Traitor - Zuko X Reader

Chapter Three

    Soon after settling into the home of Isano and Wei, I learned that Isano was an ex-Kyoshi warrior. I spent a year begging her to train me in hand-to-hand combat, desperate to be able to defend myself and my new home in case anyone came to harm us and after what seemed like forever she finally agreed. She not only knew earth kingdom fighting styles but also those of the fire nation and the water tribes. She claimed there was a time she had wanted to be the best fighter out of the entire Kyoshi warriors and began reading books on different fighting styles. Her training contrasted to her personality and was very grueling and harsh. There were days where I'd go to bed sore and exhausted and she'd wake me up before the run rose to train more.

    Within two years of practice and training I was nearly as skillful as her in all the forms of combat she had taught me. That was when she took me and Wei to the nearby village and allowed me to pick out a weapon of my very own. After hours of debating on the best weapon for me, I finally decided on dual sickles. As soon as we got back home, I began practicing wielding the weapons and after another year of slicing myself by accident and chipping away at the stump I used as a practice dummy in the backyard, I had finally mastered both weapons. I was a near perfect throw with the stars and Isano couldn't disarm me with her Kyoshi warrior fans when going against me with my sickles.

    Throughout my time at my new home, I had grown exceptionally close to Wei and he became the brother I never had and Isano, while not replacing my mother, provided the same love to me as I received from my own mother. They may not have replaced the family or home I had but were the closests I was going to get.

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Before I knew it, I was finally eighteen, packing to leave my home of the past six years. Isano and I had a long discussion about what I was to do once I left and was free to do what I wanted. I debated joining the Kyoshi Warriors, but Isano told me I would not like the rules the warriors had to live by and shot that idea down. After months of being indecisive about what to do with my life, I finally decided on exploring the earth kingdom. Perhaps along the way fate would lead me towards what I was destined to do.

So, I packed my things, sheathing my sickles across my back, some food, and a large canteen of water, donning my earth kingdom clothes. I exited my room and met Isano and Wei in the living space of the house. I looked around the room and smiled lightly. This place may not have been as luxurious as the castle, but that did not make it any less of a home. From the creaky floorboard in the kitchen, the window that didn't close properly in the living room, and the rusted metal on the door I loved this house and the people in it even more. My eyes finally met Isano's as she had tears welling in her eyes. I breathed in and walked towards her.

"Well I guess this is good-" My sentence was cut short as Isano pulled me into a spine-crushing hug. That was when I finally felt tears stream down my face. You would think I would be used to goodbyes by now, but the sting of leaving people I had cared for so deeply never stopped hurting and I began to cry harder when Wei joined the hug. I had watched Wei grow from a rowdy five-year-old into a calm, level-headed eleven year old. I let go of Isano and flattened Wei's dark brown hair as he reached up and flattened my own. I smiled and saw a tear fall down his cheek, I wiped it away and gave him another hug.

When I pulled away he whispered, "Please come back to visit us." I nodded and held out my pinkie as he hooked his own around mine and smiled.

"Be safe, dear. Remember what I taught you and . . . I love you." Isano smiled. The love we had for each other was apparent before but this was the first time she had ever said that to me out loud and it was enough to make more tears fall onto my cheeks. I walked to the door, opened it and turned around, "I love you too".

    I then closed the door behind me and began walking into the nearby woods. Turning back to face my home, I exhaled and turned towards an uncertain future.