A Zuko X Reader story.
As always, I wrote this for myself but you can read it, too, if you'd like.
Y/N was an air bender, she was tasked with watching over the avatar as a punishment for something that she had done; something that the air nomads f...
A/N- GUYS!! The chapter is below but I'm having the biggest fangirl moment because oh my godosudidususuud; yumikokagura20 made this absolutely stunning, amazing, incredible piece of fan art and sent it to me and I just think everyone needs to take a moment to appreciate how absolutely amazing it is.
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like.... excuse me? What? I'm so ldududidid i can't even- broooo this is so good and amazing and I appreciate it so much, you're so amazing and talented and ily. Thank you so, so much.
Anyway the chapter is below but thank you again yumikokagura20 ily hdjdjdjlsiow <3
Zuko's POV I found Y/N sat on the edge of the cliff, "hey, Y/N"
She didn't look back at me, continuing to look out onto the ocean, "hey, everything okay?"
"Yeah, I just kinda realised that I haven't spoken to you since I got back."
She nodded, "I spoke to Katara, I hear it went well. She's being strangely nice to me now, is that your doing?"
"I don't know, maybe her anger at me was extended towards you."
She shrugged, "we had a conversation before you two left, but she seemed pretty mad about it."
"Oh... what happened?"
Y/N's POV "Let me ask you a question, Katara."
She dropped the water she was filtering and glanced up at me, as I looked down at her from the tree I was sat in.
"So, I understand that you're angry because you lost your mother in the war... what if you could've saved her? What if you could've protected everyone in your family, everyone that you cared about, but you needed to live in the Fire Nation?"
"What are you even talking about?"
I pulled the last piece of fruit from the branch before jumping down, "I'm the only person I cared about for a while after I woke up. I hated Aang for what happened, and the only person I looked out for was myself. I'm not stupid, I knew the Fire Nation had done bad things, but it was the only safety and security I had. I was protecting myself, and I find it hard to believe that if you were protecting the people you cared about, you wouldn't have done the same."
She looked back at the water and muttered, "well, you're wrong. I wouldn't have sided with the Fire Nation. Ever."
"Even to save your brother? Your father? Your mo-"
"No! I wouldn't have! You know why? Because I know right from wrong. The Fire Nation... they're bad people, horrible people."
I raised an eyebrow, "actually, that's where you're wrong."
"What?"
"Sure, Fire Lord Ozai is a bad person. And I'm sure that there are bad people in the Fire Nation. But war isn't as black and white as you think. Sure, overall, the Fire Nation shouldn't have done that, but the people of the Fire Nation? They're just people. They're following orders and being fed lies about the rest of the world. They think they're helping you."
She scoffed, "are you being serious right now?"
"I know it sounds like I'm siding with them, I know they're wrong. I'm just saying, it's not the people that are in the wrong, it's the Fire Lord, the people in power, they're the ones calling the shots here. So, give Zuko a break."
"That's funny, you just gave me a speech about how it's the people in power that I should be angry at and then finished it with 'leave the Prince of the Fire Nation alone'"
I tapped my chin, "yes, you do make a valid point"
She huffed, "I don't have time for this"
"Zuko left the Fire Nation because he realised it was wrong. He wants to help make a positive change in this world, that's why he's here. He wants to end the war."
"So, you just want me to forgive him? After everything the Fire Nation has put me through? You don't understand what it's like-"
I heard myself slightly raise my voice, "I don't understand!? No, Katara, you don't understand. I'm sorry about your mother, I truly am, but you are not the only one who lost people in the war! I woke up and every single person I've ever known was dead! But guess what, Zuko didn't do that. He didn't kill my people and he didn't kill your mother. He's trying to stop other people from suffering the same fate as them, so please, just take a minute to see it from his perspective!"
And looking back at it, I probably was too harsh on her.
Losing her mother must've been horrible, and I'm a strong believer that you shouldn't compare people's pain- but her little digs at Zuko, the way that she was dismissing other people's suffering, it was really rubbing me the wrong way.
—
Once Zuko and Katara had gotten back from wherever they had gone, Katara approached me when I was alone, "hey, Y/N... can we talk?"
I leaned against a tree and turned to face her, "what's up?"
"I think... I owe you an apology"
I shrugged, "perhaps, but I'm not actually that bothered"
She shook her head, "maybe not, but I am. I'm sorry for the way I treated you, you didn't deserve that."
I nodded, "what about Zuko? He cares more about your opinion on him than I do."
