The Girl With Golden Hair

Chapter 8: The Blue Spirit

 We had been stationed by a Fire nation colony in Zuko's search for the Avatar, Zuko hadn't ordered around the troops in weeks. I'd been staying up and watching the stars on the deck of the ship. Zuko I guess hasn't noticed, or cared that I've noticed his late night trips off the boat, clad in black clothing and dual swords, carrying a blue mask. I haven't said anything, but I still keep track of when he leaves and returns. It probably has to do with tracking the Avatar anyways and I'd rather not help with that.

The sun painted the sky orange and pink on our training session, when Iroh approached Zuko, "Is everything okay? It 's been days and you haven't given the men an order."

Zuko eased from his stance and turned to face Iroh, "I don't care what they do."

"Don't give up hope yet. You can still find the Avatar before Zhao."

Zuko closed his eyes, and scrunched up his eyebrows, turning away from his uncle, "How, Uncle? With Zhao's resources, it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar. My honor, my throne, my country. I'm about to lose them all."

I walked up to Zuko, hand on his shoulder, "We'll figure it out, Zhao will not capture the Avatar."

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Eventually I got tired of watching Zuko come and go late at night, tonight I had planned to follow him. I followed his usual get up and dressed all black, I searched the library on board and found a red mask, just in case. I stayed up after all the crew and Iroh went to bed. And on time as usual, Zuko had made his way to the deck and creeped of the ship using a wooden boat. I followed closely behind as to not be seen, and dived off the ship after he was meters ahead of me. I used my waterbending so as to reduce the sound of my splash, and swam underwater to shore.

As I followed Zuko, we got closer to the fire nation fortress. I followed him up to road, but just my luck I stepped on a branch, making a masked Zuko snap his head towards me, I lifted my mask and put my hands up, "It's just me." I whisper yelled at him.

He whispered back, "What are you doing here, go back to the ship."

"I could be asking the same thing, I was curious."

"Whatever just follow my lead and don't be stupid."

"Rodger that." A horse drawn carriage drove down the dirt road leading to the fortress, Zuko signaled and jumped under the carriage and held on to the underbelly of it. I did the same. At the checkpoint, the guards checked all around the carriage, but before they checked the underside, we jumped into the back of it, thought the window, and avoided being seen.

"All clear," The guard said, and the carriage rolled into the fortress. Once inside the fortress, we ran off the carriage into the shadows and creeped by Zhao giving a speech, bragging about capturing the Avatar.

Zuko lead me to prison room, the one that held the Avatar, guarding it were fire nation soldiers. Together we knocked them all out and broke into the prison cell. Zuko sliced Aang's chains. "Who are you? What's going on? Are you here to rescue me?" Zuko slid open the door and I nodded, not saying a word. "I'll take that as a yes." As we started running, frogs fell out of Aang's shirt. That's odd, why did he have frogs?

"My frogs! Come back! And stop thawing out!" I grabbed the little kid and carried him out of the room, "Wait! My friends need to suck on those frogs!" I raised an eyebrow, but picked up two of the frogs and froze them, sticking them in my pockets. "Huh"?" Aang look quizzically at me.

Somehow even as an onslaught of attacks rained down on us by archers, with wit and ingenuity on Aang and Zuko's part, we made out of the fortress alive. Except for Zuko getting knocked out. And his mask falling off, to the shock of Aang. We made it to the interior of the forest, sheltered under a tall tree that must've been hundreds of years old. I had taken off my mask, and gave him the two frogs that I saved for hid friends. "I'm glad your safe Aang, and thank you for saving Zuko too."

"I'm just confused. Why did he save me?"

I sighed, "I'm not sure Aang, I think it was for the same reason as Zhao, to turn you in to the Fire Lord." I had laid Zuko's head in my lap, on hand laid on his forehead. "I know he'll come around one day," Zuko's eyes squeeze before fluttering open.

"Hey sleeping beauty, how are you feeling?" He groaned in response.

"You know what the worst part of being born over a hundred years ago? I miss all the friends I used the hang out with. Before the war started, I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us, we'd get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had, and he was from the Fire Nation, just like you Zuko. If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too?"

Zuko laid there for a moment, then out of no where shot a ball of fire the boy," Zuko! He just saved your life!" I stepped in front of him and Aang scurried off into the trees back to his friends.

"Why did you stop me!" Zuko yelled in my face.

"I'm your friend but I will not let you hurt the Avatar!"

"You know nothing about this world! Stop meddling in my affairs!" He turned and stormed off back the ship, and a followed close behind in just as foul of a mood.

We both boarded the ship in silence but was greeted by Iroh, "Where have you two been? You missed music night! Lieutenant Jee sang a stirring love song."

Zuko stated emotionlessly, "I'm going to bed. No disturbances."