𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 ꩜ prince zuko

¹⁵

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

        YAN STOOD AT A rocky podium as she squinted into the distance, half-convinced her eyes were deceiving her. Not far away, gathered in quiet conversation, sat Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph. They looked different from how she remembered them; Katara's hair was loose now and no longer tied in the familiar braid while Aang wore unfamiliar clothes, likely a change forced by his crushing defeat at Azula's hands in Ba Sing Se. Yan couldn't make out what they were saying. She remained rooted to the spot, stunned by the unexpected sight of her old friends.

        Toph rested her head against her hand, only half-listening as Sokka rambled on about their next move. After the failed invasion, they were forced to retreat to the Western Air Temple. The adults had surrendered willingly, choosing arrest to buy the rest time; now, the younger fighters were hiding among the ruins. As Sokka's voice blurred into the background, Toph began to zone out until a faint vibration pulsed through the stone beneath her. Her eyes widened; she pressed her hand flat against the rock to be sure she'd felt what she thought she had.

        "Toph, what is it?" Katara asked, watching as Toph suddenly sprang down from the rock and turned toward a nearby stone outcrop. From behind it, Yan stepped into view, realizing she'd been seen as she offered a smile. The group's eyes widened in disbelief. For a moment, no one spoke, staring at the friend they had long thought lost.

        "It's Yan!" Katara cried, sprinting toward her. She threw her arms around the Earth Kingdom girl with such force it nearly knocked her off balance. Yan let out a soft grunt from the impact but quickly returned the embrace, burying her face in Katara's long hair. "We thought you were dead! Where have you been all these months?" Yan stepped back, a wide grin spreading across her face as she looked at Katara with tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Seeing them all again stirred something deep in her. 

        Sokka's jaw dropped as he looked stunned, not just by her sudden appearance, but by how different she looked; he'd never thought Yan would start looking so like a girl. Aang rushed over and wrapped her in a warm hug, his usual energy momentarily overtaken by joy. Toph hung back, smiling slightly; affection wasn't really her style, but even she couldn't hide her relief. Soon, the group led Yan over to the spot where they had been talking, practically buzzing with questions about her whereabouts.

        "Well, after Katara left the underground city with Aang, Iroh and I were captured and taken to a prison in the Fire Nation's capital. We were locked up for a long time, just waiting, watching, looking for the right moment to escape. Then the Day of Black Sun came; it was chaos and it gave us exactly the opening we needed. After that, we made our way back to Ba Sing Se; not long ago, I was told I'd find Aang here." she explained, glancing around at their astonished faces and letting out a soft laugh.

        "You look so different now. You actually look like... well, like a girl now." Aang smiled as he gently lifted the end of Yan's braid, letting it fall back into place. "Last time we saw you, you were in that Earth Kingdom soldier uniform with your hair all chopped short." Yan laughed softly, nodding when he pointed out her drastic change. Her smile lingered as she looked around at the familiar faces; for the first time in a long while, she felt like she was home again.

        "Let's get back to what we were talking about. Anyway, since we need a new plan, I say that the new plan is the old plan. Aang just needs to master all four elements and confront the Fire Lord before Sozin's Comet comes." Sokka launched into one of his trademark optimistic speeches, his eyes bright with sudden enthusiasm. Aang raised an eyebrow, leaning back on his hands as he sat perched on a fallen stone pillar.

        "Oh, yeah, that's great, no problem. I'll just do that," he sarcastically remarked with a deepening frown, flicking a small rock aside. Katara let out a quiet sigh and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, but he brushed it off without looking at her. "It's not even gonna be possible. Where am I supposed to get a firebending teacher?"