"Look!" Katara exclaimed.
Zuko, who had been absentmindedly staring at the dying embers of their campfire, looked over at the lake they had set up camp next to with mild interest, where a large green fish jumped out of its still waters.
Sokka jumped to his feet as well upon hearing his sister's cry and stared at the water intently for a moment. The fish jumped out of the water again, this time closer to the shore.
"He is taunting us!" the Water Tribe boy said. "You are so going to be dinner!"
Sokka bolted to retrieve his fishing pole and attempted to cast it into the water several times before frowning in confusion. "Hey, where's the fishing line?" he asked.
"Oh, I didn't think you would need it, Sokka," Aang replied from where he sat next to Zuko, holding up the twine, which he seemed to have braided intricately and decorated with a small red flower.
Sokka's brow furrowed as he walked over to the Avatar to examine the twine. "Aw, it's all tangled!" he groaned.
"Not tangled. Woven!" Aang replied, airbending himself to his feet. "I made you a bracelet, Katara." He turned to the Water Tribe girl and grinned widely as he held up the trinket in front of him.
Zuko immediately frowned slightly, feeling jealousy rise like bile in his throat.
I should be used to this by now, he thought to himself. It had been months since Aang had first started crushing on the Water Tribe girl, and he hadn't shown any signs of giving up on it. At this point, he wasn't sure if it was even possible for Aang to feel the same way about him. After all, he wasn't a pretty girl like Katara. Maybe Aang couldn't feel that way about a boy.
"Thanks, Aang," Katara replied happily, taking the bracelet from him. "I love it."
"Great, Aang," Sokka said sarcastically. "Maybe instead of saving the world, you can go into the jewelry-making business."
"I don't see why I can't do both," Aang replied with a crooked smile and a shrug.
Sokka stared at the Avatar with a deadpan expression for a moment before his attention was drawn back to the fish, who had leapt out of the water again behind him. "Stop taunting me!" he cried out as he turned back around, running into the water with his fishing pole.
Zuko shook his head and sighed as he watched the Water Tribe boy try and fail to spear the fish with the end of the fishing pole several times. "Give it up, Sokka," he called out as he pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the edge of the lake. "You don't even need to catch a fish for dinner. Uncle's map shows there's a town nearby." He gestured behind him with his thumb, where Iroh sat cross-legged with the map unfurled on the ground in front of him.
"It's not about dinner anymore," Sokka grumbled, trying and failing again to spear the fish. "This is personal. Just look at its face!"
Aang chuckled as he and Zuko continued to watch Sokka flail around in the water. "Sorry, hotman," he said. "We might be here all day. He seems pretty dedicated to catching that fish."
"So, how do I look?" Katara said from behind them, and both Aang and Zuko turned to face her. She was holding her wrist with a flourish in front of her chest, displaying the bracelet Aang had made her.
"Looks nice," Zuko replied with a nod. However, when he looked over at Aang, he saw that the airbender was staring at Katara with a look that could only be described as one of awe. Zuko could see that his cheeks were slightly flushed, and felt a painful lurch in his chest.
"You mean, all of you, or just your wrist?" Aang replied, pulling at his collar nervously. "I mean, because they both look great!"
"Smoochie, smoochie, someone's in looove!" Zuko heard Sokka call out teasingly from behind them, and turned to see the Water Tribe boy making kissing noises at the fish, which he had somehow managed to grab. The fish then promptly smacked him in the face with its tail, causing Sokka to drop it back into the water.
"I... well, uh…" Aang stuttered, rubbing his head in embarrassment.
"Stop teasing him, Sokka," Katara replied in annoyance before walking over to Aang and patting him on the shoulder. "Aang's just a good friend. A sweet guy! Just like Momo." She then scratched the lemur's head as he landed on the Avatar's shoulder, while Aang's expression fell.
"Thanks," the airbender mumbled quietly, looking disheartened.
Suddenly, a roar sounded from somewhere in the nearby forest, causing Momo to leap off of Aang's shoulder and fly off towards the sound. Aang immediately took off after him, and Zuko and Katara shared an anxious look while a confused and soaked Sokka walked up next to them.
The trio ran into the forest after Aang, where the roaring sounds grew louder. Zuko quickly spotted the Avatar, who was standing on a rock watching an angry-looking platypus bear make several swipes towards a middle-aged man dressed in blue robes.
"Well, hello there!" the man called out to Aang as he somehow managed to evade the beast's attacks. "Nice day, isn't it?"
"Make noise! He'll run off!" Aang yelled back urgently.
"No, play dead! He'll lose interest!" Sokka interjected.
The platypus bear growled and swung its ginormous paw towards the man, who just barely evaded its claws.
"Whoa, close one!" the man said with a lighthearted chuckle.
"Run downhill, then climb a tree!" Katara cried out.
"No, punch him in the bill!" Sokka yelled, swinging his fist upward.
"And then run in zig-zags!" Aang added.
"No need," the man replied with a serene smile. "It's going to be fine."
None of these ideas sounded particularly useful to Zuko, whose gaze rapidly moved back and forth between his friends and the man. If nobody else is going to do anything…
"Enough of this," Zuko said in frustration, unsheathing his broadswords and taking off towards the fight. "Hey!" he yelled, clanging his swords together several times. "Over here!"
Zuko's distraction seemed to work, and the beast turned to focus its attention on him instead of the man. It swiped its long claws towards him, and he successfully deflected them with one of his swords. However, the creature then spun around, and Zuko felt the wind get knocked out of him as he was hit from the side by the beast's large, flat tail. His broadswords had been knocked out of his hands as well, and as the platypus bear loomed over him, his heart pounded in panic.
If I don't use firebending right now, I'll be torn to shreds!
Suddenly, Aang leapt over the beast and landed directly in front of him. The Avatar shot a powerful blast of air towards the platypus bear, causing it to stumble backwards, and assumed a fighting stance. "Woah there," he said, holding his hands up to the creature.
Unfortunately, the platypus bear simply roared in response, raising its large paw again.
As Zuko scrambled to his feet, he suddenly spotted the large form of Appa appearing behind the platypus bear, Iroh sitting on his head.
Appa let out a low roar of his own, startling the platypus-bear so fiercely that it immediately grew quiet, laid a large egg, and scampered off into the nearby river.
"Is everyone alright?" Iroh asked, looking down at Aang and Zuko concernedly.
"Yep! Thanks, Iroh!" Aang said happily, and Appa grunted. "And you too, buddy," he added quickly, giving the bison several scratches on the chin.
Iroh smiled and nodded to Aang in response. "I would have come sooner if someone had explained what was going on before he bolted off," he said, raising an eyebrow and looking down at Zuko.
"We were in a hurry," Zuko replied defensively. "Aang could have been in danger."
"Mmm, lunch!" Sokka exclaimed as he jogged over and picked up the large egg, sniffing it. "Lucky for you, we came along," he said, frowning towards the man in blue robes.
"Thanks, but everything was already under control," the man replied with that same serene smile on his face. "Not to worry. Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey." He then folded his hands and bowed slightly.
"Aunt who?" Aang asked, looking confused.
"No, Aunt Wu. She's the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice knowing your future."
"Wow, it must be," Katara said in amazement. "That explains why you were so calm!"
"But the fortuneteller was wrong! " Sokka argued. "You didn't have a safe journey; you were almost killed!"
"And so was I," Zuko muttered as he picked up his broadswords and sheathed them.
"But I wasn't," the man replied cheerily before turning to Zuko. "And neither were you!" He then pressed his right fist to his left palm and gave another small bow to the group. "All right, have a good one!"
He turned to continue on his walk, then immediately spun back around, pulled a long, wrapped object from his sleeve, and handed it to Aang.
"Oh, and Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers to give them this."
"Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortunes," Katara said as they watched the strange man walk away. "It could be fun."
"Oh, come on. Fortune telling is nonsense!" Sokka replied, rolling his eyes. "Right, Zuko?"
Zuko blinked several times, not expecting to be caught in the middle of another Water Tribe sibling argument. "Uh…"
"Whaddya know?" Aang interjected, having unwrapped the parcel he had been given. "An umbrella!"
Almost as soon as Aang popped open the umbrella, the sky darkened, and a steady rain began to fall. Zuko held his arms over his head in an unsuccessful attempt to block the rain, and Aang immediately jogged over to him with the umbrella.
"That proves it!" Katara said, bending a water shield above her before joining Zuko and Aang under the umbrella.
Meanwhile, a miserable-looking Sokka remained where he was, clutching the egg with an annoyed expression. "No, it doesn't! You can't really tell the future!"
"I guess you're not really getting wet then," Katara replied smugly.
Sokka frowned at his sister, then stumbled as he lost his grip on the giant egg, which flew into the air and landed with a crack onto his head.
"Sokka, would you like a poncho?" Iroh called down as Appa lumbered over to them; he seemed to have already donned one himself. "We've got some extras in the back."
"I'm fine," Sokka grumbled stubbornly, wiping the egg off of his head as he began to stalk forward down the path. "Of course she predicted it was going to rain. The sky's been gray all day!"
"Just admit you might be wrong, and you can come under the umbrella," Katara replied.
"Look, I'm going to predict the future now," Sokka said, stopping for a moment before rocking from side to side and wiggling his fingers. "It's going to keep drizzling. See?"
For a moment, the rain continued to fall. Then, it began to let up completely until the sun was shining once more.
"Not everyone has the gift, Sokka," Aang said with a grin as he gazed up at the clear sky.
They continued walking for a short while longer until they eventually arrived at a gate leading to a village at the base of a snow-peaked mountain. As they continued on into the village, they eventually came to a stop in front of a three-story building with a round door serving as its entrance, where a man dressed in black robes with stark white hair stood.
"Aunt Wu is expecting you," the man said mysteriously, gesturing to the doorway.
"Really?" Katara replied, clasping her hands together excitedly.
As the group removed their shoes in the entryway, a small girl looking to be of about eight or nine years of age approached them. She was dressed in pink, and her hair was braided into two large pigtails that stuck out somewhat comically from either side of her head.
"My name is Meng, and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant," the small girl said with a polite bow. However, when she looked up to see Aang standing directly in front of her, her eyes widened. "Hello, there," she continued, smiling and batting her eyelashes, still looking only at Aang, who rubbed his nose with a bored look.
"Hello," Aang replied somewhat disinterestedly.
"Can I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?" Meng asked as she directed them to several pillows on the floor. Katara sat down first, followed by Aang, then Zuko, then Sokka, while Iroh took a seat on the padded bench next to the hallway wall.
"I'll try a curd puff," Sokka replied, perking up at the mention of food.
"Likewise," Iroh added, raising his index finger into the air.
"Just a second," Meng said, holding up her palm to Iroh, who blinked in confusion. "So, what's your name?" She asked as she crouched down in front of Aang.
"Aang," Aang replied flatly.
"That rhymes with Meng! " the young girl replied in delight. "And you've got some pretty big ears, don't you?"
Upon hearing this statement, Aang's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked to the side awkwardly. "I guess…"
"Don't be modest, they're huge! " Sokka chimed in, making a sweeping gesture with his arms, and Aang immediately covered his ears in embarrassment.
Zuko frowned pointedly at Sokka before turning back to Aang, who was still covering his ears. "I like your ears," he said. "What I mean is, I think they're perfectly normal!" he added quickly. 'I like your ears'? he groaned internally. What is wrong with me?
"Well, Aang, it was very nice to meet you," Meng said before Aang had the chance to reply to Zuko's comment. "Very nice."
"Likewise," Aang replied politely as the small girl exited the room.
"I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense," Sokka complained, stretching his leg out in front of him and wiggling his toes.
"Try to keep an open mind, Sokka," Katara chided. "There are things in this world that just can't be explained. Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight into your future?"
"It would be nice to have some bean curd puffs," Sokka replied.
"Oh, Meng!"
Zuko looked up to see a young woman in her early twenties exit through the sliding door that presumably led to the fortuneteller's chambers. She walked over to Meng, who was carrying a bowl of bean curd puffs.
"Aunt Wu says I'm going to meet my true love!" the woman gushed. "He's going to give me a rare panda lily."
"That's so romantic!" Meng replied dreamily before noticeably looking over her shoulder at Aang. "I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower."
"Good luck with that," Aang replied lightly.
The woman giggled when she saw Aang. "Is that the big-eared guy who Aunt Wu predicted you'd marry?"
Zuko couldn't help but smirk in slight amusement as he watched the young girl push the woman towards the door, her cheeks clearly flushed. She continued walking towards the group, but tripped, nearly dropping the tray she was holding before Aang helped her catch it, accidentally touching her hand in the process. The Avatar and the bewildered girl stared at one another for a moment before Meng blushed and shoved the tray into Aang's hands.
"Enjoy your snack!" she said quickly, then bolted out of the room.
Aang blinked in confusion several times as Sokka snatched the tray from him, immediately beginning to cram his mouth full of bean curd puffs.
"Welcome, young travelers."
Zuko looked up again to see an old woman dressed in golden robes standing in front of them. She smiled serenely, and when her gaze landed on Iroh, her eyebrows rose slightly, and her smile deepened.
"And welcome to you too, handsome."
"It is truly a pleasure to be in the presence of a radiant beauty such as yourself," Iroh replied, smiling back at the woman, who giggled in response.
Zuko pinched his nose bridge and groaned quietly, while Aang and Sokka snickered.
"Now, who's next? Don't be shy," the woman, who was presumably Aunt Wu, asked.
"I guess that's me," Katara replied, eagerly jumping to her feet, and the two exited the room.
While the quartet waited for Katara to return, Sokka walked over to the bench Iroh was sitting on and set the tray of bean curd puffs between the two of them.
"These are exquisite," Iroh said, his eyes widening as he tried a puff. "A beauty, a fortuneteller, and an excellent bean curd puff-maker…" He sighed dreamily as he tossed another puff into his mouth.
"Mm, not bad, not bad!" Sokka agreed, his mouth full of puffs. He grabbed the bowl and held it towards Aang and Zuko. "Mhm?"
Aang shook his head. "I'm good on puffs."
"Me too," Zuko replied.
Sokka shrugged, and returned the bowl to the tray, where he and Iroh continued to eat.
Zuko glanced at Aang, who was tapping his index finger repeatedly on his knee as he stared into the distance, looking clearly distracted. He opened his mouth to try and make small talk with the airbender, but Aang spoke first.
"So… what do you think they're talking about back there?" he asked.
"The weather?" Zuko guessed. He honestly had no idea what a person was supposed to ask a fortuneteller.
"Oh, it's gotta be boring stuff, I'm sure," Sokka said casually, holding up a bean curd puff in front of him. "Love, who she's going to marry, how many babies she's going to have."
Aang's eyebrows rose upon hearing this, and his eyes darted around the room wildly. "Yeah, dumb stuff like that…" His gaze landed on the sliding doors to Aunt Wu's room, and he bit his nails nervously. "Well, I've got to find a bathroom!" he declared, standing abruptly.
Zuko's eyes narrowed in suspicion as they followed the airbender. He's going to eavesdrop, he quickly realized.
Suddenly, Meng appeared from around the hallway corner, blushing as she bumped directly into Aang. "Oh! H-hello again!" she stammered. "Were you looking for something?"
"He's looking for the bathroom," Zuko called out in reply. He immediately saw Aang's shoulders stiffen, then slump slightly, practically confirming his earlier suspicions.
"Of course! I can show you where it is," Meng replied with a toothy grin.
"Actually… I just realized I don't have to go anymore," Aang said with a forced smile, whipping back around and plopping himself back down onto the cushion next to Zuko, leaving the confused girl standing alone in the hallway.
Not long after, the doors to Aunt Wu's room slid open, and the fortuneteller and Katara emerged.
"Who's next?" the old woman asked.
"Right," Sokka said, standing up from the bench and stretching his arms over his head. "Let's get this over with.
"Your future is full of struggle and anguish," the fortuneteller replied almost immediately, her tone dry. "Most of it, self-inflicted."
"But you didn't read my palms or anything!" Sokka protested.
"I don't need to. It's written all over your face," Aunt Wu replied.
Sokka plopped back down onto the bench, grumbling to himself, and Aunt Wu's gaze moved to Zuko. "What about you, young man?"
Zuko blinked several times, eyes widening in surprise. "Me? I don't know…"
"You should try it!" Katara said encouragingly, giving him two thumbs up.
Zuko looked apprehensively at Aunt Wu, then to Katara, then back to the fortuneteller. "...Okay," he sighed.
He followed Aunt Wu past the sliding door into her room, which was lit with four red lanterns attached to four wooden poles at the center of the room. Also in the center of the room sat a small fire surrounded by several cushions. The fortuneteller directed him towards one of them, and he sat down awkwardly.
"What would you like to know?" Aunt Wu asked as she sat down on the cushion next to him.
"Oh… uh…" Zuko attempted. What did he want to know? "Sorry. I've just never really thought about this kind of thing before."
Aunt Wu smiled kindly at him. "Well, I can tell you many things. Many people want to know about their future in regards to wealth or prosperity. Some want to know if there will be a good harvest come the fall. Others simply ask about the weather forecast for the week," she explained. "Of course, a palm reading is a good place to start if you'd like a general overview."
Zuko nodded slowly, still feeling somewhat confused. "How does it work?"
"I'll take a look at your palm, read each of its lines, and tell you what I see."
"Lines?"
"The folds and creases in your palms. The head line can show me where your intellectual curiosities lie, the life line can show me the future of your quality of life, the fate line can give me a peek into your destiny, and the heart line—also known as the love line—can show me your romantic future."
Love line? Romantic future?
"Yes!" he replied quickly, perking up. "I mean… um… could we do that last one, please?"
Aunt Wu chuckled in response. "Is there a special someone out there that you've got your eye on?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"I… W-well…" Zuko stammered.
"It's alright, honey," Aunt Wu interrupted gently. "Just give me your hand."
Zuko did as he was told and presented his right palm to her. She studied it for a moment, nodding to herself.
"...What do you see?" Zuko asked quietly. He found that he was genuinely terrified of the answer.
Aunt Wu nodded thoughtfully. "Very interesting indeed," she murmured, then looked back up at him. "Now, I can't see anything specific," she continued. "Just impressions. But what I can see is that you will live many happy years with the one you love."
Zuko immediately felt his spirits begin to lift upon hearing this, his heart leaping in his chest.
"Do you see anything else?" Zuko asked desperately. "Anything at all?"
"Hmm," Aunt Wu replied as she looked back down at Zuko's palm. "Ah. I see… A powerful bender."
Zuko felt a spike of elation the likes of which he had never experienced before, and he grinned widely. Aang was the Avatar, inherently the most powerful bender in the world.
"I'm sorry, but that's all I can see for this line, I'm afraid," Aunt Wu said. "Would you like me to read your head or fate lines next?"
Zuko shook his head. "No, thank you. That's all I wanted to know." He then stood up and bowed deeply towards her.
"Are you sure?" Aunt Wu asked surprisedly, standing up as well.
"I am," Zuko nodded, taking the old woman's hand. "Thank you," he said with another genuine smile, which the fortuneteller returned.
"Alright," she said as she walked him to the door. "Feel free to come back anytime if you'd like to know more."
"Thank you," Zuko said again, returning to the foyer and back to his cushion, where he sat down gracefully.
Noticing the unusual silence that had accompanied his return, he looked to either side of him to see that Iroh, Katara, Sokka, and Aang were all staring at him with varying degrees of incredulity.
"What?" Zuko asked, his smile disappearing.
"I don't think I've ever seen you this happy, hotman," Aang replied.
"Neither have I," Iroh replied to the Avatar, shaking his head slowly in astonishment. "And I've known him since birth."
"That's just the power of gaining insight into your future," Katara said, looking pleased.
"Yeah," Zuko replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, it's just…" He briefly glanced at Aang. "...Nice to get a glimpse of the good things to come."
"Oh, come on. Not you too!" Sokka groaned in dismay.
"You there, come with me," Aunt Wu said, stopping in front of Aang this time.
Aang did as he was told and followed the fortuneteller into her chambers.
After a few moments of silence, Katara scooched over to sit next to Zuko. "So, what did she tell you?" she asked, her blue eyes twinkling with curiosity.
"Oh," Zuko replied apprehensively, not expecting to have been asked specifics about his experience. "Well…"
"Yeah, Zuko," Sokka interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "What could that lady have told you to make you that happy?"
Katara gasped, holding her hands to her mouth. "Did she tell you about your future love life too?"
Zuko's eyebrows shot up, and he began to sweat.
"Well," he replied, swallowing nervously. "She told me a lot of things..."
"But you weren't in there that long," Sokka said, narrowing his eyes.
"Sokka, don't pester him," Katara scolded her brother. "It's okay, Zuko. You don't have to tell us exactly what she said."
Despite her words, Zuko could tell from her expression that she still desperately wanted to know.
"Well... what did she tell you? " Zuko asked the Water Tribe girl, deciding to flip the tables in hopes that it would be a good enough distraction.
Katara's eyes lit up again. "Okay, so first, I had her look at my fate line–"
Suddenly, Katara was interrupted when the door to Aunt Wu's chambers flew open, and Aang emerged, looking quite pleased with himself.
I wonder what she told him, Zuko thought with a furrowed brow as he watched the airbender strut back over to them. He wasn't in there that long either.
"Would you like to know your future, handsome?" Aunt Wu asked, approaching Iroh, who was the only member of the group left who hadn't had their fortune told.
"At my age, there's really only one big surprise left, and I'd just as soon leave it a mystery," Iroh replied, smiling up at her. "But I wouldn't mind sharing a pot of tea and some bean curd puffs."
Zuko could have sworn he saw Aunt Wu blush for a moment before she closed her eyes and laughed. "I might just take you up on that," she said with a wink
Zuko groaned again.
Aang smiled to himself as he, Zuko, Katara, and Sokka exited the fortuneteller's house, replaying what Aunt Wu had just told him over and over again in his head.
Trust your heart and you will be with the one you love.
He had been feeling particularly sullen all day since Katara had called him a "good friend" (and compared him to Momo, which was even more painful), but now, he simply had to remind himself that all he had to do was trust his heart, and things would work out eventually.
"Well, now you got to see for yourselves how fortune telling is just a big, stupid hoax," Sokka declared as they exited the building.
"You're just saying that because you're going to make yourself unhappy your whole life," Katara countered with a smirk.
"That woman is crazy! My life will be calm, and happy , and joyful! " Sokka exclaimed angrily, kicking up a stone from the ground, which flew up and bounced off a shop sign to hit the Water Tribe boy directly in the head. He winced and fell to the ground, lifting up his index finger. "That doesn't prove anything! "
"Well, Zuko and I liked our predictions," Katara said, clasping her hands together and nudging the Fire Prince with her elbow. "Certain things are going to turn out very well."
Aang frowned slightly as he watched this interaction. Had Zuko and Katara already discussed their fortunes with each other?
He crossed his arms and slid between his two friends, looking at Katara slyly. "They suuure are..."
"Why? What did she tell you?" Katara asked curiously.
"Some stuff," he replied ambiguously. "You'll find out." He put both his hands behind his neck as the group continued down the village street.
Eventually, they came to a stop under a sign that read "inn", and while Katara—who had been holding onto the majority of their money ever since the incident the day of the storm—went inside to speak to the innkeeper, Aang, Zuko, and Sokka stayed outside with Appa.
"So…" Aang began curiously, walking over to Zuko, who was leaning on the wall of the inn with his arms folded, staring at the ground. He looked to be in deep thought. "What did Aunt Wu tell you?"
Zuko flinched slightly and stood up straight. "Oh, uh… Just some vague stuff about my future," the Fire Prince replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "It seems like things are gonna turn out pretty well for me. Which, you know, is nice to know considering everything I've already been through in just fourteen years of my life so far…"
Aang smiled. "That's great, Zuko," he said, placing his hand on the Fire Prince's shoulder. "You deserve nothing but good things in your future."
The firebender smiled warmly in return.
It really is nice to see Zuko this happy, Aang thought.
"I still can't believe you guys both fell for that old lady's nonsense," Sokka grumbled as he walked up to them, still rubbing the spot on his head where the rock had hit him earlier. "It's completely based on superstition, there's no science or logic behind it."
Aang shook his head. "Sokka, is it really so far-fetched for you to believe that some people can see into the future?" he asked. "I mean, I'm the current incarnation of a powerful being that can bend all four elements. Can you explain the science behind that? "
"Or can you explain the science behind why some people have the ability to bend in the first place, and others don't?" Zuko added.
"Or how the spirit world works?"
"Okay, okay!" Sokka interjected. "So maybe there are some things that science can't explain. Yet . There's always a logical explanation behind everything."
"Well, let me know when you figure all of that out, Mr. science man," Aang teased, and Zuko huffed a short laugh from beside him.
Sokka's eyes narrowed at both of them, but before he could reply, Katara exited the inn with a key. "We're all set for tonight," she said, depositing the key into Aang's hand, and raised an eyebrow when she saw how her brother was looking at Aang and Zuko. "Sokka, what did you do now?"
"I didn't do anything!" Sokka replied defensively. "I was just trying to explain how science and logic work to these two, but clearly they're not interested."
Katara simply shook her head and sighed in reply, and the quartet continued walking down the street, which led to what looked to be the center of town. Multiple villagers were standing in the square, many gazing up at the sky.
"What's with the sky?" Katara asked, also looking up.
"We are waiting for Aunt Wu to come and read the clouds to predict the fate of the whole village," a calm man—the same one who had been attacked by the platypus bear earlier that day—replied.
"That cloud kind of looks like a fluffy bunny," Aang commented, pointing upwards.
"You better hope that's not a bunny!" the man replied, sounding somewhat anxious. "The fluffy bunny cloud forecasts doom and destruction ."
"Do you even hear yourself?" Sokka demanded, sounding disgusted.
"The cloud reading will tell us if Mount Makapu will remain dormant for another year, or if it will erupt," a woman said, pointing to the snow-capped mountain that loomed over the village.
"We used to have a tradition once a year of going up the mountain to check the volcano ourselves," the calm man added, smiling again. "But ever since Aunt Wu moved to Makapu Village eighteen years ago, we have a tradition of not doing that."
"I can't believe you would trust your lives to that crazy old woman's superstition!" Sokka exclaimed.
"She's not crazy, Sokka," Zuko argued. "You just don't like what she had to say about your future."
"You're just saying that because she told you what you wanted to hear," Sokka replied indignantly. "She probably tells everyone what they want to hear!"
"Shh, she's coming!" Katara said.
Aang turned around to see Aunt Wu and the white-haired doorman ascending the stairs leading to the square, and the crowd of villagers parted to let her walk past. Following the two shortly after was Iroh, who appeared to be out of breath from climbing the stairs. Aang waved to him, and he hurried over.
"How was tea with Aunt Wu?" Aang asked, nudging Iroh with his elbow with a grin.
"Aang, please don't encourage him," Zuko groaned.
"It was lovely, thank you for asking," Iroh replied kindly to Aang before shooting a glare towards his nephew.
The crowd around them began to cheer as Aunt Wu walked towards the pagoda, and suddenly, Aang felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked to his right to see Meng standing next to him, and he stiffened as she clung to his arm. He didn't dislike the girl, but her overt affection towards him definitely made him feel… uncomfortable. Especially when she was clearly around the age of eight, while he was freshly thirteen.
Katara, on the other hand, was only one year younger than him, and not only was she pretty, but she was just so nice, and smart…
"Hey Aang," Meng said, leaning into him as she pointed up to the sky and breaking his daydream, to his annoyance. "Don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?"
"Huh? Sure, I guess," Aang replied before gently pushing her off of him and turning to Katara, who was standing on his left. "Hey, Katara, don't you think that cloud looks like a flower?" he asked, pointing up to the same cloud.
"Shh!" Katara replied in annoyance before turning back around, and Aang's spirits dampened again as he slumped his shoulders.
On the pagoda at the center of the square, Aunt Wu spread her arms outward in a dramatic motion before removing a book from her sleeve. She then began to look at the sky, studying the clouds, before looking down at the book in her hand.
"Bending arrow cloud… Good crops this year. Nice big harvest," she declared.
"Darn good news!" an elderly man exclaimed, hugging his wife close.
"Wavy, moon-shaped cloud… let's see… Gonna be a great year for twins!" Aunt Wu continued.
Two twin boys high fived each other joyfully. "Yes!"
"And a cumulus cloud with a twisted knob coming off the end of it…" Aunt Wu said, narrowing her eyes as she studied her book before putting it down and spreading her arms wide again. "The village will not be destroyed by the volcano this year!"
The crowd cheered ecstatically, and at last began to disperse, and as Aang looked back over to Katara, who was cheering as well, his heart began to pound.
Maybe she just doesn't know how I feel. Maybe if I just tell her, then she'll realize…
"Since I got you here," he began nervously. "Uh, there's something I want to tell you. I like you, but… more than normal."
To his dismay, Katara, who had clearly not been listening to him, immediately ran off with the crowd after the fortuneteller, and Aang felt his heart sink.
"Aang, are you alright?" Aang looked up to see Zuko standing next to him with a worried expression, Momo sitting on his shoulder.
Aang shook his head slightly and straightened back up. "Yeah. I'm fine."
Of course, Zuko had seen what had happened in the square between Aang and Katara. While part of him was sighing in relief, the other half of him hated to see Aang hurt. While the Avatar had put a lot of effort into feigning his usual cheeriness, Zuko could tell that he was still experiencing some level of internal distress.
"I can't believe all these saps!" Sokka muttered and began to stomp through the square as Zuko, Aang, and Iroh followed him. "Someone really needs to scream some sense into them."
"They seem happy, Sokka," Aang added.
"Not for long. I'm going to prove Aunt Wu's predictions are nonsense." Sokka whipped his head around until he spotted a random villager and pulled him aside. "Hey you, I bet Aunt Wu told you to wear those red shoes, didn't she?"
Zuko looked down to see that the man was indeed wearing bright red and gold shoes that did not at all match his sea foam green robes.
"Yeah. She said I'd be wearing red shoes when I met my true love," the man replied dreamily.
"Uh huh…" Sokka replied, narrowing his eyes and leaning in close towards the man. "And how many times have you worn those shoes since you got that fortune?"
"Every day," the man replied, smiling nervously at the Water Tribe boy.
"Then of course it's gonna come true!" Sokka screeched.
"Really? You think so? I'm so excited!" the man replied elatedly, walking away.
"Ugh!" Sokka exclaimed irritably, kicking another stone. This time, it hit one of the turkey-ducks they had seen roaming about the town, and it immediately flew over to start pecking at Sokka's head, causing the Water Tribe boy to stumble onto the ground before managing to wave it off.
"Sokka, will you just give it a rest already?" Zuko sighed, pinching his nose bridge. "You're always going on about me being the angry one, but I'm not the one who's kicking stones at turkey-ducks."
Sokka merely glared at Zuko before pushing himself back to his feet and marching over to another villager.
"Uncle, are you gonna let him keep talking about her like that?" Zuko asked, putting his hands on his hips as he turned to Iroh.
"I doubt he'd listen to me any more than he'd listen to you," Iroh replied, shaking his head. "Did you book a room at the inn?"
"Katara did," Aang replied, holding up the key that Katara had given him.
"Excellent. If any of you boys need me," Iroh said with a yawn as he took the key from Aang. "I'll be taking a much-needed nap."
"I don't care what Aunt Wu told you! You have to take a bath sometime! " Sokka exclaimed loudly from the other side of the square as Iroh departed.
It seems like the people here really do take Aunt Wu's predictions seriously, Zuko thought to himself, cringing slightly when he noticed just how visibly grimy the man Sokka had been talking to was as he walked away. For better, or for worse…
"So…" Aang said, rubbing the back of his neck again as he and Zuko approached Sokka. "Um… Do either of you guys know some stuff about ladies?"
Zuko suddenly felt himself cough involuntarily upon hearing Aang's question. "Ladies?" he repeated nervously. "I… uh…"
"Some stuff?" Sokka interjected, his earlier irritation now seemingly forgotten as he hung his arm casually around Aang's shoulders. "You've come to the right place. What can I do you for?"
Zuko raised an eyebrow. Somehow, he had a hard time believing that Sokka knew anything about romance.
"Well, there's this girl…"
"Say no more, buddy," Sokka said, holding his palm up. "First thing's first: you wanna make sure you don't mess it up."
"Well, how do I do that?" Aang asked, sounding desperate.
"The number one mistake nice guys like you make? Being too nice."
"You can be too nice?" Aang asked in astonishment.
"Yep. If you want to keep her interested, you have to act aloof, like you don't really care one way or the other," Sokka replied matter-of-factly.
"Sokka, how does that make any sense?" Zuko asked, folding his arms and shaking his head. Aang's "niceness" was one the things he liked most about the Avatar. "Wouldn't that just make the person think you don't like them at all?"
"Come on, Zuko," Sokka said, shaking his head and clicking his tongue. "This is classic reverse psychology."
Zuko narrowed his eyes, but did not say anything further. It wasn't like he had any convenient academic resources on him that he could use to fact-check Sokka's claims.
"Well… okay," Aang said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Hey, Aang? I was wondering…"
Zuko turned to see Meng approaching, but before she could say anything further, Aang lifted his hand and waved it breezily.
"See you later," Aang said, immediately walking away.
The small girl sighed dejectedly as she watched the Avatar leave, and sadly, Zuko couldn't help but empathize with her.
Aang smoothed the front of his robes nervously as he waited for Katara to exit Aunt Wu's residence. As he looked down at his attire, he sighed as he thought about the old training robes he used to wear. Over the summer, he'd had a sudden growth spurt, and while he had been happy to have finally gained half an inch over Zuko, it also meant that he'd had to get new clothes to better fit his longer limbs. While the clothes he had found kept in line with the Air Nomad color palette, it just wasn't the same as what he had been used to wearing for so long.
He sighed again, and continued practicing leaning against the building in various ways in an attempt to determine the best-looking pose. He wasn't too certain about Sokka's "aloofness" strategy, but he was honestly willing to try anything at this point.
Suddenly, the door next to him slid open, causing Aang to flinch as he scrambled to lean against the wall again.
"...And you'll be fine as long as you've got a scarf. Bye-bye now," Aunt Wu said, pushing Katara out.
"Okay, okay, but one more thing," Katara said, turning back around.
He heard the fortuneteller sigh audibly. "All right, what is it?"
Katara put her hand to her chin thoughtfully for a moment. "Should I eat a mango… or a papaya for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Papaya!" Aunt Wu snapped before slamming the door shut.
"Aww, I hate papaya…" Katara grumbled, kicking the dirt at her feet.
This is my chance, Aang thought, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Oh, hey, Katara. I didn't see you there," he said casually.
"Hey, Aang," Katara replied without looking at him as she began to walk away from the fortuneteller's house.
"That's okay. I'm busy with my own stuff!" Aang called out, standing back up. He looked to the side, where a lone turkey-duck was standing. It stared at him for several moments before uttering a singular quack.
Dejected once more, Aang made his way back to the town square, where he spotted Katara at a fruit stand. Gathering his courage again, he decided to give the aloof method another try.
"Ugh. Papaya, please," Katara said sullenly, and the vendor handed the fruit to her.
"So... papaya," Aang said, leaning against the side of the fruit stand.
"Uh-huh. Would you like some?" Katara asked.
"You know me," Aang replied with a wave of his hand before casually picking up a random fruit from the stand. "I don't really care what I eat."
"Okay then. See you later," Katara replied before walking away again, and as Aang bit into the fruit, he found that the taste disgusted him, and he immediately spit it out.
"Maybe aloof isn't my style…" he sighed to himself, his shoulders slumping again.
"Oh, a panda lily!"
Aang turned around to see the same woman who had been at Aunt Wu's earlier that day. She was hugging a man dressed in light pink robes close.
Panda lily?
He suddenly perked up, quickly paid the scowling fruit vendor, and darted over to the couple, interrupting their embrace. "Excuse me?" he asked, surprising both of them as he pointed at the black-and-white flower. "Where can a guy find one of those things?"
"I can't believe you're dragging us all the way up here for a stupid flower," Sokka complained as Zuko helped hoist him up on top of the rock he was standing on.
"Not just any flower: a panda lily," Aang replied after hopping gracefully to the rock above his friends. "I've seen it in action and boy, does it work."
"Flowers are fine once you're married, but at this early stage, it's critical that you maintain maximum aloofness," Sokka stated as he and Zuko continued scaling the mountain.
"I think he's figured out that your 'aloofness' strategy is a bunch of monkey feathers," Zuko muttered.
"Yeah, sorry Sokka. My heart is telling me to get this flower," Aang replied, full of hope as he gazed up at the mountain's peak. "And Aunt Wu said if I trusted in my heart, I will be with the one I love."
"What? Aang, come on. You can't actually believe in that stuff."
"Well, Aunt Wu hasn't been wrong yet. Why should she be wrong about love?" Aang replied. He just wasn't ready to give up hope yet. "There! On the rim!" he exclaimed, jumping upwards a few more times before landing at the mountain's peak and bending down to pick one of the flowers, closing his eyes as he smelled its fragrance.
However, when his eyes fluttered open, he gasped, taking a step back and letting go of the flower. "Oh no," he murmured.
"Aang? What's wrong?" Zuko shouted out from behind him. When the Fire Prince came to a stop next to him, his eyes widened.
"Aunt Wu was wrong…"
Before them sat a massive crater filled nearly to the brim with hot lava, its radiating waves of heat so strong that Aang had begun to sweat.
"Those people all think they're safe!" Sokka exclaimed when he saw the lava as well. "We've got to warn them!"
"There's no time to walk!" Aang replied, whipping open his glider. "Both of you, climb onto the back of my glider and hold on tight!"
The two boys did as they were told, Sokka yelling in terror as they swooped down from the mountain, eventually landing outside Aunt Wu's residence. Katara was outside, hands on her hips as she tapped her foot on the ground.
"Hi, Katara," Aang said shyly as he approached her, holding his hand up in greeting.
"Can you believe she won't let me in?" Katara replied in annoyance. "And after all the business I've given her?"
"But she doesn't even charge," Aang said, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"I know," Katara admitted somewhat sheepishly. "But still…"
"Well, we have other things to worry about," Sokka interrupted. "Aunt Wu was wrong about the volcano."
"Sokka, you tried to convince me she was wrong before," Katara replied irritably, wagging her index finger at her brother. "It's going to take an awful lot to change my mind–"
Suddenly, Aang felt himself lurch forward as the ground began to shake below them. When the tremors stopped, he whipped around, and his eyes widened in horror to see smoke emanating from Mount Makapu.
"Oh no," Katara said softly, looking just as horrified.
As they ran down towards the village square, Aang spotted a shaken-looking Iroh emerging from the entrance to the inn.
"Uncle!" Zuko shouted as they ran up to him.
"What's going on? Was there an earthquake?"
"The volcano is going to erupt," Zuko replied urgently. "We've got to go warn the villagers!"
Iroh's eyes widened, and he nodded, jogging after them to the square.
"Everyone, that volcano is gonna blow any second!" Sokka shouted to the crowd of villagers who were gathered there. "Aunt Wu was wrong! "
"Yeah, yeah, we know you don't believe in Aunt Wu, Mr. science and reason lover," a woman from the crowd replied with a smirk.
"If you won't listen to him, maybe you'll listen to me," Katara said, stepping forward. "I want to believe Aunt Wu and her predictions as much as you do, but my brother and my friends saw the lava with their own eyes."
"Well, I heard Aunt Wu's prediction with my own ears ," the man who had been attacked by the platypus-bear that morning replied calmly.
"Please listen to us!" Aang called out, leaping onto the awning of one of the buildings, which thankfully caught more of the villagers' attention. "You are all in danger! And we have to get out of here! You can't rely on Aunt Wu's prediction, you have to take fate into your own hands!"
The ground below them shook again, and more smoke began to emanate from the volcano. Some villagers began to murmur anxiously to one another.
"Look! Can your fortune telling explain that? " Sokka demanded.
"Can your science explain why it rains?" the man with the red shoes whom Sokka had talked to earlier called out, looking amused.
"Yes! " Sokka replied exasperatedly. "Yes, it can!"
"They just won't listen to reason," Katara said, shaking her head anxiously.
"But they will listen to Aunt Wu!" Aang replied in realization.
"I know, that's the problem," Sokka said.
"Well, it's about to become the solution," Aang explained. "We're taking fate in our own hands. First, I need to borrow Aunt Wu's cloud reading book."
"How are you going to do that? By walking up and asking her for it?" Sokka asked sarcastically.
"Uncle," Zuko chimed in. "Do you think you could distract her long enough for me and Aang to sneak inside?"
Iroh blinked several times. "Well, maybe, but I don't particularly like the idea of deceiving the woman…" he replied apprehensively.
"Uncle, if you don't, Makapu Village is gonna get completely destroyed," Zuko argued.
"Please, Iroh?" Aang pleaded. "Normally I wouldn't want to go this route either, but it's our best chance to save everyone."
Iroh pursed his lips into a thin line for a moment as he looked back and forth between the two boys, then sighed in defeat. "Okay. I'll do it."
Zuko glanced down over the edge of the rooftop as he and Aang waited for their chance to enter Aunt Wu's house. Sokka and Katara were stationed at various points below, ready to stall the fortuneteller if Iroh was unsuccessful in his efforts to woo her.
They both ducked back to a hidden position when they heard the front door slide open, and watched as Iroh began to walk back down the street, Aunt Wu now on his arm. Thankfully, the old woman appeared completely enamored with the retired general as he chatted and led her further and further away. Katara gave a thumbs up from where she stood once they had passed her, and the two boys dropped down from the top roof to the balcony below and quietly entered the building.
"Okay, hotman," Aang whispered once they had reached the main room. "You check that side of the room, I'll check this side."
"Got it," Zuko replied, nodding succinctly, and immediately headed towards a bookshelf. He checked each book carefully, but unfortunately, none seemed to be the cloud-reading book they were looking for.
Suddenly, he heard Momo chirp.
"Shh! We don't want anyone to hear us," he heard Aang whisper in response.
He nearly jumped out of his skin, however, when he turned around to see Meng standing in the room with them.
Aang reacted similarly when he spotted the small girl as well. "Oh, I didn't see you there!" he exclaimed awkwardly.
"We can explain," Zuko said quickly, darting over to Aang's side.
"You don't like me, do you?" Meng said sadly, ignoring Zuko as she continued to look at Aang.
"Of course I like you," Aang replied.
"But not the way I like you."
"Oh," Aang said, glancing down. "I guess not."
"It's okay," Meng replied with a sigh. "It's just really hard when you like someone, but they don't think of you that way…"
Zuko could have sworn he saw her eyes dart over to him for a moment.
"I know what you mean…" Aang replied sadly, looking back up at the girl. "Don't worry. You're going to meet a great guy who's going to completely fall for you." He placed his hands on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort that Zuko knew well. "I know it."
"Thanks," Meng replied with a small smile, and Aang turned back around. "Wait!" she suddenly interjected, pulling a book out of her sleeve. "Don't you guys want this?"
Zuko and Aang looked at one another in surprise.
"The cloud-reading book?" Zuko said.
"How did you know?" Aang asked.
"I've… kind of been stalking you," Meng replied, playing with her fingers and smiling sheepishly. "Heh…"
"Oh. Thanks… I guess?" Aang replied awkwardly, a noticeable blush coloring his cheeks. "...Come on, hotman. Let's get outta here," he added before bolting out of the room.
Zuko turned to leave as well, but was stopped by a tug on his sleeve from the small girl.
"I've seen the way you look at him," she said softly. "I hope it ends up working out between the two of you someday."
Zuko's eyes widened, and he felt his cheeks and the tips of his ears begin to burn. "Oh… I… Thank you," he replied quietly.
She gave him a crooked smile, and Zuko returned it with a small one of his own before quickly exiting the room.
While Aang and Katara took off into the hazy pink evening sky on Appa, Zuko and Sokka ran back to the town square. Zuko spotted his uncle quickly, still leisurely chatting with Aunt Wu.
"Nephew!" Iroh exclaimed a bit too dramatically when the boys ran up to them. "What brings you here?"
"Sorry to interrupt, uncle, but there's something we think Aunt Wu needs to see," Zuko said quickly, hoping that the fortuneteller hadn't noticed the lack of sincerity in his uncle's voice.
"Look! Something is happening in the clouds," Sokka exclaimed, pointing to the sky as he grabbed the fortuneteller's arm.
Aunt Wu's brow furrowed in confusion as the two boys ushered her over to the pagoda. "That's very strange. It shouldn't…" Suddenly, her eyes widened in terror as a shadow fell over the courtyard. "Oh my! "
Zuko looked up to see that Aang and Katara seemed to have done their job well—he could very clearly make out an eerie skull-shaped cloud floating directly above them.
"We are all in grave danger," Aunt Wu exclaimed as Iroh quickly made his way over to her, helping steady the woman. "What are we going to do?" she asked.
Upon hearing this from Aunt Wu, the villagers instantly began murmuring to one another until the entire square erupted into anxious chatter.
"We still can save the village if we act fast," Aang declared as he and Katara made their way to the pagoda, having slipped back into the crowd at some point. "Sokka has a plan." He gestured to the Water Tribe boy, who stepped up onto the pagoda as well.
"Lava is gonna flow downhill to this spot," Sokka explained. "If we can dig a deep enough trench, we can channel all the lava away from the village to the river."
"If any of you are earthbenders, come with me," Aang instructed.
"I'm an earthbender!" one of the twins they had seen earlier that day called out, raising his hand.
"I'm not!" the other twin added.
"Everybody else grab a shovel," Sokka instructed as Aang led the earthbenders away.
Suddenly, Zuko and several other people around him lurched forward again as another tremor struck the village.
"Come on! We've gotta hurry!"
Initially, when Sokka had told them his plan, Zuko had been doubtful as to how a small group of villagers would be able to dig enough in such a short amount of time. However, as he dug, he looked over to the east and watched in amazement as several earthbenders heaved another massive hunk of rocks and earth from the ditch. From above, Appa carried a large amount of rocks away from the ditch with a net that had been attached to his body, and many more villagers were digging as if their life depended on it.
Maybe we actually can save the village, Zuko thought hopefully, feeling inspired by how efficiently everyone was working together despite the circumstances.
Before he knew it, over the span of the next hour or so, the large trench—which now spanned the entire north side of the village—had nearly been completed. Eventually, he stopped digging to take a break and catch his breath, wiping the sweat from his brow as he looked up at the volcano again. Smoke was now billowing from it with greater intensity than before, and the tremors had only increased in their frequency.
It could erupt any minute now…
As if the universe had been listening to his inner thoughts, an explosion sounded from the peak of Mount Makapu, and a bright orange fountain of lava spewed upwards.
"Dig faster, dig faster!" Sokka exclaimed, immediately beginning to speed up the pace with his shovel.
Zuko followed Sokka's lead, digging as fast as he could. He looked anxiously to the west, where the trench had not yet been completed enough to open into the river. Thankfully, one of the earthbending twins from the town square cleared the last section of it, and he saw Aang leap up to the trench's edge.
"Everyone needs to evacuate! We'll come for you when it's safe!" Aang shouted, and the villagers quickly began to exit the trench from the west side, where Iroh and Aunt Wu were waiting next to the riverbank to guide them downstream.
Aang then jumped down next to Zuko. "Come on, hotman!" the airbender said, quickly grabbing onto Zuko by the waist before using a blast of airbending to project both of them up and out of the trench. The two boys began making their way east as quickly as they could, Momo landing and latching himself onto Zuko's shoulder as they ran.
"Do you think this will be enough?" Zuko asked, looking up at the stream of lava that had now begun to spill down the top of the mountainside.
"I don't know," Aang replied. "But at least we tried, and everyone should have gotten out of the village safely!
At last, Zuko spotted Katara and Sokka, who were also standing on the edge of the trench, staring at the eruption above. He and Aang came to a stop next to the siblings, and they too both gazed up at the magnificent yet terrifying sight of the volcano. As the eerie red glow of the lava began to illuminate the forest on the other side of the trench, burning through trees as thousands of flurries of ash rained down upon them, Zuko was suddenly very much reminded of his homeland.
He looked down at the trench below, and he, Aang, Katara, and Sokka each shared uneasy glances. Iroh and Aunt Wu should have led the villagers to the evacuation area, so everyone should be safe. But would this single trench be enough to stop the lava from destroying the entire town itself?
Or is this going to be just like Gaipan all over again? Zuko thought anxiously.
The lava quickly began to consume more of the forest as it flowed down the mountain, even melting the headstones of the Makapu Village cemetery as it drew closer towards them at a surprisingly fast rate. Eventually, it spilled into the trench, filling it almost completely.
"It's too much!" Katara cried out. "It's gonna overflow!"
Another explosion sounded, this time shaking the ground more violently than ever before, and Zuko felt Aang grab his arm to keep him from tumbling into the river of lava below. He looked up to see another spout of lava gushing up from the peak of the volcano, sending out a spray of rocks and ash down towards them.
We can't save the village, he thought, a mixed feeling of dread and panic settling deep in his stomach.
When the tremors stopped, Katara and Sokka almost immediately turned around to run back into the town, and Zuko quickly followed suit. However, when he realized that Aang was not beside him, he whipped back around to see that the Avatar was still standing at the edge of the trench. A massive boulder smashed into the ground in front of the airbender, sending the lava in the trench splashing up high into the air, but Aang did not move.
"Aang!" Zuko yelled, intending to run back to the trench before Sokka grabbed his wrist tightly, stopping him.
Suddenly, Aang shot himself high into the air with a yell and a powerful gust of airbending. Zuko watched the Avatar, mouth agape, as he created a gigantic cyclone of smoke and ash, then used its momentum to draw the massive wave of lava that had been advancing upon the village up into the air before blowing out a powerful breath, cooling and hardening the it to stone.
As Aang returned to a standing meditation pose, Zuko continued to stare in awe. He assumed the Water Tribe siblings' reaction was the same, as they had remained silent as well.
At last, Sokka spoke. "Man, sometimes I forget what a powerful bender that kid is…"
Aunt Wu's words from earlier that day echoed Zuko's head.
By the following morning, to Aang's relief, the volcano seemed to have calmed enough to where the villagers could return to town safely. As he and his companions led them back through the village gate, he glanced over at Katara, who was bickering with Sokka about something as usual. While he of course still felt the same amount of fondness towards her as he always had, for the first time in a long time, he strangely found he did not feel much of anything else, save for some lingering sadness.
When they finally reached the door to Aunt Wu's residence, Aang retrieved the cloud-reading book from his satchel and approached the old woman apologetically. "By the way… we kind of borrowed your book," he admitted sheepishly.
Aunt Wu's eyebrows rose in surprise, then she frowned, snatching the book from Aang's hands.
"So you messed with the clouds, did you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes as she studied him and his companions, including Iroh, who looked the most guilty of them all. "And that pleasant little stroll… That was just a distraction?"
"Well… yes," Iroh replied apologetically. "But also, no. I truly do think you are an enchanting woman, Wu, and please believe me when I say that I genuinely enjoy spending time with you! I wouldn't have done it if it weren't for a good cause."
Aunt Wu pressed her lips into a thin line, and her razor-sharp gaze moved back to Aang, who winced and braced himself to hear a very stern talking-to.
"Very clever," Aunt Wu said at last instead, folding her arms with a smile.
"You're not mad?" Zuko asked incredulously.
Aunt Wu shook her head. "I am a tad… displeased with your uncle Mushi," she replied, raising an eyebrow at the man, causing him to wilt even further. "But… I suppose I could be persuaded to forgive him. Perhaps over dinner this evening?"
"It would be my pleasure," Iroh replied, smiling in relief and immediately taking Aunt Wu's hand in his own.
Aang heard Zuko groan again behind him, and he chuckled to himself.
"No offense, but I hope this taught everyone a lesson about not relying too much on fortune telling," Sokka said, shaking his head.
"But Aunt Wu predicted the village wouldn't be destroyed, and it wasn't. She was right, after all."
Aang turned to see the calm man in blue robes once again, and Sokka immediately whipped around, getting close to the man's face. "I hate you…" he muttered angrily through gritted teeth, while the man simply shrugged and smiled in response.
"It's okay, Sokka," Katara said in a calming voice, pulling her brother away from the man by the shoulders. "Everything's going to be alright."
As she continued to lead him down the street towards the inn with Iroh and Zuko following close behind, Aang turned back around to face the fortuneteller.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, honey," Aunt Wu replied kindly.
"You didn't really see love in my fortune, did you?" he asked, looking down. "You just told me what I wanted to hear."
Aunt Wu smiled apologetically. "I'll tell you a little secret, young airbender," she replied, gesturing upwards. "Just as you reshaped those clouds, you have the power to shape your own destiny."
Aang looked up at the pale blue morning sky for a moment, and he smiled.
That evening, Aang found himself wandering the quiet streets of the village alone as he continued to ponder his feelings towards Katara.
Haven't I been through this before? he thought to himself.
He recalled his first crush, Yanli, a beautiful young girl his age from the Western Air Temple whom he had met during the annual Air Nomad autumn harvest festival. Then, there was Hakar, the handsome former monk who had left the Southern Air Temple to travel the world and would often visit to bring back souvenirs from his travels for the trainees. After that was the stoic Wen, a good friend of Bumi's who had grown up on the streets of Omashu.
Aang sighed as he thought about his past crushes. All of them were just that: crushes, and they had each been short-lived.
Trust your heart, and you will be with the one you love.
Did he truly love Katara? Had he ever actually been in love with anyone before?
"Aang?"
His thoughts were interrupted by Zuko's voice. He turned around to see the Fire Prince approaching him, and he gave him a small smile. "Hey, Zuko," he replied.
"I can go if you want some time alone," Zuko said apologetically, coming to a stop. "You just… kind of disappeared after dinner, and you've been pretty quiet all day. I was worried."
"No, no, it's okay," Aang said, walking over to the Fire Prince. "You can walk with me, if you want."
Zuko nodded, and the two continued on their way.
"What you did yesterday…" Zuko said after a moment of silence. He looked up at the spikes of the hardened lava formations that now surrounded the north edge of town. "It was pretty incredible. "
Aang smiled slightly. "It was also pretty reckless," he replied. "But I knew there wasn't gonna be any other way to save Makapu Village."
"Either way, I'm proud of you," Zuko said, nudging him with his elbow. "The Avatar saves the day, once again."
Aang shook his head and chuckled in response.
"I'm sorry about Aunt Wu, by the way," Zuko said. "I guess Sokka was right about her."
"I dunno," Aang said as he kicked some dirt at the ground. "That guy was right; Aunt Wu specifically predicted that the volcano wouldn't destroy the village, not that it wouldn't erupt. I guess we kind of fulfilled the prophecy, in a way."
"Huh. I guess so," Zuko replied thoughtfully, and was silent for another moment before speaking again. "So… uh… does that mean you still have hope for things working out with Katara?"
Aang suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Wh-what about Katara?" he stammered, laughing nervously.
"Well… You like her, don't you?" Zuko asked.
"Yeah…" Aang said, folding his arms. "I mean, of course I do. She's my friend."
"You know what I mean," Zuko replied with a deadpan expression. "Did Aunt Wu mention her in your prediction?"
"Not exactly," Aang replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "At first, she told me she didn't see anything else after the bone I threw into the fire practically exploded."
"Exploded? " Zuko repeated with a concerned look.
"Yep," Aang replied. "Apparently, it showed her that I was going to be involved in 'a great battle whose outcome will determine the fate of the world' or something."
"Oh," Zuko said. "Well, we kind of already know that."
Aang nodded. "That's what I said! So I asked if she saw anything about a girl in my future."
"And she told you to… 'trust your heart'?" Zuko asked.
"I should have known she was just saying it to make me feel better…" Aang sighed in frustration. "But I wanted to believe that I had a chance. I thought that maybe if I tried hard enough, I could finally get her to see me as more than just a friend. But there doesn't really seem to be a chance of that happening…"
Zuko was silent for a moment, then placed his hand on his chin, looking as though he was carefully contemplating how to respond. "Well… sometimes, that's just what happens, I guess," he said quietly, looking down at the ground. "Sometimes, the person you love might not feel the same way. It might just take them time… or they might never feel the same way. It's hard to guess which one it will be."
Aang sighed sadly. "Yeah…"
"I don't really think love is something you should force," Zuko continued, now looking up at the darkening sky. "If it's meant to be, it'll happen at its own pace, on both sides."
Aang nodded slowly and thoughtfully in response. Maybe Zuko was right. There was no use in trying to force something between himself and Katara if she didn't feel the same way. Maybe it was time for him to take a step back, and focus on seeing her as a friend first.
After another moment of silence, he placed his hand on the Fire Prince's shoulder, and the other boy looked back up at him. "Thanks for the wisdom, hotman. You're starting to sound a lot like your uncle."
"Please tell me that was a joke."
"I'm being perfectly serious," Aang replied with a grin. "It's some good food for thought."
Zuko gave him a small smile in return. "Speaking of food… You left right before dessert," he said, nudging Aang with his shoulder. "You wanna head back to the inn? I'll race you."
"You're asking an airbender to race you?" Aang replied, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, Zuko, but you don't stand a chance."
"Bending is against the rules," Zuko said, folding his arms.
"What rules?"
"The rules I just made up. It's only fair."
Aang rolled his eyes lightheartedly. "Fine. So do we start here, or–"
Before Aang could even finish his question, Zuko took off running in front of him, and Aang blinked in surprise, laughing to himself as he began to run after the Fire Prince.
"That's cheating!" he called out.
"We never established that starting early was against the rules," Zuko yelled back, looking over his shoulder at him with a smirk, his amber eyes twinkling mischievously. "Just that you can't use your bending. Still think you can beat me without it?"
Aang suddenly felt his heart skip a beat, and an unfamiliar, but pleasant sensation of warmth began to bloom in his chest.
He shook his head rapidly, and laughed again. "I guess we're about to find out!"