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imagines--galore · 3 days

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||The Thread of Fate|| Part Seventeen

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen, Part Sixteen,

A/N: This is just pure fluff. Plain and simple! Also I don't know just how those kissing scenes turn out? Like are they alright? I would really like to hear your opinion on them! I'm a little rusty with those scenes :/

It was late in the afternoon when Orora finally woke. She sat up, the blanket Iroh had covered her with pooling around her legs as she did. Yawning and rubbing her eyes, the young waterbender could still feel a strange tiredness emanating from within her. She'd definitely over-exerted herself when she'd given Zuko such a long healing session. It would take some time before she would be able to recover completely.

For now though, her stomach was rumbling, and all she wanted was food before soaking in a warm bath.

Finally able to blink away the last remnants of sleep from her blue eyes, she frowned curiously when she saw Zuko standing in front of the stove instead of laying down as he had been the past couple of days.

"Zuko?" She called out, voice still heavy from sleep, hair tousled, clothes rumpled and blinking up at him in an adorably half-asleep half-awake state.

He turned at the sound of her voice and smiled.

"You're finally awake. Uncle told me to let you sleep in. You've been sleeping for a long time." As he spoke, Orora slowly stood up. On instinct she walked up to stand in front of him and placed a hand on his forehead.

Zuko fell silent, amber eyes blinking at her in surprise.

Heaving a sigh of relief, coupled with a smile and her body relaxing, she shut her eyes. "Thank the Spirits the fever broke." She muttered, her body swaying slightly. "I was afraid it hadn't." Her voice sounded weak as she fell against him, her head feeling heavy.

"Woah!" His arms came up to grasp her shoulders, steadying her. "Maybe you should sleep some more?" He suggested, not at all opposed to the way she leaned against him, her eyes closed and her breathing relaxed.

She didn't seem to hear him as she nuzzled her head against his chest, arms lifting to loosely wrap around his waist. "I'm so glad you're alright Zuko." She whispered against him, feeling his arms tighten around her, holding her close. "Uncle told me how you stood for hours to help bring my fever down using your Healing Abilities." His voice was slightly muffled where he had his face buried in her hair, inhaling her scent and just basking in her presence. All of which Orora was reciprocating.

"Had to make sure you were alright. Who else is gonna annoy me every single day?" He pulled back from the gentle embrace to playfully flick her forehead. She batted his hand away, smiling at him, looking a little more awake then a few moments ago. Her eyes shone with an emotion he could not identify. "You're my friend." She said, the tip of her finger tracing along his scar, a touch that prompted him to close his eyes and just savor it, committing it to memory. "And I care about you. I would never have forgiven myself if something happened to you."

Her voice hitched at her own admission, and she finally allowed herself to feel the worry and fear she had bottled away during the course of his sickness. She sighed, dropping her gaze to his chest instead.

Anything to avoid looking at him.

Anything to avoid expressing just how scared she had been.

"Hey?" The sound of his voice, so soft and gentle, had her burying her head in his chest once more. There were no tears, it would take more then him getting sick to having her sobbing, even he knew that. That was something he admired about Orora. Despite the hardships she had faced, and all that she had endured, she never cried about it. "I'm fine now. We're both alright." He reassured her.

It was strange.

Where he would've felt awkward and uneasy at having someone be sad and anxious around him, he instead felt a sense of understanding and patience. She'd been like that with him for so long, the least he could do was reciprocate the feeling when she needed him.

Once she'd calmed down, he felt her take a deep breath to gather herself. "Where's Uncle?" The words were slightly muffled, prompting Zuko to smile at her though she couldn't see it. "He went out to get everything set up at our new apartment." The young Prince responded, gently guiding her towards the small futon sofa and lowering her down so she could sit.

The waterbender made a small sound of confirmation, shaking her head. She felt Zuko move away from her, only to return a few moments later with a steaming cup of tea in front of her. "Here. Uncle said this would help you recover. Its been helping me too."

Grasping the clay cup between her hands, and savoring the warmth that came with it, Orora took a small sip. Zuko, satisfied that she was drinking, took his own cup and sat down beside her. The futon sofa was big enough to fit three people, and yet the two teenagers found themselves a mere inch away from the other. Though Orora only became aware of the fact as she began to regain her strength with every sip she took.

The warm liquid helped revive her, and slowly she felt the fog of tiredness and anxiety lift from her mind, and the heaviness that weighed her down began to dissipate.

"Is this magic tea?" She asked, lifting the cup and sniffing at the content within. Zuko laughed softly. "I wouldn't be surprised if it were. I've had two cups already and I can feel my strength coming back."

Orora smiled. "Don't drink too much though. I don't want you to get too arrogant." She paused. "Well not any more then you already are." Zuko rolled his eyes though there was still a smile on his lips as he did.

"Whatever you think, I have to get my strength if I am gonna resume my position of protector." Orora frowned, turning to look at him.

"Did you get a new job?" She asked, confusion evident in her eyes, which had Zuko laughing softly. "You're still tired aren't you?" He said, his gaze so soft that she actually felt herself blush and look away.

But he stopped her, grasping her chin to guide her back to her previous position. "When I meant my position of protector I meant you Orora. Your protector."

Her mouth fell open, her eyes widened and she stared at him. Oh she could actually feel her cheek growing hot! Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Why're you so surprised? Isn't that what I've been doing since we came to Ba Sing Se?" He asked, his fingers moving from her chin to trace along her soft jawline.

"Well yes." How she regained her ability to speak, Orora had no idea. "But you always said it was annoying, having to look after me like a nanny." Spirits, his touch was distracting!

He shrugged. "It was, at first, but you somehow always made it fun." She rolled her eyes, though a small laugh escaped her. "What every girl wants to hear from their soulmate, that they had fun." Her tone heavy with sarcasm.

A thrill ran through him when he heard her call him that.

Soulmate.

"Well coming from me that's a big thing since I've rarely had any fun." Never once did he stop the gentle stroke of two fingers along her cheek. "I focused so much on making sure I didn't offend my Father that I never really had time for fun." He shrugged.

Orora pursed her lips, pouting slightly as she pushed his hand away with a small humph. "Why do you have to go and do that?" She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. Zuko frowned at her in confusion. "Do what?"

Inhaling deeply, the young girl dropped the harshness of her expression to instead look at him softly. "Make me sad by reminding me just how much you've missed out." A pool of guilt settled in his stomach as he turned away from her. "I'm sorry." Her heart very nearly broke at the sadness in his voice. "I don't mean to."

Now it was her turn to guide him to look back at her. Though she did so with a firm hand against his cheek. "Well since I didn't have much fun growing up either, maybe the both of us can make up for it together?" She offered. Zuko simply nodded in acceptance, smiling at her, so open and unreserved with his feelings. "And it wasn't your fault. None of whats happened in the past was your fault." She reminded him, hoping he would somehow come to believe it as well. Zuko sighed. "I know it'll take time for me to accept that." He said, much to her surprise. She'd expected him to say something along the lines of her being wrong.

Her forehead creased. "You seem different, Zuko." He shrugged in response. "I feel different. Like some sort of weight has been lifted from my chest." Not liking how idle his hands were, he grasped her free hand between his own and began to play with her fingers.

She smiled shyly. "Well, I like this new you." She admitted, to which he raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And you didn't like who I was before?" He asked, his tone teasing as he intertwined their fingers together while her hand moved to stroke along the bottom edge of his scar. "No, I did. But I like you smiling and relaxed." She smirked, a teasing glint shining in her blue eyes. "Rather then broody and uptight."

Zuko let out a sound of protest. "I was not!" He denied to which she just laughed, before closing whatever distance was left between them and pressed her lips against his.

And this was one caress that did not stop there. Because when she tried to pull away, he followed her lips with his own, melding them together once more. And this time, to make sure she didn't pull back too quickly, he raised a hand to place at the back of her head. Orora had to tilt her head back slightly, eyes fluttering shut as she lost herself to the simple, yet somehow, exquisite pleasure of just kissing him.

Her arms moved to wrap around his shoulders. Zuko let out a sigh of contentment when the act had her pressing more firmly against him. He leaned further into her, pushing her back slightly, distracting her with his kisses until little by little, she was leaning back completely and was laying on the futon sofa with him hovering over her.

Their legs were still hanging over the side of the futon, but that didn't stop the new position from becoming more intimate. Breaking the kiss to allow them both to breath, though he didn't pull away, Zuko's eyes asked a question that needed no words. Understanding, Orora gave a small nod, despite the blush that blazed across her cheeks.

Pulling his hand out from behind her head, he placed it against the side of her face. His lips grazed hers, but only briefly. Slowly he began to trail them along the side of her jaw, placing sporadic kisses as he went. His eyes were closed, but he felt her reaction. Her breath hitched, and a shuddering gasp left her lips. But that wasn't what he was focused on. Zuko was more focused on just how soft her skin was, and how warm she felt against him. A raging fire seemed to burn within him, slowly growing with each kiss.

Something he hardly noticed.

His attention was on his Soulmate as he kissed along her forehead, moving down to her nose, skipping her lips in favor of pressing a kiss to her chin instead.

The first press of his lips against her skin had her gasping in surprise. She hadn't expected it to feel so warm. Not a very apt description, but then her brain was a little too overwhelmed with emotions she had never felt before, so coming up with proper vocabulary was out of the question.

Gentle and slow, two traits that were so unlike him, and yet, he found that they came so easily to him when it concerned Orora.

Her hands moved from his shoulders to the back of his head, and remembering the sound he had made in the alley, she let her nails run along his scalp. Once again, the reaction was instant. Though his sound of approval was followed by a particularly deep kiss.

And not on her lips.

Somehow, his mouth had slid down to the sensitive area just under her jaw and had continued to slide down until it reached that soft juncture of her throat. And that was where he kissed her, teeth gently sliding along her skin. The area proved a little too sensitive, prompting an entirely new wave of feelings to overcome her every sense.

Overwhelmed, but not wanting him to stop, she placed a hand on his cheek, urging him to shift upwards, where she lifted her head to meet his lips in one final kiss. "We should stop." She whispered against his lips, eyes opening reluctantly. Though she was glad she did. Her blue eyes fastened on Zuko's face hovering above her. Committing that image to memory, she watched as he gave a reluctant nod. Sensing his disappointment, she brushed his hair away from his forehead.

"Don't worry. We can pick up later." She winked, grinning at him. Smiling back, Zuko slowly sat up, pulling her along with him as he did, not letting go of her hand even after she was up.

Finishing the last of her tea, she glanced around at the still unpacked apartment. "Come on. Lets finish packing up. I'm sure Master wants us to move into the new apartment sooner then later."

"Oh yeah, he actually said we would be moving in today."

"And you're telling me now?!"

"Well yeah? I wanted to keep talking to you."

".........."

"And kissing you."

".........."

"What?"

"Just shut up, Zuko."

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It didn't take long and between the both of them, they had everything packed and ready to go. It was mostly kitchen utensils, clothing and blankets. Iroh had told Orora they would be buying new furniture when they moved to the Upper Ring. Of course everything that was of sentimental value was packed up.

Within an hour, Iroh had returned, and glad to see Orora already up and about, he had declared they would be moving that very evening.

And so, the next morning, Orora opened her eyes to the sight an unfamiliar ceiling and an empty room. Yes, she had her own room. Granted it was small, but it was her own to do as she pleased.

Excited to begin the new day, she splashed water onto her face, having bathed the night before, and after making sure she was presentable, exited her room.

"Morning Master." She greeted, adjusting her comb so it would keep a few unruly strands of hair away from her face. "Good morning my Student. I hope you had a good nights sleep." He picked up a bowl to pour in the Jook he had been preparing. "Today is the grand opening of the Jasmine Dragon." Orora couldn't help but smile at how excited Iroh was.

"Of course I did and I'm certain it will be a huge success." She added, as she accepted the bowl and sat down at the table, her eyes content as she gazed out of the open window. The new apartments were far bigger then the ones they'd been living in. And though Orora would never complain, she preferred the apartment they had now. She had grown up as the daughter of a noble, so she was accustomed to certain luxuries. And while Zuko had voiced his disdain about the small size of the apartments in the Lower Ring, she had stayed quiet. She'd just been glad to have a roof over her head, and had taken note to point it out to Zuko every chance he had complained.

Footsteps sounded from behind her, prompting her to glance over her shoulder to see Zuko exiting his own room.

"What's that smell?" He asked. Iroh looked up from where he had been stirring the pot. "It's Jook. I'm sure you wouldn't like it." He added, knowing his nephew's preferences.

Zuko, however, walked up to the stove, bent down slightly and sniffed the steam that rose from the pot. "Actually, it smells delicious. I'd love a bowl, Uncle." He said, holding up a bowl and smiling pleasantly.

Iroh frowned in confusion, though began to ladle the food into the bowl. "Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow." He said, handing Zuko back the now full bowl.

"It's a new day." The prince stated, moving to stand behind where Orora sat so he too could look out the window while he ate. "We've got a new apartment, new furniture, and today's the grand opening of your new tea shop." He smiled at the older man. "Things are looking up, Uncle."

Master and Pupil glanced at one another in surprise as Zuko began to eat from his bowl. Iroh only smiled before turning his attention back to the stove. Orora sipped from her bowl, smiling at the taste as she did. It was simple, but whatever Iroh had added to it elevated the flavors somehow.

Though that smile turned to a look of utter shock and surprise when she felt a pair of warm yet familiar lips press to her temple. Zuko had leaned down over her shoulder and stolen the kiss.

And though Iroh's back was turned, Orora couldn't help but stare at him, a little shocked at his bold move. Zuko's lips were pulled into a smug smirk. Her mind conjured up images of his face when he had been leaning over her just yesterday. It didn't help that all those feelings she had felt yesterday came rushing to the front. Her cheeks to reddened and her heart leaped in her chest at his gesture and the reminder of her promise to him.

Later, they would continue later.

Iroh turned at that moment, and caught the shift in her expression.

"Are you alright Orora? You look a little flushed." He observed, making a bowl for himself as well.

She straightened, turning to look at him. "I'm fine Master!" She all but squeaked, prompting Zuko to let out a small chuckle. Orora, cheeks still red, pursed her lips in annoyance and pushed her chair back purposefully, catching Zuko in the stomach as she did. The Prince groaned, clutching his stomach, while the girl smirked in satisfaction and finished off her breakfast. Iroh raised an eyebrow in question, though neither teenager answered his silent inquiry.

"I'm going to go get ready then." She said. With one final annoyed look at Zuko, one which he returned with a smirk, she walked off to her room.

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The grand opening of the Jasmine Dragon was a success.

Several dignitaries came, including their sponsor, not to mention the crowd of loyal customers Iroh had attained since working in the Lower Ring. Of course they were the ones from the Upper Ring since Lower Ring citizens were not allowed in the Upper Ring. It had bothered Orora a little bit, but nothing could be done about it.

Instead, she focused on fetching tea, brewing tea, making sure cups and plates were clean. Then there were the confectioneries Iroh had ordered to serve at the opening. Her Master was busy speaking with future customers, so he had put her and Zuko in charge of making sure that everything went smoothly.

Wearing a new green floor length silk kimono in dark green with gold accents, Orora smiled and chatted politely with anyone who addressed her, taking orders and making sure every kind of tea was hot and freshly brewed. Zuko was in charge of the rest of the staff. The other servers, hosts and cleaners in the back. It was rather fascinating to see him take charge like that. He had only been introduced to them in the morning and yet he had taken charge as if he were made for this role.

Then again, he was a Prince. He was taught how to take charge his entire life. Maybe now he would take charge of his own destiny as well. Realizing that perhaps she was staring, Orora moved to look away, only to pause as his amber eyes caught hers.

Despite the din of the chatting patrons around them, for a moment, everything seemed to fade away. She raised a hand, waving at him almost shyly, which was ridiculous because when did she ever feel shy around Zuko?! Still, he smiled and waved back, feeling his heart jump in his chest at her smiling back at him.

She looked so pretty in the dress she wore, he thought to himself, as she turned her attention to the tea she was making. Maybe later, when things had calmed down, they could both sit together and talk like they always did.

Or kiss, his mind supplied, reminding him of their little encounter yesterday. He had no idea where his boldness had come from, but she seemed to like it. And, truthfully, he had liked kissing her. Every aspect of his being had been focused on her, and just her. Her mere presence had that effect on him, but kissing her had only increased it tenfold.

And not only that, but he wanted to kiss her again because he liked it.

Seeing color flicker at the end of his finger, he wasn't at all surprised to see his string flickering a soft blue hue.

It reminded him of something.

Something niggled at the back of his mind, something that had happened while he'd been sick.

Something that involved her.

Maybe a dream?

Or a dream within a dream.

He wasn't sure.

He couldn't remember.

Before he had time to contemplate any further, a server called out to him, looking more then a little lost. Loosing his train of thought, Zuko walked over to help, forgetting about what had just happened.

After a few hours, the excitement died down significantly. The huge crowd started to dissipate, and now there were only a few customers sitting, drinking tea and chatting. Iroh and Zuko both stood at the head of the room, with Iroh smiling proudly.

"Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own tea shop?" He said. "Follow your passion, Zuko." He advised his nephew. "And life will reward you."

Zuko smiled at him. "Congratulations, Uncle." Iroh nodded, closing his eyes briefly in satisfaction. "I am very thankful." He admitted.

"You deserve it." The young Prince continued in a warm tone. "The Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in the city." His Uncle had worked so hard to make a good life for them, and now it was all paying off.

His Uncle shook his head. "No." He stated, turning to look at his nephew. "I'm thankful because you decided to share this special day with me. It means more than you know." There were tears in his Uncle's eyes. Tear of happiness. Mirroring that joy, Zuko was not at all opposed to the loving embrace his Uncle pulled him in.

"Well now I'm feeling left out." The laughing voice of his Pupil chimed in a little behind them where she had just exited the small kitchen where she'd left some tea brewing. Iroh simply let out a hearty laugh, opening his arm in invitation. Orora, smiling joyfully, wasted no time in wrapping one arm around her Teacher and the other around her Soulmate, bringing them all together in a warm embrace. "I am honored to have you as my pupil, Orora. Thank you for filling our lives with such joy when we sorely needed it."

Zuko could see the utter joy in Orora's eyes when she heard his Uncle say those words to her. Coming from a family that had wanted to bend her to their will, having two complete strangers accept her was surely something she had never imagined. "And thank you for accepting me Master. It means the world to me."

Iroh smiled at her in return, the young girl he considered his own just as much as Zuko was.

His little family.

Pulling back from the embrace, the young firebender nodded in determination. "Now let's make these people some tea!" He said, already walking away.

Iroh nodded. "Yes, let's make some tea!" He stated joyfully, moving to man the several burning stoves alongside Orora.

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The day was finally done, and the last of the customers had left. Iroh had just waved them off while Zuko sweeped the front steps of the shop. A tedious task, but he had seen Orora do so multiple times throughout the day, and had only followed her lead on it.

An approaching figure had him frowning in confusion as the man reached his Uncle and held out a scroll.

"A message from the Royal Palace." He stated in a dignified tone. Iroh glanced at Zuko in confusion, though he took the scroll. As he untied it, the Messenger was already walking away. Zuko watched as his Uncle read through what was written, a shocked expression overcoming his face as he did.

"I ... I can't believe it!" He gasped out loud.

A little worried, Zuko stepped forward. "What is it, Uncle?" He asked, barely having taken a step before his Uncle turned to him, smiling from ear to ear. "Great news!" He exclaimed, waving the letter in the air. "We've been invited to serve tea to the Earth King!"

Zuko stared at his Uncle in shock as well, before smiling at just how excited he was. Before he could even offer his congratulations, his Uncle had rushed off, probably to prepare for tomorrow.

Shaking his head, Zuko continued to sweep, almost missing the familiar steps as Orora approached him. "Whats got Master so excited? A new Pai Sho Tile?" She asked, laughter evident in her tone as she looked over her shoulder to where the older man was rummaging through cans of tea and such.

She was still looking at his Uncle, hands on her hips. Standing right next to him at the entrance, Zuko was, once again, given the chance to simply stop what he was doing at look at her.

After the long day, some of her hair had escaped her comb, but she was hardly bothered by it. Her clothes were a little rumpled, and she had removed her apron, but she looked just as beautiful as, really any other day.

Leaving the broom to lean against a corner, he reached out to gently take her hand in his. Orora glanced at their hands before looking up at him in confusion. She wasn't given any time to voice her thoughts though, since he tugged her outside the shop and behind one of the front doors where it was significantly darker.

But more importantly, where no one could see them.

"Zuko, wh-"

"You said we could pick it again up later." His smirk had her going weak in the knees as she stumbled back, her hand finding purchase on the wall behind her.

Zuko stepped forward, resting his forehead against her own, noses brushing, lips just barely apart, bodies grazing.

"Its later." He whispered.

Their eyes met and held. Her hand reached out to grasp his. Their fingers intertwined. Their breaths mingled.

Neither of them knew who was the first to lean forward, to initiate what could only be labeled as a heated kiss.

Whatever hesitance and shyness either of them had felt had gone out the window the moment their lips fused, meeting fervently, over and over, leaving them both light headed and panting for breath.

But it wasn't enough. It still wasn't enough.

She pulled him against her, wanting to feel him against her, though she miscalculated her own strength, leading to Zuko stumbling into her, their feet nearly tangling before her back found the wall, and they steadied one another. Neither of them were bothered by the slight stumble.

It didn't take long for Zuko to leave her lips and move to kiss her jaw, but she overtook him. So instead of Zuko kissing along her face like he had the day before, Orora began to brush her lips along his face.

She had to push herself up on her tiptoes to reach him properly, but she didn't mind. So long as he kept holding her like that, and allowed her to shower him with affection. And Zuko? He was adoring every moment of having her attention on him.

"You don't have to...." He muttered, pulling back briefly to gesture at his scar.

He had been a little nervous as her lips traced along his scar, but those feelings were quickly pushed to the side when her lips pressed against his scarred eyelid. "Your scar is only a reminder of your kind heart Zuko." She pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly just under her fingertips. "No matter how people might view it, or how you might view it, to me its the most beautiful part of who you are."

A hopeful smile brightened his features, as he brought his hands up to grasp her face and kissed her passionately, leaving her all the more breathless as he began to trace a path of kisses down her jaw to her neck.

This time when Orora trailed her fingers to his head, she didn't just stop with just a simple scrape her her nails against his scalp. Instead, she gripped the soft strands of his hair, and once Zuko's mouth pressed a kiss against that small sensitive area of her neck, she couldn't help but grip tighter.

Zuko let out a muffled growl against her throat, never letting up from his sweet ministrations. "If I pass out, its because I can barely breath." She whispered breathlessly, to which he smiled against her throat.

"Don't worry, I'll be more then happy to carry you back inside." He teased, to which she giggled, though the sound tapered off into a low moan as she felt his hot breath against her ear.

The sound of a throat being cleared rather loudly had their moment cutting short.

Both teenagers sprang apart, wearing mirror expressions of horror and embarrassment at the sight of Iroh standing there, hands on his hips. "If we are to meet the Earth King tomorrow, then I shall need both of you to help me." Though he tried to appear stern, neither of them could deny the laughter in his voice at having caught the them.

Orora blushed a bright red. "We'll be right there Master." Iroh simply humphed in reply. "See that you do." He stated sternly, though the twinkle in his eyes was a clear indication that he didn't really mean it.

He moved to step back inside the shop, but then stopped and peaked out briefly. "Though I am glad you two finally decided to let fate take it's course." With a wink that had Zuko groaning, and Orora hiding her face in her hands, Iroh walked off, chortling to himself.

"That was so embarrassing." Orora's muffled voice reached his ears. The mortification of being caught started to dissipate and he turned to pat her shoulder. "At least we have his blessing." Still more then a little humiliated, Orora punched his shoulder lightly. "I would've preferred he gave us his blessing over dinner, not while we were kissing like we were." She gestured between both of them, prompting Zuko to smirk at her words.

"And how exactly were we kissing?" If she were a firebender, Zuko was sure steam would be coming out of Orora's ears. For someone who adored physical acts of affection, she could get rather unsure and embarrassed about then when it began to get intense. Then again, he was just as unsure as she was.

This was a first for him, just as it was for her.

"Just shut up Zuko." She grumbled, stalking past him and back into the tea shop. He followed after her, coming to a sudden halt when she stopped just as the threshold. "Wait! What did Master mean, meeting the Earth King?"

Zuko shrugged. "Oh, yeah, we got an invitation to serve tea to him tomorrow."

"What?!" She screeched, rounding on him. "And you're telling me just now?!"

"Yeah?"

"Couldn't you have mentioned it before?"

"I was a little distracted by a certain waterbender."

"Argh! Zuko."

"A very pretty waterbender."

"Stop it!"

"Why? I thought girls liked this sort of thing?"

"Not out in the open like this!"

"Well I can always whisper in your ear."

He stepped forward, a teasing smile on his lips as leaned down towards her ear, almost as if he were about to whisper a secret.

And all he got for his trouble was a sudden bubble of water to the face, courtesy of a very flustered, but pleased looking, waterbender.

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imagines--galore · 4 days

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At All Costs - WISH fan storyboard/animatic

THIS! This is what we wanted from Disney. This absolute piece of art is GORGEOUS! I mean just woah! You are truly a talented artist OrbitalMoonRat! I mean just amazing! Thank you so much for giving us this gift!

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imagines--galore · 5 days

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Supergirl and Brainiac 5 almost kiss

#ze almost kiss trope #love it!!!!!#they were so cute! :3 fighting each other one minute then protecting each other the next #brainiac #kara #legion of superheroes #supergirl x brainiac 5 #dc

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imagines--galore · 6 days

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How to Leave Comments on Fanfiction

So, I recently made a poll to know if people might find it helpful to have a list of things they could talk about when leaving comments on fanfictions, be it on Ao3 or on here. A majority of people were interested in seeing the post so, well, I'm making it. I started writing and posting stuff online when I was a teenager, on a website where leaving constructive criticism was the norm. It's by far the place where I've gotten the most feedback and it was an incredibly formative experience for me as a young writer — and it taught me how to leave detailed comments.

Writing comments doesn't necessarily come easy. It's something that you may need to learn how to do, but the good news is that you can learn how to do it, so don't worry if you don't know what to say at first. Hopefully this list will give you some pointers on how to do that.

This is more or less the list I go through when I want to leave a detailed comment. Even if I don't have a specific idea at first, I'll go through the steps and I never come out empty-handed.

Comment etiquette:

What became apparent with the poll I made was that a lot of people worry about how they'll be perceived by the writers if they leave a comment. Now, obviously, writers aren't a monolith, but 99% of the time writers will be thrilled that you took the time to leave a comment to let them know what you enjoyed in their fic. I cannot stress this enough. We're not going to judge someone based on a positive comment they leave.

As it stands, on Tumblr and Ao3, it's seen as rude to leave negative feedback, unless the author has explicitly asked for it/agreed to it, so that's what I'll be going over here. Since quite a few writers did say on that post that they would like to get constructive comments as well, stay tuned, I'm trying to get something together to do that for authors. Other than that, you're good to go.

The main ways to let an author know your thoughts on a fic on Tumblr are:

reblogging a fic with your thoughts underneath it

reblogging with your thoughts in the tags, which is often less formal

leaving a comment as a 'reaction'

sending in an ask if they're activated on the blog (which means you can stay anonymous, if anon asks are allowed)

Reblogging means that your followers will see the post as well, and is therefore really appreciated on Tumblr.

As a note, you may find different systems work for different fics! Maybe leaving tag rambles works for you when commenting on drabbles, for example for me it's the system I use to leave comments on smut.

General advice:

Everything I'm saying in here is for people who want to be able to leave longer/more detailed comments and don't always know where to start. If, for whatever reason, you're not comfortable or you don't have time to do it at the moment, a simple "I love the fic, thank you for writing it" always goes a long way for an author.

The key thing to keep in mind if you're trying to find something else to say, I think, is to try making the comment specific to the fic you're leaving it on. It shows the writer what you took away from the fic and the fic's strong points, which is both meaningful and helpful to an author.

Comments don't have to be long to be meaningful. Don't stress about writing a ton; a one-sentence comment highlighting the fic's humor or how emotional it made you can be incredibly impactful.

With this out of the way, I'll go through things you can talk about in a comment, starting with what I think is the easiest and moving on to things that could require more thought. You don't have to do all of that. You may never use some of the things on that list. Leaving comments should not be a source of anxiety. So take what you want from the list, maybe come back to it if you need more inspiration, and don't worry too much about it :)

Favorite line(s) : pull from the fic to let the author know what your favorite line was. If you wish, you can expand on that by saying why it was your favorite: did it make you laugh? Did it make you feel something specific? Did the author nail the characterization with it? Was there some incredible metaphor? Did you find it beautiful or poetic even if you can't go into detail? Is there one line in particular at the beginning of the fic that hooked you in and made you want to keep reading?

All of that is very valuable for a writer to know. Some of my favorite comments I've gotten were a list of a reader's favorite lines from a fic with one or two sentences to explain why they liked them, so don't hesitate to do that more than once if you can!

Emotions: if there’s one thing I know about writers, it’s that we’re thrilled when we’ve made you cry. So tell us: how did the writing make you feel? Did you laugh out loud? If you did, was it the dialogue, or the narrator? Did it make you cry? Which part? Could you relate to one of the characters? Did it make you feel seen? Did the fluff make you feel all fuzzy inside or did the angst twist knots in your stomach? This isn't an exhaustive list, and emotions are great to draw from when you're leaving a comment!

Favorite element of the writing: Is there one thing in the writing that struck you as being particularly good, or what was your favorite thing to read? Is the author a master at writing dialogue? Are their descriptions so good you could see the whole scene? Are they really good at getting in a character's head and describing their emotions? Were you hooked from the start and couldn't stop until you reached the end?

Characterization: Now, this might be less instinctive, but if you've been in a fandom for a while, you'll probably be able to identify these things fairly easily. You can tell the author if you think they've nailed one aspect of a character. Did you have a favorite character in the fic? What did you think of them? Did the author manage to capture their voice? Was the attitude spot-on? Which parts of the character, if you can name them? Were there aspects of the character you particularly enjoyed? Did the author shine a light on something you hadn't considered or on something you don't think is highlighted often enough? Is there one thing from the fic you can actually picture/hear a character doing/saying in your head?

Style: I'd argue this is the hardest part, and you shouldn't feel bad if it's not something you can really comment on. As someone whose first language isn't English, I know I struggle with it. Style can be perceived as the way the author's voice comes through in the text. It can come through in punctuation, in the way sentences are formed, in the choice of the words themselves. If, when you read, you feel something intangible that doesn't fit well in the other categories, it just might be the author's style.

Here are some things (non-exhaustive list, of course) you could say about an author's style: it can be direct, straight to the point. The author doesn't bother with ornaments. Every sentence feels impactful. Maybe the writing feels intense. You're overwhelmed by the characters and their feelings and you feel truly engulfed in the story. Maybe the style is light and airy. It's so easy to read you don't even notice you are reading. Maybe the writing is intricate. Going through it is like piecing a puzzle together, sentences are foreshadowing and metaphors reveal deep truths about the characters. Maybe the style is rich. While not always the easiest, it's a pleasure to read through it, the author has a wide vocabulary, and you might want to compare it to a well-written novel.

If you identify specific elements of that style (metaphors, interesting use of punctuation, etc.), don't hesitate to point them out and let the author know you enjoy them!

That is it for this post, hopefully it doesn't look too daunting — again, you absolutely do not need to do all that in any comment, but maybe going through this list can help you leave comments for authors you enjoy.

I like to end my comments with 'Thank you for writing and sharing this with us', so I'll tell you thank you for reading, I hope this was helpful, and please consider reblogging if you'd like to save this or if you think it could help someone else!

As a bonus, my friend @elidebrey and I (but mostly her) made a 'checklist' for commenting, to help remember all this if that's something you'd like, so use at will!

A big thank you to @elidebrey, @yoongihan and @antoniorhinothethird for their precious opinions on this ♥

#this is so nice!#and accurate :3

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imagines--galore · 7 days

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||The Thread of Fate|| Part Sixteen

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure. Allusion to death, but nothing graphic.

Previous Chapters - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen,

A/N: Thank you for much for all those people who left their remarks for the last chapter. You have no idea how much it means to me!

The bird sat on the window ledge, twittering as it discovered the flowers that were sitting prettily in a vase. It hovered over the biggest one, dipping in it's long beak and drinking from the nectar it found there.

A slight disturbance from beyond the window ledge had the bird flitting about, annoyed at having it's lunch disturbed, before he flew off.

Inside the apartment Zuko groaned as his eyelids flickered. His entire body felt like he'd been kicked around by a Komodo Rhino. And his head, Spirits he felt like his head would split open any moment. His eyes felt too hot for him to open, the act hurting him almost physically.

"You're burning up." He heard his Uncle's voice echo through the darkness. The sound of water dripping reached his ears before something cool was pressed to his forehead. "You have an intense fever. This will help cool you down."

Zuko's only response was a low moan. His throat felt like it was on fire. Despite his entire body protesting, he tried his best to sit up, his arms trembled with effort. "So thirsty." He croaked, his voice weak even to his own ears.

A set of hands pressed against his shoulders, gently pushing him to lie back down. "Orora will be returning with the water soon." He hadn't even finished his sentence when the door slid open and the young waterbender girl walked in, lugging a bucket of water beside her.

"Is he awake?" At the sound of her soft voice, Zuko forced his eyes to open slightly. Despite his blurry sight, he could see as she approached him and was at his side. Placing the bucket of water next to him she tipped some water into a cup using a ladle. He felt her gently hold the back of his head as she brought the cup to his lips. "Here, drink."

As soon as he felt the cool liquid touch his lips, he drank greedily. But it wasn't enough. Pushing aside the now empty cup, he grasped the bucket of water and all but threw the water down his throat. A lot of it trickled down the side and on the mat he was lying on.

"No! Zuko don't!" He wasn't even halfway done when the bucket was snatched from his hands and thrown to the side. Loosing whatever strength he had, he fell back onto the mat.

"You can't drink that fast. Your body is too hot to take in all that cold water." He heard her. Even through the haze of his fever, he could imagine the disapproving look in her eyes. He wanted to answer back, to argue with her, but all that came from his lips was a cough which soon intensified, prompting him to curl into himself and turn to the side.

On either side of him, his Uncle and Soulmate glanced at one another, worry and anxiousness clear in their eyes.

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Stuffing the last of her purchase in her bag, Orora quickly paid the vendor before she began her sprint down the dirt path. The mid-spring sun shone down hot and unrelenting. Sweat lined her forehead as she weaved her way through the slightly crowded streets. With how fast she was running it was no surprise that by the time she reached the apartment there was a stitch at her side and she was panting heavily.

But that didn't stop her from bounding up the stairs and bursting into the apartment. "I got everything Master." She managed to say as she tried to catch her breath. Iroh looked up from where he had been wringing a wet cloth sitting in the middle of the living area. Her frantic blue eyes landed on the figure lying next to him.

"Is he any better?" She asked, her voice soft as she closed the door behind her and placed her bag on the table before coming to sit on Zuko's other side.

Iroh shook his head, even as she reached out to place a gentle hand over his forehead. Orora pursed her lips. "Is the water still cool enough?" She gestured to the small bucket that Iroh was using. Her Master nodded. "It is, though we might need to change it in a little while."

She removed her hand, so that Iroh could replace it with the wet cloth he had been wringing.

Her worried gaze assessed Zuko with the eyes of a Healer.

He was shivering, despite his body being hot to the touch. Sweat lined his forehead and neck, and she was sure it covered his chest as well. Iroh had taken off his shirt a long time ago so he would be more comfortable, and covered hims with a blanket. His breathing was deep and hoarse, as if the very air hurt his throat.

A lump formed in her throat but she quickly pushed it down. This was no time to be distressed. She was a Healer, and she would do her job properly.

"I'll start making some broth and tea." She said, standing up and moving to the table where she began to take out all manners of ingredients. "They had a merchant come in with new stock, so I was able to get fresh ingredients."

Taking out a small white paper packet, she unfolded it to reveal some leaves. "The next time he wakes up, try to get him to take this tea." She said, already bending water into the small teapot and placing it atop the stove. A small clicking sound followed as she used to spark rocks to make a fire. "Its a remedy that is tried and true. We used it up North whenever someone had a high fever." She continued, as she pulled out a jar of honey. "Add some honey to it, and he'll feel much better."

"Orora."

Iroh's voice had her straightening up where she stood in front of the stove. Gulping back her nerves, she turned her head to look at her Master. He smiled at her in a gentle and reassuring manner, though his eyes shone with worry as he glanced at his nephew. "I know you are worried, but he will be fine my dear." He reassured her, seeing the film of unshed tears in her eyes.

"He was in a far worse condition after the Agni Kai with his father." She tried not to flinch at the old man's words, but couldn't help herself. "He pulled through it, and he will pull through this ailment as well."

Heaving a shuddering breath, the young girl closed her eyes briefly to compose herself. She nodded. "I'm sure he will Uncle. After all," Her gaze turned soft as she trained an affectionate smile towards the feverish Prince. "He's much too stubborn to be brought down by a simple fever."

Iroh smiled in approval. It would not do to have Orora feel dismal about Zuko's current state. It was important that she remained optimistic, and not let her worries effect her abilities as a Healer. Iroh knew she would never forgive herself if she did not do her job properly. His young pupil already had a hard life, and a harder one still up ahead, and Iroh did not want her to make it even more difficult by putting herself down.

Fate was a funny thing, he mused. He lost his son, and yet he gained two children of his own. Both of them with a desperation to be loved and accepted.

As he ran the wet cloth over his nephew's forehead once more, Iroh's resolve to be there for his two charges resolved only harder.

He would never abandon either of them if he could help it.

They'd both been disappointed by enough adults in their lives.

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He was dreaming.

It was a dream.

He was the Fire Lord, sitting in the throne room of the Fire Palace, a platoon of soldiers standing at attention in front of him. The fire burning behind him cast an ominous glow about the room, strange shadows flickering and dancing as if to the sound of the flames itself.

There was no scar on his eye.

On each side of him there were pillars, and even as he stared straight ahead, he could see the two dragons circling around them out of the corner of his eyes.

One Red, one Blue.

Even if it was a dream, he could sense their raw power, the heat of the fire they were created from. And yet, he stared straight ahead, not even blinking as the Blue Dragon began to circle around him.

"It's getting late." The Dragon spoke. Zuko recognized his sister's voice. "Are you planning to retire soon, My Lord?"

Zuko stared ahead, undeterred. "I'm not tired."

But the Blue Dragon did not move away. "Relax, Fire Lord Zuko. Just let go. Give in to it. Shut your eyes for a while." The voice continued to whisper, and Zuko could feel his eyes begin to shut as he finally began to give into the exhaustion he felt.

"No, Fire Lord Zuko!" The Red Dragon growled in his Uncle's voice, as it neared him. "Do not listen to the Blue Dragon. You should get out of here right now." The Dragon urged. "Go! Before it's too late!"

But the Blue Dragon was not deterred. "Sleep now, Fire Lord Zuko." It whispered one last time before both Dragons disappeared.

Suddenly, the entire room, along with the soldiers crumble into nothing, leaving Zuko to sit on the Throne where he had been, with nothing surrounding him but utter darkness.

In front of him, twin lights blinked and the Blue Dragon appeared. "Sleep." It growled, slowly nearing him. "Just like Mother!" It opened it's maw, showing row upon row of razor sharp teeth, as it closed in rapidly.

Zuko tried to move out of the way, tried to fight back, but he was frozen in place. All he could do was watch the dragon draw nearer.

But then it disappeared.

And he saw a hooded figure in front of him. "Zuko!"

He recognized his voice. He wanted so badly to call out to her, and say that he was there, but no sound would come out of it.

His mother sounded just as frightened as she looked as she lowered her hood to look at him with helpless eyes.

"Help me!"

He had almost held up his hand to reach out to her, but then the floor opened up beneath him and he fell through, his cries echoing in the unending darkness that surrounded him.

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The tea had steeped enough, so she quickly brought it over to Iroh. Silently, she spooned some honey into a cup, her eyes flitting to Zuko who was starting to stir. Iroh poured the tea.

"You should know that this is not a natural sickness, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea." The Prince sat up, his body still trembling with the effort.

"What's happening?" He asked, his voice sounding just as weak as he looked.

"Your critical decision." Iroh replied. Orora gave him a confused look. "What you did beneath that lake. It was in such conflict with your image of yourself that you are now at war within your own mind and body." He urged Zuko to drink more of the warm liquid Orora had prepared.

"What's that mean?" It seemed even the briefest of conversations was enough to have him coughing. He quickly laid back down, his entire body jolting with every cough.

"You are going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful prince you were always meant to be."

Wasn't he already beautiful though? Orora wandered, pouring some more tea in case Iroh needed a cup as well. "But Master why now when he helped free Appa? He saved my life at the North Pole, wouldn't that have been against his image as well?" She asked, curiously.

Iroh hummed. "I suspect my dear, that when he saved you he did so unconsciously. He went ahead and did what was instinct for him because you are his soulmate, even though he did not know it at the time."

Adjusting Zuko's blankets the Dragon of the West continued. "When he freed the Bison, it was a conscious effort on his part, which is why his body is warring within itself."

Orora pursed her lips, her blue eyes flitting to look at Zuko's face. He'd drifted back to sleep.

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Another dream.

He was at the North Pole.

He was at the bridge where he had fought Zhao.

The moon was still red where she hung in the sky.

And in front of him, halfway down the bridge stood Zhao.

Holding Orora captive.

With a finger aimed at the side of her head, the tip of it alight with a vicious flame.

"No!" The cry ripped through him from the very depths of his being. He stumbled forward, his arm held out as if to reach Orora. But then he found them being held in place by two armored Fire Nation soldiers. Zhao only smiled cruelly.

"I would do the world a service by getting rid of such watertribe filth." He growled. Zuko's eyes met hers. She stared back at him, blue eyes full utter terror, cheeks stained with the tears that were rapidly falling.

"Zuko." She called out, her entire body seemed to tremble.

His heart stopped.

She sounded scared.

She sounded so scared.

"What would your father say when he finds out your soulmate is nothing but a commoner? A waterbender no less." Zhao sneered, looking at Orora with a disgusted look on his face.

He pressed his finger closer prompting Orora to whimper in fright as the flame burned closer to her skin. "Don't!" Zuko shouted, struggling against his captors. They didn't so much as flinch.

"Better that I take care of her now, then let your father deal with such filth."

So saying, he threw Orora to the side. Zuko saw her hit her head at the edge of the bridge, the skin above her temple splitting open, bright red blood escaping the wound and trickling down her beautiful brown skin. She slumped to the floor, barely conscious.

"Orora!" He struggled again, growling viciously, as she weakly lifted her head to look at him, her blue eyes already lifeless and dull.

"Orora!"

Zhao raised his hand, a bright yellow flame burning wickedly in his palm, ready to strike.

Ready to kill.

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Orora pursed her lips.

"Its been hours. His fever should be coming down now." She hummed, looking at the shivering Prince. Her eyes darted to the small bucket of water that Iroh was still using. She scowled.

"It's not doing enough work." She stated, standing up. Without a backward glance she was out of the apartment, and marching down to the community well. Standing next to it she reached down with her arms, calling to the water that flowed underground and pulled up a huge bubble of water.

Circling her arms in the air in graceful strokes, the determined waterbender slowly made her way back up the stairs. She shifted the shape of the bubble whenever was necessary. Her brow creased in a frown of concentration as she focused on carrying the huge bubble up to the apartment.

Once inside she slowly walked to the washing area behind a decorative screen. Her arms lowered as the bubble of water settled into the large wooden tub. The water lapped gently against the edge before it settled. Without so much as a break in her stride, she quickly walked back to where Iroh was sitting.

Understanding what she was about to do, he had already pulled Zuko up, resting one arm over his shoulder to help his nephew to the tub. Orora took his other arm, trying to be as gentle as possible.

The Prince barely stirred as they half carried, half dragged him to the now full tub. With Orora holding him from under his arms, and with Iroh lifting from his feet, they managed to lower him into the cool water.

"Let me get a pillow for his head." Iroh said, quickly grabbing the pillow Zuko had been using and placing it under his nephew's head where it rested at the edge of the bath tub.

Beside him, Orora took a deep breath.

She raised her arms, palms facing downwards, her fingers relaxed and at level with the bath tub. The water began to glow as she allowed her Healing Abilities to flow through her body, to the tips of her fingers and into the water.

Her arms moved in a constant push and pull motion. The water followed her movement, back and forth along Zuko's feverish body.

Iroh stood beside her, watching on with utter fascination as his pupil concentrated on the task at hand. Never once did she falter in her movements, or lost concentration. The water continued to glow. Iroh wasn't sure how her abilities would heal Zuko since it wasn't a physical ailment he suffered from, but he was not about to stop Orora from trying.

"I shall go and prepare something to eat for both of you." He said, resting a hand on her shoulder. She gave a slight nod of her head in confirmation, her gaze never wavering from the face of the Prince as he continued to breath hoarsely.

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Darkness.

All around him.

Nothing but darkness.

He was ten years old, his face buried in his arms, trying not to cry but failing. Even his firebending wasn't working. He felt weak and useless.

Exactly how his father made him feel.

He looked up, only to see a vision of his father standing above him, ready to strike and burn him.

Azula was born lucky

His father's voice echoed around him, magnified a hundred times over.

You were lucky to be born.

Over and over, the words continued to repeat in his father's hateful tone. There was no stopping it. No getting out of the nightmare. No one was coming to help him.

No one.

Something flickered.

He opened his tear filled eyes.

Blue.

A blue light flickering.

Flickering where the thread was tied around his finger.

His lips parted in surprise as the flicker became a continuous glow and slowly grew in length, snaking away from him and into the darkness.

The voices around him had begun to muffle as he turned his attention to the glowing string.

"Well, are you going to follow it?"

Zuko blinked and he wasn't surrounded by darkness anymore.

He was on a beach, the setting sun casting a warm red glow, bathing the sky in a gorgeous orange hue. The surf lapped gently at his feet, and he could feel the sand between his toes. There was no denying what this location was.

Ember Island, where his family used to come for vacation when they had been significantly happier.

But all of this wasn't what had his heart lurching in his throat.

It was actually the sight of his cousin standing just a few feet in front of him, smiling and very much alive.

Zuko couldn't help himself. He dashed forward, kicking up sand as he went and enveloping Lu Ten in a fierce embrace. The older prince chuckled, returning the hug.

"I've missed you too, Zuko." He spoke, affection coloring his tone as he smiled at him. "You've grown so much." Lu Ten added, stepping back from the hug to look at him properly. "You'll be as tall as I was."

Zuko pulled back only to star at Lu Ten who chuckled. "Yes, I really am gone Zuko, this is just something your mind has come up with."

Finally gaining back the ability to speak, Zuko voiced his thoughts. "I don't understand, what're you doing here?" He asked to which Lu Ten ruffled his hair playfully. "I'm here to guide you back home."

Stepping aside, he pointed to a building a little ways down the beach. Zuko frowned. "But, isn't home the Fire Palace?" He asked. Lu Ten smiled and shook his head.

"You'll know the meaning of the word home on your own Zuko. But for now, follow your string." He nodded towards Zuko's finger which still glowed blue. Raising his hand, Zuko realized the string was actually leading him towards the house.

He glanced at his cousin.

"Aren't you coming with me?"

A sad smile pulled at his cousin's lips as he shook his head. "I'm afraid not. You have to finish your journey on your own Zuko."

Feeling his heart clench, Zuko nodded reluctantly. "Un-Uncle misses you. A lot." The mention of his father, Lu Ten sighed deeply, his own eyes filling with a sorrow that even Zuko felt. "And I miss him. I wish our time wasn't cut short so soon, but fate had other plans." Placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder, Lu Ten continued.

"I am glad he has you Zuko. You are a great comfort to him." Zuko pursed his lips, looking crestfallen. "Can't you come back with me?" It was a childish question he knew, but he couldn't help himself.

Lu Ten shook his head sadly. "You know I cannot. But you can go back. You have to go back." He smiled. "Father can't loose a son a second time."

Trying hard to hold back his tears, to no avail, Zuko hugged his cousin, trying his best to commit his presence and his scent to memory, even if it was a dream. It was a good long while before he unwound his arms from around his cousin, who had been returning the hug with just as much heart and soul. "Be true to yourself Zuko, and always follow your own path." So saying, the former prince of the Fire Nation stepped away. "Take care of him for me little cousin. Now go! There is someone waiting for you!"

One moment he was there, and the next Zuko blinked and Lu Ten was gone.

He allowed himself a few moments to process what had just happened, before he turned his attention to the string that still glowed on his finger. Looking up at the house in the distance, he began to walk towards it.

And though it looked like it was a lot further down the beach, it didn't take him long to reach. As he drew closer, he saw a figure standing at the top of the stairs that led up to the entrance.

A figure dressed in the calm yet beautiful blue of the Water Tribe, with a red sash tied around their waist.

The person turned, and smiled at him.

And Zuko felt the whole world stop.

Orora.

"What took you so long?" She asked, looking so beautiful as she stood there with her hair so much longer then he had ever seen. Her gorgeous brown skin glowed in the setting sun, and her eyes looked like the very light of the stars was dancing in them. Zuko stood at the bottom of the steps, mesmerized by her. Orora held out a hand, the hand that glowed with her own string.

Her glow was red, of course.

"I've been waiting for you." She said, her voice soft, beckoning him to her. Watching her standing there, looking at him with such trust and adoration, her hair swaying gently in the breeze, Zuko didn't hesitate to take the last few steps towards her, his hand held out in front of him.

The moment their hands clasped together, fingers intertwining, he pulled her in for an embrace.

One that had the last remnant of darkness leaving his soul completely.

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She had no idea how long she continued her Healing Session. All she knew was that by the time she was done, his body had stopped shivering and he didn't look as flushed as before. Her arms ached when she finally stopped. Her feet ached from where she had been standing for so long.

Very nearly slumping to the ground, Orora quickly caught herself on the edge of the bath tub. Her Superiors had warned her that using her Healing Abilities for so long would take a toll on her. Tiredness and hunger, two things that could be taken care of easily, but it didn't stop the body from feeling like it had been drained of it's very essence.

Iroh who had just changed Zuko's mat and blanket, patted her shoulder. "That is quite enough, my dear. You go and eat the food I have prepared. I shall finish getting him out and dressing him in dry clothes."

Too tired to even speak let alone argue, Orora shuffled her way out to the living area. There on the table was a bowl of hot soup. Spooning the warm broth into her mouth, one bite after another, she felt the exhaustion she was experiencing begin to settle into her bones. She had over-exerted herself. It would take time for her to recover properly.

It didn't take long for her to finish her meal and chase it down with a cool cup of water. By the time she was done, Iroh had already helped Zuko back on the mat. How he'd been able to lift his nephew was a mystery to Orora, but she couldn't think properly right then.

Instead she stumbled to Zuko's side laying down as she did, her head feeling just as heavy as her body. While Iroh moved to get a blanket and pillow for her as well, Zuko stirred slightly.

"Orora." He called out softly, his voice still hoarse from coughing.

She reached out to gently take his hand in her own. He opened his eyes halfway as he turned his head to look at her laying beside him. With whatever strength he had, he squeezed her hand.

"You're alright." He whispered in that same voice, though relief colored his tone. "You're here."

Orora was too tired to contemplate on what he was saying. Instead, she smiled at him and returned the squeeze with her own.

"I'm here, Zuko." She whispered, and her words seemed to reassure him that she was, indeed, fine. His eyes closed, and he went back to sleep, his breathing easy and no longer labored.

The young waterbender had been too tired to notice just how cool his hand felt as she too drifted off to sleep.

It was how Iroh found them a moment later. Asleep next to each other, holding hands.

The thread between them flickering with color for a good long while.

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51 notes · View notes

imagines--galore · 11 days

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So many new promo pics!!!

Just the Pen/Nicola ones, because PRIORITIES

#the amount of grinning shrieking and giggeking I did JUST by looking at these stills #the fuck am I gonna do when I watch the series?!?!?#probably hyperventilate #polin #bridgerton #bridgerton season 3 #nicola coughlan #colin bridgerton #penelope bridgerton #penelope featherington

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imagines--galore · 11 days

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ANTHONY & KATE BRIDGERTON

#kathony #your honor they are in love #kanthony #anthony x kate #anthony bridgerton #kate sharma #kate bridgerton #bridgerton #bridgerton netflix #bridgerton s3 #bridgerton season three

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imagines--galore · 13 days

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I was wondering if we could get a fake relationship trope from the trope list with clark (superman) and reader. Like maybe they pretend to be dating for a wedding or sth🫣

Summary: Perhaps choosing someone as handsome as Clark had not been the best of idea when it came to picking someone to fake date. Especially not when you had your own feelings bubbling under the surface. Pairing: Superman aka Clark Kent x Reader Rating || Genres || Warnings: T. Romance. None. A/N: You lot love your fake dating tropes don't you? Not that I'm complaining. I love 'em too :3 Especially when I get to see Henry Cavil wear a tux. -swoon-

Clark raised an eyebrow at you.

You were slumped over the table in the booth. "Y/n?" He said, reaching out to tentatively shake your shoulder. Your head snapped up, and if it weren't for his quick reflexes, Clark knew he would have been on the floor in surprise of your sudden action.

"I'm doomed." You stated in a serious albeit whining tone that had your team mate and friend smiling at you and gently patting your shoulder as he moved to sit across from you. It was ridiculous how the booth appeared to be so small for his wide muscular frame.

But maybe now was not the time to be focusing on your friend/crush's physique.

"And why do you think you're doomed?" He asked, putting his chin on the palm of his head as he rested an elbow on the table. You placed your chin on top of your folded arms on the table, looking up at him as you pouted.

"I agreed to attend this wedding. And when I RSVP'd I said that I would be bringing a plus one and now I don't have a plus one." You grumbled, burying your face in your arms once more. Clark frowned in confusion. "Who were you going to bring? Are you dating someone I don't know about?" If you had looked up, you would've caught the flash of jealousy in his blue eyes. But you still had your face buried. Though you did peak up at him after awhile.

"The invitation was months ago. And I said I would bring a plus one because I thought I would at least meet someone till then." You sat up straight. "But between work and our extracurricular activities I haven't actually had the time to meet anyone. And now the wedding is this weekend and I don't have anybody to go with. And usually it wouldn't be such a big deal, but I just wanted everyone to know that I had my life all together and in my hometown that includes having a good partner and I am far from finding one so yeah, I'm doomed."

Silence followed your words as you buried your face in your hands as a sign of despair once more. Clark could only look at you with sympathy, trying to come up with a solution that would work out in your benefit.

While he was one of the founding members of the Justice League, you had followed soon after. Given your power to sense life forces around you and the fact that you could borrow their special abilities or powers for a limited time, you were a great asset to the team. You had helped them out on more then one occasion and had been one of the first to be offered a place on the team.

You had become friends with all of them, but there had been a particular sense of bond between you and Superman, whom you later learned to be Clark Kent.

Probably because of your similar upbringing. You were from a small hometown having grown up on a ranch, while he had grown up on a farm. The oddballs of the town. That was where your similarities ended, but the friendship you had formed extended beyond your superhero personas and the two of you began to hang out as civilians as well.

It was the norm for the both of you to share your troubles with one another, and you had no idea when you had begun to harbor a crush on him. Though you never acted on it.

Little did you know, Clark was beginning to feel certain romantic feelings towards you as well.

Perhaps those feelings were what compelled him to say what he did next.

"I could go with you."

Your head tilted upwards, eyes wide with surprise. "What?"

————————–

"This is really risky." He muttered to himself as he pushed his glasses up his nose. A sure sign of nervousness. You nudged his side. "Hey, you were the one who suggested it. Don't go backing out on me now." You joked, though there was uncertainty in your gaze as well, as if you were afraid he would suddenly change his mind and take off.

Quiet literally.

The both of you had arrived at the lodge where the wedding was being held. Since it was an early wedding, you had to arrive a day before. But you had made a slight miscalculation.

And that was not factoring in a mass prison break out.

You had spent hours alongside the rest of your team, rounding up all the escaped convicts. It got so late that you missed your train, which also had your bags onboard. Which was when Clark had offered that both of you fly to the location. You had been hesitant at first but had quickly given in. Honestly you were too tired to argue.

But not too tired to borrow a little bit of Clark's abilities. And before you knew it, the both of you were flying through the air.

In hindsight it had been a fun experience.

You two had raced through the air, hiding in the clouds and popping out to scare the other. Not to mention just how gorgeous everything looked from so high above. You had floated in midair, mesmerized by the sight of the setting sun. Completely missing the way Clark was looking at you.

Mesmerized by you.

You slowly began to loose your ability to fly as your biological timer ran out when it came to your borrowed powers, so Clark carried you back the rest of the way. You kept your gaze fixed straight ahead during that part of the journey. Being in his arms, flying through the air was romantic enough without accidentally meeting his gorgeous blue eyes.

Collecting your suitcases from the train station, you were now walking to your room. You would be attending from the bride's side, her being an old friend during your school days. You also knew the groom.

It was a very small town.

Since it was late at night almost all the guests had already gone to bed. You quickly unlocked the door and stepped in, turning on the lights as you went. "Well this is nice." You muttered as your eyes roamed over the rather spacious room as you stepped in. Clark walked in behind, easily carrying all the suitcases which he dropped to the side as soon as the door closed behind him.

He had just taken off his glasses and jacket when he heard you speak. "Uh oh."

He turned to find you staring at......the bed?

"What?" He asked, moving to stand next to you at the foot of the king sized bed. "Well we're here as a couple, and being a couple means sharing a bed." Both of you stared at the piece of furniture, before glancing at one another out of the corner of your eyes.

"Well since your massive frame won't be able to fit on the couch, you'll be taking the bed." Knowing that he would argue about your so-called sacrifice, you quickly reached up on your toes to place your hand over his mouth, effectively silencing him.

His eyes widened behind his glasses, and he looked so comical that you gave a small laugh before smiling up at him. "I know you're gonna wanna act like a proper gentleman and all Clark, but you've already met that quota when you offered to be my plus one." God, his breath was warm against her palm. "So just let me do this, to make myself not feel like an ass."

The two of you continued to stand there, with your hand still over his mouth. You fixed him with a look. "I'm not gonna move until you say agree." Clark raised an eyebrow, silently asking if you were really going to go through with that. You grinned. "Try me."

He rolled his eyes, though you could feel his amusement at the situation, given how you could literally feel his lips pulling into a smile beneath your hand. Reaching up he grasped your hand, his touch so gentle that you wandered how the very same hands could punch a man out in seconds.

You were broken out of your reverie when he leaned forward slightly. Still grasping your hand, he brushed his lips briefly and softly against your skin. "As the lady wishes."

Your reaction to that one simple gesture was instantaneous. The blush that formed across your cheeks was as red as the cape he usually wore and your eyes widened to an almost comical level.

It was exactly what Clark had been hoping for. The smug bastard smirked confidently, before allowing you to pull your hand from his grasp, and walking past you into the room.

————————–

He had no idea what had come over him. You'd been standing there, looking adorable as you teased him with your hand covering his mouth, and he found that he had to tease you back. Had to see the reaction it would get out of you. And you hadn't disappointed.

The memory of the blush was still playing in his mind as he finished brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed. He couldn't help but smile to himself, feeling a smug sort of satisfaction that he had gotten such a reaction out of you.

Stepping out of the bathroom he closed the door behind him, removing his glasses as he went. The room was already shrouded in darkness, with just the light of the moon filtering through the curtains. And you?

You were already asleep on the couch.

It was just big enough for you, and it was soft so it was comfortable, but there was barely any room for you to move around. Clark just hoped you didn't fall to the floor during the night. The day had tired you out, chasing criminals for hours, using your powers, and flying through the air really took it out of you and you were dead to the world.

As he passed by you to get to bed, Clark couldn't help but glance in your direction, smiling at the peaceful look on your face. Your breathing was deep, so you were definitely fast asleep.

Not really wanting to sleep just yet, he pulled out a book he had brought and turned on the side lamp to read. It was about a half hour later that a slight movement from you had him looking up from his book. You were changing your side, still fast asleep. And his suspicions from earlier proved true. There wasn't enough space on the couch and if you shifted a little more you would fall.

And that's exactly what happened.

A little slide to the side and you were falling off.

Good thing Clark was quick enough to catch you before you fell any further.

You slid down blanket and all, straight into his arms. The funny thing? You didn't even wake up. Or rather you just stirred and went back to sleep, mumbling something under your breath as you all but snuggled into his warm, strong chest. For a moment all Clark could do was blink down at you. He had certainly not expected you to not even wake up after taking a tumble. But then maybe you really were tired.

His lips pulled into a gentle smile as he straightened up, cradling you easily in his arms. Walking over to the bed, he gently tucked you in, watching with an almost tender expression as you snuggled into the pillow, burrowing deeper into the blanket he wrapped around you.

Deciding that maybe it was time to turn in, he flicked off the side lamp and got into bed beside you. He did his best to keep as much distance between the both of you as he could, but during the night, when the soft breeze coming through the open window prompted you to press yourself against the warmth beside you, he didn't mind.

Besides he had his back to you, and you were only slightly pressed up against him.

Nothing intimate about that.

————————–

The wedding had been a disaster.

Well a disaster for the people involved.

For you and Clark it had been like watching one of those telenovela's Flash secretly liked to watch sometimes. The Speedster thought it was a secret but really everyone knew.

He wasn't exactly subtle about it when he would watch the latest episode on the screen at the Watch Tower.

But back to the matter at hand.

"Any more secrets revealed?'" Clark asked as he came to sit down beside you, having managed to attain a rather large piece of the wedding cake. Grabbing a fork, you dug into the sweet chocolate dessert. "Well the Bride just found out her father paid for the entire wedding when the Groom's parents promised they would pay half."

Clark took a bite of his own, both of your gazes trained towards the small group of people gathered in the center of the dance floor. "Should they have to pay, now that the Groom ran off?"

You scowled at him. "Of course they should! The bride didn't know he would run off like that, if she had, she wouldn't have had the wedding in the first place. Ergo, the Groom's parents should pay their half." Shoveling another bite into your mouth, you moaned in delight.

"Least the Bride has good taste. This cake is amazing." You hummed, taking a sip of your champagne to wash the cake down. Clark nudged your shoulder. "Leave some for the rest of us will you." He said taking a bite. You simply pushed the plate in his direction, your eyes never leaving the spectacle on the dance floor.

You sighed. "At least the Bride let us attend the Reception. It would be a shame for all the food to go to waste." Straightening the skirt of your dress, you continued. "And I didn't get dressed up for nothing."

Clark glanced at you out of the corner of his eyes. Their line of work never really gave one the opportunity to dress up. And he was so used to seeing you in either your superhero costume or plain civilian clothes, that it had taken his brain a moment when he had seen you step out of the bathroom in the dress you currently wore.

You had always been beautiful in his eyes, however seeing you all dressed up just added to that beauty.

Funnily enough, your thoughts process, at seeing him standing there in his tux, had been along the same category. Really it was sometimes unfair how gorgeous he was.

But back to the matter at hand.

"So what have we discovered so far?" Clark asked, wanting a brief recap of all that had occurred in the span of an hour or so since the wedding had started.

You cleared your throat. "Well before the wedding even started, the Bride's father was missing."

Clark nodded. "Only to be discovered in a closet with one of the bridesmaids." Both your gazes snapped to the bridesmaid in question. She was standing next to the father of the Bride, obviously trying to give her two cents but being completely ignored.

Another bite of the cake went into your mouth. "And then the jealous Bride spilled wine all over her sister's dress, for some petty reason." This time you turned to look in the direction of the sister who was wearing her husband's jacket over her dress to hide the hideous stain all down her side.

"Seems the bride isn't exactly a nice person either." Clark said, to which you shrugged. "She was nice enough when we were in school, I don't know what happened." He reached out to squeeze your hand in comfort.

You smiled at him before continuing, though you did notice how his hand didn't leave yours. "The Groom's mother made a big deal about the flowers, saying they weren't the ones she wanted. Apparently there was a huge screaming match before the ceremony began."

Reaching up, you teasingly flicked his ears. "Having super hearing serves its purpose doesn't it?" You teased. "Good thing you put your adorable ears to good use."

He gave you a strange look. "Adorable ears? That's a strange compliment."

You gave him a deadpanned look. "You're an alien from another planet, and I can suck powers from another person, but me complimenting your ears is strange." Your tone and the look you gave him had him laughing out loud. "I did not mean to offend you." He said, squeezing your hand, that he still hadn't let go of, gently.

"No offense taken. Now, on to the next point." Turning your attention back to the Bride, who was now shouting at the runaway Groom's parents, you continued. "The Groom decided at the alter that he didn't want to marry the Bride. Right as the Maid of Honor stepped forward and claimed she was pregnant, with his baby."

Clark winced. "Yeah, overall not a good day for the Bride."

Beside him, you grinned. "Oh I wouldn't say that." You said in a sing-song voice, as Clark finished off the rest of the cake and pushed the plate towards you to have the leftover icing. You quickly swiped your finger across the plate.

"Why? What makes you say that?" He asked, sounding a little too eager. You giggled. "Who knew the all-powerful Superman was so nosy." He playfully poked your side, prompting you to squirm away from him a little. "I'm a reporter, my nosiness comes with the job." He stated to which you rolled your eyes. "Uh huh, sure Boy Scout."

It was his turn to roll his eyes at the nickname before he looked at you in question, knowing you would answer him. "Well, I was in the Powder Room, and I heard one of the bridesmaids in there. She didn't know I was there too, and was speaking on the phone with someone else. She said that on the Bride's bachelorette party, the Brife ran into an ex-boyfriend of hers. Her friends actually lost her for a good hour or so, but then she came back by herself. But she confided that she'd gone and slept with her ex."

Clark's lips parted in surprise. "All we need is someone either coming back from the dead, or someone waking up from a coma with amnesia, and we can actually sell this as a soap opera."

You shrugged. "We could make lots of money. Might even me as rich as Bruce."

He rolled his eyes. "I doubt that." His eyes dropped to where you'd licked clean the last of the chocolate frosting. Some of it had actually gotten on your chin.

"You know, we're a part of this soap opera as well." You stated, to which he frowned. "How do you figure that?" He asked, to which you shrugged. "Well, we're not dating but we came here as a couple didn't we? If this were a soap opera there would be that typical sizzling unresolved tension between us, after sharing the same bed, and we would sleep, I mean, kiss by the end of the night."

Shit, you hoped he hadn't caught on to what you had been about to say.

"Or," You glanced up at him, a little confused at the playful smile pulling at his lips. "We could have that tension filled moment when I wipe something from your face. That's typical of soap opera's isn't it?"

You blinked. "Wipe what?"

The question was barely out of your mouth when he leaned his head down to your level, his hand lifting to press the pad of his thumb just under your lower lip. He felt your breath hitch as he gently wiped away the chocolate frosting that was still there. Trying your best to not let him see how much that gesture had effected you, you instead cleared your throat. "Nice move, Kent. You execute it with every fake date you take to weddings?" You joked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "No." With his blue eyes unwavering as he held your gaze, he lick his thumb clean. "Just you."

He definitely did not miss the way your entire body shuddered at his significant insignificant act. How your pupils dilated, and you sat up a little straighter. "Just me huh?" You said, your voice low as you fixed him with a sultry gaze, the hand not being held by him resting on his chest. He had taken off his black jacket some time ago. The heat of your palm bled through the thin material of his shirt, and if you allowed your nails to dig a little into his skin, he made no move to acknowledge it. Despite his invulnerability, he did feel it a little.

And he would be lying if he said it didn't effect him.

Deciding that maybe playing the soap opera card would be a little fun, you slowly stood up. "I feel like taking a walk." Adjacent to the building where the reception was being held was a gorgeous vineyard and garden. You couldn't help but smile at his confused expression. So you leaned down, hand on his shoulder, thumb just grazing the side of his neck as you whispered.

"If this were a soap opera, you would definitely follow me."

You straightened and with a wink walked off, the skirts of your dress gently swaying with every step you took.

And if you put a little extra swing in your hips as you walked away, well that was just to make sure he followed.

————————–

It took a total of ten seconds of you walking out of sight of the wedding party before he found you.

Or rather, he flew over you and you held your arm up so he could grab your hand as he flew by. It was dark so no one had seen him. He pulled you up, wrapping his arms around your waist to hold you close as he flew in the direction of the lodge where you would be staying.

"Well flying is definitely not a norm for a soap opera." You said, shaking the free strands of your hair away from your face. He chuckled. "How about you see this as being carried in the arms of the love interest cliché?" He suggested, to which you raised an eyebrow.

"Oh so, now we're the love interest are we?" You teased, trying hard not to show just how happy you felt when he said the L word. Clark shrugged. "If you'd prefer handsome stranger you met at the wedding, I can play that part too." He suggested as he gently landed on the balcony of their room.

He set you down gently, but you didn't move away from his embrace. "I think I prefer love interest." You admitted, tilting your head back so you could look at him.

Clark laughed softly, leaning down so he could nuzzle his nose against your own. "Anything you want." He whispered, his breath warm against your heated skin.

You sighed contentedly. "Anything I want." You whispered softly, eyes opening halfway to meet his half-lidded gaze. He hummed, the sound deep and masculine. It was a good thing he was holding you, otherwise you were sure your knees would give way under you.

Your tongue darted out, running over your lips. And you did not miss the hunger in his eyes as he watched you tease him. Half his face was still pressed up against yours, his nose slowly brushing along your soft skin, warm breath leaving it's trail as he did. Already you could feel your body respond to his gesture.

"Y/n." He groaned, his voice pleading as his path finally led him to your lips, where he hovered over them with a restraint that was slowly breaking. Your resolve broke and you finally whispered.

"Kiss me, Boy Scout."

#clark kent x y/n #clark kent x reader #clark kent x oc #superman x y/n #superman x reader #superman imagine #superman x oc #dc imagine #justice league

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imagines--galore · 13 days

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Get attacked!! ✨🌈SEND THIS TO OTHER BLOGGERS YOU THINK ARE WONDERFUL. KEEP THE GAME GOING🌈✨

Omygosh! Thank you so much! I love you!!!!

#ask and answered

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imagines--galore · 13 days

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Avatar The Last Airbender ||The Thread of Fate||

Story begins at the end of Book One - Water. Follows the series.

Zuko x Orora (Original Character)

Status - Ongoing (Chapters under the cut)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure. Angst. Hurt/Comfort. A little mention of blood and fighting.

Prologue

Chapter One - Deciding Fate

Chapter Two - A Twist of Fate

Chapter Three - Fighting Fate - Part One

Chapter Four - Fighting Fate - Part Two

Chapter Five - Fate's Humor

Chapter Six - Acknowledging Fate

Chapter Seven - Learning To Accept Fate

Chapter Eight - Trust In Fate

Chapter Nine - A Truce With Fate

Chapter Ten - Fate In Peril

Chapter Eleven - Explaining Fate

Chapter Twelve - The Fateful Tale of Zuko and Orora - Part One

Chapter Thirteen - The Fateful Tale of Zuko and Orora - Part Two

Chapter Fourteen - Choose Your Own Fate

Chapter Fifteen - A Change In Fate

Chapter Sixteen - Let Fate Take It's Course

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imagines--galore · 13 days

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Hello!

could I get number 13 on the prompt list with Edmund Pevensie?

Summary: He was a King. You were no Royal. You were his friend, as he was yours. And despite the fact the people kept saying there was something more, you denied it. For a King could never love a commoner. Could he? Pairing: Edmund Pevensie x Reader Rating || Genres || Warnings: T. Romance. A/N: Yay! First request for Edmund!

"Really, Your Majesty! This is just too much!" You said, running your hand over the fabric of the dress the youngest Queen of Narnia had forced you to put on.

"It is not." The Queen stated with the stubbornness of a teenager, which she was. "And how many times I've told you to call me Lucy."

"Multiple times, Your Majesty." You responded with a cheeky grin, prompting Lucy to roll her eyes in a rather un-queenly manner.

Luch walked up to straighten the thin satin belt that rested around your waist. The dress truly was a work of art. Made of a material that you were sure cost more then the wages you received, it was soft and delicate to the touch. Not to mention the work down the front of the dress seemed to sparkle in a way that made you feel like a princess. And the color? A grey that almost appeared silver. A rather unusual color but somehow familiar.

You were sure you had seen that color before, just not sure where.

"The seamstress made a few mistakes with the measurements, and I don't want it to sit in the back of my wardrobe. It is simply too stunning to never see the light of day." You let out a small hum of agreement as you allowed yourself a moment of admiration. The mirror in front of you showed a figure dressed in a gown that was surely out of a fairy tale.

Then again, you had seen grander and more beautiful gowns, and the one you wore was rather simple in comparison. But in your eyes, it was perfect. You twisted where you stood, hoping to catch a glimpse of the details that adorned the back. Lucy smiled at your obvious admiration.

"Maybe if you wore it to the ball next week, Edmund will finally notice you."

The words jolted you out of your little haze of admiration.

Turning your gaze towards the now smiling Queen, you blinked. "Notice me?" You asked, though you knew the answer before it came. Had heard it one too many times from so many people and creatures you knew.

"As in confess that he loves you, just as much as you love him." You blinked. The effect of her words were immediate as a blush turned your cheeks a bright red. The sight of which had Lucy smiling even wider.

"I-I do-don-" You were cut off by Queen Susan, who had been sitting at a nearby writing table and going over the final preparations for the Winter Ball.

"Lucy, you mustn't assume such things, it is rather rude." Her younger sister pursed her lips in a stubborn line. "Though I must admit Y/n." The Gentle Queen continued, now looking towards you. "Edmund does seem to show more affection towards you then he does anyone. Even us."

Annoyance had being told off forgotten, Lucy chimed in. "And we're his siblings!"

You shook your head as you reached behind you to undo the dress, anything to occupy her hands and hide her face lest the two Queens see the blush on your cheeks. "Your Majesties are mistaken. King Edmund and I are simply friends. And even that is a miracle given how I'm a simply maid and he is a King."

Lucy frowned. "And what does that matter? Love should not have anything to do with it." Having stepped out of the gorgeous gown and into your everyday clothes, you shook your head. "No, but that is it, Your Majesty." Your words sounded unconvincing, even to your own ears. "I am not in love with your brother."

A lie.

————————–

You were in love with King Edmund.

Had been in love with him since the moment you had seen him.

Of course, you hadn't realized it then. Had not picked up on the fact that perhaps your heart raced because he was so near. How your heart leaped in your chest when he smiled at you. Or even how everything just seemed a little more magical when he was around.

You had met him by chance. Having finished your duties for the day, you had chosen to go down to the beach and collect some shells. You already had quite the collection but you always found new beautiful pieces to add to your collection. You had just straightened up from picking a rather pretty pink shell when the sound of an approaching horse had you looking to your left.

There he was, sitting atop a horse, with no saddle or rein, no entourage or crown adorning his forehead to show his status. The speed at which he rode his horse had you stepping back before he was even near you.

For reasons known only to Aslan, he came to a halt as he neared you. You had returned to your little expedition and was already digging through a small patch of sand where you had spied a star shaped shell. The sight of it had a bright smile forming on your lips, your eyes alight with joy at such a small, insignificant yet beautiful creation.

And Edmund had felt his heart clench at the sight of your sweet smile. A strange urgency bubbled in his chest. One he had never known before. One that compelled him to dismount from his horse and approach you. Though he stood a good few feet away as he watched you straighten and place the shell in your basket.

It was then that you became aware of him. You stood there as well, your basket tucked at the side.

He had stopped at the sight of you. And the both of you had simply looked at each other.

It was rather strange looking at a complete stranger in the eye. Normally you kept your head down and went about your work. But there was just something about him that had you meeting his gaze.

Him in his simple breeches, shirt and shoes, black hair swept away from his forehead, blowing gently in the salty air. Eyes alight with a light that you would see for months to come whenever you would run into him.

He knew it was not proper to stare, but he could not help himself.

You in your simple dress, with the hem wet from the waves that kept tickling your bare toes. The braid you kept your hair in, hardly able to keep the strands in place given how hard the wind was blowing. Your cheeks were flushed from being out in the sun for so long.

And yet Edmund had never seen a more prettier sight in all of Narnia.

Slowly, you smiled at him in a friendly manner. "Is there something that you needed?" You asked.

He shook his head. "I apologize for disturbing you on your outing My Lady, I was just curious why a young maiden would venture so far away from Cair. Assuming, you are from there." He quickly added, not wanting to make any false assumptions.

Giving a small nod, you confirmed his suspicions. "Yes, I'm from Cair. I work as a maid there." The both of you glanced down the length of the beach to where the castle shone brightly in the light of the slowly setting sun. "You're a little far out aren't you?" He asked with a smile to which you gave a sheepish one in return.

"To tell you the truth, I love to collect shells." You held up your basket to show the small collection you had gathered in the hour you had been at the beach. "And there aren't quite that many close to the castle, so I have to venture a little further ahead."

Meeting his eyes once more, you allowed yourself to admire how handsome he was. Surely he was a lord or something of the sort. Perhaps a visiting noble from Archenland? Edmund's line of sight shifted to the setting sun just behind you.

"May I escort you back to Cair? It is near sunset and the tide will be coming in." He offered, not wanting to leave your presence just yet. You glanced over your shoulder as well, before turning to give him a nod. "That would be appreciated thank you." You paused. "I do not believe you told me your name."

Edmund's smile faltered a little. He knew if he told you his name you would recognize him. Clearing his throat he decided on a little white lie. Or rather half-truth. "My name is Ed. And may I ask you for your name, My Lady?" You waved a hand in a dismissive manner. "I am hardly a Lady, but you may call me Y/n, Ed." It was a rather strange name, but then who was she to say anything.

With the horse following after the both of you at a slow pace, you and Ed began the walk back to the castle.

————————–

It took you longer then normal to return to the castle. Probably because the both of you were so lost in your conversation. You hardly noticed when his horse actually bypassed you and reached the back entrance of the castle by himself. You didn't care that you were late.

It wasn't everyday you met someone you could talk to like you were with Ed. It was strange. You wanted to tell him everything. And for someone who was very private with their thoughts, this was a huge surprise.

And you weren't the only one doing the talking. Edmund had always felt a little alone, even in his family. Before going to war, his father had been the only one to understand him. After coming to Narnia his siblings had begun to understand him too, but it just wasn't the same.

But then here you were. Someone he had just met, and he had never felt so understood in all his life. It was a little scary, how you were so inquisitive and were able to pick up on cues and read between the lines of every word that came out of him. You were sharp, clever and smart.

Yes, he knew all three words were synonymous, but he didn't care. They described you perfectly.

"Well I should head back inside." You finally said, once there was a brief lull in the conversation. You really didn't want to, but you had to get to sleep so you could work the next day. Ed gave a small nod. And was it your imagination, or did he look a little disappointed as well.

"I had a lovely time talking to you." You admitted with a bright smile. "And I shall be surely on the lookout for the book you mentioned. Perhaps I may find it in the local library." You had begun to climb up the stairs leading towards the backdoor. He would have to enter from the other side where the stables were.

Edmund continued to look at you as you ascended the stairs. You walked backwards so you could look at him even as you departed. Suddenly, he realized he didn't want you to leave. A burst of courage, one that would make his younger sister proud, had him bounding up a couple of stairs, reaching out and taking your hand in his.

A startled gasp left your lips as you looked down at him. He was still a few steps away, but even that distance felt intimate.

"Will I see you again?" He asked. The young King had no idea where this new side of him was coming from. He had always preferred solitude, and he was sure that the moment he left your presence he would revert back to his old self.

But for now, he would act on every impulse he could.

Just so he could be in your company again in the future.

You stopped short, a surprised look crossing your features as you blinked at him. Your gaze dropped from his face, to the hand that gripped yours. And though you were cautious around people you just met, something in you reassured you. Had you believing that you could trust him.

So you nodded, and the smile that lit up the entirety of his face was one that stayed with you till the next time you met.

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It didn't take long for you to become aware of Ed, or rather King Edmund's true status. And though it did shock and embarrass you, not being able to recognize one of the Monarchs of your beloved country, the only thing that changed in your friendship were the titles. You began to call him Your Majesty, or King Edmund, whatever the situation asked for. And him, out of spite and knowing how much you hated it, called you My Lady.

Everything else stayed the same.

Your friendship. Your ability to know what was bothering one another. The fact that the both of you knew when the other was going through a hard time. He with his duties as a King, and you with your own problems.

The whole castle slowly became aware of your friendship, especially when Edmund would seek you out and would speak to you about the most recent book the both of you had read. He, like you, was an avid reader. Any book would do really.

Sometimes you would stop in the middle of your task, and simply stand with the King in the middle of the hallway, as the both of you discussed some new scientific theory being proposed by some cranky old centaur.

Other times you would burst into his study, frantically gesturing as you let out your frustrations concerning a character in whatever adventurous tale you were reading. He would put aside his work and just listen to you with that knowing smirk on his face.

Once he had let you rant for nearly ten minutes before handing you the second book and saying that hadn't been the ending. You had once thrown a book at his head for that.

He'd learned to not test you when it came to books after that.

Still, over the months your friendship had grown stronger. You had even gotten to know his siblings. And while you were friends with them as well, the level of intimacy you shared with Edmund, was one you could never reach with anyone else.

It was not surprising when the residents of Cair Paravel began to assume that the King of Narnia was courting a simple maid.

And though no one ever said it outright, everyone thought the same.

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The Winter Ball was a grand affair.

Since the defeat of the White Witch Queen Susan had taken every step to ensure that the Winter Ball was the grandest of celebrations. Not only because it was Christmas but because she wanted to wipe away any negative memories the Narnians had when it came to winter.

As a half-dryad, partial to spring and summer, even you could not help enjoying the festivities.

But from afar.

You were keeping to the shadows, hiding in an alcove that overlooked the beach you and Edmund had walked along for hours at a time. Queen Lucy had gotten what she wanted. You attending the Ball. She'd actually dragged her brother into the conversation. And when he had asked if you were going to attend, you knew you were trapped.

He had looked so hopeful that all you could do was say yes.

You never could say no to him. A weakness he exploited sometimes when it came to getting away from Cair Paravel, during work hours, and just wandering around in the Woods or walking along the beach. Your Supervisor knew of your getaways, but since you had always been an efficient worker, she never complained.

At the moment, you were dressed in the same dress Lucy had given you, with your hair in an elegant braid, adorned with flowers you had picked from garden earlier that day.

You wore a necklace with the gown, a piece of jewelry that had been gifted to you by a certain King. Your fingers lifted to the gorgeous piece, lightly tracing the outline of the necklace, a small smile pulling at your lips as your mind wandered to the one who had gifted it to you.

"Lady Y/n?"

Speaking of which.

You spun on your heel, having forgotten that there was a side entrance to the alcove you were hiding in.

"King Edmund." You responded with a quick curtsy. You smiled at him as you straightened up. Silence followed, one where your smile slowly faltered, and your cheeks to grow red under his unwavering gaze. You adjusted the skirts of your dress nervously as you cleared your throat.

"Queen Lucy was gracious enough to lend me the dress, though I insist in returning it once I am done attending the Ball." You said as a way to start the conversation.

It was then, when your eyes dropped to his chest, that you suddenly realized why the color of your dress had been so familiar.

Every Monarch had their color. For King Peter, it was gold and blue. For Queen Susan it was two different shades of blue. For Queen Lucy it was red and blue. And for King Edmund, it was silver and blue.

The exact shade of the dress you currently wore.

If it didn't mean treason, you would surely kill Queen Lucy for playing such a hand.

"You look beautiful." His words prompted you to meet his gaze, which still hadn't left your face. Skin flushing, you reached up to push a stray strand of hair behind your ear. "Th-thank you. You look good too. Did your sister threaten you into coming in proper attire?"

Edmund rolled his eyes. "She said she would lock me out of the library if I wasn't dressed right." You couldn't help but giggle at his expression.

"May I ask, why you're not out there, dancing?" He asked, moving to stand next to you so that the both of you could look out at the various dancing pairs. You shrugged. "I prefer the company of a select few." He nudged you playfully with his elbow. "I hope I'm included in that list."

You hummed in contemplation. "I believe you are number three. After your sisters." You responded, to which he pressed a hand over his heart. "Your words wound my My Lady. How shall I ever survive your cruel intentions."

This was what you loved liked about Edmund. He was always ready with a joke of some sort. It was rather refreshing, to have a friend who made one laugh.

A comfortable silence settled between the both of you, as you stood there and just watched everyone dance and enjoy themselves.

"Do you remember that day when I found out you were a King?" You suddenly spoke up, your gaze just as soft as your voice as the memory of that day rose to the front of your mind.

Edmund chuckled beside you. "Oh yes, I remember. I was talking to Peter about something, and you saw me." You nodded. "And I came over and ask how close of a friendship you shared with him because you punched him on the shoulder."

Turning your head slightly, you looked at him out of the corner of your eyes. "You decided to have some fun, saying you were quite close. And when I asked how close, you said he was your brother."

Edmund couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing, while you blushed furiously at the remembrance of your embarrassment in that moment. "Your expression was hilarious." He said once he paused for breath. "And then you said but that would make me King. Though I was rather offended you knew that Peter was King."

You scowled at his grinning face. "Thats because I had seen him give a speech in public before. It is hardly my fault that you barely leave your library or your office to go out and meet people."

He made a face. "Now why would I want to do that?" You rolled your eyes at him. "One would think as King, you would prefer to at least show yourself in public sometimes." You reprimanded, prompting Edmund to point a finger at you. "Did Susan tell you to say that? She's always going on and on about how I should spend some time with people so that I don't forget how to talk."

A teasing smile pulled at your lips as you flicked his finger away with your own. "Well she's not wrong. I love reading books just as much as you do, but at least I go out and talk to people."

Edmund rolled his eyes. "I talk plenty. At least with the people who matter." As he said that, his gaze flicked towards you and you smiled, reaching out to loosely loop your arm through his. "I am truly honored to be one of those people."

He smiled, his fingers intertwining with the hand that wrapped around his arm.

"You have no idea how much."

So saying, he brought up the hand he held, and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of your hand. And since you'd forgone gloves for the night, you could feel the press of his warm lips against your skin.

Your heart beat rapidly against your chest, and you were sure your cheeks were a permanent shade of pink with how much you were blushing.

Suddenly his eyes lit up, as if he had just remembered something.

And he had.

"I almost forgot! I went down to the beach a few days ago." So saying he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a rather pretty shell. "I found this while I was down there, thought you might like it."

With your free hand you took the shell, examining the pretty colors that nature had painted it with. It was truly beautiful. But that wasn't what you were focusing on.

He'd been at the beach for his own purpose, whatever it had been. But he had thought of you. You were on his mind when he saw the shell. You were who he remembered when he picked it up knowing you would like it.

How could he be so sweet and kind at the same time?

And how, oh how could you not fall in love with him if he were to keep showing you such sweet gestures?

The sight of the shell, and the aftereffects of the conversation you had just had with him, was what compelled you to do what you did next.

It was a simple maneuver really. One that required you to push yourself up on your toes, and tilt you head forward a little bit.

A simple series of movements.

And yet the outcome of it had Edmund's eyes widening as he felt the result of your gesture against his mouth. But it didn't stop there. His entire body stiffened for a brief moment, before he relaxed and tilted his head a little to better return the gesture. The hand that was not gripping yours, came up to rest the tips of his fingers under your chin.

Slowly you pulled back, your eyes opening so you could look at him. He was smiling. He was smiling at you so tenderly that you were sure your heart wouldn't be able to recover from the beauty of it.

Of him.

And his eyes. You actually had to look away because of how intense they were, as if he could see to the very inner most corner of your heart.

The fingers on your chin pressed lightly against your skin, coaxing you to turn your head back.

Edmund couldn't help it. He couldn't help himself and not look at you. He had to look at you.

You with your kind smile and gorgeous eyes. The way your hair would dance in the breeze and your whole face would light up when you talked about something you were passionate about.

Finally, after a few moments of simply looking at one another, he spoke. "You know there have been rumors going around. Rumors saying that I'm courting you."

You pursed your lips to suppress a smile. "I've heard about them, and I don't understand how people would think that." Even as you said it, you couldn't help but smile, knowing exactly why people would think that. He grinned as well, knowing exactly what you were thinking.

"Well how about, we add wood to that fire and play a little game by giving them a little hint every now and then?" He asked, his eyes alight with that spark he got whenever he was thinking of some clever plan that would outwit anyone involved.

Luckily for Edmund, you shared his love of deception and pranks, so you smiled. "I think I would enjoy that."

He laughed softly, before leaning down to press his lips to yours in a brief kiss.

"Though I want you to know, that whatever hint or gesture I may show you, they come from my heart and hold true." He whispered against your lips, prompting you to nod.

"As will mine."

Suffice to say, the next morning, when Edmund kissed you in the open courtyard where a lot of creatures had gathered to clean up after the Ball the night before, the entire castle buzzed with gossip and speculation.

Though one thing was for sure.

In Mrs Beaver's words, the both of you were truly meant to be.

#edmund pevensie x reader #edmund x reader #edmund pevensie x y/n #narnia #the chronicles of narnia #the chronicles of narnia the lion the witch and the wardrobe #prince caspian #voyage of the dawn treader

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imagines--galore · 13 days

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But then I remember that there are other fictional characters who's age I haven't reached yet. And I realize that no matter how old I get, there will always be protagonists and characters from books and films who don't share my age and I look forward to reaching that age and connecting with them instead. So I continued to age, but the number of characters who age with me is infinite.

the fact that i'm no longer the same age as the protagonists of novels and films i once connected to is so heartbreaking. there was a time when I looked forward to turning their age. i did. and i also outgrew them. i continue to age, but they don't; never will. the immortality of fiction is beautiful, but cruel.

#my thoughts

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imagines--galore · 14 days

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||The Thread of Fate|| Part Fifteen

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen

A/N: I am so excited! We're almost at the end of Book 2. Just five or six more chapters? Maybe less. But argh! This was a pain to get right!!!! Lemme know what you think folks!

Maybe this was a bad idea?

But bad ideas, always led to good ideas didn't they?

Something about the negative attracting the positive.

Or something of the sort.

It was too early to actually think straight.

Placing the small note she had quickly written to ensure Iroh and Zuko that she had simply gone to the Outer Ring for a little bending practice, Orora was quick to exit the apartment and make her way down the stairs and out of the building.

Glancing behind her, and seeing no candle suddenly burning, the young waterbender heaved a sigh of relief, before leaning back against the wall she had taken refuge behind.

Straightening the strap of her satchel, her lips pulled in a secret smile before she began to walk down the road.

"Little early for you to be going for a morning stroll, isn't it?"

A shriek the surely even the Spirits would've heard echoed in the early morning air.

Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest, as she whirled around to stare wide eyed at the smug looking banished prince leaning against a support beam of a building.

"Monkey-feathers Zuko! Are you trying to scare me to death?" Pressing a hand on her chest, as if physically willing herself to calm down, her gaze shifted from sudden fight to fury and annoyance. "And it is none of your business where I go. A girl is allowed her secrets." She stated in a rather haughty tone, prompting Zuko to raise an eyebrow at her. A smirk pulled at his lips, that infuriating smirk when he knew he had a comeback she had no answer to.

"What girl?"

Her nostrils flared, and an offended look overcame her features. "Humph." That was the best response she could come up with. Adding to that response, was a pivot on the heel and attempting to walk away in a huff.

Of course that didn't happen when Zuko reached out to grasp her by the elbow.

The sudden contact had her stopping dead in her tracks. Her head shifted to look over her shoulder where she could feel his warm hand against the bare skin of her elbow. Zuko seemed to be following the exact thought, since his eyes dropped to his hand as well.

Twin blushes stole across their cheeks, as Zuko slowly, almost as if he were reluctant to do so, let go of her elbow. She brushed her hair behind her ear, a habit she had picked up out of nervousness since her hair had grown long enough, he had noticed. "You know you're not supposed to wander around the city on your own." He reminded her, crossing his arms over his chest as he did.

Orora closed her eyes, letting out a sigh as she stared longingly at the Outer Wall that was just visible beyond the line of houses. "I know, but I didn't want to bother you, or Master. I just wanted to find an open space, and just waterbend." She admitted. "I heard about this lake, but its off-limits to the public, but if I could even find a small pond....." She trailed off, shoulders drooping in defeat.

"But you're right. I shouldn't have tried to go off on my own." Gripping the strap she let out a disappointed sigh. "We should head back. Your Uncle will worry if he sees us both gone."

She'd barely taken a step or two back towards the apartment building when she heard Zuko sigh.

"Wait." He called out, prompting Orora to come to a halt. She turned around to look at him, her gaze questioning. "I'll go with you." The firebender sighed out. Surprise flitted across her features, before a bright smile pulled at her lips.

"Really?" He barely had time to nod before she tackled him into a brief yet fierce hug. "Oh thank you Zuko! I promise I'll buy you a whole bag of moon peaches on our way back!" She vowed, smiling at him. Zuko blinked, still a little taken aback by the sudden embrace. At least he recovered physically, his head jerking forward in a nod.

His voice, however, was having a little trouble finding itself, while his mind was focused on the fact that Orora had hugged him. Granted it wasn't the first time, but he was starting to find that no matter how brief a touch he shared with Orora, it always meant so much to him.

Especially since that night just a day ago.

When he had kissed her, and she had kissed him back.

A hand gripping his brought him back from reliving that sweet memory. Rather then focus on the Orora in his mind, he instead turned his attention to Orora as she stood next to him, smiling at him in gratitude as she took his hand, and began to lead him towards the Outer Wall.

For once, he followed someone else. He allowed someone else to lead him.

Someone he trusted other than his Uncle.

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The previous day had been interesting to say the least.

After the kiss, both teenagers had felt a little shy around one another. It wasn't everyday that someone went ahead and kissed their soulmate.

It was a life-changing moment.

Just one step away from formally acknowledging and accepting that the other person was your soulmate.

They were two very different things.

Both of them had laid under the stars together for another good hour. Though this time, neither of them met the other's gaze. Nor did they touch.

Or rather.

Not completely.

Their hands had been right next to one another, and Orora had found her small finger wrapping itself around his finger. Her hold had been gentle, but when he looped his own finger around her own, she had felt herself smile.

Alright so maybe her and Zuko were not going to be open about whatever had happened, but at least it had happened. That was a start.

A kiss.

Her first proper kiss.

As she recalled the moment, Orora could feel a smile forming on her lips. She quickly suppressed it by biting down on her lower lip.

But then he stood up and left without a word. Orora had been a little confused at first, but thought that maybe he was just as shy as she felt.

The next day had been as mundane as any other.

With an added perk.

Iroh had been at the front of the tea shop while she and Zuko had been washing dishes in the back. Standing beside one another, he washed, while she quickly dried using her waterbending. The both of them worked in silence, the clink of the cups and plates they were washing the only sound.

But that wasn't to say they weren't speaking.

Or rather, they weren't speaking verbally.

Every now and then, their gazes would meet, and something would pass between the both of them.

Every now and then their skin would graze when passing the cup or plate, and both would actually feel their senses come alive with that brief touch.

Every now and then a smile would pass between them, one that was equal parts shy, uncertain and almost, dare she say, hopeful.

Finally, finally, Orora had cleared her throat. "You know, back at the North Pole, there's a little game we play. Well I've heard of people playing it, I've never played it myself."

A little surprised at hearing her say something after such a long length of silence, he turned to look at her. She kept her eyes on the spoon he had just handed to her.

"That when two............soulmates find each other," Spirits, his cheeks felt like they were on fire. "A little competition starts, to see how they would be able to catch one another off guard." She explained, remembering how one of her maids had actually spoken to her about it.

Fiddling with the spoon she gripped in her fingers, the young waterbender girl lifted her head to look at him. "It allows them to get to know each other better and build some strange sense of trust."

Zuko blinked, finally realizing that her ice blue eyes were close.

Much too close.

"I know we're not at the North Pole, but........." She trailed off, her gaze open, earnest and pleading. And really, in what world could he ever say no to her.

His nod of confirmation was enough to have her smiling.

Though the mischievousness that danced in her eyes had him very nearly stepping back and going back on his word.

"Well since you caught me off guard on the roof top." Orora commented, gathering whatever strength and bravery she needed to continue.

"I suppose its my turn."

So saying, she raised herself up on her toes, given that she was a few inches shorter then him, and pressed a series of kisses, two on his cheeks, on either side, and one on his lips.

The moment she was done, Orora turned around and all but ran out to the front of the shop, leaving Zuko to stand their dumbfounded and unable to ascertain what had just happened.

Though once he did recover there was no denying that the smile that formed on his lips, and the happiness that he felt, was something he had not experienced in a long long time.

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Starting the contest seemed to have broken the ice. Both teenagers went back to acting like their normal selves with one another. With a few added aspects.

For one, throughout the entire day, they would both do random little acts for one another. It wasn't to say that they didn't do anything for each other before, but now that it was a contest to see who would do more, they both decided to step up their game.

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He'd caught her trying to pick up a huge stack of plates and cups. And though he'd been on break, Zuko had been quick to reach out and take most of the cutlery. She'd blinked at him, a little surprised knowing he was rather particular about his break.

Glancing over his shoulder and seeing no one there, Zuko had taken that moment to quickly peck her on the forehead, before walking away with the stack of plates.

Orora had been a little uncertain about whether Zuko would accept to play her game or not, but with that little gesture, she had her answer.

————————–

She stepped back a little from walking beside Iroh on the way back home and grasped his hand. A little daring considering Iroh could turn back and catch them at any moment, but that didn't stop him from squeezing her hand back.

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Orora had been busy preparing dinner when Zuko had stepped up next to her. She had glanced at him, curious when he nodded towards the vegetables that still needed chopping. Her eyes widened in surprise.

He hated chopping vegetables.

Zuko simply rolled his eyes at her astonishment and began to peel and cut, leaving Orora smiling happily while Iroh stared at his nephew a little dumbfounded.

He wasn't as comfortable as Orora was when it came to phsyical acts of affection. Orora craved them, having gotten next to none growing up. It would seem her tactic of catching Zuko off guard was using little gestures of affection. While his battle plan for surprising her was helping her wherever she needed it.

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Iroh had gone to bed a little early that night, so that left the two teenagers to do whatever they wanted. And what Zuko wanted, was to reach out and take Orora's hand before leading her up to the rooftop once more.

Which he did.

They spent hours up there, lying next to one another once more, just talking.

And for once it was Orora who told him about her life before she had met him. How her father and brothers had suppressed her, how her entire life had felt like she was walking on thin ice because of her father's temper. How he had lashed out at her most of the time and hit her multiple times. How she had tried her best to be the perfect daughter, but something inside her had always told her that this was wrong, that she wasn't meant to be treated that way. How she would sneak away to the Spirit Oasis because the place helped calm her and just play with the water. How, once, she'd even dared to step into the pond of the koi fish.

How her grandmother had given her waterbending scrolls as her final act of rebellion against the men in their lives. How she had honored that act by practicing her bending to train to become a fighter. How she had, finally, decided that she would not take the abuse any longer after nearly dying during the Siege. How her father had actually tried to hit her after she returned home, but she'd caught his descending hand using her waterbending. How she had knocked her brother aside with a wall of water, and frozen them to the floor. How she had looked her father in the eye, her very being radiating an anger that it actually had the temperature dropping in the room.

For the first time she had spoken her mind, and said what she had wanted to say for so so long. Her father had been too stunned to do anything. Her mother had stood in the corner, pride in her eyes where there had hardly been any emotion at all. Her brothers had stopped their struggle and had followed their father's example. Even though her father had already banished her, which had been the trigger causing her to act as she did, Orora had stated that she'd already made up her mind about leaving.

And then she had left.

Throughout the story, Zuko had never once looked away from Orora, even when she could not longer meet his gaze and instead focused on the night sky above. He had known she had gone through some trouble with her family, but he had no idea she still carried the scars of it, and that it still effected her. Then again, he carried his scars as well, physical and mental, so why should she be any different. He wasn't in any way comparing their pasts. They'd both had different experiences, both been treated harshly by their fathers and had been abandoned by their siblings to fend for themselves.

But then she revealed one final detail.

A detail that had Zuko's heart stopping in his chest, and a horrible feeling creeping all along his body, like pinpricks, and settling just under his skin where he could feel it the most.

The detail of how the verbal, emotional, mental and physical torture had gotten so bad at one point that she had actually considered just...........

She'd trailed off then, closing her eyes and feeling all that hurt, anguish and loneliness rise to the forefront of her mind. She'd put up a strong front all her life. Had never wavered when it came to her own sense of belief. But there were times when she had doubted and wandered if it would all be worth it in the end. She could feel the harsh sting of the tears behind her closed eyelids, felt them escape and slowly trail down her cheeks, warm against her skin.

"Sometimes I feel like, there's this chasm inside me. Even now, after getting away from it all, I'm standing at the very edge of it." She revealed, pressing a hand to her chest, where she could physically feel her heart ache. "There is no end to that chasm, and I'm about to loose my footing and fall." She gathered herself closer to her body, as if trying to attain some warmth that would dissipate the coldness that came from within. "But then, I feel someone take me by the hand, and pull me back a little and I look up."

Finally, she turned her head to look at him. A watery smile pulled at her lips, and despite the tears he could see the hope and utter trust in her eyes. His heart squeezed in his chest. Did he even deserve that from someone?

"And I see you standing there. You and your Uncle. I know we've known each other for just a few months, but I don't think I've ever trusted anyone before like I trust you Zuko. You and Master helped me see that you can trust someone."

She was baring herself to him, heart and soul, just like he had done all those nights ago when he had revealed the truth about his scar. "And yeah, we did fight and I didn't like you, I still sometimes want nothing more then to throw you off a building." A small laugh, prompting Zuko to smile at the sound. "But I trust you."

No one had ever trusted him before. Not his father, his sister, not even his crew. His Uncle did, but having another person, his soulmate, tell him that she trusted him was an another thing entirely.

He reached out, gently grasping her by the shoulders and pulling her in. Her head settled on his chest, right near his heart, his arms wound around her, one on her waist, the other around her shoulders, his hand buried in her hair as he held her close. He placed his head on top of her own and just sat there. For her part, Orora wrapped her arms loosely around his waist, feeling tired and drained after all that she had just revealed. Her eyes closed as she felt him drop a kiss to her head and she sighed.

Despite having not said a lot the entire night, with that one hug, Zuko said more then he ever could have.

The tears continued to fall until she finally fell asleep in his arms.

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It was strange having someone else open up to him like Orora had. Growing up in the Palace, Zuko hadn't had many friends. Any at all. He would usually be around his mother, and she would play with him when he was younger, though as he got older he insisted that playing was for children and had instead moved on to practicing with weapons. His cousin had been the one to teach him about Dao Swords, but then he died. His mother disappeared, and it was only when Iroh returned that Zuko finally had a friendly face around the Palace. Azula had been lucky when it came to friends. She had Mei and Ty Lee.

Zuko had no one.

But now he had Orora.

Sitting on the bank of the significantly spacious pond, Zuko remembered the last time he had seen Orora practice like that. It was just after Azula had shot lightening at Iroh. Everything that had happened seemed like such a long time ago. The both of them had barely been able to look at one another then.

But in a span of a few short weeks they'd become friends. And they'd kissed.

He was brought out of his reverie when a bubble of water splashed just near his feet.

"Hey! Watch it!" He called out annoyed.

Orora stood in front of him, knee deep in water, her pants pulled up and her long shirt tucked in to keep from getting too wet. Not that it would matter, she could always waterbend herself dry.

She grinned. "Oh lighten up, and I mean figuratively." Zuko rolled his eyes as she laughed at her own joke. "You're trying too hard." He stated, prompting her to scowl at him.

"Well if you're just gonna make fun of my jokes, then I won't take my turn in our game." He raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought you were going to buy me moon peaches?" He asked to which she shrugged. "I can buy those for you any time, but I figured why not teach you a waterbending move which I'm sure you can use for other scenarios."

He blinked at her. She grinned and winked playfully.

Stepping out of the water, she quickly reached his side. "Come on, its an easy one, I promise."

So saying, she inhaled deeply, centering herself where she stood. Raising her arms in front of her, palms facing her body, she slowly brought them up to shoulder level before allowing her arms and hands to fly out, palms out.

The entire movement was fluid and graceful, quite the opposite of the firebending forms he had studied all his life.

"And when I do it with water." So saying she demonstrated the move again but this time using her waterbending abilities, sending a powerful wall of water splashing on the opposite end of the pond.

Zuko was impressed. She had improved a lot since he had met her. Her bending had gotten powerful through sheer practice and determination alone. Deciding to humor her, and yes she did catch him off-guard when she offered to teach him a waterbending move, Zuko dropped into stance next to her.

Orora smiled when he did, eager to share what she had learned.

As they both went through the motion, with Orora correcting him every now and then, the topic stayed on bending. Though now in an entirely different context.

"So I was thinking." He turned his head to look at her, though still going through the motions of the bending move. "You're able to bend using your feet as well. I mean I've seen you create arcs with just a swipe of your foot." She was careful to not say the word firebending in case someone else was listening in. "And Earthbenders can do the same, and I'm sure the Airbenders could as well."

Zuko nodded. "Yeah? I've seen the Avatar do that. What're you getting at?"

She shrugged. "Well I was just wandering, why isn't there any move where a waterbender could bend using their legs?"

Zuko frowned, contemplating on what she had just said. "Maybe no one has ever tried before?" He stated in a matter of fact voice, which had Orora humming, as she dropped her previous stance and waved her arms in an arc around her body, pulling a stream of water from the pond and creating a ring of water around her waist

"I guess." She said her voice low, dividing the ring into two and freezing one of them in a beautiful circular curvy ring. The water from the other ring, continued to weave through the now frozen structure, creating quite a pretty effect. It almost looked like she was wearing a stylized belt or something.

Having stopped going through the motions, Zuko turned his attention to her. "Why don't you try it?"

Her eyes snapped up to meet him, though her fingers kept moving in an elegant circular motion, keeping the water moving. "Me?" She asked, surprised.

Zuko shrugged. "Yeah whats wrong with you trying?" Orora pursed her lips, unfreezing the water and allowing the two rings to merge into one and sending it back into the pond.

"Well I'm not a Master, I don't know a lot of waterbending forms." She kicked her foot out sheepishly, catching a small pebble and watching as it rolled into the pond. "I doubt I'll be able to create a whole new form of bending."

Zuko frowned, not liking the way she was speaking about herself, and her abilities. Reaching out, he placed, what he hoped was a comforting hand, on her shoulder. "Look from what I have seen, you're a really good bender. You always practice when you can, and it doesn't even matter if you're doing it in the water, or just practicing going through the motions. You work hard, and your skills have improved since we had that spar in the forest."

She blinked up at him briefly, before a hopeful yet shy smile pulled at her lips. "You really think so?" She asked, and Zuko couldn't help but smile back at her. His hand moved from her shoulder, to cup the side of her face, thumb gently stroking her skin.

"Of course." He answered honestly.

She tilted her head, closing her eyes briefly, as if she were savoring his touch. "You know Zuko," She finally said after a brief stretch of silence. "For someone who acts grumpy all the time, you're a pretty sweet guy."

Instantly his expression changed to an annoyed look, prompting Orora to laugh under her breath. "You mention this to anyone, and I'll tell Uncle you broke his favorite teacup." He threatened.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "I replaced it!" She protested. Zuko smirked, shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter. That teacup had sentimental value, he doesn't know its been replaced, unless I tell him."

Orora scowled at him, flicking away the hand that still rested on her cheek. "Oh you would stoop that low wouldn't you?" She ground out, pouting.

If possible, his smirk only widened. "Anything to be Uncle's favorite."

He was met with a light punch in the gut on part of an annoyed soulmate.

————————–

Ever since last night, Zuko had been thinking some things over. So far, Orora new most of what had happened to him, but he had neglected to inform her of the months he had spent chasing he Avatar and all that had come with it.

From being constantly belittled by Zhao, to nearly dying in an explosion, almost getting captured by Azula, not to mention that time when the Avatar had saved his life.

He had to tell her. She had been truthful with him. She deserved to know the truth. The whole truth.

The walk back home was a long one, and since he was sure there was no one around to listen, he decided it was his turn to catch her off-guard like she had him the night before.

By telling her about everything since he had begun chasing the Avatar. She had to know all that he had done, every dirty tactic and trick he had played to try and capture the Avatar. From the time he had used the watertribe girl's necklace as bait, to dressing up as the Blue Spirit, to kidnapping the Avatar while he was in the Spirit World.

It was one failed attempt after another, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth as he spoke. Surely Orora would want nothing to do with him. He was a failure. He couldn't even capture a twelve year old kid. Granted the kid was the Avatar, but he was still a kid.

Just as he had listened to her the night before, she listened to him. Once he had said all that he could, she inhaled deeply, her mind swirling with all that she could say to him. It was hard to choose where she should start.

So she started with holding his hand, pulling him into a partially hidden alley. She sighed. It almost felt like he had a rock inside him, weighing him down, as he waited for her to speak.

"I can't say that what you did was right, and I won't agree with it either." His heart dropped. "What you did was wrong Zuko, but....." She trailed off, licking her lips before sighing. "But I know more then a little about wanting to gain a father's approval." He blinked at her. That was more then he had hoped to hear. He had fully expected her to turn her back to him.

"You do what you can to please him. To try and get him to look at you with something other then contempt." She nodded in understanding, reaching up to run her fingers through the hair resting on his forehead before resting on his cheek. "You loose yourself in the process. You loose your own morals and that is the worst part." Never once leaving his gaze she continued.

"But you never did that. Where any other person would've taken a life or hurt someone out of desperation, never have I heard from your lips that you actually hurt someone." Zuko shook his head. "But that was all luck."

She shook her head. "You just told me that when Zhao was being taken away by the Spirits, you tried to save him, but he refused your help." He opened his mouth, but Orora quickly quietened him pressing her fingers to his lips. "You went after your Uncle after he was kidnapped by those Earthbenders. You never intentionally hurt anyone who came your way."

Finger gently caressing his mouth she continued. "And most of all, you saved my life. I'm proof that you haven't lost your morals Zuko. That you are a good person despite all that you have done. You didn't know who I was, you had no idea I was your soulmate, but you saved me." With every word she stepped closer until she was all but pressed up against him, her face just inches away. And while her gaze was open and earnest, he was looking at her through heavy lidded eyes. "I'm alive because of you." Her words were barely above a whisper as he dropped his forehead against her own. She sighed, adoring how warm he felt against her, her eyes slowly drifting shut, wanting to savor the moment. "I'm here because of you."

The last two words were muffled as she fused their mouths together in a kiss that had her grasping for the front of his shirt, while his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

So far their kisses had been quick and chaste, both of them feeling too shy and uncertain about their feelings for one another.

But this one?

This one kiss they shared in the alley?

It was anything but chaste.

Zuko pressed his mouth insistently against hers, forcing Orora to lean back. There was a near desperation in that kiss, almost as if her words had awoken some sudden realization in him. And they had.

She had reminded him how close he had been to loosing her. Loosing her before he had even gotten to know who she was. And how important she would become to him.

His arms tightened around her waist as he gently pushed her so her back would rest against the wall of the building. Neither of them broke the kiss, content on memorizing the shape of each other's lips. Her hands slid up his chest to bury her fingers in his hair. The gentle scrape of her nails against his scalp opened an entirely new plethora of feelings in him.

Instinct drove him forward, taking her lower lip between his teeth and allowing them to sink into her soft skin. His hands, not wanting to stay idle, began to roam the small of her back, tracing the side of her waist as he did. Orora could barely contain the sound of surprise at the sudden onslaught of new sensations his touch awoke in her. Her eyelashes fluttered against the curve of her cheeks as she too returned the favor by nipping at his lip. His sound of approval reverberated against her mouth, prompting her to smile as he melded their lips together once more.

It was then that she seemed to realize the heaviness clouding her mind was not because of having Zuko pressed up against her, and his mouth on her, but because she couldn't breath.

Her hands dropped to his chest, pushing him back and unfusing her lips from his. The moment she did, the young waterbender inhaled sharply, trying to catch her breath. Zuko was no better. He was breathing heavily as well. Their forehead were still pressed together, cheeks flushed, and their eyes were open, ice blue staring into warm amber.

Once they were able to calm their breathing, as well as their racing hearts, Zuko pulled away from her. Though he didn't look away from her. She was smiling softly, and he couldn't help but mirror that smile as he led her out of the alley and into the street, heading for home.

But despite what they had just spoken about, once they stood outside the apartment building Zuko couldn't help but glance at it and scowl.

He hated it. Hated that he had to work as a tea server his whole life. Zuko glanced at Orora as she walked beside him. Despite having not thought about it in awhile, his mind drifted back to home. To the Fire Palace and all the comforts that came with it. In his mind, his father welcomed him home with open arms.

The bitterness that was now a part of his soul festered away as he continued to think of a life back home with Orora by his side.

A life he could never have.

————————–

Putting away the last of her waterbending scrolls in the small wicker basket, Orora smiled and stood. "Well I'm done packing up, would you like me to make you a cup of tea Master?" She asked, already moving towards the stove and kettle, knowing he would answer in the positive.

"Anytime is good for tea my young Pupil, remember that life lesson." Iroh responded cheerfully, prompting the young girl to laugh as she bended some water into the kettle.

This was so exciting. Not even a month ago, they had barely had any money to buy clothes and food. And now? Her Master was getting the chance to open up his own tea shop. To say he was ecstatic would be an understatement. They would be moving to the Upper Ring, getting new apartments, new clothes. That last part was something she looked forward to more then anything else. Maybe she could even get her own room?

Orora was truly happy for Iroh. He deserved his own tea shop, with how excellent his tea making skills were. She was glad he had chosen to teach her his secrets as well. In her eyes, any teaching Iroh had to impart on her, she would gladly accept. It was truly an honor.

And speaking of honor, ever since their outing, Zuko had been in a bit of a modd. She had figured he needed to come to terms with what they had spoken about, and decided to give him some space instead. She knew he appreciated her advice, but sometimes a person needed to sort through some thoughts by themselves.

"Have you thought of a name yet for the tea shop?" She asked, curious to know what he would come up with. Just then the door slid open and Zuko stepped in.

Iroh, wanting to include Zuko into the conversation spoke up. "I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it." Orora hummed in agreement, watching curiously as Zuko unfolded a piece of paper and showed it to his Uncle.

"The Avatar is here in Ba Sing Se and he's lost his bison." Orora blinked in surprise. "He lost Appa?" She asked, worry lacing her tone as she quickly walked forward to look at the paper, which was actually a flyer, as Iroh examined it.

The old man sighed. "We have a chance for a new life here." He said, letting Orora take the piece of paper and examining it further. "If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."

Zuko who had been looking out the window with a determined expression, turned around. "Good things that are happening for you!" His words prompted Orora to look up at him, hurt evident in her eyes. A fact that he refused to acknowledge and ignored completely, even as he glanced in her direction. Though a sliver of guilt settled in his stomach, he continued. "Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?"

Iroh sighed. "There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity." His tone was soft and understanding as he continued. "I suggest you think about what it is that you want from your life and why."

"I want my destiny." Zuko stated without even thinking about his answer. Iroh nodded. "What that means is up to you."

Knowing he would get nothing out of his Uncle other then words of wisdom and riddles, young Prince stalked away to their shared rooms and disappeared behind the door. His Uncle didn't understand. And while on some levels Orora did, she had accepted her fate and the fact that she could never go home. Him though? He still had a chance to earn his father's approval and go back.

Orora stared after him, more then a little hurt at being ignored by Zuko like that.

"The Tea Weevil!" Iroh suddenly exclaimed, before shaking his head. "No, that's stupid." Biting her lower lip, the young waterbender moved back to the stove where the water was now boiling.

"He did not mean to hurt you Orora." Iroh's words had her blushing at being so obvious about the situation. She glanced at him to see the old man smiling kindly at her. "My nephew tends to push people away when facing a problem or a challenge, thinking he can take care of it himself."

Continuing to pack, Iroh added. "Give him some time, he will realize that what he already has is enough." Giving her a smile of reassurance, Iroh hoped he had helped ease her worries about Zuko a little.

————————–

Pretending to be asleep that night was no easy feat. She was restless, her mind ringing with what Zuko had said, and with the knowledge that Aang, Katara and Sokka were close by. And they had lost Appa. During the short journey from the North Pole to the mainland, she'd grown fond of the hairy beast. He was adorable, and Orora adored adorable things.

It was a weakness.

She heard Zuko as he got up from his sleeping mat. She sat up the moment the door slid close. A determined expression on her features, she quickly pulled on her shoes and grabbed her water pouch. She'd barely taken a few steps down the road when she bumped into her Master.

"A little late to be taking an evening stroll my young pupil." Iroh stated in a jovial tone, though his eyes were serious. Orora glanced over his shoulder. "He's just up ahead Master, we should be able to follow him."

Iroh shook his head. "No, my dear. You will stay in the apartment. Where Zuko is about to go, it is a dangerous place, and I cannot be worrying about your safety as well as Zuko's." Her heart plummeted in her stomach and her shoulders drooped.

"But Master, I can take care of myself." She insisted, to which Iroh placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you can. But Ba Sing Se has powerful men and women working on the wrong side." With a firm squeeze of her shoulder, her Master stated one final time.

"Stay." With that he moved to follow after Zuko.

Orora pursed her lips where she stood, feeling a little bubble of disappointment forming in her chest. Did Iroh not have faith in her abilities? Or did he think she would distract Zuko?

Her heart and mind were at war, as she turned on her feet and began to walk back towards their apartment.

But a slight tug on her finger had her looking down at the string that connected her with Zuko.

She frowned.

————————–

Iroh had heard rumors of the secret of Lake Laogai. The White Lotus had warned him of the many dangers that lurked in the catacombs of the city. This had been one of the reasons he never allowed Orora to wander around the city by herself. He had heard tales of people disappearing, never to be heard from again.

Though he was reluctant to admit, Zuko had more experience when it came to being on guard and watching his back. Orora did not. She had proven to herself to be a skilled fighter, but she lacked the experience when it came to people.

Iroh followed after Zuko. Luckily the entrance to the under water base of operations had been left open. So it was easy to jump down and begin the task of looking for Zuko. The tunnels were dark and seemed almost haunted in the dim green light. The tiniest sound seemed so loud in one's ear. He'd only wandered through a few tunnels, when Iroh became aware of a presence behind him.

As a skilled firebender, he could actually feel the warmth of a body and how close it was. And these several presences were getting closer. He hid himself in a shadowed alcove, watching as several Dai Li agents rushed by. They had barely passed when he felt another heat form closing in.

Much to his surprise, it was a rather familiar one. As soon as they were within range, his hand darted out to catch them by the elbow, and pulled them into his hiding spot.

If he allowed himself to, Orora was sure her Master would be breathing steam at that moment, with how furious he looked.

"I told you to stay behind Orora." He said, his voice carried the weight of his disappointment. Orora lowered her head. "I know." Shame colored her tone. "I know you did Master, but I couldn't just sit back and do nothing."

Grumbling under his breath, Iroh ran a tired hand over his face. Finally he looked at her with a serious expression. "Orora. As your Master, I hereby forbid you from ever disobeying my orders again." He knew it wasn't right, knew that he was asking her to take an oath that she would find very hard to break, but he had to.

To protect her.

"Swear to me, that the next time I give you an order, no matter what the outcome may be, you will obey me."

Orora bit her lower lip, nodding. "I swear, Master." She hated the look he was giving her, and never wanted to see it again. He was her teacher, he knew best. She trusted him to keep her safe and never lead her down the wrong path.

Nodding in a satisfactory manner, Iroh peaked out from their hiding place. "Now follow me, and keep close."

————————–

While Iroh stayed on the lookout for any potential threats, Orora slowly began to lead the way following her thread. By some miracle, they didn't run into any trouble as they ventured deeper and deeper underneath the Lake. It didn't take long, for them to reach a door. Her finger gave a gentle tug and she knew Zuko was on the other side.

Iroh didn't waste time in reaching out and opening the door. He was already angry at Orora for disobeying him, and it was only growing at the thought of his nephew doing something stupid and throwing away his life.

The moment they entered, Orora closed the door behind her. The first thing she noticed was the person in the blue mask. Zuko, holding his Dao swords at the ready. And behind him?

Appa.

In chains.

"Appa!" She called out, rushing forward, darting past Zuko and approaching the Bison. The big creature let out a warning growl, though she wasn't deterred. "Its me. Orora." She held her hand out for him to sniff, to remember her scent. "Remember me?" She cooed, as the Bison leaned forward to press his nose against her palm. She gently ran her hand along his nose smiling. "Its alright boy. I'll get you out."

"And then what!?"

The sudden shout had her turning on her heel, eyes widening. She had never heard Iroh yell. Never seen him so angry as he did right then. Not even a few moments ago when he had caught her.

"You never think these things through!" He pointed a finger at Zuko, who now stood with his back to his Uncle, maskless, his eyes focused on the ground as emotions ravaged through his very sense of being. "This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go!"

"I would have figured something out!" Zuko argued, though there was uncertainty in his voice.

"No! If his friends hadn't found you, you would have frozen to death!" Iroh stated, prompting a chill to run down her spine. Zuko had spoken to her about it, but how much had he downplayed on the amount of times he had nearly died?

"I know my own destiny, Uncle!" Again, he tried to argue, but Iroh was having none of it.

"Is it your own destiny, or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?" He demanded. Behind her Appa fidgeted, not liking the loud voices. She made a reassuring sound, gently running her fingers through his soft fur.

"Stop it, Uncle! I have to do this!" Forced determination, that was all there was in Zuko's voice as his heart raged with his mind.

Capture the Avatar, restore his honor, restore his father's love, go back home, restore his title as Prince. That was all that mattered.

"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko!" Iroh demanded, and pleaded at the same time. "It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do you want?"

That seemed to be the last straw.

Zuko let out a pained cry, throwing down his weapon and the mask, dropping to his knees as he did. Orora stood where she was for a few moments, before glancing at Iroh. He gave her a small nod.

Giving Appa a reassuring pat on the nose, she slowly approached the conflicted Prince. Her soft steps echoed in the otherwise silent chamber. She dropped to her knees in front of him, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not gonna say I understand, because our situations are vastly different." She started, knowing he was listening to her. "But I do know a little something about living a life, following a destiny that someone else decided for me." Reaching out, she cupped his face to make him look up, to meet her gaze.

Lost amber eyes, found a determined blue gaze.

"But I broke free, and I have never regretted that. I found a Master. I found you. I found friends. But most of all? I found myself."

Leaning forward she pressed a gentle, lingering kiss against the scar on his cheek.

"Find yourself, Zuko. Find your reason to fight." She whispered softly.

So saying, she stood. With one last gentle smile at him, she turned back to Appa, uncorking her water bag and pulling out twin streams of water.

"Alright Appa. We're gonna have to work together if we're gonna get you out of here." So saying, she threw her arm out, wrapping one of the chains that held Appa's leg, in a stream of water and freezing it in place.

"Now pull." The Bison gave a loud grunt as he pulled at the now brittle chain. It tokk a few tries, but he was able to free himself easily, prompting Orora to grin widely. Gathering up the water from the now brokem pieces of ice, she moved to the next chain when she suddenly felt a presence beside her.

It was Zuko.

He walked past her, swords in either hand, nearing Appa with every step. The Bison growled again, prompting Orora to reach out. "Its alright Appa. He's here to help."

She hoped.

Zuko stopped in front of the chains that held Appa prisoner. His swords began to steam as he allowed his firebending abilities to heat the metal. Raising them in the air, he brought down both swords in one powerful stroke with a mighty cry. The heated blade cut through the metal chain like butter.

Orora grinned.

Between the both of them, they were able to free Appa in a matter of minutes. The Bison let out a happy grunt, stretching his legs, before nudging Orora with his nose, nuzzling against her. The young girl giggled, throwing her arms around Appa's cheek and returning his embrace. "Go find Aang. I'm sure he's worried about you." She said, stepping back a little so she could meet Appa's intelligent gaze.

Glancing behind her, she saw Zuko standing next to Iroh. She reached out, quickly grabbing his hand and yanking him forward. "He wants to say thank you." She said, placing Zuko's hand on Appa's fur.

Zuko stood there, frozen, his eyes meeting Appa's brown gaze. Human and animal stood still, before Appa closed his eyes, and somehow, Zuko knew the creature was thanking him.

With a mighty thump of his tail, the Bison took off. Through sheer strength he was able to break through the thin metal railing above him and take to the skies.

"You did good." Zuko felt a soft hand slipping in his, prompting him to turn around and find a smiling Orora standing by his side. His Uncle stood not even a few paces away. Both of them looked proud.

The first time Zuko ever felt he did something right was when he saved Orora's life.

But this?

Helping an innocent animal go free, that came a close second.

————————–

The walk back from Lake Laogai was a long one. This gave Zuko some time to think about what had just happened. Did this mean he was no longer hunting the Avatar? That he was going to make a life for himself in Ba Sing Se? As more and more questions rose in his mind, he began to feel them crowd around in his head, causing it to become physically heavy.

He could barely navigate his way through the streets of Ba Sing Se as his head began to throb all over.

By the time they reached their apartment, Orora could barely feel her feet. Though she barely noticed the ache as she focused on Zuko. In the time it had taken them to get back home, his face had gotten paler and paler. She'd caught his eye and silently asked if he was alright. He'd nodded, though even his movements were starting to get sluggish.

"You did the right thing." Iroh said, opening the door to their apartment, the pride in his voice evident as both teenagers walked in. "Letting the Avatar's bison go free."

Orora, who had entered first, turned to look at Zuko. He looked worse then before. "Zuko?" She reached out, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He lifted a hand, pressing his palm against the side of his head as he met her gaze. "Orora?" His words slurred. "I don't feel right." His vision of her grew hazy and blurry before it darkened completely.

She was barely able to catch him when he passed out. "Zuko!" She didn't know who was louder, her or Iroh, who rushed forward to help Orora lay him down on the floor. She grabbed him by the shoulders, gently shaking him.

"Zuko! Zuko wake up!"

No response.

"Zuko!"

————————–

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