Afterward Adventures (ATLA Zuko X OC)

Chapter Sixteen - Smoke and Shadow Pt. 1

(Brief reminder: Ukano is Mai's dad)

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"Ukano... Ukano... you're a failure, Ukano..."

The old man snapped off his bed and he looked up. He couldn't believe at what he saw. They weren't supposed to be real... they shouldn't be real. They were just an old story telling their children to behave.

"It c-can't be!" Ukano said in disbelief.

"You failed as the governor of New Ozai... but we offer you a chance of redemption!"

"You're th-the Kemuricage!"

"Safety is born of strength. As long as the weakling occupies the throne neither your Nation nor your family are safe..."

"But you aren't supposed to be real!"

"Act now, depose the weakling. Redeem yourself, or suffer!"

~o~0~o~0~o~0~o~0~o~0~o~0~o~

"Ha ha!"

"Wheeeee!"

On the way back to the Fire Nation, Aang, Katara, Sokka and Iris thought it was better to escort Zuko and his family back to their home. Aang and Kiyi have been riding one of the dolphin-fishes while Sokka, Iris and Katara have been watching them from the deck.

"Sure looks like Aang and Kiyi are having fun," Sokka said with a small tone of jealousy in his voice.

"Why don't you ask to join them, Sokka?" Katara suggested.

"No thanks, to slimy for my taste," Sokka said smiling nervously at his sister.

"Flying Dolphin-Fishes aren't slimy!" Katara said placing her hands on her waist and giving a cold look at her brother.

"Yeah, well, I still prefer my rides to be mechanical," Sokka said.

"Why don't you just admit that you're too much of a wimp to do that?" Iris asked turning at Sokka.

"I'm not a wimp!" Sokka exclaimed offended.

"Then common!" Iris said and she wrapped Sokka's hand drifting him in the sea with her.

"Aaaaaah!" Sokka let a strangled cry of alarm like a little girl as they landed on one of the dolphin-fishes which started jumping around. Sokka wrapped tightly his hands around Iris's waist from the shaky way the dolphin-fish moved and he shut his eyes closed.

"I missed your girly scream," Iris said laughing amusingly at her friend's reaction.

"This is not funny, Iris!" Sokka shouted half angry, half frightened.

"I thought you found this fun," Iris said teasingly.

"I changed my miiiii –aaaaah- nd!" Sokka shouted terrified as the dolphin-fish kicked them both off its back and they fell in the sea. When they resurfaced Sokka shot Iris a deadly glare as she kept laughing pointing at him. She couldn't help it, seaweed had stuck on his head and it actually made him look ridiculous.

Iris bent a water tornado that blasted them both back on the ship's deck. Sokka shouted once again in alarm, but Iris eased their impact with the metallic floor with her air bending.

"Well..." Iris said releasing her hair from their usual braid and squeezing the water out of them "...that was fun,"

"For you!" Sokka exclaimed irritated as Iris bent the water out of his clothes and she gave him a teasingly smile. But their attention was drawn back to Zuko as he spoke.