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

Chapter Nine

Sakari's POV

I was sat behind Zuko on a rhino as we tracked Iroh through the forest, we were following the footsteps of ostrich horses until I noticed something on the ground.

"Hey, what's that?" I said, nudging Zuko and pointing to the ground in front of us.

The rhino came to a halt and Zuko jumped off, inspecting the thing. It was one of Iroh's shoes, Zuko sniffed it just to be sure.

"Yep. That's Uncle Iroh." Zuko confirmed.

He put the shoe in the rhino's saddle bag and was about to hop back on when I suddenly felt faint, and at the same time, felt somebody grab my arm. I was lifted into the air by someone and was now looking down on myself and Zuko, I watched as Zuko looked concerned and checked to make sure I was still breathing before seating me in front of him on the rhino.

"Wow. He actually looks concerned."

I turned to the person that spoke and saw that it was Aang! I was shocked to see that he was basically transparent, but I hugged him nonetheless.

"Aang! I've missed you so much! What's going on?" I asked, attempting to pull my arm out of his grasp so that I could step away and see the young Avatar better.

"No, don't!" Aang warned. "I can only keep you in the Spirit World if I'm touching you."

"Wait, why are you in the Spirit World?" I asked as we began to follow Zuko so as not to lose my body.

"Long story. How are you doing? Have you got any more information for us?" Aang asked.

"I don't, sorry... Not about the war anyway." I told him sadly. "I know plenty about Zuko and his Uncle, but they don't really talk about the war."

"Maybe you should come back to us then." Aang suggested.

"No... I can't." I told him.

I don't know what had come over me. It felt like someone else was speaking for me, but I just knew that I couldn't leave now.

"What?"

"I don't know how to explain it, Aang... I just feel like I'm so close to figuring something out, I can't leave yet." I said.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked, clearly growing concerned about my mental state.

"Aang... These people aren't all bad... I know they've done bad things but there's some good in them." I told Aang, pleading for him to understand. "I think maybe I can set Zuko on a different path. There's so much good in him, it's just been tainted by his father and the Fire Nation."

"I think I get it." Aang said, stopping me from talking.

"You do?" I asked surprised.

"Of course! You know I always try to see the good in people!" Aang reminded me. "If you think there's good in Zuko, then I guess I'll just have to let you bring it out of him."

"What are you going to tell Sokka and Katara?" I asked.

"I'll tell them the truth." Aang stated.

"For some reason, I don't think they'll handle the truth very well." I told him, thinking about how my siblings would react to my decision.

"I'm sure they'll understand once I tell them that I agree with you." Aang said hopefully.

I smiled at him and pulled him into another hug, saying our goodbyes and wishing each other good luck. Aang let go of my arm and I was instantly transported back to my body, which was currently pressed against Zuko's chest.

"What happened?" He asked in his raspy voice.

"I... Don't know." I lied.

I would rather not have him know I was just talking to the Avatar.

"Hmm. I'll have you seen by the doctor when we return to the ship." Zuko told me.

I nodded against his chest when the rhino we were on came to a sudden stop and turned. I looked up to see that Appa was flying above us, it must have been Sokka or Katara.

"The Avatar." Zuko stated.

Before he could change his course, however, he looked back to the footprints we were following and remembered that Iroh was in trouble. He turned the rhino back to the path and continued following the footprints, and it made me so proud of him. I would never tell him that though, of course. We continued on for about another ten minutes before we came to a large open hole in the ground. Looking down I saw that the Earthbenders had a half-naked Iroh in chains and were about to crush his hands with a boulder. Before I could react, Zuko rushed from my side and managed to kick the boulder away just in time, then he freed Iroh by crushing the chains with his foot. I quickly slid down the side of the hole and joined the two Firebenders as we stood with our backs to each other, ready to fight.

"Surrender yourselves. It's five against three. You're clearly outnumbered." one of the Earthbenders said.

"That's true, but you are clearly outmatched." Iroh countered.

The Earthbenders attacked first, throwing rock after rock at us, I had my eye set on one in particular. Using the water from my water skin, I gave myself long water arms and ran towards the Earthbender, shooting icicles at him from my arms. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Zuko fighting two of the attackers with fire and Iroh was using his chains as weapons on the other two. I stayed focused on mine and whipped him multiple times with the water, shoving him around so much that he was unable to gain his footing. I used the water to push myself into the air and came down on the Earthbender, kicking him square in the face and knocking him out. I stood straight and looked over to Zuko and Iroh, who had taken care of the other four Earthbenders.

"We make a great team, don't you think, Prince Zuko?" Iroh stated, looking over to me.

"Uncle. Would you please put on some clothes?" Zuko told Iroh.

I laughed at this and the two of them turned to me and stared for a moment before Iroh started to laugh as well.

"Seriously, though, put some clothes on." I agreed with Zuko, still chuckling.

"I don't know where my clothes are though." Iroh argued.

Zuko and I shook our heads, I was still giggling as we made our way up the side of the hole to the rhino. I hopped onto the rhino, ready to go back to the ship and get some sleep, Zuko sat behind me, and Iroh behind him. Zuko's arms were around me, holding the reigns as we headed in a direction that I quickly figured out was not the way to the ship.

"The Avatar was here, Uncle. I think there's a village nearby." Zuko told Iroh.

"Oh?" Iroh responded.

Zuko was right. We entered a village gateway shortly after and stopped in front on a small house that a man came out of, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Zuko quickly jumped off the rhino and stepped over to the man.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Zuko asked before pushing the man back into his house. "Seen the Avatar lately?"

Zuko stepped into the house and shut the door behind him, I got scared for the man inside.

"You'll get through to him, Sakari. Of that I am certain." Iroh suddenly spoke.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, slightly taken aback.

"Oh, nothing, nothing." Iroh said, looking up at the night sky and pretending he hadn't said anything.

Zuko appeared a moment later and got back onto the rhino, steering it out of the village again.

"Now we're going back to the ship." Zuko stated.