Chapter 11 of "Second Chances" is here
a short chapter, but it will change the entire story.
Have a good read :)
Azula couldn't keep up with Aang as he took his glider and flown away, she followed his trace as best she could, the moon was lighting the water, they were reaching dawn, finally that long day was over, and a new one is about to begin, but it appears that it won't be any different than the previous day, only filled with devastation and trauma.
She finally caught up with The Avatar at the beach of ember island, he was sitting there, watching the waves in complete silence.
"I thought I might find you here." The Princess said upon arrival.
Aang wiped his eyes before he could turn to look at her, Azula was shocked by this, he looks like he's been crying, it made her heart ache for the poor boy.
"You shouldn't have followed me, I need some time to myself."
"Do you want me to leave?"
Aang thought for a second before saying, "No."
Azula smiled, "Good, Can I sit down with you?" She asked politely.
Aang smiled back at her, "You've become so polite, your mannerisms are starting to befit your station."
Azula scoffed, "Bugger off." She said, as she sat down beside him.
Aang chuckled, "I spoke too soon."
Azula felt proud of herself that she's made him laugh, she's never felt so relieved as she's been in his company, and hearing his musical laugh, it made her feel butterflies in her stomach, it was a feeling that she's never felt, but one that she's grown to cherish, nothing could be any sweeter than this.
She kept staring at him in admiration as he was watching the moonlight, She then broke out of her daze as she remembered why she was here,
"Can I ask you something?" The princess asked.
Aang turned his head to look at her, "Sure."
Azula took a deep breath as she asked, "What happened between you and the watertribe siblings?"
Aang knew it, he knew that sooner or later, he would have to tell her the story, he would have to spill the beans and relive the horrible memory, the memory that shaped his new persona, the moment he decided that he shouldn't trust in love again, until Azula came around and made him vulnerable to the power of love again,
The Avatar sighed, "I guess it's about time I share this burden with someone..", Aang started, he sighed again before he started to tell his story,
"After the war was over, Katara, Sokka and I roamed the globe to maintain the peace we worked so hard to achieve, wherever there's conflict, you'd find us present, willing to help and making sure that each side is satisfied, even those of the firenation, some of them were born in places of the earth kingdom, we wouldn't let them leave their childhood homes merely because they belong to the firenation.. if that were to happen, then we are no better than those who started this war. no offense.." Aang said, looking at Azula, who just shrugged as if saying 'None taken',
Aang continued his story, "We spent a whole year doing that, going from nation to nation and from continent to continent, that was until.. Katara and Sokka received a message from their father, telling them that he was making progress in the southern watertribe, and that he wishes for them to be by his side to fully achieve that goal.. that's what created the drift, Sokka immediately accepted.
at the time, we were facing a major conflict in Yu Dao, a conflict that would have restarted the war, I begged them to stay by my side, at first Katara accepted, reluctantly of course, but Sokka never agreed, saying that he would go to the southern watertribe alone if Katara were to stay by my side, reminding her that their father needs them and so they shouldn't prefer their friend over their father, I never wanted to be in this comparison in the first place, I just needed their help, I needed them by my side, more than ever.. when Katara refused again, Sokka carried on with his promise and left without his sister.
days went by, and I realized that the Katara I knew started to change, she wouldn't listen to me the way she did before, she was constantly being rash dealing with the conflict in Yu Dao, to the point that she almost instigated a fight in the alleys of Yu Dao between firebenders and earthbenders over a boat, the boat belonged to a firenation citizen but the earthbender wanted to claim it as a spoils of war, when the boat owner refused, Katara interfered, telling him that it's only compensation for the pointless war they started, the firenation citizen started to argue with her, saying that he never agreed to the war in the first place, and unlike his people, he loved living among the earth kingdom citizens,
and what was her response to his arguments? she attacked him with a water whip, and the earthbenders joined her, each one of them willing to murder all the firenation citizens involved in this, if I weren't there to solve it, they would have went on with it and trust me when I tell you, it would have been a massacre, and yet she never cared.
the thing is, she might have refused Hakoda's proposition, but internally, it made her constantly conflicted, and she lashed that confliction out on everyone.. she kept doing that, until one morning where I woke up and found a note on her bed, I still remember every word written on that peace of paper as it were my own name,
Dear Aang,
I apologize for not telling you this in person, but I'm too much of a coward to have a conversation like this, so I wrote it on a peace of paper,
By the time you are reading this message, I would be on my way back to the southern watertribe,
I tried so hard to stick by your side and ignore my father's call, but it seems that for us waterbenders, our blood runs thicker than most,
I couldn't just ignore that feeling, that painful feeling that I broke my father's heart by refusing his call for you,
So, I decided that I shouldn't bear up with this anymore, I'm sure you would have it easier if I were gone, considering all the trouble I have been causing recently,
Just remember that you'll always have a place in my heart, and that I would never forget you,
Love, Katara."
Aang finished reminiscing, without noticing that tears poured out of his eyes, only Azula noticed it, and so she immediately took him in her arms.
He was confused by the gesture, but it did make him feel at ease, so he couldn't help but hug her back, allowing the tears to just fall out of his eyes, soaking her clothes, he was in so much pain, that was the main reason he never wanted to tell this story, because he never wanted to relive this painful memory.
The Avatar then got out of Azula's embrace and started to wipe his tears, "I'm sorry." He apologized for the display.
Azula helped him wiping his tears, looking him in the eyes, "Don't." She merely said, staring at the boy who was having his weakest moment yet.
Aang stared back at her, he couldn't believe he poured his heart out to her, but the thing is, he realized that he felt good doing so, Azula was no Katara, she wasn't better, she wasn't worse, she was just.. Azula, her own person, he never meant to compare the two, nor did he try to, maybe Azula just loves him
because she thinks she owes him a debt, maybe she actually loves him for his personality, but either way, he just felt the pull towards her.
Azula felt it too, she didn't know whether Aang actually loved her, or simply felt bad for her, or maybe he was deceiving her to keep her thoughts of the throne out of her mind, but she never bore it in mind, all she felt at the moment was also the pull towards him.
They kept feeling it and feeling it, and tell their lips crashed into a hungry kiss, at the beach of ember island, Azula pulled her hands up and encased the avatar's cheeks with her palms, still hungrily kissing, in the meantime, Aang pulled out his tongue, Azula understood the assignment, and so she opened her mouth to allow his tongue to explore, she then did the same with her tongue.
it was a magical moment for the both of them, just locking lips under the moonlight, the kiss lasted for a couple of minutes, until they were out of breath, and so they had to pull back to have some air, they just gazed at each other's eyes for a couple of seconds, until they both realized what they did.
their eyes widened, and it was Aang who pulled back rapidly, he then stood up on his own two feet and faced away from her, just staring at the beach in silence.
Azula felt awkward, she then stood up as well, looking at him and saying, "I'm sorry.", as it was her turn to apologize.
Aang didn't respond, he just kept looking at the beach, it was only then that Azula realized what she just did, she took advantage of a man in a weak state of mind, a man whose emotions were conflicted, he was confused, yet she wasn't mindful of that, and she unknowingly took advantage of it, even if she did feel genuine feelings for him, it didn't give her the right to take advantage of him.
She felt tears stinging at her eyes, she then looked at the ground and without notice, she turned around and left along the beach.
The Princess returned to her state of self-hatred, Aang has been very nice and kind to her, and how does she repay him? by taking advantage of him to satisfy her needs, as soon as she reached that conclusion in her mind, she realized that there's no one left for her, she just destroyed the one pure relationship in her life, and now there's nobody left for her, even her brother and friends, she knew that sooner or later, they would recall the bad things she did to them, and they would get back to hating her again,
She stopped in her tracks, as she decided no more, she looked back and realized that she was out of reach from Aang, she then turned her head to look at the sea, with the waves crashing across the shores, her eyes lit up as she finally found the solution to all her problems.
She then turned around facing the sea,
And she decided to walk towards it, the walk to the sea felt like it took forever, but she finally reached it, she had second thoughts, but those thoughts were in the back of her head so she never cared for them.
she was determined to keep walking, until there's no land under her feet.
with the waves crashing onto her legs, she couldn't feel them, as she had a goal in mind, and that's to keep walking until there's nothing under her feet but water.
She finally reached that place, and she was forced to stop walking, she then closed her eyes and started to sink into the sea.
Just before the sea consumed her fully, she heard someone shouting in the distance.
we're nearing the end of our story, I've had a blast writing this one,
and I hope you've enjoyed it so far,
More chapters to come soon
Stay Tuned, and have a good one :)