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chapter xxxiv

Word Count: 5,377 words

CHAPTER XXXIV. 戰爭與和平

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It was 19 hours before the great comet arrives.

"Your uncle is somewhere beyond the wall."

It has been a day of going from the tavern to let the horizon meet the walls of where Iroh might have been. They had followed the bounty hunter with her pet shirshu that once helped Zuko in his conquest of capturing the Avatar to the torn down stone walls of what once called the impenetrable city.

"Nyla's getting twitchy, so he can't be too far." June looked at them with a reassuring half smile before taking her shirshu's reins once more, "Good luck."

Zuko pouted and watched the bounty hunter slowly disappear from their sights before looking at his company, "It's been a long day. Let's camp and start our search again at dawn.

Despite what they wanted to do, they had to stop their search and replenish their energy before finding Uncle Iroh and Aang to face the Fire Lord. Each of them slept on Appa's furry limbs while Toph built herself a tent and slept on the ground.

It hasn't been more than 2 hours when Natsuko shot up from her sleep, waking her entire system at the feeling of faintness that had suddenly course through her body. That wasn't the only unexplainable phenomenon she had faced, but she had tried to contact Roku but her other half didn't appear to her as per usual.

"Are you okay?" Zuko had sensed her jolt and the movement beside him and saw Natsuko sitting up and breathing heavily, "'M fine."

She placed her palm to her head, "A little faint, but fine. Go back to sleep, Zuko."

"You want to talk about it?" she looked back at him and his small smile. She sighed in relief and laid back down as she wrapped herself around the koala sheep cloak and he followed suit.

She turned to face him and snuggled against the fluffy and comforting bison fur and wool covering her body, "I don't know what it was but I'm sure it had to do something with Aang."

"What is?"

Natsuko shrugged and looked back at Zuko, "I couldn't find Roku in my dreams and it's not possible for anyone else to see the past lives of Avatars during their sleep."

"And you think it's Aang." she hummed in agreement and asked him, "Did you dream about anything?"

Zuko shook his head, "I think I did, I just don't remember what it was about."

Silence fell between them, except for the snoring of both Sokka and Toph combined, even Katara's tiredness was audible through her small and rare snores as well. Natsuko just kept on looking at him with droopy violet irises, not even noticing that he was blushing at the way she did.

Apparently she still looked beautiful to him even when people usually looked stupid when they're sleepy.

"Good night, Natsuko." Zuko watched as Natsuko closed her eyes who was supposed to sleep again when Toph's tent was earthbent to the ground, along with a ring of fire encircling everyone within it.

They all stood up to get ready for battle, firebending wasn't a common thing in the Earth Kingdom after all and firebenders were usually on the other side of the coin so it must've meant horrible news.

That's what they all thought of until they looked up and saw familiar faces of the wise men they have come across during their journey, with the fire belonging to Aang and Natsuko's first firebending teacher.