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the-jade-cross · 4 years

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Love on Fire - Chapter 9

Korra shifted nervously on the back of the black dragon whom she had been introduced to. Across from her was Izumi who rode on the back of the white dragon.

“So, why are we up here?” the young avatar inquired.

Izumi smirked at the girl’s concerned face.

“We’re up here so that my father will not hear us,” Izumi remarked. “When my father told me, he was planning on telling you about... well… the Yin and Yang since him and my mother, I volunteered to do the background explaining to you.” “Whatever for?” Korra inquired.

Izumi sighed before glancing down, “Here. Land in front of the palace. There is something you need to see.” When they landed, Izumi led Korra into a side building near the side of the palace, sort of set to the side, surrounded by peach and apple trees that were green with leaves but no sign of buds yet.

When they entered, Korra gasped. Hanging from the ceiling was a chandelier that was narrow and long, the tip touching the center of the floor, so it was sort of like a pillar. There were crystals of pale blue and pale gold and hanging from the tip of each spiral was either a little sun or a little star.

“My father had this building made after my mother died,” Izumi explained. “I was young…. about twenty-eight. My parents were barely in their mind forties when my mother was taken from us.” “What caused her death?” Korra inquired, noticing that the walls were lined with portraits.

“Exhaustion,” Izumi replied. “My mother had gone through so much in her younger years that her death was brought on by exhaustion. Also…. From what my father always told us was that she was too good for this earth and our Maker decided that we had been blessed with her presence long enough and that she deserved a happier life.” Korra glanced at the nearest portrait and saw that it was a portrait of Avatar Aang, his wife Katara and their three children. Next to it was a portrait of Sokka, his wife Suki and their children: Shawn and Suzie. The next one was one that made Korra’s eyes widen.

“Is that Toph?” she asked.

Izumi nodded, “Toph and her husband, Hirako. Hirako was my mother’s younger brother. Those are their sons: Thom and Terrance.” “And who is this?” Korra asked, pointing to the next portrait.

“That is Hirako and my mother’s older brother Kaname. His wife Ty Lee was a childhood friend of my mother and father. Those are their children: Ken, Kara and Tanya.” “This man,” Korra said, nodding to the next one. “He looks like Mako.” Izumi chuckled. “That is Mitsuru, my other uncle. My mother had three brothers. His wife, Mei was a close friend of Aunt Ty Lee. Those are their daughters: Minnie, Michi, Mari, Meena and Moira.” “And this….” Korra gasped, staring at the picture that stood at the head of the others.

Izumi nodded, walking over to touch the portrait of her family, “My family.” Korra slowly approached the large painting before touching each person in turn, “Fire Lord Zuko…. He looked so young!” “That was when he was young,” Izumi chuckled softly. “And when he used to smile…. Smile and the way his eyes would light up…. That has never happened since my mother died.” Korra then began to trace over each face of the children, “That is you…. You were so beautiful!” “And that is my brother Rekka,” Izumi said, fondly touching the painting of her twin.

“And these three girls?” Korra asked.

“My sisters, Yakira, Ena and Chika. They are all married now and living happily in Ba Sing Sa. Chika carried on our great-uncle Iroh’s tradition of tea making and she owns his shop in Ba Sing Sa.” “And…. These boys….” Korra whispered. When Izumi didn’t answer right away, the turned to see a pained look cross Izumi’s face.

“My younger brothers Katsu and Roku. Katsu died eight years after my mother did…. He was only thirty-five. Everyone thought that he died of the same that our mother did…. until it dawned on us that Katsu died of a broken heart. My mother was the world to him. Katsu loved our father, but he loved our mother more than life. When she died, he was the one who took it the hardest and he never truly got over it. His heart broke the moment he heard our father cry when our mother’s heart stopped. When Katsu died…. Someone else’s heart broke…. Roku’s.” “Don’t…. no….oh no,” Korra whispered. “Did he….” “Roku died three months after Katsu died. When they were children, no one would think that Katsu and Roku were close, but it was a friendship that only they could see. Katsu was the calm, intelligent while Roku was the energetic, rambunctious but they were the closest of brothers…. Maybe even closer than Rekka and I.”

“I’m sorry,” Korra whispered.

Izumi just shook her head and stroked the painting of her brothers fondly.

“And this….” Korra said, running her fingers over the pale blond girl standing next to Izumi in the painting. “Is your mother….” “Shirayuki Trusang, the Yang of our time, wife to the Fire Lord and the strongest person any of us have ever known.” “How did she do it?” Korra inquired. “I have heard of the things that she endured. Being brainwashed…. Thrown into a death prison….”

“Love,” Izumi whispered, walking to the next painting which made Korra’s eyes widen. “The love she held for my father lasted even through brainwashing and prison. Unto death and beyond, my parents will forever be in love and that is what keeps them alive… it is what has helped my father keep going for this long….though it is starting to hurt.” Korra ran her fingers over the painting of a few young people: Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Zuko and Shira.

“What do you mean?” Korra inquired.

Izumi sighed. “My father is dying.”

**********

“Fire Lord Zuko!” Korra cried, rushing over to where Zuko was preparing to mount onto Druk.

Zuko turned around slowly before turning back to Druk, covering his mouth and his shoulders shaking before turning to Korra fully.

“Avatar Korra.” “Izumi explained everything to me…. I just have one question….” The girl stuttered. “I know that your memories of your past lives as the Yin or Yang do not carry through to the next generation…. But…. Is there any assurance that… I will find him or her again?” Zuko smiled before placing both his hands on her shoulders, “I asked myself that the moment Shira died. I asked myself it again when Rekka died. All I know is, we will all find our way back home to each other in a world that has no death and no strife…. A place I hope to see one day.” Korra nodded before hugging the old man tightly, “Take care.” Zuko chuckled before patting her gently on the shoulder and mounting Druk. Just as Korra turned around and walked off, Zuko coughed into his hand, his shoulders heaving as he coughed heavily several times before taking a deep breath. He looked over to see Dagny and Gau watching him with concern in their eyes.

“I’m alright,” he assured them. “Let’s get home. It is the last time I have to return home without Shira waiting for me.”

********

Zuko sighed as he slowly walked up the steps to the palace. He paused on the 88th step…. The same step that Shira always stood upon when she awaited his arrival…. And if she wasn’t the one waiting, it was Yakira. Zuko turned his head to the side to look at the small building that stood to his right. Slowly he walked into the building and smiled fondly at each painting, walking by each one by one, trailing his fingers over them.

When he reached the final one, his hands paused on the petite pale girl in the picture….at her side, two young boys: one blond and tall, the other more strongly built with dark hair.

“I miss you….” His hands paused on the portrait when his eyes traveled to the small back door nearby which lead out to the small garden where Shira would sit so many times with the children. Zuko walked over to stand in the doorway, looking upon the garden which had changed so much. The apple and peach trees not yet blossoming even though they were overdue. Zuko remembered watching Shira sitting upon the grass by the pond, Chika in her lap, Katsu leaning against her side as he read something aloud to her. He could just imagine seeing Roku’s little body hanging from the limbs of the tree, playfully teasing his brother on his book knowledge.

Rekka and Izumi would play in the water or practice their bending. Yakira would run around the garden, filling her skirt with flowers only to dump them all into the water and watch them float away.

Sighing, Zuko turned on his heel and returned to his slow journey up the many steps to the palace. There was no one really around. The guards were like stone statues as usual so Zuko’s journey to his chambers seemed to go unnoticed. When he entered the room, he found Gau and Dagny sitting on either side of the door, waiting for his arrival. Zuko stroked each of them in turn before walking to his desk and sitting down. Drawing out his pen, he carefully wrote something down on the sheet of paper there before folding it and writing a single name upon it. Leaving it alone upon his desk, Zuko strode over to his bed and sat down on the edge of it, sighing at the relief it gave.

“Zuko,” a soft voice whispered from behind him. Zuko turned and found himself gazing upon the sight he had been waiting to see for almost forty years. Long golden locks fell to her waist, eyes as blue as the sky sparkled and her smile seemed to make her face glow with light.

“I am ready,” he whispered, smiling at her.

The girl slowly crossed the room before holding out her hand to him, just out of reach, “You are.”

Zuko slowly leant back before laying down on the bed. Dagny and Gau came to curl up around the base of the bed, intertwining their long bodies together in a protective manner around the fire lord. Zuko covered himself with the sheet before looking at the girl who still had her hand extended to him.

Reaching out, he touched it and found in shock that he could feel it…. warm….gentle…. and so light that it felt like it was not yet real.

“It is time,” the girl whispered. “To come home.” Zuko smiled happily at her when suddenly he saw three faces appear behind him…. Young faces…. And behind them…. More faces that had long been lost to him for years….he was going home.

Meanwhile, Izumi had been standing near the docks, watching as the familiar Ba Sing Sa ship approached, carrying her three sisters. She saw the three girls poke their heads over the side before walking down to greet her. Yakira’s hair was beginning to gray slightly but Ena and Chika still looked as young as the day.

“It is so wonderful to have you home!” Izumi said, hugging her sisters. “I am sure father will be overjoyed to see you.” The three girls beamed at the prospect of seeing their father when suddenly a shiver ran down Izumi’s spine and she clutched her chest.

“Zu?” Chika inquired, touching her sister’s shoulder, “What is it?” Izumi shook her head, “I don’t know…. I just felt like something in me…. Snapped…. Or…. disappeared. I haven’t felt anything like this since Rekka died….” “Fire Lord Izumi!” a young page cried, sprinting to them at an incredible speed.

The four girls turned to look at him to see a horrified look on his face, “You had better come see this.” When the page led the four girls to the doors of their father’s chambers, they stared in shock at what lay before them. The doors had been blown to smithereens and half of the doorframe was engulfed in a thin trail of fire that didn’t seem to spread…. But just kept burning softly…. And the other half of the doorframe…. Was encased in ice!

“Izumi?” Ena inquired, turning to her sister for assurance.

“Father,” Izumi whispered, the worst coming to her mind. The four girls burst through the doors, only to find that they were not the first ones there.

A white-haired woman stood by the side of the bed, staring calmly at the old fire lord as he lay motionless on the bed, the black and white figures of Gau and Dagny curled up around him, their eyes closed and the sound of their loud breathing no longer there.

“Aunt Toph?” Yakira inquired.

The old earth bender turned and smiled softly at the sight of the four girls standing there.

“I was wondering when he would finally decide to give himself a break. For as long as I have known your father, he never once went easy on himself. He took it upon himself to make up for those years of hunting Aang and in a way, I believe he blamed himself for all the things that happened to your mother in her childhood.”

The old woman turned back to Zuko and fondly touched his shoulder before leaning over to plant a kiss on his forehead.

“Rest now old friend,” she said gently. “You have waited too long.”

“Aunt Toph…” Ena whispered. “Does that mean….” The girl didn’t have to finish her sentence for everyone present saw how absolutely still Zuko was…. His chest no longer rising and falling with breath, his eyes closed and his face ashen white to match the paleness of his lips. His arms lay limp by his sides and he was unmoving just like the dragons.

“Fire Lord Izumi!” A maid cried, running into the room and not even noticing Zuko on the bed, her eyes wide.

“What is it Rose?” Izumi asked.

The maid clapped her hands happily. “You know how the peach and apple trees were late to bloom? They all bloomed just now! Every last blossom burst! It was amazing!” Once the girl had run back out of the room to spread to amazing news, the four girls turned back to Toph who had walked over to the window during the exchange and was looking out at the pink and white blossoms floating through the air.

“So, passes, another Yin and Yang,” Toph sighed.

“No….” Chika let out a choked sob, Ena quickly wrapping her in a hug to help muffle her sobs.

While Ena and Izumi tried hard to comfort her while holding back their own tears and failing, Yakira had crossed the room and stood at Zuko’s desk.

“It’s from dad,” she said simply, picking up a piece of paper. “It is addressed to Izumi.” The tall woman strode across the room to take the note out of her sister’s hand and slowly read it aloud.

Dear Izumi,

I do not know if Chika, Ena and Yakira will be in the city by the time you read this but if so, I also address this to them. I know this is unexpected and I know I did not properly say goodbye, but I had a reason. If I said goodbye, then it would appear that I was leaving you when I really am not. I found it hard to believe when we lost your mother that she would really be with us even if she was no longer amongst us physically. But she never really left us, we just had to look for her in the things she left behind: in the love she felt for each of us, in the people and things she touched with her gentleness and even just looking at the stars, I often found myself seeing her even if it was in my heart. I am not leaving you. I would never leave you nor would your mother. It is just time for me to leave you the duties and life that your mother and I shared even in the short time we had together. Chika, Ena and Yakira, you are married and have children of your own who look up to you and depend upon you. It is now your duty to no longer be the daughters but the mothers. Just as your mother and I had to learn how to be parents to Izumi and Rekka without our parents to guide us, you must continue to go on for your children until they no longer need you.

Izumi, the duties as Fire Lord and the peace of the fire nation is now in your hands. Rule well and be the good, kind leader that I know you to be. Rekka knew you better than anyone and I know that he did not give the duties of Fire Lord to you without knowing that you are what the Fire Nation needs.

I love you and remember, your mother and I shall always be with you.

Love from your father,

Zuko

“He just signed his name…. Zuko,” Ena whispered. “Without his title….” “Because he has given the title to Izumi,” Yakira explained, wiping her eyes, suddenly realizing how damp they were.

“No,” Izumi whispered. “That’s not why. It’s because…. That is who he was…. When he met mother. And that is how he chooses to leave. Just himself.” The four girls turned to see that Toph had walked over to where Zuko lay and had placed something between Zuko’s hands… the head piece for the crown prince.

“He may choose to leave just as Zuko, but he will always be the young prince that he was when he first met Shira."

*******

Zuko’s eyes cracked open and he found himself looking at an unfamiliar ceiling. It looked like it was made of pure marble…. But it almost seemed…. otherworldly…. Like Zuko was imagining it.

He tilted his head to the side and saw that there were windows all around the circle shaped room where he lay, the windows filled with lacy white curtains that billowed gently in a soft breeze. Zuko carefully pushed himself into a sitting position when he heard the sound of a small fountain or spring somewhere outside.

He saw that he lay on a large bed, covered in pure white sheets. He wore a pair of white pants and a white shirt over it. The shirt came halfway to his knees and around his waist was a loose white sash.

“Where am I?” he asked and froze.

Something was off…. his voice sounded weird…. Not husky or cracking like he remembered…. But…. Young again. The first thing he thought to do was look down at his hands and he stared when he saw that they were no longer covered in wrinkles but young and strong like when he was a teen.

“No way,” he whispered before reaching up to his face.

His beard was gone and when he ran his fingers through his hair, he found it shorter…. As short as it was when he first became Fire Lord…. Flopping in waves about his eyebrows and ears. As his hands traveled through his hair, his hand grazed over the left side of his face and he froze. Wait….

Slowly he touched the left side of his face and was shocked to no longer feel the rugged or scarred…. But smooth…. Like the rest of his face.

Zuko was snapped out of his thoughts by the gentle sound of a sungi horn. His head snapped around in the direction to find someone sitting in the corner of the room where he hadn’t looked. Sitting in a wicker chair, a sungi horn at his lips sat none other than….

“Uncle?” Zuko gasped.

Iroh stopped playing the horn before opening his eyes to look at his nephew. He smiled before setting the instrument down to approach the young boy. Zuko turned to him as Iroh sat down on the edge of the bed and drew him into a hug.

“We were waiting for you to wake.” He said, stroking his nephew’s hair.

“Uncle, what is going on? Am I dreaming?” Zuko asked. “Am I going through that fever I had in Ba Sing Sa long ago?” Iroh chuckled as he drew back, “No, Prince Zuko. You are not dreaming nor are you in a fever. This is reality.” “But….” Zuko whispered, feeling his face again before grabbing his uncle’s forearms to make sure the man was still there. “My scar…. Is gone…. And I’m younger…. And….aren’t you supposed to be……” “Dead?” Iroh chuckled. “Quite so Prince Zuko.” Zuko’s eyes widened when reality suddenly dawned on him, “So…. I am actually dead….” Iroh smiled before ruffling his hair, “Don’t think of it as a bad thing. You haven’t even gone outside.” “Outside?” Zuko inquired but was cut off when the door of the room flew open.

Both Iroh and Zuko turned to look at who had entered only to have to look down at a small figure who stood in the doorway, eyes wide and a toothy grin on his face.

“DADDY!” Zuko was out of the bed in an instant and his feet had barely touched the floor when the little black-haired boy totaled into him, wrapping his little arms around his neck and burying his face in Zuko’s shoulder.

“You’re awake,” The boy said happily.

Zuko slowly drew back, his eyes wide and mouth open in disbelieving shock. He ran his fingers over the boy’s face, through his hair and over his lids.

“Why aren’t I crying?” Zuko whispered. “I see you for the first time in years and….” “This is not the place of tears daddy,” The little boy chirped, beaming up at him. “You shall never shed tears again.” Zuko sat back on his heels, still holding the small boy in his arms before a smile spread across his face as he pressed his lips to the boy’s forehead.

“Roku.” As Zuko pulled back, he found his uncle standing near the doorway with a smile on his face and Roku pushed away from his father before grabbing his large hand in his little one…. the last time Zuko checked, Roku’s hand had been the one of a grown man…. And now holding the small child’s hand in his…. Made his heart seem to beat all over again.

“Come on daddy!” The boy said as he dragged Zuko out of the room. “Everyone wants to see you!” “Everyone….” Zuko felt his eyes suddenly close as he had to readjust to the lighting outside…. but when he did…. He found himself staring at what appeared to be a massive garden that spread for as far as he could see. Small paths made of pure marble wound all around peach, cherry and apple trees that were blossoming, their white, pink and peach petals falling to the ground. The grass was greener than any he had ever seen and littered with beautiful white roses that grew in abundance.

“Father?” a voice whispered from nearby.

Zuko turned and felt his heart stop when he saw a young boy sitting with his back against an apple tree, a pure white book in his hands, the lettering on the cover of gold that seemed to glow. The boy dropped the book onto the grass, a dove immediately flying over to take the book for him before he jumped to his feet.

The boy’s golden hair flopped in his face as he rushed over toward Zuko before wrapping his arms tightly around his abdomen.

“Father,” the boy breathed against his father’s chest, “You’re here.” Zuko bit his lip, feeling as if tears were coming but instead, a laugh erupted from him and he beamed as he hugged his son to him.

“Katsu.” Zuko looked down at his son as Katsu pulled away from him, a huge smile on his face before Katsu turned and nodded toward something nearby. Zuko lifted his eyes and almost choked on his own breathing when he saw several figures approaching.

The first person he recognized was his mother…. at her side was Kiyi…. Who was just a little girl again…. Ikem holding onto her other hand.

“Zuko,” Ursa said gently, embracing her son before Kiyi gave him a mighty hug.

“Mother,” Zuko gasped but he cut himself off from further words when he saw the other people with her, “No way…. Aang?” Zuko felt the air snapped out of him, literally, when the avatar, young, spry and completely bald again flew into him with a laugh. Zuko barely had time to catch his breath before he was drawn into a massive group hug consisting of Katara, Sokka and Suki.

“Group hug!” Sokka chirped.

“This is so strange,” Zuko said, pulling back to look at each of them. “It feels like yesterday I saw you all gray haired and old…” “That is insulting,” A familiar voice remarked.

Zuko didn’t have to look around Sokka’s head to know who stood on the other side. Sokka finally stepped to the side to reveal three tall figures walking toward them. The three tall figures turned out to be male, two of them with dark hair and the other blond. Hanging on the arm of the tallest brunette was a petite, agile girl with a long brown braid and upon the other brunette’s arm was a black-haired girl with a calm expression but kind eyes.

“Kaname, Hirako, Mitsuru,” Zuko whispered, staring at each of the young Trusangs, “Ty Lee and Mei.”

“Welcome Zuko!” Ty Lee chirped happily.

Kaname released Ty Lee’s hand, leaving the girl to walk over to a group of children who were picking roses who Zuko recognized as Ken, Kara, Tanya as well as Hirako and Toph, Aang and Katara, Sokka and Suki and Mitsuru and Mei’s children.

“Welcome brother,” Kaname said, giving Zuko a firm hug before stepping back. “I believe there is someone who particularly wishes to see you.” The tall man stepped to the side and Zuko’s mouth dropped as another young figure approached him…. young…. possibly in his early teens with pale blond hair but fiery amber eyes….

“Rekka,” Zuko gasped.

“Father!” The young boy cried, rushing over to wrap his arms around Zuko’s neck and bury his face in his chest. “You’re home!” “Mother has been dying to see you!” Katsu added.

Roku was just about to agree with his brothers when Zuko tensed and the three boys stopped, realizing what they had said.

“What?” Zuko inquired.

“Hello Zuko,” A gentle voice said from behind.

Zuko felt like everything slowed and even though a part of him wanted to snap and spin around, he slowly turned to see Kaname and Mitsuru step to the side to reveal a petite figure who stood behind them…. Golden hair falling to her waist in a long loose braid, eyes as blue as the sky that outshone the stars. A smile that seemed to put the sun to shame….

“Shira….”

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

Unlike the time earlier when Zuko rushed forward to embrace the person before him, he slowly approached the girl. She was young again…. Just like he was… she looked like she did when she got her memories back… still petite, slender and seemingly glowing.

When Zuko finally stood before her, he hesitantly reached out, wondering if when he touched her, she would just turn out to be an illusion or a trick of the light…. But he couldn’t help but want to touch her. She seemed so real. When finally, his fingers came in contact with the side of her head, Zuko let out a shaky breath he didn’t realize he was holding before he snatched the girl to him, clutching her against his chest as if afraid that if he released her, she would dissolve.

“It’s okay Zuko,” the girl cooed into his chest, wrapping her arms around his abdomen, “I’m here.” Zuko buried his face in her long hair, breathing in her scent and sighing, “Do you know how I fell asleep expecting to find you next to me only to be greeted by an empty bed? I would see you everywhere…. In the garden, at the docks, in the hallways and when I touched you…. You would just….” “Sh,” Shira said gently, pulling back to cup his cheeks in her hands. “That’s in the past. I will never leave you again.” Zuko felt his body shaking at her words before he grasped her behind the head and pulled her flush against him, kissing her soundly for the first time in years.

When he pulled back, he felt some sort of peace wash over him and he grinned at her.

“You look different without your scar,” Shira pointed out, touching the left side of his face which was as smooth as baby skin.

“It sort of scared me when I woke,” Zuko admitted, touching Shira’s hand and holding it to his face.

Shira smiled softly up at him before she turned her head to look at the two small figures who had come to stand beside her. The girl smiled before leaning down to scoop Roku into her arms. The little boy then held out his arms to Zuko who immediately complied and lifting him onto his hip while Katsu came to stand close to Shira, the girl wrapping her arm around her son’s shoulders.

Rekka came to stand on Shira’s other side before allowing her to wrap her arm around his shoulders as well, resting his head against his shoulder since the young boy almost reached Shira’s shoulder.

“I have something to show you,” Shira said, smiling knowingly as she walked off, still holding onto Katsu’s hand and Rekka following close behind.

Zuko glanced down at Roku in his arms, the little boy giving him a toothy grin and a big joggling nod. Making up his mind, Zuko followed his wife and two eldest sons as they walked down the marble path through the flower petals that seemed to perpetually fall.

It was not a far walk and soon, Zuko caught up to Shira who had stopped in front of what appeared to be a large arch made of wood…. But one side of the arch was pure white and the other was jet black…. wait…. That sounded familiar….

“You may recognize this,” Shira said. “Do you remember that time before Roku was born when I took you into the spirit world and showed you the Tree of the Yin and Yang?” Zuko paused when suddenly the memory came back, “Right. And the statues that showed each generation of Yin and Yang.” Shira nodded, beaming, “Well, one thing I learned when I came here after I died was that the Spirit World has glimpses of heaven. Obviously, some parts of the Spirit World are not glimpses of heaven like Ka’s lair and so forth, but many places in the Spirit World are little bits and pieces of heaven. This is one of them.” Zuko set Roku down, the boy going over to grasp Katsu’s hand and watch as their father stepped through the arch with their mother. When Zuko looked upon the giant tree, the branches weaving into the shape of the Yin and Yang, groups of black and white statues circling the tree in a spiral fashion.

The boy was snapped out of his thoughts when Shira grabbed his hand and drew him over to where the statues stood. Zuko saw that they all looked the same…. Except there were a few extra statues than he remembered. It took him a moment but soon he realized who they were. The most present: Korra and Mako. Before them stood Rayne and Seema, then Izumi and Rekka and….

“Look,” Shira said, pulling Zuko over to the fourth most recent, only for Zuko to see that they were different than before.

When Shira had taken Zuko to the spirit world when they were younger…. And alive, the statues representing Zuko and Shira were of when they were babies, their parents holding them. Now, the fifth to most recent statue was Zuko’s mother, Ursa hugging Shira’s mother, Yakira.

The statue after them: four to most recent…. Were two young children. They looked to be roughly about early fourteen years old. The girl was petite, barely reaching the boy’s shoulder. They had their backs to each other, but their hands were laced together, their free hands lifted, fire coming from the boy’s hand and ice from the girl’s.

“They changed,” Zuko whispered, approaching the two statues before touching the face of the boy. “It’s…. me….” Shira smiled as Zuko touched the part of the statue, which was obviously his scar that he possessed, when he was alive. The boy then walked over and touched the face of the statue of Shira…. Her face round and smiling, it was as if he could see her blue eyes even though they were white from the stone.

Zuko almost jumped when Shira hugged him from behind, burying her face in his back, sighing. “Everything will be alright from now on.” “And the girls?” Zuko inquired, “Izumi…. Ena…. Yakira and Chika?”

Shira smiled, “They are alright. Feel….” The girl drew back before placing her hand on Zuko’s chest and the boy felt a strange sort of relief rush over him…. and for a moment, he thought he could see the smiling faces of his four little girls…. all young again…. And happy.

“What does your heart tell you?” Shira whispered.

Zuko’s eyes flashed open before he smiled, pulling Shira flush against him and burying his face in her hair, “That they are happy…. and that makes me happy.” Shira smiled, wrapping her arms around his abdomen and feeling Katsu, Rekka and Roku come over to join in the hug.

“You know,” Shira muttered against Zuko’s chest, smirking. “As ironic as this sounds, you set my heart on fire.” Zuko chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest. “Really? Even though I am the one with the fire, I think it was you Shira, who set me aflame.”

#zuko #avatar #avatar the last airbender #zuko x oc

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carina-debayle · 7 years

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Carina & Shirayuri’s Venture Into the Clouds

Log date: 2/3/17

OOC Note: The text in these logs are strictly for the readers enjoyment. Anyone using the knowledge displayed within this text without the participants knowledge risks the potential of blacklisting from future communication and roleplay. Please do not meta-game!

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Shirayuri and I’s venture into the Sea of Cloud was one that was long overdue and planned for quite awhile. I was quite excited to venture onto the floating islands, as to someone who had never seen such a place, it sounded like naught more than a dream. Though it was very much so real, and even scary at times... a very exhilarating emotion...

Shirayuri Toriko: "L-Lady De'bayle?"

Shirayuri Toriko approaches the woman, her hands wrapped around her slim torso.

Carina Roussos: "Ah, there you are Shirayuri," she smiles as she inspects the woman's garb, "I see you've come prepared. I would have dressed far more warmly myself, but our next location isn't quite so snowy. Though considering the altitude, I am sure it will still be cold," Carina moves over toward the Auri, placing a hand to her shoulder, " are you ready to go? I've got our tickets for Cloudtop."

Shirayuri Toriko nods, chancing a look beneath her puffy coat. "I c-c-can take this off when we arrive. It is s-s-so cold!" she exclaims, giving Carina a soft smile.

Carina Roussos: "I know it is... is this your first time seeing Ishgard? How is your first impression of the city outside of its temperature?"

Shirayuri Toriko offers another small nod, turning to look at the grand architecture behind them. "It is m-m-massive," she mutters with a hint of awe in her tone. "M-much larger than I imagined. Both foreboding and sec-c-cure at the same time."

Carina Roussos nods, "I can imagine how it might be scary to those they consider outsiders. Like a fortress. Though under us, perhaps it will bring more comfort than fear," pressing a hand to the Auri's back, Carina led them forward, "let us get going though, now is not the time for weather acclimation. There will be time for that on another day, the airship ride might be a bell or so."

The two purchased their tickets, boarding the airship for the flight into the skies above

Shirayuri Toriko: "If y-y-you'd allow me a moment to change, Lady De'bayle..? I fear I m-may overheat in this." Shirayuri chuckles sheepishly.

Carina Roussos stretches once exiting the ship, letting out a relieved sigh, "well that wasn't so bad... at least the view was rather spectacular. Did you see all the islands?" Carina nods, "by all means! There may be a room on the ship, or perhaps an inn nearby. Oh! Are thos garbs inspired by your homeland? They look wonderful on you."

Shirayuri Toriko returns with a few blank papers and a quill, smiling cheerily down at the woman. "Y-yes! Thank you, Lady De'bayle. I found th-this in the Gridanian market, so I h-had to pick it."

Carina Roussos: "It suits you," she nods, "I think perhaps I will take a look around Cloudtop a bit before travelling outside the town. It is not every day we get to see the wonders of a floating town and how they function!"

Shirayuri Toriko follows along dutifully.

Carina Roussos: "I notice there is a lot of vegetation being grown here... I wonder how the altitude affects its growth..." she considers, tugging out her own journal to jot in, scribbling a crude image onto the page. "There are no fences here either... I fear I would be nervous of falling to my death with such a layout..." she laughs, tapping her pencil to her lip.

Carina Roussos: "Do you fear heights, Shirayuri?"

Shirayuri Toriko: "..a worthwh-wh-while concern, Lady De'bayle. Mayhap th-the residents are accustomed to it?

Carina Roussos: "Perhaps... I suppose I can't help but wonder why certain areas are fenced off and this location is not..." she hums out, shutting her journal for the time being as she continued to wander about.

Shirayuri Toriko turns to look at the blonde, regarding the question with a slight teeter of her head. "..n-not necessarily the heights! They pr-provide gorgeous views.. I th-think I fear falling."

Carina Roussos: "Understandable," Carina glances over the familiar giant aetheryte, her eyes lowering to its wind-crystal base. "Mmm... I wonder how such a mass quantity of wind-crystals managed amass enough to lift the entirety of these islands into the sky. I would perhaps blame the Calamity... but these crystals are far different from the physical aether of Bahamut."

Shirayuri Toriko hums thoughtfully at Carina's musings, writing a few things on her blank paper--perhaps just taking note of Carina's words.

Carina Roussos lowers her eyes to the ground, taking note of the stones surrounding the crystal, along with the shadow it placed, "could it be... a sun dial?" she glances toward Shirayuri and the letter behind her, "it is also a compass. How every creative," she muses out, taking out her own journal again to furiously scribble into it as she continued on.

Shirayuri Toriko turns to look at the spot, noting it for herself. "Oh!" she exclaims in surprise, moving after Carina.

Carina Roussos: "I find such useful architect to be quite exciting! Are you ready to venture out a bit further?"

Shirayuri Toriko dips her head forward affirmatively. "I hope m-my attire st-stands up to the elements.."

Carina Roussos: "I am sure you will be alright..." she smiles back, leading them along.

Shirayuri Toriko: "Everything is so gr-green! It re-reminds me a bit of Yanxia, b-but.. it seems so m-mystical here...and large!"

Carina Roussos: "It is actually quite surprising how green everything is.... I wonder if it even rains? Seems a bit high up to rain..." she considers, "the plants are quite different from the ones on the surface... perhaps they grow differently." Carina spots one of the big birds with a wide smile, busting open her journal to write on it.

Shirayuri Toriko keeps behind Carina, standing close by for security. "..is it a d-d-dodo?"

Carina Roussos: "The color is different from that of a Dodo... I will ask the natives here what they refer to it," she nods, "I think I also saw a flying cat around... how peculiar."

Shirayuri Toriko: "A fl-flying cat..?"

Carina Roussos: "Aha! Look there is one right there!"

Shirayuri Toriko frowns to herself, "How.. strange."

Carina Roussos jots this down as well, "I wonder what they eat... I can't imagine them being meat eaters... they are far too small to prey on any larger animals."

Shirayuri Toriko: "Perhaps there are also fly-flying.. Fish?" Shirayuri shrugs helplessly.

Carina Roussos claps her hands together, "Shira! You are a genius! There are in fact flying fish here, that must be what they prey one considering they can fly..."

Shirayuri Toriko: "..th-there are?"

Carina Roussos nods, "I read about them! That is apparently a very common food for the Vanu who live here, though they live in the far more uninhabited and wild parts of the islands, farther up," she points in that general direction.

Shirayuri Toriko follows the direction that Carina points in. "..oh," she says lamely, scribbling something down on her paper. "This is a st-strange place, Lady De'bayle."

Carina Roussos: "It is very surreal, isn't it? Like a dream. Everything here is so far out of the norm compared to the surface world..." Carina tilts her head some, inspecting the wide landscape before them, "perhaps someday we might be able to explore the more unhinged area's... with more protection of course. It could be very dangerous with the warring beast tribes afoot."

Shirayuri Toriko nods in agreement, glancing down once more to her outfit. "Wh-when I am better trained and.. more appropriately dr-dressed as well! B-but yes, I am sure we may d-do that in the future."

Carina Roussos smiles toward her, "your attire works for this outing, if something is to chase after us, we should be fine enough to simply run," Carina glances down toward Shira's shoes, "thankful for you, your sandals are tied to your ankles."

Shirayuri Toriko blinks, looking down to her sandals. "Oh, y-yes. These seem t-t-to be the main ty-type of sandal available, so.." she trails off with another shrug. "I suppose th-they know what I m-may be getting into! D-did you wish to find a fish? A fl-flying one?"

Carina Roussos: "Find a flying fish? I suppose we could try... though I'd imagine it might be out a bit off the islands... I'm afraid I do not have a rod with me. Perhaps the people here may have one." Carina bows politely to the Elezen woman fitted in armour as they approach one of the scouted camps just off Cloudtop, "greetings, we are travelling here to look at the different beasts of the area and had some questions regarding the Dodo's and flyings cats! Also if you all may have a way we can catch some fish!"

Shirayuri Toriko shuffles awkwardly on the spot, glancing between the Elezen and Carina after giving the stranger a polite bow of her own. She glances a few times out into the horizon to peer at the sky, bringing a hand to her temple and rubbing gently.

The woman glances between the two, her eyes not lingering on Shirayuri for too long before keeping most of her attention toward Carina. "The flying cats are referred to as Gaelicats. Though surprisingly to most who may look and consider them to be beastkin or even cloudkin, they are actually a type of voidsent. 'Tis a shame too, they are quite cute aren't they? Nasty little things they can be, though it is possible to tame them. The Dodo is is called a Gastrornis, their makeup specifically made for this sort of climate," the lady nods, "I am afraid we do not hand out fishing poles for tourists. You may be able to purchase one back on Cloudtop, but if you are simply looking to view a flying fish, there are some nearby fishers working at this moment."

Carina Roussos: "Oh! Thank you so much, you have been a great service," Carina nods, writing all about the beast down. "Why don't we go look for some fishers , Shirayuri? Maybe they will let us have a fish."

Shirayuri Toriko nods, smiling encouragingly at Carina. "Of c-course, Lady De'bayle!"

Carina Roussos: "Ah..." Carina glances ahead toward the hanging bridges, her eyes peering through the openings between at the endless abyss of clouds below, "these certainly don't put anyone at any sort of great ease..."

Shirayuri Toriko follows along slowly and carefully, keeping her eyes on the bridge beneath her steps before they come to a stop.

Shirayuri Toriko: "The re-residents here m-m-must be very confident.."

Carina Roussos glanced out over the side of the bridge over some land, spotting a few men with rods and nets, tossing them about into the clouds, "truly, it would take time to get used to such nerve wracking structures..." Carina watched patiently as the lines were casted and after a few moments dragged back in with a few winged-fish on their hooks, "oh! Look at that!" she smiles widely, getting to the floor of the bridge to look closer, her head hanging off the side, "that's amazing! I wonder if were to take one, if it would simply fly from our grasp, like a bird. Imagine how silly that would me. This place really is quite like a dream."

Shirayuri Toriko gasps as Carina takes to the floor, moving to lay a hand on the woman's back in case anything happened. She gave a great gulp, looking to where she saw the fishermen. "I w-wonder how they t-t-taste! M-maybe the air fl-flavors them differently than an ocean w-would?"

Carina Roussos: "I'd imagine so, considering the different location... different diet. I wonder how the meat's texture would be... I can't imagine it being slimy like a normal fish," eventually standing back to her feet carefully, Carina nodded, "maybe we can pick one up at Cloudtop later for cooking purpose, let us continue on while there is still daylight. I'd imagine the temperature must drop quite a bit during the evening."

Shirayuri Toriko clings to her papers tightly as they traverse back over the bridges, sighing in relief as she feels the solid turf beneath her feet again.

Shirayuri Toriko: "Oh!"

Carina Roussos: "Ah look! Dhamels!" she claps her hands, taking her journal out once more.

Shirayuri Toriko: "Th-they are so t-tall! How.. how did they c-c-come to be all the way up here?"

Carina Roussos: "They are herbivores! Evolution wise, in order to eat the vegetation from tall trees, they would need long necks to reach it..."

Shirayuri Toriko: "They don't have w-wings!...wh-what if they fall?"

Carina Roussos: "It must show that perhaps these islands were not always floating in the sky, their structure must be from when their kind was still on the lower ground. I suppose if they fall... well, then we'd have raining Dhamel."

Shirayuri Toriko gives a weak laugh at that, her face falling into an expression of fear and concern.

Carina Roussos: "Considering it hasn't been an issue brought light yet, I'd like to assume they simply do not venture close to the edge. Though I can't help but wonder what were to happen if this place suddenly... just fell from the sky... I wonder what is beneath..." she says out in her own concern, eventually spotting some Aurochs, "oh!"

Shirayuri Toriko: "Oh, m-m-my. They.. they are very large, like the ones in Vylbr-brand!...b-b-but scarier. I th-think they would all b-b-be scary to see fall.. is there an aether sort of b-b-barrier, perhaps?" Shirayuri muses aloud with a look towards the woman, biting into her bottom lip.

Carina Roussos: "I would think these would be far scarier to see fall from the sky then a Dhamel! I wonder what they are called here, I will have to ask when we return back," she nods, carrying on with journal in hand. Carina does however succeed in catching the Aurochs attention, swiftly running away as it begins its steady jog toward her, "eeyaah..." she cries out some, bolting up the incline as it rather quickly loses interest. "Aha... don't... don't want to get slammed off by one of those..." she pants.

Shirayuri Toriko hurries behind Carina, dropping a few of her pages onto the ground. They scatter in the wind quickly, carried off into the horizon. Catching up to Carina, she nearly topples into the woman and bends at her knee to catch her breath. "N-not.. at... all.." she pants, looking to where her papers had disappeared. "..dr-drat."

Carina Roussos pats a hand to her back, "perhaps I should invest in a journal for you as well. One with pages that can be removed. Might make some of the more exciting adventures a bit easier..." she laughs, trekking onward carefully. "Ah, the Paissa! These are quite notorious here!"

Shirayuri Toriko: "P-Paissa?" Shirayuri squints as the fog rolls in quickly. "O-oh," she shivers involuntarily, wrapping an arm around one side of her.

Carina Roussos: "Yes, they are said to look like monkeys, chickens and some other... form of beast, mashed together into one thing."

Shirayuri Toriko: "Th-they're fat!"

Carina Roussos: "Aren't they! The look rather cute, but I heard they can be mean at time," she draws a very crude picture of them within her sketch book.

Shirayuri Toriko: "I still m-much prefer cho--" she sighs, choosing to not attempt the word. "H-horse birds."

Carina Roussos: "Chocobo's untamed are quite mean as well... I've been chased by one before," she sighs.

Shirayuri Toriko giggles at the mental image. "I am g-g-glad you made it!"

Carina Roussos: "I feel quite fortunate as well," she laughs out, rubbing a hand to the back of her neck before taking note of the wetlands of the area, "these parts I would presume might be more dangerous than others. How do you feel heading back now?"

Shirayuri Toriko: "If th-that would p-p-please you, Lady De'bayle! I d-doubt I would be much use in th-these areas. Th-the fog.. seems to b-be settling in as well."

Carina Roussos: "I agree, the fog settles and night approaches, best we return swiftly. I'd hate to see you freeze."

About half a bell passes before the pair return back to the town, dusk passing over their heads through the fog filled skies, "seems we were fortunate enough to make it back at a decent time... did you still wish to retrieve one of those fish before we take our leave?" she smiles toward Shirayuri, "also I took some notes of my own, though they are far more subject oriented, perhaps I can help you fill the holes of whatever sheets were lost to the wind. And my has the wind picked up."

Shirayuri Toriko peers up at the Hyur, gasping lightly for breath. It would seem the high altitude and thinner air is causing her a bit of trouble. "Um -- if y-y-you'd wish to, Lady De'bayle. I kn-know your interest is q-q-quite deep in this regard." She returns the smile, slowing her breathing into long exhalations. "Of c-course! And.. y-yes, it certainly has." She wraps her arms around her as if to emphasize the point.

Carina Roussos moves over to Shira, bringing a hand to her back to rub it soothingly, "take slow deep breathes, if you breath to quickly, you will start to hyperventilate. I know adjusting to this altitude is not easy, but we are almost finished," she smiles, "I will go and purchase one, if you wish to, you can dress yourself and I will join you back on the ship?"

Shirayuri Toriko smiles gratefully. "Y-yes.. if you d-don't mind, I will m-make for the ship to ch-change back. I f-fear my scales may freeze!" she jokes with a soft snicker, a shudder running along her body as she turns to quickly saunter up towards the ship.

Carina Roussos returns back with a box in hand, the fish presumably inside, "it is already dead they tell me, so we shouldn't have to worry about it flying off. Were you interested in preparing a dish with it?"

Shirayuri Toriko: "I c-can try! I'm certainly n-not a fant-t-t-tastic cook, but we c-can make it an adventure for the kitchen!" she proclaims, smiling brightly.

Carina Roussos smiles, "I fear I really only fair well in baking and soups. Perhaps it is the alchemist in me, come though, let us get you into warmer weather."

Shirayuri and I returned home that evening to prepare the fish, that was then eventually served to some of the De’bayle family and friends who wished to come and try it. Seared, it was really actually quite good. I felt fortunate to have found a friend in the Auri woman... I hoped to her I wasn’t just an employer.

#Journal #Shirayuri Toriko #Sea of Clouds #Bestiary

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the-jade-cross · 4 years

Text

Love on Fire - Chapter 8

Shira’s hand stretched out as she searched for Zuko’s absent body heat. Sitting up straight, Shira saw that Zuko’s side of the bed was empty, but the heat was still there, so he hadn’t left that long ago. Quickly climbing out of the bed, Shira grabbed one of Zuko’s robes that he always left on the nearby chair for her and wrapped it around herself. Glancing across the room at where the twins slept, Shira made sure they were asleep before heading to the door. She poked her head out and saw that Ty Lee was still on guard, but Suki was gone.

“Where is Zuko?” she whispered, closing the door behind her.

Ty Lee shook her head, “Went to talk to his father again. Suki is following him to make sure he doesn’t get hurt.”

Shira nodded before heading down the hallway. She had just reached the front doors when she saw a figure garbed in a cloak walking briskly but silently back to the palace without any of the guards seeing. Shira leant against the door frame as Zuko approached and the boy jumped when he saw her.

“You could have just told me,” Shira replied, crossing her arms. “So, I didn’t wake up and the first thing that popped to my mind was that you were hurt.”

Zuko bowed his head as he approached, “I’m sorry Shira. I just didn’t think you would approve of my visiting my father.”

“I know you have your reasons,” Shira explained, pushing away from the frame to approach her husband. “Just as your reasons for hunting Aang for years was to be able to return home, I know you have your reasons for doing things but… I don’t think visiting your father was the only reason why you have left bed in the middle of the night so often.” Zuko sighed, running his hands through his hair that he only let down at night. “I can never sleep. I wake in the middle of the night with one thing on my mind and that is that my father or sister have either escaped or sent an assassin into the palace.” “Oh Zuko,” Shira said softly, approaching Zuko and wrapping him in a hug. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” “There is nothing anyone can do,” Zuko replied, burying his face in her hair. “Nothing can make me think of anything else.” Shira smiled before pulling away to cup his cheeks with her hands, “I happen to know of something.” Zuko tilted his head in puzzlement at her words. Shira gently took Zuko’s hand in hers before laying it against her abdomen. Zuko stared at her in puzzlement for a moment before it seemed to click with him, and his eyes widened.

“How long?” he managed to gasp.

“Just a few weeks,” Shira replied, beaming. “I just found out yesterday and I was going to tell you at breakfast, but I suppose it didn’t need to wait.” Zuko let out a breathy laugh before he clutched her face in his hands and kissed her strongly on the lips. When he pulled away, there was a huge grin on his face and Shira saw his eyes sparkling just like they did when he was excited or happy. He quickly knelt down in front of her and planted a warm kiss against her stomach before pressing his forehead there.

“I love you. Both of you so much,” he breathed.

“How are you sure it is twins again?” Shira teased.

Zuko smirked up at her before rising to his feet and hugging her to him, “I was talking about the baby and you.” When Suki and Ty Lee saw Zuko returning with Shira’s handheld tightly in his, they both let out sighs of relief. Hopefully they wouldn’t have any more outbursts from Zuko until morning.

The next morning when Shira woke, she found Zuko’s side of the bed empty…. Only to find that his body heat was closer than usual, and she soon realized that he wasn’t on his side of the bed because he was on hers. Zuko lay with his side flush to hers, his arm beneath her head as a pillow while his other lay upon her stomach. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing peacefully, no wrinkles or frowns in his sleep.

“Mummy,” a little voice whispered from nearby. Shira glanced over her shoulder to see little Rekka and Izumi peering at her from the end of the bed and she smiled before putting a finger to her lips and motioning them forward. The twins carefully climbed on the bed so as to not disturb their father before they carefully worked their way to lay with their parents. Izumi curled up upon her father’s chest while Rekka lay upon Shira’s front, his head nestled against her chest and his little arms holding his father’s hand which lay over Shira. For the first time since they were married, Shira felt that they were actually peaceful.

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

“I cannot believe that Zuko flared up like that,” Ty Lee whispered to Shira. “I hope Aang was able to calm him down.” “I’m sure he was,” Kaname replied, wrapping an arm around his sister’s shoulders and Ty Lee’s.

Her brother glanced at Shira before smirking, “Someone will just have to convince him to not do it again.”

Shira nodded before pulling away from her brother. She saw Katara, Toph, Sokka, Suki, Aang and Zuko approaching, all of them a little beaten up from a fight but perfectly fine.

Zuko looked up and spied Shira waiting for him before guilt washed over his face.

“Thank you,” Shira whispered when Katara and Aang approached.

The two nodded before smiling at the girl and walking past. Soon Zuko approached Shira and he knew that all the others were watching them but right now, all he could think about was the disapproving look on Shira’s face.

“I know what you are going to say,” Zuko muttered.

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Shira replied. “Except ask you why you fired at those earth kingdom citizens. I know they were being difficult but doesn’t peace me you try to solve a problem peacefully?” “They started it,” Zuko muttered under his breath.

Shira let out a quick snicker which caught Zuko’s attention. “So, they hit, and you hit back harder?” Shira inquired.

Zuko stared down at his shoes before Shira reached over and tilted his head up to look at her, “What were you going to say when you arrived?”

“Why you were waiting for me?” Zuko replied. “I don’t return from a victory or a peaceful mission. I return from a mission which had to be solved by my best friend because I almost restarted the war.” “I will always be waiting for you,” Shira replied, smiling at him. “Whether you return from a victory, a defeat, a peaceful mission or a bloody one. I will forever be waiting for you to come back to me.” “I always will come back,” Zuko whispered.

Shira smirked before placing her hand on his chest. “I trust you, knowing you will keep that promise. I just want you to trust me on one thing.” “Anything,” Zuko replied.

Gripping his hands, Shira glanced over at where the twins stood with Hirako, watching their parents talk.

“Trust me when I say that whenever you return, we shall always be waiting for you.” Zuko stared at the girl, not sure what to say when he realized that she had asked a question that didn’t need verbal answering. Nodding with a smile, Zuko pulled Shira into his arms and cradled her head to his chest, burying his face in her hair.

Shira didn’t have to look to know that all the others had let out relieved sighs in the background, hoping beyond hope that Zuko would be alright from then on.

That evening when Suki and Ty Lee came to guard Zuko and Shira’s bedroom door, they found the doors open with Shira already inside. She was seated on the bed with Izumi seated in front of her, helping the little girl brush her hair that was beginning to grow in nicely. Rekka sat on the end of the bed, surrounded by Gau who was curled up around him like a huge guard dog even though the dragon was almost as big as the bed itself. Dagny was curled up by the fireplace, already asleep.

The two girls immediately went into attention when Zuko approached, having returned from an early visit with his father. The young fire lord paused in the doorway before turning to the two girls.

“You two may get some sleep,” he said calmly. “We are alright here.” the two girls exchanged shocked looks before smiling at Zuko. “Thank you Zuko.” The boy nodded and smiled as the two girls headed off to some much-desired sleep. Zuko took a deep breath before entering the room and closing the door behind him.

At his arrival, Gau headed to sleep with Dagny by the fireplace. “Daddy,” Little Rekka inquired. “Can we sleep with you?”

Zuko smiled lovingly at his son before scooping him up and holding him to his chest. “Of course.”

With that, he crawled into bed next to Shira while Izumi and Rekka curled up between them, hiding beneath the covers. Zuko reached over to hold Shira close to him, careful as to not squash the twins.

“I love you,” Zuko whispered, causing Shira to smile. “I love you more.”

***********

Zuko was zoning out. Everyone present could see it and it rather amused most of those present. Aang sat across from Zuko with Sokka at his right hand, Hirako on his other side. On either side of Zuko sat Kaname and Mitsuru and there were a couple of generals present as well as they discussed economic ideas for the return of the Air Nomads.

Mitsuru was spinning a chess piece on the table like a top, Hirako and Sokka were fighting over the food that had been placed before them during the meeting while Kaname and Aang were exchanging knowing looks. The moment the door of the chamber opened, Zuko would be out of there in a light, even if it wasn’t Ty Lee.

They knew Zuko was waiting with bated breath for when Ty Lee burst through the door announcing Zuko’s required presence back at the palace. They were concerned that even it was just a maid bringing more food for the apparently starved Hirako and Sokka, Zuko would rush out without stopping to see who it was.

“A watched kettle never boils,” Hirako observed around a mouthful of food.

Zuko looked up, knowing full well that the tone his brother in law used was one directed at him. “What is that supposed to mean?” “It means Zuko,” Sokka added. “That if you sit there just waiting for the news, it will feel like it takes longer.” “Do you think I can help it?” Zuko inquired.

“Here we go again,” Aang muttered. “Do you know how many times our meetings have turned into this kind of debate Zuko?” “No,” the fire lord replied.

“Four to be exact,” Kaname concluded. “This is the fifth.” Sokka grabbed his cup and raised it to his lips so his next words were muffled. “I just hope it doesn’t happen another dozen times.” The boy almost choked on his water when Zuko got to his feet, slamming his hands on the table so hard that it rattled.

“What if it does Sokka!?” Zuko snapped.

“Easy there,” Mitsuru said at last, placing a hand on his brother-in-law that he had grown very fond of. “Sokka, you need to shut your gob. You are not the expecting father here.” “Zuko has been an expecting father almost every year for the past 6 years! Shouldn’t he be a little calm THIS time!?” Sokka retorted.

He would have said more if Aang hadn’t whopped him over the head.

“It doesn’t matter if this is Zuko’s second or tenth Sokka,” the young Avatar pointed out. “Mitsuru and Mei were the same Mari even after they had Minnie and Michi.”

“It was the same for Ty Lee and me,” Kaname pointed out. “Ken was already two years old when we had Kara and it was just as exhilarating and nerve wracking as when Ken was born.” Sokka’s eyes widened, “Yeah it was creepy in your case though! You’re always so calm and to see you pacing back and forth at the speed of light was really creepy.” “What he is trying to say,” Mitsuru groaned. “Is that every time is special Sokka, even if it is not the first time. Besides, Zuko wasn’t there for Rekka and Izumi’s birth so every other one is incredibly special to him.” “It’s annoying,” Sokka sighed. “He looks like an eruption waiting to happen.”

The room fell silent as all eyes fell on Sokka and he squirmed, “Why are you all looking at me like I just discovered a way to time travel?” “Because that is the most accurate description of Zuko you have ever given,” Hirako muttered as he bit into an apple. “Spot on.” Sokka was about to gloat when the doors flew open and everyone jumped to their seats, ready to pin Zuko down if it wasn’t Ty Lee so he wouldn’t scare whoever did enter but it was. The girl was grinning from ear to ear and of course Kaname found himself grinning at how happy the girl looked.

“You can see Shira now Zuko,” the girl squealed.

Zuko was out of the door in an instant and Ty Lee scurried over to hug Kaname happy.

“Oh, she is beautiful!” she squealed. “Such a pretty baby!” “Another girl?” Sokka inquired but this time, Aang and Hirako both slapped him over the head.

“Zuko loves his daughters,” Mitsuru pointed out. “He has been wanting another girl since Yakira was born.” “That was only two years ago,” Sokka pointed out.

Immediately everyone present glared at the water tribe boy who shrugged.

“What? Am I the only one who finds it slightly disturbing that Zuko jumps on Shira….” “DO NOT FINISH THAT SENTENCE!” Suki yelled from the doorway, having followed Ty Lee to give the happy parents some space. “And you are one to talk Sokka! How do you think we had Shawn and Suzie?” Sokka lifted a finger to explain but he was cut off by everyone present crying out: “DON’T EVEN START!” Meanwhile, Zuko hadn’t slowed his pace until he came sprinting into his and Shira’s bed chamber to find the doors open, windows open with the shades back to let in light and fresh air. Toph and Katara were there but the moment they saw Zuko they smiled before exiting quietly.

Zuko slowly made his way over to the large bed where Shira sat propped up against the pillows, a tiny bundle resting in her arms.

She looked up as Zuko approached and beamed, her face truly glowing. Ever since the twins were born, Zuko had noticed that every time they had a child, Shira seemed to glow more and more. With their newest member being their sixth, Shira was practically shining.

“Come and meet your daughter Zuko!” she whispered happily.

Zuko crossed the room in four strides before he sat down on the edge of the bed. Shira carefully scooted over to hold out the baby to Zuko who expertly took her into his arms. She was definitely tiny, just like Rekka was when he was born. Her hair was dusted with sun golden hair and her eyes were closed. She had the tiny little button nose that Shira possessed but Zuko’s pointy chin. She was beautiful.

“She looks like you,” Zuko whispered, gazing down lovingly at his daughter.

Shira smiled at Zuko before leaning over to lay her head against his shoulder, “She has your wide feet.” Zuko smirked when suddenly the door of the room opened and there stood the rest of their children, eyes wide and huge smiles on their little faces. Both Zuko and Shira smiled before they nodded in unison to admit the children.

Their four-year-old son, Roku, climbed up onto the bed like a little monkey before planting himself on Shira’s lap, curling up against her.

“You’re not round anymore mummy,” he observed. “I can curl up to you now!” Zuko and Shira both chuckled at their son who was a splitting image of his father with straight black hair and fire amber eyes.

Five-year-old Katsu approached more calmly, coming to stand at the opposite side of the bed to lean over and give his mother a kiss. Shira chuckled at her son who was such a stoic, gentle child, more interested in books and peaceful things than Roku who preferred jumping around like a banshee. Zuko was incredibly fond of Katsu not just because he was a splitting image of Shira but because he reminded Zuko so much of his mother, so gentle and kind with a soft smile.

“How are you feeling mother?” Katsu asked, coming to sit next to his mother.

Shira smiled and kissed Katsu on the head, not seeing the huge smile that appeared on the boy’s face when she did so. “I feel just fine sweat heart.” “Daddy,” Rekka said, walking over with Izumi at his side. The twins were six years old now and upon Izumi’s hip sat two-year-old Yakira with her long black hair and amber eyes, was a perfect female replica of Zuko.

“May I hold her?” the young boy asked.

Zuko smiled at his eldest son before holding out the baby to him. Rekka scurried forward and skillfully took his new sister into his arms before cradling her close, “She has blue eyes momma!” he exclaimed. “She looks like you!” Zuko leant over and sure enough, the baby had opened her eyes and they were big, round and sky blue. Leaning back, Zuko wrapped his arm around Shira’s waist and kissed her forehead lovingly.

“Told you she looked like you,” he whispered.

Shira playfully swatted his arm before Izumi spoke up, “Momma, what is her name? Zuko looked over at Shira, wondering the same thing. Since the twins had been born, they had agreed that they would take turns choosing names. Shira chose Roku’s while Zuko chose Yakira’s and Katsu’s.

“Ena,” Shira replied. “her name is Ena.”

“Ena!” Shira called. “Do not climb too high sweetie.” The little blond-haired girl turned to look at her mother, giving her a big toothy smile from where she was perched upon the ledge of the wall. Her mother carefully climbed the steps to the battlements where she knew she would find her toddler daughter.

“I’m waiting for daddy,” the little girl chirped, her blond curls blowing into her face.

Shira smiled, scooping Ena into her arms and joining her on the ledge. Ena leant back against her mother’s chest, sighing happily.

“He will be home soon,” Shira assured her. “He said he would bring a surprise home.” “I wonder what it is,” Ena remarked. “He has been gone so many days!” Shira smiled, kissing her daughter’s curls. “Well, he said this will be the last long trip he has for a while. Are you hungry? Rekka made cookies.” “I thought Izumi was making them,” Ena said, sitting up to look at her mother. “Oh no. Don’t tell me Izumi burnt them again!” Shira chuckled and picked up her daughter, resting her on her hip as she headed back down to the gardens where the rest of her children were waiting.

“Mother! It is official! I do not have what it takes!” eight-year-old Izumi cried, rushing over to her mother. “Twelve times in a row! It’s even now! Twelve times I have tried the same kind of cookies and have burnt them on the first try! They didn’t even come out pretty, they were all flat!” “You forgot the yeast,” Rekka remarked, coming to the garden with Yakira riding on his back, her chubby little four-year-old arms wrapped around his neck. “They wouldn’t rise even if you hadn’t burnt them.” “It is not necessarily a crime Mimi,” Katsu observed, using Izumi’s hated nickname. “To be a girl and not being able to cook even cookies when your brother happens to be a boy and is a fabulous cook.” “I blame father!” Izumi cries. “He passed on his horrible cooking skills to me!” Katsu looked up from where he was reading a book, leaning against a tree, “In case you forgot sister, father was with Great-uncle Iroh for most of his teenage years and Great-uncle happened to teach him how to cook rather well. You just inherited your horrible cooking skills from yourself.” “That doesn’t even make sense for the genius of the family!” Izumi cried, knowing her brother was teasing her.

“Come on guys!” Roku cried, jumping down from the very tree that Katsu was reading against. “Rekka didn’t save Izumi’s attempt of cookies just for us to let them go to waste!”

“Thanks, a heap Roku!” Izumi called but she accepted the cookies that her twin held out to her.

Katsu smiled, burying back into his book with a cookie. Shira sat down on the grass next to her son while Ena settled against her legs with a heap of cookies. She glanced down into the basket sitting next to Katsu to see baby Chika sound asleep with a smile on her chubby little face.

“Any word from father?” Rekka asked, handing his mother a cookie. Shira shook her head. “However, your uncle Hirako says that the trees have given away that your father should be home within the week.” “Speaking of uncles and aunts,” Roku said, jumping to his feet. “Auntie Toph taught me this mother!” The boy made a jab in the air with his fist and a table made of rock appeared in the shade of a tree. Shira smiled and clapped along with her other children.

“That was wonderful dear,” she said. “You are learning well.” Roku smiled, coming to kiss his mother before taking a seat at the table he had just made.

“I cannot wait till daddy gets home,” Yakira said around a mouthful of cookie. “I am scared to practice fire bending when he is not home.” Shira chuckled. “You do realize that you could always ask Ena to stay with you. If you set anything on fire, she can fix it.”

“Yeah!” Ena squealed, making a pile of snow appear in front of her. “I can fweeze it!”

“It is called ‘freeze’ Ena,” Rekka corrected, smiling. “Besides Yakira, Izumi is the Yin. If anything happens, she can intervene.” “I know….” Yakira points out. “I just…. I feel better when daddy is here….” “Speaking of which,” Katsu said, turning to press his hand to the tree he was behind, “HE IS HERE!” “What!?” all the children cried, jumping to their feet or in Roku’s case, tripping over himself.

“I just sensed it,” Katsu replied, smiling. “He’s at the docks! He’s home!”

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

Zuko took in a deep breath, smelling the familiar scent of home. He had never realized that home had a smell until the day he was returning from an important meeting in Ba Sing Sa, rather in a hurry because Shira was in labor with Roku. That day he had realized that as he neared home, he smelt the familiar peach and apple blossoms, the fresh grass and the spring flowers. It was such a rare mixture of smells, but it was a smell that Zuko had grown to know even when he had been away for weeks like now.

“Zuko?” a voice said behind him.

The boy turned around a grinned from ear to ear when he saw Kiyi standing there with her little handheld tightly in her father, Ikem’s hand. Zuko saw his mother standing unsurely behind them. He knew his mother was nervous about being home and a little unused to having just gotten her face back after living several years having no memories of Zuko and her past with them and having a different face.

“Are we almost there?” Kiyi asked, coming to stand next to her big brother, peering over the side with difficulty.

Zuko reached down and picked Kiyi up, placing her on his hip expertly. “Yes. See those shores? That is home.” Kiyi’s face lit up in a smile and she clapped happily.

“Who will be there to greet us?” Kiyi inquired.

“Definitely Yakira,” Sokka called from the other end of the boat where he stood with Toph, Katara and Aang. “She never fails to total you every time you come home.” “Yeah Zuko,” Toph remarked. “It is a miracle you are still in one piece to this day.” Kiyi looked at the earth bender and water tribe boy before looking back at her brother in interest, “Who is Yakira? Is she your girlfriend?” Zuko rolled his eyes at the last part since Kiyi said it with a teasing tone, smirking as she pinched his cheek.

He glanced over his shoulder at Ikem and his mother who were also looking at him in interest since he had said nothing so far of girlfriends. “Not my girlfriend Kiyi…. My….” he was cut off by the captain of the ship calling out that they had docked, and they were free to get off.

Zuko set Kiyi down but she held onto his hand as they piled off the boat. Toph immediately sprinted off rather quickly for a girl of twenty. The newcomers watched her run over to where a tall, incredibly handsome blond young man stood on the steps leading up to the palace, two little boys with him. The little boy he held in his arms looked to be just a baby while the other who was about two years old held his hand. Toph rushed over and the little toddler met her halfway to hug her. The young man then stepped over and gave Toph a sweet kiss on the mouth before allowing Toph to kiss the baby in his arms.

Ursa found herself smiling as she watched the young family happily reunite. She then heard a squeal behind her and turned to see Ty Lee sprint past everyone and to the waiting arms of an incredibly tall, lean man who looked rather like Toph’s husband but taller with black hair. He had a young boy and girl at his side, another little girl sitting on his hip. He handed the little girl to his son before catching Ty Lee as she launched herself into his arms, tears of joy streaming down her pretty face. The tall man set her down before kissing her forehead then her lips before holding her close as Ty Lee turned to their children, greeting them each in turn happily.

The woman turned to see Katara and Aang standing close together. She knew for a fact they were married since she had noticed the rings on their hands but now it was confirmed when she saw a young boy rush over to hug both Aang and Katara, the boy looking incredibly like Katara. She also saw Suki and Sokka rush over to a young boy and girl who looked to be about eight and six years of age.

Ursa didn’t fail to notice Mei standing blankly next to her with the same unreadable placid look on her face she had plastered on her face since they had met when Mei had accompanied the rest of the gang to find Ursa.

The woman playfully nudged the girl she had known since Mei was a child, “Don’t tell me you don’t have your own man to go home to.” Mei was about to answer when she was totally crushed in a massive bear hug by a monster of a man. When Ursa had tried to imagine Mei with someone, she wasn’t expecting such a handsome young man with broad shoulders and athletic build.

“Your home!” he cried happily, swinging Mei around.

The girl pushed him off her but Ursa saw how Mei blushed brightly and smiled at him before kissing him gently on the lips. “I kind of noticed that.”

“Mommy!” Came several little voices and Mei was once again attacked but this time with five little girls!

“Meena, Moira, don’t choke your mother,” the young man told his two youngest daughters.

“You’re one to talk daddy,” the oldest of the girls pointed out. “You nearly broke mother just now!” “Now, now Minnie, be nice to your father,” Mei teased. “He just keeps forgetting how large he is.” Ursa never heard the rest of the friendly argument between the young family when suddenly she remembered her own child and turned to see Zuko kneeling down next to Kiyi, pointing out each of the people who had appeared and telling her who they were.

“See that man with Toph? That’s her husband Hirako. Those children are their kids: Terrence and Thom. And Ty Lee. The man with her is Kaname, her husband. He is also Hirako’s older brother. Their children are Ken, Kara and Tanya. And then Mei’s husband, Mitsuru, he is also Hirako and Kaname’s brother. Their daughters are Minnie, Michi, Moira, Meena and Mari.” “Lots of M’s,” Kiyi chuckled. “And what about that pretty girl?” Zuko and Ursa both looked at where she was pointing to see a little toddler girl with long black hair in messy waves all in her hair but not covering up her amber colored eyes that were full of joy.

“That is….” Zuko started but was cut off when the little girl charged into him, knocking him onto his rear.

“YAY!” The little girl cried, nearly breaking Zuko’s neck as she hugged him. “YOU’RE HOME! Katsu was right! He read the trees and said you were home, but Roku didn’t believe him and almost spilt Rekka’s cookies, but Izumi saved them even though she hates the cookies because she burnt them but Rekka saved them….” “Whoa!” Zuko chuckled, holding his hands up. “Slow down Yakira. You’re talking faster than your mind can register! Yes, I am home. I’m happy to be home.” “This is Yakira?” Kiyi inquired. “Isn’t she a little young for your Zuko?” Ursa gasped, “Kiyi, that is not polite!” Zuko chuckled, “It is alright. Kiyi, this is Yakira…. My daughter.” Immediately Ursa, Ikem and Kiyi’s mouths opened wide, their eyes widening as well.

“Hi!” Yakira said, climbing off her father and holding out her hand, “I’m Yakira!” “I’m Kiyi,” Kiyi said, shaking Yakira’s hand, “You look just like Zuko!” The little girl giggled. “Everyone says that. You look like daddy too a little…. You have the same nose!” Kiyi glanced at Zuko who had regained his footing before bending down to scoop Yakira onto his hip, “That’s because she is my sister Yakira. Kiyi is my sister.” Yakira’s amber eyes widened as she looked at her father before her eyes fell on Ursa. Scrambling down from Zuko’s arms, she approached Ursa and looked up at her.

“Does that make you my gramma?”

Ursa knelt down in front of her and nodded, “I am.” Yakira’s face split into a huge smile that was identical to Zuko’s making Ursa gasp as the girl hugged her tightly. “Welcome home gramma!” As Zuko and Yakira showed Ursa, Ikem and Kiyi around the palace, Ursa walked over to stand next to her son.

“So, you went and married?” she asked, smirking. “Let me guess. Shirayuki.” Zuko smiled, his face heating up in a blush and Ursa had to admit, he hadn’t changed from the love-struck little boy he had been the last time she remembered. “Yeah….” “I am happy for you Zuko,” she said, gripping his hand.

She was about to say more when Zuko held up his hand and quickly took a step back just as a pike of earth shot from the ground. It would have thrown him back a good couple feet if he hadn’t.

“Aw come on!” A voice yelled from somewhere nearby. “No one but Auntie Toph, Uncle Aang, mommy and daddy can read the earth!”

“That’s cuz it is daddy stupid!” Another voice remarked in a calmer voice.

“WHAT!?” the first voice cried.

As Zuko led his mother, stepfather and sister around the corner, they found a young boy sitting against a tree with a book in his hand. Just as they rounded the corner, a little boy jumped down from the tree and took in the sight before him before a huge grin split across his face.

“DADDY!” the boy cried, using earth bending to propel himself forward and smash into Zuko.

The young fire lord laughed at his son’s enthusiasm before he held Roku away from him to look at his son. “Didn’t Auntie Toph tell you to not earth bend practice on people?” “No,” Roku replied innocently. “That was Uncle Kaname’s suggestion. Auntie Toph’s was to practice on anything that walks or swims.” “Well try not to kill your father when he comes home yeah?” a calm voice remarked.

Everyone turned to see that the boy who had been reading had approached with the book under his arm. Zuko crouched down and set Roku down before the blond-haired boy sprinted over, dropping all calm demeanor and grinning brightly as he hugged Zuko.

“Welcome home daddy!” Katsu said before pulling back and putting on a calm face again. “The percentage of sanity here dropped almost 50% while you were away.” “I HEARD THAT!” A girl’s voice yelled from the garden.

Roku jumped onto Zuko’s back as the young man showed his family into the garden and there Ursa was met with a beautiful, stunning sight. The garden was the same way it had been when Ursa left with the little pond beneath the tree and a small table and chairs. Seated in one of the chairs was a little girl who couldn’t have been more than two, slowly making little snowmen and snow horses out of snow that she was making out of midair. Sitting across from her sat Shirayuki but she was older than Ursa remembered…. A woman now but still so young. Her long golden hair hung to her waist and in her arms was a tiny baby who was sound asleep against her chest.

Standing on either side of the pond were two young children of about eight years, a boy and a girl. The girl was a replica of Zuko and the boy a replica of Shira. The two were light bending back and forth, occasionally using water and fire to fight but mostly using moon and sun light.

“Dad!” The toddler at the table cried, causing her siblings to stop their practicing and almost blind each other when they spun around.

“FATHER!” The twins cried. Zuko set Roku down on the ground before approaching, allowing Izumi and Rekka to hug him around the abdomen at the same time. When they were done, he crouched down to scoop up little Ena and kissing her on the cheek.

“How is my little angel?” he asked, using his little name for her.

“Look what I can make daddy!” Ena squealed, making snowflakes fall on Zuko’s hair even though they melted the moment they made contact with his warm hair.

Shira slowly got to her feet, careful as to not wake Chika as Zuko approached her. He set Ena down before planting a kiss on Chika’s forehead and then kissing Shira gently, wrapping his arm around her waist.

“Told you we were waiting,” Shira smirked.

“Actually, it was Yakira,” Zuko teased back.

“Still counts,” Shira remarked, slapping his chest.

Just then, Shira’s eyes fell on the figures behind her husband and her eyes widened, “Ursa?” The woman smiled before walking over to hug the young girl before gazing down at her youngest grandchild.

“Thank you so much Shira,” Ursa said, tears in her eyes. “For loving my son.” Shira smiled back before leaning into Zuko’s chest, his arm still around her waist, “I cannot help it. I blame him.”

"Hey there," they heard Roku say to Kiyi, "Want to climb the roofs?"

"NO!" Zuko and Shira both cried.

"You and daddy did it!" Roku pouted. "It was right before you made Izumi and Rekka...."

"ROKU!" Izumi yelled angrily. "GO TO YOUR ROOM!"

"AW!" Roku pouted, deciding to drop it.

Shira glanced at Zuko to see him trying to not laugh or shout. "Angry much?" "He hangs out with Sokka way too much!" Zuko muttered.

***********

Zuko slowly climbed off the boat to find all his children standing before him, their faces stained with tears as they stood shoulder to shoulder. The boys were all tall, roughly about Zuko’s height now that they were past their teens. The girls were all petite except Izumi who was the one girl who inherited Zuko’s height.

“Daddy,” 20-year-old Chika said, stepping forward to embrace her father. “It is so good that you are home.” Zuko hugged his youngest child before looking at Katsu, knowing that he would get a straight answer from him.

“How is your mother?” Katsu slowly shook his head, “Aunt Katara has been having healing sessions with her but she says it is not something to heal. She says it is natural….” Zuko nodded as he saw 24-year-old Yakira wrap an arm around her older brother who was about to start crying again.

Zuko strode past his children, all of them quickly following as he hurried inside. When he came upon the door of their bed chamber, he found everyone there: Kaname, Hirako, Mitsuru, Mei, Ty Lee, Toph, Toph, Suki.... all their children….

Zuko slowly entered the room to find Aang and Katara both standing next to the bed where Shira lay.

“Zuko,” Aang said softly before touching Katara’s shoulder to tell her to give them some space.

They began to leave but Aang gripped Zuko’s shoulder as he was leaving.

Slowly Zuko approached to bed before sitting down on the edge of it to look at his wife. She was so pale… she had always been fair, but this was not fair. It was pale. Sheet white. Her lips were pale and her arms laying limply on her stomach. Slowly she turned her head and opened her eyes and Zuko felt tears prick his eyes. Even in the state she was in, her eyes were as bright as the stars themselves.

“Zuko,” Shira whispered, reaching out her hand to him.

Zuko gently took it before pressing a shaky kiss to her knuckles. “What is it?” he whispered. “Why are you like this?” Shira smiled faintly before touching his burnt cheek, “it is okay Zuko. This is normal. Not every life is meant to live till they are old and grey. I am not in pain.” “Please don’t talk about life and death,” Zuko whispered, his hands shaking as he gripped hers. “Please.” Shira stroked his cheek before biting her lip to keep from groaning, “Zuko…. I never told you this….but… do you remember when Roku was a baby and you would fall asleep with him in your arms?” Zuko nodded, tears beginning to pour down his cheeks.

“Well…. One night I came into our room to find you two already sound asleep. You were still in your fire lord attire. You had just come back from a meeting and had gotten in bed with Roku. You both looked so peaceful and cute sleeping there. That was when I realized that even though we were both getting older, you still looked so young in your sleep.” Zuko let out a shaky breath, his tears dropping onto Shira’s hand which he still held to his lips.

“Just think of me sleeping,” Shira said. “I’ll be in perpetual peaceful sleep until you come home.” “No Shira,” Zuko said weakly before turning his voice firm. “Do not say that.” “Zuko,” Shira said, gripping his hand back weakly. “I love you.” “NO!” Zuko yelled before grasping Shira’s face in his hands, crashing his lips to hers. “Do… not…. Say…. That…”

He firmly muttered the words between kisses, stroking her cheeks as he kissed her, not caring that her lips felt so lifeless…. so cold even for Shira.

“Don’t leave me,” Zuko said, kissing her firmly between words. “I love you too, so don’t leave me now.”

The girl reached to something that hung around her neck and Zuko recognized it as the opposite of what hung around his own neck. A small half-moon painted white with a black marking.

“When I am gone,” she whispered. “Give this to Izumi. Just as you said you would give yours to Rekka.” “Zuko,” Shira whispered as Zuko stopped kissing her to wrap his arms around her waist and rest his head on her abdomen. “You are my whole world.”

“Don’t….” Zuko started but cut himself off. He didn’t know why but for some reason just as he was about to speak, it felt like something had been drained from him…. Like he had been depleted….

The young fire lord snapped his head up to look at Shira, only to find that her blue eyes were closed, no longer shining brighter than the stars…. Closed…. To never open again.

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Zuko and Shira’s seven children stood outside waiting for news from their father about how their mother was doing. That was when they heard it…. the blood curdling cry that split the silence of the hallway and made every beating heart present break.

“No!” Yakira cried, tears immediately springing to her eyes. Roku quickly grabbed his sister and pulled her to him, allowing Yakira to grip his tunic and soak the front of it with her sobs, allowing his own tears to fall as they splashed onto his sister’s head.

“Rekka….Izumi….” Ena whispered, her bottom lip quivering. “Please tell me….” Rekka immediately wrapped both his arms around Izumi and Ena’s shoulders, holding them close as the two broke down into quiet sobs.

Chika clapped her hands over her mouth, no sound coming out of her except a strangled cry of pain as if someone had stabbed her through the heart…. The same sound that had come from behind the closed doors of the bedroom not a moment before.

“Sh,” Hirako gently cooed, hugging his youngest niece to him while Toph buried her face in his arm to hide the fact that even she was crying.

Katara was shaking in Aang’s arms while Mei and Mitsuru were trying to calm down Kaname and Ty Lee who were shaking so bad that no tears were falling…. but their faces were ashen white.

“Katsu?” Suki said, trying to help Sokka comfort Chika but having noticed that the young man hadn’t even reacted.

All eyes fell on the blond boy who was standing nearest to the door, his hands limp at his sides…. No movement from him until his knees buckled and he fell to his knees with a thud.

“No….” he muttered, so quiet that they almost didn’t hear him until a scream tore itself from his lungs and rang through the whole palace as he crumbled in half to the floor. “NO!” Aang was about to let go of Katara to comfort the young prince when suddenly the door of the bedroom flew open and there stood Zuko. None of those present had ever seen him in a worse state even all the times he had been on his death bed or beaten up after a battle. His face was so white it was almost painful to look at him. There were red streaks all over his face from the hot tears that had poured from his eyes. His amber eyes were rimmed with red and puffy and the light from his eyes that seemed to glow gold were now bland and almost brown in color having lost the shine they always used to have. On his pale lips that had lost their color were red marks where he had bit down on his bottom lip to suppress his cry which would have been as loud if not louder than Katsu’s.

The young fire lord bent down and gripping Katsu by the shoulders, drew him to his feet before crushing him to his chest in a tight embrace. Katsu immediately wrapped his arms around his father’s middle, burying his face in his father’s shoulder and letting the sobs come.

“Why father?” Katsu cried into his father’s shoulder, for the first time in the calm young man’s life, Katsu was actually breaking down. “Why did she have to be taken from us?” “Sh,” Zuko said softly, holding his son tightly before opening one of his arms to Chika and Ena.

The two girls rushed over and buried their faces in their father’s chest as he stroked their hair gently. “Many who live deserve death,” Zuko whispered. “And many who die deserve life. We cannot stop death from happening nor can we stop the people we love the most from leaving us one day. Your mother was too good for this earth. That is probably why she was taken from us so soon. We are still unworthy of her and now she is in a place that deserves her but…. She is not gone. She will always be here. She will always be with you when you sit in the gardens. She shall always be at your side every night and every morning. She….she shall always be waiting when we return home.”

“Psst,” Mako whispered, jabbing Korra in the side to wake her. “They’re here.” The girl immediately snapped out of her thoughts to find that when she had zoned out she had been seated on a crate with Mako and Isami waiting for the ‘important guests’ that Toph had spoken of.

“Where are they?” she asked, looking around.

Isami pointed upward with a smirk, “Look up.”

Korra lifted her eyes and at once gasped when she saw what was approaching. Three massive dragons were flying toward them, one white, one black and the third red. The red one flew between the white and black ones and upon his back sat an old man with snow white hair and a familiar scar on his left eye.

“Fire Lord Zuko?” Korra inquired. “But I already know him…. Why did Toph want us to meet….him….” The girl’s question was answered when the three dragons landed and Korra saw that Lord Zuko was not alone. Seated on the white dragon were two people who looked old enough to be Korra’s parents but not too old to be her grandparents. One was a handsome tall young man with jet black hair and amber eyes who looked strikingly like Zuko with his hair down instead of pulled back like most fire nation men. Sitting behind him with her arms around his waist was a beautiful water tribe woman with beautiful black hair and blue eyes.

Seated on the black dragon was a woman who looked halfway between Fire Lord Zuko’s age and the two people on the white dragon, her hair graying but not white yet. She wore simple glasses and had bright amber eyes.

When they landed, Korra, Mako and Isami got to their feet. The four riders dismounted before approaching, Zuko partially in front with the woman with glasses at his right hand and the other two partially behind. Just as they landed, two more figures leapt off the backs of the red dragon and Korra stared in shock. They were wolves. Massive wolves, possibly larger than even Fire Lord Zuko who was a very tall man. One was jet black with a white mark upon his head while the other was pure white with a black mark on her head. The black wolf walked over to stride next to the woman with glasses while the white wolf followed at Zuko’s side, keeping so close that her shoulder was brushing Zuko’s robe.

Two more things caught Korra’s attention as two large birds came flying down from the sky. Massive eagles which came to rest on the shoulders of the two-younger people. The black eagle sat upon the man’s shoulder, his beak was pure white while the pure white eagle sat upon the woman’s shoulder, that eagle’s beak was black.

“Avatar Korra,” Zuko greeted, bowing his head.

Korra immediately bowed, “Fire Lord Zuko. When Toph told us, we would expect a surprise I was not expecting you.” Zuko smiled softly. “I am not the most surprising I suppose. I actually asked Toph to inform you. There are a few people I would like you to meet.” The old man turned to the gray-haired woman at his side before she walked forward, “This is my eldest daughter, Fire Lord Izumi.” The woman bowed to Korra who bowed back, “I have heard of you Fire Lord Izumi,” Korra said.

Izumi smiled kindly at the girl before Zuko then turned to the other two people with him, “And this is my grandson, Rayne and his wife Seema.” Korra bowed to Rayne before Seema stepped forward and smiled.

“Excuse my bluntness,” Korra said, looking at Seema, “But you remind me of someone.” The woman smiled gently, “My grandfather was Avatar Aang’s brother in law, Sokka. My mother was Suki, a Kyoshi warrior.” Korra’s eyes widened in surprise but before she could say more, she saw Seema and Rayne turn to look at someone behind her and Korra turned to see Mako standing there.

The boy smiled kindly at the two before approaching them and allowing Seema to hug him.

“Hello father, mother.” Korra and Isami’s mouths dropped open.

“Mako,” Isami said firmly. “You never thought it would be important to inform us that your great-grandfather was Fire Lord Zuko!?” “Or who your grandfather is for that matter,” Korra added.

Mako nervously scratched the back of his neck, “Yeah…. I was gonna tell you about that. My grandfather actually died before I was born…. His name was Rekka. He was Grandmother Izumi’s twin brother…. and the Yin.”

The two girls froze before their eyes fell back on Fire Lord Zuko.

“That is why I wanted to talk with you Korra,” Zuko explained. “Something that Avatar Aang and I agreed after my wife died was that we would keep the identities of the Yin and Yang private to only those closest to us unless terribly necessary. Because you are the next avatar, Aang has confided in me that you may know the identities.” Korra glanced at the two white dragons behind Zuko who didn’t seem to stray far from him before she nodded to him, “You were one…. Weren’t you?” Zuko nodded, “I was the Yin and my wife was the Yang. My daughter, Izumi and her twin brother Rekka were the next Yin and Yang.” Korra’s eyes fell to the two eagles sitting upon Mako’s parents’s shoulders before Zuko confirmed her next guess.

“Seema and Rayne were the next Yin and Yang.”

“But….” Korra said, looking at the white lone wolf who seemed almost lost as she stood next to Zuko, “Why is….” Zuko and Izumi looked at each other, pain crossing their faces before looking back at Korra. Mako walked over and placed his hand on the girl’s shoulder, causing Korra to look at him to see a tear fall down his face.

“Korra…. The reason Great-grandfather Zuko and Avatar Aang kept the identities private was because…. Before I was born and before my parents were discovered to be the next Yin and Yang…. Grandfather Rekka was murdered. Not just for being the Yin…. But for being the first born of Fire Lord Zuko and Shirayuki Trusang.” “Trusang?” Korra asked. “Wait…. you mean like…. The girl in the stories who could control starlight…. Who journeyed to the past and into the spirit world….” “My wife,” Zuko whispered.

Korra gasped, “I thought it was all just myth…. But why are you telling me all this?” Zuko sighed before reaching to something that hung around his neck before holding it out to Korra, “When Rekka died, he left it to his son, Rayne but now Seema and Rayne have agreed that their time as the Yin and Yang is over and it is time for the next generation to take over. This is for you Korra.” The girl stared at the small wooden pendant on the string…. A half circle of black wood with a small white circle on it. The Yin pendant.

“Me?” Korra whispered. “I’m the next Yin? But…. Who does that make the Yang?” Zuko smiled before patting her shoulder, “You’ll know soon enough.”

While this was going on, what Korra didn’t know was that Mako had reached to grip something inside his shirt…. If he had pulled out the pendant that hung around his neck, she would have found the other half of the circle…. White with a black mark….the Yang.

#avatar the last airbender #avatar #zuko #zuko x oc

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the-jade-cross · 4 years

Text

Love on Fire - Chapter 3

When Azula knocked on the door of the guy’s house, it was opened by the guy himself who looked at them blankly like he had just woken from a nap.

“We’re here for the party,” Azula announced happily.

“Uh…. You’re really early,” the boy pointed out blankly.

“I heard someone say that you were partying from dusk to dawn. It’s dust and we’re here.” Azula retorted.

The boy sighed and opened the door, “Come on in.” The group entered the house which was empty of visitors except for the one other boy who had invited them to come by. When the boy saw that they were there, he quickly hurried over to talk to Ty Lee.

“Mind helping me get some things from the kitchen?” the first boy asked Shira.

“Sure,” the girl replied with a calm expression.

Zuko however heard and stormed over, about to chaperone her into the kitchen but Shira gave him a meaning look and shook her head. They weren’t gone long and when they did return, Shira looked quite satisfied and the boy had a red mark on his cheek.

“Feisty girl you got there,” the boy whispered to Zuko. “Warning don’t try to touch her, or you’ll get a good crack!” Zuko smirked, wanting to rub it in the boy’s face but he felt that Shira had already gifted the impertinent boy enough punishment. It wasn’t long before the house was full of guests and Zuko was beginning to worry since there were so many boys and while Ty Lee had a group of boys crowding her and Mei had a few boys trying to hit on her (the moment she gave them the death glare they left though), there were quite a handful of boys who were admiring Shira from a distance. The girl’s calm demeanor but her lack of girly friendliness like Ty Lee made the boys not want to approach her the way they would Ty Lee but Zuko also knew that the big reason why they didn’t approach her was because he always made sure to be within ten feet of her and Mei had managed to catch the attention of most of the guys before they could get close to Shira. Zuko was grateful to Mei and Ty Lee trying to help with Shira but he honestly wished they could just leave the bloody party.

Zuko was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Shira get up from her seat and head over to Ty Lee who had just finished talking to Azula.

“Ty Lee, what is wrong?” she asked. “You were crying earlier.” Ty Lee smiled weakly, tears beginning to spring up again. “It’s nice having guys like you and all…. I just wish that there was just one man who would like me not because I am pretty…. Just for who I am.” Shira smiled and wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders, “It’s alright Ty Lee. You will find that perfect guy one day.” “You think so?” Ty Lee asked. “I mean… I know you found yours….” The girl pointed over Shira’s shoulder where Shira knew Zuko was standing and giggled when Shira’s face heated in a blush, “Yeah…. Well…. I don’t remember much about my mom, but I do remember her telling me that if you ever go looking for the right man, you’ll never find him. But if you wait and let him come to you, you’ll find him much faster.” Ty Lee smiled through her tears before throwing her arms around Shira and hugging her, “Thank you Shira.”

Shira smiled and watched as the girl skipped off to go talk to Mei. The girl was so caught up in watching the girl’s sad demeanor change to happy that she didn’t sense a presence next to her.

“Hey, what’s your name?” Shira turned to see a tall boy standing next to her. He looked to be about Zuko’s height with buzzed brown hair and brown eyes.

“Shira,” the girl replied simply.

“Why don’t you join us Shira?” the boy asked, wrapping an arm around the girl’s waist.

The moment his hand made contact with her waist; he was ripped off of her like a piece of paper being ripped in half. He was half thrown across the room and away from a startled Shira.

“Stay away from her!” Zuko warned, standing between the boy and Shira.

Shira stared at Zuko in shock. She had seen him angry before but this…. This was something she had never seen in Zuko before. His shoulders were rising and falling in heavy breathing…. But not from exertion… but from fury. His face was red with fury and Shira could see it spread to his ears and his neck. His hands were clenched, his knuckles white and the muscles on his arm pulsing from his clenching.

“Get out!” the boy who lived there yelled, pointed to the door. “Now!”

Zuko glared and was about to punch that guy too when he felt a cool hand slip into his, lacing their fingers together. He looked down at Shira who stood slightly behind him, a hand on his shoulder and the other gripping his hand.

“Zuko, just go. I’ll follow.” She whispered.

The boy nodded, unable to object to her soft voice and kind smile. Storming out the door, Zuko didn’t fail to jolt the boy’s shoulder as he left before slamming the door behind him.

Ty Lee and Mei were staring with their eyes wide and Ty Lee’s jaw probably touching the floor. They looked over at Shira who gave them a meaningful look telling them to detain Azula if she noticed their absence before she quickly and quietly followed after Zuko.

When she finally found him, he had already stormed down the dark and empty beach to the old beach house before heading back the way he had come. He paused when he saw Shira standing a few feet away. Her hair was down and blowing in the wind. It had grown slightly past her shoulders and the moonlight and stars shining off her hair, fair skin and eyes made her look like a goddess to Zuko.

“What was going on back there?” Shira asked. “You weren’t yourself Zuko.” Before Shira got an answer, the boy had strode over to her and had wrapped her up in a tight hug, burying his face in her shoulder and holding her so close to him that she could feel his heartbeat against her own chest…. But she didn’t fail to notice how his body trembled as he held her.

“Everything is so complicated now. So, messed up and frustrating,” He whispered to her. “Why can’t things be simple like when we were kids? There were hard things but there was always an answer to them.” Shira smiled and gently hugged the boy back, running one of her hands through his hair soothingly, “It is simple Zuko, even now. The reason why it felt simpler when we were children was because we didn’t overthink things nor try to make things complicated. We were satisfied with what we had but as we grew up, we searched and yearned for other things and it made things complicated. There is always an answer to hard things…. You just have to look in the last place you expect.” “What is that?” Zuko asked, pulling away enough to look at her.

Shira smiled up at him, stroking his burnt cheek. “It is something that you have always had, something that has always been yours and will be for the end of eternity.”

Before Zuko could even think to ask what she meant, Shira stood up on her bare tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on his burnt cheek. She had just dropped back onto her heels when her knees buckled beneath her and she crumbled to the sand.

“SHIRA!” Zuko cried, catching her as she fell. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

The girl gave no answer, her eyes closed and her body limp. Ty Lee, Mei and Azula came walking around the corner and when Ty Lee and Mei saw Shira’s condition, they rushed over.

“She just collapsed,” Zuko explained.

“It’s okay,” Ty Lee told him. “I’ll take care of her. I’ll get her up to the house and rested. She just needs sleep. She is exhausted and not used to being out of a cell.” Zuko nodded hesitantly when he saw the two girls give him a meaningful look. Mei and Ty Lee carefully carried the girl up to the beach house, leaving Azula and Zuko alone.

“I thought you had broken all ties with her,” Azula said to her brother, crossing her arms.

“I never said anything of the sort,” Zuko replied defiantly. “I said I was trying to for her safety.”

“So, I take it you failed in giving up on her,” Azula asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Zuko glanced over at the beach house where he could see Mei and Ty Lee in the distance carrying the girl up to the beach house. “It’s hard to give up on someone…. When they never give up on you.”

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

It was a most ordinary day when Shira got a visit from a different prison guard. She usually got the same guard who brought in her meals and occasionally she would get a visit from Mei and Ty Lee. Since they had returned from Ember Island almost a week ago, Shira hadn’t seen anything of Zuko. He had not come to visit her, and she couldn’t exactly visit him whilst locked in her cell. Mitsuru had left before their journey to Ember Island and hadn’t returned since then. Of course, she couldn’t blame him for not wanting to creep around as a cat to sneak into her cell when he could be other places.

This particular morning though, a woman fire nation guard came in with her breakfast. She looked quite nice for a guard with a soft smile on her face and her eyes kind.

She knelt down by the bars and carefully slid the tray through the bars so as to not spill the rice and cup of milk.

“Your friend, General Iroh, said that you like warm milk,” the woman said.

Shira smiled as she came to sit across from the guard, carefully taking the cup of hot milk into her hands, “It’s a new favorite of mine. Are you new?”

The woman shook her head, “I usually help with other prisoners but General Iroh specifically asked if I should check on you.” “That’s sweet of him,” Shira said, taking a sip of the milk. “I haven’t seen him in quite a few weeks. How is he doing?” “He is holding up very well,” the woman replied. “He asked me to give you a message.” Shira looked over the rim of her cup suspiciously at the woman. The woman smiled at the girl’s cautious demeanor, “I know what you’re thinking. Who can you trust? I will say this; I have admired General Iroh for a long time and while he may be a prisoner of the Fire Lord, he is still the General he was years ago.”

The girl watched the fire nation soldier for a while, listening to the sound of her breathing and watching her face. She was telling the truth.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Shira said, “I believe you.”

The woman smiled, “You can just call me Ming. The message is a little strange though.” “Not surprised there,” Shira chuckled.

“He said get sleep this morning but be wary this afternoon,” Ming explained. “Also… he said something about you receiving a visit from Key Maximum Heroes… I don’t know what that means. Does it make sense to you?”

Shira paused. Iroh always spoke in riddles and all of it made sense except the last part…. She had never heard of anyone by the name of Key Maximum Hero and she was sure Iroh knew that. He would have known if she met someone like that in the Spirit World. Then again… it could be a code name… but it was Heroes not Hero. That meant there would be more than one…maybe each word of the name represented a name.

So, there was ‘Key’… like a lock? Nope, no ringing of bells. Well maybe it wasn’t referring to the physical key…. But key as in important, essential, vital…. Wait…. Vital sounded familiar. Vital key or maybe Key point…. Vital point… why did that sound familiar?

“Well, I had better go,” Ming said, snapping Shira out of her thoughts. “I hope you feel better.” Shira smiled and nodded, waiting till the woman was gone before she sat in the corner, wrapping herself in the cloak in an attempt to get some sleep. However, she couldn’t forget Iroh’s message. Key and Vital Point were ringing no bells and Hero didn’t help any…. but there was one thing Shira knew and that was that Maximum was just another word for full or growing…. Which was what the meaning of the name: Mitsuru.

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

Shira didn’t realize she had fallen asleep until she heard a loud siren going off. She didn’t have to remember her past years in the Fire Nation to know that the shrill noise was a warning of danger or an attack. She quickly got to her feet and rushed to the bars in an attempt to see what was going on but with the small bar window on the wooden door across from the bars, she could only see soldiers running past and their mixed yelling was too jumbled to understand.

However, the girl didn’t waste time for she remembered Iroh’s words. Rushing back to her cot, she grabbed up the cloak that lay on the cot and tied it around her shoulders, using a bit of leather cord to tie it around her neck and pulled the hood over her head so that it concealed her hair. She hugged the cloak around her body, slinking into the shadows to wait.

Almost like magic, the door of her cell flew open in a flurry of flame and Shira had to admit, she was surprised when she found Iroh standing in the doorway.

“Iroh?” she asked, grabbing onto the bars.

Iroh smiled at the girl, “You alright Shira?” The girl nodded before Iroh turned to someone behind him. Shira’s face lit up when she saw the familiar jet-black hair and silver eyes as Mitsuru pushed through the door and to the bars.

“We need to get you out of here. Stand back sis,” Mitsuru commanded.

Shira did as she was told, and Mitsuru quickly morphed into a huge black bear. With a loud roar, he threw himself against the bars and they bent against his weight. Standing back, Mitsuru shifted back to his human self before pushing the bars apart enough so that Shira could slip through.

“Got everything?” Mitsuru asked.

Shira checked to make sure the eggs were in her bag on her back before she nodded. Mitsuru quickly grabbed her hand before looking at Iroh.

“Thank you general,” The boy said. “You should get out before anyone notices you’re gone. We still have somewhere we need to be.” Iroh nodded before walking over to the two and placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “Be careful.” Mitsuru and Shira both nodded before the old man hurried out of the cell. Mitsuru took Shira’s hand and began to lead her down the hallway which was now lacking soldiers.

“Where are we going Mitsuru?” the girl insisted. “This isn’t the way out. We’re going the opposite direction.” Mitsuru nodded, “We’re meeting up with the others.” Shira didn’t stop running with Mitsuru but her mind clicked into what he was referring to, “You mean Key and Hero?” Mitsuru chuckled. “Yeah.” “But why are we going into the heart of the fire nation capital?” Shira insisted.

“Because…. The friends we are meeting… are having a long awaited rematch.”

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

“Wait,” Sokka cried to Toph and Aang, “She is not even trying to fight us.” Aang and Toph stopped in their pursuit of Azula who also stopped to watch them in amusement.

“You’re trying to stall us!” Toph accused angrily.

Azula smirked. “Oh, so you finally figured it out! Don’t worry. I’m sure father wouldn’t mind if you were a tad bit late for your meeting with him.” Aang was about to pounce on the girl but Sokka stopped him, “Come on. We’re wasting time!” The three were just about to leave when Azula spoke up again.

“You know, your friend spoke a lot about you Sokka,” Azula remarked, immediately catching Sokka’s attention. “She was so sure you were going to come rescue her. But of course, you didn’t, and she plain just forgot about you.” Sokka spun on his heel, tears pricking his eyes as he stormed in Azula’s direction.

“Where is Suki?” he insisted, glaring daggers at the girl. If looks could kill, Azula would have been dead instantly.

“Do you really think I would tell you?” Azula asked, crossing her arms and giving the boy an amused smirk.

“Yeah, I think you will,” an unfamiliar voice said calmly.

Everyone froze at the voice including Azula. The voice was deep…. A man’s voice but not older like Ozai but young as in within ten years of Azula’s age. It was firm, commanding with a slight rounded accent which made his voice sound crisp and mature.

Azula slowly turned around, not quite liking the idea of turning her back on the three kids but the kids were too surprised as well to react. There, standing down the corridor leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest was a tall young man.

He was younger than any of them expected considering how his deep voice indicated that he might have been in his twenties. Now looking at him, he couldn’t have been older than Azula…. If anything, probably the same age.

He had a boyish, kind and almost mischievous demeanor about him but at present, his eyebrows were down in seriousness and the scowl he was giving Azula sent shivers down the spines of everyone present. His sandy blond hair was crudely cut, probably having been cut by a friend or by himself… meaning that whoever cut it wasn’t his mother. The hair on the left side of his face was longer than the other side but added to his mysterious but goofy look. His attire didn’t read into any specific nation and the fact that it was brown didn’t help. The first thought that came to everyone’s minds was that he might probably be earth kingdom and considering the fair hair and complexion, there was a possibility but the designs on his clothes were not those of earth kingdom…. Or water tribe…. Or fire nation and not even Air Nomad.

It was like this kid was on a totally different radar from every other person. The boy rose to his full height and even though he was young, he was slightly taller than Azula.

He took one step and Toph tilted her head just slightly to listen to his footsteps to take in what she could decipher from reading his vibrations. However, the boy froze in his tracks, having spied with his piercing silver eyes the things that no one else noticed with their eyes.

“Who are you?” Azula insisted.

The boy did not reply, his eyes still set on Toph as he watched the girl curiously. However, he caught sight of Azula frowning out of the corner of his eye and looked back at her.

“Are you deaf or something?” the princess snapped. “I asked who you are!” “Funny you should say that,” the boy replied, leisurely walking toward them with his hands thrust into his pockets as if he wasn’t expecting a fight. “Let me see if this rings any bells.”

The boy turned so he was facing Azula straight on, about six feet from her. The three kids noticed with interest that his legs were not spread apart in a rock like stance that Toph always insisted Aang use but he stood leisurely but the leisure, calm tone did not reach his eyes. They bore into Azula like fire, the mischief and goof gone from his face.

“I am Kaname Katsu Trusang… You killed my father: Ryoichi Nobyuki Trusang. You captured and tortured my mother: Yakira Michiko Trusang. You promised me that before I reunited with them, I would see my sister: Shirayuki Yang Trusang suffer and die. I was unable to prevent you from killing my parents, but I will not fail this time so… prepare to die.”

Azula took a full step back and the three kids peered at the young boy in confusion.

“But…. You…. You aren’t…. Trusang….” Azula gasped. “I killed him! And…. He was older…. Than you…. How….”

The boy just smirked, “I never said I was Kaname…. And I never said I wasn’t there that day!” Azula let out a loud growl and hurled herself at the boy, preparing to strike him in the face but even with his loose and unbalanced stance, the boy didn’t even falter. He just leant to the side so all his weight was on one leg and while he was off balance, he swung the leg around that did not carry his weight and struck the back of Azula’s body with it, right between her shoulder blades.

The girl let out a grunt as she landed on the ground, looking back at the young man who still had his hands in his pockets. The boy tilted his head to the side in a smirk. Azula growled and she charged at the boy. However, this time he avoided her just like before but instead of turning to face her, the boy kept his back to her.

However, his silver eyes traveled over to the three kids and he noticed Sokka and Aang’s eyes widen in surprise. His eyes snapped down to the ground where he could see Azula’s shadow come toward him from the left. Leaning all the way back in half, he completely missed Azula’s leg which she had shot out to strike him. While her leg was still passing over his head, the boy reached out and grabbed her ankle and quickly spinning on his ankles so that he was now standing up straight, he snapped at her ankle and the girl did a harsh spin before landing on her back.

The girl quickly jumped to her feet and drew out a small knife from her boot before throwing it at the boy. Just when the knife was about to strike the boy in the head…. It froze…. Like something invisible was blocking it…. Aang, Sokka and Toph all peered around the boy only to see that something that looked like ice had created a sheet between the knife and the boy and the knife had penetrated it but only slightly…. But it wasn’t ice. It was….

“Glass?” Aang muttered, loud enough for everyone present to hear.

The blond-haired boy just smirked before looking upwards, “Took you long enough…. Brother.” All eyes looked up only to find that there was another young boy clinging to the ceiling. He carefully dropped down to stand next to the blond-haired boy.

“You were doing just fine Hirako,” the other boy remarked.

With the two boys standing side by side, all present could see that this newcomer was taller and definitely older, his voice roughly the same deep tone but more mature and less mischievous. He lacked the accent that the other boy, Hirako, possessed. This boy was about a head taller than Hirako with a similar slender build, but his shoulders were broader, and his features and body were more elegant. His black hair was cut short but just long enough that it stood up on its own. His eyes were piercing blue but so gentle that the kids found it impossible to find that guy capable of harming anyone.

The tall boy lifted one hand and the glass disappeared, allowing the knife to fall to the ground with a clatter.

“You!” Azula spat. “You are supposed to be dead!” The taller boy just smiled calmly at the girl. “Funny thing glass. People think it is so weak because it can shatter and break. One of the things they don’t seem to realize is that glass is mysterious. It is puzzling… and can be easily mistaken for a living being.” With that, the boy quickly made a sheet of ice next to him and Azula jumped, seeing her own perfect reflection in the glass.

“You mean….I killed glass?” Azula cried. “But I was told….” “Told I didn’t last the night?” the boy asked. “Takes more than a little lightning to kill me.” “You can say that again.” Another voice remarked.

Once again, the kids all spun around to see two more figures, one a tall boy roughly about Hirako’s height and the other a familiar sight: Shira.

Azula growled, reaching back into her belt for another knife and grinning at the girl.

“Your brothers might be able to bend even without the sun, but you cannot bend sunlight without the sun.”

With that, Azula threw the knives at the girl, too fast for Kaname to stop them before they reached Shira and Mitsuru’s morphing speed was not fast enough either…. But something…. Something bright shot out of nowhere and struck the knives right out of the air just inches from Shira’s face.

Toph jumped at the sound of the knives making contact with the hard floor.

“Wha….” Azula started before her eyes fell back on Shira…. The light back in her eyes… something Azula hadn’t seen for a long time.

“Who said anything about sunlight?” Shira inquired. “I do not rise with the sun or set with the moon. I am always there but during the day no one sees me because the sun shines out my light…. But I am always watchful.”

Sokka and Toph heard Aang gasp beside them and when they looked at the young avatar, his eyes were wide and his mouth gaping in shock.

“Starlight. She is the Yang!”

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

Zuko didn’t bother to knock on the door of the room where his father hid. Striding into the room confidently, Zuko found his father alone with only eight guards present with him.

“Prince Zuko,” Ozai said, surprised at his son’s appearance there. “What are you doing here?” “I’m here to tell the truth,” Zuko replied seriously.

Ozai raised an eyebrow in interest. “Telling the truth during an eclipse. This will be interesting.” With a wave of his hand, Ozai ordered the guards out of the room. The moment they were gone, Zuko drew out his dual swords but held them by his sides, not pointed threateningly at his father but prepared, nonetheless.

“Go on Prince Zuko,” Ozai invited.

“First,” Zuko started, not wavering once. “In Ba Sing Sa, it was the Azula who took down the Avatar, not me.” “Why would Azula lie to me about that?” Ozai asked, not quite believing it.

“Because the avatar is not dead. He survived.” Zuko replied with a dead pan expression.

Ozai finally showed some emotion, his eyes widening in shock, “WHAT!?”

“In fact, he is probably leading this invasion. He is probably on his way here right now,” Zuko pushed.

“GET OUT!” Ozai yelled, standing up. “If you know what’s good for you.” Zuko just smirked and brought his swords up in front of him in a defensive manner, “Think again! I am going to speak my mind and you are going to listen.” Ozai sighed and sat back down, defeated so far.

Zuko stood tall, keeping his swords up though, “For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me… to accept me. I thought it was my honor I wanted but really, I just wanted to please you. My father, who banished me just for talking out of turn. My father, who challenged me, a thirteen-year-old boy to an Agni Kai. It was cruel and it was wrong.” Ozai frowned but Zuko wasn’t done yet. “Growing up, we were taught that the fire nation was the greatest civilization in history. What an amazing lie that was. The people of the world are terrified of the fire nation. They don’t see our greatness. They hate us and we deserve it. We need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.” Ozai let out a loud laugh but Zuko’s expression didn’t change.

“Your uncle has gotten to you, hasn’t he?”

Zuko was silent a moment before a smile appeared on his face, “Yes, he has. He was more of a father to me than you ever were. He kept me sane and kept me human when I was about ready to go mad after the things you did to me. He and Shira.”

“Oh, the little bender,” Ozai taunted. “I was wondering when the subject of her would come up.” Zuko raised one of his swords, pointing it at his father even though they were about ten feet apart, his eyes flared angrily. “You are not worthy to speak of her. You nearly killed her. She was only a kid when you tortured her. You left a permanent mark on her, not just physically like you did to me but mentally. You wiped everything from her memory and sent her to a hell hole that no one has survived until now. And what did she do to deserve that? She protected the young fire nation prince who was above her station and had caused her nothing but trouble from his sick father. That is all. And you know what? She loved it. She loved the fact that she was able to help me. Not once did she push me aside even though I wasn’t the boy I was when we had known each other before. She didn’t care that I had a permanent punishment on my face. She didn’t care that I was banished and had a temper like a forest fire. She loved me no matter what and all she wanted was for me to be the person I am. That is one of the many things you two do not have in common. You wanted a perfect prince, the son you wanted…. She just wanted me.”

During Zuko’s whole speech, Ozai hadn’t moved or spoken but when Zuko was finished and had finished declaring his future allegiance to the avatar, Ozai got to his feet.

“You’re a coward. You are only willing to speak out on the day of an eclipse. Don’t you want to know what happened to your mother?” Ozai asked.

Zuko froze. “What happened that night?”

“When I had spoken out against your uncle, my father told me to do the unthinkable…. To you. Your mother found out and she proposed a plan in which I would become fire lord and your life would be spared. For her treason, she was banished.”

“So, she’s alive,” Zuko whispered, feeling tears prick his eyes.

Ozai shrugged, “Possibly, if my assassins didn’t get to her first.” Zuko froze and if the boy had been pale before, he was beyond white, “You tried to have her killed!?” “I never loved her,” Ozai replied. “And I doubt she loved me. She only cared about her children. But besides that, she knew too much… and she kept a vital secret from me since you were born. Something I couldn’t forgive her for.” “What secret?” Zuko demanded, his voice laced with venom.

Ozai smiled, “The bond you and that slave bender share.” Zuko jolted, not expecting that, “Shira….” “Did you ever wonder why I didn’t kill the girl on the spot? I could have you know, and it would have added to the punishment that you received. It would have taught you a lesson. But I couldn’t kill such a valuable asset. I have been hunting the Trusang’s for as long as I can remember. There are two things that family is famous for: having an unnaturally powerful family and second: being decedents of Yangla and Yingli.” Zuko froze, “The Yin and the Yangs. You mean…. Shira….” “Is this generation’s Yang. I spent forever hunting her down and I almost found her until her family smuggled her away from the north pole. I did manage to find her mother who was her only parent still alive. However, that woman never spoke, never rattled and sent herself to the grave as a result. It wasn’t difficult though to find her daughter. For centuries the Yin and Yang have been able to hide their identities but when they are reborn every generation, you begin to notice a pattern. Unlike you, prince Zuko, I paid attention during history class and I noticed with great interest that the Yin and Yang always find each other no matter the odds and their bond is so strong and unbreakable that even people who do not know them well can sense the bond. The moment that girl was brought in with the rest of those peasants, I could tell there was something off about her. I mean, what was her brother thinking, placing her, a fair-haired pale girl in a village who looked nothing like her. She stood out like a sore thumb. However, that wasn’t what gave her away. It was you Prince Zuko.” Zuko frowned, “Me?” Ozai nodded, “The moment you laid eyes on her, I knew there was something up. I wondered why your mother had always protected you from me. I knew it was mostly because of her love for you and her hate for me, but I always felt like there were things about you that she knew that not even you knew. I allowed Azula to take the girl as a slave in the hopes of keeping her close and keeping an eye on her. The day of the Agni Kai, when I saw her bend light, I knew that she wasn’t an ordinary girl. In that case, I put it to the test. I sent her to that prison hold and erased her memories, erasing everything from her knowledge of her family, you and her lineage to her knowledge of herself. I knew, that if she was the Yang, she would find herself back to her significant other: Her Host Pair. I had had suspicions before whenever I saw you two together and the lengths the two of you went to for each other. I just needed confirmation and I got it. The moment Azula came back and told me of how you and your uncle became fugitives with the help of a mysterious girl…. I knew.” Zuko paused, taking in everything he had just heard when suddenly the truth dawned on him. “You mean….” “I found it hard to believe as well. I mean, considering that it took you years to even master fire bending and when you did, your progress was sickeningly slow. And also, the fact that host pairs are dual, it was just hard to believe. So, I confirmed it with the priest. Turns out, when you were born, your mother received a visit from old Avatar Roku. He told her of your true nature, so she took you to an old priest that no one really knew to bless you. He christened you the middle name of Yin, but your mother kept that hidden from the rest of the world. I managed to find the old man and needless to say, he was too old to handle much pressure and he spilt it.”

“What did you mean by dual?” Zuko insisted. “Oh you didn’t know? From the beginning of time, the Yin and Yang have been the hosts of the light and the darkness. Those two things are always a gift they possess just as your little bender friend is a light bender. However, on top of having those unique powers, they are also gifted with a second bending power. Together, they are second to no one but the avatar.”

“Two bending powers,” Zuko whispered. “Light and Ice…. But Shira….” “Has three,” Ozai confirmed. “That is why it threw me off so many times when Azula told me of her third power. I honestly did not understand how she got that third power, until I came upon a surprising discovery. I always knew that the Trusang’s were powerful, but I didn’t realize that they had so many arms. Turns out, that little girl you have grown attached to has three rather ornery brothers. They do not really like it when people get too close to their sister. One of them even tried to get her out of that prison I tossed her in years ago! Got himself badly blown up by Azula. Don’t know if he survived.” Zuko gritted his teeth. “Get to the point.” “Well you see,” Ozai continued. “How many times have you seen her plant bend?” Zuko paused, “Once…. At the Agni Kai.” Ozai nodded, “Exactly. Took me a while to figure it out but now it makes sense. See, she never was the one who plant bended because she can’t.” “It was her brother….” Zuko whispered. “Wait…. If he was there even at that time…. That means one of them….”

“Could have seen what you did back in Ba Sing Sa.”

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

Shira sighed as the group pulled to a stop. She quickly slumped down to a seated position on the grass, taking a deep breath.

“When did I get so out of shape?” She asked.

Hirako chuckled, “You were locked up in jail sis. Sure, you’re gonna get out of shape.” Mitsuru immediately clobbered his brother over the head with his hand, making Hirako let out a whimper and stick out his bottom lip.

This exchange was being watched by the rest of the avatar group and Katara chuckled.

“They’re so sweet,” she whispered to Sokka, Toph and Aang. “Why can’t you be as sweet to me as they are to Shira?” Sokka placed a hand over his heart in offense, “That hurt!” “I think Sokka is very sweet,” Toph remarked. “Just, Shira and her brothers’ relationship are different.” “How come?” Katara insisted.

Toph considered it a moment, listening to the vibrations coming from the four Trusang kids before turning to the others. “They have been through a lot. As children they were torn apart because Shira had to go somewhere safe because of who she is. They just completely reunited today…. But in truth, her brothers have never left her side… she just didn’t know it.” “Like secret bodyguards?” Sokka asked. “Gee, I wish I had that!” While Katara and Toph chuckled, Aang watched the four kids thoughtfully.

“I knew that the Yin and Yang existed…. I just never realized that they were reborn every generation.” “But how is that possible?” Sokka inquired. “I mean, say I was the Yin and I married the Yang and we had kids and those kids turned out to be the next generation of Yin and Yang, what would happen then? Would I lose my powers?” Aang shook his head, “No. You will still have the powers bestowed on you as the Yin and Yang but the title would be handed down to the next line and you would cease to be known as the present Yin or Yang. There were actually a Yin and Yang in history that were both boys and they were brothers!” “That is awkward,” Sokka muttered. “How does that even work?” Aang chuckled, “Being the Yin and Yang doesn’t mean that they end up married. It just means their bond is unbreakable. Those Yin and Yang ended up becoming lifelong friends and both died protecting the other.”

Katara glanced over at Shira thoughtfully, “Aang…. Do you know who the Yin is of this time?” The boy paused before slowly shaking his head, “No. No one knows if it is a boy or a girl. For all we know, it could be a girl and she will become a close friend with Shira…. Or it could be one of her brothers….” “That’s impossible,” Sokka pointed out. “The youngest goofy one is a plant bender, the rough big one is an animal bender and the tall cool guy is a glass bender.” Aang nodded, “You have a point. But I still don’t know who the Yin is.”

While the three continued talking about it, Toph bit her lip, glad that no one could sense vibrations, or they would have felt her racing heart. Now that she heard Aang’s description of the Yin and Yang, there was no doubt in her mind who the Yin was. The way Shira never gave up on him…. There was only one person it could be… she just hoped that if the time came that Aang should ever run into him again that it wouldn’t end in fire. Literally.

The girl’s thoughts and the others’ conversation were cut off when Kaname strode over to them. He smiled at them before holding out his hand to Aang.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, avatar,” he said.

Aang shook the tall man’s hand before Katara butted in. “It sounds like you’re saying goodbye.” Kaname chuckled, “Just for now. Since our father died when Hirako was little and our mother died a few years after, the survival of our people has been on our shoulders. My brothers and I must return and prepare for whatever will come. However, we will be on Shira’s beck and call so if anything happens to her or if you need anything, we’ll know. We have our ways.” While Sokka muttered something about ‘being strangely cool’, Toph and Katara gave their farewells to the tall Trusang. They then walked over to find Hirako and Mitsuru talking to their sister.

“We’ll figure this all out sis,” Mitsuru was telling his sister fondly. “You won’t be alone. But, considering that our people are still being attacked by fire nation, it is safer for you to stay here with the avatar and the rest. Besides, you cannot hang out with guys all the time. You need some girls in your life!” Shira playfully socked the boy in the arm, but it didn’t even phase the huge boy. He wrapped his sister in a literal bear hug before she approached Hirako.

“Stay out of mischief yeah?” she asked him. “Goodness knows your brothers could do with less mischief.” Hirako chuckled and looped his arm around the girl’s neck, ruffling her hair before giving her a quick peck on the temple. “I’ll try Yuyu.” The girl finally turned to Kaname who had knelt down, so he was closer to her height. In truth, since Shira was so petite and Kaname so tall, he was only about half a head shorter than her when he knelt down in front of her, “Stay strong Shira. You always have but now there is more reason to.” Shira slowly nodded before wrapping her arms around Kaname’s neck, “Thank you…. For everything.” Kaname smiled before hugging her back and placing a warm kiss on her forehead. Rising to his feet, he turned to the others present, smiling.

“Thank you for agreeing to let Shira stay with you.” Sokka waved his hand lazily, brushing off the thanks, “What’s another girl? It will be a nice break from Katara’s bossy behavior.” “Well at least I cannot burn a hole through your brain while you’re sleeping beneath the stars,” Katara pointed out.

Sokka’s eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped but Aang was already talking.

“Don’t mention it. We’re glad to have her. It will be nice to have a new friend.” Kaname smiled before turning to Mitsuru, “Well? Are you going to change or are we going to be walking back home?” The other brother groaned before shifting into a large black horse, “Why do I have to give the rides? I never heard either of you offer to give us a plant or ice ride home!” “Shut up,” Hirako remarked as he mounted up. “Kick back and enjoy the ride.” “I am the ride.” Came the serious reply.

Kaname mounted up next and the two boys (Who were riding) waved goodbye as Mitsuru charged off in the opposite direction that they had come. When they were gone, Katara walked over to Shira and gently nudged her with her elbow.

“What did your brother mean when he said there is more reason to be strong now? Did ya get yourself a boyfriend!? Who is he!?” Shira chuckled, “no, he didn’t mean it that way. It means I have more people that I need to protect so I have to be strong for them.” “We don’t need protection,” Katara, Aang and Sokka all said in unison, the Duke, Haru and the others adding in agreement.

“She wasn’t talking about us,” Toph replied, jabbing Aang and Sokka in the ribs with her elbows. “I have met her quite a few times and I have come to recognize her heartbeat, vibrations and footsteps…. But I have noticed that since we ran into her earlier today, her heartbeat has been faster, her vibrations are all a jumble and her footsteps are slightly heavier…. Yet she carries a bright and glowing aura.” “What does that mean?” Sokka inquired. “She is literally the guardian of the stars, naturally she is going to have a bright and glowing aura!”

Toph shook her head, “She always had a star like aura…. But this aura is different…. It’s like she has a condition that makes her this way.” Katara frowned, peering at Shira who was watching Toph curiously. She had to admit, she did seem to carry a light aura, but it didn’t seem to be one that derived from her bending abilities.

“I have felt something similar before,” Toph replied. “But the last time it didn’t seem important…. But now I see a pattern….”

All the kids looked at Toph confused while Shira was watching the girl, knowing that the little earth bender had figured out her deepest, darkest secret that no one but she knew.

“You’re pregnant!”

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

Sokka groaned, “Why do we have to walk? We never had to do this before!”

“Sorry guys but Appa gets tired carrying all the extra people,” Aang remarked from the back of the group.

“Look at it this way Sokka,” Katara goofed. “With all this walking, you’ll lose weight!” “I don’t have any weight to lose!” The boy objected.

“You shouldn’t be complaining wise guy!” Toph shouted over Sokka’s whines. “You’re not carrying your weight and another besides!”

“Actually Toph, Appa has been carrying eight of us,” Shira pointed out.

Toph chuckled, “I was talking about you.” The girl pointed at Shira’s abdomen and that was when Shira realized what she was talking about. A soft smile appeared on the girl’s face and if the kids had ever thought the fair-haired girl could ever look more beautiful, it was when that smile appeared on her face. She gently rubbed her abdomen that wasn’t showing quite yet.

“Oh, this little guy?” Shira asked. “He is only three months roughly so he’s just about three to four inches long.” Sokka held up his hand and measured the length using his finger, “HOW CAN A BABY BE THAT TINY!?”

“You were that tiny stupid,” Toph replied with a deadpan expression.

Sokka rolled his eyes, “And besides, how do you know it’s a boy? It might be a girl!” Shira chuckled, “I just have a feeling.” Sokka opened his mouth to question her ‘feeling’ but Katara wrapped her arm through Shira’s, looping them, “Do not question the mother. She knows best!” “Eesh,” Sokka groaned. “Girls!” The boy picked up his pace to keep up with Haru, the Duke and the others who hadn’t slowed their pace to keep up with the back conversation.

Toph and Katara chuckled, both looping an arm through Shira’s, the girl sticking together.

“So, have you thought of any names?” Katara inquired. “My mother always said to choose two names: one for a boy and one for a girl just in case.” “Well, I was trying to think of a name that was similar to his father’s… but also similar to my name maybe…” Shira began.

“What is the father’s name?” Katara inquired innocently, completely oblivious to what she had just said.

Shira and Toph both froze, the color draining from their faces and their eyes growing wide. Katara paused, looking at the two in confusion.

“Did I say something wrong? Oh no! Shira, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize he died….” Shira shook her head, “It’s not that…. It’s just….” Katara raised her hands, “You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to Shira. It is your private life after all.” “No, I want to tell you,” Shira replied. “You have all be so kind to me even though I have only known you for a while. See… the last time I met you was in Ba Sing Sa when…”

“When you helped Aang rescue me from prison!” Katara gasped, “I forgot all about that! But what does that have to do with….” The girl froze, the blood draining from her face when she saw the serious look on both Shira and Toph’s faces.

“I didn’t just help Aang rescue you Katara,” Shira explained. “I also helped General Iroh rescue…” “Zuko,” Katara interrupted. “He is the father!?” All the rest of the group had stopped when Katara had said Zuko’s name and now they were all staring at the three girls in shock. Toph however remained at Shira’s side, her hand still looped through Shira’s arm and she was clenching her fist in a warning manner.

“Wait what?” Sokka cried, pointing a finger first at Katara, then Shira, then Toph, “Zuko is the papa!? Where did that guy ever learn how to….” Toph didn’t fail to jab the boy harshly in the calf with a little earth bending to cut off the rest of his sentence.

“You might have told us before!” Katara remarked sternly.

“Katara, calm down,” Aang pointed out. “I am sure Shira had reasons for not telling us!” “NOT TELLING US THE FACT THAT SHE IS CARRYING ZUKO’S BABY!?” Sokka asked, not angrily but in shock.

“Exactly,” Haru remarked, getting everyone’s attention. “Look, Sokka and Katara, you’re surprised I know and not all of us are exactly best buddies with Zuko but consider Shira’s condition. She has been in prison for over three months carrying the child of the prince of the fire nation. Think of what kind of danger she would be in if anyone found out! The Fire Lord would have her killed, not only because she is carrying his son’s heir who might one day become fire lord when Ozai and Zuko are gone, but the child is also the child of a member of the Trusang family.” “So what?” Katara insisted.

“The Trusangs have been at war with Ozai since Ozai could walk! He knew of their past with Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin. Ozai has been hunting Shira down because he knew she was the Yang and since the Yin and the Yang are second to only the Avatar when they are one, he wanted to use her against Aang.”

“But why would Ozai keep her….” Sokka started until he froze. “Unless…. Zuko is the Yin!” All eyes turned to Shira who’s expression hadn’t changed. “That is correct. Zuko is the Yin.” “Oh this is just peachy!” Sokka cried. “We have the Yang in our midst, and she is carrying the child of Zuko who also happens to be the Yin!”

Katara opened her mouth to speak but Toph beat her to it, “Before that accusation even leaves your lips sugar queen,” the girl warned. “Shira is not a spy and she isn’t using our trust to get at us. I have been reading her vibrations since she joined us. You have no idea how scared she was when we ran into her in the fire nation!”

Katara bit her lip. She remembered her conversation with Zuko back in Ba Sing Sa. Even though she knew she couldn’t trust him, how he had said that Shira looked up to Aang and supported him seemed true enough.

“I am sorry if I was too brazen,” Katara said to Shira. “It is not that I don’t trust you… I’m…” “You just don’t trust the guy I love. Yeah, I know,” Shira replied, smiling. “You get used to it quickly when you’re in love with someone who always seems to make enemies with his quick choices and fiery temper.” Katara chuckled, “But seriously, have you thought of any names?”

As the group continued on their trek, all chattering and laughing together, none of them were aware that not far behind was a fire nation war balloon…. Following them carefully.

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

“Okay guys, gather round,” Katara announced.

Toph, Sokka and Aang all came over to sit around the girl, not sure what she wanted to talk about. They had just arrived at the Western Air temple just a few moments before, what on earth could she have to talk about?

“Look, I know we just escaped the fire nation but Aang, if you want to defeat the Fire Lord, you need to learn fire bending.”

Aang hung his head, “Didn’t work so well last time.” “Well Jeong-Jeong may have not been the right master for you,” Katara pointed out.

“We could always just go to the fire nation and as the fire lord to teach you!” Sokka suggested. “Then you’ll definitely become as good as him!” When no one replied, the boy looked up to see everyone staring at him with deadpan expressions.

“I could teach you,” Shira said, suddenly appearing behind them.

Aang’s eyes widened and his face brightened, “You know fire bending?”

Shira shook her head, “No, but considering how many months I spent watching Zuko and Iroh training, I might be able to help you a bit… at least until we find you a master.” Aang smiled, “I’ll take you up on that…”

The kid walked over and bowed to the girl who returned the bow. “…Sefu Yang.” What none of them knew was that above the temple in the woods, a certain fire nation prince was giving himself a pep talk…. And failing.

#zuko #avatar #avatar the last airbender #zuko x oc

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the-jade-cross · 4 years

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Love on Fire - Chapter 1

Zuko had always thought that if he sat in his father’s presence once again, freely and not on his way to banishment then everything would be perfect… that he would finally be happy. However, now sitting in front of his father, standing beside Azula and catching Ozai up on what happened in Ba Sing Sa, Zuko felt a deep pang in his chest…. A sense of guilt and dread in his gut and he found himself unable to relax and enjoy it.

“Quite an interesting account you have given me,” Ozai remarked. “Some rather beneficial occurrences took place. You brought your treacherous uncle back as well as that slave girl…. What was her name?” “Shira,” Zuko said without realizing it.

Both Azula and Ozai looked at the boy, neither of them surprised to find a slight cloud of sadness pass over the boy’s face, but surprised that he had admitted Shira’s capture.

“Right,” Ozai continued. “I remember her. Quite defiant. Light bender if I recall.” “As well as plant bender father,” Azula added. “And recently I have discovered her ability to ice bend as well.” “Ice bend?” Ozai inquired. “Three bending…. Could that mean….” Zuko lifted his head to look at his father, unsure of what he was talking about, only to see that Ozai had risen to his feet with a concentrating look on his face.

“Question her Azula,” Ozai demanded. “Find out everything you can about her people.” “But I thought all the villagers we brought with her when she was captured as a slave eventually died,” Azula pointed out.

Ozai nodded, “But those weren’t her people. Find out where they are and how many are left.” Azula bowed before leaving the room. Zuko did the same and followed quickly after her. When he left the war chamber, he found Azula talking to Mei and Ty Lee who were standing outside the room waiting for them to emerge.

“Bring her up,” Azula said to them. “I don’t trust the guards to do it without letting her escape. Don’t worry about being rough.” The two girls nodded silently before heading off on the mission Azula had sent them on. The girl then turned to her brother and smirked.

“Care to join me brother?” she asked.

“I would prefer not to,” Zuko replied. “I don’t know how you get information out of prisoners, but I am not really in favor of watching.” “Even when it is your past girlfriend?” Azula asked.

Zuko felt something in his heart snap and for a moment he almost wanted to throw his sister against the wall, but then he stopped, knowing that it would just get him banished again probably.

“She made her choice,” Zuko replied, his voice saying those words…. But his heart screaming something different entirely.

Just then, the sound of footfalls sounded, and four guards strode over to the prince and princess, Mei and Ty Lee in between. Both girls had one of Shira’s arms in their grip but Azula did not notice that their grip on the girl’s arms were gentle but just strong enough to keep her from running off. Shira’s head was bowed, her blond hair covering Zuko’s vision of her face. It had begun to grow back, now laying on the tops of her shoulders. She no longer wore her usual green outfit but a simple pair of brown pants, a long brown shirt that came past her hips and had a leather cord around her waist and her feet were bare.

“Look who it is,” Azula taunted. “Had enough the past two weeks in that prison cell?”

The girl slowly lifted her head and met Azula’s eyes dead on. A deadpan expression was plastered on her face, no look of defiance, anger or weakness. Zuko felt his heart drop to the bottom of his heels at the state she was in. Her hair was straw like, having not been brushed or washed in a while. Her face was slightly soiled and while her attire was not as fitting as her other clothes she had worn in the past, she still looked strong, slender and petite.

Zuko didn’t know how the girl could look so beautiful even in the state she was in, but he found himself staring at how the girl seemed to practically glow beneath the dirt and her mussed hair.

“Follow me,” Azula demanded of Ty Lee, Mei and the guards.

They obeyed, dragging Shira with them. Zuko didn’t fail to notice how she didn’t once look in his direction and the pang in his heart returned.

Zuko remained outside the room, not daring to go in and see what horrible things Azula was doing to Shira…. But also, not wanting to leave. He wanted to see her when she came out…. Wanted to make sure that she came out alive.

When the door swung open and Azula walked out, Zuko’s dread returned at the sight of the smug look on Azula’s face. The soldiers came out next, one of them carrying a limp body in his arms with Mei and Ty Lee at his elbows, continuously telling him to be careful.

Zuko strode over to the soldier who immediately stopped at the sight of the crown prince. The boy’s eyes quickly scanned over the limp body in the man’s arms. Shira was no longer conscious…. Bruises all over her face and her bare arms. The bottoms of her feet were raw and bloody but luckily nothing fatal.

Zuko’s hand instinctively reached out to touch the girl’s hair but just when his hand was within a few inches of her, a searing pain shot through his hand and he jumped back.

“What in the….” He started.

“Zuko,” Mei warned. “I think it is best that you not touch Shira,” she replied seriously.

Zuko looked back at the girl who was still out…. But that was when he saw it…. it was like there was a faint glow about her… like light was shining from her very being. That was when it clicked. Shira was a light bender…. And when she was unconscious…. It defended her…. like she was its protector and in return, it protected her…. even from him.

“I’ll take her back to her cell,” Mei said, taking the unconscious girl out of the soldier’s arms.

The man nodded and all the soldiers walked off. Ty Lee and Mei then began to walk back toward the door which led back to the prison. Just as they rounded the corner out of sight of Zuko, Ty Lee turned to Mei.

“That was so close. If Azula went any further, it would have been dangerous.” Mei nodded, “Let’s hope Azula or the Fire Lord do not find any other reason to torture Shira. It will not just be fatal to Shira.” Ty Lee nodded, “I really hope what Shira told Azula wasn’t true.” “About how her people are completely wiped out when Ozai tried destroying her family in order to find her?” Mei asked. “Why do you say that? If they’re dead then that means they are in a place that is safer than anywhere else.” “I know that,” Ty Lee replied. “But I hope at least a few of her people are still alive…. Because they might be the only ones who can help her… in the condition she is in.” Mei nodded before the two girls headed back to the prison, carefully carrying the girl. What they did not know was that two pairs of silver eyes were watching them from the shadows. Once the two girls disappeared into the prison, both looked at each other with a knowing look and one of them nodded to the other. One of the pairs of silver eyes disappeared…. But the other remained vigilant, watching the prison doors.

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

When Shira’s eyes opened, she wasn’t surprised to find herself in the prison cell again. She did notice that there was another piece of cloth in the cell, wrapped around her sore form…. A dark red cloak. Must have been from Mei or Ty Lee. Those two had been coming to visit her often and were always sneaking her extra food and water in between meals.

Shira slowly sat up, knowing that if she laid on the cold hard floor to long then her already sore body would be too sore to move. Wrapping the cloak around her form, she leant against the corner of the cell to keep herself propped up, stretching her legs out in front of her to unstiffen them. However, when the bottoms of her feet touched the floor, she winced. Turning one of her feet toward her to look at them, she saw whip slashes and wounds on the bottom of her feet. Oh right, Azula had tortured her the day before.

Shira had only been in that prison for about three weeks and Azula hadn’t come to visit or torment her until the day that Ozai insisted on finding out what happened to Shira’s family. The truth was, Shira didn’t know what happened to them beyond the fire nation attacking the north pole in the attempt to find her and then her older brother Kaname showing up to try and rescue her from the prison academy.

Shira stretched her legs back out, trying to keep the bottoms of her feet away from the ground so they wouldn’t get soiled nor rub against something that would irritate them. She was just about to lean back and close her eyes when she heard the sound of soft footfalls. Lifting her head, she looked toward the prison bars, expecting to see Mei, Ty Lee or a guard but there was no one there…. then she saw it…. a small cat quietly making his way through the bars of her cell until he was standing right by her feet. The cat sat down on his haunches and considered the girl a moment with his striking grey eyes before he closed them. Just like the wolf had back in Ba Sing Sa, the fur on the cat changed to skin, clad in black and the small button nose turned into a young man’s face.

“You again,” Shira remarked weakly.

The young man chuckled. He looked to be about Shira’s age… possibly a year or two older. His black hair was kept much looser and more relaxed than Kaname’s who always (as far as Shira remembered) kept it brushed back.

The boy looked much different than any boy that Shira had ever met. He was almost tough looking with broad shoulders, an athletic build and while he was an average tall height, he was not as lean, slender and agile built as Zuko or even Kaname. In comparison to Kaname who looked like a swan, the boy looked like a bear.

The boy crouched down at Shira’s feet before gently reaching out and taking her feet into his hands.

“They’re not too bad. Just keep off your feet for two days till they heal over and try not to reopen the scabs,” the boy explained in a crisp, rugged but gentle voice.

Shira kept the cloak wrapped around her form, considering the boy thoughtfully. However, the boy’s keen sharp grey eyes lifted and landed on the girl. Reaching over, he grasped the cloak and parted it to get a good look at her. He considered her a moment before wrapping it more securely around her.

“You have gone through a lot,” he remarked in a soft voice. “Yet you keep going.” “Who are you?” Shira asked, still considering the boy cautiously.

Sitting back on his haunches, the boy ran his fingers through his hair. “Out of all three of us, you always remembered Kaname best. I guess it is because you were his little princess.” “You know my brother?” Shira asked. “I’m sorry if I do not recognize you…” The boy shook his head, “It is understandable. You were so little when you left home that I’m surprised you remember Kaname at all… then of course he went all ballistic when you were thrown into the prison academy and had to try and save you…”

Shira looked down, “Kaname was hit the same way I was in Ba Sing Sa… did he….” “Oh he made it,” The boy replied, smirking. “He always does. He doesn’t look it but that guy has nine lives. Don’t worry your little head Yuyu.” Shira froze, “Wait…. I have heard that name before….” When Shira looked back at the boy, he had leant over to ruffle her hair, his eyes closed and a boyish grin on his face. The moment she saw that smile and felt the gentle but rough way he ruffled her hair like a puppy…. She knew. “Mitsuru!” The girl whisper yelled.

The smile on the boy’s face grew, “Good to have you back sis.” “But…. What are you doing here? Besides that…. How are you here?” Mitsuru chuckled, “I’ve always been here Yuyu. Hirako and I take turns watching out for you. As for getting in here, I didn’t find out until a few years after you were taken as a slave that I am actually an animal bender.” “Animal bender,” Shira whispered. “So…. You can…. Turn into animals?” “Certain ones,” Mitsuru replied. “I’m still having trouble with marine animals.” Shira chuckled softly before Mitsuru moved in his position, so he was seated cross legged before his sister, “As for why I am here…. It is time for you to reconnect with who you really are. Discover the truth…discover that things are not always as they seem. It is time for you to remember who you are: Shirayuki Yang Trusang.”

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

As the sound of approaching footsteps neared the cell, Shira quickly changed from a cross legged position to a leisure position, leaning her back against the wall of the cell, her shoulder facing the bars, letting her legs sprawl out in front of her. She quickly tore the leather cord from her hair, letting her hair fall back around her face.

The footsteps stopped and Shira glanced through her hair at who stood at her bars…. Zuko. This was the first time he had visited her. Of course, she had seen him a week prior when Azula had tortured her but that was it. The boy looked much different with his hair pulled back and out of his face, wearing fire nation clothes. It almost suited him, but Shira missed the free, relaxed boy in simple attire and his hair down.

“I brought you some tea. I thought it would taste better than water.” The girl turned her head back to stare at the wall opposite her. Zuko knelt down and slid the tray of still warm tea through the bars into her cell.

“I’m sorry about the conditions you are in,” Zuko remarked. “I’m trying to convince my father to free you.” “You’re wasting your time and breath,” the girl replied with a deadpan expression. “Even if you did manage to get me out which is impossible, I would not stay in your father’s good graces for more than an hour at the most.” “Why do you say that?” Zuko insisted. “You lived here for years without my father trying to kill you…” “Until I revealed my true past and tried to protect someone important to me, only to have that very person go and turn his back on me,” Shira spat.

Zuko took a full step back when the girl hopped to her feet, turning to face away from Zuko so her back was defiantly facing him.

“Do you think I had a choice?” Zuko demanded. “I was able to get my honor and my father’s love back!” “And you lost your uncle and I in the process,” Shira hissed quietly.

Zuko frowned before storming back over to the bars and slamming his fists against them, “I was doing it to protect you! When Azula electrocuted you, what else was I supposed to do? Carry you half across the world while escaping from my sister?” “Fine job you did!” Shira yelled, turning around and storming over to meet the boy, her eyes flaming blue fire. “I am in a prison cell wise guy! Swell work trying to protect me, which I doubt that was what you were trying to do!”

“What else do you think I was doing?” Zuko demanded, getting closed to the girl…. Or as close as the prison bars allowed. “We could have died! All of us! Uncle had low chances of dying because he’s just lucky but if I had tried to carry you, half dead and unconscious through banishment, both of us could have died!”

Shira let out a loud yell of anger, sounding somewhere between a roar and a scream before slamming her fists against her sides. This motion created a peak of ice which struck Zuko none too gently and threw him away from the bars, against the opposite wall so that he fell onto his backside.

“What do you think I was doing when I saved you from Azula!?” The girl yelled, tears beginning to stream down her face. “I was not thinking when I jumped on that boat in between a brother sister battle of fire and lightning! I can only bend light and ice which are nothing compared to those! There was only one thing that was on my mind and that was you! I couldn’t see you getting hurt or dying so I did something stupid! I got hurt in the process, yes, and could have died but I didn’t because it was my choice! I made that choice to get on that blessed boat and stand between you and Azula! It was my choice to jump in the way when Azula shot lightning at you! IT WAS MY CHOICE TO SURVIVE! I have survived countless things Zuko, most of which you know and most of which you don’t, but I hope by now that you know that I do not do things just to do them. Everything I do has a reason and there is a reason I chose to stand by you when you were going through a crisis within yourself. I had a reason to get hurt countless times for a boy that I did not remember. I had a reason for stopping your father during the Agni Kai all those years ago! And there is still a reason why I choose to not leave this cell and to not side with your sister or your father.” “And what is that?” Zuko snapped, getting to his feet.

“BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!” Shira yelled, slamming her fists on the bars, making all of them crust over with ice. “Because I freaking love you, you idiot! That is the reason why I have done everything I have since the moment I stepped into the fire nation as a child and a slave! If you have a reason for betraying your uncle who has treated you like a son his whole life, if you have a reason for betraying me and the trust I held for you, then say it.” “You would have died otherwise,” Zuko replied quietly.

Shira let out a soft sigh and when Zuko looked back at her, she had retreated from the bars and back to her original seated position with her shoulder to him. The ice on the bars had disappeared and the cell was once again swallowed in dark shadows. “Was that the only reason?”

When Zuko gave no reply, Shira turned so that her back was to him, leaning against the wall. “Come back when you find an answer. Until then, good day Prince Zuko.”

Shira waited for five minutes after Zuko’s footsteps had died away before she sat back up straight again. Grabbing her hair tie, she tied her hair up in a short ponytail out of her eyes and then sat cross legged, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

Once she did, the pile of rags and blankets in the corner shuffled to reveal a small black cat who quickly transformed into the familiar rugged figure of Mitsuru.

“Thought he would never leave,” the boy sighed, ruffling his hair. “You have no idea how hot it was underneath those things! Though I have to say, when you said that you two had been in love, I wasn’t expecting that kind of greeting.” Shira gave her brother a death glare and immediately Mitsuru raised his hands in surrender, “Sorry! I won’t ask further. Let’s get back to training, shall we?” Shira nodded as her brother sat down in front of her, also cross legged. “First, we must calm down your nerves from your…. most recent conversation….OW!” The boy rubbed the side of his head where Shira had slacked him over the skull at his remark.

“Which will take a while,” Mitsuru sighed, returning to his serious mode. “And then we can begin to practice entering the spirit world.”

“Why should I go into the spirit world?” Shira asked. “Isn’t that something only the avatar can do?”

Mitsuru shook his head, “As children, we were all taught how to enter the spirit world because of our heritage. However, you were taken to safety before you could learn. As for ‘why’… there are a few people there you should meet.”

#zuko #avatar #avatar the last airbender #zuko x oc

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the-jade-cross · 4 years

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A Burning Soul - Chapter 2

Zuko strode back and forth, creating a pattern on the other side off the clump of bushes that his uncle had banished him to. It was one thing to be banished by one’s father and to then be put on the run when one’s sister tries to trick you into coming home only to try and capture you. It was a totally different thing when your uncle wouldn’t let you near the person you cared deeply about whilst he bandaged said cared for person.

Uncle Iroh made the excuse that since Zuko was still a lad and wasn’t married, he should remain a gentleman and give Raven/Shira space. Of course, Iroh was apparently a more appropriate candidate for tending to Raven’s wounds than Zuko because he had married. That was what Iroh told Zuko anyway.

Finally, Zuko couldn’t stand being patient anymore and pushed through the bushes, “Uncle, how is….” He froze when he took in the sight before him. Iroh had laid the girl on her jacket so that she wouldn’t get covered in soil. She was lying on her back while Iroh had been winding bandages around her upper arms and waist. Zuko couldn’t see the extent of the burns but there were no bandages yet on her left arm and there was a long red puffy gash that was oozing blood, surrounded by red hot burns.

“Zuko,” Iroh whispered, knowing full well that the main reason he sent Zuko off whilst he bandaged Raven was because he knew that Zuko would lost his mind if he saw Raven like this.

The boy slowly stumbled out of the bushes and over to the girl before falling on his knees on the other side of her, across from his uncle.

“Raven,” Zuko breathed, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her closed eyes. “How bad is it uncle?” Iroh shook his head, “It’s bad. We need to find a town or place somewhere soon. She will not wake if she is not treated properly…. The longer it takes to wake her…. the more chances there will be that she will never wake.” Zuko’s head snapped up and his eyes widened in fright. Iroh finished bandaging the girl’s arm and pulled her sleeve down. Reaching over, he patted Zuko on the shoulder.

“Keep an eye on her. If you keep talking to her, it may help to bring her out of it,” Iroh explained.

Silently the old man got up and went off to look for food while he left his nephew with the girl. Zuko looked down at the girl and hesitated a few times before scooting closer and scooping up her head into his arms. Gently, he laid her head on his lap before slowly running his fingers through her long black hair.

“Hey Raven,” He whispered. “Do you remember the day of my fourteenth birthday… It was four months before I was banished and you…. Lost your memories. You probably don’t remember it… but I remember it perfectly to this day….”

FLASHBACK

“Good morning Prince Zuko!” a young stable boy called.

Zuko smiled and waved as he hurried out of the palace into the courtyard in search of Shira. He finally found her by the pond with Ty Lee and Mei. Luckily, Azula always found an excuse to never be around Zuko on his birthday since even their father had insisted that the siblings be civil to each other on the other’s birthday.

Of course, Zuko never minded that Azula was absent on his birthday since it meant that he could spend time with Shira without being worried that Azula would spoil it.

“Do it again!” Ty Lee squealed.

Shira took a running start before doing a handless cartwheel in the air, landing firmly on both legs, her long blond hair flapping about in her face. Mei and Ty Lee chuckled when Shira had to part her hair to clear her face.

However, Ty Lee was the first to notice Zuko’s appearance and waved her hand, “Morning Prince Zuko!” The boy smiled as he hurried over. The three girls quickly curtsied and Zuko waved it off cheerfully.

“Having a pleasant birthday?” Mei inquired.

Zuko nodded, “Yes, thank you.”

However, as he turned his eyes on Shira, he found her eyes wide in shock and her face pale. What he didn’t know was that the girl had completely forgotten it was Zuko’s birthday, thus forgetting to prepare something for his birthday.

After about an hour of playing cartwheeling with Shira and Ty Lee, Mei and Ty Lee went off in search of Azula, leaving Zuko alone with Shira at last. The boy looked over at Shira who was walking in circles by the pond, gnawing on the curve of her pointer finger in deep thought.

“Say, what’s wrong Shira?” the boy inquired.

Shira didn’t seem to hear him so Zuko approached the girl and bent down, so his face was right in front of hers, making Shira jump.

“What’s on your mind?” he inquired.

“Oh…. Erm…. Well…. prince Zuko…. I er….. I kinda forgot to make you something for your birthday.” Zuko’s eyes widened and a huge grin filled his face, “Is that all? Shira, you don’t have to worry about giving me anything for my birthday. You being my friend is more than enough.” “But I want to give you something!” Shira objected, suddenly becoming stubborn and clenching her hands together in determination. “You’re always being so kind to me and I feel like your birthday is the best time to return it!” Zuko chuckled as he leant over and wrapping his arms around her, drew her close to his body in a hug, “Don’t worry about it Shira.” Shira felt her face heat up at how fast Zuko’s heart was beating against her ear. Biting on her bottom lip, she gently pushed away from the boy and looked up at him. Already at age fourteen, Zuko was a head taller than the petite girl who had grown very little since she had arrived in the fire nation.

“Actually,” she whispered. “I do have something for you. Close your eyes.” Zuko chuckled before he obliged, closing his eyes with a smile on his lips. Shira pursed her lips together in thought. This was a lot harder than she thought. Finally, she placed her hands on his shoulders and gave herself a little boost onto her tiptoes before pressing her lips softly to his. When she drew back, she noticed Zuko’s eyes were wide in surprise and she was about to step back when Zuko bent down, capturing her lips in another kiss, so gentle and sweet that it made Shira want to cry.

“I apologize Prince Zuko,” the girl whispered as she stepped back. “This was all I could think of to give you….” Zuko smiled, capturing the girl’s hands in his, making him look up at her, “It is the best birthday present that I could ever hope for.”

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

Zuko came trudging back into the camp, having managed to catch nothing for dinner. This had become his usual routine the past few weeks. Try to find something to eat, return and make sure his uncle hadn’t done anything stupid before he would go and stay by Raven’s side for most of the day. His uncle had allowed him to change her bandages after the extent of the wounds had digressed so that Zuko didn’t have to see the extent of what some of them were. That was the main reason why he had insisted on Zuko not tending to Raven’s wounds the first few days because he knew that it wouldn’t help the fury that was bubbling in his nephew’s heart.

“Zuko,” Iroh said as his nephew returned to the camp. The old man was squatting near the ground with his back to Zuko. “You remember that flower I told you might be made into tea…” Zuko froze, “You didn’t.”

“I did,” Iroh replied. “And it wasn’t.” He turned around to reveal that he was covered in red rashes and Zuko jumped in fright.

“When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing,” Iroh concluded. “But look what I found!” He pulled out a branch full of berries, “These are supposed to cure the poison of the jade plant…. Or they will cause blindness.” Zuko groaned and snatched the branch away throwing it into the bushes, “Please tell me you didn’t act so stupid as to give some of that tea to Raven.” “No,” Iroh replied. “Luckily I noticed my rashes before I did.” Zuko sighed. Of course, he was worried about his uncle’s condition but if Raven got poisoned as well in her state, unable to eat and barely drink, it could be fatal.

“We need to find a village to get you treated and hopefully Raven,” Zuko decided. “Pack up camp.”

Zuko didn’t trust walking into a village with a half dead girl in his arms so until they found a healer, he was going to leave Raven where she would be safe. Hiding her in a clump of bushes where nothing could get to her, Zuko took his uncle into town. It didn’t take long for them to find a nice little house where a mother and her teenage daughter lived who knew how to cure Iroh’s condition.

“You must not be from around here,” the girl remarked. “We know to not touch the jade flower… let alone make it into tea and drink it.” Iroh chuckled sheepishly, his face already puffing up from the poison.

The mother looked up from where she was preparing more paste to apply to Iroh’s rashes only to see Zuko look out the window again as if he couldn’t wait to leave.

“Are you in a hurry to get to someone?” she inquired.

Zuko snapped his head in her direction before looking over at Iroh who nodded to him in encouragement.

“My friend is unconscious,” Zuko explained. “She was hit by lightning and has been unconscious for days.” Both the mother and daughter looked up in shock.

“Where is she?” the mother asked urgently.

“In the woods,” Zuko replied. “I hid her where no one would find her.” He looked over at Iroh who nodded again. “I’ll go get her.” The mother nodded but the moment that Zuko left, she looked at Iroh, “Attacked by fire benders?” Iroh nodded, “the girl is strong, but this is beyond what she can handle on her own.”

About half an hour later, Zuko came walking briskly into the house, Raven carefully cradled in his arms with her head against his chest, her eyes still closed and her limps limp.

“Oh heavens,” the mother gasped, seeing the state the pale girl was in. “Bring her in here.” Zuko followed the woman into an adjoining room where there was a bed, obviously either her room or her daughter’s.

“Lay her down on her stomach,” she instructed.

Zuko carefully knelt down next to the bed before gently laying Raven on the bed and rolling her over so she was on her stomach, her hands laying limply off the bed and her cheek pressed against the mattress.

“Can you help her?” he asked, his voice showing evident worry which made the woman want to cry. Since he and his uncle had arrived, he had been stone-faced and unchanging in his personality but the moment he brought the girl in, he showed worry.

“I can apply a paste to help speed up the healing of the burns and I can prepare a tea which will help calm her nerves. When one is electrocuted, your nerves, brain and other vital organs are… in simple words: shocked. However, if she is asleep too long it can get dangerous.” The woman explained.

Zuko remained standing at the other side of the room, to give the woman space but to also quickly rush off to get her whatever she needed be it bandages, water or even another blanket. Anything to snap him out of his daze. He would stand at the door, watching the woman incessantly as she carefully applied ointment to the burns or carefully cooled Raven’s temperature with damp cloths. More than anything Zuko wanted to stay there… to be there when she woke but the waiting was killing him and what was even worse: it pained him to see Raven in a state where she was hanging between life and death.

Finally, the woman lifted Raven’s head enough to pour a liquid down her throat, rubbing her throat to make her swallow it before laying her head back down so that she remained on her stomach.

Rising to her feet, the woman moved to the door, “She should wake soon… if she isn’t too far in.” she explained. “Just stay close to her. If you are hungry, let me know and I will sit with her. Dinner is almost ready.” The boy merely nodded before crossing the room to sit cross legged next to the bed, so his shoulders were level with the bed. Raven still lay on her stomach, her head turned toward Zuko with her eyes closed. A strand of hair fell across her face and Zuko gently tucked it behind her ear.

“You know Raven,” he whispered. “As a child, I always dreamt and wished for things…. Like being able to not be bullied by my sister… to be appreciated by my father and grandfather. After you arrived…. Those things suddenly didn’t seem so important to me anymore. I was content even if I didn’t get their love… if I had yours then I was happy. When I was banished, and I lost you…. I began to dream again… to dream of regaining my honor and if you were alive: to find you. Now I have you back and I suddenly find it more important to protect you than to find the avatar… but why do I feel like I do not have your love? Have I really lost you so much that it cannot be like when we were children? I didn’t care that you were different when I found out who you were now. I don’t care that your name is different… that your memories are gone or that you are different. The reason I hoped you would regain your memories was because I didn’t want you to grow to know the me I am now… but who I used to be. The person who is easier to love.” The boy sighed, laying his forehead against the edge of the bed, allowing his body to slump and relax for the first time all day. He was just about to doze off to sleep when he felt something brush against his short hair that was still growing in.

“Your hair has grown in,” a weak voice whispered. “I like it.” Zuko’s head snapped up so fast that he could hear his neck crack, his eyes wide and his mouth probably touching the floor. Raven’s eyes were cracked and exhausted, but she was smiling, her hand outstretched where she had been touching his head.

“RAVEN!” he cried, reaching out to hug her but stopping when he remembered her back.

The girl chuckled at his unsure behavior, not sure how to hug her and looking like a puppet on a string. Slowly she pushed herself up and Zuko lunged over to stop her.

“You can’t move…” “Yes I can,” The girl sighed. “I feel fine. I’ve had worse.”

Zuko carefully grasped her forearms to help her sit up into a kneeling position before the girl leant over and drew him into a weak hug, resting her head against his chest.

“You’re not losing me. I may get angry with you and not agree with your choices, but you will never lose me…. Be it as Raven… Shira…. Or both.” She whispered against his chest.

Zuko bit down on his lip to keep from grinning ridiculously and just held her close, being careful of her back.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Raven smiled, squeezing him once before pulling away, “Now, what smells so good? I’m starved!”

Zuko rolled his eyes, “Thanks to my uncle, who got himself poisoned when trying to make tea, so we ended up here. The family took care of you and luckily healed Uncle.” Raven chuckled, “Glad I’m back?”

“More than you know,” Zuko remarked, not just talking about her being there to help with his uncle.

#zuko #avatar #avatar the last airbender #zuko x oc

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the-jade-cross · 4 years

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Flame of the Heart - Chapter 4

Sunlight streaming through the window was what roused Zuko the next morning. Sighing sleepily, he carefully moved so as to not wake Shira before glancing outside. Considering how high the sun was on the horizon, it was about eleven. An hour before the beast was let out of the cage.

Zuko turned to look at Shira who was lying on her side. Her hands were tucked up underneath her chin and she was sound asleep. Her mouth slightly parted as she breathed peacefully, her eyelashes brushing her soft cheeks. Zuko found himself staring a little longer than usual before he snapped himself out of it.

Climbing out of the bed carefully, he packed his things up and swung his bag onto his back. He straightened his clothes before looking back at Shira. She had sat up and was stretching, yawning.

“Did you have a good sleep?” Zuko asked hopefully.

The girl looked at him, trying to remember what had happened before she smiled and nodded shyly, “Thank you Prince Zuko.” “Zuko,” the boy corrected fondly.

“I should probably get tied back up soon,” Shira remarked, climbing out of the bed.

Getting up from the bed, Shira located the perfume that Azula always uses before spraying the sheets to get rid of her and Zuko’s scent so that Azula wouldn’t suspect anything. She straightened the sheets to perfection and made the bed with a little help from Zuko.

With a few minutes to spare, Zuko reached into his bag and pulled out a book before holding it out to the girl. Shira took it and looked at it. It was a book of ballads and fairytales.

“I thought you might like something to do when you’re cooped up in here when Azula is out,” he said, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

Shira looked at him, then the book in wonder before throwing her arms around his waist, hugging him, “THANK YOU!”

The girl hugged the book to her chest like it was a treasure before looking around for a place to hide it. Finally, she made a choice and hid the book underneath Azula’s bed, under the corner of the carpet where no one would see it. After climbing back out, Shira looked at the wardrobe with deep foreboding but tried to hide it.

“Shira,” Zuko asked, “Can I ask you something?” The girl nodded.

“Are you a water bender?” he asked, looking at the window.

The girl cocked her head to the side, “Would you be upset if I was?” Zuko looked at her in surprise and shook his head vigorously, “NO! I wouldn’t care even if you were a mud bender! You’re amazing for who you are!” Shira looked at him, her eyes dancing and trying to stifle a giggle. Zuko realized she had been playing with him.

“Well I’m not a water bender anyway,” she said, playing with her hair, “I am a bender… but not a water bender…. Or a fire bender….” Zuko looked at the girl before smiling, “if you don’t want to tell me I understand.”

The girl smiled at him cheekily, “What if I’m a snake bender? I’ll call snakes to come and haunt your dreams and slink into your bed! You’ll find them in your lunch and in your clothes!” Before long, Shira had tackled him to the floor, and they were rolling around in laughter. Zuko finally pinned her and a devious smile flashed on his face.

“Zuko…. Don’t.” the girl started but was too late as Zuko attacked her stomach.

The girl let out muffled giggles as she tried to not be too loud as the boy tickled her. Suddenly, Zuko stopped and Shira sighed. There was a long silence before Zuko froze… he had just heard the faint sound of a door slamming. Ty Lee’s room was several floors up but you could still hear the door slam….. that gave them five minutes before Azula returned!

“Hurry!” Shira cried.

They jumped to their feet and rushed to the wardrobe. Shira climbed in and Zuko tied her ankles together and then her wrists.

“Don’t forget your bag and the gag!” Shira cried, “Oh and unlock the door! Use the window!” Zuko grabbed his bag and unlocked the door before locating the gag which he had left on the bed. Rushing back to the wardrobe and reached out with the gag, prepared to tie it around her mouth…. But paused.

Shira looked up at him, her eyes laced with worry and desperation. Zuko couldn’t move…. He couldn’t leave her like this. It would be almost another twelve hours before he had the faintest chance of seeing her again and relieving her from this agony. The girl looked at him puzzled but Zuko didn’t speak. He just stared into her bright blue eyes and found himself lost in them.

Finally throwing all caution or care to the wind, he leant forward and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, letting his lips linger there longer than need be. As he slowly brought his face away, he paused, looking down into her eyes and finding their faces centimeters apart. He could feel her breath touch his cheeks and he felt himself shiver.

Touching her cheek gently with his finger, he allowed his lips to hover over hers…. Almost touching…. He could almost feel them…. Before he tore himself away reluctantly and tied the gag around her mouth. He gently touched her arms, her shoulders, her sides….. her face before closing the wardrobe and rushing to the window.

Taking one last look, he jumped out the window just as Azula burst into the room. Zuko stayed low in the bushes till he heard Azula leave the room again before he rushed back to his own room. When he finally reached his room he realized in shock that he had left his hair ribbon in the room! He hoped Shira found it before Azula did! Tying his hair back up, the boy headed out and tried desperately to not let anyone see the huge grin on his face.

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

It had been a week since Zuko had spent the night looking after Shira. Since that day, he never stayed the whole night but continued to send her letters by way of her meal or he would casually leave them where he knew she would find them. Eventually they had a system where every two hours, one of them would leave a note hidden beneath a rock that lay next to the pond. That gave Shira an excuse to make plenty of trips to the pool and Ursa noticed with amusement that Zuko spent a lot more time outside.

Even though the two had secretly agreed one evening when Zuko managed to make a quick visit, that they would not appear in each other’s presence when passing notes so as to not rouse suspicion, Zuko didn’t exactly follow that rule. Zuko seemed to find it rather enjoyable to sit in a dark corner of the library by the window that overlooked the pond.

The boy had managed to visit Shira in the hallways when no one was around or he managed to sneak to his sister’s room during the day when Azula was out, but it was always limited to at the most, an hour. However, during that time he would spend talking with Shira. So far, the girl had managed to avoid getting injured or whipped from Azula so there wasn’t ever a need for Zuko to care for her wounds.

One morning when Zuko went to leave a note for Shira underneath the rock, he found a note already from the girl there. Happily stuffing it into his pocket, he rushed to a quiet area and read it.

I just overheard your sister say that she is going on a trip with Mae and Ty Lee overnight. She will be back tomorrow afternoon. Do you think we could talk later? I need to tell you something. ~Shira.

Zuko’s face split into a huge smile but his eyes were laced with concern. He was overjoyed that he didn’t have to avoid Azula for a while and that meant he could see Shira without being worried that Azula would appear. However, he couldn’t help but notice the deep throb of his heart at the last sentence of the girl’s letter. Was she upset with him? What was it that she had to tell him?

The rest of the day, Zuko found that he could barely concentrate and was constantly zoning out, worrying himself to death about what Shira had to tell him. Had he been too hasty a week ago? It was just a kiss to the forehead…. But then again, he almost kissed her for real…. However, the girl hadn’t mentioned it or acted like anything happened the next time he saw her. Did it really not mean anything to her…. or was she hiding her discomfort?

Finally, Azula fare welled her family and headed out with a host of guards, Mae and Ty Lee. As Zuko stood next to his mother, father and uncle, waving her off, he couldn’t help but feel impatient. The moment that his sister crested the horizon, he was going to meet Shira. It was already getting dark and both had agreed to not meet today until it was dark.

“Take care of yourself dear!” Ursa called to Azula.

Azula just lazily waved her hand before riding out, Mae and Ty Lee close behind. When they were out of the gate, Zuko rushed up to the battlements and watched them until the dust from their horses was long gone.

Rushing back down, Zuko realized that everyone had gone back to their duties. Without a second’s hesitation, the boy rushed through the palace until he came upon Azula’s room. He hadn’t noticed that his hair had begun to come out, but he didn’t care. So far Azula hadn’t said anything about his hair ribbon so he assumed that Shira found it first.

Sighing and trying to catch his breath, he opened the door. He noticed the rope that tied Shira to the bedpost was left limp on the floor. Zuko had taught the girl how to hold her hands so that when Azula tied her up, Shira could untie herself later when she wasn’t around.

Looking around, Zuko caught sight of the girl, sitting on the large windowsill. Her back was to him and her shoulders slightly hunched forward. Zuko could tell that she was either upset or crying.

“Shira?” he whispered.

The girl spun around after wiping at her eyes frantically with her sleeve. She plastered a smile on her face.

“Hello Prin…. Zuko,” she greeted.

Zuko’s face lit up and walking across the room, climbed onto the sill next to her. He realized that it had a good high view of the courtyard and with the moon shining on the pond, it looked like the moon was in the water.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

The girl nodded, “Just remembering…. Things.” Zuko nodded in understanding and was about to say something when Shira reached out and held out a book to the boy. It was a dark brown bound book with a leather cord holding it closed. Zuko slowly took it and flipped through the pages. They were all blank…. A journal.

“It’s the last thing I have left of my parents. My dad gave it to me three years ago, but I never used it. I have never been the writing or drawing type.”

Zuko stared at the book, then back at her, “I can’t take this Shira…. It’s a gift from your dad.” Shira smiled and pushed the book back at him when he held it out to her, “And now it’s a gift from me to you. It’s the least I can do after all you have done for me Zuko… but there is one thing I ask.” “Anything,” Zuko said, holding the book tightly in his hands like it was a holy relic.

“Um….” Shira whispered, “Whenever you have problems, write them in the journal…. Then when you find out the answer to the problem or it is all solved and taken care of…. Write about it and how it makes you feel.” Zuko tilted his head, smiling, “Why?”

“Because… one day you might be fire lord Zuko,” Shira whispered, hiding her blushing face behind her long golden hair, “When that day comes, you will be facing problems every day and sometimes you lose track of them. It’s always nice to know where all your problems are and to know which ones you’ve solved.”

Zuko’s heart throbbed at her words and just managed a smile but controlled himself from throwing his arms around her.

“Oh, and one more thing,” the girl said, reaching into her pocket, she drew out the book that Zuko had leant her.

Zuko took it and was about to tuck it under his arm when he noticed a red ribbon hanging out of the book, “Is that my hair tie?”

Shira nodded, “I found it on the floor before your sister did. I kept it in the book so I would remember to give it to you.” Zuko glanced at the girl, then back at the ribbon. He paused a moment, knowing that since the girl had the ribbon it would be filled with her scent. Finally, he held it out to her.

“Here,” he said, holding it out to her, “Keep it…. to remember me by.”

Shira slowly took it before smiling as she clutched it to her chest. She slipped it into her pocket and turned her eyes back to Zuko.

“You should get sleep tonight,” Zuko pointed out, noticing that her eyes were drooping shut, “I won’t bother you. Maybe I’ll come by in the morning before Azula returns.”

Shira nodded and stood up, climbing off the sill into the room. Zuko was about to climb out the window to head back to his own room when he felt a gentle hand on his. Turning around, he saw Shira standing there, her head bowed and her face turning red.

“Thank you…. For everything,” She whispered.

Without warning, she looked up and planted a soft kiss on Zuko’s forehead before turning around and heading back into the room. Zuko sat frozen on the windowsill for what felt like forever until the lights in the room turned off. Sliding off the sill, he landed in the bushes outside and headed back inside. He paused by the pond on his way in and ran his fingers through the moon lit water. A huge smile split across his face before he rushed inside. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of amber eyes watched as this unraveled before smirking and disappearing.

#zuko #avatar #avatar the last airbender #zuko x oc

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