Chapter 10: Hopes and Decisons

Hakku has spent the past three weeks searching.

He wasn't in the south anymore, so his choice for gemstones was, for better and for worse, wider in selection.

But he wasn't going to give up. He had to find the perfect one to carve the bracelet. He originally wanted to craft a necklace for Umi but quickly found out the water tribes were the only ones that did that.

So, in order not to raise suspicion, he settled for a bracelet.

The rocks from the Fire Nation were unique. There was an overwhelming assortment of reds, yellows and oranges, along with the occasional green and gray. But none of them fit the image he had in his head. He needed the perfect one, and he wasn't going to stop until he found it.

It's been one year since she forced her way into his life by saving him from certain death, and now, he could confidently say that she was the one he wanted to be with forever. His hate for the Fire Nation was long forgotten in his extended stay at Hira'a, and it was all thanks to the amazing people that lived there.

But his obvious reason for staying was the fact that, ironically enough, he's felt more accepted here than back in the south. As waterbenders were being hunted throughout the war, with their villages torn apart, many newer settlements were formed around the frozen fields that surrounded the ominous everstorm. His family was in one of them when it happened.

They had originally travelled from the north to one of the main cities in the south for reasons they never bothered explaining to him. But when he was found out to be a waterbender, him and his family were promptly banished to a smaller village closer to the center of the south pole.

But it didn't matter. In the end, the Fire Nation managed to tear through every city and settlement, until they got to his. He was 16. He thought he could at the very least protect his little village, but his waterbending wasn't enough. He was quickly overpowered and captured, while they made sure to leave nothing but ashes and rubble behind. He never found out if his family escaped.

But he was happy now.

He could probably swim all the way back home if he wanted but, he was sure he had nothing left there.

And so, now he finds himself stressing over how to propose to the love of his life.

And that's when he found it, a yellow and orange gemstone, sparkling as a sliver of sunlight landed on it from an opening on the top of the cave he found himself in. It reminded him of a pair of amber colored eyes he very much loved.

But when he proceeded to grab it, his blood ran cold.

It hasn't happened since his escape from the prison. But it was back. The voice that urged him to destroy his enemies, to avenge the water tribes.

He always felt its presence, but due to being chained up in a tiny metal cage, he was never able to add a face to it.

But this time, he was free to turn around and look at… whatever it was.

But he hesitated, he couldn't know what acknowledging its presence would do to him, and he wasn't going to risk the happiness he's suffered so much to achieve.

And so, he grabs the stone, closes his eyes, and rushes to the exit.

But that's when his heart truly sank to the floor, and his mind screamed blanked in complete fear.

As he ran back, he bumped into something. Into someone.

A physical body, telling him that whatever was haunting him was able to interact with the physical world.

He tried to ignore it, to pretend it didn't happen.

And he would be successful, for now that is.

What was going on?

Every single one of her strikes were being brushed off like they were nothing.

Katara's frustration only kept growing further. Despite her knowing that her opponent had managed to somehow bend the moisture in the air, he hasn't even bothered on using it against her.

He was playing with her.

She had thought her waterbending had reached a new level after the whole fiasco in the north. After all, she had managed to best every single one of Master Pakku's students, and she was sure she could give the old master a decent fight now.

But this was different, it was like the boy in front of her was predicting her every move. She tried switching up the timing of her strikes, faking out one side and striking the other, throwing debris from the ground by striking it with ice, but nothing was working.

She could hear from behind how Sokka was easily getting outmatched by the two other girls, and as much as she knew she should help, her mind was deadlocked to the traitor waterbender.

She needed to go all out. If she lets him play around with her any longer, Aang and Sokka are going to be in a lot of trouble.

Figuring that she needed to strike with an unavoidable attack, she spread out all of her water in front of her in a thin wall, before freezing it in small shards and sending them at high speeds to her opponent.

He couldn't dodge all of them. She prayed he wouldn't.

All this time his face betrayed no emotion, but his current expression sent Katara's frustrations beyond their limits.

He was smiling, of course he was, as he put his hand forward, and every single one of the ice shards stopped midair.

Kaze wasn't sure how to feel.

She wasn't threatening at all, but in a way, he could tell she was powerful. He muses that she's probably gotten a lot of experience from traveling with the Avatar, and most likely got training from a master in the North Pole.

But it was still a little disheartening. If he wanted to end the fight he could. Her control over the element was strong, but he could take it from her if he tried. He had a hard time believing everyone's words about him being a prodigy, and it wasn't until he met Azula that he started gaining confidence in his bending.

He realizes that this is the first time he's ever faced someone who wasn't a firebender, and now the proof of his ability was standing in front of him. He can only hope that at the very, he can push this particular girl past her current limits. Else he worries over their plan for the Avatar.

And this is when she finally pulls out a move that rises his hopes for his opponent. She froze a thin wall of water into many ice shards and send them flying towards him.

He couldn't help the smile that crawled up his face as he figured that he has no choice but to block it with his own bending. So, he stops all the shards in the air, before subsequently turning them back into liquid and sending it back to the girl, much to her look of shock.

"Hey! That was pretty good!" He once again couldn't help but praise her bout of waterbending. But, of course, she only responds by growling in anger and starts swinging once more, but now increasingly more desperate. He'll have to end this fight before she ends up hurting herself or someone else.

He begins pulling all the water particles in the air and bends them to his hand in a glove that spanned all the way to his elbow. And then he rushes towards his opponent, dodging and twisting past her attacks.

To his surprise, and a little bit of joy, he ran into a couple close calls as he dodged, meaning that this girl still had a lot of untapped power inside of her. Good to know.

But now it was time to take her out of the fight. So, with incredible precision, he manages to barely dodge her final attack by a hair, a wide swing of ice that would probably hurt quite a bit, and took her legs under her before grabbing her by the neck and sending her flying by blasting the water in his arm towards where the other water tribe boy was currently being pinned to the ground by one of Mai's knives.

That's when Mai and Ty Lee both return to his side, with Tom Tom being held in Mai's arms.

"How did it go?" He asked them, although already knowing from the looks of their opponent.

"He was pathetic." Mai sounded just a tad angry. "Can't believe I had to waste my knives on him."

"Well, I thought he was pretty cute." Said Ty Lee, a little glad she didn't have to go too far while fighting, making Mai roll her eyes.

Now the only one left is Azula, who by the looks of it wasn't even by the statue anymore.

Although she's probably doing fine, Kaze can't help but worry for her safety.

Then a loud roar brings him back to the present, as a giant bison appeared out of nowhere. He sees both of their opponents jump into its saddle and proceed to fly away.

Azula was currently sliding down one of the viaducts using a stone cart, as she tried to attack the Avatar with as much fire as she could without actually hurting him too much.

But to her surprise, the young boy, who was currently sliding on the cage of the King, was deflecting and countering with relative ease, even if he did look panicked.

In a way, it reminded her of the way Kaze managed to counter her moves five years ago when they clashed in the palace's courtyard. In other words, this probably bode well for the future. If the Avatar actually held as much potential for his true element, then the other three might come just as easily to him.

He hasn't used any waterbending yet, so she isn't sure how well her theory stood, but it doesn't matter right now. He was strong for his young age, and they'll have to live with it for now.

That's when a bison suddenly appears to their right, the two water peasants riding on top.

She sends another volley of fire as the Avatar manages to send both him and the King in the air, just barely missing landing on the flying bison.

She figures she should finish this fight soon, so she hops down to where the two landed and threw a final blast of blue fire. This one she decided to hold back a lot less than she had so far, just to see how well the Avatar would react, but his reaction wasn't what she wanted.

The Avatar panicked, and if it wasn't for the King earthbending a rock in the way, she wasn't sure if they might've come out unscathed.

She miscalculated on her part, making her kick herself mentally.

As she approached the obstacle in the viaduct, she jumped out of the cart and landed skillfully on the other side, as the Avatar and his friends disappear out of her sight.

And that's when a voice startles her from behind.

Kaze was jumping from building to building, cushioning each drop with his waterbending, while looking for Azula.

And when he finally spots her, she's standing on a steep incline on one of the viaducts, somehow managing to not slide down.

"Azula!" He calls from behind her, bringing her attention to his approaching form.

"Kaze?" She can't seem to hide her surprise. And that's when he hugged her, making her jump a little at the contact, before returning it. "Don't tell me you actually thought I was in trouble or something?" She teases.

"Can't a guy worry for his girlfriend?" He responds in turn.

"Not when said girlfriend is the most powerful firebender in the world." She is silently happy at his concern.

"Well…" He breaks the hug and looks at her with his typical smile. "Maybe I just wanted to see you. Is that so bad?"

"Of course not." She feels warmth at his words. "As long as no one is watching while you hug me like that."

This makes Kaze laugh. "Well, you can thank Mai's dad for pretty much running everyone out from the city. I mean, the place is practically deserted."

"Speaking of, did you three secure Tom Tom?" She hopes their mission went successfully.

"Yep, he's back with Mai and Ty Lee." He points at the massive statue of her father, which managed to send a slight pang of pain in her heart. "Should we head over, Princess." He exaggeratedly bows, playing the part of loyal retainer.

Azula looks at him unamused before she lets out a giggle. "Don't act dumb. But sure, let's go."

Aang was feeling exhausted.

He still couldn't help the feeling that he failed his friend. But if Bumi says he's going to be fine, he's going to have to trust him.

As they're flying away, he can't help feeling concerned for Katara, who was currently keeping to herself at the back of the saddle, holding her knees to her face.

He looks down at the city as it's shrinking. He catches sight of two of the four people he and his friends fought. It was the firebender that chased him along with the blue-eyed boy.

Wait, Blue-eyed?

But before he could go down that road of thought, that's when he sees something that sends a chill down his spine. There was a third figure, in a building right next to them, but it wasn't looking at them. It was looking at him.

It was pitch black, with the only features being two white round eyes that covered half of its face, and a big patch of white in its forehead.

Looking at it, a memory he lived just a couple of weeks ago flashes his mind. The moon was gone, and the Fire Nation was about to destroy the city. And he heard the call from the pond below. And that's when he met eyes with it. The one bearing the same white spot on its head, seeking revenge for its other half.

He shakes his head. They couldn't possibly be the same.

Looking back again, he notices the figure to be long gone.

"Sokka?" He calls out to the water tribe boy who seemed pretty bummed out himself. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I'm not too sure really…" Sokka's voice betrays his own exhaustion. "I was too busy trying not to get knifed in the face, but… from what I managed to see, the guy Katara was fighting… He was a waterbender."

This makes Aang's head start spinning.

How could the Fire Nation have a waterbender.

"But how? How is that possible?" Aang says as he notices Katara raise her head.

"It doesn't matter." Katara speaks out. "He betrayed his own people and joined the enemy, that's all that matters. And I'll make sure he pays for it." Her eyes are bridled with anger.

Aang thinks for a moment. Why would a waterbender do that? Would the Fire Nation even consider letting a waterbender in their army?

He couldn't make heads or tails of it. Sokka looked equally vexed at the situation.

He sighs in defeat.

As of now, they had one more group of people after them, and he had to make sure to keep himself focused on his duty as the Avatar.

"So, what did you think of the Avatar, Azula?" Ty Lee asks, as the four of them were sitting in a table near a balcony on the palace.

The moon shined on top of them, as they went through everything that happened the last couple of hours.

Azula remains silent for a moment, before she sighs.

"He was strong. His airbending was definitely on par, or at least close to how me and Kaze were five years ago." Azula says, concern riding her face. "But he is going to need to get a lot stronger if he plans on taking on the Fire Nation and my father. And you three? How were the two others?"

"Well, the boy was as weak as he was cute." Ty Lee says through a giggle. "I mean sure, he couldn't really fight with Tom Tom in his arms, but the way he moved was pretty funny."

Mai sighs right besides her. "Well, he did manage to dodge a couple of my knives before I managed to get him so… I guess he wasn't completely pathetic."

Kaze stares at the moon for a second before retelling his own fight with the other waterbender. "Well… mine was pretty strong." This makes Azula perk up in curiosity. "She had good enough control of the water she bended, and her attacks were pretty precise as well as carrying a lot of punch."

"Really?" It was Ty Lee. "From where we were, you seemed to be having fun toying around with her until you finally decided to hit her. And even then, it only took you one attack to beat her…" She says while looking at him with confusion.

Kaze laughs nervously at her words. "Y-Yeah, you're right… But even then, as the fight went on, her technique only seemed to get better as she fought. I think she has a lot of room to improve yet."

Azula seems to consider their words.

"I suppose this means that, aside from the boy, the other two still have a lot of room to grow stronger…" She smiles at the three, before she settles on Kaze. "I guess this means that for now, the plan is still viable."

"Seems so." Kaze returns a smile of his own. "The next question is… What now? How do we follow them now that we know they can simply fly around the world."

"Well, I'm sure that their faces will pop up around the Earth Kingdom if we let them on their own for a bit." Mai speaks up. "Couldn't we just wait until someone spots them?"

"Maybe… But we do know that he'll be looking for an Earthbending teacher." Kaze puts a hand to his chin. "I'm pretty sure they came here because they wanted the King to teach him. Now that that option is gone, they'll probably try to find one in one of the bigger cities of the Earth Kingdom."

Azula the stands up and heads towards the balcony, her back to the three of them. "I agree with Kaze. I doubt they would head directly to Ba Sing Se, as getting inside is pretty hard for pretty much anyone right now." She places her hands on the railing. "I think our best chance is the biggest town near here. A town by the name of Gaoling."

"What's your plan then, Azula?" Ty Lee asks.

"For now, we head towards the path to Gaoling, try to look for signs of a flying bison." She then turns around to look at Kaze. "There's a giant swamp on the way. It's normally considered uncrossable, but with your waterbending, we could make it out within a half a day, making the trip a lot shorter."

Kaze beams at her. "Guess that's a plan! Let's head out tomorrow then, we have no time to lose."

And so, everyone stood up, with Mai and Ty Lee retiring to their rooms, while Kaze stayed behind with her.

He makes his way beside her.

"How are you feeling?" He takes her hand on the railing.

"What do you mean?" Azula is slightly confused at his question.

"Something's still bothering you, isn't it?" Kaze starts rubbing his thumb over her hand.

Azula sighs, Kaze once again can see right through her.

"…Back at the palace, I avoided my father as much as I could." She leans her head on his shoulder.

"Seeing him brought back many painful memories… And looking at that giant statue of him well… Well, it reminded me about my mother." She tries to contain the tears that are forming in her eyes.

"Sometimes I think about what would have happened if you didn't manage to bring her back to my life. And it hurts, a lot… I used to think that she hated me, that she would rather not have me near her or Zuko. And if she had left me while thinking that… I-" She tries to say, but is interrupted by Kaze wrapping his arms around her.

"I know. It's okay…" He says with a soothing voice that managed to somewhat bring back Azula from her own head. "You don't have to keep going…"

She puts her head on his chest, trying to absorb as much of him as she could. "It wasn't long but… those two days I had with her before she left… They are one of the happiest memories I have. And now…" She feels his hand rubbing circles on her back. "The only thing I can do is hope that she's alive out there, somewhere… And that she's thinking about me."

They both remain quiet, relishing in the warmth of the embrace.

Once Azula calmed down, she looked up at him, her usual fire back. "And what about you?"

"What about me?" It was Kaze's turn to feel confused.

"Your family. I know you're worried about them."

Kaze eyes widen at her words. He had thought he hid that relatively well, but he guesses it was obvious Azula could read him so well.

"I… I know they're safe, for now…" He looks at the ground. "I just can't help feeling worried that they live so close to the palace, where your father is, and that he knows exactly who they are…"

Azula now starts rubbing circles in his hand.

"We'll get them out of there. I promise."

Kaze laughs lightly, her words making his heart flip. "I know. I'll always believe in you, Azula."

No other word is said. The gap between their faces' closes, as both reach in for a kiss.

Zuko had to leave.

Even though his uncle promised to remain by his side, he knew he had to go and find out who he really was. On his own.

All this time, his sister has been fighting through her own strength against their father, all in hopes of seizing her own path.

He swore to protect her, but as he was right now, he was nothing more than a failure. He was weak, and he felt lost. For the past five year, the only meaning his life had been hunting for the Avatar and regaining his honor. And now, without that, he didn't know what to do with the chance at life his sister gave him.

He didn't know what he would do, or where he would go, but he had to go.

He packed everything he deemed necessary. Then he approached his uncle, who was by the cave they had been living in for the past weeks.

"You were right, Uncle. I always thought capturing the Avatar would give meaning to my life… And even now, I can't get rid of the thoughts of continuing my hunt." Zuko manages to say, his voice betraying the sadness of having to leave his uncle.

"But I want to live a life with my own purpose, and find out who I really am… I think I should travel alone for now on."

His uncle remains quiet, his back towards him.

"I'm sorry, Uncle…" He says, as he turns around to leave. But he's quickly stopped.

"Wait. If you really believe this is what you need to do…" He goes over to the Ostrich Horse they stole and picks up its reigns. "Then it's better that you take him with you." He hands him the reigns.

"Prince Zuko… Always know that no matter what, you will always have people who believe in you."

"I will, Uncle." Zuko says, before turning around and climbing on the ostrich horse.

He gives his uncle a final nod before he heads out.

Even as he passes through the many trees, and heads out towards the desert, Zuko still worries.

He can only hope that this was the right choice.