ZenBenders - 2014

The Avatar and the Earthbender

[Zuko's PoV]

"How do you suppose we bring up the subject of Nakko and her Zenbenders?" Katara asked. I shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"I think we better tell them right away at least, before Nakko gets to them," Katara suggested. I sighed and nodded reluctantly.

"As if we didn't have enough to worry about," I mumbled. We began walking toward the group, Katara without even the slightest hint of a limp.

We silently made our way to everyone. Sokka was the first to spot us.

"Well, someone's gloomy," he said, jabbing a finger in my face and looking between Katara and myself.

"Him more than usual," he added. I rolled my eyes and Katara cleared her throat. Aang frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked, eyes flickering between the two of us.

"The other day... when you asked where we went and what we did... We lied to you," Katara started. Aang'a face immediately flushed with hurt.

"You... you kissed," he said. I started choking on air, probably due to my own shock than anything else. Katara opened her mouth but no words came out.

"What?! Who said anything like that?!" I sputtered, my voice growing a few tones higher than I would like to admit. I cleared my throat.

"It's a misunderstanding, Aang. I would never betray you like that," I said, leveling with the younger airbender. Katara's face flushed with frustration.

"Aang... How could you even think that?"

Aang stared at me for a while before shaking his head and laughing softly. He adopted a sheepish look on his face with the faintest hint of a blush.

"I'm sorry Zuko. I know you better than that. And you're right Katara, I trust you. Both of you. I don't know what came over me."

"It's called jealousy," Sokka teased. Suki rolled her eyes.

"You would know..." she muttered under her breath.

"Are you still going on about the market guy? How was I supposed to know he was selling fish?!"

"He was holding a fish!"

"He kept touching you!"

"He was touching you too!"

"WHY IS EVERYONE SO LOUD?!" Toph shouted suddenly, angrily emerging from a tent. She stopped short of Katara and I and furrowed her brows.

"What's got you two so tense?" she asked. Katara and I shared a look.

"Katara and I were kidnapped earlier," I said, perhaps a little too bluntly.

There. Now it's out in the open.

Everyone stared at us in shock.

Mai and Ty Lee emerged from their tent, Mai's arms crossed.

"...How exactly did the Fire Lord allow himself to get kidnapped?" Mai questioned. My cheeks warmed and scratched the back of my head.

"It's not important," I said curtly, not wishing to elaborate about how easily I got myself--and Katara--captured.

******

"Geez, Dad, I didn't know you were such a clutz," Kya interrupted. Before the Fire Lord could comment, there was a knock on the door and Sokka, escorting a pregnant Suki, stepped into the room.

"Uncle Sokka, Aunt Suki!" The twins cried out in unison. He grinned and swept the two of them into a hug. Katara stood.

"Sokka! Suki, we weren't expecting you for a while, is it really that late?" Katara asked, playing with her necklace nervously. Suki laughed.

"Oh no, we just decided to come a little early today."

"Oh how nice--" Katara was saying, leading Suki out of the room while the two were discussing something. Most likely the pregnancy. Katara wanted to deliver Suki's baby herself and save the couple a trip to the Poles, and Suki was a bit hesitant. After all, it was her and Sokka's first child. I stood up, stretching and making my way over to Sokka while the twins were arguing over whether Suki's baby would be a boy or a girl.

"Nice to see you again, Zuko," Sokka said, clapping me on the back. I grinned.

"Good seeing you too! So where do you stand?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

Kya gently pulled on the hem of Sokka's shirt.

"Do you think the baby will be a boy--"

"Or a girl?" Ursa finished, shooting a glare at her sister. Sokka laughed.

"Don't tell Suki I said this, but I believe it's going to be a little--"

"Sokka! Would you like some jasmine tea?" Katara interrupted, already holding a tray of tea. I shot her a questioning look.

"...You've been spending too much time with Iroh," I said, shaking my head. She glared at me as Sokka took a sip. Suki entered the room--presumably coming back from the bathroom, if I remembered anything from Katara's pregnancy--and gratefully took a cup of tea.

A loud noise that could only come from one animal was heard from the garden.

"Aang?" I asked. There was a loud crash from outside, and I could hear the yelling from a blind woman. Sokka rolled his eyes.

"And Toph."

Katara put down the tray of tea, and hurried outside. Suki stood with the assistance of her husband. I followed.

As we walked through the hallway, several palace workers I recognized fled crying through the corridor. Katara and Sokka shared a look.

We were met with bright sunlight, a devastated flower bed, and an apologetic Avatar accompanied by a small, angry earthbender, and their son. Katara sighed, struggling to not curse in front of the kids. But all the children had already fled to go play with Appa.

"Toph, why is it every time you visit, the dragon lilies get destroyed?" Toph grinned in her direction.

"Nice to see you too, Sweetness! Or should I say, Fire Lady Sweetness?" Katara rolled her eyes.

"How about Katara?" Toph frowned.

"Nah, too formal."

"...What happened out here?" I asked. Aang smiled apologetically.

"We argued whether or not there was enough room to land Appa here. There wasn't. Toph made room."

"So that's why the gardeners were crying," I said. I wasn't angry though. It was nice to see them after all these years.

Kya, Ursa, and Tenzin, Toph and Aang's son, approached Katara.

"Mom, you have to finish telling the story," Ursa complained.

"Yeah! Tenzin wants to know too," Kya added. Tenzin blushed and nodded sheepishly. Aang shot us a puzzled look.

"All right. Come inside and maybe Aunt Toph and Uncle Aang can tell some of the story," Katara said. We turned, and headed back inside, the Avatar and the earthbender following us.

After all, our story was their story.