peacekeeping- zuko

Libraries in the Desert

We were going through a desert with this Professor guy and heard about this weird hidden library that probably had a way to defeat the Fire Nation. I already knew the Fire Nation but it had been a while. Two and a half years to be exact. A lot of things could have changed. I could use Spiritual Projection but, Sokka immediately refused, saying that I could be seen and get hurt. We finally found it and landed. It was almost entirely buried in sand. The professor, Aang, Sokka, and Katara decided to go inside while me, Toph, and Appa stayed outside. I loved books and reading and stuff but Toph would probably need someone to hang with and I prefer taking a nap curled against Appa's side. We weren't doing much besides talking and I drew little pictures on Appa's fur while he took a nap instead.

I really wanted my own sky bison. They seem so....friendly and trustworthy. Toph told me about how she can see stuff through the ground. It was quite fascinating. Appa grumbled at Toph again. "I already told you, I don't wanna snuggle. Y/N's already snuggling with you!" She complained, scooting away. Appa grumbled again, getting up and running away from the library. I shared a confused look with Toph before it clicked in her head. "Library sinking. Library sinking!" Toph exclaimed, getting up. She got up, putting both her fists on the library, preventing it from sinking anymore then it already had. I wish I could do something to help. I couldn't do anything but try to calm Appa down. "You think you could clear out some sand with airbending?" Toph asked from where she was. She seemed to be struggling.

I nodded before heading over to her and clearing away some sand around it. "What is it now!" Toph replied to Appa's grumbling. I spared a glance backwards at Appa and gasped. Oh no. Sandbenders were trying to take Appa. "Who is it?" Toph urged, elbowing me in the side. "Sandbenders." I breathed. They threw some ropes and buckles on Appa, and fixed them tightly. My breathing was quick and heart rate fast. "Don't make me put this down!" Toph yelled. The sandbenders ignored her. I gritted my teeth,"You got this?" I asked, turning back to Toph. She nodded even though she didn't seem to. I turned around to face the sandbenders, water whip at ready. I sliced at one, making him stumble back and blew a gust of wind at another, throwing him back twenty or so feet. A flame made its way onto my hand, as I blasted it at the other sandbenders. "W-who are you?" One of them asked, stumbling back pathetically. "You're deathwish." I smirked, the flame on my hand occasionally licking the palm of my hand in a warm glow.

I blew the biggest gust of wind I could muster, blowing them all back as far as possible. "Can you stop it with the air blowing?" Toph complained, "I'm already hanging on by a thread!" I winced, guilty. "Sorry." I wiped icicles at one of them. Three of them had been keeping me busy. They were not easy to deal with. Appa grumbled again and I looked over. "No!" They had him tied up and muzzled. Aang won't be happy. I kept at bay as much as I could but they got away. Aang, Katara, and Sokka finally stumbled out. And like I guess, Aang was not happy. He accidentally got into the Avatar state, triggering the Protecter State. I couldn't control my moves, but this time I could actually see what was going on. Aang almost killed the sandbenders and they ran away like the cowards they are. Katara calmed him down by holding him close. Reminds me of someone else.

"Azula! Why do you keep doing that!" The voice of Price Zuko filled the halls. I was in the guest bedroom, and had seen Ozai walking down the halls into the war room. My eyes widened. Azula was trying to get him in trouble again. Zuko was always a hot head and there was no surprise about that. Ozai always punished him for the littlest of things and he would certainly be punished for this. I rushed outside to see Zuko storming up the halls ahead of me. I rushed towards him and hugged his back, clapping a hand over his mouth. He stopped, startled. I slowly removed my hand off his mouth. "Y/N?" He whispered. "That's me." I giggled. He turned around in my arms and hugged me back. He had stopped yelling and calmed down a lot. "Azula stole my jasmine tea again." He mumbled against my neck. I giggled again, "You almost got in trouble. Your dad's down the hall."

"Oh." Zuko gasped. "Yeah, lucky I caught you in time." He held me closer. "Thanks." I snickered, "Are you thinking me for hugging you?" Zuko immediately pulled away. A blush had made its way onto his cheeks. "W-well I, that's n-not exactly w-wha"- "it's okay." I patted his cheek. "Just be glad you're not in the punishment room." I snickered, striding back to my room.

My vision ended and I was in my normal state again but this time, I was laying in Sokka's lap. I got up blinking my bleary eyes. "W-what happened?" I asked Katara who seemed to be the only one who hadn't lost her sanity. "Finally!" She tan to smother me a big hug. "You passed out, and Aang ran off, and Sokka found this weird cactus juice, and Toph's being really hard to handle and I'm the only one who's been carrying the team around for so long!" She rambled. "Woah, woah, okay. So Aang ran off, probably to find Appa or something and Sokka drank what?" A figure behind me moved and glanced up, "HEY! SPARKY'S AWAKE! FINALLY!" Sokka screamed in my ear. "Sokka you don't have to scream every time you speak." Katara said, shaking her head. "YEAH BUT SPARKY'S AWAKE," he exclaimed, wrapping me a big hug.

"Yeah, I know." Katara's gaze turned back to me. "Right now, we're just taking a small rest, hoping Aang will come back and we'll find a way out." I nodded, taking in the information. "You know, I can find him." Katara's head wiped up so fast, it was like whiplash. I took that as 'yes do it' and meditated on the spirit of Raava. I blinked open my eyes. Katara was looking at me with expecting eyes, Toph was staring at the ground like always, not saying anything, and Sokka was laughing at an insect. "I found him."

*********************

"Aang!" I exclaimed, finally finding him. He seemed super upset and tired. I swamped him in a big hug. "We were so worried. Cmon, the others are waiting for us." I felt water on my shoulder. Aang was crying. "I-I want Appa back. H-he n-never left me, he w-was always with me e-even when n-no one else was, a-and I just"- His choked voice got overcome by tears and he busied himself with hiding his tears in my hair. "Oh, Aang. We'll find him, I promise." He sniffled against my shoulder. "We'll turn the world upside down and search every nook and cranny, but I promise we will find him." He tears started to fall slower on my shoulder and his breathing had started to go back to normal. "Now, lets go back, okay?" Aang nodded, wiping his tears off.

When we returned, the sky was dusted with bright, sparkling stars. Everyone was glad to see Aang was okay. We didn't need two members of the team being taken away. "I'm sorry Aang, I know it's hard for you right now but we need to focus on getting out of here." Katara said, trying to lift our spirits. Everyone was tired and feeling lethargic from all the walking. "What's the point? We won't survive without Appa anyway. We all know it." Woah. Losing Appa had really changed Aang. He was always optimistic through everything. This was not a good example. Sokka was still being weird and I had to drag him along, holding his hand. "I can try and sense some energy. No one would be stupid enough to stay in this desert." I offered. "You sure you have the energy to do that? We've been walking a lot and you also fought a lot of sandbenders earlier. Oh and you almost killed them in the Protector State." Katara listed off.

She was right, I didn't have any energy left. I nodded. "I could try." She shook her head. "That would sap up all your energy. You need some rest and recharge." I nodded. We all took a break and decided to sleep in the sand for the night. Y'know, it was nothing like the beds in the Palace or Appa's fur, but it was better then the sleeping bags. We had lost all our stuff, including my sword. Everyone was tired and Aang was being all emo, Sokka was still on the cactus juice, and Toph was no help. I mean, I wasn't either. All I was doing was groaning every five minutes and complaining to Katara about how tired we all were. She was the only one who hadn't lost her sanity even though she was on the verge of it. This was not the situation I wanted to be in right now.