The cells were hot, and she kept finding herself having to wipe light traces of sweat from her brow. The Fire Nation's warm weather still would take some time getting used to, but she found herself liking the fact that she didn't to be restricted by so many clothes—except for now since she was still wearing the Yuhuan costume.
This would be the perfect time to reflect, to understand just how she got herself in this cell. Even though she could rewind the events of the festival over and over in her head, realizing what she had done wrong and what she could've done to prevented this mess, she didn't feel contrite about what she said. In all honesty, Ruyi stood behind it. Fire Lady Ilah, from what she had read of her, was a pitiful woman and she would not go back on her words.
Her mother had always taught her to speak how she felt. That nobody could control her feelings or her thoughts because they were her own. Her mother always believed in following her heart, and Ruyi did too. Even if the outcome wasn't favorable, it was her own and nobody could take that away from her. Everyone wanted to police people's feelings and thoughts, but Ruyi wouldn't allow them. She promised to stay true to herself no matter what.
There was one thing she was grateful about while being in this cell, it was the barred window. The moon was full and bright, bringing light into the dark room. Watching the bright and round moon had comforted her and seemed to lull in her a sleepy haze. Her eyes could barely stay open, her boredom beckoning to be taken away by the calls of sleep.
Her drowsiness was shut down when the door of the cell room had opened, forcing her awake. Her eyes slowly glanced towards the cell's bars as she awaited the heavy footsteps to near her. She was the only one here and so there was no one else for them to see other than her. Standing before her now was a tall and top-heavy guard, who used a key to unlock the cell door. "Fire Lord Azulon wishes to see you."
The chains was unlocked and he grabbed her arm forcefully to get her on her feet. She was given new bonds so that she maintained her prisoner status and because one couldn't be too sure if she would put up a fight and harm someone. Even though Ruyi had no intentions ( she was quite smarter than that ) but she could understand the precaution. With a glare, she cooperated and walked alongside him even though she was very tempted to drag her feet to spite him. Now she was back in the halls of the palace but her wonder for the art among the place had died since then. All her attention was focused on what the Fire Lord wanted and had to say. Her future was in his hands after all.
When they reached two large, golden doors, Ruyi had fixed herself up to stand upright, her shoulders squared and her head held up high. The guard opened the door to reveal a room, which she figured was a lounge or meeting room seeing as all within the room was her father, the Fire Lord, Princes Iroh and Ozai, Lu Ten, Princess Ursa, and Zuko. Why were they all here? Was this where he would decide her punishment with an audience?
Ruyi was brought to her knees as her bonded wrists allowed her hands to lay on her lap. Her eyes defiantly looked to the Fire Lord, who stood with his arms behind his back, wrists crossing one another, as the rest were seated. Her eyes couldn't find themselves able to look at her father. She knew she had disappointed him and she didn't want to deal with the fact. Despite how much of a rah-rah she was over not wanting to impress him, Ruyi didn't want to bring shame to him.
"For your short period of time here and to be only a child, you've made quite an impression on the royal family." Azulon said, "From my daughter-in-law, my grandsons, and my eldest son." Ruyi's eyes watched as he spoke with his eyes were slit-closed with an expression hard that detailed he was completely in thought. "All of them have asked for you to be pardoned."
Her eyes widened as then noticed the smile on Ursa's face before shifting to her father's relieved expression, to Lu Ten's hopeful one, to Iroh's lighthearted twinkle, and finally to Zuko's worried eyes. The only one who didn't seem quite happy ( or worried ) and supportive was Prince Ozai. After all, he was the one who thought she should whipped to death by fire-whip. And Ruyi would never forget that either.
"But my real reason for summoning you here was to ask you something." He went straight to the point, "Why did you say Fire Lady Ilah was pitiful?"
"Before I answer that," Her voice was taut and low, "can My Liege answer my question first?"
Ruyi froze when he raised his hand, his head tilted back as his eyes glowered upon her. His long finger pointed at her as he spoke, "Don't push your luck, child!"
Shaking her head fiercely, she retorted. "I'm not doing that, Sire." With a shaky sigh, her eyes remained low as she had been too afraid to look at his angry eyes. "I'm worried after I answer your question, you'd be so angry that you'll want me put to death again."
Lowering his hand, he moved it towards his back like before and gazed at the floor. "Ask away!
"Why is it that you're so devoted to Fire Lady Ilah?" The words finally came after a slight moment of hesitation.
The Fire Lord had inched his way towards a painting, which Ruyi couldn't see from where she had knelt. "Because she was unlike any other woman. Other women loved the thought of marrying royalty, not me. Ilah was just a teenager when she married me. She loved for who I am, whether I'm the Crown Prince, the Fire Lord or even a beggar. She loved me just the same. She gave me children and was truly devoted to a life with me. There won't be anyone like her anymore."
The child listened to his words, and she could even even say that her heart warmed to them. In a way, she felt sorry for him but her words, she didn't feel the need to take them back. "Tell me, Fire Lady Ilah's virtues are are known throughout the world." Slowly, the tall, old male had turned to face her with his eyes staring at her. Even people in the Earth Kingdom had great respect for her. Why is she pitiful in your eyes?"
"I think that way because I've been reading her books lately and I came to a realization." She answered, fiddling with her fingers out of nervousness.
Taking a step forward, she could tell his ire was rising. "What kind of realization? Tell me!"
"I once thought you loved Fire Lady Ilah throughout her life, she must been the happiest woman on earth to have a husband like that." Her eyes glanced at her father. 'Something that my mother had but lost.' Ruyi thought to herself. "This was my mindset as I read the books, hoping to obtain some knowledge and skills that she had."
Azulon continued to pace in thought. "She gave you two children. As a mother, she had to look after them. As a Fire Lady, she had to run the harem. If she spent enough time with you, she couldn't have found the time to write twelve volumes of poetry and one hundred paintings. Behind each gem of a word and stroke of a paintbrush, she only had a lamp to keep her company on countless lonely nights. That's why I felt, Sire didn't love her that much."
His pacing had stop as he did a double-take and locking his eyes on her. "Keep talking!"
"I also couldn't understand why you seem so attached to her. After reading her poetry, I gradually began to realize rather than you saying you love Fire Lady Ilah, it's more like you feel regret towards her..." The Fire Lord's eyes lowered to the floor, "For not cherishing her when you could. That extravagance you go to on the anniversary of Fire Lady Ilah's death only proves Sire harbors enormous guilt towards her. When the world thinks Fire Lady Ilah won your eternal love, when in fact all she had was a false reputation. You let her down, that's why I think Fire Lady Ilah was pitiful." Looking up at Azulon, who kept a rather tight and inscrutable expression, she lowered her eyes as she sighed. "That's all I have to say."
"You think you are smart?" The both of them locked-eyes but Ruyi felt too intimidated to keep her gaze and so she settled to look back at the floor. He didn't say another word but instead left the room, leaving Ruyi to wonder what was to become of her.
The room was silent that if someone were to drop a pin, it'd be the loudest sound. In fact, Ruyi almost thought that her heart was beating loud enough for everyone to hear. Prince Ozai was the first to leave and then Princess Ursa and Prince Iroh after Lu Ten. Piandao had stood from his seat and walked towards Ruyi, the guard standing beside her still. With his hands on her shoulders, he pulled her into a tight embrace. Ruyi was surprised by the gesture but nestled her face in his shoulder.
"I've tried to silence you, but no matter what I say you speak how you feel." He spoke, making her eyes look at the side of his head from the corners of her eyes. "Your mother named you well, Ruyi."
She wasn't sure what he meant by that—she didn't even know to think whether if this was a compliment or not. The only thing she was sure of was that her father was grateful that she was still alive and unharmed. Though what she would be sentence to, nobody knew but Ruyi hoped that her punishment left her alive and without torture.
Zuko had jumped down from the chair and walked over, the look on his face quite unreadable. Piandao had relieved her from the hug and stood. Ruyi gave him a firm nod, which he understood that she wanted to talk to Zuko alone and he had left the room, leaving her with the ten-year-old.
"You have a lot of nerve." Zuko stated calmly, but there was a twinkle of admiration in eyes. "I've never seen someone dissect my Grandfather like that before."
The air of the conversation was light and stopped her heart from feeling scared and heavy. She sighed and then managed to give a small smile, "That means I did good, huh?" She joked, "Not sure though, I might not be alive after this."
"If you die, you'll be a legend." Even though it was a joke, she couldn't help but feel horrified about that. What kind of legacy would that be? 'Water Tribe girl of age nine tells it like it is to Fire Lord Azulon', she was pretty sure the truth would remain hidden. No way would the Fire Nation let Azulon's name be tarnished because this girl couldn't keep her mouth shut for the life of her.
"So, Zuko," Her hands created fists and she lightly punched the boy's shoulders, which he dramatically 'ow'd' to and rubbed the area where he was hit. "Thanks for, uh, sticking up for me. You didn't have to do that, you've could have gotten in serious trouble."
The corner of his lips twitched, wanting to smile but he tried to play it off and masking his expression to a rather arrogant one. "I only did it because you saved my neck by helping out in that dance. I would've been some loser swinging around a bunch of swords dressed as Agni."
"Instead of it being called 'Yuhuan's Goodbye', it would have to be changed to 'Agni's Gone Crazy'." Ruyi joked causing Zuko to snort loudly and turn his head. "I guess I can't leave yet, huh? Aren't I suppose to be in my cell?"
The guard looked down at the small girl, "You'll be staying here until you are given a sentence."
"Oh, well, okay." She wasn't in a rush to go back to that place. And besides, she didn't mind spending a few more minutes with Zuko. "Don't you have a bedtime?"
Unamused, he hmph'd and folded his arms. "Father isn't happy with me. Mother and I tried to plead him for a lighter sentence, but he wouldn't have any of it. Since we kind of ganged up on him, he's angrier than ever so I'm not in a rush to leave."
Frowning, her small hands had gripped onto Zuko's arm since it was only thing she can do with her bonds. "You're an idiot! You should've sided with your dad. I would've understood. I'd be angry, but if you'd explained then I would've understood what you had to do."
"But I stood up for what's right, didn't I? Isn't that what you're supposed to do?" His eyes were looking for answers in her azure ones.
Closing her eyes, she shook her head. "Sometimes standing up is the worst idea. Look at what's happening to me, but the only thing I have to lose is my life. You have more things to lose than I do."
"I guess…" Uncertain, and morally confused, he looked down at the floor in thought. "I guess deciding right from wrong isn't really all that easy."
"Its not." Ruyi had let go of his arm, "But that's the flow of things. Such is life."
"Why do you talk like an old person?" Zuko questioned, "You're only nine."
The girl couldn't help but chuckle at that, "You see, my mom was my best friend for a long time. She wasn't really a people person and so, the only person she would vent to and talk about things was me. I guess you can say that's why I don't act or talk my age."
With a grin, she playfully wrinkled her nose. "Besides, isn't there a saying that girls mature faster than boys? I'll always be ahead of you."
"You wish." He shot back but the smile never left Ruyi's lips.
"You should go. Don't royals need their beauty sleep? Beauty is really, really big over here. Can't have you looking worn out, now can we?" They've gotten to a place where joking and teasing was okay, at least that's what she thought. Even if the boy hadn't liked it, well, Ruyi felt comfortable enough to poke fun.
The Fire Nation royal narrowed his eyes dully, "Beauty? I'm a boy, I don't need beauty sleep."
Rolling her eyes, she had sighed. "Boys can be beautiful. Hey, Zhinu, Prince of Shu Jing, was beautiful."
"And he had to wear a mask to be taken seriously, Ruyi." He fired back, which she found herself nodding in agreement. She didn't have a good comeback for that one.
It had been quite some time since Zuko spoke to someone close to his age, especially in a comfortable and friendly matter. Mai was kind, but they weren't able to be friends because of her friendship with Azula. It was always her deciding between his sister and himself, and she ultimately chose Azula over him. Zuko didn't fault her, not in the slightest, but he felt lonely.
Princes received tutors and schooling but relationships with people outside weren't considered important. It didn't matter if his social skills were good or bad. People automatically had to respect you and could be killed otherwise. So whether the prince had friends or not, meant nothing. He could obtain friendships with fellow soldiers if he decided to join the army like his Uncle had or was given expeditions like his father.
So, for Ruyi, to see him as this normal person and not as royalty was kind of comforting. For him to tease, to joke, and converse no matter the air of the subject had made him feel… good.
"Seriously, Zuko." His eyes concentrated on her and removed themselves from his thoughts, "You should get some sleep."
This girl was about to possibly die but she was worried about his sleep? He couldn't understand her way of thinking. Did she want to be alone or did she care about his well-being? Maybe she didn't want to get into deeper trouble or maybe she didn't want him to get into more trouble with his father?
What were her motives, Zuko wondered. "Yeah." He gave in, nodding his head.
He was surprised by her smile at his response and found himself having to avert his gaze. He wasn't sure why he felt so discombobulated by the sight but he chalked it up to the fact that he was tired.
"See ya." Ruyi couldn't wave but she knew that he would know she wished him a goodbye. With a nod, he turned to leave the lounge area and she was left with the guard.
With a sigh, she slowly brought herself down on her backside with a plop. Her head hung low as her mind was rattled with worry. "Am I… really going to die?" The words came out hushed, not wanting the guard to get the idea that she was speaking to him. Now that she could get just a little bit of time for herself, she could prep her mind for the worst.
Ruyi wanted to cry. In fact, she could feel a stinging sensation in the back of her eyes but she couldn't find the strength to let the tears well up. And she'd be damned if they fell.
-/o/-
Later on that night, she was told of what would become of her. Her sentence could've been severe. In fact, most people and even the servants, chefs, and all who ran the palace and noblemen and women that attended the party all suspected that she would be put to death. Fire Lord Azulon had surprised them and all and her sentence was the embodiment of leniency:
"Ruyi is found guilty for slandering the late Fire Lady Ilah. After the anniversary ceremony, she is hereby assigned to Jinhua Hall to take up cleaning duties by day and copy Examples for Women by night."
-/o/-
It had been the first day of the second week since she was in Jinhua Hall. It was dark, quiet, and even cold. Although it was spacious and there was a high platform in the center with tiny, brown gates around it. It didn't seem all that great when she had to clean it. There were paintings, displays of items that held ancient history and from all over the world that had to be dusted off after she admired and read about them of course.
Her curiosity of the place had dimmed since then for if she wasn't cleaning, which literally took the entire day if you wanted the place spotless, then she was at the small table writing on fresh pages the words that Fire Lady Wende wrote years ago. As she was copying the books, she had noticed something different about this book than the actual copy that her father had given her. The writing was different, and actually beautiful. Her own writing skills weren't the best, but they it was alright and she found herself good at mimicking other handwriting, which helped perfect her own. Even though she had already read these volumes, she assumed that the reason why Fire Lord Azulon wanted her to rewrite it was because he thought she hadn't learned from it. Maybe he was instilling some values and manners in her.
The first day was lonely. Her father could not visit her and the only person allowed in this place was the Fire Lord, and he had not came to see her either ( not like she wanted him to but hey, he was a person ). It was restricted from everyone except him, which she guessed was because some important pieces of history was within these walls.
Ruyi was beginning to miss the outside air and the sun, but that had been taken away from her temporarily. She wasn't sure how long she was going to stay here and how many copies of this book she would have to write. Ruyi just prayed it wouldn't last a month or even a year and more.
It was nighttime, she could tell. People of water had always felt the pull of the moon, and this sudden energy that they couldn't experience during the day. It always made her grateful to be a person from the Water Tribe or else she would never be able to tell the time of day had she been lost. "I'm so tired, and hungry." Ruyi sighed, growing accustomed to speaking her thoughts out loud since there was nobody within Jinhua Hall to listen.
"Psssst!" The sudden hiss surprised her, making her jump and hold her brush out as if it were a weapon. Immediately, she scrambled to her feet to look for the source of the sound. Who could it possibly be? Nobody was allowed in here. Out of the shadows, a person with a black cloak and hood had revealed themselves. Before she could question who the person was, she sighed in relief when it was revealed to be Zuko.
"You scared the crap out of me, you idiot!" Ruyi berated him, hoping her heart would calm down some.
Merely rolling his eyes, he shortened the long distance and looked around. "I couldn't just walk in through the front doors."
Confused, her brows furrowed as she tilted her head. "What do you mean? How did you get in here?"
"Secret passageway. The Palace is full of them, but I can't tell you anything more than that since it's only for the Royal family to know." There was something supercilious about his tone, but Ruyi knew better than to take it to heart. They've come to a place to poke fun at one another, and his arrogance was apart of the act.
"Oooh, I'm so jealous~" With a lazy smirk, her shoulders relaxed and she lowered the brush. She felt silly that she could use the weapon of intelligence for a weapon of physical defense.
"Have you finished writing?"
Shaking her head, she sighed as she thought about the work. "No, not yet. I'll be done soon for the day, hopefully. What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"You're always rushing me off to bed. I can stay awake as long as you can, Waterbender." Zuko had then pulled out a three-tier lunch box from his cloak. "I figured you'd be hungry."
Happy, but above all surprised, she managed to perform a happy grin. "You don't even know! They only feed me once a day, but I think that's because I told the servant he smells like Komodo Rhino shit because he made fun of me." Running over to him, she took the lunchbox from his hand and opened the first shelf. "Ohhh, you brought dumplings! I love dumplings."
"You do?" Zuko seemed surprised at this, "Its not the first thing I thought someone of the Water Tribes would like from the Fire Nation."
Taking an already split pair of chopsticks, she had taken one of the steamed dumplings and placed it near her mouth. The smell of it was enough to make her mouth water, but she decided to answer Zuko first. "Well, a lot of Water Tribe food in the South is chewy since was eat a lot of fish like Octopus and stuff. The jerky is chewy too, but kinda hard. I like chewy things, but the dumplings aren't hard and tend to melt in your mouth a bit."
The first bite was enough to make tears pool at the corner of her eyes. How she missed being at home and eating her father's steamed dumplings. She liked when he made those even though she always acted as if whenever he cooked, it wasn't special. Her father's cooking was better than the servants, she thought.
Entertained by her expressions, Zuko sat down and pulled the shelve from the lower tier for a small bowl of noodles. Her blue eyes traveled to the sight of it and saw what she was surprised to see a red lobster. "What's that?" She asked with a mouth full of food.
Disgusted by her lack of manners, Zuko's face scrunched up to reveal his displeasure. "Chew your food before you talk, Ruyi." Shaking his head, he then looked down at his own food. "Dragon Prawn noodles. Its my favorite."
"You Fire Nation people and your dragons." Ruyi said with a sigh, already having swallowed her food so she wouldn't be lectured again. "I'm starting to think it's an obsession."
His eyes narrowed, studying her face with a heated glare. The smug smile on her face was a giant indicator that she knew her words would annoy him. "Dragons are a great symbol for our people and—"
"I'm just teasing, Zuko. Sheesh, you always get so fired up. Fired. Up. Get it? Hahaha. I'm so clever sometimes." Wiping a stray tear from her hard laugh, she watched him quickly avert his gaze and began to brood. "I know what dragons mean to you, I'm only messin' with you."
It was a terrible form of an apology, but he acknowledged it as one. "Whatever." He mumbled, slurping up the noodles and latching his chopsticks to the ends of the noodles to make sure they didn't slip up and hit him in the face.
They sat there in silence for a while as they ate. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was much needed. It gave time for Ruyi to reflect on the odd relationship between them and whether or not she could dub it as a budding friendship. They started off badly but then had found some middle ground which involved playful, verbal jabs. Was he her friend? He did help her as she had help him, they were spending time together now, but did it matter if their relationship had a label?
Dismissing her thoughts, she let out a yawn. "I wish I could go outside."
"You can't." He said, "There are guards doing rounds here. You'd get caught as soon as you try to turn the knob."
Irked by this, she shook her head. "That isn't fair. This whole punishment isn't fair! All I did was state my opinion but I was accused of slandering Fire Lady Ilah. That wasn't what I was trying to do…"
"I think you hit a sore spot." Zuko went on to say, "I asked Uncle about how he felt about what you said, and he said he thinks you were right. Many people don't know how depressed my Grandmother was. How she had missed his companionship and possibly resented him as she died. He hasn't forgiven himself, and for you to see that with just your observations of her books alone is kind of… Well," He couldn't find the word to describe it, "cool, I guess."
The odd compliment made her want to laugh, but she decided to stay on the subject instead of possibly aggravating him again. "The only reason why it seemed so apparent was because my mother's life was the same." Looking up at the ceiling, she chewed on her white rice with a blank expression. "My mother loved my father until she died; that was clear to me. She resented him for not finding her, us, and then blamed herself for running away from him. She was pitiful too. Her eyes always had this sadness in them, and it was guilt. There were times where she would try so hard not to cry in front of me, but I would hear her. So, I saw my mother in Fire Lady Ilah."
He knew her mother was a sensitive subject and was surprised that Ruyi went as far to say this much about her. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, but it was probably something he learned to be as sympathy. Zuko didn't know how to comfort anyone and knew how awkward it was whenever the roles were reversed. So instead, he looked down at his food in silence.
"But, anywho, you should probably get going. I'll finish the rest of this but I don't want you to get in trouble."
"I don't want to leave yet." His words caught her by surprise, "I'll go when I'm actually tired."
The corner of her lips had curled in a small smile, "Alright then. I'm full thoughl." Her eyes glanced towards him, "I've been meaning to ask, but… it seems like you don't have any friends like your sister does."
She watched his eyes expand, revealing his shock as his body went entirely rigid. He then loosened and sighed, "I don't have any." His voice was low, almost hard to hear but since it was so quiet here, she definitely heard it.
"Why not?" Ruyi questioned, "You're not a bad person."
Zuko rose a brow, "So I'm not a good person either?"
"Hey, I didn't say that." She grinned, "You did. But really, I mean, you are good. You've helped me, a lot. So, I don't see why you wouldn't have any."
His shoulders rose and sunk in a shrug, "I'm just not good at making friends."
"Oh, well, making friends is easy." Ruyi nodded, "You just say hi and... talk."
The boy had a rather dull look on his face as if to say 'You really think its that simple?' But he merely, and rather lazily, shifted his attention to his empty bowl. "Wow, you really should be a teacher."
"Really?"
"No." He answered, revealing the sarcastic nature behind his words.
With a pout, the Waterbender let out a sigh. "I had friends in the South." She went on to say, "But I honestly can't remember how any of us just became friends to be honest. I think we just played together and it went on like that from there."
"Played together? I was barely allowed out of the Palace if it had nothing to do with training or schooling." Zuko replied.
"Oh, well, what about your classmates then? You go to school like Azula does, right?"
He gave a slow nod, "I did but my father said I would get distracted by trivial things if I stayed in school and now I have tutors come into the palace to teach me. Since Azula isn't going to inherit the throne, he found it okay that she paid attention to other things like school activities and such."
"Oh…" Ruyi frowned, "but you had no friends in school?"
"People were either intimidated or wanted to use me." Zuko had gotten lost in the memories of his short-lived school life, "So it was hard to trust anyone."
"I understand." Putting down her chopstick and letting out a sigh, she then managed to smile. "How about I'll be your friend? I don't have any here, we already know each other, and I won't be afraid to tell you whatever I wanna tell you. My dad's already rich so I won't need any of your money and my dad is ranked highly enough on his own. So, you don't have to worry about being used." She listed, his eyes staring at her in surprise.
Unsure of how to feel, he quietly looked down at his bowl with a small smile.
After eating everything from the lunchbox, Zuko had left after Ruyi's badgering. Even though she wished he could stay a little longer to fill in the time, she wouldn't risk him getting him in trouble. He was her friend now and she took friendship seriously, mind you. Ruyi's job as anyone's friend was to protect them, to look out for them, and the way Zuko was unable to do much of what he wanted, she had to make sure he was heading in the right direction.
Now, since she wasn't tired still, she looked at the desk with a sigh. She really didn't want to get back to writing but it had to be done. She would do it until she uncontrollably fell asleep or when her hand would start cramping up. She bet her father did not minded this punishment since it was a writing lesson as well as a way for her to get her manners straight.
Raising her arms, she stretched them over her head before winding her left, sore shoulder. "Alright Ruyi, time to get back to work."
"Taking a break?"
Without a second to spare, Ruyi immediately turned around and abased herself to the floor. It was Fire Lord Azulon, coming through the front doors of the hall. She hadn't expected him to see her, not ever, and she felt relieved that Zuko had left as soon as he did. What would the Fire Lord say had he caught Zuko in here? She was sure the boy would've gotten in trouble.
"Greetings, Fire Lord Azulon." Ruyi said politely as she could muster. "W-What brings you here, Sire?"
His hand motioned for her to sit up and she had done so. Her backside was resting on the back of her legs and her hands were folded in her lap. Her head was tilted forward but her eyes were steadily gazing up at the man in front of her. "I've come to speak with you, child."
"I'm afraid to speak to be honest." She managed to say, shifting her gaze to a random spot on the floor.
Her body jolted as she heard the strange... cackle? "You're a peculiar one. Not a child I would've expected Piandao to have."
Everyone just kept saying that. What did they think she would be like? Demure? Maybe poised and serious? Just because her father behaved a certain way, that didn't mean she had to follow in his footsteps as far as personalities go. Ruyi was her own person and she wasn't sure why nobody understood that here.
"I'm not sure why I, uh, have captured your attention once again." Fiddling with her fingers as she felt like sweating under his molten stare, she wondered if Azulon was made of fire. "I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"
"I see you have a relationship with my grandson." Her eyes widened upon that, ready to deny it in order for Zuko to be unattached to her and reputation. He noticed her panicked expression but he shook his head, "I'm not condemning it."
Confused, and a little unnerved, Ruyi raised a brow at that. "You're not?"
"Not at all." Now slightly afraid, she wondered just where Azulon was going with this. "You're fierce, and annoyingly blunt." Her expression threatened to deadpan at this but she kept it expressionless. "You are also gifted with perception, aggravatingly so. These are the traits I'd like to be instilled in Zuko."
Trying to understand, her head went into a inquisitive tilt. "Wait, are you saying that I'm a good influence?"
"Hardly." He retorted with an elegant snort, "What I am saying is that you have qualities of a leader, a leader that I wish Zuko could be."
"Zuko isn't next in line to be Fire Lord though." Ruyi's brows furrowed in confusion as her eyes stared at the floor. "He'll have to wait for Prince Iroh, Lu Ten, and his own father, Prince Ozai, to die before he takes the throne."
"I think I know that, child." His eyes set in an irated gaze and she felt small under it. "No matter, you never know what may happen when I pass. My eldest son is a General, his son aiming to be the same. Men die at war, and there is a chance that both of them may do the same. And say if my second son suddenly falls ill one day and soon dies? Zuko will inherit the throne and I need him prepared in case he ever does."
"Wow, when you put it like that then I can see it." She nodded, rubbing her chin. "Zuko is quite, well, volatile and albeit forgiving. I can tell he was hesitating in giving me a second chance. He and I didn't meet on good terms either, My Lord."
Azulon nodded, soaking in her words. "Zuko is far too soft and consequently naïve. I blame his father for not raising him well."
Her eyes lowered as she sat in though. Zuko and Ozai had a strained relationship, but from what she could tell was that Zuko was trying hard to mend it. "I'm not sure what you're really asking of me, but I can try to help Zuko as best as I can."
"If you want to see my grandson succeed, I hope you do." His words sat heavily on her mind as he had left, leaving her no time to say anything else.
Zuko was her responsibility or that's what it sounded like Azulon had said.
Ruyi's P.O.V.
Three years have passed since then and things have changed rather… dramatically. I can't begin to tell you how exactly things came to be as they are now. A week after that rather strange heart-to-heart I had with the Late ( yeah, I mean late ) Fire Lord Azulon, he died one night in his sleep. It was odd how it happened. He just suddenly passed away but there was no proof of him being murdered or anything. I would've taken it that he was old and he died from natural causes, but two things happened that didn't seem right. Princess Ursa disappeared the day he died and then Prince ( now Fire Lord ) Ozai inherited the throne. How? Just how could that be? Prince Iroh was more than deserving of the throne according to Late Fire Lord Azulon. He told me the natural order of who would take the throne just a week before his death. I kept those things to myself, I didn't even dare tell my dad about it. I think he knows something was wrong during the day Fire Lord Azulon died as well.
Another sad thing that occurred between these past three years was Zuko losing both his mother and his cousin. General Iroh was so devastated that he couldn't continue the siege ( but part of me was glad that the Earth Kingdom was freed from the clutches of the Fire Nation ). He had went away for a while during his grieving, which left me to take care of Zuko ( now Prince Zuko or Crown Prince, but I have cool points to call him Zuko still ). He took the losses pretty heavy and I knew Iroh would've been a better comfort, but I've been more of a good distraction for him.
The pressure was on too. Zuko's father was on his case, to keep proving himself to be fit to inherit the throne after Ozai. What Ozai deemed as fit wasn't what his father would've agreed with because there seemed to be something more sinister to our new Fire Lord. Fire Lord Azulon was no saint, and I would virtually not like him. I tolerated him because I had to, but he was still an evil man in my eyes. He still led raids to the South, and since the last waterbender was supposed to had been killed I had known that Ozai would leave the South be. It was the North they would soon be after next and I felt pained that there is nothing I could do about it.
Anyway, Zuko had been confiding in me about the insurmountable pressure he was given to by his father. And at the same time, Azula began to cast a shadow over him, which made him look weak and incapable. I had known that Princess Azula was gifted, but she was far beyond my expectations. The girl was a prodigy and a giant threat to Zuko's inheritance. I was worried, severely, but Zuko and I had made strategic plans to prove his worth. I even would spar with him and it was much more intense then creating balls of water like before. It was fun to watch our elements in a fight since I've grown stronger these past three years due to my father's tutelage and reading the waterbending scrolls. It felt good to know hand-to-hand combat and picking up on my skills with a spear as well as archery. I just only hope I'd be able to put my skills to good use.
End Ruyi's P.O.V
The sun was beating down Caldera City heavily. It was the first week of Bā yuè ( August ). The heat didn't stop anyone from being outside, but that was to be expected. The heat was the norm here and the people of the Fire Nation, and especially Firebenders, enjoyed it tremendously. Ruyi couldn't stand the humidity, however. She found herself bending perspiration from her brow every now and then and having to stop to get water whenever she had the chance. Why did she think a stroll in the Capital would be lovely? If she knew just how muggy it would've been, she would've taken a carriage but that couldn't stop her from feeling dehydrated constantly and from sweating. At least a cool breeze would caress her skin every now and then, which was some relief as she felt like she was baking under the sun's heated glare.
The palace wasn't too far now, which relieved her. It felt naturally cool in there and it was a great escape. Zuko had to be grateful that she came here, basically dragging her body along to see him as she had promised. The days they spent together were short and once in a while. She was busy training herself that she often forgot the outside world and the fact that she was supposed to be helping the prince stay the prince. Shu Jing wasn''t just a walk away, and sometimes she hardly knew what was going on in the palace until her father alerted her with news from a messenger hawk.
Reaching the golden gates of the palace, Ruyi sighed in relief and flicked her wrist as she bent the sweat from her brow once more. The guard looks at her, curious as to why she seemed so haggard. It was like they constantly forgot that she wasn't raised in this Nation. It was so drastically different than the South Pole that she had to wonder if her body would ever completely get used to how hot this place could be. Even after three years, she couldn't adapt well to this heat and this overbearing sun.
They moved out of the way and opened the gates for her. They were use to her presence that she didn't even have to state her name anymore. Now she would have to walk along this hot, long courtyard and she wondered if she would die before then.
It amazed how her feet kept her trekking forward until the palace doors were opened before her and the cool, inside air of the palace hit her skin. "Phew!" Ruyi sighed, "I'm not leaving until it's dark out. I can't stand this sun!"
"Ah, Ruyi, you've come to visit Prince Zuko?" Her lips smiled upon hearing the voice and she had looked to see General Iroh. Her hands instinctively reached out to grasp his, her mouth parched and drier than the Si Wong Desert. "You look like you could use to some water. Ah," he waved to one of the women donned in palace servant clothing, "could you be a dear and get the girl some water?"
How kind he was to the help. It shouldn't have surprised her though, especially seeing how she saw firsthand how Azula treated them; cruelly and without the slightest bit of sympathy.
When the water arrived, well, let's just say she downed the entire thing with one gulp. Her wrist slid against her lips to wipe the water as she sighed happily. "That was refreshing!" She said, now feeling happy that her throat felt hydrated and back to normal. "Thank you." She thanked the servant, the woman blushed and quickly went on her way.
"But yes, I am here to see Prince Zuko." Her eyes shifted back to Iroh, a small smile on her face. "Where's the Princey boy?"
He laughed at her nickname for the Crown Prince, the chuckle pleasing to her ears. It was always good to be around a happy and lighthearted Iroh. She missed that and she was glad to see it again. "He is in the study. He told me you are making him read the Art of War."
"Sure am!" The girl nodded, "Zuko needs to build up on war tactics before he can be Fire Lord. Even though I don't want him to be." Ruyi mumbled the last bit but it did not go unheard by Iroh.
"You don't wish for Zuko to be Fire Lord?" He questioned, brows raised. She stiffened at this and rose her hands in defense.
"I mean it's not like I don't think he's a good fit, but I… You know what it means." Ruyi wasn't sure how to articulate these words together. The fact that it meant Zuko would be her enemy, wanting to continue the war with Fire Nation reigning supreme in this war… She didn't want that. She didn't want her friend to be her enemy.
It seemed as if Iroh understood what she meant. He sighed heavily and gave a slow nod, "Sometimes I forget this war has been hard on you as well. You have suffered."
Grateful of his sympathy, her shoulders relaxed some and she was able to feel the fear of her words being treasonous dim.
"Though I suspect that Prince Zuko is probably deep in his studies. I told him to read a lot of books and to look over past battles." With her hand on her hip, she slit her eyes closed. "Though I suspect he'll be frustrated by now."
"Why is that?" Iroh queried.
With a smirk, one eye had opened as she had heard stomping feet coming from the hall. Iroh's eyes glanced away from her and towards an angry, teenage prince.
He had grown taller, they were no longer the same height anymore. So now, she had no choice but to look up at him in order to meet his gaze, which revealed his fury at the moment. With a raised brow, she watched at his forehead pressed dangerously close to her own to make him seem intimidating. It didn't work, she was far too used to his tantrums.
"How to learn how to be a Prince of Dummies!" He rose the book and pointed his free hand's forefinger at it. Iroh choked, suppressing his laugh and having to turn away. "Its not funny, Uncle!" He spat as his face went red from embarrassment.
"Well, you said some of the books were hard to comprehend. So, I dumbed them down as much as I possibly could." The fact that she seemed so nonchalant about it pissed him off more. Not just that, even if it was on her face, he could feel the invisible smirk on her face.
Throwing the book down on the floor, her eyes peered down at it before looking back up at him. "I don't have time for games, Ruyi!
"I'm not playing around. There's some serious information in that book!" It was hard not to laugh, but she was telling the truth. She did take all the information she thought would be useful for him and tried her best to make it understandable for him.
The boy dipped his chin and gave a long glance at Ruyi. His eyes narrowed still and his brows knitted together to show his aggravation wasn't nearly gone as she hoped it would be. "I'm not a dummy!"
"I know you aren't. It was just a joke. Sheesh. Lighten up a little, will ya?" Zuko's playfulness wasn't always as diminished as it had become now. They couldn't play around like they use too. He would get worked up over any and everything, which made her sad than it made her angry. It wasn't like she could fault him since their new Fire Lord, his father, was always on his case. Not just that, he was walking on eggshells by keeping this friendship with her despite Ozai's lack of approval for Ruyi.
A few moons ago, Ozai told her he didn't condone her "brash" and "smart-aleck mouth". He even said that if she even dared do another stunt as she had during Fire Lady Ilah's anniversary to him that he would not be as merciful as his father had been. He was the main reason why she hated going to the palace and Azula didn't make it any better.
That girl knew all of Ruyi's weak spots and poked them with precision. The Princess knew that Ruyi would withhold herself out of the possibly of Ozai finding every excuse to erase her from Zuko's life and possibly out of the physical world. And so, she had to bite her tongue constantly whenever Princess Azula was afoot.
Zuko's temper dimmed and he let out a sigh. She supposed he felt guilty from becoming so hostile like that, and in order to appease his guiltiness, she had lightly punched his shoulder with a small smile. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Princey boy. You'll be alright."
"You think so?" That sign of hopelessness shining in his voice made her heart ache, but she kept her smile and gave him a firm nod. "Uncle's been helping me with some of this stuff too. Politics is pretty hard."
"Nothing is ever easy, Prince Zuko." Iroh went onto say, "Is everything in life was easy then what would be the point of living? You have to work hard in order to feel accomplished when things come together."
With her hands on her hips, she leaned towards the Prince. "Break time's over, chump. You oughta be back in that study and grinding."
"There's some things I'm still unsure of…" She knew he hated to admit that, but it seemed as if he had no choice.
"Like what?" asked Ruyi, her head tilting to the side as her curiosity was etched across her face. "Did I forgot to mention something? Did my handwriting get sloppy somewhere or…?"
Shaking his head, he then spoke up. "Why won't Father let me in the war room?" His eyes then looked towards his uncle, Ruyi's did as well.
The former General looked to be deep in thought, even stroking his beard before he gave his nephew a closed-eye smile. "That's because you're young of course. You are only thirteen, Prince Zuko. Maybe in another year or so and—"
"How am I supposed to just keep reading but never see what happens for myself? I can't learn like this. I have to be in the meeting myself."
Iroh and Ruyi shared a look. Both of them seemed hesitant about Zuko joining the war room, but they also knew that there was no way they can deny him without a good excuse. "How about you wait two weeks?" Iroh suggested, "That way you can mentally prep yourself."
The Waterbender nodded her head, "I agree with Iroh." She went onto say, slightly wincing as she could see the disappointment flash through the boy's amber eyes. "You're almost ready, just be patient. Just for a little while."
Zuko remained silent, surprisingly. Ruyi was sure she was gonna hear a loud earful about how he shouldn't have to wait any longer. Maybe it was because she and Iroh agreed on this that he decided to relent. "I only want what's best for you, you know."
Although it was the truth, it felt awkward to say. Her eyes quickly averted, finding solace in looking at the floor than at the boy's face. His expression was of shock as she combed some of fringe over as if to cover her heated face. "Thanks…" He mumbled, but it was loud enough for her to hear.
The older man smiled upon the conversation between the two, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Why don't you take a break, Prince Zuko?"
"Huh?" Both teens said in a unison, immediately whipping their heads towards Iroh.
"Zuko has been studying diligently and look, he's beginning to have raccoon-dog circles on his eyes from the lack of sleep." Iroh pointed, which Ruyi finally noticed for herself. "Take a break. It can be short, but at least take one."
"I can't." Zuko insisted, "I have to make sure I'm ready since you and Ruyi don't think I am just yet. I can't relax until I know I'm prepared."
Knowing that he was too stubborn for his own good, she sighed and grabbed onto the Prince's wrist. "Lets go, chump."
Startled, he felt his arm being pulled forcibly and his feet stumbled for a few minutes. "Ruyi, where are you taking me?"
"Somewhere that's not the study, that's for sure." He frowned at her subtlety before looking over his shoulder at his uncle, who was waving goodbye.
He knew he couldn't argue with the both of them now that their mind was set on this. Even if he felt annoyed by it, he was tired. He did want to relax but the stress of making his father happy and keeping his crown was becoming overwhelming. "What are you and Uncle are going to do when I become Fire Lord? Just rip me off the throne and take me wherever to relax?"
The girl paused, looking over her shoulder at him. She wasn't sure why she felt surprised; and she was a bit angry at herself for letting him see it. Maybe it was because he hoped that she would still be his friend that far along in the future, which Ruyi had a hard time seeing. Ruyi didn't like Fire Lords, she loathed them but could she still loathe them when Zuko became one?
Ruyi had led Zuko to the most comfortable place she had known; the palace gardens. There would be no one there bother him, no books around for him to read. There would be just peace and solitude. That's exactly what he needed, but she would entertain him with a spar so he wouldn't grow bored after a while. This was the least she could after encouraging him to learn war tactics so that he wouldn't make a fool of himself in the war room.
"Why out here?" He asked as she had finally let go of his wrist.
"Its a good distraction, and that way we can spar." She said with a small smile. "I learned this new trick I want you to see."
Confused but intrigued, he watched as she outstretched her hand towards the pond. With her fingers spread and her palm facing the water, she had moved it in a slow but controlled circle. The water began to spiral out of the water and then wrapped around her arm before fully enclosing it with water. In the end it became like a tendril, reminding him of an octopus.
"Neat, huh?" She turned to face him moving the wiggly water-encased arm.
"How long did it take you to learn that?" He asked, not bothering to compliment it like she would've hoped.
"A few days." She replied rather bitterly before swing it towards him, letting the end of it slap him across the face.
"H-Hey!" He yelled, rubbing his face from where he was hit. "What was that for?"
"I did say I wanted to spar, didn't I?" The teasing tone in her voice didn't calm his temper, but he did feel pumped enough for a fight.
Reeling his arm back, he punched his fist forward and unleashed a stream of fire. Shooting her hand forward, the water rolled off her arm and met with the fire stream and fully extinguished it mid-air, letting steam fill the air.
He was unable to see her, his eyes squinting in search for her until he felt something wrap around his leg and trip him. Zuko controlled his fall, twisting his body with a spin and landing on his hands in a push-up formation.
The Prince immediately got himself back to his feet and maneuvered in a zig-zag formation within the steam, so when it finally lessened and he saw her, he created a whip of fire and hit her tendril arm as a distraction.
Surprised by the attack, Ruyi pulled her arm back but not before she had felt a hand at her water-tentacle wrist. Her eyes widened in shock but now in front of her was a smug Zuko. With a pout, "Ah, you got me."
"Giving up already?" With his brow arched, he examined her expression as the corner of her lips slowly moved upward.
"Who said I gave up? I just simply said you got me." The water had slowly encased his hand in ice making it difficult for him to move, he knew that if he raised the heat within his hand that he would have to burn her in the process. Knowing Zuko wouldn't, she used it against him and swung him over her shoulder, forcing him on his back and letting out an "oomph". "Now I got you."
Turning the ice back into its liquid state, she had placed it back in the pond with little movements in her hand and watched him stand on his feet, brushing off his clothes. "I could've gotten out of that."
"I know, but Princey Boy cares too much about me to burn me, now doesn't he?" Ruyi teased with a grin before turning away from him, her back facing him as her head tilted back to look at the sky.
"I won't be able to enjoy days like these when I become Fire Lord." Ruyi's eyes lowered upon Zukos words. It was true, they would rarely have enough time with one another but wasn't he thinking of becoming Fire Lord too soon? His father still had some youth left, and she doubt that man was going to die any time soon. There was no Avatar to stop him after all, and the rest of the world seemed too wounded to team together to stop the Fire Nation.
Even when Zuko got older, as a prince, he would probably not have enough time for her. Eventually, he wouldn't need her anymore. "Soon you'll have to get married too."
"I'm not looking forward to that." He answered albeit hesitantly, "Spending the rest of my life with someone doesn't sound very… pleasing."
Her brow arched at that, "What's wrong with marriage?"
"I hardly know if I can be a good Fire Lord." He said, his arms crossed. "How do I know if I'll be a good husband? My parents weren't picture perfect. I mean, I've seen them happy before but…"
The boy had silly fears, didn't he? "Well, what about General Iroh and his wife? Weren't they happily in love?"
"Well, I don't remember much of her. She wasn't around, she died when I was a toddler." Ruyi frowned.
"You're a good friend, so I don't see how you won't be a good husband too." She said, "I'll just have to tell your future wife that her husband has a crazy temper, you know?"
He smiled at her words some but then sighed, "It'll probably be arranged. I bet my father will make me marry one of the nobleman's daughters."
"A lot of them are pretty." With a shrug of her shoulders, she tried to lighten his mood. An arranged marriage didn't sound… happy or fun. It sounded like he would have to force himself to love her.
"Looks aren't everything." Zuko mumbled, "If that was the case then I wouldn't be worried about it."
"You're only thirteen, you shouldn't even be worried about anything. Hell, your voice is still cracking." If he think that went unnoticed by her then he thought wrong. In fact, his eyes widened upon that as she gave him a smirk.
"My voice is not…" It screeched as he tried to raise it, "...cracking…"
Rolling her eyes, she gave him a shrug. "If you say so, Prince Zuko."
-/o/-
A week went by since Ruyi left the palace. Most of her days were spent lounging around home since she didn't have the heart to go on a ship to the South Pole. Ruyi kept promising to be there for Zuko and she couldn't just up and leave him when he needed her the most. The boy was so vulnerable when it came to the image he wanted to project to his father. He was fighting so hard to be seen as the "perfect" son for Fire Lord Ozai. It was odd how he fought so hard for a relationship with his father while Ruyi didn't even fight for hers. Maybe it was because Piandao didn't have expectations out of her and she didn't have to fight for his love. Piandao gave her love as soon as he met her, and she eventually learned to accept it.
She also wanted to ask her father about what to do, but Ruyi was the type to internalize everything since she didn't want to bother her father with such petty troubles. After all, what could he do to help Zuko? Zuko had to build confidence in himself. Maybe one day he would see he didn't need to fight so hard, but that was something he had to learn instead of being told. Still, she couldn't help but worry about the lengths her friend would go to and maybe he would go too far and she wouldn't be able to help him. The last thing she ever wanted was to fail Zuko.
Now, while in the living room, she curled herself up in a red blanket and laid on her side on the couch. It felt like she was allowing herself to drown in her negative thoughts with the Fire Nation Prince in the center of them. Her mind was constantly playing out how she could help Zuko's situation, but none of it seemed foolproof or right. They would leave her annoyed and confused by the end of the process.
As usual, her father's students came; two boys by the name of Masa and Yagen. Masa had messy black hair that was always styled in an unkempt fashion and covering his right eye. His eyes were the brightest gold and always filled with mischief. He always liked bothering her, especially when she wasn't on-guard. Yagen was sweeter, however, and rather lankier. His hair was short, swept back, and a caramel color. His eyes were big and round and a silvery-grey like her father's.
She could tell her father enjoyed them. He treated them like his own sons even though she could tell that Masa's sneaky yet playful nature grated his nerves sometimes. Ruyi always liked seeing them interact and she also enjoyed sparring with them, so their presence wasn't as bad she pretended it was.
"Yo, Ruyi." said Masa, causing her to turn to face him. "What's with…" He pointed his finger up and down, signaling her blanket cocoon, "all of this?"
He certainly did not have a way with words. "I'm just tired is all." Ruyi replied lying back down on her side.
"You should leave her alone." Yagen chimed in, "She might be having a rough day."
"She's just been lazy." Piandao walked into the room, hands behind his back. "And I'm quite sick of it.
Rolling her azure eyes, she looked at the ceiling. "I'm not lazy. I still do my chores and I have been practicing calligraphy."
"What happened to you visiting the South Pole? You raged on and on about it, but you haven't even went." With a raised brow, he wondered just how she was going to back herself up.
"Just tell all my business why don't ya?" With a hiss, she turned her back towards them. "I just wanna be left alone."
Yagen, carefully, walked over and leaned over. Her head turned to see him looking down at her, "We're worried about you is all, Ruyi. This is very unlike you."
"I'm fine!" The raise in her voice startled him, making him jump and wince. Now she felt guilty and like she was taking her anger out on him. "Sorry, I'm just not in the mood."
"Then why don't we spar?" asked Masa, his arms crossed.
Even though she wanted to tear into him, to remind him that she said she wasn't in the mood, but she honestly thought about it. Maybe a spar would make her feel better though. It would at least get her mind off of everything, even just for a little while.
"Fine then.' Unwrapping herself from the blankets, she strutted over towards Masa with a huff. "If I win then you all leave me alone and if I lose, well, I'll let you do whatever. Just for today though."
"That's the spirit!" The gold-eyed boy said with his arms playfully in the air, "C'mon already."
Yagen looked between the two, almost worried about how intense the spar would be. "Are you sure, Ruyi? You know how you can get sometimes… When you're angry, that is."
Even though he was trying to help, and somewhat warn Masa, he annoyed her anyway. "He can handle himself."
Both of them, with their eyes locked on one another in an intense pre-battle gaze, were both smirking as if they couldn't wait for the fight. Piandao, while amused, remained nonplussed as he stood beside a worried Yagen.
All of them had went to the open garden area where Piandao trained his students. Masa went for the katana on the weapon rack while Ruyi went for the spear.
Twirling the weapon swiftly in her hand, she pointed the sharp blade of the weapon towards him as he unsheathed the sword from his scabbard. Masa moved forward, bringing the sword down to Ruyi but she had caught the blade with the wooden body of the spear with a smirk. As he applied his strength, making her move down from the force, she had managed to hold her ground long enough to push him away.
With a thrust, she shot the spear towards him but he had grabbed onto it before she could pull it back. Seeing as how tight his grip was, she pulled him forward but he made an attempt to simultaneously let go and sweep his sword down towards her. Luckily enough, she evaded the attack with a quick spin and placed both hands on the spear with the tip of the sharp blade pointings towards him.
Yagen and Piandao watched the fight with trained eyes. For some reason, Yagen always had seemed nervous, always afraid someone would get hurt but Piandao would have reassure him with a hand on his shoulder.
The two went at it for several minutes. Whenever they tried to trap one another, it always ended with someone outmaneuvering it. This was why Ruyi enjoyed spars with Masa, he made her better and more fluid.
A servant hurried down the steps to speak to Piandao, a letter in their hands. Yagen had looked towards them, wondering what the woman was whispering in the Swordmaster's ear. He was never one to reveal emotions, he always remained stoic even in anger. However, Yagen could see the man's body go rigid after the woman quietly stopped speaking.
"Ruyi." Her father called her name, both Masa and Ruyi had paused in the middle of their spar and she had turned to gaze at her father. "I have something to tell you."
"What is it?" She asked, turning to face him. "Was it about my form? I admit, they do need some work."
"No," he shook his head, "it's about Prince Zuko." Her eyes widened in curiosity, "He's going to be in an Agni Kai."
"An Agni Kai?!" She shouted in disbelief, her eyes wide and near bulging out of her sockets. "W-Why?!"
"It appears he spoke out of turn in the War room and disrespected a General." Her father replied quietly as he watched the girl drop the spear in horror.
"I… I have to see him! I have to go." Ruyi began to sprint, whizzing past Yagen and her father with no intentions on stopping.
Could she make it on time? Agni knows how much she prayed that Zuko would win the Agni Kai. He was strong, and he was capable, so he could win if he tried hard enough. But for some reason, she felt like her stomach was doing flips and her throat was closing in. She also couldn't stop the tears that kept slipping down her eyes. The only thing she could think despite the small sense of hope she tried force herself to believe in, was the fact that Zuko could easily die in this fight.
A grown man facing a thirteen-year-old boy? Just the thought made her legs want to give out. She was too determined now, and as she boarded the boat to head to the Capitol, she kept trying to hold onto the idea that Zuko would be alive and unharmed.
It didn't seem like anything was moving fast enough; the boat, the carriage, or her legs. By the time she even reached the palace, the fight was already over. All she could hear were the whispers of people citing the details of the fight. Ruyi tried to drown them out, wanting to see Zuko before she learned the details. She had to see him for herself; she had to know he was in one piece.
Iroh had just left Prince's room from what she could tell and his head was hanging low. Her heart tightened at his sad face before hesitantly moved her feet towards him. He looked at her in surprise as her hair was in disarray and panic was splashed over her face. He knew that she fought the odds to get here, to see his nephew and he would not stop her.
Opening the doors of the apparently dark room, there was little light. The only thing she could see was Zuko sitting up on his bed, his back on his pillow and his eyes looking at the window.
Her eyes had widened upon the sight of a bandaged wrapped around his head, specifically his eyes. Most of his hair was shaven except the lone ponytail. Zuko was burnt, on his eye? Everything had suddenly became a blur as her eyes immediately felt a stinging sensation and soon there were tears slipping down her eyes.
As he turned to face her, she had quickly wiped them away as the servant closed the door behind her and her feet carried her towards him. Whenever she tried to quickly wipe her tears away with the back of her hands, it was to no avail. Whenever one was smeared away, another came raining down into a vicious cycle. "Zuko…" Ruyi croaked out his name; her throat felt tight, making speaking feel quite impossible but she tried her best to.
He hadn't said anything and shifted his gaze away from her and down to his lap. Without hesitation, she had wrapped her arms around him and pressed him close. He was still alive, and that was all that mattered most. Ruyi wouldn't have known what to do had Zuko died today, but she wouldn't have to find out.
Even though he didn't return her embrace or said anything, she felt content knowing that his heart was still steadily beating in his chest and warmth was still radiating from his body.
He was still alive.
After losing her mother and then Katara, she couldn't lose another.
Her hold onto him tightened as if to continually reassure her that he was still within her arms. "I'm banished." He said, her shoulder muffling his voice some. "I'm exiled of the Fire Nation until I find the Avatar."
Her heart ached at the broken sound of his voice and she had freed him from her embrace. Her hands carefully went to his face, her hand trying not to touch the damaged part of his face.
Zuko wasn't sure if he felt angry or happy at her tears. This was the first time he had ever seen the Waterbender cry. He wasn't sure if these were pity tears and if he was happy or angry at the sight of them. In a way, he felt like she would doing all his crying for him since his eyes ached too much to even shed a tear as he attempted as soon as it happened. The salty droplet would burn his wound and leaving him in more pain than he anticipated.
"Banished?" Ruyi repeated incredulously, "After being burnt, you're banished?!"
Zuko knew very well that Ruyi had a dislike for his father. And even though he wanted to hated his father for what he had done to him, he couldn't. Zuko blamed himself for this mess. If he had stayed quiet, if he had done things differently than he wouldn't be in this predicament. He wouldn't be banished and being shipped out of the only home he knew by dawn tomorrow.
She was infuriated. In fact, she felt even stronger than. Ruyi wanted to go guns-blazing towards the Fire Lord but she would end up dead before she even so much as cut him. And then she would be leaving Zuko alone, and she couldn't leave his side any longer than she already had.
"I wasn't there for you." Her hands had clasped tightly to his, "You needed me today and I wasn't there."
"There was nothing you could've done." His voice was quiet and solemn.
Never, and had she meant never, had she ever seen such a broken look on his face. Just the sight of alone had her eyes shedding more tears. Shaking her head, she let out a long sigh. "You said you were banished?" Zuko's amber pupils slowly looked up at her, "Then I'm coming with you. We're going to tear the world apart and look for the Avatar, together."
A/N: How do you like Masa and Yagen? They might play major roles in the future. Sorry it took me sooooooooo long to release this chapter.