Fan the Flame (Zuko X Reader)

the day of the black sun

Zuko's POV:

I dipped my brush into the tray of ink on my table, carefully writing my thoughts out on the sheet of paper before me. It was a letter. A letter to Mai explaining how I was leaving and couldn't bear to stay here any longer. That I couldn't pretend to be something I'm not for the sake of pleasing my father. I've caused too much pain and anguish to the people that I care about and I won't allow myself to cause anymore. This letter represented a new start for me, so I wrote meticulously, not daring to mess it up.

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(Y/N)'s POV:

The day of the black sun and the day we would invade the fire nation had finally arrived. I halfheartedly placed my sleeping bag and belongings into my tote bag, still sleepy from the night before. I managed to get a couple hours of sleep in the night before, but the anxiety I felt knowing that the invasion was so soon delayed any shut-eye. I walked my bag over to Appa and attached it to his saddle.

I glanced back at Sokka, Katara and Mairu who sat examining the plans for the invasion. Mairu turned around giving me a bright smile. He was missing his red headband and his chestnut hair was slightly disheveled from just waking up. I felt my lips curl into a smile before walking up to the three of them.

"Sleep well?" Mairu asked.

"I did, thanks for asking." I didn't feel like announcing to the three of them that I laid awake dreading the invasion last night. I didn't need their concern, I'm sure I'll manage on my own.

"I can tell." He said, smirking while glancing at my hair. I realized that I hadn't had a chance to deal with my bedhead yet. My face grew hot as I glared at him. I briefly looked at the plans that Sokka was closely looking over, his brows furrowed in concentration. Stress and worry billowed off of him.

"Top of the morning, guys!" Aang exclaimed, marching over from his sleeping bag with a mighty grin plastered on his face. There wasn't a single ounce of sleepiness in his eyes. Toph on the other hand looked like she hadn't slept in years as she walked over to a boulder and sat down with a sigh.

"Sounds like you slept well." Katara said to Aang as she handed Sokka a cup of water that he gingerly accepted.

"Like a baby moose lion!" He beamed. "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord." I noticed the fog looming on the horizon.

"Sokka..." I started. "Do you think the fog will delay the invasion at all?" He got up and took a few steps closer to the edge of the cliff, squinting at the skyline.

"No...that is the invasion!" It was then that I noticed the ships peeking out from the fog headed straight for our shore. As they grew closer, my vision lingered on a figure at the head of a ship who resembled Sokka and Katara. Their father.

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After the invasion crew had settled in and Sokka gave them the rundown on how the invasion would play out (and his father who stepped in when Sokka got nervous), Toph, Mairu, Sokka and I sat on the deck of the ship leading the fleet. Sokka, still just as embarrassed from earlier, muttered something about not being as much of a leader as his father as he gazed towards the front of the ship where his father was issuing orders.

"Will you give it a rest already?" Toph told him bluntly. "It's doing you no good to stay stuck on that moment when you should be preparing for battle!"

Mairu and I glanced at each other, a smile forming on his lips as the two continued bickering.

"(Y/N), wanna come with me? I think it might be better for both of our mental states to be somewhere..." He gestured towards Sokka and Toph "Quiet." I nodded and walked towards the stern of the ship, following close behind him.

When we got to the stern, Mairu turned to me. His eyebrows were furrowed in worry.

"Are you alright, (Y/N)? You seem a little out of it." He expressed. Mairu was right, I guess I was a little stressed. As much as we've planned for the invasion, there's still no guarantee that it will be a success. And there was always the chance I'd run into Zuko. We are invading the palace after all.

"I am a little out of it, honestly." I admit to the shaggy haired boy. "I'll be alright though. I appreciate you caring about me." I grinned at him.

"Caring about you isn't difficult at all." He looked away from me, his cheeks growing pink. "Just...be careful today okay?"

"I will, Mairu. Same goes for you."

The ship came to a slow halt. Mairu and I moved towards the front of the ship to get a better look at what was happening. A tall, looming statue rose out of the water. It resembled a Fire Nation noble and its arms were outstretched. Connected to both of the statues hands were two nets on either side that draped into the water.

"We've made it." Sokka's dad exclaimed. "These are the great gates of Azulon."

Gates? But there were no gates nearby! Only this looming statue.

Suddenly, the nets started to raise from the water, rapidly. Once the nets were stretched as much as possible, fire erupted from the statues hands and set the nets ablaze. I understood now why Sokka's dad referred to them as "gates", but now what I was puzzled about was how exactly we were supposed to get through them.