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

The Waterbending Scroll Part II

"Stay here, you'll only be in the way." Zuko orders, walking past me.

The prince, Iroh, a squad of soldiers, and our new friends were all getting ready to head out. I hadn't even realized there was another boat inside Zuko's ship until now. It was big, but considerably smaller than what we usually rode on.

"But I want to go with you!"

"Despite how annoying I find you, you're still too weak to go back to your friends. The medic told me you still have a week or two to fully recover. I've already gotten scolded by him and uncle for how rough I was during our match. Stand down." He growled.

I walk towards him, completely determined to change his mind. My friends need to see I'm okay. "Please, prince Zuko, I miss them. I'm not even sure if they know I'm alive!"

"Don't worry, you'll be seeing the Avatar soon enough. He'll know then." Turning his back on me again, he stalked away. The prince crossed onto the pirate ship, while Iroh and the soldiers remained on the small boat.

"We'll be back soon." Iroh smiled apologetically at me.

A moment or two later, they were untied from the docks and I stood on deck, waving as they left.

A few minutes go by, and I couldn't help pacing back and forth. "Maybe I should've followed them."

Thinking about my friends and the mess they might've gotten themselves into, was really beginning to stress me out. I'm supposed to be an air nomad... why can't I calm down?

Breathe in, breathe out.

Instinctively, I played with the necklace that hung from my neck. Although this time, I couldn't help the memories that seemed to flow at the action.
***
Peeking my head over the large snow mound, my eyes narrowed and my heart pounded in my chest. "1..2...3!" I launch myself over the hill, sliding down it and landed in front of an old woman with long white hair.

She was carrying a basket and her blue eyes glimmered with amusement.

"Boo!" I yell, putting up my hands.

"Ah!" She screamed out, pretending to almost drop what she was carrying.

"Don't worry Ms. Kanna, it's just me! It's Liena. I really got you, huh?" The smugness rolled off of me heavily.

"You did. You scared me half to death!"

I stood taller, incredibly proud of my victory. That's when I heard someone clearing their throat from behind me.

Whirling around to confront whoever was meaning to taint my success, I stop in my tracks— "Father? Uncle?"

"Have you been causing Ms.Kanna trouble while we were away?" Father began to scold as I study my feet, as if they were the most interesting things in the world.

"Of course not, right Ms.Kanna?"

"Hm.. I don't know. She could make up for it by taking this basket to the main tent."

"So it's settled." My dad nods, to which I deflate at. "Now, come give us some hugs!"

"It's been way too long since I've seen my favorite niece!" Uncle Gui smiles, and they both open their arms wide and crouch in the snow.