鬼
"Why did you leave me?"
"You betrayed us."
"You let the world's last hope die."
"You're a terrible person, Zuko."
"I can't forgive you."
"Now, when you fall, your dear dad will be there to help. Or your darling Mai."
Zuko looked around cautiously, hearing a sudden and emotionless laugh.
"When you fall this time, Zuzu, there will be no one to help you."
"You're all on your own now."
Zuko turned to look in a different direction.
His eyes widened. In front of him stood Mio. Only, he was younger, perhaps ten years old.
"Why are you hurting me, Zuzu?" The young boy's lips formed a frown as tears slowly escaped the corner of his eyes. "Why did you leave me?"
"I wish I could live without you
But you're a part of me
Wherever I go
You'll always be next to me..."
Zuko frowned. His head hurt. Somehow, he's heard those lyrics before. It sounded familiar, yet he couldn't put his finger on it. Suddenly, the young Mio disappeared to be replaced by a taller light blue-haired boy. His hands skillfully strummed the strings of the guitar, quietly singing those same words.
"Fall into the night
As I gaze into you
Shine so bright
It's all I do."
And before Zuko could make a movement, Mio rested the guitar on the ground and stood up, turning around to face the Prince. He walked toward Zuko, reaching for his face. Mio's fingertips were surprisingly cold against Zuko's touch.
Their lips were inches away until Mio shifted closer to his ear so he could whisper, "You betrayed me, ponytail Prince" His breath touched his neck, "You left me."
Mio then vanished into the darkness and a hole appeared underneath Zuko's feet. He grunted as he desperately flung his arms around to try and stop the fall. But as the darkness overtook him, he looked up, watching as Mio's golden amber and aqua blue eyes stared at him with anger.
"You left me."
❥・❥
He was wide-eyed and lying on his back, looking up at the ceiling. He turned his head to the side when he heard footsteps. Zuko entered the little prison room much to his surprise.
The Prince thought that his eyes would've been full of rage and anger. But they weren't. They were blank and dull. They almost looked empty, like all the life they held was sucked out of them.
When their eyes met, he turned his back to him. Zuko could feel the annoyance slowly build up. "You're going to ignore me as well? Just like Uncle?" No response was given. Zuko took a deep breath, trying to restrain his anger. "Look, I just want to talk, nothing more. I'm confused and I know you can help me."
He waited for him to talk, but nothing came out. He gritted his teeth, "Fine then. Don't talk to me! I'll go and get help from someone else. Someone who really cares for me! A real friend that's there to heal my wounds when my mom left!"
And with that, Zuko stormed out, slamming the door shut behind him.
Shoko didn't cry.
He knew crying was useless.
After a while of silence, the door reopened.
"You okay? I brought you something to eat."
It was Mikoto.
After he had dropped the bomb of who he was, Mio had fallen asleep. And he had gotten a few minutes of peaceful rest until his dreams were plagued with nightmares of Zuko.
As usual, Mio didn't reply. He looked up at the small window. He sighed softly when he stood up and accepted the little treat Mikoto held onto.
"I'll get you out of here. I promise, Mio."
Mikoto sat in front of Mio, watching discreetly how the younger boy took small bites. "I promised Mom I would take care of you. Rin as well."
They might've just met, but Mikoto felt as if he'd known the younger boy since kids. Something about Mio drew him in. He knew the other boy was kind, he just never showed it because of personal issues.
❥・❥
Mio bit his lower lip, trying to keep his pained yelps in. It didn't matter how much he hated Zuko for what he did, or how much he had hurt him. Because he still felt love for the Prince. He figured his love would weaken over time, but it didn't.
He had run back to Mai, again. He was probably trying to torture him mentally and make him feel shittier than he already did. How many times did he have to break him? Make him cry?
'Is this my punishment because of all the lives I've taken?'
He closed his eyes. 'I'd rather rot and die than feel this aching pain.' He looked back to his bleeding arm. He had cut way more than he usually did. It had been a long time since he did such a thing. He was happy back when they first met, even if Zuko never knew who he really was and he had lost his memories. He didn't have a reason to cut himself when he traveled alongside the Prince, but now, cutting was his only source of release.
Just then, Mikoto flung the door open, eyes widening in shock and worry. His nose wrinkled, finally understanding where the horrible stench of blood came from.
He desperately pushed his arm in between the cell bars, pulling the small razor from Mio's hands and tossing it away.
Tears began pooling in Mio's eyes. His lips quivered as he watched Mikoto examine all the cuts. But instead of hearing angered shouts, as he had expected, all Mikoto did was pull him in a warm hug, despite feeling uncomfortable because of the cells blocking them of a comforting embrace.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Mikoto hushed him in a soothing tone, resting his large hand on top of his head and inhaling deeply. "Don't apologize, stupid. You're okay. I'm here."
Since then, Mikoto knew he would help his little brother in every way he could. Even if they weren't fully related.
❥・❥
"You can't catch me, Zuko!" Mio shouted as he ran.
"That's what you think!" He heard Zuko shouting out from behind him. He could hear the Prince's footsteps reach closer and closer. He smirked, hurrying his pace, he turned to a different hallway, he was much faster.
But a few moments later, he felt warm hands wrapping themselves around his waist. His eyes widened as he was pulled to his chest. He didn't understand how the Prince had caught up to him until he noticed the huge grin displayed on his lips.
"You firebended to gain speed, didn't you?" He questioned. Zuko's grin only grew, if that was even possible. He escaped his hold and punched his shoulder playfully. "I hate you."
"No, you don't" Zuko replied, matter of factly.
"Yes, I do."
"No, you don't."
"Shut up" Mio frowned, resting his back against a wall as he tried to regain his breath. He felt Zuko's hands slither their way back up his hips, grinning once more and leaning closer to Mio's face, "Make me."
Mio didn't say anything else, allowing the Prince to press his lips against his own. He soon wrapped his arms around Zuko's neck as he was pulled closer.
When they pulled away, Zuko let his forehead fall onto Mio's, smiling warmly, "Do you still hate me?" He whispered.
Mio smirked, "Tag, you're it" And just like that, he continued running along the dimly lit hallways.
❥・❥
He squinted his eyes as his feet felt the fresh grass. The sun blinded him a bit. But he wasn't going to complain, he just wanted to enjoy his alone time in the garden. He tried to ignore the two guards following his every move and slowly started walking toward a certain large tree.
With every step he took, memories replayed in his head.
"Tag, you're it!" Zuko called out. But before he could get the chance to run away, Mio jumped onto him, causing them both to fall onto the ground, looking up to the sky.
"Now, you're it, ponytail Prince" A young Mio declared once he sat up.
He continued to walk slowly, passing a small tree next to a pond full of water.
"What are you doing with that orange?" Zuko took a seat next to Mio, who held onto a slice of orange in his left hand and a squirrel in the other.
"I'm trying to give it to the squirrel but it's not taking it!" He explained in a frustrated tone. "What's wrong with it? Aren't squirrels supposed to like oranges?"
Zuko almost choked on the water he was drinking. "Squirrels like nuts, not oranges" He clarified.
The little boy's eyes widened. "What? But I feed the ones in our garden oranges."
This time, Zuko's eyes widened in shock, "What?" He asked, not believing his friend. "What's wrong with your squirrels?"
Mio huffed playfully and with a sudden movement, he placed the orange slice inside the squirrel's mouth. The poor animal was shocked and ran away once it was freed from Mio's grasp. "See, I told you. They like oranges."
"The ones in your garden run away after you put the oranges inside their mouth, don't they?" Zuko asked, a little worried about the response he would earn. Mio nodded with an innocent smile. "Mio..." Zuko facepalmed.
He smiled at the memory. He had always thought squirrels liked oranges until that evening he spent with Zuko. He walked through the pond where the apple incident happened. He stood on his tippytoes and pulled an apple from the tree, placing it on his head and raising one leg to try and balance it. But it fell down. As he reached down to pick it up, he caught sight of the koi fish, who were happily swimming around without a care in the world. He sighed and made his way over to the tree Lu Ten would always sit under to read his books.
He climbed up easily onto a thick branch. When he sat on it, he wrapped his legs around it and started to swing upside-down, just like he had done with Zuko when they were younger. While he swung, he could see Lu Ten reading peacefully.
"Hey," He spoke, knowing fully well that he was a fragment of his imagination. "It's been a very long time. How are you doing? I bet the other side is better than this world" He closed his eyes and heaved a relaxed sigh.
"I miss you so much, Lu Ten. Everything went crazy after you left. First you, then Ursa, and lastly, me... I miss the times when we were all happy."
"Oh, you wonder where Zuko is? I don't know. And I don't really care. He's probably with Mai. He has everything he wants now, he must be happy. Sorry, what did you say? Why should he be sad? He has his honor, his throne, and the glory of defeating the world's last hope. There's no reason he should be sad."
"Me? You know, same old, same old. I heard from Mikoto that the Fire Lord pushed my execution to an earlier date. I'm kind of looking forward to that, I don't have a reason to live anymore. Hey, you have no right to judge me! Every breath I take is tortuous. I mean, Mikoto thinks there's a way to break me out. But I think it's suicide, especially when Azula here's too. Oh, you want to switch sides again? I don't know... Katara was really mad when she found out I was a firebender... and I betrayed Sokka's trust, after all the kindness he showed me" He slowly pulled out a small dog figurine from his pocket, it was the only thing he had to comfort himself to sleep, thinking back to Sokka.
"What?" He asked, his voice full of shock. "You heard from the spirits that my future holds great deeds? I'm sorry, but I don't believe that. There's no future for me. I don't think the spirits like me much, considering I've taken so many lives without remorse. I don't regret it. It might seem monstrous, but the world shunned me, hurt me, and scarred me. I'm just protecting myself from getting hurt like that ever again."
"Well," He started as he jumped off the branch and landed perfectly on his feet. "It was nice catching up with you. See you sometime."
He walked slowly to his final destination. Stopping when he reached the largest tree in the garden. He rested his back against the bark when he sat, closing his eyes to try and block out any sound, even the wind. He was too busy focusing on the past that he didn't notice the pair who walked past him.
❥・❥
When they reached the garden, Mai wasn't expecting to see him. Zuko's eyes slightly widened, he completely forgot that today was his half-free day. Mio sat under a giant tree. And the Prince knew exactly which tree it was. He couldn't help himself but admire the younger boy's beauty, even if he was his prisoner.
Mai took notice of how Zuko's face softened in the direction of Mio. So she grabbed his hand and pulled him to a tree that was planted right in front of the one Mio rested against.
Zuko would've been an absolute idiot to not notice her jealousy, but he didn't want to piss off his girlfriend anymore than he already did, so he let her do whatever she pleased.
They sat under the tree, Mai's head on Zuko's shoulder with her eyes closed. He occasionally looked up to see Mio's sleeping grace, he felt guilty, but he couldn't help himself. And once he looked for the fifth time, Mai groaned in annoyance and grabbed onto his chin, turning his head to look at her.
"Why are you looking at him all the time?" Her voice was harsh and cold. "I'm your girlfriend, Zuko. You're supposed to be looking at me, admiring me, loving me!"
"I... I know Mai. I'm sorry-"
She wasn't paying attention to his words. "I don't get it. What do find interesting about him that he practically consumes your mind all the time. Leaving no place for me, you're lover."
"Wait! I don't think about him all the time!" Zuko cleared his throat, defending himself.
Mai crossed her arms as she raised a brow. "Oh, really?" She narrowed her eyes and sighed loudly. "You keep saying his name at night!" She hissed, and a hint of hurt flashed in her eyes.
Zuko was taken aback. He was? He didn't notice. He knew that Mio would randomly pop into his mind at the worst times, but while he slept with Mai in his arms at night was very different. He wanted to tell her to back off and let him rest, but he knew that would only end up with them screaming at each other and soon breaking up.
"Yeah, Zuko, you think I can't hear you?!" Mai abruptly stood up. "Guards! Bring him here!"
The guards obeyed quickly, yanking Mio up by his arms. Zuko mentally winced, watching as Mio gasped from the sudden and rude awakening. He flung his arms around, shouting for the guards to let go of him but to no avail.
The guards harshly held onto Mio, in front of Mai. "Let me see... is it his hair? No? Maybe it's his eyes?" She glared at the Prince who sat with wide and worried eyes. "Tell me Zuko, what is it that you love so much about him!?"
"It's..." He suddenly began, "It's..."
"His body?" Mai poked at Mio's stomach.
Zuko shook his head, groaning softly.
"It's nothing" He finally managed to finish.
"Then have you actually moved on from him?" Mai asked, earning a slow nod from Zuko. "Good to know. Because if you couldn't, all you had to do was ask for help" Her voice softened as she approached Zuko, placing a kiss on his lips.
Mio was thrown to the floor. He jumped back onto his feet. Right as he was about to walk back inside the palace, he was stopped by one of the guards. "Hey, where do you think you're going?"
"Back to my cell. I can't cause any more trouble for the Prince and his lovely girlfriend, or they might just break up for the third time this week."
After hearing that, the guard allowed him to continue.
"Mio, I need to talk to you."
No response came.
"Didn't you hear me? I ordered you to stop and talk to me!"
At that instant, guards walked closer and closer to him, preparing themselves to pull on Mio's shoulders to turn him around. Mio swiftly moved his arms up and a huge rush of water spilled onto them, encasing them in ice once he froze it. Normally, he would wear a metal bracelet that blocked his Chi, but after a while, he was given access to bending and walking around the garden.
He made his way onto the concert floors.
"Please, Mio" Zuko's voice was quieter with a pleading tone.
He stopped his movements. Zuko's eyes lit up with the slightest hope that he would turn around and listen to what he had to say.
Mio raised his left arm, flipping him off.
And after that proud moment, his feet continued moving. His arm moved, and with that singular motion, the ice melted and formed a puddle, floating back to the pond.
This time, without anyone stopping him, he walked back inside.
❥
"In the end, trust no one but yourself."