Accidental Avatar

Out under the moonlight...

The door opened, and Iroh slipped in, closing it behind him. Zuko and I were busy prepping one of the little boats to get Zuko to the Water Tribe.

"If you are fishing for an octopus, my nephew, you need a tightly woven net, or he will squeeze through the tiniest hole and escape."

"I don't need your wisdom right now, uncle," Zuko responded calmly, his voice low.

"I'm sorry," Iroh said gently. "I just nag you because...well..." Iroh was actually on the brink of tears, and I stepped forward to wrap my arms around him. "Ever since I lost my son..."

"Uncle..." Zuko bowed his head, his shoulders sagging. I felt like an intruder, but there was nowhere else for me to go. "You don't have to say it."

"I think of you as my own," I stepped back and looked over to Zuko. He turned to Iroh with a sad expression that was also kind of happy in a way.

"I know, uncle," he bowed respectfully to Iroh. "We'll meet again."

"And you, Amaya," Iroh put a hand on my forearm. "Keep him safe. You are like the daughter I never had."

I gave him a small grin. "I'll keep him out of trouble."

Iroh pulled us both into a tight hug, which for me, pretty much crushed every bone in my body. My breath came out in a pained wheeze, which didn't help when Zuko hugged his uncle back.

Zuko gently pushed Iroh off.
"After I have the Avatar," he turned away and climbed into the boat, and once I had caught my breath, I climbed onto the boat so I could be lowered to the water. I'd be making a little ice raft thingy since the boat was a one-person thingy.

"Remember your breath of fire," Iroh added, and I could see the fatherly, 'don't forgets' coming. "It could save your life out there."

Once we reached the water, I quickly made a little ice float and carefully climbed onto it. Then I waterbent us both towards the tribe, carefully and quietly, to avoid detection.