not from around here | Zuko X OC

| chapter twenty five |

The next day passed quickly, even though it was extremely boring for Saki. She practised her water bending and learned some new moves. She didn't have anyone to teach her, so she just made it up and tried her best.

When night came, Zuko disappeared again and Saki got more and more suspicious.
She didn't know what he was doing, but if he came back with a bunch of stuff like yesterday, she would be sure that it was something illegal.

Saki and Iroh sat in the cave again, she was lying on her front, eating a cake and drawing in her book yet again. It's not like there was anything else for her to do.

Zuko walked back in with tons of stuff again.
She sighed, knowing that she was going to have to confront Zuko about this.
"Looks like you did some serious shopping. But where did you get the money?" Asked Iroh, obviously suspicious too.
"Do you like your new teapot?" Zuko asked, ignoring his question.

"To be honest with you" Iroh put the pot down, "the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or a tin cup." Iroh walked over to Zuko and squatted down beside him.

Zuko ignored him again and turned to Saki as she turned back to my book.
"Saki." He said sternly.
"Hm?" She glanced up at him.
"Have you eaten enough today." He asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"I'm literally eating cake." She said, her words muffled by the light sponge that filled her mouth.

"Make sure you have some proper food." He told her, pointing a finger at her sternly before turning back to the barrel.
"Alright dad." She muttered, looking back down at her book. Zuko's head snapped up to glare at her and he threw a small bread roll at her. She squealed as it hit her on the head and glared at Zuko.

Iroh wanted to get back to the situation at hand and spoke up before Saki could throw the bread back at Zuko.
"I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by."
He placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder who looked away from Saki closed his eyes as if he was holding something back.
"But it's nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honor in poverty." Iroh finished.

"There's no honor for me without the Avatar." Zuko said, however his voice sounded slightly strained and not as confident as usual.
"Zuko... Even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now." Iroh explained, nodding at his nephew.
"Then there is no hope at all." Zuko signed, turning away from his uncle.

"Come on Zuko." Saki said, crawling to sit next to him. "You can't give up on hope. There's a lot more to life than the avatar." She explained.
"In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength." Chimed in Iroh.

Zuko turned to face his uncle, who looked back at him with a sad look upon his face.
He glanced back at Saki and then at the floor.
Abruptly, Zuko pulled free from Iroh's grasp and headed out into the forest.

Saki sighed, watching him go.
"Let him have his time." Suggested Iroh.
"You're right. I'm going to get some sleep." Saki stood and walked over to their new sleeping mats sadly. Sleeping on this issue was probably the best way to deal with it.
"Good idea. You'll need it if we keep on travelling from now on." Iroh nodded at her.

She waved a goodnight to Iroh and settled down on the sleeping mat, thinking about everything that had been said and hoping Zuko wouldn't do anything stupid.

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