... Yeah. No explanations for my laziness. Well, I did lose some inspiration for this story for awhile, and I'm trying really hard to get it back. I have great ideas for it; it just takes forever for me to type them down. X3 Cussing in this chappie, youse guys.
Terra hummed softly to herself. She had just escaped a rather nasty chase with some Fire Nation soldiers, but thankfully, came out relatively unscathed. Her camp was set up lakeside, and she was dabbing some water on a few minor burns before she heard a slight rustle in the bushes a few yards away. Her head quickly snapped in said direction.
"Who's there?" She called out, bright green eyes scanning the thickly wooded area. All she got in response was a shriek of,
"Momo, give me my Boomerang!" Before a small lemur bounded out of the bushes, followed closely by a quite gangly fellow. He had face planted the ground, which made her chuckle. The lemur made a beeline for her, holding, what she supposed, was this man's boomerang. It scrabbled up her leg, coming to a rest on her shoulder as this newcomer, rather ungracefully, sat back up to give the Lemur, Momo, a death glare.
"Can you please get that boomerang from the monkey?" The man asked, his small ponytail sticking up everywhere. Momo chittered angrily, but Terra managed to get the boomerang back.
"Thank you." He said after Terra had walked over and given him his boomerang.
"I'm Sokka, by the way. And that rat,-" At this point, Momo leapt on Sokka's head, and he let out a yelp, prying the animal off of him, who in turn, bounded back into the bushes.
"Was Momo." He then got up, brushing dust off his clothes.
"It's a pleasure, Sokka." She said, shaking his head.
"I'm Terra." Sokka nodded.
"Sorry I intruded on your little camp here,-"
"Nah, think nothing of it." She waved it off. Sokka just nodded again, aqua blue eyes taking her in.
"Green tunic. Earthbender?" He asked, and this time, it was Terra's turn to nod. She smiled.
"Direct from Ba Sing Sae." She confirmed.
"Blue tunic. Waterbender?"
"Nope. My sister's one, though."
"You sister?" She asked.
"Oh yeah. My sister and I have a whole clan going on."
"Really?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Mm-Hum. We've got a Firebender, Waterbender, Earthbender, and Airbender." He ticked them off on his fingers.
"Airbender? You don't mean- The Avatar? He's supposed to be an Air Nomad." She said, surprised. Sokka smiled.
"Yeah, come on, I'll take you to meet him." He said, walking off, Terra following.
"Wonderful. I haven't had friendly human contact in ages."
It didn't take them very long to get to the camp, as it was only about one or two miles away.
"Hey, Katara!" Sokka had shouted as they entered the site.
"No need to yell, Sokka. I'm right here." Whom she guessed was Katara, said crossly from her spot on the ground, stirring a pot of, what smelled to be, a sort of soup, five or so feet away.
"Oh- Right. Katara, I'd like you to meet Terra, I found her by the lake. She was all alone and wanted to meet Aang... So... Here she is." Katara rolled her eyes at his lame recollection of the events. She stood and brushed dust off her clothes, just as Sokka had done, and shook her hand.
"It's a pleasure." Terra said. Katara smiled then, and politely asked if she'd like to stay for dinner.
"I'd love too." Terra responded eagerly.
"Great, let me introduce you to everyone. That one over there," She pointed.
"Is Toph Bei Fong." Terra stared, dumbfounded.
"Toph Bei Fong? The Toph Bei Fong? The Blind Bandit?" Katara laughed at Terra's star-struck face.
"Yes. And those two over there, Firebending, that's Aang and Zuko." But Terra wasn't listening anymore. She had seen Zuko, and the world seemed to stop, as well as her heart. Her sage green eyes widened in surprise, and she didn't even bother to brush a curly red strand of hair that had fallen out of her loose braid. She slowly walked over to them, as if in a trance, Katara saying something; she couldn't quite hear. All she could focus on was the fact that Zuko was here. He was here, and healthy, and most wonderfully, alive. She stopped a few feet away from them, and swallowed thickly. They had stopped Firebending, and Zuko was instructing Aang on something. As though he felt her eyes on him, Zuko's eyes turned from Aang's to her's, and she let out a shaky breath.
"Rea." The slight whisper and crack in which her name was said seemed to break the spell she was under, and awake her inner fury. Her face contorted in the upmost rage.
"You." She snarled, striding up to him.
"You complete ass, Zuko!" She punched on his arm.
"You left me in the pouring rain. You hurt me bad, Zuko, and you won't even apologize?" She spat, still beating on him.
"Gods-Damn-You!" She shouted, grunting with the effort of her hard punches. After a moment, however, she stopped, and looked up at him, eyes a little blurry.
"But I am glad you're okay." She admitted in a sigh, giving him a tight hug. Zuko just stood there, this whole time. He had no idea what to do. This is a girl, a girl whom he hasn't seen in at least three years, a girl who he had, well, has, strong feelings for, and a girl he hurt very deeply. Here she is, alive, well, and hugging him. And he's just standing here, doing nothing? No. That does not happen. So, he carefully brought his arms around her small waist and hugged her back. He felt her sigh, warm breath tickling the base of his neck.
"I don't know how I could even begin to apologize to you, Terra, but I'll do my best. I'll do anything to make it up to you. To earn back you're trust." He told her after a few minutes, slightly pulling away.
"That's all I ask, Zuzu." She shrugged and gave a small smile, in which he returned.
"Well," Sokka started, breaking the silence.
"I don't think anyone saw that one coming."
"So- what happened to you? How'd you get those burns?" Katara asked, ignoring Sokka's comment and walking up to Terra.
"Oh, it was nothing. Just some punkish Fire Nation soldiers trying to jail me. And Terra Jane Li does not go down without a fight." She stated with a proud grin, hands on her hips, causing Zuko to grin as well. Still a little spitfire, I see. He thought to himself.
"Although, they did get me good in a few places." She admitted, rubbing a tender spot on her arm and grimacing.
"Katara can help with that. Can't you?" Zuko asked, slight concern showing on his scarred face.
"Of course." Katara affirmed, taking some water out of a pouch she had resting on her hip. She then bended it to rest on Terra's wound, a nasty burn where her elbow meets her arm. She winced a little, but her face quickly relaxed as the water soothed it.
"That one looks pretty bad, but I don't think it'll scar." She said at last.
"Do you have any more injuries like that?" Zuko asked, and Terra bit her lip.
"Well, I have this one I can't exactly see, so I'm not sure how it looks. All I know is that it hurts like hell." She said, removing a thick beige belt that was around her waist. On her back, the belt had covered up a singed hole in her tunic, where a Fire Nation soldier had hit her spot on. Katara quickly bended water on it, and Terra hissed.
"Is it bad?" She asked. It was Zuko who answered.
"Now that one will scar."
It was a little after dinnertime, and everyone was getting up from around the campfire and stretching and yawning.
"Well," Said Terra after a particularly long yawn,
"I should probably get back to my camp now."
"No." Zuko said suddenly, and she stared at him in confusion.
"I- what I mean to say, is that you should stay with us. I mean, we're better off together than alone, right? That just makes more sense than roaming alone. And it's much safer that way. You never know what could happen when you're alone, you could get ambushed and captured, or killed even,-"
"Zuko."
"And the last thing I want to happen is you get killed,-"
"Zuzu."
"What would I do then? I mean, I've just found you, and I'd sleep much better tonight if you were somewhere within the vicinity of this camp..." Terra rolled her eyes and sighed at Zuko's rambling. So, she walked up to him, and smacked him. On his good side, of course. He blinked a few times, and looked down at her, noticing that he was still a head or two taller than the small Earthbender.
"Now then. If you wish for me to stay, that is lovely. But if you will kindly notice, all of my things are back at my camp. I am going to go get them now, and come back. If that's alright with your friends, of course." She said, looking over at Aang and everyone.
"I don't mind." Katara said.
"I hate being the only girl around here." Katara poked at Toph.
"Watch it, Sugar Queen." Toph responded, narrowing her eyes in Katara's general direction.
"Yeah, I guess I don't really mind either. The more, the better." Aang said, shrugging.
"Wonderful. Now then, I'll be back in a couple minutes." Terra said, striding off.
"Hey- wait up," Zuko said, jogging to catch up with her.
"Coming along, I see. Well. Might as well make small talk. How've things been?" She started up conversation.
"I've been trying to teach the Avatar Firebending. He'd be a great student if he wasn't getting distracted by Katara all the time."
"Aw, how cute. Are the two in absolute love?" Zuko made a noise in the back of his throat.
"Defiantly. And it's driving me up the wall. They need to do something about it already and get it over with." Terra pouted.
"You didn't use to be so grouchy."
"Yeah, well that was before my father decided to teach me a permanent lesson. On my face." He huffed, and Terra pushed a curly lock behind her ear. They walked in silence before Zuko broke it.
"I'm sorry. Again. I should've snapped." He sighed, and a beam of moonlight caught his face. She looked up at him, stopped, and grabbed his sleeve, indicating for him to do the same.
"What?" He asked, curious, as Terra stared up into his face, really seeing him for the first time since they were reunited. She reached up and stroked his cheek, before softly nudging his chin so she could see the scarred side. He reluctantly complied and looked down, and she had to push the hair that had fallen out of the way.
"So that's what Ozai did. That's what you didn't want me to see." She murmured, and he nodded.
"Yeah." She looked saddened, and he immediately started berating himself. Damn. I knew it. Now she'll want nothing more to do with me. Oh, Gods, I don't know what I'd do if I lost her again. I'd give anything for it to be the way it used to be, before I was exiled, before I had to break her heart, and before my sister and father were my greatest enemies. I should, - Anything else he would've thought was totally forgotten. While he was beating himself up, she had stood on her tip-toes, and kissed it. She kissed his scar. She didn't flinch, she didn't look away. She had kissed it, of all things. He looked at her, utterly speechless.
"No matter what you look like, or happens, you'll still be the little twelve year old boy who protected me from his mean sister. I've said it before and I'll say it again; I'm always here for you, Zu." Her hand was on his scar, caressing it gently, and he found himself leaning into her touch. His own hand reached up to fold over hers, and she smiled.
"I am so sorry." He said softly, voice thick with unshed tears.
"For what?" It took him a moment to answer.
"Everything." That simplistic answer was enough to cause a small tear roll down her cheek.
"Zuko..."
"I don't know how I could ever make it up to you. I never should've treated you like I did. It was cruel. You didn't deserve that. You just wanted to know what happened, to help. I realize this. I don't even deserve you're friendship after what I did and said."
"No, don't say that." She said fiercely.
"Zu, I don't think you noticed, but you have made it up to me. What you just said; it was real. I... For years, I tried so hard to understand why." He looked away in shame.
"And I could never figure it out. I did try to forget you, you know. But, for so reason, I never could. I would see Turtleducks in a river, and immediately remember the time when you and I fed the Turtleducks in the fountain. Remember? And that little tiny baby one took a likening to you, and followed you around the rest of the day?" He smiled, in spite of his self.
"Or I would come across some ivy with leaves, and I would remember that song I used to sing to you, because you had trouble sleeping. Don't you remember my mother's lullaby?" She asked. Rather than wait for an answer, she started to sing softly.
"Leaves from the vine
Falling so slow
Like fragile, tiny shells
Drifting in the foam
Little soldier boy,
Come marching home
Brave soldier boy
Comes marching home," Here, Zuko interrupted, and began to sing, his voice deep and rough.
"Those leaves did grow
From branches overgrown
Drifting slowly down,
Resting on the loam
Little soldier boy,
Taken from home,
Forced to fight a war
That's not his own
Leaves from the vine,
Falling so slow,
Like fragile tiny shells
Drifting in the foam
Little soldier boy says "Carry me home"
Sleeping soldier boy is carried home." She smiled.
"You do remember."
"How could I forget?" She sighed.
"If only I knew then how much that song would describe everything that is now happening in our dying world." She looked down, but he hooked his finger under her chin and brought her face back up.
"You're scared."
"I just... I just don't want to go through the feeling of loosing you again. I don't think I could survive a second time." She admitted.
"I'll never put you through that again, Rea. I give you my word." Had it been three years ago, she would have never doubted him keeping his word.
"But how can I trust you?" She spoke her secret fear. He opened and closed his mouth several times, unsure how to respond. After a few minutes, he decided on doing something she never expected.
He kissed her.
Soft and careful, not wanting to ruin everything they just built. It was chaste, and for Terra, far too quick. He pulled away, and she stood a moment, eyes closed. Her heart was racing. She slowly opened her eyes, and Zuko looked at her, troubled. There was a tense moment where everything was quiet, and Rea took her chance. She took his face in her hands and brought it down to her, capturing his lips in a far rougher manor than he had her's. He was shocked, but went along with it. Somewhere in the kiss, she had brought her hands and locked them around his neck, and Zuko, groaning, had one hand at the dip in her back, which made her break the kiss with a small yelp. It took him a second to remember that she had a wound there.
"Oh- I, um, forgot about that." He said lamely, rubbing the back of his head, embarrassed. Terra grinned.
"Enjoying it that much, were you?" He blushed.
"Come on. Let's go get my stuff." She linked her arm with his, and began the way that they had originally been going.
When Terra awoke the next morning, the first thing that she noticed was that she was the most comfortable that she had been in a really long time. Therefore, she let out a contented sigh and snuggled deeper into the warmth. She felt a warm air blow over her nose, and opening her eyes, she was met with two, gorgeous, honey-colored orbs.
Oh. Zuko. Hello.
She smiled and closed her eyes, and he brought her closer to him.
"Good morning." He murmured, voiced laced with morning drowsiness.
"Good morning." She responded, yawning and rubbing her eyes.
"Zuko! Get up! I still haven't mastered Firebending!" The energetic voice of Aang broke the comfy quiet. Zuko groaned.
"Why are you still sleeping?" Aang asked, coming over to them.
"Get up, Zuko. You've been asleep all day. It's nearly lunch time."
"You know, Aang is right. It is almost lunch. What'd you guys do last night to make you so tired?" Katara asked.
"Nothing at all." Zuko answered, a little aggravated at the rude awakening.
"I saved you guys some breakfast." Katara said, and went searching for it, because, apparently, it had disappeared.
"Well, I thought I did. Unless..." She hummed.
"Sokka?"
"Yeah?"
"What happened to the breakfast I saved for Terra and Zuko?"
"... That was for them? I thought you left it for me." Katara facepalmed.
"Well, you welcome to some lunch, anyway. It'll be ready in a few minutes. I just need to take care of some things real quick." After this was said, you could practically hear Sokka's thoughts of, oh shit.
"I need to bathe." Terra stated randomly, standing out of Zuko's sleeping bag and stretching, rolling her sore shoulders.
"Alright. I'll be with Aang if you need me." He did the same, standing and stretching.
"Noted." She said, pulling him close and giving him a small peck, causing him to grin.
"Oh my Gods, Katara look, Zuko's smiling!" He could hear Sokka shout from somewhere.
"That doesn't get you out of trouble, Sokka!"
And that's how things were. For months, except for that last battle. The battle that would make them, or break them. Every single one of the gang was terrified, but none would verbalize it. Sokka; scared for Suki and Katara's safety. Aang, troubled by the fact that he might not be able to beat the Fire Lord, and worried about Katara. Terra, not wanting Zuko to get killed, and vice versa. Katara, terrified for the safety of everyone. It was positively nerve-wracking.
The day was upon them. Terra was with Sokka, Toph and Suki. Zuko was... Well, everything was just happening so fast. She couldn't even remember where Zuko was now; and that thought was enough to root her to the spot.
"Come on, Terra! It's not like we've got all day!" Sokka called, and she shook her head and followed suit. Battle now. Zuko later. Battle now. Zuko later. But, no matter how many times she told herself that, she could help but worry about her best friend.
When she found him at last, he was on the ground.
Not
Breathing.
What. The. Fuck.
"No, no, no, no," The called, gasping for air, pushing Katara away, who was trying to calm her. She broke free of her grasp and dashed towards Zuko, tears flowing like a river. She kneeled by his body, and hands shaking, she sobbed.
"No! Wake up, damn you!" She cursed, pounding his chest with her fists. Aang and Katara were there, and she was struck by an idea.
"Aang, push some air into his lungs. Katara, use you're magic water on his wound." They both looked at her doubtfully.
"Terra... I think-"
"Just do it!" She shouted, interrupting Aang. He sighed and looked away before deciding to do as she wished. He Airbended fresh air into Zuko's lungs, while Katara tried her best to heal. All the while, Terra had his face in her lap, was stroking his hair and singing.
"Leaves from the vine
Falling so slow
Like fragile, tiny shells
Drifting in the foam
Little soldier boy,
Come marching home
Brave soldier boy
Comes marching home."
... This is not the end.
:P
Excuse Zuko's OOCness. I am currently in the process of re-watching all the episodes to try and get back into his mind.
It's proving to be difficult.
Anyway, I'd love you hear what you all think!
Drop a review, yes?
And it is noted that Toph was greatly underused. Well, and so was Sokka.
And everyone else.
BUT, this is, as you will kindly notice, not about them. 'Tis about Zuko and his little love. Next chapter is Terra's life after the war, and yes, I do plan to use everyone quite a bit more than I did in this chapter. SO please don't kill me for that. Wonderful.
And here is the link to a beautiful piano cover of the song, 'Leaves From the Vine'.
.com/watch?v=YTvWuK_cfDE