|•|W I T 卄 E R||•| Zuko X Reader ⚠SLOWBURN⚠

Around The Bend

You left the area and hid behind a wall. As the two finished their conversation, you focused on Ozai and Ursa. You waited for Ozai to leave, and the moment he did, you silently followed Ursa.

You tried to focus and see if anyone was around, but you couldn't. You let out a quiet groan and put your hand to your face. You had a headache and your nose was bleeding. If you used your power too much, you'd get drained. So, all you could do wait, listen, and move.

Soon enough, she reached her destination. Just as she was about to close the door to the room, you placed your index finger over your mouth and slid inside. She gave you a look of shock. "I need to get out of here or else my family and I will be in danger." You spoke. Ursa stared at you with a hint of sorrow in her eyes, but nodded and began making the poison.

Soon, in a cloak, she returned to the room and took your hand. The two of you left the building without being spotted. "I know a place we can get a boat." She said, leading you to the first place you saw in the Fire Nation. The docks. "We?" You repeated, confused. "I can't leave you on your own. You can't cross the sea on a boat by yourself." Ursa stated. You shook your head. "It'd be better for me to go alone. That way, you'd be out of danger." You argued. Ursa opened her mouth in protest, but was interrupted by an old woman walking onto the docks.

It was the same woman who gave you the plastic butter-flies. She had a boat.

She gave both of you a sad nod. "Go, blessed one. You must go on your own." The woman placed the boat on the water and Ursa placed you inside of it. Squeezing your hands, Ursa let out a soft sigh. "Please, be safe, little one." You gave her a hug. "You too, Ms. Zuko's mother." You let out a quiet chuckle. The woman took a necklace out of her pocket and placed it around your neck. It had two curved lines forming a circle, one black, one white.

Exactly like Lso's.

"My name is Saiyaka. Don't forget it." The two backed away, giving you room to start rowing away. Before you did, you lifted your hat and placed a paper butter-fly on the docks. So... If Zuko found it...

You swallowed the lump in your throat and began to row away from the docks.

§∆-------×-------∆§
??? P0V

Running through the halls, a panicked, determined, yet lost boy knew his mother had left the palace. But he didn't know why. He was about to ask his sister, when he passed a certain door.
He opened it, and was met with...

Nothing.

The girl who promised to be there for him had vanished to seemingly nowhere. "Y/N... Y/N, no..." He fell to his knees. Out of his pocket came a small, plastic butter-fly. Tears fell out his hazel eyes. "Zuzu? I knew you'd be upset, but- ..." Two children were in front of the empty room. One, merely confused and disappointed. And the other, sobbing, heartbroken, fearing the worst had happened.

Out on the ocean, a sorrowful, determined, yet lost girl pushed through the currents and the waves. Her small build was no match for the ruthless ocean, daring to swallow her up if she made the wrong movement. "Please... Please..." She couldn't die here. She wouldn't allow herself to. She had no resources around her other than a vast ocean which seemed to have no end. Her situation seemed hopeless, but she wouldn't allow such thoughts to cross her mind. She had to see her family again. She had to live, so that one day, maybe, just maybe... She could somehow see him again.

But the boy had no idea this was how the girl felt. Had he done something wrong? Had he made a mistake somewhere? What if she died? What if she was gone forever? Now that he knew of the fact that his grandfather had passed, his father had successfully become Firelord.
He should've felt some tiny, small fraction of happiness, should he not? But he felt hollow. He could understand her words now. He felt scatterbrained.

The ocean seemed to sympathize with the girl, since as she clinged on to life, the waters became calm and the moon guided her in the correct direction. Panting, the girl fixed her wet, messy hair. The ocean was pulling her closer to her destination, and the moon was pushing waves forward, trying to speed her up.
Was she really blessed? Or was it some strange luck?

Moonlight glistened on the ocean surface, and as the young girl was lulled into rest, the waves of the ocean guided her boat towards land.
A calming hue of blue was the last thing she saw before one final tear escaped her now heavy eyes. "I'm coming home, mom."

The warm yet cold bright flames illuminated the area. How come everyone is happy? Why can't he be happy? The lost boy stared off into the distance at a tree which stood alone. He recalled all the moments he missed. When they danced in the moonlight. When they trained together. When they first met. No matter how far he reached, one day, they'd slip out from underneath his fingertips and be forgotten due to something he didn't know, understand, or have any control over.
I need you, Y/N...

"There's a boat... It's from the Fire Nation!" The boy ran outside, ready and eager to fight. He'd avenge his mother and sister. "Sokka, please, be careful...!" The fearful girl exclaimed. All they had left was each other. As a person emerged out of the boat, the boy dropped his weapon in shock.
"Y/N...?" The frail girl didn't know what to say. So she didn't say a word. The two understood, and walked her into their old home.

The lost boy was outside as guards were out questioning civilians about "the space bender." He noticed a few faint muddy footsteps leading towards the docks. Hope was ignited in his eyes, as he ran in the direction the footsteps pointed to.

The boy, feeling far less lost, had reached the end of the footsteps, with a grin on his face. But as he noticed where they ended... His heart sank and shattered.

He fell to his knees, trembling. A small, wet paper cutout of a butter-fly
was placed upon the now tear-soaked docks. "The seas were crazy last night. If she had gone out..." He began to hyperventilate. She had tried to leave because of something. Possibly something he had done. And she could've died. Because of him. Was the blood on his hands? He believed it was. He was always a failure in the eyes of his sister and father, was he not? Why wouldn't he be a failure to you?

"Wow, Zuzu. You shouldn't be crying for a traitor, should you?" His sister scoffed. He wanted to yell at her for daring to say such a thing, but- "She abandoned the Fire Nation. She abandoned you, didn't she? She never cared about you."

His eyes widened at those words. "She is indeed a traitor. What a shame she died. She could've been a great use to the Fire Nation." The lost boy's father stood behind him.

Y/N... Is a traitor?

The boy picked up the paper butter-fly. With a grin, his sister burned it to ashes. "She was using this as trick to deceive you, I bet." She chuckled.

...Y/N...

Staring up to heaven, the boy let one final tear fall upon the ashes of the butter-fly.

Y/N... Is a traitor. Y/N never cared about me. She tried to deceive me.

...Right...?

BOOK 0: NULL
END.