Under the Cherry Blossom ↠ Zuko x OC ✔️

10 | The Phoenix King

Zuko and Aang practice their firebending in the courtyard of Fire Lord Ozai's old beach house on Ember Island. They each have beads of sweat dripping down their chests and foreheads. It's a hot, summer day. The peak of summer has arrived.

Arlington, Peanut, Katara, Toph, Sokka, and Suki sit in the shade and watch the two firebenders train.

Zuko is trying to get Aang to be more ferocious, but Aang is too softhearted for that. He looks down in shame. Arlington hears Katara let out a pitted sigh.

"Who wants a nice, cool glass of watermelon juice?" Katara offers two cups to Zuko and Aang.

Aang literally jumps ten feet in the air with excitement. However, Zuko's less enthusiastic. He grabs Aang by his robes and holds him back.

"Hey, your lesson's not over yet!" Zuko scowls.
"Come on, Zuko. Just take a break. What's the big deal?" Suki asks.
"Fine." Zuko grumbles and crosses his arms.

"If you want to lounge around like a bunch of snail-sloths all day, then go ahead!" Zuko's turns and walks away.
Arlington sighs and follows him to a secluded portion of beach.

Zuko sits down on the sand and runs his hand through his straight jet-black hair. Arlington sits crisscross applesauce next to him.

"You don't think Aang will be able to take down your father, do you?" Arlington sighs.
"He has enough skill to. Spirits, he'll probably outmatch him, but he's a kid. He's not ready to take someone's life." Zuko runs his hands through the sand.

"The comet's three days away. That's not enough time to get someone in the mindset of killing. But I keep thinking 'maybe Aang doesn't have to kill Ozai. He can knock him out and someone else can do it.' But that's not the case, is it?" Arlington looks at Zuko.
"Uncle once said the war should end at the hands of the Avatar."

"I guess the best we can do is talk to Aang." Arlington mumbles.
Zuko's head perks up. "Yeah, you're right." He quickly stands and sprints down the beach to where the Gaang is having their beach party.

'Oh no. Did I just give him a bad idea?' Arlington stands and chases after Zuko.

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When Arlington arrives on the beach, she sees burnt sand laying about.

Katara surfs back to shore. "What happened?"
"I was wondering the same thing.." Arlington looks around.

"Zuko's gone crazy! I made a sand sculpture of Suki and he destroyed it!" Sokka tries to salvage his sculpture. "And Arlington's little, fluffy animal thing attacked me when I put him in the water!" Sokka points at Peanut.
Arlington facepalms. "You idiot! Peanut hates water and he has trouble swimming!" She flicks Sokka's forehead.

"I meant what happened between Aang and Zuko." Katara sighs.
"Oh, he's attacking Aang." Sokka nonchalantly says.

Suki grabs Sokka and everyone breaks into a sprint to go help Aang.

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The side of the beach house get ripped open by a tunnel of wind that throws Zuko against a tree. He attempts to stand up, grabbing his head and moaning slightly. Arlington helps him up.

"What's wrong with you?! You could have hurt Aang!" Katara screeches.
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with all of you! How can you sit around having beach parties when Sozin's Comet is only 3 days away!" Zuko throws his hands in the air.