Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Sixty-Three

The sun is high in the sky, clouds rolling in, threatening to storm, as Kali hums to herself as she stands in the centre of the camp she made. She is not happy with it. It's too basic for her to try to make friends. She should be showing off. She should be showing just what she can do for them. She has to prove her worth to them so they let her stay with them. She knows she has her bending. She knows that Aang needs her to teach him the naturebending but that doesn't mean she doesn't know how they feel about Zuko. To her, Zuko is not the villain. He has never been the villain, not to her. She has only seen the best of him. But Katara, Sokka and Aang have only seen the worst. Kali takes a deep breath and uses her naturebending to adjust the camp. She's mostly alone. Katara, Aang and Sokka have gone off to find a nearby river leaving Kali with Toph. She doesn't mind the girl, but Kali's not exactly found it easy to connect with them.

"I know you prefer earth" Kali offers as she turns to Toph. "But with the storm brewing..."

"I do prefer earth" Toph argues and digs her toes into the grass beneath her toes. It's not earth, but there is something about the grass and plant life that Kali makes. It's like a bridge between the earth beneath and Toph's toes, it doesn't halt her connection like usual grass does. It's not a wall like most grass is. Kali's made nature is like a warm blanket instead of a wall. It softens but doesn't completely block her link to the earth. "But I like this. It's different to...natural grass" Toph tilts her head as she wiggles her toes into the grass. It's hard to completely describe the difference between real and Kali-made grass and nature, but there is a quality that Toph can feel that sets them apart. No one else can probably tell. But she can. "I can still feel through it....like it's all connected"

"Well, it is" Kali defends. "That's what naturebending is...it's about the connection between all things" She motions with her hands. "It's feeling that link between everything around you, embracing it and then manipulating it" Toph hums a little, wiggling her toes in the grass. It's very clear that Kali's nature is connected to everything around them. Like threads of energy interlocking everything she creates. Kali goes back to concentrating on their camp, on making it nice for them all. They might have to run around watching out for the Fire Nation, whilst trying to help Aang learn to control all the elements, but that doesn't mean they have to be uncomfortable.

"It's beautiful" Toph offers, Kali looks back at her, seeing the girl knelt with her fingers dug into the grass, seeing the world around her. Kali moves closer to the girl as she stands. Kali finds it impressive actually. Toph has over come what others would see as a weakness and turned it into her most powerful tool she has with her earthbending. In the last few days, she has seen it give Toph an edge that Kali hasn't seen in other earthbenders. She might just be the most powerful earthbender that Kali has come across.

"Do you know much about naturebenders?" Kali asks her, Toph shakes her head.

"Rumors" Toph admits with a shrug. "Everyone thought your kind were all gone"

"Not all of us" Kali agrees, Toph turns her head to her wearing a smirk.

"That's truer than Aang believes" Toph points out, Kali nods in agreement. But she believed that just as much as everyone else does, she thought she was the last of her kind for her entire life. Whist it wasn't like she would have imagined, being reunited with them, they are out there and she knows that now. She knows that she is not the last naturebender.

"Only recently found that out myself" Kali offers. Toph nods. Seemingly understanding that Kali isn't here to lie to them. Everything she's said to them has been the utter truth. Even the Zuko stuff. Toph doesn't have the bad connection to him as the other do. Only the stories. And whilst they believed the stories they told her about him, so does Kali. It's all a matter of prospective. Kali believes everything she has said about the good Zuko, but Sokka, Aang, and Katara believe all the bad they've told her. Kali has seen the good Zuko. The one that took care of her, has been kind to her, taught her to read, and got impatient when he couldn't learn how to gut a fish fast enough, the Zuko that loves her. If they had seen that side of him, then they might change their mind. Kali knows that right now, as things stand, when Zuko comes back for her, then they are not going to let him stay and help too. They are going to turn on him. She lets out a breath as she ponders that. The Avatar needs a firebending tutor, and Zuko would be the perfect person to teach him, he's such a powerful bender, but they are more likely to chase him off then accept that help.

"It looks great, Kali" Aang assures her, she hums and looks at him, surprised that he's now at her side. She must have let her mind wander enough to ignore everything going on around her. So much so that Aang, Sokka, and Katara have returned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Kali assures him, smiling softly. "Did you get everything you needed?" She asks, glancing at Katara for the real answer. She's quickly learnt that despite Sokka being the oldest, it is Katara that is best at shopping for supplies. Sokka and Aang both get distracted easily. Katara nods as Aang shrugs, pulling a face. Proving Kali's thought there.

"If not we can go again tomorrow" Aang defends and swings his arms. "You redecorated" He points out, looking around, Kali hums and nods.

"Just some flourishes really" She offers as Bing swings up onto her back.

"A swing!!" Sokka yells, running towards the vine swing that Kali had grown, she had no thought behind that one, just that it might be relaxing to leisurely swing a bit. Sokka has other speeds in mind as he climbs onto the swing and immediately pushes himself into a fastpaced rock. Katara lets out an embarrassed sigh but Kali doesn't mind. It's what she did this for. For it to be comfortable for them. Plus she kind of thinks that they forget that they are just children. And they should be allowed to have moments where they can be just children. Aang runs towards Sokka and the swing, already claiming that it will be his go next.