The Art Of Finding Each Other (Zutara)

Point Of No Return

Hira'a had a strange ambiance to it. The town was quiet yet lively at the same time, and at first glance, the war already seemed nothing more than a distant memory. Amidst the striking sun, the refreshing palm trees, and the small mountains framing the horizon, it looked like a great place to spend a few relaxing days away from the hustle of Capitol City.

Though that was more than certainly not what they were doing there.

Zuko took a deep breath, inhaling the hot air that surrounded them. He was finally where his mother was supposed to be hiding. Because she had to be there, or else who knew what corners of the world he would have to explore in order to find her.

"Appa, stay here, got it?" Aang's voice brought him back to reality. "We'll come back later."

"It's not like he has anywhere else to go to, right?"Azula chanted, stumbling across the field.

"You stay here too," Zuko said, grabbing her by the shoulders. "We'll head to the village in just a moment."

His sister rolled back her eyes, grunting some inexplicable complaint. Yet, she stopped walking.

"Alright, do we have everything?" Katara asked, shooting him an inquisitory look. "If so, we should get going."

He couldn't help but keep his eyes on her for just an extra second as if he was making sure she would not fade away at any given moment. They had managed to make it through her argument with Azula, who he had a serious conversation with after returning from the clearing. A part of him had grown fearful of what could happen if the rest of the team were to find out about Katara and him, probably as a consequence of his most recent heart to heart with the waterbender. Though he mostly felt joy whenever he took a minute to think about that. In between the seemingly never-ending uncertainty, his feelings for her were the one thing that remained crystal clear.

"Um, yeah," Zuko said as he blinked, snapping himself out of his mind. "I have everything I need." He brushed his fingers against the portrait hidden inside his pocket, the one image of his mother he had brought with him. Hopefully, it would prove useful for his search.

"Momo, you're coming with me." Sokka placed the lemur on his right shoulder. "Now I'm ready to go."

"Are we having a lunch break or should I just attack some of those cookies?" Toph asked.

"Just take whatever you want and we'll improvise once we see how things go," Suki replied. "Let's get going already."

"Alright, alright," Aang clung to the bag on his shoulders. "Hoods on, everyone."

As the group started walking down the path to town, Zuko kept a close eye on his sister. Azula walked with such determination, such energy, that almost questioned whether or not she had any clue of what was going on. How could she be so enthusiastic instead of controlled by fear? There was something remarkable about her unswervable attitude, concealed under a thick layer of delusion and uncontrollable rage.

It didn't take too long for the village to become visible on the horizon once they started passing by a few solitary homes. The residents of the town didn't seem to notice them so much, just a group of teenagers in baggy clothing, as they strolled through the busy streets.

"Okay, I think this is a good place to start," Zuko said, stopping by a nearby palm tree. "Now we separate so we can cover more ground. We'll meet back here in a couple of hours."

He had chosen to stop right before the main square, where the multitudes stumbled from one street to another as they went about their day. The midday sun rose treacherously up in the sky, though the sunshine made for a brighter ambiance that seemed to be a good match for such a tranquil place.