The Fate of Kaori (ATLA Fanfiction)

|| Chapter 1 ||

Kaori's PoV

Three years.

It's been three years since Zuko was banished from his own country by his father. Humiliated with a permanent scar on his face, he was sent out on a quest to capture the avatar to regain his honor. The catch is, the avatar has been dead for a hundred years.

I decided to tag along with him not just because I'm his fiancée, but also because I want to protect this man. I remembered my father's face when I told him that I'll be going with Zuko. He was furious and threatened to end our engagement. But I talked him through it, with the help of Iroh of course. He reluctantly agreed and told me to write him letters every week in exchange.

The search for the avatar has been fruitless. We've been everywhere around the world and we found nothing. The hope of returning back to the Fire Nation seems to dwindle. I sighed as I continued on looking at the endless ocean filled with ice.

"You've seem to have something on your mind." A familiar voice said behind me. Arms wrapped around my waist as a head buried itself on to my neck.

"It's nothing, I've just been thinking." I smiled as I moved his head away from my neck. I turned around to face the banished prince. His arms moving away from my waist and onto the rails, trapping me.

"Careful, you might hurt yourself." He smirks. This is might oddly seem to be out of character of him to do so, but believe me when I say that he's just an obnoxious teasing teenager when it's just us two.

"Hardi har har." I sarcastically laughed, pushing his head away. "Why don't we join Iroh back at the deck?" I offered him with a smile.

He removes his hands on the rails and offered it to me. I smiled and peck his left cheek, I entwine my arm to his as he escorted me to the deck. When we got there Iroh was playing some sort of card game and drinking tea. I sat down in-front of the old man while Zuko stands behind me.

"Kaori, you seemed to brighten up my nephew's mood today. Hopefully it stays that way." Iroh cheekily smiles.

"Well uncle, I hope so too that it at least last for more than an hour or two." I joked, hearing a 'tch' behind me.

"Would you like some tea?" Iroh asks me, already pouring the hot tea onto a cup.

"Uncle, you should know by now that I couldn't refuse your tea." I laughed, reaching out to grab the tea.

"I'm so glad that my nephew gets to marry a person of culture and taste like you." He jokingly wipes a fake tear.

"Well, at least I'll—" I was interrupted by a distant beam of light and sudden gusts of wind coming from the distance. Zuko and I both turned around to gaze at it, his ponytail fluttering in the wind.

"Finally!" He turns around to face us, "Kaori, Uncle, do you realize what this means?!"

"I won't get to finish my game?" Iroh answers calmly, looking over the tile he's holding toward his nephew.

Zuko turns around again to face the light, "It means my search is about to come to an end." Iroh and I both looked at each other and sighed uninterestedly, I watch Iroh place his tile on the table.

My fiancé gestures as the light while facing us again. "That light came from an incredibly powerful source!" We watch as the light dwindles and disappears. "It has to be him!"

"Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko." Iroh said with continuing disinterest and an air of skepticism. He looks at the tile at his hand.

"Zuko, we just don't want you to get too excited over nothing." I said in a calm voice, careful not to get him angry again. I look at my side to see Iroh place another tile on the table.