Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Fifty-Seven

After a week in Tian Tang, Zuko feels more relaxed than ever before. There is just something so isolating here that makes it easy to forget about everything happening beyond the Spirit Tree. He sits on the porch of the hut he and Kali have been sharing. He'd left Kali sleeping and gone to the bathhouse to bath and then when he came back she'd already left. But she did leave a note. A little scribbled smiley face, she still hasn't mastered writing, but the face she can do. He should probably get back to teaching her how to read, now that they have the time. Tian Tang has to have books or scrolls or something they can use. A young naturebender walks towards Zuko. He's probably the same age as him but circumstances make him look younger. He waves at Zuko and then points to himself.

"Kenji" He offers. "Alchemilla is my grandmother" Zuko nods, he can guess that from the white lotus on his belt. "A few of us are starting a game of moss ball" He offers. "Wanted to know if you wanted to play"

"I was waiting for Kali" Zuko argues. Kenji motions behind him.

"She's with the planters, they're planting a new apple orchard across the village" Kenji counters. Zuko instantly sags. Of course, she would go off and get involved in village life, with her own people.

"Oh" He whispers and tenses up immediately.

"So...." Kenji swings his arms at his side. "Moss ball?"

"I guess" Zuko agrees reluctantly, he supposes he should get involved if he is going to be staying here. These people will be his people. He should start getting involved. Getting to know them. For her. To stay with her. Zuko stands to follow Kenji as he walks away, but the naturebender slows to allow Zuko to catch up with him.

"We were always told stories about outsiders" Kenji muses as he and Zuko head across the village. "Especially firebenders" Zuko glances at him. "You probe them all wrong" Zuko isn't sure that that's true, he and Iroh may have proven that not all firebenders are evil monsters, but he's not sure about the rest of them, not with Azula around. "Is it as bad as they say?" Kenji asks, Zuko frowns. "Is the Fire Nation in control everywhere? Are all the benders gone?" Zuko frowns harder and stops, Kenji turns to him.

"No" Zuko answers. "I've met a waterbender, I know there are earthbenders....and I know the Avatar is out there" Kenji shakes his head.

"There are no more Avatars.....Gran said so"

"She's wrong" Zuko stops him. Kenji frowns to himself as he processes that. Zuko has been outside of the Spirit Tree, he has seen the world, and he knows it better than him.

"She said that we have to stay here, behind the tree, because all that was left was fire," Kenji tells himself and then hurries off, leaving Zuko standing there alone.

"I guess moss ball is off" He mumbles to himself and then looks around. He does feel a little bad for bursting that bubble of ignorance that Alchemilla has planted here. But they have to know the truth. They've been sheltered here believing that the world ended in fire. But it is out there. And from what he's seen, it's ready to fight back. He turns and lets out a breath as he wanders off, going to find something to do with his time.

......

It's a cherry blossom orchard that Zuko ends up settling in. The pink flowers rain down around him, swaying above in the wind. The sounds from the village reach him from behind. He lets out a breath and closes his eyes, letting the sun warm his face. Alchemilla appears behind Zuko and then approaches.

"I thought I'd find you out here" She comments as she sits at his side.

"Kali is..." He starts.

"With the planters, I know" Alchemilla stops him. "I wished to talk with you"

"You want to talk to me?" She nods. "What about?" She manifests a red flower in her hand and Zuko looks at it as she turns it around in her fingers.

"Your place here" Alchemilla answers. Zuko frowns at the flower. "You don't have one" She squelches the flower in her hand as she stares at Zuko. He swallows a little and lifts his eyes to hers. "There is a reason we have remained safe and protected all these years....we do not allow outsiders in"

"But Kali..."

"She is welcome to stay" Alchemilla argues as she stands, turning to look down at Zuko. "But you are not one of us and you are to leave" Zuko shakes his head. He is not going to leave Kali. Not after everything they've been through to get here. "You can either leave voluntarily or you can be forced....you have until tomorrow to say your goodbyes" She then starts to walk away. Zuko stands to watch her go.

"I won't go. I won't leave her" Zuko argues. Alchemilla smirks a little as she looks back over her shoulder.

"I think you will" She counters and then continues to leave. Zuko lets out a shaky breath. He can't ask Kali to go with him, not when she has only just found this place, these people, her people, and he doesn't want to leave her either. He can't leave her. He won't do it. And nothing Alchemilla does is going to force him away. He assumes this is because of his conversation with Kenji earlier, he's done nothing else in their time here to warrant that sort of reaction. If she wanted him gone all along then she would have told him too earlier. He's being evicted for telling the truth. Again. This is how it started with his father, he spoke out, spoke the truth and was exiled from his home. He's starting to think that some adults like to lie to live in the world that they built, and they will lie and lie and lie to keep it that way. But the world they have, the world that they created is far from perfect. It's not working anymore.