Risho of the Black Snow (ATLA Fanfiction)

Operation Ember Island- Part Three

Risho spun around and glared at him. Mad? Mad wasn't nearly enough to describe what she was feeling right now. It wasn't even half of it. The Fire Nation was using her to keep the Earth Kingdom from using her, more specifically the Firelord was using her at the same time her kidnappers were trying to use her- and because of that, the people she thought were helping her were using her to find a group that was trying to use her against them. She didn't understand it much, either.

"What."

"It was our best chance at catching-"

"Hold on," Risho's hands fell from her face and onto her folded legs. "Are you justifying-They didn't even tell me, Azar! I thought I was going to die! I-"

"The Firelord trusted my parents with this. My parents knew what they were doing. They wouldn't have let you-"

"Oh, they wouldn't, would they?" she said bitterly.

"No, of course not. We're sworn to protect you while you're here. Why," He caught a glimpse of her expression. "Why are you looking at me that way?"

Risho felt her lips curl into an unhappy smile, felt her eyes narrow as she leaned in closer to Azar. "Boy, could I tell you a thing or two about your father, Az. I hope you know that he's not like...this off this island. He's not the person you think."

Azar blinked. "What do you mean?"

She couldn't take it any longer. Risho was like a kettle that was boiling over- and if she didn't want to scald everyone- she knew she'd just have to steam. "He's not NICE, Azar. Not like he is with you. Back..." She took a breath. "Back where I'm from...Back..when..before..." She pinched her eyes shut like a gate- but moisture still escaped. "He tried to burn me and another girl alive, Azar. Firelord Sozin wanted him to kill me and he did it...it didn't work...but- He tried to kill me, Azar. What you have here; it's all a lie. It's not r-" Her friend didn't say a word. He just looked at her, frowning, his eyebrows drawn together like he was trying to figure her out. She ordered him to say something.

Azar shook his head. "No," he whispered, "that's not true. He wouldn't-"

"He did."

Azar slid off the edge of the bed. "No," he said, "my dad rescued you. It's like a fairy tale."

A fairy tale. Out of all the stories her father had told her, none of them had sounded quite like this one. It was almost enough to make Risho laugh. She scowled. "Rescued me? Is that what they're saying?"

"Yes, Risho, rescued. You belong here, with your own kind, and my father brought you back here so you could have a better life and-"

She laughed out loud, even though none of this was funny. "Oh, really? That wasn't how things were explained to me. You want a fairy tale, Azar? Well, I'll tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a Fire Bending DRAGON princess who was locked in a tower by her sad, lonely papa. One day: a bunch of knights came to slay the dragon princess; but found that their swords couldn't pierce the her thick scales. So instead of killing the dragon princess, they took her away from the papa she loved and back home. They gave her to their king as a pet- saying that someday, the dragon princess would incinerate the king's enemies-"

"What are you saying? That's...that's abominable. You don't-"

"SHE NEVER WANTED TO LEAVE THE TOWER!" Risho screamed, unable to force herself to stop. "THE KNIGHT IS NOT A HERO, HE TOOK HER! FROM EVERYONE, AND EVERYTHING SHE EVER CARED ABOUT AND-"

Azar's eyes had darkened, and his head was still shaking. "He didn't. My father doesn't kill good people. Only the bad ones. They saved you, Risho. You don't understand."