Trying a new format for the title just because. Anyways, this is a plot bunny I've had in my head since like... July or something. And my beta read this and thought it was awesome (yay). I love Zuko. I love him so much. He was epic-sauce in the finale. He should've been the one to marry Katara so Aang could be with Toph. *smacked*
Despite my shipping preferences, enjoy!
-RD :)
These Hollow Halls
This is one of those times I'm supposed to say 'I love you,' but I don't think I can.
The sound of his footsteps reverberates through the dimly lit corridor — the only light is the fire he's bent, held safely in the palm of his hand. Faint moans are the only other sound; moans of sadness, suffering, and despair. Although it pains him to see, or hear, for that matter, his people in distress, he forces himself to ignore the cries and moves forward.
A guard in the hall directs him to the correct holding cell. It's at the end of the long, dark hallway, and when he squats down to her eye level, he can barely make out her figure in the darkness.
He thinks she must have sensed the light when she turns to face him. At first, she retreats, then squints, and upon recognizing him, races to the bars that separate her from the outside.
She grabs hold of the bars and snarls, giving the man outside her cell a look of pure hatred. He refuses to show any emotion, only calmly staring at her face.
It's only been seven months since his coronation, but she seems to have aged years. There are dark circles under her eyes, her skin is ghostly pale, her hair is absolutely filthy, and her eyes — oh, her eyes — hardly look like those of a human anymore. Their golden color has taken on an almost wild glow, the kind of glow he only saw when they were younger and she spouted tales of how their father would conquer the world and the Fire Nation would rule supreme, and at their Agni Kai. Now, as she glares at him with all her might, he thinks she might kill him if she were able to. If she weren't locked away. If her bending weren't gone.
He takes time to note all this, and the two simply stare at each other for what feels like ages before she breaks the silence.
"What are you doing here?" she hisses. Her voice is raspy, like she hasn't used it in months. But he soon realizes that in a place like this, that could very well be possible.
"What?" he asks slowly, almost teasingly. "Am I not allowed to visit my own sister?"
"I don't really consider us as family, Zu-Zu." She says his old nickname with enmity.
"Why not?"
"Oh, I think we both know why." He does know. She was supposed to be the heir. She was supposed to wear that crown. And now, the person who took everything from her, her own brother, has bothered to come and visit her.
Of course, he also knows that her way of thinking is a bit odd — she did try several times to end his life and the lives of his friends, after all. But even now, as the roles are reversed and he is the one with all the power, that does not change the fact that they are brother and sister.
"You are still my sister, Azula."
"Unfortunately," she replies. He almost smiles, seeing as she nearly sounded like herself again and not the madwoman condemned to an asylum for the remainder of her days.
But instead of smiling, he rises from his squatting position and dusts off the sleeves of his cloak. "I'll have you moved to a better cell," he says in a manner that sounds like that of a fire lord. "You're the sister of the fire lord, after all." Even though she deserves these horrid living conditions, he takes some pity on her. "It won't be a castle, but it will be better than here."
Azula rolls her eyes, turning away from him. "Gee, Zuko. I can't wait."
He stares down at his younger sister a little longer before speaking again.
"I guess this is the time when siblings say 'I love you' or something, but I don't think I honestly can."
And for the first time in his life, his devil of a little sister has nothing to say.
Zuko turns around and slowly moves away, the shadows clinging to his feet as he walks through the hollow halls.