Freedom

Chapter 47: The Cracked Diamond

"We hit the jackpot folks!" Toph exclaimed, dropping all of the food down on a blanket next to the fire. The others furrowed their brow, Katara being the first one to speak, looking only at Toph, "How did you afford all of this stuff?"

Toph waved a hand at her dismissively, "That's not important, but what is, is that we will be feasting tonight and every night until the eclipse!!"

The three fell silent, not moving from their spots next to the fire. The mention of the eclipse brought them all back to reality from that moment of bliss. For a moment, the thought of sitting around the fire engorging themselves on all the fruit and vegetables their stomach could hold sounded enchanting. But the notes sat in front of them with an unfamiliar sense of foreboding, letting them know their problems yet to come.

Zuko glanced among them, trying to read the room. But when his mouth opened to speak, his eyes found the two notes, sealed with the wax seal of the fire nation and a shining red ribbon. His heart stopped, his fingers began to shake. In that moment, he knew why they had been so quiet. He knew they had found the notes before he had the chance to tell them.

He searched their eyes but no one would meet his gaze, especially Katara.

No, no, no... this wasn't happening...

His mind raced with a million things to say but every single one came up short.

"Look, I know..." he promptly began, but he was cut off instantly. Sokka standing up, his face beet red, "You tricked us!! You played all of us!!"

Aang, forever the diplomatic one, sat up, "Do you have any idea how costly this could be for the entire world? We were one step away from ending this war and you just gave the fire nation everything we had" his fists clenched but his body showed no other side of anger. Internally he wanted to combust at the look on Katara's face. She kept her eyes downcast, not meeting anyone's gaze. She was the most hurt out of all of them and Aang would do what he could to fix that.

Zuko looked around at his friends. Toph's face no longer held the same effervescent look, her whole demeanor turning serious. Her body language was closed off, her arms crossed in front of her. But she leaned forward, with a small hope that he would have a valid explanation. Her feet were seeing and listening to what her eyes couldn't, listening for even the slightest falter of the truth.

Sokka stood with his fists clenched and his shoulders squared. His mouth was pressed into a hard line, almost as if he had to stop himself from saying all the things he wanted to say. If Zuko didn't know any better, he would say that the watertribesman was going to punch him. He wouldn't blame him if he did.

Aang looked pensive, his head tilted as he looked at the firebender in front of him. He looked unsure, but stern. The accusations were steep and not to be taken lightly but like the passive airbender he was, he wasn't jumping to conclusions. Zuko had proven himself up until this point. Why change now? His legs were crossed in front of him, but his hands laid loosely in his lap. His face held no surprises, nothing left to the imagination. But his eyes kept flitting to Katara, and then back to Zuko, expecting her to crumble in front of them, as if she were glass just waiting to break.

But Katara's face were the most haunting of all. Disappointment was written in her features, but she met no one's gaze. Her eyes stayed trained on the dirt in front of her. Her shoulders slumped, but they didn't waver. Her body sat still. She seemed like a ghost within herself, internally screaming but outwardly still.

But she suddenly looked up at him, her face hard as stone. She wasn't glass, she was diamond. She wasn't breakable, she was strong. Aang still looked at her like the cracks within her were about to break but Zuko knew those cracks weren't falling apart. They were sharp edges and only made her more impenetrable.