Zutara mini series

Chapter Four

When they realized the Aang was gone, they searched the whole island, looking everywhere, but he was nowhere to be found. They then decided to let their Avatar Detector, aka Zuko, track him down. And so, they headed towards the Earth territory to find June the Hunter with the huge animal that could find someone by their scent. So they swallowed their pride and let the beast smell Aang's stuff, and it started turning aimlessly around before falling down crying and covering its nose.

“What does that mean?” They asked

“It means that your friend is gone.”

“Yeah, we know. That's why we found you.”

“No, he is gone; he isn't dead. If you are worried about that, he just isn't reachable.”

Then, they made a second call to track the formidable Dragon of the West. Yet their journey was once again cut short by some old dudes, or so they seemed to Zuko, who ambushed them. Turns out they were some of the most great Masters of the world in their respective elements. They also were part of an elite force of fighters named the White Lotus. And his uncle was in the centre of it.

When he entered his hut, he sat in front of his cot, and he watched him sleep. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, and his mind was running in millions of directions at an insane speed. When he finally rose, tears were running freely on his face as he let the words tremble out of his lips, he barely even knew what he was saying or for how long he talked before his uncle hugged him. Telling him that everything was alright and that he wasn't angry with his betrayal.

They sat like that for what seemed like hours when it could have been mere minutes, and his heart quieted down in the protective embrace of the one person who cared for him since the beginning. The one that brought him toy dragons after his military missions when he was a bratty seven-year-old. They moved to the top of the mountain, where they sat and looked at the sun that was starting to hide behind the sea in front of them. They watched as the young children who had been carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders sat with their respective masters bending and catching up, making up for the lost time since they parted.

But Zuko only had eyes for the long-haired girl dressed in blue. She was standing in the sea as she copied the forms and stances her Master made. There was a certain elegance in her that you wouldn't expect in someone who was so used to fighting. Yet again he knew that water flowed and you had to move with it, as it changed its course and you willed it to the way you wanted. It didn't take long for his uncle to notice who had stolen his nephew's eyes, thoughts, and heart.

“That Water Bender of yours-”

“She isn't my Water Bender and her name is Katara, uncle.”

“But you want her to be.”

“Don't be ridiculous, uncle.”

“I am simply stating the truth, and you aren't denying it. I am telling you she is good for you, like a firecracker ready to go off. So be careful not to blow it. She seems just like what you need.”

Zuko stayed quiet as he rested against his uncle's shoulder. He was worried; his nerves weren't eating him up as they should. If Aang wasn't to make an appearance soon,  they would die. Yet Zuko didn't mind; he had made his wrongs in his life, and he fixed them, and most importantly, he had his uncle back at his side. So, if he were to die, he would die as a happy man.

At dinner, the whole group sat with the great general as they discussed the White Lotus’ plan to defeat the Fire Lord and how they would fit in. That was when the bomb dropped. Zuko had to be the new Fire Lord. Being in a position of power he didn't want, and one he couldn't handle. After that, he could hear the chatter around him, but he couldn't register a single word. When the group separated and headed towards their tents, he stayed back unmovingly before collecting their plates and washing them trying to work out his nerves. When those ended he didn't have a choice but to head into his tent too. He laid down and he turned around every now and then as his thoughts were too loud. The minutes that passed could be an eternity. He was too restless to stay still. And so he got up once again and headed towards the beach, where he found his leaving daydream looking at the stars.

“What are you doing awake Zuko?”

“How did you know it was me?”

“Your steps. They were too light; I could barely hear them. You can join me, you know…” she called at him boldly.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking at the stars. Too bad I don't know many constellations, huh?”

“I know some of them.”

“Really?” She asked him with a bright smile, and his worries melted at the sight of it.
“Yeah.”

“Which ones?”

“Alright I know about the Ursa Major and Minor-”

“I already know that one.” She interrupted him and he chuckled before continuing.
“OK ok, do you know about Cassiopeia then?”

“Um no it doesn't ring a bell.”

“OK, so Cassiopeia was a queen in the mythical land of Greece called Aethiopeia. She once claimed that her daughter was more beautiful than the Nereids, which angered the God of the sea, called Poseidon. After much turmoil that her and her daughter had gone through they Gods aced her into the stars next to her husband.”

“How are you feeling now?”

“What do you mean?”

“You were on the verge of a panic attack when you came here. That's why I asked you about the stars.”

“How did you know?”

“Your breathing. It was irregular.”

“Thanks”

“No worries.” They stayed like that all night until the first rays of the sun coloured the sky. They talked and talked for the future, their anxieties and everything that was at stake. And somehow voicing their thoughts instead of letting them crowd their head was the most helpful and calming thing they could do at the moment.