Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Kali runs across the rooftops, she's green-skinned again, moving with some speed, Bing clings to her shoulders, his massive ears flapping with every step she takes. It is the freest she has felt in some time. Especially within the city. She turns and drops down the side of the building, a vine grabbing her wrist as she raises her hand to slow her descent. She is happier. Not perfectly happy, but better. She is outside and she can move with the people, but at night, she can run around and use her nature-bending without too much incident. She's had a few runs in with a few guards, but nothing more than a scuffle that is easily escaped. She weaves out of an alley and then crosses the street before she jumps up onto another rooftop and races forward. It's not that she's in a rush, she's just moving freely and as it turns out, she can push herself more freely to do what she wants. She skids to a stop on the rooftop and drops down low to the tiles to creep forward, her eyes on an apartment across from her. She does this every night. Something she hasn't been able to shake. Iroh and Zuko. She comes to check on them. Even after they moved out of the Lower Ring and up into the Upper Ring, she still went to them. She still found them. She still checks on them. But she doesn't want Zuko to know that she's doing so. He's probably angry at her anyway. For leaving. For abandoning him. For not being happy enough with him. But she can stay here a moment and listen and watch them. Zuko passes by the window only to pause. He lingers where he stands a moment before turning towards the window, then glances down at the flowers on the windowsill. They'd kept them. They look after them. But Zuko doesn't look angry or map...He simply looks sad. She holds out her hand and concentrates on the flowers, she curls her fingers and one of them reaches for Zuko's hand. Tears are in her eyes as she watches him. She comes every night, and every night, he is sad. It makes her feel terrible for leaving, even if it was right for her. Zuko looks down when the flower touches his hand, a small smile cracking his sadness as he brushes his fingers over the petals. Then suddenly seems to realise that this flower is acting unnaturally. He leans out the window and peers around. Looking for her. But Kali has slipped away. Disappeared into the night. He lets out a breath and sinks slightly. He misses her. More than he likes. He sighs and leans on the open window to stare out into the night. He hates that she is out there all alone. But he understands why she left. He wasn't helping her, as much as he wanted to, as much as he thought he was helping. He was hurting her.

......

Home for Kali is an abandoned apartment, in desperate need of repair, but for now, it will do for Kali and Bing. It has enough space for the two of them and some plants. A bed in the middle of the room. She needs nothing else. She lays on the bed and lets out a breath, shifting slightly so Bing can get comfortable at her side. It's not the same as sleeping beside Zuko. Bing lacks the warmth that she'd get from Zuko. A lack of romantic affection. She's lonely here. But free. She can't decide if it's worse to be lonely or caged. Because whilst she spent all day inside, she had people around her that cared about her. She had Zuko. She doesn't have Zuko now. She sits up and swallows a little as she gets upset. Her plants quiver with her emotions. She could go back, but she would be stuck again. She buries her face in her hands as she cries. Feeling all alone in the world.

.......

There is a crunch as Bing bites into an apple, the morning sun in the sky warming his head and ears where he sits on the rooftop of the abandoned apartment. Beside him, Kali stares out over the city, an apple untouched in her hand. She didn't sleep. She was too upset to get comfortable. So she stayed awake and grew some apples. She and Bing will eat some. She'll sell some at the market. She started doing that to get coins so she can leave Ba Sing Se, but now, now she doesn't know why she is doing it. She doesn't think she can leave the city. Not whilst Zuko and Iroh are here. A lemur drops onto the roof with her and Kali turns to look at him.

"Hello" She greets softly, the creature chatters at her, moving closer as it tries to get its point across. "A flying bison?" She asks as she leans forward on her knees. The lemur seems surprised that she can understand him. "No...not recently" Bing makes a noise next to her and Kali nods along with him. "Would you like us to help you?" The lemur chatters away at her and Kali nods slightly before she shakes her head. "That's okay" She assures him. "Do you have a name?" The lemur nods and chatters, holding out his hand towards her. She smiles softly and takes the offered hand. "Momo" She greets softly. "I'm Kali and this is Bing" Bing waves at the lemur. "If you get stuck, you can always come and find us" Momo then runs off. Kali and Bing share a look, Bing chattering away at her. She sighs a little and turns to look off in the direction Momo ran off to, Bing climbs up onto her shoulders. "You are right, Bing...we can't let him go alone" She voices and then moves, racing after the lemur. She knows how dangerous the city can be, and who would she be if she let a defenceless animal run around on its own?