Accidental Avatar 3: Totally Lit

Orange Sunsets

Zuko sat with Mai leaning against him, staring out over the sunset on the rim of the royal volcano. The remains of a pleasant picnic lay forgotten, though his mind was miles away from Mai.

"Orange is such an awful colour," she commented, resting her head on his shoulder.

He gave a half-hearted chuckle but found he couldn't agree. The sky reminded him of how the sun would light up Amaya's hair with shades of gold and orange and yellow. When she was excited, the pink in her cheeks, the darker shades for when she laughed so hard she cried.

"Zuko?"

"Hmm?" he glanced over at Mai, who was staring at him with a concerned expression.

"Are you alright?" her tawny eyes were narrowed with uncertainty. "You've been strange since you came back."

"Sorry, I just need time to..." forget her. "Adjust to being home."

She smiled, cupping his chin with her hand. "Don't rush it. We have all the time in the world."

She kissed him gently, trying to coax him from his melancholy.

"Ahem!"

The sound of someone clearing their throat disapprovingly caused them to part, and Mai looked past him with irritation. He turned to see Azula staring down at them with impatience. Zuko really didn't want to deal with her and scowled up at her.

"Zuko, could I have a word with you?"

"Do I have a choice?" he muttered, turning away to stare out over the sunset. "We're busy, Azula."

Mai leaned forward, her eyes glittering with eager anticipation when Azula cut in.

"Oh, Mai... Ty Lee needs your help untangling her braid."

"Sounds pretty serious," Mai said complacently.

She stood up to leave, throwing Azula a poisonous glare once out of eyeshot.

When Mai had left, Azula glanced back at her brother, a calculating look in her eye as Zuko stared morosely out over the dying sunset.

"So... I hear you've been to visit your Uncle Fatso in the prison tower."

Panic spread through Zuko, who leapt to his feet in embarrassed fury. "That guard told you!"

"No, you did," Azula smirked smugly. "Just now."

Zuko sat back down with an annoyed huff, kicking one of the baskets over as he did. "Okay, you caught me. What is it you want, Azula?"

"Actually," Azula said lightly. "Nothing. Believe it or not, I'm looking out for you. If people find out you've been to see Uncle, they'll think you're plotting with him."

When Zuko didn't react, beyond narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously, she rolled her eyes with a grumpy sigh and turned away sharply.

"Just be careful, dum-dum," she said impatiently, stalking away.

Zuko watched her leave with heavy suspicion.

From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a flash of golden hair, but when he turned to look, it was simply the sun finally disappearing beyond the horizon.

A sinking feeling filled his gut, and he clutched at the fabric over his heart.

Amaya.