Jaded Petals ↛ Zuko x OC ✔️

01 | The Black Jade

"The Fire Nation is coming." One woman said, "They are going to try to destroy the outer wall!" Another had yelled. Amidst the flocking people stood a young girl, her jade eyes had looked around as people were running. "Run child, the Fire Nation will burn us all!" A man screamed as the girl had looked back, to where the others were running to the second wall. She was supposed to be afraid, scared of the Firebenders that were going to come and destroy her home, Ba Sing Se but how could she be afraid when she had no place to run to? Her father was at the outer wall and her mother had been passed the day she was born. She had no brothers or sisters but her father, who would be fighting the Firebenders. She could run home and hide but who's to say that her home wouldn't be burned down. She could go to the refugee center, who would take care of her? The only person that could make her feel safe would be her father but he was in battle.

The child stood there in the empty city, holding her Deerhorse stuffed animal. She debated on going to the refugee center, but then turned back and looked at the large outer wall that her father was trying to protect. It was then she had heard the wall being broken, the large stone wall was being breached by the Firebenders. Soldiers were flocked at the wall, prepare to protect it and a one had come and lifted the young girl from the ground. "How is the General's daughter out here and unprotected?!" He yelled, "I told you she was the first person to be safe! Why is she out here alone?!" The man screamed from the top of his lungs. The emerald eyes of the man who was holding her looked down, "Don't worry, you'll be safe." He tried to comfort her as her eyes lit up and a smiled adorned her face.However, the wall had been broken and the force had caused pieces of stone to fly. A large piece of it was heading towards their direction and man began to run and jumped, dodging it and protecting the young girl had they rolled over to the side. "You have to run, get out of here!" He had said as let her go and tried to make her run. The young girl looked at him and then started running forward, fire benders already here.

However, there was no fight and no sudden action. She looked at the broken wall and had seen her father. Even though she knew better than to run towards danger's way, she had run toward him. "What are you doing? No, please!" The soldier who protected her earlier had yelled. Her small feet were going in one direction only and that was to her father who was bowing in defeat to a Fire Nation militia.

"Papa!" She yelled, all eyes turning towards her. The Ba Sing Se general had immediately turned around upon hearing his daughter's voice. "Papa!" She cried again as the man had ran towards her, picking her up. "Daiyu." He held the child tightly in his arms, "What are you doing out here? You should've been taken away from here." He could still feel her small form shaking and crying. The general turned to look at the Fire Nation General whose eyes had softened. "We won't cause further harm unless you surrender." He had said, his gold eyes staring at the opposing general and his daughter. Daiyu had looked at the Firebender in disdain, her eyes narrowing at him. "We surrender..." She had heard her father say, her mouth opening in shock.

That night the Fire Nation army had made camp at the broken outer wall and her father had gone back to report to the King upon their failure to protect the wall. That night, her father was forced to commit suicide. Since he had surrendered and had not done a better job at fighting the Fire Nation army, he was seen an insult to the entire Earth Kingdom army. Daiyu was now parentless and heartbroken. She was no to be taken care of by anyone for who would want a child of a now shamed family? She would be another child on the street with nothing to her name. What did she have to lose by confronting the Fire Nation army? At this point, she was a child who had nothing else to lose and a growing hatred for the Nation that had took her father away. Once she made it in the heart of the camp, she rose her right leg with her foot pointing up and then slammed her heel down and a large boulder levitated in the air and before she could send a kick and propel it towards the tent, she was immediately stopped. "I don't think that's a wise decision."