The Avatar Abandoned
Summary: Aang wasn't frozen for 100 years, he wasn't even born in the Eastern Air Temple. He was born into a family of travelling Air Nomads who were living in the Earth Kingdom of Ba Sing Se. However, when he was five, his parents discovered him playing with little figures made of fire; even though he was an Air Bender. Knowing their son could only be the Avatar - the first in over 100 years, they panicked and abandoned him in the Fire Nation, hoping they would never have to see him again.
Chapter Summary: In which Aang and Zuko have an 'almost' date, and share a bit about their past.
Warnings: AU/AR, slash, Zukaang. Possible rating increase again.
A/N: Huzzah! Chapter 5! I got this chapter out quite quickly considering, but don't expect it to continue, because as I said in the Authors Note, my dad sucks. I want to dedicate this chapter to VixenReborn, for her continual awesomeness and inspiring this chapter!
Thanks to the following people for reviewing!
PonyboySlashLover- I like how I update fast (ish) too. :D *Throws ZukAang-ness at you* Yay for moar ZukAang!
Drai- Haha, it's great, isn't it? :) I went and re-watched the abridged series after I wrote that chapter. :D
VixenReborn - I'm so glad I wasn't the only one who noticed about the tables! Sheesh, what's wrong with having a small, personal, family table? Gawd.
Anitoon3- Glad you liked it so much! I really appreciate how you went and reviewed every chapter, it makes me feel loved :D And I see Azula as a projection of my own weirdness. So I have to love her, haha.
Aang chased after the furious Prince as fast as he could. 'Prince Zuko! Wait, please!'
Zuko spun around so fast that Aang didn't have time to stop, and smacked into the Prince before stumbling backwards and landing with an 'Oof' on his behind. Zuko looked down at the twelve-year-old as said twelve-year-old looked up, a blush spreading over his cheeks.
'I-I'm sorry, Prince Zuko,' Aang stammered as he pushed himself to his feet, brushing some of the dust off his pants, before glancing back at the Prince.
'Come on,' Zuko muttered, leading the way at a less furious-and-stompy pace.
'I won't talk to Princess Azula again, if you don't want me to ... ' Aang mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck, ashamedly.
Zuko sighed, slowing slightly so Aang was walking beside him. 'No ... you can talk to her if you want, it's just she has a certain ... talent, shall we say, for making me angry. It had nothing to do with you.'
'Oh ... ' Aang replied, as he thought about it for a second. 'Well, that's good! I don't like it when people are mad at me,' he said, beaming widely.
Zuko smiled slightly.
'Still, even if she does annoy you, it must be nice to have a sister,' Aang continued, eager to keep the conversation going. He liked talking to the Fire Prince, even if he did have a bad temper sometimes
Zuko felt awkward all of a sudden. He knew Aang didn't have a family, that he was an orphan, but he had no clue how it had happened - in fact, he didn't know much about Aangs past at all - be he wanted to, for some unknown reason. 'Do ... do you mind me asking something?' the Prince asked tentatively.
'Of course not, Prince Zuko,' replied Aang, still beaming.
'How did you lose your family?' Zuko wasn't one for tact or beating around the bush.
Aangs face fell, and he bit his lip, thinking for a second. Could he trust Zuko enough to tell him the complete truth?
'You don't have to tell me, if it's too painful,' Zuko said quickly, scared he had upset the younger Firebender - he didn't deal well with tears.
And in an instant the smile was back on Aangs face, just not quite as big as a few moments ago.
'No, I don't mind, it happened ages ago anyways. I was about five, I think, and my mum and dad and me were travelling around the Empire. We were in Ba Sing Se, and I guess my parents just decided a kid was too much hassle - they were ... kind of like nomads, always moving around from place to place - and they took me here, to the Fire Nation Capital, where I'd be safe from the other nations, and just left,' Aang finished with a shrug, not smiling any more.
Zuko kept his face impassive, but inside he was reeling in shock. Aangs parents had just abandoned him? What kind of people where they? Zuko vowed that one day he'd track them down and make them pay for hurting Aang like that. The couple stopped in the garden, sitting on a decorative metal bench next to a pond where turtleducks swam gently on the surface. Aang was staring out at the water, clearly deep in thought. The Prince was staring at the young Firebender in uncertainty, wondering if he could ask any more questions of Aang without upsetting him further.
'So ... What happened after that?' Zuko asked, curious to know how Aang had survived at such a young age.
'Well, at first I was pretty helpless, but a group of boy took me in and kind of adopted me as their little brother. They took care of me and taught me Firebending and how to look after myself in a fight. There was Bayanai too, of course, she was like my mother. Well, like a proper mother, anyway. She owns a little store, and she always looked after me when I needed her. She was lovely ... ' Aang said, his gaze drifting off into space as he remembered his life on the streets that felt a mile away now.
Zuko bit his lip slightly, not sure what to say to that. He wasn't sure what to make of Aang any more. He had thought the boy was just a kid that had ran away from home, but now ...
'So what about your family, Prince Zuko?' came a question that Zuko almost missed. He glanced over at the boy who was smiling slightly again.
'My family? Well, everyone knows my family ... my dads the insane Fire Lord, my mum was banished when I was little, my sister drives me up the wall, but I still care about her, and my Uncle is the only one I can really talk to, even if he uses too many tea metaphors to get any sense out of,' Zuko said rapidly, wrapping his family up in a quick little bundle, hoping to skip past them.
'Oh ... was your mum nice?' Aang said, furrowing his brow slightly at the speedy summation.
Zuko sighed. 'Yeah, she was. She always stuck up for me when my dad or Azula bullied me, and always had time for me, no matter what she was doing ... But then one night she left ... and I never saw her again,' Zuko said sadly, looking at the pond.
Aang awkwardly laid his hand on top of Zukos in an innocent gesture of comfort, but neither boy could suppress the slight shudder they felt run along their spines at the contact.
'What about your grandfather? Or your great grandfather? Didn't he start the war?'
Zuko snorted. 'Yeah, and that's all people remember him for. There used to be loads of things in the world that those two have killed or wiped out. Like the Dragons. They were the original Firebenders, and now no one can learn from them ever again because of them. And the Avatar.'
Aang tensed slightly, unnoticed by Zuko. 'The last Avatar was Roku, and my great grandfather killed him when he started the war. After that he rounded up all the Airbenders and checked all their children so that if the Avatar was reborn into the Air Nomads, like the cycle says, the would know, and could kill them before they had a chance to even try and stop the War. You know they were planning to keep on killing the Avatar until he was born into the Fire Nation, so they could use him as a weapon?'
Aang swallowed nervously. 'Really?' Zuko nodded bitterly. 'What do you think of the Avatar? If he was alive now, I mean. Would you kill him, Zuko?' the secret Avatar asked, fearing the answer, barely able to keep his voice steady and even, fearing the answer.
Zuko sighed. 'No. I wouldn't. If the Avatar is born again, I hope I can help him put a stop to the War. All I want is for there to be peace and for my mother to be able to come home without fear of being put to death.'
Aang nearly let out a cheer of joy at the statement from the Prince, but instead he settled for smiling shyly and squeezing Zukos has softly. The Prince looked over at Aang in shock, before smiling back and turning his had around so that ther fingers interlaced. 'Thank you,' he said, although he wasn't quite sure what he was thanking the younger boy for.
Smiling, Aang replied. 'Thank you, too,' although he couldn't tell Zuko why he was thanking him - that secret wasn't safe spread yet.
On the bench, the two boys moved closer together slightly, leaning into each other.
A/N: Wh00t, I updated! And I quite like this chapter. SQUEE! AangZuko bonding for the win! Spread the lurve! :D As you know, I want 4 reviews for this chappie, and I accept anon reviews, so show some love! :) It makes authors happy.
Again, dedications go to VixenReborn for her garden idea and her awesomeness!
I have no idea when I'll be able to post next, but hopefully it will be soon, because I love you all very much, and think you're great for reading and putting up with my rambly Authors Notes. *Sends cookies and hugs* Hooray! :D