The Little Dragon

||15

Monday June, 15th

Kaida

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

    I woke to the sound of Zuko's murmuring. "I finally have you. But I can't get you home because of this blizzard." I started to peek my eyes open. I turned my body ready to slam my fist into his face, but I was slow, still recovering from my chi being blocked. Zuko caught my hands with ease. In a second he pushed my pressure points, locking my chi up once more. I was ready to pass out again, but it didn't happen. "Good morning, sweetheart."

    My body slumped onto his. "You remember something Ty Lee had taught you once and over five years ago, but you still can't remember to keep your heels up. I swear I have told you over twenty times." This made him laugh. I wanted to lift my head up to look for Aang, but I couldn't, leaving me to only rest on Zuko's chest.

    "He's over there if you are wondering where the Avatar is." I saw the direction of where his eyes went. I wanted my fire bending to make sure he wasn't lying to me. But we didn't lie to each other.

    "Why did you bring me along?" I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of his heart.

     "I, we, have the Avatar now. We can go home to the Fire Nation as heroes." He placed a hand on my cheek, making me open my eyes. "I'll be next in line to become the Fire Lord, and I want you to be my Fire Lady." Then there was a silence.

    "But," I felt tears prickling my eyes again. "I don't want that."

     "You are delusional, Kaida. I'm here to help you make a decision you won't regret." This made my heart completely stop.

     "No!" I cried out. I wanted to struggle to fight, but I couldn't. It was humiliating. "No!" I sobbed, I felt myself be picked up and sat on Zuko's lap. "I don't want that!" I wanted to shake my head. "I'd rather die here then go home right now!" I saw the pain in Zuko's eyes as he pulled me into his chest, he wrapped his arms around me.

    "Why?" His voice was barely above a whisper. He rubbed circles into my back as I sobbed into his chest. "You would live happily, we would be the ones to rule the world."

    "I've seen the pain that the Fire Nation had put people through. I've had to hide my own dragon mark in shame." I felt my tears becoming ice due to the cold temperatures. I felt myself start to shiver. "I saw the other side of this war. The side that believes in the Avatar. I can't let you or anyone take away their hope."

     Zuko moved me so that he could see my face. He moved and started to wipe away my tears. "I've never seen you cry before." The tears kept flowing down my face, but he swiftly brushed them away as soon as they appeared on my face.

     "Because I'm in so much pain, Zuko." I cried before narrowing my eyes. "In my front left pocket. There is something for you." Slowly Zuko dropped one of the hands to my pocket and pulled out his handkerchief. The realization hit his face. "I kept it with me from the moment you gave it to me." It was weeks ago, but it seemed like just yesterday.

    "Now you are going to take it with you when you leave with the Avatar."

    "You say that as if I'm not going to bring you with me." He pulled me into his chest.

    "You are going to leave me here." I felt so pathetic, I couldn't even break out of his grip.

    "You would die. I'm not letting that happen." He tightened his hold on me. "You are coming with me, with us."

    "I meant it when I said I would die protecting Aang." There was silence like Zuko didn't want to hear what I had just said, so he chose to ignore it.