Coco (ATLA) (Book 1)- Major Editing Coming SOON

Song,Toph, & Poisonous Flowers

Word count: 1,944

Me being stuck on an iceberg was just the tip of the iceberg.

War sucks, running from war sucks, and Azula SUCKS. Where do I begin?

After uncle took me in, I never thought I'd be in this position again. Running because of this war, but this time, we're all wanted fugitives; Enemy's of the Fire Nation. I hope my mom didn't return to that place. If so, I will never be able to see her ever again. I get such a hollow feeling inside when I think about the possibility of never seeing her again. I'm already being hunted down by the people who run my home. If I lose my mother, too...

Things are complicated right now, but being here with uncle and Zuko gives me some comfort while living through this awful time. I don't have to go through this alone. I mean, Zuko hasn't seen his mom since he was a kid. Something about uncle has kept him sane this long, I'm sure he can do the same for me, even though I really really miss her...

Being on the run and sleeping in the forest has it's challenges, obviously. For instance, uncle ate a wild flower he had mistaken as a special ingredient used to make some kind of tea that's supposed to taste really good- Despite Zuko and I warning him not to and him ignoring us, his head swelled up like a balloon! His eyes were swollen shut, and if we didn't take immediate action like we did, his throat would've closed. We had to make a special trip to the clinic (again!) where we met a nice girl. Her name was Song. She's young, but older than me, very beautiful, very kind, even invited us over for dinner!

...

Dinner was delightful! I hadn't had a real meal in forever.. Ok, since the ship, but whatever. I asked Song if she would like to join me outside for some fresh air. Of course Zuko is coming, I'd never want him to feel left out, we are friends now. The three of us sit outside in the crisp air and just talk while uncle is inside helping himself to thirds.

"This war has affected me, too," Song admits quietly.

She lifts her pants leg to show us a scar that cascades down her leg. Being with people like myself makes me feel really nice. I've been so insecure about my scar since I got it. It's a reminder of that horrible night back in the North Pole. I'll never forget the look Patyn gave me before he struck my face. I think it hurts so much because I actually liked this guy, a lot. Meeting people like Song is a reminder that everyone has been affected by this war, we're all in this together.

"Just like mine," I whisper.

"What happened to you?" She asks. "It looks new."

My eyes shift to Zuko as he turns to look at me.

"Um, I can't talk about it... To painful."

"I'm sorry," she says genuinely. "Don't worry, you still look beautiful."

As we are leaving, Song gives us a nice genuine smile. She gives us words of encouragement that the Avatar is back, and soon, all of the chaos and violence will be over. If only she knew who she was talking to. I appreciate her kind words, and I hope she's right, but Zuko on the other hand... He's in a really dark space right now. He feels that in order to return home and earn his father's acceptance, he needs to capture Aang. The only difference between now and before the South Pole is his determination to capture the Avatar is now fueled by his hatred towards Aang himself.

Outside of Song and her mother's house stands an old worn down stall that's houses a single ostrich horse. Zuko takes the harness of the animal and leads it outside.