Daughter of the Moon - Book Three: Fire

Chapter 15: The Expected Outcome

- Zuko -

I had lost my stuff. It was as simple as that. Ever since I had joined the Avatar and his group, my bending had practically disappeared, meaning that I was unable to teach Aang in the way that he deserved. He seemed to have a fairly good understanding of firebending techniques for a beginner (which I later learned was due to the brief lessons he had received from Elara, bless her), but neither of us seemed to be able to produce a significant amount of fire. I knew Aang couldn't take down the Fire Lord without firebending, and I knew that I wouldn't be an integral part of the team if I couldn't get my crap together. That left us with only one option.

The Sun Warriors were the first known firebenders in the mortal world, and I knew that if Aang and I were to visit their ruins, we might be able to learn something that would help us. It was a bit of a long shot, but I was willing to try anything to help the Avatar fulfill his destiny.

However, this trip brought up one serious concern. Aang and I would have to leave the temple the following morning to complete the mission, meaning that all of Aang's friends would have to stay behind...

Including Elara.

We hadn't spoken to each other since my sorry attempt at an apology, but I still couldn't help but feel like I was abandoning her again. Even the thought of leaving without giving her a proper explanation made me sick, and I knew that even though she probably hated my guts, she needed to know that I wasn't betraying her again. Or any of her friends, for that matter. It was the least I could do for what she deserved.

I had watched Elara storm off after Aang and I finalized our plans to find the Sun Warriors at dinner, and I wasn't surprised in the least to find Sokka hot on her tail. They were close—I knew they were—but I had hoped that I might be able to get a moment of Elara's time to speak with her before I had to leave. I was fairly confident that I could get Sokka to give us a moment of privacy, so I wasn't too concerned about getting the time that I needed.

It didn't take too long for me to find Elara and Sokka once I had set off to find them. Actually, it would have been easy for anyone to find them if they had listened hard enough. It seemed as if they were arguing (at least, Elara was making sure to vocalize her opinion), but it wasn't until I found where they were hiding before I was able to understand what they were saying.

"Elara, you need to calm down," I heard Sokka murmur as I approached the room they had slipped into. "You're not strong enough to be this riled up..."

"Calm down?! You want me to calm down?!" I heard Elara spit back angrily as I stopped myself just short of the doorframe, staying hidden so that I wouldn't interrupt their conversation (and be on the receiving end of Elara's wrath). "He's supposedly about to take Aang across the world to visit an abandoned civilization, and you want me to calm down?!"

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach as I heard the tone Elara used as she spoke of me, and that same tone must have surprised Sokka because he hesitated for a moment before answering. "Well, when you put it that way..."

"What were you thinking by allowing this to happen?!" Elara continued before Sokka could finish his thought. "He's going to kill Aang!!! You don't really believe all that crap about him changing sides, do you?! He's a monster!"

"Elara," Sokka cut in, raising his voice slightly to reign her back in. "Zuko's not going to kill anybody."

"You don't know that," she argued.

"Elara..." Sokka began, and I chose that moment to peek my head into the room purely out of curiosity.

I watched as Sokka stepped closer to Elara and placed his hands on her shoulders. I could tell that he was simply trying to comfort her, but I suppose he didn't see the way in which Elara's entire body seemed to tense at the touch. Something within me roared as I watched Elara's strength collapse because of the touch of this boy; her head dropping as if submitting to some kind of inevitable fate. The Elara I had foolishly left behind would have never done that—not to someone like Sokka—and I prayed on behalf of the Avatar and his group that they were not the ones to teach her that.