Avatar: Shadows (Zuko x reader)

Chapter 21

You being less injured then Aang and Zuko are up and moving around while they still have to rest. You walk outside the shop and find Damian sitting there staring at the sky.

"I've never been this close to the outside world before." Damian says then he glances over at you and smiles a little. "I owe you one for setting me free."

You sit next to Damian and look at the sky with him. "this world is in a fragile place right now. Not to sound rude or anything but... you're not here to destroy civilization are you?"

"nah." Damian chuckles. "I've had a long time to plan out what I want." He glances at you. "only one person is responsible for my being locked away." He glances at the shop. "the avatar has the ability to restore bending that was taken if he were to bend the energy... what I want is for him to restore my ability... if he refuses then I will the cycle of the avatar forever." He huffs. "since I am a past life it doesn't affect me but there will be no more avatar in the world."

"but if he restored bending to you... then wouldn't you be an avatar technically? Can there even be two at once?" you wonder.

"I never existed so... I'm not technically an avatar... I'm just what became of the broken chain. I have the ability to master the element I was born into, but because I am not connected to Raava I can't use the other four elements. At least not the same way Aang can."

"Raava?" you question.

"it's complicated." Damian huffs. "but basically Raava is the light spirit which fused with Wan, the first avatar. Raava makes it possible to continue the rebirth cycle." He frowns at the sky. "but... I never intended for others to think I was going to be evil... I had my own plans... I was going to try to brings the shadows out of darkness. The leader was corrupted by dark magic and I was going to put a stop to it."

"corrupted?" you question.

"yes." Damian nods. "back when Spirits could walk among humans freely there was an abundance of spiritual energy." He explains. "this energy had its light effects which you see in everything around you from the trees to the people... but that energy also had negative effects... those with strong spiritual ties like your family and the avatar could be effected negatively by the energy because it made them powerful." He looks at you. "I know all about the end of the war and death of the first earth avatar... because I was supposed to come after him. I know about your family and what happened that day as if I had witnessed it with my own eyes. That memory is my strongest memory which ties me still to the first four avatar."

"you know... what happened the day at the end of our history?" you stare at Damian. "tell me."

"the chief of the shadow tribes had learned of a fire bending resistance that was heading to fight to the death for the place now called Omashu." He looks at the town. "your ancestors had been using negative spirit energy for so long it had started corrupting the villagers to until they could not see the chief was blind... blind by rage that the other elements were so positive and refused the shadows ideals." He pauses. "then there was the next heir. A woman named Nanata. She would have brought the peace that the shadow people desperately needed but her father was furious when she revealed she wished to be a mother instead of lead the people. He threatened her child's life and she fled the village."

"The woman and child from the story..." you frown. "she went to the fire nation right?"

"when the fire and earth benders ended the war and destroyed the corrupted leader the avatar was gravely injured. It was the first time the past lives had come together to create what is now called the avatar state. That is how the battle was won. The woman was found by the firebender who lead the rebellion, he offered her a place in his nation after hearing her story. When he became the leader of the fire benders he took them all across the sea to what is now the fire nation and began to build what today is the grand palace. Though it has been destroyed by time and rebuild it looks just the same as it did when it was first built."

"I've lived there my whole life... why didn't anyone tell me these stories before?" you question.

"after the shadow war ended there was great peace for years... during this peace the story of the Shadow was shielded from younger generations until it passed from all knowledge." He glances at you. "the shadow people that remained passed they're story down in hopes that their true leader someplace would hear it and return to them but because they never left the temple the story never spread. It became a legend passed down by the people instead of a story of their history and with every retelling I became more and more of a demon." He looks at his hands. "a spirit is only what it is perceived to be and everyone saw the missing link as a dark spirit. They made me this way with their beliefs." He chuckles a little and looks at you. "you know I used to have black hair and eyes blue as the sky."

"but you aren't evil?" you question.

"no. they can change how I look but not how I think." Damian says. "this form... will only last so long outside the spirit world..." he looks at you. "if I can't find a true body soon I will need to return to the spirit world."

"true body?" you tilt your head.

"I never existed." Damian replies. "I need to exist. If I had my bending restored I could meditate until I had enough energy to manifest a psychical form for myself. But as things are now I will only get weaker and weaker until I fade away."

"that's why Aang is important to you..." you put your hand on your chin. "you didn't kill him while he was injured because you need him to help you. you really don't want to hurt anyone do you? but why take it out on Aang if he refuses to help?"

"it's the chain of the avatar that is to blame for my unjust punishment. If the present Avatar will not right the wrongs, then none ever will and so the chain must be destroyed entirely." Damian frowns. "I know it sounds extreme but that's how it must be."

"well aren't there other ways to get a body?" you wonder.

"possession..." Damian shrugs. "but that only works if somebody willingly gives up their soul. Two souls can't live in the same body."

"so the easiest way is for you to recover your own power?" Aang says leaning against the doorway. "then I'll help you, but you have to do something for me too."

"what would that be Avatar?" Damian questions.

"you have to keep the Shadow people out of trouble." Aang replies. "the chief there is misguided."

"oh I know all about chief tala." Damian frowns. "trust me I don't like him at all. I only wished to bring my people the joy that every other nation found years ago."

"alright... come with me." Aang walks back into the shop with Damian.

You go to the back room where Zuko is resting. When you enter he is awake staring at the ceiling. "did you inform uncle about my injury?" he questions.

"I did." You nod. "I told him we'd get back as soon as we can but that you needed a bit more time to heal." You check for fever and find him normal. "I also told him I was coming back with you."

"hm?" Zuko looks at you. "you're coming back?"

"I belong in the fire nation." You smile a little. "I just wanted to know who I am. I was always going to go back eventually. I couldn't have stayed away from you forever."

Zuko smirks a bit. "your too mushy."

"and your too stubborn." You reply laughing.

The two of you laugh until Zuko sits up. "then... I was right before? You do like me?"

"of course dummy." You stick your tongue out a little. "but what am I supposed to say? I mean you're the fire lord now... you've always been the prince. I'm just... nobody..."

Zuko lifts your chin and smiles a little. "that's not true... you're not nobody. You are the somebody I care about the most."