Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Categories:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Series:
Part 1 of Exile: The Banished Prince
Stats:
Published:
2020-05-08
Updated:
2024-02-22
Words:
128,155
Chapters:
35/?
Comments:
269
Kudos:
825
Bookmarks:
186
Hits:
37,918

Book One: Wind

Chapter 30: Chapter 二十九: Home

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Katara

Starting exactly one step in front of Zuko, a single fissure breaks the ground. It keeps stretching, forming some kind of crooked divisive line as if to mark what space the soldiers cannot cross.

And they surely will not cross considering Zuko is… breaking… the mountain.

He is separating it, ungluing the two gaps. I feel myself living a flashback, so detailed the recollection is, of the first day we arrived at the village; the ground quakes unnaturally furious, giving the impression it is the very planet the one that is wrecking itself.

Aang – so him – is thrilled, even while hugging a tree to keep balance, “Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Gyatso holds him close. Sokka tugs me closer, too, shielding me but not trapping me.

The soldiers soon enough realize the situation, the multitude of komodo-rhinos gathers at the edge opposite to ours, obviously fearful of taking one step in false and falling into the dark precipice Zuko created. 

When he speaks, it isn’t his voice. It is a mixture of voices; deep, strong, commanding, unreal: “Get away from here.”

I think they are the soldiers the ones that are about to faint this time around.

“Sir!”

I want to snort. (Calling Zhao?) Like their precious Commander will lift a finger to help them.

“Retreat!” he orders. “Retreat!”

Yeah. That’s what I thought.

They escape without leaving trace, except for the few rocks the rhinos kick after turning around from the cliff. Zuko waits until they are out of sight before connecting the mountain back together. Following the flashback, there isn’t any proof of something extraordinary happening. The gaps unite, the ground fixes, everything is normal.

Zuko’s body remains as if everything was, but his eyes give away what he really is: an angry god. A star constantly collapsing.

I don’t care.

The glow in his eyes is already dissolving by the time I throw my arms around him.

 

 

Zuko

I wake up in my tent, in the Southern Air Village.

For a moment, I attempt to convince myself it was a dream… but the pain is here. So are the recently applied bandages around my exposed core.

 Hawky is on the pole that used to be his cage until I took off the bars. He stretches his neck, signaling something.

Katara. She is asleep beside my sleeping mat.

Like a couple of nights ago – around when all this disaster started – I roll to stare her. I can discern her features more clearly up close, her eyes are round but not pronouncedly so. Her cheekbones are, too, her skin has the characteristic gleam and softness induced by low temperatures.

I’m not sure how long I stay obsessing over her face.

My hand reaches to her. Two of my fingers barely brush her cheek when her eyes open.

“Sorry,” I say in shock.

She smiles. “You’re awake.”

“Yeah.” I support on my hands to sit straight.

She follows my lead, “How are you feeling?”

“Pained. Tired.”

“What do you remember?”

“Everything.”

“You mean…”

“I was awake,” I admit. “The Avatar Spirit took control but my consciousness was still there. It was like seeing a play from backstage. I knew what was happening and had some control over it. I know I broke the mountain.”

“You did the right thing. They went away without anyone getting hurt.”

“Um…”

“What?”

“Some soldiers that I… kind of pushed down a river might differ from that,” I say. “And did you see the scratches on Zhao’s face? Hawky did that.”

He gives a proud screech.

Katara’s hand tries to hide a wide, impressed and wry smile. “No. Way.”

“Yes way.” I look down, and then back at her, “Weren’t you scared?”

Of me?

 

 

Katara

‘Of me?’

The question is written all over his face. Zuko is easy to read like that.

It makes me smile. People ‘like that’ are more honest in some way, or at least it’s easier to tell what they think. Or maybe I am overly trustful.

Wasn’t that why I had to put a stop on myself in matters of crushes?

Huh. Who could have thought it took actively fighting in a war for learning about introspection?

I’m almost angry at Zuko. My life was so much easier before he came into it, and that’s saying something. I remember why I wanted to get close to him when we first met, he was only a normal boy despite all things encircling him. He is a normal boy. He’s also of Fire Nation royal blood. And the Avatar.

He’s imperfect.

He’s easy to be with.

Is that something I want for myself?

My fingers drum over my thigh.

“No,” I reply to his question. “Well… yes, I guess. A little. But not for what you think. I was worried… that something might happen to you.”

That part is true. Absolutely, unequivocally. For whatever else I feel for Zuko… he is my friend.

“It’s pretty weird to worry about the Avatar when he is in the Avatar State.”

My shoulders lift. “Nobody is infallible.”

His hand caresses the new bindings around his torso, “Thanks for patching me up, by the way.”

“No need to thank me.” I pass my hands over them as well. “I know that one is kind of your line, but it is rare to find a hero in distress.”

“Hero in distress? And what does that make you? The damsel in shining armor?”

“I don’t have an armor.”

He looks down. “You would look good in one.”

My eyes widen while he avoids them. Did some Avatar stuff at the Air Temple gave him newfound confidence, or…

(Not that I’m complaining, but…)

I decide to focus on what truly matters: “Isn’t it weird that it is today when it became… real? After… the other times.”

“The other times we hadn’t fought an army. Zhao hadn’t discovered our secret hideout.”

“You think he’ll come back?”

“Probably.”

“What’s the plan for then?”

He sighs, still tired. “We’ll figure one out.”

“Along the way?” My chin rests in the palm of my hand. “Gee, I didn’t think it would feel so… élite to be included in that plan.”

“You’re hilarious,” he deadpans. “You’re also the one who insisted we are a team, remember?”

I smirk.

“We are friends. Right, Katara?”

Something breaks and blooms inside me. I see myself asking him that exact same question not too long ago.  

“Of course we are.”

A pause.

“You should get dressed and go outside. Everybody has been very worried about you.” I exit the tent.

 

 

Zuko

Like back at the South Pole – (what is it with all these memories all of a sudden?) – Katara’s waiting for me outside by the time I exit the tent.

Till a grayish mass of wind – (yes, like when we first visited the Southern Air Temple) – knocks me down in a hug. (How come someone as thin as Aang has such strong arms?)

“Zuko! You’re here! I love you!”

“Thanks, Aang…” I croak. “But my wounds… I can’t breathe.”

He lets go. “Sorry.”

For half a second before clinging back. “Five more minutes.”

My mouth curls. I put my hand on his back, “Okay.”

A bunch of young children catch glance of the fuss and they brighten nearly as much as him, “Avatar Zuko’s awake!”

They run to me, some older ones join, counting the kids that are always bullying Aang. (What were their names again?)

“Hey, wait for your turn,” Aangs frowns at them, “I’m his best friend.”

Excuse me?” Sokka’s voice screeches from above the multitude. He opens space for himself, “Sorry. The Avatar’s strategist is coming through. And last time I checked, I was his best friend.”

“Since when?” I ask.

“Since forever. I met you first.”

“By that logic, I’m his best friend,” Katara intervenes once she passes the crowd. “I saw him first.”

“Guys…” I say, “can I stand up before we keep talking about this?”

The three of them drop their… whatever that thing was. (I think they keep competing even for helping me up.)

“Thanks for saving us, Avatar Zuko,” the children cheer, “We made this for you.”

Their tiny hands raise a bracelet of orange beadings with an Air Nomad emblem to me.

“Thank you,” I roll the beadings between my fingers.

“Put it on.”

I do. The most prominent part of the bracelet is the emblem hanging from my wrist.

“Zuko.” Gyatso and the rest of the Council walk to us. The kids leave at their sight.

Gyatso hugs me, too, sighing relieved. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”

This time, I do return the hug.

“We wanted to thank you personally for defending us from the Fire Nation,” Monk Pasang says. He bows. “Thanks.”

The rest of the Council of Elders bows alongside him. Tashi stays behind, and I’m tempted to ask if all of them wanted to thank me.

He ultimately does bow.

“You don’t have to thank me,” I say, bowing back. “It was an honor for me.”

“We also meant to apologize for certain things that were said during the confrontation,” Pasang goes on. He glances at Tashi in specific for adding: “There were certain tensions arising in our community that we didn’t address properly, ain’t that right, Monk Tashi?”

He scowls directly at my face before chewing out: “That’s correct.”

“It shows a poor performance on our part as spiritual and moral counselors. We’re sorry you were one of the victims who suffered because of it.”

“You don’t have to apologize either, I understand there are…” I mimic Pasang and look at Tashi “… certain resentments you rightfully hold against my nation.”

“We shouldn’t have let those resentments cloud our judgement and much less the treatment to our peers.” He gives one more apologetic nod. “We’ll relocate the village as part of our nomadic lifestyle, hopefully it will serve as a new beginning in all accounts.”

“We’re moving?” My question is more casual when I turn to Gyatso.

“For the moment, it looks like it. You kids pack up. I’ll be in a meeting with the Council until late, so dinner is in an hour. If I’m still not there by then, I saved some slices of egg custard tart and you can have dessert first only for today.”

“Thank you,” Katara, Sokka, Aang, and I say together.

He rejoins the Council. All of them give one last dark look at Monk Tashi for making him follow.

It isn’t until they get out of earshot when we cover our mouths for laughing.

“Did you see his face?”

“Dude, that guy hates you,” Sokka tells me between chuckles.

“Why does everybody hate me?”

Katara objects: “Not everybody does.”

She yanks the rest of us into a group hug. Those emotions of genuineness return, making my heart flutter.

“You boys pack up like Gyatso said, I’ll make something else for dinner so we don’t have only egg custard tart to eat.”

“I wouldn’t complain about that,” Sokka states.

“Me neither!” Aang beams.

“Healthy diet, boys,” she reminds them. “Now, go.”

She marches to the dining area, Aang and Sokka go to their respective tents. Sokka pats my shoulder.

When I get inside my tent, I pass my eyes through all the Fire Nation… ‘decoration’ there is.

I put myself in a meditation pose, closing my eyes.

Kyoshi… Kyoshi…

When I open my eyes again, she’s kneeled before me, her body made by a thin layer of incorporeal light.

“Congratulations, Zuko,” her mouth curls. “You managed to contact your past lives.”

I smirk back. “I’m glad that we can talk.”

“This means already you learnt to leave the past behind?”

I stay quiet for a few seconds. “No. My past is still there. And here with me. I only overcome it day by day, minute by minute. What I told Zhao was true, I choose who I want to be.”

Her answer waits, her face is serious, “I knew you’d say that.”

“You did?”

“We are the same person, I know everything that goes through your mind. I can hear the years of hate speeches. I can feel the exhaustion, the loneliness. The grief. As whatever consolation it serves… I, too, know what it feels like to mourn… and I know what it is like to have to keep someone you love from harming others.”

Suddenly the pain in my core turns into a clawing one. “Like that boy… the one you showed me. Yun, was it? You loved him a lot.”

“Yes. He was my best friend,” she confesses. “We both have endured similar kinds of suffering, Zuko. We lost people we loved at the hands of hate.”

The pain intensifies, mixing with fond memories for once. Memories that won’t repeat themselves because Kyoshi is right, I lost the people I shared them with. My family, my country, everything – absolutely everything – I once loved.  

Tears return to boil my eyes. But when Kyoshi puts her arms around me, I can feel her hug.

Notes:

Hope you liked it! 💋💋💖 If you'd like to see the moodboards I made for the last two chapters, see here: https://heavensweetheart.tumblr.com/post/656029029523128320/book-one-wind-chapter-29-heavensweetheart