Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ The Next Chapters ❯ Moving on... ( Chapter 4 )

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Members of the Southern Water Tribe (plus Aang and Suki) sat around the community campfire later that evening. Parents were ushering their children off to bed, old people were turning in themselves. It was quiet there, very peaceful.

There were still plenty of people up and hanging around, but everyone seemed to be in a meditative state. Most eyes were fixed on the fire, some were focused on the stars above. Katara and Aang sat cozily next to each other cross-legged on the ground.

"It's weird. The village isn't always this quiet, but no matter how loud it gets, I always feel calm," Aang said in a low voice. He bit his lower lip the moment he finished speaking. It didn't come out quite like he'd meant it. It just came out...weird.

Katara's gaze broke from the flames and moved to her companion's face. She smiled gently. "Like the sound of snow."

"What do you mean?" Aang looked truly confused.

Katara began gesturing with her hands the way one does when explaining something complicated. "Have you ever stood somewhere--away from a village or any place that makes noise--when it's snowing outside?"

Aang just shook his head. Still not sure what she meant...

"When you stand there, alone, and it's snowing--it doesn't matter how hard or softly the snow falls--it makes a sound. Almost like a white noise. It's a calming noise that is very noticeable if you just listen."

Aang suddenly understood and nodded. Before he could say more, laughter erupted from the other side of the campfire. Both Katara and Aang looked up in time to see Sokka running their direction, a huge grin on his face.

"Guess, what? Guess, what?" he nearly yelled, jumping up and down.

Katara blinked. Aang took the bait. "What's up, Sokka?"

"Guess," the enthusiastic one said, ceasing jumps, but never the grin.

"Uhh...you...added a balcony onto your watchtower?" Aang guessed with a total I-have-no-idea look.

"No! Although..." Sokka added, rubbing his chin contemplatively and eyeing said watchtower.

"You and Suki are moving into your own house?" Katara chimed in. Maybe sounding a little too hopeful.

"No! But maybe..." Again with the chin rubbing. "No, think 'mission'. Think totally awesome mission!"

"Ooh!" Aang had his hand in the air, much like in school, waving it frantically around. "You're going on a mission!"

Sokka pointed at Aang, and, if possible, the grin got bigger. "Bingo! Yes, yours truly has been assigned to lead--yes, I said it--LEAD a group of the Southern Water Tribe to the North Pole to integrate with the Northern Water Tribe!"

"Wow! That's great, Sokka!"

"Yes, it is." Hakoda joined the group from behind, "Sokka's proven himself to have a great many skills when it comes to group efforts. I think he's a fine choice for this excursion."

"Just don't mess with his itinerary," Katara thought aloud. When she realized it wasn't in her head (mostly indicated by the disapproving look Sokka shot her way), she shrugged. "What? It's true."

Aang laughed. "Yeah, and don't worry about morale. Sokka's got enough jokes to..."

"Sokka's got jokes?" Hakoda demanded. He grinned, jutting a thumb toward his own chest. "Where do you think he gets them?"





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The former Fire Nation princess had barely moved since her last visitor. She'd eaten what the guards had brought her, occasionally she'd shifted out of an uncomfortable position. Well, it wasn't as if she'd had much to do, being imprisoned and all. Only the few people that had dropped in to see her had kept her entertained.

The air in her cell was as hot as ever. Her dingy hair clung around her face--she'd given up on pushing it aside. Her eyes, no matter where they turned, focused still a million miles ahead.

The door to the room creaked open and Azula heard footsteps approaching her. "Changed your mind?" She turned around to face the figure, and actually looked startled for a moment. "Well, hello, Zu-Zu. This is a surprise."

"Azula," he acknowledged. "Have I changed my mind about what?"

Azula chuckled. "Nothing, Zu-Zu. I wasn't expecting it to be you that graced me with your presence."

"Who were you expecting, then?" Zuko was careful to speak calmly and not move around. He didn't want to excite her.

She grinned, not at all friendly. "Why are you here, Zu-Zu?"

He was ready. "I've come to make a deal with you."

A disheveled eyebrow arched. "Oh? And what is it you have that I could possibly want? Have you found a way to give my bending back?" She snorted and continued sarcastically. "Are you going to offer my freedom? What Zu-Zu? What's the deal?"

For a brief moment, he hoped she would never figure out how to get her bending back. He'd lost his when he joined the Avatar and no longer wanted to capture him. Thankfully, he'd regained the ability after a trip to visit the original firebenders. He wondered, though, what had caused her bending abilities to dissipate. She'd never lost sight of her goal--if he wasn't mistaken, it still remained the same.

Maybe it's because she finally lost her mind, Zuko thought silently. He cleared his throat. "You can have your freedom. I'll let you leave here. You'll be banished from the Fire Nation, but at least you won't be in prison."

"You're trying to convince me to give you something you want? You'll have to do better than that." She was now on her knees, both hands grasping the metal bars, her face pressed between two of them. She looked at the Firelord with distaste.

He was getting frustrated. He gripped his hands into fists at his side. "Well, then. Why don't you name some things you want, and I'll see what I can do to get them for you. That is, after you help me."

Playing the dummy, Azula pretended interest. "What is it you want?"

"I want to know where my mother is."

Azula looked down, her face hidden by the shadows of the room. Her shoulders began to shake, and little noises escaped her throat. Right before she burst into hysterical laughter.

Zuko now let his anger show. "What's so funny?" he shouted.

She sat up straight, her laughter dying down, and wiped a tear from her eye. "Nothing, really, Zu-Zu. It's just that I'm having a strange feeling of deja vu. You see," wiping away another tear, "My dear friend Mai has already paid me a visit for the exact same thing."

"What?" Zuko felt sudden rage.

"Yes, I know. I already told her that I would give up all the information I know--which, I might add is a lot--in exchange for a tiny, tiny little thing."

The Firelord took a few deep breaths. He would talk to Mai later. "You know where my mother is?"

"Well, really, Zu-Zu. She's my mother, too, you know. But yes, I know where she ran off to after she left here."

Zuko stepped closer to the bars. "Where is she?" he demanded furiously.

Azula shook her head and an extended index finger simultaneously. "Uh-uh-uh. Now, Zuko, that's not how these things work. You give me what I want first."

Zuko crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Fine. What do you want?"

"Your little Waterbender friend." Hatred filled her eyes. He could see that even in the dim light.

"What about her?"

"Bring her to me. I want to say thank you for landing me in this...this hell-hole." She masked her face with a pleading look.

"She didn't 'land' you in here. That was me. Those were my orders." He stood his ground and had managed to work most emotion back out of his voice.

"Now, Zu-Zu, that's really cute. You don't have to be so chivalrous. We both know you were one foot in the grave when Karrota--"

"Katara."

"--interfered. If she hadn't used her Waterbending skills--and I'll be the first to admit how impressive they are--she wouldn't have been able to heal you, and you wouldn't be the new Firelord. I would be running the show like it was meant to be." Azula looked wistful for a moment, but that emotion quickly faded back to hate.

"The answer is no."

"Well, then, I seemed to have forgotten who you were looking for." With that, she returned to the position he'd found her in, back against the bars, staring straight ahead at nothing.

Hesitant for only a moment, he swiftly turned on his heel and stormed from the room. As he marched down the hallway, he heard her call behind him, "Just think about it, Zu-Zu!"


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Zuko punched the wall by his bed numerous times. WHAT THE HELL? was all he could think. No, he hadn't actually said, "Mai, don't go see Azula." But she knew him better than that! She had to know it would anger him if he found out.

"Firelord Zuko?"

Zuko snapped around. "What?!?" he lashed out. He reigned in his temper slightly, feeling guilty about his lack of control.

The old man that had entered, a servant, bowed slightly. "Dinner is ready and your guests are waiting."

The young man slapped a hand to his forehead and groaned. He'd forgotten about the dinner. "Just...tell the guests I'll be down in a minute. Tell them to start without me."

The servant wordlessly bowed again and left the room. Zuko turned back to his wall, but suddenly lacked the energy to punch it. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees. What was he going to do?

I could just ask Katara to come, he thought. We wouldn't let anything happen. Azula can't bend... Zuko groaned again. What if Azula was just playing with him? What if he did ask Katara to do this for him, and something went wrong? That would go over really well with the fully-realized Avatar, he thought sarcastically.

He wondered how much Azula really knew about their mother. Yes, he wanted to find her more than anything.

He sighed heavily.

As he dressed for dinner--where he would see Mai and undoubtedly give her a stern talking-to--he realized that with himself, Katara, and the Avatar all standing in the same room, Azula wouldn't have a chance with whatever it was she had up her whacked-out sleeve. And if Azula was at least convinced she was getting what she wanted, maybe...just maybe...

A faint flicker of hop leapt briefly through Zuko's eyes before he left the room to join his guests.