A/N: Well this is the update I promised you about. Sorry I didn't upload it sooner, but I've been bored and busy, (no that does NOT mean I'm abandoning this story), I just feel like I couldn't be bothered with some things lately, but I had some free time to refine this chapter and post it. Enjoy!
Aang's POV:
Waking up from a restless sleep I glance up at the clock to find that I have two hours before the upcoming dreaded meeting. Sighing, I get up and get ready quickly. I find that I still have over an hour before I need to arrive. 'I guess I could fly down onto the private gardens and do some mediating to calm my nerves.' I turn to my bedside table to find my glider, grabbing it I open the window and hop onto it. I find a nice large space of greenery and swoop down to land. I place my glider down, take up my meditative pose and close my eyes. As I try to concentrate on my breathing, I get a feeling of unsettlement, some weird sense of discomfort. 'Something doesn't feel right here,' shaking my head I decide to ignore it and continue with my breathing exercises.
In the Fire Nation Palace. Sokka's POV:
I lean on the wall outside of the meeting hall, waiting for Zuko and Toph to arrive so we can enter in together. But as I wait I decide to reflect on the meeting I had with Aang last night. 'He's definitely hiding something, now I'm sure of it. I just wish I knew what it was. He's not the carefree monk I met more than 4 years ago. He's more secretive, less open, more subdued with a touch of pain coursing through him. But why?! Why couldn't he share his burden with us? We could've helped him, we could've...'
"Sokka." I look up in mild surprise at my name being called, finding it to be Zuko I push myself off of the wall and step forward to meet him.
"Hey Zuko, what's up?" He shakes his head at me, a slight annoyance gracing his features.
"Did you have to suggest the idea of cutting my army in half?" I gulp, I knew he would ask this eventually. 'I guess it's better to get it out of the way now.'
"At least you don't have to pay reparations anymore."
"But what if my people are attacked, how am I supposed to defend my nation?!"
"No one is going to attack you after that war we had!"
"And what if they do?!"
"Well, you've the Water Tribe and the Avatar backing you up. You don't have anything to worry about!"
"I guess, but I don't think my advisors will be happy about this." I watch as Zuko bites his lip in worry. I sigh in understanding.
"I know what you mean Zuko, but I was only trying to help. Look on the bright side, now you don't have to pay any more ridiculous taxes and can finally start building your economy up." He nods his head slowly in defeated agreement.
"You're right. I'm sorry, it's just… I've had a lot to worry about. And I want all the nations to finally know that we aren't trying to be the bad guys, not anymore."
"I get it, I really do. But dropping the taxes is a good first step. In the next yearly meeting we can increase your army numbers by 15% or something and gradually you'll get your army numbers back to what they used to be."
"You're right. And opening trade with the other nations again is really good too. That hasn't happened in more than a hundred years." I finally smile at Zuko's positive admission towards my idea.
"See?"
"I'm sorry again. It will take quite a bit of explaining to get my advisors to realise there is good in these new agreements." I wave my hand.
"Forget about it. I'm sure they'll understand that the overall outcome is for the best." Zuko finally returns my smile and nods, his confidence returning to him as he straightens up.
"You should have felt Sparky's heart rate yesterday. I thought he was going to pop!" I spin round to meet Toph's smirking face. I frown at her.
"How long were you there for?" She shakes her head and waves a hand in dismissal.
"Long enough." I look back at Zuko and raise a questioning eyebrow at him regarding Toph's statement. He throws his arms up in annoyance.
"I was stressed ok?! You don't know what it's like to be chewed up and spat back out again!" He expresses in defence while glaring at both of us. I wrinkle my nose in mild disgust.
"Eww, I did not need to know that much detail."
"Just trying to get my point across. Only Aang and I know what it's like to be treated like that." I nod and frown for a moment; I deliberate on whether or not I should mention the conversation I had with Aang yesterday, I debate with myself for a moment more before deciding to tell them.
"Speaking of Aang I went to talk to him after the meeting yesterday." Both Zuko's and Toph's eyebrows shoot up at the same time.
"You did what?!" They shout simultaneously. I nod my head in confirmation.
"Yeah." I respond for the benefit of Toph.
"Why?" They question together again. 'It's like they are reading each other's minds or something.'
"I don't know. That nobleman was quite out of line last night. I wanted to see if he was ok." Toph crosses her arms over her chest and stares at me.
"You aren't meant to care, remember!" She bites back with an icy coldness in her tone.
"I can't help it!"
"That's not good enough. He doesn't care about us so we don't care about him, as simple as that. We aren't friends with him anymore and we haven't been friends for 3 years!"
"Toph!" Zuko hisses at her in an attempt to rebuke her.
"No I'm right. We aren't. He can die for all I care! You shouldn't give him the time of day, he doesn't deserve it."
"TOPH!" Zuko and I both shout together in shock. 'I didn't realise that Toph felt so bitterly about this.'
"Toph I know he hurt us." I pause, thinking about how hard it's been without our team leader. "He hurt us a lot. I still feel hurt. But I know you don't wish for anything bad to happen to him. You do care and you hate yourself for it, because you feel you shouldn't. That's why you have all this pent up anger inside of you. I felt, and I guess I still do feel exactly the same. But right now I'm focusing on finding out this secret he's keeping hidden from us, I get the feeling that this is the reason why he left us." Toph stares blankly at me 'and I mean more blankly than usual' before turning her head to seemingly stare at the door of the meeting hall.
"I don't want to hear it. Don't ever bring up this conversation again, otherwise the Avatar won't be the only friend you lose." She hisses in a low tone. Her words bite at my heart. I swallow and look away, my eyes focussing on the carpet below me, I try to blink away the stinging pain of tears at the back of my eyes. 'I am so not going to cry in front of them. Toph is just mad and hurt, she wouldn't really break up our friendship, would she?' the tense silence pursues for what feels like hours, but could only be seconds. However, suddenly I hear a bang as the doors are thrown open, I look up to see the Head Councilman, whose face is creased with worry. I quickly glance at a nearby clock and realise the meeting should've started ten minutes ago. 'Oh man, how could I have forgot?! I should have left this subject for later.' I take a few steps towards the Head Councilman to meet him halfway with the intention of apologising.
"Where have you been?" He asks sternly. I gulp and rub my neck in embarrassment. 'Although the Head Councilman is fair he can also be strict at the best of times.'
"I sincerely apologise Head Councilman. We were talking about a pressing issue and I guess the time slipped away from us." His eyes move from mine to look behind me at Toph and Zuko.
"I see, and where is Avatar Aang?" I blink in surprise and raise a questioning eyebrow.
"Isn't the Avatar already inside?" I watch as he frowns and his facial expressions take on a look of worry once more. His reaction begins to send a sense of dread within me.
"No he isn't. He was meant to arrive 15 minutes early to discuss with me a couple of matters before the meeting began. But he hasn't shown up and in fact he's late. He's never late for a meeting, especially for this meeting regarding his culture where he should be early. He's not with you?" I frown worriedly.
"No he's not with us." I look behind me at Zuko, hoping he has some idea where Aang is, but looking at his concerned face I get the feeling he's getting worried too. "Zuko when was the last time you saw him?" I question quickly. He steps towards us and shakes his head.
"I saw him at around midnight to discuss the meetings yesterday. He didn't tell me that he would be late for today's meetings though."
"Would you all stop your racing hearts, it's getting annoying! If you are that worried, I could go find him." I widen my eyes in shock at Toph's words, 'I thought she didn't want anything to do with him?' Yet instead of expressing my surprise I nod.
"That's a good idea, I don't know why I didn't think about it." I say to her. Turning I look back at the Head Councilman, whose face is thoughtful.
"Should I postpone the meeting then?" I shake my head at his question, he raises a questioning eyebrow in response.
"Don't worry, Toph will find him in no time." Zuko provides helpfully. The Councilman nods his head and turns back towards the door.
"Be quick. No one is especially pleased with the Avatar already." He quickly disappears inside the hall, closing the doors behind him
"Ok let's go." I begin walking down the corridor, but as I pass by Toph she grabs my arm in a vice like grip.
"No, I'm going on my own." I glance at Zuko whose face must be mirroring my own: worried.
"Err I don't think that's a good idea." I say with hesitation, worried Toph will hit me for my double meaning behind those words.
"Plus with the 3 of us, we'll find him much quicker." The Firelord adds, trying to ease the slight harshness of my words.
"No. You've all had your chance to talk to him, now it's my turn." I bite my lip in apprehension.
"Toph..." I try to argue, but her grip increases in pressure.
"I won't do anything to hurt him." I sigh at her words, letting go of a breath I didn't realise I was holding. "Not much anyway." She mutters quietly, but I still hear it, alarm bells go off in my mind, and I know what Toph is implying.
"Can't you do that later? He's already late for this meeting." She shakes her head stubbornly. I look back at Zuko who just shrugs helplessly then after a quick emotion passes through his face, one that I can't quite place, he gives me a definite nod and indicates to me to let her do as she wishes. "Fine. Just make sure he's at least presentable for the meeting and don't take any longer than 20 minutes, any longer than that we'll come after you both." She nods her head in agreement and releases her grip on my arm. Less than a minute later she walks out of view. Zuko comes and stands beside me, still looking at the direction she went off in. I turn my head to face him. "Do you really think that was a good idea? She sounds like she wants to rip his head off."
"Yes. First of all Aang is the Avatar, he can defend himself if he needs to and secondly as you said, I don't think she will really hurt him. She cares too much to do that." I sigh.
"Aang doesn't like to fight. I know he won't fight her if she does go to the extreme."
"Just wait and see."
"I hope it all turns out to be for the good."
"You know I'm intrigued to know why you've stopped hating Aang. For 3 years you wanted nothing to do with him and now you are going out of your way to converse with him. Not that it's a bad thing or anything, but I'm just curious as to know why?" I turn my head away from him and bite my lip so hard that I draw blood.
"When we questioned him in the beginning of the week, I...I...it was the first time I was so close to him. The first time for more than 3 years that I actually got a good look at him. After hating, despising even at one point loathing him. I saw something in his eyes that stopped all that in a heartbeat."
"What's that?" I turn back to face Zuko, my blue eyes piercing into his fiery orange ones.
"The pain in his eyes. That tore me apart. It was something so obvious, yet I didn't even realise it for all these years. How could I? How long has he been in that pain? Have you seen it since you were a lot more connected with him than we were? And then I saw that bruise on his arm. He's hurting, I don't know how badly, but it's enough to be seen in his eyes. If only Toph could see it, she would forgive him like that." I snap my fingers swiftly.
"I did notice the pain, it was about 6 months after he broke away from us, since that was the first time I saw him after that break up. I didn't think to mention it because you were all so wrapped up in your anger that I was worried you wouldn't even care anymore."
"Man I thought I hated him. I really did. But I realised that if my hate was actually able to dissipate due to looking at him once in the eyes. I realise that my feelings couldn't possibly be hate. It had to be a mixture of hurt and anger, nothing else. Boy was I shocked when I found that out." I say chucking humourlessly.
"Don't worry about it. We all make mistakes. It was my fault that I chased him away from us." Zuko averts his eyes away from mine in embarrassment, I grab his shoulder, forcing him to look back at me.
"You still blame yourself for that?!" I ask in a preposterous tone.
"It's true. He left right after he found out. He might've stayed if that didn't happen. If I never did that." I shake my head vigorously.
"No, that was an excuse he used to get away from us. He wouldn't distance himself from all of us because of that. It was something else and deep down you know that Zuko, so quit blaming yourself. It's not healthy anyway." I watch as the corners of his mouth twitches upwards into a small smile.
"You're right. Thanks." I flash him a smile in return.
"Anytime Firelord." I slap him on the back in a friendly manner.
"Ow! You're nearly as bad as Toph." I gasp in mock horror.
"No one is anywhere near as bad as Toph. I didn't even hit you that hard!"
"You did!"
"Weakling." I mutter under my breath. Zuko glares at me and then turns round and heads for the door. "What are you doing?" I question curiously as I sprint to catch up with him.
"We might as well wait for them inside the hall." The Firelord responds as he reaches for the door handle.
"Good point." We push the door open and step inside.
A/N: Not much action in this chapter, I know. But the next few will hopefully have lots more angst, because we are reaching the peak of this story. PLEASE REVIEW! I have decided that I won't post the next chapter until I have at least one review for each time I post a new chapter, so if you are really enjoying this story, just let me know, it does a lot in terms of encouragement. Anyway, hope you all have a good day :)
