Burning Pile (Prince Zuko Book 1)

*ten*

As the rhino started to move Aurora held onto Zuko tightly, she was afraid to fall. „Are you okay?" he said quietly feeling her lean against his back. Aurora nodded into his back. „Mhm just excited." She replied, feeling stupid to admit it.

„Just don't straddle anyone and you're gonna fight well." Aurora couldn't see his face but knew he smirked slightly. „You're just angry that I beat you yesterday." Her voice held a soft tease and the boy couldn't help but chuckle slightly. „Oh Yeah, that's definitely the reason."

As Aurora looked around the streets were empty, the people were hiding in their homes. She didn't like the way it made her feel. "Find him." With that everyone took off to find him. Girls started landing in front of the crew and one ran straight up to them. Zuko started throwing flames but the girl dodged them all.

The Prince made the rhino turn around, hitting the girl with its tale. Aurora fell down trying to hold onto Zuko she pulled him off as well, him landing on her. Another group of girls ran up to them, but he quickly fought them, before getting up. „Nice try, Avatar. But these girls won't save you."

Aurora got pushed to the ground by another girl as she heard the avatar and Zuko fight. Aurora tried to remember everything Zuko taught her, using every little thing Zuko praised her for doing. After fighting a girl with a fan with her sword, she defeated her pointing the tip of the sword into her throat.

Her hair was falling into her face as she breathed heavily. A slight smirk playing around the corner of her mouth. She wished Zuko could see, just so that she could annoy him with winning a fight for the next few days. But Zuko did see, he saw her and admired her. He almost caught himself smiling until he realized that he was in the middle of fighting the avatar.

He didn't have time to start swooning over some girl. That's all she was, some girl. The Prince cringed at his own thought. His mind having a war on its own, she was just some girl, but one side of his mind told him that maybe, maybe if he tried a little harder, she would be his. No, Zuko shook his head. His destiny is to catch the avatar not feelings for a friend that he needed to let go.

The girl under Aurora looked up to her with a glare. „You won't win." She said keeping eye contact and Aurora tilted her head to the side. „This isn't about winning, this is about bringing him back home." Even before he was banished, Aurora knew she needed to do everything to safe his soul. His heart was always precious to her, just like hers used to be to him.

The girl looked at her confused and as Aurora heard Zuko grunt, getting distracted, she was pushed over by the girl and hit her head. Fuck. Blood started to flow out of the wound as her head felt like it would explode. Aurora was embarrassed, she just won this fight only to lose it, reopening the same wound again.

As she felt someone knee next to her she flinched away, her hand quickly reaching for her sword, but the person took her hand putting it back to her side softly. „He got away, again." His voice was tired, he didn't think catching a child would be this exhausting. „I'm sorry, Zuko, you were right I always ruin your plans..."

Aurora looked up to him only to lower her eyes again. She didn't want to see his disappointment, not when she was already disappointed in herself. Zuko inspected her wound. „Can you get up?" His voice was emotionless, as Aurora tried getting up, her legs felt like jelly, making her almost fall again.

„I think I'll be fine." She said biting her lip so she wouldn't whimper, it looked like she hurt her ankle as well due to the fall off of the rhino. As she took a few steps she felt someone wrap an arm around her waist. „Uncle should take a look at your wounds." He said looking behind him to see if he might catch the avatar flying somewhere. But he wasn't and he sighed.

He should've caught him till now.