Fuel To My Fire - Book Three (ATLA Zuko Fanfiction)

Chapter Two

Sakari's POV

"Sakari, would you walk with me please?" Azula asked.

I was sitting happily at the turtleduck pond when she came to stand next to me, scaring the turtleducks away. Great. Just what I needed on my sixteenth birthday.

"I guess so." I replied, sighing as I stood and followed her. "Where are we going?"

"Just for a walk. I want to get to know you." Azula stated.

"What do you want to know?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at her.

We spent the long walk up the volcano talking about anything that came to mind. Azula explained her and Zuko's childhood in more detail than I had already known, and I realised just why the two of them turned out the way they did. Then she started asking questions about my childhood and my adventure in Ba Sing Se, I even told her about my relationship with Zuko.

"Oh, I am sorry that I'm making you dance together then!" She exclaimed, seeming genuinely sorry. But I knew it was an act.

"It's fine. I'm sure I can hold in my anger for one dance." I told her.

We rounded a corner and came face to face with Zuko and Mai! They were sitting on a blanket talking, but then they started kissing. My heart dropped. He's seriously moving on that quickly?! Azula cleared her throat loudly, making our presence known.

"Zuko, could I have a word with you?" She asked.

"Can't you see we're busy?" Zuko replied, kissing Mai again.

"Ugh." I groaned a little too loud.

"Mai, Ty Lee needs help untangling her braid." Azula rolled her eyes at them.

"Sounds serious." Mai replied, reluctantly getting up.

She sent a glare at Azula as she walked past, then looked me dead in the eye and smirked, making me glare at her and accidentally heat the air around me.

"You're making it hotter than it already is." Azula whispered to me.

I quickly got a hold of myself and the air around me went back to its usual temperature. Zuko had a confused look on his face as he stared at me, I simply turned away from him to look at Azula instead.

"So, I hear you've been visiting uncle fatso in the prison tower." Azula said to Zuko.

"That guard told you." Zuko stated angrily, getting to his feet.

"No, you did... Just now." Azula said smugly.

Zuko's been visiting Iroh? Why would he do that? He betrayed Iroh...

"Ok, you caught me." Zuko stated. "What do you want, Azula?"

"Actually, nothing." She shrugged. "Believe it or not, I'm looking out for you. If people find out you've been to see uncle, they'll think you're plotting with him. Just be careful dum-dum."

Azula started to walk off back to the palace, with me in tow, when she stopped to call back to Zuko.

"Oh, and Zuzu. You better start practicing for my birthday." She told him.

He got up in annoyance and followed us down the path back to the palace.

*****

"Come on, you guys, you have to think of something!" Ty Lee told us.

We were in a large empty room, that was apparently usually used for Agni Kai's, trying to think of a dance to do for Azula's birthday. Ty Lee was meant to be helping us with the choreography.

"Why don't we just do the Fire on Fire dance?" I suggested, not wanting to spend too much time with Zuko.

"Noooo! You gotta make your own dance! It'll be so much better if you do!" Ty Lee complained.

"How are we supposed to choreograph our own dance, Ty Lee?" I asked, everything about dance suddenly leaving my brain.

"I'll help! We just have to find the right mood first! Happy? Sad? Romantic?" Ty Lee said, while walking on her hands.

"Not romantic." Zuko said bluntly.

"Oh, gee, thanks hothead." I spat at him.

"I just don't see that going well." Zuko said.

"Why? Because your girlfriend will be watching?" I said, crossing my arms.

"Do you have a problem with Mai?" Zuko asked, getting in my face now.

"Who me? Nope. No problem at all." I said turning my head away from him.

"Kind of seems like you have a problem." Zuko smirked.

"Well I don't!" I snapped, shoving him away from me.

"Woah, guys!" Ty Lee gasped, stepping in front of us. "We could use this!"

"Use what?" I asked, still glaring at Zuko.

"This anger! We could choreograph a dance and make it look like you guys are fighting!" Ty Lee announced excitedly.

I thought about it for a second and nodded my head, Zuko did the same. It wasn't a bad plan to be honest. Ty Lee began helping us pick out a song, it was one I'd never heard before, something about being pushed down, and then she started helping us choreograph.

"You know what? This is exactly how I wanted to spend my birthday." I said sarcastically, standing in front of Zuko.

I did a handstand and was then pushed forward back onto my feet by Zuko, he then pushed me to the floor, and I did a spin and ended with my legs in the splits.

"It's your birthday?" Zuko asked.

"Yes." I said bluntly, lifting myself off the floor.

"Happy Birthday, Sakari!" Ty Lee squealed, crushing me in a hug.

I whispered a thank you to her and peeled her off me, giving her a grateful smile.

"Alright so how about we just come up with the next part and then you can go and enjoy your birthday!" Ty Lee suggested, and I quickly agreed.

We decided that the next part would be me lifting myself off the ground just using my legs, which was kind of hard, but I managed. And then Zuko would push me to the side and "catch" me in one arm, then push me so that I had to walk a few steps to straighten my body up.

"Are we done yet?" Zuko complained.

"Can you just run through it once more for me?" Ty Lee asked, giving us puppy dog eyes.

Zuko and I glared at each other and then I sighed, we gave in to Ty Lee and ran through what we had come up with so far. The band played for us in the background, the song was rather good and the man singing it had a great voice.

"I'm leaving now." I stated as soon as we had finished.

*****

I had spent the rest of the day at the turtleduck pond playing with the baby turtleducks. I was bending the water from the pond and watching as they tried to catch it, it was quite entertaining.

"That's so cute!" The girly voice of Ty Lee said from behind me.

"Hey, Ty Lee." I greeted her as she sat next to me.

"What are you doing here all alone on your birthday?" She asked, looking at me sadly.

"Well, if you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have any friends here." I reminded her.

"That's not true! I'm your friend!" She announced, smiling happy.

"Ok, then I only have one friend." I corrected, laughing at her cuteness.

"Also, not true!" She basically sang. "We have a surprise for you!"

"We?" I asked.

"You didn't think I'd let you celebrate turning sixteen without me, did you?"