that it gives me.
A/N: Not going to lie, I'm having a lot of fun writing a deeper characterisation of Azula. I usually either don't include her in my stories or just put her down as the typical 'baddie', so it's nice to give her a bit more depth. I know some of you might want Aang to lash out for once, i.e against Sokka, but with the show in mind, Aang very rarely did so. Having said that, I do have plans for Aang and how I'll build up his fragile emotions, it will just take a few chapters for it to accumulate, but don't worry I have a bigger picture in mind which I think you'll appreciate once we reach it.
Also, good news – I've finished writing my black widow fic for the meantime and have continued writing chpt 42! Anyway, hope everyone is keeping well and will see you in a couple of weeks or so for the next update which will be in Aang's POV as they go to Wan Shi Tong library ;)
20/11/21