Double Bender

Part 44

As we walked back to the beach house, I thought about my dream I had back when we were in the lower ring. I remembered what happened in the dream but I didn't see how it ended. Zuko woke me up before it ended. I just assumed that I died...until that day in prison, when I found out that it told me my future. After that, I didn't know what to think. I couldn't just keep it in the dark like that, a dream that I had nearly a month ago had told me what would happen literally three days later (plus about a month after that). Well, would you keep something like that a secret, especially from someone who cared about you? Didn't think so. Anyway, I couldn't keep it to myself. Besides he hung around Uncle a lot, maybe some of that old guy wisdom rubbed off on him. "Zuko?" I said. "Do you remember, back in Ba Sing Se, when you were still recovering? I had that nightmare and you came into my room to see if I was alright?" He nodded. "Well, that dream sort of told me what would happen to me...in the future. Just like your dream did, you know, the one with the dragons. Well, here's what happened in mine. You and I were dancing and then, all of a sudden, you were gone...then someone burned me." He tensed a little bit. I probably shouldn't have mentioned that part. I cleared my throat to make everything seem less awkward... Short answer, it didn't work. Anyway, I went on. "After that, I was suddenly in a cage like an animal and everyone was jeering at me like I was some kind of entertainment for them. Which is exactly how it went at the Boiling Rock. I wasn't allowed outside, and all the guards just stared at me like I was an animal." "That's horrible." Zuko said. "The thing is, that dream was telling me my future but the worst part is I don't know how it ends. You woke me up before I saw." "How do you think it ends?" Zuko asked. "I hadn't thought about it until now." I said. "I always assumed I died and didn't really take much thought into it, until I got to the Boiling Rock and figured it out. Now, I don't know what to think." Zuko thought for a second before saying, "Well...I think that...hmm..." Okay I was wrong. Uncle's "old man wisdom" hadn't rubbed off on Zuko. But, what he said wasn't some kind of wise ode that no one understood or something like that. He gave me something sincere. "It doesn't matter how the dream ended. We're here now. This is our moment, no one can take it away from us." "Zuko," I said, "I may never see you again." He put his hand on my face and said, "Don't think about that right now. What matters is that I'm here now. You won't lose me, even if I die. I'll always be right here." I smiled with tears running down my cheeks. I inched a little closer to him. "Promise?" I asked. He edged closer to me. Our lips were inches away. "I Promise." He whispered. Our lips touched and no one spoke.

That night, it was all silence. No nightmares, no screams, no cries. Just silence. I woke up early with mist still circling the house. Out the window was a lush forest surrounding the house and out there in that green maze was our place. Zuko's and mine. A place only we knew about. A place where we danced and talked quietly. A place of whispered secrets. A place for us. I walked over to the window seat and looked out at the beach and the rolling waves. Suddenly, a person walked out from the house, silhouetted against the dull sun. The person was thin with short scraggly hair. Whoever it was, he took a breath and pounded the air. A jet of flame shot from his fist and flew into the ocean. It was Zuko. What was he doing up so early? I got down from the window seat, pulled on my green dress and cloak, and darted out into the hallway. The house was pretty spooky at night when you can't see but it was a whole lot spookier in the early morning with the sun barely up, setting an eery greenish-gray light over the house. It almost looked haunted. I pulled my cloak tighter around me and kept walking. I opened the door to the beach. The cold morning air blew through my cloak and nipped my skin, making me shiver. Zuko was out on the beach, practicing. He did a round-about kick (As I called it). He swirled his foot in a circle and flame followed wherever it went. He swirled his foot one more time, this time, while spinning in a circle, making an "X" in front of his body. Then he thrust his arm forward and the fire blew past him and into the sea. Zuko grinned at his handiwork. "That was impressive," I said. He turned around and smiled. "Didn't know I was being watched." He said casually. I yawned. "What are you doing up so early?" I asked. "Practicing." He answered. "What for?" I asked. "You do know there's a comet coming in less than a week, right?" He asked. I shrugged. "You know that there is such a thing as over training, right?" I asked, mimicking his tone. "Ha ha," he said, clearly not amused. "Well I certainly thought it was funny." I said. He rolled his eyes. I sat down on the step and gestured for him to sit next to me. He sat down and looked at me. "Can you do me a favor?" I asked. "Sure," he said, "what is it?" "I know you start training Aang again today, but if you can, take it a little easy on him?" He looked puzzled at me. "He's been through a lot lately and even though he's ready for the comet, he doesn't think he is. And pushing him too hard is gonna make him even more nervous. Just, take it easy on him. Please." Zuko sighed like he was remembering something big but his expression softened as if he just pushed the memory out of his mind. "Alright." He said.