Thanks Znpk. ;)
~ The Avatar and The Fire Lord~
(And The Lost Dragon)
Ryuu POV
"Ryuu..."
The disembodied voice floated through the thick chokeing fog. I stood, paralysed. The voice called my name again and a figure slowly drifted through the fog towards me, a black cloak shrouded its identity. I'd lost control of my limbs - I couldn't run.
"How could you betray me?"
"Who are you?" I squeaked.
"How could you forget ME?!"
The figure floated ever closer. They peeled back thier hood to reveal my fathers face. He circled me without walking; he floated on a cushion of air.
"You betray me. My own daughter."
I bit my lip as his cloak flew off to reveal the wound that killed him. It was a hole right through his stomach. Tears ran down my cheeks as he circled ever closer. Ever closer. Ever closer. Until he was right infront of me.
"You have feelings for the Fire Lord's son! Why? What would your mother say?"
His skull shifted and whirled - becoming my mother. She was crying.
"They ran me from my home!" She wailed, "My Fire Nation grandfather was killed for marrying an Earth Kingdom woman and siering my mother - Dirty Cross-Breed they called her. Just because Fire and Earth were mixed. How dare you love the Fire Lord's son! It will end badly for you too."
"Wait," I held me nerve, "You're not dead, Mum."
"Errrr... wooooooooo!" She faded into the fog. Then the Bounty hunter came into view. He raised his staff and bought it down sharply. Darkness filled my head as I shot awake.
...
"Are you alright, M'dear? It's way to late to be going out now," Rangi sewed the last of a ripped tunic together. Stretching my head, I tried to think of an excuse. Rangi snikered and threw a large black square of material at me.
"-Without a cloak, of course. Be back before dawn."
I grinned at her, "Thanks."
She went back to her sewing by candle light and looked way as I pushed the door to the maids quarters open. In the hallway outside, I was plunged into darkness. Gathering the heavy cloak around me, I slipped through the corridors until I reached the Officials' Library. Usually, it was locked - but not when one has a hairpin and hair slide.
Jiggling them, the lock clicked open and I smirked. Back before dawn were Rangi's words. Dawn was at 4am. Current time - according to a water clock in the Library - was 1 am. Three hours. Enough time to get what I was looking for. If what Zuko had told me was true, deaths of Fire Nation citizens had to be recorded as they were considered 'War Crimes' unless an authority claimed it necessary for the good of the nation.
I searched the shelves with only the light of the moon to help me. Eventually, I found the right scroll.
Name: Ryuji - Fire Nation citizen
Age: 34
Status / Trade: Craftsman / Rebel Leader
Bender: Yes - Fire
Charge: Had child with Earth rebel. Rebelling against Fire Lord. Attempted murder of a nobel. Arson. Attempted assassination of Fire Lord. (Child and mother escaped custody.)
Sentence: Death by boiling
"Death... hmm, interesting," I echoed. Wow, my ancestor was tough. Murder, Arson, Assassination? Good Kyoshi. Movement outside alerted me to someone else's presence. I slid the scroll back onto the shelf and tiptoed towards the door. The figure passed in a hurry.
I slipped from the Library, forgetting to lock it, and sprinted back to the maids quarters. About two hours had passed from when I first entered the library. Rangi was still sewing when I collapsed through the door - panting desperately. She looked apon me with her wisned eyes.
"You look as if the wieght of the world has been given too you."
I blinked up at her, "My ancestor... he was Fire Nation..."
She nodded, contemplating this - "And that's bad because? "
"He was executed. He was a rebel," I struggled to my feet, "My ancestor was a Firebender! Ryuji!"
She cackled and clapped her hands together. I ripped the cloak from my back and threw it to the floor.
"I knew you were!"
I squinted at her, "What? How?"
She turned back to her sewing by candle light and refused to meet my eyes. The room felt smaller because of the pitiful light that illuminated it. Rangi had a hid a small smirk.
"You really think that your parents would call you 'Dragon' for nothing? Your nose is common for Fire Nation, too. And Ryuu? Hard pressed not to miss that one."
I but my lip and huffed. Rangi chuckled and pointed with her head: "To bed with you. It's late... or early. Oh, my dear, do not breath to anyone what you know, people around these parts are... jumpy about things like that."
...
As soon as I woke an hour later, the door to the dormitory flew open to reveal a rather angry soldier. He ordered all of us to file out and follow him. Something told me this was about the library. We entered a courtyard and were ordered into lines according to hieght order. I glimpsed Rangi being pushed into line. We met eyes briefly - I grimmaced as a solider smacked my head to look foward.
An official stalked into the courtyard and scowled at each of us in turn before holding up my golden hair slide. From a window, Zuko met my eyes - he shook his head before disappearing into the darkened hall behind him.
"One of you broke into the Library. You knew it was out of bounds. If the perpetrator owns up, all of you will go without punishment. If they don't... no water for a week."
We broke into a loud reaction of horror. The hair slide shone in the rising sun accusingly. The official sighed and threw the hair piece around. The threat of no water was very real. Rangi told me a story that it had happened before because a girl stole a loaf of bread.
Given no other option, I stepped forward while raising my hand.
"It was me... I did it."
The other maids gasped and started chattering among themselves - until a solider cut them off using Firebending. I knelt and the official nodded for one guy to grab my top-knot. He yanked me by my hair towards the exit - until Zuko appeared from the dark.
"And what go you think you're doing? She's my maid - I can decided her punishment. "
A glint in his eyes told me he definitely had a plan. Whatever it was, I would be grateful for the soldier to stop ripping my hair out. Zuko stepped foward - the official sneered.
"What gives you the right?"
Zuko huffed, "I am Prince, Official Chin. What I say goes. Otherwise my father will-"
Chin yelped, "Sorry, sir. Please don't involve your father. We'll be going now!"
Chin clicked his fingers and the soldiers followed him into the palace, past Zuko. The Prince clapped a hand onto my shoulder and led my through the corridors, away from the gossiping maids. We stopped - far enough from the courtyard for no one to hear. He pulled me to a stop, caught both my shoulders and scowled.
"What were you think you were doing? I saw you last night coming from the Library. Ryuu, you do realise that if me father gets wind of thi-"
I interrupted him, "My ancestor was a rebel. I had a dream my mum and dad were ghosts and kept telling me off for loving you, I don't know why, and they told me I had Fire Nation ro- "
Zuko squeezed both my shoulders, "This isn't a game. You could be killed for stepping out of line."
We met eyes briefly, "I know. But this changes everything. "
He let go of my bare shoulders and spun around to face a window. It faced onto the Turtle duck pond courtyard, where the little critters were beginning to stir.
"What does it change? Nothing! That's what. Just because you have an ancestor who was Fire Nation doesn't mean you'll magically get immunity from harm. Trust me, I know."
Running a finger along his scar, he whipped back around and pushed his head viciously towards mine. He began to whisper - his breath fanned my lips teasingly:
"Don't do this again. There's only a certain amount of times I can save you. Now run along, before anyone gets too suspicious. "
Zuko - to my simultaneous horror and delight - gave me a short peck on the lips before racing down the corridor and into the shadows. I stood, stunned, brushing my lips with two fingers. While in my daze, I didn't notice Azula sneaking up beside me. She chuckled lightly - which brought my attention to her presence.
"You know, there was a rumour Zuko was in love with a servant girl. Initially, I didn't believe it. How could my brother stood to such lows? But now I've seen it for myself - I believe every word. "
I shook in fear, "What are you going to do to me?"
Azula smirked and checked her nails, "You know what... nothing. But if you do anything that remotely even sounds like treason or anything, then I will have no choice but to kill you myself. Alas, it is a sacrifice I am willing to make. Good luck, Wench, you'll need it."
She left me in complete silence, save the clacking of her boots on stone. Then, I sprinted all the way back to the maids quarters, not looking once over my shoulder. I was way too scared.
