Within Shadows (Zuko x Reader)

Chapter 17

"it's never too early for a painting with the court painter Zuko." Azula spoke as you walked behind her and stumbled upon Zuko looking up at all the painting of the Fire Lords. "Make sure he gets your good side." She added.

"Wait." Zuko spoke. Stopping both you and Azula from continuing on further. "I need to ask you something. What do you remember about our great grandfather's history?" He asked. You turned to him with a raised brow.

"Oh Zuko... So strange how your mind works." Azula replied and approached Zuko.

"Fire Lord Sozin began the war of course. He spent his early years secretly preparing for it. He was patient as he was clever. He famously waited for the comet later renamed Sozin's comet. And used it to launch a full scale version of an invasion to take over the world. In the end, he died a very old and successful man." Azula informed.

"But how did he die?" Zuko pressed. He seemed to have calmed down a lot since Ember Island.

"Didn't you pay attention at all in school Zuko? He died peacefully and in his sleep. He was ancient." Azula replied and walked off. You stayed put and looked at Zuko who continued to stare at Sozin's painting on the wall. You could tell something was bothering him or that he had something schemed. You turned to where Azula left and set off to leave Zuko be. You'd find out what was going through Zuko's head tonight.

~~~

"What are you doing out here?" You asked Zuko before he could go down a flight of stairs into the Dragon Bone Catacombs. He flinched and turned to look at you. He glanced around to make sure no one else as around before grabbing your wrist and pulling you with him. Once down in the catacombs, he finally answered you.

"I got a message from someone the other night. Something about Sozin's past and figuring out my destiny." He answered in a low tone as to not be heard.

"But that doesnt answer what you're doing down here." You replied.

"There was a secret message on the paper telling me to come down here." He opened a door with his bending and motioned for you to go in.

"You... Really want me to be a part of this? Didn't the message say it had to do with your destiny?" You questioned the boy.

"Yes but somehow I feel like you're a part of it. Now let's go." He gently pushed you inside and followed behind you. Allowing the door to shut and leave the two of you in here. The two of you approached a dragon statue with cases that held stories of Sozin. Zuko took one and sat down with the lamp beside him. You sat down next to him and read the paper over his shoulder. It was a story about Sozin's early life. About how his time with.

"Roku..." You breathed out with slightly wide eyes. Zuko looked to you with a confused glance.

"What do you know about Roku?" He asked you.

"He was the Avatar before Aang... I'm just surprised he knew your great grandfather." You replied. Zuko held a perplexed look but continued reading. The story went on about how Roku had feelings for a girl but could never express them and how Sozin had tried to help him numerous times. The two shared several things and mentioned how things changed when Roku was announced as Avatar and needed to travel the world in order to learn all four bending. It mentioned Sozin giving Roku the royal hair piece as a reminder of where Roku is from. He mentioned how it had been twelve years since they met again and Roku was a fully realized Avatar and had changed. But so did Sozin. He mentioned that although there are bright futures, he had a different one in mind and wanted Roku to help in his plan to take over the world. But with that choice, ended up dividing their relationship due to their opposing ideals. But Sozin went with the plans anyway and began taking over the colonies first before hitting anything major. Roku found out and had tried stopping him further. The two of them getting into a massive fight with Roku over powering him. Roku ultimately spared him and warned him yet again and had threatened him to take him down if he were to step out of line. The two didn't speak for twenty five years after that. He mentioned that he could see and feel Rokus islands volcano go off and create a massive disaster and how Roku must have been working hard on trying to save his island. Sozin eventually went over to try and help Roku with the island and that he nearly died from doing so but Roku had saved him. Roku had inhaled a large amount of the toxic gases and was dying and Sozin had turned a cold shoulder and left him to die.