Don't Leave Me (Zuko x OC)

Chapter 30

"There it is. That's Roku's home!" Aang announced as we descended onto the volcanic island.

Once we landed, Katara looked around, "But there's nothing here."

Toph jumped down, feeling the ground with her feet, "Yes, there is. An entire village. Hundreds of houses. All completely buried in ash."

"100 years ago, Mt Shan Chi erupted and the village was destroyed. Everyone actually managed to escape and flee to the mainland, all but one." I told them sadly, leaning forward on the saddle on look down at them all, "I'm gonna stay here for this one if you don't mind."

I laid back into the saddle, Nalo snuggling up to my neck as I fell asleep.

*****

**Zuko's POV**

"You sent this, didn't you?!" I burst into my uncle's cell.

It had been a very intriguing last 24 hours for me but I knew he had all the answers I needed.

I waved the scroll at him, "I found the secret history. Which by the way, should be renamed 'the history most people already know'! The note said that I needed to know about my great-grandfather's death, but he was still alive in the end!"

"No. He wasn't." My uncle spoke to me for the first time in months.

Relief flooded me at the sound of his voice, a comfort I hadn't felt in months.

"What're you talking about?" I asked confused.

"You have more than one great-grandfather, Prince Zuko. Sozin was your father's grandfather. Your mother's grandfather was Avatar Roku." He explained.

Shock coursed through my veins, "Why are you telling me this?!"

"Because understanding the struggle between your two great-grandfathers can help you better understand the battle within yourself."

I collapsed to the ground, holding my head in my hands.

"Evil and good are at war inside you, Zuko. It is your nature, your legacy. But there is a bright side. What happened generations ago can be resolved now, by you. Because of your legacy you alone can cleanse the sins of our family and the Fire Nation. Born in you, along with all this strife is the power to restore balance to the world." He moved behind him, removing a brick from the wall and taking a small package out of the secret compartment, "This is a royal artifact. It's supposed to be worn by the crown prince."

I stood to my feet, snatching the headpiece from my uncle's hands and staring at it. In the corner of my vision, I saw something else.

"What's that?"

It was a tea set.

It was the tea set that Iroh gifted Muri for her birthday, that sunk along with our ship.

"How did you get that?!" I snapped, holding onto the bars of his cell with one hand. "Did Muri visit you? Is she in the Fire Nation?!"

Uncle looked at me with a mix of sympathy and pity, "Prince Zuko...Muri is dead."

I reeled back in shock, "No. No, you're lying! She's lying! I-"

"She?" Uncle raised his eyebrow.

"She-she visited me or I hallucinated but she- her neck was- no! She's alive! She betrayed the Fire Nation!"

My uncle sighed, "Muri is dead. A kind spirit found her body in the ocean and put her to rest. The spirit came to visit me and delivered the tea set as a way to remember her. Lost in the ocean, just like she was."

I started to breathe heavily, tears pouring from my eyes.

"You're wrong!" I cried but my voice got small, "You're wrong."

Uncle sat back down, picking up a tea cup and lovingly staring at it, "The poor child has suffered enough. She is finally at rest."

I turned to leave, "No. I refuse to believe she's dead."