Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Smile Because It Happened ❯ Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 

Sokka eyed the large mouth of the Cave of Two Lovers, his face belying his unappreciation for having returned again in his lifetime. “Why are we here again?”

 

“Because it's likely that Ty Lee is somewhere inside,” Zuko reminded him, hoisting his pack so that it was on his shoulder but not rubbing against his newly-healing burn. “I doubt even she is able to make it to Omashu in four days.”

 

Aang's expression seemed far away. “Hey, Katara…” he murmured, his cheeks turning red.

 

The Waterbender blushed too and turned away. “No, Aang,” she scolded lightly. “This time we've got two Master Earthbenders to help us in case we get lost.”

 

Toph raised an eyebrow. “What happened last time?”

 

Sokka's expression grew more irritated. “I got almost eaten by badger-moles.”

 

Aang's blush intensified. “Katara and I kissed so we could find the way out.”

 

Zuko blinked. “Excuse me?”

 

“That's what the nomads told us to do!” she tried to explain feebly. “There was this group of traveling musicians-“

 

“Who were really bad at singing,” Sokka interjected.

 

“-And they said that we'd be caught in a curse where we'd be trapped in there forever unless we `trusted in love'.”

 

The identical looks of boredom on Toph's and Zuko's faces indicated their disbelief. “And you thought that was a good idea to suck face while Snoozles was getting eaten?”

 

Katara huffed, still blushing. “Well, it doesn't matter. There were these glowing rocks that lit the way out once our torches burnt out.”

 

“Well, I for one am not going back in there,” Sokka declared, leaning against Appa's front-most left leg. “If you four want to risk being badger-mole snacks just to look for that perky circus freak, be my guest.”

 

Aang appeared thoughtful. “That's not a bad idea, Sokka,” he said. “Appa doesn't like caves, and that way you can check to see if Ty Lee leaves the tunnel before we do.”

 

Zuko crossed his arms. “Why don't we all just wait at the exit for her?”

 

The young Airbender grabbed Katara's hand. “Memories, Sifu Hotman!” he called back as he led his fiancé to the cave's entrance.

 

Toph and Zuko both groaned and smacked their foreheads.

 

“Should we let the badger-moles have him?”

 

“Nah, they're innocent creatures. It might end up killing them.”

 

.o(O)o.

 

“This is ridiculous.”

 

“Says the weakling Fire Lord who needs light to see.”

 

Zuko turned back to glare ineffectually at the blind Earthbender, the flame dancing above his palm flickering with the movement. “Do you trust what might happen if we wander around here in the dark? With those two?” he hissed under his breath, low enough that only she could hear him.

 

Toph made a face. “Point taken. Trod on.”

 

He returned to facing forward and winced. Now Aang had his arm around Katara's shoulders, telling her secret little somethings in her ear.

 

Moving up so that she was walking next to him, Toph put her hands behind her head. “You know, it's interesting,” she murmured.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Those two. Whenever they're together like that, Aang's heartrate starts going all erratic. Just like it does whenever he's about to talk to diplomats.”

 

“So? That just means he's nervous. It's normal to get nervous around the girl you love.”

 

She smirked momentarily before returning to her pensive expression. “That's just it. He's nervous. And don't you think after four years he wouldn't be nervous anymore, if you catch my drift?”

 

Zuko mentally groaned. “I don't want to think about that, thank you.”

 

“Well, why else would Sugar Queen's heartbeat stay so steady? She must've already gotten some Airbender lovin', otherwise she'd be jumpy around him like she is around you.”

 

His flame went out completely, plunging them into darkness, save for the flame Aang was currently bending above his own palm. “What?”

 

“Exactly what I said. Every time she looks at you her heartbeat skyrockets. It's enough to give me a headache.” She snorted. “You must've done something naughty to her if she gets that worked up over just looking at you.”

 

“You're blind,” he pointed out. “How do you know she's looking at me?”

 

He could almost see her smirk. “I just know.”

 

Sighing, Zuko bent another guiding flame over his hand. For a few moments, they walked along the stone tunnel in silence.

 

“What are you going to do?” Zuko finally asked quietly.

 

“Do? I've got lots to do. Why?”

 

“I meant about Aang.”

 

“Oh.” Toph grew quiet. “I… I don't know. Let him marry Sweetness, I suppose. It's what he wants.”

 

Zuko turned his head and gazed at her, her features appearing golden from the firelight. “What about what you want?”

 

“What is this trip you're on, Sparky?” she grunted. “First you're all over her about what she really wants and now…!”

 

“What-- you heard that?”

 

“Kinda hard not to when you're sitting next to the door.”

 

He sighed. “I'm sorry. It's just that… I'm really confused.”

 

“You're confused?”

 

Aang paused and turned around. “You guys okay back there? You're walking kinda far behind us.”

 

“Just giving you privacy, Twinkletoes,” Toph called back.

 

“Why do you do that?” Zuko hissed.

 

“What?”

 

“Act like you have no problem with him being with her!”

 

Toph's expression was completely serious, for once. “As long as Aang is happy, then I'm happy. If marrying Katara and having a litter of little Airbending whelps with her will make him happy, I can live with that.”

 

Zuko stopped walking and stared at her. “But what about you?”

 

“Worried about me being an old maid, Sparky?”

 

His face softened. “You're my friend. I want you to be happy too.”

 

“Oh, come on, Zuzu,” purred a frighteningly familiar voice. “Happiness is so overrated.”

 

Toph and Zuko both whirled around, looking for the source of the voice. Zuko turned his guiding flame into twin fireballs on each hand.

 

“Come out, Azula!” he hollered. “We know you're there!”

 

Azula disembodied voice cackled and echoed throughout the tunnels. “Of course I'm here,” she replied in a sick sort of pleasant way. “I've been waiting for you, big brother.”

 

“Why can't I see her?” Toph growled. Aang and Katara ran up quickly, Katara uncorking the water skin at her side.

 

“I… don't know,” Zuko muttered. He didn't like this. He couldn't see her, couldn't tell where she was- and knew that if he wasn't careful, she'd shoot lightning through his friends.

 

Just like last time.

 

A blue glow indicated the arrival of their enemy- and Zuko fought to hide his surprise. Azula was flying though the air, just like an Airbender. Except for the blue flames shooting out from the soles of her feet.

 

“She's staying airborne by using Firebending through the soles of her feet,” he told Toph.

 

She frowned. “Didn't know you could do that.”

 

“For short bursts, yeah. It's possible. But she's somehow figured out how to do it continually.”

 

Azula scoffed at the four friends facing off against her as she landed gracefully on the ground. “Well, well, well. Some old familiar faces indeed,” she remarked. “The little blind girl-“

 

“Hey!”

 

“The famous Avatar, and the little Water peasant. What nostalgia.”

 

Zuko scowled. “What do you want, Azula?”

 

She laughed, amused at first but quickly growing maniacal in nature. “Want? Why, dear brother- I want your head!” She giggled. “And your little girlfriend too.”

 

“What did you do with Mai?!”

 

Azula merely smirked. “I? I did nothing. She merely realized the error of her ways and came to me to beg my forgiveness.” Her gold eyes turned to Katara. “And who said I was talking about Mai?”

 

“You bitch,” Zuko snarled, taking a step forward before Aang and Toph held him back by his arms.

 

“You forgot crazy,” she hummed.

 

“Tch.” He clenched his teeth.

 

“What about Ty Lee?” Katara called out, her water dancing around her body, ready to strike. “What did you do with her?”

 

The former Fire Princess blinked innocently. “Ty Lee? I was hoping to catch up with her at that pitiful little circus she was going to, but she must've become lost in the caves. What a shame.”

 

“I can't tell if she's lying or not,” Toph murmured. “She's one of the ones who can lie and make it feel like the complete truth.”

 

Aang frowned. “Yeah, I know. I remember.”

 

Toph lifted her fist and a pillar of stone shot out of the ground, intent on slamming into the mad ex-Princess. Azula nimbly dodged the attack and blasted herself into the air, using her foot-jet technique. “You can't hit what you can't see,” she singsonged to Toph.

 

Aang bent a vortex, intending to extinguish the fire that was keeping her aloft and knock her to the ground. “The air is my domain,” he declared, rushing forward to engage Azula.

 

“And how sad that's it's a population of one,” she said in a sorrowful voice. Spinning quickly, she thrust a column of blue fire at the oncoming Avatar. “Soon to be completely extinct!”

 

Zuko jumped forward and dispelled the fire, counterattacking with his own red flames. “Aang, you and the girls need to go find Ty Lee,” he grunted as he deflected another fireball.

 

“We're not letting you fight her alone,” Aang protested.

 

“You have to! You and Toph are the only ones who can see with Earthbending to find her in this labrynth!” Zuko fired a blast at a nearby wall, causing chunks of rock to crumble on top of his sister- and serving as a momentary distraction. He turned to the Avatar, his gold eyes blazing. “And you must protect Katara at all costs!”

 

“I know,” Aang said, his own grey eyes serious, “but we can't just leave you…”

 

“Go!”

 

Toph grabbed the Airbender's hand and started pulling him along as she ran down the tunnel away from the fighting. “Come on, Twinkletoes. When the Fire Lord gives you an order, you obey!”

 

Zuko turned and looked at Katara, his heart in his throat. She glared at him, her water whips ready.

 

“I'm not going.”

 

“You have to! Azula means to kill me this time!”

 

“So I should just leave you here to die?”

 

Azula swung her arm and let loose a crescent of fire, which sliced toward them like a scythe. They ducked and Katara bent one of her water whips to hit the female Firebender in the stomach, knocking her back and into the opposite wall.

 

“I don't want you to get hurt!” Zuko insisted.

 

“I'm not leaving you!”

 

Zuko took a few steps toward her. “Why are you so stubborn?”

 

She glared up at him, never budging. “Why are you?”

 

“Because I would die if anything ever happened to you!”

 

The sound of Azula chuckling mixed with falling pebbles caught their attentions and they turned to look at the disheveled woman.

 

“How touching,” Azula laughed brokenly, mingled with the occasional cough from the dust. “Really, Zuzu. Did Mai know how devoted you were to her? And even now that she's missing, your main concern is this Waterbender- not Mai, apparently. You've been pining after this… peasant… while Mai was by your side, loving you? ”

 

She took a couple steps forward- and smiled. And it was a familiar smile. One he knew well. “Or did she?”

 

Zuko's eyes narrowed, glowing in the firelight from his hands, which were held up in a ready position. “Did she what?”

 

“Did Mai really love you? I mean, come on.” She crossed her arms and then pointed at Zuko's face. “How could anyone love a disfigured failure like you?” Dropping her arm, she shook her head sadly. “She just pitied you because you were the crown Prince and you were going to be Fire Lord one day.”

 

Zuko growled. “That's not true.”

 

Azula looked surprised. “Why would I lie? Especially about something like this? Mai never made any secret about wanting to be your Fire Lady.”

 

“Enough!” Katara snapped, flinging out her water whip to try and grab Azula's leg to pull it out from under her. “We'll never believe anything you say, Azula.”

 

“Believe me when I say that she won't forget this indiscretion,” Azula purred as she dodged and shot a fireball of blue flame at Katara's head as she turned to flee. “I'll be sure to give her your regards, Zuzu.”

 

Katara jumped to the side, but the blast caught her left arm, burning the sleeve off and singeing her arm.

 

The insane ex-Princess ran down the tunnel, chortling in mad glee as she jumped into the air and triggered her feet-jets, propelling herself forward and out of sight into the darkness of the cave.

 

Zuko ran over to Katara's side, pulling off his own shirt to put out the flames before they could burn her more. She winced as the cloth touched the raw skin.

 

“Does it hurt bad?”

 

She shook her head, even though he couldn't see her in the dark. At least, she thought he couldn't. She lifted her gaze from her arm to look at him and noticed a soft greenish glow illuminating his features. She blinked.

 

Love is brightest in the dark…

 

Zuko was looking at her intently, worry and concern evident on his face and in his actions, like how he would continually comb the bangs out of his eyes, only to have them fall back in place. Funny, how after all this time of not seeing him, she knew exactly what he was thinking when he did certain things like that.

 

“Katara?”

 

Even if you're lost…

 

He frowned and put his hands on either side of her face, peering at her as the green glow from the crystals in the cave intensified slowly. “Katara? Speak to me!”

 

You can't lose the love…

 

Tears slid down her cheeks and he froze, anxious that he had hurt her worse somehow or that her wound was that severe. “Oh, Agni- you're in pain, aren't you? Why couldn't you just say so?!”

 

Because it's in your heart.

 

“It hurts, Zuko,” she whispered, no longer speaking of her arm, although he wasn't aware of it. She lifted her uninjured arm and touched his face- which happened to be his scarred side. “You have no idea how badly it hurts.”