Sequel: The Secret Weapon ›
Status: Complete!
The Sake of Hope
Dual Benders
Zuko’s POV
It was the first night in a long time I had a good night’s sleep. Even sitting up against a wall, I was completely out. And then, when Sake asked me to lay down, I just did. Wait-
My eyes shot open, a horrible mistake considering the window was wide open and it was very early. And very sunny. To my surprise, the room was empty and Sake was no longer in the room. I could smell breakfast, but the door remained shut. Then, all of a sudden, it opened.
If there are ever a few things that I expected to walk through that door, none of them were ever a half naked Sake.
“Oh my gosh,” and I turned away, blushing I’m sure. “I’m sorry.” She actually laughed a little.
“You almost gave me a heart attack. Just keep facing the wall. I just have to get dressed real fast here.”
With my back still turned, she pulled off her bath robe and pinned up her dripping hair. Quickly, a little flustered, she put on some nice pants and her new green robe.
“Ok, I’m fully clothed now.”
I sat up and turned back around.
“That belt, it matches your eyes,” I couldn’t believe it. How did that just come out of my mouth? I just blurted out the first thing that came to mind and now she must think I’m a dork… but wait- why do I care? I don’t…
“Oh… um… thanks,” and she turned her head, but not in time for me to miss her blush. I smiled, satisfied that I wasn’t the only one thoroughly embarrassed.
It was true, though, what I said about the belt. Her eyes, big emeralds, matched the green belt. Her robe was tan and her pants were green like the belt. I hadn’t actually seen her in nice clothes, and now that I had, she was… beautiful. Even with a mop of brown hair dripping down her back, making water spots on the back of her clean robe. I got up to go downstairs, hungry.
“I’m sorry I woke you,” she said as we walked out of the doorway.
“Oh… I was already awake. I’m sorry I stayed… I shouldn’t have been there,” which was true, but it felt so weird to say so.
“Oh, it was fine, honest,” she smiled. We were both acting shy, but I suppose the situation called for it. “You don’t really move much in your sleep,” she added. “Did you sleep ok?”
“I slept fine,” and I was down the stairs; my shell, my wall around my being back in place.
I didn’t understand. She wouldn’t leave me alone. She wasn’t like me. She was happy, hopeful, unscarred… But I didn’t hate her. I stayed last night on purpose. Because maybe she could change me, make me better- make me the man my uncle wished I could be. But, here it was morning. I didn’t feel different anymore. I thought was I did was foolish and stupid. I felt like Zuko again, not Lee. All I wanted Sake to do now was leave me alone… But still, I felt bad. She was… nice.
“Lee, have some juice,” Aunt Jun offered me a glass of bright yellow juice as soon as I was in the kitchen. The thought of it made my stomach turn, but in the corner of my eye I saw my uncle. He smiled, but not directly, not to me. It was a smile of hope. A smile at a thought of something that glimmered in the corner of his mind. He expected something of me- everyone did.
“No thank you.”
“Aunt Jun, do you have a sack for my lunch? Sake entered the kitchen. I just realized that it was quite possible that Aunt Jun and Uncle knew that I had spent the night in Sake’s room. And who knew what was going through their minds. The thought of it made me want to gag. Me and a girl like Sake.
“What happened to the one in your room?”
“Matsu took it to make a mask.”
“Oh… of course. Check in the laundry room. Top shelf.”
She went in and came back out with an old brown sack. In it she put some bread, some cheese, fruit, dried meat, and a canteen of water.
“Well, the wagon will be by here in a minute. Is everyone out front?”
I didn’t know what she meant, but when Aunt Jun nodded I looked out the front window. All nine children waited in the front yard- some sitting quietly, some pushing each other, and some running in circles for reasons unknown.
“Well, I’m off. I’ll see you all tonight,” and as she left she smiled at me in particular. I made sure my face was expressionless, but from her reaction, you’d have thought I’d just kissed her goodbye.
***
That whole week every time I was in contact with Sake I ignored her. I was allowing myself to be grouped with a bunch of… peasants. I didn’t play with her little cousins. They bothered me to no end, but I ignored them. In fact, the only person I talked to on rare occasions was my uncle. But even so, the next week, after Sake got home from school, I found myself sitting at the empty dining room table with her as she worked on some time of school work. I don’t know why I loved to be in her presence. I avoided her and convinced myself I hated her to no end, but I couldn’t believe it. When she was gone for whole days, like today, I had nothing to do. I went crazy. I felt like she was some stupid drug and just sitting with her in complete silence was feeding some addiction. But that was crazy. She was some stupid girl.
I heard the front door open and shut and two little boys who looked just alike sat down at the table with apples in their hands.
“I told you, Miz, they don’t exist.”
“Whatever, they do too! Matsu, Hito wouldn’t lie. His dad’s a… a… well, he’s like real important. He’d probably get arrested if he lied about something like that.” They argued.
Though I showed no interest at all, Sake put down her papers and listened.
“Who is Hito and what exactly did he tell you again?” she asked in between their bickering.
“Hito is this kid at school Sake. He told us this story about these things… well, people, called ‘Dual Benders.’ He said they were benders of more than one element. Matsu doesn’t think they’re real, but I do,” Mizu answered.
“Well, I know a little bit about Dual Benders,” she replied. Now I was interested. We both knew for fact that these didn’t exist and she was going to fill their heads with lies.
“You mean they’re real?!” Matsu exclaimed. They both leaned in with eagerness.
Sake held up her hand.
“I didn’t say that. No one can be for sure. But ancient legends say they were created after the first avatar came to be. His children couldn’t be avatars, but they were half of him. Therefore, they could wield two elements. The people of the world didn’t trust this power after one avatar had a child who tried to overthrow them, so it is forbidden for an avatar to have children. As far as everyone knows, all of the old bloodlines were destroyed, but… one can never be too sure,” and she raised an eyebrow as they listened intently to her story. Her eyes glowed as I watcher her talk, as if she firmly believed in some secret, some old legend. And she told the story like she was there.
“That’s ridiculous,” I said, suddenly. She looked at me and, for the first time, glared.
“What’s so ridiculous about it?” she asked, harshly.
“You’re filling their heads with lies. The avatar abandoned everyone and know you’re saying that there are half-avatars out there? You don’t know anything about the avatar,” I said, and looked away.
“Oh,” she answered, “And you do?”
“Actually,” I stood, almost yelling, “I do.” And I left the room and went outside.
“Go play,” Sake said, and followed me.
“What’s your problem? How dare you!” She yelled while my back was turned, in the front yard.
“What do you mean? You know for a fact that there’s no such thing as a ‘Dual Bender.’ You can’t justify telling them a made up story to make them think it’s real.”
She glared again.
“No, I don’t know that. And there’s no problem with letting them believe in something they want to. They hear lies every day. We’re surrounded by the Fire Nation for pete’s sake,” and she turned away, frustrated, lost in a new thought.
“Stop talking about things you don’t understand. You don’t understand the Fire Nation…” I was saying too much, I knew it.
“I don’t know anything about the Fire Nation? Do you know what guards my school, sending fear into my cousins every time they set foot on the playground? Fire Nation soldiers. Do you know who took my parents and my brother away from me? FIRE NATION. Believe me, Lee, I know plenty,” she screamed, and tears formed in her eyes.
“I’m just saying… there’s more to it than you understand. I know what they’re like too, you know. How do you think I got this scar? Or what happened to my parents?”
She looked down, afraid to say anything, but becoming less angry.
“I’m sorry, Lee. But… well… I mean, it’s hard. I guess I shouldn’t have gotten angry with you. You’re not to blame. It’s not like you’re a soldier anyway…” and she trailed off and started to walk inside. I stood there, soundless fingers coming to trace the outline of my scar. Behind my nose, around my eye, over my ear. I stood there, quiet, gulping, understanding. And it was after she’d already gone inside before I replied, “No… I’m not…”
It was the first night in a long time I had a good night’s sleep. Even sitting up against a wall, I was completely out. And then, when Sake asked me to lay down, I just did. Wait-
My eyes shot open, a horrible mistake considering the window was wide open and it was very early. And very sunny. To my surprise, the room was empty and Sake was no longer in the room. I could smell breakfast, but the door remained shut. Then, all of a sudden, it opened.
If there are ever a few things that I expected to walk through that door, none of them were ever a half naked Sake.
“Oh my gosh,” and I turned away, blushing I’m sure. “I’m sorry.” She actually laughed a little.
“You almost gave me a heart attack. Just keep facing the wall. I just have to get dressed real fast here.”
With my back still turned, she pulled off her bath robe and pinned up her dripping hair. Quickly, a little flustered, she put on some nice pants and her new green robe.
“Ok, I’m fully clothed now.”
I sat up and turned back around.
“That belt, it matches your eyes,” I couldn’t believe it. How did that just come out of my mouth? I just blurted out the first thing that came to mind and now she must think I’m a dork… but wait- why do I care? I don’t…
“Oh… um… thanks,” and she turned her head, but not in time for me to miss her blush. I smiled, satisfied that I wasn’t the only one thoroughly embarrassed.
It was true, though, what I said about the belt. Her eyes, big emeralds, matched the green belt. Her robe was tan and her pants were green like the belt. I hadn’t actually seen her in nice clothes, and now that I had, she was… beautiful. Even with a mop of brown hair dripping down her back, making water spots on the back of her clean robe. I got up to go downstairs, hungry.
“I’m sorry I woke you,” she said as we walked out of the doorway.
“Oh… I was already awake. I’m sorry I stayed… I shouldn’t have been there,” which was true, but it felt so weird to say so.
“Oh, it was fine, honest,” she smiled. We were both acting shy, but I suppose the situation called for it. “You don’t really move much in your sleep,” she added. “Did you sleep ok?”
“I slept fine,” and I was down the stairs; my shell, my wall around my being back in place.
I didn’t understand. She wouldn’t leave me alone. She wasn’t like me. She was happy, hopeful, unscarred… But I didn’t hate her. I stayed last night on purpose. Because maybe she could change me, make me better- make me the man my uncle wished I could be. But, here it was morning. I didn’t feel different anymore. I thought was I did was foolish and stupid. I felt like Zuko again, not Lee. All I wanted Sake to do now was leave me alone… But still, I felt bad. She was… nice.
“Lee, have some juice,” Aunt Jun offered me a glass of bright yellow juice as soon as I was in the kitchen. The thought of it made my stomach turn, but in the corner of my eye I saw my uncle. He smiled, but not directly, not to me. It was a smile of hope. A smile at a thought of something that glimmered in the corner of his mind. He expected something of me- everyone did.
“No thank you.”
“Aunt Jun, do you have a sack for my lunch? Sake entered the kitchen. I just realized that it was quite possible that Aunt Jun and Uncle knew that I had spent the night in Sake’s room. And who knew what was going through their minds. The thought of it made me want to gag. Me and a girl like Sake.
“What happened to the one in your room?”
“Matsu took it to make a mask.”
“Oh… of course. Check in the laundry room. Top shelf.”
She went in and came back out with an old brown sack. In it she put some bread, some cheese, fruit, dried meat, and a canteen of water.
“Well, the wagon will be by here in a minute. Is everyone out front?”
I didn’t know what she meant, but when Aunt Jun nodded I looked out the front window. All nine children waited in the front yard- some sitting quietly, some pushing each other, and some running in circles for reasons unknown.
“Well, I’m off. I’ll see you all tonight,” and as she left she smiled at me in particular. I made sure my face was expressionless, but from her reaction, you’d have thought I’d just kissed her goodbye.
***
That whole week every time I was in contact with Sake I ignored her. I was allowing myself to be grouped with a bunch of… peasants. I didn’t play with her little cousins. They bothered me to no end, but I ignored them. In fact, the only person I talked to on rare occasions was my uncle. But even so, the next week, after Sake got home from school, I found myself sitting at the empty dining room table with her as she worked on some time of school work. I don’t know why I loved to be in her presence. I avoided her and convinced myself I hated her to no end, but I couldn’t believe it. When she was gone for whole days, like today, I had nothing to do. I went crazy. I felt like she was some stupid drug and just sitting with her in complete silence was feeding some addiction. But that was crazy. She was some stupid girl.
I heard the front door open and shut and two little boys who looked just alike sat down at the table with apples in their hands.
“I told you, Miz, they don’t exist.”
“Whatever, they do too! Matsu, Hito wouldn’t lie. His dad’s a… a… well, he’s like real important. He’d probably get arrested if he lied about something like that.” They argued.
Though I showed no interest at all, Sake put down her papers and listened.
“Who is Hito and what exactly did he tell you again?” she asked in between their bickering.
“Hito is this kid at school Sake. He told us this story about these things… well, people, called ‘Dual Benders.’ He said they were benders of more than one element. Matsu doesn’t think they’re real, but I do,” Mizu answered.
“Well, I know a little bit about Dual Benders,” she replied. Now I was interested. We both knew for fact that these didn’t exist and she was going to fill their heads with lies.
“You mean they’re real?!” Matsu exclaimed. They both leaned in with eagerness.
Sake held up her hand.
“I didn’t say that. No one can be for sure. But ancient legends say they were created after the first avatar came to be. His children couldn’t be avatars, but they were half of him. Therefore, they could wield two elements. The people of the world didn’t trust this power after one avatar had a child who tried to overthrow them, so it is forbidden for an avatar to have children. As far as everyone knows, all of the old bloodlines were destroyed, but… one can never be too sure,” and she raised an eyebrow as they listened intently to her story. Her eyes glowed as I watcher her talk, as if she firmly believed in some secret, some old legend. And she told the story like she was there.
“That’s ridiculous,” I said, suddenly. She looked at me and, for the first time, glared.
“What’s so ridiculous about it?” she asked, harshly.
“You’re filling their heads with lies. The avatar abandoned everyone and know you’re saying that there are half-avatars out there? You don’t know anything about the avatar,” I said, and looked away.
“Oh,” she answered, “And you do?”
“Actually,” I stood, almost yelling, “I do.” And I left the room and went outside.
“Go play,” Sake said, and followed me.
“What’s your problem? How dare you!” She yelled while my back was turned, in the front yard.
“What do you mean? You know for a fact that there’s no such thing as a ‘Dual Bender.’ You can’t justify telling them a made up story to make them think it’s real.”
She glared again.
“No, I don’t know that. And there’s no problem with letting them believe in something they want to. They hear lies every day. We’re surrounded by the Fire Nation for pete’s sake,” and she turned away, frustrated, lost in a new thought.
“Stop talking about things you don’t understand. You don’t understand the Fire Nation…” I was saying too much, I knew it.
“I don’t know anything about the Fire Nation? Do you know what guards my school, sending fear into my cousins every time they set foot on the playground? Fire Nation soldiers. Do you know who took my parents and my brother away from me? FIRE NATION. Believe me, Lee, I know plenty,” she screamed, and tears formed in her eyes.
“I’m just saying… there’s more to it than you understand. I know what they’re like too, you know. How do you think I got this scar? Or what happened to my parents?”
She looked down, afraid to say anything, but becoming less angry.
“I’m sorry, Lee. But… well… I mean, it’s hard. I guess I shouldn’t have gotten angry with you. You’re not to blame. It’s not like you’re a soldier anyway…” and she trailed off and started to walk inside. I stood there, soundless fingers coming to trace the outline of my scar. Behind my nose, around my eye, over my ear. I stood there, quiet, gulping, understanding. And it was after she’d already gone inside before I replied, “No… I’m not…”