Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Night has fallen in Tian Tang and Zuko sits on the floor of his and Kali's hut, though he assumes if Alchemilla gets her way it will just be Kali's. Kali's sat in front of him eating from a bowl of fruit as he braids her hair back again. She is blissfully unaware of what went down with Alchemilla. He doesn't want to tell her; it might shatter what she thinks of this place, but he doesn't want to keep it from her either. He leans forward and kisses the back of her head, lingering there as he closes his eyes and breaths her in.

"What's wrong?" She asks him when he pulls back from her. He tucks her braid over her shoulder. "Zuko..."

"In the morning" He stops her. She's had a good day. A nice day. Bonding with her people. He won't taint it now. He can let her have this day as a good memory. And not a day he told her that he's been threatened by one of her people. That he might be forced to leave her. He can put that off as long as he can.

.....

Later, Zuko sleeps curled around a sleeping Kali. Tian Tang is silent during the night. Not even the animals make noise. Suddenly, the sounds of a messenger hawk crying wakes Zuko. He sits up and lets out a breath, glancing around the hut to find the source. The bird is sitting on the open window. He brushes the blankets from his body and climbs from his bed to move towards it. He takes the scroll from the bird's holster on its leg. Once freed, the bird flies off again, disappearing through the trees of Tian Tang. Zuko shakes his head and unravels the scroll to reveal its contents.

"You need to know the story of your great-grandfather's demise" He reads. "It will reveal your own destiny" He closes the scroll, and stares out the window the bird disappeared. There is no signature. No clue as to who could have sent it.

"Zuko?" Kali asks as she sits up, brushing the hair from her loosened braid back from her eyes.

"I'm here" He assures her softly but doesn't move back to bed.

"What's going on?" He lets out a breath and moves to join her now, sitting cross-legged on the bed next to her. He holds out the scroll to her which she takes and opens up and then squints at the page. He takes it back from her when he realises that she won't be able to read it.

"You need to know the story of your great-grandfather's demise" He repeats for her. "It will reveal your own destiny"

"Your great-grandfather?" She asks. "Sozin?"

"What do you know of him?" He asks, she shrugs and he sets the scroll down between them.

"I didn't exactly get a formal education" She reminds him. "But I heard stories over the years...He started the war, right?" Zuko nods. "Started killing naturebenders and airbenders" He hums in agreement.

"He waited for a comet, later renamed Sozin's Comet, and used its power to launch his full-scale invasion of the world" Zuko adds. "He died peacefully in his sleep when he grew old"

"So maybe he didn't" She whispers touching the scroll.

"Or someone is using this as a way to distract me" He counters, she tilts her head with a frown. "Alchemilla came to me yesterday and told me to leave" He admits. She sits up a little more now. "Told me that I didn't belong here with you"

"Why would she say that?" She argues, and he's never heard her angry before, but she is very clearly angry now. He looks up at her, surprised by the intensity of her rage. He shrugs and then reaches out to touch her face. To calm her down.

"She's been lying to all of the naturebenders" He admits. "Told them that the Fire Nation has complete control over the world outside of the Soul Tree....that all the other benders were gone, that the Avatars were gone" She frowns and turns her head, trying to work out why she would do that. "I told her grandson the truth" Zuko adds, she softens and turns to him.