Stratus | Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Chapter Six | Return

"You sound like my nephew." He sighed, sipping his tea. "Always thinking you need to do things on your own without anyones support. There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you, not that I love you, I just met you."

Toph giggle, making a grin bloom on Kumo's face as she rested a gloved hand onto the girls head, who jerked slightly out of shock. 

"You're a strong kid," she commented, moving her hand away before she looked back out onto the fading sun. "The world needs more people like you."

Toph blinked, pausing slightly at the praise before she looked away.

"So, where is your nephew?" Toph asked, looking in the direction of Iroh. 

"I've been tracking him actually, I'm sure you've been doing the same, Kumo," His tone was empty as he glanced towards Kumo, who got up and walked to the cliff edge, getting a better view of the scene before her.

"Is he lost?" The blind girl asked curiously.

"Yes, a little bit." Iroh admitted. "His life has recently changed and he's going through difficult times, he's trying to figure out who he is and he went away." 

"So, now, you're following him?" She asked. Kumo let out a sigh, letting a tear slip down her cheek, before dabbing it with the back of her hand, not wanting to smudge her war paint. Toph didn't miss the vibrations of a tear hitting the earth.

"I know he doesn't want me around right now," Iroh answered, feeling slightly downhearted," but if he needs me, I'll be there."

"Even though he can be a jerk sometimes," Kumo chuckled sadly. "But I suppose, thats what love is."

"You're nephew is very lucky," Toph murmured, "even if he doesn't know it, thank you."

Toph placed the cup gently on the ground and got up.

"My pleasure." Iroh grinned. "Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights."

"No, thank you for what you said," Toph smiled, "it helped me."

"I'm glad." Iroh nodded. Kumo turned on her heel to watch the blind child go, feeling happy that Iroh had helped her find her way. 

"Oh, and about your nephew, maybe you should tell him that you need him too," Toph suggested, swinging her backpack over her shoulder before turning to walk away. Iroh sipped his tea in silence, while Kumo savoured the warm breeze. 

"I've missed your tea, Iroh." Kumo broke the silence, sitting back down by the fire. "It really warms a person up, you know?"

Kaze shot up, howling as he sensed something. Kumo followed his lead, bolting up as Kaze's howl could only mean a few things, most of them connected to Zuko. Swinging the saddle bag over his hulking shoulders, she leapt on, helping Iroh up after her. 

"It's Zuko." She hissed, clutching the snowy white fur as Kaze began to bolt through the forest, branches and twigs crunching under his colossal paws. Iroh blinked, gripping the saddle bag tightly as the beast moved faster then he'd ever seen. 

The village came into few shortly, and from the spurts of red and blue fire, they could both tell it was Azula. Kumo also caught eye of a familiar orange clad monk as he evaded the Fire Nation's princess. 

"Faster, Kaze!" Kumo growled, using her wind bending to aid the dog as he shot off, running towards the village. Kumo wasn't going to let that b*tch hurt him, that was her job after he'd suddenly got up and left. 

Skidding into the abandon town, Kumo leapt off, sprinting to where the fire bender lay wounded on the ground, Iroh followed her in a less panicked sate. 

"Uncle, Kumo..." Zuko murmured, reaching out a hand as Kumo's furious yet desperate gaze came into his vision. His heart ached at the unshed tears waiting to fall, but was jerked out of it as Iroh pulled him up. 

"Get up!" Iroh demanded, glancing over to where Azula faced Aang, Sokka and Katara. Kumo let out a low hiss, sending a burst of wind towards her back which knocked her forward, barely evading Katara's water. She tripped though as a familiar face turned up.

"I thought you guys could use a little help," Toph grinned, appearing behind Azula. Kumo leapt towards Azula, aiming a strong kick to her head, taking everyone by shock as Azula couldn't dodge it and flew into a wall before getting up. 

Aang nodded to Kumo who briefly registered it in her angry state. Azula shot her blue fire their way before darting down an alley way, only to be surround by everyone, including Zuko and Iroh. She panicked as she was backed into a corner. 

"Well, look at this," she hissed, "enemies and traitors all working together. I'm done! I know when I'm beaten, you got me, a princess surrenders with honour."

Kumo snorted, Azula had something up her sleeve, she always did. Suddenly, she spun on heal, sending a blast of blue fire towards Iroh, before anyway could stop it, it made contact. Zuko let out a pained yell, Kumo following his lead as she ran to the falling man. Out of anger, they aimed their best attacks at Azula, only for her to block them with her powerful, blue flames. Thick, black smog clouded the area, and when it cleared Azula was gone.

Kumo watched the old man, letting her tears fall freely down her cheeks as she felt herself fall numb. Zuko let out strangled cries as he kneeled across from Kumo, broken at the loss of his uncle, hearing the others approaching he warned them away.

"Get away from us." He snarled, Kumo was too shocked to register anything. He'd been her family, he'd been the one who'd guided her with her knowledge and wisdom, he'd kept her on the path she was on, and now he was gone. Toph stood in shock, feeling the soft vibrations of his pained breaths beneath her feet. 

"Zuko, I can help!" Katara insisted, stepping forward but only narrowly avoided the flames he shot towards them. 

"Leave!" He insisted, glaring furiously at them and setting the abandoned village on fire, smoke billowed from the roofs, tumbling up into the sky. The four scattered, leaving the two to mourn Iroh. 

Kumo let out a howl, Kaze joining in the distance as they let their sadness overcome them. 

-

"Zuko, we need to get him inside so I can bandage him." Kumo proposed softly, laying a hand onto the boys shoulder. He nodded dully, unable to say anything as the two lifted the man inside a stable building as carefully as they could.

Kumo snatched her bandages, a canteen, some ointment and a rag out of Kaze's saddle bag as he sat patiently in the corner. She pulled the top of Iroh's robes down to reveal the nasty burn as it festered in blood. She doused the rag in water, gently cleaning the wounded area as Zuko watched over her, eyeing her as Iroh twitched in his unconscious state. She applied some ointment before bandaging his chest with Zuko's help before they lay him back down. 

Zuko sat in silence, watching his uncle desperately. Kumo sat next to him, unsure of what to say or do to comfort him. She could tell he was feeling guilty, and if he needed someone to vent his anger to himself out on, she'd gladly be that someone.

"It's not your fault." She murmured, rubbing her palms together as she glanced over to Zuko, who clenched his fists tightly. "It's really not."

"If I hadn't-"

"It's not your fault, alright!" Kumo insisted loudly, interrupting whatever he was going to say. "It's Azula's!"

Zuko remained silent, but leant his head gently on Kumo's lap, letting her soft hands run through his hair.

He drifted to sleep moments later.