Safe & Sound | Book 1

17: Always

Art: After the Other by Clare Elsaesser

Nothing was perfect yet. Sokka barely looked at me. Katara was having trouble staying neutral. I had the most pity for Aang who was attempting to keep everyone happy and involved. I tried to simply stay out of the way.

I knew my siblings. I knew that if I gave them some time they'd simmer out and go back to normal. At least that's what I hoped but I couldn't help but feel like this time might be different. I didn't just snap at Katara for waterbending out in the open or mock Sokka's fighting abilities. They had seen me kissing the prince of the Fire Nation. He was the first face they imagined when they pictured the enemy. It wouldn't be easy to forget.

Maybe the only good that came out of this was that I knew I could never get on Zuko's ship again. If I went back after what had just happened between Zuko and me, I don't think I would have left again, because, despite what I told everyone, including myself, there were some feelings there. I had known that for a while but I needed to give it up.

Zuko and I could never work. I was a Water Tribe warrior, I didn't belong in his world and he most certainly didn't belong in mine.

"This should give us a good idea of what's around here," Katara said. She paused in the middle of a crossroads where there was a kiosk full of posters.

"See if you can find a menu," said Sokka as he shook the last crumbs from our food pouch into his mouth. "I'm starving!"

"I bet we'll find something to eat here." Aang ran forward to point at a poster. "The Fire Day's Festival: Fire Nation cultural exhibits, jugglers, benders, magicians. This would be a great place for me to study some real firebenders."

"You might wanna rethink that. Look at this," Sokka spoke up. We followed him to the other side of the kiosk only to see several wanted posters, one being of Aang.

"Hey, a poster of me!" Aang exclaimed cheerfully.

"A wanted poster," Sokka urged, "this is bad."

Aang took the poster down to get a better look at it. He seemed a little too happy to be a wanted criminal in the Fire Nation.

Katara observed the poster over his shoulder. "I think we better keep moving."

"She's right, we're supposed to be avoiding the Fire Nation, not walking right to them," I agreed.

"I have to learn firebending at some point and this could be my only chance to watch a master's up close."

I took the poster from Aang's hand and crumpled it up. "You still need to learn waterbending and earthbending. We can worry about fire later."

"I don't know," Katara said softly. She was deep in thought, a crease in her brow. "Maybe we could just go check it out."