The Concubine's Apprentice (an Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction Zuko x OC)

Chapter 45: What Happened?

They made camp in one of the numerous uninhabited islands scattered in Fire Nation territory after making sure they were a distance away from the Western Air Temple. Tents were set up and a fire was made as the afternoon sun slowly disappeared in the horizon.

"Where are you going?" Zuko asked Chiyo as she stood up to follow Suki.

"Oh, I'm going to help them make dinner."

He scratched the back of his head and looked away. "I...I was wondering... If I could talk to you for a while."

She smiled and sat back down next to him. "Sure, Lee. What's up?"

"Where do I begin?" His thoughts were in a big jumble as he tried to figure out where to start. "Well... I...uh... First, my name isn't Lee... It's Zuko." He looked into her eyes, hoping to see a spark of recognition as he said his name.

Chiyo repeated the name. "Zuko...Zuko..." The name was so familiar to her; the way it rolled off her tongue was effortless, like she had said it a million times before. "You do look more like a Zuko than a Lee..." She laughed and tucked her hair behind her as the wind blew. "And I feel like I've known you before, even before I lost my memories. I'm sorry that I don't remember much."

"I can help you!" He eagerly said as he took her hands in his. "We met when we were young. It was during my sister's birthday, when you made your debut as an apprentice of Lady Suiren—" He stopped when he saw Chiyo bow her head, trying to hide her tears. "I-I'm sorry, what's wrong?"

She sighed heavily and bit her lip. "Lady Suiren... died..." She felt him reach up and wipe away her tears with the tips of his fingers. "She died... to save me from the Fire Lord..."

His fingers froze and his blood ran cold. "What happened?"

She took a deep breath. It was the first time she would open up everything that she had been holding inside for so long. "I... I was supposed to marry the Fire Lord—"

"WHAT?!"

His outburst caught the attention of the others around the campfire but he couldn't care less. Chiyo cringed slightly, but continued. "The Fire Sages, the council, even the war ministers have forced me and Lady Suiren to comply. They told me that I was to become the wife of the Phoenix King."

Zuko's fists were clenched; his face was painted with a pained expression as everything suddenly clicked together. "The bride... after that war meeting...was Chiyo..."

"Lady Suiren thought of a plan to stop it. She planned to kill the Fire Lord during the Day of Black Sun. I was to disarm the guards outside while she did it, but somehow, the plan failed and she was sent out of the Fire Lord's bunker..."

It was then his turn to cringe. It was somehow his fault that the Lady Suiren was forcefully dragged out of the bunker.

"We failed. And the Fire Lord was about to kill me w-when—" She choked on her tears and brought a hand to her mouth to muffle the sob threatening to tear though her. "W-when... she jumped in front of the lightning..."

He said nothing as he moved closer to Chiyo, pulling her towards him. She rested her head on his shoulder as silent tears fell endlessly. "I... I should've been the one who died..."

Zuko held her tighter. "No... don't say that..."

"It was all my fault."

"It wasn't, Chiyo. It was my father's fault."

"F-ather?" She looked up at him, finally seeing that they have the same golden eyes. "Y-your father... is Fire Lord Ozai? Y-you're the p-prince?"

"I was." Zuko ran his fingers through her hair, trying to calm her down. "I have turned my father and his plans away. I'm now helping the Avatar defeat him and end this war once and for all."