A/N Sorry for the long wait everyone! Have been working 86 to 94 hour work weeks, on average. I don't even know for how long now! lol! Starting to slow down now though. Hope the long chapter makes up for the wait. I've been working on it for three or four days, when I had time. :)
The moment Lee wakes up, he knows it's going to be a bad day. The air comes in through the shed door cool and moist. A promise of an autumn rain.
As he swings out of bed, his cuts stretch painfully, particularly the one on his arm. He glances at it and is surprised to see string woven through his skin.
He thinks of Hua's glance at her mother with her finger on her lips as she handed him candy and asked him about his thoughts on the upcoming journey.
The glance had been a communication to her mother, not to him.
Keeping his pace slow and steady, he gets to his feet and trudges outside. A thick fog obscures the landscape. He can barely make the shape of a house across the road, it outline lonely and ghostly in the early morning light.
He glances toward Hua's house and briefly considers going back to sleep for a bit, safe in the shed intead of lost out there in a wide white world.
In the end, his stomach wins that fight.
He starts moving in the direction of Hua's house, listening for anyone coming his way.
A shadow moves up on his left, taller than he. It doesn't seem to notice him. But it seems to be going in the same direction.
"Hello?" He summons the courage to call out. What if it's a Spirit?! What do I do?!
The shadow moves closer. Lee tenses and gets ready to run.
"Lee? I was wondering when you were going to wake up!" Cinderman's voice emerges before he does.
He comes close enough to Lee that the mist no longer conceals his face.
"Geez! You scared me to death!" Lee shouts.
"Oh, sorry. I'm going to eat at Hua's today. Is that ok with you?" He stops walking and turns to face Lee.
"Sure. I guess." Lee has no idea why the guy is asking him.
"Were you warm enough last night? Have you been sleeping ok? I haven't really been keeping an eye on you like I should have." Lee puzzles over the guilt in the guy's voice. Something tells him that it's not just him that he's thinking about.
"I've been fine. I have a lot of new friends here, and I'm going to watch the Earthbenders today."
"Any more visits from Weilai?" Cinderman's tone turns more neutral, and Lee doesn't need to be a genius to see that it's forced.
"No. I think the plan's the same." He kicks a rock in his path.
"Ok."
Hua greets them when they reach the door.
"Mom and Dad have gone out for a bit. But breakfast is on the table!" She chirps.
Lee strolls in and takes his usual seat while Cinderman spends some time wondering aloud if he should be there, considering that it's broad daylight and someone might see.
Lee's ears perk up when he mentions that he doesn't want them getting kicked out of another home.
"Who kicked you out before?" He asks, mouth full of rice.
"Lee! That's not polite!"
"It's alright, Zuko!" Hua pulls out a chair for him and grabs his arm to pull him from his tentative position by the door.
"Remember when we were clothes shopping and I told you that my family and I moved here from another village?" She sits beside him and sips her tea.
"Yeah." Lee swallows, not really wanting to remember.
"Well, it wasn't really our decision. We had to leave. Although, we weren't really "kicked out". It just wasn't an option to stay anymore."
"Oh." He shovels more rice into his mouth, not sure what else to do. "Why?" He doesn't really expect to get an answer, and none comes.
"We're leaving tomorrow, Lee." Cinderman glances up from his meal. "Are you going with us?"
A flicker of irritation goes through him.
"I already said I was, didn't I?" He asks.
"Yes, but.."
"But nothing! I said I was coming along and I will!"
"Lee! There's no need to shout." Hua admonishes.
"Why are you trying to convince me to stay?" He continues, glaring at the firebender.
"I'm not! I won't try to convince you either way. I just want to know what to expect. That's all. I need to know how much to pack."
"I thought I was packing my own stuff." Lee crosses his arms.
"Nevermind." The guy glares at his plate.
They lapse into an angry, simmering silence.
Hua clears the table when they're done and the firebender leaves to meet with the Mayor to find out what his work assignment is for the day.
"He meant how much he was going to pack for himself, you know." Hua says. She places a plate of cookies in front of him and he hears her scrubbing dishes behind him.
"Hm." Lee grunts, making a point of showing he doesn't care. He takes a bite out of a cookie and glares at the wall.
"I am going with you as far as Gao Ling. And I'm not taking much, but it's still something. Supplies for one person is one thing, but I'm also basically moving there, so I'm taking a lot of personal stuff with me. I tried to tell him that I'd have it sent to me. But he insisted. And if you come along, Rina will be hauling your long term supplies, and all my stuff. We'll all have to walk. I don't think there will be room for much of Zuko's supplies."
Lee remains quiet. He doesn't want to feel bad for the firebender. He can't!
"Are you listening to me, Lee?" She asks. She comes over and wraps an arm around him.
"Yes." He shoves his cookie against the ones on the plate and refuses to look at her.
"I'm only asking that you consider how much he's giving up to help us. You, and me." She grabs a cookie from the plate for herself.
"I guess we're just a couple of lost kids, huh?" He asks, glancing at her.
"I guess we are." She chuckles.
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It's pouring rain outside when Lee finishes his cookies, so Hua lets him hang out in the house while she packs her belongings.
He finds where she kept the boxes of his family's clothes and opens them up, hoping to see them one more time.
He puts one of Dad's coats on. His scent is still in it, even after it being in the mountain cave, and then a saddle bag for weeks. The scent of smoke still lingers though.
Lee swallows the lump in his throat.
He grabs one of Sensu's jackets next and a container of tea falls out of the pockets. Lee recognizes it as White Dragon Tea.
How did Sensu get this?! He wonders. It's very rare and expensive, especially in the mountain villages that don't see much trade.
His heart sinks again as he realizes he will never know what Sensu intended to do with it, or where he got it from.
A cool rush of air blows in from an open window across the room, chilling the tears on his face.
He sniffles and packs the clothes away, keeping the tea container in his firm grasp.
He notices that he hasn't heard Hua moving around in a while.
In fact, the house is silent except for the sound of the rain and the breeze in the window.
Uneasiness grows in his stomach from the lack of sound. It reminds him too much of the cold nights spent alone in the cave.
He dashes for the door.
A blast of cool wind and a sheet of rain greet him. Even the fog itself has been driven into the ground. He can see his little shed through the weather, although it's blurred.
He sits in the doorway, watching the world move. It feels eerie and lonely, but somehow calming too.
After a few minutes, the rain subsides to a drizzle, and he ventures out to look for Hua or his friends.
On a whim, he angles out for the farm fields. Some of the kids had taken him berry picking in the woods beyond a few days ago.
As he balances along one of the stone walls bordering a corn field, he hears people laughing and talking back and forth.
He hops down and hides behind the wall, in the hope of startling them and joining their game.
"See? You're getting the hang of it!" Lee freezes when he recognizes Cinderman's voice.
"I sure hope so! I don't want to get sick on the trip." Hua's voice, sprinkled with a light laugh.
Lee cautiously pokes his head up over the wall to see what they're doing.
"Careful! Don't let it get too big! Remember the breathing exercise I showed you earlier."
"Are you sure this is safe to do in a corn field? What if someone sees?"
"Nobody will if you just breathe! And for the last time, you're definitely past the stage of burning everything down uncontrollably." Cinderman laughs.
His heart stops and he feels rage and betrayal filling his being and shaking him to the core.
In Hua's hand is little bright orange flame.
Hua is a Firebender. This is why Cinderman lied.
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Zuko's pov
Mayor Tong's stinging laughter still echoes in Zuko's mind as he starts hauling manure and compost into the field one barrow load at a time.
The sheets of rain pound against him, and wouldn't feel altogether too bad if they were only not so cold.
A light breeze is blowing the fog away and he can finally see where he's going.
His cloak is soaked through and he shivers and breathes a little flame to warm his hands.
His feet sink into the mud, making it difficult to walk. The wheelbarrow seems to agree, the wheel creaking against it axel, and occasionally letting loose an ear pinching shriek.
He dumps the load and starts spreading it out as evenly as he can.
He listens to the rain hitting the leaves and the sound of the corn rustling in the breeze.
Unbidden, Lee's face pops into his mind.
Thanks for, y'know, not letting me drown.
Had he actually thought Zuko would let anything bad happen to him? It was that moment that Zuko had realized that he hadn't been paying nearly enough attention to Lee's whereabouts and wellbeing. He knew that the people here were safe for Lee to be around, if not necessarily himself.
But, he had promised the kid he'd look out for him.
I guess maybe I gave him too much space? He wonders.
His mind drifts back to Azula and where she stands. Did he really want to help her by putting her in that experimental place? Or was he just trying to soothe his own guilt for being willing to kill her in their Agni Kai?
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"What's the matter? No lightning today? Afraid I'll redirect it?"
I can't believe I'm actually doing this. I wish I didn't have to. Oh, why can't I think of another way? He wondered. He steeled himself inside for what had to be done. He was fairly certain that at least Father was going to live through this. There was no way that peace loving, pacifist Aang would kill Father.
And having Father and Azula and a huge regime shift with a lot of former soldiers bored out of their minds taking up guard positions...
He faced his sister as she shouted her reply to his challenge. As messed up as she was, he didn't know how she could Bend lightning at that moment, comet or no comet.
Then, his heart froze. She glanced away from him. Azula has never missed a mark. Never.
"No!" He moved to shield Katara, and he didn't remember much after that until after Azula was tied up and Katara was thanking him for saving her life.
When they stood up, he saw his sister blowing blue fire in a fit of rage, he saw it change to terror for a split second, then she broke down crying. The first time he'd ever seen her cry.
The guards moved to haul her away and he and Katara went back to Appa.
As they took off, Katara looked back, tears in her eyes.
"You alright?" He asked.
"You're the one that got shot with lightning." She replied.
"I'm fine." He leaned back against the side of the saddle. He waited for her to break the silence.
"It's just..." She swallowed. "She's not even fifteen yet. All this time, I thought of her as an enemy. As someone we had to take down."
"We did have to. And we won." He said, a bit more firmly, maybe, than he had to.
"Yes. We did." She smiled for a second. "But, seeing her like that... Do you think your Uncle could do for her what he did for you?"
"Maybe. But only if he thinks she can be saved. I think she crossed a line for him somewhere, to make that choice. I told him once that I knew he was going to just tell us we were family, that I had to get along with her, and he said, without any hesitation, "No, she's crazy and needs to go down." I don't know what could have happened to make him reject her so completely, but it must have been pretty awful. If Uncle gives up on someone, you know they're a lost cause. He never gives up on anyone." He moved to take the reins, and Katara leaned over the saddle to keep talking to him.
"You said you lost your mom when you were young, right? And now, Azula has nobody to turn to. Ozai's gone, your mother's gone, and for her, your Uncle's gone too."
"What makes you think she wants my help?"
"Maybe she doesn't." Katara snapped. "But you can't tell me for a minute that you don't want to help her! I know you! You helped me find my mother's killer. You let me process things the way I needed to. You helped Sokka find my dad. You helped Aang find the Masters. You can't stand by and let people suffer. It's not who you are!"
"In Azula's case, I'll make an exception!" He crossed his arms and stared ahead, resolute. "I was absolutely ready to kill her for the throne! All my life, I've hated her! She tormented me endlessly! I never knew if I was going to wind up dead in one of her "games". My only friends were her friends, and they don't really count! You know I can redirect lightning, why do you think I tried to get her to shoot at me?" He glanced back at her.
"Alright, so if you won't help her, I'm going to try!" She retorted. "I can't accept that someone as used as Azula doesn't deserve at least a chance at redemption. Look at you! You turned out fine!"
"That's different." He muttered, turning his gaze back to the dying light in the sky.
"How is it different?"
He offered no reply.
"Zuko, how is it different?"
"I learned kindness from Mother and Uncle. Azula was brought up to be a weapon. You can't reverse that kind of damage. If it were possible, Uncle would have tried."
"Zuko,"
"End of discussion!" He barked.
He was surprised when she actually complied.
Against his will, his thoughts turned to his first year on the ship. How Iroh had been there every step of the way. He'd still felt so rejected and alone.
He thought of Ba Sing Se and how guilty he'd felt for betraying Uncle. How happy they had been in the Jasmine Dragon.
He thought of how he'd felt alone in the woods, wanted nowhere, after leaving his home to join the Avatar.
He thought of how much joy he felt at being accepted into his first group of friends.
Against his will, through all his anger, he could feel himself sympathizing with his crazy, evil sister.
Against his will, he started to wonder, on and off, if she could be helped.
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He sighs to release the tightness that the guilt brings to his chest. That's mostly what he's felt the last week. Guilt.
For not doing more to help his sister, not paying more attention to Lee, not knowing enough to really help Hua.
"What are you brooding about?" Speak of the Spirit.
He turns to smile at her.
"Nothing. Just ready to get on the road."
"I think it was more than that. You looked pretty angry." She comes up to him. "Is the Mayor really making you work in all this rain?"
"He really seems to enjoy it." He chuckles a bit.
"Why don't you come inside and warm up for a bit? I'll make tea." She grabs his arm and starts to pull him back towards the town.
"I can warm myself up." He says, reaching for his pitchfork again.
"It's pretty cold out here. Why don't I at least get you a thicker cloak?"
"No need." He glances up at her. He breathes a little flame towards his hand.
He tries not to laugh at her expression of shock.
"A trick my Uncle taught me. Kept me warm in a Fire Nation prison once. They put us in coolers there so we can't Firebend. I'm immune to it."
"Can you teach me? It may save us some room on Rina."
"Sure. Although, you really don't need to worry about me. It's only a week to Gao Ling. I'll be fine. Pack whatever you need."
"Just make sure you don't starve for the week, ok?" She smiles.
"Sure."
They practice the Breathe of Fire for a while, and the rain slowly subsides.
They are both quite warm by the time the Sun comes out. And it doesn't take long for the water to evaporate.
"Let's head back for lunch. And I'm going to help Lee pack." Hua says.
Zuko is surprised to see how late in the day it is, now that the Sun is back out. He's been out here for four hours.
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Lee's pov
Lee chews his nail as he looks at the photograph in his other hand. His father smiles warmly at him out of it. Mom and Sensu look lovingly at Lee inside Mom's belly.
"What should I do? You all hated the Fire Nation as much as I do. I know I can trust him. But I really don't want to be anywhere near him! And," He sniffles as his voice shakes. "And I really don't want to be left alone again! I'm sort of home here." He swallows hard and evens his breath. "I can have friends here, and it feels like I'm closer to you. But I have a chance of finding you if I keep going."
"Lee? Are you coming to lunch?" Hua's voice startles him. He swipes at his eyes and nose quickly. He won't let her see him cry! Not after what she's done!
"Lee?" She places a hand on his shoulder and knees beside him. "Are you alright?"
"Leave me alone. I don't wanna talk to you." He says as firmly as he can.
"Why? What's wrong?" She slides an arm around him.
"Leave me alone." He repeats. "Get lost!"
"Lee! There's no need to speak like that to me! If I've done something to upset you, tell me so I know how to fix it."
"You can't fix it." He says, his voice as hard as stone. "It's who you are."
"What?" He doesn't look at her, he can't. But her voice betrays her shock.
"You're one of them. You're a Firebender. And you didn't tell me!" He gets up and walks away. She doesn't try to follow him.
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A deep rumble begins in the ground beneath him. As angry as he is, he still wants to see the Earthbenders work. So he races up the hill.
The ground trembles under his feet and he stops short when he's nearly toppled over.
He backs up a bit and all other thoughts flee as he takes in the mesmerizing sight before him.
Solid stone walls slide back and forth, over and under each other. Some melt into sand and scatter in the wind.
Great vaulted ceilings appear in a variety of shapes, only to become victim to a quarrel between Benders on where they belong or if they ought to be there at all.
Stunning curlicues and flowers decorate a wall, only to be replaced with the image of waves in an ocean, and those replaced with flames and dragons, until the wall itself slips back into the ground like the great ceilings before, another casualty of another disagreement.
The Earthbenders are shouting to, or at, each other, but he can't make heads or tails of what they're saying over the noise.
He starts imitating their stances, trying to do something simple, like raise a single stone from the ground.
Every once in a while, he gets a sprinkling of dust from one of the many disagreements on wall placements.
By the time the sun is getting low in the sky, there is a building somewhat resembling an organized structure.
Lee is caked in dirt from head to toe. His legs hurt from standing for who knows how long. But he is content. A feeling of calm seems to fill him, like nothing bad can ever happen again.
He's not sure why he feels this way. It almost feels like he's back home...
Home. The thought punches him in the gut and peace scatters like the morning fog.
A flood of images fills his eyes and he sniffles, remembering once more that home isn't there anymore, his family isn't here anymore, that Cinderman lied to him, even though he saved him, that Hua is a Firebender and didn't even try to tell him, probably would have denied it if he'd asked...
"Son? You alright?" A man's voice asks. A heavy arm pulls him close.
"I..." Lee starts. "He... They"
"It's alright, son. I've got you." The man lifts him and carries him into one of the few houses he has yet to be in.
The man's wife takes over, filling a cup of water for him and wrapping her arm around him.
When Lee's calmed down, the man sits across from him, and bowl of warm soup is placed in front of him by the lady.
"Say, I know you. Aren't you that kid traveling with the Firebender?" He asks.
Lee nods and shovels more soup into his mouth.
"What were you doing out there, all by yourself?"
"Trying to learn Earthbending." Lee replies.
"Finish your soup, and I'll show you some Earthbending." He says, laughing.
Lee slurps the rest down in the span of a few seconds, not feeling too badly about the bits he's spilled all over himself and the floor.
He bolts out the door faster than the man can follow.
"Alright! Settle down!" He laughs, when he finally does catch up.
Lee takes a deep breath and tries to hold still.
"The first thing to know about Earthbending is that you have to think like the Earth. You must be immovable." He Bends a squarish pillar between them.
"Hit that."
Lee runs at it and body slams it.
"Not quite what I had in mind, but good start." He is not amused. "Now, imagine yourself as that stone. Spread your feet, and anchor yourself to the ground."
Lee does as he's told, sinking as low as he can without falling.
"Good. But you don't want to not be able to move at all. Come up a bit, and bring your feet in just a bit more. Like so," He demonstrates. Lee does his best to copy, but the position is difficult to hold. His legs shout their protest.
"Alright. Now close your eyes and take a deep breath. Imagine your arms connecting with the pillar in front you, and pushing it into the house. Wait! Let me move out of the way!"
Footsteps come over to his left as he breathes deeply in and out. He visualizes the stone moving at the command of his arm. Tries to reach out and feel it with his mind.
But something doesn't feel right. He can't connect with it. He remembers too vividly his body slamming it with no effect. If his whole body can't move that rock, then how can he?
"No need to try so hard, boy." A heavy hand lands on his shoulder. "Most Earth Kingdom citizens just don't have the gift. It's not the end of the world."
"How do you know I can't? I've just never had a teacher! Maybe I just need to practice." Lee protests, as he's steered back indoors.
"No. If you were able to Earthbend, you would have moved that stone before you started to strain. You had perfect form, and I could see you were thinking on the right path. But you don't have the connection with your element that is necessary for Earthbending. Do you know if anyone in your family were Earthbenders?"
They sit at the table once more.
"I don't think so. My dad always said we were maybe distantly related to Air Nomads. He always told Sensu that, but I don't know if it's true or not. I don't think even he knew." Lee shrugs.
"I see. Have you ever tried Airbending?" The man strokes his chin thoughtfully, hopefully.
"No. I don't know how. I have some old scrolls that I think might have belonged to Air Nomads, but I can't read yet. So, I don't really know."
"How would you like to learn to read? We have a school here in town. And at your age, you really should learn. I know plenty of adults who can't read, and they seem to have a harder time learning than young folks like you. Or, if you're still set on leaving, bring me the scrolls and I can read them to you."
"I guess." Lee shifts in his chair. "Can I go get them now?"
"Sure! Go ahead."
Lee scampers out into the twilight and heads for his shed.
Only to see Cinderman waiting for him.
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Zuko's pov
Hua offers him the use of a spare room to change into something clean and sets out lunch for him before leaving to find Lee.
He sits down to eat, already feeling more calm and starting to look forward to getting started tomorrow.
He's about halfway through his meal when Hua comes bursting through the door, looking about ready to cry.
"What's wrong?" Zuko asks.
"It's Lee. He...He must have seen us in the field! He knows I'm a Firebender. And he's not too happy about it. He ran off. I thought it would be better if I didn't follow him. But I don't know what to do now. I messed up pretty badly." She takes a deep, shuddering breath as she sits down, her face taut with worry.
"It's alright. It wasn't your fault. It was both of us. I think I can hear the Shrine moving again. He probably went up there to watch them. Let's wait for him to come back for bed later, and we'll talk to him together." He says. He gets up and dishes out some vegetables and venison for her. "Eat." He places the plate in front of her and sets chopsticks on top. "I'm telling you: We have nothing to worry about."
What was I thinking?! He wonders to himself.
He will let Lee make his own decision. He'd promised him that.
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"Are you alright?" He asks, as they sit on the floor of the shed where Lee's been sleeping during their stay.
"I guess so. I just feel so guilty." Hua sighs, brushing a stray hair out of her face. "I knew how he felt about Firebenders, and I guess I really should have told him."
"It's not his business." He turns to look at her. "And you never mentioned it coming up in conversation. If he never asked, you never lied to him."
"Isn't it sort of his business though? Firebenders burned his village down." She avoids his eyes, staring into the shadows in the opposite corner.
"Last I heard, you weren't with them. And we don't even know for sure that it was Firebenders. It could have been an accident, an opportunistic group of raiders, Firebenders, or a lightning strike. Or something else entirely! If he had asked you, would you have told him?"
"Yes! Of course! Well...at least...I'd like to think so." She fidgets a bit. "I don't really see why not."
"He might have told the whole village if he'd been mad at you for it. For Lee, the war isn't over yet. Firebenders are still his enemy. It could be a long time before he can see the picture clearly."
"After what happened to him, I can't say that I blame him."
Zuko stares out the door at the darkening sky. He can feel his body beginning to shut down as the Sun disappears below the horizon and the stars come out to tell their timeless tales.
"So, why do you want to help Lee so badly? It seems pretty important to you." She asks, in a more calm voice and an abrupt change of subject.
"Well, I promised him that I'd help him find his brother, or what happened to him. His brother is the only family he has left, and I know how that feels. Although, for me, it was my uncle." He scratches the back of his neck. The bugs don't seem to realize summer is over yet.
"And if it really was rogue Firebenders that burned his village, I need to know. I am the Fire Lord now, so it's kinda my job to find them. And it could mean a million different things if it was Firebenders. They could be rogue soldiers, unhappy with a peace deal before capturing the entire Earth Kingdom, or it could be bandits, rogue or not, from the Colonies, or maybe the village got caught in the middle of a local conflict between Colonies. There's just no way to know, and nothing I can do about it, until I find out what happened."
"I see." Hua lays on her back, staring out the window at a sliver of sky and the dark branches of a tree framing it. "It must be tough ruling a Nation."
"I'm pretty sure I haven't even started. Right now, my uncle is in charge until I find out what happened to my mother. And Lee's village. But he does still ask for my input and tries to give me advice. I guess I sort of rule through him. But he takes care of most of the day to day stuff."
"Did you ask him what he thought about my situation?" She asks, her voice quiet.
"Yes. I have somewhere for you to go when we get to Gao Ling. I think you'll find it enjoyable. You'll have work and a home, a way to communicate with your parents. Maybe in a few months, they can even join you. But as far as a long term solution for others like you, we're still working on it."
"Where will I be going?"
"I noticed that you had a lot of jewelry materials laying around your living room while you were packing earlier. Uncle called some favors and you have a job with a jeweler."
"Oh! That's wonderful!" She sits up abruptly in her excitement. "That's been my dream job since I was little! Our neighbor in Yu Dao used to make jewelry, and she taught me quite a bit. She'd always give me exotic beads she found or bought. Some of them were expensive, I think. She was always so good to me." She smiles in the nostalgia of the memory.
"What was her name?" Zuko props himself up on his forearms, interested to hear more about Yu Dao and it's people.
"Jiyi. She used to make jewelry that told stories. I was always telling her she should have been an actress." She chuckles a little sadly. "I miss her. She left town about two years before we did. She seemed really distressed when she left. I was so upset. And worried for her. I asked her why she had to leave in such a hurry. She said it was "family business". I only knew her for a year or two. But she made such a difference in my life. Teaching me to always look for the good in others. Even the older boys who would bully me." Again, the sad chuckle. "I wonder what happened to her."
"Is that where you got all the jewelry materials?" He asks, gently.
"Yes. I haven't been able to make anything for the longest time. It reminded me of her so much." Her voice sounds dangerously close to breaking. "Mom and Dad have been urging me to get new hobbies, get rid of the old stuff, move on. But jewelry was my life! I was just caught between my love of it, and my sadness over Jiyi leaving."
"Well, now you have a whole new life waiting. And someone new to make jewelry with. And if Jiyi ever comes around again, I'll bet she'll be proud of the amazing artisan you've become."
The sound of light footsteps approaching fast from the right rushes them to their feet.
Lee screeches to a halt, just short of ramming into Zuko.
"What are you doing here?" He huffs, shoving past him.
"I need to talk to you." He says, grabbing Lee's shoulder and spinning him around.
"Well, I don't want to talk to you! Let go of me! I'm staying here!" He shouts.
Surprised, Zuko's hand loosens by itself and hangs limply by his side.
"What do you mean? Don't you want to find your brother?" He asks. He moves to block Lee's exit, as the kid tries to manuveur past him with an armful of saddlebag.
"Yeah. These people have been offering to help me for days now. They're going to teach me to read, Earthbend, I'll be the Keeper of the Avatar Shrine when I'm older, and they'll even help me find Sensu." He keeps trying to duck past Zuko and get out of the building.
"Oh, so I guess you don't need me at all then."
"Nope! So get lost, Ashmaker."
"Lee! Stop calling him names!" Hua scolds.
Lee turns and looks like he's only just noticing she's there. The rage on his face doubles, if that's even possible.
"You don't get to tell me what to do, Liar." He says, voice quiet, hard, cold.
"Lee, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It never came up. If you had asked me, I would have told you." She pleads.
Lee turns back toward the door, flatly refusing to acknowledge her again.
"Lee, what about Weilai? Don't you trust your friend?"
"You don't believe in him."
"No, but you do."
"Maybe it was just a dream." He snaps. "Now get out of my way, or I'll call for help and tell them you attacked me."
"You wouldn't dare!" Hua gasps.
"Try me." He challenges. If looks could kill...
Zuko moves aside and Lee disappears into the night.
He can't help facepalming.
"I'm sorry." Hua's trembling voice says. "I didn't mean for..."
"It's not your fault. And it's his choice. He wasn't sure from the day we got here if he was going to follow me or not. I'm actually surprised he considered it to begin with." He takes a deep breathe. "I can still find out what happened to his village and if I need to worry about it."
"But what about Lee?"
"He'll be safe here. Although I think they'll try to convince him not to go looking for his brother. They seem to be the "stay in one place and do what we've always done" type. But he'll have friends, education, a job. If he thinks it will make him happy, who am I to stop him?"
"What if his brother is still out there, looking for him?"
"Then I'm sure I'll run into him eventually. And I can send him this way."
"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"
"I want what's best for Lee. And I don't think walking or riding across a continent looking for someone who may or may not be alive is best for him. I know it's not doing me any favors." He tries to smile at his own sarcasm, but it feels like it's more of a grimace.
"You really think staying here is best for him?! He's way too curious for a place like this! He'll wind up so bored, he won't know what to do with himself!" She throws her hands up for emphasis.
"Maybe. But in a few years, he'll be old enough to book passage on a ship from Kyoshi Island to Gao Ling or Ba Sing Se. If he really wants adventure, he'll find it." He smiles at the memory of Lee going on and on about meeting Weilai in the Spirit World.
Maybe he really did. He muses to himself. I'm going to miss that kid.
"You should get to bed." He says, and starts walking back towards her house. "We've got a big day tomorrow."
"Are you sure you don't want somewhere more comfortable and not disgusting? We have a cot we can set up in the living room for you." She offers, once more.
"Thanks, but even if you're out of the woods tomorrow, I wouldn't want to know what crazy punishment might await your parents on that spinning wheel thing if they were known to be aiding and abetting an enemy of the Great and Powerful Mayor Tong!"
They can't help laughing at that.
A/N Thanks again for reading this story, and a special thanks to all who have been with me from the start! I have been pretty busy with work and just started volunteering somewhere, so I haven't had much spare time. But it looks like work hours are going back to something a bit more normal now, so I should have more time to write, and the quality should start to improve. Shout out to my new follower: Moonlight mm123! As always, feel free to review or pm me with any constructive criticism or ideas! :)