Chapter 19: Troubles of the Heart
Well, he had to give it to the Fire Lord. Ember Island was definitely worth the trip.
The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and the ocean was stunningly blue. He almost wished he could use his waterbending for a while, but he didn't want to give half the people around here a heart attack. He'll have to settle for simply feeling the waves.
But the best part was-
"Kaze! Get over here!"
His beautiful girlfriend was currently terrorizing the local beach ball scene. It truly was a sight to watch.
He rushed over. "What's up? You finally tired of beating these guys senseless?"
"Yes. So, you're going to join their team." She grinned mischievously. "You know, to even the odds."
Well, that could only end well.
"You sure about that? Don't wanna ruin your streak you know." He grinned, clearly trying to rile her up.
She scoffed. "It'll be nice finally doing something about that ego of yours."
He laughed cheerfully. "Alright, you're on!"
And just like he expected, the match quickly turned into a slugfest between the both of them.
On one particular play, Azula launched a fiery ball so powerful, he had to bend the humidity around in order to not get burned while receiving. To his luck, nobody seemed to notice.
Figuring he could probably apply that when he spiked the ball, the match devolved into a flurry of powerful shot after powerful shot where the only ones capable of even receiving were him and Azula.
It must have been an incredible show as people started crowding around them to watch.
The match went on for way too long, but he eventually managed to send a particularly slippery ball that slipped off Azula's arms, giving his team the match.
The voices around them varied between cheers to disappointed groans. It even seemed like some were paying off bets between each other.
He sighed. He hoped to keep a lower profile in their vacation…
"I want a rematch." Azula said as she approached him, she was scowling but he could tell through her eyes that she enjoyed their match.
"As many times as you want, princess."
"You need us to what?!"
"Well, the headmaster said I needed to bring my parents after school… And I need one of you guys to go and pretend to be them…"
Aang still couldn't believe how quickly things had escalated. All he wanted was to experience what school was like, where he could act like a normal kid for once…
"No! We're dropping this whole school thing, right now!" Sokka seemed particularly angry. "I told you it was a bad idea, Aang!"
But he was interrupted by another voice.
"C'mon Sokka, it's not that bad. All you need to do is dress up the part and just act like a disappointed parent." Zuko spoke up. "Besides, Aang said he wanted to experience school for once. I'm pretty sure getting in trouble is part of that whole thing."
Although he was happy that someone was defending him, he still didn't know how to feel about them being Zuko.
It's weird how nice he can be when he's not busy chasing them around the world and screaming about honor.
"Oh? Then I'm guessing that means you're volunteering!" Sokka's face then lit up with an idea. "Great! Here, you'll need this then!" He pulled out a fake beard from who knows where and threw it at Zuko.
"I'm not wearing this! It smells!" Zuko held it at a distance while scowling. "I also don't think I would be good for the role…"
"Oh, come on Zuko, I'm sure you'll make a very convincing father." Katara said with a laugh from where she was sitting in their cave. "Plus, with me as the mom you have nothing to worry about!"
"W-Wait, what?!" Zuko stammered as his face turned red in a split second.
Aang groaned internally.
Oh, great. This again…
The way they almost effortlessly flirted with each other always managed to send a knife through his chest. Although he's noticed that it's gotten easier to handle after some time.
It would've been easier to stay angry if Zuko wasn't such a nice guy, or if Katara didn't look so happy all the time.
The only annoying part was that he was pretty sure Zuko didn't even know what was going on…
"C'mon Twinkletoes, stop sulking!" Toph punched him in his arm. She's been doing that more lately for some reason. "I'm sure everything will go just fine! Especially with Sugar Queen on the case!" She laughed brightly. "She doesn't even need to act the part for it to look convincing!"
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean, Toph?!" Katara shouted as she was arranging her hair for her role.
"We're really doing this then…" Zuko sighed in defeat, but then broke into warmer smile once he saw Katara's new appearance.
Aang groaned internally again. He just hopes that Zuko gets his act together soon, or he'll simply have to gauge his own eyes out.
His lovestruck girl act was definitely getting old.
This party was getting boring, and quickly.
And it wasn't just for the way people just seem to hound Kaze like a bunch of crazed fans, nor the way most of them seemed to be girls…
He was supposed to bring her something to drink, but he's just too nice to push people away once they approach him.
Maybe she should just go there and help him out…
"Azula! I'm glad you're here! Those boys didn't want to leave me alone." Ty lee cartwheeled her way towards her.
"Want me to go kill them?" She joked… mostly.
"Hm… Why do I get the feeling you're not talking about the guys…" Ty Lee followed her line of sight into the crowd surrounding Kaze.
"You know, you could just go and scare them all away if you wanted to."
She sighed. "I know, but just look how much he's enjoying himself…" She looked down at her feet. "I just can't help the feeling that it's my fault he missed out on so much of his childhood because of my family…"
And it was true. He went from regular kid to suddenly being sent to a royal academy and then right into the middle of a war… And all because her father caught sight of him…
"Well, I'm pretty sure he'd rather spend time with you than anyone else in this party. He really loves you, you know!" Ty Lee smiled reassuringly. "Besides, I don't think he could ever blame you for something like that. It's how you two met after all."
"Thanks, Ty Lee." She smiled back at her friend.
"And what about you then? Did none of those boys catch your attention?"
Ty Lee's smile was now riddled with a hint of sadness. "I don't know, really. I guess I'm just waiting for the right person. Someone who doesn't just focus on my appearance… And would actually try to get to know me, you know?"
She did know. Kaze pretty much did all that when they were children and even now. They were still learning much about each other and how to be together… It was reassuring in a way she couldn't describe that they met that early in life.
"Well, wherever that person may be, I'm sure they will be lucky to have someone like you, Ty Lee."
"Thanks, Azula!" She regained her earlier cheer. But then she saw how something caught her friend's eye somewhere in the distance. "Oh! I better go help Mai out. Those boys seem to have moved on to bother her instead of me."
"I'll see you later, Azula!" She waved at her.
While she was waving back, Kaze had finally made his way back to her.
"Hey! Sorry about that, those people just wouldn't stop bothering me."
"Well, you certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself from here." She said with a little more edge than she wanted.
"Yeah, well… It was pretty nice to chat with people our age without the war constantly looming over our every word. But I still would rather spend time with you." He said as he handed her the drink.
"Good. Because you're not drifting away from me again. It took about ten seconds away for you to be completely lost in a sea of people, and that's not happening again." She said with a giggle, but it quickly devolved into a solemn look as she was reminded of her conversation with Ty Lee.
"What's wrong?" Kaze seemed to catch on to it and immediately latched his hand onto hers, rubbing circles with his thumb.
She knew everything Ty Lee said was true. They've gone through so much together that she would always trust Kaze to stay by her side no matter what.
But there was a small corner of her brain constantly nagging at her.
"Do you ever regret not getting to live a normal life?" She simply had to ask.
Kaze thought for a moment. "I don't think I would've lived a 'normal' life no matter what…" His face turned pensive, as if going through every event of his life. "I mean, with me being a waterbender, something was bound to happen."
"But what if you could've gotten a chance to live a regular life, without worrying about the war or my family… would you take it?"
Her anxiety was reaching a peak. She knew his answer already, but she needed to hear it for some reason.
"Are you in that life?" He asked immediately.
But she just remained quiet, gaze looking everywhere but his eyes.
"If you're not, then no, I wouldn't take it." He lovingly smiled at her. "Actually, I wouldn't have taken it regardless. It might be weird to think this, but I think one of the reasons we both grew so much in such little time was because of the circumstances that we met with… I feel like I would've fallen in love with you no matter what, but it's the fact that we've seen each other on our worst moments and our best moments, and each time we managed to get something out of them together. It's thanks to the lives that we have now that we became the best versions of ourselves. And honestly, if I had a chance to do everything again… I probably wouldn't change anything."
Of course he felt that way. She did as well, after all.
"I love you, Kaze."
"I love you too, Azula."
"You were incredible, Zuko!" Aang was singing his praises as they returned to their cave after their parent teacher meeting.
"'Do not worry, Headmaster. I will take proper care to ensure that Kuzon understands the consequences of disrespecting those above him.'" He imitated his voice. "I mean, you almost had me believing you were actually going to do something to me!"
But Katara, who had let her hair down and removed her costume for her usual clothes, just looked at him with concern. She probably realized why he made such a convincing act…
"Don't mention it… I'm just glad we were able to get you out of that without much issue." He tried to smile at both of them. "But now that we solved that, what are you going to do about school now? You can't seriously be thinking of going back."
But Aang just grinned widely. "I actually got a plan for that! Don't worry I'll tell you when we get back to hideout." He then started running ahead of them. "I gotta go tell Toph and Sokka about what happened. They're gonna love hearing this!" He then rushed ahead, before waving at them. "I'll see you guys there!"
And so, he left both him and Katara alone.
"Are you okay?" She asked him as she started walking closer to him.
"Yeah, don't worry." He answered with what he thought was a reassuring smile. But it didn't seem to work.
"We're going to make him pay for what he did to you." She sounded determined through her worry. "And then we'll go to the north after it… I promise."
"The north?" Why would they… oh, that's right.
He reached for his scar.
"I know you said you wanted to figure out who you were before I healed your scar… But I still think you might be better off without that constant reminder."
Their shoulders were touching as they walked in a slower pace.
"Maybe that's what you need in order to truly move on and find your place in the world…"
He considered her words.
She was right, most likely. But as long as his father was still standing, and his mother was still missing, he won't ever be able to move on.
But the last month has helped him realize that he doesn't have to do it alone. He didn't need to suffer his pain on his own anymore.
And he was eternally grateful for it.
"Will you be part of that?"
Wait, what was he asking?
"Will you be part of that place in the world?"
Where was this coming from?
He was scared to look at her face but did anyway.
She was looking at him in surprise, but it quickly shifted into something he couldn't read.
"Do you want me to be part of it?"
He did. The answer instantly appeared in his head. He's grateful for everyone in the team but everything was sparked thanks to Katara. Despite everything he did to her, burning her village, stealing her necklace, and what he pulled in the north pole, she has never once held it against him ever since they met in the cave.
He's apologized multiple times, and he has a feeling that it will never be enough. That he could never make up for who he was, and how he hurt them. Hurt her. But he still wanted to try. He wanted to fight for it, for that place in the world where she's there with him.
She accepted him for who he was, and even began to worry for him in a way that he's never experienced before. To have someone that seems to understand what you're going through, and when they don't, they make an effort to understand, has given him a feeling in his chest he's never felt once.
Not even with Mai.
It's only been one month. And his answer was obvious.
"Yeah, I do."
She smiled at him.
He remembers the way Azula sometimes seemed to lose herself while looking at Kaze, and he never really understood it. That was until now.
It was so radiant. So beautiful. He could watch it for the rest of his life, but he also wanted more. He wants to see everything she has to show, and in turn, he wants to show her everything he has.
The sun was starting to set behind her, giving her an orange glow that highlighted her brown hair and let her beautiful blue eyes sparkle like the ocean waves he could see in the distance. It felt like she was the last person on this Earth, and he was just lucky enough to have witnessed it.
She was looking at him expectantly, urging him to do something. Almost as if asking for proof of his words. And he knew exactly what that proof was.
So, he leaned down and met her lips with his, trying to convey everything he was feeling, and everything he was thinking through this tender touch.
Both remained like that for an eternity, losing themselves to each other.
Unbeknownst to them, one certain airbender was hidden somewhere up ahead, smiling at the sight in spite of the pain crawling his chest.
Seeming satisfied, he decided to leave them to their own world.
He knew that it wouldn't be easy, but he resolved to move on as well. To find his place in this world that asks so much of him. And he knew he could count on all of his friends for that.
He wasn't going to let himself disappoint them again. He was the Avatar after all.
"Why couldn't we have come here in the first place? This place is huge!"
"Don't ask me! It was my father who asked Li and Lo to share their place with us! If I had my way, we would've been staying here from the beginning!"
Seeing two of her best friends bicker while leaning on each other affectionately like they were doing right now was only deepening the weight on Ty Lee's chest.
All she's wanted was someone to share a connection like that, with no need to hold anything back. To trust each other with things she could never trust with anyone else…
She couldn't help the pang of envy at Azula and Kaze for finding it so quickly in their lives. And by some stroke of luck at that. The circumstances around that were so incredible that she often wondered if it was their destiny to meet like that. And if it was hers to remain by herself…
But she couldn't let herself drown in her sadness. They were still in the middle of a war, and she was going to do everything in her power to help her friends. They were her real family after all. As much as she loved her parents and her sisters, they never seemed to care to get to know her. She was just a piece of a set. A smaller part from a puzzle.
"What's going on with you?" She heard Mai as she sat next to her on the steps that surrounded the courtyard from Azula's family home.
She remained quiet, trying to think of an answer. Mai still seemed hung up with the whole Zuko thing, but even then, she was still her friend. And she was worried for her.
"I just feel like I'll never find something like what they have…"
Mai raised an eyebrow. "I don't think anyone in the world will ever find anything like what those two psychos have… They literally fell in love after almost killing each other, and us for that matter, when they fought in that courtyard all those years ago." She huffed. "I mean, they were smiling so freely all the while they were throwing lethal shot after lethal shot. So I'd say you don't have to worry about that."
Ty Lee laughed at her comment. "I know that! But you get what I mean… I just wished I had a sign from the universe that there is someone out there for me." She sighed.
"No one in the party caught your attention?"
"Well, all the boys were busy staring at my chest, while all the girls were hung up about Kaze ignoring them… It honestly bummed me out."
Mai hummed, as if going through something in her head. "Well… Maybe you're not looking in the right places. I mean, you've been in the Fire Nation your whole life. And when you weren't, we were busy fighting the Avatar and capturing a city… Maybe you need a change of scenery."
But how could that work? She had to help Azula now, and she was sure that whatever came after would be just as, or even more difficult… The only people she knew from outside were the Avatar and his gang…
"Can I ask you something?" She asked to which Mai simply nodded.
"Were you in love with Zuko?"
She knew she was but… the way it ended was nothing like she imagined something like real love to be.
Mai groaned before leaning back to look at the sky. "I was. At least, I think I was. I mean, I thought about him every day ever since he was banished. I worried about him, about how he was feeling, if he was taking care of himself, and if he ever thought about me while he was stuck at sea… And I always believed we would get together once he fulfilled his mission… But I guess just because you feel some way, doesn't mean that the other person will as well."
She then smiled menacingly. "But don't worry, I still plan on getting my payback. He won't know what hit him."
She smiled back. It seemed even Mai had a better hold of herself than her, even if she just got heartbroken.
She couldn't let herself lose to her friends. They were supposed to be a team after all.
Aang himself couldn't be happier.
The dance party he and his friends planned was a great success. All around him, the kids from school were finally able to express themselves freely and happily.
And it seemed like his own friends were having a blast too. He couldn't even let himself be too bummed out about Katara dancing with Zuko in their own little corner away from everyone. He had danced with a bunch of kids he had never met before, then with On Ji for a while, and he and Katara even managed to do that dance they learned a few months ago when they were bored.
He was stuck fighting his way through the earth kingdom for so long that he almost had forgotten how satisfying it was to relax and let loose.
"Hey! Twinkletoes!" He heard from behind as his foot slipped on what felt like the ground shifting. "You owe me a dance!"
He did?
Guess he did then.
Although it wasn't exactly what he expected. "Hey Toph? What type of dance is this?"
"Hey! I only ever learned how to dance from those stupid lessons my parents forced me to take. I think it's called ballroom dancing or something." She was moving them side to side, using her earthbending to guide his feet. It was honestly really impressive.
"So, what's up? Why'd you want to dance all of a sudden?"
"Well, I noticed Sugar Queen swaying over there with a brooding firebender, and I wanted to know how you were still so cheerful."
So, she noticed then… Who was he kidding, he wasn't even trying to hide it.
"Well… In like, the past month, Katara's mood changed so much. It's like all of her constant stress and worry just disappear when she's with Zuko… I wanted him to be me but even after all the time we spent together, I've never seen her do half the faces I've seen her do recently." He smiled sadly. "Besides, I still haven't hit my growth spurt yet! I'll definitely get my dues!"
Plus, it's not like they were guaranteed to stay together… Even if they did look like they would.
He groaned internally. He needed to get himself together already…
He got brought out of his head by a hearty laugh. "Well, it seems like I underestimated you Twinkletoes! You still have some hope left as an earthbender, after all!"
He didn't know what that meant. So he just laughed along with her.
"Damn, it's gotten late…" Kaze said with a yawn.
"Well, it was your idea to go play in the ocean this late in the night." Azula said with a shrug.
"Well, it's the only time I could actually waterbend freely. I mean, the ocean has practically been calling out to me ever since we arrived!" And it was, eerily so. Almost like…
"Are you trying to tell me that the stupid spirit is back to haunt you?" Azula saw right through him. "Because if he is, I'll make sure to blast him to the bottom of the ocean until he decides to leave you alone!"
He laughed at her words but turned pensive once more.
"Hm… It's not haunting me per se… More like it's just calling out. As if wants to warn me about something…" He then let out another yawn. "Or maybe I'm just too tired and my brain is playing tricks on me."
Azula looked at him skeptically before huffing.
"Fine, but we're definitely talking about this tomorrow." She said with finality.
He was about to answer but a movement caught his eye in the distance.
It was a person. But they looked dazed. As if they were stuck in a trance.
They got closer, noticing that they were stumbling through the sand right in front of their house. They had a long and braided ponytail, and their curly hair was whirling with the sea breeze. It was unmistakeable.
"Hey isn't that…"
"Ty Lee!" Azula rushed to her side, with him close behind her.
But as they reached her, the usually cheerful girl suddenly toppled to the sand.
"Hold on!" He picked her up before rushing closer to the water. He bent a glove of water as he inspected her body.
She seemed perfectly fine. At least physically.
So, he decided to hover the water over her head.
"Is she okay?" Azula's voice was riddled with fear for her friend.
He hummed, as he tried to make sense of what he was feeling.
This was odd… Her chi was all over the place, and it was then getting stuck somewhere around her head. Almost like what happened in Ba Sing Se…
No, he couldn't jump to conclusions. They needed someone that could accurately tell them what was happening.
And he knew exactly who.
