It was the warmth of the oasis that woke her up. Zoe raised her head groggily, then shook it…once…twice…what the hell? Did the fall make her go colour blind? Everything was black and white!
Suddenly she became aware of the shouting, and fire. She looked around and saw Iroh in a way she had never seen him before. He was furious, beyond furious and Zoe could finally see the war general in him, she could see the Dragon of the West.
Wait a second, how did she get here? What was going on! She glanced around and saw empty ropes and the saddle in which she sat; she was on that Avatar's bison! A girl with white hair sat with her back to Zoe on the saddle, she too watching the commotion. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye Zoe saw the flick of a black pony tail.
Zuko!
She jumped off the back of the bison silently and followed him through the tiny door in which he had disappeared.
Damn it! She couldn't see him anywhere, and it was freezing out here. She clutched her cloak to her tightly and looked to the sky.
The moon, it was gone. How could that have happened? Before she could contemplate this further however, there was a blast of fire somewhere to her right, distracting her from the shock of her newest discovery. It had to be Zuko. She ran to toward the flames.
"You tried to have me killed!" She could hear the Prince shouting and see more blasts of flame, but she couldn't see them yet. She ran to the wall where she could see the sparks flying. And there below her were Zuko and Zhao in full fight.
Zhao was saying something, but she wasn't listening. Something else had caught her attention.
Her mouth dropped, ahead of them, in the Grand Canal that flowed out to the sea, the water had turned an electrifying blue. Then she realised it wasn't all of the water, just a large…blob of it, and it was moving fast toward the Fire Nation armies ships.
Zhao's next words took Zoe back to the fight below, "…Then at least, you could have lived!" Zoe's eyes widened in shock as Zhao viciously released all his fire power at Zuko, but he dodged it, jumping round Zhao to land behind him, blowing his own blasts in his direction.
Huh, thought Zoe, perhaps Zuko had learned some evading moves from her after all.
Zoe jumped onto the wall, ready to help Zuko. But, then she saw he didn't need it. He was jumping round, over and behind Zhao, shooting fire each time.
He was on the attack and the defensive, his next blow cause Zhao to cry in pain and fury, falling off the bridge on which they fought. Zuko jumped after him.
Zoe followed, but stopped again at the bridge which they had just vacated; the blue blob of water had turned into a physical, dense blob. A very, very big one at that and it was destroying the Fire Nation fleet.
She felt a trickle of fear as the 'blob' raised its arms, taking the water with them, creating a massive tsunami that was directed straight at the army boats. All of which were currently quickly reversing away from the Northern Watertribe.
But, then the moon came back out. Zoe's head shot straight to the sky, the feeling of anxiety that she didn't even realised she held lifted. The moon truly was very beautiful.
Zhao had seen it too because she heard him say shocked, "It can't be!" which made her suspect the horrible man had something to do with its original disappearance.
"Zuko! Get back!" She cried suddenly, jumping down to the platform that he and Zhao were on. The blob was here, how it cam so fast she didn't know, but sickeningly it rose, shaped like a hand, from the water enclosing over Zhao. Zuko somersaulted out of its way, hitting Zoe in the legs, looking up at her surprised. She helped him up.
Both teens watched in horror as the thing slowly took Zhao toward the water, and certain death. Zuko threw himself forward, jumping onto the balcony of the bridge.
"Take my hand!" He cried to Zhao, surprising Zoe immensely, she ran forward too, in case thing tried to take Zuko also.
Zhao looked like he was going to grasp Zuko's extended arm, but then with a look of defiance and pride, he drew it back and went down with the water.
Then, Zuko did something even more surprising. He wrapped his arm around Zoe's waist, pinning her to his side firmly, but gently.
"Tell me," He said, turning to look at the shocked, scared girl beside him, "How exactly you mysteriously managed to fall out of the sky outside the cave I was sitting in, in the middle of a blizzard?"
"Uncle!" They'd managed to sneak out of the city onto a makeshift raft and were now currently floating at sea. Zuko had been ignoring Zoe out of fury after the conversation he and she had about her little blizzard fiasco. "You need to restrain that girl." unceremoniously jabbing a finger in the direction of said girl.
"Oh really, Prince Zuko?" Said Uncle Iroh, glancing at his nephew, casually interested, "And why do you say that?"
"She could have gotten herself killed flying out into that blizzard!" He fumed, throwing his arms in the air while Zoe sat and watched, annoyed.
"I'm right here you know." She put in, frowning.
"Yes, but you are too immature to be in this conversation." he hissed without looking at her; he didn't know why he was so angry about this. But, she was so reckless!
Zoe stood up furiously, the whole raft wobbling dangerously, Iroh had the same look on his face that he did the day he was struck by lightening in the storm. He quickly tried to balance himself and the raft.
"WHAT!" Demanded Zoe, outraged, "I'm too immature?"
"That's exactly right!" snapped Zuko, "Only an idiot would fly out into that weather knowingly!"
"Right! Just like only an idiot would walk through it with the Avatar on his back! Not to mention sailing out in a canoe in the frozen sea!"
"I knew what I was doing!"
"You were stuck in a cave!"
"You weren't doing any better falling out of the sky!"
"I was coming to help you! Because I know what a reckless, jerk faced idiot you are!
"Ook, everyone." said Iroh, grabbing hold of the back of Zuko's shirt, who had just tried to lunge at Zoe in anger. "I believe we should all settle down, and perhaps I will be able to make us some tea. That is if you don't knock all of our supplies into the sea with this racket."
They both sat, fuming and at opposite ends of the raft, sending death stares at each other.
"That's much better." said Iroh contentedly.
He couldn't stay angry or self pitying while she was there. Not even today, not when she looked like that: the epitome of peace and relaxation.
She sat there, by the pond, her hair freely flowing in the light breeze and she was clothed in the same light pink, maroon trimmed robes as he and his Uncle. Though he was supposed to be wallowing miserably in past memories, something compelled him to the pond, to sit by her.
She was feeding turtleducks. The sight sent a warm, but sad feeling through him.
"Today is a tough day for you isn't it?" said Zoe, turning to look it him directly, her eyes caring. Something Zuko wasn't used to unless talking to his Uncle.
He looked away, turning his glare to the turtleducks. "3 years ago today I was banished." He said, the anger, hurt and regret explicit in his voice.
Zoe shuffled closer to him; he surprised himself by not moving away. "I understand if you don't want to tell me about it. But, I want you to know that I'm here to listen if you need." She said softly.
Zuko didn't say anything for a while, but continued to stare at the paddling turtleducklings. "The day I was banished…" He said suddenly, slowly, not looking at Zoe, "was the same day that I got this scar…"He lifted a hand to touch the burnt skin, "from my Father. I spoke out of turn, I disrespected him, and I paid the price."
Zoe didn't know what to say; his own father! She hadn't even expected him to talk to her, not to mention find out this!
"The day I became the banished Prince, cursed to find the Avatar forever."
Zoe thought about this for a moment and then said hesitantly, "But, why do you have to find the Avatar?"
"Because it's the only way to regain my honour!" Zuko nearly shouted, and the turtleducks scattered away frantically.
Zoe tentatively laid a hand on his knee, but it didn't last long as he stood up suddenly, knocking it off and glaring at her. He stormed off in the opposite direction to their current abode and Zoe watched him go sadly. She started to head back to their apartment when there was an enormous crackling sound of….lighting? She looked around at the perfectly clear blue sky, shivering slightly in the now eerie silence.
Iroh was relaxing comfortably on his bed by the time Zoe returned. Heaving a sigh she sat herself with a plonk down on the end of his bed.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked in that calm friendly voice of his. "I assume it's about my nephew."
Zoe sighed again, "I just don't know what to do Iroh."
"Let me make us some tea," He said with a warm, knowing smile, "you keep talking."
"I…I don't know, it's just…Zuko wants to capture the Avatar so much, and part of me wants to help him, but I know nothing good would come if the Avatar was caught and put into the Fire Lords hands."
Iroh nodded wisely as he pottered around with the tea pot. Zoe took it as a sign to keep talking.
"And…well part of me wants to find the Avatar and join him, you know, he is another air bender! But, I feel like Zuko is more important than that, and… well I suppose there is something I don't understand still."
"And what is that, my dear?" Asked Iroh gently, handing her a cup of jasmine tea and sitting down beside her.
"Well, I'm an airbender; aren't I yours and Zuko's enemy?"
"Certainly not!" cried Iroh, shocked, "Why would you think that?"
"Well, the Fire Nation is at war with every other Nation! That makes me-" Zoe's tone was getting more and more distressed.
"You will never be an enemy of mine, even if I am Fire Nation." Iroh consoled, patting her leg gently.
Zoe sniffed, "Thankyou." They drank their tea silently for while, "What about Zuko? Am I to him?"
But, Iroh didn't get a chance to respond as the thought of the moment walked in.
"What about me?" he demanded, glaring from Zoe to Iroh, "And what about you?" He said looking pointedly at Zoe. Then he looked at the table by the back door, walking over to it he said, "And what are all these?"
"Ahh," said Iroh happily, walking over to his nephew "They are my keep sakes," he said, referring to the stack of shells sitting on the table. "I will enjoy them for years to come!" As he said this he pleasantly stroked the peach coloured shell.
"Uncle!" cried Zuko, exasperated, "We don't need anymore useless things! You forget; we have to carry everything ourselves now!"
"Hello brother, uncle." said a cold, but melodious voice from the opposite door. Zoe was completely taken aback; brother! So this was Azula: Tylee's childhood 'friend'. She was seated at their dinner table, one which was also covered in shells. One of which the Princess had grasped between her nails.
Clearly in shock, Zuko demanded, "What are you doing here?"
"In my country, we exchange a pleasant 'hello' before asking questions." She said nastily, "Have you become so uncivilized so soon Zuzu?" She crooned, walking over to the pair.
Zuko growled in frustration, "Don't call me that!"
"To what do we owe this honour?" Asked Iroh evenly, once again his hands grasped before him majestically.
Zoe decided to vacate her little spot on Irohs bed where she had previously been unoticed, and entered the room in which the three royal's were 'chatting'. The girl whom they faced, Zuko's sister, was beautiful, but terrifying, everything about her screamed danger.
"Hmm," The woman was saying, "Must be a family trait, both of you so quick to get to the point." With that she tightened her grasp on Iroh's shell, her sharp, perfectly manicured nails piercing the outside, causing the whole thing to shatter. Iroh's usually friendly face immediately changed to fury.
Her murky caramel coloured eyes, (no where as nice as Zuko's topaz) locked on Zoe's approaching figure, "Oh who's this? She asked sweetly, "Replaced Mai so soon?"
Zuko's glare deepened impressively, "She's my friend." He hissed, and Zoe's stomach did a flip, her heart warming with a sweet tingling sensation.
"An honoured friend of ours, in fact." Added Iroh quickly.
"Well, I come with a message from home," said Azula her eyes not leaving Zoe, almost looking as if she was sizing her up, "Father's changed his mind," She said, her eyes going back to her brother, fiddling with a piece of her silky black hair. "Family is suddenly very important to him, he's heard plans to over throw him; treacherous plots." Her eyes flickered back to Zoe for a moment. "Family are the only ones you can really trust." Zoe couldn't place it, but something about this woman set her mind on edge, her voice was silky, believable, but deadly.
She looked at the window suddenly; her eyes almost looked sad, "Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home."
There was silence; Zoe looked from Iroh to Zuko. Iroh looked suspicious; though he was masking it well, but Zuko…she couldn't place the turmoil of emotions that were running through his eyes.
"Did you hear me?" Was that a trickle of impatience Zoe could hear? "You should be happy, excited, grateful!" Definitely annoyance there. She smiled in an evilly friendly way, "I just gave you great news."
"I'm sure your brother only needs a moment-" Started Iroh, but he couldn't finish as the woman cut across sharply, her true form showing in Zoe's opinion.
"Don't interrupt Uncle!" She snapped, "I'm still waiting for my thankyou," She continued softly to Zuko, "I'm not a messenger; I didn't have to come all this way." Azula glanced at Zoe at the same moment Zoe glanced at her, for a second Zoe could tell they were thinking the same thing: would it make any difference to Zuko whether Zoe could come or not? "Your little friend is of course most welcome back home. Any friend of the Prince is the friend of the whole Royal Family."
There was a moment, but then Zuko spoke, "Father regrets?" He said slowly, disbelief as well as hope coating his voice, "He…wants me back?"
"I can see you need time to take this in." She said softly, "I'll come to call on you tomorrow." Zoe wanted to run, curl up, and hide, "Good evening."
Zoe sat, slightly dumbfounded, and watched as Zuko strolled across the room packing his gear happily. Yes happily. Zuko was actually happy, and Zoe didn't want to say anything to disrupt that. But, she wasn't sure what would happen to her. In fact, she couldn't help but be sceptical about the whole story Azula was spinning. There was just something about her that was wrong. But, say Zoe did go back to the Fire Nation: then what? It's not like she could just stay in the palace; there was no way that would be allowed. And anyway, sooner or later someone would find out what she was.
Zoe sighed inwardly, what happens, happens, she decided.
"We're going home!" Zuko was saying, "After three long years, it's unbelievable!"
"It is unbelievable." replied Iroh, who was frowning and gazing out the window thoughtfully. "I have never known my brother to regret anything."
Zoe looked back to Zuko who said, "Did you listen to Azula?" He frowned slightly, "Father's realized how important family is to him," He turned to fully face his Uncle, his brow deepening again. "He cares about me!"
"I care about you!" said Iroh, facing his nephew instead of the window now. He crossed his arms, "And if Ozai wants you back…well I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine." Zoe silently agreed; they were talking about the man who purposely burned and banished his own son, were they not?
Zuko turned away, "You don't know how my Father feels about me." His voice sounding somewhat childish, "You don't know anything."
"Zuko…" Said Iroh, softly and sadly, "I only meant that in our family; things are not always as they seem."
Zuko spun back round, angrily, "I think you are exactly what you seem," He snarled nastily, "A lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man, who's always been jealous of his brother!"
Zoe didn't need to be a genius to see the deep hurt on Iroh's sweet face. She was furious with Zuko, not to mention shocked, for saying such horrible things to his loving Uncle.
Before she could say a word, Zuko turned to her. "So?" He demanded, scowl still etched on his face. But, Zoe noticed, it wasn't his usual scowl, it was slightly maniacal, like deep down he knew his Uncle was right, but he refused to believe it.
"So…what?" Asked Zoe, trying to stay angry at him, but the fury slipped away as she continued to stare into his pained face.
"So, are you coming with me?" His voice was hard and he attempted to make it impassive, casual. But, his anger and true curiosity made it difficult.
Oh…right; decisions time. "I…" started Zoe, fiddling with the sleeve of her robe, "Well yes of course; I'll stick with you Zuko."
Zuko couldn't lie; her answer sent a warm tingling through his body. She'd stick with him. That was nice.
Not that he cared, of course