Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Forty-Four

There is a pot of tea on the table between Iroh, Zuko, and Kali. Iroh did not waste any time in sitting her down with some tea to talk about what she's been doing since she left them. He can see, much as Zuko has, that she has changed in that time. Strengthened and grown. Blossomed. Ran-Ya sleeps curled up in Iroh's lap and Bing is in Zuko's where he sits. Zuko's fingers draw through Bing's fur softly. He likes this. The three of them, here, together. Well, he likes her being here with them, with him. Kali looks over at him and smiles, and he can't help himself, he smiles back at her. She then turns and looks around their new apartment. It is much nicer and cleaner than the last one, but there is one thing that has stayed the same. She smiles.

"You brought my plants with you" She points out, Iroh nods.

"Zuko didn't want to leave them behind" Zuko shoots his uncle a look but Kali just chuckles warmly. "You are wearing your natural green form" Iroh points out. Kali nods and smiles softly to herself.

"It is who I am" She offers. "Just as you said" She looks at Zuko. "I just had to realise that myself..." He nods. He knows. She needed to find herself on her own. Without someone telling her who she was. Her whole life someone else told her who she was and what to do. Someone else had complete control of her life. "I can change, if need be, but...I am content to stay as I am....." The two of them share a warm look before he smiles and looks down at Bing. Iroh glances between them with knowing and softness. Kali is good for Zuko. Knows that she can show him how much good he truly has inside of him, and he has seen his nephew changing for the better since they met her. "What are we going to do about Appa?" She asks.

"Appa?" Iroh inquires.

"The Avatar's flying bison" Zuko informs him. Iroh hums a little and turns to Kali.

"Well....what do you want to do?" He asks her, she lets out a breath and nods.

"I want to save him" She admits and then glances at Zuko. She knows that saving an innocent animal is the right thing to do, but it also will bring Zuko one step closer to the Avatar, and reclaiming the honour that he seeks, the life that he seeks. Zuko nods.

"Then we save him" He assures her softly. Iroh looks at Zuko surprised. Zuko turns to his uncle, a desperate look in his eyes because he needs Iroh's help to help him do the right thing, to help him help her and Appa. Iroh nods, sure in this, he will help, he will always help.

...........

In the Dai Li's secret underground base, Appa has been chained up in a cell. Locked away. Alone. The room he is being held in is way too small for his huge size and he struggles to even move against the chains holding him. He lets out a sad noise and closes his eyes. Losing hope that his friends will come and find him. Losing hope that they will save him. There is a noise and he snaps his eyes open to find that the door to his cell has been opened and standing there is the Blue Spirit. Zuko.

"Expecting someone else?" Zuko asks and Appa growls at Zuko, trying to move, to defend himself. Kali moves around him and straight for the flying bison, despite Zuko reaching out to stop her.

"Shush" She presses her forehead to Appa's and he calms. "It is okay, my friend" She assures him. "We are both here to help you" Zuko moves closer. Still amazed by the bending ability that she has. The way she has with animals. It's as beautiful as the plant stuff she can do. Actually probably more so. These animals have minds of their own. Opinions. And yet, they choose to trust her, to let her near them, to let her give them comfort and care. They see something in her. He pulls off his mask and throws it aside as he reaches the two of them. Kali takes Zuko's hand and pulls him closer, setting the hand on Appa's forehead. Appa closes his eyes and presses forward, leaning into the touch. Zuko lets out a soft breath. This animal, that has seen the worst in him, is trusting him to touch it. Because of her. He looks at Kali who is watching him with nothing but utter warmth. Appa nudges Zuko closer to Kali who chuckles softly. Zuko leans closer to her to kiss her softly. Behind them, Iroh appears in the doorway, watching them slyly and warmly. He wishes that they had the time to indulge themselves in their love, but they do not have it.

"If we are going" Iroh states from the doorway, Zuko pulls back from Kali to look at him. "It must be now" Kali moves away from Zuko and stares at the chains, trying to figure out how to get Appa out of them. "You can do it, Little Flower" Iroh encourages her softly. And she knows what he is pushing for her to do. The chains are attached to stone walls. He wants her to earth-bend them. She has been pushing herself. Teaching herself. But this isn't a simple pebble. This is a wall. Zuko moves to her side, leaning in close to her.

"I believe in you" Zuko whispers in her ear and she looks at him. The two of them share a look before she turns back to the wall, placing her hand on it as she closes her eyes. It's just nature. Just another piece of the natural world. She just has to connect to it. The stone around the chains crumbles and Zuko moves, removing the chains from Appa.

......

After releasing Appa, and watching him fly away with the Avatar and his friends, Iroh, Zuko, and Kali return to the Upper Ring apartment together. A weight lifted from Kali as she enters the apartment. She saved an innocent animal today. Iroh smiles watching her beam with what they have done. But Zuko looks a little worse for wear. He looks sick.

"You did the right thing" Iroh offers as he moves to put on a pot of tea to celebrate. To celebrate that they saved Appa. To celebrate his nephew choosing the path of good. "Letting the Avatar's bison go free" Zuko stumbles a little in his steps, looking at his hand that seems to be red and covered in a rash. Poisoned. He swallows slightly trying to figure out what happened. It can't be the chains, they were touching Appa and he flew off fine. The only other thing he touched was the door handle. It can only have come from there.

"I don't feel right" He mumbles. Kali turns to him with a frown. Zuko looks at her with panic when he realises what has happened to him. His eyes flutter before he collapses

"Zuko!" Kali rushes towards him, closely followed by Iroh.

A/N – I have a few options for what happens at the end of Book Two: Earth/Season Two.

1. Kali is taken by Azula and used to get Zuko to side with her. She ends up going with them back to the Fire Nation and is basically a prisoner for a while during Book Three: Fire. This would put a strain on their relationship, but Zuko would eventually free her and escape with her, going off to join the Avatar.

2. Kali is taken by Azula and used to get Zuko to side with her. But Zuko turns on her instead and he and Kali escape with the help of Iroh, unfortunately leaving Iroh behind. Zuko and Kali eventually separate, but for good reason. He wants her to go and find the Avatar, who he thinks will keep her safe, whilst he goes back for Iroh (though he will fail and then rejoin Kali with Aang and the others)

3. Kali is taken by Azula and used to get Zuko to side with her. But Zuko turns on her instead and he and Kali escape with the help of Iroh, unfortunately leaving Iroh behind. I don't know what to do to fill the time between this and Zuko joining the Avatar, as it does happen 12 episodes in. But I can maybe try and write in them joining them earlier if that's what you want. Then anything that Zuko did against the Avatar during those episodes will be done by Azula instead.

With 2 and 3, Zuko will still get to confront Ozai as that is important to him.