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Reality Hits Hard
The other four children looked at Zuko in surprise. Even Toph turned her head in his direction, her usually gruff exterior phased for a moment.
"Really?" Aang asked, his eyes wide.
Zuko nodded. "Granted, I don't know very much more about her than my uncle does. Only that she's sixteen, her name is Lily Grace, and she's been there for as far back as I can remember, probably even longer."
"Lily Grace," Katara mumbled. "That's an…interesting name."
"She's an interesting girl."
Zuko looked down at his legs, crossed in front of him. He didn't like talking to other people about Lily Grace. He didn't want people to know too much about her. The only person he felt should know was Uncle Iroh.
Iroh cleared his throat again and set his empty cup down. "It's getting late, we should go to bed."
Everyone took this as a sign that they would no longer talk about her, and stood and began readying themselves for bed.
As Zuko rolled out his blankets, he sighed. He hadn't dreamed about her in a while.
Where was she?
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Lily Grace hit the back wall of a cell as the guards threw her in. The stone was harsh and unforgiving. The guards looked down at her cruelly.
"All these years and no one has been able to capture you. You're just a girl. A weak, powerless little girl."
"Wrong."
"What?"
"People have captured me before. But no one has been able to keep me. And while I might be weak, I am in no certain terms powerless. You'd best watch what you say. And what you dream."
They were silent after that, not knowing what to say.
The cell door shut with a clang as they walked away.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
CLANG!
Zuko's head resounded with that noise as he sat straight up in the middle of the night. Lily Grace, in a cell- a cell at the Fire Palace! Weak and starved, unable to use her powers in such a state.
He got to his feet, quietly moving to where his uncle slept. While he hated to wake his uncle, they needed to go help her.
"Uncle, wake up!" Zuko hissed as he shook Iroh's shoulder. Iroh grunted and rolled over. Zuko rolled his eyes. "Uncle, wake up! Wake up!"
"What is it, Zuko?" Iroh asked blearily. "What time is it?"
"I don't know what time it is and I don't care. They have Lily Grace locked up at the Fire Palace, we have to go help her!"
"Locked up?!" Iroh said, a bit too loudly.
"Uncle!" Zuko hissed. But it was too late, everyone else was already awake.
"What's going on?" Sokka asked, rubbing his eyes.
"It's Lily Grace," Zuko said shortly. "She's in trouble."
The four looked at each other. "Lead the way," Aang said.
In a few moments, Appa was saddled and ready to go. They climbed onto his back, everyone else yawning as they went. Zuko took the reins.
"You guys sleep, I'll fly Appa."
"Are you sure?" Katara asked.
Zuko nodded. The rest of them lay down and began to sleep. Only Iroh was awake.
Uncle and nephew sat together in silence as they flew through the air.
