Under the Cherry Blossom ↠ Zuko x OC ✔️

11 | The Old Masters

"Oh great, it's Prince Pouty. Where's your creepy grandpa?" June refills her cup.
"He's my uncle, and he's not here." Zuko says, slightly irritated.
"I see you worked things out with your ex-girlfriend." June looks between Zuko and Katara.

Arlington frowns and rolls her golden green eyes. She's somewhat jealous and annoyed.
"I'm not his girlfriend!"
"She's not my girlfriend!"
Zuko and Katara simultaneously protest.

"Okay, okay, sheesh. I was only teasing. So what you want?" June takes a sip of her drink.
"I need your help finding the Avatar." Zuko says.
"Hmph. Doesn't sound too fun." June kicks her feet up onto the table.
"Does the end of of the world sound like more fun?" Zuko's voice is dangerously low.

June sighs before getting up and exiting the tavern.

Outside, Appa and Nyla are growling aggressively at each other. Peanut gives a quick, little bark and both of them quiet down. Nyla turns towards June.

"Nyla..." June throws a chunk of meat to her shitshu, who catches the meat and swollows it in a gulp.
"Who's my little snuffly wuffly." June coos. Nyla suddenly shoots out her tongue and June steps back. "Whoa! Careful there. Okay, whose got something with the Avatar's scent on it?" June asks.

"I have Aang's staff." Katara hands it to June.

June who offers the staff in front of Nyla's snout as she sniffs it. Nyla proceeds to sniff and walk around while the group follows her movements. She continues circling around and sniffing out Aang's scent. Nyla makes one last round before walking back in front of June and lowering herself on the ground and rubbing her snout with her paws.

Arlington knows what that action means far too well. Nyla did the exact same thing when she couldn't seek out the scent of Arlington's mom.

"Well, what does that mean?" Zuko asks.
"It means your friend's gone." June says.
"We know he's gone, that's why we're trying to find him." Toph says in a 'duh' tone.
"No, I mean he's gone gone." June snaps.
"He doesn't exist." Arlington finishes June's statement.

The group looks at Arlington in shock.
"How do you know that?" Katara asks.
"Nyla did that same thing when she couldn't find my mom." Arlington looks down, the sadness of the memory fills her thoughts. Zuko wraps his arm around Arlington's waist and pulls her to his chest to comfort her.

"But oddly enough, I did end up finding your mom about a month later." June says.
Arlington's head snaps up. "Where is she?"
June points to a figure walking around the outside of the tavern, serving drinks to people.

The woman looks up and makes eye contact with Arlington. She lowers her tray and walks to get a closer look at Arlington. Arlington breaks away from the Gaang to talk to the lady in private. Peanut and Zuko follow her.

"Mom?" Arlington asks, not quite believing her eyes.
"Arlington? Is that you?" The woman takes another step closer. Once she realizes that her daughter is standing right in front of her, she opens her arms to give Arlington a hug, but Arlington takes a step back.

"Arlington, it's me, your mother." She says, disappointed that Arlington rejected her hug.
"Why? Why did you abandon me after Dad died?" Arlington asks. This is the one question that has been haunting her for years.
"I-I um.." Arlington's mother stumbles on her words.

"It was New Year's Eve, a little past nine o'clock. You told me you were going to the grocery store to buy milk and that you would be right back. And I believed you, I really did. So I waited by the door. An hour passed and I was still waiting, a day passed and I was still sitting by the door. Three months passed and I was still waiting by the door expecting you to come home and say 'Arlington! I'm home!' But you never did. You left me! A seven year-old child!" Arlington raises her voice. "You walked right out of my life and didn't even say goodbye. You left me there, clueless! I had no idea where you were or what happened to you! You could've at least left a note, a clue, anything really! You could've left a note disowning me for all I care! That would've been better than nothing at all!" Arlington yells.