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 3: Fire
The Headband Pt. 2 & The Beach
Inhaling deeply, he opened the doors to Jiyuu's old room and let out a long sigh as he looked around. Things were just how they were before she left. The room still had her scent, the smell of raspberries even though it was quite faint. He walked over to her dresser where the make up and perfumes she had were still there, her favorite brush and combs lying there as well as hair accessories. "I'm surprised he didn't burn this room down." He said to himself out loud as he picked up a pink comb with a bright white flower on its edge.
"I was going to do that." The dark toned voice had broke through the air, causing the Prince to turn to see his father standing authoritatively at the doorway.
Zuko had placed the comb down, "Why haven't you?"
"Because that's a perfectly good waste of a room. Besides, why not give it to your future betrothed?" Ozai had stepped in further and looked around, his expression revealing his disgusted.
"Betrothed? Since when did I have one?" Zuko asked his father, who gave him a very sly grin.
"Since I found out that Jiyuu was still alive." He picked up a comb from the dresser, analyzing it as he continued to speak. "When were you going to tell me, Prince Zuko?
The Prince stood there wide-eyed as he looked around, "I didn't think it would matter since she is not on Fire Nation soil."
"She's an escaped criminal, it does matter." He crushed the comb in his hands, "Next time you see her, I want you to end her. Is that a problem?"
Zuko looked away from him. "No, its not."
"I almost forgot how beautiful the Fire Nation looked at night." Jiyuu said, reminiscing of her days where she would sit out in the garden of Firelilies and stare at the moon and stars. "I guess I should be heading back just to make sure they are all right with their little party." Running down from a Fire Nation building, going down the wall using her airbending to keep her leveled before she touched the ground. She had walked down the alleyway, her arms swinging at her sides.
She could hear the very few people that happened to be out at night, adults. They were talking as they walked and that had made her feel somewhat relaxed, thinking that she wouldn't have to fight her way home or be worried about walking down these streets with no one on it. What the people were saying did catch her attention though, she rounded the corner and listened to what one woman was saying. "I heard there's a shadow that runs ontop of the roofs at night. What do you think it could be?"
"Probably some men hired by the Fire Lord. You see there haven't been any ruckus on the streets, he might of hired invisible discipline." The man replied, thinking that he had nailed the answer right on the head. The woman had agreed, nodding her head and saying 'ahh' as if seeing the possibility of him being right.
"The Fire Lord sure does act fast, doesn't he? He has to be one of the greatest." said the woman, her admiration for Ozai growing just by the possibility of the invisible discipline.
Jiyuu rolled her eyes and kept walking, taking a left turn down the road as she mumbled curses about the current Fire Lord. However, she now found herself about this shadow that the woman brought up. She kept looking around at the rooftops, wondering if she would catch the person herself. Instead, she had seen nothing but that didn't stop her from keep looking up. "Maybe its just a rumor..." She whispered to herself since she kept thinking that she was being watched. Her paranoia was definitely getting the best of her. Soon, she swore she had heard what sounded like a crack on one of the roof tiles.
She spun at the direction she heard it, but she had seen nothing. Her eyes roamed back and forth between buildings and she rubbed the back of her head. "Ehhh... I need to calm my nerves."
As soon as she turned around, there was a blue masked person standing right in front of her. Her mouth opened to let out a yelp, but the hand slapped itself onto it before she could let out a sound. The airbender soon raised her foot, just to have it blocked by the masked male's other hand. Furrowing her brows, she sent a punch towards his stomach which ultimately made him stumbled backwards, she moved back and then began to run.
The brunette looked back to see the person following her, running on the roofs in quick speed. A smirk appeared on her face as she increased her running by infusing her airbendeing in it, creating a trail of dust behind her. She was sure that was going to mislead the masked stranger, but she had felt something wrap around her, tightening her arms against her body and making her unable to do anything. "Let me go!" She shouted, wincing at the rope had gotten tighter.
Footsteps had inched closer to her and she had opened one eye and saw the blue masked stranger once more. She narrowed her eyes at him and kicked her feet, trying to untie herself by unraveling it, but he remained potent on keeping it tight and giving her another excruciating hug of pain. "Your an enemy to the Fire Nation, letting you go would ensure danger upon the city."
Jiyuu had stopped fighting, recognizing the voice. "Zuko?" She grimaced as she said his name, "Should've known it was you."
"Where's the Avatar? I know he's still alive." He squatted down beside her as she turned away from him, "Don't make this harder than it already is."
"You've already made it that way, you idiot!" She barked, "Let me go and fight me like a real bender, coward!"
The boy took off the fake replica of his mask, his amber eyes staring at her with a cold expression. He could see the fire in her eyes, almost like it would appear in a firebender. She was angry, more angrier than he had ever seen her be, and he never once thought this type of situation would ever happen between them. "I don't want to fight you, J-"
"I told you to never say my name!" She yelled, "Fight me like a man, Zuko! Stop being such a girl and fight me!"
The boy growled, "That's the point! I don't want to fight you!"
Jiyuu continued to glare at him, her breathing heavy as she looked away. "Then you're useless."
The Prince's eyes widened at her words as she continued to not look at him. "At least I'm not the one who allowed their best friend to think they were dead for three years and pretend to be someone else." He then pulled out the napkin and placed something in it. She watched as he inched the substance towards her nose and immediately, everything had went dark.
When Jiyuu woke up, she noticed that she was what looked like to be a room. The room was luxurious but she knew where she was, she was indeed in the Fire Nation palace. The confusion and fear of it all had brought on a headache, she was trying to think and her mind wasn't ready to attempt to process all of this. "Ow." She mumbled as she then saw a piece of fruit in front of her and the hand that was coming from was indeed Zuko's. The airbender glared at him and cocked her arm back to swing but it immediately fell limp, the strength not fully returned. "You drugged me?!"
"It was the only way to get you away." Zuko said as he held the pomegranate in front of her, "Are you going to eat it or not?"
The girl looked away, despite how tempting the fruit had looked, and noticed that this was her old room. It hadn't changed at all, "How did you get me in here?"
"It was simple. I put a wig on your head and made up a lie of what your actual identity is." He pushed the fruit further, "If you don't eat anything, you won't recover."
"Why are you doing all this?!" She smacked the fruit out of his hand, "I hate you!"
The Prince pinched the bridge of his nose, showing his frustration as he tried to control his temper. "Because I want to protect you!" He answered her which caused her eyes to widen a fraction at what he said, "I don't expect you to forgive me and I don't expect to get over you lying to me but I don't want what happened three years ago to happen all over again."
The airbender had finally calmed, looking at the Prince with a sense of guilt but still strong sense of anger. "Why?" She asked, her voice finally soft not loud and scrutinizing.
"Because I wanted to, all right?" He placed the tray on the bed and walked away from her, "Your name is Feng and you're the daughter of Nobleman San Yu of Bei in the Fire Nation colonies. You have accepted my proposal to be my betrothed. You are an only child and your mother has passed away. Do you understand?" He said as he faced the door.
Jiyuu narrowed her eyes and spoke in a rather sarcastic manner, "Yes, Prince Zuko."
She could see him tense up as he opened the door and walked out, leaving her in the room by herself. She picked up an apple slice and took a bite before laying back down and feeling agitated all over again.
Soon, a knock came on the door and she immediately sat up. Azula had came into the room, a suspicious smile on her face. "Why, hello there. I sure you know who I am, everyone does. My brother as well as my friends and I are going to Ember Island, its only natural that we invite you since you are his betrothed. The servants will help you with your packing and we'll be leaving in the morning. Oh and I hope you feel better, my father has personally sent to find whoever tried to attack your carriage. Good day." The Princess walked out of the room and shut the door behind her, letting Jiyuu sigh of relief. She placed her hands on her wig, groaning as she found herself in a far more uncompromising position then she had imagined she would get into.
Three girls had came in, their heads down. Jiyuu's face lit upon seeing those three familiar faces. Sen, Taki, and Hana all together again and in her room just like old times. "Its so nice to see you three."
Hana gave her a confused expression, "But we have never met you Lady Feng." She said as she looked at Taki and then at Sen, who appeared to be just as mind-boggled as she was.
The airbender grabbed a handful of the long black wig and threw it across the room. All three of the girls gasped, "L-Lady Jiyuu?!" Sen was the only one able to speak as the all ran towards her and embraced her, "Aren't you suppose to be..."
"I had a little help. I'm so glad to see you three and you all look so healthy and well." Jiyuu said with enthusiasm as they had let her go.
"Well, what are you doing here and under the disguise of a nobleman's daughter?" Taki asked, "This is very dangerous. What if you get caught?"
"I survived one execution," Jiyuu rubbed her thumb once against her nose in an arrogant manner, "I'll survive another. Don't worry, I'll be fine guys. Let's start packing, its getting pretty late because I didn't know I slept all day."
Sen threw her arms in the air, "Don't worry! We'll choose you nothing but the best of clothing. You should get some rest, all right?"
Jiyuu sighed as she ate a grape from the fruit bowl, "I guess. I'll see you guys soon, right?"
"Of course. Leave everything to us." Taki said as the girl laid back down on the bed, her eyes falling close as she drifted back off to sleep.
Sen had woken up the airbender in the morning and they had bathed and dressed her. They placed many, many small hairpins in her hair to make sure her wig had stayed on incase she would have to do some activities. She had left with Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee towards Ember Island for some sort of vacation. She wasn't sure what was going to come out of this vacation, but she already didn't like being on this ship. "I'm so excited to spend the weekend on Ember Island." Ty Lee enthused as they all stood on the deck, Jiyuu keeping her distance from everyone. Zuko standing int he shade and Mai not too far from him, "It's gonna be great to hang out on the beach and do nothing." Ty Lee rests her hands behind her head and closes her eyes with a satisfied smile.
"Doing nothing is a waste of time. We;re being sent away on a vacation." He walks over to the balustrade where Jiyuu is, he leans on and stares out to sea. "I feel like a child."
"Lighten up. So dad wants to meet with his advisers alone...without anyone else around. Don't take it personally." Azula said, waving her arm to dismiss her brother negative thinking even though she had felt the same herself.
Ty Lee gestures at Azula, "Doesn't your family have a house on Ember Island?"
"We use to come every summer when we were kids." Azula said as she turned toward the acrobat.
Her friend was enthused, "That must've been fun!"
"That was a long time ago." Zuko said as Jiyuu looked at him, Mai doing the same.
When they had reached the docks and excited, Li and Lo had welcomed them to the island before taking them to a small, shabby beach cottage. Everyone looked displease and skeptical at the tropical room as Azula walked skpetically into the room with a green curtained doorway, Ty Lee following behind her. Soon everyone entered the room, "It smells like old lady in here."
Mai sarcastically spoke, "Gee, I wonder why." She said as she looked at him.
Ty Lee and Jiyuu were looking at a painting of two, young twins. The twins were standing back to back in a symmetrical seductive pose. "Who are these two beautiful women?"
Jiyuu cut her a dumbfounded stare as Li and Lo stand on either side of the painting. "Can't you tell?" The elderly twins strike the identical pose from the painting, "It's Li/Lo and me."
Zuko covered his mouth to prevent himself from getting sick as Jiyuu frowns deeply. The others looked confused and slightly disgusted.
Ty Lee had jumped on a maroon, printed bead spread and lies her back on it while snuggling against a pillow. "Oooh, I love this seashell bedspread!"
"I think you're the only one who does." said Jiyuu with her arms folded, already disappointed by this whole experience.
Ty Lee is still snuggling her seashell bed spread. The other four teens stand listening to Li and Lo. "We know you're upset that you were forced to come here this weekend. But Ember Island is a magical place." said Li, "Keep an open mind."
Her twin, who stood beside her, then said. "Give it a chance..."
Both of them talked in a unison, "...and it can help you understand yourselves and each other." Li grabbed one of the smooth stones resting on table. She passes the smooth stone to her sister. "The beach has a special way of, "Lo began rubbing the smooth stone, "smoothing even the most ragged edges." Ty Lee joins the group and Azula yawns. In an identical series of motions, the old twins clap and strip off their robes, revealing their elderly bodies in swimwear. "Time to hit the beach!" Jiyuu gags while Zuko covers his eyes.
They all walked along the beach in their swimwear as there were some smaller beach beach bungalows, as well as some larger, more magnificent properties interspersed around the cliff face. Zuko had stabbed an umbrella into the sand and opened it before placing some towels for them to sit on. Jiyuu had sat down, him sitting beside her. She gave him a blank stare and then looked away as Mai narrowed her eyes at them.
Zuko looks at the side at a seashell, he picks it up. "Here..." He brings the shell toward her, "This is for you."
Jiyuu looked down at the shell and then back at him. Confusion was completely stamped across her face, but apart of her seemed curious. "Why are you giving me this?" She asked.
"I saw it and I thought it was pretty. Don't girls like stuff like this?" He said as she chuckled, her hand clutched over her stomach.
Zuko frowned and is about to throw the shell, but she grabs his hand. "It is pretty and I do like it." She took the shell and rubbed the soft, lined texture. "Thanks." She smiled at him as Mai continued to watch with folded arms.
The airbender could feel Zuko's eyes still on her form, "What?" She said as she looked at him from the corner of her eyes as she played with the seashell.
He waited until Mai walked away, leaving them alone. "You look better with your real hair. This wig makes you look weird." He said as she frowned.
"Thanks, that's real sweet of you." She said sarcastically as she looked back at the shell, "Your lucky I'm under this disguise. I should kill you. You caught me, tortured me, and then knocked me unconscious and gave me a different identity and put me in the home of the man who tried to kill me!" She mumbled but loud enough for him to hear her.
"I'm doing this to protect you!" He snapped, lowering his voice as well. "If you would just trust m-"
Jiyuu snorted, "I don't trust you as much as I could trust a psycho with a knife! Trusting you is like saying yes to signing a death certificate. You don't give a damn about me!"
"Your the one who doesn't give a damn about me!" He pointed at his chest to refer as himself, growing agitated with the airbender.
"Your the one who lied to me for months!"
"I did it because you told me you would hate me if you found out and you did! You still do! What difference would it made?!" She threw her arms up in defeat, "I couldn't go back to you, I didn't know you were banished! And where was I gonna look for you?"
The Prince looked away, "Now isn't the time to be talking about this."
"You just noticed that?" She sighed, "It doesn't matter anymore anyway. Things have changed, we have changed. Nothing can go back to how it use to be."
Frustrated, Zuko gets up and walks away. Jiyuu leans her face into her palm, her elbow being supported her her knee. When the Prince comes back, he is holding two ice-cream cones and joins her under the umbrella. "I thought since it's so hot... Here."
He hands her an ice-cream cone, but the scoop of ice cream falls off the cone and into her lap. Jiyuu looked down at the ice cream that was melting on her thigh. "...Thanks, my leg needed that."
She wiped the ice cream off her leg as Azula walks over to them. "Hey, beach bums, we're playing next. Ty Lee, get over here now!"
"I can't, doctors order. I can't do anything too physically strenuous." Jiyuu said, worried that her wig might come off and reveal her true identity. "You guys have fun and I'll, uh, cheer you guys on!"
"Thanks Feng! I'm sure you're support is gonna make us win!" Ty Lee said as the airbender laughed nervously. The Princess shrugged her shoulders as they all walked over to the volleyball net.
She was later approached by a boy, "I'm having a party tonight, "You should come." The airbender looked over to see another boy talking to the ground, she looked back at him and shrugged her shoulders.
"Whatever."
They were all back at Li and Lo's small beachhouse and dock. Everyone was sitting at the hexagonal table on the balcony outside with an elaborate meal on their plates. "Why didn't you tell those guys who we were?" Zuko asked.
"I guess I was intrigued." His sibling replied, "I'm so used to people worshiping us."
"They should." Ty Lee joined the conversation as Jiyuu rolled her eyes at what was said. 'Like hell you two should.' She thought.
Azula continued, "Yes, I know, and I love it! But for once, I just wanted to see how people would treat us if they didn't know who were were."
The twins then spoke, "Like waves washing away the footprints on the sand, Ember Island gives everyone a clean slate. Ember-"
"Will you both shut up about this damn Island!" Jiyuu slapped her hands on the table. She was hot, annoyed, and truly tired of the twins talking about the land. Everyone looked at her in surprise as she laced her hand on her head, "I'm sorry. I'm just not feeling well."
"No, I actually enjoyed someone shutting them up about this island." Azula said with a smile, "I hate having to do everything."
Li and Lo then looked at each other, "To the party!"
They had went to the large, stilted mansion on the Cliffside of Ember Island. "Aren't we a little early?" Jiyuu asked, "I'm pretty sure we're really early."
Azula turned to her, "No, we're punctual." She tapped the ornate, gold knocker on the large wooden door. Chan soon opens the door and he looks displease. "Um... You're a little early. No one's here yet."
The airbender silently said an 'I told you so' as she looked away from them.
"I heard you telling someone you'd be partying from dusk till dawn." The Princess looks out at the horizon, "It's dusk so we're here."
"But that's just an expression." Chan said dully.
"We are the perfect party guests. We arrive right on time because we are very punctual." Azula makes a chopping motion with her left hand, hitting her right
hand as she says 'punctual'.
The boy shrugs and gestures for them to come inside. "All right, listen, My dad's an admiral. He has no idea I'm having this party." He said as they walked into the large entryway, with a large table covered with food at the center. "so don't mess anything up."
Azula was now alone with Chan as the others walked around a bit, "That's a sharp outfit, Chan... careful." She said looking intense and a little... crazy. "You could puncture the hull of an Empire-Class Fire Nation Battleship, leaving thousands to drown at sea..." She points at his outfit, "because it's so sharp."
"Um..." The boy points less enthusiastically at Azula, "Thanks."
Azula has an enthusiastic smile, which quickly turns to a frown as Chan walks away. Ruon Jian was combing his hair in a mirror. He sees Azula and her company walking by in the background. He turns toward them. "Hey, first one here, huh?"
Zuko and Jiyuu walked side by side. She was admiring the house while he seemed to not like Ruon, "Pfft. He thinks he's so great," He then looked at Jiyuu, "Well, what do you think of him?" They stop walking.
The brunette placed her hands across her chest, "He's all right. What about him?"
"You like him, don't you?" He narrowed his eyes.
The female smirked, "Even if I did, I'm not really your betrothed. I can take this wig off and flirt with him if I wanted to, what's it to ya?" She walked away whole he angrily looks in the direction of Ruon Jian.
He hurries off and grabs her arm, "Let's go talk at the balcony." He said as she rolled her eyes and let him lead the way. When they reached the balcony, he shut the door and locked it behind them.
"Why are you pushing this?" Jiyuu said in a frustrated tone, "I don't want to be here, I don't want to be Feng, and I need to go help the Avatar!"
Zuko sighed, "You can't go back to the Avatar."
"And why not?" She folded her arms, "You know I would never fight alongside the Fire Nation."
"Because I'm trying to protect you!" He grew angrier as she clenched her teeth.
"I don't need you do anything for me!" She made a swiping motion, "Not after all you have done!"
The Prince marched over to her, "What have I done Jiyuu? What have I done to make you hate me?! You know all I have ever wanted was my father's love and respect, I have that now. Its all I ever wanted and you think that I should just throw it away because of what you believe in?!"
"You father is a monster, Zuko and you know it!" She yelled at him, both them at each others faces. "He tried to kill a twelve-year-old girl because she was trying to save her best friend!" Tears starting to form at the corner of her eyes, "I was going to die down there Zuko! I was so afraid when I was in that water, I could feel myself dying! I was so close... And nobody was there to save me except for Admiral Cheng."
His amber eyes narrowed, "Are you serious Jiyuu?! I almost jumped off that cliff and Iroh had to stop me! I was willing to dive in those water myself to save you!" The airbender was flabbergasted, her eyes wide in surprise. "I died inside when I watched you willingly jump! I was hoping, I was praying that maybe my father wouldn't go through with it but you jumped Jiyuu."
She looked down and closed her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks. "I didn't want my life to end by his terms."
"I know that, but for three years I thought you were dead. But here you were, Feng, in the Earth Kingdom with your father. Lying to me over and over even when we went to Ba Sing Se. The day you tell me who you were is the day you fought along the Avatar. How did you think I was suppose to feel?"
"I wanted to tell you, but when you told me that you would hate me if you found out it was me... I didn't want that I didn't want for things to be like how they are now." She shook her head, "I should've just told you before like Iroh told me to, but I was afraid."
Zuko grabbed her wrists, "We can fix this."
"Then tell me why you're lying to your father by saying the Avatar is dead." She bawled her fist, halfway tempted to rip her arms away from his grasp.
"Because Azula wanted me to have the glory, she doesn't know he is still alive. But I planned on fixing that by sending an assassin after him." Her eyes went wide, "That's what I'm trying to protect you from. My father knows your alive and he wants me to kill you."
Jiyuu tried to fight out of his hold bu the was far stronger, his grip getting tighter. "How could you do this?! Your father is a monster!"
"He's only trying to do what's best for me!" Zuko defended the Fire Lord, "Why is it so hard for you to see that?"
"Maybe because he tried to kill me, Zuko! Now he's trying to do it again and he's making you do it! He's the one who scarred you and banished you to look for an Avatar that everyone presumed dead. What if you never found Aang, Zuko? You would still be traveling all over the damn world and your father lapping it up in the Fire Nation palace and your sister becoming Fire Lord or Fire Lady after him!" She grabbed him by his shirt and shook him, "Its so obvious! Its slapping your right across the face, but your in such denial that you're blind to it all! Wake up, Zuko!"
The Prince sighed pulled her hands away from him, "You don't know what you're talking about. Let's get back to the party before they notice we're gone."
She slapped her palm against her forehead, agitated. "This is the most craziez- Ah!" She yelped as Zuko pulled her back into house. They walked back to the party area and sat down on a couch. Jiyuu folded her arms and crossed her legs, while the boy beside her looked relaxed. "This party sucks."
"I know." Zuko said.
The girl blew her black bangs, "Can you go get me something to drink?"
"Fine." He gets up and walks away, leaving the girl to herself. He walks over towards the punch bowl with a cup in his hand, he walks through the crowd of party guests but one of them accidentally knocks the cup out of his with an over-zealous gesture. "Hey, watch it! That drink was for my be-" Unsure of how to finished the sentence as he was yelling angrily at the boy, he points in the direction of Jiyuu to see Ruon Jian leaning over her and that seems to add more fuel to the flames. He rushes toward them angrily and pushes the boy away from her.
Jiyuu looked at Zuko wide eye as Ruon Jian straightened his air, "Whoa. What are you doing?"
"Stop talking to my girlfriend!" Zuko snapped angrily as Jiyuu rolled her eyes.
Ruon approaches him, "Relax, it's just a party." The Prince pushes him hard, sending him flying across the room, breaking a giant vase.
The airbender stands up and places her hand on Zuko's chest, trying to move them away. "Let's get out of here, hothead!"
"Hothead?! How am I the hothead!" He was now focusing his anger on her.
The brunette stops, confused and now angry herself. "You're the one whose temper past boiling! Its lava! I thought we were gonna get on level ground?!"
"Levelground?! You won't even give me a chance!" He raises his arm in the air.
Chan ran over to the broken pieces of vase on the floor while the two were bickering. "Who broke my Nana's vase?!" He shrieked as Ruon pointed at Zuko. He gestures for him to leave immediately, "That's it, you're out of here."
"I was just leaving." Zuko said as he grabbed Jiyuu's wrist, pulling her away with him.
Ruon grabbed the girl's other wrist, "She can stay. You can have fun by yourself, loser boy."
Chan looks at Ruon Jian and smiles. "Nice."
"The only one who calls him a loser is me!" The airbender kicked Ruon in his stomach, watching him fly back and clutch onto it and groan. She turned toward the Prince who gave her a shocked expression, "Let's go, loser boy." The two walked out the door and slammed it shut behind them.
Both of them were walking down the beach, "I remember coming here." Jiyuu said as she smiled at him, figuring that all the bickering wasn't worth it right now.
"We're almost near the mansion." He said as he looked at her as she looked forward, a lingering sadness on her face. He stops and then looks at the sea, "What's going to happen to us?"
"What do you mean?" She asked, confused as she stopped and bent her knees and played with the sand beside him.
He continued to stare out into the ocean, "We're so far apart."
"Even when we're standing so close." Her voice was soft as they were at the shoreline, the water touching their feet. "This war has driven us apart."
"No, its not the war." The Prince said as Jiyuu stood, looking up at him. "We've changed."
The brunette sighed, "Yeah... I don't really want to think of it like that though."
"But we changed because we didn't have each other." He turned toward her, "If things had been different, we wouldn't be like this."
She halfway smiled but then formed a frown as she spoke, "But who is to blame for that?"
He sighed, "Your right. It is my father's fault, but its our fault for letting it continue on like this."
Azula had found them at the mansion and brought back to the beach where Ty Lee, Mai, and herself had made a fire. Mai had looked at Zuko with an angry expression at first and then a bit sad. He had sat inbetween her and Jiyuu and looked down at the fire. "Are you cold?" He asks Jiyuu as she shrugs her shoulders in a nonchalant manner.
"I'm freezing!" Ty Lee adds.
Zuko smiled, "I'll make a fire." He said as he walked towards the mansion, "There's plenty of stuff to burn in there."
Mai and Jiyuu happened to look at each other a slight tension building. Jiyuu could feel the anger radiating off the pale, Fire Nation girl and she didn't like the feel of it. But before she could comment on it, Zuko had threw the family portrait they had found in the mansion into the flames. Letting it burn into ashes, "What are you doing?" Ty Lee asks as the Prince stood over the fire.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked before looking back at what was left of the portrait.
"But it's a painting of your family." She points out which irritates him more.
"You think I care?"
The acrobat mumbles, "I think you do."
"You don't know me, so why don't you just mind your own business!" He said as he turned from her.
The Fire Nation brunette looked down and spoke rather softly, "I know you."
Jiyuu frowns as Zuko gets fired up, "No, you don't." He waves his arms in an angry notion, "You're stuck in your little Ty Lee world! Where everything's great all the time."
"Zuko, leave her alone." Mai finally cuts in.
Yet that didn't stop him from mocking her, " 'I'm so pretty, look at me. I can walk on my hands, whoo!'" He does a handstand as Jiyuu narrowed her eyes before looking at a sad Ty Lee. He lets himself fall to the sand but not without insulting her, "Circus freak!"
The airbender placed a hand on Ty Lee's shoulder as she cries meanwhile Azula is laughing. "Yes, I'm a circus freak. Go ahead and laugh all you want." Ty Lee gestures toward Azula, who looks away, "You wanna know why I joined the circus?"
"Here we go." Azula groaned.
"Do you have any idea what my home life was like, growing up with six sisters who look exactly like me," She stands up, "It was like, I didn't even have my own name." Soon, Ty Lee falls to the ground crying as she continues her story, "I joined the circus because I was scared of spending the rest of my life as part of a matched set. At least, I'm different now. Circus freak is a compliment!"
The knife assassin then speaks sarcastically, "Guess that explains why you need 10 boyfriends, too."
Ty Lee looked at her friend angrily and placed her hands on her hips, "I'm sorry, what?"
"Attention issues. You couldn't get enough attention when you were a kid, so," She started looking downward, "you're trying to make up for it now."
The acrobat moved closer and closer to Mai with each accusation, " Well, what's your excuse, Mai? You were an only child for 15 years, but even with all that attention, your aura is this dingy, pasty, gray..."
"I don't believe in auras." Mai countered.
Zuko stands up, "Yeah, you don't believe in anything." He says which causes Mai to look depressed.
"Oh, well, I'm sorry I can't be as high-strung and crazy as the rest of you." retorted Mai. She laid back carelessly on the rock she was sitting on, "What do you want from me You want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was Well, it wasn't. I was a rich only child who got anything I wanted. As long as I behaved... and sat still...and didn't speak unless spoken to. My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my Dad's political career to think about."
"Well, that's it, then." Azula finally spoke up, "You had a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself."
Mai narrowed her eyes, "You want me to express myself?" She stood up and yelled, "Leave me alone!"
"Gladly." The first thing Jiyuu said throughout the entire conversation.
"Excuse me?" Mai glared at her as Jiyuu returned the gaze, "I wouldn't care if you did."
The airbender stood up with her arms folded, "Like hell I care if you care about anything. Is this your first time caring for something? Let me give you a round of applause." She clapped her hands as Azula laughed.
"I like her, she's a feisty one." The Princess said with a smirk.
"Calm down, you guys. This much negative energy is bad for your skin. You'll totally break out." Ty Lee warned them.
Jiyuu sat back down and sighed, knowing Zuko wouldn't take too kindly to that suggestion. "Bad skin?" The Prince said angrily as the acrobat cringed. "Normal teenagers worry about bad skin. I don't have that luxury. My father decided to teach me a permanent lesson on my face." Zuko
points toward his scar.
"Sorry, Zuko, I..." Ty Lee attempted to apologize as Zuko walks away from them.
"For so long, I thought that if my dad accepted me, I'd be happy. I'm back home, now my dad talks to me. Huh, he even thinks I'm a hero." Azula smiles at these words. "Everything should be perfect, right I should be happy now, but I'm not. I'm angrier than ever and I don't know why." He explained.
His sibling then spoke up, "There's a simple question you need to answer then." She leans forward, "Who are you angry at?"
"No one," Zuko replies as he looks down, "I'm just angry."
Jiyuu then tilted her head, "Well, angry at who or what?"
"Everyone..." He covers his ears in frustration, "I don't know."
"Is it Dad?" Azula asks.
"No, no!" Zuko responds.
Ty Lee then asks, "You uncle?"
"Me?" asked Azula.
Zuko shakes his head in frustration, "No, no... No, no."
"Then who Who are you angry at?" Mai then asks.
Azula speaks sternly, "Answer the question, Zuko."
Ty Lee then pleads, "Talk to us."
The Prince looked confused and then frightened as Jiyuu looks at everyone who keeps asking questions, "Come on, answer the question." Mai eggs om.
"Come on, answer it." Azula adds as for a moment there is silence.
Zuko yells suddenly, "I'm angry at myself!" He throws his arms down and the campfire bursts into a column of flame. The girls cover their eyes to protect themselves from the fire, but it makes wind and embers fly through his blowing hair. The fire burns out.
"Why?" His sister asks.
Her brother looked out the sea, "Because I'm confused. Because I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore."
"You're pathetic." She rolls her eyes as Jiyuu stands and walks over to him, her hand on his shoulder.
He turns to look at her as she smiled at him, "I'm sure if you follow your own path, you'll figure it out yourself."
Azula claps, causing them to separate and turn to her. She was still clapping slowly, "Well, those were wonderful performances, everyone."
"I guess you wouldn't understand, would you, Azula?" He then gets sarcastic, "Because you're just so perfect."
She agrees. "Well, yes, I guess you're right. I don't have sob stories like all of you. I could sit here and complain how our mom liked Zuko more than me, but I don't really care. My own mother...thought I was a monster." Ty Lee looks concerned. "She was right, of course, but it still hurt."
As much as Jiyuu wanted to agree, she sighed. "At least you knew your mother ever since you were a child."
"Oh yes, your mother passe away when you were young." Ty Lee the points out, "I'm sorry to hear that."
Jiyuu had looked down, "When I was younger, I had gotten separated from my parents for a long time. Before my dad became as rich as he was today, we had lived a simple life. We struggled and there were times were I thought couldn't have a meal because we didn't have enough." She walked away from them and looked up at the starless night, "Being out on my own on the streets was probably the worse thing. I had no one to rely on, nobody to take care of me, and nobody who would even listen to me as I cried for food." She reflected on the days before she was found at the Fire Nation, "I really thought I would die and no child should be thinking that. I was far too young to worry about something as that. Of course, when I was found I felt so relieved but sometimes I wonder what would've happened if I wasn't. How torturous it would of been to die out there alone with no one to hear me crying out there."
Ty Lee had wiped her tears as Azula slightly frowned, "I'm sorry." Zuko said as the airbender looked at him, "But I'm glad its all led you to me."
She smiled at him, "I'm glad for that too."
"What Lo and Li said came true. The beach did help us learn about ourselves." She picks up a smooth stone, "I feel all smoothed. I'll always remember this."
"You know what would make this trip really memorable? Azula had a devious looking expression.
Jiyuu sighed, "I know this going to be something really bad."
After leaving Chan's house, destroying everything they could. They all walked out linked arm in arm very pleased with themselves. "You know, that felt kind of good." Jiyuu said, laughing.
"Being bad always feels good." Azula points out, "They deserved it after all."
"Definitely!" Ty Lee adds.
A few days had passe and they were back at the Fire Nation palace. Jiyuu was back in her room again and everything between her and Zuko had been on a level ground. They still had chosen different sides, but they focused about each other than where their allegiances were. She had been avoiding Ozai for the most part and she knew that he was looking for her, wanting to examine her and such. She wasn't sure if he would fall for this masquerade but she didn't want to think about it. For now, she was lying down on her bed and looking up at the ceiling. "I need to get a message to Aang." She mumbled as she stood up and walked over toward her desk and started to write a letter:
Aang,
I'm sorry how I disappeared but I'm in a predicament that I can't seem to get out of.
I'm in the Fire Nation caslte. Yeah, I know it sounds really bad but I'm under a diguise.
I didn't tell anyone about the Eclipse and so far, nobody knows about it.
I wish I would've stayed along or I wouldn't be in this crap, I'll make sure to fight along side you when the day comes.
I hope you and the others are well.
Jiyuu.
Someone had knocked on the door and it caused Jiyuu to immediately place the letter in the drawer. She noticed it was Zuko and let out a sigh of relief, "I need a messenger hawk."
"For what?" He shut the door behind him and walked toward her.
"To tell Aang that I'm alive and well." She said, "What do you think?"
He rolled his eyes before opening the door, "Gaurds! Get a messenger hawk to Feng's window!"
"Yes, Prince Zuko!" One guard said as he left to get right on it.
Zuko closed the door and watched Jiyuu rolled small scroll. "Thanks." She smiled at him before seeing the flying in front of the window. She walked over and opened it, "How is it suppose to know that I want to give it to the avatar? I have nothing with his scent on it."
"Just tell him the name and he can pick it up from anywhere." Zuko explained as she looked at him and then at the bird.
"Send this to Aang." She blinked several times as the bird 'kawed' and then flew away, leaving her with a confused expression. "Okay, that was odd." She jumped on her bed and hugged it, "Come lay down with me."
He raised a brow, "Your in one of your lazy moods, aren't you?"
"Yup!" She patted the space next to her in which he laid down next to her after taking off his boots. He looked up at the ceiling. "You know, I kinda miss this."
"Being lazy?" He asked he looked at her and she adjusted herself so that she was on her back.
"No, when we use to lay down and just talk about anything." She sighed, "I still think about things like this."
"Its not like I've stopped thinking about it," Jiyuu turned to look at him as he continued to look at the ceiling, "It just felt strange when I did. But tell me, if you can have anything you wanted right now, what would it be?"
Jiyuu smiles softly, "To stay like this forever with you."
The Prince looked at her in surprise, "Even though I'm a prince and all, I don't think I can make forever happen."
"But you can make it happen today and that's just as great." She said as she felt tears falling down the corner of her eyes.
He sat up and placed his hand on her wet cheek, "Why are you crying?"
Sitting up as well, she wiped the corner of her eyes. "Because it doesn't feel real at all. Sometimes I wished that I had stayed here with you and you never went to the meeting."
Zuko frowned as more and more tears kept falling from her eyes, he pulled out the silver clam necklace from his pocket and placed it in her hand. "When we were young, I remember how when we went to the beach in Ember Island and you wanted to look for a pearl because you thought they were so beautiful." Jiyuu rubbed the shell of the clam before noticing that it could open, "The clam may not be real, but the pearl is." She opened it and saw the beautiful white jewel inside of it like it would be in a real one. She looked up at him with wide eyes, "I always wanted to give this to you but I wasn't sure when it would be a good time." Jiyuu found herself laughing despite the tears that kept falling from her eyes, "What's so funny?"
"Because I can't believe you still remember something like that." She picked up the pearl with her forefinger and her thumb, examining it as she continued to smile before placing it back inside and closing the silver clam. "Thank you." She had turned around so that he could place it on and he did, fastening on her and she turned around and look at it. He pulled off the black wig which made her smile, but it soon faded as she let out long sigh. "Zuko, I want you to know something."
"What?" He said, curious about what could be troubling her.
"I want to be with you until... until the end." She whispered, "I want you to always know that."
Instead of warmth, the ice was in his gaze. "Why are you saying this right now?"
She let his question hang in the air before she spoke. "...Do you really not want me to be with you?" To look into those cold, angry eyes was no easy that, but she had to know.
Zuko stared at her for seconds that seemed like hours before he finally turned away. When he spoke, his voice was a hoarse whisper. "I don't like the sound of what you said before."
Something deep in her heart made her feel guilty for not telling him about the eclipse, but she had a feeling that he already knew. "I don't like the sound of it either. But I understand why and I think you know it. I also understand that if you abandon the Fire Nation now, you'd never forgive yourself. So... I want to stay with you. Whatever happens to us, I want to share it. I know I'm probably being a little forward... I mean, I don't even know how you feel."
For a long time, Zuko said nothing. She suspected that he was thinking of all the way she might convince her to change her mind and fight for the Avatar instead of doing nothing unlike she planned before, but at last he just sighed and looked away. "I'm not as strong as a man as you think I am. I don't know how to figure out what's right and what's wrong. Even now there's a part of me that wants to forget about my Father and run off with you to the Avatar. If I hurried, we could probably still catch up to him... I don't know if I'll be able to maintain control once I fight one of my own people or find the face of death staring me in the face by the hands of my father." He continued to speak, still unable to look at her as he continued on. But I want to take my last breath with honor. I want to bravely go into the next world almost like you did. If I am to have any hope of doing so, then I must do what my heart tells me is right. That's why I haven't chosen anything..."
There was more emotion in his voice than usual and he sounded almost confused, as if he was not used to speaking so freely even though he every much did. This, she thought, must be the inner turmoil in Zuko. "I never expected you to always be right, Zuko. I always argue with you to try to prove your wrong." She chuckled before smiling at him. "If you've suffered through the agony of your choice and still made it, then that's enough for me. Whatever happens, you'll never be ugly or honorless to me."
Zuko leaned in toward her suddenly, and she jumped as his hand took hold of her shoulder and drew her in close to him. They looked into one another's eyes, their faces only inches apart. She could feel his ragged breath against her skin. His arms shook, and when she looked at him she sensed... fear. "...That's what you really want, then?" His eyes drilled into her own, and his voice hung on every word he spoke. "You swear you will not regret this choice? That the words you have said are what you feel is right?"
His eyes were so deep, and she could feel them taking in every part of her, looking for any sign that what she said next was not the truth. She had never seen Zuko look at her that way before. "Yes. I want to be with you." She said honestly as she looked into the eyes of the boy she loved and smiled.
His eyes suddenly glistened with unshed tears and for a moment he looked like he was both laughing and crying at once. He let out a long sigh of relief, and leaned in closer. She could feel his breath as the distance closed, but the moment before their lips met, he hesitated but then closed those last few fractions of an inch. At last, their lips met. Their eyes both closed as Jiyuu felt her heart pounding in her chest, and suddenly it was rather hard to breathe, but she knew it felt... good. His lips shook as they pressed against her, but not with fear or anger. She wanted to believe that this kiss promised great things for us, but the future was still a mystery. Before them laid battle, but perhaps beyond that...
His warmth filled her entire body, and she felt her love for him reflected back with equal intensity. That alone made them happy enough to forget the horror of the battles that were to come.
Jiyuu: The Japanese name meaning "Freedom"
Feng: Chinese name meaning "Wind
I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOO SORRY! I haven't updated in a while, but I got inspired once I listened to some Ikimono Gakuri. Especially her song Sakura.
I hope this was a good chappie and I hope Zuko wasn't too OOCish around the end. I just really, really got into it. R&R!
Oh and thanks to all who have been with me in the beginning and all my new reviewers! Love yas!