Again, sorry for the delay; real life happens. (Curses!)
"Sokka, I think we're lost."
"Nope. I know exactly where we are."
"Sokka, I really think we're lost!"
"No, Aang, trust me. We are not lost."
"Sokka?"
"What?"
"We're lost."
Sokka sighed and turned to Aang, who was looking over the side of the bison's saddle. "Why do you think we're lost?"
The young Airbender pointed down to the earth. "Call it a hunch." Everyone but Toph (who couldn't see anyway) looked down.
They were flying back over the same little oasis they had camped at the night before. "It's the third time now that we've flown over it," Aang said. Sokka groaned and landed Appa.
"Is this place even on the map?" he asked, taking out a very tattered scroll. Aang looked over his shoulder and pointed to a small little dot with the word "Oasis" next to it.
"That might be us, but I can't be sure. And if it is us, then we want to go thataway," he pointed to the east, "to get to the Eastern Air Temple. That's one place that lady with the blue fire can't get to, even if she tried."
"The lady with the blue fire is Azula," Zuko corrected, walking over to the Avatar. "Why wouldn't she be able to reach it?"
Aang wanted to ask how Zuko knew the girl's name, but didn't. Instead, he replied, "The Eastern Air Temple was a woman's temple; they had plenty of booby traps."
"But the Fire Nation wiped out all the Air Temples," Toph called. Aang looked sad for a split second, but bounced right back.
"Even if they did, I assure you, the Mother Superior left some of the…more deadly traps untouched. Airbenders don't usually approve of violence, but Lelali was little paranoid," Aang said with a smile. "That lady, Azula, won't be able to reach us even if she finds us."
Katara nodded. "Sounds good to me."
Zuko didn't say anything, but he had funny feeling that no matter where they went, his sister would find them.
Or find him, to be precise.
Zuko was looking out over the bison's side, bored witless. As each day progressed, he gained more respect for Katara, the Avatar, and Toph. (He had nothing but contempt for Sokka.) They rode this thing for weeks on end and dealt with Sokka's sloth at the same time, and they weren't insane. Yet.
"What was the Fire Nation like?" Zuko turned at the sound of Katara's voice.
"What? Why would you care?" he asked. Katara shrugged.
"I'm bored. So, will you tell me?" Zuko shrugged. It wasn't like he had better things to do.
"The Fire Nation…" It had been three years. Did he still remember what it looked like? "I can't tell you what it looked like on the other side of the palace walls; I didn't get out much. But the whole capital was painted in various shades of red, black, and gold. You couldn't escape the colors; everywhere was painted in it, and everyone wore it."
"Sounds dull," Katara said.
"It was. When I was living there, I didn't think so, but after I…left, I began to realize how mind crushingly dull the color scheme was."
Katara chuckled. "Kinda like the Poles. Blue and white for miles, blue and white."
"It usually had a burning smell in the air, particularly in the summer, when the already dry woods and such got accidentally lit on fire by missed Firebending shots," Zuko continued. "Other than that, the Fire Nation was…is beautiful, though I haven't been back in three years." He shut up and didn't say another word.
Katara tried to get more out of him, but Zuko wasn't talking; she sighed and started to mope like everyone else.
Suddenly, clouds covered the sun and thunder rolled. "Great, just peachy," Sokka, who was driving, muttered. "Hang on!" He pulled sharply on Appa's reins, causing everything (and everyone) to start tumbling. Katara, who had been kneeling in front of Zuko, tumbled right into the Fire Prince's lap.
Instinctively, Zuko grabbed Katara, just in case she should fall off. He felt Katara grab his neck and hold on. Dimly, the exiled Fire Prince registered that his unscarred cheek was pressed against Katara's cheek.
No sooner had they landed near some trees did the heavens pour out everything they had. "Head for cover!" Sokka, Aang, and Toph jumped off Appa and dashed towards the tightly clustered trees. Katara and Zuko stayed on the bison for a second, then Zuko spoke.
"I can't get up unless you let go and get off of me," he pointed out to Katara. She blushed and moved from the Fire Prince's lap. She jumped off and ran off after her brother and friends.
Zuko hesitated, then decided he'd rather be there than out in the storm and followed suit. He got under the trees and stopped, leaning up against one with his arms crossed in an all-too familiar stance.
"Okay, someone else is gonna cook tonight," Katara was saying. "I really need to teach Aang more Waterbending."
"I can cook a little," Toph said. "Nothing big, just soup and stuff like that." Katara nodded.
"That's fine. We're used to that," Katara replied with wry smile. Sokka rolled eyes, but Katara swatted him. They looked for dry pieces of wood and set up a small fire.
"Zuko, would you mind?" Zuko rolled his eyes and started the fire. What was he, a human torch?
Well, technically…
Before you even get started, he berated himself, shut up. You always make me feel…
Stupid?
Not the word I was looking for, but close enough. Zuko shook his head. He was arguing with himself! And being insulted! He groaned softly. The heat and his new traveling companions were getting to him.
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Katara, hair down and wet. "Dinner's done if you're hungry, Zuko." He nodded, turning his head away. Katara paused, then turned to go. "Oh, thanks for catching me earlier."
"Earlier? How long have I been standing here?"
"Two hours, roughly. Sokka said you were really withdrawn. Is something wrong?" Inwardly, Zuko frowned. Was she always like this?
"No," he said shortly. "I'm not hungry, either." He crossed his arms, taking on that stubborn prince look.
"Okay. Well, you might not be hungry now, but you might be later. I'll make sure Sokka doesn't eat it all," Katara said. Zuko merely nodded.
Katara sighed. She was trying to reach out; it just wasn't working.
Go read Vicki So's Til Death Do Us Part. It's freakin' hilarious!