happy halloween, i hope you have a very spooky time! I would love something for the yue/sokka/zuko au, please c:
a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
The first time a Fire Nation soldier moves against her, Yue doesn't realize what's happening until it's already over.
She's walking outside and there's the warmth of fire along her side that she barely has the time to register before she slips and falls flat on her face.
By the time she pushes herself upright, she sees several Fire Nation people restraining one of their own, a man who's shouting with wild eyes. She can't see very well because there are four Fire Nation people surrounding her, their back to her and flames outstretched.
"Apologies," Captain Jee says, helping her to her feet. "I couldn't think of what else to do."
She doesn't understand until she looks down and behind her. The snow beneath her feet is water and behind her is a crater where a fire ball had aimed at her and missed. Because Captain Jee had melted the snow beneath her feet so she would slip.
"I've sent someone for the prince," he tells her and she nods and swallows down her fear. People are looking at her, Water Tribe and Fire Nation, and she doesn't want to give either of them the satisfaction.
Zuko and her father come rushing over moments later. Yue makes a split second decision and turns towards Zuko, letting him grab her hands and pull her close. Steam is rising off his body, the water in the air evaporating around him.
"I'm fine," she says, because she is.
He raises her hand to kiss his bracelet on her wrist then says, "Captain. Watch her."
"Yes, sir," Captain Jee says promptly and the Water Tribe people are yelling and cursing but the Fire Nation people look more like they are Earth Kingdom just then, as if they are carved from stone.
Zuko walks over to the man who had tried to hurt her and he starts screaming, starts begging. "It's a misunderstanding, I didn't mean - have mercy, everyone is always talking of your mercy-"
"I, Crown Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, find you guilty of treason," he says, his voice cutting across and through everyone. She expects him to sound cold, but he sounds furious, like the air itself should be sparking with his rage. "Your sentence is death."
"Please," he starts again, blubbering.
Those who had been holding onto him let go and take quick, measured steps backwards. Surely he won't - so quickly, and in front of everyone -
He tries to run. Zuko is the son of the Fire Lord. He bends his knees into a stance that her people talk about in their nightmares and lets loose a fireball brighter and hotter and larger than the one that had been heading for her.
The man who had tried to harm her dies screaming.
"Princess," Zuko says, hand outstretched, a flame in his palm.
Zuko is kind, and loyal, and awkward.
Zuko is a Fire Nation prince and as capable of all the violence she'd been warned about.
But if she wants his warmth, then she must accept that the same fire that warms also burns.
"Zuko," she returns, and she's trembling as she crosses the distance between them and places her hand in his.
But the flame vanishes before she can touch it, so it's only his warm, calloused fingers gripping onto hers.
She is to be Fire Lady Yue.
She cannot flinch at fire.
