-.x.-

I Need You

"It's a time to remember,
It's a time we have to believe,
It's a time to surrender,
To someone that your heart really needs."

-.x.-

~ Zuko

"Sparky… why is everything so dark in here?"

I was sure that's what she said. I hadn't heard that line in so long; it shocked me so much I nearly fainted too. She'd called me Sparky.

'Why is everything so dark…?'It was broad daylight outside. Sunshine shone through the doors and basked the small tea house in a mild heat. Many were covering their eyes to hide from the glimmer yet Aylin continued on unaffected by this. Her wide green eyes did not seem to notice the light so obviously lingering in the Jasmine Dragon. Or was it that she could not see it?

She could not see the light... she could not see.

This was infuriating me so much. I could place the line, place the term, I just couldn't place the face. The one person who always called me 'Sparky'; who was she? I tried to figure it out in my mind. Aylin living with my uncle, reduced rates, my uncles eagerness for us to get along? How had he come across Aylin anyway? Word around town was that she was his goddaughter but I knew the only two even remotely close to Uncle were me and Azula. I understood his kindness for almost all, especially females, yet he'd never take in a stray out of the blue.

Stray... Was that what 'Aylin' was? A wild, free spirit disowned by her parents... left to fend for herself in the world. Continuing with her life not caring what people thought of her.

I was even questioning her name in my mind now. Did she lie to me about her name? To everyone? It could be plausible, I lied to her...

That was totally different, Zuko. You're the Fire Lord. It is reasonable.

But why would she lie? What did she have to gain from hiding her real identity? What was it? So many unanswered questions leading to one final conclusion; the pieces were there, I only had to fit them correctly into the puzzle. A blind girl with green eyes and long hair; a girl who knew my nickname; a girl my uncle was extremely kind to, possibly knew. A girl with a hidden identity and a personal reason to lie; a wild spirit left to fend for herself; a spirit not caring on her appearance to others. A spirit who could be herself.

The pieces suddenly fell into place...

Aylin was Toph...

No.

Toph Bei Fong was Aylin.

It all fit from then on; the blind thirteen year old I had left so many years beforehand. No, she left me. She had left me unconscious under that tree after throwing me from her. The misty green, obstinate eyes and turbulent black hair I'd loved and longed for so much; the one person haunting my dreams for the past three years. The face, so sullen and heartbroken, thrown into a whirl of rage. The eyes, so sightless yet so lively; animated, full of life; without the ghosts of her past. The girl I would have gave my right to rule for or, more importantly, the girl I would have gave the right to rule beside me; the one I wanted as my queen.

I no longer wanted Mai.

The girl I once would have went to war for. The girl I once had enough devotion for to match my will to impress my father. The first person to ever really love me for Zuko, not for the Fire Lord.

The girl who left distaste in my mouth every time I thought back to when I kissed her. The girl who had endeavoured on countless one night encounters to satisfy her sexual needs. The girl who constantly asked me to marry her despite knowing how unhappy it would make her to have a partner like me.

Her being unhappy? What about me… ?

I was the one unhappy now-a-days. I was the one constantly wondering why I was still with her. She'd obviously become power-crazed and overly judgemental. Sometimes I thought her only goal was to break my crazy sister Azula out of her prison. Did I really think that lowly of her? It didn't even matter anymore because I knew I was unhappy with her. I knew I couldn't go on 'being with her'.

My heart belonged to someone else now.