Avatar Zuko

Chapter 13

“I really don't think we should be doing this, Aang.” Said Zuko for the twentieth time as they continued travelling west towards the Fire Sage Temple.

“But a dragon told me to come here on the Solstice.” Argued Aang, not even looking back at Zuko at this point, too busy steering.

“Yes, did a dragon send you a message, Lee?” Asked Katara sarcastically, Sokka might have said something similar but he was fast asleep and snoring in his sleeping bag.

Zuko wished he could argue that ‘yes, a dragon did send me a message!’ but technically that message had been the same as Aang’s and he'd chosen to ignore it, opting to not betray his father. Which left him with no choice other than going to the Fire Nation, unless he was willing to throw himself off Appa before they got there, of course. Which he had been considering, but had decided not to since his corpse would probably get washed up on a Fire Nation shore (which was just his luck) or he might not even get to hit the water's surface; Aang would probably swoop down with Appa to save him. So the firebender was screwed.

“Look, I just have a bad feeling okay… Instincts?” He tried, still wanting Aang to turn Appa around so they could head back to the Earth Kingdom.

“Instincts? You're pulling a Sokka? What's made you so desperate?” Katara raised her eyebrow at the nervous firebender, who looked at his shoes shamefully.

Zuko decided maybe it was time to try a half truth, as painful as it was to admit, if he wanted to get out of going to the Fire Nation.

“I was banished, okay? Going to the Fire Nation would make me a fully fledged criminal and fugitive from my country.” He admitted, not looking at his companions but instead fiddling with a loose bit of string hanging off of his red shirt.

“... Oh… But won't chasing after the avatar with us do the same thing?” Asked Katara, and damn Zuko hadn't considered that she might think of that.

“... Yes, but they don't know that I'm doing that.” The Prince responded, proud he'd thought of something so quickly but realising there was little chance he'd be able to get out of going to the Fire Nation at this point.

“Well don't worry then! We'll make sure they don't realise you came back.” Aang promised happily from Appa’s head, in a seemingly even cheerier mood than usual after his run in with Roku’s dragon in the Spirit World. He was probably just glad to have a strong lead from a source that actually had a good chance of knowing the avatar, or at least their whereabouts.

“Unm, Aang, that might be an issue… Yip yip!” Katara yelled, causing Appa to suddenly ascend even higher into the clouds (going completely out of sight), whilst pointing at a line of of Fire Navy ships that curved a barrage in the sea. Unfortunately Zuko recognised who controlled those specific ships.

“They belong to Commander Zhao! Can we please turn around?!” He asked one last time, really hating Zhao and in no rush to get him on their trail.

“Who's Commander Vow? And we're too close to turn back now!” Aang said, keeping on going through the clouds. Luckily Zhao’s ships didn't seem to have noticed them yet, but Zuko really didn't feel like tempting fate.

“It's ‘Zhao’ and he's not a very nice person! He's also really high up in the Fire Nation Military.” Zuko explained quickly, noticing the commotion had also woken up Sokka.

What the Prince failed to mention was his many run ins with Zhao, and the real reason that he didn't want to bump into him in the Fire Nation: he'd immediately reveal his identity as royalty. But what information he did give managed to scare the others to an amount which they'd also be apprehensive to meet the guy.