Prompt me?

[lizbee]

It's a nice Sunday, and I'm going to want some distraction from the room-cleaning I have planned for my near future. Plus, I produced three fanworks for the white_lotus Lunar New Year festival, and found that this prompting business did good things for my brain.

So, give me an Avatar prompt and I'll write a minimum of 50 words of fic from it. And hopefully, eventually, clean my room.

Comments

[mystefaction]

Zuko, surprised by someone/thing.

[lizbee]

Self-indulgently, this is a sequel to this fic.


Family Reunion


Yu Ling was halfway into the kitchen when she realised there was a stranger at her mother's table.

Strangers came to her mother's school all the time -- to ask for lessons, usually, but sometimes to complain because she was teaching poor Lower Ring people how to read. Her mother received them in her little office; they were never, ever brought into the part of the little compound that was their home.

Except, of course, for the old man a few weeks ago, the tea-seller. He had stayed to dinner, and told funny stories until Yu Ling went to bed.

After that, she had heard raised voices coming from the kitchen, and her mother had promised Yu Ling the next day that they wouldn't see him again.

This stranger was a young man, and he was staring at Yu Ling, eyes darting from her face to her hands, her hairline, even her ears. For a second, she hovered in the doorway, tempted to flee, but then she felt a burst of anger at his rudeness and returned it in kind, staring frankly at the scar that covered half his face, only partially concealed by his long, loose hair.

"Who," he said, and stopped.

"Yu Ling," said her mother. It wasn't an introduction, though, because her next words were, "you're covered in dirt."

So she had to explain about the boys from Ba Sing Se Academy, who clustered at the fence of their school and earthbended dust and small stones at the students from the Avatar Kyoshi School as they went past.

"Because they think the school shouldn't be in the Upper Ring, because it takes scholarship students from all the rings," she finished. "And some of the others at my school agree, and blame us because they all get dirt chucked at them." And others went and bended rocks right back at the boys, including Yu Ling's friend Seong-shin. And Yu Ling had followed, throwing rocks with her own hands, until their headmistress had appeared, and she had fled with the rest.

Belatedly, she put her hands, with the tell-tale dirt under the fingernails, behind her back.

The stranger said, "You let her run around alone?"

"I didn't realise she'd get into a class war between school and home. I don't exactly have the Imperial guard to hand." Her mother regarded her with -- disappointment? Anger? ...Amusement? And said, "Go wash yourself up and put on some clean clothes."

When she returned, her mother was making tea. The stranger stood as Yu Ling entered.

"Yu Ling," said her mother, resting her hands on Yu Ling's shoulders, "this is Zuko. Your older brother."

Very gently, her mother gave her a push, and Yu Ling made the bow required of a younger sibling to the older. The stranger -- her brother -- Zuko -- returned it.

"I'm honoured to meet you, Yu Ling," he said. "When my uncle said I'd find my mother here, he--" his glance flicked to Yu Ling's - their mother -- "neglected to mention one small detail."

"I made him promise." Yu Ling's mother poured the tea. "Of course, he also said he wouldn't tell you right away where I was."

"That," Zuko looked faintly sheepish, "was sort of my fault. I mean, I ordered him to tell me."

Yu Ling was watching their mother. Her lips tightened.

"You've been gone for eight years," he snapped. "The war has been over for two. You could have come home any time."

"Zuko," said their mother, "do you really think that?"

Zuko's gaze rested on Yu Ling for a moment. She straightened, trying not to slurp her tea, or stare too much at his scar.

"I guess not," he said softly.

"It would have put you in an untenable position. And Yu Ling."

"Another heir--"

"Another legitimate child of Ozai, young enough to be--" their mother's jaw tightened and her voice was clipped, "taken and turned into a figurehead for a rebellion."

"Are you a firebender?" Zuko asked her.

"Yes," said Yu Ling, "I know all the basic forms up to the third level. Only I can't practice too much, or people will notice." The high walls of their compound protected them from most angles, but there was an even higher tenement next door.

"Her training has become rather stunted," their mother said. "But she shows great promise." In a wistful tone she said, "I would like to see her have a proper master."

Zuko leaned back, absently rubbing his scar. Yu Ling watched him, wondering. His hands were tan and calloused, but not damaged from work, and his clothes, though simple, were better than even the very richest students at her school wore. He wore a ring of gold and jade on one hand. It caught the light as he pushed his hair out of his face.

"Oh," said Yu Ling, realising at last. "You're the Fire Lord."

"...Yes?" he said awkwardly.

She stood up, staring at their mother.

"Who are you?"

When she was small, she had discovered that she and her mother were firebenders, hiding in the Earth Kingdom because -- her mother had never properly explained why, except that it was to do with family, and no one could ever know who they were. Then they had come to Ba Sing Se, where Yu Ling won a scholarship to her Upper Ring school and her mother had begun to teach the adults and children of the Lower Ring.

For the first time, Yu Ling realised that she was seven years old, and had no idea who her family really were.

Except that she was the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai, and the sister of Fire Lord Zuko, and---

And she must also be sister to Princess Azula, who had captured the city herself. Seon-Shin's father had been a Dai Li agent; now he sat at home and drank and talked incoherently of the bitch fire princess who had destroyed them from within.

"Yu Ling," her mother said, reaching for her.

"Get away from me!"

She didn't mean to firebend, not really, but when the flames rose, she didn't stop them. For a moment it was satisfying to indulge her anger. Her mother's cry of pain broke the spell. Zuko grabbed Yu Ling by her arm, but she wrenched out of his grip and fled into the courtyard, crying.

The sun was setting when Zuko found her at last, in the very farthest corner, behind the stable. He sat beside her on the ground.

"Mom's fine," he said. "You hardly burned her at all."

Hardly at all wasn't the same as nothing. Yu Ling wiped her eyes.

"I always thought it was pretty rough, growing up in this family. I never imagined what it'd be like, just finding out you were part of it."

Yu Ling shifted, putting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just wanted--" He laughed. "I thought that if I could find my mother and bring her home, everything would be easy." He put his arm around Yu Ling. "She doesn't even want to come home. She's worse than Uncle. Half the Fire Nation Royal Family is doing peasant work in Be Sing Se."

He sounded amused.

"So this is what we've worked out," he continued. "You're going to keep on living here, you going to your school, Mom running hers. I'm going to ask Uncle to teach you firebending at the Fire Nation Embassy. It's close to your school, and private. And he's a good teacher."

"A proper teacher?" Yu Ling asked.

"He taught me."

She squinted at him in the semi-darkness.

"Are you good?"

"...More or less," he said, and hurried on. "Mom's going to visit the Fire Nation sometimes. Mostly unofficially, to see -- do you know about Azula? My -- our sister?"

"Some of the girls at school say you killed her."

She felt him flinch.

"No," he said. "She's alive, but sick. In her mind. Mom wants to see her. I don't know how that'll go, but I'm not going to stop her from trying."

Yu Ling swallowed a stab of jealousy.

"Am I supposed to be a princess?" she asked.

"If you want."

"I get a choice?"

Zuko shrugged. "I offered to return Uncle Iroh's titles to him when I took power. He said he'd rather stick with the titles he earned."

"Oh."

"You don't have to decide right away. Mom's right, the court would eat you alive at this stage. You can come visit -- I have lots of friends, no one would notice another Earth Kingdom girl -- and meet Mai -- my wife -- and see how you like it."

"What if I want to--"

"Be named in the succession? We can do that. You'd have duties, tasks. A royal prince or princess makes a pretty handy ambassador, when we need one. That's what the history scrolls say, anyway. The last few generations have concentrated on the army. You could marry a rich or powerful man. Your children would be nobles."

Yu Ling thought of the boys at Ba Sing Se Academy and wrinkled her nose.

"Or you can go unacknowledged, and have your own career, and your own choices. Less power, but more freedom." He squeezed her shoulder. "Either way, you're my sister, and I'll look after you."

He stood up, pulling her to her feet.

"Come on," he said, "Mom said she was making dinner, and I've never seen her cook a meal in my life."



end

[mystefaction]

I came so close to asking for Scribe-verse. Thank you!

[lizbee]

OH, GOOD! Hurray!