A Kindred Spirit [Reader x Zuko]

Chapter One

A Kindred Spirit

Chapter One

You let out a deep breath as you concentrated on the task at hand. There was yet another man laid out before you, his body stripped naked save for one strip of fabric to preserve your modesty. Not that you weren't used to seeing things you probably shouldn't at this point but at least this man has some form of decency. As you took in another breath you dipped your hand into the lukewarm water in the bowl next to you. The water rose up with your hand as though it tried to clean. You arched the liquid over to the man laying down on the table. When the water touched the man's skin there was a soft glow, restoring vitality to strained muscles. You shifted fluidly as you worked your way up and down, spreading out through all his limbs. By the time you were done the bowl was empty and the relaxed man had fallen asleep. You took a step back and dried off what remained on your hands.

From the back corner another person stood up. There wasn't much about her that really stood out. Other than her stomach that is, she was ready to burst from the child within. Slowly the older woman moved towards you, her waddle yet another sign that she was very nearly ready to give birth. You couldn't wait to see if you had a brother or a sister.

"You did very well," your mother complimented.

You smiled slightly and thanked her, though you couldn't help but feel awkward over the complement. It wasn't as though what you'd just done had been a hard thing. Your mother had taught you how to be a healer since you had discovered you could bend water. So using it to work out the kinks was nothing at this point. You and your mother walked over to the closed door and you knocked. Almost instantly the door opened and your hands were slapped in irons.

That's right, you were a prisoner.

"Let's go."

You tried not to shudder at that point. If it wasn't for the fact that you could use water to heal it would have belonged to a person responsible for gifting you many scars. Long Feng may or may not have been known to use brainwashing techniques on the citizens of Ba Sing Se but he had no issue with corporal punishment for anyone he considered a threat; his squadron leaders like the man before you were no different. You waited until your mother had been led down a different pathway before speaking up for that very same reason.

"Has the drill been taken care of?" You asked quietly.

The question was most likely already going to invoke the earth bender's ire so you tried to soften it with a submissive posture and tone. You also knew that if you pressed him too far you were probably going to get back handed again. Yet at the same time you couldn't ignore the whispers you'd heard going on around you. Especially not with something as juicy as hearing that the fire nation was at the walls trying to break in. You knew that you had heard it at least days after it had happened which meant that there had probably been a lot that had happened since then. And despite the fact that logic told you it was unlikely that Ba Sing Se was going to fall to the fire nation you couldn't help but feel a flutter of hope. Even with all of the atrocities that had happened the fire nation couldn't be worse than being a prisoner to the earth nation.

"Be quiet fire nation trash."

At that you closed your mouth. It didn't matter to them one ounce that you were a waterbender just like your mother. Nor did it matter to them that you'd never actually even seen the Fire Nation. It never had before. All that mattered to them was the fact that your father had been a high ranking officer in the fire nation. It was a stigma that you had to carry even after his death.

The Dai Li agent led you back into your cell. Once it was closed he passed you the key to your shackles like clock work. After you unlocked them you had to hand the key back and it was all done under two sets of critical eyes. Only when that was all said and done did they leave you alone. You sank back onto what functioned as your bed and curled up with the blanket that had been provided to you. Slowly you let your body lay down as you stared up at the roof. Despite the fact that you didn't even know how to go on the offensive with your bending, as that was something even your mother had never been taught, they still went to great lengths to make sure that you didn't rebel. You were pretty sure that the complete boredom that you were left to rot in was another way they meant to break your spirit.

Unfortunately after years of being incarcerated you had to admit that it probably worked. You hadn't made an attempt to rebel in years. That didn't stop you from hoping that would ch--

Wait, who was coming down the hallway?

You sat up from your bed rather slowly; they didn't exactly feed prisoners very often so you had to conserve as much energy as you could. You moved over to the door and looked out of the small window built in, though some of the area of view was blocked by the bars. From what you could see there was a woman coming down the hallway and she had two Dai Li agents with her. You almost took a step back as confusion filled your body. What was a woman doing down here?

The girl stopped and turned, golden eyes narrowing directly in on you. Shit. You hadn't realize you'd muttered that aloud.

"Who is this?" The young lady asked the Dai Li guard.

"A prisoner of war."

She looked intrigued. Somehow you felt like she was studying your very soul and making some very important decisions. Everything about the way she stood and the way that the earthbender behind her stood wreaked of power. Hers, not his.

"What were you imprisoned for?"

You didn't answer for a moment as you tried to figure out if she was serious. That and the man behind her leveled you with his best glare imaginable. You knew what such a look promised. If you said anything the moment she was away from the cell and he was able to come back, you were going to be the latest punching bag.

"I won't ask again."

Somehow she scared you more. Oddly enough. But it was a sort of fear that made your heart skip a beat for a good reason. At least she was something, someone different.

"My father was part of the fire nation army."

She turned her body more towards you. "I wasn't aware that Ba Sing Se still had any of our troops captive. What's his name?"

Was she for real? She had just said 'our' which is what confused you a great deal. Did that mean she was from the Fire nation as well?

"Captain Kaseishin," you answered in a very confused tone.

"I recognize that name. Wasn't he was part of the force that broke through the wall six years ago?"

You tried to remember anything you could about that. Six years was a long time, especially considering that it was more than a third of your life. It was even longer of a span when each day blurred together one right after the other. Your heart clenched as the reality of the situation bore down on you. Six years. You'd been a prisoner for six years. Your father had been dead for six years.

Apparently she was unsatisfied with your silence as she cast sharp eyes back towards the Dai Li agent. The man looked like he was about to reach into your cell and crushed your throat for speaking up. Though that look disappeared behind a sort of mask when the young lady looked towards him and the only thing that happened was a sharp, silent nod.

"Where is he?"

That was something you could answer. "Dead. They killed him."

Right in front of you. That was something that you weren't going to forget. Nor would you ever forgive that.

The girl didn't seem surprised by that. Nor did she even look phased. You would have thought that she'd have shown some type of emotion or acknowledgement to your admittance but there was nothing. She held the same poise as she had strolling down the hall.

"W---Who are you?" You couldn't stop yourself.

Now that she seemed to find amusing, or so you'd have to say based on the slight upturn of her lips. She snapped her fingers and the Dai Li agent stood even more at attention if that was possible.

"Release her."