Fuel To My Fire - Book Two (ATLA Zuko Fanfiction)

Chapter One

Sakari's POV

It had been three weeks since we left the North Pole, for three weeks I was stuck on a raft with Zuko and Iroh. I hadn't been able to create fire since the moon incident, which I wasn't really bothered by since water has served me well for the past fifteen years. What I was bothered by, however, is the fact that I haven't been able to enter the Spirit World since Tui died, I must have lost my connection with the Spirit World when I lost my connection with the Moon Spirit. I was also constantly thinking about who my father could possibly be, I had asked Zuko and Iroh but neither of them knew anything. I was suddenly pulled back to reality by Iroh, he was enjoying a back massage while Zuko and I sat close by, all three of us were wearing red Fire Nation robes, and Zuko seemed awfully quiet today.

"Ahh. This is what I've been missing." Iroh said happily. "Who knew that floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water could make one so tense?"

"He's kidding right?" I said to Zuko.

Zuko stayed silent, staring out into the distance, as Iroh came over to join us.

"I see. It's the anniversary isn't it?" Iroh asked Zuko, sitting down next to him.

"Three years ago, today, I was banished. I lost it all. I want it back." Zuko finally spoke. "I want the Avatar. I want my honour. I want my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless."

"I don't even know what I want to eat." I muttered to myself.

"I'm sure he doesn't." Iroh said, trying to comfort his nephew. "Why would he banish you if he didn't care?"

Zuko sent Iroh a glare before storming off to the house we were staying in.

"That came out wrong, didn't it?" Iroh asked, turning to me.

"You think?" I retorted.

Iroh shrugged and went back to his massage while I wandered off to find Zuko, thinking he could maybe use someone to talk to. I entered the house and found him lying on the couch, he lifted his head when he heard the door open and sighed when he saw me standing there.

"I don't need to talk about my feelings, Sakari." He stated.

"That's not why I'm here." I lied, but he could see right through me.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a terrible liar?" He asked, a playful smile on his face.

"Alright, fine, I did come in case you wanted someone to talk to." I said as I lifted his legs up and placed them on my lap as I sat with him.

"There's nothing to talk about. It's the anniversary of when I was banished from the Fire Nation, that's it." Zuko said, trying to act tough.

"If you say so." I sighed.

*****

The next day Zuko, Iroh, and I had decided to take a long walk on the beach. Iroh spent his time collecting seashells in a small sack he carried with him, I was walking closer to the ocean, feeling the water flow over my bare feet, and Zuko was wandering along behind us. I looked back at him and figured he could use some cheering up, so I bended a small amount of water towards him, splashing him with it. Zuko stopped in his tracks and stared at me, before his mouth broke into a smile and he charged towards me, grabbed me around my waist, and walked out deeper into the water.

"Put me down!" I demanded through my laughter.

"If that's what you want." Zuko stated.

He dropped me and I let out a squeal as I landed on my butt in the cold water, I quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him down with me. We were both laughing now, we were genuinely happy in this moment, and I loved seeing Zuko like this. He seemed to have really loosened up after spending three weeks with me and my jokes, I took every opportunity I could to try and make him laugh or even smile, and it seemed to have worked.