Azuma no Yōsei
Chapter One: Fairy Travel
There aren't enough fics about Zuko and Azula's cute little sister! We need to fix this! And thus, this little plot bunny was born! (also, there weren't many Atla/Fairy Tail crossovers, either ^_^") Please don't be shy with reviews!
Fire Lord Zuko had seen more than most Fire Nation citizens – after all, he had travelled the world. He'd seen a great many things, and done a good number more; some he was proud of, and others… well, not so much. On his latest adventure, accompanied by the Avatar, he had met two separate – and yet linked – spirits, a female waterbender who wasn't Katara or a healer, a faceless man and, most importantly to him, found his long lost mother.
Ursa.
She had a new name – Noriko – a new face, a new husband (Ikem, or Noren) and a new daughter. Her name was Kiyi, she was ten years old, and Zuko already loved her. She was such a cute little thing, with her doll (also named Kiyi, since it was 'such a good name') and her baggy white pants, and floppy little fringe.
After a year and a half, Ursa and Ikem had finally agreed to come and visit the Capital City, to get know Zuko better – mother and son had spent so long apart, they really just wanted some bonding time together. Aang had agreed to fly them from Hira'a to the capital, since he was coming to stay in the Fire Nation for a little bit anyway, with the issue in Yu Dao and with the Refinery, ahem, 'cleared up', now seemed like a pretty good time for another family reunion.
Whilst Ursa hadn't wanted to go anywhere near the palace again, Zuko's promise that she and her family would be free to go where ever they wanted, and Kiyi's begging to spend some time with her new big brother were her deciding factors (although, she did drag Zuko aside, and ask that he start teaching Kiyi some defensive moves, as well as always keep her either with himself or Aang – the former of which he had already started).
"Um, Zuko?" Kiyi asked quietly, tugging on the sleeve of his robe.
He smiled down at her. "Is something wrong?" He asked, crouching down and leaning in, just in case she didn't want her parents or Aang to hear.
She fiddled with her doll for a moment, not looking at him whilst she gathered the courage, before bursting out with, "Could I be a firebender, too?" She looked both hopeful and terrified.
Zuko's eyes widened for a moment, and his smile grew just a little bit. "Maybe – did you know that our mother's grandfather was Avatar Roku?" Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "But bending isn't always hereditary. For a long time, nobody thought I was a bender. I was a late bloomer, unlike my… unlike Azula. She was a prodigy, from a very young age."
Kiyi was fascinated. "So… how do we know if I'm a bender?"
Zuko thought back to some of his earliest lessons. "Image that there's a fire inside of you. It can be as big or as small as you like – but just remember that it's your source of life, as well, so don't make it too small, or let it snuff out. When we make camp tonight, I want you to try and meditate beside the fire, concentrating on that flame. Do you think you can do that?" At Kiyi's nod, he added, "Just remember, firebending is energy and life – think of it like a tiny sun inside of you. When we get back to the palace, we'll try some other small exorcises."
"Like the leaf?" Aang's excited voice asked just behind Zuko.
"Aang!" Zuko growled.
"Sorry, Sifu Hotman!" Aang grinned, nonplussed.
"What about the leaf, Avatar Aang?" Kiyi asked excitedly.
"Well, before your brother was my teacher, I tried to learn firebending from a man called Jeong Jeong. One of the first instructions he gave me was to focus on a fire he'd made in the middle of a leaf, and not let it reach the edges. It was supposed to teach me patience…" Aang trailed off then, not wanting to tell this ten year old how he'd burnt his girlfriend's hands.
Zuko placed a comforting hand on his half-sister's shoulder, smiling down at her (after shooting Aang another reproachful look). "We'll see if you can master the breathing first, though, just in case you aren't a firebender, ok?"
"Mm!" She nodded, smiling at him brightly.
"We can demonstrate the Dancing Dragon for you tonight, and everything!" Aang exclaimed excitedly.
Zuko gave up on getting him to be quiet after that.
After they had settled around the campsite that night, Aang and Zuko had gone through some practice patterns (for training purposes), then had performed the Dancing Dragon for Kiyi. She had then insisted on learning the steps herself, and Zuko was proud to say that she had executed all of the moves flawlessly – if she turned out to be a bender, then she would certainly be a natural!
Ursa and Ikem had watched on also; one with nostalgia, and the other with just a trace of fear. This was their little girl, who they had hoped to keep away from all the world's problems – but if she was a firebender (and since Ursa had already borne two bending children, the odds were high), then they wouldn't deny her the chance to learn – especially if it was from the Fire Lord and the Avatar!
Things were looking up, Zuko thought to himself, on the verge of sleep later that evening.
A brief rustle in the bushes was all the warning they got, before everything went suddenly, drastically, wrong.
Men jumped out, yelling about how they would see Zuko dethroned and Ozai back in his rightful place. Aang, Zuko and Appa tried to bend them away from their small camp, keeping Ikem, Ursa and Kiyi in the middle. Firebenders, they could handle.
It was the sudden involvement of an earthbender that caught them unawares.
He or she targeted Kiyi, creating a hole underneath the child, and then bending her away, regrouping with who appeared to be the firebenders' leader. He was holding Kiyi by the scruff of her clothes, a fire dancing close to her face.
"Leave her alone!" Zuko roared, drowning out the shouts from her parents. "She has nothing to do with this!"
"She's just a little girl!" Aang added, furious.
"On the contrary, traitor prince," The leader sneered. "Rumour has it that this is your precious half-sister."
"She doesn't want the throne," Zuko growled. "She isn't a part of the Royal Line, so let her go!"
The leader's grin grew. "Oh, we know that. We also know just how much you love your precious baby sister. So how about this? We'll trade your sister's life for the throne!"
Avatar and Fire Lord froze, before both lowered their fighting stances.
"No!" Kiyi cried out, terrified. This was her fault. This was her fault!
She began struggling, trying to find her inner fire. It had to be there, somewhere!
"Zuko, don't do it!" She yelled, just as the world was lit up by a bright blue light, a force greater than anything she knew sucking her and her captor into the maelstrom.
The last thing she heard was her brother and parents, screaming her name.