Sciamachy

(Hindi/n.) a battle against imaginary enemies; fighting your own shadow.

AN: This chapter is broken into two parts - the next part will be posted asap.

~ Ying Yue Jiang ~

I stood there, arms wrapped around my torso, humming softly as I looked out the window. The crystal waters, waves brushing the shorelines and taking bits of white sand and seashells along with it. A few birds singing as the sun rose.

Nature – it really was a beautiful thing.

A soft wince escaped me, realizing that I was so far into my thoughts, my fingers dug into my skin, causing faint marks to rise. I grimaced, brushing my hair behind my ears before grabbing the cup of hot tea that rested on the kitchen counter.

Usually, the sound and smell of water had my nerves at ease. My heart relaxing, breathing steady. But today, it did the opposite.

Training.

A shaky sigh escaped my lips, teething digging into my bottom as thoughts swarmed my brain. Part of me was thrilled to be practicing once again. But of course, just when I thought I got everything under control – my mind decided to play tricks.

Three years I denied myself.

Three years I mourned and refused to accept a part of me. A piece that I use to love dearly. And I felt guilty. I let horrible, unforeseen circumstances destroy a part of my identity, and the only link I had left with my mom – Waterbending.

Training – it was a word that meant more than just refining my skills. It would be the final steps of me moving on. Accepting the death of my family, recognizing that my role as Imperial Consort is more than just a title. I was moving into a new stage in my life, and while it was exhilarating, it was also petrifying.

I need to do this. Because the past is the past, and now-

A warm touch caused me to gasp, arms wrapping around my waist. The addictive scent of firewood and musk overwhelming my senses as my eyes fluttered shut. My body eased naturally, already knowing this warm touch far too well.

Because the past is the past and now I have Zuko.

His hands wrapped around my own, cupping my tea as his lips brushed against my ear. I could feel Zuko's heartbeat against my back, a comforting rhythm that had me smiling. I didn't need water to relax, I just needed Zuko. How things have changed.

"Don't worry love...I got you." Zuko muttered, voice coarse from just waking up. He knew. I let a soft sigh escape me, his fingers intertwining with my own as his head moved from my neck to my shoulder.

Zuko planted soft kisses on my shoulder, touches that made my knees weak. "Ready to get your butt kicked?" I teased, only to earn a deep chuckle. His lips curved upwards, his warm breath tickling me. "Mmm, we should place a bet. Make this interesting."

I raised a brow, looking to my side to meet Zuko's golden eyes.

His eyes flickered, screaming trouble as he grinned against my skin. I already had a first-hand experience about betting with Zuko. But despite my first-hand experience, I found myself excited to participate in his silly game. There's a reason why Sokka always babysits me – I'm my own cause of death.

"What will I get when I win?" I kittenishly spoke, Zuko moving his grip from my hands to my hips. The way he hummed to himself as if he was thinking profoundly for an answer. But in a matter of seconds, he jumped, an idea popping into mind.

"Winner gets to decide. Anything they want goes."

"Why does that sound awfully similar to the previous bet we did."

"Because it is the same."

I snorted, shaking my head as I giggled at Zuko's silliness. I loved his playfulness, and with all the craziness going on, it was welcomed. I let go of the teacup, spinning on my heel only to fall against Zuko's chest.

His messy hair and a lopsided grin on his face. A faint glow painted my cheeks as I hugged his neck with endearment. "I thought we were supposed to be training, not placing bets."

"We can make training more fun."

I raised a brow, hearing the friskiness in his voice. "Fun? I'm pretty sure I got chewed inside out for trying to have fun yesterday."

Zuko scowled, his head falling into the crook of my neck as he grumbled. I pouted, realizing that he still felt remorseful. "I'm joking Zuko..." I muttered into his hair, snuggling my face into his silky locks.

He sighed, nodding as his lips brushed along the skin of my neck, "I'm sorry."

"Zuko-"

"You know I care, right? I know I don't show it but-"

I pulled away, letting my hands fall on his face as his expression deepened. My fingers danced on his lips, shushing him for the time being. "Zuko, I know, and you show it in many ways. So can I please, for the love of spirits, get my good morning kiss?"

His lips pulled from underneath my fingers, chuckling softly at my words. Seeing him smile was the best way to start the day. With a gentle movement, our lips touched, and I couldn't help but moan into the kiss.

I could feel his hands move up my back, pulling me closer, my fingers tangling themselves with his hair. The way he moved his lips, slow and drawn-out movements, it had my skin heating up and a familiar desire rising. Without realizing, a small whimper escaped my lips, purring out his name as his tongue brushed along my lips.

Zuko smirked, pulling slightly, leaving me wanting more. "Mmm, why do I have a feeling...you want something more than just a kiss?" He teased, his lips nibbling mine. My eyes fluttered open, noticing the way Zuko studied my expression with need.

My blush deepened, his fingers sweeping through my hair, and right as I was ready to indulge in another kiss - a loud resonating knock stopped us both.

Zuko's nostrils flared in annoyance, huffing as he scowled at the door. So consumed in our mini-bubble, I failed to take in the obvious. The pouring sunlight, the birds chirping, even the faint salty breeze, it was obviously morning. And a knock this early in the morning could only mean one thing.

I walked forward, ready to open the front door for the workers and maids when Zuko gripped my wrist. My back bounced against his chest, a soft thud as his lips brushed my ear, "Tonight, let's have some fun. Let me make you feel good." Zuko droned into my ear.

A lively smile played along my lips, humming at his words, "I thought we had a bet going on?"

"Exactly. And since we already know that I'm going to win – I thought I would be nice and give you a little heads up on what I have in mind for tonight."

I scoffed, snaking my way out of his grasp and turning on my heel.

My nails grazed his torso slowly, feeling that chiselled chest of his under my fingertips, "Sorry to break it to you Fire Lord Zuko. But while I may not be at my full potential, I don't plan on losing. So a heads up – I want to do a bit of baking tonight, and I think those broad shoulders will do some splendid mixing."

Zuko laughed, clicking his tongue as he watched me skip to the front door. I swayed my hips with a bit more jazz, a prideful grin on my face. And just as I unlocked the door, Zuko's husky voice caught my attention, "I can't wait to see you try to walk like that after tonight."

My cheeks flushed, and with a final smirk, Zuko walked off to the bedroom.

Answer the front door already Yue!

I hastily fixed my hair, checking myself in the reflection of the windows. Goodness, why do I always let Zuko's words get to me? I swung the door open, smiling vibrantly as I chirped, "Good morning!"

The maids and workers looked at me with charming smiles as I brushed my hair back, opening the door wide for them to come in and begin their day. They all greeted me with quick bows, waltzing inside in a flash to their errands.

My eyes followed the maids into the kitchen, realizing that I hadn't made or eaten breakfast for Zuko and me.

"Is there anything you wish to eat Ying Yue?" A maid asked, already placing the cutting board onto the counter, sharpening a knife. She read my mind. I hugged my arms, walking over to the counter, and trying oh-so desperately to forget about the dirty words Zuko whispered into my ear.

"Fire Lord Zuko and I plan on training this morning, do you mind cooking something for us both? It's doesn't have to be too heavy!" I spoke, only to get a look of shock in return.

"Train? Now I'm excited to watch that battle..."

I giggled at her words, amused by her reaction, a reaction that I wasn't expecting.

She began slicing some bread and fruits, noticing my amazement. "It's just that, Fire Lord Zuko doesn't take his training lightly. And we're all curious to see you Waterbend. People talk you know..." She trailed off. The bread began toasting in the oven while she started getting some jams prepared.

I raised a brow, urging her to continue, and with a small laugh, she did. "No one has seen your bend before Ying Yue besides that one time. And truth be told, people have already placed a few bets."

"Really!?" I skipped, leaning over the counter with wide eyes. The maid nodded her head eagerly, starting to spread the jam on the pile of toast she made. "The great Firebending Master versus a Waterbending Master."

"What makes you think I'm a master?" I mused, leaning my chin on my hands. The maid raised a brow, putting the finishing touches on the food - garnished perfectly. Fresh fruits, toast with some jam, even a cup of freshly squeezed juice on the side.

With a pointed finger, she slid the plate towards me - eyes blazing with enthusiasm. "Your maids, Lia and Kima, may have spilled a few things." Her cheeks flushed, looking at the food bashfully before her eyes met mine.

I leaned closer, with a spirited smile, urging her to come closer, "Want to know a secret?" I muttered. Her eyes widen, leaning forward while wiping her hands on the fresh apron she wore. "I'm not just a Waterbending Master."

Her eyes widen in shock, struggling to understand my words. "What do you mean...?"

I pulled back and winked, "Guess you'll have to found out during our training session."

I reached forward, grabbing a yummy piece of toast that sat on the plate. Bringing the portion of food to my lips, the overwhelming smell of sweetness bursting in the air. And just as the sugary flavours grazed my mouth, the bread was rudely ripped from my grip. What the-

My eyes widen, head whipping around to see a grinning Zuko, with no bloody shirt on – of course. He took a great bite of the toast, smirking to himself as he watched me place my hands on my hips and huff. When did he get out of the bedroom? I didn't hear a thing.

"Excuse me. That was mine, sir!"

"Oh really, because it didn't seem taken when I saw it."

"That's because you took it before I could bite it!"

"And that's where you're wrong, love." Zuko snickered, poking my nose teasingly before taking a large bite out of the meal again. His hair was now put into a messy bun, a complete contrast to his old hair-do. His free hand cheekily gripped my chin, thumb brushing my lip as he beamed, "You see, even if you took a bite out of it, it would still be mine. Because you belong to me-"

"As much as I belong to you, so give it back!" I argued.

My hands lunged forward, grabbing whatever was left of my poor toast. Which was crust... I heard the maids snicker, shaking their heads as they watched us bicker over a piece of toast, "As if a plate filled with toast and jam isn't sitting on the counter..." The maid grumbled under her breath, but I could still spot that cheeky smile on her face.

Zuko flicked my forehead with ease, laughing as he licked the remaining jam off his lips, and a bit too seductively might I add. I stuffed whatever was left from Zuko's cruel stealing, grumbling to myself as Zuko seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Get ready love, training starts now." Zuko hummed, stretching his arms high above his head.

Spirits help me.

The way the muscles in his arms tensed, veins bulging as he stretched all the way down to his fingertips. My cheeks flared, biting my lip as I mentally slapped myself. I was nervous about training, but as Zuko took in a deep breath, chest-puffing before his arms dropped made me realize I had more to fear.

Getting over my hesitance of bending was one thing, but trying to control my hormones with a shirtless and sweaty Zuko was the real test. But what really got me was that lopsided smirk of his. His chin high as he crossed his arms, challenging me. "You ready to get dominated." Zuko teased, voice coarse.

My eyes narrowed, crossing my own arms, prideful.

I knew the double meaning in that sentence, and today was the day I show him who is boss. I may be cute and obnoxiously nice. But I had an edge. That I grew as a person, and I wasn't the pushover he met time ago.

I stepped forward, forgetting about the maids and workers around us, as I knew they watched with hitched breaths.

Zuko observed with amusement, the way I strolled to him. I got on my tippy toes, lips grazing against his, before purring, "I'd like to see you try."

⋰△⋱▽⋰ △⋱▽⋰ △⋱▽⋰ △⋱▽⋰ △⋱

The sand felt odd under my feet. Tiny grains of sand getting stuck between my toes and the thought of a nice bath after this already sounded pleasing. Sure, I was a nature lover – but that didn't mean I had to enjoy every aspect of nature to it's fullest.

I was used to training on a flat surface, a surface that didn't have as much give as now. The blaring heat of the sun shined over us, and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a few spectators already.

The guards conveniently stood in the distance, trying to act 'busy' but I could still see the way their eyes darted back to Zuko and me, observing. The maids, on the other hand, had no shame.

They all huddled together on the porch, sitting as they munched on a few snacks and sipped on freshly squeezed juice. I could hear their giggles and whispers, although I couldn't make out much, despite them being obnoxiously loud. A few maids gave me massive grins and thumbs up – my cheerleaders.

"Ready to lose love?" Zuko hummed, catching my attention.

And when my eyes settled on him, I swallowed hard.

The sun cast a divine glow over him, making him look like a God. A glistening sheen coated his skin, his toned body appearing ten times more buff. Or maybe his body was already like that and seeing him under the sun like this just made it that more apparent.

"Done drooling babe?"

My cheeks flushed, my mouth practically open as my tongue ran along my lips. And I crossed my arms smugly. Gosh, Yue – you are the farthest thing from smooth.

The way Zuko laughed, eyes almost closed as he seemed to notice me getting all flustered. "If it's any consolation – you look quite nice yourself. Gives me more reason to win." He winked.

And while our conversation went unheard by everyone, the maids undeniably saw that wink of his.

They all squealed in delight, and my cheeks just got more red, as if that was possible. Spirits, please have mercy on my soul. My outfit suddenly left me feeling far too exposed. But in truth, if there was one thing Zuko and I shared in common, it was our preference of wearing minimal clothing for combat.

Zuko rolled his shoulders back, a cheeky grin on his face before chinning me, "Warm-up? We can do some start-ups-"

"Hand-to-hand. No bending for now." I blurted.

Zuko looked at me surprised before his eyes narrowed. And although it was apparent that he was taken aback by my statement, that didn't stop him from switching his stance. His legs shifted, giving him more room to move, arms blocking his torso - a defensive position.

"Hand-to-hand combat? You think you can take me on?" Zuko mocked, tilting his head to the side.

This time I grinned.

"You seem to forget. Good things come in tiny packages." I beamed. Zuko scoffed, slightly moving in his spot – getting his blood pumping.

It was a strange sight, indeed. Seeing Zuko getting ready to fight was a common sight, but it's different when you're the person he's going against. Part of me expected to see Sokka, or Toph coming up from behind me, to challenge him.

But nope.

It was just Zuko and me.

"Let's spare. Take it light. And from there we can see where we go. I don't want to scare my baby girl."

My eyes narrowed, my posture switching to an offensive one in a sweeping motion. "You're going to eat your words."

"I'm going to eat something alright, but it won't be words." Zuko taunted.

His words caused me to wobble a bit, squaring up my shoulders once again. I can't let him get to me. And while I dealt with an internal battle, Zuko was living.

His posture was loose, not up-tight, nor as firmly planted onto the ground as I've seen him do before. The way Zuko let his arms swing in front of him...

This asshole.

He was going easy.

"Well, love, why don't you make the first move? Amuse me."

I wasn't a fool – gullible yes. But not foolish.

Zuko was an elite warrior, and even though he was definitely playing chicken with me, his eyes scanned my figure up and down. Taking into account, every flinch and twitch of my body.

The first move.

Zuko didn't leave much room for strategy – he could figure me out in a mere second based on the way I lunged. And maybe it was because of his extreme skill of reading body language to predict attacks that made him so in tune with me.

Then it's decided.

Instinct it is.

My knees bent, feeling the sand shift underneath my weight, and I lunged. Zuko's legs become rigid, eyes studying the way I dove forward. And right before I reached him, I leaned over, throwing a light under punch towards his face with ease.

Zuko didn't blink.

He side-stepped with such grace, the sand not moving an inch under his quick steps. For a muscular man – Zuko could for sure move.

I stepped forward, throwing another light punch towards his stomach, and he blocked it with his arms. He caught my wrist between his forearms, jerking me forward before raising his knee towards my abdomen.

With a hitched breath, I moved sideways, just barely dodging his attack before yanking my arm from his grip.

I stumbled a few steps back, catching my breath. And in a few seconds, I dove, re-doing the whole process again. It didn't take much for the playful smile on Zuko's face to disappear, an emotionless expression while he studied my every move.

Weaving in and out, our feet moved in a synchronized motion.

Testing and pulling, attacking and blocking. And for the first time in a while, I could feel my blood pumping. My heart pounded in my ears in a thrill, throwing another punch towards Zuko's face, which he blocked with ease.

But I wasn't the only one enjoying myself.

Despite Zuko's cold expression of concentration, he bore a faint smirk. His breathing starts to get heavy as my attacks become quicker. My punches and kicks were no longer soft, delicate pats like when we started.

Sweat beaded down his forehead from the blaring sun, and I knew I was a sweaty mess too, my ponytail swinging as I spun on my heel once more to attack.

But despite it all, Zuko didn't attack once.

Playing defensively as he let me take swing after swing. My petite size working to my advantage, because while Zuko may be bigger, I was slippery. He eyes watched how my legs moved, and I could read the shock on his face as he realized just how quickly I could travel.

As Zuko dodged an attack, I retreated, only to lunge towards him again from a new angle.

His eyes scanned my feet eagerly, trying to understand my strategy or logic. But that was just it – there was no meaning behind my moves. I was going with the flow.

I lifted my leg to kick his side, but he crouched forward, the muscles in his legs bulging before springing back up, and getting back into a defensive stance. And as he jumped back to his feet, I barely gave him time to recover, shoving my body forward with a punch.

Zuko grunted, lifting his arms just in time to shield himself - my fist coming into contact with his arms. His eyes aligned with mine, ablaze.

"Don't push too hard love, I don't want you to get hurt." He breathlessly spoke, a testing tone in his pitch. My stomach fluttered, hearing his low voice, strained as he tried to withstand his stance against my weight. And with a small grunt, he thrust me forward.

Time to change things up a bit - I twirled around him.

The sand let me slide effortlessness, back rolling in contrast to his arms before I faced his backside. Zuko's jaw clenched trying to look over his shoulder at me, and I grinned – got him. My arms snaked around his neck, and I jerked him backwards.

Zuko arched back to my yank, the hold I had over his neck taking him off guard. Having him in my neck hold, seemingly surprised by my maneuver had me smiling far to proudly, "I thought you were going to show me a good time Fire Lord Zuko – seems like I've got you in a chokehold." I purred into his ear.

Loud cheers caught my attention, noticing that the small group of guards and maids only grew in size. And unlike earlier, the guards didn't bother trying to hide the fact that they were watching, fully engrossed in our mini-sparing match. A few of them took off their helmets, spectating our fight, and before I could take in the sight, Zuko attacked.

Zuko spun in my arms, his face suddenly looking down at mine with a cheeky grin; sneaking his arms between mine and forcing my grip to break. I stepped back, trying to re-center myself, but he lunged forward, his hand gripping my wrist and pulling me forward.

My body slammed against him with a loud thud, face in his chest as I gazed up at him with wide eyes. The look on his face, licking his lips eagerly, "I warned you, babe. You wanted rough – I'll give you rough."

And at that moment, I knew.

This wasn't a warm-up anymore.

I flicked my free wrist, feeling the water from the beach storm towards us, and Zuko's eyes widen, hearing the rushing water.

He let go, jumping backwards as the water surrounded me. My hands twirled, feeling my chi pumping in my blood as the water danced. "I thought no bending babe? Is someone scared that they may lose?" Zuko mocked.

With a flick of his wrists, I felt it.

The heat that radiated from those massive hands of his, fire surrounding his fingers as Zuko grinned.

It was breathtaking.

Something was stunning about Zuko's flames. They were different. They weren't chaotic at all but controlled. And despite the bundles of fire in his hands being well contained, the heat the was being emitted was on another level. The water that flowed the farthest from me started hissing, misting away at the temperature. I have to be careful.

This was different than fighting with Kayto.

Kayto was pure strength. But with Zuko, not only did he have the power and the speed, he had the heat. I couldn't get to close to him unless...

"Ready babe?" Zuko shouted, chinning his head at his flames.

And with a deep sigh, I nodded.

I was ready.

I was going to bend.

And I was going to kick ass.

And a nod was all Zuko needed to sprint forward. He threw his hands together, raising them up high, the flames building in size and intensity. I let the water swirl around me, my arms cross over each other, fingers grazing my skin.

The water began laying along my skin, the outer layer of water hardening to ice, mimicking armour. And as my fingers trailed down my arms, the ice started to get thicker. The ice tampered towards my fingers until it formed into the desired shape I wanted. And with a quick glance, I knew it was built – a sharp blade on each arm, strong enough to pierce metal.

And with that, I sprinted towards Zuko.

He jumped, throwing down a sea of flames with such strength the sand underneath our feet burnt – looking like brown sugar.

And as the flames hurled towards me, I put my strength in my arms, swinging them upwards in a crossed motion.

The sound of water and fire crashing hissed intensely. Mist forming as my blades smoothly cut through the flames, the ice protecting me from the overwhelming heat.

Zuko's feet planted onto the sand, mouth dropping as he waved the smoke away, "Holy fuck."

The sound of whistling and cheers erupted.

I turned on my feet towards the house, seeing how the maids all stood and cheered while the guards shot me thumbs up. And as I turned to look back at Zuko, a cold shiver ran up my spine.

Goosebumps rose along my skin, my vision suddenly cutting out as the ground underneath me felt shaky. And just as I was about to stumble forward, everything returned to normal.

What was that?

"Hey, you alright babe?" Zuko shouted, his eyes narrowed with worry. It was then I noticed I was holding my breath the whole time, still as a statue.

I smiled wearily, nodding my head as I got back into a fighting stance, "S-sorry, it's been a while. I think I overwhelmed myself a bit." I shouted back. That must have been it. But the more I tried to think about it, the more I remembered this odd feeling. Back when I fought with Kayto...I remember feeling weak. But was it this bad?

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. I have a bet to win." I pestered, and while Zuko chuckled at my response, I could still spot the way his eyes flickered over me, making sure I was indeed alright. And without giving Zuko a chance to think, I dove.

The flames that Zuko let out returned in a second, punching the air and letting fires soar towards me. With ease I tiptoed, evading and eluding each disk of flames Zuko threw, inching my way closer towards him. And Zuko seemed to notice my preference for up-close and personal combat.

I crouched down as he shot another disk, and in an unexpected twist, Zuko kicked.

Flames came hurdling along the sand where I ducked and with a quick motion the water along my arms hurled forward. The ice formed a sharp triangle, the flames cutting in half around me. And as soon as the fire ceased, I snapped my arms forward and back, the ice returning back to my body.

Zuko frowned, watching as the twin blades formed along my arms once again, closing the distance between us. And I couldn't help but shoot him a cheeky smile, "You aren't the only one who enjoys dual swords."

Zuko's arms crashed along mine, his flames keeping the sharp blades at by with his sheer force. And while it was easy for Zuko to lower his weight over me, my feet digging into the sand, my ice was sharper.

"You never told me." He spoke with clipped breath, nudging his head towards the blades. And with a tongue in cheek type of smile, I hummed, "A girls got to have some secrets."

"Why do I feel like I've heard that before?"

And just as the weight of Zuko over me grew, I let my power go.

The ice from my arms melted away to nothing but water, causing Zuko to stumble forward from the lack of contrasting force. And as he sprawled forward, I stooped towards him, shoving my shoulder into his gut.

The grunt he let out, knocking the air out of him as he hissed profoundly. The ice that laid along my shoulder made the impact powerful, and my hands gripped the sand. The water that laid along my arms rushed to the ground, attaching itself to the sand and up Zuko's bare feet.

Another hiss escaped him, the ice started to freeze over his toes and up his ankles. I lifted my hands off the ground, letting the water freeze while I lunged forward to push him back. All I have to do is get him on his back, pin him down, and I win the bet – fair and square.

My hands gripped his legs, ready to shove him backwards as he grovels in pain, but before I could, my head spun.

The ground underneath me started moving, my vision cutting once again as I sucked in a deep breath. I could feel my stomach up in my throat, and I froze. Not again- I shut my eyes before snapping them open, everything going back to normal.

But it was too late.

My ice stopped shifting, melting away under Zuko's warm skin. And with ease, Zuko raised his knee, breaking the ice encasement to shards. His foot rose, kicking my chest, and I stumbled backwards.

A dry cough erupted from me, sand flying into the air. My back coming into contact with the warm sand. The force from Zuko's kick took me by surprise.

I blinked, eyes teary from the sudden impact as I tried to catch my breath, and a heavyweight fell over my waist. The sunlight no longer got into my face. Instead, an overbearing shadow towered over me.

Zuko straddled my hips, his blistering hands gripping my hands with his, fingers intertwined. His chest rose with each pant, sweat beading down his body, and you could hear a faint sizzling sound as our skin touched.

Hot versus cold

Zuko's hair was no longer in that messy bun of his - cascading over his shoulders. A proud smirk painted on his face as he pinned me down on the beach.

"You almost had me there, if only you didn't hesitate."

I raised a brow, "You think you won?"

"I have you pinned love. Now, the things I'm gonna do to you tonight." He purred, his face leaning towards mine, lips sweeping mine. And while lustful Yue was ready to take the L, my pride screamed no.

I couldn't stop the coy smile that played on my lips, Zuko gazing at me puzzled, "What are you smiling about babe? I got you pinned, you can't bend."

"Sorry Fire Lord Zuko, but master Waterbenders don't need their hands to bend, we can use our feet too."

My legs jerked forward, water shooting straight above us into the sky.

Zuko snorted, "You missed."

"Look again."

Zuko's head titled back, eyes like saucers when he began to clue in. The water that shot to the air began to fall above us, and as it got closer to us, my fingers curved around Zuko's. The water started shifting to ice, the droplets no longer liquid, but sharp jagged shards.

In a heartbeat, Zuko rolled off me, hissing, and I sat up straight.

The ice shards immediately stuck to my body as they fell from the sky. Zuko stumbled back on his feet, shaking his head with a grin as he gawked. "Ice. Fucking ice."

The flames around his hands re-emerged, and with a flick of my wrists, I had ice shards hovering in front of me.

And as my fingers started to curve upwards, ready to go for another attack, black spots flooded my vision.

Everything started to spin.

A coldness consumed my body, the hairs on my arms rose as I trembled. Everything in my body felt numb.

My knees twitched, my arms falling limp in front of me. The water and ice dropping to the sand. Zuko's playful smile slowly started disappearing. His forehead pinched, the fire in his hands going as he started running. His mouth was opening as if he was screaming, was he speaking? Why can't I hear?

I tried to open my mouth, but I couldn't. It was as if my muscles didn't work, my brain refusing to send any signals to my limbs.

My eyes rolled back, knees buckling from underneath me.

Darkness.

I don't...feel good.

Authors Notes:

So I decided to break this chapter into two parts! As I was writing and editing, I found it got too long, and it needed a nice break in between. The other part is still in the works, and I plan on releasing it soon!

Also, a massive apology for the lack of constant updates. This month has kicked my ass. A lot of personal things have been going on (all good stuff – I must add), but regardless, they were still things that took up my time. But starting now, I plan on updating once a week, per usual, now that things have settled.

ALSO: I plan on posting a bonus chapter – a mature one if you know what I mean ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I had a personal goal of wanting to hit 500 votes on Wattpad. And last week I hit that milestone! And as a treat to my lovely readers, I plan on posting a bonus chapter, much like the one I posted before. It's my way of saying thank you for supporting me, and while I'm still trying to see how that bonus chapter will fit within the plot – you have that to look forward too!

But thank you all for reading and voting, you're comments and are lovely to read~! So please enjoy your week, and stay safe!

Lots of love,

Mystic-Kitten

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Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar characters portrayed in this story besides Ying Yue Jiang, Lia, Kima, and any future creations.