"Where is the Avatar?!" Zuko asked and I glared up at him.
"You know, I think I saw him picking flowers back there." I answered sarcastically. "I thought we lost you at Kyoshi."
"Get on!" Firebrain ordered and I started walking away.
"I have to go look for my brother and Aang." I said but I heard him jump off his animal. Then a ring of fire was built around me so I turned to face him.
"You will help me find the Avatar after I get my uncle back." He ordered.
"So somehow your family is more important than mine?!" I argued frusterated. His face only got more sour, if that was even humanly possible.
"You will lead me to the Avatar. Now get on."
"Fine." I muttered and walked over like I really had any choice.
He helped me get on his rhino and he started to get it moving. I being the stubborn girl I was and being cranky from the pain, refused to hold onto him so I kept slipping.
"Hold onto me!" He demanded and I ignored him until he stopped completely and jumped off pushing me forward. I hissed but hid it with a cough.
"Are you letting me drive?" I sarcastically asked as he got on behind me.
"Not in a million years!" He hissed and wrapped his arm around my waist before starting the animal.
Even through the pain I blushed again but it was a bit comforting and embarassing.
"Not so tight." I said. "I just body slammed the ground."
He rolled his eyes but loosened his grip, he held on just enough to make sure I didn't slip off.
I hated him. I swear I hated him.
Now I had to think of an escape plan to leave without him following me. That was the only and frankly the best option, I had to take him as far from the village as possible.
⇢ ⇢ ⇢
After a few hours I pushed his arm off me and held onto the reins. I could here him growl annoyed with me, the sun was setting again and now I began to worry and looked back seeing Appa.
"What now?" Zuko asked and I shook my head. He tried to look back but I stopped him by grabbing his collar.
The both of us blushed in an instant. "Has anyone told you, you have uh... n-nice golden eyes?"
Zuko pulled away and looked up. "The Avatar!" He looked at the footprints and then at me.
He sighed and kept going forward to look for his uncle.
"Aren't you going to follow him? He's right there." I point out and he doesn't look at me. "Not that I want you to capture him—"
"Be quiet."
Not a 'shut up.' Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.
⇢ ⇢ ⇢
We continued until it grew dark. I looked back at him and he rolled his eyes asking what's wrong now.
"My brother and friend went missing and instead of finding them I'm stuck with—" He covered my mouth with his hand pulling me back into his chest. I groaned.
I pushed his hand away. "I told you I body slammed the ground." I muttered and we heard voices. We both jumped off the rhino and looked around the rocks.
"These dangerous hands must be crushed." The earthbender spoke.
The scene that was presented to us was of a group of Earthbenders and Iroh wearing only underpants. His hands on a flat rock, chained up to prevent him from using his bending.
Zuko went and kicked the boulder away from the air he kicked the chains on his uncles hands, breaking them in half. I debated on making this my chance to escape.
"Excellent form, Prince Zuko." Iroh said.
"You taught me well." Zuko replied standing back to back with his uncle.
"Surrender yourselves. It's five against two." The earthbender said. "You're clearly outnumbered!"
"Now that's true but you are clearly out matched!" Iroh grabbed onto the chains and they began to attack.
Iroh used the chains to break the boulders and Zuko used his firebending.
I watched them, just leave Kaida just get up and leave. This is your chance, Zuko wants the Avatar for his own benefits. I chewed my lower lip and watched Zuko was about to get hit with a boulder but I stood out and used water to whip it back at the benders.
"Aah Kaida, it's a pleasure seeing you once again!" Iroh smiled.
"I would say the same to you too but.." I closed my eyes cringing. "Not right this second." I was pushed away by Zuko I groaned again, this time more pain shot through my body, his body basically crushing me.
"I was dropped from 15 feet in the air!" I shouted glaring up at him and he looked down at me both of us blushing at our current position.
"Be grateful! I just saved your life." He growled.
"How many times do I have to say it?! Get off!" I shoved him and he started fighting.
"A thank you would be nice." He told me as we continued blocking the boulders back to back.
"No, Thank you." I replied.
The soilder was building a wave of rocks to crush Zuko but Iroh wrapped the chains around the soilders feet and pulled him down. I freezed them down just to buy us time to get away safely.
We stood over them and I felt bad. I just helped the enemy attack the people we were trying to help.
"Now will you please put on some clothes." Zuko said to his uncle and pulled me away. "We have an airbender to capture."
"Sorry." I muttered, elbowing Zuko in the stomach and freezing him and his uncle in a sheet of ice but it wasn't as thick as the earthbenders. "I'm really really...well not that sorry!" I stole the rhino and raced off to look for the village.
⇢ ⇢ ⇢
When I was close I jumped off the rhino and ran the rest of the way. I found an entrance only it was covered in bamboo so I thought I had gone to the wrong village but when I peeked in I saw Aang, Katara, and Sokka.
"Kaida!!" I was tackled into a hug by all three of them and I groaned but hugged them back ignoring the pain.
"What happened to you?" Aang asked.
"Long story.." I rubbed the back of my neck.
The villagers thanked Aang and asked how they could repay him. Sokka asked for money and supplies so they got it for us.
While they were gone Aang told us that he had to go to the Fire Nation tomorrow night for the winter solstice and it was the only way he could talk to Avatar Roku.
"Let's go now." I said and they looked at me.
I was rushing because of what Katara said when we left Kyoshi, Zuko would follow Aang and not hurt this village.
"We need to get some rest if we're going to the Fire Nation." Sokka replied.
"The sooner we leave, The faster, we'll get there." I told them.
"Sokka's right." Aang said which was very surprising.
"Let's go." Katara said and we went inside. I paused and looked at the entrance of the village. "Kaida?"
"Coming." I said and followed her.
We went inside to get some rest and I couldn't stop thinking about Zuko and Iroh, since they were firebenders the ice wouldn't hold them for too long. I sat up from my laying position reaching for the non-existing necklace but since it wasn't there I started chewing on my nails.
"What's wrong?" Sokka asked.
"Nothing." I replied a bit too quickly. "Uh, I just have a bad feeling ... it might be nothing."
I didn't want to make them worry, I can't tell them about Zuko, even though I should so we can leave sooner and hope nothing happens to the village.
"You're missing mom's necklace?" He asked and sat next to me. "Look, you don't need it to get over your anxiety."
I looked at him and wanted to shove him away because he knew that wasn't true. "Thanks Sokka for trying to help but that only made me feel annoyed."
"Just think happy thought." He smiled and I chuckled. "See, I'm good for more than my brilliant plans."
"Yeah, your terrible jokes." I smiled and laid back down. "Thanks Sokka."
The anxiety really eased away after his words but lingered in the back of my head. It wasn't long before we noticed that Aang went outside. We walked out to see Aang was there trying to take Appa and leave.
"I think his big butt's trying to tell you something." Sokka said.
"Please don't go Aang, the world can't afford to lose you to the Fire Nation." Katara spoke. "Neither can I."
"But I need to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means!" Aang cried standing up. "I need to get to the fire temple before the sunset on the solstice! That's today!"
He flew up on Appa and we stood in front of him. "We're not letting you go to the Fire Nation, Aang." Katara said.
"At least not without us." I told him. "Remember Aang, we're your friends. Which means we all do this together." Appa tried to lick me but I pulled Sokka in front of me.
"Eeeww!" Sokka shrieked and I smiled.
"It's a long journey to the Crescent Island." The young man handed Aang something. "You'll have to fly fast to make it by sun down, good luck."
"Thank you for your—"
"GO!" he pointed and so we did.
I looked over my shoulder at the entrance. Then at my siblings. "Do whatever you have to do to protect your village!" I shouted.
"What was that about?" Sokka asked and I looked at them.
"Zuko, was on the land." I said looking down.
"He was?!" Sokka asked.
"I was with him because he wanted me to lead him back to the village but he wanted to save his uncle first." I explained. "I froze them in ice capsules but they're probably out by now."
"Kaida, don't feel bad. You did the right thing." My sister placed a hand on my shoulder and I thanked her but Sokka clearly didn't feel the same way.
"I don't think he'll go to the village... or at least he won't hurt them if they tell him what he wants to know." I explained, feeling bad.
"Well, it's not like we could have stopped him anyways." Sokka said.
*･☪︎·̩͙
Soon the sun caught up to us after hours of traveling. As we crossed the waters I looked behind us and saw the ship, Firebrain's ship. "Uhh....Aang, we have trouble!" I said.
"And it's gaining fast!" Sokka added.
We watched as they launched a fireball at us. "FIREBALL!" I yelled and Aang dodged it, but it left a terrible odor.
"We have to get out of Zuko's, range! Before he shoots another hot stinker at us!" Katara said.
"Can't you make Appa, go any faster?!" Sokka asked.
"Yeah but there's just one little problem." Aang replied and we looked down at the blockade. "If we go North we can go around the Fire Nation ship and avoid the blockade. It's the only way."
"That will take too long. We have to keep going forward." I said.
"It's dangerous!" Aang replied.
"That's why we're here." Katara reassured him.
"Let's run this blockade!" Sokka announced and Aang sped Appa up.
The blockade shot fireballs at us too but more than one at once. Appa dodged them but his fur caught on fire. Katara, Momo, Sokka and I patted the fur down to put out the flame. Good thing none of them were big enough to do any harm to him.
We went into the clouds thinking we were safe but screamed at the launched fireballs. We managed to dodge them but not without dropping Sokka, Aang didn't hesitate to go back for him. Katara and I pulled Sokka back into the saddle and Momo caught the fish that slapped Sokka.
They continued to shoot as we stayed low. They fired one more but Aang went and air kicked it so we could make it past them.
"We made it!" Aang cheered.
"We got into the Fire Nation." Sokka said stunned. "Greaat.."
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Edited; 10/29/20
Re-Edited; 7/8/20