Growing Pains (Avatar The Last Airbender Fanfiction)

Chapter 7

"How are you the only one who got sick?" Zuko hissed as I corrled up in my blanket.

I groaned and rolled to face him. "I can't heat myself with fire bending," I reminded him, a sour tone in his voice. He glared down at me. "Just practice swords in your own for now."

He squared down to be closer to me. "Then what use do you gar to be on this ship?" he asked with a threatening tinge to his voice. Reminded me far too much to his sister. "The only thing your good for is sword training. But you can't even hold yourself in a fight."

I knew it was nothing but empty words from him. I turned around to lay on my side, trying to get the liquid to inky consume half of my cranium. "Just leave me alone Zuko, before you catch whatever it is u got,"I told him, pulling up the blanket to try and warm up. But the blanket was far too warm.

With a sigh the prince stood up. "I'm going to bring you water," he said before storming off.

I curled up as tight as I could under my blanket, feeling sleep lull at me. I didn't want to sleep though. Without the herbs I'd end up there. And I was far too tired to even crawl over to get them.

Maybe if I could hold myself to stay awake until Zuko comes back I can ask him to grab them for me. I hate just chewing them, as I usually eat them with a fruit before going to sleep, but it's better than wasting energy there. I couldn't even manage to stay up that long.

I was back in a saddly familiar marsh that is the spirit world. Being as I was there in spirit, I no longer felt sick. The pounding in my head was gone. My muscles didn't ache. I could breath through my nose. But I still felt drained. Your spirit is your energy after all. This is why I hate coming here during my sleep, cause it isn't letting me sleep.

I still have yet to find a way to force myself out of the spirit world. After so many years, I should have figured something out. But no, I always get pulled back in some way, probably my physical body deeming it has been apart from my spirit too long. Most people take years to learn and master what I can do naturally. I was just born with a strong connection to Spirits.

I sat down, not caring that my spirit was deep in muck. I didn't want to waste my nergy wandering around this place. Too bad, you can't fall asleep in spirit form. If you could, I would have been doing so for years. Well, even if you could, the spirit world is not the safest place for a nap.

Through the ambient noise of the spirit world, came a sound much louder than anything else. A quack. I looked down to see a turtle duck swimming towards me. I let out a quiet groan as the animal approached me. This thing was my spirit animal. Sorta pathetic that I have a little turtle duck as mine.

"Leave me alone," I told the spirit. "I'm only here cause I have a fever." While it didn't communicate with me in the traditional sense. I knew it wanted something. There was a pull. That meant it wanted me to go with it. "I barely have any energy, I don't think we wandering around her would be a good idea."

With a quack the duck came and waddled to sit in my lap. I let out a little laugh. Had this been outside the spirit world, not such a thing would happen. Animals went off of instinct. It was anyone's instinct to stay far away from me, not cuddle right on up with me.

I poked the spirit on the head. I felt this happiness radiating from it, and excitement. "You really did miss me," I scoffed, "Too bad you can't come back with me. Sure look awseom fighting with a turtle duck on my side." I let out a pethetic laugh. "Let's be honest, I'd look more pathetic than I am to begin with. Like me, a firebender, who can't firebend. It's stupid." The spirit quacked back in response.

I didn't have time to figure what they me at before I was sitting bolted up right in bed. The pressure in my head was back, and stronger than before. My breathing was lay ores, and rough. Not to mention i felt hot and stick, all coated in sweat.

"You idiot," Zuko hissed at me. "You shouldn't go to the spirit world right now."

I placed my hand toy forehead, hopping my hand would be cooler than my head. It was only slightly so. "I didn't plan on it," I informed him through the soreness aching my throat. "I need my herbs."

Zuko there my bag of herbs at me, as he stood up from his spot at the foot of my cot. "Stay hydrated," was all he said before he left. Sitting just in arms length was a wooden bucket of water, with a laddel and a cup.

Feeling how dry my tongue and sticky my siliva was, I needed water. I pulled the bucket closer and just dipped the cup right in. Down I chugged the entire cub. Then a second, then a third. I didn't stop until the bucket was about half empty.

I leaned back down to be on my back. I pulled the herbs I needed out of the bag and started chewing. I cringed at the taste and texture. I felt like drinking it away, but I knew from experience it would only makes the sensation worse. I then kicked off my blanket from being too hot, and lulled to sleep.