peacekeeping- zuko

"Fine. He can join."

Aang's voice boomed mixed with the past Avatars. "What are you doing!?" Then, mine mixed with Sorla's said, "I never know what I'm doing! But I still do it and it works out, unlike you." Aang blasted wind and water in my face, which I happily returned. Sorla, please stop. She didn't. A band of rocks bounded by wrist to the wall. Well, frick. My hand pulled away from it, breaking the rocks. Sorla, do you work out or something. Sokka rushed up to me, only to be blown back. "Maybe you should control your emotions! You could've hurt Katara!" The Avatar's voices said. "Maybe she should learn to control hers. She could've hurt Zuko!" Mine and Sorla's voices retorted. Zuko himself wrapped his arms around me, somehow being able to get close enough. I slumped into them, and my vision returned to normal. Katara did the same to Aang, though he was still glaring daggers at me.

His arrows stopped glowing and he calmed down, too. Sokka took me out of Zuko's arms. "You can leave, now." Zuko must've listened because I didn't feel his energy anymore. I passed out against Sokka's shoulder, the Protecter State having slurped up all my energy. The next time I woke up, it was nighttime. I was in my sleeping bag, outside for some reason. There were bedrooms, but I guess everyone wanted to sleep outside. A dark figure got up, and left. It was Toph, from the energy I felt. She bended the rocks out of the way and climbed in. What's she doing? I rumbled through my bag, pulling out my River Spirit robes. Since they were dark blue, they'd provide cover.

I followed Toph from overhead, staying in the air as much as possible, knowing that she'd be able to feel me if I was on the ground. Toph neared a clearing, where Zuko was. I perched on a tree, legs dangling over the brach, watching the show in suspense. Toph neared Zuko, and he shot up, startled. "Who's there? Stay back!" Zuko shot a whip of fire at the dark. "It's me!" Toph defended, throwing up an earth shield. She stepped back into the Fire. Frick. My hand shot out to save her but too late- "Ow! You burned my feet!" Toph exclaimed. "I'm sorry, it was a mistake!" Zuko tried, chasing after her as she crawled away. "Get away from me!" Toph ordered, throwing back rocks, which Zuko expertly avoided. "Let me help you! I'm sorry!" Zuko tried again.

"Get off me! Get off me!" Toph brought up so,e earth, sending Zuko back. I got up, but something snatched my foot. It was a brach, it's tips curled around my foot. I pulled it away, the sharp tips scratching my ankle. Zuko's pearl dagger fell out. I groaned, jumping down to retrieve it. "I didn't know it was you! Uggghhh, come back!" Zuko yelled, his voice decorating the night sky. I picked it up, putting it back in my shoe. I turned to see Zuko laying down, clutching his head. "Uggghhh! Why am I so bad at being gooooood!" First of all, mood. Second of all, aww my poor baby. Wait, hold up, he's my ex. No more poor baby. But still, I found myself shoving on my hood, and kneeling beside him.

I held out my arms which Zuko unhesitatingly fell into. That's weird since he doesn't trust strangers. In fact, he doesn't trust anyone beside me and Iroh. But I'm disguised right now. "Who are you?" Zuko sniffled. "Uhh..I'm the River Spirit. I noticed you were feeling a bit down." I answered, using the most mysterious voice I could. Zuko sniffled again. Wait, no, it wasn't a sniffle. It was more of a..sniff. "You smell really familiar." What? I smell familiar. "Huh. How do I smell familiar?"

"You smell like a..friend." Zuko answered. Oh. He's talking about me. "What do they smell like?" Zuko shrugged. "Springtime, rose petals, honey, happiness." He listed. "Oh. Well that's...nice." Zuko tried to peek under my veiled hat. I leaned my head down, hiding from his view. "You seem very familiar. Are you sure I don't know you?" Zuko queried. "U-oh y-well yeah, you don't know me." I stuttered. Zuko leaned down more, trying to peek through the veil. "Your really pretty." Zuko noted. "O-oh. W-well, thanks." I smiled. I don't know how many times Zuko has unknowingly flirted with me. It's kinda cute. "C-can I see your face?" Zuko asked. "Oh, well, you see, I have to get going." I answered, pulling away from Zuko.

Zuko peeked under my hat one more time. "Y/N?" Well, frick. "W-who? I-i have to go." I stammered my voice slightly revealing. And with that, I was gone. What am I doing? I broke up with Zuko. And we're not getting back together.

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

The next morning, Toph made her way through the tunnel just as I landed on the ridge of the fountain. "Y/N! Where were you?" Aang exclaimed. "I was just taking a walk." I shrugged. "Hey, I'm sorry about yesterday." Aang started. "Nah, don't worry about it." We turned to Toph. "What happened?" Katara questioned. "My feet got burned!" Toph explained. Katara's jaw hung open, "Oh no! What happened!?" I-she just answered. "I just told you, my feet got burned." Toph said, annoyed. "I meant how." "Well, I kind of went to see Zuko last night." Toph started. Everyone looked shocked and I pretended to be shocked with them. "You what!?" "Zuko?" "Uhhh.." "Oh"

Toph had to have her feet healed by me in the fountain while the others talked about strategies on how to capture Zuko. "Yeah, we'll say he'll be our prisoner and bring him here, then we'll ambush him, and really make him our prisoner!" Sokka beamed. "What a great plan." I muttered sarcastically. I knew one thing, I wasn't gonna let them touch Zuko. As much as I still hated him, I also wanted to protect Zuko. A loud 'boom' filled the air. I looked up to see Combustion man and Zuko trying to stop him. I grabbed Toph, pulling her away from Combustion man's aim. Zuko kept trying to stop Combustion man but he didn't listen.

He was saying something, frantically waving but, I couldn't hear what. I grabbed water from the fountain, freezing it and encasing myself in it, making me immune to Combustion man's boomy booms. I whipped a water arm at the pillar beside Combustion man and swung like to it. Combustion man aimed at me with his eye which I froze in ice. He turned to Zuko who deflected his blow, but fell off the edge. No. No. Zuko's gone. Zuko. Is. Gone. I closed my eyes, tears welling inside them. I felt Zuko's energy. He's not dead. Yes. That scared me. I turned around to see everyone else attacking Combustion man as well as they could. I slammed his head in the wall with airbending, instantly throwing more ice at him. Combustion man broke through, roaring. My dude fricking roared like an animal.

Sokka's boomerang flew past me, hitting him straighten the third eye. I clapped for him, which he returned with a cheery smile. But it was too early. Combustion man still got up, and took his aim once again. I knew what was coming. I froze myself, as Combustion man blew off, melting the ice off. Woah. I waterbended the water back into the fountain, after tarzaning there again. "I can't believe I'm saying this but...thanks, Zuko. Aang smiled, after we all had calmed down. "Hey, what about me? I did the boomerang thing." Sokka whined.

"Yeah, and I did the ice and wind stuff," I added. "Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday, I've been through a lot in the last few years, and it's been hard. But I realize I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn yourself, by choosing to do what's right. All I want to do now is play my part in ending the war, and I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world." Zuko turned to Toph.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you. It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild, so as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending, so I don't hurt people unintentionally." Aang contemplated Zuko's speech for a minute. "I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara, and after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt people you love-" Zuko's eyes landed on me before turning back Aang. "-I'd like you to teach me." Aang finished. "Thank you. I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group."

"Not so fast, I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them. Toph, what do you think?" Aang asked, turning to Toph. "Go ahead and let him join. It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet." Toph smirked. Aang turned to Sokka. "Sokka?" "Hey, all I want is to defeat the Fire Lord. If you think this is the way to do, then I'm all for it." Sokka shrugged. "Katara?" Aang turned to Katara. She glared at him for a moment. "I'll go along with whatever you think is right." Aang turned to me. "Y/N? You're the one who's...Y'know." I stared at Zuko's face for a minute. I sighed, "Fine. He can join." "I won't let you down, I promise!" Zuko exclaimed. We all left, to our respective places.
Sokka showing Zuko his room.