Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The day of Zuko's birth was a sunny day in the middle of summer - good luck for assumed firebending children. Unfortunately, this did not apply to Zuko, as he was born sick and weak. Ursa cried as the palace healer gave her the news that her firstborn most likely would not survive past the night. He told her it was best to not name the child, lest she grows too attached. Ursa didn’t listen, she named him Zuko against their suggestion. Her child would survive, she didn’t know what she would do if he didn’t.

As per tradition, the sages inspected the child, to gauge if he would be a bender. They died all humidity from the room and held cotton mixed with shredded birch and oils. Zuko almost immediately set a small fire with his heaving breaths. The sages told them that he would be a very powerful fire bender, Ozai only scoffed at that.

“I find that hard to believe considering his current health, don’t waste anything trying to heal that boy,” he addressed the healers tending to the newborn.

“Ozai please!” Ursa pleaded. “Please! I know he will survive, just give him a chance!” She continued to beg him to reconsider as the palace healers tried to pry him from her arms. “Please, let him live! He’ll grow to be a powerful heir, I know it! Please let our son live.”

Ozai considered it. With a blank face, he eventually gave his response. “He has one week, if his health does not improve, there is no point keeping the boy alive.” as he left, Ursa’s composure completely crumbled. One week was not enough time for him to recover, her son was weak and could hardly breathe. She knew he would need at least a month to get to a healthy size.

She sobbed and held onto her child, who she would only be able to hold for one week.

Every day she spent with her son she cherished, she only spoke her adoration in soft hushed tones, as if anything any louder would cause him to shatter.

Every night she prayed he would awake the next morning and every morning she would thank Agni for listening. In the afternoons she would pray at the window facing the small pond when the sun shone into the nursery. On the 5th day, she kneeled at the window like always and prayed once again. The clouds were grey and cloudy, hinting at a summer shower the next day. When Ursa whispered her prayer, hoping for Zuko’s recovery, she noticed suddenly that the sun was shining warm light into the room.

She looked into the courtyard outside her window only to see that there was no bright sunlight anywhere but in the room. Ursa was sure this was a sign from Agni and was once again given hope for her son.

Zuko fused in his crib, awakening from his nap. She stood over him, ready to pick him up to feed him and gasped. Her son's eyes, which were once black, were now a brilliant gold.

After that day, her son was seemingly recovering from his condition overnight. He was eating more frequently, he was in less pain, and could now cry freely, when he could previously only heave for air as tears streamed down his cheeks.

When Ozai heard the news that his heir was finally healthy, he did not celebrate. He only huffed as Ursa beamed down at her son.

Zuko’s birth was finally announced to the citizens. As the fire sages prepared Zuko for the ceremony that would recognize him as the prince of the fire nation, Zuko sneezed out fire. This is not unusual for fire bender babies, other than the fact that Zuko sneezed out a large flame bigger than his own body. Not only that the fire was multicolored, then the news spread. The sages were certain this was a sign he was spirit touched by Agni, as fire benders are never able to produce anything but sparks until they are at least 3 years old, while Zuko had only been 3 weeks.

This news pleased Ozai, who before had never cared for his son. Now Ozai boasted about his son every chance he could get, convinced this was a sign from Agni that the fire nation would prosper and win the war.

__________________

“C'mon Zuzu why don’t you wanna play?” Azula yanked on Zuko's sleeve, demanding his attention.

“Maybe because every time you catch me, you try to set my shirt on fire.”

Azula grinned unabashedly, “Well, father says we should always be practicing.”

“We practice plenty already,” Zuko pointed out.

“Then why can’t you control your flame?” She said teasingly.

Zuko frowned. Azula never missed a chance to remind him of his subpar bending. He changed the subject rather than take her bait. “I’ll play, but promise not to set fire to anything?”

“But that makes it more fun Zuzu, please can we play some game where we can bend?”

Zuko huffed “Fine, but only for a bit, okay?”

Azula nodded excitedly, Zuko was the only person she could play with after all. Their father always reminded them that, as royalty, everyone else was beneath them. That’s why they were not allowed to go to the private school most nobility was sending their kids to. Instead, they only had the best tutors and teachers in the nation to visit them each morning for classes. They had no one their age to play with but each other.

But all they needed was each other anyways.

“Let’s toss each other our flames” Zuko figured this was a good enough compromise, playing but also practicing. He doubted Azula actually wanted to practice though, she likely only wanted to show off how her bending skills compared to his.

“Okay, I’ll start,” Azula created a ball of flame and sent it toward Zuko, he ‘catches’ it by diffusing the flame as it reaches his palm. He created his own flame, which is noticeably smaller and more shaky than hers. He threw it to her and they continued this game for a few minutes.

As Zuko sent his small flame towards her once again, it flickered and enlarged as it reached her. It expanded from the size of a teacup to the size of an adult turtle duck. Azula stumbled backward from the unexpected change of size. She attempted to break the flame but failed from her surprise. It burned her forearm and she screamed.

Zuko ran to her and tried to comfort her. Azula cried into his shoulder from the pain, and Zuko cried from the guilt and fear.

Ozai and Ursa ran into the garden, following the sounds of Azula's wails.

Ursa pulled the children apart from each other to assess the situation.

“Zuko, honey, what happened?” She held her sobbing daughter into her arms to comfort her.

Zuko didn’t reply, he only hiccuped and curled into himself.

Ozai didn’t have nearly the amount of patience his wife did, so he pulled Zuko from his knees. “Zuko. What. Did. You. Do.” He gritted out.

Zuko trembled from the commanding tone. “W-well me and Zula were playing a game…-hiccup- and I accidentally burned her…” his eyes teared up with renewed tears at the confession.

“So you did this, boy?!” Ozai yanked Zuko towards him by his arm. “This would have never happened, if only you learned to control your flame!”

A slap sounded across the garden.

Zuko collapsed to his knees and Azula stared wide at her father. The six-year-old had never seen their father so angry. And she knew she could never allow herself to be on the receiving side of his wrath.

__________________________

Ever since Zuko burned his sister, he noticed his father never treated him the same. He would never acknowledge Zuko's achievements, he would scold him more often, punish him more, and ignore him. Mother told him that it was because his father wanted him to be successful, after all, if you coddle a baby too much, they’ll grow lazy and spoiled. But it hurt Zuko to see his father praise his little sister and ignore him.

And despite Zuko working every day, he could still not control his flame to Azula's level. Tutor after tutor, they always ended up with that familiar face of disappointment. The prince of the fire nation, unable to bend properly, what a waste.

Zuko sometimes wished he wasn't blessed by Agni, because it didn’t help him, it didn’t allow him any shortcuts, it only ever brought more expectations. He hated how everyone looked at him, he knew Agni’s gift was wasted on him. It’s not like he asked for it. He would have much rather given his gift to Azula, who could actually live up to the image of a perfect bender, even at 7 years old, she’s learned more bending forms than he could have learned and perfected in a year.

Every time they performed what they've learned so far to grandfather, Zuko shook from the pressure, with his family's eyes all upon him without fail, he always fumbled through the movements. And every time father made sure to remind him after they leave, that weakness was not allowed in their family. Every time Zuko found himself with new bruises and burns.

“Zuko, play with me?”

He didn't turn away from his scroll, if he couln't be good at bending, the last thing he could do is be good at his other studies.

“No.”

Azula's face scrunched up, “Why not?”

“I'm not in the mood.”

“You’re never in the mood!” she stomped her foot to emphasize this. “Why?! As the princess I demand you to play with me!”

Zuko finally turned his body away from the scrolls he was reading, “Well, as prince I demand you to leave me alone.”

“You’ll never get better, if you just hide inside your room all day!”

Zuko snapped at the accusation, “I train more than you! I stay behind every day and practice for at least hours!” How could she have implied he was lazy? All he ever did nowadays was train, in hopes of eventually getting as good as his sister.

Azula stilled in the doorway, likely surprised by the sudden anger. Zuko rarely raised his voice toward his little sister. Even when Azula purposely pushed his buttons to get a reaction, he only ever ignored her or left. Zuko turned back to his desk, his shoulders hunching up to his chin.

“I’m sorry Zula, but I’m just not in the mood to play with you.”

Azula didn’t reply, she shut the door and walked over to her brother. She nudged his shoulder to grab his attention. Her face was etched with stubbornness, which didn't surprise Zuko. Azula had grown up to be quite the stubborn princess, she rarely stood down. Once she had his attention, she let her face fall slightly.

“I heard father speaking to master Kunyo, he wants him to begin punishing us himself when we make mistakes.”

She held her neutral face, but Zuko could see the underlying worry. For him. And he was once again reminded that, despite Azula's new attitude and personality changes, she still cared, she still loved him, even if she didn’t show it the way she used to. All previous resentment flooded away, he could never stay mad at her for long anyways.

“I just think it would be embarrassing for the crown prince to be punished for not being good enough, it’s bad for our reputation.”

Zuko tried not to let himself get annoyed at the jab, even with the insults, Zuko saw right through his sister, so instead of continuing their usual back-and-forth insults, he grabbed her wrist and led her to join him on the ground. He grabbed two candles and placed one in front of her.

“Ok, then help me practice.”

She gave him a skeptical look before she lit her candle, her flame standing strong and tall. Zuko copied her movement and produced his own flame, smaller and more unstable than hers. They sat in silence for a while, only the sound of their twin breathing, controlling the fires, could be heard in the bedroom. Zuko found himself grateful for the peaceful moment, his sister was never one to keep quiet for too long, she always preferred to fill the silence by talking about her day and nitpicking anything the servants do. And she also hadn’t been interested in genuinely spending time with him, he worried that they had been drifting apart too fast. One moment, Azula clung to him every day and they were never separated and the next, she hardly ever spent time with him. Sometimes Zuko wondered what he’d done to deserve his sister's new animosity towards him. He wondered if it was jealousy, jealousy for his blessing and gift from Agni. He stared at his fire, small wisps of purple, green, and blue taunted him, a constant reminder of his curse disguised as a blessing. He would have given it to Azula in a heartbeat if he could have, he had no doubts she would have lived up to the role as Agni's child. All it ever did for him was paint a constant target on his back.

As they breathed, both siblings watched their flames move in time with their breaths. Azula made a point to breathe loudly whenever Zuko's fire faltered, giving him a guide to follow. They spent the hour controlling their flame's size and Zuko was surprised to find by the end of it, he had pretty good control of his fire.

______

Ever since that day, Azula would find Zuko and insist they practice together. They spent quiet evenings in the garden practicing with each other. Azula would always claim it was for Zuko's own benefit, to get better so he wouldn't embarrass himself as much. Zuko was just glad Azula was seeking him out again.

And surprisingly enough, his bending was improving. Zuko didn't want to admit to Azula that their little sessions were actually helping, because he knew he would never have the end of it. Azula already had a big ego for her age, he did not want to add to it.

Currently, they were practicing the kata they were going to present to their grandfather. Every so often, he and Azula were required to showcase their bending skills to the fire lord, to ensure the line of succession was strong. This morning when his mother told him they would join grandfather Azulon, he felt a pit of anxiety immediately form in his stomach. Zuko looked up at the sun setting, the sky full of pink and orange clouds. He wished he could enjoy the beautiful sunset, but he couldn't think of anything other than the eventual punishment he would receive from his father.

“Get your head out of the clouds Zuzu.” Azula paused mid-kata to complain at the seemingly daydreaming boy.

“There's no point, I'll slip up and father will punish me just like always.”

“So what, you give up?”

“Well, what's the point?”

“The point is that now that I am personally training you, you can't fail, because I’ll look like a bad teacher.”

Zuko only rolled his eyes. No one even knows about their training sessions, so this wouldn't reflect on Azula’s ‘teaching’ skills in any way.

“Grandfather already knows I'm a failure, so...” he trailed off.

“We’ll need to show him something that will really impress him then,” Azula sported a familiar glint in her eyes, which is how Zuko knew she was ready to create some sort of chaos. She paced around him for a few seconds with a calculating expression, hands on her hips she seemingly examined him. After a few moments, she revealed her plan, “Instead of showing him the basic katas you've been working on perfecting, we should both present some more advanced ones.”

Zuko gaped at her in shock, this was not at all what he was expecting. Azula often had crazy plans and ideas, but they were usually more thought out than this.

“We have a few hours, if we start now, we can get you to learn the kata I've been working on.”

“Azula this is pointless, you know I'm horrible at fire bending, there's no way-”

“Don't play stupid brother, we both know that you've greatly improved-” she raised her hand to silence Zuko, when he opened his mouth to object, “ever since I've been helping you,” she finished with a smirk.

Zuko huffed, “Not even you can teach me advanced forms in just a few hours.”

“We’ll see.”

Hours later both children ran to the dining room. They stayed in the gardens, going over the same kata for at least 3 hours. Although Azula was never a patient person, she managed to stay calm enough to aid Zuko through the steps. And Zuko, in return, tried his absolute best to follow Azula’s movements with utmost focus. He wasn't sure why she exactly wanted or cared enough to help him impress Fire Lord Azulon. Either way, he didn't look like a gift ostrich horse in the mouth.

They arrived just a few minutes before they were considered late. Both panting and sweaty from the training, Zuko took his place beside his mother and hoped no one questioned their tardiness.

Fire Lord Azulon took his seat last and the servants immediately brought out all the dishes and served them their respective drinks. Dinner commenced, as usual, with limited conversation and a quiet atmosphere.

Afterward, grandfather led them into his throne room to speak with father and to see his and Azula’s progress in fire bending. Both children stood in front of the throne. Azula went first, performing her form with ease. Her grandfather complimented her skills with an impressed expression. Her bending was amazing for her age, after all. She gave a final bow and stepped back, so Zuko could go next.

He stepped forward, hands clenched at his sides, taking a deep breath to calm the nerves. Of course it didn't help, but he began anyway. He mentally prayed to Agni for some luck, hoping maybe his blessing would help him for once. As he moved through the form, he only slipped up a few times, other than that it was somewhat smooth. The resulting fire was surprisingly hot and strong. His fists pushed out searing hot flames, hot enough that Azulon could feel the heat from his throne. Zuko bowed once he was done and reveled at their twin shocked expressions. Once he walked back to his sister, she gave him a small nudge, her way of letting him know he did well.

Ozai’s face dropped into a scowl, eyes glaring at his son. Zuko noticed, and his confident mood instantly disappeared. Why does his father look displeased? He did great! He did so much better than usual, this is good! The prince of the fire nation is finally learning how to be a normal bender. So why is father so angry?

They were excused from the room and Zuko clutched his stomach. Newfound anxiety consumed Zuko. The siblings left for bed, once he was ready to sleep, he curled around his turtle duck stuffie. Behind him, he placed multiple pillows, they nearly made it feel like someone was holding him, keeping him safe almost. He drifted off to sleep, wondering if the reason he was able to bend so well was that Agni finally granted him some luck.

____________________

In the following weeks, Zuko went through his lessons much easier. He got fewer punishments from his tutor and moved on to bending forms more suitable for his age. The tutors took credit for Zuko's sudden improvement, but all credit should have gone to his sister. She helped him through the forms he did with his tutor that day. She gave him tips, rather than shouted to redo the kata in hopes of him magically understanding his mistake. She snarked at him all the same, but at least it was not small burns for each mistake.

Mother praised him constantly, she told him she knew he would get the hang of it. And reminded him that even through the hardships, Agni's blessing would ensure he would become a powerful fire bending master. His father on the other hand did not acknowledge his skills, he would see his father even less, now that he didn’t have to remind him how much of a failure he was.

Azula didn’t compliment him at all, she only commented about ‘It’s about time you bend properly,’ and about how awful his bending used to be. Zuko thought this was her way of showing him her affection; he wouldn’t have been surprised, since she spent so much time around father. She must have forgotten how to be nice and respectful, picking up on their father’s scornful personality.

One day when they met up in the gardens as usual Azula pulled him close to ensure no one could hear her.

“We should go listen to fathers meeting,” she proposed.

“Azula, if you were too tired to practice today, you could’ve just said so,” he teased.

Her face turned red, “I am not tired!”

Her nails dug into his skin at the insult, “Zuko listen, we are going to be the heirs, we will rule one day, we should be prepared.”

Zuko’s face scrunched into a confused expression, “Azula, we are fourth and fifth in line to the throne, uncle and cousin Lu Ten are going to rule, not us.” Where did Azula get this idea from? Surely she did not think they were ever going to be on the throne, unless a terrible accident happened to their Uncle and cousin.

Azula looked annoyed, as if he was the one to forget the line of succession, not her. Instead of answering she continued, “What’s better, reading scrolls or being there for the real thing?”

“How would we even hide?”

“We hide behind the curtains and listen, trust me Zuzu, I’ve done this a hundred times.”

Zuko contemplated scolding her for doing this before, it was beneath a princess to snoop in places she shouldn’t be, but then again he was about to do it with her now. “Fine, but just this once, we can’t get caught.”

“Let’s go now, we have to hide before anyone gets there.”

Together they sneaked their way to the meeting room, ducking into rooms and behind pillars to not be seen by passing servants or council members. They reached the room and made sure to check if anyone was around to see them entering. They hid in the corner of the room, behind the decorative banners and curtains.

They whispered to each other before anyone showed up, Azula assuring him they wouldn’t get caught. Council members arrived soon after. When their father arrived, Zuko tensed, sure that somehow he would know they were there. But the meeting began as normal, with discussions of recent battle outcomes, cities recently conquered or lost, new technology to use, trade routes, and supply demands. Zuko couldn’t help but agree that this was a much better way to learn about politics and war strategies than reading from old dingy scrolls and books.

But it seemed they kept the most important news for last.

An admiral, whose name he couldn’t remember, revealed talks of the Northern Water Tribe’s plans to join the war. Several gasps were heard around the room, Zuko almost gasped if it weren’t for Azula holding her hand over his mouth. Reminding him to keep quiet, and giving him a silent promise to never forgive him if they were caught, with her glare.

Zuko couldn’t help it, the north was the only neutral nation in this war, infamous for not aiding their sister tribe during the raids. He shivered at the thought of fighting a water bender, being frozen in ice is the worst fate for a fire bender. Zuko had no doubt they would turn the war in favor of the enemy’s side. All the adults must’ve had the same thought because the table erupted into a mini panic. Ideas were being thrown out, his grandfather stayed silent with a neutral face.

“We’ll attack before they have the chance.”

“We don't have a single battalion or navy to spare.”

“We must offer them some resources then,” a council member called out.

“We don’t have much to offer, almost every material we supply is in high demand for our troops” another responded.

“I doubt they have access to wood, perhaps we can supply them.”

“That won’t work, the savages make their homes from ice.”

They argued over what they could offer the North, but it seemed like they couldn’t afford to give them anything. This shocked Zuko, all adults have always told them their Nation was rich. Richer than anyone can imagine, which was why they were trying to spread their reign to the earth kingdom, to help them. Now he was being told they couldn’t afford to pay for their neutrality? He doubted they would ask for much, from what he’s been told they are a poor nation, they lived in igloos and ate only raw meat. The only thing they had that’s valuable was their benders.

“Admiral, do you know their reasoning for breaking neutrality?” A councilman asked.

“From the information I’ve acquired, they are mostly worried that after we conquer the Earth Kingdom, we’ll come after them.”

“So we need them to trust us, give them something to ensure we won’t turn on them,” Ozai began and the table became silent.

“A marriage perhaps, I doubt they’ll accept but we don’t need to have them married, we just need to give them someone important enough they trust our word,” everyone at the table was visibly confused and unsure.

Ozai continued, “Someone of royal descent, of course the child of a lowly noble won’t be enough to gain their trust. I offer my son, he’s not important in the line of succession and my daughter Azula is far more valuable. I believe the chief's daughter is the same age is she not?”

The Admiral confirmed that the princess was currently nine years old, just like Zuko.

Zuko’s eyes widened, he stumbled and his back hit the wall. How could his father propose this? Give him away to the enemy nation in hopes it’ll get them on good terms with no guarantee? Azula grabbed onto his arm to keep him still enough to not draw attention. He in turn held onto her, dull nails digging into her arm.

He mentally begged for anyone to object, for someone to come up with a better plan.

Fire lord Azulon turned to face his son, his face curled into an offended frown.

“You would give your own son to the enemy Ozai?”

“I mean no disrespect your majesty, but this is the most effective way to keep the North from joining the war.”

Zuko’s eyes watered up, betrayed by his father. Silent tears dripped down his face, he muffled his hiccups in Azula’s hair.

“This would also strengthen the royal family, my son was never going to be powerful enough to be regarded as royalty or to honor our nation. We would rid ourselves of a future problem.”

No one spoke up against it, instead, they discussed finer details. How they would word the proposal, and how they would describe Zuko to seem more important. They decided to add in the fact that he was spirit blessed, hoping they would find him more desirable, considering how important and respected spirits were in water tribe culture. Zuko wasn’t surprised his ‘gift’ was once again used against him.

Eventually, everyone agreed: Zuko would be offered to the Northern Water tribe in a month.

Everyone was excused and the room was emptied until only he and Azula remained. He let out a heaving sob once they were alone, he hugged Azula so tightly he thought she would push him away. But instead, she hugged him back, he let out another sob at the rare comfort of his sister's embrace.

Slowly he regained his composure, he pulled away and wiped his face. He was sure he was red and unsightly, but he didn’t care at the moment.

“What am I going to do?”

Azula’s dejected expression hardened, “We’ll tell Uncle Iroh, he’s visiting in a week. Grandfather will listen to him, if not he can take you with him.”

Zuko didn’t point out how their Uncle would definitely not be able to take him to the earth kingdom, even alongside a general he wouldn’t be safe. But if somehow his uncle did take him, that would mean leaving behind Azula. His little sister. Without him being the family failure will his father turn to his sister? Would he begin to hurt her the way he hurt him?

He didn’t voice his worries, he knew Azula wouldn’t believe she needed Zuko there to protect her from their father, she was his favorite.

“Ok, we’ll tell Uncle.”

Unbeknownst to Azula, he began training every waking hour of the day. He was determined to convince his father he was strong and valuable enough to keep. The constant stress kept his fire unreliable, one moment it would be calm and steady, the next it would shoot up and turn so scorching hot, his fire would seem completely white. Through tears of frustration, Zuko would try again and again until he was exhausted.

Zuko still tried to be normal around his mother, but sometimes he was so worn out he would only have energy to sleep on her lap. Gentle hands would comb through his hair and tears would well up again. He was going to lose his mother, he might never feel her comforting touch again. He doubted he would be able to write to her too. She could sense his sadness most days, she would give him a pleading look and remind him ‘problems should always be shared’ in an attempt to get him to tell her the source of his uncharacteristic melancholy.

He never told her the truth, if she found out and told Ozai, who knows what would happen? He would get punished for being at the meeting in secret, and Azula might get punished too. His mother would try to prevent it and in doing so only bring danger to herself, he wasn’t stupid, he had known his father would hit his mother as well. There was only one person who could bring bruises onto the skin of Princess Ursa without repercussions.

All conversations with Azula were also stilted, their bending sessions were tense with the knowledge of Zuko's fate. After they finished, Zuko had taken to following Azula around to spend as much time with her before he left. She noticed and only complained about how clingy he was, but she didn't send him away. Unfortunately, Azula spent a lot of time around their father, sitting beside him as he spoke to generals, reading whatever scroll he just signed, and eating lunch with him. He tried to join her, so he could get a chance to speak to him, maybe even show him his recently mastered fire bending techniques. But his father didn’t give him the light of day, he had no issue hugging Azula and letting her sit in his lap while Zuko sat in the far corner waiting for an opportunity.

So Zuko just hoped his Uncle would be able to help him. When he arrived it was a sunny perfect day, Zuko imagined this was a sign from Agni. They had tea in the flower garden, Uncle Iroh always insisted on having tea with each family member to catch up. The flowers provided a beautiful environment, the current jewel of the garden were the new white lily blooms.

“Prince Zuko, I've heard your bending has gotten better, did you heed my advice of perfecting the basics?” Iron asked as he poured the tea into their cups. Zuko slouched so low in his seat that the table centerpiece almost completely covered his view of his Uncle.

“I know you were always eager to learn more, but the most advanced forms still require the muscle memory of the most basic ones,” he continued.

Zuko only nodded, thoughts full of how he would tell uncle about the news. “Well actually I stopped practicing those…I’ve moved onto more advanced forms instead,” he confessed.

Iroh stared at him with wide eyes. Zuko anticipated that reaction, since the last time he'd seen his uncle  he was working on controlling his flame and doing basic katas. Iroh bursted into laughter, Zuko sipped at his ginseng tea nervously.

“I certainly was not expecting that, what firebending master made you do that?”

“Well actually” he leaned closer to whisper, “Azula has been teaching me.”

Uncle Iroh raised an eyebrow, “Really?”

Zuko smiled, insanely proud of his younger sister, “Yes, she is a better teacher than any master, other than you of course.”

“Well I’d like to congratulate you on your hard work,” he pulled out a gift wrapped in brown paper.

Zuko took it from across the table, careful not to drop the potentially fragile gift. He pulled the string holding it together away, revealing a sheathed dagger. He beamed as he unsheathed it. The dagger's handle was black with a small pearl on the top of the hilt. Bold Black writing on the blade spelled out “never give up without a fight”.

He wouldn't ruin today with bad news, for today he would have a normal day with his uncle.

_______________________

The next day proceeded as normal, he ate breakfast with his mother and sister, went to his morning classes, and spent his afternoon training in his room. When the sun was at its peak, Zuko was alone in his room. He had planned to tell uncle Iroh today, but he was in the city visiting old friends and likely playing Pai Sho.

While rereading his favorite theater scroll, Love amongst the Dragons, he was interrupted by a knock. He opened the door, expecting his sister, but was met with a maid. She was a new servant, evident by her young age and nervous stance. She bowed, “Good afternoon my Prince, I was told to alert you of Prince Lu Tens' arrival, he awaits you in the gardens.”

Zuko grinned, a surprise visit! He quickly thanked the servant and raced to the gardens. He almost knocked into several people on the way, but he couldn't help being excited, he hadn't seen his cousin in half a year. Once he reached his destination, he searched for his cousin.

“Prince Zuko,” a voice said behind him.

He turned to face his father, and his body froze.

“I wanted to speak to you Zuko.”

He didn't seem mad yet, so Zuko had no idea why he had a sudden feeling of dread. “Yes, father?”

“I want you to stop whatever it is you and Azula do every day, as matter of fact I don't want you around her at all. All you do is distract her, you're a bad influence.”

“Huh?”

“Really Zuko? Coercing your sister to spy in a war meeting?”

No.

“Wha- no- I-”

“How could you dishonor our family like that?”

“I didn't-”

“Are you lying to me Zuko?” Ozai grit out.

“Father, wait.”

Ozai didn't listen, his hand snaked around Zuko's neck. Flames burning through the skin slowly, Zuko tried pushing his arm away. He wasn't being choked but he couldn't breathe either way. Zuko’s hands created flames involuntarily, hot white flames wrapped around Ozai's arm for only a second. Ozai pulled away, outraged.

“Nonono- father I didn't mean to-“

“You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher.”

Zuko couldn’t remember much after a few minutes, all he could remember was the pain and the feeling of his skin blistering under his father's touch. He couldn’t remember much of how he screamed or thrashed, he didn’t even feel his father's other hand burning his shoulder, trying to keep him in place.

And as he blacked out, he only had a faint memory of being tied up and the sound of a blade cutting through his hair.

Chapter Text

Azula found out around noon.

She was curious as to why the palace was in disarray. Servants whispering to each other with frightened looks on their faces. More guards were posted, there was one around every corner. And soon after she noticed this, she was whisked away by her mother.

“Mother, what's happened?” She asked, as her mother hugged her more tightly than usual, which only confirmed that something was wrong.

Ursa pulled away and kneeled down to face Azula properly. Her face was ashen and pale, her features pinched as to hold her composure.

“Something happened to Zuko,” she confessed.

A deep breath then she continued, “Something terrible… your brother was taken.”

Azula couldn’t process it for a few seconds.

“What do you mean….” She started.

“Zuko was led to the gardens by a traitor servant, the guards around the gardens were spies.”

He was taken by spies, the rebel group that had recently been creating havoc in the colonies. Those evil traitors were known for recent criminal and traitorous activities… but to go as far as kidnapping the prince? Who knew what they would do to him, Zuko wasn’t emotionally strong at all. That’s why it was her job to protect him from twisted people, to keep her brother safe by teaching him how to be stronger. But it didn’t matter because she wasn’t there with him, maybe if she went looking for him a bit earlier!

Azula found herself unable to breathe properly, slowly her breaths turned into rapid gasps.

“Azula! Darling breathe, deep breaths okay?” Ursa attempted to guide her daughter through her breaths, but the youngest royal didn't seem to hear her.

Azula began to hyperventilate, her arms scrambled to find purchase onto her mother. But her mother’s hold didn't comfort her for long, suddenly her mother’s arms were too tight and too hot, instead of a safe embrace it was a prison. So Azula thrashed to get away, crying out and sobbing. But her mother was stronger, preventing the small girl from running away.

Small hands pushed against Ursa’s shoulders with so much force her knuckles turned white. Azula screamed out her agony, she was abandoned by the only person who truly cared for her, even if he unintentionally left, he was still gone. Unbeknownst to Azula she began to spit fire, not only that, her flames turned blue. Her constant movement, now coupled with short bursts of blue fire, caused Ursa to let go.

“It’s okay Azula we’ll find him, okay? We’ll find whoever took him, okay?” Ursa pleaded, hoping she could console her daughter. Azula collapsed on the floor, took ragged breaths until she could feel the cold floor and smell the smoke in the hall. The only sound she could produce for the next ten minutes were gasping breaths and hiccups.

Azula allowed her mother to wrap her arms around her once again, though she never actively sought out her mother for comfort, she couldn't help but relax and bury her head into Ursa’s hair.

Later Azula found out the whole story. Zuko was led to the gardens by a traitor maid who lured him with fake news about Lu Ten's ‘visit’. Once he arrived at the gardens, he was taken by the rebel group.

Azula was distraught, even if she did everything to keep him from being sent to the North, it didn't matter, he was taken from her either way.

Azula recounted just days before, how she confessed to her father about how the siblings hid during the war meeting. She only did it to protect Zuko, so she begged Ozai to let him stay. She even created a list of cons of sending the prince away, because she knew her father would listen more to logic than emotional reasons.

Ozai had been angry of course, but he promised her he would not send Zuko away. She didn’t tell Zuko because she knew how he’d react, he wouldn’t have believed their father. He would have maybe even run away from home and cause a scandal over nothing. She was going to tell him eventually, but now it was all for nothing.

He was gone.

_____________

Zuko awoke to a sharp bolt of pain shooting across his head. As he pushed his body into a sitting position, the pain only grew. A trembling hand came to meet his face, confused as to why he could only see out of one eye. His hand met the netted texture of the gauze and the memories came back to him. The absolute terror he had felt, as he begged his father to spare him, and the accompanying pain of his father's punishment.

He scrambled off the bed and almost fell completely from his weak knees buckling underneath him. Zuko used the furniture around him to carry some weight, his attention switched rapidly from cautiously making his way across the room to trying to make sense of the situation. Once he reached the door, he let himself collapse in front of it. He tried opening it, but the door was locked. Examining the room, he noticed a long mirror in the corner of the room and crawled over to it. With one eye wide, he took in his appearance.

Bandages covered the left side of his face, covering his eye and his ear. The bandages held a large red stain over his eye, he could feel how they stuck to his skin in that area. Zuko was too afraid to pull back the bandages, afraid to see how extensive the damage was. From the pain he knew it wasn't a shallow wound, it was evident from the way his whole body shuddered in time with each shock of pain.

Zuko dragged a hand across his head, his hair had been completely shaved. He wasn't sure why, shaved heads were a sign of great dishonor, reserved for traitors and prisoners. It was likely shaved to keep the burn easier to treat, but he felt ashamed by his appearance anyway. He must have used all the energy he had, because Zuko found himself unable to move back to the bed, so he let himself curl up on the floor and fall asleep.

The next time he woke up, someone was hovering above him, as he was once again laid on the bed. The large figure's movement caused Zuko's whole body to flinch. With all his effort, the most he could do was curl up on his side, hoping the stranger would leave. Against his wishes the man reached out to his wound, and the small touch resulted in a whimper from the young boy.

“Who are you?” Zuko asked.

The man either didn't hear him or didn't care, because he began to cut away at his bandages without answering. Zuko tried to ignore how the last piece peeled away from his skin.

“Your burn was deep Prince Zuko, don't attempt to open your left eye or strain yourself. You need plenty of rest to recover properly.”

Zuko only nodded, the man began to clean the burn and it took all of Zuko's restraint to not cry from the burning pain of his burn being disinfected.

Several days went by and Zuko was only ever awake for a few hours to eat and get his bandages changed. There was little the healer could give to ease the pain other than herbal teas. They never exchanged many words since the man only spoke in short, curt sentences and always avoided answering Zuko’s questions.

After about five days he had enough energy to walk farther than just the bathroom. He was not sure if he was permitted to walk freely, but he did so anyways. The crewmates he passed didn't tell him anything, so he decided to sit on the deck. After an hour of crewmates giving him pitying looks, the captain greeted him.

“Prince Zuko, I am Captain Asum, I hope you find your stay on my ship pleasant,” he said as he bowed.

Zuko noticed the bow was too shallow for a prince, but he didn't dare correct him.

“Thank you, Captain, I had a question. Is there any way I will be able to send a letter? I desperately need to contact my uncle,” he asked.

The captain gave him a polite smile, but he could see how his eyes narrowed.

“Apologies my prince, but I'm afraid we don't have any messenger hawks, perhaps you could send one once we arrive at the North?”

Zuko nodded and excused himself, he made sure to take deep breaths to not cry.

Once he reached his room, he sat atop his bed and cried into his pillow. Without any contact with his uncle or family, he would have to rely on the slim chance that the Northern Water Tribe would allow him to communicate with outsiders. He would never see his family again. Unless his Uncle was told where he was sent and had enough influence to convince Fire Lord Azulon to let him return, there would be no chance he would be able to return.

Face red and splotchy, Zuko pulled away from his wet pillow. Lips still quivering, Zuko took in his surroundings. The room was barren of any decor other than the old faded painting of a field of black dahlias and a fire nation flag hanging on the wall. Its usual bleak appearance was ruined by a scroll that wasn't there earlier, the message gave Zuko a small piece of hope. He stood on shaky legs and retrieved the message.

The message scroll had the royal seal, golden wax with a fire symbol. The bottom of the symbol showed which member of the royal family sent it, Ozai’s name was there in small text. Zuko felt fear pool in his stomach at the name of his father.

He opened the scroll and began to read.

Prince Zuko,

I hope you find your travels to the Northern Water Tribe safe and comfortable. This will be the last time you will find yourself in fire nation territory, so indulge in the luxuries of our nation while you have the opportunity.

Despite the great dishonor you have brought onto our family, you are being allowed to regain it. You will live your life amongst the water tribe peasants to secure our nation's neutrality. Should their chief decide to marry you to his daughter to seal this treaty; you will marry her and perform the duties of a husband. If you find yourself next in line for chief due to this marriage, I remind you of your loyalties to our nation.

Princess Ursa and Prince Iroh send their regards and wish you a safe journey.

Honor your nation,

Prince Ozai

Tears threatened to fall again, and Zuko clutched the message with burning fingertips. How could his uncle and mother ‘send regards’? Were they not fighting to bring him home? Zuko couldn't help but feel betrayed, both his uncle and mother didn't care enough to bring him back.

Zuko searched for anything hinting at when he would be able to return to the fire nation, maybe he would be allowed to visit? But everything implied he would live there forever. The only thing he found was the directions on the back to destroy the scroll once done reading.

So he burned it.

__________

Despite the young prince’s attempts to talk with crew mates, and try to persuade them to give him information about home and his family, they always managed to evade his questions, only the captain ever answered. Zuko thought it might be because he was the only one allowed to tell him anything. The most useful information he’s been given, was a rough estimate of how long it would take to reach the north pole.

Apparently they had already passed the fire nation islands and were approaching the ruins of the Western Air Temple. Zuko had never learned much about the old air bender civilization, other than the little his history books held. As they passed the huge Mountains that seemingly reached the sun and clouds, Zuko leaned over the railing of the ship. He could see small glimpses of the ruins, hanging onto the side of the mountains. Zuko couldn't help but be utterly fascinated by what little he saw of the buildings. He had all sorts of questions about how they were able to create such homes, then his thoughts snowballed into questioning who they were, what they did for fun, any holidays or traditions they had.

No one on the ship would have had any answers to his questions, no one alive even. Now that he thought about it, why did they have to take out all air benders? Couldn't they just rule over them like they currently did in the earth kingdom? Wiping out an entire culture didn't seem right, whichever way you looked at it. Zuko refused to think about it further, questioning the previous Fire Lord's decisions was the sign of a traitor. Zuko was not a traitor, no matter what his father called him, Zuko knew who he was.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit sad at the thought of families dying at the hands of his own nation.

Zuko sat lost in thought, still looking out into the distance, trying to commit that image of history to memory. His melancholy mood slightly interrupted by waves crashing noisily against the hull of the ship, repeating a consistent rhythm, each splash was a soothing sound that kept him company.

Soon enough the bell announcing dinner rang, he went below deck to join all other crew mates for dinner. He was served the usual soup they always prepared for dinner.

Most everyone avoided him, Zuko was unsure if it was out of fear or caution. Maybe they didn't know how to address a prince so casually.

But one crewmate, a mechanic, always sat near him and asked him about his day. He always responded with a curt ‘good’ and avoided eye contact. Even if Zuko felt lonely, it didn't mean he actually wanted to socialize with anyone, not that he knew how to, anyways. Of course he knew how to be polite and courteous, but he was only ever taught how to address nobility and servants. Not how to... speak with a sailor. If only his mother could have seen him now, constantly surrounded by sailors that forgot to hold their tongues around him.

Sometimes he'd sneak around to listen to their stories and picture all the places they'd been and seen. And maybe mouth a few obscenities to himself, then giggle at how crude they'd sound.

The kind mechanic sat beside him towards the end of dinner, when everyone that didn't have somewhere to be, would start drinking and telling clearly exaggerated stories.

Naran, the name he introduced himself as, the first night he was healthy enough to come down to eat with everyone else, placed his bowl down and began to eat. Just as Zuko finished his bowl and was about to leave, Naran stopped him.

“How was your day Prince Zuko?” he asked.

“...Fine,” Zuko replied as he gripped his bowl tightly so as to not fidget.

He couldn't help but be nervous around the older man, he was extremely intimidating due to his large stature.

“Only a few days left, huh?”

He knew he was just trying to have a conversation, but Zuko couldn't stop the scowl from crossing his features. He didn't want nor need a reminder of how many days he had left. Everyday was painstakingly ripped from Zuko’s hands, time falling through his fingers like sand, counting down how long he had until he was turned over to the enemy.

Naran didn't let the glare hinder him, no matter how socially inept he was, Naran always stayed to chat. “I wanted to give you something before I forgot or lost it.”

He pulled out a sheathed dagger and nudged his knee with it. Zuko took it from underneath the table, sure enough it was the dagger that his Uncle had gifted to him. The familiar weight almost brought tears to his eyes, this was the only piece of home he would probably have. He slipped it into his pocket before anyone could notice and scanned the room to see if anyone was looking their way. But the drunk group of crewmates did an excellent job of keeping all attention away from the prince.

“How did...”

“Got it when we brought you onboard, we weren't allowed to let you keep it because it's a weapon.”

“Thank you Naran.”

“No problem kiddo, I just figured you should have something to protect yourself, even if I wasn't allowed to give it to ya.”

Zuko nodded, who knew what dangers he would encounter. At least he would have another way of defending himself.

He fell asleep a little bit easier that night.

Zuko spent the last days on the ship mostly sitting on the deck. They had completely passed all air nation land and were now following the edge of the northern earth nation. From what he could see, the earth nation was very different from his home. The villages, homes and buildings, the ships, animal life and vegetation. The air was much less humid and Zuko could even spot snow on the peaks of mountains they passed. The temperatures only dropped the further north they went, Zuko was unsure how he would survive the freezing environment he would soon live in. It seemed impossible and wrong for a fire bender to live in such a place.

He hoped they would at least allow him to bend, to keep himself from getting sick. He doubted they would give him sufficient clothing, they most likely wouldn't bother giving him a comfortable living situation.

Zuko often thought about what his new home would be like.

He would panic and almost break down everytime he would begin to think about what the water tribe members might do to him. Despite the treaty, they might just agree to it to obtain him and use him as a hostage. Maybe they would torture what little information he had out of him.

But surely they wouldn't risk their neutrality, which was the only thing keeping their nation safe?

Zuko looked out at the foreign islands and ports they would pass. He would rather be given to the Earth Kingdom, he preferred almost anything over the frigid land of the north.

Naran knew almost nothing about the Northern Tribe, so Zuko didn't bother asking anyone else, since he knew all their answers would be the same.

“The north’s a real mystery, only way to know is to talk to whatever merchants they trade to.”

Zuko nodded, listening with rapt attention.

“See, they are neutral but they still trade with one specific port, once in a Blue Moon, nother than that all I know is their current chief's name is Arnook.”

Zuko pushed his food around, disappointed at the lack of new information.

“Do you... Know anything about the princess?” Depending on Arnooks decision he could be wed to her, so he couldn't help but be curious about what she is like.

“Princess Yue... Hmm not much other than the fact she's an only child, sorry kid.”

“It's okay” he unknowingly pouted, which caused Naran to pat his back in apology.

So instead, Zuko asked him all the questions about the Earth Kingdom that he could recall.

After Zuko began asking about how their tea ceremonies and etiquette differed, Nathan cut the conversation short. This was usually a daily occurrence.

Then the day arrived when they reached the north, Zuko almost threw up when he caught sight of a huge water tribe symbol engraved onto the ice wall. Benders stood at the top, ready to attack at any moment, he couldn’t see them very well from the distance, but their figures terrified Zuko nonetheless. Zuko took his time to take his belongings from his room, which didn't take long, all he had was his dagger and his clothes. He made sure to wear as many layers as possible to keep the already creeping chill away.

Zuko hid behind some machinery, watching everyone scurry around to complete tasks, he could see someone handling the mechanism that held the anchor, it was being lowered right in front of the ice wall. Despite how tall fire nation ships were, the northern tribe’s ice barrier stood even taller. It clearly marked where the city was located, standing proud as to dare anyone to attack it.

The last neutral nation, the Northern Water Tribe.

Strangely enough, there was a part of Zuko that was insanely curious about the northerners. Almost no one had any current information about the elusive water tribe. If somehow he returned home, he would be able to share his experience. He couldn't wait to learn about their culture, which was the only upside, Zuko loved learning about the other nations' cultures and traditions. One day the Fire Nation would rule over them, so he would need to know about their future citizens. But the only information about the tribes was brief and not descriptive. Scrolls and books about the tribes held even less information than ones about the Air Nomads.

Supply crates were being loaded onto tender boats, and about 10 boats were in the process of being prepared and lowered.

“Prince Zuko,” a gruff voice greeted behind him.

Zuko turned to face him with a sudden shock of dread and a new rush of nausea. It was time.

“Captain Asum,” he replied.

“Please follow me, our transportation is ready,” he said with his usual too-shallow bow.

Zuko nodded numbly and trailed behind. Suddenly all the previously overstimulating noise of the crew muffled out, all he could think of was his last moments amongst Fire Nation citizens, his people. No one gave anything more than a glance in his direction, only a few stopped their work to watch him board. No one spoke out or protested against sending the prince to live amongst savages. He took deep breaths, so as to not let himself cry at the comparison of the crew and his uncle and mother, all watching him being sent away, like a bone to a rabid dog.

Just before Zuko stepped onto the boat, someone grabbed his shoulder. Zuko turned to see Naran. The middle aged man seemed conflicted, he sported a smile that tried to seem honest, but the furrowed brow and sad eyes conveyed a different story.

Zuko was relieved to see him, as he was the only person that had kept him company during his trip, even if at the time it was unappreciated.

“Hey kid, thought I should say goodbye,” he said as he bowed.

“...bye.”

He huffed a laugh at Zuko’s usual awkward tone and turned to leave, but was stopped as Zuko surged forward to give him a hug. He didn't know what came over him, but as he clinged onto him, Zuko imagined it was his uncle, both him and Naran could chatter on and on about useless trivia, like it was nobody's business. His optimistic personality provided a similar comforting presence that Zuko was grateful for.

When the older man returned the hug, Zuko almost cried from the first gentle touch he’d received since his burn.

After a few moments, Zuko forced himself to pull away and climb onto the boat, giving Naran a final wave goodbye. He avoided Asum’s irritated glare at being delayed for a few minutes.

The boat was lowered, carrying only himself and Captain Asum, who was leading the array of other boats behind them. He watched the ship until he couldn't spot Naran anymore. The distance between the ship and the wall was short, but it felt prolonged by Zuko's racing heart and scattered thoughts. He tried to avoid looking at the water, but its sporadic slaps against the boat were loud and unyielding, as if the ocean was commanding his attention, to warn him or to promise him of what lied ahead.

They reached the wall, and a loud crack was heard as the benders bent the ice down the middle and away to let them through. Zuko stared in awe and horror up at the water benders, who moved the tons of ice away with ease. Once all tender boats were inside the ice, the walls were closed and sealed, as if they never moved in the first place. The men above them moved their arms again, and water from the side dams rushed in. Zuko gasped at the sudden influx of water, sure that they were going to be engulfed by it and drowned, but to his surprise, it only served as a way to elevate their transportation to the same level as the rest of the city. Finally, they were face to face with the benders who let them in. Zuko cowered as their steel hard gazes locked onto them, untrusting.

A man surrounded by guarded men walked up to their boat, holding his head up high and unafraid. Captain Asum stood from his seat and walked to the edge to greet him.

Arnook.

Zuko began to tremble, from either fear or the frigid cold, likely both.

Asum bowed and one of the guards scoffed. If Arnook shared the same sentiment he didn't show it, instead, he extended an arm out. Zuko was unsure what for, but the Captain must've anticipated it, because he accepted the arm and grasped his forearm. Zuko assumed this was their way of greeting someone, and was briefly distracted by wondering what other cultural differences they had.

“Welcome to Agna Qel’a Captain Asum,” he turned to where Zuko sat frozen in his seat, eyes wide,“Prince Zuko.”

Zuko wasn't sure how to respond, so he stayed quiet. Arnook didn't mind and addressed Asum. “My council awaits to officiate the treaty, please follow the canal to the city hall,” he gestured to the tallest building in the city.

“Of course.”

Arnook stepped into his own boat, controlled by a water bender instead of an engine. Their boats were guided by others, filled with guards and benders, ready to defend at a moment's notice. Zuko could feel everyone staring at him and Captain Asum, some inquisitive and others displeased.

The sidewalks were empty to prevent disorder, but citizens watched from their homes and balconies. Zuko watched them back just as curious, taking in the clothing, hairstyles, and architecture. Some held their children tightly when their boats passed, this only brought a stabbing reminder of his mother.

Once they reached their destination, Zuko tried not to faceplant from a combination of his jelly legs and the slippery ground. He wondered what Asum would do if he held onto his arm for balance and comfort, he chose to stand as confidently as he could, to outweigh the pathetic thought.

They entered the city hall, the walls and elegant pillars seemed to stretch on forever and Zuko was amazed at the sight. The ceiling had openings that let in natural light, illuminating the space.

From what he’d been told, the water tribes lived in igloos and shabby homes, he was dumbfounded by the surprisingly gorgeous buildings the city held.

Before them, sitting on the steps on the far end of the room, was the council. Seven men, including Chief Arnook.

Asum sat before them, posture straight and eyes unwavering. Zuko envied the captain's ability to remain resolute, surrounded by water benders with no ally other than a 9-year-old prince. Zuko sat too close to the captain and was slouched, desperately trying to appear so small no one would notice him. This of course didn't work, half of the council glared down at him, despite his efforts.

“Chief Arnook, you have the copy of the treaty, correct? I'd like to go over the terms to confirm that they are correct and agreeable.”

“Yes I do, go on. ”

Asum cleared him through before he began, “At the time of this written Neutrality Pact, the date is 23 suns past summer solstice, waning crescent. 92 AG, The interest of this treaty is to authenticate the neutrality between the Northern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation. This will verify that the Water Tribe will remain neutral and in turn, will receive the offered settlement and Fire Nations' official oath to not invade or conquer the Northern Water Tribe. The previously stated settlement will include lumber, coal, fire nation traditional medical equipment and medicines, gold, and the Fire Nation Prince.”

Zuko gasped in a sharp breath at the mention of his title. Some council members turned to him and Asum gave a small pause.

“I can read out the specified amount of the mentioned settlement if you wish, Chief Arnook,” Asum offered.

“No that's fine Captain, I’d like to inquire about the last part of the settlement, the prince, could you specify what that entails?”

“Yes of course,” Asum answered, he flipped to a different page of the treaty, “The Fire Nation Prince; Zuko, Son of Prince Ozai and Princess Ursa, will be under the care of Chief Arnook. He will be wed to princess Yue, if Chief Arnook desires to further the relationship between the Northern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation. This is not required. Prince Zuko must remain alive and healthy, if Prince Zuko dies due to unnatural causes, the treaty will be broken. A hawk must be sent with the exact description of the Prince's death, to determine if it was intentional or wrongful.”

It felt so demeaning to be spoken about as if he wasn't there, like a piece of cattle being sold to a butcher.

“Hmm... May I ask if there is any specific reasoning a prince is being given rather than something else of similar value?”

“It's meant as a sign of trust between our nations Chief Arnook, this is non-negotiable.”

“It's not preferred but acceptable, I suppose.”

“If all council members agree, may we proceed with the signatures?”

The council members all turned to one another, whispering within themselves. From this distance Zuko could only make out some complaints about being gifted a prince, some demanded they ask for more gold in place. Ultimately, after a few minutes, Arnook ended the conversation and faced Captain Asum.

“We accept the terms, let us officiate the treaty.”

Each member took their turn signing both copies, and soon enough it was time for Captain Asum to leave. Zuko tried to search for any look or sign that Asum would help him, trying to make eye contact to plead silently. But Captain Asum made sure to not look in his direction as he exited.

So Zuko watched as he left the city hall, boots thunking loudly and echoing across the room, announcing his departure. Zuko could feel his heart break, it was sad and pathetic how much the prince wanted to curl up and cry for his mother.

His bottom lip quivered, he watched as the fire nation tender boats used the canals to return to the ship.

Zuko gasped as ice abruptly engulfed his hands, shackles forming and connecting to the ground, forcing him to kneel. He looked up at the attacker to see several water benders surrounding him, standing ready in bending stances to detain him even further, if necessary.

“Chief, what should we do with the prince?”

Arnook walked over to him, staring down at his shaking form, a mix of pity and distaste. Zuko wanted to spit fire at him or claw and scratch, to show that even if he was the weakest royal, he’d still fight back until his last breath. But instead, he froze at the eye contact like a coward. He hated himself for feeling so small, for not fighting back, but he couldn't help it. All his life, he'd been the runt of his family, being constantly outmatched by his younger sister. Only recently had he begun to learn how to bend better and even then he was still weak.

“Take him to his cell, ensure the settlements are promised amount.”

The ice connecting him to the ground dispersed, leaving only shackles keeping his hands covered. He stood up and was almost knocked down once again by a guard pushing him to indicate to walk. He was led to a dark hallway, he passed by empty cells all dingy and dark. Eventually, they brought him to a fortified room, walls thick and made of stone rather than ice, to prevent him from burning his way out. They shoved him into it and slammed the door shut.

“What do ya think the chief will do with him?” the guard chuckled as he peered into his room through the small opening on the door, the only source of light being momentarily blocked by his sneering face.

“I'd say he'd keep him here till he dies of hypothermia,” the other guard replied.

“Could you believe that stupid treaty suggested marrying this ash maker to Princess Yue? What a joke,” the first guard spat.

“Really shows how egotistical they are, think they can tell everyone what to do, even when they're begging for us to stay out of the war.”

They keep talking as they walk away from his cell, making sure to say their insults loud enough for him to hear.

Once they left, Zuko let the tears fall.

Chapter Text

It’s been two weeks.

Two weeks without annoying questions about nothing and everything.

Two weeks without passing by the pond and watching him with mother, spending the afternoon together without her.

Two weeks without spending every evening going through pathetically easy bending forms for him to copy.

Azula wondered if she'd ever stop counting the days since he left.

Spending the afternoon going over historical events she went over with her teacher that morning. She couldn’t focus again today which was unlike her, she couldn’t risk not having perfect scores on her tests so she was going over it again on her own time. This was new, perhaps the empty chair next to her every morning was distracting her. She wondered if she should ask for it to be moved or just burn it herself. 

All the empty chairs gave her blinding reminders of Zuko, getting rid of chairs would be easy but the marble bench by the pond might be harder. 

Seeing her mother sit on it every day, watching the turtle ducks, made her want to scream. Her mother would rather sit by herself than invite her now that he was gone, but right now all Azula wanted to be was alone, so she supposed they had that in common. But that day Ursa had held her for so long… Azula would never seek out that comfort on her own so she was angry her mother couldn’t read her mind and just do it. Perhaps she only had room in her heart for her son, she didn’t know how to read Azula's mind because all she’s ever known was how to read Zuko’s.

This of course angered her more, so she grabbed a heavy rock and lugged it over to the turtle duck pond. With a grunt she threw it as far as she could, the turtle ducks scattered away with startled quacks.

She heard a sharp gasp behind her, “Azula!” Ursa marched over to the younger princess and pulled her away from the water.

“Why on earth would you try hurting those poor creatures?”

Azula didn’t know how to tell her she had no real reason. That she only wanted to take out her anger, all the disgusting rage she’s been feeling instead of grief, and throw it away. Because it didn’t make sense, she was supposed to be mourning but ever since that day all she’s felt was this ugly pit of anger building bigger with each day without news of her brother. She just wanted to feel normal but it was impossible without him. She never knew how to make sense of her own feelings. Not like her brother, who would take one look at her and be able to guess what had made her upset when all she told him were a few half-baked lies. 

So sue her if she just wanted to be a little violent and throw rocks in the pond!? Everyone threw stones and pebbles into it, so why was something a little bigger not allowed?

“I wasn’t trying to hurt them!” She growled out.

“Please Azula, aren’t you a little old to be terrorizing the turtle ducks and lying about it?” She gripped her wrist and led Azula inside the palace. “Nevermind that your father needs to speak with you.”

“About?”

“He has some special news for you.”

News?

Azula ripped her arm away from her mother and raced to her father's study where he’d most likely be located. And judging by the lack of response from Ursa the direction she was headed was right.

Before she entered the room, she paused to regain her breath and fix any flyaway hairs, regaining a neutral facial expression as she walked into the office.

Her father sat at his desk reading some scroll, he didn’t look up. Azula bowed, “Father, you called me?”

He took a few agonizing seconds to answer her, his eyes reluctantly pulled away from his task. 

“Azula, I have news for you.”

She held a breath, anticipating the update on Zuko’s whereabouts.

“I have decided to let you join the royal academy for girls.”

Azula tried not to let the confusion show, she didn’t want to be seen as ungrateful, but her father had always promised on how she would never be sent to the Academy and only be homeschooled by the best the nation had to offer.

“I noticed you’ve been distracted, I expect your scores to go back to normal.”

“Of course father, thank you.”

He went back to his work, signaling her dismissal.

“Father I just wanted to ask-“

An annoyed glance.

Make this quick.

“-if there was any news on Zuko?”

“That is the precise reason I am sending you to this Academy, I fear Zuko's disappearance is distracting you.”

What?

“Let me make myself clear Azula, I am giving you this opportunity so you can forget about Prince Zuko. If there are any updates on him you will be notified, but other than that: I don’t want to hear his name. It's already an embarrassment to acknowledge the prince disappeared, I won’t speak of it any more than necessary.”

Azula couldn’t help but stand dumbfounded, how could he try to act as if the Prince's disappearance was an annoyance?

“Am I clear?”

“Yes father.”

Another bow, then suddenly she was running down the hall. To anywhere she could be by herself, to scream and maybe even allow herself the grace of crying.

Three days later she was sitting in a real classroom, surrounded by daughters of nobility. She was nervous, she didn’t show it of course, as a princess she couldn't be anything but perfect.

But the whole day, whenever they were allowed free time, she was left alone. Everyone already had their own groups of friends and no one was confident enough to ask the princess to sit with them. 

Or so she thought.

A girl tapped her shoulder, breaking her away from her thoughts, “Hi! My name is Ty Lee!”

Ty Lee, daughter of Captain Lao Din and Zua. Azula remembered because she went through a list of who would be in her class and read about their families, just to be prepared.

“And this is Mai!” She gestured to the girl who stood behind her with a mildly annoyed facial expression. 

Daughter of Governor Ukano and Michi. 

“Do you want to sit with us? We saw you were a bit lonely.”

Azula's temper flared, why was this girl talking loud enough to notify the entire room she looked lonely? 

“Fine, I’ll sit with you,” Mai’s expression soured at her answer.

Ty lee didn’t notice and grabbed both their arms to lead them to a table. Azula had no idea why this girl was confident enough to lead her around like a deer dog, didn’t she know who she was? She shouldn’t be acting so casually with her.

They spent their lunch together, Ty lee of course carrying the conversation with Mai. Azula tried not to let her cheeks turn red from how frustrated she was, she didn’t know how to join the conversation. Every time she tried both girls looked confused by Azula's awkward interruptions.

“Did you see Hei’s braids? They’re so elaborate and distracting especially with all those bright clips. I’m surprised Miss Lui didn’t send her home.”

“Yeah, braids are stupid looking anyways, she shouldn’t try to stand out so much, my father says attention-seeking people like that lack discipline.”

Ty Lee flinched at her blunt words and brought a hand up to her twin braids with a frown.

Azula gripped her skirt underneath the table so as to not let them see. 

She said something wrong again, she didn’t realize Ty Lee had been criticizing the distracting hairstyle as a whole and not just the braids.

Mai scooted closer to Ty Lee and set a hand on her shoulder, “Your braids are very pretty, especially when you add those beaded bands at the end.”

Ty Lee perked up a bit and continued talking, making sure to change the subject and hide her insecure frown. But Azula could see the twitch of her smile and searched for something to say to make her feel better. 

She never found anything to say of course, but Ty Lee seemed to have moved on, because at the end of the day she hugged her goodbye as Azula was leaving.

“See you tomorrow! C'mon say bye Mai!” She forced Mai’s arm to give a limp wave.

“Bye Azula.”

“Bye.”

She didn’t remember to add a mental tally to the days he’d been gone until she was about to fall asleep.

________

The first night in the prison cell, Zuko had to pass out from exhaustion to get any sleep. Constant paranoia was the only thing keeping him from relaxing completely. At any moment he was sure they would come and begin the torture, maybe they’d let him starve or get sick before they would begin. The former idea was refuted when they brought him breakfast, a bowl consisting of a bone broth with some type of meat that tasted similar to pig chicken. 

During the afternoon Zuko took to planning out his escape. He obviously couldn’t bend through the stone, so the only way would be to either carve the way out with his dagger (that they didn’t take away because they didn’t bother to search him, which was stupid but very helpful for Zuko) or attack the guard the next time they opened the door. 

He wasn’t strong enough to do either and he had even fewer chances of surviving outside of the palace than inside, so he had no choice but to stay. So with nothing to do, he tried to distract himself. But no matter what he thought of, his mind always wandered back to home. 

Were Iroh and his mother really content with him gone? Did they miss him or were they glad to finally get rid of him? And Azula… Zuko knew she was strong enough to be on her own, but he couldn’t help but want to protect her. She was stronger than him physically, but emotionally she was a mess. Constant outbursts and fits of rage at any inconvenience, which Zuko would find himself bringing her down from. She’d scowl and push him away, but he’d always manage to hold her and give her comfort for the few minutes of vulnerability she’d gift him.

Without him, who’d be able to read between the lines of her words and find her true self hidden behind her false confidence? 

Zuko might’ve been the weak one of his family, but Azula was a different kind of weak, with time she’d surely learn to hide the cracks of her facade and no one would be able to get close enough to break her walls apart. 

Thinking of Azula ultimately always made him think about his father and his last conversation with him. 

“Nonono- father, I didn't mean to-“

“You will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher.”

Zuko curled up on the hard mattress and cornered himself into the wall. He gripped his ears to muffle his father’s last words to him before melting his face off.

His head pounded and his scar felt tight and uncomfortable, with no salve or disinfectant it burned even more so than usual and the cold dry air certainly didn’t help.

He rocked back and forth on the bed to give himself some comfort, if he still had long hair he would be pulling it instead of scratching his cheeks. He didn’t know how long he spent rocking himself and trying to breathe properly without being too loud.

“Hey!” A guard pounded on the door, “Get up.”

Zuko jerked his head up from his knees and flinched at the aggressive shout. 

The man opened the cell door and bent water to hold his hands together. Zuko silently prayed to Agni as he walked to wherever he was being taken, though he doubted Agni would be able to help much when he was surrounded with no way to get somewhere safe. 

When they reached the room it had a stone interior once again. Inside sat Arnook with a stern expression. When Zuko sat down, his arms were frozen to the table and legs bound to the floor. He felt claustrophobic with how little he could move his body, if he wasn’t worried about the chief, he was sure he’d be thrashing to get his arms free.

“Prince Zuko, I’m going to ask you a few questions. I expect complete honesty.”

Zuko nodded, his eyes darted from the guards in the corners of the room. If he lied, who knew what they’d do to him, but he couldn’t tell the whole truth because that’d be treason.

“Firstly, tell me the complete line of succession.”

“Uh.. well first it’s my uncle… then my cousin Lu Ten, My father, and then me.”

Arnook swore under his breath, his body language quickly turned from unbothered to enraged.

“Just as I suspected, they chose not to tell us on purpose, they essentially gave us a nobody who would’ve never seen the throne.”

Zuko backed away as much as he could, as much as he didn’t want to think about it, Arnooks aggressiveness and stature made him feel cornered by Ozai all over again. Like he would reach over and give him a matching scar for upsetting him, even if he realistically wouldn’t have been able to do that.

“Is the Firelord planning to betray us?”

“No.”

“What new technology have they been working on?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are you a spy?”

“No!”

“Are you truly spirit touched by Agni?”

Zuko paused, he wasn’t expecting them to know about his blessing. 

“Yes,” maybe he was stupid for admitting it for the chance that they’d despise him even more for it, but the truth slipped out.

“Do you speak to Agni?”

“No, I pray to her but she never directly answers”

“Does she give you unbelievable power?”

“Not that I'm aware of.”

“Bend.”

Zuko's right hand was freed and the guard’s bodies shifted to their weapons and water pouches.

Reluctantly, Zuko lifted his hand and created a flame, it was weaker than usual due to the cold but it held its usual color. Arnook’s eyes widened and his mouth slightly slacked in awe. 

“So it's true.”

Arnooks anger seemed to dissipate and become replaced with intrigue. Even so, he didn't ask any further questions.

“Take him back to his cell.”

Zuko was led back in the same manner but was too weak to walk to the pace the guard expected. After a few stumbles, they dragged him by the arms, legs dragging across the ice floor. Once they dropped him on the ground, they threw something in his room before locking the door. Zuko reached for it and was surprised to find a grey parka void of any of the designs or fur that decorated everyone else’s. 

He let out a weak thank you to both Agni and the guards, even if Ozai would’ve slapped him for thanking the enemy, they did gift him something that could save his life. They weren’t being as cruel as he thought they would be and he didn’t know if he should be worried but for now, he was thankful for the somewhat peaceful day. 

Zuko pulled the parka over his head and sighed in relief at the warmth it provided. Unfortunately, the layered fire nation clothing did nothing to protect him from the cold, the fire nation was hot and humid and as a result, all clothing accommodated for the heat not cold. He shuffled to the corner of the room out of sight from the small opening that allowed the guards to look inside, he wasn’t sure if bending of any kind was allowed and he didn’t want to be caught. He pulled his hands out from his sleeves and cupped them. Slowly a small flame came to life in his palms. 

He recounted the times his uncle would force him to meditate to strengthen his relationship with his inner flame. Iroh stressed the importance of the inner flame like no one else and promised him that one day when he was truly at balance with it, he would teach him the breath of fire. He remembered cheering when his uncle showed him the move, fire spitting from his mouth just like a dragon. He imagined breathing fire himself and how it’d feel. But for now, the pathetic flame keeping his hands warm would have to suffice. 

_______

Yue had overheard her father one night.

She stood by her parent's door and heard her dad speaking to her mom. Something about a deal with the fire nation, he seemed panicked. She peered into the room to see her mom, Merroya, listening attentively to her husband. Both their postures seemed anxious, like any further stress might make them snap like a bowstring. 

“We aren’t sure if it’s a trick, why would they bother making peace with us, if they can match our armies even while at war with the Earth Kingdom?”

She hummed, “Maybe they aren’t as well off right now as they seem, even if our nation is small we could match their strength, water is their opposite element after all.”

Arnook paced around their room, stroking his bone necklace as his usual thinking fidget. “Maybe so, but why send a single prince? To take us down from the inside, either they’re stupid, desperate, or grossly underestimating us.”

“Didn’t you say the prince was nine? There’s no way they seriously think he would be able to do any damage. It’s like sending a snow hare to a raven owl’s nest, what do they gain?”

“They proposed a marriage, they seem to think he’ll become chief that way, it seems.” 

Merroya looked offended, Yue was glad they weren’t even considering the proposal. But even so, she was scared of the idea and revealed herself. 

“Mom, what’s going on?” 

Both adults exchanged a glance, communicating within a split second. Merroya reached for Yue to bring her into her arms, “Nothing darling, just boring politics.”

“Is the fire nation coming for us?”

Merroya’s face dropped, realizing her daughter heard more of the conversation than she thought. “No, they just want our nation to be at peace with each other.” 

“But I thought they were evil and didn’t want peace?”

Arnook layed a gentle hand on Yue’s shoulder, “Well they certainly don’t want to be at war with us, they’d stand no chance!” 

Yue nodded, certainly they wouldn’t last against their amazing water benders. 

“So who’s coming to live here?”

“Just a prince, he won’t be able to hurt us, don’t worry.”

Her face scrunched in distaste, “I won’t have to marry him right?” She just wanted to ensure she heard correctly and would not have to marry a stupid ashmaker.

“Of course not Yue,” her father reassured her. 

“You’ll marry an honorable warrior from our tribe when the time comes.”

Yue didn’t want to marry any warrior, but her parents always assured her she’d change her mind as she got older and there was no reason to not believe them, so she didn’t fight it.

Then lo and behold weeks later there was a commotion in the streets. Her mother and she stayed on a balcony in the palace watching foreign boats travel their canals heading towards the very palace they watched from. Yue watched in fascination at the boats that moved without benders, and the men clad in red that stood atop them. The majority of the boats separated to head to the east side of the city to the training grounds that held flat terrain which would be used for holding the many cargo crates that the fire nation brought with them. 

Hand in hand with her mom they left the palace, accompanied by guards, to where the boats would be. Once they arrived, they watched both fire nation and water tribe relocate the crates from boat to land. They stood far away from the scene, but every once in a while a water tribe guard recounted the number of supplies to her, to which she would cross something off her list.

Today her mother was in charge of making sure the promised crates were accounted for, because all the council members were busy with something else. Likely whoever was on the single boat that stayed at the palace. 

After an hour of watching, the fire nation men left. The whole experience was extremely jarring, never in her life did Yue think she would see fire nation within their walls and not be attacking. 

Her mom heaved a sigh once they were out of their sight, “Wasn’t that nerve-wracking?” 

“Yeah, hey mom, did they really bring a prince to live here?” 

“I’m afraid so, but don’t worry, he’ll be locked away so we’ll be safe okay?” She tucked Yue's stray locks behind her ears. 

“But isn’t he my age? Isn’t it sad that he’s in prison forever?”

Merroya’s usual soft features sharpened, and she crouched down to Yue’s height. “It is, I’m not sure why they would give him away if they know he won’t be married to you. It’s odd but some things can’t be changed, he needs to be here whether we want him here or not, but he can’t be let free even if he’s young, it’s just not safe.” 

Yue understood, sometimes things needed to be done even if it was difficult, it’s what chiefs do, and one day Yue would be Chief if the council allowed it. But dad said it was unlikely, so she promised she would be the best leader possible to convince them.

“Ok.”

Even so, it was hard to imagine a boy the same age as her in the prison underneath the palace. She’d been there once and it wasn’t pleasant. The air was stiff and uncomfortable, the atmosphere alone chilled you down to the bone, and weren’t fire benders weak to the cold? Was he too cold? What if he got sick and died? All night she tossed and turned, imagining what it would feel like to be dropped off in an enemy nation to be imprisoned for the rest of her life. Even if he was an ash maker, she doubted he chose this for himself. And she definitely would want someone to be nice to her if she was in that situation. 

So she put on her parka, grabbed a blanket she wouldn’t miss and crept downstairs. Along the way, she tried her best to be quiet to not alert the men stationed outside the palace. Once she reached the doors that led to the prison, she crept open the door slowly. Inside was a long hallway with empty cells of ice. Down even further were cells made of stone for fire benders, there were two guards stationed outside the cell she assumed the prince was in. While the guards distracted themselves with gossip, she quickly snuck into an open cell, standing behind the ice door, waiting for a chance to make it further down the hall. After half an hour the guards finally left their rotation. She nearly fell asleep standing, but jerked awake once they passed her without noticing her. 

Once they were gone, she sprinted down the hall before anyone could come down. When she reached the stone door, she stood on her tippy toes to see him. 

In the corner lay a boy, covered by a thin blanket. From what she could see he had pale skin and a shaved head. She brought a hand to her own locks in pity, she couldn’t imagine what reason he would have to choose to shave his hair completely. She knocked on the door and the boy gasped and shot up to sit upright. That’s when she got her first look at his face, she almost gasped at the unexpected burn that covered almost half his face. Molted skin caused his eye to stay squinted and pinched. He stared at her with wide eyes, afraid and defensive like a lost polar pup. 

“Hi…”

“Hello…?”

“Are you the prince?”

He gripped the blankets closer to himself, “Yes.”

“What’s your name?”

“Zuko.”

She smiled, “I'm Yue, I came here to make sure you were ok, I heard fire benders get sick easily.” She shoved the blanket through the opening until it fell on the other side.

The boy got up to retrieve it and Yue noticed just how scrawny the boy was, she reminded herself to bring him some extra food, you couldn’t survive in the poles being that skinny. 

“Thank you.” 

They spent a minute in uncomfortable silence, neither child knowing what to say to the other. Until Yue finally broke the tension.

“Are you a spy?”

The boy immediately bristled, “No!”

Her brows furrowed, offended at the rude tone. “I was just asking! What else am I supposed to think? Why else would you be here?”

“It’s none of your business.” 

“Fine,” she pouted, but her curiosity was still not fulfilled. “Where’d you get that burn?”

“Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to ask things like that?! Or do they not teach manners here?”

“Hey! It’s a normal question, I just want to hear the story.”

“No way that’s a normal question, burns are stories of dishonor.” 

Huh? Yue had never heard someone call their scars a mark of dishonor. Everyone she's ever known told stories about their scars with pride. It’s a mark of bravery.

“But maybe I’ll tell you if you tell me why your hair is so weird.”

“Huh?! Weird? Now that’s rude!”

“Well you were rude first, why’s your hair like that?”

Yue decided not to mention how his hair or rather lack of hair was definitely more odd than hers. 

“Maybe later I have to go now, they’ll catch me if I stay any longer.”

“Bye…”

Yue gave a wave and followed the winding hall back to the doors. She managed to make it to the stairs that led to her room right as the new guards entered the doors leading to the prison. 

Finally, she could rest at ease knowing the prince wouldn’t die of hypothermia. 

________

When morning arrived or what Zuko assumed to be morning (His inner flame had a hard time alerting him to Agni when her light was so weak in the north), he was sure last night's encounter with the princess was a dream. But the blanket she’d gifted him laid on his body, warm and very much real. 

He didn’t know why the princess of the tribe would want to help him in any way but he didn’t want to question the first good luck he’s been given in a while. Technically their countries weren’t enemies anymore, but they weren’t exactly allies so from what he could grasp she had no reason to help him. 

Zuko took the blanket that she gifted him and shoved it underneath the mattress. She clearly wasn’t allowed to see him and this blanket was a vibrant blue whereas his other one was a dull grey. They’d definitely notice it wasn’t meant to be here and he had no idea what punishment he’d get for having it and was not eager to find out.

The day went by much the same as the last. He was given three small meals that usually consisted of dried meat. He was not taken out of his cell at all. He was worried about how the chief felt about their prior ‘conversation’, was he going to try again and try torture methods to make him confess information he didn’t have? But Arnook didn’t seem like a cruel person, he’d done nothing to warrant his distrust but it would be stupid to believe he was completely safe here. He could imagine Azula smacking his head, snarking that only an idiot would let their guard down while imprisoned. 

When night came he stayed awake despite his body’s complaints, determined to stay awake in case Yue came back tonight. Half asleep Zuko sat upright on his mattress until the guards that stood outside his door left silently. Minutes later and some shuffling outside his door a girl appeared in front of the door. Her hair was loose and curled around her face in unruly waves. 

Zuko spared no greeting, “Your hair.” He reminded her about the deal.

“Hello to you too,” she gave him an unimpressed look but Zuko didn’t care. 

“And to think I was going to give you a gift.”

Zuko cocked his head, confused. “What do you mean?”

The girl ducked down to pick something up to show him, her cupped hands revealed several tarts wrapped in a napkin. Zuko grabbed them and examined them, they were no different than any other tart save for the orange lumpy berry on top. He popped one in his mouth to taste the unfamiliar fruit, it was sweet and slightly sour. He looked up to see Yue watching him, likely to gauge his thoughts on the food.

“Thanks.” he grumbled.

“You're welcome.” 

Zuko finished his treat and awaited Yue’s explanation.

“I was thinking…,” she started “I didn’t mean to offend you, here we are told to not feel ashamed of scars because they are marks of courage so maybe you can tell me about your hair instead?”

Zuko appreciated the thought but unfortunately, the effect was ruined by the fact that talking about his cut hair was a thousand times worse. 

“They cut it to take better care of the burn.” 

She didn’t look convinced and the answer seemed to make her more curious about the scar.

“Couldn’t they shave only on that side?”

Zuko scowled, “I told you why it’s like this, now you tell me about yours.”

“Fine, when I was born I was really sick so my dad and mom took me to the…” she gave him a nervous glance, “-pond… and asked for the moon spirit’s help who then blessed me, my hair turned white and then I wasn’t sick anymore.”

Zuko stared at her in shock, never did he consider that she might also be blessed by a spirit. But it made sense now, her unnatural ivory hair could only exist through spiritual means just like his fire.

Yue was unnerved by the sudden silence and the expression on the prince’s face. “What?”

“You’re blessed just like me…”

“What do you mean?” 

“When I was born I was sick too and nobody thought I would survive past a few days but my mother prayed to Agni and she healed me.”

He lifted his hands and called forth a flame to show her. She jerked back at the sudden fire bending but a second later she practically shoved herself in between the bars to get a closer look. She gasped in awe at the rainbow fire and Zuko extinguished it after a few moments. 

“Woah…Zuko that was amazing! I wish I had gotten something cool like that.”

“Your hair is cool,” he confessed. 

“I thought you said it was weird?”

“It is weird but it’s not ugly.”

“This makes so much sense, my dad and his council were freaking out about having you in a prison because of ‘peculiar circumstances’.”

“You mean my blessing?”

“Probably, they are scared of offending Agni for having you in here.

“But I thought your people worship Tui and La.”

She laughed, “We don’t just need Tui and La, we need the sun too. We depend on Agni to change the seasons and help us grow food.”

At the mention of farming Zuko realized his meals had vegetables, he didn’t spare a second thought of it at the time. “How do you grow plants on ice?”

“Agna Qel’a may be all ice but the eastern villages aren’t, I’ve been there once and they have beautiful flowers that bloom in the fall.”

Apparently nothing his teachers told him about the north was true, it’d probably be better to forget everything they ever told him about the water tribes.

“Anyways, maybe he’ll let you live in the city, supervised, of course, Agni wouldn’t bless someone evil after all. At least I don’t think so.”

Even if her trust made him feel happy he couldn’t help but think of Azula at the moment, he could practically hear her whispering to him. Telling him to use her trust and betray her for his country. And even if he only just met the princess he knew he didn’t have the heart to betray her.

“You’re stupid, you know that?” 

Yue pulled away at the sharp insult, utterly confused by the sudden mood swing. 

“If your father is smart he’ll keep me locked away, even if Agni thinks I’m ‘worthy’ I’m still fire nation so you shouldn’t trust me.”

“But you're my age. I doubt they would have trouble keeping you from doing anything! I'm just trying to help you!”

They both glared at each other until Yue pulled away from the door. “Bye.” 

Zuko didn't respond, he listened to her walk down the hall.

Somehow he'd managed to screw up the only resemblance of friendship he's ever had within days. He pulled the extra blanket from under the mattress and wrapped himself with the warm wool and willed himself not to cry. He didn't have a real reason to cry, it was not like they were actually friends. He was just trying to warn her not to be too trusting but of course, it came out completely wrong, and now he'd scared away the only person willing to help him.

____________

Despite how angry she was with the prince, Yue knew she would eventually return. What she planned to bring him was not as simple as some food or a spare blanket. For this, she’d have to be sneaky or at least tell a good lie. 

“Good morning Yagoda.” 

“Princess Yue, what a wonderful surprise, do you need anything?” 

“I just wanted to stay for the lesson.”

Yagoda gave her an amused smile, “Of course.”

So Yue sat amongst the other women in the room paying attention to any information about healing burns but unfortunately, she came during the lessons for digestive issues . Yogada must’ve noticed Yue’s displeased expression because she asked her to stay after class.

“I noticed you were distracted Princess, perhaps you had some questions?” 

“Uh! Well, I just wanted to ask what you might use for a burn?” 

“Did you burn yourself, princess? I could heal you right now, show me,” she reached for Yue’s arm to pull up the sleeves but she stepped back before she could get the chance to check.

“It’s just that I wanted to know how to make a salve myself, as practice,” Yue gave her what she hoped was a convincing smile.

“Of course, come back tomorrow and we can do it together but for now, here,” Yagoda walked over to a shelf filled with dried herbs and jars full of medicinal salves. She reached for a small container and gave it to Yue. “This should help.”

“Thank you!” 

That night she was still too upset to visit him so she saved the salve in her room. The next day she had forgotten about the fight so she stayed up and went down to visit him.

When she arrived he was fast asleep shivering underneath both blankets. 

“Zuko?” 

The prince opened his eyes and she noticed they were glazed and unfocused. Her worry only skyrocketed when he sat up and his whole body was shaking.

“Are you okay?” 

“M’fine.”

It was a lie obviously but she didn’t want to ask again in case his temper flared. She stuck her hand through the bars and waved around the container. “This is for you.”

Zuko curled the blanket around himself and stood to retrieve the gift. The blankets swarmed his body, making him look even frailer. 

“It’s for your burn, to help it heal more.”

“Thank you…”

“I’ll bring you some better clothes next time, you look cold.”

“I’m fine I’m just a bit chilly.”

Yue smothered the urge to hug him and bring him to a fire and give him proper clothing. Zuko wasn’t made to live here, trapped without Agni’s light. Then she noticed him swaying, and her fear was confirmed, Zuko was sick. Unable to stand still without support, he collapsed onto the floor.

“Zuko? Zuko!” 

Clearly unresponsive, Yue forced herself to leave to find help even if it meant leaving him alone which was the last thing she wanted to do. Once she was past the doors leading to the main floor she let out a shrieking plea for help. She didn’t need to continue screaming for someone because the sound echoed across the palace through the empty room and quiet nighttime atmosphere. Immediately the guards positioned outside the building rushed in.

“Princess Yue what’s wrong?” said the first warrior that reached her.

“Z-Zuko. He needs help.”

Some looked confused at the use of his name instead of his title. Too many relaxed at the news instead of rushing to help her friend which frustrated Yue.

“Please get a healer, he's sick, he passed out!”

“Alright princess we’ll get him help but please allow me to escort you to bed.”

“No! I need to make sure he’s oka-“

“Yue!” Her mother called from the stairs, frantically walking down them with her husband in tow. “What’s happened?”

Yue ran to greet her halfway, nuzzling into her arms to seek some form of comfort. Her tense shoulders relaxed a bit but it didn't relieve her of any of the worries for Zuko. Arnook immediately began to question the guards about the situation. Eventually, someone came from the cells downstairs and confirmed the prince was unconscious. 

“Someone send for Yagoda, she’ll tend to the boy within his cell.”

That wouldn’t help, Yue knew he would need more than some medicine. Zuko needed better clothing, some sunlight, and a fire to sit by. He wouldn’t survive in the prison forever, though she was unsure of how to convince her father to let him have more freedom. But she’d figure it out when the time came.

Yagoda arrived promptly and was led down into the prison. Yue struggled against her mother to go with them. Merroya held her tightly to prevent the princess from running away. “Yue, what’s going on? Why were you down here?”

“I’m sorry Mom, I was talking to him.”

There was no sugarcoating it, Yue would’ve never been able to make a convincing lie. Merroya gaped at the confession, her daughter was never one to sneak around and find trouble. She hoped that her parents would forgive her this once. “We’ll talk about this more tomorrow, you need to go to bed.”

“No! Mom, please let me see him. I need to make sure he’s okay.”

“You don’t even know him.” 

“He’s my friend.”

“What? He’s the fire nation prince, he’s dangerous “

“He’s my FRIEND and he might be dying.”

Merroya tried not to yell back, not wanting to cause a scene. She took a few deep breaths, “Fine, but only for a moment.” Though she agreed her brows never unfurrowed and her shoulders stayed tense.

When they reached the cell Yue pushed her way through the guards, taking full advantage of her short stature. Yagoda sat next to Zuko who was propped up on the wall in the corner of his bed. His head was mostly slack and he could hardly open his eyes. Yagoda was disinfecting the scar to apply something. 

She must’ve seen Yue in her peripheral because she began to explain

“His wound got infected, it’ll need to be cleaned every morning and night. The infection combined with the beginnings of hypothermia means he is very weak right now.”

“I knew it.” Yue muttered to herself.

“I can see why you were so curious about burn medication,” Yagoda gave her a knowing look.

“Yue!” Arnook called out from behind the barricade of warriors in the doorway. He pushed himself through to grab Yue’s hand. “You can’t be here.”

Yue's response was quickly interrupted by Yagoda. “Chief Arnook, it seems I overestimated you and your men, I’ll need to tend to this boy every day now until he heals because he wasn’t given proper clothing nor any medication for his very obvious new burn wound.” Yagoda was usually a lighthearted kind woman but when faced with easily avoidable injuries she became a venomous viper shark. Especially considering any type of injury or sickness could be life or death in the poles. 

Arnook at least had the decency to appear ashamed. “My apologies Yagoda, please allow one of my guards to attend to the boy. It's far too dangerous for you to visit him every day.”

Yagoda scoffed, “With the shape he’s in? He can’t even stand on his own, I’d be surprised if he was able to create any type of flame in his condition.” She patted his knee as if he was her grandchild instead of the son of the most tyrannical family in the world. But she was right, Zuko seemed as though he wasn’t processing anything, only letting out weak murmurs every minute or so.

“And my newest apprentice will help me,” she nodded to Yue who was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events. 

“Of course not, this is too dangerous for my daughter, she is not even a bender.”

“All can learn to be a healer, she doesn’t need to be a bender and besides it is an honorable education.”

Arnook looked conflicted, not wanting to let Yue stay there any longer and also not wanting to prevent his daughter from apprenticing under the city’s best healer. And Yue’s clear excitement at the opportunity was something Arnook knew he wouldn’t be able to snuff out.

“There must be at least three of my men in the room at all times.”

“Of course,” Yagoda smiled gently, all previous antagonism gone.

“Thank you, dad!” Yue rushed to hug her father, squeezing her arms around his waist so he could feel it better underneath all the layers of his usual attire. Arnook gave her a smile, strained from worry.

“We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Yue didn’t look forward to the conversations and inevitable punishments she'd receive tomorrow, so she shoved it to the back of her mind.

Most everyone left, leaving only the promised 3 guards, Yue, and Yagoda. Yue turned away as Yagoda changed Zuko into proper clothes for the weather: A soft sleeping tunic, a parka, leggings underneath his thick pants, thick wool socks, and mittens. Several blankets were brought and they were piled underneath Zuko's sleeping body and on top of him as well. When they were finished you could hardly see the pale skin of Zuko's face between the layers of blankets. Yue placed the salve she saved for him under his pillow. 

Yagoda promised her they’d visit at dawn. Yue eventually pulled herself away from the boy's bed, but not before hugging his sleeping body the best she could with all the covers blocking her way. Even if they weren’t really friends yet, Yue was determined to try. She always had to worry about being presentable, as a princess and the living blessing of Tui, and she was sure Zuko would understand the pressure of living up to the expectation they had as spirit-touched individuals. It was as if the spirits willed it themselves, forcing them to meet even if there was a war separating them. And Zuko's arrival was too much of a coincidence. So Yue sent both a prayer and thanks to Agni and hoped Tui would relay the message when dawn came.

Chapter Text

Zuko was tired of waking up to near-death pain. The constant ache from his burn was now a tight hot pain. It almost sent Zuko into a spiral, his head was pounding so hard it made his vision swim. He sat up quickly, only worsening his nausea. He pressed his palms to cover his mouth, determined to not throw up. The pain was a deep shooting pain whereas the day he was burned it was more of a superficial burning, still painful but in different ways. The day prior, Zuko knew something was wrong. He was weak and lethargic, his skin felt wrong somehow. He was cold and weak and other than his burn being extremely dry and uncomfortable, he was unable to notice it was infected, with no reflection he wouldn't have noticed until it got so bad that he would have to be able to smell it.

Zuko never told anyone how he was feeling though, he doubted the guards would care and Yue didn't come to visit him, so he had no choice but to suffer in silence.

He sat up fully and was soaked from sweating due to the fever, pure fear, and the pounds of furs on him. Taking deep breaths he recounted the prior day, the crowd of muffled voices was one of the last things he remembered. After some irritating arguing, it had gotten quiet and he allowed himself to completely pass out.

The woman who arrived at his door must have been the woman from last night. She had a short stature and a round face. Her gray hair was pulled back with thick braids hanging down to loop back into her bun. Behind her was Yue, surprisingly. She seemed eager to learn from the healer, she was nodding and hanging onto every word the older woman said. When they noticed he had awakened, they turned their attention to him.

“Prince Zuko, I will be healing you every day until you feel better. This is my apprentice, Princess Yue.”

Zuko nodded, not trusting his voice not to croak.

“Zuko.”

Zuko turned to Yue, she looked apologetic. She reached a hand under his pillow and pulled out a small container. “I'm sorry I didn't help you sooner, I was going to give this to you but it was too late,” the princess looked close to tears. “You did help me, you got help as fast as possible. If you weren't there when I passed out, no one would’ve noticed til morning.”

Yue sniffled a bit and Zuko didn't know how to reassure her, so he pushed off the layers and shuffled to the end of the bed to hug her. Zuko never liked touching people that weren't Azula or his mother but it was evident that Yue needed the extra reassurance because of her guilt.

Yagoda clapped her hands which caused the children to pull away from each other. She seemed unsure of how to handle the situation so she gestured for Yue to look at the collection of vials she brought. She pulled up some to show her the contents, “Since you are not a bender, you will learn how to identify herbs, measure them properly and give correct doses.”

So Zuko spent the morning being Yue’s practice dummy. He hissed in pain every time anything came in contact with his burned side, only for her to profusely apologize and pull away, afraid to hurt him. Afterwards, Zuko was given tea that was meant to help with fever and infection.

“In another situation, I'd usually let my apprentice take the patient but this is a special case.”

Yagoda bent some water to come up next to Zuko. He flinched back when the water came near him. “The damage is so intense I’ll heal you myself with my bending, but Yue will ensure the infection won’t come back and you’ve recovered fully from the hypothermia since that’s not a wound bending can heal.”

Zuko nodded and forced himself to stay still as Yagoda dragged cool water over his burn. The sensation was both soothing and mildly uncomfortable but soon Zuko felt his pain be slightly relieved. When Yagoda finished, she inspected the area with a frown. She sighed and looked disappointed, “The burn was so deep I’m not sure your skin will heal properly. Alongside the infection this means that the skin has lost all hope of returning to its normal texture. And it’s too early to see how your eye or ear will fare but from what I can see your ear will stay that shape, it looks like it was fused into your skull as the skin was being burnt,” she said apologetically.

Zuko nodded numbly, he knew the left side of his face was going to have a permanent scar from the burn. How could it not when one of the most powerful benders kept a flame to his face for minutes on end?

He couldn’t help but scoot away and keep some distance from Yagoda after that. Even if she seemed like a kind woman, she was a water bender and that itself frightened him. It didn’t help that there were three sets of unnerving eyes supervising them intently from the other side of the room.

Yue coated his scar in a viscous medicine meant to soothe the pain, then she began to help Yagoda pack away the medicinal supplies. Zuko watched them quietly, he was sleepy despite only being awake for a short while.

Yue stopped chatting with him when she noticed this, which Zuko was thankful for. He didn’t have much energy to focus on holding a conversation, which was already something that required a lot of energy for him to focus on.

“Don’t fall asleep, you need to eat,” Yagoda handed him a bowl filled to the brim alongside a cup of water. Zuko took the water first, chugging it down, thankful to finally rinse the tea taste from his mouth. Yagoda reprimanded him to drink slowly to not choke but she looked amused.

“We were given some supplies from the fire nation. I was entrusted with the herbs since most are medicinal, but I could bring you some of the tea if you’d like.”

Zuko nodded eagerly, the tea he’d been given was decent even if it had that medicinal taste he didn’t like. But it was gross and he severely missed the tea his uncle would brew for him. He remembered how annoyed he would get when Uncle would insist he try every new batch he’d get from overseas but now Zuko would have done anything to spend the afternoon with him, tasting the new blends and finding the perfect dessert to pair it with.

“Alright, then we’ll see you tonight, come on Princess Yue.”

“Ok, bye Zuko.”

With not enough energy for a verbal response, Zuko waved them goodbye.

The women left with the guards trailing close behind.

Once he was alone, he snuggled up into the warm blankets and brought a hand up to his face. With no mirror or reflection he wasn’t able to see his scar, he could only feel the uneven tender skin. The salve certainly helped the skin from being too dry and peeling off from the cold, which he was thankful for even if it did burn a little.

Then Zuko closed his right eye to gauge how far his left eye was faring on its own. As expected it was foggy and unable to focus correctly. He was not able to see well even if it was his own hand in front of his face.

His eye had been blurry since his bandages came off, he hoped it would clear up as the burn healed but deep down he knew it would remain that way, not even a water bender could heal something as bad as this. He was pretty sure his ear was also damaged as he noticed he had a harder time hearing what Yue was saying when she stood on his left side.

He fell asleep before the headache could set in too deep from irritating his eye.

The next time he awoke, thankfully he felt a lot less dizzy. The fever officially broke, leaving him to deal with only the pain of the burn.

He ate lunch alone and walked circles around his cell so he wouldn’t spend the whole day sitting. He nearly ran into the wall several times due to his eye messing with his vision. And he also noticed how badly his balance was from his eye, he could hardly stand on one leg for more than a few seconds before tumbling down, just as expected. But he supposed it didn’t matter how clumsy he was as he’d never have to leave this room.

To be honest he was just worried about how long before he’d die of absolute boredom. He sighed, thinking about how he’d love to explore the city and get the chance to play in the snow.

He wondered what Azula would think of the snow. Sure, there were some snowy places in the fire nation, namely the peaks of mountains. But his family never needed to visit small villages in the mountain ranges when most major cities were near the islands.

Maybe visiting the north would be a fun vacation for his family in another life. Maybe he’d come here with mother and Azula, and they’d play in the snow. Zuko would endure some bruises from Azula’s roughhousing if it meant he could be with them. But at least he was warm, fed, and alive, that was more than he expected he would be when he was shipped away. He thanked Agni for that, although maybe he should thank Tui and La given his location. He reminded himself to ask Yue how to address and pray properly to the spirits the next time he saw her.

Yue and Yagoda arrived when night came, or what he assumed to be night anyways. They were accompanied by the same three guards.

“Hi Zuko, we’re back!” Yue announced.

“Hey.”

“Yue, this time you will do everything by yourself since it’s fairly simple. I’ll supervise.”

Yue nodded and went to work. Yagoda handed her the same box with the needed supplies and this time Yue grabbed them and applied them herself. “Ok, this might hurt,” Yue pressed a cotton wipe with disinfectant across his face. Zuko restrained a yelp but couldn't hold back a small whimper and a flinch, though he stayed completely still otherwise. Yue whispered an apology and grabbed the soothing salve, the goopy green-tinted substance stung a bit when applied, but Zuko didn't complain.

Yue gave him some medicine to help his immune system and Yagoda handed him a cup of steaming tea. Zuko grimaced in advance because of the horrible taste it would have, but to his delight when he took his first sip he was met with a sweeter tea than anticipated. Zuko took a deep sniff of the steam and smiled when he realized it was jasmine tea.

But his smile quickly dropped when he was reminded of Uncle. Yue noticed this and frowned, “What’s wrong?”

“My Uncle used to brew tea with me, he forced me to name a favorite and I told him it was jasmine, he always made me jasmine after that…”

“He sounds nice,” Yue hoped it was a different uncle than the man she was thinking of, if it truly was the future Fire Lord that would mean it was General Iroh. She shivered, Iroh was currently known as the dragon of the west for what he was doing in Ba Sing Se. Most in the tribe don't know much but Yue liked to sneak around and listen to her father speak about news in the other nations. She remembered how recently she’d overheard her father relaying the news to a council member about Iroh’s siege. It was horrible, hundreds of soldiers died in just a few days.

But she withheld her anxiety.

“He has a son, Lu Ten, he's my cousin and he's really fun to play with. He taught me how to swim in the ocean.” The guard's facial expressions turned from bored to irritated the moment Zuko named the prince. “And taught me how to find shells underwater, I would give one to my mom every day we were at the beach.”

“Woah, I thought the waves were too big to swim in?”

“Well it depends on the day, sometimes they knock you down and sometimes you can stay near the shore without having to brace yourself for them.”

Yue hummed, she looked intently curious, “Amazing, I’ve always wondered what it felt like to swim in the ocean.”

“It’s amazing, when you're underwater you can’t hear much and it feels great like the water is hugging you.”

She smiled, happy to finally hear Zuko telling her about his home life, every time they spoke it was about anything other than the fire nation. It was a touchy subject because of Zuko's predicament and their nation's wariness of everything Fire Nation related.

“You know, once my dad promised me he’d take me to the earth nation so I can see what it's like,'' Yue smiled wide at the memory. Her father spent the day recounting his time in the Earth Kingdom for some trading. Yue’s curiosity caused her to chase down her father every time she had another question. They were practically attached at the hip that day until you forgot about her small fixation on it, “We can't anymore though, because he says we’re only allowed to converse with other neutral places.” His smile dropped and Zuko frowned at the reminder of the reason he was even here. Even if he didn't have anything to do with it, he couldn't help but feel guilty. Now Yue would not be able to travel outside the North, the only other place that was neutral was Kyoshi Island and there was an extremely unlikely chance they would travel that far south. Even if they did they wouldn't take Yue as it would take at least two months meanwhile their previous trading port was only a few days away.

“Maybe if the war ends someday, you can still visit,” Zuko tried to provide some optimism, but Zuko's not one for optimism so it came out awkward and not comforting at all.

All the talk about the war had made the room tense, unbeknownst to Yue of course. But she only realized this after she noticed Zuko's continuous nervous glances to the corner of the room. She turned and sure enough the soldiers tasked with taking care of Yue and Yagoda were glaring at Zuko. Yue, instantly defensive, crossed her arms and made sure to stand in front of Zuko to block their view.

Yagoda, seemingly not wanting to cause problems, grabbed her things, “I think we should go now Princess Yue, we don't have to stay any longer than necessary.” Yue pouted but didn't want to argue with her mentor, even if she was disappointed Zuko wouldn't be able to tell more stories. If only they could talk without the excuse of healing Zuko in the way. Maybe one day she would be granted the opportunity to show him the city, so they could travel to the shops and eat. She could chatter his ear off about the tribe because even with Zuko's quiet personality she could tell he was just as curious about the tribe as she was about the fire nation.

But instead, it seemed Zuko would spend the rest of his life trapped in a dingy cell.

Yue was unsure of how to go about this. She planned to beg her parents not to keep Zuko as a prisoner but she knew that wouldn't be enough, because after all, it wasn't her parents' decision. It was the councils. Yue never liked the council, it consisted of 6 men (not including her father) who did nothing but nag and complain about everything from what she’d seen. Most of them ignored her and some even found her amusing due to her ambition . The day she promised her father she would be the best chief their tribe ever had, her father shushed her and the old men laughed mockingly. Some even made snarky remarks about how her father was residing her to believe such a thing. She never forgot her hatred for these men, but she needed them. So in a way, this was practice, when she became chief she would have to do this all the time, swaying the opinion of the council to see things from her perspective. They likely wouldn't care about Zuko's age or health since they had all met him when he arrived, so she needed something better. Something she could use to make them change their minds. She doubted she could make a reason for him being a prince and how his living conditions were less than appropriate for his position. Unfortunately she didn't know anything about that particular situation and didn't want to insert herself into the political side of this. But she remembered what Zuko had told her on the second night they met, that he was spirit-touched.

Since the day she was spirit touched by Tui, she had been coddled. No harm was to befall the human blessing of one of their most sacred spirits. But the thing was, Agni was also a sacred spirit. Although they did not directly pray to Agni because of their nation's connection to the moon and ocean, they still respected her. During the festivals for celebrating spring's arrival, it was somewhat technically dedicated to Agni. The purpose of the spring festival was to welcome the sun and hope that the farming went well during the warmer months. Their nation did not farm much due to the arctic temperatures and lack of fertile soil, but the hardy vegetables they did have were planted after the ground frost melted and the sun came out more.

Agni was needed by all, they needed her just as much as everyone else and this was how they treated her blessing? Even if she didn't care about getting Zuko out of prison this was still a disgrace to Agni, keeping her son locked in a prison without any access to her rays?

So Yue worked to devise her plan, and she decided to first tell her parents. Yue made sure to carefully plan out her wording to ensure they would at least hear her out. She waited a few days to gain her courage. Every day she spent she was more sure Zuko didn't belong in prison.

Every morning and night she would visit with Yagoda, eventually, the number of guards dropped down to only one in the room every day. They must’ve realized there was no point in having three warriors to keep an eleven-year-old boy from attacking when all he did was talk and tell stories with Yue. Stories that Yue was infatuated with, he would tell stories of staying at the fire nation islands every summer with his mother and sister. Though these stories had the potential to make him smile or make him sad, so it was a double-edged sword. Yue took to telling her own stories to prevent this, she would talk about the daily boat rides through the canals with her mother, the shop owners who’d known her since she was a baby, the classes she would take with Yagoda and other girls her age, and most excitingly, her trip to the eastern cities.

Zuko was stunned the first time she’d told him about the flowers that bloomed there, so once he nervously asked to hear more about it. Yue had only been to the eastern cities once with her father and she would ask to travel there every summer, without fail he always told her they would go next year. But just like Yue's fascination about beaches in the fire nation, Zuko was enthralled by the fact the north pole had fields of flowers during fall. They might have not had a lot of foliage diversity but they still had forests and plants in certain parts of the nation. The city of Agna Qel’a was the only one that was not built in one of those terrains. The city was built there to be a trading hub, relying on benders to build the city from pure ice.

Apparently the fire nation was taught a lot of wrong stuff about the tribes. Weird.

“Hey Zuko, your hair is growing back,” Yue pointed out one day.

Zuko reached up to run a hand over the short hair. It was at least one centimeter long, he was extremely grateful to not be bald. “Yeah, I can't wait to have it long again.”

“When it gets longer can I braid it for you?”

Zuko turned red, “Why..?”

“So it can look pretty, duh, don't you like mine?” Yue turned so he could see her hair’s usual style. Braids looping around the back of her head in a crown style, with of course her two loose braids that rested against her cheeks.

“No thanks…”

Yue pouted, did he not think her braids were nice? There was no reason to not have any braids, practically everyone with long hair wore some type of braids in their hair. Yagoda, who was sitting on the bed watching them converse, spoke up, “Yue, maybe there is a cultural difference in the fire nation about braids. She hit the nail on the head because Zuko nodded. “We’re not really supposed to let other people touch our hair.”

“Ohh that makes sense, who’s allowed to touch it?”

“Me, my mom, Lu Ten, my Uncle, my sister sometimes,” Zuko grimaced, remembering the times Azula did touch his hair and how they were often painful tugs. “And any romantic partners, so basically family members mostly.”

Yue really wanted to braid his hair someday but she definitely did not want to because she was his girlfriend. The concept felt so wrong, she could never imagine Zuko in that sense. But she quickly came up with another idea.

“Well I don't want to be your partner but I really want to be able to braid your hair one day, so I guess I’ll have to be your sister,” she said as if it was a completely rational outcome.

“I don't think that's how it works.”

"Why not?”

Zuko couldn't come up with an actual reason so he huffed in defeat, “Fine”. Somewhere behind him he heard Yagoda laugh which made him pout.

“Yes!” Yue cheered.

Yue spent that morning talking about all the ways she’d braid his hair and even practiced on Yagoda to show him what would look best. Zuko complained that all the styles Yue knew how to braid were for girls but she could tell he didn't actually mind. Especially since by the time they had to leave, he picked out a few he liked and was smiling.

Enough time had passed from the disaster that was Zuko nearly dying (and her parents freaking out over finding out they had met). Every day she would be with her mother and sometimes she would recount things about Zuko to her, finally happy to talk about the first real friend around her age she'd ever had. That might have been a bit dramatic since they’d only met weeks ago but it was always hard for Yue to speak with other kids her age, boys ignored her and she’d never had too much luck staying friends with girls long. Adults didn't mind her constant questions or maybe they knew how to better hide their unease around her. But Zuko didn't mind her odd and detailed questions about his nation and personal life (That weren't about his parents) and she didn't mind his bluntness. Zuko was quiet, whether that was because of recent events or if it was just his general nature she didn't know, but either way she found they balanced each other pretty well.

Her mother was glad for her new companionship but was unsure about the particular person Yue decided to befriend. If only Yue could show her how kind Zuko was (which might have been difficult when he usually had a rude resting face and was very blunt).

Yue was sitting in between her mother’s legs as her fingers curled through her locks. This was a daily tradition; Merroya would braid her hair in the mornings and take them out every night. Yue was old enough to do it herself now but she loved the routine and felt how soothing the act was. Arnook was getting ready for bed as well, pulling out his braids and pulling off his outdoor parka. Yue fiddled with her nightgown and worked up the courage to bring up the topic of Zuko

“Mom, dad, I wanted to ask you something and before you say anything please let me finish.” Both adults gave each other a worried look but remained silent. “It's about Zuko, I really think he shouldn't be kept in prison, he's not dangerous. I promise you guys, and Healer Yagoda can tell you that too. And from what Zuko told me, he's spirit touched like me.”

Merroya turned to Arnook with a shocked and somewhat betrayed expression, Arnook only sighed. “I can't believe you never mentioned this Arnook.”

“We couldn't risk anyone knowing, something this big could cause a panic.”

“So you thought the best course of action was to lock him up in the prison? Arnook, this is utterly disrespectful to Agni. Did you even think about what this could bring to our nation? Honestly, what should I expect from that council of old withered men-”

“What would you suggest? Letting him roam free, you can't possibly be considering that-”

“I didn’t say that but you should’ve thought this out more. How could you accept a child of Agni into our nation? We have no idea what this could mean, for all we know he was sent here as a trap!”

“There was no other option, you know that. The fire nation would’ve attacked any day-!”

“Yue, we need to speak privately,” Merroya began to shush Yue out of the room, she tried to get in a word to regain control of the situation but neither parent listened. Merroya leaned down to give her a good night kiss before promptly shutting the door.

Yue stood by to listen to their muffled voices before letting out a deep sigh.

I didn't even get to finish and I managed to mess it up, she thought.

__________________

The next day, when Yue went to her parent's room in the morning, her father was already gone which was unusual. Usually they would all get ready for the day together. Merroya was preparing herself for the day and seemed distant, Yue was hesitant to be with her since she was the one who (unintentionally) started the argument.

“Mom you're not mad at me right?”

“Of course not darling, I was just surprised,” She took Yue’s hands and caressed them with her thumb. “I'm glad you told me, I had a feeling the council was hiding something, to tell you the truth I’m not sure what's going to happen, but they’re having a meeting about it right now.”

Yue jolted. “Does this mean Zuko won't be a prisoner anymore?” Yue was ecstatic. Though her plan didn't go the way she expected, maybe she didn't ruin it completely.

“I'm not sure, but I really don’t think he should be let out, even if he doesn’t want to hurt us now doesn’t mean he won’t in the future. What if he grows up to resent us while we all grow to trust him? What if he takes advantage of our trust? You have to think of these things because one day you will aid your husband in ruling this nation.”

Yue deflated, Merroya noticed this and brought Yue to sit on her lap. “I'm sorry darling, but we just can't trust an ash maker no matter how nice he might be. You know the fire nation isn't to be trusted, their soldiers are bloodthirsty creatures. If he isn't like that now he will be later.”

Could Zuko really be capable of that? It seemed almost impossible to imagine him as a soldier who would murder innocent civilians in the Earth Kingdom but how would he be any different? If anything, it did make sense for the Fire Nation's prince to grow to be another monster spreading fear across the nations.

Yue almost began to cry from frustration. Frustration that her mother didn't believe her. That no one seemed to care about Zuko despite him technically doing nothing to gain this animosity. For blindly defending Zuko through everything, believing she was doing the right thing. She barely met Zuko and already trusted him this much, mostly due to the fact that she was excited to have a new playmate. Everyone she’d ever known always chastised her for being too emotional, too naive. It took her mother painting out the obvious for her to really think about the situation from a leader's perspective rather than her own childish point of view. Just yesterday Zuko was telling stories about his cousin Prince Lu Ten and future Fire Lord Iroh, responsible for so many deaths, and she accepted it as a normal thing.

Yue didn't know what to believe. Was it really so wrong to want Zuko to be treated fairly? Was it wrong for her to want them to be friends? Being friends with what could be the enemy. Her mother was right, if he wasn't bloodthirsty now, he could be later.

“I won't bother you about him anymore.”

Merroya smiled and began to comb through her hair.

Despite Yue's best efforts after that day, she could not get a word out of her mother's and father's mouth about the meeting. Usually, her father wouldn't mind retelling the issues currently being resolved but today he wouldn't budge. Instead of further badgering him, she spent her day following the usual routine. 

Yue tried her best to seem natural but the whole time as she cleaned Zuko's burn she couldn’t help but imagine him in soldiers' armour. Watching him go after her family, her nation. Suddenly the rainbow fire wasn't as beautiful anymore when it was burning her home to the ground.

“Yue, are you okay?”

Yue jolted and realized her hand was trembling, Zuko took the cotton she had been using to clean his cheek. Yagoda stepped closer with a worried face, hand on her shoulder to keep her steady.

“Zuko… we’re friends right?”

Zuko looked confused by the odd question but nodded his head without hesitation.

Yue lowered her voice so that hopefully the warrior in the corner wouldn't hear her. “And you wouldn't hurt me or my family, right?”

“Why would I?”

“Would you do it if given the chance for your nation?”

“That wouldn't benefit my nation at all.” Yue grimaced at the wording.

“But what if your Fire Lord asks you to?” She knew he hated talking about the Fire Lord and his father but she needed to know. Know that she was doing the right thing.

Zuko was startled, “Why are you asking that? I-”, he looked between her to the warrior in the room, eyes searching then understanding. His face turned from shocked to angry to betrayed. “I don't know why- My grandfather would never tell me to do that!”

“But what if he did? What would you do?” Yue felt more hurt the more he avoided answering the question. Yagoda grabbed Yue's hand ready to pull her away, “Princess, we shouldn't antagonize Prince Zuko with hypotheticals-” Yue yanked her hand out of her grasp, “No! I need to know! Tell me Zuko, if you were never sent here would you join the army? Maybe one day invade our home?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

“Just answer!”

“That's a stupid question!”

“If it meant you could go home, would you?”

“MY NATION’S NOT LIKE THAT! ALL MY FAMILY EVER TRIED TO DO IS BRING PROSPERITY TO THE WORLD!”

“OH YEAH, BY MURDERING PEOPLE?!”

Maybe it was Yue's screeching or maybe it was Yagoda’s sudden movement of pulling Yue away and towards the door but the warrior finally detained Zuko by bending water to entrap his lower body, forcing him to stand still. The guards standing outside the door rushed in, immediately shielding Yue and Yagoda. Yue peeked through the men watching the scene. The water was bent to force Zuko into kneeling with his arm stuck to the floor in front of him. Zuko sat hunched over, cowering on the floor and flinching from any movement of the warriors who stood over him.

“Wait wait, I'm sorry, please-”

Yue was pushed out of the room before she could see his tears.

Yue immediately attempted to hide her face in Yagoda’s warm parka. She was crying, an embarrassing habit she did whenever she was mad. Shame and anger engulfed her, despite Zuko's rambling about his family's reasoning for the war she felt guilty. Who knew what would happen to him, he clearly and loudly defended his nation’s wrongdoings and now he'd have even less of a chance of being given freedom. Yue didn't know if she should feel relieved about it or not. Maybe this would be better for her nation. That was the only way to console herself, she did it to know if he would ever betray them. And telling by his answer maybe her mom was right, he believed his family was good so eventually he would become like them.

For the first time, she wished she had never snuck in to meet the prince.

Chapter Text

Zuko couldn't breathe.

He was being detained and couldn't move his arms or his lower body at all, and with all the men standing above him he was absolutely petrified. Of course he would make the mistake of screaming at the princess of the northern water tribe . He was sick of his temper ruining his life and constantly leading him into bad situations. And though they wouldnt be able to murder him without breaking the treaty they definitely didnt say anything about punishing him. 

The men who gathered in the room parted ways for chief Arnook who was immediately sent for the moment the warriors deemed him a threat. Arnook looked angry and gestured for the men to follow him. Zuko was led into the same room he was brought to on his second day in the pole. Once again Zuko was forced to sit and stay still. Arnook looked down on his form and huffed, displeased. 

“Prince Zuko care to explain the situation?”

“Im sorry sir I didn't mean to disrespect you- or anyone I just got angry and I- well Yue and I go into an argument and it's not her fault but I got angry and-”

“What were you talking about?”

“Yue was asking me about my family and I yelled at her…but I promise I didn't touch her!”

Arnook looks at him with a blank face, his eye bags are deep and it's evident he is very stressed by his posture,and his tense armsHe lets out a deep sigh and remains quiet for a few dragging moments.”I've been told what happened and I know it was only a verbal fight. Honestly, the only reason you're in trouble is because it escalated. But since it wasn't physical I’ll let you off with a warning”  Arnook crosses his arms and sighs. “And i’d say my daughter holds equal blame for your argument” He seems to soften up at the mention of his daughter, but the annoyance stays.

“'But that’s not the only reason I needed to talk with you, the council have been conversing lately about the situation concerning your living arrangements, because of your position and our new trust between our nations we’ve decided to extend your freedom” Zuko gapes. Out of everything he was expecting the chief to say this was the last thing he anticipated. Maybe some threats and warnings or even some form of punishment but his freedom? 

“Of course you’d still be restricted to a few areas and be monitored but after some encouragement from trusted individuals I've decided to allow you to live in the palace, our nations are on semi- friendly terms'' he exaggerates “and keeping the prince of the fire nation in a cell doesn't seem appropriate for the situation or your station. We wouldn't want to offend your family, this is meant to be a mutual relationship with the royal family” 

Zuko had no idea how to respond so he sat quiet with shock. Arnook continued, “There will be many rules and if any are broken you will have to return to your cell but I really don't want to do that, I don't know anything about you prince Zuko but I know you were likely  not sent here by choice. Even if your family is not on great terms with us you don’t deserve to be a prisoner despite what many would think” 

“Thank you sir”

Zuko was led back to his cell to gather any belongings. Which only ended being the blankets and mittens he was gifted and of course his dagger he hid underneath the bed. He was escorted up the stairs and into an empty wing of the castle. When Zuko entered his room he was surprised by how generous they were. The room was large and held a bed, there was a wardrobe and a desk and everything you would normally expect in a bedroom. Zuko thought they would only put him in a slightly nicer room than the cell with little furniture for him to set ablaze but there was even a window . Zuko immediately went to stand in front to look outside and just stand in the light. Of course it was still cold but the afternoon light felt heavenly on his skin. 

He didn't want to admit to getting a little emotional but it had been a month without stepping outside and he never thought he would be given the opportunity to feel sunlight again. And the rules he had to obey weren't even that restrictive thankfully. The first rule was about his bending, he wasn't allowed to bend at all in risk of being detained. The second was not being allowed out of his room without reason and an escort. Even then he wasn't allowed to exit the wing and access the rest of the castle since only limited people even knew he was here. Other than the guards that would be stationed outside his cell, which were consistently the same men no one knew about him.

Zuko was now officially alone, before he would feel watched and uncomfortable due to the fact someone could look into his cell and he was never alone. This caused him to be afraid to sleep without facing the door, constantly on guard. But now he could do anything without the feel of eyes on him, the first thing he did was explore the bedroom. He was shocked to see so many wooden things, expecting everything to be made of ice. He thought back to what you said about the other cities in the north, they likely supply the capital with wood, or maybe they would transport them from the Earth Kingdom.Zuko opened the wardrobe and found clothes, thinking they forgot to take them. Zuko pulled something off the rack. It was a gray tunic, it was his size and definitely intentionally left for him. He smiled, grateful for the change of clothing. He changed into it and delighted in the way it kept him warm and was much lighter than the heavy parka he’d been gifted. He hung up his fire nation clothing, it was unlikely he would ever wear them again since they did nothing for the cold and might make others uncomfortable by the bright red that instantly marks him as fire nation. 

While exploring his bedroom he noticed a door that leads into a bathroom, he tried to figure out how the tub worked but it seemed as though the only way to get water to come through was with bending. He didn't want to talk to any of the guards outside his door but he was desperate to finally take a bath. Reluctantly he decided to ask, the irritated guard came in and let out a steady flow of water into the tub. Once he left, Zuko let his hands warm up in the water. He wasn’t allowed to bend but he was sure this was the exception because technically there wasn't any fire, he was just warming the water.
After the bath he took to stay by the window, to both bask in the sunlight and watch the people walking throughout the city. He did this all the time in caldera, he’d sit up in his room and watch the servants walk around and complete their duties. He was never one to socialize much, alwaying finding it difficult to talk to people without feeling nervous or messing something up, not like there were many people he was allowed to talk with. His father made it extremely clear he was not to speak casually with the servants.

So he spent the evening watching the edge of the city and the bridge that connects the palace to the city. The servants that had to leave for errands or warriors walking along the canal or bridge. Even a group of benders practicing in the empty courtyard.

By the time it was around the hour Yue and Yagoda would visit he awaited them patiently. Time passed and all Zuko could do was overthink, he was certain he would never be able to earn Yue's forgiveness. This was the first time he snapped at her, sometimes he found himself unreasonably irritable and Yue wouldn't notice she unintentionally pushed him too far. Usually that resulted in small arguments or zuko completely shutting down by not talking and instead wrapping himself up with his covers. But this time it was different. Yue purposefully asked him questions she knew would anger him, why He wasn't sure yet. The best answer he had was that she was asked by her father to investigate his intentions or plans. Why else had she been asking such random invasive questions? But this theory only confused him even more. If she indeed had been tasked with figuring out his intentions, why would they give him more freedom right after the incident? Why had they forgiven him so easily when he was screaming at their crown princess, the whole thing just confused him no matter how he thought about it. 

So he just reluctantly accepted the situation and decided to be thankful regardless of the reasoning. 

He still felt bad about their fight. Yue was truly a kind person, the first friend around his age besides his sister (which hardly counted). He never knew why she bothered being his friend when he wasn't exactly the most interesting person. He was quiet and unreluctant to share anything too personal, not to mention he had a bad temper. And he rewarded her patience with snapping at her, he wouldn't be surprised if this was her last straw

To his surprise someone did end up coming, he opened the door to see Yagoda, Zuko frowned as he realized Yue was not accompanying her tonight. 

“Im afraid princess Yue is busy tonight” 

“You don't have to lie I know she doesn't want to see me” 

Yagoda’s polite smile strained, “Well it's true she is upset with you right now…she feels the same way you do, guilty, that's how I know she’ll come around” 

“Well it doesn't matter anyways I don't think she needs to come anymore now that my burn is fine”

“Well now you have less restrictions i'm sure spending time with her outside of being her patient is fine”

Zuko didn't respond, he only pursed his lips and turned away. Yagoda, sensing his discomfort, changed the subject.

“Today I thought we could gauge how far your eyes and ears are faring?”

So instead of clumsy hands carefully applying salve to soothe the skin oh his face Yagoda ordered him to complete different tasks. After each mistake her face would only look more worried. Anxiety gnawed at Zuko's mind, earlier he took some time to look at his reflection for the first time in a while. The results of the burn and infection were worse than he anticipated. He had expected uneven skin from the texture he could make out but the skin had deep lines stretching across his face pulling the skin so it looked taut and his eye looked squinted. His ear had merged with his temple. He was mostly upset at the color though, the scar had healed and remained a deep red that stood out against his pale skin.

“Zuko from what I can tell your eye has been damaged, at this point any blurriness should have faded if it was temporary. I’ll attempt to heal it with my bending but I'm afraid I won't be able to do much” She brought up her hands to each side of his face and snapped her fingers. “Point to which ear is more clear”. Zuko pointed to his unscared right ear and Yagoda sighed. “Im sorry Prince Zuko the damage could have been less extensive if it had been treated earlier” 

“It's fine” 

Yagoda seemed even more displeased by his answer. “Chief Arnook should've have never let his pride and beliefs blind him from providing medical attention to you, i’d like to apologize on his behalf”

“It's fine really I was expecting much worse” he confessed

Yagoda raised an eyebrow, perplexed. “What exactly were you told before you came here?” Zuko immediately tensed up, he didn't want to anger the waterbender standing before him, but then again he’d understand. “I'm not looking to pry I was just curious about what the fire nation are told about the tribes'' 

“Not much, but we’re enemies so I thought either way that I was going to be kept as a war prisoner” 

“Maybe in different circumstances but we aren't enemies anymore, I'm glad I got to meet you. This situation is extremely unheard of but I think it was a blessing from Tui and La. Our tribe is protected and Yue gains a friend. Our princess is very sociable but unfortunately for her sometimes her lively personality can intimidate people”

“Really?” Zuko had a hard time believing someone like you could have trouble making friends. She was just like Azula in the way that she knew exactly what to say to people and when. And she was witty and funny like Azula. Only difference is Yue's jokes were less cruel.

“Oh yes, that's why I was so amazed to see how well you two get along, no one else would dare yell or poke fun at princess Yue '' Yagoda laughs as if Zuko insulting the princess of the northern water tribe was funny. Zuko simply sat embarrassed, unsure of what to do, apologize or defend himself. There was multiple times where he would insult Yue accidentally but plenty more where he would call her stupid or call her hair weird on purpose. To be fair She did  the same to him but maybe he shouldn't have continued it. 

“I can see you worrying your head off, dont worry Yue doesn't mind it and neither does anyone else. It's what kids do” 

“Maybe…but what I did was worse than that. Do you think she will forgive me?”

Yagoda contemplated this, which seemed to confirm Zuko's anxieties. She patted his knee which snapped him out of the beginning of a spiral. “Yue is not mad about the yelling, she's mad because she is not sure if your heart aligns with your family's values. The values that they use to justify the war. I won't lie to you Zuko, the war is horrific on both ends but it began because the royal family believed they were superior to other nations, do you believe that?”

“No! My family doesn't believe that it's just they want to spread the fire nation's prosperity”

“And do you think attacking another nation will bring prosperity to it?’

“Well no…”

“What exactly have you been told about our nation Zuko?”

Zuko suddenly felt immense guilt, ashamed of what others have told him about the northerners. Looking at Yagoda now, the lovely healer who has been nothing but kind Zuko couldn't compare her at all to the savage images he would be given by adults. And even worse he believed them once. “I don't want to insult you ma'am, what I was told about the tribes are wrong” 

“I don't blame you for what your family has done or said at the end of the day it's your choice in weather you choose to believe it or not”

He swallows nervously, He tells her the stories he’d heard over the years. Everything down to the differences between the southerners and northerners. Some sailors would talk about how the southerners were turned into bloodthirsty savages in order to survive the destruction of their nation while their sister tribe were not that much different other than their powerful and dangerous benders to keep them safe. He’d heard many hateful promises to even out the tribes once the Earth Kingdom was dealt with. During his stay Zuko has increasingly hoped that the treaty was never broken, though a war between the nations could result in him going home if it meant it would cost the tribe he wouldn't want it.

Yagoda looked disappointed in what she heard but not surprised at all. “You know it all wrong, correct?”

“Yes I do”

“Then all is forgiven”

“I'm still sorry about what I said before, Yue and you both have a right to be upset with me. I know my family is wrong in what they do to the rest of the world and I've known for a while it's just… I didn't want to believe it. In my selfishness i hurt my friend and i want to tell her i'm sorry”

“I'll see what i can do”

___

Next day Zuko awoke to the feeling of Agni’s ray across his face, he sighed, happily able to feel Agni. Though it seemed his time away from the sun skewed his body’s natural clock because he could tell it wasn’t sunrise, It was well into the morning. He rolled over to spend a few more minutes in the cozy covers, a bit lazy but he didnt care. Half awake, Zuko basked like a pygmy puma. Then he heard it, a creak of the door, he sat up just to be knocked down. Holding him tightly was Yue, already ready for the day. 

“Yue?”

“I forgive you”

“Huh?”

“Yagoda told me what you said and I just wanted to say i'm sorry too, I was made you angry on purpose, no matter what my reason was I should've asked  you privately about it” Zuko didn't point out how it would've been impossible to have any kind of private conversation in the cell with Yagoda and a guard around to supervise.

Instead he just wrapped his arms around her, thankful for Yagoda’s help, he metally reminded himself to thank her.

_______________

Despite not being allowed to venture outside of his room and the surrounding area, Zuko found to enjoy his time in the palace. Now safe and secured he's been able to sleep better. The seasons changed and Zuko came to appreciate that he arrived during summer because winter was undoubtedly the worst season. Other than the temperatures the sun goes down nearly all day other than for a few hours and during a week there was even no sunlight. During this time Yue and Yagoda were worried about how his body would react to the lack of sunlight. Zuko felt mostly fine but definitely weaker and more lethargic. But now it was summer again and Zuko was ready for his birthday.

Yue’s birthday was in spring which meant she had a few months of holding her age over his head, quick to win over any disagreement because she was older and therefore more ‘wise’. Now in the blessedly warmer months of the year Zuko was set to turn 12. He secretly mourned the birthday he would have had in the fire nation. He longed to spend the day with is mother and azula, his last birthday was spent in the streets of caldera

They went out into the city to eat from the street vendors and watch local entertainers. Even under the blazing sun and remaining minor sunburns from the day it had been great. He even received a hug from Azula alongside a mumbled ‘happy birthday’, only for her to shove him away in disgust as if she wasn't the one to initiate the hug in the first place. And they ended the day by walking back to the palace, each sibling holding a beautifully intricate lantern they bought while in town. One lit with a bright orange flame and the other a weaker but stunning color, both illuminating the path home.

But Zuko didn't want to think about that now, he shed enough tears and he knew his mother would be upset he was crying on his birthday. So he distracted himself with his morning routine instead. Sitting in front of the open window, Zuko meditated as he did everyday. Even if he wasn't allowed to firebend he still went through his katas for practice and meditated to retain that connection with his inner flame. Just as he entered the meditative state the door barged open. Zuko jerked up to meet the intruder, but instead of a dangerous intruder he was met with a preppy princess. “Zuko! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” 

Zuko almost berated her for scaring him so badly but he knew she had good intentions and didn't want to make her feel bad over her excitement. “Thank you Yue''

“I have a huge surprise for you but I can't tell you yet so for now i'll give you Healer Yagoda and I’s gift” she went to the door to pick up a bundle she left on the ground. It wasn't wrapped but then again it wasn't like there was an abundance of wrapping paper in the north. She handed it to him and he unfolded the fabric. When he held it up he was shocked to see a new parka, but this wasn't like the one he already owned. It was a deep blue color with brown and incredibly beautiful, unlike his old one that was a dull gray and had none of the embellishments that most clothing in the north had. It was covered in stunning designs on the sash and arms. With fluffy white fur decorating the hemlines. 

“Woah…”

“We decided it was time for you to have a more personal parka, maybe one day you can learn how to sew so you can add something onto mine” 

“Huh? You made this?” 

“Well not the parka itself. I made the designs, Yagoda helped me and she even added some too. See these beads?” she pointed to the sleeves. Just above the white fur there was bright beading that contrasted the blue. Colorful beads wrapped around the sleeve with a beaded sun in the center of the pattern. 

Zuko gaped, he didn't expect anything like this at most he expected a small gift from the but this was one of the most thoughtful gifts he'd ever received. “Thank you, I'll wear it forever” he said half jokingly, they both knew it was partly true. He was still wearing his ‘outdoor’ parka inside almost everyday. Yagoda mentioned he'd likely get used to the temperature by the end of the summer, he doubted it.

“I'm so glad you liked it I worked so hard, sorry about the messy beadwork” 

Zuko looked down to appreciate the beadwork that must have been Yue’s. It was the same colorful style but these were messier, lines a little more wobbly. He didn't care though he thought it was beautiful anyways. He couldn't wait to change into it and finally fit in more.Of course he'll always stick out like a sore thumb compared to everyone else but now he'd at least look the same clothing wise. Before he'd been so envious of everyone's clothing. The amazing designs of everyone's parka seemed to be unique to each individual, with his own being void of any,  another marker of how different he was. 

Zuko shivered when cold hands slipped into his hair, he'd never get used to how touchy the silver haired girl was. She examined his hair, “ y’know your hair might be long enough to braid now” 

Right. He forgot about his promise to let her braid his hair. It had grown out from the shaved disaster it had previously been, it reached the base of his neck now but still not long enough to pull into a top knot. A year ago he would've been scandalized from the insinuation of allowing her to style his hair like that but ever since Yue’s proclamation of being his sister that's all she's ever been: his sister. She even teases him like one, though thankfully a lot less violent than Azula. 

He changed the subject, “What were you saying about a surprise you couldn't tell me?” 

“Get ready then i’ll take you” she said before she left the room leaving him utterly confused. 

Take him? There have been very few times where he exited his room, only allowed to do so if he had a reason and someone watching him. So the only times he's left was because they decided to go into a room with a balcony to play with snow. And it definitely wasn't  snowing now, even if it was, that wouldn't be much of a surprise. Once he was ready he met Yue who waited by the stairs that led down to the first floor of the palace. Beside her stood her father, which instantly made him even more curious.

“Good morning chief Arnook” Zuko greeted

“Good morning Zuko” 

 Zuko searched for any sign of the supposed ‘surprise’ any quirk or maybe even a gift hidden behind Arnooks back but the chief looked completely calm and collected no sign that anything out of the ordinary was happening

“I’m sure my daughter told you about today?”

“Uh no I dont really don't know what is going on” he let out a nervous chuckle, being around Arnook makes him nervous no matter how polite he is.

“Ok then i’ll be the one to tell you, I've gotten some recent developments about your current living situation” 

Oh so this was the surprise: some news. During spring the chief has begun visitinging him more often, oftentimes along with Yagoda or Yue. He usually spends the time conversing with him and genuinely wanting to get to know Zuko. He was never sure why on earth a world leader would make any time for a random kid who wasn't his own, especially because Zuko was somewhat their enemy (even if their nations weren’t at war). But he never commented on it to anyone and went along with it, he was sure he was also being judged by Yagoda, especially since her opinion was highly regarded due to her status. But at some point it seemed aronnok had made his own opinion about Zuko, a positive one somehow. Because one day he came to talk to him, alone, Zuko was sure he came with negative intentions that day. He couldn't help but always assume the worst, he supposed it was to shield himself from the inevitable day all this good luck ran out. He’s an unlucky child, all his life it was made very clear and these months of peace had to run out eventually. 

But it seems that day has not arrived because Arnook told him he was going to work to let him have true freedom. Zuko almost laughed at his face that day, at the absurdity of the promise and the stupidity of the decision. All he could think of was what his father would have done if he was given an Earth Kingdom or watertribe kid to take care of. They wouldn't have lasted a month alive. But that was the difference, Arnook wasn't his father. And he was constantly being reminded of this. He wasn't even a typical north tribe father, it was evident by how often Yue would recount how everyone disapproves of how Arnook was raising her. He allowed her to exist as a normal kid, allowing her to be herself and have some control over her own life, which was a stark contrast to how royalty was usually raised. They were kept on a tight leash,and from the moment they are born they are already raught to eventually lead the life they were born for. 

Recently it seemed the comments were getting worse now that Yue was older. She was now being coached on how to behave properly which always led to her complaining to him about her lessons. But she was adamant that she would soon be receiving the lessons on how to truly lead her nation, the typical stuff like politics and diplomacy. Zuko didn't have the heart to tell her she’d likely never start those lessons.

“So soon?”

“Yes it seems that unfortunately there have been more rumors spreading about your existence, we’re currently looking for the man who just recently added to that rumor, people are now suspecting there is a loose firebender stowaway“ he said as he gave the guard currently stationed to Zuko’s room a suspicious look. The warrior audibly gulped. There were only a handful of warriors who knew and were entrusted with keeping Zuko a secret from the general population. But of course it was bound to slip out eventually. That’s the main reason Arnook was working to reveal his existence. Hopefully by giving Zuko a fake backstory, one that was innocent and convincing enough to fool anyone into thinking he was a normal Earth Kingdom civilian who had no other choice but stay in the north. 

Currently the story went like this; Zuko was an orphan who had no relatives or family to stay with, he was working an odd job on a ship and he lost his way and ended up in the north pole. With the ability to firebend due to fire nation ancestry, It was believable enough it was pretty common for people to have mixed ancestry near the colonies. And of course his blessing wouldn't be hidden to make him more trustable because the blessing of a spirit is one of the best ways to determine someone's character. He had his worries about that specific fact backfiring because Agni was a spirit special to the fire nation, the nation that was currently at war with the world. But Yagoda assured that the blessing of Agni wouldn't be much of a deterrent.

“But if we don't announce it soon the truth could come out completely and it was imperative we had as much power of how it is revealed as possible. So i've announced it this morning, you are now an official citizen hopefully you can live out your life normally. I didn't like the idea of keeping you locked up forever ” 

Zuko was stunned, the estimation was originally one or two years until he would be allowed to integrate into society. But rumors were dangerous and it seemed someone was stupid enough to start spreading them. And news about a fire nation prince would likely cause the city to riot, it didn't matter that his presence ensured their nation’s safety. But thankfully their chief wasn't too prideful to not have accepted the treaty. 

“I Don't know what to say…” Zuko said. And he wasn't lying, this news was a few years too early. He couldn't help but wonder if this would negatively affect the chances of this elaborate lie working out.

Arnnok smiled, used to Zuko's awkward nature. “Happy birthday Zuko” he patted Zuko's back, not hard but Zuko was a scrawny kid not used to positive touch so he stumbled forwards. 

“Does that mean I can go outside?”

“Yes it does, try to stay out of trouble”

Zuko grinned wide, Yue made quick work of dragging him downstairs. He almost slipped down the stairs due to him still processing the news. He would get to go outside. On his own violation. And get to live as normal as he could in another nation. He almost teared up, never in a million years would he have believed he wouldnt be tortured and stuck inside a cell for the rest of his life. It almost seemed like a dream.

When they made it to the last stairs that connected the palace to the rest of the city there was a canoe in the canal, in it sat a regal woman. She had long stark black hair, some of it was pulled together with beaded bands. When they drew nearer, Zuko noticed her familiarity despite never having seen her before, then he realized, this must've been Yue’s mother. They looked undoubtedly related, which only made him nervous as he noticed the woman's untrusting and guarded face. 

“Hello Zuko it's a pleasure to finally meet you, i’m Yue’s mother, but you can call me Merroya”

Zuko moved to bow to greet her but quickly realized that was a very uniquely fire nation greeting, he considered attempting the traditional watertribe greeting he recalled witnessing the day he arrived at the northern watertribe. But his memory was fuzzy and he didn't want to mess it up. Maybe that was reserved for adults or maybe it depended on class. How important is status in the tribes? Would he offend her by getting her in a way that didn't match his new status as an Earth Kingdom commoner?  By the time it took for Zuko to overthink everything Yue nudged him with her elbow knocking him out of his thoughts. 

“Oh! Um It's nice to meet you too” he stuttered out.

Merroya gave him a polite smile, though he could tell it wasn’t wholly genuine. It seemed that the woman had mastered the art of polite neutrality that royalty often uses to mask their true opinions. But Zuko had also grown up around nobility, far more nobility than there were in the north. He wasn't good at masking his emotions, especially like Azula, who had already mastered it at such a young age much like everything else. Sometimes she would pinch him whenever his displeasure was obvious during balls or other parties. But he became good at reading others nonetheless, right now he could tell the perfectly poised woman was displeased. She held herself uncomfortably instead of relaxed and she kept her eyes or hand near Yue at all times. 

Yue and her mother chatted casually, Yue attempting to bring Zuko into the conversation several times but he always replied with one word two word answers. He didn't want to insert himself in any way and he didn’t want to make her more uncomfortable. Yue either didn't want to bring up his behavior or attributed it to his naturally quiet personality, instead talking mostly to her mom as Zuko took in the sights which was much preferable to him. The canals intertwined with each other allowing multiple ways for them to go, they passed several other boats most of which Zuko assumed to be fishing boats. Thankfully it was early in the morning which allowed for them to have a relatively peaceful boat ride. Of course there were still people walking by and fishermen giving curious glances. Some were confused and others affronted by the fact the chief’s wife and daughter dared to share such close space with a fire bender. But of course it is not like they could voice their displeasure in fear of insulting the royalty. The animosity that went unnoticed by the women and Zuko didn't mind that much since they were not close to them at all and as long as they didn't seem physically violent he allowed himself to relax by admiring the beauty of the north.

By the time that most shops opened up and everyone was in the streets to begin their day they made it to the edge of the city. Zuko avoided paying too much attention to the wall that marked the beginning of the city and the only way to access the ocean. He kept remembering the last time he was on a boat near the giant ice gates. 

The canoe stopped once they reached the western side of the city, this side had no canals and was only accessible on foot. Merroya wasn't interested in following two kids walking through the whole city so she remained on the canoe to return to the palace. 

“Yue wait!'' Merroya called out before they could take a single step out of the canoe. She gestures for her to step closer, bringing her face to Yue and rubbing their noses together. Yue giggled and rubbed back harder. “Have fun” Merroya said.

“Ok” 

When they were finally out of earshot, Zuko spoke up, “What was that?” 

“What do you mean?”

“That thing your mom did with her nose?”

“Oh she gave me a kiss”

Zuko may be a bit socially inept but he was pretty sure that wasn't a kiss. “That didn't look like one”

“Well it kind of like a kiss, basically means I love you” 

“That's weird”

Yue seemed like she was about to take the bait and possibly snark back but she paused, then a mischievous smile took over her. “Awww if you wanted some affection you should've said so” 

Zuko jerked back from her incoming grabby arms, “No thanks” 

But Yue was relentless “come on birthday boy give me a hug” 

Zuko let out a yelp as she came running towards him, he nearly slipped off the ice and into the canal from how fast he turned to run away. He ran away as Yue chased him through the streets. At one point Zuko was sure she tired herself out but unfortunately it seemed she had endless energy. 

He cursed his bad eye which caused him to nearly run into a wall several times. Unfortunately for how long he's been in the North he still lacks the experience of running on ice. So like the idiot he is he slipped and thankfully didn't crack his skull open. Yue who was close behind couldn't stop in time and only tripped over him. Both kids fell into a pile, well at least they didn't knock into anyone. One look at each other only made them burst into laughter. Due to the noise and general disruption of the peaceful morning atmosphere several people turned to stare. Some in disgust and others in absolute shock. Either way Zuko became uncomfortable in a matter of seconds. 

A woman came up behind them and tutted, “Princess, haven't you gotten a little old for rough housing?” 

“Oh miss Ko! Uh we were looking for you” she said sheepishly. The woman was tall and lean, with long thick hair that framed her face and was pulled into a bun. The woman was clearly not convinced, she barely gave Zuko any acknowledgment other than an unimpressed glance. “This was your ‘friend’ you were bringing today?”

“Yes this is Zuko, it's his birthday so I thought I could show him around the city and he's never tried akutaq”

“Just my luck that you decided to bring along the fire bender brat, just heard the news this morning” she grumbled

Neither kid knew how to reply, only giving each other uncomfortable glances. “Hmm alright then follow me i'm about to open up shop”

As they walked, Zuko stared upwards in awe, the ice buildings overlapping, providing some shade and blue light shining through the ice balconies. The walkways were tight in some parts but he didn't mind, some leading to the higher parts of the city and some trails towards the sea. Ko led them to her home which was of course a beautifully intricate ice building. Once they passed the doorway the delicious aroma of bread filled the air. The room was nice and warm which was a distinct contrast to the morning air. Ko took off her parka and put an apron over her tunic. “You guys want some free akutaq, you gotta work for it, I got lots of dough and not a lot of hands so get to kneading” 

Yue guided him throughout the process thankfully. He’d never baked before or even cooked before so he was fumbling his way through. Of course he wouldn't even be allowed to prepare food for himself as a prince. Apparently why Yue knew how to do this so efficiently was because no one would fund her sweet tooth so she came to work for some free sweets. Zuko doubted her mother knew about this habit but he wasn’t inclined to tell her anytime soon. Soon his hands began to tire and it wasn't helping the dough seemed to stick to his hands making the process even more difficult. “Why doesn't mine look like yours?” He frowned at Yue's work, which was a perfect ball of dough that didn't stick to the board. “You have to add more flour if it’s sticky, here” she cupped some flour in her hands and spread it over his hands. Sure enough the dough became a much easier consistency to work with. 

Ko was across the room clearing the counters of any mess, mumbling to herself. Once she was ready she opened up a window, letting in a windy breeze. Outside was a line of people, mostly women, waiting and chatting. “Morning Ko I need two loaves please” She said, reaching into her pouch for the payment. As ko handed her her order the older woman lit up, “oh princess Yue good morning! I see you’re learning how to bake that's great, you know you’ll future husband will be very happy to have home baked goods” 

Yue grimaces, “Oh! Thank you, haha…”

Just as she was about to make another, likely uncomfortable, comment her eyes widened as she noticed Zuko beside her. She let out a stuttered gasp and turned to Ko, “my goodness Ko! You can’t possibly allow the ashmaker to be in your home. What if he poisons the food?” Her exclamation led to nearby bystanders gasping in utter horror, some left and others began to argue with Ko. The commotion was quickly put to a stop by the shopkeeper's aggressive response.  “Listen lian Uhoya to be frank I don't really care, there is a reason the chief let him out of the city, in my eyes he’s just another idiot kid that came to bother me for free food and I need the extra hands. Besides he’s tiny, what is he gonna do?” Zuko huffed at the comment about his size and of course he heard a certain princess laugh beside him. He halfheartedly pushed her.. 

The stout woman huffed and left along with several people, but even despite that there was still a considerable amount of people waiting to place their order. Ko continued on as if it didn't bother her at all that she just pissed off a bunch of customers. Zuko frowned, he didn’t want to be the reason she lost business. The woman snatched the dough he was working on, “Thanks kid, and hey don't pull that ugly face on me. Trust all those ladies will come back and Uhoya is always looking for something to be angry at. If I had a coin everytime I ruffled her feathers and she stormed away I'd be rich. '' she said as she cut his dough into the appropriate size to begin baking.

 Zuko let out a surprised laugh, not expecting her to slander her customer.  Zuko liked Ko, she definitely doesn't trust him or like him at all but she still defended him. So Zuko found he didn't mind working for the rude baker, especially if it meant he got free sweets. When they were rewarded with their promised frozen treat Yue watched for his reaction. Of course it was delicious and sweet, but still cold. He honestly had no idea why they would choose to make frozen treats to eat in the north pole . It's like they were completely immune to the cold since they've lived in it their whole lives. 

Zuko hummed around his spoonful, “this is really good” 

“I knew you'd like it, you know sometimes there's different flavors depending on what Ko brings in, summer time is the best because it means she gets shipments of carrots, berries and sweet potatoes.” 

“No wonder why you come here all the time”

“Haha, yea I knew Ko wouldn't mind having you here shes mean but deep down she likes me” Yue leaned it to whisper the last part as if it was a secret. She either wasn't as quiet as she thought or Ko could hear anything someone was saying about her because she called out from the other side of the room. “Don't push your luck! I cant keep letting you work for food or else you’ll run me out of business”

Zuko laughed at Yue’s stunned and slightly embarrassed expression, “ok maybe we should go so we dont bother her too much, even if she doesn't care what other people think, people will still take their coin somewhere else if we’re in here”

Zuko nodded, as much as he loved the warm atmosphere of the shop and liked listening to Ko’s sarcastic comments she made with her regular customers he didn't want to inconvenience her. So the pair left and wandered the city. Yue made sure to lead the way, ensuring they would only walk in places that arent dangerous, like the docks or the men’s waterbending practice areas. There's no way someone would hurt Yue but one can never be too sure they wouldn't harass Zuko. Besides, there were plenty of fun spots that were relatively empty, like the bridge near the palace that overlooked the entire city and gave a perfect view of the ocean. 

They even sat in Yagoda’s lesson, because she was adamant Yue didn't miss any lessons even if they were celebrating Zuko’s birthday. He didn't mind sitting in on the lesson, he could do without the whispering though. It seemed that not only were the women gossiping about him because of his bending, ancestry, and spiritual ties they also commented on his gender. Which confused him the most, what did him being a boy have to do with anything? It wasn't until after the lesson when yagda apologized on her students behalf.

“Its uncommon for a man to sit in on our lessons, they are typically taught by Master Piando or not at all“

“Why are healing classes separated by gender?”

“No, men don't heal Zuko, you won't catch a man in my classes. I of course don't agree with it. Everyone should know basic remedies and medical aid but…” she didn't continue , it was obvious why. There doesn't need to be a real reason it's just known as a woman's occupation and that it will likely never change. 

“That's absurd! That's like limiting fighting to one gender or anything else!” He was aware of the difference of men and women in the tribe, just like anywhere else they werent treated the same. Not even in the fire nation where women can choose to work or join the military were they treated with complete equality. 

Yagoda sighed “Unfortunately that is the case for several things in our nation, and most don't see a reason to change things like this”

“Thats horrible…in the fir- um my home woman are allowed to do the same as men though they aren’t treated the exact same…”

“We shouldn’t talk of such topics”

“Fine” Zuko doesn't want to upset her, especially since Yue’s mood has shifted. She became quiet once the topic was brought up. His mind wandered back onto the lesson he sat through and the topic of today. Yagoda had explained how healing with waterbending worked, it was fascinating. The benders were able to use their bending to urge the chi to whatever wound the person had. And since the chi did all the work of healing the water only served as a tool, he wondered if there were any other way to aid the flow of chi into a wound other than water. 

“I was curious, why are waterbender the only ones able to heal this way? You said the water itself isn’t what does the healing it only helps move the chi along”

“That's a great question Zuko, your explanation makes sense but most people don't know how healing works so it's always assumed its the only element with this type of capability”

“So it's because no one knows how it works so no one has tried ?”

“Maybe or maybe water is the only one because of the spirits, there are stories of waterbenders who could bend blood, no one knew whether it was a  blessing or a curse from Tui and la, the original waterbenders”

Yue perked up, “I've never heard of that before…”

“It's not the type of stories you tell in polite company, they’re essentially old horror stories. Benders who could bend the will of others and used it for evil instead of its original purpose of healing. So Tui and La revoked the blessing and created a new one which is the ability to heal with bending”

Both children sat wide-eyed at the information, and Zuko wondered if any other form of bending could be gifted by the spirits. “So that's why only water benders can heal…”

“It’s only an old tale, it could be merely fiction. But there are other ways to aid the chi along the body even if it's not for the purpose of healing. Or maybe there is another way to heal using the same technique of manipulating chi with different elements, water is only a tool and the gift was knowledge to accomplish it so it could be possible”

So maybe it wasn't the ability itself just the knowledge gifted to the tribes, but now he knew how healing worked if hypothetically someone of a different bending type knew how to heal the same way a waterbender knew cold they also heal? “An airbender could use the air around a person, and earthbender could cover them in sand…i guess a firebender would be the only one that wouldn't be able to heal”

“Well I suppose unless there's a way a fire could be altered to not burn”

“Hmm..”

“Maybe someday someone can do it, it would be hard though because they’d have to learn by themselves or be taught by a waterbender” Yue said

“Anyone but a firebender”

Yue frowned but didnt push it, instead she stood up. “Hey we should get back now the sun is setting”

He looked outside the lard open windows of the room and sure enough the sun was setting, low enough to be covered by the city buildings. “Yeah, lets go”

Yagoda waved them off and they walked back to the palace. But no matter what they talked about on the way back he couldn't stop thinking about their earlier conversation. The natural destructive nature of fire seemed to restrict fire nation benders in everything, you couldn't even keep a baby bender’s room with too many fire hazards in case they decided to accidently set the room on fire. Maybe that's why his family was the way they were: violent and loyal to war. Fire matched his father well, they were both similar in the war they would burn the world to the ground without question like an instinctual bloodthirsty beast. Even his uncle who at first glance seemed like a kind man who wouldn't hurt a beetle fly was at siege at ba sing se. The last time he’d seen him he was taking a break from the siege to visit family. He’d almost conquered ba sing se successfully before he withdrew for unknown reasons, at least from what he’d heard.

He shook the thoughts away, reluctant to bring down his  good mood from today. They reached the bridge that led to the palace steps when they noticed Merroya at the doors waving a hand to catch their attention. Yue raced up the steps to meet her mother while Zuko kept his normal pace. He couldn’t quite hear them from halfway down but he could make out Yue’s gasp. Thankfully it seemed like a happy one, more good news then. 

“You’re serious?!”

Merroya chucked, “yes! I'm sure. You have some time to decide”

Yue clasped her hands together and vibrated in place, an endearing habit she did whenever she was happy. 

“What happened?”

“My dad told me I can go with him to Kyoshi!”

“That's great,” Zuko said. He wondered why they suddenly decided to visit kyoshi when they previously (at least to his knowledge) didn't have any relations with them. 

“They’ll leave in a few weeks, it will take a month. She said it's because we can't trade with the Earth Kingdom and don't want a repeat of last winter. Zuko wasn't entirely sure of how bad winters usually were but he remembered several mentionings of how hard the past one was compared to other years. It made sense, they would usually trade for vegetation and resources they couldn't make themselves at the closest port a few days away. But due to the treaty any trading with any non neutral nations would be considered an act of war. 

“Or we could go to the trip to the eastern cities in the Autumn”

“ we ?”

“Yeah, now that everyone thinks you're an Earth Kingdom kid you can come.But you can't come to Kyoshi because it's too risky, someone might recognize you.. He said it had to be one or the other..”

Zuko knew wha the choice was, it was obvious. Yue had dreams of visiting the Earth Kingdom, and now was her chance. He didn't feel offended at all because anyone would choose such an exciting trip over visiting some city you've been to a dozen times. 

“I want you to come with me, I know how much you want to see the fireweed hills”

“Yue you can actually be considering seeing some flowers over going to Kyoshi '' he said dumbfoundedly. He didnt even care about the stupid flowers anymore, he just thought t was cool once because he used to think there was only snow in the tribes. 

“It’s my decision, besides this will be just as exciting. I haven't been there in years and it's so much fun there. They have forests and festivals and so many cute animals. Even an aviary, I know you’ll love the messenger birds” 

Zuko looked away in embarrassment. He once told her his favorite animal happened to be turtle ducks. And his whole list of favorite animals happened to be mostly birds. He was sure that comment was meant to be a small tease. 

“Ugh…” 

“Cmon Zuko, cute fluffy birds! Don't you want to see what northern birds look like?”

He really should've never told her about his fascination with birds, he couldn't resist the bait. He would be so happy to see northern birds that weren’t the seagull racoons pestering palace guards for food. “Fine…” he mumbled

“Yes! I'll go tell my dad” 

Zuko just hoped the eastern cities were a little more welcoming.

Chapter Text

Summer left far too quickly in Zuko’s opinion. Before he knew it the temperatures slightly dropped and the sun began to set just a bit earlier than usual.  Zuko mourned the summer before it was ever really gone, mostly for the loss of sunlight and warmth. 

But at least he found himself with something to look forward to. Soon they would pack for their stay in Uyitu Crossing. It had been a while since he’d gone on a trip meant purely for fun and not politics. (not for him anyways, this trip he wouldn't have any duties to behave as a prince should and mingle with other generals’ kids like Yue did). Almost like the trips to Ember Island, except completely different. But the anticipation was still the same. 

Zuko begrudgingly woke up. He was used to waking up early due to the sun but even this was too early for him. He stood in front of his window to peer outside, the sky was a dull gray, signifying that the darkest of the night passed and the sun would soon rise.  The day prior he and Yue said their goodbyes to Yagoda, the woman told them to stay safe. She told them caution tales of being in a place like the eastern villages where you don't have a wall to keep the city in and the natural dangers out. It's fairly easy to get lost especially when hunting or traversing the forests without a careful guide. 

He readied himself and said goodbye to his dagger before he hid it inside his wardrobe, wedged in between the loosened wood. He knew it was concealed completely but Zuko still felt nervous leaving it unguarded.When he arrived outside Merroya was standing beside a caribou yak helping Yue strap her pack onto the side of the saddle. 

Unsure of where to stand and not wanting to get in the way of the working servants and riders around him he joined Yue and Merroya. 

“Good morning” he politely greeted the women

Yue chirped out a ‘hi’ and Merroya gave him a pleasant smile. During summer Merroya's avoidance of him got better. She was less defensive around him and Zuko was glad, he didn't want anyone to be uncomfortable around him.

“Li, you'll ride this buffalo yak okay? Yue help him tie his pack, i'll be right back” Merroya left the children to search for Arnook. 

“Excited?”

“Nervous” he corrected

“Why? “

“I dont know ive never been outside of the city and we'll pass through some dangerous places. What if we get lost in a blizzard?”

Yue huffed “don't worry we have the best tundra navigators leading us, and i've been there a dozen of times”

“I know… it's not only that, it's just, what if someone finds out?” his voice dropped down into a whisper

Yue pursed her lips, “hmm… look you've gone this long and no one has gotten any closer finding out where you really came from, its believable”

He stayed silent, logically he knew no one would really suspect he was from the fire nation. Maybe some would but there was no way to prove that, it was common for children born near the colonies to have mixed parentage and have fire nation features. He hoped that would be enough for his lack of any earth nation features. 

“Can you help me with my pack?”

“Right, ok here” she demonstrated how to pull the leather strap of the pack through the buckles on the side of the yak’s saddle. He followed her direction and finished securing it. He pet the neck of the animal, happy to receive a nuzzle from the creature, searching for more pets. He laughed happily, no longer nervous of the proximity to such a large animal. The royal family of the fire nation never ride animals as it is more common for pagodas to be used to transport distances, or carriages. The only animals that are ridden around the palace are komodo rhinos which definitely are not as kind as these buffalo yaks. He remembers the instances of witnessing komodo rhinos knocking riders down at any offense, their temper was disregarded because of their strong natural armor, perfect for war. 

Arnook walked up to the pair, done with last minute preparations to ensure the council was able to handle the city without their chief. “I see you and your riding companion are getting along, which is great considering this is your first time riding”

Zuko smiled “yeah she's very sweet, I hope I won't slow us down though” 

“I'm sure you don't have too much trouble, Mable is the best tempered yak, perfect for beginners” He said as he climbed onto his own buffalo yak. Zuko nodded, attempting to climb onto his own but was embarrassed to find it took quite a lot of effort since the yaks were naturally very tall. He eventually clambered on and tried to regain his composure. He was mortified to see Yue had been watching him from the yak she was sharing with her mother. He ignored her giggles to listen intently to Arnook’s instructions, he was able to direct Mable easily with minimal assistance.

“Try to keep up” Yue teased

“Easy for you to say” he mumbled

Zuko was surprised to find that there were a considerable number of people. Most of which were warriors for protecting the royal family (and Zuko) from the physical dangers of the north. The other men accompanying them were not dressed in warrior clothing and were instead dressed in casual parkas and were leading the group to their destination. “We’ll be headed to the eastern side of the city to the trail” said the man up front, “when we make it outside of the city be sure to stay close! We won't be taking much breaks so I hope everyone is well fed and used the bathroom beforehand” he joked. Then the group set off for the snow walls that surrounded the city, unlike the wall at the oceanside this one was natural and not made by waterbenders. Zuko at least expected to see benders at the edge of the city ready to lead them up in maybe a similar fashion to how they were at the southern wall., how else would there be walls that were way too steep for someone to walk up? But there was no one, the only way up was a trail that didn't look nearly safe enough for anyone to go up without equipment. 

But the buffalo yak were natural experts on climbing up the trail, with excellent balance and hooves made for ice.. 

Once they reached the top there wasn't much to look at, it was mostly flat icy terrain. Because of said flat terrain the guides handed out some type of headgear. No one bothered to explain so he copied what everyone else did and moved the strap to the back of his head and the front part to cover his eyes. The opening hole obstructed most vision and with his already bad eyesight he relied on letting Mable do the leading and hope they wouldn't run into someone. 

The guide pulled out a compass and peered at the map his companion was holding, “the weather is good, we should be able to make it before it gets too dark. As long as we don't encounter any predators it should be smooth sailing” He smiled reassuringly to the chief. 

Hours passed before they were allowed to take a break, they passed several changes of scenery. Most of the trip was actually through a mountain side where they were finally allowed to take off the restrictive goggles that he later found out were meant to protect them from snow blindness. (he couldn't believe that was even a thing) Everyone sat around a wooden table at the edge of a forest. There were multiple of these on the edge of this particular forest as it was a common resting spot when traveling to and back from Agna Qel’a. After eating lunch Zuko and Yue explored the forest, but they didn't dare go too far in so as to not be seen by the adults. He was determined to not do anything stupid to get him lost (or worse) on this trip. 

“We’re halfway there, look there's less ice and more dirt” Yue pointed excitedly at the ground which sure enough was a muddy mix of dirt with snow. 

“I've never seen anyone be excited by dirt before” 

Yue knocked him forward with his shoulder, “hey lots of people live in pure ice you know! Two nations in fact!” 

“Not pure ice” he pointed out “I can see dirt right here” he pointed at the ground, which was once again not needed. 

“I'm pretty sure Agna Quel'a is the only place of both the poles to put a city on pure ice, i could be wrong though since i don't know anything about the south”

“See we both don't know if the south has a city on pure ice, there's no way to prove we are the only ones”

“Wait, what do you mean you don't know anything about the south? Aren't you guys sister tribes?”

“Well no our tribes don't communicate anymore so I don't know much about anything over there”

This confused Zuko even more, were not the one thing the water tribes known for is their unity? Even despite their distance they are united by their bending and culture? Though to be fair Zuko didn't know much about the south (and the north before he was sent here) so he could be wrong, the fire nation fed him outdated lies so maybe that could have been another one? 

Yue spoke up again “My dad doesnt really talk about them but from what I've heard that's because there really isn't anyone left to talk about..”

Zuko took note of her diminished mood and figured there was only one reason for it. His heart sunk, there couldnt have been another genocide right? He was sure such a thing would have been mentioned before.

“You don't mean….there is no southern water tribe left?”

He must've been right because Yue started to fiddle with the end of her mitten, pulling at the fur and pulling at loose ends. “Sort of, from what I know there were some fire nation raids on the southern tribe a long time ago, and I'm not sure they stopped completely but my grandpa chose not to help them. Dad says its because we are safer outside of the war” 

Zuko had heard of the raids before, he never thought much of it before because they were not talked of much. And besides, the fight in the earth kingdom was much more pressing and important. He realizes now that the reason the southern raids were not considered important is because the fight was won much long ago.  

“But from last we’ve heard there is a tribe left just not…as big as they used to be”

Zuko felt conflicted, how could the previous chief just choose not to help their sister tribe. He understands wanting to put your nation first but at the same time how could someone choose to allow them to fend for themselves? Not that he has any say in the conversation especially considering he was the grandson of the tyrant who enacted the raids in the first place but the situation was surprising and he couldn't help but think of the possible outcomes had the North helped the South. But he understood that at the end of the day a leader needs to protect their own over anyone else.

Before Yue could elaborate further there was a call form behind them. They turned to see Arnook and the guid waving them down to continue the trip. When they set off again, Zuko kept thinking about the south pole. His curiosity about the north had been through the roof when he first arrived, taking advantage of his situation to learn as much as he could. Most myths  he had about the north have been debunked and now he was wondering if the south was any different. Actually exactly how different was the south from the north? The two were across the globe from each other and Zuko wanted to know if bending was the only thing tying them together. But unfortunately for the curious boy there was no way of finding any information since the north did not rely on books to pass information or history (when he learned this he was devastated since now the only way to learn things was talking to people and meant he couldn't hide in books all day like he used to). He would have to snoop around and learn about the south from people and he didn't expect anyone to want to willingly talk to him because of his bending. 

His distractedness nearly caused him to lead Mable into the other buffalo yaks and arctic camels beside him. That earned him a warning from the warriors, that embarrassment snapped him out of any deep thinking for the rest of the trip.

When the sun began to set the warriors formed a tighter circle around the group. He was practically almost touching the side of the yaks beside him. The night time atmosphere was uncomfortable in the snowy forests because you never knew what could be watching you. Without agni’s rays it was more difficult to search for the already hidden signs of predators. The forest provided great coverage for anything to be watching as they walked by. He wasn't sure if he was the only one who felt uneasy but that might've been because he was a foreigner, unused to the dangerous trips that were necessary in the poles.  

Zuko suspected about an hour passed before there were signs of the city, in the distance there was an illuminated shape. He was shocked by just how different it was from Agni Quel’a, unlike the tall ice buildings that towered above each other like plants competing for the little sunlight the poles had; these homes were made entirely of wood. Each one lit up inside giving the city paths some light for travelers. It had a much more cozy atmosphere than the capital city.

There was a group of people at the edge of the city, holding lanterns and waiting by the path. When they drew close enough Arnook jumped off his buffalo yak with ease and walked to greet the people.The tallest figure was a man who appeared to be similar in age to Arnook, beside him was a woman with brown hair pulled into elaborate loops that hanged from the bottom of her bun, giving her the appearance of a bunny like creature. Arnook laughed loudly at whatever the man said and tugged his forearm into the water tribe greeting. One that was comfortable since both men were clearly happy to see each other and kept their conversation going while everyone dismounted from their respective yaks. 

Zuko nearly buckled onto the ground from how wobbly his legs were, “ugh…” 

“Hey mom said to stick close to us, the warriors sleep in a different place, we get to stay with the mayor's family” 

Zuko raised his brow, he didn’t expect to stay in the same place as the royal family but he was thankful to not stay with the warriors. They would likely become rowdy when off the clock and he didn't want to deal with that.

Merroya now joined the conversation, equally happy to see the mayor's family since their last visit was years ago.

“Oh look at how much you’ve grown Kallik! Last I seen you, you were still learning how to walk on ice "Merroya cooed. The boy in question was turning red from attention. He had his hands stuffed into his pockets and his shaggy brown hair nearly covered his face. 

The woman that stood behind him with hands on his shoulders beamed. “Oh and I see precious Yue grew as well, I remember she only reached up to my hip the last time she was here!” Now it was Yue’s turn to blush, she shuffled behind Zuko to try to escape the embarrassment.

“Oh and who’s this? Last I knew you didn’t have a son?”

Merroya placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder and introduced him. “This is Li, he’s been staying with us since last summer, complicated family”

The woman stepped closer and brought the lantern up to better see him. Zuko hunched his shoulders up and awaited her reaction.

“Oh! Um he looks an awful like…”

“He’s from the earth kingdom.” Merroya said fiercely. Even the hand on his shoulder tightened in grip and pulled him closer, keeping a comforting presence which Zuko appreciated. He was surprised by Merroya's forcefulness, he didn’t expect her to respond so strongly to the accusation but he didn’t mind it. He shuffled closer into her body, he was actually very happy she didn’t hate him anymore. 

The woman stepped back, her disgruntled expression quickly masked by a smile. “Well Li it’s nice to meet you. I'm Zinna, this is my son Kallik.” She gestured to the boy. “And my Husband, Vuroq” she nodded to the tall man beside her. That’s when Zuko noticed the silence, Arnook and Vuroq’s conversation ended which left an oddly uncomfortable silence.

“That’s the fire bender” the man stated.

“I was hoping this could be a private conversation Vuroq-“ Arnook started

“No. With all due respect, Chief, you don’t get to demand things when asking for my family to house an ashmaker”

“I’ll show our guests their rooms so you can have privacy-“ Zinna piped in

“Fine. But the ashmaker stays here”

“No he stays with me” Merroya stated.

“He does not take a step into my home.”

“Vuroq, you have my word he won’t do a thing” Arnook promised 

Then there was silence again. Vuroq considered, “We’ll talk out here” he nodded to his wife.

She ushered everyone else to their home. The whole time Zuko didn’t step away from his place against Merroya’s side, he clung to her parka like a child seeking comfort. Which in a way was completely true considering the embrace was the only thing keeping him from a breakdown. The man didn't allude to his real identity in any way, only his bending but Zuko was terrified nonetheless. He was certain he was going to be found out and once that happened there was nothing the chief could do, he would be subjected to the treatment he should have received when he arrived here.

They stepped inside the large wooden home to a warm living room. With a fire burning steady at the center. Everyone sat around it and remained in an uncomfortable silence. Which Zuko didn’t notice, much too busy with controlling his breath and trying to not feel utterly embarrassed he was clinging to Merroya like a scared kitten in front of a cute boy.

Wait what-

“I’m sure you're all very hungry, I’ve got food ready don’t worry” Zinna served fish stew complete with fresh warm sourdough bread. When she gave Zuko his bowl he was surprised she didn’t seem disgusted by his presence, though she did look plenty nervous.

They are in silence until the door creaked open. In came Arnook and Vuroq, both clearly irritated but unwilling to bring their earlier disagreement inside. 

Zuko was ashamed to say he immediately cowered when Vuroq sat down, he didn’t dare look in his direction but he knew the mayor was fuming at the fact he had to have dinner in the presence of an ashmaker. 

Merroya felt his tremors and immediately stood up. “Same rooms as always I assume?” 

“Yes, let me show you to your rooms” Zinna insisted.

“No need Zinna, sit,  you still haven’t finished” she nodded to the full bowl. Zinnia moved to stand and insist when she noticed her face and Zuko’s posture. “Ah I suppose your right, see you in the morning” 

Merroya excused herself and dragged both pre teens upstairs. The floorboards creaked with their combined weight and the sound only made Zuko more uneasy. 

She closed the door behind them and lit up the oil candle on the bedside table. “We’re alright, Zinna is a very understanding woman and her husband will come around “ she assured “they’ll see you're a good boy alright Zuko?” 

Zuko jerked at the use of his name, he hardly heard his name other than when he and Yue were alone. “What if they hear-“

“They can’t hear us I promise you”

“Ok”

“You’ll stay in here Zuko, we’ll unpack in the morning but for now it’s time for bed” she said as she raided the wardrobe for extra blankets. Zuko nodded, suddenly realizing just how tired he was. He yawned which caused Yue to yawn as well, she hugged him goodnight. Merroya did as well, he was so sleepy he hugged back tight, tearing up at how much he was reminded of his mother in the moment. 

Chapter Text

“Hey I’m sorry about my dad”

Zuko turned to face the boy from last night, Kallik if he recalled correctly. 

“It’s fine I’m used to it”

“Doesn’t mean it’s okay, I don’t care if you're a fire bender. Ma said it really common for some people to be firebenders from great grandparents”

“Yeah….” 

The conversation went into a null, honestly it was impressive how fast Zuko was able to end a conversation with his awkwardness. He couldn’t help but remember last night, he was completely embarrassed that this boy had to witness his breakdown. Especially when his father hardly spoke to him and allowed him to stay. Being around an angry father made him so nervous he always made sure to be completely respectful to Arnook to the point where he would assure Zuko he didn’t have to refer to him as ‘sir’ or ‘chief’ anymore. Zuko fidgeted with the twig he was holding. He had been out exploring the forest with Yue before she told him to stay put while she went to grab something.

“Your dad was pretty scary too” the boy added.

“He's not my dad” Zuko wishes he was though, who knew how better it would be if he was born here as Yue’s biological brother. But that would mean a life without Azula, or his mother and uncle.

“Really? I thought he adopted you or something” The boy said casually as he walked around Zuko, circling around him like a curious animal. Zuko backed up when he got so close by leaning closely, likely to stare at his unusually golden eyes. And Zuko understood the curiosity but what kind of behavior was that? He couldn't even gauge his expression well from the shadows, his trapper hat and long shaggy hair working to cover the top half of his face. Zuko wanted to move the hair curling around his temples away.

Still, he did not appreciate how close this boy was to him or the borderline rude questions he kept asking nor did he appreciate just how long Yue was taking to return. Eventually the boy got the signal that, no, he did not want to talk about his non-existent earth kingdom family and how they died. Seriously, did he not have a reputation to uphold as a mayor's kid? He was supposed to be perfectly polite, at least in his experience, important people’s kids usually try to be polite.

The awkward silence was interrupted by footsteps, Zuko sighed a breath of relief. “Kallik! I was looking for you everywhere”

“Oh! Sorry I was just talking to Lee, he's quite the conversationalist” he grinned and Zuko scowled. 

“Sorry for leaving you here for so long Zuko but I knew you wouldn’t agree to hanging out with Kallik, but I haven’t seen him in so long I thought we should all hang out together” she gave him a pleading look and Zuko didn’t have the ability to refuse.

“Yeah sure let’s hang out” he turned to Kallik to extend the invitation.

 “Great! Any ideas on what we should do?”

Zuko pretended to think, honestly he’d be happy to be anywhere because of how excited he was to see just how different Uyiku was from Agna Q’uela. 

“I know, let's go to the fireweed hills. They’re in bloom right?” Yue purposefully didn’t look at Zuko because of his irritated expression. He’d gone through plenty of teasing for his previous fascination with North Pole foliage and the fact that it existed at all. But that was during his first months in the North, he didn’t know much from the little bits of lies and myths he would hear in the fire nation. But that didn’t matter to Yue because she thought it was funny and took to calling him fire flower for a while. (He forced her to stop because of the connection people could make with a fire related nickname, she instead began to call him ‘sunny’ something a bit more subtle that could still be used to tease him because of his less than sunny personality)

“No, how about we look at the-” Zuko frantically searching for another place they could possibly visit “-the farms?” 

They gave him an unamused look. Which was rude, he didn't think the farms were such a bad suggestion, he was curious to see them.

“I'll show you guys the way, you actually passed them when you came last night, you probably didn't see them because it was night” Kallik explained then showed them to the path that led to the outskirts of Uyiku Crossing. True enough they walked along where they were riding yesterday, only a bit farther off the path. They walked up hills that were covered in short plants, covered in the morning's thin layer of snow. Once they reached a certain point they spotted bright pink fields, the hills were absolutely covered in the pink flowers. Now this was not what he'd been expecting, not even in the fire nation where it was nice and sunny most of the time had he ever seen fields just completely taken over by flowers like this. 

Kallik spoke up, interrupting his awed silence. “You're luck you guys came now any later and the blooms would start dying off” 

“Pretty cool huh fire flower? ”

“Shut up '' Zuko said as he pushed Yue away with a playful shove. 

“Fire flower?” Kallik repeated, confused. Then a realization, his confusion turned into a smirk “ Ohhh”

“What” Zuko said bluntly, not understanding his sudden change in tone.

“You two” he used both hands to point at them both at once, then brought them together while making a weird expression.

Zuko, still utterly confused, stayed silent, hoping for Yue to clarify. “NO Kallik, it's not like that, '' Yue shouted, exasperated. “Can you think of any other reason why Lee might be living with us and also came with us for this trip” she raised her eyebrows in an expectant manner, Kallik’s eyes flitted between them once again. “wait…OH So you were adopted by the chief!”

“Huh no?” Zuko said at the same time Yue nodded. 

Zuko turned to Yue with wide eyes, “what do you mean?”

“Oh c'mon, why else would you still be living with us? My dad was looking into a family to take you in but then he stopped looking even though Ko was willing to take you in?”

Now that it was pointed out so blatantly it did seem as though the chief essentially adopted him. "He's nice, maybe he knew we would miss each other?” he said. Because even if it seemed as though he was adopted, he wasn’t. It's basically an unsaid rule between royalty to not adopt, they aren't blood children and therefore shouldn't be allowed in line for the throne or in this case: chiefdom. And the more obvious reason was Zuko’s real family, the people who threatened them into a treaty and sent them an unwanted prince and destroyed their sister tribe. Those horrible people?

“Why do you look mad? Do you hate the idea so much?” she asked

“No it's just-” he frantically searched for some words to explain but he couldn't say anything in front of Kallik who was watching them so intently. Zuko flushed red at the attention, “Can we not talk about this?”

Yue nodded, probably just realizing why the conversation was so uncomfortable for him. “Yeah, let's explore a bit. '' She changed the subject, already bending down to search through the foliage for bugs. Something she was also excited to see again since there was obviously nowhere in Agna q’uela to see the small creatures. Kallik joined her and immediately began to explain the best way to catch the locust mice by looking for their den openings and luring them out. Standing behind them as they searched for little den openings, Zuko choked down the random sense of fear. For what he wasn’t entirely sure, but he knew the concept of being so wholly accepted into Yue’s family was strangely scary. Scary because staying here without fighting to leave would mean he was betraying his family and country on every level. And despite his family's horrible morals that didn't mean everyone shared them.. His mother clearly didn't willingly choose to marry his father, it was evident in the way she spoke of her old life. Azula was only a kid, forced to become the perfect princess at such a young age, without support from anyone because she insisted on being independent. Staying here, living carelessly and far from war when he knew what Azula would be subjected to at home felt like betrayal. 

But what choice did he have? There was no way to return home for a plethora of reasons. And even if he did manage to return home what would that mean? He had no clue as to what reasoning they gave for his disappearance but he was sure his father passed it off as a kidnapping or death. There's no other way to hide the disappearance of a prince, and it would explain why his father cut his hair down to the scalp. It was his final message to Zuko: he was dead to him and to their family. A traitor and never intended to return. He might actually kill him if he ever stepped foot in the fire nation again, he couldn't have rumors of a lost prince suddenly reappearing and messing up whatever story he crafted.

He was snapped out of his thoughts abruptly when a locust mouse was shoved to his face. “Here hold it before it jumps away!” Kallik insisted and shoved the creature into his hands, Zuko gasped in disgust but held onto the bug anyway not wanting to appear frightened of such a small thing, both kids holding onto their own locust mouse. 

“Uh…” 

“Aren't they amazing Lee? They’re so cute!” She baby talked to her mouse and rubbed its tiny head affectionately. Zuko almost gagged, he remembered how rodents like these were treated in the palace. They were caught in traps then fed poison to kill them, they were disease ridden creatures. But there was no trash or garbage here for them to gain disease or filth. “Yeah…”

“You looked scared lee, here my mouse wants to say hi!” He held the mouse by its body and lifted it up and down so the legs would bend continually on his palm. “He wants to dance with you”. Yue copied the motion with her own mouse, 

Zuko hesitated, he didn't want to hold the creature for longer than he had to but he didn't want to deny Kallik's invitation, They ended up making their mice ‘dance’ until they came out of their shock from being handled and decided to jump away. They laughed and watched them return to their homes and took that as a sign to return to the city, 

___________

The days they’d been in Uyiku they were constantly out exploring with Kallik, but they gave in and decided to meet the north’s best spiritual leader. From what he’d heard she was pretty infamous, Apparently most in the city didn’t appreciate her eccentric personality and ‘disturbing house decorations’. Yagoda had sent them to visit her to say hello for her but she also told him she would be delighted to meet him due to his spiritual blessing. Yue knew her too, she spent a lot of time with her due to her blessing. They spent a lot of the time analyzing Tui’s gift and how it would affect her. More time than he’d need to stay with her she assured, she commented on how her blessing had some possible bad luck. But she never said anything more than that. A touchy subject he supposed, he understood sometimes his blessing had also become a sour subject for him. He remembered the countless times he had to be with the spiritual sages for much of the same reasons. And while they were nice people, Zuko didn’t appreciate the attention or the hours he was forced to listen to them drone on and on. 

They didn't spend too much time in the plaza, just there for a few seconds to ask for directions. Not like he wanted to spend much time in public. He didn't want to stay around rude strangers gawking at him for too long. 

They were directed to the edge of the forest, most of the town was bordered by the forest so they had to walk along the edge to find the trail that led deeper. It was a short walk, not too deep into the forest but they were sure to not travel off the trail. There was a wooden house, much like the others in the town just a bit bigger. The outside of it was decorated by beautiful ice structures that were frozen to strings. They chimed with the wind and reflected the sunlight all around them in bright colors.

“Should we knock?” 

Yue shrugged, Zuko tentatively raised his hand to knock, a few knocks rang out into the quiet woods, the only answer that was heard was some muffled noise. The door opened to reveal an old woman, older than Yagoda. Her hair was mixed with gray, but the colorful beads only stood out more in her loose gray hair. The healer wore casual tunic and pants, foregoing shoes or socks because of the plentiful amount of carpets she had which Zuko could see behind her. She held the door wide open, welcoming the visitors and smiled down at them. “Princess Yue! What a pleasant surprise, I see you finally had enough of hiding from me eh?” she teased

Yue smiled and let out a nervous laugh “Sorry we haven't visited, trust me I wanted to come!” The woman laughed and turned to Zuko.

“And you are?”

“Im Lee”

“Lee…” she trailed off slowly, likely confused from the foreign name. “I don't mean to be rude but you're not from here are you?”

“I've been staying will Yue’s family” he deflected

Naqin hummed, bending down a bit to look at him more. “You have wonderfully golden eyes. Is that a common earth kingdom gene? I'm afraid I haven't gone in nearly a decade, should’ve made one last voyage before our borders closed” 

Zuko stiffened up, “Uh, it's rare but not unheard of. I have mixed ancestry”

“No, something is off…” She narrowed her eyes, which alone had Zuko stepping away and preparing to run back to the village. “Yagoda sent us here!” Yue blurted out. “She knew you’d want to meet Lee, he's spirit touched like me”. Naqin perked up, “Ah! That is amazing, please come inside!” She moved to allow them to enter the house, but Zuko was even more perplexed by her once he walked in. Her house was covered in oddities, plenty of skulls and skins which weren't too odd but then he walked past a large collection of scarves and hung up clothing. What shocked him about this is that the clothing was distinctly earth nation and she even had fire nation clothing hung up which must have been the reason behind so many people being uncomfortable in her home. There was a mixture of wall decor from all the nations including a pair of air nation baby booties. 

Woah

“I see you noticed my decor, quite beautiful isn't it? My past mentors passed everything onto me. I'm lucky enough to own these boots from my mentor's mother who was a skilled midwife” she explained. Zuko was entranced by the tiny boots, it felt like something too precious to be out on display where anyone could damage them. Then he backed up out of shame, after all his family was directly responsible for this child’s death. He wondered how the previous owner of them would feel with him gawking at them like an idiot.

“Follow me, there's a reason for my home being so far from town” she said as they walked into a room that was larger than the house itself. The room was not made of wood but rather carved out of the rocky terrain behind the house, in the center of the room the stone dipped into a circular pool of water. The pond was illuminated by a hole in the ceiling allowing natural sunlight to dance across the water. “I find communicating with the spirits is easier when you're in nature, they find it stressful to stay in our cities for too long. So my home is perfect for them to feel comfortable in” she spread her arms wide to embrace the misty air. “I’ll have to wait until night to speak to Tui, she likes to listen with La nearby” she gestured to the water, then Zuko understood what she meant, the moonlight would meet the water at night allowing Tui to stay with La (in a way since La was the ocean but they were too far inland for anyone to visit the ocean).

“Now tell me, who or what do you believe has blessed you?”

“I was blessed by Agni as an infant”

Naqin gaped for a few agonizing moments, eyes wide in disbelief. Then the old woman cackled in delight and took Zuko’s hands. She gripped them so hard that Zuko couldn't pry them out. “Oh thank you spirits!” She continued to mumble to herself excitedly and Zuko sent a pleading look to Yue who only shrugged. “Oh what a blessing it is to have met the children of both Tui and Agni in my lifetime!” she exclaimed then she finally let go. “My mentor would be so jealous she’d turn purple, luckily she met Yue as a child before she passed” she laughed. Zuko was beginning to understand why most called the healer a little mad.

“I'm glad you came to me but unfortunately I haven't a clue what the proper way to pray to her is, do you know anything about that?”

Zuko felt as though this was a trap, he had no idea what to say to both be believable and give her enough information. “Uh, my mother didn't tell me too much but she always told me she prayed every evening facing Agni…?”

“How odd your mother prayed to Agni instead of the local earth kingdom spirits, is there any reason for that?”

Shit , he should have phrased that better. “Uh…? Her village didn't have any local spirits so she thought she would have luck with Agni, Agni does not belong to any nation right?”

“Ah that makes sense, Agni, Tui and La belong to all, can I ask how exactly she knew she answered her prayers?”

“I was born sick, she told me she prayed for a week, my eyes used to be brown but they turned gold and I was healed from my sickness within days”

“Facinating your story is so similar to Yue's,” she said in awe. “I'd love to pray to Agni for you, I can find information about the nature of the blessing in this way, though I'm afraid I'll be doing this without much success since I'm not very educated in her preferences” she confessed. Zuko nodded, “Thank you ma'am”. Healer Naqin turned to Yue, “And I'm expecting a daily visit from you, we have much to prepare for the festival, I’m sure you’ll need a few reminders of your duties”

“Duties…?” Zuko whispered, he wasn’t aware Yue was at the age of being given duties, other than playing nice with everyone. He thought it would be at least a few years until Yue was given her own diplomatic duties, not even Zuko had much lessons on that subject in the palace. 

“Yes dear it’s Yue’s job to bless our winter, and give us a smooth transition through the seasons. We have it during the fall festival, we say goodbye to summer and hope for a peaceful winter. It's essentially one last party before the cold sets in” she explained. 

Zuko noticed Yue’s grimace and he internally felt bad for her. This wasn’t a simple princess duty of diplomacy or politics. This was spiritual, and spiritual things are often finicky. In a way if the winter was difficult Yue could be blamed. And he could understand the pressures of living up to a spirit's image of being perfect and powerful. 

“Agni wasted her time saving you”” Ozai spat at the cowering boy. “She should have let you die as a baby, that would be more honorable than this pathetic display of firebending”. Zuko didn't bother apologizing, he didn't want to be struck again for showing weakness, instead he stood shaking like a leaf in the wind, awaiting his punishment. “If you don't want to disgrace the very spirit that took pity on you; you will perfect this form by the end of the day”

Zuko let out a shaky breath.

“Lee, could you give us a moment? I need to speak to Yue alone,” Naqin asked apologetically. Zuko nodded and stepped out of the room. He sat in the living area by the hearth, for such a weak fire it kept the large room comfortably warm. He spent half an hour in the room, eventually allowing himself to snoop a little bit. Admiring all the trinkets Naqin owned, most of which were earth kingdom but she had some fire nation decor as well. Such as instruments, whistles, paintings, more wind chimes, earth kingdom animal skins, toys, and even theater masks of popular fire nations plays and stories. Most of which he recognized from the times he would visit ember island and go to the theater with his mother. He thumbed over the fang of a water spirit mask from love amongst dragons .

No matter what though he couldn’t stop thinking back to the air nation booties, like a deep pain that came every time it rained. The water tribe didn’t have much information on the air nomads, but what they did know was significant enough to have been the turning point for him.

He remembers the day that seemed like so long ago, which was actually only a few weeks after he moved out of the prison. His frequent conversations with Yagoda usually turned historical since she was much more knowledgeable about the tribe’s traditions and history. That led to the conversation about the genocide, which before that he didn’t know much about. All in all it made him feel utterly stupid, of course the nomads didn’t have an army, they were pacifists . What actually happened was a far cry than the stories of evil air benders plotting the first nations downfall. 

He heard footsteps and turned to find Yue with wet dripping hair. She was wrapped in a fur blanket and sat beside him taking in the warmth from the firebender and the hearth. “What happened?” 

“Laid in the pool, talked to Healer Naqin, she hasn’t been able to help much with interpreting the signs Tui sends me” 

“What do you mean?”

“She gives us signs in our lives, different things mean different stuff, Only thing I’ve seen are my nightmares and I’ve had those for years…”

“Nightmares?”

Yue frowned, it was evident she didn't like talking about it but she gave in anyway. “I’ve always had odd dreams, vivid ones, but the ones I always remember the most are the ones where… they change every time but usually I dream of a day where the sky turns red and there are screams and I never can remember how it ends” 

Zuko searched for what to say, how do you respond to that? He’s always had a difficult time comforting people. “I’m sorry….” She waved him off, shrugging as if that confession wasn’t a horrible thing to endure. “It’s fine…it can’t be all pretty blessings and weird hair…or fire” 

Zuko figures this was the time to reveal some type of equally bad side effect from his blessing but he didn’t have anything, other than the way people have treated him for it he didn’t have any type of death dreams or visions. 

He waited a few seconds listening for any sign that Naqin might walk into the room, when he heard nothing he reached for Yue’s hair. Taking only a second to hesitate before making contact, even if Yue had no issue touching his hair it didn’t mean he was the same. She gave him a questioning look as he held the wet curls trying to allow as much skin as possible to touch the locks. Then he warmed his skin hot enough to dry the hair, steam rising off them. 

Yue smiled, pleasantly surprised. “I didn’t know you could do that with fire bending” 

“Just a trick for laundry, learned it from watching the servants” he said.

“Perfect now we can go, I hate the smell of her incense”  

They left after calling out a goodbye to Naqin. They returned following the path, planning out the rest of their day. 

“Healer Naqin said we should visit during summer, get you to bless the village for summer”

“I don’t think they'd want me to bless anything” 

“They’ll come around, you’ll become old gossip then all the farmers will come to you to bless their crops”

“Do you really need to bless the entire city during the festival?”

“Yeah, anyone can come ask me to pray for them. Usually I see just about everyone. but it would be nice to have someone to share the workload”

“Hmm” Zuko hummed noncommittally

They walked in silence for a while before Yue spoke up again, “We should look for Kallik ''. 

“What, why?” Zuko replied he didn’t want to invite Kallik to hang out with them everyday . There was only so much he could avoid those thoughts he had around him if he was always around. And Yue insisted on always bringing him along. “why not? Do you not like him?”. 

“What? I like him! No- I don't like him!- I like him in a normal way! As a friend! In a friendly way.” he finished. 

Yue stared at him with utter bafflement across her face. “Uh…”

“Why do you want him around so much?” he asked defensively. Yue only looked more confused, “I thought you liked hanging out with him?”. Zuko’s stomach churned thinking about how much liked being around Kallik, he didn't have much of an answer for the feeling other than the obvious. And he really didn't want to acknowledge the obvious. 

“I do…” he trailed off. Yue perked up with a look of understanding, then sympathy. “I get it, you wanted to hang out with just me, you should have just said so” 

That certainly wasn’t it but he didn't want to look a gift ostrich horse in the mouth. “Yes! That's why, I thought maybe we could spend today without Kallik, he’s probably getting bored of spending everyday with us anyway”

“I could’ve sworn you were mad at him you always get red when your around him haha”

Zuko yelped and tripped on a tree root.

“Zuko! Are you okay?”

“Yeah…” he stood and dusted his knees that now had very prominent dirt stains. Ugh… he’d have to go straight home to wash them now.

“Thank goodness you don’t hate him, I’d hate to have to pick a side…”

“Of course not! Why are you so sure I hate him?” 

“Well because you always try to run off when I invite him!”. Zuko groaned, he did not want to talk about this with her and he thought he was more discreet about his avoidance. “No I don't” he replied childishly, he didn't know what else to say when he didn't have much to answer with other than the fact he gets nervous around the other boy and not in the normal way Zuko feels when trying to talk to new people. It's more like a ‘I want to be around you but am scared because I don't want to look stupid in front of you’ way. And he didn't know why and didn't plan on confirming his fears. 

“And you always get red whenever you guys are close like I said and you always look angry for some odd reason?”

“He’s rude” 

Yues eyes immediately turned concerned, “What? Is he mean to you?” 

“No it's just, he's a bit clingy…” he trailed off embarrassed, he had no better excuse. 

The conversation was never brought up again but he noticed Yue’s attentiveness whenever he and Kallik interacted. Almost like she was searching for the reason Zuko didn't like him, he did appreciate the way she never let them leave her sight together, always watching to make sure Kallik never overstepped his boundaries. Which had happened a few times where he’d hug or hit (playfully of course) and Yue would force space between them, like an overprotective mother wolf. (this new side of her often made him remember Azula’s protective tendencies as well). 

Kallik caught on quickly and kept his clinginess to others. That thoughtfulness only made him hate Kallik more as stupid as it sounded. Since they’d met, Zuko had frequent thoughts about just how infuriatingly kind he is, and how infuriatingly cute. This revelation was something new and terrifying, and unfortunately something he wasn’t able to speak about with Yue. No, he was determined to keep this horrifying revelation to himself. He didn't want anyone to think he was attracted to men in any regard, because he wasn't. He wouldn't allow such thoughts to set root into his head. No matter how often he found himself staring at the boy or how he wished that something would come up so Yue would have to leave and they’d be alone, why? he didn't know. So when he wished to pull the hair out of his face because it was always hanging over his brows and poking out from that trapper hat he always wore he would instead quell that urge by insulting his long messy hair. Because what else was he supposed to do ?

Make it totally obvious you didn't want to be around him apparently. He felt kind of bad for Kallik, he didn't want him to think he disliked him but he wasn’t sure how to fix that. If he thought Zuko didn't like him he didn't show it at least. 

Chapter Text

“Are you always going to hide out in the aviary?” Yue asked as Zuko finished up breakfast, already dressed and prepared to leave. He frowned as best as he could with his mouth filled with food. He didn't think it was that weird that he went everyday. “Yue, don't be rude. It's an important job. And a great opportunity. ” Merroya reassured.

“I just like it there, it's quiet…”

“Half of them screech all day”

She was right that they weren’t exactly the quietest birds but he enjoyed his time there. It was nostalgic for the times he would sneak into the aviary of the palace’s messenger hawks. He was never allowed there because of the sensitive information strapped to the hawk’s backs but that didn’t mean he wasn’t sneaking in there every week.

Maybe it was a little weird.

“Ok well you don't have to come with me” 

Yue considered this, as she had everyday but ultimately she always decided to tag along, why, he didn't know. “You know you can’t bring him home” 

Zuko scowled, “I don't know what you're talking about.” This took the interest of Arnook who had been eating peacefully while listening to the conversation, “bring who home?”

“No one”, “the baby owl bats” they replied at the same time. That's how the chief of the northern watertribe and his family ended up in the aviary. The aviary itself was very spacious with many rooms for different species of the birds, and an even bigger area outside for training. Zuko loved observing those areas but the room he could always be found in was the nursery. A smaller quieter room that was always kept well insulated for the babies.

The adults peered over the little container that held the few week old baby owl bats, all nestled together in their nest. They were adorable to him despite their awkward bodies and messy layer of down feathers. Both Merroya and Arnook look down at them in innocent curiosity, though they must have not shared the same sentiment about their adorable appearance because they didn’t coo over them like Zuko did for the first time. And he could see why, without the full feathered bodies of the adults their black eyes could look a little unnerving on their small heads. Zuko logically knew he couldn't bring one home, they might have been cute (at least to him) and cuddly now but in a few months they'd be bigger than your head and with even more dangerous beaks. 

The head keeper of the aviary came beside them to greet the chief. They spent the hour touring the aviary and asking questions, Zuko listens intently even though he knows all the fun facts already. He’d been allowed to stay for hours as long as he worked, the trainers taught him how to care for the babies as they were the more gentle creatures.

They tour the burrowing bats that work with the farmers to keep the crops clear of pests, great horned bats that are talented enough to hunt bigger game, vampire barn bats that have hearring well enough to find people in blizzards and the messenger snowy bats. Zuko’s hopes are slowly squashed the more the keepers demonstrate their skills, and the couple watch on with horrified looks as the demonstration owl ripped into a field vole without hesitation. Still he gives them big hopeful eyes as they return to his station by the baby snowy bats. They give him a sympathetic look but as they give each other a glance he can see the message hidden there; ‘no way’ . 

“Sorry” Yue whispers, she must regret giving out his secret wish now that she can see his face of heartbreak. “Lee…” Merroya starts, “maybe we can find a ferret stoat breeder?” she offers apologetically. He appreciates the offer but he didn't want a ferret stout, he knew this was a silly desire, an unreachable one so he's not hurt too badly. “No it’s fine I just like the opportunity to work with them I know they’re an unconventional pet” 

“More like impossible” says the other keeper in the room, Lota, one of the head supervisors. He’s one of the only keepers that didn't mind Zuko and didn’t immediately hate him for being a firebender. And since Zuko was always loitering around he put him to work, which Zuko didn't mind at all. It only allowed him to get closer to the amazing creatures and learn more about them. “Those are babies, without a trainer they’ll grow up wild, the only way to keep one is if you come back in a year to pick it up”.

They give each other another glance and Zuko can tell they’re considering it, which is wild . He had no clue why the two adults would even consider gifting the random kid they’re taking care of a giant bird with enough bite force to take your finger off. But it's not a completely new thing for royals to buy expensive and exotic creatures just for the sake of being able to own it, but he doesn't take Arnook or Merroya for those kinds of people. “Well in a year he’d be officially a teenager…” Merroya pointed out and Arnook gave her a look to say ‘do we really want to do this?’ one that clearly showed how much he’d regret the future pain of having a pet that is tedious to care for but also not wanting to disappoint him. Which only further solidified Yue’s statement earlier that week, it seemed as though the couple were slowly inching closer to becoming his stand-in parents rather than random adults who happen to take care of him. Why else would they even consider his outlandish request? Because that’s what parents do, they do whatever to make their child happy. Even if it's as ridiculous as asking the gardener to consider planting native lake plants, so the turtle ducks can eat better even if the plants were plain and not as nice as the beautiful imported flowers.

”I suppose if the owl bat is fully trained and not in risk of tearing up furniture or clawing eyes out…” 

“And if you're willing to take all responsibility”

Zuko gapes. He stutters for a moment which brings smiles to both adults, and Yue looks just as surprised as him. “Um, yes, I can do that'' he beams. Any request for a pet in the Fire Nation was always ruled out because of how his father considered most animals pathetic, the only exceptions were komodo rhinos, which he was not keen on owning. 

“Your welcome” Yue whispers as if she wasnt apologizing earlier. Zuko thanks her, because at the end of the day if she hadn't said anything about it he would've never asked. 

“so which do you want?” Lota asks, and Zuko steps up to the nest. Watching how the owlets all turn their attention to him and wobble back and forth, the flock has five overall, three girls and two boys. They all appear similar, but he's been around to differentiate them, aklaq is the one with the thickest black tipped feathers, he knows when her feathers are fully filled out she will have more black than what is usual for this species. Then there's miki who is unusually small for a girl, the runt of the siblings. Goose is the one who wobbles the most and the clumsiest. Arrlu the most aggressive and the most defensive over his siblings. Nuiaq was the one he always liked the most, named because of his very fluffy appearance. He had the cutest black eyes, wide and curious. And for his age already had a large personality. He grew pretty attached to him and he’d come to recognize Zuko as his handler and doesn't mind him anymore. 

It's hard to picture what they’d all look like in a year, and in that time it's unlikely they’d remember him at all. He knew he’d have to regain his trust again but he didn't mind.

“Nuiaq”

Everyone crowds around to look at his pick, laughing over how his head wobbles confusedly from their attention. Zuko beams down at him, he won't get to see him until he’s grown so he burns his tiny appearance into his memory.

________

Even the day before the festival the city is visibly more festive. The preparations are being made and the streets are more crowded, families going out into the markets to buy food to prepare for tomorrow. Ribbons are tied from home to home to hang lanterns from above, even pet buffalo yak, arctic chicken hens and polar bear dogs (which was the first time he’d ever seen one in person and they are huge -) are freshly bathed and hold ribbon accessories. Instead of staying in the plaza like kids their age, Zuko and Yue are in Naqin’s home preparing. Naqin has Yue reciting the prayers, the proper ones that are hundreds of years old. No one uses them anymore other than her and whoever the head spiritual leader will eventually be. Zuko’s only here because Kallik is busy as well with he preparations, helping his father with a yearly squabble over who gets to set up their booths in the plaza. “Can we leave soon? I have been repeating these for hours''. Naqin looked up from her task which was packing a bag with gifts for Yagoda since they’d soon be returning to the capital city. Some were herbs and treats that were readily available in Ukiyu Crossing but there was also a mummified squirrel-hedgehog and Zuko was a little freaked out by the dead beady eyes. “You won't forget?’ she cast the princess a skeptical look

“Yes I promise”

“Alright'' she said and gestured for her to leave. Zuko moved to follow her but Naqin stopped him before he could take more than a few steps. “Uh uh uh! I need you to stay darling. I think it's time for us to chat '' Zuko sent a pleading glance at Yue who looked lost. 

“Allow us the room please” Yue nodded and left. Which allowed Naqin to place her full attention on Zuko, he shuffled nervously.

“The spirits have spoken of your destiny Lee, it's time I've told you what I've heard” she patted the fur she was seated on, inviting him to sit on the floor alongside her.

 “What have they told you?” He was curious as to why it took so long for her to mention anything.

The woman smiled, “lots of things, most unintelligible of course. But they spoke to me of your destiny, a child of a spirit that significant is chosen for a reason and they will live lives full of adventure and are always gifted individuals. But that means that in turn they will go through many challenges, many tragic” she sighed deeply and stood up to retrieve a teapot. “And from what I can see you have gone through much tragedy, '' she said as she handed him a cup of tea, only half way filled. 

“What gave it away?” he half heartedly jokes. At least Naqin chuckles, an avid fan of dark humor. “I don't want to pry in that regard so how about you tell me if you have any abnormal abilities? Powerful bending? a connection to spirits or the dead?”

“No nothing like that, I don't think I have anything.. special about me”

“Don't feel bad, it's only my hypothesis. All the past people I know that have been blessed by spirits like this have always had some unique ability, take Yue for example her blessing manifests with her appearance. She might have a odd ability reveal itself later on”

“Does this have to do with the ‘destiny’ the spirits told you about?” 

“Somewhat, Information about spirit touched individuals is scarce. Anything I know is from passed down stories, which is unhelpful with aiding Yue through the struggles her blessing has resulted in. But from what I’ve gathered typically these individuals are known for being very involved in great historical events, hence why I mentioned a destiny” 

“And from my close connection with spirits I am able to ask questions about an individual, sometimes they allow me glimpses of what their future might hold. And what I have seen is your destiny is closely tied to the war. You probably didn’t need me to tell you that considering that is the most prominent issue in the world at the moment.”

“How…? The North is neutral!” This was the last thing he wanted to hear, that stupid treaty was the only thing keeping everyone in the northern tribe safe. 

“Nothing ever lasts forever, I doubt tensions will never rise again”

“How could you be so sure I will join the war? What if the spirits are talking about my old life?”

“Perhaps, give me your cup” she reaches over for his empty cup bringing it up to peer inside. She turns the cups every way possible, humming every so often. “This only confirmed my suspicions”

Zuko gapes, “what?!” he shuffles over to her and looks inside the cup to look at the tea leaves, they swirl around the bottom creating a shape with twirling tendrils around it. “See? That is fire, your destiny is connected with the war” she explains.

Zuko didn't want to doubt the highest spiritual leader of the north but he found it hard to believe especially since he was sure any blob would be able to be interpreted as fire. But even if he wanted to deny it he could see how it was clearly a flame, but more than that it seemed oddly familiar…

“How do you know that doesnt symbolize my scar?'' Yes, that seemed like a much more rational conclusion. That or the spirits were trying to warn her about his real identity.

“No no this was to only confirm what i've already heard and know, you will join the war only thing is… oddly enough it doesn't specify much other than your decision will determine which way the tides will turn”

“So you're saying my decisions will affect the war that much?”

“It's not a surprising fact, you are not ordinary, you have the will of Agni beside you”

“I just find it hard to believe…” If any of this was true that meant he'd eventually leave the north and join the war. And he didn't know how to feel about it, but it wasn't far off once he thought about it. It was unlikely his secret would be able to stay hidden for the rest of his life. One day someone will find out and Arnook was far too kind to kill him so he would be forced to banish him. And isn't that a pathetic situation, being banished from two nations, that must be a record.

“Well these things can always be up to interpretation. I mean this could also be a hand or some sort of flame-like accessory..” she said once again perring into the cup to interpret the tea leaves. Zuko’s brows furrowed at the comparison to an accessory, a flame like accessory, there was no shortage of that in the Fire Nation. But the swirls were oddly symmetrical on each side with a tendril swooping into itself to create a circle shape on the right side. 

Then his eyes widened in confusion and horror.

He wasn't sure what that meant because as far as he knew he had no ties to the throne so there shouldn't be any weird destiny stuff anywhere near that topic so why was the shape exactly like that of the fire lord's crown?. You can’t be fire lord if you're dead, which he definitely was considered in the Fire Nation. Once again he began to over analyze everything, a crown in his destiny could possibly mean be about him because theoretically he was in the line of succession and had the ability to become fire lord. But to do that his grandfather, uncle, cousin and father would have to be taken out of the succession line. Did that mean he would one day return and find his family dead or gone? Could that even be possible ?

“Ok well what about those ‘things you've already heard and know’? What do you mean by that?”

“Oh Lee, clearly there is a reason why we were given not one but two spirit touched children, it's a clear sign that you two will bring greatness to the north and maybe even end the war. Agni brought you to us to show her displeasure with the war. And besides my spiritual guides have already revealed your true nature to me, your strengths and weaknesses so I have no doubt you’d make the right choice to end the war”

“Weaknesses?”

“Oh just your insecurities”

“My insec-?!”

Before he could ask, Naqin began to lead him by the shoulders to the front door, “The evening is young, why don't you join the princess and prepare for the festival? And next year you will be joining her with her spiritual duties!” She guided him out the door and closed it before he could stutter out anything else. He turned only to find Yue with her ear to the door and a bashful look on her face. 

“Oh! hey…”

“What are you doing?”

“Oh nothing, I was just waiting for your chat to be done, anything interesting?” She asked innocently.

He considered telling her but he hadn’t even fully processed what he’d just been told. He didn’t want to freak her out or lead her to believe he would return to the Fire Nation to continue in his family's footsteps or anything. “Um just a palm reading, it said I will live very long”

“Oh I didn't know Naqin learned palm reading”

“Yeah it was great anyway, should we go eat or something..?” he very obviously deflected but he just hoped Yue was polite enough to not mention it. “Yeah lets go there's plenty of stalls in the plaza right now”

__________

Their day began at dusk, which wasnt unusual for Zuko since he was a firebender but usually he had to stay in his room for an hour or so to not raise suspicion for why he was always up so much earlier than anyone else. But this time they all ate early together and left to work to help with the preparations. Arnook left with Vuroq, Merroya didn't stay in one place for too long, constantly drifting amongst different families to help with anything and to catch up with old friends. He and Yue left with Kallik who still had to work with the harvest, helping so they could leave early.

Once they did finish they went home to allow Kallik to get dressed appropriately. For this occasion everyone was dressed in their best and nicest clothes. Yue was forced into a more elaborate hair style with decorative pins to keep it in place. Zuko was encouraged to also put his hair up but as always he refused for anyone to touch his hair, so he would keep his hair in its usual shaggy style despite Merroya’s dismay and Yue’s puppy eyes.

Kallik was dressed into a nice outfit. A tunic thick enough to be worn without a parka and new boots. He was also encouraged to braid his hair or at least take a break from his well loved trapper hat but he adamantly refused. Zuko hid his disappointment, he really wanted to see what he looked like without the hat trapping hair across his face. But he forgot all about that when he saw him walk towards them with all the confidence of someone in a new outfit. 

“Cmon lets go before the race starts” Yue says, breaking him from his staring which was probably a good thing he had a tendency to look angry when focused. “You’ll love this,” she promised. And the race did not disappoint. They had to somewhat fight for a good spot to watch, but once people realized princess Yue was with them they parted pretty easily. Zuko kept close to them once he noticed how some people parted around him too and not for the same reason.

It was held in the outermost streets of the city, the track was blocked off with hay bales, crates and wagons. It was all marked with bright ribbons to lead the riders. “Woah…” Zuko gaped at the racers and their companions, the animals contesting ranged from buffalo yak, to several species of reindeer, to a domesticated snow leopard . 

“Place your bet lee! Mine is on that polar bear dog, the big one with a yellow collar?” he pointed to said creature, Zuko nodded in agreement. The dog appeared focused and ready to bolt; he wouldn't be surprised if it did win. “Oh but what about the snow leopard? That’s the obvious winner isn’t it?” 

“That's what newcomers always say, don't let the looks fool you that rider does not have the precision to lead her properly they bump into everyone every year”

“Hmm what about you, Yue?” he turned to her but she already had her attention on him. Her look was off though, it was calculating and serious, he raised a brow in question,

“Oh, uh that one” she said pointing towards the general crowd of riders, not even bothering to actually pick. Then she grabbed him by the sleeve and heard him away from Kallik who was distracted. “Hey did you guys finally make up or something?” she asked. Then Zuko realized how close he previously was with the other boy. He didn't realize before because of how close the crowds forced them to be but currently they had plenty of room to spread apart. And he stayed right next to him the whole time, even going so far as learning against him while they talked. “Oh uh…”

“I mean i'm glad but you could’ve told me, did you guys hang out without me?” she asked excitedly. She must have been anticipating when Zuko would stop acting so standoffish with the other boy. He knew she thought they had fought or something due to Zuko's aversion but that could not be further from the truth and now it seemed she believed they made up.

“No-?”

“Sorry to bother you princess but would you bless our family?” a man asked as he held onto an infant.

“Of course,” Yue said right before shooting him a hopeful glance. He knew she wouldn’t forget and would likely badger him for all the details of their alleged ‘make up’. Zuko thanked Agni (or perhaps thanking Tui would be more appropriate in this situation) for the interruption and returned to Kallik. “It's about to start,” Kallik said and sure enough the announcer stepped onto a crate and declared the names of the riders. He nervously glanced back at Yue who was praying over the family's hands. The cheering got louder as the announcer bagn his countdown, Zuko shifted in place, he was pretty sure Yue wouldn't be able to talk over the crowd anyway so it’d have to wait until later.

“Ready? Set! GO!” 

The riders set off kicking up snow and dirt as they ran down the trail. Once they were out of sight half of the crowd left to go to the finish line or other spots to catch sight of the riders. Their group followed the crowd as they went to wait by the finish line, catching peeks of the riders along the way. 

Now that they had plenty of time to talk since it would take a while until the racers would loop back to the finish line they chatted the entire time. Somehow their conversation turned to yesterday.

“Yeah, what was up with you yesterday? You seemed upset”. Yue whispered because if she was going to bring up sensitive topics at least she would do it quietly. Zuko let out a groan, “There is nothing wrong, I’m having a great time” 

“Maybe now but yesterday you were more quiet than usual”

“You're right but I'm fine now so can you drop it?”

“Drop what?” Kallik pushed his way in between them and slung an arm around Zuko. “Ooh! We should go to the arctic hen drop after this, last year I almost caught one!”

Zuko had no idea what an arctic hen drop was but he was internally grateful Kallik misheard. “Um yeah of course, that sounds great” he smiled.

In the distance they heard cheering and they all shared a look then bolted off to the front of the crowd, there was nothing visible yet but there was the thunderous clapping of hooves against the stone paths. Then several riders turned the corner, and as predicted the buffalo yak that Kallik thought would win was leading the racers, the man atop the giant creature was hollering and waving at the crowd, already celebrating his win despite not crossing the finish line yet. When he did cross plenty of applause sounded out with even more cheering, Zuko instantly wished he would have watched on the sidelines instead of this close up because the noise was beginning to make his good ear ring.

“Hah told you!” Kallik shouted to him over the yelling of the people beside them. And Zuko couldn't even be mad over his gloating because of his happy expression.

“Lee… snap out of it” Yue harshly whispered near him and shook him slightly. Zuko embarrassedly whipped his head in the opposite direction, this little infatuation was starting to get out of hand. Yue stared at him with a look of realization and Zuko’s heart dropped. It was too late, she knew, she must have. He jerked back from her grip and turned away.

“Lets go to that arctic hen shop thing”

“Arctic hen drop” Yue corrected. 

“Yeah that.” he said distractedly. 

“Maybe we should go eat first,” Yue suggested. Both agreed so they headed to the plaza where the main festival was being held. As they approached slowly the streets were fuller and more crowded. Some homes had intricate icicles connected from house to house, while others had paper or ribbon decorations. Either way the streets were beautifully festive and full of life, at this point in the day it was sunny out but he knew the sun would set in about two hours, but from what he’d heard this festival lives throughout the night. 

They passed by stalls with a variety of foods each with their own appetizing smell. They ended up choosing a kebab with various meat and a dipping sauce to accompany it, and chose a bench to sit at. 

“What's the entertainment for tonight Kallik?”

“Oh y’know the usual, the waterbenders are performing and there is a band playing, then my dad’s boring speech…” 

“Waterbender performance?” He asks, instantly intrigued. All the time in the northern tribe and Zuko has not seen much from waterbenders besides yagoda’s students practicing. And even then he's always been so entranced by the students clumsily picking up water bubbles. It's not everyday you get to watch a waterbender bend. 

“Yeah they toss some water around, it's super boring” Kallik said as if this is something the majority of the world would never experience. Yue noticed his fascination, “we’ll watch it anyway, Kallik is just used to it but this is your first festival”

That effectively wiped everything off his mind for the rest of the afternoon, long gone were his worries that Yue would catch onto his crush…(he gave up calling it anything else, this did not mean he accepted it).

Once the sun set and they had met up with Arnook and Merroya for an hour or two they left once again to play some games and go watch what little games were still in play. Much of which were sports, and even a snowball fight where the snow balls given to you were painted in colors using food dye. He was expectedly bad at it and was taken out of the game shortly after it began with orange snow melting in his hair. 

“I’m glad you're feeling better” Yue commented after they began their walk away from the field (which was now decorated in colorful mushed snow). Zuko cocked his head, confused, “what are you talking about?”

“You were just so moody yesterday and today, I was worried you know” 

“I was not…” he denied but now that he thought of it he probably was unknowingly acting differently. More Quiet than usual and probably wearing a more harsh ‘resting grumpy face’ as she called it.

“You definitely were, you know you can always talk to me about anything right?”

“Not with this”

Her face only became more concerned, “tell me.”

He considered what she’d say, that was practically all he thought about yesterday, what would she think of his ‘destiny’? The fire? The crown. No, there was no way he was uprooting the life he’d been given here. Then there's the other dilemma, the matter of his odd relationship with Kallik. His avoidance with him then his sudden close proximity they’ve had all day. All of which was purely Zuko's fault, Kallik was normally a very touchy person he likely didn't even notice.

“No thanks”

“ Lee '' she warned, face set with determination. At this point Zuko knew his fate was sealed, when Yue got like this there's no way to escape it. So either Zuko stands his ground and risks a fight with her or he gives up. 

“We’ll miss the show” By this point they’d slowly started drifting away from the crowded path back to the city and festival, they both subconsciously knew if this were to blow up it’d be better to be away from anyone who might overhear something they weren't supposed to. 

“Not if you make this quick, just tell me. I tell you everything”

“No you don't, I didn't even know until a few days ago that you've had weird death nightmares your entire life” he said, anger rising. He understood keeping things to yourself, sometimes it was hard to open up. He knew this better than anyone else. But how could she demand to always be aware of any little problem when she was keeping problems to herself? 

“That was personal.”

“And so is this!”

“But this is affecting you, I'm used to the nightmares.”
“Why do you care so much?”

“It's my job to care for my family! and that includes you now”

Zuko had to take a deep breath before he would do anything stupid like lose his temper and breathe fire or something. “Well you shouldn’t”

“Shouldn’t what?”

“Worry about me.” 

“We are supposed to care about each other aren't we? That's what family does.”

“Well we’re not!” He knows it was cruel to say but he was incredibly agitated. It seemed as if Yue was searching for some problem to fix and she might be right about him but that didn’t mean he appreciated being pushed like this. Was it so much to ask that she didn’t try to wheedle out his problems every time she felt like it? Well this time he wasn't going to allow it, he’d do anything to keep this a secret.

“ Oh I know ! I knew you didn't want to be my brother because you looked so disgusted when I even mentioned it! you broke our promise! So once we get back to Agna Qel’a you can leave! Go live with Ko since you hate me so much!” Yue yelled, but she didn't look how he expected. Sure she was mad and that was clear but she also looked defensive, she held one alarm over herself and looked close to tears.

“What are you talking about…” This was definitely not the way he expected this conversation to go. But one one hand he would almost take anything over exposing his crush.

Yue turned red from either embarrassment or anger he wasn't sure. “You promised me you'd let me braid your hair…and so much time had passed and you still won't let me” Zuko became instantly aware of his hair and its movement against his neck. He hadn't thought of that promise in a long time, it was made long ago when they were younger, technically it had only been a year but so much had already changed. Just a year ago they sat in his cell and talked about the world with the belief he would never get to see it again. He promised Yue he’d let her braid his hair because it seemed like an impossible feat, his hair had been shaved and he yearned for the future when it would be long again. And Yue was so determined to do anything and everything including vowing to be his sister just to be allowed to braid it. 

And within the year so many of her dreams and hopes had been crushed, she was growing up and she was no longer allowed the grace to be vocal about her impossible dreams. Her parents had stopped allowing her the fantasy of one day following in her father’s footsteps. And in all of that he failed to see he denied her the promise they made together when all they could do was dream about the future together. 

“Look I know it’s stupid but you said so long ago you would let me and now that it's long enough…! It's just…” she took a deep breath “you don't want to be with us… And I get it you want to go home and be with your real family. Your real sister. But you can't go home and we both know that so why won’t you just accept us ” She sniffled “I know it's a stupid reason and it’s a lot of me to ask you to be my brother” she sighed, closing her eyes and turning away to wipe her face. 

“…I’m sorry” he said, pathetically quiet. And with Yue turned away he was finally able to speak. “I was so caught up in my own mess that I couldn’t realize how much that promise meant to you. In the Fire Nation we don’t let others touch our hair, and I know you said you would be my sister- and are” he corrected. “But I just felt like, if I let you braid it that would be it, You would officially be my family and” he swallowed down his fear, it took a lot to admit. “I felt like that would mean that I replaced her, replaced them ”

Yue’s form visibly stiffened up, her hands that were once holding onto her own arms fell down to her side. “I didn't think of that…” she turned to face him once again. “I’m sorry” She hugged him and Zuko allowed his head to flop onto her shoulder. “I don't want you to feel like you have to give up one family for the other” she held him tighter as if to physically send him her reassurance. 

“If you don’t mind, can you tell me a bit about them? I know you miss them and I don’t know much other than the stories about your uncle”

In the past Zuko had told her lots of facts about his family, mostly about Iroh. He never liked to mention his father or Azula, those were two very complicated stories. “Yeah” he answered hoarsely, just the thought of talking about them made him sensitive. In the end he failed to restrain his voice from wobbling. “My other sister’s name is Azula, she’s two years younger than me. She’s a firebending prodigy” he said, proudly. “She’s basically mastered it and had to teach me because of how bad I am at it. She’s a bit bossy and she loves to make fun of me, but she’s a lot like you. She’s protective of me, and really good at making people like her, and she’s going to be a great leader one day” he chanced a quick glance at Yue who’s eyes were wet once again. 

“And my Mom, Princess Ursa, she’s like your mom, she’s nice and warm and is stern. She likes theater and she used to be an actor. And my dad…” he grimaced “Is nothing like Arnook” he finished squarely.

“Im sorry if I made you feel like I don’t want to be apart of your family, I do”

Yue pulled away, grasping his shoulders to keep him in place in front of her. They stared at each other for a few moments, both with eyes visibly wet and stears staining their cheeks. 

“I should have let you tell me when you were ready”

“Sometimes I need a push” he said, they both knew the reply was somewhat an admission offorgiveness.

They stood for a few more seconds before taking in the other’s face. Zuko was sure he was red as his face often was when he was angry or crying, and Yue wasn’t better. Her eyes were puffy and tinged red, and nose runny. And maybe it was the sudden silence or the relief of surviving an emotional conversation but Zuko started laughing. Yue let out a snort and allowed him time to catch his breath while watching with clear amusement. When he stopped Yue stiffened up, she whipped her head around and gasped, “wait Zuko… where are we?”

This caused Zuko to take note of their surroundings, turning around in alarm. “Oh no…” they were in the forest that was near the clearing used for the snowball fight, But they had wandered off path and were too distracted to notice. Who knows how far they were since they kept walking  It was dark, and only getting darker and he was sure no one was around. “Oh fuck” 

Yue burst out laughing from the surprising use of language. ”yeah.”

“Im sor-” Yue shushed him, “nope, this is both our faults”

“They’re going to think we’re dead or worse they’ll think I dragged you away to kill you or something”

“They won't think you are trying to kill me”  Yue said exasperated, “Listen we have to stay calm, let’s try to find the path ok?”. Zuko nodded, taking shaky breaths. “Ok sorry It’s just snow leopards, moose lions, avalanches-” “Zuko! We are nowhere near a mountain right now, stop freaking out!” She demanded, she grabbed his wrist to lead them away. They spent a few minutes walking in the direction they assumed they had come from. After ten minutes they both knew they were lost. 

“If we were in the Fire Nation i’d be able to use the stars but I don't recognize any of these constellations”

“And they never bothered to teach me because i'm never allowed past Agna Qel’a’s walls”

“Yue, it's snowing” Zuko said, pointing upwards as if there was any other direction snow would come from.

“Zuko it snows all the time”

“Yes but we aren't usually lost with no place to stay away warm”

Her face dropped in realization, fear taking over. Ok now it was his turn to stay calm. 

“Okay the best thing we can do is stay in one spot. So let's look for somewhere to stay put” He readjusted their hands so he's the one holding onto her wrist. Zuko had difficulty traversing them through the forest with the little moonlight that managed to peek through the trees. They had both tripped several times before Zuko gave up and lifted a hand to create a fire atop his palm. “I'm sure Arnook will forgive me, '' he murmured to himself. Yue was unusually silent and he looked at her, her face now illuminated with fire, she was clearly frightened and was now depending solely on him to get them to safety. He really didn't want to see her overcome with fear, once that happened he would panic too and that was a dangerous situation he wanted to avoid. He didn't know how to comfort her so he used logic.

“They’ll find us, Kallik was expecting to meet up with us to watch the waterbending show, he probably asked around for us and has already realized we are missing” he continued when Yue looked up at him, hope shining through fear. “And don't forget all the owl bats that are trained to find people, and the lantern release that we will be able to see and use to walk back”

“The lanterns are the last event of the night that will be in hours”

“So they’ll probably find us before then and we can still go back to watch the release”

Yue released a deep sigh. “yeah…”

The snow began to increase in heaviness, Zuko noticed their tracks were disappearing from the fresh snow and chose not to point it out. He frantically searched for any place they could take cover, after a few steps he noticed a dead tree. It was slightly tipped to the right with giant roots breaching the surface. The uprooted tree had a big opening beside the exposed roots, he crouched to look inside. The inside was hollow and empty, the hole was likely dug out from an animal and Zuko hoped said animal wouldn’t return. “Here, there's room inside let's wait in here” 

He noticed the girl's hesitation and entered first then waved her inside. Once they both sat inside, Zuko relaxed. They should be safe here, he was sure in the worst case scenario they would stay here until daylight. Despite his earlier panic he knew realistically the city would not rest until their princess came home. He sat by the opening and kept watch for any sign of humans or animals. Luckily his good eye and ear were facing the opening.

 Yue slumped against his shoulder, Zuko didn't mind he knew if she was cold he would be the best option to keep her warm because of his natural higher body heat.

“Was that the only reason you were upset?’ she asked, breaking the silence. Zuko’s stomach dropped, he’d hoped she wouldn’t notice anything else. But she wasn’t stupid, he is sure she knew something was wrong from the talk he had with naqin.

“I know Naqin said something '' she confessed, “she… isn't very good at comforting people. When I first started having nightmares we went to her and she was not great at watering things down for a scared 6 year old” she admits. “And besides I knew she would never take up palm reading” 

Zuko sighed, “If I tell you about my blessing will you tell me about yours?”

“Sure, equal exchange”

“Okay, she told me the spirits told her a bunch of stuff but she was sure that I have a destiny or something. It was weird, she was very vague on everything other than that. She said she was sure I would fight in the war one day. Then she gave me a cup of tea to give me a leaf reading. The leaves were in the shape of a flame. She said those basically confirmed I would fight in the war”

“That means we will join the war…” 

“Or It means i’ll leave some day”

She considered the option while fiddling with the fur of her mitten. 

“There was something else too, the leaves looked like fire but I noticed that they also looked like the fire lord’s crown..maybe it's a coincidence since the crown is in the shape of a flame but…it looks exactly like it”

Yues eyes widened, and Zuko braced himself for whatever conclusion she came to. “What does that mean…”

“I don't know. I used to be the prince but I’ve been stripped of that title so it could be about anyone, there are four people in the line of succession without me”

“What do you mean? They sent you here because you're a prince, sure you're not back in the Fire Nation anymore but you are still considered a prince aren’t you?”

“I'm pretty sure I'm considered dead in the Fire Nation, I know our people would never allow a prince to be in this position, they’d riot. So it’s probably a secret, I'm sure they made up some reason for my disappearance. And even if I did go back my father wouldn't accept me, this was meant to be a death sentence. I don't think he would’ve ever thought the water tribe would willingly let me do anything other than rot in my cell and die of frostbite.”

“Ok so if it’s not about you then why would it show you someone else’s crown?”

“I don’t know, maybe I will meet them again somehow? She said something about a decision I will have to make, maybe they’re connected”

“Or it could be just a regular flame”

“Yeah…” he wanted to agree but knowing his luck it wasn't just a coincidence, that flame had that same distinct circular swoop the fire lord's crown did. Which was another thing, the shape could’ve been of the prince’s crown but it wasn’t. So whatever this meant was about the fire lord, either grandfather or Uncle Iroh, which didn’t give any clues as to what it could mean.

“I didn't want to tell you so you wouldn't freak out, it's scary to hear that I got a tea reading that might say I might return to the Fire Nation. And it could mean anything .”

“Well I do know if the reading is true, and you do go back; you’d pick the right decision. And whatever that crown nonsense is about will make sense with time and it probably won’t be as scary. Who knows maybe you’ll go back and manage to convince the fire lord to end the war”

Zuko smiled softly. He seriously doubted his grandfather would change his mind, especially if he was the one trying to convince him but it was a nice thought. “Thanks. Now what about you?”

The princess grimaced. “There’s a reason I didn’t tell you about my nightmares, I’ve been doing better. They used to be really violent. My parents came here to see Naqin. She’s the highest spiritual leader and most experienced, but even this was something she couldn’t help much with. No one has experience with visions from someone blessed by the moon spirit”

“It’s fuzzy, I remember some things like the red sky and the fighting. But it changes every time and it was always just as bad every time until a year ago. Around the time you came, it’s weird because they are still scary but there’s no death, less screaming and I don’t feel as scared now”

Zuko’s brow furrowed in confusion, “Maybe you got used to them, I don’t think me being here would have changed anything”

“Naqin thinks they are visions of the future, and if anyone’s presence is enough to change the future it would probably be us.”

Zuko huffed in agitation. “I’m sick of all this spiritual stuff, If we are destined to have such complicated lives I don’t see how it’s a blessing at all”

“Tui saved me”

“Agni saved me too but that doesn’t mean I owe her anything, she should have let me die”

Yue’s brows furrowed together, her entire body tense as if anticipating Agni to punish him. “You shouldn't say that”

Zuko remained silent, although he stood by what he said he felt a little ashamed from the admission. Yue’s judgment was enough for him to reconsider saying things like that in the future. They remained in a slightly uncomfortable silence for a while with nothing to do but wait for someone to find them.

“I'm getting cold, can you make a fire?”

There was little option other than using his body heat to keep them warm, the ground was wet from snow and they were in a dead tree, it wouldn't be very smart to light a fire here.“I can’t make a fire here but I can keep us warm” he said as he wrapped his arms around the girl and actively warmed up his body so that she could feel the heat emanating from him. “Sorry for saying that. And overthinking everything all the time, the reading was probably a coincidence”

“Its fine”

Zuko wasn’t sure how much time passed but he guessed it was probably almost an hour before they heard something.

“Hey do you hear that?” They both instantly went silent, even going as far to still their breathing. After a few moments Zuko heard a whipping wind-like sound but there was no crunching of the snow to accompany it. So the only thing he could hear was that odd flapping sound, Yue pushed him to get a better look. Then they spotted it at the same moment, they let their breaths go as their eyes landed on brightly lit figures in the sky. 

“Are those lanterns?”

“They’re here.” Yue said, relieved.

Then before they could crawl out a figure swooped down and peered into the entrance. The large eyes that leered at them was unmistakingly one of the owl bats, and the owner of the sound they had heard. Zuko started with wide eyes, he never did get to see the vampire barn owls training as it was a whole day endeavor to plan. It was a lot of work to plan out a good snowy spot to hide that wouldn't actually be too dangerous for someone to stay in.

The owl bat didn't stay long; it left as fast as it came, likely to alert the caretaker it found its mark. Zuko crawled out of the opening with Yue following, the area was silent once again, the only noise was their anticipating breaths and the crunch of their boots. There were no words needed and quite frankly no energy left to use on talking. They already struggled enough as it was trudging their way through the freshly packed snow. They followed the lanterns spread across the sky, Zuko had to admit it was a pretty clever way to alert anyone in the area of their presence. 

They tried their best to walk towards the lights and the direction the owl bat headed off to but it was difficult to traverse without fire and Zuko was not going to risk firebending when they would bump into them at any moment. He didn't want to be taken as a threat and he certainly didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. Slowly they stumbled  closer until they could hear voices, it was a large group of people but they were spread out far enough to sweep through the forest in a line while staying close enough to see and hear each other to guarantee no one else would get lost.

“Minnie got the mark, they’re here we just need to follow her back” a man said. But before they could actually allow Minnie to guide them Yue yelled out, “over here!”

The exclamation was met with gasps and more noise, several people spoke over each other. They stood in place as a large group of people ran towards them, the first person they could see was the tracker with the owl bat on their shoulder and Arnook beside him.

“Kids!”

“Dad!”

“Is there anyone else out here?”

“lucky we found them before the temperatures dropped completely”

“Someone send a messenger to call off the search!”

Zuko didn't hear what most were saying, too focused on holding onto Yue's arm. He didn't notice before but the energy of keeping his body heat up so as to not get too cold came back to haunt him, he was close to collapsing but held on anyways. All he had to do was hold on. He repeated this mantra, he didn't want to focus on the cold or the overwhelming voices talking over each other. Arnook wrapped an arm over him enveloping him in warmth and he sighed out in relief. 

“How are you holding up lee?”

“Im fine” he lied

“Here” The chief led him to a spare sled that was for holding the lanterns used. It was mostly empty now that they had been releasing several in the area so they had enough room to sit together. He was extremely thankful for it, he knew his legs would eventually buckle if he had to walk back himself. He may have gotten used to the cold of everyday life here but there was no preparing a firebender for getting lost as it snowed at night. “Can we still make it to the lantern release?”

Arnook looked at him in disbelief and broke out into laughter, “son you were just lost in the forest for hours, you are not going anywhere but your bed”

Zuko frowned, it felt like only an hour or so but apparently they’d been out for several hours. Not only did they miss the lantern release he also missed the waterbender show which greatly disappointed Zuko as this would likely be one of the only times to actually watch waterbending routines that weren't shaky bubbles trying not to pop as they come into contact with the wooden human figure in Yagoda’s class (of course there were the men’s waterbending classes but he was not going anywhere near them because of the one time he saw the instructor, if looks could kill...).

 “We missed it”

Yue grabbed onto the lanterns hooked onto the side of the sled and untied the string keeping it connected and handed a lantern to him. “We can still let ours go” she offered.

Zuko’s lips twitched upwards. He brought his hand into the opening at the bottom and set fire with the tips of his pink fingers. Technically he was still banned from firebending but he didn't think anyone would see him lighting a small fire in a lantern. The remaining fire was colorful as expected, the light from it cast a warm glow between them. The color wasn’t visible from the

outside so no one would notice he lit it himself.

“Here I lit it for you” Zuko said as he gave Yue the lantern, there were plenty others for him to use anyway. Yue smiled, admiring the rare colors flickering inside. Together they set their lanterns free into the sky and watched them until they were far from sight. 

“There's always next year for the waterbending show”

“yeah”

Chapter Text

The first time Zuko had heard the news he didn't believe it at all. The avatar was nothing more than a child’s bedtime story and a small piece of hope or someone to blame when you're hopeless in the middle of a war. 

“Lee get your oversized snow rat out of here he's trying to eat my food!” Ko screeched from the other side of the room. Zuko turned to watch Nuiaq flail and attempt to stand his ground from the angry woman who had taken her rolling pin as a weapon. 

“Don't hurt him!”

“Hurt him? He's the one trying to swipe at me! And I'm not the one with giant claws!”

“Ugh!” Zuko pried his hands from the dough, he had no time to wipe off the flour or sticky pieces. He grabbed Nuiaq from behind, catching the bird completely off guard. He continued to flap in alarm and successfully hit him several times. Zuko thanked the spirits the sharp claw poking through feathers at the joint didn’t manage to snag his eye. 

“I swear I left him at home”

Ko only stared at him with unimpressed eyes, hair a complete mess from defending her bread from a greedy owl. It was no use in the end 

as it was unsuccessfully protected leaving it with several bites and claw marks from Nuiaq attempting to leave with it in hand. This wasn’t the first time, Nuiaq has a love for human food and getting into trouble. The bird's large black glossy eyes means most people have trouble resisting him, Zuko had found out a couple months ago he had been swindling several children into giving him food. And if that didn’t work, his large claws were useful for stealing it. 

“Everyday I wonder why they let you keep that thing”

Zuko frowned, cuddling Nuiaq to his chest. 

Now that he held the rebellious bird firmly in his arms he turned him around to give him a glare. The owl only looks up at him with wide eyes but no look of regret in sight. He considered flinging him outside. The owlbat was fully grown therefore he didn't need to keep an eye on him at all times. And he knew his way home, at worst the petty bird would hold a grudge for the rest of the day.

“You shouldn’t be here, you're banned, remember?” he said seriously as if the bird would understand the concept of being banned from an establishment. The owl only stared at him with his usual ‘innocent’ eyes, completely free from any understanding. He huffed and allowed the bird to rest on his forearm, one of his usual spots. He managed to not scratch him too badly, he wasn’t currently wearing his leather arm guards that were made for the sole purpose of protecting him from the sharp claws of his companion. “It's time for you to go,” he said as he opened the window to set him free. Once the shutters were up he was face to face with a woman. 

“Oh um hello, i'm afraid we haven't opened yet”

The woman only looked confused and disgruntled. “I'm looking for Ko. Is she here?” 

Zuko wasn’t sure what answer to give her because on one hand if he replied honestly that would force him to retrieve the woman, and she hated talking to customers as she was preparing for the day. And on the other hand if he said no he was sure the woman would call someone for help because he was a firebender in her home without her there. “Uh…”

“I'm here”  Ko said behind him which made him jump, Nuiaq was startled as well because he immediately flew away at the sound of her voice. “Open the entrance, let her in, and close the shutters. We don't want anyone else coming thinking we’re open” Zuko did as instructed.

“What’s going on? I thought you don’t like to gossip” He concluded it must have been gossip, in all his time here Ko has never cared for whatever the woman who greeted her each morning had to offer. Even went so far as to denounce it entirely, and Zuko was no gossip but sometimes it was fun to listen in on the latest scandal. It was one of the reasons he came to help during the morning rush. 

“Shut up this is different '' she didn't deny it, Zuko noted. This only intrigued him more, what type of material was this? He opened the door for the woman who offered him no thanks. These days it was a hit or miss on who decided to treat him like a human being or like a wild animal ready to snap at any moment. The woman tutted past him and welcomed herself to the table in the center of the room, she ignored the flour on the surface and the multiple containers of dry ingredients. “So?” 

“I’m sorry Ko but there haven't been much letters from Kyoshi”

Ko let out a deep sigh, like she had already been anticipating that answer. Zuko had never seen her so visibly disappointed.

“But there was one, it was quite interesting”

“I don't need to know about other people’s business, especially not their letters from the earth kingdom”

“Oh but you’ll want to hear about this one, it’s about the avatar ”

Ko’s eyes widened in disbelief. Zukos did as well, his left eye straining from its usual squint. 

“You know that trip to Kyoshi Island last month? Well apparently…I'm sorry but does he have to stay there?” the short woman feigned nervousness as she scooted away from his general direction.

Zuko flinched in embarrassment, he hadn’t even bothered to try to look as if he wasn't eavesdropping. “Sorry i’ll just be taking care of the fire” he lied and walked to the ovens, and even forced the flame to flicker to show he was really ‘working’ .

“Ignore him”

“Anyways supposedly since they regularly communicate with the Chief they sent some letters to talk about something really important, and you know my husband works in keeping the letters separated. Most of it is usually from the Ukiyu or the smaller villages but this one was from Kyoshi'' 

“So? isn't that normal?”

“No this one was different, you see my husband reads the important ones, it's his job of course he would never read one he wasn't supposed to” she assured, Zuko highly doubted he was allowed to read it. Important messages, including all the ones from Kyoshi, were only allowed to be read by the council members or Arnook (sometimes Yue had privilege to them and by extension him). “He said this one had information about the avatar , he visited the island”

Ko’s usually unimpressed and neutral face was frozen in shock. The flames he was pretending to take care of were now bursting with renewed vigor, blue and purple sparks flickering out of the oven opening. He choked on air and quickly killed the flames completely. But what really surprised him was that Ko didn't knock his head for burning the bread. No way she actually believed this? 

“Oh good heavens!” the woman exclaimed. “You really shouldn’t let him help you see how out of control those flames were?!”

Ko waved him off without even looking towards his direction, far more interested in their current topic of conversation. “Is this true?”

“It is, I swear on it” She grinned, soaking up the attention from having successfully stupefied her. Ko sent him a glance, questioning. As if to ask him if this was true, after all he was close to the Chief and the Princess. But he hadn’t heard a word about this, and he doubted Yue had either. 

“You know that's not all I heard, someone from the council is cheating on his wife! I’m just not sure who it was again…”

Ko sighed, “lovely talk as always but I have to get ready for the day. You know how it is” 

“Oh but you really should come over more often to chat Ko-”

“Good day” she said in a sugary fake voice, she led the woman outside until she could lock the door. “It’s always the same with her, maybe I should find someone else to spill gossip to me”

“So you do gossip,” Zuko said with a teasing smile. 

“No, I only ever ask her to come over for one thing, but she always takes the opportunity to chat my ear off,” she complained, wiping the table from the spilled dry and wet mix. “What good is it to keep around royalty when they never want to spill some secrets ” she said pointedly. To be fair Zuko isn’t usually privy to that sort of stuff and whenever he is it's usually not that exciting. Mostly fighting within the council, fights with Master Pakku because the pretentious man keeps indirectly hurting his students, and small issues in the villages. 

“If I knew something like that I'd tell you, but I haven't heard anything like that. I don’t even think that's possible ”

“Bummer, that probably means it's fake news,'' Ko said disappointedly. She took a side glance at the ovens with several burnt loaves and sent him an evil smile.  “But just to be sure you have to ask the Princess and tell me if it's really fake, as payment for burning my loaves. Got it?” And look, Zuko wasn’t spineless, ok? But when Ko threatens you it's not a threat, it's usually a promise. He’d seen the consequences of making her angry, she wasn’t above hurting people emotionally or physically. When she completely swore off dating he witnessed the man responsible walking away, soaked with his head down in shame after Ko successfully managed to wrestle him into the canal.

“Yup” 

“Perfect”

“But I had a question” Ko stiffened up visibly and Zuko questioned whether it would be invasive to ask. “I was wondering what exactly you were expecting from her?”

“I was asking for an update, her husband keeps the letters that are from civilians sent from Kyoshi”

“I thought only the letters allowed from Kyoshi were the official ones”. There were serious restrictions on how the tribe could and couldn't interact with other nations. It was an incredibly strict rule of no interactions with anyone that were not the leaders of Kyoshi Island. 

“That's right, any letters that aren't from Oyaji himself are to be disposed of.” she sent him a smirk. “But a little money can change that”

“So you bribed him”

“Hey I’m not the only one, there are a lot of people who wanted to keep touch even with the closed borders. You pay him a little and suddenly those letters are in your hands instead of in a fire. But even then Kyoshi is a long way from where we used to trade, most people have to wait months for them to reach Kyoshi then back to us”

Before the treaty it was common for the tribe to visit the northern part of the Earth Kingdom, after all the North couldn't produce everything themselves in the harsh climate. He never would've guessed that for some people their relationship with those ports went any deeper than trading.

“And as for your question I was expecting a letter from my grandfather”

“You’re earth nation?” It wasn’t evident by Ko’s features at all that she was anything but watertribe. He almost blurted out something along the lines of ‘but you don't look it’ but that would be ironic considering Zuko also didn't look Earth Kingdom himself. He was quite the opposite of what one would expect a supposed refugee to look like. The only similarity he has is his black hair and shorter stature. Golden eyes could be explained by his blessing but his sharper features and narrow nose were clear signs of fire nation lineage. That’s why his supposed ‘mother’ was an Earth Kingdom woman who used to live in a fire nation colony, easier to explain those features.

“Yes, my grandfather and grandmother lived together in the Earth Kingdom. When the war got worse my mother and my family returned North, he’s the only one who stayed.” 

“I hope you hear from him soon”

“Me too” Ko turned away, effectively ending the conversation. Zuko took the opportunity to process the new information silently. Apparently that silence caused Ko to turn to look at him in concern. 

“Don’t look so upset, s’not like it your fault” She used her elbow to ruffle his hair roughly, utilizing her height. It was especially useful for when she wanted to annoy him but also keep her hands clean.

Zuko nodded. There was no use in arguing that it was indeed his fault, if not his then at least his family’s. Nothing to do but ignore the pit of guilt that constantly resides within him. In some small way it was his fault, maybe if he never disrespected his father by sneaking into that meeting he wouldn’t have never been sent here and the borders would have stayed open. Maybe if he was less of a burden to the royal family his father would have never come up with the idea in the first place. Or maybe there was nothing that would have changed the fire nation from threatening the water tribe into neutrality.

In the end there was nothing that could be done, Ko would be separated from her grandfather and Zuko from his nation.

Zuko left early. WIth the extra time he wandered through the streets. Making sure to walk by the building with the open window, admiring the fox cat as she took her daily nap. Stretching out her paws in the sunlight and Zuko wondered where Nuiaq was. Once he was walking along the canals he was shocked to find Yue being led around by boat, accompanied by a waterbender. She sat perfectly still and elegant as always, the only thing wrong as the obviously bored and unimpressed look on her face.

“Yue?”

She perked up to meet his eyes, “Lee, what are you doing here?” 

“What are you doing here, aren't you usually with the Chief right now?” he asked, carefully following the boat the best he could.

His question brought a grimace to her face, “Not today, I’m sorry could you stop for a moment?” she asked the waterbender steering the canoe, who complied. Zuko jumped from the ground onto the boat, resulting in the vessel slightly  shaking from the sudden weight. “What's going on?”

“My father wants me to participate in more Princess appropriate duties, somehow going around the city counts as that” 

“I’m pretty sure almost anything else would be a better use of time” 

“Well this way I can help anyone who requires assistance”

“I’m sure everyone is far too polite to ask their Princess for help”

“They used to” 

Yue used to be a frequent student of Naqin. They would both learn the spiritual traditions of the nation, learning even the most obscure practices to keep it alive. It was their responsibility as spirit blessed individuals to be spiritual and connected to their respective spirits.

Yue would receive many requests for help as predicted. Even if Yue was not completely adept or even comfortable with interpreting the signs from the spirits she would indulge anyone who asked for her. That was until her mother’s untimely death. And Zuko knew deep down she blamed herself for it. It was because of those stupid yearly blessings they’d give. Winter was Yue’s domain in that regard, she was responsible for everything that happened during winter. It was straining work for nearly anyone to ask you to bless them and their problems or worries, putting that pressure on you. And though no one would dare actually blame any disasters on her, he knew Yue would. She was selfless like that, taking responsibility for things that were out of anyone’s control. 

Yue never blessed someone or tended to her spiritual duties again.

“You help them plenty in those meetings, your judgment is better than anyone else’s on that council”

“They don't want me in the meeting room anymore, anytime I'm there they always start talking about my suitors. At least doing this they’ll get things done I suppose” she sighed. Zuko didn't expect them to already bring up that topic, he at least thought they would wait until after her birthday. What do they give to gain by rushing this? It’s not as though Arnook will stop leading any time soon. 

Nothing he could say would fix anything, this is usually the part where he clams up in discomfort. He found that offering a positive could help better much more than a measly ‘im sorry’ could.

“Anyone interesting?” at least maybe now he could tease her into forgetting the previous topic.

“Well of course they’re not allowing me to pick but from what I've seen there are some people I've met before in the pile. What do you think of Bu?”

Zuko snorts, “Is that the one who accidentally exploded your drink?”

“Yes, he’s an anxious person but at least he’s not…discourteous”

“Discourteous like…?”

“My father really likes Hahn’s family…”

Zuko tensed up, “There's no way he’s Considering Hahn , that guy’s an asshole”

“Language” she hissed gesturing to the man a few feet away, who only continued to bend not showing any sign of having heard Zuko. “His parents are very successful, and he has plenty of practice in trade”

“Yeah because his parents are trying to monopolize fishing, all he’s learning from them is how to be a horrible Chief who’d probably let his parents get away with their schemy shit” Zuko spat. But the expression on Yue’s face turned more dejected. “You’re dad has to know there are better people right?” 

“Of course there are better people but Hahn’s family are very charming and in their eyes he has plenty of experience leading, he’s been learning how to take over his family’s business for ages. And in front of my father he's perfectly respectful, he has no idea how he acts behind his back”

Hahn was akin to a two headed viper Zuko liked to say. Any niceties were dropped the second you were alone with him. Zuko was well versed in his two faced habits, he had the pleasure to watch him attempt to charm his sister only to spit out insults to Zuko the moment she stepped away. 

Zuko and Yue don’t introduce themselves as siblings even if that was the nature of their relationship. They weren’t blood related so some still believe Zuko’s proximity to her is inappropriate for a Princess. Over the years it’s been obvious to most that their relationship was indeed familial. From the way Yue and him would play together as kids, to how casual Zuko was with Arnook (years of teenage attitude never offended him thankfully), to the way Merroya would caress him and braid his hair.

But that wasn’t enough evidence to some such as Hahn. He was especially vicious to Zuko because of this, much to Zuko’s disgust he would receive several comments on how Zuko should stay away from Yue.

“Then you have to tell Arnook, tell him anyone else is better”

 “I’m not exactly speaking to him right now” Yue confessed

“I know things have been tense between you two but I’m sure he doesn't want to make you miserable, just tell him Hahn is not an option” 

“No, Sunny. I'm not talking to him at all for the time being” 

Zuko knew things were pretty bad between Arnook and the Princess, he’s seen it himself. Arnook has been more distant with everyone, and this wasn't the first time he insisted Yue take up other activities in favor of joining him with his Chief duties. Of course the girl wasn’t interested. So recently Arnook took to a more effective method, now he orders instead of suggesting. Yue was directed to more Princess-like duties such as ‘preparing to serve her husband’ . Zuko has never seen someone beat dough so angrily and that’s surprising considering Ko has no issue taking out her anger while baking. “What?"

"I know part of the reason I haven't been joining them is because they’re more concerned with my future husband but there's something else. Usually he keeps them on task, then he's been giving me things to do around this time. I think he is deliberately doing this so I can't listen in on the council’s gatherings. I suspect he’s hiding something from me. Something so big I can’t know about it at all.” 

“Something like the avatar” Zuko said, voice dropping down into a whisper

Yue only looked at him with a hopelessly confused look in her eyes so Zuko continued. “There’s a rumor, I heard it today while helping Ko. Some people believe the avatar is back, that he’s already been to Kyoshi”

“He’s back?” She asked breathlessly, like she couldn’t quite believe it.

“I know, but the woman who was talking to Ko was talking about her husband who works in sorting the letters. He went through some messages from Kyoshi” Yue’s face was appalled, he had no doubt she was going to find a way to get him fired for going through restricted material only meant for the Chief's eyes. Hopefully she would forget about that fact so people could continue to receive letters from the Earth Kingdom. 

“I haven’t heard of such a thing” Several expressions crossed her face, disbelief then consideration, then realization. 

Her eyes widened, “My fathers has been keeping a secret from me” 

“Probably for good reason. The avatars existence could bring up problems, considering that he would need a water bending teacher and helping him might be considered helping the other side”

“But it would be necessary!” Yue exclaimed, Zuko sent a nervous glance to the waterbender. No reaction. Zuko gestured for Yue to quiet down with a finger to his lips. 

Yue lowered her volume. “If he’s alive then my father has to see reason, we could finally end the war'' Of course Zuko could see the appeal. Why put up with a stupid treaty when there’s a chance of ending the violence? It would be incredibly selfish to stay neutral and deny the avatar any training just to keep their nation away from the horrors everyone else had to deal with. But being optimistic wasn’t always the best choice, the world wouldn't hesitate to rip that hope from your hands, being realistic was better. He would understand Arnook’s perspective if they decided to remain neutral, it was the only way to keep his people safe, joining the war alongside the avatar did not guarantee they would win.

“In fact we’ll go speak to him right now” she declared and stood up, prepared to ask the bender to stop the canoe. Zuko panicked, he didn't want to interrupt the Chief mid-meeting for a rumor as wild as this. And if it was somehow true, he would be questioned for knowing it in the first place. “Wait Yue maybe we should be more calm about this, it’s could always be a fake rumor that she made up for fun”

“No, you helped me realize why my father has been acting odd all week. He knew I would demand an explanation so he tricked me” 

“It could be a coincidence, do you really believe the avatar just…showed up?”

“Do you really believe the avatar abandoned us?” she said with a disapproving frown.

“Uh yes? He’s been gone since the beginning of the war”

“I'm sure there's a good reason for that, perhaps he was trapped in the spirit world”

“Or maybe he died and the avatar cycle was broken because the air nomads are gone” That seemed much more likely since the cycle would be in air because Roku was the last avatar. Without the air nomads what would happen? “It doesn't matter, you can't just barge in talking about the avatar they would never take you seriously again”

“You’re right, we need proof, the only evidence we could use is someone's word or ….the letters” Yue whispered. “We can look around in my fathers study to find the Kyoshi letters'' she suggested with an excited smile .

“No it wont work, he’s practically always in there” Zuko sighed. Not that he would ever go snooping in the Chief’s office, he wasn't looking for a death wish.

“We could eavesdrop on the meeting, we could go into the room before they get there and hide behind the waterfall, we might not be able to hear very well but-”

“ No .” Zuko said sternly, effectively making Yue stare back in confused shock. 

“Yue promise me you won’t sit in on the meeting” He pleaded. Yue only stared confusedly at the rapid change of attitude. But she hesitantly nodded with an understanding. Zuko sighed, thankful that she realized why doing such a thing was a bad idea. He hoped the story of how exactly Zuko was sent here would provide reason enough to not go through it. 

The day he told Yue the events that lead to his banishment was full of shame. It had felt embarrassing to admit he was punished so severely for sneaking into a meeting as a child, it had explained a lot to Yue. His aversion to Arnook when he first arrived, his fear of disappointing anyone, and his scar.

“Thank you”

“We’ll find another way” Yue compromised. Zuko didn't have the energy to argue.

______

Zuko’s leg bounces underneath the table as Arnook serves dinner. Being the Chief, Arnook is likely the only person in the tribe to have a personal chef. It’s not common to have any type of servants here but he was high enough status to warrant them. So most of the time they have dinner served by someone else, but occasionally Arnook decides to cook. 

He has a limited array of meals he knows how to cook since it’s not common for men to cook here at all. But Merroya was a stubborn woman and she demanded her husband to also learn the tasks typically performed by women. It was a way for them to bond and a way for Arnook to understand her. Zuko remembers watching them cook dinner together. How Merroya’s usual stoic face would crumple into laughter as Arnook stumbled through the steps. 

Sometimes they eat with the council, sometimes with Arnook’s own friends, sometimes with Pakku and sometimes with just Yagoda. But on these nights they always eat alone, it’s private and familiar. 

But no matter how much they try to ignore it no one can deny the empty space Merroya used to fill, especially on nights like these.The seat beside Arnook always stays painfully empty, he tries to distract them from this by asking them about their days. But lately that hadn’t worked either, Yue is happy to pretend as though her life isn’t crumbling around her from the impending doom of her birthday. That particular topic has also stained Zuko's relationship with Arnook. Zuko has come to enjoy the culture of the tribe, it was vastly different from the fire nation. In some ways better and in some, worse. He isn't afraid to point out (at least to Arnook, Yue and Yagoda) how utterly idiotic it is that only men are allowed certain skills or education. It's always an uncomfortable topic for Arnook who doesn't know how to handle defending the rule that has never been questioned (at least not so boldly to the Chief himself). 

And sometimes Zuko just has the urge to use his own culture as evidence to how women could outperform any man. But he shuts his mouth and remains silent, it’s an obvious reason why he doesn't bring that up.

So they sit together, close physically but not emotionally. Zuko isn’t sure if Arnook even notices or cares that his daughter is terrified for the one day most are at their happiest. 

He grips the arms chair, most homes in the tribes don’t have dinner tables. Most prefer to sit beside the hearth in the living room that warms the home. At least the houses in the villages do, Agna q’uela homes don’t support this seeing as though they are made from ice. They rely on stone surfaces to cook on instead of the welcoming hearths. It's a fitting comparison, Zuko thinks, for the atmosphere. It’s not comfortable and it’s not personal. Not anymore anyway.

Deep down Zuko feels guilt for his recent animosity towards the Chief, it was his kindness that allowed him to live comfortably after all. To be free to roam rather than pacing in a cell. But that doesn't mean he is free from judgment.

“Anything interesting today?” Arnook asks casually.

“Nothing new father” Yue replies politely.

Arnook turns to him, awaiting a response. Zuko gives in with a frown, “nothing interesting at all, all anyone cares to talk about down at the bakery is the avatar”

The rumors had spread quickly over the course of days. Zuko no longer needs to hide the fact he’s heard them at all because everyone has heard about it. Thankfully because of the nature of rumors it’s origins have become muddled. As far as Zuko knows no one has been fired and there are several suspects most of which are sailors that are responsible for voyaging to Kyoshi every year.

Arnook stiffens, hand clenches his bowl a little tighter. “Ah…”

“Which I suppose could be quite the interesting topic, considering the rumor has changed so much. Only thing is no one really knows if it’s true or not '' Zuko continues, enjoying the way Arnook avoids eye contact with him. There's no way he or Yue could confirm from Arnook himself if the rumors are true, their only evidence is the way he freezes up at the mention of the avatar.

“I understand your curiosity, Zuko,” he says after a few beats. “But I can assure you that it’s just a silly rumor”

“So it’s fake? Why hasn't anyone made a public statement about it? This is a big deal some people are starting to actually believe it”

“Even if we said something people will continue to believe it, there's no use”

“So why are you questioning suspects?”

“There's no ‘suspects’”

“The sailors who were brought in today?” 

“That’s merely a coincidence”

“No disrespect but as someone who's own identity has been a secret for a majority of their life, I can recognize that there is someone else being hidden from the tribe” A lie. Zuko has no evidence besides the sweat off the Chief’s brow and the uneasy tension that surrounds him. Restricting Yue from joining the gatherings could be a coincidence and so could the soldiers that were brought into the palace today. But it starts to pile up and now it would be a bigger jump in logic to assume it truly was a false rumor.

And as predicted Arnook cracks.

“It’s just a difficult situation to decide what anyone can and cannot know”

Both teens give each other a glance, that’s basically an admission. 

“But to keep it from me?” Yue speaks up, her mask of indifference is slipping. She’s hurt. “From us I mean” she corrects herself while glancing at Zuko.

“Daughter, please understand my situation”

“Apologies but it's a bit difficult to understand the situation when I don’t know what it is ” She picks at her food a bit more aggressively.

“It’s only for the councils ears”

“That used to include me! Why can’t you tell me anything anymore?”

“Soon enough that won’t be my decision, you’ll marry then you can’t attend unless your husband allows it”

This breaks both Yue’s and Zuko’s patience. He scoffs and crosses his arms but he doesn’t speak.

“It is your decision! You are the one pushing them to marry me off! You don’t even have the decency to be upfront about it, you depend on them to tell me everything so that you don’t have to take the blame.” 

Arnook’s composure breaks as well, “Fine, you will be wed to Hahn. This is your role as Princess and there is nothing to be done about it” he says firmly.

Yue glares at her father, tears welling up in her eyes. She doesn’t speak, only blinks away the tears and stands from her seat to silently walk from the room. Zuko stays in his seat, gaze turned downwards. He thought Arnook would understand how unfair it is to have an arranged marriage but it seemed as though the pressure of the council had finally gotten to him.

Zuko used to believe that Arnook was the perfect Chief, compared to his own family he basically is. But as he grew he saw just how much of a pushover he was. Merroya used to help him lead by reminding him his own opinions matter too, to not allow the council to pressure him.

“Please understand my options,” Arnook pleaded. “This is the way things are, we all have responsibilities because of our status. I’m sure you could understand. You were a prince once”

Zuko stood, “I understand perfectly, I watched my own mother live through an arranged marriage. She hated my father as much as he hated her, she was taken from her village and family and never allowed to choose anything for herself. I understand that you want the same fate for Yue”. He said just before he left in the same fashion Yue did.

Once out of the room he went searching for her, he assumed she might be in her room but there was a chance she would have gone somewhere else to avoid anyone looking for her. He ended up wandering the halls searching for any sign of her before he gave up, standing before a window facing outwards into the city. The air was warmer since it was well into spring now. Of course it was nowhere warm compared to any other nation but he got mostly accustomed to it. He sighed as watched as his breath turned visible from the cold. Amusedly, he thought of the old stories of dragons his uncle would recount to him. 

After exhaling smoke a few times as he recalled how his uncle hunted the last dragon he heard some flaps outside the window before Nuiaq came into sight.

He landed onto Zuko’s outstretched arm and  blinked up at Zuko, awaiting a treat in return. He never got out of the habit of looking for treats when completing something that had to be taught. Fortunately he accepted scratches in place of treats.

“Hello” he cooed. "You wouldn't happen to know where she went would you?” The bird only tilted his head as if he were processing the question. Then he walked along his arm until he reached his shoulder. Nuiaq shifted his body to lower, wings rising until Zuko recognized the stance and leaned his head away so as to not get slapped with feathers. Nuiaq took off through the hall, startling Zuko who had to begin a light jog to keep up. He didn't expect Nuiaq to begin leading him away, almost as if he were responding to Zuko’s request. But then again he did recognize the name, and he was a messenger bird. Finding the location was only half the job, they also had to know how to find specific individuals. 

The halls were mostly empty (thankfully).  Anyone that would have been roaming the halls were all at home. The sparse guards around the palace were nowhere in sight. When Nuiaq stopped in front of Arnooks' study he was still surprised to see no one standing guard. The owl bat perched himself on Zuko's shoulder which Zuko took as a sign of him showing his completion in his task. But he was sure Yue wouldn’t hide from them in her fathers own study, but there was only one way to be sure…

He pushed the door open, praying someone wasn't inside to catch him peeking into the Chief's study. No matter how close he was to the family, some people were still waiting for the day he would turn rogue. He opened it to see a lantern lit on the table, behind it, standing with wide eyes was exactly the person he was searching for. 

“Zuko!” 

“What are you doing?” He understood she was usually allowed to see the Chief's documents but even this was a bit far. 

“Nothing- I was just grabbing my earring! I must have dropped it in here”

Zuko only stared, disbelief clear on his face. It only took a few agonizing seconds for Yue to give in. “Don't tell anyone” she pleaded

“What are you even doing?”

“I figure since my father won't tell me i’ll just look for myself, he’s still eating dinner so now’s our chance”

“ Our ?”

“I know you don’t believe he's really back but look this proves it '' she said as she turned the parchment in her hands to face him. Zuko squinted his eyes to read it as best as he could in the darkness but it was clear as day once he began reading halfway down the page. 

Our Island was content to keep the avatar secret from the world, save for our allies in the north. But it's clear the avatar is not interested in keeping a low profile, there have already been several accounts of his appearance in other cities. As for his destination we have confirmed with the avatar himself that he, and his crew, are heading to your borders in search of a waterbending teacher. We urge you to consider sending a bending master to the Earth Kingdom to meet him halfway to speed up the training process.

Zuko broke his gaze and met Yue’s eyes which were conflicted, they both knew the dangers of this. On one hand this is amazing, many have believed the avatar to be gone permanently. But now they know he’s back, and he's headed straight towards them. He looked down to the mess of documents and letters, both opened and unopened, and saw a marked map. He picked it up and unscrolled it completely to reveal a map of the Earth Nation, there are red marks scattered seemingly randomly across it. “Is this?...”

“Yes, those are all the places where there have been confirmed sightings of the avatar” Zuko gawks at the markings, they are so incredibly random Zuko wonders if a child was the one navigating for them. “How has he not been captured by how much attention they are bringing to themselves?”

“There's some descriptions in the letter of the places they stopped at, they were arrested in Omashu”

“Who exactly is he traveling with?”

“It seems the avatar is traveling with friends, two people from the Southern Tribe”

“The Southern Tribe…” It's shocking to hear, it's not as if the Southern Tribe was completely wiped out but it’s unexpected. “He must have gone south for a teacher, so why is he headed here?”

“I’m not sure, perhaps they didn't want to bring unwanted attention to themselves by harboring the avatar?” she guessed. 

“Maybe, We should leave Yue, if we are caught you can kiss away your chance to make it back to the council’s good graces. And it won't be a good look if they find me in here either” he reminded. “Need I remind you the only reason I'm here is because of how much the tribe values the spirits? I don't want to push my luck”

She frowned, “You’re right, I shouldn't have come here in the first place. I was just so-” she spluttered for a moment, searching for a word through her anger “-Infuriated! They treat me like I'm only good for being a bride!” 

“Which is not true, they’re missing out on having  a great future Chief. That's something I will never understand, how they prefer having a empty headed brute-” Yue giggles “-over you, it's your birthright and you’ve been learning how to lead since you were a child”

“I Hardly think following my father around everywhere counts as learning how to lead”

“It's more practise than Hahn has”

“Hopefully when I'm wed to him, he’ll allow me to be as free as I am now. I’m scared he won’t even allow me to see you anymore. The way he treats you is horrible” 

He wants to respond with ‘the way he treats you is horrible’ but he was fairly sure she doesn't need a reminder. “I’m used to it, now let’s go before anyone finds us”

They crack the door open and listen for any sign of someone passing by, together they walk as quietly as possible through the halls until they reach the stairs. Successfully making it to their own rooms. 

All the buzz about the avatar only made Zuko anxious for a war to arrive on the supposedly safe shores of the tribe. If the avatar ever did arrive they would only bring devastation, he hoped they could recognize that before arriving.

So Zuko sleeps, wishing, selfishly, that the avatar would never make it to the waters of the Northern Watertribe. 

_____________

Days leading up to Yue’s birthday celebration, she was hardly around. Zuko found that she would either hide away from the world and would only come out to help with preparations. After all it was her birthday so she was encouraged to plan it to her liking. 

“I’m sorry but have you seen the Princess?” Zuko asked a woman whose arms were full with a large bucket of water. The woman offered to take him to her with a smile.

“The Princess is discussing with Master Ilui’ '' she explained as they reached the courtyard. Her arms shake from the weight 

“Do you need help with that?”

“Yes please, I’ve been hauling water buckets for her all day” 

Zuko nods with understanding. He works to walk as steady as possible so the water wouldn’t sway over the edge.

“The Princess has been deciding the ice sculpture designs with her, i’m afraid she has been having trouble with picking”

Zuko hums in acknowledgement. Ilui is one of the only women in the tribe allowed to do something other than healing with her bending. It's a fine line between what is considered art and what is considered too dangerous for a woman to do with her bending. Which Zuko thinks is stupid, what difference does it make if a woman decides to make a giant beautiful ice sculpture or works with the benders that control the ice wall. Either takes skill and either could be dangerous as far as he’s aware, it's not like a piece of the ice sculpture would spare falling onto you just because you were a woman.

They round the corner to see the woman in question seaking to Yue. Or more accurately borderline insulting her. “I’m sorry Master Illui but I’m far too indecisive to pick, you can choose whichever is easiest”

“Once again, I just need you to give me an idea, anything, I'd like to create something new for the celebration. But it seems I'd be better off creating a creature in the likeliness of your memory” she smiles. Ilui brings her arms up, relieving Zuko of the weight from the water by guiding it out of the bucket. Crooked hands come together to merge the liquid form into solid ice. It shifts until a form is created into the form of a koi fish, the figure is plopped down next to several other ice sculptures. Zuko is impressed by how quickly she was able to shape the ice into something so lifelike, but it doesn't distract from the words that inspired the sculpture. 

“Good afternoon Princess Yue” Zuko greets, which earns him a relieved sigh from the girl. He turns to the waterbender with his features dropping into an unimpressed expression, “Ilui.”  

Ilui’s face scrunches up in displeasure, she definitely noticed the purposeful lack of him addressing her title. 

“Wow I will never stop being amazed by your abilities”,  Zuko feigned amazement. He reached out a hand to stroke the fins of the fish, it was remarkable sure but that did not warrant the woman’s impertinence. His hands warmed up ever so slightly and he trailed up the tail fin. This only melted a thin layer of ice, he turned to Ilui to catch her irritated face. He was positive her agitation was not because she noticed his threat but more so because of his proximity.  Zuko smiled, and within a second his hand sank down halfway through the tail from the heat of his hand. “Whoops, Sorry I can't help it” 

Ilui growled, face promptly turning red. Zuko’s lips twitch upwards, it's fun to find ways to push someone off their high ostrich horse in a way that wouldn't technically get him in trouble. Because he didn't firebend. It was well-known fire benders run hot, who's to say it wasn't really a mistake? He was just admiring the artwork. 

Before she could stutter out an insult someone interrupted. The bulky man that steps in is familiar, he sports a singular long braid down his back and wears an apron which obviously marks him as one of the cooks. “Princess Yue, I'd like to go over the menu with you” he requests. Desperate to leave she grabs Zuko by the arm as if to escort him, “Yes of course”

So together they leave Ilui shaking with anger. Once they are out of earshot Yue laughs, “Stop stirring up trouble, I still need to find something for her”

“Why can't she figure it out herself? She can remake of of the thousands other statues she’s made before''

“This is a special event, she wants something new and extra extraordinary” 

“That didn't mean she say you have the memory of a goldfish”

“Koi” she corrects.

“Whatever, who does she think she is?”

“To be fair I was there for an hour, I can see why she got sick of me not choosing something”

“Why do they have you checking everything in the first place? I’m sure they can find someone else to plan it, it's kinda ruining the surprise don't you think?”

“More Princess responsibilities, planning this part would be a woman’s job, picking the decor, tasting the food, finding a place big enough to host it. But I don't mind. Besides, everyone else is too busy with their secrets.” Referring to the council who have yet to announce anything about the avatar. Arnook has only holed himself up in his office, overloaded with work or hiding from regret he wasn't sure. 

“Let me help, you know I don't have a real job”

“Of course you do. Who would be my guard?” She says fondly as she pats his head like a polar dog. Zuko swats at her, “that was just an excuse”. An excuse Arnook came up with years ago to convince the council to allow Zuko to learn fighting alongside the non-benders of the tribe. He figured since they were attached at the hip, especially as kids, there would be no one better to protect Yue if anything were to happen. 

But what ended up happening is that Zuko finally got to learn how to fight and ‘get some of that restless energy out’ (Arnook’s words). Of course there were downsides such as people finding a new reason to mistrust him. And he had to deal with the snarky remarks made about him behind his back during lessons, sometimes Zuko had to stand purposely with his bad side facing everyone so he wouldn't have to hear every whisper. But as much as everyone would have loved to embarrass Zuko simply for being a firebender they never got the chance to because he would never allow it. Outside of classes, he was happy to play the part of the perfectly well trained fire bender. But during class he allowed himself to be a little rough with his sparring partners. He would never forgive himself if he made himself look weak. He was pretty sure that was the only reason why he hadn't jumped yet.

“Ugh shut up”

“Haha” Yue laughed and ruffled his hair. 

The cooking room was large and well ventilated, with large windows to air out the room because of the several fires within. Right now it was essentially empty compared to when it was being used, only a few people remained tasked with ensuring the dishes that required a longer time to cook were coming along. “We just wanted to ensure you approve of the dishes we selected, none of them are complete since we begin cooking the ones that take longer days in advance. We save the bread for the day before so they are fresh”

“I'm sorry but I already approved of the dishes a week ago..?” she replied

“Ah yes we just wanted to know if you wanted to change anything last minute and ask you what dessert you’d like, as a gift my my crew”

“Dessert…Um I hadn't thought about it. How about something everyone will enjoy, like tarts?”

The man only tilted his head in slight confusion and amusement. “We were looking for something a bit more personal. What's your favorite dessert Princess? It’ll be made for you after all”

“Well I won't be the only person eating it, it should be something everyone will enjoy” she insisted

“I’m sure everyone will understand if you pick something to your own preferences, The celebration is in your name”

Yue smiled but it was tense, Zuko didn't understand how a simple question could make her uncomfortable so quickly. Zuko reached out a hand to reassure her but Yue stepped away. “Please just pick anything that is easiest.” she said before turning to walk away. The entire behavior was entirely unlike her, walking away without a reason or goodbye and being so indecisive over simple decisions.

This time Zuko didn't allow her to run away, he excused himself and chased her down the open hall. Thankfully for him Yue was unable to walk quickly due to her heavy dress weighing her down or perhaps she wanted to be found this time. 

“I need to calm down for a bit, but don’t worry i’m fine”

“What's really going on?”

“I’m not even sure myself, I have been all over the place the past few days. I can't even do simple preparations. How am I supposed to help my future husband lead the tribe when I can’t even do this without breaking down?”

“You're stressed, you can't do the preparations because you're basically preparing the celebration for the day you’ll be betrothed. I’ll take over okay?”

“What no, I can finish this I promise”

“You can't even pick what dessert you want. Let me handle everything okay? Are you even ready for your birthday?”

“Well um”

“I'm pretty sure your outfit isn't even ready and it's in two days”

She sighed, defeated. “Okay you're right. But let me know if you need help with anything”

“Fine but you have to tell me what dessert you want”

“Some apple pie” she practically mumbles.

“I'll tell them to bring out the preserved apple jars”

________________

Zuko checks off another mental task as he walks away from the group of servants setting up the tables outside. They chose a large flat area by one of the North’s biggest man-made waterfalls. The area has been beautifully decorated with several pillars of ice depicting animals. Ilui had eventually made peace with Zuko being in charge of the preparations and set up several statues to his liking. His favorite being one of a ferret stoat made in the likeness of Yue’s old pet, Kaikoa. He turned to Nuiaq who only ignored the statue disinterestedly. Of course he did not expect him to believe the giant ice block was really his old playmate but it would have been cute to see some type of reaction. 

He’d already checked the cooks, Ilui, decorators, and Pakku to ensure his students were performing today. He spoke with Pakku first, he knew if he checked with him last he would've lost his temper very quickly. And he was right to because when he asked him about the performance he had the nerve to be offended by even being asked if his students were ready. (“Of course they are ready, they are taught by me after all and I would expect nothing less than perfection. The Chief didn't need to send a firebender to ask me, as if you would know anything about waterbending).

Thankfully he was done for the most part, of course he would need to check in periodically with the cooks but that didn't bother him at all. He found that spending time with the cooks was his favorite part of this job. They were all somewhat comfortable with his presence and some were very kind enough to offer to allow him to taste test. He suspected they weren't afraid of him because of their work, it would be hard to be truly afraid of fire when you work with it so closely.  

“Goodmorning Lee, Would you like some sweet bread?” Yun asked. He was the head cook, he did his job flawlessly and had a heart of gold. The tall man was actually more difficult in a way he hadn't expected. Everytime Zuko stepped into the kitchen he would be bombarded with food, and Yun would never allow him to leave without something. 

“No thank you, I ate earlier” Zuko replied but he knew there was no use. Yun had already begun wrapping up a bun of sweet bread in a thin food cloth. “Nonsense, you are far too thin you need to eat more so you can have one last growth spurt”

“I’m afraid this is as tall as I’ll get, I’m not exactly water tribe”

“You’re water tribe in heart, that's all that matters”

Zuko didn't know exactly how to respond, it's not as if he could get any taller just because he was ‘water tribe in heart’ . “I’ll just give this to the Princess when I see her,” he said, grasping the warm bundle of cloth.

“Perfect! Here I’ll wrap another for you as well” 

“Perfect…” Zuko inwardly groaned, at least the bread would make a nice treat for Nuiaq. The bird was already trying to climb down his arm to snatch the bread from him.

He felt nervous to see how she was faring. He predicted she would either be so stressed she’d refuse to come out or perfectly normal. At least she had two days to distress and do nothing but mentally prepare herself. Arnook said she would be betrothed to Hahn but it was unclear at first when that would happen. But they both noticed some strange behaviors that indicated a specific day.

Zuko was asked to leave a few seats open at their table for Hahn's family. He tried his best to politely find a reason for why he couldn't but couldn't find a believable excuse. Yue also told him Hahn’s mother had been looking for her to spend time together. From that alone he predicted he would ask for her hand sooner rather than later.

He was determined to make her enjoy her birthday despite the odds. Hahn might ruin it by asking mid celebration but he was sure he could find a way to ruin that too. Maybe pushing him into the canal might make him reschedule.

He knocked softly on her door and entered when he heard a distant ‘ come in ’.

Yue was sitting in front of her ornate mirror. threading her fingers through her hair, stopping at points to slowly unravel knots. Zuko immediately recognized it as a nervous habit, he didn’t blame her at all for it. What usually is a happy day is the countdown to when she will officially be able to be engaged to someone she hates. What really worried him was her refusal to meet his eyes

“Happy birthday” 

“Thank you Sunny”

“I hope you don’t mind you’ll have to wait until later for your gift”

“You didn’t have to” she replied in a voice that sounded awfully like the one she used when repeating niceties in public.

“Despite what most think it’s still your birthday, gifts are the least anyone can do”

Yue only hummed. 

“I already checked up with everyone, everything is already ready”

Yue remained silent, staring distractedly at nothing. Like she was somewhere far away, that was a look Zuko recognized all too well. It frightened him how scarily familiar she looked to his own mother in this moment

“Have you decided what you will wear?” Zuko hopes that a harmless topic will break her out of her daze.

Yue finally looked up to reach his eyes through the mirror. “It’s almost ready, I’ve needed lots of help with it since I had a specific color in mind. Here I’ll show you” She moved away from the mirror to open her wardrobe and carefully pull out the dress in question. She held it up as best as she could considering its weight. It was as thick as a parka and had a train in the back which probably added another five pounds to the weight, she spread it across the surface of her bed. The color was a light liliac color with darker purple accents throughout the outfit. The neckline was thick and fluffy, a different fur than what was usually used for clothing, something he had no doubt was incredibly hard to source. 

“It looks amazing” he replied honestly.

“Thank you but it’s not finished, I have to finish the bottom, I really want the bottom to have layers of different colors” she explained as she reached down to flip over the fabric to reveal where the bottom fabrics were only pinned into place from the inside. “I know I should have already had it done a week ago but I wanted to work on it myself”

“And I haven’t decided what accessories to wear either, my usual necklace wont be visible with this sadly” she placed a hand atop said necklace hanging across her collar. The stone at the center was made by Zuko himself years ago as a gift from when he had a phase of carving art into stones. It was common practice in the north but he’d quickly given up that particular hobby when his lines were too shaky and jagged for his liking (he still enjoyed creating strings of jewelry to tie into braids). 

Zuko had carved it from black obsidian with a sharp diamond star shape across it. He thought the contrast looked much better than all the blue generic moon engraved accessories she was gifted.

He’d pleaded with her many times to replace that necklace with something that looked more professional rather than a poorly made design from a 14 year old. But everytime she would refuse, and she made him an equally bad looking necklace instead. And he finally realized the appeal of wearing a stone so badly carved by someone you knew tried their best.

“I think we can sacrifice a day, I cant wear mine either. '' Zuko’s new parka was made with a longer neckline that revealed more of tunic beneath. It was a bit odd considering the whole point was to keep the thickest part of the furs close to the neck but he liked the flair. Unfortunately, the extended neckline meant his own sun engraved necklace would likely have to be sewn onto it to be visible.

“You're right, anyway I needed your help with my hair. I have no idea how to put it up or even what to put in it” she grabbed a box full of hair accessories to show. She rummaged through the pile to occasionally pull out potential options. 

Zuko hummed with each piece she considered, it was difficult to pick considering the plentiful ideas Yue seemed to have come up with. 

“You can't wear your hair down because of the thick fur, it will make an awkward bump over it”

“Okay so I'll keep it up with this band” Yue pulled a band out with a decorative stone attached. “I'll have it up in two loops” 

“And for the front?”

“My braids of course, I just need something for them”

Zuko considered the pile once again, then his eyes landed on something familiar. The long strips of decorated wraps, each a deep indigo. The ends were marked with a gold color and the entirety had star-like swirls decorating it. 

“How about this?” 

Yues eyes followed his gaze, her once carefree posture slacked. “Oh...”

“How come you never wore these much?”

“They were her favorite, I could never bring myself to wear them.”

“Hmm” Zuko ran his figure down the designs, tracing those lines while in deep thought. He always loved these wraps the most. He remembers the first time she showed any motherliness, a protective hand holding tight into his shoulder and a firm voice defending him. He had looked up and through his terrified daze saw the gold stars in her hair. 

“I've been meaning to give them to you” 

Zuko startles,“What? But it's your mothers” 

“I have all her clothes and jewelry. I always thought it wasn't fair you never got anything to remember her by. I want you to keep them. Unless you wouldn't want them just because they were made for a woman...?”

“No I don't mind that” he said breathlessly as he picked them up from the bed spread. 

“Do you want me to help you?”

Zuko only nodded, suddenly a little choked up. Yue sat in front of him, legs laying atop his to get close. She gently pulled hair from his temple free so she could start the braid. Once she finished a braid on each side she took the wrap and wrapped it tightly around the braid. Slowly the design became visible and Zuko was left with stars in his hair.

“Thank you”

“I'd say it's only fair since you helped me decide how i'll wear my hair”

“Not really you basically picked it out yourself”

“It helps to hear someone's opinion”

Zuko reached a hand to grasp the dress that had yet to be completed, he was sure Yue could finish by herself relatively quickly but he wanted to keep her company. “Do you need help finishing?”

“Only if you have time, I have to admit I was procrastinating a bit. I was debating wearing it out with only pins to keep it in place”

“I’ve got time” So Yue handed him a bone needle and they both got to work. Hunched over the dress with their heads nearly hitting each other at least a handful of times. The only disturbance was Nuiaq nipping curiously at their fingers and the thread. Zuko relished the quiet atmosphere. He doubts they will get a chance to be relaxed again today, Yue would be busy all day and Zuko would be right beside her to make sure everything was in place. He had a hard time spending hours solely socializing, it got overwhelming after a while. But today he would have no choice. Yue was close to cracking her mask, he could tell the delicate balance would tip over from anything going wrong so he was determined to give her a relatively peaceful birthday.

Yue forced Zuko to hold the garment up to his body to see if anything was out of place. Of course the fabric was dragging the floor because of Zuko's height difference compared to her so he compensated by lifting it past his chin so she could see the bottom properly. “Hmm I’d say it’s done”

“Why is this so heavy ”

“Maybe if you weren't the size of a twig it wouldn't be so difficult”, she teased.

Zuko scowled. “Whatever”

“Should we go out now? Go down to see what stalls are up for the celebration?”

As much as it was tempting to go out and look through the colorful stalls for some trinkets, they had to take advantage of their current free time.

“No, put on something loose and meet me at the oasis”

When Yue eventually arrived at the oasis Zuko had already started warming up. Practicing the few katas he remembered from his childhood. Smooth movements to clear his mind and connect himself to his inner flame. 

The only time he was allowed to firebend was when completing tasks that didn't require actual fire. Like drying items or keeping himself warm. But being that disconnected from his inner flame was dangerous, someone who didn't bend their fire or at least stay connected to their inner flame could be at risk of bending during high-emotion situations and not being able to control it. So Zuko meditated and performed katas frequently. He even began to include aspects of waterbending forms into his routine, it was a great way to better understand the flow of chi throughout his body. 

“Why did we have to come all the way here?”

“You’ll see. Here” he pulled out his dagger from his pocket, still encased in the sheath. Then he pulled out a separate dagger made from bone. Yue watched with widened eyes as he handed the second one to her. She held it in flat palms as if she was unsure what to do with it.

“Um”

“Happy birthday”

She gasped, her shocked expression turned to delighted surprise. “It's beautiful” she trailed a finger along the edge, admiring the craftsmanship. The handle held engravings spiraling down to the curved end. The silver base and bone body gave the weapon an elegant look. 

“How did you even get this?”

“I got Ko to get it for me, she thought it was a great idea” 

“Where would I even keep this where no one would find it?”

“I’ll show you the best spots to hide it, and I'm sure you'll have to problem sewing some secret pockets” Zuko held up his left arm, exposing the hidden pocket in the inside of the forearm. It was hidden from sight unless you  looked inside the sleeve but was a great accessible spot.

“And most importantly, I'll teach you how to use it. You'll need to know how to protect yourself just in case Hahn thinks he can take advantage of you”

“ Thank you ”  Making sure to mind the weapons in their hands as she leaned down to hug him tightly.

“No problem”

“Really sunny, I've always wanted to learn. I can't always depend on other people to protect me” 

“Now you won't need to, I'm sure you'll be a great student”

“Okay, let's start right now” she said, absolutely giddy.

Zuko guides her through the basics. Mostly instructing her how to stand properly and how to maintain a good stance while fighting. The oasis provided a perfect spot, the list of people allowed into the sacred place was few. And due to the nature of the area it was blessed with warm air and lush greenery. It looked exactly as if someone plucked up a field from the fire nation and dropped it in the middle of ice.

By the time they are going through how to swipe at an opponent without allowing yourself to remain open to a counter attack, it's already the middle of the afternoon. Zuko needed  to check in on Pakku and his students one last time before the events began. And he was sure everyone was antsy to wish their princess a happy birthday. 

“Are you sure I can't tag along? If I can't be near the palace, what am I supposed to do?”

“You’ll ruin the surprise,” Zuko complained.

“Please” she said in an exasperated tone. “I did most of the planning”

“Nope, I changed a few things. Just go around the city on a canoe or something. Everyone is desperate to see you”

“Oh fine. But only for an hour”

“That's all the time I need. I'll go speak with Master Pakku then we can meet up”

“Hmm, I think you've found your calling with party planning” 

“Shut up”

Yue childishly stuck out her tongue like a child before leaving. Zuko left to leave his belongings in his room, hiding his dagger in the pockets of an old pair of pants in the back of his wardrobe. 

When he checked in with Yun, who was already preparing his team to carry out the food to the location of the celebration, some people were beginning to leave. Even several of Yun's cooks left without much warning, all headed in the same direction.

“What's going on?” Zuko asked mid bite of some more food Yun had insisted he try.

“Quinn, what's happening?” Yun pointed to a woman who was taking off her apron in a hurry.

“The ships on patrol just sent a messenger owl, the avatar is being escorted into the city!”

“The avatar!?” 

“The avatar…” Zuko mirrored

Chapter Text

Zuko stands like a single reed resisting the wind. He’s made his way down into the city, all sorts of people push past him as they run to see the Avatar. He’s not entirely sure what to do, there's no way the celebrations can continue as planned.  

Until now he doubted the existence of the Avatar, perhaps it was denial but he couldn't bring himself to believe it. But now standing behind the crowds he can see a peek of a giant creature in the canal. An air bison. The animal was unlike anything he’d previously seen, something so bizarre he wondered if he was imagining it. The air bison were thought to be extinct just like the air nomads. Like a beacon of hope, he thought, evidence that things could still be fixed.

Atop the bison were three people, two blue figures and a single orange one. From his place crowded against the buildings lining the canal, he could see the smaller person’s bright blue arrow. He thought back to when he was still on a fire nation ship sailing him to the north. They passed the broken down structure of what used to be a society of airbenders. He wonders how someone could have survived that, how this boy could even exist. 

The two other figures were less bright and obvious, they both donned their parkas. But they differed from the ones here, they were more gray which made Zuko wonder what type of animal they were made from, it gave them the appearance of wearing something completely blue from afar. 

But as much as he wanted to gawk at them like everyone else, he had responsibilities and questions. Lots of questions.

So as difficult as it was he ran back the way he came from, it took him longer than he liked but considering the sheer amount of people out in the streets there was nothing that could be done about that. When he arrived back at the bridge that connected the city to the palace grounds, Arnook was waiting patiently on the steps. And was accompanied by members of the council. 

“Arnook!”

“Lee,” he replied, his stern expression cracking into concern.

“What’s going on? How could you let the Avatar into the city do you have any idea-” Zuko looked to the side to see the men look appalled at the tone he took with the Chief.

“Can we please speak in private”

“Lee, I’m sure you have many questions but we can’t discuss this now”

“Arnook please,” Zuko said earnestly. Arnook looks at him with a troubled expression, he sighs and gestures for Zuko to follow him inside. It’s empty, no one is around to hear them. He wouldn't be surprised if the entire city was at the canals right now.

“You can't allow the Avatar to stay here, if the fire nation finds out they will attack. That treaty was mercy, they won't hold back this time”

“Zuko, I am well aware of the risks this will bring upon us. But we can't remain isolated forever.”

“The nation will never be safe again once they hear, you’ll break the neutrality.”

“We already did”

“What?”

“Kyoshi Island is no longer neutral, they joined the war ever since the Avatar visited their island, the entire time we’ve been in correspondence with Kyoshi we have been breaking the treaty”

“So that's it? You’ll sacrifice the tribe for the Avatar who looks like a child?”

“He is a child, unfortunately. but I have hope now, and his friends are from the Southern tribe. I've put some thought into it and we owe it to them to fix our wrongs, we can't hide from war forever”, he places a hand on Zuko's shoulder and squeezes.

“But, if you truly want to change my mind we’re having an emergency meeting to discuss it. This couldn't have happened at a better time. Several of the village's leaders and elders have arrived for the celebrations. Now we can cast a vote as a nation” 

Zuko scoffs, a better time? They couldn't have come at a worse time. They could've had the decency to come a day or two later when the festivities would be over but the elders from the villages would've been in the city. 

“They won't want me there” he says instead.

“That doesn’t matter, I want you there. Besides the Avatar is a spiritual matter and you are one of the only people qualified to speak on that”

“I’ll be there then, I just need to delay the celebrations” Then all the ways he would need to fix that particular situation came to the forefront of his mind. He groaned, it would take a lot of work to fix this.

“Take your time, it will take a while to round everyone up”

Zuko nodded and turned to leave before Arnook stopped him again. 

“Sit beside me when you arrive” he flickered his gaze over to the steps behind them. They were meant to be used for Arnook and occasionally council members to sit on while in a discussion. Only used in favor of their usual meeting room whenever the occasion called for a large gathering. In those rare events, family would always be seated beside the Chief. Zuko was never seated beside them in those situations, to sit there would be an admission that Arnook viewed him as his own blood.

Zuko’s brow furrowed in confusion, but Arnook looked sure. As if this request wasn’t a big deal. But Zuko didn’t have the time or energy to question this. He would overthink this later when he had time to wonder if Arnook was doing this as an innocent gesture of kindness or as claiming him as a son. A son. He would likely cry over this so now was definitely not the time to dwell on it.

And he was also busy trying to remain angry with him.

He nodded and Arnook let him go.

The few men that were around the Chief before we're now accompanied by several new people. Many of whom he recognized were leaders in the villages. Including Vuroq who was accompanied by Vinny. He nearly did a double take as he noticed the bundle she carried in her arms.

If he went through the small chattering crowd he’d have to greet several people. He had no time for that so Zuko opted to walk further down to another bridge. What he didn't notice was the appearance of the bison before the group of council members and elders.

He didn't have time to look back and see the first visitors the North had had in years. He had more important things to attend to. Zuko made a mental list of everything that would need to be done to effectively postpone the celebrations, performances, and speeches. And to think he was finally done with chasing people down for checking up on these kinds of things.

It was insanely difficult to navigate the streets even with the Avatar being long gone from the inner part of the city. Everyone was either out talking about it or just taking the time to celebrate. Then he spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

How convenient that Pakku was around. “Master Pakku! If I could speak to you for one moment-”

Pakku’s face scrunched in obvious annoyance when he turned to meet him. “What do you need?”

“It was about your students, I was hoping you could understand they will still have to perform later, everything is being delayed-”

“Yes, yes I am aware. My presence has already been summoned, you don't need to waste my time.” He didn’t expect someone to have notified him that fast. At least that means he wouldn’t need to look for anyone else since everyone was already being called to the meeting.

“I just wanted to make sure.”

“Enough, deal with the issue yourself. I have more important matters to attend to than monitoring the performance for the Princess’s birthday” he spat out before walking away. Zuko took a deep breath to not accidentally (purposefully) fire bend the ice underneath the man so he would fall into the canal. The fact he thought of the celebration as nothing but a nuisance made him infuriated. Now that he thought of it, Arnook hasn't mentioned her birthday either. Was the news of the Avatar completely making everyone forget the whole point of today? Hello? The Princess of your nation is turning eighteen, which seems pretty important. 

While walking angrily towards the designated area, Zuko didn't notice the one person headed towards him. He shouldered past the person and turned back to apologize. “I'm sorry- Kallik?”

“Woah, where are you going out in such a hurry? Didn't the Avatar go that way?” He smiled as if his very presence didn’t completely change everything.

He stood frozen as if a wayward bender or perhaps a child froze his feet to the ground by accident. He managed to stutter out a few syllables before he could properly reply. “What are you doing here?”

“My family was invited?”

“No, I…” Many people from the villages were invited including Vuroq and his family of course. But only a few were willing to attend, Kallik’s family was one of the families who had declined the invitation. Zuko had felt guilty for being relieved when he found out his old friend was not going to be attending. He had been avoiding him for two years and was not planning on seeing him so soon. 

“We decided to come last minute. It's a pretty important event after all”

“Uh yeah…” 

“Hey about the last time you visited…”

“I’d love to talk but I’m so busy right now.” which wasn’t a lie. “The Avatar has brought complications. I have so much to do right now… and you being here only gave me another problem to fix” It was only when Zuko noticed Kallik's look of hurt that he realized how he worded it. “Not you! I just mean I have to go fix the seating arrangements now and also the Avatar…he’ll probably need a few seats as well” Kallik only looked mildly confused and it hurt Zuko to leave so quickly. He did miss his old friend after all but he doubted things could be normal between them again. 

On the bright side, Kallik seemed normal. Happy to see him even. Zuko desperately wanted to ignore the dread that plagued him whenever Kallik was around. But the reality was that Kallik held Zuko’s entire life in his hands. Before when he was young and stupid and believed there was a possibility that Kallik was like him; he would’ve given his entire being to him. But now no matter how much he avoided the other teen he could still choose to ruin the delicate life he had here. The North was like the fire nation in the fact they were not accepting of certain people. The type of people that favored relationships that were different and wrong.

It was only from the kindness Kallik had that his secret remained one. Whether it be from his kindness for everyone or just pity, Zuko was thankful.

The designated area was as still and perfect as it was earlier that morning. In the center was a lifted platform in front of a waterfall. Around the platform were tables set on each side, the closer they were to the middle the more important they were to the North’s royal family. The place was completely deserted though, he could probably find someone to help if he tried hard enough but he decided to utilize the quiet. On a stray table was a parchment detailing the seats and the people who were personally invited to the event, they couldn't fit the entire city so this was a more ‘personal’ celebration.

Well as personal as you could get with the majority of the participants being elders, friends, and random important people from the villages. Oh, and the Avatar too.

He had no information about the Avatar other than the appearance of him and his friends, but his status alone would put them at the table with the Chief and his family. His friends would have to sit there as well, at least there was one positive to this whole mess. He smirked as he scribbled out the written names of Hahn’s family and placed them far far away. The Avatar and his friends were special guests, he was sure they would understand. 

“Hey, Lee!” Yun called out. “I heard the news, I got my team keeping the food warm in the kitchens just let me know when to bring it out!” Zuko sighed gratefully, of course, Yun would be the only one so far to plan accordingly. “Thank you, Yun. The Avatar made me have to delay everything. Everyone that wasn’t invited to the meeting will have to be notified, the drummers can at least set up in advance. Thankfully it's cold today so I doubt Master Ilui will need to fix any of her statues” Zuko rambled mostly to himself. Yun listened intently and looked as though he really wanted to wrap Zuko in a hug, he could probably use it to be fair. “-That's not even considering just how long this will last, worst case scenario we have to do all this again for tomorrow.” He brought a hand to warm up his scar, the tenseness of his facial muscles caused the skin to be pulled back tightly. That alongside the cold air is a sure way to irritate the sensitive skin. 

“Come with me to the kitchens, I will give you something,” Yun said with a knowing look.

“Yun I’m really not hungry” 

“I never said you would have to eat, let me brew you some tea to relax you”

“I have so much to do, I can't sit right now”

“Bring your book and work out the seating arrangements, I’ll send for someone to bring more tables and you can tell them where to set it up”

Zuko considered it, most of the work could be done sitting as long as there were servants around to help assist him. He would stay with Yun for a bit to rewrite the seating arrangements, he made a mistake last time making the seats so restricted. Kallik’s family likely didn't come alone, and if they changed their mind last minute, who's to say someone else didn't? There were likely more people in the city that hadn't been accounted for. 

“Ok, some tea then I have to go, they’re having a meeting as to whether or not the Avatar can stay in the city”

“What? He’s the Avatar. Why wouldn't he be allowed to stay?”

“I wish it were that simple,” he sighed. “But we have to take into account that the fire nation won’t take kindly to us harboring the Avatar”

Yun hummed, “Yeah I suppose that’s true huh”

Zuko stayed for twenty minutes before he got antsy again. The tea helped definitely, he was pretty sure Yun noticed his pain because the tea helped alleviate the burning he felt from the scar. 

Once he rearranged practically everything, directed servants to fix the layout of the tables, and sent out many more to inform others of the delayed celebrations, Zuko stood from his spot.

The meeting probably was already in session by now and there was no point in looking for Yue when she was probably already there. By the time he reached the palace, he could hear the commotion from outside the building. Inside was loud and full of chaos, it seemed several people were fighting verbally and Arnook sat on the top of the stairs seated next to Yue. Zuko walked behind everyone to sit beside them, he’d never sat up here during a meeting before. The seats next to Arnook were reserved for family only but the man had insisted he wanted him there. 

“What is going on?” he whispered. Yue gave him a tense smile, “It seems some people also share your sentiment about the Avatar. But most believe he should stay, so of course we’ve been listening to them argue”

“That's another thing!” a man he didn't recognize shouted. “They have two Southern brats with him, clearly they visited the South. Why didn’t they teach the Avatar?” Some agreed, and others even went as far as to call them ‘lazy’. 

Not much was known about how the South fared after the Southern raids. Spirits, the fire nation insisted they were completely wiped out. He doubted anyone here had a better idea of them considering how speaking about the Southern Tribes was taboo. But even Zuko could guess they didn't have the resources to harbor the Avatar and teach him. 

“I understand your questions but we shouldn’t doubt our southern family, I’m sure they have a good explanation for this”

“Well bring them in! Allow them to explain themselves” a council member said.

“The Avatar should be allowed here no matter what, we can’t disgrace the spirits” an unfamiliar elder insisted.

“Then this would be a matter for Spiritual leader Naqin” someone suggested. Zuko searched out for Naqin when he heard this, he met her steely gaze. The usually carefree woman was reserved and quiet. He couldn't help but think her expression was a warning of what was to come. He had anticipated seeing her today but not in this manner.

“We can't allow her to decide for us, this will put us all at risk. The Avatar’s presence puts a target on our back” Vuroq says with a firm hand across the shoulders of Vinny who looked unnerved by the commotion. She held her child tightly to her chest, concealing its body from the world. Zuko clenches his fist, half these people are only considering the novelty of housing the avatar. Not the real consequences.

“It is important to consider both the spiritual and human aspects. We have good reason to turn them away but that might not be the smartest choice” Arnook turns to them out of all people and nods. Zuko stutters once he's put into the spotlight but Yue does not.

“The spirits have brought us together for a reason, they have blessed not only me but my brother as well. Such a rare occurrence is clearly a sign that our nation will turn the tides of the war. But to do so we must put our trust into their plan and allow the Avatar to help us to we can help him” 

She places a hand onto his knee and gives him an encouraging smile. He takes a deep breath and raves his eyes across the people below them. Who is he to deny them their hope? They have been presented an opportunity to right their wrongs. There is no way to have peace if they don't at least fight for it.

“Against all the possibilities, after all the tragedy I had faced I ended up here. Agni lead me here for a reason. She cries for her people that have been led astray, she hurts so badly she blessed me of all people and led me here. I don't think it's a coincidence all these signs have presented themselves. So I say...to trust in the Avatar and trust that he will lead us well.” The previous murmurs have stopped and zuko can tell they genuinely consider his words. Which is bizarre, the fact he might have swayed them. But all this time he had neglected to consider why agni led him here. These people did too, they grew used to the blessed ashmaker they forgot to consider why agni would bless someone ‘from the earth kingdom’ in the first place.

Arnook gives him a proud look before continuing.“The fire nation has been watching us carefully for years, who is to say they won't attack us after they win the war?” Arnook countered. “No, we must take action now before we are cornered once again”

It’s a likely prediction, the fire nation won’t simply allow the water tribe to live in peace simply because of a treaty made almost a decade ago. No, they are far too prideful to allow any nation to escape their grasp. 

“Chief, let's end this and vote on it. No good will come from allowing everyone to debate” A council member said from the steps below them. Huoto, the youngest member didn’t argue nearly as much as the other members did. Arnook considered it as the room remained silent.

“I appreciate everyone’s opinions, I am working on trying to understand everyone's perspective” he glances quickly over at Yue and Zuko. Now he wonders if allowing him to sit here was an extension of apology, maybe he thought Zuko was upset for another reason. Maybe he saw the way Zuko was still treated by some people of the tribe and thought that could have been a piece of his anger. Zuko never blamed him for the way people mistrusted him, he knew the tribe had been hurt by fire benders, and it was nothing he took too personally. But he could admit it was nice to have a promise of support, to be named a son again by someone who wanted the responsibility.  

“-But I fear we will not be able to compromise on this. We will vote on whether or not the Avatar and his companions are welcome” 

With the majority of arms in the air as Arnook called for the people who wanted to send their nation into war, the decision was set. They will no longer be isolated from the war.

It was a sinking feeling hearing Arnook call the vote. This tribe of people who he came to recognize as his own would be forced into the hardships of war. There was no running from it anymore, no place to hide that hasn't been touched by the fire nation. Now he recognized the look Naqin had sent him, it had been regretful but preordained. Her vision of his future had been correct after all.

But most of the people gathered had not yet come to the realization that Zuko had, some were cheering, ecstatic to have the Avatar's presence in their tribe. He doubted the Avatar had noticed this as well, they all appeared to be children. The oldest couldn't have been older than Zuko himself, have they realized yet that these people would be forced to their deaths once the fire nation catches wind of this?

“I’m sorry” Zuko mumbled to himself once the Chief stepped away from them. 

“For what?” 

For not fulfilling his only purpose here. For the crime of being born into the very family that will soon come for the blood of his adoptive family. 

“For the party crashers” he says instead.

Yue choked from surprise and turned pink from laughter. “Don't call them that!”

“Well, what else would you call it?” His lips upturn from amusement.

“Uninvited visitors?”

“That's even worse”

“Guests. Honored guests.”

“Those honored guests delayed your party, it's sunset now” he pointed towards the sky lit windows that reflected the warm tones into the building. It was a beautiful sight, the interior was lit up with orange hazy light, giving the room a cozy and safe feeling. This was ironic considering the whole reason the room was just packed full of council members, elders, and village leaders.

“It's gonna take a while to corral everyone to where they’re supposed to be, plus some people showed up late” Zuko said.

“Who?”

“Some families from the villages that were running late, I guess some people didn't plan out their trips correctly”

“That’s good, at least they’ll be able to join the festivities now”

“Yeah, Vuroq was one of them”

“Yes I spoke to them earlier, isn’t it wonderful that they came? I’m so glad they changed their minds”

“Yeah…”

“I know you and kallik had a falling out but maybe now you can mend things between each other?”

“I'm not sure that's possible, I just want to forget about it”

Yue looked conflicted, he could tell she desperately wanted to pry further. But they had this conversation many times and Yue was finally content to allow him privacy even if she was disappointed he wouldn't visit Ukiyo anymore. 

“Okay but will you at least speak to him? As a birthday gift?” She asked with polar puppy eyes.

“I already talked to him but I was too busy to stay and chat. Trust me we aren't… angry with each other or anything” Although Zuko fully expected kallik to hold some disgust towards him. Zuko knew he wouldn't say anything.

“I suppose that's all I can ask of you” she said sadly, “Come on we should go say hello to some guests”

“But I should make sure everyone knows where to go and where to sit. There's a lot of people from out of town”

“Let them sit wherever they want, Naqin was anxious to see you again” He felt frustrated at the fact he put so much effort into the seating chart even though he should’ve known no one was going to follow it. Agni, half the tables were likely already full.

“But what about the Avatar? Shouldn't we greet him first?”

“I think you're a bit too frazzled to go greeting the Avatar and his companions, you look like you’re about to blow steam from your ears”

Zuko was stressed but he was at least mostly sure he was hiding it well. In reality, the Avatar arriving hadn't ruined too much, at best it inconvenienced them, and at worse he unknowingly doomed the Northern Water Tribe. But at least was taking it well?

“How are you not stressed out from this?”

“Honestly it's a great distraction, very exciting. And I have all my favorite people to support me today. At least the attention will be taken off me”

Ah, so that was the real reason. How could anyone focus on the original reason for this huge three day long celebration when the Avatar was in town? He doubted Hahn would try to propose now when the spotlight would be on someone else today. 

Zuko hummed and allowed himself to be dragged outside by an excited Yue. Most everyone had cleared out of the palace and into the city or the designated spot. But one of the outlying people that remained was Naqin who was looking out into the city with a lost look in her eyes. 

“Elder Naqin?” 

The woman jerked out of her frozen expression and took a long look at Zuko, taking in the differences from the last time they’d seen each other. Zuko did the same, the only notable change was the bags under her eyes and the twitchy fingers that had more scars from picking than usual.

“Lee. It's a pleasure to see you again, how have you been?” her lips twitch in a familiar teasing smile. Zuko huffed out a small laugh, “Horrible.”

“Ha! Likewise. We have much to discuss since you've abandoned your duties”

Yue flinched at the wording, and Zuko noted how harsh the word chosen was. it was just a jab at Zuko for not visiting but from Yue’s perspective, it must have been more malicious. Naqin never faulted her for giving up that side of her blessing, but he imagined she believed the remark could apply to both of them.

“Did you come all this way to reprimand me?”

“I can't say that wasn't something I wasn't looking forward to, but I've come to visit friends, celebrate the Princess-” she slapped Yue’s shoulder in acknowledgment, “-and to elaborate on some readings I gave in the past. It seems some are coming to fruition soon” By the sudden atmospheric shift into a somber tone and the apologetic expression it seemed it was meant for himself. 

“I will join the war” he repeated the reading he was given so long ago.

“It was inevitable as I always said, that doesn't make it easier. Recently the spirits have gone into hiding. They’re afraid, something is coming. A threat to the spirits themselves and although you two are not spirits I still fear for you both” She grasped both their shoulders tightly like a sudden wind could blow them away from her. 

“Something powerful enough to harm the spirits? I didn't think that was possible'' Yue said in a hushed tone, as if speaking too loudly would bring the source of danger to them.

“I've never heard of something like this myself, my mentors certainly never spoke of a weapon or person strong enough to do this. I need to know if anyone you have received any signs from Tui or Agni”

“No, nothing as per usual”

“well…I have been having nightmares. the same ones I’ve had before only now they’re more painful”

Zuko stared confusedly at Yue, he thought he would have been told if those particular nightmares returned. “Why didn't you say anything?”

“I thought they would stop after a while, I didn't want anyone to worry”

“Princess we need to speak of exactly what you've seen but I don't think we will be able to right now. The sun has set and I’m sure everyone is waiting for us”

The sun had set completely, unlike usual days when the streets would quiet down alongside the disappearance of the sun tonight was filled with celebration. The city was full of noise. The streets beside the canals were empty other than people walking from or towards home. The markets were full of families, children, and couples enjoying the evening. But they weren't headed there. Zuko escorted them to the flat plane of ice beside the palace; it was made to hold large numbers of people in circle rows that changed in elevation at each level. At the final level, there was nothing but a pit for a fire and some space for performances.

The tables were full and you could barely hear the rumble of the waterfall behind it. Zuko assured Naqin she would be seated alongside them at the table closest to the final platform. 

“We’ll see you soon, we just have to speak to Arnook”

Yagoda gave them an understanding nod and Naqin was already attempting to chat with Pakku who mostly ignored her.

Zuko dragged her to the end of the party and towards the trail that led to the palace grounds. This area was less occupied and only servants coming from the kitchens would pass by.

“Oh I’m so excited to meet him,” Yue said while looking out into the sea of people, eyes searching for the stark contrasting orange the Avatar wore. 

“I'm sorry, is the Chief here?” Zuko asked a passing servant. 

“Oh no, I'm afraid the Chief is back at the palace, he will be arriving soon with the Avatar”

“Thank you” he said before turning back to Yue who was still distracted. “He's not here, I just wanted him to be informed, I decided to cut out some pointless speeches. It's already night and no one wants to stay here for hours listening to people who think they’re important talk about how you’re ‘blossoming into a woman’” 

But the Princess was still looking out into the crowd with sparkling eyes. Zuko huffed, “Come here you need some touch ups”

“But I’m fine, I had help earlier” she said with a pout.

“That was hours ago here let me fix your hair, there are so many flyaways now”

She relented and allowed him to push hair back into its place and redo a braid that had come undone. 

“I saw the statue of Kaikoa, it was lovely”

“Oh yeah. Speaking of furry pests I haven’t seen Nuiaq in a while”

He ignored her offended face and faced the sky to let out a sharp long whistle. The bird was hopefully in the area otherwise he was probably somewhere else picking food off the floor like a fire nation pigeon dove. A few moments later the giant owl bat was headed towards them, once he drew near Yue realized the bird was trying to land on her head. She let out a short scream and ducked down, last minute Zuko reached an arm out to where her head previously was and Nuiaq lands perfectly. 

She stood up glaring at Nuiaq. “You almost ruined my hair”

“I told you not to let him do it when he was a juvenile”

“He was so cute and small back then” she lamented.

“Where were you?” Zuko asked while taking a finger to rub his beak. His finger came back with a food stain on it, proving that he already managed to snatch some human food today. “I’m keeping you on a short leash now” he threatened. Nuiaq made one of those low repeating clicks while he took his place on Zuko's shoulder. 

“No attitude” Zuko reprimanded 

Yue gasped from beside him, “Look the Avatar is here!” she squealed. Zuko, despite his previously disinterested attitude toward the topic of the Avatar, searched the crowd for him. There were no tasks to distract himself with now, he would greet the Avatar, bring as little attention to himself as possible (as per usual) and eat dinner peacefully. He found him and his friends walking behind Arnook. Once they were seated he walked towards them. 

“Lee, Yue. You should be seated already”

“I just wanted to say something after you speak, a blessing of sorts. Lee will come up with me” She placed a firm hand on his elbow. Knowing Zuko’s tendency to hide away from attention it was probably to keep him from running away.

“As you wish, I look forward to it” His tone was casual but his eyes were searching Yue’s own. There was an odd tension that surrounded them, she was quietly avoiding his gaze while he was looking apologetic and crushed.

Silently  he turned away to go address the crowd leaving them to converse as the crowd went quiet. The only sound was the echoing thumps of the drums.

“Do you really need me with you?” He complained

“Yes, I’m incredibly nervous”

“Liar. You’ve done this a thousand times before” Addressing crowds has become second nature to her.

“Not like this, not with everyone I’ve ever met before to watch. And the Avatar is here”

The Avatar is a child, you shouldn’t be nervous”

“I don’t care” She kept her grip on him as they walked down the stairs. 

Arnook was already going on about the Avatars' arrival. “-Tonight we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the Southern tribe. And they have brought with them someone very special. Someone whom many of us believed disappeared from the world until now…the Avatar!” The crowd erupts into cheering and clapping. From their new proximity, Zuko can see the boy wave shyly.

“We also celebrate my daughter's eighteenth birthday, Princess Yue is now of marrying age”

Yue’s relaxed features faulted for a moment before she plasters on a smile. “Thank you, Father, May the great ocean and moon spirits watch over us during these troubled times.” She recites carefully.

Zuko only bows his head and closes his eyes to silently repeat the prayer.

This was a stupid mistake apparently because as he does this he hears a few gasps from the table before them then he hears someone shout. He can hardly make out the works before a blinding pain shoots across his temple.

____________

The Northern water Tribe was entirely different from what he expected. He was expecting some sort of version of his own home only bigger with more people with a waterbending culture to share. Which in some ways he was right but he had grossly underestimated everything. When they were cornered by benders they all signed a collective sigh of relief, it had taken days of nonstop search for these guys and even if they were technically attacked it was worth it. It would've been nice if they could make up their minds about whether or not they wanted to lead them back to the tribe. 

“The Chief won't like this, it's too sudden” A short man with gray hair said quietly as if Sokka couldn't hear them from their boat. 

“There ain't much we can do, we can't leave them out here” the other, older man said. He gave them a lookover with a pitying expression which caused Sokka to snort loudly. “You know we can hear you right? And we don’t look that bad!”

The man only raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘oh really?” Which yeah they kinda had a point. He was sure they all had eye bags including Appa. And their clothes were rumpled and probably didn’t smell great.

“We’re just a little confused about why we can’t come,” Katara said, “Aang is the Avatar and we need a water bending master”

“Yeah, it’s pretty simple so what’s the hold up?”

The men glanced at each other to silently communicate their next move. Then the older one let out a sharp whistle and an owl bat flew over faster than you could blink, it landed atop the man’s forearm. Someone else from the ship came over with an already written message and popped it into the carrier on the owl's ankle. “Let’s send a message so they have time to prepare for the Avatar’s arrival,” he said before the bird flew off.

“And friends” Sokka muttered under his breath, Katara shoved him with her elbow but she was too excited to actually pay attention to his snarky remarks. This was what she’d been looking for her entire life after all. 

And when they finally entered the city all three of them were floored by the sheer size of the place. He and Katara were mentally cataloging what exactly was different from their own home, but it was easier to list what was actually similar. The towering buildings were the first shock, he thought they'd be similar to their igloos or at least the homes of the earth kingdom but these homes towered over each other easily. And when they looked down below there wasn't much room for holding crowds considering it was mostly canal space. But people still managed to squeeze into the area to cheer for the Avatar and just admire the sight of Appa. 

The last difference that honestly hit much differently than the rest, was the people. They looked waterTribe sure. they shared the same dark skin and features but they were slightly different. Like coming home to your belongings in a slightly different spot than where you left it, nothing to complain about but something to ponder over. They had different hairstyles, from the people he’d seen none of them sported warrior wolf tails, and he couldn't seriously believe no one was a warrior here. (although how could they call themselves warriors with their habit of hiding behind walls)

And their clothes were vastly different. No one here sported parkas from gray seal skin, they were all brown (with blue and indigo accents) from what Sokka assumed were from hooved animals rather than seal lions. He was sure there were more subtle differences but he was too caught up in just processing everything. 

At least the Chief had no hesitation in inviting them to stay, he wondered what the fuss was about anyways. But it didn't matter now because they were being guided into the palace. And man, the fact they even had a palace spoke volumes. It wasn't until they crashed onto a bed (a real bed, with soft soft pillows) did they really process it. 

Katara flopped onto the bed, limbs spread wide to just take in the space, and sighed loudly. “This is so crazy”

“This place is so cool! I can't wait to explore!'' Aang said, leaning practically halfway out the window, taking in the sight of the city. 

Sokka would've loved to really explore this place, maybe finally eat a full Water Tribe meal for the first time in what seemed like forever, but he had no energy left for anything but sleep. “I'm sure the Chief won't mind if we take a small nap” he mumbled into a pillow. He was already drifting off when he heard Katara agree in a sleepy voice.  Aang sank into the bed across from the siblings. “Yeah now that you mention it I think we’re all due for a nap” 

Just a small nap, Sokka thought to himself. They’d been in the sky for days and he was pretty sure the Chief said something about a super important meeting he had before he could properly introduce them to the city. So he let himself fall asleep.

By the time they’d awakened, it was already night. After a bath, (and trying to figure out the system they used. He was impressed by the method of using water bending, now only if there were a way to warm the water…) they met up with the Chief. He was extremely apologetic about the whole thing, he promised Aang he would get a chance to speak with the north’s best water bending teacher later. They were holding a celebration which wasn’t unheard of for them by this point. Some places needed an excuse to relax and what better reason than finally being safe for a few days while the Avatar visits? 

The streets are somewhat empty but they weren't abandoned, everyone was at the markets or the food stalls. There were lots of areas within the city that were not right next to canals. These were usually large courtyards with buildings encompassing them. But they weren’t headed to those areas, Sokka noted. They went to the right side of the palace with a large flat area. He was surprised to see the ground indent down several layers. Every layer held several tables that were already full of people enjoying the festivities. The place was well illuminated with pillars holding fire. 

“You will be seated here with my family and others”, Arnook explained as they passed by everyone else to the table front and center.

The table was long and had a few people seated, two older women and a man. The women were chatting away excitedly, one held colorful beads in her long loose gray hair and the other was much more tidied up with her hair pulled away from her face and in a bun. The man was silent and had the face he would expect from someone who just found out someone spat in their drink. The man paid them no attention but the women turned to them. 

“Hello It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Elder Yagoda and this is my colleague; Elder Naqin” 

“Oh Hi! It's great to meet you! I'm Aang, these are my friends Katara and Sokka” he gestured to the siblings.

Yagoda smiles and nodded to them while Naqin leaned toward them in interest. “You're certainly different than I expected”

“Yeah, I get that lot, most people expect someone older”

“No kidding! I heard every possible story someone could conjure up, but I must admit no one predicted someone this young. Or an air nomad at that”

They sat down and Aang continued his conversation with Naqin. He drowned out their small talk and searched around for any sight of the girl he’d seen earlier that day. When they were entering the city he noted a lone girl on a canoe. The sight of her nearly made him stumble off Appa’s saddle and into the canal. She had stark white hair and a peaceful expression as he canon passed them. But it seemed the mystery girl wasn’t here.

It took a good twenty minutes before they were served some food. He was sorely disappointed to see the food was unfamiliar. It still tasted uniquely Water Tribe…just not what home tasted like.

The presence of the Chief was announced with the sounds of drums. As he reached their table he spoke outwards to the audience. “Tonight we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the Southern tribe. And they have brought with them someone very special. Someone whom many of us believed disappeared from the world until now…the Avatar!” 

As expected they are met with applause. Aang smiles and waves. 

The Chief speaks up again, “We also celebrate my daughter's eighteen birthday. Princess Yue is now of marrying age” From behind him the girl Sokka noticed earlier stepped up to speak. Sokka nearly choked on his food from surprise. 

The beautiful girl spares them no glance, she looks confidently onward. “Thank you, Father” Then she says something he doesn’t understand. A language that sounds familiar enough but too different to understand. Just another tally on the long list of things that were different.

Halfway through whatever the Princess is saying he takes notice of the boy beside her. He didn’t notice him before because of the way he was dressed, the same blue and brown everyone else wore. But his skin was pale, and had the face of any fire bender he’d seen before. Complete with golden eyes. 

He shouts out a warning, “Fire bender!”

Then he moves only on instinct. Bringing his boomerang out and throwing it. It arched perfectly and made contact with the side of the ashmakers face. 

He grunts and nearly falls if it weren’t for the arms of the Princess coming to steady him.

He barely hears the several appalled gasps from the crowd. He can only see the concern that floods Yue’s face and the Chief's strangely angry expression.

“Sunny are you alright?” 

The question only receives a grumble. Sokka is only made more confused by the nickname. He turns to Katara who has an equally lost face. Which relieves him a bit, what is up with these people? Why do they look so concerned for the enemy?

“Uh…”

Arnook turns to him with a poorly hidden anger. “Sokka I understand my sons' appearance may have confused you but l have to warn you I won’t accept any attacks on him”

“Son?!”

_______

Zuko is pretty sure he blacked out for a second. If it weren’t for the hands holding him upright he would’ve been planted onto the ground. Which doesn’t sound so bad right now.

Someone asks him something and he mumbles, he takes a few moments to collect himself. Once he can open his eyes without the light hurting him he brings a hand to his temple which is now coated with blood.

He openly glares at the boy who did it, he assumes it was the boy because of the weapon in hand and the guilty expression. It's incredibly ironic the first good look he gets of him is when hes glaring daggers at him. His parka is grey and made with something of a different texture. The feathers hanging from the neckline are eye catching because he doesn't recognize them from any of the North’s bird species. And his hair is pulled back, showing off the shaved sides of his head. The teen has blue eyes that resemble the color of the sea when a storm is near and be has pretty freckles scattering his cheeks and flat nose.

He doesn't pay good attention because he's distracted by how offensively attractive he is but Zuko’s lips quirk upwards when he realizes the Chief is essentially scolding him.

“I swear I didn't know!” The girl beside him faces palms and mutters something.

“I understand Sokka, he is from the earth kingdom. But I advise you to not make the same mistake twice” was obviously trying to contain his anger since it was a mistake and he was the Avatar's companion. 

“Come here dear” Yagoda says as she brings him to sit down. Her hands hold water, they envelop the side of his face and bring him instant relief. He sighs as the blood is wiped away from his hair.

“There you go” she says and disposes of the bloodied water by flinging it far away into a pile of snow.

“Thank you” he’s still pissed. Now he has to sit just a single seat away from the guy who nearly knocked him out.

Arnook sits beside the Avatar with Yagoda on the other side of him. Beside the Avatar is a girl and the asshole beside her. Zuko is grateful to have Yue sit in between him and the dimwit otherwise it would become difficult to remain polite.

He was not in the mood to play diplomat.

“Hi there, Sokka, Southern water tribe” he introduced with a flirty smile.

“Nice to meet you” Yue replies. Zuko says nothing since the boy clearly didn’t mean to include him in the conversation, so he turns to eat instead.

An awkward silence stretches between the boy and Yue before he attempts to continue the conversation.

“Boy, your dad sure knows how to throw a party!” 

“Well, actually my brother, Lee. Did most of the work planning tonight’s festivities” 

He clearly didn’t expect her to bring the guy he just assaulted into the conversation because he falters for a moment. Slowly he meets eyes with Zuko, his resting bitch face must have been on because the boy brings a hand to nervously run his neck. “No hard feelings right? I mean to be fair you do look like a fire bender''

The girl with braids elbows him, “Sokka! Don’t say that, That is so rude!” She hisses

The candles on the table flare up with an unnatural purple hue. “I am a fire bender”

The visitors all gasp and Zuko wants to laugh at the stupidly shocked look they have on.

Yue ends up elbowing him too. “What he means to say is that he was blessed with fire bending by Agni as an infant”

“Hardly call that a blessing” Sokka mutters.

It takes everything within Zuko to not lunge towards him. He doesn’t try to contain the fire that is visibly being influenced by his anger. He revels in the nervous eyes flickering over to the candles before meeting his eyes once again. Blue eyes narrow and Zuko feels like Sokka just accepted whatever challenge he just set. 

Before Yue could try to de-escalate the situation Arnooks booming voice announces the water bender performers.

The Avatar and the girl immediately turn to the stage excitedly. Begrudgingly Zuko looks away first, the candles fade back into their natural state. 

Not even ten minutes later Sokka tries to stoke up conversation again. In the worst way possible. “Uh… so you’re a Princess! Huh? Y’know back in my tribe I’m kinda like a Prince myself”

This intrigues Zuko, he pretends not to pay attention as he eats. He didn’t know anything about the Southern water tribe so this was a topic he didn’t mind eavesdropping in.

Before Yue could respond the unfamiliar girl laughs at Sokka. “Ha! Prince of what?”

That was weird. Was Sokka lying about being royalty? That seems like an odd thing to do, going around posing as royalty would eventually land you in trouble once you return home he would think.

“A lot of things! Do you mind I’m trying to have a conversation here” he hisses.

The girl does a mock bow, “My apologies Prince Sokka”

Sokka’s face is red by the time he turns back.“So It looks like I’m gonna be in town for a while, I was thinking we could do… an activity together?”

“An activity?”

Instead of answering, the teen stuffs his face with food and nearly ends up choking himself. Zuko turns away, it’s just too much to watch. At least the Princess seems amused by the whole thing. 

But at least it confirms to him that he was lying about being royalty. No one born into royalty would be that bad at polite conversation. Even Zuko, who had trouble grasping the complexities of all the social rules there, could converse relatively easily with other nobility. And everyone knows if you can’t, just stay as quiet as possible. Don’t go around talking to Princesses about doing ‘activities’ with each other. Was he not aware of the way that could be interpreted?

The rest of the night went along pretty smoothly. Other than the few times zuko would have to shoo away their pet lemur, it came scarily close to getting some warning bites from Naiuq.

Sokka, thankfully, avoided speaking to Yue the rest of the night. Some people told their speeches and by the end of it all, several people were dancing to the steady drums. By the point where most people were out of their seats and mingling and drinking moonshine, it was officially socially appropriate for them to leave. 

They left after the Avatar and friends left. He ended up learning the girl with looped braids is Katara, Sokka’s sister. She was hoping to learn waterbending alongside Aang. He didn't have the heart to tell her that wasn't a likely possibility. Yue didn't either since she also kept her mouth shut.

Aang was insistent that he would hang out with them sometime. Zuko wasn’t sure why he extended the invitation to him if he and his friends were so distraught learning he was a fire bender. Yue accepted the promise and assured him they would talk soon. 

By the time the group was out of sight, Zuko spoke up for the first time in a while. 

“What a joke”

“They weren't that bad” 

“I'm sure they're wonderful people when they aren't throwing weapons at your head,” he said sarcastically 

Yue winced, “I suppose your right”

“So you gonna ‘do an activity’ together?”

Yue flushed, “please don't say that”

“You should be glad Arnook didn't hear that”

“He didn't mean it like that. You have such a dirty mind”

“Nope, I just have enough brain to consider what it could sound like. He should have worded…well everything better if he was really royalty”

“That's true, he was stumbling over everything. Then he ignored me for half the night” 

“And he didn't even say happy birthday. So charming”

She groans, “You seem to be more upset on my behalf”

“Just pointing out the obvious.”

“Let's just go to sleep”

Nuiaq nibbles on his good ear in silent permission to leave. It's late and he's alert and ready to hunt. But like a good boy, he stays put until given the command. But of course, he needs to show his displeasure by gnawing on his skin. “Yeah it's late, Go”

Nuiaq leaves as told and Zuko dreads the walk home.

“How full do you think the palace is?” Whenever some important elder from the village visits they stay in one of the many rooms of the palace. Now with everyone that accepted the invitation to visit, it'll be a loud few days.

“Filled to the brim. Dinner won't be so quiet now”

Zuko hums. After a few moments to recall the night he remembers something. “Why did you call me your brother?”

“Well, aren't you? I figured since Father made you sit with us, and usually the only other time some other people sit there it’s the council. And this time they didn’t because it was a decision made by the tribe equally”

“Yes, he did. He asked me to…I thought I was overthinking it”

“No, I was quite surprised. But I'm glad, you are my family and you should've been standing with us a long time ago.”

“I'm not sure if that would've been a good idea, took a long time for people to even get used to me being around”

“I think they regret not fighting more for you. But tradition..”

“Yeah, tradition…”

“Better late than never” she offers.

Zuko huffs out a small laugh. “I guess…”

Chapter Text

Zuko is content to bunker down in the kitchen for the early morning. The halls of the palace are restless and noisy with guests. More servants than usual roam the halls, keeping the spaces clean for the guests to enjoy. The dining room is full of elders and their families eating breakfast. And Zuko still needs to eat so he decides to occupy an empty corner of the kitchen while the crew work around him. Some of them even talk to him as he eats, questioning why he’s hunched over his plate in the corner like a rogue animal sneaking out scraps.

He feels guilty for taking up space and disturbing them at a time when they’ll basically be working twice as usual, so he helps Yun by clearing up space and cleaning. It’s basically what he plans to do at Ko’s when he’s done here.

They bid him farewell as he leaves through the back entrance of the kitchen, it leads outside to where they occasionally roast meat for dinner. He imagines tonight’s dinner will be held out here on the stone ground that is able to accommodate tables and seats.

Zuko goes around the palace grounds to the front. He doesn’t want to bump into anyone who will only be disgusted by his presence or gawk at him. Unfortunately he only makes it a foot down the front steps when an orange child ambushes him. 

“Good morning Lee! It’s great to see you again.” 

“Hello, it’s a pleasure to see you as well. How was your morning?” Zuko tries not to allow his face to show his surprise, it was jarring to have the avatar speak to him but he was thankfully not intimidating at all.  Aang was a child after all. He did feel awkward because of his attitude he held last night. it wasn't really his fault, but allowing his flames to react was a bit inappropriate.

The avatars features fall and Zuko worries if he said something wrong. “As well as it can be when Master Pakku refuses to teach my friend bending.”

Ah. So they finally found out the hard way. Zuko pities the girl who has no doubt has her dreams crushed this morning. “That’s unfortunate, maybe she will still enjoy the healing classes?” At least if she can’t fight she can heal, an equally invaluable skill.

Aang’s frown deepens, he even looks a little irritated with him too. Zuko cocks his head confusedly. 

“So you think she should only be allowed to heal too?” 

Zuko startles. “No! I just meant Healer Yagoda is a wonderful teacher, I’ve been to all her classes including the ones for waterbending”

“Oh! Sorry I thought…”

“It’s alright. I know most men in the tribe agree with Pakku’s values but I personally think they’re…” Zuko searches for a word appropriate to describe the utterly idiotic beliefs the men in the tribe hold. “Disagreeable.”

“No kidding! We came all this way just so Katara couldn’t learn how to waterbend?” He shakes his head. “But actually I wanted to ask you something. Would you teach me firebending?”

Zuko’s jaw drops in shock. Honestly he believed the avatar was just about to ask for a tour of the spirits damned city or maybe a recommendation of where to eat, not that. 

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” Maybe he heard wrong, wouldn’t be the first time his bad ear made him mishear what someone said. 

“I need a firebending teacher and it’s not everyday I meet one who isn’t attacking me, I mean you even live in the northern water tribe. When else would I find someone to teach me?”

Zuko let’s out a strained laugh. “I’m sorry perhaps you’ll meet some other fire bender on your journeys. Excuse me.” he swiftly walked around the avatar and walks as fast as socially acceptable. He nearly slips on the ice steps like an idiot.

But the avatar doesn't mind chasing after him. “But what if I don't? What if you're the only one that can teach me?”

“I highly doubt that” He wasn’t sure how he didn’t predict this scenario. The chances of meeting a peaceful fire bender was one in a million. Zuko doesn't know if it was possible for other people from his nation to recognize the truth. But there must be some that have seen the horrors for what they really were. He couldn't be the only one.

And even if Zuko was allowed to bend he would still say no. He didn’t know how to bend properly and the last time he had an actual teacher he was eleven . The only things he remembered were katas for kids. Not avatars. He just hoped he wasn't offended by his refusal.

“Pleaseeee? You're my only hope in learning firebending, just teach me a few things” he pleaded. Zuko sighed and took a few steps down the stairs, with Aang still following behind with giant polar puppy eyes.

“Shouldn't you prioritize waterbending? I would hate to distract you” He could teach the avatar but he can't expose just how little proper firebending he knew. The forms he created himself were shameful for the nature of mixing both fire and waterbending forms. He didn't want to taint the avatars training with his faulty knowledge. Besides the plan was to bring as little attention to himself. He mentally slaps himself for revealing his bending last night. All so he could intimidate the boy who hit him. (He did enjoy the stupid look of surprise on his face though…)

“You won't distract me, I promise!”

“I'm afraid I'm not prohibited to firebend.” he sent him a strained smile. “I can't disobey the chief.” nevermind the many times he's broken rules, especially when he was younger.

The avatar frowned and his hopeful expression dropped. He hummed in thought, “I'll talk to the Chief. He’ll understand. Then will you teach me?”

“We’ll see.” Not a promise. Zuko will just have to avoid the avatar because arnook will no doubt grant him permission to bend as long as it was for teaching the avatar. 

Aang smiled brightly. “Perfect! Thank you future Sifu Hotman” he bows deeply, a sign of respect in the fire nation. Zuko flinches, does he know?

“Sifu hotman…?”

“Oh sorry it's just a saying in the fire nation, I forgot you weren't fire nation. But y'know most firebenders are from there so…”

“Right…” he fought off the urge to tell him that was definitely not a saying in the fire nation. But he was ‘earth kingdom’, he wasn't exactly supposed to know that.

“Hey, why don't you come hang out with me and my friends! We don't really know the city and we have some lots of time to spare before Sokka goes to warrior training tomorrow.”

Zuko’s brow furrowed at that. Sokka was in warrior training? That was just his luck, he’d have to be forced to spend time around him. If he were to accept the avatar as a student that would only tenfold the amount of time spent around him. There was a chance that he is a genuinely good person, but Zuko wasn’t interested in finding out. In all his years living amongst people who were wary of him he’d never been physically attacked before.

“No thank you, I’m busy right now. But I’ll definitely see Sokka in warrior training.”

“You have those classes too? That’s great you and Sokka can hang out.” he smiles, willfully unaware of Zuko’s predicament. So he smiles through a grimace.

“I’ll enjoy that.”

Aang smiles one of those blissfully innocent smiles and Zuko wonders how it’s possible. They’ve been passing through the earth kingdom and facing war with only two friends. How is it that this boy still smiles unabashedly as if his life were normal and perfect? Zuko supposes it’s just his nature as the avatar, to keep hopes up throughout it all. Zuko’s gaze softens with both pity and sympathy, does he put up a front or ignore the tragedy completely?

Aang bids him goodbye before walking back up to the heavy ice doors of the palace. And Zuko walks down into the city. It’s muscle memory to walk down the paths most isolated to reach Ko’s shop.

_________

“What do you mean.”

She shuffles nervously and swivels the cup in hand, threatening to send the tea within sloshing out of the rim. 

“Just as I said, I’ve been proposed to.”

Zuko’s scarred eye twitches and he abandons whatever object he was putting away to join her at the table. They are seated at the end, far away from where Ko works on the other side of the room. 

“Yue. I thought you had a plan, to extend the courtship as long as possible. What happened?!” He hisses. 

Honestly, how could this be possible? It was only the day after her birthday. 

He continues when she doesn’t respond. She keeps her eyes glued to her hands, looking completely defeated. “I mean that could've lasted a year! What went wrong?”

“I didn’t know! Believe me, I never would have accepted his invitation to an outing this morning if I knew. I guess he has no shame, I’ve never heard of someone doing this before.” She cradles her face within her hands, “,But of course I had no option but to say yes.”

“And you seem to be taking this…relatively well…” Zuko says hesitantly. He knows she’s crushed, of course she is. But she’s having tea in Ko’s shop with only a heartbroken expression.

“Oh no, I already had my breakdown, I’m not due for another until maybe tonight.”

Zuko lets out a small huff of laughter. “Okay this is serious. We have to fix this somehow.”

Yue gives a pained smile, “Lee. There is no fixing this, you can’t help me. I have to accept this.”

“ What ?”

Zuko takes one long look at her, considering if this proposal had driven her to madness. Never had he seen his sister so at peace with something that she had been dreading ever since she was old enough to learn she would have a spouse chosen for her. 

“Are you alright?”

“Of course not, but there’s obviously nothing that can be done. My father doesn’t care and he was the only person who could have done something.”

Zuko seriously hates Arnook at that moment.

“It’s just so exhausting. Fighting with my father to dictate my own life.” She sighs deeply. 

Ko sends them concerned looks repeatedly, with the princess looking so forlorn and with the frustration that was written over Zuko’s own face, it painted an alarming picture.

“That doesn’t mean we have to give up completely, we need to postpone everything so it takes ages for you to officially wed him.”

“That’ll give me a year at most…”

“Okay whatever, the longer the better. Maybe he’ll die tragically within that time.” 

“Lee!” Yue hisses and reaches across the table to pinch him. He dodged her attempt and laughed. Her lips twitch but she keeps a smile off her face through sheer force, it would be a bad look to laugh at a joke about her fiancé dying.

“Anything can happen.”

“It sounds as if you’re going to commit murder.”

Zuko rests his elbows on the table, an idle hand twisting a lock of hair. “Hmm…”

Yue rolls her eyes, “okay stop.”

“I didn’t say anything. Anyway, that reminds me I still need you to learn how to use your…Y’know .” One little lesson was nearly not enough for her to know how to defend herself. And Zuko’s is a firm believer that everyone needs to know some self defense.

“Of course, maybe another day. We have plans today.”

“ ‘We’ ?” Zuko squints at her with suspicion. Yue has a habit of dragging him along to things he obviously doesn’t want to do, like trying to find him a girlfriend in her sewing group. Which has happened twice.

“Yes, I’ve decided we should spend the day with Katara. She’s going to learn waterbending and I thought we could accompany her.” 

Not nearly as bad as he was expecting, but he isn’t sure if he wants to spend the day with the sister of the man who attacked him. From the small conversation they had last night she seemed nice enough. She was obviously uncomfortable talking to him and he could account that to his bending. 

Overall not the worst thing to do today, especially if it meant keeping an eye on Yue and maybe distracting her for a few hours.

“You need friends too.” Yue comments with a serious expression.

He huffs and snatches her cup from her if only to give her a moment of annoyance for the comment. “Rude.”

“I’m sorry, truly. But you know it’s true.”

He goes to remark something along the lines of ‘I have friends! ’ but only lets out a few half hearted stutters. Unfortunately for him she’s right, the only people in his social circle are his sister, Ko, and Yagoda. The only other friend he had was a sad one sided romantic failure.

“I don’t need you to set me up on a play date .” Zuko states with crossed arms, “I’ll go anyway, I already know Naqin will be there and I want to spend time with her before she leaves.”

“Perfect. I’ll leave you to your cleaning. See you soon.” She says in a surprisingly chipper tone.

“Bye.” Zuko waves as Yue’s retreating form leaves out the door. Leaving a small gust of cold air to enter. Instead of continuing to work he slumps in his seat and wonders if there really was no other choice for Yue.

His moodiness attracts Ko who stares at him before smacking his shoulder with a random wooden utensil.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” He huffs and dodges another attempt to smack him.

“Okay then. Your sister, what’s wrong with her ?”

“She’s engaged.”

Ko whistles, “Wow. That was quick.”

Zuko’s face scrunches in displeasure. “It’s not a good thing. She hates him.”

“Oh.” She stays still with an unblinking face, processing the situation once again. “Well that’s a problem.”

Zuko heaves a sigh, “Yeah.”

“Y’know there was a common solution to that back before the borders were closed.”

Zuko leans toward her with renewed optimism. “What?”

“They would run away. Sometimes they had to trick their daughters or not tell them who it was until a few days before the wedding.”

“So…you're suggesting the Princess…run away.”

Ko’s eyes widened, “No. I will not be blamed for whatever you do, I was just mentioning that it was common. But the only other way to end an arranged marriage is to find a better suitor.” She shrugs.

“She’s tried convincing Arnook to allow her to pick.” A lost cause, each suggestion was dismissed like water off a turtle ducks back. “He thinks Hahn is the best suitor.”

“Has she tried pretending to be madly in love with someone else?”

Zuko huffed out a laugh unexpectedly. The flames in the ovens seared upward in weak sporadic shots due to Zuko’s control over them. With him manning the fires there is less need to use fuel so they don’t bother when he’s over.

 “No, she hasn’t. I’ll be sure to tell her to try that.”

Ko sent him a thumbs up before turning away to continue working. 

Zuko didn’t put any real thought into the suggestion. Yue was far too genuine to be able to do that, besides he had no idea if it was even possible to get someone to agree to the idea. And it would be unfair to pretend to be in love with someone only to run away from a different marriage. 

He traced mindless shapes into some spilt flour. They’d think of another way.

_______

Katara was clearly wary of Zuko. He didn’t blame her, with their travels they'd most likely come across many hostile fire nation soldiers. And he knew his appearance set her on edge, he didn’t mind too much. After all, he'd lived through this for years. 

But the awkward silence was only made worse by the nervous glances she sent him every few seconds.

Yue, ever the perfect diplomat didn’t let this deter her. She was dedicated to becoming friends with Katara. 

“Elder Yagoda is the best healer in our nation, and luckily for us Elder Naqin will be present as well. I’m sure you’ll master waterbending quickly.”

She smiled at the words, sending her full attention to the Princess. “Thank you. I’m excited to learn. And thank you for joining me.”

“Of course, the city is still new to you, my brother and I have no issue helping you get accustomed.”

Her smile turned strained, “yeah….”

“Is something wrong?” Zuko spoke up. 

“No, nothing!” 

Zuko and Yue’s eyes met for a moment, easily communicating their doubt. Yue spoke up again before the silence could set in. 

“I'm betrothed as well.” 

Zuko tensed up, he didn’t expect Yue to bring up that sore topic for polite conversation. Especially knowing how upset it could make her.

“Huh?” Katara looked utterly lost by her admission.

“Your betrothal necklace is beautiful.” She said as she brought her gloved hand to bring the neckline of her parka down, revealing her own necklace. He frowns at the sight, it's his first time seeing it. Her fur neckline hides any sight of it which he now realizes might be intentional. The pendant is made from light blue stone. It's much bigger and gaudier than Katara's necklace, which is unsurprising to him. The necklace was a stark reminder of how little control she had over her own life. Something so tragic, constantly tied around her neck.

“What? This isn’t…”

“My apologies, I suppose our customs are more different than I realized.”

Katara frowned, “Yeah, my necklace was my mothers. But I don’t want anyone thinking I’m engaged.” She said before reaching to untie the necklace.

“You don’t have to take it off just because of our customs Katara.” Zuko assured.

Her eyebrows furrowed, “your customs?” A newfound tension filled their conversation. She sounded almost irritated, at what Zuko couldn’t know. He tried to be reassuring but failed.

“Yes? You don’t have to take it off just because it looks similar to a betrothal necklace.”

Katara huffs, “Thanks, but I don’t want to look like I’m married. I’m too young for that.”

“As long as that is what you want to do.” Yue smiles.

They reach Yagoda’s home. A two story building in a less densely populated area of the city. The building was much larger than other peoples homes due to the fact the first floor had to be spacious for classes. The interior is almost empty save for supplies such as some basins of water and a wooden figure laid out on the floor. On the far side of the room was a lounging space. Zuko had many fond memories of sitting on those cushioned chairs, listening far more intently than anyone would expect from a firebending child. Yagoda’s belongings strewn across the table, perfect for Zuko to fiddle with when he was bored. 

Young children circled around a wooden figure, fascinated by the tool. With the sole purpose to show the flow of chi with the grooves that ran along the body.

Yagoda was directing the students into a semi circle around the figure. She was an expert at handling the energetic children because they followed her directions flawlessly.

When Zuko turned to guide Katara inside her face was not what he was expecting. She looked heartbroken as she watched the students take their seats, Zuko guessed she was distraught by the fact they were all girls. He was equally shocked when he first learnt of the separation of genders in waterbending. By now it was just an uncomfortable fact for him to deal with.

Yue placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, nudging her onward through the doorway.

“Alright. girls, give me a moment.” Yagoda said to her students before walking towards them. The students talked amongst themselves but remained in their spots.

“You must be Katara. I’m afraid it’ll be a little while until I have time to begin teaching you. I planned to keep you with my current students but I don’t want to waste your time. We move along too slowly since I’m working with children in a group.”

“I don’t mind.” 

“I’m almost finished with them for today, but for now I’d like you to converse about the basics with Elder Naqin. At the very least she’ll have some wisdom for you”

“Oh…” 

“Between Naqin and Lee, I’m sure you can find a relative topic to pass the time. He’s been very proficient in manipulating chi.”

“ What ?” Zuko and Katara say in sync.

“I hardly think firebending counts, even if technically-“ Zuko starts before he’s interrupted.

“It’ll just be for a while, I’ll wrap up this lesson then join you.” She smiles at Katara while ignoring Zuko's protest. 

Zuko isn’t qualified enough to help Katara and Naqin isn’t a waterbender. Between them all they would do is waste her time. 

“Where is Elder Naqin?” Yue asks for them.

“Outside behind the building, I’m afraid I cannot contain her. She’s like a snow leopard that woman.”

Zuko knows it to be true, Naqin is adamant against living in the city for too long. She insists it’ll weaken her connection to the spirits. So it doesn’t surprise him that she’d rather sit out in the cold, probably mediating. Also he suspects she just likes doing odd things to amuse herself when others are scandalized.

Sure enough she’s sat in behind the building. The area isn’t a walkway so no one bothers to clear it nearly as often. Leaving behind a foot of snow they have to trudge through. The three of them struggle through it and seat themselves in front of her. 

Breaking someone’s mediation is rude but they’ve known her long enough to do it. So Yue taps her arm until she opens her eyes and smiles.

“I’ve been expecting you.”

“Is that because Master Yagoda told you or because you want to sound cryptic and pretend you can see the future?” Zuko snarks.

“Both” she replies with a cheeky smile. “Katara.” She acknowledges.

“Hello Elder Naqin, are you a waterbender?”

“No, I’m a spiritual advisor, among other things. but as you must know some aspects of bending are more of mental challenges. I also consider myself a master of my own chi just as well as any bender.”

Katara nods but doesn’t look totally convinced. Zuko would be too if he wasn’t a firebender. He remembered his uncle raving on about meditation and connection to one’s flame, and that could’ve been taught by a non bender too.

“So Katara, how well do you know your own chi?”

“I don’t really know anything about chi.”

“let’s start off with that then. Lots of scholars believe it to be different things but essentially what they all agree on is that it is your energy. Your life force, some of us have a connection to the elements which allows our chi to communicate with it.”

Zuko tunes her explanation out, he’s entirely sure it’s nothing he hasn’t heard before. 

Before he knows it Naqin is referencing several philosophers that have been dead for centuries. Unfortunately for Zuko he also understands those references due to his past self raiding her library years ago. She owned an entire library of passed down books and scrolls of mostly spiritual and philosophical texts. Some interesting, most much too boring for a fourteen year old. 

“Okay…so how do I tell my chi to stop my waterbending from being so… unstable?” She asks as she rubs her mittens along her legs to stave off the cold. Naqin somehow isn't fazed by sitting in the cold for so long because she looks as comfortable as she can be. 

“Well of course I can’t say much on that part of it, but I can recommend meditation and self reflection to become more intune with yourself. In order to manipulate others' energy to heal, you would need to master your own bending. It’s a delicate process.” She sends a look to Zuko, “Maybe you would have some advice?”

Katara frown deepens as she’s forced to send her attention to him. Yue gives him a nudge to speak up. 

“I can’t really speak on the waterbending aspects…I only know how the chi works. I'm more familiar with that since it’s something I can actually work on with my firebending.”

Katara mumbles something under her breath. Zuko ignores it.

“I'm not really sure why Yagoda thought I could help with this. The only similarities they share is-“

“I would say waterbending is nothing like firebending.” She interrupts with a little more heat than necessary.

“It’s not a bad thing that they have similarities. I’m sure you can understand that it’s easy for him to compare them, seeing as though he’s a firebender living amongst waterbenders .” Yue says, almost threatening Katara to continue her passive aggressive comments.

“Well sorry, I came to learn waterbending. Not firebending.” Katar replies with her arms crossing tightly.

Yue looks ready to politely tear Katara apart but Zuko interrupts before that could happen. “I’m sorry, I’ll keep my comparisons to myself.”

Naqin looks highly amused by watching him behave so tame. Usually Zuko snarks back, this is a first for her. How he behaves with his close circle and the citizens of the tribe were completely different. It’s almost like watching a l wild dog lay belly up for their human. In a way it was true, Zuko was a tamed creature. It was his job to appear non threatening as to be allowed to stay. 

“Now Katara. Weather you like it or not, all the elements and their bending have similarities as well as differences. A water bender could learn valuable knowledge from any bender even if they can’t execute it the same way.”

Katara looks away with her body still in a defensive posture, ashamed that she had to be told off by an elder. 

“How about we meditate together, focus on our energy as it flows in and out of us.” She says before returning to the meditation she was in before they interrupted her. 

Katara looks a little lost. She’s far too tense to relax enough to meditate and Zuko suspects she won’t be relaxing anytime soon while being seated next to him.

He sits with his legs crossed and breathes. Yue is silent next to him so he knows she’s followed suit. But on his left where Katara is sat he can hear shuffling. After some time he begins to hear her sigh frustratedly. 

He peeks an eye open and she's slouched over with a deep furrow in her brows. Zuko nudges her to gain her attention. Katara looks at him with confusion and a little irritation. 

He shuffles a little closer, their thighs are close enough to bump into each other. He rests a hand palm side up on his knee. A small flame sits in the palm of his hand and Katara jolts at first. He whispers a ‘sorry’ but she relaxes only when she realizes the fire is tiny and calm. A tiny harmless lick of flame that shivers in the cold. 

“Try to clear your thoughts and keep your eyes on the flame. Follow along with the flame with your breathe, focus on your inner flame.”

She raises a brow. “I don’t have an ‘inner flame’.”

“Everyone does, it’s just another name for your inner energy. But firebenders can use that energy to create fire. We use and manipulate our chi every time we bend. Waterbenders use water around them but when you heal you need to be able to locate chi within someone’s body.” 

Katara furrows her brows. Maybe she dislikes learning facts about waterbending from him, or maybe she was just processing the information. He continues anyway.

“So when I say focus on your inner flame, just look for your chi. It flows within your body. Feel it move along with your breaths.” He demonstrates with a deep inhale to show how the fire reacts.

He worries making the fire heighten might make Katara even more uncomfortable but when he looks at her again she just looks conflicted. She says nothing and sets her eyes on the fire and follows his lead.

After a while Katara is the first to break out of her meditation to stand. She bends a layer of snow up into the air and moves it in simple loops. She never stops her steady breathing and she’s concentrating so hard she doesn’t falter when Zuko and Yue watch her bend.

By the end of it she’s smiling, “I could feel it.”

Naqin claps, “Many benders forget that it’s not just learning the moves, but also the feats of mind that mark a great bender. After all it can’t just be all brute strength or raw talent.” Naqin says. Zuko has no idea when she broke out of her meditation to watch. Maybe she didn’t at all.

“I mean it was still hard to bend but I could feel it flowing through me. The energy.”

“I’m curious though. If no one has been able to teach you, where did you learn  proper forms?”

Her face turns a little red, “uh…well…it’s a long story.” 

“Tell us, I love a good story.”

Katara gives in and sits down once again, “Okay. We met some pirates some time ago. When we went into their ship to see what they were selling we didn’t know they were pirates though.”

Naqin leans forwards with intrigue. Sometimes he wonders how she can stay cooped up in the north, and he wonders if she traveled a lot before the borders closed.

“I found a waterbending scroll. When I asked how they got it they basically implied it was stolen.” She sent a stray nervous glance at Yue then continued. “So… I stole it back.”

Yue’s eyes widen but she’s not scandalized like Katara might’ve expected. 

Naqin bursts out laughing, the cackles brown from pure delight. It causes a chain reaction with Katara beginning to giggle as well. 

“We ended up getting chased by them but we got away. I shouldn't have done it but I was just so angry they had it in the first place.”

Yue nodded in agreement and Naqin just continued to let out short giggles. 

“I think you did the right thing, it didn’t belong to them, at least you had a reason for taking it.” It belonged with Katara more than it did with some pirates, he didn’t see what she did as wrong at all.

“But it was still dangerous. So let’s not encourage stealing from pirates.” Yue reaches a hand to his forearm to pinch him.

Katara doesn’t say anything but watches Zuko flick Yue’s hand away. The exchange is more playful than aggressive, just something Yue enjoys doing to reprimand or annoy him. He laughs at her attempt and pushes her shoulders away, something he’s done so many times before.

“Is something wrong?” Naqin asks Katara as the siblings bicker playfully.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

Everyone’s attention is captured when a figure approaches and yanks the fur necklines of the Princess and Zuko.

The yelp they let out is accompanied by Katara’s gasp. 

Zuko loses his balance by the yank and falls backwards onto his side. Yue was clearly not pulled as harshly because she remains upright and disgruntled.

“Hey.” A familiar voice says above him.

“Kallik.” Zuko hisses, “What are you?, a child?”

“Sorry.” He says with an obviously nonapologetic smile.

It was a great way to greet Zuko if he wanted to avoid that awkward tension. Because right now he was too embarrassed and annoyed to do anything but scowl. In fact he had the urge to return to that familiar back and forth banter with him.

Katara relaxed, seeing as though the stranger that just harassed the Princess was clearly a friend. That much was obvious by the beaming smile Yue had on.

“Pleasure seeing you Kallik” Naqin nods to him.

“Elder Naqin. New girl” He gives Katara a friendly wave.

“Katara.” She introduces.

He walks over to her and sits in between her and Zuko. Nearly shoving the two of them as he shuffles to make room for himself. Zuko and Katara have no issue with moving farther away to give him room, both for different reasons.

“Are you a waterbender?” Katara asks hopefully.

“Nope.”

“Of course not.”

“Fret not Katara, I’m sure my good friend Yagoda is nearly done with her lesson. then you’ll have her attention to yourself.”

“Sorry, it’s just that I’ve waited so long to learn some waterbending, I’m a little anxious to begin.”

“That’s great, optimism is great for learning. It’s a good thing your teacher is Yagoda, Pakku would have no issue beating that optimism out of you, old croak.” She rolls her eyes at the thought of him. 

“Maybe…”

“Wait a second…you’re the girl that came with the Avatar!” Kallik exclaims.

Zuko takes his distraction as an opportunity to scoot over even more. 

“That’s so cool! Hey why didn’t you guys say who she was?”

“You didn’t ask.” 

Kallik frowns when he notices the new distance in between himself and Zuko. Before he could ask there’s a sharp whistle from afar. It’s Yagoda waving over the group. Slowly they all stand up from the ground. Everyone takes a few seconds to pat away any snow remaining on their clothing, but Katara is too eager and walks away without a word. 

Naqin leaves them behind as well, apparently content enough to finally go inside. 

As soon as it’s just them Zuko's already thinking of how to excuse himself without Kallik inviting himself to wherever he goes next. 

“So what were you guys doing with them anyway?”

“We were helping Katara begin her lessons, well, not so much me.” 

“How was a group of nonbenders supposed to help a waterbender?”

“Yagoda was busy so she just stuck her with me and Naqin. I know enough about healing, but not really how to help her control water. So basically we were there to keep her company.” Zuko explains

“And why would you know anything about healing? That’s a girl’s skill.” He asks.

Zuko shrugs. “I spent a lot of time with Yagoda.”

When they enter, Zuko sees Katara has taken the place of the last class, right beside the wooden figure. Naqin is leaning against the water basins, watching silently.

“I think we should leave, wouldn’t want to disturb.” Yue suggests.

Kallik nods eagerly and Zuko panics. He doesn’t want to stay around him. Especially seeing as how much Kallik clearly missed him.  

It’s a miracle he wants anything to do with Zuko in the first place.

“Actually I think I’ll stay.” Zuko says.

“What? Why?”

“Because I enjoy learning about how to heal...?”

“Waterbending healing?” Kallik deadpans.

“It’s interesting.” He defends. Which it was, but Katara surely wouldn’t want him here and he’s listened to an endless amount of lessons already. But it’s absolutely preferable over unwanted social interaction.

“Okaaay…”

Yue frowns, she knows it’s odd. He hadn’t even wanted to come and now he’s insisting on staying. “Fine, have fun.”

“Thanks. I will” he can sense and see Yue’s disappointment. It stings a little to see her gaze turn a little dark from it, he said he would try to talk to Kallik. And he swears he will, but not today.

Kallik pouts as he’s pulled away by Yue. She sends one last look behind her as a way to say ‘we’ll talk about this later’. Zuko feels bad, but not bad enough to do something about it. Instead he walks quietly so as to not disturb Yagoda and Katara. He doubts Katara wants him here for any longer than necessary. 

So he stands back with Naqin, simply observing from afar. They’re discussing how to control the water properly. Because of course how could you be trusted to bend the energy of someone’s body if you don’t have the precision to do it outside of it. 

Eventually they bore of watching them practice and moved to the back of the room so as to not disturb them. There’s a few wooden chairs with thick pelts thrown across them. 

From across the large room they can hear the echoes of Yagoda teaching, the shuffle of their boots on the ice and Katara’s occasional comments. The atmosphere is calm and they refuse to ruin it with small talk. Sitting in silence with her is comfortable so he isn’t bothered.

They only spoke when Nuiaq flew in through a window. The fluffy bird seeking companionship after spending most of the day alone. Zuko greeted him with open arms and some whispered baby talk. 

All in all not a terrible way to spend the day. 

“Lee.” Katara said simply to catch his attention. He was helping Nuiaq preen a few new feathers he couldn’t reach. The shiny new feathers were trapped in little casing, a simple scratch was enough to help. But it seemed he was distracted enough to not notice Naqin had left the table to talk with Yagoda.

“Yes?” 

She sighed and looked as though she didn’t want to speak to him but was forced to. After a pensive glance around the room she spoke again.

“I’d like it if you could walk me back to the palace.”

Zuko cocked his head confusedly, the palace was the easiest place to find. In a city that was raised in layers, the palace sat at the very top. It was the most prominent landmark. 

“Sure.” He didn’t even bother grabbing Nuiaq because the clever bird was already climbing up his arm.

It was afternoon by now, the sky was gray and unremarkable. The streets were more empty than they were in the morning. The flat planes of ice that usually make up the markets were void of vendors and crowds. Soon enough some night vendors would come and take their spots for the night markets which usually consist of hot meals. 

Katara looked oddly somber as they walked silently. Zuko was planning on not talking while they made the journey back to the palace but he figured she wanted to walk together for a reason.

“How was the lesson?” 

That at least made her perk up a little, “Great. I mean, I was expecting to learn how to fight before I learned how to heal but it was still nice.”

“Sorry about that. But I’d say the avatar and your brother probably have the fighting down, healing is probably a skill that’s more valuable for your travels.”

“That’s true I guess... Me and Sokka didn’t really get an opportunity to learn how to fight. So we’ve had to learn on the way. And since Sokka will have warrior classes I could be the healer of the group.” She shrugs but he could see the sadness resonating through her, the role of healer isn’t something she wanted. But with no other choice there’s not much that could be done.

“Of course you could always learn how to fight with a weapon in the earth kingdom.”

Katara sends him an odd look, “It would still be difficult to find someone willing to teach a girl.”

“It’s still possible.” He forgot how the earth kingdom perceives women fighters but he remembered they were more accepting than the tribes. Or did he remember wrong?

“There’s something else I wanted to talk about but I was nervous.”

“What is it?”

“I just wanted to apologize for my attitude towards you. I’ve had some resentment towards the North and you got caught in the middle of that. It just frustrated me to learn they decided to help some random kid from the earth kingdom instead of their own sister tribe.”

This was not the direction Zuko had anticipated this conversation was headed. He tried to respond but had no idea how or what to say.

“And you’re a firebender! It’s not your fault obviously. But the thought of the chief deciding to help a firebender while me and Sokka lost our mom to the fire nation because they didn’t want to help us is… It’s a lot to process. And I’m sorry that I was rude to you.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you, that’s horrible.” It was astounding just how little he knew about the South. Most people knew more about the war in the earth kingdom than they did the Southern Tribe and Zuko was beginning to think that was intentional. 

“If they had decided to help us it wouldn’t have happened, my tribe didn’t deserve to be raided for years.”

“I had no idea…”

Katara stopped walking and turned to face him fully, “How? You live in the palace. Arnook himself raised you from what I’ve heard, so how didn’t you know what happened to us?”

“I…they didn’t really talk about the South.” His voice turned a little quieter, a habit that everyone had when speaking of the Southern Watertribe. Like it was a bad omen to mention them. They’re standing in a narrow path in between two towering buildings. Casted in shadow, the empty street gives a semblance of privacy. And with the pure fury in Katara’s eyes he felt a little trapped.

Katara begins to look a little exasperated, she’s tense and her hands are clenched. “So they really didn’t say anything?”

“I’m sorry, it’s not something people like to talk about.”

“Oh I’m sure. They don’t want to talk about how they abandoned us, how the Southern Tribe was reduced to a single village.”

Zuko’s eyes widened, his scarred eye straining from the cold. He managed to not gasp rudely but can’t help holding his breath in astonishment.

“What…?”  It’s an unbelievable statement. That an entire nation could be affected so badly by the war that they are down to such a small population. He doesn’t have any other knowledge about how it happened but he was willing to bet it wasn’t unlike what happened to the air nomads. Another genocide had taken place and he’d been completely unaware. His mind wracked for any memory of this amongst the many other mentions of battles or atrocities taken place in the Earth Kingdom. Those were proud victories that were celebrated in the fire nation palace. So how could this go by unnoticed?

Katara's eyes watered. Mitten clad hands came up to roughly rub her eyes to force the tears away. “Ugh! Never mind, it’s not your fault they didn’t bother to tell you. But it’s so frustrating to hear they swept it under the rug.”

Although arnook didn’t begin the process of separating the tribes and isolating the North. He continued it. Likely knowing what it was doing to the South. As if Zuko needed any more reason to be angry at him.

He’d already admitted his faults, already vowed to correct the mistakes of his own father. Did that grant him forgiveness? Was that enough to make up for what had happened to Katara’s mother and Tribe? Zuko had no idea and probably had no say in this whatsoever considering his family was more responsible for whatever happened to the South. 

And he felt the guilt and shame enough as it is already. Zuko had no idea how he was ever going to forget this feeling. And even less how to atone for the wrongdoings of his family. 

“I’m sorry.” Zuko forced out, his coming out more raspy than usual. He forced his mouth shut when Katara looked at him. It took a lot of force to not curl into himself from absolute shame. Jaw shut so tight that he could give himself a headache. 

“Okay. You don’t have to apologize for that.”

“Still.“ apologizing was the least he could do.

They continue walking again, making it another block until Katara speaks up again. “It’s really beautiful here, I’m glad we get to spend some time without being afraid of being attacked.”

For now at least that would be true, who knows when the Fire Nation would find out they were harboring the avatar. But at least they could relax amongst the Northerners for some time. 

“It is, it’s even nicer in the villages. The mountains are beautiful. There’s these fields of flowers in the summer. I’m sure you’ve seen something similar in the South.”

Katara looks awed. “Actually we don’t get many flowers. Usually it’s just some grass on rocks, Algae on rocks, moss on rocks…”

“Really? I assumed it was the same as here.”

“No. Agna Qel’a is one of the only cities by the sea. We only live by the sea.”

Zuko’s fascinated, it definitely explains the difference in clothing. While the north’s parkas are brown and made from yaks and other herding animals, Katara’s parka is smooth and gray with scattered spots all over. He bets if he asked she would say it’s made from a seal or something else from the sea. 

A small self indulgent part of his brain urges him to ask more about the differences between the two tribes.

By this point they’ve made it to the ice bridge that crosses the canal that separates the palace grounds from the rest of the city.

As if they were waiting for their arrival, Zuko spots the avatar by his bright orange clothes. He’s sat precariously on the railing while Sokka leans on the railing with his arms crossed.

“Oh hey Lee!” Aang practically shouted.

“Hello.” Zuko says loud enough for Aang to hear.

Sokka didn’t bother to greet Zuko, he only stared at them intimidatingly. Eyes flickering between him and Katara. Zuko sidestepped to put more room in between them, he didn’t want to give him more reason to hate him.

“I’ll see you some other time.” Zuko says.

“Wait, do you want come eat lunch with us?”

“No thanks, besides I have to go track down my sister.”

“Oh okay.“ she says disappointedly.

Zuko passes by Aang and Sokka on the bridge, keeping his distance as much as possible. He doesn’t glance their way even when he can feel eyes on him.

Chapter Text

“Do you want to tell me why you suddenly wanted to stay at the lesson when you were complaining to even go with me?” Yue asked sarcastically during dinner. They were sitting on a plush fur rug in her room. He felt like a child again, sitting on the floor with his sister and gossiping. The reason for having dinner on the floor instead of eating with Arnook as they do every night was the fact he was busy entertaining guests in the dining room. He would hardly notice their absence which provided them with an opportunity to run away from the crowds.

It was also a well deserved break from silent dinners with Arnook, despite the hostility between them he insisted on eating together every night. And refusing to show up would only end up in unnecessary drama and with someone being escorted to dinner by a guard.

Zuko rolls his eyes from his spot across from her. “I think you know the reason.”

She pouts, “I do.” She sighs dramatically, “And here I was hoping that you just wanted to be alone with Katara.”

Zuko chokes on his food.

Yue laughs and Zuko swears this is all her form of punishment for ditching her. When he regains his composure he sends her a glare, “Funny.”

“So, what did you do after I left?”

“Nothing, I just didn't want to talk to Kallik.” He continues to eat and purposely ignores her disapproving face. “So what did you guys do?”

“Talk. He thinks you hate him.”

“What? why?” Hate is a very strong word, he didn’t think Kallik would think he hated him.

“Because you avoid him? You should've seen his face, so pathetic.” She says sympathetically.

Zuko doesn't say anything, just shoves more food into his mouth.

“Please speak to him soon, it’ll be better for both of you.”

“I will, tomorrow.”

“You better.”

Sokka was exploring. In such a big new city he didn’t need any direction to have fun just walking around. People watching was fun, it was interesting just to compare the northerners to his own tribe. Several people gave him looks that ranged from slight curiosity to excited delight. He’s been stopped by plenty of curious strangers that have endless questions about the avatar and their journeys. 

He was walking along the edge of the canal, watching the boats that flow in and out of the city. Some were simple canoes and others were those flat boats that seem to be common in the North. He noticed a lot of them held baskets of fish and sea plants such as seaweed. No seals of any kind which was odd considering he’d seen plenty of fat tiger seals outside the city walls. He guessed they favored yaks by their clothing. Sokka didn’t blame them, maybe if the South could afford to send people more inland in search of the traveling herds they would also share this preference. Right now though his tribe sat on the edge of the ocean and seals and cliff birds were much easier to access.

While he walked absentmindedly a canoe drifted by. Sokka almost didn’t notice the princess but it was impossible to not be drawn to the girl.

Then he remembered the night they arrived, he wondered if he should even try talking to Yue. After hitting her ‘brother’ with a boomerang he proceeded to act like he had never spoken to another human being. Then he didn’t talk to her for the rest of the night like a complete idiot. Maybe he was the one who got hit in the head with a boomerang.

“Princess Yue!” He shouted while he mentally screamed at himself.

The bored looking girl swiveled around to meet his eyes. Her gaze turned to surprise but it quickly shifted back into a guarded expression. And without even speaking to him she's already begun crumbling sokka's confidence.

“Good morning!” 

Yue nods politely but makes no move to continue the conversation. 

“That party was great! I had a great time. What about you?” Sokka practically yells as he follows the canoe as best he could. 

“I had a lovely time, it was an honor to have the avatar and his companies celebrate with us.” 

“Yeah. Totally. So uh, I was wondering if you would want to hang out?” Sokka mentally high fived himself for managing to ask normally.

“I would love to spend time with you all, whenever you all have some free time, invite me.” She smiles and turns away as if to effectively end the conversation.

Sokka laughs briefly, “N-no I meant us, we can just get to know each other. Have fun.” his face heats up, he’s practically yelling this embarrassing conversation just so she could hear him.

Yue stares at him, she's too far for him to accurately describe her expression but he can see her confusion. 

“I'm sorry, I'm busy at the moment.”

He cringes, being rejected in public is extremely uncomfortable and not exactly what he planned for today. But he doesn't blame her, he wasn’t exactly his normal charming self when they met. Nor did he act very mature.

“I really am sorry about hitting your friend.” Apologizing is very mature right? At least she won't think he's a complete jerk. “And for ignoring you.”

Yue finally turns to give her full attention and sokka somehow feels like it's not enough and too much all at once. He's never felt this way around Suki. It was so natural to be around her, nothing like this. He suspects it has to do with her status as princess and her (somehow) intimidatingly elegant aura.

She lets out a humorless laugh, she looks amused which is much better than her previous appearance of mild disdain. “He's not my friend. He's my brother.”

“Oh, I thought that was a joke.” 

She raises an eyebrow and is suddenly back to being annoyed. Wrong answer. “Uh I mean…you two don’t exactly look alike?” he tries passing it off as a joke with a dry chuckle.

Yue stands from her seat at the front of the canoe and shuffles to the side to lessen the distance. The bender who's controlling the pace seemingly needs no command because he slows the canoe and brings it even closer to the sidewalk. 

Now that she's closer and looking up at him with a frown and thrusting a disapproving finger at his abdomen does Sokka consider that he should probably stay away from the royal family since all he seems to do is make them mad. His mouth dries up and he can't bring himself to speak. But it doesn’t matter because she starts talking, “My mother and father raised him as their own, I've known him since we were children. What would you call that?” 

“Uh…”

“And he is a part of the royal family, so I expect that you show him the respect his status deserves. I don’t appreciate what you did to him but I do appreciate the apology.” Her eyes are sincere and serious, somehow despite her calm demeanor her words carry power. Like a warning, he definitely notes how she didn't say that she accepted his apology. 

Maybe he spent too long staring like an idiot because she changes the subject. “I spent the day with your sister yesterday. She's very determined to learn waterbending.”

“Oh yeah, it's been her dream since she was a kid.” By now they reach a stop where the canal splits into different directions and Sokka is forced to stop, but luckily for him the canoe stops alongside him. 

“I suppose I'll keep her company as she learns how to heal. Maybe my brother should do the same for you, since you're both in warrior training.”

Warrior training? 

Oh shit.

“Uh…”

“Speaking of…isn’t that soon? Lee already left for it by the time I left…”

“I should be going to that…wait a second. Lee is in warrior training!?”

“Of course he is, all the young men of the tribe are required to do it.”

“I-I have to get going, y’know for warrior training.” He apologizes but Yue looks amused once again as she watches him stutter and panic over being late. 

The canoe begins to move along slowly meanwhile Sokka is stuck contemplating what this means for him. Sure he apologized for hitting him, but that doesn’t mean he likes the guy. And he definitely doesn’t want to have to train with him, with his luck Lee will probably target him to get back at Sokka. 

Then he remembers how Katara walked back to the palace walking with him. Alone. And Yue had said she spent the day with her yesterday, so that means Lee asked to walk her back, without the company of the princess. His eye twitches as he considers what that guy was up to. He swivels around and takes a hurried step to catch up with yue and ask her about it. His foot meets air instead of ice and he flails for a moment before his body is plunged into frigid water.

Thankfully he manages to keep his head out of the water and remain calm, he somehow hears Yue’s laughter over the rush in his ears. She’s smiling behind her mitten and sokka can't contain the stupid grin that overcomes him.

When she’s out of sight he finally lifts himself from the water with a trembling smile, teeth chattering and all. Yue’s trailing laughter was enough to make the freezing waters worth it. And despite how much he would love to go back to his room and squeal like a love sick fool over making her laugh, he had somewhere to be.

“A little feisty today huh?” 

Zuko glares at the ground, not willing to take the bait any further. He’s already scarily close to escalating the situation.

Hahn isn’t fazed by the lack of response, he’s wonderful at continuing the conversation alone as he’s had too so many times before. Zuko thinks he must enjoy the sound of his own voice.

“I know you heard about my engagement. Well? Aren’t you going to congratulate me?”

Zuko scoffs. That's  enough to make Hahn smile.

“So I’m right? Why are you so pissy over it huh? Why would you care so much?”

“Considering Yue is my sister I don’t like the idea of a moron marrying into the family.”

Hahn’s eyes widen before he bursts into laughter. A piercing laugh that irritates Zuko to his core, a few more boys joined in. A few gasping breaths are let out before Hahn stands upright from his laughing fit. He points a hand towards Zuko, “The ashmaker thinks he’s family with the chief? Now that’s gold.”

A few bystanders agree and snicker or look at Zuko with surprise. He doesn’t look at them, gaze solidly at Hahn's smirking face. He doesn’t dare break eye contact now that he's made it.

“Just because the chief pities you doesn’t mean he would make you his son. How delusional are you? Seems you torched your own brain.”

A few more boys exit from inside, changed from heavy furs into clothing more light and breathable. One of them is Sokka, he notes. Would he join in with Hahn's jeering too?

“Doesn’t matter what you think, Hahn. Ask the chief yourself for all I care.”

“I’ll be sure too,” he says with finality. Like he’s won this little game of his. 

Maybe it was for the best, Zuko’s hands were uncomfortably warm from the anger. 

Sokka moved to stand far from them. Hahn’s eyes glinted with renewed interest and walked over to him. So his real reason to shut up was so he could go pick another fight? At least Zuko will have some peace while Hahn entertains himself with something new.

The instructor, Luano, walks out. He’s an old man who’s been in charge of warrior training for decades, he mostly likes to yell instructions since he’s too old to be hands on. He orders them to begin stretches and the class complies. Most continue with conversation while completing the task. 

“So, do you have warrior training back home too?” Someone asks Sokka with genuine curiosity.

“Oh Um… totally! But while we were traveling I even got to train with the Kyoshi warriors” the surrounding teens turned to him with interest. He flushes at the attention but catches the hint and proceeds to elaborate.

“They usually don’t allow guys to train with them but I was an exemption!” He boasts proudly. 

“So you trained with some girls. Are you sure you shouldn’t be in the kiddy beginner classes?” Hahn snarks.

Laughter rings out as expected and Sokka’s relaxed posture falters. “Uh…”

“Why would you train with them? That’s kind of an insult to your own skills isn’t it?” A boy with curly hair comments mid stretch.

“Not at all! They are super strong and I even got to learn a new weapon with them.”

“What type?”

“Metal fans.”

More laughter. Someone slumps against Sokka’s shoulder from the force of their laughter. 

“A fan?!” 

“Don’t worry you’ll get some real training today.” 

Sokka frowns, an oddly displeased expression replacing the once carefree one. He doesn’t reply to their comments and stretches silently. Before someone can tease him further the instructor speaks.

“Standard forms today to accommodate our new student. We’ll work back up to working with spears soon. Get your blood pumping! Two laps in the snow!”

The class sets into a jog to the uncleared section behind the stables. Fresh snow isn’t cleared here so it’s common for Luano to make them do laps in the several inches of snow. Only done as a warmup, plus it’s pretty difficult to run in untouched snow. Two laps to ensure they wouldn’t make a trail of flattened snow, wouldn’t want it to be easy to traverse.

When they return to the training ground Luano watches impatiently. As if the old man could even complete the warmup given.

“Team up, hand to hand. And focus on breaking out of holds!”

The crowd of teens breaks into pairs. As always Zuko is left last, the only one without someone familiar to search out. He finds someone random and taps them on the shoulder. The guy grimaces when he sees Zuko standing expectantly.

But he doesn’t put up a fight and shifts into position. Zuko follows suit and in a moment of shared understanding they begin. It’s familiar work, simple and easy enough for the new student to follow along. Before Sokka arrived they were working on spears. But if Sokka wasn’t already skilled with that he would just be a hindrance to teach fast enough to catch up with the rest of the class. 

Zuko beats his partner pathetically easily, with the other's body twisting uncomfortably underneath him.

He yields and Zuko stands, taking a moment to search out Sokka. He was curious how he was handling it, he imagines the boy was incredibly skilled if he was working with the Avatar. 

But to his surprise Sokka was having difficulty with hand to hand. 

His movements are hesitant, and his posture was loose and unsure which led to many openings. His feet were flighty and he looked ready to bolt. His downfall ended up being his poor stance as his opponent easily slipped a foot behind him and made him trip. Which usually wasn’t a move that would even work in most cases considering the opponent had to be so badly distracted to not have even a decent stance.

Zuko frowned, how the hell had he been out in the Earth Kingdom fighting the Fire Nation and he couldn’t even hold his own in a class?

He wondered if maybe he had a codependency on using weapons. Sokka mentioned using a metal fan with the Kyoshi warriors and he was definitely comfortable using a boomerang so that could explain it.

Eventually they begin to rotate partners, Zuko wins half his own fights, he's sure being distracted isn’t exactly helping. And from what Zuko can see Sokka is still having trouble across the ice yard. He winces when Sokka is thrown roughly to the ground. The resounding thump alerts Luano, he sighs and walks over to him. Sokka only looks up with a sheepish smile. From a distance, Zuko can barely hear them exchange a few words. While distracted, Zuko's partner leaves him so when Luano looks up his eyes flicker to the empty space beside him where he should have a partner. He locks eyes with Zuko and calls him over. 

“D’ya mind taking it slow with this one? Give em’ some advice and when he's got the hang of things, move on?”

“Yes Sir.” Zuko doesn't spare a glance to where sokka pathetically lifts himself from the ground.

When the older man walks away, Zuko finally faces sokka with a forced bored expression. Sokka's own face looks conflicted and maybe even a little bit nervous?

He really doesn't want to spend more time than necessary with him. “You need to keep your feet planted more firmly, especially here. You’ll slip on the ice.” Zuko says simply.

“Well, hello to you too!” Sokka narrowed his eyes. “How do you know what I need to fix? We haven’t even fought yet!”

“I watched you, do you have much experience with hand to hand?”

“Of course I do.” He says defensively, “I’m not an idiot.”

Zuko’s brow furrows. He only asked a question about his past experience but somehow he offended him. It was probably the fact he immediately went to critique him before greeting him. Zuko frowns, he doesn’t want to cause another fight. (And he definitely doesn't want to be blamed for starting it.)

“I never said you were, let me rephrase. I noticed you were struggling and I heard you are trained in the fans the kyoshi warriors use. That and the fact you have a boomerang I'm assuming you’re more accustomed to using weapons?” He asks in an overly sarcastic tone.

Sokka eyes widen, “Uh yeah…how did you-” 

“Okay get into your stance I’ll show you how to fix it.” 

Sokka complies and Zuko notes the mistakes. “Your feet are too close and try to keep yourself more planted. But not too much that you can’t move in time, it’s a hard balance to keep.”

Sokka mirrors Zuko's stance. Only more slouched and loose than Zuko would prefer. “Be confident in yourself, don’t circle around me like you're trying to escape. Focus on me” The last comment results in Sokka’s stormy blue eyes meeting his own. Zuko nearly lets it startle him from how those eyes look so intimidating now that they’re filled with determination.

When they begin, Sokka frantically searches over his body for an opening. Before he could, Zuko sent a fist to his stomach to gauge Sokka’s reaction time. Sokka blocks and looks surprised at his own quick reflex. 

Another strike onto his body that he doesn’t manage to evade and Sokka gasps. He sidesteps another attempt soon after. Sokka’s hand comes down to grasp where he was stuck on his upper chest. Another mistake. Zuko takes the opportunity to grasp the remaining arm and twist it behind his body, Zuko kicks behind his knees and Sokka buckles. His knees make a thud on impact and Zuko almost winces in sympathy. The ice isn’t exactly pleasant to fall on.

He doesn't try to force completely to the ground or make him yield, he isn't a complete asshole.

“Okay get up so I can tell you what you did wrong.”

Sokka simply twists around and sends him an unimpressed glance.

“Why are you allowed in this class anyway? Aren’t you a firebender…shouldn’t you be lighting stuff on fire?” Sokka grumbled.

“There’s no firebending classes in the North.” Zuko says while twisting his arm a little harder than necessary before letting him go. Serves him right for asking stupid things.

After a few rounds Sokka gains a sense of confidence he finally is able to switch to another partner. Zuko keeps an eye on how he’s fairing and is pleased to see he improves with each round. 

And being distracted helping Sokka made him forget about his other headache, he’s already forgotten about Hahn. It’s ruined as they rotate partners and Zuko ends up face to face with him. His lips move to snark out some insult he assumes, before he says anything, Zuko strikes. It’s not fair and he should be past petty things like that but he does it anyway. Hahn swerves sloppily from shock. Zuko hears a half hearted reprimand from Luano but he doesn't step in. Hahn huffs in both annoyance and amusement. Any reaction of Zuko is entertainment for him.

Their spar is definitely more aggressive than necessary. Zuko doesn’t hold back nearly as much. And when Hahn has to yield he his eyes fill with uncharacteristic rage. Instead of moving to different partners the other teen demands another round. And before they know it they’ve gone through several rounds. All of which were won by Zuko.

Hahn prefers to make his distaste of someone a game. He taunts and teases only to laugh at you, he gains more from the amusement. The genuine anger Hahn’s face reflects is new, even for Zuko. It’s almost unnerving how Hahn flails around trying to land a hit. 

Zuko scoffs at another failed attempt at hitting him. It's definitely immature of Zuko to goad him but he's never been able to get the upper hand like this before. He almost never gives into the urge to fight back, it’s stupid to ignore the rules that have been implemented into him ever since he was allowed to live amongst the northerners. Ignore them, don’t fight, let it go, don't give the council a reason to lock you up again. 

It's also incredibly easy to knock Hahn down when he’s like this.

Hahn grunts as Zuko pins him, Zuko doesn't give him the courtesy to try and break out, and doesn't offer an option to yield. Just clambers off him as if the win is obvious, which it is. Hahn stands up just as quickly and crowds against Zuko, practically snarling with anger. 

But Zuko knows this has escalated to a dangerous game, sure he can taunt and piss hahn off. But he can't fight him. 

Even so, Hahn searches for any sign or reason to do something stupid. Zuko gives him nothing, he stares back disinterestedly. The furious man's face scrunches in disgust before spitting in his face. 

Zuko's fists are clenched so hard his palms turn stark white, he surprises even himself when he manages to stay still. Hahn smiles smugly, as long as he manages to humiliate Zuko in some manner he wins. Zuko openly glares and it earns him a laugh. No words are exchanged as Hahn leaves. At some point during this the class was excused. Zuko stands fuming outside. The spot he stands in has turned to melted mush before he decides to enter the changing rooms.

The room is blissfully empty when he enters. He pulls his hair from its simple braid. 

Yanks his fingers through his hair to brush out any knots and ties it up into a simple knot. His temper is way too high to do any delicate braids or styles. It would be too difficult anyway without a mirror or extra material to tie it with. 

Still fuming and still way too overheated he doesn't even bother putting on his parka. Clothes in hand he leaves the building. Only to find Sokka standing patiently outside.

“Hey Lee. I wanted to talk.”

Zuko internally groans, “What is it?”

“I just wanted to apologize for y’know…hitting you.” His eyes flicker away nervously when Zuko glares. “I’m always on the look out for firebenders. I wasn't expecting to see one here, so I hit you without waiting for an explanation. That was wrong of me.” He shrugs and crosses his arms awkwardly.

Zuko wants to stay angry at Sokka, but the explanation is sound and it’s a real apology. Much more than Zuko expected him to be capable of, he expected Sokka to be the same type as anyone else in his class. Egotistical or just too high and mighty to lower themselves to his level.

“I understand, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was the first friendly firebender you’ve met.”

Guilt crosses his face. “That’s the thing, I’ve actually met a firebender before. A whole campsite of firebenders, they were traitors led by a guy named Jeong Jeong.”

“Jeong Jeong?” A highly respected firebending master, one of the few people good enough to teach the royal family’s children. Of course he met him, but Zuko has had many tutors to try and help him fix his pathetic firebending skills. He didn't know him for long.

“So why would Aang ask me to teach him firebending if he’s met an entire camp of firebenders?”

“I guess his teaching style wasn’t exactly compatible with Aang? He accidentally burnt my sister during practice and Jeong Jeong was so angry, the way he talked made it seem like he hated his own element. The only good he did there was make Aang terrified of firebending.”

A completely understandable sentiment. Zuko often hated his own element as well, it caused others to fear him and was his greatest weakness living here in the North. He was incredibly weak in the winters, especially during the time where the sun would be gone for the majority of the day. 

But a teacher who hated his own element wouldn’t be the best option for a student. Especially if that hate was rooted in fear, a bender who was afraid of their own fire is a dangerous person.

“I can see why Aang would look for a different teacher.”

“So you’ll teach him?”

“I can’t. I’m not permitted to bend.”

“At all?”

Zuko shakes his head, “It’s for the safety of the Tribe.” 

Sokka gives him an odd look, like he’s confused and pitying Zuko all at once. He bristles and tries to walk past him. But Sokka kept up in pace with him.

“Sure, but this is for the safety of the world.”

“I already told Aang I would teach him if it were possible.”

“We’ll find a way.”

Zuko pauses his steps and gives sokka a bewildered look, “How are you all so sure you’ll get your way?”

Sokka shrugs, “We have a way of working things out.” He looks so sure of himself, confident. It leaves Zuko feeling conflicted, how can someone so infuriating be suddenly so mature? The change in demeanor almost gives him whiplash, so he leaves instead of confronting that feeling.

____________

The usually empty side of the palace is full of northerners from across the nation. He wanders aimlessly through the halls, looking for any sign that can point him in a direction. He passes by some open doors, one of them catches his attention. A baby cries out and its noises are accompanied by a more gentle shushing. He recognizes the voice and gently prys the door open the rest of the way.

Sat on the bed is Zinna, lightly rocking her daughter in an effort to console her. “Lee?”

“Sorry, is Kallik here?” 

“Yes, in the other room.” She points to the door that connects to a smaller side bedroom. He nods and crosses the room. If he were in a hallway or alone he would take a second to breathe and prepare himself. But he doesn't want to stand awkwardly in Zinna’s room and bother her more than necessary so he pushes himself to enter.

Kneeling on the floor looking through a pack was Kallik. He doesn’t say anything or look up, most likely assuming it was his mother or father. His hair is unruly and uncovered. He's hardly ever seen him without one, it's always been an odd habit of his. Something to bring him comfort presumably.

“Kallik.”

The boy gasps and turns abruptly, “Lee!? Spirits man, try knocking?”

“Sorry.” 

As expected kallik grabs his hat and yanks it on, refusing to brush his hair out before subjecting it to get more knots. “What's up?”

Zuko leans his weight against a wardrobe, crossing his arms. “Uh. I guess I came to apologize?”

Kallik’s face hardens, “Right.”

“I’m sorry, I really can't say why but I was afraid to see you again.”

“You can’t say? Don’t I deserve to know why? We used to be great friends and then I came to visit you and suddenly you're hiding from me.”

Zuko looks anywhere but Kallik's eyes, he’s hurt. Of course he is, he deserves an explanation.

“You remember the last time I visited Ukiyu?”

Kallik nods.

“We spent the day with Yue and your cousins hanging out in the forest, it was fun. But later on I was alone hanging out on that half dead twisted tree…and you found me?” He stays silent, only looking lost in thought. Zuko knows he’s imagining it, so is he.

“We hung out for a while and I- I thought you wanted the same thing I did. I was wrong, That’s why I never went back.”

His brows are furrowed, head tilted downwards so that Zuko cant see his face clearly. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have acted the way I did when you kissed me.”

Zuko nearly jolts, he’s never said it outloud before and he never imagined Kallik would say it. Especially with his mother on the other side of the door, it felt like the thick ice walls weren’t enough.

“It’s fine-“ 

“It’s not, It- I just didn’t think it through, ok? And I never hated you for it. I promise.”

Zuko stands still and rigid, unsure of how to respond. All that insecurity he’s gathered for years is now being directly addressed and he wants to shrivel up into a ball.

“Lee, I was scared too. I wanted to tell you I felt the same way but I couldn’t. I thought you regretted it, I was hoping we could move past it but you never came back to Ukiyu.”

“Seriously?” Zuko laughs dryly. “This whole time...“

“I’m sorry for acting that way when it happened. I was scared too and I knew I was supposed to act like it was weird, or that I didn't care. But I did, I do.” He’s standing now, a few feet from Zuko. His hand clenched in the furred hem of his parka.

Zuko considered what it would feel like to reach a hand over and intertwine their hands together. He was relieved to feel an absence of those butterflies he would normally expect. He hadn't felt that feeling for Kallik for a while, he thought it was because he hadn’t seen him in years. But with Kallik right next to him and seemingly willing to be with him in a way he’d dreamed for years it only confirmed what he felt. He was over that crush, and happier for it. But still a little sad knowing what could've been.

“Years went by and you couldn’t have sent a messenger?” Zuko halfheartedly jokes, his tone comes off a little more harsh than expected and Kallik flinches.

“I guess we both got cold feet, huh?”

“I guess so.” And suddenly the blame wasn't solely on Zuko's shoulders, he may have never gone back to see him but Kallik knew why. He could have remedied those fears and who knows how different their relationship could’ve turned out. But he didn't. Didn't make the effort to send a messenger owl. Maybe he had gotten used to how Zuko would trip over himself for him. Expected he would come back and fix the problem himself.

And Zuko had never bothered much to fantasize about the type of person he would want to be with in future other than Kallik. But he’d imagine they would put a little more effort into him.

Now Zuko feels no regret, he made his decision and Kallik made his.

“It’s been years.” He seems to understand.

“I still dont want you to ignore me, now that we’ve talked I think we should go back to how we used to be.”

“I think we should just…”, he sighs into the air. “Start simple. Stop hiding from each other?” He doesn't want to go back and pretend this never happened. He doesn't want to go back to the dynamic they had before where Zuko tried to be as agreeable as possible to everyone around him. 

Kallik smiles, somewhat shy but still bright. Zuko's lips curl upwards, it's like a breath of fresh air to clear up this several year long mess. To be able to reconcile with Kallik and not immediately fall back to his charms again. He thinks Yue will be proud to hear he’s cleared things up with both Kallik and Sokka. Emotionally stunted his ass. 

Chapter Text

By evening time Zuko was ready to sleep the rest of the day away. He was exhausted, but he wasn't ready to cave himself in his room until he was able to tell Yue of his accomplishments. So when he knocked on her door he was surprised to hear no response. He seriously doubted she was anywhere else at this time, there was a possibility she was out socializing and fulfilling her diplomatic duties with village elders but he had a feeling that wasn't the case. He went to knock harder in case she was asleep but the door opened before he could knock again.

She opens the door and Zuko knows immediately what was happening. Her eyes are bloodshot and avoiding his gaze, she is gripping the door with one hand and clutching her dress in the other, and her hair was a complete mess. She hardly moved out of the way when he walked inside, as if she was too tired to move much. He nudged her along to sit on her bed with a hand on her shoulder, careful to gauge her reaction to the touch.

“Yue, what's going on?” 

As expected she doesn’t answer, she just slumps down onto herself. 

“What do you need?”

She only shook her head, expression hidden behind her hair. Zuko was a little lost on what to do, he looked around her room and saw clothing, random objects and stray hair ribbons strewn across the floor.

“I’ll go grab us some dinner, okay?” It’s not quite time for dinner. But he’s sure he can go into the kitchen and ask for whatever they have at the moment. Yue doesn’t answer, her fingers start clenching and unclenching in her lap. He leaves and speed walks down the halls. 

The kitchen workers are hard at work, no one spares him a glance, more so because they can’t waste a second asking him why he’s intruding.

He badgers Yun to let him have whatever plates are ready. He’s stressed and insists Zuko wait until later when the side dishes are ready, but Zuko couldn’t care less if they don’t get a side of seaweed stew or something.

When he returns Yue is sitting on the floor, like she just slid down from the bed. Her hands are fisting her scalp, tuftfuls of hair in her  grip. 

Zuko places the plates of food down, sits down in front of her to catch a glimpse of her face. Her face is scrunched up and her face is red. Tears are flowing and Zuko wonders what could’ve set her off in such a way. It’s been a while since he’s found Yue like this, maybe half a year. 

He fights her deathly grip and pulls her hands away from her hair, trying to do so without accidentally hurting her further. 

She’s trying to be silent so he instructs her to breathe deeply. She does and the flood gates open, she cries freely and these are the first sounds he heard from her. He’s heartbroken looking at her so he sits behind her and begins to braid her hair to keep it out of her way. Two tight braids that come down to her back. 

She sobs for who knows how long, Zuko simply holds her. Starts to rock them both from side to side, imitating the movements she’ll do when trying to sooth herself. 

When the tears slow down and her crying turns to hiccups he finally calms down alongside her. 

“Can you speak?”

Yue sniffles and shakes her head. Zuko grabs her hands and pulls her upwards. He guides her to sit on the bed and she shuffles backwards until her back is against the pillows and headboard. 

Zuko toes off his boots and sits across from her. She's settled her chin on her knees, hands coming forward to hold her legs. She stares blankly at his general direction. 

“How about… I’ll tell you about my day so you don't have to talk?” He offers, he doesn't want to leave her alone. She nods sluggishly.

“Okay. So I went to warrior training right? And Sokka was there, so I talked to him.”

Yue's eyes meet his and Zuko can tell she’s interested enough to listen, “We had to train together for a while, he was surprisingly horrible at it. So I had to help him for a while, but I think he learned enough to not completely embarrass himself anymore.”

Yues shoulers shake and an audible breath escapes her, she's laughing. Zuko smiles, he can admit he's a little childish for taking enjoyment in how bad Sokka was. They made up but he should be allowed to make fun of him, it was the least he could do to get back at him for their first meeting.

“After class he actually apologized to me.” Yue nods and leans forward a bit.

“He said he’s met firebenders before, traitors to the fire nation. So he felt bad that he hurt me when they've been around friendly firebenders before. They tried to teach the Avatar, but I guess it didn't work out. They want me to teach him.”

The princess gasps, Zuko can already imagine what she would say. ‘Zuko this is amazing! Say yes!’ But right now all she can do is smile and gesture for him to hurry up and continue. 

“I told both of them that it's up to Arnook.” Yues delight dwindles and she looks a little irritated. She tries to smack him but she's still too weak to do any damage. Thank Agni because she hits hard and he refuses to punch her back even half as hard.

“Yue, I can't teach the Avatar. I'm nowhere near good enough to teach him, I mean can you imagine someone with a child's level of firebending teaching the Avatar?” 

She sighs and leans back against the pillows again. Still annoyed at him for whatever reason.

“I don't know how to tell them I don't know enough fire bending to teach him, It’s…embarrassing. I just hope Arnook says no.” She raises an eyebrow again, they both know Arnook would fight tooth and nail against the council to let him if he had to. He's done so plenty of times before just for Zuko to have basic freedoms. Despite their complicated relationship right now Zuko knows he does what he thinks is best for both of them, even though some of that is incredibly traditional views of what is right.

Yue smacks him and grabs his hand and flips it palm upward. Puts her own hand in his and wiggles her fingers upwards, mimicking the flickering of a flame. He pulls his hand away and makes a flame as instructed, at least that's what he thinks she wants. When he does she nods, makes some incomprehensible gestures again and looks at him expectantly. 

“What?”

She moves her arms aggressively and punches outwards into the air. 

“You want me to practice?” 

She nods frantically.

“Practice does nothing if I don't have a teacher to show me how.”

Yue shakily gets off the bed. With a completely serious face points to herself and starts doing something that vaguely looks like someone waterbending. Then points to him. 

“You want me to learn from a waterbender?”

She shrugs.

Zuko throws himself backwards and digs his palms into his eyes with a groan. “You’re ridiculous.” He can hear her breathy snickers. He stays lifeless for a few minutes just thinking. He knows there's some reason to her suggestion. There's absolutely no chance he’ll have a firebending teacher. Is he supposed to live with a nine year olds level of experience forever? So he’s essentially got three options; do nothing, teach himself, or create some kind of hybrid fire-waterbending style. It wasn’t completely impossible, they both require fluid movements. 

When he sits up again Yue has moved over to the plates of food on her tableside, eating from her plate of food. She’s completely different from her usual appearance of elegant princess as food spills from her fingers as she eats. He gets it, crying takes a lot of energy.

He joins her and they finish their dinner together. He's thankful Nuiaq is probably sleeping in his room, he would've taken advantage of their messy eating. 

By the end of it all he has the strength for is washing his hands, undoing his braids, and flopping onto her bed. His feet hang off the bed a little since he's laying on it horizontally but he doesn’t mind at all. He's determined to sleep within minutes. Yue similarly only had the energy to get into bed above him and nestle herself within the pillows like a nest.

_______

Zukos lost. He knows it, feels something is wrong deep in the pit of his stomach. He just doesn't know what.

He’s a forest at night, it feels all too familiar to that night all those years ago. It's snowing softly like it was then. Tiny hands shiver, he doesn't question how it's even possible when he knows for a fact he fell asleep in Yue’s bed. He wanders endlessly, feeling eyes watch him. Whenever he glances behind himself there's never anything there. He debates following whatever is following him but he feels compelled to walk in the opposite direction. Or maybe whatever is following him is simply guiding him that way, like a herding dog.

“Who are you?” Zuko asks, his own voice sounds years younger but he doesn't notice it at the moment.

Zuko hears a giggle in front of him, peeking behind a small tree is an even smaller body. She's pale and not in any way dressed for the weather, this makes him realize that neither is he. For the first time in years he looks down and sees red.

“Azula?” His voice cracks, he feels relief. Maybe that's why he felt something was wrong, he must have been looking for her.

“You suck at hiding, Zuzu.”

“What?”

“Why are you here anyway?”

“I…” He doesn’t know if she's referring to him being here in this forest or in the Northern Water Tribe, if that's even where he is. His mind is far too unfocused to question things that intensely.

“You're supposed to be hiding. But of course you ran away, and I had to come find you so you won't get in trouble.”

Her hand grips him with surprising strength and tugs him away. Through uneven ground and around young thin trees they make it to a thickly covered area of the forest. The trees are full grown here and the underbrush is thick. Bushes take up any space they would have to walk. Azula continues on forward even as Zuko stumbles to keep up with her,

Her tiny body has no trouble weaving through. But Zuko, only a few inches taller than her, cannot do the same. The stray branches hurt as he forcibly walks through them, leaving thin white scratches across his skin, some even deeper. But they don’t faze her.

“Azula, stop. We shouldn’t go through here.”

She scoffs and pulls harder.

“Azula, it hurts. Stop.”

“You’re such a baby. See, I’m getting scratched too but you don’t see me crying over it.” And it’s true, her thin hands and wrists are covered in white marks, but some are worse and leave thin smudges of red. Zuko immediately stops in his tracks, his heart hurts to see her with any type of injury. 

“Let's just go around.” He turns and somehow spots smoke above the treeline. it's fairly far but he doesn't care, it's better than wandering aimlessly into unmarked woods. “There. Let's get help.”

Azula grips him harder. “Are you stupid? They’ll take you away. That fire belongs to the savages.”

“We need help. Please  Azula” suddenly the situation is much more dire for some reason, tears well up in his eyes and he is desperate for his sister to listen to him. He just wants her to be safe. “Where are we going anyway?” Their ‘path’ only seems to force them deeper into unmarked woods, only getting them more lost.

“Home. I'm taking you home.”

“That is too far, just come with me.”

“Do you want us to get in trouble?” She hisses, voice so cruel for a girl her age.

“They’ll help us.”

“No. They’ll turn you into a pet. Did you want to leave me? Did you?!”

“No!” He sobs, holds her fragile hand between his, pleads for her to follow him. It's a lost cause, she rips her hand away.

“Fine. Leave.” She pushes through the trees again. He begs for her, the trees are bigger, spaces even smaller than before. She leaves but the thick parka he now wears doesn't allow him to follow through the small space she went through.

Zuko heaves through sobs, dread fills him so quickly he feels nauseous. He instinctively knows this is the last time he’ll see her. He tries his best to follow Azula with his eyes but it’s impossible through tears.

He’s awake. 

Zuko's body struggles to move, the only thing he’s capable of doing is jerking his shoulder as he tries to regain control of his body. When he wrenches a hand to lift himself up he’s being assisted by gentle hands. It’s Yue, how he didn’t notice her crowding around him he doesn’t know. He also didn’t realize the tears, or the peathetic whimpering he’s letting out.

“Sunny, breathe.” Yue’s words are simple and forceful enough for him to understand and follow.

He tries to say something but whatever comes out sounds more like a gurgle. She shushes him like a child and moves to cradle him. 

“I-I don’t..”

“It’s okay, just breathe.”

They stay in silence for a while, the only sound is his shaky breathing and occasional hiccups. It takes him another minute to see the big shadow at the foot of the bed, he’s worried he’s still dreaming but the silhouette is shaped as his beloved owlbat. Zuko coaxes him over, he waddles over in that endearing way birds do, like they don’t know how to walk without taking huge awkward steps. 

Yue watches him settle Nuiaq on his chest, occasionally when he doesn’t sleep on the ceiling, clinging to the branch set up for him, he’ll huddle on Zuko’s chest. Like a big warm weight, it’s comforting.

“He came in through the window earlier, came looking for you.”

“Are you okay?” Zuko asks, remembering how she couldn’t speak earlier.

“Am I okay?” He can’t see her clearly but can hear the subtle amusement in her voice.

“Yeah.”

“I’m fine, Sunny. It happened because of my betrothal. All my fears kept building up until it was too late. I was trying to pretend it never happened but every time I come home and take off that necklace…” She sighs deeply. “They’re going to begin planning soon, then I’ll have to accept it.” She shakes her head, “But what about you? How long has this been happening?”

“This is the first time.” 

She smooths a hand through his hair. “What was it about?”

Now that he has to actively think of it again he realizes he doesn’t quite remember, the details are escaping him now. “I was in a forest, w-with Azula” he’s already choking up again.

“She wanted to take me home but it- I couldn’t follow her. She disappeared because she thought I didn’t want to. That I wanted to leave her.” He hiccups, clenching his jaw he tries to contain them.

“It’s okay.” She holds him tighter, “I’m sure she knows that you didn’t want to leave. You didn't have a choice.”

“I just- she was so small, I don’t even know if she remembers me” He admits through a whimper.

Zuko scarcely talks about his family, partly because he doesn’t want to relive the bad memories. But when he does it’s usually about Azula or his mother. Sometimes details about uncle Iroh or Lu ten. So Yue knows all about Azula, about her tantrums and quirks. About how talented she was at such a young age and how terrifying she was for a seven year old.

“She does, she does.” Yue repeats to him. He tries to breath through it again, he doesn’t want to disturb Nuiaq too much. His deep breaths are already jostling him. The bird just stares at him and shuffles closer, his warm beak resting on his collarbone and claws hooked onto the folds in fabric.

“This is horrible. How have you been having these your whole life?” 

“Nightmares?”

“The vision ones.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t a dream? You said she was small. She was a child in this dream, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Zuko, visions are meant to be of the future.”

“Huh? But it felt so different from a nightmare. It felt like I was there, with her. Like it was meant to tell me something, aren’t yours like that?”

“Well, yes but I don’t dream of the past. They’re visions of the future, or so I assume. I remember seeing you in them. But when I was younger I couldn’t remember what you looked like once I woke up.”

Zuko rubs his temple, “Maybe it was just a weird nightmare.”

“I believe you Zuko. But I’ve never had any like that. Maybe it is trying to tell you something. In a more confusing way than mine, not like mine do me any good.”

“Yours sound confusing. And scary.”

“Yes, well they’re always changing in some way, it’s the same story at the end, and I don’t like thinking about it. If it’s a vision of the future there’s no stopping my fate.”

“Don’t say that.” Zuko grabs her arm that’s above him, holding onto it like she might disappear. “Nothing will happen.”

“That’s the hope.” She sighs, “Maybe we should sleep.”

“Ok, goodnight.” He closes his eyes and says nothing as Yue settles next to him, half of her body is on the pillows, curled above his head.

Then a stray thought crosses him, “Oh wait, I talked to Kallik. We’re good now.”

“One day I’ll get that secret out of you.”

_______

Ko opens the door and she is visibly startled by the sight of a disgruntled Zuko with Yue chatting off the ear of a strange girl. Said girl is cooing over the owlbat on Zuko’s shoulders that can’t decide between allowing her to pet him or biting her finger off.

“Good morning Ko, this is our friend Katara.” Ko raises an eyebrow.

“Welcome.” Is all the tall woman says, the girls walk inside.

Ko glares at Nuiaq, the bird side steps on his shoulder as if to catch a glimpse inside. Zuko sighs and signals for the bird to leave. He does so with a little nudge. Of course all he does is circle the building with hope they will call him inside so he can steal some human food.

“What’s going on?” Ko asks.

“Um, we were hoping to hang out here if you don't mind. We wanted to show Katara some new places.”

“You know my fee for loitering around.” 

“I don't mind helping you for a while” Zuko is already shrugging off his parka and rolling up his long sleeves.

Katara turns around, “Oh. I thought we were just going to drink tea?”

“Don’t mind them, Zuko likes to help and just pretends that Ko is actually ordering him around. I’ll make us some tea. You won't mind right?” Yue asks as she’s already tip-toeing up the stairs to use her personal kitchen. As expected, Ko gives her the go ahead.

Katara looks around the room more carefully and jolts, “oh this isn't a real restaurant or tea house? I didn't know we would be intruding.” 

“She doesn't mind really. You don’t have to worry.” 

Ko has a resting angry face so when Katara looks over at her she deflates a little. “Well let me help anyways.”

“That would be great, both of you start on the next batch while I manage the current one.” She says as she opens the oven door to take a peek, “Oh and leave the fires alone this time.” She adds when zuko’s colorful flames begin to consume the existing fire. Zuko huffs and obliges, she probably thinks he’d be too distracted to control them properly.

“You sure you don’t want us to clean up your mess?” Zuko snarks but Ko ignores him in favor of opening up the window to greet someone.

Katara looks a little lost when the older woman effectively blocks them out. She smiles a little nervously at Zuko. “So what should I do?”

“Roll your sleeves up so they don’t get dirty.” Zuko says while shoving things away to create some space on the table. 

Katara complies and rolls the thick sleeves of her parka up her forearms. She looks determined to help, he feels bad recommending drinking tea here. Of course Katara is the type to be overly nice and insist on helping. Zuko knew he was gonna help out Ko a little anyways, he always does. It hurts him to see the absolute mess she creates, makes him anxious. He should’ve suggested going to a normal tea house.

“Okay I know the measurements, roughly. You can help with the mixing and stuff.”

“Amazing directions” Katara says jokingly but watches him intently as he works.

When everything is ready to be mixed together by Katara she chooses an unconventional method. She bends the water into the dry ingredients and mixes it together with a wave of her hand. She experiments by continuing to bend even when it's all mushy dough, it partly works. 

They’re interrupted by Yue, “Lee!” She yells, somehow scandalized. “Are you seriously making Katara work?!”

“I told her she didn’t have to.”

Katara is about to respond when Yue continues, “Honestly would it kill you to have some small talk while waiting for me to come back?” She scolds.

Katara looks between them worriedly, “I really don’t mind princess Yue, look I even managed to practice some waterbending.” She demonstrates said waterbending and Yue looks absolutely distraught.

“I should’ve known your plan when you suggested drinking tea at KO’S, no offense.” Ko simply rolls her eyes while wrapping up some bread.

“Okay now you're being ridiculous.”

“Is it so much to ask to just sit and talk?”

“Yes.”

Yue huffs and pushes things out of the way to make some of her own space to place the pot and cups down. It’s at the very end of the table, where the mess doesn't travel as often. 

“Do you usually come in and help with things like this? I wouldn't have expected someone like you to do that.”

“A man?”

Katara shrugs, “That too, I meant since you guys are kind of royalty? I expected the North to be less formal, like my tribe. But from what I've seen you guys are more like the other nations, so I didn't expect you guys to be so? Casual?” She says, eyeing Zuko who is beside her who is wrists deep in a lump of sticky dough.

“Oh? I don't really count as royalty…”

Yue frowns, “Of course you do.”

Zuko raises an eyebrow, “I’m really not, I don't have any responsibility besides not turning evil because of my firebending or something.” 

“If you're the chief's son, and Yue’s sister then doesn that make you a prince?” Katara asks. She raises a good point, does he count as a prince? He’s sure the council does not consider him one. Now that he thinks of it he's in a weird gray area, no one but the royal family itself considers him a part of it so where does that leave him? 

Yue looks just as confused as him, “Well I'm not sure… we’d have to ask father. It would be difficult to get the council to acknowledge your title.”

“I don't even think I would want that title, I'm fine without it. Even if they were to allow it I doubt I would be given the same responsibilities as you, besides that would technically make me next in line to be chief. And they definitely wouldn’t allow that.”

“That's right, since I can't be chief it would go to you.”

Zuko presses his eyes closed tightly, he doesn't know how to feel about the possibility of being considered a prince again. Besides, it's not a priority. His priority is helping Yue with her problem, which is what he’s currently doing. Sure, trying to keep her mind off of it by spending time with her and allowing himself to be dragged to hangouts with Katara wont help the problem at it’s core. But it'll keep her sane and they still need to come up with a plan. So for the time being they’re biding their time.

“I don't really care about that, it's best not to bother Arnook with it.”

“You wouldn’t want to be a prince?” Katara asks, curious. 

“I basically get the treatment anyway, I live in the palace, have too much clothes and a ridiculously big room. I'm technically a spiritual apprentice under Elder Naqin so I have a higher status either way.” Zuko shrugs, it really doesn't matter anyway, most people will still keep a distance from him.

Speaking of titles.

“Aren’t you a princess too?”

“Oh, technically I guess I am. My dad is the chief of our tribe. But we don’t put too much weight into that, besides we can always elect someone if Sokka or I don’t want to take that job.”

Zuko locks eyes with Yue, she’s frozen in place with her cup halfway up. Her mouth is dropped open as she processes Katara’s words. ‘Sokka or I’ Katara has that choice. Just how different was the Southern Tribe? 

When Zuko tears his eyes away from Yue he realizes they are both done with their respective dough balls, he's been mixing uselessly for a while now. He instructs Katara to bring the dough out to knead properly, he dumps too much flour on the counter and winces. Katara thankfully doesn't say anything.

“Have you ever done this?”

“No, we don't really make bread in my tribe, I remember when I was young they would sometimes bring the ingredients necessary from the earth kingdom but at some point it wasn't worth the risk to leave home, then the men left for war.”

“Oh.”

Katara slows her movements, and Zuko's worried he's somehow brought the mood down. 

“I would help the women cook, of course Sokka never had to learn that kind of stuff so when we left the southern Water Tribe I was stuck with cooking duties. I'm honestly a little surprised that you help Ko cook and clean considering you grew up here.”

“Well she would pay me and Yue in sweets whenever we helped out. So I came to help out a lot, then I would help her just to get out of the palace.”

“Oh it's true, I would lie to my mother about coming here since I was getting too many treats. Then Lee became my accomplice.” She said fondly. 

Zuko smiled softly, he remembered being terrified of merroya finding out they’d been getting extra treats. They'd told her they were playing with the neighborhood children and in her ignorance she was glad to hear her unsociable son was making friends and her argumentative daughter was keeping them. Of course when she found out she forbade Ko from giving them treats, to her surprise Zuko kept going back. It was a mix of wanting to be helpful and finally getting praise from an adult whenever he managed to shape the dough perfectly or kept the flames good enough to not burn the batch.

“It would be great to have someone help me with the cooking when we start traveling again.” She says while sending him an innocent smile.

Zuko’s good eye twitches, now he's got all members of their group asking him to join them. Katara is much more subtle but he knows what she's insinuating. 

“Yeah…”

“He can't cook, he just knows how to follow orders. Besides bread I suppose.” Yue says. She walks over to them and hands Katara a cup of tea. Zuko lets her join Yue and takes her bundle of dough to store away.

“That's still more helpful than my brother, all he knows how to do is bother me.” She sighs and takes a deep gulp of tea. 

“Katara?” Sokkas voice calls out from the window as if he was summoned. Zuko whips around and sees Ko's face growing increasingly irritated, and the cause for it is probably the boy's face shoving itself through the window.

“Hey Katara!” Aang's body squeezes in beside Sokka. they both easily take up the entire width of the window. Ko sighs with a hand on her face, disappointed that she can’t yell at the Avatar.

“Guys get out of the window!” Katara yells, obviously embarrassed by their behavior.

“We were looking all over for you!”

“How did you find me?”

“We saw that weird owl thing flying around here, he's on the roof.” Sokka says leaning in impossibly further, his shoulders are now inside.

“Owl bat.” Zuko corrects.

“Yeah, that.” Sokka smiles at Zuko's frown.

“He’s soo cute! We should let him and momo have a playdate!” Aang suggests.

“I don't know about that…” Nuiaq is a very territorial bird who is bigger than the lemur. And as cute as it would be, he will not be responsible if his bird kills the Avatar's pet.

“Sooo what are you guys doing?” Sokka asks casually. Eyes flickering around the room but lingering on Yue a little too much. Zuko steps forward to block his view (Ignoring the fact Yue is leaning around him to watch.)

“Sokka, get out of the window already!”

He moves back but it's hard when he and Aang are so squished together. With both of their upper bodies inside the small window it’s a struggle to maneuver back out. “Ow! Wait, I’m a little stuck.”

“Sokka, just move your arms.” Katara directs.  Sokka just needs to bring his arms in and stop leaning to the right so he wouldn't be pressed so closely to the ice.

“Ugh…” Katara groans and shields her face from the sight of her brother squirming around.

Ko finally addresses them, “I’ll give you to the count of three.” Her gaze is terrifying, Sokka and Aang are clearly intimidated and both struggle harder to unlodge themselves. Zuko hears the chattering of a lemur outside.

“One.”

Then he remembers Nauiq is outside, probably on the roof. 

“Two.”

The boys audibly struggle some more, Zuko thinks of how clingy that lemur is. And how little patience Nuiaq has. He lets out a sharp whistle.

“Three!”

A high pitched screech is heard as he swoops into the window over the boys heads. Sokka shrieks and thrashes around, both boys fall backwards.

“Bat in my hair!” He swipes at his hair wildly.

Momo climbs down and stares inside, looking for the owlbat. Who knows how long it was probably testing Nuiaq’s temper. 

Katara and Yue laugh, Zuko glares. “Aw come on Sokka he's a sweetheart he won't hurt you,” Katara says while waving a finger in nuaiqs face. Zuko steps away as she baby talks to Nuiaq who is probably very close to biting her. Zuko is gonna give him a treat for somehow resisting all this overwhelming stimuli, honestly he needs one too.

“Then why did it just try to attack me?!”

Zuko scoffs, “That wasn’t an attack, you would be able to tell if he was trying to attack you.”

“Yeah you probably have it trained to attack.”

“I do?”

Sokka’s eyes widened in shock, “What?”

“Lee, I appreciate that your owlbat got those kids out of my spirits damned window but get that thing outta here.”

“Fine. We were leaving anyway.”

Katara pouts, “What? But we were having fun. I’m sorry my stupid brother caused this mess.” She bows in apology to Ko.

Zuko hears Sokka defending himself and simultaneously blaming Aang but he tunes him out. “It’s not that, I don’t trust that the lemur won’t antagonize Nuiaq if I send him away. I have to stay with him.”

“What? But Momo is super friendly!”

“That’s the problem. We can just go somewhere else, there’s tons of pretty spots in the city.” 

Sokka screeches from outside, trying to listen while staying out of the window. “Stop trying to flirt with my sister!”

Zuko’s mouth gapes and he can hear the betrayal from his own sister in the form of a laugh.

“Alright, get out! No petty teenage drama allowed!” Ko grasps his shoulder and Zuko isn’t sure if she’s secretly amused or actually angry. “I would’ve never made fun of you for having no friends if I knew this would be the result.”

“I-“

She grabs Yue with her other hand and pushes them both to the front door. When they’re all out, Sokka and Aang round the corner and Zuko still hasn’t processed what Sokka said.

“I would never-“

“Yeah right! I saw how you two came alone the other day even though the Princess was supposedly with you. Now you're telling her you’ll take her sightseeing!? I know your game.”

“Sokka!” Katara groans, “It’s not like that!”

Aang grabs Katara by the arm and pulls her closer to their group, Yue clings to her other arm and forcibly keeps her from being dragged away.

“It’s really not, trust me. I’ve tried for ages to get him a girlfriend.” Yue deadpans.

“Yue!” Zuko feels his face heating up, he’s actually going to melt through the sidewalk. “I’m nearly eighteen, I don’t like…” girls. “-anyone that young.”

“I'm sixteen?!” Zuko ignores her because that is not helping.

Sokka hums, eyes narrowing on him suspiciously. He grasps onto her shoulder and pulls her away, but with Yue and Aang competing for her they all just shuffle away as a group. Zuko would laugh if he wasn’t horrified.

“You guys are insufferable.” Katara says

“Just watching out for my sister.” He sends Zuko very suspicious glances. Zuko just looks between him and Yue, sending a very clear message. ‘You really want to go there?’

Sokka gulps and lets go of her, “But you're right, maybe we should give you some space.”

Aang looks positively heartbroken and steps away as well. Yue smiles triumphantly.

“You could come with us for all I care.”

“Really? That would be great.”

Then Zuko realizes in trying to clear his own name he's just given Sokka the opportunity to try and flirt with his sister. Then he notices how the high neckline of Yues parka covers her betrothal necklace. Ever since that day she has been wearing nothing but high collars and parkas with thick enough fur to conceal it. And judging by the way she looks delighted at Sokka's acceptance, Zuko knows he's going to have trouble trying to manage this.

The group walked out into the street and headed to the palace. Of course there are stables in the city, many of those being personal property for individual families and even some meant for the hunters. But the one the bison has been kept in is at the palace, alongside the buffalo yak of the royal family and warriors, and even some snow leopards for fast travel.

When they arrive there's a few stable hands around feeding the animals. The trough for the air bison is particularly impressive in its size. It groans when it sees them, Zuko is a little intimidated but clearly the sound was made to express enjoyment because Aang doesn't spare a second to run up and hug it. Yue and Zuko stay back a few feet. Sokka notices their hesitation and offers a hand to Yue. She accepts and he guides her to bring it up to the bisons nose. Yue is simultaneously scared and amazed as she pets it. 

Yue giggles, “It’s so cute.”

“His name is Appa.” Aang says. He and Katara are grabbing the saddle that could only fit Appa and dragging it over.

“Don't tell me you're scared to pet him?” Sokka asks, Zuko is stubbornly standing a few feet away. 

“No.” He really isn’t, just a little apprehensive to pet a huge animal he doesn’t know the temperament of.

Sokka walks over and grabs his hand without asking. “Woah your hands are so warm, is that a fire bender thing?”

“Yeah.” He doesn't have to wear mittens so long as he has the energy to keep his hands  warm enough. 

Sokka’s hands envelop his for a few seconds, relishing in the warmth they emit. Zuko's blushes a little bit from mild embarrassment.

“Ok, here.” Sokka pulls him closer to allow Appa to smell his hand. Zuko begrudgingly allows him to move his hand around. Then he drops it when Zuko first makes contact, Zuko continues to pat the nose, but the moist texture is a little weird to pat so he loves towards the cheeks. Without warning the bison opens its mouth, Sokka pulls Yue away before it can make contact with her. And Zuko gasps, for a moment he thinks it's going to eat him but he only feels a tongue dragging across his arm. Nuiaq is disgruntled and flies away meanwhile Zuko groans in disgust and backs away when he sees it trying to lick him again.

“Eugh.”

Sokka laughs and Zuko narrows his eyes at him. 

“Aw that means he likes you.” Aang unhelpfully supplies.

The taller boy giggles even as he rummages through the stall, when he comes out he's holding a rag. And without a word he holds Zuko's arm and begins wiping down his sleeve. Zuko stays still as he works, he’s a little speechless Sokka would go out of his way to help him like this. Of course it won’t clean it fully, and Zuko is disappointed his favorite parka has been slobbered on. It’s the one with the pendant Yue gifted him sewn on, the sleeves are shorter so he can wear his leather braces easily so that Nuiaq can land without scratching him.

When he reaches his hand Sokka wipes down gently. His cooler hands are holding him so carefully as if handling him too harshly will offend him. It’s almost intimate by how much care takes into making sure his entire hand is dry.

“Thanks.”

“No problem, if you don’t clean off Appa’s saliva before it dries it'll take forever to get that smell off.” He throws the rag atop the stable door. “Plus I do feel kinda bad I managed to save your sister in time and not you.”

“I would’ve thought that was done on purpose.” 

Sokka snickers, “Maybe. But I’m not completely heartless.”

“C'mon guys, we’re taking Appa for a ride.” Katara says from above them.

“Really?” Yue says, of course she would enjoy this. 

“Yeah, its been a few days since Appa has been in the air. It's fun, trust me.”

“I dont know.” Zuko says, he's not the biggest fan of the idea of being a hundred feet in the air.

“Lee, this is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity. How many people do you think are offered rides on the Avatar’s sky bison.”

“Quite a few people actually.” Sokka replies, grabbing a horse mount from who knows where and placing it before the princess. “Here, let me help you up.” He climbs up first to help pull her up. Aang has already gotten on with some airbending, leaving soley Zuko on the ground. With no other choice he climbs on as well.

Aang sits at the front to hold the reins, everyone else sits in a semi circle in the middle of the saddle.

“Yip yip!” 

They begin to ascend and Zuko grips onto the side of the saddle, too afraid of falling off the side somehow. Yue is equally nervous because she grips his arm just as hard, he doesn't say anything as she holds on tight enough to hurt. The rest of the group is watching their reactions. Sokka is surprisingly looking at him, with a smirk on his face he can tell he's enjoying Zuko’s fear. So Zuko keeps a steady face and doesn't jolt when the bison rises a little too quickly for comfort.

Yue finally gains enough courage to let go of him and she sits in awe of the sight.

“It is scary the first few times.” Katara says.

Zuko scoffs, “It’s not that bad.”

“Then why are you still holding on?”

Zuko narrows his eyes and doesn’t acknowledge the fact his knuckles are turning white. “I’m not interested in falling off, that’s all.”

“Sooo you're scared?”

“I am not.” Zuko pries his hands away and shuffles closer to Yue, he considers holding onto her but ignores that urge.

Sokka holds his hands up in surrender, “Ok.” They swerve a little and Zuko clenches a hand to the floor of the saddle. There’s a swoop in his stomach and he regrets coming on this beast in the first place. Sokka either doesn’t see how white his face is or gives him the grace of pretending to not notice, instead he turns to Yue. “But it's true, most people are afraid on their first trip. You're very brave, Princess.”

“Thank you.”

“You'll get used to it Lee!” Aang says.

“Why would I get used to this?” Are they even trying to hide their plans to get him to leave with them? They cannot be so desperate for a firebender that they’re convinced he will go with them.

“Oh y’know…”

Katara laughs nervously, “Well what he means is- uh, we’ll give you guys rides whenever!” 

“Just say the word princess, you and I can come the next time there’s Northern lights.” Sokka smiles and leans towards her. Yue doesn’t look uncomfortable but unsure of how to respond. Zuko isn’t super overprotective of Yue and suitors in the past weren’t usually big deals. Yue was never interested so he never had much work in helping her. Yue always had no problem rejecting them. Even going so far as making Arnook tell certain families that she wasn’t interested. He was always supportive of her decisions to turn away suitors. But he had always made sure she knew that if she couldn’t make a decision he would eventually have to make it for her.

The odd thing was that Yue didn’t seem disturbed by Sokka’s flirting, which was new territory for Zuko. He’s never actually seen Yue allow for someone to be so obviously interested in her to hang around longer than a single day.

Zuko ignored Katara and Aangs excuses in favor of advancing on Sokka. He leans over Yue’s lap and Sokka in turn leans backwards until he has to bring his hands behind himself to support his body weight. Zuko huffs and flickers of flames appear for a second with his exhale. 

“Sokka. You should know that asking to spend time with Princess Yue must be approved by the Chief and be accompanied by a chaperone.”

Sokka is stunned for a second, maybe the fire was unnecessary but he doesn't seem scared by that. “Oh, totally. I mean, I wouldn't mind asking. That is, if you wanted me to, Princess.”

A quick glance towards the other two showed that Aang and Katara were smiling with pride and joy. 

Yue smiles, “I’m afraid I’ll have to decline Sokka…” The engagement, but Zuko can't tell if her answer would have been different had that not been a factor. He furrows his brow and reclines back again. She sounds genuine, like she really is disappointed by the answer instead of relaying the same lines she has for years.

“No problem.” Sokka says casually with a wave of his hand. A mild disappointment visible on his face but no anger, still Zuko is tense and ready to handle an outburst like some people have had in the past. But just as quickly as the topic was brought up it was brushed aside. “There’s no reason we can't all come up here together the next time the Northern lights come along?”

“I can't imagine watching it from this height, it'll look amazing” Katara sighs and looks up at the sky. Zuko imagines being in the sky surrounded by the glowing colors would be an experience like no other. 

After some time spent they decide to return to the palace. Zuko has to hold on when they begin the descent, the rush of air pushing up at him makes his heart race. Both Momo and Nuiaq take their time gliding down. When they land they are still soaring above them and of course momo is following dutifully behind Nuiaq. Zuko jumps off and thanks the spirits for being on land.

“The sun is setting, perhaps we should go home?” 

Zuko nods and calls for Nuiaq, “We’ve been out for most of the day. I’m sure Arnook will worry soon.” Which is becoming increasingly true now that she is betrothed. Majority of her time is now spent with someone watching over her. 

When they enter the palace they pretend they have to leave and speak to Arnook. It's not hard to seperate themselves from the Avatar and the southern siblings when there are people swarming Aang the moment they enter. 

Zuko corrals her to a quiet hallway.

Sometime during their little flight Zuko came up with a plan. It’s not one he particularly likes considering Yue still doesn’t want to marry regardless of who it might be with. But when their time is running out they have little choice, and unfortunately for them the best option is someone they’ve hardly met.

Watching their interactions only proved his idea could work. Sokka isn’t the ideal person but he is infinitely better than the potential suitors who see Yue as nothing but an obstacle to the royal family or status. Or worse, as an object they are entitled to. 

But Sokka has been rejected and he merely moved on…without a fuss, without awful remarks or promises to change her mind. 

“I have an idea, it might be insane but… what if you married Sokka?”

Chapter Text

“I have an idea, it might be insane but… what if you married Sokka?”

“What?!” She hisses.
Zuko is frantically glancing at the end of the hallway, hoping no one walks by while he is suggesting Yue break off her engagement. 

Yue looks utterly flabbergasted when zuko utters this. Stupidly he awaits her primary reaction before explaining. She stumbles over her words, attempting to form a sentence to ask why he would say such a thing. Her cheeks are turning red as well.

“I know it sounds random but I realized Sokka could be the only person that Arnook would break off the betrothal for.” Yue’s face is scrunched in disbelief and confusion but zuko continues anyway. “He’s the son of the Southern Water Tribes Chief so he’s probably already been preparing to become chief someday. And Arnook is planning to unite the tribes, it could be a political marriage that benefits everyone.”
She bites her lip and thinks for a moment. 

“You have a good point. This might be my only chance. Are you sure? Since I know we’ve only recently forgiven him.”“I’m sure, he’s your only option. And we both know he likes you. It only makes it easier, besides you like him well enough,right?”
Yue smiles softly, “I do, more than I thought I would since I knew his intentions with me. He’s nice, funny.”

“Okay, we’ll tell Arnook.”

“Yue. There is no way we can back out of the betrothal, how do you expect me to explain to the council and Hahn's family?” Arnook pinches the bridge between his eyes. It's a big risk to break off a betrothal for someone who they've barely just met. 

That's besides the fact they didn't even ask Sokka for his opinion, Zuko doubts he’ll object. Especially if he finds out it’s to protect Yue from marrying a man she despises. From their short time together Zuko gathered he's much more tolerant than the men of the north, he actively supports his sister in learning how to fight and he's very respectful to Yue. Spirits, It's depressing to think about how he's a much better option simply because he is a decent man. But they don't have much of a choice.

“Please father, I know it will be difficult. But if you frame it as if it was their idea it could sound like you don't have a choice so you don’t carry any blame.”

“We haven't had any contact with Sokka’s father or the southern tribe, how could you be sure they would even accept?”

“Why wouldnt they? If you claim to want to reconnect the tribes then there really is no better way. Political marriages are very common, besides the southern tribe would likely accept to ensure they will receive resources and support.” Zuko says from the seat beside his sister. They are having this conversation in his office. A mid sized room with enough room to house a small meeting. They've ambushed him while he was busy with who knows what. One of the only times of the day he has some privacy since he's been busy with visitors. Zuko feels a little bad, he's clearly more stressed than usual.

“We were going to provide that regardless.”

“They don't know that.” Zuko points out, he doesn't even think Katara and Sokka know about Arnooks' declaration to join the war. They likely havent thought twice about how helping the avatar is technically political, or about how they were threatened into neutrality.

“How can Hahn’s family truly be offended? We tell them that they are the ones to suggest it. No one can deny that he is more fit to be chief than Hahn.”

Arnook sighs and stares down for a few moments considering their proposition. It definitely helps considering Yue has only been betrothed for less than a week, they've hardly been together for long. Sure the whole thing will cause a small scandal but the longer they delay this the worse the consequences.

“We’ll consider it, of course I have to bring this up with the counsel but ultimately it will be my choice. Yue. you are certain you would prefer to be wed to this boy?”

Yue’s eyes almost sparkle when her father addresses her, finally asking her what her thoughts are on this. “Yes. Not only is it a good political choice, I know I will be happier with him.” She smiles, and Zuko is willing to believe it. 

“It is incredibly lucky for this opportunity to even exist, for the avatar and the son of a chief to come even before you were even betrothed is incredibly fortunate. And it seems you've taken a liking to him.”

Yue smiles, it is even more genuine than zuko was expecting. He squints in a slight suspicion.

But he doesn’t ask her about it, the siblings walk away with a weight lifted from their shoulders.

________

Zuko stands to the side of the room while he pulls his hair up. Nimble fingers easily tie a ribbon to keep hair up and away. He can feel a presence behind him, unconsciously his body tenses but the person steps beside him. 

Zuko eyes Sokka, the other boy’s eyes seem transfixed on his occupied hands. A little unnerved, Zuko ties his hair a little quicker, feeling his face heat from the innocent attention. He’s never had someone stare so intensely and not have bad intentions.

“Sokka.” He greets, still a little unsure of where they stand. Of course he forgave him but does that mean they’re friends?

His eyes drag downwards to meet him, “Hey. Lee. Ready for practice?” He smiles, it carries far too much energy for the early morning. But the enthusiasm is a new change, everyone else silently changes and doesn't have much energy for smiling. Or perhaps they do, zuko wouldn’t know.

“As ready as I can be.” 

They’re both changed into lighter clothes. Long sleeves that aren’t insulated with fur but made of a light cotton. Todays a special day in the fact his own clothing is a sage green. An outlier in a sea of blues and indigos, being as he’s from the ‘earth kingdom’ some of his wardrobe carry more earthy colors. They’ve always been made as both a reminder to everyone else and as a way to make him feel ‘more at home ’. 

As they walk out Sokka begins to talk, probably some more notes he’s made of the Northern Water Tribe. Or comparisons to his home, Zuko couldn’t really say. He’s a little unsteady this morning, his thoughts easily drift away with remembrance of his dreams. 

They’ve become frequent, vivid dreams of Azula. They’re extremely jarring considering it’s been so long he had begun to forget her face. A pang of guilt strikes him at that, despite how much he misses his family, he can’t control how memories have faded. The detailed dreams are enough to give him whiplash, how his brain has suddenly conjured up exactly how she looks is beyond him. In a twisted way he’s thankful of these nightmares for that. 

“Lee?”

His head jerks up and Sokka has a worried look. “I know I can ramble but I’m not that boring, am I?”

“Um. Sorry, I’m a little distracted right now.”

“No problem, I’ll let you day dream. But that’s gonna be hard to do while we’re training and whatnot.”

“I’ll pay attention, I just didn’t sleep well last night.”

They toe along the edge of the rest of the group, and Zuko looks for the instructor who is still distracted with other students. “Bad dreams.” Is the explanation he offers.

“Oh.” Sokka looks sympathetic, for some reason  it makes him feel worse. He clenches his hands and avoids his gaze.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Not really.”

Sokka frowns, “I get it man. I have nightmares too, Y’know, about the Fire Nation and stuff. They’re better now. They used to be about not knowing how my dad was, and how I was gonna protect my tribe if anything happened.”

“They’re about my sister.” Zuko stupidly admits.

“The Princess?”

“No.” His hand unconsciously claws at his other wrist, "My other sister. We got separated when we were young. It’s complicated.” He can hear Luano yelling for everyone to gather around. 

Slowly they shuffle closer to the group of boys. Sokka speaks more quietly, “I’m sorry, that sounds terrible. Is there some way to try and find her?”

“No, when we were separated she most likely stayed with my father. There was no way to send word to them, the borders closed completely after Arnook found me.” It would’ve been a lot simpler if that were the truth. 

“And if there was a way to track her down when we travel back to the Earth Kingdom?”

“It’s a nice offer Sokka but I don’t wanna talk about it anymore.” He isn’t sure if that was another suggestion to leave with them or not but either way he needs to cut this conversation off. Even if he wanted to he knows he can’t chase them on a wild goose chase for someone who doesn’t really exist.

His face falls at the sudden shut down, “Sorry.” Is all he says as they fall into silence, listening to orders the instructor calls out. 

They warmup the way they always do, but it’s much harder to get used to the constant presence beside him. Zuko isn’t sure how to feel about it yet. 

Being as though they can’t stay on simply sparring everyday they’ve already moved onto using spears. It’s the main weapon of choice in the Tribe, it’s more advantageous to use in this environment. Knives and bows are other easy picks, swords are just harder to use on ice. 

His thoughts lead back to the single summer he spent training to learn sword fighting at one of the most prestigious swordsman’s home. Of course all he could use at the time as a nine year old was a smaller ‘sword’ made of bamboo. 

He shakes out foggy memories for the uptenth time, his dreams bring back nothing but recollections of his old life.

Sokka pokes his foot with the end of the spear. Zuko sends a questioning glance at the other boy’s mostly blank expression. Zuko reluctantly pokes his shin back and Sokka’s lips quirk up, apparently that was a good answer.

For the next hour all they do is learn how to properly hold, handle and care for your weapon. Of course they hardly practice any real fighting for their first day. 

“That was fun.” Sokka comments when he places his own spear on a rack.

Zuko has a feeling that he’s being sincere, whatever sliver of knowledge they learn is eagerly taken in by Sokka. He was absolutely silent but very clearly starry eyed by everything.

Zuko raises a brow in question. “Really? We hardly did anything.”

They drag their feet to stay behind a little longer, if only because Sokka is following Zuko's lead. And Zuko has never been one to stay within the crowd and rush to change the moment they’re allowed to.

“I don’t want to admit this but, I really like warrior training. It’s the first time I’ve ever actually been taught how to fight. Sure I trained with the Kyoshi Warriors but I only did that for a few days. I can hold and use a fan but I’m not nearly as good as any of them.” He admits. “And my father taught me how to use my boomerang, but that was when I was a child. I’ve had to teach myself everything since all the warriors left when I was young. I’m just excited to learn properly.”

“Oh.” Of course, everything leads back to war. He’s not really sure how to respond so he doesn’t. Thankfully Sokka has no issues carrying the conversation.

“Hey you guys left pretty quick yesterday, did I make the Princess uncomfortable?” He asks as they walk inside, Zuko makes a beeline for his belongings. 

“No, we just had uh, stuff to do.” He grabs his parka, not daring to look in his direction. Stuff being their plan that included Sokka without his permission. How can he lie to him straight to his face? His big blue eyes? 

Zuko’s bad eye twitches. 

“Sorry about that. Maybe we can hang out some other time again.” That’s how people his age asked to hang out right? 

“Totally, oh hey. Where are you going?”

Zuko is already walking away mid sentence, a little rude he admits but he’s got plans for once. “Oh. I have to go, see you later, Sokka.” He halfheartedly waves and walks away from the pouting boy.

“No way. You went on a ride on the sky bison?!” Kallik is so amazed he stands from his chair just to dramatically slam his hands against it. He leans across his own plate and Zuko worries he’ll spill his drink. It’s a good thing they’re eating at a table outside in what is considered a garden of sorts. Besides the right wing of the palace is the grounds for leisurely activities. There are stone paths that circle around a ‘garden’ which consists of hardy plants and shrubbery. It’s nothing compared to the gardens of the Fire Nation Palace, Zuko recalls faint memories of the colors during spring. And how his mother would guide him around and tell him the names of each plant, and their potential uses.

Where they eat now is monotonous in comparison, but it’s relatively quiet and Kallik takes advantage of that by talking in an exaggerated tone.

“I was against it.” 

“Why? It’s not fair you get to hang out with the Avatar just because you're the Chief’s kid.” He pouts, “And you don’t even care.”

“Being a hundred feet in the air isn’t exactly my idea of fun.”

Kallik frowns in a manner that is so dramatic that Zuko rolls his eyes. “Maybe you’ll get a chance if you hang around us. I think now that we’ve opened ourselves up to that group they’ll take it as an invitation to bother us all the time.” Which he doesn’t mind that much in theory. But all together the group can be quite chaotic and Zuko doesn’t have much experience dealing with a large group of people his age. (Ones that aren’t actively ignoring or antagonizing him at least)

“Well, I for one don’t mind it at all.” Yue says, surprising no one.

“Okay, I’ll stick to your side all day, otherwise I will never get a chance to speak to the Avatar.”

“I don’t mean that either.”

Kallik smiles mischievously and scoots his chair closer. “Now that we’re friends again you can expect us to make up for lost time. I don’t have that much time here before we go back home. Some people are already leaving.”

Zuko sighs and prays for strength for the following weeks.

“So what are we doing first today?”

“Ughhhh, I didn’t think you were so boring .” Kallik whines as he follows dutifully behind zuko towards Yagoda’s place of residence. 

“You could always leave, besides I only have so much time before elder Naqin leaves to Ukiyu alongside everyone else.”

“You’re seriously like an old lady reincarnated. I wanted to hang around the markets.” He tugs on Zuko's sleeve like a fussy child. Zuko flicks his hand away.

“Lee,” Yagoda smiles warmly as she answers the door, “Would you boys like to come in? We’re just drinking some tea upstairs.”

“Yes please.”

They’re lead upstairs into a much more homey space than the empty room downstairs. The ice walls are covered by wooden panels which is common for homes in the tribe. There’s a shelf with knick knacks that zuko is certain consists of gifts from Naqin and students.

Naqin is seated at the table with a cup held in her freckled hands. Zuko notes her hair is tidied up and styled into an elegant updo. Her beads are replaced by a hair pin that is just as colorful as her usual accessories. Zuko recognizes this as Yagoda’s work, only she is capable of taming Naqin’s  wavy hair and convincing her to allow her to.

“One of my star pupils.” Her eyes then landed on Kallik and her eyebrow raises in slight suspicion, “Kallik.”

“Ma’am.” He smiles and takes a seat beside her. 

“I’ll brew us a new pot.” Yagoda says from the kitchen.

“I see you have no reason to not come back to Ukiyu, Lee. Now that you’re problem is cleared up.” She says gesturing to both boys with her cup.

“What?” Zuko looks at Kallik, afraid that he told her the details of their falling out. But he appears just as confused.

Either she somehow knows or just is really good at pretending she knows what happened. And he has a good guess which it is.

“I’m very perceptive as you know, I suspected your reluctance to come back was due to him.” She narrows her eyes at the grinning boy beside her. “He’s always getting into trouble.”

“We’re all good now, maybe he’ll come back with us.” 

Naqin’s eyes twinkle with hope, “That would be perfect, we have much to catch up on. I allowed you and your sister to fall behind for too many years. And although I have my own apprentices I still need the spirits chosen children to be educated on spiritual matters.”

“I can’t come back yet, I have a bad feeling Arnook will force me to teach the avatar firebending. And I’m worried about that warning you told us about. I’ve started having nightmares.” 

Kallik sends him a worried look at that last confession. Naqin stirs her tea absentmindedly and hums. “Nightmares?”

“I’m not really sure if they’re normal. They felt a lot more real, like I was supposed to learn something from it. But they’re not like Yue’s dreams at all.” He begins to doubt himself again, he’s never had visions like Yue. He always thought it weird how he never had those same types of nightmares. Ones so clearly meant to warn of the future, the one he had just seemed cruel. But also the dream had felt so uniquely real , like he could hold onto Azula and feel her body heat.

“Those are visions of the future, correct? Much more direct in their warnings even if she can’t seem to remember much from them. Tell me more.”

Zuko sighed, “I had another one last night, both of them were about my…other sister. I was separated from her when we were kids, for some reason she keeps telling me to choose between going home and staying here. And maybe that’s normal dream stuff but it feels different.”

“Perhaps it is a normal dream, they often use our past regrets to scare us. But if you believe it’s something more then I believe you. I’ve been waiting for the time you begin to show some of the more difficult side effects of being chosen by a spirit.”

In their studies Yagoda has taught them of other individuals who had been blessed by spirits. It’s rare, only a select few every century. Usually they become spiritual advisors because of their connection to spirits, they’re more trustworthy for that reason. And they have special traits like Zuko and Yue do, things that mark them as spirit touched. Alongside their ‘blessings’ they can also have abilities that are less… pretty. Yue’s visions is a prime example.

As far as he’s aware he’s never had anything to count as a curse. Some past figures they’ve learned about, specifically people who were born in the North, had bad encounters with spirits, visions, or had their bending abilities altered.

Zuko fiddles with his sleeve, quietly thanks Yagoda when she places a cup in front of him. 

“The one last night was a lot more violent. I saw my sister again. Then I saw fire raining from the sky.”

Everyone visibly gets a nervous look. Yagoda sits next to him and places a calming hand atop his own, he has no idea what expression he holds but it must be telling.

“Any details?” 

All he can remember is looking up to the sky and seeing fire rain down, the sky is more dim in comparison. And as the sun sets the fire disappears and Azula appears in its place. As if only one being of fire can exist at a time. He can only remember a blurry face now that he’s awake but he knows it was her. Her figure was bigger than her child form so he could only assume it was a vision of the future. But he can’t figure out any reason she would appear here in the Water Tribe. She’s too young to go out on enemy territory like that, so he hopes it’s more senseless dreams. If only it meant she wasn’t going out on dangerous adventures at sixteen.

“I don’t think it’s anything important, it’s too nonsensical.” 

Kallik breathes a sigh of relief, “That’s the hope right?”

Naqin’s face stays worried. “Yes. Tell me if anything changes. It’s a possibility these are normal nightmares, are there any new stressors that could cause nightmares about your sister or fire?”

Zuko looks away. Fearing fire to the point he starts having dreams about it raining down from the sky? It could only be more bad memories from when he was burnt right? It seems obvious now that the avatar returned and Arnook declared they wouldn’t hide from war any longer would make him have nightmares about the Fire Nation. And his family has always been a touchy subject, dreams of Azula shouldn’t be that important. What are the odds he came to Naqin about his worries only for this to be something completely normal?

“Yes, I’m sorry I’m not sure why I brought it up.”

“No worries. We should always be on the lookout for more symptoms .”

Zuko nods grimly, “Of course.”

__________

When Arnook finally gives them the time of day Sokka expected Aang would be the one he would primarily talk to. But when they walk into his office he smiles at Sokka . His eyes follow him and Katara over the Avatar right beside them. 

“Welcome, I apologize for the delay. Our home is full of guests, and they all have issues that they’d prefer be addressed in person. It’s very rare for so many elders to be present and I’m afraid the counsel and I are having trouble making time for everyone.”

“That’s no problem Sir.” Aang replies easily.

Arnook smiles, it does little to make him a little less intimidating. With his large stature, the teeth that circle around his neck and dark eyes. Sokka imagines it’s hard not to feel like they’ve done something wrong when they’re being called into his office like this. 

“Sokka, Katara. I understand you are the sole children of Chief Hakoda?”

“Yes, we are.” Sokka answers.

“Where is your father? I’d like to send him correspondence.”

“Last we heard they were at Gosuke Kaizuki Lake. But they’re constantly moving, they’re working with the earth kingdom navy to deter fire nation ships. We don’t really know where they are as of now.”

“Hmm. Nevertheless you are of age, correct?” 

Sokka has no idea where this conversation is headed. “No, I’m seventeen.”

Arnook frowns.

“But!” Katara interrupts, “He technically is. He’s passed the coming of age ritual our tribe holds for young men.”

Arnook looks back to Sokka, expectantly. He doesn’t know what he wants so he begins to ramble of course. “It’s true, when we met up with our tribe last I went through the trials. It’s called ice dodging. I had to lead a ship through rocky shores in the earth kingdom, typically it’s done in waters with lots of icebergs but it serves the same purpose. So yes, technically I am of age. At least in our tribe. Sir.”

The Chief's head tilts as he considers this, “We have no such ritual here. Instead we bring our young men to hunt property for the first time. Now that you mention it, it’s about time I take my own son with me to a hunt. Maybe you could accompany us, Sokka.”

“I would love to.”

“Now, the reason for asking you such questions is because of my daughter. As you might’ve known she is currently betrothed.” 

Sokka definitely had not known that, he doubted Katara or Aang knew either. It would’ve been nice to know before he flirted with her, seriously not even Lee could have told him? There’s a lingering disappointment from yesterday's rejection that is torn open again. 

“But we’d like to break off that engagement. Luckily for us she’s only been engaged to Hahn for about a week.” The mention of Hahn makes his face unconsciously scrunch up in displeasure. That guy was someone who he seriously couldn’t stand. When it became apparent Sokka wouldn’t follow along with his immature bullying he simply began ignoring him. Save for sending him pitying or smug looks when Sokka would talk about his own tribe. 

It’s a good thing he won’t be engaged to the Princess anymore. Someone that sweet shouldn’t be tied down to someone like him.

“Would you like to marry my daughter?”

Sokka sputters when words completely fail him. “Huh?! I-uh. What ?”

“I need someone reliable, from what I’ve heard you are a very responsible young man. Whoever marries her will have to be Chief when the time comes.”

“Uhhh...”

“And from what she’s told me she would much prefer you over Hahn, she’s never been interested in potential suitors before now. It’s why I had chosen Hahn for her, it seemed she was never going to pick anyone so I had to do it.”

Katara is shaking his arm by now, shaking him out of his shock. She’s beaming at him, ecstatic by the news.

He can’t believe it, Yue’s interested in him? So why did she reject him? Does it matter? How is his dad going to react if he finds out he’s gotten engaged without asking first?

“Sokka!” Katara hisses, “Say something!”

“Oh! Uh, I…don’t know?”

Arnook looks confused. 

“Well, what I mean to say is, It’s a big jump to get engaged so quickly… I think Yue’s amazing, and I would really love to get to know her. Court her properly.”

Somehow this was the right answer because Arnook smiles and laughs. “Of course, I’m sure she would prefer that as well. As soon as we can find where your fathers fleet is we’ll send word of this agreement.”

“Now, I believe you had a question for me Aang?”

“I wanted to ask about Lee. I have to learn firebending and I would love for him to teach me. But he says he’s not really allowed to bend?”

Arnook sighs, “That is partly true, Lee’s firebending is a bit controversial. As you can imagine our Tribe is extremely wary of firebending regardless of who is doing it.” He looks saddened by this fact. “But I’ve allowed him to use it in moderation, I know it can’t be healthy for a bender to completely repress their element. So I will allow him to teach you. It would be an honor to allow my son to aid the Avatar.”

Aang grins, “Great! I can’t wait to tell him.” 

They shuffle out of the room soon after. Arnook pats him on the back and Sokka smiles as he says goodbye. Every time Arnook speaks to him Sokka gains a little confidence over the fact the Chief clearly likes him, enough to set him up with his daughter apparently. Maybe it’s the years without his own father but Sokka is excited for the possibility of having Arnook as a father in law. 

When the door shuts he lets out a deep sigh. His features had been forced into a normal expression when he's been feeling a mixture of surprise, joy, and pure anxiety. 

Aang and Katara squeal and jump excitedly around him. He laughs as they trap him in a hug.

“Sokka! This is amazing!” Katara exclaims.

“I’m so happy for you!” Aang says just as loud. Sokka hopes they can’t be heard through the door. Either way he speaks just as loudly, “I can’t believe this. The whole time Yue liked me back but couldn’t say anything because she was still engaged.”

“And she broke it off for you! This is so romantic!” 

It totally was. Sokka felt his cheeks burning and couldn’t wait to see her again. But then a feeling of dread curled in his chest, how is he supposed to court a Princess ? And he’s barely had any romantic experience besides a kiss from Suki, and he was half convinced she wasn’t into him the whole time. This is becoming a theme.

Who on earth was he supposed to ask in situations like these? His dad probably, but obviously he couldn’t ask him so…

“ Heyyy Lee. And Lee's friend?” 

Lee and said friend turn to him from their place on a bench. It’s outside the training room the warriors scarcely use when it’s too snowy to train outside. He assumes they’re close friends from the fact Lee seems like the type of person to only allow a select few to lean so casually against him. Unless this guy was invading his personal space and messing with him. 

Sokka narrows his eyes and tries to search for any discomfort in lee’s body language but he’s leaning against him as well. Hmm . Sokka frowns.

“Sokka. This is Kallik. Do you need something?” 

Kallik looks positively delighted to be introduced. “Sokka, nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, totally. So I needed some help and you're the only guy I know, Aang is too young to count.” He begins as he sits down beside them. “I’m engaged to Yue and I’m wondering if you have any tips for courting someone?” 

“Oh so they told you.” He doesn’t look surprised at all to hear about Yue’s new betrothal. 

“You knew?”

“Do you really think I wouldn’t know about her betrothal? To you ?”

“Oh.” Sokka winces, is he really that bad of a candidate for her? He supposed it made sense, he was from a tiny humble (that was putting it nicely) tribe.

“Wait a sec, I didn’t know this!” Kallik gasps, “why am I always the last person to find things out?!” Lee pats his arm condescendingly and doesn’t answer him. 

“Are you seriously asking me for help with courting my own sister?”

Sokka wilts, “I guess that’s pretty weird huh.”

Kallik leans against Lee to get closer to Sokka and insert himself. Lee allows him to invade his personal space without a word. Sokka feels even more bitter at how close they seem to be, his plans of becoming lee’s best friend and favorite future brother in law are dissipating. He assumed he was more of a lone wolf from the time they spent together In warrior classes. 

“Don’t bother asking him for advice, he’s never been in a relationship.” 

Lee’s cheeks turn a pretty pink that is incredibly easy to see due to the cold and his pale skin. Finally he shoves Kallik away. “What’s with everyone announcing my private life.”

“I thought that was an exaggeration, how could you seriously not have had a girlfriend before?” Sure he’s a little scary looking, clearly unused to socializing but he’s cute enough. Y'know for a guy.

“Most people are apprehensive of me.” 

“The strong silent thing doesn’t work if you’re a firebender here. So I’ll help you, what questions did you have?” Lee mutters something about Kallik having hardly enough experience to give advice but Sokka ignores it, he needs any help.

“Well I’d like to give her a gift but I’m not sure what. I don’t exactly have a lot of extra change and she’s a Princess that probably has everything she could ever want.” He tries not to sound completely pathetic and obviously self conscious but he can’t help it.

“Easy! Give her something personal, make her something.”

“Like what?” 

“Let’s go to the markets and I’ll show you.” 

“Is this another excuse to go to the markets?” Lee deadpans.

“Maybe, but they’re so much bigger and better , it’s so much fun.”

They walk closely together as they enter the crowded square of the market. Kallik leads the way and Lee follows closely, they have no trouble navigating the market. Sokka is having trouble keeping up and reluctantly holds onto Lee’s sleeve. He hopes he won’t mind and doesn’t spit fire at him or anything. The only reaction he gets is a surprised glance, golden eyes widen and nervously flicker to where Sokka is holding. But no words are exchanged, Sokka worries if he might upset him but Lee doesn’t seem like the type to not let him know.

They walk past stalls and tables full of goods. As they walk past the fresh meat and into the produce section Sokka wonders if the thing he’s gonna make for Yue is a meal. Which is a unique idea but Sokka can’t be trusted to cook. Katara would say his self doubt is because of underlying misogyny and maybe there’s some truth in that but that can’t erase the fact he can’t cook for a Princess if he’s never cooked a full meal before.

Sokka pulls Lee closer to ask where they’re headed when they reach an unexpected section of the market. It's a relatively smaller selection of stalls set up with rocks for sale. And sure maybe the city being built on solely ice might make rock some sort of commodity but he finds it a bit silly. “What are those…”

“These are for engraving, for jewelry. It’s where you’ll eventually buy a piece to make her betrothal necklace.” 

Ah. Another mention of betrothal necklaces. He’d already learned of their existence when he asked Katara about her necklaces' sudden and uncharacteristic disappearance from her neck. 

Sokka is close enough now to see how the rocks are more vibrant than usual ones you’ll find on the side of the road. They range from a deep almost indigo to bright teals. Some stalls even sell crystals and gems for a much more expensive price.

“But-“ 

Lee let’s out a subtle laugh at the clear look of surprise he has. His scarred eye crinkles impossibly close to being completely shut. Sokka smiles a bit despite knowing the laughter is at his expense, it’s nothing he isn’t used to. But a laugh from Lee seems more rewarding somehow.

“Don’t worry.” Kallik says from a few feet away. “You’re not ready for that yet, you need to start at the basics; wood.” 

Sokka lets out a sigh of relief. “Okay, so you want me to engrave wood?”

“No, carve something. Anything.” Kallik is scanning a row of small pieces, only about six inches tall. The wood is significantly lighter than the bigger, darker colored pieces around. He plucks one and asks for the price, without giving Sokka a chance to cough up the money Kallik hands it over to the merchant. 

“You didn’t have to.” He begins but the other boy interrupts.

“Don’t worry about it man, we’re friends right.” He claps a hand on Sokka’s back. He smiles easily, like he doesn’t realize how much it means to Sokka to have a friend his own age, one that he will see around for the foreseeable future. It’s not like they’re in a rush to leave like they always are. They’ve always left places in a rush just to make it here, and now that they’ve made it; they can finally relax.

“Thanks.” He digs a finger into the wood, sure enough it dents. “I don’t know what I should carve.” 

“Carve something cute, like an animal. Girls love that.”

“Oh and you would know?” Lee asks sarcastically.

“Well last girl I knew loved animals, birds specifically. Too bad she was flighty.” He sends Lee a look, the kind where you silently communicate something. Lee punches his arm. Forcing a sharp laugh from the other boy.

“Anyway, what does Yue like? Her favorite animal?”

“Uh.” Sokka blanks, of course they haven’t gotten close enough for him to know. He could guess, it’s probably something princess-like, maybe a swan. 

“It’s a polar platypus bear.” Lee answers

Sokka hums, that’s a little more violent than he thought. 

“It’s because mer- mom wore purely polar furs, they’re softer and warmer. More ‘elegant’ .”

“Oh.” A sentimental reason, that makes sense. Sokka is a little disappointed in himself that he has to depend on Lee’s input to know what animal the princess would like the best. But he hasn’t had many opportunities to get to know her. 

“Ok, I’ve got this.” How hard can carving really be? 

Chapter Text

Sokka’s head begins to tingle as he hangs over his bed. He’s been stuck in this spot for a few minutes and he’s not willing to break out of his concentration to sit up. In his hands is the piece of wood gifted to him and his own knife. The handle is curved, being made from some rib he guesses. The blade is a little dull from how often he’d been using it to hunt before they made it to the north. He should’ve taken more care of it, he thinks of how disappointed his father would be from the carelessness and mentally promises to sharpen it. But it glides easily enough through the wood to form what is soon to be a gift for Yue.

They haven’t spoken since they all hung out as a group. Ever since he received the news about their soon to be betrothal, Courtship? Whatever you call this weird limbo of their relationship right now, he hasn’t seen her. He’s not sure what he’d do if he did see her, maybe hide. He feels wholly unprepared to talk to her again. He doesn’t want to say anything embarrassing or awkward.  

Sokka still has no idea about how to court a girl in general, he has no father figure to help guide him. Which is why he had to ask from help from Yue’s brother . 

Luckily for him Lee isn’t nearly as mean as he looks. Just kinda awkward .

Sokka squints at his hands, feeling the effects of hanging down like this. But the energy it would take to reposition himself isn’t worth it at the moment. So he fights through the tingly sensation and scraps away at the lump of wood.

His peace and quiet is interrupted by Katara barging in with Aang. 

“Ugh! I’m so sick of not being allowed to learn waterbending.”

“Aren’t you learning waterbending?” Sokka asks, he distinctly remembers Katara leaving each morning to waterbending class while Sokka is away at warrior lessons. They all deviate from each other every morning to learn their respective skills.

“You know what I mean.” She sends him a particularly nasty stink eye, meaning she’s not in the mood to be corrected or comforted. What she needs is to yell about it. “I need to learn to fight too. Healing is great and all but it’s not what I came here for.”

“And I’m guessing Pakku won’t change his mind since you’re complaining about it.”

Aang's face scrunches into something very displeased. “Pakku’s a jerk, he refuses to even consider it because Katara’s a girl. I’ve talked to him a hundred times.” Katara only gestures to him harshly as if to say ‘we’ve both tried everything ’

Sokka hums and sits up on the bed, blood rushing down so quickly that spots blot across his vision. He groans and blinks away the pain before answering. “So…have you guys considered having Aang teach you whatever he learns?”

Katara’s angry pout alleviates into genuine shock, as if she hadn’t considered the most obvious solution ever. “Sokka… you’re a genius!”

He shrugs away the compliment, he already knows his genius knows no bounds but this answer could’ve been achieved by knocking the two kids heads together. “I know.” He replies anyways.

Aang and Katara turn to look at each other with giddy excitement. They quickly try to leave to practice but Sokka jumps up from the bed to grab his sister sleeve before she could slip away. “Maybe practice at night? So no one sees you?”

“Oh right.” She smiles bashfully. “Good idea. We’ll go tonight.” 

Sokka sends them a pointed look before grabbing his project once again. This time with nothing for the kids to do, they finally notice his disfigured piece of wood.

“What’s that?” Aang asks curiously

“Um. It’s a gift for Yue.”

“Oh you’re carving something?” Katara takes the space besides him, Aang copies on the other side.

“Yep. Got some advice from Lee and his friend. Apparently carving is a super common hobby in the north, it’s supposedly practice for when someone needs to carve a betrothal necklace.” He explains while whittling away.

“And you think you’ll need that practice soon?” She teases. 

Sokka turns pink and indulges her. “Do you think dad would approve?”

“I think he would no matter who it was, and Yue seems plenty nice. And it would be so nice to have a sister.” She sighs dreamily, exaggerating her expression. Sokka pushes her with his shoulders. 

“Well I guess your dad will probably tell you himself when Arnook sends a letter huh?”

Sokka considers this, when they learnt where his dad was from Bato, they were only able to give him a letter. Since their little group was constantly on the move there was no way for them to send anything back. But now that they have a set location they’d be able to have some back and forth communication for a while.

And yesterday when he had all these questions swirling around he only wished for some guidance from his dad. But now he had a chance to receive some. Sure it would take a while for the response to get back but that was better than nothing. And he’d like to update him on their travels as well. 

Sokka hesitantly puts the wood down. “We should write a letter to dad and let Chief Arnook send it alongside his own message.”

“I would like to tell him about my lessons.” Katara admits.

“And I’d like to tell him hi!”

“Alright, let’s all write our letters then tell the Chief.”

“You called for me?” Zuko asks as he enters Arnooks' office.

“I did, as you know our remaining guests will leave in a week. I thought now would be a good opportunity to join them and have a hunt before we return.”

“Oh.” A hunt. Zuko isn’t exactly ecstatic about it, he’s never hunted before and isn’t sure what to expect. But he does know this hunt is essentially a competition between the young men and fathers. It’s a bragging fest and everyone will be waiting to see if the chief's charge is going to disappoint.

“I thought now was especially opportunistic since your friend would be able to join as well as the Avatar's companion.”

“Just Sokka?”

“The Avatar doesn’t eat or kill under any circumstances and unfortunately Katara cannot join because the tradition is solely for young men. And you’ll be of age soon enough so now would be a good time.” Arnook explains as though the decision is final. And Zuko wouldn’t oppose doing it, knowing it’s important to Arnook. Zuko is just worried he’d be squeamish when harvesting the animals. 

“I’ll take Nuiaq if that’s alright.” He says after having nothing else to offer. The silence between them feels different now that they’ve somewhat resolved the old tension they had. 

“I expect nothing else, it’s about time you put that lazy bird to work.” He says lightheartedly. 

Zuko tries not to let an amused smile slip, “He’s not lazy, he trains. I train him.” He defends.

Arnook leans foward on his desk in a casual manner. “Zuko. You wouldn’t need to brush up on training so often if you would use him for what he’s meant for.”

“He’s not a tool .”

“You baby him.” 

Zuko definitely does. 

“No I don’t.” Zuko huffs like a child. He’d considered sending Nuiaq to Ukiyu as practice for messaging; it's incredibly common to send owl bats with nothing but a ‘return to keeper’ note.

But he’s not entirely sure if Nuiaq would actually know where to go if he were to send him. Zuko frowns, maybe he had babied him too much.

Before he could say anything there’s an eager knock at the door.

Arnooks calls out for whoever it is to enter. The door opens to show Avatar Aang, Katara and Sokka. 

“Good afternoon Chief Arnook and Lee!” Aang greets. 

“Avatar Aang, how can I assist you?”

“We were wondering if you sent work to my father.” Sokka answers for Aang, looking hopeful.

“I’ve written the message, I was going to send my son to the Aviary since he frequents it quite often.

“Oh! We could go together!” Katara says, holding onto her respective letter in a tight grip.

Zuko gives a small tight lipped smile before extending an expectant hand to Arnook. The Chief only takes a few moments to sift through his paperwork for an already prepared and packed message. He presses it into Zuko’s palm, completely nonplussed from handing an incredibly important letter to someone like him. 

“Before we go, I need to find my owlbat if you don’t mind.”

Zuko leads the group down the hall, wondering about the likelihood of Nuiaq being asleep in a dark corner of his room. On the other hand he might just be outside the palace.

“Are you searching for Nuiaq because he’ll be sending the letters?” Aang asks curiously.

“It must be useful to have a messenger bird.” Katara comments.

“Actually Nuaiq isn’t..trained to leave the nation. Besides with…” Zuko’s turns to confirm that each person has a letter in their hands, “So many important levels it’s best to leave it with a more experienced owl.”

“So where is the little guy?” Aang asks.

Zuko breaks his stride, allowing the group to fully catch up. Pale hands reach out to the ice window sill, catching against the grooves of the trim. “I’m not entirely sure, he spends a lot of his time on his own.”

The group follows his movements easily. Falling beside him by the window. Zuko finds it a little amusing how they follow his lead without question.

Before anyone can reply Zuko let’s out a sharp whistle out the window. The kids look perplexed by this, Zuko is unsure why. How else do they call their flying lemur when he’s away? Or their bison?

Speaking of…

”Is your lemur around?”

”Momo is with Appa today, they missed each other.”

Hmm. Convenient. At least now zuko doesn’t have to worry about trying to contain a lemur trying to make friends with the owls in the aviary.

Zuko instinctively listens for any responding movement despite the fact he wouldn’t be able to hear the owlbat. Not for the fact his hearing is a little worse than the average person but for the fact that owl species just don’t make sound when in the air. It’s incredibly useful for the work they do anyways.

A large white shape flies down into the window, Zuko steps back unconsciously despite the fact Nuaiq has never had trouble landing slowly. Huge claws wrap around his forearm and suddenly big black eyes blink at him. Zuko resists the urge to say hello in that embarrassing way pet owners do. High pitched and babying . He keeps his mouth shut because he doesn’t baby him.

“Hi.” Zuko says to Nuiaq softly. Running a hand through the fluff at his neck.

“Soo cool…” Aang squeaks.

“We can go now. It’ll be a long walk.” He warns. Of course the group don’t fuss but when they make it to the tower standing at the outskirts of the palace grounds. Nestled right next to the canal that begins its journey from behind the palace. 

The inside echoes ominously, the silence occasionally broken by stray comments from Aang or Sokka. They pass several floors, each one with a sole purpose to the development of a messenger birds life. From fledgling rooms, training rooms for young adults to nesting rooms. One of which held a cluster of eggs with a protective mother who swiveled her head to the left and right in their presence. Zuko points it out only to have everyone coo over it. 

The closer they get to the stop the more screeches they hear bounce off the walls. “The very top is reserved for the adults who are ready to send away. Or the ones that come from the eastern villages. Ah, and sometimes the ones that travel outside the north.” 

The last floor is brighter, full of natural light since every wall is open. The center of the room is impressively full of different species in different aviary cages. Wooden boards encase each several feet tall cage to not stress the owl bats with each other's presence. After all, they aren't the most social creatures.

A short woman is handling a beautifully fluffy brown owlbat with leather gloves. The creature is silent and still as she writes with her dominant right hand. 

“Palila” Zuko says.

The young woman looks up, hand pausing in its scribbling. She looks a little startled by the company he has which Zuko finds understandable. It’s not everyday someone drags the Avatar into the relatively serene aviary.

“Ah. What a pleasant surprise. My name is Palila. I run this place, in all aspects, including the mail.” She droops her quill to smooth a hand over her tight bun, pushing away flyaways as to look more presentable.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Aang. This is Katara and Sokka.” Aang greets enthusiastically. 

“How can I help you today Avatar Aang.”

“We’d like to send some mail!”

“To Chief Hakoda specifically. I believe he’s currently in the Earth Kingdom, the location should be included inside.”

Palila smiles with a subtle strain. Sending mail outside of the north is an incredibly complicated process. Even more so ever since Palila came to be the keeper of the aviary. Each message needed to be both approved by Arnook and be sent by only certain trusted individuals. Of course there were always shifts covered by people willing to send unapproved messages under the radar. But that became increasingly difficult when Palila became the director. 

Technically the rules regarding sending anything outside of the Tribe should be more lax now that they are officially out of neutrality but Zuko has a feeling she’s not willing to bend to anything less than offficial. (In which case Zuko makes a mental note to remind Arnook to give more leeway as to what can be sent out. He has a feeling a lot of people are going to be happy to be able to send word out to relatives in the northern tip of the earth kingdom.)

Zuko is incredibly lucky in the fact he is always immediately trusted when it comes to relaying the word of the Chief. At least when it comes to Palila. That’s besides the fact it’s hard to deny the Avatar anything.

Despite this, the woman’s smile is tight. 

“Of course, let me review the letters and we can begin.”

Katara flushes. “You're not gonna read through it are you?”

“That depends. In your case I suspect this might be confidential. It’s a rare case that even I am not allowed to personally review the message to ensure it follows the strict regulations of our nation.”

Zuko steps foward with his own letter in hand. “That’s right. But Chief Arnook does have something for you.” He hands over the message and Palila finally considers putting her beloved owlbat down. He can see her jerk in her consideration of what to do with Minnie. Zuko considers offering a hand but he has his own owlbat perched on his shoulder. And it’s typically advised against to handle two at once.

“Can I hold onto them?” Aang asks. Hands itching to pet.

“If you don’t mind.” She guides the bird onto Aangs shoulders. Minnie, is small and nice enough to not mind being pet or handled by others. She’s incredibly well trained and unlikely to startle even if she’s being held by the most jittery person he’s met.

Katara and Aang step away to marvel at Minnie’s soft feathers and Sokka takes the liberty in taking their letters.

Palina takes a monocle out from a pocket to begin scanning the contents of Arnooks' writing. When done she takes a heavy hand to stamp her approval on the letter and begins to tightly roll it until it is no thinner than a pinky. 

She holds out a hand for Sokka’s letters. “Considering I don’t have the authority to deny or approve the Avatars' letters, I will send them as is.” She explains as she rolls them. “But you must know since the only place our birds are trained to travel to is to Kyoshi island. We’ll have to depend on them to send these forth to Chief Hakoda. It could take a while.”

Sokka frowns, “I understand.”

“Perhaps soon we can begin training them to closer earth kingdom receiver posts. But until now we’ve only been allowed contact with Kyoshi Island.”

“Thankfully our messages aren’t too urgent right now. “ Sokka says, but the way he is furrowing his brows begs to differ.

Palila gives a curt nod before turning in Zuko’s general direction. “You had a question.”

Zuko frowns, “How did you know?” She always disturbs him with how she seems all knowing at times, in ways people like Naqin pretend to be. 

She doesn’t answer of course and Zuko sighs. “I was wondering if you could help me retrain Nuiaq so he can visit Ukiyu on his own.”

“Ah but you’d be going in about a week anyway?”

“ How… ” he had only been informed literally twenty minutes ago.

She smiles and laughs politely. “I’ve been entrusted with guiding the hunting group.”  

“Why are you being tasked with that? It seems beneath your responsibilities.” Palila has her work here. Taking care of the aviary and the incoming and outgoing mail. Usually the aviary is run by very few people. Some are tasked with running the aviary and the other with handling mail. Palila does it all, of course with other keepers, but she keeps it in order. The woman practically lives here.

All that being said, there are others who usually take care of navigating when traveling to Ukiyu.

“Your father demanded the best. Says we have precious cargo.” Zuko can’t tell if she’s displeased with the fact she’s being ordered to join them.

Zuko’s eyes flicker to Sokka, who is listening while leaning against the wall and fiddling with something wooden between his fingers.

“Him?”

Sokka breaks out of his half spaced out state and jerks with the accusation. “Me?”

Palila‘s lips pursed together. “I’m not entirely sure, he could’ve meant that or the fact we have more people than usual traveling to Ukiyu, or you .” 

“I’ve done the journey plenty of times.” Zuko points out. Nonetheless a flush rises to his ears. He doesn’t want to be the reason Palila is being inconvenienced.

Sokka only makes it worse, “Aww. Only the best for princey Lee.” He says in a sing-song tone.

Zuko scowls. “Or maybe he’s trying to accommodate you, first timers usually have trouble with the journey.” He tries to say in a relatively nice way, of course he fails and it comes out plain rude.

“I’ve done worse. You know, once I spent a day traveling through a canyon full of crawlers.” 

Zuko doesn’t know what that is but the name itself makes his face scrunch in disgust. “Well the long ride exasperates a lot of people.”

“Puh- lease . We spent a full two days on Appa trying to even get here.”

“Can’t blame the chief for trying to make your journey as enjoyable as possible. You are after all the Avatars' companions. You must be absolutely spoiled every time you reach a city?” Zuko has no idea why he is even entertaining him.

“Aren’t you too old for daddy to baby you?” Sokka goads with a sharp smile.

Zuko narrows his eyes at that and a lantern sputters and pops with distinctly pink and green sparks.

Aang and Katara look up from the noise. They’re both crowded around a fat owl with blood orange eyes. 

Palila frowns at their behavior. And Zuko feels shame at behaving such a way here, he’s always been welcomed as long as he bahaved and doesn't overstay his welcome. He doesn’t want to break the trust of Palila who’s been such a help ever since he brought Nuiaq home. 

The flames die instantly and Zuko takes a step back.

Surprisingly she doesn’t even reprimand them. “I’ll send these to my fastest messenger.” She simply states before walking away.

Zuko looks worryingly in her direction as she walks off. Nuaiq takes his odd stillness as an opportunity to nibble his hair.

“Sorry about that.”

Zuko just looks back confusedly.

“I dunno if it’s weird to call Arnook your dad, I know he took care of you and all. But I noticed you only ever call Yue your sister and never call Arnook ‘dad’ .”

Zuko worries the corner of his bottom lip between his teeth, he must’ve looked a little too worried. Now Sokka thinks he’s upset with him . Which is odd considering he isn’t, even after being insulted by the teen and even insulting him back.

“I don’t mind. Arnook is for all intents and purposes my …father. But I just never got into the habit.” Zuko suddenly wishes for the more playful atmosphere back. He doesn’t want to think about how he could never associate Arnook with the title of father, because his father wasn’t a good person and Arnook is.

Sokka must sense the underlying tone because he quickly changes the conversation. “So…”

“What is that?” Zuko bluntly asks, pointing at the wood clenched between his fingers. He’s been fiddling with it any chance he gets and Zuko is properly curious now.

“Oh! It’s my gift for Yue, I’ve worked on it all day. Do you think she’ll like it?” Sokka held it up to the other boy with a proud grin.

The thing is misshapen, there’s numbs and ridges and Zuko isn’t quite sure how it’s supposed to resemble an artic platypus bear. Zuko’s never seen such a sad attempt at carving, without his consent a laugh bubbles up from his throat. 

“ What… ” Zuko says in between breathy laughter. “It’s so...” 

Sokka pouts, thankfully not actually offended as far as Zuko can tell. “It’s perfectly fine looking!” 

“Why does it have such wide… arms?” The nubs Zuko assumes are arms look unusually flat and give off the appearance of wings of some sort.

Sokka grumbled and shoved the object away. “It does not.”

One last giggle slips out. “It’s good, she’ll like it.” He promises. If anything it’ll amuse her. And some people are into the idiot type, maybe Yue is too.

“You’re a liar. Maybe I should start over.” 

“No.” Zuko grabs his hand. He tries not to look shocked at the touch, he’s the one who grabbed him without thinking in the first place. Zuko pries open Sokka’s fingers to retrieve the carving. “It’s nice. Trust me.” He turns it over and can see the very subtle shape of a bear.

Sokka’s self-deprecating look fades into something more confident. “Maybe when I give it to her I can keep practicing. I can make you one if you want?”

“Me?” Sokka carving something for him isn’t something he would ever request on his own. Carving gifts is romantic half the time, and he’s learning the skill for his betrothed. A warm feeling makes itself known, a sense of giddiness at the thought of someone gifting him something like that. Of course the feeling is misguided, Sokka didn’t mean it like that but Zuko’s poor weak mind comes up with the thought regardless. He will never get to experience the traditional courting practices of the north so his mind jumps at the opportunity to imagine it.

He shoves the image of any boy giving him a carving, with the undeniable romantic intentions, to the far corner of his mind. Distantly he realizes he’s been silent for too long.

Sokka doesn’t notice his internal struggle. “Yeah. I bet you want some bird huh?”

“…” Zuko would request a bird if Sokka was insistent. Was it such a bad thing?

“So predictable. At least now I’ll have some sort of reference.” He looks over to Nuiaq.

“What if I pick something else? Like a serpant swan.” 

“Lee.” He whines “Have you still not forgiven me for hitting you. Or is it the fact I’m courting your sister.” 

Zuko just walks away, leaving him to complain to the empty air. He says something about having to come all the way to the aviary just to get an idea of how to carve an owl bat. Zuko ignores him and follows the circle outline of the room, taking the opportunity to laugh to himself. He suspects the reason he hadn’t felt any real anger while bickering with Sokka is because now that they’re on friendly terms, it’s only harmless teasing.

There’s empty perches every few feet, he steps up to one. It’s daunting to place Nuiaq on it, his big black eyes staring back as he adjusts his claws on the new surface. 

He considered sending him now, but Nuiaq isn’t as prepared as he should be. So he plans to take him on the hunt, and give him to someone else to take to the aviary in Ukiyu. It’s easier this way.

Somewhere behind him he hears some noise, the group is walking over to him. 

“Hey Lee, we can go now!” Aang says. Their letters are accounted for and were probably sent away while they watched on the other side of the tower.

“Ok?” Zuko’s not sure why exactly they are announcing their departure to him like they need permission.

“Let’s go then.” Katara says directly to him before turning to the staircase.

“Oh. You want me to go with you.”

“Isn’t that obvious? We came together, besides you don’t have anything to do right now, right?”

He has no real responsibilities other than attending warrior classes, which he went to this morning with Sokka. The mornings pass by a lot quicker now that he isn’t so alone during them. “Well, yes.”

“Then let’s all hang out for a bit, you need to socialize with more than just your bird.”

Zuko glares, Sokka is already walking down the stairs, Zuko has no choice but to follow. “You know he’s very independent without me, and I talk to other people!” 

Sokka is trying to walk down carefully while looking back every few seconds to take in Zuko’s scowl. “I know you’re such a social butterfly, that’s why you don’t get to complain when we drag you places. Katara wants to see how the walls work. So that’s where we are headed.”

Zuko nods, “it’s an amazing feat for the waterbenders. I can see why she’d be interested.”

“Thank you Lee!” Katara says, her yell echos in the staircase.

“Don’t encourage her, it’s just people bending a water wall .”

“A wall made of thousands of pounds of ice.” Zuko corrects. It might not be a flashy thing to watch but it is impressive. There’s nothing firebenders can do that comes close to physically creating things that water and earth benders can do.

Sokka blows a raspberry.

Later when they reach it and the benders demonstrate how they bring boats down hundreds of feet down into the surface of the ocean, Sokka admits it’s not completely boring.

“I mean the method they bring things out is simple, it’d be way better if they used a slide.” He gestures with a swoop of his hand. 

Zuko huffs. “That'd be so inefficient.”

“You have no imagination.”

Katara and Aang are a good ten feet away, chatting about how hard the system is. The benders offer to let Aang try, but he refuses when he notices how they leave Katara out of the conversation.

Eventually the group leaves and just wanders throughout the city. For some reason Zuko always finds himself standing next to Sokka. The group naturally splits into pairs this way and Zuko finds he doesn’t mind. Maybe it has something to do with the obvious crush Aang and Katara harbor for each other.

It makes him happy to see how this little group of theirs has so much joy, he takes it as a sign of hope.

A stray breeze catches him off guard, Zuko shivers with the way it bites at his fingers and nose.

“You okay? Your a little pink, more than usual anyway.”

Zuko ignores the jab and looks down at his own slender hands, sure enough they are flushed pink. “Huh…just a little cold.”

“I thought you didn’t get cold? Like being a firebender and all.”

“I don’t. I mean unless I overdo it or get sick I can regulate my temperature pretty well.” But he’s feeling a little chilly and he hadn’t stopped regulating his temperature. He suspects it’s too early to tell if he’s getting sick. 

“Maybe it’s extra cold today.” Sokka offers. Zuko doesn’t believe it. He doesn’t know how he didn’t realize the cold sensation earlier. He simply reminds himself to find a pair of mittens if the problem arises again.

___

The ground crunches under the small steps he takes towards the front of the house. He’s wearing a light tunic, pants, and simple slippers. His skin feels free as the wind caresses it without the restriction of heavy fur. 

Zuko can almost feel the heat of the sun, which shouldn’t be odd to think about since he’s here, back home. Sort of. 

Waiting patiently stands a young woman, she’s important. “Our plan is almost ready.”

“Our?” He says, he knows he has nothing to do with it. He’s let her try all on her own to bring him home. He didn’t try hard enough to make it back to her so now he allows her anything she wants as an apology. She’s currently trying to thrust him back into his old life, with some elaborate lies and some innocent soldiers taking the blame for his kidnapping all that time ago; it’s almost time for him to be ‘rescued’ .

It’ll be like nothing happened, that’s what she says with tense but giddy smiles. Like she can’t wait to forget it ever happened.

Zuko’s anxieties worsen by the day. But seeing her makes them fade, she’s come all this way to check on him. How can he not feel safe? Everything is being taken care of for him. Soon he’ll see his family again. 

Something flickers in the back of his mind, he has a distinct feeling he’s forgetting something. But trying to bring it forth makes a pain shoot across his eyes. He winced and clutches his scar.

“I know.” Says the woman, she’s so calm whenever he’s like this, he knows it’s uncharacteristic of her. “It’s painful. Whatever happened is in the past. I punished them well enough for you.”

Some dark feeling eclipses his entire being at those words. Despite this he doesn’t react with anger the way he should, he doesn’t know what happened to the people punished. But he knows it isn’t good. All he feels is numb.

“Soon enough you will be the crowned prince again, and our family can lead the world into peace together. How would you like that brother?”

Zuko thinks about it. He’ll have his princely duties again, be respected, have free reign over his own bending. 

“I know it’s hard being amongst peasants like this, but you must be kept secret until then. I’ll be gone for a few weeks, we’ll be in Ba Sing Se to corner the Avatar, then I’ll come back with him and chains.”

“The Avatar.” Zuko repeats. He’s only two years younger than her. He still has some baby fat left in his cheeks. Some hope left in his eyes. 

“I shouldn’t have gone.” Zuko says. He feels so defeated, it’s nothing new.

“It wasn’t your fault.” She immediately says, she has a panicked look in her eye. 

“With you.” He amends.

A flash of emotions crossed over Azula's face. Her shock turns to fury, then heartbreak, and back to a cold anger.  The air feels thick, like the atmosphere is preparing for a storm with thick humid and all consuming darkness. 

He speaks but nothing comes out. It doesn’t matter either way, nothing can be said to fix this. And before he can he’s awakening.

Again he chokes on air. Hands grasp at the blankets to push them away. The weight of the furs is absolutely claustrophobic at the moment.

He hates the darkness that surrounds him. It threatens to turn into shapes and shadows of forgotten lives. So he turns in his bed, kneeling by the headboard. There’s a heavy squeak underneath him, the noise heightened by the night. Zuko wretches the curtains open. Letting the low light of the moon enter the room and remind him that he really is alone. That there aren’t people standing in the corner, no figures without features, but still undeniably her. 

Zuko eases his ragged breathes into something close enough to normal. He is no longer clutching the fabric of his sleeping shirt with an iron fist. And now he can recognize Nuiaq staring at him from the corner of his bed, perched on the frame he watches. Zuko hopes he can understand he didn’t mean to wake him. 

The feeling of fear manifests into flight tonight.

He shouldn’t leave, he should stay in bed shaking from confusion and heartbreak over things he doesn’t understand yet. But it’s becoming a habit to enter a fitful sleep and awaken by nightmares of his sister, it’s only ever her. Somehow she still torments him. Except now instead of teasing him and pulling pranks she is reminding him of his mistakes. Putting the blame on their separation on him, and in some ways it is his own fault. So it’s a punishment that is deserved.

He feels mildly ridiculous walking down the hallways in sleeping clothes and Nuiaq on his shoulder, hair unruly and eyes tired. He manages to shuffle outside without alerting anyone m. The air is piercing and Zuko pulls his sleeves over his hands. Being half asleep it’s difficult to concentrate on fueling his inner flame to keep him warm so his fingers remain freezing. 

He doesn’t know where he’s going, he feels as though he must be sleep walking considering he is wandering aimlessly through the city. Should anyone see him they’d find him suspicious but thankfully the streets are dead silent.

His mind is calm now that his body is cold and he is focused purely on warming his breathes. Gone are the questions of if the woman he keeps seeing really is Azula. And how his mind could conjure an older version of her. 

He passes over a bridge. Fingers trail in the ice railing, becoming so numb he can’t feel the slick sensation. There’s a faint noise below him. A voice as well. His body stills and he listens for it again. He thinks he might be asleep and dreaming of faraway voices again but the voice speaks out again. 

Nuaiq tilts his head in Zuko’s peripheral. Tuned into the smaller of sounds, his reaction confirms Zuko isn’t imagining it. He hesitantly leans over the railing and looks down to where he can hear it, a woman’s voice. 

Two figures are below the bridge and bending water up from the canal beside them. The woman is familiar but it’s dark and he only identifies her as Katara when he sees the figure wearing orange beside her.

“And you lift it out like this.” His extends his arms quickly to raise water out and smiles warmly to Katara. 

She nods and follows his movements, down to the wide stance. Her attempt is identical to Aangs and she grins at her own accomplishment.

Zuko feels as though he shouldn’t be here, because he shouldn’t. He’s watching Aang break the north’s societal rules. Technically these moves aren’t illegal for women, it was nothing more than a simple way to raise water. If he had been teaching her warrior techniques that were for fighting then he’d be committing a crime. Of course Zuko would never reveal this secret to anyone but they would likely be caught eventually. They were doing this in the middle of the city where anyone can walk by.

He isn’t sure whether to reveal himself, maybe it would be better to walk home and pretend he’d never left. But he was curious, and he’d like to advise them against doing this underneath a random bridge.

The hand that had become numb extends out over the rail. The numbing sensation bleeds away as his hand becomes engulfed with flames. Silvery blue flames flutter around the base of his hand and fade into a peachy orange. He imagines it illuminates his face well enough that the teens can see him. 

Sure enough they gasp and look up to him. Water splashes at their feet and soak into their shoes. 

“Lee!”

“You shouldn’t be doing this.” He essentially scolds. “You both know well enough you’d be punished for it.” Katara would most likely banned from learning any water bending at all.

Katara’s face scrunches into anger. “I’m tired of everyone telling me what I can and can’t do!”

Zuko frowns, he extinguishes the fire and makes his way around the bridge to the stairs that bring him down to where they are. “Katara, this is dangerous, they won’t tolerate this. If anyone catches you learning fighting…I’m not sure how they’d react.” He says bluntly.

“That’s why we are keeping it secret, we came out late just so no one would find us!”

“And how long have you been doing this?”

The pair look to each other nervously, Aang sheepishly smiles. “A day?”

Zuko sighs deeply. “You got caught the first time.”

“We’ll find another spot!”

“There are no outskirts you can hide away in, the city is heavily populated and trapped in ice. This might as well be the best spot you could’ve found.”

“So you’re saying I can’t practice at all.”

She’s crushed, Zuko can see that well enough. Aang looks equally disappointed. And Zuko knows logically she’d be able to learn all she wanted from Aang once they left the north but… she didn’t want to wait, she had a burning passion to learn and Zuko couldn’t blame her.

“I have a place you can practice in, surrounded by water and no one is allowed to go in except for a select few.” Perfectly isolated to the point Zuko had been teaching Yue how to fight in as well. A situation eerily similar. 

“But I have one condition.”

Aang and Katara look eager, they both nod rapidly. Not even bothering to ask what his condition is.

“You two have to teach me something. Teach me how to waterbend.”

It’s safe to say they all agree to keep each other's secret. And in the dead of night they follow Zuko back to the palace, but instead of going to their respective rooms to sleep; Zuko leads them to the back of the palace, beside the miscellaneous crates and equipment, is a wooden door so small you have to crouch to enter.

There’s a metal slab keeping it shut, technically anyone could slide it up and slip in. But everyone knows this door is forbidden to enter. Most think it leads to nowhere, or a secret path outside of the ice walls. But Zuko was one of the only people who knew it was a door to an oasis. 

It’s an spiritual site, sacred and secret. Yagoda and Meyora had brought a little Yue and Zuko here. They had revealed to Zuko that this was the place they brought Yue as an infant to save her life. She had been bathed in the oasis’s water and was healed by Tui, reborn in her name and will.

They walk alone the ice path. Behind him he can hear their awe as they take in the sight. The air warms the closer they get to the oasis in the middle. It’s a small island but no less spectacular. Because this was the only place in the entire north, that against all odds, was filled with lush green grass. 

“How is this possible?” Katara asks. 

Aang kneels down and runs his fingers through the grass, smiling. “This is amazing.”

“Well we aren’t entirely sure how it happened but centuries ago the spirits blessed the north with this oasis.” Zuko smiles softly, it is the only place he can feel a warmth that rivals the fire nation. Even at night the air is significantly warmer and he can practically close his eyes and pretend he is in Caldera.

Nuaiq takes off and lands in a tree, feathers stark against the green leaves. Looking completely out of place in what should be his natural habitat.

“But it’s our job to keep it safe, so that’s why it’s a secret.”

“Our?”

“Me and Yue’s, Yagoda too. Some others know of its existence but usually me and Yue are stuck with spiritual responsibilities. I don’t mind it though.” He doesn’t have much in comparison to Yue but coming in the oasis occasionally to keep it tidy and pray is hardly a chore.

“I know how that feels.” Aang jokes as he makes ‘snow angels’ in the grass.

“You must be reminded of the earth kingdom though.”

Fire nation . Zuko mentally corrects. “Yeah.”

“I can tell, you look so much more relaxed. Would you ever want to go back?” 

“I…” Would he? Home to the fire nation, is it even home anymore? He feels like that’s all he’s been thinking about nowadays. But that isn’t his real home anymore, his family is here as well. Sometimes he wishes he didn’t have the burden of his origins.

“I don’t know.” It comes out more somber than intended. Katara looks a little sympathetic at his conflicted expression.

“So” she quickly changes the subject. “You want to learn waterbending, why?”

“Well I’m a firebender with no teacher, I’d like to learn how to fight with my firebending, so I figured this is the next best thing.”

“That’s a good idea, I’ve heard of people using different bending techniques together before.”

“That’s sort of the idea, except I’ve never heard of someone doing it like this .” To completely abandon the methods of your respective bending element in favor of another is not something he’s sure has ever been done. But he doubts anyone has had circumstances like him.

“Well there’s no harm in trying.” Aang reassures, “-and I’d love to be your teacher Lee. But since you’d be firebending can you teach me what you know? So I can learn firebending as fast as possible? We already got permission from Arnook anyway!”

“I suppose I have no choice.” 

“Okay, how should we start?” 

“How about you teach us waterbending for now and you can ask about firebending afterwards?”

Aang agrees and starts to teach Katara.

They run into a few obstacles, the first being Zuko having the patience to allow Katara to learn how to hold water. He spends most of the night watching her learn how to keep it liquid and have a steady hold so it doesn’t fall. Zuko doesn't have the problem of having to hold a physical weight, he just needs to control the size. But he doesn’t mind. 

Most of what he had learned in the fire nation were the steps to simple moves. How to punch out fire, how to move through traditional katas and steps. He hadn’t even begun learning how to properly fight against someone or to deflect fire. 

So now he must adapt and copy every waterbending move exactly. Down to the footwork, though he can admit it’s hard to memorize the new movements.

After a little more than an hour, Zuko suggests they stop. He wants to sneak back into his room without worrying people might begin to awaken. So the group separates and Zuko is back alone in his bed. He falls asleep easier than he has for days, body feeling properly tired after exerting energy. He wonders if bending in full has made him fully relaxed. He falls asleep before he could think about it too much.

—

Walking to warrior classes used to be a lonely thing. It would be morning and whoever would be around would be silent and likely still a bit drowsy like him. The paths would be cleared recently from the waterbenders but he would still find a way to take a short cut and walk through inches of snow. Crunching snow being the only sound around. Left over fog would cling to his skin and forcefully wring any sleepiness he had left.  

Now though, as Zuko can feel that morning chill sink into his bones, he feels a lot less alone. There’s a presence beside him, a little taller and very chatty despite the early morning.

And the conversation always distracts him a little from the extra chill he feels this morning.

“And she liked it! I think. I mean she did laugh.” Sokka recounts his time with Yue. Supposedly the first time they’d seen each other since the new ‘betrothal’. Zuko can guess he’ll hear a similar retelling when he sees the princess later, possibly with her own twist to how the night went. 

A small smile breaks out on Zuko’s face. The memory of the little wooden figure he’d carved just for the princess coming to mind. It was a charming little thing. Zuko can expect to see it on her dresser the next time he visits her room.

“That’s nice.”

“She thought it was a fish at first. I don’t know how. It's clearly a bear. At least I fixed it a bit before I gave it to her, I shaved off a bit too much from the paws though…” Sokka swings his arms quite a bit, he seems energetic. As though the good outing with Yue is fueling him to be so lively this morning. “I did think Yue acted a little weird towards the end though. She seemed upset? She wouldn’t tell me why. I’m not sure if I offended her.”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing I swear! We were just talking for a while then she got all sad. She left after that.” 

Zuko narrows his eyes at Sokka, but he can tell he is being truthful. Something bothered Yue enough to leave and Zuko wasn’t sure what it could be. Was it her nerves? Or some anxiety over the war? Past memories maybe. 

“Okay. Maybe don’t take it to heart, Yue has…a lot on her plate right now. I’ll ask to see if she’s upset at anything you said.” 

Sokka thanks him and kicks his feet as he walks. They remain in a tranquil silence for some time. It’s not long before they make it to the dressing room. 

The shuffling of other tired teen boys rings out in the room, there’s some soft conversations going on but Zuko ignores everyone and sits on the bench to tighten his braid. 

Sokka follows him dutifully like a polar dog during the lessons. Zuko doesn’t mind it too much, other than the fact had felt irritated by it at first. He believed Sokka was doing it out of pity. Or maybe as a way to make sure he was getting in his good grace for the sake of his new relationship with Yue. Because Sokka easily converses with other students but always drifts back to Zuko. It took a while to realize he just liked hanging out with Zuko more than anyone else in the class.

“Let’s pair up.” Sokka suggested as if there was a chance they wouldn’t when he’s standing right next to him. 

“Okay, don’t hold back okay? I don’t want to hurt you.” Zuko can admit it comes out a little overly proud but he wants to fully embrace the fight without pulling back. And Sokka has improved so quickly he doesn’t doubt he can hold his own.

Sokka grips his spear tightly and sends him a smug grin. “Don’t underestimate me because I’m new.”

“I don’t.” It would be impossible to underestimate someone like Sokka. His feet dig into the ground to not slip as they begin.

The fights are different now that they have weapons, a lot more dangerous. Of course the spears are capped with a leather piece so they wouldn’t actually stab someone. But half the time you have to worry more about being knocked over onto the ice then you do the slashing.

Zuko strikes first, he notices that tends to be the familiar pattern between them two. He’s not sure if it’s a bad thing, he is predictable at least to Sokka who spends half the time watching him with a calculated expression. He’s watching, learning, and Zuko doesn’t spend much time thinking about his next move so much as he sees an opportunity and takes it without question.

Their spears creak under the pressure of pushing against each other. Zuko worries one might snap in half the way it bends. He normally attempts to deflect the spear and focus on exploiting whatever leg had the least support but Sokka is pushing against him with so much power Zuko begins to slip. His body leans back and he stumbles with Sokka’s push. Gasping, he hits the ice and immediately rolls away from the spear.

When he gets back into his feet they barely spend more time fighting because zuko’s energy has been thoroughly exhausted. 

Sokka lunges for his throat and Zuko jerks back so fiercely he doesn’t manage to find a good grip on the ice. Sokka follows him down too quickly to not give Zuko a chance to wiggle out of his grasp this time. He pins Zuko to the ground, knee digging into his thigh painfully. 

“Gotcha.” Sokka grins.

Zuko lets his head fall back to the ice. Catching his breaths and letting steam escape through them. “Good job.”

“Thanks. You helped a lot.”

“You didn’t need my help.” He doesn’t explain any further. Sokka’s smile turns more bashful and Zuko finally picks himself up to rest on his elbows, still staring up at him. “We should move to different partners now.”

A looming figure appears behind Sokka which casts a shadow over the both of them. Zuko’s look of confusion alerts Sokka who twists around to see Hahn. The other man just stares down with a silent anger. Sokka looks back at Zuko, concerned, and helps him up. But he doesn’t move from his spot between the two. Stance protective he finally breaks the silence. “Hey Hahn.”

“Sokka.” The name comes out tinged with venom. “Ashmaker.” Zuko isn’t surprised by the name.

Sokka jerks in surprise. Zuko scowls and takes a step closer. Sokka however, doesn’t allow him to push past his shoulder. 

“I received some news yesterday. My engagement was broken off. Usually I would think it had something to do with our little firebender.” He shrugs. “-but, turns out it was the work of the southern peasant.” His gaze turns darker now that he’s addressing the real reason he came over.  “How on earth did you manage that?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Sokka’s eyebrows furrow.

“How did you manage to convince the chief to hand over the princess to a simple southerner.”

“I didn’t convince him to hand her over like she’s an object or something.”

“It was the Avatar wasn't it, I bet being friends with him has a lot of perks.”

“He wouldn’t-“

“You did it so your backwater home could get our help huh? You guys were that desperate?”

Zuko flinches a bit at that, it sounds so bad when it’s said out loud like that. It’s not even true they hadn’t needed to resort to that to convince Sokka of the arrangement. They were gonna help the sister tribe regardless. But that doesn’t matter to Hahn. He’s only coming up with anything to make him feel better about losing what he saw as an investment .

“No.” Sokka is getting angry, they’re both toeing closer as if they’re getting ready to get physical. Zuko isn’t sure whether to let them or try to stop Sokka from doing something stupid.

“You can’t just come in and take something that was promised to me for years .” 

Being so close to them it takes no effort at all to launch a fist the second he hears him refer to Yue as a thing . 

His arm is shoved upwards and a body crashes into him, a pain shoots up his shoulder. He instinctively soldiers the body away before he can realize it’s Sokka attempting to separate him. 

“Stop!”

Hahn’s voice is a few get away, spitting out what is no doubt curses towards the both of them. Some other students held Hahn’s shoulder to keep the distance.

“Sokka.” He says, adrenaline beginning to rush. “Get off.” His hands are holding him tightly. To restrain him but also protect him.“I know you don’t care if I hit him.”

“No, but I care that you’ll get in trouble.”

Zuko huffs but his eyes are scanning for glimpses of Hahn. People are swarming them, trying to follow the commotion and watch a fight now that they’ve noticed they were separated before it could take place.

The whole thing happened so quickly the teacher wasn’t alerted to the hostility in the air till now. He walks over and assesses the fact the suspects are being held back from each other. His eyes flit over Hahn and zero in on Zuko.

He walks over and Zuko feels dread mixing in with the adrenaline. He might throw up now.

“Lee.” His voice is harsh, accusing. “I’m gonna ask you to step out for today.”

He’s never let his temper get this bad, he’s always restrained himself. It wasn’t easy being around people like Hahn, people who believe he’d fly off the handle at any second and thought it funny to poke the bear. Waiting for him to snap, he never let them see it. For a long time his survival depended on being as docile as possible. 

“The Chief will hear about this.” Not his father, the chief. An important distinction. Telling his father would be to reprimand him. To tell the chief is to warn him, to punish the firebender in the name of safety. Or at least that’s the hope.

Arnook knew Zuko better than most, he wouldn’t put him away like a misbehaving polar dog. Because he’s not a dangerous animal, he just had the luck to be born a firebender.

“Sokka, will you escort him?”

Sokka looks surprised, he’s not sure why. But the boy nods quickly and grabs Zuko by the elbow and drags him away.

“ Dude .”

“I know. I shouldn’t have tried to hurt him, I shouldn’t give them reason to distrust me.” It slips out of his mouth before he can realize he’s parroting the words Arnook had instilled to him since childhood.

Sokka looks at him weird, a mix of surprise and sadness. “ No . Spirits, Lee.” His grip goes slack, “you know I would’ve let you go crazy if I didn’t have a feeling about this.”

“What?”

“I just…you aren't even allowed to firebend. Arnook told us, you aren’t allowed to do any actual practice, just simple stuff.”

Zuko stares blankly, because the statement doesn’t explain anything for him. It’s common sense that he isn’t allowed to firebend. 

“I’m not a bender but, being around Katara my whole life I know how important it can be to a person. It’s like apart of you, your soul or whatever. And you just aren’t allowed to do it for the most part, and everyone is okay with that?”

“It’s scary for them.” 

“I know, but my home was raided by the fire nation. I’ve fought against them and I know I hurt you when we met because of it but, you didn’t deserve that, or this. It’s wrong .”

Zuko has no words to offer him. He simply ducks his head and walks. Arm in arm with him. Sokka doesn’t let him let the conversation die through.

“I had kinda talked about it with Yue, I just mentioned how I noticed some people are scared of you. It didn’t make any sense to me since you’ve been here since you were a kid.” His face is disgruntled, like this actually bothered him. “She said some people are, but that others don’t care and treat you how you should be. Like a proper spiritual advisor.” 

“You talked about me last night?” 

“Yeah, we talked about lots of things.” 

“You didn’t mention that earlier.” Sokka told him just about everything he could about yesterday. Or so he thought. He looks a little embarrassed by it.

“We talked about Katara too! Family stuff. And I was curious about the firebending thing.” He shrugs, finally dropping the hand that was holding onto Zuko. “Anyways I had a feeling that if you really punched him, it would be really bad for you. And I was right, they didn’t even care who was at fault for the fight, he just sent you away. If anything it was my fault.”

“It wasn’t your fault. It’s his, he can’t expect me to do nothing when he talks about Yue like that.” About both of you . Is what he doesn’t say, Sokka didn’t deserve what Hahn said about him either. 

“I regret not being the one to punch him first, then we could’ve gotten away with it.”

“Maybe next time.” 

Sokka laughs and the movement makes him bump into zuko’s shoulders, making him sway on his feet.

“What should we do now that we got out of class?”

“You aren’t going back?”

“Nope. Let’s hang out for the time being okay? Maybe we can find Kallik.” The boy in question being who knows where, being as though he lives in Ukiyu he isn’t required to take the ‘warrior’ lessons.

“Sure.”

Chapter Text

Yue takes a deep anticipating breath when Sokka finds her. She isn’t surprised, they’ve taken to planning out when they will see each other. Of course their inner circles come together often enough where it wouldn’t be needed but Yue needs to know when they will be alone. When she will need to put on a heavier mask than usual, when she’s with Zuko and the others it slides off easily enough. But when she is alone with Sokka she is aware this isn’t spare time with a friend, it’s her job, her duty. When they are alone it becomes a familiar song and dance of being the perfect potential spouse. She smiles more delicately and tilts her head in a demure manner.

Because Yue was determined to make this betrothal work. She had to, not only herself but her people. 

The upside is that this role she carries is a lot less heavy when her betrothed isn’t Hahn. Or maybe it was just Sokka’s natural charisma that made her feel as though she were truly speaking to someone who didn’t have ulterior motives. He seems genuine in everything he does, from his reckless movements and his casual behavior. As if he were speaking to a friend and not courting the princess of the North. Yue appreciates it, although she’s sure anyone else would gawk at how casual his words are to her. Zuko would glare and roll his eyes if he saw that Sokka’s attempts at making her smile were almost entirely dependent on bad puns.

Although she did sometimes laugh more than she felt a joke warranted, Yue could say she enjoyed their time together.

“Sokka.” She greets. 

“Princess Yue.” He bows sloppily, an attempt to make her laugh at his clumsiness.

She does only because the idea of someone not giving proper respect when bowing is a novel idea.

“How was your warrior training today?” Yue asks. It’s only been a week since he’s begun attending them alongside Zuko. She finds herself curious about how he is faring now that Sokka is accompanying him. 

“Great! I’m learning so many things, and it’s so nice to have guy time with the other warriors.” He smiles broadly, a giddiness exudes his statement. It’s evidently not a snide way of bemoaning his constant proximity to his sister but only a genuine excitement to spend time with boys his age. 

Aang is too young to connect with Sokka the way he can with the other warriors. It’s not a fault of anyone, just a natural desire to connect with others your own age. It’s why Yue was so happy at the prospect of Sokka and Zuko getting closer through warrior training. Yue has her own friends she catches up with from time to time, Zuko doesn’t– or didn’t until recently.

“That’s nice, and I’m assuming Lee was kind enough to take you under his wing?” A nice way to put ‘he follows me everywhere like a dog’ and the other complaints Zuko would recount to her. Though none of it was said full heartedly.

“Oh yeah! He’s great, we practice together all the time. But I will say he isn’t the world's most patient teacher.”

Yue laughs airily, that sounds about right.

“But I think he got a bit annoyed of me following him around but everyone else is so-“ he leans his elbows on the balustrade, hands fidgeting while he struggles to find a description. “-it just feels like everyone is playing some joke where they pretend they’re interested in what I have to say and laugh about me behind my back.” He frowns, Yue tilts closer with worry.

“Not everyone is like that, just some people I guess. I’d rather stick with Lee.”

If some people were giving Sokka a hard time she doesn’t want to think about how they were treating Zuko. She worries the end of her braid between her fingers and follows Sokka’s suit and leans against the bridge guardrail.

“I’m glad you have each other. Lee is…I worry about him.”

Sokka gives her a questioning look. Curious but politely allowing her to explain on her own.

“Well I’m sure you’ve noticed but most people don’t trust him, they’ve turned his blessing of firebending into some kind of bad omen. It’s utterly disgraceful. If it weren’t for the war they wouldn’t treat him like he’s one of them. Like he's Fire Nation.” Of course Yue knows his origins, but the citizens of the tribe don’t, so it’s purely based on fear. And besides that Yue doesn’t associate him with the Fire Nation anymore.

“Of course not everyone thinks that way, a fair amount of people respect Lee, he is a spiritual advisor just like me. And a lot of people respect the spirit’s decisions more than they hate firebenders, thankfully.” 

Sokka’s brows are pinched in consideration. “That’s awful, he may be prickly but he doesn’t deserve that.”

Yue nods sagely and the conversation dies into a short silence. 

“But that’s not it, is it?” Sokka speaks up. “He isn’t really allowed to be a normal person. I’ve noticed that he lets people walk all over him. I didn’t notice until recently, he talks to us normally but let’s anyone else speak however they want to him.” Thick brows furrow and Yue is surprised by the sheer emotion Sokka’s blue eyes carry, as if this observation had been weighing on him. Yue can understand the feeling, the helplessness.

“He’s always been advised to be as amicable as possible, he has a temper. We don’t want people to find more reason to distrust him.”

“But he should be able to defend himself shouldn't he?”

“It’s a difficult situation Sokka. He isn’t even allowed to firebend publicly. Although one day I hope he will be allowed even if just for spiritual matters.” 

Sokka ends up just looking sad, Yue regrets turning the conversation to Zuko. She had no idea Sokka would have so much empathy for benders as a nonbender. Her family was composed of non benders, half the time she forgets Zuko is a firebender considering how rare it is to see him utilize the ability. She has an inkling that there’s more to the sadness from his discovery than she is aware of.

But the tense mood does nothing for either of them, it could be considered a failing on her end that she allowed the atmosphere to shift into something inappropriately sad. Everyone must always enjoy the time spent with the Princess, she must be nothing but lovely, a natural mediator, a master at making others feel at ease. So she guides the situation.

“Sokka, I just remembered you haven’t gotten the chance to tour the city on the canals. It would be a shame if you didn’t enjoy our city’s most recognizable feature.” A pearly white smile and Sokka visibly perks up.

“Yeah. I guess you’re right, I’ve been meaning to take a ride through the canals before we leave.” Sokka peers down the bridge as if just now realizing what is below it. 

“Perfect. It’s very relaxing, follow me.” 

Touring the canals is fun with Sokka. He has no issue leading the conversation with questions, jokes and stories. He even manages to badger the waterbender who guides their canoe into a conversation. 

She tries not to let her mind wander with company, it’s plain rude and a bad habit for a princess. She can't be drifting off while entertaining company. Spirits only know how she’d like too, especially this past week with all the traveling chiefs and advisors who came to wish her well in her debut into womanhood. But her mind was slipping past her today. She can’t help but lean into the edge of the canoe. A voice tells her to stop slouching in such a way but she doesn’t listen to it. Instead getting lost in the ripples of the water that appear from the canoe disrupting the liquid. Gentle thumps reprimand the wood and the sound is so faint with Sokka rambling from across her but she zeros in on it anyway.

And everything clicks into place when she focuses on the gentle glow that is reflected on the water. White and pure, so unassuming but somehow luring her into a trance. 

The moon in all her glory, staring back at her. Yue feels oddly disturbed at the coincidence. There is no real connection to her distracted state and the moon's reflection. It’s not as though it had called her to stare down at the water, it’s not as though it can demand her attention purposefully. 

But even so she feels uneasy. Even now she can barely see her own reflection, it was overshadowed by the celestial figure. As if it was her own reflection rather than the figure below it with white hair that paled in comparison to the waxing moon.

Yue gasps when she is shaken from her concentration. Sokka has said her name, pitched a little louder than he normally would and tinged with confusion.

“Yue?” Yue, that was her name. It always has been, but maybe at some point it had been muddled with someone else’s. Maybe when she was blessed some part of Tui stained her soul, and a call for the spirit could be confused for her. Isn’t that what she’d been told her whole life? That she was nothing but a messenger to her? A human servant that must answer when called.

No. She was whole. Yue had to be sure of it. What she felt was nothing but a symptom of the emotional exhaustion she felt after so many hours of pinched perfect smiles and polite responses. But it’ll all be over soon now that their guests are leaving.

“Yes?” 

Sokka looked concerned. He was so open in his expressions, it was never a question as to how the boy felt. It was another thing she appreciated about him. “Are you okay?”

“Of course. I just got distracted.” She brushed a hand at her nape, following the shape of hair being pulled up into the updo. Two loops tied so high it gave her a few inches in height, only being supported by a ribbon and a brooch. She tried not to wear this style as it only highlighted her height, but she felt comforted by the fact she knew Sokka wasn’t the type to care about a girl's height. He wasn’t like the others, the families here upheld tradition. And it wasn’t traditional for a lady to be as tall as her betrothed. But Sokka had never made a comment on it. He met her gaze easily and never hinted that it bothered him that they were the same height.

“That’s okay. I guess I got carried away with my story huh?”

“I’m sorry Sokka. You should start from the beginning, I want to hear.” How rude of her. A princess ignoring her betrothed to stare at the water.

“It’s alright. We should get back now, huh?”

The sun was dipping low, only barely grazing the top of the ice wall. “Yes I think we should return. I think everyone will be missing us by now.” And she desperately needed an hour to decompress before dinner. Soon it’ll be more entertaining and pleasant small talk. More of apologizing for not meeting someone’s grandson before getting betrothed, more of defending Zuko from comments from those who’d never actually seen the fabled fire bender of the north. Their words aren’t anything they haven’t heard before but everyone in Agna Qel’a has grown used to Zuko’s presence, they don’t flinch when he walks about. It’s all been very taxing for everyone.

“Oh! Before I forget, I made this for you!” Sokka sticks a hand out with a small wooden figure in the center of his palm.

Yue grabs it with caution, bringing it to her face to properly access the …blob?

“It’s a fish.”

“Ah no…it’s an arctic polar platypus!”

“Oh..” She turns the polar platypus and slowly pieces together the features. Four stumpy legs and a hardly defined snout. Yue smiles when she spots the tail sprouting from the back. It looks so adorably ugly. She laughs delightedly. “Thank you Sokka. I love it.”

Sokka smiles back and sighs a breath of relief. “I’m glad you like it, I know I need more practice. But I was told carving was a tradition up here.”

“It is.” Yue resists the urge to peel off a mitten to thumb the uneven grooves in the wood, she knows the sensation would please her immensely. “I preferred engraving jewelry, it’s a much more respectable form of carving for a princess as well.” She wondered what she would make for a wedding gift. Typically the bride would gift a necklace after the wedding to complement her own betrothal necklace. But Sokka already had a necklace and she didn’t know how attached he was to it. She shoved the thought away for now.

“How did you know this was my favorite animal?” It made her think of clutching soft pure white furs as a child.

“Let’s say a little birdy told me.” He smiled and laughed at his own joke. Yue could only guess, but the soft curve of his lips and the amused expression he reserved for Zuko was back again. Her own smile came much more effortlessly at the realization.

_____

Zuko has thirty minutes of solitude during dawn before his room becomes the beacon for everyone to lounge in. He wakes alongside the sun as does Nuiaq. He chirrups when Zuko begins to pack his things away in a pack. Water skin, oil, comb, extra clothes. 

A thundering knock rings out and Zuko would’ve guessed it were Yue had everyone else not begun disrespecting him the more familiar they became. At this point it could’ve been anyone. He is relieved to see it is in fact Yue when he opens the door. Already dressed and promptly shoving past Zuko as if it were her own room. He doesn’t protest of course, doesn’t even look twice when she rummages in his bags.

“Hmm. Good, you’re missing something though.”

Zuko stands over her and peers into his already double checked belongings. “No I didn’t?” Ribbon, water, goggles, tent. What could he be missing?

“Mittens.” 

“You know I don’t need mittens.” Zuko is one of the only people in the north you won’t find wearing the basic necessity that were mittens. His inner fire has always helped him with that.

“You do now. You’ve been getting goosebumps. You’re cold.” She says very matter of factly, his stray comments about the temperature don’t help. He now cursed his parka and its sleeves that stop an inch away from his wrist, its design now hindering him in his efforts to stave off the cold that keeps his fingers pink and stiff.

Zuko frowns but doesn’t deny it. He hasn’t spoken any theories out loud but he knows his inner flame has begun to weaken. He feared it was his own lackluster knowledge on firebending that caused it, or that he needed more discipline in his firebending.

But he’s been training with Katara and Aang, effectively advancing in his skills before all progress suddenly stopped. Before it was a steady thing he didn’t have to think twice about or consciously control, it was the only aspect of firebending he truly mastered on his own. But now it takes more effort just to make sure he isn’t freezing.

“I don’t have a pair.” And it’s a dangerous thing to go without mittens when camping, but Zuko hasn’t had a pair for years.

“Let me go give you a pair alright?” 

“No, I’ll be alright.” He would rather be cold than wear Yue’s decorated gloves, usually he wouldn’t care but hers are all obviously beaded for a woman.

“But they would fit! Maybe be a bit loose on you…” 

He brushes the comment off, not sure if it’s meant to be a dig at his slightly smaller hands. (Which is perfectly normal considering Yue was in fact taller than him, by a small margin) 

“I’ll figure something out.” She waves a hand flippantly and continues digging in his belongings. Zuko ignores her presence and drags a comb through his hair. Midway through tying a braid to frame his face a knocking disrupts their quiet.

“Good morning!” A shrill voice says from behind the heavy wooden door. Zuko groans and Yue perks up.

Opening the door Zuko reveals Sokka in his half dressed glory. He only wears proper pants and traveling boots but still dons his thinner sleeping shirt, hair undone and messy. Zuko is momentarily stunned by his loose hair, never having seen him with his short brown hair framing his face and curling around his cheeks the way it is now. He doesn’t even realize this is the first time Sokka is seeing him in a similar manner of undress.

If you can call a sleep shirt and pants undressed, what Zuko is more concerned about is his hair. Zuko still holds more sensitivity about his hair from his upbringing in the fire nation. Of course the tribe has its own strict rules about hair but Zuko doubts anyone could feel embarrassment at being seen with loose hair by their…friend.

Zuko steps aside to invite Sokka in, unconsciously fiddling with the ends.

“You’re early…” 

“I’m excited, I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep. So I waited for the sun to come up so you would be awake, Fire benders rise with the sun right?”

“Yes, but it’s still a little rude to come while I’m getting ready, Sokka.”

“Why? We’re friends. Oh! Hi Princess Yue.”

Yue smiles, “Good morning Sokka.”

The boy suddenly becomes aware of his state of casual dress and quickly ties his hair into its usual style. Zuko silently mourns the loss. 

“Are you joining us?”

Yue laughs softly. “Of course not, I believe the only women who join you all will be to support the group. Like Palina.” She doesn’t reveal any sadness about not being invited, she’s never been interested in hunting. They’ve both been content to leave the gore and hard work of hunting to others. “But I will be there to send you both off.”

“So why are you ready so early? We won’t be leaving for another two hours.” Sokka asks.

“Emotional support!” She grabs Zuko’s forearm to shake him and Zuko allows it with a small glare. It’s too early to argue so he has to endure the horrors of socializing during the early morning.

“Thank you but it won’t change the fact I’m coming back empty handed.”

“Don’t think that way Sunny, you’ll bring me back something tasty won’t you?” She smiles as though she genuinely believes it. Zuko doesn’t have the heart to tell her he would be lucky to strike down a squirrel lizard.

“Spirits hear me.” Is all he says.

“Shush. Let me do your hair.” Yue grabs his cheek to tilt his scarred side towards her, completely unafraid to touch the sensitive skin. Sokka only watches as she skillfully pulls enough hair to braid and successfully hides the spot above his ear that refuses to grow back hair. Zuko allows his eyes to close as she works, he tries his best to not fall back asleep with the soothing motions.

His only mistake was leaving his back turned to Sokka because he jumps so hard he shoulders Yue on accident when he feels unfamiliar hands touch him. Touch his hair. Zuko gasps and turns to see Sokka with a comb and hand outstretched to hold the end of Zuko’s hair.

Sokka hardly reacts and just smiles as if he doesn’t comprehend why Zuko is horrified. It isn’t his fault of course, friends touching hair is common in the tribes. It’s a much more personal affair in the fire nation, it seems almost inappropriate to think of inviting Sokka to touch it.

“You don’t need to do that.” Is all Zuko can muster, he doesn’t want to reprimand him so he settles on deflecting.

“I don’t mind. I do katara’s hair all the time.”

He looks almost excited to help so Zuko hesitates. He considers if he could handle allowing Sokka to continue, or if he would self combust from the contact.

“Lee is just…particular! About his hair, he only lets me touch it.” Yue says. She’s finished off her braid and hovers a hand over the indigo wraps he planned to tie around them.

“Oh…” Sokka frowns for a second but easily recovers “No problem man, I should’ve asked anyway.” 

Yue and Sokka spend the time chatting while Zuko wonders why on earth Sokka is here instead of packing his things. 

Only ten minutes pass before someone is barging inside without bothering to knock. Zuko doesn’t need any more information than that to deduce who it is.

“Good morning sunshine! And company!”

“Kallik!” Yue exclaims. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

“I have no idea why he would show up instead of meeting us at the stables.” Zuko mutters.

“I’m about to leave and we won’t see each other for who knows how long and you’re annoyed to see me?” Kallik wrinkles his nose and acts offended. “At least I know Yue will miss me.”

Yue of course takes delight at the theatrics and allows Kallik to sit beside her, she doesn’t even flinch when he lays his legs across her lap and lays back on the bed. Taking up the whole bed like some parasite, Zuko almost considers siccing Nuiaq on him.

“Manners.” Zuko hisses, the irony of it doesn't phase Kallik at all.

Before he could kick them all out so he can finally change into proper traveling attire, two people cross his doors threshold again,

“Are you guys ready to eat breakfast?” Aang asks, blissfully unaware of Zuko's annoyance. He has even less heart to shoo away Aang and Katara of all people. They’ve gotten close through their secret training in the spiritual oasis and he finds the younger teens are very easy to be around. He doesn’t second guess his words and question their friendship like he does with Sokka. Doesn’t step around glass like he does with Kallik, still finding the footing around their renewed friendship. 

“Now that you mention breakfast…” Sokka starts.

“Perfect timing Aang.” Yue is standing, effectively knocking Kallik's legs off the bed and pulling him along to follow the group.

“I’ll meet you down there.” Zuko says. They accept this answer and leave. He sits in front of his mirror and resumes his hair, indigo and stars frame his face like hands that used to caress and a braid that curls around his neck. 

Breakfast is quick for Zuko, he tries to leave for the stables early. This of course causes the group to complain. Sokka, who finished just as quickly, volunteers to join him. Kallik does as well. Which leads Zuko to be surrounded by two very bad influences. 

Kallik is immediately drawn to the snow leopards. “Oooh I know which we should pick.”

“Spirits no, are you trying to kill us?”

“Of course not, I think I’d be stuck down by Agni herself if I tried to kill her precious son.”

Zuko raises an eyebrow in disbelief, “Sure. Let's leave the snow leopards to the warriors.”

Sokka is stuck peering over the stall door. Clearly amazed by the majestic creature who watches curiously from inside. These are tamed and much more similar to pet Pygmy pumas than their wild counterparts. “Are you sure we can’t take one?” He pouts.

“Have you ever ridden something as fast as that?”

“I haven’t ridden anything besides Appa. But I could figure it out.” Sokka gains a dangerous spark in his eyes as he says this. Zuko has no doubt he would miraculously be able to handle riding such a creature but he doesn’t want to encourage this type of recklessness. He’s supposed to be a perfect picture of restraint and patience, someone reliable enough to be worthy of being Agni’s chosen child. 

And while he’s used to handling Kallik’s bad ideas, he’d always been with Yue, they both enable each other's good behavior (Overall behavior, yes. Attitude is another question). But no one has arrived at the stables yet, and Sokka is sending him a hopeful smile, he really doesn’t want that smile to drop into disappointment. He has not been able to grow a tolerance to the pathetic look the boy loves to weaponize.

Is this peer pressure?

Kalliks face is skeptical, he’s glancing between him and Sokka, likely watching Zuko’s face and resolve crumble so easily just because Sokka is the one asking.

“Sokka, how would you even begin to control it? Do you even know the basics-“

“We do. We could show him and he could figure out the rest, and if we break something we’ll blame him.” Kallik suggests shamelessly, at least Sokka doesn’t seem offended. In fact, he’s nodding his head in agreement.

“Please. I promise I’ll tell them it was my idea. Besides, we're supposed to be bonding. We’ll be family soon.” Zuko cringes at that.

“I don’t know.”

“Lee, trust me. I’m the Southern Water Tribe's best warrior. I can handle a kitty.”

Zuko’s eyes stray to the gate and the path outside of it which remains barren of any other person. Any time they spend stalling is just this stupid opportunity slowly slipping away. 

“Just don’t kill us.”

Sokka whoops and opens the gate. The giant leopard yawns and slowly stands up. “C'mere you cutie.” Sokka baby talks and the grey and white patterned cat rubs its head against Sokka’s palms. He needs both hands to pat a single cheek.

Kallik side steps and begins putting the saddle on. Zuko just stands and considers if he could get away as being a hostage instead of an accomplice if he doesn’t directly help.

Before he can think about it for too long they coax the animal out of the stall and out into the snow. Kallik works Sokka through the basic steps of controlling a reined animal and soon enough they are badgering Zuko to get on.

The second Zuko gets on behind Sokka, the animal lunges forward. Zuko gasps and nearly flies off but he grips onto him tightly. Arms wrap tightly around him from behind and in different circumstances he would’ve previously freaked out over it but now all he can think of is how cold the air feels. 

Sokka laughs when the boys behind him struggle to keep themselves from gasping and grunting. Zuko fears his travels with the avatar have desensitized him to danger because Sokka has no issue in commanding the animal to run as fast as seemingly possible. He weaves them around stable equipment, wagons, wooden crates and small scattered storage rooms.

Surprisingly Sokka hasn’t run them into the building yet so he silently thanks Agni. Sokka guides the snow leopard towards a stretch of empty snow. The boys whoop loudly and Zuko can only laugh through the rush of adrenaline.

Eventually he gives the leopard a break from sprinting to walk along the ice wall. “How are we supposed to go up that?”

Zuko laughs at the disbelief in his voice. “There’s a staircase alongside the wall, it’s further along.” He points in the direction, arm pressed against Sokka’s arm as he tries to show him. 

“Oh. That’s kind of underwhelming.”

“You would’ve preferred a catapult?”

Sokka snickers, “Yes, actually.”

He pulls on the reins and makes the beast run back to the stables, the distance is great enough that they have no idea if they’ll be returning to a stable full of people. Zuko can hardly think of the consequences as they’re jostled around harshly. 

The graceful creature leaps through the air once and the boys practically fly into air and fall back into the saddle hard enough to bruise. They scramble to hold on before being flung off. Zuko in particular has to deal with Kallik's entire weight crushing him. Miraculously Zuko presses his left leg firmly into the side of the saddle to keep his momentum from swinging him to the right.

Being seated behind Sokka, he can’t quite see the area in front of him. Zuko can’t see the reason for the sudden swerve. He assumes Sokka is struggling to control the snow leopard. Apparently while he had his eyes shut they had made it halfway back to the stables. Sokka and Kallik go quiet and Zuko peers from behind him to see a stocky figure. 

The man is someone he recognizes well enough, the handler for the snow leopards.  Zuko is more acquainted with his counterparts which were in charge of the aviary and the general stables. 

“Boys.” Bushy brows raise in an unimpressed manner.

“Uh…” Sokka starts, 

“Firstly I’d argue against three people riding a snow leopard, but you're all relatively scrawny enough to not hurt it, but I’d get off before the Chief arrives.”

They all scramble off and stand awkwardly beside the leopard, she simply pants and walks over to nuzzle the man’s legs. Thankfully he doesn’t seem too upset.

“It seems fitting that you all run off right before your first hunt, one last childish act of rebellion.” He smiles fondly.

“Well actually sir I already had my hunt, we don’t reserve our first hunt for our coming of age.” Kallik objects.

“That doesn’t exactly help your case.”

“Sorry. Won’t happen again.” Zuko Sends a quick bow before Kallik could make this worse.

“Yeah, we’re sorry.” Sokka adds.

He lets out an airy laugh and gestures to the warriors and families who have only just arrived at the stables. “We’re getting ready to leave, care to join us?”

Kallik salutes and drags Zuko away. Sokka mumbles something and quickly scurries to follow them.

“Wow, he was more lenient than I thought.” Sokka says absentmindedly.

“Let’s make ourselves scarce, maybe he won’t tell your dad anything.” Kallik reasons.

“Hmm, if we’re lucky. He could always tell your parents too.” Kallik blanks at that, running to his parents and acting as though he had never been gone.

Sokka and Zuko’s belongings are light, they only plan to stay out of the city for two days at best. But it’s clear who is and isn’t there for the hunt. Young men and experienced fathers carry simple packs and weapons are strapped to backs and saddles. The other party carries far more luggage that was required for the weeks-long stay in the Capital. Zuko’s spots fish, both raw and dried into jerky, in thin papers. They’re tied together in stacks and placed into boxes of ice, a rare treat for the villagers who live further north where sea fish and turtle seals are harder to obtain.

“It’ll be so weird being away from Katara.”

Zuko is shaken from his thoughts, he turns to Sokka who is leaning on Zuko’s yak. He’s very fond of animals for someone who’s been traveling by giant bison. He would imagine Sokka would be tired of smelly animals, but when Zuko would work in the aviary for the extent of his stay at Ukiyu he wouldn’t tire of the stuffy rooms that houses the owls. And birds are far less cuddly than yaks.

“Oh, you’ve been traveling together for a long time haven’t you?” 

“Well that too, but we’ve never been separated before, the southern tribe is all in one village. We’re always near anyone we could ever know.”  He perks up when he notices Zuko’s frown. “It’s not a bad thing, just new.” He reassures with a smile, Zuko can’t tell whether it’s meant to reassure him or Sokka himself–maybe both.

“I understand.” Zuko finishes tying his saddle onto the side of his mount. Sokka hardly budges even when they’re practically shoulder to shoulder. But Zuko doesn’t comment, he doesn’t mind it either since he’s still courteous enough to keep some distance between them.

“Do you need help with your things?”

“Do you think I could ride the snow leopards again?” Sokka says instead of answering.

“Shouldn’t you have gotten that out of your system by now?” Zuko sends him a look of disapproval. They had just gotten in trouble for it, they were lucky it hadn’t been someone more stern or Arnook.

Sokka narrows his eyes as he watches the man who caught them in the distance, as if he could gauge how well his chances are based on how nicely he approaches the question. But from how much everyone loves Sokka and his friends Zuko could wager his chances are high as much as he hates to admit. Sokka’s eyes sparkle with anticipation and Zuko isn’t surprised when he excuses himself a few minutes later. He simply takes Sokka’s bag from the ground beside him and saddles it on the other side of the yak. 

Seated tall on his preferred yak, Rye, the gentle giant of the royal family’s caribou yaks. Zuko picked him because of his good temperment, he never panics or bolts and can essentially lead himself for the most part. Zuko had never gotten much practice with riding, so he prefers to have a yak he knows won’t wander when Zuko himself is distracted.

Nuiaq easily clambers onto his horns, as if they were branches instead of a live animal. That’s another reason, the yak gives only a soft snort and allows the disrespect. Another more opinionated yak would shake him off and Zuko doesn’t want the unnecessary tension.

So he pretends he wouldn’t have been assigned Rye even if he hadn’t picked him. He knows the warriors would send him off with an easy yak anyways, he doesn’t let it bother him.

“Nuiaq.” Zuko softly scolds, “You aren’t here for an easy ride, go on.” He waves him away and whistles so that he listens to the command to fly above them. The bird is visibly disgruntled when it obeys him and takes off to lazily circle above the pack.

Zuko purses his lips, it’ll be hard not giving in to Nuiaq. But he can’t falter even once otherwise Nuiaq will remain nothing but a spoiled lazy bird with a title of messenger owl for nothing but decoration.

Besides Palila is here, she’d be watching that he doesn’t give in. He can already imagine the disappointment which would appear as nothing more than a subtly furrowed brow and a slightly deeper frown. But that’s enough to strike dread into Zuko, he respects her too much to ask for her help then discard it when it gets hard. He sends a glance over to her and nearly does a double take when he sees her with an easy smile. It’s the most positive expression he’s seen on her, her glasses leaning dangerously low as she tilts her face down for a departing kiss from her husband. A tall lean unassuming man, Zuko has no recollection of meeting before. 

Nuaiq tries to land once again, but Zuko waves him off again. The bird decides to get back at him by leaving to sit next to Palina’s own messenger owls. A small tawny brown owl with golden eyes so big it encompasses its entire face sits next to a bigger snowy owl bat. Its feathers are dotted sparsely and it gives nuaiq a wary glance.

Zuko sighs and desperately hopes Nuiaq won’t cause trouble with the undoubtedly better behaved owls.

A caribou yak walks beside Zuko’s own, Arnook seated on it. Zuko’s eyes drag down onto the harness, embroidered with moon symbols and a beautifully beaded scene of wolves racing across the chest. Zuko can only assume Rye’s harness matches, he hadn’t thought to notice how distinctly marked the hunting group is compared to the returning families. “Are you ready to set off?”

“I am. And your charge?” Sokka, he means. seeing as though Sokka’s father wouldn’t accompany him on the hunt, as is tradition, Arnook assumes his place. They both glance at Sokka who's busy charming the snow leopard’s trainer into allowing him to ride again. It seems as though the man is close to caving by the way he is smiling in amusement instead of annoyance.

“Just gave him an ilgaak, he’s eager to go. I hope his enthusiasm rubes off on you.”

Zuko smiles wryly. “I’m sure it will.” At the reminder he digs his own goggles out of the side satchel. He had to rummage very thoroughly through his wardrobes to find it. It remained useless for the years he didn’t travel to Ukiyu. His fingers tracing the grooves that adorned it, a small sun with the waves of light falling across the edges of the bone. He can only hope it will still fit well enough, he doesn’t have the heart to replace something merroya had engraved for him. A sun across his eyes, a bright reminder of his blessing and life force, something merroya made great effort to highlight in his clothes and accessories.

Zuko ended up tying a new leather strap to it so that it could fit easier, the goggles no longer dig into the side of his cheeks. 

“One more thing.” Arnook says. He reaches into his pockets to pull out a ball of fur. He throws it into Zuko’s hands which unfurl the ball of incredibly soft fur. Mittens. Brown at the base of the fur but sprouting into a warm brown, the underside of the mittens are a stark white. Zuko recognizes the fur as bobcat shrew, an uncommon choice for mittens. Usually seal or yak fur is used, maybe even wild polar dog. Bobcat fur is usually decorative and expensive, good for insulating but not an ideal pick for mittens as they aren’t completely waterproof and soak easier than the dense, short fur of a yak.

Zuko’s smiles softly, it’s a nice gift even if he would’ve preferred Yue not running to snitch to Arnook about his predicament.

“Thank you, Arnook.” They are blissfully warm so he smiles. Zuko will wear them despite how it makes him embarrassed to have someone care so much. Brand new expensively nice mittens for a firebender that is supposed to be warm enough to not wear any at all. It almost feels absurdly atypical to wear them for necessity.

Arnook nods and effortlessly leads his yak away. Zuko has only a second of reprieve before Yue captures his attention.

“Lee!”

“Yue.”

She tugs on his parka to tell him to join her on the ground. He complies and is wrapped in a hug. “Remember to bring me something tasty.” She says into the collar of his clothes, warm breath puffing against the white fur that hems his parka.

Zuko laughs, low and gentle, something only Yue has been able to pull from him for his entire adolescence. And in return she laughs in short bursts that give the impression she can’t catch enough breath, nothing like the gentle giggles she freely awards others.

She pulls away and Zuko is startled by the seriousness in her eyes. “Be careful out there.”

“I will.”

“But also be careful around them. All the boys.”

“You don’t have to worry.” 

“I do. I know about the fight.”

Zuko freezes, with his yak behind him and her imposing figure in front of him he suddenly feels trapped. “How..”

Sokka swore not to tell Arnook, but never against telling Yue. Zuko internally curses him.

“Sokka told me, I didn’t know what to think for a while. I feel like it’s my fault.”

“It is not. Hahn having some weird obsession with you is not your fault.” 

“But it began over me, even if I didn’t do anything I feel sorry anyways.” She purses her lips. “I wanted to tell you to be confident in yourself, don’t let them push you around anymore okay? Whatever happens I’ll back you up.”

“You know why I can’t do that…I can’t afford to be too reckless. They’ll get the wrong idea.” For good reason, whatever conspiracies they make about him aren’t nearly as bad as the truth. That his family is directly responsible for the war. Whatever petty comments come his way are nothing compared to what could’ve been.

“It’s wrong, they used to be afraid but now they just take out their frustrations on you. We won’t allow it anymore.” Her Icy eyes are stern and bore into his own easily. She has an amazing capability to make someone feel like they have no choice but to obey.

“You know what they’ll say.” Perhaps all that will happen is some uncomfortable confrontations or maybe Zuko will be graced with nothing but fresh contempt from his peers. Lies about how aggressive he is and how he behaves unprovoked, it’s happened in the past and he has no doubt it would happen again,

“You know we’ll defend you. Arnook won’t allow disrespect anymore, most adults at least respect your status, no one wants to insult the spirits.” She reminds him as she grabs hold of his wrists again. “Oh how lovely!” She says as she notes the mittens. “I think I’m jealous.”

“Thank you, Yue.” Zuko says with an obvious sarcastic tone.

“Well I didn’t gift them to you now did I?”

“It might as well have been you.”

She smirks proudly. “Now, we should finish up shouldn't we? I think they’re ready to take off.”

“I think they’re waiting for you.” Zuko says, looking around the crowds are giving them appropriate space for farewells but eyes still linger on them. 

“For us.” She corrects. “Agni will guide you all today.”

Zuko hums, “Well then, will you bless me?”

Yue doesn’t answer, it’s a rhetorical question anyways. She takes off her own mittens and grasps his right hand and cradles it close to her lips. With no blessed water or moon in sight her only option is to mutter a prayer into his hand. With the ghost of her breath across his knuckles he can feel her breathing life into the words that will call for the protection of Tui. Zuko closes his eyes and feels his own lips mimic the words without repeating them, years of studying side by side means they know each other's prayers and rituals by heart.

Before Yue finishes she adds an additional plea for guidance in the hunt and for self reflection. Zuko thanks her quietly.

She doesn’t even need to ask because Zuko grasps both her hands, keeping her palms facing downwards. Slowly he warms his hands as best as possible. A lot of his rituals had to be improvised since knowledge about agni and her sages is obviously limited in the north. A lot of it was Zuko's own recollection of how the fire sages performed prayers or rituals. Use of candles at altars and morning prayers and meditation.

This was something of his own design though. As a child he recalled seeing the fire sages hold fire in their palms, the flame being small enough to almost lick the other person's palms during blessings. But Zuko wasn’t entirely confident in holding a flame so close to someone’s skin so he had long ago settled for holding palms and warming his hands as far as he could without burning the other person. 

So Zuko asks Agni to warm Yue’s day, asks her to enlighten Yue and whatever worries she carries. Before he can finish Yue softly giggles, causing him to open his eyes.

“What is that?” She asks.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s ticklish.”

Zuko is thoroughly confused and loosens his grip on her. “What..?”

Yue lifts her palms, before she can respond she gasps. “Is that fire?”

With the separation of their hands, Zuko can see pink flames licking at her palms, only about an inch tall and calmly swaying on the surface of his hands. “What the-“

For whatever reason Yue smiles excitedly. “It didn’t even burn!”

“How is that possible?” He was sure he hadn’t been bending. He’s only ever warmed his hands to channel chi through his palms into the other person's body. He’s never once slipped up enough to accidentally burn- or almost burn?

“How is that possible?”

“Do it again!”

Zuko looks to the surrounding families, some of whom are watching with shock. He resists the urge to pretend this never happened, it’s too late for that now. He follows her command and somehow the tepid flames return. He wonders if it has to do with his recent difficulty to control his inner flame. 

He can feel his chi travel to his hands as usual, with the pressure of her skin he can sense it traveling into her, not completely unusual. But somehow the ritual he’s done dozens of times before manifests with flames that don’t burn. It’s unbelievable. Zuko chuckles at the absurdity.

“What does this mean?” Was this a fluke? Would this ability disappear once he regained control over his inner flame?

“It means you’re amazing, what an amazing gift from Agni.”

“What use does this even have?” He can see the people who had been watching, alerting others to the sight of the Princess’s hands encased in pink-orange flames.

“It means you’re harmless, it means you can bless us with your own firebending.”

A small girl stumbles into Yue’s dress, hands steading herself on the princess. Her eyes are fixated on the miracle Zuko holds. Maybe even memorized by the colors that shift and dance. 

“Woahh.”

Yue shifts to kneel down to the height of the girl, smiling and welcoming her. “Would you like a blessing?”

“Fire?”

“Lee has been blessed by Agni, it’s how he can touch us with fire and not burn us. It’s a gift from the spirits, would you like to see?” Zuko almost wants to protest, there was always a possibility he’d lose control and accidentally burn the girl. Yue’s sheer excitement and proud smile is all that kept him from excusing himself.

The parents crowd behind the girl, unsure about interrupting the princess to drag their child back. The explanation calms them, they stay silent as the girl extends a hand to Zuko.

Zuko smiles softly, trying his best to appear welcoming. He holds her palms and slowly they are encased in fire, the girl jolts at the sight but relaxes as the fire stays at a comfortable temperature. The crowd circles them, curious. Some ask for a blessing and soon enough Yue and Zuko are separated by the requests. They don’t stop until nearly every family has asked for a blessing from at least one of the siblings.

Even Aang and Katara ask for a blessing from Zuko, enthralled with the sight of his fire. Aang sends rapid fire questions that he barely manages to answer. And before Aang begins to beg for a lesson on how to do it Sokka shoos them away. 

“Besides, it's time for my blessing. Right, Lee?” Zuko couldn’t deny him one even if he wanted to. “Can you add in something so that I manage to bring in a yak by myself?” 

Zuko laughs at his question. “So you don’t have the skills to do it on your own?”

Sokka pouts. “I could but some help wouldn’t hurt, right?”

“I think that might be cheating.”

“Pleaseee.”

In the end, Zuko asks Agni to help Sokka’s aim remain steady and true. Not that he’ll need the extra help. But it satisfies Sokka nonetheless.

“One last goodbye!” Yue says as she hugs his waist while he’s seated atop Rye. 

“Bye Yue.” He almost wishes she could join if only so he could have her enthusiasm and encouragement a little longer. 

“Be careful you two!” 

Sokka waves from the back of a snow leopard.

___

And so the combined groups set off to the nearest mountain range. Until reaching the campsite for traveling they would remain seated for hours. It’s not an unfamiliar routine, he’s done it enough as a child to know when to daydream and when he needed to be vigilant for the stray packs of wild polar bear dogs or wild snow leopards. 

Cold droplets of dew clung to Zuko’s cheeks, the flush on his cheeks was absolutely unknown to him because touching his cheeks only makes him actually focus on the freezing temperature of his finger tips. That was besides the fact he wouldn’t dare take off his mittens and ruin the warmth that they brought him. The new gloves were certainly a blessing, although Zuko wouldn’t admit it to anyone. Bringing attention to the brand new bobcat furred mittens wouldn’t do him any favors with the weird silent game the men had. It was suffocating to hear fathers boast how manly and capable their sons were. How well prepared they were for their first official hunt.

Thankfully after the first hour of traveling most everyone settled into a comfortable silence. The children that cling to their parents are not yet fussy and Sokka had calmed from his newfound excitement at riding a snow leopard. Instead he was being schooled on the responsibilities of riding such an animal, how to read its body language and spot potential dangers, how to best defend the rest of the ‘pack’ and how to lead a wild animal away.

Sokka takes it all in with ease, not even the potential of fighting off a wild polar dog scares him. But what’s a wild animal compared to fire nation soldiers? While Sokka lingers around Zuko’s yak he tells him more stories.

“I mean a wild animal can’t be worse than a canyon crawler… or that one time I was chased by a spirit.”

“What?” For someone who loves to brag Sokka somehow conveniently forgets to mention what 

might be the most impressive feat Zuko’s has ever heard. “Tell me about it.” 

Sokka laughs at him, which makes Zuko flush. Pulling down his ilgaak to look at him better he realizes how eager he sounded. “I want to know, I’m curious.”

“I will, it's just.. so surprising whenever you get excited about stuff. You almost look happy for once.”

Zuko frowns deeply. “That sounds like an insult.”

“It’s not. Trust me.” Sokka leans as closely as possible to him, which is difficult for someone seated on a leopard. Zuko enjoys how Sokka looking up at him makes his eyes look all that more big and bright. He of course pushes that odd thought to the back of his mind. 

“So we visited this village on our way up here, they were super happy to see us, of course. They asked for Aang's help with some spirit. It didn’t reveal itself till night, it was this huge ugly black and white creature- way bigger than any house.” His hands shoot out to try and demonstrate the size of it, expressive brows furrowing in distaste. “It was destroying the village, aang couldn’t get it to stop so I went to help, I ended up getting captured by it. It took me into the forest and left, it wasn’t until later that I realized I wasn’t in my body. I was stuck in some weird limbo between the human and spirit world.”

Zuko’s lips part in silent surprise. For all the texts and oral stories he’s memorized he’d never spoken to someone who’s had a direct interaction with a spirit, (Besides Yue of course). And someone who’d entered the sprint world- or something akin to it. “What did it look like?”

Sokka looks silently thrilled by Zuko’s rare enthusiasm. He smugly smiles at the way the other boy tilts his body toward him despite the uncomfortable strain it puts in his back. 

“Mostly the same, everything looked a bit brighter? Anyway I was wandering the forest trying to get back to the village, but I kept finding more spirits, calmer ones, thankfully.”

Before Zuko could question the appearance of said spirits, Sokka was shoving a hand into the side pack on the yak, with his other hand holding onto the side of the caribou yak to steady himself, precariously close to Zuko’s thigh. With a small cheer he pulled out a leather bound book and quickly flipped to a page.

Charcoal sketches laid on the paper, encompassing every inch of it there laid different angles of strange creatures. Zuko accepted the book and held it with careful reverence, knowing how important a journal could be to someone. He thought back to his own journals. The ones he’d kept when Naqin finally allowed him to document his studies in a book, she had been wary of allowing him to rely on it for memorization. Eventually she caved, and the notes had turned to his own indulgent work. Sketches, not unlike the ones Sokka had, would consist of the birds in the aviary. Their quirks, species and developmental stages.

Zuko long ago abandoned those journals, he still couldn’t decide if it had been a self made punishment or just growing out of a habit.

“Sokka…” Zuko started, he didn’t mean to speak but the awe in his voice must’ve spoken for itself. Sokka was smiling a little unsurely now, bashful, Zuko could say it was a nice change to the confidence he always projected. Even so he was quick to finish his sentence. “These are amazing. I mean getting descriptions of spirits this detailed is…unprecedented.”

There were several sketches for each spirit, most of which were creatures Zuko couldn’t begin to describe. Feathered and hooved, horns that jutted unnaturally from elongated necks, several pairs of eyes on one sole head, fantastical creatures with human faces. One stood out to him, an almost monstrous spirit that took up two pages. Sokka notices his hesitation and strains his arm to point at the page, “It was that one, Hei Bai.”

“This thing took you?”

Sokka nods. 

Hei bai is lanky and hairless, the combination of those traits makes for something that looks scarily bony, with a head that hangs down like a rabid dog locked onto a target. Its unnaturally human body looked similar to someone crawling on all fours, shoulder blades jutting out with the stance. An extra pair of arms hangs from the collar bones, Zuko could imagine it wrapping its enormous hands around Sokka and his heart pangs in sympathy. He could only imagine being taken by this, how its eyeless face would growl or even speak, and how horrifying it would be. 

Zuko is speechless as he turns the page, anticipating more sketches of hei bai or the other spirits he’d encountered. But the sketches turn into ice towers and bridges. Zuko blinks, surprised and even a little ashamed of skipping past where Sokka allowed him to see. But with the introduction of notes that grace the sketches he finds himself curious. With the height difference of their respective steeds, Zuko finds himself with an opportunity.

Sokka stays unaware, probably assuming Zuko is still admiring the sketches of Hei Bai, and Zuko takes the chance to flip through pages. More and more northern buildings fill the pages, broken by little comments about differences in architecture, food and customs. Zuko turns the page again and is met with the sight of his sister. It’s one sole sketch of her in a sea of bridge arches and ice statues that are littered throughout the city, her braids are only drawn with a suggestion of their shape. The lines are repetitive, they trace over each other in a way that reveals how unsure Sokka is when sketching the delicate lines of a human face. Zuko's eyes flicker to Sokka, who is undoubtedly going to retrieve his book soon. 

One last flip, he expects Yue’s face again but is stunned to see his own. The same shaky lines now carve out his sharper features, strong nose bridge, thinner lips, and of course his scar. It’s jarring to see it drawn with such soft swaths of charcoal, the contrast to how dark and emphasized his other features are isn’t lost on him, the difference is almost painfully considerate. Before Zuko could think too much of it, before he could begin to read the countless notes that litter that page and decipher the arrows that connect the drawing to Sokka's jumbled thoughts he slams the book shut.

Sokka looks over at his outburst. Before he could speak, Zuko was already throwing out an excuse.

“I’m impressed. I didn’t know you were an artist.” He blurts out. “I’m sure Naqin would be excited to hear your story and see your sketches.” He adds for good measure.

Sokka smiles at the praise, “I’m new at it, I’ve only gotten real practice once I left home. I just didn’t want to go home without documenting the world, yknow?”

Zuko merely hums in agreement, still gathering his thoughts on that. He has no idea what would compel Sokka to draw him of all people, nor why he would draw him so softly when he knows he is anything but. The drawing of Yue is what gives him somewhat of an explanation, he must be drawing the people he meets, to remember them by. Zuko has no real evidence for this but it’s the only thing that makes sense to him. If only he could get another opportunity to check. 

He spends the rest of the trip silent.

The sight of the mountains gained some cheers from the weary party. It only took another half hour until they reached the designated spot for travelers that rested a few minutes into the forest line. The bright red markers on the trees and beaten paths lead to a spot cleared of trees and a well cared for stone smoke pit. As they stretch their legs everyone finds the energy to converse again. Sokka did perfectly in this sort of atmosphere it seemed. He had no issues finding when to cut into conversations or speaking in a way that made people interested in what he had to say. Zuko simply resigned himself to allowing him to socialize, his energy would only deplete further if he tried to socialize right now. Besides the arrival to their destination made it so the only topic in mind was of the hunt, something he had no interest in talking about.

But Zuko could admit it seemed Sokka would be the most successful in bringing in a good hunt. Which relieved Zuko, being as sheltered as he was he doubted he could satisfy Arnooks expectations. There’s just not a lot of opportunities to go out hunting when you lived in a city surrounded by ice glaciers and had to abide by the Chief’s schedule.

The man in question was currently conversing with the other fathers, hand on Sokka’s shoulders and grinning with pride. Zuko took the opportunity to lead his caribou yak further away from the crowd. Of course he couldn’t go unnoticed though because footsteps followed him.

“Don’t get lost now.” Kallik jokes.

“Very funny.”

“I know.” he leaned all his weight against the saddle of his yak, resting his head against folded arms. “I remember the search party that went looking for you guys when we were kids. The Chief was almost killed when your mom found out.” He snickers.

Zuko’s lips quirk up, imagining the verbal beating Merroya must have given Arnook. Even though it was no one’s fault but their own that they had strayed into the forest. “It happened one time.”

“You don’t know forests though. Don’t stray.” Kallik says a little more seriously. 

Zuko rolls his eyes and turns to grab his water skin, taking a generous gulp. 

“Wish I could stay and watch your first hunt, we could’ve done it together.”

“You already did your hunt.” Although Zuko wouldn’t oppose help. 

“Who cares, but let me give you pointers.” Kallik begins to drone on about tracking animals and Zuko’s mind wanders. He’s a little scatterbrained from the hours of traveling and the endless sight of nothing but snow. His eyes follow the movement of mothers cleaning ash from the smoke pit, shrieking children, and the stray rustles of disgruntled birds that retreat from the noise. The mix of young men eagerly asking for tips from experienced adults. And naturally his eyes land on Sokka, center of it all. 

His smile is easy and his words are charismatic, keeping attention of fellow hunters and fathers alike. Braid on his right temple, bouncing against his cheek with each word with beads on the end that point down to the bone iggaak hanging around his neck. 

Zuko thumbs the embroidered pattern on the strap of his water skin as his eyes trace the embroidery on Sokka's parka. Waves around the wrist, laughter that sounds as loud as crashing waves, and just as easy to get lost in.

“Lee?” Kallik waves a hand over his view of the men. Zuko startles. He’s very absentminded right now.

“Yes?”

“I’m trying to help, Y’know. I’m worried because you live in the city. Have you ever hunted before?”

If by hunted he meant siccing Nuiaq on a stray rat snake- then yes.

His silence is answer enough. 

“Just stay close to the Chief okay? I’m sure you’ll do fine.” He pats his shoulder reassuringly.

“I don’t need to bring anything amazing in, just something.” A voice calls out for everyone to gather for lunch. “Besides, Arnook will take credit for Sokka’s performance as well, he’ll do good enough for both of us.”

Kallik raises his brows. “You sound confident.”

Zuko shrugs. “I trust his accomplishments aren’t exaggerated.”

“He exaggerates a lot.”

“Not when it comes to important things. He never exaggerates when talking about how many soldiers he’s defeated, about how many times Momo has stolen food from him, sure.”

Kallik laughs and leaves him to join his own family. Zuko naturally begins to drift towards Arnook, because it’s time to eat. and it’s only natural he returns to him to share a meal. It’s a pleasant coincidence that Sokka is beside him, and Zuko will share a meal with him as well.

He supposes it’s only natural he enjoys spending time with him now, they’re friends. They’ve spent the last two weeks growing closer, spending mornings together and then their afternoons as well. And when Yue is around Sokka is already there, getting to know her, and in turn getting to know Zuko. It was a natural progression.

“Lee!” Arnook clasps a heavy hand across Zuko’s back. Sending him forward on unsteady feet, thrust into whatever conversation he was sharing with Sokka and the other fathers.

Several pairs of eyes fall onto him, expecting. 

“Nice of you to join us, we were sharing our hopes for the hunt. I anticipate you will do well.”

“I’ll try my best.” Zuko smiles awkwardly. Avoiding the leering gazes the best he can. 

“Don’t go scaring the game away with that fire of yours, okay?” The man laughs hard at his own joke, shaking exaggeratedly. Zuko tries not to grimace.

Arnook frowns and ignores the man. “Don’t be afraid to use any skills to your advantage. That’s the point of this hunt anyhow.”

Zuko relaxes. He doubts that firebending could help him in any way with hunting, but the reassurance rests across his shoulders and comforts him. 

A slimmer arm reaches around to grasp Zuko’s shoulder, leaning into him. “Sooo if you don’t mind Chief me and Lee are gonna go eat, we’re starving.” Zuko can smell the ocean breeze on Sokka when he’s this close. The firebender has no idea how he manages to retain the smell of the ocean, but not the crisp wind of Agna Qel’a that others carry.

“Of course, growing boys after all.” Arnook waves them off.

“Enjoying getting to know your father in law?” Zuko mutters. It was odd knowing Sokka would one day be Arnook’s son in law. That he wasn't just a short lived aspect of his life that would one day fly away on Appa, resume his adventurous life with the avatar and never look back. No, Sokka would return as a hero and live in the palace, marry Yue and learn how to step into Arnooks shoes one day. 

And Zuko would be in this hypothetical future as well. The only thing he could inherit was perhaps a spiritual leader's title. It wouldn’t be a bad life for him. Living alone and studying traditions and history so that he may keep it alive as Naqin did. It wasn’t so far fetched that he could also remain unmarried, he isn’t exactly drowning in suitors. He has no other opportunities for his future, at least here he doesn’t. But even if the war were to end in their favor, Zuko could hardly start to conceptualize leaving the North.

Sokka flushes even deeper than he already was from the proximity to the fire. Or maybe some of it was leftover exertion from the ride here. He smiled shyly, still, he did not hide his obvious delight. “Do you think he likes me?”

Zuko huffs. “You're practically the ideal person to betroth to Yue. Strong, experienced warrior, respectful, natural leader.” He easily lists Sokka’s best attributes, it’s hard not to notice when he manages to tick everything off so easily. It’s as though it was fate for someone like him to drop in right before Yue could marry into a loveless marriage. Zuko could even wager it was only possible through the guidance of the spirits. Tui must have seen her daughter so miserable and decided to send a handsome warrior specially for her.

Zuko was glad, it was a long deserved turn of good luck for Yue.

Sokka chuckles a little nervously, face obviously blushing. “Thanks I guess.” 

Some boys crow at Sokka to sit with them but he declines. Zuko would tell him to go but it isn't his job to tell Sokka where to sit, if he felt pressured into sitting with him then that’s his issue. But as always if Sokka is bothered by staying with him he certainly doesn’t show it. He smiles brightly when he is served food and he chats in between huge bites. Lunch consists of fish as predicted. Traveling from Agni Q’uela means the families will bring along items and food that are harder to obtain in the land locked villages. There’s undoubtedly stacks of both dry and grounded up seaweed alongside sea animal meat in the baskets hooked onto the sides of saddles.

So the hunting party ate grilled fish and crackers. Zuko brought along fresh bread from the kitchens, soft and split open easily to share with Sokka. Kallik paws at his food like a feral street animal does at a butcher house and Zuko shoos him away with exaggerated annoyance. Sokka doesn’t bother to ask for seconds because it’s already being poured onto his plate by enamored old ladies. 

When they finish Kallik is seated on the ground and drapes his back across his pack, soaking up the little light that spills onto the forest ground. “What was your hunt like, Sokka?”

“We don't do hunts, we sail. Call It Ice Dodging.”

“Ice dodging.” Kallik repeats, intrigued. “How do you pass?”

“Well you have a crew of other people trying to pass, you sail it by yourselves and if you manage to sail without crashing into the ice it means La approves of your crew. It's supposed to prove you can learn to trust in your crew, and if you can't you'll fail.”

“Woah. That's so much less boring than hunting!”

Zuko frowns, “So if you fail you just…drown?”

“Uh, kinda? I haven't heard of anyone failing that badly though- I mean we almost crashed for a second- but we got out fine.” 

“You did this at how old?”

“Oh just about a month ago, when we met up with Bato, he’s from my Dad’s crew so he helped us do it. But we weren't in the Southern pole so we used the rocky beach, it was basically the same. Technically I was supposed to do it at fifteen but the men in my tribe left before I could.”

“So the second coming of age ritual for you? You must be twice as wise.” Zuko says dryly, it earns a snort from Sokka.

Somehow the conversation derails. Kallik asks Sokka to visit Ukiyu Crossing.

“Maybe if we ever come back to the north…”

“You don’t want to go, there's nothing to do there.”

“Why are you lying city boy!”

“Nothing but farms.”

“You love our farms!”

Nuiaq screeches and flaps his wings, protesting the yelling.

Kallik sends a glare to him and quickly flashes a smile to Sokka a second later. “Come visit me, Sokka! Spirits know no one visits me anymore.”

Sokka agrees and begins speaking in hypotheticals. ‘After the war we’ll come back’ and ‘once we win I’ll travel the world on my own schedule’ it’s all so fantastical to think about. Unrealistic too, Zuko doubts he will have time to choose where to travel to when he returns to the North to marry Yue. He almost wonders if having absurd amounts of hope is a requirement to travel with the avatar.

“-And I’ll try to update Princess Yue as best as I can when I’m gone, we’ll send our letters together Lee!”

There’s no surprise left for these types of comments anymore. “We?”

Sokka doesn’t even look ashamed. “Well y'know.”

If Zuko has already been teaching Aang what little firebending he knows, what point is there to joining them? By the time they leave he’ll have learnt everything Zuko has to offer. Zuko considers telling Sokka as much but he doesn’t know how much Sokka is aware of. He must know aang is learning from him but does he know katara is learning water bending from aang? Does he know Zuko is learning from both of them? 

Zuko presses his lips together tightly and doesn’t respond. It doesn't matter anyhow as Kallik is soon called away. “I’ll be back.” He says before dragging his belongings back to his caribou yak.

“They’re leaving soon.” Sokka doesn't respond, just looks a little sad, as though he isn’t comfortable with the idea of people leaving. Zuko wonders if Kallik would be found on another page of his book.

“I need to say my goodbyes.” Zuko flits through the crowd with Sokka on his heels, Zuko doesn't question it. In the sea of older women he finds her easily. Tall and confident, clothing more reminiscent of earth kingdom robes, she doesn’t wear a parka but heavy draping fabrics and furs that are embroidered on every inch possible. 

“Naqin.” 

“Lee.” Her eyes twinkle, clearly wanting to call him by his true name but unable to. When he’s been in Yagoda’s home with just the two women they’ve taken to calling him Zuko, it’s a rare occurrence but Naqin loves taking advantage when possible. “And special friend.”

“That’s a new one.” Sokka says, not offended.

Her eyes crinkle in delight before turning serious. “I expect a letter every single time there’s developments with your fire.”

“Of course.”

“Be very detailed, and your nightmares. And remind your sister of the same. You two must not slack off, daily meditations and prayers. I have some theories of what may be happening with you, there’s fast developments happening and that can only mean something big is coming. Be cautious, I’m predicting your first spiritual encounter– well technically, second.” 

Sokka’s eyes light up at the mention of a spiritual encounter, “Well actually-“

“-Sokka was kidnapped into the spiritual world, by an earth kingdom spirit.” Zuko finishes, desperate for the subtle scolding to stop.

Her eyes light up as predicted. “You will tell me everything! As detailed as you can. In a letter.” Sokka deflates at the redirection.

Naqin turns back to Zuko. “You have a regular human encountering a spirit before you.” She tsks. “And you’ve been spiritually blessed by Agni herself. I must say I’m a tad disappointed.”

Zuko splutters. “He’s traveling with the avatar! How is that fair?”

“And you and your sister live together and give me nothing but nightmares.” She flicks his cheek. “Nothing for years and suddenly it’s all happening at once for the both of you, I’ve gotten some concerning updates from that girl. Have you been drawn to staring at the sun, perchance?”

“Uh- no?” 

“Hmm. And your inner flame?”

“Getting worse.”

“With that little trick you pulled I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Zuko sighs. 

“One last thing.” She finally turns to fully face Sokka, who had been watching the bickering with amusement, obviously pleased to see him being picked on. “I need you to take care of him. Both of them. There’s unknown forces coming and I don’t just mean war. I think your experience with spirits will help you be able to defend them.”

Sokka nods sagely. “I will.” Zuko will drag him away to tell him not to take her seriously. That anything spiritual in nature will most likely not even be visible to him.

Naqin pats his shoulder with approval. “Are you often drawn to situations or-“ her eyes flicker to Zuko. “Individuals with spiritual energy?”

“I didn’t believe in spirits. Sometimes I still don’t.”

Naqin laughs. “Sometimes it’s easier to not believe.” 

She demands Zuko bless her, she stares at his flames and runs her palms over every inch of tepid fire the entire time. She comments on his blessing. “Safe travels and clarity. Thank you.”

Zuko then finds Palina, she had been expecting him. Her hands are already resting on the back of her own snowy owl bat. Zuko spent the next minutes holding Nuiaq close to his chest, trying not to feel nervous about sending him away,

“He's likely only forgotten the surface level of his training, he'll come back and remember his instincts. Remember he was bred for this.”

“And if they get tangled with the rope?”

Palina is tying a thin rope to her owl bats ankle, a small loop that saves enough space so as to not tug harshly. “They won’t.” She takes the other end and begins on Nuiaq’s foot. “And if they do they can easily chew it off, Nuiaq will retain the instinct to follow anyways and they'll end up in Ukiyu all the same.” Her voice leaves no room for argument.

Nuiaq tilts his head to the side, wide black eyes watching as he becomes tied to the other owl bat. 

“It'll be a short few hours for them, they'll get there before nightfall and be back in the capital by tomorrow afternoon.”

“Okay.” 

“Bye little buddy.” Sokka says as he pets the top of his head, unafraid of the possibility of being bit, he outgrew that fear quickly. 

“Bye.” Zuko says quietly. 

“Alright, Sokka, will you do the honors?” Palina hands him the bigger owl bat and instructs him to toss him gently into the air. He does and Nuiaq is forced to follow. They have their orders and leave without a question, a little too easily for Zuko’s taste.

Sokka later asks if he's sad. “You're pouting.”

It makes Zuko pull a distinctly not sad face. “I'm not, it's just odd. He's usually always around, even when I can't see him.”

Sokka nods. “He's like your katara.”

Zuko is thankful for Katara's sake that she'll never hear this comparison, but Zuko is offended on her behalf anyway.

The last goodbye is reserved for Kallik, the few last minutes consist of Sokka and Kallik talking about nothing, unsure if they'll ever see each other despite Sokka's promises. The last call for the party returning to Ukiyu leaves Zuko with little time for anything but a hug. It's familiar but not. They hugged as children often but this one was different, because they were different. Kallik refused to let him go until Sokka wandered away, giving them a moment alone. 

“Be careful.”

“You too.”

“And good luck with the hunt and the other thing.”

He pulls away. “What thing?”

“Yknow…”

“What thing.” He asks more firmly.

“Sokka, duh”

“What.”

“Just good luck!” He gets onto the caribou yak and ignores Zuko's questions. “Can't hear you, I'm already gone!”

——

The hours slip by begrudgingly now that there is silence where the villagers family’s once filled. It all feels much more real now that Zuko is surrounded by his peers and their fathers. Kallik and his nasally voice no longer teases at him and Zuko wishes he would’ve memorized his voice now that they will not see each other for the foreseeable future. Zuko hopes that he won’t see him in Agna Qel’a again, it was a special circumstance this time- with the rising tensions Zuko has no doubt that if he sees him in the capital again it won’t be for good reasons.

Zuko tries not to think that the skills all these boys have been building might soon be used on real soldiers rather than hunting games or wooden dummies.

The sun only remains through slivers of light that peek through the trees. Orange blots over the snowy ground, kissing the earth goodnight. Zuko can already feel the temperature dropping, he tugs at his collar to cover more skin. Already thinking of letting his hair loose so that it might warm his ears and neck. The fire naturally draws everyone near so Zuko struggles to find a spot that isn’t crowded.

“Lee.” Sokka says into his ear. He’s leaned in close, trying to catch his attention through the noisy conversations that surround them both. “The guys are setting up their own camp not that far off, grab your stuff we can eat with them instead.”

Zuko hesitates; trying to process his words are difficult with his voice so close and all the noise that combats Sokka’s softer sound. He glances at the crowd of noticeably older men and looks back to Sokka. He nods, finding any verbal response is unnecessary, he doubts Sokka would’ve taken no for an answer anyhow. The other boy smiles and leads him away, the walk is short but the distance is enough that the sound and sight of the previous camp is gone. 

“Why would they separate the camps? Seems like a bad idea.”                               “Oh definitely. They convinced em’ that we could handle it, while that is debatable I think the risk is well worth it.” His smile turns smug.

“You’re up to something.” Zuko deadpans. 

“You know me so well, it wasn’t my idea but-“ he pulls out a bottle from his luggage, something clear sloshes around with the rough treatment. “How could I say no?”

“Where did you get that?” Zuko’s surprise is genuine, Sokka seemed so responsible for the most part. His care over aang and katara is evident, recounting how living outside the borders he would hunt for them, handle the meager finances, map and plan their schedule, take care of them. Sure he wasn’t always mature, far from it, but Zuko couldn’t have foreseen him encouraging recklessness like this. But he was a big brother away from his siblings and Zuko was without his own older sisters more logical influences, a disaster in the making he realizes.

Zuko wasn’t a complete shut-in either. He just didn’t see the appeal of getting drunk with a group of boys that all had mixed feelings on his very existence. But Sokka. He could trust him.

He could maybe even have fun.

“You are so stupid.”

And yet he could hear the squeak and pop of the bottle opening, could see the glint of mischief in Sokka’s hypnotic eyes and found himself following his lead without question. Sokka drinks, whoops aloud and passes it. Zuko sips, grimaces and wonders how long he could stay in this secluded spot with him drinking whatever it was he was given so that he wouldn’t have to deal with his peers.

“Terrible.”

“I hear that it’ll grow on you.”

“I doubt that.”

“And yet you are the one with the bottle still in hand.” He smirks. “Ready to join everyone?”

“I don’t have a choice.”

“Don’t tell me you’d rather stay in the other camp with all the old grumps?” He asks. “Actually you’d fit right in, huh?”

Zuko closes the lid of the bottle and shoves it into Sokka’s hand. “Hurry up already.”

The camp is about the same size, fire going steady with a devoted set of young men caring for it- who are apparently eager to drink as well from the flasks in hand. Drinking amongst their age group isn’t that uncommon, of course they’re not encouraged to but it’s not regulated. Which means drinking together as a group is a rare event, and the excitement of their soon to be coming of age hunt is extremely palpable, even more so when alcohol loosens the lips and feeds the anticipation.

Already they are egging each other on, placing bets and tossing names around with consideration of who will come home the ‘winner’. There is no official winner, just someone who happens to come home with a bigger catch and more bragging rights. All Zuko has to do is catch something or bring something down with a partner and he will officially pass the hunt so he doesn’t concern himself with the guessing games.

“My bets are on Hahn, he goes hunting every season, he once brought down a wild polar bear dog with his uncle.”

“I don’t believe that for a second! I think it’ll be Amiqen.”

“I bet it’ll be me!”

“Shut up!” 

Sokka laughs freely as they pass by the ridiculous conversation, which only makes said boys ramp up their playful bickering. They pass the others to reach where the tents have been set up. Whereas the other camp has tents set up in neat curved rows these are set up completely unorganized, with the back of tents facing the wilderness and scattered so that doors face tree trunks and the backside of other tents. Sokka dances around the path that’s been beaten into the ground and drops his packs onto the far edge of the group. Zuko doesn’t comment on this decision, glad to be a little far from the rest of the others.

“I always put my tent a little farther than everyone else’s. Just so that if someone came for us, human or otherwise, they’d target me first. Hope you don’t mind.”

It doesn’t surprise Zuko anymore, with Sokka’s constant complaining and bickering with aang and katara he often drops these pieces of vulnerability when alone. Countless ways he has subtly put himself last so that the others might be safer. Eating smaller portions to picking up odd jobs whenever possible to make their coin stretch while the others rest. 

Zuko just drops his own belongings down beside his, a silent affirmation. Together they put up their tents, cotton goes up alongside a thin layer of animal skin to insulate from snow. Side by side the tents stand at last, absolving them from duties for the night, Zuko almost wishes he could busy himself with something else. Sokka takes no note of his hesitation and grabs his bottle in one hand and Zuko in the other.

Zuko is essentially dragged to the others, their voices have only grown louder. And when Sokka somehow finds a spot on one of the logs that were cut down long ago to make room for the smaller campsite, Zuko can guess this camp has been in use by the younger men every year. The makeshift seats are old yet sturdy enough to remain useful for many more years despite the natural wear down. 

Everyone must have arrived by now since there was hardly any room but Sokka smiles wide and is welcomed by some of the boys who make room for him. Despite the invite being solely for Sokka, Zuko is forced to sit right beside him, Sokka even going so far and to nudge the boy beside him far enough so that Zuko can sit down next to him. Hip to hip he can feel the additional warmth seep right through the thick layers of fur. 

“Hey Lee, want some?” The boy beside him speaks up and the small space between them essentially disappears when he turns to face him, Joonho. He’s a nice enough boy from warrior classes, someone Zuko hadn’t ever noticed too much on account that he wasn’t one of Hahn’s friends. He has pitch black hair that’s tied into a simple low ponytail, someone might confuse them both for each other from behind. Zuko takes a moment to consider the drink in what should be a water-skin. 

How could Zuko deny kindness? So he drinks and finds himself huming in appreciation. “This is good.” And it isn’t a lie, whatever it was- it was much more tolerable than the drink Sokka had. 

“It was a gift from my cousin, they make it sweeter. It’s partly juice from whatever we got, this has pear grapefruit.”

“They got it from the kyoshi shipment?” Zuko says more than he asks, some things just refuse to grow here and pear grapefruit is one of them. A lot of what they bring back is reserved for the villages, though it’s much harder to obtain things in the far north-eastern villages.

“Yup. Share with me?”

Zuko spends the night huddled next to Sokka, occasionally chiming into their conversations with dry witty responses to Sokka’s stories, it earns some laughter and comments about ‘realizing how funny you are’ from the other boys. It’s a cozy atmosphere which he has rarely ever felt when around his classmates. Partly because Hahn remains far from them on an entirely different log and fire, a more personal one that is reserved for the boys who follow his every word.

It’s a good thing, he can’t picture himself relaxing with them around. Sokka’s face darkens whenever they even walk past either of them too. It’s almost jarring to see such a drastic reaction. It’s enough to remind Zuko that he is apparently normally much more pessimistic. Katara has told Zuko that he is usually much more serious and passive aggressive. His words carry more bite and he’s less forgiving when outside of the ice walls. That the north must’ve brought out his more carefree side, the north or someone in it. 

The sarcasm is very evident in his personality, especially when around his sister. But all his snarky traits are immediately snuffed when he’s around Yue, Zuko thinks that might be what love does to you. Transforms you completely, makes you better with almost no effort. He doesn’t see a lot of easy love like what Sokka has for Yue, Merroya and Arnook were much more grounded. Merroya pushed Arnook to challenge himself, reminded him that the restrictions of his position are meant to be defied and not confirmed to. That being a leader is about listening. 

And Zuko could never consider what his mother and father had love. That was nothing but control.

Zuko continues to pass the waterskin back and forth with Joonho and he finds himself beginning to feel that odd in-between feeling, the kind where you can still think but the distance between your brain and lips shorten. He finds his body growing warm, not in the way it is when his inner flame is working properly but also not the growing fluttering warmth he has begun to feel when with Sokka. It’s something new, of course it is, when has Zuko ever gotten the opportunity to drink this much before? He’s tasted the imported stuff Arnook occasionally brings out but never thought to drink more than a small cup.

He slumps against Sokka and listens to him speak. The vibrations of his voice rings out and strikes something in Zuko, he can’t help but curl his lips in a semblance of a smile. He’d grown tired of carrying conversation with Joonho and the other young men that had grown the confidence to speak to Zuko. It was nice for a while, joking and hearing them jest in ways that weren’t meant to be hateful. Zuko had even blown a flicker of fire through his lips in a joking manner when someone insulted his clearly very expensive new mittens, it had earned him cheers and laughs. 

“Lee, you want some?” Sokka finally acknowledges the heavy head on his shoulder.

“No, I’ve drank enough I think.”

“Drink? Oh man! I was offering food, I didn’t know you kept going!”

“Huh?” Zuko blinks and focuses on the plate of food on his lap, he has no sense of when it arrived or how and it makes him worry a bit. 

“Yeah I asked for a lot, just so I could share. No one questioned it since I already eat a lot normally.”

“Oh. Thank you, Sokka.” He sits up and his heart drops at the way his body flings itself harder than necessary. He pries off a mitten, it takes him a solid ten seconds- Sokka watches and the amusement on his face only grows.

“Well how much did you drink?”

“Eh, half of that?” He points at Joonho’s waterskin. 

“Woah! You are really letting loose tonight.”

“It’s not that much.” It was a smaller one anyways, probably a smaller size on purpose, but half is quite a bit…

“Just eat.” Sokka huffs at him, clearly not taking him seriously. Zuko thinks his lips purse in a pout but he’s more focused on grabbing food. It’s jerky and a side of rice. He can only assume alcohol is meant to be what they will wash it down with. The meal is simple and likely the last bit of prepared meat the hunting party brought. After all, they will be hunting for their meals tomorrow.

When they finish Zuko is back to leaning on Sokka, a bit more aware about it and tries to keep his head upright. Sokka’s attention is pulled away once again and Zuko finds himself trying to find a distraction that isn’t speaking. So he focuses on Sokka, naturally. Somehow he commands attention from everyone, and Zuko thought it was his cheerful demeanor but something is telling him is must be because of how handsome he is as well.

The campfire sputters and pops, bright reds that verge on purple momentarily surge and cover the natural yellow white hues. It calls the attention of most of the group. Some yelp in surprise but mostly they cheer at the surprise show. A great number of the boys must be well over drunk because hardly anyone connects it to him, or maybe they do and don’t bother to ask him why he did it. He wouldn’t be able to answer if they did. And the pure shock on his own face might be a little concerning, he loses his breath and chokes. 

The source of his madness nudges him, eyes twinkling. “That was so cool. Hey, have you ever thought of making your own fireworks?”

Zuko gapes, face absolutely flushed from the combination of embarrassment, drunkenness and the cold air nipping at any but of uncovered skin.

“Lee?”

“Uh, no. I haven’t thought of that,”

“You should try it, I have a feeling it would be a big hit. These guys would probably clap for a bad dance performance right now.”

So Zuko reaches into his chi, closes his eyes and rests a hand on his stomach as though it could help him, and finds a warm coal pit where there should be a blazing fire. 

“Oh.”

“What?”

“My inner flame…it’s gone.”

And maybe it was the warmth he had from the alcohol but somewhere throughout the night he lost it and didn’t even realize. A sinking feeling rests in his throat, prohibiting him from answering when Sokka starts to question what it means. His voice is so soothing, it worries and Zuko lets it wash over him like a salve. But eventually he manages to mutter an excuse and leaves. Sokka struggles to stand and collect his things allowing Zuko to slip away. 

He stumbles when the path turns to snow, when he walks over roots and swerves around tents and forgotten bags or tent equipment. The voices are muffled and Zuko finds himself needing a similar white noise to drown out the terrifying silence of his mind. All he can manage is pulling his hair out of its braid and flattening it over his ears, pressing hard as he reaches his tent. All he can think of is the last time he unknowingly used his fire, a harmless joke that was for once; well received. And if that were to be the last time he ever used it, Zuko thinks it was a nice farewell. He can’t even begin to think of the realization he had and the resulting accidental fire that actually was his final farewell.

He enters the tent and sits on his sleeping bag, awaiting Sokka- who predictably can be heard shuffling towards him.

“Lee?”

He doesn’t answer, it’s no use either way because Sokka enters anyways.

“Hey, I know I won’t really understand, since I’m a nonbender and everything but…” He pauses, searching for something to comfort Zuko. Which isn’t necessary because Zuko feels apathy where he knows he’ll feel anger and shame tomorrow.

“-I’m sure it’ll come back. Maybe it was the drinking? Or maybe it’s some spiritual thing huh? You’ve had a lot of weird stuff happen because of that right?”

Zuko doesn’t have the heart to shut down his attempt at reassurance.

“Yeah.” Is all he says. And that's all that’s needed for Sokka to come to the conclusion that he needs a hug. And he isn’t wrong really. His arms press around him, head leaning into his neck which makes Zuko shiver. 

“I’ll help you fix it, okay? I’ll try my best.”

“Thank you, Sokka.” The fluttering he feels in his stomach makes him choke on account of his split second thought of ‘is it back?’ But all that remains is the newfound adoration he feels for Sokka. 

A tear slips out because he recognizes this story, and understands how it’ll end.

“When it comes back you can give me a firework show okay? And I’ll carve something super cool for you.”

Zuko nods and allows himself to indulge, he rests his scarred cheek on Sokka’s shoulder, pressing hard so that he can memorize the pressure. He unknowingly wipes his tears this way and sighs into the ocean mist that clings to Sokka.

“Goodnight.” Is all that Zuko says as he pulls away.

Sokka lingers, thick brows pinched from what little Zuko can see. He appreciates the concern but would appreciate some space and time to sleep more, the tears and drinks have finally dragged Zuko down and he only had the energy to nudge him towards the tent flap. “Sokka.” It comes out a whisper, delicate sounding even to his own ears.

Sokka jolts and breaks out of his spell. He presses one last comforting touch to Zuko’s knee, “Goodnight.”

He crawls out, once again lingering in the doorway. “Call me if you need me.”

Zuko doesn’t answer, just flops back and feels the world tilt even as he lays flat.

Fingers tingling he splays his hand on the ground, outstretched to the left, inches from the tent wall. As if he could see anything but darkness, Zuko's head turns to that very wall. golden eyes strain in the dark, open and wondering. Thoughts and memories of the day race around in his consciousness like water rushing against a river rock, battering against it as if it could be sanded into submission in seconds with enough determination. Zuko feels as though it could, as if he could close his eyes and allow everything to consume him whole, only a small fear stops him from allowing it. 

He fears falling asleep and forgetting the night. How being out in the wilderness he felt nothing but warmth, something different from his inner flame, which now rests completely gone. Oddly enough the realization that he no longer feels any control over it doesn’t phase him much right now. Maybe subconsciously he knew it was bound to happen with how fast it deteriorated over just a few days. 

He feels as though he could go on living without the fire he was born with If only Sokka could remain by his side. He could feel a different type of warmth. The kind that kept him warm out in the frigid northern nights. And even that is terrifying enough on its own.

Eventually he allows himself to drift off, wondering which of the two realizations will affect him more tomorrow.