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Aiori was sitting at the side of a pond and looking into the water. Tears continued to tumble down her face as she watched the rain drops create ripples on the surface. She looked to her left and saw an exotic flower and plucked it, bringing it up to her nose and smelling it. It had a nice smell and a pretty purple color on the petals. She just admired it as she sat with her legs crossed, letting the leaves from the trees above float down onto her. There were some footsteps from behind her and she looked up with hopeful eyes. "Zuko?" she asked, but it wasn't him…instead, it was someone much worse.
Prince Zuko searched the whole island for Aiori. His uncle's words still buzzed around in his head. He didn't think that way about Aiori. But then again, she was very beautiful, and she was very smart and clever. And somehow she always managed to make a smile cross his stone cold face. She didn't see him differently because of his scar, or his past. He did get a strange feeling when he was around her almost like he was holding his breath. He remembered the night she sang her song, with such a melodious voice. And then how they danced under the starry sky. There was also the feeling he got when she had grabbed his arm and buried her face into his shoulder. And just the sound of her laugh was lifting, and he truly had never felt that way about anybody else. Maybe, just maybe, Uncle Iroh was right. "Aiori!" he called out for her. "Aiori, where are you?" he didn't hear or see anything. "Aiori…I'm sorry!" but he just heard his echo. "Please, Aiori." He said to himself.
There was a rustle in the bushes ahead, and he looked to see what it was. "Aiori?" But out walked a wolf. He remembered that Aiori had the ability to talk to them and they had led them to her before! "Please," he said, and he couldn't believe he was talking to a wolf, "I'm looking for Aiori." The wolf just looked at him. "Do you know where she is?" The wolf tilted his head. "Please, I don't know what else to do." And the wolf howled and ran off! Prince Zuko followed the wolf on his rhino further into the woods until he was back near the volcano! He hopped off the rhino and ran after the wolf on foot. The wolf led him behind the volcano and then disappeared! He stood and looked around to try and find it, but he found something else…a fire surrounded by tents; a camp site. He walked into the camp sight and saw that they were other fire benders! Out from the biggest tent walked Commander Zhao!
"Oh, Prince Zuko, I assume you are looking for the Avatar." He said with an evil smile.
"Not at the moment." He told him with a growl.
"Really, than I suppose you are looking for your little friend…what's her name again…let's see…Aiori?" Zhao said as he scratched his beard.
"Where is she!" Zuko barked. And Zhao snapped his fingers and two men brought out Aiori as she struggled! "Aiori!"
"Zuko!" she cried back!
"Don't you dare hurt her!" Zuko snarled.
"Hurt her, I'm not going to hurt her." And he turned to his men. He walked over and pulled out a quill from his pocket. "You see this; this is a quill from a Deloppa Fish. They're very poisonous. With one sting, a person can be killed in just three days. Now I know that seems terrible, but you have to take into consideration that she killed more than three of my men. Seems like a bargain." And with that, he stabbed the quill into Aiori's neck, causing her to scream! Then he removed it and the men tossed her back at Zuko! He caught her in his arms and helped her stand as she held her neck. "You're out numbered Prince Zuko, so we'll give you a minute's head start." Zhao said and Zuko and Aiori took off into the woods! Zuko pulled Aiori by her hand and they sprinted back to Zuko's rhino.
Aiori began to slow down and pull Zuko back with her, just as the soldiers were on their tail! "Zuko," she called, "The poison!" she felt it beginning to take course through her body. She let go of Zuko's hand and fell to her knees! He picked her up and cradled her in his arms and told her to hold onto him. She wrapped one weak arm around his neck and he took off again. He came up to a clearing and then he was circled by soldiers!
"Aiori, you have to water bend!" he told her. She lifted her other weak arm and tried to pick up some water from the stream but couldn't do it and her arm fell to her side.
"I can't." she replied in a weak voice. He set her down and got in a fighting stance! The men came charging at him and he held them off as best he could! She watched in horror as he was being slammed into the ground and shown no mercy! She was too feeble from the poison to get up and help him! She did what she knew she could do. She lifted her head up into the air and howled again! There was nothing for the longest time, until there was another howl and wolves jumped out of nowhere! They attacked the soldiers and held them at bay! Zuko ran over to Aiori and picked her back up and ran to his rhino. He got on, and held her in front of him and took of in a flash for the ship!
Zuko ran onto the ship with Aiori in his arms and laid her down on a bed in another room. He yelled to his uncle and he came running in. "Uncle, Commander Zhao was on the island and he kidnapped Aiori." Zuko explained as he took off his helmet. "He poisoned her with some sort of quill from a fish. I can't remember what it was called. A Dollop Fish…a Delta Fish…"
"A Deloppa Fish!" Uncle Iroh exclaimed, "Paramedic!" he called out and one came running in with his kit. "She's been stung with a Deloppa Fish quill!" and the paramedic checked her pulse. Then Uncle Iroh touched her forehead.
"She's already got a fever." Iroh stated. The paramedic took out a knife and cut open the top of her dress without exposing her. Zuko watched tentatively as they swarmed about her.
"I don't have any medicine powerful enough to help her." The doctor informed them. Zuko looked frightened.
"But you're supposed to have all medicines!" Zuko snapped at him!
"Zuko," Aiori spoke up in a frail voice. "The Curtilia Flower…at the mountain peak."
"It cures all illnesses." Zuko said. "I'm going to get the flower."
"But Prince Zuko, Commander Zhao might still be out there." Iroh pointed out.
"I have no choice."
"I'll ready the troops."
"No, that will just let Zhao know I'm on the island. I have to go alone."
"It's too dangerous."
"But if I don't get that flower, she'll be dead in three days." Prince Zuko sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Aiori's soft cheek. He could feel her fever rising as her breaths grew raspy and short.
"You should go with a crew." She said in one short breath, "In case you get hurt." She said in another. He frowned and leaned in closer to her.
"I'll be fine. I'm not going to let you die, I promise." And she closed her eyes, drawing in more raspy breaths. He stood up, letting her hand slip out of his and went to walk out of the room. "Take good care of her." He told them and left.