In Your Eyes (Prince Zuko LS)

Chapter 8: Siege Of The North 2

"I can't believe I lost him," Katara said hopelessly, kneeling down next to the pool. Luna stood next to Appa and stroked his soft, white fur as she tried the keep her emotions at bay. The last thing they needed right now was for her to loose control and reveal her secret. "You did everything you could, Katara," Luna tried to sooth as she continued to run her fingers through Appa's hair. Katara continued to look down at the pool in despair. With a sigh, Luna stepped away from the bison and walked over to Katara, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I promise you that we will get Aang back. Zuko couldn't have gotten far, so we could catch up. Aang will be fine but we need your help." Katara looked up at her, her eyes glossed over with tears. "Okay," she said and stood up, walking over and climbing into the saddle on the bison's back. Luna looked over at the lemur who still sat beside the pool, letting out a soft, sorrowful chitter. "It's okay, Momo. You can stay here, in case Aang comes back," Luna said and gave a small pat on his head. She then turned and quickly jumped onto the saddle before Sokka yelled 'Yip! Yip!'. Appa launched himself off of the ground and flew out of the sanctuary, carrying the team on his back.

The wind whipped Luna's black locks back as they soared through the sky in silence, looking for any sign of their friend or the firebender. Luna's thoughts were racing as she scanned the three faces that sat with her on the saddle. Katara looked sorrowful and hopeless as she looked down at her hands. She looked on the verge of tears and Luna knew she was beating herself up for losing Aang. Yue looked concerned Sokka on the other hand, showed no emotion on his face but Luna could see through it. He was worried and sad but was trying to stay strong for them. Luna knew that she wouldn't be able to keep her secret from them for much longer. Her power would surface again and she wouldn't be able to control it. It was only a matter of time. Luna looked up at the stars that shone above her, then at the moon that hung just above the horizon. Flashes of the past came back in flashed. One in particular stuck in her mind and wouldn't pass. The whole scene played out in her head. It was the first time she had lost control in front of Osamu. It was only a week after Osamu had took her in. Only a week after her power had surfaced. Only a week after she had watched her mother being killed by a Fire Nation general. She had had a terrible nightmare about her mother's and father's death that night and her emotions were set in overdrive when Osamu had shook her awake. Even though she had awoken, she had still been in the nightmare. Instead of Osamu, she had seen the Fire Nation general looking down at her. She had lost it. She had attacked Osamu without mercy. When she had finally come out of her trance, the house was a mess and Osamu looked at her with bewildered eyes. Luckily, he understood and hadn't thrown me onto the streets. "Look! That's gotta be Aang! Yip, yip!" Katara's voice cut through Luna's thoughts. She looked up just in time to see a white streak of light shoot through the sky. Sokka flipped Appa's reigns, causing him to follow the streak of light. The light shot into a nearby cave and disappeared into darkness. Soon, Aang came flying out of the cave and tried his best to escape but his rope bounds made it nearly impossible. Before he could go any further, Zuko grabbed his collar and picked him up. Seeing this sent Luna over the edge. Her eyes turned silver as she jumped of Appa's back, even though they were still high up in the air. She heard someone call her name but she paid no attention. The wind whipped by her as she fell and just before she hit the snow, she made an air bubble between her and the ground. It cushioned her fall as she fell onto it, before she jumped off it and gracefully landed on the cold snow. Aang and Zuko's eyes widened in shock and the two of the three people on the bison were probably shocked as well. "Another airbender?" Zuko asked shocked. "Nope. Try again," Luna said as she walked closer to them, not paying attention to the bison who landed behind her. Her eyes turned red just as Zuko sent a blast of fire towards her. She placed her left foot in front of her, balancing her weight onto her right leg, and raised her left hand in front of her with her right arm held against her body. The fire that was sent her way split into two just before it passed her as she bended it, and disappeared. Zuko's eyes widened in realization. "You're the Elemental." A small smirk appeared on Luna's lips as her eyes turned ocean blue. Holding her arms out, palms facing down, she melted the snow and raised her hands, the water following her movements. In one movement, she leaped forward, shifting her weight and sent the water flying towards Zuko. She quickly raised the water into a tower and froze it in place, trappings Zuko at the top of the tower of ice. He looked down to her, his golden eyes sparked with anger. Just knowing he was a part of the nation who has caused so much pain in her life made her want to inflict the same pain that she went through on him. But as she looked into those golden eyes, behind all the anger, she saw pain and sorrow. The scar that ran across his left eye and the bruises across his face told her that he has endured much suffering on his own. She quickly brought her hands down, making the ice melt and the water to drag him down quickly, knocking him out. "Luna...H-How did you do that?" Katara asked from behind her but she couldn't focus. She could only stare at the unconscious firebender in front of her. He had captured Aang and hurt Katara. She should hate him. She shouldn't even be able to look at him without wanting to hurt him but she didn't. And she hated it. She felt all eyes on her but she didn't care. Her secret was out and she wasn't worried. All she could think about was the fact that she couldn't bring herself to hate this boy. Frustrated with her own thoughts, she turned without another word, walked over to Appa and jumped onto the saddle. Sokka cut Aang loose and said something about the rope but Luna didn't listen. She sat with her legs pulled up to her body and her arms folded around them. "Are you alright?" Yue asked as she came to sit next to Luna. "I'm fine," Luna lied, continuing to stare in front of her. "Don't lie to me. What's wrong," Yue pushed. Luna stayed silent. With a sigh, Yue wrapped her arms around Luna and pulled her into a hug. It was all that she really needed at the moment and Yue knew it. "We need to get to the oasis! The spirits are in trouble!" Aang said urgently. He hopped onto Appa at the reigns and Katara and Sokka quickly got on too. Just as they were about to take of, Luna glanced at the unconscious Zuko. "We can't just leave him here," she spoke up. "Sure we can. Let's go," Sokka stated but Aang also looked at Zuko. "Luna's right. If we leave him here he'll die." Aang jumped off of Appa, grabbed Zuko and jumped back, placing Zuko on the saddle. "Yeah, this makes a lot of sense. Let's bring the guy who's constantly trying to kill us!" Sokka exclaimed, irritation clear in his voice. Soon, Appa leaped off the ground and flew through the air. Luna sneaked a glance at Zuko before turning her head to look at the passing scenery. The scenery suddenly changed as everything turned a blood red colour. Her head snapped up to see the moon had turned red, sending an uneasy shiver down her spine. She clutched the necklace around her neck for comfort but the warm feeling she always felt when she did was missing. Yue clutched her head in pain. "Are you okay?" Sokka asked from beside Yue. "I feel faint," was her reply. "I feel it too," Aang said as he also clutched his head. "The Moon Spirit is in trouble." All other worries from before were out of Luna's head as she willed herself to focus on helping the important spirit. "I owe the Moon Spirit my life," Yue stated, all eyes turning to her. "What do you mean?" Luna asked, not knowing what her friend was talking about. "When I was born I was very sick and very weak. Most babies cry when they're born but I was born as if I were asleep. My eyes closed," she began. "Our healers did everything they could. They told my mother and father I was going to die. My father pleaded with the spirits to save me. That night, beneath the full moon, he brought me to the oasis and placed me in the pond. My dark hair turned white, I opened my eyes and began to cry - and they knew I would live. That's why my mother named me Yue, for the moon, "she finished, looking up at everyone. Luna never knew this. She had never told her and now she felt even closer to Yue, as if she should protect her as much as she could.