Naya and the Last Airbender

xvii. Siege of the North- Part I

IT had been a few days since I arrived at the Northern Water Tribe. I mended my relationships fairly quickly, and even stronger than before. Sokka and Katara spend more sibling-like time with me while Aang and I sparred a lot and got to know each other on a much more personal level. I would say that everything went perfectly.

But even then my mind wandered to Zuko.

I hoped he was okay and he and Iroh escaped Zhou, especially after the explosion. I was lucky to recover so fast, which was because of the healers. Zuko must have taken a bad hit.

God, why can't I stop thinking about him? After all the confusion and worry he's put me through, you'd think I'd be over him by now. Yet, my feelings for him grow even stronger. That is something I can't tell Sokka, Katara, or Aang. They'd kill me if they knew I was crushing on the person who wanted to destroy Aang.

I threw fire at the dummy in front of me. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why did I always have to hide things? Why did I have to be at war with my heart and my head? I wished there was a way to love Zuko, my family, and Aang at the same time. But as long as Zuko is stubborn, that will never be the case.

I needed to stop moping about the boy and focus on my destiny. I will have an important part to play along with Aang, and I need to push down doubts or worries and focus on the bigger picture. Defeat Ozai.

Bonbi let out a huff of air. I crossed my arms and looked at him. "What? Is there something you want to say?"

He made a purring sound and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm fine, there's no need to worry about me," I assured my dragon.

I pelted more fire at the dummies. I was glad Arnook found a secluded spot for me to practice fire bending. I did so while Aang and Katara practiced waterbending with Pakku. I couldn't be alongside them because if any citizen saw me they would have a meltdown. I don't blame them, though. The Fire Nation has brought nothing but destruction and misery wherever they went.

I wiped away the sweat on my face. I glanced up at the sky, soaking in the cold that I had very well-acclimated to. My hands grew clammy as I watched a black snowflake fall from the sky and onto the ground.

Soot. There was one thing that brought soot with them in their wake: the Fire Nation.

I looked over at the ocean. A sense of fear and dread washed over me. In the distance, past the bright blue sky, was a dark cloud. It rolled over the sea and approached the quiet Tribe.

Why were they here?

More and more soot-covered snowflakes fell from the sky. With the amount, there was, there had to be a massive invasion coming our way.

"Naya!" Katara shouted as she ran towards me. Aang was not far behind her with Momo.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I jogged towards the two of them. They both had extreme looks of worry on their faces. They knew we were all in danger.

"The-the Fire Nation is here," Katara told. She glanced up at the darkening sky. "This is what it looked like the day my mother died."

Aang and I both placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You're safe with us," the Avatar said.