❃ Ultimate Decision ❃
The three prisoners waited with apprehension for the newcomers to reveal themselves, but their anxiety would soon be resolved. The tumbling rocks from the boy's rumbling entrance stilled their movements and ended the loud noise. Once the dust settled, the strangers were no longer unfamiliar to them. Iroh walked out of the dusty cloud with a young boy at his side. Who was the kid?
"Aang!" Katara yelled out in delighted surprise.
As the young boy, Aang, stepped out into the light of the catacomb crystals, Keya noticed that he was around Kanak's age. He seemed exhilarated to see his waterbender friend again, so she knew that they were friends. In fact, something about him looked -and felt- very familiar. But really, who was this kid?
The kid in question was bald with stormy grey eyes that sparkled with pure-hearted joy and hope. His face was round and childish, but his short stature had clearly endured many years of tough training. His tunic was unique, unlike anything that she had ever seen before. Yellow and orange contrasted against his pale skin, but the most obvious clash was between their warm colours and his blue markings. Arrows were tattooed along the boy's forehead and arms (as far as Keya could tell). His style would have made anyone look rough and intimidating. Yet, this kid wore his looks innocently, like a baby saber-tooth moose lion before it grows horns.
He looked like a walking description of how Zuko had made the Avatar out to be. This could only mean one thing... and judging by Zuko's frown at the sight of him, there was no mistaking it; this guy was the Avatar. Keya's lips parted in shocked realisation.
The Avatar! It's actually him!
Keya tried to keep herself calm and collected. Sure, he was twelve years old and probably had no clue of her existence, but still! All her life she had heard stories about the Avatar and how he would 'one day return to save the world'. And now he was finally here! She would finally get to meet him! Perhaps, she thought, if she could make a good impression, he could give her some tips on her airbending. Surely he would be interested to learn that there was another airbender out there? Maybe she wasn't even the only one!
Katara ran over to the boy and threw her arms around him. Aang hugged her back without hesitation, although he did throw Zuko a suspicious frown from over Katara's shoulder. Clearly, he had witnessed Katara putting her hand on his enemy's cheek. Keya couldn't blame him for being weirded out by the sight. She looked just in time to see Zuko mimicking the same offended face back at him. Boys...
Before the young Prince could do anything rash to his twelve year old target, he found himself squished in his uncle's strong embrace. Keya smiled when she saw the cute display, but Iroh wasn't done.
The old man opened up one arm and waved his hand for the airbender (Keya- not Aang) to join them. Of course, she accepted the offer without any hesitation. Together, Keya and Zuko hugged Iroh back with all their might. From their loving embraces with their loved ones, Zuko and Aang still managed to send one another several disapproving glares. Although everyone around them seemed to get along, the two enemies were not going to become allies just like that.
Iroh was the first to end their group hug. He stepped back and immediately turned to Keya to inspect her wound. He tutted to himself as he saw the smeared blood on her tan forehead. Iroh was a calm man with great control of his temper, but the sight of his self-claimed daughter being hurt was pushing his limits. Carefully, his hand reached into his robe and pulled out a cotton handkerchief. With great care, the man cleaned up the teen's face. Keya hissed softly whenever the cloth came too close to the small injury, but she never pulled away from her old friend's care. She trusted him with her life.
Meanwhile, Katara put her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Aang, I knew you would come." She sighed and gave him another hug. Keya could tell that the boy liked it very much. The Avatar's cheeks glowed pink and his dark grey eyes sparkled happily.
But the happy moment was interrupted by Zuko, whose brows were furrowed despite being freed. "Uncle," He started, "I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?" He pointed his hand at the boy rudely.
"Saving you, that's what." Aang sassed in response.
The Prince in question let out an angry groan and launched himself at the Avatar. Luckily for all of them, Iroh held him back. The catacombs were silent for a brief moment.
Keya couldn't help herself. Her hand flew up to her mouth as she let out a loud giggle. "He's got you there, Zuko." She turned to the Avatar with a friendly smile. "Don't worry about him, he's just frustrated that he couldn't get us out by himself. Thank you for your help." She bowed formally.
The Avatar looked confused and slightly unimpressed. "I didn't do it for him, just for Katara... And who are you?"
"Oh!" Keya gasped and blushed. Suddenly, she remembered just who she was talking to. "I'm sorry- yeah, uhm... I'm Keya, nice to meet you... your Avatar-ness." She bowed awkwardly. "I'm a friend of Zuko and Iroh's- Though, I have no loyalty to the Fire Nation! And no intentions of hurting you and your friends, for that matter!" She quickly clarified when she saw Aang's dark brows frown.
"Okay... good to know." He deadpanned and turned back to his friend, Katara. He didn't sound convinced at all of her good intentions.
Keya's heart dropped. That was a terrible first impression! How could she ask him about his airbending knowledge now?!
She frowned sadly and turned back to Zuko and Iroh. The latter gave her a gentle pat on the back. Zuko smirked and dropped his lips to Keya's ear. "I warned you. He doesn't like you, because you're with me." Keya could not give him a rebuttal.
"Zuko," Iroh suddenly said, "it's time we talked." He turned to the Avatar. "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."
Avatar Aang bowed to Iroh and left. Katara gave the two teens a sad last glance, before following after her friend.
"Why, uncle?" Zuko asked.
"You are not the man you used to be, Zuko." Iroh said. "You are stronger, and wiser, and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good."
Just as Iroh finished his motivating speech, a rumble shook throughout the catacombs. Before either of them could do anything about it, Iroh and Keya found themselves caught in a crystal trap. The Dai Li had successfully bent the crystals to prevent any escape. Zuko tensed and got ready for another fight.
Together with two Dai Li agents, Azula appeared from one of the tunnels. "I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle. But Zuko- Prince Zuko," she emphasised cunningly, "you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor... are you?" She raised an intimidatingly sharp brow.
Zuko fumed. "Release them immediately!"
His sister did no such thin. Instead, she continued her speech calmly. "It's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself."
Her voice was soft and tempting, like a snake hissing its prey to sleep. She was clearly a good speaker, one who knew Zuko like the back of her hand. If anyone could corrupt him now, Princess Azula of the Fire Nation was surely the prime candidate. Keya was not the only one in the catacombs who had realised this fact.
"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you." Iroh interjected critically, but his niece would have none of it.
"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle?" She faced Zuko again, this time with a sickeningly sweet smile. "I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day, this glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honour back. You will have father's love. You will have everything you want."
Zuko was silent and contemplative. It worried Keya how much thought he was giving his sister's offer, but she couldn't blame him. From what she knew, this was what he had wanted for years. This was the destiny he had always thought he had. But after all his hard work and painful growth, surely he wouldn't give into his old dream that easily, would he?
"Zuko, I am begging you," Iroh tried to counter the Princess's offer, "look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want."
Zuko looked conflicted.
"You are free to choose." Azula spoke coldly and put her hand up, signalling for the two Dai Li members to leave. They did so and left the trio behind. Azula walked away as well.
Keya struggled from her spot between the glowing crystals. "Zuko, remember how far you've come. You're a wonderful guy and a great friend to me... I don't want to see you travel down this path, a path where I have to become your enemy."
"...My enemy?" Zuko frowned and turned to the airbender. "Why would you be my enemy?"
"Why?" Keya scoffed incredulously. "Because the Fire Nation wants my head on a spike! Did you not see the posters back at the Misty Palms Oasis?"
"I could get my father to remove that order." His hand grasped his chin seriously. "Especially if we win, it would be a small favour in return for the conquering of Ba Sing Se..."
Keya felt herself get lightheaded with panic. Her breathing technique could not keep her emotions at bay for much longer. "Don't tell me you're actually considering this? Zuko, trust me- The things I've done- There's no way that the Fire Lord would let me go. Even so, I would never want to—"
"—What things are you referring to, exactly?" He walked up to her crystal prison with a newfound sense of suspicion regarding his love interest. It had been weighing on his mind for some time now; the story of why she had fled to Ba Sing Se. "I just remembered that you've never actually told me that detail. What is it that you're hiding from me, Keya?"
From his position, Iroh tried to de-escalate the situation before Keya would be forced to show her true powers. For the sake of the safety of both her and his nephew, the old man figured it would be best if she learned to control her airbending before showing it to someone. "Zuko, I understand that you're apprehensive about your destiny, but now's not the time to discuss this matter."
"Stop talking about my destiny! You don't know what it's like to be in this position at all!" Zuko retorted. "And you," he turned to his lover, "I know you're hiding something, something that my uncle knows for some reason, but I don't. Why?"
His voice took on a more vulnerable note. "Aren't we friends..? Why can't you trust me? What else can I do?"
Tears started dripping down Keya's bloodied face. "I... I'm ashamed, Zuko. I'm ashamed of who I am, of what I've done... In the beginning, I was scared of what you would do if you found out... I didn't tell you because I was scared that you would hate me, hurt me, and now... I'm scared that you'll leave me."
"Why would I ever leave you, after all we've been through together?" He cupped her wet cheeks in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "Just tell me what it is and I'll make sure you never have to suffer for it again. I'll do anything."
But Keya stayed silent. Conflicted as she was, she couldn't bring herself to speak the truth that she had instinctively kept hidden for as long as she had known it herself.
She was an airbender.
Her airbending had killed two grown Fire Nation soldiers.
She was a murderer.
Noticing her silence, it seemed like something shifted within the Fire Nation Prince. Zuko's eyes no longer sparkled hopefully, his face dropped with disappointment. He dropped his hands from her face and stepped back.
"You still don't trust me..."
It wasn't a question, it was a statement. And as much as she wanted to deny it and plead her case, Keya couldn't find it in herself to open her mouth. It was true, after all. How could she tell the Prince of the Fire Nation that she had killed his countrymen? Why would she tell him that she was an airbender just when he was considering capturing the only known airbender in the world? So, she stayed silent and watched as Zuko accepted his situation and made up his mind.
"I can't believe this." He snarled, before storming off after his sister.
Fresh droplets reflected the green, crystal lights as they rolled down Keya's cheeks. Her lunar eyes trailed after the dissapointed Prince as he left. She wanted nothing more than to run after her lover and gently try to explain herself, but there was not much she could do in her situation. All she could do was wait until Iroh or herself managed to escape their crystal prisons.
❃
A/N: Thank you for reading my story so far! The next chapter will probably be the final chapter for book 2! I'll continue with book 3 (although it will take me some extra time to plot the chapters). They will be posted in this same ff. TBH, I can't believe I even got this far...lol
Are there any tropes, arcs, or characters that you want to see more of? Please let me know!!