Sorry for the long wait. I won't be able to write for a week so be patient. I hope you like this chapter.
I couldn't help but smile as my outstretched hand ran through the tips of the pine trees. My hair flapped in my face as I beat my wings to increase my speed. The sun slowly rose, sending my eyes blinking. I knew I needed to get back before it fully set or I wouldn't be able to find my way home. Also Uncle would be waking up and I didn't want to worry him.
Ever since my…my wings had grown, we needed to travel on the road again. Since I was still getting used to them I couldn't fold them along my back yet. Uncle told me when I could for long periods of time we'd be able to go back to live in a town. Sometimes I would pull "all nighters" and go out and look for more shelter.
Anyway, that's what I was doing now. I slowly banked left and turned around, heading back to our campsite. I'm not sure how or why I got my wings. Uncle told me he'd never seen anything like this. At least I could still use my fire bending. It did take a while to get used to having two long wings protruding out of your back. However, after a while I was able to actually fly, and control the movements of my wings. It was interesting being able to practically cocoon myself in my wings. It added a little more warmth then we got from the blankets we took when we ran.
I slowly lowered toward the campsite. I cracked a few branches with my wings and winced. As I landed I skid along the ground, falling flat on my butt. I groaned, and stood up, pulling out the small twigs and leaves that were stuck in my feathers. "At least this time you did not knock over my tea," a voice said, coming out of the small cave. I turned to find Uncle coming out of it, pouring tea for both of us. I took the cup and drank, hoping we still had food. Luckily we did. Iroh gave me a small spongy pastry we'd gotten at the last village we'd stopped at. I ate it, thankfully. Ever since I got my wings I was grateful for just being alive. I savored everything we had.
Anyway, I walked out of the cave and began to pull our things together. "No, no Zuko," Uncle told me seeing this. "We will not be traveling today."
"But we've been here for almost three days," I told him.
"I know, but let us stay for one more. We need more food and besides," he said turning the tea pot upside down, "we're almost out of the essentials." I couldn't help but smile a little, but it was lost when I thought of how hard we were pushing our luck.
While Uncle was in town getting food, I flew back to a small mountain cave I'd found last night. Uncle wouldn't be back for a few hours, there was a tea shop that according to him made the best jasmine mint. Anyway, I sat down in the cave, rubbing my wings in the dirt. The darkness of the cave felt good on my eyes and I slowly lied down and closed them. All nighters can really take it out of you and before long I was asleep.
My dream seemed to start seconds after I fell asleep. I was flying high, above a terrain I'd never seen before. The trees were thin and large buildings had sprouted up, everywhere. Before long I couldn't see any trees. Just large buildings, and not the buildings from the four nations either they were large gray buildings that were made of a kind of metal. No one looked at me, even though it was the middle of the day. Everything was in a fog. I wasn't sure if this was from the dream or if it was natural. Anyway, my wings seemed to be carrying me to an unknown place so I let them.
Finally, I reached a large abandoned building. The windows were boarded up but it still wasn't hard to crawl between them into a large room. Once I was inside the room and my eyes had adjusted to the darker surroundings I gasped. Sitting around me were 6 kids. There were three boys and three girls. The eldest ones couldn't be older than 15. And the most amazing thing was they had wings too. Wings like mine. I couldn't help but stare at them. They were different colors. The one whose wings were closest to mine was a boy who sat brooding in the corner. He had dark hair like mine and wore black pants, and a black t-shirt. His cloths were so much different them mine. I subconsciously realized that this was a sort of different world. A world with no 4 nations or bending. No Avatar. No honor to be restored. I smiled and turned to leave. I then realized I didn't know how to get back here. Go to the back of the cave, a small voice said in my head. I sighed and nodded. It was like that dream voice, it told me things I needed to know.
I suddenly felt the dream end. I woke up in the cave and crawled out to look at the sun. I was surprised to see that it hadn't moved at all. I smiled. This way I could travel to the "dimension" without Uncle worrying. I walked to the back of the cave. Darkness surrounded me and I made a small ball of fire to light my way. Suddenly, I saw a small purple light, shining at the end of the tunnel. As I got closer the light became bigger and bigger until I stood in front of a door sized purple and blue portal. I gulped and turned. "Bye uncle," I said quietly. I then turned back, unfurled my wings and jumped into the portal.
Max's point of view
We'd been staying in the old building for what seemed like forever, even though it'd only been two days. Even though we could see anyone for miles, it still made me hyper to be in one place for so long. "Max," Nudge said putting down her Pretty Little Liars novel I'd swiped from the nearby library.
"Yes, honey," I said.
"What's a…slut," she asked me in a serious voice. I saw Fang stifle a laugh from the corner. I stuck out my tongue at him and turned back to Nudge. I knew I shouldn't have gotten a book like that for an 11 year old but she'd begged me and I couldn't say no to her little puppy dog eyes.
"Um, well, see sweetie, a slut is…" I began.
However I was cut off when Angel suddenly cried, "Intruder!" I think that was the first time I was mildly happy to have an intruder. I turned and looked were Angel was pointing. It was very late at night, maybe it was even the morning. However, even in the darkness I saw the large bird flying toward us.
"Umm, Angel, that's just a bird," Gazzy said rolling his eyes.
"No, it's not! I can hear his thoughts. It's a boy!"
I was shocked. A boy with wings. He was like us. "Watch it," Fang told me, "We've been tricked before."
He had a point. "Good point," I said. "Come on guys, go get him but don't hurt him."
"He's thinking about fire and death," Angel said.
Everyone turned to me. I nodded, "Okay guys, you can hurt him if you want. Just don't kill him." With that everyone jumped out of the windows and flew through the air toward the intruder.
Zuko's point of view
I flapped my wings and got closer and closer to the building. I was glad I had used my fire bending in the cave. I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to use it for a while. I was glad the Avatar hadn't followed me. His flying bison would've gotten killed in minutes.
Suddenly, I found six large shapes flying toward me. The kids, I thought. I tried to yell and tell them I meant no harm but they just flew faster, towards me. "Stop," I screamed. However they didn't. One of them, a small girl no older than six or seven with blonde hair, threw a punch at my cheek. I gasped and dropped about six feet. However, before I could fully regain myself the boy whose wings were black like mine kicked my ear. I yelled in pain and fell. I couldn't stop myself from falling. Luckily I passed out before I hit.
Max's point of view
I watched as Angel and Fang attacked the boy. Well, I guess he wasn't really a boy. He was probably 16, two years older than me, Fang and Iggy. He had dark hair, like Fang's but was shorter. He wore weird Chinese like attire. His wings were weirdly colored as well. They were pitch black, with bright red streaks all over them. However, the weirdest part of him was his right eye. Well, my right, his left. Anyway, it was covered with a bright red scar. I recognized it as a fire burn. It had seared off his eye brow and had manipulated his ear. I gasped as Fang kicked his ear. I pulled in my wings and plummeted down, fast and agile. Finally, I let out my wings and caught him. He was unconscious. I dropped down onto the ground and placed him on the ground. Luckily, since it was, like, three in the morning, no one was around to see us. "How is he?" Fang asked.
I shook my head, "he's okay. He'll need some good food and rest. Iggy, Angel, Gazzy and I will carry him back to the hideout. Nudge and Fang, go and get some food from that seven-eleven." They nodded. As we carried the boy back I heard Nudge say, as she walked into the store and looked around, "Ohh, now I know what a slut is."