Kaida Queen Of Ice <<ATLA; Book two: Earth>>

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The man took us to a lake and led us in by lifting the ground and moving the top. We looked down at the long ladder leading down to an almost pitch black bottom.
I went down first to help the guy with a water slide but as soon as Zuko came down I froze the Dai Li agent in a case of ice. We left him after he told us where we could find the flying bison. As we crossed a hall I looked down one of the many other crossing halls and saw my brother, I wanted to run over but Zuko pulled me to follow him. I don't think he saw them he just wanted to hurry.
He opened the door and there was Appa he was chained to the ground clearly hurt and scared but also defensive.

"Expecting someone else?" Zuko asked the animal and walked over.

"Zuko, stop you're scaring him." I said and pulled Zuko back, seeing how Appa stomped at us.

"Appa, it's okay it's me, Kaida." I pulled off the mask from my lower face but he still seemed scared. "Appa." I reached my hand out.

"He's mine now." Zuko said and I realized Appa was huffing because he still had his mask on.

The door opened and Zuko and I turned around ready to fight whoever came through that door but we were surprised to see Iroh walk in.

"Uncle?" Zuko asked.

"So the Blue Spirit," Iroh said. "I didn't know you were so close to him, Kaida. I wonder who could be behind that mask."

Zuko sighed and took off the mask. "What are you doing here?" He asked his uncle.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." Iroh replied. "What do you plan to do now that you found the Avatar's bison? Keep it locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?!"

"First I have to get it out of here." Zuko said.

"And then what?!" Iroh snapped at his nephew. "You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him and then you had no where to go!"

I looked between the two, I had never seen Iroh snap and I never thought he would ever snap like that at his favorite and only nephew the one that he saw as his own son.

"I would have figured something out!" Zuko yelled back as Appa and I watched.

"No! It'll happen like what would've happened if Kaida and her friends wouldn't have found you, you would have frozen to death!" His uncle argued.

"Ugh! I know my own destiny uncle!" Zuko told him

"Is it your own destiny or is it a destiny someone else has tried to forced on you?!" His uncle asked.

"Stop it uncle! I have to do this!" He turned around and I pulled out my water.

"I'm warning you now, Zuko." I said staring at him. I sighed. "You can change."

"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko! It's time for you look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions!" Iroh yelled. "Who are you and what do you want?!"

Zuko looked away and growled as he dropped the swords and his mask. He looked at me and I hugged him, he hugged me back still frusterated with himself. But I loved the way he held me tightly, like he never wanted to let go. I was probably being selfish at this point but I didn't want to let him go either.

"I know you can do the right thing, Zuko." I said and looked at him. "You want to do the right thing. You just don't know who you want to do it for."

He let go of me and walked around me picking up dualing boardswords, he cut Appa out of the first set of chains. I turned to Appa and hugged him.

"Don't worry big guy." I smiled and cut him out of the other chains. Appa stayed by my side I guess he was expecting me to get on. "No Appa, you have to go find Aang, I'll be okay."

"Let's go." Zuko grabbed my wrist but Appa growled at him then licked him.

"See he likes you now." I smiled and stopped him. "I need make sure Appa, gets to them safely." I said as I pet the flying bison.
   Zuko looked at me and his grip tightened on my wrist. "I'll come back. I promise." He let go of my wrist and I got on Appa. "I'll meet you both outside. Appa, Yip Yip!"

We crashed through the drain and shot up, I created the ice dragon and jumped off of Appa and onto it, still continuing to head upwards. The Dai Li shot their stupid Earth hands up at us. I shot ice at them pinning them to the ground.
"Momo." I smiled at the flying lemur then Appa and I dived down seeing the Dai Li surrounding my siblings and the two other girls.

I pulled up my mask even though they still probably couldn't even see who I was. I just wanted to be more careful. Which was dumb since I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who can create a dragon made of ice.
I pinned the Dai Li to the rock then shot them into the lake. I saw Appa was taking care of the rest so I left hiding, I could hear the joy in their voices as they gathered around Appa. I smiled and watched as they left.

I made my way back to the entrance just as Zuko was crawling out of the hole. I held out my hand to help him and he looked at me like he was surprised I came back. I pulled the mask down, helping him up and smiled then we helped Iroh up.

"You did the right thing, nephew." Iroh said. Zuko pulled out the blue mask. "Leave it behind."

The teen stared at it for a few seconds and let it fall into the lake. I placed my arms around him and he hugged me.

"Let's go home." Zuko said and I kissed his cheek.

"Great idea." I said and we walked back to our little apartment.

————————
Edited; 11/05/20
Re-Edited; 7/11/21