"MAI?!" The girl hissed out angrily as she looked at her brother, her eyes narrowed into angry slits that almost seemed comical at her emotional trigger.
"You know her?" He asked with a goofy smile on his face.
She face-palmed and sank to her feet sliding against the wall with an annoyed expression on her face. She didn't even know where to begin when in regard to her ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. The world was indeed a very, very small place.
"So- Mai is Zuko's ex-girlfriend from before he dated you who he rebounded with when he returned to the Mainland?" He repeated in disbelief.
"Yes," The other croaked beyond irritated.
"Great! Now she'll never go out with me!" The other threw his hands up in the air in momentary frustration and sighed as he also slid down the temple's wall to sit next to his sister. Both of their eyes focused on the night landscape before them.
"And him? Does the idiot know?" He looked at her seriously.
She was quiet for a moment. Her silence answering his question.
"And you're not going to tell him? That's not like you. What was that thing that grandpa would always say about plum blossoms?"
"Our lives, too, are fleeting," She quoted the phrase which was more than familiar to her. "I've got bigger things to worry about it," She responded after a moment biting on her thumb lightly her mind elsewhere.
"Like that?" He let out a little snort. "Cause everything you're going thru I'mgoing thru as well. You know? Mom, Dad, the colonies, defeating the Fire Lord and executing my vicious plans of vengeance-"
"God! Mecha!" She spoke sharply with a sudden snap. "You don't get it. I'm not like you. I'm a spirit now and I don't know what that means!"
Despite her frustrated tone he couldn't help but let out a humorous huff. It was hard for him to take his sister seriously after witnessing a lifetime of childish tantrums.
"Aren't spirits supposed to be kind, docile and selfless? Basically, everything that you're not?" He chuckled a little teasing her. She shot him a side glare in return and let out an exhausted sigh pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.
"I have a terrible feeling about this. About the comet. This ill feeling, it won't let me sleep." She confessed for the first time. "I saw things when I went to the Sun Warrior Island. The dragons showed me visions..."
She flashed back to the unspoken visions of the comet. The day in which the skies would turn the color of blood and ash would rain. It wasn't the astronomical event that made her feel uneasy. It was the frightful feeling that crawled into her stomach that came with the vision.
"Sozin's comet. It's a part of me." She said softly in a breath.
"But you're only human."
"Yes," she nodded he was correct. "But it's part of the otherpart of me. The Sun. I canfeelit."
Mecha gazed at his sister with genuine concern. He wished he knew what to say. That he had a joke or comment that would lighten her up or that could somehow ease her burden. He gave her shoulder a squeeze and a sympathetic smile. The two siblings stayed up talking all night. It's not like she planned on sleeping either way.
"I still have much to learn about spirituality..." She trailed off. "Mecha, I feel like I'm running out of time," she professed her voice breaking. The knots in her back further twisting due to stress.
Xxx
The sunrise came with the promise of a new day. Skies were clear and golden rays of light warmed the upper courtyard where the siblings of Yu Dao trained both their minds and bodies.
"Again!" She barked instructing him to firebend at her with all of her might. She was leaning on her knees breathing hard, pushing herself to her physical limits.
"Tsai, it's sunrise. We should stop, maybe take a break. Doze off for a few?" Mecha said wiping some sweat off his furrowed brow. It was then that a loud humming filled the air. Doves and birds flocked away from the rumbling and the siblings stopped and ran to the edge of the courtyard just to witness a handful of Fire Nation air zeppelins ready to attack.
The building shook violently making the girl lose her balance and lean on her brother.
The Resistance who were sleeping in the level below were shaken awake by the violent explosion.
Bombs were hurled through the air the scent of powder filled the air as it quickly became clouded with dark soot.
Aang wasted no time in diving inside of the temple's chamber and airbending the massive doors shut protecting everybody that inside. Bombs resounded exploding outside rocking the foundation of the temple to its core.
"Where are Tsai and Mecha?" Aang looked around swiftly when he noticed the two empty sleeping rolls on the ground.
There was no time to look. The ceiling had already begun to crack. It only took another bomb for a piece of it to be dislodged and collapse.
Upstairs the siblings looked at the fleet in horror.
"I'd bet anything the Princess is inside one of those!" Mecha growled out, his fists clenched at the sides in fury. He gave a handful of steps back his eyes reflecting nothing but hatred as he once again became that dark being that to his sister was a stranger. "Go downstairs Tsai! You have to warn others!"
She was about to protest that they probably didn't need a warning when he sprinted forward and blindly leapt to the air ship.
Tsai shouted after him stunned as she almost stumbled over the ledge. That reckless idiot!
She ran down the stairs to the first level of the courtyard dodging the fiery shards of bombs and rubble that seemed to collapse all around her. She stood before the abyss for a moment gazing down in hesitation and fear before leaping into the cloudy mist below. The wind whipped her hair and stung her body before she roughly and very ungracefully landed on her stomach a top of a massive airship.
She groaned as she painfully struggled to her feet. Her eyes adjusting to the thick mist until she saw an array of flames being blasted nearby.
"You never listen!" Her brother shouted loudly over the wind as he fought off several Fire Nation soldiers.
She looked up and saw a handful of soldiers rapidly climbing to the top of the airship. She looked from side to side and realized she was cornered. She opened her fingers and stretched them a little as she braced herself for what was coming.
She instinctively dodged a fire blast that was directed her way and ran towards a soldier lowering her body she quickly elbowed his jaw up and ducked dodging another blast and kicking the same soldier's legs from underneath making him slip off the zeppelin and fall into the misty abyss below. She looked down and swallowed thickly at the thought of her own demise.
There was no time for that. She turned to see a fistful of flames coming her way and using the momentum of the attack stepped behind the attacker and simply lead him off the airship. It was then that she heard a loud thud and turned to see Zuko land on the roof of the zeppelin a couple of feet away from her.
Their confused expressions mirroring each other as they said each other's names out loud.
"What are you doing here?" He asked blasting a ball of fire at an attacking soldier that stood behind the girl. He seemed to be the last one. Her eyes remained focused on him. "What are youdoing here?"
The two hadn't spoken since he had left to the Boiling Rock to save her brother and Sokka's father and there was still that lingering tension in the air between them. One that only seemed to get heavier and more unbearably as time progressed.
"I'm sick of running. Today is the day I face Azula." He said determinedly.
Last time he said that everything went to shit back in Ba Sing Se. This time she wouldn't allow him to face Azula alone.
"You're not the only one that's excited to see her." A cocky smirk stretched across her features as she slapped her fist into her other palm.
"A little help here?!" A third voice interrupted. Mecha was aboard the other Royal Airship fighting off the soldier's that were unstoppably blasting towards Appa who was flying in circles in an attempt to escape.
"That's Azula's ship." She looked at the large leap she would have to do if she wanted to reach the bottom part metal crate where her brother was struggling to fight about a dozen of soldiers.
He was too far; she wasn't physically strong enough to make that kind of leap. She looked at her brother with heavy frustration from across the other zeppelin.
"I'm never going to make it!" Her eyebrows knotted in worry as she looked up at the airship in the near distance.
"You will," Zuko spoke in a determined tone.
The wind was strong whipping both of their hairs around. He bent his knees slightly and interviewed his fingers together stretching his palms out so she could step on them.
She looked at him hard and for a moment and for a moment forgot they were presently standing a top of an air carrier in the middle of a chaotic battle. He looked different. More grown somehow. More secure. Something had definitely shifted in him since he arrived at the camp.
"Trust me."
She looked between his hands to the large leap she would have to do to reach her brother.
Last time had trusted him, well things went to shit back in Ba Sing Se.
With a shaky breath and a hesitant nod, she ran towards him and stepped on his hands. He lifted her up with a strong push and she leapt across from one air ship to the other barely managing to grasp the lower metal railing of the crate. She caught her breath and looked up to see her brother struggling.
"'Bout time!" He said before kneeing a soldier who was bent over in pain. She climbed to the crate's railing and alongside her brother fought the soldier's off until only the two stood together back to back. Both catching their ragged breaths.
"Zuko should be up with Azula right now," Tsai said her eyes darting to look for the stairs that lead to the roof of the air ship.
"Come on! There's no time to waste!" Mecha said ready to spring back into action.
Suddenly there was an explosion which violently shook the airship. Both siblings gripped onto the metal railings tightly.
"What was that?"
They looked up to see the Fire Nation's prince rapidly falling through the air whooshing past them. A look of pure fear on his face as he fell.
Mecha was barely able to hold his sister back as she let out a horrifying soul splitting scream.
It all happened so fast Appa rapidly zoomed past them and dove towards the falling prince catching him midair in his saddle where Katara yanked him to safety.
Mecha's grip loosened around his sister slightly. Tsai deflated for a moment. Taking a couple of rapid breaths. In disbelief at what had almost happened.
"That bitch!"She blasted gazing up to the roof. Maybe she was unable to see her, but she knew Azula was still on the ship. Appa approached them nearing the crate. With an eerily calm poise and lips drawn into a thin line she raised the back of her foot and pulled a hidden blade from the sole of her shoe. It was the same one that Azula had stabbed her with back in the Earth Kingdom.
"You've had a knife with you all along?" Mecha looked at her astounded. "All this time I thought you were completely defenseless!"
"Bold of you to assume that brother." She said obtusely looking up at one of the propellers which made the airship stay afloat.
"Let's go!" He said as he hopped down to Appa's saddle. She quickly jammed the knife in the propeller and jumped down to the flying bison which zoomed away quickly.
Zuko let out a rough groan as he was tackled into a brass embrace. He was taken aback at the bold gesture.
'Don't ever do anything like that again!'She wanted to scream at him. To tell him off for almost falling to his death. For having given her the scare of a lifetime. However, the only thing she could manage was a soft exhale at the relief of having him in her arms again.
The zeppelin's propeller snapped due to the self-inflicted force and exploded damaging the bottom of the zeppelin tilting it to the side making Azula slide across the roof and fall to her dissolution.
All eyes were on her as she fell through the clouds her arms and legs flailing as she did. The prince and the girl from the colonies still in each other's arms in a more loose embrace. Yet both still tense. She fisted his sleeve tightly watching the certain fate of the antagonist come to be fulfilled.
Zuko stared at Azula, unsure how he should feel as he rasped, "She's...not gonna make it."
Eyes wide Tsai didn't notice she had a tight grip she had on his arm. Her eyes also glued to the falling girl. A mixture of emotions stirring in her. She halted her breath petrified at what she was witnessing.
The group watched as blue fire erupted from Azula's feet, the force propelling her back towards the nearby cliff. She back flipped through the air and slammed into the rocky cliff's side. Her hair coming undone as she used her golden hair pin to dig into the rocks. Her hair fell loosely around her moving wildly with the wind. She slid to a stop and looked towards them, a satisfied smirk on her lips. The zeppelin lowered and lowered until it collapsed to the ground and eventually exploded.
"Of course, she did." Zuko sighed, looking away.
Tsai's body relaxed a little as she let out an exhausted breath, she didn't realize she was still holding on to him. All of the sudden she felt hyper self-conscious at the bold display of affection she pulled away from him awkwardly her face burning in embarrassment from the many witnessing eyes. She turned away and leaned back against the saddle next to her brother.
"D-Don't be so reckless next time." She grumbled under her breath crossing her arms over her chest a lazy hand nervously toying with the sunstone necklace as she attempted to play it cool.
His body language mirrored hers as he let out an exhausted sigh and relaxed back into the saddle. No one would notice but the slightest of smiles grew on his face at the girl's concerned expression.
Toph winced at the familiar tension that suddenly flooded the air. God sometimes she just wanted to get both of their stupid faces and smash their heads together just so they could get it over with this stupid tension already.
Suki looked at the couple before her with a bewildered expression before turning to Sokka with a puzzling look. She could also feel that awkward emotion lingering in the air.
It was then that the Fire Nation siblings realized there was a new person amongst them. A pretty girl with short brown hair and dark azure eyes sitting next to Sokka
"Oh!" She said surprised suddenly feeling the exhaustion from having been up all night suddenly consume her. "Tsai, Sun Spirit, Former Fire Nation" She introduced herself. "This is my brother."
xxx
They flew for several hours until it was past sundown. Until reaching a small island composed of volcanic black rocks and a mossy green hill. Where they set up camp for the night.
Aang, Toph, Mecha and Katara hopped off Appa when they landed ready to set up camp. Sokka helped Suki off.
"Uh, after you," Zuko said awkwardly as he danced around the edge of Appa's saddle holding the back of his neck and making space, so she'd walk past him. "Yeah, thanks," She said back just as awkwardly egg shelling around him. It had gotten to the point in which neither knew how to act around the other anymore. Tsai almost preferred it back when they were fighting over anything. Even that was better than this. She jumped off and loitered by Appa's side pretending to suddenly have an interest in geology when she looked at the nearby volcanic rocks.
"I never thanked you for bringing my brother back." She said shifting on her feet with that lingering tension in the air.
"Yeah," The other said his behavior mirroring hers. "Lucky we found him."
She starred at him intently for a moment. Pupils blown wide as she chuckled nervously unsure of how to proceed.
"Yeah," She repeated his words. "Thanks buddy," she drawled out painfully, awkwardly before lightly hitting his arm. He looked at her with a confused expression. Did she just call him buddy?
Sokka and Suki watched from a distance wincing at what they had just witnessed as they unpacked and set up their tents.
"That looks... painful," Suki grimaced at the cloud of tension that seemed to follow those too. "Tell me about it. You're lucky you didn't see them after their breakup." Sokka rolled his eyes at the memory of both teenagers gloomily sulking. They both saw Zuko go and set up his tent while the girl lingered around the saddle gathering her few belongings ready to set up. "Wait- they were a thing? Like actually?" Suki pressed wanting to know more of the camp gossip. "I mean- that hug earlier. It looked intense."
"I know." Sokka responded in the same disbelieving tone as he tied his tent to the ground.
"They seem so... different?" Suki asked noting the contrast between the girl who was currently trying to set up her tent with her brother and was miserably failing at it. All of it falling on top of her while her sibling simply shook his head.
"Zuko is cool," Sokka said after a while. "You know- after he turned good and all that. Tsai's always been a dork. Luckily, she's also changed for good. I think you'd like her."
"A little help?" The red head said to her brother as she struggled to pitch their tent.
xxx
"Wow, camping." Aang mused idly in amusement as everyone began to finish their dinner. He laughed slightly and shook his head, "It really seems like old times again, doesn't it?"
"If you really want it to feel like old times," Zuko drawled blandly as he broke a piece of bread in half and gestured with one half vaguely, a small smirk tugging at his mouth, "I could, uhh...chase you around a while and try to capture you."
Everyone laughed in response. The Fire Nationers were happy to finally be accepted into the group. Aang was right. It was strangely nostalgic to be sitting in a circle like this in an island in the middle of nowhere. It reminded Tsai a little about the days she had spent as a runaway camping with Iroh and Zuko in caverns and the woods.
"Ha. Ha." Katara grumbled darkly from where she was sitting beside across the fire from the Fire Nationers. She did not find it humorous in the least. Her eyes glowered at the flames in the middle.
Still laughing slightly, Sokka raised his cup with a wide grin, "To Zuko and Tsai who knew after all those times they tried to snuff us out, today, they'd be our heroes." Sokka paused for a moment. "And Mecha," He added awkwardly. "You didn't chase us around, but still- another hero!"
Toph, Aang, Sokka and Suki all raised their cups and chorused, "Here, here!" Happy for the Fire Nation trio that had helped them escape Princess Azula's wrath and the zeppelin hoards.
Aang and Toph who were sitting on either side of the scarred prince nudged him playfully with their elbows. Broad grins playing on their faces.
"I still can't believe you blew up a zeppelin!" Sokka said excitedly turning his attention to the red head that was sitting across from him and Suki. She smiled sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck.
"That was pretty lit." Mecha elbowed her proud of his younger sister.
The Fire Nationers all smiled warmly at the praises from the group.
"I'm touched." Zuko said. "I don't deserve this," he said addressing everyone.
Mecha was about to make a joke but went silent when he heard a bitter tone speak up in the group. He looked at the waterbender who wore a sour expression on her face oddly.
"Yeah, no kidding." Katara muttered sarcastically, her eyes flickering up to glare at the former Fire Nationers. The group stared at her in surprise.
Mecha didn't know how to whisper but he still tried. "Hey, what's her deal?" He asked his sister lowly which was still pretty audible to the rest of the group.
"Something the matter Katara?" The red head who was sitting in between Aang and her brother glowered from across the campsite. Her blood pressure instantly going from zero to a hundred.
Katara continued to glare with menace.
"Don't tell me you two are going to go at it again," Toph shook her head and rested her head on her palms. Aang lowered his chopsticks and leaned back already sensing a fight about to break out between the clashing girls.
"We've had enough fighting for today. Can we just have an evening of peace?" Aang sighed tiredly as his eyes bounced back from blue to red across the fire pit.
"Fighting?" Sokka asked cluelessly his eyes also darting from one girl to the other as angry sparks flying between their eyes.
"Tsai almost bit my arm off yesterday! You'd think she was some kind of animal or something!" Katara accused pointing at her bandaged shoulder.
"Rich of you to play the victim Katara. Since youstarted it and pulled my hair!" The other shot back just as angrily touching her wavy hair.
The gang looked between the two girls and saw the small marks, bandages and scratches that covered random parts of their bodies and finally put two and two together. Both girls growled at each other, fists clenched at the sides before standing up in threatening stances. For a moment it really did look like they were going to go at it again but instead marched away in opposite directions.
"What's up with them?" Sokka questioned, quirking a brow at his sister's retreating form and back to the red heads.
"Is dinner always this eventful?" The young man from Yu Dao laughed nervously.
Zuko stood up and looked between the two retreating figures. He knew that Tsai and Katara had a strong distaste for each other. Hell, she had it for him too. He knew that Katara had some type of grudge or prejudiced towards Fire Nationers. She partook in a discrimination that was very obvious. She had made it the most obvious when she faked that note to try and get the two of them kicked off the camp.
Without another word he followed after Katara.
Katara stood a distance away by the island's ledge gazing at the dark ocean before her. She heard soft footsteps and her eyes narrowed in surprise, frown crossing her face when she saw Zuko standing behind her.
"This isn't fair." Zuko stated firmly, throwing his arms out to the side slightly in frustration, "What is with you? Everyone else seems to trust us now. We're all a team."
"Oh, everyone trusts you now?" Katara turned around and snapped at him. She put her hand on her chest and spat, "I trusted you first. Remember? Back in Ba Sing Se?" She swung her arm out and jabbed a finger at the ocean. "I trusted Tsai in the Northern Water Tribe and what happened? You bothturned and betrayed us." She flung her arms out for emphasis as Zuko looked down guiltily, "Betrayed all of us."
"She didn't betray you Katara and you know that. I admit that I did and for that I am sorry, but I've changed."
Katara remained silent and turned away from him.
Zuko looked up and sighed a little before asking, "What can we do to make it up to you?"
"You really want to know?" Katara demanded as she walked towards him, "Hmm, maybe you could re-conquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King. Or," She leaned closer to him and Zuko stepped back, staring at her in speechless silence, "I know! You could bring my mother back!"
Xxx
The girl from the colonies sat near a rocky cliff on the side of the island, the toyed with a small volcanic rock in her hand as her eyes bored into the horizon. She found herself doing more than often now a days. Suddenly she heard a pair of soft footsteps behind.
"I don't want to talk about it Mecha!" Tsai shouted over her shoulder as she rose to her feet from the edge of the landscape returning to the greenery.
"Fine, fine," The boy raised up his hands defensively. "I don't meddle with women's issues." He shook his head in a no. "I know better."
"This goes beyond a girly quarrel. It's actually very severe. Katara is a xenophobe." She explained.
"A what?" He retorted confused thinking she had just spit out a magic spell or something. "A xenophobe, she's prejudiced against Fire Nationer's. Blames us for her mother's death for the war- Not that I blame her of course but- Believe me when I tell you I've tried to make peace with her, but she won't budge." She sighed and dropped her arms to her sides.
"Why don't you just try and talk to her?" He suggested "Aren't you all for diplomacy and all that?" A coy smirk on his features at the fact he had cleverly manipulated his sister into talking about the issue. "Believe me. I've tried. We're past the point of talking or diplomacy." She turned to the ocean and angrily threw the rock she had been holding to it only for it to vanish in the darkness ahead.
"Yeah? Zuko went to talk to her."
"Really?" She turned to face him her tone a little louder than she would've wanted. Her attention shifting much too fast.
"You know earlier I really thought you were going to throw yourself after him." He said crossing his arms over his chest. A more serious expression on his features.
"I still don't like the prick and as your brother I think you can do better." He added. "But if you care so much for him and he's down to bring down his evil dad and sister then- I'm willing to give him a second chance."
She turned away flustered by the topic.
"Our lives, too, are fleeting,"He sang lightly as he quoted their grandfather. "If today wasn't evidence enough of that." He added stepping next to her as they both looked into the distance.
Tsai winced slightly at the memory of Zuko falling into the misty abyss. The memory still fresh in her mind. She could still remember the look of horror on his face and the gut wrenching feeling she felt at the horrifying sight.
"I already told you I've got more pressing matters to deal with. Besides," she let out a weak scoff. "Those days are over."
"He's got to be blind or something. You too. Specially if the two of you can't see how much you two obviouslystill care about the other."
Tsai exhaled a frustrated sigh through her nostrils, lips pressed into a serious expression as she stood in denial arms now crossed over her chest. She didn't want to think or even acknowledge the ghastly feeling that had come over her when she saw him fall off the aircraft. For a moment there she really thought that she had lost him. The thought- the awful thought...
She sighed and lowered her head, her hand mindlessly playing with the sun stone necklace a nervous habit she had formed.
"Even I can see it. You two have to talk." A third voice said.
"TOPH!"She jumped to her feet instantly unnerved hairs standing up in the back of her head.
"AH!"He jumped to the side taken aback by her stealth. "Where did you come from?!"
"Why-" Tsai breathed through her nostrils she gritted teeth feeling invaded when having such a private conversation. "-Were you eavesdropping?"
Toph stood cooly before the siblings. Her arms crossed over her chest as she glowered at them with an easy smirk.
"Hotman over here said the world 'blind'. Naturally I thought you two were talking about me."
The red head face palmed and dragged her face in frustration.
"Toph," Mecha began. "Is my sister not in love with the stupid jerk prince?" He asked bluntly.
"Hey!" She protested face turning a darker shade of red from the embarrassment. Why was thisaspect of her life up for discussion like this?
"It's so obvious," Toph rolled her light eyes. "There's so much tension between you two I bet I could bend right through it!" She said doing a chop to the midair. "Don't even get me started on your heartbeat. It's pathetic."
Tsai stretched out her hands in a menacing motion to strangle the younger girl. Her eyes wide, face even redder at having been exposed in such a blunt way.
"You two make me nauseous." Toph made a gagging motion as she held on to her stomach. "Why don't you just tell him how you feel, make up, make out and get it over with?" She suggested.
"...Make out?" Mecha said slowly the edge of his eyes slightly twitching with annoyance a familiar tick they had both inherited from their mother. His protective older brother side showing.
"Thanks guys," She somehow managed to say. She stood up a little straighter and relaxed her shoulders. "I just don't see the point. I'm serious. We have bigger things in our plates. What am I going to do about my spiritual identity crisis? Mecha our family? The colonies? The Fire Lord-"
"Sound like avoidance to me," Toph sniggered viciously. Her brother glared at her with and knowing arched eyebrow. "As your brother and best friend, I think you should do it. Life is too short."
"Yeah. Just get it over with," Toph said giving the girl a painful punch behind "What's the worst that can happen?" Tsai looked over and rubbed her arm where Toph had hit her sulking as she walked back to the camp. How could a conversation about her issues with Katara had turned into this?
"Are you sure about this?" The young man that was at least twice Toph's height asked looking down with a questioning expression. "Nope," She responded popping the syllables. "But it sure is fun!"
Xxx
Tsai in took and exhaled a large breath of air as she paced nervously outside of Zuko's tent.
"Yeah... So... I know I broke up with you and I know this sounds even crazier, but I kind of lov- No, no, he's going to think I'm a lunatic!" She lightly tugged at her hair in frustration. "Why is this so hard?!" She cried out to no one in particular.
'OK. Just suck it up. And say it. Word vomit. It's just a fact. Just get it out of the way.' She mentally prepped herself doing a little dance outside the tent. 'Here goes nothing...' She swallowed nervously before peering inside of the tent.
Her expression instantly dropping in a cringy grimace.
Suki was sitting sprawled out on a bed roll. Her back to the entrance of the tent and she looked over her shoulder holding a seductive pose.
Wrong tent.
Suki jumped and sat up more properly beyond embarrassed.
"Uh- I thought this was Zuko's tent," She explained nervously about to run for the hills and hide her head under a rock or something.
"Oh," Suki said. "I just saw him, he went into Sokka's tent. I didn't know you two were thatserious."
She let out a little hum and nodded awkwardly. Maybe- maybe talking to an actual girl her age would help. Afterall Mecha just did things without much thought and as wise as Toph was the younger girl could be rather tactless sometimes.
"Um, no, I just wanted to talk to him. That's all." She admitted sheepishly fully stepping into the tent. "You know, Sokka talks about you ALLthe time." She said in a laxer tone, one which was friendlier and more inviting.
"Really?"The Suki inquired her interest piquing.
Moments later the two girls bonded as they shared stories of both love and war. Both fields in which anything and everything was possible.
"I can't believe you forgave him!" Suki said aghast when Tsai finished sharing her story. The girl from Yu Dao sat on the ground with both of her legs crossed underneath her body as Suki braided her medium length hair. Both were wearing mushed up used tea leave facial which were apparently good for blemishes.
"Trust me. I can't believe it either," she confessed. "I can't believe I'm asking him to get back together."
"Do you want to?" Suki asked after a while letting go of her new friend's hair.
Sokka hadn't been wrong. Suki did like Tsai and the feeling was mutual. It was hard enough to find a girl that had her own priorities straight yet still wanted to dish about boys.
"It's... hard." The other managed with a painful expression. "We hurt each other, and I still care about him a lot. It's just... Scary."
"You almost lost him today." Suki turned around to allow the other girl to brush her short hair.
There it was again. That reminder that kept on knocking in the door of her heart. Life really was too short to live in doubt. Specially during times of war. Especially when there was that haunting vision about what would happen the day of Sozin's comet. That ill specter of a feeling that made the girl feel sick to her core. What if she didn't survive the final battle? Even worse- what if hedidn't?
"So, you think you would've been okay living the rest of your life without him knowing how you feel?" Suki asked and the girl stopped brushing for a moment. Pausing as she knelt deep in thought. Again, there it was...
"You're right." Tsai admitted the truth to herself. It was just as her grandfather had always said when referring to the plum blossoms in the palace's gardens. "It's like grandfather would've said 'Our lives, too, are fleeting.'"
Suki turned and gave her an odd look.
"What about you and Sokka? I'd love to hear your story."
Suki proceeded to tell Tsai how they had met in Kyoshi Island and how she had schooled him in warrior training and how their relationship had evolved past that over time.
Loud giggling and laughing could be heard coming out from Suki's tent. The Kyoshi Warrior found it more than refreshing to confide in another girl that was nother boyfriend's sister. Sokka glared from the outside of his tent. Not only had Zuko already cockblocked him once now Tsai played him dirty like this. Still, determined he poked his head into the tent and saw a horrible sight. Both girls were wearing facials on their faces, braiding and brushing each other's hair.
"Sokka!" Suki gasped shocked and turned away not wanting him to see her with all that junk on her skin.
"Go away Sokka! We're having a sleep over!" Tsai shot as she threw one of her shoes in his direction.
Sokka stepped out frustrated with a light frown. Guess it just wasn't going to happen for him tonight.