Rainbow's Gift (Avatar The Last Airbender Fanfic)

72. Sozin's comet Part 1: The Phoenix King

We were in the royal family's summer house on Ember Island. We had been staying in here for a week and everyone felt uneasy about it. Zuko had promised us that his family had never been in there since the last time they were actually happy. I knew that meant when his mother was around. I remembered back when I lived in the capital, Zuko had promised to bring me here. The house was beautiful, it was just deserted. The day we moved here we had to clean up all the dusty sheets so we could actually sleep on something that we couldn't cause us to sneeze.

Now Aang and I were being taught by sifu hotman and today he looked so agitated for some reason. I couldn't understand why. Aang and I were kicking and punching as the fire came out of us. Zuko was barking at us like a dog. "More ferocious! Imagine striking through your opponent's heart!" Zuko shouted. He was really making me mad by the second. Aang stopped when I was finishing the move.

"I'm trying." Aang said but Zuko did not waver.

"Now let me hear you roar like a tiger-dillo!" Zuko said. I roared and the fire went like seven feet in the air. I watched as Kiki flew around me. Aang on the other hand did this weak roar that was embarrassing. Zuko walked up to Aang and said, "That sounded pathetic! I said, roar!" Aang finally did it and Zuko nodded. We both sat on the ground tired. We were beat. We had been firebending since dawn and now it was afternoon.

"I don't think I can firebend anymore." Aang said to me.

"Me neither." I said as I looked at Zuko who looked like he was seriously thinking about something.

"Who wants a nice cool glass of watermelon juice?" Katara asked and I smiled.

"Oh me! Me ! Me!" Aang said as we stood up to go get some but Zuko both grabbed us back. I glared at him and he let go of me.

"Hey, your lesson's not over yet! Get back here!" Zuko shouted as he grabbed Aang like he weighed nothing.

"C'mon Zuko. Just take a break." Suki told him and I nodded. "What's the big deal?"

"Yeah, we've been at it all morning." I complained.

"Fine." He said as he let go of Aang and I walked at Katara. She handed me a glass. "If you wanna lounge around like a bunch of snail sloths all day, then go ahead!"

"Maybe Zuko's right." Sokka said as he placed his hand on my thigh. "Sitting around the house has made us pretty lazy."

"Aang and I have not been sitting around the house!" I said as I looked at him.

"It doesn't matter. I know just the thing to change that..... BEACH PARTY!" Sokka shouted as he tore off his clothes and remained in his underwear. I saw Suki staring but I glared at her and she looked away. Everyone decided they wanted to go to the beach. I was going to join them later. I needed to know what was up with Zuko. He looked like he was angry at us. I walked into the house and found Zuko in his bedroom. He was laying on his bed looking at the ceiling. I knocked. When he saw me I entered.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine." He said begrudgingly. I went to sit on his bed.

"I'm serious Zuko. I know you're not going to tell the rest what's wrong. Something has been bothering you the whole week. Was it the play? Is it Aang? Is it me? I'm sorry if....." I said but he cut me off.

"It's not you. I just wish you guys would take this seriously. We're still in a war and you guys act like you have no care in the world." Zuko said he looked at me.

"Of course we still think about the war. It's just that we decided that..." Sokka came in the doorway and saw me sitting on Zuko's bed. He entered the room and took my hand.