Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Things have returned to a relative sense of peace and normality as they hid in Zuko's royal family vacation home on Ember Island. After the disaster of a play from last night, Zuko returned to training the Avatar ruthlessly while a few others watched in boredom. Everything felt like the norm with their once-enemy training Aang in firebending and the threat of the Fire Lord so close and yet, so far away.
Ameya had hid away in a guest room facing the beach quietly. Katara asked if she wanted to join them at the beach after Zuko stormed off from training with Aang. Ameya refused then; she still wanted some time alone to cope with everything that had happened the past few days. The emotional wild ride of the journey was taxing on her, mentally, and as much as she appreciated the groups' concern, the older woman was still accustomed to being alone sometimes.
In a way, Ameya was already planning on what to do once the Fire Lord was defeated. Although the future may look uncertain now, she had faith in Aang now that he has reliable teachers surrounding him to continue his training. And, when peace may finally return to the four kingdoms, Ameya will return to the Northern Water Tribe. She must retrieve Yue's clothing from the grandma's hut first before returning to her uncle again. There was so much she wanted to ask and so much she still wanted to know.
Whereas her future with Zuko…
That was the one part she was unsure with. She did promise him an answer last night but Ameya believed that would be somewhere later down the year. As they progress through this journey together this time, she planned to see where this relationship will lead. She wanted to see exactly how faithful, how determined, Zuko really was.
Amidst her musing, a loud explosion sounded off by the beach. Ameya startled, looking at the cloud smoke emerging from the beach and two figures running back to the huts. She blinked, rubbing her eyes to make sure she was seeing the scene right.
Why is Zuko attacking Aang?
Aang landed on the roof next to hers with Zuko following close behind. The fighting took back in place indoors but it wasn't long until another blast echoed the area, sending Zuko flying out of the house. By that time, Ameya had already hopped over to their house as the fighting ceased.
"What's going on?" She asked as the rest of the group joined them again.
"What's wrong with you? You could have hurt Aang!" Katara immediately frowned at Zuko.
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with all of you? How can you sit around having beach parties when Sozin's Comet is only three days away?" Zuko paused, "Why are you all looking at me like I'm crazy?"
"About Sozin's Comet... I was actually gonna wait to fight the Fire Lord until after it came," explained Aang.
"After?"
"I'm not ready. I need more time to master firebending," he continued.
"And frankly, your earthbending could still use some work too," Toph chimed in.
What Aang said made sense. Why would they charge into battle when the firebenders would receive a power boost during that time? They already failed once during the eclipse and lost a majority of their rebel forces. Not only that, they separated from Hakoda and the others during Azula's last attack. Recouping now would be the best strategy.
"So, you all knew Aang was going to wait?" Somehow, why did Zuko look directly at Ameya when he asked that? She had an inkling of an idea that was to happen but it wasn't like she directly withheld the information.
"Honestly, if Aang tries to fight the Fire Lord now, he's going to lose," Sokka, always blunt, noticed Aang grimacing and quickly added, "No offense."
"The whole point of fighting the Fire Lord before the Comet was to stop the Fire Nation from winning the War, but they pretty much won the War when they took Ba Sing Se. Things can't get any worse," Katara followed up.
"You're wrong."
Silence washed over the group when Zuko turned around, shoulders tensed with clenched fists.
"It's about to get worse than you can even imagine. The day before the eclipse, my father asked me to attend an important war meeting. It was what I dreamed about for so many years. My father had finally accepted me back."
And then, Zuko promptly gave them all a harsh wake-up call from the current peaceful days. Fire Lord Ozai was planning on destroying the whole Earth Kingdom with his dozen airships, raining fire over the land and instilling fear into the civilians. Ozai's goal to conquer the world may become a reality and with Sozin's Comet approaching fast, he may just as well accomplish it.
"I wanted to speak out against this horrifying plan, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't. My whole life, I struggled to gain my father's love and acceptance, but once I had it, I realized I'd lost myself getting there. I'd forgotten who I was."
"No…way," Ameya whispered.
"I can't believe this," Katara sank to her knees.
"I always knew the Fire Lord was a bad guy, but his plan is just pure evil," Sokka said, holding onto Suki quietly.
"What am I going to do?" Distraught, Aang looked at them for answers.
"I know you're scared, and I know you're not ready to save the world, but if you don't defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes, there won't be a world to save anymore," Zuko reminded them of the harsh reality.
"Why didn't you tell me about your dad's crazy plan sooner?" Aang lashed out, nervous and panicked all at once as he paced back and forth.
"I didn't think I had to! I assumed you were still going to fight him before the comet. No one told me you decided to wait!"
Aang collapsed on his knees, hands covering his face in frustration. Ameya pursed her lips, looking at the lone Avatar's back with the lightning scar still fresh and angry turned to them. She was reminded again of how young Aang was and how great of a burden he must carry as the Avatar. Just when they finally thought they had time to train and rest up with their mismatched group, time was already running out on them.
"This is bad. This is really, really bad."
"Let's try to think this through. We still have three days until the Comet," Ameya tried to calm Aang down.
"Aang, you don't have to do this alone," Katara took a step towards Aang.
"Yeah, if we all fight the Fire Lord together, we got a shot at taking him down," Toph agreed.
"All right! Team Avatar is back! Air. Water. Earth. Fire. Fan and sword!" Sokka waved his leaf blade proudly.
A small smile emerged on Ameya's lips at Sokka's antics. Even in this dire situation, they were able to be optimistic. From all the stories she had heard about 'Team Avatar' throughout the year, she knew the crazy things they had done were not entirely due to luck, but also skills. They were training for this moment and after all, saving the world was the Avatar's symbol.
"Fighting the Fire Lord is going to be the hardest thing we've ever done together, but I wouldn't want to do it any other way," with hope renewed, Aang smiled towards them all.
Happily, they ran to hug Aang. Ameya watched with a fond smile, thinking back to all the times she saw them still retaining their childhood innocence as if fighting against a nation was another beach day to them. As they circled around each other in their usual group hug, they realized not everyone has joined in yet.
"Don't make us come over to you two!" Sokka jested.
"Being part of the group also means being part of group hugs," Katara added.
Well, it wouldn't be the first time for them to somehow drag Ameya in. But this time, she wanted to be the one to take the step towards them. She turned towards the quiet prince by her side, noticing his attention was once again on hers. Quietly, she reached out to grasp his wrist.
"C'mon, they're quite persistent with things like this."
Zuko looked down at their joined hands and adjusted his grip so his fingers held hers. He was fine with whatever she wanted to lead them to. Even if it was to join in this childish group hug that he was secretly pleased to be a part of, a larger part of him was relieved to know Ameya wanted to include him again. This was what he imagined life would be like if Ameya had accepted him from the beginning. She would be the one to reach out towards him with a slight smile and he would follow without a doubt.
They spent the afternoon in a mock-training exercise to fight against the Fire Lord—or Toph's impromptu 'Melon Lord'. It would have been a successful training if not for Aang's hesitation at the last moment to kill the watermelon head of the enemy, stopping just inches short from the fruit. The inner turmoil of Aang continued into the night despite Sokka's persistence in convincing Aang to kill a human being. He had stormed off elsewhere alone and Zuko prevented Katara from following after the young airbender. One by one, everyone went back to their rooms to prepare for their long journey the next day but Ameya stayed behind, leaning against the pillar as she observed the quiet Zuko.
"You okay?"
"Why do you ask?" Zuko asked back just as curious, a flutter in his heart as he faced her.
"Well the whole day, we were all kinda conspiring to murder your father. Just want to see how you're doing," she shrugged, taking a seat on the steps to observe the bright moon above.
He barely resisted the smile on his face at her care, taking a seat next to her as a silent invitation. Although their relationship was still a little shaky now, Zuko believed Ameya was once again warming up to him. Whenever he had felt lost, she was somehow always there.
"At this point, I don't think he's qualified to be my 'father' anymore." There was a bitter undertone in his words as he looked down at his hands, observing the callous palm and fingers that he had received from his years of banishment. "But this isn't about me. This is about the world. I see now that I have to take a part in restoring balance to the world. The Fire Nation has hurt too many people for far too long."
His eyes found hers then, hoping she would see the sincerity in his eyes and show that he had really changed from his blind conviction before. Iroh tried for the longest time to guide him to the right path while even in the prison and Zuko had struggled all his life in doing the right thing. For once, he felt assured and righteous with his decision, even if it meant hurting his family, the person he once idolized his whole life.
"Hmm," Ameya hummed, a small quirk of her lips upwards at his response, "Not all of them are bad, I suppose. Of course, I mean Iroh. What happened to him?"
She remembered Iroh had been the one to hold back the Dai Li back in the Earth Kingdom for their escape. He would have been captured by Azula and Zuko but there had been no news of Iroh since then.
"He escaped during the invasion," Zuko answered quietly. He wanted to be the one to help his uncle break out and apologize but didn't even get the chance to catch a glimpse of him. He was relieved though; sometimes, Zuko forgot that Iroh had once been on the line for the throne before his father and was a well respected General of his time.
"I'm sure Iroh will be fine. He's a lot more resourceful than you," Ameya could not help but tease.
A small smile appeared on his lips, unable to refute her statement.
"Uncle has been the one to teach me everything I know. He has always been more of a father to me than my real father. But…I hurt him, too."
Ameya mused to herself, knowing the pain Iroh must have gone through the same as her at Zuko's betrayal back at the crystal catacombs. She understood the frustration the older man must have felt at the one he considered his son. Iroh had always been the one guiding them to the correct path. The last she saw of Iroh was his urging to follow the avatar, to follow her own destiny.
"Looks like you have more apologies to make," she tried to lighten up the mood, knowing Zuko will do just that even without her reminder. Ameya stood up then, rolling her shoulders as she looked down at the still sitting Zuko, "C'mon, we should sleep. Early day tomorrow to bring down the big bad Fire Lord."
Zuko stood up after her, taking her hand in his quickly before he lost the chance. Ameya stopped walking to look at him in confusion, ignoring the drumming of her heart but did not pull away when he took a step closer.
"No matter what happens, I won't let anything happen to you," he vowed once more, using any chance he can get to try and repair their fragile relationship. Any type of future battle they may face will be life or death and Zuko was not planning on letting her out of sight, no matter how strong Ameya was by herself.
"I can take care of myself pretty well," Ameya countered easily; she was never a damsel in distress.
"I know," after all, there were plenty of times he witnessed firsthand how formidable she can be, "I just wanted to say my peace."
In a swift motion, Zuko brought their joined hands together to his lips, delivering a feather light kiss upon her fingers. He could feel her muscles tense beneath his touch, her icy blue eyes widening in shock while color slowly started to adorn her cheeks.
If Zuko were to be truthful, he would admit that losing her again would be worse than losing his father. She had been the one to bring light back into his life again, been the one to heal and comfort his aching heart when the world had been cruel to him. He was scared for this upcoming battle, scared to see Ameya captured or even worse—hurt. Although she may have set a boundary now, inch by inch, Zuko wanted to step closer to her heart once more. They did not have much time together left and the looming battle was inevitable.
"You—" Ameya was at a loss of words, shocked he even had the courage to do that in the first place yet embarrassed because she somehow did not mind, "I'm going to bed."
Swiftly, Ameya took her hand back and turned to the direction of her room, leaving Zuko alone. The banished prince merely smiled at her retreating back, not missing the way her cheeks were aflame as she left.
Shutting the door behind her, Ameya slid down against the door as she held the hand that was just kissed to her chest. The rapid beat of her heart felt loud in her ears despite the silence of the night and the lingering heat on her hand reminded her of his gentle golden eyes. Zuko was different now, more confident and assured yet so—unpredictable. She should have known he had something planned the moment he held her hand but somehow, there was some type of anticipation within her at that prospect. Maybe she was missing the warmth he offered during her breakdown just a few nights prior that Ameya held no guard against him. Maybe she was getting accustomed to him already with how seamless he had stepped into the gang and her life.
But most of all, Ameya was shocked at herself for craving more.
She knew by now, Zuko meant what he said. The gang had a history with him as enemies and they had already forgiven him. Initially, Ameya wanted to pretend their past relationship meant nothing to protect her heart but Zuko somehow wormed himself in again after finding out the truth about her parents. She just hadn't realized how bold he was becoming—and how quickly she was willing to give into him once more.
Now isn't the time for this, shaking the thoughts away from her mind, Ameya stood back up to climb into bed, everything can be sorted out after.
But when morning came, the plan to invade Fire Nation paused.
Aang disappeared.
They all split up into groups in hopes of finding the lost avatar. Aang left behind his wind glider and his footsteps in the sand led him straight into the ocean. Every part of the island was combed through in hopes of finding the young boy yet they all returned empty handed with no avatar in sight.
Ameya and Sokka landed Appa with the rest, jumping down from the bison to see their friend's sullen faces.
"Judging by the looks on your faces, I'm guessing you guys didn't find Aang, either," Sokka said.
"No. It's like he just...disappeared," Zuko confirmed.
Ameya frowned, running a hand through her hair as she took a seat by the girls. Toph mentioned the disappearance of Momo as well, bringing everyone's attention to the missing lemur and causing Sokka to dive into Appa's mouth, thinking the bison had eaten the smaller creature.
"Sokka, Appa didn't eat Momo. He's probably with Aang," Katara sighed.
"That's just what Appa wants you to think!"
"Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka. We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found and the comet is only two days away," scolded Zuko.
"He couldn't have run now, right?" Ameya doubted.
"No, something must have happened," Katara agreed, "What should we do, Zuko?"
They all turned to the prince, hoping he would be the one to provide some answers.
"I don't know. Why are you all looking at me?" Zuko stood up.
"Well, you are kind of the expert on tracking Aang."
"Yeah, if anyone's got experience hunting the Avatar...it's you," Toph agreed.
And so, the six of them packed up and got on Appa as Zuko led the flying bison to the Earth Kingdom. They flew until nighttime when they finally landed in front of a tavern in a forest. After securing Appa, they went inside the rowdy tavern with confusion.
"And the reason you've brought us to a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern is what now?" Katara cannot help but question.
"June," Zuko pointed towards the woman in the middle. Ameya blinked, recognizing the long black hair and burgundy outfit of the bounty hunter they had encountered before. This was the woman with the shirshu that paralyzed her in their third meeting, confirming Zuko's first capture of the thief despite losing the avatar back then.
"Well, this certainly is a blast from the past," Ameya hummed, watching the woman effortlessly take down the tavern thugs while maintaining her drink.
"I don't know who this June lady is, but I like her," Toph grinned.
Finally, Sokka remembered her as well as he gaped at Zuko.
"Hey, I remember her! She helped you attack us!"
"Yup," Zuko agreed as he led the group to her, "Back in the good old days."
"Oh great. It's Prince Pouty," June must have recognized them too at Zuko's distinguishable appearance, pouring herself a drink, "Where's your creepy grandpa?"
"He's my uncle. And he's not here."
No longer caring for that correction, she glanced at the group again, settling on the icy blue eyes of the woman next to Zuko.
"I see you worked things out with your girlfriend," she teased.
Ameya paused, glancing at Zuko while he immediately blushed.
"We're not exactly—"
"Not yet but we soon will be—"
"Who said I will even agree—?!"
"Yeah, no, I don't exactly care," June interrupted before the two of them could go on.
Ameya blushed, crossing her arms as she looked away—only to catch on the teasing glances from the Water Tribe siblings and Suki. Zuko did not look disheartened by their little disagreement and nearly even smiled at June's comment.
"So what do you want?"
"I need your help finding the Avatar," he calmed down enough to say.
"Hm. Doesn't sound too fun."
"Does the end of the world sound like more fun?" Threatened Zuko.
It did not take long to convince June to help. The shirshu was left outside the tavern along with Appa as the woman coddled her mount. Katara gave Aang's glider to the shirshu in hopes of catching his scent yet with the way the creature was pacing, June deduced that the avatar was nowhere to be found. The only hope of finding him dwindled and frustration ate away at them.
"No, I mean he's gone gone. He doesn't exist."
"How is that even possible?" Ameya questioned.
"What do you mean Aang doesn't exist? Do you mean he's...you know, dead?" Sokka asked hesitantly.
"Nope. We could find him if he were dead. Wow, it's a real head-scratcher. See ya," uncaring, June was already climbing onto the shirshu.
"Helpful. Real helpful."
"Wait. I have another idea," Zuko quickly stopped the woman, "There's only one other person in this world who can help us face the Fire Lord. I'll be right back with a smell sample."
Zuko ran off to Appa and returned with a sandal. Ameya took a step back from the overwhelming scent and even Zuko was trying to even out his breathing and away from the slipper.
"You saved your uncle's sweaty sandal?" Sokka was thoroughly disgusted, "Ugh!"
"I think it's kind of sweet," Toph smiled.
Either way, it worked out for them as the shirshu caught onto the scent and took off. Quickly, the others jumped back onto Appa and followed after the bounty hunter. Knowing that the shirshu was able to lead them to Iroh gave them renewed hope. Even if Aang was not around, it meant he was not dead and that was the best they could hope for.
They traveled throughout the night, then morning, the whole day, then night again with June leading the charge on her shirshu and Appa flying close behind. All of them were curious about the direction the creature was heading towards but no one doubted the tracking abilities of the shirshu. Slowly, a border was starting to appear in their vision beyond the night and the closer they got to it, the sight of a giant wall became clearer.
"Ba Sing Se?"
It had been months since Ameya saw the outer wall of the once impenetrable city of the Earth Kingdom. Back then, there was no giant tear like it does now.
"Your uncle's somewhere beyond the wall. Nyla's getting twitchy so he can't be too far," June stopped short before entering the wall, leading the shirshu around as it circled the debris. The woman reined the creature around, eyes peering at the teenagers above Appa. "Good luck."
They watch June speed away and mount off the bison. Zuko took on the charge as he noticed everyone's fatigued state then to the rubble surrounding them.
"It's been a long day. Let's camp and start our search again at dawn."
Not caring much besides rest from a whole day of travel, they had picked a pile of rocks large enough to hide the flying bison and settled beside it. Nothing else needed to be exchanged as fatigue took over the group, settling to sleep on Appa and his fur for warmth while Toph created a mini earth tent for herself. Everyone drifted off to sleep shortly after, hoping to find traces of the ex-Fire Nation General the next time they awakened.
But sleep was interrupted shortly as a wave of fire surrounded them. They all quickly got up, facing towards the small group of men looking down at them beyond the rocks. Ameya blinked, catching the familiar sight of two out of four while the Water Tribe siblings looked up happily.
"What's going on? We're surrounded by old people," Toph could not contain her curiosity at the situation.
"Not just any old people," Katara answered while walking towards Pakku, bowing in respect to her waterbending master. "These are great masters and friends of ours."
Ameya bowed just a step behind Katara as she caught up with her new grandfather. Apparently, Pakku's old love was Katara and Sokka's grandmother and crafted a new betrothal necklace for her hand in marriage. Ameya could not help but smile at the heartfelt reunion and especially with Sokka's antics and warm welcome to Pakku for joining the family–much to Pakku's deadpan expression.
"It's good to see you doing well, too, Ameya," Pakku turned his attention to her while the others introduced the other masters to the gang. This young waterbender he had met briefly throughout the years had changed, he realized, more confident and less detached compared to before.
"Master Pakku," the young woman smiled in greeting, "The feeling is mutual."
"So wait. How do you all know each other?" Suki asked curiously.
"All old people know each other. Don't you know that?" The eccentric King of Omashu laughed.
"The Order of the White Lotus," Zuko said.
At that name, Ameya turned around to view the old masters in a different light. She had once carried the lotus Pai Sho tile for years and had been taught by Xiao how to play long ago but never once used it. It had been so miniscule to her that she never stopped to consider it to have any other meaning besides just another mystery of her caretaker. Even back when she met Piandao, Ameya never questioned how a Fire Nation resident knew her master from the Earth Kingdom.
"The White Lotus has always been about philosophy and beauty and truth. But about a month ago, a call went out that we were needed for something important," Jeong Jeong explained.
"It came from a Grand Lotus: your uncle," Pakku smiled at Zuko, "Iroh of the Fire Nation."
"Well, that's who we're looking for!" Toph seemed just as excited.
"Then we'll take you to him," Piandao turned around to lead the way but not before giving a glance at Ameya, a nod of acknowledgement in her direction when she bowed in respect to the swordmaster. There was a semblance of a secretive smile on Piandao's lips before Ameya could register what it meant, all of them following the elders along the rocky path.
During their descent down the trail, Bumi explained his reclamation of Omashu on the Day of the Black Sun. Everyone listened to how he escaped from his metal prison and reconquered his city from the Fire Nation. Despite the eccentric tale of the king, Ameya learned to not doubt the surprising adventures and feats of the gang and their friends.
They reached a campsite filled with dozens of tents. Nearly everyone was asleep except for the four masters leading them and a few guards were stationed along the border to keep watch. The time was nowhere near dawn with the blanket of the night covering the campsite but a few tents still held a small flame of embers within.
"Welcome to Old People Camp," Bumi introduced with a laugh.
"Where... Where is he?" Zuko was the first to ask.
"Your uncle's in there, Prince Zuko," Piandao pointed to a dark tent, signifying the possibility of Iroh asleep in there.
Zuko stilled, looking at the direction of the tent with hesitant steps while Ameya turned to him. Sensing his fear, she gently gave a push towards his back, knowing what he was afraid of as he settled to looking at her. It wasn't even that long ago when they were discussing Iroh and now here they were, just right on the other side of reaching the sleeping elder that had escaped the Fire Nation by himself.
"It's okay," she whispered, her fingers lightly brushing upon his own in silent assurance. The others wandered off to their own tent, leaving the prince and thief together as they slowly approached Iroh's tent.
"What if he hates me?" Zuko's own fingers curled around hers, not tight enough to hold but in a gentle cradle, "He loved and supported me in every way he could, and I still turned against him. How can I even face him?"
"If I know Iroh, and I'm pretty confident that I do, then I know he cares for you more than anything in the world. You're truly sorry for what you've done, aren't you?" Ameya asked quietly, watching his golden eyes gaze upon hers.
"More sorry than I've been about anything in my entire life," because it was not just Iroh he had hurt; she was included in that equation too. But Ameya was slowly growing to accept him again. With the way she had stayed behind, giving him the extra push he needed to face Iroh, Zuko felt the courage rise up from the bottom of his heart.
"Then, go ahead. Show him and he will forgive you," like I have.
His warm hand squeezed hers then, letting go after a beat as he turned to face the tent. With a deep sigh, Zuko stepped inside to face Iroh. Ameya smiled as his back disappeared and turned around, pausing at the sight of Piandao standing just a few feet away, waiting for her.
"Come, Ameya, there's someone you should see."
Confusion was clear on her face as she blinked at the swordmaster. Without a word, Ameya followed him shortly after, thinking that he would be showing her a shared tent soon. They stopped just ahead at a dimly lit tent instead and Piandao opened a flap, not stepping in.
"Hey, Xiao, you got a visitor."
Her heart beat rapidly against her chest, eyes widening at the unexpected name spoken from Piandao's voice. She took a step forward when the fabric opened wider, gazing at an older man with pitch dark eyes she never thought she would ever see again. Thin, long black hair held by a ribbon at the nape of his neck and stern dark eyes greeted her immediately, recognition flashing by the man's face as she stared in shock at the one she thought to be long gone.
"Master…Xiao?"
"Ameya…"
Never again would she have dreamt of hearing her old master's voice again. Never had Ameya forgotten the parting smile he gave her back then when the Fire Nation attacked, sacrificing himself to hold back the dozen of Fire Nation soldiers to allow her and Lu Jie's escape. Never had Ameya thought he would still be alive.
She rushed in, unshed tears brimming her eyes as she fell to her knees to kneel down. The burst of emotions overwhelmed the young woman as she bowed before Xiao, feelings of regret yet happiness washing over her at the one who had saved her life all those years ago.
"Master!"
Xiao was in front of her in one second and it took another second for him to reach down and bring her into a hug. She trembled in his arms, remembering the nights of when the older man would cradle the smaller version of her after training to be brought home. He was the very first one to show her kindness in this cruel world, the one who taught her everything she knew to survive, and the one who had raised her as a reluctant father but was more ferocious than anyone else when fighting for their escape.
"Thank the Spirits," Xiao mumbled through a shaky voice, "You're alive."
"I'm so sorry," Ameya cried instead, "I wasn't strong enough back then. I couldn't do anything when they attacked! I failed your teachings and I—"
"You are alive, Ameya," Xiao interrupted her ramblings to pull back, barely recognizing the once baby-faced child to be the blubbering woman now if not for her icy blue eyes, "There is nothing for you to apologize for."
For so long, the guilt of watching her two closest family figures sacrifice themselves for her had haunted her for years. For years, Ameya woken up to nightmares of that night filled with smoke and screams, cursing her inability to not do anything else except to hide. The only thing that had kept her going was running away from her weakness and dreaming of the fond memories of Xiao and Lu Jie. She had only given up back then, not determined to fight against fate and realized Xiao had been right the whole time.
She had potential but lacked conviction.
But not anymore.
She was not the same as when they separated.
Now, her master was the one alive and in front of her. The one she had considered long dead was kneeling before her right now. Just when she thought all the family figures she cherished were ripped away from her, Xiao had returned.
And he was the one thanking the Spirits for her survival? It should be the other way around. Ameya was thankful that he was the one alive.
"How is this possible? How are you here? What about Lady Lu Jie?" Ameya asked breathlessly, taking a few seconds to wipe away the tears as they sat across from each other.
"That night, they barely left an inch of my life remaining. They captured me and Lu Jie but rest assured, she's still alive, too. I managed to escape with many others during the Day of the Black Sun and was summoned by the Order of the White Lotus shortly after."
At the news of Lu Jie's survival, a fresh wave of tears appeared in her eyes in happiness. Lady Lu Jie, the woman who cherished the young child like her own daughter, was also alive and well.
Ameya finally noticed a small movement from the corner of the tent, eyes wide at the elegant raven eagle shaking itself awake from the noise. Xiao glanced at the bird and smiled, motioning for the creature to come over with a wave of his hand.
"Thank you for taking care of Raya in my absence. He was the link to the Order of the White Lotus all these years."
It finally made sense to Ameya as to why the raven eagle always carried around encrypted messages and was so well trained. This bird was part of the secret organization and at Xiao's disappearance, turned to Ameya as the next owner. The messenger bird had not only helped her send messages to the North Pole but it also guided her to Ba Sing Se from fellow White Lotus members.
"Master," Ameya smiled shakily, "There is so much I have to tell you."
Ameya confessed to her life of thievery, knowing this was not a secret she can hide from her master who trained her so devotedly. She spoke of her journey to the Northern Water Tribe; once to learn waterbending but was rejected due to her gender–only to return years later to aid against the siege from the Fire Nation. She spoke of her connection to Iroh and glimpsed over the details about the banished prince, not wanting her master to learn about her fragile breakdown of what she considered a weakness.
Xiao listened patiently as he once did, knowing of the child that could never lie in front of his stern gaze. Ameya was older now, grown from her naive ways yet some things still stayed the same. Even if this was the child he had picked up off the streets years ago, Xiao knew she was different from everyone else. She had a will to survive and an ability to endure like no other. It was when they were separated did he regret his inability to show more affection to the child he had found beaten, lost, and alone.
He knew it was only in front of him that she would be ashamed of her life as a thief but rather than reproaching her for the cruel life thrusted upon her, Xiao understood the reality of the world they had to live in.
Ameya continued to explain how she grouped up with the Avatar. Never had it ever occurred to her she would ever partake in this war and never had she considered doing more with her life than to just survive. In the presence of the man that gave her a new beginning to life, Ameya confessed wholeheartedly of her journey the past years.
There was a fire in her gaze and determination in her tone. Pride welded up within his chest as the child he once raised grew into the strong woman he knew she would be. Ameya was forced to grow up too soon to brace the harsh world but Xiao was proud of the friends she made along the way despite the endless battles she faced.
"You have grown up to be a fine lady, Ameya," Xiao said at last, the soft smile gracing his lips was as rare as his compliments. "Lu Jie would be proud, too."
When morning came, the group woke up to the sound of metal clashing against each other. The sun had barely risen when the threat of an ambush awoke their slumber yet what greeted their sight were not Fire Nation soldiers. Two bodies, one tall and another lithe, danced around each other in a sword duel on an empty plane. They recognized the young woman to be Ameya in her usual black stealth outfit, icy eyes trained on her opponent but an excited smile on her lips as she faced the man.
"You put too much force while landing on your feet. Don't rely on strength if your opponent is bigger than you!"
"Yes, Master!"
Wide-eyed and shocked, the identity of the unknown man was revealed by Ameya herself. They had never seen her look so happy to be training before and as they watched the two fight against each other in a mock battle, they realized how similar their movements were to one another.
Their training came to an end when they noticed the audience they had accidentally gathered. An embarrassed smile appeared on Ameya's face as she stood between her master and her friends.
"Good morning," she greeted lightly, "Master, these are the Avatar's friends I've mentioned earlier. Everyone, this…is Master Xiao."
Knowing Ameya, this person would be beyond a 'master' but what shocked them more was how genuine the woman looked facing him. They introduced each other one by one, bowing in respect to the older swordmaster while Xiao schooled his expression back to his usual nonchalance.
"Well, I've never seen Xiao this happy before," Piandao snickered from the side. "You've gotten rusty with age, old crow."
"It is my pride to have the pupil surpass the master," Xiao countered easily. "At least she's a better training opponent than you."
"Big talk coming from the guy captured by the Fire Nation for years. Ameya, give me your sword. I'm going to teach your master a lesson or two," Piandao stepped up.
She giggled, tossing the weapon to Piandao and let the two rivals fight it out themselves. Faintly, she noticed Zuko was not amongst the rest of the gang but figured he was with Iroh. The others watched with a stunned expression on their faces, now fully awake from the early dawn.
"My money is on Master Piandao!" Sokka cheered from the side, waving a flag excitedly for his own swordmaster.
"That one is your pupil?" Xiao gave a weary glance to the Water Tribe boy, "My condolences."
"Why do I feel like I just got insulted?" Sokka looked confused.
They laughed again, settling on the side to wash up from the morning as the sun rose higher in the sky. If it weren't for the impending doom of the Fire Nation's attack later, it almost felt like a regular reunion of masters and pupils. But, Ameya had never felt more prepared as she watched her master evenly spar with Piandao.
Movement from the main tent opened up and out walked the general she had not seen in months, followed by a smiling prince as both made their way to the group.
"Iroh!"
Ameya took a step towards them but it was Iroh who brought her in for a hug, giving a tight squeeze to the girl before letting her go with a fond smile on his lips. She cannot help but grin in return, feeling giddy the whole day of her master's return and reuniting with the elder who helped her countless times.
"You look well, Ameya," Iroh smiled, glancing once at her short locks but made no comment on it.
Ameya looked between Iroh and Zuko, noticing no awkward tension between them and understood all was well again.
"Never better," she agreed.
At that moment, Xiao left Piando to approach them, nodding in acknowledgement of their leader before cupping his hand together in respect.
"General Iroh, thank you for looking after my pupil the past year."
Both Zuko and Iroh were shocked by the elder man, looking between Ameya and Xiao repeatedly and realizing her light mood. Iroh grinned back, returning the bow to Xiao fully.
"Trust me, I didn't do much. All she needed was a little push."
Embarrassed, Ameya brushed a lock of hair away from her cheek. Her eyes found Zuko's then, noticing the relaxed shoulders and gentle look in his golden gaze to know everything was fine between them again. There was inquisition at the appearance of Xiao and she took a step closer, watching both of the elders talk fondly to each other.
"He was the one who rescued me from the streets. For the longest time, I thought I failed him but last night—I found him again. Master Xiao taught me everything I know."
Zuko smiled, truly happy for the thief who had once cursed this world of injustice. With Zuko's own heart feeling weightless from Iroh's forgiveness, he actually dared to hope again. His hand lingered near hers, pinky gently curled around her own, and stayed.
"Maybe not everything is terrible with the world," he hummed.
She pursed her lips. Her fingers were held captive again and although she let it slide the first few times, Ameya could still not get rid of the heat creeping up her cheeks every time he touched her.
"Aren't you getting too bold lately?"
Zuko smirked, the boyish smile alluring her even more with his confidence. He was taking charge first because he realized Ameya was not outwardly rejecting him anymore. The past few touches were a test to her limit and Zuko wondered how far he could push it. With the way she murmured the question without any anger, Zuko thought the bashful Ameya was wholeheartedly cute.
"I can show you more how bold I can be," he all but whispered.
This time, Zuko will be the one making the move forward towards her.
She wanted to pull her hand away but Zuko was quicker, lacing their fingers together tightly to prevent her escape. The heat spread from her cheeks to her ears and even if Ameya could rip her hand away if she truly wanted, she did not.
"Unbelievable."
Zuko merely grinned.
When they all gathered together for breakfast, no one pointed out Ameya's reclamation of her hand or Zuko's smile that seemed to be permanently stuck on his face. What they did do, however, was send a teasing smile towards the waterbender as they never witnessed her lost composure before and Zuko even earned a pat on the back from Sokka in praise. The light-hearted tone turned serious when they sat around Iroh, hoping to convince him to stop Fire Lord Ozai when Sozin's Comet was just looming around the corner.
"Uncle, you're the only person other than the Avatar who can possibly defeat the Father Lord."
"You mean the Fire Lord," Toph corrected.
"That's what I just said!"
Ameya snickered. Maybe Zuko was not more composed than he let on from this morning. Iroh hummed in contemplation, stirring the bowl with his chopsticks thoughtfully.
"We need you to come with us!" Zuko continued to urge.
"No, Zuko, it won't turn out well," Iroh decided.
"Why not?" Ameya could not help but question.
"You can beat him! And we'll be there to help," but Zuko did not relent, motioning towards the young group of fighters he befriended.
"Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don't know that I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war. History would see it as just more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord."
Silence washed over the group at Iroh's explanation. What he said made sense. For so long, everyone had been afraid of the Fire Nation and had looked upon the Avatar as a symbol of peace and hope. But if a Fire Nation general, a royalty no less, decided to stop Ozai's actions, then it will look to be another era of war or tyranny. Even if they knew Iroh was not that type of person to be drunk with power, the rest of the world would have seen it as an internal struggle between royalties.
Ameya really hoped Aang was somewhere safe and would return soon.
"And then...then you would come and take your rightful place on the throne?" Understanding the reason for Iroh's denial, Zuko pushed on for the aftermath. Obviously, Ozai would not be allowed to keep his position as Fire Lord after his years of reign.
"No. Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor. It has to be you, Prince Zuko."
They stayed quiet during this discussion between the royalties. This was the Fire Nation politics they must smooth out after the war. The nation had been the enemies to the world for a century and any type of healing must be taken upon a strong and compassionate leader.
"Unquestionable honor? But I've made so many mistakes…"
"Yes, you have. You've struggled; you've suffered, but you have always followed your own path. You restored your own honor, and only you can restore the honor of the Fire Nation."
Ameya wondered if this was the path Iroh had set for Zuko in the first place. She knew the journey the banished prince had gone through was not easy. Being shunned by his own father to chase a farfetched dream only to turn against him in the end was not exactly a fairytale story.
"I'll try, Uncle."
"Well, what if Aang doesn't come back?" Toph frowned, bringing the reality of the situation back on hand. Aang was still gone and the invasion will be on the way to the Earth Kingdom.
"Sozin's Comet is arriving, and our destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord. When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it back from the Fire Nation so the Earth Kingdom can be free again."
"That's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus," Suki commented.
"Yes. Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation, so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be there, waiting for you," Iroh warned.
"I can handle Azula."
"Not alone!" Iroh immediately denied. "You'll need help."
Two pairs of golden eyes turned to the quiet waterbender. Ameya glanced up from her lukewarm breakfast to smile at their inquiring gaze.
"Azula will be ecstatic to see me." Ameya tilted her head towards Zuko's direction, "Mind if I tag along?"
"Wouldn't have it any other way," he accepted easily. It would be the best option to keep her within his sights too.
"What about us? What's our destiny today?" Sokka asked the general. Iroh had been the war tactician amongst them, taking the leadership role dutifully for the Order of the White Lotus in hopes to stop the Fire Nation.
"What do you think it is?" But instead, Iroh carefully asked the question back, trying to nurture the mind of the children.
"I think that, even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet," Sokka concluded. He has his own experience in war and tactics now, too.
"And that means when Aang does face the Fire Lord, we'll be right there if he needs us," Toph pumped her fists enthusiastically.
The plan has been made and the wheels of their destiny continue to spin. Time was running out for them to prepare for the upcoming battle and Ameya excused herself then, trying to find her master amongst the sea of soldiers. A day has not passed by yet but they were already preparing to separate; she could only wish to see him one more time.
"Master Xiao!"
The elder man turned at the call of his name, finishing up his battle plan with another soldier before giving his attention to Ameya. She unhooked the beautiful gold and black shortsword from her waist, presenting it to the original owner of the weapon with a smile.
"Piandao gave this to me a few weeks back but I think this will help you more than me."
He took the weapon carefully, feeling the weight of the sword on his hand with a pleased expression on his face. This was definitely one of his better crafted swords and it was only given to Piandao for safekeeping when Xiao's circumstances with the Dai Li were tentative.
"This will work," clipping the weapon to his side, Xiao glanced at the unarmed woman carefully. "What about you?"
"Waterbending is my strongest weapon," she grinned confidently. Taking a step back to bow, "Thank you for everything, master. When this war is over, I hope to see you and Lady Lu Jie again."
Years ago, Xiao warned Ameya to never show her waterbending to strangers. Years ago, Xiao still remembered the trembling child at the sight of red armor. Now, years later, Ameya was standing up against the nation she once feared with abilities she was proud of.
"This isn't the end, Ameya." He rested one hand over her shoulder fondly and admiring how much she had grown in the past four years. "Stay safe out there. Lu Jie is still waiting for us."
Holding back her tears, Ameya rushed forward for one more hug. Xiao and Lu Jie had miraculously survived from the Fire Nation raid four years ago. Despite Aang's current whereabouts, his friends were here to prepare for the battle ahead. Iroh was leading the charge to reclaim Ba Sing Se and rallied the secret organization to no longer stand for this senseless war.
And Zuko…
She turned around to see him finish up saddling Appa. Zuko had changed and prepared to right the wrongs of his nation. Zuko was ready to stand up against his prodigal little sister after the fall of his father. Zuko…was waiting for her with bated breath.
Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Suki were on the giant eel hound while Zuko held the reins on Appa's horns. This was not the first time Ameya had left the others but after weeks of being in the presence of such caring friends, she found herself a bit unwilling to go. With the war looming ahead on their shoulders in stopping the Fire Nation once and for all again, she realized they were on separate paths and she cannot protect them all.
But maybe, they did not need her protection in the first place. These innocent children she had traveled with, lived with, trained with, and loved with–they were strong individuals themselves that will continue to flourish without her nurturing. She conditioned herself to protect them because she did not want to dwell in her own weaknesses but with constant care and company, they had been the ones to heal her instead.
"Take care of each other," Ameya smiled at the four of them, knowing they were to separate again but this time, she trusts in their abilities to withstand the challenges.
"You too, Ameya," Katara said through watery eyes.
"Take down that crazy sister of yours," Sokka joked to Zuko.
"Goodbye, everyone. Today, destiny is our friend," Iroh's gaze lingered on his nephew and thief, then to the avatar group. "I know it."
"Goodbye, Uncle."
"We'll see each other soon again, Iroh," Ameya smiled.
And then, they were off.
A/N:
Hello, it's been a long time. I hope you all have been well these past four years.
I recently revisited this story again on a whim, read it from beginning to end, and realized how much I love and missed Ameya. I've written quite a few stories throughout the years but ATLA will still be one that I consider to be the one most fleshed out for me. I want to write a beautiful ending for this fic at last and I think it was also because the ending was so close, I did not want to say goodbye to this yet. I am considering writing past the show premier scenes, explore the comics, etc. but I think this story may only have 2-3 chapters left.
I apologize for such a long delay and I am not even sure if anyone is still interested in this story but thank you for the lovely comments throughout the years. I am not sure if my writing still holds up, if I manage to capture the emotions and characters correctly, but I will do my best to continue. I would love to hear your comments and reviews again if you still enjoy this story and hope to see you all soon!