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imagines--galore · 2 months

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||The Thread of Fate|| Part Fourteen

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen

A/N: I LOVED writing this chapter! That's it. That's all I'm gonna say! Enjoy my lovelies!!!! Eeeeeepppppppppp!!!!!!

"I was saving that peach for this morning."

"Then you should've told me last night. How was I supposed to know it was yours?"

"Because I didn't eat mine last night. You were right there when I put it away."

"For all I know, you didn't want to eat it."

"Who in their right minds wouldn't eat a peach?! Its the best fruit there is!"

"Which is why I ate it!"

And so the argument continued, words flying back and forth across the breakfast table. Iroh sipped his tea contentedly, enjoying the warmth of the beverage. The little argument didn't bother him, really it would bother him if Orora and Zuko weren't arguing first thing in the morning.

Thinking that perhaps he should step in, lest Orora freeze Zuko for the rest of the day, and she would do that, Iroh cleared his throat, catching both their attention. "I believe you owe Orora a peach Zuko." He stated calmly, prompting his pupil to shoot a smug smirk in the scowling Prince's direction.

"She can get one herself." He grumbled, standing up. Orora pursed her lips in annoyance, but chose to remain quiet. She wouldn't be letting it go that easily, but for now, they were already getting late for work.

Best to pick up on it later.

Iroh couldn't help but chuckle at the look of intense concentration on Orora's face. He knew exactly what she was planning, he just hoped her revenge, should she choose to seek it out, which she would, wouldn't make Zuko too annoyed.

Then again, it was rather nice to see Zuko display emotions other then anger, anguish and hopelessness. For too long he had watched his nephew despair over the loss of his home and his honor. But ever since Orora came into their lives, Iroh had seen significant change. One that made him realize that perhaps the boy Zuko had been before he was banished, was still somewhere inside him.

And as they stepped into the teashop to begin work for the day, he caught his nephew shoving a peach into Orora's hand before stalking off to look for his apron. His young pupil stood still for a few moments, eyes darting from the fruit to the door where Zuko had disappeared.

Finally, she rolled her eyes, a gentle smile playing about her lips. Slipping the peach into her pocket, she began her tasks for the day.

Iroh shook his head, smiling to himself. It was obvious how the both of them cared for one another, and yet neither were willing to take the next step. Perhaps because of their views, views that had been thrust upon them by the world.

A Fire Nation Royal, and a Water Tribe Noblewoman.

A love that was never meant to be.

Huffing to himself, Iroh began to go over the many many teas he had stored on the shelf behind the counter.

He had allowed them both the dignity of working everything out themselves, but if they were going to be too stubborn about their nonsensical views, he would have to step in.

They were far better together then they were apart, he had seen and experienced it firsthand.

Perhaps an opportunity would arrive soon, that would help push both teenagers together.

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She stared at the peach in her hand.

It was rather strange how something as insignificant as a piece of fruit held so much meaning. And all because Zuko had given it to her.

Granted he had done so because his Uncle had told him he owed her one, but, lately, Orora had begun to realize that even though his Uncle was the one to advise Zuko on something, the act being carried out was something he did out of choice, and not necessity.

She was on her break at the moment, sitting in the back of the tea shop, looking over at the peach as if she were seeing it for the first time. Taking a bite of the fruit, she smiled at the sweet taste that burst across her tongue the moment she split the skin with her teeth.

Staring listlessly at the wall across from her, her mind wandered to the dinner they had a few nights ago. She still couldn't believe her and Zuko had managed to pull it off without any major mishap. They had actually been smiling at one another by the end of the night. And there was also the fact that she heard him laugh for the first time since they had met.

She had come to that realization late at night. It was shocking enough that she had laid there in silent surprise for a good few minutes before it sank in completely. It was sad how Zuko didn't allow himself to be happy. He didn't smile often either.

If eating spicy food and reacting to it got a sincere laugh out of him then she would probably do it again.

Orora shook her head as she took the last bite of her peach. The past couple of days, she had been seriously contemplating on Zuko being her soulmate. Here in Ba Sing Se, so far away from the horrors of war and the danger that had plagued them, she had to admit it was easy to dismiss all that was going on beyond the Walls and build a new life.

Maybe

Maybe having Zuko as a soulmate wasn't such a bad thing.

He did look out for her, she mused as she stood to wash her hands in the sink. Whenever she would go out in the city he would follow her. At first it had been a little annoying, but seeing him actually be sincere about the task had softened her heart. And though she knew she could take care of herself, should the need arise, it was comforting to know that there was someone watching out for her.

And then there were the little gestures he had been acting on every now and then. She usually slept late, wanting to get a bit of practice in before heading to bed. Besides, as a waterbender, her abilities were much stronger at night under the light of the moon. Sometimes she would practice for so long that she would barely have the strength to stumble to her bed roll, let alone pull the blanket over her. She would wake the next morning with the blanket covering her, and she knew it had been him.

How?

Because her string had tugged a little during the night and despite being asleep she had felt it.

He would always wait by the door before they left to ensure she walked between him and Iroh during their short trek to the tea shop. And when it was time to go home, he would be at the door once more, walking a pace behind her.

Zuko probably thought she didn't notice. But she did.

She noticed everything about him.

How, despite the cold exterior he tried to maintain, he actually had a kind heart. One that had hid from the rest of the world because he had had his face burned for showing that empathy for someone else.

Looking down at her hands, Orora suddenly realized she had actually washed the peach pit. Smiling softly, the girl couldn't help but shake her head as she recalled how Zuko had avoided her eye when handing her the fruit.

And for some unknown reason, one that certainly had nothing to do with sentimentality, she slipped the little peach pit in the pocket of her trouser.

The moment she did, her string flickered with color, and remained a deep red for a good few minutes.

All the while she stared at it, a warmth spreading through her entire body.

And if she blushed when Zuko walked in a few moments later, she simply walked past him, head held high, and eyes aglow with the realization that, perhaps, her feelings for him were beginning to grow stronger.

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Warm amber gold eyes followed Orora as she walked back to the front of the shop. Once her break ended, his began, and Zuko was dying to eat something and get off his feet.

Honestly, serving tea all day, taking orders, washing dishes and stocking new product was as taxing as firebending. As someone who hadn't had a job his whole life, it was an eye-opener for him that people did all this and much more, just so they had a hot meal and a roof over their head.

Moving to where their daily lunch was, he picked up his bowl and settled onto his chair as he began to eat.

His eyes flickered to the two bowls that were still full of food, and he frowned. Orora hadn't eaten. She would likely be starving when they got back home. He needed a reminder to tell her off when it came to skipping her lunch. She did that often, he noticed, not eat because she didn't feel like it. If she kept doing that, she was surely going to get sick.

Letting out an annoyed huff he took a big bite of the stew he was eating, chewing almost aggressively. It was a little annoying at times, how much the thought of Orora occupied his mind. It was beginning to get rather tedious, if he were honest with himself, trying not to think of her.

But the surprising revelation about it? Was that he didn't actually mind thinking about her.

It was strange. For so long all that had occupied his mind was capturing the Avatar and getting back home. But now that was something that seemed as impossible to achieve as seeing a live dragon.

But what did seem possible? Was living a quiet life as a refugee. During the 100 year war, no Fire Nation army had been able to penetrate the walls of Ba Sing Se. So there was no chance of the city coming under the Fire Nation's control.

Maybe Uncle was right?

Maybe it was time to stop looking to the past and look towards the future.

A future with his Uncle at his side, someone who genuinely loved him.

And Orora. A future with Orora.

Would it ever happen, he wandered, playing with the last few pieces of meat that were at the very bottom of his bowl. He saw her as a friend now, and he was content with just that.

After all, he sighed in slight defeat, leaving the rest of his stew as he moved to the front of the tea shop again.

Soulmate or no, who could ever accept him?

A scarred, banished prince, with nothing but his title to remind him of who he had been.

Nothing more.

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The new boxes of teas had arrived, and Iroh had eagerly opened them up to begin stacking them in the appropriate shelves. Climbing up the ladder, he lowered his hand down where Orora began to hand him the boxes one by one.

It had been a relatively slow day, so most of the chores they would normally do after the shop had closed were nearly completed now. Orora was honestly looking forward to going home early. It had been a busy few days, and she would also be going to Lake Laogai to practice a little of her bending soon.

A little lost in her daydream of practicing in a large body of water, she very nearly missed Zuko approaching the both of them.

"Uncle, we have a problem." His voice sounded urgent, prompting Orora to turn and look at him, while Iroh descended from the ladder.

"One of the customers is on to us." Zuko stated through slightly gritted teeth. Orora looked around the tea shop, and not finding anyone that would look remotely threatening rolled her eyes at Zuko. "You're being paranoid Zuko." She stated in a low voice, before moving to arrange a few more tea boxes in one of the lower shelves. Zuko threw a scowl in her direction before continuing to address his Uncle.

"Don't look now but there is a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we're Fire Nation." Iroh turned around to look at the girl, but was quickly pulled back by Zuko, who growled at him. "Didn't I say don't look?!"

"She's harmless Zuko. She's been coming in for days now. Always orders the Jasmine." Orora stated, not at all bothered by his accusations. Their main concern had been Jet, and he was already dealt with, so no reason to go around stirring up trouble. And she was aware how much Zuko loved to get in trouble for no reason.

Iroh had managed to see the girl, and having seen the girl before as well, he had also noticed how she would often watch his nephew as he worked around the shop. He tried his best not to let his glee show as he spoke. "You're right, Zuko. I've seen that girl in here quite a lot." He nudged his nephew in the stomach playfully. "Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you."

The reactions he had been hoping for were instant. Zuko blinked in astonishment at his suggestion, his brain unable to comprehend that anyone, let alone a pretty girl, would have a crush on him. Orora had dropped the box she had been setting, and turned to stare wide-eyed at her teacher and soulmate.

"What?" They both all but squawked out, prompting Iroh to let out a chuckle.

As if realizing what had just come out of her mouth, Orora quickly turned her attention back to her task, though not before she caught the look of surprise Zuko threw her way. Obviously he had seen her reaction. Though nothing could be said on the matter at present, since the girl came up to the counter. "Thank you for the tea." She said, a smile on her lips as she placed a few coins on the table, which Zuko picked up to put in the money box. "What's your name?" She continued, prompting Iroh to smile slightly.

Turning back around, Zuko spoke. "My name's Lee. We just moved here." He added, gesturing to both his Uncle and Orora, the latter of whom was still rather busy with stacking boxes, however she was more then aware of the conversation happening behind her.

"Hi Lee, my name's Jin." The girl introduced herself. "And......well, I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime." Zuko was stunned, for lack of a better word, staring at Jin as if she had suddenly grown an extra limb or something. Iroh, not wanting such a golden opportunity to go to waste quickly stepped forward.

"He'd love to!" He exclaimed loudly, behind him Orora glanced at Zuko out of the corner of her eyes, trying to see how he had reacted to being asked out by such a pretty girl.

"Great." Jin exclaimed, sounding delighted. "I'll meet you in front of the shop at sundown." And just as suddenly she had appeared, Jin walked away. A large smile on his lips Iroh threw an arm around Zuko's shoulders, who finally broke out of his bewildered state to glare at his Uncle.

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"I'm not going."

The deceleration came as no surprise. As soon as Jin had walked out of earshot, Zuko had been quick to turn to his Uncle and state what was on his mind. Orora, not wanting to hear the rest of the conversation, moved to the back of the shop to finish doing whatever cups were left.

She knew Iroh wouldn't let Zuko back out, not when it meant making someone sad, so it was better to not be a part of that conversation.

Besides, she needed a little alone time to figure out why she had reacted the way she did just then a few minutes ago. Bending some clean water she splashed her face with it, allowing the coolness of it to calm and relax her a little. Maybe she should spend the evening on the roof. There was bound to be a moon out, and she just needed to bask in it's silvery glow. That always helped ground her.

But first, something to eat.

She moved to where her bowl of broth was still waiting for her. It was cold now, but she barely noticed as she caught snippets of conversations from beyond the open door.

Finally, Zuko appeared. He began pacing, grumbling under his breath, and she knew Iroh had won. "You know, you should be glad a pretty girl asked you on a date. Most guys aren't so lucky." She stated between a bite of her stew. He glared at her, to which she simply shrugged. "I'm just saying, why not go out and just have fun?" Setting her bowl down, she watched as his gaze flickered from his finger to her own.

The very finger the string that attached them to one another was tied.

She sighed, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth as she spoke. Zuko, just because we've decided to be friends doesn't mean we've promised anything more." Her voice was soft, and sounded a little detached, even to her own ears. And despite her heart telling her not to, her mind was pushing her to do the right thing.

"Go out with her. And like your Uncle said, be a normal boy for once. You deserve that more then anything. To be treated normally and not as the enemy." A smile pulled at her lips, though it didn't reach her eyes. At least not completely.

Something that Zuko noticed, even as he finally relented. "Alright, I'll go."

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Zuko was beginning to feel a little exhausted.

Mentally.

Jin spoke. A lot. And while that wasn't a bad thing, he had never been good for long conversations. He preferred silence and as minimal conversation as possible. Orora had understood that early on, and though she teased him about being broody, she would keep quiet when she knew he needed the silence to just......be.

Her conversations did help him forget his rather morbid thoughts, and whenever he would return to silently contemplating, he found his mind to be much lighter then it had been before.

And all because he spoke to her.

"So tell me, I know Mushi is your Uncle, but what about that girl that works with you?" Jin's question had him blinking out of his stupor and looking at her across the dinner table. "Oh, she's a student of my Uncle's. He helps her with her waterbending, even though he isn't a bender himself." He was quick to add with a shrug.

He watched, confused, as Jin let out a little sigh of relief, her shoulders drooping slightly. "Oh well thats good! From the way she looks at you sometimes, I thought you two were soulmates or something."

Zuko blinked.

"What?" That word was supposed to come out as a demand, but instead it came out hoarse and unbelieving. The girl shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean I've seen her look at you sometimes, and thats the exact way my mom looks at my dad when he isn't looking." She grinned. "They're soulmates." She added as a away of explanation.

The young prince simply gave a small nod, before returning to his silent contemplation, only half listening to Jin as she continued to talk.

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The only good part of her evening had been when she had seen Zuko walk out after Iroh had helped him with his unruly hair. She had to physically hold herself back from laughing out loud, and had only let loose after he had gone, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

"I see you are amused by my nephew's misery Orora." Iroh said, though there was no anger in his words, only slight reprimand. Orora pursed her lips to keep from smiling. "I'm sorry Master. Though I do hope Zuko has a good time. He deserves it." She added.

Iroh reached out to pat her arm in an affectionate manner. "I know you are a little hurt, but you possess a kind heart for saying so Orora." Seeing the slightly crestfallen look on her face, as she allowed her true feelings for the date to show, Iroh continued.

"And who knows, perhaps this date will act as the wake up call my nephew needs to not take you for granted."

She shook her head. "He doesn't do that Master." Moving to the window, she placed one leg over the ledge. "Although, it would be nice if he were to notice me as a girl rather then just his friend." So saying, she pulled herself up on the roof to loose herself to her thoughts.

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Well this was a little awkward.

Zuko glanced at Jin, looking more then a little crestfallen about discovering that he lamps weren't lit. And looking at her sad expression, he was reminded of Orora, and how sad she would look whenever he spoke to her about his past. Though since that first night, when he had revealed everything, he did try to cheer her up. Mostly he just said something to annoy her, to distract her from thinking about his past.

Lately though, he had been working on actually making her smile.

"Close your eyes. And don't look." He said. Jin gave him a confused look, but did as he asked. She even covered her eyes to assure him that she wasn't looking.

Zuko walked forward, holding his hands together. He closed his eyes briefly, inhaling as he allowed his inner fire to burn a little brighter. It had been so long since he had firebended. Using his pointer and middle fingers on each hand, he shot small bursts of flame in the directions of the candles to light them. It didn't take long for him to be done, and once finished, he stood straight and looked at Jin, who still stood with her palms over her eyes.

"Okay, now you can look."

Removing her hands, Jin gasped. "Oh, wow." Zuko had to admit, the lights did look rather beautiful as they reflected off the surface of the water of the fountain. Jin looked at Zuko, amazed. She walked up to him, looking at the candles. "What happened? How did they light? What did you do?" There was no accusation in her tone. Only surprise and happiness as her gaze flitted between him and the lights around them. Zuko didn't reply and Jin finally fell silent as well, looking around at the pretty view in awe.

And as he watched the light reflect in the fountain, he couldn't help but think of Orora and how she would probably create ice crystals to hang in midair. He was sure the sight would only become even more wondrous then it already was.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Jin take his hand. Feeling a little lost and confused, since he had no other girl other then Orora actually take his hand voluntarily, he turned so he could look at Jin.

Who was beginning to lean in a little.

Prompting him to quickly hold up a piece of paper between them. His heart thumped wildly in his chest. Surely she hadn't been about to..........

"I've brought you something." Jin looked at him surprised. "It's a coupon for a free cup of tea." He continued, prompting the girl to smile. "Lee, this is so sweet." She said taking the coupon and smiling at him. Zuko shrugged as he took a couple of steps back. "Don't thank me – it was my Uncle's idea. He thinks you're our most valuable customer."

Jin smiled. "Your uncle is a good teacher." The young prince's face softened slightly at the words. "Yeah, Orora can testify to that." He said, his eyes falling to the fountain once more where the water rippled slightly in the breeze. He felt Jin walk up next to him. A hand pressed to the side of his face. "I have something for you too. Now it's your turn to close your eyes."

With no hesitation he did. He felt Jin move even closer to him before a pair of soft lips pressed against his own. The contact was brief and she pulled back almost instantly. And though he did lean back in a little, almost instinctively he pulled back.

He opened his eyes, standing there and looking at her. Imagining someone else.

Someone with darker skin.

Ice blue eyes.

A patch of white in her hair.

And a smile that had begun to effect him more then he ever thought possible.

He turned his back on Jin, beginning to walk away.

"What's wrong?" Jin called out behind him. He could almost hear the disappointment in her voice. "It's complicated." He said, trying to shake away the image of Orora looking at him just as Jin had a few moments ago. "I have to go." He said starting to walk once more.

"Its that girl isn't it?"

He turned around startled, his eyes wide in disbelief as he stared at Jin. She had an almost sad smile on her lips as she looked at him. "You know you look at her the same way she looks at you sometimes. I've seen it." She said sighing in an almost melancholy way. "I would kill to have someone look at me like that. Like I'm their reason for getting up in the morning." She clarified, oversharing as usual, given how that was how she talked. Jin shrugged.

"Maybe it doesn't have to be as complicated like you say it is."

Zuko looked at her one last time, before sprinting back home.

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Iroh looked out from the window down in the street, hoping to catch sight of Zuko as he returned. Of course he did not anticipate his nephew taking the back entrance of the apartment building. The door opened and Zuko walked in, silent and contemplative.

Trimming a bonsai tree to appear nonchalant, Iroh barely glanced at his nephew. "How was your night, Prince Zuko?" He asked. Zuko responded by walking to the bedroom and slamming the door shut behind him. Iroh looked after him for a second with a confused expression before he sighed and moved back to his task.

Though he immediately turned back around when he heard the door crack open and Zuko's voice to filter out.

"It was nice." He said, his voice soft and sounded as if he didn't believe the words himself. The door closed again, and Iroh smiled before resuming his task.

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He found her lying on the roof. Her arms behind her head, her gaze trained towards the night sky, the light of the moon bright yet soothing. She didn't move her head, though she knew he was there as he mirrored her position.

A peaceful silence enveloped them both.

Where Zuko's mind had been a cacophony of words and voices echoing all around, barely finishing a thought, it was now silent. And where Orora had been overthinking even the most minutest of details, she found perfection in that moment as Zuko lay beside her.

"So, how was your date?" She finally spoke, her voice breaking the stillness of the moment, though not taking away from the tranquility of it.

"It was nice." Zuko repeated the same words he had told his Uncle, eyes tracing the many stars that littered the night sky. "I told her we traveled with a circus at one point. She seemed to believe it."

A soft laugh echoed across the rooftop. A sound that prompted Zuko to smile. He liked hearing her laugh.

"She also asked me to juggle, and I broke a couple of pots."

Another laugh. He was beginning to associate that sound with true happiness.

"Then she took me to see this fountain. You would've liked it. The lights made it look like the water was dancing." He never would've thought he would say words like that. Words of beauty and appreciation he always kept to himself. But here, with her, he had no problem saying them out loud.

Another silence.

This time it was broken by Orora. And the words she spoke next were so soft that Zuko almost missed them.

"Did you kiss?"

He stiffened beside her, and she had her answer. A pang of sadness had her almost wincing as she pursed her lips.

"She did." His voice finally came, soft and sincere. "I didn't."

Normally when the both of them spoke to each other concerning anything, words were their major means of communication. A way to get their point and message across.

But right then, they were barely speaking, and yet the amount of emotion, understanding and comprehension that passed between them was one neither had ever felt before.

Finally, finally, she turned her head, something she had been dying to do since he came up.

Why?

Because she wanted to look at his handsome face.

She wasn't at all surprised to see him looking back at her. The wind blew softly, a few strands of her hair escaping her comb and tickling her cheek.

"Why?"

Her heart was beating fast, though her breathing was calm and slow. She had never seen him look so gentle before. So soft.

Zuko allowed his eyes to roam over her face. From her expressive blue eyes, to that soft looking patch of white hair. And while in the past he had to stop himself from touching it, this time he didn't.

His hand lifted to gently brush the tips of his fingers against the strands. They were just as soft as he had imagined.

In his attempt to stroke her hair, his body had shifted even closer, and tilted slightly so that he was lying at his side. Loosing herself to the feeling of his fingers in her hair, Orora couldn't help but lean towards him, her upper body turning to the side as well.

Their gaze never wavered from one another.

He cleared his throat, wanting to give her an answer though unable to find the words. And somehow, she understood.

So she brought her fingers up, gently pressing them against his lips and giving him a smile, showing him that despite him not saying a word, she knew.

A look of gratitude flashed in his amber gaze, as his hand slowly dropped from her hair, to rest his palm against her cheek. The gesture surprised her, prompting her to remove her fingers from his lips. Though they didn't get very far.

Instead she pressed her fingers gently against the scar on his face. She allowed her fingers to trace along the rough skin, a touch so exquisite and tender, that Zuko was sure it was nothing but a dream.

But the reality of it was that Orora was lying next to him. And she was touching his scar. The ugliest part of him. And she was touching it as if it were the most softest of flowers.

"Close your eyes." He said, his voice a perfect replica of his expression.

Tender.

The girl stopped moving her fingers, though her hand stayed where it was.

She did as he asked.

He moved closer, his eyes closing as well.

She felt his nose brush against her own.

He felt her warm breath caress his mouth.

And in that moment, there was no war.

There was no Fire Nation or Water Tribe.

No Prince or Noblewoman.

It was a moment between a boy and a girl.

A moment under the stars as his lips found hers in a tender embrace.

And the string that connected them together burst in a flash of color.

Blue and Red.

Before it faded once more.

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kylierainn · 11 days

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Honestly I’m a canon x oc supporter till I die. SUE ME!!! Anyways im actually so proud of this

#zuko #atla fanart #atla #avatar the last airbender #fire lord zuko #atla zuko #zuko fanart #zuko fanfic #oc x canon #oc #atla art #oc artwork #prince zuko #zuko x reader #avatar aang #waterbending #firebending

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thethreeeyed-raven · 6 months

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i’m acc begging for zuko, zoro and iroh ii reqs

I NEED TO WRITE FOR THESE LOVELY MEN

just look at them oh god🌊

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crowentity233 · 1 year

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The Dragon's Keep (part 6)

*Finished*

Fire Lord Zuko x (Fem!) Reader

Part 1. Masterlist

You are a firebender named Ayushi, who has been accepted to guard over the royal family. You end up guarding Zuko through his travels to visit the sun warriors. The mission, protecting the newest dragons, begins.

Warning: this is 18+ AF. Be aware. It gets descriptive. It starts at the cut so there you go. Just want to mention the dragon is Canon if you haven't seen Korra. It felt OP but it's Canon so whatever.

Your bare skin etched in Zuko's thoughts. He did look away but dared to glance. You were turned towards him unlike every other time before. "Zuko, which one should I wear?" You asked, holding up the outfits. One was the commoner outfit, and the other was a firenation elite design. He looked up, seeing your top still gone. Your body was only shielded by the clothes you were holding out.

"That one." He pointed to the firenation design he pulled his bottom lip in thinking of anything but you wearing the clothes you held. He stood up and walked to his bag. Grabbing his armor that was packed away. "Can you fasten this?" He had his armor pulled over his shoulders. You held your shirt in your arm. It hadn't made its way covering you yet.

You stepped closer to Zuko. He turned his strong bicep to you so you could fasten the shoulder guard. You press your hand on his bare chest, guiding him to the other side to fasten the other arm. Your fingers trailed his chiseled chest. Your eyes lifted to his. His fingertips slipped down to your waist. His hands were warm against your skin. The wall pressed against your back that you hadn't realized he had guided you to. His innocent nature that was wholesome and pure was tossed away. The man with power and strength stood in front of you. You were weak, defenseless against all the power he held.

He leaned closer, glancing from your lips to your eyes, fire burned within them. The torches lighting the room burned brighter, hotter than they did just a few moments before. His hips were pressed against yours. Your legs ached, begging for this new man in front of you. Your hand fell to his shoulder.

The room became an inferno. The flames between you had become uncontrollable. Your lips met his suddenly. His hands lifted your legs, pulling you from the ground. His lips melted against yours. You knew there was no redemption from this indulgence in pleasure. You held yourself against him. Your chest enmeshed with his. No fabric to stop the senses. His scar was rough against your skin. It was a reminder of who you were with, the man with the most power in the nation.

He pulled his lips from yours and kissed down your jaw. You both played with fire as his name glided softly from your lips. His lips returned to yours, then pulled away. His tongue slowly pulled at your neck to your ear. "Say it again." He whispered, then bit down softly on your neck. You gasped is complete shocking bliss. "Zuko." You said a little louder than before. His hand traveled up your leg, holding your hip. Your body was pressed so close to his you could feel him craving you. You kissed his neck, wanting nothing more than to finish by the man that was built like a God.

A knock sounded at the door again. "Lord Zuko, we have docked." He pushed his lips to yours one last time. "Are you ready to see the dragons?" He spoke hesitantly. The entire reason and passion for the trip suddenly took a back seat in your mind. "Yeah." You said softly. Your mind weighted on questions, for starters, what that was and what it meant for you?

You both broke apart, and your body felt cold without him. You got dressed, hoping it would bring warmth back.

You both were dressed. He held out his hand. "You can leave your stuff here. The ship is staying here for our return." You grabbed his hand and walked down the hall, and up the stairs, the deck was bright. You looked around once your eyes adjusted and saw the air temple.

You walked down the ramp, meeting the sand. Zuko turned back to the general. "Stay here until we get back. We will be back tonight."

"Yes, Lord Zuko." The general bowed.

You both began your walk through the jungle. You walked through as zuko sliced at vines, creating a path. You followed close behind. The sun was in the middle of the sky. "When we get there, you have to watch for traps, so don't go off without me."

"I didn't plan on it..." You paused. "Zuko, what Hua told me was true... wasn't it?"

He slashed a few more vines. Despite the scene that they just participated in, he still wasn't prepared for the rejection that he always seemed to face. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you just... we just..." You struggled to speak of the heavy actions that had just unfolded within the last hour.

"I never told her anything, so I don't know how she would have known." He cut the last vine. He stepped aside and held a tree limb for you to go ahead. You stepped through the path. You saw a clearing full of old ruins. The site was incredible. You stared at the walls and old buildings. It looked so familiar and yet so foreign. In the distance, there was a set of tall towers. Zuko stood beside you and wrapped an arm around your waist. Your gaze lifted to his eyes. He looked over the site and then down to you. He leaned down, lifting your chin. His lips met yours in a much softer kiss then before. He lifted his head, looking back over the land.

"She was right. I don't know how she knew, but she did." He spoke, walking down a path.

You kept walking and felt a wire. you pulled Zuko back. "Wire." You said pointing to the extended wire. You both stepped over and continued on the path. You both got to an opening in the path. A group was ahead. You both passed by a wall that was painted. "Dragons?" You spoke breathlessly. the paintings had taken your breath away.

"That's what you'll be doing." Zuko pointed to the firebender in the middle of the blaze.

"I'm finally going to meet them."

Zuko nodded. "Let's go. You have to meet an old friend first."

You walked towards the group. "Lord Zuko, it is nice to see you again. I see you are breaking your promise with a guest."

Zuko nodded. "This is Ayushi. She is a Kyoshi warrior, She is a firebender who keeps the closest watch over my family. I think it would be best if she learns from the masters to better defend me and my family. She has proven herself worthy in my palace."

The chief nodded. "Then I hope that the masters see her worthy as well. Follow me." He instructed.

He stood in front of a fire. "This is the eternal Flame. It was a gift from the masters long ago. You will take these flames up to the top, and you will present them to the masters. That's when they will judge you."

You held out your hands. Zuko held out his. He placed the flame in both sets of palms. "Burn it too small it will die out, burn it too big, you will lose control. Follow the path." He pointed to the path, and you began balancing the flame within your hand.

The chief went around the opposite path. The sun warriors gathered around. When you both arrived, you saw all the warriors gather around. You held your flame and stood in front of the stairs. The drums bellowed in the surrounding air. You both walked up the stairs, meeting each other's backs at the top. "Remember we do the firebending form when they come out."

Your eyes were glazed over. The emotions swirled around fear of being deemed not worthy, the honor of being in the presence of such amazing creatures that you dreamed about.

The loud horn sounded, calling the masters you gasped as the dragons began circling around the pillar. Your eyes followed them as best you could.

"Ready?" Zuko asked you both, held your flames, and took the first stance. The flames stay controlled. You both did each stance the sacred flames grew but under control. The dragons followed each movement with ease. You both took the final stance, and the flame vanished and then appeared back in your hand. The dragons connected to the pillar eyeing you both from the side. You fell to your knees and held the flame to the dragon. Zuko followed your led and fell to his knee behind you, bowing to the creatures.

The dragons blew a blaze around. The spiral was adorned with a rainbow of color.

You lifted your eyes, and each color spoke wisdom to you flashes of meaning in each color. The flames spiraled up, disappearing. A flash of red flew overhead. A small dragon landed at the base of the pillar, landing in front of the stairs. You stood up, and Zuko grabbed your hand, walking you down the steps. You looked up at Zuko quizzically. He had the same look. You both reached the bottom, staring into the eyes of a creature that was smaller than the two that completed the ceremony. The creature was still large. You both bowed to the dragon. The dragon bowed back.

He leaned his head down. Zuko reached out and placed his hand gently. the dragon accepted him. You reached your hand out, and the dragon accepted your touch. Your lips curled into a smile. The chief spoke up. "Zuko, this is Druk. It is your responsibility now to care for him. Ran and Shaw have chosen you to look after him. Druk is now bonded with you." Zuko nodded, accepting the responsibility. "Druk seems to like Ayushi. She's not just your guard, is she." The chief asked. Zuko looked back and saw Druk wrapping his neck over your shoulder in a dragon's form of hug.

"She's more than that." Zuko smiled fondly as the dragon bonded with you.

"You are free to leave with him. Keep him safe." The chief warned.

The dragon laid down. You looked at Zuko, unsure of what to do. Zuko climbed onto the dragon. He held his hand out, and you mounted the dragon holding tight to Zuko. The dragon stood tall and flapped its wings, taking off into the sky. You had never been so high up. Your eyes widened, seeing the trees become so small. You both saw the ship, and Zuko guided him to the ships deck. You both landed, and the soldiers were stunned by such a magnificent creature.

"General. Take us home. Protect Druk at all cost. Shoot on site, and if anyone brings harm to this dragon. I will mount your head in my palace along with the dragons my father murdered." Zuko spat at the soldiers. They bowed the Zuko. "Yes, Lord Zuko." The sun was disappearing under horizon. Zuko slid off the dragon. You slid down. Zuko caught you in his arms. He put you down to the ground gently. You rubbed the dragon one last time. Druk laid down on the deck, curling up. Zuko patted the dragon and grabbed your hand. He led you down the stairs. "We will be back at the palace by morning."

"I just met dragons. Zuko, there is a dragon on this ship." Your mind boggled about the idea.

"Yeah, there is." He smiled proudly.

He wrapped his hands on your waist. He gripped tightly, pulling you into him and kissing you. The fire seemed to burn bright again. You pulled away breathless. "You are amazing. Thank you for making my dreams come true."

Zuko smiled, kissing your cheek. "I would have done it a long time ago had I known it was your dream."

You kissed him gently. "We need to rest before we get home. We've got explaining to do. Would you like a bedtime story?" You giggled out at the thought that everything happened because of stories you both had heard as children.

"I can think of a few things I want that don't involve stories." His low voice taunted. He gripped at your waist, pulling you in again.

Your hands tangled in his hair. His lips glided along yours. His tongue teasing yours. You both were equally craving. Your hands slowly lifted his clothes away. Your hand pressed against his chest. He trailed to your neck.

"I'm yours." You whispered softly. His hands ripped fabric that stood in his way. Your skin warmed by his touch. It felt as warm as it did during the morning. His touch was passionate, and the warmth sank into you, traveling down your body. You wanted his everything. You tossed the scraps of silk that was once a top to the floor. His eyes connected with yours, his pupils dilating at the sight of how perfect you looked. You were in complete submission. He didn't always love the power he held, but this power was his favorite. He had complete control of your body of your pleasure how much and how little you were allowed.

Zuko lifted you from the ground, tossing you on the bed with ease. Your pants slid away from your body, exposing how wet you had become from his teasing. He took his time traveling his large hands down your curves. His lips melted into your collarbone. Your back arched as he left kisses down your breasts. Licking and sucking every sensitive area. "Zuko," you gasped.

All of his clothes were tossed to the floor. He laid down beside you, guiding your body on top of his. His arousal was tempting you. There was nothing between you. Your hips rocked back and forth, teasing him. You leaned down, kissing him gently.

Zuko ran his hand through your hair softly, pulling you toward him. He pulled away. "You know what I want. Give it to me."

"Yes, Lord Zuko." You hummed against his lips. You guided him into you. You tightened at the sudden sensation. Your teeth clinched at how big he was. He filled you in the best way. You rolled your hips. He pushed you to sit up. He held the back of his neck, propping himself up in the best position to watch you. His other hand held your thigh, and he squeezed when you hit all the right places.

You lifted up and down, riding him. He bit his lip as you sped up. His biceps were flexing, showing his strong build. Your hand gripped the headboard for stability. Your other hand pressed against his chiseled abs. Your hand slid over the rough scar.

He pulled you back down, crashing his lips to yours. Zuko kissed down your jaw. "You look so good. You're such a good girl pleasing me." He pushed you down to your back. He kissed down your body his tongue pressed against your clit. Your body felt pure bliss pulse through your veins. He teased you flicking his tongue slowly. "Please." You spoke so softly, begging for more. He sped up bringing you closer to the edge. Your gasps and moans echoed off the metal walls. Your back arched from the sensitivity.

He pulled away and lifted back up kissing you. His lips were sweet and so hypnotic. He slid himself back into you. He pressed into you. Your hand cupped his cheeks you felt the scar on his cheek it was smooth having been there much longer the the newer one on his chest. His jawline was sharp in your palm. His lips glided into yours as he thrusted into you. He lifted himself back up and thrusted harder and faster. He groaned feeling how tight you were. Your hand fell down rubbing your clit as he was furfilling his pleasure.

Your moans became louder. He knew you were close. He kept the pace it was bringing him closer as you squeezed tighter. You slowly came undone under him. "Zuko!" You screamed as the satisfaction coarsed through your body. Euphoria settled in your body swirling around. His peak followed, and his euphoria swirled into yours. You both rode out the sensation. He pulled out cum dripping out of you. He laid down next to you. You both tried catching your breath. He wrapped his arm around you pulling you in kissing you softly. You pulled the covers over you and you both entangled together comfortably falling asleep happily. Everything was perfect.

The prince and dragon you had dreamed of turned out to be real.

Taglist:

@mochminnie

@i-put-the-ass-into-sass

@lylyysz

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chantalvonrosen · 1 month

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WIP I like the idea, but I think there is a lot of work to do

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gotticalavera · 4 months

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My sketchbook is breaking

Soooo... These are a few drafts from my drawing book!

First something recent, drafts and concepts about the Au!Demon Spirit

Practice with my colored pens and posture practice. Draft of an idea for fanfic (I usually draw concepts and ideas to write).

Draft for a horror story with Pov's Ozai

Old draft for the first day of Mai Week

First drafts and ideas for an Aang consumed by the Avatar State

Draft on the appearance of Suzaku Lee, character from my fanfic: "The Last Avatar" (it is in Spanish)

Draft of Azula's future as Fire Lord within my fanfic "The Last Avatar" (I haven't written that part yet hehe)

Part 2 >>>

#avatar: the last airbender #avatar the last airbender #avatar aang #aanglove #aang love #zukaang #zuko x aang #aang x zuko #prince zuko #atla zuko #azula atla #fire lord azula #fire lord ozai #mai avatar #mai atla #atla oc #gotti art #au!demon spirit

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chavahlahdraws · 7 months

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happy day☺️

#zuko x oc #zuko #fire lord zuko #zuko avatar #atla #avatar #avatar the last airbender #avatar oc #atla oc

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myjlla · 27 days

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Avatar: The Last Airbender (Avatar: The legend of Aang)

OC Presentation

Name: Yula -> full name and title: Princess Julliet of Southern Water Tribe

Personal Informations:

Age: 16

Nationality: Southern Water Tribe

Ethnicity: Water Tribe, Fire Nation

Family: Older brother Prince Louis (Dad - not coronated ruler of Southern Water Tribe, with water tribe ethnicity) (Mom - high ranked member of Fire Nation society, given in mariage to Water Tribe Royal Family, with fire nation ethnicity)

Physical Information:

Gender: Female

Eye color: Brown

Hair color: Brown

Skin color: Light/Pale

Personal Information:

Love interests: formerly - ex boyfriends; Prince Zuko

Allies: Tui, La, Both Water Tribes, Louis, Yue, Arnook, Zuko, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Appa, Momo, Iroh, Hakoda

Enemies: Fire Lord Ozai, Azula, Mai, Dai Li

Bending: Waterbending (southern style), Healing, Firebending

Weapon: water, fire, swords, intelligence

Destiny: Protector of the Ocean Spirit, Wife, Mother, Assistant Reastaurateur of Southern Water Tribe and Fire Nation

I don't own any rights to characters other then Yula and Louis (and their mom and dad). I don't own any story lines and plots other than these related to my OC.

Picture of my OC was found on pinterest!

Written by @myjlla on Tumblr; do not steal !!

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l-starlight-l · 11 months

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Forgiveness in the rain

A/n: switching it up and writing some atla. Enjoy!

Warning: Mention of burning

Description: You are surprised to see Zuko, the boy who you have a weird history with, working in a local tea shop. You don’t know how to feel, but confront him anyway.

Pairing: Zuko x Fem!Reader

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With Appa missing and the hovering Dai Li, the team was under a lot of tension. Ba sing sa was nothing like you thought it was going to be. The hope of getting the solar eclipse plan to the earth king vanished after the gala and now you had nothing. With no help from the earth kingdom winning this war would be a lot more difficult.

You’re usually an early raiser but this morning was different. You had slept way later than you meant to and had waste a good part of the morning hours. You quickly fixed yourself up and got ready for the day before exiting your room. When you walk out to the main area of your temporary home you see Sokka, and only Sokka which was unusual. He turned around hearing your footsteps and smiled. “Well good morning, you slept in late today” he warmly greeted you.

You let out a nervous laugh, “hey, where is everyone” you questioned while looking around the empty house.

“Well Aang was gone before I woke up, and Katara and Toph are have a “girls day”” he said making finger quotes when saying girls day.

Your heart hurt alittle, you were new to the group and they were still warming up to you but why would they not invite you out with them. Sokka could see what you were thinking and added “they wanted you to come but figured you needed your sleep”.

You just nodded trying not to think about it to much. “Aangs been going out so early, he’s going to tire himself out looking for appa” you were concerned about him, you knew appa meant the world to him. Sokka nodded his head in agreement. He was worried too.

There was a long awkward silence between the two of you. It not like you don’t like each other, it’s just that you don’t spend a lot of one on one with Sokka. So neither of you know what to talk about. Breaking the silence you ask Sokka if he would like to go to the market with you. He agrees, thinking he has nothing better to do and it may be fun. You two head off to explore the walled city.

After a few hours in the market you come out with necessary things like supplies and food. As well as unnecessary items like a hat to match Sokka’s purse and belt. You roll your eyes at his ridiculous purchase and decide to call it a day. You had over heard a shopkeeper talking about an amazing tea place and decided to try to find it.

After some searching you reach a small shop with a sign reading “The Jasmine Dragon” over the door. Sokka groans because ,as he’s mentioned multiple times on your way here, he hates tea and would rather go to a restaurant know for their perfectly cooked meat. You roll your eyes once again at this childlike boy. “Stop whining Sokka, I already told you we could go to the restaurant tomorrow” you try to silence his complaining as you walk into the shop.

The shop is pretty packet but lucky you find a table for two. The atmosphere is calming and fills you with serenity the second you walk in, which is much needed after the week you’ve had. A young brown haired girl comes up to take our order. You politely ask her for a cup of jasmine and order some pastries for the whiny baby across from you. When she leaves it becomes awkward again, you are horrible at making conversation and it seems Sokka just doesn’t know what to say.

A few moments later the girl comes back with your tea and explains that the pastries will be out soon. You can hear Sokka’s stomach from across the table. You laugh and take a sip of your hot tea. You eyes light up tasting what probably is the best tea you’ve ever had. Your mind drifted to when Iroh use to make you tea, it tasted just like this. You would have to come back often. You offer Sokka a taste, he makes a grossed out face and holds his hands out like the tea will attack him. He exclaims that he doesn’t want leaf juice, he’s learned his lesson drinking plants after the cactus juice.

You laugh and it goes back to silences, but it wasn’t awkward this time it was more comfortable. It seems that you two have started to warm up to each other a little more. You look around the small shop and take it all in. As your gaze drifts across a wall with a dividing curtain, you figure it leads to the kitchen. You’re about to move your eyes away when a farmilar face shows up. Your eyes widen as you watch the boy who has tried to kill you multiple times, go up to your sweet sever with a plate of cookies in his hand. Your heart races unsure of what to do as the sever points to our table. Your eyes met and he freezes. You look at Sokka who seems to be lost in his own world and then back up at Zuko. You drop your tea cup and it lands on the table. Sokka jumps up as his pant leg gets covered in hot tea. You also jump up still staring at Zuko who now looks more surprised. Sokka starts to look back to see what is distracting you but you grab his shoulder and it knocks you out of your trace.

“Oh my, Sokka I am so sorry like me help you” you say stressed. You raise your hands to the tea soaked area of his pants and bend the liquid out of the fabric and back into the tea cup. You then reach into your pocket and pull out a gold piece and leave it on the table. “You know what I think I’m feeling pretty hungry now, should we go to that meat restaurant” you say practically pushing Sokka to the door. He’s eyes light up and he rushes out the door leaving you behind. You stand there for a second looking at the floor then slowly turn your head to face him. He looks like the boy you knew so long ago. The boy you use to play with as a kid. He was lost after Zuko was banished, but now you can see he’s starting to come back. You can feel his change. He stares at you surprised, not knowing why you did that. Your eyes are sad and hurt, and you can tell he’s full with the same emotions. You hear Sokka call you and you rush out the door.

When you get back to the house later that night you see Katara and Toph dolled up and it makes you smile. Your glad they had a good time, even if you weren’t there. You look over and see Aang half asleep and you go over to him. “Hey, how are you doing” you ask. He looks at you, “I still haven’t found him, and the dai li are making it so hard”. You sigh and rub his shoulder in comfort, “why don’t you take a break tomorrow and I’ll go out and look for him”. Aang just nods and lays down to sleep. You hear the rest of the group saying their good nights and heading off to bed. You do the same but sneak out instead of sleeping.

You rush to the tea shop, your heart racing just thinking about what happen earlier. The lights are still on when you get there, you debate on going through the front door or seeing if there’s a back. As you creep closer you hear voices and laughter. An older man’s voice carries through your ears and you immediately recognize it as Iroh. You slowly opened the door and see a small group of men Sitting and drinking tea. They stopped talking and turned to you, one of the guys you didn’t recognize kindly let you know they were closed but Iroh got up and stood parallel to you. “Y/n?” He said softly, “oh I’m so glad to see your okay”. He holds out his arms for a hug and you run into his embrace. He holds you for a minute and you realize how much you missed him. You think he’s the only good thing that came from the fire nation. He lets you go and turns to the table, “this is my old friend y/n” he has a big smile and is so proud to introduce you. You shyly wave and say hi, then you realize why your here and look around attentively. “He’s in the back, why don’t you go say hi” he motions for me to go towards the curtain. You hesitate but go as he tells you. You pull back the curtain and see the back of a tall boy with dark hair scrubbing dishes, something old Zuko would never even think about doing. “Do you need some more tea uncle” he asks while wiping his wet hands off. As he turns you take a step back out of instinct, when he sees you his face goes white. “You” is all he can muster out. “Me” you try to hide the emotion on your face. You’ve always seen good in zuko, even when you were helping him hunt down the avatar. He was just a scared boy who wanted something he thought was taken from him. He starts to walk to you and you back up til you hit the wall. His hands are reached out to you in a concerned manner but in your head you see the hands that burned you months before. All you can think of to do is run, so you ran. You ran all the way back to the house, when you get there you sit on the steps trying to catch your breath. You couldn’t stop thinking about the last time you were that close to him. You had gone against his command and protected the avatar. You let aang and his group get away while trying to talk down Zuko. But that didn’t work and he ended up shoot a fire shot straight at you. He’s different now, you can feel he’s different you just need to get over yourself. You go inside quietly as to not get caught and try to get some sleep.

The next day you search for appa and it ends with nothing. You’ve searched the whole city and you’re sure aang has searched it more than fifty times. Appa is no where to be found. You wander the streets for a little before going back to the house. You walk past the Jasmine dragon and see Iroh out front. He spots you before you can sneak by. You go up to him and you can see worry in his eyes. “Yesterday you ran off without saying goodbye” he says. You just nod ashamed. “I understand why you may feel uneasy with Zuko but I also understand that you’ve forgiven him, even if you haven’t said it out loud yet. He wasn’t the same after what happened, he misses you but he’ll never admit it, I can tell”. you don’t know what to say, you just let his words resinate with you. “Thank you” you say quietly, and then look at the door and see it start to open. “Uncle what’s taking you so-“ he starts before seeing you and freezing. You look at him, you stare into his soul to try to see if he’s truely changed but you can’t tell just from a look. “Will you meet me later?” You mumble to him, he nods and you leave to go back to the group. When you get back it’s already dark, you have to deliver the bad news about not finding Appa but no one really seems surprised. Soon after everyone goes to bed and you sneak out once again. You begin to walk to a fountain you found your first day adventuring the city. Zuko is already there, you watch as he messes with his fingers and fixes his hair. He’s just as nervous as you are and it makes you smile. You walk up to him, and sit down on the edge of the fountain. He looks down at you with big eyes, you softly pat the spot next to you. He sits down trying not to be to in your space. There’s a moment of silence that feels both awkward and comfortable. “I’m sorry for running last night, I- I don’t know why I did” you apologize. He looks alittle surprised, “why should you be sorry I should be the one apologizing” he takes a breath and then let’s it all out, “I am so sorry for what happened that night, I’m a fool and never wanted to hurt you, it’s haunted me every since”. You don’t say anything at first, just to give him a hard time. You reach and touch his hand, “that wasn’t you Zuko, that was the rage you’re father has filled you with” you hover your finger over his scare. “You were so clouded by fulfilling a destiny that isn’t yours, I forgive you, I forgave you a long time ago” you raise his hands to your mouth and lay a light kiss on them.

He’s face lightens at the touch. “Thank you, I don’t deserve this” he says in a whisper. You just shake your head and look up at the stars. They’re so bright tonight and you see it as a sign. Suddenly rain starts pouring on the two of you, you laugh as Zuko pops up from his seat. “Let’s get under some cover”, he locks his fingers with yours and try’s to pull you under a near by roof. You don’t follow him and take both his hands. “why, let’s enjoy the beautiful storm” before he can say anything you run deep into the rain. “Do you remember those dances we learned in school” you ask eagerly. he nods, “good” you say with a smirk. You place your hands in the respected places and he does the same. You start to move, spin, and become in sync again. He isn’t the best dancer and steps on your feet a few times but you don’t mind. You laugh and he smiles, your eyes are glued together. He shifts his hands so that they are on the small of your back and you happen to be closer than you meant to. You’re eye contact breaks for the first time that night as you look at his soft lips. You lean up and kiss him. He’s taken aback for a second, but only for a second then he’s kissing you right back. He moves his hands to you face, cupping your cheeks and deepening the kiss. A widow opens in one of the near by houses and an old women yells out the window “get off my street you punks”. You both freeze and she goes back inside. You break and laugh, he takes your hand, “my apartment is close let’s go”.

When you get there you see a well decorated, clean little apartment. You see Iroh asleep, and quietly creep by into what you think is Zukos room. You’re both soaking wet. You bend the water out of your clothes, and go to bend his but he’s already taken off his shirt. You blush but dry off his pants. “it’s raining pretty hard out there” he say suddenly looking really awkward, “why don’t you stay the night”. He scratches the back of his head waiting for you to answer. You blush and a small smile grows on your lips as you respond, “I would love to”. He smiles and you both lay down in his bed. You drift off to sleep to the sound of the storm.

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#zuko x reader #zuko #avatar zuko #zuko fanart #zuko fanfic #fire lord zuko #zuko x oc #zuko alta #atla zuko #atla fanfic

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deimagines · 7 months

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Her Falling and Her Legacy *Part 3 ( A ATLA and LOK Imagine)

Been away for so long cuz of college. But I am HERE! and I am not leaving! Part 1/2/

General Iroh II arrives at the Air Temple and Zuko has a dream.

Ba Sing Se

100 AG

Y/N smiles happily that her mooncakes have come out perfectly. It was the first time she had made them, and she was proud of how they turned out. She even gave them a little dragon design on it, circling a jasmine flower.

She took a careful bite to taste the flavors and smiled.

“Mmh, not bad!” She says to herself and makes a small plate for her and her roommates. She just wished that Zuko would wake up soon.

After Zuko released the Avatar’s flying bison, he became sick.

Iroh said that his aura is changing drastically and was the reason for his illness.

She sighs in worry but puts on a brave face before placing the plate on the kitchen table.

Iroh took one and tasted it. A smile was presented on his face. A clear sign that he was happy by the taste. “Incredible! You have outdone yourself, Y/N.”

“Thank you, Iroh. It’s my first time making these.”

Zuko entered the room and Iroh presented the mooncakes to him.

“Look, nephew, Y/N made mooncakes. Try one!”

Zuko looks at the hopeful gaze on Y/N’s face over his uncle’s shoulder and takes one.

After taking a bite, he hums lightly. “Pretty good.”

“Really?” She asked, worry washed away.

“Yeah. Really good, actually.” He takes another bite.

“Maybe we should add them to the menu of our tea shop.” Iroh suggested.

“Okay, but only I get to make them, I don’t want anyone stealing my recipe.”

“Deal!” Iroh finalizes their ‘business’.

Northern Air Temple

171 AG

Tenzin watched his pupils, yet again, with frustration.

It had weeks, but he still has ye tot manage to shape them into the ideal air nomads that he and his grandfather had dreamed of for as long as he can remember. After the close call with the bison herd from getting stolen by animal traffickers, if Kai and the other airbenders hadn’t interfered, he had expected they would at least become more serious about their training.

He winced as another was hit and out of the spinning paddles.

Not a lot, but at least a little.

He sighed once again and continued to watch until one certain pupil caught his attention.

At least one of them had expected those expectations.

“Don’t just stand there, Rookie! Be the leaf!” Meelo orders her as he pointed at the gates with his chest puffed up.

She looks down at him and then back at the paddle with a steady gaze. She watches as they spin and spin and then something just clicks.

“A leaf. . . I get it.”

She took her position and started moving her feet and walked onto the course, eyes closed.

Tenzin watched in tense, nobody had done it the first time with eyes closed before.

Yet she did the impossible, and moved like Meelo has instructed, like a leaf. But it wasn’t just dodging, it was like she was dancing. Like the leaf, she redirected any impacts that she stumbled upon her way through the grates and let the wind guide her to safety.

She finally arrived at the other side, unharmed and lowers of hands together.

The others looked at her with amazement and envy as whispers broke out.

“Wow.”

“She’s amazing.”

“She makes it look so easy.”

Bai-La was an incredible pupil. The most attentive, the most graceful and hard-working student that he has ever had the closest joy to have.

Other than the poor man that he had to demonstrate to shave, Bai-La was the only one who willingly volunteered to have her hair shaved. Technically, she asked for a half-shaved look to not lose all of her hair. He hesitated, but she was the only one who volunteered.

She passed every test and breathing exercises as well as understanding his lectures and stories, excluding.

If she kept it up, she would be at the same level as his children and Korra.

And . . . another thought had haunted his mind ever since he saw her eyes.

Y/N. The girl who would’ve been the Fire Lady.

Zuko’s first love.

Though he was not sure if it was just a coincidence, Bai-La's eyes and face were the exact copy of the girl who would’ve been his aunt.

Everyone knew the story. How Y/N The Gentle fought and aided future Chief Sokka, his would-be wife, Suki and future Chief of Police Toph to stop Fire Lord Ozai’s invasion.

Only Y/N was sacrificed for the cause.

His mother once told him of how broken Zuko was when he heard of the news of his beloved’s demise, but he had to remain strong as he was the next Fire Lord. He managed to find happiness in Mai, but even she knew that she couldn’t compete with the girl who had stolen her husband’s heart, their respect for each other is unreal.

In fact, the now Fire Lord, name, Izumi was half of Y/N’s name, Y/N Izumi, to honor her in memory.

Which brings him to another situation.

“Alright everyone, that’s enough for today. We’ll continue tomorrow after our morning meditation.”

Most of them sighed in relief and even went on their separate ways in groups or alone. Bai-La jumps done and lands on her feet gracefully.

As she was about to leave, Tenzin stopped her.

“Just a moment Bai. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“Yes, Sifu Tenzin?” She looks up at him.

“Follow me.” He says, and they made their way out of the training grounds.

They reached one of many balconies of the temple and he took out an envelope from his robes.

“Here.” He hands it to her. “Letters from your family. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise of bringing them here, but the letter that you sent to them was most helpful.”

Bai-La smiles gratefully and bows to him. “Thank you. These mean more a lot to me than you can think of.” She opens one and immediately begins to read.

Tenzin nods. “I’m glad. . . there is something else that I need to bring up.”

“Yes?” She looks back up at him.

“As you know by now, our situation with the world leaders have been a little. . . strained with the idea of airbenders being back to society.”

“You mean President Raiko?”

Tenzin didn’t reply. “Our first impression was not . . .impressive, per say. Two days from now, General Iroh will come visit by to write a report on our activities and how fair we are doing.”

“You mean spying?” She teases lightly.

“Yes.” He couldn’t help but to comply with her humor. “But General Iroh is a good man. The one he’s working above him, however.”

“No need for more explanations.” She raises her hand to stop him. “But I still have yet to understand what it has to do with me?”

“Well, other than Kai and my brother, you Bai-La have the greatest potential out of all the other airbenders. In fact, you’ve become a sort of prodigy. Which is why I want you to be a representative of the airbenders once the General arrives to build his report.”

“I don’t know what to say.” She says in surprise. “I am . . .”

“Just don’t get it to your head.” Tenzin teases as he places a hand on her shoulder. “You should prepare, the General will be here next week.”

“Yes, and thank you, Sifu Tenzin.” She bows with her fist connected to her palm.

He returns it and they began to walk away until Bai notices something.

“Is that an old oven?”

Tenzin looks over his shoulder and sees a familiar oven that brought up wonderful memories.

“Why yes, the air acolytes use it, but they’re a little old fashion these days. I used to make cakes with my father here once, Bumi did not like them.”

“Were they that bad?”

A secret smile made its way up to the corners of his mouth. “Not exactly.”

“Well, then, can I use it? I would love to make some mooncakes or some sweetbread.” She had sparkles in her eyes as she explained.

Tenzin raises an amused brow. “I don’t see why not. Here, let me show you a recipe my father taught me.”

***

Bumi was happily taking a stroll until something fell from the sky.

His head was suddenly covered in frosting and cake bits. He shouted at the sky in anger, knowing exactly who was responsible.

“TENZINNNNN!”

Tenzin and Bai-La looks down from the balcony and they both laugh. They then bow to each other.

“Your aim is perfect, my bright pupil.”

“Thanks, Sifu Tenzin.”

***

The Fire Nation.

The winds brushed his hair wildly as he stood there in the courtyard where the fountain lay, the exact one from Ba Sing Sae. The one where she took him there by accident.

Cherry blossom petals suddenly fall from the sky. Where did they come from? He doesn’t know.

“Zuko.”

His eyes widened and he slowly turned. The wind blowing through his hair as the owner of the voice that had called out to him was full in his sight.

There she was.

Young and beautiful as he remembered.

Her dress was the one she wore on their first date.

He felt his youth coming back as he suddenly morphs back into the young lad he used to be when they were still together.

He ran to the other side of the fountain, where she was and crashes her into a hug. She let out a giggle as he twirls her around until he settles her back to the ground. Her head burry on his chest as he hugs her.

“I missed you.” He whispers into her hair.

“I missed you, too.” She muffles into his chest.

“This is another dream. Is it?” His tone of content did not waver.

“I’m afraid so.” She confesses. “But it’ll be over soon.”

His hold on her tightened at those words. This dream always ended the same way. He begs her to stay longer, but she always says no.

“Please. Just a little longer. A minute even.”

“You don’t understand, Zuko. It will be over soon.”

He frowns, this was different. He pulls away to look down at her. “What will be over soon?”

She raises a hand to cup his cheek, her thumb caressing the edge of his scar.

This was different too.

But he didn’t care, he leans into the touch and grabs it to kiss the palm of her hand.

“You’ll see.”

He suddenly wakes up.

He sat up and looked at the morning sky from his open window.

It has been days since he arrived at the Fire Nation to protect Izumi. She was reluctant to take the decision, saying that she didn’t need any protection, but he insisted. She has only heard of Zaheer and the Red Lotus, never seen them of what they are capable of.

His hands clutched the silk duvet as he imprinted the words of his first beloved.

It’ll be over soon.

But what did she mean by that?

***

Bai-La sighs as she wipes the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand after setting the last batch of mooncakes on tray. She smiled at her grandmother’s signature design on the treats as fond memories began to unfold. She looks at the ready mooncakes that were packaged in boxes. At the sight of it, there was enough for a whole fleet. Which was what she was going for.

Ikki was there too, sitting near the baker on a rail of the balcony munching on a cake that Bai had given her. “Mmh! This is the best mooncake I ever tasted.” She pauses. “Don’t tell my mom I said that.”

Bai only smiles. “I’m glad you like them! It’s my grandmother’s recipe, never changed and never left eaten without a single crumb behind.”

Ikki looks at the number of mooncakes. “But why are you making so much? Is there a party? Are we having a party? Is it someone’s birthday?”

“Nope,” Bai answers quickly to cut off any remaining questions that the little girl has. “These are for the Air Acolytes as a thank you for helping us settling in the temple and for the Fleet of the United Republic of Nations as a welcome present.”

Ikki looks at the many boxes. “That’s a lot of mooncakes.”

“Ooh!” Meelo made himself known. “Mooncakes! Score!”

He was about to touch the ones that were already packed but Bai lightly taps his hand with a wooden spoon. “Apbububu- No touchy. Those are for the Air Acolytes and our guests tomorrow.”

Meelo rubs his hand in dismay, but his mood suddenly changed when a plate of mooncakes was in front of his face.

“These however are for airbenders.” Bai smiled.

He gladly takes one and takes a bite. His eyes sparkled as his tastebuds sings his mood. “Whoa! It’s like I’ve been taken to Flavor Heaven!”

He then takes more and more to stuff in his mouth, but Bai pulls that plate away from him as she laughs. “Hey! Save some for the others, Little Sifu.”

Little Sifu was a nickname she had given him since she started her training, Meelo didn’t seem to mind since the word Sifu is being used directly to him.

“Alright, since you two are here. Mind helping give these out till’ dinner time? I’ll put in a good dozen of mooncakes for you once we’re done.”

“You trade in a hard bargain, lady.” Meelo comes by and takes a few boxes with Ikki.

“But the temple is so big. How are we gonna take these to everyone by dinner? I’ll be tired from all the walking.”

“Who says anything about walking?”

Ikki and Meelo shared a look.

***

An air acolyte was done cleaning the windows, when suddenly, he hears the familiar sounds of wind whistles.

Before he could look behind, three figures passed by him, and he felt something in his hands. He looked down and was surprised to see a white box in his hands with a sweet aroma coming from it.

He squinted to the culprit that gave him the box and see Bai-La with the airbending children on air scooters with other boxes balanced on the top of their heads.

“Thanks for your hard work!” Bai shouted.

The air acolyte raises a brow but opens the box, nonetheless, he takes out a mooncake and smiles to where the benders headed before taking a bite.

“Mmh!”

***

Like Bai had hoped, they managed to deliver the mooncakes to every acolyte at the Temple by dinner. Some were surprised but mostly happy by the thoughtful treats.

Everyone finished their meals and the airbenders were surprised by Bai’s mooncakes waiting for them.

“So, this is what the commotion was about within the acolytes.” Tenzin said as he takes one.

“I wanted to thank them for helping us settle in the Air Temple.”

“How thoughtful.” Pema complements as she takes a mooncake as well. She noticed the design and admired it. “What a lovely touch.”

Bai smiled. “Thank you, it’s my gram-gram's signature.”

“These are delicious!”

“I know right!” Ikki was happily eating them.

Bai sat in her seat as she was being thanked and asked for making mooncakes again from airbenders and acolytes alike. One even asked for the recipe, but she shakes her head.

“Sorry guys, family secret. My grandmother would haunt me if shared the recipe from outside of the family.”

The mood in the room changed drastically after hearing the comment.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, Bai.” Tenzin apologizes.

The young woman only smiled and shakes her head again. “It is fine, Master Tenzin, it was a long time ago. . .” She fiddles with something that tied around her neck that Ikki seemed to be the only one to notice.

“What that?”

Bai pulls it up a bit to show it. It was a half pendant that shined brightly in the light.

“It’s an heirloom, it belonged to my grandmother once, before she passed away. “

“Pretty! But where’s the other half?” Ikki tilted her head.

“I don’t know, my grandmother never really explained it to me.”

As Bai tries her best explain the mystery, by mere sight of the necklace, Tenzin was suddenly pulled into flashback, a memory that he had almost forgotten.

When Lord Zuko was telling them the bravery of the only fallen friend during the war.

Y/N the Gentle.

The portrait the Fire Nation Palace displays for her honor was made with as much detail as possible, the beautiful smile and kindness showing in her eyes. But what really stuck to young Tenzin the most was the necklace that the young girl was wearing around her neck.

One that took a similar resemblance to the one that Bai-La has in her hands.

And if he remembered the tales that Iroh had told him when he became older, Lord Zuko had the intension to marry Y/N after they brought peace to the Four Nations. But that promise was taken away from him when Y/N sacrificed herself to save his uncle and Toph Beifong.

He frowns at the sight of the necklace as the possibility ran through his mind.

After dinner, he stood up and announced that he had something to take care of in his study.

Once there, He rummaged through the bookshelf until he found what he was looking for. He opens it and flips through the pages until he stops at a chapter where the first page shows a picture of the same portrait, he’s seen in the Fire Nation Palace. He takes a small magnifying glass from his desk and moves it around the portrait until it stops to the model’s neck.

A pendant around the girl’s neck gave him the clue he needed for his question.

***

Tenzin and the acolyte elders watched as General Iroh’s fleet had docked the port on a blimp. The General himself was walking down the ramp and he saluted.

“Greetings, Tenzin.”

“General Iroh, it is good to see you.”

They shake hands.

“You as well.”

“I’m sorry you have to be put up with this assignment.”

“No trouble at all. It’ll be a short visit, but at least me and my men have a time to relax, away from Republic City.”

“And the President.”

Iroh smirks. “Especially.”

They began to walk and catch up, they have not talked since their ordeal with Unalaq. Once they reached the outskirts of the Temple where they were airbenders training on top of the poles. Iroh and Tenzin, and Iroh’s first mate, who was taking reports and writing them down on a clipboard, watched as they all worked through their training, some have fallen but few have managed to stand their ground on top of the poles.

“As you can see, they have a long way to go until they become proper airbenders.”

He winces as another pupil falls.

“Very long. Also, if you have the time, there’s something that I need to discuss with you.”

“What-” Before Iroh could even finish, a voice call from above.

“Look out!”

One of the pupils jumped with a powerful gush of wind by accident and suddenly fell on the General himself with a loud thud.

“Ow.” Iroh croaks as the pupil gets and apologizes repeatedly and bows many times, knowing who exactly he had dropped on as Iroh turns to his back.

A gasped was heard from above.

Suddenly, a sound of soft wind was heard, and a pair of legs was delicately floating down to the ground with airbending and lands in front of Iroh. He looks up to see that it was a woman close to his age.

The stranger leans and offers her hand.

“Are you alright?”

He took it and almost froze when he looked up and caught her eyes with his own. They were so bright and beautiful.

But his admiration was brief when she tugged his arm up and he snapped out his gaze and stood.

She was a short woman with long hair, yet the side was shaved off, it was styled in a very delicate way as well as edgy.

He clears his throat, remembering his manners. “Thank you.”

She smiled as Tenzin came to her side.

“Iroh, this is Bai La, one of the freed airbending prisoners from Ba Sing Se and finest pupil in the temple.”

“Hello.” She bows. But when she straightens her posture back, she moves her hair away from her face when a breeze passes by.

Iroh then had a look of realization but was able to hide it from the woman before him. A look that Tenzin had predicted.

“I hope you and your men are hungry. The air acolytes and I prepared a welcome dinner in honor of your visit.”

“Yes. Thank you.” Iroh could only answer as his mind was plagued with possibilities because of her face.

“Hey, Bai!” Kai from above calls for her. “I thought we have a bet going on?”

“Coming!” She turns back to the General. “See you at the dining hall.”

She then jumps with the help of airbending to set herself back on top of the poles.

Tenzin finds himself back at Iroh’s side.

“She’s. . .” He hesitated, yet Tenzin knew already what the Crown Prince was going to say.

“Yes. Exactly.”

Iroh had returned from his military training from the Northern Water Tribe. His mother took him on a walk, and they suddenly found themselves in the hall where all his forefathers and mothers portraits hanged, including the heroes of their nation.

His mother, who suddenly stopped at one specific portrait that which she had mentioned was one of her favorites because of the story behind the person’s cause and bravery.

Yet, she had surprised Iroh then with a single sentence.

“You know. . . I used to hate her.”

Iroh’s eyes widened a bit as his mother confesses.

“When your grandmother Mai told me of Y/N, I grew angry at your grandfather, wondering why he could ever disrespect the woman who gave birth to me. Whispering her name in his sleep and she cried every time.”

She closed her eyes and opened them, filled with wisdom, yet despair. “But she explained to me that on the day of Sozin’s Comet, when Y/N was lost, he became a broken man, almost unrecognizable. That’s when I knew that I couldn’t hold on to that anger anymore, especially on a brave woman who gave her life to save the world.”

Iroh places a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “I‘m sorry you had to go through that, mom. It must’ve taken a great deal of strength to accept it.”

She smiles and looks up at him. “Thank you, my son.”

They both continued to look at the portrait. Admiring the woman who could’ve been Fire Lady.

The general continued to watch Bai as she jumps from one pole to another circling with Kai to see who can stay the longest.

“But. . .are we even sure?” He asked.

Tenzin whispers to him. “Look around her neck.”

Iroh squints and sees what Tenzin is referring to watch for. It was a pendant, broken in half. A pendant he was all too familiar with.

“We can’t know for sure. Have you talked to her about this?”

Tenzin looks at Bai with a conflicted gaze. It was clear that she had become his favorite student. He tried to keep all equal feelings for his airbenders but Bai was a kind and bright being that had the potential to become one of the greatest Airbending Masters.

“I just don’t want to overwhelm her.”

“You might now have a choice.” Iroh states in a calming manner. “With things going on at Ba Sing Se and the Red Lotus, there might not be a chance to tell her. Or . . . him.”

Tenzin looks back and watches as Bai laughs to whatever Kai was saying. Lord Zuko was

“No, there might not be.” He sighs. “I’ll arrange a private meeting with her. Will you join us?”

Iroh nods as he continues to gaze Bai. “Of course.”

Tags:

@treestarrrrrrrr @mayxsx @nani-nani-nani @lifesanenigma @letsthedogpackandthecats @evelyn-4034 @serenityhvl @fandomsfanman @shoxji

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friedchickenluver · 10 months

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ugh, i gotta write smut…

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imagines--galore · 20 days

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||The Thread of Fate|| Part Twenty-Two

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen, Part Sixteen, Part Seventeen, Part Eighteen, Part Nineteen, Part Twenty, Part Twenty-One,

A/N: And here is Zuko's inner turmoil :3

The sound of birds was what she noticed first.

Then it was the gentle rumbling of her bed.

Blue eyes blearily peeked in the early morning sunlight, the softness of her bed prompting her to bury herself deeper under her blanket.

The rumble came again.

Groaning softly, Orora sat up, the blanket covering her pooling around her waist as she yawned, blinking sleepily in the morning sun. Getting up from Appa's tail and stretching, she shuffled forward to stand in front of the bison. The bison rumbled again, pleased to see her.

Orora smiled, reaching out to gently hug the side of his giant head. "Thanks for keeping me warm buddy." She cooed, pressing a kiss against his fur. Appa groaned loudly in response, trying to snuggle his head against her. Of course, he was much too big. The sudden unexpected push had her tumbling to the ground and onto her butt. A soft laugh fell from her lips, as Appa snuggled his nose against her as an apology.

Looking around, she realized she was the first one up. Standing up, and giving Appa one last pat, she walked through their little camp, passing by everyone as they slept.

Toph with Momo snuggled up against her, prompting the older girl to reach out and cover the younger girl properly with her blanket. Sokka was snoring away with his mouth slightly open. Orora shook her head, wandering just how many spiders he'd eaten during the night by accident. Katara with her hair open, appearing even younger in her sleep with one arm stretched out beside her while the other rested under her head. Coincidentally, the arm stretched out was her left arm, which meant that her finger with the thread tied at the end was angled towards Aang, who was asleep a little ways away from Katara. Though, it was probably not by chance that his right hand was pointing towards Katara.

Her heart softened. Had they fallen asleep looking at their strings? Maybe seeing them glow? It was so obvious how much they cared about one another. Could she go as far as to call it love though?

Maybe.....

Glancing at her own string which hung lifeless and without a flicker of color, Orora sighed to herself before walking away.

Once she was a little ways away from the camp, she quickly stripped off her clothes. Standing in her underclothes, she gazed at her reflection as she untied her hair.

While the bags under her eyes had improved slightly after a good night's sleep, it appeared her three weeks of no eating spree had taken its toll on her. She looked weak and extremely thin. Whatever muscle she had gained over the months she had trained her water-bending had started to loose mass.

But it was her face that caught most of her attention.

Her once full cheeks were thin, with her cheekbones and jaw sticking out. Her eyes appeared gaunt and even wider in her now thin face.

All in all, she looked so unlike herself.

But that ended today, she promised herself, as she slowly stepped into the semi-warm water of the Spring.

As the water surrounded her, Orora closed her eyes, allowing herself to become one with her element. She'd barely used her bending in the past month, having had no passion or energy left for it.

The ground beneath her finally gave way, and she was floating in the water, slowly going even deeper. Tiny bubbles of air escaped her, her arms suspended in the water as if she were jumping in the air. Her hair pooled around her, framing her face.

Her ice blue eyes trained at the bright sky above the surface of the water.

After so many days of inner turmoil, where her heart, mind and soul had raged against one another, right then, at the very pinnacle of her element.

She felt free.

Her eyes closed, savoring the tranquility of it all................

But then they snapped open, the calmness that had been there before was replaced with a look of fierce determination.

Straightening herself, Orora pushed her arms down on either side of her, propelling herself through the water, and breaking the surface with a loud splash and out towards the sky.

She briefly hung in midair, the that had risen with her in the form of a whirlpool receding back into the spring. Then she was falling, but the girl quickly swung her arms around her body in a circular motion, creating an icy water slide which she skated down and into the spring.

Orora didn't stop there.

Creating multiple icicles, she threw them towards the sky, allowing them to hang in midair before they began their descent. The sharp ends glinted in the sunlight, but Orora was prepared. Armed with twin water whips she wrapped the ends around two of the oncoming icicles, and using them as ammunition, struck every other incoming target until the sky rained with tiny crystals glinting beautifully in the sunlight.

Standing atop a pillar of ice, the girl threw her arms forward, prompting several sharp thin discs of ice to dislodge from the pillar and fly through the air. The discs embedded themselves into the rocky wall of their haven. And they stayed there before the sun melted them away.

With the water coming up to her waist, Orora began to swing her arms around in a circular motion. A whirlpool formed in the middle of the lake, and with every repeated movement on her part, it grew and it grew. Once she was sure it would continue for a long while, she created a large ice disk for herself and once she had secured her feet using ice to encase them, she allowed herself to be sucked into the whirlpool. Several rocky outcroppings acted as her obstacles, which she had to clear by either jumping out of the way, or break apart using either a whip with an ice boulder attached to the end or a wave of water that was sharp and thin enough to cut through it. Not to mention that she had to keep her balance to make sure she didn't fall into the water.

Slowly the whirlpool she had created subsided on its own, leaving behind a smooth calm surface.

Panting heavily, with her arms and legs now burning, she moved on to the next session of her training.

Calming down.

Freezing a large block of ice in the shade of a rock to keep it from melting too quickly, she got to work.

Once she was finished with that, she moved on to the next one.

Then another.

Her mind was solely focused on the task, and despite the constant motion of her fingers, hands and arms her body appeared relaxed. The raging thoughts that plagued her were pushed to the back of her mind and she was so immersed in her work that she didn't realize she had an audience.

Three pair of curious eyes, and a curious pair of feet, had begun watching her almost since the beginning of her training. Now they watched her create art from four blocks of ice.

"Is that......" Katara trailed off, staring almost disbelievingly at what Orora had created. Aang, who was standing beside her nodded mutely.

Sokka was the first one to step forward, assessing what she had created with a critical eye while Orora was busy with her final ice block.

"Orora you made me too scrawny. I know I have more muscles then that." He pointed to the ice sculpture Orora had created of him. The girl in question didn't even look up from where she was bending the ice to create Aang's airbending tattoos in the ice sculpture of his likeness.

"That is exactly how you look Sokka, be glad I didn't give you Momo's ears because I can do that." She quipped, stepping away to analyze her work critically, her fingers moving to add tiny details in the ice here and there.

Katara moved to stand in front of her her likeness which was bent in a battle stance. "These are amazing! Have you always known how to do this Orora?" She asked, her finger tracing the hair loopies she used to have when wearing the attire of her Nation.

Orora, stepping away from Aang's sculpture, which the young Avatar quickly raced towards to examine, she shrugged. "I mean I have created small ice figures before as a hobby. Master actually encouraged it." She added with a small smile, placing a hand on Toph's shoulder and guiding her to where her ice sculpture glinted in the sunlight. "He said I could use my hobby as a way to calm down after a rather intense bending session."

She gestured to the spring which was now as calm as it could be. "Can you see anything with your feet Toph?" Orora asked, curious if the girl could feel the ice sculpture. Toph shrugged. "Not very clearly. I don't know." Orora hummed before taking Toph's hands and placing them against the cold surface of the sculpture.

"Here! Maybe you can feel what you look like by tracing along?" She suggested, to which Toph smiled and began to explore the contours of her face.

Aang stepped forward, smiling. "How does it feel? Using your bending again?" He asked. "Honestly?" Orora inhaled deeply before a smile pulled at the corner of her lips. "It felt really good."

A loud grumble sounded prompting Aang, Katara and Toph to look towards Sokka. "That wasn't me!" He protested, raising his arms to the sky and huffing in annoyance.

Orora patted her stomach. "No that was me. I'm starving." Katara grinned, happy to hear those words come out of Orora's mouth.

"Well lets get breakfast started then!" She said, reaching out to grasp Orora's hand. The two waterbenders ran off to, discussing what to make for breakfast.

Aang looked at Katara's sculpture, admiring how Orora had captured her beauty even in ice. "Aww man! And my nose is bigger too!" Sokka complained as Toph moved to trace her hands along Sokka's ice face, before feeling for his nose.

"Actually, she made it smaller then it really is."

"Hey!"

————————–

The one good thing about Ember Island was that he could walk around and no one would come up to him and annoy him because they had no idea who he was.

Of course that meant that he was mostly left alone with his thoughts and when Zuko was alone with his thoughts, well things tended to get dark.

Especially when he didn't have anything to distract him

Or rather anyone.

Rather just one person.

Orora.

As he sat on the beach under the shade of the umbrella he shared with Mai, Zuko couldn't help be think back on his most recent vision of Orora.

She'd silently cried in front of him for a few minutes before he had blinked and she was gone. Though that didn't mean she left his mind. On the contrary, the image of her tear-stained cheeks, sad eyes and hopeless expression was seared into his brain.

Kind of like the scar his father had seared in his face.

Why was she crying? Was it because somewhere out there she was really crying? Why would she be crying though? Did someone hurt her? Did someone she know had gotten hurt?

A thought suddenly came to his mind, one that hadn't occurred to him before because......well he didn't think anyone would think of him the way Orora did.

Was she crying because of him? Did she miss him just as much as he missed her?

Because he did miss her. So so much.

A strange feeling crept up his spine, prompting him to look up beside him from where he had been idly drawing in the sand. Was it his imagination, or had Mai been staring at him?

He had gotten rather tired of her insistent pursuit, and had asked her to stop. But if he knew anything about Mai it was that she was stubborn, and would only do as she saw fit.

Ignoring her, he returned his attention to the sand once more.

He froze at what he saw there.

His idle drawings hadn't been.......well idle.

He'd actually done a couple of things.

First was a strange symbol that was a blend of the sigil of the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe within a circle. It had the three circles of the Water Tribe, yet the tops of the circles had the flickering flames of the Fire Nation sigil.

And the other wasn't exactly a drawing. Rather he had written the name of his soulmate in the sand.

Zuko stared at the name, briefly brushing the tips of his fingers along the grainy sand as she did.

Hearing his sister and Ty Lee approach, he quickly swept a hand through the sand erasing any evidence of what consumed his very thoughts.

The string tied around the finger of his right hand glowed a bright blue.

————————–

Orora's eyes widened as she grinned at Katara in disbelief.

"You didn't?!" She gasped out at the smug looking waterbender.

"I did." Katara responded, as she tossed some vegetables into the pot of water that was boiling away atop the fire. "I mean yeah, the pirates came after us and all, but we managed to escape and I learned some new waterbending forms."

The older girl shook her head. "Still, that was rather gutsy, stealing from pirates." Katara shrugged. "Well it wasn't there's to keep. Of course handling the pirates would've been easy if Zuko hadn't come along and created more of a mess then it already was." She added, not really thinking of her response.

Her eyes widened, and her hand slapped over her mouth as she looked at Orora. "Spirit! Orora, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to mention him it just slipped out and...." The girl trailed off as Orora sighed before shaking her head.

"Its alright Katara. I mean, I have to get used to you guys saying his name every now and then don't I?" She gave a sad laugh as she began to add in the spices and salt into the boiling water. "I mean, he did tell me how he chased you all around trying to capture Aang, but I guess he left out a few details."

She could ignore the sudden lurch of her heart, could ignore the ache of sadness that seemed to permeate her very soul. After all, she had to move on didn't she?

"So, he told you everything?" Katara asked, curious to know what else he had told Orora. The lighthearted conversation they had been having just moments before seemed to dissipate completely. The air around them became a little heavy with....a cautious tone.

Orora nodded. "Pretty much everything. I mean during our stay in Ba Sing Se, we had a lot of free time and we just talked about everything. Mostly our childhoods though." She smiled sadly, stirring in some noodles into the bowl. "Its strange how many things we had in common. Both our father's banished us, and we were just trying to find our purpose in the world."

A sad laugh fell from her lips as she pushed back a few stray strands of her hair from her face. "Did you know he would follow me around the city whenever I would go out?" Staring out at the clear spring with a faraway look in her eyes, Orora continued. "It wasn't really safe for young girls in the Lower Ring, and he made it his duty to make sure I stayed safe. It was one of the reasons that made me see that he actually had a kind heart."

Orora held her hand out, curling her fingers inward in an elegant motion, pulling a small bubble of water towards her. "But then I already knew he had a kind heart I mean, I was a stranger to him at the North Pole, and yet he saved me." She began to play with the water ball, holding it aloft and splitting it into several smaller balls of water. "Soulmate or no, I know in my heart that even if he had not felt that tug on his finger, he still would've saved me. Because that is the sort of person he is. He would never intentionally physically harm a person. Unlike his sister and father."

The younger waterbender held a certain amount of anger and resentment towards the Fire Nation prince, not only because of the betrayal and the fact that he had chased them for so long, but also because he had broken her sister's heart.

And yet, hearing Orora speak about him like that, as if he were nothing but a confused boy, trying to find a place where he belonged, he sounded almost..........human.

"Orora?" Katara began, frowning slightly at the other girl, though not in disapproval or anger, but rather in confusion. Once she turned to look at her, the girl continued. "Did you," Her words came out slowly. "Love him?"

Ice blue eyes blinked at her.

There was a brief stretch of silence between the two waterbenders before Orora pursed her lips. "I don't know." She finally responded, not exactly the answer Katara had been expecting. She frowned. "Why don't you? I mean shouldn't you, look at how you were after what he did."

Orora stared at the girl, a little at a loss on how to explain it to her properly. Her gaze flickered towards Aang who was practicing some earthbending moves with Toph.

"Katara, after Aang was shot, and with the way you reacted, anyone would assume that you love him." A bright blush stole across Katara's cheeks, as she too turned her head to look in Aang's direction.

Peering at the suddenly shy girl, Orora asked. "So, you tell me Katara, do you love Aang?"

Katara blinked at Orora, her heart beating fast and her cheeks stained with a blush, as she tried to find an answer to Orora's question.

Finally, her shoulders deflated and she wrapped her arms around her torso and lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I.....don't know." She finally responded to which Orora gave a sad smile.

"Now you understand how I feel." She reached out to place a reassuring hand on Katara's shoulder. "But at least you have the chance to figure your feelings out, and I am going to help you because if I don't get a happy ending, by the Spirits I am going to make sure that you and Aang get one."

Katara stared at the older girl who was smiling at her. With tears in her eyes the younger waterbender pulled Orora into a warm embrace. "Woah! You alright there?" She asked, feeling the warm tears against her bare shoulder. Katara nodded against her skin.

"I'm just glad you're here." The girl admitted, prompting Orora to return the embrace just as lovingly and fiercely as it was given.

————————–

What his Uncle said had been true.

Girls being late was a universal thing.

And he had to wait for three of them to get ready to go to the stupid party they'd been invited to. Zuko hadn't wanted to go, but Ty Lee had insisted, said it would be fun to be at a normal party for once, not one of those fancy ones that the Fire Palace held every now and then.

He sat at the entrance of the Holiday Home they were staying at, staring glumly out towards the waves crashing against the beach. The sound carried over the wind, triggering memories of Orora whenever she would practice in a large body of water.

Zuko wandered if she had continued her training. Maybe she had found herself an actual waterbending Master, instead of a stand-in like his Uncle had been. Then again, his Uncle had taught her many things during the time they had traveled together. He remembered how precise yet elegant she always was when it came to her bending. Sometimes he was sure that she was dancing along with the water instead of just bending it.

She made her element an extension of herself, a trait Zuko still struggled with.

His eyes dropped to his thread which was-

"Who's Orora?"

Mai's dry voice cut through his very heart. He scrambled to his feet, turning around to face the knife-wielding girl who stood at the open doorway with a scowl on her face and a hand on her hip. "How do you know that name?" He asked, his voice hoarse as he stared at her.

His mind ran a mile a second. How could she know Orora's name? Had she been captured? Had something happened to her? Had she done something that had caught people's attentions? Worst case scenarios, one after the other, played in his mind.

"You said her name." The girl revealed. "You were calling out to someone who wasn't there. Asking why she was crying."

Spirit she had seen him that night!

"So who is Orora?" The girl asked again, narrowing her eyes at him. Zuko was frozen where he stood, trying to decide how to handle the situation.

But he had to make sure one thing before all else.

"Have you told Azula?" He asked, to which Mai's scowled only deepened. "Does it matter?" She asked in her usual flippant tone that gave away no emotion.

Fear overwhelmed him, pushing him to reach out and grasp Mai by the shoulder. "Yes!" He revealed, his voice equal parts desperate and panicked. "Please Mai, tell me, have to told Azula?"

In all her years, Mai had never seen this sort of desperation before. There was fear in his amber eyes, and the very idea of his own sister knowing some girl named Orora seemed to throw him off completely.

Finally, she shook her head in a silent response.

Instantly, his hands dropped from her shoulders to her forearms, he hung his head, his body relaxed and his breathing calmed.

"Zuko?" She called out to him, but the young prince was far away. He was reliving the nightmare he had had. The nightmare that had left him sick to the stomach and crying. "Zuko?" She said again, this time shaking his shoulders.

He finally looked up, and she could see the same haunted look in his eyes that she had seen the night when he had been calling out to Orora. Her ears pricked at the sound of Azula and Ty Lee descending the stairs.

Zuko must've heard it too, because he straightened up and stepped away from her. Whatever composure he had broken, he retained in the blink of an eye. Mai stared in amazement.

Who was this girl? One moment he had been desperately asking her if Azula knew about her, then the next he had pushed aside all he felt just so his sister wouldn't pick up on anything.

As they began to walk down the path towards the house where the party would be, Mai managed to catch Zuko's eye and gave him a look. A look that clearly said that the conversation was far from over.

But it didn't scare Zuko.

Not when the glow of his string kept him company.

————————–

His eyes narrowed, and his tongue sticking out from the side of his mouth, Sokka was able to expertly tie the string through the hook. Once satisfied that it wouldn't loosen he moved to test it further.

Only to stop when he spied Orora standing at the bank of the Spring facing him where he stood atop the rock in the middle of the water. He grinned, motioning for her to come over. With a quick flick of her arms, Orora was able to create a wave that carried her towards him, depositing her safely to his side.

Sokka nodded, impressed. "Good to see you using your bending again. You're getting stronger." He praised, to which she lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Not strong enough. I'm still really tired from the bending practice I did this morning."

"Well it'll take a few days before you're at your full strength. You'll get there." He reassured her as he moved to the bag he had brought with him, taking out a long thin pole with a string and a hook. "Here! Lets see if we can catch some dinner for tonight."

So saying, they both sat opposite one another, and he began to guide her on how to properly tie the hook and what was the correct way to cast a line.

Somewhere between the two lessons, she turned to him, unable to keep the question that had been burning in her the entire day.

"I don't get it Sokka." She began, to which he frowned. "Well its not that difficult Orora, you just swing your arm and-"

She batted his arm and shook her head. "No! Not that!" A moment of silence, where she licked her lips before continuing. "You lost your soulmate. I mean Yue is gone, if we look at things..........logically." She knew how much the water tribe boy liked that word. "How were you able to cope."

Sokka was silent for a moment as he untangled a string that had snagged with another. "That's the thing Orora. I was her soulmate, but she wasn't mine."

Ice blue eyes blinked at him in disbelief.

"What?"

He turned to her with raised hands. "I'm no expert but I have a theory, so just hear me out." Once she nodded he took a deep breath.

"When we go to the North Pole, and when I saw Yue for the first time, I didn't feel my string tug or anything." He revealed. "But, I did feel this strange connection with her. And it was that connection that had me going to find her and talking to her." A sad smile pulled at his lips as he attained a faraway look in his eyes. Probably thinking about Yue, Orora mused. "It was a few days later when she revealed to me that her string had tugged when she'd met me, and grown shorter, but my string remained loose."

Orora frowned. "How is that possible?" She whispered, to which Sokka shrugged. "I'm not sure. No one has ever heard of anything like that, but maybe, no one in this world was connected to her soul because it was never hers to begin with."

He looked at her, blue meeting blue. Her eyes widened in realization. "Her soul wasn't her own because the Moon Spirit gave her life." The girl suddenly realized, a gasp leaving her lips. "Her soul belonged to the Moon Spirit."

Every Northern Water Tribe member knew of the story of the young princess and how she had been given life by the moon herself.

Sokka nodded. "Exactly. If it had been her soul, our strings would've been connected. But since her soul belonged to the moon, she could never have a soulmate. At least not from this world." He added with a shrug and a smile, but Orora could see the sadness in his eyes.

"D-does that mean you don't have a soulmate?" She asked, knowing fully well how a person had only one soulmate and no more then that. Though the sadness lingered, a smile pulled at his lips.

"It was just after Katara and I met Aang. We were at this place called Kyoshi Island and I was a complete idiot to this amazing warrior who had actually captured us." Orora nodded. She had heard bits and pieces of the story from Aang and Katara, but never Sokka's perspective of it. "I though that I wouldn't see her again, but then when we were trying to get into Ba Sing Se, I ran into her again."

The beginnings of a smile tugged at his lips, one that Orora was reciprocating as she slowly began to realize where the story was headed. "And because when we first met I had been a complete idiot to even realize it or even accept it, it was during that time at the Serpent's Pass that I realized she was my soulmate."

Orora sat there for a few moments, absorbing what Sokka had just told her. "So Yue wasn't your soulmate, but you were hers. Your soulmate is actually this other girl named......." She trailed off as Sokka straightened up, realizing he hadn't given her a name.

"Its Suki, and she's a Kyoshi Warrior." He added the last part with a proud grin, prompting Orora to laugh softly. "Oh I can see just how bad you have it for her." She said, punching his shoulder in a playful manner to which he blushed and shrugged.

"Well, she is my soulmate." He insisted. "The last time I saw her was before we got into Ba Sing Se, I don't know what happened after that because those Fire Nation girls came in disguised in their uniforms and well, you know how dangerous and ruthless those girls are."

That worried look in his eyes was back, and even Orora gnawed at her lower lip as her mind flashed to the three imposters, or more specifically, to Princess Azula.

If she could shoot with the intention t kill at her own Uncle, who knows what she was willing to do to someone who was a threat to her in some way.

Still, she reached out to take Sokka's fiddling hands in a reassuring manner and smile at him. "I'm sure she is alright Sokka. You would've felt it if she were in trouble." Deciding that perhaps what she would reveal would ease his pain, she pushed aside her own heartache for his sake.

"Zuko told me, much later, that when he saved me at the North Pole, he felt that my life was in danger before the string even tugged." Sokka looked at her a little surprised to hear her talking so freely about the boy who had broken her heart. "He felt it in his soul because we're soulmates, and I'm sure Suki is in no more danger then she was before, wherever she is."

The girl stood up, swinging her arm to cast her line into the water. "Fate, always has a way of leading us to our soulmates, and I'm sure, one day, it will lead you to yours in the most unexpected of ways." She added with a reassuring and hopeful smile at him.

Sokka grinned at her before following her lead and swinging his arm to cast his line into the water as well.

Only the hook at the end of it caught in the back of his shirt. And with the force of his entire body behind the swing of his arm, his shirt went halfway up his head and the sudden jerk had him loosing his balance atop the slightly slippery rock and down into the water below.

Orora was laughing her head off when he emerged, soaking wet and a tiny fish flopping about on his head.

————————–

The party was in full swing, and though the beginning had been rather awkward, what with them arriving so early, all of them had eventually settled in.

Well in a way.

Zuko was sitting in a corner, deep in thought. Though his face betrayed no emotion, inside fear and desperation ran amuck. The nightmare kept replaying over and over in his mind, and that urge to protect Orora, one that had been so profound during their stay in Ba Sing Se, rose to the forefront and he felt antsy. All because he couldn't do anything. Because he couldn't protect her.

Mai was sitting beside him under the pretense of keeping him company. As far as Azula knew, she was still trying to win him over. And Mai wanted to keep it that way.

With Azula busy making Ty Lee give her lessons in flirting, Mai turned her attention towards Zuko. "You have a small window to tell me everything about this girl." She spoke in a low voice lest someone should hear them. But with the chatter of more then two dozen teenagers around them, it would be impossible to know what they were talking about unless someone stood very close.

His amber eyes flicked to where Azula and Ty Lee were still busy, as if confirming for himself that his sister wouldn't hear him.

"Before I tell you, you have to swear to me that not a word of our conversation goes back to Azula." He finally said, unable to keep all that he was feeling hidden within. He knew he was taking a huge risk to reveal what he was about to to Mai, but he couldn't take it any longer.

His Uncle wouldn't speak to him, and he had no one else.

Once Mai nodded in confirmation he turned slightly so he could look at her properly. "She is my soulmate." He began, before everything came spilling out. He compressed his story as much as he could, not wanting to share any intimate details with Mai. Yes, he wanted so much to trust her, but he had no desire to share a part of his heart with anyone. It was difficult enough for him to share this much.

He was rather quick in completing his story, leaving Mai with many questions which she didn't voice, and he wasn't sure he could answer. Zuko waited for her reaction, to tell him off for being soulmates with the enemy. Even though it was not in his control, he could still have chosen to not be with her or gotten to know her.

He could still have chosen not to care about her.

But how couldn't he?

Somehow he doubted he wouldn't have cared about Orora. She just had a presence about her, one that drew a person in and reveal all their secrets and know that they wouldn't be judged or ridiculed for it.

Or maybe it was just a soulmate thing?

Either way, he had come to care for her. Very much. And even with the guilt of betrayal weighing down on him, he found that he missed her because he still cared for her.

Mai bit her lower lip, as if she were struggled to find the words to say. And he couldn't blame her. What he had revealed was certainly not an easy secret to keep.

He was prepared for anything she had to say.

"I found my soulmate too."

Except that.

He blinked at her, staring in utter disbelief. Mai groaned, burying her face in her hands briefly before sighing and lowering them. "I met him while I was out shopping with my Mother. It was just after we came back." She revealed. "I saw him, and he saw me, and I ran."

Zuko allowed her a brief moment to gather herself. "Why?" He finally asked, to which she blinked up at him. "Why? Because he is a commoner Zuko. I am the daughter from a noble family, they would never have accepted him as my soulmate."

He frowned, about to tell her off for thinking like that. But then she surprised him. "But then I ran into him again, and this time I stayed, and I spoke to him." A blush stole across her cheeks, leaving him utterly speechless because Mai never blushed.

"I've been meeting him in secret at my aunt's flower shop. She is the only person who knows about him, and she has been really encouraging. And I've actually started to..........like him." The reveal had blinking in utter surprise before a smile formed on his lips and he grinned at her.

"I'm really happy for you Mai." He revealed, his voice honest and true as he gave her a hug from the side. She gave a small smile in return. "I'll keep your secret about Orora, if you keep mine." The girl bargained to which Zuko didn't hesitate to accept.

They both knew Azula would try to sabotage her growing relationship. And if she were to know of Orora's true worth to Zuko, then Azula would stop at nothing to take away his one source of happiness.

"So, you've been seeing Orora, even after what happened in Ba Sing Se?" His mood sobered as he nodded. "I've been trying to distract her so I wouldn't but it hasn't been working really."

Mai tilted her head as she regarded him. "Well, the whole point of coming here was to figure ourselves out. To find parts of ourselves we had no idea existed." She stood, placing a hand on his shoulder as a comforting gesture.

"So why don't you go find yours. Maybe you'll find the answer to your questions too." With one last smile, she walked away towards the food table, leaving Zuko to stare after her, looking a little astonished at her words. Though after a few moments, his lips thinned in a determined line.

Five minutes later he was walking along a familiar path, the noises from the party dimmed before slowly dying as he walked further and further away.

His only companion, was the blue of his thread.

————————–

"I've got a bone to pick with you Ice Princess."

Orora looked up from where she had been playing with Momo to see Toph standing over her with her arms crossed. "And what did I do to offend the greatest earthbender in the world?" She asked in a playful tone that matched Toph's. The blind girl grinned in response before speaking.

"You made ice sculptures of everyone but yourself. I mean, I have a general idea of what you look like, but I want to be sure." The girl continued. "I mean what if I have to describe you to someone and all I have is that you're tall."

The older girl laughed as Momo climbed up to sit on her shoulder, chittering to get some head rubs, which Orora happily gave. "I'm not that tall Toph, I'm about Sokka's height." She corrected, to which Toph waved a hand. "That's tall enough, and you still haven't answered my question."

Orora grinned. "You didn't ask one." Toph merely crossed her arms over her chest. She sighed before setting Momo down from her shoulder. "I'm too tired to make a sculpture." She revealed, reaching forward to take Toph's hands. "So, how about you just feel for my face?" So saying, she placed the younger girl's hands on her face and waited patiently for her to start her observation.

There was a long stretch of silence, in which she stared into Toph's unseeing eyes as the younger girl traced along the features of her face, seemingly committing it all to memory. "If it helps, I have a white patch of hair on my head where the Moon Spirit touched me." She offered, to which Toph snorted.

"If I need to find you, I'll just ask people to point me towards the girl with an attitude." Orora frowned, though her lips remained pulled upwards in a smile. "I have an attitude?" She asked to which Toph nodded. "Oh yeah, its the way you stand sometimes. Like you're so sure of yourself."

Toph had dropped her shoulders a while ago, so now the girls just sat opposite one another talking. "Me? Sure of myself?" She echoed, sounding incredulous. Toph smirked. "Do you make it a habit of repeating what people have just said.

Orora rolled her eyes at the girl before adding a quick answer in the negative. "You can't be further from the truth. I mean half the time I don't even know what I'm doing." The younger girl nodded. "Yeah, but still you know what you want and you go for it. I really admire that about you." Toph revealed, which had Orora blinking in stunned silence.

Finally, the girl cleared her throat. "Yeah, well sometimes what I want isn't whats best for me. And deciding to stay with Zuko and Master, didn't turn out so great did it?"

Toph shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't, but you did what felt right and who knows, it might just turn out to be the right thing in the end." Orora smiled softly at the young girl, reaching out to take her hand and run her fingers along her lips so that she could actually feel her smile.

"I'm sorry about what I said about you not being able to find your soulmate." The older girl suddenly blurted out, the guilt of what she had said the night before finally spilling out of her. Toph was silent for a brief moment before she shrugged.

"Its alright Orora. I mean, I've always known I wouldn't be able to find my soulmate because I won't be able to see my string glow. I mean I would feel it tug but I wouldn't be able to know where they are since I can't see where the other end of the string ends." Toph explained, as Orora sighed.

"Still, maybe I can find a way to help you out. Have you ever felt your string tug?" The girl continued, curious to know if perhaps Toph had felt anything.

The long stretch of silence that followed confirmed what Orora had wanted to know.

"You have!" She cheered out, as Toph attempted to shush her. "Keep your voice down. I don't want anyone to know." She revealed. Though it was difficult, Orora was able to keep her voice down, but remained just as excited.

"Where did you feel the tug?" She asked, to which Toph sighed, knowing the older girl would pester her until she revealed everything. "On the boat after we escaped Ba Sing Se. I don't know when it started, or who it could be, but I know I felt it tug there."

Orora nodded. "Well we'll be meeting up with them soon, and when we do, I am going to find out who he is." She clapped her hands, giggling. "Oh, this is so exciting." Toph made a disgusted face, though she was pleased at the prospect of Orora helping her.

"Maybe I should start calling you Sugar Queen like I do Katara." She teased, to which Orora gasped in horror. "What?! No! I like Ice Princess."

"Then why don't you act like one?"

"What be detached and emotionless?"

"Why're you getting so poetic?"

"Well I like poetry so........."

"Ha! Forget Ice Princess, I'm gonna start calling you Lady Fancyfingers instead."

"Don't you dare!"

"What're you gonna do? Splash me with some water?"

SPLASH!

.............

"Oh it is ON Ice Princess!"

————————–

He left because he didn't feel like attending the party anymore.

He certainly didn't leave because he was bitter about seeing all the couples milling about, talking, laughing, embracing, dancing.....kissing.

Those acts only reminded him of the time he had shared with Orora, and though he had relived all those moments several times since his return to the Fire Nation, his recent nightmare, and the fact that she had been crying in the most recent vision he had seen of her, made him feel guilty to even think of those memories again.

He had no right think about her, not when he had betrayed her.

Had done her wrong.

Yes, even he admitted what he had done was wrong, and yet, he had done it for the right reasons.

Hadn't he?

Though what those reasons were, even he didn't remember.

He walked along the beach, the presence of the open water beyond acting as something of a comfort for him as he slowly neared the place he had no intention of going to, and yet, he couldn't help but be drawn towards it.

Suddenly he stopped, looking up at the house that greeted him.

The Summer House where the entire family had spent happy times together.

He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he did.

Zuko knew she was beside him before he even opened his eyes. His gaze turned to the sea, the wind blowing his hair about, as he slowly began to recall all the happy times he had spent here.

"We used to come here every Summer before Lu Ten died. I remember playing in the grass just behind us with my father, when he was something of a father to me." He revealed to Orora who remained silent.

He moved on, the vision of his soulmate following alongside him soundlessly like a ghost. Zuko reached the path that led towards the main doors of the house. He paused, head shifting to the side towards the beach that lay just beyond. "Uncle, Lu Ten and I used to make sandcastles over there everyday before the sun set. The waves always destroyed our castles, but he said it was a good thing. So that we could come back the next day and rebuild them all over again."

Gathering buckets of water and bringing it to his cousin who always took charge. Zuko was always happy to help him however he could. Just just wanted to play with his cousin because he was just so cool. That had been younger Zuko's thought process.

Present Zuko closed his eyes against the painful memories, the ghostly presence of his soulmate, as well as the constant blue hue of his string providing him with the comfort he so sorely needed.

————————–

"Long day huh?"

Orora opened her eyes from where she'd been slightly dozing off while waiting for Katara to finish with dinner. She looked at Aang with a slow and sleepy nod. "You could say that." Stretching her arms above her head, the girl yawned.

"I feel like a weight has been lifted from my chest." The girl added as Aang sat down beside her. He smiled. "I'm glad to see you going about your day, we were really getting worried about you." He revealed, to which she gave a nod, the guilt evident in her blue eyes.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean for my grief to get so bad, but I just couldn't help it." She revealed, to which Aang shook his head. 'It wasn't your fault Orora, you needed to grieve, trust me, it's never good to let all that remain inside you and never let out."

She nodded in response. "Still, how could I let it go so far. I mean, I didn't think my feelings for Zuko went that deep." Aang's grey eyes flitted to where Katara was finishing up with dinner. "Feelings have a way of taking roots in our heart without us knowing." He said, his voice serious. "And once they take root, no matter what you do, they grow."

Orora nodded in understanding. "They stay there don't they? Forever." Aang sighed before nodding. "They might wither." He explained further. "But they stay in our hearts for the rest of our lives."

The two of them sat there side by side, lost in their own thoughts. With Aang thinking about his soulmate, and Orora thinking about her own.

"You told me, how you had to reject your bond with Katara to gain the Avatar State." A frown creased his forehead, but he didn't stop her, so she continued. "Were you almost about to reject it then? Before you ran off because Katara was in danger."

She watched as the young boy seemed to curl in on himself, appearing even younger then his thirteen year old self. "I was." He finally revealed.

"Did it hurt?"

"It....it felt.....it felt like someone......was reaching inside my chest and........ripping out my heart." He finally finished, unable to find the correct words to make her understand the feeling he had felt in that moment.

A shiver traveled through her body, a cold that came from within settling about her as she bit her lower lip and looked away.

"Are you thinking of doing that with your bond?" He finally asked, turning his gaze towards the older girl who frowned.

"I'm.......I'm not sure." She finally revealed.

The two sat together in silence until Katara called out that dinner was ready. Aang stood to help her but he paused.

Looking back at Orora, he gave an understanding smile. "I know what you're going through isn't easy Orora, but trust me, rejecting a bond no matter what the other person has done, if ten times worse then what you've been feeling lately." He paused before continuing.

"And from most cases I have seen and heard about, both parties often die after the bond is rejected. Especially if they've started to fall in love with their Soulmate."

She looked up at him, mouth agape and eyes wide.

Aang simply smiled sadly.

"Just think with your heart and soul rather then your mind before you make that decision."

He walked away, leaving Orora to sit there and think over what he had just said.

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He approached the doors to the house, pulling and pushing in an attempt to open them up. He frowned when they didn't budge.

Without even a moment of hesitation, he kicked his leg out and the door swung open. He had no idea where the strength came from. Maybe the lock was just old and rusty?

Still, he paused briefly at the threshold before walking in. Dust covered every surface, and the air was thick with moisture since the place had been shut for so many years. He continued inside, pausing once he had a good view of the family portrait that hung in the middle of the wall.

"This was just before Lu Ten died." He explained to Orora. "It was our last vacation as a family, and mother insisted that we sit for a portrait. Azula and I hated every second of it, we wanted to go down to the beach and play." It felt strange, talking about his sister as if she weren't the person she was today. Zuko remembered when she had been a rather normal little girl.

That is, until, their father had decided that Azula was the one to be favored, and not Zuko.

He had hated his sister after that. For stealing away his father's love and attention.

His gaze flickered from his father to his mother. "She's beautiful." The soft voice of his soulmate prompted him to look at her. She had followed his line of sight and was looking at Ursa. Zuko nodded. "Yeah." He agreed, still looking at her.

Maybe his mother being beautiful wasn't the only thing he was agreeing to right then.

Breaking himself out of his thoughts, his amber eyes found a flat stone laying on the shelf that ran along the wall. He picked it up. It was an imprint of his own hand, when he'd been a baby.

Though he knew it was ridiculous, he laid his own hand atop it.

So much had changed since he had last been here. He wasn't the same person anymore, he realized with a jolt of his heart.

Orora's presence had gone from beside him.

And yet the vibrant blue of his string comforted him as he stood there alone.

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The sound of Toph's voice, urgent and grave was what roused her from her sleep.

"Guys, you're all gonna think I'm crazy." She said, sitting up. "But it feels like a metal man is coming."

Orora blinked away the sleep in her eyes, her brain trying to process what she was saying. But then a glimmer of light had her looking for the source and her eyes widened, all sleep forgotten.

High above their safe haven stood a giant of a man. He was staring down at all of them, though, and maybe it was just her suspicion, he seemed to focus on Aang and.......her.

The hairs at the back of her neck rose, and her body tensed in anticipation of what was to come next.

Suddenly the whole world seemed to explode as the man shot fire at them.

Not from his hands or his feet.

But his head.

Aang was the one who moved quickly, attempting to block the attach using a block of earth to shield them. But the wall exploded, sending them all flying back. Orora grunted as her rolling body finally came to a stop. Despite the ache she felt, she shot to her feet, already drawing from the spring and creating two large ice spears that she kept levitating with her waterbending abilities.

Toph had managed to stay upright and earthbended a rock towards the giant, who shot another wave of fire, dissipating the rock, and aiming straight at them. Once more Aang was able to shield them using his airbending this time. But he was knocked back by the force of the blast.

Katara stepped forward, sending a large wave towards their would be killer, though it had little to no effect as the man shot another wave of fire causing the wave to explore. Not wanting to give him time to gather strength, Orora swung her arms forward, allowing her ice spears to cut through the air and towards the giant.

He was able to dodge the first one, while the second he simply destroyed with yet another wave of fire hitting a rocky outcrop destroying it on impact.

This time, dust exploded everywhere, and for a moment her vision was clouded as she tried to see what was happening. She heard Appa roar in the background, and the earth rumbled as Toph created a protective barrier around them in case the man tried to attack again.

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"I thought I'd find you here."

The sound of his sister prompted Zuko to look up from what he held in his hands. Still lost in the haze of the memories he had just relived, he spoke the first words that came to mind.

"Those summers we spent here seem so long ago." His gaze flickered to the house that still echoed with the sounds of happier times. "So much has changed."

Azula, with no sentimental bone in her body, simply sighed and rolled her eyes. "Come down to the beach with me." She urged, already walked away with barely a glance at the house. "Come on. This place is depressing." She walked off, with Zuko following after her, leaving behind the stone that had his hand print.

Once they reached the beach, he realized that Mai and Ty Lee were already there. His eyes met Mai's briefly, and the two gave one another a nod of acknowledgment.

"I'm freezing." Ty Lee shivered, wrapping her arms around herself as she did.

An idea forming in his mind, Zuko smiled. "I'll make a fire." His gaze shifted to the summer house they had just come from. "There's plenty of stuff to burn in there."

And though he had just walked down to the beach, Zuko began the trek back up, intent on gathering whatever happy memories he had once lived there and burning them for the lies they had been.

Fortunately, the blue of his string stayed with him along the way.

————————–

Another explosion echoed in the night as they all crouched behind the wall Toph had created.

"This is crazy!" Sokka exclaimed. "How can we beat a guy who blows things up with his mind?" They had each tried to bring him down using their bending but to no avail. Orora, still not quite recovered from her past three weeks was beginning to feel the effects of using her bending for so long that day. She still wasn't strong enough.

Aang suddenly stood up, a determined gleam in his eyes. "We can't!" he declared before looking to his friends. "Jump on Appa! I'll try to distract him!" With that he shot off.

"I hope he has a plan." Toph said nervously as they all ran towards Appa. Sokka was the one to help her up onto the saddle where she collapsed, her vision blurring slightly before clearing.

Whatever Aang had planned, it worked, and as they passed by, he jumped into the saddle. The moment he was in, Katara moved forward to hold on to him. Her arms clasped his, and Orora could see that his grip was just as tight in response.

As if they were trying to reassure each other that they were alive.

"I'm okay." He said as Momo jumped onto his shoulder. Orora looked back to where the dust still hadn't cleared where Aang had left the strange man.

"Well, that was random." Toph exclaimed.

Katara shook her head as she sat up to look back just as Orora was doing. "I don't think so." She spoke gravely. "I get the feeling he knows who we are."

The older girl bit her lower lip. "And I get the feeling that he was sent to take us out permanently, not just capture us."

A grave silence followed her words, and since no one disagreed with her, she knew her assumption was correct.

And she gulped in fear.

————————–

The wooden frame was dropped into the already burning fire, flickering immediately eating away at the portrait of the family that had been painted there so many years ago.

"What are you doing?" Ty Lee called out, sounding surprised at what Zuko had just done.

Zuko turned to raise an eyebrow at the girl. "What does it look like I'm doing?" He demanded to which Ty Lee glanced back at the fire. "But, it's a painting of your family." She said, her voice soft to which Zuko scoffed.

"You think I care?" He very nearly growled at her in anger. Ty Lee wasn't really taken aback by his anger. She was used to him anger. "I think you do." She responded to which Zuko simply rolled his eyes and began to walk away.

"You don't know me." He snapped over her shoulder. "So why don't you just mind your own business?" Ty Lee frowned where she sat, her lips in an angry pout. "I know you." She grumbled.

"No, you don't." Zuko insisted. "You're stuck in your little 'Ty Lee world' where everything's great all the time." Mai sighed from where she sat beside Ty Lee. "Zuko," She said in a chastising tone. "Leave her alone."

Angry at Ty Lee for claiming to know that she knew him, and maybe wanting to avert the attention away from himself, Zuko stepped forward. "I'm so pretty." He said, imitating Ty Lee in an exaggerated girly voice. "Look at me. I can walk on my hands. Whoo!"

He did a handstand to prove his point, but he fell on his back. Ty Lee glared at him when he uttered the final two words. "Circus freak." Ty Lee began to speak, but Zuko tuned her out, instead closing his eyes and focusing on the wind as it blew through his hair.

He zoned out as Ty Lee continued to speak, barely paying attention to what was being said, instead he tried to calm his raging emotions and thoughts by focusing on the sound of the waves breaking on the beach. It was comfort that he sorely needed, something he wasn't getting from anyone. So his solution was to think of things that reminded him of Orora, and being this close to the beach was as close as he could get.

He did manage to catch a few words on Mai's part, who, for once, was actually expressing herself. How she had to behave herself all the time and have every aspect of her life controlled by her mother.

"You guys have had it easy, try living a life where people are watching your every move every moment of the day." She finally finished, slumping back where she sat as if all that she had said took everything out of her.

Zuko sat up from where he was still on the ground. "My life hasn't been that easy either." He rebutted her statement. It wasn't that he wanted to upstage Mai, it just angered him how people took so many things for granted when he had none of it.

Mai scoffed. "Whatever. That doesn't excuse the way you've been acting." She said, referring to his tendency to stay by himself and barely speak with anyone. Ty Lee raised a placating hand. "Calm down, you guys. This much negative energy is bad for your skin. You'll totally break out." She added as a word of caution. Azula couldn't help but smirk at Ty Lee's choice of word as she glanced at her brother.

"Bad skin?" The young prince spat out. "Normal teenagers worry about bad skin. I don't have that luxury." He leaned forward with a bitter smile on his lips. "My father decided to teach me a permanent lesson on my face!" He finished with a finger pointed towards the ugly scar that marred his face.

Ty Lee winced where she sat, while Mai gave Zuko a sympathetic. Azula simply sat there, the shadows form the fire hiding the half smile on her face as she watched her brother breakdown. "Sorry, Zuko, I....." But he didn't even let Ty Lee finish her apology as he turned his back on all of them, staring out at the open waters.

"For so long I thought that if my dad accepted me, I'd be happy." His voice was bitter and cold. He had gotten what he had wanted. "I'm back home now, my dad talks to me. Ha! He even thinks I'm a hero." It just all felt so wrong, being at the Fire Palace, being a Prince again, living in all that luxury. "Everything should be perfect, right? I should be happy now, but I'm not." Lifting his head, he was greeted with the vision of Orora standing in front of him, a sad smile on her lips as she reached out to brush his hair away from his face, just as she had done so many many times.

Unable to cope with the fact that Orora wasn't really there to comfort him, he finally turned back to the others. "I'm angrier than ever and I don't know why!"

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Orora move to stand in front of him. Her figure was silhouetted by the fire. He could still see Azula on one side, and Mai and Ty Lee on the other, but all he could focus on was her.

Azula shrugged. "There's a simple question you need to answer, then. Who are you angry at?"

"No one." He responded, trying hard not to look at Orora as she stood in front of him. "I'm just angry."

"Yeah," Mai joined in. "Who are you angry at, Zuko?" She insisted.

His amber gaze darted briefly towards Orora's blue eyes before he looked away. "Everyone." He said in a frustrated voice. "I don't know."

"Is it Dad?" His sister asked, to which he shook his head.

"No, no." Sadness crept into his tone as he thought of his Father, the man he didn't feel a single ounce of affection for. A fact that was so wrong since a son was supposed to love their father.

"Your uncle?" Ty Lee spoke almost the same time as Azula did. "Me?"

Zuko shook his head, growing even more frustrated by the second. He could feel his inner fire raging, and knew he would loose all composure soon. "No, no, n-no, no!"

She was standing in front of him and yet her lips did not move. Her voice though echoed in his mind, soft and gentle like a caress. "Me?"

Zuko shook his head again, as he responded to her the same way she had asked her question. "No!" He shouted in his head. "Not you." He wish he could reach out and stroke her cheek, to prove to her that she wasn't the reason behind his anger and frustration.

"Never you."

Never her. He could never connect anything negative with her. To him, she was perfect.

So perfect in fact that knew the moment he looked into Orora's eyes he would know the answer to his own question.

She continued to stand in front of him, staring silently while the other three girls behind her began to talk, one above the other, until all three voices melded into one.

"Then who? Who are you angry at?"

"Answer the question, Zuko."

"Talk to us."

"Come on, answer the question."

"Come on, answer it."

He tried his best to not look her in the eye, to keep from breaking. But then a slight movement on her part had him gazing upon her lovely face.

She had raised a hand to press against his cheek. And though he knew it was not there, he could still feel the phantom of her touch. A touch that he ached for every single day.

And that made him even angrier.

"I'm angry at myself!" He finally yelled out, slamming down his clenched fists at his side, sending a pillar of fire towards the sky with the force of all he felt behind it. While the other three girls recoiled from the flames, Orora simply nodded at him, smiling in a reassuring manner.

Was it the wind that caressed his scar, or was it her hand?

Either way, she had disappeared, and he turned his back on the girls once more.

Azula was the first one to speak. "Why?"

His eyes trained towards the moon he spoke in a low regretful tone. "Because I'm confused." He admitted. "Because I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore."

His Uncle did. And so did Orora. They had both known the difference and had tried to help him understand it. Maybe the reason he was so conflicted and angry about his current situation was because he knew the difference between right and wrong.

He just chose not to see it.

And that only made him feel even more confused and angry.

Behind him, his sister sneered. "You're pathetic." She turned her head away, nose in the air. Mai shot a glare at her friend, before standing up and walking to his side.

"Look I know things haven't been the best between us." She said in a low voice so that Azula wouldn't overhear them. "But if you need someone to just talk to I'm here."

Zuko turned his head slightly to give Mai a small smile which she reciprocated.

Maybe....just maybe....he had managed to find one true friend here.

Someone he could trust and who trusted him in return.

The rest of the conversation went as well as it could be expected, with Azula claiming herself to be nothing short of perfect despite what their mother had thought of her.

Zuko had felt a pang of hurt for his sister, but then he remembered all the times their mother had tried to help Azula but had failed because their father would always be there to enable her.

And that feeling died.

The only good part of the entire trip?

And no, not the part where they went back and absolutely annihilated Chan's parents Summer House.

His string had glowed a continuous blue throughout his stay on Ember Island.

Affirming his suspicions that what he felt for Orora went beyond the past the stage of simply caring for her as a friend.

No.

It was growing beyond that.

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