Fuel to my Fire - Book One (ATLA Zuko Fanfiction)

Chapter Eight

Sakari's POV

It was a few days after the incident now and my throat was feeling much better. I woke to realise that the ship wasn't moving anymore. Confused, I made my way to the deck.

"What's going on?" I asked Iroh when I saw him.

"A lead on the Avatar." Iroh confessed.

My heart sank, but as I looked on to the large shipyard we were docked at, I saw that Aang and my siblings were nowhere in sight. I did see Zuko however, he bent over and picked something up off the ground. Even from this distance I could see it clearly, it was my mother's necklace. The one Katara wore.

"Why was my sister here?" I asked Iroh, my face showing no emotion.

"This was a prison for some Earthbenders. So, you tell me? What do you think she would have been doing here?" Iroh asked me.

I thought about it for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

"She was probably breaking the Earthbenders out." I sighed.

Zuko returned to the ship and instructed his crew on where to go next, I was too far away to hear him though. He looked at me briefly before turning away and disappearing inside the ship. I let out another sigh and decided to go back to my room to meditate.

*****

"It has been too long." Tui told me as I entered the Spirit World.

"I know, I'm sorry." I said. "Things have been... complicated."

"Nothing should distract you from your training." Tui said harshly.

"I'm sorry, master." I said defeated.

"Now." Tui began. "I am going to explain to you ONE LAST THING."

"Wait... My training is almost over?" I asked, shocked.

"It might be over already. This last lesson is voluntary, you do not have to learn it. I will explain it first and let you think about it. If you return to me again, I will know you have chosen to learn the technique. I am going to explain to you about an art called Bloodbending."

*****

I opened my eyes and looked down at my bed in shock. I could have the power to control people? Tui explained that there is water all around us, in plants, in the air, I can even use my own sweat! I just need to feel the moisture around me and pull it from where it hides.

"Intense lesson?" A voice asked.

My head shot up towards the door where I found Zuko standing there, holding Katara's necklace. He entered the room and shut the door behind him, making his way over to me.

"What is this?" He asked.

"Uhm... A necklace." I stated.

"I know that! I mean why is it so special? Your sister never takes it off." Zuko stated.

"It was my mother's necklace... She died in a Fire Nation raid when I was nine." I told Zuko.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Zuko said, expressing actual concern.

"I was in our home with her when the raid started... Sokka and Katara were outside playing" I started. "We heard yells come from the village and my mother told me to hide in a chest in the corner of the room. She was about to leave the house to check what was going on when a man walked in, he was wearing Fire Nation armour and he pushed my mother down on her knees. He was looking for the last Waterbender, obviously thinking there was only one."