The Tale of Fire and Sun | Zuko x OC

Chapter 18

Yara's POV:

The arrow successfully hit its target and I failed to...

The arrow knocked Zuko and he fell on the ground. "Zuko!" I cried out, emerging from the bushes and rushed to him.

By the time I reached there, Aang formed a wall of dust with his Airbending to escape from the soldiers. I knelt beside Zuko and removed his mask, only to hear a loud gasp from Aang.

"You go! I'll take it from here." I urged him as tears filled my eyes. Zuko was still unconscious and I couldn't think of anything else.

But we didn't have time! I braced myself, grabbed his broadswords and tried to lift him. Jeez... he was heavier than I thought!

Just then, to my utter surprise, Aang helped me lift him and I gladly accepted. Soon, we were away from the citadel and found a secure clearing in the woods.

I prepared a bed of leaves and Aang gently laid Zuko on it. I couldn't shake off the thought that he could've died... Zuko could've died...

I held him close to me and rested my forehead on his, crying silently. I should've stayed alert... I shouldn't have let my guard down...

"Thankfully, the arrow knocked a part of his mask. He'll be fine." Aang finally spoke. I wiped my tears and smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you so much."

He smiled back. "I guess we haven't introduced formally. I'm Aang!" I let out a chuckle. "I'm Yara."

"You know, I should thank you too." He spoke a while later and I narrowed my eyes. "For helping Katara back then. She told me and Sokka about it."

I recalled when I helped Katara, the Water Tribe girl during our encounter with the pirates.

"That was nothing, Aang. Don't mention it." I assured. I also felt growing fond of him. He was sweet and caring, even for the people who were trying to catch him.

"No, it's just that... you're with him and you still helped us." He said, slightly confused.

"I know. I shouldn't have but I did it... because I felt it was the right thing to do." I replied. I thought I'd feel guilty saying that but I didn't. Strange...

"You know, I felt that you won't be like Zuko the moment we met." He grinned. Though he expressed it as a compliment, I couldn't take it wholeheartedly. Zuko wasn't bad... he never was...

"Zuko is not as bad as you think, Aang." I smiled sadly. "He's been through some unimaginable things that made him like this." He glanced at Zuko and nodded slightly.

"I just wonder why Zuko would kidnap me from Zhao." He said, absent-mindedly and my head snapped to him in an instant.

So I was right indeed! My father was the official in-charge of the citadel! He was going to be so mad if he found out it was Zuko who took the Avatar from him...

"Are you alright, Yara?" Aang asked in a concerned tone as he studied my face. I cleared my throat and looked away from him. "It's nothing... Uh- just that they both don't get along well."

"But they both serve the Fire Lord, so why?" He questioned. Just then, I realised...

"Aang, you don't know why Zuko's trying this hard, do you?" I asked.

"Because, he's the Fire Lord's son?" He shrugged as he glanced at Zuko.

"Zuko was banished from the Fire Nation three years ago and he can only return with honor once he captures you..." I let out a heavy sigh.