The Warrior's Gambit (Zutara)

XV

A new chapter? In my inbox today? It's more likely than you think!

Hey everyone, sorry for such the LONG time away. Summer has been hectic between grad school, work, and a trip to Peru! I really wanted to get this chapter out before I leave for a long weekend, so I will answer reviews later as well as thank you all at the beginning chapter of the next time for being such awesome people! I just figured you all would rather have the chapter than wait for it :)

But who we all really need to thank is my beta hepchaton! I sent her this new chapter and she sent it back in record time. So, if you're pleased you're reading this, know that it's hepchaton for being just such an awesome human!

Enjoy!

Aang scratched Momo's ear as they wandered around the palace.

"-And you see here, buddy, this is a picture of Avatar Roku. The only one that I think is left of him, anyway. He kind of..." Aang sighed. "Well, Fire Lord Azulon and he had a falling out."

A falling out? Roku's voice was scathing, furious. You call leaving me to my death a falling out? That pompous little-

"Right, he's talking a lot right now," Aang whispered under his breath to his new familiar, in reference to Roku's ranting. "But...shhh...that's me...before." He knew that Mono didn't have the ability to hear inside Aang's very crowded head, but Momo also didn't have the vocal cords to talk like a human, so Aang wasn't concerned about sharing his little secret. Even if Momo wasn't hearing what Aang was hearing, Aang could give a play-by-play. It felt good to unload his constant stream of consciousness onto someone else. He'd feel bad if he sought out Ty Lee all the time. Even Aang felt as though he could use a break from this. Since that did not seem like it would be happening soon, Momo as a confidant was the best new choice.

Aang stretched his arm out, and Momo scurried to the edge of his outstretched hand, his little black nose inches from the canvas. It was an old picture, hidden in the depths of the palace, in a place where not many would see it.

"I think Ursa insisted on keeping it," Aang said, smiling softly. Ursa had always made him feel so welcome. The truth was, at this point, Aang no longer recalled his mother's face. He wasn't even sure if the name he had was her real name. He recalled the name 'Liyah', but that didn't mean it was actually hers. It could have been the name of any female Air Nomad who showed him kindness. Sure, he'd left her when he was hardly weaned, but he still thought that maybe she would have came to him in dreams. Maybe it had, 100 years ago.

By this point, he couldn't recall. Whenever he tried to think of his mother, Ursa's face would morph onto the body of an Air Nomad woman instead.

She may be quiet and reserved, but Aang knew that she would protect him as fiercely as though he were her own fire-cub, just as she did for Azula and Zuko. He couldn't imagine her renouncing him if the truth ever came out. Maybe, because he was connected to her grandfather in a way, she'd enjoy it even more.

Momo placed a tiny paw to faded paint, before turning to Aang. Aang had only had this little guy for about two days, but already he was starting to feel slightly unnerved by him at some times. Not that he didn't adore this animal to bits, but there were times he was absolutely sure that Momo...was looking at him. Really looking at him, as though he understood everything.

But he was just a lemur, right?

...Right?

"And, that's basically my family, I guess. Like you, I uh...don't have much. Or not my people anymore," Aang said. "We're similar in that way, huh?"