A Second Flame: Zuko x Reader

Chapter 49

June was just as I remembered her, loud, deadly, but strongly alluring. The whole bar felt as if it circled around her, this was her territory and we were invaders.

"Hey, I remember her. She helped you attack us." Sokka reminisced.

"Yep. Back in the good old days." Zuko replied glancing over at me knowingly.

"Remember how stupid your hair was back then?"

"Shut up." He blushed slightly from the embarrassment.

Ah, Zuko never changes.

We stepped towards June, immediately earning us disgusted glances,
"Oh great it's Prince Pouty and his girlfriend...see she still hasn't left you yet? Surprising. Where's your creepy Grandpa?"

"He's my Uncle and he's not here."

"And I would never leave Zuko! Except for that one time..."

"Okay, okay. Sheesh. I was only teasing. So what do you want?" She took another swig of her drink.

"I need your help finding the Avatar."

"Hm doesn't sound too fun.."

"Does the end of the world sound like more fun?" Zuko questioned fire burning in his eyes.

~

She lead us outside to where Appa and her shirsue were waiting,
"Nyla.." she lovely throw him a piece of meat, "Who's my little, hmm, Snuffly-Wuffly? Okay. So who's got something with the Avatar's scent on it?"

"I have Aang's staff." Katara said handing the staff to June for Nyla to sniff.

The creature began to circle sniffing the air for a trace of the scent. After failing to sniff anything, Nyla plopped to the ground and groaned.

"Well what does that mean?"

"Means your friend's gone." June replied.

"We know he's gone that's why we're trying to find him."

"No I mean he's gone gone. He doesn't exist."

"What do you mean Aang doesn't exist? Do you mean he's ... you know, dead?" Sokka stumbled as we quickly all exchanged panicked looks.

"Nope. We could find him if he were dead. Wow, it's a real head-scratcher. See ya." She stated mounting the shirsue.

"Helpful real helpful..."

"Wait. I have another idea. There's only one other person in this world who can help us face the Fire Lord. I'll be right back with a smell sample." Zuko rushed off and returned with..

"You saved your Uncle's sweaty sandle?" Sokka scrambled trying to breath in as little of the smell as possible.

"I think it's kind of sweet." Toph smiled.

The shirshu rushed up to sniff the sandle,
"Let's do this."

"Hey wait up!" Zuko shouted as we all struggled to get onto Appa.

The night breeze left a bittersweet haze in the air as we flew past. The moon quickly turned to sun as Appa followed the shirsue's every move. It was so strange to fly without Aang leading the way.

Hillsides turned to deserts which turned into the broken repents of a fallen city,
"We're going to Ba Sing Sa?"

Nyla dug at the rumble,
"Your uncle's somewhere beyond the wall. Nyla's getting twitchy so he can't be too far. Good luck."

June took her shirsue and turned into a speck on the hills far far away. I looked towards Zuko, this was his Uncle after all. Even though Iroh was basically family.