The Fire Within - an atla fanfic (Zuko x OC)

Didn't Mean to Make You Cry

I walked down the hallway, trying my best not to be noticed by my bag that I was carrying with me. I opened up a door and looked inside carefully, making sure it was the right room. I saw Zuko looking out past the rowboat and to the ocean.

Walking in, I closed the door and greeted him.

"Oh, Ashley, put this on. It will help us blend in." Zuko said, throwing me some white clothes; the same which he was wearing. I looked around sheepishly and then tore my top off, exposing my bra. "Uh, look away." I said.

Zuko looked at me for a moment and then turned away. "Right. Sorry."

I put the clothes on quickly, and slung my bag back over my shoulder. "Ok, you're good."

Zuko turned back around and seemed to relax. "I found some rope." He commented, showing me a roll of rope.

"Wow, that looks like really good rope." I said, trying to act like I knew a lot about it.

"Uh, yeah." Zuko responded. He started to put it in the rowboat.

I stiffened as I heard the door behind me close but I relaxed when I realized it was only Iroh. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and began stuffing the clothes I took off into my bag.

"If you're fishing for an octopus, my nephew, you need a tightly woven net or he will squeeze through the tiniest hole and escape." Iroh said to Zuko.

"I don't need your wisdom right now, Uncle." Zuko replied.

"I'm sorry, I just nag you because, well, ever since I lost my son..." Iroh looked away, pain evident on his face.

"Uncle, you don't have to say it."

"I think of you as my own." Iroh finished.

"I know, Uncle." Zuko bowed. "We'll meet again..."

Iroh rushed forward and gave him a bear hug.

"...after I have the Avatar." Zuko added.

I watched the tender moment, in which it occurred to me how dangerous it would actually be. We were invading a fucking city. What was I thinking? Iroh was clearly worried something bad would happen. I could, like, die.

I looked at the ground in uncertainty. Iroh came over to me and gave me a hug. I smiled and patted his back a few times. "I'll see you later, Iroh."

"Call me Uncle." Iroh replied, a warm smile on his face.

I let go of the embrace and forgot about the regrets I had earlier. "Ok. Bye Uncle." I waved slightly, and walked over to Zuko with my bag. We both stepped in the rowboat, and Zuko started lowering it to the water.

"Remember your Breath of Fire! It could save your life out there!" Iroh instructed us, even though I had no idea what it was. Clearly, I wasn't too prepared.

"I will." Zuko responded.

"And put your hood up, keep your ears warm!"

"I'll be fine." Zuko said. I put my hood over my head and smiled, waving goodbye to Iroh as we met the water.

Zuko started rowing, and I fiddled with my thumbs nervously, feeling the breeze go over the surface of the water. I looked at the large walls of the water tribe in awe. How could they even do that so well? It was amazing. I looked closer at the details and saw a few heads moving around at the top of guard towers on each side. "Zuko, they have guard towers." I noted.

Zuko seemed perplexed by this. "Tell me if they are looking towards us." He replied.

"Ok, I'll try." I said, concentrating on which way they were looking.

Zuko kept rowing the boat. "Go behind this iceberg." I told him.

I saw the guards look in our direction, but we reached behind the ice just in time so they wouldn't have seen us.

We got to the edge of the ice, and Zuko carefully exited the boat, then grabbed my hand to help me out onto the land. We both looked around for a way to get into the city without being spotted. We stealthily walked along the wall of the city, and then watched as several turtle seals disappeared into a hole in the ice.

"Where are they going? They're coming up for air somewhere..." Zuko pondered.

I looked at him hesitantly. "Should we jump in?"

Zuko sighed and nodded. "We have no other choice."

I tightened my bag around my shoulders and took a few breaths in, concentrating on keeping my body heat really high.

Zuko took a deep breath and plunged into the water, me shortly after. I nearly gasped as I felt the cold water go throughout all my clothes and every inch of my skin. It felt so cold that in a way, it almost felt as if I was burning. Oh yeah, frostbite. The swimming part wasn't too difficult for me, it was the keeping warm thing that was. If someone who wasn't a firebender jumped into the freezing water, they'd be frozen to death. I wasn't too far off.

I watched as Zuko broke through the surface of the water. I pushed him aside so he wasn't in the way and joined him, both of us now gasping for air. Zuko crawled out onto the ice and blew fire into his hands to warm him up.

I staggered out of the hole, barely feeling my legs.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked me.

"Yeah, I just need to warm up a little bit." I replied, closing my eyes. I suddenly felt two very warm arms pull me forward, and I opened my eyes to see Zuko hugging me, letting his own heat encircle me. He let go, and I let out a tiny sigh of disappointment. "Now I'm cold again."

"You'll be fine. We need to hurry up and get the avatar." Zuko responded. As he walked to the other side of the cavern-looking room, a few turtle seals started making a ton of noise. "Be quiet!" Zuko snapped at them. He approached a waterfall in the back of the cave, me following behind him carefully.

He looked at where the water was coming from. "That's our way in." He told me.

I looked around slightly. "How do you expect to climb up a waterfall?"

"I'll find a way." Zuko responded, determined.

Zuko started to force himself up the tunnel. He slipped once, but kept on moving. I followed him hesitantly, my muscles burning in protest. Finally Zuko exited the tunnel into the bottom of a large pool of water. We swam up and broke the surface, gasping for air. The top of the chamber was inches above our heads. We both regained our breath, then looked just underneath the water line to scan for exits. Zuko saw one, dove in and entered another tunnel. Going around one bend and then up revealed what looks like an exit into open air, but when Zuko reached it, it proved to be just thinner, lighter colored ice.

I watched with wide eyes. There wasn't a way out. Running out of breath, Zuko concentrated and superheated his hands to red hot and placed them on the thin ice. He burned through the ice and emerged into an ice tunnel within the Water Tribe City. He pulled me out beside him and we both flopped down for a moment to regain our breath.

I turned onto my stomach and looked in awe at how beautiful the city was inside the walls.

Zuko stood up. "Come on, we have to hurry up."

I nodded and stood up. We both looked upon the city.

"Today is the day we get the avatar."