Tsai was back in her own personally branded hell.
After what happened yesterday, she couldn't believe they had returned to hide in the Fire Lord's summer home in Ember Island out of all places. She had to give it to Zuko it was a clever strategy. Talk about hiding in plain sight.
Of course, that didn't stop her from complaining all the way there...
xxx
Two Days Ago...
Tsai returned to her tent were her brother lay awake waiting for her with his arms and legs crossed as he sat on top of his bed roll.
"You didn't tell him... Did you?" He arched an irritated eyebrow.
He had gone to look for his sister in the middle of the night and instead heard loud giggling from the Suki's tent and assumed things had not gone like they had planned.
"No, but I did have a grand time thank you for asking." She threw her hands up in the air in annoyance. "It's not the right time Mecha. You can't rush these things." she said in defeat before plopping on her own bed roll and hiding hands arms behind her head. "Besides we are in the middle of a war. Hello! Read the room," She sighed annoyed and rolled her eyes at him.
"So?" He retorted in a smartass tone.
"So?" She repeated in the same tone. "I'm doing this for me. Not for him. I don't expect anything to happen after." She inhaled a deep breath and exhaled cooling her head. "I just want him to know. That's it."
Mecha was silent for a moment. He didn't believe that his sister just wanted to get something 'off her chest' like that.
"Possum chicken."
She turned away with an irritated look on her face. She lay in the roll uncomfortably tossing and turning before deciding she couldn't be in the claustrophobic tent anymore. "I'm going to meditate. Nobody bother me." She called over her shoulder.
She stepped out into the day and began walking to the opposite side of the miniscule island which suddenly felt much, much smaller. On the way she saw Sokka sitting behind a medium sized bolder playing with a colorful beaded necklace in his hands. He glared at her evilly and she couldn't help but let out a little smirk.
"Have fun at your sleepover?" He said in an irritated tone.
She couldn't help but laugh a little. "Sorry you couldn't join us Sokka. Maybe next time?"
Just then a dark aura passed by the two and both turned to see Katara and Zuko walking towards Aang who was presently feeding Appa some hay. Tsai looked at the prince's retreating back and nodded to herself in determination. She would do it. She just had to wait for the perfect moment.
"I need to borrow Appa." Katara demanded when she approached the Avatar.
Aang glanced over his shoulder and looked at her before chuckling slightly. He simply turned to continue feeding Appa.
'Very funny...' He thought to himself.
"Why? Is it your turn to take a little fieldtrip with Zuko?" He joked.
"Yes, it is." Katara replied waspily.
'What?' Tsai felt her ear twitch in direction of the conversation as she blatantly eavesdropped. Sokka's shocked expression mirroring her own. Both exchanged a look before approaching the group.
Aang looked between Katara and Zuko in surprise and asked warily, "Uh, what's going on?"
"Yeah-" The girl with red hair butted nosily. "What is going on?" She asked with her arms crossed over her chest as her eyes suspiciously darted between the two of them.
"We're going to find the man who took my mother from me." Katara stated, a determined look plastered on her furious mug.
Sokka stared at his sister in surprise. He had never seen such a look in her eyes.
"What's this whole 'We' talk?" The other girl narrowed her eyes.
"Sokka told me the story about what happened." Zuko explained from behind Katara. It was then that she noticed the maroon satchel which was swung over his shoulder. "I know who did it. And I know how to find him."
"Um..." Aang frowned at the two, "And what exactly do you think that would accomplish?"
"He's right." Tsai nodded wisely almost defensively. "Don't get me wrong. I'm all for an eye for an eye plan, which means you should go take his mother out not him."
Katara scoffed and shook her head with a humorless smirk, "I knew you wouldn't understand!" She said to Aang. "And you-"She simply shot the girl a nasty glare.
"Wait, stop." Aang called out pleadingly, hurrying after Katara when she began walking away, "I do understand." He began. "You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? Or the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?"
Tsai remained silent deep in thought for a moment. She couldn't imagine the pain that Aang must've felt when not only everything he knew but an entire culture and civilization was wiped out.
Aang reached towards the waterbender and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"I get it." Aang continued. "It hurts so much inside and all you want to do is make the people responsible hurt just as badly, but Katara, are you sure this is something you want to do?"
"Actually-" Tsai interrupted. She thought about the inner turmoil she felt whenever she thought about Azula or Fire Lord Ozai and the pain all of those torturous moments brought her and how she wanted to do nothing more but bury that dagger into the princess's shoulder. She thought about this plan for vengeance that her brother had become obsessed with.
"I take it back. You have my blessing." She nodded which surprised Katara who was looking at her with a perplexed expression.
"What?" Aang said sharply. "I thought you were on my side!"
"This isn't about sides," Tsai nodded her head. "This is about closure."
"Exactly." Zuko agreed. "And justice." He added.
Tsai wouldn't have necessarily agreed to the latter part. She didn't have time for this. After all- time was fleeting. They had to be ready for the day of Sozin's Comet and she still had much more spiritual and physical training to do.
"I know forgiveness is hard," Aang insisted. "But it's the first step to healing. Really forgiving means to both forgive and forget."
She looked away averting her eyes from the Fire Nation's prince's. She had forgiven, but not forgotten so was that really forgiving?
"Forgiving isn't just hard," Katara said darkly as she began to walk away from the others. "It's impossible! How can you imply that I forget what he did to my mother?" She turned around feeling betrayed.
"I don't have time for this." Tsai said with her eyes closed. The argument suddenly hitting too close to home. She lightly shook her head from side to side as she weighted her words carefully.
She stretched out her hand in an olive branch offering. "I don't know a lot about anything, but Aang is right. Forgiveness is hard, but killing someone..." She trailed off momentarily weighting out both options. "I just hope you have the strength to do think is best." She said with a faint smile a sincere one at that. "Good luck, Katara"
Maybe- Maybe just after this there would be peace between them?
Katara starred at her hand as if it was riddled with disease. Then glared daggers at her.
Right... She felt a little better at least knowing that she had attempted to make peace between the two.
Tsai exchanged an odd look with Zuko before she stalked off to meditate in a quieter place on a grassy spread.
She sat with her legs crossed at a distance from the group. Eyes closed as she focused on her breathing. Her hands resting on her knees. She focused her thoughts and emotions. Throughout the days and with much practice she had slowly gotten better and better at her spiritual meditation. She had still never been able to enter the Spiritual World but still progress was progress.
She was so in tune with everything for a moment.
"What was that?" A voice interrupted.
"What was what?" She spoke remaining focused her eyes closed.
"That look?" Zuko insisted.
"What look?" She retorted in avoidance.
"That look you just gave me."
She finally opened her eyes and looked at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I know when you're lying." He crossed his arms over his chest looking at the her.
Luckily Sokka interrupted just in time venting about who knows what. So much for not wanting to be bothered...
xxx
Later that night. A sleepless girl sat back leaning against a rock gazing up at the starless sky. The full moon was too bright for them to be seen. She couldn't help but think of Yue every time she gazed up.
"I knew you'd still be awake."
She yelped a little in surprise and jumped to her feet. She turned to see Zuko who was wearing a dark outfit similar to the one he wore to when she had met him as the Blue Spirit. Putting two and two together she figured he was sneaking out on a heist.
"Yeah, I've been having trouble sleeping..." She said nervously holding her arm.
"For a while now it seems," He noted.
She nodded in agreement. That tension that seem to cling to them like a mist once again present around them.
"Katara and I are going to go hunt for the man that killer her mother. I don't know if you want to come?" He suggested pointing over his shoulder with his thumb. "I'd be nice." He suggested.
He was surprised when she erupted in laughter. His awkwardness was so painful. She held on to her stomach as she tried to stifle her laughs. Careful not to wake anybody else in the camp up.
"You don't have to laugh," He grumbled.
"I'm sorry," She said as she calmed down after a moment. "It's just the way you said it-" She composed herself. Go figure for Zuko to call this type of dark murder mission to be "nice."
"I think I'll pass," she said finally well composed and more seriously. Still a small smile lingered on her features. "Seems kind of personal."
"So," He crossed his arms over his chest and quirked an eyebrow expectantly. "What is it you wanted to say to me?"
She felt as if she had just been struck by lightning. Okay, it was now or never. Phew. She didn't have time to take in a deep breath or do a nervous fidget before word vomiting to him.
"I..." She began. "I..." She froze being unable to let it out.
He looked at her oddly. It almost looked like she was choking on something. Their eyes met and she went from bad to worse. She could feel her face burning from the embarrassment.
"I... Just wanted you to let you know..." She drawled out, avoiding all eye contact.
He starred at her intently as if thinking something really hard. Why did he have to look at her like that? It just made things worse for her.
"That you should be more careful!" She stated bluntly. Turning away from him. "You have to be more careful," she babbled nervously. "I mean-" She scoffed lightly. "What would I tell Uncle Iroh if anything happened to you?" She shook her head and turned back to glare at him. "Can you imagine?"
Zuko knew something was up. It didn't take a genius to see right past the mask that hid her truths. Regardless he figured it was best not to press and left.
xxx
One Day Ago...
The following day was pretty uneventful. Aang basically spent the entire day pestering everybody with redundantly annoying questions.
"Where do you think they are?"
"Do you think they found him yet?"
"Do you think she did it?"
Honestly, it was very irritating. He didn't stop even after the Fire Nation siblings got after him and coerced him into working on his firebending skills. Thankfully Zuko returned in the afternoon. He explained everything that happened on their mission and how Katara decided not to kill her mother's murder. He also said he had thought of a better place where they could hide in the meantime.
"Katara!" Aang exclaimed as he ran down the wooden pier and towards her. "Are you okay?"
Sokka, Zuko and Tsai stood a little behind.
"I'm doing fine." Katara responded in an emotionless voice.
"Zuko told us what you did." Aang said without moving closer he rubbed his head anxiously and corrected himself, "Or...what you didn't do, I guess." He smiled at her back, "I'm proud of you."
Katara straightened and spoke flatly, "I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger at him, but I couldn't." She closed her eyes sadly and whispered, "I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or if it's because I'm strong enough not to." She put her hand over her heart, "I just know my heart said it was wrong."
"I'm glad you chose not to do it." Aang said after a moment of silence. "Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing."
Katara stood up, walking towards Aang, an angry frown on her face. "But I didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him." She looked over at Zuko standing a few steps behind Aang and her expression softened, "But I'm ready to forgive you."
The group behind watched small smiles as Katara walked up to Zuko and stood in front of him for a second before throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. Zuko blinked in surprise and returned the Waterbender's embrace. Pulling away after a few moments, Katara placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder in thanks then walked down the pier towards Sokka and the girl from the colonies.
"Tsai," She said her eyes dropping. "I owe you an apology," Katara said bringing a hand to her chest.
Katara stretched out her hand as a peace offering. An apologetic look on her face. Tsai looked down at it. Almost pensively. It took her a moment before rejecting the handshake.
Katara's eyes widened slightly when instead she felt the warmth of a hug.
"I'm sorry I bit you."
"I'm sorry I pulled your hair."
Both girls hugged with sad smiled before pulling away.
"I owe you an apology as well and I hope you got the closure that you needed." The other responded amiably.
The group watched the interaction with light smiles before they retreated to join the rest of the group. Aang sighed glad that there was finally peace and amiability between Katara and the Fire Nationers of the group.
Zuko and Aang watched them go as the group walked back to the beach.
"You were right about what Katara needed. Violence wasn't the answer," Zuko said to Aang quietly.
Aang smiled slightly and nodded his head, "It never is."
"Then I have a question for you." Zuko turned to look at the Avatar solemnly, "What are you going to do about my father?"