Searching (Zuko x OC)

Chapter 25

Zuko's POV:

I had been training harder than ever after my conversation with Sora. I knew I fucked things up, but I knew that telling her why would only make her more upset. She didn't deserve to be wrapped up in my family drama. As it turns out, she has just as much of her own.

She still had no idea how it was even possible for her to be a waterbender. She looked Fire Nation with her pale skin and amber eyes. Plus both of her parents were Fire Nation as well. I think she's decided not to think about it until after we capture the Avatar. I couldn't say for sure. She still wasn't talking to me.

She was cordial with me, but nothing more. Any attempts to talk alone with her never ended well. She always had some excuse or reason to get out of it. I didn't blame her. But I didn't want to tell her about my father's threats. Even if she would understand, I wouldn't feel comfortable being with her knowing that at any second my father could kill her. I could deal with her being mad at me, but I couldn't deal with her being dead.

"Prince Zuko?" my Uncle asked cautiously.

"What is it Uncle. Is it news about the Avatar?" I questioned him immediately.

"Uh.....no. Unfortunately not. We still haven't spotted him, but we are still heading to the Northern Water Tribe," he answered calmly.

"Then why are you interrupting my planning?" I huffed, turning my eyes back to the maps in front of me.

"It's about Sora. I'm worried about her," he answered.

I stopped moving and tightened my grip of the table.

"She doesn't want to see me Uncle. I can't help you," I said through gritted teeth.

"I think it's time you told her why you can't be together. Not knowing is tearing her apart," he argued.

I turned to yell at him, but I saw the sincerity in his eyes. He was begging me.

"I refuse to burden her with the truth. She doesn't need anything else on her plate," I insisted.

Uncle sighed and hung his head in defeat. I was tired of disappointing the people closest to me, but I felt like I was doing the right thing. Even if it hurt them, I wanted to protect them.

"I'm sorry Uncle. Trust me when I say that nobody is more upset about hurting her than me," I assured him, a sad sigh escaping me.

"I know I can't change your mind. I just wish you would reconsider. It's always easier to manage the truth when you're not alone," he said before leaving me alone once more.

I was staring at a map of the Northern Water Tribe. It was almost a decade old, so I knew it was probably outdated. However, it was all I had. I was trying to come up with a plan of how to invade and capture the Avatar once we arrived, but I was coming up blank. My mind was preoccupied. I groaned angrily after a few more minutes of blank staring.

"This is useless. I should meditate and clear my mind," I muttered to myself.

I placed the map on the table by my bed before sitting in front of my candles. I lit them quickly before crossing my legs and sitting down on the floor. I placed my hands together and focused on my breathing. I made sure that I put all my energy into each breath and keeping the flames steady. They quickly began to move with my breathing. As I slipped into my meditative state I hoped that I would be better off than I started when I returned.

•••

Sora's POV:

The wall between each other's rooms was thin, so I could easily hear their conversations if I pressed my ear up to the wall. Normally, I respected his privacy and kept my nose out of his business. However I was curious this time.