I'll Follow You Home – A Zutara Story.
Meeoko
Summary : Sequel to 'Eventualities Are Inevitable'. After being captured by a group of Fire Nation radicals and uncovering a secret plot to destroy the Avatar Cycle, Zuko and Katara must work together to find a way to stop the Sila Vatra before Sozin's Comet arrives.
Spoilers : Puppet Master, Day Of Black Sun part 1 and 2, Western Air Temple, Fire Bending Masters and Boiling Rock part 1 and 2.
Author's Note : I'm glad that the first chapter was received so well. I had some very encouraging reviews, especially from McKenna Marvin, Cynicalmuse, Rooeru and PhantomWriter2.0 who have been especially helpful during the entire writing process.
Several of you have been asking questions about Toph's crush. Some of you may have been right, some of you may have been wrong, but unfortunately, you won't be getting any hints from me until the chapter is released.
Some have also been asking about Hakoda's secret smile. Many of you were right in your guesses, but I won't repeat it here, in case I ruin it for anybody who hasn't guessed yet.
I'm so so SO sorry about the delay with releasing this chapter. A lot of things have been going on recently and I haven't had much time to work on the fic. I'll try my best not to let this happen again – I don't want to end up like one of those writers who takes 3 weeks to upload one chapter!
Zuko could see Katara and Suki coming down the flight of steps and into the courtyard out of the corner of his eye. His heart lurched for a moment upon seeing her, but Zuko knew that it would be deadly to act any different around her than he had before they were captured.
Just pretend that everything is as it was...even if I don't want to.
Everyone had gathered around the campfire to help plan their next move. Zuko had woken up as usual with the dawn and had been met outside his door by Hakoda and Sokka, who both looked as if they hadn't had very much sleep at all.
As soon as Zuko had bathed and changed his clothes, he had gotten straight to work.
The strange thing was, Hakoda seemed to be acting a bit...differently around him.
Zuko found that the Water Tribe Chief kept looking at him and smirking, then darting his head away when he realized that Zuko had spotted him. He didn't seem irritable, angry or distrustful as Zuko had expected him to be after he had specifically asked him to protect his daughter and keep her safe.
So what did you do? You got both of us captured!
Now they had gathered everybody else around the campfire, which was acting as their base of control, to discuss the plan.
Everyone had been a little anxious and nobody spoke a word. They had all been waiting for Katara and Suki to arrive, patiently.
Zuko was a little worried to see that Aang's mood still hadn't improved. The Avatar had also been acting strangely since they had returned and Zuko couldn't pin-point why.
He would have said something to him, but there had been almost no time for their morning meditation, never mind training.
If only I knew him a little better, then maybe I'd be able to just go and ask him what's wrong. I could call it a...guy to guy talk or something. Maybe he knows about me and Katara...maybe he's angry with me.
Katara glanced over at Zuko quickly before she and Suki took their respective places around the campfire.
Zuko tried not to smile back at her. This was serious.
Hakoda stood up and faced the onlooking group.
Sokka sat beside him, that same look on his face that Zuko had seen at the Boiling Rock. His planning face.
"I suppose you've all been wondering exactly what's going to happen after Katara and Zuko's revelations yesterday." Hakoda began, his voice booming and confident, but grim.
"Zuko, Sokka and I have spent much of the morning wondering the very same question ourselves. But I'm afraid that there is only one option. This group - the Sila Vatara, if they are indeed planning what Katara and Zuko were told, then something has to be done."
Sokka stood up beside his father. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking very serious. Zuko couldn't help but feel a little impressed. If he squinted, Zuko could see that Sokka would look very much like his father as he got older.
For a moment, Zuko felt a little pang in his stomach.
What if I end up looking like Ozai?
"We've assessed the risks." Sokka began. "Now, there's a chance that this could be a trap or a decoy, to keep us busy on the day of Sozin's Comet. But if there's even the slightest risk to Aang, especially on the day of the comet, then we need to stamp out the threat as quickly as possible."
Hakoda placed a large hand on his son's shoulder and nodded. They seemed to have really joined together as an effective father and son team.
"Sokka's right." Hakoda said. "Although there's always the risk of a trap, there's no way we can simply ignore it – for Aang's sake. So, we've decided on a plan of action."
Everyone in the circle seemed to tense. Some looked down at the floor and fidgeted. Zuko could see Teo edging back and forth on the wheels of his chair irritably and Toph prodding a piece of dirt with her toe.
Zuko knew exactly what the plan was. He had helped develop it himself and provided many of the details needed, but that didn't mean that he was happy about it.
Nobody wants to hear this. No one wants to have to split up again.
Hakoda sighed, as if he was about to say something incredibly difficult. He looked over at Aang, who was hugging his knee's on the log.
"Aang, I'm afraid that we're going to need to split up again."
Aang looked down at the floor and sighed. It looked as if he hadn't had much sleep, as he had large dark circles ringing his eyes.
"What do we need to do?" the boy asked, sounding despondent.
"It isn't about what you have to do, Aang." Sokka replied. "It's about what we have to do."
Aang frowned lightly and stuck his bottom lip out. Zuko was vaguely reminded of Mai.
"What do you mean, Sokka? I'm included in this too, right?"
Sokka twiddled his thumbs and refused to meet the Avatar's gaze.
"Well, yes and no. But kinda not. So even though you are, I guess that you're...not."
What?
Hakoda stepped forward, addressing the situation to Aang, where his son had not been able to.
"Aang. I'm afraid that this mission isn't going to include you. You're going to have to stay here."
The Avatar shot up straight, sending the glider on his lap falling to the floor. His face looked like thunder and he had balled his fist's up tightly by his sides, like a defiant child.
"What? No way! You can't expect me to just stay here and do nothing! This whole plot involves the Avatar Cycle. The Avatar!" he paused. "I'm the Avatar!"
Katara was the first to stand up from her position around the circle. She walked over to Aang and placed a protective hand on his arm. Zuko noticed that Aang seemed to stiffen under her touch.
I know how you feel, Aang. Trust me.
She looked directly up at her father, with the same tone she always used when things got serious.
"Dad, you can't seriously be considering just leaving him here. This involves Aang more than any of us and it wouldn't be fair to just...to just leave him."
Sighing inwardly, Zuko stood up beside Hakoda and Sokka. It seemed to him as if the men of the group had united together in a small barricade against their opposition.
"That's exactly why he can't come with us, Katara. Aang would just be in too much danger if he came with us and we need to keep him hidden before the comet arrives. If Aang comes with us and something happens to him, it won't just be us in jeopardy, it will be the whole world."
Zuko turned to face Aang, whose face had been fixed into something inaudible. It looked like a mixture of disappointment, anger, guilt and great sadness.
Poor kid. He must be feeling so helpless.
"Aang, we need you. We need you alive. Right now, you're the only thing keeping the Fire Nation from unleashing complete and total chaos. If you got...hurt before the comet, there's no way we'd be able to stop my father. Don't you see, Aang? I know this must be hard. I know you want to come and help as much as anybody else and do your part. But right now, you need to stay safe and concentrate on your training. If you die...we're all lost."
There was a momentary silence around the campfire. Katara sat back down, not meeting Zuko's gaze. He wanted to go and comfort her, but that would have to wait until later.
"So what do you plan to do?" Aang finally asked, quietly.
To Zuko's great relief, it was Sokka who answered the question.
The tension around the campfire was almost as fierce and piercing as the heat from a fire fist.
"We head off tomorrow just after sunrise. Suki, The Duke and Haru will stay with you here, Aang. For added protection, we've also called up a favour from our old friend, Chit Sang to stay here with you."
Ah yes, Chit Sang. I'd almost forgotten about him...
After the party had returned from their excursions at the Boiling Rock, Chit Sang had stayed no more than an evening, before leaving. He had told them that he needed to speak with a few people, South of the temple and that he would keep in touch. He had been sworn to secrecy about their location on pain of death. Needless to say, they hadn't heard one word from him before now.
Probably off causing more havoc. I never did find out why he was put into the Boiling Rock...
But Zuko knew perfectly well that if Chit Sang had any dishonourable intentions to hurt him, Aang would crush him easily. Not to mention Suki and Haru if they found out.
Zuko had seen Suki in action at the Boiling Rock and definitely didn't want to get on her bad side.
He looked over at Aang.
"While I'm gone, Aang, it will be Chit Sang who will continue your Fire Bending training. I don't know exactly what kind of teacher he'll be, but it would definitely help you to have a sparring partner to practice with."
Sokka nodded and continued to explain the plan, whilst Aang stared down at the floor fiercely, as if it was solely responsible for everything that was wrong in the world.
"The rest of us are going to head into..." he swallowed, as if it was poison to simply utter the words "...into the Fire nation capitol. From there, we are going to split into two groups. Toph, Katara and Zuko are going to begin surveillance of the Sila Vatra's base of operation. Dad, Teo and myself are going to the other side of the city, to begin planning for the day of the comet. We're going to be working on a few new inventions and try to find out the location of the prison where the rest of Dad's troops, Teo's dad and the Kyoshi Warriors are being held."
"And Pipsqueak!" The Duke piped up, clearly excited at the prospect of having his old friend back. Sokka nodded.
"And Pipsqueak too. If we can risk it, we'll all keep in contact and try to arrange a meeting outside of the city. After that, we can begin to organise an attack force, both on the Sila Vatra and to try to release the others. We can also use the time to survey the palace. If we're going to launch an attack before or during the comet, we're going to need to know if the palace has any structural weaknesses that we can use to our advantage."
Sokka beamed, clearly happy with his own explanation of the plan.
"Simple as that." he stated, crossing his arms across his chest smugly.
Always making the best of a bad situation...
"So...simple as that?" Katara asked her brother, sarcastically.
Sokka rolled his eyes and pouted his lip out innocently.
"Well, maybe not that simple, but we could pull it off. Come on, we're Team Avatar!"
Zuko noticed that this perked a tiny smile from Aang, but it quickly vanished again from his face.
Katara crossed her arms defensively.
"I wish that you would have at least told me about this first, Sokka."
"Well, I'm telling you now, I guess. I'm telling all of you."
Hakoda's face was impassive. Until now, he had remained silently by his son's side, with arms crossed.
"I know that this is a little impractical, especially since we have to leave Aang. But this is the only way that we'll be able to make sure if the Sila Vatra are a serious threat. There's always a chance that this could just be a trap or a distraction to keep us preoccupied before the comet. But for now, we have to make sure."
They mean business, trust me...
Aang sighed and rubbed a hand over his bald head.
He looked as if his full 112 years were catching up on him. He seemed very tired and small.
"So where exactly is the Sila Vatra's base of operation?" asked Suki, who had remained silent until now.
"It's a large black building in the lesser known parts of the Fire Nation capital." Hakoda explained. "To most people in the Fire Nation, it is known simply as a steelworks factory, but the royal family has kept its true nature secret. Zuko has told us everything we need to know."
Suki seemed happy with this explanation, but it was Aang who asked the next question. It was unexpected and his voice was small.
"How are we going to be able to keep in contact while you're gone? How will I know if...if you're all okay?"
As if Sokka had single-handedly won the war himself, he beamed a huge, satisfactory grin.
"Let me show you."
Putting two fingers between his teeth, Sokka blew a loud, shrill whistle. It echoed through the stone walls of the temple and rang dully across the great chasm. They waited. Zuko could see Katara frowning slightly. Zuko felt a little confused himself.
This is all happening so fast. Too fast.
A lengthy caw pierced the air, returning Sokka's whistle.
Suddenly, a flash of red darted through the air, sweeping gracefully between the stone pillars to land delicately on Sokka's outstretched arm.
The brilliant, beautiful bird relaxed its crimson wings, the sunlight catching its sleek feathers.
There was a collection of ooh's and aah's from the circle.
What the...?
"Hawky!" Aang cried, a great smile opening up his face. It was the first slight hint of happiness Zuko had seen from the Avatarsince they had returned.
Hawky?
"Hawky!" Katara gasped. "Hawky? When did he come back?"
"You bought a messenger hawk?" Zuko asked, his good eyebrow escalating high up into his hairline.
"Sokka! Please tell me there was a reply from my parents! Why didn't you tell me it'd come back? You're really in for it now, Snoozles!" Toph cried, practically shrieking with anticipation.
They're going to have to fill me in on this one later...
Sokka's smug grin remained as he tenderly stroked the messenger hawk's neck. The small bird crooned and knelt into the touch, its little whiskers swinging slightly in the breeze.
"Hey, Hawky's not an 'it'. He came back last night."
I wonder if Sokka knows that that hawk is a female...
"I don't even know how he found us here! Must be some sort of bird-radar-inbred-navigation system. He must have picked up on my...scent or something."
Toph snorted.
"You can say that again. It's pretty hard to miss you, Snoozles. Now stop stalling and tell me – was there a reply?"
Reaching into the pocket of his trousers, Sokka pulled out a small, crumpled length of parchment. Zuko noticed that as he handed it over to Katara, he tried to subtly sniff his armpit. Zuko almost laughed, as the movement was in no way subtle.
Slowly, Katara unravelled the scroll and read aloud for everyone to hear.
"Dear Toph,
We hope that you are well. Your father and I have been out of our minds with worry. After reading your letter, I no longer hold the Avatar responsible for your disappearance. I only hope that he will watch over you and keep you out of harms way.
Being the Avatar is a dangerous business.
I am sorry, my daughter that we did not trust you. You must understand, that despite your gift, we will always be your parents and we will always worry about you. I see now how much you have grown and learnt since leaving us.
We dearly hope that you will return to us one day. Your father is even attempting to have this messenger hawk followed so that he can find you. I am trying to convince him not to, but I am uncertain that he will listen to me.
We will be awaiting your arrival home.
We can only hope that the Avatar is taking care of you and that he knows how much your safety means to us.
Take care my daughter. I know now that you are destined for great things.
Make sure that you wear a sweater and keep yourself clean.
From The House Of Lord and Lady Bei Fong."
Toph's face was a mixture of emotion as Katara finished reading the letter. One side of her mouth had arched up into a grimace.
"Man! I can't believe those two! They still don't think that I can take care of myself!"
"They sounded like they took it pretty well to me." Katara tried to comfort her.
"Didn't you hear anything in that letter, Katara?" Toph grumbled "It was all 'be careful' this and 'The Avatar must take care of you' that! Twinkletoes taking care of me? Most of the time, it's me who's taking care of him! And who signs a letter to their daughter, 'Lord and Lady Bei Fong'?"
Despite her vigour and moody rambling, Zuko could see beneath her act.
Secretly, he could see Toph was glad that she had heard from her parents and that they had accepted what she was doing. Zuko knew that Toph would never let anybody else know just how relieved she was.
It's kind of scary how similar we are sometimes. Only, her temper is even worse than mine!
Crossing her arms and letting out a puff of air that sent her fringe upward, Toph looked over in the direction of Sokka. She was actually looking over at Hakoda, but Zuko knew it was addressed to Sokka. Her feet couldn't be perfect all the time.
"Well, whatever. At least now, we'll be able to keep in contact. And any Fire Nation soldiers that see Hawky will just think it's another Fire nation hawk on Fire Nation business from the Fire Nation."
Stop saying Fire Nation...
"You called it, Hawky?" Zuko asked Sokka, frowning slightly. He had been meaning to say this for some time.
Sokka jutted out his chest, holding the delicate bird defensively.
"Hey, it's a fitting name. He's a Hawk, isn't he?"
Zuko didn't have the heart to tell him that Hawky was a girl.
"Well yeah, but couldn't you have come up with something a little more...inventive?"
Sokka seemed genuinely offended by Zuko's question and stuck out his lower lip. Zuko tried rather hard not to smirk at the Water Tribe boy's attachment to the animal. He had never shown this kind of devotion to Appa.
"Look, we've had this conversation before. His name's Hawky, end of story. Anyway, it's not important! This is how we're all going to be able to keep in contact whilst we're separated."
Aang sighed lightly. When he lifted his heavy head, he looked as if doing so were almost too much effort. But luckily, his mood seemed to have lightened a little.
"So, how much time do we have left?" he asked Sokka.
It was Hakoda who replied. His face was stern and impassive, but his tone of voice betrayed his insecurities.
"We leave in the morning, after dawn."
Author's Note : Hawky's back! Whoo! Once again guys, I'm sorry that this took so long to upload. I'll try and be better next time – promise.
Hopefully, this'll answer a few questions and raise some more.
Ooh, I almost forgot. Several chapter ago, when I was still working on EAI, I promised that I'd get you guys the link to the picture of the tattoo I got in honour of EAI.
Well, if you want to have a look, the link is on my profile page, under Fan Art. For some reason, my computer won't let me post the link here.