Serendipity (Prince Zuko)
Pairing: ZukoxReader (OC)
Genre and note: Romance with angst and adventure, this fic will include NSFW but warnings shall be included with those chapters
Au: Soulmates AU! Soulmates are born with a mark when they’re born, as the years go by, this mark grows with them to reveal intricate and beautiful designs that represents their soulmate, but it is until they actually meet that the design is complete, for the mark that represents them appears on their skin at the time of the meeting.
Author’s note: Hey guys!! Chapter one is finally here and I’m excited to see what you guys think! I’m hoping to post the next chapter tonight or tomorrow but thank you all for all the support for this idea!
Chapter 1: Inchoate
Inchoate: just begun and so not fully formed
War was something that could destroy even the soundest of minds. Where there was once peace and balance, fear now took over the purest of hearts and drowned every brave voice. The things that were meant to bring people together were now the ones that separated them, and it was all because of a selfish idea turned vile.
The looming sense of anguish and hopelessness was a constant fog across the occupied city of Yu Dao, men in armor taking from the villagers all they could produce. Zuko silently watched as one of the Fire Nation soldiers took hold of a young boy, he was maybe a year or two younger than him, his stomach twisting at the sight. When once he’d heard of the villagers’ opinions on his people, now he comprehended those sentiments with greater detail. The way the boy fought to keep his things, tears in his eyes as he clung onto the basket he held. The guards barked in response, pulling strong enough to make the boy tumble back and fall on the harsh ground, his belongings now in the soldier’s hands, small snickers as they rummaged through the items and discarded whatever they deemed invaluable. Was it always this way? Would they always be feared?
“Much law, little justice,” the words spoken left the mouth of the old general sitting across from him, his head shaking as soon as the words were uttered. The way he frowned and his mouth twitched could only tell Zuko that his uncle was just as disappointed as he was. His father’s ruling was one of fear and subjection, a feeling of superiority soon seeping into the hearts of their people. Was that all the Fire Nation meant now? Were they just a heartless reign with a scorching fist ready to fire? Maybe, but deep within, Zuko knew there was more.
It wasn’t necessary for him to turn around to feel the growing smile on his uncle’s lips, his body moving almost involuntarily as he stood up from the chair. His hands subtly adjusted the straps of his hat, keeping it tight enough to prevent revealing his scar. If the guards recognized him, their cover would fail, and that was the only thing keeping him and his uncle safe for now. Many ideas ran through his head as he took careful yet firm steps towards the scene, hands warming up as his thumb rubbed over his palm. A firebender would be common in the occupied city, but the revelation of him being one would cause panic between the people. They would have no reason to trust him in the end, who would fight his own kind? The prince swallowed thickly as he realized the situation, soon noticing the odds. He was in disadvantage, and the guards knew it too as they seemed to notice him approaching.
Low snickering and evil smirks were all he could notice at first, head held low yet eyes fixed on them. Four guards, all armed, and all at least double his size. Easy job, right? “Whatcha looking at, kid? Are you here to take back the things of your friend? Well, good luck with that, the boy had good stuff hidden under all that garbage.” The biggest one spoke first, a general? It seemed like it, pathetic. He shook the opened basket in mock, tilting it to show the items within it. Inside, coins glittered along with fresh produce and meat, it looked great, and being honest, even his mouth watered. The idea of taking the items as his rewards crossed his head, yet he shook the idea in a matter of seconds. Zuko stopped walking when he was a few feet away from the group of guards, momentary nervousness settling as his arms crossed against his chest. What would he do now? He usually planned entrances, but now he was blank, oh if Iroh would just pull him out of this one, but the old man seemed more than entertained.
Before he could respond, surprised gasps and yelling soon filled the air, the small circle the guards had previously formed was now disrupted by a growing pillar of dirt. The ground beneath them shook and disoriented anyone in the vicinity, and just as suddenly as it came, it disappeared. The general frowned, clearly angered, the basket with its contents now on the ground as the man tried to regain balance. “No bending! You know the rules!” The guard in charge pointed at him and the rest followed suit, hands raised as they took a step back, the movement too familiar at that point. The fierce flames snaked their way towards him, the temperature around him rising as he prepared to block the attack with one of his own. In the blink of an eye, a strong wall grew before him, the flames hitting it while he remained protected on the other side.
Zuko bounced back on his feet in surprise, the dirt wall making the ground tremble as it moved forward, darting towards the guards and throwing them off their feet. Startled, the banished prince squinted his eyes as a shadow covered him, turning to face the cause of this. On the second story of the building his uncle was peacefully drank tea in, a calm looking figure overlooked the scene, a hand raised and pointed at the direction in which the wall went. What in the-
His thoughts were cut as he felt the sharp blade of a sword pressed against his neck, his hands pulled to the back harshly. Was it a bad time to reveal his identity? Of course it would be bad, his father and Azula were after them. “You again? We told you to stop meddling in our business!” The harsh voice behind him made him flinch, eyes squinting as he noticed Iroh finally thinking on intervening. The disgusting breath of the guard behind him was making him dizzy, besides, what kind of uniform were they wearing? A maddening itchiness spread over his back, surely from being pressed against the sweaty chest of the guard.
Tired of being unable to control the situation, Zuko began to position himself to kick the guard back and free his neck from any harm, but someone seemed to have a similar idea. As he pushed back harshly, a pillar of dirt grew and impacted against the guard’s side with strength, and in result, it hit his head too. The hit made him dizzy, falling to the ground as a ringing sound surrounded him, the faint figure of his uncle and the stranger approaching before it all went dark. What had just happened?
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