Anguish to Peace (Zuko x OC)

Chapter 6: Iroh's Mistake

Words: 1360 

We camp out in the woods and Zuko leaves to go find some things to keep us alive.

"Look at this!" Iroh muttered looking at the very pretty flowers white and red flowers.

"I didn't find anything to eat" Zuko mutters coming from the bushes quite suddenly as i jump a bit from it. "I can't live like this, I wasn't meant to be a fugitive, this is impossible!" he snaps "uncle.. What are you doing?"

"You are looking at the rare white dragon bush that leaves a tea so.. Delicious it's heartbreaking, that or its the white jade bush which is poisonous"

"We need food not tea" Zuko groans "I'm going fishing, want the rain to come Rain?" I nod at him

"Hmm.. delectable tea or deadly poison "I hear him say as I follow Zuko who looks frustrated.

"He's going to get himself killed over tea one day" I chuckle looking at the small river that Zuko was planning on fishing in.

"Yeah" he was pretty quiet and grabbed out his spear and I grabbed out the fishing rod I had made a day earlier.

"Do you think this will work?" I showed him my rod and he looked at it thoroughly, pretty shocked and nodded quickly "really?" I didn't know if he was joking but he looked at me carefully.

"Yeah i think the two of us should catch plenty of fish" and at that he Smiled! Which I was pretty shocked at.

"You're pretty handy with a stick and what's the string made from?"

"Grass" i shrugged "

After an hour we caught two fish.

"We should probably head back and hope that the tea wasn't poisonous." I said smiling as I took out the fishing rod and tied it to my bag which held the fish. Zuko nodded and we headed back through the woods. It was a quiet journey.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I smiled a bit looking at the way he was just staring off into space. As I said it he looked at me a bit surprised.

"Oh sorry" he scratched the little hair he had on his head from when he cut the ponytail off and I could tell it was slowly growing back already. Once we found uncle in the same clearing as before I was relieved to see him looking okay.

"Hey guys.. Remember that flower well I made it into tea."

"You didn't!" Zuko and I snapped together.

"I did, and apparently.. It was the deadly poison" he turned around and I saw he was completely covered in rashes.

"Uncle!" Zuko yelled in shock at the situation

"In a few hours the poison will have blocked my throat making it hard to breathe and I will probably die" How did he say that in the most calm tone I've ever heard? He's going to die!

"Get up, we're going into the village to get you some help" Zuko groaned, looking a bit more shocked and angry than I've seen him in a while.

"Alright" and that's when our bit of a journey began. We found a house with a family willing to take us in and help Iroh but Zuko was absolutely silent.

"So what's your name?"

"Im lee and this is my Uncle Mushi and my..Cousin! Sora!" I laugh at his hesitation but even more so when Iroh answers.

"Well my nephew was named after his father so we just call him junior" i secretly tell him

"nice comeback Iroh" but i keep silent as the woman puts something on his rashes.

"Cousin?" She looks me up and down and I guess she sees that I'm not one of them.

"Their friends they just call each other cousins because they are so close" Iroh fixes the mistake quickly looking over songs shoulder at me and Zuko.

"Ah" she looks at Zuko carefully "im song, why don't you stay for dinner"

"Sorry but we have to leave"

"That's too bad My mom always makes too much roast duck" she insists as i quickly hide my mouth from the drool as i had missed the food but Iroh got the message.

"Where do you live exactly?" song laughs at that

"Really close" she smiles as we finish up with the medics and then we go to her house as i awkwardly sit at her table next to zuko and on my other side is Iroh.

"My daughter tells me your refugees" Songs mother says "we were once refugees ourselves"

"When iw as a little girl the fire nation raided our farming village all the men were taken away, that was the last time i saw my father" song looks a little less hopeful than earlier I ate some of the roast duck i was given.

"I haven't seen my father in many years" Zuko mentioned

"Oh is he fighting in the war? '' Song blatantly asked and I could have rolled my eyes, as I saw Iroh's expression from the whole thing.

"Yeah" he said dryly to the girl, not wanting to explain further. I put my hand on his shoulder and just smiled encouragingly and for the rest of dinner we ate silently as it had made it pretty awkward.

I remembered my father. I was still so angry at him for putting me in this position. I don't remember much but I do know our sister tribe was weakened greatly by the fire nation. Suddenly Zuko finished and got up to put his bowl away and sit outside. I looked as he left and saw a song watching him too.

"Hes.. interesting" songs mother piped up "but what's your name?"

"I am" i hesitated trying to remember the fake name i had "Sora" i remembered Song got up.

"Excuse me i'm going to turn in the birds" Song muttered more to her mother as she got up and walked outside quickly.

"Sora huh?" her mother said trying to get a good conversation going. "My daughter song has been very curious about the three of you" she shrugs "don't take the questions personally she gets them from me, i guess"

"Don't worry about it we understand" Iroh calmly smiled up at Song's mother. "I think it's great that the two of you are so friendly, it's unnerving when you have to watch your back every turn"

"I understand" she smiles "everyones so nervous and angry about this 100 year war they dont know whats going to happen"

"Yeah" Iroh smiled. "We should head out soon" I got up slowly and put away the dishes and we walked out the front door. Zuko stood beside me behind Iroh as he said our goodbyes. But I wasn't listening.

I watched as the song stared at Zuko. Jealousy finally broke through and I touched his arm with mine moving a tad closer to him. Song must have seen this or something because she soon looked away. "I know you don't have any hope but there is hope, the avatar is back!" Song said as we turned away

"I know" Zuko said coldly as we walked away behind the fence. They went inside and I saw Zuko with two of their horse bird things.

"Zuko what are you doing they just showed us great kindness" Iroh insisted and we both knew this was absolutely wrong in every way.

"Well they're about to show us one more kindness" he handed Iroh one and got on his scooting back for me to get on in front of him.

"Well.." I said carefully maneuvering my bag of coins to be on the fence without anyone noticing and getting on the bird horse in front of Zuko. Iroh got up on his own with a sorrowful gaze and I could tell he was also doing them a favor with some money.

We started to ride into the distance. I felt Zuko's hands on either side of me holding the reins. He was better at this. I knew but I wish I didn't feel so useless all the time.

Why am I here? What is my Purpose? I wondered looking around at the forest. What is my destiny?

(I love this episode a lot because of Zuko and Songs meeting and how it kind of changes Zuko but enough about it, Vote, Comment, or dont)