Avatar: Things Are Not The Same As It Once Was || Book 1: The World In Flames

The challenge

"Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning."

- Erwin Rommel

🌊⛰🔥🌪

Zuko's POV
After an hour or two, Zhao walks back into the tent. "My search party is ready for our departure. Once I'm out to sea, my guards will escort the two of you back to your ship and you'll be free to go." I notice that the guards have already handcuffed (y/n) and started to shove her to their ship, I had to make sure she doesn't leave this harbour if I have the slightest chance of capturing the Avatar. "Why? Are you worried I'm going to try to stop you?"

Zhao stops and he commands the guards with her to stop, she looked at me with a questioning look, which I returned a stern reassuring face to her, which she shows me the hope she has with her (e/c) orbs. I hear the Commander laughing at my comment, "You? Stop me? Impossible. As you can see, you lost your only chance to get him, but failed." He said as he gestured to her.

I saw her look up at him with clear hatred, "Don't underestimate me, Zhao! I will capture the Avatar before you!" I shout as I get up, then I hear uncle get up from his seat and scold at me because he had enough.

"You can't compete with me. I have hundreds of war ships under my command and you? You're just a banished prince. No home, no allies. Your own father doesn't even want you." As he talked, I felt my blood boil with the amount of rage I'm getting from his disrespect he was giving me. "You're wrong! Once I deliver the Avatar to my father, he will welcome me home with honour, and restore my rightful place on the throne!"

"If your father really wanted you home, he would have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar. But in his eyes, you are a failure and disgrace to the Fire Nation." He walked over to me and stopped when he was a meter away from me and uncle, "That's not true." I said with still anger in my tone. "You have the scar to prove it." He stated while pointing to my face. Before I could say anything back, I heard a voice in the room saying, "Maybe you'd like one to match!" I looked and saw it was (y/n) who spoke, she defended me even now when she knows that I'm hunting down her brother.

Zhao made his way up to her, I saw her eyes filled with hatred that it started to scare me. How can a nice like her end up being so scary all of a sudden? "Is that a challenge?" He said with a slight mocking sound to his voice. She looked up at him and only said a few words that once made me a scared man, "An Agni Kai. At sunset. If you win, you can take me as your prisoner and use me to get my brother. However, if I win, you'll let me and Zuko and his uncle walk out of here without any trouble."

Uncle was next to me now, worry filled our faces of what possibility he would give an answer. Which was a high probability. "Very well. It's a real shame the Avatar won't be here to witness his sister's humiliation." He looked over to us and started to walk away, "I guess the failed Prince and his uncle will do." As soon as he left, the guards let her out of her bonds and she walked to us.

Uncle started to question and the stupid wager she just made until she confessed, "I couldn't let him take me just to get my brother. And unlike with you too, he really got under my nerves the more horrible things to Zuko. I-I just couldn't stand and watch the very people who saved me get bullied by that monkey man."

I replayed her last sentence in my head and started laughing, "Monkey man?" I said in between laughs. "What? Not my fault he was born looking like that." she said, also giggling. It took uncle a while before he started laughing about what we were talking about. Even some of the guards started to join in.

After we all calmed down, I looked at her with the serious face I can make and said, "Alright, let's get you ready for a duel." she said nothing but nodded in agreement. Uncle left her some dueling clothes and then we walked out of the tent with the guards and waited for her to get herself prepared.

~~~

The sky was starting to change its colour, telling the world that the sun would set shortly. But today, it meant the duel between Zhao and (y/n) was drawing closer. I heard the sound of the tent's door opening, revealing her. She wore some baggy trousers and a cape hanging over her shoulders with a Fire Nation insignia on the back. She had a vest that only covered her chest, exposing her stomach. She looked really good with that attire, but I couldn't say or do anything so I looked like an idiot just staring at her.

"I want to thank you both for helping me up until now. It was a pleasure and honour to meet the two of you." She said, getting me out of my trance. "Are you really trying to say goodbye?" She looked at me with surprise as I carried on, "What would be the point? You're going to win anyway. And we will be waiting for you on the other side, helping you the best way we can. On that, you have my word on it." I told her with a reassuring smile, which she returned, then hugged me then uncle.

"Well then, I will see you both after I win." She replied, then started to walk towards the arena with us right behind her. As soon as we arrived, we saw Zhao smirking once he saw us. We went to one side of the arena where we were getting her prepared for it, while he was at the other side. If she wins, we get to go back to the sea and find her brother and his friends. But if she loses, I would have lost not only my way to get the Avatar and a chance to restore my honour, but I would lose a chance of becoming friends with her as well.