I have some questions for u, can someone explain to me about the Earth spirit? I didn't find something specific about it and I want to be as close to the source material as I can, so please if someone would give me the info I would appreciate it so much
Also about The Airbender, I was thinking of doing a new OC or Ty Lee I think the OC is the better choice
Sorry for taking this long, I was tied up with school and a personal project.
Anyway, enjoy the chapter
Book 2 Burning
Chapter 6: A Mark of Hope
You will learn respect, and suffering shall be your teacher
What's the point Zuko? We're nothing, you're nothing, so why are so loyal to a person who sees you as nothing?
I don't know Lee, all my life I tried to make my father proud, maybe I don't know anything else
Idiot, I've told you that sometimes fighting a losing battle is stupid, maybe instead of making your father proud, take care of yourself sometimes, make yourself proud
Is easy for you to say, I don't know how to do that
You have to remember who you are that's all, what's so funny?
Nothing is just that, my mother used to say that to me all the time, she was also another piece of work
You're so messed up Zuko
Yep, I can thank my old folks for that
You better start remembering who you are Zuko, not for you, but for them
For who?
Your new friends, stop hiding, you're a soldier, you're a prince, and you're a leader, it is time for them to know that, it is time for you to tell the Avatar what lies ahead
He's not ready
And neither were you, but you stepped up, he will too
And what am I supposed to tell him then?
That's easy, tell him how you got your scar
It will traumatize him, I can't do that
No, it won't, he will understand, and he will know that the road ahead is not as easy as he thinks, have faith in him
And the others? Katara?
They are your new squad Zuko, and your girlfriend, do you think is good to keep secrets from them?
You're right
Of course, I am, I'm older, now wake up you got a tough day ahead, and don't forget the bargain you made with the spirit.
Zuko woke up, groaning a massive headache filled his head, he pinched his nose and tried to sit up but a black projectile tackled him back down
"Ah Kaida, I give up, I give," Zuko said chuckling as Kaida started licking his face while yapping out loud, then he heard a giggle coming from his right
"She missed her dad, so I brought her here," He heard a familiar sweet voice say
He looked there and saw Katara there in a white bikini "Wow, you look gorgeous," Zuko said smiling as he managed to sit up while holding little Kaida on his lap "Why are you dressed like that? Not that I'm complaining," Zuko said cheekily
Katara snorted and crouched down, she gave him a quick peck on his lips which surprised Zuko "Did you sleep well?" Katara said as she started playing with his hair
"Uh yes? Why the question?" Zuko asked confused as he felt like he was being checked out medically
"You were sweating last night, and Toph said that you're heart was beating fast, and I heard you mumbling something," Katara said looking at him in concern "Something about your father," Katara said and Zuko's eyes winded
"Bad dream?" Katara asked cupping his right cheek
"Bad memories, don't worry I'm okay," Zuko said grabbing her hand and squeezing it "Thank you for worrying about me," Zuko said and Katara smiled
"I'm your girlfriend Zuko, I'll always worry about you," Katara said with a smile and Zuko felt happy
"If my uncle would see me now, he always wanted me to settle down," Zuko said with a snort and Katara took a seat next to him and looked at him with curiosity
"You're uncle?" Katara asked him and he nodded
"Iroh, firstborn of Lord Azulon, the dragon of the west, last I heard he was on Ba Sing Se," Zuko said and Katara frowned in deep thought
"Iroh? That name sounds familiar, is he an old chubby man, who smells like jasmine tea?" Katara asked in curiosity and Zuko looked at her confused
"That's a very accurate description of him, how do you know him?" Zuko asked confused and curious and Katara frowned trying to remember her past experiences
"He was traveling with the Zhao guy who kept chasing us, it turns out he was a pretty nice guy, he betrayed Zhao on the North Pole, and kept me, Aang, and Yue safe for a while," Katara said and Zuko nodded his head in understanding
But another question formed in his mind "Yue? The moon spirit?" Zuko asked in curiosity and Katara looked at him confused
"Yeah, how did you know about her?" Katara asked in confusion
"I talked to her," Zuko said and Katara just stared at him as if he had grown another head "Back in the library, I spoke to her, the sun spirit and the earth spirit," Zuko said scratching the back of his head "Sounds stupid I know," Zuko said
"It does, but you've never lied to me, so I believe you," Katara said and then raised an eyebrow "So what did they tell you?" Katara asked in curiosity
"They asked me to keep an eye out for the wind spirit's child, an Airbender," Zuko said and Katara's eyes winded
"An Airbender? Other than Aang?" Katara asked and Zuko nodded his head "That's huge we got to tell Aang," Katara said but Zuko shook his head no
"We can't," Zuko said and Katara frowned
"Why not?" Katara asked a little angry and Zuko sighed
"Three reasons," Zuko said and looked at her straight into her eyes "One, the spirits are mad with the Avatar," Zuko said and Katara looked confused
"Mad at Aang? But he's the bridge between this world and the spirit one," Katara explained and Zuko sighed again as he started scratching Kaida's head for comfort
"Not for a while he hasn't, and it's not because he was trapped in an iceberg," Zuko said "The Avatars have forgotten that duty for a while now, since before Avatar Kioshi," Zuko said "Now the bridge is no more, is like a broken dam, sometimes people go to the spirit world accidentally, like me and my uncle, while rouge spirits have a free reign to come to this world to do what they please," Zuko said and Katara felt unease
"Two, I said another Airbender, not another air nomad," Zuko clarified and Katara was confused "There's a big difference if we tell Aang he will be expecting a person detached, someone like him, and he will be disappointed by what he finds," Zuko said but Katara tried to argue
"Yeah I know but," Katara said but Zuko droved his final point
"And three, the kid has already too much on his plate, I don't want to get his hopes up until it is certain," Zuko said Katara thought for a moment and then sighed
"You're right, I don't like it but you're right," Katara said, and Zuko squeezed her hand
"I'm sorry, I know it's not fair," Zuko said and Katara smiled at him
"Don't worry, I know it's not your fault," Katara said and then looked down and her eyes winded as she remembered why she had come here "Shoot, I forgot about it, we found a waterfall, come on, let's go swimming," Katara said pulling Zuko up as Kaida moved to his shoulder
"Uh but I don't have swim pants," Zuko said but still let Katara drag him forward
"Just go on your underwear, it's no big deal," Katara said happily and Zuko snorted
"You just want to see me naked, you pervert," Zuko said and Katara smirked at him but didn't deny his claims
"Don't act as if you're not turned on by what I'm wearing," Katara said and Zuko chuckled
"Touche," Zuko said and Katara giggled at him, then they both got to the clearing where the waterfall was and saw the rest of the gang there
Aang was swimming on the lake, Toph was resting on a nearby rock and Sokka was looking at some maps "Don't make me wait too long," Katara said letting go of his hand and running towards the lake diving into it
Zuko smiled and walked forward toward where Toph was, he grabbed Kaida who let out a yapping cry but calmed herself down once she fell into Toph's lap
"Can you take care of her for me?" Zuko asked as Toph scratched the dragon's chin
"Of course sparky, Kaida's a better company than Sokka over there," Toph said and Sooka gave her a look of indignation
"Hey! I can hear you!" Sokka said angry and then calmed himself down and looked at Zuko "And Kaida? You got to admit my name was better," Sokka said
"You wanted to call her fire noodle, is below her status," Zuko said simply as he started to take off his shirt
"Her status? Where does she place then?" Sokka asked and Zuko smirked at him
"Right on top of Momo and you," Zuko said cheekily and Sokka scoffed
"Don't you mean Me and Momo?" Sokka asked and Zuko chuckled as he took off his pants
"Nope, Momo's ahead of you, there's something majestic about him," Zuko said as Toph laughed and Sokka grumbled something about cheeky firebenders
Zuko ruffled Toph's hair and she didn't do anything to stop him, having gotten used to it, she just sighed but internally she was smiling happily
Zuko entered slowly into the lake where he was met with a splash to his face "Really?" Zuko said sarcastically as Katara was smiling cheekily at him
"What? You were too dry, I wanted to help," Katara said with a cheek and Zuko knew better of entering into a splashing war with a master water bender, but he said fuck it and splash her straight in the face
She gave him a fake gasp and Zuko chuckled at her "What? I just wanted to help," Zuko said and retreated as he started swimming away from Katara
"Get back here you jerk," Katara said laughing, and started swimming towards him trying to catch him
Back with the others, Aang got off the lake and started to dry himself off as he stared at Katara and Zuko in confusion "Uh when did that happen?" Aang asked in confusion
"What happened?" Toph asked not looking at him, instead focusing on playing with Kaida
"Katara and Zuko, when did they become so close?" Aang asked confused and with a little jealousness in his voice
"They kept us going in the desert, they probably bonded," Toph said shrugging her shoulders and Sokka saw how jealous Aang was becoming
"Ah great, not this again," Sokka said and decided to help Zuko and his sister a little bit "They're just good friends," Sokka said and Aang nodded but still narrowed his eyes
Because the scene he was seeing was of both older benders close to one another splashing water and laughing with one another, then he smirked and looked up as he got an idea of how to break it
Zuko and Katara had gotten pretty close to one another, almost on the edge of kissing again, but then a shadow was growing in between them and both of them looked up
Turns out the Avatar was falling in a cannonball in between them Katara and Zuko quickly moved away as Aang splashed a big wave almost splashing Toph and Sokka
Katara and Zuko rubbed their faces getting rid of the water, Katara looked at Zuko, her concerned eyes asking him if he was right, he nodded and told her not to worry with his own, but Aang's purpose struck true, the mood was broken
Zuko went away, while Katara was stuck talking to an eager Aang proud that his plan had worked, he gave a cheeky smirk to Zuko, but the older teen didn't even care, or saw it for that matter
Katara saw it though and she held back the sigh of exasperation that formed in her, she felt a little down since she wanted to spend time with Zuko, but her habits kicked in and she started mothering Aang like always
"Trouble in paradise?" Sokka asked cheekily as Zuko exited the lake and started heating up and drying himself in the process
"Shut up," Zuko grumbled as he started dressing up, once he was done he grabbed the almost sleeping Kaida from Toph's lap
"Having a jealous Avatar, that must be tough," Toph said and Zuko grumbled as he placed the little dragon on the inside of his hood
"I don't care," Zuko said as he sighed when he saw Toph smirking at him "Okay, maybe it is a little annoying," Zuko said making Toph and Sokka chuckle, and then he took a crossed-legged seat next to Sokka and directed his eyes to the map in front of Sokka
"So where are we going?" Katara asked in curiosity walking towards them while drying her hair
"We're close to Ba Sing Se, we just need to cross the Serpent pass," Sokka said but then they heard a hum of disagreement coming from Zuko "What?" Sokka asked in confusion
"Nothing, is just that back in the day, my squad always tended to avoid that path, too many similar nasty rumors for us to risk it," Zuko said scratching his chin "There's no other way?" Zuko asked in curiosity and Sokka shook his head
"No, all roads point there, it would've been easier if we had Appa," Sokka said and then winced when he received a swat to his head courtesy of Katara
"Sokka!" Katara said forcefully as Sokka rubbed his head in pain and saw the glare Zuko was sending him he turned and saw a deject Aang
"Guy's is fine, you don't have to worry about me," Aang said and Zuko unlike the others saw behind his mask, he was brooding, the fire bender teen knew it too well, and now his dreams made sense
But before he could say anything he heard a rustling coming from the left and he quickly stepped up and put his guard up
But the guard fell when he saw a trio group of Earth kingdom refugees, a middle-aged father, a very pregnant mother, and what Zuko guessed was the eldest daughter was
"Hello there fellow refugees!" The patriarch of the family said greeting as Sokka quickly put the map away
"Cynical much?" Zuko whispered and Sokka glared at him, then Aang being the extrovert he is, walk forward
"Hi, are you perhaps going to Ba Sing Se?" Aang said as Zuko looked at the kid a little confused, he wondered how much trust the kid had
"We sure are, we couldn't help but overhear you, but you aren't going to the serpent pass are you?" The patriarch asked and the group looked at each other Zuko nodded at Aang maybe it would be a good time for him to fall into the leader he needed to be
"Yeah, are you also going there?" Aang asked and the older couple looked at each other
"Um not, there's another place we should go," The man said as the group looked at each other once again
"One of you has to have a good luck charm," Zuko said "How did we find the people with the secret entrance that easily?" Zuko asked out loud a little dumbfounded and Sokka clasped his back
"I stop wondering about this for a while now, and learn to go with the flow," Sokka said and Zuko snorted at him
"That was very Zen of you, where did that wisdom come from?" Zuko asked in curiosity
"I'm a very wise person, like a sage," Sokka said as he pretended to play with an imaginary goatee
"I don't know dude, Sokka the Sage just doesn't have a nice ring to it," Zuko mocked as he smirked playfully at the water tribe teen
"Oh, and Zuko the sage does?" Sokka asked mocking back and Zuko smiled
"Nah I don't need the sage part, Zuko is enough, there's a regal tone to it," Zuko said and Sokka rolled his eyes
"Yeah sure use the prince card, that aint fair," Sokka said, and then both boys felt a light smack on their backs that pushed them forward
"You're both drawing attention, come on let's get our passes and move forward," Katara said with a whisper, and Sokka and Zuko looked at each other
"It's just banter, sides, everyone seems to be on their own business," Sokka said looking around
"That's a refugee camp for you, I wonder if this is the outside, how's the city then," Zuko said as both water tribe teens looked around in concern, the trio's moods turned 180 as the youngest of the group came around
"Hey guys, the entrance is this way, come on," Aang said as Katra walked forward while the two teenage boys hung in the back
Zuko's instincts were at 100 percent, years in the army would do that for you, but he didn't find any out of the ordinary, what could you find when this wasn't an ordinary situation
Beggar after beggar, people taken out of their homes, stripped of their land, with family fighting in the war probably, that's everything that was around him, it almost made him sad but he couldn't break here, not in front of them, they didn't need his sympathy
Then a scene caught his eye, a woman, dressed in what seemed to be the uniform of this place, approaching the family that Zuko was watching, she gave him some food and checked over the family
What caught Zuko's eye was that this girl was a warrior, her poise, her posture, and her aura were telling him that, this girl had experience but there was something else there
A familiar sensation, that girl had a fire in her blood, it was small but it was there, the gift of Agni, Zuko figured she didn't even know of it, and in another time and place he would've approached her and tried and help her, but this was not the time he figured, so he decided to leave it, but his vow almost broke when she looked up and his golden eyes met her hazel ones that hid her fire behind them
But it was funny how destiny worked because this wouldn't be the last time that they would see each other
"And the one who isn't listening is my bodyguard, Lee, isn't that right, Lee?" He heard Toph say as he felt a push under his feet, he turned to look where they were with a frown on his face, and apparently, that was enough to convince the clerk in front of Toph
"Right, well here you go Ms. Beifong, five passes to Ba Sing Se, the next boat should depart soon," The clerk said as Toph grabbed the passes and the group walked away
"Glad to have you with us again Mr. Lee," Toph said sarcastically as Zuko snorted as both he and Toph were leading the group
"I knew you could handle it, I was just looking around for a plan b, ain't that right Kaida?" Zuko said as her dragon who was resting on his shoulder chirped in agreement "See, she agrees," Zuko said cheekily
"She will always agree with you, so there's not much I can do," Toph said grumbling, and Zuko ruffled her hair
"Don't worry, she likes you too so she will agree with you too," Zuko said as Toph swatted his hand away "So, are you okay using your Family's name here?" Zuko asked and Toph sighed
"Well, I have to use it at some point, might as well use it here, saves us the trouble," Toph said and Zuko looked down at her in sympathy
"You miss them?" Zuko asked in curiosity
"Yeah, a bit, I can't help but wonder what are they doing and if they are worried about me," Toph said and Zuko looked forward
"I'm sure they are, even if they didn't understand you, you're parents always did care for you," Zuko said "Your dad probably sent mercenaries to track you down, but that's just my guess," Zuko said and Toph chuckled
"Yeah, that sounds like something my father would do," Toph said and Zuko snickered "What about you, do you miss your family?" Toph asked and Zuko hummed
"Well yeah, most of them but not all, mainly my uncle and my sister," Zuko said with a faraway look "I know my uncle is in Ba Sing Se, so that's only a matter of time," Zuko said and Toph nodded
"And your sister?" Toph said and Zuko sighed
"That's different, she's one of the people who was chasing us, the fire-bending crazy chick that Sokka mentioned," Zuko said and Toph's eyes winded
"Oh, I'm sorry," Toph said and Zuko chuckled
"Don't be, I'm just in a melancholy state, growing up as we did, well it messed up both of us, but only I was fortunate to have someone show me another way, she hasn't, and that's up to me now," Zuko said and Toph glanced in his direction
"You want to save her don't you?" She asked and Zuko nodded his head
"Yeah I do," Zuko said, and Toph gave him a small smile
"Well if someone can do it, I know it's you Zuko," Toph said and Zuko smiled and looked down at Toph
"Thanks, Toph, I'm glad I met you, you know that right?" Zuko said and Toph smirked
"Of course you are, I'm pretty great and everyone should always be glad to meet me," Toph said and her attitude received a playful ruffle of her hair again by Zuko
Then once they were done playing with each other both of them noticed that the group had stopped walking and they turned around and saw Sokka, Aang, and Katara talking to the same girl Zuko had crossed eyes before
"A friend?" Toph asked and Zuko shrugged his shoulders
"Maybe, we shouldn't interrupt just yet though," Zuko said and Toph sighed
"You get a kick of ruining my fun don't you?" Toph said and Zuko smiled
"Just a little bit," Zuko said and then the girl saw both of them and raised an eyebrow in curiosity
"You look so different without your makeup Suki," Katara said and Suki, a girl Zuko had learned a Kyoshi Warrior chuckled nervously
"Yeah, it feels weird but it is what it is," Suki said scratching the back of her hair
"And the uniform?" Sokka asked
"Security uniform, helps citizens locate the guards and keep whatever safety this place has in check," Zuko responded for Suki as the girl nodded "But in reality is just a way for management to keep tabs on everyone, the wheel of power sort of speak," Zuko explained and Suki sighed
"Your friend heat the nail on the head, it's just part of the system, but we do what we can," Suki said
"Still, this is a first, Kyoshi warriors aren't known from going out of their island," Zuko noted with a hint of curiosity
"Well, I always did before I became their leader, and still managed to from time to time," Suki said and then she looked to her right arm and Zuko saw a second-degree burn scar "And after that general attacked I convinced our chief that we have to do something else, to try and help this world," Suki said and the group smiled as Zoko took out a drag of his cigarette
"That's very noble of you," Zuko complimented and Suki gave him a smile
"And what about you? Why are you buying tickets for the ferry, shouldn't you fly with Appa?" Suki asked in curiosity and everyone felt dejected except Zuko as he glanced at the Airbender kid next to him
"Appa is missing, we hope to find him in Ba Sing Se," Katara said and Suki's eyes winded
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, are you okay?" Suki asked looking at Aang as everyone glanced at him in concern and Aang looked away in annoyance
"Guys, I'm fine, can you all stop worrying about me?" Aang said annoyed and then felt a hand on his shoulder
"We need to talk," Zuko whispered and Aang shook Zuko's hand away and looked back
"Avatar Aang! We need your help!" The pregnant woman from earlier shouted as Aang and Zuko looked back "Someone stole our belongings, our passports, our tickets. Everything's gone!" The woman said as she broke down and her husband hell her together
And Aang jumped down and landed in front of the lady "I'll talk to the clerk for you," Aang said as the group followed behind them except Zuko and Suki
Zuko lay on the bench facing upwards as Suki looked at him in curiosity "You're not gonna join them?" Suki asked in curiosity
"There's no need, the clerk won't allow it, so I'll just wait here," Zuko said taking a drag out of his cigarette "You're planning on joining us?" Zuko asked looking at her
"Maybe, I suppose I should help you guys if you're taking on the serpent pass," Suki said and Zuko looked up
"If I may offer advice, bring your two most trusted companions with you," Zuko said and blew a cloud of smoke out
"Why? If I may ask," Suki asked in curiosity
"It is not the serpent pass that concerns me, is what's waiting for us once we reach its end," Zuko said and glanced at Suki "Fire Nation squads hug the border in search of Earth Kingdom citizens, so they don't reach Ba Sing Se," Zuko said and Suki crossed her arms
"Are you sure? The others didn't know about it," Suki said and Zuko sighed
"Last time I saw them was a year ago, I don't know if they still are there but I don't like taking chances," Zuko said and Suki looked down in deep thought
"Yeah you're right, I'll talk to my girls," Suki said as she started walking away and then she glanced back "You're okay here?" Suki asked and Zuko glanced upwards
"Yeah, I just need a moment," Zuko said and Suki frowned in slight concern as she walked away
Zuko was in deep thought, this whole situation had him remembering stuff that he had forgotten, four years ago, on his first year on the squad, he was on the borders of Ba Sing Se, scouting ahead, he was reporting about a family of three, a father, a mother, and a child about ten years old
He knew what he had to do, Lee had told him, it was them or Squad 77 and they could offer these poor refugees a painless death, but when his eyes connected with the child's he hesitated, he couldn't, this was a line he just wouldn't cross but then a fireball hit the middle of their camp and then he was back on the ferry bay with Kaida looking over him
"Hi, sorry I was lost in thought," Zuko said as he scratched Kaida's neck and she purred "Come on let's join the others," Zuko said stepping off the bench as Kaida jumped to his shoulder
He put his hands in his pockets and jumped down as he walked to where the group was, still a bad feeling creeping on him
"This isn't what imagine a serpent pass would be," Sokka said as he looked at the mountain up ahead
"And what exactly where you were expecting?" Zuko asked in curiosity as Sokka
"I don't know, something more serpent-like," Sokka said and Zuko hummed
"I can make some snake noises if that helps," Zuko said and Sokka sighed and looked down
"No, I don't think it will," Sokka said dejected Zuko clasped his back and behind them, Suki was chatting with her Kyoshi warriors
"So, our job is to protect the family, keep an eye out for anything, especially the fire nation," Suki said and both Kyoshi warriors nodded
"They gained a new companion," One of the warriors noted as the other who preferred to remain silent nodded as Suki glanced at Zuko "He doesn't look like an Earth Kingdom citizen," She said as Suki frowned at her
"Look, he's with Aang and the others, if they trust him we will too," Suki said giving Zuko a side glance
And that conversation wasn't lost to Zuko, years in the army gave him a sharp ear so he heard everything that was being said by the Kyoshi Warriors
Also, Suki still was gaining curiosity, at first, he thought it was because of her inner flame but now, there was some sort of familiarity, like he had met her before but he couldn't put his finger on it
"Look at this sign," The pregnant woman said out loud gaining the attention of everyone "How awful," She said
"What does it say?" Toph asked in curiosity and Katara read the sign aloud
"Abandon hope," Katara read as the pregnant woman gasped
"How can we abandon hope? That's all we have," The woman said as she fell into her husband's chest
"I don't know," Aang said as he gained their attention "But the Monks used to say that hope is a distraction, so maybe we do need to abandon it," Aang said and Katara took a step forward but someone beat her to it
"You really believe that?" Zuko asked with a frown as he crossed his arms
"What am I supposed to believe then? Hope isn't getting us to Ba Sing Se, and it isn't helping us find Appa," Aang said and Zuko sighed
"There is truth in what you're saying, but like she said, how can you abandon hope when it's all that's left?" Zuko said walking forward and keeping his eyes on the young Avatar
"You need determination, Hope can only be achieved if you put your hard work into it," Zuko said as he took a dagger and started cutting into the wooden post "Come on, let's get going," Zuko said walking forward
Katara looked at the post to see what Zuko had written there and she smiled, as the sign said "Do not abandon hope," and she quickly walked forward to catch up with Zuko followed by the rest of the group.
The group was walking along the mountain in a straight line, Aang was leading the charge, followed by Suki then Zuko, behind him Katara kept a watchful eye on the refugees while Toph Sokka and the rest of Kyoshi Warriors took guard
"The Fire Nation controls the western lake, rumor has it that they're working on something big on the other side," Suki said as she looked to her left to see a Fire Nation warship moving along the ocean "And they don't want anyone to find what it is," Suki said
"Warships," Zuko said as Suki looked back "The Fire Nation needs the Earth Kingdom's minerals to build them, that's what they're building," Zuko explained Suki narrowed her eyes and then focused ahead
Then Zuko put a hand on the wall next to him and then cleared his throat "Nobody move, let them move ahead of us," Zuko said as everyone stopped and looked at the ship and waited for it to disappear.
"You've noticed it too Toph?" Zuko asked out loud as the group looked at him confused but Toph nodded her head
"Yeah, we're traveling down," Toph said and Sokka voiced the confusion in the group
"What does that mean?" Sokka said and Zuko looked back
"Sea level has been rising for a while now, either the sea is growing or," Zuko said and Aang sighed
"Or this cliff is leading us down," Aang said and Zuko nodded, and then the air nomad looked back at the couple "Let's push forward a little and then we'll take a rest," Aang said as he kept walking and the group followed him closely
Then after a while of walking, they stopped and found the cliff had split by the ocean and now they were going to pass to the other side
"Seems like this map it's outdated, so how do we cross, a bridge maybe?" Sokka asked
"No, the distance is too long and the waves are too wild, I can't maintain that concentration for too long, but I have another idea," Katara explained "Aang give me a hand," Katara said and both started to bend the water creating a dome of air for them to walk through the sea
"Hey, you've been here before?" Sokka whispered to Zuko and the Fire bender looked back at him
"The serpent pass? Nope, why?" Zuko asked and Sokka looked around
"I don't know, this seems weird, something doesn't add up," Sokka said and Zuko also started looking around too
"Yeah I get what you mean," Zuko said, and then his hand shot to the right very quickly grabbing Momo by the back of its neck and then looked at where the lemur had tried to jump and saw a shadow swimming there and his eyes winded
"Katara stop! Toph get us up now!" Zuko shouted as Toph quickly created a platform under them and pushed them forward
Zuko was watching the ocean carefully and Kaida by the sudden movement had woken up and was chirping at the ocean, he quickly grabbed her and put it in Toph's palms
"Take care of her for me," Zuko said as he started running to the end of the platform with a purpose "Protect the couple!" Zuko shouted to Sokka
"Sokka that's," Suki said looking at the small dragon in shock as Sokka was looking at Zuko in concern
"Zuko the hell are you doing!?" Sokka asked in concern as Suki looked at Zuko in confusion
"Zuko?" She asked out loud then she saw Zuko jumping forward and then he propelled himself up with red flames under his feet and Suki's eyes winded in shock
He took out one of his swords and lit it up in flames as he looked down into the sea the shadow grew and grew then a serpent-like gigantic creature came out from the sea with the sole purpose of eating Zuko
He moved forward in the air and managed to stab the creature in its forehead and then put himself on top of the creature, he planned to ride the monster out of there giving it a chance to the others to escape, a plan that went out of the window as soon as the creature dove right back into the sea
Katara's eyes winded as she saw all of that transpire in a matter of seconds and she took a step forward but then a hand stopped her "You heard him, we need to get these people out of danger," Sokka said and Katara blinked and then she narrowed her eyes
"Right, Aang come on," Katara said as she pushed forward and started creating an ice bridge with a purpose, she would finish helping everyone and then she would go and help Zuko, she vowed to herself.
Katara and Aang had finished the bridge and they helped the Earth Kingdom citizens to cross first, especially the pregnant woman Katara checked the woman over to see if she was okay
Toph had some trouble walking the ice bridge, this was the first time she fell so powerless but she needed to get herself and Kaida to safety, she had promised Zuko, so with the help of the Kyoshi warriors she managed to cross the bridge
Once the whole group was safe on the other side the creature resurfaced again with Zuko still on its head, the creature moved upwards as Zuko hung there for dear life but then the creature managed to free itself from the sword and Zuko started falling as the creature came down with its mouth open trying to eat the fire bender
Zuko saw this and his eyes winded so he quickly shot fire under his feet propelling and then knew that this monster wouldn't leave them alone and he needed a new plan
So, while he was in mid-air, started moving his arms in a circular motion as lighting sparks started appearing on his fingertips, then while doing a backflip in midair to turned around and then connected his eyes with the creature
"I'm sorry," He whispered to the monster as he moved his right arm forward and shot the lighting straight into the monster's head
The group bellowed look up in shock as they saw the monster recoil and fall staring into the sea not knowing if it was unconscious or dead, Katara was still looking up and saw Zuko free-falling into the ocean and she wouldn't let him get hurt
So she moved her arms and legs forward and created a gigantic ice slide catching Zuko in mid-air as the Fire bender slid to safety
He got to the ground kneeling out of breath as he looked up and then quickly felt someone crashing into him giving him a death grip hug "You idiot, what were you thinking," Katara whispered and Zuko hugged her back
"I'm sorry, my instincts kicked in," Zuko explained and then looked up to see the mistrust eyes of the Kyoshi warriors and he knew he would have some explaining to do
Zuko was walking around a cliff they were using as a camp with a cigarette in his mouth, the family of the Earth Kingdom had gone to sleep, there was a big difference between citizens and warriors, and it clearly showed, as Aang wanted to keep going but the citizens needed rest so he compromised and listen to advice
Right now Zuko was walking to talk to the Airbender, Katara had wanted to but he told her that right now Aang needed something else than a warm shoulder and that he knew what the guy was going through, so he asked her to let him take care of it, and Katara tried to refuse but in the end, she decided to let him handle it.
So as he was walking to the Airbender he was met with an annoyed Kyoshi warrior walking towards him, something was troubling Suki and she looked up once she saw him and narrowed her eyes at him
"Seems like you still don't trust me," Zuko noticed and Suki crossed her arms
"Trust is something that's earned not given, I trusted Sokka and the rest when they said you're no enemy, but that doesn't mean I trust you, fire bender," Suki said and Zuko nodded his head
"I understand, that's fair," Zuko said as his eyes traveled to the burn marks on her arm "Especially with your experience with fire benders, this is to be expected," Zuko said and even though he wanted to go and talk to Aang he owe it to Suki to help her discover who she is
"Can I ask you a question?" Zuko asked and Suki looked up
"You just did, but sure," Suki said with a small smirk and Zuko snorted
"What is fire bending to you? What is fire to you?" Zuko asked as Suki's eyes winded and then she frowned in deep thought
"Fire is a volatile element, a wild uncontrollable force that is been used by short-sided people who can't control their emotions, that's what I think," Suki said and Zuko hummed
"Well, you're not wrong about the users of fire but you're wrong about fire," Zuko said and Suki raised an eyebrow
"Really? Well, why don't you explain to me how wrong I am please?" Suki said sarcastically as Zuko looked at her seriously and then created a flame on his right palm
"Fire is life, that's what it is, people in the fire nation think that by using their anger they make it stronger but that's wrong, fire is every emotion we have, from happiness to sadness, from hate to love, from hope to despair, everything, that's what fire is," Zuko said as the flame started growing bit by bit and saw that Suki didn't believe him
"Please look closely at the flame and you'll see what I'm saying," Zuko said and Suki sighed but still did as he told her to not sure why but then as she was staring at the flame it started changing colors, from bright red to orange to blue to green to purple and then all the colors swirled around creating a beautiful rainbow flame and she was in a trance looking at the flames
Something was stirring inside of her as if she had found something she didn't know what she was looking for but then as she moved her hand forward Zuko turned the flame back into an orange color
"Bending is the ultimate connection we have to the spirits that use to roam this place, it gives us a glance of what we could be, and a sense of purpose, one that you've been looking for, for a while am I right?" Zuko said and Suki looked in confusion
"What?" She asked confused and Zuko put his left hand forward
"Give me your hand please, I promise I won't hurt you," Zuko said Suki moved her right hand forward and Zuko grabbed it and put it in between them
Then without a word between them, he put the orange flame on top of Suki's hand and then let go, Suki closed her eyes bracing for the pain that burning would do but then she didn't feel anything
She slowly opened her eyes and saw the flame there floating on her right arm, she gasped in amazement as she saw herself controlling the flame
"A lot of seasoned Fire benders, with enough training, can feel the inner flame from another fire bender with ease, I can too, and when I met you earlier today, I noticed it, it was small but it was there," Zuko said as he saw the flame growing small and thinner
"You are a fire bender, Suki, just as Fire is life, fire is also you, and I want to teach you how to control it," Zuko said as Suki's eyes winded and then the flame disappeared and Suki felt like something was taken from her
"You did say something correctly, Fire can be volatile, especially if you don't know how to control it and control yourself, and for that, you need a fire-bending master," Zuko said as he started walking forward
"Think about it Suki, and let me know what you decide," Zuko said and Suki looked down at her hand and brought it to her chest, her mind was racing with different thoughts and she needed to figure out what to do, for herself and not for her community for the first time in her life
Zuko continued walking and a few moments later he found Aang standing on the edge of a cliff looking at the moon
"This is familiar, first teenage brooding if I'm guessing correctly," Zuko said trying to ease the mood but Aang wasn't having it
"You weren't the one I expected to come and try to talk to me," Aang said and Zuko sighed and crossed his arms
"Well, I did say we needed to talk," Zuko said and Aang looked back in curiosity
"Well then, what did you want to talk about?" Aang asked not showing any emotion
"I wanted to say sorry, for how I behaved back in the desert," Zuko said and Aang raised an eyebrow confused "I put too much on you, sometimes I forget you're just a kid and I only see the Avatar, I am sorry for that," Zuko said bowing in front of Aang
"Um, thanks I guess, really there's no need Zuko," Aang said as Zuko straightened up and looked straight at Aang's eyes
"I know what you're doing Aang, it's not healthy to trust me," Zuko said as Aang looked at him confused "Don't give me that look Aang you're pushing down your emotions," Zuko said and Aang looked away
"You don't understand," Aang said and Zuko raised his voice
"Oh but I do Aang," Zuko said and then he took a breath in to calm himself "I also tried to push down mine, and anger was all that drove me, and it wasn't good for me, it took me a year to finally learn to find myself, but if I had gotten down that path I would've lost myself, just as you are doing right now," Zuko said and Aang just looked away
"Please leave me alone Zuko," Aang said
Zuko sighed and looked down, he knew what he needed to do, Aang was an emphatic person, he couldn't help but feel for others and right now the only way he could get through Aang was if he told him his past experiences
"How about this, Let me tell you a story, with the other's, that's all, and then I'll leave you alone, sounds good for you?" Zuko asked and Aang looked back and sighed but started following nonetheless
"Just the story right?" Aang asked and Zuko gave him a nod
Both benders walked into the fire in the middle of the camp where the rest of the group was currently sitting and eating, Sokka was sitting next to Suki, who was looking straight at the fire, the conversation she had with Zuko still in her mind
Next to her both of her partners the Kyoshi warriors were eating content and chatting with one another
Then in front of them Katara and Toph were sitting, Katara was making sure the food didn't go to waste while Toph played with Kaida
Zuko took a sit between Katara and Toph while Aang took a seat between the South Water tribe siblings his eyes focused on Zuko
"Um, so there's still soup here if you guys want some, it might be a little cold," Katara said and Zuko grabbed a plate for himself and started eating
"Thanks, Kat, this is pretty good," Zuko said and Katara smiled at him and then Aang cleared his throat
"So, what's the story?" Aang asked in curiosity and Zuko looked down at the plate of soup
"What story?" Sokka asked in confusion Aang looked away in discomfort and Zuko cleared his throat
"I wanted you to learn how things are in the Fire nation, we're approaching Ba Sing Se very quickly and once we're there, it will be the point of no return, so I want you to know what you are gonna be facing later on," Zuko said taking a sip of his sound leaving the reason he and Aang had out of the conversation
"So for that, I'm gonna tell you the story of how I got my scar," Zuko said taking another sip of his meal
Everyone's eyes winded even Aang's as they knew they had to pay attention to what Zuko was about to say
"Wait, you have a scar?" Toph asked in confusion as Zuko looked at her
"Oh, I never told you right?" Zuko asked and Toph shook her head "Sorry I'm so used to people always noticing it, here let me show you, give me your hands," Zuko said as Toph put Kaida on her lap who curled up feeling a bit tired right now
Zuko put Toph's left hand on the right side of his face the one who didn't have the scar and moved it along his eye, cheek, and ear "I don't get it I don't see a scar," Toph said but then he placed her right hand on his scarred side and then her eyes wined
"Oh," Toph said as she moved her hand along his face trying to see where the scar ended and no matter how she moved it the scar was big enough to find no end, she dropped her hand and hugged Kaida tightly "I'm sorry," Toph said and Zuko smiled and put his hand on top of her hair
"It's okay Toph," Zuko said and then he sighed and looked at the flames in front of him
"For those who didn't know, I'm Zuko son of Fire Lord Ozai, former prince of the fire nation," Zuko said as the eyes of the Kyoshi Warriors winded in shock but didn't offer any comment
"Life back then in the palace was very different, like all childhood memories there are the good ones and the bad ones, and when I was young I wasn't a very good fire bender, well I wasn't good by royalty standards, I was on the level of a common soldier, and compared to my sister who is a prodigy through and through, in the eyes of my father I quickly became a disappointment," Zuko said as everyone listened carefully
"Fast forward a couple of years, my uncle was leading the siege of Ba Sing Se and doing real damage, I don't know the details but I know he was about to break through," Zuko said and Toph cleared her throat
"The dragon of the west? That's your uncle?" Toph asked and Zuko nodded his head yes "Yeah, he was practically inside the city before calling it off, no one knows why though," Toph explained and Zuko sighed again
"Because his son Lu Ten died on that siege," Zuko explained "And Lu Ten was the world to my uncle so he called it off and disappeared for a year, that day when news of what my Uncle had done reached the palace, my grandfather and mother died and my father became the fire lord in his place," Zuko said
"I know it sounds confusing but I don't remember much about that day, only that one day I was just the son of the second son of the Fire lord, and the next day I was prince, and suddenly I had another set of responsibilities, because I was next in line to be Fire Lord," Zuko said
"So one day, when I was Thirteen years old, I begged my uncle, who had returned as an advisor for the war council, to let me in and listen to the war plans," Zuko said "I wanted to prove myself as prince, to make a mark and show my dad that he could be proud of me," Zuko explained
"My uncle agreed after a while but with one condition, that I didn't speak during the meeting, I was only to remain seated and listen to each plan carefully, and sometimes I wish I'd listen to him," Zuko said as everyone was now capture by the story listening carefully
"There was an Earth Kingdom territory that we'd been battling for a while now, but it was defended by seasoned and expert Earth Benders so we're getting nowhere," Zuko said "So a General proposed a plan, the 41-st division, a division mainly consisting on rookies and not that all experienced soldiers, were going to attack the Earth Benders head-on while another squad of Fire benders moved silently and attack from behind," Zuko explained and Sokka's eyes winded
"They were going to use them as bait!? The hell is wrong with your people!?" Sokka asked and Zuko smiled at him
"I know right, that plan lacked honor and I was so disgusted by it that without thinking I stood up and started saying that that plan went against everything this nation stood for, that it was dishonorable, and that the General should be ashamed of, but that was a mistake," Zuko said
"I went against the one thing my uncle had told me and I spoke brashly and out of turn, so my father who was watching from his throne made his presence known," Zuko said "He said that because I spoke out of turn, and out place, that I've disrespected the general and the only way to fix it was by having an Aagni kai," Zuko explained and continue speaking as he saw the confused glances of everyone
"An Agni Kai is simply a fire duel between two fire benders, and I accepted it, I may not be a prodigy but I could've easily taken out that general. So the day of the duel I was ready and confident, and I turned to start the duel but the general wasn't there," Zuko said as he stared directly at the fire
"Turns out since I made the disrespect on my father's war room, I didn't disrespect the general but someone else entirely, so when I turned back it wasn't the general but my father," Zuko said
"You're kidding," Suki said horrified, no one found the words that could convey what they were feeling and Zuko just nodded his head
"No, sadly I'm not," Zuko said as he put the bowl on the ground and started rubbing his hands together
"What did you do then?" Sokka asked and Zuko let out a defeated sigh
"I kneeled and begged for mercy," Zuko said rubbing his face "I was thirteen against not only my father but also the most powerful fire bender in the world, I was scared and I just couldn't," Zuko said
Then he paused to center himself and his eyes looked at the fire once again "Then once I refused to fight once more, he stood in front of me and said," Zuko said taking another pause
"You will learn respect and suffering shall be your teacher," Zuko explained "And then gave me something so that I could always remember that lesson," Zuko said and Aang looked confused
"Wait, what did he give you?" Aang asked Zuko and he only lifted his head and offered no response
Katara then gasped and put a hand over her mouth shocked and disgusted "No, he didn't," Katara said as her eyes started to water
"So then I was assigned to the army, with the sole purpose that I get killed, so I survived changed my ways, and deserted, and now I found my freedom, by finding who I was once again," Zuko said standing up
"Make sure don't forget who you are Aang," Zuko said picking Kaida up and walking away in the process
Katara quickly stood up and ran behind him still emotional and with tears in her eyes
Sokka then looked at Aang and noticed how he still was wondering what Zuko referred to when he said that he was given something so he decided to help the kid
"His scar Aang," Sokka said as Aang looked at him confused "His father gave him the scar on his eye," Sokka said and Aang's eyes winded
He looked down at his hands and then looked at the fire, he wondered how could a father do something like that to his child, and now more than ever his mission felt right
Toph moved her knees up hugged herself and touched the ground next to her, searching for Zuko's heartbeat and footsteps, she didn't know how to approach Zuko right now, she would be there for him tomorrow so for now she had to let Katara deal with it hoping she could comfort her favorite person
Sokka was looking at the flames in deep thought, he knew that this world was messed up, but he didn't know that it was this much, then he saw the moonlight hitting his face and looked up, he smiled and nodded, he knew what he had to do now, keep being himself and protecting his friends as much as he could
Suki was staring at the flames in front of her and then her eyes went to her left hand where the flame was earlier, she tightened her fist as she debated what to do, but one of the things Zuko had said resonated with her, she needed to find who she was
On the other side of the area, on a cliff, Zuko was sitting there with his legs hanging in the air as he petted Kaida who was currently sleeping on his lap
He then felt a familiar touch on his shoulder and looked there to see Katara sitting there with tears in her eyes, Zuko moved a hand up and rubbed her tears away and then pressed his forehead against hers
Then he moved her head to his shoulder as he ran circles around her back to comfort her as he let her cry the tears she needed, the tears he refused to let out all those years ago.
End of Chapter 6