Don't Leave Me (Zuko x OC)

Chapter 29

Since it was so hot, we'd tracked down a small hidden lake and was enjoying a little swim. Calmly floating on the surface, I sheltered myself when Nalo jumped in beside me and splashing me.

"Aang, I know swimming is fun and all. But do you really think you should be exposing yourself like that? Cover up!" Toph said from the sides, not willing to enter the water where she can't see.

"What? I'm wearing trunks." He argued back.

Toph threw her arms in the air, "I know! It's your tattoos I'm worried about! What if someone sees you?"

"There are walls all around us. It's completely safe." Katara reasoned.

Aang found some tunnel and used it as a slide. Sokka cannon-balled right next to me, plunging me under water from the massive wave he created. As I went under, flashes of drowning in the cold ocean. I started to freak out.

I didn't want to drown again.

I didn't want to die.

My body was lifted through the water and sat down on a rock. I started to cough the water out of my lungs, while I could hear Sokka freaking out.

"Ahh! Muri, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to send you under! Are you okay?" He waved his hands about.

I glared at him through the mess of hair that had fallen in front of my face, parting it with my hands. Spitting the water out of my mouth at him, I laughed as I kicked him back into water below. When he resurfaced, he grabbed my ankle and yanked me back in.

I didn't bother to change out of my bathing top and skirt to go to sleep, it being warm enough that I could stay in them and not need a blanket. For a while I stared at the sky, thinking about a lot of things.

Raza and Yue.

Ezume and Hiroshi.

Back home in the Fire Nation Capital, the palace and playing in the gardens with...

Him.

Iroh and the years spent at sea with both of them.

Becoming refugees in the Earth Kingdom and building a life in Ba Sing Se.

I started to drift off and felt my spirit leave my sleeping mortal body. I found myself on a beach and could hear arguing in the distance. As I got closer I realised it was Azula, Ty Lee, Mai and him. They were arguing by a campfire. Though whatever it seemed the Prince and Mai were arguing about was left behind as they kissed and made up, him wrapping an arm around her. A spike of pain went through my heart before my eyes darkened. I wanted revenge for what they did to me. Using spirit magic, I made myself invisible, leaning in close to Azula's ear.

"Azula~" I whispered in an airy voice.

Her body went rigid, her eyes blown wide.

"Azula, I'm cold." I sent a shiver of cold air down her spine, "So cold. Will you warm me up? With your fire? Will you burn me?"

Seeing that Azula was appropriately terrified, I moved onto Mai.

"Are you happy now that I'm gone?"

The Prince noticed when she went stiff in his arms.

"Are you alright?" He asked with such sickening concern, the same worried look he used to give me.

Mai nodded but I rolled my eyes and leaned in closer.

"Are you ever going to tell him? Will you ever confess that you slit my throat and watched me bleed to death in front of your very eyes? While you stood there and did nothing. Are you going to tell my brother I was murdered just so you could have a chance to be with your childhood crush? You selfish brat. You had everything you ever wanted, except for him and you went as far as you could so you could have him too."

I stepped back, watching as the guilt flooded in. Though an emotionless person, I could see the tears swimming in her eyes and a sick joy filled me seeing her realise her actions.

Next.

"My prince."

He looked terrified.

Good.

"Why did you leave me?" I whispered in such a sad voice, "I stayed by your side for years and this is how you repay me? By abandoning me and leaving me to die at the hands of your sister and new girlfriend?"

He subconsciously shook his head; whether to deny my words or shake himself free of my voice, I don't know.

"You're a rotten boy. Spirits help the Fire Nation if they're left in your hands. You're pathetic." I spat at him, "Your mother would be so disappointed in you, Zuko."

I spoke his name for the first time since I'd screamed it in the crystal catacombs of Ba Sing Se.

And it seemed to affect him far more than me.

"No!" He yelled out loud, fear in his eyes as everyone looked at him oddly.

I stepped back, watching them all question him while he vehemently denied anything was wrong. I let myself appear in all my bloody glory, throat slit and burnt, just so Azula could see, her eyes widening in horror, before I felt myself be yanked back to my body.

Back at the lakeside, I'd been suddenly woken up by Sokka because a man had attacked us and I hadn't woken up myself. Explosions surrounded us as I climbed into Appa's saddle, Nalo clinging to my clothes. Toph, Katara and Aang did all they could with bending to ward him off but it didn't work so they climbed in too and we flew off. Aang distracted him while we made our escape. However, the second Aang separated from us, the man went after him anyway. It seems the Avatar and him alone was this man's target.

After a big explosion, we picked Aang up mid-flight and took off in the other direction. Katara held onto him tightly.

"I'm OK." He assured her.

Toph clung onto the side of the saddle, "Well that was random."

"I don't think so. I get the feeling he knows who we are." Katara said seriously.

I looked at the sky, "I get the feeling he knows who Aang is. More importantly, he knows Aang is alive."