Zuko snuck into the oasis as he saw two girls walk in with a bald boy, that had to be the avatar. He watched them from the distance as he waited to strike. He saw the avatar speak to the girls as he was annoyed almost, he sounded so young, how was someone who's been gone for a hundred years sound like a child..? After a few more minutes he saw the boy start to glow.
"Should we get help?" The white hair girl asked concerned.
"Aang is my friends, I am perfectly capable of protecting him myself," the girl with a long braid down her back in water tribe clothes smiled confidently.
"Congrats, you sound like a big girl," Zuko walked across the small bridge in the oasis.
The girls eyes widen in shock, a fire bender made it in the city, she thought they stopped attacking. How did one get in?
"No.." she looked at him almost fearful.
"Hand him over and I won't have to hurt you," Zuko glared at her. He saw the white hair girl run off to go get help as the brunette got in a fighting stance. Of course she had to be a water bending warrior. He put his fists up to defend himself but his eyes were on the kid with the tattoos. The avatar.
He kicked his foot up sending waves of fire at her as she quickly bended water across her and the kid as a shield but Zuko send multiple punches getting closer to her but she grunted pushing him back with water. She wasn't a master yet it seemed like but she was also young. He could beat her.
Zuko pushed him self up with a back kick of fire as the girl gasped blocking it again but it pushed her back by the impact.
"You definitely can hold your own, but you can't win," Zuko stormed towards her and punched another blast of fire but she stayed on her feet blasting a stream of water to push him back again, and again till he was against the wall. Zuko gasped a little when the water under him started to freeze at his feet and more water bender around him in a small ice ball till there was about two inches of ice.
"Really think it's that easy?" Zuko snarled as he started to use heat inside the ice until it started to crack and he used his fist to slam it against the ice and it shattered everywhere, immediately jumping out and striking powerful fire at the girl.
"Your not taking him," she snarled back but gasped when his hand full of fire reached towards her. She ducked to the side and used water to block his hand.
They looked at each other for a moment as they both had hate in their eyes as Zuko gave up his bending and kicked under the girl, grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her as soon as she landed on the ground with a cry.
"Get off You hog!" The girl screamed at him with grunts trying to get out of his grip.
"You lost," he looked down at her as she tried kicking him.
She splashed water against his face making Zuko lose one moment but enough for her to tackle him back. Zuko growled looking up at her as he tried pushing her off, he grunted getting to his feet but screamed when she grabbed his legs and he fell.
"Get off you little bitch!" Zuko yelled as she was on his back trying to stop him, but she weighed barely anything to him as he crawled towards the avatar.
"Your not getting him fuckhead," the young water bender cried out as he spun onto his back trying to push her off again. She huffed and ran to Aang instead but he grabbed her ankle and she fell next with a thud.
"Yes. I am," Zuko pulled her back as he tried pinning her but she was to squirmy. The girl brought her feet up to kick at his chest as he grunted at her but twisted her so she was on her stomach and arms pinned behind her.
"Aang wake up! Aang!" She yelled but Zuko pushed her to the side as she gasped when he ran towards the avatar.
"No!" The girl cried out rolling to her feet and slamming a body of water against him to send zuko flying past the avatar and landed on his back a few meters away but smacked his head against a rock on the ground, he groaned a little feeling something warm run down the side of his face as everything was blurry.
Suddenly another rush of water slammed into him and Zuko was frozen to the wall of the oasis with blood dripping down to his chin. He barely could keep his eyes open.
A fearful shriek echoed the camp as all the men were immediately up and ready to fight at the scream.
"Stop please!" Zuko sobbed in his sleep as Lee looked over at him wide eyes. It's been months since Zuko joined and he's never had this bad of a nightmare.
"Hey kid, wake up," Lee shook his shoulder seeing men rolling back over annoyed as some where still concerned for their own.
Zuko gasped waking up as tears streamed down his face. He hiccuped a sob as he covered his mouth but he was at least awake.
"You good man?" Lee asked as it wasn't even dawn yet.
"Yea, sorry," Zuko sat up as he wiped his face quickly embarrassed.
"Another nightmare?" Marco looked at him gently.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," Zuko didn't answer but stayed sitting up.
"You should try talking about it, maybe they'll get better," marco offered with a small smile but Zuko glared at him. Tears still in his eyes.
"No," he said flatly wiping his face again.
"Was it your dad?" Lee asked bluntly and zukos eyes widen.
"You scream about your dad a lot and cry for your mom and uncle, you screamed today so I'm guessing it's your old man," he sighed like it was obvious. When he looked at Zuko again there was pure fear in the boys eyes.
"I-I didn't mean- it's n-not.." Zuko tried to find a lie but his hands were shaking in his lap.
"S-sorry," he whispered again as it was getting harder to breathe.
"Trauma is a bitch man," jay laid back down. "Your not alone kid,"
Everyone started to go back to bed but Zuko starred down at his lap, he covered his face again as his fingers brushed over his scar. Tears welded up in his eyes again and escaped down his cheeks, covering his mouth to hide his silent sob.
"Was it bad?" Lee asked. The only one that stayed awake.
"Wha-" "your scar, it had to be pretty bad if you still get nightmares," Lee sat next to him as Zuko gave up trying to hide his tears.
"It was my fault," Zuko whispered keeping his head down. Lee put his hand on top of his head and ruffled his hair a little.
"You didn't deserve it though, whatever happened it wasn't your fault," Lee told him calmly, for once wasnt joking and teasing, he was serious as he kept his voice down for the boy.
"I-I shouldn't have said anything, I should've kept my mouth shut- I-I.." zuko clenched his jaw as he couldn't breathe.
"What happened? Talk to me, you trust me right?" Lee asked looking at him with his light brown eyes. Zuko gulped nodding, he trusted Lee more than anyone in this camp...
"My father.. did it.."
Lee's eyes widen in horror as a tear dropped off zukos cheek. Zuko didn't dare look at him, afraid to see what Lee might think of him. Weak, pathetic, the scar marked his cowardliness and his shame..
Lee thought about when Zuko came to the troops first a few months ago, his scar was fresh...
"Then it's a good thing your stuck with us, we all have scars," Lee smiled at him as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"Jay got a bitch ass scar from his ex girlfriend, she caught him flirting with another girl so she threw a vase at him," Lee smiled down at him as Zuko sniffled.
"Hey, your a kid, your dads a grown ass man, you shouldn't blame yourself because of that fucker," he ruffled his hair again and Zuko gulped. Little does the soldier know that fucker was the fire lord...
It made Zuko smile just the slightest.
"You going to be okay kid?" Lee asked gently and he nodded.
"Sorry for waking you up," Zuko sighed softly.
"Don't worry about it, I got your back," Lee pushed him away and went back to his makeshift bed in the dirt.
"You going to sleep?" He asked as Zuko stayed sitting up.
"I'll try," Zuko nodded gently.
He touched his scar again with hooded eyes and gulped a little. He wanted to fight to show his father he wasn't useless, he was worth something... but he didn't want to go home...
He sighed a little and fell backwards onto the ground staring up at the stars. Somehow he felt more wanted here in dirt than he has in his own home..
Zukos eyes snapped open as he growled looking up, the sun beaming against his skin as it rose in the distance on the horizon. He quietly melted the ice as he watched the girl walk back to the avatar, letting her guard down.
Zuko dropped to the ground with a thud and she turned hearing movement but gasped when he punched fire at her. Quickly blocking with water it pushed her back and she landed hard when her head smacking against the ground.
She laid there dizzy as she started to lose consciousness, she watched Zuko grab the avatar.
"You rise with the moon," he pulled the boy on his back.
"I rise with the sun," Zuko looked down at her as the girls eyes closed when she blacked out.
Zuko could feel his head pounding but ignored the pain to look back for an escape. Cho and marco where waiting for him.