[Earth on Fire] Zuko x OC

Chapter 16: The Swamp (Part 2)

I burst through a clearing and directly into a body, which toppled forward. We fell down off the tree branch and flew into someone else, sliding through a tangle of vines and landing in a heap at the bottom of a tree.

Standing up, I realized I'd crashed directly into Sokka, and we'd fallen to land on top of Aang and Katara, who were currently lying below us. I steadied myself on the tree trunk, trying to calm my breaths and wiping my eyes as the others got up, groaning.

"What do you guys think you're doing!?" Sokka yelled, throwing his hands in the air. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Well, I've been wandering around looking for you!" Katara retorted immediately.

"I couldn't find you guys anywhere!" I cried, trying not to collapse with overwhelming relief.

"I was chasing some girl," Aang piped up, and we all turned to look at him, confused.

"What girl?" Katara asked as Aang helped her up.

"I don't know," Aang answered. "I heard laughing and I saw some girl in a fancy dress."

"Well, there must be a tea party somewhere, and we just didn't get our invitations!" Sokka cried, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Sokka, shut up," I snapped, the tension finally reaching a boil. He turned towards me and opened his mouth to retort, stopping when he saw the look on my face. "Aang's not the only one who saw someone."

"Who did you see?" Aang asked. I turned away, unable to meet Aang's curious gaze. I couldn't tell them who I'd really seen, that would just bring a whole bunch of awkward and outraged reactions.

"Someone from my past," I said, looking at the marshy ground. "Someone I left behind."

"I thought I saw Mom," Katara said softly, and I turned to her, surprised and sympathetic.

"Look, we're all just tired, and hungry, and our minds are playing tricks on us," he said. "That's why we all saw things out here."

"You saw something too?" Katara asked. Sokka turned away from us.

"I thought I saw Yue," he admitted, and my expression softened. "But that doesn't mean anything. I think about her all the time! And you saw Mom, who you miss all the time. Kioni saw someone from her past, who she obviously regrets leaving." I opened my mouth to protest, but Aang cut me off.

"I didn't even know the girl I saw," Aang said. "And all our visions led us right here."

"Okay..." Katara said uncertainly. "So where's here? The middle of the swamp?"

"Yeah," Aang answered, looking around. "The center." As I followed his line of sight, I realized how he could tell we were at the center - everything felt stronger here, like this was the life source of a giant, giant creature. The air smelled fresher, the plants looked greener, even the buzzing of life had grown stronger and more vibrant.

"It's the heart of the swamp!" Aang realized. "It's been calling us here. I knew it."

"It's just a tree!" Sokka protested. "It can't call anyone. For the last time, there is nothing after us. And there is nothing magical happening here!"

Just then, a giant swampy monster erupted out of the water behind us. It stood nearly twenty feet tall, it's face covered by a wooden mask and long arms made of out vines swinging around.

"Seriously, Sokka!?" I yelled, diving out of the way as it lashed an arm between us. "You have got to stop saying things like that!"

We scattered, each running in different directions again. As soon as my feet touched the dirt, I propelled myself upwards into a tree on a column of soil to avoid the monster's viney grasp. I heard a cry and a thunk and looked down to see vines wrap around Sokka's legs, dragging him stomach first through the swamp.