The Avatar's Guardian: The Lost Story (Avatar the Last Airbender fanfic)

Chapter Fifteen

Satomi's P.O.V.
Katara nods back at me and begins to battle Zuko while Yue runs off to get help. I gasp suddenly as my side alerts me vehemently just before Katara attacks Zuko. I place my hand on it for just a moment, but it is enough for Zuko to catch sight of the action. I groan as a huge sum of energy is drawn from me. I turn back to find that Aang has his face furrowed in concentration. I need to make a box around him just in case. I water bend a wall around the lake and Aang several feet high to keep him secure. It's a mist and I bend it in the light to make it look like rock. Zuko shouldn't check it, but it's something I'll have to bank on because if I go down and it was a wall of earth no one would be able to get to Aang. I turn back in time to find Zuko encased in ice by Katara. My eyes flicker until I am pulled from the Avatar State. I shake my head as my vision begins to blur. Katara rushes over to me. I feel the burn of Zuko's eyes on me, but I push it away. There are many more important things to worry about. My head feels light and my limbs leaden. My chest is tight and my stomach over turned.

"Are you alright?" she asks. I nod sending the world in a dizzying spin, but I manage to stay on my feet.

"Yeah, when he's in the spirit world he draws from my strength," I grin as another sum of energy suddenly disappears from me. I hiss as my head begins to throb. I drop to my knees shakily. I shake my head once as my vision blurs terribly. It does little to aid the effect. Katara rushes to me, but I shake my head. My body trembles with the cold. "No, you need to keep an eye on Psycho," I manage looking up at her. She nods. "No matter what happens to me, do you understand?" She nods once more. "Good, because I don't how much longer I'll be conscious," I smile. She nods and stalks back over to Psycho cautiously. Her eyes trained on me. "I'll be fine. Worry about him," I say gesturing in the general direction of Zuko. She nods. Psycho's eyes are still locked on to me. Another sum of strength is pulled from me and my shivers come in full. My head gets lighter before the world fades to black. I remember hitting the ground and my eyes drifting shut, before the nightmares take over once more.

I jolt awake to find my hands bound behind my back. The scream buzzes around my head, and it is too loud to stop at the present time. I take in a deep breath only to realize how cold I truly am. I begin shivering and curl my knees to my chest too weak to do much else. I couldn't create a flame big enough to burn through my bonds as cold and tired as I am. A cold sweat trickles down my back and forehead. I can't feel my hands or feet and my face and the rest of my body is numb. I work at the bonds until I have slipped my wrist out and stealthily untie my ankles. I take in a deep breath before shooting myself out of the cave using air bending. I roll in the soft snow my body aching and burning as the cold stings my skin. Zuko follows seeing that I am awake, but thankfully Katara lands with Appa at this moment. She knocks Zuko out as I get to my feet unsteadily and the others begin to clamber onto Appa. I drag myself back over to Zuko and heave him on to my shoulder. I don't give the others a decision in the matter. I'm not going to let someone die if I can help it. I huff once and nearly face plant, but I get us both on Appa. The ride back is pleasant and occupied with me watching Zuko, who I've wrapped in my cloak, and making sure he doesn't freeze until I feel the loss. My scar begins burning the worst that it ever has. I nearly faint, but a small whimper is all that escapes, and it is lost in the roar of the storm. A chunk of me feels almost dead now. This feeling ripples through Aang and Yue which stirs commotion in the front of Appa. I pull a blanket out and wrap Zuko it in and then my cloak over it again to keep my hands busy along with my mind. I hope nothing has happened to the spirits, repeats over in my mind in the minute or so it takes us to get there, but I know that isn't true. My stomach sinks steadily at this realization along with my pulse quickening.

Appa lands and Aang and I are already off to the Spirit Oasis. We come in just to catch Zhao's rant being interrupted by Momo. I smile at the flying lemur. Aang warns him not to harm the fish and Iroh appears suddenly backing Aang and threatening to unleash ten-fold onto Zhao of what he does to the fish. He's wise. I wonder if he's rubbed off on Psycho any. I would hope so, for Psycho's sanity's sake if not Iroh's own. He eyes flick to me. I remain silent. He releases the fish back into the water only to kill it. I feel the burn smear across on my own stomach as he does. The moon vanishes completely along with the ability to waterbend. It feels like someone has just ripped a piece of who I am out and smothered it. My hands curl into fists, but I release them as my feet slowly leave the ground and my eyes burn bright light blue. Iroh immediately goes to work on his word and battles with Zhao. His guards protect him while Zhao makes his escape without another word. My jaw tightens.