Confused Feelings

-Zuko's Point of View-

The sun has gone down now. Even though we got to where the light was, there was nothing there! I couldn't sleep! Where could the Avatar be?!

I tossed and turned around the bed, but certainly, I am not gonna get a good night's rest. So I went to the ship's balcony and stood there; trying to keep my eyes on the horizon, hoping that I would see something— that I would see hope.

"I'm going to bed now," my uncle said from behind me. I didn't even notice him. He let out a big lazy yawn after saying what he said. I didn't answer him back.

Go sleep if you want! You don't have to tell me everything.

"Yep! A man needs his rest," he continued. I still didn't say a word. Saying anything to him is useless.

"Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you are right, and the Avatar is alive— you won't find him! Your father, grandfather, and even great-grandfather all tried and failed!" he continued talking.

"Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture— mine does! This coward's 100 years of hiding are over," I finally answered. "If you want to sleep, then go ahead and help yourself. I'm staying out a bit more. Stop bothering me," I continued.

Uncle didn't say anything more and he just went inside.

Just wait Avatar, I'll come looking for you and I will never stop hunting you down.

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-Maya's Point of View-

It's now a bright sunny morning! Another day for new weird moments and another day of living in this small village of the southern water tribe. I hope our sister tribe is doing fine on the other side of the world.

"Hey Maya, can you go wake up Aang for me? I want to introduce him to the entire village but I've got my hands occupied," Katara said while carrying some firewood.

"Oh sure! I'll go check on him!" I answered and then I stood up.

"Thanks! Tell him Everyone's waiting!" she added.

I started walking toward Aang's tent and as soon as I got there, I went inside and I saw him half-naked while asleep. I cleared my throat and then I tried waking him up by calling out his name.

"Aang? Aang, wake up," I said. He's still not responding. "Aang... Aang?" I repeated.

He suddenly sat up while screaming. I was startled by it.

"A-are you okay? What happened?" I asked him. He was sweating and out of breath. Did he just have a nightmare?

"Oh, sorry... Yeah! I'm fine it's just... something," he answered with a sigh. I stared at him for a bit.

Yup, it was definitely a nightmare. I've been having nightmares myself so I should know.

"It's fine, we're in the village now," I said as I placed my hand on his back. "Why don't we go outside?" I asked.

"C'mon! Get up! Everyone's waiting for you," I tugged him up without waiting for his reply. I stood up to take a peek outside and I looked back at him again.

He was putting on his shirt. I saw that his body was filled with tattoos— arrowhead tattoos from his head down to his feet.

If he was an airbender, he must have been not just any regular airbender. The nomads are known for these sacred tattoos. He must've been someone special.

I know this because Mom used to tell me stories back then when I was a kid about the Southern air nomads. She even told me that she met a spirit from the southern islands that can manipulate one's energy and enable one to bend a certain element.

She told me wonderful things about all the other nations— even about the fire nation. I actually, admired my mom back then because she still looked at the fire nation with beauty and hope even though they were nothing but destruction and selfishness.

When he was about done dressing up, I grabbed his arm, he grabbed onto his staff, and I dragged him outside. I saw that Katara have gathered the whole village together.

Looking at them, it makes me sad. The southern water tribe used to be glorious! Now, we're just like a flock of penguins living in the tundra of the south. This is all because of the fire nation, I blame them for this.

I left Aang beside Katara and then I went on to join the other village people and sat down with the kids. I looked around searching for Sokka and I saw him on the other side of the crowd— he was far from us.

"Aang, this is the entire village!" Katara said. Most of our villagers now are comprised of women because all of our men went away for battle.

Nobody said a word. Everyone was quiet. Why am I not feeling a welcoming vibe from the entire village?

"Entire village, Aang!" Katara said. Aang held his staff between his hands, he held it in front of his body and then took a bow.

However, the villagers seemed threatened by it. The elders hid their young ones in their arms.

"Uh... Why are they all looking at me like that? Did Appa sneeze on me?" Aang asked.

"Well, no one has seen an airbender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct— until my granddaughters and grandson found you," Gran-gran straightforwardly said as she walked up to the young boy.

"Extinct?!" Aang asked.

"Ugh, Aang! This is our grandmother," I said while pointing out to Gran-Gran.

"Call me Gran-Gran," she timidly replied.

Just then Sokka came walking towards Aang and Katara.

"What is this, a weapon?" he asked after grabbing Aang's staff. "You can't stab anything with this," he said while examining it.

Aang swooped back the staff with some airbending.

"It's not for stabbing! It's for airbending!" he flicked the staff and wings came out of it. Sokka was startled but the kids were amazed by it.

"Haha! Magic trick! Do it again!" said one of the toddlers.

"Not magic, airbending! It lets me control the air current around my glider and fly," Aang enthusiastically explained.

"Well last time I checked, humans can't fly," Sokka argued.

Aang then grabbed onto his glider and said, "Check again!"

And with that, he went soaring up in the sky.

He was gliding left and right; going on in circles and loops, and it was amazing!

The kids were entertained and it was my first time seeing an actual airbending in front of me! Who would have thought that after a hundred years, I will get to see a real airbender?

I was looking at him with great amazement and so was everyone else, but I noticed that Aang was only looking at one person, and it was Katara. The smile on my face suddenly turned to a frown.

Why is it that every time I see him stare at Katara, I get this uneasy feeling that I can't understand? It's bothersome! I hate it!

I shook my head and then started walking away from the crowd, just then I heard a loud crash, followed by Sokka shouting.

"Ah! My watchtower!"

After that, I heard laughing and giggling, and Sokka overreacting; but I didn't look back.

I'll just go do some chores. I'm not really obligated to watch Aang show off. I mean, I do have things I need to do...

"Maya!" I was stopped in my tracks when I heard Aang call out to me. When I turned around, his face was already just an inch away from mine. I was startled by it and slipped.

"Woah! Are you okay?" he asked while reaching out his hand to me. I grabbed his hand and I slowly stood up. I cleared my throat before saying,

"Yeah, I'm fine... I'm fine Aang," I said.

"I saw you. Why'd you walk away? Didn't you enjoy what I did? Katara said it was amazing!" Aang asked.

Yeah right... Katara said it was amazing.

Good for you then.

"Oh no... It was great actually!" I answered. "I just had something to do that's why..." I said as an excuse.

To be honest, I don't really know why I walked away. I've been feeling weird since yesterday. I don't know what has gotten into me.

"Oh... You're busy too?" Aang suddenly said in a sad tone.

"Why? What's up? Need company?" I asked.

"Well... I want to go penguin sledding but I had no one to go with," he answered.

I don't know why, but I felt happy with just the thought of him wanting to be with me. I am really weird today. What is going on?

"I was going to ask Katara but Gran-Gran said she had chores to do. I thought about Sokka but he seemed uninterested in it. Then I remembered you! Can you go penguin sledding with me?" he said.

Suddenly my mood changed.

I'm the last person you thought of? Well then, maybe you'd be better off penguin sledding alone! I'm not going!

"Oh, sorry Aang, I can't. I do have things to do. Why don't you just wait for Katara to finish? She won't take long. Well then, I'll be going!" I said and then I ran away from him.

I started helping out with the chores but I can't do things properly. What is this weird feeling?! I can't concentrate!!!

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-Iroh's Point of View-

"CONCENTRATE! Again!"

It's the middle of the day and my nephew wanted me to teach him some firebending techniques.

He's now sparring with our soldiers on board. He's trying to show me the basic tactics I taught him before, but it appears to me like he didn't learn a single thing.

"NO! Power and firebending comes from the breath! Not the muscle," I said as I straightened out my arm and do a fighting stance.

"The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes FIRE!" I explained as I released fire from my fist. "Get it right this time," I commanded him.

"Enough! I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready," he argued.

"No! You are impatient! You have yet to master your basics, DRILL IT AGAIN!" I yelled back. This nephew of mine is very impatient and arrogant too. But you must have to master the basics, Prince Zuko. I can't let you learn the advance set with such weak roots!

He let out an angry growl and released fire out of his foot aimed at one of the soldiers.

"The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last airbender. He must be a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements. I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him! YOU WILL TEACH ME THE ADVANCED SET!" My nephew demanded.

I looked at his eyes, his face, particularly his scar. I can see that he's filled with anger and hatred, and that scar is the reason for it all.

I can't believe I'm saying this Prince Zuko but, there is no way that you'll be able to defeat the Avatar even if you learned the advanced set.

I wanted to say those words, but I didn't want to kill the fire inside of him. If this is what will keep my nephew sane and filled with hope, then...

"Very well, but first! I must finish my roast duck!" I said and grabbed the bowl of roast duck beside me. It was a delaying tactic so Zuko can practice the basics while I eat, and I am also really hungry too.

Train well, Prince Zuko. You may not be able to use these skills against the Avatar, but I know you'll be able to make use of them in the future.

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-Maya's Point of View-

Ugh! What a tiring day! I've done a lot of chores but why is it that my mind is more tired than my body?

I am now walking back to my tent, hoping I'd get an early rest but I heard Sokka's voice. He was yelling something. Who's he yelling at?

I crawled up behind one of the walls and watched Sokka train the little kids of our village to become warriors.

"Now men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a firebender. In the water tribe, we fight 'til the last man's standing. For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?" he dramatically said but he got no response from the kids. This is super humiliating. Haha!

"I gotta pee," one of the kids suddenly raised his hand. I laughed as I watched the whole thing going on.

"Listen! Until your fathers return from the war, they're counting on you to be the men of this tribe! And that means, NO POTTY BREAKS," Sokka argued.

"But I gotta go!" the kid argued back.

Alright, time to intervene.

I walked toward Sokka and stood by his side.

"Oh c'mon Sokka, can't you let the kid go? It's not like we're in a dangerous situation or anything," I said with a little giggle in my voice.

Sokka gave me a defeated look and then he let out a deep sigh.

"Okay... Who else has to go?" he asked the other children. Then suddenly all of them raised their hands.

Pft-HAHAHAHAHA! This is the funniest one yet!

Sokka smacked his palm against his face, while I stood there laughing loudly!

My laugh was cut off when Katara came in.

"Have you both seen Aang? Gran-Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago," she asked.

I looked at her and I just shrugged. I don't know where he is and it's not like I care.

"Wow! Everything freezes in there!" we suddenly heard Aang say from the potty igloo, and then the kids who needed to go potty laughed around him. It kinda made me giggle a little but when I saw how Katara was smiling at him, I stopped.

"Ugh! Katara, get him out of here! This lesson is for warriors only," Sokka said.

"Oh come on Sokka, they're just kids! What could they do?" I asked.

"Wee!"

The three of us looked at where that sound came from and it was from a kid who was sliding on Appa's tail. We saw most of the kids playing and having fun in the snow as well.

Katara and I started laughing and Sokka stormed off to where the fun is going on.

"STOP! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" Sokka shouted.

When he got to where Aang was, he suddenly started yelling at him.

"What is wrong with you?! We don't have time for fun and games with the war going on!" Sokka shouted.

"What war?" Aang asked as he jumped off of Appa's back. "What are you talking about?" he asked once more.

"You're kidding right?" Sokka asked back.

The whole conversation was dropped when Aang shouted, "PENGUIN!!!!!" and he ran as fast as he could towards the penguin that he saw.

"He's kidding right?" Sokka asked again while the three of us were left standing there.

Seriously? He doesn't know about the war? For real though, how long did he stay in that iceberg?

If he doesn't know about the war, and the war started a hundred years ago, then could it be that he was stuck on that ice for a hundred years?

That's impossible, right? He must be old and ragged by now if he's gonna be a hundred-plus year old. This is crazy! Who is this kid?

"Um... I'm gonna go after him. You guys wanna come?" Katara asked.

"There's no way I'm going anywhere with that kid around. He's trouble Katara," Sokka answered.

Katara then looked at me waiting for an answer.

I don't know if I want to come. I mean, there's this feeling inside me that wants to go but not when Katara's around.

"Uhm... I think I'll pass. I'm beaten— tired of all the chores I did. I'm gonna go in now. Sorry," I said, and then Katara went off to follow Aang.

Sokka went back to training the kids and I just stood there.

After a few minutes of staring into thin air... I then found myself walking towards where Katara went.

"Ugh! Maya! I hate you for this." I said to myself as I started running.

———

I arrived in this penguin ice land where Aang and Katara were. I was hiding behind a rock thinking to myself that this is all just out of my concern for my cousin.

Yeah! That's right! I'm just looking out for Katara. Sokka did say that Aang is trouble so I have to keep an eye on them.

Aang was trying to catch a penguin to sled with but he wasn't successful. Katara went towards him and Aang suddenly stood up.

"I have a way with animals," he said and then he started mimicking the penguins.

I can't help but smile at him. There's just really something in him that I can't explain.

Katara laughed as she said,

"Aang, I'll help you catch a penguin, if you teach me waterbending," she proposed.

Did I hear that right? An airbender teaching a waterbender how to bend water? Has she gone crazy?

And I thought Sokka was the only crazy one.

"You got a deal! Just one little problem, I'm an airbender, not a waterbender. Isn't there someone in your tribe that could teach you?" Aang replied.

He is right. What were you expecting Katara?

"No. You are looking at the only waterbender in the whole south pole," She said.

What she said pierced through my heart. If only I knew how to waterbend. If only I was gifted with such power, then Katara wouldn't have been alone.

"This isn't right. A waterbender needs to master water. What about the north pole? There's another water tribe up there, right? Maybe they have waterbenders who could teach you!" Aang said.

"Maybe, but we haven't had contact with our sister tribe in a long time," Katara said.

That's true. The two water tribes from opposite poles lost contact a hundred years ago when all this war started.

"It's not exactly, turn right at the second glacier. It's on the other side of the world!" Katara continued.

"But you forget. I have a flying bison! Appa and I can personally fly you to the north pole! Katara, we are gonna find you a master!" Aang proposed.

My eyes grew wide at what Aang said. I suddenly realized that this isn't right. I'm eavesdropping on other people's conversations.

What am I even doing here in the first place? I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't concern myself with whatever Aang or Katara wants to do.

I didn't wait for Katara to answer and I just started running back to the village.

They can leave the village for all I care! And no! I'm not mad! I'm just... confused. I don't know!

Whatever! I'm going to rest! They can do whatever they want. It's not like I'm needed in that picture. I'm better off not involving myself with them.

I arrived back at the village and I bumped into Sokka.

"Hey, what's up with you?" he asked.

"Don't talk to me," I sternly replied and walked straight towards my tent. I laid down there and I tried putting myself to sleep.

C'MON, BRAIN YOU HAVE TO LET ME SLEEP. YOU HAVE TO SLEEP. STOP THINKING ANYMORE AND JUST SHUT DOWN SO I CAN REST!

AND NO! FOR THE SECOND TIME, I AM NOT ANGRY! I'M JUST... TIRED!