Fire and water: Sokka x reader x Zuko

Spiritual clensing

(Y/n)s pov:

I sat on the top of the canyon, I wasn't gonna watch Aangs earth bending lesson, I knew it was important for him but my mind was elsewhere. Images of Iroh on the ground plagued me, I needed to bend and release my stress.

I lit my incense and took a deep breathe, I closed my eyes and pictured home. I imagined being in the royal hall, the throne surrounded by bright flames.

Memories of talking fire lord Azulon, despite his genocidal tendencies he was always kind to me. Always checking on my progression to make sure the only (l/n) child was up to standard, showing my fire bending techniques alongside Azula and Zuko.

My palms heated, the warmth started from the tips of my fingers and ran down to my palms grounding me in the safety of my element. I opened my eyes and held my bending position.

"Hey (y/n) what are you doing?" Sokka asked walking up behind me, "AH oh Sokka, sorry you snuck up on me, I'm just meditating" I said only half lying.

"Oh, wanna come hunt?" He asked with a small smile, I shook my head with a sad smile. "I'm probably gonna stay up here and clear my head for the day" I said as he sighed.

"That's fine I'll see you later" he said waving to me as he walked. I continued my meditation, balancing my somewhat panicked breath.

"The fire nation noble family of (l/n) is a very prestigious line to hold up, why do you shame yourself?" A young women's voice asked from behind me, I whipped my head around. A tall see through figure of a fire nation women stood next to me, I covered my hand to silence my scream.

She was gorgeous I had to admit, she had short black hair that pulled into a top knot, deep gold eyes and porcelain skin. But even with her radiance I could help but be scared at the fact a ghost was standing in front of me.

"My name is Rangi, I'm one of your ancestors, I've watched you for many years" she stated standing up, she looked down at me with a smile. She reminded me of some of my teachers at the all girls academy I went to for many years in the fire nation, so militant.

"Well, (y/n) are you just gonna stare?" She asked in a rhetorical tone, chuckling as she sat across from me. I scrambled to pick up my composure.

"Oh of course I'm so sorry lady Rangi, it's an absolute honour to meet you, oh god I don't have my top knot, I'm so sorry to disgrace you like this" I rambled, bowing my head in apology.

"Oh no no, don't be sorry, I've watched over you from when you were a babe, you are a brave and intelligent girl blossoming into a woman more than worthy of my respect" she said tipping my head up with her finger, I dared to meet her gaze. She had a big grin, I visibly relaxed and smiled back.

"So lady Rangi, why have you graced me with your physical presence?" I asked, casually lighting another stick of incense and discarding of the old ones burnt out bottom.

"I've sensed a change in your spirit, such intense self loathing of our clan, of our nation" she stated plainly, her grin morphed into a bittersweet smile. Rangi looked as if she could cry, the fire nation were a very proud and very patriotic race; it seemed she was no different.

I took a deep breath in, refusing to meet her gaze. "Our nations values have fallen, our actions have sent the world out of balance, how could I feel proud of such bloodshed, we almost wiped out an entire race.." I lamented staring down at the dirt beneath me.

"(Y/n) were you ever taught the history of our clan?" Rangi asked, taking a sort of teacherly fashion in front of me, I nodded rather curtly. "Not the surface level, the original rise of the (l/n) family" Rangi stated, carefully taking a pin out of her top knot.

She presented it to me carefully, the ball end of the pin was in fact not a ball but a small rectangle. I looked up at her in confusion as she smiled wistfully.

"The Sei'naka clan hail from a poor island south of the capital, our insignia is a whetstone, we weren't always a great family of nobility, the reason powerful bending flows so strong through our veins is from our origin as body guards and teachers" she explained, meticulously putting the pin back in her hair.

"We survived by refining our raw power until we became indispensable to the fire lord and the rest of the nation, I wasn't alive for it our true rise but we were still prominent in my era" she reminisced with a grin.

"That's amazing, but what does it have to do with me?" I asked, frowning slightly. I had heard that spirits spoke in riddles answered questions vaguely but from another militant, straight to the point fire bender I didn't expect this.

"Our family have always strived for survival, our nation has not always been in peace, our unity fractured; yet we survived, the clans committed crimes against each other; we climbed out of the muck after the fray to bring hope and safety, you should look forward to that and not shirk or ignore your family" Rangi replied, holding my hands in her own.

Touching a spirit felt odd, I could feel the weight of her fingers but it was fleeting and was ice cold. I pondered Rangis words, I needn't have give up on my family, my nation. I could support both with the help of Aang once he took down Ozai.

"I'm trying; I think the way to pull the fire nation out of the muck is to help the avatar restore balance" I responded, looking up at her with a small smile. She nodded at my wisdom.

"Do you know what today is?" Rangi asked with a smile, I tilted my head in confusion. She chuckled at my confusion, "today is the first day of the festival of Szeto" Rangi stated with a grin. I gasped, how had I forgotten!?!

"You may not be able to celebrate as usual but be happy and spread that with your friends, goodbye (y/n)" Rangi stated, slowly fading into nothingness. I sighed and wiped the tear that threatened to spill.