𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙨 » sokka {1}

24

chapter twenty four

 

a downtrodden Zuko, followed by a pleased-looking Yanmei walk into their apartment. she was proud of her best friend for choosing the right path and freeing Appa. Iroh emerges from the kitchen, a tea pot in hand. 

"so...?" he drags on, waiting for the answer. he knew of Yanmei's plan to get Zuko to do the right thing, to be better, and he hopped his nephew chose the right path.

Yanmei smiled, holding onto Zuko's arm and squeezing it gently, "he did the right thing. the Avatar's bison is freed"

Iroh nodded, "I'm proud of you both. you've grown into such strong young adults"

"I don't feel well," Zuko speaks feebly. his vision begin to blur and grow dark and he suddenly collapses unconscious to the floor, breaking a vase in the process.

"Zuko!" the two other benders gasp, bending down to his side. they both pick the fire prince up and lead him to his futon bed. cold sweat drips down his forehead has he tosses and turns, moaning and groaning. 

Yanmei places a cold, wet towel on his head, "you're burning up, Zuko. your fever is intense. this will help cool you down"

"so...thirsty..." Zuko speaks in a weak voice. he tries to sit up but Yanmei and Iroh push him back down.

"here's some clean water to drink," Iroh says. he ladles water from another bucket, and supports Zuko's shoulders while he drinks, "stay under the blankets, and sweat this out"

Zuko snatches the ladle from him and drains it completely. he tosses it away, turns and grabs up the bucket, pouring it down his throat and splashing his chest. he hurls it against a wall before settling back down, coughing. the young dual bender frowns at his weakened state. she wished she could do something, anything, to help him. but she knew that this was something that could only heal with time. Iroh goes to make some tea, and Yanmei joins him, standing to the side to not disturb the mater at his work.

"how long do you think this will last? do you know why he's suddenly ill?" she asks her father figure, her gaze focused on Zuko. she worried for her best friends health.

Iroh sighed and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Zuko will be fine, Yanmei. he's strong, and this is only the first step in his evolution... I'm just glad you're here with us"

"you two have been the only family I've had all my sixteen years of life, it would be foolish of me to throw that away and not look out for you the way you both have done for me," what she spoke was the truth. Zuko and Iroh were there for her through everything. they knew her better than anyone else, they were her family, and she would do anything for them. there may have been some bumps in the road, but everything she has done was to protect them and to make them better people. the Avatar and his friends may need her, but the best way for her to help them was to lead others to their destiny. being good was Zuko and Iroh's destiny.