The Water Bender and the Fire Prince//Zuko Fanfiction

22 ~ Siblings

Enyo tilted her head backwards. She hadn't been in prison for long, but she relished the feeling of the warm sunlight on her face. They were in an open foyer in the Western Air Temple watching Zuko lead Aang through a small series of basic firebending poses. They were all familiar to Enyo; she had either seen Zuko practice them a multitude of times with Iroh or had used them herself while waterbending. 

"Okay," Zuko spoke. His voice was clear and calmer than usual. "You'll want to stand back,"

Enyo watched him brace himself on the ground. The familiarity of the bending was surprising, even as she leaned closer to Katara. Sokka was nearby, polishing his boomerang. 

Zuko moved through the movement, and all that came out was a tiny curl.

Enyo blinked. Everyone had gone silent, staring at Zuko.

"What was that?" She asked, failing to hide the surprise in her voice. 

Zuko glanced back at her. She could see the flush of embarrassment on his face. They both knew he could do better bending than that. His dark hair hung into his eyes, and his sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows, exposing bronzed skin. The sun reflected off of his amber eyes.

"I don't know."

They all watched as he tried again and again. Enyo leaned back on her hands, watching with narrow eyes. Of all the times for Zuko to lose his firebending, there could not have been a worse time.

 Finally, Zuko turned to where they all sat, watching him. Enyo scanned his face, wishing there wasn't as much fear there as she saw.

"I'm afraid I've lost my bending," Zuko's voice was quiet. "The only way to get them back would be through the old masters, and they are all dead. The ruins aren't far from here, we could maybe try there."

"What if you don't get your bending back?" Toph asked. 

Enyo had been thinking it, and from the expression on everyone's face, they had been too. 

Zuko exhaled, dragging a hand down his face. "The Avatar will have to find a new teacher,"

~~~

Enyo leaned down in front of the bubbling fountain, dipping her hands into the cool water and splashing it back over her face and hair. She pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes. 

Slowly, she straightened up, wiping water out of her eyes, and turned to face her siblings. They had been in the process of organizing resources, but now, the two of them stared openly, not bothering to hide their curiosity. 

"What?" She asked.

Sokka glanced at Katara, who nodded and then stepped forward. "We spoke last night, and we were wondering why you trust him."

Enyo stiffened somewhat, dropping her damp hands to her side. She could feel the sun warming her skin, drying the damp skin. "What do you mean?"

"You spent the last three years with Zuko, right?" Sokka asked. "Why do you trust him?"

Enyo sighed and sat down on the edge of the fountain. She could feel the spray of cold water splashing onto the back of her neck and it was a pleasant reprieve against the sun. Today was particularly hot as the days crept towards the peak of summer. There was no breeze, and the air was stagnant. Even the flies were lazy. 

"I lost my memories for three years," Enyo spoke. Her words hung in the air, Sokka and Katara stared at her, eyes wide. "I know this is hard for you to understand, but when I woke up on that ship, I remembered nothing. Iroh and Zuko were kind to me and let me stay. They passed me off as someone they knew, someone that could be trusted. The only reason I am alive is because they risked their positions to keep me alive,"

Enyo watched her siblings shift slightly. They came over and settled nearby. It was an interesting contrast. They were all water tribe, yet here she was wearing Fire Nation black and red while her siblings were cloaked in blue and white. She dug her hand into her pocket, tightening her grip on the small stones.

"I know Zuko is disagreeable and volatile," Enyo spoke. "But there was a long while there where Zuko and Iroh were the only real family I had. So yeah, maybe there are times when I regret trusting him, but I think I would follow him if I thought he wanted me to."

"It's the same way we follow Aang," Katara spoke. Her voice was gentle, soft. She rested her hand on Enyo's. 

Sokka dug his elbow into her side. "I'm glad you're back."

~~~

Enyo shifted. The hard stone of the floor was digging into her back. Her sleeping bag was a little ways away from the rest, in an alcove with carvings in the wall.

With a sigh, she rolled over. Zuko was sleeping next to her, on his own mat and blanket. Or so she thought. 

His eyes flickered open, warm honey amber flashing at her.

"Can't sleep?" He murmured.

Enyo shook her head. "No."

He shifted, and the hand that was curled on top of him stretched out and grabbed her hand. His fingers were soft and gentle. He linked their fingers, and Enyo could feel her heart pounding.

The night was dark, but she could see the tiny smile on his face.

"Are you happy to have your bending back?" Enyo had heard the story upon Aang and Zuko's return, of how they had learned bending from the dragons and the sun warriors. 

Zuko's head shifted. "Yeah, I'm happy."