We walked into the air city.
It's been a while.
Soon we made it to the temple. It was completely upside down. It was also scattered with the skeletons of air nomads.
"This- this is a mass grave," my voice was barely above a whisper.
Zuko shifted signifying that he heard me, but he didn't say anything.
Iroh nodded solemnly.
The temple overlooked a magnificent view, and as it was getting late- we witnessed the most beautiful sunset I had seen in my life. The Fire Nation was industrialized- there was light pollution. But, the air nations hadn't been touched in 100 years.
It was gorgeous.
Iroh sighed, "this view is stunning."
Zuko rolled his eyes, "I don't have time to sit here and enjoy the view. There's only one thing I need. I need to find the Avatar."
He had never raised his voice like that- not at his uncle- and not at me.
What the hell was wrong with him?
Zuko glared at seemingly nothing, "We will scour every square inch of this planet if we have too. We will find the Avatar."
God, that felt like ages ago. I'm glad that I cleared all the skeletons from the temple itself last time I was here.
That would have been a downer.
We walked through the city until we came to a cliff. It seemed like the end of the city, but it was only the beginning of the temple.
"Hey, we're here! I can feel it!" Toph yelled.
"Uhhh ... I think your feet need their eyes checked," Katara looked over the cliff.
"No," I said, hopping off the cliff and using fire bending to fall into the temple, "She's right."
Aang hopped down as well.
We all gathered in the temple. It was a very oldfashioned structure, which makes sense, how could it have modernized if we- the Fire Nation wiped out all the airbenders?
Haru, the Duke, and Teo looked excited to go and explore the temple.
Aang went to follow them but Katara put a hand out to stop him.
She turned to Haru, the Duke, and Teo, smiling, "You guys go. I think we need to talk about some things."
Aang looked at Katara, Sokka, Toph, and I, who were calling a Team Avatar meeting.
"Why can't I go explore with them?" Aang asked.
"We need to decide what we're gonna do now, and since you're the Avatar, maybe you should be a part of this," Katara said.
"Fair enough. So, what's the new plan?" Aang sat down.
"Well, if you ask me, the new plan is the old plan! You just need to master all four elements and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes," Sokka exclaimed.
I yawned, "Don't make it sound so easy, Sokka."
Aang rolled his eyes, "Oh, yeah. That's great, no problem. I'll just do that."
"Aang, no one said it's going to be easy," Katara said.
I got up, "This may come as a shock, but I'm a very good firebender-"
"How is that a shock? We've all seen you firebend, except Toph, but she can't see," Katara said.
"Oh," I said, "Well, the point is, I'm a better firebender than I am a waterbender, which means," I bowed to Aang, "You're in luck."
Aang groaned, "Why don't we just take a nice tour around the temple?" He took out his glider and flew away.
"What's his problem?" Toph asked.
"I have no idea," I said, "I just wish someone could help me teach him Firebending. I'm not the best teacher."
Sokka looked at me, "But who, (Y/N)? You're all we have."
"Good point," I said as Aang whizzed past us, "We should go get him, right?"
Katara nodded, "Yeah."
We got on Appa so we could follow Aang, "Aang," I called, "We really need to talk about the future!"
"What?" Aang yelled, "I can't hear you!"
As soon as Aang was positioned over the temple I used bloodbending and he fell to the ground, lightly.
I hopped off Appa, "Great, now that you can hear me, let's talk about the future."
Toph tensed up next to me, "I think that'll have to wait," she pointed behind me.
I watched as everyone stared in shock at something behind me.
"What?" I asked, "Why do you all look like-" I started to turn around.
Katara looked at me, "Wait- (Y/N), don't-!"
"Hello, Zuko here."
I whipped my head around.
And that's when I saw him.
My eyes widened.
I tried to speak but nothing came out. Katara walked and stood in front of me, glaring at Zuko.
Everyone dropped into a fighting stance.
I stared at Zuko before shaking my head and falling back into a fighting stance as well.
Zuko scratched the back of his head, "I heard you guys flying around down there, so, I just thought I'd wait for you here," Appa licked Zuko twice.
Aang looked surprised and slightly lowered his staff.
"I know you must be surprised to see me here," Zuko said.
Sokka looked at him, "Not really since you've followed us all over the world."
Zuko looked uncomfortable, "Right. Well, uhhh ... anyway ... what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, and I, uhhh, I'm good now, and well I think I should join your group, oh, and I can teach firebending to you," he turned to Aang, "See, I, uhhh..."
Toph looked shocked, "You wanna what now?"
I felt Zuko's eyes shift toward me. I looked away.
"You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!" Katara yelled at him.
Zuko's gaze stayed on me.
"Yeah, all you've ever done is hunt us down and try to capture Aang!" Sokka yelled.
Zuko turned to Sokka, "That's not true!" He said defensively, "I've done some good things! I mean, I could have stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something!" Appa licked him again.
Toph nodded, "Appa does seem to like him."
Sokka scoffed, "He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it."
Zuko looked at me again.
Katara noticed and stood up straighter in front of me, acting as a shield of some sort.
He left me, I reminded myself.
Zuko looked away, "I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, and I know I've made some mistakes in the past."
"Like when you and (Y/N) attacked our village?" Sokka said.
"Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?" Katara added.
Huh, I must have been asleep when that one happened.
Zuko hung his head, "Look, I admit I've some awful things. I was wrong to try to capture you, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. And I never should have sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. I'm going to try and stop-"
Sokka pulled out his boomerang, angrily, "Wait, you sent Combustion Man after us?"
"Well, that's not his name, but-" Zuko started to say.
"Ohhh, sorry. I didn't mean to insult your friend," Sokka said.
"He's not my friend!" Zuko yelled angrily.
Why is he here?
He left me.
"That guy locked me, (Y/N), and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!" Toph yelled, "In fact, if it wasn't for (Y/N), he might have killed us!"
Zuko turned to Aang, "Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me."
"There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done. We'll never let you join us," Aang said.
"You need to get out of here. Now," Katara said to Zuko. She glanced back at me, worried.
I looked up, just as Zuko started to look past Katara. Our eyes locked.
I knew that expression. He was being genuine. He reminded me of who he was years ago.
Zuko looked at me, his eyes searching mine for something I couldn't place.
"(Y/N)..." he started to say.
"Don't talk to her!" Sokka joined Katara, standing in front of me, protectively.
"No," I said, "It's okay," I lightly pushed them out of the way.
I came face to face with Zuko.
"(Y/N), you-" Zuko started to say
"Go away, Zuko," I looked at him, my expression hard.
Stay.
"(Y/N)-"
"Go," I raised my hand and constricted Zuko's blood vessels, "Away!" I slammed him into the wall next to him.
Stay.
He groaned in pain. He got up and brushed himself off.
His eyes started to water, "(Y/N), please."
"Leave, Zuko," My voice was cold.
Zuko looked hurt and started walking away.
Don't leave.
Once Zuko was out of earshot I sat down on the floor.
I put my head down and tried drowning everyone out.
"Why would he try to fool us like that?" Katara yelled.
"Obviously he wants to lead us into some kind of trap," Sokka replied.
I got up and picked up a rock, flinging it against a wall.
Everyone was quiet for a moment.
"(Y/N)," Katara broke the silence, "Are you okay?"
I smiled at her, "Peachy," I started to walk away, leaving them to their yelling.
I found a room with a bed in the temple and laid down, staring at the ceiling.
He's back.
"I love you, (Y/N)."
"I love you too, Zuko."
It doesn't matter. He doesn't matter. If he helps me help Aang learn firebending, then fine. But that's about it.
He. Doesn't. Matter.
I fell asleep, trying not to think about Zuko, but there was no point. He was always in my mind, polluting my thoughts.
I woke up the next day, to the Gaang arguing outside. I rubbed my eyes and walked to them.
Toph's feet were severely burned.
I didn't do it which means...
Zuko.
No, he wouldn't. Would he?
"...See? You trusted Zuko, and you got burned. Literally!" Sokka was saying.
"It's gonna take a while for your feet to get better," Katara said, pausing her healing, "I wish I could have worked on them sooner."
I cleared my throat, "Zuko did this?" I asked Toph, gesturing to her feet.
"Well, it was an acc-"
"Zuko's clearly too dangerous to be left alone. We're gonna have to go after him," Sokka cut her off.
"I hate to go looking for a fight, but you're right. After what he did to Toph, I don't think we have a choice," Aang nodded.
"No," I said, "I'll go. I can take him, easily."
"(Y/N)," Katara looked worried, "I don't think that's the best idea-"
"I said," my voice hardened, "I'll go."
Suddenly something exploded from behind us.
Everyone jumped and ran for cover. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Combustion Man.
"Stop!" I heard a familiar voice, "I don't want you hunting the Avatar anymore! The mission is off. I'm ordering you to stop."
Zuko.
I heard Zuko arguing with Combustion Man, and Combustion Man fired a few explosions which were aimed poorly, due to Zuko attacking him.
I heard a thump and Zuko yell. I peered out of the hiding spot to see Combustion Man fling Zuko off a cliff.
Shit. I had to save him.
If only I could get out of this hiding spot, without getting blown to pieces. I can't bloodbend what I can't see.
I heard Zuko fighting Combustion Man and I took the opportunity to jump out of my hiding spot.
"(Y/N)! Are you crazy?" Katara asked me.
I smiled, "Probably," Combustion Man started to breathe in, signifying that he was going to bend at me, but I lifted my hands and he stopped in his tracks.
He was hard to hold on to, even with bloodbending, he had a lot of raw physical strength.
Sokka angled his boomerang to hit Combustion Man in the face. It knocked him down so I stopped bloodbending.
Combustion Man started to get up again, but Sokka's hit clogged his eye thing and he ended up blowing himself up instead.
Zuko climbed down off the cliff and approached us.
Aang walked up to him, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but ... thanks, Zuko."
"Hey, what about (Y/N) and me? She did the bloodbend thing and I did the boomerang thing," Sokka said.
I appreciated the acknowledgment.
I looked up and Zuko was staring at me. I averted my gaze away from Zuko and he turned to Aang instead, "Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday, I've been through a lot in the last few years and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow, my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what's right. All I want to do now is play my part in ending this war, and I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world," Zuko turned to Toph, "I'm sorry for what I did to you," he bowed, "It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild, so as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending, so I don't hurt people unintentionally."
Aang looked surprised, "I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher with (Y/N). When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara, and after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I'd like you and (Y/N) to teach me," he bowed to Zuko, then he turned around and bowed to me.
Zuko bowed, "Thank you. I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group."
Aang held up his hand, "Not so fast. I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them," he turned to Toph, "Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?"
Toph smiled, "Go ahead and let him join. It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet."
Aang turned to Sokka, "Sokka?"
Sokka shrugged, "Hey, all I want is to defeat the Fire Lord. If you think this is the way to do it, then, I'm all for it."
Aang walked up to Katara, "Katara?"
Katara shot me a worried glance, I simply looked away. She turned to Aang, sighing, "I'll go along with whatever you think is right."
Aang smiled.
His smile melted off his face as he turned to me.
I felt everyone's eyes on me, including Zuko's.
Aang looked at me, "(Y/N)? What do you think?"
I looked up, my eyes meeting Zuko's.
"(Y/N)?" Aang asked me again.
I walked closer to Zuko until we were inches apart.
"(Y/N)-" Zuko started to say.
I lifted my hand and slapped him clean across the cheek, "Fuck you."
"Oh... shit,"I heard Toph say.
Zuko held his cheek, "I deserved th-"
I punched his face, and he flew back, falling to the ground.
He coughed and started to sit up.
I brushed myself off and walked past Aang and the rest of the team, who were staring at me like I was insane.
"(Y/N)?" Aang asked me, "What's your answer?"
I thought about it for a moment. I continued walking.
"Let him join."