You're My Path (Zuko X Reader) Book 3

Chapter 7

Previously on Chapter 6

"You guys are so mean... if Y/N's awake. I'm sure she would at least appreciate my attempt to make a joke" he said, sulking. I stop laughing and sighs softly. I turn my head to look at Y/N, who's laying asleep on Katara's lap. When will she wake up?

-A Polluted Village-

Aang P.O.V

"Now you look just like a little hill with horns! Bye, buddy!" I said, after covering Appa with a mat of grass. I turn around and approach the river with the others.

"I don't feel anything. Where is the village?" Toph said. "It's in the middle of the river!" Sokka said, as he points at the village. "Sure is! My name's Dock. Mind if I ask who you are?" Someone said. I turn my head to see a man.

I turn to look at the others, unsure on what to say to the man. "We're um... from the Earth Kingdom colonies" Katara said. "Wow... Colonials. Hop on, I give you ride in the town" he said. We get on top of the boat.

"Why do you guys live on the river?" Katara said, as we head to the village. It's made entirely from wood. I hold Y/N, afraid I might drop her into the polluted river.

The man turns to look at us. "Because we're a fishing town. At least that's how it was before the factory moved in. Army makes their metal there. Moved in a few years ago and started gunking up our river. Now our little village is struggling to survive" he said. I turn to look at Katara and share a sad gaze with the her.

It didn't take long for us to reach the village. I pick Y/N up. Sokka helps me moves her so I'm carrying her on my back. I support her in place with both of my hands behind her knees.

I look around the place. I can feel my chest tightens at the sight. If only I'm not 100 years late. I would have been able to prevent this from happening. This is all my fault. I did this... it's all on me. I can't even protect my sister.

I glance at Y/N, who's eyes are still closed. "Look at this place. It's so sad. We have to do something to help" Katara said. Sokka turns to her and shakes his head.

"No, we can't waste our time here. We have a bigger mission that we need to stay focused on. These people are on their own" he said. Katara turns to him in disbelief.

"These people are starving! But you'd turn your back on them? How can you be so cold and heartless?" She said. Sokka turns to look at her. "I'm not turning my back, I'm just being realistic. We can't go around helping every rinky-dink town we wander into. We'll be helping them all by taking out the Fire Lord" he said.

I guide Toph, who's holding onto my arm. She place her hand on Sokka's mouth. "Hey, loud mouths! Maybe we should be a little quieter when we talk about  "taking out the Fire Lord."" She said, in a quiet tone.

"Come on, Katara, be reasonable about this. You know our mission has to come first" Sokka said. Katara seems reluctant. But she sighs and nods her head. "I guess so" she said, sounding annoyed. "Let's just get what we need and go" I said, still carrying Y/N while guiding Toph.

We walk up a small store. I notice the same person as the one that took us here on a boat. "Hey, Dock. You work here too?" Sokka said. "I'm not Dock. I'm Xu! Dock's my brother" he said. I stare at him with a confused expression.

"But we just saw you. You're even wearing the same clothes. The only difference is your hat" I said. "Dock works on the docks. That's why we call him, "Dock", and I work in the shop, that's why they call me, "Xu"!" He said. "I don't get it..." I said. "Me neither!" He said.

He jumps behind the counter. He pulls out a crate with a bunch of rancid gray seafood. "What I can getcha?" He said. I cringe at the sight of the obvious polluted fishes.

"Hey, I'll give you a special deal. If you buy three fish, I'll give you a clam for free" Xu said. He push another crate with clams on them. Sokka press on one and mucus splashes out from it.

"We'll just take the fish. Mind telling your brother we need a ride back to shore?" Sokka said, after taking 3 fishes. Xu jumps down behind the counter and appears again wearing Dock's hat.

"Hey, colonials! My brother says you need a lift" he said, jumping over the counter and in front of us. I swear...  Xu and Dock are the same person. But eh, whatever.

***

We are now back on the land. Sokka takes Y/N from my back and carries her for a while. "Our detour into town today has completely thrown off our schedule. It's gonna take some serious finagling to get us back on track" Sokka said.

"Finagle away, oh schedule master" Toph said, in a sarcastic voice. "Well, for starters, it looks like we'll need to wake up forty-three minutes earlier every day" Sokka said. "Forty-three minutes?" Katara said.

"Look, we only have a few weeks to get to the Fire Lord in time for the invasion and the eclipse, which, by the way, only lasts for eight minutes. And we just lost a whole day. So if we want to make up the time and stay on schedule, we have to wake up early!" Sokka said.

"Well I'm not waking up early" Toph said. "Or we could just cut out all of our eating breaks" he said. The rest of us starts to say a bunch of protests. He stares at us with a sly expression.

"I got it, how's this from now on, we'll take food breaks and potty breaks at the same time" he said. I fake a spit at what he said, while the others just stare at him in disgusts.

Well then, I guess we have no choice but to agree on waking up early. It's either that, or we don't have any time to eat. I'm certainly not looking forward to miss meal time.

Like... how am I suppose to face the Fire Lord on an empty stomach?! Forget on fighting, I probably would have no energy to even walk. Crawl... maybe. But walk? Doubt it. So... waking up early it is.

*to be continued*