Sarah: 'mkay time for another chapter :)
CHAPTER 15 OMMYGOD IT'S SO COOL!
Well. Here it is. The big leap of faith.
Matari turned back for a second in reluctance, but decided to press on. She got in the middle of things and tore them apart. Now she had to go back and bind it back together.
"Okay here I go...I guess..." She whispered to herself.
She stepped inside; leaving the night sky and all its secure comfort behind.
She turned the corner of the hallway; passing burning candles one by one as the flames danced silently on the walls. It was so quiet; so frightening.
Matari finally stood before the door; staring at the handles anxiously.
Thoughts of terror quickly flooded her mind. She stood there shivering furiously.
I..I shouldn't be here. I need to leave now...If I go in there I could get into serious trouble. Aang would never forgive himself! I can't put him through even more pain than he's already endured.
...But...
...This nation is suffering. I see people on the streets cowering...like they were being tortured just by living. Like they didn't really mean anything to this society.
I have to make things better. I just have to. I feel like there's something that I need to be a part of here.
Sokka would want me to do this. He would want me to follow my heart and trust my instincts.
That's it. I'm going in. No matter what the cost.
Without another word, Matari pushed through the doors and ran down the tiled floor to the head of the thrown room.
"I need to speak with you!" She exclaimed to Zuko, clasping her fist firmly at her sides.
"What business would you possibly have with me?" He replied dully; not moving from the position he was sitting in carelessly on his thrown.
" I need to know why there's so much pain! Why does everything have to be this way? Why do we need to fight like this! You and Aang need to learn to settle your differences and make piece with each other!"
Zuko lifted his chin from his fist.
"Slow down there, Matari. I know what I'm doing."
Matari took a step forward.
"NO! No you don't Zuko! This can't go on! Think about what you'd be doing to the world; you'd be destroying it all over again! Just like your father did! Don't you see Zuko? This is no way to rule a nation."
Zuko stood from his thrown. "WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW YOU'RE JUST A LITTLE GIRL! YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY IMAGINE ALL THAT I'VE ENDURED TO GET TO WHERE I AM! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I'VE LOST AND HOW MUCH I'VE SUFFERED!"
Matari released her clenched fists.
"...So tell me then! I don't want to be your enemy Zuko. I want to help you; maybe even help you help yourself. This isn't the right way to live Zuko. This isn't the right way to rule...
I'm there for you; and I'm there for Nori too."
"Why would you care about me? I tried to kill you; I tried to kill your father. Why would want to help me? And what could you possibly do? You're nine years old and you can't even water bend."
"Because...for some reason I feel like I've known you before. For some reason I feel like I need to help you. I know it's difficult to understand; but I feel a connection some how. Please. Trust me."
Zuko sat back down.
"Why do you care about Nori as well? She's nothing. And she tried to kill you as well."
"Because I know that she isn't a bad person Zuko. She just needs some good influence. She loves you and cares about you, and I think when you push her away like that she feels like she isn't good enough. She feels like she doesn't belong."
Zuko gazed down on Matari. This young girl; her reasoning was making sense. It was actually making sense. How could such a young immature girl have such a deep understanding of everything?
Zuko looked into her eyes.
"Matari, can I tell you something?"
"Yes. Tell me anything you want." She placed her hands behind her back as she spoke.
"I...I don't think I'm right for this job. I don't think I was meant to be a ruler. I just...I don't-
"Do you think it's the right thing to do?" Matari asked.
"..."
"Are you happy the way you are?"
"..."
"Zuko, you need to follow your heart and make a life for yourself, not for your father. I don't know about your past and I'm not going to pry into it because I can only imagine how it must feel for you."
"...You are a truly remarkable person, Matari of the Watertribe."
"I'm just trying to make things better. I don't want my father dead or Nori disappointed or you—or anyone else in this nation-to be unhappy anymore."
"So...you're saying that it doesn't have to be this way? You're saying that I should abandon my duty and give up everything that I've worked for?"
"All I'm saying is that I want you to believe in yourself and start being who you want to be instead of who everybody expects you to be. Remember the people who love care for you; no one else should matter."
Matari started walking out of the thrown room, turning back with a smile on her way out the door.
She returned to the fountain where she found Nori sitting alone on the edge hugging her knees.
"Nori...I want you to know that...Zuko loves you and he really does care. I think he's just confused. He seems like he has a lot on his mind right now."
Nori shrugged.
"It'll be okay."
Matari grasped Nori's hand. Nori looked up in surprise at the gesture, not really making an attempt to respond.
Matari let go and rested her elbows on her knees.
"I'm sorry I've gotten everyone into this mess. I guess I should have just stayed at home. It probably would have been safer for everyone."
Nori shrugged again, looking down at her feet.
"Life is crappy that way. Sometimes you just have to go with it and hope that everything turns out alright, and hope that you can make it through anything that gets in your way."
"I think that we'll be okay, Nori. I've talked to Zuko and he seems like he's not such a bad person either.
I think we just need to learn to be there for each other instead of cutting into one another. That's what makes us strong."
"So...you're saying we should cover each other's butts?"
"Basically. If we're all working together then there won't be any reason to fight."
"So...maybe we should work together then?"
"...Yes. I think we should. We can help heal this world and rebuild it. All we need is to help get my dad and Zuko to make piece and then maybe Aang will even help him."
"My dad cares about everyone; no matter how bad they may seem."
"That's deep, Matari. Real deep."
Sarah: Wow. Sorry it's so long lol