Spark [Prince Zuko - Book One]

❃Chapter Seven❃

"Zuko!" Asake said angrily. After the shock of hearing him agree to an agni kai wore off, anger rushed through her veins. She couldn't believe that he would agree to something like that again. He said he remembered what happened before, but he thought he was better than before. She knew that he wasn't better than before. Deep inside, she knew that he was still the same little boy who stood up to his father. "Why would you agree to an agni kai?"

"Because Zhao made me mad," Zuko said, glaring at the girl. His sort of nice mood he had with her earlier had shattered, leaving him just angry. She wished that he wasn't angry with her, but she was also angry with him. "Why do you care anyway? It's not like you like me."

"I may not like you, but my loyalties lie with you," Asake said, crossing her arms over her chest. She met his eyes without any fear. "You are my Prince first and foremost, Zuko. If you go down, then I go down with you."

"I don't need you and your pathetic speeches," Zuko said, turning away from Asake. 

Asake growled slightly and walked in front of Zuko. "I don't need you and your awful attitude!" Iroh stepped in between the two bickering teens, and Asake scowled in his direction. "Come on, Iroh. Let me beat him up a little." She popped her fingers and cocked her head toward him. He was glaring at the ground. "Unless Zuko is a scared little baby."

"That does it!" Zuko snarled. 

He launched himself at Asake. Iroh tried to blocked him from attacking her, but he missed. Zuko growled as he slammed into her, knocking her down. Her hands shoved him away from her before she leaped up, grabbing her sword and unsheathing it. She held the sword tip against his chest and snapped, "What are you going to do about this? If you move at all, I swear to the Spirits that I will stab you." 

Iroh pushed Zuko away from her before she could stab him in the chest. Zuko struggled against Iroh but couldn't get out of his grip. Asake could feel the anger start lighting a fire in her stomach, and she knew she had to keep it under control. She couldn't risk letting loose and have them find out something that she had worked so hard keeping a secret. 

"Prince Zuko, Miss Asake, quit fighting!" Iroh said, an angry look on his face. He stood in between the two of them, his arms up and ready to make sure that they didn't attack each other again. "We already have one agni kai happening later today. We don't need another one between you two."

Asake huffed and turned away. She sheathed her sword quickly. "I'll be back later. Iroh, have someone come and get me when the agni kai is going to start." She walked away before anyone could answer her. 

Spirits, Zuko could make her so angry! How could one boy get her so riled up that she just wanted to fight him? She clenched her fists together, trying to control her anger. There was no need to get this angry. Asake stopped walking and closed her eyes, taking multiple deep breaths. They did nothing to stop her racing heart. She opened her eyes and placed a hand to her chest, sighing. Maybe - just maybe - underneath her animosity for the Prince, she actually did care about his well being. And maybe underneath his hatred for her, he cared too. Zuko was distrustful of Zhao when he was being creepy earlier, which Asake was glad for. She was thankful she wasn't the only one who got a bad vibe from Zhao. 

Asake wandered around the naval yard, but she knew that she shouldn't go too far. She didn't want to miss the agni kai because she was worried about Zuko. All of her anger melted away when she remembered the last agni kai he went through. His own father burned him because he spoke out against what was going on. He didn't deserve that at all. And no matter how horrible he treated her, she should give him the benefit of the doubt because he had been through so much. But so had she. She had been burned, too, and banished. They were in the same boat, whether he liked it or not. Whether she liked it or not.