Lotus Flower: Book One|ZukoxOC(Avatar the Last Airbender Fanfic)

Moving Forward.

Looking out over the fluffy clouds we rode past, with a big toothy smile on my face, the cold air nipped at my nose and I lazily strung the strings on the new fiddle I picked up at the last market we'd stopped at.
The music floated into the air, surfing the clouds like Aang on Koi fish.

"Those clouds look so soft." Katara says dreamily from the other side of the saddle. I nod in agreement. Katara was laying propped up on her elbows and the boys looked incredibly uninterested. "Like you could just jump down and you'd land in a big, soft, cottony heap."

"That sounds so cozy," I say with a longing look.

Sokka turns to both of us, "maybe you should give it a try," he says mockingly making me roll my eyes with a small grin.

"You're hilarious," Katara deadpans with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"I mean technically I could try-" Aang cuts me off, "I'll try it!" He yells excitedly, grabbing his staff and jumping off Appa's head.

His joyous laughs and hollering fill the air and make me smile. He's such a kid. Sometimes I forget how young he is until he does stuff like this.

Katara sits there with a worried look on her face and Sokka looks surprised. "Maybe you should go after him Liena," Katara shakes my shoulder.

I turn my head to see Aang and I let out a laugh. Aang snaps his glider shut, the siblings whip around to see him floating down onto the saddle with his legs crossed and huge smile. He was soaking wet. "Turns out clouds are made of water," he states upon looking himself over.

"I could've told you that." I laugh.

He dries himself off and stares with content at a fluffed Momo. My gaze was quickly placed on something else. I gasp loudly and my eyes went huge. "What's wrong?" Sokka asked and I only point, my words escaping me.

"What is that?" Katara asks in concern. Everyone peers over the edge of the saddle to see what looks to be a scar in the Earth. I didn't hear what else was said because I'd already jumped off Appa and was diving towards the ground. My friends called after me but I didn't care. Once I was close I pull out my glider and allowed myself a safe landing.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The earth had been charred. Trees and all of the surrounding life was gone. It was so empty. It made my heart ache. Tears brimming in my eyes, I crouch low to the ground—In hopes of finding any remaining life.

"Listen." Sokka says from in front of me. "It's so quiet, there's no life anywhere,"
My tears slid down my face.

"Aang are you ok?" Katara asks the young Avatar in concern. Don't be selfish. I remind myself, wiping my eyes forcefully.

"Fire Nation! Those evil savages make me sick! They have no respect for—" Katara cuts her brother off with a shush. "What? I'm not allowed to be angry?"

I look ahead to see Aang sitting on the ground, completely defeated, with ash trickling through his fingers. "Why would anyone do this? How could I let this happen?" I raised my hand to my chest, feeling his pain and the pain of the earth. The stabbing pain wouldn't leave and I was left gasping for my breath. Why am I so useless? Why is this happening?

"Aang, you didn't let this happen. It has nothing to do with you," Katara comforts, but I knew it wouldn't do anything to ease his guilt.