A Kindred Spirit [Reader x Zuko]

Chapter Six

A Kindred Spirit

Chapter Six

You gripped at the meticulous sleeve cuffs as Ty Lee led you through the dark metal hallways of the ship. The knots in your stomach tightened into painful coils that you could do nothing about. The seemingly happy girl in front of you didn't seem worried at all by the fact that she was heading outside.

Outside. Like freedom. Outside like sunlight and fresh air. Wind.

These were concepts you had only felt in your dreams for the last six years. You hadn't seen real sunlight since your father was dead. Long Feng had taken you and your mother captive the moment he could. Considering the fact that your mother and in turn you as well had healed his agents multiple times from various wounds it had been a smart choice. His strategic attack leading to the capture had been a stroke of genius. One that you could not appreciate given the state of things.

"Azula isn't that scary you know. Not all the time."

You looked at the expressive teenager in front of you with slightly widened eyes, trying to figure out what she meant. You stopped fidgeting with your sleeves as she turned around and smiled at you. It was almost as though her smile impacted the whole of her body as she bent backwards and forwards all at the same time.

"Azula knows when she can be scary and when she needs to stay collected. Since you've become a very important person now she will play nice. So don't worry so much."

Oddly the fact that she had been leading you out to Azula hadn't really been at the front of your worries. You had been so focused on the outside concept that you hadn't thought about the why she was leading you outside.

"I don't know how not to," you admitted to her instead. "Everything is new to me. I've wasn't allowed to do anything for years."

Her expression didn't even waver as she turned around. This time her hands were behind her back as she walked. The slight similarity to Long Feng made you shiver as you tried to shake off the imagery. Ty Lee was nothing like the man who had held you prisoner for years.

As you turned around a corner you couldn't help but rub your eyes. Light leaked in through a door on your left. It slipped in from underneath as well as through some slots in the door, though what purpose they served was a mystery. It was so bright.

For a split second you held out your hand through one of the sunbeams, wiggling your fingers about. The sliver of sunlight was so warm. It was almost like holding your hand above a candle. Only there was no flame to worry about.

Then Ty Lee opened the door and your wonder stopped. Mainly because when you tried to see outside, you couldn't. All you saw was white. A white that hurt your eyes. Your hands were the second thing over your eyes as you lost your balance and leaned against the wall. Even with them closed somehow all you could see was a bright light from within. Like the pain had somehow overcome the darkness that your eyelids and hands should have provided.

"What happened?" A new voice asked.

It wasn't exactly harsh but it hadn't beans kind as Ty Lee. Another thing that set it apart was the fact that it had definitely been male. You staggered against the wall, cowering as it were, to try and make sure that you weren't in their way. You pressed yourself so tightly against the metal wall that it was a wonder you didn't become a part of it.

"I don't know. One minute everything was fine and then I opened the door."

"Why are you covering your eyes?" He asked directly.