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Unusual Circumstances	By : voyager Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Slash - Male/Male > Aang/Zuko Views: 5136 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender is the property of Nickelodeon, Mike DiMartino and Bryan Koneitzko. I earn no profit from this, other than pure enjoyment

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Chapter-3

Regrets and Revelations

(Set during Zuko's first evening with the 'Gaang')

Presently, Zuko heard light footsteps on the gravel behind him; he did not need to turn to know who it was. Only one person could walk so lightly across rocky terrain that it barely made a sound. "What is it, Aang?" It still felt odd, addressing the kid as a person, not as the Avatar, but he was getting used to it. Aang seemed to take note of Zuko's discomfort, and said "Thanks for using my name again, I really appreciate it. I was just wondering why you're over here, in the cold and dark by yourself?" Zuko thought about the question for a second or two and then answered, only half-truthfully, "I know some of your friends are still kind of uncomfortable around me."

"Is that all there is to it?" Aang asked, clearly not fooled by the prince's attempt to evade the question. The kid was smart; Zuko had to give him that. "Alright, I'm not completely comfortable around them; all of your friends have been hurt by my countrymen, in some cases, by me personally!" "How can I ever expect them to forgive me for that?" Aang gave that some thought, gave him a small smile, and answered, "You just need to give a little time, I guess. They might not be able to forgive, or forget right away, but it'll happen eventually." After finishing this statement, Aang again hugged Zuko; trying to comfort him. This time it didn't feel so awkward, and Zuko returned the gesture.

"Can I ask YOU a question, Aang?" When the younger boy nodded, the teen continued, "I noticed you seem uncomfortable being referred to by your title; why don't you like being called Avatar? I would've thought you'd consider it an honor." Aang gave him a half sad, half scared look, and answered, "I just like people to think of me as ME, not as this miraculous person who's supposed to somehow save the world, end the war, and bring balance and peace!"

"Why does being the Avatar bother you so much?" asked Zuko; He was genuinely curious, maybe even a little concerned. "Well," began Aang, "When I was first told by the elders at the Southern Air temple that I was the Avatar, everyone began to look at me differently." "Eventually, the other boys even refused to let me join in their games, saying it would be an unfair advantage to whichever team I was on." The little Avatar shuddered a bit and turned his face away from Zuko, so the prince wouldn't see the tear running down his cheek. "That wasn't even the worst of it; that came when I overheard the elders telling my guardian, Monk Gyatso, that I'd have to be separated from him; to be sent away to the eastern air temple in order to begin my avatar training!"

Aang was sobbing in earnest, at this point, no longer trying to hide it. Zuko said nothing; he just put a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder and let the outburst run its course. After a minute or two, Aang composed himself enough to speak again. "I couldn't believe they were really going to send me away, tear me away, from everything and everyone I'd ever known! I also couldn't believe that all of my friends were treating me like a stranger, just because I was the Avatar!"

Aang continued, "That night, I packed some things, snuck out of the temple, and got on Appa and left." "We ran into a storm, and were forced down into the sea. I think I must have gone into the Avatar state, because I'm not sure how this happened; but I managed to bend a bubble of air and water around us, and then freeze it." "I never saw monk Gyatso, or the other Air-benders again." "The next thing I knew, I was waking up after Katara and Sokka had found me in the ice; a hundred years had passed and my people were gone. In addition, there was a war between your people and the rest of the world."

Zuko winced at this last statement, but then looked at Aang's tear stained face; there were no accusations or recriminations there, just sadness and a sense of loss. Suddenly, Aang wasn't the all-powerful Avatar, savior of the world, the one who'd restore peace and balance. He was a little boy, who was lost; and far from the only home he'd ever known. At this moment, Aang seemed so very small and helpless, like a young bird that had fallen out of the nest. Zuko couldn't help but feel so sorry for the boy; and he couldn't help but to feel like a bully and a thug for hounding him, chasing him, and terrorizing him.

"I know what it's like; being torn away from everything you've ever known," Zuko said to the younger boy, "After I got 'hurt' and was banished, all I ever wanted was to go home; but, I couldn't do that without finding the Avatar, that is to say, without finding you.I kind of knew it was a fool's errand, no one had seen the Avatar, or any other air-benders, in a century. But I had to keep looking, if I gave up on even the slimmest chance of finding you, I would have given into despair. I don't know if I could've gone on if that had happened."

Now, it was the little Avatar's turn to be curious. "How did it happen, your injury and banishment?" he asked; Aang found it hard to believe that any fire-bender could have done this to the son of the Fire-lord, without being banished themselves, or worse. He reached up, and gently touched the toughened, brown leathery skin around Zuko's left eye, extending back over what remained of his left ear. Ordinarily, Zuko would have forcefully grabbed the hand of anyone who tried to touch his scar and shoved it aside. However, Aang's touch was so gentle, cool and soothing, and there was such a look of compassion in the young man's eyes, that Zuko allowed the touch, and just gently placed his own hand over Aang's smaller one.

Zuko began, "I wanted to go into my father's war room one day, where he was meeting with his military advisors to discuss strategy; I thought if I was to eventually lead the Fire-nation, I'd better start learning all I could. The guards at the entrance refused to let me pass. My Uncle Iroh tried to dissuade me from going in; but eventually, he relented and said he would escort me inside. However, I had to promise to just listen and not speak." Zuko paused; he was clearly as distressed over recounting this story as Aang had been about his own tale. Just as Zuko had done for him, he remained a respectfully silent, but comforting presence while the prince composed himself.

"One my father's generals was proposing a plan to ambush the Earth Kingdom army by putting a division of brand new Fire-Nation recruits on the front lines, where they'd be easily defeated by a more experienced force. Then, made overconfident by their easy victory, the Earth-Kingdom troops would let down their guard. At which point, a much larger, more seasoned, Fire-Nation force would surround them, and wipe them out."

Zuko had not been looking directly at Aang while he was saying this, but now he looked over to see a shocked, slightly disgusted, look on the boy's face. "In spite of my uncle's warning, I stood up and spoke out against the plan to callously sacrifice loyal Fire-nation troops merely as bait in a trap. In doing so, I had disrespected one of my father's senior generals, and by extension, the Fire-lord himself."

The prince continued, "Ozai said there could be only one response; an Agni Kai, a fire-duel. The general was an older man, well past his prime, so I thought I could beat him easily. But when I entered the arena, and saw my father there, not the old general; I refused to fight him. I begged for mercy, and said I just had our country's best interest at heart when I spoke out." Zuko looked at Aang again, and could see the horrified look creeping back into his eyes; clearly, the young Avatar could tell where this story was going.

"My father insisted that I stand up and fight; I still refused. You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher," Was all he said before bending a wave of fire at me, I may have been able to block it, but I didn't. I didn't even try to. I turned my head away and it caught me on the left side, if I hadn't turned, I'm sure my whole face would've been burned.

After that, I was banished, and given an outdated, run-down old ship, with a crew of less than 'recruiting poster' fire navy sailors, who probably couldn't get any respectable postings elsewhere, and sent to capture you. I was forbidden to return without the avatar. Now you know my story, as well."

Aang looked into Zuko's eyes, one of them half closed with scar tissue, but both the warm golden color of sunset; even so, they were filled with hidden pain and innocence lost. They were very striking. 'Why am I thinking like that,' Aang wondered. The little avatar looked as though he were about to start crying again, but this time they were not tears of sadness, but tears of sympathy and outrage that someone could do this to their own flesh and blood, their own child!

Aang said, "I'm so sorry, Zuko, I had no idea that the reason you were so obsessed with finding me was to regain the acceptance of someone who was so ruthless he could do this to his own kid;" and again, Aang reached up to gently touch the scar tissue on Zuko's left cheek. "I'm sorry too, Aang, that the last memory you have of your people, the last time you saw them, was such a painful experience."

The two young men were still and silent for a couple of moments, then on a whim, Aang reached over and embraced Zuko again, and this time Zuko returned the embrace and looked Aang in the eyes. Such deep beautiful, grey eyes, but filled with awful burden and worry. 'Whoa, where'd that thought come from,' Zuko wondered; but dismissed the question. He brought his face close to Aang's, who looked a little nervous, but also a little curious, and without thinking, the prince kissed the avatar! Aang was surprised and a little scared at first, but then the sense of shock and fear disappeared and was replaced by something else, which just seemed so…right.

For the first time since learning he was the avatar, more than a hundred years ago, Aang felt safe, secure and as if he didn't for once have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Zuko also felt a burden lifted from him. He felt that even if he could never return to the Fire Nation, he still could have a home, and maybe a family, too. The two young benders, each of them running from traumatic pasts sat together holding one another until the first rays of the sun began to show on the horizon. Maybe now, together, they could stop running from their painful pasts, and look forward to a hopeful future.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Toph had become aware of the two them out on the balcony, she had felt them through her seismic sense, and woken up. She quietly woke Katara, shushing her with a finger to her lips, and both of them had heard most of the conversation; they listened to their dearest friend, as well as his former worst enemy, talking frankly about their pasts with each other. Katara and Toph knew a little about Aang's life before he had become trapped in that ice-burg, but not in too much detail. In addition, until now, neither of them had really cared to know anything about Zuko's past. At that moment, the two girls understood Aang better than they ever had before.

They also began to understand Zuko, and his obsessive, driven, nature. Just as with Aang's iceberg, Katara found some of the ice around her own heart concerning the prince beginning to melt.

Then, the two girls became witnesses to something they would never in a thousand years have expected, the Avatar and the Prince of the Fire-nation embracing each other, and kissing! Quietly, Toph and Katara backed away from the balcony not wanting to disturb the two boys; They did not even really know how they'd go about doing so without creating a scene. They both slipped back into their respective tents; but neither of them could fall asleep. In her earth tent, Toph wondered, 'What were they going to do about this;' while next door, in her sealskin tent, Katara wondered, 'should we even try to do anything about this?'
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Unusual Circumstances