Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. It's still a shame.
Once they made the decision to go to Ember Island they decided to leave the next morning. The logistics of adding two more people to the saddle on Appa's back turned out to be only slightly troublesome. Aang, of course, would sit on Appa's head, but the rest of them had to squeeze onto the seemingly shrinking saddle he wore.
The poor sky bison moaned a bit when Iroh clambered up into the saddle, Aang patted him and he licked the Avatar, coating him in slobber while the boy laughed delightedly. Even the bison seemed happy they were leaving, and Momo chattered cheerfully as he decided to find his perch on Iroh's shoulder.
By the time the rest of them were situated, they were more than ready to be off on their next journey. Even Toph, who naturally hated to fly, was eager to climb on so they could leave.
Zuko found himself highly uncomfortable due to the close quarters of Appa's saddle. Somehow, Toph ended up between his father and himself, so, despite the fact that he still felt a tad bit hesitant around Sokka because of his previous and recent hatred of them, he had no choice but to sit quite close to him.
His father seemed fine, although that might have been due to the fact that Katara sat next to him and she turned out to be a good conversationalist.
Toph was simply clearly displeased about her lack of ability to 'see' with her feet, and though that was certainly understandable, Zuko was quite pleased that Iroh was there to keep a conversation going. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Sokka and caught the boy staring at him in a contemplative way.
Rather than allow the unknown to fester, he quickly turned to Sokka.
"Something on your mind?" he asked with a hint of nervous energy in his voice, and inwardly grimaced.
Embarrassed to be caught staring, Sokka attempted to resist a flush and failed.
"Ah..er, well…" he stammered. "I uh, I was wondering how you got your scar."
Zuko had dreaded that question since they had joined the Avatar and his friends. He was well aware that the severity of the scar was quite diminished from what it had been, and he had perfect sight and hearing on that side as well since he had been healed. He had often wondered why he still had his scar, as he had not had a choice in it.
More than once he wondered if Umi had chosen to leave it since she couldn't ask him. He still didn't really know what had happened, but he was very grateful for the consideration he felt was shown to him. That scar had been a symbol of his shame and failure as the heir to the firelord throne and title and the Firelord himself; but now, he saw it as a reminder.
It was a reminder for him to never become like Ozai. It was his proof, a visible token that meant to him; "you are not your father, you never have been, and you never will be."
Yes, he was truly grateful it was still there.
Suddenly realizing he hadn't replied yet, Zuko cleared his throat and answered.
"Ah…well, when I was 13 years old I begged…Ozai…to allow me to join in one of his war councils. Iroh warned me to stay silent, but when I heard them planning to sacrifice an entire division of new recruits as a diversionary tactic of war, I…" he hesitated and glanced Iroh's way and caught his father's compassionate gaze. He knew he had everyone's attention, and was attempting to ignore it.
Finally he continued. "I disobeyed and spoke up." He finished his sentence quickly. "I disagreed with the general's plan, and told them so, saying that to sacrifice those soldiers like that was a betrayal of their patriotism."
"And you were right." Iroh interjected. "It was a despicable tactic."
"Yes, but I should not have spoken. I disobeyed you, and I paid a very hefty price." Zuko replied.
"What do you mean?" Asked Katara, despite knowing that the answer would not be pleasant, she couldn't help but ask.
"My words were viewed as a serious insult. He demanded that I pay for it by rite of Agni Kai."
Aang had crawled up to sit just behind the saddle and was listening intently, but he finally spoke up. "What's Agni Kai?" he asked curiously.
"It's a traditional duel between firebenders." Zuko answered. "I foolishly believed it would be the general I was fighting, and I readily agreed." He shook his head. "But when I arrived at the time and place determined, I was horrified to find it was the Firelord himself, my father of birth, whom I had insulted and would be fighting ."
"Wait, you were forced to fight your dad?" Sokka interrupted.
"Yes." He replied. "I…begged for his forgiveness. I had no desire to fight my..birth father. But he would not hear it. Even more incensed by my refusal to fight, he decided he was going to teach me a lesson."
Zuko pointed to the scar. "He gave me this." He finished simply.
"He burned your face? On purpose?" Katara asked, horrified.
"Yes. It was very deliberate."
"Wow…" Sokka breathed. "I can't imagine what I would have done if our dad had done something like that to me." He looked Zuko in the eyes.
"I'm sorry I asked about it man, I guess that's something you don't like to talk about."
"It's ok. "Zuko replied. "Everyone always looks and tries not to and wonders. I'm glad you asked."
"Well I think his scar looks just fine." Commented Toph drolly. Everyone turned to look at her and then laughed at her obvious joke. It was good to laugh, and the amusement dissipated any remaining tension in the air.
The conversation moved past his scar on to other, more important things, like if the house at Ember Island had a beach, and Zuko relaxed. The easy camaraderie was something he wasn't used to, but it felt good. He could almost imagine that this was what a real family felt like. He glanced over at his father and caught his eye. Iroh understood and smiled gently. Zuko smiled back. Yeah, it felt really good.
0o0o0o0o0o0
"Tiron!" Umi gasped as she walked into the living room, surprised to see him looking so well. "I'm so glad you're awake!"
He smiled a lopsided smile and set down the glass he was holding. "Thanks to you, I am." He answered.
"Oh, not me, I just brought you home. It was that girl who saved us both." She deferred.
"That's right, I vaguely remember hearing a voice. I never saw her." Tiron spoke again. "Did you get a good look at her? I would like to thank her too."
"I did. I would know her if I saw her again." Umi replied confidently. "I will go back into the city and ask…"
"Oh no, it's way too dangerous to do that, what if those soldiers came back? You shouldn't go alone." He was quick to add.
"Thank you for being so considerate. I can go into town with Kalek and Saral." Replied Umi.
"Of course you may." Saral said kindly. "We will do our best to find who helped you."
Tiron's parents stood and shook their hands and thanked them profusely for their assistance and hospitality. "We must leave now in order to reach home before the wee hours of the morning." His father stated.
"Absolutely." Kalek nodded.
Saral glanced at Umi. "Umi, could you please collect the children?"
"Right away." She replied and ducked back out of the house, glad to be able to see the children at play one last time.
Interrupting their play, she gently informed them that their brother was waiting to see them and they quickly abandoned their new feline friends in favor of seeing their big brother. Umi smiled at their eagerness, and then wistfully at their backs as they ran towards the house.
Would she ever know the joys and sorrows of motherhood? She shook her head as if to shake off the thoughts that brought her down, and walked swiftly back to the house. She was just in time to see Tiron step out of the house practically into the arms of his siblings. They clung to him and he bent to put an arm around each of them and chuckled smilingly at their affection.
She stopped in her tracks and hung back, loathe to interrupt their touching reunion. Soon enough he was untangling himself from them and sending them inside to their parents. He walked down the steps, limping somewhat and she met him near the landing.
"Thank you Umi." He said simply.
She shook her head. "No, it is I who thank you. From the bottom of my heart. You did everything you could to save me from a horrible fate. If you hadn't stopped them, and sacrificed yourself for me, this night would have had a very different outcome." She answered emphatically.
"I will do, safely, what I can to find that girl as well. Without her, both our lives might have been in danger." Umi promised.
Tiron nodded. "Thank you again." .
"And thank you for the lovely evening." She replied "I truly had a wonderful time."
He smiled bashfully and turned quickly as everyone else crowded out the front door interrupting their conversation.
Goodbyes, thank you's, and handshakes were exchanged and the family piled into their wagon and departed for home.
Umi followed the people she'd come to see as her adopted parents back into the house that had begun to feel like home to her with a contented sigh. All was well; she would find the girl who saved Tiron and herself and thank her personally.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Zuko directed Aang , who, in turn, steered Appa to the Firelord's Ember Island home on the prestigious vacation island for Fire Nation nobility. It was harder to do in the air, but he managed it, and they reached the house by mid-afternoon, the sun at its hottest.
Aang directed Appa to land near the house on the beach. Everyone piled off, poor Iroh working a little harder to gracefully descend after a knee-stiffening, hours-long, ride on the sky bison. The Avatar quickly worked to get Appa some well needed fresh water as the rest of them went to check out the house.
Only Toph remained behind, practically kissing the blessed earth beneath her bare feet. Katara rolled her eyes at the earthbender's antics she walked into the house behind the firebenders and her brother.
It was a beautiful home and she said as much, Zuko nodded, only half-listening, his mind deep in the memories of his childhood times spent within those walls. It was the same for Iroh. He glanced at Zuko, knowing his son would be remembering those times spent there, both good and bad. He appeared pensive but not unhappy, and Iroh smiled to himself as they gave the two siblings the tour.
Katara positively exploded with excitement upon seeing the fully-functional bathroom complete with bathtub. Iroh, chuckling, assured her that she would have the first use of its facilities as soon as they settled in.
Sokka, with his ever-needy stomach, reminded them that there was no food in the house, and that they too, had little food and it might be a good idea to go to the market and purchase some before it got too late.
Iroh recommended that they look in the house to see if there might be some stored fire nation clothing they could use in order to better blend in; and everyone set to searching the house for any stored goods.
After assuring himself that Appa had been well cared for, Aang, too, appeared in the house, hollering to find out where everyone was. He was quickly conscripted to join the hunt for fire nation clothing and with a sigh he agreed, meandering down a hallway and going into the next door he found.
It was with some small amount of hesitation Zuko had ventured into his old room. He did have many good memories here, and it was so strange to step into this place, not with his birth family, but with an adopted family. He was no longer a child, and the room seemed so much smaller than it had when he was young.
He walked over to the dresser and pulled out one of the drawers. With a twinge of nostalgia he reached in and picked up the toy that was inside; holding it almost reverently, as if it might break, as had the happy family of his childhood.
Right then and there he vowed that if he ever married and had children, his children would know more happiness than he ever had. They would know peace and prosperity and he would never allow what happened to him to happen to his own children. Zuko would die before allowing that to happen.
"Oh, hey Zuko, didn't know you were in here. I'll go look in another room." Aang chirped, spinning around, about to pop back out the door.
"Wait."
Aang turned back around curiously. "What's up Zuko?"
"I want you to promise me something." The firebender answered, the solemn timbre of his voice causing Aang to frown slightly.
"What's wrong?" the boy asked.
"Nothing's wrong" Zuko answered "I just…I wanted to ask a favor."
"Sure!" Aang smiled "what is it?"
Zuko looked out the window, his countenance serious and his hands clasped behind his back.
"My adopted father Iroh has chosen that I shall sit on the throne of the Firelord once my birth father has been defeated. I don't…I can't…" he stammered, trying to gather his thoughts and began again, this time looking directly at Aang's now concerned face.
"I don't want to be the same kind of Firelord Ozai is. I don't want to be like him, I don't want to do those terrible things or act that way; but if something ever changes, I want you to promise me Aang, promise me that you will end it."
Aang took a step back and stared at Zuko. "Wha..what do you mean, end it?"
"I mean, if I ever end up like Ozai I want you to kill me. You are the Avatar and the only person I could trust to do something like this." Zuko replied solemnly.
Aang's eyes widened and his face revealed his horror at the thought. "I couldn't do that!" He shook his head and backed up a step further. "I was raised by monks of the air temple, I won't be, I mean I can't..I wasn't taught to kill anyone!" He stammered. "It's against my beliefs; the monks taught me that peaceful ways are best and I believe it."
Zuko's shoulder's dropped a little and he sighed. "I'm sorry Aang, I guess it was a selfish request. Forget I said anything."
"It's ok, I'm sure you won't be like Firelord Ozai." The Avatar replied before darting out of the room, nearly headlong into Iroh, who was standing outside the door in the hallway with a very concerned and slightly horrified look on his face.
He slowly walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Zuko, who had walked over to the window as Aang had darted out the door, was staring intently out at the ocean and seeing nothing at all. His thoughts were directed inward.
"I know you won't be like my brother." Iroh stated solemnly.
Zuko whirled around from the window and suddenly had a hard time looking his father in the eyes.
"How do you know that?" he almost demanded.
"I know because not only did you show mercy and compassion at a very young age, but now as well, by the very desire you have of not becoming like Ozai you have already surpassed him and will never be able to become the kind of evil that he embraces." Iroh stated. "Your will and desire for honor have already ensured that."
Zuko turned back to the window, attempting to hide his distress. "How can you be so sure?" He rasped, his shoulders hunched and voice thick with emotion.
The strain of joining the Avatar, sharing personal secrets and dredging up old memories, learning his mother and sister were still alive, fearing that he would end up like Ozai, all the stress that he had been through recently seemed to somehow suddenly come to a head. It all seemed like too much.
"You're my son."
Somehow Iroh had known just what to say at just the right time. Zuko ducked his head and his shoulders relaxed as a small stream of tears made their way down his face. No matter what happened, he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he could trust his father.
A small hiccup made its way out of his mouth and he rubbed his arm over his eyes. His father was right, it was his choice to make, and he'd already made the right one.
Wiping his sleeve over his face again he turned towards Iroh with a small, lopsided smile.
"Thank you father. You're right, I'm your son and I won't do anything that would disappoint you, or myself. I've already chosen that I'll be better than Ozai ever could have been and that when I'm Firelord, there will be peace."
"Spoken like a true leader. You will make a wonderful Firelord my son." Iroh said with moisture gathering in his smiling eyes. He quickly turned and rubbed the sleeve of his robe over his eyes as he reached for the door handle.
"Now, I shall continue my search for fire nation clothing, I suggest you do the same! Onward!" he declared, as he quickly exited the room, leaving the door open behind him.
Zuko smiled again and walked over to his closet to see what kind of clothes he might find, his heart far more peaceful and his mind no longer in turmoil.
Over the next couple days they used up their remaining rations while Katara, the only person in the group with the ability to sew, worked hard to adjust the clothes they had found for the differences in age and size of their group. Once she had finally finished the last stitch in the last garment with a sigh and a sense of accomplishment, they had to make a decision on who would venture into the town for food.
Iroh felt it might be a little too dangerous for he and Zuko to merely walk into town during the day as they might be recognized; so it was Aang who accompanied Katara. Not that he was complaining. The young Avatar would take any chance he could get to spend time with his crush.
Sokka had lobbied to go along but Katara nipped that idea in the bud. She wasn't about to let him waste their dwindling money supply as he was known to do. Grumbling to himself about bossy, overbearing sisters, the boy grabbed his sword and set about sharpening it down on the beach; the sounds of the ocean calming him as he worked.
Zuko hadn't pressured Aang to learn firebending. He knew the boy didn't want to, and he knew it was necessary that he learn it. He also knew that Aang knew those things as well as he did, and so he waited. He felt it was a good sign that Aang was still joining him for his sunrise katas. The Avatar had done a great job of mimicking his movements, and, unbeknownst to Aang, Zuko had incorporated a few of the basic firebending stances and moves into those morning sessions.
The boy didn't know the difference and it became a great opportunity for teaching that Zuko was downright pleased with himself for discovering.
A couple of hours after Katara and Aang had left for town they returned, both laden down with baskets of fresh produce and even some bread and fish.
Iroh offered to cook a traditional fire nation meal for them with the ingredients they had purchased and Katara was happy to hand over the task to him. Within just over an hour a lovely meal complete with fantastic tea was set out on the table in the dining room with everyone oohing and aahing over it.
The conversation around dinner turned from the wonderful food to the great street vendor fare and then to the poster the two had seen advertising a local troupe of actors that were putting on a play about the Avatar. They were called the Ember Island Players and the play would be starting in just four days. Everyone agreed that it would be fun to go see, and by the time the meal was cleaned up and the dishes finished, there was general excitement about the play; a chance to do something fun for them.
It wasn't often they were able to simply be kids, most of their time was fraught with peril and they made life and death decision on an almost daily basis. They needed a break, some fun, something to look forward to.
At sunrise the next morning Zuko and Aang were greeting the sun per usual, but when they would normally have finished, Zuko turned to Aang and took a solid firebending stance, securing his root, as Iroh had taught him.
"Take this position." He said to the Avatar. "Your firebending basics need to be sound in order to be safe and successful."
Aang stepped his feet apart and squatted down slightly in an attempt to copy Zuko.
"You need to have a very solid root in order to keep your balance against a firebender." He continued. "Spread your feet further apart, allow yourself to feel the solidity and stability of your stance."
Aang obeyed, widening his stance and pulling his bent elbows in near his body as he was seeing Zuko do.
"It almost feels like I'm going to earthbend." Aang quipped.
"I hadn't thought about it but yes, this basic stance could feel a bit like that probably." Answerd Zuko.
"Now, breathe." He told the young Avatar, and Aang stared at him comically.
"Uh, Zuko…I'm already breathing!" Aang chuckled.
"You're breathing like an airbender." Zuko grinned.
"I am an airbender!" Aang laughed again.
"Nope" was Zuko's answer. "Right now you're a firebender."
"Oh…right. Ok!" he chirped.
Right then Katara walked out of the house and glanced over to where they were practicing. Aang saw her and lost his stance, waving happily as she raised a hand and smiled in response.
"Your stance…" prodded Zuko.
"Right, sorry!" Aang grinned and moved back into the position Zuko had instructed him to use.
"Ok, so fire is different from all the rest of the other elements." Zuko stated. "Do you know why?"
"Um…" Aang paused to think for a minute. "Because it's…fire?" He answered finally.
Zuko grinned. "Well yeah, it's fire, but it's more than that. Take earthbending and waterbending for instance." He explained.
"Katara gets her element from all around her, because there's a lot of water everywhere, especially, of course, bodies of water like lakes and the ocean, right?" he asked Aang, attempting to engage him in learning what he was trying to teach him.
"Yeah!" Aang replied enthusiastically. "Me too, and I can feel where there is water."
"Exactly, it's there, just out in the world." Zuko continued. "Just like earthbending, Toph doesn't create the earth she uses, but she shapes what's already here."
"You're right, and I do it too, I make it change shape or move."
"Now, with air, you learned from when you were really young so it's just like breathing to you to use it, and even though we can't see it, the air is all around us right?"
Aang nodded eagerly, understanding easily so far.
"Fire is different." Stated Zuko. "Unless you walk up to someone's campfire or cooking fire usually, fire is not all around us. There isn't a vast source all around us like the ocean to draw from, or the earth under your feet or the air you breathe."
"Fire is unique in that it is created by the firebender. Yes, you can manipulate existing fire, but the essence of a firebender is creation, and then execution of his element." Zuko explained.
As he spoke, the banished fire nation prince moved slightly to the side and, while in his stance, created a small flame that sat dancing above his hand.
Aang, watching and listening intently, nodded as he spoke.
"Jeong Jeong was trying to teach me, but I didn't listen and burned Katara."
"That's because you didn't understand control." Zuko replied. "Fire doesn't flow with you like water, it doesn't support and move for you like earth, and it definitely doesn't wait for you to use it before it works." He explained.
Taking the small flame he'd conjured and turning to the side, he snuffed it out and then shifted his stance slightly and made a small punch, causing a short flame to shoot past his fist.
"Fire is created and by its very nature it is something that must be controlled." He stepped out of his stance and stood normally and turned to Aang who did the same.
"When someone makes a campfire what do they do?" He asked the Avatar.
"They…make a pile with sticks and little pieces of wood." He answered slowly.
"Anything else?" prompted Zuko.
"Well, sometimes Katara puts rocks around the fire."
"Why does she do that?" Zuko asked, attempting to lead Aang to the answer he sought without telling him.
"I…" he thought for a second. "She does it so the fire doesn't get out of…" his voice trailed off and his eyes got a little wider when he realized what Zuko was trying to help him understand.
"Ooh!" he finally said grinning. "That's what you mean I didn't understand control, like the campfires we have that we have to make sure they don't start a forest fire, we have to keep them under control!"
"Exactly!" Zuko grinned back, happy Aang was beginning to understand.
"When a firebender cannot or will not control their flames, chaos and danger to themselves or others is always the end result." He continued.
"At its most basic, firebending is the art of creating fire from one's own chi and manifesting it outside of the body in the physical form of the element of fire, which must then be controlled by the firebender." Zuko paused for a breath, then continued.
"First, the most important thing to learn is breath control, because that is absolutely necessary to powerful bending, and to controlling the element."
Aang nodded.
"Now, take the stance again."
Aang complied, moving back into the wide, solid stance Zuko had directed him into earlier.
"Ok, now this time, remember that breath is control, and control is safety." Zuko instructed. "Take deep breaths, in and out, slowly. Control your breathing, breathe intentionally, and focus on it."
Aang obeyed, breathing slowly and trying hard to think about control. A small breeze flitted through the beach, and Aang immediately grinned and dropped his stance, making a little air-ball and tossing it into the breeze, watching to spin off into the air with a happy smile.
"Aang, focus." Zuko chided gently.
"Sorry Zuko!" The young Avatar apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to! I'll go back to breathing now."
Zuko sighed inwardly. It had seemed like his destiny to assist the Avatar, but right now he kind of felt like he was fighting a losing battle. Sure, he knew this was only their first official lesson, but the airbender was so easily distracted it made things difficult.
"Breakfast is ready you two, sugar queen says come and get it!" hollered Toph from the door of the house, further interrupting their training.
Aang hopped up from his breathing training and ran towards the house, with a hollered "sorry Zuko!" behind his back as he jetted for the front door.
Zuko shook his head and sighed again, but then allowed a small grin to interrupt his stoicism. He had to hand it to him; the Avatar was one energetic kid. Hopefully they'd get more time to work on firebending training soon. It wasn't going to be as simple as he'd imagined after all, but it had to be done.
0o0o0o0o0o0
It had taken a little time and a lot of asking around, but Umi finally found out that the girl who had saved them was staying outside the town with the traveling circus troupe that had set up there, the circus she and Tiron had visited on their ill-fated first date.
During a visit to town she asked to be dropped off near the circus, which her benefactors were not willing to agree to. Instead they drove the cart right up to the empty circus tent, searching for someone who might be in charge.
"Circus don't open 'till tonight folks." A gruff voice came from behind the cart before they'd had a chance to climb down.
"We're not here for the circus right now. We apologize for showing up unannounced sir; but this young lady is looking for someone who works with your circus." Kalek tilted his head towards Umi.
"Why?" was the direct answer from the short, squat, bearded man walking around from behind the cart, looking none-too-friendly.
This time it was Umi who spoke up. "Sir, she saved my life, and my date's life about a week ago. We both have been trying to find out who she is so we can thank her." She stated simply.
"She?"
"We don't know her name, someone in town recognized her from your circus. She was a young teenage girl with a brown braid; she treated those soldier thugs like she wasn't even remotely afraid of them and taunted and insulted them and made them chase her. She was really light on her feet too."
She thought she saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes at her description despite the fact that he didn't actually say that he knew her.
"If she's here and I see 'er I'll tell 'er for ya." He replied gruffly.
"Please sir." Umi pleaded. "I really want to thank her myself."
"It was my pleasure."
Nearly everyone jumped a little at the voice of a young woman coming from the opposite direction they were looking.
"Aw now see I told yez not to go messin' 'round in other people's business and keep yer head down missy!" growled the short man they'd been talking to.
Turning around Umi saw the very same braided girl who had been their savior from the other night standing there with her hands demurely behind her back, smiling happily.
"Don't mind grouchy here" she quipped as she walked around the wagon. "He's just doing his best to make sure we're all safe out here."
"Oh" Umi replied "with you here I don't think anyone needs to worry about their safety."
A laugh bubbled out of the girls' throat like a babbling brook and she threw back her head laughing.
"See?!" she directed her gaze to the man she dubbed 'grouchy'. "She knows I don't need protecting."
"Hmph!" was the grunted reply and the man shuffled away without a backwards glance.
Umi climbed down from the cart quickly and bowed formally to the braided girl in front of her.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and for my date the other night as well. You saved our lives."
Blushing slightly the girl waved a hand, unused to such a formal, yet sincere, thank you.
"It really was my pleasure. Those men are thugs and jerks and have no business being so bad. They only got what was coming to them." She grinned.
"What did you do to them anyway?" Asked Umi curiously.
"Oh, well..trade secret I'm afraid." She grinned again and bounced back and forth on her feet. "Don't worry they're not dead or anything, they're fine, or at least they will be soon." She giggled.
Mentally shaking her head at this unusual girl, Umi skipped trying to find out what she'd done and asked her name.
"Oh, I'm Ty Lee!" She bubbled enthusiastically. "Who are you?"
"My name is Umi." The former water spirit replied.
"Nice to meet you, officially this time!" Ty Lee grinned.
"You too" Umi nodded then tilted her head towards the two people still seated in the cart. "These are Kalek and Saral, I'm staying with them right now."
Ty Lee smiled at them and they inclined their heads in response.
"We are in your debt for you assistance." Saral spoke for both of them and Kalek nodded in agreement.
"Oh, I'm just happy to help!" the braided girl smiled widely again. "How's the boy doing?" she asked quickly.
"He's doing very well." Umi replied with a smile. "He's nearly completely healed and wanted me to tell you that he is very thankful for your help."
"You can tell him it was my pleasure!" Ty Lee chirped. "What's his name?"
"Tiron." Replied Umi. "I'm sure he'd love to thank you in person."
"He doesn't need to do that! I'm just glad he's ok after the beating he got!"
"Yes, thanks to you!" Umi grinned happily.
"You're very welcome!" the petite girl replied with a seemingly permanent large smile. "So are the two of you an item?" she asked casually.
"Oh no, it was just a date, well a first and last date…" Umi chuckled uncomfortably, blushing. "We got along wonderfully and he's a sweet guy, but my heart belongs to another."
"Really?" Ty Lee's smile somehow became even larger. "That's great!"
She stepped a bit closer and cupped her hand over the side of her mouth and stage whispered conspiratorially; "he's kinda cute and I've seen him buying books at the book store before so I know he's smart too."
Umi's eyes widened and her smile did too; she began to chuckle. "You're right Ty Lee, that IS great!" she allowed herself a real laugh and the girl in front of her joined in.
"You should find him the next time you're in town. Again, his name is Tiron, and I bet you he would love to meet you." Umi grinned again.
"Oh I will, believe me! His aura is so clear I just know we'd hit it off great!" Ty Lee enthused.
Not sure how to respond Umi just smiled at the bubbly girl.
"Umi, we should probably start heading for home, there are chores to be done before nightfall and it appears a storm may be approaching." Saral gently mentioned to her.
"Oh, of course!" Umi gasped. "I'm sorry I didn't watch the time!" she replied, giving Ty Lee a quick bow and scurrying over to hop into the wagon.
"Thank you so much again Ty Lee, if you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask! I'll do anything I can to help!"
"Aren't you sweet! I'm just great, but I'll remember that Umi, take care and be safe!" Ty Lee waved as Kalek snapped the reins and they moved forward, leaving the circus tent and the small girl to get even smaller until she faded into the distance.
"Such a nice young girl she was." Saral stated simply.
"Yes. I'm so glad I have a name for Tiron. I hope he's able to find her."
"Oh I daresay she'll find him!" chuckled the woman with a grin. "She seemed rather keen on him. I suppose she's seen him around town before."
Glancing back at Umi she added "are you sure her interest in him doesn't bother you?"
"Not at all!" Umi exclaimed happily. "In fact I was feeling a little guilty that he was interested in me and even almost sacrificed his life for me and I am in love with someone else!"
Saral nodded understandingly. "I just wanted to make sure. I think they may make a great match."
"I think so too!" Umi smiled. "Maybe we'll hear about a wedd…"
"I'm sorry to interrupt you Umi, but hang on you too, the storm is approaching much faster than we thought and it looks like a bad one. We need to get home fast." Kalek said in a terse voice.
Umi held on with a ball of anxiety in her stomach as he hollered and snapped the reins and the ostrich horses jumped forward and took off at a run.
She held on as tight as she could as the cart jumped and lurched into holes and over rocks.
They were only halfway home by the time the air suddenly cooled and the wind changed directions. Before, when she was a water spirit, Umi would have enjoyed the storm, maybe even played with it a little, if it was nowhere near where people were.
Now, she was frightened. She was at the mercy of this storm with no shelter in sight, and she didn't much like it.
The wind quickly picked up, and before they had gotten much further it began to blow in great gusts, buffeting them and causing the cart to destabilize several times when the ground was uneven.
"Whoa…! Easy there girls, easy…" Kalek spoke to the beasts pulling them faithfully, as the two ostrich horses began to fight the reins and act skittish in the face of the storm. They slowed down obediently, though, and he kept them to a trot.
"It's too dangerous to move quickly now!" He shouted above the wind to the two women in the cart with him. "If it gets any worse I'll have to unhitch them or they may bolt or damage themselves!"
As if defying him, the wind gusted harder.
"Do it now!" screamed Saral, "before it's too late!"
Most of her words were stolen by the wind, but he caught her meaning and clambered down from the seat, buffeted severely by the wind, and quickly unhitched the two beasts. He'd barely managed to release them from their traces before a massive clap of thunder boomed around them and the two ostrich horses took off like a shot from a cannon, running heedlessly in the direction they were pointed.
Kalek barely dodged their headlong charge and nearly lost his balance as another gust of wind buffeted them. He moved to the side of the cart and yelled to them to get off of it.
Forced to use gestures only, his words stolen by the strong winds, he motioned for them to get down to the ground and they quickly complied, his wife reaching for his arms to help her safely from the height of the seat while Umi clambered quickly down from the back of the wagon, barely keeping her balance.
Both women knelt down in an almost fetal position on the ground as the wind ripped and tore at their clothes and screamed in their ears. Kalek knelt beside them and bent his body over both of theirs as well as he could in an attempt to shield them from whatever might be about to happen.
As they huddled on the ground for a surreal moment in time, all was calm. The screaming wind died and all was eerily peaceful. They froze in the stillness, waiting, hearts beating double-time in contrast to the seeming peace all around them.
Within moments a terrible sound came; a huge rumbling sound that was accompanied by the very ground shaking and trembling beneath them.
Umi's heart quailed within her because she knew what was coming, and she felt so very helpless and small. Suddenly she was sorry for the people who were going to have to endure this with her. They didn't deserve this fate. If it hadn't been for her desire to find the girl, they would be safely at home, out of the path of the deadly storm.
Eyes closed to the winds that had suddenly begun again with screaming fury bringing dust flying all about them, she felt Kalek's hand on her back, and Saral's hand found hers and she gripped the proffered hand tightly.
The roaring and rumbling increased tenfold and she just barely heard the cart next to her groan and creak for a moment as it was lifted into the air and twisted about, some part of it grazing her shoulder as it was carried away.
Bits of tree branches and small rocks pelted them, feeling like hailstones pelting from all sides and stinging mightily. Umi tightened her hold on Saral's hand moments before the rumbling became completely deafening and the screaming, whipping winds bombarded them with droplets of freezing cold water that felt like needles on their skin.
Suddenly the pain seemed irrelevant as her body was lifted from the ground and her hand ripped out of Saral's. She was tumbling and spinning, flying through the air completely out of control, feeling cuts and bruises forming from thousands of tiny debris and not-so-tiny debris that were pounding every inch of her flailing body.
A ridiculous thought entered her mind, thinking that she now knew what it would be like to die a death by a thousand cuts. She had resigned herself to her possible fate when she knew that it was a tornado coming. Her only regret was that the kind couple who had been so good to her would share her fate. They didn't deserve this, her heart cried.
Inwardly as she spun through the air, she had a moment of a kind of wishful clarity, a moment where she wished the tables were turned, a moment where she wished she could give this storm a glimpse of HER power! Even in that moment though, she never regretted her decision to save Zuko and Iroh. "Never ever" her heart supplied for her. No cost was too great.
Moments that seemed like painful hours crawled past at lightning speed, and she began to feel herself losing consciousness as more and more her body was being beaten by the winds and flying objects.
Suddenly, she impacted something large, and her body bent backwards as she was slammed into the cart that was also still inside the massive tornado.
Her last thought was of Zuko, and how much she loved him, before her world went dark.
A/N: Well! That got scary fast, huh? Might be time for some plot progression here in the next chapter too! Until next time!