Rainbow's Gift (Avatar The Last Airbender Fanfic)

6. Burnt

ZUKO'S POV
Uncle and I walked towards the ship. I couldn't believe he said I was more honourable than Zhao. I was also really happy to see Taliya. I knew I wouldn't forget her smile. She was still the same person and I was glad. She hadn't seen war yet. As I walked up to my ship, Taliya was behind me running, fear in her eyes. As she got near us, she looked so frightened.

"Zuko, my father......" she choked out.

The next thing I saw was fire in our direction and I moved quickly to block it.I had to help her. I couldn't let Zhao hurt her. Before I had let it happen but I was younger. Now that I was older, I could protect her.

"Leave my daughter and I alone. This is between the two of us." Zhao said firmly.

"Never." I said fiercely.

"Very well then." he said as he got into a fighting stance.

Zhao started shooting fire at me. I shot back and I had to make sure none of it passed by me. Now that he was angry his flames were more hotter. Taliya stood behind me, waiting for the outcome of this. I saw her look at the ground embarrassed. Zhao was exhilarated and he kept on aiming for Taliya.

Then, it all happened really fast. I tried to block the huge amount of fire coming Taliya's way but I had to back down. I turned around. I couldn't watch. I heard screaming a few seconds later and when I turned around, she was on the ground and Zhao walked triumphantly towards her.

"That," he pointed to her left upper arm which I guess where the burn was, "will teach you to respect me."

He glared at me and left. I ran to her and saw her left upper arm. It didn't burn her so badly but I let her down.

"Taliya, I'm sorry." I apologized.

Tears were flowing down her face. There's something I had to do. As I looked at her in pain, I got an idea.

"Taliya, I want you to come with me. I can protect you from your dad. You can even help me capture the Avatar. It would be like the old times."

When she heard that, she opened her eyes which we're closed and tears seem to flow more.

"I'm sorry Zuko but I can't. My father will chase you to get me." she croaked.

"But you can't continue staying with him. Who knows when he'll burn you next time?"

"Zuko, he's my father. I can't run away from him with you."

I couldn't believe she refused to go with me. That's what she always wanted, to run away from home. There's obviously a reason why she wanted to stay but I decided not to ask. When I wanted to carry her to the physician, a solider came running towards us.

"Taliya, are you okay?Did he burn you?" He asked her quietly but I heard everything.

"No, Zuko can never burn me. It was my father."

As he carried her, I stood up to leave but she called me.

"Zuko, goodbye."

"Goodbye. I hope we meet again."

"I do too."

I walked back to my ship and set sails to continue my search for the Avatar.

Taliya's POV
Kuzon carried me to the physician. I was beyond sad that Zuko had left. But I couldn't do anything about it. I was not leave with him even though everything in my body was telling me to leave this place. I came here for a reason. I just didn't know it yet. Besides Onji and Ty Lee, he was my best friend and it was the first time I was seeing him after three years. I'd missed him and it didn't look like I was going to see him anytime soon. I didn't even get to know how he got that horrible scar.

You'll meet him again.

I sat up quickly but Kuzon pushed me back down. "Did you hear that?" I asked as I looked around.

"What?"

"A woman's voice." I said. as I tried to sit up but he wouldn't let me.

"We're the only ones here." Kuzon said as he looked at me with worry. I must have heard my imaginations or something. I hissed. My arm was in pain and I didn't think I could move it. I knew I could have fought him. But I froze. As I always did when it came to him and it was embarrassing.

"What did you do?" Kuzon asked gently.

"I supported Zuko instead of my father in the Agni Kai. That's what happened." I was embarrassed to tell him the whole story.

"And why did you do that?" Kuzon asked with sudden anger.

I didn't get why he was angry. I had just been burnt. It's not like it was the first time. I had to remind myself that he didn't know much about me and I had just met him a month ago. With my other hand I wiped the tears that were drying up on my face.

"Zuko is my best friend, Kuzon. I had to support him because I know he will always support me. Why are you angry any way?"

"That's because you got hurt." He said sadly.

I patted him gently. "Kuzon, I'm fine."

"Well, you're arm isn't fine."

He touched it a little and I winced.

"Stop that. It's painful."

He sat down and we waited for the physician. He came afterwards and put a colorless liquid on the wound. The tears that I had been holding back came out. I was biting a piece of clothing while he was cleaning the burn. I was hoping he would get the treatment over with quickly.

<~<~<~<~<~<~<~<~<~<~<~<~<~<~

I stared at the sea. I looked at my left arm that I couldn't move. I wished I had gone with Zuko. That's what I always wanted to do: run away from home, my father and all the fighting. But if I did my new plan of finding the Avatar so I could help him would fail. I just needed to find the perfect time to escape.

Zuko's point of views is giving me a headache!!!

I hope you liked the edit.

Edited 5/9/23