A Kindred Spirit [Reader x Zuko]

Chapter Four

A Kindred Spirit
Chapter Four

It was pointless to cling to the bodies of your dead sister and mother but you couldn't bring yourself to move away. The longer you sat the less tears that fell. But once they faded you felt so much worse than when you were crying. The world felt both too cold and too hot all at the same time. What would you do now?

You didn't know much about the world as you'd been imprisoned for six years. You knew less about how to live in it. Without your mom you were lost. Without your mother you had no one left. You might not have gotten to see her often but she had been your mom. There was an empty crack which only deepened the more you contemplated it.

"Why are you lingering in—"

Once the door opened Azula's voice stopped. You looked up at her but it barely felt like you were really looking at her. The world didn't seem quite so real anymore. Like there was a thin veil between you and the rest of the world.

"I see," she said in what was probably as sympathetic of a tone as she could ever achieve. "Why did she die? I thought you were a healer."

Anger welled up in you in place of tears. Your chest felt tight as you stared at her. Azula had freed you, that much was true. Yet the anger swelled up without your consent as she spoke. Azula's eyes drifted down to your hands as they clenched. She seemed more interested in that than the fact that you were standing among your dead family.

"They didn't bring me any water," you said tightly.

"I thought waterbenders were supposed to be resourceful. There was plenty of water around you. Even I saw the way the pipes froze over."

It didn't matter if that was news to you. It didn't matter that she was right. Your mother was dead and she was questioning your abilities. The anger felt better than the bitter cold anyways. You took in a deep breath and let it out through your nose. Steam poured out of your nostrils.

The sensation made you stumble back into the soiled bed where your mother's and sister's body lay. You had never done that before. Creating steam was a firebender's talent. your eyes flashed up to Azula in fear and surprise as you realized that the bed you just fell back into had started to smolder. But only where your hands had been. The very hands that Azula had been interested in just seconds ago.

"Looks like you're more your father's daughter than you led us to believe," Azula proclaimed with a morbid humor as she crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. "I don't blame you for lying to Long Feng. He would have killed you on the spot if you told him the truth. I however will kill you if you lie to me again."

"I'm not a firebender," you said in a strong whisper. "I wasn't lying."

"Then you're a useless, confused girl. I have no use for someone like that," the fire princess uncrossed her arms as she took a step back.

You didn't understand. You weren't a firebender. You had inherited your mother's element and had been working as a healer since you could remember. You had trained under your mother and no one else. But the steam that came out of your nose and burnt sections of bed from your hands said otherwise.

"I'm not a firebender."

"You've said that already."

She was walking away. If she left you were going to be in a kingdom that imprisoned you for simply having a father in the fire nation army. Fear and desperation mixed with confusion as you pushed yourself up and forward. You caught up to her in the hallway.

"I can prove it. I just need a bowl of water and...and a knife or something."

Her cold gold eyes stared at you. She seemed to be judging your resolve. Or maybe she was taking in your desperation. Either way she at least acknowledged what you said.

"Fine. Follow me to the throne room. We will see."

You didn't question her order or what was going to happen after. All you did was follow her as she said. Along the way she told a few servants to bring pitchers of water. Once you got to the impressive room you nearly collapsed.

The world was so large. It was hard to even contemplate it. You knew that this was just one room. You knew that there was so much more to see. It was just that you had been locked up and secluded for so long that everything felt new and overwhelming.

In the middle of the room was the very man that you wanted nothing more to do but kill. Long Feng stood there seemingly as proud as always with his hands behind his back. His very existence brought into sharp focus how dirty you were once again and all the bad you had just experienced. You wanted him dead.

"This will be your test. If you continue to claim that you are a waterbender and you fail, you die. You will have until he bleeds out to prove your claim one way or the other."

A sense of injustice welled up inside of you. You wanted him dead. And yet she was going to make you save him to save your own life. It wasn't fair. Not to mention you got to see as Long Feng realized that she was talking about him, that he was being betrayed. It made you feel a sort of thrill to know that he was panicking. Mostly though you were outraged that you had to save this wretch's life to save your own.

You barely had time to shove back the indignation and fury as one of Azula's girls flung a blade. It wedged deep into the side of his neck. You rushed forward as you grabbed the pitchers of water on your way. Long Feng had his hands grasping around the side of his neck as he instinctively tried to staunch the bleeding.

You pushed your hand into the pitchers of water. Your energy swirled in it and as you pulled you hands out the water followed suit. It flowed around his neck as you sealed the wound with one hand. The other hand you used to slowly and painfully pull the dagger out. Some blood escaped but not by much. Even you were amazed at the rate at which you were able to heal him.

The moment it was done and you had the dagger in hand, you stood back up. Long Feng rose beside you with a hate filled yet silent glare towards Azula. She however looked pleased.

You waited only a moment for Azula to realize that you had upheld your claim. The very moment you were sure she saw that he was fully healed you drove the dagger right back into his throat. This time when he went down you kicked him with what meager strength you had in your body. You didn't give him the honor of even knowing why you wanted him dead. Not the specific one at least. You wanted him to feel the fear and confusion that you felt. You were just upset that you couldn't make it a more painful death like the one your mother had.

When you were sure he was as good as dead you looked back towards the fire princess.

"It seems like you're not a liar after all. You're the new avatar."

...wait what?