This is my first Avatar The Last Airbender fanfiction thank you to LunaStar07 for helping out with my writing and beta reading my work hope you enjoy the next chapter
Disclaimer I don't own anything related to ATLA
The Fire had scorched the earth. Small flames flicking along the ground, leaving only a small space untouched where Suki and The Blue Spirit stood. Once the flames died down, Zuko could hear Suki's voice. It made his chest squeeze as he heard only the sound of betrayal in her tone. He was a firebender, he was her enemy. And now she knows the truth. He so desperately wanted to turn to her and tell her that he isn't, that she was confused. He wanted to lie, but he couldn't. He couldn't look at her, he just looked away ashamed and clenched the sword in his grasp.
So many thoughts ran through Suki's mind as she stared up at him. She had no idea how to feel or how to react. She just saw the Blue Spirit firebend. She felt like a total fool trusting him. Aikio was right, she was right about everything. Suki wanted to flee, to run, but she could barely get to her feet as she laid there defenceless. Her eyes trailed back up to the Blue Spirit. She half expected to see him ready to cut her down, but he didn't. He just stood there in between her and the Fire Nation commander.
"So, Blue Spirit... it is just you and me now," Akechi said with a confident smirk. The Dao sword in his hand was still bright hot as he pointed toward the Blue Spirit. "I'm going to enjoy watching you burn," he said as he twirled the twin blades in his hands.
Zuko said nothing. He simply got into a fighting stance. The katana firm in his grasp and readied himself to fight. Even if she hated him, he wouldn't... couldn't let Akechi harm her. He wouldn't allow it.
Suki watched in confusion as the Blue Spirit remained at her defence, watching as he wielded her sword. Before she knew what was happening, both Akechi and the Blue Spirit lunged at each other. With incredible force, their blades crashed together and Suki could almost swear the earth shook. "Blue?" she whispered confused as he and the commander fought.
Zuko slashed and swung the blade, again and again, striking at Akechi. Their blades rang with each hit, the sound echoing through the trees. Akechi fought ferociously, meeting each of the Blue Spirits attacks with his own. They both circled each other, fighting with fire and steel. Zuko was not holding back as he let his fire out. He shot fire from the sole of his foot, helping him leap up and slice down at the commander. But Akechi crossed his blades, blocking and shielding the strike. He pushed off as the Blue Spirit flipped over his head. Akechi smirked wide as he spun around, slashing at the masked warrior and managing to cut his arm. Zuko groaned as he rolled away, trying to escape a few more quick strikes. The slice on his arm wasn't deep, but with the blades blazing hot, the wound instantly cauterized and sealed. With a loud roar in anger, he charged as a massive blaze rose to surround them.
Suki gasped as she saw the Blue Spirit get hit. Her emotions racing as she watched them fight. Every time she saw him get hit or hurt, she wanted to leap up and fight by his side. But her chest twisted as a small part of her just wanted to run, to leave him, making her heart pang with guilt. She hated this, she hated the idea that crept in her mind. The Blue Spirit, firebender or not was fighting for her and she wanted to leave him. She wanted to slap herself and call herself a coward, but all she did was lay there and watch.
The fires started to rise as she watched their silhouettes dance along with the flames. They looked like two demons, two mythical beings locked in battle. It was a sight to behold. The Blue Spirit matched each of Akechi's strikes and parries, blow for blow, and neither of them wavered. But Zuko could see the Dao swords starting to become warped from the fires, and beginning to chip and crack with each blow. He saw Akechi's Achilles heel and was going to exploit it. He blasted him with fire and quickly met that with a barrage of slashes and swipes of his sword, bashing the weakening steel swords.
Akechi groaned as he tried to block each wild strike from the Blue Spirit, unaware of his intentions or his fragile swords. Akechi managed to back away, blasting fire through his feet to catch his breath as he got distance between him and the Blue Spirit. He huffed, exhausted, his breathing heavy and uneven as he eyed the Blue demon mask. "I'm... I'm going to kill you... Traitor! Do you hear that?! I'm going to kill you!" Akechi howled as he charged as he brought both Dao swords together to make one blazing sword.
Zuko narrowed his eyes as he brought the katana to his side, taking a few long deep breaths as the sword cooled in his grasp. The flames dissipated along the blade as he dug his feet into the dirt before leaping forward bursting into a sprint as him and Akechi raced to each other. The scarred commander swept his blade slashing at the Blue Spirit as they ran past each other. Zuko twisted his body to duck and slide under the strike as he raised his sword slashing upwards. Their swords struck together with a loud clang as they both split apart.
"Blue!" Suki screamed as she saw a spurt of blood spray as the swordsmen clashed. Suki managed to finally get up on her knees as she stared at both of them. She spotted a small trail of blood following along the dirt towards the Blue Spirit and shattered pieces of metal littering the ground. Her eyes wide, tears pricking down her cheek her heart sinking as her fears were coming true.
Akechi chuckled softly, almost victoriously, hearing her cries believing he had won, but his victory was short lived as he looked down. He looked down at his hands and the sword in his grasp. The blade was completely shattered, only a dull stump was left sticking out of the hilt. And soon a sharp pain radiated from his side, blood starting to flow, bleeding slowly as he fell to his knees. The hilt fell from his grip as he grabbed at his side, trying his best to stop the blood as his voice hitched in his throat.
Zuko finally let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and jumped in fright when he heard Suki scream. He looked down and saw the sword still clutched in his hands, the blade coated in a thin line of blood. When he saw the blood, his eyes went wide as his hand started to shake slowly, turning to see the commander fall to his knees. Zuko's eyes were wide in shock as he walked over to the commander's side.
"You... you bi... itch," Akechi groaned, coughing blood as he wrenched and quivered in pain. Akechi looked up at the Blue Spirit, blood dripping from his lips and streaming down his wounded side and seeping through his fingers. The pain was immense as he felt the life being slowly drained from him.
"What are you just standing there for, huh? Come on, finish it! Kill me!" Akechi said, coughing up blood. Zuko looked down at Akechi, seeing the terror and fear in his eyes. They both knew he was going to die, there was no escaping that fact as his face grew pale.
Zuko looked down at the bloodstained katana in his hands,s his hands trembled uneasily. He had never killed anyone before. Sure, he had seen people die, but this was different. This felt wrong, even if this man had tried to kill him. He never thought he could take a life, especially not like this, in cold blood.
Suki watched, heartbroken as she saw the Blue Spirit, debating in his head what to do. She was able to pull herself to her feet and slowly strode over to the Blue Spirit's side. She saw his body shaking, his hands trembling with indecision and remorse. "Can he really be a monster?" She thought, biting her lip and shaking her head. "No, he's not, he isn't how, could I think or believe such a thing," Guilt overwhelmed her as she questioned herself. He could firebend, but that didn't change who he was, who he was to her.
"Come on, do it you coward!" Akechi' scream tore Suki out of her train of thought and her eyes landed on the bleeding commander. Then Akechi turned to the wounded Kyoshi warrior, eyeing her and getting an idea. "Fine, be that way, but I'm not gonna stop... I'll hunt you down! And when I do, I'm gonna make your little girlfriend watch!" He said, trying to antagonize the Blue Spirit. Suki turned to Blue and could already see his body tensing as his grip tightened around her sword. "That's right, I'm never going to stop, I'll chase you around the world if I have to and I will kill you! And I'll make her watch before I tear her limb from limb!"
They all knew Akechi's threats were empty. They all knew he was going to die, but it didn't stop the blood from boiling in Zuko's veins. His heart racing seeing the commander on his knees easily seeing himself saying these same words. When he gazed down at his vile reflection, he felt sick to his stomach. "This isn't me, this isn't me," Zuko repeated in his head, but when he gazed at the commander, he only saw the banished prince kneeling in front of him. "Kill me, kill me, kill me!" his voice echoed in his head until he felt his body beginning to move on its own.
"I'm going to kill them! I'm going to kill them all-" Suki gasped as the blade came down on Akechi's neck, slicing straight through. His body quickly collapsed, thudding on the ground as his head rolled away. The Blue Spirit remained frozen in place, his body stiff as the blade tip remained buried from the slice. Suki got closer to his side, hearing soft sobs as his breath hitched in in his throat. She was able to see through the sockets in his mask, seeing his golden eyes shut tight, unable to see what he has done. She slowly reached out, touching his hand and slowly pulling the sword from his grip, letting it drop to the ground.
"It's okay Blue, it's over, it's over," Suki said softly as she looped her right arm around his and pulled him into a hug. She tugged on the back of his tunic, holding him tightly to let him know she was here for him. Soon, she could feel his arms wrapping around her, hugging her back. She sighed softly as they embraced. "He's not a monster," she told herself as she hugged him tighter. A groan escaped her lips, her arm still hurt.
"You're hurt," Zuko said as he pulled away from the hug, seeing her arm still limp at her side.
"Yeah, I think I dislocated my shoulder," Suki said as she rubbed her arm, still unable to lift it.
Zuko quickly grabbed the hem of his tunic, ripping off a long strand as he came to Suki's side. "Here let me," he said instinctively as he went to put her arm in a sling.
"No, its fine I... okay," she was about to protest, but let him put her arm in the makeshift sling. Her arm resting in the charred fabric as her eyes landed on her sword in the commander's blood. She could see the Blue Spirit avoiding to look at his dead body or the sword that laid in his blood, so she reached down and snatched up the sword. She wiped the blood clean off on her sleeve, before managing to slip it back in her sheath.
"We... we should get back to the others...and get Ami to look at your arm," Zuko said as he turned his back to her.
"Yeah, yeah we should," Suki frowned as she glanced down at the dead commander and back at the Blue Spirit. They started to walk back to his Ostrich horse, making their way back to where he was ambushed. They didn't talk, not even muttering a word as they fell into an uncomfortable silence. Unbeknownst to each other, they both worried what will happen when they get back. Suki knew she had to tell her sisters what happened but she wanted to talk to the Blue Spirit alone first and she's worried she will never get the chance. Zuko was worried that when she tells them who/what he is, they won't hesitate in killing him.
Once they reached his Ostrich horse, it still tied to the tree. Zuko walked over and pet the beast's head, it squawked in approval. He then walked to the cart still tied to his mount, grabbing the two cat deer carcasses that were strewn on the ground and loaded them up. Hauling them on the wood cart, he shifted them and made room for Suki. "Here, you can ride in back till we reach camp," he said, gesturing to the spot and Suki nodded. He wanted to help her get on the cart, but decided against it and simply mounting up on his Ostrich horse as she shuffled onto the cart.
Suki sighed, still feeling the tension between them as she rested her head on the soft fur of the Cat deer. Laying there as they trotted along back to camp, they both remained in silence and deep thought of what will come.
Please leave a review and let me know what you think and soon coming chapters will be leading up to Zuko Alone and The Chase I can't wait so stay tuned