Disclaimer: The following chapter is entirely fictitious. Any similarity to the history of any person living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional, except when specifically noted otherwise in the cast and crew credits. All celebrity voices are impersonated and no celebrities have endorsed any aspect of this fic.
Author's note: so forgive me, those who have actually been reading, for taking so long in updating the story. So much has gone on in the past… I forget when I last updated, but there was a lot of school, a lot of homework, many side projects, a lot of drama, and so forth. But at some point you need to move on with your life and put the past in the past and just accept yourself for who you are, because you're going to be spending the rest of your life with you. Sometimes it takes a proverbial shotgun to the face in order to see things the way they should be, but alas I have learned. Took me forever, but I have learned. But now I'm done with my AA in English and I just got accepted to La Verne, and I have a temp babysitting job. And like I said before, the only person you need to please is yourself, and that's exactly what I'm doing. NEHO, I forgot the point I was making. Well, at any rate, I've been doing some random writing because I took a Creative Writing class and am continuing to work on my side project which officially has a name. Still working out the kinks but I've managed to learn to improve on craft. So many projects I want to do, so much procrastination. Though don't expect the story to get any better. Also, insert DeviantArt promoting here. Still doing requests... Anyways, on with the fic!
Chapter Twenty-One: Back to the Place
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"I love you, Sokka," Suki muttered into her husband's chest as she hugged him so tight. The boat at the pier waited for her and Awinita to board. "I know we can't talk until they get back, but know we'll miss you."
"I'm going to miss you, too," Sokka said into her hair and kissed her for as long as he could before placing a peck on his daughter's forehead, who grabbed her father's nose to prevent him from going.
"Sokka, we're waiting for you." In the distance stood Mai, arms across her chest and waiting by the gargantuan Fire Nation vessel wading in the water.
A sigh breaking from his lungs, Sokka kissed his wife once more before following the sound of the voice calling him.
Zuko stood with Aang, Katara, and Tsuchi, who were speaking in hushed voices, figuring out where they were supposed to be going. The group kept him out of the tight bubble they had, but whatever they were speaking about Zuko was sure was not pleasant. Through their whispers shot aggressive tones and hissing, most from Katara who was snapping at both Aang and Tsuchi for whatever reason. Rolling his eyes, Zuko strode to Mai who stood by herself watching Sokka fumble with his things before two of the servants from the ship decided to help.
"We're getting ready to leave," he said in his normal quiet voice. "Do you think you'll be okay alone?"
"Only if you're going to force me." Mai picked at a loose thread on her robe and flicked at it when it did not detach. "I'm not a child. I don't need you to protect me."
"You saw what happened on the ship, and those were amateurs. You haven't experienced what I have—"
"And you assume you're so much better? I can protect myself, Zuko, I don't need a babysitter—"
"I'm not saying you do," he said, frustrated. He paused for a moment to take a breath and bit the inside of his cheek. "You're going to need as much help as you can get and you won't get any of that if you're just with me and those three." Zuko scratched the back of his neck and picked a scab his fingers found. "I think you'll be better off back at home. Hopefully you'll be safe out at sea."
"I'm not going to have privacy, am I?"
Zuko frowned his usual frown and shook his head. "Not now you can't. If anything, you need to keep an eye on Sokka. He can't do much with one arm."
The two turned to watch as Sokka received help from the servants and his wife to board the ship.
"When do you think I'll see you again?" Mai said, staring still at the sight of the couple ahead.
"I'm not sure. Soon, I hope." Zuko did not mind if anyone saw him. He embraced her tight with both arms as best as he could and whispered, "Don't worry about me, just keep yourself safe." He pulled away and did not allow any more contact. Without turning back, he left her alone to go back to the ship and headed towards the trio of benders waiting by Appa.
"Ready to go, lover boy?" Tsuchi said with kissy lips. "Or should we wait ten minutes while you two do it in the bushes?"
"You don't even know what you're talking about." Zuko pulled his cloak around himself tighter and bound his arms around his chest.
"Are you ready to go or not? We're waiting on you." Aang tossed his staff on Appa's saddle and turned to face the group. He reached out a hand to Katara and hoisted her onto the bison and jumped up to the front.
Zuko took a hold of the side of the saddle to lift himself up, hoping someone would offer to help him, when Tsuchi grabbed his shoulder.
"Hold on there, buddy," she said and pulled him away from Appa. "There's just one lil' ol' thing I want to do before we go." Without asking for permission, Tsuchi grasped his limp arm on either side of the fracture and in less than a minute of burning pain it stopped. "Now flex macho man."
Zuko moved his fingers without pain. "Did you- did you just—"
"I think the word you're looking for is super freaking awesome." Tsuchi snapped her fingers, both ending up thumbs up with one pointing its index finger at him. "I figure you need to be un-gimped so you can bend. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."
"Are you still upset about your sister?" he said just low enough so she was the only one to hear.
Tsuchi shrugged, face becoming serious. "Of course I am, who wouldn't?"
"I only ask because the last time I saw you with your sister you weren't exactly… getting along."
Tsuchi raised her eyebrow. "Why would we? In her eyes I got the better end of the deal. Not to mention she was working for you, which of course meant against me. But after the war we started talking, this time more civilized. It was like having a family again."
"Don't I wish I had that," Zuko mumbled. "You must hate her. The one who killed your sister."
"If my sister taught me anything, it's that revenge isn't all it's cracked up to be. And it's not going to bring back those who have passed. The best thing I can do is make sure it doesn't happen again. Need help?" Without waiting for an answer, she bended a pedestal up to Appa's saddle. "They only killed my sister, they didn't kill my whole family. If I remember, that was your people who did that."
Zuko scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Sorry about that."
"It's not your fault, personally. Although you may have contributed." Tsuchi tossed her black bag into the corner. "Not saying you did, though."
"So what's our plan going to be?" Katara said after everyone was situated in the correct spots, Aang at the head of Appa and the rest in their corners. "We can't exactly go in there and expect to fight easily. They'll kill us."
"Most of the job is already done," Zuko said, crossing his arms to keep to himself. "We just need to go there and figure out how to make things worse for them. Even if we need to die trying."
"I still think—"
"No, Aang." Katara glowered at the bald monk who tried to make a suggestion. "You're not going to take their bending away and risk injuring yourself."
"Then I suppose you have something better?"
"Why don't we figure that out on the way over, you know, multitask?" Tsuchi said with harshness in her voice. Zuko hoped he had not hit a nerve.
The bison ascended high into the sky and the town and boats below them began to look like children's toys. How far away were they going? From there it could not have been too far. Or to long.
'-'
The raindrop blue green grass, the taller than the sky needletrunks and the jellysquid shrubbery on the forest floor. The familiar fantasy they emerged themselves in flooded back many old memories, both the nostalgic and the scarring. They had arrived no more than a few minutes ago and yet nothing had happened. No ambush, no firing of arms, no life in sight. For those who claimed supremacy over the minds of millions, they certainly failed at anticipating their imminent attack. Unless they already knew and chose to wait elsewhere. Maybe they knew the quad would fail and therefore did not bother to try.
Zuko hoped it was the former most.
"Do you remember where the entrance to this thing is?" Katara asked the lot of them when they dismounted Appa onto the discolored foliage below.
"It was a wall, was it not?" Tsuchi brought up. "Bricks, with inscribed text. Do you remember where?" she asked, directing her question to Zuko who shrugged.
"I followed you here. If anyone should remember, it should've been you three." Zuko pulled his cloak tighter around him. The breeze had increased, unsettling to the lot. Almost an unnatural breeze. Zuko turned to the direction of the wind and saw it. A building, almost out of nowhere.
"It's over here." Without so much as a hint or even a sense of direction, Zuko strode over to the brick wall, running his hand over the texture, a mixture of something he had never felt before. Warm, moist, drying his hands while simultaneously staying a stone. That had to be it.
His fingers trailed over the stones, following it around the bend for who knew how long before stopping. Zuko put his other hand over the stone, both stroking the grey wall with the familiar inscription:
Avertissant, Cosmo Epée.
Trouvent détenteur.
A sudden pulse of energy coursed through him, so invigorating and intimidating all at once. Normal suggests removing one's hand, but Zuko kept it there, so intrigued by the energy rushing in him.
"If you found the entrance, how are we supposed to get in?" Katara walked up to stand at Zuko's side, still entranced by the stone mason.
"Do you even remember how we got in the first time?" said Tsuchi as she went to Katara's side. "It just magically opened for us, didn't it?"
"It's a dead end," Aang frowned. "What are we supposed to do now?"
The four exchanged looks with each other, faces weighed down in thought as to their next move.
"I suppose we can just—"
"Are you here to save us?"
The four of them jumped ten feet from their spot, hearts racing. Each turned around to face the voice but saw nothing from the bushes behind them.
"Who's there?" Zuko barked into the shrubbery. "Show yourself!"
An array of mutter came from the shrubbery, several voices arguing amongst each other. Within seconds a loud rustle disrupted their conversation and shoved from the green fell a girl, no older than ten with only half her hair. The girl shot her head up and with fear in her golden eyes. "Idzi!" the little girl cried out. "They know we're all here! Don't leave me by myself."
"How many more are you?" Aang stepped forward to ask, reaching out to take the girl's hand to help her up.
"Just me and two others," the little girl mumbled, dusting off grass and leaves from her solid grey uniform. "Idzi and Zero, who pushed me out!"
"Hey, shut up!" another voice from the bushes, this time a boy's, said.
"Both of you, get out here," Zuko ordered harshly at the duo still hiding and within seconds two young boys stumbled from their hiding spot.
"Thanks for ratting us out, now we're all going to get in trouble," the darkest of the trio glowered at the girl.
"We don't have time to worry about getting into trouble," the girl snapped, smacking her companion on the back of the head. "With what's going on, we'll be lucky if we get out of this with just our arms broken!"
"Just your—what?" Tsuchi intervened, as did Katara, both exchanging looks with Aang.
"My name is Nazrin and the three of us escaped from the Resistance." The little girl stood tall and made sure her stance showed no fear. "In any other circumstance we wouldn't have made it this far. They would've killed us before we could even leave, but right now everyone is fighting with each other, killing each other."
"It's a mess," the boy who had yet to speak added. "We don't know how this happened."
"Wait, they're all fighting?" Katara furrowed her face, stepping forward from the group to crouch down to the children's level. "Why are they all fighting? How did you three escape?"
"Through the ground, ma'am," the little girl, Nazrin, responded. She gestured to the darkest of the children and continued, "Zero is an earthbender and he bended a tunnel for us to escape in. we would've gone through the main entrance, but we were sure to be killed."
This time, Aang stepped forward. "But that doesn't explain why they're fighting. Why is everyone killing each other?"
"We don't know," the one noted as Zero responded. "When we last heard they were saying really mean things to each other, calling each other names and stuff."
The last one, Idzi, spoke next. "Most of what we heard before, they teach us that kind of stuff, but they were saying it to each other. The first rule we learn is never to insult another bender. It's forbidden."
The three kept their focus on the children at hand. Zuko, on the other hand, fought off a smile. Still, his content could not stay confined in himself and he let out a quick sputter of a laugh.
"I'm sorry, did you think this was funny?" Katara's eyes narrowed as she scanned over the chuckling firebender.
Quick to compose himself, Zuko had to keep himself from shouting. "Don't you understand? They're already doing what we need them to do." Zuko turned to the children and continued, "Do you remember seeing a woman, short, black, hair, a scar across her eye, her name is Kurogane—"
"The one who killed the Fire Lord and the mongrel Hiashi, everyone knows her," Idzi replied with a stern face.
Tsuchi's eyes flared. "My sister is not a mongrel you—"
"Take it easy, they're children." Aang held out his arm to keep Tsuchi from stepping any closer to the small trio, but Zuko could not blame her. He wanted to lunge as well.
"To answer your question, no," Nazrin responded, stepping in front of the two boys she was with. "We didn't see her when we escaped, but she returned from a mission just yesterday when the chaos broke out. Did she have something to do with it?"
"Never mind her," Zuko frowned. He crouched down to the girl's eye level, this time to talk to her and not down to her. "Do you really want to continue the life you have now?"
Nazrin lifted a hand to the half of her head with hair, tugging on her small, chocolate ponytail and looked back to her friends, both tired and both looking to the ground. She turned back to look at Zuko square in the eye, keeping her composure as best as she could, whispered, "We don't know how else to live."
Zuko glanced to the Avatar and his companions, all of whom struck with the thought of children in such a life, then to the young girl's companions who refused to take their eyes from the dirt beneath their bare feet. Then his gaze went back to her, the small child with her ember stare and the crinkled rouge skin of her right hemisphere, a texture he knew only all too well. He put a hand to his shoulder, and, saturated in integrity, told her, "I will fix that."
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