The Blue Spirit ღ (Zuko x OC)

Chapter Ⅴ: Licks of Flame

'Admiral Zhao.'  Nala could hear flurries of arrows being shot as many pairs of feet took pursuit. 

"The Avatar." A hiss left Zuko's lips that made his body feel hot against Nala's skin. She froze. The what?'

Zuko went rigid. Nala was watching intently, mulling over how it was possible the  Avatar could be here and why. He seemed to be such an enigma. It still confused her how he could have survived for over a hundred years of war. All she knew of him was the whispers she could overhear from village people sharing tall tales. Zuko lurched forward, rousing her from her thoughts.

"They've captured him." The rage of the Fire Nation lapped at Zuko's words. "Zhao ..."

Nala held him tightly as he tried to make a break for the commotion. He struggled, but she stood her ground. She heard the rush of feet coming towards the two of them. She pulled him further into the shadow and pushed him against the tree's trunk. She had to press her weight into him to keep him still.

"Don't be foolish!" She hissed, grabbing his face and forcing him to look at her. "Look at me."

Zuko seemed to relax, relenting to her. She was so easy to relent to. They listened as the sounds faded into the distance.

"They are getting away ..." Zuko said with anguish. "Zhao is getting away with the Avatar."
"Be smart, Zuko." Nala whispered to him, taking a step back.

*✧*

Zuko had relaxed a little more after a while. Nala was right ... he needed to be smart about this. Uncle was always saying how much he would rush in to things head first without a thought. He decided to take her advice, she'd survived on her own this long, after all.

He watched her slip into the burrow for a while and found a moment to take a deep breath. He took a moment to mull over her strength, before Nala re-emerged with her curved swords. She held them both with care in one hand, then took him by her free hand and pulled him back into the open.

"What's this?" Zuko asked.
"A plan." Nala took a stance and began to move swiftly with the swords. The way she moved was almost like a dance, light on her feet and entirely in control of the blades. He was mesmerised by the display, until he remembered what they needed to plan.

"You're going to try to break out the Avatar?" He asked, with a lump in his throat. Nala nodded. He kept his mouth shut for a moment while he tried to word his next sentence carefully ... outright telling her that he needed to capture the Avatar for himself probably wouldn't sit will.

"Nala I ..." He put on his kindest, most people-pleasing smile he could. "I need to take the Avatar back. Please let me do it."

She stopped to give him a quizzical look.

"Why?"
"Well ... Because if I rebel against the Fire Nation to ... free the Avatar ... maybe it will set an example."

Nala's eyes narrowed and she stared at him for a good while, clearly thinking things through. He could tell she could see through the lie. His anxiousness turned to impatience.

"Well?" He grumbled.

Without a word, she folded the swords together to hand over to him. He took a stance and let her correct it. They spent the next few hours as master and student, without another word from Nala the entire time. He continued to follow her lead, feeling her gaze cutting into him, but not daring to speak up.

*✧*