Chapter warnings: Parental emotional abuse, mentions of physical abuse, Pieces of Reika's backstory, broken family dynamics, Listen to Nice Cinderella by Anna Kendrick to understand Reika a bit more  ♡

•Flashback in Reika's POV•

In the fire nation, the sun is most powerful. It's golden rays beam so brightly that even the red curtains draping against the windowsill prove no match for the insufferable light. I never liked it, how bright everything felt, it was so intense, so harsh.

The people of the fire nation usually have eyes ranging from the darkest of coffee brown's to the lightest and brightest of champagne golds, however the latter end was far more unique. Such stunning eyes were usually reserved for people of the royal family; much like prince Zuko.

His eyes have always been absolutely breathtaking, pools of honey gold that gleam brilliantly against the sun, eyes fitting of a true prince, eyes fitting of a boy born with the divine right to be the future fire lord!

Regardless, the people of the fire nation all have eyes that are fitting for a place like this. Their eyes scream power, their eyes don't cower against the harsh lights, their eyes glisten and prosper under the sun's golden glow! Like they were meant for this Nation!

On the other hand I-

My situation's always been quite complicated.

"Ouch!" I wince, pressing my palms against my sensitive eyes and cowering away from the intense glare of the sun. "C-countess Rei! Be careful you don't want to rub at your eyes before your mother gets here! They'll get puffy!" One of the maids tending to me fretted, glancing wearily at the door before returning to me.

"I'm sorry but the sun's so bright! It hurt a little" I pouted, shrugging my small shoulders once one of the younger maids left my side to cover up the windows a bit more, subsequently protecting me from the light.

The maids all glanced at each other, amusement in their looks from my childish complaint.

"Yes well, you know how your mother feels about you covering your eyes like that" One of the older servants gave me a knowing look, walking towards me with satin red ribbons in her hand; clearly meant for my hair.

Once again I shrugged, the pout on my lips dissolving into a curious look as I stared at myself through the mirror.

My icy blue eyes contrasted greatly to just about everything in the room, the snowy and glimmering shade standing strong against the passionate scarlets of my gown in an everlasting battle.

My eyes don't fair too well in a nation like this.

They're delicate, specifically fragile under the harsh glare of the fire nation's sun. In fact, it'd get so bad that my mother often played up the situation, insisting that I walk around with a richly crafted oil paper umbrella to help bring shade to my face whenever the sun was a little too bright.

On the surface, it's a motherly act. One of caution and care, she wanted to protect my eyes and help me feel comfortable!

But many of the adults knew better. That woman, my mother only ever saw me as a doll. Her real life porcelain doll who'd only ever be good for playing dress up and parading around such a beautiful face.

"Yeah, I know" I sighed lightly, my shoulders sagging by my sides as one of the maids brushed through my loose hair. The silky black strands are probably the only part of me that resemble the rest of my family, as they've all got the same sharp dark eyes and resilient skin that are typical to the people of the fire nation.

Suddenly, at the sound of the door opening my shoulders tense. It was as if all of the air has been sucked out of the room, the maids no longer sported amused smiles and shut their lips as tightly as they could as they focused on their tasks, and my posture quickly springs upward.

Just like I was always taught, my eyes zero forward into the mirror, my hands clasped together on my lap, my head raised and my back straightened with a dancer-like posture.

"Oh my precious doll look at you! Maybe today you'll catch prince Zuko's eye, those ribbons look lovely"

Precious doll, not her precious daughter.

Silly mother, I've always had prince Zuko's eye with or without these stupid dresses!

My mother's red lips twisted into a smirk at the sight of my flushed cheeks, and I winced slightly when one of the maid's tugged a particular part of my hair a bit too tightly by accident.

"Hello mother, I-I actually wanted to play with Mai today." I say meekly, my crystalline eyes following my mothers figure from my vanity's mirror. She's pacing around behind me, her rich red robes flowing elegantly behind her with every step she takes.

None of the maids make a peep in my mothers presence, though from the mirror I catch some of them share knowing looks of concern.

"Mai hm? Don't bother her too much, she's a good girl who wants to be with her friends Azula and Ty Lee, and she knows how to behave accordingly. You my sweet doll, don't."

"I don't?" I frown, my pink lips forming into a pout once more. I was only a child after all.

"No, you don't." She never offered an explanation as she probably never had one to begin with. I was raised with her backhanded love, so I barely flinched at her tone.

Still, it stung to hear.

To say I felt disheartened would be putting it lightly, as I've only ever wanted to get along with my sister and her friends. Even princess Azula! Though, the young princess was always so cruel to me; I'd probably just get in the way of their fun...

And Mai was always better than me, everyone always seemed to think so. She was smarter than me, well behaved, a good fighter, and most importantly, quiet.

And yet, I always thought I was somewhat like her too!

I may not be the smartest, but I'm still smart!! And I'm well behaved! I'm a good girl who does everything my mother asks me too! And no, I'm not a good fighter at all...But I've never been given the chance! I want to be given the chance so badly, to maybe impress Mai and garner her affections!

And again, most importantly, I'm also quiet.

I never speak out of line, I never speak unless spoken to, I always bow my head and lower my eyes whenever I'm with any of my parent's friends-

I'm good! I'm good just like Mai is! I swear by it!

My attention is promptly brought back to the maids, pouting lightly when one of them holds a dangling piece of jewelry to my ear. It glitters and twinkles at every movement, a luxurious piece of art to be worn by only the richest of young girls.

Young girls like me, a politician's daughter.

I cringed however, noting how heavy those earrings most be. Although they look delicate, they're made of pure gold and encrusted with hundreds of small precious stones; I grow anxious at the thought of having to wear them all day.

Not even princess Azula wears stuff like this!! And she's the princess!

Azula's a fighter though. She's amazingly talented, gifted by the fire spirits with an unbelievable skill set as a fire bender! She gets to wear the esteemed powerful outfits of the highest ranking warriors and true fire nation royalty, my own sister and Ty Lee gets to wear those cool outfits too!

I on the other hand...I'm just...I'm just pretty. I suppose.

There's not much else to me, it's all I've ever been! At least, it's what I've always been told. So i'm not allowed to wear the same type of clothing that they can, limited only to the finest of dresses and prettiest accessories money could find!

At the thought, I held back a sigh as the maid hesitantly put the heavy earrings on me. I found myself almost complaining at the way it hurt to have them on just like I expected them to.

"Beauty is pain dear, remember that " My mother coo'd from behind me, smiling at the sight of me from the mirror. I gulped, bowing my head in complete submission; ignoring the pain ringing in my ears and the discomfort from my gown weighing heavily on my mind.

I hate this

••In the Palace gardens••

Gently, my fingertips graze atop of the water's crystalline surface. The scarlet red fabrics of my dress flow out and around my body; contrasting wonderfully against the lush green grass of the palace gardens.

I must look like a fallen rose, aching for water as my head leans on the prestigious marble fountain; soft eyes trained on the trickling droplets sparkling against the suns rays from above.

This is the only place that's blue in this nation, the only place that could ever soothe my soul whilst turbulent thoughts flow through my mind.

My mother left me to my own devices after greeting me in my vanity room this morning, making sure she liked the way I looked before nodding and walking off, leaving my ten year old self alone once again. There was no sight of my father or Mai, as my father was usually off attending meetings with the Fire Ford, and Mai was usually away with her friends.

I sighed to myself, pitifully pulling my hand away from the fountain's water.

I'm terribly bored, I wish Mai and I were friends! Maybe we would play tag! She'd beat me every time, I'm sure of it, but it'd be so fun! Or maybe we could do each others make up! Or maybe we could play with my dolls! Actually we could-

"Reika! There you are!" My body tenses against the ground at the sound of my full name is uttered out into the hot air, but I quickly ease up, knowing there's just one person in this entire universe who calls me by that name.

"Prince Zuko?" I wonder out loud, sitting up from the fountain and smiling shyly at the sight of the Fire Nation's prince jogging up to me. He makes a face when I regard him that way, and before I know it he's sitting down right across from me.

His dark hair is pulled away from his face in that signature ponytail he often dons, and he's currently wearing that traditional red training gear I always see him in.

"You promised me you wouldn't call me that! And I get to call you Reika in return!" He huffed, no real anger beneath his golden eyes as he crossed his legs to sit comfortably. 

I smiled at him then, a soft blush on my face. He just looked so sweet, his eyes a beautiful molten gold shade, his smile bright and promising like a true prince, his skin gleaming with the sun's glow, everything about him was so dreamy!

"Right, I'm sorry Prince- I mean, Zuko" I say, my smile turning to soft giggles when he sheepishly looks away from me.

"Right, well I wanted to give you something, I was looking everywhere for you but I should've already known you were at the fountain!" He tells me, his eyes wide with excitement. He's been running around the entire morning looking for me, with his mother's encouragement of course. 

It's only then that I realize he's been holding something behind his back the entire time, hiding it from my view to successfully surprise me.

"Oh? What is it?" I ask curiously, leaning towards him in pure intrigue. He grows a bit meek, almost embarrassed to show me what he'd been hiding behind his back, awfully nervous for my reaction to it all.

But he caught a glance at the jewelry dangling from my ears, the same earrings I've been whining over for the past two weeks. He knew they hurt me, he also never understood why my mother insisted that I always wore them. My sister Mai didn't even have her ears pierced yet!

With a newfound confidence, he gingerly shows me the box in his hand. It was small and square shaped, a pretty and perfect red bow placed on top of the lid; waiting to be unwrapped. My eyes widen, and I glance at him with even more confusion than before.

"I-Is this a gift for me?" I gawk, feeling an embarrassing heat wash over my face. Oh my gosh, I must be blushing so hard right now!

Zuko was in no better shape, if the color of his cheeks were anything to go by right now. But as the headstrong prince was indeed headstrong, he managed to push through his sheepish feelings and nod with an air of confidence. "Yep, open it! I think you'll like it. My mom helped me pick it out"

My jaw dropped at his words "Q-Queen Ursa did?!" I squeak out, brain malfunctioning at the news. he doesn't answer, pushing the box in my hands firmly. "Just open it Reika!" He urges, confidence wavering once more as I blink at him, unmoving.

I sighed, shaking my head "You didn't have to get me anything Zuko" I say, truly flustered as I gently unlace the ribbon bow and lift the boxes lid. From the corner of my eyes I could see him hitch his breath in anticipation.

I can't help but gawk at the sight beneath me.

••Flashback Ends••

"Rei? Here Rei I think you dropped your earring" I gasp, twirling around to meet Katara's worried face. Rattled by the sight of her just standing there, I wearily glance down at her palm and instinctively go to touch my ear at the sight of the sparkling ruby stud.

"Y-Yeah that's mine" I breath out, gingerly taking the earring and holding it closely to my chest within a close fist. Katara watches me closely, all the more curious at my bizarre behavior.

"It's beautiful! I've never seen a ruby like that- Well, ever. But those are amazing!" She tries complimenting me, the kindness in her eyes telling me she's being genuine. Still though, I can't bring myself to even fake a smile.

There's a longing etched in my heart, carved out by the prince of my nation, the same prince who gifted me these earrings years ago.

The authentic Ruby studs were simple in nature, just a pair of sparkling stones that brought a twinkle to my face without the heaviness that came with all the other jewelry my mother drowned me in from time to time.

I don't think I've ever seen Zuko smile more than the day he first saw me wearing them, and ever since they've been apart of my daily routine.

I always wear these earrings! Even when times were rough, even when I was hungry and alone in my time away from home, I never dared trying to sell them.

Although I'd be given a hefty sum of money for a pair of such precious stones, I wouldn't be able to part with them!

As much as it hurts to think about, they remind me of home. More so, they remind me of him.

"Thank you, Katara" My tone's a bit sharp now, a dull ache in my heart piercing through me since I've been reminded of my prince. 

Her eyes widened, as if surprised to hear me thank her at all. But of course, her kind nature led her to a smile, one that forced me to swallow down my discomfort at her willingness to interact with me.

I turn away from her, blinking into a mirror as I gingerly put on the fallen earring. I try not to let my memories get the best of me as I watch myself, remembering all of the times as I child I'd sit in my room and gaze into a mirror as maids did my hair and fretted over my clothes.

Like a real life doll.

Bitterly, my eyes narrow into my own reflection. What would my mother, no, that woman do if she saw me now?

My hair is still long, grazing against my hip bones and a glossy black in color and my cheeks are a bit sunken in, a sign of malnourishment as I haven't been eating properly for years now.

A small scar could be found at the highest point of my right cheekbone, though it's so faint and faded that'd you'd have to be very close to see it. My eyes are still that same snowy blue, Ironically blending in with my surroundings as I'm stood in a room made of ice.

The realization almost spooks me! I'm no longer in the fire nation, my eyes don't clash against anything here! In fact, I feel almost soothed.

After a moment's worth of silence, my eyes are still trained on my own face as I start to wonder if Katara's left the room.

"Are you...Are you alright by the way? Ever since we've made it to the North Pole you shut yourself in here! And you had that cloak on so none of the tribe members saw your face when we arrived. What's that all about?" She couldn't help but ask, her gloved hands gesturing wildly around the spacious room we've been granted as honorary guests of the North Pole.

Ah, so she didn't leave.

"I never wanted to show my face here" I admit to her, slowly turning from the mirror to face Katara once again, leaving my reflection behind.

She blinks at me, maybe even cautiously. Good, she should be cautious around strangers.

"Why?" She persisted, stepping closer.

My gaze drops from her face to the ground, feeling myself bring up emotional walls at the question. Walls made of metal, sure to never bend or break.

Processing everything that's happened to me thus far, It's been difficult, to say the least.

Although I never expected to wake up on top of a sky bison in the presence of the avatar, (A person who was believed to be Long gone from this world in the form of a child!) I never expected to wake up, period!

The day Aang and his group found me, I surely thought I was going to die. It was around a week ago but I could remember every single detail from those last terrifying moments like it was happening right in front of my eyes! 

 There was so much fire, so many innocent lives screaming in desperation, the battle troops of the fire nation were ruthless; and I was none the wiser thinking I could defend myself in such a chaotic situation.

I don't think the troops that day were set out to find me specifically. After all, I've been banished from the Fire Nation, and it was my own fathers doing. I'll never forget his last words to me

"Go live a quiet life, forget about us, we'll forget about you. We only have one daughter, and it isn't you. Please, make this easy for me"

And just like that, I was tossed aside like trash on the side of the road. My own parents turned away from me, my father, my biological father was ironically colder than ice despite being a fire bender himself. And my own sister-

All she did was stare at me when I was beat half to death and dropped near some random town in the earth kingdom.

It was the last time I ever saw her, three years ago when we were only thirteen.

It was also the last thing I ever remembered before waking up in that same small town, Mai's cold, unmoving face.

Regardless of the fact, I stayed in that small town for years, working as a florist in a quaint shop as the village accepted me as one of their own. None of the civilians knew my past, nobody even realized I was originally born in the fire kingdom.

Luckily for me, all they knew was that I was a young girl found near the village gates and heavily injured; and it was enough for me to be taken in.

But then after three years of supposed peace, the fire nation returned with flames hotter than hell itself; they tore the village to the ground and I was caught amidst the crossfires as I tried to help a group of children escape.

I thought that I was going to die that day for the second time in my short life, but of course, fate had other plans for me and I ended up waking up in the avatar's presence on top of a flying bison!

It's all a little too much to take in. In fact, I don't even think I ever really sat down and processed what my own family did to me! It's been three years and my wounds still feel so fresh! It's an ache in my heart that I don't think will ever heal, no matter how badly I want to fix it...

And to think, this all started because I asked my father one question. One stupid, morbidly curious question.

"Father, why are only my eyes blue?"

The question haunts me to this day, and some parts of me wish I never asked it. However, if I never asked the question, I wouldn't have ever known my truth.

My mother- Well, my supposed mother hadn't truly birthed me. Biologically, I wasn't hers. It made lots of sense.

My eyes, my personality, my smile, my affinity towards water were all large indicators towards my true identity. And well, it all finally came together when my father sat me down one day and told me the truth.

I was the product of an affair.

My birth mother was from the northern water tribe, and that was all he ever told me.

He never specified anything, never even bothered to tell me the name of my birth mother or what happened to her. I was twelve when I found out, and he could barely look me in the eye as he spoke.

What I learned wasn't enough to kick me out of the family officially, and I wasn't allowed make a big ruckus either. After all, my father had appearances to worry over as a political figure in the fire nation. A bastard child like myself would end his career!

And yet, he kept me around. To this day I'm not sure why he ever decided to, in the end he left me for dead and got rid of me, but why did he ever keep me in the first place when I was a baby?

I was kept on an even tighter leash by my family after I learned of my 'tainted' bloodline to make sure I never stepped out of line or exposed the truth to outsiders, but that didn't stop my blooming curiosity. 

The same curiosity that wrecked my life and tore me away from everything I've ever known!

The same curiosity that helped me discover something on that fateful summer night. I was not only the daughter of a water tribe member, but I was also a water bender myself.

The rest was history, my heart hurts too much to be able to relive any of it ever again but-

The day my family leaned of my water bending was the day they decided to get rid of me permanently. It was cruel, heartless, and the reason I can't trust anyone today, and also the reason I feel so odd here in the North Pole.

I cant believe it. This is my birth mother's homeland! What if she's here?! What if I have family here? What if-

I sigh, solemnly shaking my head. Even if I did have family here, would they even want me? The ones who raised me couldn't bare the sight of me, how could the one who abandoned me love me at all?

"Rei?" Katara frowned, watching my internal battle in concern.

"I want to thank you and Aang and your brother for saving me. The fire nation was ruthless and I would've died if it weren't for you. But I'm afraid we'll have to part ways. I don't want to be here, I want to be alone." the words fall from my lips without a second thought, and I wrap my coat closely around my body. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism? 

I'm not too sure, all I knew was that being here in the North Pole brings back too many open wounds, and I'm terrified. Terrified of learning more, no matter how madly I wanted my curiosity to be quenched; I couldn't help but remember what happened to me the last time I pushed my luck and asked too many questions. 

My family already shattered my heart once, How could I depend on anybody to never do it again? 

Katara remains silent, her brows furrowed in concern as I gazed out of a window. 

The North Pole is truly a beautiful place, chillingly cold, and enchanting all at once. Dare I say; a part of me feels like it's home. At the thought, I have to ignore the longing lodged in my chest.

 I want to meet my birth mother. The one who grew up in these winter lands and held an entirely different culture to the one I was raised in, but my own traumas inhibit me from reaching out. 

Hell, where would I even start the search for her? 

I'm currently in the capital city, Agna Qel'a, is notable for being made almost entirely out of ice. Even though much of its territory encompasses largely inhospitable tundra terrain, the Northern Water Tribe always thrived in its isolation, and has grown into a major political and economical power, as I've learned in my schooling as a child. 

This massive stretch of arctic tundra covers most of the North Pole. The inland tundra is mostly mountainous and inhabited by a diverse fauna. This place is huge, a multitude of bustling civilizations right here at the northern end of the planet, how could I ever dream of meeting someone who even knew my mother? 

I sigh, my gaze locked onto the picturesque image outside the window. There's a wide river that flows down into the ocean. It's lined with buildings and everything appears to be made of ice and snow. There are four holes coming out from the building on the right hand side, with water pouring out of them into the river. 

This is truly the capital. 

What would've my life been like if I were raised here instead? Would I have ever crossed paths with Zuko? Would I have ever met my sister, Mai? Would I be happier? Would I have known the true love of a mother? 

The thoughts, no matter how terribly I want them gone, continue to circle around my brain. 

God, being here in person is like a fever dream. 

"They're holding a feast for Aang, wouldn't you'd like to come? We could drop you off back in the earth kingdom lands after we finish here, if that's what you'd really want." Katara offers, her voice gentle. 

Ironically, she sort of sounds like what I'd imagine an actual mother to sound like. Queen Ursa spoke in that soft gentle tone to Zuko all the time. 

I don't know if I'm just not in the right Frame of mind, or if I genuinely want to go out and enjoy a feast, or if I want to possibly have some normal human interactions for once in my cursed life, but I find myself slowly nodding to Katara's offer. 

A feast! A nice dinner that could help me get my mind off things. Then I'll be gone, and I could pretend this never happened!

What could go wrong? 

╭━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━✶━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━╮

Hello my lovely readers! Omg what'd you think about this chap? 

If you have any confusions about Reika's story so far, ask away and I'll be sure to clarify and answer!! (Sorry if this chap felt a little confusing ahh)

So, what are your opinions so far on Reika's character?

What'd you think about her flashback at the beginning of the chapter with her 'mother' who only ever treated her like a doll? 

And omg, what'd you think about the reveal that Michi isn't truly Rei's mother? 

For clarification, Reika's mother was a woman from the northern water tribe. She was born from an affair with her fire nation politician father and mysterious water tribe mother. 

So what do you think happened to Reika's birth mother? 

And why did her father keep her despite having been born from an affair? 

Moving on, omg thoughts on Reika and Zuko?! Do you have any guesses about their relationship?

Any opinions on his lil gift for her? Ruby earrings that she still wears today! 

How do you think they'll react to seeing each other again? 

Also, do you think Reika is really going to part with Aang's group? 

Or do you think they'll grow closer and she'll stick around? (More Reika and Aang's group next chap I promise lol!)

And omg, what'd you guys think about Reika's vague backstory abt how she was banished from the fire nation?! (Detailed flashbacks will come later in the story!) 

Thoughts on her and Mai now? They haven't spoken in years, and Mai never said anything when Rei was taken away :(

If you have any extra thoughts, opinions, or predictions make sure to lmk in the comments! You know I love reading them!

Tysm for reading, and as always I'll see you all next chap! ♡