The Protector || An ATLA Fanfiction

10

The moment I open my eyes, I know something is wrong. The Fire Nation flag is hung proudly on the wall, a red tint filling the room. I sit straight up, Iroh sitting next to the bed.

"Tea?" he offers. "You must have been very tired."

I want to slap the dainty cup away, but my father's voice fills my head, pushing away the rage. "Thank you" I take the cup, taking a small sip. "Where am I?"

The old man chuckles "How rude of me, you are on Prince Zuko's ship."

"So you're telling me that you two are Fire Nation royalty? What are you doing in the Earth Kingdom?" I ask. Maybe I should focus on the fact that I'm on a Fire Nation ship.

Iroh sighs, shaking his head in sadness. "My nephew was banished from the Fire Nation three years ago, and must capture the Avatar if he wishes to return home."

I open my mouth to ask what happened, but a man opens the door to the room. "General Iroh, you need to come to the top deck, Prince Zuko is heading for the Fire Nation."

"What?" Iroh gasps, standing to his feet. I scramble to follow, my legs stiff from sleeping. The old man pauses, taking my arm in his, and taking the small cup from me as he leads us up to the top deck.

Zuko stands proudly on the deck, his ponytail moving in the wind. "Sailing into Fire Nation waters ... Of all the foolish things you've done in your sixteen years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish!" Iroh exclaims, the young prince turning around.

"I have no choice, Uncle" Zuko replies smoothly.

I feel the heat roll off of the old man. "Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord banished you? What if you're caught?" he sneers angrily.

"I'm chasing the Avatar! My father will understand why I am returning home!" he snarls, gripping the telescope in his hand.

"You give him too much credit. My brother is not the understanding type!" Iroh sighs, looking to me. "What do you think he'll do if he finds out you have a girl from the Earth Kingdom on your ship?"

Zuko focuses on me, his eyes narrowing, and my heart sinks. "I'm sure my father will be happy to know that I have the only earthbender from Kyoshi Island."

"You tyrant" I snarl, pulling away from Iroh. I feel my rage return, and I swear I hear Kyohsi laughing. "After everything I did to help you, you're going to go back on your word?"

Zuko steps closer to me, and I see the details of the scar that runs across his face. A deep red surrounding his eye, fading away until the color returns to normal. It almost looked like a handprint.

"Maybe you didn't learn it on your small island, but people lie. What are you going to do? There's no earth anywhere on this ship."

Within seconds I have a metal fan pressed against his throat. "Your ignorance is going to get you killed" I growl.

This takes him off guard, even Iroh needing a moment before pulling me away from his nephew. Guards quickly replace the old mans spot, ripping the fan from my grip.

"Send her back to her room and make sure she stays there" Zuko hisses, looking through this telescope. "There they are. Helmsman! Full steam ahead!" I struggle against the guards grip, but he falters when he sees what ahead. "A blockcade" Zuko gasps.

"Technically you are still in Earth Kingdom waters. Turn back now and they cannot arrest you" Iroh presses, but Zuko screams to continue on.

"The Avatar isn't turning around" he growls. I look to the sky, seeing the Avatar's bison pick up speed.

"Please Prince Zuko! If the Fire Nation captures you, there is nothing I can do! Do not follow the Avatar" Iroh pleads.

The Prince sighs, keeping his sights on the Avatar. "I'm sorry Uncle."

"Let me go" I hiss at the guard, who has made little progress. The guard looks past me, his eyes wide with fear. I look to the sky and see a large rock on fire, heading right for the ship. "Let go of me, now!" I shout.

A rush of adrenaline flows through me. "Destroy it before it destroys you" Kyoshi booms around me.

My heart pounds in my chest as the flaming rock soars towards us. Flattening my feet, I grunt as I try to slow down the rock, the heat becoming less bearable by the second. How was I supposed to get rid of this thing if I couldn't touch it?

"Pain is temporary" Kyoshi sneers in my ear. "Would you rather be burned or at the bottom of the ocean?"

With a yell I propel the rock, which flies back into the air before tumbling into the sea. Panting, I look at my hands, which are pink from the heat. I jerk forward as another rock slams into the side of the ship.

"Are you alright?" Iroh asks, looking at my hands. "For someone who thinks so ill of Prince Zuko, you seem to help him often."

"He's not the only life that has been at stake" I reply, looking to the back of ship, which spurts black smoke. I missed one.

"Prince Zuko! The engines are damaged! We need to stop and make repairs!" a man yells from across the ship to Zuko.

"Do not stop this ship" Zuko growls, not even turning to face the man.

"Are you insane?" I snarl, pointing to the scene ahead. "Unless the Fire Nation has some new invention, there is no way we're making it through that."

Zuko smirks "don't worry about that, I have it all figured out."

"Like you figured out your plan to capture the Avatar at Kyoshi Island?"

He rolls his eyes, wiping his smirk away as we get closer to the barricade. "Get her below deck before someone sees, I'll be there soon."

Before I can even try to protest, Iroh rests a calming hand on my shoulder "please, if they see you on this ship-" he stops, a frown growing on his face.

Glaring at the banished prince, I scoff, heading below deck.