Author note:
Finally, Zuko wakes up! And how... This chapter is from his point of view (but if you couldn't get that from the text, I'm really a terrible writer.) Anyway, enjoy! (and review!)
He ran.
He ran past dark, broad corridors, in a labyrinth of impressive rooms, decorated with red and gold, chambers full of secrets of his past. He ran, faces of the previous Fire Lords shot through his view, looking for a way out, a place to hide, why could he find his way in his own house? He ran, he ran like his life depended on it. And frankly, it did.
However, he didn't want to run. He really didn't. He wanted to turn around and face his sister head on, but he couldn't, he was too weak, too much a failure-
"Too much a coward."
Wide eyes stared at the enormous painting of the current Fire Lord, Fire Lord Ozai, which wasn't supposed to talk.
"Father…"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
He whipped around as he heard a disapproving sound behind him.
"Talking to paintings, and mother thought I was insane."
Azula stood there with a satisfied smirk, obstructing his only way out.
"What? Did you really think you could outrun me, brother?"
"Maybe he is a spy of Voldemort?" Where did that come from?
"Don't be foolish. You're too slow, Zuzu..."
"Of course, that's why he nearly died."
"Too slow…"
"I'm serious, Ron! We know nothing about him! It can be he wanted us to lower our guards, so when we fight-"
"You will fight for your honour."
"I challenge you to an Agni Kai!"
Azula's laugh cut through his head like a blunt knife and blended there with two identical male voices:
"Ginny, don't be silly. Even Voldemort can't transport people by lightning. And why would he? There are plenty of other ways he could have gained our trust."
"Besides, wouldn't he rather use someone we already have contact with? Why would he expect us to help a complete stranger?"
"Oh Zuzu, you never give up without a fight, do you?"
"Never give up without a fight." Uncle? No, it can't be, uncle's dead.
"Then what do you think he's doing here, George?" And yet, he was standing there, right behind Azula.
"Yes, my brother is deceased. And whose fault do you think it is?"
"I don't know, maybe it was an incident?"
"Please, uncle, I never wanted to abandon you! You said it yourself, ever since Lu Ten died-"
"For all those times you disrespected him, you failed to protect him!"
"Uncle? You're talking to ghosts! I killed uncle weeks ago! But don't you worry, you will be joining him soon…"
"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher!"
His sister shifted her pose and waved her hands in gracious, lethal movements. He tried to concentrate on the fight, but there were too many voices…
"Would he be able to hear us?"
"I don't think so, Hermione, he looks like he has been struck by lightning." He felt the familiar tension of lightning seconds before fire. Why couldn't they just shut up?
"Poor boy, his mother will miss him."
"Would his mother be still alive?"
"No one knows. Oh, and last night, Uncle passed away." Lightning hurling his way.
"Azula always lies."
"She is speaking the truth, and it is your fault."
"Mom, what do we have for dinner?"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Eight pair of eyes stared in complete silence at the just awoken boy. After a few embarrassing moments, one of them spoke up: "I think he's awake." Her hair had a bright orange colour he had never seen before, a feature shared by four others in the group.
One of those orangeheads was shamelessly gaping at him.
"HE HAS GOLDEN EYES!"
"Gossymicky, Ron. Thank you so much for telling us! We would certainly have missed that because of his huge scar." said another one, who was standing beside an exact copy of himself, who added: "Yeah, imagine you hadn't noticed, Harry would have run right past him, searching shelter for the freaked-out lightning."
The fifth orangehead, a plump, short woman, seemed to get out of her daze. "Come on, children, you heard what he said. Give the boy some space." She chased the teenagers out of the door and closed it firmly.
"I'm sorry. We shouldn't have let them in the room before you woke up. Anyway, I've taught them better behaviour."
Oh. He just screamed that out loud, didn't he. He casted his eyes down. "It doesn't matter."
"What's your name, boy?" He shot up startled, causing a severe pain to flare up in his back. He had completely forgotten the man who still stood next to his bed.
"It's…" What should he say? Prihni had told him he would be sent to another world, but how different would this world be from his own world? Did the Fire Nation exist here as well? Was there a war going on? Would they recognize his name? He tried to picture an alternate him, roaming around this planet looking for his honour. The thought scared him.
"It's Lee." He received a studying look from the man. He flinced, it was like he could see right through his lie. "Alright. Who did send you here?"
Did he assume he was Fire Nation? "What do you mean!?"
The man sighed. "Please, Lee. Be reasonable. We are not going to hurt you."
"Until you find out who I am."
He looked surprised. "What did you say?" "Nothing. Where am I?"
"I'm…afraid I can't tell you. We are in hiding." That was supposed to be reassuring!?
"Oh, come on, Remus. You can at least give him a general idea of direction." The woman turned to Zuko. "You're in London, Great-Britain." She stopped a moment, uncertain to go on. "You appeared here by lightning, you were nearly dead when you came here. Remus has saved you."
He looked at the man again. "Oh, uhh, thanks." "Everyone would have done the same."
"Uhm, dear, if can I ask you something?" As long as it wasn't about his scar or family. "Are you Asian?"
He stared at the wall, dumbfounded, then frown confused. "Uh, no. I don't think so."
"Oh. I thought it might be because Lee is an Asian name." After a moment of speechlessness he realised Lee addressed to him. "Oh, yes, of course."
"That isn't really your name, is it?" Damn, why was that man so sharp. Although it wasn't helped by his horrible lying. It seemed he best stuck with the truth.
"My name is Zuko, I come from another world."
Next chapter coming soon!
