Fire & Rain: Book 2 (slow updates)

Are you ready?

Y/N's POV
The next morning, it seemed that no one was home, so I made myself some food before heading out to the palace.

The guards let me straight in and I made my way up to Zuko's room, knocking on the door.

"Zuko?"

But he didn't reply.

I opened the door but the room was empty, there was a maid scurrying by in the hallway so I yelled after her, "Hey! Have you seen Zuko?"

She turned around, rather startled, "Oh- Uh, yes Miss Y/N! He was in the throne room last time I checked."

I nodded before making my way towards the throne room, where Zuko was sat where his father once did, surrounded in his own flames.

I knocked on the side of the door, after having already entered and teased, "does the Fire Lord have time for an audience with a mere soldier?"

His face lit up when his eyes met mine, and he dropped his flames to make his way over to me. "Y/N! Hi! I didn't know you were coming today!"

He placed both of his hands on my shoulders and gently kissed my forehead. I smiled at him and asked, "are you busy?"

He wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly before whispering into my hair, "I'm never too busy for you. Come on, let's go out to the pond, I'll have the servants bring you something to eat."

—

We made our way out to the pond and he sat beside me as we watched the turtle-ducks swim around,

"I never thanked you for looking after the turtle-ducks so well."

I will never tell him the truth because I don't want him to think that I'm soft, but I fed his little turtle-ducks day and night whilst he was gone. The palace staff probably got rather sick of me.

"Oh, yeah, it's whatever... how's Fire Lord stuff?"

He shrugged,

"Not exciting."

"I'd assume so... hey, Zuko?"

"Yeah?"

I took a deep breath, "could you come with me to- I mean- please, could you accompany me to- I'd like to meet my birth mother."

His eyes widened slightly before a warm smile spread across his face, "of course, Y/N. Right now? I can have that arranged if you'd like."

I stared down at my feet and pressed my lips together before quickly nodding my head as my heart rate accelerated.

I'm not ready for this.

"Let me see what I can do."

Zuko stood up and left me, eating my snack, watching the turtle-ducks swim around the pond in circles.

—

A few minutes later, Zuko strolled over to me and exclaimed,

"Y/N! Let's go!"

I turned to him and asked,

"She's still here?"

He nodded,

"Her prison in particular wasn't going to have the war prisoners checked and cleared for another two days. Come on, let's go, the air ship is waiting."

He held out his hand and pulled me to my feet before leading me out to the air ship.

Since joining the avatar and his friends, Zuko seemed happier- more content with life- and if I was honest, in comparison to the way I was feeling, it was rather draining.

The ending of the war meant that I had lost my purpose, and Zuko had gained his- and now I was lost in the new world that he had found.

Once we had taken off, Zuko came over to me and asked, "don't you want to change out of your training gear? I have plenty of clothes you can wear in your bedroom."

I screwed up my face, "I have a proper bedroom? Weren't these designed for war?"

"Well... yeah, but there's no war now... so there's no need for it to be so... military standard. We have war balloons for that."

I sighed and turned to face my reflection in the mirror on the wall.

There I stood, in my tattered training gear, a perfect picture of who I was raised to be. A fighter, a soldier, I was strong.

I inhaled before turning to Zuko and stating, "no, I'm more comfortable in these."

He nodded before lightly suggesting, "are you sure you don't want to wear something less intimidating when you meet your mother for the first time?"

I furrowed my eyebrows and turned to him, "are you suggesting that it's my clothing that intimidates people and not my insane skills?"

He threw his hands up defensively, "no, no, of course not! I-"

I smirked and assured, "I'm joking. Besides, it's not like I'm wearing armour or anything." I pulled the spear from my back and span it around a few times before leaning it against the wall, "see? No weapons."

Zuko shrugged, agreeing to support whatever I decided.

—

A little while later, a servant knocked on the door and announced, "Fire Lord Zuko and Miss Y/N, we've arrived."

Zuko turned to me and asked, "are you ready?"