Burning Red. A One Shot for RainStarr The sun was up, shining brightly in the sky, the birds were singing, and it was a wonderful da— "MIZUKI!"A voice echoed throughout the skies, loud and full of anger. A small girl jumped from where she sat, back facing the voice, in her small canoe. She stood up and spun around, round blue eyes wide with surprise, her dark brown hair swinging around her as she stumbled in her canoe when it moved with the icy water. "What?" She asked, blinking dully when Sokka ran up to her, breathing in ragged puffs of air. He looked mad…very mad. "Did you think you could sneak off while we were out!? Really?" He hissed. She leaned away from him, her hand resting lightly on her hip, ready to shoot out and push off into the ocean when needed. For now though, she looked up at Sokka warmly, looking disturbed by his constant yelling at her. "S-Sorry, but you know I have to do this." She whispered, bowing her head. "I…need to save her." Sokka's expression twisted in one of both concern and anger, eyes flickering to her face, hidden by her long hair. He leaned forward and brushed it out of her face, making the girl look up at him sharply, looking startled. "I know," He sighed deeply. "But you know we'd help you. You don't have to go off alone." She bit her bottom lip and crossed her arms. "But I do…I mean, it wouldn’t be right. You have to help Aang, and…I'm just a burden to you. For now…well…for now I want to help in my own way. I promise you, though," She said softly, looking up at the surprised-looking boy. "Sokka…I'll come back. I'll find you." This was something she had to do on her own. The waters crushed around her pathetic canoe, but that didn’t faze her. She reached out and grasped the edges, lifting her body up, wobbling slightly before she raised both arms as well. Hastily, she moved the thick water around her, to help keep her steady, yet go faster. Eventually the waters calmed down enough so she could sit down and rest, and lead her boat towards the middle of the ocean, where she soon saw it; that ship. That huge, looming, horrible fire nation ship that she was sure wouldn’t mind running over her if she wasn't careful. She narrowed her eyes, and pushed off towards it, standing up and gracefully guiding the water around her towards it, while mentally conjuring up a plan to somehow enter it and sneak on unnoticed to save her sister. But suddenly, the boat shifted the water she was guiding, and her concentration broke. The water around her retreated, and suddenly she lost her balance and fell off, landing with a painful crash into the thick waters under her. She gasped, but this resulted in water sucking into her lungs, and she was sinking, her mind drifting into darkness as her lungs burned, only one thing crossed her mind, a small thought that made her want to cry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you…Akita…. When she awoke a considerable time later, her lungs were burning and she felt dizzy. But she was warm and dry and…not dead. She opened her eyes slowly, sitting up and leaning against the wall, peering around with round, curious eyes. It took only a moment for her to realize where she was. "Fire nation..." She breathed, coughing when pain erupted inside her chest. She clumsily got to her feet, her hand still resting on the wall, her eyes flickering around the room and scanning it, soaking in her surroundings. It was a small room, kind of dirty, but nice considering her position to these soldiers. She broke away from her useless ponderings, and crept towards the door, putting both clenched hands on it, and pushing forward, only to blink dully when nothing happened. She clenched her jaw and tried again, pushing harder this time, but nothing happened. She cried out in anger and frustration, using her knee to slam against the door, but instantly regretted it when pain shot up her leg, and yet again, nothing happened. She jumped when footsteps sounded near her, so she scrambled away, and pressed herself against the far side of the wall, breathing heavily as fear shook her. Then the door opened. And suddenly, she screamed. The boy at the door looked around her age, maybe older, and he looked surprised, then annoyed and angry by her screaming. She wasn’t able to do it for much longer, because her lungs tightened and stung, and she gasped and coughed, leaning further against the wall, gasping for breath as the boy walked inside, towards the trembling girl. "Are you afraid?" He sneered. She looked up slowly, a blank look on her face, as the young boy with an odd scar stared back at her, expecting an answer. Probably a meek 'yes'. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "No," She said in a whisper, and then she smiled. "Not at all, mister scary." He looked bemused by this, and leaned away, causing her to sigh in relief. He was staring at her coldly, his eye like a beautiful coal locked away by an exterior of rough rock. What had happened to him, to make such pain be hidden in his eye? And what of that horrible scar? She didn’t dwell on it too much, and only stared back at him, still smiling.
"Wait, Mizuki—" He began, reaching out, but she had shoved away, and her small boat was already drifting backwards, into the ocean, full of horror and wonders, and hopefully, possessing her lost sister. She had gotten news that her young sister had gone missing, and later discovered in reality, she had been kidnapped by the fire benders after she witnessed something, Mizuki didn’t know what, that made them nervous about letting her walk away with that knowledge. So, she decided to go save her, despite the constant warnings.
"You have my sister." She suddenly said, making the boy narrow his eye and turn to her again. "Give her to me, you disgusting monsters."
He chuckled, but didn’t look amused at her insult. "I don't think so. You're stuck with us, for the time being. Deal with it."
She winced, and he spun around and slammed the door shut, leaving her in silence. Weeks passed, and this strange boy came into her room more and more often, and eventually after she demanded her sister's return, she would talk to him, to help her deteriorating social skills mend again, since he was the only one who visited her. Other than the guards who rudely gave her food, and said nothing at all.
When she spoke to him, he listened, but he didn't answer all the time. Sometimes he even looked annoyed when she talked, definitely when it was about Akita or Sokka and Toph and her family. But he didn't complain and didn't always reply, but when he did, Mizuki, despite her high dislike of him and his kind, found herself listening intently, as if expecting him to give her the secret of the universe. It was stupid. It was crazy.
It was…love.
Which was stupid and crazy. She fell for a fire bender! The prince, at that! She would scold herself and vow not to talk to him anymore, but then found herself doing it anyway, because she couldn't help it. She just couldn't help it.
It was a couple months later when it happened, though. It was afternoon, and Mizuki was finishing up her water, when Zuko wandered in, locking the door behind him like usual. She froze, and placed the cup own, looking up at him and smiling.
"Good afternoon." She greeted. He didn’t reply, but sat across from her, staring at her seriously, before he spoke.
"She's alright." He said. "Your sister is safe. For now…I doubt my father will let her live much longer."
She froze, blood running cold, but she kept a mask of no emotion on, and only stared at him. His expression didn’t change.
"I'm going to…" He hesitated. "I'm going to save her."
Still, nothing on her face shifted.
"What?" She asked, her voice cracked and confused. But happy. Oh so happy.
"I'm going to help her," He hissed, annoyed that he had to say it again. "She's young, and…well, I don't know. I'm only doing it because she's annoying, and I do not want to be there when a little girl dies."
Mizuki then let her mask fall, and she smiled, tears leaking from her eyes and running down her cheeks, dripping off her chin and into her clenched hands, resting limply in her lap.
"Oh Zuko," She breathed. "Thank you. I…I don’t care what you do to me. But…oh…thank you…"
Without a word or any expression at all, he left. That next morning, she awoke and was shocked to find her door slight ajar, and a guard standing in front of it, a tray in his hands. She relaxed, and stood, watching as he placed the tray on the table and turned to leave. Suddenly, she was running, and she was throwing the cup at his head, the plastic falling off, and water splashing at his feet. She acted fast, bringing the water into his angry face when he spun around, and watching as he gasped and choked, clawing at the water pressed against his mouth and nose.
When he fell unconscious, she ran for it, running down the hall and outside, where she saw the sun was up and the air was cold, and soldiers were running at her. She smiled, and turned around, bringing the ocean water behind her crashing onto them, and gracefully dancing away from their fire blows, eyes sharp and never leaving them.
And suddenly, they were drowning in the ocean after she brought a wave onto them, forcing them into the vicious ocean. She leaned against the side and panted, sliding down and staring at her hands, realizing she had killed many men.
"Mizuki!" A small voice sobbed. Looking up she saw Akita, with her small innocent face, and those large blue eyes and beautiful short brown hair. She rushed forward, throwing her arms around the older girl's shoulders and burying her face into her chest, and crying.
"Akita." She breathed, wrapping her arms around the small girl. "Akita…"
"What…" She looked up and saw Zuko staring at her, looking perplexed. "What did you do?"
Mizuki realized her was asking about his soldiers, and she put a blank look on, and shrugged, burying her face into Akita's hair to hide he shame in her eyes.
"Dead." She whispered. "All dead."
He didn't answer, and slowly, she stood, helping a still-sobbing Akita to her feet, letting the small girl clutch Mizuki's shirt and bury her face into her thigh, still sobbing her little eyes out. She let her hand rest limply on her head, and slowly smiled at him.
"They weren't that tough." She said smugly, her earlier shy personality suddenly crumbling as she realized what she had done. She had defeated men half her size and much more powerful, with a mere flick of her wrist. "I mean…it was fine." She said, running her fingers through Akita's hair. "We can go home now, Akita."
Suddenly, Zuko was in front of her and looking at her strangely. His expression, though she didn’t understand it, made her uncomfortable.
"Zuko…" She choked out nervously. "I mean…"
And suddenly, causing a small shriek to leave Akita's mouth as she jumped away as if she had been burned…his lips were against hers. Her eyes snapped wide open as his warm lips moved against her trembling cold ones in a smooth, enjoyable rhythm of movement. She breathed in sharply through her nose, and suddenly, she kissed back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, tilting her head back to get closer, and leaned against him desperately. She kept her eyes open, and watched him, his good eye shut as he kissed her gently, expression soft, one she had never seen on him before.
And suddenly she pulled away, and untangled her hands from his hair, and was backing away, looking as if she had been slapped. Akita was gaping at the two like a fish from where she stood not too far way from them.
"What…" She breathed, shaking her head slowly. "What was…"
He stepped closer to her, reaching out, expression blank, that wonderful expression she saw earlier gone. "Mizuki. I love you."
"No, you don't." She said quietly, shaking her head. "You don't love me."
She let out a scream when suddenly, a gust of air pushed her back as Aang landed on the boat, and she was falling, falling, the cold air pushing her towards the ocean, where many men's tombs were. She heard Akita's screeching, and Aang's ad Zuko's yelling, and something else…before she landed in the cold waters with a splash.
She closed her eyes and this time, she moved, pushing up towards the surface desperately, her long hair moving around her face, before she resurfaced, gasping and coughing. She sputtered as water dribbled from her mouth, and looked up at Sokka's extended hand, riding Appa's back, with Katara and Akita behind them, safe. She grasped it, and clambered up onto the large beast, hugging Sokka tightly and keeping an expression of content on her face, even though she really wanted to cry.
The large creature flew upwards, and she looked over at the boat, still clinging onto Sokka dripping wet and shivering from the cold, and saw Aang and Zuko fighting. Zuko looked up, saw her, and his expression shifted into relief, making her eyes go wide at the sudden change on his handsome face. After Aang managed to push Zuko away for a second longer, he made his escape, and landed on Appa, in front of Sokka and Mizuki. Mizuki twisted her head around, and her eyes landed on Zuko, who was leaning on the railing of his ship, and was watching them, not mad like he usually was.
Then she saw it. The small smile that crossed his face, as he mouthed one thing. One thing that broke that mask on her face, and suddenly she was crying, her hand outstretched towards him, but he was gone, and they were flying in the clouds, taking her away from that dumb fire nation prince that she loved. She kept replaying that moment in her mind, those words he mouthed with such a look of love and truth, she wanted to go back.
I really do love you, Mizuki.
