By Your Side (Zuko x Reader) (Sequel to Torn Heart)

Chapter 20

       "Toph!"
What started as a hunt for Zuko turned into a hunt for Zuko—and Toph.
I slowed up as I spotted a orange light in the distance. As I neared I realized it was a campfire, and my heart started pounding as I recognized the silhouette next to it as Zuko. He was sitting staring into the flames and started when he saw me.
"It's me," I said, putting my hands up.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, sounding so down-trodden it broke me a little.
"I'm looking for Toph. Have you seen her?"
"Toph?—Oh, the earthbender? She...came by here a few minutes ago. She went that way," he pointed into the shadows, with a tint of shame in his voice, though I didn't know why.
"Thanks," I said, but I didn't move. I crossed my arms over my chest, "Listen, I'm glad you left that place."
Zuko stared at me for a moment as if I was speaking another language, then, "I'm glad you found your friends and you're safe. When you left that day...well, I was worried about you."
I just nodded. I wanted to say sorry for worrying him, but truth was, I wasn't. What I really wanted was to throw myself on him, but I wouldn't let myself. Not being able to trust my resolve for much longer, I turned away, "Well, I should go find Toph. I'll see you later maybe."
"Yeah, see you,"

I didn't get back to the others until daybreak. "We were just about to go look for you," Katara said, "Where's—?"
She was interrupted by the wall opening up and Toph tumbling out. "Toph?! What happened to you?" I asked as we all rushed over.
"My feet got burned!" she cried.
"What happened?" Katara repeated.
"I just told you—my feet got burned,"
Katara rolled her eyes as she started healing our friend's feet, "I mean how."
"Well...we sort of went looking for Zuko last night,"
"Who's we?"
She nodded over Katara's shoulder at me. The waterbender fixed a withering gaze on me, "What were you thinking?"
I shrugged, "We thought we could talk to him. Figure something out."
I turned back to Toph, asking nervously, "So Zuko attacked you?" He didn't mention that.
"Well, yes and no. It was sort of an accident," she admitted.
I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, though Katara and Sokka continued to scold us and go on about how this proved...something. I was drawn back to the conversation by Sokka saying,
"Zuko's clearly too dangerous to be left alone. We're gonna have to go after him."
My heart jumped in my chest, "What?!"
"I hate to go looking for a fight, but you're right," Aang agreed as if I never spoke, "After what he did to Toph, I don't think we have a choice."
They picked Toph up and started carrying her to the fountain, while I followed, voice shaking, "Guys, you can't be serious. She just said it was an accident!"
They still ignored me. "Let's get him to come back and say he'll be our prisoner, then we'll jump him and really make him our prisoner," Sokka was saying, "He'll never suspect it!"
"You are a master of surprise, Sokka," Katara said, sarcastically as the boys gently set Toph by the fountain.
"Stop ignoring me!" I screamed, losing my patience.
            Before they could react, there was an explosion nearby that threw Sokka into me, almost knocking us both over. He grabbed my hand and pulled me farther into the chamber, still steaming from my outburst too much to process what was happening. Aang and Katara followed, half-dragging Toph.
            Over the ringing in my ears, I heard Zuko of all people, "Stop! I don't want you hunting the Avatar anymore!"
           I stepped away from my friends, scanning wildly for the prince. Finally I spotted him on a cliff, just in time for Combustion man to throw him to the ground. "Zuko!" I cried, just as Katara grabbed me by the waist and dragged me back.
           "Y/N, move!"
          Another explosion shook the temple and we all winced as rubble and dust rained down on us. I glanced back up at the cliffside anxiously to see the larger man had Zuko by the collar. "I'll pay you double to stop!" the fire bender tried, flailing.
          Combustion man threw him and I watched in horror as he aimed a blow at him. Zuko conjured a barrier of fire, but when the smoke cleared, he was gone. It felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest. There was no way—he couldn't be gone.
          With a scream, I fired an arrow at Cumbustion man without thinking. Tears were flooding down my face, blurring my vision but I barely registered it. He dodged my arrow easily, but before he could refocus, Aang surged at him with a powerful spiraling gust of air. Even this barely affected him, nor did Katara's barrage of ice shards that followed.
          Running out of options, we hid behind a pillar. I watched Sokka line up his boomerang and throw it—like that would work. As he let it fly, I sank against the wall. Zuko was dead and we would soon be too. I was stirred by my thoughts however by a whoosh and Sokka crying, "Yeah, boomerang!"
           The others jumped from our hiding spot to see the combustion bender stumbling back and forth on the cliff, holding his forehead. "How the hell?!" I cried.
            But he steadied himself all to soon. We watched as Combustion man took aim again. I flinched, but the explosion never reached us. The temple shook as the cliffside crumbled, taking Combustion man with it.