Flames of Destiny (Zuko x Reader) Book 2

Chapter One; Turtleducks

"Well? Spit it out." Azula snapped, bringing Mei out of her state.

"O-Oh." Mei lowered her head in submission, "The Fire Lord has been waiting-"

"Well he can wait until after I've watched the turtleducks." (Y/N) said so casually Mei's heart nearly stopped from the shock.

Mei paled considerably. "B-But the Fire Lord-"

"Ozai gets what he gets. Let's see if he can find a spirit child in the physical world out of sheer luck like his father did with me." (Y/N) crabbed and turned back to the pond.

Azula looked amused. "Sometimes I think you have a death wish."

"I like to live dangerously." (Y/N) joked.

Mei was as white as a sheet. Of course, this was common, (Y/N) was the only one that made the Fire Lord wait as if he was not the sovereign ruler of the most powerful kingdom in the world. That was what Mei was afraid of, that (Y/N) would blatantly refuse the order.

(Y/N) raised her hand up and did a sweeping motion. "Darius."

"Dragoness." The sudden deep guttural voice behind Mei made her jump up.

She turned and had to crane her neck up to see the captain of (Y/N)'s special unit known as The Unburnt. He wore a pitch-black armor, unique to this flank only. The material seemed to swallow any form of light, making it seem as if it was two dimensional. He had on a full tactical mask that made his deep voice hoarse as he spoke.

"See that the Fire Lord is aware that Omashu is no longer a problem but it might be in the long run; it went down too easily. As for my special mission, I will brief him tomorrow." She ordered.

Darius bowed and followed behind Mei as she led him to the Throne Room.

When they were left alone Azula watched how (Y/N) seemed content sitting there watching the turtleducks swim along whilst still fully armored up.

It was a routine every time the spirit girl returned from war; she'd go straight to the garden first and sit under the cherry tree to feed the turtle ducks no matter how bloodied up she was too, she'd watch them until the last fleeting light of the sunlight bled into nightfall.

Azula knew why; she thought it was weak to be so sentimental and she didn't think her banished brother even deserved such devotion either. Yet a part of her, that she refused to give in to, also liked an excuse to come here and feed the turtleducks, as annoying as they were.

She knelt down and tried to drop a piece of bread towards them but one jumped up, snapping at the air as Azula pulled her hand back.

Azula glared at it and burnt the bread piece to ashes in her hand. "They're pesky little things."

(Y/N)'s lips curled up into an amused smile. "They are. But see how content they are? Swimming in this pond under the shade of a cherry blossom tree with no care in the world, oblivious to anything happening beyond this pond."

"It seems naïve. A predator would have a field day if left in this garden to prowl around and hunt them. They're defenseless and weak."

(Y/N) laughed gently, the sound like delicate wind chimes. "Oh Azula, if one lives its life in crippling fear of the unknown, it will not have lived a life at all. Better to live blithely like these turtleducks than to live a life of fear and uncertainty, death is as sure as the sun."

Azula's usual piercing eyes were soft now, something that only happens around the spirit girl. "You sound just like Uncle Iroh. Sometimes I forget you're an ancient spirit."

(Y/N) feigned an offended look, "Hey, I'm only 117 years old."

Azula rolled her eyes with a ghost of a smile curling at her red lips.