Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Bender or its characters
Pointers: 'italics' means that the character is thinking
Summary: He hadn't seen her since the day he was banished, but he could still remember the way the wind had drifted her away. Zuko x OC
Book 0: Banished
The Day She Flew Away
"Jiyuu!" Iroh called for the brunette, who was having her feet scrubbed and nails manicured in her room. She had heard the older man's voice from outside her doorway. Soon the door had opened and there was Iroh's head peeking from the door. Jiyuu was in a white towel, her hair being brushed and dried by the servant behind her. "Ah, there you are." He said as he walked in and closed the door behind him.
"What's the matter, Uncle Iroh?" She asked as she opened her mouth wider for a servant to place a grape in her mouth. "That's enough for now, you may go." Jiyuu told them kindly as the young servant girl bowed and then left with the bowl of green grapes.
"You have some visitors. Your suitors." He said as she sighed softly, "What is the matter? You are usually excited when you hear they arrive."
"Its just that I thought I was going to get a break today." She pouted slightly as the old man gave her a a confused expression.
"Want me to send them away?" He asked her as she nodded her head, he left her room and she had looked around at her servants who were giving her a curious stare.
"What?" She asked them as they shrugged their shoulders. The airbender had befriend most of the servants and they usually did have conversations. She had treated them best than Princess Azula.
One servant, Hana, who was scrubbing the heals of her feet had looked up at her. Hana had short black hair, round gold eyes, and a chubby face. She had a very nice frame, but you couldn't tell by her puffy uniform. "I thought you like those man fawning all over you and buying you gifts? Look at the room, its filled with unopened presents."
The other three girls nodded, "I mean I do like the attention, but its not what I really want."
"What do you want?" asked Sen, who was brushing the girl's now dried hair. Jiyuu had always thought Sen was beautiful, she had long brown hair that was tied into a braid and dim-lit amber eyes that would remind one of the sun at sunset. "Those men could give you the world if they wanted to."
"But they aren't my type." The brunette pouted, "Yeah... They can buy me all the things they want, but they can't love me. It seems like all of them are just on my case because I am the special exception to Fire Lord Ozai. Its like because Azula is young and... evil, they feels its easier to get to him through me. Besides, half of those guys are boneheads anyway. None of them are really smart."
Zuko had been walking down the hallway and heard a bunch of chatter coming from Jiyuu's room, he noticed the door was slightly cracked and he peeked inside. "Well, what do you look for in a guy?" Another servant, Taki, had asked. Taki was just like Jiyuu, tomboyish but feminine at the same time. She had light brown hair and dark brown eyes.
Jiyuu pouted her lip and looked up at the ceiling in thought, "I want a boy that's strong, he doesn't even have to be a bender. I want him smart, charming, and overall a kind person."
Hana tried to contain her laughter but ended up going into a maniacal fit, "You think your going to find a guy like that here in the Fire Nation?"
Jiyuu sighed, "I guess that isn't likely."
"What about Prince Zuko?" Sen asked which caused the airbender to look at her and shock, "I mean, he's all those things? He might have a nasty temper sometimes but you two get along really well."
The Prince had eyed his friend a while as she looked down in thought. "Zuko is my best friend. He can be very temperamental but his heart is always in the right place. He's spoiled, a nationalist, classicist, and sometimes a bit stubborn but I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship. Besides, Fire Lord Ozai sees me like his own daughter and I don't think he would approve if me and Zuko decided to be a couple. Not only that, I think that the Fire Lord wants his son to marry a woman from the Fire Nation, not an airbender who was taken in by the royal family."
"So..." Taki said which caused them all too look at her, "you thought about this before."
"What do you mean? I just thought about this now." Jiyuu looked at her curiously.
"Really? So that means just now you actually considered the idea of marrying your best friend." A mischievous grin came Taki's face as the airbender's face went red.
"I was answering your question in the most honest way!" She snapped,embarrassed as she sunk down a little in her red, plush chair.
"Right..." Sen said as they all took a step away from her, finished with their duties. Jiyuu had stood up and folded her arms, "Its alright if you have feelings for him, Jiyuu. Nobody is going to hate you for it, but you'll hate yourself if you don't acknowledge them."
"Zuko is my best friend. Why can't a girl have a guy as a best friend without them trying to push them together? Besides, Ursa and Ozai looked at us like we were their children. I promised her I would look out for him and falling in love with him would not be looking out for him. Besides, my heart will always be in love with Lu Ten." She said as Zuko had looked down at the floor.
He had knew that she had still loved Lu Ten, it was plain to see. How she kept every memory she had of him alive and thriving inside that heart of hers, how she said his name so endearingly, and how she still wore that hairpin even with her to sleep. He had knew that she still loved his cousin every since they were kids, but he didn't want to push her away by confronting her about it. Why should he care anyway? In a way, she might as well had been his sister for how his parents had treated her. But she was never like a sister to him, he always thought of her more than that. The Prince took a step back from the door and walked down the hallway, his hands bawled in a fist and his mind on the highway of sadness, jealously, and anger.
He then heard the door fully open and he turned to see all the servants coming out of the room, their once friendly expressions now a calm and boring one. He then saw Jiyuu come out of her room and she turned to look at him, waving at him. "Zuko!" She called out to him and even though he wanted to be angry at her, all his anger subsided when he saw that smile on her face.
The Prince sighed, "What?"
The airbender glided over to him, using her airbending to pick up her speed. "Where were you heading to?" She asked him as she stood next to him, her eyes wide with curiosity and her voice holding such innocence.
"I was going to go to the library." He then watched her eyes light up, "Why?"
"Can I go with you?" Jiyuu asked as she hadn't noticed the slight dip of the corner of his lips.
He turned away from her, "I thought you said you would never go in the library again."
He had seen her muscles tighten, her body growing stiff at his words. It wasn't right for him to say that but it was the honest truth. He remembered her words clearly. 'I'll never go there again. Its too painful because every time I go in there, I think of Lu Ten.' Zuko watched as she seemed to think more about it, "Well. I'm stronger now and he's gone, there's no use to not acknowledge it."
Guilt. He had felt it as she walked ahead of him, her hands at her sides and he could tell by the way she walked that she was slightly hesitant. The boy walked behind her and watched her open the doors of the library and stepped inside and to their surprise, there was Iroh sitting there with young man at the Pai Sho table. "Jiyuu? Zuko! What a pleasant surprise."
Jiyuu had looked at the boy, her eyes slightly widening. He had looked so much like Lu Ten, he had hair hair in a topknot, soldier uniformed, the small yet roundness of the bright golden eyes of Lu Ten, the long sideburns, and his complexion was the light peach tint just like the soldier she had loved so long ago. The airbender had took a step back, bumping into Zuko and she looked up at him with her eyes still wide. "Jiyuu, what's the matter? Your acting like you've just seen a ghost?" Zuko asked her, knowing very well what was happening. The similarities of this man and his deceased cousin was almost straight to the nail.
"Oh, I was just startled by this guest of Uncle's. I-I didn't know how to react, I apologize." She had bowed deeply in an apology.
The young man merely chuckled, "Its fine."
Jiyuu had stood up straight, fiddling with her fingers. She felt nervous, nervous indefinitely. "Do you want to leave?" Zuko asked her as she turned to look at him and then at Iroh and his guest. "Uhm, yes. I do not want to disturb them."
Iroh had noticed Jiyuu's strange behavior, I usually lively and charismatic self nowhere in sight. "Oh, but before you go, this is Cheng. He is was just newly appointed Admiral."
"I came here to get some advice from the Dragon of the West and I have learned a great deal from him." Cheng said which made the old man act shy.
"Oh, it is nothing. Whatever this old man can give should not be thanked for, it is necessary that the old teach the young." Iroh responded as he moved a tile on the board game. "You do not have to leave you two, you can watch us."
Jiyuu shook her hands in front of her, "No, its fine." Jiyuu quickly answered, "I'll e going now." She walked around Zuko and out of the library, leaving her friend to stand there with a look of irritation across his face.
"Is something the matter, nephew?" His Uncle asked him.
"I'm just a bit tired from today's events. Nothing to worry about." Zuko made a sharp turn and followed Jiyuu out of the library.
Cheng had then picked up his cup of tea and took a sip, "Who is the girl?"
"She's a child the Royal family adopted." Iroh answered honestly, "Why? Do you take interest in being a suitor?"
The soldier looked surprised, "How did you know?"
The old man smiled. "My dear Jiyuu has many suitors, she is an exceptionable young woman. Most men fall in love as soon as they lay their eyes on her, but they never seem to capture her heart like my son once had."
"Your son?" Cheng said in shock.
"Yes, I had a son named Lu Ten. You and him share the same features," The former General said as he looked at the young man, "she had promised to marry him when she was older when we returned from the war in Ba Sing Se. But he had passed away and she has been clinging onto his memory since then."
The younger man had lowered his head, "If I try to pursue her, it would be like Lu Ten all over again, wouldn't it?"
"I suppose you can say that. She has a strict rule for her suitors." Iroh then moved another piece before taking a sip of his tea.
Cheng had stared at his cup, "And what is that?"
"You must resign from being in the Fire Nation army." Iroh answered, "I'm sure you will not give up your position when you have just gotten it, Cheng."
"It would be a waste of all the hardwork I have put into it, but resigning to be a nobleman would not be so bad." Cheng had said as Iroh gave him a curious expression.
"You have fallen so quickly. The powers of women are almost hard to escape from." He placed his cup down, "And you have fallen of the board, I have won this game."
The airbender had sat on her window seat, her knees pressed against her chest as she looked out her window. The sun was beginning to set and had stared at the pale tint of orange sky. "Lu Ten... do you live on in that man just to torture me?" She asked herself as she buried her face in her knees and then she quickly turned to see Zuko closing the door behind him. "Zuko? What are you doing here?"
"I know Cheng reminds you of Lu Ten." He said as she looked back out the window, her eyes starting to water as she closed them tightly. "No use in trying to fight your tears, its not like I haven't seen them before."
Jiyuu opened her eyes to see him sitting across from her and looked out into the sunset, "I'm just torturing myself. Your right, I haven't let go of Lu Ten, not even a little."
He could see the sadness written all over her face. It was when she was like this that he wished that she never even loved Lu Ten. "Lu Ten loved you and that's why you need to accept that things aren't going to change. He is gone, he's not with us anymore, but you can always love him. Nobody is telling you to stop, but if you love Lu Ten, you wouldn't let your love for him destroy you. Do Lu Ten a favor and not keeps wallowing in depression."
"What do you know about love anyway?" She asked him, wondering how he was giving her such advice like this. "Its not like you ever been in love."
The Prince glared at her, "And how would you know if I ever had fallen in love or not?" He asked her but then decided he wasn't going to fall into her trap. She wanted an argument so that the conversation would switch from her and to him, "It doesn't matter. What matters is that you stop crying and walking around here like a wilting flower. Its depressing and nobody wants to see that."
Jiyuu scoffed at his harsh words, "Well, excuse me! I didn't know I was stinking up the place!" She folded her arms, "I'm the one who lightens up the place, I mean, look at me. I'm beautiful."
"Not with your makeup running down your face your not." He pointed at her as her eyes widened.
She touched her cheeks as saw the black make up on her hands, "W-Why didn't you tell me earlier!"
"Well, you weren't crying earlier, but now you look like an evil ghost." A grin came across his face as she tried to quickly wipe away her ruined make up.
"You jerk! What if someone saw me like this? You would of been laughing about it, would you?" She then got up and walked towards the bathroom in the other room and wiped her face from all her makeup. No use in wearing it now since most of it was ruined. She dried off her face and walked back towards the windowseat, but before she could sit down she had looked at Zuko.
The way the pale orange of the sky had lit up his face was almost magical. His amber eyes, which she always deemed as bright and burning like fire looked exactly like the flames in which he bended. He looked almost ethereal, a majestic prince. Jiyuu had continued to stare at him, almost afraid that she would ruin that image of him as he stared out into the field of fire lilies. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
Before she knew it, their eyes were locked on one another and obvious agitation was on his face. "No reason, I was just lost in thought." She said as she sat down. "Can we go out into the fields today?"
"I don't feel like it." He said sharply and it made her chest sink. She wanted to lay out there and looked at the stars with him next to her since that was the only way that her mind could feel at ease. "Fine, I'll just go by myself." She stood and walked out of her room, slamming the door behind her as she walked down the hallway in a slight stomp.
She had walked out toward the courtyard doors and kept walking, the field still in view. Her eyes moved from the field and toward the sky since it was so bright out and not a cloud was in sight. She soon found herself falling back onto the flowers, they cushioned her fall as she looked up at the big, blue night sky. The moon was in a crescent and it was still beautiful in her eyes. "Jiyuu?"
"I thought you didn't want to come out here with me, Zuko? What changed your mind?"
"For certain, I am not Prince Zuko and if you would of asked me I would of gladly accepted your invitation." The airbender jumped up as she had seen it was Admiral Cheng standing there with a smile on his face.
Jiyuu's face turned a slight red, "A-Admiral Cheng! I apologize for assuming you were Prince Zuko, my apologies."
"Its fine." He said as he sat down, "So, Princess Jiyu-"
"I'm not really a Princess, so just call me Jiyuu." The girl said with a smile, "How did you find me out here, Admiral Cheng?"
"I was on my way home, but I saw you walking out through the courtyard doors. I wondered to myself why a young girl would go out at night all by herself." He said as she rubbed the back of her neck, slightly nervous.
"I guess that's not a safe idea, but I asked Zuko to come with me but he did not feel like it and so I decided to go by myself." She explained as looked up at the stars. "So, Admiral Cheng, why did you decide to follow me here? Fallen in love already?"
The Admiral blushed, "Its just that I was worried for your safety, Pr- Jiyuu. I wouldn't want you to be harmed in anyway and I'm pretty sure neither would the Prince, General Iroh, or the Fire Lord would want any harm to befall you."
Jiyuu giggled, "I suppose your right, but that's very chivalrous of you to want to protect me."
"No need for such compliments." He said with a smile, "I can see why anyone would want to go out here, it is very beautiful out here."
"Prince Zuko was the one who told me about this place." She said as she then noticed something strange, she felt like she was being watched. She had looked toward her window and seen that her room was lit just like some of the others, but nobody was there. She kept looking around but she hadn't seen anyone there. "Its pretty late and you should be heading home, Admiral Cheng. I wouldn't want you to lose any rest by staying up with me.
She stood and he had done so as well. He had walked over to her and cupped her hands in his, "It is a great honor to be in your presence, Jiyuu. Losing any sleep just to stay here and watch the stars with you is well deserved. I envy the Prince for being able to spend as much time with you like this, but as this must be I hope you have a good night's rest." Jiyuu smiled, her cheeks a slight tint of pink as she watched the admiral leave.
Zuko was standing behind a tree, his hand clutching the necklace he held in his hand. He opened his hand to see the clam shaped necklace and then walked back inside the palace.
The Next Day...
Jiyuu walked down the hall and she could hear Zuko and Iroh from the the end of it, near the war chamber. She walked over to them, catching somewhat of the conversation. "You're not missing anything, trust me. These meetings are dreadfully boring."
"If I'm gonna rule this nation one day, don't you think I need to start learning as much as I can?" Zuko asked his Uncle.
The brunette walked toward them, "How come he cannot go in, Uncle? Zuko's right, he has a duty as the Crown Prince to learn as much as there is to be a Fire Lord as possible."
Both of them looked at her, Zuko giving her a rather cold stare and she had noticed it. She frowned slightly because of it. Iroh sighed, "Very well. But you must promise not to speak. These old folks are a bit sensitive, you know."
Zuko bowed to Iroh, "Thank you Uncle!"
Jiyuu placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder, "What's the matter?" She asked as Iroh noticed that it seemed to be a very important conversation and so he walked away from it.
"Why do you care?" He asked her as she could taste the disdain in his voice. "Why don't you go look for your precious Admiral Cheng and take him to our place!"
Her eyes widened and she slowly looked down, guilt swirling in her chest. "I'm sorry. He found me out there an-"
"I don't wanna here it. Let's go Uncle!" Zuko said as Iroh puts his arm around Zuko's shoulders and walks him back the guards as she saw Jiyuu's sad expression. The guards made no move to stop them.
The female slowly turned and walked back down the hallway. "I guess I deserved that." She sighed as she had went to the courtyard and sat neck to the turtle duck pond. "You don't hate me, do you Turtle Ducks?" She asked them as they swam as usual. She dipped her finger in the cold, blue water and watched as they went toward her hand to see if she had any bread. When they discovered she had none, they merely brush the side of their heads against her hand in a gentle manner.
"Jiyuu, what are you doing out here?" Admiral Cheng asked as she looked up at him.
She smiled softly, "I could ask you the same thing. Shouldn't you be in the War Chamber?"
"I was just on my way there, but I came here to check if you were all right." He informed her as she nodded her head.
"I'm fine, there's no reason to worry about me, Admiral. I'm a tough girl." She responded and then looked back at the turtle ducks, "You should hurry before the meeting starts."
The man nodded and then bowed, "It was nice speaking with you, Jiyuu." He said as she nodded her head and watched him leave.
'Today is going to be a very long day.' She thought as she laid down on the soft ground and had drifted off into a light sleep.
Inside the war chamber, it is more like a temple with thrones on a dais, wreathed in fire. The back wall had a huge, ornately carved red statue. Fire Nation generals sat around a map of the Earth Kingdom continent that adorned the floor. Zuko had looked around, trying to see if that Admiral Cheng was here, and he was. He was the last to arrived, making it at the time exactly.
Zuko wanting to learn much about being a Fire Lord was only half the reason he decided to come into the war chamber. The second half? Was to become a soldier that Jiyuu would respect. He did not understand if it was in fact soldiers she seemed to like or the fact that the man had looked like Lu Ten, but he promised himself that he would one up him. Just to prove a point? What exactly was that point? That he, Prince Zuko, was better than any man that Jiyuu could ever adore. In a way, he believe she rightfully belonged to him. Obsession in a strange form because he did not realize he was obsessed, he just knew he was upset.
A general had stood and then started to speak to everyone in the room. "The Earth Kingdom defenses are concentrated here." He pointed an area on the map with his pointing staff, "A dangerous battalion of their strongest earthbenders and fiercest warriors, so I am recommending the first division."
Admiral Cheng looked surprised as he then spoke, "But the 41st is entirely new recruits. How do you expect them to defeat a powerful Earth Kingdom battalion?"
The general coldly spoke as he turned to the admiral, "I don't. They'll be used as a distraction while we mount an attack from the rear. What better to use as bait then fresh meat?"
Zuko, impulsively, jumped up and spoke. "You can't sacrifice an entire division like that! Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?"
Cheng had looked in shock but then closed his eyes as the rest of the general looked at him, clearly disapproving of Zuko's outburst.
"Jiyuu!" A voice had broke the air upon the resting brunette. They had shook her lightly, trying their hardest to wake her. "Jiyuu!"
One eye had opened slowly, blinking a couple of times to adjust their vision. She had then opened them both and seen that it was Iroh before her, "Uncle Iroh? What are you doing out here?"
"Zuko is going to be in an Agni Kai." He said straight to the point, which caused the girl to immediately try to get to her feet.
She threw her arms in the air, shocked. "W-What? With who?"
"With Ozai." He finished as her eyes widened in shock. "I told Zuko not to speak in the War Chamber and he had disrespected all the generals, but most of all his father."
The airbender clamped her hand over her mouth. She didn't know how to feel or how to act, but she knew for sure that she had to hurry to arena. Iroh had followed behind her as when they had gotten their, the stands were filled with many crowds and just about everyone was there. It had not started just yet and she had made her way inside the building that led to the area. She had seen Zuko be placed on his ceremonial cloak, "Zuko!"
"Jiyuu?" He then turned to look at her, surprised that she got herself back here. "What are you doing here?"
She ran over to him and started beating his bare chest, "Are you insane? Why are you doing this? Why did you speak in the war chamber? You promised Uncle you wouldn't!"
"Because they were going to sacrifice innocent people and I couldn't just let that happen, but it will be fine. I'll win this." He grabbed her wrists to stop her fists as anger and sadness were swirling in those hazel eyes of hers. He knew she wouldn't be happy about this, but in his mind he knew that by him doing this, he would prove that he was better than Admiral Cheng.
"Your a fool, Zuko!" She cried, but she wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. Surprised, the Prince returned her hug and patted her on the back as he heard her sobs. She was a real worry wort, did she really think some lame general was really going to beat him?
"I'll be fine. Go find Iroh and watch me win this." He said as he noticed the people signal that it was time for him to go in the arena. Jiyuu shook her head and didn't make any notions of letting him go. "Jiyuu, you have to let go of me."
"I can't. I can't lose you, Zuko. You matter too much to me, please... Please stop this!" Soon a guard had ripped her away from him, she watched as Zuko looked away and then lifted the curtain before going towards the stage. Jiyuu had looked down and ripped her arms away from the soldiers that held her back, she went to the stands and searched for Iroh and stood beside him.
The older man placed his hand on her shoulder as she watched with clenched teeth and anger evident on her face. Zuko was now in the rectangular arena that had large crowds on either side. He drops his to the floor, exposing his bare chest. He turns to face his opponent, and, recognizing the general... But that wasn't him, a much larger opponent, silhouetted, advances slowly on Zuko. "Please, father, I only had the fire nation's best interest at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!"
Ozai kept advancing, "You will fight for your honor."
Stricken, the thirteen-year-old began abasing himself on the floor. "I meant you no disrespect. I am your loyal son."
"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!" The Fire Lord had yelled at his son.
"I won't fight you." His son said, tears staining his face.
"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher." The Fire Lord said as he now stands a few feet from Zuko, as the Prince raises his tear filled face to his father before his father release a string of fire toward his son's face.
A week later...
Zuko had finally awoken since the day he faced his father in an Agni Kai. He woke up to see his Uncle sitting beside him, tears falling down his face as he looked at the flower in his hand. It was the same red and yellow, chrysanthemum flower pin from the headband that Lu Ten had gotten for Jiyuu. The Prince let out a long sigh, "Uncle?"
Iroh had looked away from the flower, "Nephew." He said softly, "You have finally awaken I was worried that you never would."
"Where is Jiyuu?" He asked as he sat up and noticed the instant silence that filled the room. The older man continued to twirl the flower in his hand, "Uncle? Why aren't you answering me?" The Prince was growing worried and agitated, "Where is she?"
"She is being executed today." He answered as the boy's only visible eye had widened.
"Why was faced to the death penalty?" Zuko's voice had rose as his Uncle closed his eyes and began to tell Zuko what had happened during the day he face off his father.
Flash back:
Jiyuu watched horrified and that's when she had found her body moving, no thought except to save Zuko on her mind. She found herself jumping in the air, using her airbender, and dived toward the arena. Gasps could be heard as Ozai quickly turned to see the brunette girl with narrowed eyes, glaring daggers at his form. "My Lord..."
"Jiyuu? What are you doing here? Zuko must suffer for his actions, he doesn't need to be doted on. That was the problem with him, you can't protect him forever. He is a ignorant fool with no sense of respect!" His voice roared, but that did not strike fear in the airbender's heart.
She walked closer to him, her hand over her heart. "But your his father! He loves and respects you, he made a mistake!" She yelled as Zuko's hand clung toward his burning face, his screams piercing the air as a medical team quickly retrieved the prince and brought him to the infirmary.
"It seems you lack respect as well." Ozai's eyes were piercing, "You were nothing but a streetrat and this what I get for taking care of you?"
"You never took care of me!" Jiyuu yelled at him, "The only person who took care of me was Lady Ursa! Not you!"
The man moved forward, "Who put those clothes on your back? The rice in your bowls? You would be dead if it wasn't for me!"
"That's not true and you know it! I would be dead if it wasn't for your father! Fire Lord Ozai, I challenge you right now to an Agni Kai!" She pointed to him as gasps filled the air once more.
The Fire Lord laughed, "Your nothing but an disgraceful child, but since you are no kin of mine it would only be reasonable I sentence you to death."
Her eyes widened at his words before she could bend even just a gust of wind, soldiers already had grabbed her and bound her. Jiyuu fought against their hold as they took her to the prison. "You will get what you deserve, Ozai! I promise you!" The airbender continued to scream as she was growing farther and farther away from the Fire Nation palace.
End Flash back:
Zuko, who was out of his bed, moved back in horror before looking out towards the door. "What execution was she sentenced to?" His voice was hoarse and just above a whisper.
"The Cliff." Iroh answered as he then saw his nephew bolt out of the room with him soon to follow.
"Do you have something you wish to say, My Lord?" The executioner had asked Ozi while the brunette had her wrists and ankles remained bound and tied behind her. Azula, Ozai, Admiral Cheng, and just about the large majority of the Fire Nation stood not too far behind as she stood near the edge. Her hair was unkempt, some red lines visible on her arms, stomach, and legs from being whipped. Dirt from her cell all on her skin. They had all looked at her like she was disgusting when it was them who was disgusting. Admiral Cheng had hung his head low, unable to watch. Zuko had finally made it as she stood there, her head held high.
Ozai had looked at the executioner and then at Jiyuu, "I looked at you as one of my own. I never felt such greater disappointment and disrespect, I couldn't imagine you falling to this low level." He said as Jiyuu continued to look at him as he spoke, "You had a bright future despite your uncivilized race. You had the heart of a firebender and that's why I continued to let you stay in my home as one of my own. You deserve this death and you will be made an example of. Whoever crosses me faces death."
"Now's your chance if you got any last words." The executioner then said to Jiyuu as she then saw Zuko and Iroh reaching the front, but guards had made them unable to move any closer.
She could see tears streaming down Zuko's one good eye, Iroh shedding tears as well, and she felt guilty but she did not take back anything that she had done. "Yeah, can you speed it up?" She said cockily. "I don't give a damn about dieing, it already feels like I already have. What really rubs me the wrong way is the thought of my life being taken away by you ugly bastards." She snarled at them as Ozai narrowed his eyes, his hands tightening. "When I was out in those Fire Nation streets you so love to say, I lived a life of not getting help from nobody and I'd be damned if I let you help me into my grave."
And with that said, she grinned as the breeze flew towards her direction, she had jumped and let it push her off the cliff and then began falling towards the blue ocean below. "JIYUU!" Zuko screamed as he ran near the edge, on his knees as he saw her hit the waters below. "JIYUU!" He screamed once more as Iroh pulled him away from the cliff as the boy let out a large gust of fire from his mouth out of his anger and sorrow.
"Pack up your things, Zuko. You are hereby banished from the Fire Nation." Ozai told his son, "You can only return once you find the Avatar." Zuko couldn't even register anything his father had said because his best friend had fallen to her death, so bravely and without a second thought. He kept thinking that maybe, maybe that this was just a dream. His Uncle's sobs and his constant tears had only proved that all of it was in fact real.
As Jiyuu sunk lower and lower into the ocean, she had looked up to see the sun growing more and more distant. This was it, she was going to die. It was nearly impossible to know if she was crying or not as she was sinking in this ocean. Jiyuu was sinking farther and farther down the ocean and her eyes beginning to close and lungs nearly about to fill up with water. She could hold her breath for a long period, but saving herself didn't even seem worth it. It was like she wanted to die, like she wanted to escape this world and somehow find her way back to Lu Ten.
Every time she would think of of Lu Ten, an imagine of his smiling face would come to mind but the only person she could think of was Zuko's. She couldn't even begin to guess what that was even so, when she was able to think of Lu Ten's face so clearly as if he was right in front of her but all she could see was Zuko's face, bandaged, and that hurt in his eye. She had done that to him, she had took away her friendship from him. Everything had soon became dark and she had felt her body moving deeper into the depths below and her eyes had soon fell closed.
She woke up in what looked to be like a line. They were standing on top of the ocean, in a single file line. She couldn't see the faces of the others, they were more like souls since she could see through them. "Where am I?" She asked herself as the line soon moved forward by one step and she took one also. She looked behind her and saw more and more souls had appeared. Was this death? She was dead wasn't she?
She looked up at the clear sky and wondered if this was what she really wanted. Did she really want to die? Was there really nothing left to live for? The Avatar was gone, Lu Ten was dead, Ursa was gone, and Zuko was probably the last person she would ever get to see again. She had no home, no idea where her real parents were, and there was nothing really left for her to do. What point was there to continue on a life where she had felt had no meaning?
She had seen a flash of Zuko's stricken face and placed her hand over her chest, nearly hollow and her hand was able to go right through it. But something strange was going on, she could feel her heart beating. She couldn't hear or feel it the whole time she was here but now she could, what did that mean? Slowly, her body sunk back into the ocean and she looked around frantically before everything had went pitched black once more.
"We have to keep trying!" The voice said, so filled with fear.
Suddenly, a series of coughs had erupted from the soaking wet body that lied across the deck. The brown-haired girl took a gasp of life and immediately coughed up more and more water that filled her lungs. "Jiyuu! Jiyuu!" Another voice had called and she had turned to see a familiar face. "Lu Ten?"
"No, its Admiral Cheng." The person clarified and her blurred vision had soon became clearer and she had indeed saw that it was indeed Admiral Cheng. "I am so glad you are alive."
He had picked her up and walked her towards the infirmary on his ship, "How did you find me?"
"When I learned of your execution, I had told my army to bring my ship here and by the time you fell and the whole execution was over, they had arrived on time.
Jiyuu smiled softly, "You didn't have to do this."
"Yes I did." He answered her, "I'm going to take you to the Earth Kingdom. You'll have to live your life there as a refugee, you will not be recognized and you can live a normal life. We'll give you some gold coins so that you can live easy."
"That is too much, I can survive on my own." She tried to reassure him but her words went in one ear and out the other.
The Admiral shook his head, "Please allow me to do this one last thing for it will be a long time before we see each other again."
He had laid her down on the white cot of the infirmary and knelt down beside the bed as she let out a soft, raspy sigh. "Its really hard to say no when you say it like that."
"Then please accept." He pleased as she looked at him with kind eyes and gave him a firm nod. "Thank you."
Name Meanings:
Jiyuu is the Japanese name meaning "Freedom."
Cheng is the Chinese name meaning "Accomplished."
Ages:
Admiral Cheng is 18
Azula is 11
Jiyuu is 12
Zuko is 13
Other:
The next chapter probably won't be posted until the end of this week or the beginning of this week. These two chapters were done and I wanted to get them out of the way.
Thank you for the review guys. If you are wondering why I haven't dated Dragon Spirit, its because I'm kind of sticking to the canon storyline and The Promise Part 3 isn't out yet. When it is, I'll continue on.
I wonder how an A:TLA and Sengoku Basara crossover would go. It would probably be an interesting read.