After departing from Fong's base, thankfully, several days of flying passed without them running into any Fire Nation troops. However, that didn't mean they could let their guard down just yet. Just before they had left, the patrol that Fong had sent to Guilin that same morning had returned with the unfortunate news that Azula and her soldiers had seemingly disappeared without a trace.
None of this surprised Zuko in the slightest—Azula was cunning, and could not be captured so easily. It did, of course, make him uneasy. She had said she wasn't interested in capturing Aang at the moment, but Zuko always took anything his sister said with a grain of salt. For all he knew, Azula could be secretly tracking them right now, waiting for the right moment to strike…
He sighed heavily as he sat down at the base of a large tree close to the river they had camped next to the previous night. There was no use in worrying about it. After all, if it was the case that Azula was stalking them from the shadows, there wasn't exactly anything he could do about it.
Despite it being early summer, the weather had already grown much warmer than anyone had anticipated. Not that he minded—in fact, it almost reminded him of home. The corner of his mouth tugged into a small, amused smile as he noticed that Sokka seemed to be using a giant leaf as a makeshift raft, lazily floating with the river current as Momo napped on top of him. Meanwhile, Aang and Katara appeared to have begun the day's waterbending training.
Zuko had enjoyed sitting in on Master Pakku's training sessions every so often during the months they had stayed in Agna Qel'a. It had also been impressive to see just how much Katara had improved over just the span of four months. He wasn't at all surprised that she was now a master; in fact, he was happy for her. However, he couldn't help but feel ever-so-slightly inadequate now that two of his friends were masters of their native element, while he had barely made the time to even practice firebending these days. Again, he reminded himself, he did have his broadswords, and they worked well enough for him...
He continued to watch Aang and Katara spar in the river, the waterbending master throwing ice spikes at Aang as he formed water tentacles to catch them. While he couldn't hear what they were saying, he saw Katara nod approvingly before wading over behind Aang, putting her arms around his, presumably to improve his stance.
Despite the clear innocence of the interaction, Zuko felt a twist of jealousy in his gut nonetheless.
It had been months now since his conversation with Aang that evening in Makapu Village. Neither of them had discussed the airbender's feelings for Katara since, so he wasn't certain if the airbender's crush on her had grown stronger, weaker, or vanished entirely. Recently, however, he had noticed that Aang didn't seem to be going out of his way to spend more time with Katara than usual, nor had he been acting noticeably strangely around her like he had before. While this was a good sign in his book, he still didn't want to get his hopes up too high—even if Aang didn't like Katara that way anymore, that didn't automatically mean there was any chance of Aang seeing him as anything more than a friend.
At this point, he had fully accepted how he felt about the Avatar. His feelings hadn't changed—in fact, they had only gotten stronger. Zuko had never been in love before, but if this wasn't it, he didn't know what was.
Unfortunately, these feelings only made things that much more painful and complicated. He'd thought for some time now that he could be content with simply remaining friends—best friends—with the Avatar, nothing more. He wouldn't hope for more, shouldn't hope for more.
Sometimes, however, he found himself imagining what it would be like if, by some miracle, Aang did return his feelings. He often imagined being able to hold him, to be close to him in ways that he never could be as just a friend.
Thinking about such things as he watched Aang's fluid movements in the river, he could already feel his face beginning to grow warm. With great reluctance, he forced himself to tear his eyes away from the airbender and looked down at the ground, spotting a stick, which he used to begin furiously doodling random designs in the dirt.
No. For now, he would have to settle with just being friends with Aang. At least that meant he could stay by his side.
Which is better than not being with him at all.
"It's been quite a while since I've seen your artistic side, nephew."
Zuko flinched and looked up to see Iroh leaning over him, a twinkle in his eye.
"This isn't art, uncle," Zuko muttered in embarrassment, tossing the stick aside and brushing away his drawings with a sweep of his foot. "I was just bored."
"Well, product of boredom or not, I liked what you were creating," Iroh replied, sitting down next to him. "If I recall correctly, you used to really enjoy drawing and calligraphy when you were younger. Lu Ten and I kept all of the letters you sent us while we were overseas."
"I don't know if you've noticed, uncle," Zuko grumbled, shrinking into himself with folded arms as his face warmed with even further embarrassment. "But I'm not a little kid anymore."
"You know, art isn't something that's only for children," Iroh countered. "Who do you think painted the tapestries in the palace? A class of seven-year-olds from the Royal Fire Academy?" he joked.
"...Father seemed to think it was a waste of time. Just like my sword training."
"Well then, it's a good thing you don't have to worry about what Ozai thinks anymore."
That was correct, Zuko realized. The only reason he had stopped drawing was because of his father. But his father had no power over him anymore. And, now that he thought about it, it would be nice to get the opportunity to do something creative again. It could definitely serve as a helpful distraction from his complicated feelings about Aang.
"You know, we should have some parchment and charcoal packed away somewhere," Iroh said, nudging Zuko gently with his elbow. "And we could get you some brushes and paints when we get to Omashu."
"Alright, uncle," Zuko replied with a sigh. "I'll… think about it."
"Okay, gang!" Sokka declared, and Zuko looked up to see all three of his friends approaching from the riverbank. "That's enough dilly-dallying. We need to get back on track for Omashu."
Katara rolled her eyes. "Sokka, don't you think we deserve to take it easy for just a couple of days? This is the first time Aang and I have had a good chance to practice waterbending since we got back to the Earth Kingdom! And it's not like we're on a strict deadline."
"Aang really should start his earthbending training soon, though," Zuko said as he pushed himself to his feet. "Fong already delayed us enough."
"I'm not suggesting we take an extended vacation out here or anything," Katara replied, folding her arms. "But it's okay to take a break sometimes, Zuko. Maybe you should try it."
"I don't need to take a break. I'm fine."
"Zuko's right, Katara," Sokka said with a frown. "Besides, you know it's not good for us to stay in one place too long. Just because we haven't seen any Fire Nation troops yet doesn't mean they're not out there."
"Hey, don't I get a say in this?" Aang chimed in, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm the one who has to master all the elements, here."
"Shh!" Zuko interjected suddenly, holding his palm up. "Hold on just a minute. Does anyone else hear… music?"
Judging by the way everyone else turned their heads towards the path that stretched behind them away from the riverbank, he assumed the answer was yes. Zuko immediately tensed, his hand shooting down to grip the hilt of his broadswords.
As the sound of the music grew closer, he soon spotted a band of about five people approaching. They were each dressed in colorful clothing, and a man in front was singing and strumming on a red dramyin as the woman next to him played flute in accompaniment.
"Don't fall in love with the traveling girl, " the man sang. " She'll leave you broke and broken-hearted…" Suddenly, he seemed to notice the small group of people staring at him next to the riverbank, and the group stopped. "Hey, river people!"
"We're not river people," Katara responded.
A puzzled look appeared on the man's face. "You're not? Well then what kind of people are you?"
"Just… people," Aang said, sounding as confused as the man looked.
"Aren't we all, brother," the man replied, nodding.
Although Zuko did not get a malicious vibe from the strange, colorfully dressed people, he was suspicious nonetheless, and marched over to the man. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
To Zuko's confusion and annoyance, the man did not appear intimidated in the slightest. Instead, he smiled. "I'm Chong, and this is my wife Lily. We're nomads, happy to go where the wind takes us!"
Aang's face lit up at this revelation. "You're nomads? That's great! I'm a nomad!"
"Hey, me too!" Chong replied, just as excitedly.
"I know… You just said that," Aang said, raising an eyebrow.
Chong, seemingly oblivious to Aang's confused response, suddenly turned his attention to Sokka. "Woah. Nice underwear!"
A mortified look appeared on Sokka's face upon hearing this. He immediately grabbed Momo, and holding the confused lemur in front of his crotch, shuffled into the bushes and out of sight.
After everyone had gotten fully dressed, Aang continued to chat with the nomads, as did Katara and Iroh. While his two friends spoke with Lily and a nomad named Baili (who was sitting on Appa's head and braiding his fur), Aang peered over towards the riverbank, where he saw that Sokka and Zuko appeared to be engaged in some sort of serious-looking discussion.
He understood their wariness to some degree. And while he did agree that the nomads were a bit kooky, they were also kind, friendly, and free-spirited. They reminded him of his own people, in a way.
As he put his arms behind his head and leaned back against Appa's leg, his eyes lingered on Zuko. The longer he watched the Fire Prince, the stronger the feeling of longing in his chest grew.
Just a few days ago, he'd thought he'd lost Zuko, again. After everything that had happened in Agna Qel'a, it had been too much; enough to bring out the Avatar State. That was how much Zuko meant to him.
If he were to truly lose his best friend, he had no idea what would happen.
This was exactly why he had resolved that it was probably for the best to keep his newfound feelings a secret—forever, if he had to. If they simply remained best friends, nothing would have to change. If he just acted like he normally did, he could stay by Zuko's side; he could protect him. If he could just do that, it would be enough.
Unfortunately, acting "normal" was easier said than done. As it turned out, controlling automatic biological and emotional reactions was actually quite difficult.
Suddenly, Zuko turned to look directly at him, almost as if he had sensed his gaze, and the slightly annoyed look on the Fire Prince's face seemed to soften almost instantly. His amber eyes moved upward slightly, and Aang reached up to touch the flower crown he'd nearly forgotten he was wearing. As Zuko's gaze moved back down to meet his own again, the firebender's lips curled into a small, crooked smile for a moment before turning his attention back to Sokka, who appeared to be ranting about something.
That single look, that single, tiny smile, was enough to make Aang feel as though his entire face was on fire. His right hand flew up to his chest, where he felt that his heart was racing.
This was really beginning to get out of hand.
"You okay, arrow man?" a nomad dressed in purple named Rin asked.
"I'm fine," Aang replied quickly with a forced chuckle as he airbent himself to his feet, pulling at his collar. "It's just a bit hot today, that's all."
"Nephew, you should hear some of these stories!" Iroh interjected, and Aang looked up to see that Sokka and Zuko had finished their chat and were now making their way over.
The Fire Prince's eyes immediately narrowed, and as Aang turned to look at Iroh, he chuckled when he noticed that the former general's beard had been fashioned into several small braids, each interwoven with flowers.
"Yeah, these guys have been everywhere," Aang added with a grin.
Chong, who had been strumming absentmindedly on his dramyin, stopped playing as he looked up at the two frowning teenagers standing before him. "Well, we haven't been everywhere, Mr. Arrowhead. But where we haven't been, we've heard about through stories and songs."
"They've even been to some of the more remote Fire Islands," Iroh said in amazement. "Places no one has been in centuries!"
"They also said they can take us to see a giant nightcrawler!" Aang added excitedly.
Moku, a portly nomad with a bamboo hat who was lying on the ground, lifted up his arms. "On the way, there's a waterfall that creates a never-ending rainbow!" he said in a dreamy voice.
Sokka's expression remained unamused. "Look, I hate to be the wet blanket here, but since Katara is busy, I guess it's up to me."
Katara, who was still getting her hair braided, immediately shot him a glare.
Zuko sighed and shook his head. "What Sokka means to say is we need to get to Omashu. We can't just keep sitting around listening to stories all day. No offense," he said, glancing towards the nomads awkwardly for a moment.
"No sidetracks, no worms, and definitely no rainbows," Sokka said demandingly.
"Wow," Chong replied, wide eyes blinking several times. "Sounds like someone has a case of destination fever. You're worried too much about where you're going."
"You've got to focus less on the 'where' and more on the 'going'," Lily added, accidentally tugging on Katara's braid, causing the Water Tribe girl to wince slightly.
"O. Ma. Shu, " Sokka replied irritably through gritted teeth.
"Actually, I think the boys are right," Iroh interjected as he pushed himself to his feet. "Not that your company hasn't been pleasant, of course," he continued kindly, nodding towards the nomads. "But it's best for us to be on our way so Aang can begin his earthbending training."
"Thank you, Iroh!" Sokka breathed with a sigh of relief.
"Sounds like you're headed to Omashu!" Chong replied, his delayed response causing Sokka to immediately smack his forehead with a frustrated grunt. Suddenly, the bard's eyes narrowed, and a cryptic look appeared on his face. "There's an old story about a secret pass, right through the mountains…"
"Is this real, or a legend?" Katara asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, it's a real legend. And it's as old as earthbending itself," Chong replied, beginning to strum a pleasant tune on his dramyin as his fellow nomads suddenly hopped to their feet, breaking out into various dances.
"Two lovers, forbidden from one another,
The war divides their people
And the mountain divides them apart
Built a path to be together!"
Chong momentarily stopped strumming.
"Yeah, I forget the next couple of lines, but then it goes… Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel! Through the mountains, secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel! Yeah!"
Everyone—even Zuko, which made Aang happy to see—clapped for the little performance, save for Sokka.
"I think we'll just stick with flying," the Water Tribe boy said. "We've dealt with the Fire Nation before. We'll be fine."
As much as Aang liked the nomads, he at last found himself agreeing with Sokka. "Yeah," he said, flashing a friendly smile. "Thanks for the help, but Appa hates going underground. And we need to do whatever makes Appa most comfortable!"
Zuko sighed in annoyance as he trudged along on foot after the nomads through the ravine. They had, of course, attempted to fly over the Kolau Mountains to Omashu, but despite all their luck avoiding the Fire Nation so far, a large group of soldiers just so happened to be stationed directly in the path of where they needed to fly. The soldiers had spotted Appa right away, and had immediately begun catapulting flaming boulders at them.
And thus, there they were.
"What's on your mind, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked.
Zuko was silent for a moment. "Those soldiers shouldn't be able to make it this close to Omashu," he mused. "It's one of the Earth Kingdom's greatest strongholds. That can't be a good sign."
"I agree," Iroh replied with a nod and a serious look. "While it may be good to stop and smell the roses every once and awhile, after what we saw this afternoon… I regret that we didn't attempt to reach the city sooner," he confessed. "I'll feel much better once we reach Omashu and Aang can begin his earthbending training in a secure place."
Zuko nodded. He hoped this "secret tunnel" that the nomads spoke of actually led through the mountain and wasn't just a cave with no exit. Unfortunately, it seemed to be their only option at the moment.
"How far are we from the tunnel?" Zuko heard Sokka ask from further ahead.
"Actually, it's not just one tunnel," Chong replied. "The lovers didn't want anyone to find out about their love, so they built a whole labyrinth!"
Sokka stopped dead in his tracks. "Labyrinth?!"
"Oh, I'm sure we'll figure it out," Chong replied casually.
"All you need to do is trust and love… according to the curse," Lily added, also casually.
Sokka stopped again, appearing to take some time to process what the nomad said as the rest of the group passed him. Then, his entire body convulsed in terror.
"Curse?! "
After a few more minutes of walking, the group arrived at last at the mouth of a cave. Three characters had been carved into the rock above it, and while it was hard to make out at first due to how weathered the stone was, Zuko could eventually decipher that it read, "The Lovers' Cave". The nomads were certainly right that it did exist.
"Hey-hey! We're here!" Chong said happily.
Sokka looked up apprehensively towards the cave, his eyes squinting as he likely attempted to read the characters above it just as Zuko had. "What exactly is this curse?"
"The curse says that only those who trust in love can make it through the caves," Chong replied. "Otherwise, you'll be trapped in them forever."
"And die," Lily added.
"Oh yeah. And die," Chong said thoughtfully, as if he hadn't forgotten the most morbid detail of the legend. Then, he suddenly brightened. "Hey, I just remembered the rest of that song!" He pulled out his dramyin, and dramatically strummed an ominous chord. "And dieeee! "
Sokka's eyebrow twitched. "That's it. There's no way we're going through some cursed hole!"
Suddenly, Zuko caught a whiff of smoke. He glanced nervously at Iroh.
"Hey, someone's making a big campfire!" Moku said.
"That's no campfire," Zuko murmured.
"It's Fire Nation. They're tracking us," Sokka said grimly as they all turned around to see a giant plume of smoke rising from somewhere in the distance, not far behind them.
"So, all you need to do is trust in love to get through these caves?" he heard Aang ask from behind him.
"That is correct, Master Arrowhead," he heard Chong reply.
As Zuko turned to face his friend, he could have sworn that the airbender had been looking directly at him.
"We can make it," Aang replied to Chong with a confident smile.
As his eyes lingered on Aang, Zuko's heart skipped a beat.
Trust in love?
No. It wasn't useful to get his hopes up. He had probably just imagined that Aang had been looking at him.
Before Zuko had the chance to think about this further, Sokka ran over to the mouth of the cave, and gestured for them to enter. "Everyone into the hole!" he said in a commanding tone.
As they entered the cave, Zuko heard Appa begin to groan apprehensively. He knew that the gentle sky bison did not like being underground, which was of course logical for a creature that spent the majority of its life in the air.
They continued into the cave, which was lined on both sides with statues of what Zuko could only describe as dragon-headed humanoid creatures, each in a different pose and holding a different weapon. As far as he could see, the cave appeared to stretch back into one long tunnel—perhaps it did lead directly through to the other side of the mountain.
After only another minute or two of walking, Zuko suddenly heard a familiar mechanical clanking sound, and his stomach filled with dread. He immediately turned to see four Fire Nation tanks pulling up outside of the cave, and he and Iroh exchanged a nervous glance as they both assumed a fighting stance, Zuko unsheathing his broadswords.
Suddenly, the tanks shot several grappling hooks into the rock above the cave entrance.
"What are they doing…?" Zuko murmured in confusion.
He got his answer when the tanks yanked the grappling hooks free, and a myriad of falling boulders crashed down between them and the cave entrance.
Before he or Iroh had the chance to conjure a flame in the pitch darkness, Zuko heard a sparking sound, and the cave was lit with a warm, orange glow; it seemed that Chong had lit a torch.
Thankfully, it seemed that no one had been crushed by falling rocks. Appa, however, immediately began to roar nervously, pawing at the pile of fallen rocks, and Zuko felt a twinge of pity in his heart for the poor bison.
"It's okay, Appa," Katara said soothingly, petting Appa's muzzle, though her uneasiness was evident on her face. "We'll be fine. I hope."
Zuko took a deep breath in and straightened his back. "We will be," he said. "We just need to stay calm and figure out what to do next." He nodded towards Sokka, who nodded curtly in reply.
"Chong, how long do those torches last?" the Water Tribe boy asked, pointing at the torch the nomad had just lit.
"Uh, about two hours each," Chong replied.
"And we have five torches," Lily added, lighting up the rest of the torches. "So that's ten hours!"
Sokka immediately snatched the torches out of her hand and stomped them out. "It doesn't work like that if they're all lit at the same time!"
"Oh. Right," Lily said, shaking her head with a furrowed brow.
"Sokka, we don't need to worry about the torches," Zuko said, walking up next to him.
"What are you– ? Oh," Sokka replied with sudden realization, blinking in surprise before pulling him aside. "...Are you sure? That may not be the greatest idea in these circumstances. These hippies could seriously freak out for all we know."
"There's no point in hiding it," Zuko replied. "Not in this situation." He turned back around and stepped forward to address the nomads. "You should save your torches for now. My uncle and I can light the way."
"Ohhh, did you bring torches, too?" Baili asked.
"Well… sort of," Zuko replied awkwardly before he turned to his uncle, gesturing for him to say something. Iroh seemed to have built up some sort of rapport with the nomads, so perhaps they would take the news better from him.
Iroh blinked several times before he nodded quickly in reply. "Yes," he said, clearing his throat as he stepped forward as well. "Everyone—You should know that my nephew and I… We're both firebenders. But please don't be alarmed! We are no longer affiliated with our nation, and are willingly traveling with Aang to help him restore balance to the world."
Each of the nomads stared at both of them with wide, unblinking eyes for several moments, and Zuko braced himself as he waited for their reaction.
"Well, ain't that a relief!" Chong eventually replied, slumping his shoulders with a sigh while the other nomads relaxed as well. "We don't have to worry about running out of light with the two of you here!"
Zuko and his uncle both exchanged an equally surprised look. This was probably the most casual reaction they had recieved upon revealing their identities so far.
"Alright," Sokka said, clapping his hands together. "Now that we've got that out of the way, I'm going to make a map to keep track of exactly where we've been. Then we should be able to solve it like a maze and get through."
"Smart idea," Zuko said, nodding approvingly as he watched Sokka climb onto Appa's saddle to retrieve some parchment and charcoal. "Sokka can lead the group at the front, and I'll stick to the back to make sure everyone stays together."
The longer they continued to wander through the cave, the more Aang's initial optimism began to wane. He glanced at each of his companions, noting their nervousness, even in Iroh as he chatted with the nomads at the front of the group, lighting the way for Sokka.
Poor Appa must be miserable, he thought as he watched his bison trudge through the cramped space. I hope we'll find the way out soon, buddy.
With a sigh, he slowed his steps to walk beside Zuko, who was still at the back of the group, a flame hovering in his palm. Every so often, he would vigilantly turn around, likely to make sure they weren't taken by surprise in the event that a Fire Nation soldier—or something else—had tried to follow them. His brow was furrowed intensely, and Aang could see his eyes darting around anxiously in the dark.
"How ya doing back here?"
Zuko's intense expression softened as he met his gaze, and Aang felt his heart skip a beat.
"Besides getting trapped in a cursed, endless labyrinth?" he replied sarcastically. "I'm doing great."
"Hey, don't worry, hotman," Aang said, flashing him a reassuring grin. "You seem to have forgotten that there's an earthbender among us. We aren't really trapped, if you think about it."
"That may be true," Zuko replied with a smirk. "But I've yet to see said earthbender actually bend any earth yet. That's why we're trying to get to Omashu in the first place."
"I know, I know…" Aang grumbled, slumping his shoulders. "But maybe I could do it without training if I just tried hard enough. It was so easy with air and water. Even firebending wasn't too difficult…"
Zuko nodded thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, earth is your natural opposite element. Just like how water is for fire. The concept of waterbending just seems so… foreign to me."
Zuko was actually correct. From the little Avatar educational training he had received prior to running away from the Southern Air Temple, Aang had been taught that it was possible for Avatars to struggle with learning the element that is most opposite to them, or to their personality. For Aang, ever the peaceful, non-confrontational Air Nomad, this probably meant that earth would be his most difficult element to learn. This, of course, made him nervous, even more so because of their current situation.
"Speaking of waterbending…" Zuko continued, clearing his throat. "I, uh, saw that you were making a lot of progress with Katara today."
Aang felt his heart skip a beat again. Zuko had been watching him train?
"Yeah," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Katara said that I needed to work on some of my stances, though."
Zuko nodded and was quiet for a moment as his gaze moved to stare directly ahead of them. "So… you two are getting along pretty well, then?"
"We are," Aang replied, cocking his head to the side curiously. "Why wouldn't we be?"
"Oh," Zuko said, still looking ahead. "I was just curious if there had been any, um, developments? Between you two?"
Developments? Aang repeated internally in confusion. Suddenly, he realized what the Fire Prince was alluding to.
"Oh!" he replied with an awkward chuckle. "No, no. I'm completely over Katara. I thought about what you told me, and I realized that what I felt for her wasn't really love. I mean, I still care about her and all. But just as a friend."
Zuko's eyes widened, and he immediately turned to look back at him. "Really?"
Aang could have sworn the look in the Fire Prince's eyes was… hopeful.
"Uh, I mean… I'm sorry it didn't work out," Zuko quickly added, turning away again.
Aang's heart continued to pound in his chest as he too turned away from his best friend before he could see the flush in his cheeks. Momo, who had been sitting on his shoulder, chirped, and he absentmindedly began to scratch his head as his thoughts began to run wild.
Could this mean what I think it means? he wondered, a giddy feeling slowly beginning to bubble up inside of him. I don't want to get my hopes up… But what else could it mean?
Before he could attempt to gather any further information from the Fire Prince, Aang noticed that the group ahead had stopped once more. He heard Katara's exasperated voice speak from the front of the group.
"Sokka, this is the tenth dead end you've led us to."
Aang jogged back up to the front of the group to peer at Sokka's map as well.
"This doesn't make sense," Sokka muttered in frustration, shaking his head. "We already came through this way."
"We don't need a map," Chong said, nonchalant as ever as Sokka passed him to study the walls of the cave. "We just need love. Arrow guy knows it," he said, gesturing to Aang.
"Yeah… But I wouldn't mind a map also." Aang replied with a shrug as Momo chittered on his shoulder.
Sokka made his way to the back of the group to show Zuko the map, and the two gazed into the darkness behind them. "There's something strange here…" Sokka murmured before turning around to face the rest of the group with a serious expression. "The tunnels are changing."
Suddenly, with a low rumbling sound, the entire tunnel began to shake, causing Momo to dive into Aang's robes in fear.
"The tunnels, they're a-changin'!" Chong wailed once the rumbling had stopped, all semblance of tranquility having vanished. "It must be the curse! I knew we shouldn't have come down here!"
Sokka glared at Chong. "Right. If only we'd listened to you. "
At that moment, Iroh held up his hand to silence them. "Everyone, please, calm down. Listen."
Momo crawled out of Aang's shirt and flew over to land on Sokka's shoulder as both he and Zuko turned around to peer into the tunnel behind them, Zuko enlarging his flame to give off more light.
Aang inhaled a sharp breath when he heard the faint sound of snarling began to echo from the darkness. Suddenly, a flying, hairy four-legged creature darted into the light.
"It's a giant flying thing with teeth! " Chong exclaimed in horror.
"No, it's a wolfbat!" Moku corrected.
The wolfbat swooped over the group several times with a growl, then abruptly turned to make a beeline directly towards Aang. Before he had a chance to defend himself, suddenly, Zuko jumped in front of him and whipped his arm to block the creature with a wave of fire. However, in the process, some of the flames flew onto Appa's fur, and the bison immediately roared in pain. In a panic, he began running back and forth, banging into the sides of the tunnel in an attempt to escape.
Aang barely had a moment to process what was happening as a multitude of rocks began to fall from the roof of the cave. Thinking quickly, he sent a gust of airbending towards Katara, Sokka, Iroh, and the nomads, blowing them out of the path of the falling debris.
However, he suddenly realized with a wave of panic that Zuko was not among them. As he whipped his head around wildly, he at last spotted the Fire Prince several feet behind him.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he propelled himself forward, barreling into Zuko and wrapping his arms tightly around his waist as he pushed them both out of the way of the falling debris.
Zuko quickly conjured his flame again as soon as he was able, sitting up quickly. Other than the sound of Appa's anxious snuffling, it was now eerily quiet.
"Aang?" he asked anxiously, turning to the airbender, who was lying on the ground next to him. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Aang replied, wincing slightly as he sat up as well. "Just a bit bruised. Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Is it… just the two of us?" Zuko asked as they both pushed themselves to their feet and surveyed the aftermath of the cave-in. "Where's everyone else?"
"I managed to airbend everyone out of the way, so they should be safe. I hope," Aang said with a sigh as he walked over to sooth Appa, who had begun anxiously pawing at the pile of debris in front of them. "But yeah, I think it's just the two of us on this side. And Appa."
Zuko's eyes widened as he looked up at the wall of rock that now divided them from their companions, then back to the airbender and his bison. "I… I'm so sorry..." he said quietly as he slowly approached them both. "If my firebending hadn't–"
Suddenly, Appa flinched away from him, and he felt an overwhelming wave of guilt crash into him. He looked down at the flame in his hand, and took several steps back.
Once again, that's all fire does, Zuko thought as he squeezed his eyes closed. It causes pain. And now it's my fault we're separated.
"Zuko?"
Zuko opened his eyes to see that despite him having stepped back, both Aang and Appa appeared to have moved closer to him. His blinked in surprise, and cautiously stretched his free hand forward, taking care to hold the hand that held the flame off to the side. The bison immediately leaned into his touch with an affectionate grunt, and Zuko felt himself smile in relief.
"We both know it was an accident," Aang said softly. "So don't beat yourself up about it, okay?"
Zuko nodded, blinking his eyes rapidly to prevent the tears from falling as he turned around.
"I guess we'll have to try and make it out on our own," he said. "We have to keep going."
"Are you doing alright?" Aang asked as they walked.
"Yeah," Zuko replied, glancing at his friend confusedly. "Why do you ask?"
"I just don't want you to get tired," Aang said, his concerned eyes glancing down at the flame in Zuko's palm. "You have to have been burning that flame for at least a few hours now. Maybe we should take a break?"
"I'm fine, Aang," Zuko replied. However, now that the Avatar had mentioned it, his arm was cramping a bit. He tried not to think about it.
Suddenly, something caught his eye in the darkness ahead of them, and his eyes widened. At the end of the tunnel stood what looked to be a round, intricately carved stone doorway!
"Aang, look!"
He and Aang exchanged a relieved smile before immediately running down the passageway.
"We found the exit!" Aang exclaimed as they both reached the door and began to push on it with all their strength.
Unfortunately, the heavy stone proved too tough for even both of them at the same time to move. After a few more unsuccessful attempts, Zuko heard the sound of snorting from behind them. He and Aang both turned to see Appa, scraping his back foot on the ground. They each exchanged a terrified glance before immediately jumping out of the way, just in time for the bison to charge at the door and bust it open.
However, as the ancient stone fell to the floor on the other side with a heavy thud, instead of seeing daylight pour through the doorway, there was only more darkness.
"This isn't the exit…" he said as they climbed through the doorway, and he made his flame larger to give off more light.
"No." Aang replied solemnly. "It's a tomb."
As Zuko surveyed the large space, he could tell that Aang was correct. This was a tomb, and it seemed to have been sealed for hundreds of years, if not more. The walls were lined with many sarcophagi, each intricately decorated with carvings of ancient Earth Kingdom symbols and animals.
In the center of the tomb, there laid two sarcophagi on a raised platform, and behind the platform on the far wall was an enormous carved statue of two people sitting on their knees, kissing.
"It must be the two lovers from the legend," Aang murmured. "That's who's buried here."
They continued forward, making their way to the circular platform where the two main sarcophagi were located. As he held up his flame, Zuko noticed that on the front of the platform, pictures and characters were etched into the stone. While they were written in a very old dialect, they were surprisingly somewhat decipherable.
"These pictures must tell their story," Zuko breathed in fascination as his fingertips brushed the carved image of a mountain.
"They met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages," he read. "The villages were enemies, so they could not be together… but their love was strong, and they found a way. The two lovers learned earthbending from the badgermoles; they became the first earthbenders."
Zuko's eyes moved to an image of the two people earthbending in a maze of tunnels, two badgermoles standing behind them.
"They built elaborate tunnels, so they could meet secretly. Anyone who tried to follow them would be forever lost in the labyrinth. But, one day, the man didn't come…"
Zuko's brow furrowed as he moved to the next image, which showed one of the lovers kneeling at a grave marker.
"He'd died in the war between the two villages. Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her earthbending power—she could have destroyed them all…"
The next image showed a vengeful-looking figure, arms outstretched, earthbending two boulders.
"But, instead, she declared the war over. Both villages helped her build a new city, where they would live together in peace."
The final image portrayed the familiar image of a great mountain city.
"The woman's name was Oma and the man's name was Shu." Zuko read as realization dawned upon him. "The great city was named 'Omashu' as a monument to their love."
Zuko glanced at Aang, who had remained silent at his side, intently listening to the story. His wide, curious gray eyes met his own for a moment before the airbender quickly looked away.
As they both turned around, Zuko held up his flame and looked up at the large carving of the lovers.
"Love is brightest in the dark…"
"That story was beautiful," Aang eventually said, speaking for the first time since Zuko had begun reading. "But how are we going to find our way out of these tunnels?"
Zuko's eyes narrowed as he studied the statue and read the inscription again. "Love is brightest in the dark…"
Love.
He glanced at Aang again, and was surprised to see that the Avatar had evidently already been looking at him again. However, this time, neither of them turned away.
Love, he thought again, feeling the beating of his heart slowly begin to increase in intensity.
"…Could that really be it?" Zuko murmured.
"Could what be it?"
Zuko suddenly felt his entire face grow warm. Had he said that out loud?
Aang cocked his head curiously. "Did you think of something? A way we can get out?"
Zuko turned away again, nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he walked closer to the statue of the kissing figures.
He said it himself! He's not interested in Katara anymore!
He shook his head.
That doesn't automatically mean he likes you, dunderhead! the rational side of his brain argued.
But you've wanted this for so long, the emotional side of his brain countered. Maybe you should just take the leap. Maybe something good will come out of it!
No! You can't! the rational part of his brain screamed. You could ruin your friendship forever!
"Ah, well… Um…" he stammered. "It's… it's pretty dumb."
Of course, this only appeared to intrigue Aang further, and his brow furrowed. "Hey. I've never thought any of your ideas were dumb," he replied, putting his hand on Zuko's shoulder.
Before the rational side of his brain could stop himself, Zuko found himself speaking again. "I was just thinking… According the legend, we'll be trapped in here forever–"
"And die," Aang interjected, holding up an index finger.
Zuko sighed. "Yes, and die. Unless we..."
"Trust in love?"
Zuko nodded, swallowing nervously. Was he really about to do this? "And on this carving, it says 'love is brightest in the dark,' and it... shows the two lovers... kissing…"
"Where are you going with this?" Aang asked, slowly raising an eyebrow.
Zuko felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest as he anxiously watched Aang attempt to figure out what he was implying.
Suddenly, with a sharp inhale, Aang removed his hand from Zuko's shoulder, and as his eyes widened, a very distinct pink blush slowly began to color his cheeks.
Oh Spirits, no, Zuko thought, immediately feeling mortified. I made him uncomfortable!
"Zuko…" Aang murmured quietly, staring straight ahead. "Are you trying to say that we should… kiss?"
"See, I told you it was a dumb idea," Zuko quickly interjected with an awkward and loud chuckle, turning away from the airbender.
"Us… kissing…?" he heard Aang murmur from beside him.
"Us, kissing," Zuko replied with another nervous chuckle. "Can you imagine that?"
"Us… kissing…" Aang repeated.
Zuko bit his lip and cringed—the idea of kissing him was probably so strange and off-putting to the Avatar that he was having a hard time even processing the concept.
"Well. I think I've been in these tunnels too long," Zuko continued, turning back to face Aang with a smile he hoped didn't look as forced as it felt. "Sorry to make a dumb joke like that."
As soon as Zuko turned to face him again, Aang flinched and shook his head rapidly before looking back at him. "Oh. A joke," he replied with a nod, an awkward crooked smile appearing on his face. "Yeah, haha… I definitely wouldn't wanna kiss you."
There was his confirmation, Zuko realized, his heart shattering. Aang didn't want to kiss him. In fact, he probably found the entire concept revolting.
"I… Uh, didn't know you would find the idea that bad," Zuko said, this time with a feeble laugh, attempting to cover his hurt by trying as hard as he could to maintain a lighthearted, joking facade.
Evidently, Aang seemed to have realized he'd said something wrong. "No!" he exclaimed, waving his hands back and forth. "I mean, uh, if it was a choice between kissing you and dying…" he attempted, again, jokingly.
Zuko couldn't control the pained expression that immediately appeared on his face upon hearing Aang say this.
"Wait! I–I mean, I'm not saying that kissing you wouldbe a bad experience," Aang stammered, eyes widening again as the pink color reappeared on his cheeks. "Uh, I just... I mean…"
"Hey, I get it," Zuko interrupted with a weak smile. "It would be pretty weird to have to kiss your best friend, right?"
Aang's brow furrowed, his eyes studying Zuko's face with a helpless expression.
"Come on," Zuko said at last with a sigh, turning around. He didn't want to hear what Aang had to say next. He didn't know if he could bear another second of this conversation. "We should keep moving."
I can't believe I was so stupid.
After what felt like several more hours of walking in painful silence down yet another dark tunnel, Zuko could definitely feel himself getting weak, and as a result, his flame was diminishing.
I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this going, he thought wearily. I need sunlight, and fresh air.
"You can't keep burning that flame for much longer," he heard Aang say softly from behind him, almost as if he had been reading Zuko's thoughts. It was the first time they had spoken since the tomb.
Zuko opened his mouth to argue, to say that he was fine again, but instead, stopped in his tracks. "I know…" he said weakly as he turned around to face the Avatar. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to do… "
Upon seeing his face, Aang's eyes widened, and he immediately rushed over to him. "Hey, everything is gonna be okay," he soothed, grabbing hold of Zuko's upper arms gently. "We're together. I'm right here with you."
Zuko's heart ached as he stared back into his best friend's kind, caring eyes, the light of his small flame dancing on his face.
Even if they could never be more than friends, he still loved this boy with every fiber of his being. And he doubted that would ever change.
"What are we going to do?" Zuko whispered hopelessly.
Aang's brow furrowed for a moment as he looked down at Zuko's flame. As his eyes slowly moved back up to meet his own, he could see the Avatar's cheeks were growing flushed again.
Suddenly, one of Aang's hands slid down from his upper arm to rest under his outstretched palm that held the dwindling flame. Zuko's eyes widened as Aang took his free hand in his own, his thumb brushing gently back and forth over his knuckles. Every little touch made his heart beat faster, louder—he would be incredibly surprised if Aang couldn't hear the sound of it right now.
Although he was terrified, perhaps due to the exhaustion or the lack of options left, he felt himself begin to lean closer towards the other boy, as if pulled by an invisible force. To his astonishment, Aang seemed to be moving closer to him as well.
"Zuko," Aang whispered as his face came to a stop inches from Zuko's own, his gray eyes flitting over his features. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"
Still wide-eyed, Zuko slowly nodded in reply.
Aang nodded as well, just once.
As Zuko's flame began to dim, they continued to move closer, and just as it went out, his eyes fluttered closed.
He felt Aang's soft lips rest ever so gently against his own, and it was almost as if his insides had been lit on fire—but not at all in an unpleasant way. In fact, he so desperately wanted to wrap the Avatar in his arms and pull him close that it ached.
However, he held his breath, not daring to move a muscle, and instead gripped both of Aang's hands firmly in his own, desperately trying not to shake.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he finally had the courage to pull away and open his eyes. However, instead of the pitch blackness he had been expecting, the tunnels had been lit up by thousands of glowing green crystals sparkling overhead. He laughed and looked back at Aang, who was smiling at him.
"It looks like some kind of crystal..." Zuko breathed in relief. "They must only light up in the dark!"
"That's gotta be how the two lovers found each other!" Aang proclaimed joyfully, gesturing to the ceiling with one hand while continuing to hold Zuko's with the other. "They just followed the crystals. That must be the way out!"
The two boys grinned and embraced one another tightly. They stayed like this for just a moment, and Zuko could swear that he felt Aang's heart pounding against his chest—or perhaps it was just his own.
As they slowly separated, Zuko felt his face begin to burn again. "So, uh…" he began, rubbing the back of his neck.
Before he could say anything further, Aang pulled away from him. However, to Zuko's surprise, the airbender grabbed his hand and began to pull him forward.
Come on, hotman!" Aang declared. "We're getting out of here!"
Zuko shook his head rapidly and grinned in elation, squeezing Aang's hand tightly in his own as they both took off running.
Aang felt his spirits soar as he spotted the light at the end of the tunnel. Appa, who was probably the most excited to see the outside again, barreled past him and Zuko, and the two ran after him, laughing.
As they emerged from the labyrinth, Aang grinned as he watched his buddy flop on his back, tongue lolling out in content.
As Zuko stopped next to him, he looked down at their interlocked hands, and quickly let the Fire Prince's go as the memory of what had just happened in the cavern flashed in his mind again.
They had kissed.
He felt himself flush. Did I go too far? he wondered anxiously. He nodded when I asked if it was okay, and he didn't seem to hate it…
Suddenly, he remembered that their companions were still trapped in the labyrinth, and he whipped around. "What about everyone else?"
"They probably don't know about the crystals," Zuko replied, a concerned look appearing on his face. "Should we go back in and see if we can find them?"
As Aang opened his mouth to answer, a rumbling noise sounded from the rock next to the tunnel they had emerged from. With a large crack, a hole burst open, revealing several giant badgermoles. Atop the beasts sat Sokka, Katara, Iroh, and all five of the nomads.
As they dismounted, Aang ran to the Water Tribe siblings and squeezed them into a hug. "I'm so glad you guys are okay!" he exclaimed happily.
"Uncle! I-" Zuko began, but was cut off as Iroh embraced both him and Aang into a warm hug.
"You two had me worried to death!" Iroh said, pulling away and wiping a tear from his eye.
"How did you guys get out?" Sokka asked curiously.
Aang immediately felt himself blush again as he glanced at Zuko. "Just like the legend said: we let love lead the way."
"Really? We let huge, ferocious beasts lead our way," Sokka replied obliviously as he turned to wave goodbye to the badgermoles, who returned to the cave.
Meanwhile, Katara looked at Aang and Zuko curiously, eyebrow raised before her gaze returned to her brother. "Why is your forehead all red?" she asked.
Suddenly, Chong slid up next to the group and nudged Aang, pointing at Sokka. "Nobody react to what I'm about to tell you: I think that kid might be the Avatar."
Aang chuckled as Sokka smacked his forehead with his palm, enlarging the red spot. He must have done that a lot while we were separated, he thought bemusedly.
"So, are you guys going to come to Omashu with us?" he asked the nomads.
"Nope," Moku replied with no further explanation.
"Okay. Thanks for everything, Moku," Aang replied, waving to him, Baili, Rin, and Lily as the group walked down the mountain path.
"Sokka," Chong said, grabbing Sokka by the shoulders. "I hope you learned a little something about not letting the plans get in the way of the journey." With that, he squeezed the irritated boy into a hug.
Sokka's cheeks grew as red as his forehead. "Just play your songs," he muttered through gritted teeth.
"Hey, good plan!" Chong said with a smile. He followed the rest of the nomads towards a path that led down the mountain, strumming his dramyin and singing a new song.
"Even if you're lost, you can't lose the love because it's in your heart… "
As Aang watched the nomads leave and listened to their song, for what felt like the millionth time that day, his face grew heated once more, and he briefly glanced at Zuko again. The Fire Prince was standing next to a smiling Iroh, arms folded. While his expression was unreadable, he could have sworn he saw a slight pink color on his best friend's cheeks.
Once the music had faded completely, the five companions continued on their journey towards the city. At last, Sokka, who had been leading the group, came to a stop at the edge of a familiar ridge and turned around to face them.
"The journey was long and annoying, but now you get to see what it's really about: the destination," the Water Tribe boy declared as he lifted his arm and turned around to gesture ahead of him. "I present to you, the Earth Kingdom city of O–"
Suddenly, Sokka froze.
"Oh no… "
Aang immediately ran up next to his friend to see what had spooked him. When he saw it, his stomach filled with dread.
The city of Omashu indeed stood before them, and displayed on the city wall was a large, blood-red Fire Nation banner.