Avatar: Shadows (Zuko x reader)

Chapter 7

(in case you were curious my wrist does seem to be getting better. Doesn't hurt as much right now so I tried to do dishes and that ended up being bad :/)

(I had an idea for a hidden tattoo on your person which is like the tribal markings of ancient civilizations that only shows up during the light of eclipses. The marking tell the story of where you came from so it'd be funny that you left on the mission to discover where you came from only to find out it was you the whole time... but then as I got to thinking about the idea wouldn't walking through any shadow cause the reflection to appear? isn't the eclipse just a shadow cast on the planet because the moon passed in front of the sun so then wouldn't passing into any shadow cause the tattoo to glow assuming it is cast because of the sun? After I thought that I decided I didn't like the idea anymore. But I guess I could change the idea a bit... ooooh a mystery!)

When the ship makes land you, Zuko, and Iroh decide to check out the surrounding area and make sure it's safe. Your ship struck land kind of out in the middle of nowhere and is very stuck now but that doesn't mean you can't still use it to sleep in so the three of you make a deal to split up but meet back at the ship that night. You walk north while Zuko goes to the west and Iroh heads towards the east. You encounter a single hut built from a fallen tree trunk with a roof of fronds. "I hope this isn't a hazel and Gretel story." You frown as you approach the hut. "maybe whoever lives here will be friendly."

"well thank you for the lovely story..." a voice from inside the shack says. "but we really must be going. Far too much to do and see. Come on Aang... Katara... while the day is still young." The voice pesters. A few moments later the door opens. You hide behind the tree and watch as three children exit the hut. Two of them look like they must be from a waterbending tribe and the other is bald with blue arrows on his hands and head.

"an airbender!" you says shocked. 'but only one of those is known to still exist.' You start to follow the group. "the avatar." You call out. "Please wait just a moment."

Three spin around and the boy dressed in waterbending clothing looks totally shocked. "a fire nation!" he frowns. "just our luck."

Katara nods and takes her waterbending stance ready to fight if you attack first.

Aang smiles. "oh hello stranger. Can I help you?"

"Avatar." You fall to one knee. "I have traveled far to meet with you."

"me hu?" Aang smirks and crosses his arms. "why?"

"because only the avatar can help me." you reply. "yes I am from the fire nation but I promise I have no connection to the fire lord or this war."

Katara looks at you skeptically. "well what is It you want then?"

"I need to know where I come from..." you reply placing your hand on the ground to envelope yourself in shadow. "why can I bend shadows?"

"oh you bend shadows! That's so cool! How do you do that!?" Aang says excitedly watching you move the shadows.

"y-you don't know?" you frown. "I thought if anyone would..."

"I'm sorry I have no idea." Aang frowns. "I've never heard of shadow bending."

"then... then I wasted my time looking for you..." you frown.

"I know about the shadow benders..." and old lady says from behind you. "but I thought it was merely a legend myself." She smiles and holds her hand towards her house. "please come inside and I will tell you what I know."

"old lady?" Aang raises an eyebrow. "you know about the shadow bending?"

"yes child." The old lady nods and leads you inside.

Sokka lets out an exasperated grunt because he had just got them to leave that place.

Once inside the lady walks to the far side of the room and opens the window a bit. "come sit in the beam of light child." She motions for you to take a seat.

"um... ok?" you sit in the beam of light.

"now hold very still." The old lady says picking up a pendant off the table. She holds it up into the light beam and the gem in the center reflects red light into the room. "the glow of red reveals an ancient past." She says looking at you.

"wooo! Check that out hidden tattoos!" Aang says excitedly. "so cool!"

"hu?" you look at your arms and legs. "I'm covered head to toe in markings..."

"these marking tell a story." The lady says motioning for Katara. "dear will you hold this please."

Katara holds the pendant in the light while the lady speaks to you.

"long ago there was a fifth element. All elements co-existed in freedom and harmony thanks to the avatar." The lady says starting with your forehead. "the shadow bending tribes were fierce and many and believed that they were the strongest of all the bending civilizations." Moving on to your left arm. "one day the leader decided to seize control of the free world. They devised a horrible plan to end freedom and rain as lords over the land. They first destroyed the avatar hoping for his re-birth into the shadow tribes but upon seeing their greed the spirits took the shadow element from the chain of the avatar and sealed it away so the avatar would never be born into a tribe that only sought for blood." She moves onto the right arm. "with the shadow chain removed it was unknown which element the avatar would be re-born to because this was only the second time the avatar was to be reincarnated. So the shadow tribe devised a way to find out by attacking the tribes with the full force of their armies."

You frown as you listen to the story. Know what you did about the avatar now you did know that the cycle included fire, air, water, and then earth. You knew this because you knew the previous avatar had been fire nation and the one before that had been earth nation and founded the Kyoshi warriors you had learned of this on your travels through earth nation.

"the take over seemed to be within the grasp of the shadow dwellers as no water, air, or earthbender stood a chance of defeating the powerful bending technics of the shadow tribe." She moves on again to the last leg. "that was until a keen young fire bender found that using the light from his flame he could break the shadow and therefore break the shadow's control over his body. Using his knowledge, he lead the fire nation in a revolt against the shadow tribes driving them to near extinction... he allowed one to survive out of pity because the young woman had with her a baby. The man later became the first leader of what is today known as the fire nation. After the war of shadows, the nations split into regions of bending and kept to themselves afraid that they would rise up against each other in hate again like they did several hundred years ago..."

"so... my ancestors... tried to take over the entire world?" you frown. "and it was Zuko's ancestor who killed them all... but allowed my ancestor to survive..." you look at the floor. "that's why... that's why I've been living at the palace since I was born... my family is in debt to his family for sparing the life of the woman and her child..."

"it seems that way." Zuko says from the doorway with his arms crossed. "I was never told that story but I did know there was a reason you were a slave and not a regular worker." He glances at Aang and smirks. "hello avatar."

"ZUKO!" Katara and Sokka both yell at the same time.