The Banished Commander (ATLA fanfiction)

Eighteen

Zuko's P.O.V.

I look at the river in front of me before I watch the girl by it start to trail her hand through the water.

"You miss them?" I ask

"Who? My friends?" She asks before looking up

"The avatar and others." I confirm

"Yeah... I wonder how they're doing." She answers "I used to enjoy watching them practice their water bending."

"You saw your bending in it?" I question

"A little bit. I know Iroh got some of the moves that he taught me from the water benders." She says "Their bending takes so little while the fire we can create can take so much."

I look at her before I watch her create a small flame over her hand as she stares at the fire before holding it over the river.

"We can take so much, yet the water balances us out..." She whispers

"Did you and the other girl ever train like that?" I ask as I walk over to her

She looks at me before I watch the river wash over her hand, diminishing the flame from her hand.

"What do you mean?" She questions

"You create something that she then destroys so you two know your limits." I say "It wouldn't be a bad idea."

"We've trained together before but usually never bring my fire into it since I don't want to lose control." She says

I nod before she stands back up before she looks at me.

"Do you really want to go back to hunting them?" She asks

"I don't know. Everything is so confusing right now..." I whisper

I feel her place her hand on my cheek before forcing me to look at her.

"I know you will go back to them once we can find them." I say "I don't know if I want that to happen. Having your help has been helping me through this again."

She sighs before setting her forehead against mine as we just stand there, listening to the natural sounds around us.

"We should get going." She whispers

I silently agree before we head back towards the ostrich horse.

Zara's P.O.V.

I look up toward the sky, the white fur starting to fall.

"Zuko, stop." I instruct "I feel like we've seen that fur before."

"What?" He asks

I climb off of the bird before walking over to some of the fur that has been dropped. I pick it up, letting it sit between a few fingers before looking toward the sky.

"Aang and the others are nearby," I whisper

"What was that?" Zuko asks

"My friends are nearby and I have a feeling they're being chased by something." I start "Or someone."

"Do you think that you could find them before the thing hunting them?" He questions

I look up toward the sky before back in the distance before shaking my head.

"I don't know. I couldn't tell you for sure." I say

I hear fighting off in the distance before looking towards the ghost town further down.

"I wonder..." I start

"Zara, watch out!" Zuko says

I quickly get out of the way before a bunch of furs comes dropping down. I look up to see a tired Aang slowly letting the fur drop out of the bag he has. I hurry back over to Zuko as he watches the avatar.