Don't cry for me tonight
Chapter 5
Zuko sighed deeply, "Fine. So who wants to go?" He asked regretting to inquire what she wanted to do. Of course she would have thought of something.
"Count me out." Sokka said lying on a couch. "I'm going to take a nap. Aang, you go with Katara and Zuko. Watch him and make sure he doesn't fill up Katara's head with garbage."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zuko asked him in an annoyed tone.
Sokka sat up straight. "You should know. Maybe Katara doesn't feel the same but, I'm really angry with you Zuko. You looked terrible last night and in front of my dad. I know you don't want them to be happy together so you're trying to break them up. That's really low Zuko. I don't even care that we were friends that much anymore. You're acting like a baby and until you really apologize to my dad I'm going to pretend I only know the bad side of you and I might tell your mom more than she wants to know about her precious son!" He turned away and shut his eyes.
Zuko's eyes darken. He was about to attack him when Katara's quick grasp pulled back his arm. The touch was warm and familiar but abnormally harsh. "Leave him alone! Let's go. You two need to calm down." She held his wrist tightly.
She felt his muscles loosen then released her hold. Zuko grunted then stormed out of the room.
Katara and Aang watched him leave, feeling uncomfortable to follow, when he called out. "Let's go!" The two benders quickly ran out of the room to catch up to Zuko.
They went through the whole lower level in one hour. It was a rather impressive palace. Very big with many rooms and many secret passages that Zuko didn't feel the need to show. Once they reached the middle level Zuko opened a large door and lead them inside.
"This is the war room. They discuss a lot of things here that has to do with the war." Zuko explained bluntly.
"Isn't that the reason it's called a war room?" Katara asked sounding like a smart ass.
"You know, little sister, I would expect that from your brother, but not you. So another crack like that and this is done." Zuko warned her in a semi serious tone. He was over what happened between him and Sokka and he decided that it would be wise to be on Katara's good side. He knew how much pain she was still in when she thought about her mother and once he showed her how terrible it would be for their parents to marry she would surely help him with his plans.
"Sorry." Katara said sarcastically.
Zuko turned around and pretended to slap her face. She flinched. "Next time I will hit you." He smirked then went back to leading.
Aang went by her side. "He seems a bit more violent today, doesn't he?"
"He didn't hit me. But you're right. It might be from the alcohol. Come on."
The next few rooms where boring. Then they reached a library.
"Can we look around?" Katara asked curiously.
Zuko shrugged. They walked around for a while then went their own ways. Aang went looking through scrolls about Avatar Roku that still remained and Katara looked at the walls where many paintings were hung.
The one that caught her eye was of a tall man with long dark hair sitting on what seemed to be a throne with a small boy standing next to him.
"That's my father and I when I was seven. He told me it symbolized that I would become the Firelord one day and the way I would treat our nation would reflect on him. It has no real meaning to me. Not anymore." Zuko explained coming up behind Katara.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked. She always thought the subject of his diabolical father bothered him.
He smirked. "Well incase your father asks what we did today, you can tell him that you learned about my family history."
"I see. What about that one?" She pointed at another tall man with dark hair. He wore a red robe and a crown.
"That was my grandfather. A self-portrait of himself after my uncle was born."
"How much older is Iroh to your father?" Katara asked not noticing her proximity to Zuko.
"Only by a few years. My father made an arrangement with my grandfather to make him the next Firelord rather than uncle. It ended up making my mother to be banished. He was awful wasn't he? He wanted to be the Firelord so badly he even would banish his wife." Zuko informed her. The hint of regret stained his words; Katara held his hand in comfort.
"Well Ursa told me that your father was supposed to kill her. But he didn't. He must have loved her enough to spare her life." Katara said.
"I guess." Zuko concurred after a short moment of silence. He hardly wanted to agree that his father had anything to love in his stone cold heart.
"Ahem?" Aang cleared his throat as he came up behind them seeing the future siblings so close. Katara jumped away as she blushed. Zuko ignored it and past Aang and lead them on to the next room.
"Let's go." He ordered.
Aang waited for Katara. "Hey? Why were you two um—?"
"It was nothing Aang. He just told me a sad story about his childhood and I felt sorry for him. That's it. Katara walked passed him and walked a step behind Zuko. Aang caught up and believed her story after all Zuko and Katara are only friends, right? As well as soon to be siblings. Their tour finally ended and went back to meet with Sokka.
"Oh Sokka you should have came. It was amazing." Katara told him. She talked about the painting and other interesting rooms.
He yawned, "Sounds nice." Sokka said bored like.
Aang sat down besides him. "It was!"
"So when are the cooks going to cook something? I'm starving!" Sokka nagged.
Zuko smirked again, which Katara was beginning to like seeing, he said, "That doesn't seem surprising."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Sokka asked defensively. He was cooled from earlier but hated when he'd mumble.
"I still remember your 'appetites' and your sister and Aang told me it used to be much worse."
"Why would you guys tell him that?" Sokka asked.
"Because Zuko needed to know something about you incase dad asks if we really do know anything new about each other." Katara answered.
"Ugh! So what about those cooks then?" Sokka asked.
"Today's a festival. It's a holiday for some Avatar. They took the rest of the day off." Zuko explicated.
"Roku?" Aang asked.
Zuko shook his head. "No, it's a different one."
"So what about food?!" Sokka whined.
"I'll make you something if you stop complaining. Zuko where is the kitchen?" Katara asked.
"I'll show you." Zuko left the room.
"Aang do you want anything?" Katara asked before leaving.
"Sure. Thanks Katara." Aang smiled.
She walked out to Zuko who stood outside the door.
"You waited? Wow." Katara said shocked.
"Funny. Don't forget to make me something too." Zuko cautioned.
They made it to the kitchen, which was as larger than her bedroom.
"Wow. Its huge! Hey Zuko your staying with me, right?" Katara asked.
"Why do I need to?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"Because I don't want to get lost in here." Katara joked.
"Then get started. It's not like I would want to go back with your angry brother anyways."
"Hey Zuko? I have a question." She asked while fixing the meals.
"What is it?"
"Why have you called me 'little sister' but not once have I heard you call Sokka 'little brother'."
"All I'll tell you now is that I say that to remind me."
"What? Remind you?" Katara asked. Joy, more clues to the mystery of the mind of Zuko.
He didn't answer.
"So about the festival, are you going?"
"I don't know. Why do you want to go?" Zuko asked.
"Well it might be fun. We should all go." Katara proposed.
"I don't know. It wouldn't be much fun to give you more tours."
"I won't ask for any out there. Besides I think Ursa would love to go. I think she would love to see us getting along."
"I don't know." Zuko repeated. "You guys would get lost and I'm not really in the mood to babysit."
"We aren't little kids! Why is it so bad for you to have to accompany us?" She asked wondering if he didn't want to be seen with them or if he was just truly lazy.
"It's not worth going out there."
"You're so impossible to talk to!" Katara yelled. She took the meals on a silver tray then headed to the door. She couldn't open it with the tray in her hands and before she could put it down Zuko came to the rescue and opened the wooden door.
"I'm just still unsure if the people are ready to see a failure like me yet. I might be a hero to the other nations but to my people—especially the wealthy—I am still a disgrace and it will take a lot to change that. People will surely recognize me and I just don't want Sokka, Aang and you to have to hear what they have to say about me." He whispered as if the kitchen was filled with maids and cooks all listening to the words that keeps him up at night.
"Zuko you don't need to worry about what they think. Many people in the firenation agree with peace, like Mai. Will you go to the festival?" She asked again.
"I'll think about it." He stood to the side opening the door wider. "Little sisters first." He said smirking.
"Impossible!" She laughed.
They made it back to the boys and Katara asked them about going to the festival.
"Sure! I'll go!" Aang said already excited. His time in the firenation hadn't been much fun.
"Will there be food?" Sokka asked taking a full bite from his lunch.
"Food and more I'll promise you that." Zuko said finishing his meal. "A lot of girls too."
"Is that all guys think about? Meeting random girls and stalk them for the rest of the night?" Katara asked.
"Well someone seems to know how things work. Does this happen to you a lot?" Zuko asked smirking.
"No!" Katara and Sokka both answered.
Zuko and Aang laughed. Katara felt a bit annoyed on how Sokka treated her as a child.
"Quit it Sokka! You think I couldn't get a date? Well let's bet on it tonight!" Katara challenged him.
"No way!" Sokka refused. "I already have Suki and your with Aang aren't you?"
"It wont be a real date. You just have to get someone to say that they'll spend the entire evening with you."
"But—K"
"What's wrong Sokka? You don't think she could do it? I want to see this." Zuko said.
"Ok then! Let's do this. I bet I could get a date tonight and you won't." Katara said.
"Katara!" Sokka exclaimed.
"So this is the bet! Who ever can get a date first wins—what?" Zuko asked.
"What about loser has to—ask out someone?" Aang suggested.
"No because that's what we are going anyway." Katara said.
"Ok. What about—rub your grandmother's feet after the festival and do her laundry?" Zuko said.
"How is that bad?" Sokka asked. It wouldn't be the first time he had to do that.
"Well after walking for a long time her feet will stink and then, well, have fun washing her underwear." Zuko told him.
"Oh. I see. Well that's bad." Sokka agreed.
"But not enough! Loser also has to be the servant for the winner for a day." Katara added.
"Ok. Ok you're on." Sokka said.
Wow. This might be one of my shortest chapters! ^_^
Hoped you enjoyed! Review! I want to know how u all feel about this story to make me want to continue! Sneak peek on the next chapter! While they are out looking for dates, a new romance is born that will be the cause of many BIG problems. Well I hope so. I'm making this story entirely up as I go along. ^_^
Also about the bet thing, I know that it's not really bad enough but I just need to add Gran-Gran. You'll see why!
Edited:
FINALS ARE OVER!! I wanted to update sooner but I thought I might as well wait until summer was here. So this is my first day of Summer vacation!! Chapter 6 will be edited and updated soon. I wanted to put both up now but my head hurts from looking at the screen…
Also, I will be trying to hurry and finish the story soon because I have another story I want to work on and it will be my first story that's not about avatar too! So I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Review!