Again and Again

by bip2

Summary:

After Aang is killed by Ozai, the world is thrown out of balance. Dying from the lightning wound that Azula gave him, Zuko is sent back in time to fix things.

He wakes up the night before his first Agni Kai, and every time he dies the loop resets.

Notes:

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enjoy the fic guys :)

Chapter 1: The Awakening

After Azula struck Zuko with lightning, the last Prince of the Fire Nation never woke up. In a way, it was a mercy. While the gaping wound in his chest was healed by Katara’s glowing hands, the Earth Kingdom burned.

When the Avatar died, people all across the world watched one last brilliant ray of orange light shoot up into the sky. Without exchanging words, Toph, Sokka, and Suki stayed standing on one of the falling airships. Their hands were linked together, the wind whipping away the tears from their faces as they fell to their deaths. Aang had failed to restore balance to the world.

Katara saw the heavens light up with orange all the way in the Fire Nation Palace and she knew what had occurred. The world’s last hope, her closest friend, had lost. She felt her heart shatter, and she gripped Zuko’s hands in hers as she grieved. Perhaps had the last waterbender from the South had been given time to collect herself, none of this would have happened. If the chains holding Azula had just been a little stronger, Katara and Zuko might have escaped to form a resistance movement and take on Aang’s mission.

But that is not what happened.

Though Azula’s mind no longer functioned rationally, she still had enough wits to realize what the orange light meant. Orange the color of hot flames, the symbol of her people, had blazed so high into the sky that she could see them despite their source being in the Earth Kingdom. Paying no regard to the damage done to her wrists, Azula blasted fire from her feet and ripped herself off the grate that Katara had chained her to.

In a single bound, Azula landed on the two and set off the hottest blaze of blue fire that she’d ever released. Despite having lost the Agni Kai, the Fire Princess ensured that they all burned together in one giant blue ball of fire.

_______

With a sharp inhale Zuko snapped open his eyes only to be met with the darkness of his room in the Palace. He looked around uneasily, a hand drifting to his chest expecting to be met with bandages from the wound Azula had given him, only to touch the soft silk of his pajamas.

There wasn’t any pain, his chest felt smooth in the dark, almost as if he’d never been hit with lightning. When he’d moved, Zuko felt his hair brush his shoulders. It was much longer than it’d been the last time he was awake.

Though he wasn’t on the Avatar’s side when Aang had woken up after the fall of Ba Sing Se, Zuko had heard the story. Aang had slept in a coma-like state for weeks after Katara had healed him, and had woken up when they were already infiltrating the Fire Nation. Since it had been Azula to bring down the Avatar, it made sense to Zuko that he had slept long enough for his hair to grow out and for the wound to heal. Both Aang and him had been hurt by the same lightning after all.

Interrupting his thoughts, Zuko’s stomach growled loudly in the night. He rolled out of bed on unsteady legs, for some reason his limbs felt weird like he wasn’t used to moving them. The blankets pooled to the floor behind him as he opened his door into the empty corridor outside of his bedroom. Red draperies and carpets reminding Zuko of his youth looked as if they hadn’t changed since he’d been a child.

The first time that Zuko had been in the palace since his banishment, the whole place had felt alien to him. Three years around the world had changed the prince completely, whereas his home stayed the same.

Letting his eyes adjust to the lack of light, Zuko softly slinked his way to the palace kitchens in the shadows. Remaining hidden while sneaking around at night had been a habit ingrained in him due to fear of being caught by the palace servants, or even worse: Azula.

Once he arrived, Zuko wasted no time preparing himself a simple meal of jok. He let his hands follow the routine motions of filling the pot with water and rinsing the rice, his mind drifting to other things. Uncle had taken the time to teach him the recipe during their time at Ba Sing Se, before they’d been tricked into coming to the Earth King’s Palace by Azula. Zuko chopped his vegetables and skinned his ginger, trying to remember anything before he’d woken up. The last thing he remembered was taking the bolt meant for Katara, and the soothing feeling of being healed with water.

While he waited for his jok to cook, Zuko’s eyes fell closed. He breathed in and out, letting his heartbeat slow and making every flame in the kitchen rise and fall in time with his breath. Zuko was sure that his friends had won, even if he hadn’t been awake to see it. Otherwise, why else would he still be allowed to wander in the palace by himself.
Even though Zuko was confident in his friendship with the others, he couldn’t help but feel a little abandoned. Why had he woken up all alone? Surely one of them could have sat vigil by his bedside while he recovered.

He let one hand run through his longer hair absentmindedly; no, Zuko thought, I must have been asleep for far too long. They had ended the Hundred Year War, his friends were busy with creating peace treaties and subduing Fire Nation forces. He shouldn’t be selfishly expecting them to have waited for him to wake up, even if he was the only one who truly knew how the Fire Nation worked. At least they had Uncle with them, Zuko trusted the Dragon of the West to be more than capable of handling the Fire Nation while he was asleep.

So wrapped up in his thoughts, Zuko didn’t even notice the servant enter the kitchen until they nervously spoke up. Jumping slightly in surprise, Zuko didn’t notice as the flames in the lights and stove flared up as well.

“Your Highness, do you need something?” The man asked, his servant clothes obviously mussed from sleep. “I can cook you anything you desire, sir.”

“No, it’s okay.” Zuko said with a tired tone, “I was just hungry.”

It was odd, his voice sounded higher than he remembered it being. Maybe a change in pitch was due to him not speaking for weeks while he slept. He looked up at the servant’s face, wondering how tall the man must be to be able to look down on him without trying.

“Are you unable to sleep, sir?” The man looked at Zuko warmly, with a hint of worry in his eyes, “I can brew you a calming pot of tea. You need your rest for your Agni Kai tomorrow.”

What.

Zuko looked sharply at the man, his breathing speeding up in shock. His eyes narrowed as he tried to think of the implications of what the man just said, Zuko unintentionally glared at the servant as the open flames climbed higher and higher in his agitation. He would never know that to this servant, he’d never resembled a Fire Lord more than in that moment.

“E-excuse me sir, please I meant no offense.” The servant hastily bowed, feeling his knees shake at the potential fury of the Crown Prince. He should have known better than to tell a royal what to do.

Zuko stared at the man in horror, feeling his panic grow the longer he was in the kitchen. He fled into the shadows, leaving behind his food, and running the rest of the way back to his room.

A sinking feeling in his stomach, Zuko approached the mirror and lit up a small flame in his palm. His reflection stared back, his cheeks soft with baby fat and most conspicuously, his face absent of any scar.

Somehow, Zuko was 13 again and it was the night before his first Agni Kai. Not a single servant came to his room when his screams of anguish ripped through the night air, flames burst from his hands as he destroyed the mirror in front of him. This can’t be right, he thought, how did this even happen?

Chapter 2: The Second Agni Kai

Notes:

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Morning light shone through the windows in Zuko’s bedroom, his eyes fluttering open to see the underside of his bed from where he laid curled up on the floor. The smell of burnt fabric lingered in the air, and when Zuko turned his head he could see the damage wrought by his out of control flames. Groaning as he pulled himself upright, Zuko stared despairingly at the broken mirror shards littering the ground. 

 

Perhaps it had been naive of him, but Zuko had thought that he would have woken up normal, in a body that felt right to him, instead of this one that felt too small and soft to belong to him. Reaching a hand out, Zuko grabbed one of the larger shards and turned it over. 

It had been… a very long time since he had seen his face without the scar. Over the years since his banishment, Zuko had grown used to seeing the marred flesh in every reflection. He still hated the sight of it, and only recently had he lost the sense of shame that came every time he saw it. He traced the curve of his ear, his hearing had never been the same in his left ear since the Agni Kai. The slope of his eye no longer twisted up, he widened it and watched with satisfaction as it opened fully instead of being forced to stay narrow. The skin of his face was smooth, the feeling of it under his fingertips felt almost strange and he resisted the urge to turn the shard to the other side, to check if maybe he was being delusional. It felt abnormal to be able to see out of both eyes so clearly, his vision in the left eye had been extremely poor for years. The sun rose higher in the sky, as Zuko lost track of time looking at a version of himself that he thought he would never see again. 

 

A while later, a knock sounded on his door. Shaking his head, he resolved to put the issue of being thirteen again to the back of his mind. After all, it’s not like I can do anything to change what happens today, he thought. If he ran from the Agni Kai, then he’d be found by the palace guards and forced to fight it anyways. Zuko looked up to see a servant enter, carrying a tray with a familiar gold armband and trousers. 

 

“I apologize for interrupting you, Your Highness.” She said, her eyes widening as she took in the scorched ceiling and broken mirror, “It is time for you to prepare for your Agni Kai.” 

 

“It’s fine.” Zuko replied, trying to remember her name but failing, “Is it possible that you could do the preparations in here, or do we have to go to the Dressing Room?” 

 

“I’m sincerely sorry Prince Zuko, it is custom for the preparations to take place in a common area.” The servant took a few steps forward and placed the tray down on the floor next to him, “However, I could help you get dressed here instead, and we could do your hair outside.” 

 

“That would be wonderful, thank you.” Zuko stood up, letting go of the shard that he’d been holding as he suddenly realized his hand was wet with blood. The glass must have cut him when he was holding it without him realizing. 

 

“Your Majesty!” The servant looked askance at his bleeding hand, “I’ll call a nurse, that cut must be looked at right away.” 

 

Zuko watched her run to the door and alert whoever was outside that a nurse was needed in his room and winced. 

 

 “It’s okay, I’ve had worse.” He said, failing to stop her from making the call, “You don’t have to call a nurse, I can bandage it myself.”

 

She walked back to him, staring at the way his hand glistened scarlet in the light, “I must insist, Your Highness. Today is your first Agni Kai, you can’t afford to have anything distracting you.” 

 

Zuko acquiesced to her request, and moved to the dressing screen so he could get changed into what he would wear when he faced his father this afternoon. His father… Zuko thought, Angi, what was he going to do?  

 

______

 

The Fire Sages opened the doors into the courtyard, the crowd shifted in their seats as their Crown Prince entered. Wind rustled the fabric of their clothes as it blew across the stone, it moved the dark hair in the Prince’s ponytail as well. The line of his bare shoulders in the sun made some of them feel an inkling of shame. Thirteen was much too young for an Agni Kai, even if he was a prince. 

 

Prince Zuko turned away from the opposite doors, facing the way that he’d come in. The sun beat down on his skin, lending him Agni’s warmth and heightening his inner flame. High noon was the traditional time for an Agni Kai, the time when the Sun was directly overhead and firebenders were at their strongest. He stared down at the ground, looking at the stonework and feeling the smoothness of the rocks under his bare feet. 

 

A murmur ran through the crowd, on the opposite side of the stage, his father walked through the doors. Zuko still hadn’t decided what he was going to do when he turned around to see his father, different outcomes ran through his mind. Could he even firebend the way the Old Masters had taught him? Was he still stuck on basic katas or had he retained his skills from when he was sixteen? Damnit, he should have practiced before coming down here. 

 

The gong rang, it felt like the sound reverberated in his very bones. Taking a deep breath, Zuko turned around and looked his father dead in the eyes. 

 

It was a scene out of his nightmares, this moment had been something he’d relived night after night for years. Zuko had no idea how this was going to end, but he’d dreamt of dying on this stage countless times. Was he going to die? Is this why he was sent back in time? 

 

He fell to his knees, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders as his mind raced in panic. The familiar words rushed out of his mouth, Zuko knew them by heart. He didn’t even have to think as he begged his father not to hurt him, telling Ozai that he was his loyal son like that even mattered to the Fire Lord. 

 

“You will learn respect…” The shadow of his father’s hands descended towards his face, his heart beating in his chest like war drums, “And suffering will be your teacher.” 

 

The Dragon of the West looked away as his nephew’s face burned in his own brother’s hands, he couldn’t bear to watch. Princess Azula stared defiantly, feeling her mouth freeze into a smile as she realized that her father wasn’t stopping. Zuko wasn’t getting off with a small burn like she thought, his screams were the only sound filling the courtyard. Blood ran down her older brother’s neck, the smell of cooked meat and singed hair drifted on the wind. It didn’t make sense, she thought, there was no reason to kill Zuko when Grandfather had already died. The other nobles watched in horror, not quite believing what they were seeing. 

 

For Zuko, it felt like getting his burn this time hurt so much more than he’d remembered. He could feel his flesh melting, his burning eyelid gluing his eye shut as flames licked up his face and into his hair. His remaining eye stared up at his father, Zuko couldn’t even remember when his mouth had opened to scream. 

 

And then it was over, his father stepped away and nodded to the Fire Sages to signal that he had won the Agni Kai. Zuko’s vision filled with tears that he couldn’t control, his breathing speeding up as his face went numb with shock. The fires surrounding the stage flared up as Zuko reached out for them, falling onto his hands and knees as the pain wracked his body. This hadn’t happened the first time, he had fallen unconscious during it and had woken up later in the healing ward. 

 

Fire Lord Ozai paused in his steps away from his son, perhaps the pathetic whelp was not as weak as he’d thought. Looking at the way his son had controlled the flames, it was clear that Zuko was still conscious and therefore the Agni Kai had not ended. 

 

In his panic, Zuko couldn’t register what he was doing. All he knew is that unlike every nightmare he’d ever had, he watched his father turn around and walk back towards him. And that was- that was not okay. 

 

Later the crowd would recount the story of the Agni Kai between their rulers in private rooms. Over dinner that night nobles would tell of how the Crown Prince had let out a blast of fire so strong that it had shoved the Fire Lord out of the ring and into the walls so hard that Ozai was knocked unconscious. On the walk home, servants would whisper about the way Prince Zuko had blasted his father away from him with one hand, while he was still on his hands and knees. They would tell others of how hot the flames were, how they boiled the very air. In their temples, the Fire Sages thought of how they were forced to announce Zuko’s victory, how the Crown Prince had leaned against them while his legs trembled underneath him. One sage in particular, spent his night washing out the blood from his robes, wishing he could forget the way their Prince had looked with half of his face destroyed. 

 

No one would speak about the way that Ozai’s skin had burned, it would be treasonous to say that Zuko had done what all of those who were in the audience had wished they could do: pushing the Fire Lord away before he could do anymore damage. No one would speak about what it meant for Zuko to have bested his father in combat, especially when he had begun the match pleading for his life. But in the back of everyone’s minds, the thought lingered: What kind of person were they, to watch a father permanently brand his child, and to do nothing? 

 

As the night air swept its chill over the palace, Iroh grasped Zuko’s limp hand between his palms. Shame filled his body as he stared at the mess of bandages covering his nephew’s face, why had he done nothing? There was not a single reason in the world that could have justified doing this to a child. The once great general stayed by his nephew’s bedside until sunrise, not resting until he was sure that Zuko had lived through the night. 

 

In her own room, Princess Azula watched the morning sky fill with color as her palms lit up with blue fire. She could not explain even to herself why she couldn’t fall asleep, why the sight of Zuko bleeding on stage kept repeating in her mind. Dark hair fell into her face as she leaned forward and put her head in her hands, every line of her body was stiff with tension. It was only until a maid entered her room to start her morning dressing routine and informed Azula that Zuko was still alive, that she finally relaxed. 

 

_____ 

 

Azure blue waves reflected the bright sunlight, salty spray misted onto Zuko’s face. The breeze was gentle, a boon since that meant it didn’t tug at his bandages. The rocking of the boat under his feet felt soothing, as convenient as flying on Appa’s back was, Zuko had missed traveling by boat. It was familiar to him, he’d spent three long years on the Wani and the feeling of being back on a ship gave him a strange sense of longing for those days. Even if he’d been so angry, so ashamed and questioning his destiny, the years spent chasing myths of the Avatar had been so much simpler than life was now. 

 

Being thirteen again was throwing Zuko off balance, everything felt wrong. Azula looked too young to be the unhinged girl that had shot him full of lightning, her eyes had flickered with an emotion he’d never seen from her when she visited him in the healing ward. (It was concern, wasn’t it? But that was silly, Azula didn’t worry about him.). He’d remembered flinching from her touch, phantom pains of lightning coursing through his limbs, and seeing her hand jerk back from where it’d been about to touch his skin. His sister had taunted him like she always did, but something had felt off about it. 

 

While he was restricted to bed rest, all Zuko could think about was how the days were ticking down until his banishment had officially started. Anxiety had him up at night, keeping his eyes closed as he faked being asleep for his Uncle who still kept him company at night. At one point, Zuko had tiredly told Uncle to sleep in his own bed, letting worry leak into his tone about how much sleeping in a chair must have hurt his back. 

 

The way Uncle had looked when he’d said that, as if he wasn’t used to Zuko being kind to him had made Zuko’s heart ache in a way that he didn’t know it could. He had spent so long being angry, shouting at Uncle for things that were out of his control. His betrayal at Ba Sing Se had only made things worse, Zuko didn’t like thinking about how good it had felt to be forgiven for it at the White Lotus encampment. Now Uncle looked at him without any of that history between them, it was clear that all he saw was a hurt little boy. 

 

Like right now, Zuko could tell that Uncle had chosen to stand on his left side so he could look at him without being caught. It was something that his Uncle had learned to avoid. Constantly twisting his neck to look at Uncle Iroh during conversations was something that had made the burns on his upper neck sting and once Zuko had complained about it, Uncle had always chosen to stand on his right. This version of Uncle didn’t know that, because he didn’t know Zuko like he should. Because for some Spirits damned reason, Zuko was reliving the worst part of his life all over again. 

 

Before Father had decided what would happen to him, Zuko had tried to enjoy being back in the palace again. Zuko had been able to wander the palace grounds, provided of course, that attendants followed closely behind him. He would never know it, but the sight of their injured prince had struck a chord within all of the palace servants. The soft way that he spoke to them, always saying “please” and “thank you” when such terms coming out of a royal mouth were almost unheard of, endeared the prince to every servant that interacted with him. 

 

The servants thought that Prince Zuko was kind, the injured boy spent most of his time sitting in the gardens and feeding the turtleducks, much like his late mother had done. The fact that Fire Lord Ozai had hurt his own son so terribly did not sit well with any of them. In the private space of back rooms, there were whispers: monster, abuser, cruel.   

 

After he was declared to be no longer at risk for infection and on the road to recovery, Uncle had gone back to sleeping in his own room. Zuko would never admit that he missed his presence beside him at night. It was hard to sleep without the calming herbs that the palace physician made him. If it wasn’t his burn keeping him up, it was trying to figure out why he had been sent back in time and what the consequences of changing events were. One night, he couldn’t take laying in bed any longer, and he quietly made his way down to the kitchens. 

 

There was only one thing that had always helped Zuko sleep, Uncle Iroh’s jasmine tea. Familiar with the motions of brewing tea from his time in Ba Sing Se, Zuko was able to brew himself a full pot quickly. Taking a seat on a stool in front of the counter, Zuko poured himself a cup. Even though their new life in the Earth Kingdom capital had been so short, Zuko missed certain parts of it. Sipping his hot tea, he’d felt the liquid warm up his chest and his shoulders eased. For a split second the familiar taste washed away his worries, and Zuko had felt relaxed for the first time since he’d woken up. 

 

For the Head Baker and their team of assistant bakers who walked into the kitchens ready to start their day’s work, the sight of their prince bent over the counter was startling. A faint hint of jasmine filled the Head Baker’s nose as they walked over to find the Crown Prince asleep next to a fresh pot of tea. Feeling fond smiles curl up their lips, the team of bakers unanimously decided to let the young prince be and they quietly went about their day, thinking back to their own days of youth when they too would fall asleep on any surface. It was only when Prince Zuko awoke and hurriedly left the kitchens, did they see the huge mass of bandages covering his face and they realized the true extent of damage that had been done. 

 

If a pot of jasmine tea was always left by one of them at the end of the workday after that, no one said anything. They all hoped that at least the little gesture would please Prince Zuko, giving him something to look forward to at night.  

 

In the distance, Ember Island broke the monotonous blue hues of the ocean. Zuko stared at the way the island looked, drinking in the details and remembering how it had felt to be there with his friends. The way they’d camped his family’s old house, laughing during dinner at Sokka’s jokes, and training Aang everyday so that he’d be ready to face the Fire Lord. The days until Sozin’s Comet had been ticking down, and yet Zuko had been able to forget his destiny for a bit, losing himself in being a child until he’d remember and make Aang do another set of katas. It had been nice, his friends had made much better company that Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai had when they’d been on Ember Island. 

 

The outcome of the Agni Kai had been different this time, Zuko had managed to win with a desperate burst of fire that he didn’t even remember making. It was unheard of, a thirteen year old beating the Fire Lord in front of a large crowd. Once the date that his banishment was supposed to have started passed, Zuko had realized that winning the Agni Kai had changed things. His father had no grounds to banish him this time around, to do so would make Ozai look like he feared his own son. Instead, Zuko was being sent to Ember Island so that he could recuperate from his grievous injury, out of the sight of anyone important. It was obvious that the Fire Lord was trying to cover up what he’d done to Zuko, putting him far away from the eyes of the court. 

 

What had been truly surprising was the fact that Uncle Iroh had chosen to accompany Zuko this time as well. Though Zuko couldn’t understand why his Uncle had elected to go to Ember Island with him, he was happy that he wouldn’t be alone. As the island drew closer and closer, he wondered what would happen next. This had never happened the first time he’d lived his life, everything was uncharted territory. 

 

There had been so many times in Zuko’s life where the path ahead had been unclear, but this was the first time in his life that he truly didn’t know what to do. Should he travel to the South Pole, finding Aang before Katara and Sokka did? Would it be wiser to join the White Lotus now? What about Toph or Suki, would he even be able to convince his friends to work with him? When the light traveling ship finally docked at Ember Island, Zuko hadn’t been able to think of a single answer to his questions.

Notes:

I've always loved fics where zuko interacts with servants and is so much nicer than azula or ozai, I hope the little bits of that in this chapter worked well.

Please tell me what you think! There should be another chapter coming out in a day or two :)

Chapter 3: The Rumors of Ember Island

Notes:

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ACAB

There’s a lone house on the hill, the red hues of its roofs gleam through the foliage surrounding it. It’s possibly the biggest house on Ember Island, certainly the one with the most ornate trimmings even if they are several years out of style. An aura of richness and mystery surrounds it, it has the only strip of beach that is private and the cove itself is sheltered by cliffs. There’s a lone road leading up to its gates, and it’s through the gaps in the bars that people are able to see the entrance of the massive building. That’s the only way to see it, every other viewpoint is blocked off by trees. Viewing the house from the ocean is a futile effort, all anyone can see is a back porch and a massive staircase leading to the beach. 

 

Of course, no one ever gets close enough to actually touch the house’s gate. That would be suicide, every single child has been warned by their parents to stay far, far, far away from the isolated residence. Everyone can’t help but wonder what it looks like on the inside, what luxuries lay within its walls. 

 

There isn’t a single question about who it belongs to though, the Royal Family’s Villa on Ember Island has laid empty for years. Rumors on their tiny island circulate, people whisper that their ruling family will never return. The only members of the royal family that anyone has seen in recent memory are Fire Lord Azulon’s sisters: Li and Lo. 

 

A single boat docking at midday changes that, the royal flags flying high on its masts. Dock workers exchange incredulous looks as they help tie the boat to the pier, and when a man wearing the robes of a palace worker walks across the gangplank, their eyes bug out. 

 

Could it be…? 

 

An order has been given, the Royal Family Villa is in need of staff: any maids, cooks, nurses, and gardeners should report to the main gate immediately if they aim to pursue employment. The Crown Prince and the esteemed General Iroh have decided to make the villa their residence. 

 

Within minutes, every curious able-bodied unemployed person is making their way up the hill to the gate as the ship unloads its cargo. Others who already have jobs crowd around the docks as close as they are able, all craning their necks, trying to get a glimpse of royal blood. No one is able to see through the palanquin’s curtains, only the shadows of two people are able to be seen. One big and one small, although old man Gayon swears that the palanquin smelt heavily of burn cream. 

 

_______ 

“Oi, Lee”, Kuzon of Caldera shouts at his fellow laborer from where he’s unloading boxes for the Royal Family, “I need you to help me lift this one, it’s a biggie.” 

 

Though his view of Lee is blocked by the tall box, Kuzon feels the long crate lift off the ground. Deftly, the ex-army man slips his fingers under the wood, and starts to walk the box towards the back villa doorway. 

 

“This one is going to the Prince’s room, Lee.” Kuzon explains, trusting his coworker to lead him through the twisting hallways, “I’m pretty sure it’s just bedding.” 

 

Once they get into the room, Kuzon squats and deposits the crate on the ground. He lets out a soft sigh. Being demoted from a Palace guard to essentially a moving-man stung, but at least the work was easy. Straightening up, his next question to Lee dies in his throat as he looks at the young man from across the box. 

 

Soft white bandages cover the entirety of the left side of his face, the hair is all shaved except for the ponytail. Light gold eyes meet Kuzon’s rich brown irises, he remembers seeing them whenever he was assigned to patrol the gardens of the Palace. 

 

The Crown Prince of the Fire Nation gives him a slight smile, careful not to tug on his wound. In a voice that’s huskier than Kuzon expected, the Prince says, “You looked like you needed help carrying this, bedding packages can be so bulky.” 

 

He’s so… young. Kuzon of Caldera has always lived in the capital, he’s seen the prince from far away multiple times, but it’s looking at Prince Zuko face to face that really cements the fact that the boy is only 13. 

 

Before Kuzon can even beg for forgiveness for forcing the Prince to do something so demeaning to his station, Prince Zuko strides out of the room. Bewildered, all he can do is watch him walk away. 

 

________

 

A few days after they’ve settled into the villa, an invitation to tea with his Uncle finally arrives. If he’s being honest with himself, Zuko has been waiting for this opportunity since he returned to this age. After Ba Sing Se and meeting at the White Lotus Camp, there had been no time for tea. It has been too long without the comforting aromas and conversation that always accompanied these teas. 

 

Zuko eagerly tells the servant who carried the message that he would love to have tea with his Uncle, a grin in anticipation sliding onto his face. To her, the happy look makes the Crown Prince’s face glow. She bows before exiting the room, resolving to tell the other servants at meal time about how pleased the prince was to receive a summons. 

Zuko almost runs through the halls in his haste, remembering briefly at the last second that it wouldn’t make sense for him to be this excited for an audience with his Uncle. He schools the expression on his face into something more appropriate, before nodding in acknowledgment at the guards standing outside of the entrance to the villa’s gardens. 

 

They push open the red wooden doors for him, revealing a small stone pavilion with a table low to the ground and his Uncle already seated. The smell of fire lilies and sea salt mix in the air, Zuko walks over to the table and bows in greeting to his Uncle in a way that he hasn’t done for years. A small pang runs through him, how could he have squandered so much affection and treated Uncle with such disrespect. 

 

“Ah, good afternoon Prince Zuko.” Uncle smiles warmly at him, his cheeks crinkling in the sunlight as one of his hands makes a sweeping gesture at a small collection of tiny bags and boxes that lay on the table, “I have brought many teas with me for this vacation.” 

 

“Good afternoon Uncle”, Zuko replies as he sits down, casting his eyes over the labels that are unfamiliar to him. He did not miss the fact that Uncle had yet to call him Nephew, “What kind of tea are we having today?” 

 

“That depends on how familiar you are with tea.” Uncle says, placing his hand under the teapot to start heating up the water inside, “I can make you a few blends today, and we can find one that you enjoy.”

 

His uncle had done this too, on the weeks aboard the Wani when Zuko had been unable to do more than sit in place. Not having the time to receive proper treatment for his burn had been extremely harmful to his body, maybe this time Zuko might have better eyesight and hearing on his left side since he’d actually been treated by physicians for longer than a few nights. The proof was clear in how Zuko was able to walk around only three weeks since the Agni Kai, the first time it had taken more than a month for him to walk without proper depth perception. 

 

Uncle had taken him on a tour of teas from around the world, something that he hadn’t appreciated at the time. He had wanted Zuko to try every blend, Over the course of three years, they’d finally settled on jasmine tea being Zuko’s favorite. Something about it was incredibly calming, and Zuko found himself craving a cup on those few stressful weeks of being on the run with the Avatar. 

 

“Hmm, I have heard of one tea in particular and I’m rather curious about it.” Zuko said, remembering how irritating (horrifying) it had been to see his uncle’s reaction to a certain plant found within the Earth Kingdom. Uncle leaned in, obviously not expecting Zuko to have any interest in teas, “It’s made from the leaves of the White Dragon bush, and people say it is quite delicious.” 

 

“Oho!” Uncle exclaims, his face brightening as he leans back in surprise, “I did not expect you to know such a rare and exquisite tea!” 

“Do you have any?” Zuko asks, letting open curiosity leak into his voice, trying (and failing) to read the small labels on the bags and containers laying on the table. Reading with only one eye made it difficult. 

 

“Regrettably, I don’t.” Uncle looks genuinely upset about that, casting his eyes over to the fire lilies that are planted behind Zuko. 

 

“Oh.” Zuko blinks, reaching a hand out to snag a small bag near him, “That’s okay. You have jasmine and that’s my favorite.” 

 

“I will remember that in the future.” Uncle smiled warmly at him as he accepted the bag of jasmine tea leaves, scooping out just the right amount into the teapot. 

 

Soft silence reigned in the empty garden, the rustle of leaves from the surrounding maples was soothing to Zuko’s ear. Even though his left ear couldn’t hear a thing right now, the muffled sound was just loud enough for it to register with his right one.  Silence with Uncle had not always been a comfortable experience, it had taken a very long time for him to adjust to the concept of being still and not doing anything. After he’d found out that the Avatar was alive, all that progress had blown away until they’d hidden as refugees in the Earth Kingdom. 

 

A little while later, the tea was done and Uncle poured Zuko his cup without a word. 

 

Oh. 

 

Suddenly, Zuko felt his eyes grow hot as he took his first sip. This tastes like home. The light sweetness on his tongue reminded him of all the past times that Uncle had brewed him this tea. Zuko’s chest tightened, all of that time didn’t matter anymore, not now. Without being banished, Zuko had never been farther from home. He would never explore the Air Temples with Uncle, they’d never float away from the North Pole, and the forgiveness that he’d been given was now invalidated by the fact that he hadn’t betrayed Uncle in the first place. 

 

“Thank you for the tea.” Zuko choked out, recalling his manners in a detached sense. Going through the motions is what he’d been doing this entire time, not changing anything and not even able to get back what this second life had taken from him. This moment is the first time that Zuko has fully realized what has been lost. 

 

“It is nothing.” Uncle replied, looking a little lost as Zuko struggled to get his emotions under control. Iroh had no idea why his nephew abruptly became emotional, and the cause was unclear. 

 

Zuko shook his head at that and cradled the small cup of tea closer to him. No Uncle, this is everything. Blinking rapidly, he tried to stop himself from crying and took deeper breaths to calm himself. Not only would it be humiliating to cry over tea of all things, but it would sting horribly on his left side. A roughened hand on Zuko’s wrist drew him out of his thoughts, Uncle studied him with a serious expression on his face. 

 

“Far too often fire destroys things, but every forest that is burned down will eventually grow back.” Uncle quotes yet another proverb at him, “Though that new growth is never the same as what once was, it is still just as beautiful.” 

 

Zuko knew that Uncle had no way of knowing what had happened to him, and that he was probably referring to how Zuko had been burned and sent away from the capital. All the same, he took the words to heart and simply nodded in response. For once one of Uncle’s usually cryptic proverbs made sense to him. 

 

They continued to sit in silence after that, while Zuko digested the meaning of Uncle’s words. Even though the memories that he’d made with Uncle had been lost, that did not mean that the new memories they created together would be lesser. Hopefully. This time, Zuko had a chance to treat Uncle with the love and respect that he deserved. There would be no hopeless quest for a father that didn’t love him, he would never betray Uncle in the caverns, and maybe, he would be able to create a stronger resistance against the Fire Lord within the three years until the Comet arrived. 

 

“Next time, I will brew the tea.” Zuko started then stopped, realizing that their relationship (or lack thereof) meant that expecting a routine of tea would be presumptuous, “If that’s okay.” 

 

“I greatly look forward to it, Nephew.” Uncle answered, a certain warmth filling his heart as he looked at his earnest nephew, “Perhaps one day you will tell me how you know so much about tea.” 

 

“Perhaps.” Zuko replied with a grin, hope filling his chest as his uncle finally called him Nephew. With Uncle by his side, he wouldn’t have to ever feel so alone again, even if it wasn’t the same. 

 

________

 

“Hello.” A hushed voice rang through the dusty air of Mistress Xi’s tea shop, the little building mainly frequented by older folk who didn’t mind it. Her joints just weren’t what they used to be, and cleaning the whole place spotless took more out of her than it was worth. Mistress Xi returned her from the kitchen where she’d been brewing some chai and almost started at the sight that greeted her at the ordering counter. 

 

A short teenager, with a conical hat that hid his hair, wearing training clothes stood in front of her. The most obvious thing about his appearance was the giant mass of bandages covering his left eye and ear, trailing down his cheek and up into his hair. Whatever earthbender who had hurt him had wreaked havoc on his face, Mistress Xi was almost astounded by the fact that he could move at all. From behind him, her customers seated at their tables had mostly stopped their conversations about the Royals on the island so they could observe him as well. 

 

“Are you able to import teas?” Zuko asked, glancing down at the tiny old lady who ran the shop. Judging by the puny size of the shop and the location, which was far away from the beach and therefore most of the tourists, he doubted that she would have White Dragon tea on hand. 

 

“Yes, I can order anything that you’d like from the colonies.” Mistress Xi blinked, trying to hide her surprise at how young he sounded. She was old enough to not be naive, soldiers were getting younger and younger every decade, but this boy didn’t even seem big enough to fit into the uniform, much less be sent to the front lines where he could receive an injury like that. 

 

“Do you know anyone who sells White Dragon bush tea that you could order from?” Zuko questioned, knowing that it was a long shot if his memory served him correctly. Uncle had said it was a rare tea. He tried to ignore how obviously the owner was looking at his burn, or at least the bandages covering it. The prickly feeling he felt on the back of his head made him well aware that the customers in the front of the shop were also staring. 

 

“Oh, yes I do.” Mistress Xi hesitated before grabbing her order log, “It is quite expensive though. I’d estimate it to be 25 gold pieces for a standard container, not to mention import fees.” 

 

She didn’t want to offend him, but she knew that soldiers didn’t make enough to buy tea like the White Dragon bush willy nilly. Perhaps he’d heard of it while fighting in the Earth Kingdom and wanted to try it now that he was home, Mistress Xi could give him a different, much less expensive blend that was still known as an Earth Kingdom specialty. 

 

“That’s fine.” Zuko stated, feeling in his pockets for his coin purse. Luckily being the Crown Prince came with perks like not ever having to worry about money, so unlike when Zuko had been a refugee named Lee. 

 

“Thank you very much for your order.” Mistress Xi took the stack of 30 gold pieces that the boy had pushed over to her on the countertop, she efficiently filled out the information in her order log with a brush then made a copy for her customer. “Depending on the winds, it should be here within two weeks.” 

 

“Thank you.” Zuko replied politely, accepting the piece of paper that confirmed his order and pocketed it. With that, he bowed to her and exited the shop as quickly as he’d come in. 

 

“No soldier’s discount for him, Xixi?” Her friend Gayon teased her, with a smile that was missing teeth, from where he’d been sitting. 

 

Mistress Xi walked forward to gently sit down next to him at the table closest to the counter, knowing that the rest of her customers were still tuned in. She said, “He seemed too young to be a soldier.”

 

“But where else could he get a wound like that?” Wondered one of her regulars, the housecleaner for the Royal Li and Lo,  from her own table. 

 

“He might…” Gayon suggested, a sad expression stealing onto his face, “He could be from the 41st.” 

 

The shop went quiet at that as they all pondered the possibility. It had been a month since that tragedy, an entire division of new recruits had been attacked by Master Earthbenders. Only the cunning of a senior battalion had won the day, attacking the rival battalion from the rear and trying to prevent the massacre. The story had come straight from the war front, only a handful of soldiers had survived, and those that did had been horrifically injured. 

 

It would make a sickening amount of sense, Mistress Xi thought, he had ordered an Earth Kingdom tea whose source was common in the newly conquered regions of the continent. Repulsed by the thought, she hurried back to the kitchen to pour the tea that she’d been brewing before that poor soldier had come into her shop. 

 

As Zuko made his way back to the villa, he had no idea that he’d been mistaken for one of the soldiers that he’d tried so desperately to save. The sun beat down, and Agni watched overhead with wary eyes, what would his champion do with this gift? 

 

______

 

The turtleducks swam cheerily in the pond, ripples from their paddling spreading out in gentle rings until they reached the stone banks. The water was free of any leaves, despite the pond being directly under a tall tree. The servants must take great care to keep the favorite spot of Lady Ursa clean. Afternoon sunlight warmed the air, and the sweet smell of jasmine filled the gardens. 

 

Azula, in contrast, looked frighteningly stoic to any of the servants that passed by the gardens in the hallways that ran parallel to them. The little princess sat on one of the stones, a single finger tracing the leaf of a pond lily. There was no expression on her face at all, the blank look belonged more fittingly to a corpse than a child. 

 

Within her own mind, Azula was struggling with what she’d heard. Sneaking around in the palace at night had long been a past time of hers when nightmares had kept her from sleep. Last night, she’d been hiding in a secret tunnel behind the servant quarters. It was farther than she normally bothered to go, but without Zuko to run into, she had full reign of the palace. It had been the conversation that the servants had been having that made her stay and eavesdrop. 

 

The night before Zuko’s Agni Kai, Father had personally stopped by to tell her of how her older brother had forced his way into a war meeting and insulted a war plan by one of the Fire Lord’s top generals. Azula had looked forward to seeing her brother brought low by her father publicly, it was his fault after all. Zuko should have known better than to speak up when he was already held in such low regard by the Fire Lord, and by extension, the court. 

 

The chatter of the servants suggested differently. Kuzon of Dune Island had heard from Lee the Guard who was friends with the assistant of the general whose plan Zuko had insulted, exactly which plan had been. There had been a suspenseful silence, something that Azula knew Zuko would have appreciated because he was so fond of dramatics, but she had just found it annoying. 

“The massacre of the 41st was planned.” The gardener’s creaky voice had echoed in that silence, before it was met with whispered outrage. Maids exclaimed that he was lying and it was distasteful, while pages demanded to know how he knew. 

 

Yes, Azula had thought, how exactly did this Kuzon know that? 

 

And thus the story came out, not the propaganda that Azula now knew that she’d been fed, but the truth. Sacrificing a whole battalion of new recruits for a distraction just to capture a single farming province that would feed their soldiers. It was ridiculous, it was foolish, it was a waste. 

 

The one thing that Azula hated most of all, was wasting resources. She was perfect, every move that she made was efficient and not a single thing of hers ever went to waste. For being a princess, Azula did not tolerate any kind of disregard for the value of resources. Azula was Fire Nation through and through, people who lived on islands could not afford to waste anything, especially when her people had been fighting an offensive war for over a hundred years. 

 

Those recruits could have gone on to train with more experienced soldiers, they would have provided the bodies necessary for a siege of Omashu or Gaoling. With being the freshest on the front lines, they were aware of new Fire Nation machinery designs that older soldiers would not be, the knowledge that they could have used during battle at sea or in tanks would have been invaluable. And now… now it was gone. For what? A few fields of poorly tended grains and rackety shacks owned by peasants? The blood of Agni’s children had been spilled for such a pittance? 

 

It wasn’t surprising that Zuko had insulted this plan, it was the most egregious waste of life that Azula had ever heard of. What had her thinking in the garden was the fact that Father had taken offense to it. It didn’t make any sense. 

 

Father was wise. He knew how to run the military well, especially since he’d never been to war. Such a foolhardy maneuver should never have happened under his watch. And yet it had, why? 

 

And what possibly could Zuko have said to deserve Father hurting him like that? When Father had cradled her brother’s hand in his hand, Azula had been expecting the other hand to come slamming down. A blow to the face just like what she got when she became too excited or hadn’t learned a kata fast enough. Nothing could have prepared her for when the hand cupping Zuko’s cheek had blazed. (She also never could have anticipated that Zuko would win the Agni Kai, she didn’t even know that he could blast fire like that.)

 

Father couldn’t have possibly agreed to that plan. Father wouldn’t brand her brother just for speaking out of turn. 

 

“Would he?” Azula accidentally spoke out loud, startling the turtleduckling that had been perched on the rock next to her without Azula noticing. With a quack, the turtleduckling waddled over to the water’s edge and swam away. She didn’t like the doubts growing in her mind. Father was supposed to be the one person that she relied on, the only person that she truly feared and therefore trusted.

 

_______

 

Iroh teaches his nephew how to meditate with a candle, letting the flame rise and fall in time with his breath. He is not expecting much, Agni knows that he would be terrified of fire if he’d been burned like Zuko had. 

 

Zuko surprises him, he takes to meditating like a turtleduck to water. It becomes routine for them to meet at dawn, breathing in and out in unison. Zuko prefers to meditate on the back deck, overlooking the steps to the beach. 

 

They train together after their usual afternoon tea, Zuko is in no way healed enough to be going through combat training so they focus on the basics instead. Iroh expects his nephew to be frustrated with being reduced to children’s forms, but his nephew accepts it without a word. Perhaps it had just been a faulty tutor, Iroh muses as he watches his nephew progress through his katas without aggravating his burn. The reports of Zuko’s firebending being far below average for his age had quickly been proven wrong, sometimes Iroh catches glimpses of different colors in Zuko’s flames that remind him of the last dragons. 

 

Zuko can’t help it, his firebending has changed irrevocably. Anger no longer fuels his flames, and as such his skills match that of his sixteen year old self. Bending without sight in his left eye only takes a short period of readjustment, he hadn’t had full sight on that side for years anyways. It feels like returning to a previous state, combining his new techniques with the basics that were drilled into him as a fully able child. Pride warms him every time Uncle compliments his forms, enough that he doesn’t mind being restricted to non-combat training. 

 

As soon as he can, Zuko wants to work with his dao again. It is imperative that he improves his skills in all aspects, Zuko never wants his friends to suffer if he can protect them. He’ll be better this time, he’ll be enough to save them. In the dark hours of the night, Zuko mourns his friends and reflects on what had probably happened to them. He struggles not to cry, not wanting to feel the sting of salt on his raw flesh. Zuko makes a promise to himself, he has a three year head start and he’s going to do everything that he can to stop this war. 

_______

 

In another lifetime, the Avatar is on Kyoshi Island. A young girl tells a dock hand, the dock hand tells a sailor, the sailor tells a merchant who happens to sell cabbages, the cabbage trader tells a gate guard, the guard tells a sailor with amber eyes, and when the news gets to Zuko, he abandons dinner to force his crew to change course immediately. 

 

But we are here, in the now. Things are different. 

 

In this lifetime, the Crown Prince is on Ember Island. It is the first time he’s left the palace in years, and no one except those who were there know that he bested his father in an Agni Kai yet. It’s a different rumor that spreads. 

  “The Prince is on Ember Island.” Is what worms its way back to the palace first. The news gladdens the Head Baker and their team, it has only been a few years since Lady Ursa vanished. Simply put, they feared the worst when the Fire Lord declared that both his son and brother were to travel somewhere else for the prince’s healing. 

 

“A survivor of the 41st is on Ember Island.” It’s less important than news of the Crown Prince’s whereabouts, but for parents and siblings and lovers and friends who’ve waited more than a month for their soldiers to come home, it’s enough. It sparks hope when it was about to die. 

 

Zenko of Ash Harbor leaves for Ember Island the minute she hears the news, her relatives understand. A chance at seeing her son again, it is an opportunity that any parent would take. She happily tells anyone who asks where she’s going, and thus another rumor spreads. 

 

“A mother of one of the 41st is on her way to him.” It’s spread faster than Zenko can travel, and citizens of the Fire Nation send up prayers to Agni every time they tell someone new. They whisper as they work and shout over dinner, and in their minds they all pray that the mother is going to find her son, not a boy who fought alongside him. They hope it is the right set. In the Fire Nation, children are more precious than anything else. 

 

Zuko has taken to exploring Ember Island directly at dawn or dusk, when there’s enough of Agni’s light to bolster his spirits but not enough to give his pale skin any more burns. He makes sure to wear his hat at all times just in case, his Phoenix Tail kept out of sight. Both are peaceful times of day, in a nation of firebenders those hours are filled with the sounds of people waking up or winding down from a day’s work. He’s found that he enjoys stopping by Mistress Xi’s tea shop at dusk, sipping tea while watching the sun set over the ocean is quite peaceful. The elderly clientele are pleasant to make small talk with, although Zuko can feel their pitiful gazes on him when he looks away. It’s been three years since he got the burn, Zuko has gotten used to the staring. 

 

As the sun rises, Zuko prefers to meditate with a different set of elders. Uncle has found a group of old women who are incredibly fond of pai sho, and they meet first thing in the morning. Knowing that this was most likely a White Lotus cover, he’d asked to join them. Their small group makes its way down to the beach in the dark, and focuses on their inner flame while waves crash in the background. They are not the only firebenders who do this, but they are the only only ones who have been blessed with the presence of the Dragon of the West. Every citizen recognizes their ex-Crown Prince, his face had been beloved throughout the nation and infamous for its shame after the failed Siege of Ba Sing Se. 

 

Surprisingly, no one asks Zuko about his burn. He appreciates the respect for his privacy, but Zuko wonders what the official story was. Last time, no one had known how he’d gotten his scar and no one had cared because he was just a banished prince. Now he was Crown Prince and had a face full of bandages, it’s odd that he hasn’t heard any rumors about how it happened.  Surely his father hadn’t liked the news of Zuko’s victory over him being spread. 

 

“The Prince never leaves the villa.” There are eye rolls that accompany this tidbit, how typical for a royal to stay sheltered in their rich compounds while the common people bled themselves dry for this war. For the palace healers, they feel satisfied when they hear this, Prince Zuko is paying attention to his health and not neglecting his body. 

 

“The soldier has an injury on the left side of his face, the bandages cover his eye, ear, and down to his neck.” Horror fills anyone who hears this, earthbending injuries to such a delicate area were notorious for infection. It was so hard to rinse all of the dirt out of broken flesh without creating extra harm. On a ferry, Zenko prays to every deity under the sun that her child isn’t blind in one eye, that he is healthy and whole. 

 

Zuko brings Uncle with him to check on his order, watching him flirt with Mistress Xi is just as disgusting as it was when Uncle flirted with the passport inspector in the Earth Kingdom. A small thrum of pride fills him when he notices how the customers have fallen silent in the tea shop, it is the reverence that Uncle deserves. He makes sure to keep the order itself a secret from Uncle, even though he’s pretty sure it’s obvious what tea Zuko’s ordered. They’re barely halfway down the street when Zuko hears the tea shop explode into chatter. 

 

“General Iroh himself keeps company with the survivor.” Awe fills those who hear this whisper, the source straight from an old man who swears he saw them enter a tea shop together. It is the fastest piece of information that spreads, even faster than the whereabouts of the Prince. For most who hear it, it seems as if the General has found a boy who reminds him of the late Prince Lu Ten. 

 

“Prince Zuko has won his first Agni Kai.” It trickles ever so slowly from the Caldera outwards, mostly due to the fact that no one can believe the Crown Prince would engage in a duel at his age. Though the Fire Nation is proud of his victory, it doesn’t make sense. Who could he have possibly dueled? Who would be able to challenge royalty without fear of retribution? Small displays of fireworks are set off in small towns, the victory is a sign of their prince becoming a man. 

 

The amount of bandages required for his burn finally decreases, and there’s only a large square left to cover his eye. Reddened and raw skin is finally allowed to breathe, it glistens in the sunlight with the heavy smell of burn cream. Zuko is inwardly pleased, it had taken much longer for his burn to look this good the first time. His hearing in his left ear isn’t as damaged, and it feels wonderful, like a lost part of him has been found. 

 

“It’s a burn, it didn’t come from an earthbender.” Mistress Xi hisses the minute the young soldier leaves her shop in the evening, the haunting sight of blistered flesh flashing before her eyes. His entire ear is shriveled, almost like it had melted off of his head. To Zenko, nothing makes sense anymore. Even friendly fire would not create such a large burn, especially on the face. She makes sure to thank the fish merchant who told her, and screams at herself for letting her sweet, wonderful boy go to war. 

 

Everywhere on Ember Island, citizens of the Fire Nation stare at Zuko with eyes that feel like they scorch his skin. It’s an uncomfortable feeling, and not one that he expected this time. As far as he knows, he did nothing to deserve such angry looks. He has no way of knowing that his people are not angry at him, they are angry for him. Rage fills their hearts as they look at the branded face of one of the 41st, killing intent beats in their chest as they think about who would do such a thing to a soldier. 

 

There’s one woman in particular who makes him feel the worst, she stares at him from a corner of Mistress Xi’s in dirty traveler’s clothes with tears in her eyes. The smell of the sea rolls off her in waves, and there’s crushing disappointment in her face that’s easy to read. Zuko had no idea what he’s done to earn a stare like that, but shame fills his body anyways as he almost runs out of the shop. Zenko stares at the poor soldier’s back, for he is not her son. She had come all this way for nothing, her child is never coming back. 

 

In the end, it’s Azula who shatters this fragile misconception. Angry with Ty Lee, who’s suddenly announced that she’s running away to join the circus, the truth spills out of her lips. The two girls stare at each other in the parlor of the Lee mansion, frustration boiling between them as neither feels like they’re being understood. 

 

“Azula, I promise that I’ll come back to you.” Ty Lee exclaims, recognizing the poorly hidden fear of abandonment that’s always lurking in those amber eyes, “I’m just going away for a bit to feel better, like how Zuko’s training on Ember Island.” 

 

“Zuzu’s on that fucking island because Father burned half his face off! It wasn’t a choice, Ty Lee, yours is!” Azula snaps, towering over her seated friend who looks at her with wide eyes. Her breathing feels too fast, panic settling in. Ty Lee is going to leave her just like Mother did.

 

Choices make ripples that no one ever sees coming. By divulging how far the Fire Lord is willing to go to hurt his children, Azula convinces Ty Lee to stay in a way that she would have never been able to before. Please don’t leave me is what her eyes plead, her mouth still twisted in rage and fear. For the first time in a very long time, Azula’s perfect mask slips off. 

 

Arms encircle the princess, Ty Lee holds her close as Azula lets out sobs that normally would never see the light of day. Azula is the prettiest and smartest girl in the whole world, and she needs Ty Lee to protect her. Grey eyes close as Ty Lee makes her choice, she will always be there for when Azula needs her. 

 

A lone gardener holds his breath, still crouched under the open parlor window where he’d been plucking weeds. An ache in his knees builds up, he doesn’t dare move until he hears the two girls leave. There’s an imprint of his boots in the dirt by the time the princess is done sobbing over her brother. 

 

It doesn’t matter who he tells, the rumour spreads like wildfire regardless. In every town, every port, and on every ship no matter the size, by the end of the night, almost every person in the Fire Nation knows. It’s not hard to connect the dots to the news that had been circulating of the soldier from the 41st. A connection to the Dragon of the West, a soldier that seemed too young to be recruited, and a burned face. Palace servants confirm that it’s the truth, keeping their names out of the public’s mouth. 

 

Deep in the darkest rooms of the Palace, Fire Lord Ozai gives an order to a man with a third eye tattoo on his forehead. It’s superstition to plan the death of a child of Agni in the night, where the deeds are hidden from his sight. Ozai is not one to believe in spirits, but meeting with this man in particular would be hard to hide in the daylight.

 

_______

The Crown Prince enters the tea shop, his lone eye shaded by the cone of his hat. A polite smile forms on his lips, requesting information on the status of the tea that he ordered. Mistress Xi tries in vain to not stutter as she answers, she cannot believe that this is her prince. Prince Zuko heads out of her shop to pick up his order directly from the boat that just docked at port, his childish impatience would be charming if it didn’t jarringly remind her that he was so damn young. Gayon lays a gentle hand on hers as she shakes, what has their nation come to? 

 

It has been a few nights since the news got out, even children have heard of what happened to their prince. It’s not right, what happened to Prince Zuko is not right. The world of children is black and white, and the prince’s injury throws everything into question for them. Prince Zuko has been hurt: bad. Fire Lord Ozai: good. Hurting children: bad. Their Fire Lord is benevolent, he fights a war to promote their greatness and he always does what is right. So why did he hurt his son? 

 

It has been only a few nights, and a century’s worth of propaganda is burning to a crisp. The citizens of the Fire Nation are whispering treasonous things, they call the Fire Lord a monster and weep for those who have lost their lives to this war. Their thirteen year old Prince walks the streets of Ember Island looking like a soldier, burned at the hands of his father. It is not forgotten that Prince Zuko had won that Agni Kai, in the back of their minds it lingers. 

 

General Iroh reads the message he received from the White Lotus, he has always known that Zuko would become the next Fire Lord. These weeks spent together have only proven to him that his nephew possesses the kindness and intelligence worthy of a leader, Zuko loves his people as a Fire Lord should. Now that the truth behind his Agni Kai has come out, the White Lotus thinks the Fire Nation might be on the path to revolt against his brother, with Zuko as their figurehead. 

 

Zuko walks across the gangplank, greeting a sailor who recognizes him immediately. The waves lap against the wooden boat, so uncommon for a Fire Nation vessel. He asks after his package, and agrees to wait above deck while they retrieve it for him. Zuko attempts to tell them that he is fine with waiting until they’re done unloading the rest of the cargo, but the captain of the trading ship refuses. It would be our honor to retrieve it for you as quickly as possible, the captain promises, before going to get it himself. 

 

The moon is full in the sky, its gentle light shines down on him. Zuko looks at its reflection in the water and wonders if it is Tui or Princess Yue acting as the Moon Spirit now. He doesn’t know how he’ll get to the North Pole this time, but he’d do everything to prevent Zhao from hurting the moon spirit. It’s as he thinks this, that the world explodes into fire. 

 

After aiming a beam directly at the Prince’s back and watching his body fall, the assassin fires another two shots at the wooden boat itself. Flames billow outward as the crew burns alive, people shout for help but it is too late. His job is done. 

 

______

 

Korra first learns about the Prince’s Rebellion from the Fire Lord herself. Fire Lord Azula greets her with a wrinkled smile and invites her to sit down and have a cup of jasmine tea. Behind the trail of steam, she can’t help but notice that the Fire Lord’s eyes are heartbreakingly sad. 

 

Over the course of the afternoon, a tale of cruelty and death is woven by a strong voice. The people had risen up after the death of her brother, smearing red paint over their left eyes and raising red fists as a symbol for all of those lost to the war. Azula herself had hidden with the circus, traveling in plain sight with her now wife, Fire Lady Ty Lee. The flames of rebellion had roared, and Azula had proudly led her people in a revolt against the terror of her father’s reign. She burned Ozai alive, in front of a violent crowd and crowned herself as Fire Lord with her Uncle’s help. 

 

She had ended the war that had raged for over a hundred years, but peace was harder to keep than Fire Lord Azula had ever expected. Reparations were made, but it was never enough. The delicate peace was constantly threatened by those who sought revenge against the Fire Nation, and it was during a diplomatic trip to the Southern Water Tribe when Avatar Aang had been discovered. Together, a group of benders and non benders had worked to keep the peace, and ever since the world had been in harmony. 

 

Korra’s tiny arms clumsily hug the Fire Lord, surprisingly Azula as she embraced the reincarnation of one of her best friends. This was the world that Azula had fought for, where children were kept safe and lived without fear. She hoped it was enough to make Zuko proud. 

Notes:

I thought it would make sense for this version of Azula to lead her people without the Avatar, she only knows the Fire Nation and she does not seem like the type of person to wait for a being that hasn't been seen for a century. Knowing her temperament, I thought it also made sense for her to kill Ozai. Betrayal is what angered her the most in the show and what unsettled her, so it makes sense Ozai's betrayal would motivate her to fight for her people.

Also the name Zenko is from the fic on here called Foxfire, it's amazing and you guys should check it out if you like zuko-centric au's

This was kind of a longer chapter, please tell me what you think of everything :) The loop restarts in the next chapter.

Chapter 4: Back At the Palace

Summary:

Zuko wakes up and duels in his third Agni Kai, except this time the damage is much worse.

Notes:

thank you all so much for commenting!!!! it makes me so happy to know that people like my story :)

also please stay informed, many horrible things are happening to black people in america and around the world. the lynchings this week were NOT suicides, please stay safe.

Zuko woke up crying, his breath coming in way too fast and his body shaking. It had hurt, it had hurt so fucking bad and he had no idea what had happened. One minute he’d been looking at the moon, and the next second he’d burned. It’d felt like the sun itself had smashed into his spine, immolating his entire body in seconds. He curled into himself, feeling hot tears soak into the fabric covering his knees. He raised a fist to swipe at his eye, feeling smooth skin underneath his palm. 

 

Smooth? 

 

As abruptly as the panic attack had started, it suddenly ebbed as Zuko realized he’d touched softness where normally gnarled scar tissue was. Latching onto it as something to focus on, Zuko traced his left eye with none of the usual care that he afforded to the area. There weren't any frayed nerves to be gentle with, there wasn’t anything there at all. Frantically running his fingers over both of his eyes, he dimly recognized that his body wasn’t in any pain at all. 

 

Blinking, he looked up and couldn’t believe his eyes. The red curtains, the wide windows, and the very blankets that he’d shoved off his body were all familiar… Zuko was back in his childhood bedroom, without even a scratch on his face. 

 

The yell left his throat before he could stop it, shock and frustration flooding his system. His hand slammed into the cushy mattress under him, doing nothing to quell the explosive storm that had sprung up inside of him. Why was he back here? What had happened to him, why had he woken up here again? 

 

Had… he died? 

 

Zuko stared down at his hands, going eerily still as his eyes scanned the creases in his palms. Inhaling, he felt for his inner fire and made it roar to life. He was alive, he was alive, okay? Maybe this was all just one complicated nightmare that he hadn’t woken up from. Aang said he hadn’t had a single dream when he was recovering, but perhaps Zuko was different. 

 

Pain didn’t exist in dreams, Zuko knew that. Light filled the room as he ignited his pointer finger and deliberately set it down on the pale skin of his wrist. Yelping, he immediately regretted that decision as the skin turned a bright pink. Definitely not a dream… 

 

Desperately, he tried to figure out what was happening. He’d woken up once in this room before, the night before his Agni Kai, and he’d changed things. Zuko knew intuitively that if he went out to the kitchens, the servant would tell him that it was the same night. No answers made themselves clear, and as the night wore on, Zuko’s mind continued to run in circles. Not once did he arrive at a conclusion. 

_______

 

A soft knock sounded at the door, and the same servant as before entered the room. The golden tray reflected the beams of light that filtered into his room via the windows. He gave a shaky smile to her in greeting as he recognized her, and slid off the bed. Zuko hadn’t slept at all, and unlike his sixteen year old self, this body wasn’t used to it. 

 

The servant helped him get ready without a word, Zuko felt like he wasn’t truly in control of his body. He couldn’t force his mouth to work. His throat felt dry and his head felt like it was stuffed full of cotton. They walked together to the hair stylist, who pulled his long hair into a familiar phoenix tail. Zuko leaned into the gentle caress while she styled his hair, his eyes fluttering closed. The two servants exchanged a worried look, the dark circles and general exhaustion made the prince look frail. 

 

As he was escorted out of the preparation rooms by guards, Zuko remembered to thank them. The shocked looks of their faces would have confused him at any other time, but currently he didn’t even register their reactions. Dragging his feet against the plush scarlet carpet, Zuko shambled in front of his escort. 

 

His mind moved slowly, like Zuko was sinking into thick honey. It felt like one minute they’d been in the corridor, and the next he was staring up at the sun. Hot sunlight beat down on his bare shoulders, and he could hear the murmuring of a crowd. Polished tile lay under his feet, it would take more than a hundred years before he’d ever forget these swirls of marble. 

 

The Fire Sages called for the Agni Kai to commence, and Zuko turned around to see his father smirking at him. No he thought, no I can’t be burned again. Getting the burn on his face was the worst pain he’d ever felt, and now he knew what it was like to be burned twice. All too familiar words spilled out of him, he was begging for his father to spare him over and over. Footsteps echoed in a now silent arena, coming closer and closer. 

 

  From underneath him, Zuko felt his legs give out. The impact of stone slamming into his knees jarred him from the removed mental state he’d been in since he woke up. 

 

Inhale. Exhale. Within his core, the inner fire that was given to Zuko by Agni roared to life, chasing away the last effects of his disassociated state. He blinked, and looked up to see his father’s hand approaching his face. Soft and warm fingers gripped his cheek harshly, his father’s hand was large enough compared to Zuko’s face that his pinkie curled under his jaw while his index finger rested above his hairline. Then he felt the cursed burst of pain across his flesh. 

 

For the very first time, Zuko shoved the hand away from his face with a desperate snarl. It landed on his shoulder and tightened its grip. A scream tore its way out of his throat, Agni it hurt so so so much. The scorching agony all across the left side of his face that had filled his memories now spread to his shoulder. Like a fish dragged out of water by its gills, Zuko let panic rule him as he thrashed in his father’s hold. Uselessly, his flailing limbs smacked against the muscular frame of the Fire Lord. Eventually his limbs stopped responding to him at all, and Zuko was swept away by the storm of pain, his body falling to the floor. 

 

For those in the audience, watching as the prince had knocked the Fire Lord’s blazing hand off of his face had given them a sense of relief. Perhaps the horror show that they’d been invited to would stop now, and they’d be able to eat meat again without remembering the terrible smell of burnt flesh. It had only sickened them more as the Fire Lord resorted to burning Prince Zuko’s shoulder instead, the sounds that he let out would haunt them for the rest of their lives. 

Princess Azula could feel her uncle’s eyes on her, the cowardly old fool had looked away as her brother burned. She would not do so, she knew that Zuko would remember this day for the rest of his life and she would not disrespect his suffering by cheapening her memory of it. Gold eyes drank in every detail, Azula blinked rapidly so her vision, that was swimming with tears, would clear. She did not think that crying as her brother screamed would change Uncle Iroh’s opinion of her so greatly, she would never again be the crazy niece in his eyes, but rather another child that he needed to protect. 

 

Deep inside of her, in a locked box where Azula hid her affection for Zuko, she was proud that Zuzu hadn’t just kneeled there and taken the burn. He had fought even after all of that begging and refusing to fight, when it was clear that their father was going to seriously hurt him. It was like the inscription on that stupid knife that uncle had gifted Zuko, Never give up without a fight. 

 

When the Fire Sages declared the match to be over, Zuko’s blood glistened on the marble floor. The Fire Lord walked away without looking back, ignoring the custom of declaring him as the victor. Medics swarmed the elevated platform, shouting orders as they bared her brother’s body on a stretcher. As they left the room, her eyes trailed after them. It would not do to so obviously chase after Zuko, not when her father had clearly disregarded his value as an heir. She would bide her time, and wait until nightfall to check on Zuzu. 

 

After all, she did not want to displease Father by showing Zuko her favor. Not when she now knew how far Father was willing to go to prove a point. 

 

_______

 

The Head Royal Tailor Ino works year round, he never takes days off like his assistants because he had no home to return to. After the news of his daughter’s death on the shores of the Earth Kingdom, he’d sold his house and moved into the servant quarters of the palace. There are nights where he lays in bed, listening to the footmen and bakers discuss what they’ll do when they see their families and jealousy rises in his heart. The tailor worked hard for this position, and Ino knows that he’ll probably die within the red walls of the Palace, completely alone. 

 

It’s due to this reputation of solitude, that Ino is the one summoned to the medical wing of the Palace. He walks after the guards, ignoring the way that the lesser skilled tailors stare at his back. He doesn’t know why he’s been summoned either, but Ino has seen the increased activities at the gates from his studio and knows that someone important had been injured this past week. In all his years of employment, he’s never seen that many doctors come through. 

 

At the doors of the medical ward, Ino’s guard escort whispers into the ear of one of the guards standing in front of the entrance. The two exchange a few words, and then the doors are pushed open to reveal the Head Royal Doctor: Dr. Yako. With a simple dip of her head, the older woman leads Ino to the back, where he can only assume the private rooms are. 

 

Dr. Yako stops right before the two reach the door, and it forces Ino to look into her whiskey colored eyes. 

 

“You are ordered by the Fire Lord to tell no one of what you are about to see.” She states, her tone heavy and filling the silent hallway. 

 

“Of course.” Ino answers, his curiosity peaked. He wondered what the door would reveal, who exactly would be laying on the bed. 

 

Dr. Yako took what looked to be a steadying breath, before pushing open the door and walking inside. Ino followed her, shocked by the thick smell of burn cream and antiseptic that hung in the air. On the bed, lay a small figure, their entire shoulder and one side of their face completely marred by burns. 

 

Swallowing back the bile that rose in his throat at the sight, Ino stepped closer to the patient when Dr. Yako gestured for him to do so. Up close, the burns looked even worse. Human skin should never look that raw, with sickening curled up edges of blackened skin around the edges. He could now see that the figure was a young boy, he would hedge his bets that this boy was the same age as the beloved Prince Zuko. 

 

“You sewed the funeral robes for Fire Lord Azulon, were you not?” Dr. Yako asked, turning away from the boy’s barely rising chest to look Ino in the eyes. 

 

“Yes, I was.” Ino replied, glad to be given an excuse to stop looking at those horrific burns. 

 

“You will need to create the same robes for him.” She ordered, a stern expression taking over the taller woman’s face as he looked up at her. 

 

“He’s going to die?” Ino blurted out the question without pause, surprised that the doctors were already giving up on their patient. It seemed shocking to him that the Fire Lord was commissioning funeral robes for some boy, much less a match to the ones that Fire Lord Azulon had worn to the pyre. 

“This is just a contingency” Dr. Yako snapped, “We are working harder than you could possibly imagine to prevent your work from being necessary.” 

 

“Y-yes, of course, Doctor.” Ino hastened to agree, and then dreaded what he had to say next, “But, the robes I crafted for Fire Lord Azulon would not be suited for this boy.” 

 

“You’ve made clothes for Prince Zuko before, have you not?” Dr. Yako raised a single eyebrow at him, the darkened circles under her eyes making her appear even more severe. 

 

Ino understood where she was coming from, the boys did seem to be the same size, “I have, but-” 

 

“Then what exactly is the problem?” Dr. Yako questioned, an impatient edge creeping into her voice, “Do you think so highly of yourself that you are capable of disobeying a royal order?” 

 

“Of course not!” Ino exclaimed, frustrated with this doctor now, “Those robes are only meant for royalty, which clearly this boy is not!” 

 

“Be quiet, you fool! The patient cannot afford to waste energy on being awoken.” Dr. Yako grabbed his bicep and yanked Ino away from the body on the bed, “Can you not recognize your own prince?”

 

Ino darted his eyes back to the boy’s ruined form, shock bleeding into terror as he comprehended the doctor’s words. Oh Agni , he thought, What had done this kind of damage to the prince? Inside his sleeves, the tailor’s fingers trembled as he spoke, “Forgive me for my mistake, Doctor. I’ll start on them right away.” 

 

Satisfied with his answer, Dr Yako nodded and sent him out of the room. Ino stumbled down the hallway and back through the med bay to where his guard escort awaited him. Never in all of his life, did he ever think that he would have to make funeral robes for a child. So focused on his duty, Ino never thought to question why the Prince’s injury was being kept secret from the public. 

 

_______

 

It takes two weeks after the Agni Kai for Zuko to wake up. 

 

By the time his nephew’s eyelid flutters open and blearily glare at him, Iroh has become well acquainted with the chair at his bedside. The smell of burn cream and puss have been burned into his mind at this point, he will never forget the sight of skin shiny with yellow discharge. The doctors had fought hard against any potential infection, drugging Zuko into a forced sleep so his body would heal. Yesterday, they decided it was time for Zuko to awaken. 

 

Iroh exchanges eye contact with the nurse on stand by, mouthing “Dr. Yako” as sleepy mumbles come pittering out of Zuko’s mouth. The prince starts to move, making pained and confused sounds. With a tight nod, the nurse quickly walks out of the room, leaving him and his nephew alone. Iroh gently places Zuko’s rather small hand in between his own hands and tries to look reassuring, “You’re going to be okay, nephew.” 

 

He doesn’t think about Zuko’s left hand, which had been badly burned when his nephew had push the Fire Lord’s blazing fist away from his eye. The bandages around it had made the entire area below the wrist look like one big ball of soft cotton. 

 

To his relief, Zuko seemed to calm down once he said something. Iroh continues to say comforting things, his voice sounding lower as he hadn’t had the chance to use it in days. Tears of happiness threaten to spill from Iroh’s eyes, he’s so incredibly glad that his nephew hadn’t lost his life to that burn. The silk of his sleeve absorbs them before they can fall, and as Iroh is placing his arm back down onto where it’d been resting on the bed, Zuko weakly squeezes his other hand. It is as if his nephew was trying to make him feel better, and the sensation warms Iroh to the core as he squeezes Zuko’s hand back. 

 

Dr. Yako bustles around them, checking on Zuko’s physical state and asking him a few questions. The nurses even manage to get a few spoonfuls of broth and a whole glass of water into his mouth before it all proves to be too much, and his nephew falls asleep again. The doctor herself assures Iroh that this is normal, and she soon leaves again to begin preparations for the next phase in Zuko’s recovery. 

 

Iroh stays in his seat, he has not left Zuko’s side except to sleep on a tiny mat that the servants had brought into the room. Even in his sleep, his nephew is still squeezing his hand. And every time, without fail, Iroh squeezes back. With every movement, Iroh is saying, I am here. He pays particular attention to how Zuko’s breathing always eases after. 

 

______

 

The official story is that Prince Zuko fought in an Agni Kai and lost, with honor. The opponent’s name is never revealed, and while the general public finds this curious, they don’t suspect a thing. They assume that Zuko is too ashamed of his loss to come out in public, and the majority of the palace servants accept this version of the truth as well. The ego of a teen is a fragile thing after all. 

 

It would be too hard to conceal the injury from the servants, not when the prince had yet to sleep in his own bed, over a month from when his Agni Kai had been. The constant stream of dirtied and bloody bandages and bedding to the laundry room had also been too hard to hide. It isn't strange at all, Agni Kai's are infamous for the injuries and scars that the duels leave. No one questions why a thirteen year old had participated in an Agni Kai in the first place, at least not behind closed doors. 

 

Almost a month after the Agni Kai, the palace announces that a horrible and mysterious infection had set in on the wounds that Prince Zuko had received. The Fire Sages are told to pray to Agni for the prince’s recovery, they light their candles and murmur sacred texts. For those that had been there to see the Fire Lord brand his son, they wonder if there is an infection or if the prince is dying from his burns. All around the Fire Nation, shrines become filled with tiny pictures of the prince’s last public portrait. They have already lost one Crown Prince, they pray that they will not lose another.

 

Within the palace walls, Head Royal Tailor Ino begins to sew new clothes for Prince Zuko. He is lucky that he works alone on these robes, so that none of his assistants are there to see as his trembling fingers refuse to thread his needle. There is a design pattern on his desk, it depicts an arm sling. Ino will do his best to find soft and durable fabric, so that the prince’s arm is not chafed by the fabric. Dr. Yako had created the designs herself, grimly telling him that full use of the prince’s left arm was unlikely due to the damage on his shoulder. 

 

The tailor doesn't look at the chest under his desk. Inside of it lays a small set of funeral robes, blindingly white and extremely easy to set alight. When he'd held them up to his chest, the ends of the legs hadn't even hit his knees. Ino prays to Agni too, he prays that that fabric will never see the light of day.

Notes:

This one is a bit uneventful, sorry :( it mainly serves to set up the new loop. I know it took a few days for it to come out, but hopefully the next chapter should be up on friday or even sooner!

this loop is going to be a bit shorter btw, but the one after this is a doozie!

Chapter 5: Violet

Notes:

thank you all for the lovely comments, reading them makes me so happy and it really keeps me going. um... this chapter is very late, I'm so sorry! I got a job the day that I posted the last one and it's kept me pretty busy.

It is super long though! I don't have a beta, so I apologize for any grammar errors

“I don’t even know why you bother with trying to move it, it’s obviously putting you through more pain than it’s worth.” Azula said derisively, watching as Zuko pulled back his arm from where it’d been trying to snatch a bit of fire flakes, “Dumdum, just use your right arm.”

 

“I need to use my left arm.” Zuko frowned at her, his normally childish face looking hauntingly fragile in the moonlight as half of it was swathed in bandages, “Otherwise, it’s just going to get weaker.” 

 

“It’s not getting weaker because you aren’t using it, it is weaker because it’s been hurt.” She looked down at the thin blanket covering his legs, his bony knees tenting the fabric as Zuko drew them closer to his chest. 

 

“You don’t get it.” Now Zuko almost looked like he was pouting at her, more life in his expressions now than when she’d first stepped into the room. It still looked weird because she couldn’t see half of it, but she was adjusting to the sight. Just like how Azula was pointedly not looking at the way Zuko’s arm was wrapped up in white cloth, or how his right palm was a brilliant pink and the texture of the skin looked off, like the top layers had been melted. 

 

Azula rolled her eyes in lieu of a response and snatched some fire flakes to eat. She’d spied on the servants who made Zuko’s food, and knew he’d been eating nothing but broth and jok ever since the Agni Kai. It’d been lucky indeed that one of the visiting generals had a fondness for the snack, and she’d been able to swipe a bag from the kitchens. Zuzu appreciated the gesture, she knew that he enjoyed food with strong flavors the most. 

 

It’d been almost like when Azula had tamed her first mongoose lizard, the animal had been so weary of her presence until she’d presented it with food. When she’d first slipped into the room only to find her brother already awake, she didn’t miss how Zuzu had stiffened the minute she set foot on the tile or how he hadn’t said anything at all, choosing instead to watch her intensely and had only responded when she’d started speaking. Strangely enough, Zuko’s obvious fear of her didn’t feel as reassuring as it normally did. 

 

Yes, she thought, watching Zuko munch on the crunchy snack with a pleased grin that Azula hadn’t seen in ages. This feels much better, I’ve done well. Which, of course she had picked the right thing to bring Zuko. It was her after all, she didn’t make mistakes. In fact, only she could probably make Zuzu smile like that. Azula doubted anyone else could, except maybe that fuddy duddy uncle of theirs who hadn’t left her alone after the Agni Kai. It wasn’t like her brother had any friends. 

 

Visiting Zuko at night and making his dreadfully boring days better with her presence was just another thing that she excelled at. It made perfect sense, Azula was the best at everything she did. Tonight had been a resounding success, and she couldn’t believe that she’d been visiting only when he’d been asleep the past few weeks. This was so much more fulfilling. 

 

The pair sat in silence for a bit. There weren’t any open windows or lit lamps in Zuko’s room, there was only the soft blue glow of her fire in the palm that she wasn’t eating with. The shadows on their faces flickered with her flames, both of them stared at the way her fire danced above her skin, perfectly controlled.  

 

“Thank you.” Zuko broke the silence, his voice still rough from sleep. His light gold eyes stared into hers, then he awkwardly glanced at the floor, “For the flakes, I mean.” 

 

“Your welcome.” Azula responded, but her mind was stuck on what he’d meant to thank her for before he’d backtracked. What else had she done that Zuko would feel the need to thank her for? Could he have been thanking her for visiting him? 

 

It surprised both of them, when the cornflower blue flames along her fingers blazed, the tongues lengthening and warping into a soft lavender. Azula stared at her hand dumbfounded, too stunned by the color change to ponder what it meant. The warmth in her chest that had arisen when she considered her brother appreciating her company had yet to die down, but as a Sozin style firebender, Azula lacked the knowledge to understand what it meant. 

 

Zuko reached a hand out towards hers, catching a bit of the purple flames and rolling them around his fingers. She recognized the look of amazement on his face, it had been a very long time since she’d seen it directed at her instead of his usual combination of awe and jealousy. Her older brother then smiled at her so brightly that it felt like the sun itself had snuck into the room and embodied him. 

 

“Wow, Lala, you have two types of fire.” Zuko beamed, his one eye crinkling before he winced and toned down his expression before his burn became more irritated, “You’re amazing, what happened?” 

 

Hearing her old nickname made the flames become brighter still, nearing a lavender tinted white. The heat was much less than when it’d been blue, which made sense considering her blue flames were the hottest.  Azula shook her head mutely, but she was slowly connecting the dots. The lavender color was from interacting with Zuko, she doubted that she’d be able to make the color change happen on her own. 

 

“You will not tell anyone about this.” Azula ordered, narrowing her eyes at her brother and trying to hide her dismay when the flames wooshed and turned back to blue. Just as she feared, it was a volatile technique. Definitely not something that she could show Father until she got it under control. 

 

“I promise.” Zuko nodded, looking very serious as he let the now blue flame in his hand die out. “We’ll figure it out, Lala.” 

 

“ We will?” Azula raised an eyebrow at that, her brother seemed to have forgotten that he was currently bedridden. There would be no firebending practice for a very long time. 

 

“Yeah.” Zuko stated earnestly, bobbing his head in agreement as much as his bandages would allow, “Together.” 

 

The lessening of heat and switch to violet was still surprising, Azula glanced down at a shade of fire that had never been recorded before. Here was her chance, she could prove to Father that she was too useful to be thrown away like Zuko with this new fire. And if she got to enjoy Zuko’s honest praise while she puzzled out how the purple flames worked, then it was all the better. 

 

“Alright…” Azula nodded decisively, and raised a lavender flaming fist to clasp around Zuko’s opposite hand in a promise, the soft flames licking over both of their skin yet never even hurting either of them. “Together.” 

 

_________

 

The soothing smell of jasmine tea floated in the air. The doors to Zuko’s room had been left to stand fully opened, he greatly appreciated the fresh air circulating around him. After 3 years of being at sea and almost half a year of chasing after Aang, he wasn’t used to being inside for this long. He felt cooped up and the stuffy air of his ward room didn’t help. The smell of burn cream lay thick in the air most days. It clung to his skin and it was all he could usually smell. Zuko hated it. 

 

Uncle smiled at him as he scowled, thinking of that terrible scent. The ornate tea set lay precariously on the lumpy surface of Zuko’s sleeping mat, steam delicately wafting up from their cups. The taste of Uncle’s jasmine tea was as comforting as usual. 

 

He’d tried to use his left arm to hold his tea cup, but a glare from Uncle had shut that idea down. Secretly, he was grateful. The numbing creams that the nurses had used on his burns had worked too well, he hadn’t been able to move his fingers properly since the Agni Kai. Zuko knew that training with the dual dao would be hell after this, he could tell that the muscles in his left arm had shrunk. 

 

Their conversations over tea were Zuko’s favorite part of the day, although the nights he’d been spending with Azula came as a close second. Uncle had been mindful enough to keep Zuko updated on current events, though he noticed that his father was never mentioned. He wouldn’t have minded if they’d talked about the Fire Lord. Zuko was no longer the child he once was. He would never lose himself or his honor chasing the affection of a man that threw his son away like trash. 

 

“So the colonies have been restless this past week, the taxes on them were increased.” Uncle remarked, reading over the reports that had come in this weekend. 

 

“Why did they increase?” Zuko asked, this had happened in his original life as well, but they’d left port too quickly after hearing of reports of an airbender in the Shi Wong Desert to ever hear of the cause. 

 

“There has been a new kind of vehicle that has been designed, new funding is needed to create the new fleet.” Uncle replied, his brow furrowing as he set down his tea and showed Zuko plans for the prototype. 

 

“The tank truck.” Zuko read aloud, dread filling his core as he recognized what would one day become Azula’s favorite land vehicle. Unlike traditional tanks, tank trucks had the carriage space for multiple mongoose lizards. 

 

“It will be a great instrument for the Fire Nation.” Uncle stated gravely, lacking any of the nationalistic enthusiasm that one would expect from the ex-Crown Prince. 

 

“Yes, it will be.” Zuko said, a solemn feeling overcoming him. While he’d been resting and drinking tea, the war had been raging on. How many people had died while he’d been living it up in the palace? 

 

HIs pulse began to race as he thought of all the work he had cut out for him. Zuko needed to organize things, recruit new people willing to fight against the Fire Nation a full three years before Aang would crawl out of the ice to give people hope. It felt impossible, there was a harsh, throbbing pain that built up in his head the more Zuko considered how much had to be done. It felt like the worst migraine he’d ever had. 

 

Without him meaning to, Zuko’s face crinkled in pain and slight distress. Emotion showed much more easily on his younger face, and especially around Uncle, where he felt the most comfortable. 

 

“Prince Zuko, are you alright?” Uncle's voice which was normally gentle grated on Zuko’s ears like screeching metal. 

 

“My head just hurts.” Zuko admitted, a little astounded by how quickly his migraine had overtaken his senses. “I think I need to be alone for now.” 

 

Uncle nodded, and packed up his things. It was clear that he was worried for Zuko, and asked if he should send in a nurse but Zuko waved him off. After he left the room, Zuko leaned back into his pillows and tried to escape the ache in his head by falling asleep. 

 

_______

 

The palace announced that Prince Zuko’s infection had gotten worse, doctors were reporting that they’d been kicked out after failing to find a cure for it. A reward had been promised to any healer that could help the prince, more than a 1000 gold pieces were offered for a cure.

 It went unsaid that a waterbender was out of the question, healing was a skill long lost to those within the Fire Nation. Even for the few that remained within the islands, they were incapable of learning something so complicated that fast.

Dr. Yako was frustrated, she’d been working day and night as her staff was slowly replaced by doctors and nurses that she’d never met. Women and men that had served the Royal Family for years were being dismissed, and yet she was left alone. Two months after the Agni Kai, she was no closer to the cure than when news of the infection had been broken to the public. 

 

Prince Zuko’s skin was inflamed, there were angry stripes of red criss-crossing his flesh. He no longer stayed conscious for very long, refusing food and water as he complained of feeling weak and nauseous. The Great Dragon of the West himself had pestered her, asking what could be done for his nephew. It stung to admit that she couldn’t find a cause of the infection. Without a cause, she was stuck throwing balms and random remedies at the wound until one worked. Dr. Yako shared her fears with the General that the infection was at risk of spreading to the prince’s blood. 

 

The public worried, anger grew at the mystery opponent who’d challenged their prince to an Agni Kai. Who were they? How dare they put the future of the Fire Nation’s life at risk! There was talk of bribing the palace servants to talk, but even after money had been offered, no information was given. Not even the palace staff knew who Prince Zuko had fought. The nobles who’d attended the Agni Kai kept their mouths shut, and stopped talking to anyone who hadn’t been there. Suddenly lesser nobles found themselves out of the fold, excluded for reasons that weren’t clear to them. 

 

________

 

One afternoon, Iroh had heard the trademark sounds of fire blasts coming from the training yard. He’d just spent the whole day with Zuko, mostly watching his nephew sleep and conversing with Zuko when he was awake. It was hard to see his nephew wasting away, he didn’t bother with trying to move his left arm anymore and Iroh privately wondered if Zuko had lost feeling in that limb already. 

 

The new staff that had been hired was full of strange characters, the doctors were from the colonies or from far out islands. The nurses had an interesting bed manner, and by that Iroh meant that they seemed more at home on a battlefield medical tent than in a palace medical ward. All of the newcomers spoke in blunt ways, taking every opportunity to avoid speaking with him. Iroh assumed they were brought in for their war experience in triage care, being well versed in treating burns that most wouldn't survive. Although, he couldn't help but feel uneasy whenever he noticed how unfamiliar he'd become with the people entrusted with his nephew's care. Eventually Iroh had left to clear his head, trusting that Dr. Yako being on duty would ensure his nephew’s safety. 

 

Curious, he ambled over to the balcony overlooking the training yard. In the middle of the sand covered grounds, there stood his young niece. At only ten years old, Azula was already learning how to propel herself through the air with fire blasts. There were five different instructors nearby, they watched and shouted corrections as she went through the advanced katas. It was odd, he thought, that none of them were demonstrating the technique itself. 

 

Odder still when the whole group exited the training grounds entirely, smoke curling up into the sky being the only sign that they’d been there at all. Iroh leaned over the edge, wondering where they’d gone. It had been a long time since he’d taken the time to watch Azula’s training, most of the time he was busy orchestrating White Lotus missions or reading reports from the members scattered across the world. 

 

Admittedly, Iroh hadn’t felt the need to check in on Azula after he’d returned from his journeys. The young princess had seemed much more comfortable with the state of things in the palace than her brother, and so Iroh had focused on Zuko instead. Looking back, he knew now that that had been a mistake. Left unchecked, Ozai’s influence over his daughter had grown and word of the princess’s cruelty was much more popular among the servants than anything about her prodigal skill in firebending. 

Settling into his chair, Iroh crossed his arms and rested them over his belly. He hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep in months. Worry over his nephew had kept him up at night, he kept having nightmares that would have him awakening in the middle of the night in fear. 

 

After the worst of Zuko’s burns had healed, Iroh was instructed by Dr. Yako to return to his own sleeping chambers. It concerned him greatly that he wasn’t able to simply wake up and check on his nephew, but Iroh made do by spending the majority of the day with him. He also made sure to drop by unannounced wherever Azula happened to be, catching her off guard with his presence more than once. 

 

Admittedly, he was curious about his niece. She had watched Zuko be maimed while he’d looked away, but Iroh had seen the tears that she’d refused to let fall. He’d also been sleeping in the adjacent medical rooms the night of the Agni Kai, and had seen her travel in the shadows to check on Zuko in secret. It was odd, the way she refused to openly show her concern for her brother. Iroh wasn’t sure if that behavior had resulted from love or fear of Ozai. It was a wise move either way, Ozai clearly had shown what happened to children that lost his favor. 

 

As he pondered this, the doors to the training yard burst open. The traditional wood carvings were deeply engraved into the wood, but whoever had opened the doors didn’t care about causing dents as a hollow thunk of the doors hitting the wall clearly announced. That only meant one thing. There was only one person who allowed his underlings to treat the palace with such disrespect, Iroh looked down to see his brother below him. 

 

The robes of the Fire Lord are audaciously grand, the specific shades of red that Ozai worre were barred from anyone else in court. Iroh stared at his brother unimpressed, his general disdain for him had transformed into full blown hate after the Agni Kai. Were it not for the inevitable civil war that would break loose if he were to take the throne, Iroh would slay Ozai without hesitation. Before Ba Sing Se, Iroh had made a name for himself as a quick and merciless killer, but he’d make it slow for his brother. It’s what Ozai deserved. 

 

The instructors were scurrying around like rats, one almost daring to shove Azula into the position that he wanted her in. Ozai sat in a luxurious and tacky chair, looking almost bored with the proceedings. Azula stood atop a pile of crates, and before one of her trainers could push her off, the eleven year old jumped into the air. Iroh felt his heart plummet as she fell, even though the blasts of fire were strong, they were not enough to soften the way his niece met the ground. 

 

Ozai’s facial expression noticeably changed, Iroh could hear him berating her for failing all the way from the balcony. It was hypocritical, because Azula at such a young age had already surpassed Ozai’s skills at age twenty. He noticed how Azula kept herself on the ground, not daring to stand until her father was done yelling. It was when Ozai stepped forward quickly, a hand beginning to rise, that Iroh acted. 

 

Looking back at the moment, Iroh would guess that his soul would not allow him to look away as his little brother branded another child on their knees. His feet hit the ground with a resounding THOOM, and glassy sand went flying everywhere from the fire blasts he’d set off as he left the balcony. Iroh readjusted his robes in the ensuing silence, giving a slight bow to his brother before walking up to the entire company. They all bowed, with the exception of Ozai who simply nodded in a disrespectful manner and Azula who mimicked her father from her position on the ground. 

 

“Now, it would be rather foolish to expect such a flawed technique to be used for anything more than slowing a fall.” Iroh stated, holding one arm out to his niece as he helped her up off of the ground, subtly placing his body between her and his brother. “Who decided on such a thing?” 

 

None of the instructors answered, but Iroh knew it had been one of them. All of the people who worked under Ozai were endlessly bidding for his favor, if risking the life of the princess was the cost then so be it. Ozai himself looked angry, but there was nothing that he could do in this situation. 

 

“If you wanted to actually practice this, you’d need to fall into a body of water like the ocean.” Iroh continued, making direct eye contact with Azula which required him to bend down a bit. “How can you succeed if you injure yourself on your first try?” 

 

Iroh turned to the rest of them, his gentle and hapless expression was being contrasted with the heat that he’d been letting out as a warning. He looked every bit like a slightly batty old man, were it not for the fact that he’d just surprised them all by being every bit of the Master Firebender that he’d once been. 

 

“I’d like to commandeer the princess’s training for today.” Iroh’s tone left no room for argument, while Ozai’s face creased in obvious anger, “We’ll take a small unit of guards with us to the harbor and practice it until she gets it right.” 

 

And with that, Iroh walked out the training yard entirely, with Azula trailing after him. After the doors closed, he turned to her and told her that he needed to stop by the medical ward to make sure that she hadn’t hurt herself when she fell. He would not have been so calm as he led Azula away from her training session had he known that it was only his presence that had saved her from being hit by his brother. 

 

_______

 

“I wonder what would happen if you tried to blast them?” Zuko suggested, watching closely as Azula’s new purple flames lit up his room. She’d helped him gather enough pillows to be propped up so he could sit up and watch her properly. The infection that Dr. Yako had told him about had weakened him greatly, and he had trouble staying awake for too long. 

 

“In an enclosed space?” Azula raised a brow at him, and tilted her head, “They might cause scorch marks on the ceiling.” 

 

“I’ll take the blame for that, I can say that I was trying to kill a bug.” Zuko said, he was genuinely curious about his sister’s new ability. When Ran and Shaw had showed him their fire, he’d seen so many colors in the flames, including violet. He’d been able to make multiple colors appear in his flames as well, but he’d never been able to make his fire be one pure color like Azula could. 

 

“Or you could just say that you were practicing your firebending.” Azula smirked, and that’s when Zuko realized how bad the excuse he’d thought of was. “Dumdum.” 

 

“Oh right, that’s much better than what I said.” Zuko mumbled, embarrassed because he wasn’t actually thirteen and yet he still had the lying ability of a child. 

 

“Of course it is, we both know that I’m much better than you at everything.” Azula responded haughtily, and unlike when Zuko was actually this age, he could see that she was trying to make a joke. 

 

“Yeah, you’re my favorite prodigy.” Zuko said, a slight teasing tone leaking into his voice. It had been so long since he’d been able to talk to Azula like this, he missed the relationship that they used to have. Sometimes he wondered if he hadn’t been banished, would Azula have stayed sane? 

 

Azula tucked her hair behind her ear instead of responding, and seemed to take a deep breath to steady herself. With much less force than Sozin Style typically demanded, she whipped out a hand wreathed in lavender fire. 

 

Like the reflection of the sun in a still pond that’s been disturbed, the flames broke into a mosaic of light. Small balls of fire danced in the air, their purple glow flickering as they moved. Both Azula and Zuko stared at them in wonder as they stayed lit, refusing to go out like most flames did without a source. Zuko couldn’t believe it, Azula had managed to make flames that could burn without being connected to their bender. 

 

“Lala!” Zuko exclaimed, leaning as much as his still healing burns would allow and taking her hand, “Do you realize what this means?” 

 

“Of course I do Zuzu, my flames can still burn without me.” Azula was trying hard to seem unaffected, but Zuko knew his sister better in this timeline than he’d ever known her. His little sister was just as excited by this as he was. 

 

“No one’s ever been able to do that before.” Zuko said, a huge grin overtaking his face. “Not in the entire history of fire bending, not once has anyone ever been able to make flames burn without a source.” 

 

Azula smiled at that, satisfaction and pure happiness shined in her face. The lights glowed brighter, equaling the brightness of the lanterns outside. Zuko felt pride warm his chest, they’d been working on the flames for a week or two and his little sister had finally been able to tap into her inner flame and make her sapphire blue fire turn into brilliant violet every time without fail. She had explained that she didn’t know what the source behind the color change was, but Zuko had his own theory. 

 

The first time Azula had been able to make the violet flames was when she and him had been having a positive conversation. He’d noticed that when she got frustrated, the flames stayed blue but when he encouraged her then the flames were more likely to be violet. Blue fire was the hottest flames that any firebender could make, and it signified extreme power and control. However, because Azula was Sozin-trained, her fire was motivated by rage or ambition. Her purple flames in contrast were comfortably warm, they felt like holding a fresh cup of tea. They never burned Zuko no matter how close he held them to his skin, unlike Azula’s blue flames. 

 

Privately, Zuko thought that Azula’s purple flames were a result of her softer side. The part of his little sister that had rotted away during his banishment, and had died well by the time of their Agni Kai. It was her caring side, the part of her that loved her nation with her entire being, her protective nature that drove her to mutilate a boy at Ty Lee’s school who’d dared to make fun of her friend. The flames gave off light and not much heat, it made sense to him that they were more for protection and comfort than combat like her blue fire was. 

 

He loved them. 

 

They made him feel like the girl he’d fought on the day of Sozin’s Comet would never exist again. It was hard to hold onto all of the anger that he’d felt at her when he was sixteen; this Azula had emotions that peeked through her mask, she laughed and made jokes, and she visited him at night to check on him. She was so young, and Zuko saw through the way that she acted. Right now his little sister needed him more than he’d ever thought possible, and it made him wonder why his Azula had dragged him home after Ba Sing Se. Was it to please Father, or was it because she had a chance to no longer be alone? 

 

They practiced volleying the balls of fire back and forth, sometimes they tossed the flames back so fast that they resembled the tails of comets. Azula showed him a trick that Ty Lee had taught her, juggling the dazzling lavender flames in a circle. Zuko wished he could join in, but his arm was still too damaged to move it. Before the moon had reached its zenith in the sky, Zuko’s eyes were fluttering closed. The last thing he saw before he fell asleep was the comforting periwinkle glow of Lala’s flames. 

 

_______

 

Dr. Yako stared at her office, the scrolls that she’d been studying were meticulously stacked in piles according to their subject on her desk. There were different blends of burn creams placed on her shelves, all of which she had tried out on the prince’s injuries. The doctor stood in the middle of the room, taking in her messy space and how there wasn’t enough room for more than one person to be in there at a time. 

 

Everything looked exactly as she left it, a disorganized clutter of medical paraphernalia crammed into a room close to where Prince Zuko was staying. So why did she feel like there was frost slowly spreading across her skin? Something felt off, she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and glanced over her shoulder at the closed door. Her office had no windows, it was more like a closet really, but no one should be able to see her right now. 

 

Her office was a mess, this is true. Everyone knew that her normally structured space had been upset the day of the Agni Kai, servants weren’t allowed in to clean anymore because she was scared of them reorganizing her things. But there was a method to the madness, and she could tell without being able to put her finger on it that someone else other than her had been in this room. 

 

It bothered her more than she liked to admit, especially since Yako hadn’t been able to see her wife in over a week. She kept falling asleep on her desk, waking up in the morning with the creases of her sleeves imprinted on her cheeks. Tonight was the first night she was going to sleep at home, and she’d told one of the new nurses about how excited she was to spend time with Himari. She’d just popped into her office before she left to grab a box of tea that General Iroh had gifted her, Yako had wanted to share the rare blend with her wife. 

 

She crossed the room and looked over her desk, she’d gotten in a shipment of scrolls about blood poisoning from Summer Island this morning. She’d looked over half of them, and was planning on covering the rest tomorrow. In the unread pile of scrolls lay three from her good friend, Dr, Nata, on the causes and treatment of blood poisoning. Nata had an odd requirement for all of his scrolls to be exactly 23 fire lilies in length, it made them all the same size when one looked at them while they were rolled up. One of the scrolls was noticeably smaller than the other two. 

 

Yako felt her heart slow as she realized what had happened. Someone had come into her office on the night that she was supposed to be absent, and had removed a large amount of the scroll’s length. It was sabotage, Nata’s notes had been changed. She grabbed all three scrolls and stuffed them into her bag, replacing them with random bone map scrolls that looked similar enough from their pile on the floor. 

 

She made sure to leave the Palace slowly, even though she wanted nothing more than to run away. Himari would know what to do, her wife was a midwife for the wealthy, and had plenty of medical experience. It was not the first time that she’d heard of someone attempting to stop the recovery of a child, but it was the first time that it had been Yako’s patient and not Himari’s. Non-benders were often born “weak” and died in their first few months of life from complications, though everyone knew that such things were not as common as prejudiced nobles would have them believe. Her wonderful wife had been able to stop such things before, and hopefully she’d be able to help Yako figure out what was going on before it was too late for Prince Zuko. 

 

_______ 

 

A soft hush had fallen over the garden, the only sound was the quiet quacking of the turtleducks. The smell of dragon snaps floated on the wind, and there was a soft blanket underneath her knees. Zuko sat next to Azula, surprisingly he’d felt strong enough to walk all the way to the Royal Gardens. 

 

Dr. Yako had escorted them to where they were having tea herself, watching in obvious pride at her patient’s newfound strength. After months of laying in bed, Zuko had stumbled quite a bit but he’d made it. It seemed as if he was finally getting better. The start of his recovery had been announced to the public, and there had been celebrations in the streets. 

 

From across the low table sat Uncle Iroh, his stunt during her fire flight training had meant that she now received lessons from him twice a week. Constantly plunging into the sea and spending hours in the sun had darkened her skin, much to the horror of her palace aids. Instead of dining in the palace, Uncle insisted on them eating lunch at his favorite seafood restaurant. It’d been bothersome to eat in the same place as commoners, but Azula had to admit that the steamed fish was flaky and the crispy octopus was better than in the palace. 

 

Unbeknownst to Azula, the Fire Nation was incredibly pleased to see their princess more. After the death of Fire Lord Azulon, very little had been known about her or her older brother. The way she braided her hair during training became a new trend. Crowds of people flooded the wharf to catch glimpses of her training. They were so proud of her for being only ten years old and already learning the fire flight technique. Her once light skin was now sunkissed, and her smooth hair had been turned frizzy from the seasalt. All across the nation, little girls stayed out in the sun playing for longer, for it was said that the princess herself had honey tanned skin. 

 

Uncle Iroh had agreed to Zuko’s inane request for them to all have tea together. It wasn’t exactly like Azula could refuse, despite Zuko’s fallen position from Father’s favor and Uncle’s loss of the throne, both of them were above her in the palace pecking order. Zuzu’s lizard-puppy eyes at her as he asked her to come did nothing to disguise that this tea party was a summons. These past few weeks had been the least that Azula had seen her father since she started firebending. It would be treasonous for her to think that she preferred life like this, so she didn’t. 

 

Zuko poured tea into their small cups for them. It didn’t escape her notice how his arms shook, even though Uncle had deliberately chosen a very petite teapot for this afternoon. Though Zuko insisted that he was fine, he’d been sweating since the second round of tea and it wasn’t even hot. Today they were drinking chrysanthemum tea, because it was her favorite. Zuko had let her bully him into switching cups, after he’d spooned in the honey that she preferred of course. Her older brother knew that she liked light and sweet flavors, including the subtle smokiness of humming-bee honey. 

 

They’d been discussing the different theatre companies’ renditions of Love Amongst Dragons. Zuko had many opinions, all of which he expressed by waving his working arm around and speaking very loudly. Azula had been staunchly in favor of the Ember Island Players, just to frustrate him. The playful way that the two of them had been arguing had made Uncle Iroh chuckle. At that Zuko had glared at him, like the hot head he was, and demanded that Uncle join in on the debate. 

 

With a slow sip of his tea, Uncle Iroh had said that he liked the Wish Valley Troupe, as their two leads had the most beautiful singing voices. 

 

“It’s not a musical, Uncle.” Zuko explained slowly, obviously assuming that their uncle had confused one of the most legendary pieces of theatre with something else in his old age. 

 

“It is when the Wish Valley Troupe puts it in.” Uncle replied simply, ignoring the incredulous look that Zuzu sent him. 

 

“That’s insane.” Zuko griped, fulfilling his role as the family drama queen, “Where would they even fit in the songs?” 

 

“They change most of the dialogue actually, it’s very interesting.” Uncle Iroh made eye contact with her, merriment reflected in his eyes. 

 

“Perhaps we should see it for ourselves before we take your word for it.” Azula remarked, before her thoughts caught up with her mouth. It was stupid of her to be lured into feeling comfortable just from a few weeks of late nights with Zuko and training with Uncle. She was foolish to count herself as part of Uncle and Zuzu’s weird little tea-drinking and pathetically emotional kind duo. 

 

“Definitely.” Zuko nodded in agreement before she could say anything else, “Uncle, where is Wish Valley?” 

 

“The troupe is actually going to be performing at the Caldera Theatre in about a week.” Uncle answered, winking at them both, “I can arrange some tickets for us.”

 

“Thank you, Uncle.” Zuko eagerly agreed, before turning to her and asking, “Would you want Mai and Ty Lee to come too?” 

 

The tea in Azula’s cup had long gone cold, but she’d never felt more warm. 

________

 

“You’re not even looking.” Ty Lee pouted at her from upside down, her bangs falling into her eyes and obscuring half of her face. 

 

“You’re right, I’m not.” Mai answered drily, glaring at her nails. She’d chipped the polish on her new butterfly knife and now in a set of scarlet, there was a single patch of white nail. 

 

“Maiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.” Ty Lee whined, persistently trying to get her to look up even though Mai had already discretely looked at her through her bangs and didn’t need to see her friend doing a handstand again. “Even Azula’s looking!” 

 

“No she isn’t.” Mai looked up from her nails to where Azula was laying atop her bed, “She fell asleep over an hour ago.” 

 

“She’s looking at me with her spirit.” Ty Lee insisted, walking over to Mai only on her hands, then balancing on one to poke her with the other, “Unlike you.” 

 

“You’re just doing a handstand, I’ve seen you do them millions of times before.” Mai pointed out, slapping away Ty Lee’s hand from her face. 

 

“But this one is different, I promise!” Ty Lee exclaimed, reaching out to tilt Mai’s chin up to meet her eyes. 

 

Do you think they pushed her too hard in training? Ty Lee mouthed, concern clear in her wide grey irises. She's been falling asleep a lot. 

 

“I doubt it.” Mai answered, careful to keep her voice consistent to how it’d been before, then mouthing I think it has to do with Zuko. 

 

Ty Lee nodded seriously, then she pouted petulantly, “Fine. If you aren’t going to look then I’ll just sit down and be boring.” 

 

“Welcome back to the right-side up.” Mai responded as Ty Lee sat down beside her. Covering one side with her hand and making a thumbs up with the other, she tried to convey that she’d heard Zuko was recovering.   

 

“Glad to be back!” Ty Lee chirped, gripping Mai’s shoulder as she leaned forward and whispered into her hair, “I was worried that she’d be left all alone.” 

 

That made Mai fall quiet, leaning into her friend as she considered how horrible it would be to be stuck in the Palace with a father willing to burn your face off. Being made the Heir would create an even busier schedule for Azula, more than she already had. Zuko had never gone to school, only learning through private tutors, and it would be the same for her friend. It would be very very unlikely that they’d ever see Azula again, it was well known that Fire Lord Ozai did not care for sentiment. 

 

“That will never happen.” Mai replied hoarsely, reaching out to wrap her hand around her friend’s forearm in the universal sign of an Oath of Agni

 

“ We won’t let it.” Ty Lee agreed, completing the form. A bolt of heat flew down from their hearts and into the other’s, signifying the oath had been made. Azula slept on, unaware that her friends had sworn to protect her. 

 

_______

 

“Dr. Yako, Head Royal Doctor.” Yako stated, holding out her identification papers at the Palace Gate. The guards that had seen her every day for the past twenty years looked down at her through the slits in their helmets. 

 

“Your permission to enter has been revoked.” The guard manning the gate itself passed the papers back to her, flames already licking at the edges. 

 

Yako dropped them in surprise, watching irreplaceable palace documents curl up into ash on the paved road. She angrily exclaimed, “What is the meaning of this?” 

 

“Your employment here has been terminated, and you are no longer allowed within the walls of the palace.” The guard sneered, anger clear in his eyes, “As it should be, you’ve wasted the Fire Lord’s money for months while failing to find a cure for our prince.” 

 

Before Yako could protest, another guard came up from behind her and rested her hand on Yako’s shoulder. It was uncomfortably warm, hinting at a very painful burn if Yako didn’t stop protesting this farce. 

 

“The prince still needs me, he was getting better and better every day!” Yako insisted, trying to twist out of the guard’s reach and feeling an all too familiar sting on her skin. The guard ignored her and tightened her hold, and Yako stopped resisting once the pain became unbearable. The smell of burnt fabric filled the air. 

 

“Let’s go, Doc.” The guard announced, steering Yako away from the palace gate and out onto the street, “Don’t ever come back here again.” 

 

“But what about my materials? All of my research?” Yako asked bewildered and angry that Agni hadn’t blessed her with fire and thus she could do nothing against these people. Her shoulder throbbed, and she wondered if this was her punishment for failing to protect the prince. He was now all alone in the palace, and she’d been injured in the same shoulder, most people would say such a coincidence is a sign from the spirits. 

 

“They’ll be delivered to you.” The guard said brusquely, “Although I don’t see why a useless fool like you needs them.” 

 

The guard turned away and walked back up the gate. It was early morning, the Sun was barely peeking over the edges of the caldera so she was mostly alone in the street. For the few people who’d seen the interaction, none came to help her. Yako trudged away from the palace, knowing that she would need Himari to help her patch up her shoulder. 

 

Later as her wife carefully smeared burn cream on her shoulder, Yako realized that like every other person she’d been working with before the Agni Kai, she’d been fired. There was now an entirely new team of people working with the Prince, most of whom she’d never even heard of within the medical community. And she’d been allowed to work with him for months, until she’d been able to start curing the infection that had been weakening Prince Zuko. 

 

Yako smelled a rat. 

 

_______

 

“I don’t know if I can go to the play tomorrow.” Zuko whispered, gazing up at the floating balls of purple fire. His chest felt heavy, and it took effort for him to stay awake for too long now. 

 

Azula scoffed at that and gently flicked him on the forehead, “I’m sure you’ll be able to go. You were able to walk only a week ago, don’t be so dramatic.” 

 

Zuko frowned, but he didn’t disagree with her. The infection took a lot out of him, and he knew that this was the worst that Father had ever burned him. It felt like when he’d gotten sick in Ba Sing Se, but even worse. Even though Azula had only been here for less than an hour, he already felt sleepy. He didn’t try to play with Azula’s new fire anymore, he only cupped it in his palm and let the warmth lovingly lick at at his skin. 

 

They were no closer to figuring out the exact cause of the color change, but his little sister was now able to easily summon her purple flames. They’d even timed to see how fast she could switch them back and forth from blue to violet. Neither of them had been willing to discuss why they kept the new technique a secret, but both siblings knew Azula’s violet flames were not something they’d want Father to find out about until later. 

 

“I just don’t understand why the Head Royal Doctor herself had to investigate the new cure. She has subordinates, what’s the use of her leaving to find something to make you feel better if you’re only going to get worse when she’s gone.” Azula scrowled, a pretty mix of blue and purple illuminated the room. Her fire reflected her mood, which Zuko found to be incredibly interesting. 

 

“She probably didn’t trust anyone else to do it.” Zuko rolled his eyes, the new medical staff spoke the colonial dialect and they didn’t have minds of their own. All they did was follow Dr. Yako’s orders, and oftentimes they messed even the simplest directions up. “I mean, could you imagine any of them being able to understand the research she’s conducting?” 

 

“That’s true.” Azula agreed, leaning back to snatch a few balls of fire from the air and extinguishing them, “They’d probably kill you with their version of a ‘cure’.”

 

“Yeah.” Zuko chuckled, as drowsiness stole over him, mumbling, “I think you should go, Lala.” 

 

“You’re like a baby tigerseal.” Azula remarked, reaching out to extinguish the fire he was cradling. Zuko knew it was as far as she’d be willing to go with physical affection, the way his little sister had gripped his fingers to kill the violet flames had been unnecessary. “Always hibernating.” 

 

Still, her hand lingered atop of his. Zuko shifted forward and ignored the way his vision temporarily swam with black dots to grip her hand in his. Softly, he bade her good night. 

 

Azula pulled away first, sneaking out of the now dark room without a single look back. He watched the door close quietly behind her, and wondered why he didn’t want her to go. The darkness closed in, and Zuko fell asleep. 

 

_______

 

When his father had given him a “punishment” Ozai had been all for killing his son, that’s what Azula was born for anyways-- to be a spare heir. Ursa’s frivolous sentimentality had stood in the way of that, and she had offered him an alternative. To be rid of his nagging wife and senile father in one night? What more could an ambitious man such as he ask for? 

 

She’d given him two options: a poison that worked in less than a few hours or a slow acting one, that caused a weakening in the body. Ozai had chosen the fastest option, he’d had enough of being patient. The time to strike had been right then and there. In her haste to flee the palace after, Ursa had left the majority of her things in the palace so she’d had time to say goodbye to their children. As someone fleeing for her life, his wife had no time to bring meaningless items when she could be sentimental instead. 

 

It was ironic indeed that she’d left the slow acting poison behind. Ozai had seen the effect his worthless son had on the public, he knew they preferred the innocent weakling rather than the man who worked to protect them and got his hands dirty in the process. The spoiled people of the Fire Nation didn’t like to acknowledge the costs of their war for greatness, choosing to swallow the obvious bullshit that was their government’s propaganda rather than confront what the Fire Nation had done to the world. Of course, they didn’t mind the extra food or cheaper items that were manufactured by slave labor in the Earth Kingdom. There was always complaining about lost soldiers, but no one ever questioned how many lives on the losing side that had been stolen.

 

By branding Zuko, Ozai had regrettably placed himself in a position of weakness. He knew that the sight of Zuko’s scars had the potential to rally his citizens against him, which could not be allowed to happen. Sozin’s Comet was only three years away, Ozai had plans to win the war for once and for all and the Fire Nation could not afford to be fighting itself during the preparation. Luckily, he’d been able to keep details of the Agni Kai secret from the public, with only those who’d been there knowing the full truth. 

 

He had waited his whole life to become the Fire Lord, overcoming ridiculous obstacles such as birthright and the morality of patricide. Ozai knew how to play the long game. He replaced every member of the medical staff, kept the details of his son’s injuries minimal, and played the part of a concerned father. Eventually, he had the agents he’d placed under Dr. Yako begin to slip the poison into Zuko’s food. 

 

But that damned doctor wouldn’t just keep her mouth shut. Even though she’d been oblivious enough to look for cures to an infection that she couldn’t even find the source of, somehow Yako had been able to start counteracting the poison. That wouldn’t do, so he’d had her banished from the palace and withheld all of her research. It was easy to claim it was because he was frustrated with her for failing to cure his son, and no one questioned it. 

 

Zuko probably could have been allowed to live for another week or two, just to distance his death from Yako’s firing. But then the news of his idiot brother attending some play with his children had reached his ears, and that could not be allowed to happen. Ozai had done serious damage, it was clear even to him that his son looked pitiful. If the Fire Nation saw what had happened to Zuko, they’d be out for blood. 

 

He’d ordered for the last dose to be administered the night he’d heard, not even bothering to check if the deed had been done before he’d retired to his bedroom. The people he’d found were doctors that had been exiled from the Fire Nation for crimes against humanity, Ozai was sure they’d have no issue with killing his son. 

 

________

 

The Avatar is in the Earth Kingdom, Admiral Zhao and an entire fleet of Fire Nation ships lay at the bottom of the ocean. Letting other people do the work has failed, now the Royals themselves have been assigned to the job. General Iroh had been one of the few survivors of the Northern Siege, and now it is time for the Dragon of the West to return to where he once lost everything. The Princess herself has set out to capture the Avatar, with her two right hands that are feared throughout the nation for their combat prowess. 

 

Azula chases the Avatar across the Earth Kingdom, without the constant threat of her father hanging over her, she allows herself to relax. Uncle is handling the new plans for their attack against Ba Sing Se, the drill will hopefully pierce through the Outer Wall. If it succeeds, Uncle will be the only person in the world who has managed to bring the wall down twice. 

 

After losing the Avatar in that backwater town, Azula realizes she’s been carrying extra baggage. She uses her reputation of being cruel and calculating to abandon the crew that Father assigned to her, claiming that just her two companions would travel much faster than a whole tank truck would. It feels so much better to be herself out here, without any prying eyes. Azula still has to follow her Father’s orders, she knows the consequences of that more than anyone on this earth, but for now; she is a teenager with her best friends on what is essentially a vacation. 

 

They travel on foot to Ba Sing Se, where they expect to meet up with Uncle and find the Avatar. There are many people that they meet, some good like the little boy named Lee who achingly reminds all three of them of her brother, but some bad like that boy Jet who wears revenge around him like a cloak. Some towns like Gaoling are rich, with pretty paved streets and other towns are populated by those whose souls seem threadbare, with dust-caked lungs and brittle bones. It’s uncommon to meet a guy their age, it seems that all the boys have been dragged off to war. The women that are left behind are strong like their element, unbreakable and sturdy. 

 

In a tiny town, there is a healer that gives them free dinner and a hot bath. The healer’s daughter stares at her throughout the entire dinner, it makes Azula’s face flush for reasons that she doesn’t understand. The bathtub is small enough that Azula’s elbows are above the surface when the girl bursts into the bathing area, exclaiming some nonsense about hot water. It’s when Azula realizes that Song isn’t staring at her chest, but rather the raised pink hand prints that wrap around her biceps, that Azula demands that she leaves. Looking over the grass after, Azula lets Song sit next to her without protest, it wouldn’t do to upset the girl while her friends were still bathing. 

 

A raised pant leg reveals fire marred flesh, and Azula starts to truly understand that the actions of her Father have hurt more than just her. Song lets her run her fingers over the bumpy skin, and Azula isn’t sure if she cries more for Song or for herself. In this quiet moment, Song becomes the first person to ever touch Azula’s scars since Father gave them to her. When they leave, she commits this place to memory. 

 

One small action can change everything. She'd been searching for something to believe in after Zuko died, locking away her purple flames and only showing her truer emotions to her friends. Perhaps finding the Avatar can bring Azula hope too. 

 

Instead, she finds the Avatar’s bison. 

 

It’s an easy thing, the Kyoshi warriors are not up the standards their legendary founder set. The sky bison flees, and as Azula meets up with the rest of the Fire Nation fleet and watches the captured girls descend into the dark brig of a prison ship, she finds herself questioning if that’s really a bad thing. Surely an animal of the sky would not appreciate being locked up inside of a ship. Uncle, Azula, and her friends discuss strategy with the engineers and captain of the drill. So much money had gone into building this monstrosity of machinery, her people had been bled dry by the taxes that paid for it. It needs to work, for their sake. 

 

The drill fails, she slips and slides on muddy muck as she desperately drags an unconscious Uncle away from the wall. Ty Lee and Mai understand why she abandons the troops inside the drill, the Earth Kingdom would not hesitate to make a public example of the famed General Iroh. They flee to the sea, where the majority of the fleet had stayed. She decides that a more subtle maneuver is better suited to taking down Ba Sing Se, rather than that bull headed tactic that her father had chosen. Before an assembly of troops, she promises them to retrieve those inside the drill who’d been taken prisoner. Her speech is met with cheers, for the people love their Princess. 

 

Wearing the Kyoshi Warriors’ robes feels strange, there’s so much fabric yet she almost feels freer in them than in her own armor. Ty Lee fits the role oddly well, and she’s lucky that the Earth King is such a fool to let strangers know of the planned invasion. Azula wins the power struggle against Long Feng, and the Dai Li are within her grasp. She has them sneak Uncle in. He requests to guard the Waterbender himself, as she’s the first person they imprison and more powerful than the generals. She’s going to need his counsel if she wants Ba Sing Se to surrender without much blood shed. Wasting Agni’s gift of life is not something she’s interested in, even if it belongs to the Earth. 

 

It’s truly a pity that the Avatar’s companions are making that so hard. Ty Lee takes out the Earthbender and Watertribe boy, but the Waterbender and the Avatar present a major challenge in the catacombs. Ty Lee and Mai are guarding the other two, so it’s just her and uncle against them. There’s also the Dai Li and Azula is incredibly grateful that she thought to bring them along. She doesn’t think about the fact that Uncle would have never been defeated by that girl without being completely taken out, Azula has long learned to ignore the part of her that finds whispers of betrayal in every action. 

 

In crystal caves, Azula raises a hand charged with lightning and aims it at the Avatar’s back. She feels her heart stop in her chest when her uncle takes the strike instead. She sobs over his body, feeling all kinds of broken as yet another family member leaves her. She screams “Why?” and it echoes against the catacomb walls in the familiar call of all those who lose someone to war. 

 

It’s heart wrenching enough to watch the Avatar walk over to her after he’s done decimating her Dai Li, the Watertribe peasant not far behind him. The girl explains that the pendant she wears has water that has special healing properties, Azula only lets her touch Uncle’s body because there isn’t much else you can inflict on someone that’s already dead. When Uncle’s chest begins to rise, Azula restrains herself from embracing him and instead questions why these two are willing to help her. 

 

Correction: They are helping him. Apparently Uncle had been responsible for Zhao’s death at the North Pole and had led the Avatar to the girl, the whispers in her head turned to screams when Azula learned about the latter. Maybe it’s out of fear, or maybe it’s out of love, but she coldly tells the pair to take her Uncle with them when they flee then. She has no use for traitors. 

 

Azula is checking on the Dai Li, making sure that none of her soldiers are seriously injured as the Avatar flees Ba Sing Se. Before she takes down the wall, she assembles the entire force in front of her. Azula explains that she will do her best to make sure the people of Ba Sing Se are treated decently under the Fire Nation occupation. Her travels through the Earth Kingdom and reading through the reports from the war front of how horrific conditions are in newly gained territories have taught her much about the correct way to process new Fire Nation colonies. She's seen the aftermath of soldiers' rage and lust, the useless destruction of crucial infrastructure, and the razing of fields that could feed everyone if only they were left untouched. Ba Sing Se will be different, because it is Azula handling this takeover and she doesn't repeat others' mistakes. This is a promise that she manages to keep, up until Father summons her back home. 

 

She tells Ty Lee and Mai about the invasion plan on the boat ride to the Fire Nation, they all agree that giving that information to the Fire Lord will keep her in his good graces. Azula plays a dangerous game back home, it’s harder than it’s ever been to keep up her act. She has her friends, and that’s enough. They go to Ember Island together, and she shows them paintings of her family. Around a campfire, Azula admits that she has doubts. She doesn’t know if the war is just anymore, she knows for a fact that a world where her Father is the supreme ruler would be one she won’t live in. They talk about the poverty in the Earth Kingdom, about how there is pollution and shortages in their own nation. The night ends without Azula knowing what is the right path, but at least she knows she’s not alone. 

 

Elsewhere, Iroh teaches Aang firebending aboard a stolen Fire Nation Vessel as a way of repaying Katara for healing him. Officially, the General is dead and is able to sneak around his own nation and purchase supplies. Throughout their travels, the invasion force manages to stop at multiple Fire Nation islands. It’s during a visit to a place called Wish Valley that Iroh tells them about Zuko. Though interacting with different citizens had shattered several prejudices of theirs, it is the story of the murdered prince that truly hammers it in for Aang how helpless the Fire Nation is when it comes to defying their leader. 

 

“Fire is the element of life.” Iroh teaches, and Aang relearns what flames actually signify. There are colors in his flames, and in his ignorance Aang assumes it was because he learned from the General. When they stop a meteor from hitting a town, Iroh takes Sokka to train under his friend, Master Piandao. The Order of the White Lotus is revealed, and Iroh promises the organization’s full support during the invasion. 

 

At the end of the day, Father forces Azula’s hand. There’s one last war meeting before the eclipse, and his plans for the day of Sozin’s Comet are revealed. The Earth Kingdom will burn. Unbidden, Azula thinks of Song. People just like her will die under her people’s flames, in a catastrophic waste of life the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the Air Nomad’s were wiped out. She plots with her friends and the Dai Li, and when the Avatar bursts into her bunker, Azula surrenders. She leads him to the Fire Lord, and has the Dai Li take out her father’s guards. Fire Lord Ozai has finally been beaten, and is thrown into a cell that he will never leave. The Fire Nation itself doesn’t fight, her people are tired of war. 

 

Azula crowns herself as Fire Lord, with Uncle as her regent until she comes of age. The days are long, and it takes months to win over the Avatar’s friends’ trust. Aang himself is quite easy, Ty Lee and him get along swimmingly. As the months pass by, and the world settles into peace talks, Azula slips away from a conference held by the Beifong family and travels south. 

 

Song and her mother are just as welcoming as she was before, and the two keep up a correspondence that spans for months. Azula finds that she enjoys her friend’s perspective on things, in particular: reparations. She writes often, using her messenger hawk more than anyone else in the Palace. One day, Song is brave enough to request a visit to the Fire Nation. Azula says yes, of course. 

 

In the same garden that her brother loved so, Azula sits with Song by the turtleduck pond at night. Violet flames burn for the first time in years, and she tries to show Song that fire can do more than hurt, that it can be beautiful too. 

Notes:

please let me know what you think! I thought it'd make more sense for Azula to not challenge Ozai in this loop, because she's scared of him.

thank you for reading! and please sign petitions for mona wang

Chapter 6: Running Away and Hama

Summary:

Zuko flees the palace, and meets an old lady along the road.

Notes:

hi! I'm sorry that's been two weeks, but this weekend I'm uploading about 20k so it will be long enough to make up for the wait :) thank you to everyone who's been commenting, they're really encouragining.

this chapter starts the next arc, zuko's leaving the palace and will explore life outside of banishment and unscarred.

Zuko slowly awakens, his limbs feeling heavy. He buries his face into his pillow, mindful of his burn. For the first time in months, he was pain free. Although exhaustion swept over him before he could think much about it. 

 

The second time he woke up, Zuko groggily accepted that he couldn’t snooze any longer. If his body felt this good, then he needed to let his nurse know. Perhaps he’d be able to attend the play after all. Zuko had been looking forward to seeing Mai at this age, his girlfriend’s cheeks had been so chubby when they were younger. 

 

He opened his eyes and felt his heart stutter in his chest. Before he realized that he was back in his bedroom in the palace, Zuko knew something was wrong when he could open both of his eyes. Tears soaked the fabric of his sleeves as he mourned what would never come to pass. 

 

The sun broke over the horizon, throwing the world into stunning shades of pink and orange. The clouds hung low in the sky, Zuko looked at their lavender edges and felt his heart ache. Whenever he blinked, his eyes stung. He marveled at his ability to see with both of his eyes, and moved his left arm up and down, just because he could. Zuko appreciated the abilities while he could, in a few hours from now he’d lose them forever. 

 

Would he? 

 

Zuko had always thought that running away would lead to his capture, that the guards would catch him and bring him out to the Agni Kai as an ever bigger coward for trying to flee the duel. But realistically, they wouldn’t expect him to run away at all. At this point, Zuko was sure that the majority of the staff didn’t even know who he was fighting, or why. He could leave, if he wanted to, Zuko could run away from the palace and never come back to the palace without Aang and his friends. 

 

It was a pretty easy decision to make. 

 

It was dawn, the servant who brought his arm band and Agni Kai apparel would not show up for hours. No one was going to know he left until it was too late. Zuko ran around his room, picking up his dual dao, complete with a dent in the blades that his father had made when he stomped on them during a rant about how disgraceful it was for Zuko to use weapons when he was a bender. 

 

Soon enough, Zuko had a knapsack full of traveling necessities. He was extremely grateful for Lu Ten insisting on “survival training” which was essentially just glorified camping. His cousin’s antics had ensured that Zuko had a Fire Nation Army standard bed roll, waterskins, durable clothing, and good shoes. Zuko was just glad that his feet hadn’t outgrown the shoes yet. 

 

The only thing left was his hair, Zuko quickly rid himself of his longer hair and mimicked the shaggy haircut he’d had back when he was sixteen. As Zuko looked at himself in the mirror, he looked more like that boy, Lee, from that Earth Kingdom village than the prince he really was. Perfect. 

 

Once upon a time, the Fire Nation Palace was a place full of light. It was created to showcase the power of those blessed by Agni. The buildings were long and single storied, so that Agni’s light would always shine through, with many outdoor walkways and glass ceilings. At night, flames that lit the palace ground flickered in unison with the Fire Lord’s breathing. The Fire Lord was the heart of the nation once, and it used to be tradition for the lights to go out when the old Fire Lord died, only to be reignited with the coronation of a new Fire Lord. It was a sign of respect for the dead, and an incredible show of bending prowess to create enough fire to blast flames throughout the entire palace’s lighting system, it took serious amounts of power and control. 

 

Fearful of assassinations, Fire Lord Sozin changed all of that. Stone was laid over the sky lights, the windows were replaced entirely. For the first time in history, the palace went dark, and stayed that way for almost a century. Some say it was a sign, that Agni revoked his blessing from the palace once Sozin’s Comet had passed and the palace was merely covering it up. Others whisper that the lack of light proved the Fire Lords had fully broken from the old ways, that their attentions had turned inwards instead of minding the needs of the people.

For Zuko, all of that meant that he was able to sneak around the palace after dawn as if it was still night. He stole down the hallway and was about to exit the hallway and was about to flee the Royal Children’s wing entirely, when he passed Azula’s door. Zuko passed, staring at the patterns in the wood and he wondered. Would Azula go with him if he asked? Or would she betray him out of her misplaced loyalty to their father? Little did Zuko know that their mother had stood in the same spot years ago, torn between choices. 

 

But Zuko was not his mother and he did not make the same decisions. With a barely audible creak, Zuko stepped into her room. This was before Azula had switched her room, although Zuko did not know when she’d changed. It had just been something that everyone had viewed as normal when he’d returned after Ba Sing Se. The cheery and bright red entire reminded him of the cherries that Azula was so fond of. The canopy around Azula’s bed was open, revealing his little sister curled up on her blankets facing the door. Zuko carefully treaded closer, making his footsteps purposefully heavy on the rug so she could hear him coming. Both royal children were notoriously light sleepers, it was one of the few things that the public knew about their personal lives. No one knew, but it was because their mother had fled in the night and they were always ready for her to return. (Maybe this time she’ll take them with her, if they can wake up fast enough.)

 

Amber eyes glint at Zuko from the shadowed bed, his sister resembled a crouching tiger-snake. He stared down at her, neither of them moved. The world was still, his heart hammered in his chest like a war drum. In, out, he took deep breaths to steady himself. 

 

“Lala, I’m… leaving.” Zuko said it quietly, his nerves catching up with him as he met Azula’s eyes. They lacked any of the warmth that he’d become accustomed to in his last life. 

 

“Do you love Mother so much that you’re going to disappear just like her?” Azula questioned bitterly, sitting up to glare at him. 

 

“No!” Zuko denied, “I can’t go to the Agni Kai today… that’s all.” 

“Oh, so you’re a coward then.” She sneered at him. 

 

“No, I’m not!”, Zuko snapped, but a small part of him wondered if that was true. After all, he was only fleeing the palace so he wouldn’t get burned again, “I just need to leave.” 

 

“If you need to leave so badly, Zuzu, why are you in my room?” Azula berated him, her voice tight and angry. 

 

At that, Zuko hesitated, his little sister was a wild card. He didn’t know if he could trust her like he did last life. What would she do? Would Azula have the sense to get the hell out of dodge or would she stubbornly cling to their father as she had in his first life? 

 

“Well?” Azula asked, a snarl twisting her lips, “Crocodillo got your tongue?” 

 

“Will you come?” Zuko blurted it out, his heart moving before his mind like always. 

 

“Hah!” She barked, a cruel note coming into her voice, “You’ll never make it out of this palace alive, you might as well go back to your room and throw your Agni Kai if you’re this afraid.” 

 

Zuko didn’t respond, he’d already turned away and walked towards the door. It didn’t escape his notice that Azula didn’t refuse, she’d only pointed out the unlikelihood of his success. She’d always been a better strategist than him, and now after being close with her, Zuko knew her behavior better than ever. His little sister was too afraid of risking everything for such a low chance of success. At the door, he paused and looked back at her, promising, “I’ll come back for you, Lala.” 

 

Then he ran out of the door, before she could say anything else. Zuko made quick work of the inner walls of the Palace Compound, the last time he’d taken this route was when he’d met with the assassin he’d hired to kill Aang. The high walls that Sozin had enacted all around the palace were thick and constantly patrolled by guards, but it wasn’t his first time beating seemingly insurmountable odds. All he had to do was dart through the minor gate that allowed in kitchen deliveries, and he’d be free of this place. 

 

Zuko hopped from shadow to shadow, freedom so close that he could smell the blossoms of the trees that lined the streets of Caldera City. He hid behind the corner of a building, peering out at the gate itself. There was a cart on the other side, in a few seconds the gates would be open to allow it to pass through. He’d be taking advantage of that in 3… 2… 1...NOW! 

 

Zuko ran full speed out into the open, his mind purely focused on the cart that he only barely missed the fireball that had been thrown at him from the walls. It smashed into the paved stones under his, shrapnel cutting his skin as Zuko rolled across the ground. So much for a secret escape. 

 

He ducked under a stream of fire, swarms of guards suddenly flooded out of the neighboring buildings and started to surround him. Slipping into the mindset that he used when Zuko was fighting as the Blue Spirit, Zuko refused to use his bending. Only fighting with his dual dao was difficult in this body, the muscles he’d spent three years building up were non-existent. Plus he was used to combat at a taller height, and the many more differences between his old body and this one were making it easy for the guards too get too close for his comfort. 

 

They’d backed him into a corner, his swords managing to keep the guards at bay. Many of their comrades lay bleeding on the ground, none were fatally wounded because Zuko knew that they were just doing their jobs. Realizing that remaining on the ground was hopeless, Zuko quickly scaled the brick walls while blasting long streaks of flames down at the guards below. 

 

He hopped over the wall, and onto the walkway where new guards rushed to meet him. Zuko brandished his swords once more, grunting against the strain of having to buffet attacks from both sides. He quickly slipped out of the fight on the walkway and leapt onto the lip of the wall, eyeing the drop below. There were more flames coming at him now, hot blasts scorching his skin when he wasn’t able to deflect them.

 

In the end, it was a spear that did him in. A non-bender was rare in the palace guards, they were used more for special ops as fire bending was hard to disguise in the darkness of night. As Zuko was busy dodging a flaming fist that had swung at him, a spear pierced his side. He choked on a gasp that ripped itself out of his throat, swiping one of his swords clean through the wooden shaft but he teetered off the edge and fell. 

 

To the people sipping their morning tea, bustling around to get some groceries, or meeting up with friends to watch the sunrise together; the sight of their prince’s body hitting the ground with a wet smack would haunt them for the rest of their lives. The blood puddle had barely started forming around the shattered corpse before palace guards had removed it from the stones, but the people of the Fire Nation weren’t fools. The fight on the tops of the palace walls had been noticed by all, and the palace wouldn’t bother hiding the death of a commoner. 

Officially, Prince Zuko’s death was never declared. He simply never left the palace again, and eventually citizens learned that asking after his whereabouts led to them taking a fast-tracked trip to the labor camps in the Earth Kingdom. The bloody imprint of his body was never washed off the stones, the work of spirits kept the earth stained bright red for all to see. Not a single person could remove it, although several did try. 

 

In this lifetime, Fire Lord Ozai burns the world to a crisp with Azula by his side. The first nation that he destroys is his own, the people of the Fire Nation have descended into civil war, and Ozai uses the comet to kill any member of the rebels. The Avatar and his friends fall, and the White Lotus destroys itself from the inside. In hidden corners of his empire, some whisper that a new Avatar has been born in the Southern Water Tribe, that perhaps there is hope in this world after all. Deep within the Fire Nation’s most secure prison, General Iroh grieves for another son that he failed to save. 

_______

 

Zuko wakes up and immediately falls out of bed, his body rolling automatically to decrease his chances of being injured by the fall. There is too much air in his chest, too much clothing on his skin, it feels like the world itself is trying to suffocate him. Did he really fall to his death? How did the guards even know that he was fleeing the castle? They shouldn’t have suspected a thing, no one except for nobles knew he had an Agni Kai this afternoon. 

 

Oh. 

 

Azula. 

 

She must have told them. 

 

It hurts more than he thought it would. They’d grown so close last time, the night time visits had laid the groundwork for conversations that made Zuko understand her even better. And he knew that Azula was capable of getting along with Uncle, even if she wasn’t willing to admit it.  Even though Zuko had considered her calling the guards on him, there was a part of him that thought she wouldn’t betray him like that. 

 

But she did. 

 

Eventually the overwhelming ache in his chest goes away, and Zuko is left lying on the floor, looking up at the ceiling of his room, and considering his options. He traces the intricate paintings, his eyes following the curves of lilies and flames bordering the depictions of courtesans. He can’t ask her to come with him, Azula had caused him to be attacked. It bothers him that he’s essentially abandoning her just like their mother did, but Azula is strong. She survived being alone with Ozai once before, and Zuko’s confident that she can do it again. 

 

Additionally, maybe waiting until daybreak hadn’t been the best idea either. Absentmindedly, Zuko felt for his inner sense of where the Sun was in the sky. Agni, it was only an hour before the sun rose! Zuko sprung up and rushed around his room, packing the same bag that he’d prepared last time. He tugged the straps over his shoulders, took a deep breath, and fled his room as quickly as possible. 

 

By the time the sun rose over the palace, Zuko was already out of Caldera City entirely. 

______

 

In quaint little hamlet, there were exactly 35 houses and 8 shops. The fields and forests surrounding the town were thick with vegetation, and a mountain loomed next to it. There was one abandoned building, on the outskirts of town. It used to be an inn, but the man who ran it had died recently, without any family to leave it to. 

One day, a little old lady walked up the path leading to town. She looked a little frail and wore clothes that were threadbare, but clean. She inquired about the newly empty inn, and purchased it at a shockingly low price! The loan she’d gotten was exceptionally good too, because the owner before had paid off all of the building and land costs of owning such a large establishment in such a tiny town. 

 

Many people were curious about the new innkeeper, they hadn’t had a new person in town for quite some time. Most people only passed through on their way to the seaports, headed to the Earth Kingdom. An inn was certainly needed to keep their trade up, otherwise their little boring town wouldn’t have anywhere to store the much needed travelers. 

 

The old lady was polite, but distant. She flirted with Old Man Junji, and had a fondness for fish that the food merchants noticed. The people who stayed at her inn said that she was extremely clean, and they always came back to stay at her inn. In fact, over the years, the old lady’s inn became one of the biggest reasons that people liked to travel through their hamlet to and from the sea. They became an important rest stop for many, enough to get put on the same map that a young warrior from the Southern Water Tribe would look at. 

 

Ms. Hama had blessed their town with more business, and every one respected her not only for her elderly status but also for her value to the community. Though she had a penchant for being solitary, the people of the town liked to give her discounts or help her carry her things while she shopped. It was the most they could do. 

 

And when the spirits of the forest started attacking people, the local priests went and painted symbols for safety on her doors too. The paint was red of course, for the color of their nation. No one would ever think that these kind actions would make Hama despise them even more, for she hid her bitterness deep within herself and took it out on those unfortunate enough to be drawn to her during a full moon.

 

_______

 

The fire flickered in the night breeze, Zuko happily kept it bright by feeding it sticks constantly. This forest was great! Lots of dead wood was just laying on the ground, and he knew that there was a town nearby. He’d pass through it and pick up enough food to last him the boat ride to the Earth Kingdom. Everyone knew that port towns had steep prices for food, and it was much cheaper to buy things here than over there. 

 

The bed roll underneath him was thick and warm, it’d served him well over the past two weeks. Zuko had traveled quickly, making minimal stops and creating a persona while he walked alone. It was simple; he was just another boy named Lee, who was traveling to meet family in the colonies. The kindness in his culture for children had ensured that he’d never had to worry about food, which was wonderful in its own right. Things had been so different when he was the dishonored prince, no one would even look at him if they could help it. Now, whenever an adult noticed that he was traveling alone at a young age, they gave him discounts on food or let him pick some pieces of fruit from their trees. 

 

So far he hadn’t seen any wanted posters for him, and it made Zuko wary. What story was his father feeding the court? Every noble family with power had been notified of the Agni Kai, was he simply saying that Zuko and the general had resolved the issue privately? Zuko didn’t want to be lulled into a false sense of security, but tonight was the first night that he’d been able to relax. 

 

No one had commented on Lee’s resemblance to Prince Zuko, which meant that the haircut and different clothes had worked successfully as a disguise. He wasn’t an amateur however, the most important part of playing a role was changing your mannerisms and behavior. As Lee, he was bright and happy, always willing to help someone out in exchange for food or water, but he wasn’t charming or needy enough to make people remember him. All Fire Nation children traveled alone in their youth, it was a sign of them growing up and it was a tradition. That didn’t mean that adults weren’t willing to help them, and it made it easy for Zuko to blend in with all the other children wandering the lands of the Fire Nation. 

 

Now he wasn’t relaxed enough to miss the soft crinkling of dirt underneath the weight of someone’s feet. Zuko knew that it would look suspicious if he had too good of reflexes, so he contented himself with waiting for when the person behind him said or did something to reveal their presence. 

 

“What a bright fire you have.” An old woman’s voice sounded from the darkness, and Zuko forced himself to give a fake little jump as he quickly (but not as quickly as he could have) turned around to look at her. 

 

“Who are you?” Zuko asked, playing up his role as Lee and making sure not to sound too suspicious of her, “Are you from the town?” 

 

“Yes, I own the inn in town.” The old woman emerged from the shadows and smiled at him, the wrinkles on her face looked like deep cracks in her skin due to the only light being the fire and the full moon above them. 

 

“Hello, I apologize for questioning you and being so rude.” Zuko stood up and bowed with his hands created the signature flame shape, “You just startled me.” 

 

“It’s quite alright.” The old woman sat on one of the logs that Zuko had found earlier, a huge ring of keys dangling from her belt. The metal glimmered in the moonlight, turning all of them silver even though Zuko knew they weren’t. “Children shouldn’t be traveling alone, it’s too dangerous.” 

 

Zuko frowned at that, it was odd for an elder to say such a thing when it was considered to be a rite of passage for all children of Agni. The same part of him that cradled turtleducks in his palms after Azula was done chucking rocks at them motivated Zuko to reach behind him and pull out his dao for the old lady to see. He unsheathed them slightly, letting the metal reflect the fire light, and reassuringly said, “It’s okay, I have these to defend myself with.” 

 

“My my, what sharp swords you have.” The old woman remarked, reaching out to run her finger over the blade. Before Zuko could tell her to stop, blood was already running down the metal from where it’d bit into her skin. “Oops!” 

 

“I’m so sorry!” Zuko exclaimed, putting the swords away and taking out his pack of bandages, “I can clean that, don’t worry.”

 

The old woman let him wrap a tiny piece of cloth over her finger after cleaning it with a water-soaked rag, Zuko had known how to heat water since he was a child. It was how his people sterilized things, although most children had a tendency to make the water too hot due to lack of control. He was proud to say that he always did it perfectly, and the old woman hadn’t complained about being scalded so Zuko knew that he’d done it right. 

 

After he’d waved off her thanks, Zuko realized that they were now sitting on the same log. Flushing, he realized how rude she must thing he is. First he hurts her (even though the cut was entirely her fault), and then he has the audacity to place himself at an equal height even though he should be on the floor in deference to her age. It was something he’d forgotten, most of the time being a prince trumped age. Zuko quickly moved to seat himself on the dirt, and smiled up at her. 

 

The old woman gently pinched his cheek, her nails uncomfortably digging into his skin. Her wrinkled face was shadowed by her hair, the moon shining behind her as she whispered, “What soft skin you have, Prince Zuko.” 

 

In the morning, the people of the town would sadly whisper about the screams they’d heard from the forest last night. It’d sounded like a young boy, though no one had lost a child from town, which meant it was probably a traveler. They light incense sticks for him, praying to Agni that he would have a better life. 

 

________

 

“Is it true?” The woman on his right asks, her tan face gaunt from hunger that Zuko had barely started to feel, “Are you really Prince Zuko?” 

 

“Yes.” Zuko answers honestly, he remembers this story now. Katara had explained to him how she’d been able to twist the body of the current captain of the Southern Raiders, an old woman in the Fire Nation had taught her how to blend the blood inside of someone’s body. An ex-prisoner, Hama had used the revolting style of bending to keep his citizens locked in a mountain in a twisted mission of revenge, where they starved to death. 

 

And now he was here too, locked up in the same chains that one of his people had wasted away in. 

 

“I’m so sorry, Your Highness.” The woman whispered, horror filling her eyes as she looked at him, “You should have never come here.” 

 

Zuko smiled ruefully, next time he would remember to keep his distance. He resolved to focus on other things, and asked, “What’s your name?” 

 

“Yuri, Your Highness.” The woman introduced herself, glancing around to look at the others chained up around them, “Hama only takes one person a month, the others are too starved to do anything than sleep now. She only feeds the people that she finds entertaining.” 

 

“I’m sorry, Ms. Yuri.” Zuko felt tears well up in his eyes at the unfairness of it all, none of his people deserved to suffer like this. Although, neither had Hama or any other of the Southern Water Tribe waterbenders. The world was filled with suffering, all because of Zuko’s family. It was out of balance, and he knew something needed to be done. Salt stung his cheeks, the skin on his face was scraped raw and red from the ground. “I’m so so sorry.” 

 

“There’s nothing to be done about it.” Ms. Yuri assures him, her hazel eyes looked at him with care, “We’ll make it.” 

 

Zuko didn’t bother to respond to that, both of them knew that Hama would kill them. And unlike him, Ms. Yuri wouldn’t be able to come back from this. 

 

“What happened to your face, my prince?” Ms. Yuri asked, eyeing the obvious scrapes that scattered his skin. 

 

“She made me bow to her, over and over.” Zuko said roughly, feeling a hot bolt of shame course through him. The feeling of being out of control, rubbing his face into the dirt with every step up the mountain, Hama standing in front of him and laughing in glee the whole time. It felt violating, and thinking about it made him feel sick. 

 

Zuko looked up at at Ms. Yuri, whose crying face oddly reminded him of Katara. It was clear that she cared about him, and he hoped that Hama would let her go. It was obvious why Ms. Yuri had been allowed to live, she was descended from a Water Tribe member. The darker skin and lighter eyes gave her away, and such people were commonly found in the Fire Nation. Soldiers did dark things to the women they’d brought home, but the children they’d created were protected under their culture and therefore had been allowed to stay. 

 

Zuko promised himself that he would do everything in his power to make sure she lived to see Agni’s light again. Even if it cost him his life. 

 

______

 

When Toph breaks down the gate to the cave, there are people who are too weak to cheer. Yuri does her best to warn these strange children, she knows that Hama doesn’t care about the age of her victims. She watches the two boys as they runs away into the night, and wonders why they didn’t come sooner. Yuri knows by the amount of moons that it’s been three years, and her whole body aches. 

 

After Yuri has been brought back into town, she recognizes the girl in red for what she is-- a water bender. She pulls her aside, and asks for a favor. There is a body in the cave, she explains, it’s frozen in ice. Could this girl brush up on the frozen block, as Hama had been thwarted before she could refreeze it as she does every month? 

 

Katara looks this woman in her light colored eyes, and tries not to think about how the person who looks the most Water Tribe is also the one who looks the most well fed. She promises her that she will, and together Team Avatar make the trip back to the caves in the morning. They light torches and follow Toph’s directions, and when they find the body of a boy encased in ice, Katara can’t help but think of Aang. 

 

Her friend had looked like this too, suspended in frozen water, almost like he was asleep. The difference between the Fire Nation boy and Aang is that this boy will never wake up. Katara freezes the ice, makes it thick and cold in the way that she knows how, the way of her tribe. It makes her sick to recognize that Hama had been using the same technique. The blood had been rinsed away from the wound, but Katara can see the way his forehead crumples in. Whoever this was had had his head slammed in, until the bone shattered. 

 

The group leaves because they have an invasion fleet to meet, and it’s months after the Fire Lord’s been defeated that they ever think to tell General Iroh about the mysterious town. It’s different being around Aang’s firebending teacher these days, the grand robes and crown distinguish General Iroh from the raggedly dressed man who’d traveled with them. They think he should know, after all he is the Fire Lord now. A body in a random cave seems like something the Fire Lord should fix, he’s an adult and would know what the right thing to do is. Toph picks up the way that Uncle’s heartbeat stops, but Katara is the one who recognizes the hunger in his expression. 

 

It’s been many moons, but the ice is still thick enough around the body. That’s what happens when something is frozen deep underground. When Uncle falls to the ground, he sobs out one word, “Nephew.” 

 

Toph is the only one who hears him say it that night, but soon the whole world knows the fate of Prince Zuko. In her prison cell, Azula overhears the guards talking about it and wonders if the voice in her head that sounds like Zuko will start complaining about being cold. He better not, he’s annoying enough as it is. Especially when Mother and he decide to say that they love her together. 

 

_________

 

There is pain splitting his head, it feels like something has crawled its way inside of his skull and exploded. Zuko launches his body up, his hands clutching his forehead as tears stream down his face. Agni, Hama had been so angry. She’d found out that Ms. Yuri had given Zuko some of the extra food that she received from Hama, he still had no idea how she figured it out. The minute Hama had deigned them with her presence, she’d flown into a fury. She’d struck him right in the forehead with the cane she needed for walking, the chains that hung from his limbs had prevented Zuko from dodging. 

 

Ms. Yuri… she was so kind, her husky voice had kept Zuko company for over a month. They’d told each other stories to pass the time, and she’d tried to wake him from his frequent nightmares.  When Hama had bent his blood, making him dance and bow like a damned puppet, Ms. Yuri had whispered comforting words as he sobbed in pain after Hama had left. 

 

Zuko hoped that she made it out, that his friends had stumbled upon Hama and fixed things like they’d told him about in his first life. Ms. Yuri didn’t deserve to die in that cave. She was too good of a person. 

 

He looked up at the ceiling, his heart ached. It didn’t make sense, why was everyone so determined to hurt him? Zuko knew that he was unlucky in his first life, but this was too much. It felt like just when he’d been able to get ahead of this curse, somehow he ended up dying. It wasn’t fair. 

 

As hard as it felt to move, Zuko dragged himself out of bed and into the motions of packing his bag. He’s done this twice already, the movement of his hands buckling the straps and changing of his clothes didn’t take much thought. Soon enough, he was out of things to distract him and was already slicing his knife through his hair. Zuko gathered the long strands into a small pouch, he knew the smell of burnt hair in his room would alert those searching for him that he’d changed his hairstyle. 

 

The shadows of the palace welcomed him, Zuko walked into their embrace and slipped out of the capital without another thought. He would take the same route that he’d done last time, Zuko had business to settle with Hama. Realistically he knew that taking Hama down now would mean that Hama wouldn’t be able to teach Katara blood bending, but that didn’t matter. He couldn’t sacrifice his people to that monster for another three years worth of moons, not when he could stop it. 

_______

 

While most firebenders didn’t bother learning the cycle of the moon, Zuko had been at sea for years. He’d fought against Katara and other waterbenders for months, he knew how close the full moon was just by looking at it in the sky. It followed a set pattern, and he made sure to attack Hama when the full moon had passed. 

 

The Blue Spirit hadn’t killed, Zuko knew that it would be impossible to distinguish between Fire Nation soldiers who were just doing their jobs and those who took pleasure in conquest. He had no such qualms taking Hama’s life, Zuko did it quickly and without noise. It was hard to find a time where it’d be able to take her by surprise, but he managed to slit her throat while she’d been making her way down from the mountain after dawn had broken. She’d bled scarlet against the colors of the sunrise, and Zuko had cauterized the wound so that there wouldn’t be any trails of blood left behind. 

 

Using the ring of keys from Hama’s belt, Zuko walked up the cave and unlocked the doors. They swung open silently, the hinges kept well oiled by Hama. He peered into the dark tunnel, an eerie feeling washing over him. He’d died here, Zuko had never willingly returned to a place that he’d died in. It was worth saving the lives of his people, but as he descended into the shadows Zuko felt ill. 

 

When he walked into the cavern, Ms. Yuri looked at him without recognition and shouted for Zuko to flee, before Hama returned. It stung to see someone he cared about look at him like a stranger, but he was saving her and countless others’ lives and that was all that mattered. Zuko didn’t mention Hama’s body, he’d left it at the entrance before coming down. He slashed through the chains of those who were in the cave and carried some of those who were too weak to walk out. Zuko had food and water in his pack for every one, giving them the strength to leave. 

 

 It was easy to convince those in the cave not to say anything once they got the surface and saw Hama, and he put her body into a makeshift grave. Hama did not deserve to be buried by the rites of the Water Tribe, plus Zuko didn’t even know what they were. He made sure to free those who were still alive before he started burying Hama, leaving her body laying in an alcove. He left them at the limits of the town, trusting the town to take care of its own. Zuko slipped away into the night, and headed for the seaports along this island’s coast. 

 

Zuko was heading to the Earth Kingdom.

Notes:

please comment and let me know what y'all think! they make my day :)

also I don't have a beta so if there's a grammar error, feel free to let me know! I try my best to catch them but it doesn't always work out.

Chapter 7: Heading Towards Home

Summary:

Zuko meets a new friend, and we get a closer look at the citizens of Gaoling.

Notes:

hi i'm so sorry that this took so long, i went through a bad spot of mental health and I didn't really feel like anything that I wrote was long enough or good enough to post. this is basically a set up chapter but I'm feeling better now and I should be posting soon. thank you for all of the nice comments, they really motivated me to keep going and I'll respond to everything soon :) ily

The moon hung full in the sky, there were patterns of leaves made by shadows on the floor. The windows were open, letting the breeze come in and gently ruffle the hair of all inside the room. It shifted the tapestries on the walls, and tried to knock over a dusty doll that was half burned on a shelf. 

 

“Your hair is so pretty, Azula!” Ty Lee gushed, gently combing the strands and tackling the rare tangle that she found. The two of them sat on the floor besides Azula’s bed, with Azula sitting in front of Ty Lee., “It’s like, SO, silky!” 

 

“Thank you.” Azula sniffed delicately, Mai had brought them all these tiny egg tarts. They were flaky and sweet, just enough to satisfy her sweet tooth without having the pesky servants making suggestions for extra training to make up for the ingestion of desserts. 

 

“Mai, can I do your hair next?” Ty Lee eagerly asked, having finished preparing Azula’s hair for sleep. She wrapped her arms around Azula’s middle and leaned back into the side of Azula’s bed. Ty Lee cheekily rested her chin on her friend’s bony shoulder and made cutesy porcupine-wolf eyes at Mai. 

 

“I already brushed out my hair.” Mai said quietly, checking her nails for any chips. Ty Lee had painted her right hand, while she’d painted the left. The nails didn’t look that different, but the nails that Ty Lee had done were noticeably thicker. 

 

“You’re no fun.” Azula pointed at her, raising halfway out of Ty Lee’s embrace to grab a piece of paper and pen from the floor. 

 

“I’m so sorry, Your Highness.” Mai joked, her tone turning dryer than the desert in an obvious mimicry of those who’d been victims of the spirit Koh. “It’s not my fault really, I’ve lost my face.” 

 

“As your princess, I order you to find a new one.” Azula replied pompously, her eyebrows high and lifted, “I cannot have a friend without any expression.” 

 

“But where do I find a face?” Mai asked, focusing on keeping her face still even while her mouth moved, “Are they sold in the market, or would I have to import one?” 

 

Ty Lee was the one who giggled first, pressing her grin into Azula’s neck. Her warm breath tickled Azula’s skin and she broke next, small peals of laughter spilling from her lips as she laid her hands over Ty Lee’s. Mai stayed silent, looking at her two giggling friends, before she snorted (a bit like a armadillo-pig) and clapped her hand over her mouth in embarrassment. 

 

This only made Azula and Ty Lee laugh harder, they were both curled over in mirth. Mai joined in, reveling in the merriment that she had caused, even if her joke wasn’t that funny. The past few weeks had been quite stressful, Azula wouldn’t say what had happened but the tension in the palace was obvious. The guards were constantly looking through the palace, and there were more of them than there’d ever been before. Fire Lord Ozai was nowhere to be seen, and the war had taken a slight break as no council meetings had been held. Rumor had it that the Fire Lord wasn’t even in the palace anymore. 

 

This sleepover was the first time that Ty Lee and Mai had seen Azula in a while, the princess had been removed from their school and was now being tutored privately. Ty Lee had been the most vocal about missing their friend, constantly reaching for her and holding her close ever since they’d been escorted to Azula’s room by palace servants. Mai was more reserved, but during a comfortable silence she’d admitted that she’d missed Azula too. 

 

Neither of them had missed the way Azula had relaxed more after that, for a girl who wore a mask with the majority of people that she knew-- Azula had always been easier to read when they were alone together. Mai could tell that Azula had been wondering if they’d be willing to abandon her, now that they didn’t see her at school. An Azula who was on edge was not fun to be around, in some of her darker moods the princess was even dangerous to those near her. She’d never directly hurt either of them, but both Ty Lee and Mai had learned to be wary after Azula had lashed out with flames at servants before. Mai wondered if the long absence was due to Azula’s tutors taking up her time with training and lessons, or if Azula was testing them. 

 

Personally, Mai was a tad offended that Azula could think so little of Ty Lee. She knew that Azula and her were less close than she’d like, but Mai thought that Ty Lee’s dedication to Azula was obvious. Nevertheless, Mai smiled with her friends and made sure to help Ty Lee get Azula to laugh a few more times as the night wore on. Laughing together made Azula’s shoulders ease up, and by the time they went to bed, Mai knew without a doubt that her joy was genuine. Being more open and going along with Ty Lee’s antics was worth it, if it got Azula to be human again for a night. 

 

_______

 

Zuko scrowled down at his bowl, there were small light tan worms in his porridge. They were tasteless and common in dry goods, but they were still disgusting. The porridge itself had long gone cold, he’d been one of the last people in the food line. In fact, there were chunks of burned rice in his porridge since it’d been scooped from the bottom of the giant pot they made for the homeless. 

 

The Fire Nation colony of Arun Harbor was incredibly well developed. Being one of the first colonies to have been created under Fire Lord Sozin, it was both the oldest and the richest. The people who lived in Arun Harbor were an eclectic mix of Fire and Earth, they were stubborn and passionate. A lot of the buildings were obviously made by Earth Benders, with Fire Nation additions as far as design went. Newer buildings were still made out of stone, and only the poor or non-benders lived in wooden buildings. 

 

Zuko knew that there were also Waterbenders who lived in Arun Harbor, they were descended from a few famous lines of waterbenders who lived in the Southern Fire Nation Islands. They were fiercer than any water bender that Zuko had ever met, but still willing to work and live in the Fire Nation. Fire Lord Sozin had often used them as an example of the Fire Nation’s conquests over other benders being good for them, now that he was older Zuko recognized it as the propaganda that it was. 

 

The canteen for the unfortunate was located on the outskirts of town, incredibly close to a neighborhood of wooden shacks. It was run by a local merchant, and Zuko had heard about it from one of his tutors when they were covering the differences in living in the Home Islands and each of the colonies. From under the shade of his cone hat, he looked at the men and women who were eating on the ground next to him. Unlike the majority of Fire Nation citizens, these individuals wore brown and gray colored clothes. Only hints of red, such as a sash or the brim of a hat, were seen on them. 

 

Zuko looked down at his own clothes, they’d started out as a light tan but were now dingy with dirt and grime. They were still much better than anything that Zuko had worn the last time he’d galavanted about in the Earth Kingdom. The fabric was thick and warm, and it was soft on the inside but hardy enough to resist tears. It also dried incredibly quickly, something that he was grateful for as laundering his clothing was not something he ever had a lot of time for. 

 

There was a clump of people who were talking next to him, five women in assorted uniforms that Zuko recognized as maids’ were discussing the latest news from the Fire Nation. Zuko pretended to tie his shoe and scooted closer to where they were sitting, patiently trying to overhear their conversation. The rough bark of the logs the canteen used as seats dug into his flesh through the fabric of his pants, but he didn’t pay the discomfort any attention. 

 

“Well I think that I have the most important news this evening, much better than what Ms. Hui just told us.” A very short woman stood up, setting her empty bowl on the log with a metallic clang. “I have news about the royal family.” 

 

One of the women glared at the tiny lady, her face petulant and mimicking Sokka more than Zuko thought possible. He supposed that she was Ms. Hui. 

 

“Psh, Ms. Xiao, how could you have news that we haven’t already heard about from the town crier this morning?” A chubby woman with her hair in a tight bun frowned, her bowl was half full and had a sprinkling of green. 

 

“Because I heard it from my master, while I was mopping the floor outside his office.” The short woman bragged, her black braid swishing over her shoulder as she turned to address the chubby woman. 

 

“You’ve never mopped in your life!” The chubby woman set aside her bowl and pointed an accusing finger at Ms. Xiao. “Everyone knows you only work in the kitchens!” 

 

“Ah, but Ms. Yuta, today one of the maids was sick.” Ms. Xiao stood up as tall as she could and declared to her friends, “My master said that the Prince has run away, and there are orders to search for him.” 

 

A bead of cold sweat made its way down his back, so now he finally knew what the palace’s official story was regarding his disappearance. Father was clever, preying on every Fire Nation citizen’s instinct to protect children. There would be people looking for him now, motivated by goodness that his father was twisting to suit his own evil purposes. Zuko wondered if his father would kill him in this lifetime, or if he’d have someone else do it. Zuko took in a deep breath to calm himself, it wouldn’t do him any good to start panicking. He’d be out of the Fire Nation colonies in a few days, and then it was into the Earth Kingdom. 

 

“Prince Zuko?” Ms. Hui gasped, as Zuko winced internally. “Why would he run away from the palace?” 

 

“I think Ms. Xiao is just making up a story for attention.” Scoffed Ms. Yuta, crossing her arms and shaking her head, “The boy has no reason to run away, it’s just outlandish to think about.” 

 

Two of the women hadn’t spoken at all yet, they wore dark red tunics and their hair was short and curly. They were older than the rest, and the similarity in their looks and age made Zuko think of his Great Aunts Li and Lo. He smiled fondly, though Azula had always found them annoying, Zuko had liked that they were willing to let him explore Ember Island alone. It made him feel independent, and it afforded him privacy that he rarely got as the Heir to the throne. 

 

“You forget the Fire Lady.” One of them said, her voice sounded thin and reedy. The rest of the ladies turned to her, shame visible in their faces. The group hierarchy was clear, all of them clearly respected these two older women the most. 

 

“But why leave?” Ms. Yuta wondered, scooping a big spoonful of porridge into her mouth before speaking, “It doesn’t make sense.” 

 

“Maybe the official news will clear things up.” Ms. Xiao responded, sitting down and nudging Ms. Hui, “We’ll see in the morning what they say.” 

 

Zuko stood up and walked away from the clearing, he wasn’t waiting around for his father to paint a target on his back. There was plenty of water in his waterskin, he had bought food supplies in the marketplace this morning, and he’s gotten enough rest already. The dirt crunched under his feet, there was lighter soil in the Earth Kingdom than back home. On their journey to Ba Sing Se, Uncle had told him that it was because the Fire Nation’s soil was derived mostly from volcanoes and was similar in color to ash. 

 

As he passed through the walls of Arun Harbor, the guard manning the gate shouted cheerfully to him. 

 

“Be careful now, son!” The boy calling out to him seemed barely old enough to be recruited, and Zuko couldn’t help how he bristled when being patronized like this, “Journeying at night can be dangerous!” 

 

Zuko gave him a short bow as it was custom, and he entered the forests surrounding Arun Harbor. The darkness swallowed him up, comforting and soothing him as he walked further and further away from home. Little did he know, that his spirit was unconsciously taking him to a piece  of home that he missed. 

 

_______

 

The Boulder was a simple man, he kept with the philosophy of his element. He was stubborn and proud, but he also knew when to adapt. It was no use to dwell on things that he couldn’t change, and he stuck to his code of ethics as often as he could. After all, no matter how many pieces earth was broken into, it still remained earth, unchanged till the end. From mountains to boulders to pebbles to sand, and back again -- dust to dust. 

 

While he was a fighter in the underground rumbles, he was also a master gardener. He used his bending prowess for gentle works, loosening the soil for plants and tending to fields. There was a small house that he owned outside of Gaoling, it was built into the hillside and had whitewashed walls. The floors were clean, and they felt cool to the touch. Shen loved his house, he enjoyed the solitary paradise that he’d created for himself. There was room to workout and train, and he made sure to have plants growing wild all over his property. In every aspect, the Boulder enjoyed his life totally and fully. 

 

He provided for himself by tending bees, a rarity on this side of the Earth Kingdom. His hives were giant, located in different trees on the land that he owned. There was another building where he stored the honey in clay pots, under the cool earth where it would be safe from ants and other bugs. People could reach him by sending a pouch of coins and an order for an amount of honey, and he had a cart that a friend had made for him as a gift that he used to deliver his orders. 

 

He also had a small pottery business on the side, it was a challenge to keep a lock on his bending as he made the disc underneath the clay spin continuously while still focusing on molding the clay into the right shapes. Shen liked to think that his pottery made him a more artistic person, like the artisans who lived in the prettiest part of Gaoling. Trying to find enough wood to feed his kiln was taxing, and so he didn’t make pottery as often as he’d like. 

 

Shen had entered the underground fighting rings for one reason only, he wanted to feel the joy of bending and fighting. The only place where he was able to enjoy that sensation, unrestricted and without any hard feelings about winning or losing, was the Earth Rumbles. He didn’t especially have close friendships with any of the other brawlers, but he was respectful to all of them outside of the ring. Especially the Hippo, that man was incredibly fond of Shen’s jasmine blossom infused honey. 

 

It was no wonder then, when he stumbled upon a young boy sleeping in one of his flower fields that Shen’s first thought was of offering aid and not chasing the vagabond off of his property. Everyone in the Earth Kingdom knows, that despite what humans think, the earth is not something that anyone can own. Perhaps if Shen had found the boy sleeping where he kept his honey, or on his cart, he would have been annoyed. As it was, all Shen did was bring a honey cake on one of his plates and sat down. He was not afraid of the swords that were strapped to the young boy’s back, or how the clothes he wore were obviously good quality despite their wear and tear. Shen had won all three of the Earth Rumbles, and he knew that he could take whatever the kid tried to dish out. 

 

The night sky was full of stars, the moon starting to sink below the mountains in the east. Shen waited by the boy, his fingers braiding a flower crown for the pretty girl who’d ordered a pot of honey for her tea shop every month. She was one of his regulars, and she always appreciated the wreaths of blossoms that he delivered along with her order. 

 

As the stars began to fade, and the sun poked its head out from behind the tops of the trees, the boy began to stir. He opened his eyes blearily to look up at Shen, they were light gold and bleary with sleep. Shen tried very hard not to show a reaction to that, but those were definitely the eyes of someone from the Fire Nation. 

 

Ashmaker, he thought, looking into eyes the same color as a sunbeam piercing through a storm cloud, what will I do? 

 

“Hello”, the boy greeted him warily, his body tense as he took in Shen’s form. “Do you need something?” 

 

“Honey cake.” Shen blurted, for lack of a better word. His mouth truly moved before his brain could catch up, too caught on how young and bone-tired the kid sounded. 

 

“Pardon?” The boy frowned at him, his hand not so subtly starting to drift towards his swords as he sat up fully in the tall grass. 

 

Wordlessly, Shen held up the plate with the small and thick cake. It was dwarfed by his giant right hand, and the kid flinched to the left. That movement alone cemented Shen’s desire to help him out, gold eyes or not. He could even be mixed, a casualty of the Fire Nation’s War of Conquest was the remains of the sins their soldiers had committed against his nation. 

 

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Shen assured hurriedly, setting the cake back down into the grass and holding up his hands in the air, “It’s just cake- that I made- with honey. Um- it’s sweet?” 

 

Outside of his Boulder persona, Shen never really had to interact with people other than his customers. He lived a fairly isolated life, on the outskirts of Gaoling.  Shen’s friends were like him, they all enjoyed being alone and most of their interactions were regulated to specific dates of the year so he was always prepared. He was closest with his friend who’d made his cart, on days that he left for deliveries she would come by and watch his place for him. Needless to say, a surprise encounter with a child was not something Shen was prepared to deal with, hence all the verbal blundering that he was doing. 

 

“Thank you.” The boy said simply, taking the offered cake and breaking off two pieces. He gave the larger piece to Shen, and waited until Shen popped the morsel into his mouth before eating his piece. It went over Shen’s head that this was testing if the cake was poisoned, he just thought that the boy was being sweet. 

 

“Are you a traveler?” Shen questioned, studying the way that the morning dew on the grass glistened like beads of molten glass. 

 

“Yes.” The boy answered, fiddling with the grass underneath him as he stared at the ground, “I’m heading towards Ba Sing Se.” 

 

“Oh.” Shen remarked, before asking without thinking, “Are you fleeing the war?” 

 

The boy nodded before Shen could give himself a scolding for asking such a blunt and forward question, stating, “I want to start a new life.” 

 

“Okay.” Shen said, and he supposed this is where the encounter should end. Things had run their natural course, no? He’d given the wanderer food and confirmed that he had a destination in mind, the boy wasn’t homeless or destitute, he was just traveling. It felt like things were unfinished however, and Shen had learned long ago to trust his gut. 

 

“Well this is my pollination field that you’re sleeping in, so um, please don’t damage any of my plants or disturb my bees.” Shen said awkwardly, unsure of what he was supposed to do or say. “I have a well and some extra food back at my house, would you like to refuel before you move on?” 

 

“I wouldn’t want to impose on you more than I already have.” The boy replied, adjusting the straps of the pack that rested on his back. He looked a little uncomfortable, and Shen hoped it was just a teenager thing and not something caused by Shen himself. 

 

“It’s not a bother.” Shen insisted, standing up and looking expectantly at the boy sitting on the ground, “I have an excess of food right now anyways. I’ll give you directions to town too.” 

 

“Okay.” The boy finally agreed, standing up on obviously sore legs as he did it with a grimace, “Thank you so much.” 

 

“Of course.” Shen replied, leading the way to his house through the field. 

 

They walked beside each other, making for an odd looking duo. A tall, muscular man, with a slim wisp of a little boy traveling through the thick fields of flowers together. The sun behind them painted their backs with gorgeous hues of pink and orange and red and purple. 

 

“What’s your name?” The boy asked, when they were close to where Shen carved out a little house for himself. 

 

“It’s Shen.” He answered, smiling as he took in the details of his home, “What about you?” 

 

“My name’s Lee.” Lee said, trailing one hand through the waving grass that they were passing by. 

 

“There’s a million Lee’s.” Shen said, he knew that he had at least three cousins named Lee. 

 

“Yeah.” Lee laughed, and Shen sucked in a breath because his smile transformed his face. Shen hadn’t noticed how ragged the kid had looked until he’d given him an expression that a normal kid would wear to compare it to. When Lee was smiling, he looked like a completely different person. 

 

It made Shen wonder what Lee had gone through, to give him the same eyes as the soldiers who came home from the war front. 

 

_______

 

“Master Yu, it is excellent to see you this afternoon.” Lord Beifong smiled genially down at him, somehow creating both a welcoming and patronizing aura in the same breath. 

 

Master Yu smiled back at the man who kept his whole lifestyle afloat with a single paycheck, bowing nice and low to appease the Lord’s no doubt inflated ego. He’d been playing the long game for a while, no matter how much Lord Beifong claimed to respect those born below them who had meritable abilities or skills, he knew how the rich and wealthy’s minds truly worked. Master Yu had been the eighth son in a family of a barely profitable farmer, his skills with earthbending were only due to his mother’s insistence of all of her children learning how to both fight to protect their land and how to tend the fields. 

 

In the province of Gaoling, he was the only earthbending teacher as it was uncommon and outside of tradition to learn earthbending outside of one's own family. They were in a war, and it was expected that if you were a bender, you’d be heading towards the warfront at some point in the future. Most people weren’t willing to put their lives in the hands of someone they didn’t know, the difference between training styles could be one of life and death. But somehow, his academy had flourished among the richer circles. 

 

His clients were often children of noble or wealthy merchant families, whose parents and relatives were too busy spending money to train their young earthbenders. They had no real need to worry about being trained by someone outside of their blood, the children of the rich never went to war. Sometimes after lessons with snotty brats who wouldn’t know how to survive on their own for a single day, Master Yu felt the bitterness in his heart rise up his throat and threaten to choke him. He never trained them as well as he could have, there were gaping holes in their defenses and they all lacked true fighting forms. His earthbending academy was a complete joke. 

 

This was something obvious to almost everyone in Gaoling, and yet no one had ratted him out yet. Master Yu continued to teach children how to bend like fools, and reaped the benefits of their parents’ patronage. In a way, this was how the rich and poor could become equal. People like his brothers might die in the war, but these children would never feel the true power within themselves and they’d never know the true lessons of Oma and Shu. They were depraved in the worst way, and every earthbender that ran across his students knew it. 

 

Was it wrong? Yu didn’t think so, after all it was their parents fault for being so cowardly. No one wants to go to war, but avoiding it for generations deserved consequences. He didn’t think it was fair that everyone in the Earth Kingdom would have to die before anyone who drowned in gold and jade would ever set a toe on the battlefield. This way, the minute one of his students entered a fight, they’d die in the same breath. It was the only way of restoring the balance that the rich had broken that Yu knew of. 

 

The Beifong’s were the worst of them all, they gave Yu enough money to feed his entire family in exchange for keeping their daughter a secret. The pathetic little girl, Toph, enraged him down to his core. Blind and helpless, she could barely follow the forms that he gave her, despite the fact that he was teaching a ten year old things that a toddler would be able to do without thought. Every time he walked up to that glorious compound, with its high walls to keep out the riff raff (like him, like his family, like every other person who was too poor to buy themselves out of this war), Yu kept his hands clasped inside his sleeves and dreamt of the buildings being razed by firebenders. 

 

Yes, he would do anything for money. Yes, he was bastardizing the very craft that had elevated him from a poor farmer’s son to a teacher. Yes, he went to bed with the knowledge that he spent every day of his life for the past 30 years living off of spite and desperation alone. Master Yu knew that he was sending these children to their deaths, that they’d never stand a chance against even the newest Fire Nation recruit.

But their age didn’t make them innocent, every member of these esteemed families had bought a second. Someone who could have avoided the draft had taken the money they passed out, and gone to die in their steads. The Earth King had created a decree, that a second was only good for as long as they lived, and a new one must be contracted for the purchaser to avoid the draft. It’d created an intense system of overdrafting from poorer areas, while the wealthy flourished. He taught children from all over the Earth Kingdom, Master Yu knew that not a single one of those children would ever see combat until the Fire Nation themselves came knocking on their door. A sick part of them hoped his students and his students’ children died just like those who’d died for them, in flames. 

 

The money he earned went to his family, most of them still lived on the farm. Times were tough as their surplus food was stolen by the military. He needed his family to survive this war, he’d sacrifice anything for them, even his soul. Master Yu carried on through life, unchanged by the cruelty he inflicted on the many that he taught, and strived towards one goal only. He just wanted balance, he wanted the war to be fair. 

 

This afternoon, he was working on breathing techniques with Toph. They sat in an opulent garden, the grass lush and the little clearing where they were seated was expertly tended. The stones had just been swept clean of any dust, and silk floor pillows had been placed underneath both of them. Master Yu had told the girl to follow his lead, and mimic the way he breathed. All he had to do for the next two hours was just meditate and breath extremely loudly, spewing some bullshit that he’d made up a month ago about earth bending being connected to one’s breath. It was funny, because everyone knew that earthbending came from one’s connection to the Earth and that was a well known firebending concept. 

 

Toph did what he asked without question, her expression placid and still. What a bland little girl she was, Yu thought, in a fight she’d definitely just panic and scream while desperately trying to dodge white hot flames that she couldn’t even see. Her pale skin would burn bright red, scarlet blood would splash across this neat little garden until it looked like the scene of a massacre. Idly Master Yu wondered if one day the hate that he carried within himself would consume him, leading him to his death by his hands that were soaked in the blood of the wealthy.

 

Would this all be worth it? Yu opened his eyes and looked out at the dense grass, there were people in Gaoling who would kill for the water that had gone into creating this lush field. The fish in the pond could feed a starving child, the silk that he sat on could clothe an elder who lacked good cloth, and the smoke that drifted from the kitchens signified a fire that could have kept his fellows warm on the streets. How many had died for this opulence? How many further would lose their lives all for Lord damned Beifong to smile at him and pass off his useless daughter on Yu for a few hours, as if they didn’t live mere hours from the war front? 

 

He clenched his fists, flicking his eyes over to where Toph sat with her eyes closed and openly sneered at her. Her existence was unnatural, the Beifong’s kept her locked in this compound, dressed up like a doll and didn’t give her any tools for independence. Yu knew of blind people who could live by themselves, or with companions, but he doubted that Toph could even manage to walk out of the compound without aid. The child didn’t have her own personality nor her own drive for life, only living out the desires of her parents. 

 

Toph represented nothing but privilege to him, and Master Yu hated her the most out of everyone in Gaoling. 

 

______

 

“You want me to stay with you?” Zuko asked, looking at the man who’d introduced himself as Shen as he was busy preparing the dinner that they’d be eating together. Like almost all Earth Kingdom citizens, Shen wore green clothes. The sleeveless shirt was uncommon, and Zuko had never seen muscles like Shen’s on a farmer’s simple frame before. In contrast, Zuko’s body was covered by the mud colored cloth that he’d worn smooth and soft from wear and tear. 

 

“Yes!” Shen exclaimed, chopping the vegetables that Zuko had helped him pick from the vine this afternoon with frightening speed, not even looking at his moving blade. The veins under his skin popped, and the muscles rippled with every movement. The man smiled encouragingly at him, while Zuko raised a doubtful eyebrow in response. Privately he wondered what the man did to gain such reflexes, there was no way he was skilled with the blade and in such peak physical form unless he did more than farming. 

 

They were talking under an awning in Shen’s house, the wooden planks that formed the roof above them jutted out from a small hill that hid Shen’s house. Zuko had seen houses like this before when he and Uncle had made their way to Ba Sing Se, but none quite as nice as Shen’s. Currently he sat at a table made out of smooth stone, with benches of the same material. It was a testament to his host’s skill at bending that the rock looked as if it had always been in this form, not a crack in sight. A fire was roaring in a pit also clearly made by Shen, and two pots hung over the flames. 

 

After they’d walked back to Shen’s house, Zuko had felt honor bound to repay the man for sleeping on his property and for the food and water he’d provided. The farmer had taken him on his rounds for the day, and Zuko had helped out as best as he could. This routine was familiar to him, Zuko had often done odd jobs for people to pay for things when he was separated from Uncle Iroh in his first life. The beekeeping was something he was unfamiliar with, but all Shen had him do was push the carts full of honey-filled pots to a storage shed and pick ripe produce. 

 

“Why?” Zuko questioned, staring down at his hands where Shen had given him a peeler and a bunch of potatoes. They were neatly peeled and Zuko had even pushed the skins into a little pile. He’d cut them into pieces so they would cook quickly as well. The knife and peeler he used were of decent quality, the blades sharp and well cared for. 

 

“Do you have anywhere else to go?” Shen replied, cheerfully dumping the vegetables into a pot that hung over the fire, where they made plopping noises as they met the broth inside. The farmer stirred the liquid with a wooden spoon, humming a tune that Zuko found familiar but couldn’t place. 

 

“No.” Zuko admitted, carrying the yams over to the other pot since he could sense that the flames had been hot enough to boil the water. He stood next to Shen’s left side for a moment, watching how the flames flickered and he missed being able to bend. It’d been at least a week since he’d last used his fire other than meditating in the morning, but Zuko wasn’t dumb enough to wield flames in the middle of the Earth Kingdom. 

 

“Then why not stay with me?” Shen asked, he walked back to the table where Zuko had been sitting and sat down on one of the benches. The man looked expectantly at Zuko until he relented and walked over as well, refusing to sit and glared down at the farmer. 

 

“You’re being too trusting!” Zuko snapped, pointing a finger at Shen and narrowing his eyes (not knowing how much the expression mimicked a Fire Nation soldier’s to the man), “I could be a criminal! You don’t know anything about me and yet you’re inviting me into your home?” 

 

“Are you a criminal, Lee?” Shen asked, screwing up his face to look at where Zuko was standing. To Shen, it was oddly endearing that the boy cared about him enough to warn him of the potential dangers of mysterious travelers and further cemented his opinion that Lee was of the right sort. 

 

“Of course not!” Zuko responded, sitting down and then seeing Shen’s face brighten and cutting him off before he could say anything stupidly kind, “But you don’t know if I’m lying!” 

 

“I think you’re a nice kid who just spent all day helping me out around my beekeeping business and home just to pay me back for sleeping in my field.” Shen stated, chuckling at the face Zuko made when he heard him say ‘kid’, “And until you prove me wrong, you can stay. Why journey all the way to Ba Sing Se when you can start a new life here?” 

 

“You’re being naive.” Zuko crossed his arms, and tried to deny the sense of pride he got from Shen saying he was nice. Most people thought that he was lazy or vicious, and it was making him feel unreasonably pleased that someone like Shen thought of him as nice. It made Zuko think about how much the scar had changed people’s perception of him. 

 

“Perhaps.” Shen said with a shrug, before pulling out a deck of obviously worn cards and placing them on the table, “Now do you know any card games?” 

 

“You’re on.” Zuko grinned, and a part of him relaxed for the first time since he’d left the palace. He didn’t know how he was supposed to find everyone and he had virtually no way of making it to the South Pole without the Wani. It felt like finally Zuko had found a landing point, somewhere to rest where he could plan without worrying about his next meal or constantly looking over his shoulder. No one would ever think that the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation would hide with a hermit in the Earth Kingdom. 

 

They played cards together until the soup was ready, with Zuko using all the tricks that the sailors aboard his ship had used to best Shen thoroughly. It was strangely fun, and Zuko found himself enjoying the games they played much more than he had during his first life. For once, he didn’t feel judged by his opponent. It was much easier to keep control over his expressions when he could feel the left side of his face. 

______

 

The earth was damp and cool to the touch, it sucked the heat out of her skin in a pleasant sensation. In this cave, the mud had a squishy texture. What she liked best was sticking her fingers into the wide banks of it and feeling it try to suck her fingers back in when she pulled them out. Since she couldn’t see her clothes, Toph always took care to wear the old rags of one of her servants instead of the clothes her parents put her in. That way it didn’t matter if they got dirty or not. 

 

Leaning back onto her knees, Toph tilted her head up to the top of the cave and inhaled. The rich smell of dirt and minerals hit her nose like a sledgehammer, it smelt like home. Judging by the vibrations in the earth, there were more than a few moles who occupied this little cave that she’d found. She’d marked a little pathway to this cave via short stone pires, it was the farthest that she’d ever been from home alone. 

 

There was a river that encircled Gaoling, providing a natural defense against fire should an attack come. Her parents liked to take her on strolls along its banks. The shoes they forced her to wear lessened her ability to see with earthbending, but it was worth it. Even though she felt like a child when they held her hand and refused to let go, it was nice that they took her out of their compound. Toph appreciated the fact that they were letting her outside, it gave her hope that they would let her become more independent when she got older. 

 

Through the bedrock, Toph could feel the water above her. This cave was part of a tunnel system that ran all over Gaoling, though she was careful to avoid the parts that Gaoling’s citizens had adapted for their pee and poo. The stench of those pits haunted her memories, they were so smelly that Toph didn’t even need her earthsense to know to avoid them now. 

 

It provided a private place for her to practice her mudbending, the mud was slippery and harder to control than more solid rocks. Shifting the mud between its squishy form and the same density as boulders was hard to wrap her brain around at first, but it’d been a few weeks and she’d gotten faster at making the change. There was a bit of a delay, but that was fine. 

 

It’s not like that idiot teacher of hers would be able to do it any faster. Stupid Bony had her doing breathing exercises and flicking pebbles around like a baby. Toph had been better than her teacher in earthbending ever since she ran away and learned from the Badgermoles. And she knew that for a fact. 

 

For the past year, she’d been practicing more delicate and smaller movements. It helped her broaden her skills, for it was rare for earthbenders outside of artisans to have fine control over their element. Admittedly there wasn’t need for finer movements during a war that had raged for almost a century. The new style of Earthbending that had risen was almost purely combat, infrastructure, or agriculturally related. Only masters were given the time to practice things like mudbending, and thus the more complicated arts of earthbending had gradually faded away from the populace. Being an artisan was a rarity as well, war didn’t require finery and only in bigger cities were there skilled potters at all. Gaoling only had so many because it was so removed from the war, and miles and miles away from the front itself. 

 

Toph had conned her way into learning about the different smaller styles of earthbending from her mother. Toph had lied and said that she wanted to learn more about the gift of bending that she’d been given, and mournfully said that she was curious about the techniques she couldn’t ever perform. She’d acted as cutesy as her mother liked, just to have the woman read to her the countless bending scrolls that the Beifongs had in their possession. It’d been a piece of cake to make her eyes water and crawl into her mother’s lap, listening to the information she wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Of course, her mother never expected that Toph would ever use the techniques that she’d been describing to her. 

 

Annoyingly, her mother hadn’t read to her any combat scrolls. Toph’s knowledge on fighting was sorely lacking, and she only knew the basics of self defense due to her parents’ paranoia providing her with a few lessons on it. The badgermoles had taught her some techniques, and so Toph fought in a way that was purely animalistic. She used rudimentary swipes to launch rocks at targets that she’d made, and she’d learned how to coat her body in a suit of earth and still be able to move. She figured that it was enough for now, with the armor protecting her from blades and fire and the aggressive rock-throwing would provide adequate offense. 

 

Since she’d never been there during a fight with earthbending or even without it, it was impossible for her to figure out how a fight would go. It bothered her more than she liked to admit, but for now there were other things to learn and improve on. 

 

After a few hours, Toph could feel the nocturnal animals crossing over the thresholds of the cave. This was how she knew when to leave for home, after all it wasn’t like she could see the sun. Not that she ever could, of course. 

 

She stood up and started walking out of the cave, navigating through the tunnels and bended a way out of them and onto the surface. She walked through the forest, feeling the jumbled mess of vibrations from all of the scampering creatures around her. The little stone pillars she made guided her way, every footfall illuminated them through her earthsense and it made for an easy way home. 

 

By now she was only a few minutes away from the outer walls of the Beifong compound. The leaves of the trees around her ruffled in the wind, creating soft hushing noises above her head. It made it that more obvious when she heard a small twig crack to her left. The radius of her earthsense wasn’t too big, she could only feel around her in about a 3 meter radius. Toph stilled, straining her ears to catch the sound and hoping that whatever had caused it would approach close enough to her that she’d be able to sense what it was through her bending. 

 

But the sounds continued further away from her, familiar to her as the sounds of someone walking through the underbrush. She let out a soft breath, for a moment she’d feared that her secret was about to be revealed and her parents would become so much stricter. Toph waited until she couldn’t hear the person at all before continuing on her way back home. 

 

Right outside of the walls, she stashed her rags and exchanged them for the soft sleeping clothes that the servants had dressed her in the night before. She had formed a reliable little pit in the earth, like how a tortoiserabbit makes their burrow. It was small enough for her to change out of sight, and stored her change of clothes perfectly. Toph raised herself out of the pit by moving the earth underneath her, then shoving the pillar back down into the pit. With a flick of her wrist, the soil on top covered the hole and smoothed itself out to appear normal. She shook herself clean, bending the small grains of dirt off of her body and collecting it into a small ball. 

 

This was actually a technique that she’d learned by copying the gardeners, it was how the poor kept themselves clean and hygienic without bathing as often. Now there would be no suspicion about how she’d spent the early morning, Toph collapsed a small part of the wall in front of her and repaired it immediately, exiting from behind a rather large bush and walking back to her room. The attendant that had been assigned to her slept upright in her chair in the hallway outside of her room, and Toph slipped past her without any notice. 

 

She flopped herself down onto the sheets and closed her eyes, burrowing into the blankets and making a mess of them. Pillows flopped onto the floor with soft thumps, and she could feel her hair messing itself up around her head. Too bad that wasn’t her problem. 

______

 

Life with Shen was nice, it was calming in a way that Zuko had only ever found with Uncle in Ba Sing Se. There was a routine to things, every act they did was necessary and brought them some kind of benefit. In the morning, Shen woke him up before Zuko could even feel Agni rise in the sky, and they walked out to the fields to check on everything that needed to be doing and to see if there had been any damage wrought to their farms during the night. Then they started the process of collecting honey, putting it into jars, meticulously bookkeeping, and filling out orders for the day. 

 

Zuko’s talents with writing had greatly impressed Shen, he was now the main correspondent for their honey making business. The ink and brush set that he’d purchased with the last bit of his coin from the palace was worth its weight in gold, the fancy lettering on the posters that they’d put around town had created a stir amongst the richer inhabitants of Gaoling. Now every day servants from numerous rich households came by to drop rush orders for honey, and Shen was busier than ever. 

 

Today was a slower day, they’d worked incredibly hard to build new hives and bust out orders yesterday which left them with very little to do. Shen and Zuko were currently standing in front of the man’s kiln, where he’d been demonstrating the correct way to stack logs and coals so that the clay would be fired correctly. Zuko’s arms ached from holding a tray full of bowls steady while Shen carefully loaded his pieces of pottery into each shelf of the kiln, none of the pieces were allowed to touch each other, otherwise they’d shatter during the firing process. 

 

Zuko knew that their life would be a lot easier if Shen and he didn’t have to spend so much time setting up the kiln and finding the right materials for creating a long lasting, extremely hot fire. There was a reason that despite Shen’s pottery being some of the best in Gaoling, they only sold a few pieces every week rather than offering pieces every day like the potters who lived in the city itself. They just didn’t have the resources or time to monitor the kiln and find fuel for it. 

 

The kiln was located against a random steep hill that Zuko was confident Shen had earthbended into existence, the flames inside it roared horizontally and were so hot that they combined all the different minerals in the clay into one solid piece. Depending on how far into the kiln the pieces were put in, they would have different finishes and quality. The higher the shelf they were placed on, the better quality that they were. The slower fired pieces were often their best wares, and many of their rich clients prized what Shen’d created. 

 

Finally, Shen finished stacking up the shelves and gestured for Zuko to go put the tray of finished pots back into the pottery shelf. Zuko felt bad that Shen had to buy so many pairs of spark rocks, but though he trusted the kind man who’d taken him in, he didn’t feel like revealing himself as a firebender in the middle of the Earth Kingdom. He had not forgotten the horror that had filled him when Uncle had told him that firebender’s hands were often crushed by Earth Kingdom soldiers. 

 

With a solid sounding thunk, Shen shut the door to the kiln closed and stepped away from it. He grinned down at Zuko (how short Zuko was currently was a fact that irked him all the time) and pointed back towards the house. 

 

“I think we’ve earned a bit of rest and relaxation, what do you think?” Shen asked, rolling his shoulders to ease some of the strain. 

 

“Why not.” Zuko replied, waiting for Shen to start walking before he followed suit. Zuko didn’t regret keeping some of his fighting habits, constantly being wary and looking over his shoulder is what had kept him alive for all these years… and letting his guard down was what had gotten him killed too. 

 

They both slowed down in sync when they saw the carriage that was at the small gate that marked Shen’s property, staring at the rich greens and golds that covered the wood. Well plumed ostrichhorses stood at attention, not even twitching, in the front. A man in what Zuko recognized as a coachman’s uniform sat in the boxseat, he nodded at the two of them when he realized they had seen the carriage. 

 

The door opened, and on it was a crest that Zuko recognized immediately. Painted with painstaking detail and bright colors, was the image of a flying boar-- the crest of the Beifong family. A woman stepped out, her robes had more details and seemed to be a mix of cotton and silk, which identified her as a much higher servant. Though the Earth Kingdom was at war with the Fire Nation, Zuko had still been taught the etiquette required for their social classes and noble families. The dress of their servants had only been deemed important enough for the Crown Prince to learn because he would need to know which servants to order around once the Fire Lord had stationed his family in the Earth King’s palace in Ba Sing Se and pillaged the city. 

 

The woman smiled at them from under the brim of her hat, and Shen stepped forward to open the gate for her. Regrettably, the house didn’t have a sitting area of high enough quality for the servant, so all three of them remained standing among Shen’s front garden. The bees buzzed around the flowers, and the rabbits all had fled at the sight of a stranger. Only the quacking of Shen’s ducks remained, though they quieted once they saw their owner standing in front of them. 

 

“Hello madame”, Shen began with a bow, obviously unsure about how to go about this meeting since the woman hadn’t said anything yet, “How can I be of service to you?” 

 

“Greetings, I am a grand servant of the most esteemed Beifong family.” The woman said, with an ostentatious air about her, “My masters require your services.” 

 

“That’s excellent news to hear.” Shen replied, “What exactly do they want me to do?” 

 

“Word has reached them of your supposed skill in pottery, despite not being an artisan.” The woman stated, her expression neutral despite her vaguely insulting words. Zuko bristled besides Shen before he took a deep breath and calmed down, “They have invited you to their compound, to have a consultation of sorts.”

 

“I accept their invitation, when would this consultation take place?” Shen asked, glancing behind him at the rows of beehives in his fields. It wasn’t rare for Shen to leave his farm, but usually doing so took a couple of days of preparation in advance. Usually a friend of his from town would come over and watch the place, Zuko took care to avoid them whenever possible. 

 

“In exactly a week, the honor of being considered to create something for the Beifongs will be bestowed to you. There will be a light midday meal prepared for you, after which the consultation will take place.” The woman extended her hand and held out an envelope with pretty flowers on it, which Shen took from her without opening it. 

 

She bowed her head a tad at Shen, and gave a look at Zuko, before she walked back to the gate. Before the coachman could hop down and open it for her, she turned her head and said, “I’d bring some samples of your work to the consultation, it would increase your chances of being chosen considering your lack of accreditation.” 

 

Shen gave his gratitude for her advice, and both Zuko and he watched the carriage speed off on the road to one of the river’s bridges and towards Gaoling. This was like nothing they’d ever done before, none of their richest clients even came close to the Beifong family. 

 

Privately, Zuko wondered if he’d be able to convince Shen to let him come along. Being able to see one of his friends again had his heart aching, he’d never known what had happened to them after the first time that he died. He’d missed them more than he liked to admit.

Notes:

let me know what you thought! comments are super helpful and let me know what parts of the story resonate and which parts are not as good :)

thank you for reading, have a nice day!

also about Master Yu, it never made sense to me that he was able to be such a shit teacher and yet be so popular. I kind of wanted to give him more depth as a character.

Chapter 8: So Close to Meeting You Again

Notes:

hi! since i'm feeling much much better, I've decided that posting more but the chapters being shorter is best. it makes me feel productive and like I've done something for the week or days :0 enjoy!

also, blm is a movement not a moment. please sign petitions that you see. and stay safe if you are protesting.

It had been a very long time since their last day on Ember Island. The sand had been soft, the water was perfectly cool and the waves lapped at their toes. Agni shone high in the sky, the single ball of fire in the sky was set to double in only a few hours. Sozin’s comet was fast approaching, and Aang was nowhere to be found. The world’s only hope had vanished again, and right from under his nose. 

 

Admittedly, Zuko was pretty distracted by what was going on. Toph electing him to be her partner and dragging him around the island while she narrated her childhood was distracting and a tad irritating since the possibility of ending the war was on the horizon. However, that was not to say that Zuko hadn’t listened to what she was saying. 

 

He might not have had many friends growing up, if he was being honest, counting Master Piandao and Azula’s friends was pathetic by most people’s standards, but he knew how to listen. Sometimes people just need to vent, to pour out a part of themselves and leave their anger behind them, so they can embrace their new tomorrows. That was something Uncle had said to him once, back on the Wani when Zuko had angrily asked if he was even paying attention during one his many rages when Uncle hadn’t said anything in response to what he was yelling about. Zuko hadn’t bothered to listen to Uncle’s words back then, but he remembered them years later when he was hiding in his old family home with some of the most wanted people in the Fire Nation. 

 

Zuko knew that he wasn’t as smooth of a talker as Sokka, or as understanding as Aang. He did not radiate the kind and patient energy that Katara did, nor was he capable of giving the tough love approach that Suki used. Listening was his best bet, otherwise he might end up sticking his foot in his mouth if he tried to give someone advice. 

 

Toph needed someone to talk to, someone who would actually understand the nuances of what she was talking about without having to ask questions about things that she would consider obvious. As the only person who’d been rich as well once, Zuko alone would be able to listen to her talk about her childhood without being lost. It wasn’t the same, but he could relate to what she had said about her parents hiding her existence from the world. 

 

Azula, despite not being the Heir, had been a trophy, something that Father could tote around at parties with nobles and praise endlessly. Zuko was often not even allowed to go. He was something to be ashamed of, not a prodigy and weaker than his younger sister in every way. Zuko knew what it felt like to be someone’s secret, even if Toph’s parents had done it out of some misguided sense of love and he knew that his father had done it to manipulate him. 

 

As Toph’s words carried over tide pools and were hushed by the din of crashing waves, Zuko listened to her story. He hadn’t known much about her before this, even though they’d become good friends. Toph just wasn’t an exceptionally open person, and he was never sure if she was joking or not when she talked about her life before becoming the Avatar’s master in such light tones. Now he knew better, and probably knew Toph the best out of their whole group. 

 

Zuko had been planning on talking to her more after they found Aang, but they never did. And as he rode off with Katara to challenge Azula, he’d looked at her milky eyes and promised himself that they would talk about what she’d told him when everything was over. One of the things he regretted was that he died before he’d been able to let her know that he wasn’t blowing her off, but saving their talk for later. Toph’s life story and healing from it deserved more time than how long it took to frantically lap around Ember Island. 

 

The Beifong family is famous, across all four of the nations. They’d been rich since the beginning of the Earth Kingdom, and notoriously always maintained a neutral stance in all conflicts. The Fire Nation’s Battle for Progress threatened to ruin that for them, considering that Zuko knew it’d been a Beifong shipmaking company who’d made the Wani. They sold to both sides, dealt in espionage, and were never ever caught. No one could ever get any dirt on them, and losing the Beifong’s network of shipping and trading throughout the oceans and the Continent was too risky without evidence. The family's ancient residence in Gaoling is what put the city on the map, although their influence and multiple lines had long outgrown the city itself. 

 

Zuko hadn’t connected Toph to her family until after he’d returned from the Boiling Rock with Sokka, Suki, and Chief Hakoda. (He was not counting Chit Sang and his buddies, who only stared at him in a way that made him feel uncomfortable.) He’d left the fire early, noticing that their resident earthbender had already been gone, and went to go sit among the ruins of the Western Air Temple. When he’d first arrived at this temple, he’d done a rushed job at cleaning it up since he’d had only a week to exit Fire Nation territory. There was one room that he’d enjoyed spending time in, the partially collapsed shrine to Avatar Yangchen. 

 

One of the statue’s giant hands had been severed from the rest of its body, and it lay on the floor, too heavy for anyone but an earthbender to move. Zuko liked to curl up on the open palm of the most accomplished Avatar in recent memory, it brought him a sense of peace that he hadn’t been able to find since his father burned him. In his first life, the stone had been rough against his skin as he sat down and shifted his shoulders. The prison rags that he wore were disgusting, and they made him think of Mai and how all he did was bring misfortune to others. 

 

While he’d been stewing his failures, he’d been interrupting by the sound of feet on the tiles. Zuko had looked up to see Toph cross the room, bending a pillar to launch her into the air and land lightly next to him on the hand of Avatar Yangchen. Neither of them said anything for a moment, Zuko was too busy watching as Toph bent the tiles smooth again, not even a crack remained. Suddenly, he felt like he should explain why he’d left the cheery reunion dinner that the group had been doing with Chief Hakoda. 

 

“I didn’t mean to give the wrong impression by leaving dinner”, Zuko began, glancing at Toph and noticing the dirt behind her ears, “Chief Hakoda is a brave warrior and an excellent strat-”

 

“Get to the point, Sparky.” Toph snorted, kicking her feet in the air as they dangled off of the edge of the statue’s hand, “I’m sure you didn’t leave their celebration because you have a crush on Katara’s dad, there’s no need to flatter him when he isn’t even here to hear you.” 

 

“I do not have a crush on Chief Hakoda!” He snapped, reaching out to quickly poke her bicep for that comment, “I just felt uncomfortable.” 

 

“You’re always uncomfortable.” Toph replied, losing the joking tone that she had earlier, and turning her head to face him, “Your heartbeat and body language give you away, you never stopped waiting for the other shoe to drop.” 

 

He’d felt bare back then, like Toph was able to read him like no one else was. It was true in a sense, only her earthbending had allowed her to catch on to how tense he always was. Somehow he doubted that anyone else would be able to pick up on his behavior, Aang being a prime example of that as he was no doubt also able to access the earthsense that Toph used. 

 

Zuko had thought about how Katara glared at him behind everyone’s backs, how he’d traded his girlfriend’s life just to gain the trust of a guy who he barely knew. He’d thrown his whole life away to teach Aang firebending, and every day he spent among these people felt like a reminder of what a mistake he’d made. Doubt nipped at his heels with every step, there was no reason for any of these people to not leave him behind and run away to confront his father on the day of Sozin’s Comet without him. Loyalty is something that must be earned, and right now only Aang and Sokka had his back. Toph had been the most friendly, but it’d seemed like she was like that with everyone. 

 

He’d begun to return her punches of “affection” as she called them, but only with pokes or jabs because Zuko was sure Katara was lurking around every corner just waiting for him to mess up and give her a reason to end him. They had spent some afternoons together, scrounging for some edible plants or washing their bed rolls, but their conversations had never felt like this before. 

 

“Well this time it was specific, I guess.” Zuko finally answered, after he’d spent a few minutes debating on what was the right response, “They were just being too happy, I’m just not used to seeing families like that.” 

 

“Does the Fire Nation not do family dinners?” Toph asked, moving her body so that her bones were pressed awkwardly against the stone. 

 

“They do, but not like that.” Zuko responded, copying the way she sat, his legs over the edge and his hands supporting his upper body on the stone behind him. It was comfortable to lean like this, better than sitting with a straight spine in a proper manner. The heat from Toph’s hand had slightly warmed the spot where he’d placed one of his hands. “I’ve never seen a family be so open… in public. Or even in private really, I guess I’m more familiar with talking when spoken to and stuffy clothes.” 

 

“I get that.” Toph said simply, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around her torso, “My family used dinner for business deals and social manipulation.” 

 

“Ah, sitting down for some expensive food that you normally never eat, with the whole family in clothes that they never wear, just for your parents to argue the whole time. Classic.” Zuko remarked, with a little bit of bitterness slipping through.

 

“Exactly, although a Toph Beifong classic would entail me sitting at the table with my head down and asking to be excused early when they’re too absorbed in each other to really care if I leave.” Toph continued, more than a little bitter-sounding. 

 

“You’re a Beifong?” Zuko questioned, surprised beyond belief. The Beifongs had managed to hide an entire daughter from the global trade network’s ring of gossip and spies? 

 

“You’re looking at the only heir of the main line, Sparky.” Toph’s boast fell flat when her body shivered, no doubt cold from the wind. 

 

“Well not to one up you”, Zuko said as he lifted his hand and placed it on Toph’s shoulder. He concentrated and thought about extending his life flame through his veins and into Toph, letting her skin feel the warmth of Agni’s children’s gift. Toph visibly went still, and Zuko almost panicked, before she relaxed as warm spread from his palm outwards, “But I’m the only heir to the throne. Well- I guess I was, but I’m definitely not anymore.” 

 

“I’d make you the Firelord just for that heating trick.” Toph grinned, pressing their shoulders together and soaking up the warmth that Zuko was emitting, “This temple is way too windy.” 

 

“I don’t know if you know this, Toph” Zuko twisted his voice and mimicked one of the jesters from his favorite play, “But the Air Temples have lots of air and wind in them.” 

 

Looking back, he’d complained about getting a punch to the arm a bit too much considering what a bad joke that’d been. That conversation was what Zuko considered to be the official start of their friendship. They stayed smushed together like that well into the night, and Zuko had felt himself relax for the first time since he’d joined Aang’s group. When Agni’s rising in the sky had woken Zuko, Toph had already been gone, but the heat from her body lingered in the stone. Zuko had curled up into a ball and smiled, it seemed like things were finally starting to fall into place and he’d made a new friend. 

 

But now Zuko was questioning everything that he ever thought he knew about Toph because he could have sworn that she told him her age or birthday at some point but he couldn’t remember. Agni forbid he ever forgot a mere second of any of the times that he’d died, but the one time that Zuko needed his brain to give him an important detail, it was failing him. 

 

The cart Shen was driving lurched, and Zuko steadied the small stacked boxes of pottery that they’d brought to show to Lord Beifong. He was a terrible friend, who doesn’t know how old one of their closest friends is? Pathetic! He was pathetic! And how much younger was Toph going to be? She was awfully short, what if she was going to be a toddler when he showed up? Or worse yet, what if Toph was older than him? The horror! 

 

As Zuko beat himself up for not remembering something so vital, Shen directed their cart towards the Beifong Compound. 

 

______

 

Ying prided herself on being one of the most punctual servants at the Beifong compound, She was neat and there was never a hair out of place, on her days off she liked to return to her parent’s tea shop and sip the homemade brews that she’d grown up drinking. As her parent’s third daughter, she had no importance as far as inheritance went. Ying was given her basic education and left to her own devices. 

 

Ying’s oldest sister, Lei, thought it was a pity that Ying had no one to marry, she herself had found a nice son of a merchant that worked for the Beifong family. Ying thought differently, unlike any of her parents’ other children, she’d been able to choose her own path in life. Had she lacked ambition, she would have just ended up pouring tea for customers at her family’s tea shop for the rest of her life. Now she poured tea for the most powerful family in the Earth Kingdom, and she knew that her skills were close to that of a tea master. 

Most girls dreamt of a man to snatch them away from their dreary days of work, sighing over the chores that the Beifongs had them do during the day and swapping ideas of dream men in the servants quarters where they all slept. Ying had long since learned to tune them out, she didn’t need a man to make her dreams come true, she’d been able to do that by herself. Not only did she no longer live with her parents, she made her own income and was able to save up quite a bit by living in the compound and dressing simply. 

 

Today Lord Beifong had requested her to pour tea for him and his guests a little after lunch time. Of course, Ying knew who his guests would be. The mysterious potter who’d sent letters and posted flyers written in gorgeous calligraphy had caught everyone’s eyes in Gaoling, and the superior craftsmanship at lower prices had only attracted more attention. Ying had dressed in the snowpea green robes that she’d bought herself, they were pretty but practical and perfect for serving tea for the lord’s guests who weren’t of high status. The light color contrasted nicely with her tan skin, and she thought wearing the robes made her stand out among the rest of the servants. 

 

That morning, Ying had secured her ebony hair into a tight bun and borrowed one of the maid’s flower pins to put in the back of her hair. She’d selected a light brew of chrysanthemum, jasmine, and mandarin peel, the perfect blend to sip after lunch in the golden afternoon. 

 

By the time that lunchtime came around, Lord Beifong summoned her to his office. Ying made her way through the twisting hallways and open air walkways, arriving at his door and knocking politely. She waited until she heard him say that she was welcome to come inside, before opening the heavy door and bowing upon her entrance. 

 

Lord Beifong sat at a desk, looking through different scrolls for business no doubt, he was already dressed to receive his guests. The green and yellow of his overcoat had different threaded designs meant to signify that while her master valued the guests he was meeting today, he did not consider them to have a personal relationship with him nor were they acquainted through business. The designs simply meant that there were prospects for a business relationship. The cream color of his silk shirt shone in the sun as he waved a hand over to Ying, gesturing for her to walk over to him. 

 

“Good afternoon my lord, thank you for your summons.” Ying spoke quietly, in a deferential tone. She’d worked hard to become the Lord’s favorite tea maker and pourer, and she deliberately controlled herself around him to appear the most like his old Master of Tea Ceremonies, Xiaotang. 

 

“What blend have you chosen for today?” Lord Beifong asked, the thin strands of his mustache twitching as his mouth moved. 

 

“I selected a blend of jasmine, mandarin peel, and chrysanthemum.” Ying answered, hoping that he would be pleased with her selection. 

“That is satisfactory, you will be told when to start brewing the tea by another servant.” He turned his attention back to the papers at his desk, and then after a beat, said, “Dismissed.” 

 

“Thank you, my lord.” Ying bowed deeply at the man who wasn’t even looking at her anymore, and walked out of the office. 

 

She waited in the gardens, careful not to damage any of the rare plants that the Beifong’s had seen fit to place in their collection. Many of the rooms in the Beifong compound had screen doors that opened into the gardens, and a steam ran through the property that mimicked the river of Gaoling. Ying was worried that sitting down might ruin her robes, so she allowed herself to have a tranquil stroll through the pretty landscapes. 

 

Along her way, Ying stopped to smell one of the many climbing jasmines that were all over the walls of the compound. She didn’t dare to actually touch any of the blossoms, but she let the soft and silky petals of the flowers brush against her nose gently in the breeze. It was one of her favorite scents in the world. The delicate smell was not enough to distract her from the sound of approaching footsteps, Ying turned around to see the Beifong’s only child, Toph. 

 

The little girl had her hair loose as always, with only a few strands drawn back so they wouldn’t fall into her face. The robes she wore today were spring pea pink and white, with embroidered flowers all across the fabric. An attendant hovered behind her, a girl that Ying knew to be pretty lazy but sweet. 

 

“Good afternoon, my lady.” Ying bowed, knowing that Toph would not be able to see it. 

 

“What are you doing out here?” Toph questioned, her tone a little rude but what else could Ying expect from such a rich child, “Don’t you normally hang around the kitchens?” 

 

“I’m waiting for another servant to tell me when it is the right time to start heating the water for the tea.” Ying explained, a tad surprised that Toph knew where she usually spent her days, “The water is heated over a special fire pit that only I use, that way I can be sure that the tea was brewed in water that wasn’t too hot or too cold.” 

 

“Can I have some of the tea that you’re making?” Toph asked, before her features twisted from the stone faced expression into one more suited for a child, “Please?” 

 

“Of course.” Ying hesitated, as she saw a guard striding through the grass in their direction, “I can bring it to you after I serve it to your father and his guests.” 

 

“I don’t feel like waiting.” Toph stated, her milky eyes rolling around as her face turned to where Ying’s voice was coming from, “If you’re going to make it right now, then I can be there while you boil the water and I can get a cup before you give it my father.” 

 

Damn. 

 

What was Ying supposed to do about this situation? She was almost close to panicking on the inside, this was an unprecedented situation. The guard reached then before she could respond to her mistress’s daughter, his shadow elongating behind him on the grass and wall. 

 

“Ms. Ying, I’m here to inform you that the guests of Lord Beifong have arrived.” He said, his eyes visible through the helmet. The man turned to Toph and bowed, “Greetings, little lady.” 

 

Then without another word, the guard walked away from them just as quickly as he’d come in. Ying watched him go before glancing desperately at Toph’s attendant, who looked like she had no clue the predicament that Toph’s request had placed Ying in. 

 

Of course she would have no idea, that girl was as dumb as a bag of rocks, Ying groused to herself. She looked back down at Toph and fiddled with her sleeves, thinking about the right thing to say. 

 

“Well?” Toph asked first, raising an eyebrow at Ying, “Is there something wrong? I thought you had to start preparing for the tea now.” 

 

“I-I do.” Ying stuttered, dreading bringing Toph back to her private tea brewing quarters. It was just a small room near the kitchens, but there were so many rows of boxes and different tea sets from the old Master of Tea Ceremonies that she was ashamed of showing such a messy (but organized!) space to the lady. Although… it’s not like Toph would be able to tell anyways. “Would you be so kind as to follow me?” 

 

Toph nodded simply, holding out an arm for her attendant to take, before following Ying back to the kitchens. She made sure to walk slowly enough so that Toph wasn’t walking too far behind her, but it still felt like it only took a blink for her to arrive at her room. 

 

Ying opened the door, the room was spacious enough for two people, but three was pushing it. Ying looked at the two seats that were at the sorting and mixing table, with her mortar and pestle still on top of it. She looked at Toph’s attendant and asked, “Could you please wait outside while I brew this tea?” 

 

“It’s no issue.” The girl giggled behind her sleeve, letting go of Toph’s hand and standing dutifully by the door. Ying had no doubt that she was immediately going to leave and gossip with the cooks and kitchen girls the minute that the door was closed. 

 

“Alright, please sit down here my lady.” Ying pulled out a chair for Toph and guided her to it with a gentle hand on her back. She really didn’t know how to interact with a blind person outside of pouring them tea, Toph was actually the only blind person that she’d ever met before. 

 

“Thanks.” Toph said, placing her hands on top of the slightly dusty table surface without care.

 

Ying winced, knowing that the silk sleeves would have dirty smudges of the remaining particles of crushed tea and spices that she used. She quickly positioned kindling to start the fire and hung the metal pot of water over it. Her hands shook a bit while sparking the rocks together, before she looked over at Toph slyly. The kindling made a whoosh sound and Ying flinched as a few sparks landed on her hands. That’s what she got for being distracted. Now all she had to do was wait for the water to start boiling. 

 

She sat down across from Toph, the previous crushing silence no longer feeling so heavy as she started wiping down the tea cups and tea pot that she’d be serving the lord and his guests with. There was a matching tray to go with it, and Ying knew from experience that it was best to place everything on a cart, and then bring the tray off of the cart once she actually got to the room that the Lord was receiving his guests in. 

 

Ying set the last cup on the cart with a final sounding clink , she glanced over to Toph who looked like she had a bored expression on her face. Right… for someone who couldn’t see, the sounds of another person bustling around the room and not saying anything must be incredibly tedious. 

 

“Would you like to pick out your teacup and teapot?” Ying asked, remembering that Toph had preferred to pick up her tea cups herself from the tray rather than letting her attendant do it. 

 

“I’d like that, but they all feel the same.” Toph stated bluntly, “The design doesn’t really matter when I can’t see it, and none of them are textured either.” 

 

“There are some small and tall cups?” Ying suggested weakly, knowing that the tea pot itself didn’t matter since Toph would never have to pour for herself. That was after all, literally her job. 

 

“Oh wow, so much variation.” Toph remarked drily, her little face looked quite bitter in the dim lighting of Ying’s brewing room. 

 

“Well your father is meeting with a potter today, perhaps you can get a better idea of what you would like and commission something from them if the meeting goes well.” Ying said after racking her brain for a way to put a smile back on the child’s face. 

 

“That’s who he’s meeting with today?” Toph asked, tilting her head to the side in thought. 

 

“Yes.” Ying replied, before turning around and scooping some of the hot water into a large teapot that she used to hold water while it needed to cool down a bit. “He’s recently gained a reputation for using his earthbending to complete incredible smooth pieces, with very pretty glazes. But I’m sure he can create something that you’d enjoy too, something with texture or an interesting shape.” 

 

“He uses earthbending?” Toph repeated, her face looking a little shocked. 

 

“Yes he does, and since he doesn’t have many clients, every piece is commissioned rather than already made.” Ying scooped out the mixture currently in her mortar and placed it into the teapot that she would be using today. 

 

“Do you think that he would teach me?” Toph asked, a grin stealing over her face while she looked to the left of where Ying was standing. 

 

“Perhaps, I’m sure that you can ask your father about it after the consultation.” Ying lifted the thicker teapot into the air and created a long stream of water that went into the teapot. She felt a bit silly for showing off that trick when her audience didn’t have the ability to appreciate it. 

 

She also placed a separate, smaller teapot with two matching cups on the table top. Ying poured the rest of the water into the pot, and set the lid down. She asked Toph if she could hold her hand, which made Toph blink in obvious surprise. 

 

Ying gently guided Toph’s hand to the handle of the teapot and said, “I put the water into this, and the leaves are already inside. Let your attendant pour it for you, okay?” 

 

“Alright.” Toph said quietly, tightening her grip on Ying’s hand before letting go of it suddenly. 

 

Ying smiled and stood up next to the cart, she was about to say that it was time to go, before Toph spoke first. 

 

“Since he doesn’t have many customers, he’d probably have the time to teach me.” Toph reasoned, before standing up by herself. Ying blinked, a little surprised that Toph was able to do that. She thought that Toph would aid, but maybe she was just being silly. Not all blind people were rich surely, and couldn’t afford to have people waiting on them all the time. Surely they must be able to do things by themselves. 

 

“I’m sure that’s possible.” Ying hedged, before opening the door and placing herself behind the cart. “I have to go serve this now, would you mind waiting for your attendant to come back?” 

 

“How did you know that she left?” Toph asked, following behind Ying as both of them exited the room. 

 

“I just have a sense for those kinds of things.” Ying shrugged, immediately regretting her lack of propriety, “I’ll swing by the kitchens and let her know that you’re ready to leave. I’m terribly sorry about this, but I do have to go.” 

 

“It’s fine.” Toph said, clasping her tiny hands together as they drowned in pink and grey smudged silk. 

 

Ying winced at the dirty smudges, before giving Toph a bow and pushing the cart down the corridor. She had a job to do, hopefully the tea had not become too bitter in the time that she was talking to Toph. 

 

She made her way over to the room that Lord Beifong had chosen for today. The room had pretty screens instead of walls, scenes of kingfishers and gorgeous women among flowers were hand painted on them. Ying knocked gently against one of the wood panels, with the room attendant being the one to slide them open. The cart wheeled glided smoothly into the room, and Ying kept her head down until she arrived at the table. 

 

Bowing first to Lord Beifong, and then his guests, Ying felt herself falter when she locked eyes with the man who delivered honey to her parents’ shop. The little boy sitting next to him was unfamiliar, but despite the fancier clothes that he was in today, Ying would know that man anywhere. She even had one of his flower crowns on her bedside table in her servant’s room. 

 

Shen , she thought, the man who makes honey and also apparently pottery is named Shen. 

 

Shen smiled wide at her and she gave a small nod in recognition to him, before turning back to the cart and setting down the tray with the teapot and cups onto the low table. She made sure to pour for Lord Beifong first, then Shen, and finally the boy. For more secretive meetings, Ying usually sat in an adjacent room and waited for a small bell to ring when someone wanted to refill their tea. For a simple consultation, Lord Beifong preferred for her to be in the room. 

 

Normally, she would tune everything out and just watch the level of tea in their cups dwindle until it reached a low enough point for her to refill their drink. This time she just kept her head bowed slightly and paid attention to everything. Her eyes flickered to whoever was speaking, and she inhaled sharply when Shen proudly displayed his wears to Lord Beifong. 

 

As part of her parents’ business, it was Ying’s duty to understand good ceramics, pottery, and fine dishes. For the prices that Shen was describing, this was like selling gold in exchange for yams. Utterly ridiculous and cheap. It actually didn’t escape anyone’s notice that she was taking in the whole conversation that was happening, and after the guests had been escorted out of the room, Lord Beifong actually asked her to stay and tell him her opinion on Shen’s pieces. 

 

As truthfully as she could, Ying described how the value for each piece was worth much more than what Shen had offered. She also noted the quality of the glaze and the smoothness of the pieces. Lord Beifong nodded as if he was actually listening to what she thought, and internally Ying leapt for joy. Finally, she was on her way to becoming his confidant and adviser, the Beifong Master of Tea Ceremonies. 

 

Ying didn’t forget to mention Toph’s request, and Lord Beifong gave her a considering look and asked her to explain herself and why Toph knew about the potter before he’d told her about it. At dinner she heard from the food serving boys that Toph had also seen fit to bring up her wish for a commission and lessons. Ying smiled as she ate her dried fish and congee, that girl was determined once she put her mind to things, as was she. 

 

______

 

“Do you know where your brother went?” 

 

“Our glorious nation used to have the airbender savages frequently enter and exit our nation purely based on whim, which just shows you how much their society was broken. Imagine never having a plan for where you would spend your time or never having a stable job, imagine a whole nation being dedicated to just that. The influential Western Air Temple managed to completely change the area surrounding, blending the religion of the savages and the great sages of Agni.” Royal Tutor Kugo droned on and on about the old Air Savages, pointing at the map of the Western Fire Nation Islands and gesturing with his wrinkly and old hands. 

 

“Azula, ignoring me is not becoming of a princess.”  

“Obviously, the corruption of the region did not go unnoticed by the Fire Lord of the time, your great great grandfather, whose name was…?” The fuddy duddy looked down at her from where he stood, his jowls hanging down and creating shadows in his face. 

 

“Fire Lord Kuzon, whose great reputation sparked the popular tradition of naming sons after him.” Azula responded, letting Kugo know how damned bored she was without a care. She’d been receiving this lesson for the past four hours, and she knew that it wouldn’t be ending any time soon. Maybe if he wasn’t teaching her things she’d already learned, it would be interesting, but as it was, this whole lesson was a waste of her time. 

 

“Correct.” Kugo nodded at her as if he was extremely pleased, which why wouldn’t he be? He had the pleasure of tutoring her. Then he continued on his boring lecture, “Fire Lord Kuzon insisted on maintaining the purity of our relationship to Agni, but did not do anything about the blending of our sacred beliefs with the savages out of fear.” 

 

“Azula, please. I’m worried about your brother.” 

 

She almost bit her tongue off, Mother was worried about stupid Zuzu? Stupid Zuzu who fled like a coward from the Agni Kai, stupid Zuzu who couldn’t even be bothered to tell her that he was going to leave? Stupid, idotic Zuko had left her to rot in the palace, abandoning the roles that they’d held since they were infants. Zuko was supposed to take the negative emotions of Father, while she got the positive ones. It worked both ways, Mother scorned her while Zuko received nothing but adoration. 

 

This was the natural order of things, and Zuko had thrown it out of balance. Now Father yelled at her more than he’d ever had, even in front of other people and not when she’d made a mistake. It was confusing, and now she wasn’t allowed to go to school just like Zuko. Azula hated her brother for leaving, she didn’t want to take his place! And now all Mother wanted to talk about was that damned traitor. 

 

“There was a power in the world, even more than the Fire Lord, who threw the world out of balance and prevented leaders of all nations from doing their job. Do you know who that was?” Kugo asked, oblivious to what fury was singing in her veins right now. 

 

“Avatar Kyoshi, a meddling and much too tall to be natural woman who interfered with many of the world’s leaders at the time.” Azula grinded her teeth as she bit out the answer, seething internally. 

 

“Correct again…” Kugo looked a bit nervous, she could see that her reputation for burning servants when raging had spread to even those who only used to deal with Zuko, “Well this was just another example of the Avatar betraying their original purpose. While preaching about keeping the balance of the world, Kyoshi actively worked against the wishes of the people of the world by challenging the leaders of different nations. Ever since her, the Avatar has been corrupted and must be stopped. Another example of an Avatar’s betrayal being…?” 

 

“Oh dear, I see that I’ve upset you…” The phantom feeling of soft hands with calluses on the tips caressed Azula’s cheek, “I’ll go now, you need to focus on your lesson anyways.”

 

Azula was not proud of the way she flinched, it was one thing for a vision of her mother to speak, but a completely different level of concerning for her to start feeling Mother’s touch on her skin. Kugo made a concerned expression, opening his mouth to no doubt say something annoying. 

 

“The most important betrayal that an Avatar ever made, even more than Avatar Kuruk’s decision to throw away his life and not spend it working for the world out of pure selfishness, was the choice by Avatar Roku to attack Fire Lord Sozin while he was trying to help the inhabitants of Roku Island escape the famous explosion that ruined the island. Out of pure bitterness by failing to stop Sozin from planning his spread of our nation’s greatness, Roku decided to attack the Fire Lord while he was struggling to breathe due to the poisonous gasses and ash in his lungs from the volcano.” Azula recited, sliding her most favorite mask of polite indifference over her face and concealing her true emotions from the outside like an actress in a play. She elegantly shrugged, looking nothing like she had mere seconds earlier, “It was an act of pure cowardice, and it failed.” 

 

“Right…” Kugo smiled shakily at her, to which Azula just blinked, “I-I think that’s a good place to stop for today, we will meet again tomorrow, my princess.” 

 

As he bowed to her, Azula remained motionless in her seat. Clearly Kugo had just demonstrated that he didn’t deserve her respect, running away from an issue, unfamiliar situation without thought. She watched him leave, and wondered if she’d be alone after he closed the door, or if someone else from her mind would like to join her for lunch.

Notes:

thank you for reading! Please let me know what you thought and if you spotted any grammar mistakes! I don't have a beta (and tbh I don't know if I want one or even where to find one?) so sometimes I miss the errors. Comments make me so happy, and they're incredibly motivating.

p.s. ying means lady in thai, which is the language that I'm like kind of good at. not reading though, I can only write my nickname in the thai characters lmao.

kugo doesn't mean anything as far as I know? I picked it because I saw it on a list of japanese boy names.

p.p.s I feel like azula would deteriorate faster with Zuko being a run away and not just banished, and toph's hair being down is going to lead to cute fluff later on in the story :)

Chapter 9: Greetings

Notes:

I can't believe that I went almost a whole month without uploading everything. I'm so sorry about that. I joined college and the rotc and it made things really busy. I hope you all like this chapter.

also damn, for someone who doesn't like writing slow build up, that's literally all that I've been writing recently. ugh. i just don't like that toph and zuko haven't met yet and then it's like.... i am... the person who decides when they meet... i could literally just write a time skip to them meeting or already being close but i choose to build character relationships that won't mean anything in the end because i write a time loop fic... make it make sense jdhfdhf

When tea has steeped for too long, the flavor becomes deeper and deeper until the bottom of the cup settles into murky ruin. The leaves crumble into a slimy pile, and swallowing the bitter mix leaves one without satisfaction. Something perfect can be ruined if one waits too long to take action. 

 

The tea in Iroh’s cup has long gone cold by the time that he is finished playing pai sho with his contacts in the White Lotus. No one has seen his nephew in weeks, the last place that he was spotted was in a town near a famous crossroads. There was a body found there, an old woman who had no other family. Additionally, people who’d been missing for months had also been found in the forest. They refused to say what had taken them, only blaming the spirits and thanking Agni that they’d been allowed to return home. Deep into the night, Iroh wonders if Zuko was unlucky enough to be trapped in the spirit world, unable to get out. 

 

For now, he stays seated at the table long after his contacts have left the bar. In this seedy part of the capital city, no one looks twice at the old man with a hood covering his face. The tavern has thin wooden walls, and the wind whistles through the cracks in between the boards. Iroh plays a game of pai sho against himself, it’s late enough that the type of person who’d play the game with him has long gone home. Drunks and prostitutes are the only ones who stay, their conversations muted in the background. 

 

An Agni Kai against a child, very few would have the gall to ever challenge someone young to a duel to the death. To challenge the Prince himself, that General must have had a death wish. Iroh grimaced at the thought, the General must have known that he wouldn’t be the one fighting the Prince. It’d taken him some time to connect the dots, but Iroh had finally figured out that Ozai had planned on facing Zuko on the day of the Agni Kai. 

 

He’d known for some years that Ozai preferred his niece over his nephew, and Azula had proven herself to be the better firebender despite being two years younger than Zuko. Despite knowing the evil that lurked inside of his younger brother’s heart, Iroh hadn’t considered that Ozai would be willing to do away with Zuko so publicly. If Zuko died in that Agni Kai, Azula would have been made Heir without question. 

 

Were it not for the sightings of a young boy with a sloppy haircut and light gold eyes who was excellent at dropping pieces of pai sho strategy to local players, Iroh would have thought that his nephew hadn’t run away at all. He wouldn’t put it past his brother to kill his son in the middle of the night, after all Azulon had died at quite a suspicious time. 

 

Iroh leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking  under his weight. He stared out at his incomplete game and wondered. Zuko had never shown that he’d learned more of pai sho than what Iroh had attempted to teach him on the rare afternoon that his nephew wasn’t busy learning or training. And yet, he’d managed to impress a pai sho player in almost every town that he’d passed through by either playing a game or giving a hint. 

 

The tea in his cup reflected the lamps that shone overhead, the pungent smell of sake wafted in the air. Was it possible that his nephew was leaving clues for him? Had Zuko managed to gleam some kind of insight into the White Lotus? His wrinkled hands gripped the edge of the pai sho board, the pieces shone despite their dirty surroundings. Iroh had so many questions for his nephew, and yet he had no answers. 

 

A small scratching sound echoed against the floor as Iroh pushed his chair back and stood. Against the wall hung a portrait of his little brother, features washed out and faded by time. Iroh stared at the scroll fluttering in the wind, with a bitter taste in his mouth. Just like last time, he’d been too late to act, and now his nephew had disappeared into thin air. The pai sho table was left with a pot of dark tea, undrinkable after brewing this long. 

 

Never again, he vowed as he stepped into the shadowed streets, he would never be too late ever again. Above him, the light of Tui shone brighter as Iroh made his promise, almost as if the moon goddess herself approved. 

 

_______

It used to be that Shen’s biggest worry in life was picking the right type of flowers for the girl who owned the tea shop in town. Now as the month draws to a close, he fingers the familiar script that bleeds black against the parchment in his hand. Ms. Ying… would she even be there to receive her order? Did she even own the teashop? Was Shen that naive to assume that she did? 

 

With a sigh, he leaned back into his wooden chair and stared up at the bright stars that twinkled in the night sky. The summer air was growing colder, soon fall would descend upon the Earth Kingdom. Ms. Ying had really pretty handwriting, much better than his own lizard-chicken scratch. Shen held up the paper and looked at the order; it was the same as always, just enough bulk and simple flower-tinted honey for a small tea shop’s monthly supply. 

 

It was nothing out of the ordinary, unlike everything else that had been happening in his life so far. He thought about where he’d been spending his time recently. Who would have ever guessed that the Beifong family had been hiding a whole daughter from the world? Certainly not him. At first, when Ms. Ying had shown up to his house, Shen had briefly wondered if she was here to visit him. In a way, she was. 

 

Just not in the way he thought. 

 

The bees had buzzed around her pretty dark hair, and she looked like a scene out of a spirit tale. It was one thing to see her unexpectedly at the Beifong estate, but it was another thing entirely to see her waiting at his gate. Shen will forever deny that he tripped over his own two feet to greet her, but he’s certain that Lee had seen and was just too nice to say anything. 

 

“Pottery lessons?” He’d asked, looking at her in surprise after she’d explained the reason behind her visit. 

 

“Yes.” Ms. Ying had replied, looking amused at the shocked expression on his face, “Lord Beifong would also be pleased to commission you for a few pieces, including a tea set.” 

 

“That’s excellent news.” Shen had smiled, but then frowned as reality caught up with him, “But neither of the Beifong’s are earthbenders.” 

 

“Yes.” Ms. Ying had said simply, not answering the unspoken question that lingered in the air. 

 

“I’m very confused.” Shen had answered, opting for honesty and hoping that Ms. Ying (Oma and Shu, that was such a pretty name) would help him out. 

 

All she had said was, “Yes, you are.”, with a bemused smile on her lips. She’d handed him an invitation that would get him through the Beifong gate, and left without another word. 

 

It's been two weeks since and Shen was still thinking about how he’d almost been able to make her laugh. He knew she had a pleasant laugh, in simpler days when he was just a honey salesman and she was a tea shop owner, he made her laugh every time he brought her a flower crown. Shen missed the way her chuckle echoed, it was loud and filled the whole air. Maybe with the pottery lessons, he’d be able to see her more. 

 

Hopefully. 

 

The first lesson was tomorrow, and though the meeting he’d had with Toph Beifong had gone well, he was pretty nervous about it. When he’d arrived at the compound, he’d been escorted to a quick lunch with the girl herself. They’d talked for a bit, and Shen had supposed this was Toph’s chance to give her approval before he actually started teaching her. He was grateful that he managed to make a good impression, but he still had doubts about his ability to teach her this bending technique. Shen wasn’t a teacher, and he’d learned how to make pottery all on his own. Besides, he knew that Master Yu likely hadn’t been teaching Toph anything useful. 

 

With a sigh, Shen lifted himself up off the chair and walked over to the doorway of his little earth house. As gently as he could, he pushed open the door and pulled the latch lock. An eccentric tradesman had sold him crystals that grew with earthbending, and they glowed in the dark. A rare import from Omashu, Shen was a sucker for pretty things. The dirt floor was cool against his bare feet, as he made his way over to the sleeping area of his home. 

 

Though the little earthen house was only made out of a single room, Shen had hung up a thick net made out of dried flowers and woven grass. This makeshift curtain managed to create privacy between his mat and where Lee slept. Before he laid down, Shen watched Lee’s chest rise and fall in his sleep. When he was resting, the worry and stress that held his body so tightly unwound, and he was almost unrecognizable. 

 

Shen crawled onto his mat, and shrank the glowing crystal with his bending from across the room. He shifted his body to get comfortable, and wondered how he could have become so lucky in only a month. Within less than a single cycle of the moon, he’d gained things he’d never dreamed of having. Shen wouldn’t trade any of them for the world. 

 

______

 

Most of the people that interacted with Toph had quick heartbeats, ones that reminded her of monkey-rabbits. Little pitter-patters in their chests that never managed to slow down to what she was sure was a normal heart rate. Even some servants that had been working in the compound for years had never gotten used to her presence. 

 

Sometimes late at night, Toph wondered if what she looked like was that horrifying. It’s not as if she had any way of finding out, and she couldn’t compare herself to anyone else. Was it really that strange to be blind? She wasn’t weaker, she was just as strong and capable as anyone else despite what her parents believed. But confined in this small compound, Toph couldn’t help how alone she felt. There was no one else like her, she’d never even met another blind person. Toph knew that other blind people existed, but that knowledge didn’t help her. Logic didn’t fix everything that was twisted up inside her chest,

 

In less than a few hours she was gonna learn how to make pottery with her earthbending teacher. That guy had the best reaction to her so far-- absolutely nothing. His heartbeat hadn’t changed at all. Had he not asked about how comfortable she was with touching something that spun so fast without being able to see it, Toph would have thought that he didn’t even notice that she was blind. 

 

Currently, Toph’s mom was trying to figure out what clothes she should wear for her pottery lessons. Unlike the shorts and loose shirt that Toph wore for normal earthbending “training”, she was trying to force Toph into wearing a long sleeved cotton shirt and thick pants. Toph’s mom was fussing about how the servants were dressing Toph, forcing them to adjust the way the bulky clothes hung on her frame. Toph didn’t get the point in wearing new clothes for pottery, from what she understood, the whole process involved a lot of wet clay and splatters. 

 

“Try to be careful with your clothes, dear.” Toph’s mother hummed, holding onto Toph’s hand as the servants had finally finished dressing her, “It wouldn’t be good to get dirty in front of your tutor. You’re a lady, after all.” 

 

“Even if I did get dirty, I wouldn’t be able to tell.” Toph pointed out, twisting her shirt in her hands and tugging on the sleeves. Long sleeves and pants out of this thick of a material? In the summer? What was her mother thinking? “Aren’t these too thick for the weather?” 

 

“Well, you’ll be in the studio, so it shouldn’t be too hot.” Toph’s mother reasoned, guiding Toph out of the room and towards the western side of their manor. 

 

“What studio?” Toph asked, her brow creasing, “We have one of those for pottery?” 

 

“We have one now.” Her mother answered, slowing down once she realized that Toph wasn’t keeping up with her, “I had it built for you once you requested lessons, I thought you’d like to feel like a real earthbender.” 

 

Real earthbending is more than being in a fancy studio, Toph thought, it’s about feeling your connection to the earth around you and matching its energy. Listening to the earth, that was the most important lesson of all. She is a real earthbender, even if her mom couldn’t tell. 

 

Out loud all she said was, “Oh, thank you.” 

 

“Of course, baby.” Toph’s mother stopped to allow the servants to open the door for them, “I know you’ve been wanting to learn more about bending, and now you have a chance to make something as beautiful as you. The least I can do is give you everything you need to succeed.” 

 

How humble. 

 

Toph stepped onto the stone floor of her studio space, reveling in the ability to “see” again. In the wide and open room, she took stock of what was inside with a barely noticeable kick to the ground. The shock waves verberated out from her, allowing her to find the two chairs in front of the pottery wheels, a large bucket of water, shelves full of different items including clay, and what she was pretty sure was the kiln. 

 

She didn’t find a trace of her teacher. 

 

“Where’s my tutor?” Toph asked, blinking as she realized that there wasn’t a good explanation for why she’d noticed he wasn’t there yet, “Is he here?” 

 

“No, not yet.” Toph’s mom ran her fingers through Toph’s loose hair, gently tugging at the tangles that had formed since this morning, “Your father and the guards are having a word with him. Speaking of which, I need to have a word with you as well.” 

 

“What is it?” Toph questioned curiously. 

 

“If he touches you in any way, makes any sort of advance or says anything, scream.” Her mother’s voice had never sounded so cold before, “There will be your faithful attendants watching and guards outside of this room, the door of which is required to stay open at all times. If that dirty farmer tries anything at all, they will help you.”

 

“I… I understand.” Toph replied softly, dual sensations of warmth and chill spreading through her body. She felt touched that her parents had thought of so many precautions, but also it was sobering that she had to think about these kinds of things at all.

 

“Good.” Toph’s mother’s lips pressed gently against her bangs, squishing the hair out of its delicate styling, “Be safe, and have fun!” 

 

She left without another word, and Toph had her attendants guide her to one of the pottery wheels and waited for her teacher. There wasn’t much of a wait, there was the conspicuous sound of a door opening and then a pair of unknown feet stepped onto the floor of the studio. Toph patiently waited for her attendants to realize that she was indeed, blind, so that she could pretend to be surprised by his entrance. 

 

Doing things like that kept her forgetful attendants on their toes, and it was funny. 

 

“Oh!” One of her newer attendants started from where she was sitting next to Toph, sheepishly saying, “Toph, your teacher has arrived.” 

 

“Hello.” Her teacher’s voice sounded from her right, it seemed tighter than it’d been the first time that she’d met him. Maybe the guy was nervous. “Let’s start your lesson now, Ms. Beifong.”

 

“Alright.” Toph agreed, wondering how he was going to go about this. She tapped her foot lightly against the ground, the movement covered by the skirts of her attendants. The tremors shakily outlined the man standing in front of her, for a mere potter this guy was jacked. Toph felt her mouth curl into a smile, pleased at finding a nickname for him so quickly. From now on, he’d be “Muscles”, calling him “Teacher Shen” was way too stuffy anyways. 

 

“S-so, you’ve already found the pottery wheel.” Muscles began, thunking the wheel in front of her with a loud smack, “It spins with the clay on top, you use your hands to shape it. The wheel moves due to one bending the base of the wheel, which can take some practice.” 

 

Toph made a small sound of agreement, leaning forward to touch the wheel and reaching one hand under it to find the part that she was supposed to spin. 

 

“Let’s just start with you spinning the wheel, nothing you try to make on a wheel with inconsistent speed will turn out well anyways.” Muscles started to slowly spin the base, which was just a piece of rock secured to the wheel that had grooves in it so it could spin eternally. Toph felt the rock spin under her fingertips, waiting for the man to continue. “It’s just a simple motion, the issue is keeping the speed the same.” 

 

“Okay.” Toph said, brushing his hand off of the base and feeling the base slowly start to slow down. She furrowed her brows, according to the scrolls that she’d had her mother read aloud to her this spinning technique mimicked waterbending. Raising her other hand, she moved it in slow but steady circles. Focusing on the base that she was still touching, Toph felt it move, albeit it was less smooth than when Muscles had done it. 

 

“That’s great, Ms. Beifong!” Muscles exclaimed, clapping his hands together to make soft little smacks. Another subtle tap against the floor revealed the huge smile that was stretching across his face, which in turn made Toph’s smile grow. She’d known that she could do this, it was just making something spin after all. “Try to get it to move faster without making the base rise too much higher than where you’ve got it right now, and make the movements of your left hand smoother so the wheel will spin without little skips. It will help if you only use your fingers to make the circle motions, instead of your whole hand.” 

 

Toph followed her advice, adjusting her technique before he’d even finished speaking. From under her slight fingers, the base’s movements evened out as the wheel sped up. She remarked, “It’s a lot easier to go faster than slower.” 

“That’s true.” Muscles agreed, “As long as you can keep the speed the same and the wheel remains level, I think we can try putting the clay on top of the wheel now.” 

 

He walked away, his footsteps loudly echoing in the studio. Toph felt pride fill her chest, she was finally getting lessons from someone who trusted her to actually be able to bend. She stopped spinning the wheel while he was looking through the shelves. Muscles returned, and set something on the other wheel. Delicate rustling sounds emitted on her right side, before there was a small snip of string. Muscles set something onto her still wheel, Toph felt her hair fall into her face as she gripped the top of the hunk of clay. 

 

It was soft and cool, despite the hot air that the summer had brought. The pads of her finger drank in the slightly hard texture, shock flitting through her when a dribble of water ran in between her digits. 

 

“The water makes the clay soft.” Her teacher said, massaging his own piece of clay that Toph hadn’t noticed him holding, “Can I touch your hand?” 

 

“Sure.” Toph said, ignoring the tittering of her attendants. From outside, she could feel the guards that her parents had posted next to the door stiffen. 

 

A calloused, warm hand rested on top of her hand, taking the one that had been resting on top of the clay and placing it on top of her teacher’s hand instead. From under her palm, Muscles’ left hand began to mold and squish the clay. 

 

“Can you feel what I’m doing?” Muscles waited until she nodded before he continued, “Kneading will make the clay smooth, and it works the water through it.”

 

“‘Kay.” Toph replied, returning her hand back to her own clay and copying what she’d felt him do to his. Her two hands worked together to knead the clay, her skin itching slightly from where muddied water dried on it. 

 

The lesson continued like that, with her teacher using his hands to show her what he was doing and her following his instructions. In the studio, Muscles’ calm voice filled the air and Toph felt soothed as she was finally praised for her bending instead of “Master” Yu’s pathetic teachings. Without noticing, time rolled on and on through to the afternoon. 

 

________

Ying hummed to herself as she prepared this afternoon’s tea, a soft blend of lemon and chrysanthemum with honey added to it. The teacups she chose were white with delicate pink and yellow flowers painted onto them, they were tall enough that Toph would be able to hold them without worrying about scalding hot tea spilling over the edge and burning her hand. 

 

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear absentmindedly, she’d left it in a loose braid for most of the day. Finally finished with her preparations, Ying looked out at the tray laden with the pretty tea set and a small bowl of fruit from the kitchens. There was a small, cracked mirror that hung on the wall. It was left over from the old Tea Master’s possessions, as were the majority of things in this little room. 

 

Dark eyes flashed at her, her reflection’s face twisted as Ying realized the state of her hair. While it’d been fine in the morning, her hair at this point was too messy for serving company. Swiftly undoing the braid she’d been wearing, her fingers carded through her black hair and tugged at the small snarls that had formed. Without thinking, Ying twisted the length of her hair with one hand and pulled her hand away from her, creating a tight bun against her scalp. 

 

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a pretty hair pin that had small pieces of rose quartz carved into the shape of lilies. Threading it through her bun, the stick poked her skin uncomfortably before she adjusted it. Now there was no chance of her hair making her seem unprofessional, and the bun was much prettier than the braid she’d been wearing before anyways. 

 

The fact that she’d be serving tea to Shen today had nothing to do with the fact she’d picked her most beautiful hair pin to wear in her hair, that was just coincidence. And with that, Ying returned her attention to the cart and left the room. As she walked through the hallways, Ying made sure to check her reflection in the many mirrors that decorated the walls of the Beifong manor. It would be… unseemly to look untidy in front of a guest after all. 

 

The new room that the Beifong’s had constructed for these lessons was at the far end of the manor, she was surprised to see guards stationed at the open doors. Ying waved to one of them, he usually manned the servants’ entrance to the compound and was always friendly with her. Slowly she crept into the room, and stood there for a minute. 

 

It was a scene of complete devastation. 

 

Mud was splashed all over pale cloth, Toph’s ebony hair was dripping with filthy water. The floor was covered in splatters of clay, the tiles covered with dirt in the area next to the two people working on pottery. Toph looked happier than Ying had ever seen her, despite the ruined state of her shirt and pants. Toph’s attendants were sitting as far away from the two of them as they could get, from here Ying could see that their pretty robes had been ruined by splashes of mud. And Shen- 

 

Her brain short circuited a bit, so the soft sound of exclamation that escaped her was totally acceptable under the circumstances. 

 

Even in the pale light of the studio, Shen’s tanned skin glowed. He was wearing a shirt without sleeves, his exposed forearms glistened with water and his hands were caked with clay all the way up to his wrists. Sweat was running down his temples, and his smile was kind as he was showing Toph how to mold the clay that was currently spinning on the wheel in front of them. The brown clothes that he wore had also been ruined by mud. They should have made him look frumpy, but instead he just looked… very attractive. 

 

“Excuse me, but I have your tea.” Ying finally said, noticing how Shen immediately perked up at the sound of her voice, “Would you like to drink it now or later, when the lesson is finished?” 

 

“Hello Miss” Shen’s voice was warm, his brown eyes meeting hers before he turned to look at Toph, “What would you prefer?” 

 

“Eh, we can take a break for now, Mr. Muscles.” Toph smirked, an expression that Ying had never seen on her face before. She was right though, Shen did have a lot of muscles. The little girl motioned her forward with her dirt encrusted hands, just a tad off from where Ying was actually standing. 

 

Ying ignored the way the room felt hotter the closer she got to the duo, and busied herself with setting up a tea at the small table the studio had. Luckily, it was far away from the dirty floor. The two people that she was serving sat down once she was done, electing to sit on the ground instead of ruining the floor pillows with their dirty clothes. Ying sat with her legs curled underneath her, the soft fabric of her floor pillow grounding her as she poured tea for the two of them. 

 

“Thank you.” Both Toph and Shen said at the same time, surprising Ying enough to make her laugh at them. 

 

“Your welcome.” Ying said, her mouth still quirked into a smile, “Today’s blend is chrysanthemum and lemon, with honey.” 

 

“Oh, is it mine?” Shen asked, turning to face her with a curious look on his face. 

 

After a pause, Ying replied, “...Yes, it is.”

 

She was never going to live this down, her brain would never let her forget this. Ying was grateful that Toph wasn’t able to see her servant make a fool out of herself by blushing in front of Shen. 

 

“I’m glad that you like my honey enough to serve it.” Shen beamed at her, eyes flicking down to look at her warm cheeks which really only made the whole situation worse. 

 

“Woah, you make honey too?” Toph asked, startling both of them out of their little bubble. Ying thanked that child in her head, willing her heart to just calm down and stop beating so fast. 

 

“Yes, I do!” Shen answered, waving his hands around after setting his cup down on the table, “I have a farm outside of town, across the river.” 

 

Ying winced at the dirty smudges his fingers had left on the fine china, before asking, “It’s sweet that you work with your son on the farm, does his mother mind the farm while you’re here?” 

 

It was hopeless of course, Ying had known the minute she’d seen the little boy sitting next to Shen in the meeting with Lord Beifong that she had no chance. A married man with a child? Her feelings had no choice but to shrivel up and wilt like old flowers. She was just asking to confirm what she already knew, who would have guessed that Ying was a glutton for self punishment? 

 

“Oh…” Shen looked down at his hands, taking a minute to gather his thoughts before replying, “I actually adopted Lee, he’s not related to me.” 

 

“I see.” Ying said, she did not, actually, see. She was too busy celebrating in her mind to really process how Shen had managed to adopt a child without the boy being from Gaoling. Had he been Shen’s biological son, the features could be blamed on his mother having mixed heritage, since the father was so clearly only of Earth Kingdom descent. It was obvious that Lee was from elsewhere, now that there was no excuse for his pale skin and eyes. 

 

“Well that’s cool.” Toph said, sipping her tea loudly. 

 

“Thank you.” Shen nodded at her, “I think spending time with Lee as my… son is very cool too.” 

 

The only sound in the room for the next few minutes were Ying and Toph’s joint chuckles at Shen’s serious tone. After a bit, Ying felt the need to say something, especially since neither of them was through with their tea and she couldn’t leave. 

 

“Do you mind if I do your hair? I know you can’t see how messy it is right now but I’ll make it so it won’t be in your way anymore.” Ying offered, her eyes trailing over how strands of Toph’s hair were entirely dried with mud caked on them. “Flicking it back constantly must be annoying.” 

 

“It is.” Toph turned her attention to her, before nodding in acquiescence. 

 

Ying scooted behind her mistress’s daughter, grimacing at the mess that Toph’s pottery lessons had made of her hair. She couldn’t disapprove though, this was the happiest that she’d ever seen the little girl, and that alone made it worth it. Gently, she gathered the hair into a simple braid, her nimble fingers threading the strands easily. Shen smiled at her from over Toph’s head, and Ying returned his grin with one of her own. 

 

Doing Toph’s hair reminded Ying of how her mother would do her sibling’s hair before they went to bed, thereby preventing tangles from forming in their sleep. Ying would always wait patiently for her turn, the braids she received were usually tight and painful since her mother didn’t trust Ying to not pluck them out after she left the room. Ying tried to use as little force as possible, humming a bit as she brushed the dry dirt off of Toph’s shoulders. 

 

“All done!” Ying concluded, leaning away to look at her handiwork. Toph’s fingers clumsily felt along the length of the braid, curiously examining what Ying had done to her hair. “Do you like it?” 

“Where did you learn how to braid? I thought your only job was tea stuff?” Toph asked instead of answering her question, staring her down with milky eyes that darted around the room in all directions. 

 

“Oh, it was just something that I picked up from my mother. She used to do my hair all the time, I’m pretty sure all girls learn how to do their hair in that way.” Ying replied carelessly, instantly regretting her words when she saw Toph’s face fall. 

 

Ying doubted that someone as rich as Lady Beifong took the time to do Toph’s hair at night, why would she? She could just pay someone else to do it for her. Toph’s hair never had any of the crimps that braids left though, which must mean that no one was doing her hair at all. Ying frowned, surely Toph didn’t like having her hair bothering her all the time? Had no one ever bothered to ask her? 

 

“My mom likes my hair loose, she says it’s prettier that way.” Toph said, her head tilted down now. 

 

“But what do you like?” Shen asked, startling Ying out of her reverie. She’d honestly forgotten that he was even there. “I think having it out of your face would be easier, that’s why I wear mine in a bun.” 

 

“I think…” Toph felt behind her head again, gripping the hair roughly with her tiny fists, before declaring, “This is much better.” 

 

“Thanks.” She said without looking at Ying, still absorbed in her new hairstyle. 

 

“Your welcome.” Ying stated softly, feeling her heart warm at the sight. She really was glad that Toph liked what she’d done, it was rare that she had the opportunity to do someone else’s hair. 

 

This time, the silence was comfortable. They sat around that little table together, simply enjoying each other’s presence and the nice tea that she’d poured for them. Not even the soft chittering of the attendants in the back bothered them. 

 

______

 

“Welcome back.” Zuko said, his smile turning his cheeks up and squishing his eyes almost closed. 

 

“I’m glad to be back.” Shen answered, a wide grin already stretching across his face. 

 

They walked together back towards the little house, Zuko a single pace behind the taller man. Just as he had for the past month, Zuko had waited all day for Shen to return from his lessons with Toph. It stung to think that Toph was so close and yet also so far away from him. At least he got to hear about how his friend was doing from Shen. 

 

With all the time that he had to himself, Zuko let his mind focus on the future. He didn’t know what had killed him the first time, though he was sure that it had been Azula’s lightning. Sometimes his chest still ached, and he found himself rubbing at the phantom pains randomly. It reminded him of how his burn had continued to flare up in pain years after it healed completely. Whatever it was, Zuko was thankful for the way his heart would seize in the middle of tasks and how he could still recall the smell of burnt flesh perfectly. His mind still remembered what his body no longer showed, and it comforted him in a strange way. It made things feel less crazy, and reminded him that everything he’d lived through had been real. 

 

He still didn’t like descending under the earth, even the underground room where Shen stored honey made him uneasy whenever Zuko walked down the stairs. It reminded him too much of a cold cave, of blue eyes with a gaze colder than ice and his limbs no longer being under his control. Zuko had felt like someone was watching him the entire time he was on the boat from the Fire Nation to Arun Harbor. He’d constantly looked over his shoulder, waiting for the flare of an explosion that never came. Luckily there hadn’t been many walls for him to scale in the Earth Kingdom, and none of them were even close to the height those of the Fire Nation palace. He didn’t want to think about how he’d fallen, unable to save himself from hitting the paved road below. 

 

It wasn’t going to end like that this time, Zuko had used the past month to create the perfect plan. First, he was going to get close with Toph and make sure that she didn’t feel alone anymore. Then, when they became friends, Zuko would have an ally to fight with him in case things went wrong. Secondly, he’d find a way to get a message through to Uncle. The little hints he’d given while traveling through his country had been risky, but Zuko still remembered the whispered phrases that Uncle had told members of the White Lotus back in the desert. Gaoling was a big town, he knew that he’d be able to find a pai sho player there who was a member. 

 

Thirdly, mobilize the White Lotus and get them ready for the day of Black Sun. He’d somehow tag along with Aang, Katara, and Sokka when they came for Toph in three years. He’d be able to teach Aang firebending in their travels, and be with them in Ba Sing Se. Zuko knew now how to get his sister to turn against their father, or at least he was sure that he could do it. Preventing the fall of Ba Sing Se would mean the invasion would succeed, as the Earth King’s armies would be able to fight with them. They’d be able to topple the Fire Lord and put Uncle on the throne well before the day of Sozin’s Comet. 

 

It was a perfect plan, even if it had some holes. Zuko was sure that it would work, it had to. He’d spent every day this past month going over the details, it couldn’t get much better than what he’d concocted. Even if he missed Azula and Uncle, he could write them letters through the White Lotus network. And he’d have Toph this time around, Zuko wouldn’t be alone anymore. 

 

The bees buzzed around the flowers, and crickets chirped from all around them. Agni was turning the sky soft orange as he sunk below the horizon. The fire already crackled in the hearth, Zuko had started himself, confident that no one would see him bending from inside of Shen’s isolated house. He’d also started their dinner, the simple jok that Uncle had made him in Ba Sing Se. That felt like it’d been so long ago, so much had changed since then. 

 

Shen let out a bright laugh when he saw that Zuko had already made their dinner, turned around to squeeze his shoulder in thanks. Zuko smiled back at him, proud that Shen had appreciated his efforts. They sat at the table, enjoying the cooler breeze of the evening. There wasn’t much of a wait before the jok was done, Zuko standing up to stir it every few breaths so that it wouldn’t stick to the pot. 

 

When it was ready, Shen grabbed the bowls from the shelves and held them as Zuko scooped their portions into them. He yanked the spoons from where they’d been drying and followed Shen back to the table. Sitting down with a plop, Zuko scooped a clumpy portion into his mouth. Unlike any other Nation, most firebenders didn’t need to wait for their food to cool down before eating it. Even non-benders were able to do this, and it made their cuisine famous for being intolerable to most outsiders. 

 

It tasted wrong, it wasn’t anything at all like Uncle’s. The veggies were chopped into such tiny pieces that they’d disintegrated while boiling, the only thing left of them was the stringy leaves and skins. The jok itself was too liquidy, the water not fully being boiled off. 

 

Shen hummed, slurping the contents of his spoon loudly before telling Zuko, “This is some great congee, Lee!” 

 

“Thank you.” Zuko responded despondently, but his frown remained locked in place. Jok has been something he’d considered special, a shared moment with Uncle. Recreating it was supposed to ease some of the homesickness he felt. Ignoring the way his heart mourned his last connection to Uncle in the Earth Kingdom, Zuko focused on the plan. It was time to make his move. 

 

“What’s wrong?” Shen asked, showing his concern openly. Zuko felt bad for manipulating the man’s obvious care for him like this, but it would be worth it in the end. 

 

“Shen… I’m terribly lonely.” Zuko relied on his extensive theatre knowledge to pull off the way his expression twisted into sadness, even though acting like a child chafed. “I don’t have any friends other than you.” 

 

“Oh.” Shen said sadly, “I’m sorry about that, Lee. None of my friends have children in your age range, they’re all much older or younger than you.” 

 

“It’s not too bad when you’re here.” Zuko pouted, one of the key tips for acting was using emotions that you actually felt and elevating/downplaying them to pull off the performance. “But when you’re gone, I spend all day waiting for you to come back with no one to keep me company.” 

 

“Would… you like to come with me to… work?” Shen asked tentatively, “Toph isn’t much younger than you are.” 

 

“That would be amazing!” Zuko exclaimed, happiness thrumming through him as he was finally making some progress, “Thank you so much!” 

 

“Of course, kid.” Shen smiled at him softly, “I understand how isolated it can be out here.” 

 

“Yeah.” Zuko replied quietly, the longing for his old life slipping into his voice, “I really miss having friends.” 

 

“Of course you do.” Shen stood up and hugged him without hesitation, “It’s normal to feel that way.” 

 

Zuko sat stiff in Shen’s arms, shocked that the man had actually hugged him. Even more surprising was the fact that Zuko really didn’t mind it. It had been a very long time since anyone had touched him this gently, with this much care, months had passed without Zuko noticing how much he needed it. The body hugging him wasn’t soft and there wasn’t grey hair prickling his forehead, it was muscular and strong just like the Earth itself. Shen would never be Uncle, but his embrace was comforting in a different way. He lifted his arms and hugged Shen back, burying his face into Shen’s chest in a way that he’d never been able to do with anyone, not in a different life as a different boy with a handprint seared into his skin.

Notes:

I feel like it's at every chapter where I say that I'll get a new chapter out "soon" and it does not end up being soon. But since I'm writing the meeting (finally), I hope that it will inspire me to write quicker.

also for some reason I feel like this chapter is worse than anything else that I've written? let me jnow if you agree, it's quite easy for me to edit the heck out of it and fix it. I feel like the pacing of some of the emotions (like ying being attracted to shen or zuko being homesick and then focusing on the plan to meet toph) is off, like i didn't give enough space for it to develop naturally? idk

let me know what you think in the comments below! I reread them all the time, and I love seeing everything that you have to say.

also also, i'm thinking of writing some bnha or erased fic? erased got put on netflix and i rewatched it twice this week and i have so many ideas omg

Chapter 10: Friends

Notes:

hi i'm back, college is really hard n I am very mentally ill. I'll try to write more, i feel so shitty that this is only 6k but i kept saying that i'd add to it and then over a month passed of me not adding and also not uploading.

i won't abandon this fic but it's a lot. your comments are really nice, they make me feel really loved and I;ll try to respond to as many of them as I can.

“I’m sure you know many people in town, Mr. Yu.” 

 

Yu felt his eye twitch as the insufferable Lord Beifong purposefully left out his title as a Master of Earth Bending. He rapidly schooled his expression, resorting back to his simpering smile, “But of course, my Lord.” 

 

“I need you to do something for me, there’s a person that needs to be investigated.” Lord Beifong commanded, sipping his tea after he finished speaking. 

 

“Who is it, my Lord?” Yu asked, the request piqued his interest. From within his sleeves, his fingers interlaced and squeezed. They’d been discussing the man’s pathetic daughter for the past hour, and this request was more interesting than lying through his teeth about dust bending. 

 

“Shen the Potter, he also does some kind of farming.” Lord Beifong answered, disapproval  clear in his tone and gesturing dismissively, “He’s requested for his son to attend the lessons he administers to my daughter.” 

 

“What kind of information would you like to be brought up on him?” Yu questioned, trying to figure out exactly what it was that Lord Beifong wanted from him. 

 

“My tea woman has informed me that the son is not actually blood related to him, that the boy was adopted. I will not have my daughter interacting with a boy whose parents deemed him unworthy of keeping.” Lord Beifong began, his frown deepening, “You will find the paper trail for the boy’s adoption, if they were poor enough not to have a paper trail then sniff around and find that boy’s origin.” 

 

“Yes, m’Lord.” Yu replied, “What is his name?” 

 

“Lee.” Lord Beifong stated, his lip curling in distaste, “How common.” 

 

“Yes, I know so many people named Lee.” Yu said, trying to placate this disgusting man so he could just get started on this damned assignment that he’d been given. 

 

“I don’t pay you for your opinions, Yu.” Lord Beifong replied sharply, “Just investigate the boy.” 

 

Yu fantasized about smashing the earth into Lord Beifong’s skull, until the dirt mixed with dark blood and bone fragments. How dare he? This fool dared to disrespect him? The sting of his nails breaking through the skin of his hands brought him back down to earth. 

 

“Of course sir, I apologize for my transgression.” Yu replied, bowing down to Lord Beifong and pretending to be fearful of the man’s anger. In reality, it should have been Lord Beifong cowering in a pile on the floor, as Yu’s killing intent was flaring up out in the open. 

 

After their meeting had ended, Yu stalked down the hallways of the manor. Fury sang in his blood, and woe to the first person he ended up questioning about that boy. They’d be dealing with anger from him the likes of which hadn’t been seen in years. 

 

_______

 

The floors of the studio were stained with mud streaks, there was a small table that looked like it was the only part of the room that wasn’t dirty. Three dusty chairs were stacked in the corner, they hadn’t been used in a while. There were two exits, one leading to the servant’s corridor and the other into some other part of the house. Windows let light in, and there were guards standing outside of the door. 

 

Zuko took one of the clearly unused chairs, wincing at how the rich silk had been soiled by dust, his hand created a print in the fabric. Awkwardly he shuffled back to the part of the room where the pottery wheels were. Shen grinned at him, which Zuko sent a glare in response. The legs of the chair scraped against the floor, drag marks formed on the muddy floor. 

 

“Lee, are you nervous?” Shen asked shrewdly, looking deep into Zuko’s eyes from where he sat on one of the pottery stools. 

 

“No.” Zuko bit out, vehemently denying the fact that thinking about meeting Toph was making his palms sweat. This should feel like coming home, right? He’d missed his friend so much, and yet now that he was so close, it felt like he couldn’t get this sick feeling in his stomach to go away. 

 

“Alright, personally I’m pretty nervous.” Shen said, brushing some flakes of mud onto the floor with his massive hands, “I don’t know if you’re going to get along with Toph.” 

 

“I don’t… know either.” Zuko admitted, sitting down in the chair he’d placed in front of the pottery wheels. He wasn’t sure how this was going to go at all. He was a fool, wasn’t he? All Zuko was doing was chasing after someone who didn’t even know he existed, when he could be fighting on the front lines. He paid attention to how the war had progressed in his first life, he knew what battles were utter massacres and which ones were victories that were sung of in every Fire Nation Port. His people were dying in the mud, and he was busy playing house.

 

It still felt odd to pretend that Shen was his father, the way the Beifong patriarch and the guards had looked at the two of them together made his skin crawl. Could they not see that Shen and him looked so completely different from each other? Shen and he hadn’t discussed it, people saw them together and just assumed. Spending time with Shen back on the farm hadn’t felt this way, but lying like this made Zuko tense, he feared being caught more than anything else. Before he could lose himself in his own head too much, the sound of footsteps caught his attention. 

 

He heard her before he saw her, the soft slaps of slipper against the wood and the murmur of attendants. Zuko let the little party approach until they were in view before he allowed himself to show that he’d noticed their arrival. He lifted his head from where it’d been hanging, and felt himself stare. 

 

Toph exchanged formal greetings with Shen, not even asking about who Zuko was. It almost seemed like she was choosing to ignore him. Zuko eyed the mud stained clothes that she wore, and the unnerving way that her hair hung long and loose down her back. The Toph he knew had never worn her hair like this. The attendants waited for Shen to bow at them in greeting, giving him coy smiles in return before they fled the room. No one spared a second glance at Zuko, even though he was sitting right in front of them. 

 

“Is this your kid, Muscles?” Toph asked, once her attendants were long gone. Her face turned to Zuko’s general direction, and he had no doubt that she was using earth bending to get an idea of what his body was like. 

 

He felt his lips turn up, some things don’t change. Toph was still giving everyone she knew the most ridiculous nicknames. (Zuko refused to admit that he missed being called Sparky.)

 

“Yes!” Shen exclaimed, softly gripping Zuko’s shoulder and giving him an encouraging thumbs up, “Meet Lee!” 

 

“Hi.” Zuko said, taking in the sight of her and feeling his nerves surge. Toph looked oddly delicate like this, with her long and loose hair and hands without any callouses. He was used to seeing her with dirt encrusted in the whirls of her fingerprints and under her nails, and a bright grin stretching across her face. 

 

“Are you a potter too?” Toph asked, settling into her stool. 

 

“No, I’m not good at pottery.” Zuko said, this was awkward. He didn’t know what to say to her, especially since he’d never interacted with her without Toph already knowing who he was. “It’s much harder to do without bending.” 

 

“Oh, okay.” Toph blinked, turning back to Shen and asking, “So, is he just going to watch?” 

 

“Yes?” Shen said with a questioning look on his face, “Lee, do you want to help us out like you do at home?” 

 

“Sure.” Zuko agreed with a shrug, running around to grab water and new sponges or clay beat sitting on a plush chair and staring at them the whole time. “Whatever you need me to grab, I’ll get it for you.” 

 

“Thank you.” Toph and Shen replied at the same time, their voices overlapping in the large room. 

 

After that, Zuko just sits and waits for one of them to ask him to fetch something. He’s pretty sure that Shen doesn’t actually need him to be there at all, and that he’s only running around the room because his “father” doesn’t want him to get bored. The thing is boredom is the farthest thing from his mind right now. He can’t take his eyes off Toph, Zuko greedily drinks in every detail from the way her hands shape the clay to the way her voice sounds when she talks to Shen. 

 

Zuko knows that his staring is obvious to everyone in the room, but he doesn’t care. Azula and Uncle, they were people that he’d known before. The Agni Kai, the mind melting pain of feeling his flesh burn away from his bones wasn’t something he’d felt this lifetime. There wasn’t a single scar on his body from the adventures he’d had around the world after his banishment. Who was to say that he hadn’t imagined it all? Everything he felt and remembered existed in his mind alone, there wasn’t any proof at all that he wasn’t crazy. 

 

Except for Toph. 

 

Zuko can admit that his overconsumption of theatre scrolls had swollen his imagination, but even his mind cannot dream up an entire person with their own set of skills, flaws, and memories. Toph, just by breathing in front of him, is confirming that everything he remembers from his first life was real. He really did befriend a blind earthbender, he actually burned her feet and was forced to carry her around, and he left her in the encampment outside of Ba Sing Se’s fallen walls to go battle his sister. Every action, the snark in her voice and her laugh, are all the same as he remembers, even if her voice is a little higher than it was. 

 

He’s almost drunk on the feeling, the inner flame that resides in his chest is equal to a bonfire right now. Home, home, home, the flames roar in his blood itself, finally, we are home. It feels like he found a piece of himself that he hadn’t even known that he was missing. Validation and longing cling to his bones, Zuko’s caught between drinking in the details of this life’s Toph and remembering his friend from before. It feels strange that they’re strangers right now, but he knows that he has an entire lifetime to become Toph’s friend again. He’ll do a better job this time, without Sozin’s Comet threatening to ruin everything, he can take her on a real field trip like he did with everyone else. Zuko is going to fix everything, because he isn’t crazy and his friend is sitting right in front of him, and once they become friends, he’ll finally have someone on his side who can actually help him. Time slips away from him, his mind racing far ahead into the future. 

 

“Lee?” Shen asks, concern poorly concealed in his voice, “Are you alright?” 

 

“I’m fine.” Zuko blurts out automatically, trying to downplay the way Shen’s sudden question had made him flinch awake. Damn, how long had he been lost in his thoughts? 

 

The warmth of Agni in the sky told him it’d been two hours, which honestly surprised him. Rubbing his right eye, Zuko blinked slowly as he realized that he’d actually fallen asleep watching the two of them do pottery. His lips curled into a smile, he still felt safe in Toph’s presence. Instinctively, he trusted her to protect him while he slept, even if they didn’t know each other in this life. 

 

“Some helper you are”, Toph snorted, flicking muddy water at him in mock(?) irritation which made him bark out a laugh, “How are you supposed to grab things for me if all you do is sleep?” 

 

“Sorry.” Zuko responded breezily, happiness at the fact that she was treating him so casually overriding his sense entirely, “I’ll do better next time, Ms. Beifong.” 

 

“You’re coming next time?” Toph asked, rinsing off her hands in a tub of clean water that sat next to the stools on the floor. 

 

“Of course.” Zuko answered, a grin stretching across his face, “Being around often is how you make friends.” 

 

“That’s really how you make friends?” Toph questioned, judgement obviously leaking into her tone. 

 

“Uh.” Zuko said dumbly, “I mean that’s always worked in the past? If you’re around someone a bunch, either you become friends or enemies.” 

 

“Hmm.” Toph hummed, furiously waving her hands to get all of the water off of them, before she stopped and said rather bluntly, “Guess that explains why I don’t have any.” 

 

Before Zuko could say anything else, Shen walked over and disagreed with her, “That’s not true, Ying and I are your friends.” 

 

Toph blushed a bit at that, her pale cheeks tinting pink before she nodded in agreement and walked over to the table that Zuko had noticed earlier. Zuko stretched, wincing at how his neck protested the way he’d fallen asleep sitting up. Shen smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder, kneading the tight muscle before he held out a hand. Zuko took it, letting Shen haul him out of the chair and onto his feet. 

 

Together they walked over to the little table, sitting on the floor and across from Toph. The three of them didn’t have to wait long before Ms. Ying entered the room, pushing a cart with tea and food. She slid onto the floor next to Toph, gently taking Toph’s hand into hers before she served them piping hot tea and an assortment of steamed buns. Zuko was aware that this was the trio’s routine, and he’d expected to feel excluded, but it felt more like he was clicking into place. The conversation flowed well, the buns were soft and reminded him of happier times in Ba Sing Se, before Azula and the Avatar had made things complicated. Zuko even managed to make Ying laugh so hard that she cackled, bright and loud, which in turn made the rest of them laugh louder than a horde of alligator-buffalo. 

 

Ying’s nimble fingers carded through Toph’s hair after they’d finished lunch, tying the muddy strands into a practical braid that Zuko approved of. Seeing Toph with loose hair was weird, and judging by how much more comfortable Toph seemed with her hair tied back, he was sure that she wasn’t a fan of how the long tresses fell into her face and got in the way either. When Ying said something that made Shen blush, it was Toph who nudged Zuko under the table to make him look up and smirk at how awkward the two of them were. The familiarity the gesture conveyed made his heart hum, and Zuko made sure to return the favor whenever Shen and Ying managed to bumble their way into another romantic moment. 

 

By the time Shen and he walked through the gates, Zuko was on cloud nine. Shen laughed when he saw how Zuko practically skipped through the gates of the farm, but he simply patted his back and said that he was glad to see him so happy. 

 

______

 

Lee has never existed, there aren’t any records of his adoption nor does anyone from the neighboring towns remember who he is other than an old man who sits at the local tavern and plays pai sho. Yu slinks onto the floor and exchanges questions, lying through his teeth about being the boy’s concerned Uncle who’s been trying to find his estranged nephew. As a ploy, it works better than it should. The old man asks if he’d like to come to the back, but Yu declines. His head is spinning and maybe it wasn’t a good idea to go charging through all of the towns to the north of Gaoling without resting. 

 

The old man tells him that Lee was heading to Gaoling, and the boy had even asked for directions on how to get there. Regardless of anything else that Yu finds today, he at least knows that Lee showing up in Gaoling was no accident. The boy has a goal, and Yu has a hard time believing that it’s mere coincidence that this no name boy somehow managed to be adopted by the only man in Gaoling who could worm his way into the Beifong  compound. Something smells fishy, and Yu is determined to get to the bottom of it. 

 

The barkeep gets him the hot tea that he asks for, the leaves are burnt and the tea’s lukewarm. Yu barely keeps his mask from slipping in irritation, he knows that had he walked in wearing the clothes that his family had him wear when he carved their fields, the tea would have been freshly brewed. But here he is, sitting like the pompous ass that he’s fooled everyone in this city into thinking that he is, in the robes of the Beifong family. Yu’s lashes brush against his skin as he rests his eyes, his chin supported by his dry palm. The name he registered his hotel room under is fake, the same name that he always goes by when Lord Beifong has a mission for him. 

 

All it takes is a change in hairstyle and some new robes, and everything Yu has that makes him who he is disappears under the great name of the Beifong family. It makes things easier for him, all he has to do is pretend to be some fancy servant, rather than the glorified errand boy that he is, and the people he talks to squeal faster than monkey-pigs. The loose hair that he wears in order to show his rank as a Master is tucked into an irritating head piece, the moment he’s alone that annoying piece of fabric and wood gets tossed to the floor as he sighs in relief. He breathes in, remembering that he’s still in public and playing a character, and downs his shit tea in one gulp. Then he stands up, and stalks out of the bar like a man on a mission. 

 

Lord Beifong has kept him searching the towns around Gaoling for the past month, unable to continue the lessons that he teaches at his school or to help out at his family farm. Were it not for his gut telling him that something about the boy is off, Yu would have snapped by now and returned home. 

 

It’s something in the way Lee carries himself that stands out to him, the way his shoulders are always rolled back and his back is straight. Yu’s met him once, and observed him from the shadows of the Beifong compound many times. For a poor orphan, Lee has the bearing of a prince. He didn’t bother to change his posture when he was interacting with Lord Beifong, and his eyes constantly dart around him, looking for enemies. It made watching him difficult, and only further cemented Yu’s suspicion that the boy is more than your average street waif. 

 

It takes a liar to know a liar, after all. Yu knows exactly how Lee should be acting, because that was him once. Lee is supposed to constantly look away from those with higher status, he’s supposed to flinch away from smooth hands with too many rings that reach out for him, and he should be trying to take up as little space as possible. But he does none of that, and it’s such a big difference to what Yu was like at that age that he knows something is wrong.  Lee is someone with pride and experience, pretending to be a simple ward of a poor potter. Yu is someone who’s managed to banish all aspects of his poor upbringing out of his body language, but there are tells that he’s never going to be able to erase. He can see through the boy’s act, because they’re two sides of the same coin. 

Dust billows from under his robes as he strides through this small trading town, digging for rumors about a boy that’s managed to get too close to the Beifong heir. Lee is a mystery that Yu is determined to solve. He can respect the boy for trying to aim for the stars, for befriending Toph and worming his way into her heart so he’ll never want for anything again. Yu’s own brother had done that, and now he lives a comfortable life as a servant for a rich merchant, and the merchant’s wife visits him every time her husband is away as payment. Even that little tea server has ambition, it’s clear in the way she remembers every detail of the conversations she’s forced to sit through and how she reports back to Lord Beifong her own opinions when she isn’t one of his advisors, yet . Yu’s sure she’ll make it into Lord Beifong’s inner circle before the year is out. 

 

What Yu can’t figure it out is how the boy knew the blind girl was lonely or even how he knew who Toph was, because she’s one of the best kept secrets in Gaoling. That information would not be made available to any ordinary child, it’s not something that one could know at all unless their family was somehow involved in the select circle of rich trade families that the Beifong’s belonged to. Lee had to have come from somewhere, and Yu is going to find his trail and track it all the way back to the rats themselves. Maybe he’s just the son of a family trying to game for the only Beifong heir or perhaps he’s a second cousin that has no chance of moving up in life except for marriage. 

 

Obviously he isn’t related to anyone important otherwise Lord Beifong wouldn’t need Yu to track the boy through the Earth Kingdom as he’d already know who the boy is, and Lee can’t be all Earth because his skin really is too pale and his eyes are too light. Yu really could not give a shit about some half-baked grab for power made by a backwater noble’s son. Only one person is allowed to manipulate the Beifong’s and that’s him. Yu has spent too long weaving his web around the richest families in the Earth Kingdom for some boy to ruin everything he’s worked for. 

 

_______

 

There are limits to what one is allowed to do in the Royal Palace, even when the person in question is the Princess herself. Ever since Zuko made his dramatic and cowardly exit the day before his Agni Kai, things never returned back to normal. Azula’s set routine has been thrown off course, her tutors are unused to teaching someone who obviously doesn’t care about their lessons and who managed to somehow learn material that was supposed to be only taught to Zuko, years before she ever walked through their classroom doors. 

 

People always scurried through the halls during her childhood, it used to make her smirk because the servants would avert their gazes whenever she walked near. Now she was hurrying alongside them, no one wanted to be caught lingering in the hallways by the Firelord. There were spark scars on her arms that proved it was dangerous to even be in the same room as her father during one of his rages. She started wearing her armor full time, never taking it off unless she was sleeping. It’d taken her too long to figure out that her father’s fire burned through all types of cloth, even in its smallest forms. It was a good thing they were at war, she was sure that more people would protest her switch from court appropriate dresses and robes to military gear had the Fire Nation been at peace. 

 

Azula didn’t allow servants to clean her room anymore, too suspicious that they might be reporting whatever they find back to Father. It’d almost been shameful, how hard it was to learn how to clean up after herself. It made a part of her burn on the inside, roaring with fury at her own incompetence. Azula didn’t fail at anything, much less something as simple as removing blood from her sheets and sweeping up broken glass. So what if her hands had cuts along her fingers, cuts that turned the water of her room’s basin pink whenever she washed her hands, Azula was managing it perfectly. 

 

She crept along the halls, broke vases that no one cared about and watched how the servants swept up the pieces and where they dumped the sharp shards. The laundry of the palace was washed in a large outside courtyard, the sun beating down on the servants and drying clothes quickly. She was never as good at stealing as Zuko was, but that was because she never expected to be stealing from her own people and who else would she practice on if she never left the Fire Nation? Nevertheless, her skills were more than enough to steal soap from an inattentive laundry man. She burned the sheets that had blood stains too old to be washed out, and scrubbed away any new ones that formed. 

 

Doing her hair without the need for a mirror was always an auspicious talent of Azula’s, which was lucky considering she hadn’t had a mirror in her room for months. The glass windows were always covered by curtains, and eventually she was planning on moving to a room without any windows in its walls at all. Her fingertips glided through her hair, recalling the last time she’d looked into a mirror. 

 

It’d been a few weeks after her first sleepover with Ty Lee and Mai since stupid Zuzu ran away. The sun had shone in through the window panes, creating a rainbow effect in the air. Ty Lee had made some complicated braid in her hair, Azula had been in the process of unraveling the wefts she’d weaved when something had caught her attention in the corner of her vision. 

 

The last time Azula had looked into a mirror, she’d been trying not to wince at the way her silk sleep shirt had caught on the sticky burned skin on her shoulders. The last time she’d looked into a mirror, she’d smashed it into a million pieces with her hairbrush and violently flipped the largest shards face down. The last time Azula had looked into a mirror, she hadn’t been alone. 

 

Thinking of how the face in the mirror had eerily resembled Mo- her hands resumed their robotic motions of putting her hair up into a bun. Azula hadn’t noticed when they’d stopped, blinking slowly she felt her arm reach out for her golden hair piece and barely felt it register. Numbly, she reclined on her headboard and loosened her sleep shirt. The soft fabric of her headboard was cool against her neck.  

 

Rosehip oil was meant to fade the scars, the pink and red starbursts that dotted her forearms and dipped under her biceps. The marks that Father left never truly faded away, it was a sign of being burned by the line of the Fire Nation’s royalty. Scarred skin was left an unnatural bold color, unlike those burned by common flames. It was meant to mark you as an enemy, one worthy of being at the receiving end of a Fire Royal’s ire. Zuko had trained shirtless, his shoulders had glistened in the light of Agni, what looked like freckles splattered all over his bony shoulder blades and down his back except freckles didn’t run in straight, whip-like patterns. 

 

Bitterly, Azula massaged in the oil and wondered if she and Zuzu would match now. What had he done, she thought, to get whipped by Father? All she’d done was learn a trick slower than Father had expected. The fresh handprint on her left bicep was a reminder that lightning bending better become a skill of hers soon, or else. It was an excellent motivator, Father certainly knew what he was doing. Fear drove people to do whatever one wanted, after all, she knew that more than anyone in the whole Fire Nation (even Zuko). 

It was late in the night, Azula could feel her body begging for sleep even though her stomach rolled at the thought of closing her eyes. It was cool during this time of year, Winter was starting to take over Fall in the Fire Nation islands. The air hung over her, still without a breeze, and she could feel it pressing into her chest, making it hard to breathe in fully. She stared into the darkness of her room, utterly alone. 

 

_____

 

Toph walked away from the wall of her family’s compound, the chilly breeze making her skin break out in goosebumps. Leaves crunched under her feet, the seasons were starting to change and soon the ground would turn from soft soil to frozen mud that stung the soles of her feet. Along the way, she paused and listened to the sounds of rushing water nearby. The river that encircled Gaoling was swollen from the recent rains up north, she could tell that it was almost flowing over its normal banks. 

 

Usually, this part of the forest was deserted at night. The rapids flowed too quickly for anyone to want to chance crossing the river here, so most paths avoided this area entirely. It was why she had chosen it to be a curve in her windy path on her way to where she practiced her earthbending. So the heartbeat hammering in the trees near her, too large to be any kind of animal or bird, was an instant shock. A quick tap of her toes highlighted a familiar silhouette, a short and skinny boy standing under a maple. 

 

What was Lee doing here? What reason could he have for wandering in the forest in the middle of the night? And most importantly, had he seen her yet? A harder stamp of her foot revealed that Lee’s head was turned towards her, making it damningly obvious that he could probably see her. It would explain why his heart was racing, he’s probably surprised to see anyone out in the woods this late. 

 

Toph wondered if he’d be able to recognize her outside of the clothes that she wore for her pottery lessons. She knew that casual clothing changed people’s perception of her, once a servant had been rude to her while she’d been in clothes meant for her idiot Earthbending teacher’s lessons. They weren’t able to reconcile the blind girl in frumpy cloth with the heiress to the Beifong fortune. She kept her body still, turning it in the direction of the river and hoping that Lee would just move on. 

 

She felt him start walking towards her, and wondered what would look more suspicious: her waiting for him to say something or running away? Before she could decide, Lee’s incredulous voice rang out, “Toph?” 

 

She allowed herself to turn towards him, forcing false cheer into her voice and saying, “Lee? Woah, what a surprise!” 

 

“No kidding”, Lee responded, stopping when he was right in front of her, “What are you doing out here?” 

 

“What are you doing here?” Toph asked, tilting her face downwards so her bangs fell in front of her eyes. 

 

“I’m out for a walk.” Lee said, his heartbeat slowing down the longer that they talked. A part of her hummed in contentment at this, only the people who felt comfortable with her hearts beat slower around Toph. 

 

“Me too.” Toph lied, hoping that Lee wouldn’t ask why she was outside alone. She knew that Lee had only ever seen her within the compound, surrounded by attendants and finery. A little kid in ragged clothes was a far cry than what she usually looked like.  

 

“Uh… do you want to walk together?” Lee’s voice sounded tiny, like he couldn’t get the words to sound louder even if he tried. “Since we’re both out here.” 

 

Toph relaxed as she realized she’d found a way out of getting caught, grinning in relief as she agreed, “Sure thing.” 

 

“Okay, was there anywhere you wanted to go?” Lee asked, shuffling his feet as he waited for her response. 

 

Toph narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out why Lee’s heart rate had suddenly sped up, before she answered, “Not really, I was just walking around.” 

 

“Oh, well I kind of wanted to look at the walls? Is that alright?” Lee responded, his heart rate not slowing down at all. 

 

“Mkay” Toph turned in the direction of Gaoling’s outer wall, waiting for the sound of Lee’s footsteps following her as she led the way. The sound of his heart hammering in his chest grated on her nerves, there was no reason for him to be this nervous. 

 

They walked in silence for a bit, Toph expertly stepping over roots and ducking under branches. Lee somehow managed to perfectly follow her path despite being taller than her and lacking the ability to sense the earth underneath his feet. It was so quiet in the night that she could hear him inhale, as if he was about to speak, before he’d sigh and nothing would be said. Lee’s heart beat kicked up every time he did it, further annoying her until Toph came to a sudden stop. 

 

“What is it? What do you want to say?” She whipped her body around to snap at him, “Your heart’s beating faster than a rabbaroo and you’ve been trying to speak for the past ten minutes. Just spit it out already!” 

“You’re a better bender than you’ve been pretending to be.” Lee blurted out, probably louder than he meant to say it. 

 

“What do you mean by that, huh?” Toph hardened her voice, trying to ignore the way her shoulders tensed at her accusation. 

 

“I don’t think any other earth bender could find their way in the dark, you have to be using bending somehow because there’s no way you can see where you’re going.” Lee explained, his voice smoothing out the longer he spoke, “I doubt Yu bothered to teach you that.” 

 

“It’s just a skill that my parents had me learn, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to do anything by myself.” Toph hid the bitterness that swelled up inside her at the thought of how her parents’ coddling would have ruined any chance she had at autonomy. “Most earth benders don’t know how to do it because they have eyes that actually work.” 

 

“That’s a lie. I’ve never seen you go anywhere without an attendant before.” Lee stated bluntly, “Your parents do everything they can to make you reliant on them, they’d never let you learn how to walk by yourself when they think you’re such a weak bender.” 

 

“Just because I know one skill doesn’t mean I’m pretending to be a bad bender.” Toph hissed, regretting how she’d forgotten that she needed to pretend not to know how to get to the walls and automatically walked in front of someone as observant as Lee. She was too stuck in the mindset she adapted when she was alone, dropping her helpless act the minute no one else was around was like second nature to her at this point. 

 

“I never said that you were, only that you’re better than what you seem.” Lee’s heart rate has completely slowed down back to where it was before they started walking, he sounded smug. 

 

Shitfuck Toph thought, that was a bad time to slip up. 

 

“If you’re actually a good bender, why pretend not to be?” Lee’s voice warped, signally to her that he’d tilted his head to one side. “I don’t get it.” 

 

“Not everyone has as nice a dad as you do.” Toph yelled harshly, “Okay? My parents wouldn’t be able to handle it if I turned out to be anything other than their perfect little girl.” 

 

Lee didn’t say anything else for a while.

 

 Even though she was sure that they were only a foot from each other, Toph felt as though they were leagues apart. Lee’s heartbeat was going crazy, and she’d felt his whole body flinch when she’d shouted. Her earthsense told her that Lee was taking deep breaths, deliberately trying to calm himself down. 

 

She let out a small sigh of relief when he spoke again, “It’s smart of you to hide it from them then, and I promise-- I promise that I won’t tell anyone.” 

 

“Thanks.” It came out softer than Toph meant, but Lee’s voice had been shaky and guilt hit her like a truck. Softening her posture, Toph made herself look less angry, treating Lee like a spooked animal. She tried to ignore the urge to apologize but she caved, “I’m sorry.” 

 

“It’s fine, I shouldn’t have pressed you for answers. That wasn’t something a good friend would do.”, Lee responded, sounding even guiltier than how she felt, before hesitantly asking, “We are friends, right?” 

 

“Yeah”, Toph responded quickly, surprised at how easily she agreed, “We’re friends, Lee.” 

 

“That’s so good. I'm really really glad that we're friends.” Lee murmured, amazement clear in his tone. It made the part of Toph that wasn’t soaking in guilt, preen at the idea that someone was incredibly glad to be called her friend. She didn't have any friends before she started pottery lessons, and now she'd gone and hurt the feelings of the first friend she'd made that was actually a kid like her. Toph promised herself that she'd do better.  

 

She had a feeling that Lee was staring at her, so she waited to see if he was going to say anything else. He didn’t. 

 

She cleared her throat and gestured in the direction of the walls, “We can keep going now.” 

 

“Alright.” Lee said, following her into the shadows of the trees. 

 

Together they walked, side by side, alone no more.

Notes:

i hope that you enjoyed. i think i have more time now? mid terms are over. also i mentioned rotc and some people asked last time, i'm in the army rotc.

Chapter 11: Skinny Love

Notes:

your comments are always so lovely, I read each and every one. I'll try to respond to most of them by friday.

enjoy this little chapter! I noticed that I had most of it written and decided that posting it now would be better than waiting for it to feel more complete and not posting for another month lol.

Shen didn’t own any mirrors, he shaved using ponds in the fields of his farm. Zuko had never gone past any bodies of water still enough to see his reflection in the months he’d spent in Gaoling. 

 

In retrospect, he shouldn’t have been so surprised to find a small mirror in the washroom near Toph’s pottery studio. He’d been flicking the water off of his hands, letting his internal flame roar and steam the rest of it off of his skin. Out of the corner of his eye, a small flash of light appeared. It was the looking glass reflecting the lamp, it sat on a small table with a tiny pot of powder and wax. 

 

The bathroom was poorly lit, most likely only made for servant use. The shadows clung to his frame as Zuko squatted down and examined his face. Weeks on the road had given him a tan, something Zuko was grateful for as he knew it would make it harder for him to be seen as Fire Nation. Living with Shen had added a glow to his skin that Zuko had never seen before, he looked healthy and happy. His thirteen year old self had never looked so… normal. 

 

Without his scar, being Lee had been so much easier. No one looked twice at Lee, and if they paid any attention at all, pity was never the reason. The gnarled and purple skin that covered his left cheek had made Zuko a walking magnet for all sorts of attention, Lee melted in the background. Zuko looked like a Fire Nation torture session gone wrong, Lee looked like a colony boy. The lines between himself and the persona that he’d adopted to survive in the Earth Kingdom were starting to blur. Zuko hated to admit it, but it was hard to know who he was without the scar. For so long it had defined him, and now the skin there was smooth and perfect, it existed in his mind only. 

 

Being Lee meant leaving the scar behind, staying Zuko meant carrying the past inside his head forever. Still, Lee’s life with Shen, Ying, and Toph was a good one. Tea and pottery and midnight walks were luxuries he never thought he’d had, the opportunity to live the childhood he lost was priceless. 

 

Carefully tracing the left side of his face, Zuko’s fingers curled around his intact left ear. Golden eyes stared back at him, turning glossy ever so slowly. Is this what he could have had? This happiness, all it took was abandoning his destiny for him to be happy. 

 

Is this how Aang felt? 

 

There was so much pressure on his shoulders, because only Zuko could set things right. The weight of his past lives pulled on his lungs, it made it hard for him to fall asleep and memories forgotten by the rest of the world made it hard for him to wake up. Running away had given him a break from the terror, a rest, and a face without a scar. Royal fire burned skin in a way that never healed quite right. He hadn’t even realized until this moment that he’d always been aching, his nerves flayed, until he blinked at himself in the mirror and it didn’t hurt at all on his left side. 

 

When he met Aang again, and he will meet Aang again, Zuko will be able to understand his friend in ways that he couldn’t have previously. Who other than the Avatar had ever lived more than once? Who else would ever know the feeling of ghosts under your skin, of being the only one left to remember what once was? 

 

Zuko left the bathroom, steam rising from his cheeks. 

 

_______

 

“When lightning hits the body, sometimes the energy boils your blood itself. Little scars form all over the skin, where the blood boiled from underneath.” Iroh traces the bonzai’s roots, which spread out in fractal patterns, branching every which way and delving into the soil. He looked up at his niece, sitting across the table from him and looking incredibly bored. 

 

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you only wear long sleeves now, Princess Azula.” He watched the way her body barely stiffened, before she rolled her eyes at him in annoyance. 

 

“It’s cold now, Uncle.” Azula scoffed, rolling up her right sleeve to expose her wrist’s markless skin, “Everyone wears long sleeves when it’s cold.” 

 

“Did you know that I taught your father how to create lightning? It took him years before he could even manage to throw it.” Iroh said, raising his eyebrows, “The only reason he lacks scars is because his lightning was never powerful enough to hurt him.” 

 

“I suppose you have scars then, Uncle?” Azula questions, her eyes sharp and calculating underneath the shade of her bangs. Good, Iroh thought, she hadn’t missed the way he implied Ozai was less powerful than her, and now she’d flipped it back to him. 

 

Too bad for her, Iroh was used to dealing with a more cunning snake. Perhaps in a few years, Azula’s wiles would trump even Ozai’s. 

 

“Of course I do!” Iroh laughed, deep and full bellied, “That’s why I know that yours are all over your biceps and shoulders!” 

 

Azula smiled, a fake little smirk that didn’t suit her face and yet it did at the same time, “Why don’t you show me then, hmm?” 

 

Iroh tugged his beard and grinned right back at her, “Fortunately, lightning scars will fade over time. Your skin will always heal them eventually, although it takes years.” 

 

“How convenient for you.” Azula replied, and this time the hint of bitterness that slipped through was genuine. Iroh wondered if his little brother was truly insecure enough to feel threatened by the sight of his daughter’s own bending prowess, when the girl was only almost twelve. 

 

“The secret is to weave the lightning around you, mimicking the lightning’s natural currents will make it much less likely for it to stick to your skin.” Iroh advised, hoping that his niece would actually listen to him for once, “If you do it right, it will leap from your finger tips only, while still swirling around you.” 

 

“Weaving costs one speed.” Azula pointed out, but it was clear that she was only repeating what someone else had told her. 

 

“Who gives a damn about speed when you wield the power of an entire storm?” Iroh demanded angrily, irritation surging at what ever incompetent instructor who was in charge of Azula’s training, “Using the shoot style means that you must generate the lightning from scratch every time, and you’ll never be able to have the reach of a weaving lightning bender. It’s a poor tactic, meant only for military dogs!” 

 

“In the Army, it’s known as the Lord’s Lightning.” Was all Azula had to say in response. 

 

She stood up quickly and gave Iroh a curt bow. 

 

Iroh watched her walk away, and wondered if he’d made a mistake. 

_______

 

The soldier died choking. 

 

Rocks had lodged themselves in his throat, the crushed vertebrae splintered around them. Blood mixed with dust and turned into muddy rivers running down into the metal red armor. Pathetic whimpers tumbled from his mouth, making their way past the blood that ran past his teeth. 

 

Yu leaned forward, and scratched a finger against the thick metal chest plate. It made a horrible sound, high pitched and screeching. His lips curled up and exposed all his teeth, his heart hammering away in his chest like a war drum. From under his palm, he felt the soldier’s heart beat slow and eventually stop. 

 

A pity that the man had not been a firebender, Yu would have enjoyed this even more. 

 

He’d been traveling through a small wood, looking for signs of a squatter who he’d met in town last night. The old woman had said she’d let a small young boy sit at her fireside several months ago, and it was likely that she’d be able to tell him more about where Lee had come from. The past months had been spent like this, combing towns and tracing Lee’s steps from one town to the next. Dead ends came up frequently, which only heightened Yu’s curiosity since they were clearly intentional. Whoever Lee was, he was deliberately covering his tracks and throwing people off his scent. 

 

Meeting the soldier in the middle of the woods had been a fun surprise, it’d been a couple years since Yu had been far away enough from Gaoling to kill an ash maker. Regrettably, he’d reacted on instinct alone and killed without interrogating the man. Had Yu been more careful and only crushed his chest, he would have been able to squeeze information about why the soldier was this far into the Earth Kingdom at all. 

 

A sharp movement of his hands shifted the earth underneath the corpse, creating a pit for it to fall into. Metal hit rock bottom with sharp clang, dead limbs thrown into disarray from the fall. Yu reared back and spit into the helmet he’d removed from the body, keeping his grip on it tight as he closed the earth over the pit. 

 

The helmet was from the current year, and there was enough evidence in the ruck sack that the soldier had left leaning against a tree to prove that Yu had taken down a real Fire Nation soldier and not lying about it. The straps of the ruck were tied tight, and Yu’s nimble fingers pulled them back to reveal miscellaneous army supplies and a raggedy scroll. 

 

Yellowed paper and faded black ink revealed a portrait of a young man, quickly sketched by an amateur artist who somehow managed to capture the joy on this man’s face. The details of the face themselves were particularly smudged, as if the soldier Yu’d killed had spent hours tracing them with his fingers. He grinned, a cruel thing that cut his face in half and elongated the hollows in his cheeks, now here was evidence that could not be faked. And the fool had even gotten the portrait dated, with a location and everything! 

 

Into his pocket went the portrait scroll, and the helmet was put into a bag tied to the saddle of his ostrich horse. He’d been out on this assignment for months now, as it’d taken time to trace Lee’s wandering path through the Earth Kingdom. Yu was sure at this point that Lee had come from the south, making his way around the desert and deliberately towards Gaoling. Once he found enough evidence that Lee was a spy, he’d be able to hurry back to the city much faster than his original pace. 

 

For now though, Yu had to find the nearest mailing center and send Lord Beifong proof of his kill. The old woman could wait until tomorrow. He hoped the man was surprised by the contents of the box, and briefly stopped in his tracks to worry if encasing a stolen finger from the soldier in earth to keep it from spoiling was overkill. He figured it was, since there would be no one in the compound competent enough at bending to open it who could also be trusted to keep the purpose of his mission a secret.  

 

______

 

“You can’t possibly believe that’s practical.” Zuko judged, raising an eyebrow at his friend who was currently focusing on her bending. 

 

“It works for me.” Toph responded, raising her hand and pointing it only a few inches away from where he was actually standing, “You just don’t like it because you can’t manage it.” 

 

“Toph, I-” Zuko stuttered, pulling his head back in shock, “I can too go without sleep, but it isn’t good for you!” 

 

“How do you know?” Toph asked from where she stood next to the river. They were in a remote part of the forest, where they were unlikely to be found by other people. 

 

“Because I just know.” Zuko replied, crossing his arms as he watched her practice her earthbending some more, “Staying up all night to practice is bad for you and you shouldn’t do it.”  

 

“Oh please, Lee.”, Toph rolled her eyes and floated small boulders in front of her, shifting them back and forth between mud that dripped to the floor and solid rock, “You shouldn’t be giving me advice that you don’t even follow.”

 

“That’s how you know that you should listen, I went without sleeping much for a very long time and it was awful.” Zuko pointed out, lowering his voice for extra effect, “It might have permanently damaged my height! You don’t want to be short forever, do you?” 

 

“There’s nothing wrong with being short, it makes people overlook you when you want to hide.” Toph shrugged, before she narrowed her eyes, “Plus, you’re not one to talk about being short. I bet you’re not even that much taller than me.” 

 

“I will be taller than you, and you’re going to be the same height that you are now because you didn’t give your body the sleep it needed.” Zuko huffed, walking over to her and enveloping her hand in his. “You can feel the difference yourself.”

 

He patiently waited until it was obvious that Toph wasn’t objecting to him touching her, before he carefully pulled her frighteningly tiny hand all the way up to the top of his head. They were standing almost close enough for their chests to touch. In order to reach it without him bending down at all, Toph had to go on her tiptoes. In the Earth Kingdom, touching the hair of an elder was a sign of great disrespect. To allow someone to touch your hair was to give them access to yourself, and demonstrated your closeness. 

 

Toph’s fingers tangled in his hair, pulling at it in a way that was almost painful as she pulled away. Zuko couldn’t find any words to speak as she placed his palm flat against the top of her skull, her hand with its filthy nails cuffing his wrist. Deep inside him, his inner flame roared with contentment at Toph’s sign of trust. Toph slowly leaned forward, her forehead bumping against his collarbone. They stayed like that for a moment, Zuko warring between the urge to pull Toph in for a hug and allowing her to set the pace of their “new” friendship. 

 

She pulled away, her face tilted up towards him and mumbled, “You’re only taller because of your legs, you’re all bone anyways.” 

 

“Just because I’m not big like Shen doesn’t mean I don’t have muscles.” Zuko argued, a bit disappointed that he didn’t receive a hug from her. She’d been willing enough to give him one-arm hugs back in his first life, so why was it different now? 

 

“You don’t have muscle at all, Skinny.” Toph laughed, turning away from him and going back to bending, “I’ll be taller than you once I grow again, just you wait.” 

 

“Skinny?” Zuko questioned, a smile that Toph couldn’t see already breaking across his face as he realized that he’d received a moniker. 

 

“It’s your nickname now, deal with it.” Toph replied flippantly, “You’re Skinny because you’re so skinny.” 

 

Zuko giggled a bit hysterically at the title, and his whole body felt warm. Finally, finally, finally, he was managing to get things closer to how they used to be in his first life.

Chapter 12: Asunder

“You’re being dramatic.” Lee pointed out from where he sat on the floor, his green pants dusty from the ground, “There’s no way that she’s going to reject you.” 

 

“But you don’t know that!” Shen exclaimed, waving his hands wildly in distress, “Ying might just be acting polite due to us being at work.” 

 

“Trust me, Ms. Ying has feelings for you.” Lee crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, “It’s obvious, even Toph can see it.” 

 

“How can you tell?” Shen flopped onto a nearby chair, looking at the young boy and wondering how he could sound so experienced when there was no way that any woman had ever courted his son, “She acts the same around me as she does anyone else.” 

 

“She blushes whenever you speak, and she exclusively uses your products when she serves tea.” Lee looked up at him through his choppy bangs, “I don’t think she would do that if she wasn’t interested.” 

 

“She does flush a lot, but I always assumed it’s because the studio is quite hot.” Shen twiddled his thumbs, feeling his heartbeat speed up, “This was a mistake.” 

 

“No.” Lee jumped up, placing his hands lightly on Shen’s shoulders, “You’re not canceling, you can’t.” 

 

“I would never!” Shen scoffed, amusedly realizing that Lee was still shorter than him standing up while he was sitting down. He reached up and gently patted Lee’s right hand, “I’ll just meet her for the festival and bring you along, that way I can play it off as a friendly outing.” 

 

Lee didn’t have anything to say to that, simply staring at him with an unimpressed expression on his face. His light gold eyes resembled those of a dead fish, and his lips thinned. The hand under Shen’s palm tensed and he felt Lee’s nails dig into his skin. 

 

Shen stared back at him, before sheepishly chuckling, “Or I’ll just take my chances, alone.” 

 

“Mhmm”, Lee hummed, releasing him and backing up, “You should get going, you don’t want to be late.” 

 

Shen smiled at Lee’s nagging, it honestly really made him feel joyous to know that Lee had warmed up to him and was now comfortable bossing him around. They’d made so much progress in the past few months, he’d gotten letters from friends who’d adopted children before and they’d said that it could take years for a child to fully adjust. Lee meant a lot to him, but Shen had been careful not to push him, waiting for Lee to make the first step always. 

 

He would never forget the day when he moved too quickly on Lee’s left side, and watched his son flinch into a shelf of pottery so hard that it fell from the ground and shattered every piece. Shen had never been so careful with his bending, softening every shard lodged in Lee’s left shoulder and pulling it all out til the very last grain of clay was gone. The worst part of it all was the way that Lee hadn’t made a sound, other than to apologize for breaking the pots and cups. 

 

Shen had fumbled with his words like always, but eventually he managed to say that Lee was worth more to him than any piece of glazed clay. Lee hadn’t met his eyes, and it was clear that he didn’t believe Shen. That was alright, Shen was patient and knew when to wait. Eventually, he’d ensure that Lee never doubted his worth ever again. 

 

He stood slowly up from the chair, donned the new jacket that he’d bought for the festival and clutched the small wrapped cluster of moon cakes. Lee and him had ordered them from the town outside of Gaoling’s bakery, riding his ostrich horse this morning just to pick them up. He hoped that Ying would appreciate their delicate taste, as they welcomed in the new season of the world. 

 

Lee walked next to him as they made their way to the gate, closing it behind him as Shen stepped into the road. He squared his shoulders, and started on the road to town, the sun just beginning to set. 

 

______

 

Ying was accustomed to waiting, as the youngest daughter there had never been any reason for her family to give her any sort of priority. As a servant, her time was not her own and it was expected that she ran on others’ schedules and never hers. 

 

So forgive her for being more than a little shocked when she stepped out from her late shift at the Beifong’s, only to find Shen waiting outside of the servants’ gate. He was dressed in a linen jacket, soothing light greens contrasting beautifully with his skin. Little red characters had been painted on his cheeks in a child’s handwriting, clearly the blessings had been given to him by Lee. 

 

She felt her lips turn up into a smile, waving sweetly at Shen as she made her way towards him. She hadn’t had the time to change from her tea serving uniform into anything special, not that it would have mattered, the clothes that the Beifong’s provided for her were the best clothes that she owned. A dark green tunic with long sleeves extended all the way to her knees, with high slits that exposed her cream trousers underneath. 

 

Shen hesitantly handed her a small cloth bundle, the plain white cloth tied with a neat bow. Ying accepted it, feeling tiny cakes through the fabric. Thanking him, she inquired if he’d made them himself. 

 

“No.” Shen laughed, beginning their walk towards the festival, “I’m not that talented at baking, simple cakes and breads are my specialty.” 

 

“I used to make them for my parents’ shop, they didn’t have enough money to afford eggs but we could always make red bean paste.” Ying reminisced, thinking back on her childhood and side stepping a rock in the path, “They’re easier than you’d think, the only trouble is stamping the patterns.” 

 

“Wow, you always surprise me with how many hidden talents you have.” Shen replied, and Ying felt her cheeks burn at the compliment, “Do you think you could teach me how to make them? I can buy the supplies.” 

 

“Of course”, Ying agreed, happy that Shen wanted to spend more time with her, before she decided to suggest, “We can make them together for the New Year.” 

 

“I’d like that very much.” Shen smiled at her, and in the pale light of the rising moon, Ying could have sworn that she saw him blush. 

 

They made their way into the festival, where shrines lined the streets of all the businesses in Gaoling and paper lanterns hung on strings that criss-crossed the sky above them. The smell of incense hung thick in the air, and the chatter of families who were still eating their meals together carried out from their windows. When Ying had agreed to go to the festival with Shen, she’d made sure that they only went to the earlier parts of it so that she could still make it home to see her family for dinner and to give food to her ancestors. 

 

Street vendors sold cheap snacks and fried foods from their little carts, and she knew that her family’s tea shop would be jam packed until closing hours with customers streaming in from the streets to catch a place to sit down in. There was a cart selling long fried pieces of dough, youtiao, and Shen grinned before asking her if she’d like to order some. Ying happily agreed, the youtiao shining under the lantern lights and fresh from the oil. Before she could pull out her coin purse, the vendor had already accepted a coin from Shen with a grin. 

 

With dizzying speed, the vendor expertly flicked excess oil off of his cooking chopsticks before fetching a paper bag to fill with piping hot youtiao. He handed the bag to Shen, complete with a small bag of skewered sweet red sausage, “for the pretty lady” with a wink. Ying thanked both him and Shen, before the two of them walked away. It had been a very long time since anyone had treated her, even for something as small as street food. 

 

There was a small bench located under a garland of lanterns, they sat there and ate with the bag of youtiao in between them. The paper bag was small, and Ying was in the process of pulling out the last piece when she felt Shen’s fingers brush against hers. She turned to see him looking at her, before he let her take it. She held it out to him instead, a delicate smile playing across her lips. 

Shen reached up to take the piece from her, before she tugged it back and the soft yet crunchy dough ripped in two. Ying popped her half into her mouth, savoring the salty, yeasty flavor. 

 

“Have you ever been to the festival before?” Ying asked, turning to look at Shen now that all of their snacks had been eaten. 

 

“Yes”, Shen answered, meeting her eyes, “It’s been a very long time since I’ve been with anyone as beautiful as you.” 

 

“Oh”, Ying said, a little caught off guard by his flirtatious tone but pleased nonetheless. “Well, I’ve never been with anyone at all.”

 

“I hope I’m good enough for your first escort then.” Shen smiled at her, and reached out his hand. 

 

“I think taking the most handsome and kindest man in town is satisfactory.” Ying sniffed, putting on a fake posh accent, before she accepted his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. 

 

They stayed like that for a while, basking in each other’s presence under the lights of the Moon Festival, their hands never separated. 

 

______

 

“If you tug like that, it’s going to end up lopsided.” Azula complained, reaching up to feel the side of her head where her hair was bumpy instead of smooth. 

 

“That’s what the wax is for.” Zuko pointed out from where he sat behind her, “Just stay still, please.” 

 

“ Just stay still, please.” Azula mocked, “What if you actually did a good job in the first place and then my hair wouldn’t end up half wax?” 

 

“If you don’t like it, then you can do your hair yourself.” Zuko huffed, abruptly letting her hair fall down to her shoulders and out of the loose topknot he’d been attempting before. 

 

She turned around, her hair swishing around her, to glare at her older brother, and hissed, “You’ll finish the job that you started.” 

 

“Or what?” Zuko raised an eyebrow, in an obvious challenge. 

 

“Then you’ll duel me to death, in an Agni Kai!” Azula exclaimed, lunging towards Zuko and tackling him to the ground. 

“Azula, stop!” Zuko yelled, before all of the air left his body as his back hit the ground. 

 

“Never!” Azula roared, shoving her hands under his armpits and tickling him mercilessly. Her older brother writhed under her, trying to escape but his efforts were futile. She grinned as he eventually stopped trying to buck her off and surrendered. Zuko never won their games, that’s just how it worked. 

 

Zuko’s giggles soon turned yelps, his laughter still coming out of him but it had a different tone to it. In the lights of the Royal Children’s Wing, his amber eyes glistened like honey from the tears that were streaming out of his eyes. Azula observed his reaction curiously, like a scientist would examine a bug crawling on a leaf. She wondered how long it would take for the tickles to hurt even more, for his nerves to fray under the strain of it. 

 

“Lala, please.” Zuko begged between laughs, “I’ll do your hair.” 

 

“Well that’s all you had to say!” Azula laughed, getting off of him and ignoring the way her fingers ached from tickling him for so long. “Get to it, we don’t want to be late.” 

 

It took a minute for Zuko to catch his breath, she turned around to watch him struggle to pull himself off the ground. It made her lips quirk into a grin, he was always so dramatic about everything. She faced the right direction and felt his shaky hands card through her hair, satisfied with ensuring that her hair would never look so stiff with wax again. 

 

Playing with Zuko was always so fun, as long as Mother wasn’t around. She was always judging how they played, Mother believed Zuko over her every time. It was so frustrating. 

 

“There, it’s all done.” Zuko said from behind her, his voice still weak from how much he’d used it earlier. 

 

She picked up her mirror, checking to see if there were any lumps in her hairstyle, before she grinned sharply at Zuko, chirping, “Thank you!” 

 

“Um… Azula…” Zuko trailed off once he noticed that she was giving him her full attention, “You wouldn’t ever actually hurt me, right?” 

 

“Of course not, dumb dumb.” Azula rolled her eyes, standing up and dusting off her court attire, “Actually incapacitating you would be such a waste, you wouldn’t be able to play and I’d get in trouble for it. Plus you’d whine about it for forever, and I’d be forced to feel bad about it.” 

 

“Oh.” Zuko blinked at her, with a stupid expression on his face that she couldn’t read. 

 

“But I’m the only one who can treat you like this, got it?” Azula hissed, grabbing Zuko by the front of his fancy jacket, “I’m the princess so I’m allowed to do it, but if anyone else does it then you better not let them. You’re my brother, no one else is allowed to play with you like I do.” 

 

“Okay Azula, whatever you say.” Zuko responded, patting her hands and pulling her into a hug that she immediately twisted out of. “I’m glad that you care.” 

 

“That’s not even close to what I said.” Azula snapped. 

 

“You read too much into things, idiot.” Azula mumbled, as she blinked her eyes open and stared into the darkness of her room. Why had she dreamed of something from so long ago? And why was her brain refusing to let her sleep without thinking about her cowardly brother? 

 

______

 

The glittering sea lay before him, twisting paths wound their ways down the cliffs and to the tide pools that formed in the rocks below. Salty, misty air met his skin with a gentle kiss, his eyes narrowed against the bright sunlight. 

 

The coast of the Southwestern Earth Kingdom was rocky, with few beaches and giant waves that smashed against the cliffs. Yu looked out of place with his fancy robes the minute that he left civilization behind, so he’d changed into the clothes that he normally wore when he helped out with his family’s farm. The rough, gray cotton of his sleeves rubbed against his biceps, and the hem that he’d sewn was starting to unravel around his left ankle. There was nothing else in the world that he felt more comfortable in. 

 

Villages here were distanced far apart from each other, and he had already combed through the towns north from the coast. He’d gone from town to town, searching for any trace of that boy. The mystery of why the Fire Nation soldier had a recent portrait of Lee had not yet been solved, and the name of the city on the portrait wasn’t one that he recognized. No one had seen him, even when Lord Beifong had seen fit to send along a small portrait that a servant had made of the boy, no one could place him being there. He’d kept an eye out for any flyers or people who could have been related to the boy, but nothing came up. Little Lee had not made his way through any of them, so the only direction he could have gone was Southwest, hugging the coast and trekking through the wilderness. 

 

It was suspicious that he took such pains to avoid towns, and it made Yu’s hackles rise when he considered that the only civilization in this direction were the Fire Nation’s colonies. Now, there was nothing wrong with being a colonial in the Earth Kingdom. Everyone understood that you can’t help that you lost the battle for independence, and as long as you stayed true to Oma and Shu then you were considered to simply be unfortunate. The problem lies with those who willingly intermarried with the ashmakers, creating children with tan skin but light eyes, mixing the blood of the conquered and those who’d done the conquering. Yu despised those who embraced their city’s occupation, it was disgusting to him. A Fire Nation soldier having a portrait of Lee was suspicious enough, but being related to someone in the Fire Nation Army was not necessarily a crime. 

 

While Yu had no idea where exactly Lee had come from, the weather had long washed away any of his tracks and it’d been months since he’d passed through here. However, Lee had to have come from somewhere , and Yu was determined to figure it out. He’d walk along the coast for as long as it took, because something wasn’t adding up and he needed to figure out who’d sent the street kid straight into the arms of the only Beifong heir. 

 

______

 

“Skinny, come do my hair.” Toph asked, irritated at the way that her hair kept falling down and tickling her skin. It made her want to sneeze whenever it brushed against her nose. She stomped her foot and created a stone bench out of river rock, plopping down and patting the stone behind her. 

 

“What makes you think that I know how to do hair?” Lee asked from behind her, his voice tinted with amusement. 

 

“Oh.” Toph blinked, turning in his general direction. Now she looked dumb, making her little bench when he didn’t even know how to do hair, “Do you not?” 

 

“No… I do.” Lee mumbled, tapping her head so that she faced forward. “I don’t know how good I am at it compared to Ms. Ying though.” 

 

“It’s not like I can see how messy it is.” Toph pointed out, waving her hand in front of her sightless eyes, “Remember? I’m blind.” 

 

“I know, I know.” Lee laughed, running his fingers through her hair and tugging on the tangles that had formed. 

 

They were sitting by the river, since Lee didn’t like it when she practiced in her usual cave. He never admitted it, but she could hear how fast his heart beat whenever he went underground. Some part of him was really scared of being in caves, and Toph didn’t feel the need to practice in a cave without light with him around. If Lee couldn’t see her being awesome, then what was the point of him watching her practice? 

 

While he was busy combing her hair with his fingers, Toph practiced throwing small pebbles as fast as she could with her bending, not letting her hands move beyond a tiny flick of her fingers. She couldn’t practice earth bending to the extent that she was used to when she practiced with Lee, unlike the underground tunnels the earth here was covered with grass and trees. Bending left its marks on the vegetation, so she tried to minimize what evidence she created. She didn’t want people to take notice of her practice, even though marking up the landscape was common in the Earth Kingdom it was frowned upon to create marks that you couldn’t change. 

 

Whistling sounds filled the air as her little pebbles zoomed away from her, smacking into the river stones and shattering from the force of impact. Splashes mixed with the sound of rushing water, and Lee was humming a tune that she recognized from a play that her parents had taken her to in Ba Sing Se. It was a nice kind of quiet, where there was still enough sound in the night to make it feel peaceful. 

 

“Toph, do you wanna try learning how to do this on your own?” Lee asked, and it made her realize that she couldn’t feel her hair on her back anymore. She reached up, her fingers brushing against his much warmer ones to feel the rather large braided bun that Lee had created on the back of her head. There was a small cord of leather holding it together, which must have been Lee’s as she didn’t give him anything to secure her hair with. 

 

“I learned how to braid from Miss Ying already.” Toph answered, tilting her head back and feeling the cool night air sweep across her cheeks. “But I’m not good at it yet.” 

 

“People sell headbands with prongs on the inside, they stab into the bun and secure it as well as smoothing down your hair in the front.” While he explained this, Lee took one of her hands and brought it to her forehead and pulled it back, tugging her bangs back until her hand bumped into the bun, “Like that.” 

 

“That sounds useful, and that way I don’t need to worry about not being able to find cords.” Toph mused, thinking it over in her head. A head band would be easy to find due to its large size, and if it did what Lee said it did, then she wouldn’t have to worry about the annoying little clumps of hair that she didn’t always get into her braids. 

 

“They’re pretty common, one of the servants wears them in her hair so it wouldn’t be a bother for your parents to look for one for you.” Lee remarked, pulling her into a back hug. Toph leaned into his chest, enjoying the warmth of his chest seeping into her skin. 

 

“Good, I hate it when they make a fuss.” Toph muttered, kicking the ground below her. 

 

“Even if it’s something small, they act like they’re doing such a giant favor even though it’s really a servant who does all the work.” Lee complained, tucking his chin onto her shoulder. With his mouth this close to her ear, he didn’t need to speak too loud, “But since you’re young, if you order a servant to do it directly then you’ll get asked about it later.” 

 

“And then they act weird about it, like you did something bad.” Toph added on, feeling like Lee really understood how she felt with her parents. She’d never talked with someone else like this, although it wasn’t like she had any other option, Lee was her first friend really. 

 

“Exactly, in the end it just makes you feel like asking for anything at all is too much.” Lee mumbled, his tone turning sad. Toph paused in her agreement, realizing that Lee must be talking about his birth parents. She’d heard enough of the cruel remarks from the servants when they thought they weren’t going to be overheard, they said that Shen and Lee were poor. There was no way that they could have servants, and Shen wouldn’t be referred to by Lee as “they”. 

 

“That sounds lonely.” Toph said, thinking back to when she was younger, “It used to be worse when I was little, I eventually ran away because I couldn’t take it.” 

 

“It was.” Lee agreed somberly, before turning his face into her neck, “Tell me about it?” 

Toph proceeded to talk about the crawling, feeling the earth beneath her hands and digging until she found the badger moles. She described the raw power in their movements, the way they bent earth in sharp swipes and wide flicks of their paws. Living with them had been the best days of her life, and they’d taught her how to bend properly. Very few people could say that they’d been taught by the original masters, Lee hummed in agreement at this and chuckled. 

 

“Did you miss your family while you were gone?” Lee asked softly. 

 

“I did, but I was focused more on bending.” Toph admitted, “I didn’t want to leave until I really improved, so that I’d be strong enough to go back.” 

 

“What do you mean?” 

 

“My family thinks that I’m weak, and they made sure to handicap me by not teaching me anything useful. I needed my bending to be good enough so that I could take care of myself.” 

 

“The badgermoles taught you more than just bending, didn’t they?” 

 

“Yeah. They taught me how to clean myself, how to find food, and how to clean and treat injuries.” Toph paused, her thoughts darkening, “You’d be surprised to find out how rough servants can be when they consider you helpless.” 

 

“I’m sorry, Toph. That sounds awful.” Lee said sincerely, before he seemed to struggle with his words, “How did you decide to return?” 

 

That was a question for which she had no answer. Going home hadn’t felt like a choice, she didn’t know what made her surface from the tunnels after she’d learned everything the badger moles could teach her. It’d been inevitable that she would go back, and she just did. 

 

After she tried spelling all that out for him, Lee didn’t say anything else for a long time. 

 

______

 

Toph fidgeted with her new headband, the metalsmith that the Beifong’s contracted to make her headpiece had finished within two days once she’d informed her parents of her desire to be able to do her own hair. When Shen and Lee had showed up to conduct their normal pottery lessons, she’d already been wearing a pretty headband with green and white gemstones. Toph had grinned at them proudly, flaunting the way she wore her hair now. While Zuko wasn’t used to seeing her with all of her hair slicked back, including her bangs, he thought that the relative return to what he remembered her looking like from his first life was quite comforting. 

 

Toph had demonstrated how easy it was for her to do her own hair for Miss Ying when the woman had stopped by for their usual tea, looking a little bit shy when the pretty lady had coo-ed and complimented her newfound skill. Zuko had thought it was adorable, separating the Toph he knew now who was so young compared to the girl he’d known was much easier nowadays, she was like a child version of his friend. 

 

Right now she seemed to be testing how well it would stay in her hair while she actively moved, shaking her head like a dog and making him snort. They were in a wide clearing far outside of Gaoling, where no one would hear them or stumble upon them. Toph had confided in him weeks ago that she didn’t know how to fight, and that she wasn’t experienced past what the badgermoles had taught her. Zuko had thought of the ways his friend had flung boulders like they were pebbles and leveled entire streets with a single stamp of her foot, creating an entirely new type of bending all on her own, and had known that he needed to fix this as soon as possible. 

 

It had taken him a while to find the right place for their lessons, it needed to be close enough to Gaoling that they wouldn’t lose all of the night traveling to it, and it couldn’t have a lot of tree coverage. He’d discovered the plain dirt field when he was on a walk with Shen, it was apparently some land that had been abandoned by a friend of his when the woman had moved out of Gaoling. Zuko had known then that it was the perfect spot. 

 

Selfishly, he’d also chosen it for how far it was from any civilization. In order to teach Toph how to fight, he also needed to reveal that he was a bender. After all, she wouldn’t accept advice from him on how to fight with bending without asking why he knew anything about it. With Toph being a human lie detector, he didn’t want to deal with her running away from him to the closest farm when the truth that he was a fire bender came out. It was better to do it in an isolated place, where any of her yelling in reaction to his reveal wouldn’t be overhead by others. 

 

“Alright Skinny, what are we going to run through first?” Toph asked, clapping her hands together and turning in his general direction with an expectant look on her face. 

 

“How many of the basic katas have you run through with Master Yu?” Zuko asked, wondering if training her the way he’d trained Aang was the best way to go. As far as basic forms went, the beginning katas were applicable to all four types of bending as they’d been created by Avatar Yangchen as a way to standardize bending and create equality in basic combat knowledge across the four nations. 

 

“None of them.” Toph said flatly, raising an eyebrow when he sputtered in surprise, “Dude! I’m nine, why would I know any fighting forms?” 

 

“Every child should know some kind of self defense!” Zuko protested, annoyed with how her parents had left such a gaping hole in their daughter’s education. 

 

“Oh.” Toph blinked, “I know some self defense, but we didn’t go according to the kata’s.” 

 

“Why-” Zuko cut himself off in frustration, pinching his nose with his fingers, “Why did they not go by the kata’s. They’re the building blocks for any bender learning how to fight.” 

 

“Ask my parents.” Toph shrugged, then she proceeded to demonstrate her suit of rock technique as well as a few basic non-bender fighting moves that she executed pretty well for a child her size. The only attacks that she could manage were wide swipes that launched sheets of rock his way, obviously something she’d picked up from the badgermoles. 

 

Zuko wasn’t exactly sure what to do, Aang was the only person he’d ever taught bending to and he’d already mastered three other elements by the time that he became Zuko’s pupil. He was going in completely blind, since Toph had never told him how she’d learned how to find in his first life. Haltingly he went through the motions of the basic forms, she waited as he explained the first few katas. 

 

Adjusting her limbs from where they were off form, Zuko guided her through the transitions. She obediently called out each stage of the kata, but watching her move felt… wrong. Even though the katas were meant for all elements, the first sets of katas were all positive jing. Focused on attacking and pushing one’s element outwards, in a way that wasn’t at all like the neutral jing based earthbending that he’d seen from his friend in his first life. Zuko pursed his lips in thought, what if he was teaching her wrong? 

“Okay, we’re going to go at this in a different way.” Zuko paused their exercise, explaining his new idea, “I’m going to throw things at you and I want you to react by holding your ground and deflecting them or throwing them back at me.”

 

“Sure.” Toph agreed, settling into a deep squat and waiting for him to make his move. 

 

Zuko cautiously picked up some of the rocks that she’d created earlier, chucking a small pebble at her legs. It whistled through the air, and smacked into Toph’s left knee. 

 

“Ow!” Toph yelped and glared at him, throwing a pebble that would have hit his skull dead on had he not dodged. At least he knew that she could aim properly, which was good. 

 

“Sorry!” Zuko said sheepishly, “You were supposed to dodge that.” 

 

“And how am I supposed to dodge something that I can’t see coming, huh?” Toph demanded, crossing her arms. 

 

“You’re supposed to… listen to the Earth.” Zuko suggested, recalling the way that Toph had explained the way she managed to sense how people were moving through her feet. He hadn’t really been able to understand it, “Feeling the vibrations in your feet, like how you use them to move, except predict how I’ll move instead.”

 

“Hmm, try it again.” Toph hummed, getting into a ready stance. 

 

Zuko picked up a bigger rock, but threw it slower in case it didn’t work. A small wall of rock erupted from the soil, but the rock landed in front of it with a dull thud. 

 

“It’s not working.” Toph snapped, glaring in his general direction, “I’m never going to be good at fighting if I can’t dodge anything.” 

 

“Maybe you’re just not used to reading combative body language yet.” Zuko suggested, hoping that she wouldn’t scoff at it, “Try focusing more on the way my arms move when I throw, we can test it to see if you can get an idea of how far I’m chucking a rock based on how much strain it puts on my body.” 

 

He picked up two rocks of about the same size, throwing one slowly and whipping the other out of his hand as fast as he could, “See how it took more effort for me to throw one of the rocks faster? You have to pay attention to that.” 

 

“Okay…” Toph furrowed her brow, obviously focusing on the task at hand, “Go.” 

 

Zuko obediently chucked another rock at her, and this time the rock wall she raised in her defense was almost fast enough to block it, the pebble skidding across the top of the wall and plopping to the ground, “That’s better!” 

 

“This will take a while.” Toph observed, her patience restored as they finally got a better grasp on how to train her. 

 

“Yeah.” Zuko agreed, and then they began working on having her block the projectiles at different speeds, and Toph retaliating with smaller rocks. 

 

He wasn’t sure if they should move onto bigger objects yet, it felt dangerous and he didn’t want to chance Toph getting hurt if she didn’t block in time. 

 

Eventually, they reached a stalemate where Toph was unable to block or dodge projectiles at certain speeds. She was clearly growing frustrated again, and Zuko wasn’t sure what was wrong. 

 

“How do you know any of this?” Toph questioned, blowing some of her bangs out of her face in an attempt to calm down. 

 

“I was trained when I was younger.” Zuko replied flatly, wondering if he’d be able to circumvent her lie detecting senses. “It takes years to get through the katas, so don’t feel bad about not being able to master them in only one night.” 

 

“Yeah? Did you ever struggle with the katas?” Toph asked, flopping down to the ground and effectively putting an end to their training. 

 

“For years.” Zuko answered somberly, thinking back on how he’d relearned bending after his father burned him. Katas meant for children had become things he struggled with, flinching back from any fire other than his own and learning how to balance on both sea and land. 

 

“Katas are for benders.” Toph said, letting the unspoken question linger in the air. 

 

Zuko swallowed, and thought carefully about what his response would be, “Yes.” 

 

“So what kind of bender are you?” Toph turned to look in his direction, as he had remained standing while she’d sat down. 

 

“Do you really want to know?” Zuko’s voice came out hoarse, as if he’d been strangled with the weight of this inevitable revelation. 

 

“It’s not Earth.” Toph remarked quietly, but with a heavy certainty in her voice, “And people say you’re pale so I don’t think you could be a Waterbender either.” 

 

“And all the Airbenders were slaughtered.” Zuko reminded her, remembering the smell of burned bones that had lingered in the Air Temples even a century after. 

 

“Fire.” Toph said weakly, her mouth in a flat line and the words barely audible. 

 

“Yes.” Zuko agreed, letting his inner flame roar for the first time in weeks. Flames licked up his right palm, dancing a mere hairsbreadth from his skin. “But I mean you no harm.” 

 

Toph didn’t say anything at all, her milky eyes rolling around in her skull. 

 

“I swear, Toph-” Zuko’s voice cracked under his sincerity, “I would never hurt you.”

 

“Why?” Toph asked, tilting her head, “Because you’re my friend?”

“Yes.” Zuko said desperately, praying to Agni that she would accept him, “I’m your friend. I promise. ”

 

“Alright.” Toph let out a breath, staring into the distance with blind eyes, “Do you know the concept of neutral jing?” 

 

Zuko blinked, wondering if he’d heard her correctly, “Yes?” 

 

“It’s a phrase that humans came up with, in order to describe what the badgermoles had taught Oma and Shu.” Toph explained calmly, “It’s waiting for the right moment, and never backing down because the earth moves for no one.”

 

“The Earth is eternal.” Zuko said the maxim of the Earth Dynasty softly, as he slowly understood what Toph was trying to tell him. 

 

She stood up, and took his hand in hers. Zuko held his breath until she spoke, “I’m not going to run away from you.” 

 

“I’m scared though, your people are the creatures that my parents have warned me about my whole life.” Toph admitted, and it broke Zuko’s heart to hear her say it, “I’ll meet you head on, honesty with honesty, Lee. I don’t want this to ruin our friendship.” 

 

“Thank yo-”

 

“I’m not done.” Toph dropped his hand to punch his arm, and this time it actually hurt. “You’re my only friend, and if this turns out to be a huge ruse, then I’ll kill us both with bending that you can’t even dream of.” 

 

Her eyes glinted in the moonlight, like deep pools of moonstone, “I’m the third person to ever learn from the badgermoles, you won’t live past your betrayal.” 

 

Clearly, Toph did not mince her words. Zuko swallowed, his mouth going dry at the thought of one of his closest friends being responsible for his death, before he replied, “It will never come to that.” 

 

“Good.” Toph said, before she offered her arm for him to guide her, “Take me home, I’m done training for tonight.” 

 

_______

 

In the middle of the town, there is a large signpost. There are numerous flyers posted on it: businesses advertising sales, wanted posters, decrees from the Fire Lord, and even missing pet flyers. Most glaringly of all, is a portait of who can only be Lee. 

 

On creamy white parchment, there is a delicate drawing of Lee with his hair in a ceremonial top knot and a gentle smile on his face. It’s a bit out of date, there’s no way that the boy Yu met could manage to get his choppy hair into a top knot now. 

 

Yu feels his hands tighten into fists on their own accord, the sharp sting of his nails cutting into his palms providing an outlet for the rage that now courses through his entire body. Prince Zuko, heir to the Fire Lord’s throne and missing since last summer. Almost no one walking around Arun Harbor even spares a glance at him, the people standing around the signpost simply walk or even peer around his body to get a better look at the portrait. 

 

He’d hiked through the coast of the Earth Kingdom, finding random spots of charred earth implying a fire pit had been made which convinced him that he was on the right path. Yu had almost faltered when he found the signpost pointing him to Arun Harbor, for all of his bravado, he’d never been to a Fire Nation colony before. He’d taken a deep breath and walked further along the road.

 

There weren’t any flyers on that signpost, remains of paper sticking to the staples indicated that they’d been ripped off. Passing through the gates of Arun Harbor’s walls had been a simple matter, his Beifong servant papers allowing him easy passage. It made him grit his teeth when he realized how common it must be for Beifong family employees to work with the Fire Nation. 

 

Once he was actually inside the city, Yu was in for a nasty surprise. On every wall, covering every lamp post and hanging outside every store window--a portrait of Lee claiming him to be the lost Prince Zuko. He overheard people talking about the missing prince on every block, a man hunt around the globe was currently on. He’d walked all the way into the middle of town, not knowing where to go, and here he stood. 

 

The wind gently ruffled his long hair, carrying with it the scent of sea salt. He looked out at the glittering sea, and wondered how many earthbenders had died defending Arun Harbor. Yu thought about how long it would take to ride back to Gaoling, before he turned on his heel and started walking towards the Transport District. He had an ostritch horse to buy and a prince to kill. 

 

A wry grin twisted his lips as he made his way through the dense foot traffic, he’d crush the prince slowly. A stoning would be most proper, keeping the boy alive until the very last second. A broken bone for everyone Yu had lost to the war. 

 

______

 

“Why are your parents trying to have another baby?” Azula asked, her voice sharper than the dagger she kept at her hip, “They didn’t even want you.” 

 

“I think they want to start a new set, I’m not really sure.” Ty Lee shrugged, letting her friend’s insult roll off her without thought, “They always seemed disappointed with any of their daughters, like we’re missing something that they were hoping for.” 

 

“Well, it’s true that not a single one of you are benders.” Azula pointed out, before she scooped a spoonful of almond jelly into her mouth. 

 

“Yeah…” Ty Lee’s hand was cold from holding the metal bowl for Azula’s jelly, “Not a single person in my family has ever been a bender, at least that I know of.” 

 

“That’s stupid.” Azula snapped, flicking her hand in the air and setting it ablaze, “There’s no point in wasting extra resources in an attempt to make something new when it’s already failed before. The martial art style of your parents has been invaluable to the Fire Nation since the days of Fire Lord Sozin, trying to get a bender when you already have a niche to fill is betraying your family’s purpose. Your parents aren’t being very patriotic.” 

 

 “I guess.” Ty Lee felt the aura of danger that was more prominent whenever she spent time with Azula these days, “But there’s nothing that I can do.” 

 

“Well I can.” Azula sniffed, “An order from the princess should be more than enough.” 

 

“You would do that?” Ty Lee asked, surprised at the gesture. 

 

“Of course.” Azula explained haughtily, “As you’re going to be my right hand one day, I can’t afford to have you develop issues stemming from your childhood.” 

 

 “Thank you?” Ty Lee was a bit confused, but maybe this was the way that things were going to be between them now that Azula’s life at home had become much more harsher. Azula had been acting like this for weeks, and she was confident from her aura senses that Azula was fraying thin from the stress. 

 

“Of course.” Azula responded, but it was clear that she was distracted by something else. Ty Lee let the conversation lapse into silence, wondering what Azula was thinking about. 

 

In the corner of the room, a half burned doll lay on the shelf, the beads of its eyes melted to imitate tears. The dull glossy malformed orbs reflected in Azula’s eyes, where she was staring off into thought. 

 

______

Ying crept along the hallways, two small cups of piping hot tea steaming in her hands. The warm clay cups heated her hands in the chill winter air, and the soft moonlight streamed in through the windows of the Beifong compound. She made her way to Toph’s room, where the attendant for the little girl was fast asleep on her feet. Every breath made her whole body sway dangerously, almost as if the drowsy servant was going to fall over any second. 

 

Ying held her breath as she nosed her way past the sleeping woman and made her way into Toph’s room. The guards who watched over Toph’s room were nowhere to be found, it was frustrating to Ying how the people whose literal jobs were to watch over Toph were carelessly leaving their jobs to be unfulfilled. The large room was shrouded in tapestries and screens, gorgeous painted silk scrolls hung on the walls and wall screens had pretty shadow work on them to imitate forests. 

 

She made sure to allow her feet to strike heavier against the floor now that she was alone with Toph, it was a subtle way to allow the girl to know that she was coming. There was no way for her to know where Toph’s bed actually was, the location was kept hidden by the countless decorations in the space. Better safe than sorry, of course. 

 

Ying hoped that Toph would like the surprise visit, and that she hadn’t made a mistake in assuming that her presence would be welcome. The little girl and her had become fast friends, and Ying cared for her in a way that she would liken to how she would have treated a younger sister if she’d had one. Toph had given her enough hints in conversations for Ying to guess where her room was located within the compound, and the sleeping attendant posted outside of the room only confirmed her hunch. The room smelled of sweet oranges, and wasn’t lit at all. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and the faint glow that came from the full moon piercing through the curtains over the windows. 

 

For some reason, Ying hadn’t been able to sleep tonight. An odd feeling of unease had swept through her as she lay in her bed, and she’d felt the urge to check on the little girl whom she cared so much about. A quick visit to her tea supply room, and a short walk to Toph’s room had led her to this moment. Even if Toph wasn’t up to talking this late at night, Ying knew that just getting a glimpse of her would soothe the random ache in her chest. So she pressed onward into the strange room, trying to find where Toph slept. 

 

The soft fabric of the drapes brushed against her shoulders as she parted them, and the sight of a small bed greeted her. Toph was curled up under the blankets, none of her head visible from above. Ying smiled, it was adorable that Toph slept in a little ball like a rabbaroo. There was a small table next to the bed, she set down the cups of tea with a thud and turned towards the bed. 

 

Now was the moment of truth, she hoped that she wouldn’t startle Toph by waking her up. Ying reached down to the mess of blankets that was tangled on the bed, and gently patted what she assumed to be Toph’s shoulder. Instead of her hand meeting blanketed, solid flesh, it felt as if she was patting a plush pillow. Frowning, Ying tried again to locate the little girl’s body under the blankets, but with no success. 

 

Heart beating in her chest like a drum, Ying peeled back the blankets only to find more blankets. Forgoing caution, she frantically tore through them, searching for Toph’s body. Only once her hands met the soft fabric of the mattress did she stop. The blankets slowly seeped onto the floor, pooling in heaps of silk and cotton. She took a step back, gasping at the empty bed before her. 

 

Ying quickly spun around, moving without care and calling Toph’s name. She made her way throughout the entire room without finding her, and circled back to the bed. She felt herself sink onto her knees, and looked down at her palms. Perhaps she’d gotten the room wrong, after all? It wasn’t as if a mere tea server would be privy to the location of the Beifong heir. But she’d been so sure… Toph had given her so many clues. 

 

Toph might just be taking a midnight stroll, Ying thought, resolving not to raise the alarm. She snuck back out of the room, making her way to the gardens where she might encounter her friend. As shaken as she was by the missing girl, Ying forgot about the tea that she’d brought Toph and left the two cups sitting on the nightstand. 

 

_______

 

They’re sparring when it happens, Zuko’s letting bursts of his fire light up the night in their training clearing and Toph is retaliating with shots of rock and sprays of gravel. Teaching her how to spar had been easier than he thought, once she’d gotten through the basic katas and had understood the building blocks of fighting then her movements had become smoother over time. The same moves that he had seen out of the corner of his eye during fights between his friends and Fire Nation soldiers during his first lifetime were being formed during the nights that they trained together. He’d recognized the ways that Toph conserved energy, practicing true neutral jing, and always striking at the perfect time. She was still a beginner, but her progress soothed his worries about her not being able to protect herself. 

 

Bending again had brought him peace that he hadn’t realized he’d been missing, feeling his inner flame roar down his limbs and explode into being made Zuko feel whole again. Toph had meant what she’d said, and her trust in him had done more for Zuko’s psyche than he would have ever expected. He spent his days looking forward to his nights, longing to feel Agni’s gift after months of suppressing his bending. 

 

Maybe had they been training for longer, maybe if he’d taken time to improve by himself and get used to his younger body, then this could have all been avoided. A single shout from the opposite side of the clearing, the side closest to Gaoling draws both of their attention. Zuko feels his body run cold as he recognizes the uniforms of Earth Nation soldiers standing under the trees, a single man in farmer’s wraps standing before them all. 

 

Toph sucks in her breath, and asks him what’s wrong. It’s only then that he realizes her range is nothing compared to what he was used to in his first life, and that she can’t see the people across from them. Zuko watches them watch him and Toph, their faces shrouded in shadow. 

 

“You need to run.” Zuko whispers, not wanting the wind to carry his words, “There are soldiers here, and they saw me bending.” 

 

“What are you going to do, Lee?” Toph asks, her body tense in a way that he doesn’t recognize, “They’re going to kill you, or die trying.” 

 

“I’m not going to hurt them.” Zuko promises, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to take the guilt of that in this lifetime, “I’m going to escape, maybe even start a forest fire so they won’t follow me.” 

 

“Why haven’t they moved forward?” Toph questioned, her voice edgy, “What are they waiting for?” 

 

“They want us to make the first move.” Zuko’s voice came out hoarse, his eyesight adjusting to the dark as he recognized how many soldiers were waiting in the treeline. “You can’t get caught with me, so run underground once you get within distance of the caves.” 

“Okay.” Toph responded tearily, “So this is goodbye?” 

 

Zuko blinked, taking his attention away from their soon-to-be attackers and looking at the younger version of his friend promising her sincerely , “I’ll come back here, in three years. I promise.” 

 

Either Toph didn’t have enough experience with friends to question him about the time specification, or she took him at his word, because Toph simply nodded and gave him a hug. Zuko felt his heartbeat stutter, before he gripped her even closer, and breathed in her scent. Too soon he let go, meeting her eyes and knowing he had to provide enough of a distraction so that the soldiers wouldn’t catch Toph. She didn’t have enough experience with fighting to fend them off if they attempted to capture her, and he’d give himself up before he’d let her suffer the consequences of knowing him. 

 

The clouds that had covered the moon were blown away by the wind, letting the light of Tui spill across their faces and illuminating the clearing. Suddenly he could see the soldiers’ locations in the treeline, and the person standing in front of all of them looked oddly familiar. 

 

A cry of rage echoed from the person in front of the soldiers, it ripped discordant through the night air and rattled the earth beneath them. They ran forward, leading the charge of the soldiers into the clearing. Zuko let loose a whip of fire, keeping them away from him and Toph. 

 

Screaming for her to flee, Zuko turned around and whipped out his dual blades. He split a small boulder that had been hurled at him by the person in farmer’s clothes, who was now close enough that he could see it was a man. The man was clearly a master earthbender, he sent several spikes with razor sharp points in Zuko’s direction. Only by desperately weaving in between them did Zuko manage to avoid being speared by the rocks. 

 

Knowing that closing the distance between them was the only way that Zuko could equal their chances, he charged forward while blasting walls of fire on either side of them. The walls of multi-colored flame were thick and blistering hot, they kept the rest of the soldiers from crossing the clearing anymore than they had already. Rocks rained down on either side of him, it was all he could do to avoid being crushed. The soldiers were focusing their attacks on Zuko, the very soil beneath his feet was constantly opening and shifting as multiple benders worked their will upon it. 

 

By sheer luck, Zuko managed to get close enough to the man leading the charge and caught a glimpse of his face before a shard of granite slashed across his back calf. Master Yu snarled at him as he let loose a volley of rocks in Zuko’s direction. Blood gushed down his leg, and he let out a hiss of pain before leaping out of the way of Yu’s attack. A few rocks caught his shoulder, jarring the joint and making his left arm go numb. 

 

He grunted before kicking out his injured leg and blasting a huge burst of fire from his foot. Yu was forced to give ground, the stray leaves on the ground roasting and leaving little smoking embers where he’d stood. The small victory didn’t last for long, as more attacks came from the countless soldiers behind him. There were sudden launches of boulders and walls of rock that blocked his way from out of the clearing, and though he could have taken all of them when he was sixteen, his thirteen year old body was already tiring from the endless onslaught. 

 

Zuko’s blades spun around him, flames licking down their entire length as he used what felt like all of his strength to deflect the attacks that he couldn’t fully dodge. Somehow he’d lost track of Yu in the madness. Like a cornered animal, he started to let loose more deadly attacks as he began to lose hope that he was going to make it out of the clearing. 

 

Suddenly a high pitched scream sounded from across the clearing, and it didn’t take longer than a few seconds for Zuko to realize that it was Toph. NO! SHE SHOULD HAVE LEFT BY NOW! Whipping around, Zuko changed track from trying to exit the clearing and ran straight towards where he’d heard her. An inferno raged from him, burning any of the soldiers who dared to get near him, not that he cared as he carelessly tore through the ranks of soldiers who’d been chasing him. 

 

Soon enough he came upon a scene that sickened him, Toph hung from the grasp of a female soldier with blood visibly leaking from her hairline. Her eyes were still open, but it didn’t seem like she was capable of moving. As Zuko got closer, he realized that her arm was bent in the opposite direction that it should be in. 

 

Rage coursed through him, and the flames that had surrounded him in a protective barrier surged forward and slammed into the soldier holding Toph. Shrieking, she dropped his friend, rolling on the ground to prevent herself from burning further. Shouts from the soldiers behind him indicated that they’d seen what had happened. 

 

Switching to holding his dao in only one hand, Zuko prepared to grab Toph and sling her over his shoulder before running into the forest and setting it all on fire, ensuring that they couldn’t be pursued. Gripping the rough cloth of her training clothes, he swung her limp body up and heard her groan. Twisting his body, he let loose a stream of fire towards the soldiers approaching them and sprinted towards the treeline in Gaoling’s direction. 

 

“Lee”, Toph grunted weakly, “Watch-” 

 

The world tilted upside down the minute they crossed out of the clearing, a dull pain exploding across his left side as Zuko’s breath got knocked out of him. Slowly, he blinked his eyes and stared up at the sky. The moon hung above him, and his head pounded with a fresh, throbbing pain. Distantly, he heard someone screaming. 

 

_______

Toph has never heard anyone die before, her parents kept her sheltered from any kind of suffering that the world had to offer. With animals, she is well accustomed to the rapid beating of the heart that comes before sudden silence, and it’s never bothered her before. 

 

When she is blasted off of Lee’s shoulder by a boulder slamming into his other side, she’s never felt more useless. Dazed, her arm burning up with a pain that she’s never felt before in her life, Toph felt for the earth and recognized their attacker. 

 

“Yu.” She gasped, her ears ringing as she registered that her Earthbending master was standing over Lee. Lee who wasn’t getting up, who wasn’t moving or telling her to run for it. She screamed, “NO!” 

 

Unable to do anything but listen as Lee’s heart beats for the very last time, his life slipping away faster than she can scramble to pick herself off of the ground. Toph totters as she finally gets up, her head wound making everything harder to do including finding her balance. 

 

Master Yu stalks towards her, a low laugh coming out of him that sounds sinister and wrong, like it doesn’t belong to a human at all. 

 

“What are you going to do now, Beifong?” He taunts, and she can tell that he’s enjoying this. His heart is beating in joy the same way that anyone else’s would when watching a comedy play. Her first ever friend is dead, and he’s laughing, “Not much of an earthbender, are you?” 

 

Toph lets herself fall to the ground, digging both of her hands into the soft soil and feeling it move under her fingers. Her right arm is screaming at her to stop, the movements on that side being slower and clunkier than the rest of her body. 

 

She remembers a promise that she’d made to Lee, that she would show him the true might of Earth if he ever betrayed her. The clearing had been cool then, with soft dirt in stark contrast to the hellfire that blazed all around her. Toph closed her eyes, and began to weep for what she’d lost. Lee, I’m so so sorry. 

 

Her feet are planted firmly against the ground, Toph thinks for a second about her family. Will they suspect that there was a malicious reason that she never came home? Or will they think that she ran away and never looked back? Heart aching, Toph wished that she could have had more time. 

 

Her ears pick up on what Master Yu is saying midway through, “Well if you’re not going to get up, I’m fine with killing you on all fours like the animal that you are.” 

 

How… ironic. 

 

Toph felt the comfort of the Earth one last time, before she clawed at the ground, feeling her nails splinter with the force of it, and spread her arms apart, the way that one would after opening a door. Underneath her, the ground was wrenched in two. A deep suture, mimicking the ways that the badgermoles opened the ground in order to eat or retreat, she maximized the effect until the earth was rocking back and forth. She heard Master Yu yell as he fell into it, wresting control of the earth from him as he tried to slow his fall. Groaning, she tasted a salty, warm liquid run into her mouth, blood, from her nose. 

 

This was a last resort, it took everything she had and Toph gladly gave it. Without creating the earthquake, there was no other way to take out everyone in the clearing. They all deserved it, after what they’d done to Lee. 

 

The Earth is eternal, but those who live on it are not. 

 

_______

 

They say that the Dragon of the West is a broken man, he roams the globe looking for a lost prince who will never return home. The more wicked of these gossipers wonder which prince it is that he’s looking for, the nephew or the son? 

 

The Lost Prince is a story told in every bar, on every island, and along every roadside fire. It gives hope to those fighting the Fire Nation, that the Royal Family isn’t so powerful. After all, they lost a child the same way that a Earth Kingdom peasant loses one. Prince Zuko is a warning tale for years, against strangers in the dark and spirits who rage against the injustices committed by his nation. A sorry little hamlet in the Fire Nation, who recently lost their innkeeper, is the only town to insist that the Lost Prince is simply looking for a way home and isn’t dead. 

 

General Iroh makes his way across the world, until he winds up in the South Pole on a rundown ship. The boy he finds in the ice is not his nephew, but rather the Avatar himself. It’s a selfish thing to do, to promise to teach the Avatar firebending in exchange for Aang looking for Zuko in the Spirit World. Iroh would search for him himself, but he’s never been able to find his nephew in either world. It’s safe to assume that the Avatar would have better luck. 

 

It’s after they’re in a swamp, where ghosts of mothers and princesses flare up that Aang tells them that he saw two children sparring together. The last airbender saw a girl in a white dress laughing, and a boy with swords on his back, bending earth and fire respectively in a match against each other. Iroh’s heart leaps in his throat and when they finally land in Gaoling, it’s to find a random clearing that’s been torn up, the earth opened in a huge crack similar to a scar. 

 

They make camp there that night, although something about it gives Iroh an eerie feeling that he can’t shake. It’s only until later, when a ragged man with a top bun wearing clothes that have seen better days accosts them and tells them that they cannot camp in a place that has seen so much death. Shen, as he introduces himself, explains that this was a sight of a battle and that continuing to make their camp here would be disrespectful. 

 

While the children of the South Pole and Aang make their case for why they need to stay near Gaoling, Iroh alone notices how the man’s body goes rigid after Aang describes his visions in the swamp. There’s no doubt about it, this fool knows something about Zuko’s whereabouts and Iroh will not rest until that information is pried from his lips. 

 

With a bright flame billowing in his hand, Iroh gently explains what will happen if the man does not tell him where his nephew is. It’s extinguished minutes later, as Iroh resists the urge to throw up as he learns that they’ve been camping on top of a mass grave. A grave where his nephew and his friend, along with many soldiers, were killed. It’s hard to eat after that, when he can stare at the surrounding soil and wonder where his nephew took his last breaths. 

 

While they’re resting after the fight with Azula and her minions, Shen is fumbling through teaching Aang the basics of earthbending when he sighs and explains that the Earth must be listened to, above all other things. Flashy punches and kicks like what they’d seen when the whole group had gone to Shen’s Earth Rumbles were not true examples of earth bending, they were moves that Shen did on stage in order to make a living as a poor performer. Aang doesn’t seem to like the simplicity of earthbending that Shen insists is correct, but he goes along with it anyways. Iroh doesn’t pay much attention at that point, the burns on his chest too severe for him to care about what his companions were doing. 

 

In Ba Sing Se, the city feels rotten even though everything seems peaceful. Ju Dee seems perfectly pleasant, in a way that reminds Iroh of noble women whose husbands threaten them with harm if they don’t put on a good showing of hospitality. Inequality between the rings presents a stark difference of living, and the case of the Avatar’s bison being missing within the city makes everything seem sinister.

 

 Setting up a tea shop in the Upper Ring is easy with how much money is being thrown at them for simply knowing the Avatar. He needed something to do with his time once they’d been told how long it will take for them to see the King. Iroh is on edge the entire time that they’re there; despite his infamous attack on the city, no one recognizes him without his beard. He wins an audience with the Earth King before their official meeting is scheduled, and Iroh is tasked with convincing the King that the war is still going on, to inform him of the Day of Black Sun. 

 

Shen accompanies him, as anyone else in their party is too conspicuous. They dress in borrowed robes that had been gifted to them, accompanied by Dai Lee agents that remind Iroh of the more corrupt army officials back home. The two of them are waiting in the tea room of the Earth King, when King Kuei, Long Feng, and his favorite tea pourer arrive. 

 

As the King explains that he wishes to pit the two master tea brewers against each other, Iroh notices the way that Shen has gone pale. The woman in green robes introduces herself as another Ju Dee, her grin eerily stretching across her face. 

 

“Ying.” Shen whispers, refusing to take a seat and making the entire meeting halt as both the King and Iroh try to figure out what’s going on. Long Feng attempts to intervene, to call the meeting short, but Shen puts a stop to everything. With earthbending prowess that Iroh didn’t expect, he binds the Dai Lee and Long Feng before they can attack the two of them. While the Earth King demands an explanation, it’s Iroh who convinces him to listen to what Shen is saying, even though he’s just as confused. Trusting your comrades is a choice that Iroh has never regretted, and he isn’t about to start doubting Shen now. 

 

The corruption and brainwashing techniques of the Dai Lee are exposed in a single afternoon. Appa’s location was given up by higher Dai Lee agents once they realized that the organization was under fire by the King, who is horrified by Shen’s recollection of the woman that his tea server once was, and who she has been forced to become. Iroh leaves the room to Shen and the woman, watching the man gently cradle her hand and sob as she politely asks him what kind of tea he would like.

Notes:

Hello, Happy New Year.

I'm sorry that this took so long, I hope that you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think in the comments. Also I didn't update for two months and yet I still got fresh comments? I don't even know why but thank you to new readers because that's crazy and I have no idea how any of you found this fic lol. I kind of rushed the end, so if it's bad lmk and I'll fix it, I just really wanted to get this out before the new year started.

Chapter 13: March to the Sea (Pt. 1)

Notes:

hey :) your comments mean so much to me and reading them makes me feel so good about my writing and they're really good motivation. I won't even lie, i fucking love the attention and it makes me so happy that so many people actually care about what i do

anyways-- this is just part of the new chapter, I'm going to upload the rest this weekend but I just wanted to give you guys part of it now. I know myself, I usually take longer to finish chapters so that they read well and they'll become bigger projects that take a while to finish and then it's a later than usual update. I'm trying to avoid that in the new year though? So... enjoy :)

also i was listening to songs from middle school and top came on, it just felt fitting so that's why there's so many references to March to the Sea in this chapter.

The sun slowly rises above Caldera City, rays of light peeking their way through the clouds of thick smoke that hang thick above the buildings. In the middle of the city, the palace is concealed by its high walls but every citizen is able to see that it lays in shambles. Most of the city evacuated, with whispers of a coup spreading throughout the kingdom. 

 

It’s been reported that all of the Royal Family, the higher nobles, and elite military personnel made it out of the smouldering remains without incident. The shores of Caldera are flooded with soldiers, hell bent on making their way through the city to find their quarry. Floating boats in the sea are filled with evacuees, with every single person being made to identify themselves and inform the investigating soldiers of their whereabouts that night. 

 

Despite the damage being contained to the Royal Palace, no one except for those with military clearance are allowed to enter the city and a royal decree has been sent out that no boat is to leave the Fire Nation without express permission from the Fire Lord yet. The Royal Family is sheltering in the Royal Bunker for the time being, as the bomber has yet to be caught. Parts of the palace still lay blazing, none of the firefighters have been able to absorb the flames yet, and thus no one has been able to enter it yet. 

 

In the middle of the palace, Zuko stares at the empty turtleduck pond and wonders if he killed the innocent animals with his blast. All of the water in the pond had evaporated with the strength of his flames, and it resembled a crater in the earth more than anything else, much like the rest of the Royal Gardens. His mother had always preferred this garden, it’d been her favorite and he remembered with fondness some of the teas he’d had with Uncle and Azula in his previous lifetime. Blinking, he tilts his head up to stare at the flakes of ash that come swirling down through the air. 

 

They land on his cheek, disintegrating within milliseconds of contact, and turn the tears that run down his face black. Chest heaving, all he can manage to do is stay upright, tremors racking his body. The sound of collapsing walls echoes in the background, crackling flames eating up the walls of his childhood home. The cherry trees that Azula so loved burn with a sweet scent, it’s pleasant as it wafts on the wind. 

 

The garden was a safe place, untouched by all the tragedy that had occured in his many lifetimes. Zuko had come here seeking comfort, plunging his hands in the waters of the pond. The turtleducks had swam away from him after the noise he’d made had woken them up from their slumber, quacking up a storm in disapproval. He knew that he had wondered if Toph had ever seen a turtleduck, before a wave of grief had slammed into him and flames had erupted from his entire being. He didn’t remember much after that. 

 

If a beam fell on him, would he die? Or would he sleep eternally, unable to repeat this cursed life again and again and again? Once these thoughts would have filled him with shame, for those who desert their duty aren’t fit to bear it at all, but who had saddled him with this power? Why not give it to someone who could make a difference? Someone like Aang could really do something with this chance, he wouldn’t run away from his destiny like Zuko had. Aang was brave, and he had only gotten wiser with time. The Avatar would have gotten wiser with every lifetime, he wouldn’t run to his friends and fail to protect them. 

 

His breath rattled in his chest, Zuko felt his eyes sting with salt and ash and wondered if he’d ever do anything right with his life. Why was he doomed to waste everything given to him? Why could he never make the right choices? Why did everyone else seem like they knew what their doing, even Toph-

 

Toph. 

 

Unbeknownst to Zuko, the thousands of firefighters who’d been battling the flames with seawater from the harbor screamed in unison as the flames that’d been dying out roared back to life, eating up food and melting metal with their intensity. Later on, one of them would swear that he heard the flames themselves screaming. Nonsense, others would reply, but still… the flames had been unnaturally hot and resistant to suffocation. Stranger things had happened in this city. 

 

Agni, his throat hurt so badly. Zuko staggered to his feet, gazing at the destruction that raged all around him. There would be no pack for him to take this time, his room was probably already buried under a collapsed roof. Walking forward, guilt over potentially injuring people who’d done nothing to deserve it racked his frame, he picked his way all the way to the walls. He held enough awareness to avoid the firefighters, but his mind wasn’t capable of thinking beyond his single goal of getting out of the bombsite he’d made the palace into. The white hot flames parted around him, before surging back into place the minute his feet left the ground. 

 

The gates had been left open, and he walked through them without care about who saw him. In the pajamas he'd woken up in before his episode of terror and panic, Zuko walked with a single shoe towards one of the many footpaths leading out of the city. The forest was quiet, save for the few sobs that tumbled out of his mouth every now and then. He supposed that the explosion had scared away all of the animals as well as the people. 

 

That was good, Zuko was too dangerous for anyone to get close to him now. It was better for him to be alone, than to ever tangle people in his curse ever again. 

 

_____

 

There’s miles of land in front of them, the earth stretching out in every direction except for one. Directly ahead of them, mere hours away, lays the glittering sea. A large boat already sits in the nearby water, waiting for the mass of people marching towards it. 

 

She knows that should she ever step on that boat, she will never come home again. Not that there was much left of it, the Fire Nation had seen to that. The soldiers who’d seized her parents’ land had claimed that the children in her town were to be taken to a care facility where they’d be taught proper culture and learn valuable skills, skills far beyond the simple agricultural village was capable of teaching them. The colony schools were well known around the Earth kingdom for their horrific conditions, rampant abuse, and indoctrination. Like hell she was ever going to willingly go there. 

 

It hadn’t been up to her, or her parents. Bee’s parents had watched passively as soldiers dragged her out of their house, biting and scratching at the hands that pulled her away from the only home she’d ever known. Resisting simply wasn’t an option for them, all it would bring was suffering. She’d been shoved into a wagon filled with other kids in her town, and they’d been driven to where the column of marchers started, the Fire Nation’s base of operations in this area. 

 

From there, they’d been forced to march in a wide swath of land that had been burned into the rolling hills of her province. Normally berry thickets, hardy trees, and bushes cluttered even the most worn footpaths, but black ash coated every one of their footsteps instead. Soldiers had created a straight line, as if it’d been traced out with a rule, across the world leading to the sea. The Fire Nation had no concept of respecting the Earth, they imposed their own will on it without care. 

 

The journey was hard, and the only people allowed to sit on the supply wagons were infants who could not be carried by older children. There was no need for chains, they walked in line in fear of being beaten or left out in the wilderness to be feasted on by wild animals. Bee’s feet were aching, and dust had mixed with old blood from popped blisters to create a sticky brown syrup that stained her shoes. At least she had shoes, some of the other children walked barefoot. 

 

Up ahead, one of the officers on an ostrich horse raised his hand and shouted out orders for the column of marchers to stop for a water break. She let out a sigh of relief, her throat was so dry that she could feel it rubbing against the other side of it every time that she swallowed. Bee cast a wary look around her, so far the soldiers had assumed that she was a boy but one of the kids might be able to tell that she was really a girl. 

 

Being a girl all alone in a war was the worst thing to be. 

 

“Heyo, Smelly!” Was all the warning she got before a splash of water hit her face, Bee gasped as most of it dripped onto her clothes. Very little of the water got into her mouth, and the soldier was already moving forward, sneering, “We ought to drop you runts into the sea, then we wouldn’t have to deal with this stench.” 

 

“It’s not their fault.” A pale boy holding the huge water bucket that the soldier was scooping water out of to give to the children said, “Earth Kingdom citizens love being dirty, that’s why they’re so dirty and smelly.” 

 

“You’re right!” The soldier leaned down, grabbing a handful of soil and throwing it onto one of the girls in the column, “You like that, don’t you? Being dirty probably makes you feel good. Say it. ” 

 

Bee felt a chill down her spine as the soldier’s tone switched from cruelty to a warning of something far worse, before she knew it she had stepped forward and kicked him in the back of the knee. The soldier went down onto the path with a plume of ash, staring bewilderedly up at her. On her part, Bee couldn’t believe what she’d just done. 

 

Attacking a soldier? Out of all the stupid things she could have done, this was ultimately the worst choice to make. The soldier leaped up, drawing out a knife as she backed further away. He crept closer to her, his furious expression promising her that there would be hell to pay for what she just did. Her body tensed as she walked into something hard, whipping her head around to see one of the senior officers on a rhino looking at both of them. 

 

“Soldier, is something the matter?” The officer asked unkindly, his tone sharper than she expected, “Why are you not handing out water as ordered.” 

 

“This brat assaulted a soldier of the Fire Lord’s army!” The nameless soldier hissed, a vein in his neck bulging out, “He needs to be punished.” 

 

“If you’re weak enough to let a scrimpy thing like that boy assault you, then you aren’t fit to bear the mark of a soldier regardless.” The officer replied coolly, “Now do your damn duty, before I reprimand you.” 

 

“Yessir.” The soldier saluted, grabbing the pale boy holding the water bucket and scurrying away from the two of them. 

 

Bee glanced up at the officer, studying his armor and rhino. Through the slits of his helmet, golden eyes stared impassively down at her before they rolled in their sockets. 

 

“Come here.” The officer yanked Bee’s arm, almost forcing a yelp out of her as she was painfully pulled up onto the rhino, “Just stay on here, you’re going to need to be held separately until that man forgets his grudge.” 

 

“Thank you.” Bee mumbled, unsure of where to rest her hands and choosing to just hold onto the saddle and squeeze as hard she could with her thighs. 

 

“Don’t fucking thank me, brats like you make my job harder than it needs to be.” With that, Bee felt his armored gloves crack the top of her head. It was a sharp blow, the kind that makes your ears ring and dulls your senses until your body catches on fully onto what attack it just suffered. 

Eyes watering, she sat on top of the rhino as the officer made his way to the front of the column. A small line of children stood alone there, their skin pale and hair dark. She took in the way that some of them had frizzy hair or lighter eyes, and sucked in her breath as she realized she was staring at mixed children. One of them had a painful looking black eye, he stood towering over the rest of them. While his eyes were blacker than obsidian, no one could look at the way they were shaped and not think of the soldiers who wore red armor. 

 

Bee was roughly shoved off of the rhino, hitting the ground hard with both of her feet and managing to stay upright. She looked up at the officer for direction, wondering why she’d been brought up here. It was clear that she stood out, even in this crowd of mixed kids. Bee’s family came from a series of islands in the Southern Earth Kingdom, known for their curvy letters and culture’s religious tattoos. They had tan skin and brown hair, skilled in the art of seafaring and woodworking. Her grandparents had moved to the mainland for reasons that she didn’t know, but their family had kept the physical traits that their people were known for. If the officer was hoping to hide her in this group, he was stupid for thinking that the soldier would forget her face when she didn’t look like anyone else in the column. 

 

“Stay put, brat.” The officer ordered, before riding away to bark orders at the soldiers who stayed at the front. 

 

Bee looked at the ensemble of kids before her, wondering how many of them were results of soldiers’ cruelty or simply lost colonial kids. The tall boy was the only one who met her eyes, calmly nodding to her before turning away to comfort a crying young boy standing next to him. She felt a tug on her pant leg, a little toddler stared at her before offering its arms up in the universal sign for “up”. Rolling her eyes, Bee picked up the tike, balancing most of its weight on her hip and trying to figure out if it was a boy or a girl. 

 

“What’s your name?” Bee asked, poking its soft cheek with one of her grimy fingers. 

 

“Yanyan.” The toddlered bubbled, tugging on her hair in retaliation and swiping at her hand. 

 

That’s not helpful. 

 

Bee sighed, glancing over at the boy who was the only kid in the group close to her age. She couldn’t tell if he was older or younger than her, only that he too was taking on the responsibility of holding a kid too young to walk properly. The soldiers started yelling, the ones from the back announcing that the water break was over. The inside of her mouth tasted like dust, she was still so thirsty. 

 

The group shuffled forward, walking at a faster pace than she’d been walking at in the middle of the column. Without her noticing, the pale boy and her began to walk side by side, the kids on their hips being held on the opposite side. She eyed him, taking in his large nose and slanted eyes. 

 

“What’s your name?” Bee asked, taking care to lower her voice, both in case a soldier overheard them talking and so that she sounded less like a girl. 

 

The boy merely met her eyes, blinked, and pointed at her without saying anything in response. 

 

“My name?” Bee asked, waiting for him to nod, before thinking about what a good fake name would be, “It’s… Smellerbee.” 

 

While the boy didn’t offer his name in return, one of the little kids walking next to them snorted in derision. She turned to look at her, the little girl in nicer quality clothes than anyone else in their group. The little girl glared at her and stated, “That’s such a dumb name, there’s no way that your parents named you that.” 

 

“Maybe my parents didn’t name me it because they’re gone.” Bee pointed out, watching with satisfaction as the little girl’s face fell, “It’s a good name and it’s mine now, so what does it matter to you?” 

 

When the little girl didn’t do anything other than stare sullenly at the path before them, Bee sneered, “That’s what I thought.” 

 

A soft smack on her shoulder made her turn around, looking at the pale boy in surprise. He frowned at her, shaking his head and made an angry face. He then pointed at her and opened his mouth, making it look like he was saying words without making sound. A thumbs down came next, before he jabbed her in the arm again. 

 

“Are you… telling me not to be mean?” Bee asked, slightly confused about why the boy was refusing to actually speak to her. 

 

The boy nodded, pointing at the little her beside her. Bee turned her attention back onto the twerp, who was now sniffling as if she was holding back tears. She rolled her eyes, and looked back at the big-nosed-baffoon trying to order her around, “I wasn’t being mean, and don’t tell me what to do.” 

 

He rolled his eyes in response, before foisting the little boy he’d been holding into her arms. Bee barely managed to catch the kid, smooshing Yanyan into her armpit as she tucked the boy into her arms. The tall boy simply walked over to her other side, softly patting the little girl’s head and making silly faces until she laughed. Over the top of her head, he glared at Bee, who glared right back at him. 

 

The minute that he got close enough, Bee shoved the little boy back into his arms. Yanyan was heavy enough, the little boy was fat enough to make her arms ache even though she couldn’t have been holding him for that long, “Jerk.” 

 

The tall boy raised an eyebrow at that, pointing at her as if to say that she was the one being the jerk. Bee gritted her teeth, wanting to smack him upside the head. 

 

“Wa-wa!” Yanyan gasped, pointing out to Bee the glittering sea that lay in front of them. She stared at it, shock painting her features. She could have sworn that it should have taken them longer to get this point, it would barely take an hour for them to make their way down these winding cliffs to the beach below.

Notes:

Also to answer some questions about the story:

-it's going to be very long, I love long projects and I have so many ideas
-the reason that Toph's part is so long relates to the reason that Zuko keeps looping (spirits), and as one of the most spiritually connected members of the Gaang, I thought that it would be prudent for her to play a larger role. Plus she has so much potential for mobility unlike the South Pole siblings or Aang, who have to wait for longer to be implemented in the story due to their locations.
-I always saw The Swamp as a place of memories, so both Toph and Zuko in the last timeline aren't spirits but merely remnants of who they were. The swamp connects the whole world right? So I thought it would be cool to connect the ideas "the earth is eternal" and the swamp's wide range and basically insinuate that the trauma that Toph wreaked upon the earth when she split it left a permanent memory that leaves its traces in the swamp. lol that 100% did not come across in my last chapter (bad writing lmao) but that was the intention haha.

also also

if anyone knows a good beta who'd like to beta this story, hmu. I know there's grammar mistakes that are in this story that I'm not catching and I hate it.

Chapter 14: March to the Sea (Pt. 2)

Notes:

Hello :) just wanted to pop in and say thank you for all of your lovely comments. they make my day to see them and i love rereading them when i need motivation. I think I'm going to write an aot or bnha fic soon, but T-T college is hard so we'll see.

also lmao i'm so sorry that the only other works that i have posted on here are for idol producer ships, i'm pretty sure they're so niche and poorly written that it's gotta be disappointing for someone to click on my pfp thinking they'll get more atla and instead get yanjing fics

Riku stared openly at the strange boy standing next to him; he called himself “Smellerbee”, a name so obviously fake that he was surprised only one of the little kids had called him out on it. The little boy in his arms snored against his chest, his only notable Fire Nation feature -golden eyes- were hidden by his closed eyelids. Unlike the rest of the children in the column, those with any mixed heritage would be taken to an academy in the colonies. A lifetime of military service awaited them, where they’d utilise their knowledge of the Earth Kingdom to fight against the very land that had raised them. 

 

Which is why it was odd that Smellerbee stood in their group, his dark skin and light hair resembled neither Earth or Fire. The way he kept glancing over his shoulder signalled that he was on the lookout for something. Smellerbee was clearly trouble, and Riku didn’t need any more attention on him than what already was. 

 

Unlike the rest of the children with mixed blood, Riku was the only child that the Fire Nation soldiers  managing the column had been told about previously. The Yuyan archers were a renown special operations unit for the Fire Nation, and Riku’s mother had been a warrior caught alone in an Earth Kingdom province. While she hadn’t survived the night, she’d lived long enough to bestow the name Riku upon him-- just typically Fire Nation enough to mark him as foreign, as if his features and muteness didn’t do enough. The local garrison had taken him in, raising him as a ward of the government. An older lieutenant had grown fond of him, and took him in as one of his own. 

 

Riku swallowed, his heart aching at the thought of his father. He’d died during the raid, he shouldn’t have been out there fighting at his age regardless of the amount of enemy soldiers in their town. He should have fled with the rest of the elderly, damn him. Riku had fought against the nation of his birth, armed a bow and his genetically impeccable aim. He’d been too fucking cowardly to kill, too weak to save his father. Maybe his father would still be alive if he had had the courage to defend his home properly. 

 

His watering eyes bored into the back of the soldier in front of him, rest assured, if he got his hands on a bow then he wouldn’t spare a soul in that uniform. They all deserved to die for what they did. 

 

The soldiers had pulled him off of his father’s body, picking up on the way that he was racked with silent sobs. A lucky find, they’d sent a report on a hawk back to occupied territory and within hours of the raid, he’d found himself being transported to the Fire Nation’s collection camps for stolen children. 

 

He would never see his home again. 

 

That was the miserable truth of the matter, with the entire garrison taken out by the enemy, no one in his town would welcome his return. They might even blame him for attracting the Fire Nation to their hamlet. Everyone he’d been raised by, from Lee the cavalier to Shu the oldest captain they had, was gone. 

 

Riku wondered if this was his punishment, for failing to defend his village he would never be allowed to return to it. 

 

“Oy!” Smellerbee jabbed him in the shoulder, starling him from his daze and bringing his attention to the boat that loomed ahead of them in the shallow water. 

 

Somehow, they’d made it all the way down to the ocean without Riku noticing, the soft sand gave way under the weight of his feet and his arm was numb from being locked in the same position for so long. He looked at the rest of the children, who looked so weary from walking that he worried if they’d be able to keep their bodies upright for however long it took for the soldiers to load them onto the boat. 

 

“You’re so quiet…” Smellerbee whispered, careful not to be loud now that the children and the soldiers were closer together, “Why won’t you talk?” 

 

“Idiot.” The little girl who Smellerbee had been mean to earlier rolled her eyes, “He can’t talk at all, that’s why the soldiers want him.” 

 

“For such a small kid, you sure are annoying.” Smellerbee sneered, “How do you know he can’t talk?” 

 

“We’ve been in the same group for days, he doesn’t even respond to the soldiers except with hand gestures.” The little girl pointed out, “Maybe if you were more observant, you would have realized that.” 

 

“Oh…” Smellerbee looked uncomfortable, glancing Riku’s way before mumbling, “Sorry.” 

 

Riku felt a twinge of annoyance, his muteness wasn’t anything people should apologize to him for. He didn’t need to be able to talk in order to communicate. He waved Smellerbee off, scrowlling at him, before turning his attention back to the soldiers who were shouting commands. 

 

“Brats! Get into lines and file onto the ship! There’s a place below deck for all of you.” The officer on the rhino ordered, flicking his whip into the air with a sharp crack. 

 

The threat of a whipping was unnecessary though, after days of marching the children in the column knew that sticking with the soldiers was better than being abandoned in the wilderness. Too many kids had been unable to keep walking or had taken ill due to bug bites, the soldiers had left them on the side of the burned path. No amount of crying or begging would convince them to load the weaker children onto the supply wagons. The infants who rode on them were already “too much of a burden” for the soldiers to mind. 

 

Infirmity wasn’t tolerated in the Fire Nation like it was in the Earth Kingdom, their philosophies were complete opposites. Those of the Earth believed that you are made the way you are and that you cannot change it, whereas the Fire Nation only valued those who were able to contribute to their communities. Clearly, their way of thinking was born out of a society formed on islands with scarcity. The bountiful Earth Kingdom didn’t have this problem, acceptance of disabilities or differences being much more common as their lands supported them without much effort on their part. 

 

Riku and the other children with mixed blood stood off to the side as they watched long lines of kids file onto the gangplank and into the cargo hold. They’d been ordered to board last, and his feet ached with the weight of his body from just standing and doing nothing. The soldiers left them alone, too focused on herding the other children onto the ship. 

 

“I hate them.” Smellerbee said randomly, glaring down at his feet, “I wish we didn’t have to go.”

 

“Shut up.” The little girl standing next to them hissed, “You can’t say things like that.” 

 

“What?” Smellerbee sneered, “Don’t tell me you actually like them.” 

 

Oma and Shu, this boy was ridiculously dense. Riku leaned over to tap Smellerbee’s shoulder, getting his attention, before drawing a line over his throat and making a face. 

 

“Exactly.” The girl nodded at Riku in understanding, “Talking like that without caution gets you killed, you need to be more careful.” 

 

Riku mimed shooting an arrow at Smellerbee, glaring at him and making a circle with his hands. 

 

“Are you saying that… I’m a target?” Smellerbee asked slowly, before blinking, “I’m making a target of myself?” 

 

Riku nodded, pleased that speaking without the hand language his father had taught him was still possible even with an oaf like Smellerbee. With exaggerated movements, he pointed two fingers at his own eyes and then at Smellerbee. 

 

“Got it.” Smellerbee rolled his eyes, “You know for a mute guy, you’re pretty bossy.” 

 

________

 

Bee looked around the single cabin room that they’d been placed in, there was a much smaller group of children with mixed blood already residing there by the time they’d been forced into the room. A single hammock hung near the far wall, with a few sleeping mats placed haphazardly in the middle of the room. They hadn’t been given any blankets, but it was summer so the weather was warm enough to go without them. 

 

She counted at least fifteen kids, excluding her, in the room. Some of them were wearing nicer clothes than the kids who’d been walking with her, she presumed that the kids who were here earlier were from a richer area. Not that being from a good city mattered anymore, where they’d be going any amount of dirty blood made you less than even the worst Fire Nation citizen. The fact that city kids were here only proved that her whole province had fallen to these ashmakers, yet another loss in a century’s worth of war. 

 

Her throat tightened, Bee looked for anything to distract her from the depressing thought that the Fire Nation might be winning the war after all. In the hammock lay a boy, with bandages around his head and no shirt, exposing the bruises that painted his ribs blue and green. 

 

“Who’s he?” Bee asked, looking at the kids who’d been there before them. They’d all nervously stared at each other when her group had been forced into the room, skipping introductions in favor of deciding how to divy up the cushions. 

 

“He’s usually in too much pain to wake up.” One of the boys who looked closer to her age answered, his brown hair and eyes making him look unremarkable save for the way they glinted like amber in the light that the single lamp that had been provided for them shed. “He was the first kid in this room, we watched them beat him when he tried to escape yesterday. When they brought us out to the deck for water, he tried to jump ship even though he was already hurt.” 

 

“Oh.” The annoying girl who’d been bothering her in line gulped at that, her eyes taking in the numerous injuries that littered his body, “None of you helped him?” 

 

“Where do you think he got the bandages, dumbass?” The brown haired boy snapped, “We’re not heartless! It was stupid of him to try to escape alone.” 

 

“Would… would you try to escape if you had more people?” Bee asked, picking up on the implications of what the boy hadn’t said. “I’m pretty handy with a knife.” 

 

“It’s useless.” The boy scoffed, pointing at one of the toddlers who crawled around on the matts, “That baby is the only bender among us, and we don’t have any weapons.” 

 

“But if you did have weapons, you would try?” Bee pressed him, her pulse quickening as she considered their options. 

 

Most likely, their best chance would be to escape before the ship set sail. She was from a land locked area, she’d bet her life that most of the kids in this cabin didn’t know anything about running a ship either. The strange metal ships that the Fire Nation used were scary enough, let alone trying to handle one in the middle of the ocean. 

 

“If we’re going to escape, we have to do it before we leave this bay.” Bee mused, looking at the collection of kids before her with new eyes. Out of the fifteen, six were too young to do anything useful, but the remaining nine were closer to her age. “Do you know when the boat will set off?” 

 

“Of course I do!” The boy chirped, a happy expression on his face stretching his cheeks. 

 

“Really?” 

 

“Of course not! They wouldn’t tell us something like that.” The boy glared at her, dropping the sweet grin he’d been sporting, “What do you think this is, a spirit tale? We’re not getting out of this, there’s nothing we can do and if we even try to escape then we’ll just end up like that idiot.” 

 

“Rude.” 

 

Everyone in the room turned to the boy in the hammock, whose golden eyes stared out at them. His voice was deeper than Bee would have expected, and she had to reconsider how old she’d thought he was. She wondered how long he’d been listening in on their conversation. The boy pulled himself up achingly slow, his face twisted in pain as the hammock swung slightly with his movement. 

 

“You said you’re good with a knife, how good?” He asked, his voice still groggy from the pain induced sleep he’d been forced into. 

 

“I hunted back home, and I’ve had to be in a few fights with people who tried to start trouble with me for looking different.” Bee said, thinking back on how kids in her village had despised the way her family owned one of the most successful farms despite being outsiders. 

 

The boy simply nodded in response, before looking to the older kids and asking, “Do any of you know anything about fighting?” 

 

The mute guy mimed shooting a bow and arrow, while the brown haired boy and a few of the other older kids said that they knew non-bender kata forms. 

 

“I don’t know if we can do anything without weapons, or if we can even get out of here without a soldier unlocking the door.” The boy mused, wincing as he accidentally jostled his bruised ribs, “What’s with you, why aren’t you talking?” 

 

The mute boy mouthed a few words of gibberish, before shaking his head and making an X with his hands. 

 

“.... Ah” The boy replied, before he stood up from the hammock, hitting the floor with a soft plop of his feet, “We’ve got a bonafide Yuyan archer on our hands.” 

 

“That changes things.” The brown haired boy looked at the mute boy appraisingly, and Bee felt like she was the only one not getting what everyone else understood implicitly what the injured boy had said. 

 

“What’s a Yuyan archer?” Bee asked, ignoring the incredulous look the annoying girl sent her. 

 

“They’re an elite group of archers that work for the Fire Nation.” The boy answered, “But if he’s being held with us then he’s probably mixed blood too. Were you raised loyal to the Earth Kingdom?” 

 

The mute boy nodded solemnly. 

 

“The ship leaves in two days, they’re waiting for a reconnaissance unit to arrive from deeper within the Earth Kingdom.” The injured boy informed them, “If we can take the ship from the soldiers before then, not only can we escape with the boat then we can also deal a blow to the Fire Nation by stranding their spies.” 

 

“How though?” Bee asked, pointing out the flaws in the boy’s plan, “I don’t know anything about ships, and I doubt that these kids do either.” 

 

“Good thing I’m here then.” The boy answered with a bitter grin, “I can command this ship perfectly. All you guys will have to do is follow my orders.” 

 

Bee hummed, looking at the nine kids around her and wondering if they could really pull this off. It was worth a shot, if she gave in now then she’d spend the rest of her life in a Fire Nation boarding school where her identity and culture would be slowly beaten out of her. Could ten scrawny kids actually hope to revolt against trained ashmakers? 

 

“You know, we should probably know each other’s names.” The brunette boy pointed out, eyeing the mute boy and the kid with the bandages, “I’ll go first, my name is Boqin.” 

 

“Smellerbee.” Bee replied, ignoring the snickers from the younger kids. 

 

“I’m Kohana.” The annoying little girl piped up, interrupting the next older kid who was about to introduce themselves.

 

“No one cares, quiet down.” The girl she’d interrupted scrowled. She was wearing some of the worst clothes in the whole lot, threadbare trousers and a too big shirt with rips and holes. “I’m Nanami.” 

 

From there on, it’s a quick citation from the remaining six kids. 

 

“Zhengting.” A thin boy with mousy brown hair who towers over almost all of them except for the mute and injured guys. 

 

“Yaning.” A girl who looks almost young enough to be counted amongst the children too young to be involved with their plans, she has midnight black hair and tan skin. 

 

“Manxin” One of the children in better clothes, a silk sleeping set, she speaks with a slight accent. 

 

“Sneers.” Another boy going by a fake name, his soft cheeks and belly giving him a kind appearance. 

 

“Ichiro.” A boy with a messy bowl cowl and watchful eyes, who refuses to meet Smellerbee’s gaze. 

 

“Katsumi.” The last boy looks directly at the injured boy when he introduces himself, they seem to be close in age. 

 

“What about you?” Katsumi asks the injured boy, his black eyes scanning the boy’s features. 

 

“I go by Prince.” The injured boy smiled, peeking out from under his choppy fringe. “It’s an alias obviously, but I doubt either of your parents chose to name you Smellerbee or Sneers.” 

_______

 

Zuko felt exhausted, his ribs ached and his head throbbed with a dull pain. The nine kids in front of him looked like they were incapable of doing anything useful, but he knew that they must have been able to pull this off without him. Smellerbee and Longshot were familiar, he half wondered if Jet was going to arrive with the next shipment of children. 

 

Those dark brown eyes with anger always lurking under the surface, having someone that talented with weapons would have been a blessing. Not for the first time, Zuko regretted not asking more questions about people’s past. That information would have been useful to know now, especially when he was stuck in an unfamiliar place with strangers. 

 

He’d suspected when he’d met the mute archer boy on the boat to Ba Sing Se that he’d been descended from a Yuyan Archer, but Zuko has always presumed that it’d been a distant relation. The fact that Longshot was here, in a room full of kids destined for military operations, confirmed that he couldn’t be less than half. If Zuko could manage to get a bow and arrow for him, a knife for Smellerbee, and find where they’d stored his dual dao, then they’d stand a much better chance. 

 

Killing Hama had been so much harder than he’d ever thought possible. After fleeing the palace, he’d let his body march on through his kingdom without thought. His feet had led him to the same town he’d died in before, the familiar buildings had flashed before his eyes. Dreading returning to the cave, he ambushed Hama on her way to feed her prisoners and bludgeoned her to death with a tree branch. She’d slashed at him with her claws of ice, but it was over before she could do more than shred his forearms. The whole time, he’d never drawn his swords from where they lay on his back. It was a desperate and animalistic attack, and every minute felt panicked and wild. Hama had screamed so loudly, the sound ringing in his ears and made its home in his head. Zuko had kept going long after she’d fallen silent, the thump of the branch meeting the ground as it squelched through crunchy skull bits and clotting blood. 

 

He still couldn’t get the sound out of his head. 

 

Unlike the other times, the remaining prisoners had looked at him in fear. Blood had dripped from his bleeding forearms, smearing on the doors as he struggled to push them open. To those who’d been stuck in the cave, Zuko’s appearance had seemed like a fever dream, a bleeding angel who looked too young to have committed the violence necessary to grant them freedom. Zuko had begged them not to tell the others who’d rescued them, and he’d only stuck around long enough to unlock their chains. Ms. Yuri had gripped his bloody sleeve as he’d been about to leave, asking him if he was alright. 

 

Her eyes had been so kind, and memories of her sweet stories and love deep in Hama’s prison had sprung to the forefront of his mind. He remembered the soft skin of her palm against his forehead when she checked if he was getting sick, and the way she’d screamed as he’d died. It had taken everything in his Zuko’s body not to collapse right there, to keep moving forward even as he left everyone behind. 

 

He’d snuck onto a ship, hiding from the crew and stealing small bits of food from their supply. With only his dao and a single shoe, he was woefully unprepared for the harshness of the Earth Kingdom. It’d only been a few days until he was picked up by Fire Nation soldiers, and herded back to the sea and onto this wretched ship. He’d tried to put up a fight, but he’d been starving and feral. 

 

The kids in his column had been too sullen to talk amongst themselves, and he was too soaked in guilt to create a connection with any of them. They’d made their way down the winding cliff paths and looked at the metal boat waiting for them in the natural harbor. 

 

He’d felt his heart stutter in his chest as he gazed upon its familiar curves and bow, scanning the hull for marks from battles years in the future. That night at the docks, when his world had erupted into fire and he’d just barely cleared the balcony right before the only home he’d known for the past three years exploded behind him. Drifting in the salty water, feeling it sting his wounds and wondering if he would slip under the waves, until Uncle had grabbed him. 

 

The Wani. 

 

It felt like the spirits were taunting him, as if every step he took to flee from his past brought him closer to it. All he did was turn in circles, returning to what he’d refused to meet with again and again. But the Wani was home, more than the palace had ever been. 

 

Zuko had never asked what had occurred on the Wani to make it a worthy donation to the banished prince’s cause, he’d always assumed that it was an outdated boat meant for scrap. Now as he sat imprisoned in his old quarters, staring at the group of children clustered before him, he wondered how naive of a person he used to be. 

 

How many children had the Fire Nation stolen? Where were they now? He’d heard of the schools that his people had created for the unfortunate orphans created by the war, but he’d never known how they managed to fill them year after year with new “students”. When he’d confronted his father, he’d thought he knew the depths of the evils his nation had committed. The vacant eyes of the children in the column disproved that notion with a single blink, their swollen feet and runny noses flashed in his mind. 

 

He’ll free them, Zuko vows, he’ll add it to his list of things to do and he’ll free them with every lifetime he lives. It’s the least he can do, to make up for the suffering his people have created in this world. 

______

 

Toph is swinging her feet back and forth as she sits on top of a stone mound that she’d summoned. In front of her is a wide clearing, she isn’t sure how far it spreads out. This far from Gaoling, she was sure that not a soul would be around. Tilting her face up to the sky, she wondered if the moon being a mere sliver in the sky would make everyone’s eyesight like her own, completely dark. 

 

There were things she had to learn through tutelage that she would have never thought about had someone with sight not told her. The moon shifted during the month, going from a small tealight to a blazing beacon high in the sky. She didn’t need to learn things like navigation stars, but if she was going to sneak out in the dark then she’d damn well needed to know how easy it would be for other people to see her. 

 

Normally she would never walk out this far, sticking to the underground caves and nearby forest were usually what she preferred. Some unknown force had called out to her, the very same feeling that had overcome her the night that she’d ran away from her family and joined the badgermoles. Toph had followed it, sinking her toes into the earth and running through thorny bushes and hopping over tree roots until she’d arrived at this clearing. A sense of urgency had overcome her, only ending when she’d stepped into the soft soil and felt around for signs of life. 

 

There were none to be found. 

 

Something inside of her told her that this was wrong, and so Toph waited for something to happen. The spirits and her instincts had led her to the first earth benders, so surely something must be here for her to find. The wind gently ruffled her hair where it fell past her shoulders, irritatingly hanging in her face as always. She huffed, blowing her bangs away from her face. 

 

Eventually her internal clock told her that she needed to head back home, and from the numbness in her butt let her know that she’d been sitting in place for hours without noticing. In all that time, she’d sat quietly and still, like a monk. She'd waited all night, with nothing to show for it. There was a sweet pain in her throat, a bruise on her soul itself, and Toph couldn't explain why she felt so wistful. 

 

Toph dissolved the bench she'd sat on, knowing that she would wait for eternity if she needed to. Patience was something she had abundance when it came to the Earth. 

 

As she walked away from the clearing, leagues away a boy lay in a hammock with an ache in his chest that had nothing to do with his bruised ribs and everything to do with her. 

 

Notes:

the loops are going to gradually affect the world as a whole, starting with toph because she spent the most time with zuko and I've always seen her as the most spiritually connected member of the Gaang (other than Aang ofc).

Chapter 15: Murder Buddies (Part 1)

Notes:

Hi! I'm gonna post this chapter in parts too, dw it's just because I want to get some stuff out before I finish it in case I take another night on the rest of it. I'm so fucking excited for pirates but like... i know nothing about ships

“Who is he?” Zuko asks, staring in disbelief at the man currently laying on the floor of the cabin that the kids had been given. 

 

Smellerbee is still standing over him, a standard army knife clasped in her hand and dripping in blood. She’s tense, and angry in a way that distracts Zuko from the horrifying realization that they’ve killed a soldier on a Fire Nation boat and there’s really no way to even hide it.  

 

Shit, this might have been the first time that Smellerbee has ever killed someone. 

 

“Smellerbee, tell me what happened.” Zuko orders, trying to figure out how the hell they’re supposed to get out of this. They have a room full of kids sleeping behind them, and it’s a miracle that no one’s woken up yet. 

 

“It was so fast.” Smellerbee finally answers, staring down at her hands and at the blood that’s smeared on her palms. The skin on her knuckles is broken from punching the light armor that the soldier had been sporting. “He opened the door and tried to drag me out, he held a knife to my throat.” 

 

Zuko had barely awoken mere seconds before, opening his eyes only to see Smellerbee slash through the straps holding the soldier’s under armour to his body and shanking a knife deep into his chest, between the ribs. The fight was over by the time he’d swung himself out of the hammock. 

 

“Why was he trying to take you?” Zuko questions, walking over to the body and reattaching the under plating. The wound wasn’t bleeding too much, and almost none of it had gotten onto the metal floor. 

 

“I pissed him off while we were marching, it’s the only reason that I’m in here since one of the higher officers decided that it would be safer for me.” Smellerbee explains, her eyes wide and pupils the size of pinpricks. 

 

“Well…” Zuko trails off, eyeing her and wondering how much shock she’s experiencing. It’s a good thing that he knows the Wani so well, the fires that fuel the engines could be hot enough to burn up the body before morning. “Good job on defending yourself, even greater job at securing us some resources.” 

 

“What?” Smellerbee asks, the haunted look leaving her face as she turns to fully look at him. 

 

“If he could unlock the door, that must mean that he has the key to it.” Zuko explains, fishing around the man’s pockets before he pulls out a small key ring. “We might as well loot the body, and hey, now you have a knife for when we take the boat.” 

 

“Why are you being so calm about this?” Smellerbee demands, staring at him in confusion, “This is fucking awful, they’re going to know I killed him and I’m dead meat now!” 

 

“How would they know that you killed him?” Zuko questions, looking for more things to steal. The man was only wearing light plating, and Zuko stole every piece of it save for the chest portion. The dead man also had some rations on him, a crumbly piece of hard tack and a few chunks of jerky that Zuko pocketed and planned on distributing out to the smaller kids later. 

 

“Maybe because of the giant corpse lying in front of us.” Smellerbee hisses. 

 

“Oh.” Zuko blinks up at her, realization dawning on him, “We’re going to hide the body, no one will ever suspect us.” 

 

“And where are we going to hide a body on such a small ship? Especially if people are looking for him?” 

 

“The Wani runs on a steam engine, there’s going to be giant pits for the fuel to burn down in the engine room.” Zuko stands up, and slings the soldier onto one of his shoulders, “We just have to sneak past the engineer on night duty who’s probably already asleep and toss it under some of the coals.” 

 

“Can the fire really make a whole body disappear?” Smellerbee asks, poking at the armor and raising her eyebrows, “This stuff doesn’t seem like it would melt.” 

 

“Fire can destroy anything.” Zuko states, pushing open the door to their cabin and stepping out into the hallway after checking to make sure that no one else is there. He and Smellerbee both know that he isn’t talking about just the body anymore. 

 

Zuko’s just grateful that Smellerbee adjusts extremely quickly to traumatizing events, he’s spent his whole life around child and adult soldiers so he has no clue how to comfort someone about something as strange as guilt over killing an enemy. Aang had struggled with it, unable to accept that Father’s death is what needed to happen if the world was ever going to find peace again. Zuko hadn’t been much help then, and that was with one of his closest friends, he can’t imagine how he would be able to help her. 

 

The red glow of the ship’s lanterns paints their skin scarlett as they make their way down the hallway. Smellerbee holds the soldier’s feet so they don’t drag on the floor and make noise, while Zuko walks ahead of her with the guy on his shoulder. He’s a bit tense, he needs to be on high alert as the only sign of someone coming will be the sound of their footsteps. 

 

Smellerbee is surprisingly sneaky, he would have thought that the Freedom Fighters would have had to train themselves on stealth. What kind of life did she live before this? Would he ever know? Zuko guides them down into the deepest part of the ship, where the very air feels heavier from all of the smoke. So far they’ve managed to duck into different hallways and doors that he remembered never being locked from his time on the ship every time someone walks near them. 

 

It’s incredibly suspicious, Zuko knows, and he’s probably going to need to have a talk with her once the body is disposed of. They get to the engine room, where a large heavy door made of thick metal stands. The ache in his ribs is sharper now, his head throbs with pain as he pushes the door open very carefully. 

 

They walk inside, skirting around the massive pipes and Smellerbee winces at the din of the engines that the thick door had concealed. The currently still oscillating cylinders are in full view, the high ceiling is criss-crossed with gangways and chutes that lead to nowhere. The Wani is docked for now, but the fires are still burning to keep the ship warm and so that they aren’t stuck waiting for the engines to start if there’s a surprise attack. A single engineer is tasked with watching the engines, and from what Zuko remembers, there’s a weird dent in a pipe that isn’t used anymore that makes a comfortable seat with a full view of the fire pits. 

 

He leaves the soldier with Smellerbee, and sneaks around the corner with full stealth, ignoring how sore his body is from his injuries. Zuko’s eyes widen when the expected dent isn’t there, and stiffens as he perks his ears up, listening for the easy breathing of a sleeping engineer. Only silence greets him, and irritation nips at his heels as he looks around the area for the engineer. Why did he assume that just because this was the Wani , that he would be correct about every assumption? Uncle and Lt. Jee hopefully ran this ship differently than these literal child trackers

 

Cautiously, Zuko scales some of the pipes and thanks Agni for the way his skin doesn’t feel the too hot metal underneath them. Scanning the area below, he spots the characteristic engineer armor that peeks out of a small alcove meant for storing lamp oil. 

 

It’s a horrific design found in the older ships, lamp oil is highly flammable and Zuko remembered that Lt. Jee had moved the lamp oil as far away from the engines as possible. Zuko skirts back to Smellerbee and whispers, “I’ve spotted the engineer, I’m going to check if he’s asleep. He’s the only person in the room.” 

 

Smellerbee nods, the movement sharp and controlled. It’s only as Zuko quietly sprints away from her that he realizes that giving a young girl a dead body to hold in the dark was not the best idea. 

 

Today just isn’t his day, Zuko blames it on the way his head still hurts. 

 

Zuko crouches lower as he gets closer to the alcove, pausing right out of view and listens. Over the roar of the fires and the general sounds of machinery, the smooth and easy breathing of someone fast asleep are almost inaudible. He lets out a sigh of relief, and walks away. 

 

Smellerbee isn’t where he left her. 

 

Shit. 

 

_______

 

Bee’s breathing won’t slow down, no matter what she does. The small wheezing that passes through her lips gives away her position and makes it obvious where she is. As strong as she knows she is for a girl her size, lugging a full grown man’s corpse by herself is hard. 

 

It’s even harder when she has to deal with running away from an engineer that Prince has sworn wouldn’t be here. She remembered how confident he’d been, as they sneaked out of the cabin. Bee had trusted him and his strange knowledge, not bothering to question it. She’s never been on a boat like this, the strange metal all around felt wrong like something out of a nightmare. Bee keeps her eyes peeled, watching out for the second engineer. 

 

If Prince was wrong about how many people are in here, then the best thing that she can do is ditch the body and blame him. None of this would have happened if this stupid soldier hadn’t held a grudge, none of this would be happening if she could have kept a handle on her temper. But if she hadn’t done anything, what would have happened to the girl in the marching column? What is happening in the cargo hold with the rest of the children, the children who aren’t considered human because of the blood that runs in their veins? 

 

Her eyes feel hot, and Bee adjusts her grip to swipe away the tears before they have a chance to roll down her cheeks. She’s going to die here, surrounded by fire and metal and things that shouldn’t exist on this Earth and Bee’s going to die because some dickhead couldn’t handle being treated rudely by a kid that he played a role in kidnapping. 

 

It makes her blood boil, it sings in a way that’s familiar to her. She felt it a few minutes ago, when she’d heard the door to their cabin open and rolled away from the knife that slashed up her cheek. Oma and Shu, why the hell was she given the place on the bedroll closest to the door? Footsteps had approached her, and she could still feel the too warm hands brushing against her skin, the panic and fury that had overtaken her when she realized what was happening. 

 

Frustration bubbles over, the body in her arms slumping to the ground as she stands up to her full height. Bee is not going to hide in a corner and fucking wait for someone to kill her, the knife in her hand is too big for her but it will do its job well enough. She can’t tell if she’s breathing hard out of rage or fear for what she knows she needs to do. 

 

Bee stalks forward, she knows the engineer is somewhere close by. There are so many twisting pipes and cramped hallways in this giant room, the belly of a ship from hell. The red light glances off of armor in the distance, and her eyes narrow as she takes in the situation. 

 

The engineer is adjusting the lamp on a wall, his hair is cropped and he’s only wearing the distinctive chest plate and pants of the Fire Nation Army. If Bee wants to hurt him, the only part of his body that isn’t covered in armor or protective gear is from the shoulder up. She swallows, her throat dry as she fully understands what’s going to happen. Slashing the throat of a human is the same as killing a pig, it might even be easier since his neck is so much smaller. 

 

The cut on her cheek stings, idly Bee wonders when she started crying. 

 

There’s a convenient pipe that’s just the right wideness for her to leap on, it leaves her placed right above the engineer. Her shoes make a soft click sound when she moves, but the engineer can’t possibly hear it over the sounds of the engines. Bee doubts that she would be able to sneak up on him without the calamity coming from the machinery. He looks young, too young for what he is. 

 

Ashmaker. 

 

Her thighs tense, ready to leap, her heart beats loud in her chest and Bee is surprised to find that it’s steady. She almost flinches off of the pipe entirely when a hand lands on her shoulder, Bee whips her head around to find Prince’s gold eyes staring at her. Slowly, he shakes his head and holds a finger up to his lips. 

 

In the next moment Bee learns that Prince must have been a city kid, the hand that wipes away the mixture of blood and tears on her cheek lacks any sort of calluses. It’s soft. Soft like expensive cloth and fresh moss, the cut on her cheek feels like it’s been soothed with just a touch. She waits on the pipe for what feels like hours, the hand drops back to her shoulder and rubs soothing patterns into her skin until the engineer walks away. 

 

“The body is in one of the gangways, no one is going to find it.” Prince whispers, she can’t make out much of his face in the darkness but he looks worried, “Are you alright?” 

 

“No.” Bee answers, her voice hoarse, “I’m not okay.” 

 

“I’m sorry.” 

 

Why, Bee thinks, why does it feel like Prince is apologizing for more than just the soldier? 

 

“It’s not your fault.” Bee replies, looking down at the hallway light and thinking about the engineer. “I killed that man and I was going to kill him too.” 

 

“If he’d found you, you would have had to do it anyways.” Prince says, “You shouldn’t feel bad about what you have to do when you’re forced into a corner.” 

 

“We are fighting in a war for more than the world.” Bee quotes, thinking about how the traveler who spent the night in her village had quoted one of the Earth Kingdom’s general’s memoirs. That same general had stayed within a city that had been lost in the early days of the war, back in the days before the Water Tribes had turned their backs on their allies and retreated into the safety of the sea. He wrote that book while the city had burned, famously the only casualty due to the prowess of his bending. Many had criticized him for sacrificing his skills for a single city, his death meaning that he wasn’t able to fight in more important battles. Others praised him for being willing to save so many lives at the cost of his own. 

 

“You know Han Xin?” Prince asks, surprised. 

 

“Not really.” Bee denies, “It’s just one of those lines that stick with you.” 

 

Prince doesn’t say anything else, he just turns away and hops down from the pipe. Bee follows him to where he stored the body, she doesn’t ask him about the other engineer. It’s better for her mental state right now that she doesn’t think about what she might have done. 

 

“We have a limited window, the engineer that isn’t sleeping has to go give a report to the soldier on duty in the main tower. During that time, we’re going to need to put the body into the fire pits.” Prince explains, pointing in the direction that they entered the room from, “We just have to wait for the sound of the door opening.” 

 

“Got it.” Bee replies, sitting down next to Prince and trying to ignore the body next to them. Sometimes during the jostling, the man’s mouth has opened and she can see his tongue and yellow teeth. It’s disturbing. 

 

It’s late enough that she can feel her exhaustion tugging on her limbs, making it hard for her to remain alert. Prince doesn’t seem to be affected by the late hour at all, Bee eyes his bandages and marvels at his pain tolerance. 

 

A little while later, the din of the engines is cut through by the sound of the door opening. It’s not too noticeable but Bee wants to know if it was that obvious when they snuck in. Prince gets to his feet, and holds out a pale hand. She takes it, letting him help her up. 

 

They move like a well-oiled machine, their steps are light and quick as they make their way down to the engines. Prince lets the corpse lean against her as he wrenches open the engine fire pits, revealing orange and black depths that are bigger than her room back home. 

 

The glow of the flames illuminates Prince, his shaggy hair does little to mask the eerily calm expression on his face. The fact that they are throwing away a body like it’s just an inconvenience to them ( it is though, isn’t it? ) doesn’t seem to have fazed him at all. Bee’s crying had thrown him more than the way he rips the chest plate off of the body and reveals the wound from her knife that sluggishly leaks blood. Scarlett has bloomed across the man’s shirt, like spilled paint. 

 

“Wait.” Bee says, watching how Prince pauses to look at her, “I want to be the one to throw him in.” 

 

“Okay.” Prince acquiesces, carefully watching her as Bee adjusts her grip on the man. 

 

It takes more out of her than she thought it would, the man is heavy and his body is too long for her short height. His skull smacks against the side of the open grate with a dull thud that makes the metal reverberate. By the time his body meets the hot goals, sweat has soaked through her shirt and her skin is uncomfortably hot. 

 

Prince takes a shovel and pushes the coal around, covering the body and making it hard for anyone to see the body underneath it. Bee can still see the body, but only just so. 

 

Bee looks at the way he lays in a crumpled heap and feels a part of her burning up with him, something that she can never get back. She thinks back to how ready she was to kill the other engineer, thinks about Han Xin and what he gave up so others could live, and how the other kids on this ship have no one to fight for them against these ashmakers. 

 

Sacrifices must be made in war, and there is no one else here to make them except for her. Bee looks at the way that Prince’s chest rises and falls in reserved movements so as to not disturb his ribs, this is a truth that he must have realized before she did. Boqin had said that he’d been beaten for attempting to escape, Prince probably knew all about this ship because he’d been scouting it out while he’d been free of their little cabin. He isn’t alone anymore though, she’s here too and they can work together.  

 

Bee lets Prince close the doors himself because he says that they’re too hot for someone who isn’t of Fire Nation descent to touch without being burned. She offers her shoulder and doesn’t miss the way he mumbles his thanks as they stumble out of the engine room and back to their cabin.

Notes:

There's this really really good bnha fic about Izuku having a quirk that takes him into this shadow realm and the world building in it is so so so so good, like it's crazy. It's called "the Dark Below" i believe and i've been reading it for the past couple of days, there's some characterization that I don't like so I haven't finished it but omg omg. it's very interesting, and I'm taking some inspiration from it in regards to world building!

also, to everyone that said they would like to beta for me :) you are all so kind but the thought of talking to anyone freaked me out so that's why I never responded and it's an issue on my part. Thank you to anyone who volunteered, you are all very amazing.

also happy valentine's day!

Chapter 16: Murder Buddies (Part 2)

Notes:

hello! thank you to everyone who's been reading, i was looking through the top time loop fics yesterday and I was surprised to find this fic in the second page? That's crazy! I appreciate all of you so much!

I hope that you like this chapter, you guys make me so happy.

Also-- I don't have Discord Nitro, but I'm thinking of making a server for this fic? Not just this fic specifically but I love being in fic writing servers and I feel like some of you guys would be fun to talk with! Lemme know what you guys think.

Riku feels sick, Boqin is biting his nails out of nervousness and Katsumi hasn’t looked away from the door since the moment that he got up. They’re the only three awake, the other kids are still sleeping on the shared matts. The lamp was the only source of light in the room, and none of them knew what time it was. 

 

Smellerbee and Prince are missing, there are droplets of blood on the floor that have been smeared. It’s fear that keeps them rooted in place, Riku doesn’t know whether the two boys were killed by soldiers or if they’ve done something stupid and are trying to escape on their own. 

 

It’s tense, Katsumi’s eyes are dark in a way that makes Riku think that he knows something more than he lets on. If only any one knew how to speak with their hands, then Riku could get some answers instead of being ignored. Boqin is going to worry himself into a heart attack, and Riku couldn’t even blame him.

 

When the door opens, the lock turning in place with a soft click that sounds so much louder than it actually is, all three of them tense and anticipate the worst. Smellerbee stumbles into the room, with Prince leaning on his shoulder. 

 

“What happened?” Boqin demands, the plain looking boy’s fists were clenched as both Smellerbee and Prince sag to the ground in clear exhaustion. 

 

“We made some progress.” Prince answers, a grin curling on his face despite the way his eyes refuse to properly focus on any of them. “Some asshole decided to try and attack Smellerbee, so he killed them and we successfully hid the body.” 

 

A shaky hand points to over where Yanyan and the other younger kids sleep, “We even have some of his armor for when we revolt.” 

 

“You killed a soldier?” Katsumi thunders, his expression one of such horror that Riku and Boqin look at each other in surprise. The mostly silent boy was showing more emotion than they’d seen from him in all of their captivity, “How could you?” 

 

“It’s not like I had a choice.” Smellerbee snaps, his eyes narrowing at Katsumi in anger, “It was either him or me, I did what I had to do.” 

 

“Where did you put the body?” Boqin asks, trying to move on, “Did anyone see you? This whole thing could make our lives hell.” 

 

“The coward came in the dead of night, we burned his corpse in the engine fire pits and covered it in coal so that no one can see.” Prince answers wearily, “We even got his keys, and some extra food.” 

 

“Keys?” Boqin asks, catching the ring of keys that Prince tosses his direction, “Holy shit, there are so many.” 

 

“The next thing we need to do is to see what each one unlocks.” Prince says, dutifully ignoring the way that Katsumi’s eyes haven’t left his face yet, “I know the ship’s layout pretty well, so that has to happen tonight.” 

 

“You have a plan for everything, don’t you?” Katsumi questions, rage simmering

 

“Yeah, I mean…” Prince adjusts his body, wincing at the movements, “You guys didn’t think I was getting beat up for fun, right? I needed to map out this thing before I tried to actually escape it.” 

 

“Oh, that’s actually pretty smart.” Boqin says, looking impressed, “I thought you were just being impulsive.” 

 

Prince looks positively insulted, his face scrunching. Riku snorts, drawing the attention of all four of them. He thinks for a beat, before quickly scratching characters into his pale skin. It only takes a few breaths for the lines to pinken and raise, the meaning obvious. 

 

“Plan. Kids. When?” 

 

He raises his arms and shrugs, holding out his forearm so that they can all read what he’s written. 

 

Smellerbee blinks, then says, “I don’t know how to read, what does that even say?” 

 

“You don’t know how to read?” Boqin looks shocked. 

 

“Lots of people don’t know how to read, cityboy.” Smellerbee sneers, “Just tell me what it says.” 

 

“It’s the word for plan, then the word for babies, and then the word for when.” Katsumi is the one who answers, “That guy is the only one asking good questions. What’s your plan, hmm?” 

 

“Are we just supposed to blindly trust you?” Katsumi edges closer to the two of them, Riku notes how Smellerbee moves so that Prince is behind him, “What are we going to do? You said we only have tonight and then tomorrow before the spies come back.” 

 

“How do you know that, by the way?” Boqin turns his attention on Prince as well, “Is that something you just overheard or…?”

 

“Yeah, I overheard the captain talking about it.” Prince explains, drawing his knees up to his chest carefully, “As for the plan, it’s pretty simple. Throughout the night, we’re going to ambush the crew and work our way up from the pits of the ship all the way to the tower where the officers stay. When people come to investigate the whereabouts of their missing comrades, they’ll walk into our trap and we can knock them out too.” 

 

“That’s fucking stupid.” Katsumi blurts, “We’re hinging all of our freedom, on the slight chance that these soldiers are stupid enough to not notice the crew being taken?” 

“Do you have another plan?” Smellerbee snarls, “Prince is the only one with ideas, so unless you’ve got some then we’re going with what he says.” 

 

“What about after?” Boqin questions shrewdly, “If we can take the ship then what will we do with the men?” 

 

Riku makes a plop sound with his mouth that catches all of their attention, he pushes the air with his hands and makes a splash motion after pretending to make something fall. 

 

Katsumi looks sickened, “We are not drowning an entire ship of soldiers.” 

 

“Everyone in the Fire Nation can swim, there’s a very low chance that any of them would drown if they meet the standard army fitness requirements.” Prince says, then sighs tiredly, “I don’t… we have too many variables. The kids in the cargo hold could be used as hostages if this goes wrong, and we don’t have enough time to make a real plan.” 

 

“Then we should try to figure out what the keys unlock tonight.” Smellerbee decides, the boy points at Boqin’s hand, “If we divide them between the four of us, it shouldn’t take long. This is a tiny boat.” 

 

“But we don’t know how long we’ll have until dawn?” Boqin frowns, but dutifully opens the key ring, “We could get caught by being impatient. Everyone knows the light of the sun wakes up the ashmakers.” 

 

“Prince knows how long we have, don’t you?” Katsumi lets the sentence fall from his mouth like a guillotine, sending the room into instant silence. “You’re a fire bender.” 

 

In the dull glow of the lamp, Prince’s shadowed eyes are like liquid pools of amber. Under his choppy bangs they bore into Katsumi’s before he tilts his chin up and sighs, flames rippling out from his mouth in colors that Riku’s never seen in fire before. Pink, violet, blue, and green intermix with the customary orange, and Riku’s body can’t make up its mind of whether it wants to flinch away or take in the rare beauty presented in front of him. 

 

Prince closes his mouth with an exhausted grimace, before he promises them all, “I’m not a threat to you, my bending is probably going to be the only reason we’re going to take this ship without casualties.” 

 

“How do we know that we can trust you?” Katsumi questions, kneeling in front of Prince with a desperation Riku can’t place in his tone, “How do we know that you aren’t going to betray us?” 

 

Riku looks at the back of Katsusmi’s shirt, the silk sheen is more prominent in this lighting. If he looks hard enough, he can see where salt water has discolored the fabric. Katsumi is from an area near the sea, not the inland territories that the rest of the kids here are from. Riku makes eye contact with Boqin, and tries to draw his attention to it by motioning to it with his head. Boqin’s showed his intelligence more than once, he hopes that the other boy is clever enough to see it. 

 

Brown eyes widen as they take in the same thing that Riku noticed, Boqin nods seriously and they both turn their attention back to Prince when he speaks again. 

 

“I swear on my honor, I won’t betray you.” Prince reaches out to grip Katsumi’s forearm, his touch alone makes Katsumi flinch. “I’m different from them, I care about people. I care whether or not kids are stolen from their families and I don’t thirst after wanton destruction. We’re going to take this ship and no soldier has to die nor will any of us get hurt. I promise to protect you all.” 

 

“Okay.” Katsumi whispers hoarsely, his head bowed and staring at the place where their skin touches. 

 

Riku understands then that both of them are talking about something that he is not privy to, the weight of their words fall onto their shoulders and cracks the bones underneath. Katsumi and Prince know each other in a way that the rest of them don’t, and Riku wishes that he could speak now more than ever because all he wants to do is talk to these boys and get some answers. Katsumi is from the sea, Prince bends with fire that Riku hadn’t seen when his entire village had burned. The two boys in front of him speak about things he doesn’t understand and all he can think of is wanting to know why. 

 

“It doesn’t matter that Prince is a fire bender.” Smellerbee looks confused when he stares at the two boys, having been pushed out of the way by Prince, “Nothing has changed except now we have a new advantage.” 

 

“We need a better plan.” Boqin decides, eyeing Prince and Katsumi in suspicion that he does very little to hide, “Prince, your plan leaves too many things up to chance.” 

 

_______

 

“This is a horrible plan.” Nanami mumbles under her breath, the two of them are standing in front of an ominous door with a small collection of eight keys. 

 

“You should have heard the first plan that Prince made.” Boqin shrugs, before poking her shoulder, “You’re the one holding the keys, try putting one into the keyhole.” 

 

“I still don’t get how Prince knows all this stuff.” Nanami tries a few keys before she finds the right one on her fifth try, “How could he have known that the Fire Nation Army categorizes their keys and marks them based on what part of the ship they’re for?” 

 

The door swings open, revealing an empty room filled with scrolls. Prince had told them that they’d been assigned to the lower storage, farther away from the cargo hold. Both of them looked at it for a bit, before Boqin moved to close it softly. 

 

“If you ask me…” He trails off, not wanting to stir up trouble in an already delicate situation, “I think he might be one of those colony kids.” 

 

“Really?” Nanami walks forward, leading the way to the door across the hall, starting over the process and pocketing the key that had worked, “I guess that makes sense, but it doesn’t explain why he knows so much about ships.” 

 

“No.” Boqin blinks surprisedly as she gets the right key on the first try, “I think he’s one of those. ” 

 

Nanami and him stare into the room, which holds spare pieces of armor and a messy table that’s bolted to the wall. 

 

“A comfort child?” Nanami looks disgusted, crossing her arms over her threadbare shirt. It takes Boqin tugging on her ragged sleeve to get her to move again. 

 

They close the door behind them, careful not to make any noise. Prince had told them that they had about two hours before the sun rose, and that morning patrols usually switched their shifts about an hour before sunrise. 

 

Boqin thinks about Prince’s face, even swollen and darkened with bruises it still stood out as pretty when compared to his. Prince had soft hair, it might have been awfully cut but Boqin had only felt such nice hair on his mother. The boy was pale in a way that spoke of a life inside, but he was muscly from training that didn’t make sense for someone only a year older than Boqin. 

 

“I think he was owned by a naval officer.” Boqin explains, taking a key from her and matching the silver color to the lock on the door, “Otherwise, why would he know so much about ships?” 

 

“You’re right.” Nanami nods, peering into the eerily dark room that they’ve opened, “He looks too fragile to be a sailor.” 

 

“Not tan enough.” Boqin almost bites his tongue when they realize that there’s a soft sound of breathing in the room, both of them immediately scurrying back and closing the door behind them. 

 

“Fuck.” Nanami wheezes once they’ve retreated down the hall, the taller girl’s strained smile is visible even in the dark, “Do you think they heard us?” 

 

“I hope not.”

 

“Let’s get this done quickly then.” Nanami and him rush through the next series of doors, finding two empty ones out of the total eight that they search. Boqin makes sure to score a part of the wall next to them with the keys, inconspicuous enough that no one who wasn’t looking for it wouldn’t find it. 

 

They’re running back as silently as they can, when Nanami speaks, “Should we tell the others what we think?” 

 

“I think Katsumi might know something about it, the mute boy thinks that Katsumi and Prince are both from the sea.” Boqin informs her, remembering the way that the archer had pointed out discolorations that Boqin knew could only come from salt water in the boy’s clothes. 

 

“Prince’s clothes are too fine for someone like us.” Nanami says quietly, and he wants to argue that someone like Boqin is not at all comparable to the type of girl who could only afford ratty clothes with holes in them, but even he could see the fine quality of the silks that Prince wore, as dirty as they were. 

 

“I know…” Boqin swallows his pride and asks, “Could you keep this between us, please? I don’t know for sure and Prince doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to like rumors being spread about him.” 

 

“Sure.” Nanami agrees easily, looking back to meet his eyes, “What’s with Katsumi and Prince then? Even I could tell that there was something there when you guys all woke us older kids up.” 

 

““Katsumi and Prince know each other, I’m sure of it.” Boqin scratches his head, “I’m just not sure how.” 

 

Nanami is about to answer, but Boqin raises a finger to his lips in warning just as Smellerbee rounds the corner with Sneers in tow. 

 

The four of them wait as the door unlocks from the inside, slipping into their room where the other kids are waiting for them. Now they all need to share what all eleven of them found while wandering the ship. 

______

 

“Are you ready?” Smellerbee turns to him, his brown eyes sharp. 

 

Riku nods, parting ways with Smellerbee’s group and walking away with Manxin and Yaning. Their group is just going to steal some weapons from the spare weaponry, Manxin and Yaning had found it yesterday. Unlike the main weaponry, they reported that this one didn’t have guards and was in a more isolated part of the ship. 

Riku doesn’t want to discredit either of the girls that walk in front of him, but he’s pretty sure that neither of them can fight well. Manxin is dressed in what are clearly pajamas and Yaning is just a baby, and should honestly be in the room with the other mixed kids. 

 

Their job is going to be the least dangerous, and he knows that Boqin is counting on him to keep the two girls safe. All they have to do is grab a bow and arrow for him, and any extra weapons for the other older kids. Manxin and Yaning will go back to the room to defend it in case anything happens, taking the weapons with them so that any of the others can run back to it and grab them. Then Riku has to make his way to the tower of the ship, gaining the high ground and trying not to be seen.

 

Manxin clears her throat, gesturing to the door in front of them, “I’m gonna unlock the door, okay?” 

 

“Sure.” Yaning agrees, casting a sideways glance at Riku in the dimly lit hallway. The little girl looks a little sleepy, despite how risky their mission is. For a small group of children to try and take an entire military ship, the risks are uncountable. Still… Riku doesn’t want to go down without a fight. 

 

They’re attacking in the depth of night, where the firebenders will be at their weakest. Boqin had chosen the time, checking to make sure that Prince would be able to handle it. The older boy had given them a rather savage grin when he explained that he’d be more than able to bend during the night. 

 

Manxin pushes open the doors, revealing racks of weapons on the walls. Dark metal swords in scabbards, spears, but most importantly: bows and arrows, multiple sets hang from designated hooks. Riku strides in, picking out daggers that younger children would be able to wield. He slings three arrow holsters over his shoulder, and grips a bow that will fit him in his left hand. Then out of caution, he slides a dagger into one of the holsters as well. 

 

Manxin accepts the knives from him, with Yaning keeping careful watch on the hallway outside. Riku is about to leave when he spots a few crossbows on a random shelf. He considers how Manxin and Yaning lack any combat experience, and leaving them to only bluff with knives they’ve probably never handled is a bad idea. 

 

Riku waves the crossbow in front of Manxin’s face, showing her how to load it as quickly as he can. It’s a simple weapon, the only issue is the strength that it takes to pull back the loader but if it’s already loaded then all Manxin has to do is pull the trigger. 

 

Manxin takes it, looking unsure of herself. 

 

Riku lifts his bow, flexing his biceps and making a scary face. Riku takes back the crossbow and makes sure that she’s watching him. He points at the crossbow and smiles, pulling the trigger and the powerful bow launches the bolt into one of the spare armor pieces that was lying around the lower weaponry. The metal armor makes a sharp punching sound as the bolt pierces it, burying itself halfway through the plating. He hopes that he got the message across, that the crossbow is much easier to use than a normal bow and arrow. 

 

Manxin inhales in surprise, making grabby motions for the crossbow. Riku watches her struggle to load the bolt herself, almost dropping it in the process. Manxin whips her head up and bares her teeth in a proud grin that makes Riku feel better about leaving her to guard the kids. 

 

“It’s so powerful.” Manxin whispers as they leave, gazing down at the crossbow in awe. 

 

“Be careful with it.” Yaning warns her, the little girl looking up to Riku, “And you, be careful.” 

 

Riku gives her a salute before he hurriedly makes his way away from both of them. He walks up to the tower, encountering only one guard that he swiftly takes out from behind. There’s a random room nearby that Ichiro had told them was used for scrolls, Riku pulls the guard’s unconscious body into it and closes the door behind him. Hopefully she won’t wake up before they take the ship. 

 

From there it’s difficult avoiding being seen by the night watch, there are several soldiers stationed on the deck. Thankfully, they’re focused on watching the area outside of the boat, their gazes facing outwards to the sea and the cliffs surrounding the little harbor. Riku breathes in fresh air for the first time in almost two days, savoring the way that the heavy clouds cloak the light of the moon. 

 

There are little rungs for a ladder running up the tower, just like Prince said there would be. Riku doesn’t have the energy to think about why the older boy knows so much about this ship, that’ll come later. For now, he hauls his body up the three story tower and tries to ignore how his arms are aching by the time he gets to the top. Prince said there would be an alcove in the uppermost part of the tower, meant for spotting icebergs and enemies. It’s the perfect spot for Riku to provide fire cover for the latter part of Boqin’s plan. He lifts his body up into it and freezes. 

 

There’s a guard in the little lookout spot, snoozing with his head against the wall. His cropped hair is showing, the man has removed his helmet so that he can sleep comfortably. Riku stares at him with his mouth open, the wind whistles through the air. 

 

It feels like there’s a weight on his chest, it makes it hard for him to breathe. Riku remembers the raid, he’d felt so helpless against these ashmakers in their armor and now there was one laid out perfectly for him. 

 

Like a lamb to the slaughter. 

 

Riku numbly pulls the dagger from his arrow holster, and crawls closer to the man. The man is a little older than an average soldier, he probably has kids waiting for him to come home. 

 

Riku’s father will never come home again, and without him, Riku doesn’t have anywhere to return to. 

 

It’s just like slitting the throat of a hog, the man makes a pathetic little gasp that gets cut off by his own blood suffocating him. Brown eyes meet Riku’s dry ones, wild and afraid. Riku holds that eye contact until the life fades away entirely. 

 

Riku places the helmet back onto the corpse and readies his bow, staring at the deck below. The feeling of killing someone has left him without any of the guilt that he was expecting, the ocean waves lap against the beach with gentle crashing sounds. 

 

He breathes easily now. 

 

______

 

Bee holds open the metal doors as Sneers, Zhengting, and Ichiro slip through it. She casts her eyes around the empty hallway, and leaves Zhengting by the doors to keep watch. 

 

“Usually there’s only two people here, always jump up into the pipes if you think you hear someone coming.” She orders, making eye contact with Sneers and Ichiro. 

 

“Won’t they look up?” Ichiro asks, looking up at the confusing twist of metal above them. 

 

“Adults don’t expect us to be smarter than them, and we’re using that to our advantage.” Bee grins, holding up her fist for the two boys to bump against it, “We got this, meet back here when you locate the two engineers.” 

 

“Got it!” Sneers and Ichiro scurry away into the darkness. 

 

The knife in her hand still has dried blood on the handle, she hadn’t been able to pick it out of the grooves. Bee creeps forward, returning to where Prince had said he’d found the engineer sleeping last time. Sure enough, the snoozing engineer has their head collapsed against the storage crates. He’s wearing thick leather gloves up to his elbows, but everything else looks like soot-colored rags. Bee wonders why neither engineer seems to follow the uniform, especially when they work with the engines and probably need protection the most. 

 

She snorts, turning away from the engineer and tensing when Ichiro sprints past her. The boy looks terrified, his face contorted in panic. Bee ducks back into the little storage room and hides in the storage crates, watching him disappear from view. 

 

The sound of heavy stomping alerts her as the engineer she saw last night comes into view, casting his gaze around and very obviously looking for Ichiro. He still isn’t wearing a full thing of armor, just like last night. 

 

How stupid are these boys? Bee scrunches her eyes, readying herself to fight this man for the second time. She remembers how panicked she’d been the first time, how Prince had held her shoulder until the engineer had walked away. How little did that comforting gesture mean now, when she’s being forced to kill the same man that Prince had caused her to spare. He’s standing right at the entrance, facing in the direction that Ichiro had run. 

 

Bee steps out of her hiding spot, holding her knife at the ready and hoping that she’ll get out of this fight without too many injuries. She isn’t dumb, the only reason she beat the other soldier last night was because he hadn’t been expecting it. Ambushing the engineer isn’t an option anymore. 

 

“Hey…” A slurred voice sounds from behind her, “Who’re you…?” 

 

Bee’s blood turns to ice, watching in slow motion as the engineer turns to face her and hearing the other engineer move to get up. Is this it? Is she really going to blow Boqin’s plan like this? All because Ichiro and Sneers couldn’t figure out how to avoid being seen? 

 

The engineer without a helmet raises his arms and that’s all the warning that Bee gets before a blast of fire erupts from both of his palms, she ducks behind the other engineer and feels his answering scream in her bones. 

 

Using another person as a human shield becomes Bee’s specialty, her cunning and small size leads to her often ducking behind someone or lugging a dead body in front of her. But that’s years from now, and first Bee needs to live long enough to become the infamous Smellerbee of the Seas. 

 

A heavy thump sounds through the cabin, and suddenly the flames stop. Bee breathes in sharply before she stands up on her tiptoes and shoves the injured man into the storage crates. He’s too weak to do anything but blearily swipe at her. Bee slams the hilt of the dagger into his temple and pops something in the mess of burns that are weeping blood that should be his face. Something splatters against her hand as he goes limp, warm and wet. 

 

“Did you just kill him?” Sneers gasps, and Bee whips her head around to see the chubby boy standing over the other engineer, a wrench in his hand. 

 

“No!” Bee denies, stepping away from the collapsed body and resisting the urge to wipe her hand on her clothes. 

 

“Oma and Shu, you guys killed both of the engineers!?” Ichiro yelps, emerging from the shadows. 

 

“They’re just knocked out.” Both Sneers and Bee snap at him at the same time, glancing  back at each other in surprise. 

 

“We should tie them up.” Ichiro looks at them nervously, 

 

“Yeah.” Sneers agrees, stepping away from the body and staring at Bee. 

 

“With what rope?” Bee asks, her heart still hasn’t calmed down from the fight. The liquid from the man’s unrecognizable face is dripping down her fingers, it’s sticky. 

 

Ichiro holds up a coil of rope with a smirk, “This is my only skill, remember?” 

 

Bee dazedly remembers how Boqin had made each of them talk about what they brought to the table when he was organizing each team, Ichiro had told them that he had nothing useful about him. 

 

“There’s no such thing as being worthless.” Boqin had scolded him, “The Earth doesn’t make anything that can’t be used.” 

 

Ichiro had hesitantly told them that he was good at sewing, and that he knew how to cook well. 

 

As Ichiro trusses up both men like hogs, Bee wonders if they’re going to shove their corpses into the ovens-

 

Fire pits, she reminds herself, it’s cremation not cooking. 

 

Bee tries to calm down, and trains her eyes on the rising and falling of the engineers' chests. They're still alive, they're breathing and she's breathing. No one has died yet, this isn't like last night and it doesn't need to be. 

 

“So we just have to lug these crates over to the fire pits?” Sneers looks at the boxes of kerosene doubtfully, “And it’ll be enough to convince the soldiers to leave the ship?” 

 

“It’s just a threat.” Bee responds tiredly, already exhausted with this mission even though they still have so much left to do. She leaves the two boys with a box on her own, handing it off to Zhengting. Zhengting nods at her, leaving to go spill the hazardous liquid all over the walls of the ship. 

 

Bee, Sneers, and Ichiro work together to lift the rest of the heavy boxes over to the fire pits, positioning them to be close enough to the pits that it would be an easy enough matter to toss them in. Zhengting comes back while they’re in the middle of it, taking another box in his thin, shaking arms and running back out to spread more kerosene. Bee wipes her sweating forehead and grimaces when she realizes that she still has the burn fluid on her hand. 

 

Boqin’s plan is simple enough: make it dangerous for the fire benders to use their element by spreading the kerosene. Then, take the engine room and threaten to kill everyone on the ship if the soldiers do not leave. Prince and his team are going to take the command station, getting rid of the soldiers’ chain of command leaving them without leaders. 

 

Bee lifts up her shirt to clean off her hand and forehead, and hopes that the others can do their part.

Notes:

Let me know what you all think! Tbh I could not think of a good way to take the ship, and this was the best plan I could think of.

T-T

I like writing how each of the freedom fighters are slowly becoming more and more aggressive, transitioning from the scared kids we meet to the warriors in the original series

Also! I'm writing another fic: it's a bnha and erased crossover! It's called "To The Bonds I Can't Yet See".

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29150742/chapters/71565468

if either of those fandoms are your thing, check it out please!

Chapter 17: Revolt

Notes:

Hi! I hope that you enjoy the chapter!

I actually have a song for this chapter! I was listening to Work Song by Hozier and i found that it fit the mood of this chapter quite well.

Prince creeps forward quietly, the swords that he’d grabbed from the main weaponry rest on his back. The silent shadow that stalks in front of them is a far cry from the injured boy that Boqin had helped bandage a couple days ago. 

 

Boqin, Katsumi, and Nanami followed him, trusting Prince to lead the way to the tower. They encountered two guards standing in front of the entrance to the ship’s tower’s ladder, and Boqin watched in awe as Prince leapt forward and smashed their armored heads together with a sharp clang! that echoed in the empty hallway. 

 

“You couldn’t have done that quieter?” Katsumi snaps, the older boy looks tense and nervous. 

 

“Shh.” Prince smirks, walking up the stairs without looking back. “It’s payback for the beatings anyways.”

 

Boqin originally wanted them to just take the command station, but Prince had pointed out that they needed to take out every officer in order to rob the soldiers of their reliance on the chain of command. 

 

“Without someone to give them orders to resist, the soldiers will go along with our threats.” Prince had explained earlier. 

 

The other two glanced at Boqin who sighed, picking up one of the unconscious guards by their shoulders and gesturing for them to get his feet. Nanami grunted as they walked up the stairs, Katsumi staying behind to stand guard. Prince had explained that the command tower had four rooms per floor and was about five stories tall. The uppermost floor was the command station, it was easily defendable from the inside. 

 

On the first floor, Prince stood waiting for them with his swords drawn. He raised an eyebrow at Boqin and Nanami, sheathing his blades and striding towards them. Prince awkwardly took on the guard’s torso, wincing at the way bending over hurt his ribs, then he pointed at the farthest room. 

 

“That’s the most secure one.” 

 

They all awkwardly waddled over, depositing the body in a room with three other officers already lying in it. Prince laughed as they closed the door, pulling out a key that Boqin hadn’t noticed him holding. 

 

“They always have their bedroom keys on them.” Prince holds it up so that both of them can see the singular dot on the key’s widest part, “That’s how you know it’s a personal key and not one for the main body.”

 

Katsumi rounds the corner, looking pissed beyond relief as he struggles to carry the female guard on his shoulder. Boqin sighs, walking over and taking the other arm. There goes their lookout. Prince and Nanami help them get it through the door, setting her down on the floor with a barely audible clank. 

 

Boqin explains the key thing to Katsumi as Prince locks the door, the red lamps of the officer’s quarters painting their skin in bloody, hazy hues. 

 

One floor down, three more to go. 

 

It’s surprisingly quick work after that, Boqin is almost surprised by how easy the entire routine is. First, Prince walks into the hallway and checks that none of the officers are awake. Then, both he and Nanami pick the locks with little tools that they’d lifted from the weaponry. Nanami had explained that she’d lived in the city, and often the only way to get food was to steal it. Boqin had judged her initially, but a sharp glare from Smellerbee had stopped him from saying anything he might regret. Obviously, Nanami and Prince’s skills were paying off big time now. 

 

Prince would then take care of the officers, explaining that he had a lot of previous combat experience. It was almost eerie, how quickly and quietly he silenced the sleeping men and women. Boqin had thought that it would involve more of a struggle, but Prince’s specialty seemed to be a simple bonk on the head with the butt of his sword handles while they were sleeping. The four of them work together to get the officers into one room, piling up the bodies as fast as they can. After the first floor, Prince frustratedly explains that it would take more time to locate the keys than they have. As uneasy as it feels to leave the officers unattended, Boqin agrees that they’re taking too long.

 

Sometimes the floor is more empty than they expected, with the third floor being completely barren. 

 

“This floor is for royalty.” Katsumi explains, his dark eyes glimmering in the scarlet glow. 

 

“Why would the Royals ever be on this piece of shit?” Nanami snorts, already moving on to the fourth floor. 

 

Prince and Katsumi don’t move to follow her, until Boqin wildly gestures for them to get a move on. 

 

Finally, they reach the main command floor. 

 

_______

 

Zuko takes a deep breath, he motions for the other kids to get back. Out of all of them, Nanami was the only one with “some” fighting experience. She’d explained that she’d fought off pickpockets or people who tried to give her trouble. Boqin and Katsumi both reminded him of the noble children he used to have to entertain in the days before Grandfather had died. They were soft and skinny, in the way that hinted towards adhering to keeping an ideal body not starvation. 

 

Nanami gives him a nod, and all three of them duck behind the corner in case things go south. 

 

The command station door is unlocked, just like he thought it would be. It swings open easily and reveals the Captain and three other military officers of indiscriminate rank. They weren’t really doing anything, the ship was docked after all. He suspected they were only on the night watch in order to keep the captain company. Zuko hadn’t known that who’d be on duty tonight, when they hadn’t found them sleeping in their rooms, his heart had sunk lower into his chest. 

 

This was not going to be an easy fight in the slightest. 

 

The roar of fire echoed in the small room, Zuko dodging the first blast of fire and rolling to the ground and slashing at the legs of one of the officers. The man crashed to the ground, attempting to grab at his tattered silk clothes. Zuko slipped behind him, a dagger slamming into the metal floor where he’d been a split second ago. 

 

Pushing with all of his strength (this move was a lot easier in his older body) Zuko shoved the man he’d been hiding behind into one of the two men standing front of the Captain. Their armor met with a sharp clank and both men went tumbling to the ground in a heap of limbs, Zuko hissed as a stream of fire caught his shoulder from the standing petty officer. 

 

Ignoring the burn in his shoulder, his blades flashed through the air, one of them shoving another throwing knife out of the air and the other slamming into the helmet of the petty officer. The petty officer fell and immediately Zuko had to leap out of the way as a gigantic burst of fire came towards him. 

 

Zuko met it with his own, a giant breath of flame escaping him his mouth and blasting the Captain’s stream back towards her. Knowing that she was more skilled than the others, he charged forward with his blades held in an X in front of his chest. 

 

Armored toes jammed into his already sore ribs, a short scream making its way out of Zuko as he moved with the impact and rolled to the side. His dao slashed through the joints of her armor, cutting through the flesh at the back of her knee. The Captain twisted around as she fell, trying to once more get him with an overwhelming onslaught of flame. 

 

Zuko hadn’t spent the past three years getting his ass handed to him to lose now. 

 

The fight ended with a dull thunk against the Captain’s armored head and the flames harmlessly gushed around Zuko after an answering blast from his fist, Nanami stood behind the now downed Captain and smirked at him. 

 

“Holy shit.” Katsumi said, stepping into the command station and looking around in a daze, “We actually did it.” 

 

“Not yet.” Zuko reminded him, turning to the numerous pulleys, alarm system, steering wheel, and measurement tools that lined the front of the command station. 

 

Pointing at a deceivingly simple looking bell that hung in front of some pipes, Zuko explained, “So that’s the alarm that I told you about, if we ring that then every soldier will go out to the deck.” 

 

They stand in the command room, waiting for the signal to ring the alarm, feeling tense when they hear quick footsteps running up the stairs. Zhengting emerges from the darkness, panting and smelling like kerosene. The lanky kid gives them a thumbs up, a proud smile curling across his face. 

 

Zuko checks him over for any injuries as Zhengting updates them on the situation in the engine room. 

 

“The lower levels have kerosene on the walls, some of it got on me though.” Zhengting shrugs, “It couldn’t be avoided.”

 

“Ready?” Boqin asked, nervously looking at the rest of them. 

 

Zuko nodded grimly, before pulling neatly on the bell’s chord three times. 

 

_____

 

Ichiro tenses as a bell in an unknown corner of the engine room begins to ring, distracting him from the corpse that’s currently laying in front of him. Ever so carefully, he stands up and drops the bound hands of the engineer. There’s no point in checking for a pulse anymore. 

 

He hopes that the bender engineer wasn’t too close to the one who’s dead, that man is going to wake up feeling soooo guilty. Although it serves him right for trying to set Smellerbee and Sneers on fire, couldn’t he have known that they weren’t going to hurt him? Prince and Katsumi had made it clear that they weren’t killing anyone, and Ichiro knew this went in direct contrast with that goal. 

 

“That’s the signal.” Sneers informed them, even though they both knew that. 

 

“No shit.” Smellerbee rolled his eyes, before the older boy looked at Ichiro with a soft look on his face, “The burns killed him, didn’t they?” 

 

“Yeah.” Ichiro sniffled, even though the engineer had been an ashmaker, the fact that he was dead was still weird. It made his stomach turn, like when he’d eaten too many egg tarts, except he didn’t know if it would ever go away. 

 

“Well it was this guy’s fault.” Sneers poked the unconscious engineer with his bare foot, the larger boy’s frown was noticeable even in the weird lighting of the engine room. 

 

“He’s still dead.” Ichiro says, hesitating before he speaks again, “But it’s not our fault, right?” 

 

“Of course it isn’t.” Sneers huffs, leaning over to pat Ichiro’s thin shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself, plus we all know.” 

 

“ The only good kind of ashmaker is a dead one.” 

 

They all echo the saying, it arose after veteran soldiers that’d survived long enough to be discharged from the front had come home. It was a bastardization of the saying where the word was a slur for Earth Kingdom people instead. Over the decades, Earth Kingdom citizens had whispered it whenever they were forced to confront their reality. 

 

Now as they stare at the dead man’s body, Ichiro can’t help but feel like they’re just little kids throwing around swear words that they’ve been told not to say. 

 

“We just have to wait, and make sure that no one tries anything.” Smellerbee advances towards the door, “I’m going to keep watch, I’ll holler if anyone tries to get through the door.” 

 

Ichiro nervously paces as Sneers plops onto the ground, seemingly without a care in the world. If it weren’t for the wrench that Sneer’s clenched fist refuses to drop, Ichiro would accuse him of being careless. Sneers places the two bodies next to the fire pits, dragging them none too gently over the rough metal floor of the engine room. 

 

The minutes drag by, Ichiro feels like it’s never going to end. 

 

“So…” Sneers says from behind him, “Where are you from?” 

 

“Puanyi.” Ichiro answers, “What about you?” 

 

“I’m from Green’s Bluff!” Sneers chirps, “It’s a lovely little town with lots of farms.” 

 

“Are you a farmer?” 

 

“Yeah!” Sneers looked confused, “How did you know?” 

 

“Dude.” Ichiro stares at him, “Everyone’s a farmer if they don’t live in the city.” 

 

“Where’s Puanyi?” Sneers laughs, “I’ve never heard of it.” 

 

“It’s near the city, about half a day’s ride from it.” Ichiro answers, not wanting to get too into it. 

 

Puanyi is a town that only bureaucrats and the rich go to, it has only one crop that keeps it afloat. It isn’t a poor town, just the people there are a certain kind of hopeless that Ichiro hopes to never become. When the soldiers had arrived, there’d been a battle that left all of the town’s defenders dead. Ichiro’s older brother had been among them, his parents had still been coherent enough to arrange a burial for the pieces of the body they’d been given. 

 

Once the Fire Nation had marched into Puanyi, they’d made quick work of reorganizing Ichiro’s home and forcing people to labor in the place of those who’d died fighting against them. On the day that Ichiro had been sent to the column, his parents hadn’t had a hit in more than a few days. 

 

It was understandable that they’d sold him, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Ichiro hadn’t put up a fight when the soldier’s had taken him, and he’d turned away when they’d discussed the payment for his parents. He had no interest in knowing how much he was worth. 

 

As the fifth child, and the third son, Ichiro had never been much of any value. The fact that he kept the family fed on cheap meals had made his Mama smile whenever she was home, weak bone broth was her favorite, but it hadn’t been enough to make them want to keep him. 

 

Puanyi’s only export was opium, the massive fields of poppies and giant indoor gardens made it obvious that it was a drug town. Ichiro’s parents were simple farmers, but he doubted that they were the same as Sneers’s family. Ichiro wasn’t strong enough for the fields, but he was good enough at cooking to work at the closest indoor garden since he was willing to work for almost nothing. 

 

The ashmakers had been strict, and the overseer at the field that his parents worked at had been replaced with one of their soldiers. Unable to sneak small amounts of seeds, his addict parents who were normally so high functioning even when on the poppy seeds had grown desperate with every passing day. Ichiro wished that he could say that he was surprised when the soldiers had knocked on their door, but that would be a lie. Ichiro’s father was from the colonies, the only Fire Nation features that he had were his light colored eyes, something Ichiro didn’t inherit. 

 

“Oy!” 

 

Smellerbee’s shout echoes through the engine room, startling Ichiro out of his thoughts and making Sneers slam the engineer’s head into the ship’s floor as a precaution. They both stand tense and wait for something to happen. 

 

The sounds of a fight could be heard, but they had no visuals of it. Ichiro and Sneers glanced at each other, neither of them knew what to do. Out where they couldn’t see it, Smellerbee was risking his life for them to just stand around like useless spidermonkeys. Haruta wouldn’t wait while his comrade got killed, hiding like a coward in safety isn’t something his brother would do at all. Maybe Ichiro’s parents will take him back, if he does something more like his brother (someone who was worth keeping, or at least worth burying) would do. 

 

Ichiro clenches his teeth, making the decision for all of them. 

 

“Try anything, and we’ll blow the whole ship up.” Ichiro projected his voice, ignoring how it cracked at the end. 

 

The sounds of fighting continued after a short pause following his statement, and Ichiro took a deep breath before he grabbed one of the boxes and kicked it until it opened. He grabbed one of the metal containers and hurriedly twisted open the top of it, shoving Sneers away from the fire pit. 

 

Ichiro yanked open the doors and hurled the kerosine in, ducking a little too late as a gigantic and most importantly audible, stream of fire gushed out of the opening. His face felt hot and too tight, and no matter how much he breathed in the air around him, his lungs felt like they were burning. 

 

The metal pipes all around them creaked, the little measurement devices for pressure and heat made little whirring noises as the ship shook with the force of the explosion within the fire pits. Shouting from the front echoed in the chaos, but Ichiro couldn’t make anything out. 

 

_____

 

Katsumi watches as Prince Zuko pauses mid speech when the boat rocks due to something that feels like an explosion from below deck. The soldiers assembled in front of them shout, raising their fists and obviously antsy. 

 

“Well, as you can see”, His Prince raises one of his perfectly halved swords and lets it glint in the moonlight, “It was not an idle threat. Either leave the ship now, or we’ll send us all into the Spirit World.” 

 

There were only a few soldiers left on the ship, the majority of them were in the water already. Prince Zuko had told them that the alarm bell he rang was used as an emergency symbol that signified that the ship was about to blow. Usually, he’d said, newer ships wouldn’t have this kind of warning but the engines for this ship were unstable due to their age and many of the soldiers were to immediately jump ship if they heard it. 

 

Out of the fifty soldiers that Prince Zuko had estimated to be on their floating prison, only about thirty of them remained on board. Nanami was guarding the doorway, listening to see if anyone was willing to try anything. 

 

Katsumi and Boqin had counted the soldiers in the water, the majority of whom had already made their way to the beach. Prince Zuko had told them that this was standard army protocol, a way of making sure that everyone was accounted for. 

 

There were only fifteen soldiers standing on the deck now, and Katsumi hoped that the others were enough to hold the missing ones off. He wasn’t sure how many of them were officers, and Katsumi didn’t even know how they were going to dispose of the ones that were locked in the tower. The moonlight shone on the wooden planks, illuminating the way that the majority of the soldiers weren’t wearing armor nor were they armed. 

 

“Little boy, you cannot expect us to believe you.” A woman’s voice rang out, fire spreading across her shoulders in an obvious attempt at intimidation. 

 

Were His Prince not standing next to him, it might have worked. Katsumi had caught the tail end of the fight between Prince Zuko and the Captain, he believed that the Prince could take any of the soldiers on this ship. 

 

Even though Katsumi was still wary of putting his trust into a Royal to protect him or any of the other kids, he knew that there was no way that Prince Zuko wasn’t a combat prodigy. The fact that the Prince had originally planned on taking the whole ship in the way that they’d taken the tower proved that the Prince was confident in his abilities. 

 

“Either get in the water, or we’ll kill all of your superior officers.” Prince Zuko’s voice was hard and unyielding, looking every bit the cold hearted royal that Katsumi expected him to be. 

 

He didn’t bother arguing with Prince about the threat, it would be a waste to kill that many people when they already won. Beside him, Boqin nervously muttered, “I don’t like how we can’t check on the others.” 

 

Katsumi gripped his shoulder reassuringly, “Trust in him, he’ll get us through this.” 

 

“You sure he won’t collapse from his injuries first?” Boqin muttered, getting a flick on the forehead from Prince. 

 

Katsumi stiffened at the action, tracking how Prince Zuko intentionally softened his stance instead of apologizing. 

 

“They’re going to need some incentive to get off.” Prince whispered, “But I really want them to make the first move.” 

 

Katsumi looks down to see that the soldiers have congregated on the deck, huddling together around the woman who has extinguished her flames. Boqin makes a quiet sound when they suddenly form into a compact diamond shape. Prince tenses next to them, shoving his forearm into Katsumi’s chest and making him stumble backwards. 

 

Not a moment later, a long whip of fire lashed out from the deck before it was blasted away by Prince. Another flash of fire came from the deck immediately after, also being blasted by Prince. The onslaught continued, with so many bright bursts of orange flame that the very air shimmered from the heat that the firebenders were expelling. With every blast of fire that Prince Zuko let out, two more surged upwards from the deck. It seemed like the soldiers were hoping to outlast Prince in a bending battle, but they were no match for the amount of fire that Prince Zuko could put out. The flames shed more light on everyone, exposing the snarl on the Prince’s face as he moved, the way his form was utterly perfect as he defended them.

 

Arrows rained down from above them, hitting some of the soldiers and making them cry out in pain. Katsumi let out a relieved sigh when it looked like the mute boy wasn’t trying to fatally injure them, most of them had only been hit in the thigh or bicep. Prince and the m ute boy worked together to head the soldiers to the edge of the deck, where if they took a few steps forward then they’d be shot or burned.  

 

Katsumi’s hands ached for his drawing supplies, he wished that he could sketch this moment. Pa had always told him that there will be moments that need to be immortalized, and that it is their family’s job as artists to do it. If he hadn’t been the one to trace the announcement fliers for the new portrait of Prince Zuko last year, he probably wouldn’t have recognized the boy when they met on this ship. 

 

In another life, Katsumi painstakingly outlines Zuko’s eyes and lips for missing posters that claim he has betrayed the Fire Lord along with the Dragon of the West. In memories that have been washed away, Katsumi graduates at sixteen from his apprenticeship having drawn more than five hundred versions of the same scar that twists Prince Zuko’s lovely cheek bone into a gnarled mess of lumpy tissue. The paint shade that he creates to portray the scar is what actually gets him accepted by the painter’s guild, it is the only shade of red that is natural enough (yet stays vibrant even if the poster has been attached to a notice post in the elements) for the posters.  

 

In a show of bending that no one expected, Prince Zuko created a wall of fire that corralled the soldiers and began to tighten it. The soldiers have no choice but to jump overboard, hitting the water with giant splashes. Boqin whooped, thrusting his hands in the air and hugging Katsumi as the last of them jumped ship. They’ve won? 

 

Prince Zuko turned to them, extinguishing the flames on his hands and grinned, his face half painted in shadow. On the side that’s illuminated by the moon, golden eyes glow as he meets Katsumi’s gaze. 

 

_____

 

Sneers grabbed Ichiro, dodging the flames that were still billowing out of the opening and tugging him forward. Shrill whistling came from the metal around them, Ichiro stumbled forward as Sneers supported him. Something smelled like cooked meat, and dimly he realized that someone was screaming. 

 

“We have to get ready.” Sneers gripped his shoulders and brought him back down to earth, “Are you good at throwing things?” 

 

“No.” Ichiro answered, his aim had never been more than abysmal. 

 

“Okay, then you’re going to go hide behind the corner and when the soldiers come, splash the kerosine on them.” Sneers orders, pointing at the way the main entrance to their section has a sharp enough corner that no one would be able to see him until it’s too late. “I’ll throw something flaming on them, and they’ll go down just like him.” 

 

Ichiro looks behind Sneers’ broad shoulders to see the engineer laying by the firepits, the man is clearly in pain but the head blows that Sneers dealt to him must have injured him to the point that he can’t do much more than writhe on the ground. He’s grateful that the man can’t react to the pain he’s in, Ichiro would probably guess that his entire back had been caught in the flames. 

 

“Got it.” Ichiro agrees to the plan even though his mouth feels like it’s been stuffed full of cotton. 

 

Sneers hands him a few canisters of kerosine, and pushes him towards the corner. Ichiro waits quietly and unscrews the tops, he yelps when he tries to climb the pipes to place two of them over the walkway as the pipes have warmed up considerably. 

 

He doesn’t doubt that Smellerbee has already lost his fight against the soldiers, Ichiro hides a sniffle as he tugs off his shirt and rips it, wrapping his palms like a non-bender ring fighter would and protecting them from the hot metal. The pipes make his fingers smart with burns that he tries to ignore, placing the canisters on top of an overhead pipe with them set just barely over the edge. Ichiro hopes that if he kicks the wall hard enough, the connected pipe will shake and the canisters will fall and soak the soldiers. 

 

In case he fails (which is likely considering how weak he is) Ichiro also splashes some of the kerosine on the floor, careful not to get any of it on him. He steps away from the shiny puddle and waits for Smellerbee to come back. Ichiro can’t hear the sounds of fighting, had they been continuing after they burned the engineer? He isn’t sure anymore, the sound of the explosion and his screams had drowned everything out. 

If Smellerbee lost to them, he hopes that they kept the older boy alive. Ichiro doesn’t know what he would do if his hesitance had cost the other boy his life. The crackling of the flames behind him cause Ichiro to turn around and look at Sneers, who is- who is-

 

Ichiro is trying very very hard to fight the urge to vomit as he watches Sneers inexpertly carve chunks of flaming flesh off of the engineer’s spine, setting them down in neat, bloody stacks. He wheels around and focuses on straining his ears, trying to hear what’s going on at the front. 

 

It’s a good thing that he does this, because he hears the sound of quick footsteps that erupt from a different pathway and Ichiro blinks as he realizes that he’s a dumbass for assuming that the soldiers would take the easiest pathway to the engine room. Suddenly the footsteps change, they’re coming from… above him? 

 

Ichiro relaxes as he realizes what’s going on, there’s only one person that could reasonably fit into the pipes that run through the high ceilings of the engine room. Smellerbee must still be alive, and he’s making his way towards him. Hopefully the boy is smart enough to herd the soldier towards the entrance that Ichiro’s standing by, otherwise they’re all screwed. 

 

The kerosine glints in the red glow of the engine room, and Ichiro has to wonder if the Fire Nation is just that dedicated to their color scheme or if they have a version of the glowing crystal that his Kingdom has. Shiny walls and floor are dulled as a body flies over head, landing next to him in a less than impressive drop. 

 

Smellerbee’s face is bruised, a nasty lump on their forehead that makes Ichiro wince just by looking at it. His silt-colored eyes meet Ichiro’s as he pants, “They’re right behind me.” 

 

“How many are there?” 

 

“I took out two of them, so there’s only four left.” Smellerbee grins proudly before he frowns, “None of them are benders, I… I don’t know for sure though.”

 

Ichiro notices the way that Smellerbee’s voice shakes, and wonders if everyone he knows is just pretending to not be scared for someone else’s sake.  

 

“It’s okay.” Ichiro summons some bravery from somewhere, emulating the people of Puanyi who died defending it. He remembers the last night that his older brother had been alive, Haruta had told Ichiro that his jok was the best he’d ever had. Haruta had drawn him close later that night, and told him not to be afraid. “I have a plan.”

 

“Good.” Smellerbee looks relieved, and for once Ichiro doesn’t feel worthless. 

 

If he can do this, if they can take out these soldiers then there’s proof that he isn’t a waste of creation. Ichiro readies his canister, hands one to Smellerbee, and whispers just as heavy boots stomp down the hallway, “Just soak the soldier I don’t get.” 

 

Belatedly, Ichiro realizes that he didn’t tell Sneers. Twisting around, he holds up four fingers and hopes that Sneers sees it because Smellerbee is already tossing kerosine onto the soldier that made a grab for him while he was distracted. Smellerbee curses filthily as Ichiro feels sharp pain sear across his side, stumbling away and whipping his hand out to soak the second soldier with kerosine. 

 

They both scramble away from the two soldiers and Ichiro thanks Oma and Shu that the soldiers have bunched up together. With a quick kick against the fat pipe that snakes up the wall and across the walkway, the canisters of kerosine splash onto the remaining soldier. 

 

Chunks of flaming flesh smack onto the floor and hit the soldiers, sticking to their haphazardly put on suits of armor and burning immediately. Within seconds the whole area is aflame, and when one of the soldiers tries to run at Ichiro, he soaks him with more kerosine without hesitation. Newfound screaming fills the air, and Ichiro pretends that he’s smelling badly done meat instead of burning hair and skin. 

 

The soldiers must have been sleepy and not all that concerned about their chances of being attacked. Two of them aren’t wearing helmets at all and though all three put on the chest piece, none of them have anything beyond those meagre pieces of armor. All this means is that they’re frantically trying to get out of the kerosine puddles but their legs eventually give out under their injuries, their limbs flailing around as they scream and jerk in a messy, bloody heap. 

 

They’re like the ants that Ichiro’s sisters would fry with a magnifying glass, curling up and thrashing so badly that they can’t escape. His feet step forward, they promised Prince and Katsumi that they wouldn’t hurt the soldiers and this is torture. Before he can mercifully attempt to drag them out, a firm hand on his shoulder stops him. 

 

“It’s so fucking crazy that they can be hurt by fire too.” Smellerbee whispers, his stance wobbly in a way that makes Ichiro worried about how injured he got in the front of the engine room, “Like I know none of them are benders but wow.” 

 

“Funny that you would say that, mudrat.” A voice sounds behind them and Ichiro feels the heat against his skin, the fire from the burning soldiers being pulled towards both of them. 

 

Before he really thinks about it, Ichiro has already pushed Smellerbee out of the way and against the wall as he sprints (much too slowly) towards the firebender behind him and feels his back explode in agony. Desperately he tackles the woman’s shins as he collapses and pulls his arms against her knees, she folds forward with a groan and grips him with flaming palms, trying to pry herself up. It hurts so badly, but his arms are locked, and Ichiro doesn’t know if he could let go if he wanted to. Agony licks up his spine, and he can’t help but think that this is karma for what he did to the last engineer. Did he feel like this in his last moments too? 

 

As he registers the splatter of liquid against his nape, Ichiro looks up to see blood dripping from Smellerbee’s knife. The older boy is saying something, his mouth is moving but Ichiro can’t hear him anymore. 

 

Ichiro hopes that this is enough, that Sneers and Smellerbee will live through this, and they won’t end up like him. Is it selfish that he wants them to remember him as more than the pathetic little boy that he was? 

 

Is Haruta proud?

Notes:

What did you guys think? Let me know in the comments below!

Also :))))) the recent response to my fic has been amazing, you're all so nice and encouraging, it makes me feel so inspired to write!

On the subject of Ichiro, I do wish that I'd put more of his backstory into the previous chapters but tbh he wasn't a planned character for me to flesh out. It was naive for the kids to think that they could take the ship without any injuries.

And then: I'm writing a bnha and erased crossover! You don't need any knowdledge of Erased to read it, but I'm very excited cause it's my pet project right now! If any of you guys are into those fandoms, check it out!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29150742/chapters/71565468

Chapter 18: Where Do We Go From Here? Pt. 1

Summary:

Previously! The group of kidnapped children takes the ship! Riku aka Longshot murders a man in cold blood! Nanami, Boqin, Katsumi, and Zuko successfully drive off the soldiers and defeat the officers in long range combat, leaving the ship clear! Zhengting, Smellerbee, Ichiro, and Sneers defend the engine room. Manxin and Yaning are left to defend the youngest of the mixed children in their room. Katsumi reveals to the readers that he knows who Prince really is! And Ichiro gets grievously injured while fighting the last of the soldiers and protecting Smellerbee!

Content Warnings: Corpses, graphic body horror, vomit, and blood.

Notes:

Hello! This is just part of the fat chapter that I have planned, finals week is kicking my ass and I feel awful for how long it's taken me to upload this! Do not worry! The next part of this should be out next week, and I expect the whole route to be around 30k including this :)

Boqin walks forward, checking over his shoulder to see if Prince was still behind him. The older boy smiled reassuringly at him in the dark hallway, the stink of kerosine singeing his nostrils. Fighting the urge to breathe through his nose, Boqin led them through the area that he went through with Nanami. A familiar door loomed in front of them, Boqin unlocked it and pushed it open. 

 

An empty bed greeted them, Boqin sighed in relief as they confirmed that the soldier that he’d found earlier had jumped ship. There wasn’t much else to do, Boqin moved to close the door. 

 

“Wait.” Prince’s arm reached over his head and stopped him from moving, “I smell herbs.” 

 

“So the guy had a thing for gardening? Why does that matter?” Boqin asked, inhaling and finding that he could just barely make out the scent of basil over the overpowering oily odor. 

 

“Basil’s used in medicine, I think this might have been their medic’s quarters.” Prince flicked his hand and there was soft bssst as a lamp on the wall flared to light, illuminating the simple room with a few boxes of dirt and medical supplies. 

 

Boqin blinked in shock, he’d barely seen the flash of fire as it made its way from Prince’s fingertips to the lamp. As a boy raised in a protected (or it had been protected) pocket of the Earth Kingdom, seeing casual displays of fire bending was still something he was getting used to. 

 

“Do you know anything about medicine?” Boqin asked, craning his head to look over the organized table and green leaves of the small plants growing in the room, “I wouldn’t even know what to grab.” 

 

“I know a lot about treating burns.” Prince revealed, gently pulling off some basil leaves and grabbing a small leather bag from the corner that Boqin hadn’t noticed, “They must have taken their standard bag when they evacuated.” 

 

“It’s better than nothing.” Boqin shrugged, following Prince out of the room and locking it behind him. “Let’s hope that no one got hurt.” 

 

“Right.” Prince swallowed, and both of them shared a look that communicated how unlikely they thought that to be the case. Despite both of their best efforts, Boqin and Prince had known when they made their plan that they were still just a group of kids trying to outsmart an entire boat’s worth of veteran soldiers. Realistically, they’d gone in hoping for the least amount of damage possible. Having none of the kids being injured would be a miracle. 

 

After walking through the lower carriage to where their room was, Boqin knocked three times in quick succession and then two slower knocks. The metal door was cool against his knuckles, it creaked open to reveal Manxin’s watery brown eye. 

 

“Boqin.” Manxin’s voice shook as she yanked open the door and rushed forward, wrapping him in a tight hug that he didn’t expect, “I thought something bad happened.” 

 

“We haven’t checked the engine room yet.” Prince warned, his voice deepening “I don’t know why that explosion happened.” 

 

Boqin’s brain was still struggling to function as he held the other girl in his arms, why exactly was he being hugged??? They hadn’t talked much since they’d met in their column, why was she so worried about him? 

 

“How did taking the command center go?” Manxin asks, still holding onto Boqin. 

 

“We’ll come back to give you the all clear once everything is sorted out.” Prince informs her, “We successfully got most of the soldiers off of the ship, so don’t worry about that.”

 

Boqin stepped out of her grasp, peering into the room and felt air enter his mouth as his jaw dropped. Lying next to the huddled group of children was a Fire Nation soldier, a bolt standing proudly in the middle of her ribcage. There is no breathing to make the bolt rise and fall from where it sticks out from the woman’s chest. 

 

Boqin thinks he might be sick as he turns around to Manxin with a question in his eyes, “What happened?” 

 

“She came by, saying that we didn’t deserve to die on this shitty scrapper.” Yaning answers, revealing herself from where she’d been standing amongst the sleeping children. 

 

“Language.” Boqin mutters absentmindedly, the instinct from correcting his own younger siblings popping out. 

 

“I asked her if she was going to release the Earth Kingdom children as well.” Manxin continued, hefting her crossbow that Boqin had somehow missed, “She said no, so I shot her.” 

 

“She also tried to drag me out of the room.” Kohana adds, showing her arm with what looks like claw marks on it. “That’s why she got shot.” 

 

Prince looks at the sluggishly bleeding scratches on little Kohana’s arm, “Good job on protecting yourselves.” 

 

“We’re going to figure out what happened in the engine room.” Boqin announces, deciding that it’s better for his health to run away from how casually these three girls are discussing the murder of a soldier. 

 

“Bye bye!” Yaning chirps as they walk out of the room and into the hallway. 

 

Boqin dutifully follows Prince deeper into the ship’s levels, the older boy neatly avoids little dents in the floor that Boqin would have otherwise tripped on. The smell of kerosine envelopes them the further that they descend, their pace picks up when they arrive at the engine room and the smell of cooked meat mixes with it. 

 

“Fuck.” Prince curses, turning to him as they cautiously enter the room that’s crammed with pipes and gangways, “Stay here until I give you the all clear. I think they might have fought some soldiers.” 

 

“Give me the medic bag then, you don’t want to risk that in a fight.” 

 

Boqin and Prince walk into the engine room a bit further, with him casting his gaze upward to see if he can find a place for him to hide up in the railings. He doesn’t want to irritate the other boy by reminding him that he hasn’t given him the medic bag yet, Prince is too on edge to risk angering. Prince’s hiss of surprise makes him look back down, to where two bodies are lying in the middle of the hallway. 

 

“Smellerbee’s the only one who had a knife, this is his work.” Prince says grimly, checking their bodies for pulses. 

 

“Then we know that they were winning at one point.” Boqin remarks, pointing at the perfect spot for his body to fit in between the pipes, “Yell if you need back up, I’m staying here.”

 

“Be careful.” Prince hands over the leather bag and draws his swords before he disappears into the darkness. 

 

“Right.” Boqin nods, watching him go and clumsily climbing into the ceiling pipes. The metal is almost too warm for his skin, a contrast to how Smellerbee had told all of them that the overhead pipes were strangely cool to the touch. 

 

There’s noise on all sides of him, it’s welcoming in a way that he hasn’t felt since he was taken from the city. The silence of the countryside was alien to him, it made it hard for him to fall asleep on their column’s march to the boat when the soldiers had let them sleep on the side of the road as they burned their way through the countryside. 

 

Boqin tenses as he hears Prince shout for him, making his way down and landing hard on the floor. His ankles and feet hurt pulse in pain as he navigates his way through the maze of twisting hallways, eventually finding his way to where the others are gathered. 

 

Ichiro lies on the floor, his head cradled on Smellerbee’s lap with Sneers and Prince kneeling beside him. Boqin steps over the body of a soldier as he walks over to them, and he averts his gaze from the pile that he spots at the other side of the room. The mix of armor and burnt flesh sits accusingly at the edge of his vision, but what’s more important is the way that Smellerbee is openly sobbing. 

 

“Hand me the bag.” Prince snaps, ripping the medic bag from Boqin’s grasp before he can really react. 

 

The older boy rummages through the pouch, pulling out a roll of bandages and the basil that he’d plucked earlier. Boqin doesn’t know much about healing but the bag seems well stocked for treating burns. He sits a little farther from Ichiro’s prone body than the rest of them, running his eyes down the thin arms and sharp elbows. 

 

There’s a bleeding cut on Ichiro’s side, his bony ribs are exposed as Prince lifts his shirt and pours some liquid onto it. Ichiro must be in more pain than Boqin expected because all he does is whimper slightly as the alcohol cleanses the wound. It’s nasty, the skin purple around the slash in Ichiro’s skin. 

 

The blood won’t stop coming out, even when Prince wraps it up and stuffs a few pieces of bandage inside of it. 

 

“Is he going to be okay?” Smellerbee asks, his voice oddly high in a way that makes Boqin’s ears twitch. 

 

“I don’t know.” Prince admits, taking out a pair of sharp scissors that gleam silver in the light of the engine’s flames. 

 

The soft snipsnip sounds so much louder than it should be as Prince cuts Ichiro’s shirt off of his shoulders. An amber liquid clings to the scraps of fabric that Prince has to pick out of the twin burns, blood running out and large bubbles of yellow skin popping as Prince gently brushes off the blackened skin out of the wounds. 

 

“Hold him down.” Prince’s voice is quiet as he readies the bottle of alcohol. Smellerbee and Sneers take different parts of Ichiro’s body and grip him tight. 

 

The feeling of uselessness that’s been hounding Boqin only rises as Ichiro thrashes, a panicked screech that doesn’t even sound human making its way past his mouth. Prince murmurs soothing apologies, checking the wounds and taking out a small tin. 

 

The basil and a few other powders that Boqin doesn’t recognize get placed into it, Prince tells Sneers to grab the canteen off of the dead engineer that’s laying next to the engine. Boqin has to hold off from vomiting as he looks at the man’s back, hunks of skin are missing. They’ve been gouged off of his spine, exposing the ivory bones between the glistening red flesh. 

 

Clear water trickles out of the canteen and into the little tin, Prince’s hands twist the tin and it grinds up what he’s placed inside of it. Delicately, Prince scoops out the rough paste with a tiny spoon and smears it onto Ichiro’s burns. The younger boy moans in distress as the burns are touched, he makes sounds that will haunt Boqin’s nightmares for the rest of his life. 

 

______

 

When Zhengting and Nanami had first walked into the engine room, the pile of charred corpses and the pungent smell of raw flesh had made her retch against the wall. Later, they’ll find out that there are two other bodies near the entrance that they avoided walking into by taking a different hallway. She didn’t have time to think about it before she couldn’t breathe as vomit rushed past her lips and splattered against the ground. Nanami could feel Zhengting’s bony hands patting her back, she almost misses the question that he asks of the group that’d gone down to the engine room. 

 

“Is he dead?” 

Nanami wrenched her head up only to find Boqin standing over a pair of boys on the ground. Sneers and Prince are busy with the engine, their discussion is in soft tones and neither of them look up as Zhengting’s question makes their presence known. 

 

“Is he?” Nanami repeats the question, her voice hoarse. 

 

Ichiro looks half dead, his shirt is off with bandages around his waist and burns that are partially hidden by Smellerbee. There’s a subtle rise and fall to his chest, she knows that Zhengting notices it too because they’re both content enough to listen to Boqin when he speaks. 

 

“Just walk around him.” Boqin orders just as Nanami stops to look at Smellerbee who’s sitting on the floor with Ichiro, “Prince says that he’s in shock.” 

 

“So Smellerbee’s out of commission right now.” Nanami said grimly, feeling unsettled as she looked down at the normally so spirited boy. 

 

He looked so lost, eyes dull and glossy to the point that he didn’t even seem to notice how they moved around him. She watched as he stroked Ichiro’s hair, his mouth moving as he whispered things into the crown of Ichiro’s head. The angle of his bent spine looked uncomfortable, like the damaged puppets that broke streets artists used to perform with when they were low on cash. There’s a splash of slowly drying blood on half of Smellerbee’s face, reminding her of the soldier that they’d stepped over with the slash through her neck. Knowing how Smellerbee had disposed of the first soldier in their own quarters, Nanami has no doubts about who killed her. Thankfully his pose hid the majority of Ichiro’s burns, but the few inches that she could see made her stomach roll unpleasantly. 

 

There was a whoop from in front of her, Nanami jerked her head up to see Prince slamming the door of the engines closed. The older boy looked stressed, his grin was thin around the edges as he turned to face them and said, “I got the engines working. It’s not the most sustainable method, but I think we need to leave the harbor as soon as we can.” 

 

Boqin nodded, “Can you leave the engines running while you steer the ship?” 

 

“Yeah.” Prince cast a glance over Nanami’s shoulder and she knew that he was looking at Ichiro, “They leave enough fuel in the ship to power it so I just topped it off and fixed things that the kerosine explosions damaged.”

 

“Do we know if there’s any soldiers left aboard?” Nanami asked, her main concern after she’d left the command tower with Zhengting was that there would be surprise attacks from soldiers who were still hiding in the boat. Katsumi had stayed in the command tower, unwilling to leave the mute boy unattended. 

 

“There shouldn’t be.” Prince replied, “But it’s better to be cautious.” 

 

“We can’t let our guard down until we know that we’re the only ones onboard.” Sneers said, and Nanami looked at his face as he spoke. The bigger boy’s skin was pale, almost as if he was sick, and it was then that she realized that the scene that’d incapticated Ichiro and Smellerbee had played out right in front of him. How was Sneers still able to function when Smellerbee, the only one out of all of them who’d killed someone before tonight, was left standing vigil over a dying boy? 

 

Now there was a thought that she was officially pushing to the side until she had time to deal with it, she could not afford to throw up again when they didn’t know how much food they had on board. Nanami filed the thought of Ichiro’s death away, putting it with the images of the burnt bodies that lay only a few feet away from her or the dead engineer that Prince was doing his best to hide by standing in front of it. 

 

“Zhengting knows the ship best.” Nanami looked at the willowy guy standing next to her and wrinkled her nose when she took in his kerosine-tinted smell, “I think we should stick in pairs, so he and I will go clear the ship since he’s already ran around most of it.” 

 

“Good idea.” Boqin looked to Prince to see if he was alright with that plan. 

 

“We have to be cautious when we raise the anchors, people could climb the chains.” Zhengting shifted on his feet. 

 

“That’s a really good point, I’ll ask Longshot and Katsumi to monitor them because Longshot’s our deadliest long range fighter and Katsumi can shout for him if there’s a soldier.” Prince decided. 

 

“Longshot?” Sneers asked, looking confused. 

 

“Uh,” Prince blinked, “It’s just a nickname that I came up with for him, it’s not important. The longer that we stay here, the more danger that we’re in.” 

 

“Other than the anchors, can you think of anywhere else that the soldiers might be?” Nanami directs the conversation back on topic.

 

“The main place that I can think of being a danger is the well deck.” Prince hastily described the way to get to the actual bottom of the ship, “It’s where we keep the smaller boats docked, because this ship is an older model, the swimming soldiers might have been able to gain access to it from the outside.” 

 

“Got it.” Zhengting nods, turning to her and walking to the hallway that they came through. 

 

Nanami doesn’t look back, she presses forward with Zhengting by her side into the dark bowels of the ship. Together they make their way impossibly deeper, scrabbling up thin ladders that creak under their weight and ducking under fat pipes. She knows that they’ve arrived when the smell of rotting seawater hits her nose. 

 

Their convoluted path through the inner workings of the ship had them pop out on a rarely used platform, avoiding the main entrance like Prince told them to. Nanami honestly has no idea why Zhengting is able to follow his directions, they made no sense to her when he’d laid them out. They stand still for a moment, gazing into the darkness and straining their eyes to attempt to see any hidden soldiers. 

 

Spaces that are deep and dark like this felt oppressive, her heartbeat itself felt too loud in the face of the all encompassing weight of the well deck. The way that the Fire Nation had created something entirely out of metal, an element that wasn’t really of the Earth as it could not be bent by the gifts of Oma and Shu, felt unnatural and wrong to her. She inhaled the bitter scent of salt, and gripped her knife tighter as they started to clear the first level. There was almost no light in here, faint slivers of moonlight only illuminated the far edge and the sharp bows of the smaller ships that inhabited the space. 

 

Sloshing sounds caused by the boat rocking filled her ears, it muffled the sounds of their feet against the metal gangways for all that it did to unsettle her. They made their way down a series of steep steps, pausing each time a particularly large wave made the boat tilt. Nanami tensed as she heard a faint scurrying sound, widening her eyes as she realized it was coming closer to them. Before she could open her mouth in warning, something oddly soft ran across her bare foot. 

 

Nanami couldn’t help the shriek she made nor could she stop herself from flinching. She let out a pained yelp as cold steel slammed into her shin, the rat had made her jump enough to lose her balance. Zhengting went still from behind her, both of them froze as the sound of her voice echoed in the well deck. Nanami slowly let out the air that caught in her lungs as no one came out of the darkness wielding fire and swords. 

 

Zhengting worriedly asked her if she was okay, but Nanami waved off his concern. She was used to rats, being this on edge meant that anything could startle her because her entire body was tense and waiting for something bad to happen. When he slipped his skinny hand into her dirty one for reassurance, she was sure to grip it tight when he was the one to lose his grip on the slick railing on a lower level platform. 

 

______

 

“This is the worst idea that we’ve had.” Sneers grumbles as he lifts the unconscious body of the officer into the lifeboat. There’s enough room for all of them according to Katsumi, whose idea this was in the first place. 

 

“Prince promised that no one would have to die.” Katsumi answers, struggling to tip one of the heavier officers over the edge of the lifeboat. “It’s not like we can dump their bodies in the middle of the ocean and hope that drowning will fix their concussions fast enough for them to be able to swim to shore.” 

 

“That’s true, but this just feels like the wrong solution.” Sneers reached for another officer, this one was shorter and easier for him to pick up by the arm, “It just doesn’t feel like we’re being safe by tugging them behind us.”

 

“We could always slit their throats.” Katsumi says testily, glaring at the mute boy from where he’s arranging the bodies neatly so that they’ll fit, “If killing people without restraint would make you feel safer.” 

 

The mute boy just blinks at him before turning away, Sneers’s eyes track his movements cautiously. When he’d gone up top and started helping the others with what remained to do, he’d watched the mute boy climb down from his perch with a body in one arm. Boqin and Katsumi had done nothing but watch as he dragged the dead man across the deck and threw his body overboard. Katsumi had looked furious before addressing all of them and telling them what they were going to do with the officers that were still alive. 

 

Which led them to this very moment, with all three of them working to get the officers off of the ship before they woke up. Boqin had gone to help Prince with running the ship, and that’d been about two hours ago. Lugging their unconscious bodies had taken forever, there seemed to be an endless amount of stairs and heavy officers to dump into the lifeboat. 

 

Katsumi lifts the last officer over the lip of the lifeboat and rearranges her head so that it won’t dangle off of the edge. The mute boy climbs out of the boat by gripping onto the thick chains that the lifeboat is hanging from, he swings with the ship’s rocking movements and jumps back onto the deck. All three of them work together to lower the lifeboat down into the ocean, a heavy chain is attached to the stern that Boqin had helped them attach after learning how to from Prince. 

 

Sneers leaves them alone on the deck, he heads to the new room that the mixed kids are staying in to grab Nanami. She’s been sleeping for a bit, they all agreed that it wasn’t right to let the Earth Kingdom children out of the cargo hold when they weren’t certain that the ship was safe for them to roam. Now he needed to wake her up to replace the mute boy on watch, so that he could go to sleep. 

 

The new room was an old officer’s, he swung the door open and took in the pile of sleeping children. They’d taken the mattresses off of the other beds in the officer’s quarters and laid them out on the floor, and pushed together the beds that were there already. Sneers located Nanami on the edge of one of the beds, with Zhengting latched onto one of her arms. 

 

He snorted, it almost looked like Zhengting was using Nanami’s arm as a comfort. Sneers carefully waddled through the complicated path of baby limbs and woke her up. Nanami sleepily listened to his instructions, she walked with him down the steps of the command tower and they parted ways at the base. 

 

The way that they’d left the harbor had been swift, there’d been very little time for discussion and a few things had been forgotten. Sneers made his way down to the engine room, inhaling the awful smell of burnt flesh and considered the broken bodies before him. The first two bodies bear stab wounds, courtesy of Smellerbee’s fight against them at the door. 

 

Prince and Boqin were already stressed enough, trying to put as much space between them and the harbor as possible. They were racing to get to an Earth Nation base as fast as the boat could handle, intent on using the medics there to save Ichiro’s life. Sneers was doing them a favor, worrying about these dead bodies was one other burden that they didn’t need. 

 

Smellerbee still sits over Ichiro, his eyes have slipped closed at last and Sneers isn’t even jealous of the shorter boy’s ability to rest. Despite how his own exhaustion weighs down his bones, Sneers knows that the only person on the ship who’s done more than Smellerbee to ensure their escape is Prince. It was Smellerbee’s win against the first soldier that’d gained them the keys, he’d held off on his own against the two engineers while Sneers had to scramble for something to take one of them out, and he’d volunteered to fight against an unknown number of soldiers by himself. 

 

There’s no one on the ship who’s braver, in Sneer’s opinion. 

 

It’s a simple matter to refuel the engines, shoveling things is something he’s good at since he was the son of a farmer. The fires inside roar with a burst of flame, bringing up memories of their desperate fight mere hours ago. Sneers takes a deep breath, and chooses to focus on something else. 

 

After checking to see if the injuries that Smellerbee got from fighting have worsened, there only seems to be a lot of bruising on his-- well, his everything. Sneers promises himself to help Smellerbee wipe off the blood that splattered onto him when he’d killed the soldier who’d burned Ichiro. From his face to his arms, there are scratches and purple skin standing out against the bronze skin. The cut on one of Smellerbee’s cheeks looks inflamed, bright red and swollen. Sneers makes a note to clean it once he wakes up, and leaves to grab the first two bodies. 

 

After dealing with the officers for hours, the stillness in these soldiers' chests is the only difference to Sneers as he drags their bodies up to the deck. The horizon is starting to brighten, the two bodies are shoved overboard with little finesse. Sneers watches them fall into the water dispassionately, he hadn’t been willing to say it in front of Katsumi but these ashmakers were the reason that Ichiro was so injured. They’d stolen him from his family and razed his town, the only reason Sneers didn’t support attempts to kill the soldiers during their takeover is because none of them would be able to win against them in a fight like that. 

 

He drags his feet down to the engine room once more, holding his breath as he scoops up the body of the first engineer to die. There’s a disgusting fluid that leaks from the engineer’s heavily burnt face, so Sneers drags him by his feet and hopes that Katsumi isn’t looking. One short fall later, and he’s already back in the engine room. 

 

He stops for a minute, taking in the scene of carnage laying before him and decides that he should be careful not to smear the burnt pile’s blood all over the hallway. Sneers takes them one at a time, having to stop as their too damaged bodies fall apart on the way up to the surface. Sometimes he goes back for a lost arm or leg, wincing as the burnt skin crumbles into flakes of ash under his grip. If he takes breaks to avoid throwing up like Nanami did, then that’s no one’s business. 

 

Objectively, Sneers is the most dangerous member of their little group now. From what Katsumi had told him, Prince was experienced in combat and bending. Sneers doubts that Prince had been able to kill four people in mere seconds before, not that he’s proud of it. When Sneers tosses their limbs down into the waves, he whispers prayers for them. The words of mourning are familiar to him, he’s been saying them every night for the people in his town who were killed during the Fire Nation’s attack. Oma and Shu, gentle wishes for a peaceful life in the Spirit World pass from his lips. For all of the damage that they caused, they did not deserve to die like that. 

 

He says nothing for the woman who injured Ichiro. 

 

There’s only one body left, Sneers kneels beside the dead engineer and looks at his back. What remains from when he’d gouged out his flesh to chuck at the soldiers looks like one big wound. The burns that coat the side of the man’s body are severe, multiple bones shine white in the engine’s light. Sneers gathers the body in his arms, his arms shaking from the strain of hours of work on little sleep and no breaks. 

 

The open gate of the engines welcome the man he killed with soft licks of fire, consuming it the minute that it hits the hot coals. Sneers blinks away the stinging in his eyes from the smoke, he ignores the way that the heat makes his skin sting, and watches the body burn itself into nothing. He doesn’t move the entire time, it doesn’t feel right to throw him away like the others. 

 

Amongst the many thoughts that run through Sneers’s brain, the main one is that he wishes he could know this man’s name. 

 

______

 

Bee does not leave Ichiro, she strokes his hair and sings sweet lullabies that she remembers from growing up. She tells him stories about where she’s from, she paints pictures of sea monsters and ocean waves when she covers her family’s legends. Her legs go numb underneath her, but she’d rather die than risk hurting Ichiro by moving around. 

 

The boys bustle around her, Prince leaves with danger in his eyes and a promise that they’ll get Ichiro medical aid. Sneers goes with them when they leave, he grips her shoulder when he returns to scoop coal into the engines. The engine room booms with noise again, a steady chugging sound that indicates they’re leaving the harbor. The floor rocks underneath her, it cradles Ichiro and Bee with its steady movement. 

 

The fluid from Ichiro’s popped blisters has soaked into her pants. On one of her downward strokes through his hair, her finger tips grazed one of them by accident. The thin film is hot to the touch, the edges of the burns have curled up in black wisps of skin that match Ichiro’s hair. 

 

When Bee wakes up, Prince is standing in front of her. He looks exhausted, the set of his mouth is tight and she can track that his arms are ever so slightly shaking as he pulls back from her. 

 

“You’ve been here for hours now.” Prince informs her, while Bee tries to figure out when she fell asleep. 

 

There’s an ache in her neck, the tendons stretched too tight. She looks down to see Ichiro’s sleeping face, the skin is flushed and pink. 

 

“Where are we going?” She asks, holding her hand against Ichiro’s forehead and wincing when she realizes that it’s much much hotter than it should be. 

 

“There’s an Earth Kingdom base not too far from here, it’s probably where the soldiers sent their scouts.” Prince narrows his eyes when he spots where her hand is, replacing it with his own. 

 

“Damn, he has a fever.” Prince worries his lip between his teeth, there are bags under his eyes and she’s sure that he hasn’t slept yet, “I don’t have the supplies to bring it down.” 

 

“But the base will, right?” 

 

“Yeah.” Prince frowns, “The base will also probably take the Earth Kingdom children that were stolen.” 

 

“Oh.” Bee blinks, she hadn’t thought about what she would do if she were given the ability to go home. She’d been taken to the column with no expectations of ever coming back. 

 

“What would you want to do, if given that choice?” Prince asked, leaning back onto his feet. 

 

“I’m not sure.” Bee admitted, she didn’t know how to identify her village on a map. How would the Earth King’s soldiers ever manage to get her home? Unable to read or write, she wouldn’t be able to get directions or write a letter to her parents. It’s not like they had an address. 

 

“Okay.” Prince said simply, his voice steady, “You don’t have to decide now.” 

 

Bee didn’t say anything else in response, gazing around the engine room and meeting the eyes of a curious looking kid who was standing in front of the engine. It was a teenager, her forearms crisscrossed with silver and pink scars complete with grease covered hands. 

 

“I’m Yiqin.” The girl introduced herself, leveling a dirty finger in Bee’s direction, “Now that you’re awake, you should move the injured kid to somewhere else.” 

 

“I’m not moving if it’ll hurt him.” Bee replied, figuring out pretty quickly that the girl was one of the Earth Kingdom children that they’d been separated from. 

 

“It shouldn’t.” Prince assured her, “I’ve been burned like that before, after the first few hours he’ll stay in a coma.” 

 

Bee decides it’s better for everyone if she ignores the haunted look on Prince’s face as he says that. 

 

“Alright.” Bee swallowed, her fingers clenched into fists instinctually as she questioned herself. It’s not like Ichiro and her were close, but he was only this injured because she wasn’t smart enough to hear the ashmaker sneaking up on them. 

 

It had been naive to only expect enemies to come from where she could see them, but Ichiro’s life should not have been the price for her to learn that lesson. Until he recovered, she would watch over him because it was her fault that he got hurt in the first place. 

 

Together, they load Ichiro onto a stretcher that Bee hadn’t noticed Prince had set next to his body. The blisters had stopped oozing, but the flesh of Ichiro’s clavicle region had stuck to her pants. The feeling of his burned skin sticking to her clothes was a sensation that she never wanted to feel again. 

 

It’s slow going, Yiqin helps them along as they walk up and wind through the ship’s hallways until they arrive at a room that Bee hadn’t investigated. The small window in the far wall reveals that Prince hadn’t been lying, sunlight streams onto the floor and proves that she’d slept through the night. They push Ichiro onto the bed, and Prince checks the wounds. 

 

Bee doesn’t know much about burns, she’s only ever suffered from scaldings when dealing with boiling water. She watches the new girl with wary eyes, not because Yiqin isn’t trustworthy but because she’s still so on edge. Bee doesn’t know how she even fell asleep, currently she feels like her body is tenser than a bowstring. There’s something itchy on her face, when she scratches at it, her fingers come away with flecks of dried blood. 

 

Prince stands up, “The fever is dangerous, give him some water if you can. It’s the thing that’s most likely to injure him further other than dehydration.” 

 

“Right.” 

 

“The canteen is on that desk, don’t give him too much otherwise he’ll vomit.” Prince warns, gesturing for Yiqin to leave with him. “We’ll be at the base either tomorrow or two days from now.” 

 

Bee doesn’t watch them leave, she climbs into bed and resumes her vigil over Ichiro. It’s quiet in the dim lighting, dust floats and shifts all around her. A deep breath, then another as she tries to force herself into relaxing. It doesn’t happen, her breathing picks up as her body shakes instead. The fight that she’d had against the soldier in their room had filled her with false confidence, when she’d gone against the soldiers at the front of the engine room she’d been forced to flee after realizing how horrifically outmatched she was. Despite taking out two of their numbers, she wasn’t really able to do anything about their superior strength and speed. She almost died, there’s a kid lying in front of her who very well might die because she is a fool who is playing soldier.

 

There is nothing brave about her, the confidence that she gained from killing the first soldier is utterly gone. She can’t help Prince, she said that she would be there for him and thought that she could face off against trained military members with a single knife. Now she’s leaning over a boy who doesn’t deserve to die because she was arrogant, and she can’t even leave his side long enough to check on Prince who is so obviously unsettled by what happened to Ichiro. 

 

It hurts to close her eyes and think about all the ways that she’s letting everyone down, but it hurts even more to open them and look at the face of her greatest failure even more. 

 

______

 

The closet is a comforting dark place, the soft robes of her grandfather brush against her burned skin gently as she huddles against the wall. Azula is not hiding, she’s waiting for her father to finish berating the servant in the Royal Quarters of the New Palace because it would be rude to remain in his presence. The fact that her skin is currently pink from his too hot hands when he gripped her earlier today has nothing to do with it. 

 

Nor does her eye, so swollen that she can’t really open it anymore. 

 

Father regrets hitting her face that hard, he’d even apologized for it which he’d never done before. Hot hands had cupped her left cheek, stroking the stinging flesh as he informed her that she needed to improve otherwise she would continue to upset him. Azula had been frozen, the hit had been hard and unexpected enough that her body hadn’t really felt it yet, as he managed to berate her and praise her in the same breath. She hadn’t dared to move, just as she now refused to exit the closet that she’d fled to. 

 

Father’s voice was excellent for battle, nevermind that he was the only Fire Lord in history who’d never seen combat, he could project it so well that one could hear him even from an entire wing away. When he began screaming at the servant in his quarters, Azula had tensed as the furious sound reached her where she’d been getting ready for bed. It was a relatively quick decision for her to change where she was sleeping for the night, her feet carrying her to a section where she knew that Father would not go. 

 

The late Fire Lord Azulon had built a bunker deep into the volcanic crater that was the Fire Nation’s capital city, the New Palace had been largely built out of this bunker. The New Palace was costly, it was built extremely quickly and it disregarded the previous glamor of the Sozin Style architecture. 

 

Father had created a new fashion of building, extremely militaristic with metal doors and thick walls that were built to defend the Royal Family. The lights of the Old Palace would never be lit again, now that it remained a smoking crater in the middle of the city. 

 

Azula breathed in slowly, her body relaxing as her eye adjusted to the dark of the closet. The air feels heavier in this space, the smell of her grandfather’s preferred jasmine tea perforates the scent of singed clothing that hangs around her biceps. Her hair was short now, cut close to her jawline. It would have been considered unseemly by many traditional courtiers, but Father had dismantled the court’s after the attack on the palace happened. 

 

She liked it like this, it stayed out of her face and it was so short that no one could grab onto it. The way that it brushed against the back of her neck did not bother her in the slightest, the fact that she was no longer able to wear the Princess headpiece with such a short length was good for public morale. The Royal Family had no need for such luxuries, even if Father was currently screaming at the servant for the way that she cleaned his golden lamps. 

 

Mother had always said that her hair was her best feature, was that why Father burned it all off? 

 

Zuko was gone, no longer there to take the brunt of their father’s anger like a good older brother should. He’d been counted among the casualties of the palace’s fire, Azula refused to admit that she’d stayed behind in the wreckage looking for him longer than she should have. There are red markings all along the soles of her feet as a result of that decision, she dealt with the burns herself like how she healed all of her other training burns. The fact that the marks will remain on her flesh until she dies isn’t something she minds, it’s a reminder for her. 

 

Stupid older brother, too poor at bending and acting to ever amount to anything other than a body crushed by rubble. 

 

In the dark closet, Azula sniffled as the oppressive weight of being alone in the palace with Father squeezed the last bits of air out of her lungs. Not even the servants dared to be near her anymore, too skittish around any member of the Royal Family to remain in her presence for longer than they had to. Mai and Ty Lee were removed from her life, all of her training was done by private tutors, and Father only ever seemed to grow angrier the better that she got at her bending and tactical lessons. He also punished her if she failed, leaving her wondering when the simple matter of impressing her father had gotten so complicated. 

 

Her thin hands gripped the robes of a dead man, clinging onto them despite how the fabric stuck to her bandaged fingers. All that remained of Azulon’s presence in the Fire Nation was this abandoned wing and his namesake who sought safety in the forgotten places of her grandfather. 

 

_____

 

“How's the watch going?” Zuko asked, startling Katsumi from where he’d been leaning against the ship’s railing. The sunlight glinted off of the choppy waves, a strong breeze stirring up the water on top of which the Wani’s smallest lifeboat bobbed. 

 

“None of them have woken up yet.” Katsumi answered stiffly, eying him warily from where he thought Zuko couldn’t see him. 

 

“They’re going to be pretty dehydrated, and sunburnt.” Zuko remarked, looking down at the boat where the bodies of the soldiers they hadn’t managed to dump off of the boat were piled in a heap. He’s doing a good job of ignoring his bruised ribs, the injuries that he got from taking the command tower ache. It’s midday now, and he still hasn’t slept. 

 

“It’s better than dead.” Katsumi lowered his voice, flicking his eyes to where a few of the Earth Kingdom kids who’d been previously held in the cargo area were playing on the deck, “I saw the bodies from the engine room, Sneers wasn’t subtle when he dragged them out.” 

 

“You also saw Ichiro.” Zuko replied, thinking about the young boy who’d been so unsure of himself when they’d been drafting their plan for taking the Wani only a day ago, “The others didn’t have a choice, it was kill or be killed.” 

 

“The soldiers didn’t have a choice either.” Katsumi countered, his eyes darkened as he turned to fully look at Zuko, “Or have you forgotten that your father increased the draft yet again?” 

 

“I know they didn’t.” Zuko answered, his voice turning hoarse as he thought about the fact that most of the soldiers were younger than twenty. Soldiers who were forced to fight or die, stealing children from their homeland and say that it was for glory. “No one in the Fire Nation has a choice when it comes to this war.” 

 

“You do.” 

 

“I don’t.” Zuko met Katumi’s eyes steadily, “Until I’m able to beat my father, there’s nothing that I can do.” 

 

“That’s bullshit.” Katsumi hissed, “You’re the prince.” 

 

“Why do you think I’m on this ship?” Zuko whispered harshly, “You think I chose to be here? Being the prince means nothing in my father’s eyes, nothing I say or do matters to him. He despised me from the moment I was born, and nothing will ever change that.” 

 

“Why… why are you here?” Katsumi looked like he’d never questioned why a royal prince would be in the unknowing hands of Fire Nation soldiers. 

 

“They caught me in the wilds, when I was too exhausted to resist.” Zuko kept his voice low, “No one knows who I am except for you.” 

 

Katsumi blinked in shock, but Zuko couldn’t even get a sense of satisfaction from getting him to listen because of what he said next, “Are we in danger because you’re here?”

 

“I hope not.” Zuko answered grimly, looking away as he considered the consequences of openly using his bending in front of the soldiers they’d tossed off of the boat, “I don’t think anyone will be looking for me.” 

 

He breathed in, remembering the tumultuous state of emotions that he’d been in that had exploded from him in a giant wave of fire. The palace’s walls had burned, centuries of history set ablaze in a single moment. How in what felt like the span of a single blink, he’d managed to eliminate his entire childhood home with his loss of control over his own bending. 

 

“There was an attack on the palace, it’s in ruins and I’m probably counted amongst the dead.” Zuko swallowed, “No one searches for a dead man.” 

 

Katsumi doesn’t say anything else, his dark eyes bore into his face. Zuko and him stand in silence together, the sound of the waves washing over them. As the ship rocks underneath their feet, Zuko considers how much he trusts Katsumi. It’s been several lifetimes already, and he still isn’t sure why he keeps dying. It’s not as if he’s been living anymore dangerously than he did in his first life, but it feels like the luck that kept him narrowly alive throughout his life has finally run out. 

 

“How did you know?” Zuko asks, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure that no one has come any closer.

 

“Oh don’t worry.” Katsumi snorts, “I’m not going to tell anyone.” 

 

“Thanks.” 

 

“I’m from Arun Harbor, all colonials know what the Royal Family looks like.” Katsumi shrugs, “My father took me on a trip for a portrait commission deeper into the Earth Kingdom, we got separated when the Fire Nation invaded the city that we were in.” 

 

Zuko isn’t really sure what to say, Katsumi doesn’t sound particularly upset about being separated from his father, “Are you going to ask the soldiers to help you get home, when we arrive at the base?” 

 

“No.” Katsumi gives him a look, “Why would they care about a colony kid, especially when I’m so obviously mixed?” 

 

“I could help you return home?” Zuko proposes, “I know the way to Arun Harbor pretty well.” 

“With what money?” Katsumi rolls his eyes, “You should really leave the planning to Boqin, you’re awful at it.” 

 

“Sorry.” 

 

“Plus, without my father being there, I have no home to return to.” Katsumi admits in a raw tone, “It’s not like we can go back to the city and check if he’s still alive, it’s an occupied zone now.” 

 

“Oh.” Zuko shifts on his feet, and makes an offer before he really thinks about it, “You can stick with me then, if you want to.” 

 

“And where will we go?” Katsumi asks, his tone a little too sharp, “If you’re on the run then there’s no way that we can enter any of the colonies and no one in the Earth Kingdom will take in mixed children.” 

 

The base that they’re sailing to lies on a familiar coast, he’d traveled on this same route three years ago with a different face. Zuko contemplates where they can live safely, and almost shudders when his brain offers a solution to the hanging question mark that’s been dancing over his fate for what to do after they get to the base and return the stolen children. 

 

“The Air Temples are abandoned, no one but ghosts live there.” Zuko thinks about how he spent the first part of his exile sweeping up the bones that had been left sitting out for a century. Carrion birds had picked them clean, their color bleached a bright white from the sun. He’d pretended his hands had shook because of his burn, as he made a pile of infant skulls under Uncle’s watchful eyes. “We could live there without anyone bothering us, there are still plenty of plants and running water.” 

 

“Which one is closest to us?” Katsumi asks, “I don’t know much about them, for obvious reasons.” 

 

“Right.” Zuko hides his shock at the fact that Katsumi seems to be considering what he’s saying, “Well the base that we’re traveling to is relatively close to the Eastern Air Temple, if they let us keep one of the lighter craft or even a lifeboat then we can make it there in less than a week.” 

 

“I’ll think about it.” Katsumi replies, and Zuko waits for him to say anything else. When he remains silent, he takes the hint and walks away from the edge.

____

 

What are you supposed to do when you’re at sea? Nanami looks down from where she’s been sitting in the mute boy’s perch, the ship that they’re on rocks in the waves. The sun is warm on her skin, she’d taken a quick nap in the new room that they moved the mixed children into after she’d helped Boqin haul a dead body out of there. The younger kids hadn’t been able to sleep for a while. 

 

Luckily they seemed to really enjoy Manxin and Yaning’s presence so she’d let them deal with the kids as she caught a bit of shut eye. The officer’s beds that they’d pushed together were some of the softest things she’d ever slept on. She’d blinked and felt like she’d only just set her head down on the mattress when Sneers had come to wake her up. 

 

Now she was keeping an eye out for any approaching vessels, the boy with a bow and arrows had been standing guard the entire time that they’d taken the ship and after they’d set sail. The climb up the metal ladder had her arms shaking, Nanami massaged her forearm with her clammy hand and studiously ignored the dried blood that occupied the farthest part of the small platform. 

 

It’d been hard to spot at first, when she’d climbed up in the part of early morning where the sun’s rays weakly peeked through the cloud cover. As the sun rose in the sky, she’d noticed the rust-colored marks that ran down the wall and pooled in the corner. 

 

She didn’t know when the mute boy had time to hide the body, or even when he’d killed the soldier who’d been there last night. Prince and Boqin hadn’t noticed anything when she brought it up the last time that she’d gone down for some water, although that’s because they were probably more focused on getting everything together and checking on Ichiro. 

 

Oma and Shu… Ichiro had looked like a dead man when she’d left the engine room with Zhengting. After they’d successfully kicked the soldiers off of the boat, she’d been running around and helping with various tasks that Prince had been giving out. There wasn’t time to move Ichiro, nor could they make Smellerbee leave his side. 

 

She’d focused on helping Prince and Boqin with getting the ship running, it was only after they’d cleared the ship entirely that she’d been able to rest. Nanami wasn’t sure how the two boys were still standing, neither of them had been able to take a break since Prince was the only one who knew how to steer the ship and Boqin was doing his best to learn. She’d seen Prince on the deck an hour ago, so she was confident that it was Boqin who was steering them now. 

 

Nanami breathed in sharply as she spotted a bird flying above the horizon. They’d lost sight of land hours ago, the bird meant that they were close to it now. She checked to make sure that Manxin was still keeping watch over the officers on the boat, a very stupid plan made by Katsumi that had been carried out while she’d been sleeping, and scurried down the ladder to tell whoever was currently in the command tower about it. 

 

_____

 

“Say that again and I’ll kill you.” Smellerbee snarls, his body straining against the grip that Sneers is currently holding him in. 

 

Boqin looks mildly terrified, looking to Riku to help him, “I’m just being realistic, it might be kinder to kill him rather than draw out his suffering like this.”

 

From on the bed, Ichiro makes distressed sounds that mimic the way lizard-coyotes howled near Riku’s village, aching and much too loud for the small space that they were in. Riku doesn’t look his way, keeping his eyes on the two boys in front of him. Where was Prince when you needed him? 

 

“Kindness?” Smellerbee yells, “Tell me, was it kindness or selfishness when you picked the safest spot in the plan for yourself and left the rest of us to fend for ourselves?” 

 

“Smellerbee, that’s not true and you know it.” Sneers frowns, the bigger boy tightens his grip around Smellerbee in warning. 

 

“You’re obviously just blaming me because you were too imcompetent to keep Ichiro safe.” Boqin snaps, his voice catching on the end of his sentence like fabric caught on a nail. It tears as he keeps going, “You know you’ve done nothing since the engine room, meanwhile I organized a feeding schedule, rationed our water, and learned how to pilot a fucking boat! I haven’t slept for more than a few hours, and all you do is sit in this room and cry over a boy who’s never waking up!” 

 

“I think we’re all stressed.” Sneers says delicately in the silence that follows Boqin’s outburst, “And neither of you should be in this room anymore.” 

 

“What?” Smellerbee twists his shorter body to glare up at Sneers, “He’s the one yelling, he needs to leave.” 

 

“The yelling is hurting Ichiro, just look at how much worse he’s gotten since you two started arguing.” Sneers points at the boy on the bed, “I don’t care what either of you do after you leave, but you need to get out. Now.” 

 

“Of course Sneers.” Boqin looks uncomfortable, his pale skin noticeably a few shades lighter than it normally is, “I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt Ichiro further.” 

 

Riku watches him walk out the door and wonders if he’ll ever be able to manipulate people like Boqin does. Smellerbee finally loosens up, pushing off Sneers’ arms and gazing desperately at Ichiro. 

 

“I just…  I’m the reason he’s hurt, it feels wrong to abandon him. ” Smellerbee’s voice is tiny, it’s only thanks to Riku’s excellent sense of hearing that he can make him out at all. 

 

“You can’t drown yourself in guilt, it’s not helping Ichiro or any of us if you just stay here all day.” Sneers spoke, “I know that we need someone to keep watch on him, but you have to trust us to do it too.” 

 

“Okay.” Smellerbee agreed, and it’s not hard for Riku to figure out that the only reason Smellerbee is leaving the room at all is because it will be Sneers watching over Ichiro. Sneers, the only other person who went down to the engine room, and probably the only person other than Prince that Smellerbee trusts on this ship. 

 

“He can help you clean up, you’re a mess right now.” Sneers offers kindly, checking with him to make sure that it’s okay. 

 

Riku nods, eyeing the filthy skin on Smellerbee’s cheeks where blood and grime have been poorly wiped away. It’s clear that someone had tried to clean him up, but judging by his borderline hysterical behavior, Riku doubts that Smellerbee had let anyone really help him get clean. 

 

Sneers hands him a clean cloth and a small bottle that’s probably filled with a cleansing liquid, Riku nods at him and makes it clear that he understands what Sneers is silently asking him to do. If Smellerbee is shocked enough that he needs help getting clean, then Riku will do it. The other boy might have been annoying at first, but Riku can’t deny that he was extremely helpful with getting the soldiers off of the ship. 

 

He waits until Smellerbee is looking at him until he walks out of the room, keeping an ear out for the other boy as he makes his way down to the little room that Prince had shown them earlier. Riku had never been on a boat before, the dark and damp space that Prince had called a bathing quarters for the officers had looked unappealing to someone used to bathing outside during the summer and in a nice tub in the winter. The curtain that covered the window was too tall for Riku to reach, meaning that the only light in the space came from where the curtain had shifted with the ship’s movements. 

 

Thankfully, there was some water left in the tanks. Riku awkwardly demonstrated how to use the tanks and showed Smellerbee where the sponges were. Jars of soft soap were found in the shelves and there were also some soft rags for him to dry his body off with. Prince had told him that everything was so nice because this was a washroom meant for officers who lived in the command tower. 

 

“Should I just bathe with my clothes on?” Smellerbee said, taking off their shoes and hesitating, “That way both my body and my clothes will be clean, I can just let them air dry on me.” 

 

Riku made a face, pointing at his clothes and his body and then holding up two of his fingers. Never before had his muteness been such a problem, there had always been someone who knew his language of signs or there’d been something to write on. Hopefully Smellerbee understood what he was trying to tell him. 

 

The blank look that Smellerbee gave him wasn’t very reassuring. 

 

Sighing, Riku pointed at the tub and the little bench, mimicking the way that he scrubbed at his own body. Then he held up a single finger, before he lifted his shirt and tried to-

 

“You think I should wash my clothes after and bathe normally?” Smellerbee guessed perfectly, stunning Riku and making him freeze midway. 

 

Riku nodded slowly, that had been the closest that anyone on this ship had come to understanding him without him needing to scratch characters into his skin. (Not that doing that would have helped, he remembered that Smellerbee couldn’t read) 

 

“Alright.” Smellerbee started pouring the water into the tub, getting a few inches of the clean ocean water and picking up one of the sponges. 

 

Riku turned around, allowing Smellerbee to have some privacy. He had already cleaned himself with a sponge bath a few hours earlier, but something told him that it was better to remain in the room. The sounds of water being squeezed from the soft sponges filled the room, covering the soft sniffling that Riku could pick up. If Smellerbee wanted to cry while bathing, then Riku was wise enough not to mention it. 

 

A little while later, he turned around when Smellerbee tapped a wet finger against his shoulder. Riku tried to give the other boy a disarming smile, taking in the soaked hair that’d been previously flattened by grease and grime and the way that his eyes were clearly swollen and red from crying. Now that Smellerbee was clean, Riku could see the numerous bruises that discolored his skin on his face and the nasty cut on his cheek. 

 

Riku gestured for Smellerbee to sit down, avoiding the places where Smellerbee had dripped seawater onto the floor. He frowned, trying to figure out how to ask Smellerbee if he had any injuries that needed cleaning. Figuring that it was best to demonstrate on the boy himself, Riku took the cloth that Sneers had given him and let it soak with the cleaning liquid from the bottle. Smellerbee raised an eyebrow at him when he reached for his face, but soon let him pass the wet cloth over the irritated cut. 

 

“It feels infected.” Smellerbee said quietly, closing his eyes as Riku worked on clearing out the yellow ooze and pus that formed in the split skin, “There was some liquid from the soldiers’ burns that got onto it, and I haven’t gotten the chance to clean it since I got it.” 

 

Riku wished that there was more light in the washroom, his hands stilled as he got an idea. Standing up, he pushed the door open and let the light spill in from the hallway. He didn’t understand why the command tower had windows in the hallways but he appreciated the light that they created all the same. 

 

In the new light, Smellerbee’s cut looked worse than he thought. Riku sighed, sitting down and gesturing at it. He pointed at different parts of Smellerbee’s body and raised his eyebrow. 

 

“I have a few scratches from the fights.” Smellerbee admitted, rolling up his sleeves and letting Riku see where he had a collection of grazes and a few shallow cuts. It also looked like one of the soldiers had clawed his shoulder. 

Riku got to work, wiping each cut clean and pausing whenever Smellerbee winced. He knew from experience that cleaning cuts stung awfully. They sat in silence as he worked, until Smellerbee spoke up as he was tackling his shoulder. 

 

“Do you know the game Hot or Cold? Like I pick a location and you guess what it is, and if your guess is close to it then I say Hot and if it’s farther then I say Cold?” Smellerbee asked, looking up at Riku. 

 

Riku nodded, even though he had never played that game before, it seemed pretty simple. Why was Smellerbee bringing it up? 

 

“Well you can always shake your head or nod to say yes or no, right?” Smellerbee explained, wincing as Riku accidentally pressed too hard on one of his cuts with the cloth, “But there’s no way for you to tell us if we’re not able to guess what you’re saying, and we could use the Hot or Cold system to guide us towards the right interpretation.” 

 

Riku paused, taking in the implications of what Smellerbee was saying. Here was someone who was actively trying to build a system for understanding him better, without him trying to make them do it. His eyes met Smellerbee’s brown ones, trying to scan them for any sign of mockery. 

 

“Do you like that idea?” 

 

Riku nodded, his lips perking up as he realized that this would make communicating easier with every one. 

 

“Okay, what is your signal for Hot?” 

 

Riku thought about it for a second, he couldn’t make it a thumbs up or down because he was already using those for good and bad… Slowly, he raised his hand so that Smellerbee could see it and made a closed fist before spreading his fingers out to their fullest extent. He scratched a circle with lines coming out of it onto his forearm, showing that he wanted his hand to look like the Sun with its rays. 

 

“Okay, so you’re making a sun with your hand for Hot.” Smellerbee nodded, “And for Cold?” 

 

Riku held up his other hand, making a loose fist and shaking it. He wanted it to look like his hand was shivering. 

 

“Got it.” Smellerbee gave him a small grin, looking marginally better than he had been in Ichiro’s room. If distracting himself was how Smellerbee was choosing to cope, then Riku was fine with it. There were a few more injuries on Smellerbee’s body for him to clean, especially on the boy’s back where he’d been hit during his fights against multiple people. 

 

The repetitive motions calmed him as he worked on Smellerbee's back wounds, sometimes pausing as Smellerbee began to shake with soft sobs. Riku gently stroked Smellerbee's back when that happened, resuming his cleaning after he stopped crying. Throughout it all, Smellerbee didn't say a word. Riku thinks that the silence is what Smellerbee needed, the crying serves as a catharsis for everything that he'd been through. He'd dealt with enough traumatized soldiers in his village to recognize what people needed, making it easier to spot the tells in Smellerbee's behavior. 

 

By the time he was done, the little cloth was soaked and stained pink by Smellerbee's blood. 

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading! I always love reading your comments, they really motivate me to write and I appreciate what you all have to say.

Also this might seem like a tiny detail, but the difference between how Azula's views Sozin style as glamorous vs. how it is actually fairly bare bones is because she believes in the Fire Nation's propaganda.

Also I'm kind of struggling with Smellerbee right now, because I don't want to brush over how traumatized she was by what happened in the engine room. I also don't like her not being part of the action but I figured since this is more of a transitionary chapter then it was okay for her to chill. I hope you guys liked her scene with Riku/Longshot, I've always liked that in the show, the two of them didn't need words to understand each other.

 

also also, zuko is probably going to get a whole scene next chapter where he processes everything that's happened. he's just been too focused on taking care of things to think about it all, *growth*

Chapter 19: Where Do We Go From Here? Pt. 2

Summary:

Previously!

Smellerbee and Longshot (Riku) bond, Katsumi and Zuko make plans, Nanami and Zhengting explore the ship. The whole group is heading towards the base and expects to get there soon, with Ichiro's life hanging in the balance!

Azula experiences abuse at the hands of her father.

Content Warning: Graphic Depictions of Drowning, Discussion of Child Prostitution and Sexual Assault, War Crimes

Notes:

hi! sorry this took so long :( I'm participating in project go and it's a very immersive program so I've been super busy! I hope that you all like this chapter!

Zuko leaned his head against the wall, he sat apart from the rest of the kids who were cuddling with each other on the giant bed that they’d made in the officer’s quarters. It’d been a long few days at sea and none of the kids knew anything about ships. Boqin had done a good job at picking up the basics of steering, but there was no way that Zuko was a good enough teacher for him to learn how to pilot a ship as big as the Wani in less than a week. 

 

Yiqin was a blessing sent by the spirits, a teenager that was older than he’d ever gotten the chance to be, finding someone with experience working with mechanical engines had made his day. She was capable of watching the engine room and they worked together to create a system of management that ensured the potentially explosive engines were never left alone. 

 

Between desperately keeping track of the several children roaming around the Wani and teaching multiple teenagers the essentials of running a ship, he hadn’t had time to himself that didn’t feel selfish. Zuko was supposed to be sleeping right now, and that clearly wasn’t happening. The ache in his head and ribs hadn’t gone away, the soldiers had been vicious with him when they’d caught him mid-escape. 

 

With a frustrated huff, he stood up and walked out of the sleeping room. The smell of unwashed bodies and saltwater was overwhelming him anyways. He let his feet guide him without thought, the metal floors of his old home were worn smooth by decades spent in the Navy’s service. Creaking walls as the ship rocked back and forth on the ocean’s waves sang a familiar refrain, Zuko blinked as he recognized the door in front of him. 

 

He pushed on the heavy door, which swung open to reveal the Wani’s armory. It’d been too risky to send Longshot and Manxin to the main armory as it was too close to the soldiers’ quarters and the mess. Zuko looked at the rows of expertly maintained armor, not a speck of dust lay on the shelves holding spears, swords, and daggers. He ran a single finger along the shoulder spike of a uniform, noting the uneven texture hinting at a previous repair. 

 

Those three years he’d spent traveling the world on this ship, how many times had he pretended to be disinterested when their armorer had shown him the different ways to repair dents, slashes, and cracks in the standard uniform of their military? Zuko let his mind drift, reminiscing on days long gone by. The smell of salt in the air, mist on his face as he directed his crew to sail to the next whisper of the Avatar. Months spent chasing a ghost, months spent distancing himself from his men because they didn’t understand him, months spent being fueled by rage and love for a father who never cared. How much of his life had he wasted back then? How many of his men had families back home? Did they miss their children like how he missed Azula and all of his friends? 

 

Did they know, when they stepped onto that dock in Caldera City, that they would never come back home? 

 

The cold waters of the North Pole were home to a thousand wrongful deaths, men slain by powers of the Avatar that no one had anticipated. Zuko knew that Uncle had promised the men something more than he let on, no one else would willingly serve on a disgraced Prince’s ship without a decent piece of motivation. Had he led them to their deaths? They’d only been seized for that mission because Zhao had it out for him. 

 

With careful fingers, Zuko picked up one of the helmets and sat down on the table’s surface. He didn’t look when Katsumi had pointed out the dead bodies that Sneers had been hauling around the Wani. He didn’t want to know, but his brain was always working against him. The bodies in the engine room were the majority of the casualties, with Longshot’s kill, Manxin’s soldier, and the man that attacked Smellerbee adding to the final count. 

 

There was a smooth and almost silent sound that came from the face plate shaped like a skull being pulled out of the helmet. Zuko felt along the grooves, the cool metal soothed the warmth of his fingers. How many soldiers had he killed in his first life? Why did he never hold back? Had he really looked at the faceless bodies of his people and felt nothing when he stole their lives from them? 

 

Did he really stand back and watch his friends do the same? 

 

Shuddering as he struggled to take in another breath, Zuko knew that his soldiers would have killed him if they were given the chance. But they didn’t have the choice, and neither did he because he was fighting for his life. That didn’t erase their deaths, it didn’t make it better. 

 

Nothing did. 

 

The white paint reflected the wetness on its surface, Zuko blinked away his tears and considered his options. For whatever reason, he was given the chance to live again and again. The least that he could do was try to save his people from his family’s war. Whenever he had the opportunity to, he would spare their lives. The worst thing that would happen is that he would die at their hands, and was that even a bad thing? It’s not like it mattered since he could come back. 

 

And if he didn’t have the choice, he’d make their deaths quick. No more mutilated bodies like those that had been in the engine room. It wasn’t right to torture his people when they weren’t able to defy their superiors. Everyone in the world was suffering because of the war, including those in the Fire Nation’s Grand Army. 

 

He would be a better Prince for them, Zuko would try to be the Prince that his people deserved. 

 

_______

 

“Oh, hey.” Zhengting blinked at the group of younger boys standing in front of him on the stairs. 

 

“Hi, ge.” One of them responded, waving shyly at him. 

 

“What are you doing up this late?” Zhengting peered at them in the darkness, most of the Earth Nation children chose to stay in the cargo hold at night as it was easy for them to get lost. Prince’s only stipulation when he let them out was that they needed to be careful and not explore too much of the ship as he didn’t know the dangers of it nor did he have the time to check every room for them. 

 

“We needed to pee…” Another boy answered, looking at the floor instead of facing him, “But… we’re lost.” 

 

“You’re mostly going in the right direction.” Zhengting tried to give them a disarming smile, but he wasn’t sure if he was succeeding at it. The urge to pee had made him get up, grumpily stumbling through the metal hallways of the ship to make his way to the deck. “You can just follow me, I need to pee too.” 

 

“Okay!” They exclaimed, walking up the stairs after him. 

 

The stairwell that they were in was one of the many ways to get to the uppermost level of the undercarriage, it was narrow and poorly lit. Zhengting had used it mere days ago to splash kerosine all over the walls where the soldiers were sleeping, the smell of the oil lingered in the air all over the ship. After seeing what happened in the engine room, what Sneers and Ichiro had done to the soldiers, the scent of kerosine made his stomach roll. 

 

The twisting hallways that the small group walked through led them to the bathroom, it was a dank room with a large ledge and holes spaced out on top of the step. Zhengting patiently waited until they were done, before leading the boys back down to the cargo hold. 

 

The kids they had let out tended to group together, with the only exception being the younger kids. He made eye contact with some of the other Earth Nation children. Zhengting knew that only a week ago, he’d never considered himself to be anything else. Now he grouped himself with the kids in that room, a hammock with an injured boy who led them against the soldiers and a girl who relied on him (him!) in a way that no one ever had. Whatever they considered themselves to be, the children in that room were his people now. Wherever they went after they reached the military base, he would follow. 

 

There was no chance that he would ever meet his family again, it just wasn’t possible. 

 

Zhengting knew he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep any time soon, so he left the cargo hold. If he was going to stay up, he might as well check on everyone who was running the night watch. Additionally, Sneers, Prince, and the mute boy were all missing from the room when he woke up. Zhengting didn’t like not knowing where they all were, it made him uneasy. It was a quick trip from the main cargo hold to the medic’s quarters, where Smellerbee stood guard over Ichiro. 

 

The door was left open, because Prince had told them that Ichiro needed fresh air, though their options were limited since they couldn’t move his body. Zhengting waved through the opening at Smellerbee who looked better than when he’d last seen him. Shaking off the memory of how eerily still Smellerbee was as he sat with Ichiro in his lap, how Zhengting had managed to set up the entire ship before returning to the engine room and finding Smellerbee in the exact same position that he’d been in hours earlier, he focused on the boy in front of him. The tan boy gave him a tired sounding greeting then he asked, “Do you need anything?” 

 

“No.” Zhengting whispered as he stepped into the room, raising his eyebrows as he saw Sneers and the mute boy laying on cots that hadn’t been in the medic’s room before, “Well, that answers my question.” 

 

The confused frown that Smellerbee made was kind of cute, even though he was pretty sure that Smellerbee was older than him, “Huh?”

 

“I was looking for them.” Zhengting explained, wondering why the three boys were all in the same room. Sneers and Smellerbee made some sense, they were both in the engine room with Ichiro and Zhengting knew that if Smellerbee was feeling guilty then it wasn’t unlikely that Sneers did as well. But the mute boy? Zhengting remembered how he acted annoyed every time that Smellerbee had spoken when they’d planned their revolt, so why was he here?

 

“Sneers didn’t want to leave Ichiro alone.” Smellerbee offered, noticeably leaving out the reason that the mute boy was there. 

 

“Have you seen Prince?” Zhengting decided that if it wasn’t something Smellerbee wanted to explain then he was going to ask him, “He wasn’t in the room when I woke up.” 

 

“No.” 

 

Zhengting paused, not sure what to say. He cast a look at Ichiro’s body on the bed, the rise and fall of his back was barely noticeable. In the dim light of the room, his sweaty skin stood as a stark contrast to the wet poultice that was smeared on his burns. Prince’s knowledge of medicine was the only thing that had saved Ichiro’s life-- of that, Zhengting had no doubt. 

 

“The base will help him, the military has good doctors that know what they’re doing.” Zhengting turned around to look at Smellerbee and tried to give him some reassurance, “He won’t be like this for much longer.” 

 

“I hope so.” Smellerbee’s under eyes were bruised, like someone had taken their thumbs and pressed into his skin until it turned dark purple. Like everyone else, he looked utterly exhausted. Still, he’d spoken more to Zhengting just now than he had in the past few days. 

 

“Prince says the trip is taking longer than expected because of the winds.” Zhengting informs him, “You didn’t come to the meeting so I wasn’t sure if you knew.” 

 

The cut on Smellerbee’s cheek has gotten better, it looks less inflamed than yesterday, “Sneers told me.” 

 

“That’s good.” Zhengting hesitates, trying to think about his words before he blurts them out, “You can come to the meetings, you know.” 

 

“Someone needs to keep watch over Ichiro.” Smellerbee’s eyes darken as he faces the bed, “I worked out a system with Sneers, we switch off with each other so Ichiro’s never alone.” 

 

“What if we had the meetings here?” Zhengting suggests thinking of a solution that doesn’t leave one of their best fighters relying on someone else for information. It feels wrong, excluding Smellerbee just because he panicked at the end of their revolt. The other boy was the only reason they had the keys they needed to escape their room, he should be included in decision-making. 

 

“Sneers thinks loud noises disturb Ichiro.” Smellerbee hedged, making it abundantly clear that ensuring Ichiro recovered was his top priority. 

 

“We can be quiet, we already had to whisper when we were planning in our room.” Zhengting’s brain is already racing ahead at full steam, he’s thinking of how he’s going to bring this up to the others. 

 

“If Boqin agrees, then so do I.” Smellerbee gnaws at his lip, looking down at the ground. 

 

“I’m sure he’ll agree, he appreciates any input that isn’t Prince’s when it comes to planning.” Zhengting wonders why Smellerbee singled Boqin out, it was obvious that first night that Smellerbee’s loyalty lay with Prince. Why would he only agree if Boqin said it was fine?

 

Smellerbee only nodded in response, not adding anything else to the conversation. 

 

“Well…” Zhengting wasn’t sure what to say anymore, standing in the room didn’t feel uncomfortable per se, but he just was too tired to properly navigate forming a new friendship with Smellerbee, “I’m going to go check on  Boqin and Nanami now.” 

 

“Kay.” Smellerbee watched him walk out of the room, “Tell them I said hi.” 

 

“Oh! Oh yeah, for sure.” Zhengting stumbled as he processed his request. It’s not that Smellerbee had been unfriendly before the revolt, but Ichiro’s injury had shaken him badly and he hadn’t been the same since. For someone he’d only known for less than a week, Zhengting was surprised by his relief at Smellerbee’s return to normalcy. “Good night!” 

 

“Good night.” Smellerbee huffed, his mouth curling into a tired grin. 

 

The lightness from that encounter carried Zhengting all the way up to the command tower, the ominous creaking and swaying of the ship wasn’t enough to distract him from the feeling of hope that lay in his chest. The door to the bridge was locked, he knocked on it in the same pattern that they’d designed for their old room during the revolt. Prince and Boqin had been too overworked to think of a new secret knock, so they were still using this one. 

 

The door swung open to reveal Nanami, her pretty smile showing off some of her crooked teeth in the red lamps of the command station. 

 

“Guys!” Zhengting gave her a quick hug in greeting, reveling in the feeling of warmth that she gave off before he spotted Boqin at the helm. “I have some really good news.” 

 

“What is it?” Nanami asked, sticking by him and showing him a chair where he could sit. 

 

“Smellerbee is getting better.” Zhengting stage-whispered, meeting Boqin’s flat, brown eyes. “He talked to me and everything.” 

 

“Smellerbee didn’t have a problem talking to anyone before.” Nanami pointed out, spreading her legs out as she plopped down in the chair next to him. 

 

“He had no problem threatening to kill me yesterday.” Boqin rolled his eyes, adjusting his grip on the wheel. 

 

“He did what?” Nanami exclaimed, whipping her head around so fast that her hair brushed against Zhengting’s shoulder. 

 

“I um… made a suggestion that he didn’t like, and he told me that if I repeated it, I’d die.” Boqin shuffles his feet, keeping his gaze focused on the moonlit sea in front of them. 

 

“What did you say?” Zhengting asks, because Smellerbee hadn’t seemed capable of threatening one of their own, not when he was so clearly ruined over their injuries. 

 

“Look”, Boqin sighs, staring at them with a frown that crinkles his face, “We need to be realistic, Ichiro is never waking up.” 

 

“You don’t know that for sure.” Zhengting protests, looking at Nanami for support. She’s staring at Boqin, something oddly placid about her expression. 

 

“I suggested that we put him out of his misery.” Boqin lets the words fall from his lips easily, like they aren’t talking about killing one of their friends, “It’s kinder than letting him suffer.” 

 

“If we weren’t heading to an army base where there’s sure to be medics, I’d agree.” Nanami glares at Zhengting when he turns to her with a shocked gasp, “Still, it wasn’t very smart of you to say something like that when Smellerbee was near, we all saw how torn up he was about Ichiro.” 

 

“What you said is wrong, in so many ways.” Zhengting frowns, feeling like he was just blindsided by his friends’ callousness, “But now I know why Smellerbee singled you out.” 

 

“What?” 

 

“Smellerbee has been getting his information from our meetings thanks to Sneers. Even if he’s acting weird because of Ichiro, we all know that Smellerbee has good ideas and he’s someone that we can depend on.” Zhengting explained, “I told him that we could host our meetings in Ichiro’s room, and he said that he’d go along with it as long as we were quiet and if you were okay with it.” 

 

“Oh.” Boqin doesn’t seem to know what to say for once. 

 

“I think he doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Nanami guessed, checking with Zhengting to see if she was right and proceeding once he gave her a nod of agreement, “Which might mean that he regrets what he said.” 

 

“And that level of communication is a lot more than what he’s been doing since defending the engine room!” Zhengting added, “So he’s obviously getting better.” 

 

“Maybe.” Boqin said dubiously, “We can have the meetings in Ichiro’s room, but it’s not like we’re going to have much more of them.” 

 

“That’s right.” Nanami nodded, patting Zhengting’s bony shoulder, “The headwind has been letting up, we’re probably going to make it there by sunset tomorrow.” 

 

“Someone should tell Prince when he wakes up.” Boqin grins ruefully, “I’m still surprised that he’s able to move around with how beat up he still is.” 

 

“Prince wasn’t in the room when I woke up.” Zhengting frowns, “Should I go look for him?” 

 

“No…” Nanami picks at the edge of her thumb, “I think he might just be enjoying the opportunity to sleep alone.” 

 

“What does that mean?” Zhengting questions, not sure why Prince would mind sleeping with the others. 

 

“We think that Prince might have been a comfort child, because he knows too much about ships and soldiers for a normal kid.” Boqin casts a wary glance at the closed door, “Don’t tell anyone, especially not Katsumi.” 

 

“I won’t.” Zhengting agrees slowly, “But I don’t get what you’re saying.” 

 

“Prince used to be a whore.” Nanami says bluntly, rolling her eyes at Boqin’s muttered scolding for her use of crude language, “Not by choice obviously, but you’ve seen what he’s wearing.” 

 

“Red silk.” Zhengting’s eyes widened, thinking about the pretty men and women in the part of the city that his parents told him to never wander into, “Oma and Shu…” 

 

“Katsumi and Prince are from an area by the sea, we’re all from the same inland province.” Boqin drummed his fingers against the wheel, “If we’re all from mixed relationships, then what exactly does that mean?”

 

“They must be from the colonies.” Nanami answers grimly, her mouth set into a thin line, “But someone as young as Prince shouldn’t know as much about ships as he does, because he’s way too young to be a soldier nor are those silks something a cadet would wear.” 

 

“That only leaves one option.” Boqin’s brown eyes bore into Zhengting’s. “So let him sleep alone if he wants, god knows he doesn’t get alone time when he’s awake with all the help that we need from him.” 

 

Zhengting agrees easily, before an awful thought occurs to him, “When Prince went out to get information… the soldiers hurt him.” 

 

The other two stare at him in horror and it makes him want to lean forward and take the words back but he can’t. “His clothes were ripped, and he would be gone for hours.”

 

“He’s sneaky but on a completely new ship in the daytime, there’s no way that they didn’t notice him for that long.” Nanami’s fists are clenched, the veins in her forearms are pulsing. 

 

“Fuck.” Boqin’s teary voice tears Zhengting’s attention away from the sight of Nanami’s rage. Boqin’s lets go of the wheel to run a hand through his hair before he drags it down his face, the wet sheen of his skin catching in the light, “Every time I think that I can be enough to equal him, to take some of the load off, I learn something new that lets me know that I’ll never get there.” 

 

“We’ll help him, like how we’re helping Smellerbee.” Zhengting swears, meaning every word, “No one’s getting to them when we’re here.” 

 

“You sure about that?” Nanami’s cynical twist of her mouth is a bitter thing, “Those two are our best fighters, and when we get to the base, what Prince is wearing will cause issues.” 

 

“We’ll give him new clothes.” Boqin’s clearly already thinking ahead, “The soldiers must have left spare clothes.” 

 

“There’s gotta be someone onboard that knows how to alter clothes.” Zhengting proposes, loving the idea of getting Prince out of those cursed silks, “I can ask the kids in the cargo hold in the morning.” 

 

He stared at Nanami until she caved, sighing “That’ll probably make Prince feel better.” 

 

______

 

Riku eyes the lifeboat that they’re tugging behind him, Manxin had told him that the officers had woken up in the middle of the night. She’d shot him when he tried to climb up the chain with her crossbow. Though, judging by the numerous bolts that are lodged in the thick, iron chains, Manxin had taken a while to succeed. 

 

From what he could see, unless they’d chosen to pile him under the rest of their bodies, the officers had thrown the man’s body overboard. He wondered what would be better to tell Manxin, that she was a good enough shot to take down a Fire Nation Naval Officer or that it hadn’t been her actions that killed him? 

 

Kohana’s boasting about helping Manxin kill the officer that tried to steal the younger mixed kids from their old room made him think the former would make Manxin feel proud of herself. 

 

The officers must be getting antsy, as they were only a few kilometers out from the coastline. He could see the high cliffs that they were currently sailing by, occasionally broken by a fire-bombed harbor where there had once been a hamlet. All that remained now were burned up husks of buildings, blackened driftwood in the water that hinted at destroyed ships. 

 

Riku curled his lip in disgust, all the Fire Nation ever did was destroy. 

 

He considered the canteen in his hand, it was full of water. The weight made it the same weight as a rock, if he was off with his aim, he might hit one of the officers in the head and give them even more head trauma. (Though he didn’t mind if he roughed them up) Riku knew that it was Katsumi’s misguided kindheartedness that had landed these officers in the little boat, he’d done some exploring when he was supposed to be sleeping last night. The fully stocked brig that he’d found in the belly of the ship, hidden by twisting hallways with multiple doors (all several inches thick) let him know that it was built with the express purpose of keeping fire-bending prisoners locked up. 

 

If Prince knew the ship as well as he claimed to, then that meant that he was aware that Katsumi had indirectly chosen to torture these officers with days of being exposed to the blazing sun and freezing nights with fully soaked clothes from the spray as well as no food or water. Riku thought that as much as Prince was indulging Katsumi’s desire to protect the soldiers’ lives, it was clear that he wouldn’t go out of his way to save them either. 

 

A curious way of going about things, for sure. Riku had assumed that Prince was betting on using the officers as a way to bribe the Earth Kingdom base into helping them, providing more incentive than charity cases would. Riku had seen the way that the Earth Kingdom’s Army budget had been stretched thin, the only reason there were any soldiers in his town was because they were close to the frontlines as the Fire Nation pushed further inland in the past decade. 

 

An entire boats worth of naval officers, with information to torture out of and the ability to ransom them back to the Fire Nation as hostages in exchange for prisoners of war. Prince knew his stuff. 

 

“What’cha holding the canteen for?” Smellerbee’s voice sounded behind him, Riku turned around to see both him and Prince walking up to him. 

 

“You should drink up, we’ll be getting to the base soon so we don’t need to ration our water.” Prince smiled at him, and Riku was almost blindsided at the sight of their (leader? friend? warrior?) in full daylight. Every time that he’d seen him before had been outside at night or in the dimly lit rooms of their ship. For the first time, he was able to see the full extent of the bruising, cuts, and the swelling on Prince’s head that was poorly hidden by dirty looking bandages. The scarlet silk shirt that he was wearing did little to hide the bruising on his ribs, as it was full of holes and had multiple tears. Most of the buttons were gone, leaving little strings hanging on the open sides where they’d once been. How had Riku trusted this guy to fight an entire ship of soldiers while dressed like this? (And why was no one cleaning his injuries???)

 

Without really thinking about it, Riku pointed at Prince’s sole shoe and made a shrugging gesture, because why the hell was Prince walking around with only one shoe. 

 

“What?” Prince looked confused, “Is there something wrong with my feet?”

 

Riku would look back on this moment later and laugh, but currently he was blushing more than he ever thought he could. He looked at Smellerbee out of instinct more than anything else, he’d been the only person who could read what he was trying to say without fail. 

 

“He wants to know where your other shoe is.” Smellerbee smirked. Clearly having something to do prevented him from wallowing in guilt, it had worked wonders on his mood. 

 

“Oh.” Prince glanced down at his feet, “I guess I lost it?” 

 

Riku snorted, which made Smellerbee laugh too. Before long they were all chuckling together at the side of the ship, lit up by the morning light. Riku knew that Prince was supposed to be working during the day, just like Sneers and him were scheduled to. Smellerbee should be asleep by now though, he was confident that Manxin had already collapsed back into bed. 

 

Riku let his laughter peter out, before showing them the canteen in his hand and fake throwing it at the officers. Then he looked at Smellerbee and quirked his eyebrows in an exaggerated movement, this was the signal that he’d come up with him to show that he was asking a question. It felt stupid, but it was hard for him to show Smellerbee the right hand sign for it. 

 

“Why do you want to throw a canteen at them?” Smellerbee asked, peering over the edge at the sleeping officers who had huddled for warmth. 

 

Prince watched Riku mime drinking out of the canteen before his eyes widened in realization, “Agni’s Flames, I didn’t give them water.” 

 

“Can you get it on the boat?” Smellerbee asked, eyeing his arms, “If they don’t get water, they’ll die.” 

 

Riku nodded, before none too gently chucking the full canteen onto the edge of the body pile, ensuring that it would bounce onto their bodies and not into the ocean. The officers woke up with a round of yelps as the hard canteen made impact, moving around sluggishly in a way that did not give him confidence that they were going to be able to give the Earth Kingdom soldiers information. 

 

“I can’t believe you actually hit them, that was a really long shot!” Smellerbee grinned, clapping his shoulder. 

 

“Good job.” Prince’s husky voice turned into a choked laugh as he turned away from them, grasping onto the railing as Riku watched his shoulders shake. What was so funny about that? 

 

“Sorry, just an inside joke.” Prince was still giggling, apparently unable to stop, “But would you mind if you turned your shift over to Yiqin real quick? We’re having a meeting in Ichiro’s room right about now.” 

 

Riku nodded, spotting the older Earth Kingdom girl crossing the deck to reach them. He gave her a wave as she took his place, leaving with Prince and Smellerbee in tow. It was a quick walk to Ichiro’s room, although Riku was a bit annoyed that they hadn’t just hosted the meeting before he’d gone out for his watch. 

 

“First things first, we should get to the base by the end of today at the latest.” Boqin gave them a confident smile, starting off the meeting, “The headwind eased sometime last night.” 

 

“That’s great.” Sneers looked pleased, leaning his shoulder against Riku’s. He was currently being sandwiched between the bigger boy and Smellerbee on the tiny cot that he’d slept on the night before, “I’m going to help Yiqin and Prince with the engines after this.” 

 

“Then you’ll come back here, right?” Smellerbee gave a nervous glance at Ichiro’s unconscious body, his chest rising and falling with subtle movements, “Who will watch him while you’re gone?” 

 

“Me!” Yaning piped up, tugging on a sleepy Kohana’s bandaged arm, “She’ll stay with me.” 

 

“That’s… fine.” Smellerbee looked at the two younger girls dubiously, “I’m going to sleep in here after I help Katsumi, then Sneers will come back and you can leave.” 

 

“Actually, I need Prince’s help more with hoisting the white flag, unless you suddenly know how to?” Katsumi raises one neatly groomed eyebrow at Smellerbee. 

 

Riku frowned at him, was he really trying to do this right now? Katsumi’s heavy-handed attempts to corral Smellerbee into taking better care of himself were laughable. He shook his head, leaning over to make sure that Smellerbee could see his face. He clasped his hands together and mimicked sleeping, pointing at him and frowning. 

 

“I know I need to sleep.” Smellerbee patted his shoulder consolingly, which is not what he needed. (Though the fact that he was able to guess what he was trying to say made his chest feel warm) “I’m just trying to make sure that Ichiro doesn’t end up alone.” 

 

“He wouldn’t be alone.” Kohana argued, looking more awake now that she had a chance to butt heads with Smellerbee, “Do you not trust us?” 

 

Smellerbee hesitated, and in the moment that he didn’t speak, Boqin narrowed his eyes and asked, “Do you have a problem?” 

 

“No.” Smellerbee’s brown eyes went wide, “I trust you all, I really do.” 

 

“Smellerbee is struggling to deal with everything, like all of you are.” Prince spoke up, gazing warmly at him. “It’s not surprising that he’s on edge right now.” 

 

“We don’t have much time.” Zhengting said, looking at Ichiro’s prone form on the bed. 

 

The reminder of what had been lost made the room still, the injuries on Smellerbee and Prince seemed to grow more apparent after Zhengting spoke. They looked worn, like thin paper stained with purple and blue ink. From the large cut on Smellerbee's face to the numerous injuries dotting their leader's body, both of them were on their last legs. 

 

“Smellerbee, you aren’t useful if you’re exhausted. I’m going to need you for later today.” Prince and Smellerbee shared a look. The closeness that they had at the beginning of their planning had seemingly returned, though Riku had no idea when they’d had time to talk to each other. “Sneers and Yiqin can handle the engine by themselves, I’ll help Katsumi hoist the white flag.” 

 

“I’m going to bed, Nanami’s gonna take a short nap before heading back out. I think we all should be awake when we land.” Boqin clasped Prince’s shoulder, “Come get me when you’re done with the flag.” 

 

_______

 

“Here, this is how you hook it.” Prince took hold of Katsumi’s hand, guiding his fingers to slip the hooks through the heavy and thick tarp of the white flag of surrender. They stood close enough for the heat of his body to sink into Katsumi’s, the smell of herbs and sweat combined to make a stench that was only a little worse than what most unwashed people smell like. 

 

“It’s heavier than I thought it would be.” Katsumi starts threading the thick metal cord through the rest of the flag’s eyelets. Prince continues to do so on the other side of him, the process makes Katsumi’s palms sticky with sweat. By the time they finish, the sun has started to truly beat down on them. 

 

“Okay, and then we just need to pull on this.” Prince grabs onto the thicker cord, holding out more of it to Katsumi. He takes it, and they pull on it together. 

 

Inch by inch, the blinding white fabric of the flag unfurls as it’s hoisted into the air. Katsumi’s muscles strain against the weight, the burden only growing when the wind changes and tugs against the raising flag. Prince grunts next to him, his ruined red shirt blowing in the breeze. Katsumi eyes the shoe prints on his stomach and pulls harder, planting his feet against the floor of the metal platform that the mute boy normally used as a lookout point. Someone that injured shouldn't be doing manual labor like this.

 

Finally, there’s a strange click that happens as the flag reaches its summit, it verberates down the length of the cord and shakes his fingers. Prince huffs in relief, keeping the line tense as he walks over to the base of the tower and does something with the cord. Katsumi watches him, the movements of his hands both distracting and unfamiliar. 

 

The Prince of the Royal Family stands in front of him, dressed in rags and beaten by his own soldiers, and all it would take is one push from Katsumi to end him. Katsumi eyes the thin railing, the four story drop below to the deck would be enough to kill Prince on impact. The spray of the sea only makes the air smell salty up here, the few days they’ve been sailing have not been enough to cover up the blood stains in the corner. 

 

He wouldn’t do it, of course. 

 

But he could, if he wanted to. 

 

And the possibility itself terrifies him more than anything else. 

 

Katsumi wets his lips, his eyes tracing the jut of his Prince’s chin and the jagged cut of his hair, and whispers his name, “Zuko.” 

 

Prince Zuko jolts, staring back at him with royal golden eyes, the slant of them familiar to Katsumi from the portraits that are hung up every New Year all around town. Wind whips around them, the flag moves noisily above them. 

 

“Prince Zuko.” Katsumi tests out the sound of it, stepping closer to him and decreasing the distance in between them, “You’re bad at planning and at creating aliases.” 

 

“And you’re bold for a colonial.” Prince Zuko doesn’t seem bothered by him saying his name, instead he seems pleased by Katsumi’s use of his real name as a wild grin crosses his face. “Did you think about what I said?” 

 

“Why the Air Temple?” Katsumi asks, because he had thought about it. He had stayed up all night and considered all of his options. (He had none) Were he to stay at the base, with the rest of the Earth Kingdom children, what would become of him? How could a kingdom that had spent the past century losing a war support another orphan child when it could barely defend itself anymore? He would never see his home again, his mother would not stay in the colonies once she’d learned of the city’s fall. She would return to the homeland, most likely selling their house and spot in the painter’s guild. 

 

With a single trip alongside his father, Katsumi had taken a torch to the life he’d known and set it ablaze. 

 

“I feel like it’s where I’m meant to go.” Prince Zuko explains more when Katsumi gives him a frown, “I told you before, it’s a safe place for us. No one will bother us if we stay there.”

 

“A feeling…” Katsumi frowns, “I am not choosing where we live based on a feeling.” 

 

“It’s more than a feeling, I just don’t know how to describe it.” Prince Zuko hesitated, “It feels right that we’re going there.”

 

“Like you’re being guided by the spirits?” Katsumi asked, hesitant to expose his more traditional beliefs. Most of the kids his age didn’t believe in spirits anymore, it was just because Katsumi was from an artisan family that he still went to shrines and prayed. A century’s worth of failed prayers will destroy faith like nothing else. 

 

“Maybe?” Prince Zuko tilts his head, “I’ve been guided to places by spirits before, and this is kind of similar? It was like once I suggested the Air Temple, it became the only place that’s right for us.” 

 

“Is it even okay for us to be there?”

 

“No one goes there anymore, but it’s more because of the difficulty in getting there than anything else.” Prince Zuko elaborates, “As long as we’re respectful, it should be fine.”

 

“People should respect the places of the dead.” Katsumi nods, even the Western Air Temple had been allowed to rot instead of being destroyed despite it being so close to the homeland. “Have you ever been?” 

 

“I’ve been to all of them.” Prince Zuko swallows, his eyes flicking away for a moment, “It could support us, we could make a living there until we figure out what we need to do.” 

 

“Okay then.” Katsumi agrees, because how could he not? There’s no denying that he feels threatened by the Prince, but he’s seen how he takes care of Smellerbee and the rest. Ichiro would not still be alive if he didn’t care about their lives. The officers on the lifeboat owe their lives to Prince’s loyalty to nonlethal methods, Katsumi knows that the rest of the children would have killed them all without a thought. 

 

Prince Zuko had kept his promise, he was trained to fight and was resourceful. Katsumi is on his own now, sticking with him was his best bet for survival. Plus a part of him wants to believe that the spirits really are watching, that all this is meant to happen. 

 

“Do you mean it?” His Prince leans closer to him, Katsumi can feel the puffs of his breath on his face. It makes him feel warm all over, in a quick flash. 

 

“Do you want me to repeat it for you?” Katsumi responds crossly, pulling away once he realizes how close they’ve gotten. 

 

“Yes.” Prince Zuko steps forward, “Do you really want to do this, Katsumi?” 

 

He is not enamored with the sound of his name in a royal’s mouth, it does not shock him in the slightest because His Prince has said his name plenty of times before. Katsumi rolls his eyes belatedly, “Yes, I’m coming with you.” 

 

“Excellent.” Prince Zuko’s eyes widen as he looks at something over Katsumi’s shoulder. “Look!” 

 

Katsumi turns around to see the faintest smudge of brown against the bright blue of the ocean. It’s real land, something that they’d left behind days ago. The shitty islands that they've been passing don't count, not when they've obviously been sacked by the Fire Nation already. Unlike those bombed islands, real land would have been held by the Earth Kingdom. It holds hope, it promises them a place to rest at the base and a chance to save Ichiro's life. The sight of it makes his knees weak, he’s been longing for the comfort of the Earth this whole time. Katsumi might be from Arun Harbor, but this hell of a ship was nothing like the comforting sails that he used to take with his parents. 

 

Land meant that this whole ordeal might be over, in a way. 

 

________

 

Bee watches as more and more chains of islands passed by them. There weren’t any other ships on the water, not even small fishing boats. The towns that they sailed by were small, with wooden structures that she could barely see from the command tower. Sometimes a larger fish or lizarddolphin would flash by them, their shimmering scales or flicking tails catching her eye. But for the most part, everything looked… abandoned.

 

The boat cut through the ocean like a hot knife through fat, they were making incredible time according to Prince. It was nearing dusk, the edges of twilight were starting to make their appearance. 

 

She snorted as she looked over at Prince, he was dressed in an oversized shirt that was clearly meant for a soldier. It hung down over his skinny body, the sleeves were cut with a knife so they’d be the right size for him. It looked like a dress, save for the thin pants peeking out at the bottom. He looked ridiculous with the straps of his sword harness cutting across his chest as he piloted their ship. 

 

Boqin twiddled his thumbs from where he sat against the wall, Nanami and Zhengting were seated with him. They all looked too tired to be awake right now, which didn’t make sense since Zhengting had been stuck with day shifts the whole time. Nanami and Boqin were clearly familiar with the command bridge, they were sipping water from canteens and even eating some of the tack that Prince had found in the cargo hold. The trio looked comfortable with each other in a way that they hadn’t been a few days ago, Bee thought it was interesting that she could tell which kids were forming better relationships within their group. 

 

Katsumi was watching over the officers on the boat, it had been decided that it was impractical to have all of them up in the command tower. The mute boy was up in the roost, keeping watch as their course was more dangerous now. With the added difficulties that close terrain offered, they needed Prince’s expertise in the command room. 

 

Charting their course through multiple island chains and random crops of rock that protrude out from the waves proved to be more complex than they had anticipated. Things had been touch and go for a while, Prince had explained to them that navigating through uncharted waters was harder with only a skeleton crew. Bee had watched Prince and Boqin fiddle around with a few pieces of metal and maps earlier. The little circles and angles they’d been calculating had gone right over her head. 

 

Nanami had been confused too, so at least she wasn’t alone. 

 

Sneers was watching the engine still, he said that Yiqin needed more time to sleep. Bee had been woken up by Manxin shaking her shoulder an hour ago, telling her that she was going to watch Ichiro until they arrived at the base. It meant more to her than Manxin could have anticipated, Manxin was older and had bonded with Ichiro before their column had arrived at the beach. Unlike Yaning and Kohana, Manxin was experienced and wouldn’t panic if something went wrong. Bee had meant what she said, she really did trust the others with Ichiro. 

 

It had just taken Bee longer to learn how to ignore the icy feeling that settled into her stomach every time that she left Ichiro behind in that room. Guilt still ate at her, but having something to do was the only way to make it go away. Prince had told her to sleep, to make sure that she didn’t become a burden. Her friend needed her, she could not afford to let him down like she had for Ichiro. Bee had sworn to never do that again, and she wouldn’t fail here. 

 

“It’s strange, they should be patrolling this area.” Prince frowned, gazing out at the wide sea in front of them, “The Earth Kingdom Navy isn’t much, but they should at least have a few patrol boats this far in.” 

 

“We’ll run into them eventually, they won’t let us sail all the way to their base.” Boqin reassured him from the corner, “That would just be an awful strategy.” 

 

“Yeah.” 

 

Another hour passes, something that Bee only knows because Prince tells them. The cabin is getting antsy, the little piece of metal that they’ve been using to mark where the ship is on the map has been steadily approaching the dot where the base is. 

 

Now it’s almost impossible to tell where they are, the piece of metal and the dot are basically in the same place. Thick fog has covered the sea in front of them, making Prince even more cautious. Prince is the only person in the room who isn’t on edge, he stays still and steady as the boat pushes forward into the darkness. Nanami had snapped at Boqin earlier when he started pacing the small cabin, he’d begrudgingly sat back down and is now fidgeting in the corner. Zhengting’s lips look like freshly cut berries, the edges are red and glistening from how he’s bitten them raw in the past hour. 

 

They’re going to stick to the coast, staying a safe distance away from it. By running parallel to the coast, they’ll happen upon the base eventually. Prince has Zhengting tell the mute boy of their changing course, disseminating the information throughout the whole ship from the deck to the engines. Out of all of them, the only person who comes close to rivaling Prince’s knowledge of the ship they’re on is Zhengting. He somehow manages to return within ten minutes, despite having to have run through the ship’s entirety. Boqin looks over the maps with a hint of desperation, there’s something wrong with all this. 

 

“We must have missed it.” Boqin scribbles away at a sheet of paper, “You’re sure this is the coordinates of the base?” 

 

“There’s no way that it would have changed locations. Even with Earthbenders, building things on the crumbly stone native to this area is incredibly difficult.” Prince leans forward to try and peer through the dimly lit area in front of them, “The Earth Kingdom’s army doesn’t have the funds to shift something that big.” 

 

Bee herself can’t stop tapping her fingers against her thigh, fighting an urge to check on Ichiro that won’t go away. She knows that going to see him won’t make her feel better, but sitting around and waiting for something to happen has never been something that she’s good at. Does the mute boy know that something is off? Once they’re within sight of the base, he’ll be the first person on the ship to spot it. 

 

She thinks of her province, they’re an entire ship’s worth of displaced children who were stolen by their enemy. If a province that deep inland can fall to the Fire Nation, who’s to say that a coastal base wouldn’t as well? Are they sailing to a trap? Has Prince led them to their deaths? What is waiting for them at the base? 

 

Minutes drag by like this, with nothing happening and the suspense building. Prince sends Nanami down to the engines to tell them to bank the fires, they’re slowing down the pace of the ship so that they don’t run aground or hit anything now that they’re definitely close to the coast. Moving at a high speed is folly in this area, Prince explains as he fiddles with some of the levers at the sides of the room, we could wreck before we even find the base. Bee looks at Boqin and Zhengting, they’ve huddled together now that the older girl has left. 

 

The dim light of the moon brightens suddenly, filling the cabin with moonlight as the ship lurches underneath their feet. Looming on cliffs that none of them had realized they were so close to, is a massive fort with towering walls and fire blazing at several intervals. Sandstone spires and defensive spikes line the cliffs, jutting out several yards over the sea and preventing anyone from being able to dock at the base of the cliffs without earth bending. 

 

“There it is.” Prince notes grimly, “They must have waterbenders in that fort, it’s been unnaturally foggy and cloudy for the past half hour.” 

 

“Waterbenders?” Boqin questions, standing up to peer up at the fort, “They fight with the Earth Kingdom?” 

 

Bee echoes his confusion, “I thought they stayed hidden in the seas.” 

 

“Most of them do.” Prince nods his head, as he yanks on the wheel and pulls down on the biggest lever, “But waterbenders exist on almost every coast in the world. Before the war, it was common for people to travel and settle down in new areas.” 

 

“They stayed to defend their homes.” Bee realizes, her eyes widening as she thinks about her family and how they’d moved into the Earth Kingdom’s deeper lands only a few generations ago. They’d come from the islands and she looked different from every true Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation citizen that she’d met. Was there a chance that… they’d been chased out? 

 

“It’s noble of them, but it also means that they’re viewing us as an enemy.” Prince growled, leaning over to grab Zhengting, “Get everyone gathered on the deck, we need to be ready to jump ship if they try anything.” 

 

“I’ll tell the kids in the cargo hold.” Bee offers, “That way Zhengting can get to the others who are more scattered, it can save us some time.” 

 

“That’s a good idea.” Boqin agrees, “Do you need me to do anything?” 

 

“Help me plan.” Prince's face hardens, “I have a bad feeling.” 

 

Bee scurries out of the bridge, following Zhengting as he sprints down the stairs on his gangly legs. 

 

______

 

“What are you thinking?” Boqin demands, staring at him in horror once the other two leave, “Are you fucking insane?” 

 

“They won’t attack us if there’s a crowd of kids on the deck.” Zuko looks away from where he’s been analyzing the base’s defenses and stares at the plain faced boy, “It’s not like I’m putting them in danger.” 

 

“You’re using them.” Boqin pales, “They’re going to think that we’re holding them hostage.” 

 

“They are hostages.” Zuko frowns, “We were all hostages, none of us should be on this and yet here we are.” 

 

He tries to make Boqin understand, “If we don’t do this, they’re going to attack us. I didn’t even really lie to the others, if they attack us then we’ll need to evacuate the ship anyways.” 

 

“We’re flying a white flag!” Boqin shouts, stepping close enough to Zuko that he can feel his warmth. 

 

“They hid themselves from us, exposing the fact that they have waterbenders at their base.” Zuko remembers the strategies that he was taught as a child, waterbenders in the enemy hands are instruments to be killed or captured at all costs. The Fire Nation cannot allow them to fight for the other nations, they’re the only thing that threatens his kingdom’s hold on the seas. By showing their hand, the soldiers at the base must be prepared to kill everyone on the Wani to protect that secret. “The fact that they’re revealing themselves now means that they’re going to attack, and that they never saw us as a boat seeking amnesty like we hoped.” 

 

“They can’t attack us with a white flag.” Boqin whispers, and Zuko wishes that he had the time to explain this gently. He wishes that he didn’t have to explain that white flags didn't mean anything in this world anymore, and that the only person who accepted surrender from military targets didn’t still lay enclosed in ice in the South Pole. The war was better once Aang woke up, the return of the Avatar seemed to remind the people of the world of their morals. “That’s a war crime.”

 

“Boqin, so is kidnapping children for indoctrination.” Zuko tries to think of a way to explain the feeling in his guts, the dread that’s been building the longer they sailed around in the darkness of this cursed night, “We can’t afford to trust them, we’ll all die if we do.” 

 

“Can’t you see that kind of thinking has ruined us all?” Boqin’s face creases in his distress, innocence warring with the cunning that Zuko’s counting on to get them out of this situation alive, “They won’t attack if we show them that we’re peaceful. Prince, we need to do something to prove that we’re not a threat.” 

 

“I’m not risking your lives to parley with soldiers.” Zuko’s voice almost pains him as he speaks, he’s sickened at the idea of trusting Earth Kingdom soldiers to not hurt them. They killed Toph, they murdered him, fully trained soldiers had struck down two children in a field when all they had to prove his guilt was the word of one man. “The soldiers in that fort will kill us all because we’re on a Fire Nation ship in their territory, they don’t know that we aren’t soldiers. They’ll never send someone down to negotiate.”

 

“They wouldn’t attack if they knew that we’re children.” 

 

“The Earth Kingdom doesn’t care that we’re kids!” 

 

“Why can’t you do something?” Boqin demands, “You’ve gotten us this far, if you go out and speak with them then they might listen.”

 

“No one else will die because of me, I can’t think of anything that will get us out of this.” Zuko grabs Boqin’s shoulders, feeling the bones shift underneath his hands, “Think of something, Boqin, having the kids on deck will only stall them.” 

 

“We need to jump ship.” Boqin swallows nervously, “If killing children will prevent them from attacking the ship directly, then they wouldn’t hurt us if we’re in lifeboats.” 

 

Out on the deck, swarms of children start to emerge from the lower levels of the ship. He can see Smellerbee’s bright head of hair, the warmer brown unique amongst the rest. The waves churn against the Wani , the back and forth movement is bringing them closer to the cliffs now that he’s killed the engines. Nanami, Sneers, and Yiqin must still be down there, Zhengting must have focused on getting the mixed kids out of their rooms first.

 

“Do you remember what I taught you about the lifeboats?” Zuko asks, he’d spent half a day drilling all of the necessary information about the extra boats they had on board into all of the mixed children’s heads. He didn’t want them to be in danger if the Wani sank. “Katsumi’s probably an expert on them by now.” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Then I’ll sound the alarm, the rest will know what it means.” Zuko yanks on the rope on the wall that will create a series of clanging bells that’ll alert the others to the need to get off the Wani , he shouts since the bells’ volume overpower his voice, “You get to the deck and start the evacuation!” 

 

“Where will you be?” Boqin yells over the clanging. 

 

“Someone needs to get whoever isn’t out already, I know the ship better.” Zuko answers. 

 

“I’ll see you outside.” Boqin grabs him by his forearm, fear mixing with courage now that they have a plan, “Be safe.” 

 

“You too.” Zuko returns the words, and wonders when the last time he was able to depend on someone like this was. Toph had never fought alongside him in the last lifetime, Azula and him had never been in danger. The poor townspeople in Hama’s cave hadn’t been able to stand, let alone fight. Uncle didn’t know him well enough to stand by his side in any of his repeated lifetimes. “I’m counting on you.” 

 

Boqin just nods, barely sparing a glance over his shoulder as he’s already heading out of the room. Zuko races after him, keeping time as they skip steps and hit each landing with the full weight of their bodies. At the base of the tower, they go in opposite directions. Boqin runs towards the surface, he sprints deeper into the Wani.

 

Zuko knows this ship like the back of his hand, the hallways and ladders fall beneath his racing body as he yells for everyone to evacuate. Zhengting passes him after a minute, the rest of the mixed children standing beside him. Over the din of the alarm bells, Zhengting tells him that he never got to the engine room. The baby is being held by Yaning, two toddlers are cradled in the skinny boy’s arms. It’s obvious to Zuko why Zhengting hadn’t been able to get down there, some of the mixed children can’t do more than crawl at this point. 

 

“I’m going down there!” Zuko places his mouth against Zhengting’s ear, feeling the other boy nod. 

 

“Get Nanami out!” Zhengting lips are leaking blood, there’s a disgusting mixture of it and spit at the corners of his mouth, “She went down there, remember?” 

 

“I know!” 

 

Zuko leaves the group, barely descending to another level before something impacts against the ship. The Wani rocks, his feet slip against each other as he’s slammed against the wall. Groaning and ignoring the way his shoulder is now throbbing in pain, Zuko curses the base. There’s one main method used against metal ships like his: launching boulders at it with either bending or catapults until it sinks. If they keep hitting the ship, it’ll sink before he can get to the engines. 

 

Zuko stumbles through the twisting hallways, yelling for Sneers, Nanami, and Yiqin. His throat hurts, he wants to believe that they got out but he can’t leave without knowing for sure. Another boulder hits his ship, there’s the telltale sound of rushing water coming from one of the hallways. Zuko’s ribs are screaming, the new injuries he’s earned from being thrown off his feet once a boulder lands against the sides aren’t helping. 

 

The awful stench of seawater fills his nose, something cold and wet laps against his bare feet. The lone shoe that he’s kept since the palace explosion finally fell off a level ago, Zuko feels his ears pop as he stares in disbelief at the rising water that’s slowly but surely filling the hallway down to the engines. 

 

No! 

 

He turns on his heels, running to the opposite side of the ship. The eastern side has taken the most damage as it’s the side facing the base and cliffs, which means the western side should be intact. He can get down to the engine room and find them. Sneers and the rest have no way of knowing that another exit exists, he only ever taught them the one way to get in and out of the engine room. His legs burn from all the running that he’s done, his pathetic thirteen year old body can’t keep up with his injuries and this activity. 

 

Zuko breathes a sigh of relief once reaches the Western stairwell, throwing himself down the stairs three at a time and reaching the lower levels. Steam smacks him in the chest, a surefire sign that the engine room has started to flood. The engines cannot be exposed to water, they pose a danger all on their own. If the ship sinks, there’s a high chance that they might explode. 

 

Shoving against the door, he enters the engine room and feels how much harder it is to breathe here now that the steam is so thick. Zuko yells their names, desperately trying to hear if there’s anyone saying anything back. Thinking quickly, he ignites one of his hands so that they might see him better in the darkened room. He sprints to the main engine, almost shouting in relief once he finds Nanami, Sneers, and Yiqin huddled against the wall. The three of them run over to him, avoiding the black water that’s filling the room. 

 

“Follow me!” Zuko screams, leading them away from the water and out of the engine room. Sneers and Nanami are supporting Yiqin on either side of her, there’s a bloody wound on one of her legs that he can see. They run up the stairs, Zuko picking the quickest route to the surface. Another impact knocks all four of them to the ground, Yiqin screeching as she collapses and grips her right thigh in pain. 

 

Zuko extinguishes his hand and hoists her up, ignoring her sobs as he gestures for Sneers and Nanami to get back up. They weave through the ship, which had started to shudder in a way that he finds fucking disturbing. There’s an awful groaning that’s started to fill the air, yet he doesn’t know where it’s coming from. Everything is tilted to the right, making it harder for them to make their way to the top. The Wani has begun to sink in earnest, Zuko can only pray that the soldiers aren’t attacking the lifeboats. Zuko’s arms are numb from the weight of the older girl by the time they reach the deck. 

 

The scene that greets them is one of devastation, the ship leans to the east in an unnatural way as water has filled the lower levels. Steam bellows from the back vents, the engines are doubtlessly submerged at this point. The cliffs are so much closer now, the current having pushed the boat while he was running around. Sneers takes Yiqin from him, they all head to the lifeboats. There’s only one left, it’s no longer attached to the boat. Instead Katsumi must take Yiqin’s hand as she jumps down into it. Nanami follows her, with Sneers waiting until she’s situated to jump in as well. He almost believes it’s over until he makes eye contact with Smellerbee who shouldn’t be on the last lifeboat, she should have been on one of the earliest ones to take off. 

 

Smellerbee looks up at him with desperation in her eyes, “Prince!” 

 

“What?!” Zuko yells, pausing from where he was about to launch himself off of the railing. 

 

“Ichiro’s still there.” Smellerbee thrashes against where Longshot is holding her, his hands are tight against her arms. It’s obvious that Longshot hasn’t let her go and get the injured boy like she wants to. The life boat bobs in the waves, and he stares down at the younger version of the warrior he once knew. 

 

Zuko’s throat tightens as he nods, “I’ll get him out.” 

 

Katsumi yells as he turns away from the railing and sprints back down the main passageway. He turns to the medic’s quarters, his feet carrying him faster than he thought possible. He’s exhausted himself and it’ll be a struggle to get Ichiro out as he’s still in his coma. Frustration builds in his chest and Zuko lets himself cry as he races towards the room. This isn’t fair, none of them should have to deal with this. With blurry vision and a heaving chest, he is utterly blindsided when he runs into someone else. 

 

“Prince!” 

 

Manxin smiles at him from where he knocked her down, hands reaching out to him. He helps her up and feels her wet skin pressed against him as she sags in relief. 

 

“Please, help me.” Manxin’s voice is almost otherworldly as she speaks, the sounds of the sinking ship and clanging bells fade to the background, “He’s too heavy.” 

 

Zuko pulls away to find Ichiro on the floor, writhing in obvious pain. He furiously swipes at his face, embarrassment and happiness mingling together. Zuko lifts up Ichiro by his torso, slinging the other boy over his shoulder and almost immediately falling down as he staggers under his weight. It wouldn't be so hard to carry him normally, but his body is exhausted by his injuries and the race to rescue the others from the engine room. Manxin darts over, pressing her shoulder under his and helping to take some of the weight. He’s glad that she’s being mindful of Ichiro’s injuries, all of this movement is going to make them so much worse and cause a setback in his recovery. 

 

Together they stumble back up the stairs, mindful of the seawater that’s pouring into the ship. There’s been a lull in the rock launching and it’s making Zuko nervous, not that it’s easy to focus on anything other than the way his limbs feel like they’re full of lead. Manxin grunts as they teeter on the edge between the steps and the deck, maintaining their balance is even difficult as waves batter the sinking ship. 

 

The lifeboat is still there, and Katsumi waves them over. The splintered deck has several holes that they have to navigate around, giant pits that reveal the metal workings of the ship below. Manxin stumbles near one once, and Zuko has to throw himself in the opposite direction so that they fall over on the other side of it. His knees throb as he recovers from hitting the deck with his full body weight, Ichiro’s writhing has stilled despite the tumble. 

 

Manxin yells something at him that Zuko can’t makeout over the drumbeat of his own heart that’s roaring in his ears. Bitterly cold seawater greets him as they stumble over to the lifeboat. They pause at the railing, it’s no longer a jump as the Wani has sunk enough that the lifeboat is almost level with it. Manxin hops over the railing, reaching out her arms to take Ichiro from him. Smellerbee is suddenly there too, helping her as Zuko’s arms shake when he starts the process of carefully passing Ichiro’s limp body over the railing. 

 

It’s only by an instinct that three years of fearing for his life gave him that saves their lives. The flitting shadow of a rock falling briefly covers the moon over them, giving him enough time to act. Barely thinking about it, Zuko lashes out and kicks them away from him. Smellerbee and Manxin fall backwards, away from the railing and into the lifeboat. He pulls Ichiro’s body towards him, right before the boulder makes an impact. 

 

Water explodes around him, drenching him as the Wani tilts dangerously underneath his feet. He falls into the water with a sharp splash, slamming against cold hard metal and realizing that he’s fallen in the wrong direction. He fell back into one of the holes, which is filled with seawater and an incredibly dangerous place to be. Zuko feels the sting of countless cuts as the salt burns him, there’s a numbness in his forehead that must mean he was hit by the shrapnel of the rock when it shattered on impact. The base won’t stop until the boat has sank. Zuko needs to get out of here as fast as he can before another boulder falls. He can’t hear anything anymore, his body is moving with pure instinct as he begins to tread water with Ichiro still in his arms. Zuko climbs out of the hole slowly, gasping as he finds a way out. It’s dark here, the moonlight has dimmed again. 

 

Submerging himself into the freezing water as he emerges onto the sinking deck, Zuko tries to swim to where the lifeboat was. It’s awful, he’s barely keeping himself afloat as Ichiro is deadweight and restricting himself to only his legs. Zuko knows that the lifeboat is close by, that they should be able to see him. He wants to trust that they’ll get to him in time, his grip on Ichiro’s body is loosening as he struggles to keep his mouth above water. He can’t help but inhale salt water and cough as it fills his lungs and makes his nose burn. 

 

It’s so cold. 

 

Zuko blinks desperately, ignoring the sting in his eyes from the salt and looks around for the lifeboat. It has to be near him! It has to be! They wouldn’t leave him, not now! Belatedly he realizes that he can still make noise, so he starts to scream and hopes that they’ll find him. The current tugs at his body, a strange pull that his frantic kicking can’t quite fight against. Ichiro is so heavy, his weight dragging Zuko deeper into the dark water in a way that makes him panic. Zuko’s screams cut off as he starts to choke, the seawater flooding into his open mouth and filling his lungs.

 

He’s so tired. 

 

_______

 

Later, Bee will regret shoving the mute boy off of her and clubbing him in the eye so that he’d let her go. She knows that taking advantage of his already blackened eye is cruel, that he’s only trying to keep her safe. But in the moment, she wishes that she’d done more to hurt him for keeping her back from helping her friends. Katsumi had ordered them to pull back from the ship despite Prince and Ichiro still being on it, arguing that it was too dangerous to stay close to it since the base was still launching boulders at it. 

 

The water welcomes her with open arms, as it always has. Her parents had made sure that she knew how to swim even if she didn’t live in an area with a lot of water, it’d been important to them. Unlike the rest of the Earth Nation children, she was capable of diving into the water and surviving. She knew that most of them couldn’t swim, and why would they be able to? 

 

They lived in a landlocked area, with no rivers or lakes nearby. Their province wasn’t known for water, only agriculture which is probably why the starving Fire Nation army had taken it. 

 

She opened her eyes, embracing the sting and pushed through the water. The yells that they’d been hearing had cut off in this direction, desperate animal sounds that Bee had barely been able to identify as Prince. Bee searched wildly for him, fearing the worst. 

 

He’d been right next to the boulder when it had hit the deck, using up time that he could have used to save himself to get Manxin and her to safety. Bee gritted her teeth as she ran out of air and had to surface again, staying for the briefest of moments. She gasped and inhaled, diving back down and continuing to look for him. Prince wasn’t going to drown, not when she could do something about it. 

 

The dark water around her did little to help her in her search, Bee swam down blindly into the darkness with her arms extended. She cast her gaze wide, looking for the bodies of her friends. Ichiro had been with Prince, he was unconscious and couldn’t swim at all even if he did know how. She had to get to them quickly, otherwise Ichiro would die. 

 

She was running out of air again. 

 

Bee surfaced, feeling the wind whip at her face before she submerged again and looked harder. There! Prince and Ichiro’s bodies were sinking down, much closer to the boat than she had expected. She cut through the water, her legs and arms moving furiously to get there in time. 

 

It took her too long to get to them, her lungs were burning and her toes felt numb as she grabbed Prince and Ichiro and started to pull them up. It was too much, the two of them were incredibly heavy and though she was kicking with all of her might, Bee could barely get a few inches up before her vision swam with black spots. 

 

Breathe, she thought to herself, I need to breathe or I can’t save them. 

 

Bee kicked off, shooting out of the water and diving back just as quickly. Her eyes wouldn’t stop blinking, she swam even further down to grab them and started tugging their bodies towards the ship. She couldn’t support either of them, but if Bee got them to the ship, then she could rest their bodies on the sinking vessel. 

 

That thought lasted for as long as it took for her to raise their bodies a bit and get a little forward before a massive rock smashed into the ship close by them. Bee gasped, opening her mouth and choking immediately as she inhaled sea water. Desperately, she let them go one last time and kicked up to the surface again. Sputtering, she wiped her eyes and looked around for the lifeboat. Amongst the wreckage and the waves that had gotten higher the longer she’d been in the water for, she’d lost sight of it. 

 

Fuck fuck fuck. 

 

The water parted easily for her, Bee reached them again and began tugging them to the surface. She held Prince and Ichiro against her chest, creating as little surface for the water to resist against as she tried to go up. It’d been too long, they needed air now or they would die. Her arms were useless, she could barely move both of them at the same time. Despite all of her kicking, Bee couldn’t get both of them up. 

 

She couldn’t tell if her eyes were burning from the salt water or her tears as the realization that she wasn’t good enough to save both of them. Bee held their hands tightly, looking at their faces. Faintly she could feel Prince’s pulse under her fingers, but there was nothing from Ichiro.

 

The moon grew brighter, casting light deep into the water and illuminating the scene in front of her. Ichiro’s eyes were slightly open, darting wildly around in a way that suggested he wasn’t quite unconscious. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on her part. Bee kept kicking, refusing to give up just yet. If she just used her legs more, straining them until they couldn’t move anymore, then maybe she could save them. 

 

But her chest felt tight, she couldn’t breathe and it had been too long. If Bee waited any longer, she would drown with them. Screaming on the inside, she tightened her hold on Prince and made her choice. Time slowed, the push and pull of the waves they were under barely affected her as her body moved sluggishly. This is it, she blinked, I am killing my friend.

 

With numb fingers, Bee let Ichiro go. 

 

Losing his weight, she rose slowly but steadily to the surface with Prince in her arms. The water parted around her head, she gasped and breathed in the delicious air into her weakened lungs. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to open them and face what she’d done. Another massive splash startled her, Bee ripped her head up to see from where it had come from and saw a large plume of water explode from the ship which she was still dangerously close to. 

 

Paddling as best as she could, Bee tugged Prince away from the ship and hoped that they got far enough for Katsumi to find them. The surging waves threatened to drown her again, the crests of them went over her head a few times that sent her underwater in a frightful panic. Her legs were exhausted, her lungs rattling with every breath because she kept inhaling water. 

 

Squeezing Prince’s chest, Bee hoped with every fiber of her body that she had made the right choice. 

Notes:

I love my whole squad of children so much, hurting them hurts me.

However I do think that Bee learns a harsh but necessary lesson, setting up her attachment to Ichiro and his death was a very long process but I think it paid off.

Also: the comfort child theory is about to play a major role!

Please let me know what you guys think :)

Also after this loop ends, so will the current "act". I've been planning this fic out for a while and this Runaway segment, whilst interesting also gets boring, and I want to be able to give you guys a really good story! Mostly because while I love exploring what Zuko can do with each life, I want to create a new start point and (spoilers?) that's what will happen after the Runaway arc ends. I'm somewhat testing the waters to see what my readers will like (that's y'all!) but I'm planning on having Zuko pick a course and stick with it. Whether that will be one of the previous routes or a new one is undecided, but eventually the plan is to have him get to a new save point.

I do believe this story is over a year old now? Which is crazy considering it's only 19 chapters wowza, but thank you so much to all of you who have stuck with it. Your comments make me feel so loved and it's insane knowing that so many people have read my writing.

I love you!

Chapter 20: The Base (1/3)

Summary:

Previously: Zuko and co. find themselves at the base, the presence of waterbenders are revealed. The encounter ends with the Wani sinking. Zhengting, Manxin, Boqin, and Katsumi load the other children into the lifeboats. Smellerbee makes a choice between Zuko and Ichiro, leaving Ichiro to drown.

Content warning: drowning, nightmares, hints of sexual assault/abuse, blood

Notes:

Hi! I'm so sorry for the long absence, I've been stuck in a creative rut and I wanted to be able to churn out a good chapter for everyone. This is the first installment of everything that happens at the base, there will be three chapters and the next one should be out tomorrow!

Katsumi remembers the ocean of Arun Harbor, the bright turquoise waves that would gently tug on his feet but never swept him under. How Agni’s rays had glinted off the top of them, toasting his shoulders and giving him freckles during the summer. There was always plenty of fish to eat, even when the city started to limit how much a family of three could eat per week. 

 

In the winter, when the water froze on top and massive chunks of ice drifted by, there was still ice skating and hot fish soup to eat. Katsumi’s hair would smell like incense for days after his family would pray to the ocean spirits. Their humble altar had stood outside in their tiny garden, just big enough to have a roof to shade their icons from the elements. La was a simple wood carving of a fish, the kind of basic shape that held incense sticks in the curve of its tail, something that he used to sneak outside and cup in his hands when he was younger. 

 

The ocean provided all that the citizens of Arun Harbor could ever need. It brought ships with new wares and merchants hungry for trade, it gave them food, and it was the inspiration for thousands of paintings. The special ways to crush pieces of stones to make the right hues for the millions of different shades that one could find in its waves. There was nothing to fear in the ocean of his home, it took his hand and guided Katsumi through his life. 

 

The ocean here was nothing like what he knew. 

 

Waves battered his body, and it took all of his strength to keep himself from being pushed closer to the cliffs and away from Smellerbee. The bombardment had finally stopped, the ship that they’d been on had sunk beneath the waves minutes ago. Lights had flared up in the base, giant blazing fires that shone light down on the sea beneath the cliffs. 

 

The moon which had been shadowed for most of the terror-filled nightmare that had been their evacuation off the ship now shone brightly, making the previously dark water much easier to see through. The salt in the water bit sharply at his hands, Katsumi’s palms were torn from how hard he’d pulled at the oars of their little lifeboat.

 

Prince Zuko had been so close, mere steps from being safe again. Katsumi had watched as the boulder blocked out the moon, he had known then with a sinking feeling in his gut that no one could survive being hit by it. Forcing the others down, Katsumi and Sneers had worked together to get them far away from the downed ship. 

 

They would make it through the night, they had to. There had been no time to mourn, only the ocean and the boulders from above demanding that he pay attention. Katsumi’s mind had worked overtime trying to figure out where to steer the lifeboat, the looming cliffs with massive spikes and towering waves was where certain death lay yet their only way forward was blocked by the ship. He’d been frozen in indecision, wishing that anyone else could have been there to make the right call. But no one in the lifeboat had ever been on the ocean, much less in a situation as dangerous as this. 

 

The mute boy had grabbed him, furiously pointing to the left and dodging Smellerbee’s flailing arm. In the brightened night, there was a large spot of white that stood out from the wreckage and the cliff face. Katsumi’s eyes had stung from the salt water that was blowing into them, he’d blinked them until he realized what he was looking at. 

 

Fucking Boqin, he was too smart for his own good. 

 

Ignoring the way his arms felt like they were weighed down by rocks, Katsumi, Sneers, and one of the Earth Kingdom girls had put their all into skirting to the left and towards the other lifeboats. Boqin had somehow gotten ahold of the white flag from the boat, and was using it to signal his location to the others. Katsumi hoped that the other boy had picked a good spot to lay low, otherwise they’d be left as sitting ducks for the base to pick off. 

 

Their lifeboat had just cleared the bow of the ship when there’d been a shout from the front. A large splash later, and Katsumi could barely believe his eyes as he watched Smellerbee’s body disappear under the waves. Chasing after him was futile, the boulders fell intermittently and staying near the boat would be suicide. 

 

What he was currently doing was also stupidly risky, but he hadn’t been able to stomach the thought of leaving Smellerbee to drown in the waves. Not when Prince Zuko had died to save him, Smellerbee wasn’t allowed to throw away his life in a desperate attempt like this. The minute the boulders had paused as the tallest part of the command tower disappeared under the sea, Katsumi had turned to Sneers and told him his plan. 

 

Then he jumped. 

 

Now he was stuck bobbing in the water, carefully finding his way back to where he’d seen Smellerbee dive in. The ocean felt unfriendly, like nothing he’d ever experienced. The water churned violently around him, tugging his body in different directions. Katsumi kept his eyes open as much as he could, tolerating the stinging to continue being able to scan the water for Smellerbee. 

 

Inhaling carefully so as to not get any more seawater up his nose, Katsumi ducked his head and dove under a wave. He cut through the water, pushing out with his arms and kicking with his legs. When he felt a lull in the current, he popped back up and kept pushing forward. 

 

The spikes of pure rock glistened menacingly in the moonlight, they cast shadows on the water that stretched in his direction. Katsumi approached where the ship had been carefully, sticking closer to the cliffs in case more boulders were launched. The white water around him was getting stronger, the waves were growing taller. Of all the fucking times for it to be high tide, he cursed, it had to be now? 

 

La was not kind tonight. 

 

Katsumi drifted closer and closer to the cliffs, making his way forward and keeping an eye out for Smellerbee. Fat plumes of spray would billow outwards every minute, covering him in the fine particles of seawater as the ocean collided with the cliffs. Drops of water dripped off of the defensive spikes, sometimes a wave would be pierced by them as it crested. 

 

Smellerbee better not be near the cliffs, the current there was too strong and the waves were their cruelest. If being smashed against the spikes over and over wouldn’t kill him, Smellerbee would drown as the waves refused to let up that close to the highest part of the slope. 

 

As the water slowly leeched the warmth from Katsumi’s body, something large smacked into him and forced him under. Gasping and then immediately regretting it as he watched his air bubbles rise to the surface, Katsumi dizzily swiped at the dark mass in front of him. His fingers made contact with hot flesh, right before his head broke past the surface barrier. 

 

“Katsumi!” It was Smellerbee, his eyes were wild as he stared in disbelief at him. 

 

“Prince-” Katsumi choked, reaching forward without thought to confirm that it was really him in Smellerbee’s arms. Zuko’s eyes were closed, his body limp like the rats that Katsumi’s mother would drown in tubs for eating their stored food. There was a barely noticeable rise to his chest, something that Katsumi lost the ability to see as a massive wave crashed down on them. 

 

Reacting on instinct, Katsumi paused to let the wave pass and made sure that another wasn’t approaching before he surfaced. Smellerbee was coughing, his cheeks were pale and his lips shone an unnatural grey. 

“Give him to me.” Katsumi demanded as Smellerbee followed him as he swam to the left once more. 

 

“I can’t.” Smellerbee looked panicked, his smaller body seemed barely capable of keeping Prince’s heavy weight above water. It was then that Katsumi was reminded of Smellerbee’s age, the couple years between them making it obvious that he was just a little boy that should have never been in this situation. 

 

“You have to let me help you!” Katsumi grabbed one of Prince’s arms and tugged. Arguing like this as the waves grew more wild around them was incredibly risky, the danger mounted every second they wasted. 

 

“I can’t kill someone else, I won’t let go of him.” Smellerbee sobbed as he spoke, struggling against him in the water, his legs lashing out and knocking against Katsumi’s. “Please I can’t do this anymore.” 

 

“Do you want him to die?” Katsumi snarled, desperation overriding his actions as he attempted to tip the balance of their struggle. 

What he said made Smellerbee’s arms go limp, a haunted expression crossed his face and Smellerbee stopped fighting against him. Ripping Prince Zuko’s body out of Smellerbee’s grasp, he turned to float on his back and used his chest to keep Zuko’s head above water. Katsumi opened his mouth, but Smellerbee pulled away from him before he could say anything. Focusing back on the churning water, Smellerbee alerted him to the wave that was coming their way. 

 

Katsumi and Smellerbee worked together to navigate the next set of waves, ducking under the ones that they couldn’t swim to meet. He managed to point at where Boqin waited with the lifeboats, and the harrowing journey back that followed would become something that would haunt him for the rest of his life. 

 

Freezing water tugged at their limbs, the endless back and forth of the ocean made getting to their destination extremely difficult. Katsumi legs kicked endlessly, propelling him forward despite the added weight from Prince. After what felt like hours but had really only been minutes, they got close enough to the boats for Sneers to haul Zuko’s body out of the water. It was a team effort, with Katsumi and Smellerbee pushing his body up while Sneers pulled on his arms. 

 

Afterwards, Katsumi accepted a hand from Nanami and collapsed gratefully against her side. Smellerbee clambered onto the boat’s side by himself and almost fell back into the water before the mute boy grabbed him. Their collision looked painful, yet they didn’t separate. The panicked Smellerbee that Katsumi had fought in the water was nowhere to be found. Instead, the mute boy wrapped his arms around Smellerbee and they stayed with their limbs intertwined. Katsumi was pretty sure that he was crying, but the seawater had combined with his tears and he couldn’t be sure if he was actually sobbing or struggling to breathe. 

 

All of the kids huddled together in the lifeboat, soaked to the bone and shivering as the wind picked up. Moonlight spilled over their shoulders, casting their faces into shadows. Prince Zuko laid on the floor of the boat, his side facing up as Yiqin forced seawater out of his lungs despite her bleeding leg. 

 

No one else had the strength to do it.

 

________

 

Boqin wrapped the thin blanket around himself gratefully and tried not to flinch when the soldier’s unfamiliar hand squeezed his shoulder, the man was wearing the familiar dark green uniform that Boqin used to cheer for when the new recruits had marched past his house in military parades. The soldier gave him a kind smile before he handed Boqin a piece of hard bread and moved down the line. 

 

The going story was that the Earth Kingdom soldiers had saved them from being kidnapped by the Fire Nation, it was what the soldiers had assumed when they had rescued them from the lifeboats. No one had mentioned anyone being hurt by the boulders, even though Boqin could tell that some of the Earth Kingdom children from the cargo hold were definitely missing and had probably fallen overboard in the rough waves that had buffeted them as they were lowering the lifeboats to escape the ship. Boqin had thought that arriving at the base would mean that he would feel safe, the soldiers that had fought to protect his kingdom would welcome him with open arms and make sure that he was fed, that Ichiro would get medical care, they were supposed to make everything okay again. 

 

Someone dropped a crate against the hard ground and it made a loud crash, Boqin’s back hit the wall as his body flinched away from the sound without thought. The boulders hitting the ship had sounded like that, giant crashes that brought death from above. The base wasn’t safe, the callous way the soldiers had taken out the ship without regard for the kids on the deck all but confirmed that. He took a shuddering breath as he tried to calm down, the blood in his veins had momentarily chilled and he could feel it ebbing away. Yiqin looked over at him in concern, he gave her a shaky grin and hoped that she wouldn’t ask him any questions. 

 

They were sitting in a large room, lined up against the wall and scarfing down the rations that the soldiers were handing out. Boqin sat apart from the rest of the mixed children, they were kept in the center of the room with a few soldiers standing with them. He hadn’t been on the lifeboat with most of them, it had been his responsibility to make sure that everyone got off the boat safely and he chose to lower his lifeboat when it had taken the others too long to emerge from the ship’s bowels. 

 

Did that make him a bad person? The fact that he was willing to leave when there had been a chance of death seemed logical to him, but Katsumi had given him a glare when he tried to make eye contact with him earlier. Boqin wasn’t like Katsumi and Smellerbee, he wasn’t willing to die for someone else, not even Prince.

 

He’d spotted Prince when they’d been escorted off of the lifeboats, the older boy had been limp in Katsumi’s arms and the soldiers had administered first aid when they realized how bad of shape he was in. Boqin had been forced to leave with the rest of the children as they moved up the steps, so he didn’t know why Prince wasn't being treated in a medical room right now. 

 

The bread felt like ash in his mouth, it was bland and tough to pull off chunks with his teeth. He had to use his nails to tear off bits of it, tugging on it with his teeth made them ache for it was so tough. Boqin focused on chewing and tried to calm himself down, thinking about Prince was making his heart pick up again. With Prince being unconscious (and didn’t that remind him of before the rest of the kids had come, the few days he’d spent in that room watching Prince return from some excursion looking even more beat up each time) he was the de facto leader. 

 

Not that the soldiers knew that, they’d been treating them like children the whole time. None of them had asked them about the ship or why the boat had come to the base. Boqin didn’t even know if they had recovered the lifeboat with the officers in it. Katsumi had told him that he’d released the lifeboat from where it’d been tied to their ship, so there was a chance that the officers had survived the bombardment and he hadn’t seen. 

 

He ground his teeth against each other as he thought about that, the stupid soldiers’ hastiness to attack had cost them the whole ship and possibly the only leverage that the kids had. Without the officers as a bargaining chip, the whole column of kids was nothing more than a drain on the base’s resources. The officers and the information they no doubt had was the only thing Boqin could consider truly valuable, the supplies and weapons on the ship weren’t equal to classified intelligence. 

 

“Alright kiddos, hurry up.” A soldier with a different uniform than the rest clapped her hands and got their attention near the room’s entrance, “We’re gonna have the waterbenders dry you off in five, so finish your food quickly.” 

 

Boqin quietly sucked in a breath, Prince had made it sound like revealing waterbenders’ presence was such a big deal. The way the soldier had dropped that information so casually made him tense, why were they trusting them so easily? Was it because they were children? Or did the soldiers not expect them to ever leave the base? Boqin would never let sensitive information like that fall into the hands of kids who couldn’t help but blabber their secrets to anyone who would listen. 

 

He flicks his eyes to where Katsumi kneels on the ground, willing the other boy to look up. They’d never discussed what they were going to do after they arrived at the base, there had been so much work required to keep the ship running that there hadn’t been much time left for planning. Boqin had always assumed that the soldiers would help them get home, or that they would be placed in war orphanages until their families could get them. He fought the urge to call out Katsumi’s name as he considered their options. 

 

Katsumi and Smellerbee are dutifully sitting by Prince’s body, Boqin wonders if they know that they’ve organized themselves into a defensive position. He flicks the crumbs of bread off of his fingers and straightens up when a tan teenager walks into the room. They’re thin with choppy hair that hides their face and black tattoos that circle their arms and exposed legs. A soldier stands nearby them, looking more like an escort than a camrade. His eyes narrow as he takes in the teenager’s posture, slumped with exhaustion yet tense enough to not be truly relaxed. 

 

The soldier behind the teenager prods them into action by lightly kicking the back of their leg, a sign of disrespect so flagrant that Boqin notices how most of the Earth Kingdom children gasp in surprise. There isn’t a reaction from any of the other soldiers, none of them are even staring at the newcomer. The teenager raises their hands into the air, spreading them out entirely until their arms are completely extended. Slim hands rotate a bit before they fist and a strange tugging sensation on Boqin’s clothes makes him look down to see that the worn fabric is being tugged towards the teenager. 

 

His mouth falls open as the waterbender slowly brings their arms together, pulling all of the water from the kids’ clothing and hair with them. Bending has never ceased to amaze him, it’s an entire world that he’s never been privy to. Waterbending makes the raw power of earthbending that he’s seen displayed before look rough in comparison, the waterbender elegantly directs the flow of the water into a gourd that he hadn’t seen previously. It’s over in a matter of seconds, and the warm air of the room feels like it’s finally permeating his chilled skin. It was like nothing he’d ever seen before. An awe-inspiring power without comparison, it was no wonder that the Fire Nation had strategically annihilated their population. 

 

Boqin shivers, and it’s not because he’s cold. 

 

______

 

Manxin kept her eyes open, face turned towards Prince’s collapsed body. Her arms are still sore, every movement tugs on her muscles painfully after she dragged Ichiro out of his room and through the ship. Laying on the ground inside the base doesn’t feel real, everything happening around her feels like a dream. 

 

The fine quality of her clothes has been ruined by a combination of salt water, sweat, and dirt from running around on the boat. Kohana had been sure to tell her that she smells, although Yaning had hit her for being mean. Both of them were already asleep, their bodies draped on either side of Manxin. 

 

Manxin didn’t think that she could fall asleep even if she wanted to. 

 

Prince’s head isn’t bleeding anymore, but his lips and skin are a deathly pale and his breathing is so slow that it looks like he’s already dead. Manxin thinks about how relieved she’d felt when he’d shown up in the hallway, helping her take Ichiro out onto the deck. Her knee is deeply bruised from when she’d tripped on the torn up planks, there are scratches all over her arms and hands from when the boulder had splintered into a million tiny pieces as it hit the deck. 

 

If she’d been faster, stronger, capable of doing anything by herself, then Prince would be okay. Maybe Ichiro would still be here too, but that would never be a possibility because Manxin was too weak to carry another person down a fucking hallways. She inhaled sharply as her eyes began to heat up, hot tears slipping down her cheeks as she remembered the way that Prince had kicked Smellerbee and Manxin backwards before the boulder could take them out. There were bruises all along her right side and her tailbone hurt from falling into the lifeboat. 

 

The bruises were nothing compared to the multiple injuries dotting Prince’s body. Manxin knew that laying on the ground and feeling bad for herself wasn’t good, that she should try to get some sleep and that she might feel better in the morning. She also knew that it was her fault that Prince had gotten hurt, that they would have both been in the lifeboat before that last boulder had come crashing down if she hadn’t tripped. And if they were all in the lifeboat, then the only person sleeping off their injuries right now would be Ichiro. 

 

Yaning twitched, her tiny face pressed against Manxin’s bicep as her small hands twisted in the fabric of Manxin’s shirt. Her breathing picked up, soft whimpers came out of her mouth that Manxin could only hear. She checked nervously to see if the soldier that was stationed to monitor Prince’s condition could hear Yaning. 

 

The soldier had walked away from them without her noticing, they’d sat against the far wall and seemed to be asleep. Moving slowly so as to not disturb Kohana, who was tucked against her other side, Manxin withdrew her arm from underneath Kohana’s head and used it to shake Yaning awake. The little girl woke up with a sniffle, her mouth twisted in misery. 

 

“It’s okay, it was just a nightmare.” Manxin comforted her without thinking, the words automatically springing to the forefront of her mind after years of helping her brother. He’s come back from the war different, with a few fingers missing and a quietness that never went away. “You’re safe here, nothing’s going to hurt you.” 

 

“That’s not true.” Yaning whispered weakly, her voice cracking as she buried her face into Manxin’s shoulder, “They’re the ones who attacked us.” 

 

“They didn’t know that we were on the ship, the Earth Kingdom would never attack children.” Manxin gripped Yaning tightly, stroking her back and ignoring the way her fingers caught on the knobs of Yaning’s small spine, “They’re not like the Fire Nation, they would never destroy needlessly. They all swear the Sacred Oath.” 

 

“What’s that?” Yaning asked, reminding Manxin that she was just a little girl. 

 

“All the soldiers swear the same oath, they promise to respect the rules of the Earth and all that live on it.” Manxin explained, feeling Yaning’s breathing slow as she started to relax, “The Oath is a pact that the Earth King made between humans and the spirits.” 

 

“A long time ago, the fourth Earth King was fighting a war against the people who lived in the mountains. His armies came from the flat plains of the East, and they used their bending to tear down the great mountains of the North.” Manxin retold the story that all children who went to school knew, the fact that Yaning didn’t told Manxin more about her life before their province had fallen to the Fire Nation than anything else, “But the mountains were not just giant pieces of stone, they were full of life and history.” 

 

“Oma and Shu.” Yaning added, likely trying to fit this story in with the other spirit tale that was famous in the Earth  Kingdom. 

 

“Not really, Omashu lies in the South.” Manxin gently corrected, “These mountains had hundreds of animals and plants living in them, and several villages that had no part in the conflict between the Earth Kingdom and the mountain warriors.” 

 

Manxin formed her hands into fists and gently smacked them against Yaning’s spine, “Boom, boom, boom, the King’s earthbenders tore down the mountains to deprive the warriors of their homes and strategic advantage.” 

 

“The King who Spoke to Death.” Yaning interrupted again, correctly identifying what Manxin had been talking about. 

 

“Exactly, see you did know something about the Sacred Oath!” Manxin encouraged her, “Yes the Fourth Earth King was the King who Spoke to Death, it’s why four is such an unlucky number to us now.” 

 

“He brought so much sorrow and destruction to the mountains that eventually he ended enough life for his actions to catch up to him.” Manxin tapped her fingers as she pulled the story along, “What the King spoke to was a combination of spirits and all that he’d hurt, not a single spirit.” 

 

“The reflection of what he'd done looked him in the eye and asked him what he would give in exchange for all that the King had taken.” Manxin leaned in closer to whisper the next sentence into Yaning’s ear, “The King was clever, he offered to protect the lives of those who lived on the Earth, and to reduce the loss of life whenever possible. He knew that there was nothing he could do to take back what he’d wrought, but he could prevent it from ever happening again.” 

 

“The spirits were not satisfied, though they said that the oath was acceptable.” Manxin pulled back to check if anyone had caught her telling Yaning the story, making eye contact with Nanami who gave her a wan smile from across their little circle around Prince’s body, “They demanded his life in turn, and for all of his soldiers watching this happen they saw his life leave his body.” 

 

“The Fifth Earth King was a commoner, a soldier who had acted with more honor and spared lives in a way that his fellows hadn’t.” Manxin remembered when she’d first learned this story, sitting by the fireplace next to her grandmother and gasping in shock as the ruling dynasty’s roots were revealed, “The spirits chose him to become the new King, and he swore to keep the oath that had been created by the previous King.” 

 

“And centuries later after belief in the spirits has faded, the armies of the Earth King all swear the Sacred Oath.” Manxin finished the story, well aware that Yaning was mostly asleep at this point, “That’s why what happened was a mistake, that’s why we’re safest here with our soldiers protecting us.” 

 

“No ashmaker will ever hurt us again.” Manxin tells the last part to herself, remembering the way that her brother’s hand used to shake whenever he lifted something, the burns littering Ichiro’s broken body, and how Prince had risked everything to get them free. It was her fault that Prince was hurt, but it wasn’t her who ruined everything to begin with. 

 

Manxin would kill thousands more soldiers if it meant that she could make up for her mistakes. 

______

 

The hall that they were originally kept in became their quarters, though the soldiers only let them out if they needed to use the bathroom. Over the next two days, Boqin’s frustration mounted as he was continually blocked from being able to speak to Katsumi (or really any of the mixed children). Any time that he tried to approach them, the soldiers rebuffed him with blank expressions on their faces as they denied him access. Though they were only kept in the center of the room, there wasn’t an opportunity to even mouth words at them as there was never not a soldier standing guard. 

 

Boqin was almost ashamed about how long it took him to realize just what was happening, the mixed children and the Earth Kingdom children were being separated just as they had been on the ship. This time however, their Fire Nation blood had marked them as potential enemies in the soldiers’ eyes. Katsumi and Sneers were tense, the mute boy refused to leave Smellerbee’s side as he sat vigil over Prince who had yet to wake up. 

 

This couldn’t continue, Boqin needed to talk to Katsumi and the others to figure out what was happening and what their plan would be. He had no idea what the next step should be, but staying at the base clearly was not the best idea. 

 

Yiqin entered his field of vision, her thigh was wrapped with a clean, white bandage and a soldier helped her lower her body to the ground next to him. Boqin avoided looking at the soldier, he didn’t want to talk to any of them, much less look them in the eyes. They’d only been kind to the Earth Kingdom children, he’d yet to see any of Prince’s injuries get tended to and he knew that the mute boy and Smellerbee were also hurt. 

 

Yiqin tapped her foot against the ground, her flat expression making his cheeks flush as he realized that she’d been talking to him while he’d been lost in thought. “Sorry, could you repeat that?” 

 

“You need to stop looking at the others.” Yiqin’s torso was long and slender, even sitting down she was still taller than him, “You’re making the soldiers notice you in a bad way.” 

 

Boqin flicked his tongue against the inside of his cheek as he looked down at the ground, the floor was oddly smooth in the way that only came from bending, “I need to talk to them somehow, we need to figure out what we’re doing next.” 

 

“You don’t want to stay here?” Yiqin tilted her head to the side, black hair falling over her shoulder with the movement, “Why? You’re not obviously mixed, you could lay low with the rest of us until the soldiers decide where they’re going to offload us to.” 

 

“I wouldn’t do that.” Boqin protests and jerks his head back up to look at her, offended at the very idea of standing back and letting his friends be treated like garbage for something they couldn’t control. “I don’t want to stay with these soldiers.” 

 

“Neither do I.” Yiqin’s gaze hardens, her eyes turning flinty, “I don’t understand why most of them seem fine with the soldiers, when they’re the ones who attacked the ship. They’re the reason that Zeren is dead.” 

 

Boqin thinks about the empty spots in some of the lifeboats, how fortunate Katsumi was to have grabbed Smellerbee and Prince from the sea when everyone else hadn’t stood a chance. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know that you lost your friend.” 

 

“Zeren was just someone from my village, he wasn’t my friend.” Yiqin shifts from where she’s sitting next to him on the ground, “He shouldn’t have died, no one should have been killed by our own soldiers.” 

 

“Ichiro’s gone now.” Boqin starts talking without really thinking about it, hesitating when he realizes that she might take offense at him mentioning someone else’s death, “And he would still be alive if they hadn’t attacked the boat.” 

 

“I just don’t understand.” Yiqin says roughly, “We were flying a white flag, we weren’t a hostile vessel.” 

 

“Prince said that they wouldn’t care, he had everyone get ready to evacuate just in case.” Boqin lies, avoiding looking Yiqin in the eye, “Somehow he knew what would happen.” 

 

“He knows a lot of things that someone our age shouldn’t.” Yiqin fiddles with the hem of her shirt, “Now that I finally have had time to think instead of focusing on keeping the engine running, it’s strange.” 

 

“I trust Prince.” Boqin responds on instinct, “Don’t you?” 

 

“Of course.” Yiqin blinks, “But the soldiers are going to start asking questions, if they haven’t already. Someone is going to let it slip that Prince knows how to pilot a Fire Nation ship, and he isn’t awake to defend himself.” 

 

A chill drips down Boqin’s spine as he considers what the soldiers might do to someone they suspect knows Fire Nation secrets, these were the same people that had already committed a war crime. The soldiers hadn’t told them if the lifeboat full of officers had been found or not, something that he found inherently suspicious as those in the lifeboat hadn’t been able to move on their own last time he checked. There was no way that the officers had managed to get away from the base on their own. 

 

And if being mixed was enough to warrant mere children being treated with suspicion, Boqin dreaded imagining what the soldiers would do if they found out that Prince was a fire bender. 

 

“It’s not like that.” Boqin lowers his voice and leans closer to Yiqin, “Prince was a comfort child. That’s why he knows these things, because of who used to own him.” 

 

“What.” Yiqin said flatly. 

 

“You were in the hold, so you didn’t see him.” Boqin explained, his shoulders hunching, “But he was in the room before any of the rest of us were, wearing those silks that we got him to change out of.” 

 

“They were muddy and torn, but obviously of a fine material and brand new.” Boqin drums his fingers against the side of his arm, recalling those early days, “There was something wrong with him, he was so confused and he would wake up crying whenever he tried to sleep. Prince wouldn’t talk to us, he was constantly on guard and never relaxed even with the door locked.” 

 

“But he wasn’t ever scared of the soldiers.” Boqin turns to face Yiqin, he needs her to understand what Nanami and Zhengting have helped him piece together, “He knew how to slip away from the soldiers and he came back looking even more beat up than before, with new rips in his clothes.” 

 

“He had something that they wanted.” Yiqin’s voice has gone hoarse, her hands are clenched into fists where they lay by her side, “They should have killed him, those ashmakers killed kids in my column just for speaking out of turn.”

 

“Exactly, an escape attempt should have been a death sentence but it wasn’t.” Boqin takes a deep breath, “Zhengting pointed out that he’d been gone for hours, there’s no way that the soldiers didn’t find him.”

 

“So he went looking for them instead?” Yiqin suggests. 

 

“I-” Boqin startled at her words, he never assumed that Prince had sought out that treatment, “I don’t know? No one has asked him, we don’t want to make him uncomfortable.” 

 

“You said that he was the first person in the room that you were all kept in.” Yiqin frowns, “Do you think that he only knew the boat so well because that’s where he was from?” 

 

“Oh.” Boqin’s bones feel like they’re filled with lead as he lifts his hand up to his face and grinds his palm against his eyes, “Fuck I never even thought about it like that, we thought that he was owned by a naval officer before.” 

 

“You just assumed that he was taken like us?” Yiqin questions, “Even though he was obviously familiar with the ship and he has weapons that are clearly his that he took from the armory and not scavenged from the soldiers?” 

 

Boqin thinks back and recalls the way that Prince had handled his twin swords, thin fingers palming the hilts and swinging them with a confidence that only came from knowing a weapon so well that it was like an extension of yourself, “We’re so stupid.” 

 

“You’re just young, Boqin.” Yiqin gently corrects, and it makes Boqin really look at her for the first time and see the older teenager’s age show on her face as she reaches over to comfortingly squeeze his hand, “I’m older than all of you and I should have noticed that something was off. You all did the best that you could under the circumstances.”

 

“You have no idea how glad I am that we got him to change shirts.” 

 

“But the pants…” Yiqin trails off as she turns her head and stares at the peek of red silk that they can both see from under the giant soldier's shirt that Boqin had forced Prince into. “That’s going to be an issue.” 

 

“What are we going to do?” Boqin asks, realizing that the tension that’s been holding him up for days is finally easing. There’s someone older with him, someone wiser and smarter who he can trust to fix things. His eyes feel hot under her gaze when she turns her focus back onto him, something in his throat aches. 

 

“Aren’t you the one in charge?” Yiqin teases, knocking their shoulders together lightly. “That’s how it seemed when we were on the boat, you and Prince called all the shots.” 

 

“I was just following him.” Boqin admits, “He knew exactly what he wanted to do even if some of his plans were stupid. All I did was make adjustments.” 

 

“He must have been planning his escape for a while.” Yiqin replies grimly, “I wonder how long he was there for.” 

 

“Long enough.” Boqin growls, “He should have never been in that situation, I’m going to make it up to him.” 

 

“We all will.” Yiqin swears, staring at the way that Smellerbee is crouched over Prince like how he used to sit with Ichiro, “There’s not a single person in our group who wouldn’t give their all to help him.” 

 

Boqin bites down the denial that crawls up his throat and avoids thinking about how he’d left Prince on the boat. Cowardice or pragmatism, that choice had meant that he was alive to help Prince now. That’s all that really mattered, he could make up for what had been done to Prince with his actions moving forward. 

 

_______

They sleep in a circle formation, Nanami had created the system when she’d realized how the soldiers treated them. If they formed a wall around Prince, then nothing would happen to him while they were sleeping. Zhengting’s head is lying somewhere near Nanami’s knees while his feet are warmed by Sneers’ belly. He got the position in the circle that allows him to stare at the entrance to the hall. Sometimes (most of the time) when he can’t sleep, Zhengting watches as the soldiers stand guard and switch shifts. 

 

What danger does a hall of children pose? Zhengting watches the way the soldiers treat the Earth Kingdom children with kindness, they have extra blankets and even get first pick of the food that’s allotted to them. In comparison, the soldier who stands in front of Katsumi steps back every time that one of them accidentally comes too close, as if they’re afraid of touching them. 

 

Afraid? Or disgusted? 

 

It’s hard to tell if the soldiers are there to keep them safe, or to keep the other children safe from them. Officially, the soldiers are keeping an eye on Prince who’s the most critically injured out of all of them. Zhengting thinks the soldiers must think they’re stupid, to believe in such an awful lie when the right thing to do would have been to keep Prince in the base’s med bay. They’ve done nothing to actually treat his injury. 

 

It’s been a couple days since they’ve arrived, and Prince still hasn’t woken up. Sometimes he’ll mumble in his sleep, words that don’t make sense and names that Zhengting doesn’t recognize. It makes the soldiers that “monitor” Prince uneasy whenever he speaks, they shift in their stances and Zhengting can tell that they’re attempting to listen in. The mute boy had been the first one to pick up on it, with Nanami telling them to talk or make noise whenever Prince started sleep-talking. 

 

Nanami is focused on reassuring Manxin, Yaning, and Kohana, whose youth had started to show now that they were no longer on the ship. Kohana and Yaning seemed to cling onto Manxin, possibly because they’d been together during the revolt. 

 

Both of them are among the younger members of their group, and the more capable members of their group were either unconscious or separated from them. Thus it fell to Nanami to step up and call the shots, showcasing just how clever she was. 

 

 Since the soldiers weren’t giving them food that younger children could eat and she was the only person who was familiar with the process, Nanami had figured out a way to soften the harder bread with water and mush it up so the toddlers could still eat. She’d also taught the rest of them how to pick out the mold from their biscuits and to chew their food slowly so that it would feel like more than they’d actually been given. 

 

Anything she asked for, Zhengting was always eager to offer his help. All of the older boys watched over the younger kids, though some of them are better at it than others. He usually spent the day with one of the younger kids in his lap, entertaining them and making sure that they didn’t hurt themselves or wander off. Nanami would sit right beside him, relying on him to tell the kids funny stories that he made up or half-remembered from school. 

 

“I’m not good at things like this.” She’d leaned over to whisper in his ear, their shoulders brushing against each other as the last of the kids dropped off to sleep in front of them, “I didn’t grow up getting bedtime stories, they’re really nice.” 

 

“I’ll tell them to you when we get out of here.” Zhengting had turned slightly, careful not to disturb the little girl resting her head against his thigh, “Every night, if you want.” 

 

“Yeah.” Nanami’s smile was really pretty, it was sharp and flashed him a glimpse of her crooked teeth. 

 

He’d smiled back, and that night he’d pressed the back of his head against the bony jut of her knees and Nanami hadn’t seemed to mind their closeness one bit. It reminded him of being back on the ship, laying next to each other on the big bed and feeling safe under the swaying red lantern. Back when things were simple, and they were all together even if Ichiro had been injured. 

 

How awful that only a few days had changed everything. 

 

Smellerbee hasn’t said a word since Zhengting last saw him on the ship. The mute boy and him make a pair now, both silent with wide eyes that catch every movement around them. Zhengting understands, he’d been on one of the lifeboats when he realized that Ichiro wouldn’t have been able to get out of the ship by himself. 

 

Smellerbee had dived out of the lifeboat that they’d been on to rescue Prince and Ichiro, and had only come back with one of them. Katsumi had been the one supporting Prince, which meant that Smellerbee was free to support Ichiro in the water if he wanted to. 

 

Which could only mean that Ichiro had drowned before Katsumi had found them. 

 

It’s not surprising, out of their entire group, only Smllerbee and Katsumi had known how to swim well enough to brave the roaring ocean waves for their leftover friends. Ichiro probably didn’t know how to swim either, and his injuries had forced him to stay unconscious for their entire journey. 

 

Late at night, Zhengting hopes that his friend never woke up. He can’t think of anything worse than slowly sinking in the water, being all too aware of what was happening to you and being in too much pain to kick your legs and swim for the surface. 

 

He dreams about being left behind, watching Nanami and Sneers huddle on the lifeboat and paddle away from him as the water fills his mouth and travels down his throat to suffocate him. There’s a hand wrapped around his ankle, and he knows without looking down that Ichiro’s accusing eyes are glaring up at him as they sink together. Zhengting’s eyes are wet when he wakes up from those dreams, the overwhelming taste of salt lingering when he licks his lips and tries to calm down. 

 

Zhengting has known Ichiro as a casualty of the war for longer than he ever knew him as a person, they hadn’t even really been friends before Ichiro was injured. Before the revolt, Ichiro had been the shy boy who was too skinny and good with knots and cooking. He hadn’t talked to people much and there wasn’t much to see. Prince had been the one to coax Ichiro to volunteer his skills, praising him for knowing how to truss up meat and giving him pointers on how to transfer said abilities from tying up chickens to humans. 

 

Nothing about this is okay, Ichiro should be lying next to Prince right now. Ichiro deserves the chance to get treatment and wake up, he should have lived long enough for Zhengting to get the chance to know him. Prince should be awake right now, the three of them should have been able to complain about the rough floor and how much their backs ache after a night of sleeping in the hall. 

 

It’s thoughts like these that keep him up at night, so when the soldiers come to drag him away from his friends-- he’s wide awake. 

 

______

 

Bee blankly registers when the mute boy disappears from her side, focusing instead on how slowly Prince’s chest rises and falls. He looks so wrong laying there, so still and pale like he wasn’t even alive anymore. She couldn’t even be thankful for the whimpers and whispers that he would let out for being signs of his continued consciousness, because they made it so clear that the only dreams her friend was stuck in were nightmares. 

 

Tonight he is dreaming about his uncle again. There's something terrible about the way that Prince pleads for forgiveness and how his hands twitch forward like they’re reaching for something that only he can see. Bee wonders what happened to his uncle, privately she thinks about why they all ended up on that ship and can’t help but think that Prince’s uncle must be gone. 

 

Maybe he’s lost people like she has, maybe he’ll wake up and tell her that he knows how losing Ichiro makes her feel. Maybe Prince surviving will invalidate the ugly part of her that wishes that she’d let him go instead, something she only thinks to herself late at night when she knows that none of the other kids will be able to see her face twist in revulsion at her own thoughts. 

 

There wasn’t a right choice to make, that’s what she’s realized. Sitting on the floor with nothing to do for a few days has given her plenty of time to think about what happened on the boat, because what the fuck else was she supposed to do? Drown with her friends because she refused to make a decision? 

 

Ichiro got hurt because she was too shit at fighting to take down the soldiers before they got to the boilers, because she didn’t see the firebender sneaking up behind them, because he was good enough to push her out of the way when flames came rolling in their direction. 

 

Prince couldn’t swim on his own when she’d found them, his injuries had been obvious even before the boulders had started falling from the sly. His blood had tainted the water around him, purple bruises and raised skin around inflamed cuts had shown where his clothes had been floating. 

 

Had she let Prince go, would the base’s soldiers let Ichiro die here in the hall? She wasn’t dumb, Bee knew that they had treated the injuries of the Earth Kingdom children well and left the entirety of the mixed children’s group to tend to their wounds themselves. Prince had only gotten medical treatment when they’d first been brought off of the lifeboats, nothing else had been given to him since the soldiers had realized his heritage. Who’s to say that they wouldn’t have looked at Ichiro’s burns and declared him to be a lost cause? 

 

None of this thinking soothed the pain that letting Ichiro go had created, her bones felt like they were aching as she lay beside Prince and watched him breathe. Bee shouldn’t have been the person to make that choice, but if she didn’t dive into the water then both of them would have drowned. Katsumi wouldn’t have been able to find them in time, her actions had guaranteed that at least one of them survived. 

 

Sneers had told them all that he’d learned about Ichiro, which wasn’t much other than the name of the town that he’d been taken from and that he was a farmer. Bee had taken Ichiro on as her responsibility, her guilt for making the mistakes that had gotten hurt had transformed their connection into something so much more than it actually was. She had thought that if she just kept him safe, that if he got treatment and lived through all of this then it would make everything okay. 

 

Ichiro had never gotten that chance, and she was the reason. 

 

Knowing that the soldiers had attacked them and caused the boat to sink didn’t change the fact that she’d chosen Prince over Ichiro. His eyes had been open, and in her nightmares Ichiro watches her swim to the surface and abandon him to a watery grave. 

 

What Bee wants-- no, what she needs is an adult. Someone who knows better than her who can make the right choices, someone to take responsibility and who she can blame her mistakes on. But there isn’t an adult here, no one can take this weight off of her shoulders. 

 

Bee and the others are just kids, bumbling their way through a war that’s been going on for the past century and that will most likely outlive them. There’s no one to coddle her, her choices are her own. For the rest of her fucking life, Ichiro’s death is on her hands and hers alone. 

 

And there is nothing that she can do to take it back, so she has to make saving Prince worth it. 

 

Bee closes her eyes for a moment, bringing herself back to the present moment and ignoring the furious whispering that’s going on between Nanami and Katsumi. This haze that she’s been in for the past few days is just a repeat of what she did when she was watching over Ichiro. Standing guard for him hadn’t been enough to keep him safe. Ichiro hadn’t been able to even attempt swimming because of the massive burns covering his shoulders and back, what he’d needed was treatment. 

 

Bee swallows as she realizes what needs to be done. 

 

Prince had needed her help in the water, and he needed it now. She’d promised him that she was going to be there for him, and Bee wanted to keep that promise. 

 

Bee interrupts whatever Nanami and Katsumi have been saying, “I’m going to look for medical supplies.” 

 

“What?” Katsumi snaps, a harried look to his face that pairs with the redness of his eyes from a lack of sleep, “You can’t be serious-- Smellerbee you can’t fucking leave this hall with the soldiers watching.” 

 

Bee knows that she’s been checked out since they got onto the lifeboats. She knows that her tendency to close off and shut down only hurt her relationships with the other kids because they don’t know much about her and there’s a level of trust in between them that doesn’t exist within their bonds with her. It still annoys her that Katsumi thinks that she hasn’t noticed what’s going on around them. 

 

“The guards are gone, they were only here to monitor us.” Bee points out, tilting her head in the direction of the darkened doorway. “So I can leave and no one will notice.” 

 

“You don’t even know the layout of this place.” Nanami frowns, “We’re all concerned about Prince, but we can’t jeopardize our position here by sneaking out.”

 

“Nothing that you can bring him is something that we can hide. Bandages and pastes are too obvious.” Katsumi attempts to reason with her after he pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers, “Be reasonable.” 

 

“What are we talking about?” Boqin slid into their circle, hopping over Manxin’s sleeping body and holding out an arm to steady Yiqin. 

 

“Spirits, what are you doing?” Katsumi hissed, his annoyance doing a poor job of covering how relieved he looked as his eyes scanned Boqin for any injuries and found none, “Have all of you forgotten where we are right now?” 

 

“Did they say anything about where they were taking the boys?” Yiqin narrowed her eyes, favoring her injured thigh as she sat down gingerly. 

 

“No, they just took them and left.” Nanami explained, barely holding back her anger, “The soldier standing guard this afternoon and the one who’s on shift right now.” 

 

“Do you think we need to rescue them?” Boqin whispers, his eyes darkening as the possibility of them losing even more people to this base presents itself. 

 

“I don’t think so.” Nanami answers, “They wouldn’t kill them, the point is probably to harass them. Maybe beat them up.” 

 

“And you’re okay with letting that happen?” Bee asks, not because she doubts that any of them care but because she’s thinking about how to get them to let her leave. 

 

“I’ve learned to wait for the right time to act.” Nanami’s voice is quiet, clearly remembering something, “You can’t always rush in the moment your friends are in danger, good intentions don’t ensure a happy ending.” 

 

“Be grateful that no one else is awake, all of this squabbling would alert the soldiers to what we’re planning.” Yiqin cut in, irritation coloring her voice. In that moment, she reminded them all that she was a couple years older than they were-- already more mature and ready for what the world could throw at her. 

 

The arguing continues, though it’s done in whispers now. There was an overflow of suggestions with Nanami and Katsumi being firmly against taking any actions. Bee found herself arguing alongside Boqin who wanted to try and scout the base now that they had a chance. Yiqin seemed content with watching, only interrupting to remind them to keep their voices down. Bee was thankful that they were having this discussion at night; she didn’t want the risk of having one of the Earth Kingdom children overhearing what they were talking about and reporting them to the soldiers. 

 

Footsteps echoing down the hall interrupted their argument, Boqin and Yiqin scrambled back to their spots along the wall. Bee glanced at the others, who seemed to be caught between throwing their bodies down against the floor and pretending to be asleep and staying upright so that they would be ready if the soldier heading their way was going to drag off another person. In that tense moment, Bee remained in her place and met Katsumi’s exhausted eyes. 

 

They stayed seated, it wouldn’t be wise to be caught off guard more than they already had been. 

 

In the great entrance to the hall, and this military base must have been pretty nice for it to have such high ceilings made from earth bending, there appeared a solitary figure. They approached the entrance, speeding up when it became clear that the guard that had been set to watch their group was no longer there. As they came closer, Bee noticed with a start that it wasn’t a soldier at all. 

 

Dressed in clothing that had seen better days, the teenager looked worse fed than any of the soldiers that she’d seen. Their arms were covered in bold tattoos, the black ink a solid contrast against their warm, tan skin. Though their haircut looked like it’d been performed with a dull knife, it also managed to conceal whether they were a boy or a girl. 

 

Bee felt the ragged ends of her own hair tickle the tops of her ears and suppressed her grin, there really wasn’t any room for her to be talking about awful haircuts. She regained her impassive expression, waiting for the teenager to speak. 

 

“You’re the waterbender.” Katsumi gasped, information that Bee must have missed while she’d been in her state of both haziness and hyper-awareness of everything going on around Prince’s body. 

 

“I need you to come with me.” The teenager didn’t move to deny what Katsumi had said, so it must be true. 

 

“Me?” Katsumi asked, body tensing at the idea of being separated from them. 

 

“Spirits, no. Why would I want to talk to an ashmaker’s bastard?” The waterbender rolled their eyes, an eerie blue that reminded Bee of their grandmother’s irises. “C’mon, we don’t have a lot of time before Jiro gets bored of bullying your friends.” 

 

“Can you heal people?” Bee narrowed her eyes, taking in the bands around their wrists and fingers. Geometric lines lay nice and neat in repeating patterns, a raw quality to them that looked different than any other tattoos that she’d ever seen before. 

 

“Are you hurt?” The waterbender looked worried, staring directly at Bee instead of answering her question. 

 

“My friend is.” Bee gestured at Prince, summoning the guilt that was eating away at her from where it bubbled just below the surface of her skin, her voice grew hoarse as she spoke, “He won’t wake up.” 

 

“The soldiers are just waiting for him to die.” The waterbender squatted beside them, Bee noted how they remained out of arm’s reach with their back facing outwards, “Plus he’s obviously mixed, even if he wasn’t already a lost cause, they wouldn’t give him any aid.” 

 

“Would you?” Bee pressed, having a waterbender here would make it so much easier to fix Prince. She’d heard stories from her grandmother about the skills of waterbenders, how they were able to give life back from the element they wielded to broken flesh, like a rainstorm in a savanna. 

 

She had to try. Even she could admit that even if she had found medical supplies, it wasn’t as if she would have known how to treat any of the major injuries that Prince had on his body. A waterbender was the best option, and one had just fallen into her lap. 

 

“No.” The waterbender sniffed, holding out their hand to Bee, “You’re coming with me.” 

 

Nanami’s expression looked murderous, Bee was just glad that the waterbender couldn’t see the glare that her friend was sending their way. Katsumi’s eyes flicked back and forth between Nanami and her, caught in indecision. Bee bet that they wouldn’t fight against the waterbender, they’d thought that sneaking out of the hall had been too big of a risk. Outright confrontation with an enemy soldier would be insanity, no matter how much they clearly detested the idea. 

 

Too bad that Bee was reckless enough for both of them. 

 

“No.” Bee set her jaw, looking up at that tattooed face defiantly, “Not until you heal my friend.” 

 

“Funny, I wasn’t asking.” The teenager flicked their hands, water coming out of the flask by their side with a pop of a cork, it flowed dangerously around their arms like a snake coiling to strike, “Don’t be stupid, you couldn’t possibly think that you could resist me.” 

 

“And you can’t be stupid enough to think that you could beat all of this base’s soldiers.” Bee retorted, relishing in the shocked expression on the teenger’s face. “You won’t actually fight me, because you snuck in here when the guard had already gone and you’re keeping your voice down. You need to keep your presence here a secret.” 

 

The water around their shoulders flicked upwards, much like a peeved cat’s tail, demonstrating the waterbender’s clear agitation. 

 

“You’re pretty clever for a kid.” The waterbender didn’t look as frustrated as they should have been, though their eyes were nervously checking the exits for any approaching soldiers, “I’m not good at delicate work, it’s going to be a rushed job.” 

 

“Anything is better than nothing at all.” Bee nodded, relaxing as the water flowed down to the teenager’s palms and pooling around them as they leaned over Prince’s body, “Thank you.” 

 

The teenager didn’t respond, a focused look on their face as they ran their hands over Prince’s torso and head. The water slipped underneath his oversized shirt, before it began to glow. Nanami and Katsumi exchanged glances at Bee, all three of them wearing stunned expressions as they registered the small lightshow happening against Prince’s bruised ribs. Bee had no idea that this was what healing looked like, grandmother’s stories had never mentioned how beautiful the process looked as the water pulsed faster and faster the longer that it went on. 

 

After a few minutes, the waterbender grimaced as they shifted their attention back to Prince’s head. The water floated out of his shirt and formed into an orb, spinning in constant motion as they used their own hands to feel around Prince’s hair. For once, her friend’s expression in his forced slumber looked peaceful. The lines around his face eased, the wheezing in his breathing finally eased. 

 

His ribs must have been worse than Bee had thought. 

 

For all that the teenager had claimed that Prince would be treated quickly before they snatched Bee away from her friends, they seemed to be taking their time with his head wounds. By the time they pulled their face back from looking at the injuries up close, Bee’s body was aching from staying in the same position for so long. There must have been more wrong with Prince than Bee had known, otherwise she would have never allowed him to run around the boat as if he was injured as badly as he was. 

 

The teenager turned to her, and Bee got ready to go. But before she could even rise to her knees, the waterbender spoke. 

 

“I’m going to clean his cuts, they’re infected.” The waterbender looked annoyed at how Nanami, Katsumi, and Bee didn’t react to what they’d said, “It’s salt water, so I’m going to need one of you to shut him up because it’s going to sting.” 

 

Katsumi beat Bee to volunteer, he was closer to Prince’s head and got there first. Bee understood why he was desperate to prove himself useful, he wanted to endear himself to the waterbender. Katsumi was cleverer than Prince had ever been. The older boy had been able to point out the flaws in Boqin and Prince’s plans, he’d known things that the others hadn’t and he was always thinking about ways to survive. Other than Nanami, Bee didn’t think any of the others knew how to think like that. It’s probably why the two of them worked so well together, even with their leaders being separated from them. 

 

Katsumi laid a shaky hand over Prince’s sleep slack mouth. The waterbender started with the cuts on Prince’s shoulder’s, places where he must have been hit by splinters of the boulder that had separated them from each other. The instant the water came into contact with them, Prince’s body twitched.The little circle held still, waiting for Prince to start making sounds of distress. 

 

The cleaning didn’t take as long as the healing, when the waterbender’s hands moved away the angry red slashes in Prince’s skin looked significantly calmed. And so it went, the waterbender made their way down Prince’s whole body. Once they got to his feet, they swore and looked up at them, “Tui’s light, was he walking around barefoot this whole time?” 

 

For the first time Bee found herself seeing the true extent of the damage on Prince’s feet. A few weeks of wandering around had wrecked the soles, deep purple bruises wrapped around his ankles like bands and there was no counting the dozens of irritated scratches and splinters. The water that pulled away from his feet was brown, as if the dirt had been leached from his skin. 

 

The waterbender rocked back onto their heels, swiping a hand across their sweaty forehead. They shot Bee a grin, pride written all over their face. 

 

They whispered, “Time to go.” 

 

“Thank you.” Bee responded, getting up to hold out a hand. 

 

The waterbender took it, tugging lighting on her arm as they pulled themselves up. Bee cast one more glance over her shoulder at the others as she followed the waterbender out of the hall. 

 

The base didn’t have many lanterns, preferring to sparingly use the traditional Omashu glowing crystals to light their interior passages. Other than being the birthplace of earthbending, Omashu was the biggest exporter of glowing crystals. Rather than relying on the finicky and potentially dangerous oil-flame combination that powered lanterns and lamps, most Earth Kingdom households preferred to use crystals as lights. Though Bee had heard Boqin telling the others that in cities, it was considered low class to not use flame-lights. That seemed stupid to her, considering that everyone reportedly lived on top of each other and all that smoke would surely suffocate you. 

 

She watches the waterbender scurry through the halls, they encounter no other soldiers as they make their way through the base. There’s an eerie quality to the rooms that they pass through, empty beds and items on the floor that lie abandoned. Dust floats in the air, catching on the green crystal-light. Bee speeds up, staying close to the waterbender and wondering, wondering, wondering why they attacked their boat. 

 

Did they know that there were children on the boat? Once they’d pulled away the cloud cover and artificial fog that had covered the Earth Kingdom’s base, did they feel sick to their stomachs when they realized they’d led a ship’s worth of children to their deaths? 

 

There are empty spots along the wall, spaces where children should be sitting. Bee knew that not everyone had gotten onto the lifeboats, nor had they been unable to prevent the waves and extreme boat-rocking from knocking kids overboard. She shivers when she thinks about that icy water, how many children drowned like Ichiro? 

 

They reach a small balcony down an abandoned hall, it opens onto the cliff face and overlooks the dark ocean. Unlike the last time she’d been outside, the moon is barely a sliver in the sky. The waterbender looks over at her as they lean against the balcony railing, the overhang is made entirely by rough rock that drips salt water onto their bodies every once in a while. Bee cautiously joins them, waiting for them to speak. 

 

“My family is from the Southern Sea’s smallest island chain.” The waterbender starts, pointing their finger in the direction that Bee and the others had sailed in from, “You would have passed it on your way here. There’s nothing there anymore, not really.” 

 

“It’s all burnt down.” Bee agrees, remembering the sad towns that they’d sailed by. 

 

“The army helped us burn it all, when it became clear that they couldn’t win against the Fire Nation’s Navy.” The waterbender looks out over the ocean, their expression bitter as if they’d bitten into a fruit and found it to be rotten. 

 

“You did that to yourselves?” Bee gasps. She’d been able to leave her home behind once the Fire Nation had stolen it, but she could not imagine setting it ablaze with her own hands. 

 

“My family thought that it was the best choice, that it was better to ruin our fields and boats so that the Fire Nation couldn’t use them.” The waterbender shrugs, still not looking at her “I’ve never left this base, so you’ve actually seen more of my home than I ever have.” 

 

“That’s awful.” 

 

“It’s not like I remember it, all I know is that it was the wrong choice.” The waterbender frowns, lean body pressing against the edge of the balcony, “Now we depend on the army for everything, we have so little that’s truly ours.” 

 

“Why are you telling me this?” Bee asks, her curiosity getting the best of her. Why drag her out of the hall just to dump a sob story on her, a total stranger? 

 

“I want you to understand that we have to obey their orders, otherwise they’ll kick us out.” The waterbender’s loose hair blows in the wind, doubtlessly getting into their eyes, “We don’t have a choice.” 

 

“But if you came from the islands, then leaving the base shouldn’t be a big deal. Your family should know how to survive outside.” Bee points out the obvious, it doesn’t make sense that they’re scared of being abandoned by the army when they were able to live on the islands for years without the army’s help. 

 

“The Fire Nation Navy patrols those seas now, they would ruin any villages that we’d make. People have left the base before, and we’ve never heard from them again.” The waterbender explains, hands gesturing wildly, “We’re in a war, the only place that’s safe is this base.” 

 

“Do you really think that?” Bee doesn’t know why she asks, but the part of her that was smart enough to fight off a soldier while half asleep in a room full of children can pick up on the hesitance. She notices the way that the waterbender seems more desperate to get Bee to believe that there’s nothing safe out there other than the base, as if they don’t believe it themselves. 

 

“My family won’t leave, they’re too scared of ending up like the others.” The waterbender closes their eyes tightly, exhaling in frustration, “And I love my family, so I stay here too. It’s all I’ve ever known.” 

 

Bee knows that she has to listen to what this person is saying, that they’re the only chance that Prince has for survival. It’s hard to remember she’s doing this as a way of paying them back for their healing when she can’t figure out why the waterbender seems so desperate for Bee to understand their motivations. The way they talk in circles that aren’t related to anything important makes her frustration at her situation nip at her ankles, begging to be let out. “Would you leave if they weren’t here?”

 

“We didn’t know that there were kids on the ship.” The waterbender doesn’t seem to have heard her, they’re still staring at the ocean below, “All we did was create the fog to hide the base, we didn’t have anything to do with the boulders.” 

 

“Obviously.” Bee snorts, almost startling when the waterbender whips their head up to look at her, “What?” 

 

“You believe me?” 

 

“A waterbender dropping boulders?” Bee tilts her head, wondering what this meeting is actually about, “There’s an entire base of soldiers who can bend the earth, why would you be in charge of anything to do with the rocks that sank our ship?” 

 

“Oh.” The waterbender laughs a tad hysterically,  “I forget how simple kids can be.” 

 

“You still tricked us, we would have never come so close to the base’s cliffs had you not worked to hide it from us with the fog.” Bee narrows her eyes, offended by the notion that her age makes her ‘simple’, “It’s still your fault that we got hurt.” 

 

“I know.” The waterbender steps closer to her, earnestly pleading their case, “I’m so sorry about that, I really am. We thought you were soldiers.” 

 

Bee thinks about letting Ichiro sink, her fingers closing around nothing as his wrist floated away from her, “I’m not the person that you should be apologizing to.” 

 

“I don’t understand why I’m here, telling me about your family doesn’t explain why you wanted to talk to me.” Bee fidgets on her feet, subtly moving her body away from the waterbender, “Why bring me out here? What was so important about talking to me that you healed my friend for it?” 

 

“You need to know what you’re getting into.” The waterbender rushes to explain more when Bee opens her mouth to complain that that didn’t answer her question, “The army is going to have to decide where to put all of you kids, there’s orphanages and enlistment for the older ones.” 

 

“They’re going to separate us?” Bee can’t think of anything worse, she’s already had to have given up her family when the ashmakers took her away from her home. Now that she’s gone and gotten attached to her friends, she doesn’t want to leave any of them. “What about my friend, the one that you healed? What will they do with him?” 

 

“Well… I don’t think they’re going to let any of the ashmakers go.” The waterbender shifts their shoulders, nervous energy making them unable to stand still, “But they’re probably going to let you choose.” 

 

“Why?” Bee blurts, mouth moving before her mind can catch up.

 

“Do you know what tribe you’re from?” The waterbender asks, their blue eyes match the night sky’s darkness. 

 

“What?” Bee takes a step back, wishing she had a knife on her. What kind of question is that? 

 

  “You’re from the islands, or someone in your family was.” The waterbender seems to be picking their words carefully, eyeing Bee warily as if they thought she might try to run away, “Can’t you tell? You look more like me than any of the kids you hang out with.” 

 

“No…” Bee denies weakly, thinking about her grandmother who had light eyes that no one else in their village ever developed and the way she spoke about sailing the seas with their family. The way she knew how to swim, her strong hands holding Bee’s body as she taught her to kick and paddle in the water even though all they had was a small pond that could never compare to the vastness of the ocean. Her grandmother wasn’t a bender, and her stories had always made it clear that the waterbenders and their family’s community had been separate, “My grandmother came from the islands, but she wasn’t part of your people. We’re not waterbenders, we like to travel and our tattoos are different.” 

 

“Maybe so.” The waterbender shrugged, and it was clear that they didn’t believe her, “It doesn’t matter what you say, the soldiers are probably going to place you with us. We would welcome you into our tribe, you could have a family again.” 

 

“I can’t.” Bee mumbles, still struggling to decide whether or not she should trust one of the people behind Ichiro’s death. “I still have a family.”

 

“The soldiers told us why you were on that boat, they stole you.” The waterbender’s chin has thin lines splitting it into sections, they curve ever so slightly before stopping at their lips. When they look angry, the lines bend and make their disgusted expression look stronger than it would on anyone else’s face. “You’re never going to be able to find your family again, we could give you a home. I’ll always help someone like us, no matter who they are or what they’ve done.” 

 

“You can’t actually mean that.” Bee shook her head, this was too much to think about. The offer of family coming from someone that she barely knew, because of tribal connections that she didn’t even believe in. 

 

“You can trust me. You’re not even a bender so you won’t have to work for the army like we do, you can have a safe place to live and enough food to fill your belly.” The waterbender insisted, “You can trust me. I swear it to you on my name, Arnaq.”

 

She’d meant it when she told them that it was still their fault that so many children were hurt, knowing that they felt they had no choice other than following orders didn’t make her think they were someone she could rely on. What would they do if they were given the choice between protecting their family or Bee? 

 

She thinks about Prince laying back in the hall, with Katsumi and Nanami keeping watch over him. Sneers and the mute boy making sure that she was alright after they’d been brought up, Zhengting asking her if she wanted some water whenever she would resurface from the fog that stole her mind away whenever one of her friends got injured. Bee knows that if there was a choice between doing the right thing and her friends, she would pick her friends. 

 

That’s why she shakes her head when Arnaq offers to show her their family’s quarters, the two of them are too similar to each other. They would betray her if it meant keeping their family safe, and she wouldn’t blame them for it. 

 

Bee thinks about what Boqin would do in this situation before she speaks, “I need time to think about what you told me.” 

 

“I understand.” Arnaq smiles, “Here, I’ll take you back to your friends before anyone notices that you’re gone.” 

 

______

 

Sneers’ heart beats rapidly in his chest, Zhengting looks like he’d just been doused with a bucket of ice water. 

 

The mute boy reaches a pale hand up to his now bleeding nose and lets out a wordless snarl before he launches himself at the soldier who’d just backhanded him. The soldier (who honestly didn’t look much older than them) went down, limbs flailing as she tried to throw him off. The mute boy was vicious, bony elbows shoved into the soldier’s ribs and it took the combined strength of both Sneers and Zhengting to pull him off. 

 

The soldier scrambles to her feet, wrapping her arms around her middle as if it was tender. 

 

“Ashmaker scum.” The soldier hisses before turning to her fellow soldier, her Army uniform crumpled from the mute boy’s fists, “Why didn’t you help me?” 

 

“If some mutt can take you down, you’re not good enough to be a soldier.” The male soldier who’d walked the three of them away from the hall turned to Zhengting, yanking forward, and kneed him in the stomach, “There, that’s how it’s done.” 

 

Zhengting dropped to the ground, curling up into a ball. Sneers’ hand tightened on the mute boy’s shoulder, but he seemed to grasp the true danger of their situation now, glaring up furiously at the soldiers. Neither party moved for a few heartbeats, seconds that felt like hours in Sneers’ mind, until the male soldier’s shoulders relaxed and a sadistic smile crawled onto his face. 

 

“Know your place, vermin.” The soldier ignored the way that his fellow nodded at his words, “We saved you, and now we’re wasting our supplies on you when we should have let blood traitors like you drown.” 

 

It took everything Sneers had within himself not to cry or shout as the two soldiers walked away, leaving them standing there. The instant that they disappeared from view, Sneers rushed to Zhengting’s side, laying a light hand on his back. 

 

“Are you alright?” He asked worriedly, trying to see Zhengting’s face. 

 

“Just hurts.” Zhengting wheezes, and he attempts to turn his face up to them to give them a reassuring grin. It’s shaky around the corners, and there are tears slipping down his cheeks. 

 

They huddle together in the hallway, waiting for Zhengting’s breathing to slow and patiently ignoring his crying. Sneers looks at the mute boy whose face is filled with nothing but concern and feels a flicker of regret. 

 

Ichiro is gone now, they’ve all survived the ship together and he still has no way of getting the mute boy’s name out of him. It feels wrong now, to work together like this and have this trust in each other yet calling him by some trait that doesn’t define the person who he is. Before he can think of the right thing to say, Zhengting breaks the quiet. 

 

“You’re good at fighting.” Zhengting mumbles, uncurling a bit from his previous position and wincing at the movement. 

 

The mute boy nods, accepting the compliment and joking raises his fists to mime punching someone with an exaggerated scrowl on his face. Zhengting laughs hoarsely, hand twitching as he attempts to sit back up. Sneers and the mute boy get on either side of him, supporting him as he slowly pulls his upper body off of the ground. 

 

“Do you have a name?” Sneers asks, because he wasn’t raised to be delicate in conversation. He can’t escape the farmer mindset of simplicity and bluntness, why would he wait once he’s realized that the mute boy needs a name? “I didn’t give anyone my real name, and I kind of figured that maybe the reason you haven’t told us what yours is is because you don’t want to.” 

 

“Really? Your parents didn’t give you the name Sneers?” Zhengting turns wide eyes on him, and it takes Sneers a second to realize that the skinny boy is joking. 

 

The mute boy carefully scratches characters into his forearm, waiting for the blood to rush to his skin and twisting it around to reveal the character for “why”. Forming an X with his hands, he points at Sneers and then to Zhengting, but this time he gives a thumbs up. 

 

Smellerbee is so much fucking better at interpreting what he’s saying, Sneers thinks, he would know exactly what the mute boy was trying to ask if he were here. Instead it’s Sneers who sits and furrows his brow as he tries to figure out what that could mean. Why? Why what? What’s the difference between him and Zhengting? 

 

“Why did I give my real name and why did Sneers give a fake one?” Zhengting guesses, and the mute boy nods in affirmation. The skinny boy beside him has always been clever, both Nanami and him worked well together with Boqin’s intelligence to create plans and carry out actions. Zhengting had memorized the layout of the ship in a mere night, whereas Sneers had only known the paths that would take him to Ichiro’s room, the room where they all slept, and the engine room out to the deck. 

 

Zhengting turns to him and Sneers taps his fingers against his thigh as he slowly explains his reasoning, “They took my town because our fields grow food for the Army, I’m old enough to know that every adult is going to be forced to work for the Fire Nation now.” 

 

“I guess I didn’t want my name getting traced back to my parents in case I caused trouble and it made them get punished.” Sneers fiddles with the edge of his shirt and avoids their gazes, using a fake name feels a little silly when he actually has to explain it, “And I can’t go back home anyways, so I figured that it would be better to become someone else entirely.” 

 

The mute boy almost startles Sneers when his hand pats his leg, a look of understanding on his face (or maybe Sneers is projecting, it’s not like he can really tell). That small gesture is what drives him on to explain, “And now with everything that’s happened, I’m not who I used to be anymore. I can’t be Aig- I mean, the farmer boy that I was. I can’t possibly go back home now with what I’ve done, how could I face my family after how I hurt those soldiers?” 

 

Sneers thinks about the bodies that he dumped into the sea, how they fell into the water and vanished. Every soldier had to have had a family, someone who was praying for them to come home. Two weeks ago he would have been working the fields with his family, coming home to dinner and waking up before the sun rose to go out and work. He would have never imagined that he was capable of carving up a human being like a pig, ripping out muscle with a knife and setting fire to real people and watching them burn until their bodies gave out. 

 

His hands are large and calloused from farm work, he spent so long scrubbing the blood off of them that the skin is still irritated and pink from it. Sneers doesn’t deserve to use his name, he left who he was in his village when the soldiers took him from his family. In that farmer’s place is someone new, someone who’s willing to kill for their friends and a freedom that seems like it’s never really coming true. 

 

His eyes feel hot, the tears sting when they plop onto his shirt as Sneers finally expresses what he’s been avoiding thinking about this whole time, “I can’t go home, and I’m stuck with you and I can’t even protect any of you. I couldn’t save Ichiro and Prince won’t wake up.” 

“You can protect us.” Zhengting cuts him off, staring at him with steady brown eyes, “You made sure that he didn’t do anything stupid when the soldier hit me, if you hadn’t held him back then we might have all gotten hurt. It doesn’t matter that you can’t prevent us from getting hurt, no one can, not even Prince.” 

 

The mute boy catches their attention, raising his forearm to show them the character for “decrease”. It’s obvious that he’s frustrated that he can’t communicate with them more. For all that he’s trying to be comforting, Sneers can see that he wants to be able to write more than a character at a time. 

 

“Exactly.” Zhengting nods, “He’s right, you’re good at reducing harm. Calming us down, making us talk things out and think it through, getting us to follow Boqin and Prince’s plans.” 

 

“I’m just doing what we would all do.” Sneers mumbles, embarrassed about crying and acting like a baby when he doesn't even know how much Zhengting and the mute boy have lost. 

 

“Just because it’s something that we all do doesn’t mean that it’s any less good when you do it.” Zhengting pointed out, seemingly recovered from his injury. There was still a sheen to his eyes, and the tense way that he held himself hinted at him still being in pain. 

 

“What the fuck are you doing?” 

 

Sneers turns his head to see Smellerbee standing next to the waterbender that had been in the hall a few days ago. 

Notes:

Happy Halloween! Please enjoy the first of three new chapters coming this week! Please let me know what you think in the comments! I know this chapter is really long, there's just a lot of material to get through hence the mega update!

Below is just some notes on details from the chapter!

1. Manxin's story is just for more worldbuilding. I really enjoyed exploring each nation's philosophy and how it stems from their element and habitat. Azula's POV got to demonstrate the idea of resource scarcity and how the islands made the Fire Nation abhor waste. I think in a more plentiful nation, the Earth Kingdom would have issues with abundance and the temptation to destroy on larger scales since there's so much land and resources. Hence the Oath!

2. As much as I love canon atla for the different representation that they gave for native and asian people, i think there is more variety that could fit into the world itself. The waterbender that Bee talks to is a typical waterbender, just one whose family migrated from the Poles (it makes sense to me that a people capable of commanding the water could sail wherever they liked and therefore settle and live in more than just two areas). However the idea with Bee and her family is that they were waterbenders/nonbenders from a culture similar to that of Pacific Islanders, coming from tropical islands. I'm Thai so I'm not an expert on that culture, so if anything feels wrong/disrespectful, please let me know!

also as a southeast asian person, you bet your ass that i will be finding a way to represent us in atla's universe as well! I was thinking air benders or more islands near the fire nation.

3. I don't want Bee to become a female character that's just sad all the time and who's only dependent on male characters' happiness to act. I think it makes sense for her to have trauma and struggle with dealing with it all but I think ultimately Smellerbee from canon was able to be a warrior and all that that entails. I think her being clever enough to get better healing for Prince and taking the initiative for escaping (that's next chapter though) make sense bc she's a dynamic character that was capable of making her own decisions and acting alone. She's still obviously fucked up by what she had to do in regards to Ichiro, but she's also not in a safe space and has to focus on survival first. I hope you also think her character progression makes sense?