The Burning Truth-Peace

Part 10~Avatar

"Zuko, come with me." Fire Lord Ozai towered over his five-year-old son, scowling at him. Zuko gulped, feeling like he had done something wrong even though he knew he hadn't.

Ozai's footsteps echoed off the floor and around the room, making Zuko cower further. "Father? Have I done something wrong?"

Ozai stopped, glaring down at his son making Zuko step back. "No, I simply wish to show you something."

Zuko let out a sigh of relief, following Ozai to the war room. "Do you see this Zuko?" Ozai pointed to the map as Zuko tilted his head.

"It's a map?"

"It's a map of the different nation's territory. Everything red is ours. You see how much of the map is red?"

Zuko turned his attention back to the map, a surge of pride running through him when he noticed what his father was talking about.

"And you see how much of the map isn't? By the time you ascend to the throne, the whole map will be red and this will be yours to control and command." Ozai glanced at his son who was gasping in wonder. "However, there is one who wishes to stop us. It is his will that we are destroyed. He is the avatar and he is the single most evil person in the world. The day will come when we as a nation have to face him and you will have to learn early, the mere thought of the avatar is the destruction of the fire nation. If you ever hear about him from the people, you tell me instantly." Ozai gripped his son's shoulder as Zuko nodded.

"Alright, I promise I will tell you."

Zuko growled as he lowered his head, blocking out the images in his mind. "This is stupid, there is no way I'm the avatar." Zuko curled in on himself, not wanting to admit the issues running through his mind.

"Hey, how are you holding up?"

Zuko screamed, whipping his arm around much to Hachi's shock as he was covered in water.

Zuko's eyes widened as Hachi shivered before laughing. "Not well? How did you ever convince the fire nation you weren't the avatar?" Hachi shook off the water, draining the water from his clothes.

Zuko turned away from Hachi. "This has never happened before."

Hachi hummed, sitting beside Zuko. "Maybe it has but you've never noticed."

Zuko scoffed. "Yeah right."

Sighing slightly, Hachi glanced at the ceiling. "That's what I thought when you guys thought I was the avatar. I tried to think of any time the elements behaved weirdly but I couldn't find anything. Probably because I wasn't the avatar but it definitely made me think." Hachi didn't know what to say as Zuko stayed quiet.

"How did you deal with it? When you thought you were the avatar, how did you deal with it?"

"Weren't you paying attention? I did not deal with it." Hachi stared off into the distance, a haunted expression on his face. "But if I hadn't realised I supposed I would have gone to Isu. She's trained her whole life to train the avatar so I'm sure she would have some extravagant plan on how to win the war or take down the government." Hachi chuckled slightly as he thought about it.

"Is that why you're here? To convince me to join?"

Hachi hummed before shaking his head. "Nope. I'm here because you looked like you needed someone to talk to."

Zuko opened and closed his mouth a couple times before sighing and collapsing in on himself. Hachi rubbed a hand on Zuko's back, trying to suppress the shiver that ran up his spine.

Zuko gasped as he looked at Hachi. "You're freezing."

Hachi shook his head. "No, I'm fine." Even though he might try to deny it, Hachi rubbed his arms to try and get out the lingering ice coldness in his arms.

Zuko frowned, taking Hachi's hands away from his arms. He placed them in the air, before holding his hands underneath. Taking a deep breath, Zuko moved his hands, creating a small flame in his palms.

Hachi sighed in relief as he warmed up, He slumped over, curling closer to Zuko and placing his head on Zuko's shoulder. Zuko gaped in shock, hesitating before he wrapped his arms around Hachi.

Hachi shuffled closer, nuzzling into Zuko's warmth. Hachi let out a light laugh, tilting his head up and pressing his chin on Zuko's chin. "You haven't hugged someone before, have you?"

Zuko looked away, a small blush on his cheeks. "Well, my family wasn't the touchy-feely type."

"Really? Iroh looks like the touchy-feely type."

Zuko opened and closed his mouth, sighing as he nodded. "I suppose he is."

Hachi relaxed as Zuko wrapped his arms around him. They stayed like that for longer than either realised. By the time Iroh found them, they were both asleep, Hachi curled on Zuko's chest.

Isu leaned over the two, biting her lip. "Oh, I'm never letting him forget this."

~~~

Hachi yawned as he packed away the last of their things. Despite having talked to Zuko and calmed him down over a week ago, Zuko was still unable to come to terms with the situation.

Now they couldn't stay any longer. They had run out of resources and needed to return to some sort of civilization.

"Everything packed?" Isu jumped down from the sledge she had somehow obtained over the last day and a half.

Iroh nodded, petting the polar bear dogs they had obtained to pull the slay.

Katara finished tightening the last strap as she stood up. "Yeah, we're good to go. Though I'm not sure how grammy will react to our return. We did just leave without telling her."

Sokka lowered his head slightly. "Oh yeah, the tribe has probably been looking for us. Maybe we should have said something before we headed out."

Placing a hand on Katara's shoulder, Isu smiled at her. "Well, let's not keep them waiting any longer."

Hachi nodded, holding out a hand to the side. "Ready, avatar?"

Taking a deep breath, Zuko took Hachi's hand, pulling himself off the floor. "Yeah. I'm ready."