The Fire Within [Zuko x OC]

Senlin Village

"Shenmi! Help me!" Black hair flying out behind me, I race through the trees towards the village I call home, Senlin. The shouts and screams of my friends filled my ears the closer I got, bright orange light burning my eyes as fire sprouts from the Fire Nation soldiers hands. 

"Where is the Avatar?!" A young man shouts, his back turned to me. He holds a ball of fire in his palm, his gaze set on Shinto, my adopted sister. 

I shove past him and stand in front of her, my sky blue eyes staring into his amber ones. "He's not here! No one has seen the Avatar in 100 years! Leave my people alone!" I shout. It was a stupid move, and as I take in his full figure, I notice the burn mark on his left eye.

He narrows his eyes, the soldiers continuing to ransack everyone's homes. "Back to the ship! We cannot waste any time here with these peasants!" Sending one more final glare at me, he turns away, his fists clenched at his sides. 

A spout of anger whipped through me at being called a Peasant. Something about that word made my heart lurch and my stomach tumble. Throughout life I had learned to control my emotions, which in turn controlled the fire that could, and would, harm anyone in my path. 11 years it's been since I last saw the flame my own hands could create. 11 Years of practice and meditation to keep it in check.

All that went down the drain by simply being called a peasant. 

"Hey Scarface! Give these villagers back their belongings! They aren't yours to take, you spoiled  brat!" I gasp after the words leave my lips, unable to believe that my anger got the best of me. Even the townspeople and my sister Shinto were shocked at my outburst. 

It seems that everyone had forgotten I was a firebender, for when the scarred prince swung around with a tendril of fire coming my way followed by an angered shout, they all cried out in fear of my fate. 

Without a thought, I brought my hands up, palms facing outward, and created a wall of fire to stop the tendril. 

My eyes go wide as tears start to form at the sight of the fire coming from my own hands, the destructive element making me remember the last day I firebent. 

I was five, Shinto was just a mere babe at 2 years old. We were playing around as our parents made dinner. I had wanted to show Shinto a magic trick with my fire.

"Shinto, you want to see?" I had asked her. Her young eyes glanced up at me with excitement and wonder. She nods quickly, too excited to even try to speak. 

With a giggle My younger self made a small flame appear in my hand, shaping it into Shinto's favorite animal, the Cat-Owl. The little flaming animal bounced around in my hand. Shinto, not knowing that fire is dangerous, went to reach out for the creation, ultimately burning her hand. 

Her screams of pain shook me, making me promise to never firebend again. Not if it would harm others.

With a quick shake, I clear my mind of the past just in time to watch the scarred firebender launch another attack. Though instead of at me, he aimed at Shinto. 

"NO!" I screamed, jumping in front of her, my back facing the blast as I protect my sister. If only I had trained to master the fire within me, maybe I could have stopped it instead of letting the intense heat blast my back, searing the skin as my clothes turned to ash. 

Holding back a scream, the pain overwhelms me as I look into my sister's fear filled emerald eyes. 

Before I pass out from the pain, I hear the scarred man call his troops and leave, muttering something about 'lost time' and 'regaining honor'.

As my body crumples to the ground, Shinto's arms wrap around me, cushioning my fall. 

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"Ready the ship, we must bring her to the Southern Water Tribe. Let us hope there is at least one waterbender left who can heal her."

"Why not bring her to the Northern tribe? They have better healers."

"She would die before we would ever reach them. No, it must be the Southern tribe. Make haste. She does not have much time left."

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"Help! My sister! Is there a water bender? She needs help! Someone PLEASE!"

"We have no more waterbenders, but Gran knows how to heal using herbs. Come, let me take you to her."

"Oh dear me, what happened?"

"Please, help my sister. She was attacked by the Fire Nation, and got badly burned by protecting me. You have to help her, please!"

"Thank you for bringing them to me Sokka, go join your sister Katara. It seems we have extra mouths to feed. Hurry along." 

"Can you save her?"

"I can try, however, I will make no promises. Set her down here- that's it. Here, take this bucket and get some fresh snow for me dear. Thank you. What is your name my dear?"

"S-Shinto. This is Shenmi. Will she be okay?"

"I will try my hardest, but she needs to rest. As do you. If she awakes, I will fetch Sokka to wake you. Hurry along."

"Thank you."

"Such a sweet girl. Now, Shenmi, Let's see what I can do to help. I'm afraid it will hurt, yet I am thankful you are asleep. Let us pray to the Moon Spirit that my memory has yet to fail me."

Fading in and out of consciousness, the conversations around me frighten me to my core. I could die. All because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. Because that scarred man angered me so easily. My train of thought ends as an extreme cold gets placed on the burns, the pain causing me to black out once more, unknowning if I would survive this or not.

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Hey thanks for reading guys :) I'm unsure if I will continue this, but I felt like dabbling in the ATLA world. Zuko is always my favorite, and I'm curious as to how this will play out.

(I never plan ahead, I just write what seems to fit haha. What is this thing you call a plot? xD )