AN: Sorry about the wait guys, I've been camping for the past couple of days. And you know what that means? No wifi. I'd like to thank all of those who took the time to review, you are the BEST!
D: I only own my OC
It was dark out and she didn't dare bend light from her palm. The soldiers were near and Lily was currently hiding in a very small…it wasn't even a cave. It was just a small indentation she had found several weeks ago. She had heard the soldier pass by her twice and she was waiting until she thought it was safe to leave. But it became dark before that, so she got as comfortable as she could before she would try to sleep.
"I think we lost her." One of them said.
"I can't see my own hand in front of my face, there's no way we will find her tonight." Someone else complained.
"Alright, let's head back to camp." She listened as the footsteps faded away.
Lily fell asleep quickly after they left to the sound of wind rustling the leaves.
The firebender was startled awake when she heard rustling in a nearby bush. What the hell was that?
"Sir, I've found something." Lily shot up from the ground, tense and ready for anything. Listening closely. They were very close. Should she run for it? What other choice did she have? If she stayed where she was, they would most likely find her. The sun was just rising, and they would surely see her. And she would be trapped. Running was her best option.
She listened and cautiously poked her head out from its hiding place and looked around the trees, she couldn't see them. So she sprinted, trying to run as quickly and quietly as possible.
"Hey! Stop her!" Crap. She tried to run faster. She wove between the trees trying to dodge their blasts of rock at her. But they were taller, faster and quickly gaining on her. Then, of course, she tripped. Lily wasn't the most graceful person in the world…she was probably one of the clumsiest.
This isn't my day, she thought to herself. The earthbenders had caught up before she could pick herself back up. They bound her wrists and brought her back to their ostrich-horses.
"Thought you could run from us forever?" Lily didn't respond. The soldier who cuffed her wrist had secured her to a tree. They had brought her back to their makeshift camp.
Tying her to a tree probably wasn't the best idea on their part. They must not know she was a firebender. But there were too many of them at the camp for her to try to escape. She was stuck with them for the time being.
Lily was tied to the tree until the soldiers had started to pack up camp to move on when a soldier came running into the camp. "Sir, one of the scouts found someone by the hot springs, they have fire nation clothing."
"Two of you come with me, the rest of you stay here. Lead the way Corporal."
Maybe twenty minutes later the soldiers returned with and old man not wearing much of any clothes and shackled around his wrists. He had the same golden eyes that she did. And for some reason he looked familiar, she just couldn't think of why.
"Chain his feet together and starting packing, we're leaving." The leader commanded.
Lily's feet weren't chained together. This man must be dangerous. Or they just didn't know that she was a firebender too. The old man caught her eye and then he winked. Lily figured that meant he had a plan to escape… or that he was just a creepy old man. She hoped for the former.
The Earth Kingdom soldiers and their two prisoners had been riding ostrich-horses for probably an hour now. And it was getting hot out.
"Where are you taking us?" The old man asked.
"We're taking you to face justice."
"Right, but where, specifically?"
"A place you're quite familiar with, actually. You once laid siege to it for six-hundred days, but it would not yield to you."
"Ah, the great city of Ba Sing Se." So that's who he was, she remembered now. He was the great General Iroh, Dragon of the West and the Fire Lords brother.
"It was greater than you were, apparently."
"I acknowledge my defeat at Ba Sing Se. After six-hundred days away from home, my men were tired, and I was tired." Iroh yawned and said, "And I'm still tired." Then he fell off the back of his ostrich-horse.
Two of the soldiers picked him up and secured him back to his horse. They didn't notice the sandal that the General had left behind. He was leaving a trail, which meant someone was looking for him.
Lily was honestly bored out of her mind. And the soldier who she was riding behind had really bad body odor.
The old man cleared his throat to get Lily's attention.
"May I ask your name miss?"
"Lily."
"Miss Lily. What a lovely name. You know my wife's favorite flowers were lilies." Lily smiled at that.
"Are you from the Fire Nation?" He asked her curiously.
"This girl is a wanted criminal. She's going to Ba Sing Se just as you are, but I doubt her punishment will be as severe as yours. Now, no more talking." What a kill joy.
A sudden gasp from the old man caught Lily's attention. He was looking towards the sky with a shocked expression. She followed his gaze but saw nothing.
"What's the problem?"
"Nothing… Actually, there is a bit of a problem. My old joints are sore and aching, and these shackles are too loose."
"Too loose?"
"That's right. The cuffs move and jangle around and bump my wrists. It would help me if you tighten them so they wouldn't shake around so much."
"Very well. Corporal, tighten the prisoner's handcuffs." General Iroh winked at her again before using his firebending to heat his cuffs and burn the soldiers' hand. Lily had been trying to melt the link holding her own cuffs together for the past several minutes now. It was taking so long because she was trying to do it inconspicuously, and that was a little more difficult. Then Iroh startled her ostrich-horse with his firebending, knocking her off and breaking her cuffs at the same time. Lucky for her.
Iroh jumped over to the cliff, shooting more flames from his feet then rolled down the steep hill. So Lily ran down the road and into a forest. She made a line of fire in the earth between the forest and the soldiers as she ran into the trees.
"Get the girl! She ran back that way." Someone shouted. She could hear them running towards her, but she kept going.
Looking back, she could see two of the soldier gaining on her, they were just so much faster than her. She turned her head forward quickly and caught herself just in time. She would have fell off a cliff. And she couldn't tell what was at the bottom. She was trapped. Again. She was really getting sick of this.
"Nice try missy." They had caught up to her now and this time cuffed her hands behind her back. The soldier pushed her back toward the way they came.
"We got her sir."
When they got back, the old man was kneeling before a boulder with his hands chained to the top of it. Each of the soldiers behind her had one of their hands on one of her arms.
"He's too dangerous, Captain! We just can't just carry him to the Capital! We have to do something now!"
"I agree. He must be dealt with immediately and severely."
"These dangerous hands must be crushed." No…They wouldn't. She pulled against the soldiers holding her. The captain was earthbending a boulder over the Generals hands when it was kicked away by a teenage boy who looked to be around her age. This dark haired kid, who was wearing Fire Nation colors, broke Irohs' shackles with his heel. He then faced the earthbenders in a fighting stance. That's when she saw his scar.
"Excellent form, Prince Zuko." Wait, what? Why was the Prince here of all places. Where had he got that scar? Last time she saw him…was when they were both much younger and he definitely didn't have that scar. And he definitely had more hair. She was confused.
"You taught me well."
"Surrender yourselves. It's five against two. You're clearly outnumbered."
"Yeah, that's true, but you are clearly outmatched."
The two soldiers that were holding her had to let go to help fight the firebenders.
And Lily couldn't get her damn cuffs off to help. She felt a bit awkward just standing there trying to get her fingers at an angle where she could melt the metal but not burn herself. But, within seconds, the firebenders won.
"Now would you please put on some clothes?" The Prince complained.
"I am afraid they were destroyed by the Earth Kingdom soldiers. I have more on the ship." The Prince sighed dramatically, then looked at Lily for the first time. "Who are you?"
"Zuko why don't you help her out of those handcuffs before you question her."
"That's alright. I think I got it." She pulled on her cuffs and the softened metal gave way. Now she was just stuck with the actual cuffs around her wrists. But at least she could move freely now. All she had to do was use a small jet of fire from her fingertips to cut them and she was set. She glanced up when she was done at the other firebenders. They were both staring at her. Iroh looked a little impressed, Zuko just looked pissed.
"I guess that means you can interrogate me now." She said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Uncle we need to leave." Zuko ignored her. Jerk.
"Prince Zuko you are being rude."
"I don't care uncle. I've wasted a day looking for you. The avatar is getting farther away."
"The avatar? He's back?" The avatar hasn't been seen in a hundred years.
The prince and general shared a look. Then Zuko looked back toward her.
"Who are you?" I guess the interrogating was starting now.
"My name is Lily."
"Where are you from?"
"The Fire Nation."
"Obviously. What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"You are from the Fire Nation, which makes me your Prince. Now tell me why you are here." Zuko was growling now. There was probably steam coming out of his ears.
"That's none of your damn business." Zuko seemed surprised at her response.
"ANSWER ME!"
"Why don't you MAKE ME?" He may be the prince, but she didn't care.
"Oh I'll make you." He seethed, fire appearing in his palms.
"I'd like to see that." She challenged, getting into her own fighting stance.
The air surrounding them had definitely rose in temperature. "That's enough, both of you." Iroh had put his hands up between the two. "Zuko, we are leaving. Lily, you can come with us if you would like." Wait, what?
"No, she can't." The prince argued. "She'll just get in the way! I need to find the avatar."
Lily didn't know what she was expecting, but it wasn't an invitation to join that hothead. "Is he always like that?" She whispered to Iroh.
"I heard that."
"Of course not! He's really kind deep down." Zuko scoffed.
Lily was thinking the same, "it must be really deep down." Iroh laughed.
Oops…she didn't mean to say that out loud. But in all honesty, a change of pace would be nice. And if the prince was chasing the avatar, it sounded a lot more exciting than living in the woods.
"Fine, she can come. But she better not get in my way." The Prince said, the agitation apparent in his voice.
Somehow, all the firebenders fit onto the Komodo-Rhino that the Prince had used to follow them. Zuko jumped on first.
"I'll get on the back." Lily volunteered.
"No, you go behind Zuko. I don't want you to fall off." Iroh protested.
"I won't fall off."
"We aren't going anywhere until you get behind Zuko."
"But-."
"If you don't get on now, we're leaving without you." Zuko threatened.
"Fine you don't have to get so bossy, jeez."
"Apparently I do." Zuko replied back as Lily climbed on. Iroh, could barely climb on, Lily had to help him out. She didn't really want to touch Zuko, let alone hold onto his waist. But as soon as the Rhino took off, she had too. And Iroh had his own hands on her own waist, but that wasn't as disturbing as she thought it would be.
The trio had been traveling into the wee hours of the night when Zuko spotted something.
"Uncle, look." Zuko was pointing to these huge footprints in the ground. Lily had never seen anything with feet that big. Whatever made these footprints had been in the small village just down the road. They followed them to the gate.
"The avatars bison was here." Zuko jumped off the Rhino and proceeded to walk through the gates and into the village.
"Zuko, these people are probably still sleeping. At least wait till the sun is up."
"I don't have time to wait."
"Zuko, I think you should listen to Lily." But he didn't. He walked up to the building in the center of the town and bashed his fist on the door a few times. His uncle had followed with a sigh. Lily waited on the Rhino.
But she could hear everything they said. "Have you seen the avatar lately?"
"No, sir." The man who answered the door clearly just got out of bed, he was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"You LIE! I know these footprints belong to the avatars bison. Now, tell me where he is and I won't burn your village to the ground." Zuko threatened and pushed the man hard enough to knock him off-balance and to the floor.
"H-he went that way, I don't know where, but he said something about needing to speak to Roku. That's all I know, I swear." The man was literally shaking.
"Come on uncle, we're leaving." Zuko said, leaving the terrified man alone.
"Did you have to be so mean to the poor man?" Lily scolded the Prince when they returned to her.
"I got the information I needed much quicker that way." He said while hopping onto the front of the Komodo-rhino.
"But still."
"It's over and done with. What's the big deal?" Iroh began climbing on behind her.
"You're rude." She said flatly. Iroh chuckled.
"I don't have the patience to be kind." He huffed.
"Well you should."
"No one asked you." He said, defensively.
"Zuko, Lily is right. When you are Firelord, patience will be a necessity."
"Yea, well, it doesn't look like I'll be home, let alone the Firelord, anytime soon." He said, more to himself then to anyone else. After he said that, a not uncomfortable silence fell on the trio until they reached the harbor.
Lily wanted to ask why he had been banished and why he received his scar, but he was already in a foul mood and she didn't want to make it worse.
"Prince Zuko, we saw the avatar." Zuko's eyes brightened immensely.
"When? Where was he heading." He demanded.
"He was heading toward…"
"Toward?"
"Toward the Fire Nation, sir." Lily could see the wheels spinning in his eyes. If Zuko was caught in the Fire Nation…the consequences couldn't be good.
"Captain! Ready the ship. We are leaving as soon as possible." She guessed he didn't care about getting caught.
"Yes, Prince Zuko."
Now the big question here was, whether she should go on their ship with them. If she stayed, she would have to go back to her life living on the outskirts of towns, stealing and living off the land. And doing so would most likely wind her up back in jail.
Or, she could go on an adventure with the Fire Lord's brother and banished son who were tracking down the avatar for some reason. Said avatar, hasn't been seen or heard from in one hundred years.
Tough choice.
Or maybe, they would just leave her in the harbor. They had no use for her. She would just be another mouth to feed. Her doubts were quickly rising, the crew were hauling the rest of their recently bought goods and were preparing to set sail. Lily was standing on the pier watching. Zuko and Iroh had already boarded the ship.
But her doubts were quickly erased when Zuko said, "Are you coming or what?" From the gangway.
Her doubtful expression quickly changed to a toothy smile and she practically skipped up the wooden plank.
"Aren't you bringing anything with?" Zuko questioned. Most of her things were scattered around the forest. And they weren't worth going back to get.
"I have what I need with me." Zuko looked at her a bit puzzled, but didn't say another word.
"The ship is ready to set sail, sir."
"Let's go."
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