Flames [Prince Zuko - Book Three]

❃Chapter Two❃

A couple of days had passed since her mother had given Asake the special herbs. Everyday, she stayed in her room at her mother's house. Her bed was really comfortable, which was a good thing since she could hardly move. Whatever Zoa gave her made her feel ill, and Asake wasn't happy. 

Asake struggled to sit up. Her left arm was no use; the bandage wrapped around it stopped it from being used. Asake huffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. The bandage around her head was tight and irritating, and it made her hair stay in her eyes. Asake wished she was never put under with that tea and had her wounds tended to. Everything about it sucked. 

A small knock at her door alerted her that someone was there. Asake sighed, laying her head back against the pillow. She didn't want to see anyone, nor did she want anyone to see her. "It's open," she called out anyway. 

The door slowly opened, revealing Zoa and Daza. "How are you feeling, little spark?" Zoa asked, walking into the room. She sat down at a chair in the corner, leaving Daza standing. 

"I feel terrible. I shouldn't have let you do anything to me," Asake said, glaring at Zoa. She looked over at Daza and said, "If she ever tells me to do something with her special herbs, stop me."

"Okay," Daza said, laughing. "But they do work."

"Oh, she has you believing it too!" Asake sighed. "Am I the only sensible one here?"

"You'll be back to normal in a day or so," Zoa said shortly. "We have other things to talk about. I'm assuming Daza told you that I run a resistance group."

Asake thought back, shrugging. "I don't really remember if he did or not. I was sick on our journey here."

"I gave Zasai something to help with seasickness in case you were," Zoa said, frowning. She leaned forward, shaking her head. "He didn't give them to you, did he?" Asake shook her head, the anger growing in her stomach. "I'll have to talk to him about that."

"I could hurt him," Asake muttered, looking at the beige ceiling. "He makes me so mad."

"There is no fighting here on my island." Zoa touched Asake's bare foot, but she jerked it away from the touch. "We're peaceful people. The only fighting here is training."

"What does the resistance group do, then?"

"My resistance group is made up of people from the four nations, and I trained them to be negotiators," Zoa explained, nodding. "However, I do teach them to hold their own weight against others in case someone tries to hurt them. My philosophy is to bring more people on my side peacefully."

"May I ask, what is your side? Is it the Fire Nation's side? The Air Nomads? What?"

Zoa sighed, looking over at Daza. "Was she always like this?"

Daza frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "When you got on her bad side, she could be rude. She's been different ever since she was tortured, though." Daza locked eyes with Asake, raising one eyebrow. "Otherwise, she's nice."

"I don't like putting up with people who I don't like," Asake said, moving her feet away from Zoa's chair. "That includes you, Mother."

Zoa stood up, saying, "You shouldn't hate me, little spark. I'm your mother."

"You weren't there for me at all," Asake retorted, really wanting to sit up. "I don't think you can decide what I think."

"Little spark -"

"Didn't I ask you to stop calling me that?" Asake looked over at Daza, saying, "Please, make her stop calling me that. I don't care if I'm being overdramatic. It was something my dad called me, and that's the way I want it to stay."

Daza motioned to Zoa, and they stepped out into the hall. Asake wanted to hear what they were saying but they must've been whispering. Asake sighed, pushing herself with her right arm trying to sit up. She was getting feeling back in her limbs, which was awesome. She managed to sit up, and she grinned. 

A loud voice out in the hallway alerted her that someone else was out there. She couldn't make out what they were saying. A few seconds later, Daza and Zoa walked into the room. Daza walked over to her, holding a piece of paper in his hands. "This is a report about Prince Zuko. We were thinking that you'd want to read it."

Asake grabbed at the piece of paper, setting it next to her on the bed. "Thanks. I think I'll read it later."

"You want to be alone when you read it, don't you?" Daza asked, grinning. Asake smiled sheepishly. "I understand. I did the same with Kiyoro's mail I got on the ship."

"You got mail on the ship?"

"Well, I would tell her wherever I was going, and then she'd send a letter to that port." Daza shrugged, a soft smile on his face. "It was nice having her send me mail. I couldn't send her any letters myself, which sucked." Daza moved closer to her, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Have you written Zuko a letter yet?"

"No. I haven't really been able to," Asake said, pointing to her left arm. "My writing arm is broken. Well, it's mending now, I guess, but I still can't hardly move it." That was a half truth. Asake was ambidextrous, so she was able to write with her right arm. She didn't want to write the letter yet, and she didn't think Daza would understand her wariness about it. 

"I can write it for you."

"I think I'll wait to write it myself," Asake said, nodding. "Thanks, though."

"I have to go distribute these letters," Zoa interjected. "If you need anything, Asake, just call for me." Asake nodded once, watching as her mother left the room. "I can't stand her, Daza. When I was little, she was my idol. I wanted to live everyday for her, but now that I know her, I don't like her."

"I understand," Daza said softly. "Sometimes people are different than what you think they are."

"Yeah." Asake shook her head, sighing. "Where has Zasai been? He hasn't visited me once."

"He told me he had to get away from you for a couple of days. He was tired of you, apparently."

"He's so rude."

Daza looked out into the hallway, saying, "I have to go. I'll see you later, Asake."

"Bye!" 

Right when Daza shut the door behind him, Asake grabbed the letter. She opened it up, her eyes scanning over the smudged handwriting. 

After joining teams with his sister back in Ba Sing Se, Prince Zuko finally made it home to the Fire Nation. He betrayed his uncle and killed the Avatar, heading home after three years of banishment. I don't think his father will be that nice but he went home anyway, with that crazy girl of a sister. I followed them on their way home, and I saw something interesting. Zuko and a random girl (I assume it was Mai, his childhood friend and crush) were standing on the bow of the ship. They talked for a bit before kissing. It seems like he had someone waiting for him back in the Fire Nation. I'll write back when I have more information on Prince Zuko. 

Asake couldn't believe her eyes. Her heart sank when she saw that Zuko had moved on. Of course he would. Asake was never a player, even though she dated Jet, hurting Zuko in the process. 

She threw the piece of paper over her bed, turning onto her right side. Her heart felt like it shattered into a million pieces, and she wished she couldn't feel anything. She didn't want to feel the heartbreak of having a boy choose another girl over her. She didn't want to feel the jealousy race through her when thinking about the two of them together. 

Asake didn't let herself cry. There was no point in crying over a silly little boy. He made his choice. 

He didn't choose her. Again. 

Asake bit her lip, wanting to let it all out. She buried the feelings deep down where no one would ever see them. She shouldn't be this sad over a boy; he was only temporary. She let herself forget about all the nice things he said to her, not wanting to hear his voice in her head. She wouldn't think about him again, she decided. He made his choice, and now she's making hers.