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

♡ Orange Lights ♡

You surprisingly managed to find a safe area to rest in. It was a dark alleyway with two tall, brick buildings concealing you from any pedestrians, thugs, and most importantly... The men who took away Hua Lín. You held your burnt wrist, furrowing your eyebrows. It was one of the only things you had to remember your mother, and that man stole it from you.

But, considering everything you had seen in the city, maybe that man truly had no other choice. You let out a wistful chuckle, warping a blanket of darkness around your body. "It's like I can never get along with people in power." You let your heavy eyelids rest.

"General Fong... That dumb guy on the wall, Zhao, Firelord Ozai..." You paused. The night of your escape... There was someone who wasn't so bad. Lady Ursa... Zuko's mother. "I wonder... I wonder how she's doing now." You muttered, sighing.

Tomorrow would be better.

£√|•|¥==°---------°==¥|•|√£

Not much happened throughout the day. You got a meal to eat, saved most of it for later, and went back to your not so comfortable abode. The evening sky was a dark shade of mariner blue. Clouds were gathering.

...Something was moving.
You could see a dark silhouette jerking backwards, startled by your gaze. "..." You slowly stood up, getting a better view of the person.

"I-I... I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do anything wrong!" They had bruises all over their body, as if they had gotten into a scuffle with someone. "Is there anything you need?" The stranger's eyes widened at your question. "Uh, ye-yeah... Could you spare some change? H-Hope I'm not bothering you..."

You tossed two gold coins towards the stranger, who caught them while literally jumping in joy. "It's all I can really afford to give. Is that alright?"
The stranger nodded. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

They stepped into the light, and you could see their face. They had an oddly similar appearance to Hua Lin. You both stared at each other. "...You were with my sister." The stranger whispered. All the glee they previously had was drained from their face.

"What happened to her!?" They asked, trying to remain as quiet as possible. "She-... She was taken by two men. They-" The stranger held their index finger to their lip, warning you to lower your voice. "If anyone hears us talking, bad things will happen."

"...The two men who took her mentioned something about Lake Laogai. Then... They disappeared." The stranger had a dark expression. "She's gone."
"What do you mean? We could try to find her!"

The stranger fell to the ground, burrowing their head inside their crossed arms. "If you go to Lake Laogai... You'll die. If they can't kill you, they'll kill the people you care about. I've been through it before."

You froze.
Katara, Sokka, Aang, and Toph were all inside the city. If you tried to save Hua Lín... There are so many things that could go wrong... What if she becomes brainwashed to the point she tries to kill you? What then? What if they go after your family?

"Thank you for your kindness."
The stranger stood up.
"Please, don't act irrationally."
You glanced at a large bruise on their arm. "It'll cause nothing but pain for you."

They walked away.

"..." You clenched your fists.
You weren't completely safe inside the alleyway. Finding a better area to reside would be a good idea. It'd also give you time to think.

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The clouds in the sky grew dark and heavy. It would rain soon. Not many citizens were on the streets. There was barely any noise, except for the gentle murmuring of the wind, and occasionally loud restaurant you'd pass by.