Aang guided Appa back to the window. Before he could knock Zuko opened the window.
"If you don't get out of here the army is going to kill you."
Before Aang could get a word out a blaze of fire came in between them scaring Appa and making him fly backwards. Aang leaped off of Appa and landed on the ground. He got in a battle stance as four soldiers surrounded him. He created an air shield to block the fire then swung his staff at them, blowing them all away.
"Leave him to me," Zuko demanded his subjects.
He rode Appa down to the ground then leapt off of him. His subjects begrudgingly obeyed and left the two alone.
"Now do you see why I said that I don't want you here?"
"Yeah," Aang said. "But I want you to come with me to find your mother. That's why I came here in the first place."
"Fine, but get out of here before they set you on fire."
Appa grabbed Zuko with his forepaw and took off into the sky. Aang steered Appa away from the Fire Nation then looked back upon realizing that Zuko was nowhere in sight.
"Hey buddy, where did Zuko go?"
Appa growled and snarled.
"You still have him in your paw?" If Aang was in the mood he would've laughed at this but he was skating on thin ice with the Firelord's emotions. "Can you let him ride in the saddle instead?"
Appa growled in response.
"I understand that you're angry at him but I took away the only adult relative he has left."
He received another growl.
"Of course I empathize with him. How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to all my people? How do you think I felt when the both of us were separated? I'm a runaway orphan and Ozai banished Zuko for three years. He doesn't have anyone else but Iroh from his childhood."
Appa roared firmly.
"I know there's only me, you, and Momo left. But Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Iroh, and Toph are part of our family as well. While most of my support system is gone I still have others that care about me."
Appa gave a growl that sounded snarky.
"So explain why you let Zuko ride before."
Appa lifted Zuko to his horn so Aang could see then released the young firelord. Aang's brotherly instincts kicked in as soon as he saw Zuko descend and dove after him. He opened his glider and glided down to save his friend. He forced the air current to boost his speed then caught the heavier boy on top of the glider.
"Not funny Appa," Aang growled as he placed his shaken friend inside the saddle. He draped the covers over Zuko then hopped on top of Appa's head.
"No more tricks Appa. Please let him sleep in peace."
Appa begrudgingly obeyed and fell silent as he flew to a forest to land. Aang regulated his breathing to keep himself warm and buried himself into Appa's fur before going off to dreamland.
He woke up a few hours later to the sound of sniffling and whimpering. Aang looked at Zuko wiping the tears from his eyes.
If you fail to find Ursa then all hope is lost.
Aang silently moved away from Zuko. Appa snorted and gave a low growl.
Don't leave me here with this angry jerkface!
"I'll be back Appa. Please don't let him wander off and don't kill him while I'm gone."
Appa eyed Aang as he opened his glider and soared off into the distance. He curled up in a ball and drifted off to dreamland.
Aang flew over the town in search for Z–Ursa. That's who he was looking for. He went from door to door asking the same question: do you know a lady named Ursa? The response was negative each and every time.
"How am I going to break it to Zuko that Ursa is nowhere be found?"
The nomad came back to find Appa and Zuko gone. He put his hand on the ground and concentrated on Appa's energy. The arrow glowed and traced Appa flying towards him. Aang stood up once his bison landed.
"Let me guess you looked for her as well?"
"Yes, and we still didn't find her," Zuko replied.
Aang was growing discouraged. "It's like she left the face of the earth."
Zuko crawled to the saddle so Aang could steer Appa. Aang whipped the rope on his bison's horns. "Yip yip!"
The bison soared off with a flick of his tail. Aang looked over the earth as he scanned the earth for a sign of human life. "Did you send search parties before we took off?"
"Yes Aang, and they still haven't found her," Zuko replied as he leaned on the edge of the saddle to look at the ground.
Aang dropped Zuko off at the palace. "What was the last thing your mom held?"
"Nothing, she hugged me in the middle of the night and told me that everything she did was to protect me then left."
Aang was growing frustrated. "Is there anyone who knows about her disappearance?"
Zuko shook his head and shrugged at him.
"Alright, see you later. Yip yip!"
Aang narrowly avoided the ball of fire that shot underneath Appa. Appa quickly flew away from the Fire Nation not wanting to confront any firebenders anytime soon.
Aang steered Appa to the Western Air Temple so he could get some rest. Appa collapsed on the ground and drifted off to sleep. Aang floated to the ground and pressed his back to his bison's side.
"Goodnight Appa. Tomorrow we have to get up bright and early."
Appa yawned and groaned. Aang laid down on Appa's leg and snuggled up close to him. His eyelids got heavier with each minute until they finally shut.
The nomad found himself in ropes. He looked up as he forced himself to fully wake up. Zuko was on the balcony dressed in royal Fire Nation clothes.
"Zuko? What's happening?"
Zuko only turned away from him. "Do whatever you want to him. He doesn't deserve your mercy."
Aang quickly made an air bubble around himself to break free from the rope. He tried to make a break for it but none of the generals were having it. Aang woke up not wanting to complete his dream.
"Sheesh! I want to find his mother not a vision of me getting killed!"
He felt Appa licking his cheek. "Thanks buddy." He laid back against his bison and patted his snout. Once Appa went back to sleep Aang couldn't stop the negative thoughts from intruding his brain. "I need to talk to someone about this."