Love Doesn't Come Easy

Chapter 8: Acceptance

The next day Mizuki helps Zuko down to the main area where she had talked to Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph. "Mizuki! He didn't hurt you did he?" Katara as untrustworthy as ever. "No. We're married-"

"Doesn't mean he can't hurt his wife." Katara glares at Zuko. Zuko frowns and places a hand on Mizuki's shoulder. Mizuki grabs his hand and looks up at him. "He'd never hurt me. Well besides that one time during practice-"

"I said it was an accident!" Zuko whines. Mizuki laughs. "Practice? When?"

"We were fifteen! He wanted to train with someone other than the soldiers on the ship and my outfit got in the way so I couldn't dodge and I fell and almost broke my nose. Oh and the tip of my ear was burned." She shows the small scar on her left ear. "Fitting how he has a scar on his left and now I do!" Katara raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms across her chest. "I still don't trust him."

"Understandable. After all he's done but just listen to me. Or well listen to what he has to say." Katara sighed. Zuko sighed and started, "I know I've done terrible things, things that have affected you personally and that have had consequences on everyone in the world. I'm sorry for all of it. But now I know my destiny is to help you defeat my father and learn fire bending. As my uncle said there is always a constant battle between good and evil. I wanted to choose good. Help better the world and bring it back to peace. My father and forefathers have plunged the world into fear and destruction. They've used fire bending and twisted it's original art for power and destruction. I want to change that. I want it to end now."

Mizuki gauges at the reactions. Aang is contemplating, Toph is grinning, Sokka has a look of relief and Katara is still glaring at him. Mizuki steps forward. "No one is perfect. I've done my fair share of bad. I myself was too scared to speak out against Ozai and his plans. Plans that would effectively end the entire world as we know it. Ash, flame, and smoke. Everything gone. With only the Fire Nation being supreme."

"What??" Aang asked frightened. "He's going to use the comet to destroy the Earth Kingdom."

"Oh and you didn't speak out against him?" Katara accused. "Last time I did that I got a permanent lesson on my face!" Zuko's eyes showed anger and sadness. Mizuki hugged Zuko. "It's ok. We'll take him down and you'll be Fire Lord. You'll lead us into a new age of peace with the Avatar. The Fire Nation will restore it's honor and repay for its mistreatment."

"You're father scarred you?" Katara's voice was soft. "Oh Zuko I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"It's ok. Really." Zuko gives a weak smile but touches his scar anyways. Mizuki ruffles Zuko's long hair. "Don't look so down Zu. At least Azula isn't trying to kill you."

"Heh well now I'm on the "bad guys" side I guess she'll try to kill me again."

"Azula? What's going on?"

"Azula is crazy because of Ozai." Zuko says. Mizuki looks pained at that statement. "Why do I always end up befriending people who want to hurt my friends." Mizuki sits down and holds her head in her hands. Zuko hugs his wife. "Hey, it's not your fault Lala is like this. It's dad's fault. She's my sister too. I hate to see her like this just as much as you do." Mizuki clutches her necklace. "I told her on the way from Ba Sing Se that I would be there for her and that I was a respected member of the family. She also knows I'm a water bender... everything could go down hill from here." Zuko just held his wife not able to say no or to comfort her.

Katara sighed, "Fine, Zuko can join, but if you make one slip up I will hurt you." Zuko could only nod. His mind more preoccupied with his shaking wife than any acceptance from the Gaang. Aang sat next to Mizuki and started to whistle the lullaby Gyasto would always whistle-sing.

~~~

Mizuki had fallen asleep after that. Her body way more emotionally tired than she originally thought. Kindness isn't a weakness, it's a strength. She reminded herself as she walked to dinner. Zuko was already there sitting by the shutters. She grabbed her food and hauled Sokka up so that he could sit with them. "What's this about?" Sokka questioned.

"Besides Aang forgiving him, your next."

"You can't force forgiveness Zuki." Zuko mumbled. "Yeah but I can at least get you guys some semblance of unity. You two could spare. Zuko uses his Dao's all the time. You have a sword, maybe you could spare together."

"Sparing huh.... hmm, let's do it! I could always get better at swordbending." Zuko gave a sigh. "There's no such thing as 'swordbending' Sokka." Mizuki giggled. "Be a little open to humor Zuko. I think whatever this swordbending is you'll get the hang of it." Zuko turned away from them. Mizuki and Sokka laughed. "He's a little hard headed. He'll come around." Sokka smiled and waved bye as he left. Mizuki turned Zuko back to her. "Come on we should join the group as well. You'll only feel more alienated out here." She had them sit beside Aang who welcomed them happily. "We'll start training tomorrow." Zuko said to Aang who nodded. "I'll join in case burns or cuts are made." Mizuki smiled to them. Zuko gave her a pointed stare. The scar must still be a sensitive topic to dance around.

"I'm sure nothing bad will happen though. If anything maybe you guys could go to the Sun Warrior Temples not to far from here."

"Sun Warriors?"

"They died a hundred thousand years ago." Mizuki nodded at Zuko's statement. "The monks always said, sometimes we can feel the ghosts of the past in the present."

~~~

Mizuki was busy with brushing Appa when Aang came up. "I'm glad your back Zuki." Mizuki smiled at Aang. "Ya know you remind me of Euna. Very smart yet very free in childish ways. Her whole life revolved around being the Princess. She watched the North get bombarded by the Fire Nation and I can only imagine how she felt. It was like a wake up call to her but I had left with Zuko and Uncle so I really wouldn't know. Your destiny was to run away from home and wind up 100 years later to end a war Sozin had started. It'll be hard getting the Fire Nation back from Ozai's clutches but I have a feeling that you and Zuko will be able to do it."

"You have a lot of faith in Zuko."

"He realized something important that war meeting. He was the perfect prince... but it just wasn't him. I had always acted sort of two-faced to a lot of people. Especially in the Fire Nation. It's not two-faced per say but more emotionally reserved. I'd sit back and watch as they'd strip people from their homes and tear families apart. I'd thank Agni and the spirits for putting me with such a family. It didn't really occur to me that my family was also being ripped apart. By the time I had tried to fix it, Zuko spoke out of turn, got his scar, and was banished."

Aang placed a hand on Mizuki's shoulder. "I'm sure you did everything you could. Now we need to stop this war and bring peace to the world." She nods. She just hoped Zuko was ready to take the Fire Lord position.

~~~