Honor, Love, and Dragons (Zuko x OC)

The Southern Raiders

Separation

~~~

The next morning the entire group laid sleeping around the fountain. Ivana was comfortably sleeping with her back against Zuko's, something they became accustomed to when sleeping on the ground. Botan slept soundly on the other side of her for the first time in years. The three of them spent the whole night talking about their lives. Ivana and Zuko explained everything that happened after Botan's disappearance and how they traveled the Earth Kingdom. "You followed him around the Earth Kingdom? Dang, well I hope Zuko realizes how lucky he was to have you," Botan said, squinting at Zuko a bit. Zuko scratched the back of his neck before he changed the subject.

It seemed things would go their way after all. That is until a bomb flew into the pagoda, startling everyone awake. Aang directed it away, letting it explode in the canyon. Two more bombs followed. "Anything you want to tell me?" Ivana asked her brother and Zuko.

They looked at each other before shaking their heads as they stood. Aang closed the storm shutters around the pagoda. Bombs continued to hit the shutters as the ceiling began to fall around them. Toph and Haru created a tunnel in the side of the mountain with their earthbending. "Come on! We can get out through here!" Toph shouted over another explosion. Everyone shuffled forward until only Appa was outside. It wasn't until then Ivana realized Zuko wasn't next to her.

"What are you doing?" Aang shouted to Zuko as he faced the airships. Ivana turned to see him.

"Go ahead! I'll hold them off. I think this is a family visit." Ivana felt it too. Azula.

"Zuko! No!" Aang argued.

"Come on! We've gotta get out of here!" Sokka shouted. Ivana helped Aang, Katara, and Sokka pull on Appa, but he wouldn't budge. Ivana glanced back to Zuko, watching him race out the shudders. She yelled his name, but he was gone. Fear filled her chest, but Aang's voice brought her back to the task at hand.

"I can't get him to go in there! Appa hates tunnels!" Aang said.

"Aang, there's no way we can fly out of here," Katara said..

"We'll have to find a way!" Aang knew Appa would refuse no matter what they did.

"We need to split up. Take the tunnel and get to the stolen airship," Sokka ordered the others.

Ivana realized it as well, turning to her brother. "We need to split up too. If Zuko gets himself killed, Aang needs a firebending teacher," Ivana explained quickly. "I promise I'll see you soon." He said goodbye as she hugged him. She ran to Appa and climbed on. Her gaze turned to Toph.

"I can clear that away and we can fly out through there!"

"Um, there's an awful lot of fire in that general direction..." Suki said nervously.

"We'll get through. Let's go," Aang said stubbornly. Toph bent the earth in their way into a shield for Appa as they flew out of the temple. Aang flew around while Katara whipped fire blasts away from Appa.

Ivana knew Aang was trying to wait for Zuko. She watched him battle Azula. They both shot fire at each other at the same time, propelling them both off the airship. Aang maneuvered Appa to catch him. Ivana and Katara grabbed his hands to pull him safely into the saddle.

"She's ... not gonna make it ..." Zuko said, slight distress in his voice. They watched as she used fire to propel herself onto the cliff side. "Of course she did."

"She always does," Ivana said, holding his hand.

~~~

They flew through the day before making camp. Appa got pretty tired, having carried almost twice the amount he used to. They gathered around the fire, eating a meal.