DUDE!
I got fourteen reviews in one day! And it's all thanks to this person!
Spontaneousxhumanxcombustion- I didn't even try to spell your name, so I copied it. Thank you so much for reviewing thirteen times! I'm happy that you like Tsuyosa and I hope you keep liking the story. I'm trying my best, and maybe someday I'll come up with an ending (or when they get to Ba-Sen-Se) but anyway, Enjoy!
NOS mercenary- You're right, and I'm sorry for my forgetfulness. Truth is, I don't know much about Chinese, and don't have many resources. But I hope you'll at least graze over the story once in a while, if to just see if I fixed things.
halfatheory357- heh, I did my best on my PaintShopPro 7, and I'm going to post it on a link I will soon put in my profile. But if you want to draw it, knock yourself out!
CHAPTER 14- Curses
"Zuko… Zuko, wake up!" the firebenders eyes shot open and he winced at the cold air. Sitting up, he looked around. Night had fallen what must've been hours ago, judging by the moon. The silver orb and stars were the only light, glimmering on the oceans rippling surface.
Next to him, Tsuyosa was fast asleep, snoring quietly. Sokka and Katara were curled up across from her, and Aang was looking down at him from atop of Appa's head.
"You were trembling and mumbling something, sorry to wake you." The airbender apologized.
"How long was I out?" Zuko asked, changing the subject quickly.
"About five hours. Tsuyosa said you haven't slept in weeks, so we let you be." The prince sighed at the boys face. He obviously believed her.
"It's been one day, maybe." He told Aang reassuringly.
"Oh." The kid seemed a bit disappointed, but soon recovered.
"It must've been great having that many brothers and sisters!" shit, they were back on his family.
"Yeah, kinda." That was a downright lie, but it could make Aang shut up.
"I always wanted a little brother! The kids at the temple were cool, but they left when the sun went down."
If Aang was a bit cleverer, that is.
"Zurui wasn't a great brother. And most of my siblings I never saw. I was practically an only child."
"Didn't you have friends? Or, I don't know, a pet?"
"I had a Komodo Rhino for a few, but Zurui killed it in under a week." Aang winced.
'Okay, not the best brother.'
"I kinda had one friend." The airbender was surprised that Zuko continued. But not as much as the prince himself.
"Really?" Aang was interested. Night flying sucked, and it was nice to talk to someone besides Appa.
"Yeah. She was my half sister, Shinsetsu."
"I thought all Fire Nation names started with a 'z'?" Zuko gave a small laugh.
"Not really. But for some reason, the royal family has this fetish with them. I think my father cleared out every 'z' name in the book when he named all his heirs. Zurui, Zukai; but any girls got normal names." Aang grinned.
"That's cool. I named Appa that because it was like mine!" he emphasized by patting the bison's head.
It was strange. The next hour was filled with talk of nothing in particular. How Aang had been taught by the monks while Zuko was buried with books. Their training sessions and what they hated the most.
It was strange, but Zuko found it quite enjoyable.
"The tests were the worst." Aang groaned. The firebender nodded. "I had to do all of these high-level Airbending moves I had learned three days ago!"
"Two words: Agni-Kai." Zuko stated simply. The airbender looked confused. "Don't tell me you never heard of one! Agni-Kai, a fire duel." Realization struck and Aang gaped.
"Ouch. Was that what you got your scar from? A test?" the teen didn't answer for a moment.
"Um, Yeah. I failed a big test." He said quietly.
"Sorry. I stink at dodging close-range, too." The firebender shook his head. Aang didn't get it, and for a second, Zuko wondered if he wanted him to.
But the action went un-noticed as Aang continued.
"I really hated finding out I was the Avatar." The teen looked up at the sudden confession.
"Why would you hate that? It meant you were the most powerful person in the world."
"I know. But I was just scared. I was too young, I guess. All the responsibility on top of the fact they were going to send me to another temple, I got scared." Aang looked ashamed. "I ran away. And then I got myself stuck in an iceberg. Because of that, the world plunged into war-" the boy's lips kept on moving, but Zuko had stopped listening.
'An iceberg?'
"How-How long were- how long have you been awake?" he asked, praying it was at least four years. Sometime before he was ordered to find him.
"Maybe a year. I woke up a few hours before I first met you. Why?"
Zuko felt something in him crack.
"A…a year…?" his voice was very weak. He had turned against his father for being an honor-less bastard not fit to rule the Fire Nation, but this?
He had sent his son away, knowing he would never return, but saying there was a chance.
"Is something wrong, Zuko?" he didn't answer, too engrossed in thought.
'That bastard has no honor, yes. But even worse, he sent me on a wild goose chase, and made me look like a fool!' somehow this fact upset him more then all of his fathers other faults.
He gave a small grin.
"Two years. All spent chasing a kid in an iceberg! I could've given up anytime and no one would've cared!" Aang just listened, eyes widening.
'He was looking for two whole years?' A ping of guilt struck as he realized that, once again, his disappearance had caused another person pain.
"I'm sorry." He said. Zuko, who was currently spitting curses, stopped, looking up at the saddened boy.
'Great, he's on the verge of crying' Zuko thought.
"It's nothing you should be-"
"But the Fire Nation was supposed to capture the Avatar, and because I wasn't around, you had to waste two years!" Aang declared. The firebender sighed; he was dead-set on making this his fault.
"Aang, this mess has nothing to do with the Fire Nation, or your disappearance. I made a mistake and got myself banished-"
"You were banished?" the airbender cut off.
"ah…Yes. I was banished two years ago, and that's how I got my scar…" He had trouble discussing this with his uncle, but it was easy telling the Avatar. Of course, now the boy was going to blame himself. He should just stop bringing this stuff up.
"I'm sorry."
"Would you stop saying that? For crying out loud, you were frozen! That's the best excuse in the world." Zuko said, annoyed. He hated people who admitted to being wrong when they couldn't do or didn't do anything. But Aang was still young, meaning it was instinct to say sorry.
"I guess." The Avatar gave a small smile. "But I'm still sorry. No one should be banished from their home. I left, but you shouldn't have gone."
"It's no big deal. I don't think my dad wanted me there in the first place. He wanted Zurui to be heir, I was just a mistake."
"That's not true!" Aang said sternly. "If you weren't here, I wouldn't have met Tsuyosa, I probably wouldn't have been on this journey with Sokka or Katara, and I would still be back at Zhao's fortress!"
"And because I was here, you almost got killed a million times, my father wouldn't have been so angry and taken his rage out on the southern Water Tribe, and a lot of people would be much happier!" Zuko snapped. The airbender froze.
"The southern water tribe? You mean…?"
"A lot of people were killed when Zurui died. My father loved him, and when that happened, his rage caused him to order an attack on a small tribe. They hadn't done anything, and barely had any Waterbenders. It was a massacre."
There was a long silence as the two sat. Aang thought it was a good idea to keep this from Katara and Sokka; the news would shatter the delicate trust that had just grown. Zuko was still confused at the situation, nothing was making sense. No one ever knew what really happened to Zurui, that someone had known about Shinsetsu and Zukais death before it happened, and that there was much more blood on the princes hands.
"The sun's coming up." Aang said quietly. Zuko just nodded.
No one should know how much blood the two had spilled.
Hmm, I don't know if I like this chapter that much. I wanted to point out all the similarities Aang and Zuko actually shared, but I still don't know if that showed through.
Oh well. R&R!