In Your Eyes (Prince Zuko LS)

Chapter 7: Siege Of The North 1

Luna sat by a small fountain, studding the scroll master Pakku had given her, memorizing every detail and calculating how she would execute every move. Small, white snowflakes fell from the sky, hitting the white powder on the ground and disappearing from sight. The ice city was surprisingly peaceful today but something wouldn't settle in Luna's gut. No matter how hard she tried, even after a few weeks, she couldn't get those words out of her head, so she resorted to doing some studding to take her mind off it. She would continue with her journey in a few days, leaving this snow covered land behind and would head back to the Earth Kingdom in search of a earthbending master. Hopefully Osamu would be there, waiting for her with open arms. Gasps and cries of surprise and confusion filled Luna's ears, causing her to look up from the scroll in her hands. The sight that she saw, made her jump up to her feet to examine it. Mixed with the delicate white flakes were mucky black ones that stained the white ground black. The fountain's blue waters started to turn black and an nervousness swept over Luna. "Luna!" A familiar voice yelled from behind her. "Sokka! What is this? What's going on?" Luna asked the boy once she turned to face him. The fearful expression on his and Yue's face didn't help the nervousness she was feeling. "It's the Fire Nation. They're coming," was all he said before he and Yue ran on. Luna followed without hesitance, her heart beating hard against her chest. The very people who had caused so much pain in her life were about to attack this beautiful city. This was what the voice had talked about, wasn't it? Once the black snow had ceased, the gong sounded across the city. The three were already running up the stairs of the citadel with most of the city's people, a fear evident on all their faces. Luna ran into the large building where people sat crossed legged on the floor. She realized that she had lost both Sokka and Yue but brushed it off since she knew they could take care of themselves. A dizziness suddenly swept over her, causing her to stumble back against a pillar to stop herself from falling to the ground. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her fists were clenched. She felt her palms starting to heat up as her heart beat quickened. She couldn't lose control now, not in front of all these people, she could hurt someone. She tried to calm her nerves by taking deep breathes but it wouldn't seem to work. "Luna!" A worried voice yelled and pulled her behind the pillar so no one could see her. "Luna, look at me," a female voice instructed. When Luna opened her eyes, her red orbs met with Yue's beautiful blue ones. "Yue, I'm loosing control," Luna said through clenched teeth, her breath coming quicker as she tried to gain control. "Just breath, focus and stay calm," Yue stated. "I'm...trying. Something's...wrong," Luna said between breaths. The ringing sound returned and shot pain through her head. She knew she was screaming but she couldn't hear it. She fell to the ground, black spots appearing in her vision. She could faintly hear people calling out her name, trying to bring her back to sanity but all she could focus on was the pain. It consumed her as she felt her consciousness slip. She couldn't see anything but spots by now and the sound wouldn't let up. Before anything could be done, her consciousness disappeared and she fell into the darkness.

Pain. That was the only thing that clouded Luna's mind as she tried to force her eyes open. Her vision was blurry, all the colors blending together, not giving her a clear picture of her surroundings. "Luna..." a voice called out but it echoed in her head before disappearing into silence, not giving her time to register the words. "Luna, can you hear me?" She heard the same voice. "W-Where am I?" She asked, her voice hoarse and barely above a whisper. "The healers building. You blacked out." Luna's vision started to clear up, beginning to show her the familiar building. Luna looked up at the person looking down at her, seeing the familiar wrinkled face of Yugoda. A small smile was placed on her lips as she placed a wet rag on Luna's forehead. "I seriously have to stop waking up like this," Luna joked, forcing a small laugh out of her dried throat, instantly regretting it as her head pounded harder. She clutched her in pain as she let out a groan. This was not the first time in her time here that this had occurred. She could feel her control slipping with every passing day, reminding her of the task at hand. She had to depart as soon as possible. Her time was running out. "Here. You must be thirty," Yugoda said as she handed a small wooden cup of water to the girl. She instantly took it and drained the cup in a few big gulps. "Thank you," she said, wiping her mouth dry with the back of her and placing the cup on a small ice stand next to her. "How long was I out?" She asked. "A few hours. The Fire Nation ships attacked the city but stopped just before twilight," Yugoda explained. With a small nod, Luna sat up and swung her legs to the side of the bed. "Are you sure you want to go out the already? Last time you could barely walk without loosing your balance," she warned. "I'll be fine. Besides, I cannot just lay here and pity myself while the Fire Nation could continue their attack at any given moment." With that, Luna stood and after a few wobbly steps, she regained her balance. With a quick thanks to Yugoda, she departed from the building and made her way through the city. She made her way to the citadel where Yugoda had said the others could be located. The tall building quickly came into view and after climbing a few stairs, she saw Katara, Aang and Yue looking up at the full moon. Too many painful memories were attached to the source of the waterbenders' power but she had chose to push those memories to the back of her mind to focus on the task at hand. "The legends say the moon was the first waterbender. Our ancestors saw how it pushed and pulled the tides and learned how to do it themselves," Luna heard Yue explain to the two. Aang didn't seem to be interested in her words as he rested his arms on the railing, his head placed on top of his arms, causing Luna to raise a questioning brow at this strange behavior. "I've always noticed my waterbending is stronger at night," Katara said, her interest clearly drawn to the subject. "That's because waterbenders draw their strength from the moon," Luna commented, making her presence know. All eyes turned to her surprised but soon change into happiness. "You're awake!" Yue exclaimed as she pulled Luna into a tight hug. When she pulled away, Luna turned her attention to the other two. "We were so worried. What happened?" Katara asked. "It doesn't matter. It happens all the time," Luna said with a shrug, not believing her own words. It was most definitely not nothing but she wasn't ready to tell them that. Not until it was needed. It looked like Katara wanted to say something more but Yue shook her head from behind Luna to say that she should leave it alone. Luna walked closer to the railing as she stared up at the moon. Her heart tightened in her chest as she remembered that awful night but she pushed it aside. "Our strength comes from the Spirit of the Moon, our life comes from the Spirit of the Ocean. They work together to keep balance," she continued, speaking as if she was apart of the Water Tribe to avoid any suspicion. Aang's eyes opened wide as they lit up, seeming as if an idea had come to his mind. "The Spirits! Maybe I can find them and get their help!" This sparked Luna's interest. "How can you do that?" Yue asked, seeming just as intrigued. "The Avatar is the bridge between our world and the Spirit World. Aang can talk to them!" Katara explained. "Maybe they'll give you the wisdom to win this battle!" Yue said, a hopeful smile placed on her lips. "Or, maybe they'll unleash a crazy amazing spirit attack on the Fire Nation!" Aang blurted out with his arms outstretched. The tree regarded his words as they stared at him. He looked between them before placing his hands behind his back, a cheesy grin spreading onto his face. "Or wisdom. That's good too." Luna wanted to laugh at the boy's behavior but she bit her lower lip to keep the laughter at bay. "The only problem is, last time you got to the Spirit World by accident. How are you going to get there this time?" Katara pointed out. "I have an idea. Follow me." Yue walked ahead, the others closely following. They walked through the courtyard behind the citadel. Yue came to a halt in front of a half height wooden door. "So is this the way to the Spirit World?" Aang asked as he stepped closer to the door. Yue gave a small laugh. "No, you'll have to get there on your own," she said and opened the door. "But I can take you to the most spiritual place in the entire North Pole." Aang entered first with Luna closely following. She had heard of this sanctuary but had never seen the wonder with her own eyes and she was not disappointed about what she saw. Inside there was a long pool of water with two ledges on each side by which you could access the landing at the back of the camber where a waterfall fell from the glaciers high above. The landing was filled with green foliage with another small pool at its center and a small T shaped structure, giving off a tropical feel. The landing was connected to the ledges by two wooden bridges that curved into small bends. Aang let out and excited laugh as he ran towards the landing, not noticing the others in behind him. He landed on the soft grass of the landing and stroked it fondly. "I never thought I'd miss grass so much," he said and flipped onto his back just as the others joined him on the landing. "It's so warm here! How is that possible?" Luna asked while taking off her overcoat, her long sleeves still covering her scarred arms. "It's the center of all spiritual energy in our land," said Yue. Luna stepped closer to the pond, feeling a sense of belonging as she stared down at the two koi fish who circled each other in a never ending loop. One was black with a white spot while the other mirrored that as he was white with a black spot. They reminded her of the Yin-and-Yang symbol. "You're right, Yue. I can feel...something...it's so...tranquil," Aang said. He sat down on the grass in front of the pond with his legs and his knuckles placed against each other as he tried to meditate. Luna shrugged her coat onto her shoulders and excused herself from the sanctuary as she knew her company was no longer needed. She walked through the city, trying to clear her mind of all thoughts. For some reason, an unnerving feeling settled in her guy after a bit of walking. "Luna!" Yue voice yelled from behind her. When she turned she saw Yue running towards her, her eyes filled with fear. Luna instantly knew something had happened without even having to listen to Yue's explanations. "Go find Sokka," she instructed not even giving her a chance before running in the direction of the sanctuary. By the time she had reached it, the sun had already peeked over the horizon, causing the uneasiness to build up. She climbed through the small doorway, her heart instantly dropping at the sight. Aang was nowhere in sight while Katara laid unconscious on the soft grass that had made the small boy laugh only moments ago. She ran up to the girl just as her eyes shot open. "Katara, are you okay? I never should have left. This is all my fault," Luna rambled on as she helped Katara stand. "You can't blame yourself. I was the one who couldn't protect him," she said with a mournful look on her face. Appa landed on the patch of land, caring Yue and Sokka on his back inside the saddle. ":What happened? Where's Zuko?" Sokka asked as they hopped down from the flying bison. "He took Aang. He took him right out from under me," Katara said sadly. A sorrowful look occupied all of their faces. Even the small lemur looked sad from where he sat at the side of the pond where Aang had once been. "Where did they go?" Luna spoke the question that clouded all of their minds. She promised herself that she would find the person responsible and make his life a live hell.

A/N:
HEY!!!
Sorry it took so long for an update but look on the bright side:
Luna and Zuko will be meeting in the next chapter!!! I'm so excited!!!
Anyway, I'm trying to come up with a shipping name. I was thinking Zuna but I want to knkw what you guys think. I'm open to suggestions!
Thanks for reading
Love ya!!!