Thank you soooo much guys for loving the last one! :D
There isn't too much going on in this one, but you do get to know the characters more including Ta Min! Enjoy!
Chapter 17 – Ta Min’s True Story
Oh gosh! Oh gosh! Oh gosh! Zuko thought frantically as he ran back to Mai. I kissed Katara. Katara!
Zuko felt like dancing and singing his heart out, but he didn’t. It was wrong. Katara had a boyfriend, and he had a girlfriend. He betrayed Mai, and she betrayed Aang. At least they didn’t know about what just happened.
When Zuko entered the tent, Mai was waiting for him. She wasn’t the girl that he wanted to see, so he couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
“Where have you been?” She asked. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
She moved over and patted the area next to her. Zuko sat there.
“You, my Firelord, are under a lot of stress,” Mai said. “Let me make you better.”
She leaned over and kissed him. Her kiss felt weird compared to Katara’s. He pulled back from Mai.
“Actually, I’m fine now,” Zuko told her. “Let’s just relax and talk.”
Mai looked confused but she said, “Whatever. As long as I prove to you that I’m the girl that you want to spend the rest of your life with, I’m fine.”
The only way you can do that is if you turn into Katara, Zuko thought indignantly.
Zuko woke up the next morning feeling in love. He walked out of the tent by himself for Mai was still sleeping. The rest of team Avatar was already awake. Katara was passing out breakfast to everyone by a boiling pot of water, looking exhausted. He was about to tell her “hello”, but she didn’t even seem to notice that he was standing right next to her. Though she did, for she handed him a bowl of rice without saying anything. All she could do was blush. Zuko blushed too, and walked away with his food. Then he remembered something and walked back to her.
“Katara, can I get another bowl for my girlfriend?” Zuko asked.
This time she looked up at him. “Of course.”
She handed him another bowl, and their fingers touched in the middle. They looked up slowly from the food and their eyes found each other.
“Sorry!” They both exclaimed in unison.
Katara let go of the bowl and Zuko started to walk back to the tent.
Aaaawkwaaaard, Zuko thought.
He walked in the tent and touched Mai’s shoulder. She woke up and looked at him.
“Good morning,” Zuko said. “I brought you breakfast.”
“Thank you,” Mai replied as she took her breakfast that Zuko got her. “I know we just woke up, but I can tell you’re in a good mood. Did something I say last night get to you?”
“No. No, it wasn’t you,” Zuko answered. “I mean, I figured out my problems on my own.”
“Good for you,” Mai said. She started to eat her food. “You must be happy that you’re going to see your mother, too. And, I’m happy for you. It’s been a long time.”
“It has,” Zuko agreed.
“Though, what are we going to do once we find her? Take her back to the Fire Nation?” Mai asked. “And what will I do?”
“I won’t take her back unless she wants to. And, I don’t know what you’re going to do,” Zuko answered.
In fact, Zuko did have an idea about what Mai was going to do. She couldn’t stick around anymore. Her coming on the trip wasn’t a bad idea; it was just annoying. Zuko wanted her to go, and probably end their relationship for good as well. But how was he going to tell her the truth? The day after the comet, Mai told him to never break up with her again. Should he try to get Mai to break up with him? No. Mai loves him too much. She’ll never break it off. Zuko needed time to think about the situation, but he wasn’t sure how much time he had.
After they were all ready, they got on Appa and flew off. Zuko sat on the saddle with them for they were just flying straight. Aang’s arm was around Katara’s shoulders. Zuko wondered what Katara was thinking. She hadn’t made eye contact with him since this morning. Maybe he should just put love aside for now and act like nothing happened between them yesterday.
“Your mother, Zuko,” Ta Min said, “should be living in a town named Lon Lon. I know the town, for I visited it once, so I’ll know when we’re there.”
“What were you doing there?” Suki asked out of curiosity.
Ta Min smiled her crooked smile and said, “I was getting married.”
Everyone was shocked.
“In the Earth Kingdom?” Katara asked.
Ta Min replied, “Yes. It’s always better to marry someone not from your own nation. You learn more from each other that way.”
“So, I’m partially related to the people of the Earth Kingdom?” Zuko questioned.
His grandmother smiled and nodded. “It was one of the best decisions of my life by marrying him…but it cost us.”
“What happened?” Mai asked, suddenly interested.
“It’s the reason why Azulan and I got into a fight,” Ta Min explained. “Marrying a person from a different nation if you were from the Fire Nation was against the rules. It was forbidden love, but I did it anyway. Soon I convinced Azulan to let us stay. So, many, many happy years went by with my husband and me. For some reason around the time Zuko was born, Azulan said that he’d had enough with my Earth Kingdom trash and me. Next thing I knew my husband and I were banished.”
“Where’s your husband now?” Toph asked.
“Gone. He died a long time ago; he was ancient. The reason why I didn’t tell you this before is because it wasn’t the right time,” Ta Min answered.
“How is now different from when we were eating dinner a couple days ago?” Zuko questioned.
“I now know who your girlfriend is, and I disagree with your choice for this very reason.” She moved closer to Zuko. “Since you are the Firelord now, you know it’s your duty to bring balance and diversity back to the world. You can set a good example for people in the Fire Nation to get with a person from another nation by having one of your own. Also by doing that, you can end that stupid rule that made my life crumble.
“Also because of my situation, it is the main reason why I don’t like Mai. I know- it’s a stupid reason. But it was those people who are with a person from the same nation they are in are the same people that caused me to be where I am today: living out of trash cans. That’s why I’m against it so much, dear. I’m sorry.”
Zuko reached over and hugged his grandmother. “It’s okay. I’ll never let anything like that happen to anyone again, I promise. Especially over a relationship debate.”
Zuko was happy that Ta Min told him the rest of her story. It gave him more courage to break up with Mai and go for Katara. He would just tell Mai that’s the reason why he doesn’t want to be with her. Now it was up to Katara to make a move…
There isn't too much going on in this one, but you do get to know the characters more including Ta Min! Enjoy!
Chapter 17 – Ta Min’s True Story
Oh gosh! Oh gosh! Oh gosh! Zuko thought frantically as he ran back to Mai. I kissed Katara. Katara!
Zuko felt like dancing and singing his heart out, but he didn’t. It was wrong. Katara had a boyfriend, and he had a girlfriend. He betrayed Mai, and she betrayed Aang. At least they didn’t know about what just happened.
When Zuko entered the tent, Mai was waiting for him. She wasn’t the girl that he wanted to see, so he couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
“Where have you been?” She asked. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
She moved over and patted the area next to her. Zuko sat there.
“You, my Firelord, are under a lot of stress,” Mai said. “Let me make you better.”
She leaned over and kissed him. Her kiss felt weird compared to Katara’s. He pulled back from Mai.
“Actually, I’m fine now,” Zuko told her. “Let’s just relax and talk.”
Mai looked confused but she said, “Whatever. As long as I prove to you that I’m the girl that you want to spend the rest of your life with, I’m fine.”
The only way you can do that is if you turn into Katara, Zuko thought indignantly.
Zuko woke up the next morning feeling in love. He walked out of the tent by himself for Mai was still sleeping. The rest of team Avatar was already awake. Katara was passing out breakfast to everyone by a boiling pot of water, looking exhausted. He was about to tell her “hello”, but she didn’t even seem to notice that he was standing right next to her. Though she did, for she handed him a bowl of rice without saying anything. All she could do was blush. Zuko blushed too, and walked away with his food. Then he remembered something and walked back to her.
“Katara, can I get another bowl for my girlfriend?” Zuko asked.
This time she looked up at him. “Of course.”
She handed him another bowl, and their fingers touched in the middle. They looked up slowly from the food and their eyes found each other.
“Sorry!” They both exclaimed in unison.
Katara let go of the bowl and Zuko started to walk back to the tent.
Aaaawkwaaaard, Zuko thought.
He walked in the tent and touched Mai’s shoulder. She woke up and looked at him.
“Good morning,” Zuko said. “I brought you breakfast.”
“Thank you,” Mai replied as she took her breakfast that Zuko got her. “I know we just woke up, but I can tell you’re in a good mood. Did something I say last night get to you?”
“No. No, it wasn’t you,” Zuko answered. “I mean, I figured out my problems on my own.”
“Good for you,” Mai said. She started to eat her food. “You must be happy that you’re going to see your mother, too. And, I’m happy for you. It’s been a long time.”
“It has,” Zuko agreed.
“Though, what are we going to do once we find her? Take her back to the Fire Nation?” Mai asked. “And what will I do?”
“I won’t take her back unless she wants to. And, I don’t know what you’re going to do,” Zuko answered.
In fact, Zuko did have an idea about what Mai was going to do. She couldn’t stick around anymore. Her coming on the trip wasn’t a bad idea; it was just annoying. Zuko wanted her to go, and probably end their relationship for good as well. But how was he going to tell her the truth? The day after the comet, Mai told him to never break up with her again. Should he try to get Mai to break up with him? No. Mai loves him too much. She’ll never break it off. Zuko needed time to think about the situation, but he wasn’t sure how much time he had.
After they were all ready, they got on Appa and flew off. Zuko sat on the saddle with them for they were just flying straight. Aang’s arm was around Katara’s shoulders. Zuko wondered what Katara was thinking. She hadn’t made eye contact with him since this morning. Maybe he should just put love aside for now and act like nothing happened between them yesterday.
“Your mother, Zuko,” Ta Min said, “should be living in a town named Lon Lon. I know the town, for I visited it once, so I’ll know when we’re there.”
“What were you doing there?” Suki asked out of curiosity.
Ta Min smiled her crooked smile and said, “I was getting married.”
Everyone was shocked.
“In the Earth Kingdom?” Katara asked.
Ta Min replied, “Yes. It’s always better to marry someone not from your own nation. You learn more from each other that way.”
“So, I’m partially related to the people of the Earth Kingdom?” Zuko questioned.
His grandmother smiled and nodded. “It was one of the best decisions of my life by marrying him…but it cost us.”
“What happened?” Mai asked, suddenly interested.
“It’s the reason why Azulan and I got into a fight,” Ta Min explained. “Marrying a person from a different nation if you were from the Fire Nation was against the rules. It was forbidden love, but I did it anyway. Soon I convinced Azulan to let us stay. So, many, many happy years went by with my husband and me. For some reason around the time Zuko was born, Azulan said that he’d had enough with my Earth Kingdom trash and me. Next thing I knew my husband and I were banished.”
“Where’s your husband now?” Toph asked.
“Gone. He died a long time ago; he was ancient. The reason why I didn’t tell you this before is because it wasn’t the right time,” Ta Min answered.
“How is now different from when we were eating dinner a couple days ago?” Zuko questioned.
“I now know who your girlfriend is, and I disagree with your choice for this very reason.” She moved closer to Zuko. “Since you are the Firelord now, you know it’s your duty to bring balance and diversity back to the world. You can set a good example for people in the Fire Nation to get with a person from another nation by having one of your own. Also by doing that, you can end that stupid rule that made my life crumble.
“Also because of my situation, it is the main reason why I don’t like Mai. I know- it’s a stupid reason. But it was those people who are with a person from the same nation they are in are the same people that caused me to be where I am today: living out of trash cans. That’s why I’m against it so much, dear. I’m sorry.”
Zuko reached over and hugged his grandmother. “It’s okay. I’ll never let anything like that happen to anyone again, I promise. Especially over a relationship debate.”
Zuko was happy that Ta Min told him the rest of her story. It gave him more courage to break up with Mai and go for Katara. He would just tell Mai that’s the reason why he doesn’t want to be with her. Now it was up to Katara to make a move…