Obsession (Zuko X OC fan fic) - Discontinued

2: We Need Food

"We're out of food..." I dropped the near empty bag on the ground and fished out what was left of our coin. "...and down to four copper pieces." I looked at Iroh.

Iroh was squatting in front of something, clearly mesmerized. I moved to get a better look and found he was looking at a pretty white and red flower.

The forest about us was alive with movement but it was still noticeable when a bush began moving not far off and a series of grunts sounded as Zuko emerged from it. He was clearly frustrated. "I didn't find anything to eat. I can't live like this. I wasn't meant to be a fugitive." He kicked at the ground angrily. "This is impossible!"

"Not impossible just really fricken hard." I said. "I've only been doing it for the last seven years.

"Then you find us food, hot shot."

Iroh sniffed the flower deeply, pulling us from our argument before it could become heated. (Lol)

Zuko calmly looked at him as only a small note of frustration fell in his voice. "Uncle... what are you doing?"

Iroh smiled. "You're looking at the rare white dragon bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious it's heartbreaking!" His tone changed to a deep danger. "That, or it's the white jade bush, which is poisonous."

Zuko stared for a moment. "We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing." He walked back towards the river.

"Don't chance it Iroh. It's not worth the chance of a slow painful death. Iroh continued his contemplating as I walked to the river, taking the empty bag with me, to help Zuko catch something for us to eat.

I watched as Zuko entered the edge of the river. He had a long home-made fishing spear and a very sour expression. He lunged forward and caught something on his spear. At the end of his enormous fishing pole he had succeeding in spearing what looked like a minnow. It wiggled pathetically. Zuko began to mumble about how terrible this was.

"Calm down, Z." I chastised him. "If you keep at it like that you'll never catch anything."

"If you're so smart then you come try this."

I smiled. "I would but you've scared everything away already. Let's go see if Iroh found anything and try again later."

"Fine." He trudged out of the water and rolled his pants down, abandoning his catch on the shore with his stick.

We trudged back and stood behind Iroh. He had his back to us so we couldn't tell what he was doing.

Iroh didn't turn back to us. "Zuko, remember that plant that I thought might be tea?"

Zuko looked at him, horrified. "You didn't!"

"We were only gone for a few minutes!" I shook my head.

"I did." Iroh turned around to reveal his red, swollen face which he was scratching. "And it wasn't."

Zuko and I reeled back in repulsion. "Gah!"

Iroh calmly scratched his face. "When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing." He lifted some berries excitedly. "But look what I found! These are bacui berries, known to cure the poison of the white jade plant. That, or macahoni berries that cause blindness."

Zuko was losing his patience. "We're not taking any more chances with these plants! Azul, we need to get help."

Iroh scratched his face. "But where are we going to go? We're enemies of the Earth Kingdom, and fugitives from the Fire Nation."

I thought for a moment. "If the Earth Kingdom discovers us, they'll have us killed."

Iroh agreed. "But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula."