A/N – I'm glad that everyone liked my lime/lemon. I will try and make more lemons as the chapters continue.
Book 4 – Air
Chapter 6 – Escape
Zuko couldn't move, it felt as if his entire body was stuck to the ground, a part of him wanted to reach out and hug his mother, but why was a part of him scared to? He couldn't seem to find a reason why. Every time he wanted to say something he quickly closed his mouth, he took a deep breath and was about to say something when Ursa, moved towards him and pulled him to her, hugging him.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you Zuko," Ursa started, "but I want you to know how proud I am of you, and what you have done."
Zuko held onto his mother tighter, both had tears flowing down their faces. As they broke their hug, all Zuko could do was smile. He remembered that they weren't alone, and he reached for Mai.
"Mother, you remember Mai?" Zuko said as he held Mai close to his side.
"Yes I do, my how much you've grown Mai, keeping my son out of trouble are you?" Ursa said while laughing lightly.
"As best I can Lady Ursa, he can be stubborn at times." Mai said with a half smile as she prodded Zuko in his ribs.
Zuko sighed, "Reunited after so many years, and you two still pick on me."
Everyone laughed. Iroh started to break up the onlookers and started to lead the group back to Bumi's tent. Katara and Mai went to the healing tent to make sure Mai's injury was healed properly, but mostly everyone moved away to give Zuko and Ursa some time alone.
Zuko walked beside his mother down the beach, from a distance they could see where the airship attack started. "So this is where the attack began?" Ursa started. "And Oza... your father was at the head of this attack?"
Zuko only nodded. "Why didn't you come back?"
Ursa stopped in her tracks, "Didn't your father ever tell you what happened?"
"Only that you were banished, at the time I didn't have much time for him to get into more details." Zuko said.
"Well then I guess it's time you heard what really happened that night." Ursa started to explain what had happened after their meeting with Fire Lord Azulon that day. Azula and his father had both told him the truth. He was going to kill Zuko to get the throne, and the treacherous things that she had done that night, were that she had poisoned him, and changed his will to make it so Ozai would be the next Fire Lord. "I was never sorry for what I did to that man," Ursa said, "but now I realize that the promise your father made to me was also a lie, just to get rid of me."
"It's the one thing both Azula and father have in common." Zuko added. "Although now he is more like his old self, I guess losing your bending can do that to you."
"What do you mean he's lost his bending?" Ursa asked.
"Aang was able to bend his spirit and made it so he can't fire bend ever again."
Ursa was shocked, but at the same time relieved, at last there was a chance for peace to flourish in the world, she only hoped that it would last.
"Will you come back with us to the Fire Nation?" Zuko asked.
"I'm banished, I won't be welcome back." Ursa was quick to respond.
"Yes but that was under old law," Zuko started, "I have changed a few laws since becoming Fire Lord, some have been accepted easier than others, but it is time for a change."
Ursa smiled at him and hugged him again, "I am so proud that you were able to find your true destiny Zuko."
Zuko looked off to the side and noticed Iroh was watching them with a smile on his face. Zuko nodded at him then looked back to his mother and said, "I had a lot of help with finding out who I was, and you can thank Uncle for that."
Iroh approached them and said, "I hope you are hungry, it seems that King Bumi has put together a feast for your arrival Zuko."
They made their way from the beach to the campsite, eager to hear and share stories with their friends. Also tomorrow Zuko would be able to make his big announcement that he and both Bumi and the Earth King had been working on these past months.
Flying high above the world, Azula had little to do but stoke the fire in the war balloon, and try and keep her sanity together. She could have had it all, the throne, the power, the right to rule all of the nations. Every time she thought back to it, there was always one person who stood in her way, Katara. It wasn't so much now that she wanted to just kill her but kill off everything she held dear. That wasn't the only thing on her mind though, as soon as she would start to plan something her focus would shift, it went from Ty Lee, and Mai, to Zuko, to Mother, and finally to Father. Her face scrunched as she tried to clear her mind of all thoughts.
"My, my, it seems that someone can't hold reign over her own thoughts"
It was a voice that came from nowhere, and everywhere, she had heard this voice before. "Stop playing games, and show yourself!" Azula commanded.
"Why should I do that? You can't order me around; you can't even keep order in your own mind."
Azula lashed out firing fireballs out of all sides of the ship. All she heard was laughter coming from around the ship. "Why are you here?" Azula snapped with anger in her voice. "Have you just come to mock me?"
Suddenly a shadowy figure appeared in front of her on the war balloon, this time it didn't take a shape but all she could see was a pair of glowing eyes. "No princess Azula, I have come here to help you."
Azula was quick to respond, "Why should I trust you? I don't even know who, or what you are."
The figure laughed and said, "Where are my manners, you can called me Loki." The figure seemed to move to sit down and started to speak, "I have a plan that will see you as Fire Lord, and the people who you hate most, out of the way."
"Will they be killed?" Azula wondered.
"In a manner of speaking yes, some will be dead, and others, well let's just say you'll find out."
Azula for the first time in a long time was starting to think clearer, she knew that this Loki was up to something and just using her as a tool, but she had been able to take over the Dai Lee, before and she would do it again. "Very well, I will help you out, but let me make this clear, I am no peasant that can be ordered around!" Azula said calmly but with order in her voice.
"But of course Princess Azula." Loki replied, and although it was hard to tell, he bowed to her. "Now to our first order, I know you have mixed feelings about him, but you will need to free your father." He quickly put up a hand to stop her from interrupting. "As much as you can do this on your own, you need him as your figure head, many of his loyal troops may believe you to be crazy, if he is shown as in command, then you will have your troops."
Azula thought about this plan, she didn't like that people thought of her as being crazy, but when she weighed out all the outcomes, she knew Loki was telling the truth. She nodded to him and said, "Very well, I am also guessing you have a plan to get him out and escape afterwards?"
"You are quite right Princess." Loki stated, "We will make our way to the Fire Nation capital as Ozai, is being held prisoner there. Afterwards there is a loyalist ship that is hiding close to Ember Island, we will go there and take their ship, from there, and it will be the matter of finding other loyalists and building our army. But don't worry princess, along the way I will have some special missions for you to carry out to set things in motion, and trust me when I say, you will not be disappointed."
Azula was almost about to smirk but she didn't want to show any signs of emotion around him, she was still unsure of where he was from, but by all her guesses, he came from the Spirit World.
After the feast was over, and stories were shared, Zuko stood up from the head table, as he stood all eyes from the camp turned to him, and once most of the voice had dwindled he began to speak. "You may all be wondering why it is that we are here at this location today. After meeting with both the Earth King and King Bumi, we have made a decision that will help with bringing peace to our lands. From this very location, we will build a new town, the very first of its kind. A town where Water Tribe, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom citizens can live, it will be a trading town. Work will begin immediately to turn this scorched piece of land back to its former glory, it will be hard work but in the end we are looking forward to having this town as a testament of what three nations can do together!"
As Zuko finished his speech, roars of applause and cheers came from the camp, it was a much better reaction then he had anticipated, as he sat back down Mai said to him, "So this was the big top secret plan that you had to keep from me?"
Zuko turned to her and smiled, "I wanted to tell you, but we all made a promise not to say anything." Mai in turn smiled back and kissed him, as she pulled back she said, "Well on a good note, at least I know you can keep your promises."
From further down the front table, Sokka was talking with both Suki, and Toph. They were talking about the new Earth Rumble that would be coming up in a few days and they all wanted to go and see it.
"So how did Xin Fu get out of that metal cage?" Suki asked.
"It seems that some of his other goons found them and were able to break them out." Toph snickered, "It also sounds like he was pretty down at the fact that he got beat by a girl, not to mention a 12 year old." All three laughed.
From a little further down the table still, sat Aang and Katara, although no one could notice their hands where locked together underneath the table. Most people knew that they were together, but they still felt like they had to keep it secret for the most part. It didn't bother them though, they would always giggle to themselves if they thought there were going to get caught if they snuck away for a bit. "So what do you think of this idea Katara?" Aang asked.
"Well if you ask me," she said playfully, "It seems that the three of them had some more help coming up with this idea." She concluded as she playfully poked Aang in the chest.
Aang blushed a bit and said back, "I don't know what you're talking about? I have never set foot in the same room when the three of them were present." Aang gave a small chuckle.
Katara smiled back and said, "Well I'm just glad that they actually listened to you."
"Well it does help when two out of three of the people making the decision are my friends." Aang said back with his signature big smile. "So do you know who is going to represent the Water Tribe in the village?"
"I'm not quite sure, but from what I've heard is that both the North and South pole will have a representative," Katara said, "From what I've heard is that Bato might be the Southern Water Tribe representative, Dad said he showed great leadership skills during the War, and he has often talked about seeing more of the world."
"I think he'll make a great choice," Aang started, "Believe it or not from my travels I've heard that the Northern Water Tribe might send down a female representative. Did you know they have started to train women as fighters now?"
Katara was a little shocked, but also glad, the last time they had met with Pakku, he had told her that he had sent word back to the Northern Water Tribe, she would have never guessed that part of that message detailed that kind of information. She made a point to remind herself that she had to give him an extra hug the next time they met.
Aang and Katara were deep in conversation when a voice came from beside them, "Greeting young Avatar."
"Guru Pathik!" Aang said as he saw him over Katara's shoulder. "What brings you here?"
Pathik bowed to both him and Katara, "I was just on my way to the Southern Air Temple, when I stumbled upon this party, so I decided to come and take a look." Pathik turned to Katara, he smiled at her and turned back to Aang, "I can see now why you had difficulty the last time we met, she is truly a beautiful girl."
Katara started to blush, she was trying to say thank you but couldn't, all she was able to do was nod, smile and mouth, thank you.
"So Pathik why are you on your way to the Southern Air Temple?" Aang questioned.
"I had a vision that I would be needed there, I'm not sure why, but if you'd like once I get there I'll contact you and you can meet me there." Pathik said while rubbing his beard. "There's something different between the two of you." Pathik added.
Aang merely nodded, "Yes, we are actually together now that this war is over."
"That's not what I meant Aang," Pathik said, "I see that my old friend and yours taught you a little something that's not common among most Air Nomads."
At first both Katara and Aang were puzzled by his words, but then they both remembered back at Toph's house, when the merged their Spirits. Aang asked, "How were you able to tell that?"
Pathik just smiled and said, "It was a technique that both Gyatso and I came up with, it has many uses, and more than one can be made, but the first is and will always be the strongest." Pathik shifted from a happy tone to a serious one. "Take my next words to heart, no matter what others tell you, this connection will never be broken and can never be kept hidden, but it relies solely on what you perceive to be true." Both Katara and Aang made a point to burn those words into their head, and both were pleased that this connection could be made more than once. "I must say goodbye as I have a long journey ahead of me, take care Aang." Pathik and Aang both bowed to each other. As quick as he showed up, he was gone, he seemed to have disappeared into the crowd.
Katara looked back to Aang and asked, "Why do you think he told us about our connection to each other, do you think he knows something that we don't?
Aang could tell that Pathik's words had her nervous, as he put his arms around her he said, "I think he just wanted us to know what it meant, and what we can do now that we are joined on the Spiritual level."
It didn't matter to Katara, whenever she was in his arms, the whole world seemed to fade away, and it was just him and her. No meetings, no rebellions... "Just what do you think you two are doing?"... No brother. "Must you disturb us? We're not doing anything wrong Sokka." Katara said as she gave Sokka an annoyed look.
Sokka was lost for words, but decided to change topics, "We're going to head out to Earth Rumble Seven, do you guys want to join us?"
Katara looked at Aang, he just smiled and nodded back to her. "Thanks for the offer, but I think we're going to head back home, I'd like to visit Gran Gran."
"Suit yourself sweetness, you're going to miss out on a good time, I hear they've started to let other nations compete there," Toph said slyly, "But I'm sure you two need some rest, wouldn't want to embarrass yourself now would you?"
Toph sure did know how to push Katara's buttons, but she remained calm and said, "Fine, but If I win you have to come with us to the South Pole, and you'll have to wear shoes!" Katara said.
"Deal, but if I win, then I get to go relax on a beach." Toph wasn't going to take away the chance for Katara to visit her family, so this seemed like a good plan.
Katara nodded and smiled at Toph, "You've got yourself a deal."
Bumi popped up between the group and said, "Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news but two of you won't be able to go." He pointed at both Sokka and Aang.
"This isn't for another meeting is it?" Sokka asked, "I mean not that I don't like meetings it just I thought we weren't supposed to have another for a few months."
Bumi just smiled and said, "Well this is a meeting but not for what you think." It was just like Bumi to be elusive, but out of the corner of his eye Aang noticed Iroh talking to Zuko, but Iroh was dressed in a different kind of uniform. He then realized what this was going to be about.
"This is about the Order of the White Lotus, isn't it Bumi?"
Bumi started to laugh and snort as he usually did, "I see there is no fooling you Aang, you were always the smart one."
They all said their farewells, Suki, Toph, Mai, Katara and the Freedom Fighters set off for Earth Rumble Seven while Sokka, Zuko, and Aang made their way back to Ba Sing Se, for this secret meeting.