Reborn In Water || ATLA

Heretic

"Impose your will on me until fire sets me free." - Avenged Sevenfold 

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Akira Tulan's pet badger mole Gamabunta wasted no time taking Aelita back to her body. Spirits, she thought to herself, this really couldn't be real. Shukaku faded away before her eyes and the mole began to dig once more. She covered her eyes instinctively as they tunneled into the Earth.

"The world needs you."

What could she possibly do for the world? She was one person, someone not even wanted in her own country at that. The Akira. It simply couldn't be true. There was no way. This was just a dream. Aelita moved her arm from over her face when she felt the badger mole stop digging. She was back in the camp where she had left her body still tucked into Zuko's. The boy seemed to always sleep like the dead so she wasn't surprised he hadn't stirred not a damn once in her absence. Maybe if he hadn't he would've woken her up. 

The firebender slid off the moles back and looked up at Mushu perched on top of his head. "You better be back in my room where I left you or so help me you're grounded when I get back." She scolded the small animal. The ferret tilted his head before laying back down on top of the mole. "So if I'm in the spirit world how do I get back?" She asked the two creatures. Great, she had succumbed to talking to animals.

The badger mole either understood or determined she was a threat, either way, Aelita wasn't sure. The mole lifted one of its massive paws and moved it towards her, making her flinch back but no pain ever came. Instead, Gamabunta lightly touched one of his long claws against her head and everything faded away.

Aelita woke with a jolt and found herself struggling to breathe. She shot up and buried her head in her hands trying to make sense of what she had been through, chest heaving hard. The sun was just beginning to rise and her whole body shook. The sudden movement woke Zuko, her Prince jerking upright beside of her 

"What's happening?" He asked as his eyes scanned the area. Were they being attacked? Was something wrong? Was she hurt? 

"It's...uh..." Aelita struggled for words in a way she never did before. Zuko saw her frazzled state and his tension gave way to plain worry and concern.

"You're shaking." He observed. Noticing how pale she was he placed a hand on her cheek. "You're freezing too. Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Aelita leaned into his touch and inhaled his scent. She had to calm down. "I'm uh...I'm fine. I promise. Just a really bad dream." She looked down at her hands and sighed a breath of relief when she found they easily formed a small ball of fire. She let the flame fade and turned to her Prince. "Sorry I woke you."

"We would've needed to wake up soon anyway," He promised and pulled her close, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders in an attempt to ward off her chills. "Your nightmares have come back recently." He said softly and tucked his chin into her shoulder.

"How did you..." Aelita trailed off.

"I've known for a long time now," Zuko admitted. "Your room was close enough to mine in the palace I would hear you crying or yelling." He used to check on her every single night just to make sure she would be okay. "They stopped for a while, but you've been having them again."

Aelita was speechless. Not embarrassed, but surprised more than anything that someone had paid attention to her so closely. 

"Wanna talk about it?" He asked as he watched the sun in the sky.

What was she supposed to tell him? What could she tell him?

'I think I'm the Akira, surprise!"