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

Chapter Four

Sakari's POV

A few days later we found ourselves sitting on the ground begging for money in a small Earth Kingdom village. We had found a change of clothes on the way and now looked like Earth Kingdom citizens.

"Spare coins for weary travellers?" Iroh asked a man who was passing by.

He dropped a few coins into Iroh's hat with a pitiful smile on his face before continuing on his way.

"This is humiliating. We're royalty. These people should be giving us whatever we want." Zuko complained.

"Not so loud, hothead." I told him, not wanting anyone to hear him.

"They will if you ask nicely." Iroh informed Zuko.

A few more kind people walked past and gave us some money before we were approached by an arrogant looking man.

"How about some entertainment in exchange for a gold piece?" The man asked, pulling a gold coin from his pocket.

"We're not performers." Zuko stated bluntly.

"Not professional, anyway." Iroh said, standing and singing a song about the girls in Ba Sing Se, but the man didn't look impressed.

"Come on, we're talking a gold piece here. Let's see some action." The man demanded, pulling his swords out.

He began slicing them at Iroh's feet to make him "dance" while he continued singing, and it was making Zuko and I very angry. I knew that one of us would have to calm the other down or we would both attack this man, so I took Zuko's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze to calm him.

"Nothing like a fat man dancing for his dinner." The man said, laughing as he tossed Iroh the coin.

"Such a kind man." Iroh stated as he sat back down next to us.

"Iroh, you're crazy." I mumbled to myself.

*****

Early the next morning Zuko and I dressed in all black, him in his Blue Spirit mask and me in my black one, and we set off for the village. We kept quiet, waiting for some unsuspecting citizens to walk by, and when they did, we acted fast. I used my Waterbending to freeze a couple's feet in place while Zuko used his swords to cut the food baskets off each end of a pole a man was carrying, and then we ran for it. We hid our black clothes and masks in a tree trunk and then returned to Iroh at the cave we were staying at, Zuko threw the food at his feet.

"Where did you get these?" He asked.

"Does it matter where it came from?" Zuko stated, before walking off.

Iroh glared at me and I shrugged him off, we were starving! We needed food! So, sue me for stealing a little! I could tell that Iroh wasn't impressed by us, but he ate the food, nonetheless. Zuko had left again, he wasn't happy about having to beg for food so wasn't talking to Iroh very much.

"You know, Sakari, there is no honour in stealing." Iroh told me.

"I know." I sighed "But we're starving here, Iroh!" I exclaimed before leaving the cave myself.

I needed some fresh air, things were starting to get a little tense between the three of us, so I decided to practice my Waterbending. I found a small pond nearby and used it to draw water from, I created a whirlpool and sent it towards a bush, the water stripped the bush of its leaves and dispersed afterwards. I had seen Firebenders use fire whirlpools before and thought I would try it with water, seemed effective enough. I looked up into the sky, as it started to grow darker, and spotted the moon, Yue...

"Hey, Yue... I know we didn't really know each other, but I'm sorry for what happened to you. I wish I could talk to you, see how you were doing, but I seem to have lost my connection to your world. I hope that we can make your sacrifice worth it, I hope that we can defeat the Fire Lord." I said, kneeling on the ground bowing my head to the moon.

I suddenly got an eerie feeling that sent chills down my spine, I looked up and saw a ghostly figure standing before me.

"Yue...?" I said shocked.

"Hello, Sakari, it's nice to see you again." Yue spoke, floating in front of me.

"Woah... What... How?" I asked, still shocked.

Yue chuckled, clearly amused by my expression.

"I've come to let you know that my sacrifice is already worth it. Watching you all live your lives happily is worth it, even if we are in the middle of a war." Yue explained "Sakari, I've been watching over your siblings and you. Keep going. Don't give up. I see the same good in that young Prince that you do. He just needs a little guidance."

And with that Yue disappeared. Well, that was weird. I made my way back to the cave and could hear Iroh and Zuko talking, so I decided to wait outside and not interrupt them.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honour in poverty." Iroh told Zuko.

"There's no honour for me without the Avatar." Zuko replied.

"Zuko... Even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems." Iroh said.

"Then there is no hope at all." Zuko stated.

"No, Zuko!" Iroh exclaimed. "You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength."

There was a long silence before I heard one of them, I'm assuming Zuko, walk out of the cave. I waited for him to be gone before entering the cave and spotting Iroh sitting on the ground.

"He'll come around." I stated, sitting next to him.

"You heard that, did you?" Iroh asked.

"Just a little bit." I admitted. "I, um... I talked to the Moon Spirit." I said, changing the subject.

"Oh?" Iroh replied.

"She told me that she can see good in Zuko, the same way I do." I told Iroh.

"Well, Spirits are very wise, you should listen to her." Iroh stated.

"That was the plan." I said smiling.

Iroh and I started packing our stuff to move on when Zuko returned, presumably he had realised that Iroh was right.

"I thought a lot about what you said." Zuko stated.

"You did?" Iroh asked. "Good, good."

"It's helped me realise something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling together." Zuko said. "I need to find my own way."

Iroh looked devastated, Zuko was really going to leave us? Hell no. Zuko started walking when Iroh suddenly grabbed the ostrich horse and ran up to him.

"Wait!" He called.

I watched Iroh hand the reins to Zuko as I quickly packed my bag with a few things.

"I'm going with you!" I told Zuko as I caught up to them.

"No, Sakari. Stay with Uncle." Zuko tried to order me.

I ignored him and heaved myself up onto the ostrich horse behind Zuko.

"You're not getting rid of me, hothead." I said, crossing my arms defiantly.

"Fine." Zuko muttered.

We took off and I sent a wave and an apologetic look towards Iroh before he was out of sight.

"So, where are we going?" I asked Zuko.

"I don't know." He sighed.