Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Breathe Again ❯ Akai ( Chapter 16 )

Sadly I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender :D It belongs to Nick and its Original creators.

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Heh, sorry the last chapter, this is back ground on my OC Akai.

Please review, I am still a new writer and this is a tester fanfiction for another one that I am currently planning that will hopefully be much better, critiques are highly welcomed

 

Breathe Again

~Chapter 15: Akai~

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“I feel it everyday,

It's all the same,

It brings me down,

But I'm the one to blame,

I've tried everything,

To get away,

So here I go again,

Chasing you down again,

Why do I do this…?”

~

Akai glanced over her shoulder as she heard a twig crack not far from where she lay in a clearing at the edge of the forest, “Why are you out here all by yourself…?” Toph asked flopping down beside her, the older girl smiled slightly at her younger friend. “Oh, just to watch the sky as the stars come out… I love the night sky, it's so… calming.” She said slowly, Toph could sense her feelings of calmness and smiled as well. “Sometimes, I wish I could see some things… But I can get the same feeling you get, just by feeling how you feel through the earth. So we're opposites!” Toph said with a slight giggle, Akai smiled at her again. “… So do you know what's going on with Zuko?” She asked, Toph shook her head with a small frown.

 

“Sorry, I don't… I've only `seen' him twice now. What's he like and how do you know him?” She asked, Akai snorted slightly. “Well… Zuko and I were friends since childhood… My father and mother were both involved in the war, enemies that became lovers. She was of the Water Nation and he of the Fire Nation… Shortly after my mother gave birth to me the Fire Nation soldiers realized she and my father were in a relationship… She was killed on the spot and he and I were shipped back to the capital as prisoners, Lady Ursa would hear nothing of me being raised as a soldier so she took me in and taught me to be a maid and friend for Zuko and Azula. And my father was put to death for treason against the Fire Nation…” Toph sat up suddenly, her fists clenched in anger. “That's horrible breaking up a family for such a trivial reason! This war has gone too far!” She cried angrily sending a tree flying as she stamped her foot roughly, Akai placed a hand on her shoulder with a smile.

 

“It is a sad fate for my parents but I never knew them… And I would have never known Zuko either if it wasn't for their sad fate….” Toph nodded taking a deep breath to calm herself, “Yeah, I guess you're right, what was life like in the palace? Were you treated poorly as a servant or were you treated well? I am from a rich family so I was always pampered…” She said with a pout, Akai sighed laying back down her eyes half closed as she stared at the stars pondering on the question…

~

*Zuko: 6 Akai: 7*

“…. Zuko! Come back here!” Akai cried chasing after the younger boy, who was tracking mud in on the freshly clean floors from the courtyard. “No! You have to catch me first!” He cried sticking out his tongue at her, shaking her head slightly she tackled him to the ground and proceeded to give him a noogie powerful enough to take the hair tie right out of his hair. “Owwie… You didn't have to be so rough…” Zuko pouted rubbing at the top of his head, she glared at him in annoyance. “And you didn't have to be a jerk and track mud in all over the floors I just had to clean.”

 

The two children grew silent as the door beside them opened slowly, Lady Ursa stood framed in the doorway her arms crossed over her chest and a small smile pulled at her lips as she shook her head at the two of them. “Well… Look at this will you? Here is my son and his servant seated on the floor covered in mud!” She exclaims with a chuckle before kneeling beside them, “Zuko dear, have you seen Azula? I haven't been able to find her yet today and I've searched most of the palace…” The boy shook his head pouting slightly as his mother began to clean his dirty face off with her thumb, “It looks like you two need baths… Come on, let's go.” She said grabbing them both by the ears and hurrying them off towards the bathing chambers.

~

“When I was younger I was treated very well, Zuko and I were very close and Ursa often viewed me as a second daughter but… Azula and I weren't as close, and there were often problems between the two of us. When we were younger she didn't bother as much but as we got older she changed, becoming more and more like Ozai.” Toph nodded as she listened, “She's a grumpy hot head, that's for sure, and she's cruel to boot! I don't think I could have lived with her without killing her…” She said spinning a rock between her fingers before grinning. “So tell me more.”

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*Zuko: 12 Akai: 13 Azula: 10*

 

Akai grinned at Zuko as he fell back onto his haunches in exhaustion, “I'll never get the hang of this…” He said his eyes blurring with tears as he tried to hold back his tears, “What are you saying? You're doing fine! You've made a lot of progress lately, and if you keep trying I'm sure you can get it right!” She said with a smile, offering him a hand to help him to his feet. “Heh, Zuzu? Get anything right? Don't make me laugh!” Azula baited her arms crossed over her chest a smug smirk smeared across her features, “You're just an embarrassment for father; he tells the other noblemen that mother must have cheated on him with another man because there's no way that you're of his blood!” She jeered watching Zuko's expression carefully her eyes dancing with morbid glee, Akai stood up suddenly her eyes narrowed.

 

“….Back off Azula, and leave Zuko alone. Just because something comes more difficultly to him doesn't mean he's any worse than you are at it. He has a lot more control of his chi and temper than you do.” She growled, the younger girl returned her glare. “Oh don't give me that rubbish and think just because I am younger than you that I will be tricked so easily… Ever notice I'm in the same class as you? Even though we're three years apart I am better than you at fighting, don't try to deny it… You're just jealous of me.” Azula hissed, her voice dripping with malice as she moved forward slowly, her hands moving as if itching to send fire flying into the face of her foe.

 

“Do you want to know why you're in the same class as me, Azula? Yes, you do have skills, I will admit that. But, you only have skills because your father spoils you and gives you more lessons than anyone in this kingdom… And he's pulled strings and ruined other people's lives just to make yours better. So next time, think before you open that big mouth of yours...”Akai responded, helping Zuko from where he sat on the ground. Azula glared harshly into the older girl's back her hands clenched into fists at her side, “Fine then! How about we see who's better?!” She cried sending a wave of flame towards her brother and Akai, the other firebender reacted quickly deflecting the flames easily with a principle blocking maneuver.

 

“An Agni Kai is supposed to start with both of the combatant's approval...” She growled as she began to set up for her counter attack using a small flurry of kicks and punches she'd learned from watching the pirates in one of the ports she'd visited with Iroh. Azula was taken back when the elder girl began to move in almost a dance-like form, making her movements quick and unpredictable. Her blue eyes narrowed even further as she drew closer to her opponent, “Give up now, I can see it in your eyes. You don't know what I'm going to do…. And it scares you, doesn't it?” She said smoothly as she aimed a powerful punch towards Azula's stomach. The younger girl doubled over in pain, and was soon vomiting where she stood. “Oh, and you need to travel and get experience too. That would never be taught here in the academy, it's based off of a water bending style used out at sea… That's why you didn't recognize it.”

 

“Akai… Where did you learn that?” Zuko asked in awe, she smiled at him ruffling his hair slightly. “When Iroh took me out with him once, I met a group of Pirates and they taught me those moves. Do you want to learn them to?” She asked he nodded eagerly, Akai and Zuko turned to leave but were stopped as they noticed Ozai approaching. “What's going on here?” He asked glaring at his son and the servant. Azula raised her head slowly, “Father…? Is that you? Oww… That wretch of a slave hurt me father! I was just trying to train Zuzu a little and she attacked me!” She cried in a pitiful voice, Ozai glared at the two children before him. “Is this true?” He asked his eyes narrowing further as they bore into Zuko. “Uh… Um, Father…” The boy stuttered trying to think of a way to explain the situation so his father would believe him and he would not have to face the powerful bender's wrath.

 

“…. Yes, it's true. Forgive me, Lord Ozai…” Akai said bowing before the towering figure of a man, Ozai's features hardened. “You dirty urchin… You dare after all that our family has done for you, go and attack my daughter?! Neither of you two will speak to this creature as a friend again, is this understood?” He growled, his children nodded watching with mixed emotions as Ozai grabbed Akai by her hair and dragged her into the palace.

 

“… Azula… I hate you.” Zuko growled before running into the palace to go and find Ursa, the said sister smiled; her amber eyes dancing with a cruel cunning. She wiped the edge of her mouth with her sleeve and rose slowly, “Hmm that went well… Didn't it?” She said smirking as she also headed towards the palace leaving the small courtyard in silence; a small bird having been the only other witness to the events that had taken place.

~

Toph sat up completely her face darkened by her anger, “Argh! I hate her! What did he do to you??” She asked through grit teeth, Akai shrugged. “He beat me shitless to be honest, with a fire whip; there are scars all over my back from that incident… Zuko and I were also never to play together again…” She said in a quiet voice, Toph glanced down her unseeing eyes tearing up as she felt the deep sadness of her new friend through the earth.

 

“TOPH! AKAI! Oh… There you two are!” Sokka said glaring at the two girls, “Sokka, what are you? Our mothers? We can take care of ourselves you know!” Toph growled, threatening the hunter with a large rock. Akai chuckled lightly before giving the moon one last longing glance, “He's right, we should stay together Toph… With the Fire Nation occupying the Earth Kingdom there's no way for us to know if they've got any encampments out here…” She said in a serious tone, pushing past the two younger teens and heading back for camp. “Eh?? What's got her panties in a ruffle??” Sokka asked, Toph feigned throwing the rock at him making him flinch. “Nothing… Don't bother her about it either ponytail.” She said smiling sadly and handing him the rock before leaving him confused in the small clearing.