Prophecy (Sun and Moon Book 3)

Chapter 45 - Lion Turtle

            “Say something!”

            My words echo into silence, and then… then his head comes up, his amber eyes roiling with an emotion I can’t name, staring into mine, boring into my soul. He steps back, fidgets, runs his fingers through his hair.

            He sighs, deep and frustrated. “I… I’m so angry with you, Katara.”

            He doesn’t say anything else, and I feel my feeble hopes crashing down. “I know.” I whisper the words, because I do know. I’ve been where he is.

            To my shock, he holds up a hand, speaks again. “But that… that doesn’t mean… after Ba Sing Se, I was so lost. For years, I was… a shell. I missed you so much. I didn’t know how to breathe without you. I still don’t. I’m angry… but I… I can’t stop loving you, Katara. I love you and I hate you and I’m mad at you and I don’t know which one’s stronger. I just know… I can’t…” He trails off, letting out another frustrated breath. But I’m caught up in the tide of his words, I know exactly what he means. So I keep going for him, finish his sentence from the words in my heart.

“I can’t be away from you. Trying to run away makes me feel lost and alone and… not myself. I’m only myself when I’m with you. I don’t exist without you. It makes me weak and I hate that. But I love it, too. I love you, Zuko. We all make mistakes, we just have to learn from them; at least that’s what Uncle says. I was never very good at that. I don’t know if I can learn from my mistakes. But I know that if… if I have to spend my life without you… I won’t be living at all.”

“I don’t know either. I don’t know if I can stop being angry with you. I don’t… I don’t know.”

I swallow, shaking my head to force back more tears. “Maybe… we can

start with a truce?” When he doesn’t reply, I go on. “Take it one day at a time. We’ll start… we’ll start by finding our daughter.”

Slowly, he looks up at me again. His expression is both frustrated and contemplative. Finally, he nods. “A truce.”

**__**

            The ground beneath them shook, and Lia and Ursa sat up in confusion. A deep groaning sound came from behind them, behind the ruined city they called home. Leaving their sleeping bags behind, the pair walked toward the sound, something familiar in its call.

            They walked through the forest, past the clearing, down the hill. Until they came to the edge, but this time, when they looked out over the cliff, they didn’t see just water.

            They saw land.

            Their island had somehow attached itself to land overnight. Ursa smiled, knowing what it meant. But Lia was stunned. Then, suddenly, Lia leapt off the edge. Water rose up from the sides to catch her, spinning her around, down and down out of Ursa’s sight. She wrung her hands together, worry vying with admiration for her granddaughter.

            A few minutes later, she came back up, the water carrying her to the edge again, where she alighted easily. She grinned at Ursa, her eyes wide.

            “It’s not an island! It’s a lion turtle, and he says we need to leave now.”

            Ursa stared. How had she… then she realized that she probably didn’t want to know how Lia had done it. Lia was just… Lia.

            Ursa smiled. “All right. Let’s go.”

            Lia grinned and took Ursa’s hand. “Hold on!”

            Ursa frowned. “Why--”

            But she was cut off as water rose and surrounded them, then pulled them down. Off the edge, down the cliff, into the sea.

            Their little air bubble shot forward, toward the landmass in front of them--in moments, Lia was pulling Ursa out of the water, bending the salty substance out of their clothes.

            They looked around, both of them frowning. Lia slid her hand into Ursa’s. “Where are we, GranGran?”          

            “I’m not sure, Lia. Let’s try… that way.” She pointed toward a hill. “Maybe we can see something from up there.”

            As it turned out, the hill was farther away than they’d thought--and it was more of a small mountain.

            But by the time the sun was sinking over the horizon, Lia and Ursa had made it to the top.

            And as they looked down into the valley below, Ursa grinned.

**__**

            Mai and Kamil sat with Iroh in the kitchen, drinking tea. “When do you think Zuko will be back?”

            “Tired of me already, Lord Kamil?” Iroh chuckled at Kamil’s expression and sipped his tea. “In all honesty, I do not know when my nephew will return. I don’t think he knows, either.”

            “Great.” Mai sighed and nudged her teacup toward Kamil.

            Iroh shook his head at her. “My nephew is just confused. He will find himself in time.”

            “What if he doesn’t?”

            “He will.” Iroh was certain, and they could see it in his eyes. Kamil wished he could be that certain, but he wasn’t.

            Suddenly, the doors burst open, and a guard stood there, panting. Her eyes were wide and she stared at them. Iroh stood, frowning.

            “What is wrong, Mai Lin?”

            “It’s… at the gates, Lord Iroh. It’s… it’s the… the princess.”

            “Princess Azula?” Iroh frowned, confused. Azula was dead…

            “No! Princess Ursa!”

_________

FINALLY. hehehehehe