parallel lines

chapter xx

Word Count: 3,802 words

CHAPTER XX: 不善始者不善终

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Aang has been taking the loss quite a toll, she knew that he did especially knowing that Appa was with him from the beginning even if Natsuko was as well. Appa was the only one who slept with him for a hundred years encased in ice, it was not too hard to see why anyone would feel down. Even when he was having fun on the waters his smile wasn't as full as before.

They somehow managed to find other refugees as well who were to take a ferry to the walled city, and found Suki helping them travel safely to the said city, at least until someone had stolen their passports and they were forced to travel by foot and across the Serpent's Pass which was a passageway where all hope is lost and is not there to save anyone, and again, Suki came along with them too. By the end of the trip, after encountering Fire Nation ships and the serpent and a lot of talk during the nighttime, as well as giving birth to a new hope, she saw that Aang was finally able to shed his real emotions and was glad that he made friends who was there to support him along the way.

Natsuko was about to go towards Aang and Katara, but seeing them together made her think otherwise, realizing that it wasn't anything more than seeing one's own child finding their own path and making their own decisions. It wasn't the same cycle through an Avatar's life, where they find someone who takes the burden of providing the things Natsuko couldn't and off from her shoulders. Even when Katara and Natsuko didn't click that well due to habitual problems and attitudinal differences, her other half says otherwise.

She looked at Sokka, who looked back at her with the same thoughts passing through his head before holding onto Suki like she were to disappear the next minute after. They all gathered and let Aang glide across the whole of Ba Sing Se and bid farewell to one another while he does, also saying goodbye to the family for

"Eew, oogies." Natsuko stuck her tongue out and grimaced before Sokka and Suki pouted.

"What, it's not like you and Zuko kissed-" Sokka stopped from talking and remembered the last encounter with him when he looked at Natsuko's bandaged hand. Suki, on the other hand, was shocked to hear about Natsuko and the prince that almost destroyed her village was possibly romantically involved.

"What did you say, lover boy?" Natsuko's eyes narrowed at the boy, denying what Sokka just said and was doing a good job at it until Toph decided to join in as well, "The heart skip says otherwise."

"Also, the hair comb looks great on you, Zuko really knows you." Toph added.

"Actually, I chose it myself..." Natsuko thought for a while, "Toph, you can't even see my hair comb."

"If you lot are trying to say that there's something going on between us, think again."

The three who has been terrorizing Natsuko just kept on laughing at Natsuko who was trying to defend her argument. If this were a cartoon, the background would be blue and she'd be standing on a corner with her hands on her head and kneeling and her face filled with tears and disdain.

However, despite the comical scene unravelling in front of them all, Katara wasn't at all amused with what they were saying about Natsuko and the prince of the nation who killed her mother, touching her necklace at the thought of it.

"Let's head to the walls." Katara spoke up and they all agreed, Sokka saying goodbye to Suki one last time and everyone else headed to the impenetrable city. Natsuko had her hand on Toph who just shrugged it away, continuing on and on about how she knew that she was too good for the other one, "Aang? You're back."