This chapter contains strong language and mature themes that may not be suitable for younger readers.
We approached the entrance to the North Pole. There was a wall of ice guarding the city. Zhao sighed and turned to Iroh and me, "I'm making history today. I will be destroying the Water Tribe Civilization."
"Gee, I'm so excited," I rolled my eyes.
Zhao ignored my comment and turned around, "Prepare for the first strike."
I nodded to Iroh signifying that I was going to go meet up with Zuko.
I found him in his disguise halfway down the hall, "Zuko, we're nearly there. Tell me you have a plan."
"I'm figuring it out," he started to walk away.
"Figure it out faster," I called after him.
Soon, Zhao started attacking the walls of the city. He fired fireballs, canons, guns, you name it.
I saw Aang flying above, destroying fire nation ships, but I knew there were too many for him to take down.
The sun started setting and the moon was starting to come up.
I walked over to Zhao, "You really should stop. Once the moon comes out they grow stronger. I'm a waterbender, I should know."
Zhao nodded and ordered his soldiers to stop. Then his face took an evil expression, "The moon problem won't be a problem for long."
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Iroh walked up to me, "Zuko's gone to find the Avatar," he whispered.
"What?! Without me? I thought the plan was I was going to go with."
Iroh shrugged.
"Uh, no. He's an imbecile with no plan. He will get himself killed in the cold like this. I'm going."
"(Y/N), wait- how am I going to explain your absence to Zhao?"
"You'll figure it out!" I started sprinting off the ship.
***
I spent way too long looking for Zuko. This motherfucker doesn't know how to answer his damn phone.
I called him again.
He answered this time, "Zuko! Where the fuck are you? I swear to god, you little shit I'm going to burn your fuckin-"
"(Y/N). Calm down. I'll send you my location."
"Calm down? Calm down?! I called you 37 times! What the hell took you so long?"
"My phone isn't in the best shape since the explosion, you know! It's all cracked and it's hard to answer calls!"
"Shut up Zuko," my phone's text notification went off, it read 'Zuko started sharing his location with you', "I got your damn location. Bye."
"(Y/N)-"
I hung up the phone and started running towards Zuko. Unfortunately, he did not stay in one spot and was constantly moving, making it that much harder to reach him.
Soon, his little icon on my phone stopped moving, which meant he stopped moving.
Zuko's location led me to a weird garden in the city. The sun had risen and I knew Zhao was going to attack soon. The garden seemed almost spiritual. I walked into the garden to see Zuko's phone on the floor and Katara knocked unconscious.
I am going to kill Zuko.
I ran over to Katara and shook her awake.
"Are you okay?" I asked her.
She looked at me angrily, "your stupid boyfriend took Aang!"
"Hey man, not my boyfriend. He is however stupid, and I swear when I find that little shit I'm going to- UGH!" I got up, "I cannot believe he would leave his phone here. That motherfucker did that on purpose. I know he did he doesn't want me going after him. I'm not an idiot! I'm going to find him, and I'm going to make him take a long walk off a really short ledge."
Katara stared at me blankly, "are you okay?"
I turned and smiled, "Peachy," I sighed and ran my hands through my hair, "listen, I'm sorry about Zuko. He's just, well it's complicated. I can handle him, but you should know he's really determined to get Aang. Really determined."
Katara looked dismayed, "Well, he has him now."
I placed a hand on her shoulder, "We'll find him."
As if on cue Aang's Sky Bison landed next to us. Sokka and a girl with white hair climbed off the bison.
The girl with white hair pointed at me, "What is she doing here? I recognize her, that's (Y/N)."
I smiled and held out my hand, "Pleased to meet you."
She looked at my hand and did not shake. Tough crowd.
Sokka sighed, "That's what I say every time we see her, but Aang insists she's a good person."
"Why are you talking about me like I'm not here?" I asked him.
He ignored me and turned to Katara, "What happened? Where's Zuko?"
"Not here," I said.
Katara frowned, "He took Aang."
Sokka turned to me, his face angry, "I don't understand how Aang can insist that you are not our enemy if you help Zuko every chance you get. You're not a good person. From what I've heard, you've helped Zuko terrorize countless peo-"
I caused an icicle to whiz past Sokka's ear, "Listen closely, because I'm only going to say this once. You don't know me. Don't act like you do. My reasons for following Zuko isn't something you would ever understand. As for the terrorizing of countless people? I have never hurt someone who didn't attack me first, or 100% deserve it. I am not Zuko."
Katara looked at me, "(Y/N), Sokka didn't mean it," she glared at her brother then turned back to me, "He's just worried about Aang. We all are."
I smiled, "Fair enough. Why don't we just get on the Sky Bison? You know, search from the air?"
Katara grinned, "That's a great idea, (Y/N)."
Sokka frowned, "I was thinking the same thing, she just said it first," he crossed his arms, "and the bison's name is Appa."
I laughed, "Well, what are you guys waiting for?"
***
We had been in the air for a while. It was snowing. Hard. It barely every snowed in the Fire Nation.
I looked down on the ground and saw a cave and what looked like Aang inching around like a worm.
Katara noticed it too because she pointed at the scene, "That has to be Aang."
I nodded and Sokka landed Appa.
Katara slid off the bison as soon as we hit land. Zuko looked her up and down, "here for a rematch?"
Katara smirked, "This won't be much of a match."
You know, she has a lot of confidence for someone who just lost a battle. I respect it. Katara and Zuko started dueling. She started to bring propel Zuko with snow, and brought him down fast, knocking him out.
I slid off the bison and ran to Zuko, "Oh shit," I laughed, "serves you right for trying to hide your location from me."
Aang started freaking out, "We have to go to that Oasis! The spirits are in trouble," he paused and glanced at Zuko and I, "Come on (Y/N), let's get Zuko on Appa."
Aang and I got Zuko onto the bison. I smiled at Aang, "Thank you."
Sokka looked pissed, "Yeah, this makes a lot of sense. Let's bring the guy who's constantly trying to kill us."
The Bison Ride was really awkward for me. I don't actually know these people. Aang was freaking out because he insisted the moon spirit was in trouble. The white-haired girl (Yue?) was like saved by the moon spirit or something I don't know. I was focused on Zuko.
Like always.
We encountered Zhao holding up a fish, which is actually the moon spirit.
I couldn't waterbend. What the hell?
I left Zuko on Appa and followed Aang and the others.
We all stood in a fighting position.
Zhao lifted up the moon spirit threatening to kill it.
Everyone dropped their weapons. Aang looked scared, "Zhao, don't!"
"It's my destiny, to destroy the moon and the Water Tribe."
"You have some sick, twisted version of destiny. Who in their right mind would seek to kill the moon? Do you lack common sense? You'll throw the whole world out of balance. It's not just Waterbenders you'll be hurting," I said.
Iroh walked into the scene, "She's right, Zhao."
"General Iroh, (Y/N), why am I not surprised that you two are traitors?"
"Traitors?" I said, "We're not traitors. We just have common sense. Drop the fish, before I make you," I ran up to him and lit a fire, holding it close to his face, "or did you forget that I beat your ass once before?"
"What is she doing?" Katara whispered.
I extinguished the flame. I didn't want to hurt the spirit, "Drop the spirit."
Zhao looked around at us and frowned, dropping the spirit back into the water. I relaxed and started to walk away.
Then I turned around and saw something all too familiar in Zhao's eyes. Defiance and bloodlust. He screamed and shot fire into the water, burning and killing the moon spirit.
"NO!"
Half of my strength diminished.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Iroh started attacking Zhao with his fire bending, but Zhao slipped away.
"Oh no way," my expression hardened and I ran after the Admiral.
I may not have waterbending anymore, but firebending is enough to destroy this fucker.
"Hey," I called after him, "get your little bitch-ass back here."
I saw him ahead and then I saw Zuko lunge at him.
"Hell yeah!" I yelled, "Kick his ass!"
I ran to join Zuko.
"You're alive?" Zhao asked Zuko.
"No. He's a ghost. No shit he's alive," I rolled my eyes and stood in a fighting stance.
"You tried to have me killed!" Zuko yelled at blasted Zhao who dodged.
"I know you're the blue spirit," Zhao said.
The what now?
"You freed the Avatar!" Zhao continued, blasting Zuko back.
He did what?
"I had no choice!" Zuko yelled back, blasting Zhao.
Zhao countered his attack. I joined in, sending a pinwheel of fire at Zhao. He didn't dodge in time causing him to fall back to the ground.
He got up quickly and fought back.
Zuko, Zhao, and I continued our fight.
Suddenly I felt power surge through my body. I looked up, and the moon was back in the sky.
Zhao looked shocked, "I-It can't be! I killed that spirit. How-?"
I grinned, "Oh, you're so fucked now," I raised my hand, and closed my eyes, focusing on feeling his blood pumping through his body. I opened my eyes and constricted his limbs, bending his arm back, almost enough to snap it.
"L-let me go," Zhao spat out.
I constricted his vocal cords, "Or what?"
He struggled, trying to say something, but he couldn't.
"Huh? I can't hear you!"
Zuko laughed and held up his hand to high-five me. I used my free hand to return the high five. Suddenly, I noticed the water was turning blue. It felt spiritual. I forced Zhao over to the water and dropped him.
A hand emerged from the water, completely consuming Zhao.
Zuko looked uncomfortable and looked like he was debating helping Zhao. But then, he was gone.
Good riddance.
Zuko looked at me, his eyes endearing.
"(Y/N)," he took a step closer.
Adrenaline rushed through my veins.
"Yes?"
He took another step closer, our bodies so close they were almost touching.
He looked me in the eyes. I stared back, his golden eyes daring me to do something.
I could feel his body heat.
And in that moment, I felt alive. It might have been cold, but I felt heat radiate through me.
He looked down at my lips, flicked his eyes back up to mine. He cupped my face with his hands and asked me a question using his eyes.
I nodded.
He started to lean down. The tension was unbearable. I stood on my tippy-toes and met him halfway.
Our lips touched and the whole world stopped.
I felt him smile against my lips.