A Moment, Please.

Chapter 26

Three seconds.

That was all the time needed.

In this one moment in time, where things were calm, Zuko felt light as air. Zuko stood in his little basket, trailing the Avatar’s large beast…and Amaya.  

Sweet and Spicy… She holds the beauty of the White Jade bush; she also holds its deadly poison.

He let a small sinker escape though his closed mouth at the thought; wasn't that true. His eyes grew wide though, and the snicker turned into a grunt as he was forced to the ground. Something jabbed into his neck, not enough to stop his air flow, but just enough to cause a large discomfort. He laid in shock.

Who had followed him? How had they gotten in his war balloon?

Though he could assume that the person was putting all their weight on him, with effort, he figured could get the upper hand. He felt their weight move, as the unknown person leaned down so close to his right ear, Zuko could hear their steady breathing.

In...out...In...out.

 He could smell the light hint of dirt, ash Cherry Blossoms and Fire Lilies. He really liked the smell, and yet he knew he knew it… from somewhere.

"You have two seconds to give me one good reason why I shouldn't burn this balloon to the ground. Pleasure me."

The second the first word came out of her mouth, Zuko knew who it was. No one held the light-airy cloud-like tone mixed with a slight hint of authority, an 'I dare you to try anything on me' tone per say. No wonder he had not just known her scent, but enjoyed it. Next to her large smile, Zuko loved Amaya's voice.

"I'm here to help." 

The stick pushing down on the back of his neck eased up a bit. He waited, wondering what she was planning. Now that he knew it was her, he decided to allow her to keep the upper hand by reaming on the floor.

She said nothing for a few seconds, he listened to her breathing, but nothing changed. She took simple, long intakes and outtakes of air every few seconds. He could almost see the small scowl on her face as she sat there thinking. When she spoke, the soft tone of her voice, the way it came out in just a breath; he knew the scowl was no longer there.

"So you were telling your father the truth."

"How did you know-"

"I was there, watching… You need to remember I'm not just a fire bender."

Suddenly, with the tensing of her body, the stick was poking back down on his throat, harder than ever. He struggled for a breath.

"What of Iroh. You said you would free him. What have you done-"

"Nothing!”

He spat the word out, trying to gain a breath. Though he knew she could hear his struggle, the pressure didn’t let up.

“He escaped during the eclipse."

The stick let up again, but just barely. He took a breath, still struggling.

"So you don't know if he's okay?"

Her voice was once again soft, but… fearful. She cared for Iroh, and it was clear. He had always known they had shared a caring pass together- though the exact details of how they came to be such friends were never given to him. Pings of pain entered his voice as he replied.

"No." 

Then out of nowhere, Amaya was up off of him, and flipping him over to his back. Waiting a few moments, he sat up slowly. Unsure of what she’s do, he kept his gaze casted on her. She stood about a foot from him, a staff in her right hand and her left on her hip. She leaned on the staff, her head slightly tipped to balance her body. She had her black hair pulled back, though a few loose strands had found their way to her forehead.