Freedom And Honor| Zuko x NB!Reader

Chapter 7: Spirit World

You lay on your back, looking up at the passing clouds. Thinking. Thinking about how you're going to make a new glove.

You don't have the material to make one despite Katara having the needle and thread. You close your eyes to get some rest, listening to the others talk. Katara talked about how soft the clouds look and the sound of Aang jumping into them.

You scrunched your nose and eyes as Aang made a big wind ball to dry himself from the water of the clouds. There were some shared chuckles and then Katara pointed something out in the distance. With curiosity, you finally sat up and went over to look at where the others were looking. You were met with a depressing view.

You all looked down at a line of the forest, in ashes. As soon as you landed everyone got off to inspect the burned forest. This brought back memories for you. You've seen your fair share of forest fires, both natural and bender-made.

You kneel and solemnly touch the charred earth. You've worn your gloves for so long that you forgot what ash felt like on your skin. You looked at your palm, stained by the charcoal left in the wake of the past fire. Then you spot something. You reach into the dirt and find an acorn, cracked and sprouting ever so slightly. The beginning of new life in the wake of destruction. A smile formed across your face as you inspected the sapling. You look to the others to notice Aang looking around with a saddened look.

"Why would anyone do this? How could I let this happen?" He spoke as he fell to his knees taking handfuls of the ash-covered dirt.

"But this isn't your fault." You walked over to join the others.

"But it is. The Avatar is supposed to protect nature, it's my job. But I don't even know how to do that job.." Aang responded. "Monk Gyatso said that Avatar Roku would help me"

"But how are you supposed to get him to help? He died over a hundred years ago" Sokka chimed in.

"I don't know.." Aang said as he hung his head low and petted Momo.

You looked down at the sapling you found.

"You know....fires happen a lot in forests." You said.

"Great that makes me feel much better," Aang said with sarcasm.

"I'm saying that they happen. Natural or not, they happen and sadly there is not much that can be helped." You say as you walk over and sit next to Aang. "But eventually, the forest begins to heal itself." You add as you hand the sprouting acorn to the airbender.

"These acorns are all over the forest, and soon they all will be tall oak trees someday," Katara said as she approached and pointed out tiny sprouts everywhere, barely breaking through the ash.

"Thanks, Katara.." Aang smiled at her then turned to you, "You too.."

You smile and give Aang a shoulder pat before standing back up. Almost at the same time all four of you notice the man approaching you all.

The man tells you that he was from a nearby village and that the village needs help so naturally, you all went to the village to help.

---

You were having trouble grasping what was going on and how Aang was even supposed to help when he didn't even know what to do.

You stood with Katara staring out the window watching Aang try to call out the the spirit that has been terrorizing the village.

"How is he even supposed to do this with zero idea of how to do it?" You whispered to Katara.

"Well, things have always just worked out in the end so I'm guessing that Aang is hoping he can figure it out," Katara responded with a worried expression.