Chapter Text
The sound of his own breathing was too loud behind the Blue Spirit mask as Zuko stared down General Zhao. His twin dao swords hovered over the Avatar’s neck. He could see the boys pulse jumping in his throat and his quick breaths fogged the steel of his swords. Zuko could only hope that this last ditch plan would work. Can’t get caught.
Finally, Zhao relented. “Open the gates,” the older man growled.
“But sir—“
“You heard me! We can’t risk the Avatar being injured.”
The doors groaned open behind them and Zuko slowly began walking backward. The Avatar followed his lead without question. The boy’s breathing calmed as they distanced themselves from the prison, though His heart still raced. Zuko’s own heart was beating loudly and every muscle was tense. Something was not right. Zuko knew Zhao. The general never surrendered so easily.
The teenager focused on his breathing, centering himself as he’d been taught. They were halfway to the treeline. There the darkness would swallow them and they’d be free. After that he’d have to find a way to actually subdue the airbender. His general plan hadn’t gone past get the Avatar and escape.
The only warning he had that something was wrong was the slight stiffening and gasp from the Avatar.
“Look out!” the Avatar warned, tackling Zuko to the ground as an arrow whistled overhead.
“We have to move,” the boy said as he scrambled to his feet.
Zuko saw a group of guards heading their way as he stood. The pair rushed for the treeline under the cover. They almost made it. Then Zuko felt a thud in his left shoulder. The explosion of pain forced him to kneel. The arrow went completely through his shoulder. He grasped the protruding arrowhead and winced at the pain.
The Avatar ran a bit farther before sliding to a halt and doubling back.
Another arrow flew at the Blue Spirit and he barely managed to deflect it with one of his swords.
“Come on.” The kid’s hands furtively tried to pull Zuko to his feet.
Behind the mask, Zuko’s face creased in confusion. Why is he helping me? He should be escaping. This was the second time the boy’d come back to save him that night. Foolish.
The guards were almost upon them and Zuko could imagine that the archers were simply waiting for an opening with the Avatar out of the way. His vision was blurring from pain and his head was getting fuzzy. He could feel sticky warmth spreading steadily from his shoulder across his chest and down his side. He wouldn’t be able to fight for very long. They weren’t going to get away. Zhao would capture them both. He would get the glory of bringing back not only the Avatar, but the disgraced prince who’d tried to free him. No. Zuko wouldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t return to his father as a disappointment and a traitor.
“You should go,” Zuko said, his voice cracking from lack of use.
The Avatar paused in his attempts to free the prince. “What?” He looked at him in open confusion.
“You can't let them capture you,” the Blue Spirit reasoned. “You have to go.”
The airbender frowned and looked behind him at the approaching danger. “But if I leave, they’ll capture you .”
Zuko shook his head. “They won’t capture me.” I’ll die first.
The boy’s frown deepened. “You’re injured. You can’t fight them like this.”
“I can distract them.” Zuko gritted his teeth as he gripped the arrowhead and sliced through the shaft with one fluid motion. He reached around and pulled the arrow shaft back through his shoulder.
“But—“ He reached for Zuko’s uninjured shoulder, but the older teen jerked away.
“GET OUT OF HERE, AVATAR!” the teen shouted.
The boy flinched, then Zuko saw the glint of recognition in his grey eyes. The Avatar’s face flicked between confusion and fear.
Good, Zuko thought as he pushed himself to his feet. Now he won’t hesitate leaving me. He turned to face their attackers, one sword raised and the other held limply at his side. He tightened his hold to hide his trembling. What will Uncle think? Will he get the news first or will he hear about it months later?
“I’m not leaving you!” The Avatar sent up a wall of dust that obscured them from view before pulling Zuko’s arm over his shoulder and grasping the taller teen around the middle. A blast of air erupted under their feet, carrying them high into the air. Zuko’s head spun with the sudden movement. He shut his eyes and breathed through his nose as his stomach rolled with their descent. Leaves and tree branches whipped past him as they fell through the foliage. There was a brief moment of respite as they landed on a branch before the airbender shot them off again through the trees. A branch tore at Zuko’s clothes and a twig snapped against his mask. He chanced a glance at his surroundings and immediately shut his eyes again as the scenery whipped by.
Breathe .
The Avatar’s breath was quiet gasps of exertion and each jump was carrying them shorter distances. The airbender stumbled and his hold on Zuko faltered. The firebender slipped from the branch. He dropped his swords and clutched at anything he could to slow his fall.
“Zuko!” the Avatar yelled, no malice in his concerned cry. The boy slipped through the trees with ease and frantically reached for the fallen prince. He managed to catch the hand of Zuko’s injured arm. The resulting jolt made the teenager cry out as his vision went completely black.
Zuko regained consciousness slowly. He could feel the first rays of dawn reviving him. A gentle breeze passed over his bare chest and exposed face.
The quiet voice of the Avatar floated through the air. “I really need to get you medicine and bandages from Katara, but I didn’t want you to wake up alone.”
Waking up alone on a rolling ship, his vision dark. Zuko shook away the memory and cracked his eyes. His gaze found the boy sitting in the crook of a nearby tree. He tried to sit up, but fell back with a groan as his shoulder reminded him of its injury.
“You shouldn’t move.” The Airbender waved his hands placatingly, but refrained from moving closer. “I bandaged you up as best I could.”
Zuko looked over at his wounded shoulder and blinked at the orange strips that encircled it. The fabric was stained darker in multiple places.
“And I really need to get some frogs to my friends.” The Avatar stood and scratched the back of his bald head. Zuko recognized the boy’s torn cape as the source of his makeshift bandage. “Don’t… leave, okay? You lost a lot of blood and I really should rewrap that shoulder with clean bandages. I’ll be back soon.” The boy hesitated a moment as if he wanted to say more, but simply gave a half-smile before leaping into the air and disappearing into the trees.
A moment passed before Zuko again tried to sit up. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he pressed a hand to his temple, squeezing his eyes shut and taking measured breaths. Once the feeling passed, he slowly stood using a tree as support. His swords and mask were carefully laid out nearby along with his shirt. The bloodstains were almost indiscernible from the dark fabric. Zuko was left sweating and trembling after struggling to get the stiff garment on. He took a moment to rest against a tree, soaking in the sunlight that filtered through the leaves.
Zuko groaned and pushed himself off of the tree and stored his swords on his back. He picked up the mask and grimaced at it before tucking it away. It didn’t make sense. Why did the Avatar save him? They were enemies ! He should have left Zuko to his fate, but instead he dragged the injured prince to safety. I made no sense !
A blast of fire emitted from Zuko’s fist and scorched the tree. His newfound anger fueled him enough to start the trek back to his ship. It was impossible to tell exactly where he was, but he knew the general area. Soon enough he’d been trying to assuage Uncle’s concerns while the older man fretted about his injury. Zuko huffed a quiet laugh at the thought.
The terrain was difficult for him in his weakened state and only served to make him angrier. What did the airbender mean by don’t leave? Why should he stay? So the Avatar could come back and bandage his wounds? A humorless snort escaped him. Like he would ever rely on the Avatar. A branch hit his face and he growled as he shot a fireball at the offending tree.
No doubt the boy had gone back for reinforcements. It made sense that he couldn’t subdue Zuko by himself. He’d be back soon with that waterbender and then they would take him prisoner. Maybe they would try to hold him for ransom. Zuko smiled wryly at the thought of his father receiving a ransom note for his disappointment of a son. I wonder if they’ll tell him how I got caught. Captured by the Avatar I liberated from a Fire Nation prison. He could perfectly imagine the fury on his father’s face. Sweat broke out on his brow. He told himself it was due to the exercise.
He stepped on a mossy log and his foot slipped out from under him. For a moment, he wobbled on his perch. He almost had his balance back when a wood frog ribbitted just over his shoulder and made him jerk in the opposite direction. He tumbled from the log and landed hard on his injured shoulder. A yelp escaped him as searing pain filled his left side. He ground his teeth as he tried to breathe through the worst of the pain. The fire bender took gasping breaths as he righted himself against the log. His fingers came away bloody after gingerly touching his shoulder.
His head was spinning again. Just need to rest for a few minutes.
The mossy bark was cool against his neck as he leaned back. No doubt Uncle was awake and making tea. Maybe he was setting up a pai sho game. He was probably wondering why his nephew wasn’t awake. Or maybe he’d already realized Zuko was missing and was worrying. He hated it when Uncle worried. Without meaning to, he slipped into a light sleep.
“Zuko?”
The tentative voice easily roused Zuko from his nap. The memories of the past day came rushing back and he immediately sent a blast of fire at the stranger. The movement painfully pulled at his shoulder and he gasped. He clutched the wound, feeling more warm blood.
“Whoa!” The Avatar easily blocked the fire with a twirl of his staff and dropped into a defensive stance. “Easy, it’s just me. I’m gonna come over to you, okay?” Grey eyes warily studied Zuko’s face as he inched closer.
The firebender flinched and gave his most terrifying glare. “Stay back!”
“I’m not going to hurt you. See?” The Avatar put his staff down and his hands out like he was trying to calm an ostrich horse. “I just want to help. It looks like it’s bleeding again.” He nodded toward Zuko’s wound.
Wary golden eyes watched the boy approach. Every muscle was tensed as the airbender knelt beside him.
“It’d be easier if I moved your shirt.” The Avatar’s hands hovered uncertainly. “But I can make it work I guess if--”
Zuko didn’t say anything as he shrugged out of his shirt. The Avatar moved like he was going to assist, but thought better of it. After a few minutes of struggling, Zuko finally got his left arm free and tried to keep his heavy breathing under control. The boy gently began removing the old wrapping under the unwavering golden gaze.
The Avatar hissed in through his teeth as he got a good look at the injury. “That looks like it hurts.” He started to pull something out from behind his back and Zuko immediately went on the alert, summoning a fireball to his right hand. “Whoa! It’s okay. See?” He revealed a pouch and quickly opened it to reveal bandages and medication. “It’s okay.” He waited for Zuko to put out his flame before gingerly beginning to clean the area.
“Why did you come back?” Zuko’s voice was measured. His eyes never left the Avatar’s hands.
The gentle hands hesitated for a second. “You're hurt.”
“That’s not a good reason.”
The Avatar’s brows furrowed as he finished cleaning the exit wound and gingerly moved to Zuko’s back. Moments passed in silence before the Avatar spoke again. “You know what the worst part of being born over a hundred years ago is? I miss all the friends I used to hang out with.” The airbender gently packed the wound with a pleasant smelling paste. “Before the war started, I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us, we’d get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had, and he was from the Fire Nation, just like you.” Zuko sat forward to make it easier for the Avatar to wind the white bandages around his chest and shoulder. “If we knew each other back then,” the boy continued as he finished, “do you think we could have been friends, too?” The Avatar once again reached into his bag, producing a flask of water and some food.
Zuko eyed them cautiously. His stomach rumbled.
“Come on, you need it. I promise it’s not poisoned.” The boy took a small sip of the water and a bite of food. “See? Perfectly safe.”
Hesitantly, he accepted the offerings. The cool water eased the throbbing in his head. “Why are you helping me? I’m your enemy.”
The Avatar sighed, aging instantly. “I don’t want us to be enemies. I don’t want to be anyone’s enemy.” He picked at the edge of his torn cape. “I missed a lot over the past hundred years. A lot of things happened that I was supposed to stop. A lot of people have died.” He ran a hand over his face. “I don’t want anyone else to die. Especially not because of me.” The boy met Zuko’s gaze, but his grey eyes seemed far away.
The banished prince finished the food and put his shirt back on with the Avatar’s help. He didn’t say a word as he stood.
“I can help you get to your ship, if you want.” The airbender retrieved his staff with a gust of air and twirled it expertly. All signs of his earlier seriousness were gone. “I promise not to drop you this time.” He gave an easy smile.
“No. I can make it on my own.”
The Avatar rubbed a hand along his neck, his smile faltering. “Alright.” He turned to go.
“Avatar,” Zuko called.
“Yeah?” The look of hope lighting the boy’s face when he turned back was not missed by Zuko.
“I want you to know that this changes nothing. I’m still going to capture you.” Zuko’s hands clenched into fists. “I’m going to bring you to my father and regain my honor.”
The Avatar’s shoulders slumped and he looked away. “Yeah. I know.” He quickly leaped into the trees and was carried away by the wind.
“Where have you been, Prince Zuko? You missed music night! Lieutenant Jee sang a stirring love song.”
“I’m going to bed. No disturbances.”
The iron door closed and he collapsed on his bed, grunting from the twinge in his shoulder. The Fire Nation flag glared at him from the far wall of his room. The banished prince turned to the wall, away from the mocking flag of his nation. His shoulder throbbed beneath him, but he didn’t turn back.