Broken Arrow (Zuko X Reader)

Chapter 6

The four had been travelling for a few days now and it was safe to say that they were starting to get tired as well as bored. Y/N was sitting next to Sokka, which was usual in times like these since Aang was often either with Katara or Appa. Katara was sitting near the edge of the saddle, seemingly in her own world.

"Those clouds look so soft don't they?" Katara spoke as she stared out into the clouds as she smiled to herself. "Like you could just jump down and you'd land in a big soft cottony heap.."
"Maybe you should give it a try!" Sokka spoke with his usual smirk on his lips, Y/N raised her brow to his comment as well as rolling her eyes, Katara also followed this action as she spoke to her elder brother un-amused.
"I'll try it!" Aang shouted excitedly as he jumped off of Appa despite Y/N's objections. The three looked over the edge of the saddle on Appa as they waited for Aang to fly back up, only to realise he was behind them.
"Turns out clouds are made from water" Aang spoke as he laughed and dried his clothes.

Everyone laughed along with Aang as he joked until Katara stood up and questioned the landmark beneath them. Aang followed Katara's gaze and began to guide Appa down to land. Once the four had landed they began to look around the seemingly burnt down forest. Sokka and Y/N looked around together while Katara checked on Aang to make sure he was alright. Sokka began talking about the Fire Nation, and how they always destroyed something. Y/n looked at Sokka with a frown and hit the back of his head softly. Sokka looked at his crush and beloved friend with apologising eyes only to see her walking off in the opposite direction, he then looked at his sister Katara only to see her comforting Aang, which he tried to help with.

Meanwhile, Y/N was looking around for something to cheer her younger brother up. That's when she saw it, Y/N picked up the object that she found and headed back to her group of friends. Katara was the first to notice the girl that she considered her sister return and she couldn't help but smile brightly, in which Y/N returned the smile and made her way over to her younger brother.

"Ready to be cheered up?" Y/N walked over to her brother with confidence as well as a smirk plastered on her face.
"Not really no.." This caused Y/N to frown and throw her original plan aside and instead throw the acorn at Aang, hitting him in the head, causing Aang to groan and Sokka to laugh, which also earned Sokka an acorn to the head. Y/N then knelt down beside her brother and picked up the acorn that previously hit him.
"Look. It's an acorn, meaning it can be planted, that means the forest will grow back, a bit like a new beginning and new life will follow" Y/N smiled softly at the youthful boy in front of her as she handed him the acorn. However, her smile faded as she saw an elder man approach her and Aang.

"Hey! Who are you?" Sokka asked, as his curiosity got the better of him. The man made his way over to Aang and asked him if he was the avatar, Aang looked at his elder sister, and received an approving nod before admitting he was indeed the avatar. The elder man then explained how his village was in danger and led the way to the village.

Everyone was then told of how the village was being attacked by a spirit every evening and had been kidnapping villagers. Once everything had been explained Katara asked to speak to both Y/N and Aang in private, with the exception of Sokka.

"Aang.. You don't seem okay with any of this.."
"Maybe because I don't know anything about the spirit world."
"Look either way we have to try" Y/N spoke confidently although she had to admit.. at least to herself that this might not go down do well, especially since both her and Aang had a spiritual connection, and since neither one of them had been taught this sort of stuff she didn't know what would happen.

The group watched Aang as they waited in the village hall, Sokka noticed Y/N's stressed figure as she started her nervous habit of biting her lip and playing with her hair, Sokka looked at her with sorrow before he made his way over to her and placed his arm around her comfortingly "Don't worry. He has us if he needs help, I won't let him.. or you get hurt. That's a promise."

Y/N smiled as she accepted Sokka's attempt to comfort her until she saw the spirit behind Aang. Sokka noticed the look on Y/N's face. She watched as Aang got hit into a nearby building and she knew that was her moment to intervene, so she made her way out of the village hall, that was until Sokka grabbed her arm to stop her "Y/N I'll go, I said... No, I promised that I wouldn't let any harm come to either of you, besides there's not much water out here for you to use. Trust me, I got this" Sokka offered a comforting smile before running to help Aang, while Katara and Y/N stayed behind with the other villagers.

                                                                                      ****

Sokka had been captured and Aang pursued into the forest. Y/N watched with wide eyes but she knew she couldn't leave the Village or Katara unprotected while she searched for Aang. The two girls made their way back to the village hall, that was until Y/N seemingly lost her strength to stand, she knew deep down that something wasn't right. It was if a part of her was missing somehow.

Katara ran back to Y/N's side and stayed by her at the gate of the village, Y/N shook her head and smiled, putting on a brave face for her best friend. "They're okay... I know they are.." The girls stayed there till morning, and although they couldn't see Aang, Y/N could still feel him beside her, it was then that she knew he was in the spirit world. "I know they'll come back Kat, they always do." Katara looked up at her friend as her old nickname came in earshot. "Yeah... You're right, they're probably just looking for something to eat" The two smiled at each other as they waited, keeping each other company.

A few hours had passed and the girls decided to take Appa out and try to look for both Aang and Sokka on the flight, although it came to no avail. Katara decided it was a good idea to head back to the village while Y/N rested in Appa's saddle, Katara couldn't tell if Y/N was tired or if there was something wrong, she knew that she and Aang were connected but she didn't know how far the connection went, and she was now beginning to get worried, Katara had never seen Y/N act like this, even before they met Aang.

It was sunset when the girls arrived back in the village, and Katara noticed how Y/N was started to become her normal self again, and as if on queue Aang appeared and landed in front of Katara with his usual big goofy smile, although it soon faded as Aang and Katara exchanged the news of their siblings. Once Aang was convinced that Y/N was alright he headed back out to the village, it seemed he now knew what to do. And so he waited for the spirit to turn up once more.

Aang did his magic and communicated with the spirit of the forest and began to explain that the forest would grow back, he then handed the acorn that Y/N had previously given him. The spirit seemed to understand this and returned to its home, allowing all the missing villagers to return as well.

"Sokka" Katara cried with joy as she ran to her brother, while Aang made his way to his sister.
"You going to tell me what really happened now. I know you were just being strong before for Katara's sake." Aang spoke softly as he looked at his older sister.
"I'm fine now Aang. It was when you were in the spirit world that I somehow started feeling weaker. I don't know how to explain it."
"Like how we can both go into the Avatar state?"
"Not exactly, only you can control that, but if I'm close enough it happens to me too, or if I'm not my water bending becomes stronger. It's so I can protect you when your vulnerable in that state."

Aang looked at his sister as he took in her words. He was beginning to understand a little better now. He was the stronger one but Y/N, Y/N was the better one in a way, it was her job to be there for him no matter what, and to help him through troubled times.

The four thanked the village for their supplies for their journey and made they're way to Avatar Roku.