ᗪㄩ乇ㄥ 乃乇几ᗪ乇尺

Chapter 2

~4 𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚐𝚘~
~𝙰𝚐𝚎: 13~

"I'm sorry but there was nothing we could do. I'm sorry for your loss."

The doctor spoke as he softly patted my shoulder trying his best to comfort me as he delivered the worst news in the world. "Thank you for trying." I said trying my best to not break down in front of the doctor. I filled out any required paperwork they had and left for my home.

Where my dad no longer lived...

Now I was all alone...

Once I got home I closed the door behind me and collapsed onto the couch sobbing into the couch pillow. I felt like an absolute mess, I was truly alone now with no family left. I sat up and softly rubbed my eyes, looking at my damp hands I remembered my other ability. I sighed as some more tears rolled down my face, I slowly started to bend the water off my face and off the couch forming a small water-shaped ball. I was messing around with it and began to feel calm watching the water move around following my hands' movement.

There was a knock on the door, it knocked me out of my calm trance-like state. My small water ball fell and absorbed back into the couch. I walked up to the door and wiped away my tears doing my best to make it look like I wasn't crying. I opened the door and saw Iroh. "Good morning (Y/n), I came over as soon as I heard the news. Would you like to talk over some tea?" I nodded and sidestepped for him to come inside, he smiled and walked up to the couch. I closed the door and went into the kitchen to prepare tea for us.

I lifted the teapot and used my fire to heat up the bottom till it boiled. The water began to boil as I got the tea leaves. "When you came over to the fire nation, your father explained to me his situation." I listened to him talk as I prepared our tea. I brought two cups and the teapot over to the table he was sitting at. "What did he tell you?" I asked as I poured the tea into our cups, I handed him his cup and then took a sip from my cup.

"This tea is delicious." He said looking at his cup and smiling.

"Thank you."

"He told me about his health condition from a war we were in when we were younger. He also told me that when he goes.. he wanted me to take care of you."

I sat there watching him sip his tea, this was so much information to process. My dad is gone and now I'm under the care of his war buddy who I have known since I was 2. "Ok." That's all I was able to say, thinking the benefit of the doubt. I didn't have much of a choice either way.

꧁𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚂𝚔𝚒𝚙 1 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛꧂

Everyone gathered in the main room of the fire lord castle, everyone was confused. All we got was a flyer on our door telling us to be here and that it was required or punishment followed. We were in front of this stage-like structure that looked like it was set up rather than it was supposed to be there. Everyone chatted around trying to figure out why we were there or just the normal chit-chat.

I was standing next to Iroh, I tugged his sleeve and asked what was going on. "There's an agni kai." I stared at the stage wondering who it could be fighting. Out walked the fire lord himself and then Zuko walked out shortly after him. "Why is he going to challenge him to an agni kai!? That's absurd!" I said shocked to Iroh, "Zuko spoke in an important meeting when he wasn't supposed to, which tainted the fire lord's honor." I furrowed my eyebrows to express my anger, unsure of another way that wouldn't get me in trouble.

Zuko and the fire lord bowed to each other and then began to fight. Well, Zuko didn't fight, he went to the ground and bowed begging for forgiveness and how he knows never to do it again. The fire lord looked enraged and walked up to Zuko, his hand bending fire ready to use. I felt so scared for Zuko, I didn't want him to get hurt, this was all a misunderstanding and exaggeration. Before anything could happen Iroh covered my eyes and all I was able to hear was Zuko's scream.

His scream sent shivers down my spine, it sounded full of pain, fear, confusion, and betrayl. Iroh uncovered my eyes when it was all done I looked at the stage and I saw the fire lord looking down at Zuko who was desperately trying to cover his eye. "You are banished from the fire kingdom. If you want to regain your honor you must go and find the avatar. Bring him to me, alive." The fire lord then walked off the stage with an evil laugh knowing how impossible his task was.

I was wide-eyed in shock, looking at Zuko on the stage crying and holding back screams as he cried. Fire healers came on stage and addressed his wound. I couldn't help but look, his eye and some of his face was burned. They looked like a mix between 3rd-degree and 4th-degree burns, I couldn't believe his father would do something so horrible over something so little.

"Is he going to be ok?" I looked up at Iroh worried for my only friend.

"He'll be ok, we just need to be there for him to help him."

Everybody was shocked, some disagreed with the fire lord while some agreed. Those who disagreed were too scared to say anything so they only showed a concerned and disappointed look. Everyone began to go back to their homes now that it was all over. I stuck by Iroh's side not sure what to do, I was still shocked about the event. I followed Iroh to the docks and saw people loading things onto a ship and a troop belonging to our army going onto it.

"What's happening?" I asked following Iroh.

"Prince Zuko's banishment."

He didn't need to say much, that was all that was needed for me to understand. It's infuriating that the fire lord wouldn't let him leave the next day. This whole situation itself is infuriating. We went up to the ship and Iroh went on it, he looked back at me. "Are you coming?" He asked with a small smile. I looked back at the fire kingdom, it wasn't home to me, but it was home to my dad. I know he and mom would want me to go wherever makes me happy. But, would finding the avatar with Zuko and Iroh make me happy? He hasn't been seen in 100 years..