Fire and Flame [Iroh II x OC]

Chapter 31: Nighmares

Saira's P.O.V

Help me! Help me please!", I heard a little girl cry. I rushed immediately to her, seeing her surrounded by four men. The little girl seemed to be six years old. Behind her, a house was burning and I could hear screams coming out. Iroh ran inside to look for people. I was alone. With four men wanting to kill a little girl, how I interpreted it.

"Hey you! Yes I'm talking to you bitches!", I yelled, getting their attention. I stepped nearer:"Why don't you fight someone who has a chance against you gorillas?"

Now I got their full attention. Great. What am I going to do? I could not identify their faces since they were wearing masks. But I noticed a small logo on their upper arms. It was the Agni Kai Triad.

"What are you afraid of? Can't you defeat a single woman? How embarrassing!"

I could see the aggression in their eyes. They slowly started moving towards me, as if they were shy animals. Good. If they played the prey, I had to play the hunter. I shot a fireball in the first prey's way, burning half of his hip. The next one got hit on the shoulder.

"Aw is that all you can do? I thought your were stronger than this!"

Before I could notice, I was punched in the face. It was as if I was in the universe, it was dark and I could only see stars. Then I suddenly heard steps next to me and kicked the person who was about to attack me.
After a few minutes after travelling to an other galaxy, I got my sight back and saw the three other men approaching me. Three against one, that was not fair.
I made a fire tornado and ran towards the little girl to protect her, when I heard screams suddenly. But it was not the six year old, it were the men. I let my fire rest and saw Iroh, fighting those morons. He was busy with two of them. I didn't notice that one of them was coming nearer to me, since I was busy with the little girl, calming her down.
Suddenly I felt my hair getting pulled backwards.

"Still that confident, bitch?", the man asked and crashed my head to the ground.

"Fuck you!", I yelled, grabbing a stone and crashed it on his toes. He immediately let go of me, kicking my face. It hurt as hell but this was totally worth it. I heard cries behind me.

"Hey! Hey! Shhhh. Stop crying. Everything is going to be okay! Don't worry honey. I'm here to protect you."

She nodded, wiping her tears away.

Iroh was also finished with those traitors. He approached us, making sure that we were okay.

He smiled:"Are you okay lad-"
"Irrrrrrooooooohhhhhhhhh!", I screamed crying, with blood all over my body and face. His head of rolling in front of my feet.

I woke up, screaming, and held my head. My heart was racing and aching, my lungs didn't get oxygen. My whole body was shaking and sweat ran down my body. I sat up and let my head fall into my hands. I was panting, still not getting enough oxygen in my lungs.
I got out of my bed and walked to the bathroom, afraid of everything. I opened the warm water to let it run through my hands. It was the only way I could calm myself down from situations like this. I looked up to the mirror to see myself. My skin was pale and my eyes were red and shocked.
I didn't know what was happening to me the past few months. My nightmares got worse every night. I walked back to my bedroom and looked at the clock.
It was just 2:30 am.
I could not sleep. I did not want to sleep after this nightmare.

I walked down to the training hall and started kicking the punch bag, thinking of all aggressions instead of my nightmares.

Was it a dream?

Maybe

Why are you afraid then, Saira?

I don't know.

The next morning, we all met at the cruise to Ember Island. Except Iroh. He was staying in Republic City for some formalities and told us that he would join next week. I would have stood with him, but I had to organize my parent's wedding anniversary and Iroh's birthday. I wanted to throw a small party for him, since I didn't know all of his friends and he would celebrate it officially big anyways. So I thought he would be quite happy with a decent, calm birthday.

As I stepped on the cruise, my heart started aching again and I couldn't breath. I put my hand on my chest and hold myself on the reeling. I tried to breath. In. Out. In. Out.
But it hurt as hell or better said, it felt as if my lungs were burning.
I decided to skip the tour through the cruise and walked to my cabin. As I got in, I threw myself on the bed and kept trying to breath. Somehow I managed, but I felt as if I was wearing a corset. After a few minutes, not moving, my eyes got heavy. In fear of nightmares, I fought with myself. But tiredness won.

"Saira...Saira!", I heard whispers from all sides,"Follow me..."

Where should I follow you mysterious voice?

"Saira...I'm waiting..."

This time the voice was coming from one direction. I looked around but couldn't see anyone. So I trusted my ears and followed the person who was calling me.

I was in Republic City. But it looked different. I was crossing the Yue Bay and saw ships of the United Forces. On the deck, Iroh. With a General's uniform. With the only difference that he was older. Much older than I knew him. Was I in the future? I guessed so. The surroundings were calm. Too calm.  Something was fishy here. Suddenly something appeared in the air. I immediately recognized the logo. Future Industries. But since when did they invent planes? Soon I realized that the planes were attacking the United Forces.

I was in a war.

The United Forces were fighting against them but something else caught my eyes. A watertribe girl. And I immediately had to think of Aang. She was the Avatar that was sure.
My attention got back to the United Forces, when a torpedo was fired at Iroh. I yelled his name but it seemed he didn't hear me.
He shot a fireball towards it and the torpedo exploded, throwing Iroh off the ship.
I gasped. I wanted to help him. But I couldn't move. I was glued to the ground. I tried to free myself but I didn't success. Instead the scenario was getting more distant.

There was no sign of Iroh. Neither of him, nor of his life.