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juchumice · 5 years ago

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ive been thinking abt this avatar au for SO LONG!! i know some other exists but i still really wanted to put my spin on it and make them younger so it could be a bit more contextually different, so they’re roughly 14 during the au!

AIZAWA: aizawa’s a waterbender from the northern water tribe. initially, many believed he was a nonbender as it took quite awhile longer for his bending to reveal itself than the other children. he has zero talent concerning waterbending, none at all. in fact, he was absolutely terrible at it initially. but, if there was one thing he was certain about in youth, it was being an excellent waterbender. when first applying to waterbending classes, he was considered far too inexperienced to join. the instructor was a stern type. he told aizawa that he had, “no potential,” and should focus less on waterbending and more on hand to hand combat to waste less time. instead of listening, aizawa practiced terribly. everyday, every moment, he would be waterbending from dusk to dawn till he stumbled from lack of sleep. he even founded his own method, drenching his scarf of spongey material in water and bending it as a weapon. after further practice, he finally got accepted into the course with pure hard work. the issue was that everyone in his class was younger than him, talented and brilliant. none of them worked as hard as he did. they all were children just playing around. as the bending moves increased in difficulty, aizawa began to fall behind again, so his whole day would be absolutely swallowed in practice, practice, and practice. he would be beaten constantly by his peers: during spars, general displays of moves, and learning, so he couldn’t rely on his own power, instead focusing on strength in addition to strategy and observation. it was this adjustment of tactics that led him higher in his studies. he was able to graduate the minor classes, but his instructor thought it was best to get more experience in bending rather than continually relying on his other strengths, so he was sent away from home to study abroad among the other kingdoms and view their bending techniques.

YAMADA: yamada is an air nomad, but he is one of the very few who does not appear to be capable of bending. due to the spiritual nature of the air nomads, there are very few who are unable to airbend, and yamada is one of them. but, everyone else was very supportive even without his bending. he was able to have many friends, however couldn’t join in their air bending games. that’s where he learned his talent for announcing. as the other kids would play their games of air ball and pie toss, he’ll be there on the sidelines, narrating every single thing with his peculiar flare that led to his popularity among the northern air temple. though, even with everyone’s supportive nature, yamada was unhappy with his position. ever since he was but a toddler, he really wanted to be an airbender, streaking across the sky on a glider and riding on air scooters, only to be sorely disappointed. sure, he was able to ‘fly’ with his flying bison’s, baito’s, help but it just wasn’t the same. after a bit, he ran from the northern air temple, sick and tired of living in such a small space. with far too many fantasies on his mind, yamada wished to explore the other nations. it was then he stumbled across the fire nation. they were fascinating. their own fierce power, their sense of fashion, their culture, everything drew yamada closer. he would watch their shows with undisguised excitement, even announcing for a couple of them. while announcing for one of the firebender shows, yamada was required to choose a volunteer from the crowd, which just happened to be aizawa. this led to the beginning of their interactions.

so that’s it i guess! my main ideas for the avatar au! yamada has a glider, but he uh... stole it. just carries it around a lot to ‘feel like an airbender’-- and it’s a great umbrella when it rains!

the au itself takes place before the 100 year war so no worries abt any firebenders just yet!! i might develop it more but this is where its at so farrr

also i wrote a lil small thing while i was playin with the idea:

...

“You know… I always wanted to bend,” Yamada said. He kicked up the dust with a shoe, frowning at the cloud that billowed around his feet as if it could disappear with a simple scrutinizing look. But, it didn’t. Merely floated to and fro without a care of his whims.

Aizawa examined him carefully. There was no sound made, just an invitation to continue.

Yamada blew at several pieces of hair that loosened from his bush that he called a hairstyle. “Yeah. Sounds ‘crazy’! But, it made total sense! Look, look, look, I would be an EPIC airbender. You have to admit. I mean, look how cool my poses are!” He proceeded to strike several different ‘airbending poses’ that neither suggested coolness nor airbending.

“You’ve watched too many firebending shows,” Aizawa replied.

“But that’s what makes it so cool! The fire just exploding into the sky like Pompeii, but you can only see these red sparkles and nothing goes wrong… Imagine doing that… Imagine…” He chuckled mirthlessly. “Being a bender must be fun, huh…” His staff loosened from his fingers to slide and clatter to the floor. “Don’t even use this DUMB thing! I dunno why I keep it all the time… Maybe, oh! Maybe every time I hold it I get a 1% increase in being an airbender or something! Yeah… tough luck. You know? You know how stupid it is when EVERYONE in the temple’s an airbender and you’re stuck being the only kid around-- believe me they’re all super nice about it-- BUT ME?? THE ONLY ONE!! Don’t feel bad for me or I’ll strangle you or something, but it still freaking sucks. Man, air scooters? I totally would’ve invented those if I was an airbender…”

On and on he jabbered. He could have done this if he was an airbender, or maybe he could have done this! Aizawa was unsure what to respond with. He never understood. Sure, he understood hardship and running raggedly through the critics and holding one’s goals to heart. A waterbender who couldn’t bend water for crap? That’s what they called him, might as well give up they had said, but he powered through and became skilled with pure hard work. No luck, no cheats, and no talent. Yamada was the opposite case, full of supporting faces and ancient smiles, but just no bending in general. How could someone so hopeful be met with such a grisly fate? Yet, all that Aizawa could offer was a tongue-in-cheek, “Sorry.”

Yamada stopped talking abruptly. “Huh?”

“I said sorry.”

“Oh. Yeah. Don’t say sorry, man! What’s the fun in that, too gloomy Aizawa, waaaay too gloomy. Y’know, it is what it is! I got a sweet gig going on anyway, I don’t need anything as stupid as airbending. Only saps use airbending, they probably think it’s cool or something, but it isn’t haha. Waterbending, firebending, earthbending, that stuff’s cool! Airbending’s just some playing around with wind or something.”

#Avatar AU #Present Mic #Hizashi Yamada #Eraserhead #Shouta Aizawa #Erasermic #BNHA #MHA #My hero Academia #Boku no Hero Academia

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atlabeth · 4 years ago

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talking to the moon

summary: dealing with the aftermath of the worst event of your life.

pairing: sokka x fem!reader but solely platonic. stan big brother sokka

a/n: this became so much longer than i initially meant for lmao. it was just supposed to be sokka and y/n talking but then i. wrote the whole death scene and a whole backstory and. im sorry. i made myself sad while writing this

wc: 4.1k

warnings: so much angst, death, mentions of suffocation, mentions of arranged marriages, one mention of blood, one single curse i think, lots of anger and lots of sadness but some fluff at the end

based on the song “talking to the moon” by bruno mars

living in the northern water tribe wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

as a waterbender, it should’ve been a perfect haven. a renowned master to teach her how to fight and become a master herself, a constant feeling of power being around ice and water all the time, and a comfortable life as the daughter of two important councilmembers that worked alongside chief arnook.

but the only thing y/n had come to know of this place was a complete and utter loss of freedom.

she wasn’t allowed to learn martial waterbending simply because she was a woman. master pakku wouldn’t even give her the time of day, and when she complained to her parents they cited century-long traditions and told her that was just how things were.

y/n felt comfortable being around water and ice all the time, but it’s not like the power of the moon helped her when she hardly knew anything in the first place. it was slightly easier to try and teach herself new techniques that she learned from watching master pakku and his students, but it still almost always ended in failure.

and of course, her noble heritage simply meant that she would be married off once she reached the appropriate age for the benefit of her family. yippee.

but there was one benefit that came along with being the daughter of nobles that worked closely with the chief.

princess yue.

she was without a doubt the nicest girl that y/n had ever known, and they quickly became each other’s closest friends. y/n thought that maybe she wouldn’t like her because yue was two years her senior, but it didn’t matter in her eyes. yue showed y/n a side that she never showed anyone else; the carefree, energetic, loving side. the side that told y/n fantastical stories while they rode together the waterways. the side that encouraged y/n to waterbend whenever she could and to try as hard as possible to get the martial techniques down because ‘i know you can do it!’ the side that was absolutely fascinated by her waterbending, the side that shrieked in surprise then dissolved into giggles every time y/n soaked her at the end of the session.

yue was the bright light in y/n’s boring days, and y/n was a needed reprieve from yue’s duties.

the young girls didn’t know that there was so much coming for them.

team avatar visiting y/n’s home was one of the most exciting things to happen to her. it was like a breath of fresh air in the monotony of her life, and it didn’t take too long for y/n to become friends with all of them at the celebratory dinner the night they arrived.

y/n and katara instantly struck off. as waterbenders of the same age they already had a connection, but it was only strengthened the longer they stayed. y/n had never cheered so loud when she fought against pakku.

it was impossible not to like aang. he was even younger than y/n with an infectious positive attitude and a smile always on his face. he even offered to help teach her waterbending along with katara after learning from pakku, which was a great plan until it wasn’t.

her association with sokka came from her association with yue. he was infatuated with the princess almost immediately — it wasn’t a surprise, y/n was sure every boy in the tribe had a crush on her in some form — but he was also very kind to y/n. as time went on, they developed more of a sibling-like bond and y/n loved it. she was an only child raised to the highest expectations, but she was allowed to let loose around sokka. it also helped to see him make a fool in front of himself every time her and yue were together.

things were looking up for y/n. she had three new friends that all liked her best friend, and she was actually learning a little bit more about fighting with waterbending from katara. everything was perfect.

until the fire nation attacked.

y/n had been with yue and sokka when they saw the black snow and immediately rushed back to the tribe to warn everyone. that was how a fourteen year old noble girl who barely knew how to defend herself like y/n got involved in a fight against the fire nation.

after rescuing aang from zuko and, at aang’s request, bringing the unconscious prince with them, they started traveling back to the spirit oasis. y/n sat in the back of the saddle with sokka and yue, a new friend and her oldest friend, when yue suddenly grabbed her head with a small groan. y/n looked around and the world around them had turned red as blood. something was very wrong.

“are you okay? sokka asked, reaching for her instinctively as if to protect her from whatever was hurting her.

“i.. i feel faint,” she muttered.

“i feel it too,” aang added. “the moon spirit is in trouble.”

y/n’s eyes widened as she stared back at yue, horror dancing in her eyes as she shook her head. “no, no it can’t be. yue, you know what that means—”

it wasn’t hard to catch onto the fearful tone in her voice and katara set an amicable hand on her shoulder. “what are you talking about, y/n?”

thankfully, yue took over. “i owe the moon spirit my life.”

“what do you mean?” sokka’s eyes went between y/n and yue, y/n’s worried gaze trained on yue as she explained how the moon spirit had given her life as a baby. when she was done, the water tribe siblings were staring at her in disbelief.

“if the moon spirit is in danger then we need to save it.” y/n’s voice was hardened as they got closer to the spirit oasis, stretching her fingers out to get the blood flowing again in case she needed to bend. she didn’t know very much about combat besides what katara had taught her, but hopefully it would be enough to at least aid the rest of the team.

appa slid to a stop in the spirit oasis and aang, sokka, katara, and y/n all hopped off of his back and got into battle stances. sokka took out his boomerang, aang wielded his staff, and y/n and katara got ready to bend.

“don’t bother,” zhao spat. he held up the bag with tui and positioned his fist next to it, posing the very obvious threat. y/n’s eyes widened and her hands fell the slightest bit. he wouldn’t.

it turned out that he very well would.

y/n thought that they would be safe, that yue would be safe once he released the fish after iroh’s threat, but she should’ve known a man like that would never be satisfied. just as the normal hues of the oasis had returned, zhao let out a yell and blasted the koi with fire, plunging the world into various shades of grey.

y/n let out a strangled cry as she realized what it meant, and she wanted to unleash all of her fury on zhao. she wanted to make him hurt, make him understand just what he had done. but it seemed that general iroh already had that plan as he started firebending viciously, swiftly defeating the soldiers after zhao had gotten away.

y/n felt like she was in a haze, following through with her movements but not actually there. the four of them rushed towards the water and yue soon joined them, all looking down at tui in horror. the moon spirit was gone, dead, killed.

her worst fear had come true, and she stared at yue’s blue eyes, the only thing that still had color, mouth opening and closing as she tried to think of things to say.

“there’s no hope now,” yue mourned. “it’s over now.”

“no it’s not.”

y/n watched in amazement as aang merged with the ocean spirit and left to defend her home, but it melted away once again when she joined the siblings, iroh, and yue at the front of the water.

“it’s too late. it’s dead.” katara stared at the dead fish when iroh placed it back into the water. it truly did seem like it was over. y/n felt none of the usual power she felt at night. if she tried to bend, she knew nothing would happen.

iroh seemed to notice yue as she stepped closer and he raised his eyebrows. “you have been touched by the moon spirit. some of its life is in you.”

“yes, you’re right.” yue set her jaw and y/n immediately knew what she was thinking. “it gave me life. maybe i can give it back.”

“no!” y/n and sokka cried at the same time. y/n’s voice cracked and she had to do everything she could to prevent the tears from falling. “yue, no. you don’t have to do this.”

“it’s my duty, y/n.” her kind blue eyes, an image that would haunt y/n for years to come, glistened with unshed tears as she walked over to the oasis. this time sokka grabbed her hand to try and stop her.

“i won’t let you! your father told me to protect you!” sokka usually guarded his emotions but this time the fear in his voice was obvious, and it hurt. he didn’t want to lose her. he couldn’t lose her.

“i have to do this.”

y/n wanted to scream at yue to stop, try and knock some sense into her, hold the girl that she loved back from sacrificing herself. but she just stood there, frozen, as yue hovered her hands over the dead fish. tui began to glow, and yue collapsed.

y/n rushed over to her as sokka caught her and she fell to her knees. the tears were falling, she didn’t care, her friend was gone, she was dying. y/n felt yue’s ice cold hand on her arm and she grasped it with both of her own. her and sokka were barely holding it together as they watched the girl they both loved die in their arms.

“y/n..” her voice was already faint, she was using up all of her strength just to talk to them in her final moments. “thank you for everything. never forget what you are fighting for. i will always cherish our friendship.”

a choked sob escaped y/n’s lips and she gripped yue’s hand as tightly as she could, like maybe if she didn’t let go then she would come back. she couldn’t even hear what she said to sokka, all she could hear was the pounding in her head. this couldn’t be happening.

and then she was gone. the ice cold hand in y/n’s grip was gone, the girl they were cradling was gone, and in her place was just emptiness. iroh placed the koi fish back into the water and the entire oasis filled with light, and the energy around the lake turned into yue. she was ethereal. she was a spirit. she was gone.

yue came closer and wrapped y/n in a hug, feeling more like a gentle breeze than a real person hugging her. she then kissed sokka, and a faint smile graced her lips. “goodbye, i love you both. i will always be with you.”

and with that, she was gone.

y/n couldn’t hold it in anymore. she started sobbing, tears wracking her body and making it hard to breathe. she wrapped her arms as tightly as she could around sokka, burying her head in the space between his shoulder and his neck, and he returned the hug. they were just two kids who had watched a girl they loved sacrifice herself. what else could they do but hold each other and hope to all the spirits that they would be okay?

y/n left with aang, katara, and sokka when they decided to set course for omashu. she couldn’t stay at the northern water tribe. all it served as was a constant reminder of that fateful night, the night that she had lost her best friend. she saw yue in everything, and she knew she would lose her mind if she stayed. so she asked if she could join them on their journey, and they agreed. y/n felt a constant pit of emptiness and hoped that helping the avatar would absolve some of the guilt.

it didn’t.

“this is your fault, y/n.”

the blue eyes that haunted y/n so often appeared once again, staring back at her unflinchingly. there was a certain hardness behind them, a coldness that pervaded her skin, making its way to her heart. but she couldn’t look away.

“you should’ve been able to save me.” yue’s voice, normally soft spoken and kind, reverberated throughout the endless void y/n was trapped in.

she looked beautiful, otherworldly. the fabric of her dress floated around her at the edges and her white hair, the ever present reminder of her connection to the moon, flowed down her back. yue appeared the same as she had when she sacrificed herself, and it was the way she would look forever. y/n’s heart ached for her friend, knowing that she would never live out the rest of her life, never get to be the ruler she was meant to be.

she tried to talk, but her voice wouldn’t work. her throat felt like it was closing up slowly, and her limbs might as well have been cast in concrete with how heavy they all felt. yue’s icy glare disappeared from view, but her voice was still all around her.

“you did this to me. you’re the reason i’m dead. you should’ve been able to save me.”

the words repeated thousands of times on top of each other, becoming louder and louder that it was all she could focus on. y/n was suffocating underneath it all, she couldn’t take it. she wanted to sob out how sorry she was, tell yue that her biggest regret was not being able to save her, reach out and bring her into her world again. spirits, she wanted her best friend back so badly.

“YOU SHOULD’VE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE ME.” the words echoed through her skull so loudly that she felt like it was going to crack from sheer force.

y/n eyes suddenly flew open and she lurched upwards, breathing heavily, a scream on the edge of her lips that she was barely able to bite back. she clamped her hands over her mouth until she could be sure it wouldn’t come loose, and it took even longer for her breathing to get back to normal.

it didn’t look like she had disturbed the sleep of the others, but she couldn’t stay here. she got out of her sleeping bag and rushed out of their camp, making sure she stayed light on her feet so that the others could continue to rest. momo perked up as she ran past him, and y/n shook her head and raised a finger to her lips. he seemed to get the hint and went back to sleep, and with a strained smile y/n continued out.

it was at that moment that a certain water tribe boy groggily sat up, able to catch the end of a tunic dress disappearing into the woods after he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. he thought it was katara at first but a quick glance to his side proved that his sister was still asleep. it was y/n’s spot that was empty. he immediately knew why she was gone, and he got up to follow her; there was no way he was going to leave her alone right now. sokka didn’t exactly want to be alone either.

‘you should’ve been able to save me.’ they were words that never left y/n’s mind; at this point it was a part of her conscience. the princess had never actually said the words, her last moments had been spent reassuring y/n and sokka before she faded away, but it didn’t matter. she was constantly wracked by guilt, and though sokka did a good job at hiding it, she knew he felt the same way. she wondered if he was plagued by the same nightmares she had. it was no surprise it happened tonight of all nights — today marked one month since yue died.

no. since yue had been killed.

she might’ve given her life for the moon spirit willingly, but y/n blamed zhao, that fire nation admiral, for her death. he was the one that killed the moon spirit, so he was the one that had killed her best friend. she had never felt as much rage as she had in the moment that he blasted tui with fire.

she hoped he was dead.

y/n got to the edge of the woods and stared at the night sky, the slight breeze and the ambiance around her doing little to ease her mind. she sighed and leaned back against a tree, staring at the sky in hopes it would give her some kind of answer. but all it did was make her feel even worse.

i know you’re somewhere out there somewhere far away

yue was there. the moon was there, but yue was the moon so she was there. it felt like a cruel joke, having her so close but so far away. always within her sight but never in her reach. she longed for the days when she was able to pull the princess away from her duties to engage in a snowball fight with her friends or when yue asked her to show off her waterbending with the childlike wonder she never got to show or when things were normal and her friend wasn’t the fucking moon.

i want you back, i want you back

y/n felt the familiar stings of tears behind her eyes and she slowly slid against the tree until she was sitting on the ground. she bit the inside of her cheek so hard she drew blood in an effort to stop the tears, but it didn’t matter, they fell anyways.

the empty feeling she constantly carried with her got better over time, but tonight it was just coming back with full force. she was reminded of everything that she had lost and it hurt. spirits, it hurt so much.

my neighbors think i’m crazy but they don’t understand you’re all i have, you’re all i have

she pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out her feelings, when she heard some branches snap. she opened her eyes and looked up, the corner of her lips quirking up when she saw who it was.

“hi.” her voice was faint, barely noticeable, but it was all she managed to muster.

“hi.” sokka’s eyes were sympathetic as walked over to her, silently questioning if she was okay with his presence. she nodded and scooted over to make room, and sokka slid down against the tree next to her.

they sat in comfortable silence for a while, feeling solace in the other simply being there. y/n’s eyes stayed glued to the sky, y/e/c irises reflecting the light of the stars. now that her sobbing was done, she just felt tired. traveling with the avatar was physically demanding with all the fighting and running they did, but this was mental.

she was tired of feeling worthless. tired of feeling guilty, of feeling angry, hurt, heartbroken, regretful, helpless, weak.

tui and la, she was so damn tired.

at night, when the stars light up my room i sit by myself talking to the moon trying to get to you

y/n tore her eyes away from the sky and looked at sokka. he felt the slight movement and made eye contact as well. y/n couldn’t help but think how similar his eyes were to yue’s.

“do you talk to her too?” the question came suddenly from y/n before she even knew it, and her voice was just as soft as before. “to the moon, i mean.”

sokka’s gaze turned wistful as he watched the moon and nodded. “all the time. even if i’m just talking to myself in my head, it feels like i’m talking to her as long as the moon is out. sometimes it helps. it makes me feel like she’s still here, or like she’s watching over me. other times..”

“it makes you feel worse,” y/n finished. he nodded again and she sighed heavily. “sometimes i hate it. just looking at the moon makes me want to scream or cry or yell until i can’t anymore, because i hate it for taking her away from me. and i know she had to do it, but the irrational part of me is angry at her for leaving. and then i feel guilty for caring about myself more than her when she’s the one that’s gone, and i just—”

her voice caught in her throat and the tears started to fall once more. it felt like she couldn’t even think about yue without crying and it made her feel even more weak than before.

in hopes you’re on the other side talking to me too

it hurt sokka’s heart to see her like this. yue’s death had affected both of them, spirits, it had left a hole in his heart that he was still trying to mend, but as time went on he had gotten better. but y/n had known yue for years, they had such a close bond that when sokka wanted to know advice on how to get yue to like him he came to her. and now her closest friend was gone and she had left her home and her family behind to help them on their journey.. he couldn’t imagine how she felt. but he wasn’t going to let her go through this alone.

sokka wrapped his arm around her and though she flinched at first, y/n immediately relaxed when she realized what he was doing. he was trying to comfort her by just being there, and she appreciated it immensely. y/n leaned her head against his shoulder and the two of them sat there in silence once again, watching the sky.

or am i a fool who sits alone talking to the moon

“you don’t have to feel guilty,” sokka murmured. “she doesn’t blame you for what happened and she doesn’t blame you for how you feel. i know that she’s watching over us right now.”

“you think?” he nodded and the smallest smile graced her lips. “she doesn’t blame you either. every time you hung out together she would come running back to me telling me how much fun she had and how she already felt so close to you, and how much you brightened up her days. she truly loved you, sokka.”

sokka laughed humorlessly and shook his head. “i loved her too. i didn’t think it was possible to fall for someone so quickly, but she proved me wrong.”

“she was good at that. proving people wrong.”

do you ever hear me calling?

more silence passed.

y/n opened her mouth and closed it again, trying to find the words.

“yue?” she started off timid, but her words gained more confidence as she went on. “i.. i don’t know if you can hear us. but if you can, i just want to let you know that i- that we miss you. not a day goes by where i don’t think of you, and i hope that you are watching down on us. because we love you. and we always will.”

“thank you for everything you’ve done.” sokka spoke up now. “i hope you’re at peace, yue, wherever you are.”

cause every night i’m talking to the moon still trying to get to you

y/n swore that the moon glowed a little brighter in the night sky when they finished.

she didn’t know how time passed so quickly, but her and sokka ended up falling asleep out there, his arm around her and her head on his shoulder.

and for the first time since the siege of the north, y/n slept without nightmares.

#atla fic #atla #avatar #avatar the last airbender #princess yue #song fic #blurb #sokka x reader #sokka x y/n #sokka #sokka fic #yue #writing

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lovemxnot · 4 years ago

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Worth the burn | Hwang Hyunjin

Firebender! Hyunjin x Avatar! Reader

Letters burned the scroll in your hand, reassuring words etched on them, scorching their presences into it.

“The city is great, they greeted me with much fanfare, and I’ve been having fun with Hyunjin and the others, like old times.

I feel more like myself than ever. Don't worry about me, mom and dad, I'm fine. I feel like I'm truly, finally healing.”

A pang of guilt surged through you, but you shoved it away, ignoring its lingering presence. Sealing the envelope, you gave it to the man standing impatiently next to you.

“The fire nation, I’m assuming?” He sighed, Referring to all the past letters you have sent.

“Wouldn’t bet otherwise.”

You were healing, perhaps not the same way you had mentioned in all of your letters, filled with nothing but the pure lies, but you were searching for a way- a way to forget, forgive, and move past what was done to you.

Forgiveness never came easy to you. Everyone around you pestered you into accepting the situation that you may never be the same avatar you used to be. But they had no idea what you were going through; no one did- after all, you were the only avatar alive.

It was humiliating how every day, you got up to move only for your legs to fail you despite daily visits to the most skilled healers.

At one point, you had hope, you could feel your legs again, and day by day, you were getting better until eventually, you learned how to walk again, but it all crashed once you tried combating and could barely throw a punch without images flashing, looming shadows engulfing your vision, sending you straight back square one, flashbacks so strikingly vivid it made you quiver down in terror. You were so ashamed, felt so weak and... helpless. How the once-great avatar’s mind turned against her becoming her gravest nightmare.

But You’ve had enough of wallowing in self-pity. You left your parent’s home, leaving the fire nation to sail to republic city, the city where your nightmare was born, the city where your friends reside, in hopes of confronting your fears and healing. And that was truly your plan, but it went astray.

“The match starts in five minutes, move to the ring,” the announcer reminded you.

You pulled yourself out of your head, wrapping the bandages tighter on your hands. Getting ready for your next match. You can feel the ground shake. The roars of the people at the stands pump your blood.

Today’s opponent was a new one. Never heard of it before; fresh meat. New to the game, alas, putting you at a disadvantage as you knew nothing of them or their bending element. Hopefully, it's not another lava bender. Those injuries of that fight alone had another nightmare simmering in the process.

And although you've mastered all four elements, you choose to fight with the one you were naturally born with-fire.

You stood behind the metal door, secluding you from the ring, hands going up to position, feet grounded, breathing in, then out. It wasn’t your first match, but it always feels like it is, no matter how many times you tried to nerve up.

As soon as the bell sounded, the doors slid open you shot a belt of fire to where you knew your opponent stood. Hoping to catch them by surprise.

Your opponent, on the other hand, skillfully blocked your advances while remaining idle in his place, silky red hood up- the signature of the fire nation, hair covering his eyes, shadowes concealing most of his face.

“What's wrong pretty boy? Afraid to fight?” You baited. The crowd's yelling got louder. They loved it when opponents ridicule each other. You surged another blast of fire their way, but they, once again, blocked it as if they already knew your next move.

“Come on, you know you gotta use your hands to fight, right?”

Nothing.

“Here, let me help” you looped a hoop of fire around their hands - or at least tried to before they counterfeited the attack and sent you flying. Body slamming the jagged wall with a thack that pales compared to thunder. But you were used to it by now.

“Alright, now you want to play, pretty boy? "

Using the tiniest amount of airforce, you air bended your way to them faster than they could blink and attacked. But all you were met with was hands blocking your every move.

Their movements were so familiar to you, you obstructed all of their attacks just as well as they blocked yours. It was more of a dance than a fight at this point, every move mirroring the others.

There was only one person that knew you that well. and oh god, did you wish you were wrong about this.

The red streak you glimpsed on his cheek supported your thoughts even more. There was only one person you knew that had that scar. A harsh exhale - laced with a little bit of airbending- blew his hood off, revealing what you wished was not true.

The tiny breeze blew his dark locks out of his face. Giving you a glimpse of his face.

No.

No. No way.

You knew those dark locks. You've run your hands through them enough times to know how they feel even without touching them.

"Hello Y/N"

“Hyunjin...? what are u doing here?!” You knew someday you might run into one of the figures of your past. It was inevitable after all, but not this soon and definitely not him.

“Why, when I heard the avatars look-alike was fighting in underground battles of the lower rinks of basingse I just had to come and get a glimpse myself!” Mockery slid fluidly through his sly smile, “and would you look at that? You do look like her! If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought it was you.”

He was furious, you could tell, even though he masked it with amusement in his voice. To the average eyes, it looked like nothing other than two old friends reconciling. But to you, you knew his blood was boiling by the crinkles of his eyes, the air so thick between you that even airbending it wouldn't help,

Hyunjin was your childhood best friend, and your firebending mentor's son.... and boyfriend. Well, technically, your ex-boyfriend now, seeing as you disappeared on him after the incident, didn't write any letters back for the past year letting him knew you were still breathing.

“Get out of here, I'm not going to fight you” you let your arms rest, blood running cold, fire distinguishing from you. Back turned, you head back outside the arena. You can faintly hear the crowds gasp in shock over the thoughts running in your head. Speaking of your head, it almost got completely scorched with a blast of fire sent your way had you not sensed it early enough and twisted on your hands to get out of its reach.

“Oh no, you don’t. You don’t get to run away. Not again ” He was heaving. He hadn’t moved a step, but he was seething. Another burst after burst was shot at you. “I waited a year y/n! " Oh, how you longed to hear him call your name for so long, but not when he was saying it out of resentment "a whole year just to hear something- anything from you! “

“Hyunjin- stop. I'm not going to fight yo-“

“I. spent. Two. Months. Searching. For .you” fire punctuating every word.

“ Hyunjin i-"

“I thought you were dead !” He punctuated with a blast. This one was charged with so much grievance that the fire was a searing blue. You were not as lucky as before at dodging it, mind catching on to the malice dripping from his voice. Had you not been burned, you would have noticed the tears welling up his eyes.

“Ah,” you hissed in pain.

“You never wrote me back!! But you wrote to Felix?!”

Felix was a mutual friend of yours. A non-bender that you’ve always been very fond of. A younger brother you never had.

“I didn’t know what to say!” You fired back this time, making it his turn to dodge, body ablaze with so much heat you felt it coming out of every limb.

“A simple ‘ hey I'm still alive, by the way, I want to break up with you’ would’ve done!”

“That's the avatar?” “ no way” “ they have a bounty for her head” the mob outside the arena started to murmur, but none of it registered with you.

“ i - I couldn't.....” your resolve faltered, arms dropping. Forgetting completely about the stupid match and the bystanders.

“But you could ghost me for A YEAR and three months?” He scoffed, “ not that I was counting or anything.” He added sneeringly.

“Ever thought I didn’t want to be found?” You snapped back. You had no right to at all. But it just... everything made you snap after the incident. Blame it on insomnia or the delusion or whatever, be it. It drove you crazy. Everything irked you, the sounds of footsteps, the numb feeling you would get in your legs sometimes, the breathing of the person standing next to you- everything aggravated you, you felt your resolve holding on to a thin thread.

Hyunjin, filled with so much fury, lashed on you once again. This time you blocked it, but it drove you roughly back into the unpolished wall. A rock that was jutted out of the wall struck you exactly where you were terribly injured in the attack that incapacitated you. A jolt of electricity crept through your body.

Pictures, more vivid than ever played before your eyes, legs feeling numb, horror swimming in your blood next to the burn of lighting that struck you. Body lying limp, you felt soft hands reach for your face.

“Y/N!” It was the same.

All the same.

You pushed Hyunjin out of shot, and it struck you midair.

The same face that found you after being utterly destroyed, peering over you, with terror and tears etched so deeply in his scarred face.

“ I'm sorry. I’m sorry,” he kept repeating like a mantra, hugging your figure closer, face resting in your neck.

“Please,” he sobbed, “ come back to me.”

Everything was foggy. Was it your eyes or the arena? You had no clue over the video looping in your head.

Lighting, as beautiful as it was, struck you so hard, slipping so gracefully out of your opponent’s fingers, dancing in your nerves, jolting your heart to a stop.

" I'm here." A soft voice pierced through the fog, glints of black and red becoming clearer the more the voice spoke. "I'm always here."

Hyunjin’s pained scream filled your ear” No, No, Chan- please do something! Heal her !”

“I can't lose you again, Y/N.”

Deep brown eyes broke through the fog, followed slowly by the rest of his figure. Hyunjin. That was hyunjin talking to you. The boy you were madly in love with. The boy that never gave up on you. Your eyes welled up seeing him so close- feeling him up so close again.

Fingers softly held your cheeks, your own clenching onto his silky red robe. He didn’t have to speak; his eyes spoke a thousand words. You hid from them in his neck.

"I didn't want you to see me like this," you mumbled into him, tears spilling.

His arms wrapped tighter around you, afraid you’d slip right through if he loosened an inch.

“Let’s go home.”

He didn't need to take you anywhere because right now, you felt more at home than ever.

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girlandthedarkness · 4 years ago

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the avatar I azula x reader

what if azula will have a crush on a girl that turns out to be the avatar, what would she do?

a/n: take a shot every time you see me doing a grammatical mistake, it's a little bit dramatic and in this fic azula is slightly ooc, because she's in love

Y/N were just playing in the royal garden, she came to the palace with her uncle, who had to attend a meeting. Y/N heard some noises behind her, and when she turned around, she saw a girl, who was walking towards her. The mysterious girl has a dark hair and a sly smile on her face, when she approached her, Y/N could see the royal crown in the girl's head. "Your Royal Highness." Y/N says gently bowing her head. "I saw you here, all alone, so I decided to play with you since I'm so bored." The princess voice was calm, but it still sends shivers down Y/N's spine. "Also, you can address me as Azula, what's your name?" To Y/N's opinion Azula's voice sounds genuinely interested. "Y/N". In that afternoon, Azula and Y/N spent time together, playing and chatting about stuff, the firebender even showed Y/N her moves, Azula couldn't help but try to impress the other girl. She even scolded herself for being so open with a person that she met a few hours ago, but the other girl makes it so easy to be wide open with her. Their game was interrupted by a maiden, that with a polite voice announced that the meeting was over and Y/N's uncle was waiting for her. "Will you come again?" Azula's voice was still calm, but to that was added a bit of sadness as well. "It was my uncle who was invited, so I don't know-" But her words were interrupted by Azula's "I'm the princess and I order you to be tomorrow here." She sounds like she will not take no as an answer, so Y/N just bend her upper body in a sign of respect and left with the maid who was ready to escort her. The next day Azula introduced Y/N to her other friends, Mai and Ty Lee, the last one was so happy to meet Y/N, that she runs to hug her. "So you are that mysterious Y/N that Azula talks about all morning, nice to meet you." You smile at the girl who griped you in her arms, noticing Azula's slightly red cheeks, which disappeared once she saw other's eyes on her. After that, the four became the best friends, spending a lot of time in academy and at royal palace. This is where Y/N found out that she can firebend, before that she was thinking that she's a non-bender.

Y/N was training already a few years in hand combat, but the last few months she had taken some acrobatic lessons from Ty Lee, who was very happy to teach her friend everything she knows. That's how Y/N found herself sparring with Azula on the backyard, wanting to test her abilities on a firebender who'll shot fire at her. At start Azula casts some fire at Y/N to see how good she can move, when she saw the girl moving fast and precise, she stopped holding herself back. After Y/N successfully dodged all the fire she sends at her, Azula shot more fireballs at the girl, thinking she'll dodged it like the first ones. But Y/N didn't, she avoids the first three shots, but missed to escape the third one, the blue fire almost licked the young girl's skin, but in a pure instinct, Y/N, stopped the fire right in front of her chest, shocking everyone including herself.

"So you didn't know that you're a firebender?" Mai's voice is curious; despite being hardly covered in carelessness. "Honestly I though I'm a non-bender as my parents, my uncle is the only firebender that I know in my family." Y/N talk fast, still astonished by the news. "Then you a very lucky person." The girl quickly turns around to see Azula who have a small smile on her face, but when she lifts her eyes to meet Azula's eyes she notice sadness in them. "Y/N can I talk to you privately?" But the princess didn't wait for girl to answer, she takes Y/N's forearm and drags her to garden, that she so dearly hates. "Something's wrong?" Azula study Y/N for a long time, her eyes exams her body, stopping at her chest when she noticed the slightly burned garment. "Are you dragged me here just to stare at my chest?" Y/N founds this situation funny, but the blush still crept on her cheeks, for her the princess is more than just a friend, you can call it a crush. Azula on other side just rolls her eyes, still deep in her thoughts. "I'm sorry, I should had been more careful, I almost hurt you." She said avoiding the other girl eyes. Y/N smile, in this few years, she gets used to see Azula's emotions or regrets occasionally and only in private, that's why she greedy memorize every second. "That's okay Azula, I'm not hurt and if you want to make up for almost kill me, you can become my firebender teacher." Azula just rolls her eyes again, feeling much lighter, now that she's sure that Y/N it's not mad at her.

Later, in the night, Azula is thinking about her feelings toward the Y/N, the things that she feels when the girl is near it’s nothing that she ever felt. Her heart starts beating faster, her palms sweats, she feels a tight in her chest and a foreign sensation of pure happiness every time Y/N hugs her.

Another few months were spending for Y/N in endless training with Azula, who makes sure to cast her own feelings for Y/N aside and teach her firebending. She makes sure to introduce her to everything she knows and even started slowly to teach Y/N the lightning bending.

But Azula was still a royal member who needs to attend gatherings and parties, so when she has to meet some very important general, she takes Y/N with her, half to continue their training and half to just have Y/N beside herself. "Why are you so pale, are you sick?" The Azula's face stay the same, not even one face muscle twitches, she keeps her appearance calm, but Y/N could see the worry in her eyes. "I guess it's just sea sickness." Azula frown her eyebrows and drags the sick girl to her own chamber, on the way ordering to one of the guards to bring something for sea sickness. "That's nothing Azula, I'll get over this." "You look very pale, maybe a tea will make you feel better?" The next few days Y/N spends on bed, feeling very ill and weak, but at the same times she enjoys the sudden attention that came from Azula. Lost in worries, Azula, didn't notice how their borders disappeared, she could spend hours just talking with Y/N, but deep down in her heart she knew that this is too good to last forever. And she was right.

Y/N felt like the sea decide to revenge on them, the storm make their ship to shake violently, while the waves were hitting them. Azula was busy talking with the captain, deciding how to survive the calamity. Y/N felt useless so she decides to go and help the crew to bring in everything from outside. The hard rain on girl skin didn't bring discontent, opposite, she feels very content, it was until she was thrown out from the ship by a violent shake.

Azula was annoyed by the downpour, thinking how late she'll be, her thinking was interrupted by an open door without anyone knocking on it. She was ready to scream, when she saw the terrified look on one of the guard. "What's now?" "It's Y/N, she was outside when we saw how she fell into the sea!" He sounds scared, and Azula wonders, is he anxious about Y/N or afraid of her anger. She didn't cast a second glance at him, she tells him to show her where this happened.

During this time, Y/N, was fighting for her life, feeling how the heavy clothes drags her deeper to the bottom. She already lost all hopes when she heard a voice, then another, thousands voices in her head, telling her to rise, Y/N's hands move on their own, bending all the water from her lungs and then around her, moving her closer to the surface. The last thing that Y/N feels is a pair of hands that brings her out of water.

Azula could feel her heart pounding in her chest, she hurried up her pace, almost running, she outs all her thoughts that she's late, Y/N's alright, right? Outside the rain stopped, making easy to search something on water, she moves around the ship, ordering everyone to do the same. Azula was ready to take a boat and search somewhere further, when she saw a light coming deep from the water and then she saw a body. Quickly lifting the body out of the water she breathes with relieved when she saw Y/N's face, but then she notices the light in her eyes that slowly faded away. Azula let the body on the deck and feels like her whole world breaks again, she commands to her guards to take care of Y/N, while she left to recollect her mind.

Azula spend the last hour thinking, Y/N is the avatar, there's no doubt, the shining eyes and the water that brought her from the sea. The person that she cares about dearly is the avatar, the number one enemy of the firenation. So the rumours about the "avatar" that was seen in Southern Water Tribe is a lie, she was right beside them. She could go and throw her in jail, where she wouldn't be able to bend anything, bring the avatar back the fire nation, her father will be proud of her, her nation will worship her. Azula moves fast, open the door that secure the avatar from her and stopped when she saw the girl on bed. The realization hit her, it's real, Y/N is the avatar, she can't sacrifice her, Azula stays here, just like that, staring at the girl and try to analyze everything. "Azula?" The hoarse voice of the Y/N, makes shivers run down Azula's spine. "Did you know that?" She needs to know, did Y/N lied to her all this time. "I don't understand." Y/N sounds genuinely, that make Azula even more angry. "Did you know that you are the Avatar?" She almost spits this words, feeling how her defense starts to crack. "The Avatar? What do you mean-...so this's what it was...Azula I swear I didn't know" The tears start pouring right from the Y/N's eyes. Azula study the girl a few more moments and came closer, already knowing what she'll do. "You can't stay here, Y/N, it's dangerous. I'll leave a boat here, on the ship, take it and run away. Hide somewhere, maybe in Earth Kingdom? It's a very big place, they wouldn't find you here." The stillness returned in Azula's voice. "I can't leave, my family and, and you Azula, I can't leave you." "I'll meet you at sunset, come here to the ship, understand?" Y/N nods and Azula, take of the hand from girl's face, when she even managed to touch her? The rest of the day Azula tried to focus on the general and his plans. "I know, everyone think that Avatar returned back to world, but tha's just rumors, your highness"

To Azula annoyance, outside was pouring once again, she lets a deep breath when she saw Y/N's form approaching her. "Had you taken everything?" Azula says nodding to a small bag in the girl's hands. "I didn't take a lot of things with me." Y/N study Azula's face trying to find anything, but was meeting by a stone cold face. "Take it, you'll need money." The princess quickly throws the bag with money in Y/N's own bag. "Why do you do this Azula?" "Because..." Azula looks at Y/N as if she tried to remember everything, taking her arms she cups Y/N's face, inhaling deeply when she saw her leaning in, caressing softly her face to Azula's hands. "I care about you." Y/N nods and take Azula's face in her hands, giving her a kiss, tears were all over their face, and Y/N let a painful laugh. "I imagined our first kiss differently." Azula tilt her head and give the last kiss, feeling way to numb to even cry. "We meet again, I know this, when I'll win the war, I'll found you, I promise." Y/N just close her eyes trying to remember Azula's scent. She quickly gets on the boat, which will take her to the port where Y/N will start her life on the run. The next time they’ll meet, both of them will be on different sides of the war.

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runrundoyourstuff · 4 years ago

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Redirection

(Avatar: the Last Airbender one-shot, rated: T, 2,015 words)

cn: for implied/referenced child abuse

He’s not explicitly invited to the Agni Kai, but no one attempts to hide it from him—though in retrospect, long after, once he finally has time to process, this fact will strike him as odd. Wouldn’t someone have expected him to protest, had he known? But then only Azula knew the depths of his ambivalence in Ba Sing Se, and had apparently elected to keep it hidden in her sleeves like so many of her plots, no doubt to brandish as a secret weapon should the need present itself.

In any case, when Zuko does hear of the duel, he must convince himself to attend. All the royals—(all the free royals)—will be there, after all. It’s an honor. The nobles in his father’s court would be suspicious if he weren’t present. And besides, though he hasn’t seen the inside of the arena since before his banishment, since he was a child, since...since he—since his father…since the day he got his scar, it’s not as though he’ll be fighting this time. (For that matter, he doesn’t yet know who is involved in this Agni Kai—just that one or both of the combatants is notable enough within Court for this to be an event.)

He manages to calm his trembling knees in time to enter the arena before the proceedings began, but just barely. Zuko wafts in, hands clenched at his sides, trying and failing not to think about what it looks like, how his uncle’s reputation for tardiness might have rubbed off on him—all the times Uncle had lingered behind at a port-of-call, delaying Zuko’s carefully crafted schedules, (you worry too much Prince Zuko, you should rest, a man needs his rest). But when he finds his seat in the section designated for the royal family, only Azula is there waiting for him.

“Where’s Father?”

Azula smirks. “Well, hello to you too, Zuzu. Here for the show?”

“Where is he?!”

Azula steadily moves her gaze to the platform in the center of the arena, and when Zuko follows it there, his hand finds the branded skin on his face, stomach tumbling out from within him, blood flushing like he imagines it would if the sun were to disappear from the sky.

Ozai stands there, elevated, ceremonial Agni Kai garnet draped around his bare shoulders, just as it had been three years ago.

Zuko inhales. “Who…?”

“Just watch, Dum-dum.”

But he doesn’t have to watch long. After a moment, two members of the Royal Guard appear, dragging a lump of a third person up onto the stage. They drop him there, bare-chested, clad only in ragged dueling pants because the Agni Kai sash falls from his shoulders as he hits the tile floor, and though he’s conscious, he doesn’t seem to have the strength to readjust his position.

Zuko cries out, leaping to his feet. “What’d they do to him?!”

“Really, Zuko, you’re causing a scene.”

If anyone turns toward him at his outburst, Zuko doesn’t see it. His focus is singularly on the platform. The guards seem to laugh as they retreat from the stage and leave the man there—Zuko can tell even beneath their masks, people have been looking at him that body language for years: the way their chests rise and fall, how they tilt their heads back like they don’t have a care in the Agni-forsaken world. They’re looking at him and laughing, like they don’t care that this is what’s become of the Dragon of the West, who used to be their Crown Prince, their general, their hero, like they think it’s funny...

“Azula!” he demands.

“Perhaps he was simply always feebler than you remember.”

“He was not! The only reason he didn’t destroy us in Ba Sing Se is because he wanted to give the Avatar time to get away—”

Azula raises an eyebrow. “I thought the Avatar was dead.”

“—they did something to him! Drugged him, or beat him, or something—don’t you care?!”

She shrugs. “He’s a traitor.”

“He’s our uncle!”

“I guess I’m just not as sentimental as you are, Zuzu.”

“But why—” On the stage below, Ozai looms over his brother, burying him in a dark shadow. “Why is he...Is Father going to duel him?”

“It’s not going to be much of a duel, if you ask me.” A pause, and then she continues. “You didn’t think Father would let treachery like Uncle’s go unpunished, did you?”

“But…” But he’s his brother. The words die on Zuko’s lips. Yes, Uncle’s his brother. And Ursa was his wife, and what did that matter? And…

Blood rushes to his face, and it burns—it burns—like it’s on fire.

Uncle is on his knees, and it looks almost like a prostration.

And I was his son.

Ozai doesn’t even bother moving to the starting position, just shrugs the ceremonial garnet off his shoulders to signal his intent to begin. “Well, brother,” he smirks in a voice loud enough for the entire arena to hear. “You have betrayed your Nation and your Fire Lord. Will you fight for your honor?”

Uncle just barely manages to lift his head. If he says anything, it’s too faint for Zuko to hear.

“Sad,” Ozai continues, projecting, raising his hands with his voice. “That this is what has become of the famed Dragon of the West. And to think that this country once thought that you would be their ruler.”

Something in Zuko’s chest lurches, like it’s trying to escape, to run from the fire it knows is coming, that lives in its muscle memory. Family sticks together, Uncle had told Zuko once, had shown him patiently, over-and over-again every day for three long years, even when Zuko screamed that he didn’t want to see it.

Family sticks together. Family does not raise hands to each other with the sort of glint that is currently in his father’s eyes and speak gleefully about it. Family does not orchestrate public duels and give whatever orders are necessary to ensure that those duels are just for show.

This is wrong. Even if—if—Uncle is a traitor, this is wrong. Uncle is Father’s brother. Uncle is on his knees. This is Uncle. And Ozai looms over him, flames growing in his palms, and Zuko’s fingers clench in his lap, his head, his chest buzz...This is wrong.

(And if this is wrong…)

(Zuko had been on his knees once. Ozai had towered, fire growing in his hands…)

(If this is wrong…)

“My Nation is fortunate,” Ozai smiles, angling his hands toward his brother. “That I am here to purge it of such weakness.”

And then whatever it is that had been screaming in Zuko’s chest bursts forth, mingles with all the lingering doubts that have been living in his mind the past several weeks since his return home. And Zuko doesn’t know what he is about to do until he does it, springs to his feet in the most honored seats of the arena, and yells in a voice as loud as Ozai’s so that there is no one in the entire stadium who will not be able to hear: “Stop!”

This time, when all eyes turn to him, Zuko feels them. But he doesn’t move his own gaze from his father—who has turned toward him, smile fading from his face, flames flaring in his hands—and it’s just enough to make the man hesitate. But the flame is still growing, and Ozai has a history of venting his red-hot anger onto any in the vicinity. (Not anyonein the vicinity, Zuko will think later—much later, after he has time to process, not only this moment but everything else too—Ozai has a history of unleashing his anger on the most vulnerable target. Once, that was Zuko. Now, it’s Iroh.)

In the present, Zuko doesn’t waste the opportunity. He propels himself forward into the air and toward the stage with Firebending, and it’s not until he’s halfway there that he feels the fear sink in his stomach, not until he lands in front of Uncle that he feels the tremble behind his knees. But he remains upright, and whatever he feels, he wills his face to be the same level of impassive as it was behind the Blue Spirit mask before he’d cast it away.

“Zuko...no…” Uncle’s voice is a murmur behind him, but there are resonances of a moment of when it was much stronger. You never think these things through!

And it’s true, he knows now, no matter what he’d yelled under that lake. But sometimes you can’t think things through, or you’ll be paralyzed, and sometimes there’s no time, you just have to act…

He clenches his fist.

“Why does it not come as a surprise that you’re a traitor too?” Ozai snarls. “I should have killed you three years ago and spared myself the embarrassment!”

“Maybe,” Zuko hears himself say, and to his surprise his voice is steady. “But you didn’t.” A pause, and then: “Leave my uncle alone.”

“Treachery must be punished. He will fight for his honor!”

“This isn't a fight! It's a show! You know you can’t beat him for real, so you staged this whole thing just so the country will think you look stronger than you are!”

“Zuko…” Uncle’s whispers grow desperate, but Zuko doesn’t turn.

Ozai’s nostrils flare. “How dare—”

“It’s just another lie! Like all the lies you told us about how the Fire Nation is the greatest civilization in the world! Like the lies you were willing to tell to all those young soldiers you’ve sent to die…”

“Zuko…”

“You will pay for this insolence—”

“But the truth is that we’re not the greatest country in the world! And the truth is that Uncle Iroh is better than you are! He’s stronger, he’s a better father, and he would have been a better Fire Lord!”

It’s not a surprise when the lightning comes barreling toward him from his father’s fingers. And even though Zuko knows the technique in theory, executing it in practice brings him precariously close to reckoning with his own mortality. He catches the blast with his fingers, and it pushes him backward. He just manages to dig his heels into the floor and stop himself before he ploughs into Uncle and spills the electricity onto him—which would defeat the entire purpose of this whole charade—but it festers in his own arm, like it’s singeing it from the inside, and it’s going to kill him, it’s going to kill him, Agni, he’s going to die, and he didn’t think he’d care, or that that would scare him, not after everything, but he...he doesn’t want…

“Breathe...Zuko.”

Uncle’s voice is nothing more than a rasp, but it grounds him nonetheless. Zuko inhales, then releases, lightning still festering at his fingertips.

“Focus...your...energy. In...Down...Up…Out.”

Another breath, and then Zuko obeys, just like Uncle taught him in the ruins of forgotten that Earth Kingdom town, a lifetime ago now, it seems. And when he lets the lightning fly out of his other arm, he angles it upward, toward the roof of the arena, where it explodes on contact in a fiery burst.

Later, Zuko will think with a wry irony that he ought to make an offering in gratitude to Agni that things always seem to blow up in his face, because it’s that fact that ultimately seems to save him. The center of the ceiling of the stadium collapses as it detonates, and for the second time in minutes, Zuko doesn’t waste the opportunity that presents itself. In the chaos that ensues as chunks of tile and plaster falls to the stage between him and Ozai, as all the Royal Guard is occupied with protecting their monarch from falling debris, Zuko hauls Uncle onto his shoulders and flees.

It’s not until they’re well beyond not only the palace, but indeed the very walls of the city itself that he brings himself to look back.

[ao3]

#my fic #zuko #iroh #ozai #atla #child abuse tw

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strangeradventuresofp · 5 years ago

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first aid (sokka x firenation!reader)

requested by : @gogo-is-cooler-than-you - �� could you do a sokka x reader based on First Aid by gus dapperton where the reader used to be from the firenation but escaped and then joined the gaang and they found out and kicked her out? ty

The girl pulled her brother along, leaving you on your knees behind them with a heavy heart. His own heart ached as he heard your sobs, thick with misery and despair. The bald boy’s heart truly went out to you; he had never expected this to happen, nor wanted it to happen. He liked you, he enjoyed your company. The blind girl had shared so many laughs with you, she had grown to consider you a friend of hers. They were your friends. Were. The word stung so painfully. The truth was, you were experiencing the worst pain you had ever felt at this very moment.

~~~

Pain resonated through your body, blood seeping through your casual green -now, very red- clothes. You limped through the streets of wherever you were, leaving a trail of red behind you from the deep cut on your leg. Clutching your side, your hand gathering more and more stains as you fell to your knees in an alleyway, grunting loudly in pain. You shifted, to put your back up against the wall of the alleyway, applying pressure to your side in an attempt to reduce the bleeding.

The loss of blood caused your vision to turn blurry, blinking frantically to try to increase your sight once again. As you looked up, you saw four figures stood in front of you. You assumed they were talking, but you could hear only muffled noises beneath a continuous ring that caused an intense reverberation. One of the figures moved closer, the face becoming clearer. It was a boy, looking about the same age as you. His face was dark, and chiseled, as if he had been crafted by the Gods himself. Dark hair was pulled back apart from just a few baby hairs poking out at his hairline. The clothes he possessed were blue and white, signalling he was a citizen of the Water Tribe, North or South, you really didn’t have a clue.

The last thing you saw were his chocolate lashes fluttering with concern as he eyes bored into yours.

Soon enough, your eyes were flickering back open and you propped yourself up on your elbow so you could familiarize your new surroundings.

“Hey, you’re awake! How are you feeling? I’m Sokka. I sorta saved your life earlier.” He shrugged, a smile of pride gracing his face, earning a giggle to pass through your lips.

“I feel much better than earlier, thanks for saving my life, Superman.”

“You’re welcome...”

“Y/N.”

“You’re welcome, Y/N! Glad I could assist.” Another chuckle found it’s way through your lips as you and the boy, Sokka, smiled at each other. You thought he was handsome before, but knowing that he had helped you, without even knowing you, made him all the more attractive to you.

~~~

The first time you had met, he had saved your life from the injuries that you had suffered from some Fire Nation soldiers during your escape, and you stayed with him and his friends, who slowly became your friends also, for months on end. None of them ever asked how you even ended up with the injuries, probably because they imagined it was very traumatic for you, and didn’t want to set you off in any way.

Your escape from the Fire Nation was the best thing you ever did, sick of being tormented by the royal family and slandered by the rest of the world. You had taken an Earth Kingdom outfit that used to belong to one of the Fire Lord’s prisoners and took in a bag with you when you were a stowaway on a ship that was headed towards the Earth Kingdom. Long story short, you got into a fight with some soldiers on the ship and as soon as you got off, you hid and changed into your new clothes, ready to start a new life. Little did you know, it would lead you to travel the world with the avatar and his friends, including the boy who, soon after you joined the Gaang, became your boyfriend - the boy who had saved your life.

And you had no idea that it would lead you to exact moment. After months of befriending and getting to know these wonderful people, they were leaving you.

~~~

You and Sokka had been training all day. After discovering you had no real way of defending yourself, your boyfriend took it upon himself to train you in combat, using a spear that he had made for you. It wasn’t a very good weapon, but your heart melted at the gesture, and you used it in every fight you were in. You were getting very good, and Sokka was full of pride.

After your sparring your session, Sokka was pouting, and you were laughing, hand on your chest.

“I totally kicked your butt!”

“N-No! I-I let you win, obviously.” Giggling at his remark, you pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, turning his frown into a wide smile.

“Guys!” Katara and Toph came running through to you, panting for breath, looking very distressed. Immediately, you and Sokka ran over, worried expressions plastered over both of your faces. “There’s Fire Nation soldiers here.” The confession made Aang’s ears prick up, joining the group of you. The five of you stood in a line, ready to defeat whatever was thrown your way.

As soon as red uniforms were seen coming through the bushes, the five of you launched yourselves at them. Spinning your spear, you deflected most of their fire attacks before kicking them into the dirt. Toph stomped and caused a soldier to go flying back to where he came from. Katara’s waterbending allowed her to pin a soldier up to a tree, freezing him in place. Aang was delicately dancing around a soldier, who was getting very frustrated with not being able to hit him. And Sokka...

Your eyes darted over to where your boyfriend was on the ground, pinned down by a soldier standing above him, fists clenched. As the soldier pulled his fist back, fire erupting from it, you lunged at him, roaring with rage, kicking him in the side to get him away from Sokka.

Suddenly, flames shot out of your own fists, clearly taking the soldier by surprise as he tried to dodge your attacks. Almost instantly after the soldier dispersed the fire heading for his face, a blazing ring of fire met his shins, causing him to jump, but fall on his back a few seconds later. With all the soldiers down, you turned back to your friends, who were staring at you, fear present in their faces.

“You’re a firebender?” Toph yelled over the distance that stood between you and the others. “And you didn’t think to tell us?”

“I-I.. I’m sorry, I just.. I didn’t want you to think that I was like the others.”

“Even if you’re not, it’s not the point, anymore. You lied to us.” Katara’s face was stern, and tears pooled in your eyes. You looked up to catch Sokka’s eye, but were unsuccessful, as you found him looking towards the floor with misty eyes.

“Y/N..” The younger boy smiled sympathetically at you, but couldn’t hide the disappointment in his eyes.

“You knew how much the Fire Nation hurt me and my family, and how much they’ve hurt everyone else. You should’ve been honest with us.”

“I’m sorry, guys. I’m so, so sorry.” Your tears became too many to stay put in your eyes, and they began to spill down your cheeks as your friends began to back away from you.

~~~

Sokka was what hurt the most. You knew you hadn’t been entirely honest, and you didn’t blame him for walking away. But you truly admired him, you loved him. And you were excited for the development of your relationship. It felt like you had known him for a lifetime, not just a few months. The kisses you shared meant everything. He meant the world to you. He saved your life.

“Goodbye, Sokka.” You managed to say between sobs. “I won’t forget about the way you saved my life.”

my masterlist

A/N : hiii so i finally (i think) have gotten over my writers block im so sorry this took me so long but hopefully it was worth waiting for !! thanks so much for the request i hope you like it<3 anyway thanks for sticking with me i love u guys and i hope u all have a great day ilysm xo p

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bellatrixobsessed1 · 4 years ago

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From Chin To Yon Rah (Part 14)

Fair warning, this chapter is going to be much heavier. And it will include death and blood. Nothing graphic but some sensitive themes including the deaths of children. If this isn’t something you’re comfortable with you might want to skip the flashback part or the chapter as a whole.

Azula leans over the rails of the bridge. The deep summer air blows through her locks. They have grown long again. She supposes that she has regained enough dignity to not warrant cutting it once more.

She takes a deep breath. She is going to tell him today. She is going to tell him everything. She thinks that it is quite long overdue. Especially now, she smooths her hands over the stretched fabric of her shirt. The world around her smells of moss and pine. It smells fresh and new.

Her feet thud against the wooden planks of the bridge as she crosses it. Hajime...her house isn’t so far from the woodland but her feet are already plenty sore from having stood on them for so long. By the time she reaches her porch they are throbbing rather incessantly.

“Mom!” Atsu shouts and throws himself at her legs. She braces herself against the doorframe as Hajime calls for him to slow down and be careful. Atsu never had known how to slow down. He is practically bouncing up and down as he pulls on her arm, “look what I made! Look at it! Look at it!” He gives her several more tugs and leads her to the nursery. It isn’t quite ready yet; the crib has been assembled and filled with many cozy, handmade blankets and pillows and a few toys rest at the foot of it, ready to be played with. They have yet to build a changing table and there are several stuffed animals that she would like to have sewn.

“Look!” Atsu grins. “I made posters for him!”

She has long since given up on trying to tell him to not get attached to the idea of having a brother when he very well could have a sister instead.

He holds up his first painting, “this is a tigerdillo and this one’s me, you, and dad...and this one is Bao fighting Fire Lord Bonsai and…”

Azula quirks a brow. “You’ve been working hard.”

“He’s making his sibling an art gallery.” Hajime laughs.

“I can see that.” She replies. She picks up one of the paintings. “Where do you want to hang this one?”

“The ceiling!” Atsu declares.

“Alright, if you can get it up there, you can hang it from the ceiling.”

Atsu blinks. “No, mom, you put it up there!” He flashes her a wide grin.

“Your mom needs to take it easy, Atsu.”

“I can handle a simple task like that just fine.”

“I know that you can, but it wouldn’t kill you to just relax, would it?”

If boredom could induce death, she is sure that it would kill her. She puts her hands on her hips and gives a slight pout. She supposes that her back is rather sore and she had just taken quite a decent walk…

Hajime comes to stand behind her and rest his chin on her shoulder. He takes her hand and guides it over the bump. It still leaves her feeling slightly perturbed to feel the baby kick against her touch. It is a reminder that it is all real. That she isn’t making it all up.

On some days, the rougher days feeling that little kick is what makes her feel real. Though daunting and frightening in its own right, it is grounding. It is a constant when Hajime isn’t around to help her.

But on her worst days, the kicking only adds to the unrest and disconnect in her mind. It takes her to a place where her body is not her own, where someone else pulls the strings and she is only a husk…

Today is a pleasant day. Today she feels a sense of security in the little kicks. At the very least, she is growing used to them. Hajime kisses her neck while she watches Atsu attempt to walk up the wall. He takes a running start, manages to take perhaps two or three admirable steps up the wall before falling on his rear with a loud, “owie!”

“Okay, wall!” He declares, pointing a finger at it. “Get ready to get climbed!” He very confidently stomps back up to it and tries a second time. And a third before Hajime finally remarks, “alright, how about we try hanging your pictures somewhere else?”

While the man goes to help their son, she makes her way into their bedroom and lies down. She takes off her shoes and lowers herself upon the mattress. She rests her hand atop her belly and absently rubs her hand over the bump. She isn’t sure how to or when she should begin telling him who she is. She just knows that it has to be done tonight, before she loses her mustered courage.

.oOo.

She watches Atsu and Caihong teeter after a glowing plume of fireflies. The critters are all over the place tonight, gathering in swamps. It must be the height of their mating season. And how the trees sparkle with them. She has seen the bugs in the Fire Nation but the cicadas usually outnumber them and she has never had the pleasure of watching them tuck themselves into such thick canopies.

“So, how are things coming along?” Seukhyun asks.

Azula drums her fingers against her belly, “as smoothly as they can be I suppose.” Though she can certainly do without the aches and pains and the occasional need to update her wardrobe.

“Good to hear.” He replies. “Ojihara misses having your help with the planting and harvesting. It certainly isn’t as fun for me without being able to compete with you.”

She gives the thought a lazy little hand wave, “you can certainly stop by any time and beg for my help. Of course, when I say yes you will have to provide me with plenty of refreshments.”

“I think that Ojihara and I can work something out.”

“Wonderful.” She claps her hands together. “The baby is partial to pineapple juice.”

“The baby or Rikka?” Seukhyun quirks a brow.

It is the both of them really. Hajime wanders up the porch steps. “I think that I’ve caught enough fireflies to light up our whole bedroom for the night. And that’s without Atsu’s contribution.”

“How many did Cai catch?” Seukhyun asks.

“Way too many. In fact she told me to go get you so that she can show you.”

Seukhyun rises and stretches his arms. “I’ll talk with Ojihara tonight and see if we can get you some light duty work and some pineapple juice.”

Azula gives him a thumbs up.

“You’re trying to go back to work?”

Azula shrugs. “It isn’t too hard to pluck a few turnips.”

“Under the scorching sun?”

“I’m a firebender and so is the baby.” She declares, pridefully turning her chin up and gesturing to her tummy. “I can feel it.”

Hajime laughs. “If you say so. But don’t be upset when our baby grows up and starts throwing rocks.”

“I won’t. It’s a fire baby. Only a fire baby would be this intense.” And intense things have been. Her cravings are quite ravenous and her spells of nausea can be rather overwhelming. She has only complained of them as often as she can. Only a fire baby can be so extreme.

She waits for Hajime to fill Seukhyun’s empty chair. She waits a little longer after that, watches the fireflies drift care-free and enchantingly. At least she speaks, “I have something to tell you.”

“What’s that?”

She clears her throat. “First, tell me that you will hear me out entirely.”

“I can do that.”

“No interruptions. No questions until I am finished.” Her stomach grows jittery, doubly so with the baby squirming about.

“No interruptions or questions, Rikka.”

She takes a deep breath. “Not Rikka.” She pauses. Another deep breath. “My name isn’t Rikka.”

He smile softly and gives her a nod of understanding. He waits so very patiently for her to continue. She supposes that, that in itself makes a difference. He interlocks his hand with hers.

She opens her mouth but the silence is stolen by a sharp cry from Caihong and a loud curse from Seukhyun. Atsu cries out too. Hajime grips her hand tighter and stands up. She with him. “Rikka, sit down.” He knows very well that she has no plans to do anything of the sort.

She sees it on the treeline, a small and efficient blaze. “I’m good with fire, Hajime. You need me.”

“I need you and the baby to be safe.”

“We will be.” She replies rather flippantly. She can’t run as fast as she had some six months ago and her balance isn’t so enviable. But she can still out pace Hajime.

Seukhyun carries both of the children, his face red and horrified. “They’re burning and razing the village.”

Azula’s stomach drops.

“Why would the Fire Nation…?” Hajime starts.

She shakes her head. “This isn’t a Fire Nation attack. There would be a lot more fire than this.”

“It’s them, Hajime.” Seukhyun huffs. “They’re back.”

“Who?”

“The Gemsbok Bulls.” He shouts over a wailing Caihong.

“Who are they?”

“They’re the army faction responsible for the last massacre.” Hajime answers grimly.

“I reckon they want vengeance.”

Hajime throws the door open. They are inside already. “Shit.” Seukhyun hisses. He backs out of the doorway. She sees the arrow pierce his head, a shot so skilled, so mighty that it goes in through one ear and nearly out the other. He pitches over, Caihong and Atsu topple with him.

“Daddy!” Caihong screeches.

Azula yanks her back, she and Atsu both. Her stomach cramps and she winces. She turns and kicks a ring of fire at the men who are already inside of her home. She doesn’t think that Hajime has taken notice of her attack. She doesn’t have the luxury of dwelling on it, the dull ache becomes quite intense, involuntary tears prickle behind her eyes.

The men duck and Hajime lurches forward, landing a sturdy punch to the man’s ribs. It is enough to rattle his armor and knock him off of his feet. His combatant catches Hajime by the jaw. Azula tosses her best fireball at the man. He staggers back as an arrow whizzes past her head.

Decidedly, the archer is the deadliest foe.

She has to take the archer out.

“Hold them off, Hajime.”

“What are you doing?”

“Just hold them off.” She throws herself outside and throws up a wall of fire. The arrow turns to ash before it can reach her. She waits for another to fly. If she can take the archer down then she can get Atsu and Caihong out of this. She catches a flash in the treeline. She throws up another line of fire and readies her lightning. The arrow disintegrates, her fire falls, and her lightning discharges. The sound of the woman’s body dropping is lost beneath a crack of thunder.

“Atsu! Caihong! Get out here!”

She gets answer from neither and her anxious queasiness swells. She lurches back inside, Agni she is so tired. The ache in her belly is growing to be quite searing. The baby’s kicking is insufferable. She grits her teeth and presses a heated hand to her tummy, it does nothing to soothe the babe this time.

“Mama!” Atsu shouts.

Hajime is on the ground, arm pinned beneath a boulder, nose bleeding.

“Ya got’a new wife?” Speaks the largest of the soldiers. His eyes--one blind and one a vivid green--flicker from she to Hajime.

“I won’t let you take her from me too.” He winces.

The soldier gives a bellowing laugh before another boulder crashes through their wall and drops onto his other hand. Atsu shrieks again. She can’t find Caihong. “And how are you going to stop me from under there? You can’t help her.”

“I can help myself just fine.” She promises. She takes down the men behind her first. Normally she would reach back and launch them over her shoulders but the bump is in the way. Instead she raises her arms and lets two bursts of fire rise from her palms. The men stumble back.

The soldier throws Atsu to the side, the boy lands with a thump and a whimper. She knows now that she will have the man dead. He throws himself at her, she lets him lumber forward before taking a quick step out of the way. She takes a sturdy stane and catches him by the arm. She hears his shoulder pop and she pulls him back towards her.

The other two soldiers rise. And now she is torn between fending for herself and keeping them away from Atsu and Hajime. Her first fire whip, buckles the man reaching for Atsu. Her second strikes the half-blind soldier. His blade grazes across her neck as he falls back.

Her heart races as a slowly flowing curtain of blood trickles down her neck and to her chest. She slams another fireball into him for good measure. Her baby gives another violent kick, she wills the poor thing to hang in there. She is almost finished.

The third soldier, a woman, she notices, has made it to Hajime. She shoves the half-blind soldier aside and charges the woman. She dodges a wall of rock, blasts it away. She knows that Hajime has seen this time, and how could he not have?

That rush of blue fire is the last thing he sees before the soldier scowls and brings a larger rock down to crush his throat. And Azula hopes, at the very least, that he got to know--even if for only an instant--the real her. She dreads that his last thoughts were ones of hatred and regret over having slept with the Fire Nation’s very worst.

Atsu’s piercing cries barely register as the light leaves Hajime’s eyes. His final exhale whistles through her like a spirit. She doesn’t scream neither does she cry. She isn’t given the decency. Several more soldiers pour into the house. They seize her, pin her hands behind her back and the half blind soldier steps forward. He holds a blade to the top of her belly. Drags the cool metal down it, cutting a hole through her shirt as it goes. And when he reaches the bottom of her bump he takes pause. “I was hoping to to open you up in front of him...for old time’s sake. But…” He gestures to Hajime’s lifeless body. “You’ve deprived me of the pleasure. You and her both.”

The Earth Kingdom woman has just enough time to process his words. Just enough time to let her eyes go wide. She is dead as soon as the boulder bashes her into the one she’d killed Hajime with.

His attention comes back to her, the blade bites deeper into her stomach and he swipes it horizontally. The tears come forward with a second rush of blood. And with her tears and blood comes another rush.

She screams. Her shout comes out as fire. The man stumbles back, clutching his face. She can see the blood seeping through his fingers. She hopes that he is suffering greatly. He must be. Only pure pain can induce the rage that drives a man to growl and growls give the belly of a pregnant woman a good kick.

She doesn’t remember what happened after that. She only remembers agony to a degree that she has never felt before or since. It comes from her body, from the baby’s body, and from her mind.

That night she learns what it is to die.

.oOo.

Sokka’s mouth runs dry. His eyes drift from the badgermole to the scar on her neck and then the partially exposed scar on her belly. He takes her hand and squeezes it as he fumbles for something to say. Anything at all.

Yet nothing sounds right in his mind. Because it isn’t okay and it won’t be. Some things just aren’t okay. He considers that a good majority of the things that have happened in her life will never be okay. Why else would she have run from those things, those places.

He swallows. “I’m glad that you’re here now.” He tries.

She grits her teeth and wipes at her eyes.

“I’m glad that you’re here and not wandering out there alone somewhere.”

She draws a shaky breath as he recalls her mention of a long trip home. A long, lonely trip home. He recalls her joyful smile that night at the theater. That enthusiastic twinkle in her eyes. He wonders how many times Hajime got to see that.

And he wonders how she has managed to hide all of that hurt. How it had even been possible to bury it out of sight. How, up until now, she has been so composed. How she is still able to smile at all.

She is resilient.

He wishes that she wouldn’t have to be.

He isn’t sure if he should but hugs her tightly. If she hates it she can always shove him away. She doesn’t. In fact, she presses her face against his chest and bunches her hands in the folds of his clothes. He squeezes her. He can’t take the pain away, but he can try.

She still sobs so openly.

The sort of gut-wrenchingly hunting cries that only true loss can bring.

“Sokka, what’s going on.” Zuko’s face is grim. Concerned. “She’s not…” he trails off. “Is she?”

“It’s a long story, Zuko.”

“I have time.”

“I should let Azula tell you herself.” He rubs small circles on her back.

.oOo.

Zuko has tea and a hot meal waiting for her but she hasn’t the appetite for even a single bite. She stares at her palms. She feels rather numb. She thinks that she would rather feel numb. It is better than feeling grief.

“I was going to name it Juro.” She whispers more to herself, vacantly she trails her pointer along the scar. She feels herself slumping over again. Zuko catches her and holds her upright.

“What are you talking about, Azula?”

She shakes her head. She was going to do a lot of things. She was going to tell Hajime her name. She was going to tell Ojihara and Seukhyun. She was going to be Azula again. She was going to teach Juro to firebend. She was going to teach him about Fire Nation culture. She was going to breakup squabbles when Juro tried to snatch Bao from Atsu. She was going to bring them all to see the palace one day. She was going to make a life where they could vacation to Ember Island and return to Wujing after.

She was going to be happy.

She was going to heal.

She is furious and tormented.

She is more wounded than before.

“At least have a sip.” Zuko tries gently. She absently picks up the teacup and gives it a small sip.

She squeezes her eyes shut and swallows down an unreleased sob. The tears still leak out. Sokka cups his hand over hers.

“What happened, Azula?” Zuko asks again.

She rises, she isn’t quite steady but she makes it to her nightstand. She rummages through it and pulls out her journal. She drops it into his lap and drops herself back onto the mattress.

It is much easier to just let him read it. She isn’t up for speaking of it a second time. She rolls onto her side and bunches herself up, nauseous with stress and mourning. It settles quite heavily that she hasn’t processed it. Not truly.

Zuko tucks himself into the corner and begins reading.

“I don’t know if this will help at all.” Sokka starts. “But I lost someone too.”

“Suki?”

Sokka shakes his head. “No, not Suki. Suki’s still around, she just decided to focus on Kyoshi Warrior stuff instead of a relationship. I lost someone named Yue.”

Azula is quiet for a very long time, trying to figure out why he is trying to make this about him. Empathy, she remembers. He is being empathetic. She supposes that there isn’t much else he can say anyways. But that doesn’t stop him from trying.

“I promise that you don’t have to go through this alone.”

And she supposes that, that means something.

It means almost everything.

She promised herself on that day in the plains, that she wouldn’t let herself wander through everything on her own.

It means absolutely everything.

He was the first person to make her feel truly alive in a very long time.

She rolls over to face him and reaches for whatever is steaming on the plate. She sits up as Sokka hands it to her. She should take care of herself. She likes to think that she is solidly past the catatonic stage.

“I know.” She finally says.

She has waited too long to reply, “Huh?”

“I know that I’m...not alone.” She clarifies. And she thinks that, that very well might be the only reason that she is willing to sit up and eat. She thinks of her first night home, of the well wishes she had been given and of the warm welcome back. She thinks of awkward game nights with Mai and TyLee. She thinks of sparring sessions with Zuko. Mostly she thinks of story swapping with Sokka and a very humiliating and liberating night at a theater.

She thinks of life.

Of the things that she is still going to do.

Even if she can’t bring herself to do those things now.

#Avatar The Last Airbender #Azula #Sokka #Sokkla #Fanfiction

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grither55 · 3 years ago

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The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic) - Chapter 122 - Deception

At Shung Wu, the seat of Clan Zanoda.

A castle sat upon a hilltop overlooking a Fire Nation town that was currently teeming in disarray.

A growing gathering of peasants were marching rampant in the streets while guards struggled to get the crowd under control.

"Governor Joza has ordered you to go back to your homes and disperse at once!" A guard commanded in a frustrated voice while the shouts of the increasingly furious mob resounded all around him.

"We're not leaving until the governor stops hoarding his food stores!" Shozak yelled out in a defiant voice while many other voices in the town roared in agreement alongside him.

And then before the soldiers could so much as even get out another word they watched warily through their helmets when the mob began to charge them.

All the while as the crowd rushed forward in an angry frenzy as the soldiers hurriedly backed away into a defensive formation.

And just like that, roaring shouts split through the street as the peasants clashed with the guards once more.

Meanwhile, back on the royal barge.

The ship sailed through the waters as it approached the seat of Clan Zanoda.

Mai and Ty Lee had just stepped out onto the upper deck of the royal barge.

Where their gazes were quickly drawn to the princess's throne that was surrounded on both sides by lavish curtains.

It was situated on the highest level of the deck so that the princess could gain pleasure in making her intimidated subjects feel even more uncomfortable in knowing that she could watch their every movement from above.

And so, the two noblewomen then began to make their way over to speak to their leader.

Only to find themselves pausing in their tracks in disbelief when the inside of the princess's personal seating area came into view.

Azula was elegantly seated in her royal robes in her luxurious seat with her legs gracefully crossed like always.

And standing faithfully right beside the ruthless princess was Elle.

Only that wasn't what took them by surprise.

It was the fact that the girl…was wearing a collar!

A plush red collar with an intricately designed blue Fire Nation insignia!

And now attached to the girl's chest was a golden pin that also adorned the Fire Nation symbol.

The teenager stood by her seated master as she bashfully blushed when the older woman's possessive eyes turned to gaze dominantly at her once more.

Only for the couple to notice the approach of their friends as they turned to gaze back at the two taken aback noblewomen.

While the princess's lips were now curving into a coldly arrogant smile as she took great delight in her childhood friends' reaction to her young girlfriend's new collar.

"Hello oneesans!" Elle cried out in her usual lovable voice as she watched at the two older girls while they recovered from their shock.

All the while as Azula smiled smugly back at her fellow aristocrats as they gazed incredulously back at her.

"Azula…why is my little sister wearing a collar?" Ty Lee questioned with her arms folded over her chest as she attempted to cast the smiling woman a scolding stare.

While Mai gazed on with monotone tawny eyes back at Azula's more than apparently greatly pleased face.

"It's not a collar Ty Lee! It's a symbol of the royal sigil that Her Highness and all of her subjects are going to bear when she becomes Fire Lord! And I have the honor of being the first follower to wear it!" The handmaid explained with a bright smile on her lips as she proudly puffed out her chest in a show of innocent pride.

All the while as the princess sat beside her with a charming smirk on her lips as she gazed back at her two unconvinced friends.

"And there you have it Ty Lee. It is an honor for only my most faithful follower to wear." Azula spoke in a perfectly refined voice as she smiled confidently while her serving girl visibly swelled in pride beside her.

While Mai and Ty Lee exchanged a momentary glance knowing all too well that it had nothing to do with honor.

The collar, necklace and all of the other emblems that the young girl wore was Azula's way of announcing to the entire world that Elle was hers.

It was Azula exhibiting the behavior of a frighteningly possessive lover.

And Agni help any unfortunate soul that was foolish enough not to pay heed to the Fire Princess's declaration of ownership!

But there wasn't anything that they could do about it.

And strange as it may be, they could see that it made the girl happy.

So, it was all the two could do just to sigh as they shook their heads while the princess once more gazed at the girl with greedy amber golden eyes.

Like everything else with Azula, it was best that they just go along with it.

"If you say so kid." Mai stated in a deadpan voice as she gazed fondly back at the younger girl's infectiously sweet face while she stopped to stand beside the princess's throne.

"And that's not all! Azula-sama has begun teaching me how to read and write in Fire Nation! She's even teaching me firebending breathing techniques to help me manage my breathing condition!" Elle quipped with an admiring smile on her lips while her big sisters gazed on with pleased looks in their eyes.

All the while as the imposing royal woman sat on her plush throne with her callous eyes gazing back at her two lifelong friend's relieved faces.

"I am so happy to hear that Azula is helping you out little sister!" The acrobat replied in a warm voice with a grin on her lips while the petite girl smiled back at her.

While she turned to smile back at her royal friend as the princess stared stonily back at her.

"She really is oneesan. And I know that I couldn't ask for a better teacher. My princess is the best mentor there is." The handmaid piped with endless reverence in her voice while a sanguine smile returned to her princess's lips.

"Naturally. The girl couldn't find a better mentor than me." The princess boasted as she reclined in her throne as she studied her fingernails on her clenched fist while her handmaid stood smiling widely beside her.

While the two noblewomen just stood beside their two friends as took their princess's ego in stride.

All the while as they watched the ship make its way through the ocean's waters as they drew closer to their destination.

"Oneesans? Would you both be willing to teach me as well?" Elle pondered in an adorably respectful voice while the two older girls turned to gaze back at her in bewilderment.

While Azula arched a regal brow as turned to stare back at her young beloved with a questioning expression in her cold amber golden eyes.

And her ruthless eyes even flashed with a gleam of jealously over the prospect of anything but herself teaching the young girl.

"Huh? Us teach you little sister?" Ty Lee answered in a confused voice while Elle excitedly nodded her head.

"Mhm! I was wondering if you could teach me acrobatics! T-that is if you don't mind." The handmaid explained in a mousy voice while her friends gazed back at her in surprise.

While the the princess's shimmered with thoughtfulness over the possibilities that could come about from the girl learning combat skills from her elite friends.

All the while as she found herself unable to resist pondering once more how strange it was that they were friends with this commoner girl in the first place.

Who would have ever thought that one day she and her elite team would be teaching a peasant girl how to fight?

Only for both the princess and the markswoman to suppress a sigh when they saw how the acrobat's brown-gray eyes were already gushing over the chance to teach her adopted sister her talents.

And not a second later Elle let out a lovable yelp of surprise when she was crushed in a bear hug in the noblewoman's arms.

While a blush came over her cheeks when she found her face being affectionately shoved into the cheerful woman's breasts.

All the while as the princess's amber golden eyes instantly darkened with possessiveness as she now directed a chilling glare back at her squealing childhood friend.

"Aww! I would overjoyed to teach you acrobatics baby sister!" The acrobat shouted as she grinned while she lovingly hugged the smiling girl's face into her chest.

"O-oneesan…" Elle stammered in a cute voice as she hugged the older girl back while the noblewoman smiled down at her.

Only for the sound of a boot stomping down onto a wooden platform to resound into the air.

While all three girls now turned to gaze back at the princess's frighteningly jealous face as she glowered down at them.

"Peasant! Get your face out of her breasts right now or you won't be laying in my chamber for the rest of this month! I forbid you from enjoying the body of any woman that is not my own!" Azula bellowed in a beyond authoritarian voice with her callous amber golden eyes narrowing into slits back at her little girlfriend's trembling face.

All the while as the two noblewomen just stared in exasperation back at the overbearing woman.

"Azula…." Ty Lee trailed off in a sigh as she released the girl from her arms while the teenager quivered under the princess's controlling glare.

"N-no. P-please don't take away my snuggle rights princess." The handmaid stuttered in a pleading voice while the older woman stared dominantly down at her.

Only for the tall princess to lean back in her seat with her hands clasped in her lap as she still glared down at her little girlfriend's adorably gulping face.

"Then do as your queen commands girl." The princess stated in a supremely imperious voice with her authoritative amber golden eyes staring strictly back into her handmaiden's panicked nodding head.

Just as the acrobat set her palm in the younger girl's hair while the teenager turned to peer happily up at her.

While the noblewoman beamed warmly down at the shorter girl's face as she ruffled the blushing girl's hair.

"Oh, stop being so hard on the poor girl Azula." The acrobat chided in a cheery voice as she giggled over the younger girl while the teenager smiled under her patting hand.

All the while as the markswoman stood gazing on with a flicker of amusement in her tawny eyes.

And the princess just stared back at the two as she let out a haughty scoff.

"How many times do I have to tell you Ty Lee. The girl is my pet and I will do with her as I please." Azula remarked in a highly conceited voice as she stared arrogantly back at her young girlfriend's pretty face.

While her ruthless eyes took profound joy in the way that the girl swooned under her domineering amber golden gaze.

All the while as the acrobat just let out another frustrated sigh knowing that it was futile to argue with the princess.

Especially, now that her adopted sister let the spoiled woman put a collar around her neck.

"Hey Mai? Do you think that you could teach me some moves too?" Elle inquired in a gentle voice as she gazed back at the gloomy noblewoman's now caught off guard face.

"Me teach you some moves? But knives are used to kill and you're a pacifist." The markswoman answered in a calm voice while she studied the younger girl closely.

"I know. But I was thinking that I might be able to apply the skills that you teach me when I use my powers against the Avatar." The handmaid commented in a contemplative voice while her highborn friends stared back at her with surprise in their eyes.

While the princess's gazed flashed with a pleased gleam to see that the girl was giving thought to how she could better master her powers.

Only for a smile to spread across the teenager's lips when her adopted big sister nodded her head.

"Fine. I'll teach you Elle." Mai agreed in a stoic voice while her tawny eyes gazed back at the younger girl's now beaming face.

And somewhere deep down inside she couldn't deny that she felt moved that her little sister wanted to learn from her.

And not a moment after that the small girl to hug the surprised taller woman around the belly.

While the acrobat let out another gushing sound as she smiled widely back at the two.

All the while as the princess glared at her friend with coldly narrowed amber golden eyes.

"Arigatou Mai!" Elle cried out in a sweet voice as she embraced her big sister's stomach while the noblewoman squirmed in her arms.

"You're welcome kid but I have already told you that I don't do hugs." The markswoman sighed in a voice of resignation as she allowed the girl to hang onto her.

"Maybe we can start when we get back!" The handmaid exclaimed with eagerness in her voice.

While the three highborn women fell silent as they each found themselves unable to speak.

All the while as Mai tensed up as she turned to gaze away with a frown pulling onto her lips.

"Yeah Elle. Maybe." Mai spoke in a quieter voice as she felt the teenager hug her.

And yet again she found herself thinking about how she was truly going to miss this girl's company.

But more than that.

She was concerned over how the girl was going to take her being sent to Boiling Rock.

And then before either of the three highborn women could say another word.

All four girls turned around to hear Nako approaching their way.

Just as Mai and Elle separated from their hug while the royal pilot came to a stop before the seated princess.

While Team Azula took note that they were now sailing into the harbor of the seat of Clan Zanoda.

While the crown princess stared on with coldly authoritative amber golden eyes as she watched the woman bow before the foot of her throne.

"Your Highness! I came to report that we have arrived at our destination!" Nako announced in a reverent voice as she knelt on the floor while Azula's strict eyes gazed back down at her.

"What's our destination?" Elle asked in a naïve voice as she gazed back at her master's stony face.

"Shung Wu, it's the home of Clan Zanoda. Azula is here to address the peasants who are revolting against Governor Joza." The markswoman informed in a near emotionless voice while she gazed down at the younger girl's now emotional face.

While her own tawny eyes suppressed the slight concern in her gaze.

All the while as the acrobat shifted on her feet as she turned to stare back at her friend's callous face.

While she silently hoped that Azula wouldn't be too cruel to the suffering commoners.

"Good. Prepare my royal carriage for transport Nako. I wish to go address this little peasant 'revolt' personally." The princess declared in an utterly imperious voice with her imposing amber golden eyes glaring down at her swiftly nodding subject.

While Ty Lee shivered as she stood beside the mutually silent Mai.

All the while as Elle now chewed on her lip as she stared on with worry in her gentle eyes.

"Yes princess! But I must also inform you that Chancellor Terak has arrived in port and he wishes to speak to you briefly in private!" The royal pilot informed as she stood up from her bow while the princess's amber golden eyes now flickered with aggravation.

While Azula now sunk back in her throne as she let out a low grumble under her breath.

All the while as the two noblewomen stared on with a shared sense of annoyance in their eyes.

And then before the princess could so much as say a word in reply.

The three highborn women, the royal pilot and their young friend found themselves turning around to see the robed chancellor shuffling towards them.

While the teenager stared back at the man with innocent amber eyes unaware that her friends were exuding protective auras as the man approached.

"Chancellor Terak." Azula greeted in a frigid voice with her icy eyes watching the smiling man closely as he moved forward.

She had to give the man credit where credit was due.

Even she couldn't deny that his deception was impressive.

He even purposefully walked to make himself look as pathetic as he possibly could.

All so that he could fool those around him into believing that he wasn't a threat.

But his ruse didn't fool her.

"My princess…I come bearing good news. If I could…have but a moment of your time to relay it to you." Terak spoke in a cordial voice as he bowed at the hip while his princess's imposing amber golden eyes stared harshly back at him.

While his golden eyes briefly swept over the strange young girl's confused face as he cast a smile in her direction.

Only to find himself his gaze back to his princess when the powerful princess stood up from her throne.

All the while as she now loomed over the intimidated man with her tyrannical amber golden eyes staring frighteningly down at him.

"For your sake chancellor. You had better hope that this news pleases me." The princess stated in a beyond commanding voice with her naturally authoritative amber golden eyes gazing down at the bowing man.

And then she began to walk off with her hands folded behind her back while the chancellor arose to follow after her.

While both noblewomen also glared at the chancellor's back as he hurried after their princess.

All the while as the teenager stared after her master with curiosity in her amber eyes.

"Oh, you will be pleased princess. Very pleased." The chancellor purred as he folded his robed arms over his chest.

While Azula rose a regal brow as she gazed at the man through the corner of her callous eye.

Five minutes later.

The mighty princess now sat in a throne in a private room while she stared coldly back at the man as he closed the door behind him.

"Do not keep me waiting chancellor. Deliver me your report." Azula remarked in an effortlessly commanding voice with her demanding amber golden eyes watching as the man turned to smile back at her.

"I have done it princess. I have successfully infiltrated your uncle's spy circle using a broken Kyoshi Warrior as my pawn!" Terak exclaimed in a joyful voice as his golden eyes now gleamed with cruelty while his princess gazed back with surprised amber golden eyes.

Only for the princess's lips to curve into a cruel smile of her own as she held her face up in the palm of her hand.

"Have you now? Was it Suki by any chance?" The princess purred with her full lips forming a sadistic smirk while she studied the chancellor's deviously smiling visage.

She had to admit that she was surprised over the quickness of the man's work.

And using a Kyoshi Warrior at that…

"No. The one called Suki was…much too spirited. I chose another…one sufficiently demoralized and devoid of hope who now serves to further our plans." The chancellor answered with a conniving smirk upon his lips while the princess rose her regal brows in rising interest.

"Oh? Does she? And how do you know that she won't just run away?" Azula questioned in an interrogative voice while her cold eyes followed the man's every move as he strode about before her.

"Because she believes that I am the leader of a Zuko coronation movement…that is working in conjunction with the Avatar and Princess Ling to overthrow the current tyrannical government in order to crown your brother Fire Lord. And also, because she believes that if she does well…that she will win her sisters freedom." Terak revealed in a slithering voice with a dark smile on his lips while the princess listened with a grudgingly impressed expression in her amber golden eyes.

All the while as she recalled the words that the man had told her from before about forming a movement in her brother's name.

When in reality…

It is in truth a movement to crown her Fire Lord!

"This girl believed you?" The princess snorted with her amber golden eyes eying the chancellor's smirking face as he stood before her throne.

"Hm. She does. She believes that I am a friend of the Earth Kingdom…that is sickened by your evil rule. And she is not wrong! I feel shame over the cruelty of your deed's princess! Such immense shame!" The chancellor stated in a dramatic voice while the princess rolled her amber golden eyes in an almost bored fashion.

"And this Kyoshi Warrior…has joined my fat uncle's spy circle and actually reports what she hears back to you?" Azula inquired in a searching voice while scrutinizing amber golden eyes watched the man rapidly nod his head.

"She is a Kyoshi Warrior…the Kyoshi Warriors are friends of the Avatar and therefore your uncle's spies have opened up to her in ways that they would not had it been a face that they didn't trust." Terak purred as he crept forward with a deceptive smile on his lips.

While Azula sat back in her throne with an intrigued expression in her ruthless amber golden eyes as she held a contemplative finger underneath her chin.

All the while as she studied the man carefully through the corner of her merciless eye as he took another step closer.

"And now she has unknowingly penetrated former general Iroh's circle…where she continues to report back to me under the belief that I am conspiring against you to coronate Zuko and liberate her people. When in truth…it is a movement to crown you." The chancellor continued with his hands clasped together while he smiled slyly back into his princess's increasingly gratified face.

While a domineering smile began to slowly but surely make its way unto the princess's ruthless crimson lips.

"As we speak, I am infiltrating even deeper into your uncle's network with additional spies who are not supporters of your brother or your father but Princess Azula loyalists!" Terak informed in a gleeful voice while Azula's controlling amber golden eyes flashed with an immense hunger for even greater power.

"Princess Azula loyalists…I like the sound of that." The princess trailed off in gratified voice with a huge smirk curling onto her lipstick covered lips.

"As time goes on your loyalists will pervade your brother's true supporters thereby fracturing them from the inside out. While giving the illusion that their power has grown. Eventually word will flow through the vine back to your brother and uncle making them think that they have more friends at court than they truly do." The chancellor explained in a sadistic voice with a scheming smile on his lips while his princess listened with a smug smirk on her lips.

"I must say I approve of the way you think chancellor. You have certainly thought this through." Azula purred in an exalted voice with a regal smile adorning her egotistical lips.

While her power-hungry amber golden eyes gazed in rising delight back at the official's face as he stood grinning before her throne.

"Meanwhile, we gather the names of all of your brother's followers and we quietly remove them one by one! Until we have completely assimilated the circle…and all that remains are loyalists of Princess Azula!" Terak declared in a devilishly crafty voice while Azula's lips were now creasing into an absolutely diabolical smile.

"I want you to deliver me the names of every spy that dared to plot against me. Understood chancellor?" The princess commanded in an utterly merciless voice with her callous amber golden eyes staring back at the man's eagerly nodding face.

"Yes, yes my princess! And soon…soon I will even be able to give you the identity of the noble clan that is responsible for making an attempt on your life." The chancellor spoke in a sly voice with a devious smirk while he rubbed his hands together in a crafty manner.

All the while as the princess now glared on with her amber golden eyes wide in murderous wrath as she exhaled intense flames through her seething nostrils.

And not a moment later a great many flames lit up throughout the chamber with azure fire while she narrowed her terrifying eyes into a supremely imposing stare.

"So, a noble clan truly conspired to kill me with my uncle and that wretched puppeteer!" Azula hissed with her fists clenched in her fury on the arms of her throne while her unforgiving amber golden eyes glared a hole into the closest wall.

While the chancellor's intuitive golden eyes flickered with a brief flash of curiosity at the mention of a puppeteer.

"Mhm. Indeed princess. Right now, all I can tell you is that it wasn't Clan Song, Clan Saolin or Clan Wan…it was one of the remaining four." Terak purred as he moved about before the mighty princess's throne while she gazed back at him with callously intimidating eyes.

"I knew it. That story of yours about Clan Saolin conspiring with my uncle to coronate my brother was nothing more than a ruse to get back in good graces with Governor Yoko." The princess snorted with her brilliant amber golden eyes watching the official closely as he feigned an innocent smile.

"And if it was? Did it not work out to your benefit? Did I not provide you with the opportunity to make a necessary example that your will is not to be defied? Did I not assist you in preventing a civil war between Clan Song and Clan Saolin?" The chancellor countered in a clever voice while the princess furrowed her brows as she sunk back on her throne.

Once more she had to give the snake credit.

He knew how to play his hand.

"So, it did. But those same words…apply to you. Everything that you did…I can do without you. I caution you to remember that." Azula stated with a menacing undertone to her cruel voice as her flames burst forward out before the chancellor's now intimidated face.

All the while as the politician speedily nodded his head as he lurked outside the reach of his princess's flames.

"I could never forget your brilliance princess! Much less your ingenious conquest of Ba Sing Se at only fourteen years of age. But is it not to your advantage to let me handle such trivial matters for you? After all you have many more important matters to concern yourself with. Why should you spend your valuable time sifting through lowly spies when I can do the work in your stead?" Terak questioned in a perceptive voice with an amicable smile on his lips while his princess sat scowling on her throne.

And once again.

As much as the princess hated to admit it the man had a point.

Things are much more complicated than they were six years ago.

She has far more matters to concern herself with than just her uncle and his spies.

Between dealing with her newfound enemy in Silah.

As well as this business with this Elder One and her serving girl's newfound power.

Not to mention the threat of this Rieko and her Apostles that waits beyond the mysterious World Gateway.

Which was to say nothing of her own father plotting against her.

She needed to focus her priorities.

"Very well chancellor. I will leave this task to you. But you will continue to deliver me progress reports every step of the way. Should you fail to do so…you will find yourself suffering my wrath." The princess remarked in an effortlessly tyrannical voice with her frozen amber golden eyes staring piercingly back at the man's yielding face.

"As you order princess. I will notify you of each and every move that I make." The chancellor assured in a groveling voice as he lingered submissively before the ruthless woman's throne while penetrating amber golden eyes seemed to stare uncomfortably right through him.

"See to it that you do. Now…are you finished now? I have other business to attend to." Azula commented with a cold edge to her strict voice while she eyed the man in rising boredom.

"Almost princess…almost. I have something to show you and then I will go." Terak replied in a tricky voice as he smiled back while he reached into his robes.

While the princess stared on with her icily disinterested amber golden eyes.

Only for a sliver of curiosity to come over her eyes when a rolled scroll was deposited into her waiting h and.

All the while as her amber golden eyes narrowed into slits back at the smiling chancellor as she remembered the last letter that the man gave her.

That detailed her own father's plans to betray her!

"And just what would this be chancellor? Did you pilfer more of my father's writings?" The princess demanded in a glacial voice with her imperious amber golden eyes causing the man to hurriedly shake his head.

"Oh no princess! I took the initiative to send your enemies a letter…that I feel you will find most beneficial." The chancellor answered in a sneaky voice as he cackled while his princess arched a brow as she eyed him inquisitively.

And not a moment after that the Fire Princess unrolled the scroll.

Only for her merciless amber golden eyes to widen an ever so slight fraction as she stared down at its contents.

And just like that an approvingly cruel smile was already beginning to pull its way onto her beautiful lips once more.

The letter was just beautiful.

It was completely and utterly sadistic.

Not only did it demean and deride the Avatar and his friends with even further humiliation.

It provoked a sense of urgency that they had to act quickly if they wished to save their captured friends.

Thereby increasing the likelihood that they will make a fatal mistake that will reveal their location!

All the while as the chancellor stood waiting expectantly before her throne like a dog waiting for praise from his master.

"Between now and the next time that you meet the Avatar in battle…they are going to become overwhelmed with emotion…they are going to feel that time is running out to save their precious friends. And that my princess…is when they will slip up." Terak explained with heartless glee in his excited voice while he grinned darkly back into his princess's cruelly smirking face.

And then the princess set the letter aside on her table as she returned her pleased gaze to her waiting subject.

While she found herself unable to fight the devious smile that was making its way onto her lips.

'He's not wrong…this should make it all the more likely that they will expose themselves in their desperation.' Azula thought with a widening smirk upon her full lips as she lounged in her throne with her well-manicured fingernails resting against her cheek.

It certainly went without saying that she couldn't dismiss the chancellor's merits.

As aggravating as the man may be.

He is proving far more useful than she first anticipated.

The fact that he took the momentum to attack the Avatar psychologically while she was occupied with her affairs in the Forgetful Valley alone made keeping him around worthwhile.

"I can only presume by the contents of this letter that even if your pawn succeeds. You don't actually intend to make good on your word to arrange the freedom of the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors." The princess stated in a naturally noble voice while something akin to an entertained smile graced her lips.

All the while as the malicious chancellor just smiled knowingly back at her.

"Does it really matter what happens to them? After all they are but broken shells of their former selves. You yourself saw fit to that when you captured them over six years ago." The chancellor responded in an uncaring voice with his sharp golden eyes staring back at his princess's arrogantly smirking visage.

"So, I did. And it serves them right for daring to oppose me." Azula spoke in a beyond pleased voice with a cruel smile on her lips as she leaned back against her seat.

Truth be told.

She didn't give a damn if those Kyoshi Warriors were executed or if they spent the rest of their lives rotting away in hard labor.

And yet somewhere deep down inside her cold heart she couldn't help but feel a stab of concern of how her little girlfriend would react if she were to ever learn of her involvement in such brutality.

That was when her lips began to purse into an ever so slight frown as her conquering amber golden eyes stared harshly into the distance of her chamber.

While she once again she found herself cursing her attachment to the girl.

Just why did she have to fall for such a soft-hearted little pacifist in the first place!

And not mere seconds later she was torn from her thoughts when she turned her ruthless amber golden eyes back to the eagerly smiling chancellor as he lurked forward once more.

"Have I pleased you princess? Are you satisfied with my results? I went to arduous lengths to deliver them. Sailed all over. I even traveled with not a single guard to the prison to present the image of a trustworthy friend. Risking my life if the Kyoshi Warrior had chosen to kill me. All to please you." Terak implored in a kowtowing voice as he slunk forward while the woman's cold amber golden eyes studied him in curiosity.

Suffice to say the princess had to admit that she was a bit taken aback that the man would go to such tedious lengths just for the sake of his manipulation.

"I concede that thus far you impressed me chancellor. But I can only hope that you continue to deliver positive results. And never forget what happens to those who fail me." The princess announced in a merciless voice fitting of a woman born as true royalty while she stared dominantly back into the official's sycophantic face.

"You need not concern yourself princess. All will work according to plan. After all, this is my specialty." The chancellor purred as he bowed at the waist while his princess's harsh eyes still stared coldly down at him.

And then he rose to walk away while the princess still sat in her throne staring at him all the while.

"Oh, and chancellor? Do keep me posted on everything related to this little pawn of yours. And I mean everything." Azula commanded in a resounding voice of absolute authority while her frigid eyes stared back at the chancellor's scheming countenance.

"Rest assured that I will do just that princess. You will be informed of everything." Terak spoke in a submissive voice as he began to walk away with his robes flowing behind him.

While the princess's amber golden eyes followed the departing man in distrust as she watched him exit through the chamber door.

And then she sunk back with her head resting against the back of her lavish throne.

All the while as a gratified smile curled onto her lipstick adorned lips once more.

This was a superb development.

And if everything goes as planned…

The next day that she finds herself face to face with the Avatar just may well be his last.

#Azula #Avatar The Last Airbender #ty lee avatar #mai avatar #femslash fanfiction

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crashingmeteorz · 4 years ago

Text

me and the ash can’t settle down ch. 2

lu ten goes on his first hunt, and his past comes back to haunt him.

read ch.1 here. word count: 5.8k. read on ao3.

trigger warnings for: death, violence, ptsd

"Tell me, Bǎi. What do you know about bounty hunting?"

The short answer is, not much.

Kōji is pleased with Lu Ten’s physical ability - Lu Ten has no intention of revealing his firebending, of course. Kōji may be unusually accepting, but theoretically housing an enemy is much easier when you don’t have the physical proof of their past in front of you.

So Lu Ten sticks to hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting. Of course, trying to beat Kōji in a fistfight is like trying to knock down a rock wall with your bare hands. Lu Ten tries to use his agility to his advantage, but it becomes clear very quickly that Kōji fights dirty. He bests Lu Ten at every turn, and what’s worse, it’s obvious the older man is holding back.

“These people we’re dealing with,” says Kōji in his rough voice, “they’re not gonna show you mercy so don’t you show them any, got it?”

Lu Ten listens to his new teacher and tries to forget the rigid rules he’d spent his whole life abiding by. It’s surprisingly easy to let go of the concept of fairness, and when Kōji stumbles for just a moment, Lu Ten punches him square in the face.

“Shit,” Lu Ten says panicking as blood pours out of Kōji’s nose. “Shit, shit, shit.” Kōji tries to stem the flow with one hand, which is growing redder by the second, and waves at Lu Ten nonchalantly with the other.

“You did what I asked,” says Kōji, the blood-flow making him sound congested. “Think you might’ve broke my nose though...”

Lu Ten procures a rag and hands it to Kōji, but the floor is already a blood-splattered mess. He can’t help but think that if he had been firebending and slipped up like that, Kōji would be dead.

Kōji pulls up a chair and sits with his newly crooked nose, courtesy of Lu Ten’s fist, and tells Lu Ten to show him what weapons he’s familiar with, to Lu Ten’s extreme relief. None of Kōji’s small arsenal of weapons is state of the art, every single one accompanied by scratches and dents, but there’s at least one katana in the mix. He inspects the blade carefully - it’s nowhere near the quality of the one he made with Piandao, but that was left at home in the palace. A thought arises unbidden: will his father include the katana in his memorial? Lu Ten closes his eyes tightly, so that it hurts, and then holds the blade steady.

He practices his forms blindly, never once opening his eyes as he dances around the room with the battered old katana. Suddenly he’s eight, practicing with some weapons he stole off the palace guards, his father laughing merrily as he lunges with the clumsiness of a child. Now he’s 14, and Piandao is patiently correcting his forms, demanding more but never implying Lu Ten is not enough. Now he’s 16 and his cousins are begging him to firebend at them, but they’re far too little, so he says conspiratorially, “what about a sword fight?” Now he’s 18 and killing one of his fellowmen-

“At least you can use that thing,” Kōji chuckles, and Lu Ten is grateful for the interruption from his thoughts. “You’re a piss-poor street fighter.”

“And you’re a fucking mountain,” Lu Ten retorts, setting the blade down gently. “How the hell am I supposed to get the jump on you?”

“There’s no weight classes in bounty hunting,” says Kōji, wagging his finger like a school teacher, upper lip still stained a bright red. Lu Ten finds a new rag and pours some water over it this time, tossing it to Kōji.

“I thought we’re not supposed to kill these guys?” Lu Ten asks curiously. Kōji had tried to explain his profession, but it had mostly resulted in a series of tangents and old stories about the job. Any important details Lu Ten had gleaned came exclusively from context clues.

“We’re not,” was Kōji’s reply, giving Lu Ten a look that seems to imply he’s said the stupidest thing Kōji’s ever heard. “But you need to be able to defend yourself. You know how to disarm, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Lu Ten replies tersely, looking for a sheath that might fit the sword. Piandao had taught him to disarm, obviously, but he had also said that the katana was a weapon of death. At the time, Lu Ten had hardly listened, too appreciative of the thin, curved design of the blade to really care for its purpose. Now it seemed Lu Ten had always been destined for violence.

“Good,” Kōji says gruffly, but his eyes are alight with excitement, “because I have a tip for us to follow, and we don’t have time for you to sit around all day figuring it out.”

The rules of the hunt are both straightforward and murky, if Lu Ten has understood anything from Kōji’s reminiscences. You track the target, capture them alive, and hand them over to the paying party, but you can work out a deal if things got messy. You don’t encroach on someone else’s territory, unless the bounty’s extraordinarily high. You always follow through and refuse to be bought, unless the offer is good. You never kill a target, unless it’s the only option. When he asks Kōji how to make the call on these flip-flopping rules Kōji brushes him off.

“Comes with practice,” he says, unconcerned. “Eventually you’ll learn to trust your gut.”

The man they’re after is, according to Kōji, your average lowlife. He started off small-time, scamming elderly couples and widows with too many children and not enough food.

“Now he’s gone to flat-out stealing, but he hit up the wrong guy,” Kōji tells him through a mouthful of rice that evening. “Rich kid like you. Influential family. The spoiled brat tried to fight, and he barely survived.”

Kōji suddenly and meaningfully points his chopsticks at Lu Ten.

“Don’t let the same thing happen to you, ‘cause I’m not hauling your sorry ass all the way back here again.”

“Again?” Lu Ten asks suspiciously. “I thought you said I showed up practically on your doorstep?”

Kōji grumbles something practically unintelligible about a couple of bodies in the valley below and practically shoves his face in his dinner. Kōji may put on a callous front, but Lu Ten doesn’t believe it for a second.

“Point is,” Kōji says after finishing his meal, “the rich kid comes from a rich family. Minor nobles, or something. We bring them this guy, they reward us with gold.”

“How much?” Lu Ten asks, not necessarily out of greed as much as curiosity. How much is a son’s life worth around here? How much is his attacker’s?

“That’s usually negotiable upon delivery,” is the only answer Kōji seems willing to give. “We leave at dawn, so get some rest.”

“What, that quick?” Lu Ten asks in surprise, rising from his seat. “We’re just going to leave without a plan? Do we even know where he is?”

In response, Kōji tosses a rolled-up sheet of parchment at him. Lu Ten unfurls it to reveal a wanted poster, and a note scrawled at the bottom that reads “Lower Mùchéng - Frogman”.

“Who the hell is Frogman?” Lu Ten asks.

“My informant, for this job anyway,” Kōji explains as he gets ready for bed. “You find something to keep that sword in? It’s not exactly a stroll in the park to Mùchéng, so we gotta leave early.”

Since that is apparently all the information he’s getting, Lu Ten sighs and mimics Kōji, climbing into the warm bed.

“You always have this laid out for unexpected guests?” Lu Ten asks after a while. On the rare occasion he’d had to intrude on someone’s home, they’d usually just roll out a mat or futon. Kōji, while comfortable, didn’t seem to live the most luxurious life, to provide such a thing for strange guests.

“Go to sleep,” Kōji grunts, turning over in his own bed. Just as well. Every man deserves his share of secrets.

He wakes up before the sun rises. Kōji is still snoring (and hell if Kōji isn’t a loud snorer), so Lu Ten splashes his face with water and dresses. It feels like a strangely serious moment, dusk making everything outside seem muted and foreign. Lu Ten was always an early riser, preferring the warmth of the sun to the cool of the night, but then, most firebenders are like him. As he slips the sheath he found, just a touch too big, beneath his belt, he feels for a moment the same as he did the morning he shipped out for the Earth Kingdom. He was still just shy of 18, then, and his father’s most recent letter had been clutched in his hand, creased from the way his fingers pressed into it.

“My dear son,” the general had written, “I challenge you to find a father who has ever been prouder than I am of you. Let me meet this man, and show him my son, and see if he still feels so certain.”

Kōji snorts loudly, and when Lu Ten looks over the older man is rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Someone’s eager to get going,” he grumbles, and Lu Ten wonders if Kōji’s ever happy. He tells the older man he'll be waiting, and when he steps outside the sun is just beginning to rise. Lu Ten hasn’t ventured beyond the garden since he arrived, and his heart sounds loudly against his ribcage as inhales the smell of the world around them. Something childish inside him whispers “adventure”, tickling his ears and pulling at his lips to form a smile. It’s terrifying. It’s invigorating.

Kōji joins him a few minutes later, a large weapon in hand.

"Is that a mace?" Lu Ten asks in disbelief.

“Mùchéng is that way,” is Kōji's reply, pointing towards the northern mountains, and he sounds more alive now than Lu Ten’s ever heard him. “The city is built practically on stilts. Lots of good hiding places, but I have an idea of where to look. Don’t be too obvious about it now.”

“I’ll be fine,” Lu Ten says easily, the contagious energy zipping through him like electricity. “You’re the one who sticks out like a sore thumb, colossus.”

Kōji laughs, loud and long and hearty, and Lu Ten has to fight the urge to suggest they race to a nearby yew tree, his giddy excitement is that strong.

“Okay, shrimpy,” Kōji rumbles, knocking his boots against each other to rid them of mud. “If you’re so slick, think you can beat me to that tree there?”

Lu Ten grins.

“You’re on, old man,” he retorts, but when Lu Ten steps out to run Kōji sticks his foot out, tripping him so that he falls face-first in the dirt. Kōji laughs uproariously the entire (slow, in Lu Ten’s opinion) run to the yew tree, yelling something about payback for a broken nose. Lu Ten can’t even be upset, as he hauls himself to his feet and jogs to catch up with Kōji. It feels good to have fun again.

They reach the mountain town by mid-afternoon, or Kōji says they do, anyway. All Lu Ten can see is a rocky path and a drop-off point. Kōji smirks at his confusion, raps a quick rhythm on the mountain, and then there is a loud creak followed by a descending platform. Kōji and Lu Ten step on and are slowly lifted into the air by a series of pulleys and ropes. When they reach the top, they are surrounded by a city made entirely of wood. Wooden planks and paths lead the way inward, wooden beams support the platforms and building, wooden stores and homes sit up and down on the mountainside.

“It’s all wood,” Lu Ten says, trying not to let his nerves show. He suddenly feels like a gemsbok bull in a pottery shop. This whole place is a fire hazard.

“Weren’t you listening?” asks Kōji, leading the way into town. “Mùchéng is a refugee city, or it used to be anyway. People came here and built this town to hide from the Fire Nation. When their villages were raided, most of their benders were taken, so this is what they had to work with.”

“You never said any of that, Kōji,” Lu Ten says irritably, unable to stop himself from tiptoeing. “Besides, of all the materials to build your secret city out of -“

“I know, I know, one big cookout,” Kōji agrees. “But it’s well-hidden.”

“So were the airbenders,” mutters Lu Ten, but Kōji either doesn’t hear the comment or just ignores it.

Lu Ten finds himself sticking close to Kōji as they make their way along the planks, like a small child afraid to stray from their parent's side the first time away from home. In any city there are varieties of people, but Mùchéng has a distinctly disjointed feel to it. In this corner, there are children playing under the watchful eye of their parents. Under a nearby archway, a young woman cries as she writes a letter to a loved one far away. The very next ramp drops down to reveal a group of shady characters discussing something fervently. Every single person seems like they don't belong here, but it's clear from the suspicious glances that Kōji and Lu Ten belong here the least.

To match the sinking feeling in Lu Ten's chest, Kōji leads them down the ramp near the probable-criminals. The narrow path is so tight they have to mumble excuse me's as they pass, and the politeness only seems to lower their credibility. They travel deeper, edging along what can only be a crevasse located within the mountain. Lu Ten practically falls into the black abyss but Kōji's arm shoots out to keep him firmly on the ground. The older man points down to a rope ladder, which seems to be the only way in or out of the hole.

"Popular hideout down there," says Kōji, gazing downwards. Lu Ten's never had a fear of heights, but something about the situation makes his stomach turn.

"We'd be pretty screwed if we ran into trouble down there," Lu Ten says, swallowing a knot that's been building in his throat. What is wrong with him?

"Yep," is all Kōji has to say. "You ready?"

Lu Ten lays a hand, lightly, over his katana, and nods sharply. It's clear now that any ideas about this being a straightforward job have gone out the window - and Kōji trusts him anyway. He's not about to back out now. In a moment of courage, Lu Ten descends the ladder first. When a strong breeze causes the old rope to swing this way and that, however, he regrets his decision.

Whatever Kōji's reward negotiation skills are, they better make this trip worth it.

It turns out to be an average bar, once you ignore the fact that it's buried so deep within a mountain wolfbats hang sleeping from its rafters. Kōji sits at the bar with practiced confidence, and Lu Ten wonders if it's just from frequenting places like this, or if Kōji's been to this bar in particular a few times. When Lu Ten sits beside him, however, Kōji rolls his head, twisting his neck left and right a few times, and the tension in his muscles seems to indicate he's not comfortable here.

"We're looking for a skinny guy, probably pretty arrogant. He's got a two-headed rat viper tattoo on his right shoulder," Kōji murmurs. "He may be a small fry, but he's lethal. I'm practically a stranger here, and he's not, so he's got the home-field advantage, too."

"Knowing this stuff upfront might have helped," Lu Ten hisses before taking a swig of whatever Kōji had ordered for them. His stomach is still nauseous, and his throat feels dry for some reason. The burning liquid doesn’t seem to help.

"You're shaking like a leaf as it is, didn't need any more stress," Kōji whispers back.

"I'm not-" Lu Ten begins to reply indignantly, but he's interrupted by a fight breaking out in a back corner. A pair of young men, a little older than Lu Ten, are arguing loudly about money. Everyone in the bar pays attention, and fast, the familiar sounds of drawn weapons ringing out around them. One man gives the other a shove, and that's all the patrons need to start an all-out brawl.

"Shit," says Lu Ten, ducking to avoid an errant swing from his neighbor at the bar. The bartender hit the floor the moment his customers started swinging, and now he, Lu Ten, and Kōji are the only ones not actively fighting. "What do we do now?"

"We stay right here and find our guy," Kōji says gruffly, before promptly smashing a bottle over the head of a man who had tried to engage him in a scuffle. "The fight started right after we showed up. Someone must have recognized me and needed to create a diversion. Come on."

Kōji pushes away from his seat and heads towards the back of the bar, navigating his way through the flying fists and falling bodies. Lu Ten has to cough a couple of times as he follows, his throat feeling tighter than before, probably because of all the dust the crowd is kicking up.

"Won't he leave through the front?" Lu Ten whisper-shouts in the chaos.

"I've been here once before, years ago," Kōji replies. "There's an exit out back. I'm willing to bet we can cut him off from there."

Lu Ten coughs again and follows, relieved to be getting away from the mess of the bar. They get to a wooden door where someone is beating the crap out of someone else, and Kōji effortlessly pushes him out of the way. He yanks open the door to reveal a dim hallway leading to a back room.

"In there," says Kōji as Lu Ten slams the door behind them. "You ready to fight?"

"Sure," Lu Ten says, more confidently than he feels. He lets out a breath that comes out like a wheeze, and he fights the oncoming cough so severely it feels like he's choking on it.

Kōji enters the room.

"Duck!" roars the older man, tackling Lu Ten to the ground as a large arrow whizzes past them into the dark hallway. At the end of the room, one man has a crossbow, and there have to be at least six or seven men besides that. They move at once, attempting to surround Kōji and Lu Ten, so Lu Ten rolls out from under the older man, withdrawing his katana as he does and leaping to a stand. He immediately goes to defend Kōji, but when Lu Ten glances over, Kōji’s already bludgeoned someone and is swinging his mace around furiously.

Lu Ten takes the shooter, leaping forward to slice in half the arrow that had been knocked and jabbing their attacker with his sword. The man yells out in pain, but when Lu Ten gets a good look it's not their target, so he withdraws the katana kicks high, hitting the man in the head and knocking him out.

They're down five versus two, now, and it would feel like fair odds if Lu Ten didn't think he was having an asthma attack. The thrill of the fight is familiar enough that his body responds practically on instinct, but he coughs and coughs the whole time, sounding as though he'll hack up a lung. The coughs wrack him so violently that when he takes down another opponent, two more manage to subdue him, grabbing him by his hair and pressing a blade to his throat.

I survived the war, Lu Ten thinks almost hysterically, and I'm going to die at the hands of thieves.

"Bǎi!" Kōji practically screeches, and the hand at his throat is knocked away by a mound of earth. Lu Ten processes in slow motion this turn of events - he looks out the window, which has shattered, and back to his assailants, who are fighting Kōji from across the room. Kōji is yelling and snarling and practically foaming at the mouth.

He is also earthbending, Lu Ten realizes too slowly, as more rocks go sailing past his head and into the attackers.

He's earthbending. There's earthbending here. Kōji, his friend, is an earthbender.

Lu Ten knows he's still kneeling on the ground, and that four very violent men are attacking Kōji, but it's just so hard to breathe, and earthbending is so loud, why is it always so loud?

There's a shout, somewhere, and another rock rushes past Lu Ten, but this time it nicks his ear. Lu Ten inhales, sharp and violent, and the noisy earth falls away to the crackle of flames and smoke. Someone is shrieking. Lu Ten inhales again, and everything around him is a reddish-orange color. It's good and bad all at once, but even though his lungs are working again, his chest still hurts so bad.

"Bǎi!" someone yells, and Lu Ten wonders who they're talking to. There are lots of Bǎis, in both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. He hopes it's not a fallen soldier - the man sounds worried. Lu Ten would hate for him to be disappointed.

"Bǎi!" comes the voice again, and Lu Ten's vision clears just long enough to see a round, worried face.

"Dad?" he asks, and the red-orange fades ever-so-slowly to black.

When Lu Ten comes to, he's surrounded by the bodies of his friends. Last he remembered the earthbenders had crossed no man's land in a desperate move, doubtlessly hoping to keep the firebenders from making way on yet another of their walls. Lu Ten had felt for the Earth Kingdom soldiers, of course, but he never thought for a minute they'd succeed. His father was the general, after all, and his father was very good at war.

But it would seem they had been successful, in the end, and the corpses that surrounded him proved it. They're piled on man-made mountains, crushed between enormous boulders, disfigured beyond all possible recognition. Lu Ten moves to stand, a dull ache in his core, and is shocked to find that his legs still work. A voice in his head insists they don't, but then how could he possibly be standing?

He limps around the massacre numbly, unsure what is up and what is down in the aftermath of what seems to have been an explosion, or maybe a very powerful earthquake. He checks every body he passes, even the ones without faces, but every single one is dead. Lu Ten realizes with a start he is the only surviving member of his regiment. That he, the captain, did not go down with his ship. What a miracle. What a shame.

The idea that strikes him is vile and cowardly, but he's removing his decorations and insignia before he can stop himself. The body at his feet is mangled and torn asunder, as though it has been held down and stretched. Its face is nothing but exposed bone and meat, and when Lu Ten switches out his identifiers for the dead body's, it almost feels like he really did die today.

Lu Ten climbs one of the hills created by the earthbenders and looks to the sky. He can see mountains beyond, the Northern Mountains, he's sure. Maybe he can get there. Steal some Earth Kingdom clothes. Pretend his life is not his own. Suddenly there is a low groan from the ground below, and Lu Ten practically tumbles off the hill in search of it. A man, no, a boy is lying at the base of the rocky hill, his leg trapped beneath it. He's pale, paler than Lu Ten has ever seen him -

"Zhen," Lu Ten whispers, cradling the boy's head. He's known Zhen since childhood, the younger brother of one of Lu Ten's closest schoolmates. Lu Ten had insisted he was too young to go to war, but Zhen had fought bitterly for the great honor of serving his nation.

"Lu Ten?" Zhen says, and when he coughs blood stains his lips. In a moment of weakness, Lu Ten wonders if it would have been easier if Zhen had just died with the rest. Lu Ten removes his coat one-armed, taking care to still hold Zhen's head.

"What are you doing, Captain?" the boy asks, barely keeping his eyes open.

"This is going to hurt," Lu Ten says bracingly, shoving the coat in Zhen's mouth and instructing him to bite down. Finally allowing Zhen's head to drop softly to the ground, he moves over to the spot where the boy's leg is stuck. Lu Ten unsheaths the katana he won in a gambling match from his belt and takes a breath, then slices clean through at the juncture between rock and flesh. Zhen barely has time to react before Lu Ten is creating flame against the skin to cauterize the wound, and even with the makeshift gag, Zhen’s screams of pain echo throughout the battlefield. They are going to have to move the minute the skin has closed.

After what feels like forever, Zhen's leg finally stops bleeding. Zhen has stopped screaming as well, and when Lu Ten stands he sees that the boy has passed out. He bends down, hauling Zhen up by the middle and tossing him over his shoulder. Lu Ten almost keels over with the weight, so he stops a moment, shedding his armor and sword and pack, hoping that they'll find a generous healer on their journey north. Lu Ten doesn't want to try their luck with the Earth Kingdom army. They've already shown their cards.

He heads towards the mountains in a daze, Zhen a dead weight on his back as he navigates the smoke and the rubble. Just getting out of the battlefield feels impossible, but the futility of his task does not slow him down.

Lu Ten needs to help Zhen. He needs to leave the war behind. He needs to be anywhere else right now.

Exhausted, delirious, and unaware of his own broken leg, Lu Ten marches on.

Lu Ten sits straight up in bed when he wakes, gasping for air. It takes him a few minutes to remember where he is, especially since he wakes up in the cool summer evening, and the room is illuminated by a bizarre twilight he can't remember noticing before. He lets his breathing slow as he realizes he's safe in Kōji's house, a bowl of water and a neatly-folded washcloth sitting on the table beside him. His lungs, blessedly, accept the air he brings in, without burning or hacking away.

The job, he assumes, did not go well.

Kōji is nowhere to be seen. Lu Ten wonders for a moment if maybe the older man gave up, packed his things and left, before realizing how stupid he's being. This is Kōji's house. Lu Ten splashes his face with the water and rises to a stand, wincing in pain as he does so. His head feels like someone hit it with a club.

Or a mace.

Pushing forward, Lu Ten walks out back to the garden, where Kōji is watering his plants. He barely even looks up, just makes a small nod of acknowledgment and continues his work. Lu Ten had intended to have this conversation standing, to retain some dignity, but his pounding head protests, and he all but collapses into the nearby chair.

Lu Ten rubs hard at the back of his head, knowing more pain is counterintuitive but digging in with the base of his palm anyway. After a few moments, Kōji joins him in the adjacent chair, his bones cracking as he leans back.

"You could've mentioned you were a firebender," the older man says at last. The wind chimes tinkle gently around them, and the scent of fresh berries carry over to where they sit. There is no anger, or even surprise in Kōji's voice. Just a gentle reprimand, like a father would give to their adventurous child.

"You could've mentioned it was a wooden city," Lu Ten says. Kōji smiles, a small, soft thing. He does not laugh like he usually might, and for some reason Lu Ten feels 15 again, sneaking his secret girlfriend into the palace at night, like his father is saying Lu Ten could've just told him.

"You were right," Kōji says, which definitely throws Lu Ten for a loop. "I should've mentioned some things upfront. I didn't want to spook you away from the job, and I didn't want to spook you away by earthbending, either."

Lu Ten doesn't say anything. Just the sound of the word makes him want to get up and run, which is pathetic of him, considering he probably burnt a building down and Kōji is talking like he took a few silver pieces without permission.

"Guess we gotta start being straight with each other, here on out," Kōji continues. "Either that, or maybe we shouldn't be working together."

Lu Ten's stomach somersaults at the very suggestion. He knows, logically, that this is only his first attempt at a new life, that things don't always work on the first try, and if this life with Kōji isn't what he's meant for, well, he'll find something else. The thing is, though, Lu Ten's always gotten stuff on the first try. It's kind of his thing. And Kōji...Kōji is everything and nothing like his father, just the right middle-ground that makes him feel safe at home and far from the Fire Nation all at once.

"There are some things I can't tell you," Lu Ten says plainly, trying not to let his nerves show. Kōji just sighs.

"Yeah, I don't know what I expected," he says, still smiling. "Is there anything you can tell me?"

Lu Ten hesitates, trying to parse through the pieces of his life and figure out what bits are need-to-know.

"Earthbenders killed my men. My friend," Lu Ten says slowly. "I grew up with him. I've known him since he was nine. They crushed his leg and left him there to die."

Kōji hums appreciatively.

"I was taking the low road to the west for a job, and that's when I spotted you and your friend to the south," Kōji says. "You weren't too far from here, but no, you didn't get all the way to my house on that leg. Also, I have a kid, but they're not around much. About your age."

The last admission is hardly a surprise. Kōji may be loathe to admit it, but he’s a natural caretaker, and there’s a terrible loneliness about him Lu Ten had never understood until now. Lu Ten and Kōji look at one another in a sort of mutual understanding. Neither man has said all that probably needs to be said, but still, the air is lighter and things feel easier between them. Cleaner, somehow.

“How’d I hurt my head?” asks Lu Ten after a while.

“Passed out,” Kōji chuckles. “Hit the floor hard.”

"What happened to the target?" Lu Ten asks, an afterthought he hadn't considered until just now.

"Dead. Fortunately, they still paid up. Showed them the tattoo as proof."

"And the others?" Lu Ten says cautiously.

"Burnt to a crisp," Kōji says simply. Then, upon seeing Lu Ten's nervous reaction, he adds, "Don't worry. I made sure they were dead before we left. As far as anyone in Mùchéng's concerned, some fool kicked over a candle."

Lu Ten nods in silent thanks, even as he feels a pang of guilt for the unecessary death. He trusts Kōji, likes him a lot, but he's not really sure why the older man keeps covering for him. Maybe it's for the same reason Lu Ten's so eager to stick around - they're both missing something they lost, and looking for something new.

"We'll have to get used to each other's, you know. Skills," Kōji says awkwardly. Lu Ten agrees, despite the fear in his chest. "I say we start small. Candles and clay and things like that."

Lu Ten nods again, snapping his fingers and producing a tiny flicker of light. Kōji follows suit, reaching down to pick up a rock and crushing it between his fingers. Lu Ten watches, making sure to keep his flame controlled, as Kōji shapes and reshapes the earth. It's not so bad, here, in this context, when Kōji's earthbending resembles pottery more than anything else.

"What do you say?" Kōji asks, finally bending the rock to sand and letting it float away on the summer wind. Lu Ten similarly closes his hand, putting out his fire. "You wanna give hunting another go?"

"Why not?" Lu Ten says grinning. Kōji smiles back at him, and Lu Ten feels with absolute certainty that their next expedition will go better. "Can I just ask one more thing?"

"Shoot, kid," Kōji says as he rises from his seat.

"Show me where you buried my friend?"

Kōji stops in place, eyes widening in surprise. Then he nods solemnly, leading Lu Ten out of the garden and down a winding valley path, which intersects with the road they traveled to Mùchéng. Lu Ten’s head is still pouding, but he fights it off in order to show some respect to Zhen. Kōji points Lu Ten to a small hill, a lump of freshly-turned earth marked by a large stone. At first, the sight makes Lu Ten's throat well up all over again, until he moves closer and finds that Kōji has shaped the stone into a crude rendering of the Fire Nation symbol. His chest loosens again as he reaches out to smooth his fingers over the stone. It's not so bad, really, to be buried beneath the earth, but it's not what Zhen would have wanted.

"Is it...is it possible we could dig him out?" Lu Ten asks in as steady a voice as he can muster. Kōji says nothing, just raises his eyebrows in confusion.

"I want to give him his funeral rites," Lu Ten clarifies.

Kōji moves forward and moves into a careful stance, his face furrowed in concentration. Slowly, gently, the mound rumbles and falls away to reveal an almost fully deteriorated body wrapped in a blanket. Lu Ten takes a deep breath, mumbles a few words of farewell and thanks, and bends a wall of fire befitting of such a soldier.

He moves to stand beside Kōji as Zhen's ashes scatter around them. Kōji stands with his hands clasped, head bowed solemnly. Lu Ten is in a similar stance, but refuses to look away from the pyre he has created, focusing all of his thoughts on his friend, a tribute that has come much too late. When it is done, only Zhen's bones remain. Kōji buries the bones, just as before, and Lu Ten resets the grave marker.

"Thank you," he tells Kōji. It doesn't feel like nearly enough, but it's all he can say, for now. Kōji just grunts in reply. As they walk back to the house, Lu Ten's stomach settles for the first time in days. He knows it's only temporary, but he thinks he feels at ease.

#avatar bebop au #lu ten #iroh #atla #avatar the last airbender #tw death #tw violence #tw ptsd #fanfiction #operation sfa #my stuff #my fanfic

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youcancallmecirce · 5 years ago

Text

Avatar AU, The Lost Firebender; Ch 3: The Avatar Returns

The Fire Nation comes calling, just as expected, and Zuko answers.

Written in collaboration with my daughter, Aya.

Ch 1 * Ch 2 * AO3 full story * AO3 this chapter

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

From his vantage point above the village, Zuko watched the enormous Fire Navy ship plow ever closer.

Below him, Sokka stood alone, holding his ground on the low ice palisade as he too watched the ship’s approach, his face painted and bone club in hand. Why was he alone? Zuko wondered. Where were the men who should have stood at his side in defense of their people? The rest of his people were running, screaming for him to “get back!” but Sokka didn’t move. Zuko wasn’t sure whether to applaud his bravery, or deride his stupidity. (He ignored the niggling thought that Sokka reminded him a lot of himself in that moment.)

The ship finally stopped just as it breached the packed ice wall, which crumbled beneath Sokka’s feet. The boy wavered, but kept his footing on the tumbling, shifting snow and again stood his ground.

Everything was still for a moment. The people who had sought refuge in their pitiful tents re-emerged and began to gather in a frightened cluster near the center of their village, whispering and clutching at one another. Zuko scanned the group and realized with a shock that all of them were women and children. Sokka, who couldn’t have been more than 16, was easily the oldest male member of the village.

The viciously pointed prow of the ship suddenly separated from the upper deck with a clank that made the whole Water Tribe jump, and it began to lower like the opening maw of a great beast.

Zuko didn’t jump; he had been expecting it.

Sokka, still standing apart from his people, scrambled backward out of the way and fell backward into the snow. Zuko winced. He knew from experience how that sort of thing could sting the pride. He decided that he sympathized with him, even if he was just a pathetic Water Tribe peasant. There was worse to come.

Zuko shifted his attention from Sokka’s sprawling form to the three figures gathered at the top of the long metal gangway. All three wore familiar uniforms of ember red and ash grey, with tri-pointed helmets and skull-like face plates. But not entirely familiar, he noted absently. The uniforms had changed a bit since he’d last seen them. The ridiculous points on the pauldrons had been eliminated, but they still wore curling points on the boots.

The men began to make their unhurried way down towards the gathered villagers, their manner insultingly dismissive, and Sokka ran up to meet them with a yell. He never even got to swing his club. The man in front kicked it from his hand, then kicked him off of the gangway entirely without even breaking his stride. Sokka landed head first in the snow, his legs stuck awkwardly in the air.

Zuko actually cringed this time. Sokka’s pride had just been obliterated, right in front of his entire village. If he was smart, he would stay down.

The villagers shrank back as the Fire Nation men approached, then fanned out around them. Five of them. Zuko could handle five.

The man in front, clearly the leader, tuned his head slowly as he looked over the gathered people. “Where are you hiding him?” the man demanded.

No one answered, and the man removed his helmet. Zuko was too far away to see the man’s features clearly, but he looked to be the same as every other Fire Nation officer that he’d ever met: arrogant and cruel.

“Where is the airbender?” he shouted, scanning the people in front of him.

Zuko frowned. Airbender? Oh. His people must think that he’d died, and that it had passed to the next element in the cycle. But why wouldn’t they? It had been a hundred years.

When he still received no answer, the man grabbed one of the old women by her hood, and Zuko heard Katara cry out in alarm. The officer dragged the woman roughly away from the rest of the group. “He’d be about her age, by now, and master of all the elements,” he shouted, shaking the woman and sounding angry now. “I know you’re hiding him, where is he?”

Silence answered him once more, and a blade of flame appeared in the man’s hand as he lifted it to the woman’s throat. Gasps rose from the others, and Katara screamed.

Zuko cursed. It was now or never.

“Stop!” he shouted, leaping down from his perch above the village and running towards the ice wall. He scaled it and dropped easily to the other side, in full view of all of the shocked villagers, and the surprised Fire Nation men. “Stop!” he said again. “Let her go. I’m the one you want.”

“You?” the man said dubiously. He shoved the old woman back towards her people, and Katara caught the woman with a choked sob. “You’re from the Fire Nation. You can’t be the Avatar, you’re far too young. An old Air Nomad, perhaps, or young water tribe, but you? How did you even come to be here?”

Shocked gasps and murmurs had gone through the crowd at the mention of the Avatar, and Zuko gritted his teeth. There would be no hiding it, now. “That doesn’t matter,” he said. “I am the Avatar, and I will not let you hurt these people.”

He sank into a defensive pose and bent fire to his hands, staring the man evenly in the face. A yell from behind the man drew everyone attention. Sokka had recovered and was once again charging the Fire Nation soldiers. Their leader ducked fluidly, using Sokka’s own momentum to flip him to his back. The bone club had gone flying, and Zuko thought that he would finally give up, but Sokka pulled another weapon from his back. One look at the officer’s gleeful expression, and Zuko knew that he wanted Sokka to keep trying.

“Enough,” he said, shoving Sokka back to the ground. The boy snarled and tried to lunge, but Zuko shoved him again. “Stay down!” he snapped. “If you keep this up, that man is going to kill you and then who will protect your tribe?”

Sokka bared his teeth, but nodded his grudging agreement. Zuko stepped back and Katara helped him to his feet.

“Thank you,” she said, looking at Zuko. Then her eyes went wide with alarm. “Zuko! Look out!”

Her expression had been warning enough, and he was turning to block even before she said his name. He caught the man’s forearms with his own, and found the man staring at him, dumbfounded.

“Zuko?” he whispered. He disengaged and took a step back. “Prince Zuko? How?”

Zuko only narrowed his eyes at the man, watching him warily.

“The scar,” the man muttered. “I should have known. I don’t know how it’s possible, but--you really are the Avatar, aren’t you?”

Zuko nodded once, curtly, and heard another murmur go through the people behind him.

The man’s face morphed into a cruel, avaricious smile. “Remember this day, men,” he said, once more taking a combative position. “This is the day that Captain Zhao captured the renegade Avatar prince and returned him to his people for justice.”

Zuko growled and launched himself at the man, attacking both with fire and martial skill. The other men did not engage, as he’d expected, but maintained their perimeter around the fight. All the better, Zuko thought. Zhao’s arrogance will be his downfall.

He dodged Zhao’s admittedly skilled attack and went in low, hooking his foot behind the man’s ankle as he bent a crescent of fire towards the man’s head. He succeeded in unbalancing the man, but a horrified, pained cry had him withdrawing and looking around him.

One of the children had fallen to the snow, an angry burn marring the girl’s face below her left eye, and Zuko felt time slow. No. He felt the terror of the Agni Kai, the agonizing pain of the burn, the despair that had engulfed his younger self, and his vision went red with fury.

Not again. He would not be a party to the maiming of children--and yet, he already had been. He stared at the child, focusing on his breath, remembering Roku’s guidance.

“From the breath, Zuko,” hius mentor had said. “A firebender’s power comes from the breath, and his skill comes from control.”

And so Zuko breathed. He sensed Zhao’s coming attack, and let it happen. Let the man think he’d been too stunned by the child’s injury to defend himself; the more they underestimated him, the better. He would surrender now, take the fight away from these simple people, and then he would free himself when no one else could get hurt.

Gran-gran knelt by the injured girl and her mother, trying to soothe parent and child alike. Katara knew she should try to help, but she could only stare in frozen horror at the blistering red weal on the girl’s face. It was just like the last time the Fire Nation had raided. Who else would be hurt before they were done? Who would be killed?

Another crackling flare of flame had her leaping away from the combatants and then Zuko was falling, caught off guard by the attack from behind. Zhao fell on him immediately, pinning his arms and yanking his head back with a fist around Zuko’s top knot.

“You’re pathetic,” Zhao spat. “Avatar or not, the histories were right in naming you a weak, honorless coward.” Zuko’s eyes flashed as he struggled in Zhao’s grip, and the man jerked back on his hair. “Bring chains,” he called to his men, as he continued to sneer down at Zuko. “It’s time that Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation went home.”

“No!”

Katara took a step forward, but Sokka caught her arm. “Don’t,” he whispered hotly. “There’s nothing you can do.”

“But--”

Sokka’s expression softened. “Getting yourself killed now isn’t going to help him.”

Zhao’s men had bound Zuko’s hands behind his back with heavy chains and hauled him cruelly to his feet. Zuko grunted, but gave no other outward indication that the wrenching of his shoulders had hurt.

“It’s alright,” Zuko said, meeting her eyes. “I’ll be fine.”

Zhao laughed. “Sure you will,” he said. Then he turned away and gestured towards the ship. “Bring him,” he called over his shoulder. “We’ll get the prince settled in his new ‘quarters’.”

The other soldiers laughed, and the one closest to him jerked Zuko around by his shoulder and shoved him forward. “Come on, prince,” the man said, his tone derisive.

Zuko looked back at Katara one more time, then disappeared into the ship. “They’re leaving,” she said, dazedly. “They’re just--leaving.”

“Are you complaining?” her brother asked, bemused.

“Of course not,” she said, shaking herself. “I’m just--”

“I know,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Me too.”

Behind them, Gran-gran was ushering the child and her mother back into her tent, where she could tend to the girl’s burn. Everyone else stood with the siblings, watching the ship slowly pull itself out of the ice and back into open water.

“This isn’t right,” Katara said.

Sokka pursed his lips. “I know.”

“He saved Gran-gran. If he hadn’t--” Katara swallowed, thickly. She couldn’t finish that sentence.

“I know,” Sokka repeated.

“And if he’s the Avatar?” Katara turned at last to face her brother. “If he’s the Avatar, Sokka, we can’t let them--”

“I know,” Sokka said again, beginning to look irritated. “Do you want to figure out a way to go save your boyfriend, or would you rather stand around here wringing your hands all day?”

Katara’s eyes widened. “Really, Sokka?” He nodded and she threw her arms around his neck. “You’re the best brother ever! I--wait,” she stopped and pushed away from him. “He’s not my boyfriend!”

“Whatever,” Sokka shrugged. “I’ll start packing, you work on Gran-gran.”

Katara nodded, sobered by the thought of her grandmother. She felt certain that the old woman wouldn’t want to let them go. Maybe it would be better if they tried to slip away unnoticed?

She slipped into the tent where Gran-gran was tending to the child, and saw her smoothing the hair back from the girl’s face. She was asleep, probably thanks to some of the healer’s herbs, but her pinched expression indicated that she was still in pain.

“Will she be ok?” Katara asked quietly.

Her grandmother nodded. “Come, Katara. Let’s leave them in peace.”

They ducked out of the tent and moved a distance away, so as not to disturb the patient and her mother. “Gran-gran--” Katara began, but her grandmother started speaking at the same time.

“What will you do?” she asked, her eyes bright and expression shrewd.

“Do?” Katara echoed blankly.

“You and your brother will have to go after him, of course.”

Katara gaped at her grandmother, stunned by the woman’s insight and agreement.

“Don’t look so surprised, child” Gran-gran said wryly. “I don’t know how you came to know that young man, but it was obvious that his appearance wasn’t a surprise to you or your brother. Whatever happens next, your destinies have become entwined with his.”

Katara threw her arms around her grandmother. “Thank you, Gran-gran!” she said. “Thank you for understanding!”

“Enough of that, my dear. How can I help?”

The next hour passed in a blur for Katara. They gathered as many of their things as they thought they would need: bedrolls, food, Sokka’s club and boomerang, a spare change of clothes. Katara touched her necklace, wondering if she should leave it behind. She hadn’t taken it off since her mother’s death, but maybe it would be better to leave it where it would be safe.

“Take it,” Gran-gran said. “It’s yours; it belongs with you.”

Katara nodded and hugged her grandmother again. “I’m going to miss you,” she whispered as Sokka joined them.

“The canoe is ready,” Sokka said, “But I don’t know how we’re going to save anyone from the Fire Nation with a dinky little canoe.”

“Oh my,” Gran-gran said, paling. “Is he a friend of Zuko’s?”

Katara looked at her grandmother, then followed her gaze to the rise above the village. There, looking down on them, was Fang. He was a brighter red than Katara had yet seen him, and twin coils of smoke drifted from his flared nostrils.

“Fang?” Katara said, feeling hope rise. “Are you here to help us?” The dragon’s head dipped in answer, and Katara grinned.

“Oh, no,” Sokka groaned. “You just love taking me out of my comfort zone, don’t you?”

They realized quickly that they wouldn’t be able to ride Fang without some sort of harness for their gear. Fang seemed to understand their quandary, and though Katara could sense the dragon’s growing impatience to be gone, he consented to let them strap an old polar bear dog saddle to his body. It sat awkwardly behind his head, but it held their things securely in place. Katara knew it wouldn’t be comfortable for him, but she also knew that they would need it.

“Will that be alright?” she asked him anyway, stroking his side.

In answer, he lowered his head and rolled his large eyes toward her, as if inviting her to climb into the saddle.

She smiled at him, hugged Gran-gran one last time, and then they were airborne almost before Sokka had settled himself in the saddle behind her.

“Spirits,” she gasped, and then coughed. Fang had set out to follow the smoke trail from the ship’s engines, and she’d gotten a lungful of it. “He really can fly!”

“I thought it was too cold,” Sokka yelled, his arms almost painfully tight around her middle.

She tugged at his hand and he loosened his grip enough to be bearable. “I did too,” she said in answer to his question. “But right now I’m too grateful to ask questions.”

Sokka grumbled behind her, but didn’t really argue with her.

“How long do you think it will take us to catch them?” she asked over her shoulder. She’d been fretting over the amount of time they’d spent preparing to leave, worrying over every minute that Zuko had been a prisoner, but there had been no help for it. Even now that they were on their way, she had no idea what they would do when they did catch the ship. How in the world could two teenagers and a dragon do anything against a ship’s worth of fully trained Fire Nation soldiers?

Sokka, for his part, had been thinking along the same lines. “Never mind that,” he said. “What are we going to do when we catch them?”

Katara drooped. “I don’t know,” she admitted.

“Well, figure it out fast. There’s the ship!”

She looked up. Sure enough, there it was, small in the distance but rapidly growing larger as they got closer. The smoke trail had thickened dramatically, and Fang dropped lower to take them out of it.

“Look, Katara,” Sokka said, pointing. “I think there’s something wrong down there.”

There were now three separate plumes of smoke where before there had been only one, and people roamed over the deck of the ship like a colony of disturbed turtle seals. “He must have already freed himself,” she said, her spirits rising again.

As they watched, an explosion on one of the upper decks rocked the ship, and it began to list to one side.

“Do you see him?” Sokka asked.

“No, not--wait, yes! There!” She pointed, but Fang’s eyes were apparently sharper than theirs. He was already angling down towards the ship, losing altitude in an increasingly steep dive.

A fireball soared past them, followed by another. “They’ve seen us!” she said, unnecessarily. Fang spun in the air, dodging the blasts. Katara felt her stomach turn, and felt even more grateful for the saddle which kept them anchored to the dragon’s back. The ship was coming closer at an alarming rate and the fireballs continued to fly past them, but Fang didn’t slow.

“Kataraaaa!” Sokka yelled, while Katara shouted at Fang.

The dragon pulled up at the last possible moment, sweeping soldiers from the deck of the ship with the undulation of his long, sinuous body. Both Katara and Sokka panted, trying to recover their breath and their wits, when someone suddenly landed on the dragon’s head out of nowhere. They screamed again, but it was only Zuko.

“Go!” he shouted, clinging to Fang’s scales. “Get us out of here!”

Fang shot up into the sky, and they left the crippled Fire Navy ship behind.

#avatar #au #avatar!zuko #avatar prince #katara #sokka #zuko #eventual zutara #circe writes

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erintoknow · 5 years ago

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together, we break the rules

been having fun talking about an atla au with my friends;

wrote another piece for it. anita is @dorkousloris‘s oc, logan is @hotlineaisui‘s oc, lyn is @queenofthieves‘s oc, zia is @ratkingkisses oc, finally, angel and cerise are @frozenabattoir‘s ocs.

---

“Why are there so many soldiers in this town?”

“It sounds like they caught a witch in the area recently.”

“Witch what?”

“No, like– a witch, witch.” Ari frowns, one hand firm on her mug of tea. “Like– spooky lady kind.”

Anita leans in over the table, eyes wide. “That’s a real thing?”

“No… No it’s not.”

“But why would someone…?”

“Oh, I can think of a few reasons…”

As soon as the pair finish their drinks, they leave the tavern in huddled conversation. The waitress wonders is maybe she should tell someone what she overheard them discussing but… the one with the goggles did tip well. Whatever, the town is crawling with soldiers.

Ari glances around the street for listening ears as she and Anita walk back to where Bugbear is waiting on the town outskirts. “You s–sure you want to d–do this?”

Anita nods, squaring their shoulders. “We gotta! They’re going to kill her.”

“Glad w–we agree.” Ari pats Anita on the back. “We b–better make sure we’re ready. This is going to–to–to be even worse than when we tried to free those lemurs awhile back.”

Anita nods, then picks up the pace as Bugbear comes into view, snoozing under a tree. “Bugbear!!” The beardog picks his head up with a happy ‘bork, bork.’

Anita runs a hand through Bugbear’s fur, “I’m a lot better with that Bo staff now, we can do this.”

Ari comes to a stop before the two of them. Bugbear cranes his head down and with a anxious hand Ari gently rubs his muzzle. “We just need to jump in there, grab the, ahem ‘witch’ and run the heck away.”

“What could go wrong?”

“You had to ask, didn’t you.”

–

“You ready?”

“Y–yeah.”

Anita leans down to whisper into Bugbear’s ear. Ari clenches her eyes shut in a silent prayer as Bugbear lumbers to his feet. Not far in the distance, a pair of earth kingdom soldiers stand ready at the gallows. Their attention is focused on the woman being half walked / half dragged to her fate. Head held high, not sparing a glance for the crowd lingering behind that’s gathered to watch the show.

How many soldiers? Six? No eight, there’s two more at the rear. Ari has to assume they’re all earthbenders. Not great odds, even with Bugbear to tilt the scale. “W–we got to try.”

Anita nods and with a word Bugbear leaps into the sky, over the crowd.

The crowd erupts into screams as they land, Bugbear flattening the guard holding the ‘witch’s’ chains into the ground.

A gout of flame knocks the second guard off his feet and into the dirt. Ari ducks her head as Anita tries to calm Bugbear. “Holy shit! F–f–firebenders!?” Search the crowd and – there, two of them. Headed straight for them through a parting in the crowd.

And that’s when the boulder connects with Ari’s shoulder sending her spinning off Bugbear and into the ground.

–

It had taken most of the night to work out the plan. They needed to hit at just the right moment in order to take full-advantage of the surprise. Running through every possible scenario, drawing out a plan of attack. Lyn frowns as she looks over the crowd, the armed guards. There’s too many variables, too many of them, and only her and Logan. “You’re sure?” She questions in hushed whisper.

Logan frowns, as if not entirely comfortable with the question. “I can… feel it.”

“Intuition again?” Lyn chews the inside her cheek. That’s not the reassurance she was hoping for.

“Yeah.” Logan rolls a shoulder, feels the joint crackle and pop. “Regret coming with me, yet?”

Lyn shakes her head, “You wouldn’t have lasted two weeks without me.” Smiles.

Logan doesn’t smile back. “Let’s see if we last the next two hours.”

A gasp rises out of the crowd and a shadow passes over Logan and Lyn as they look up. A beardog sails overhead, over the crowd and lands on top of one of the pair of guards escorting the ‘witch.’ Gasps turn to screams as the soldiers rush in, the witch falling backwards in surprise.

“Really.” Lyn facepalms.

Logan laughs as she drops into a firebending stance. “Knew planning was a waste of time.”

People get out of the way in a hurry as the two firebenders send a burst of flame across the field to knock down the witch’s second escort.

“Holy shit!” One of the two figures atop for the beardog cries out, as she looks their way, “f–f–firebenders!?” Lyn groans. It’s that gogglehead and the airbender they overhead at the tavern last night. What were the odds?

The guards are in combat stances now, one plants his feet and pulls up a chunk of earth. Lyn slides to a stop, cups her hands around her mouth, “Look out you idiot!”

Too late, the boulder goes flying, clipping the woman in the shoulder and knocking her off her ride. The other rider glances back, panicked. “Ari!?” The beardog growls and leaps again, pouncing on another guard as his rider cries out in surprise, desperately holding on.

As Logan rushes ahead, Lyn tears off her hat and pulls back her hair. Forehead tattoo exposed, Lyn grits her teeth as she focuses, hands clenched. A burst of energy collects and then shoots out exploding against the guard that had knocked the rider off, sending him flying and skidding across the grass.

Logan slides to a stop by the woman at the center of the chaos, who was – Logan noted with some concern – laughing. With one hand she reaches down to grab the prisoner by the arm, pulling her to her feet. “Witch?”

The woman’s shock is quickly masked with a cool confidence. “Yes, that’s me. I’m the witch.”

“Are you a waterbender?”

The red-haired woman that had fallen to the ground has pulled herself up with her staff, which she now points in Logan’s direction. “N–n–now hold on, who the hell are you guys?”

–

If Zia was going to die today, then she wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of begging for mercy. After everything she’d done for this town; the sick she had cured, the injuries she had healed… the dozens of little miracles she had worked over the years as she honed her craft. None of it had meant anything in the end. Just another bloodbender. A nasty ‘witch’ lurking in the forest.

They hadn’t deserved her.

If Zia was going to die today. Despite everything there remained the conviction; she’d get out of this one. Just like she got out of the last mob. Or the one before that, that drove her from her homeland. Something was going to happen, and she alone would remain standing.

Something would happen, she was sure of it. Even as she was marched through the streets, hands bound in metal shackles before her. Something would happen, even as the crowd gathered to watch. Even as the gallows came into sight. Something would happen.

Right?

A massive brown dog the size of a bear fell out of the sky, flattening the guard holding her chains and knocking her flat on her ass. The crowd erupted into panicked screams as a gout of fire shot out from within the crowd and knocked away the guard that had been following behind her.

Zia couldn’t help the laugh.

Something was happening.

A blond woman slides to a stop in front of her, reaching down to grab her by the arm. Pulling Zia to her feet, the woman looked her in the eyes, “Witch?”

A cold smile formed on Zia’s face. “Yes, that’s me. I’m the witch.”

The woman nods, “Are you a waterbender?”

A wooden staff thrusts in between them and Zia glances over to the owner. A red-haired woman that had been knocked off the beardog. “N–n–now hold on, who the hell are you guys?”

The blond glances between her and Zia. Around them the noise of battle as the other firebender and the beardog try to hold off the remaining guards. A quick moment of mental calculus. “I’m here to rescue you,” she says, looking straight at Zia.

The other woman falters, lowers her staff. “Uh– Okay. Us t–too.”

The blond focus on Zia again. “Are you a waterbender?” She repeats.

Zia smiles and holds up her wrists, still bound together in metal. “Let me out darling, and I’ll show you.”

A shower of stone pelts the three of them, forcing them to the ground, shielding their faces. The woman with the staff hisses through gritted teeth. “Get her loose.” She stands up again, shield her eyes with one arm, holding the staff with the other outstretched. A gust of air blows back against the rocks as she spins her staff.

The firebender grunts and moves towards Zia, and again Zia holds out her wrists expectant. A small flame comes to life in the bender’s hands and begins to heat the metal.

–

“Ari!!”

Anita cranes backwards, trying to grab Ari as she falls to the ground, sleeve slipping out of her grasp. Bugbear cranes up, borking in surprise and Anita flings herself against him, holding tight. “Hey, hey, easy boy!”

Bugbear borks and leaps, jumping on another of the soldiers as behind them and boom rings out. An explosion? Anita glances backwards to see another two figures rushing them in the field. Oh no, more trouble?

And then one of them turns to face one of the soldiers running down from the gallows and Anita watches the burst of white energy collect against the woman’s tattoo’d forehead before shooting across the field to explode against the soldiers, knocking him back against the wooden structure.

Are they… helping?

There’s Ari, pulling herself up off the ground, while a blond-haired lady in bulky-clothing helps up the ‘witch.’ Wearing armor underneath? Unnoticed by the three, one of the soldiers plants his feet into the earth, pulling his arms back. Antia frowns, “com’on boy!” Patting Bugbear on the side, Anita urges him forward. Bugbear borks and headbutts the soldier, sending him sprawling end over even as his pile of earth collapses back into the ground.

“Yeah!” Anita fist pumps the air, “good work boy!” The sense of victory doesn’t last long. Anita notices the boulder flying their direction just in time to urge Bugbear out of the way. Before the soldier can throw something else, the woman with the tattoo crashes into him with a kick trailing fire.

Who’s still standing? One of the soldier’s bugbear pounced on is back on his feet. With a furious cry he sends a stream of stones and uprooted clumps of earth at Ari, the ‘witch,’ and the mystery blond. “Ari! We’re coming!” Anita urges Bugbear onward again, and they barrel into the man, knocking him to the ground.

“Ari!” Anita glances back to their friend, “you okay?”

Ari grimaces, nods her head. “J–j–just peachy.”

–

The metal melts under Logan’s flame and finally the chain weakens and snaps in two. She shakes her hand, willing the heat to dissipate faster. “We can do a proper job later.”

The witch nods, a broad smile on her face. “Looking forward to it, dear.” She rubs her wrists, flexes her fingers as Logan steps back. “What’s the escape plan?”

Logan frowns, looking over her shoulder. The crowd has dispersed now. In its place a contingent of soldiers is marching down the street towards them. “…run?”

The witch’s smile melts. “Run? That’s your best idea?”

“Yeah well–”

“That was our plan, alright.” The airbender with the staff approaches the two of them, alongside the beardog and it’s rider.

Lyn runs over to them, pulling her hat back on. “We need to go!”

“Just a moment, lovelies.” Witch steps forward, twisting her hand. Around her the grass browns and withers in a widening spiral, beads of moisture collecting into a ring around her. With a flick of her wrist the water collects into an arc in front of her and cascades out in a sheet, turning into ice as it goes and rising into a rapidly thickening wall between them and the incoming soldiers. “There, as you were saying?”

Logan glances at the gathered crowd, then up at the beardog. “Can we all fit on that thing?”

The rider pulls at their goggles, counting with one hand. “Mmmmaaaybe?”

“Then we’re doing it.” Logan gestures them to get moving, “Everyone on the giant dog. Go, go, go.”

The witch falters, “R–really now?”

Lyn glares at the woman, “if you think we’re leaving you behind after all this trouble…”

A smile pulls on Logan’s face, “No sense hanging around here.”

“Ugh.” A look of resignation passes over the witch. “Very well.”

–

Angel lounges in bed, one arm behind her head, the other hand snapping a flame on and off, on and off. When the door opens, she watches with mild disinterest as her bodyguard enters the room.

Cerise puts her hands behind her back. “Mistress, we have a new report.”

Angel sighs, rolls her eyes and dismisses the flame with a wave of her hand. “Well? What is it?”

“The false avatar has been spotted in Zhang this time.”

Angel groans and runs a hand through her hair. “Tell me, Cerise, why is it that our little imposter has to go to most backwater boring places imaginable?”

“She’s likely attempting to keep a low profile.” Cerise pauses, frowns. “Well, until now anyway.”

“What is the point of impersonating the avatar if you don’t milk it for all it’s worth?” Angel stands up and stretches a hand up towards the ceiling. “I’d thought volunteering for this would mean I get to see the world, drink the best booze, find the hottest people… “ Cerise winces. “All on the Fire Lord’s dime! But what have we done so far?” She clenches her hand into a fist and brings it down hard, a wisp of flame trailing after it. “Slummed it in port towns! Harassed podunk villages who can’t even read! Argh! It’s so boring! I hate it!” She stamps her foot.

Cerise keeps her face blank. “That must be incredibly hard for you, mistress.”

“Truly, you have no idea.” Angel laughs. She stalks over to the map unspooled on desk by the door, “But you know what?”

“What, mistress?”

Angel puts a finger to the map tapping the island where they started then tracing a line across their path in pursuit of the imposter avatar. “Do you see what I see here?”

Cerise steps closer, frowning as she does. “I… no.”

“It’s a straight line. A straight line to where?”

“Ba Sing Se.”

#fhr/Ariadne #*logan #anita #lyn #zia #cerise becker #angel #atla #alta au #fanfic #atla fanfic

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antman-56 · 5 years ago

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The Long Night Pt. 12

***The Next Day***

Tai : So, we have a USB and some support from the local king pin is what i'm getting out of this.

Raven : Pretty much.

The twins were lucky that Tai helped them out, so they told him everything first when he caught them last night. He lied to Summer that they came back a few minutes after fell asleep.

They decided to tell her what they learned later with Tai's help, so they don't get yelled at as much.

They were now in the cafeteria still deciding what to do next and waiting for Summer to get them their weapons.

They forgot about combat class and left them at their dorm.

Raven : What is taking her so long?

Qrow : Gee a 4 foot girl carrying a broad sword her size, a Odachi with it's sheaths, her own weapon and all the ammo for those weapons should be here in 5 minutes no less.

Raven : Fine. I'll go help her.

Tai : Thank you my love.

Qrow : Gross.

The boys watched Raven walk out of the cafeteria.

Tai (smirking) : Not as gross as you and Summer almost kissing.

Qrow spits out his drink.

Qrow (flustered) : What?

Tai : I saw what you two were about to do and I got to ask . . .

Qrow : And you want me to back off or something?

Tai (throws spoon full of corn at him) : Let other people finish before you assume. And I am not against it, just be careful with her.

Qrow : Or you'll kill me?

Tai : No, she can do it before I could.

Qrow : Well don't worry we aren't dating. It just happened.

Tai : I know that feeling, but she may like you.

Qrow just looked at Tai.

Tai had his trademark dopey smile. It always helped anyone get into a better mood no matter how down they were.

They noticed a pile of weapons moving towards them with Raven behind it.

Summer : I can't believe you guys forgot your weapons!

Qrow : Sorry.

Summer : You are lucky that Raven is helping with the ammo. Now get ready you two because Major Jones will take no excuses if were late.

***Combat Room***

The Combat Room was something special. It was a large room with cubes stacked into obstacles that varied from trees to buildings. Near the ceiling their was a peanut gallery.

Their were 32 students following Major Jones into the peanut gallery.

Scarlet : Alright Maggots, since your mothers decided not to swallow you this is your Hell. This is not Beacon , Haven, Signal or any other Combat School. This is Atlas, the best of the best.

Everyone of the transfer students were caught of guard. The Atlas students seemed unfazed by her intro.

Scarlet : Now we do this like the Vytal Festival. 4 on 4, 2 on 2, then singles. So, who wants to volunteer out of the lot of you?

Silence.

Scarlet (sigh) : Okay then. LION, BLAD congrats you fight first.

Team BLAD (Blade) and Team LION left to go to their respective sides, they were told to go, of the room.

Team BLAD is composed of Ben Miller, Lenny Mcormick, Alvin Duke, and Damien Steel.

Team LION is composed of Leonie Song, Issack Murr, Olivia Strong, and Nicole Small.

As team BLAD was leaving to their side Alvin winked at Summer before he left.

It did NOT go unnoticed.

Scarlet : Now the rest of you can watch the fight or homework. The choice is yours.

Summer : I'm ma go watch the fight. Would anyone else like to join me or . . .

Raven got up and started to drag Summer by her hood to the window panels.

(// like when Ruby and Weiss first teamed up )

Tai : How about you Qrow? Like to join me and the Queens.

Qrow : Nope.

Tai : Really why? I can keep Raven busy and leave you and you know who alone~

Qrow : First off, gross. Second their is nothing their and third I want to catch up on sleep if i'm going to be at my best.

Tai left after he got his answer. Thinking of other plans to help his best friend.

Qrow on the other hand put a book on his face as a blindfold and made himself more comfortable in his seat.

Team LION was renowned for being a up and coming brawler team. They mostly focused on hand to hand combat, but that didn't stop them from being a good team.

The leader of LION was Leonie Song. A fiery red head with a personality of her teams name. Her semblance was Fire Bending, albeit she has a limit for how long she can use it and she is extremely weak against water. Her weapon of choice are fire dusted brass knuckles and steel boots that enhanced her semblance.

Isack Murr looked like the average guy everyone knew, but didn’t know. He had no weapon just two small shield, one on each arm. Each shield was equipped with dust canisters that would explode a variety of dust when met with enough force to trigger it or whenever he decided to attack. His semblance was Never Stand Down, it helped him not stagger, but it has a limit to how much force he can receive before he falls.

Olivia Strong was a powerhouse of a woman. She was a giant close to 8 feet tall and had the muscles every body builder wished to achieve.She had short brown hair and looked more akin to the stereotypical Valkyrie. She had a great battle axe that would return to her if she threw or lost it. If it didn’t come back, she was more than capable to defend herself. Her semblance was Rage, it blocks out all pain, she can only use it when in a dire situation and cannot tell who is friend or foe.

Nicole Small was a small girl like Summer, but in the life of a huntsmen looks can be deceiving. She had dark purple hair kept as a pony tail and wore a black corset suit with a purple trim which is connected to her gray tights and black knee-high boots (///Ayane from Dead of Alive 6) . She had no weapon, but she was somehow able to utilize her aura as one. She was more gifted in hand to hand combat and could probably beat Tai in singles. Her semblance was Exploit, she can see weak points on her opponent, even the ones they didn’t know they have. However, it can be used against her.

Team BLAD was one of the three teams that had their eyes on team STRQ since the incident. They were a mix bag of kids that everyone thought wouldn’t get along when they met.

Ben Miller was the the leader of team BLAD. He was a well built man with a lazy eye and a Mohawk. He was in the punk phase right now and he made sure everyone knew. He had tattoos with various Grimm and one that said “No ragrets” on the back of his neck. His weapon was a zhanmadao, that can turn into a small katana. His semblance is Telepathy, he can tell give teammates orders without saying them, although is a one sided communication

Lenny McCormick was a failed ladies man. He looked like a knockoff version of prince Charming doll that you want to throw away, but you can’t. He did very little for hygiene and tries to impress girls with the expensive stuff he buys for himself. His weapon of choice was a longsword that can turn into a whip. (///Think of the sword of creation in Fire Emblem : Three houses) His semblance is Counter, any physical attack can be reflected back at the source. It takes a lot of aura to pull off and is very dangerous if done incorrectly.

Alvin Duke is a chipmunk faunus. He hides his ears with a red beanie and long unkempt brown hair. Nobody knows he’s a faunus except his team and he would like to keep it that way. His weapon of choice was amplifier microphone around his neck, that he wears like a scarf. His semblance is Scream, he can let out sonic scream attacks at any frequency, the cut off being it hurts his voice if done without his Aura.

Damian Steel was the strongest of the team. If their was a new diet or new way to exercise then he was invested in it. He had a shaved head and wore only khaki shorts that went past his knees. He was considered to be in the same boat as most of the most physique huntsmen on campus. His weapon of choice was a drill like gauntlet. His semblance was Harden, it would harden his skin to be as harder than steel.

Both teams were now at the bottom floor waiting for the doors to open.

Scarlet (intercom) : Now you all know the rules. Aura drops below 20% your out. No suicide sacrifices, no human shields, and no friendly fire.

“Now Begin”

BLD advanced towards LION. Alvin stayed behind and it looked like he was coughing.

Damien was fighting Olivia, Lenny against Isack, and Ben was keeping Nicole and Leonie occupied.

Olivia was on the offensive and was not letting Damien breath. Damien was blocking every strike Olivia delivered with little difficulty. That soon changed when she started to add more force into her strikes.

Damien (grunting) : That all you got?

Olivia smiled.

Damien was caught off guard when she added more force behind her next strike that it left him wide open. Olivia took advantage and went for a punch to the face, but immediately when her fist made contact she winced in pain. Damien activated his semblance at the last second.

Seeing her retreat, he immediately counter attacked with a series of strikes.

Lenny was winning against his fight with Isack. He had him at a distance and was striking him with his whip sword. Isack could only move slowly towards Lenny as he was able to block his attacks.

Nicole and Leonie were trying to get past Ben, so they could get to Alvin. Between the two girls Ben was struggling with Nicole. She kept going to his left side while Leonie was attacking his right. She kept pushing or grabbing his blade whenever they made contact.

Ben just blocked an attack from Nicole and was now about to strike Leonie. She blocked the blade and activated her semblance. She made a fire ball to blast him in the chest. Sending him off flying to the nearest wall.

As the 2 women were advancing a whip hit Nicole. Leonie turned to see Lenny, Lenny left himself open for Isack when he decided to help. Isack ran towards Lenny tackling him and began his punching him when he was on the floor.

Nicole got up from the attack and was again helping Leonie. Ben threw his weapon at them and it hit Leonie in the back.

Nicole was right a few feet away from Alvin and was about to go for his throat.

That was when Alvin was done taking a deep breaths and let out a high note.

Team LION quickly covered their ears to try to decrease the noise.

Team BLAD quickly took advantage of the situation when team LION left themselves wide open.

Ben attacked Leonie and Nicole. Lenny pushed Isack off of him, picked up his sword and started striking Isack down when he was on the floor. Damein started a number of combos on Olivia who couldn’t even activate her semblance.

The match was over before anyone could yell out a Boo.

The foreign exchange students were in an uproar that a dirty trick was used when they were sparring. while the Atlas students stayed quiet.

Team BLAD saw the commotion in the peanut gallery and bowed at them. Making the students more mad.

Scarlet :Students! Quite! (Sigh)

(BOOM)

Silence.

Scarlet : Now I know the tactic that Team BLAD used was unsportsmanlike, but I must ask you. Do you think your enemy will play fair? Are you that naive?

The students looked at one another, to see if anyone disagreed with her.

Scarlet : No, they won’t. Human combatants will show no honor in a fight and like the Grimm, they will not wait for you to be ready to kill them. This is an example of “Whatever it takes to win”. Take this as a lesson, to never underestimate your enemy. (darkly) Even if they are your peers.

The students dispersed back into their previous seats and waited for their turn in the match.

Tai : That was still bullshit tho.

Raven : I understand it. This just shows that we need to do the same in our match. Right Qrow?

Qrow was snoring peacefully in his seat . The book on his face fell off and he had a saliva trail falling off his face.

Summer sighed, got up and did her usual thing that got her teammates up if they weren’t awake.

She gave him a wet willie.

Qrow “ ARGH . . . What the hell?

Summer : Wake up and watch the next match between team SLVR and team STAR.

Raven : Or we can talk about the Screaming Kid.

Tai : Like how his balls went back into his body or how he winked at Summer?

Qrow : Wait what?

Summer (Blushing) : He didn’t wink at me! He may have had something in his eye?

Tai : No it was a wink.

Tai looked at Qrow to see a reaction. He wanted to see if what Qrow said earlier was true. So far nothing.

Summer : Anyway lets get back onto the matter at hand. How are we gonna win our match?

#qrow branwen #taiyang xiao long #raven branwen #summer rose #rwby au #long night part 12

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emberbent · 5 years ago

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Book 1: Fire | Chapter 5: Nightmares and Storms

Morning. Muted light came through the little window in her room, rousing Shinza from a bleak, colorless, soundless nightmare: in it, she had watched herself as something from inside her oozed out in sticky black tendrils from her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Her scarred fingers clawed at the floor in clumsy resistance, but her face remained expressionless.

Shinza found herself sitting up in bed, having a hard time coming to wakefulness and shrugging off the hideous dread the nightmare had brought. She’d always been good at interpreting her own dreams and even the dreams of others she was close to, but this one was too unsettling to try to unpack; instead, she slipped out of bed, dressed, and went for a walk.

Deep purple clouds roiled angrily and obscured the sun, muting the normally vibrant colors of the shore. The waves, agitated as if in response to the threatening sky, crashed against the beach. The salty wind picked up in speed. Standing on the shore, facing the horizon with his fists balled up, stood Amrit. Shinza traversed across the rust-colored sand toward him, realizing she recognized that posture - the one he took on when deep in thought. As she passed the rocks, several dragon-iguanas locked eyes with her and watched her walk past.

Amrit heard her approach, but he didn’t acknowledge her right away. She came to stand beside him, looking out into the sea, trying to find whatever he was looking at. Finally, he said, “We would have been married twelve years today. My kids would have been turning turning ten soon.”

Suddenly, Shinza understood. Where they were standing was exactly where he’d lost Gao and their unborn children, and where he’d lost his limb trying to get them back. It was hard to think about. She looked down at the tide, rushing over their feet. Grains of red sand caught in the fine scrollwork of The Leg’s metal foot. She could easily imagine Amrit as a loving husband and father, laughing and joking with his wife and trudging across the floor of his home with one child clinging to each leg. The sudden starkness of him by himself in contrast made Shinza’s heart ache for him.

She put her hand on his shoulder, and he gratefully put his hand on top of hers. “I can’t imagine how badly you must be hurting,” she said.

“Have you ever lost anyone like that?”

“No. I’ve been lucky so far. I have no idea what it feels like.”

Amrit took a deep breath and released it. “It’s like a stone,” he said; his voice was tired, like it took everything in him just to speak. For the first time, Shinza noticed the fine lines around his eyes, and the dark stubble coming in on his jaws. “Every day, you have to swallow it. But every day, it’s a different size. Some days it’s just a tiny pebble, and you don’t even notice it going down. Some days it sits heavy in your stomach, but you drink some tea and it helps. And then there are days when it’s a boulder. You can’t even see around it, much less attempt to swallow it.”

Shinza’s heart sank. Seeing her friend in such pain and knowing there was nothing she could do to alleviate it was excruciating. She squeezed his shoulder and said, “Do you want to talk about it? Or would you rather be distracted?”

Amrit thought for a second and then said, “Distract me, please.”

“You wanna hear a joke?”

He looked at her for the first time that morning, brows rising as if daring her to try to make him laugh. “Okay.”

“What’s worse than raining capuchin cats and dogs?”

“What?”

“Hailing taxis.”

Amrit snorted and cracked half a grin. The dimple on the left side of his face appeared. “Where’d you hear that?”

“My little cousin told me.”

“You went to go see your family? How was that?”

“Confusing,” she replied with a sigh. Then, after a beat, she looked at him and said, “I want to take the mastery test.”

“Whoa. Was it that bad?” he asked with concern. “What happened?”

Shinza pulled her sinking feet out of the sand and motioned for him to follow her down the shore. The gulls overhead called loudly to one another, coordinating to pick the dragon-iguanas off the rocks.

“It was actually really nice,” she said. “Until somebody brought up the the Avatar at dinner. I managed to play it cool, but they’re supporters of The Org. They were also trading some pretty disgusting rumors - like that the Avatar murders children to gain power. I just…”

Shinza paused, thoroughly disgusted as she recalled the conversation. “I can’t fathom how they could really think that’s true. How could you not question that?”

“It’s propaganda,” Amrit replied flatly. “People will believe all kinds of shit if they have a good reason to. No one’s immune to it, even if they think they are.”

“My aunt also said The Org is on a witch hunt,” Shinza continued. “Which I don’t think is a rumor. She said they’re starting in Republic City and just waiting for the name of the Avatar to be announced.”

“Good thing you haven’t been presented yet,” Amrit noted. “Maybe the world leaders will agree it’s best to keep your identity unknown.”

“I don’t think it’s going to matter,” Shinza replied. “My guess is The Org is probably further along with their plans than everyone thinks, or at least that’s the assumption I’m going with. Besides, something else happened - or at least I think it happened. I think my cousin Nhu knows who I am. If she does, I have reason to believe my secret is safe with her.”

“I hope so,” Amrit said. “So you want to take the test so you can move on and keep training.”

“Exactly. And I know you think I’m not ready, but I’m asking you as a friend, and not as your student: please let me do this my way. I need to know you have some faith in me.”

Amrit halted, looking guilt-ridden. The wind kicked at his high black ponytail. “Actually, there’s something I want to say about that.”

Shinza couldn’t help rolling her eyes. Amrit continued, “Please, just hear me out.”

She waited. He laughed nervously and rubbed at the back of his neck. “This is hard. Ah… I was wrong.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve been holding you to a different standard because of who you are, and that’s not fair. I thought that since you have Fire Nation heritage and you’re the Avatar, you’d fit snugly into this ‘classical prodigy’ mold I had in my mind. But your firebending is different and unique and beautiful, mostly because of how much harder you’ve had to work to be able to even produce a flame. I’ve never seen anyone whose chi was blocked so badly and for so long like yours was. When that happens, it usually means a person never really fully opens up their bending abilities. This has never had anything to do with your lack of ambition, and I’m sorry I turned it into that. I’m sorry I haven’t shown my faith in you.”

Shinza wanted to throw her arms around him. Instead, she settled on a righteous smirk. “That really was hard for you, wasn’t it?”

For the first time that morning, Amrit’s smile reached all the way to his onyx eyes. “Yeah. It was. But you’re proud of me.”

“Very proud,” she purred. “And you’re proud of me too.”

“I’m…” Amrit looked away, still smiling. “In awe of you. And yes, extremely proud.”

“So you’ll call a meeting?”

“Yes. But let’s get inside. The Leg’s killing me.”

_________

The test came five days later. Shinza had dressed and received the red ochre markings on her face that indicated she was being tested. Then she was led out into a valley on the edge of the village, where a panel of five elders sat waiting for her. To the left of them burned the Eternal Flame, and above them all loomed the Cave of the Masters, although the Masters themselves did not appear. Surrounding Shinza were other tribe members - some she recognized as Amrit’s family and his former students, all of whom took their cue and initiated a stirring traditional song. Drum beats and chanting filled the humid air in the valley; the warrior closest to the Eternal Flame took some of its glowing energy and passed it to the warrior next to her, and so on until each person bore the flame. Rhythmically, they danced with the fire, creating circles of varying sizes and colors. Shinza, awed and with goosebumps cropping up along her skin, stood in the middle of it all until it came to an end.

She faced the panel of elders, recognizing Amrit as the one sitting to the right of the chief. They all wore ceremonial clothes, and their ochre markings told their places in the tribe. Shinza had never seen Amrit the way he was now: impartial, regal, statuesque. He and the others took their seats, and the chief spoke.

“Avatar Shinza,” boomed Chief Mongkut. “We gather today to administer your firebending mastery test. Are you ready?”

“Yes, Chief Mongkut,” Shinza answered with a deep bow. From above, the sun’s rays beat down on them all. She felt the heat in her bare shoulders like a particularly energetic jostling from Amrit, grounding her, encouraging her. She could almost hear him whispering in her ear: you’ve got this. When she caught a glimpse of him, though, he was watching her as if she were a stranger.

“Proceed,” commanded the chief.

Shinza ran through every form she’d learned here on the island, stringing them into a tight, improvised dance: rapid, high kicks and flurries of punches; twirling leaps and swift spins on one bent leg. Fire blazed from her hands and feet, carefully controlled and white-hot, in streams and bursts, spheres and circles. She left it to the panel’s imagination to envision these moves being used in combat. Finally, when she was finished, she closed the path of her chi with a circling movement of her arms and bowed again.

Sweat matted her bangs to her forehead and rolled sideways down her face to drip off her nose. Panting, she waited. But no one said anything. Then she took a glance upward and saw that the four who flanked Chief Mongkut had all turned to him. He seemed to be deep in thought, eyeing Shinza as if she were a stone with some unknown ancient language carved onto its surface.

“Thank you, Avatar,” he said. “That will be all.”

Shinza blinked stupidly, standing up straight and nodding her head in deference. Then she slipped away, looking back one more time at Amrit, who she found this time was looking back at her, wearing an expression she read as a combination of admiration and worry. Once the testing area was out of view, she stopped to catch her breath, wondering if she’d missed something. Amrit had told her what to expect: the opening ceremony, the passing of the Eternal Flame, and the feeling of intimidation performing in front of almost the whole village. But he hadn’t specified when she’d be handed her results. Maybe they always wait, she thought to herself. But the sinking feeling that she hadn’t passed crept along her soot-covered skin. Shoving her damp bangs upward off her face, she exhaled and wandered back through the town square.

“You didn’t fail,” she murmured to herself in an attempt to calm her rising anxiety. “You didn’t fail. You’re a perfectly adequate firebender.” But adequate isn’t good enough, replied her inner voice, which in this scenario sounded like her mother’s voice: calm, loving, and laced with the poison of disappointment. Her mother had never directly said it, but Shinza always got the hint: doing something if you weren’t perfect at it was a waste of time. An icy terror slid down her spine: what if this was as good as she got, ever? What if her training with the other elements went the same way? What good would she be to anyone then? A flash of the nightmare she’d had several nights ago resurfaced: black tendrils, scraping nails, silent mouth. What had that dream meant?

“Stop,” she hissed. Inwardly, she reminded herself that she hadn’t even been able to bend before she’d arrived here. Now, she’d done well enough for the panel of elders to allow her to take the mastery test. She’d done everything she could, and she’d continue to do all she could, because she had no other choice. Shinza closed her eyes and wiped away the image she saw of her mother and father, conjuring up instead the memory of that first day of training, when Amrit had insisted that there was nothing wrong with her. The thought brought her comfort, but it wasn’t enough.

Opening her eyes, Shinza released the breath she’d been holding. She was proud of herself.

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365daysofsasuhina · 6 years ago

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[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Fifty-One: Good Medicine ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Healing Waters and Scorching Flames ] [ AO3 Link ]

She hasn’t had much opportunity to learn the healing side of waterbending. Though...then again, waterbending as a whole hasn’t exactly been a subject Hinata was steeped in. With the Fire Nation raids capturing and locking way the Southern waterbenders, Hinata had only her mother to teach her...and even then, not for long.

She’d not been one of the many taken prisoner. Hanako had simply been slain where she stood.

As the last left with any hint of bending in her veins, Hinata grew up without a teacher, only able to guess and feel her way through bending. Failures in her experiments meant a lack of confidence, and a yearning to someday make it to the North to find a master to learn from.

Of course, that had been before stumbling across the Avatar alongside her best friend Kiba. That single encounter changed not only her life, but the world.

Suddenly she had a way to leave the South Pole: a method of transport to the North, where she and the Avatar - Naruto - would learn under the remaining masters of waterbending.

Before they could leave, however...trouble found them. Namely the second-in-line prince Sasuke of the Fire Nation.

Their first meeting had her feeling fearful...but also realizing she couldn’t afford to be afraid. This was the Avatar...the world’s last chance for peace. If Hinata wanted to make it to the North - if she wanted Naruto to save the world - she had to put aside her reservations, and do as her mother did: stand up to the Fire Nation.

Needless to say, that first encounter - and the next several over the coming weeks - meant a great feeling of animosity between them: Hinata, and Sasuke. They both sought the same person, but for entirely different reasons.

But as time passed, and their circumstances changed...they could no longer afford to be enemies. Naruto needed to learn firebending. Sasuke had begun to see the error of his ways, thanks to careful guidance from his cousin Shisui: a secret member of the White Lotus.

So, the two groups were suddenly awkwardly pushed together as Sasuke accepted his role as Naruto’s firebending teacher.

But Hinata wasn’t having it.

After all he’d done - to them, to Naruto, to her - she couldn’t trust him. Wouldn’t! No longer was Hinata the meek, scared girl from the South Pole. By then, she’d grown into a young woman of resolve and dedication.

Of them all, it would be Hinata he’d have to convince the most.

It hadn’t been easy...but from a begrudging acceptance of their circumstances, situations arose to drive them together. Bit by bit, acceptance grew...which slowly formed into trust.

Which is why now, with Sasuke injured, Hinata tries to put her limited healing knowledge to the test.

“Just...hold still. I need to concentrate.”

Not arguing, Sasuke sits in a tense, accepting silence. Mild burns litter his left forearm, used to block an attack but partially letting it go astray. The red, puckered skin stings, but doesn’t seem too severe.

Taking clean water from a canteen, Hinata examines the wounds carefully before bringing the element up to the singed tissue. For a moment, it almost seems to burn all over again. But then the liquid glows softly, and relief instantly wilts Sasuke’s shoulders.

“...I’ve never seen waterbending healing before.”

“I’m...very loosely practiced in it. I had some lessons in the North, but...not as much as combat. I’ll do what I can, but...they might scar, and take a w-while to heal.”

“It’s fine...better than I could do.”

That earns him a brief glance before returning to her work.

“...when this is all over, I know a healer you can learn from. If you want.”

“...you do?”

“I…” Shame weighs in the base of Sasuke’s gut. “...when I, er...went to get Naruto, it wasn’t my first trip to the south. A few months before that, I’d gone to another tribe that used to be known for healing, and...took the last bender there. She’s the one serving my brother. Keeping him alive.”

Recognition alights Hinata’s face. “...I see.”

“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t...kind to her. At the time, I was still…” His tone fades to silence, not sure how to explain. “...I was so conflicted then. My brother means everything to me. I was desperate. So...I told her I was holding her village hostage. If anything happened to Itachi, I would…” Another pause, not needing to explain. “...and yet...part of me - a stupid, selfish part of me - had hoped we wouldn’t find one. A healer.”

“...but…?”

Grief and anger darken Sasuke’s face. “...the older I got...the more I realized that, if Itachi were to die...it would make me the next Fire Lord. And now, I...I can’t stand myself for ever having thought that way. But my father, his teachings...they jaded me. It’s like he wanted to pit us against each other. He knew Itachi was weak. Maybe...that’s what he wanted. But I insisted to try the South. To look for a healer.”

For a time, quiet settles over them. “...then...that’s what matters in the end. You overcame those feelings, and you got him help.”

“But I did so in a terrible way!”

“I’m not saying you’re not at fault in that regard. But...you helped your brother, when you could have...well, left him to a worse fate. Maybe someday you can atone to how you treated the other waterbender. And...I would be happy to learn from her.” Hinata glances up, managing a small smile.

“...you’ve come a long way, Sasuke. In my eyes, at least. I’ll admit...I was so wary of you at first. And...I had reason to be. But I also see how you’ve changed. I might have had my doubts, but you proved yourself. I’m sure you can do so with her when the time comes. For now, we each have our own paths. She’ll help your brother, and you’ll help the Avatar.”

Sasuke looks to her with a somber expression before glancing to his wounds. “...and you’ll help me.”

“...we’ll all help each other. Together, we’ll stop your father. The Fire Nation can then be led back into the ways of peace. The w-war will be over. And we can all...go home. Heal. And the world can regain its sense of balance.”

“The work won’t stop with the war,” Sasuke reminds her dryly. “There will be plenty left to do.”

“I know...but we’ll face it together. All of us. Naruto has changed too, you know. He’s not just a wistful child. Now...he’s matured. At least,” she laughs, “somewhat. Part of him, I think, will always be a kid. But we work together well as a team - and we’ll keep doing so after the war, until the world has a better foundation. It’s been stuck in this war for almost a hundred years! There will be a lot to get used to.”

“Hn…”

Another round of silence, and then Hinata checks her work. Scars glisten pink along Sasuke’s arms, but a flex and a prod prove them to be healed. “Well...it’s not p-pretty, but…”

“It’s great. Thanks, Hinata.” The prince affords her a rare smile that she returns.

A kind of tension seems to bloom...before they both glance away.

“I...I-I should see if Naruto has any wounds,” she offers, moving to stand.

“Yeah, I’ll...start working on a fire for the camp.” He watches her go, unable to help a feeling of...frustration. Like he’s missed something. Looking to his arm, fingers gently sweep over the new scar tissue. He’s sure they won’t be the last.

...and maybe he won’t mind a little healing every now and again.

Well, not as late as last night - woo? lol More AtLA! I've been really feeling this fandom lately, and it worked well for this prompt, too! I love incorporating some healing with Hinata, given her canon dabbling into it, what with her poultices she's been seen to make! So while she might not be a master, she can at least help Sasuke's wounds a bit. And he doesn't mind getting a little up close and personal, it seems ;3 Anywho, that's it for today! I'm excited to have crossed the 50 day mark - and soon we'll be at two months! Kinda crazy, honestly...time's really flying. But, either way, thanks for reading!

#uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #sasuhina #healing waters and scorching flames [ au ]#365daysofsasuhina

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