The crew of misfits spent three days hiking through the Earth Kingdom, their journey to Ba Sing Se being a long one. Each step they took that got them closer to the Great City, Rein's heart pounded in her chest. A piece of her that felt neglected for such a long time was springing back to life, beating harder and harder.
"It's going to storm." Kireina spoke, warranting strange looks from her friends. The group of teens all gazed at the clear blue sky in confusion.
"Are you colorblind?" Smellerbee asked, baffled. Jet stood behind her with his arms crossed and his signature straw stem hanging from his mouth. Unlike the others, Jet was intrigued.
"Come here." She ordered, beckoning the younger girl to stand next to her. Smellerbee was weary but complied nonetheless, moving slowly towards Rein. "Jeez, I'm not going to hurt you, relax Smelly."
"Stop calling me that!"
"Hush and stand still. Take some deep breaths and feel the wind on your skin." Rein instructed her. "Notice how with each breath the wind seems to pick up?"
Smellerbee nodded before furrowing her brows together, "You're just using your airbending!"
"This is pointless. You're not going to believe me no matter what I do-"
"Rein, keep explaining. I want to learn." Jet interrupted Kireina abruptly, stopping her from going on a tangent. Something she seemed to do daily. Smellerbee constantly challenged Rein, always a skeptic when conversing with the teen. Jet, growing sick and tired of their endless bickering, had to play peacemaker.
Rein met his gaze and nodded curtly, "Iroh taught me a few different ways to tell if rain is approaching. Only after we learned the hard way of course but that's a story for a rainy day... Ha! Get it?"
Jet smirked at her while Pipsqueak cackled in the background, making a large smile grow on Rein's face.
"Look up at the sky, when was the last time you saw a bird fly past? Have you even heard an animal make a peep since high noon? The wind is slowly picking up, the animals have hidden and the pinecones have curled up. It's going to rain, and with all of this humidity, I'd say it's going to be torrential. I say we make camp before it's too late."
The crew all stared at her dumfounded, no one moving from their spots. Their eyes would shift from Rein to Jet, awaiting his queue to get a move on. Kireina rolled her eyes and huffed before pushing past the group to go find a safe place to rest.
"You heard her! Let's set up camp." Jet barked.
"Jet, you're just going to believe everything she says? What if she's wrong and we end up wasting our time?" Smellerbee questioned her leader, annoyed that Rein had him under some spell.
"You don't feel that pull when you're around her? You don't feel her presence in the back of your head all day every day? If you disagree, you're lying to yourself. You know she's special, she's practically magic, how could you doubt anything she says?" Jet replied. "We call ourselves the Freedom Fighters, and while we did go astray for a moment, we are still fighting for the same cause. We want the Fire Nation to stand down and end the terror they've casted amongst the planet. We want to liberate the nations, we want the people of this world to feel safe. Kireina is our key. She's the Chosen One and I believe everything she's told us because I feel the effect she has on me."
Longshot agreed silently and stood beside Jet forming a union. Pipsqueak soon followed and with a final huff, Smellerbee joined them at her leader's side. Jet gave her a look of satisfaction and led his group on the path Rein trekked down minutes prior.
It wasn't long before they found her, hidden deep within the trees. She had found a proper canopy to shield them from the storm that was bound to come. At the sound of their entrance, Rein gazed amongst the team. "Let me guess, Jet went on a rant about how irresistible I am and that everything I say is cold hard facts?"
Jet blushed and scratched the nape of his neck awkwardly. "Something like that!" Pipsqueak chirped, slapping his friend's back jokingly.
Kireina smirked, "I'll give you some privacy to cool down Jet, I'm going to find some kindling."
She began walking deeper into the forest but stopped when she heard footsteps hot on her trail. Behind her she spotted Longshot, who silently pointed ahead ushering Rein to continue and he would help. She grinned and shot the boy a wink before walking again.
The two wandered around the foliage, picking up sticks along the way. They spent more time than needed enjoying the greenery alone, without the rest of the rowdy teens disrupting the peace. The once blue sky turned dark as the grey clouds began rolling in, thunder following suit.
Longshot motioned for them to return to camp before they got lost within the storm. Rein obliged and began lugging her tinder back to the protective canopy, ignoring the bark that cut at her forearms. The subtle breeze shifted into gusts of cold wind causing Rein's long dark hair to whip around and knot up in various places.
"And you guys thought I was crazy." She muttered, knowing Longshot wouldn't reply anyway. As they trailed back to camp, lightning began to light up the sky. Rein let out a squeal of surprise as the booming thunder echoed between the trees. She stood still, giving her pounding heart a moment to relax after the shock. As she took some breaths, another streak of electricity sparked though the sky.
Although she felt her body calm from the slight scare, her heart continued beating erratically in her chest. She watched again as another bout of lightning sparked in the air, illuminating a small shape atop the mountain across the way. She could practically hear the shape crying out for her.
"Longshot... I- I think that's Zuko." Rein stuttered, pointing at the large cliff that lingered in the distance. The lightning hit once more and Rein dropped the sticks that sat in her arms, a gasp escaping her mouth. Longshot shook his head and grabbed onto Rein's elbow, making sure not to touch her wrists. He couldn't risk her running off in this weather, it was too dangerous even for her. Not to mention Jet would rip his head off if he let Kireina go off on her own.
But Longshot was ignorant when it came to the Ekkona's true power. His weak grip was nothing in comparison to the strength she held when Zuko was in reach. The Spirits were working in overdrive to get Kireina to the Prince. There was less than a mile separating the two after months of being worlds apart.
With one last sorrowful look at her friend, Rein whispered, "I'm sorry buddy."
Using her airbending, she propelled herself towards the cliff. The closer she got, the more her body ached for Zuko. The rain drenched her skin and clothes but nothing could stop her from reaching her love. As she ran she could hear the Freedom Fighters screaming for her, the canyon echoing her name over and over but there was no stopping her, she knew Zuko was atop the mountain.
Zuko glared at the sky with tears in his eyes. He begged and begged for the lightning to hit him, to jumpstart his heart so he could feel again. Happiness had evaded him for months, he was weak without Reina by his side. Not knowing where she was or if she was okay. Last he knew she was taken by strangers but he hadn't heard from her since. He led Uncle for miles in many different directions as he searched for her, following his inner compass that brought him to where he was now. On top of a cliff, screaming at the clouds, seemingly done with life.
The tears mixed with the rain and his screams were drowned out by the clapping thunder and devilish winds.
"Reina, please. If you can hear me, send me a sign." Zuko whimpered out. "I can't do this anymore, I'm losing all hope. I'm sorry I was such an asshole to you, I'm sorry I abandoned you. I'm sorry I can't save you. I'm sorry I let my ego get the best of me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"I forgave you months ago." Rein spoke from behind him. Zuko whipped around, laying his eyes on the drenched teenager.
"Reina." He breathed. Without wasting anymore precious time, he charged her, wrapping her up in his arms with the strength of a thousand men.
She was real. This was his Reina.
He hoisted her up, allowing her to weave her legs around his waist and rest her head in the crook of his neck. Their beating hearts melted into one as they held onto each other breathlessly. Neither had said a word, rejoicing in the comfortable silence that befell them. After eons of holding one another, Zuko reluctantly let go allowing Rein to plant her feet on the rock. Without breaking their eye contact, Zuko reached into his back pocket and removed the necklace Reina left him when they fought last.
Her eyes lit up at the sight of her pendant, her neck feeling naked without it. Rein turned her back to him and lifted her sopping wet hair, giving him access to clasp the jewelry around her throat. The tips of his fingers danced along her sensitive skin, sending goosebumps down her body. He took his time, his eyes eating up every inch of her.
Kireina could sense his stare and blushed, pretending not to notice. Once the necklace sat perfectly along her clavicle, he placed a chaste kiss below her ear.
"I am nothing without you." He whispered and placed another kiss in the same spot.
Rein's legs began to wobble, the small pecks leaving her entire body in shock. All words were stuck in her throat, something very uncharacteristic of Rein. Zuko had her heart in his hands and she was frozen, waiting for what he had to say next.
"I'm in love with you Reina. I've been in love with you since I met you. I just couldn't admit it to myself."
Rein spun around, her eyes wide at his confession. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Zuko's lips meeting hers. Instinctively her hand moved up to cup his jaw, allowing him to pull her closer. He held her against him, relishing in the feeling of her lips on his. It was as if the final piece was added to finish a jigsaw puzzle. They felt complete.
As the two melted into their embrace, the storm surrounding them ceased and the setting sun poked out behind the evacuating clouds. The once gushing wind was demoted to a warm breeze and the rain dissipated. Though the two were too preoccupied to even notice, Iroh on the other hand watched in awe. Even he felt complete as his nephew kissed Kireina.
Zuko finally pulled away, resting his forehead on hers. The two panted in unison, their minds running a rampant path guided by their hearts.
"I love you too, but you already knew that."
"Why can't you just be sweet, why do you have to go and add spice to everything?" Zuko grunted, yanking his love back into him.