Chapter 33: Calmness

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"Why must he act so stubbornly?" spoke Sokka to himself, pacing around the courtyard - after trying to convince Aang out of his sudden reluctance to kill the Fire Lord.

"Still troubles?" asked Zhan, arriving at the courtyard.

"What? Oh yeah - Aang..." said Sokka annoyed. "He got his stupid airbender morality to not to hurt or kill anyone. I know I can understand that per usual everyday life - but this is someone, who deserves it. He has messed with Zuko' life and Azula's. He literally plans to burn to entire world to a crisp, but Aang still won't listen."

"Maybe I can try?" asked Zhan.

"No use - I tried, as well as: Zuko, Katara, Suki, me, even Azula..." spoke Sokka. "...but he won't listen to anyone."

"Is this going to be a problem?" he asked.

"I don't know. Possibly...likely," said Sokka. "How good is the Fire Lord, per say as a firebender?"

"All royal families are highly-skilled firebenders, evident by Azula and Zuko. So imagine the Fire Lord' skill," he said. "Add the fact of Sozin' Comet, which multiplies his power."

"Oh man...this isn't good," replied Sokka.

"Lets give him some time," he said. "Hopefully he'll reconsider."

"Hopefully," added Sokka.

XXX

As the night slowly enveloped the Island and everybody was getting ready to sleep - Zhan was the only one who was still awake. He had decided to go talk to Aang, in hopes of shaking some sense into him - instead he bumped into Zuko.

"Zuko? What are you doing here?" asked Zhan, getting back up.

"I was going to talk to Aang," said Zuko.

"So was I," replied Zhan.

"But he was asleep - so we have to speak in the morning," added Zuko suddenly.

"Oh, okay," said Zhan. "I'll guess head to bed then."

"Wait."

"Yes?" asked Zhan, turning around.

"I wanted to talk to you personally for some time now," said Zuko. "Regarding Azula."

"Okay," said Zhan, as they walked. "What do you want to know? I've told you what I have know."

"Yes - but I want to know about 'Azula'," replied Zuko. "How is she actually?"

"She has...opened up," he replied. "More calm, happier and generally pleased with herself. When I saw her, I saw the princess - yet also a girl who was hurt on the inside."

"You didn't fear her?" asked Zuko.

"What I fear?" he asked. "A strong firebender? I was in a lowly state as it was, a high ancestor and several disabilities to add to a militant Fire Nation. Plainly put, I had nothing to lose, only gain."

"You seem close to her now, more than Mai or Ty Lee," said Zuko.

"Well...yeah..." he replied, arms crossed at the obvious statement. "I might seem like a blind follower, but I'm not stupid."

"Yet your always there for her."

"Shouldn't I be?" he asked. "As much as anything missing from her life, it had been love."

"Love?" asked Zuko confused.

"Yes believe it or not - as I've heard you had your mother's affection and Azula had Ozai's - and we know, how that was," he spoke. "But that also caused a different feeling to emerge - abandonment."

"My mother wasn't cold!" said Zuko, a bit too loud.

"I'm not saying she was, yet she may have unwillingly done it," he said. "Azula' attitude wasn't much to change on..."

"...but?" asked Zuko.

"She lacked a place to fall back on - when you failed, you had your mother to catch you and after that your uncle. Azula had none when she failed, and had to pick herself up alone - and that can hurt somebody badly."

"I...never thought about it," said Zuko.

"When I earned Azula' trust, I was greeted by a tidal wave of emotions," he spoke. "...all that showed, that the so called mighty prodigy, was in all sense a person with feelings and secrets like everybody else. Strength of one, is earned by the weakness of the other, Zuko."

"Okay...and how do you feel about her?" asked Zuko, as they reached Azula' room and opened the door.

"I had a crush on her then, a love on her now," he replied, eyeing her sleeping form. "No matter the rumours or what people said - whenever I looked at her, I always saw the willful and beautiful girl inside her."

"Ugh...okay," said Zuko. "You like her, I get it."

"So do we two, might have a problem?" he asked, regarding their position as brother and sister' fianceé.

"I don't see any, if anything you managed to get Azula to change - something me, my uncle or my mother could never do," spoke Zuko, as they shook hands. "Although the marriage, might've been hasty..."

"Speak for yourself," chuckled Zhan. "After this war and everything, you'll need to get a marriage done immediately..."

'Oh...right..' remembred Zuko. "Alright...good comeback..."

"Alright, see you later," he replied, deciding to stay in Azula' room tonight. "Also, if I might make a suggestion - be more bold with Mai, she has loosened up a bit as well and at worse you'll only end up with some arrows in your behind.

'Bolder?' thought Zuko at his suggestion, as Zhan closed the door.

Hoping, deciding or just plainly to test his luck, Zuko soon made his way to Mai' room, counting his lucky stars that Mai wouldn't mess him up too much - when she found him next to her, the next morning.

Zhan joining Azula in her cozy bed, next to her. Azula herself, immediately curling up next to him, adding a slight peck on her cheek as well - if somebody unwanted, attempted to come here tonight, then they'd be very sorry later.

Unfortunately, in the cover of night and darkness, nobody noticed a certain airbender leave and head towards a mysterious island, only a couple feet offshore and soon starting to disappear into night.

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