Zuko's Untold Tale
Zuko's Untold Tale
PG13 for Graphic Violence, Morbid Tales, and Sexual Exploits
Zuko, still traveling, was lost without his uncle. Still under the alias "Lee", Zuko found another town. He was starved and hot and tired. He really needed to sleep… and eat. He thought back to when his uncle and he had abandoned their search for the avatar, and they had been brought in and fed by a nice girl named Song. She had been, like him, scarred by the Fire Nation. It was sad to see the other side of the 'amazing' things his homeland had been doing. He saw poverty and war and death. It wasn't right.
Zuko, tired as can be, stopped his journey for a moment. He lay down on the side of a hill. He remembered the small boy that was actually named Lee who he'd met on his journey. Lee's older brother had been sent to fight the Fire Nation and had been captured. Zuko hoped one day, maybe, he could free all of the innocents, like Lee's brother. And he also remembered his girlfriend from back home, Mai. No. Mai wasn't Zuko's girlfriend anymore. Zuko hadn't seen her in more than three years now, she was just a memory. And besides, she was one of Azula's best friends. And nobody should trust Azula—or her friends. Azula always lies. Azula always lies…
"Are you okay?" Zuko opened his eyes into the glaring sunlight. Was he hearing things? He looked around. There was a boy, about Zuko's age, built, wearing no shirt as most men in the Earth Kingdom didn't.
"Yes. I'm fine." Zuko snapped. "Why do you care?"
The boy blinked at Zuko's tone, then crossed his arms. "Well, you look like an outsider, and I was wondering if Garrock's gang had gotten to you."
"Garrock?" Zuko asked.
"Yes. The local school boys are always looking for outsiders to gang up on. Sad though, they're usually weary travelers who have had a hard time and lost their home. Is that what happened to you?"
"No. Yes. No. I mean—"Zuko couldn't come up with a lie fast enough.
"It's okay, I don't need to know. So, you aren't from around here?"
"Do I look it? No. You said so yourself."
"Ha-ha, that's right. If you want to come into town, I can show you a way around Garrock's gang's outposts."
"I don't need to go into town."
"Do you want some food?"
Zuko didn't have a reply for that. He didn't want to take food from strangers- again.
"Come on. I have plenty of food. Come on."
Zuko didn't want to take food from this guy, but… he was sooo hungry…
"Here, I'll help you up." The guy held out his hand. "Oh, I'm Anikor. What's your name?"
"Lee." Zuko said fast, making sure to not use his real name.
"Well come with me. We can get you some food. And rest, if you need it. You can stay at my home."
"Why are you trying to help me?" Zuko/Lee said.
"I don't know… you remind me of one of my friends I think. Anyway, come on. You should meet my family."
Zuko allowed the boy—Anikor to help him up.
"Come on, this way." Anikor said to Zuko.
Zuko followed Anikor around the side streets entering the village. "Hey." Zuko turned when he felt Anikor's hand on his shoulder.
"What?"
"Wait for a minute here. I have something I want to get."
Anikor ran into a store and left Zuko outside leaning against the ramshackle building. He was waiting for a few minutes when he heard a voice, and it wasn't Anikor's voice.
"Well well well. It seems as if there's a newcomer here. Yah think he's new her, Gonzo?"
"I think he's new. I'm Garrock. You've probably heard of me. I'm one of the three earthbenders this vile town has managed to produce."
Garrock held out his hand to Zuko. Zuko ignored it.
So Anikor had probably betrayed him the second Zuko was out of earshot, he had ran and gotten Garrock.
"What, too good for a friendly handshake? You probably just want a demonstration of my awesome bending. I'll show you what I can do."
Garrock's three friends standing by him, laughing, backed away a good ten paces. Zuko didn't even move a muscle. A moment later, a cube of rock came hurtling from the ground at Zuko. He neatly jumped over it.
"Oh, you're so good at maneuvering." Garrock teased. "Can you, when it's the ground below you that betrays you?"
The ground below Zuko began to shake, but being near so many explosions and earthbenders, Zuko was used to it. He held his ground, still not having moved from where he started. All Garrock wanted was to be a bully and have Zuko submit. But he wouldn't. Zuko would never submit to anyone.
Just as suddenly as the ground below Zuko had begun shaking, it stopped.
"Why must you terrorize the out-of-towners, Garrock?"
"Anikor. What are you doing here?"
Anikor had emerged from the building… holding flowers. "Why do you always hurt people?" suddenly, the ground exploded in front of Garrock and he was thrown backward into his three friends.
"Come on, Lee, let's get out of here. These guys are idiots." Anikor led Zuko out of the alleyways and they emerged into the main road.
Zuko's curiosity was piqued. "What are the flowers for?"
"My sister." Anikor said. "She's an earthbender too, but she mostly works with flowers and dirt, not combat like Garrock or defense like me."
Zuko said nothing. He was slightly interested that this small town had managed to produce three earthbenders. He had thought that the Fire Nation would have wiped them all out. And then three in the same small town? Weird. There must be something in the water. Or… The ground. Zuko allowed himself a slight silent chuckle at his inner joke.
"Well, this is it."
Zuko looked up. All he saw was flowers and flowers and flowers. And more flowers.
"Umm…" Zuko began, but Anikor interrupted.
"No, don't worry, it is a house, it's just kind of blocked by the flowers."
Zuko nodded and followed Anikor around the rows and rows of flowers. Yes, it did occur to Zuko that Anikor may just be another trap to lure the fire prince out and kill him. Perhaps Anikor was going to kill Zuko himself. And yes, it was stupid to be following this boy he's just met, but Zuko was SO. HUNGRY.
And besides. He is the fire prince. He could fight back and win no matter how tired and hungry he was. And, he had his Dual Dao Swords. He could beat anyone with those.
"This is the house." Zuko looked to where Anikor was pointing, past a gate and into a huge house, large enough to make him think of back when he had still lived at the palace. Well, not as big as the palace of course, but it was big enough to remind him of it. Or maybe it was just his mind comparing it to the buildings he had just left behind. Oh well. It was huge.
"This… this is where you live?" Zuko asked astoundedly.
"Yes, most people are used to the squalor around here that they forget luxury does still exist. You're probably used to squalor as well. Some of this may come as a shock to you."
For some reason, Zuko did not want to lie to this boy. "No. I am actually used to this. And more."
Anikor was silent for a moment then he said, "How did you fall so far?"
"It's a long story."
"Okay. Perhaps you can entertain my sister and me with it tonight. For now, I can have servants help you change and bathe and get anything you want…."
"Anikor?"
"Yes?"
"Do you do this for every person you see living on the streets?" Zuko asked.
With a slight hint of hesitation, he replied, "No."
"Then why me?"
Anikor was silent for a moment, and then he said, "I already told you. You reminded me of a friend."
Zuko nodded and moved with Anikor toward the house.
"Who was the friend?"
"Nevermind."
"What happened to him?"
"Leave it." Anikor hissed in a warning voice at Zuko. And Zuko knew when to drop something.
Changing the subject, Zuko said, "These are lovely flowers. You have a lot of gardeners?"
"No. I said before. My sister uses her bending for more earthly means than most."
"Your sister did ALL of this?!" Zuko exclaimed, looking at the miles and miles worth of tall, lovely, flowering, blooming plants and flowers of all kinds surrounding the entire estate.
"Yes. She loves gardening. And stuff like that I guess… This way." He led Zuko up a back path and said, "Just take this stairwell to the top, there's a room with a bath in it. I'll send someone up with clean new Earth Kingdom clothes for you, okay?" before Zuko could even nod his assent, Anikor took off.
Zuko shrugged and, slightly touching his swords, ascended the stairs. He got to the top after just two flights, and found a warm bath waiting all ready, as if for him. Not wanting to seem rude and ungracious to the pleasant host, Zuko quickly stripped and entered the tub.
Zuko began using all sorts of soaps and oils sitting out that he hadn't been able to use since he had been banished by his father. Zuko, the Banished Prince. What a ring. No. He hated it. He hated it more than anything; he hates it more than the avatar… No. Does he even hate the avatar? No… The avatar had never done anything accept—
"Hey! I'm in here!" Zuko stood and shouted at person who had just entered the bathing room. The figure spun around and he saw a crimson face and bright purple hair.
Then Zuko looked down and realized he was standing in full exposure in this room and that the person—the girl—in front of him could see him. Zuko plopped down as fast as he could and screamed, "GetOut, GetOut!" she girl swirled on heel and ran out the door.
Zuko finished his bath quickly then and dried himself off and found the crisp clothes that had been left for him. They were the correct size and fit for him. He put them on hurriedly and after finding a pair of slippers, Zuko headed down the stairs and found a man waiting for him.
"I am supposed to make sure that you find your way to the great hall correctly and lead you there," the man said.
Zuko nodded and followed the man. He went into the great hall and the man-servant pulled out a chair for him. He took a seat and was only waiting a few minutes until he heard footsteps approaching. Zuko looked up to see Anikor walking into the great hall with—the purple haired girl.
I hope that maid isn't in trouble for doing what she did…
The girl looked up and saw Zuko and turned beet red. Anikor turned to Zuko, and just as Zuko was going to intervene on the girls behalf, saying that it was an accident, Anikor said, "Lee, this is my sister, Luminey Mujitsu. Luminey, this is Lee."
Zuko almost fell over. Luckily, Luminey seemed to be able to cover for both of them. Seeing Zuko with his jaw almost on the ground, rather than offer her hand traditionally, she curtsied then went to the other side of the table and took her seat, pushing it in herself.
Her brother did the same and Zuko looked from one to the other, no, he could see no similarities.
Anikor saw Zuko staring and began laughing. "Yes, I know, we look nothing alike. Her hair is naturally the same brunette I am, but she dyes it the same color as her favorite flowers and plants. Yes, our faces are different, too. I look like our mother. She looks like our father. But, we both have our mothers' brilliant blue eyes.
And Zuko noticed it, Luminey's blue eyes. They were a bright, deep beautiful blue that you could stare at for eons and eons and still not find the right description.
"But I thought…"
"Yes?" Anikor prompted.
"Doesn't only water tribe have blue eyes?"
"Very astute. Yes, our mother was from the water tribe. She came from the Northern water tribe years ago with her parents. She knew more of a home here than there, though. And she' wasn't a bender so it never really mattered. But of course, being water tribe still means that there is a HINT of water in their children. But both out us are clearly earthbenders."
Zuko looked at the servants as they brought trays and trays of food in.
"And your parents?" Zuko asked.
"Out of town." Anikor said.
Zuko nodded as a tray was set in front of him and its cover raised. He didn't recognize any of it, but he didn't really care. Sure, he almost felt as if he was home, but he wasn't. He dug right in, not waiting the polite amount of time after the host takes the first bite. He was sure Anikor wasn't expecting him to wait anyway.
"And what happened to your parents?" Anikor asked.
Zuko swallowed and said, "I thought that was a story for tonight."
Anikor shrugged. "I asked now."
Zuko looked down and answered the only half truth that he could. "I don't know."
"You don't know?"
Zuko shook his head. He slowly switched his gaze to Luminey and stared at her out of the corner of his eyes.
They ate in silence for a while more but then Luminey slammed her fork down.
"What?" Anikor asked.
"I can't eat with him staring at me." She announced.
Zuko quickly looked away. "He's not staring at you." Anikor said.
"Not anymore!" she directed her attention to Zuko. "So what! I saw you naked! Get over yourself!"
"LUMINEY!" Anikor shouted.
"Anikor! It's not my fault, he's the one that—"
"Calm down!" Zuko shouted above the rising hysteria. "I'm sorry if my appearance disturbed you. I apologize, Luminey, and hope you can forgive me. If I continue to agitate the delicate family balance in this household, I will be more than willing to leave." Zuko said with a king's diplomacy.
"No. It's alright. I don't know why I said that." Luminey said. "I apologize."
"Okay. We're all better. Let's please continue eating?" Anikor asked.
Zuko and Luminey both nodded, relieved that Anikor hadn't asked the who, what, when, where, and how that Luminey had seen Zuko, er, Lee, naked. But he probably had a guess.
They ate in silence for a while, but then Zuko noticed something he had seemed to have forgotten about.
"Those flowers, in the middle of the table. Those are the ones that you got from town, are they not, Anikor?"
"Oh, yes. Luminey had them imported and they just got here, I had gone to pick them up. Luminey wanted them because she'd never bended with foreign plants."
"They look… alive, even though they are in a vase. How?"
"That would be me, thank you very much." Luminey sneered.
"What do you mean?"
"I bend flowers and plants and the ground."
"No. you can't. That's waterbending, not earth." Zuko said.
"No, I bend the earth that makes the plant survive. Every plant had earth in it. I almost can bend a plant back to life as long as it has SOMETHING in it. If it is nothing, well then… It's nothing. HaHa."
Zuko paused for a minute, eating a bit more, and then said, "What if you have a slight combination of water and earth bending?"
Anikor and Luminey both stared at him. "What? Isn't it possible? I mean, it's never been heard of before, but there's always a CHANCE that some freak accident like this happened."
"Who're you calling a freak?!" Luminey shouted.
"I didn't mean you! I meant the possibility of your gift!"
"Oh. Okay. Well, I don't know. I've always LIKED water… But I want to go, brother. I am done eating."
"That's lovely, sister. You're staying here, though, because we're going to entertain Lee here by the fireside tonight. And find out his origin."
Lee/Zuko gulped.
Zuko went to bed for the first time in a while in a plush, soft bed, again, reminding him of home. Zuko had made up some story about him being some rich kid and the Fire Nation had come and attacked his town, killing his family and burning down his village and home and giving him the scar on his face.
It was only after that story that Luminey had stopped giving him that look of distain. But what it was replaced with was worse. Pity.
"Well, you can stay here as long as you need." Luminey had said.
Zuko fell into a restless sleep that night, dreams of the future merging with nightmares of the past.
"Oh, but he's still sleeping!"
"Well get him up!"
There was clapping of slippers on the stairs to Zuko's room.
"Lee." A girl whispered. "Lee!"
"Wha—Who…" Zuko sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Oh. Luminey. What do you want?"
"My brother just told me to come wake you for breakfast. Fresh poached eggs!"
Zuko's stomach rumbled and he slowly got out of the bed.
"It's the same room we ate dinner in last night, I'll see you there!" Luminey said, skipping out of the room.
Zuko checked to make sure Luminey had really left, then changed clothes and went down the stairs and met the two of them at the table again.
"Your parents are not back yet?" Zuko asked.
Anikor hesitated then said, "No, but we're not worried. The Fire Nation wouldn't dare attack them; they're the most powerful people for miles and miles around."
Luminey nodded in agreement.
"The Fire Nation has no boundaries as to who they'd attack and who they wouldn't. They even sacrifice their own soldiers for amusement and do terrible things to armies that oppose them. Heck, I bet if they had a son they'd attack him too…" Zuko said.
"Lee… Are you okay?" Anikor asked.
"Yes. No. Yes! Yes, I'm fine!" Zuko/Lee snapped.
They ate the rest of their breakfasts in silence.
After breakfast, Luminey insisted on showing Zuko her gardens.
"This is what I do during the day!" She announced.
"What about school?" Zuko asked.
"Gahh, I'm plenty smart already. School is just for people that want to show off their credentials. I plan on doing this in the future, so I must perfect it right now! I will own the biggest and best flower trade shop in all the nations!" Luminey said.
"Wow. You have big plans. Maybe I'll buy flowers from you someday." Zuko said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it's not as if I can stay here forever. I'm going to go home and take my home back, and once I get back to where I was, I'll have you come be my decorator."
Luminey paused. "I thought your home burned to the ground? Why would you want it back? You're sounding as if it was just taken from you, not burned down."
"Well, technically it was taken from me…" Zuko hesitated, that familiar hitch in his talking when he lied—he was a terrible liar. "I'm simply going to go and rebuild it."
"Right…" Luminey muttered.
They spent the rest of the day together, completely forgetting about lunch altogether, laughing and talking and playing through all of her fields and fields of flowers. Eventually, they found their way back to Luminey's home, and found Anikor sitting on the steps, tapping his foot.
"Brother." Luminey curtsied.
"Where have you two been?!" Anikor stomped over and grabbed his sisters' arm, dragging her inside.
"Hey! Let go of her!" Zuko shouted.
"I can't have the whole place out shouting for you, Luminey! If I did then someone would overhear and hear you're missing and they'd search for you, too! And if they found you before I did, I don't know what I'd…" He had released Luminey and had his face in his hands and was…. Sobbing?
"Oh, brother!" Luminey threw her arms around him. "I am so sorry! I will never run off again, even with protection. I swear!"
Anikor was still silently sobbing into his hands, but Zuko cleared his throat. Both of them looked up. "I swear, nothing would EVER happen to your sister if she was in my care. I am the best of almost all fighters and I would never let harm come to a beautiful delicate flower like her. Also… who did you mean would do something? Do you have enemies?"
Zuko was still looking at them, but they said nothing, Luminey looked at Anikor, then said, "I haven't told him. You're my elder, so I was waiting for when you thought it was right. And don't worry. You can trust him." Luminey said.
Zuko watched Anikor have an internal struggle.
"Alright. I'll tell him. We'd better go sit down. It's a long story."
After everyone was situated in the sitting room holding small trays of snacks they were all nibbling on, Luminey snacking most adorably daintily, Anikor began.
"I was seven when my father first began teaching me about our business. We buy up pieces of land from people, then we go search the land to make sure there's no valuables on it, like oil or jewels that can be mined, if we find some we sell it for major prophet and if we find none, then we sell it for almost double what it's worth to fools that are willing to pay that price.
"My father cheated many people, and I did not know yet it was wrong. One day, our older brother went missing. Luminey had never gotten to know him, because he was six years older than me, and I am two years older than her. So he was seventeen. Anyway, he went missing and my parents became worried. We all searched for him everywhere, but we could not find him.
"One day, we got…" Anikor took a deep breath. "We got a hand in the mail. It came with a letter that said we should stop our cheating ways or more bad things like this might happen. Doctors and healers looked at it, the hand was definitely our brothers and… the body it was cut off of was already dead. Meaning… my brother wasn't coming back.
"Someone definitely has it in for us. And my assumptions were correct when four years later, a year ago, my parents took a vacation. I found out a week later that my parents ride had been ambushed, our parents were missing."
"And you're waiting for them to come back?" Zuko asked. Then he saw Luminey quietly crying.
"They're not coming back." Anikor said.
"How do you know? They could have just been taken hostage by the Fire Nation or something." Zuko said.
"I know…" Anikor whispered, "Because we received a letter in the mail that was identical to the last one, warning us, but this time… there was one difference. It was recieved with my parents heads."
Zuko sprang back—horrified. He had NOT expected that…
"Oh my gosh… Are you… Are you the only two here now?"
"With a few selected servants."
"And you… and you invited me into your home? When I could very well have been the killer?"
"I knew you weren't the killer." Anikor said simply.
"How?"
"I could see it in tour eyes you've had a rough life, you have no need to inflict this pain on others."
"You mean you saw it in my scar! Yes I've had a rough life too, but I have done worse than you'll ever know!" Zuko shouted.
"Yes, but you've repented." Luminey said.
"What?"
"You told me today that you've done terrible things but you feel terrible for it."
Zuko paused. "That is true."
"Well, I think we've all done terrible things." Anikor said.
About three weeks had passed; Zuko had grown comfortable in this new life with the Mujitsu's. Zuko had almost become a part of the family, and they accepted him as if he belonged. Zuko had figured out that Luminey was indeed a part water and part earth bender, the first ever found.
But tonight Zuko had different things on his mind.
They were eating dinner quietly when Zuko said it.
"I have an idea."
"As to what we can do tomorrow?" Luminey said happily and smiled.
"No… as to how we can catch the person that has been killing your family."
There was silence.
"I was thinking… you haven't done any business after the delivery of…" he paused, "that last delivery, have you?"
"No, of course not! I fear too much for my sister's safety! She's my only family left! Why would I risk that? Who's to say that they wouldn't come after her then? I wouldn't be able to live with myself!"
"Well, do you know how?"
"Of course I know how, it's what I was raised in!"
"Well, I was thinking. If you continued the business, they'd probably risk themselves coming out again to attack one of you, most likely your sister because she is a girl, which is stereotyped as weaker, no offence." Luminey crossed her arms.
"Yes, I know. That's why I haven't done it."
"Well, perhaps if you DO do it, I can protect you sister. Stay by her side and fight for her if need be. I could protect her, and if anyone came after her, I would catch them."
"You can't be that strong. My father was an excellent fighter and they overtook him."
"I am the best of the best." Zuko announced.
"Prove it. I have learned everything from my father plus more to protect my sister. Fight me, and if you win, I'll consider this ridiculous plan."
"Alright. Here and now?"
"Yes." Anikor got up and took off his shirt, Zuko did the same. It was typical to do this in a one on one battle in the Earth Kingdom. "Oh yeah, I'm going to use my bending too, to give you a little more of a challenge."
"Fine by me. Outside then?"
"Of course."
They both trooped outside into the setting sun, Luminey trotting along behind them to watch. A couple of servants came out of their rooms to watch also.
Without a warning, Anikor started, by swinging his fist to Zuko's right. But Zuko had had enough training to know what a feign looked like and he ducked under the fist to the right, rather than to the left. On his left, a shower of gravel shot up, which would have tripped him.
Zuko punched out, and clipped Anikor on the shoulder. Anikor had had not enough time to react. He was lucky he had only gotten clipped.
Zuko felt his right foot slide; he jumped to the left and avoided stepping on the pieces of ground that were spurting up. Then, he leapt onto one with both feet planted beneath him and then jumped off it and landed on Anikor.
"Ahh!" Anikor screamed, rolling out from under Zuko.
Zuko slashed out with a punch and missed Anikor's now standing form. Anikor punched at Zuko, but Zuko was too fast. Pretty soon, they were just having a hand on hand combat, bending forgotten, some primal need to punch each other having broken through. They were circling each other, hitting and missing, kicking and punching.
Slowly, Zuko had Anikor where he wanted him. Anikor had been backed up into the wall of the building and now only had the messed up rocky platforms to stand on.
"Give up?" Zuko asked.
"Never!" In one last desperate attempt, Anikor slammed his foot on the ground and the earth right below Zuko sprang up. Having fought against this tequnique before, Zuko was ready. He simply pushed off with all his might, landed directly on a startled Anikor and wrapped his arm around his neck.
"You, sir, are dead." Zuko said to a heaving Anikor. Anikor nodded and Zuko released him.
Anikor headed to his sister, when he suddenly turned back to Zuko and a boulder popped from the ground and headed directly toward Zuko's midriff. It was too high to jump, to short to duck. Anikor was really good. But Zuko was better. He leapt just high enough that he was standing for a moment on the flying boulder, which he then leapt off of and flew into a startled Anikor. He landed with his arm pressed into Anikor's neck and he said, "Now, you are really dead."
"True, true. I bow to you, Lee. Surely you've been training your whole life, it's hard to imagine that scar was not self inflicted, for who would have been able to beat you?" Anikor bowed and went back inside and took his seat.
Zuko scowled at the scar reference, but then followed Luminey who had followed Anikor back into the room. The servants all dispersed.
"You guys are both so amazing! It was like watching two platypus-bears fight over a scrap of meat! I didn't know you had gotten so good, Anikor, and Lee, oh my, you were amazing! Where did you learn that?!"
"From my travels." Zuko said, which wasn't a complete lie.
"You are amazing, you were right, Lee. I think I might just go through with your plan. Please, meet me in my room later to go through the details."
A week later, Zuko had been staying by Luminey's side constantly (accept when she went to the bathroom or took a bath or vice versa, in which case a maid went with her and would scream if she even saw a mouse) and Anikor had thrown himself into his studies and work.
They were at dinner, for the fourth night in a row Anikor had brought his work with him. "Lee, I forgot to tell you. But remember how I had said you reminded me of a friend?"
"Yes."
"I was talking about my brother."
Zuko was silent.
"He was fierce and protective as well. And a bit goofy." Anikor smiled.
Luminey looked confused. "But…. But he's nothing like our brother."
"You don't remember our brother."
"Well—so what, I've seen the painting of him and-"
"The painting does him no justice. You don't remember. Just drop it."
Luminey looked down, shamed.
After dinner, Luminey and Zuko were sitting in her room.
"Isn't it kind of weird to have a boy sitting next to you on your bed? I mean, that's kind of something for after marriage."
"No…" Luminey said. "I feel safe with you."
"That's not what I meant. I guess I mean you're only supposed to sit on your bed with the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with."
"Who said that can't be you?" Luminey said quietly, and then leaned in and kissed Zuko. Kissed him! And he did nothing to stop it! But why should he? He liked her- it's true, he'd figured it out the first day they spent together that he really liked her. And why shouldn't he kiss her? He wasn't with anyone else…
Zuko kissed her back, cupping her face in his hands. After a minute, Luminey broke the kiss. "I really like you…" She said.
"I… I like you too." Zuko said. What was he doing?! This was the first time he had ever spouted emotional mumbo-jumbo to someone! Then… did that mean that he REALLY likes her?
"You should… you should get some sleep." Zuko said, moving a comfortable distance to the couch a couple feet away.
She sighed and lay down. Then she said, "You know, I've never really been out of here that much. My parents used to take me out once in a while, but then my brother died. They were worried for me, so they kept me in here. I've never really been out of these grounds in… ever. My brother didn't let me go ether. Do you think… Do you think you could take me out sometime?"
"Are… are you asking because you're depraved or because you want to go on a date?"
Luminey blushed. "Maybe both." She said.
Zuko sighed and turned down the gas lamp. "Maybe. Goodnight, Luminey."
"Goodnight, Lee."
"No, no, a thousand times, no. ESPECIALLY not after we started this stupid do-or-die assignment."
"But she's barley ever left this place!"
"She's too fragile for the outside world!"
"Is that what you've been saying all along?"
"No!"
"Do I need to beat you up again?"
"GUYS!" Luminey shouted. "Shut up!"
"Luminey, you cannot-"
"Brother! I'm almost sixteen, and I wouldn't be alone, I just want to see the town! You can even come with if you feel I'm going to be so kidnapped or killed or whatever. Please brother? You go out anytime you want!"
Anikor sighed and massaged his forehead as if he had a headache.
"Please?" Luminey muttered pathetically.
After a few more minutes of silence, Anikor sighed. "Fine. And I don't need to come with. I trust you in Lee's care."
"Aww, you're the best, brother!" Luminey jumped up and wrapped her arms around her brother and giggled.
A few hours later, Zuko and Luminey were winding their way around the streets of the town, Luminey looking at everything wide eyed. Anikor had given them enough money to buy themselves anything they wanted, and Luminey already had four bags full (which Zuko was carrying).
"Ooh, this place is so cool!" Luminey exclaimed.
Zuko sighed and said, "You really shouldn't be impressed, Luminey. This is really nothing. You should see the Capital City of the F—Earth Kingdom." Zuko realized that saying he's been the Capital City of the Fire Nation wouldn't be a good thing because only Fire Nation and POW's are allowed there. And only POW's that have been sentenced to death.
"You've been to Ba Sing Se!?"
"Yeah, I've been everywhere." Zuko lied.
"Cool! Maybe someday… Maybe someday I can travel with you?"
Zuko laughed and said, "Someday. Can we head back to your home now? You've had enough excitement for one day."
"Sure, I guess." Luminey said.
As they were walking, it got darker and darker out. I didn't realize we had gone this far away… Zuko thought.
Suddenly, Luminey stopped.
"Luminey?"
"Lee…"
"What?"
"I think I'm in love with you. I was just thinking about what my mom used to tell me love was when I'd ask. That's all of the things I feel for you."
Zuko was silent. He felt around in his emotions. Could a monster like Zuko possibly feel love? No. But still…
He leaned down and smoothed Luminey's purple hair behind her ear, feeling the weird clip she kept in her hair. Then he cupped her face and leaned down and kissed her against her lips. Zuko felt in his feelings. Zuko didn't know what love was, the only person he had ever loved was his mom. But was what he felt for this girl love? Perhaps… He sincerely had the deepest feelings he'd ever had for this girl… more than he'd ever felt for anyone or anything…. They kissed for a while, and then Zuko pulled away.
"Come on, I have to get you home before it gets completely dark out." Luminey nodded and took Zuko's hand.
They walked through the dusk toward Luminey's house. They could smell the sweet fragrance in the air from Luminey's beautiful gardens.
"Luminey, I think… I think-"
Zuko was about to say something important, Luminey knew, but next thing she knew, someone had come up and clubbed him on the head then someone else was dragging her away. She screamed and clawed at the person but they only dragged her harder. "LEEEEE! LEEEEEE!"
Luminey…
Luminey…
Zuko pulled himself out of his stupor. He had been hit on the head he knew, but what normally should knock a person out for days had only knocked him out for moments because of his amount of training and the amounts he had been hit on the head.
"Luminey!" He shouted, jumping up. His head swam, but he knew he must find Luminey before it was too late…
"Luminey!"
He was running, he knew where to somehow. Then, he saw a light just ahead of him. They heard him—the light went out.
He burst into the clearing and saw what was happening—it disgusted him! Luminey was on the ground, bleeding, and in apparent pain.
"Luminey!"
Zuko tried to run to her, but something tried tripping him. He leapt over the obstacle then turned back to face it. There was a ragged looking man holding a knife and pointing it at Zuko.
"You need to shut your darn trap, boy. Someone might hear you."
"That's what I'm hoping!"
"What, you can't fight us yourself?"
"I can take on you and any army you brought!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, boy, but it's just me and my wife. And we're going to kill this girly here now, then you, so shut'cher trap and sid'down."
Zuko then noticed there was a decrepit looking woman holding a knife to Luminey's throat.
"Never!" Zuko shouted, and fully withdrew his Dual Dao Swords, that he kept on him. Fully pulling them out was something you NEVER do, the correct way to fight with them is in the sheath, but Zuko felt this was an emergency.
"Oh so you think you can beat me with swords?" the man withdrew his own sword, and touched it to the tip of Zuko's sword momentarily then attacked.
They lanced and attacked, bobbed and sparred, and eventually the man came to an opening. Zuko's attention had been drawn to Luminey who was screaming in pain as the elderly woman drew her knife alone Luminey's cheek.
"No!" Zuko shouted. "Ahh!" he screamed in pain of his own when the man plunged his sword into Zuko's arm. Zuko moved his arm just in time though, and the sword only drew a sharp line, cutting his arm rather than cutting it off.
"Lee!" Luminey shouted, seeing what happened.
"You! Will! PAY!" Zuko shouted, coming at the man with full force. This was a man who wretchedly killed most of a family over who-knows-what! A man who laughed at others pain and tried to do worse! This man was like his father but minus the legions of attack dogs under him. This man deserved to die!
Zuko tripped the man, intending to stab him when he got back up, perhaps not stab to kill and bring the wretched man back to Anikor to deal with. But for some reason, the man did not get back up, or even try.
Zuko dropped his defense and slowly approached the man. He kicked the man's sword away, the tapped him with his foot. He didn't move.
Then, bending over, he rolled the man over and saw why he wasn't moving. The man had still been holding his knife in his left hand, and had fallen on it when he tripped. The knife in the man's chest was revealed in the moonlight.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" a wretched cry was thrown out.
Zuko looked to the angry sobbing crazy woman.
"YOUKILLEDHIMNOWYOURSWEETLUMI NEYDIES!" the woman put the knife to Luminey's throat and pressed hard. Zuko saw blood.
"NO!" Zuko couldn't get there in time, but his power could. Without ANYONE, even Luminey expecting it, Zuko had no time—he threw a fireball at the woman. She heaved as she was thrown back into a bush.
"NO!" the woman screamed. "NONONO! EVIL FIREBENDER! EVIL MAN EVIL PERSON!"
"Yes! I am a Firebender! I am Prince Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai and heir to the throne! You are the evil one here; I am escaping my father's tyranny! And what does a woman like you do? You kill! YOU have allied yourself with the Fire Lord and his evilness! No, lest you be punished by more, explain to Luminey why you killed her family!" Zuko screamed, shaking the vile woman.
"Alright! Yes! She needs to know what her father did and why she deserves to die!"
Luminey was staring at Zuko with wide eyes, quietly sobbing. She turned her attention to the crazy woman.
"My husband and I were good people with two small children! You father bought our land right out from under us! By the time we had gotten enough money to buy it back, your father had sold it! We had nowhere to live, no money left! We had no jobs but we bought what food we could but we had only enough for my husband and I to eat! Our children starved to death, and so we lost our two sons because of your father!" The woman finished in a scream pointing at Luminey.
Pressing a hand to her neck, Luminey looked at the woman, and quietly whispered, "If anyone's ever faced with that situation, they're supposed to feed their children before themselves! You killed your own children! You should have died back then, not your children, and then they'd have grown up knowing their parents sacrifice! Then what do you do? You go and kill someone else's child—that is not right! You tore another family apart because of your stupidity!
"Then, as if they hadn't had enough, you killed the parents! Now the two other children are left with nobody but each other and eventually a Firebending liar?!" Zuko cringed at this. "You ruined the lives of two innocent children because of your stupidity and inability to see your own children's needs. And my father was a good man; I can guarantee that if you had even tried to ask him to feed your children he would have!
"But no! Instead you kill your children and other's children and ruin lives! You make me sick!" Luminey spat on the insane woman and the woman blinked. "YOU KILLED YOUR OWN CHILDREN!"
"No! NO! I did not kill my kids!" the woman got up and tried to make a run for it. Zuko wasn't having that though- he made a circle of fire around them, keeping the woman inside with them.
"Nooo!" the woman ran for her husband and knelt beside him. "Karon you said what we did was just! Karon, you lied! Karon Karon Karon!" then, before anyone, even Zuko could do anything; she pulled the knife from Karon's chest and plunged it into her own.
"No!" Luminey screamed, but Zuko restrained her. The woman fell dead onto her husband's chest. Luminey screamed in rage, crying, and said, "You're supposed to face justice…"
Zuko let the fire circle go and released Luminey's arm. Before he could do anything though, she was taking off.
"Luminey! Wait! Let me explain, please!"
"Stop following me! Leave me alone!" Luminey screamed, ducking around flowers.
"No Luminey, please, let me explain!"
"You already explained it; you're the Fire Lord's son!"
"That's not all I am, please, Luminey!"
He finally caught up with her, and not willing to let the woman he loved go, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him.
"Ahh! Get off me, let go of me!"
"No Luminey! Please! Please, let me explain." Zuko whispered.
Then Luminey must have seen the tears streaming steadily out of Zuko's right eye and the slight drip from his left.
She hesitated.
"What more is there to tell? You're the son of all evil!"
"But a child doesn't have to always be like their parent! Don't you think that if I was evil like him I'd be with him right now plotting instead of saving your life?"
Luminey closed her mouth, kneeling down beside Zuko.
Zuko kneeled across from her.
"You have five minutes to explain to me why I shouldn't turn you in to be killed."
Zuko took a deep breath, and then did his best to tell his whole story. He told her about everything, how he had grown up, when his mother disappeared, how awful Azula was, how he got his scar, then the search for the avatar with his uncle.
When he finished, almost forty five minutes later, he took a deep breath. Luminey was silently crying, and then she leaned in to hug Zuko.
"Zuko…" she breathed. "How do I know that this isn't just another lie?"
"It's not."
"I know. I could tell the sincerity in your voice. I… I am so sorry. For how I reacted, for how your life has been… It's much more awful than Lee's life had been."
Zuko wrapped his arms around Luminey and said the words he had been trying to form just before they were ambushed. "I love you, Luminey. And I hope you can still love me."
"I love you even more now, Zuko…. But my brother… He wouldn't understand. He hates Fire Nation no matter how innocent they are or what they've been through. He… he wouldn't understand."
"I know. You're the only person that's ever understood."
"You… you're going to have to leave. You can't come back with me. If my brother were to find out you were Fire Nation… He'd kill you on sight. I'm sorry Zuko…"
"You mean… this is our last night together?"
"I… I think so, Zuko. Zuko. I like your real name better."
And she kissed him, hard, and deep.
"Zuko…" she moaned. "Please… let's make the most of your last night…."
"What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.
She kissed him again, then he realized what she meant when he felt her pull her shirt strap down.
"But—Luminey!"
"Please Zuko… I love you. So much… So much, that it hurts."
And he felt her tears on his cheeks, felt her love and yearning for him.
"I love you too, Luminey." Zuko said.
And they spent the rest of the night together, a night neither of them will never ever forget.
Luminey walked back to her house slowly, sweating, limping, bleeding, and alone.
Wherever you are Zuko, I'll always be with you there—in spirit.
Luminey pushed open the front door.
"Luminey! Where have you been!? What happened?! Where's Lee!?"
"Brother… I have something to tell you…" Then the darkness that had been pressing in on her finally took its toll and Luminey saw this world no more.
"Promise me something, Luminey."
"Anything, Zuko, my love."
"I will fight my way back home, and I will take the throne. I will become the kind of good, powerful leader the fire nation has needed and will rule my nation with kindness and give as much as possible to that which has been harmed. And when I'm back on the throne, please. Come see me. Just tell the guards who you are. They will tell me it is you. Whether it is next year or in fifty, please, do this for me.
"Plus, it'll be an extra to be able to show off the fact that I had found the first ever mixed bender, water and earth." He smiled.
Luminey giggled. "Of course I will! I love you…" Luminey kissed him again.
"I just wish… I wish I could stay…" Zuko said.
"Our love will keep us strong. I will come to you when you take the throne, I promise. I love you." Luminey whispered.
And they fell into another passionate kiss…
"Brother!"
"One moment, Luminey! I'm working!"
"Brother!" she laughed. "Come say goodbye to me, I'm leaving!"
"All right, all right, I'm coming!" her brother emerged from his workroom and embraced her long and deep hug.
"I love you brother."
"Luminey." He pulled back. "You know I still don't approve of this."
"I know. I'm almost seventeen, you need to trust me! All passage is safe now, and Zuko isn't bad, if he hasn't proved that yet, I don't know what it'll take for you to trust him."
"Well still…"
"Please brother. I need your support on this journey. It is long and far. And Zuko is good. He's been on the throne for almost nine months now, and in just that time, him and the avatar have teamed up, cleaned up the world, and withdrew ALL armies and troops from all other nations and helped begin rebuilding everything and giving freedom back to all and releasing all prisoners and starting afresh. How can you not see he's good?"
"He is good. I admit that. But… you're my little sister and I just don't like you going off on your own. Okay? But yes, you have my blessings. I do trust you, and… I trust him too. I always have. I love you Luminey." And he wrapped his arms around her in a big bear hug, hoping to see her again in a few months time—but hear from her sooner than that.
Finally there, Luminey admired the beautiful grounds of the capital surrounded by all kinds of flowers, her favorites, she noted. Coincidence? Or Zuko's choice?
Luminey approached the guard guarding the front stairs.
"Excuse me?" Luminey said.
"Yes? Do you need something?" the guard smiled at her.
"Yes, I need to speak to someone."
"Do they live here?"
"Yes. I need to speak to Fire Lord Zuko."
The woman laughed and said, "Get in line, kid. If it's just a thank you like usual, you can just sign your name on that wall."
She looked to the wall the guard was pointing at. There were thousands and thousands of signatures there.
"No, it's not that, I knew he'd do what he did. I need to speak to him. Please. I'm a personal friend."
"Well, Miss Personal-Friend, can I have a name so I can go ask him if I can let you in?"
"Yes. It's Luminey Mujitsu."
Written by ashyartemispotozuko Copyright intended.
For Luminey. I hope you enjoyed :3
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