Avatar: Shadows (Zuko x reader)

Chapter 20

"who are you?" you question staring at the stranger with pale skin.

"I'm not sure I should say." He chuckles his reply as he leans against a dead tree. "the last visitor I had ran screaming away from me." he opens his eyes now to look at you and you can see them blazing a brilliant red. "how am I to know you won't just leave?"

"how about we leave if you don't tell us." You reply coldly not at all amused.

"naive little fly." The man smirks. "do you honestly believe there are only four elements?" he glances at Aang and chuckles. "take a good look air bender... your kind could be next on the extinction list."

"actually Aang is the last air bender." You reply. "but what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about a greater power." The man replies glancing at you again. "there has always been a fifth element. Shadow... and look." He stands up and stretches his arms wide. "this is what I am. The fifth element the severed link in the avatar chain. Because my infuriating past life's couldn't handle their war they decided I was a threat and locked me away before I even had a chance to exist!" he glances at Aang again and growls. "they took my bending and my chance for freedom... then locked my soul away so I could never expose the world to a dark avatar."

"but that avatar is supposed to..." Aang starts.

"bridge the normal world and the spirit realm yes I'm aware. I was avatar long before you were nomad." He glares at Aang. "our past is the same... but I'm not part of your line of birth. The first time a link is severed like mine was the past lives grow weak. The next bender born in fire did most of the work himself until he discovered that telling the story of the past avatar and getting people to remember them... that gives them a sort of energy which renewed them to their former strength. Annoying they insist that I am still a threat and refuse to let me out."

"then... you're the avatar who was supposed to be born in the shadows..." you reply backing up one step. "but your so..."

"different then you expected?" he smirks. "what did you expect?"

"I don't know..." you frown. "but definitely not a person."

The stranger faces you now with his eyes narrowed. "just... who are you anyway?"

"I am Nak and this is Tano sir." The tiger and puma bow. "we are faithful to serve what remains of the shadow tribes. We brought the girl who will set you free from this prison."

"hm?" the shadow avatar glances at the two animals and then at you. "shadow bender? Then my kind have finally come to rescue me after 10,000 years..."

"I did no such thing..." you frown. "I only came looking over here because Aang and Zuko wanted to see."

"she has the blood of our royal family." Tano says. "it was told onto our ancestors that someday that blood would be able to free you." they both bow. "it is only the wish of our village that you lead us."

"I thought I was leader?" you retort.

"we only told you that so you'd help." Tano chuckles. "you know nothing about us so how could you lead us!?"

"all we need is the blood." Nak says jumping into the air. "that's what is required to break the seal." He lands on you claws out and teeth bared.

Zuko instinctively lunges at Nak and knocks him off you. he receives a nasty bite to the back leg from Tano. Nak frees himself from Zuko while Zuko struggles with Tano.

Aang attempts to get in the way and it works because he blocks a bite, but he gets a nasty bite mark on his arm. When Aang is bite he stumbles back a bit knocking you backwards and you bump across the barrier smearing your blood onto it.

You get to your feet and jump forward to help Zuko but he's alright lost his fight. Standing his ground while his leg bleeds heavily he snarls at Nak and Nak snarls back.

Before they can fight again Nak is taken by the stranger by the back of the neck. "knock it off." He growls. "you said I'm your leader and that means you obey. No fighting."

Nak and Tano move behind the shadow avatar and cower.

"Cowards..." Zuko huffs before falling onto his side.

"he needs help!?" you look at Aang who is bleeding badly from a bite on his arm.

"your injured too..." Aang points out. "it doesn't look as bad as Zuko though."

You look up at the shadow avatar. "can you help him?"

"my name is Damian." He replies. "and no I can't... but the damage as bad as it is will be easier to heal in the mortal world." He looks at Aang. "you must activate the avatar state... now."

"but that won't take us back to the temple..." Aang replies.

"there are secret portals everywhere the strongest of which lie at the two pole center points and can only be opened from the outside by the avatar." Damian says. "where we are right now is near a place called Omashu in the mortal world. There is a portal here which will take us to an alter in the town square. No doubt you've seen it before."

"I have seen it." Aang nods. "are you sure?"

"positive." Damian says. "do it now!"

"alright..." Aang tries to empty his mind and he enters the avatar state. You watch as he combines the elements around him then bend pure energy creating a rip which turns into a portal. The avatar state fizzles out and Aang collapses exhausted.

you grab Zuko and try to nudge Aang but you can't carry both. Damian picks up Aang and goes through the portal without you so you follow him.

the two villagers follow next and then the portal closes.

You collapse to the ground after exiting the portal. Zuko got heavy when he turned back into a person. "Zuko... say something you're alright."

Zuko chuckles a bit and then smirks but doesn't open his eyes or move. "I've been better."

You force yourself up and you support Zuko so he doesn't have to use his injured leg. "come on... we'll find somebody that can help you."

"some waterbenders know how to heal." Aang says supporting himself against Damian. "but I don't think we'll find any here."

Damian looks around and spots a shop keeper outside he nods and starts walking to the shop. "excuse me. do you know a place where the injured might rest?"

The old man turns and looks at you all shocked. "my word you youngen seem to have been almost ate by a mountain lion!? Come inside come inside quickly." He fixes you all up and you rest there for a day. during that time Damian is almost nonexistent. He disappears for a while but when he comes back later reveals he had just walked the villagers home and then escorted the Bison in the forest to Omashu.

Aang then explains that is his Bison and thanks Damian for helping out.

One thing still bothered you though. This guy is supposed to be evil right?