Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Forty-One

A/N – I know that this isn't the way the show and the timeline play out, but I like the idea of Kali getting more involved with Appa because of her abilities. Plus it is a good way to show how far she's coming with who she is and stuff in the time that she's been away from Zuko and Iroh.

......

Four Weeks Later:

Momo has found his way back to Kali's roof and apartment, sitting with Bing as they share food. He's been back and forth for weeks now. The panther never left. He stayed, so she named him Ran-Ya. He's more lap cat than deadly predator now. Comfortable in his new easy life with Kali and Bing. Kali stretches her arms over her head and closes her eyes as she feels the sun on her skin. It's gotten easier as she's gotten used to the city on her own. And her way. She is so grateful for everything that Iroh and Zuko did for her, but she feels like she's finding more of herself on her own. She's never had to dig into herself so deep. Never had so much time to think for herself. To think about who she is and what she wants and just what she can do. Ran-Ya whines and she looks at him as he nudges his empty water bowl towards her. She smiles softly and nods. She closes her eyes and holds out her hand over the makeshift bowl. Ran-Ya, Bing, and Momo all lean closer to watch, to see what it is she is doing. Beneath her hand, a small black cloud appears before it rains, filling the bowl. The three animals all turn to give her a look.

"What?" She defends. It is the only way she's managed to make water, by making a cloud and making it rain. Ran-Ya takes a drink from the bowl as Bing chatters at Kali. "Oh, I'm going to go outside of the city, that's my plan for the day" She admits. Bing starts chattering clearly not happy with that idea. Kali shakes her head and rolls her eyes. "I'll be fine..." Bing makes a doubtful noise and Kali gives him a look. "Aren't you sick of all the stone?" She asks them, leaning on her knees. "Out there it is green and open and we don't need to stay here" Ran-Ya lifts his head to make a noise. Kali rolls her eyes. "I know" She whispers and shakes her head. "It doesn't matter that they're here....we could leave, find somewhere else to live, somewhere away from other people...just us"

.....

Outside of the city, a berry bush shuffles as Ran-Ya runs through it, only stopping to give a rock a sniff and a lick before moving on again. Behind him, Kali lingers at the berry bush. On one of the bushes, Bing picks up a clump of Appa's fur and sniffs it before he bounces over to Kali who is picking berries from a bush.

"What?" Kali asks without looking, Bing chatters louder and then shoves his hand into her face, showing her the hair. She drops the berries in her hand instantly and grabs the fur. It's warm, so it's fresh. Damp, so recent as it has not long stopped raining. Ran-Ya growls to get their attention. Kali looks over at the panther who nods at the trail of fur that goes up the cliff. Kali rushes forward. She holds out her hand at the base of the cliff. A vine grows down the side of the cliff face and wraps around her wrist. She holds out her other arm and Ran-Ya jumps up into her hold as Bing climbs up her legs to get to her back. The vine then pulls them up to the top, setting them softly on the ground before retreating. There is another trail of fur here too, which Kali follows after setting Ran-Ya and Bing down to where she finds a flying bison curled up in the front of a cave, shackled and covered in boar-q-pine needles. He's hurt and alone and sad. "Appa?" She asks as she lets out a sad breath when he looks at her. "Oh, no" Appa backs away into the passage in fear as Kali walks up to him. She stops and kneels, she holds out her hands and then curls them over one another as she does several berries and an apple falls onto the ground. "It's gonna be okay, Appa" She assures him and nods to the fruit. "Go on. You're safe here" Appa is cautious but he does walk closer to her, leaning forward to sniff the fruit before he tucks in, quickly eating up the fruit. Appa then growls at Kali. She lets out a breath and glances back at Bing and Ran-Ya who shift behind her. She turns back to Appa. "I want to help you. You're hurt. I can help you feel better" Appa growls in response. "And we can help you find the Avatar" Appa softly growls and Kali places her hand on Appa's nose, the two of them sharing a look before he seems to soften under her hand. "Good boy" She praises and scratches at his nose before a green energy erupts from her hand and pours into the flying bison. Shackles and boar-q-pine quills drop from Appa's body and he makes a surprised but content sound. He then licks at Kali's face causing her to laugh loudly. Bing and Ran-Ya feeling safe enough to approach, do so, curling up with the bison. Kali smiles at Appa warmly. "I can see" She assures him, answering something in his mind. "You're very loyal...and he's very lucky" She leans forward and presses her forehead to his. Suddenly, she gasps and pulls back. "No" She whispers, her eyes turn vacant and she just stares ahead at Appa, but not really looking at him, more like looking past him. A vision. She gasps as she pulls out of it and then turns to look back at the view beyond the cave. "Angry girl" She stands and pulls at Appa's face, trying to get him to stand. "Come on, you have to get out of here" Appa yawns and just sinks further into the ground. Kali throws her head back and groans. Lightning strikes a nearby tree, causing it to fall down as Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee arrive on mongoose lizards. Kali lets out a breath and glances around. She is alone here. Alone alone. And the last time she faced Azula, she got hit and hurt by lightning. She can't get Appa out of here because he won't move and she is not ready to face Azula again. Azula holds a clump of Appa's fur between her fingers.

"My, my, you're easy to find. It's really astounding my brother hasn't captured you yet" Azule glances at Kali as she stands, holding her hand out at her side. "You're alive" Azula points out, sounding rather disappointed.

"So it would seem" Kali counters, curling her fingers into her palm.

"Has my brother abandoned his jolly green girlfriend already?" Azula asks her, Kali pulls her teeth back over her lips.

"I left him" She argues. Azula's eyes flicker to Appa. "If you're looking for the Avatar, you're out of luck" Kali points out. Mai sighs.

"I knew this was a waste of time" Mai complains.

"No Avatar, huh. Well, that's okay" Azula comments and then smirks darkly at Kali. "I'll settle for making sure you're dead this time..." Kali clenches her jaw as Azula jumps off of the mongoose lizard. "I'm about to make sure your kind is extinct" Azula firebends a blue fireball at Kali who jumps up and backflips over it, landing in a crouch as the fireball hits the cave wall behind her. Kali straightens up and lets out a breath.

"Fine" She whispers to herself as Bing and Ran-Ya attempt to get Appa up onto his feet behind her. Ty Lee and Mai jump off their mongoose lizards and face off with Azula against Kali. Three against one. Maybe Bing was right all along. Maybe they shouldn't have left the city.