Find Me | Zuko x reader | Avatar the Last Airbender | Book 1

Chapter 27: Keep Going

                              Zuko's POV

          It was hot. Dry. 

          Zuko was feeling extremely lethargic, struggling to stay conscious on top of his ostrich horse. The world was blurry, and his eyelids were heavy. The ringing in his ears was only getting louder, taking the place of any other sound. His canteen was empty, filled with dust.

          "Keep your head up, soldier." He jolted upright at the familiar voice, but his vision was still fuzzy. 

          "Y/N?" He mumbled squinting and shaking his head a little in an attempt to clear his head.

          "Who else would it be?" Y/N's voice asked sassily with a short laugh. Her strange, but beautiful laugh. He missed it. "You're going to fall right off your mount. I know you're drowsy, thirsty, and hungry, but you need to push forwards." 

          "I'm so tired..." Zuko muttered in response, cringing at the ringing in his ears. 

          "Stay here with me, hey. You won't wake up if you fall asleep now." She sounded calm, but commanding, and Zuko lifted his head again, opening his eyes.

          Y/N walked in front of his mount, guiding the animal with the reins. She was looking back at him, a sad smile on her face. She slowed to walk beside the animal, reaching up and cupping his face in her palm, lifting his chin up.

          "Keep going." She whispered. 

          Then he blinked, and she was gone.

          Zuko rubbed his face with his hands upon realizing he had imagined the whole thing. He closed his eyes, trying to shake himself into reality, but the fuzziness would seep in whenever he closed his eyes for too long.

          He had left two people he cared about behind. First Y/N, now his uncle...

          Minutes later, he came to the top of a hill, seeing an Earth Kingdom town not too far away.

          "I will." Zuko murmured quietly to the wind.

                             —|➖◾️➖|—

                                Y/N's POV

          "Alright, stuff went wrong." Y/N noticed, earning an annoyed look from her siblings. "The Beifongs can handle the 500 gold piece ransom fine, but we've got Avatar issues again." She looked over at Sokka. "How much you wanna bet they're going to sell Aang to the Fire Nation? 50 silver? 75? I'll bet more."

          "I'm not giving you free money." Sokka refused. "We don't even have that much." 

          "C'mon, we have to get the the arena in the next hour for the trade off. Come prepared, we're in for a fight." Katara prodded them out the door, Y/N strapping her containers to her sides on the way out, sighing.

          Katara hadn't been wrong. Several of the earthbending competitors from the ring were guarding the two hostages. The ransom was quickly paid, and Toph released, being escorted towards the exit immediately.

          "What about Aang?" Katara asked, and Y/N tensed at the competitors' gazes. 

          "We're taking him to sell to the Fire Lord. We'll be rich." One spoke up, and Y/N rolled her eyes, looking over at Sokka. Katara turned on her heel and ran after the Beifongs. We need the Blind Bandit.

          "We kinda already knew that." Y/N said, stalling a bit for time. "We didn't come to negotiate prices." Sokka gave her a nervous look.