This is my first Avatar The Last Airbender fanfiction thank you to Elypsus and LunaStar07 for helping out with my writing and beta reading my work hope you enjoy the next chapter of Blades and Fans and thank you for the long wait for this next chapter hope you all enjoy it
Disclaimer I don't own anything related to ATLA
"Hello, traitor."
Zuko groaned as he was pinned to the ground. Dirt spilled through the holes in his mask and stung his eyes. He tried his best to look up and shift his weight, but was only met with a strain in his neck and a sharp knee shoved in his side. Suddenly, two figures grasped and twisted his arms behind his back as he tried to resist.
"Hahaha, who knew it would be this easy to capture the infamous Blue Spirit. Haha I should get promoted for this," a familiar voice spoke with a sinister chuckle. Zuko could hear the man now standing in front of him. He watched the silhouette of his broadswords twirling in his captor's hands.
"Lift him up," the figure commanded and the soldiers yanked and stretched out Zuko's arms, forcing him to sit up on his knees. He then looked up to meet the man's gaze, and he was met with his own twisted reflection.
"Missed me?" Akechi smirked as he knelt in front of the Blue Spirit.
Zuko didn't answer as he glared daggers at the Fire Nation commander, only a low growl escaped his throat.
"Nothing to say huh?" Akechi chuckled softly as he stood up. He then placed a hand on the Blue Spirit's shoulder before quickly ramming the pommel of the Dao swords straight into his gut. The pain sent Zuko wrenching forward. "That was for giving me this lovely souvenir back at Chong Sheng," Akechi said gesturing to the comet-like scar on the right side of his face, before delivering another blow to Zuko's gut.
Zuko could taste his own bile rising up in his throat, with each blow to his stomach. He gritted his teeth and did what he can to prevent himself from throwing up in his mask. But with each hard strike, it became harder and harder as welts and bruises formed on his skin. Akechi finally ceased his attack and watched the masked warrior quiver from the pain. Zuko then craned his neck, arching his head to meet Akechi's gaze and showed no weakness.
"Anything to say now, traitor?" Akechi asked grabbing Zuko by his neck. "Huh come on now, say something," he said, curling his fingers tighter around Zuko's neck.
"Fine, maybe I'll see if your little girlfriends would be more inclined to talk," a wicked vile grin crossing his twisted lips made Zuko's eyes burn with rage. He tried to leap to his feet and lunge at the scarred commander, but the soldiers restraining him quickly holding him back.
"Haha, he's a feisty one!"
Zuko couldn't let him get to Suki or the Kyoshi warriors, he had to warn them, and he had to protect them. Then it dawned on him, Suki was on her way back and if he didn't do something quickly they will ambush her just like they did him. He couldn't let that happen. No matter what, he needed to keep her safe.
"Tell you what, Blue Spirit... you tell me where the residents of Chong Sheng are, and maybe I'll let you and your little girlfriends go," Akechi grins as he steps back releasing Zuko's neck. Akechi then started to inspect the twin swords in his possession, checking their sharpness as he ran his thumb over the edge. "That's a fair deal, is it not?" he asked flicking his tongue over his teeth. "I wasn't sent to kill you, just them, and you just got in my way," he says confidently as he gets back in the Blue Spirit's face. "You are of the Fire nation are you not? Time to prove you aren't the traitor I think you are."
Zuko met Akechi's eyes and saw the familiar glint of his sister's gaze staring back at him "Azula always lies," was his only thought, knowing full well this man's words meant nothing, they were as hollow as his soul. Without even flinching, Zuko collected the saliva in his mouth and spat directly in Akechi's eye, making him reel back in pain.
"Fuck!" he growled as he wiped at his scarred eye with his sleeve. The saliva burned as he kicked the Blue Spirit's chest in retaliation, easily cracking a rib. But even as Zuko felt the crack and his body wrenched forward, he smirked.
Akechi then pointed the stolen swords at the Blue Spirit. "I gave you a chance traitor, but it seems you'd rather die along with the rest of your little friends!" he roared, smoke coming from his flaring nostrils. "But don't worry, I'll make sure to put those girls to good use before I dispose of them." Hearing that taunt made Zuko grind his teeth as his mind raced. He tried to think of a way out, a way to escape and most importantly, to warn Suki.
"Take off his mask, I want to watch the life drain from this traitor's eyes when I kill him," Akechi commanded as he drew back the sword, preparing to cut down the Blue Spirit. The two soldiers quickly nodded in reply and pulled Zuko to straighten up his back as the soldier on his right reached out to lift up the mask.
Once Zuko saw the fingers curl along the mouthpiece of the mask and lift it up, he saw his chance and took it. He quickly took a deep breath before blowing a breath of fire, scorching the back of the man's hands and burning his fingers.
"AHHHHHHH!" the Fire nation soldier screamed and recoiled in pain. Zuko took his chance, pushing up to his feet and ramming his mask into the man's face, knocking him down. Once he broke free of one of soldier's grasp, he reached for his belt and drew his dagger.
Akechi saw this and quickly reeled up to slash down at the Blue Spirit's head, but his strike was easily parried by the pearl dagger. Zuko diverted the sword strike aimed for him and to his other captor. The steel blade sunk deep into the man's shoulder. Blood spilled out as the man fell in agony. His hand's instantly reaching for the wound released the Blue Spirit from his clutches.
Zuko quickly backed away once he was freed and he could finally get a view of his surroundings. Fire nation soldiers armed with spears and fire were fenced around him and there was no obvious way out.
"You're trapped! There is no way out, surrender or die traitor!" Akechi yelled, as held the wounded the soldier down with his boot before ripping and tearing the blade that was lodged in his flesh. The man bled out under him, no care or concern as he watched the soldier beg for his life. "And I much prefer the latter!"
Zuko saw the soldiers advancing towards him, weapons at the ready. His eyes darted around and found the part of the forest where he exited into the clearing. The very same place Suki will be coming through at any moment and where he needed to lead the soldiers away from.
"You want me? Come and get me!" Zuko roared, his voice echoed through his mask. He then summoned a condensed ball of fire at the tips of his fingers. With a quick swipe, he launched the fireball straight into the ground, erupting a massive blast of fire and smoke. The blast blew back a few of the soldiers as a cloud of smoke and dust rose up. Briefly blinding his attacker, giving him an opening he dashed through the smoke.
"After him! Don't let him escape!" Akechi coughed hard as he watched his soldiers trail after the masked figure. They all following him into the dense woods, the Blue Spirit leading them on a chase.
Zuko raced through the woods as fast as his beaten body could take him. He tried his best to avoid being caught as he weaved through the trees and the Fire nation soldiers gave chase. Fire and spears rained down on him from every direction.
One soldier managed to catch up to the Blue Spirit and swiped at him with his spear, but Zuko was not an easy target even in his state. He quickly ducked the attack and grabbed the spear and swept his arm down, snapping the spearhead. Grasping and twirling the spearhead in his hands, he shoved the soldier into a tree and jammed the blade into his pauldron, pinning him in place.
"I don't want to hurt you, I am not your enemy," Zuko said, trying to reason with the man but it was no use, he simply thrashed around trying to get free. Zuko had no choice bashing the man's head with the butt of his dagger. Knocking him out, leaving him dangling against the tree. Zuko sighed heavily, looking at his countryman. It broke him having to hurt his own people, even in defence, but he had no choice as he turned to run as his pursuers were gaining.
Zuko could feel every bruise, every broken bone that sent jolts of pain through him with every step. Though he couldn't stop, he had to just run faster, but the pain started to radiate, making him stumble and slow his pace. He finally managed to push through the brush, and exit into a clearing out of the dense wood. He wanted to fall to his knees, his breath ragged in his throat, but he bit back the pain as the soldiers were closing in.
Akechi got a clear shot now that the Blue Spirit was out in the open. He vaulted forward, sending a stream of fire towards him. Zuko could feel the heat of the flame coming towards him. He turned, sweeping his leg so he could brace for the attack, but his weakened stance allowed the flames to blast him off his feet. He reeled back as the fire rolled over him, singeing his tunic till it was blackened.
"Haha so much for... for trying to escape... you've just made your end... a more painful one," Akechi said raising up the Dao swords, pointing them straight at the Blue Spirit, as the Fire Nation soldiers caught up and surrounded him.
Zuko narrowed his eyes as he got back to his feet, straightening his stance. He glanced down at the dagger in his hands, his eyes running over the inscription as he looked back up at Akechi. "Never give up without a fight," Zuko said calmly to himself, his body steadying as he readied himself.
Akechi gritted his teeth as he watched his opponent, seeing no fear in the hollow sockets of the blue demon mask. "Kill him," he ordered as the soldiers roared and charged towards the Blue Spirit.
Zuko ducked and weaved as they thrust their spears and sliced at him with fire. He danced around their attacks as he slashed out with his dagger steel meeting steel as he parried each strike.
One soldier lunged towards him with a spear aimed for Zuko's chest. He quickly sidestepped the attack and thrust his palm straight into the man's face. He could feel the man's nose breaking against his palm as he collapsed back on the ground. Another soldier lashed out trying to strike at Zuko's back, but he saw this. Turning on his heel, he spun around delivering a kick to the man's jaw. He could feel a few teeth breaking as his shin connected to the soldier's face sending him crashing to the floor.
Akechi was fed up, watching his men failing to take down one man, it was an insult he could no longer stand for. Charging, he slashed wildly at the Blue Spirit, his frantic slices with the twin blades clanging against the pearl dagger.
Zuko tried his best to swipe and block the animalistic assault, but with each strike, his grip loosened. The blade reverberated in his hand as Akechi barreled down on him. With the steel blades scratching against each other Akechi pushed off of his blade with his, making him stumble back, allowing him to get an opening. He slashed up knocking the dagger out of the Blue Spirit's grasp, sending it careening out of reach and left the masked warrior defenceless. Akechi grinned wickedly and brought both blades down.
Zuko's eyes went wide in shock once he saw the twin swords slashing down at his head. He reached out instinctively grabbing Akechi's hands trying to hold back the two swords as they were about to cut him down. Akechi and Zuko both struggled, their teeth grinding as they both fought for control each trying to tear the blades out of each other's grip. But soon Akechi's growl and clenched teeth of anger turned into a victorious smirk. He watched out of the corner of his eye as spearman dashed towards them the gleaming spear tip ready to pierce the Blue Spirit's back.
Zuko was trapped as he couldn't let his grip on the swords go or else he'd be cut down. He turned his gaze, meeting the eyes of the man who would end him. Seeing the spearman barreling towards him, he shut his eyes for a brief moment to prepare for the pain but instead heard a whizzing sound fly past his ear. Zuko opened his eyes and saw an arrow had plunged straight into the man's eye. His now lifeless body collapsed to the ground. Akechi and Zuko were surprised by the man's death, both turning their eyes to the arrow's origin as a volley of arrow broke through the trees. One after another, soldiers fell, the arrows swiftly taking them down as a figure burst through the trees.
"Blue!"
Suki charged in, firing her bow while mounted on her Ostrich Horse. She fired with almost inhuman like precision, as she took down soldier after soldier. When she had returned from her hunt with her prize, she came upon the dead Fire nation soldier and evidence of an ambush and no sign of the Blue Spirit. She had quickly mounted her beast and follow the tracks from the soldiers that cut through the forest. Once she found the Blue Spirit in danger, she didn't waste a second firing her bow.
Once Zuko saw Akechi was distracted by the mounted archeress, he kicked him in the stomach before pushing him off with his foot. Akechi groaned as he reeled back by the sharp hit to the stomach, and getting knocked down and trampled over by the speeding Ostrich Horse.
Suki circled the battlefield trying her best to shield the Blue Spirit. He was still unarmed, and there were still too many for her to take out on her own. With her arrows dwindling fast, she drew her katana and she raced to the Blue Spirit's side.
"Blue catch!" she called out as she tossed the sword towards him.
Zuko quickly reached out and caught the curved blade. When he took hold of its hilt, he twirled around slicing with the blunted edge. Swiftly, he struck an oncoming attacker. The Blue Spirit gracefully slashed away, cutting down the soldiers that approached him, each one falling to his steel.
Akechi finally pushed himself back on his feet after being knocked down. He looked up and saw the number of bodies spread out across the field. His soldiers dwindled to only a handful left standing as they were cleaved by Suki's fans, or knocked out by the Blue Spirit's blade.
"That's enough!" Akechi roared in his blind rage, igniting the Doa swords in his grasp. He eyed the Blue Spirit before turning his gaze to the Kyoshi warrior, a grin passing his lips. He drew back his swords that were ablaze with an intense fire. The steel glowed as he thrust the blades forward, sending a wave of fire straight at Suki.
"Suki!" Zuko screamed out in horror as he saw the flames racing towards her. She didn't see the flames coming towards her, but she did feel its heat. Right as she turned to face the fire, the wave of flames blasted her off her Ostrich Horse sending her flying as the fire scorched and burned her beast. The Ostrich Horse squealed in pain as it stumbled and fell, its feathers burned away as its flesh sizzled and cooked. Suki groaned as she heard an audible pop in her shoulder once she hit the ground. She huffed as she tried to push herself up but her left arm was limp at her side. She bit back a scream as she tried to move it, but it was no use.
Akechi grinned wide as his swords reignited. He twirled his weapons almost playfully in his grasp as he took aim. Suki saw the Fire nation commander watching as the flames danced around the orange blades. Her eyes watered as the heat grew as she couldn't look away, believing this was her end. Once the fire leaped from his swords and blasted towards her, everything felt almost in slow motion. As the fire got closer and closer, the heat felt like it was turning her tears to steam as she braced for the pain. Then, suddenly, her vision turned black. It took her a second to realize that something was now standing in front of her, blocking her way. Once she looked up and saw the dark silhouette of the demon mask she screamed in horror.
"BLUE NOOOOOO!"
Suki watched as the Blue Spirit struck out with his hands as he parted the flames. Her eyes widened, watching as the flames wrapped and cascaded around them as he kept the fires at bay. She looked on in amazement as the fires flowed and rushed passed them like crashing waves of golden water. Her wonder was shortly replaced with one of realization as her eyes landed on the Blue Spirit's back.
"You're... you're a firebender."
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