𝑨𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕

𝑲𝒖𝒛𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒍

                  Chapter Forty
Elora

After Inara's unexpected visit, I found myself on a mission to convince everyone to give Zuko and Inara a chance. But fate intervened before I could even make my case.

When Combustion Man attacked, Zuko and Inara stepped up. While Inara wasn't a bender, her combat skills were extraordinary. Her movements were fluid and precise, each strike calculated and powerful. She seemed to anticipate Combustion Man's every move, effortlessly dodging and countering his attacks with her rope dart. Her skills left us all in awe, even my friends couldn't help but be impressed.

After that my family was more open to letting Zuko join us. A bit of persuasion was all it took to get them on board.

The next morning, Zuko attempted to teach me firebending. Aang claimed he wanted to watch, but I knew he was just being overprotective. He sat by the fountain's edge next to me, glaring at Inara, who sat across from us and glared at him right back. As Zuko tried to demonstrate firebending, the results were less than impressive. We watched as he struggled to produce even a small flame.

Zuko takes a deep breath, focusing intently, "Just breathe and..." He attempts to firebend, but only manages to produce a small, flickering flame.

"That one kinda felt hot." Aang commented

I chuckle, "Yeah, I felt it too."

Zuko glares at us, clearly irritated. "Don't patronize me. You both know how it's supposed to look!" He snaps, his frustration evident.

"Sorry, piss pot," I smirk at Zuko.

"And stop calling me that!" Zuko retorts.

"Never."

"Hey, jerks," Sokka saunters up from behind. "Mind if I watch you two jerks attempt your jerk-bending?" He grins, taking a seat next to me.

"Who you calling a jerk, Sokka?" I raise an eyebrow, challenging him.

"Not you, sunshine. Just Zuko. He's a special kind of jerk. You, on the other hand—" Sokka tries to recover, stumbling over his words.

"Mhmm," I interrupt, giving him a side-eye as Aang struggles to hold back his laughter.

✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾ ✾

I learned that Inara was not one who talked often, her quiet demeanor standing out in our lively group. She was reserved, choosing her words carefully and speaking only when necessary. More often than not, she'd remain on the periphery, watching the rest of us with an observant eye. The few times she did speak up were either to speak with Zuko or to bicker with aang.

Aang, usually so patient and kind-hearted, seemed to grow increasingly irritated with her every time they interacted. It was a rare sight, seeing Aang hold onto such animosity, and I couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing. Inara had an uncanny ability to push Aang's buttons like no one else I'd seen before.

As we all gathered around the campfire for dinner, Zuko finally decided to join us, casting a glance at Inara before taking a seat.

"Listen, everybody, I've got some pretty bad news," Zuko starts, his expression a mix of frustration and concern. "I've lost my stuff," he admits, his voice trailing off with uncertainty.

"Don't look at me. I didn't touch your stuff," Toph quickly responds, her hands raised defensively, a smirk playing on her lips.

"I'm talking about my firebending. It's gone," Zuko reveals, his eyes scanning our faces for a reaction. The air grows tense as his words sink in.