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Chapter Text

They were trying to blend in as much as possible, but with Aang calling everyone hot man and Sokka trying to haggle at the markets, it was kinda hard.

Just as the old merchant was at his last rope with Sokka trying to lower the already fair price, the merchant's wife stops him.

“Rah, calm now, do as the prince,” she said kindly before turning to the group of colonial children.

“I hear you from the colonies, we do things differently here, it’s considered quite rude to barter in these areas, though I will lower it for you this time. Just know most vendors won't be as kind,” she warns ringing up the produce.

“What was that about ‘do as the prince?’” Katara asked her.

The old woman gave her a look of shock and confusion before smiling again.

“Oh! Of course! I suppose the colonies are a little out of the loop on the whole matter. The young prince spoke up in defense of our troops in the war and stood his ground to the consequences. He's rarely out of the palace, but all stories tell of his kindness and empathy. He gives many of us hope for the future when he will take the throne. He is truly a jewel to our nation.” she smiled at the idea.

“But what if something were to happen to him? If he were to die in battle-” Sokka was cut off abruptly

“Don't you dare say such a thing about our prince!” The old woman's kind face went to one of fury and anger before she composed herself again.

“The very thought of our prince being sent off to war would cause riots! After what happened to prince Lu Ten…” she trailed off with a sad expression and the kids hurried their way out.

“Well that was… interesting,” Toph said when they were back at camp.

“What do you mean?” Aang asked.

“The way her heart picked up when Sokka asked that, she really seemed angry.” Toph clarified.

“Weeeell everyone's already backward so it doesn’t surprise me.” Sokka shrugged. As everyone went about their business. Katara went to start dinner by the campfire, and Aang went down by the water to practice his bending. Sokka was thinking about some fishing until Toph cornered him with a few well-placed rocks.

“It makes you think if she got that angry of you asking about that. What do you think would happen if he just… Vanished.:” Toph asked with a devious smile on her face 

“You plotting something bad… is it good bad or bad bad?” Sokka asked, stroking his non-existent mustache.

“It's something that I need you and Aang on board with and the sugar queen can deal with it.” Toph smiled bigger before grabbing onto Sokka's hair and pulling him to her level with a yelp from him as she whispered her plan.

“You're right, Katara doesn't like it. Also Aangs a pacifist. I don't think he’d be down for kidnapping the prince and holding him hostage so this war will be declared over.” Sokka pointed out.

“Look, snoozles, what I’ve learned from teaching Aang is that it’s all about the wording. If you phrase it right you could get him to dive into a volcano. Now are you with me or against me?” Toph asked, making the rocks cornering Sokka move a little bit closer.

“Eep! Okay! I’m not saying it's a bad plan, I'm also not saying you're wrong on that.  But even if we managed to get a hold of him, there’s gonna be a manhunt out for him all over the fire nation.” Sokka pointed out.

“That's why we leave for the earth kingdom immediately after!” she declared like it was the easiest thing ever.

“Fine, but he’ll need to be asleep while on Appa,” Sokka said, stroking his chin again.

Was he actually entertaining the idea of taking this guy hostage in order to fix something that didn’t truly involve him? Yeah, he was. But there was no way they were actually going to go through with this, Aang would never agree to it.

“Hey, guys, what are you talking about!” Aang yelled from on top of the rocks, scaring Sokka out of his thoughts with another yelp as Aang jumped between the two.

“Aang! What would you be willing to do in order to end this war?” Toph started with her five-star salesman pitch.

“As the Avatar it is my duty to bring peace and balance between the four nations. I have to do whatever it takes to make that happen,” he said seriously.

Spirits, Aang was only a kid but he was dedicated to his job, that's more than most adults could say.

“Well, what if I told you that I have a way we could get the Firelord to agree to end the war?” Toph asked.

“Really! How?” Aang asked excitedly at the idea he wouldn’t have to fight anyone.

“If we were to sneak in to see the Prince and get him out with us, then we could leave a note saying their nation won't get their national treasure back till the war is over,” Toph said in a mocking way.

“I mean, if he agrees to it,” Aang said, scratching the back of his head, suddenly seeing what she was implying.

“Of course! If he protests we go on our way to the earth kingdom. Promise!” Toph grinned and Aang agreed.

“Awesome! We’ll tell Katara over dinner!” Aang beamed before jumping over the wall of rocks to go see when soup would be ready.

“I don't think the prince would agree to go with us. Why did you lie to him?” Sokka snapped.

“I said that if the prince protested we’d be on the way to the earth kingdom, I didn’t say we would be returning him.” Sokka felt his jaw drop at his scamming friend.

“You know Toph you worry me sometimes,” he said, slumping over as Toph laughed maniacally 

____________

“No! Absolutely not!” Katara shouted at the idea.

“Common Katara, it's worth a try! We’ve all got to do our part to end this war! Even him!” 

“He’s a fire nation prince! I’m pretty sure I know how he wants this war to end!” Katara insisted. 

“But we’ve got to try, if not who knows how this is going to turn out?” Aang said with his pleading puppy dog eyes. Katara let out an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Fine! We can talk to the prince, but if he doesn’t agree, that's the end of it! And I want no part of this!” 

“Flameo!” Aang cheered, jumping up in excitement.

Toph and Sokka exchanged looks, meaning Sokka looked at Toph who smirked to herself and to her plan.

Chapter Text

It was late in the evening the following night when everything came into effect.

a calm night, with tempered air flowing through the palace in a rare moment of tranquility to the guards and nobles within. unaware to the shadowed figures peering through the window of the palace where they could see the prince laid out on his bed, shaggy black hair falling in his face, trying to cover his vision of the scroll in his hand..

“Your highness it’s late, would you like to get ready for bed?” asked the guard at his door.

“After this chapter,” was all he said back, despite having said that for the last six chapters. 

The guard let him be as all of them truly relished in their shifts guarding the Prince, he was relaxed and calm and level-headed with them. When guarding the prince they could ask something like that and not fear having fire hurled in your direction.

As opposed to the Princess, who had quite a reputation among the guards. If she had decided you were so much as breathing wrong she could make you stop breathing altogether.

Many days the Prince would have a full conversation with the guards and remember it later on, he would go out of his way to remember birthdays and anniversaries and make an excuse to the head of the guard as to why that particular person should be sent home for the day without that person ever getting in trouble for it.

The guards would never want to upset the prince or to let anything happen to him. not out of duty but out of true admiration for what he meant for their future. Even though the  Firelord wouldn’t execute them for allowing the prince to get hurt, may even praise them, the citizens of the fire nation would certainly call for their heads if anything happened to the crown prince.

So there the Prince sat, in his bed, reading his scrolls blissfully unaware of the two shadows sneaking into the castle and brewing a pot of strong sleeping tea. Having it sent to the Prince's room before disappearing just outside the windows.

“Prince Zuko, your tea?” asked the servant as she set it on his end table with a bow.

“My uncle is trying to poison me with all this tea?” he muttered but dismissed the servant with a thank you, sipping on the beverage as he read.

 draining the cup quickly and setting down to continue reading, despite his eyes growing heavier and heavier the more he fought it, till he fell asleep with the scroll still resting on his chest.

The guards took great care to roll up the scrolls around the prince and set them carefully beside him on the nightstand before turning out all the lights. Leaving the room quietly to guard outside the door, so he could sleep in peace.

as they did so the two shadows in the dark waited and listened till the guards had left and settled outside the room, their heartbeats resting evenly.

Once they were certain the two figures silently came from the window, into the room as one figure pulled down his masks to take in the sight.

“Wow… so that's the Prince,” Sokka whispered to Toph looking at the boy sleeping blissfully in the large four-post bed, still in his day clothes. Black hair that fell in a perfect mess over his face largely concealing his left eye. The dark contrast of his raven hair against his ivory skin was oddly captivating in a way that Sokka wasn't able to fully understand.

“Yeah, think you can lift him?” Toph whispered back.

Looking him over Sokka had no doubt he could. Prince Zuko was about the same height he was and fairly lanky at that. 

This was not what Sokka had expected when he thought of a fire nation prince. He expected Ozai’s clone or someone who looked like a mountain sitting there. 

Someone who enjoyed laughing as children burned to dust.

This guy looked barely older than Sokka was and at that, like could be blown over if the breeze was too strong.

They couldn't waste time though. 

Aang was close by, waiting with Appa as well as Katara to leave as soon as they returned, Prince or no Prince.

Truly, they didn’t have time to stop and admire the view or rethink their morals at this point, though if Sokka Had been given the time he was fairly certain that he would convince himself it's for the greater good and continue forward.

With that, he carefully picked up Prince Zuko as Toph stabbed the note Sokka had pre-written to the bedpost. (backward I might add) within moments after they were out of the palace completely with no one the wiser as they made their escape.

Sokka and Toph hurried up and onto Appa. brushing away all pleasantries as they did so.

“Hurry! I think they saw us!” Toph demanded.

that was all it took for Aang to shout yip yip to Appa signaling take off. Once in the air, flying away Katara knew what they had done, giving the two a horrified look.

“You didn’t…” she accused, eyes wide at her brother.

“He didn’t protest.” was all Toph said with a shrug.

_____ 

Back at the palace.

_____

“Rotation already?” asked one of the guards outside the door.

“Yup, you all get outta here, go see the kids.” said one of the replacments knowing it was the end of Ming's shift.

she did the same as always and cracked the door to check on the prince, make sure everything was squared away with him. 

Immediately she realized something was wrong.

“Prince Zuko?” she called opening the door wider.

no sight of the prince in his bed, or in the bath chambers, only the crumpled sheets of where he had laid as a breeze blew in from the window.

“Oh Agni helps us…” she said shakily as the other guards poured in.

“There's a note.” one said pulling it off the bedpost with the sharpened rock nailing it there.

“The fire lord won't like this.”

“Forget the Firelord, think about the citizens… think of what all this will cause!” Jing moaned in fear.

"we're getting lynched aren't we?" one of the younger guards asked, looking at Ming horrified.

Ming ignored his comment,` for the time being, beginning to ramble herself.

“Think of the Prince! I can’t imagine what horrors he’s being subject to at this very moment.” 

they allowed themselves a moment, to bow their heads in grief for their beloved prince before rushing to notify the fire lord.

once allowed entry to his office, distributing the note on the desk in front of him before they bowed on their knees waiting in fear of the verdict.

He was quiet for a terrifyingly long time, waiting just a few moments too long before looking over to them.

“Have you told anyone else?” he asked evenly

“No your majesty,” they echoed in unison.

“No one is to know about these turn of events. Not even you,” he said with a wicked smile, beginning to form a ball of fire in his hands, looking down at the loyal guards with morbid excitement etched on his face.

Chapter Text

It was a long trip as they got far away from the fire nation capital and entered into earth kingdom territory. as they did so Aang finally turn around, ready for the usual introductions.

Only instead of the usual Sokka jabbering on and Katara being a mother towards the newcomer, did he see Toph looking bored, Sokka avoiding his sister's glare, and Katara digging her eyes into him specifically as Toph couldn’t tell the difference. as for the Prince, he was out cold on the other side of the saddle.

“What's going on?” he asked, trusting Appa to fly himself.

“Did you know about this?!” Katara yelled immediately, catching him a little off guard.

“I mean we all talked about it at dinner...” he trod carefully

“No no no! We talked about talking to the prince, not drugging and kidnapping!” she shouted louder.

as she did there was a low groan and movement from the prince's body causing them to immediately get quiet. The last thing they wanted was for the fire bender to wake up on Appa of all places.

Aang felt his stomach drop at the realization of what had occurred.

“Guys, you didn’t,” he said quietly looking at Sokka and Toph with pleading eyes.

“We did. I left a note, we’ll see what comes of it.” Toph shrugged.

“what comes of it? is that we are going to get HUNTED FOR SPORT ” Katara stated, a little louder than she maybe should.

“ it's fine! Aang's the avatar! They need him alive! So in the worst-case scenario, we break out of a fire nation prison!” Sokka said, trying very hard to ease the tension.

“They need AANG alive. Not us! Do you realize how many bounties could be on our heads at this very moment! You stupid- You never think things through SOKKA!” Katara whisper shouted.

“Why not bring this up before?” Sokka asked at the realization of his sister's point.

“I didn’t think you would have even gotten to talk to him and if he were to tag along I at least had the thought that he could vogue for us! We need to take him back Aang.” Katara said, turning to Aang now.

“Your right Katara.” he sighed.

“See.” she smiled at Sokka and Toph.

“There's no telling how many people want us dead right now, going to the fire nation would be a death sentence.” he decided going back to Appas head marking that as the end of the conversation. 

 No one had anything else to say about it anyway, though no one was happy over it either, however this was a decision they couldn’t undo and the tea is going to be wearing off the Prince soon if they didn't hurry.

“Let's make camp here,” Aang said as they landed, everyone pilling out.

Sokka helped to lift the Prince off the saddle setting down by the trees as Toph earth bent his hands into the ground.

“Toph!” Katara snapped at her.

“What? do you expect him to not wake up angry?” she asked, looking in Katara's general direction. 

Katara looked ready to bite her head off at that, though thought better of it and went about her duties. 

as everyone went about setting up camp, it was hard to ignore the tension in the air around them, almost electric, along with the deafening silence between the four, made it nearly unbearable as they continued to get settled.

It wasn't long after they finished unloading Appa there was another small groan that came from the Prince causing everyone to freeze where they were and turn to look at him. 

He was waking up.

Sokka was the first to slowly approach as Zuko began blinking at the light.

He remembered he had fallen asleep in his bed in the fire nation, now here he was, hands firmly buried in the dirt of Agni knows where with some guy in a blue tank top trying to talk to him.

“Hey, you're probably confused, I'm- WOAH!” Sokka jumped back as the Prince kicked his leg up sending a large wave of fire shooting in Sokka's direction, narrowly missing him.

\

“Where am I!” the prince demanded in a raspy threatening growl as he glared at them.

‘I thought this guy was supposed to be calm’ Sokka thought to himself before continuing.

“Your- uh-” Sokka stuttered for a moment knowing that he had to choose his words carefully. Saying earth kingdom would place a target on earth kingdom itself rather than just them, saying fire nation would give him the motive to escape. 

“You're at Camp Avatar!” Sokka said finally, putting on a big goofy grin as the prince glared at him.

“You, my dear prince have won an all-expense-paid trip to the end of this war as well as a worldwide bison adventure! So kick back, relax, and don’t try to kill us.” Sokka smiled as Zuko gave him a poorly concealed look of fear and confusion at the lunatics who had trapped his hands in the earth and kept a wide distance from him so as to not get burned.

The Prince took a deep breath in and despite his best efforts, a deep gust of fire came out.

“Look, take me home and we can forget about this,” he said through clenched teeth. 

“No can do sparky, you could be the very ticket to ending this war.” Toph jumped in getting closer than Sokka had before without the prince attempting to burn her.

“And what gives you that idea?” he asked bluntly.

“The fire nation would do anything to get their ‘national treasure back’ the condition of ransom is that the war ends and you go home.”

“And if not?” Zuko asked.

The gaang looked at one another for a moment, unsure of what exactly to say to that. Toph, however, didn’t miss a beat of it.

“Then their national treasure gets lost at sea.” she grinned, and for a human lie detector, she was damn good at lying. 

“So what you're just gonna sit here while you wait for someone to write back?”

“Well no, we travel around a lot. Right now though it's dinner time and I’m starving!” Aang said with his usual happy attitude looking around as his eyes met Kataras.

“Cook it yourself,” she said coldly before stopping away to find a stream.

They were back to their tense mood after that though got a fire started and rice made by the time Katara came back, noticing as the prince continued glaring at all of them as they ate.

“So you're just not going to feed him!” she snapped at the others.

“He said he’d light anyone who came near him on fire,” Aang grumbled and shrunk under both Kataras and the prince's glare.

“No, you wouldn’t,” Katara said to the prince as he met her with another cold glare.

“Want to test it?” he asked. 

Chapter Text

The Prince didn’t eat that night.

Even after everyone had gone to bed, he was left in the same spot with his hands sunk into the rocks around them.

As he sat there brooding in that uncomfortable position,  he couldn’t help but wonder why all of them were asleep rather than having someone guard him.

It would be very easy for him to sneak away if he managed to get his hands free. Or if he weren't quite so tired he could build the flames of their campfire high enough to catch one of their tents alight. 

Instead, they all sat inside their warm tents wrapped in soft blankets all comfy as he sat in the chilling night air losing any feeling he had in his hands and pain surging through his shoulders with the awkward positioning.

It wasn’t until Katara was leaving to practice her bending did anyone seem to notice he was still awake.

She stood there for a long moment staring at him. contemplating what to do next before she took a deep breath and grabbed her waterskin, before going over to him. Getting just close enough to the prince they could clearly see one another but far enough any fire wouldn’t reach her.

“Are you gonna light me on fire?” she asked him, hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised.

He didn’t appreciate the sas and truth be told he had many things he’d like to do to the water tribe peasant at the moment, but he was exhausted, too exhausted to fight back right now.

“No,” he said in a low tired tone.

Katara sympathized with him, even if he was fire nation. She knew what it was like to miss home the way he must be missing his home right now.

Though if you were to ask the Prince this, you would learn it wasn't home he was missing. It was his fear of what was to come of this if they did not get what they were asking for.

It wasn't until Katara sat down across from him as they met one another's eyes did they have the same look of understanding on their faces. She clearly saw the burn mark going over half his face now. Katara desperately wanted to ask about it but had a feeling it would be met with fire being kicked her way.

"What do you want?" He asked her finally not sounding angry, not sounding sad just… tired, he sounded defeated.

After spending the whole day knocked out only to wake up in these circumstances and likely having eaten nothing. 

Katara would be defeated too, not only that but for fire benders, food is fuel if he doesn't eat soon those blasts of fire from his feet won't be much of anything anymore.

"I just wanted to say that I don't agree with this." She told him sincerely.

He gave her a skeptical look at this statement before deciding to respond.

"Then why go along with it?" Zuko asked.

Katara hesitated for a moment as she framed what she would say next, honestly, she didn’t fully know why she would go along with it, and she wasn't.

Yet she saw his point, but she couldn’t just walk away from her brother and her friends like that. They were all family, and she had been taught that you don’t walk away from family.

"Well. We Are in this together, Sokka is my brother. I do see what they're trying to do here. I do still think it's a bad way to go about it though." She said finally.

"So you're just gonna let it happen. No matter how you view it, you're just as guilty in this scenario." The prince scoffed at her. 

"No! Well. We're not gonna hurt you if that's what you're worried about. Your hands are bound because frankly none of us wanna get burned that badly, also we can't have you running away." She said.

"And go where? I may not know exactly where I am but I know it's not fire nation, and it's definitely not a water tribe." He said looking at the forest around them.

"Well maybe in the morning toph can get you out of those. But right now I can’t do anything about it. I suggest you get some sleep while you can, you're gonna need your strength, your majesty." Katara said mockingly, though smiling as the prince winced at that title.

"Just call me Zuko." He told her. She smiled more at that, she liked Zuko better.

"Nice to meet you Zuko. I'm katara." Zuko didn't respond to that and instead tried to get comfortable in his current position.

He watched Katara as she disappeared down to the stream to practice water bending.

leaving him there, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get comfortable with his wrists wedged between two rocks.

He was still awake when Katara came back and crawled into her Tent without acknowledging Zuko in any way.

It took him another hour or so of trying to find some way to get comfortable and to ease the tension in his shoulders before he finally gave up.

Instead of going to sleep, he tried focusing his energy on the campfire in front of him a few yards away, beginning to meditate. It took longer than he would have liked it to but eventually, he managed to get his breathing in line with the rise and fall of the flames.

That is where he stayed the rest of the night, concentrating the pain in his neck and back and the numbness of his wrists onto the fire and letting that feed it.

Chapter Text

Sokka was the last to wake up. However, he was not the first to notice that the prince was looking a little worse for wear as of late.

He was just sitting there staring at the campfire, hardly blinking as he did so. Sokka noticed then that the flames were rising and falling with the prince's breathing.

"He didn't sleep at all last night," Katara told them before he could say anything.

“He also refused to let us feed him breakfast, said it was demeaning,” Aang grumbled.

"Toph, give the guy back his hands." Sokka sighed.

"Are you crazy!" 

"Look, I don't really know what you do with that dirt magic, but you gotta know that he's struggling." Sokka pleaded

"Yeah! He hasn't slept, eaten, or drank anything in twenty-four hours." She snapped back.

"Oh…" was all Sokka said. He supposed the first rule of holding someone hostage was you kinda needed them alive.

"Which leads me to my point again, PLEASE, give the guy back his hands. If he does try and run you can just bend some rock walls around him or something, we can’t exactly keep a dead hostage." Sokka elaborated. gesturing to the prince, this earned him a loud groan from Toph. Though she did as requested, releasing Zuko's hands from the dirt, and by doing so jumped the prince out of whatever trance he had put himself in. peering down to his now freed hands as he rubbed at his wrists tenderly, as he stretched the joints in his arms and shoulders. While he did so Sokka came up with a bowl of food and a cup of water for him.

"Here. the cooking isn't the best but it's better than nothing." He said good-naturedly.

The prince eyed him skeptically as he did so, as well as the food put before him. Finally, after a moment of deliberation, he gave in and ate quietly watching Sokka with his golden eyes the same way a predator might watch its prey. 

Sokka didn’t like it, and he was looking for anything that would get those glaring orbs off of him. He really wanted for everyone to just get along and maybe even get the prince onto their side, you couldn’t do that very effectively with him digging into your soul with one good eye.

Finally, Sokka broke the tension by saying something.

"So… um… I'm Sokka, non-bender extraordinaire. Idea man. The girl with the hair loopies is my sister, she's a water bender. The short one with the pom-pom things and super scary is toph. Greatest earth bender ever, the worst mistake you could ever make is underestimating her. There's Appa the big bison and the best flying bison in the world if you ask me! Last but not least the most important member of the group! momo! The little leamer!" He said with a smile. The prince didn't react to his attempt at humor.

"Also the avatar… the kid with the arrow." Sokka shrugged a bit, saddened that his joke didn’t land with the prince. This guy didn't wanna break easily.

"Zuko." He said finally after Sokka had given up on a response, Sokka smiled at that all the same.

"Nice! Good to meet ya Zuko. I was just calling you Princey in my head! You don't give off that prince vibe though." Sokka said, stroking his chin.

Zuko didn't answer and instead set down the now empty bowl and cup. His shoulders slumped down and Sokka realized how exhausted the guy must have been. Not only that he was expecting to force himself to stay awake.

"You get some shut-eye. Well, wake you if we need to." Sokka promised Zuko gave him a look of pure distrust as an answer.

"I promise we won't do anything while you're asleep. Here." Sokka offered, handing Zuko one of the sleeping bags. 

The prince sat there, holding it as he hesitated a moment longer before taking the bag and going to sleep. 

Sokka hung around near him while he got settled.  Acting as a makeshift guard in a way. In reality, they were all off doing their little magic bender things in different parts of the campsite. and Sokka did not care to get blasted with air or mud or water, thank you very much.

At least in this scenario, there's maybe like a twenty percent chance of getting lit on fire. Then again, looking back over their journeys together as a group, that would not have been the worst thing to happen to him.

Sokka was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of whimpering coming from Zuko as he covered his left eyes covered in the crook of his elbow. 

Sokka wasn't even aware the prince, Zuko had fallen asleep.

He appeared to be having a nightmare of some kind, but it was nothing Sokka could make out.

It went away after a few minutes, though Sokka stayed a while longer. Deciding to keep busy he went over stoked the fire, adding more wood. Going then to his tent with the best intentions to pick it up, only to end up staring at it for a while before leaving to find something else.

When he did go back over to the fire bender to check in, the heat he had originally radiated was gone!

He had even started shivering at this.

Sokka, being one to think on his feet, grabbed the sides of the sleeping bag and very carefully drug it over the fire to try and keep him warm. 

Sure Sokka had missed the class on fire bender anatomy he knew they tend to run warmer. And with enough outside factors at play they can have a hard time keeping that temperature up.

He guessed that it could be super dangerous if it did get cold enough. The last thing he wanted was to make this harder on Zuko than he had to. 

Did Sokka think the guy's dad was an asshole who deserved the worst atrocities known to man? Yes, yes he did.

Did he think the fire nation was responsible for countless deaths and innocent lives lost not to mention splitting his family up when he was little? absolutely.

But did he blame the prince for it? No. Despite his best efforts he couldn't fully blame the prince.

Sure Zuko had bent fire at them a few times and likely had a lot of unkind things to say at the moment. However, given the circumstances, his reaction was pretty reasonable.

Sokka went about finding little tasks to keep himself busy as the others were gone, and making good progress if you asked him.

When the trio of benders finally did come back all covered in mud except toph, they were all relieved to see Zuko sleeping at last.

What did have them concerned was that Sokka was trying to brush appas' teeth with a pine tree branch.

"Hey, his breath smelled and I thought the pine would help it,"  Sokka said in his defense.

It did not help it.

Chapter Text

When Zuko woke up it took him a few moments to remember where he was.

Oh yeah, being held captive by the avatar and his weird friends. All with the intent to trade him back for the ending of the war. 

It wasn’t a dream.

 Their whole plan was half-baked at best, and Zuko didn't see it as a guaranteed outcome the way the Avatar and his friends seemed to.

He knew that the citizens of the fire nation liked him, and would want him back. The only problem was his father's strong dislike of his son.

Zuko didn’t entirely know where all his father's animosity came from. He tried to be a good son, he tried to be everything his father wanted him to be.

Stay out of his way, while being assertive, being a good ruler, trying to put the nation first.

Yet whenever push came to shove he would always praise Azula and blame Zuko for never being good enough.

Blame Zuko for all the wrongs going on in the nation.

Zuko was not even sure his father would be saddened by these circumstances. It would make excellent propaganda. 

The fire nation's beloved prince gets captured and killed by the cruel avatar without so much as a goodbye to his loving father or a chance to see his beautiful country ever again. 

Oh, he can see the flyers now.

They would make up some tragic detail about how he died with honor for his country or something and how the avatar completely disregarded it in place of the cruel bloodshed of innocent life. It would only fuel the fire of this war.

However, Zuko knew telling this to the Avatar would either be dismissed or taken as the go-ahead to kill him right there.

However, looking up at the boy with a lemur climbing on his head as he laughed with his friends gave him the idea that it was maybe not entirely the right assumption to make. 

Sure the fire nation curriculum is flawed, all education systems are. But seeing the young Airbender, who looks so at peace and happy with life... It was directly against everything he was taught about the air benders.

“Hey, you're awake!” Aang said happily, jumping up to go over to Zuko with a friendly smile.

As the Airbender approached him Zuko flinched and tried to get any distance between the two of them back before he got closer.

“Woah don’t worry, we’re not gonna hurt you! I promise,” Aang said sitting a good distance across from the fire bender as the latest events became all the more clear.

Zuko looked at the four of them, the ‘water bender extraordinaire’ he hadn't seen in action so he couldn’t gauge his bets on fighting her.

The earth bender, even just standing there looked ready to kill him on sight.

The avatar, while just a kid, Zuko has heard the stories and wasn’t confident he could take him on.

As for the warrior, what was his name? Sokka! As for Sokka, Zuko had a feeling he could beat him no problem.

Any escape attempts would need to be centered around him on guard. 

“Are you hungry? We have some leftovers from lunch!” the avatar smiled scooping up a big bowl of rice and veggies for him.

At first, Zuko was reluctant to take anything they offered, but looking at the eyes too big for the boy's head, and the look he held screaming that he meant no harm to anything ever.

Zuko reluctantly took the bowl from Aang and began eating.

The food was extremely bland, almost flavorless, but he suspected it to be the water tribes cooking.

The water tribe has never been well known for its cuisine. The rest of them gathered around the fire as he ate with Sokka trying and failing to lighten the mood. 

“To which I said, it’s in the house!” before bursting out into laughter at his own joke and the others just rolled their eyes at their friend's joke.

“So how's the food?” asked the water tribe girl, Katara turning the group's attention to him.

it was nerve-wracking, to say the least. He didn’t like having attention on him, especially when he knew there were steaks in this.

He tried to think of the best way to respond. Usually, there is a correct answer to this, and it's very obvious, but these are some interesting circumstances for him.

She could be asking as an ‘i want to make you comfortable’ or as an ‘i just poisoned you and now is where you catch on before dying.’

“Fine,” he said at last looking back down at the half-eaten food and continued pushing it around with his chopsticks, not wanting to make eye contact.

He knew whenever his father asked him a question that sounded obvious, there was a right answer. Zuko had yet to find the right answer to those questions.

“It’s okay you don’t have to lie to her, Katara’s cooking has always been bad,” Sokka said bluntly.

“Oh really! Why am I the only one who cooks here then?” she yelled at him looking extremely offended.

“well, if you're so good at it why don’t you make dinner tonight tough guy!” she yelled louder, the water in a bucket nearby rising up higher and higher during her outburst.

‘Watch Katara's temper’ Zuko mentally noted before deciding to finish the food as the two siblings squabble over making rice.

It wasn’t like how he and Azula fought, mostly because Sokka hadn’t ended up badly injured at this point.

the two twelve-year-olds sat back and acted like it was a normal debate for the siblings to be having.

Toph seemed to be teasing the avatar opting to call him Twinkle toes as he looked off with a growing sadness on his face.

“Does this mean we’re having burnt rice for dinner?” Aang asked himself quietly

Turns out the answer is yes, the rice was very burnt.

Chapter Text

The rice at dinner did end up being burnt… badly, burnt. Zuko opted out of eating altogether and instead tried to see what he could gather listening to the group. 

It was very clear they were all tiptoeing around him, well except for Toph who had no issue going up to him and loudly announcing anything she cared to say.

They had so far been true to their word on not hurting him which was good.

However, they all seemed to keep an eye on him while doing anything else. One of the times Toph did go up to talk to him she made it very clear that she could see everything down to his own heartbeat, and if he were to run she would bury him in a landslide. Before laughing at his reaction.

“Common sparky don't act so tense we won’t kill ya.” she smiled walking away.

That was enough to tell him that even if they weren't watching him, they still were monitoring him. He didn’t like the idea of the kid knowing everything down to his heart rate.

They were all sitting around the fire complaining about their inability to acquire cabbage when the little lemur leaped onto Zuko’s shoulder all of the sudden.

“Woah! What's it doing?” he asked the group in a panic.

“He wants your food, Momo, you’ve got your food right here,” Sokka said, trying to get the lemur off, only for Momo to screech at him and hide behind Zuko to avoid him being taken away. 

“He likes how warm you are,” Aang said with a dorky smile. True fire benders do run hotter and Momo didn’t appear to want to let go.

Zuko decided not to fight it, allowing the little lemur to eat the food. Zuko wasn’t going to eat it anyways.

“Don’t let him get used to that, you’ll never be able to eat alone again,” Toph told Zuko with a smirk.

“I don’t mind.” he shrugged looking at the strange little creature as it picked all the burnt bits out of the rice and ate what was left.

When the lemur finished it hopped onto Zuko's lap and curled up to fall asleep. The fire prince found himself unsure of what to do with it.

“Aww he likes you!” Katara cooed. Zuko gave them all a look of distrust as he sat there unable to move due to it.

“You act like you’ve never held a pet before,” Aang commented.

“Pet’s aren’t really a thing my family does,” he says timidly patting the lemur on the head as it sleeps. Momo let out a small purr of delight causing him to take his hand away immediately.

“Why?” asked Toph.

“I know that one of the best friends was the rabbit cats my dad kept,” she explained.

“My dad has the idea that anything weak enough to depend on another creature for help is better off dead,” Zuko explained with a shrug. The look he got from the rest of them said that it was far from a normal thing to say.

“What?” Zuko asked, feeling anxiety spark in him as he went over it in his head again.

“That’s not right,” Katara told him. The anxiety only spiked more, he didn’t know what he had said wrong, it was just what his dad believed.

“It’s not what I believe, I would never- I’m not saying that I'd-” he stuttered suddenly, very alert to what could happen now.

“Calm down sparky, we know you wouldn’t. It’s the concept of a whole that's concerning.” Toph told him having read his heart rate.

“Oh…” was all Zuko said before the group got quiet exchanging glances with one another before they picked back up whatever it was they were talking about before all of it.

Zuko stayed quiet and didn’t seem as interested in listening so much as staring at the lemur bat sitting on his lap.

Sure the way he said it was bad but it wasn’t like his father was actively adopting puppy birds in order to kill them.

He just refused to own one… or to let his kids own them… and make the noblemen get rid of theirs.

The turtle ducks were an exception because they came and went from the pond whenever so he saw them more as pathetic beggars rather than useless layabouts.

Maybe that sounded bad too

But his dad was fine, just had some high standards is all.

When it came time for everyone to go to sleep the question arose of where Zuko would be going, no one trusted him not to run, as they should.

He had already charted out the paths most likely to lead to a town and most likely way to avoid the group as needed.

Though he seems to be a prince and only that, living in a castle with his father leaves a lot of instances in need of hiding, and a lot of ways to sneak out with a mask covering his face.

After the group had bickered among themselves it was clear Katara didn’t want him in with her, Toph would likely hog the entire tent till he dug his way out, Aang already had Appa and Momo to sleep with, so Sokka was stuck bunking with the fire bender. Neither boy looked happy about it either.

“I spent all of my childhood praying that i didn't have to share a room with my water bender sister, one here i am sharing a tent with an ashmaking prince.” he groaned but leads Zuko to his tent and tosses him a sleeping bag.

“Here it gets cold at night.” Sokka said 

Zuko just hummed in response, instead using the roll as a pillow and facing away from Sokka as he got himself tucked in. 

He was not going to sleep tonight, he was absolutely positive he was not going to sleep in case anyone tries anything tonight, or if a group of fire nation soldiers show up to rescue him. Either way he needs to be alert.

_______

Sokka woke up in the middle of the night to get a drink.

Stepping out into the freezing air however made him hurry right back into the tent where he realized all that wonderful warmth he thought was the night air was actually radiating off the sleeping firebender next to him.

Zuko had been so rigid and on edge all day.

He thought Zuko was honestly kind of attractive when he wasn’t so tense and angry.

Seeing the boy relax as he slept gave Sokka a sigh of relief he didn’t know he needed. Sure they kinda kidnapped him and it was an understandable reaction, but Sokka couldn’t forget what Zuko had said over dinner.

“He thinks that any creature that asks others for help is better off dead.” it rang in his ears.

Sokka didn’t like thinking of that. Everyone needs help, the way Zuko said that about his own dad, made Sokka wonder if Zuko ever got help from him in the first place.

Sokka shook the idea out of his mind and pinned it as nothing more than poor wording before going back to sleep.

Chapter Text

“Father, please! I only had the fire nation's best interest at heart!” his own voice rang in his ears. It was all too familiar of a dream.

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

He felt his dad's hand gently cupping the side of his face, too gentle like he was pondering the exact right place. When he felt the searing pain hit him, he woke up with a start. The left side of his face still felt like it had just been torched as he did. It was nothing new, it always hurt, no matter where he was… it always hurt…

Looking at the water tribe boy sprawled out next to him, deep asleep Zuko looked at the gaps of light coming through the entrance to the tent and saw that it was at least sunrise by now. 

When did they all wake up anyways? he wondered to himself.

Did he even have anything blocking the tent?

Zuko got up and pushed aside the flap seeing that, in fact, no one was there. They were all asleep in their own tents, Toph in a structure of the earth.

Nothing was stopping him as he slowly began walking away from the camp eyeing it wearily. They should be on guard, something about this should be harder.

He looked ahead of him in the way he was going, there would have to be a town nearby, at least close enough they could get to it for supplies. 

Zuko didn’t get a hundred feet before Toph burst out the ground in front of him, arms crossed and in a fighting stance.

“And where do you think you're going?” she asked, a wide grin on her face as walls of rocks came around the two.

“Okay! Okay! I'm sorry, I'll turn around, just- don’t-'' Zuko hurried out hands shaking, he couldn't so much as light a spark in this state, maybe he should eat more of their disgusting

food.

“Can’t say I blame you Sparky, but I can’t say I’ll let you either.” she smiled pushing down the walls and walking next to him back towards camp.

“So…” Zuko started testing the waters.

“So what? You expect me to put you in a rock cage and drag you back. Hey! That's not a bad idea! I’ll need to remember that.” she beamed.

He didn’t want to test any more waters after that alarming statement so they were quiet for a moment after that.

“I've got some nuts in my bag that we can snack on while we wait for one of my chefs to wake up.” she joked going over to her pouch and taking out a little bag of mixed nuts.

“Why don’t you just cook yourself?” Zuko asked.

“Sure, blind girl cooking how could it possibly go wrong?” Toph jokes.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t-”

“No worries Sparky, though seriously if you don’t eat soon one of two things is gonna happen. Either you pass out, or Katara holds you down and force-feeds you like the mother she is.” Toph said popping an almond in her mouth. Zuko didn’t know how to respond so he just sat next to her and picked at the cashews in the pile that Toph seemed to avoid as she felt through it.

“So… that's it?” Zuko asked, finally breaking that silence.

“What do you mean?” Toph asked back.

“You're not gonna do anything now? I tried to run away, and now we’re just sitting here as if nothing has happened?” Zuko asked genuinely confused at the earth bender's behavior. He thought Earthbenders were rageful and ruthless, they would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

“Nah, not how it works around here.”

“But-?”

“I'm gonna stop you there sparkles, I've run away more than enough times to know there's always a reason for it. Some are more obvious than others. And while I feel like the biggest hypocrite in the world forcing you to stay with us, I think the least we can do is let you walk around and feel like part of the group, there's always that awkward period at the beginning of it.” she shrugged,

“But if you do try and leave, I'll hear you, even if I'm sleeping.” she smiled.

“That's terrifying….” Zuko muttered.

“Imagine how I feel? Whenever Suki comes to join us I can't leave her and Katara to their ‘alone time’” she said wrinkling her nose at the thought.

Zuko didn’t know how to respond to that as he continued eating all the cashews.

“Hey,” Toph asked, turning in his direction.

“Yeah?” 

Without another word, she punched him in the arm.

“What was that for?” 

“It’s how I show affection.” she smiled at him. 

Zuko knows this kid could demolish him in an instant, but maybe that's why he felt like such a brother at the moment. His sister never wanted help, never wanted him around unless she was planning something, and here Toph is talking to him like she doesn’t even care who he is. 

He smiled to himself at the thought of Azula doing this same thing, and just how strange that would be if she did.

“So, you know how to cook?” Toph asked.

“Yeah, why?” Zuko questioned.

“While these nuts are nice and all, I'd rather keep them for myself so you don’t eat all the cashews. I was saving them for last,” she responded by getting up.

“Oh, I didn’t-”

“Less talk, more cooking!” she said before going and jumping into the stream of water, waiting a minute before diving her hand in and pulling out a Giant Salmon Trout.

“Hahahaha! Perks of being blind!” she yelled in victory.

Yeah, she’s definitely not Azula.

Chapter Text

Everyone awoke to the amazing smell of herbs and fish cooking with rice.

Zuko even left some seasoned rice separate for Aang to have.

“Wow! This is amazing! It actually tastes like food!” Sokka smiled as he shoveled more into his mouth.

“It’ll taste like nothing if you don’t chew it Sokka!” Katara lectured him.

“Where'd you find the herbs?” asked Aang.

“There was a patch of them by the stream where Toph caught the fish, just some ginger and a few wild chilis,” he said with a shrug. 

Zuko honestly wasn’t sure how Toph had gotten him to make everyone breakfast but they all seemed to warm up to him considerably afterward.

No one tiptoed around him as they had been.

What continued to linger in the back of his mind was the fact that they said nothing about getting word from the fire lord about his return.

No one said a thing about the fire nation period. Whenever Aang went to train with Katara Toph and Sokka were still at camp joking around or when Toph trained Aang Katara and Sokka were there with Katara trying to mother both Zuko and Sokka.

Katara continuously tried to tell Sokka to eat slower and Zuko to eat more, to pick up after himself, to sit up straight, and any other number of things she thought of.

It was never in an accusatory way though, it was a lot like his own mother before she disappeared.

However, he liked it the least when Sokka went out hunting or fishing. Katara and Toph would start fighting, and Aang would try and fix it only to make it worse and the two would storm off before making up later after cooling down.

It was amazing how much Sokka held everything together with his constant joking and endless talking. Zuko had no idea how much he himself missed the other boy till he came back with a string of fish in his toe. 

In only a few days he had grown quite fond of the group, mentally slapping himself for that fact. He knows that soon someone was going to be here to rescue him, or a hawk would come in response to get him back; it was only a matter of waiting for it to happen.

It would happen. 

Why wouldn’t it? 

Zuko had a long list of answers for why it wouldn’t happen, all of them he blocked out and turned back into the stream of consciousness Sokka was spewing.

___________

(In the Fire Nation)

No one is aware of the Prince's disappearance aside from a very select few, a select few who are under the prince's scrutinizing eye at all times.

When you join the royal guard you expect to keep a close watch of the royals, not the other way around.

When Ozai calls his daughter in to see him she has a very good idea of what he is going to ask her. She would be more than happy to do it. Mother always liked Zuzu more, she had thought with Mother gone he would have faded into the background too.

Sadly no, her love was replaced with the country's love. They mistake his weakness for compassion.

True compassion is ruthless.

True compassion strikes first and asks questions later. 

The way a pet sees its place and the way its owner sees its place are very different matters, Zuzu has never been good at grasping that concept.

“You wanted to see me, fire lord?” Azula asked, bowing to her father.

“As you know Prince Zuko has, unfortunately, gone missing,” he said from his throne looking down at his youngest with a stone-cold stare that she thrived under.

“A most devastating turn of events for our nation,” Azula said back.

“Indeed, if our nation finds out what it is the Avatar is demanding in return. They will act on impulse,” he said.

“Then we smash their impulses to the ground and let them rot with all the other swine down there.” Azula offers.

“Lest you forget Princess Azula a fire lord is nothing without the gullible swine to feast on.” he scolds.

Azula bowed again.

“My apologies for my bluntness, fire lord, how may I serve you on this matter?” she asked.

There was a beat of silence, so quiet you could hear the faint flow of the river below the castle.

“Make it look like an accident, capture the avatar and return with the devastating news that the beloved prince Zuko died a captive, his body. Unsavable.” 

“Yes my lord.” Azula smiled to herself.

“Dismissed.” The fire lord told her, as Azula left the throne room she couldn’t hide the grin growing on her face as she went to her brother's room.

The guards outside have been informed that the prince is very ill and is under no circumstance to be visited by anyone other than the Princess and the Firelord, as well as a single servant ordered to go in and out for five minutes three times a day.

By the end of all this nonsense, she would have to be killed. Pitty, she was quite fun to mess with.

 When news comes up that Zuko’s dead they will need to wrap the whole timeline a bit, but it's a small price for Azula to secure her place on the throne.

As she let herself in, closing and latching the door shut she looked to the painting Lu Ten had given to Zuko when they were young before he had gotten scared, and before Lu Ten got himself killed like the fool he always was.

She studied Zuko's features closely and felt the same rage for that little boy that she had even back then. 

“You were always the favorite Zuzu. I can’t say I blame them, you always knew how to touch the weakest part of a person's emotions like that. It just shows how weak you are yourself for even wasting time on things like that.” she smiled at the painting wishing so badly she could see the painting flinch like Zuko used to.

“I have waited for years to do this Zuzu.” Azula continued to talk to it, before glancing at her mother in the painting.

“Don’t give me that look mother, what did you truly expect of your little monster.

You had to have known this would happen, sooner or later.

Think of it like old times, we’re brother and sister, it’s important for us to play together.” Azula said, leaning her back against one of the bedposts mimicking her innocent tone.

“The only question left to answer is, are we playing play tag, or hide and seek?”

Chapter Text

It was the middle of the night when Toph awoke to something feeling off, she couldn’t place it.

It was like people were hiding in the woods, but she couldn’t get a read on anyone's exact placement, she just knew they were being watched.

One minute it was only a handful of people, the next it felt like hundreds, thousands, then back to only a few.

She got up and sat outside with her earth tent with hands and feet firmly planted on the ground, listening for anything, she got nothing for hours till somewhere in the distance she could feel feet walking on the ground in the other direction, she felt all the others leave too.

If she couldn’t get a read on how many were even there, it would have been a bad idea to confront them.

When she was certain they were gone however she made no game of waking everyone up.

“We gotta go!” 

“what why?” Aang asked, sitting up, rubbing his eyes as she dragged Katara out of her Tent flailing around.

“People were watching the camp last night!” Toph snapped at them before going in and kicking Sokka awake and Zuko Jumped up with a start at all the commotion.

Though she was a bit disappointed at not getting to tease the two for cuddling up to one another from the feel of it.

“Sokka! Get packed! You!” she said pointing in Zuko's direction.

“Get on the bison or so help me Aang I will throw you there myself!” she snapped at him. 

Zuko was about to protest but the look on Toph's face said that it would be a big mistake. She must have channeled Azula on that one.

He got up and climbed onto Appa as the others packed up camp.

He had started to forget where he fell in this mess. It had honestly started to feel like he was just camping with some friends and their weird pets.

The Avatar was truly just a kid. All those stories of him being a plotting evil genius were really just stories.

It was hard to believe the same boy who stopped an entire volcano was also the boy who blushed at the slightest smile from Katara. 

He waited for everyone to finish up, looking around, he could only think about how easy it would be to run, he thought that a lot. He could just get up and walk away, it seemed that easy, he knew it wasn’t though.

He knew that even if they were distracted, even if they didn’t even turn to look at him, Toph knew he was there.

One minute it felt like he’d known her forever, the next it felt like she had a personal vendetta against him. It was like his sister if Azula had any sense of empathy towards him... and if she was able to move rocks like Toph did.

Looking around the trees he saw something hanging off a branch… it couldn’t be.

“Azula?” he asked himself, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes before looking back.

She was gone.

It had to have been how tired he still was, and homesickness. That had to be it. 

Yet no matter how far he dug into himself, none of his homesickness actually related to his family.

“Okay! Let’s go!” Aang said hopping on the bison's head and the other three climbed on.

“Are you sure you felt something? You may have just been paranoid.” Katara offered Toph as they took off.

“No! The earth doesn’t lie like eyes do! People were here. One second it felt like three the next it felt like thousands, and then nothing… just gone.” she said looking concerned.

“besides! We’ve stayed in one place for long enough, it’s time to keep moving,” she said her tough exterior back in place.

“Eh, whatever. I’m going back to sleep.” Sokka yawned before curling up in a pile of sleeping bags in the saddle.

The wind moving over them was cold as all hell. Zuko hadn't ridden on Appa till now, at least not awake. It took all his concentration to keep the air around himself warm, it was hard to meditate with Sokka’s loud snoring.

He was spooked out of his concentration though by the other boy wrapping his arms around Zuko’s waist half asleep and snuggling closer.

“Warm…” he breathed happily. 

Zuko looked up at Katara and panicked. 

“Don’t worry, he’s just a heat leech, feel free to shove him off.” she shrugged.

Something in Zuko told him not to shove Sokka away.

Whether it be because Katara was testing him, or the pressure of the other boy's body weight was calming, he didn’t know, but he just closed his eyes and went back to focusing his inner flame till he himself dozed off and Katara took a mental picture for herself to bring up later.

Chapter Text

They flew around for hours trying to find a good spot to land, that was far out of the way of their last campsite.

When they finally found a well-hidden meadow to set up base. When Sokka was woken up from his wonderful dream of a nice snuggly fireplace Katara nudged him.

“If you two love birds are done cuddling you can help set up camp.” she smiled down at them.

Zuko immediately pushed Sokka away, now being far more awake to comprehend the situation.

Sokka turned bright red and went to help set up.

Sure he had maybe snuggled closer to the fire bender at night. How could you not! He was a walking talking heat pack! Well, he didn’t talk a lot but Sokka can bring that out of him!

The two went about helping set up tents and a fire pit, adamantly avoiding one another's gaze.

However, by the time lunch rolled around Zuko seemed ready to forget about it. Katara and Aang were off by the water, and Toph was out cold in her tent after waking up at the crack of dawn.

So it was just Sokka and Zuko sitting there and Sokka continued rattling Zuko’s ear off over their bowls of burnt rice and undercooked beans.

Zuko wondered how such a thing was even possible when you cooked them together.

“But then it’s a question of if it's even important enough to hunt after or are you better off finding something else to hunt. The only exception would be... wait, how’d we even get on this topic?”

Sokka asked all of the sudden. Zuko shrugged, he had said maybe two words during his whole talk on what had started out as ‘it’s better to buy in bulk’

“Eh, whatever, so how’s the food?” Sokka asked with a hopeful smile, a smile that no matter what Zuko felt about this whole situation he couldn’t dare to break.

“Fine,” he said back, taking a bite of the hardly touched rice and beans.

“Eh, I've eaten better. Your cooking is probably the best I’ve had in months being out on the road like this.” Sokka said casually, secretly he was hoping to get a little information out of Zuko.

“Have you ever been outside of the fire nation before?” he asked.

“No,” Zuko said, still pushing his food around like it was the most important task in the world.

“Huh, well I guess when you have everything back at home.” Sokka shrugged. Zuko didn’t comment on that. He had no desire to be talking about home right now.

“Got any siblings?” Sokka continued as he ate.

“Yeah,” Zuko said, again not wanting the conversation to continue and not knowing how to tell him to stop asking.

“How many?” Sokka continued clearly not catching onto Zuko’s clear message.

“One,” Zuko said.

“Brother or sister?”

“Sister.”

“Older or younger?”

“Younger.”

“You guys get along?” Zuko was ready to be done with Sokka's endless questions. If Sokka wanted to know so much why not lay it right out in front of him.

“My younger sister is a fire-bending prodigy and the only time she ever wanted to be with me is to use me in her schemes which usually ended up in someone getting burned if not killed.

She’s tried to kill me at least three times and is most likely reveling in my disappearance because she can finally be fire lord and I can finally be dead and she won't have to go through all the paperwork saying she’s killed me.” Zuko said slowly getting angrier.

his golden eyes began digging into Sokka’s bright blue ones who were quite taken aback by the reaction.

When Sokka said nothing Zuko looked away and back to the food suddenly missing Sokka’s yammering but at the same time having an intense hatred for the other boy.

The silence was long and distant before Sokka spoke up again right as Toph was waking up and Aang and Katara came back from practice.

“So did your sister give you that scar?” he asked quietly.

The campfire in front of them grew five feet in moments reaching just inches between Sokka and Zuko. as Zuko threw his bowl to the side he stomped away from camp and into the forest.

His fists were nothing but balls of fire.

Sokka had flung himself back at the outburst of flames, lucky no tents were burned, and all and all they would need to get more firewood.

“Should we go after him?” Aang asked.

“Nah, let sparkles cool down for a bit then I can track him, he’s already stopped walking,” Toph said, not even moving from where she lay recline on a big rock.

“What’s he doing?” asked Katara.

“From the feel of it, he’s punching a rock.” She shrugged.

_________________

Of all the people Toph thought would be worried about Zuko Toph didn’t think Sokka would be the one.

He kept pushing her to go check on him. Toph didn’t have the whole seeing with feet down to a science where she could track every part of a person but she could tell when Zuko still needed a minute.

Finally, she got sick of the nagging from Sokka

“Tell him I’m really sorry and that I know my cooking sucks!” Sokka called after her as she headed in the direction Zuko went.

She stopped halfway through knowing he was gonna need a few more minutes.

From the feel of it being a bit closer he wasn’t punching a rock, it felt more like fire was hitting a rock really hard.

Eventually, she decided Zuko calmed down enough and continued to where he was slumped against the rock he’d been hitting.

“Listen FireFists, I can totally respect the whole Sokka is annoying and you want him to shut up thing, but you're really wrenching my rep as a stone-hard warden.” she smiled.

He didn’t react to that.

Toph went over and sat beside Zuko on the still hot rock. She didn’t say anything, she just kinda sat there and listened to Zuko’s heavy breathing and elevated heart rate.

“So what now?” Zuko asked.

“Eh, we can sit here and have a mushy heart to heart, or we can go back to camp and both of us be annoyed to death by Sokka and Katara respectively.” she shrugged. Waiting for a beat before continuing.

“Ooooor, we can ditch both of those options and I can show you something cool.” she grinned widely.

Chapter Text

Toph and Zuko found themselves in a deep cave without any light coming through, lucky Toph couldn’t see in the first place, and Zuko was a fire bender who could conjure a ball of fire into his hand at will.
“So what did you want to show me?” he asked as they walked further in.

“Well, remember when I said there are advantages to being a blind earth bender? Well one of them is that I can feel things on the earth that you wouldn’t know about.

As I was waiting for you to lose steam I noticed this place. I don’t get a chance to work with Crystals much, soooo.”

she stopped before there was a sudden rumbling as the fire in Zuko's hand began to reflect more and more off of the growing mounds of crystals around them till they were suddenly completely surrounded by the glowing gems with the fire reflecting all over the cave, lighting it well.

“Wow…” Zuko muttered.

“I can’t exactly see any of this, but i like how smooth they are compared to other earth,” Toph said running her hand up and down one of the precious stones.

“It’s amazing!” Zuko smiled.

“Yeah, whenever I get fed up with Katara trying to mother me to death I’ll usually find one of these stuck in the dirt somewhere and get it up. It’s not common that there are so many big ones in one place.” she smiled, breaking off a piece of the gem into her hand and tossing it around.

“I just throw fire at things and make it all worse.” Zuko sighed.

“I get it, no matter what the two of them say Sokka and Katara are a lot alike. They both like to dig up the sore spots without even meaning to. When I first joined I guess they didn’t really realize how bad home life was.” Toph shrugged

“What do you mean?” Zuk asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“Eh, coming from a rich family with controlling parents, sure all angles it was bad, but I guess it took a while for them to catch onto the whole concept that money doesn’t buy happiness.” she shrugged, playing coy to the whole thing, Zuko could tell what she meant with it though.

“My sisters tried to kill me before, I think the only reason my father hasn’t killed me is because of how the rest of the fire nation would react.” Zuko shrugged, playing the same act of Bcoyness as Toph.

“Till I joined the group I didn’t realize how messed up all of my home life actually was, sometimes I still don’t fully realize.” Toph shrugged.

They were quiet for a minute.

“I doubt that my father is actually going to want me back. He’s probably happy to have someone else around to kill me rather than himself.” Zuko confessed.

At first, he was hesitant to talk about his father's own disinterest in his son. He was afraid they’d just kill him or abandon him on the spot.

Toph wouldn’t do that though, none of them would do that.

“I think I picked up on that pretty much the first day.” she shrugged.

“Then why keep me here?” Zuko asked.

“Because,” Toph grinned again going up to him.

“I would be a damn hypocrite to let another rich\ kid from a messed up family get dragged back. No matter how much you think you want to.” she smiled at him.

“But I-”

“You miss the heritage and the people of the city and want to go back to that rather than your family?” Toph asked, reading his mind.

“I’ve used those excuses with myself before. I like Ba Sing Se, I like the people, not so much my controlling parents and the corrupt-t political system but hey, what can you do?

But at the end of the day, I know that I wouldn’t go back because no matter what I miss there.

Those things aren’t worth all the heartache I would have to put up with by being back at home.” Toph said seriously, suddenly shoving all the crystals back into the ground, leaving only enough light for Zuko to make out her outline and not much else.

“Do you actually want to run back to that shit Sparky?” Top asked, her voice cracking a little as she said it. Zuko suddenly realized she got rid of all the extra sources of light.

“I don’t know.” he sighed to himself.

“I want to go back, but I don’t want to go back as a prince. I want to be a normal guy, just walking the streets. No one knowing me.” he shrugged even if Toph couldn’t see it.

“Well, if you choose to come along with us then you can be that Average guy walking the streets. We don’t have to turn you over to your dad.” she shrugged.

“Even if he does end the war?” Zuko asked.

“Hmm, maybe as a ploy to get face to face with him so I can crush him under a giant rock,” she joked.

“Let’s get back to camp though, they’re probably starting to get worried,” Toph said, leading them back out the cave. As they walked through the woods Zuko decided to break the silence.

“What was that about ditching the heart to heart?” Zuko asked.

“Who’s to say that wasn’t the plan all along?” she smiled back.

They walked in silence a few more steps before Toph spoke up again.

“For real though, think about it. Because for whatever reason I enjoy your company.” she smiled.

“For whatever reason, I like being around,” Zuko said back, and they walked in a comfortable quiet all the way back to camp.

Chapter Text

Once the pair got back to camp Sokka was apologizing profusely till Zuko threatened to storm off again.

“Okay! Okay, I just, I didn't mean to make you angry. Please don’t leave??? I like having another guy around!” Sokka pleaded, throwing his arms around Zuko in a big hug, giving the boy the biggest blue puppy dog eyes you’ve ever seen.

Zuko honestly found it quite endearing.

“Who am I then?” Aang chimed in as Zuko moved around uncomfortably under Sokka's death grip.

“You're a twelve-year-old vegetarian who would rather make fruit pies than be a badass bender.” he snapped back, still clinging to Zuko.

Aang pouted for a minute before agreeing to the statement himself. Sokka had been hoping that he and Zuko could work up to hunting buddies soon, he didn’t want to put that in jeopardy.

“Sokka let Zuko go and come eat,” Katara told her brother and they all sat around eating the blank rice and beans that Zuko choked down for once. He was not up for KAtar’s usually nagging

mother routine no matter how much she was already at it.

By the time they climbed into their tent to go to sleep, Zuko was already out. Hurling fire at a rock for two hours would have to be pretty draining. Sokka climbed into his sleeping bag from

the cold night air and wondered to himself if it was possible for Zuko to heat up the tent more than it was. He was already freezing! He would never admit to snuggling up in his sleep but he

definitely closed the distance quite a bit. Tonight he thought to give the fire bender space and stop trying to force their friendship, even if something deep inside said he wanted more than

friendship. All the same, he fell asleep shivering like back up at the south pole and hoped the heat in the tent would build overnight.
_________________

The heat built at first Sokka was in the nicest envelope of heat that you never want to leave. However, that heat quickly started to make him sweat, and is that the smallest hint of smoke?

“Sokka! Sokka! Wake up!” there was a sudden thump on his head before he startled up being drug out of a burning tent!

“What did you do!” he demanded at Zuko Who was dragging him.

“On the Bison!” he ordered it took Sokka a moment to realize all the other tents were on fire as well, and everyone was running out and hurriedly packing Appa.

“Oh, Zuzu!” was heard in the trees before a shower of fire engulfed half the campsite.

Zuko and Sokka both rushed around Camp Zuko going into the flaming tents to grab supplies before going out again. As the last of their things were being thrown onto Appa the entire tree

canopy caught fire, making it hard to take off.

“What do we do!” Sokka panicked.

“Aang! Put out the fires!” Katara ordered already hurling water.

Sokka looked around at camp for anything, just fire smoke, Zuko, and some chick.

Wait.

Zuko stood there in a defensive stance against a girl who looked a lot like their own resident fire bender.

“What are you doing here Azula?” Zuko asked her to look more and more on the defense by the minute as Aang and Katara put out the rest of the canopy.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m about to celebrate becoming an Only child!” she cackled, throwing blue flames in his direction for him to deflect and flung back at her.

“Zuko we gotta go!” Aang shouted Zuko barely dodged the blue flames flung over at him and managed to distract her with a few fireballs long enough to jump onto the already airborne Bison.

Down on the ground Azula smiled to herself at the sight most others would be angry at.

“Tag it is,” she muttered before disappearing back into the trees.

“So that's the sister trying to kill you?” Sokka observed.

“Yeah.” Zuko sighed. This time Sokka got the message that Zuko didn’t want to talk and he instead took to reclining next to the other boy in a long-winded silence. Finally, everyone got fed up

with the stressful loud quiet and started their own small talk. The group had a deep dislike for silence of any kind. Zuko found himself enjoying the quiet however there was the very real fact

that all their tents had been burned to the ground, quite frankly knowing his sister is now out to kill him, Zuko would rather avoid a tent altogether. They could ask Toph to bend up some earth

tents for them but at that same time, Zuko didn’t entirely trust two slabs of rock leaning on one another as a safer option. He trusted that Toph wouldn’t crush them with it, but when she’s asleep

who’s to say what happens then.

They would have to worry about it later on and hope it’s not too cold tonight. However looking at the direction they're going, and the weather they're currently in, no one could be too sure about

that.

There is also the factor that half the bag of beans got ruined in the fire. Food shopping would certainly be interesting with the missing fire prince and Avatar around.

Chapter Text

By the time the group found a spot to land it was mid-morning.

Assessing the damages they decided it best that they stock up on food in the nearby town and with any luck find some lodgings.

They decided it best to leave Aang and Toph to their earth-bending practices and take Zuko into town with Katara and Sokka.

When they got into the small earth kingdom town, however, they saw people whispering to one another and pointing to the trio.

Katara and Sokka tried to brush it off, Zuko just followed along awkwardly, having ended up sandwiched between the two siblings as the only way to stop them fighting over what rice to get.

As Katara was haggling with one of the shop-keeps he and Sokka went off to find a place selling tents and see about any fairer prices.

“What's the deal with this town?” Sokka asked, looking at all the people shooting dirty looks their way.

“Is it because your fire nation?” he asked Zuko, suddenly aware of the stark contrast he made in his fire nation reds.

“No, there's a fire nation colony in the next town over.” Zuko shrugged before freezing in his place.

“What’s wrong?” Sokka asked.

“A fire nation colony that knows I’m missing!” Zuko whispers to Sokka.

“Wait, what?” Sokka asked, confused.

Why would Zuko offer up that information to him? Yeah, it’s important, but he’s their hostage.

Zuko pulled Sokka over to an empty Alleyway to talk.

“In case you haven’t caught on to this yet, I’m the fire nation's beloved missing prince! My dad and sister want me dead, and they're trying to frame you guys for it to further their narrative of ‘the avatar is evil’ and me walking through town next to no sleep and an empty stomach is not a good look. I’m kinda easy to spot.” Zuko said harshly, pointing to the scar over his left eye.

Sokka’s eyes widened at that fact.

“Oh shit…” he muttered to himself looking Zuko up and down.

The fire prince did look worse for wear. None of them had really bathed for a while and could smell it.

Not to mention Zuko’s clothes looked less than pressed clean.

He also seemed quite a bit skinnier than before and those dark circles under his eyes certainly didn’t help the ‘we take care of our hostage’ thing.

Yet the only thing he could actually think of to say after all of that

“So you're staying with us?”

Zuko gave Sokka a look that gave him all he needed as an answer.

“Okay, we can discuss later, let’s find Katara and get out of here.”

Sokka said before grabbing Zuko and pulling him along.

“As long as no Colonials show up we should be okay,” Zuko added.

The two found Katars outside one of the fruit stalls holding a bag of other groceries.

“Hey, did you find the tents?” she asked the two of them.

“We need to head back,” Sokka told her.

“Why?” she asked, wrinkling her brow in confusion.

“I’ll explain later, for now, we-”

“Excuse me?”

The group turned to see a young man dressed in red armor along with two others close behind.

“Soldiers,” Zuko whispered.

“Is everything alright here?” the young man asked, looking specifically at Zuko.

They know who I am. They know who I am and I am screwed.

“Fine! We’re fine.” Zuko spoke up, the anxiety that he couldn’t keep from dripping in his voice didn’t seem to help the matter at all.

“Are you sure?” the soldier asked very clearly not to buy it. He gave a look to the two water tribe siblings, then to Zuko as if to ask him what's actually going on.

“Yeah, everything's fine,” Zuko said again this time with more conviction. Straightening his posture and trying to look more awake than he was.

“I found myself a little far away from home. We were just traveling to the next port together then we were on our way.” Zuko said with a smile. He knew they wouldn’t buy it but denial buys time.

“Of course, as soldiers of the fire nation we would like to offer our service to take you the rest of the way and ensure your safe travels.” the soldier offered with a deep bow.

They knew what they were doing, they didn’t insinuate they knew who Zuko was, but they knew exactly who he was.

They knew exactly who Sokka and Katara were from the wanted posters. They
knew who the pair were traveling with. What they didn’t know was why the prince was with them or why he looked so worse for wear.

Though going off their current context they could guess the situation at hand.

“I greatly appreciate your offer, however, I made a deal with my companions to help them with a personal matter and am honor-bound to comply. However, I greatly value your concern for my safety and well-being and will not forget it.” Zuko said, returning with a small bow of his own.

The trio hurried out as quickly as they could.

The soldiers watched them as they left town and even followed a short way behind to make sure it was who they thought it was.

“What do you want to do sir?” asked one of the soldiers to his captain.

“Send word to the fire nation immediately, and the surrounding colonies,” he said looking at where the group left from, if word didn’t come back that the prince had returned home, then it gave all the information needed that he was in danger.

Agni forbids that something happened to the fire prince. The fire lord could lead them to victory, only their prince could bring them to peace.

Chapter Text

With no tents as an option that night, and Appa needing to rest they decided to stay a day or two till they could find a spot farther away from the colonies.

Zuko didn’t give his own input, quite honestly he wanted to go and walk around the fire nation colony, he wanted that taste of home, more importantly he wanted that taste of taste.

All the food they cooked was bland and flavorless. While there's something to be said about getting kidnapped and the food is the worst part, he missed having something other than salt.

That is why when they all settled down for dinner and he smelled the sweet sweet aroma of ginger and cumin he had to do a double take.

“While you and Sokka were looking for tents I found a guy selling spices, I thought I would try some. The south pole doesn’t offer a lot in the way of herbs.” Katara smiled innocently.

While Zuko was right that it’s dangerous for him to appear in any form of distress in those situations, it didn’t help that he barely ate any of their food!

Back at the palace it was a very different story.

He would eat three meals a day and had open access to the pantry on top of servants bringing his food from home saying ‘you mentioned my moms cinnamon buns’ or ‘this was an old family recipe’

The best food he’s ever had had been brought from a servant's own home, it also helped that he would pull some strings to make bonuses happen or even a raise.

His father tried to make it so the pantry stayed locked saying ‘he cannot ascend to the throne if he’s too fat to walk’ that just made one of the guards 'accidentally’ set fire to the door because of an intruder that had been taken care of.

They just haven't gotten around to fixing it.

For six years.

When dinner time came Zuko sat down with the full bowl of lamb-beef on rice with beans on the side, and ate the whole thing and another serving.

Dear Agni, he missed flavors! Then at night with a full bowl of food he was ready to fall asleep in a tent or no tent.

Heck he would have made a pillow on a rock and went to sleep there. But he helped Katara do the dishes which made her all too happy.

“See Sokka! Someone is actually helping! Isn’t that crazy! Someone other than ME doing the dishes!” she sassed.

“Hey, I helped you before!” Sokka defended.

“When?” she asked back.

“It’s okay, I do them better anyways.” Zuko said with a smirk.

“Oh don’t even go there!” Sokka said, springing up and going next to the firebender to scrub as Katara watched in disbelief.

“Don’t think i don’t know what you're doing.” Sokka said, narrowing his eyes at KAtara.

“Sounds to me like you're just intimidated.” Zuko smirked, making Sokka's face contort into an irrationally angry frown before he put his full force into cleaning out the bowls and pot.

Katara knew she was gonna have to remember to do that later on with her brother.

that evening everyone had gone to bed by the time Sokka shimmed into his sleeping bag, pulling the corners tight around him trying to keep warm.

He looked over next to him at Zuko and grumbled at the lack of a tent to keep the heat in.

“Stupid firebender with your stupid warm hot body and stupid hair, and golden eyes…” he grumbled, burying deeper in till he was in a ball of cold sleeping bag.

“Hey, you alright?” he heard suddenly, he poked his head out to see Zuko with a groggy, concerned expression on his face.

“Y-y-y-y-eah j-j-j-j-just-t-t-t-t c-cold.” Sokka said through chattering teeth. Zuko paused for a second as if trying to build up enough courage before speaking again.

“Well, you wanna come over here? I radiate heat when I sleep.” he shrugged.

Sokka took the offer in a heartbeat and rolled over in his sleeping bag till he was pressed up against the fire bender.

He was warm! Soooooooo warm!

Sokka unzipped the sleeping bag and pulled Zuko in before zipping it up again.

This earned a slight yelp from the fire prince as he turned scarlet red.

While Zuko had no interest in protesting these actions, the speed that Sokka had to do so, as well as the strength to literally pull him in, was frankly kind of alarming…

And kind of attractive.

as Sokka settled in clinging onto Zuko he found himself relaxing at the never ending embrace the water tribe warrior offered.

As Sokka’s breath evened out into quiet snores Zuko cuddled up
close too, and just enjoyed the embrace. As sad as it sounded he couldn’t remember the last time someone actually hugged him. He only really brushed hands in passing and had worked very hard at avoiding his father's wrath.

So laying here being engulfed in the muscular arms of the water tribe peasant, he had the unsettling idea that he could get used to this.

It’s only because he’s cold Zuko told himself, but he could enjoy it tonight, and let himself fall asleep and for once not have any nightmares.

Chapter Text

When Sokka woke up to find his sleeping bag empty, he was rushed with a wave of panic at where the hell Zuko could have gone before the conversation they had yesterday came flooding back.

His mood settled down to one of dull disappointment towards his seemingly empty sleeping bag.

Though shortly after he snuggled deep deeeeeep into his bed roll to try and get a little more shut eye only to be struck with a massive bolder a moment later

“Common snoozles time to get a move on!!!”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaat!!!???” he groaned rolling over to face the dirt.

“Can’t we stay for a little longer??”

“No can do! Firefly here needs to get out of town and i know just the place!” Toph smiled evilly.

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Zuko said, emerging from the stream with Katara supposedly getting water.

“Common guys you can trust me! I haven't led you astray in days!” there was a silent hesitate before she spoke again.

“Great! No arguments, let's go!”

With that she kicked the ground sending Sokka into the air and landing on top of Appa with a groan from both.

Aang didn’t protest for whatever reason knowing what was going on with this plan and just flew Appa in the right direction as Katara healed Sokka from getting hit with a rock this morning.

“All I'm saying to Toph is that I don't enjoy being Catapulted onto a flying monster!

“To be fair Sokka you weren’t going to get up.” Katara added.

“Wow, from my own sister.” Sokka said fainting hurt as he swooned back into the seat beside Zuko who was reading a play scroll.

How did he acquire that?

“Where'd you get a scroll from?” Sokka asked.

“Found it.” Zuko said bluntly.

“Oh what does it matter? My sister likes seeing me in pain, my friends cause me pain! The only one who truly loves me is momo and he doesn’t even wear a shirt! I’ll just die from a head injury.”

“Common Sokka don’t be a drama queen.” Katara rolled her eyes.

“If you keep it up you’d be a shoe in for Love amongst the Dragons.” Zuko mentioned.

“I can see the headlines now, lead roll dies before his debut to incompetent friends!”

“I could finish healing you if you'd stop being a jerk!”

Katara said, losing patience.

“I can only be healed by loving magic bending!” Sokka said hyping it up just a bit more for effect, only for Zuko to lean over and place a kiss on Sokka's temple.

“There, loving magic bending, now shut up and let her finish.” Zuko said going back to burying his head in the scroll to hide his blush as Sokka shut his mouth and let his sister finish as he tried to hide a blush as well.

That did not just happen.

That didn’t just happen!

In no way under Tei and Lu did that just happen!

Holy shit that just happened!

Sokka felt his heart beating like a drum as the little tingles lingered on his temple.

He was so happy that Toph couldn’t track any of that due to being on Appa, and Aang (for once) was focused on steering.

It was only Katara who smiled smugly at her brother and Zuko who was all too fascinated on the play scroll in hand.

Katara felt all kinds of smitten towards what she just witnessed. She knew her brother better than anyone.

She knew his perspective on women and men even if he himself didn’t know it. He’s never out right said anything, however him being attracted to deadly women and his overly eager friendships towards more feminin men told her a lot about his own preference.

She would never go out of her way to tell him that she knew, he’d say it when he wanted too, on his own terms.

For now she's just reveling in the fact that Zuko got him to shut up without having to open his mouth.

Sokka sat there red as a tomato the rest of the session and she knew Zuko was not so in that interested in the scroll she gave him from the market last night.

Toph at this point was going off about how long it was taking Appa to get to wherever the hell they were going.

Katara knows that Toph had a plan for this, she knows the basics of ‘it’s a safe lodging’ but other than that she knows nothing else.

Seeing as the result of Toph’s last scheme ended up with them being on a fire nation hit list she was more than hesitant and hoped for the love of Tei and Lu they didn’t end up in prison again.

Chapter Text

When they finally landed at their destination it looked a little too pristine for Toph to have picked for herself.
The garden too well kept, and the house looking a little too breakable. Everything seemed a little too in place and perfect for any of it to seem remotely Toph at all.
It was beautiful, all the plants and flowers in bloom as well as all the staff roaming around in beautiful uniformed attire, everything about it screamed ‘not Toph’

“What are we doing here?” Sokka asked her as they all dismounted.

“Well, from what you told me about our little Colonial incident and from using common sense I’d say it’s a safe bet to tell you that Firefly over here is a little worse for wear.”

“I’m not-” Zuko started.

“Can it Sparkles i’m blind not stupid, and as fun as it is to ruff it out there you need to look somewhat alive, my parents used to send me out here when they though that company could put their
poor little doll into harms way! The help here is annoying as hell but your in good hands.” Toph shrugged.

“Okay, but how are we supposed to pay for-”

“Don’t worry Sokka! I’ve got it covered, by the feel of it you could use some TLC too.” Toph said before going up to one of the staff members who started for a moment before regaining her wide smile.

“Miss Beifong! How wonderful to see you again! I was unaware of your visit today but may i just say what an honor it is!” she smiled.

“Hey Jou good to see you too.”

“What can we do for you today? A bath and a pedicure perhaps.”

“Not for me, but see my friend Lee over here, give him the Beifong treatment and set them up with some food! Lots of food. My dad already knows what's being done today so you can just bill him as usual.”

“of course miss.” Jue smiles before bowing and hurrying inside for a moment.

“I don’t think this is really necessary Toph.” Zuko said, looking deeply uncomfortable.

“Oh don’t worry chilly flake, you’ll love it! it ‘s right up your alley!” Sokka sassed smiling widely at his diss.

“it‘s now that I-”

“Oh you’re fine doing all your prissy prince stuff! Go get pampered.” Sokka smiled out even though his heart cringed at seeing Zuko frown at that comment.

‘Common Sokka be a guy, guy’s laugh about the idea of spa days,’ Sokka told himself as Jou came back out with the same warm smile on.

“We’re ready for you sir.” she smiled.

“Oh, him to, it’s a couples thing for the newly arranged.” Toph smiled evilly at the two’s direction.

“What!” Sokka yelled as Jou, with surprising strength, drug the two inside the bath house leaving Aang Katara and Toph to be led to the kitchens.

“How exciting for you two! Not many nobles are so open to the idea of two men being arranged together you must be so happy.”

Jou smiled as Zuko turned beet red with his wrist through the bath house and Sokka looked utterly confused and betrayed by Toph for forcing him into a spa thing with Zuko!

He’s a fire nation prince!

Yeah he’s not horrible or anything like others in the fire nation but Sokka would much rather spend it with a girl!

Yeah…. Definitely a girl, preferably not at all, but if he had to choose totally a girl.

“I’ll leave you two to get changed into your robes, please save all romantic moments for after your ceremony.” he smiled, wrinkled and closed the door behind her.

Sokka looked around now to realise they were in a sort of changing room with two robes and two sets of slippers as well as some hair bands.

“What does he mean by arranged?” Sokka asked.

Zuko turned redder than he already was at that question

“Arranged to be married, a lot of higher ups and royals do it, i guess it’s uncommon for two guys to be arranged here.” he said, turning around to take off his shirt.

“woah ! wait! I did not sign up for anything here!” Sokka screamed, turning red, looking at Zuko's naked, totally not attractive back.

“We’re meant to change into robes before going in, it’s disrespectful to wear street clothes into a bath house or spa, it’s like telling Katara her cooking is bad.” Zuko shrugged.

When Sokka didn’t look away he shot a look over his shoulder to get Sokka to turn around and start changing.

“So, you do this often?” he asked, not knowing what else to say. He was so stupid! Why would he say that?

“I guess so, back in the fire nation we had steam rooms and massage bars in the palace it’s the only place my father would never dream of going into. He said it was for women and refused to even look at the doors.” Zuko shrugged.

Sokka was about to make a joke of Zuko being pretty feminine before realizing he was standing here in an emerald green bathrobe and sandals himself.

Turning around to look at Zuko who was in a minty green bathrobe and sandals, which didn't make Sokka blush.

Sokka wondered exactly what the day would entail with all this, and if the fire lord hated this, how bad could it be?

Zuko had pulled his hair up in a ponytail on the back of his head. (not the shaved one but the one we see at the end of the show) It put Zuko’s scar on full display, normally he kept his hair covering it, but looking at it close up there’s no telling how much it had to hurt when it happened.

The eye behind it was entirely white, blinding him, and the ear on that side mutilated into nothing more than a stub.

Sadly Sokka realized he was staring shortly after Zuko had. And tried to think of something quick to change the awkwardness.

“Well, if you do this a lot and you get skin like that! Sign me up!” Sokka smiled.

He meant to compliment him on his nice skin everywhere else, which was arguably already weird enough, but the way it came out sounding was

“your scar is ugly as is but imagine how much worse it would be without treatment.” which was not what Sokka meant in any way.

“Let’s just get this over with.” Zuko scowled and walked past Sokka.

Sokka felt like someone had just stomped on his boomerang but mournfully followed.

I don’t think that about your skin, it’s so soft and silky and looks like snow. And your hair is so fluffy and smooth and shiny and oh god the lady is looking at me what did i do?

“I’m sorry could you say that again?” Sokka asked

Zuko rolled his eyes and turned away to hide his smile.

“I said that we will be asking you two to separate from this moment on..” she repeated to Sokka specifically.

“Um yeah, why can't we do it together though? It’s a…” Sokka said, confused.

Zuko turned bright red again and chimed in.

“Forgive him, he’s from the farming villages, they do it a bit differently over there.” Zuko hurried out shooting Sokka a look before they were seperated.

The girl just giggled to herself,

“That’s okay, at least he’s eager.” she said to Zuko as she pulled Sokka away.

“What was that about?” Sokka asked himself as he was escorted into the first room.

His question was answered quickly by the big sauna tub waiting for him to submerge himself into.

Everything was covered but he definitely didn’t want another person next to him in this.

“Ohhhhhhhh.” Sokka moaned as he eased into it with a sigh.

“I’ve earned this.” he breathed out before a moment later a young woman appeared.

“Yeak! Sorry! Private bath! Please-” he said sinking his head down into the water till only his eyes were visible.

she … giggled? Why are you giggling!

“Apologize for the fright, I’m here to wash your hair is all.” she smiled before going behind Sokka to the array of products.

He was extremely skeptical till she began massaging his scalp to get it wet... Oh god! Oh god! Sokka could get used to this!

Oh they’re touching my hair and pulling in all the right places and that soap smells like oranges and what’s that other stuff i’m smelling.

When Sokka opened his eyes and peered over he saw a tray of fruits and meat had appeared next to him with a cup of what looked like tea.

When they asked if they would like to continue with the massage Sokka was about to say no before realizing how stupid that would be.

“Uh, you know what? Why not. Keep going!” he smiled.

The went on to massage their scalps for another thirty minutes till Sokka was sure his brains had been properly melted into the shape of their fingers before moving onto the rest of the spa, deep

tissue massages, pedicures, face masks, the works and by the end of the day Sokka felt like a whole new man with a new appreciation for pampering.

Chapter Text

Zuko had missed every minute of this. The face masks, the massages, the hair washing.

Most of all though, he missed the gossip.

You heard classified information in a spa that you wouldn’t hear in the war council meetings.

You learn blackmail material to take down the country.

Right now though, Zuko was hearing the woman discussing her cheating husband.

“Then why exactly are you staying with that piece of shit Tasha?” Zuko asked as she was filling his nails.

“My husband owns the spa, he IS my job, I can’t do anything about his little affairs no matter how much I want to.” she sighed with a shrug.

“How old are your kids?” Zuko asked.

“My girl is two and my son just turned four.” she said, raising one eyebrow as a question to the sudden topic change.

“And you're their mother, if he thinks he can raise the heir to his business and still keep it running he’s delusional. Also, I doubt any of those side pieces would want to take care of another woman's child. You march right up to your husband. Look him in the eye and lay it all out on the table. Tell him that if he ever cheats again you are leaving him WITH his children and half of his staff as per your divorce arrangements.”

“That's not very nice.” she pouted.

“Neither is cheating.” Zuko stated bluntly.

“Fair point, maybe. We’ll see what happens with his next little ‘meeting’” she huffed.

“Don’t sell yourself short Tasha, do you know how many people would pay top dollar for a manicure like this?” Zuko asked, holding up his freshly trimmed and cleaned nails with a smile.

“You're too kind.” Tasha smiled at him.

“Oh no, i’m being quite fair when i say you do a great job!” she rolled her eyes with a smile.

“Go get your massage you sassy bitch.” she quipped at him, he couldn’t help but smile back.
______

Sokka had finished an hour ago and no one had seen Zuko.

While Katara gave Sokka a fair amount of teasing for coming out smelling like oranges and cucumber, Toph was far more ruthless in pointing out just how much fun she knew he had.

Secretly because she enjoyed it too and would never admit to it.

Zuko didn’t resurface till dinner, walking into the camp they set up due to Toph declaring she “was not about to set a foot in that bath house till the day she died.”

When Zuko strolled down by the fire and oozed down in his seat next to Toph and Sokka it was kinda hard to tell whether he was relaxed or not.

The Gaang had never seen him calm like this; it was kind of a strange sight to behold in front of them.

His shoulders completely relaxed and his brow completely smooth and free of stress lines.

His eyes were teetering closed moment to moment, seeing him like that made Zuko look so much younger.

More his age.

“How was the food for you?” Sokka asked only slightly more awake than Zuko.

“Amazing and flavorful.” he smiled to himself at having eaten something he didn’t have to prepare, and it didn’t taste like puss.

While everyone could agree that he was pretty down to earth for a prince, he had the delusion that you could be refusing food while traveling and it’s totally fine to do.

Man, sokka is going to be daydreaming of that spread for months.

All the food he could ever eat right in front of him, and not even having enough time to finish one thing before it’s replaced again.

He was going to have to come back here when he had another chance.

Hopefully with a girlfriend to impress with it.

When the gang all went to sleep Zuko ended up in Sokka’s sleeping bag once again.

The prince was out like a light aftera day at the spa.

Sokka couldn’t help but breathe in the smell of Cinnamon and Vanilla that currently occupied Zuko’s hair.

No matter how creepy it was, Sokka tried to picture it was a girl in the sleeping bag with him, a beautiful woman who was with him instead of Zuko.

Yet no matter how hard he tried every image he tried to conjure up was a little underwhelming when he remembered it was Zuko next to him no beautiful woman he could picture quite got up to skuff with the reality presented with him.

That's not how it should be though, he can't be content with a BOY next to him.

How could he be a man for feeling this way about another guy?

He didn’t picture Yue next to him though, imagining her would just make him feel even worse then he already did for feeling the way he was feeling about the boy right next to him….

So he pictured Yue watching him, and any butterflies he began feeling for the fire prince were disintegrated in an instant and replaced with guilt.

Chapter Text

The fire nation was now in an unprecedented state of civil unrest.

People from every walk of life, who had previously agreed on the political standings, now found themselves in hostile arguments when the topic arose.

The nation wants news on their prince, and the firelord has remained silent.

When it broke out what had happened in the colonies Ozai knew the clock started to run out.

Between playing a mourning worried father, a vengeful war lord, and fire lord, there was only one thing he was able to play properly.

Princess Azula,
I am certain that you are aware of the current events in my nation, with that I would like to remind you that playing with your food is extremely unbecoming of a future fire lord. I know you have no intention to dishonor your father and fire lord in any way. You are my loyal loving daughter and I am so proud to have you here to inherit the throne should something bad happen.
You have one week,
Fire lord Ozai.

It is very true, he cannot become every role he is meant to be right now, so he will become a father.

Should his child fail this mission then he is simply going to have to figure out a new heir to the throne.

As the messenger ran out the great hall with the letter to send off to the princess he attached another that had been left in his care by fire lady Ursa.

she had wanted her to give it to the children when they were much older, though he fears that they aren’t going to live till then.

Shu had been very faithful to the fire lady in refusing to open it, however he worried exactly how the princess would react to it.

The palace staff knew only bits and pieces of the royal family's life, however over the years Prince Zuko’s love for his mother had only grown, where Princess Azula’s animosity had strengthened.

Yet here he was in the dead of night sending off a messenger hawk to the princess who was a way to find her brother, and bring him home… that’s what she was doing, that's all she could be doing.

Of all the firebenders in the world Princess Azula was the best of the best, she is perfect to bring the prince home.

Safe, and unharmed, just like the firelord said.

_________

Princess Azula sat around her campfire in silence.

It was only her out here after all.

She heard of Zuzu’s little stunt out in the colonies.

Needless to say she was unimpressed.

He knows where he stands, the longer he plates this the more destruction he causes for his nation, his people, his family…

There would have been a time when Azula would do anything for her brother.

That’s till Father helped her realize just how pathetic and weak he really was.

Always hiding behind mothers skirt and crawling through the vents when Father went by.

Azula would never, at least...

At least not sloppily enough to get caught doing it.

The thought of mother was enough to make Azula sick.

That woman always acting so kind and naive, always playing the victim.

Azula was the only one who ever knew what she brought.

She brought weakness, and she brought the temptation of unconditional love when in reality Azula knew exactly how fake it all was.

Azula never got that unconditional love.

She learned from a young age that if you want praise you work for it, and then you spit in their face.

Praise is for the weak minded fools who don’t realize their own power.

Azula didn’t need anyones approval, she didn’t need anyone's permission to move forward.

Yet why did her heart stop when a messenger hawk flew in.

looking at the fire lords seal of approval made her stomach churn.

She had not fulfilled her mission yet, but she would… she had too, there was no choice.

Father made it abundantly clear. Zuko never learned to read between the lines to see the true message.

Azula learned quickly.

The note attached to the letter though, that wasn’t part of the message.

My dearest children,
I am sorry that I had to leave you so abruptly all those years ago, I would have taken you with me if I could. I can only hope and pray that you are safe and well. If you ever want to find me you can find me at Hira’a. I can only pray that you will forgive me for what I have done,and put you through, I can only hope to Agni that you will one day realize why I did what I did.
Even if you hate me till my final days I hope you know my love for you will be eternal and strong,
My eternal wishes, Mother.

“Lies, lies, lies, LIES!”

The camp fire exploded all around her at the burst of anger.

Though quickly calming herself so as to not give away location, she began her hunt once again.

Azula could sleep later, she could sleep when she’s dead.

She could sleep when Zuko was dead.

All mother ever cared about was her precious little heir inheriting the throne.

She had Zuko wrapped around her finger from the start to do what she wanted him to do and be what she wanted him to be.

Azula, to her, was nothing more than a replacement child.

Azula was simply the worst case scenario. Father saw through her lies, he saw how badly mother acted towards her.

Whenever mother would spend time with Azula she would always rush to Zuko when he called.

She would always take his side in an argument, she would always give him the better presents and him the hugs, and the bedtime stories, and the lullabies…

Zuko was weak, and he still is.

Azula is a monster, not because she hurt people, not because she laughed at pain, but because she saw right through mothers lies.

She saw right through all of her stories and tales of friendship and love.

Only weaklings like Zuko fell for it, Zuko who got caught hiding behind her skirt and got caught hiding in the vents.

Azula never gets caught, not even when she was little and listening through the door as her mother read her brother a bedtime story.

She never got caught counting minutes to hours waiting for her mother to do the same for her.

She never got caught crying about it when no one came to tuck her in.

no one ever even came to catch her.

But she will Catch Zuko, Zuko always gets caught.

Chapter Text

When Zuko woke up the next morning everyone else was already up, to his astonishment.

Zuko was in the empty sleeping bag as they went around making breakfast and practicing bending exercises.

“Hey, I'm getting ready to go hunting before we head out again.” Sokka said

“Want me to come?” Zuko asked, getting up and stretching out his newly loosened muscles.

“Do you know how to hunt?” Sokka asked, quaking a brow at the prince who still smelled like cinnamon and vanilla.

“Probably different then you hunt but yeah.” he shrugged.

Zuko had done a lot of things as the blue spirit that most would deem disgraceful for the prince to do, though to many in fire nation the blue spirit was a symbol of the spirit world favoring the fire nation as a whole.

As for hunting he could just as easily shoot a flaming dart as you could swing a sword to get your next meal.

Zuko didn’t particularly like hunting, he didn’t like choosing one life over another.

Yet in the same breath he found it important to know where his food had come from so as not to take it for granted.

“Sure man, whatever.” Sokka shrugged, turning away from Zuko and nodding towards the trail for him to follow.

Zuko did so without any more preparation aside from tying back his hair into the top knot on his head.

The two walked in complete silence down the trail and that alone was strange enough seeing as Sokka didn’t know the meaning of the word silence until now.

After Zuko had spent days praying to Agni that Sokka would shut his mouth for ten minutes he finally came to the conclusion that he liked the sound of the other boy speaking even if he said
some really idiotic things.

Any time he tried to make eye contact with Sokka it always failed, that or the other boy found the path ahead of him incredibly interesting even though there were no tracks to be found.

It was kinda upsetting, because Zuko liked Sokka, he wasn’t really sure how.

One minute he wanted to punch him, then to hunt with him, then to hug him, Then to… really closely hug him… That is to say, that whenever Sokka made Zuko angry he somehow made it better with those big blue eyes and a pouty face.

Half the time Zuko was worried he was having a heart attack.

Now to have Sokka in front of him and not talking, it felt wrong, and stressful and Zuko couldn’t work out what he did wrong.

He’s never seen Sokka angry and he could only guess that he was angry, so the question is why.

Is it because Zuko came with him, to hunt?

Or is it more likely that Zuko’s sister keeps trying to kill them?

Regardless of the stressors at hand Zuko felt his muscles tensing at the unknown ahead of him and turned to look away from sokka finally to find a set of tracks.

Of course the moment when he stops staring and gives up is when Sokka starts talking again.

“So, any girlfriend back at home?” he asked somewhat awkwardly trying to make conversation.

“Kind of, there’s this girl, Mai. She and I were arranged to get married, or I guess, are. She has a girlfriend though, and I don't feel that way about… anyways she’s a really good friend, and the entire fire nation sees us as a power couple it would be kinda hard for me to date anyone else.” Zuko shrugged.

Being gay was okay in the fire nation to a certain extent, he wasn’t sure about water tribes though.

“Wait- your girlfriend is with another girl?” Sokka asked

“Yeah, her name is Ty-Lee, why something wrong with that?” Zuko asked. There was a certain edge to his voice that dared Sokka to say yes.

“No! I just, I’ve never heard that before, I mean I hear stories, but mostly just gossip back in the tribe.”

The boys were silent for a while after that.

“do they still date boys?” Sokka asked almost insecurly.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, growing up, I was the oldest boy in my tribe, I was the only man around. Every girl kept saying they wanted to date a big strong soldier, but not me. I never got a clear answer either. So I
guess, it would make more sense if they just said that to keep face and were only actually dating other girls. Then again, leaving my tribe to be here, i find a lot of things that i never questioned being in question. Um… it would make a lot more sense if they were, you know..” Sokka said, averting his gaze all together, ashamed by hiding his real question in the girls dating girls and not his own reasons.

It was quiet for a little longer with Zuko processing what Sokka was asking, as well fumbling to find what the boundaries were.

“It’s not always as simple as only liking boys or only liking girls, some people like both, and some people don’t care at all. Sometimes they don’t want to date anyone. It’s not just girls either guys date guys too. Gay people actually get married and adopt children usually, um- it’s not really a topic we take issue with i guess.” he shrugged.

Sokka met his eyes and smiled.

“Well, that’s good, the fire nation is a jerk about a lot of things but when it comes to who you sleep with-” Sokka paused thinking to last night again.

“Hey look tracks!” he shouted in relief at the hog-chicken trail in front of them.

The two dropped the conversation at that point and followed the tracks till they came across the prey which Sokka and Zuko made impressively good work over the three hog-chickens.

Sokka found yet another useful means for a firebender who could prepare and make jerky in less than four hours and it tasted amazingly smoky and spicy without a touch of salt.

Sokka was growing more and more attached to their resident fire bender every day and it almost scared him the way he was feeling.

That night he kept his thoughts firmly planted on Yue looking down at him, disappointed on him being able to just move on from her, to love someone else.

Sokka had truly loved Yue. He knows that a part of him always will.

He knows she wouldn’t want him single forever, he knows Zuko likely would be weirded out to share a sleeping bag if he knew.

He just needed to push his thoughts onto something else, they had other things to worry about right now and Sokka wanting to kiss a guy could wait….

Not that… not that he wanted to kiss Zuko.

Chapter Text

It had been an entire day and a half and Katara was ready to throw her brother off of Appa.

he kept talking about how much of a ladies man he was and how much attention he got as a ‘big tough water tribe warrior.’ even when Katara, Toph AND Aang testified against it.

Katara knew what Sokka was doing. He tried to keep a ladies only aura around him as if that did anything to fool anyone.

It seemed to be fooling Zuko though. He had been sitting in the saddle even quieter than usual, not looking at anyone.

Katara really didn’t know what Sokka’s own hang ups were regarding his emotions. Does he have any idea how many women back in the south pole ‘found comfort in one another’ some would go so far as to make betrothal bracelets for each other as they were already wearing necklaces.

Though all ethics on the matter aside.

Katara wanted nothing more than to hit her brother upside the head and tell him to stop being an idiot, yet from experience she knew it would only make him denser.

She resided herself to her mending and did her best not to listen to her brothers stupid claims.

When the team landed down for the evening Katara drug Zuko out by the river to help her gather water for the evening meal, maybe even get him to cook. If she heard one more ungrateful comment from her brother she was going to snap.

“Sorry about him, he does this thing where as soon as he says something wrong he starts digging himself further and further till he's at the center of the earth.” she said rolling his eyes.

“I don’t really see what his point was.” Zuko shrugged, scratching the back of his head and shifting awkwardly. From what Katara has noticed is that the prince doesn't seem too fond of eye contact. Maybe because one eye was not in the best condition, he didn't like people being able to look right at it.

“He wants to show off is all. I can understand him there. For a long time we were the only kids our age around. Then Aang and Toph joined in, now you. You're the only other boy his age he’s been around for a long time. I think he doesn’t know how to approach that.” she shrugged.

While she was incredibly done with Sokka hiding his emotions in a snow pile, she wasn’t about to dump her speculation as fact to the guy her brother could (definitely) have a crush on.

“Is it normal in the water tribe to brag about your own romantic adventures?” Zuko asked.

Katara blushed red and felt the urge to slap Zuko even though his question was innocent enough.

“Of course not! He just never really talked to other boys who weren’t eight year olds he’s-”

“Look out!” Zuko shouted suddenly and tackled her to the ground seconds before an explosion hit.

“Miss me?!” Azula shouted from the tree tops at Zuko. she looked…

Not good. Her normal put together nature had been replaced by bags under her eyes, her hair half haphazardly done, and what looked to be mud smeared on her cheek.
Zuko wanted to shout back a reply but could’t before Azula struck again.

Toph Aang and Sokka were already running in the commotion, trying to find a plan to get on Appa and run.

“Hey! Over here psycho!” Toph yelled, hurling a rock in Azula's direction. It did little to throw her off, but it was enough for Zuko to get closer and gain footing to plan a defence.

“Hey sparkle princess! What you gonna do with that fire? Light a candle? It's so weak you couldn’t even see me!” Sokka yelled at her.

The second he mentioned weakness, all attention focused on Sokka, he may have found out a second too late that that was the wrong move.

However just as she prepared to throw a mass of blue flames his way she was struck right in the middle of the shoulder blades as fell forward onto the forest floor.

“What! What did you do!!” she screamed at the stop of her lungs, trying to get her fire to start.

She began panicking, what would they do to her? Where was her bending? What had Zuko done?

“Remember when you locked Ty-lee and I in that shed for two hours, she taught me.” Zuko said, kneeling down in front of her.

She couldn’t stand right, she couldn’t bend, she was defenseless she was helpless, she… she was weak… she failed… oh Agni she failed her mission…”

she hadn't even realized the tears beginning to fall till Zuko pulled her into a hug.

“I-i don’t need your-your filthy pity you- you weak mi-ind-ed sn-snake-r-r-rat.” she sobbed her words contradicting the fact that she was hugging Zuko back.

“I know you don’t.” he soothed, giving the others a look telling them to leave.

“But I'm going to give it to you anyway, because that’s what brothers do,” he said.

Azula hated what she did next. She hated it with every fiber of her being and she will hate it for the rest of her life.

Azula pushed Zuko into the river and clumsily ran as fast as she could out of the clearing and didn’t look back even as she heard Zuko calling after her.

Chapter Text

Azula didn’t know where she was going really, she didn’t know how long she was walking, she didn’t know how crazy she must look.

Though if she was honest she didn’t care.

She couldn’t go back home without Zuko dead.

But even if she did it would have been too long now, everything was ruined and it was all her fault. Father would… Father would understand he- he loved…

Oh what did it matter anyways, the second Zuko hugged her it did something, he’s infected her with his weakness.

He’s done something so horrible to her that now… now she just couldn’t do it. Why couldn’t she kill him?

Why couldn’t she?

Why was she so weak?

At that Azula finally stopped walking and allowed herself to collapse to the ground to cry.

This wasn’t a cry you normally see people doing, even those alone, injured in the forest.

She was sobbing and laughing and screaming and whimpering all at once.

Why couldn’t she just write him off like mother, he pulled all the same tactics, all the same lies, as mother, and yet he was always so different from her.

Why did he have to be different from mother?

Why did he have to be so much like her yet so different from her? Why couldn’t they just be a happy-

Stop.

Surely she must be going crazy to have such a thought.

Someone coming down the path, she has no fire to defend herself!

She isn’t thinking straight! She’s losing her mind she’s-

“Azula?” her head shot up in an instant ready to chew out Zuko for finding her. But it wasn’t Zuko.

The man in front of her was far from her brother…

“Lu-Ten?” she asked, trying to sound tough, trying to sound poised, trying to sound like everything her voice refused to be in between her sobs and screams.

“Hey, don’t cry Lala.” he said, coming up and wrapping her in his arms that were suddenly much bigger than her, or- or was she getting smaller.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him, her voice suddenly sounding higher, sounding younger, sounding afraid.

Damn she hated it.

“I should ask you that.” Lu-Ten said.

“What are you talking about?” she asked him looking down at her hands that insisted on being small and childish.

“You're in the spirit world Azula.” he said with a soft smile.

“Don’t you know that was nothing but Uncle's nonsense stories?” she asked him trying to escape from the hug while somehow pulling herself closer to him.

It was all to reminiciant of how Zuko hugged her, Lu-Ten was all too reminiscent of Zuko.

“Azula, how did you get here?” he asked her, pulling away to look at the now childsized princess in front of him.

“I was… I was hunting Zuko… I lost… i’m a failure.” she said, looking down in shame.

“You're not a failure Azula, you're just a kid.” he smiled.

“Maybe in this world, back home i’m-”

“Fourteen.” he interrupted her with a quirked eyebrow.

“Ugh, what does it matter! I have more important things to worry about then hallucinations!” she snapped at him.

“So you don’t want my help then?” he asked standing up.

“Huh?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

“I can get you to where you need to go.”

“Father says-”

“You're not asking for help, I'm offering it, their different things.” he smiled.

“I’m tired.” she said, trying to change her topic on him.

“Come here.” he said, before hoisting her onto his back and began walking in the direction they came.

“Where are we going?” she asked him.

“Where you came from.” he told her.

“And where did I come from?” she shot back.

“Where did you end up?”

“Where we were.”

“And where are we now?”

Azula was silent to that.

Truth be told his random fire of questions kind of made sense.

“We- we’re going to Zuko?” she asked him.

“Do you want to go to Zuko?”

Azula's heart sank.

“He wouldn't want to see me.” she huffed.

“Why not?”

“I’ve done a lot to hurt him, he always tries to look out for me… and i always make it worse for him…”

“I don’t think he would ever not want you around.” Lu Ten said before the two fell into a rhythmic silence with only the sound of Lu Ten walking to fill their ears.

The more she looked around though, the more she could see that things were different here. The trees were darker in some parts and brighter in others.

You couldn’t see as far ahead of you but you knew exactly what was there.

If Azula were alone she would lie and say she wasn’t scared, but with Lu Ten carrying her through the woods just like he did when she was small, it brought her a strange sense of comfort that she hadn’t felt since the last time Lu Ten had carried her around like this.

She knew that they were walking to something big, something scary, she knew he was leading her to something unpleasant and it filled her with a rush of anger and resentment for her cousin, she didn’t like being carried anymore and she wanted to be put down.

A moment later he did so, he set her on the ground to where he towered over her little eight year old self.

She wanted to reach out and take his hand, to hold it there as protection.

Azula was a princess, she reminded herself.

She was a teenager who didn’t need to hold onto her dead halfwit cousins hand for reassurance.

She struck fear into soldiers just by looking at them.

She brought enemies to their knees with a single breath.

She made her own mother afraid for her life, she-

“Lu Ten?” Azula looked around when she realized her cousin was gone.

“Lu Ten!” she said, louder this time looking around for where he could have possibly gone.

“Azula!”

_____________
“Azula wait!” Zuko called after her the second his head resurfaced from the river.

He scrambled out immediately, paying no mind to his friends shouting from the shore line as he chased her into the woods where she came, she couldn’t have gotten that far.

“Azula! Wait! Please listen to me I-'' he stopped suddenly, looking around.

Something was off here. He didn’t know how it was off but- but everything looked different. Everything was… brighter, clearer, he saw more of, well, everything.

Bringing a hand up to his face he touched underneath his left eye to feel the scar he had come so accustomed to.

The scar wasn’t there. When he covered his right eye he could still see out his left.

He should be happy by this, by whatever miracle was happening, yet truth be told, he was petrified.

He was scared and he was worried, and he didn’t know what was happening, now suddenly everything looked a lot darker.

The trees were more ominous and what little path lay in front of him suddenly was written with danger and destruction and the trees only got bigger cutting out more and more light and he only felt more and more out of control yet he kept walking forward because what if Azula was in trouble and-

“Hello Zuko.” he jumped ten feet in the air as he whipped around to see a man in long red robes with long white hair dressed fire nation traditional robes. he looked likw an old aristocrat yet something told him that this man was more then just that.

“Wh-who are you?” he asked. His voice sounded higher, and betrayed any hope he had to at least sounding brave as even the man seemed to tower over him.

“My name is Roku, and by the sound of it, you are looking for someone.” he smiled, kneeling down to Zuko’s height.

Something about the man was familiar, playfully so. He knew him somehow.

“I was looking for my sister, she ran off.” he said, looking down due to habit, and clenching his shirt in his fists.

He saw as he did so just how small his hands were, how un calloused they were, his clothes were different too, it was his old school uniform.

“Well, what do you say we walk together.” Rokku offered.

Zuko looked around him. He knew you shouldn’t just accept some random guy offering to help you, but… but something about this man told Zuko he was safe, something inside him said that he knew Rokku more than Rokku was saying.

Besides, when Rokku showed up, the trees weren’t ominous anymore, the path wasn’t dangerous, and in fact much clearer.

So Zuko nodded and said
“Okay, to Azula.” and began walking again.

Every once in a while he would hear a twig snap though, or a leaf crunch and the calm happy woods he had seen morphed back into the terrifying horrors he saw before.

he truly felt as young as he must look.

almost without thinking he swung his hand up to take Rikku's who pulled him close and then all the bad things went away.

“You seem to know a lot about this place.” Zuko said finally.

“I have been here for quite a long time now.” Rokku offered.

“Where are we exactly?” he asked looking up at the old man.

“We’re in the spirit world, you have somehow managed to cross over as you were looking for your sister.” Rokku said with a small smile.

“Will i still be able to find her?” Zuko asked, ruffling his brow.

“I’m sure your sister is a lot closer than you think sometimes.” Rokku reassured him.

They were silent for a while after that till Zuko spoke up again.

“What if she doesn’t want me to find her?” he asked looking at Rokku who was still holding his small ten year old hand in his old wrinkled one.

“Whether she admits it or not your sister needs you just as much as you need her Zuko, sometimes even more.” he smiled

“But-” Zuko started, having no direction for that question.

“Lu Ten?” he heard a small voice ask in the distance all of the sudden

“Azula?” he said hopefully letting go of Rokku’s hand and stepping forward to look around more.

The forest suddenly a lot brighter and inviting than it ever had seemed as his eyes darted around.

Though it all seemed to narrow in his vision he knew exactly what was in front of him as he did so.

The path became much clearer than it had been before as he listened again for his sister's voice.

Only a moment later did he realize.

“Rokku?” he asked in his same raspy voice he always had.

“Lu Ten!” Azlua shouted, louder this time.

“Azula!” Zuko shouted back, running in the direction of her voice.

“Zuko!” she shouted back, sounding closer till the two came in view of one another.

Azula didn’t have those bags under her eyes that she had, and the mud smear was gone from her cheek.

Her hair was down instead of being pulled up, other than that his sister was completely unharmed as he ran up to her.

Against his better judgment, perhaps he wrapped her into a big hug that for whatever reason, she gladly returned to him.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” he told her, pulling away to look at her.

She pulled back from him.

“yeah well, you know. I had thought you let someone else kill you before i could get to it.” she shrugged off shooting him a wicked smirk.

Yet there was something else in her eyes when she said that.

They were quiet for a minute after that.

“So… we’re stuck in the spirit world.” Azula huffed reluctantly.

“I see that. The question is how do we get out?”

“Of course it is Dum-Dum.” she dead panned at him

They were silent for another beat.

“Well do you have any ideas or not?” Azula asked him, looking away in disgust as she did so.

“I don’t, you?”

Azula didn’t feel any less disgusted with that reply.

Chapter Text

The two siblings were at a loss of what to do.

Zuko wanted to walk back to his camp and have the avatar help them, but noooo, Azula would take no part in her brother's foolish ideas.

So they sat on the forest floor in a tense silence.

Zuko didn’t know what to say, he had seen her at the palace, daily, yet this is the first time he feels like he’s ever been around Azula since their mother vanished.

Azula wanted nothing to do with her brother; she wanted no part in his life, she could finally be happy once he was dead.

Neither of them knew what to say Azula refused to talk at all, she would keep her mouth shut as a way to tell him just how inferior he was.

Zuko broke the silence after what felt like hours.

“Do you remember the ember island players?”

Azula’s scowl of disapproval faltered for a moment, being caught off guard.

“They butchered love amongst the dragon, every single year, but every single year they still did it. Got booed off the stage each time too.” Zuko laughed.

Azula kept her gaze fixed away from him.

“The last time they put it on we snuck a bunch of rotten food in with us and threw it at the stage. And the audience joined in!

It was wrong but I still laughed about it sometimes. Lo and Lee gave us the biggest lectures after that, but we got dinner anyway.

I always think about that when I remember ember island.

They didn’t… you know, they just gave you a lecture called us bad kids then gave us piles of food. Lee kept calling me her Bao bun and you laughed about it every time.” Zuko chuckled and Azula felt her own lips betraying her at that.

“They stopped selling snacks during the summer time after that stunt. Only during the summer when they knew we’d be there.” she scowled disapprovingly.

“Yeah, it was worth it if you ask me.” Zuko laughed a little.

“Why did mom go every year even when it was such a bad play?” Zuko asked, this time, mostly to himself.

“Because dum-dum you liked playing make believe and whatever you wanted she would give you.” Azula rolled her eyes at him again, for a fleeting moment looking a lot younger than she presented herself to be.

The entire fire nation sometimes forgets that Azula is only fourteen. Agni, even Zuko forgets it sometimes.

Looking at her in this moment it felt like he was seeing something that no one else had ever been allowed to see.

A moment after that it was gone, she was the same princess she presented as.

“You did too.” he retorted, suddenly feeling like he had to defend his mother.

“I would, but only if it didn't conflict with what you wanted. If her precious little boy just batted his eyelashes then her daughter was made the second priority!” Azula snapped, harsher than she
expected. More raw than she expected.

It was true of course. If Azula wanted to play hide and seek and Zuko wanted to play tag then the tag would be played first and then hide and seek. If Zuko wanted to keep playing tag mother would say.

“One more game of tag won't hurt Azula.” and when Azula threw a tantrum for not getting her game played she’d be sent inside for ‘being selfish’ and ‘ not willing to play nice’

“Well, dad always favored you for everything, you were a perfect little princess who did everything right.” Zuko hissed.

Azula rolled her eyes at him standing up to walk around, suddenly very restless at this topic.

She didn’t like talking about this, she never talked about this. Yet she wanted to talk about this so badly,

“That Zuzu is because dad has a game that he plays. You can’t negotiate it. Hide and seek or tag, are negotiable, not his. If you play his game and play it right then you get what you want. If you follow the rules you are favored, if you get caught breaking them you don't get anything.” she smiled obviously at him.

“And you just always follow the rules for him don’t you.” Zuko huffed distastefully.

“No, I just don’t get caught breaking them like SOME people.” she said with a devilish smile.

“Why does there have to be a rule though? Why can’t it just be normal”

“Because it‘s not normal Zuko!” Azula shouted knowing exactly where he was trying to lead this conversation. She wouldn’t let him lead.

“Nothing about either one of us is normal! Our country is at war with the rest of the world! You and I are going to be what hangs in the balance between victory and defeat. Do you think i want any of this! Do you think I want to sit awake wondering where mom is? Do you think I want to be a monster? Do you think i want to kill my own brother? I don’t! But we. aren't. Normal, Zuko. We are royalty and when you are royalty you need to make some tough decisions. This is why you shouldn’t be in this equation. You can’t face the facts, do what's right for our nation. You’d rather fly around with a band of watertribe and earth kingdom peasants, and the one person who could destroy everything we’ve worked for!” Azula finished panting for breath.

She was angry, and upset and she was finally ready to strangle him with her bare hands, but she had the feeling that in this world she wouldn’t be able to.

“You… I know, you're not a monster Azula.” Zuko said quietly.

She looked at him baffled that that was what he took away from her whole rant. That was the first thing he chose to touch on.

“You're not a monster, and you don’t have to kill me, just… just talk to me. Please.” he asked looking at her with worry in his eyes.

She hated that look, it was exactly like how mother looked. He was worried about what Azula would do to him just like mother worried about what Azula would do to her.

“Talk to you about what?” Azula snapped back at him.

Zuko was still sitting down though, through all of this he didn’t stagnant up he let Azula tower over him if nothing else then to let her feel in control of this

"What do you think is going to happen when you go back home?” Zuko asked her.

“When I go back home and you're dead?” she said back, seeing as that is the only way she’d be allowed back.

“Yeah.” he said with a sigh.

“It’ll be a lot better. I don’t have to keep hearing “prince Zuko this, Heir Zuko that. Prince Zuko the National treasure. I don’t have to be compared to you anymore! Once you're gone we’ll be
better off. We won’t have a weakling like you there.” Azula started trying to cut him as deep as possible.

Zuko didn’t show how much he wanted to lash out at her, he wanted to scream back and shout and tell her every way she was wrong and the way the nation would be better without her, but he knew that would make the situation worse. The best thing to do is shut his mouth and remember she didn’t mean what she said.

“Well? Don’t just sit there! Say something!” she snapped at him.

“You got caught a lot actually.” was all he said, as she knit her eyebrows together waiting for him to say more.

“You got caught so many times I lost count. But I told father they were me. Think of all the shit i got dealt whenever i got in trouble, you wouldn’t have anyone to cover for you. Father won't lighten up because you're the favorite, he won’t lighten up because you never got in trouble. If it gets in the way of his authority, if it is something that could hurt his power he’ll-”

“I know! Zuko, that's the biggest rule.” she snapped, pushing down all her emotions for later.

“What do you mean?” she said after a minute of tense silence.

“By what?”

“What do you mean by hurting his power? What could we do to…” she had dropped all her anger, letting it be replaced with a bit of morbid curiosity.

Zuko stared at her for a moment before speaking.

“Remember Commander Zhao?”

Azula frowned and nodded, that creep.

“Well, he’s dad’s favorite general now. He gives the best results, losing him would be a huge hit to the armies. So when mom disappeared Zhao started… trying stuff.” he said, putting an
emphasis on the last two words, making Azula’s eyes widen, maybe in shock, maybe in anger, maybe at the sheer amount of foolish balls you would need to even think about doing that to a thirteen year old prince.

“He didn’t.” Zuko added quickly.

“He tried though, guards caught him. I went to father to tell him, I got in a lot of trouble for making up such a dangerous lie and...the same guards were gone the next day. When I talked to the noble children I heard some similar stuff about Zhao.” Zuko said emotionlessly, looking at the dirt.

Azula huffed out a breath and looked at her older brother.

she needed to do something here, before it was too late. she had to make her choice, despite all she was feeling and experiencing, she needed to choose.

“I suppose… this whole, killing you project… I can give you an extension on it.” she said sounding blaze about the whole thing.

“What?” he asked her looking up.

“Don’t make me change my mind Zuzu. someone is going to die soon, and it’s not going to be me.” she smiled evilly before their two spirits were suddenly pulled back to their bodies
.
Azula opened her eyes and shot up in the woods.

She was laying on the floor, she still felt weak. Her bending was sparky at best.

Yet she knew what she had to do. She knew where she had to go. Somebody was about to die soon, and it wasn’t going to be her.

So she hauled herself up onto two feet, turned towards the clearing ahead and became set on what she was about to do.

“Time to find Zhao.”

Chapter Text

-what happened at camp while Zuko went on a fieldtrip with Azula-

“Is he okay!” Sokka shouted as Aang and Katara got him out the river and Katara bent the water out of his lungs.

He should be fine after a bit of rest, we’ll just need to keep an eye on him for a while.

Toph could tell that Katara wasn’t fully convinced of it, and Zuko’s pulse had dropped pretty low between his time on shore and his dip in the river.

He had been down there for a solid minute and a half before they got him out with a sizable lump on his head.

He didn’t drown in that minute and a half is a miracle in itself.

However they set up camp anyways and tried to keep busy. Toph could tell they were all worried. But Toph knew every single time Sokka looked at the resident firefly because his pulse picked up
a little.

When there was nothing left to do Toph sat down next to Sokka as Aang tried to distract Katara with waterbending.

Toph thought for a moment on what to do or say till a slightly evil, yet perfect idea came to mind.

“He’s a little cold, don’t you think?” she asked in a worried tone.

“What do you mean?” Sokka asked, suddenly panicked.

“I mean, his body temperature is low, firebenders rely on that more than we do. If we could get it up, then he might wake up faster.” she shrugged.

“Should we… move him closer to the fire?” Sokka suggested

“Move him any closer and he’s sitting IN the fire Snoozles.”

“Well then… what do we do?” he asked.

“What do you think mr. idea guy?” Toph sassed a little trying to maintain a genuine concern despite what she’s trying to set up.

Not only for Zuko’s benefit, her wonderful awkward older brother, but also Sokka to just think on stuff for a bit.

“Well.. back in the water tribe we usually use body heat.” Sokka said turning bright red as he looked at Zuko who was still out cold.

“But- but that would be-”

“Hey guys how’s he doing?” Aang called, coming back.

“Same as he was, we were thinking that if we could get someone with a little body heat to help warm him up then-”

“That's a great idea! I can do that!” Aang grinned good naturedly.

Toph's eyes widened and Sokka jumped at the way out he was just given.

With that Aang climbed in and became a makeshift front-pack to Zuko.

Of course When the fire prince woke up groggy from his venture into the spirit world, and saw a hairless orange and yellow lemur attached to him he was… less than impressed.

Chapter Text

The fire nation was… apprehensive.

The fire lord, through a mournful and worried statement made it abundantly clear that they were working their hardest to get the prince back before it was too late.

However, With the kidnappers traveling constantly and the hawks needing to fly through hostile lands it has been hard to make any contact aside from “is my son alright?”

An elite team has been sent out to find the prince and return him home safely, any cost necessary.

Iroh saw zhao being sent out that morning.

While Iroh has tried his best to see good in everyone, Zhao is the one person that has no good in him.

Iroh has heard the rumors behind hushed doors about Zhao using his power against those who cannot defend themselves.

He’s heard soldiers ridiculing the general before having the forethought to bite their tongues.

Iroh almost could have been convinced it was nothing more than a nasty rumor spread as a bit of earth kingdom propaganda.

Until Zuko came into it.

All he knew when he came back from a trip was that some guards suddenly quit and moved to the colonies, and Zuko was 'sick' for many days after.

He figured out the rest with a lot of hair pulling and coaxing.

when he was finally able to talk to Zuko however, he saw that the boy would not give him a straight answer even before he opened his mouth.

Instead Iroh sat down and told the boy some stories of his travels and did his best to insert the fact that what you put into the world will come back to you.

Iroh promised himself that the next time he was able to lay eyes on Zhao would be the moment he breaks his vow of peace and non violence before resuming it.

Now though, Iroh sees that it is going to have to wait.

Iroh hates this man with every fiber of his being.

Hate is not the right word.

Hate suggests a fire burning with anger. Iroh doesn’t feel that.

Iroh feels a deep cold pit whenever he looks at Zhao.

there is no burning, there is no passion for vengeance.

Iroh could only guess it to be a deep seeded desire to go in and correct whatever caused Zhao to be like he is. To change him into a better man than he is, much like Iroh tried to do for himself.

However Iroh knows truer then anything that the things Zhao has done to people, the hurt he has caused them, none of that can ever be corrected.

none of that can ever be repaired.

Iroh knew it couldn’t be repaired, however he wants to stop Zhao before more destruction can be made.

“Wait for me!” Iroh called as he ran up to the boat, toasting a heavy bag of supplies and panting heavily at its weight.

“Prince Iroh, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Zhao asked politely.

“I am coming as well, i kn0]ow my nephew better than anyone!If anyone is able to find him it would be me!

Well… that and, maybe a few of the turtle ducks at the pond who sometimes wind up in
the boys bedroom.” Iroh shrugged seemingly lost in thought.

“But I know my nephew!” he concluded after a moment looking Zhao in the eye.

“I don’t dispute that. However it is not currently up to the prince how he moves i’m afraid, the Avatar and their acomplaces are currently the ones who dictate that.” Zhao said coldly, yet there was
a fire in those eyes.

“Ah Zhoa you underestimate my boy, ust when one thinks they have the upperhand is is exceptional at outsmarting them.” Iroh smiled hopefully at Zhao’s anger flaring up at him.

Knowing the best way to put out an untamed fire is to 1. Let it burn itself out and it often goes quickly. If that doesn’t work, always try smothering and water.

Zhao had to take a few deep breaths before continuing.

“I do not underestimate the princes capabilities, however-”

“Oh please! I’m so worried about him! I just want to see his smiling face again!” Iroh began ugly crying.

He was in no way ashamed to admit that these tears were in fact very real as he threw himself at Zhao in a suffocating hug.

“I miss him telling me how much he hates my tea, no one can insult tea quite like him. Because i know, deep down… he loves my te-te-ea-ea-eaaaa!” he sobbed.

“Alright! You can come aboard and just… try not the interface Prince Iroh.” Zhao huffed in utter defeat when he saw that none of the guards or crew were going to be coming to his aid.

They in fact were quite excited to go along with Prince Iroh.

Many of them want to be able to win back their money from previous Pi-Sho games and see if he really is as bad as they claim at that horn thing.

So Iroh climbed aboard and got settled in a small out of the way cabin, coming to terms with his own plans.

Iroh could not be certain that his brother had good intentions for Zuko.

while Zuko never spoke ill of his father, and his father never seemed overly angry at the boy. Iroh had spent many years coming and going from the nation.

Only now as he’s started spending more time at the palace doesn't he realize what it is that truly going on.

Only now has he learned what had happened for Zuko to receive something as horrible as that brand over his left eye.

Zuko didn’t deserve that, he deserved something much more extreme.

Zuko deserves a new father.

Chapter Text

Zuko really didn’t want to talk about his sister right now, yet it seemed that everyone wanted to know what her deal was.

Zuko had his own things to process with Azula. She said a lot of stuff in the spirit world, dream… thing.

Things he wished he could ask Iroh about.

Now wasn't a time he would be able to get answers to though.

Instead he was atop a flying bison in the middle of an earth kingdom being showered in questions about his emotionally unstable sister.

“I’m just saying Katara i wanna know the reason why she turned out like… her and he turned out normal!”

Zuko looked out over the skyline, while it was beautiful to see at sunset, theft had been flying all day.

The two water tribe siblings seemed to have been arguing about the correct way to ask Zuko why his family is fucked.

Zuko has been trying not to set fire to the avatars giant fluffy grandfather figure (as Zuko saw it) it seemed that the two siblings completely forgot he was there as they argued over what to say and do.

Aang had finally, thank Agni, found a safe spot to set up camp.

As they descended and slowed down on the bison the two fighting got louder till Zuko reached his boiling point at them.

“It’s still not okay to say Sokka!” Katara scolded.

“How is it not okay! It’s what i want to know! Straight and-”

“You wanna know! Imagine growing up with the fire lord as your father!” Zuko screamed at them, flames licking around his mouth and neck as he did before storming down to the earth tent Toph was setting up and got in right as she sealed it off.

“I don’t want to-” he started.

“You don’t have to tell me.” Toph interjected, holding up a hand.

The two sat in silence as Toph seemed to be concentrating on something, Zuko didn’t know what.

While outside the tent Sokka was having a mini meltdown, micro analysing everything he said.

Katara and Aang were just trying to set up camp for the night.

“So- uh… remember when we camped here last?” Katara said, looking around awkwardly.

“Yeah! We met those nomads an-.... Um…” the two looked away blushing, continuing to set up camp like that didn’t just come up.

Meanwhile with Sokka,

“I called her crazy! Why did I say his sister was crazy! But… he’s called her crazy? Gaah! What do i do! He’s probably telling taph how much of a bad selfish person i am and that he hates me. Then She’ll agree with them and leave and we’ll be a short and earth bending teacher and a Zuko!” Sokka cried, falling onto the ground in defeat.

“Raaagh.” Appa groaned noncommittally at the warrior in front of him.

“Normally that makes me feel better but this is a different issue.” Sokka sighed.

“Bruuuh.”

“Hey! You leave my gran gran out of this!”

“Mrp derp darp.” Momo chirped, sitting on his head.

“You're right momo, I just need to suckit up and go… tell him what an idiot we are… if he hates me he hates me… it would be for the best…” Sokka said it still melted firmly into the forest floor.

“Up… Sokka, are you okay?” Katara asked coming up to him, worried now for her own siblings' sanity.

“I don’t know… I-”

Before Sokka could finish his thought Toph popped out from the ground next to him.

“This is for your own good Snoozles.” she said and shoved him into a hole in the dirt before taking herself down as well to hide from KAtaras wrath and questions.

“Sokka, Sokka! I think Toph’s lost her mind.” Zuko said in front of him as he looked up to see Zuko holding a ball of flames in one hand and shaking his shoulder with the other.

“Uuuuhhhh! Where are we?” Sokka groaned, looking around them.

Sokka felt his blood run cold when he realized what was happening, his ears pounded with the memory and his headache at the very thought of what trauma laid before him.

“We can’t be here… not again…” Sokka said, horrified.

“Where are we? What do you mean?” Zuko said, sounding worried.

Sokka looked at him, the turmoil firmly present in his gaze as they stared down the abyss of mazes and caves.

“Sokka! Talk to me! Snap out of it where are we?!” Zuko demanded feeling fear rise higher in his gut.

Sokka swallowed hard before answering him. His voice shaking as he did so.

“We, Zuko are in a place that still haunts my dreams… " he paused and swallowed hard at that.
"the secret tunnel.”

Chapter Text

----two hours later---

Sokka we’ve been walking for hours and nothing. You still refuse to tell me what this place is.” Zuko stated.

“It’s the place that made me question my own sanity and moral ethics more than anything ever has. Does that help?” Sokka asked.

Zuko was quiet for a beat before responding,

“I dunno, it seems kinda pretty in here.” he shrugged

The two of them had been huddled together as Zuko held a flame for light. meaning Zuko couldn't see a whole lot else of the cave to begin with.

They continued walking in silence down the darkened path. All Sokka could think about was the hippies playing a love song and dancing around without a care in the world.

He wished he could do that… well, not THAT specifically but just wander around and now worry about stuff.

He wished he could go and explore weird cursed caves for hours but he couldn’t.

He had other things to worry about… like what the hell is that squeaking!

“Shhh what is that?” Sokka stopped both of them from walking to look around as Zuko let his flame burn a little brighter.

It kept getting louder, it sounded like there were hundreds of them!

“Um… sokka?” Zuko asked nervously

“Just keep walking.” Sokka said taking a few steps around the corner to be met with an ocean of beady red eyes charging around them.

He heard a high pitched scream before everything plunged into darkness and a heavy weight hanging on his right side.

Sokka couldn’t do anything he stood there petrified as the swarm of rats dissipated a few seconds later.

It was quite a bit longer before either of them felt their voices come back.

“Zuko?” Sokka asked.

“Yeah?” the weight on his side muttered, only then did Sokka realize the prince was clinging to him like a koala-monkey.

“Do you still think the cave is pretty?” Sokka asked, trying and failing to be upset at their situation.

It was hard to be stressed and grumpy when the prettiest thing in this cave is holding onto you for dear life.

Sokka started to blush at that. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the prince was nice to look at, even if Sokka was a genius.

But he could acknowledge how another guy was good looking, and nice, and caring, and always starts playing with his hair when he gets tired and it’s the cutest thing ever.

“Is it getting brighter in here?” Zuko asked

That's when Sokka realized he could make out the outline of the prince through some weird green light coming through the walls.

Zuko jumped away suddenly like Sokka was made of lava.

The cave went dark again and Sokka quickly started to miss Zuko holding onto him like that.

Zuko lit up his flame again to give a bit of light and Sokka had to hide the blush still on his cheeks.

“You screamed.” Zuko said flatly after a moment of awkward silence.

“I did not!” Sokka demanded turning even redder.

“It was an impressive note too, I can think of a couple of choir singers who would kill for a falsetto like that.” Zuko teased a little more.

“Oh shut up!” Sokka laughed, shoving him in the shoulder as they kept walking in a comfortable silence.

“So what else can you tell me about this tunnel? How did you get out last time?”

Sokka cringed at the memory.

“Well… we were with this band of hippies when we did it. They seemed to believe that the cave would only show you the way out if you were in love. It was a lie obviously! But… we all got separated and i was stuck with all of them running around wasting our torches and all i wanted to do was get back to Aang and katara.” Sokka sighed at the memory of how much he was worried about his little sister and if she was okay.

She had Aang to look out for her, and he trusted Aang but his big brother instincts were going overdrive.

“Anyways depending on certain times of the day and positioning with the rocks the sun would shine a light though and it was enough to reflect on the crystals till it reached where we all were and got us out.” Sokka finished glancing over at Zuko who looked deep in thought.

“So you didn’t believe in the love thing?” he asked a little tentatively.

“Nah! A cave can’t sense your emotions like that.” sokka laughed it off. Till the two of them stood in front of a fork in the road, both paths looked exactly the same.

“Then maybe we should sit and wait for that time of day to pass, hopefully we're not too far in for it to reach us when it does.” Zuko offered.

“Good idea.” Sokka agreed and they sat down there in silence for a long time, neither able to think of what to say.

After what felt like forever Zuko tried to get his mind off of the feeling of how much he wanted to run into that swarm of rats again just to have an excuse to cling to Sokka.

Sure the two have been sharing a bed roll, but it wasn’t them going out of their way to cuddle.

Clearly Sokka didn’t feel that way about guys he made that pretty apparent.

Zuko didn’t know how he felt about guys.

It had always been presented to him that he would be marrying Mai.

While his father was never against homosexuality, he always viewwed it from a very political angle.

“They adopt more children than any other demographic in the fire nation. If the children are being adopted then there is less tax money needed to go to orphanages, and those kids can help with labor at their adopted families' work.”

Really he viewed everything from a political standpoint.

He had nothing to gain from his heir wanting to date a guy, he just wanted a grandchild of noble blood.

Zuko didn’t know how much time had passed but he knew the two of them got stuck in this tunnel at night. He hoped they wouldn’t need to wait here for a full day.

“Do you believe in love?” Sokka asked suddenly.

Zuko nearly dropped his flame as he looked at Sokka with wide eyes.

Sokka who had the audacity to look all innocent and curious as Zukos mind was shooting in ten different directions as to what that question ment.

Zuko turned away quickly and fumbled for something to say.

“I-i don’t know, i’ve never really been in love.” he rushed out pulling his knees to his chest and trying to fold into them to avoid wherever this was going.

Sokka was silent for a second.

“I was… but it was really short... didn’t end great.” Sokka sighed suddenly, not confident in the plan he was making.

“What do you mean?” Zuko asked.

Sokka sighed.

“My first girlfriend turned into the moon.”

Zuko had to take a second to process that, what do you even say to that?

“Um… that’s rough buddy.” he said looking away.

“‘I know she wouldn’t want me to dwell on her forever… but every time i catch feelings for someone i can just imagine her looking all upset and sad that i’m with someone else.” Sokka said defeatedly.

“Why do you think she would be upset?” Zuko asked.

“I don’t know…. I promised to protect her… how can i be right for anyone if i couldn’t even keep her safe?” Sokka asked.

Zuko looked at him for a second before letting the fire go out knowing Sokka probably didn’t want him to see his emotions.

“Well, i don’t know what happened, but she would need to choose to become the moon spirit. She chose to make that sacrifice for the world. So in a way she’s protected forever. Then she can protect you. It still hurts that you can’t be around her, but just the fact that she’s the literal moon spirit tells me that she would be kind and forgiving. She wouldn’t want you to sacrifice your own happiness to make her memory last.” Zuko offered.

“I know, but every time the moon is out and i’m with someone all i can think about in Yue looking down at me saying that i shouldn’t be doing that in front of her.” Sokka sighed, his voice cracking a little with emotion.

“Well… in the fire nation, the moon signifies pleasure, the sun is power, the moon is pleasure. We don’t have to do anything in terms of work for the moon, because it’s too dark too. The moon is our time of rest and enjoyment and friendship. It’s when we get to be with those we care about, and make memories…” Zuko offered.

“I guess you're right,” Sokka sighed leaning a little into Zuko.

“It’s hard to move on from someone like that. And you should never let the memory of her go, but of all the duties the moon has I don't think she would come down and tell you your choice in partners sucks,” Zuko smiled comfortingly, tentatively leaning back into Sokka for comfort.

“I suppose you're right… I've already got Katara for that.” Sokka grinned as the two laughed.

Zuko could spend the next hundred years like this, leaning up against Sokka with their heads touch and face inches apart.

“Ya know, growing up you hear some… not great things about the rest of the world. I believed a lot of bad things about you guys when you literally kidnapped me but…. This is the first time I felt like I was ever free.” Zuko mused before chuckling a bit.

“That’s probably really corny-”

“No, I get it… I kinda feel the same.” Sokka smiled at how fast his heart was racing as he found Zuko’s hand and laced their fingers together.

Ha! See, stupid cave doesn’t rely on love!

He wanted to gloat at the cave for being wrong but for the life of him he didn’t care anymore and could only look at the firebender and how amazing he looked in the dim green glow around them.

“Should we start walking?” asked Zuko after a minute of this, not sounding like he wanted to move.

“Yeah…” Sokka sighed, as the two stood up.

They followed the glowing green crystals to the exit of the cave. Neither of them let go of the others hand. Neither of them said anything.

They just wanted to walk out with each other. And both knew that if they said anything they would make up some excuse of getting separated like last time.

Chapter Text

Iroh had been stuck on a ship with the insufferable Zhao for a few days now.

Every single day that passes he must wake up, make tea and repeat to himself over and over again that

Zhao must be kept unaware of his plans until Zuko is back in Iroh’s arms.

Once Iroh has Zuko safe with him then he will take any means necessary to ensure Zhao never hurts anyone ever again.

Iroh doesn’t like violence, he doesn’t like hurting people.

However if you think you can hurt his nephew and get away with it then you will see what the dragon of the west is.

Iroh had many regrets in his life, many people see him as a person who could do no wrong, but there are many ghosts in his past that still haunt him.

And he is in no place to banish the ghosts that he created.

For if Iroh were to banish his own creations out of convenience then he would be no better than Ozai.

Ozai.

Iroh is ashamed that he never realized how truly awful his little brother became. When had he turned into such a monster?

When had he mutated and morphed into a man who thought it alright to raise the flames to his own flesh and blood? A disgraceful thing for any bender to do.

Iroh could not banish the ghosts of his complacency, he could not take back the years of ignorance to Ozai’s horrible misdeeds under Iroh’s very nose.

But he can choose to act now.

He will find Zuko, he will speak with the avatar, whether they want to or now, he will see to this war ending, and then… then he will have a large cup of jasmine tea and finally teach Azula how to properly play pai sho.

The ship was dispurcing to land today, they would be splitting off and tracking on foot through the earth kingdoms.

It was a very bad idea to march a battalion of fire nation troops through earth kingdom territory.

Iroh was going with Zhao despite Zhaos admit assurances that the Prince would be safer the less noise was made.

“But you are the best tracker in all the fire nation Zhao. I know you will be able to find him in a snap. I mean no disrespect by accompanying you but i don’t suppose you know how to get my nephew to listen.” Iroh stated, knowing he was right.

The only people Zuko ever listened to were his father, mother, and sometimes Iroh.

One time a firebending trainer had the audacity to insult Zuko for messing something up and to keep doing it till it was perfect.

The young boy was out there the entire night and noon the next day till his mother lost her temper at the teacher and fired him for working Zuko to the bone.

Iroh didn’t know what to feel about Ursa. truth be told he was away for a large portion of her time in the family.

He remembered that Azula had a severe dislike for her mother but he never knew more.

As an uncle it is not your job to fix things, it is your job to help whenever you can.

So here he was helping Zhao in the middle of the forest looking for Zuko as it was getting dark.

“We should make camp here for the night.” Zhao stated, and it wasn’t a question.

“But every time we stop to rest Zuko could be getting farther and farther away from us! My poor boy… “Iroh mourned.

“But we are no match for the avatar. If we are exhausted now, go to sleep, I'll take the first watch.” Iroh sighed in defeat and layed down on the dirt floor out like a light.

Zhao was so relieved for Iroh to finally be asleep and for him to continue alone. Zhao has wanted to tear his hair out the entire journey with Prince Iroh always appearing when he wasn’t wanted.

Always offering tea to the crew and taking all their money in pai sho.

Zhao was done with babysitting the royal tea addict and when asked he can simply state that he caught wind of the avatar and had to act fast.

Now he was only focused on getting as much space between him and Iroh as possible. So focused that he didn’t see the figure trailing him through the trees.

Azula had been watching them since they walked through the tree line.

She knew they were setting a search for prince Zuko, she knew that Zhao would be on that search as he always gave the best results to father.

She did not know Uncle would be on the search however. She needed to get Zhao alone.

Azula had tried to comprehend the fact that only days ago she had been excited to kill her brother now she was hellbent on destroying the man who tried to hurt her brother.

Azula doesn’t understand why everyone is so wrapped up in emotions, the only thing Azula feels is anger and passion.

She knows little past that. No one ever understood that. No one ever wants to understand how she is fine with killing people she deems deserving.

She doesn’t understand how she could go from wanting her brother dead to wanting to protect him at all costs.

She doesn’t like to think about that, thinking about it only makes it more confusing to her.

What she is doing here is black and white. It’s easy to understand. Zuko didn’t have a list of crimes. Zhao did.

Azula managed to get into contact with some of the royal scribes who wrote down all the claims Zhao had filed against him.

It was one thing to kill the sword smith because his blades were too dull, it was another to go after kids.

Despite what many say Azula is very forgiving.

She can forgive the sword smith thing because blades do need sharpening, she can forgive the burning of restaurants with people inside because what if you got food poisoning, she can't forgive this.

No, she needed to do this. It felt like a right of passage into something she couldn’t go back on.

She was killing her fathers best general, a hug him to the fire nation, she would be turning her back on her nation… she would be turning her back on her father.

She just hoped uncle understood why she was doing what she was going to do.

Uncle never tried to understand her, and only helped where he could.

Whether that be leaving toys outside her door when he heard her crying, or making a whole new blend of tea that she liked, or insisting the servants made a whole tray of sticky buns for him and he would bring it to her room to have a tea party even though Azula wanted to play army, she was willing to let Iroh play tea party after they played army and she would wrap him up in bandages.

Iroh was the only one to ever catch her in anything.

Because any time he caught her he never got angry, he would take her to his room and give her a few sheets of parchment and a big box of paints and he would tell her to make what she was feeling. Then they would talk.

So she let Iroh catch her, because he knew that she always had a reason for what she did.

Chapter Text

Iroh woke up in the middle of day the next morning with a yawn and a big stretch.

“I must have overslept.” he said tiredly, rubbing his eyes and looking around he saw a campfire blazing infront of him and a completely empty campsite. However the small tinges of blue in the flames gave everything away on who set the campfire, and just how close they were.

“Oh Zhao must have left without me. Well, i can’t blame him. We’re all worried about Zuko.” he said mostly to himself.

getting up, filling his kettle and getting it over the fire, being very certain he didn’t look up to the tree on his left about forty yards away where Azula was hiding.

Iroh instead picked up a little cricket from the grass and put it on a leaf with some dew drops on it.

“Though I am also very worried about my Niece Azula. I don’t suppose you’ve seen her mr. cricket?” he smiled knowingly pulling out various teas and mixing up the exact blend that Azula liked.

Yet only when the tea was ready did she jump down and approach the fire standing stiff as a board and looking at him with those cold calculating eyes.

“It’s good to see you dear, sit and have a cup with me?” he asked her with a warm smile that she couldn’t let in. she just couldn’t.

“Uncle, I have news.” she said avoiding his gaze.

“Well sit and you can tell me all about it.”

“It is… not pleasant news.” she elaborated.

“Ahhh.” he said wistfully.

“Then we better both sit down. Having something like a tea mug in my hand always makes it easier when receiving bad news.” he contemplated.

That got Azula to sit down and take the mug.

Iroh had already added a dollop of honey and a cinnamon stick, just how Azula liked it. She dreaded saying what she was about too.

“I have spoken with Zuko.” she started still sitting stiff as board and poised. Not letting any emotion slip through.

“And?” Iroh asked after a moment

“He is no longer being held captive by the avatar. He is traveling with them willingly, therefore betraying our nation.” she stated firmly, trying to pick apart the look of contemplation on her uncle's face.

“I don’t believe that is all the information you have to give me?” Iroh asked.

The part Azula dreaded. Sue couldn’t predict how uncle would feel. She didn’t have to tell him, but she couldn’t keep it secret.

“I have received confirmation from various reliable sources on the behavior of general Zhao when in the company of minors… I took it upon myself to eliminate the threats he poses towards

them.” she started looking down, hoping he knew exactly what she meant.

Iroh just smiled warmly.

“You are a good child Azula. Though you always enjoy beating me to the punch.

” Iroh said simply taking another sip. Azula looked up to meet his eyes that finally gave her the permission to curl into herself and her mug.

The hot mug did help her give bad news.

“I don’t know what happened!” she said all emotion dripping out of her voice as she told Iroh everything that had happened during their little field trip to the spirit world.

“I can’t explain it, one second i want him dead but the second i hear someone wants to hurt him and i want to protect Zuko at all costs!” Azula said angrily.

Iroh had the audacity to laugh at that!

“It is a typical dylemma for many siblings,” he smiled at her.

“But… but i actually killed Zhao.” Azula said not looking in the direction she did it. She didn’t regret it one bit, she was proud of it. Yet why did she feel so messed up inside.

“Uncle… I can't go back to the fire nation now. I’m a traitor to my country after all this. I don’t have anywhere to go.” Azula stated with tears threatening her eyes.

“Azula you forget who you are with. Where do you think i went during my travels?” Iroh asked. Azula truly didn’t know, Iroh was always very vague about those things.

“I would be honored to accompany you on this endeavor. My brother's head has gotten a little too big for his palace if you ask me.” Azula couldn’t help but laugh at that.

She always loved her uncle, and she would be glad for the two of them to travel together, or nothing else to have someone there to do the cooking for her.

“I’d like that uncle.” she smiled.

“Me too, though we should get a move on before it starts getting any later.” Iroh added.

“Yeah, your right.” Azula grinned, feeling excited about the road ahead. A complete 180 from how she was feeling before all of this.

After putting away their mugs and extinguishing the camp fire Azula and her uncle made their way down the path leading opposite where she came from.

The only thing left behind from them was a little cricket, and the pile of organs sitting on a rock spelling out Azula’s name next to Zhao’s hollowed out body.

Chapter Text

Sooooo Toph may have, potentially, in a way, pushed Katara a bit too far over the edge. She’s willing to admit that, but she was definitely not sorry.

So she trapped Sokka and Zuko into the tunnel system that seemed to make Aang and Katara get all flustered. She was keeping an eye on the two of them.

The only point she got worried was when Zuko disappeared for a moment and Sokka’s heart was pounding.

Finally after promising katara that she could pull them back should anything go wrong she would. There just in the cave for a little time out and conversation.

She could feel Aang and Katara looking at one another and their hearts picking up before going in separate directions.

What was the big deal about the tunnels?

Regardless Sokka and Zuko were out by sunrise and Katara could stress over them being okay and staying safe and ‘how did you get out?’

Sokka said something about the sun litting the cave? Toph didn’t really care so she left Katara to grill her brother as Zuko came and sat next to her.

“So how’d it go?” she asked with a grin.

“When i told you i wanted to be alone to talk to him that’s not what i had in mind.”

“But did you talk to him?” she asked.

“Yeah i guess so?”

“Did you find out what his problem was?”

“I-um… maybe? I think it was at least part of it.”

“Great! So the problem is solved then!” she beamed getting the last of her stuff packed up.

“No! I still don’t even know what's wrong here! With him, with me? Everything is just all out of whack and sometimes i just wanna go back to being ignored in the palace except i don’t because none of you would be there!” Zuko vented his heart hammering again.

“Hey, fireball listen. I know how you feel.” Toph said in a calm voice and pulled him to the ground to sit with her as the others finished packing.

“Sometimes i get the same way of wanting to be able to laze around all day where i’m not expected to do anything, but then i remember that i don’t want that because those few good things come with a big pile of bad things, and i won't have my friends there to laze around with.

Emotions are hard and confusing but if you’d stop being dense for five minutes then you already know how you feel! You know what's going on.” Toph chided

“Of course i know what's going on! But i don’t think Sokka does.” Zuko groaned looking over to the other boy who was trying and failing to tighten Appa’s harness for him.

“Sokka never knows what's going on, that's normal but he eventually figures it out.” she offered Zuko let out a long sigh at that answer, it wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“Though if it’s any constellation, his heart rate picks up just as much as yours does when the two of you are all cuddled up together.” she teased standing up and punching him in her arm.

“Now let's get this ride over with! The sooner we get to the air temple the better!”

_____________________________

The ride to the western air temple was uncaracteristicly silent.

Katara could make a guess out of what happened during their time in the tunnel, Toph and Zuko to go off…. And also their own movement s going on inside of there.

It was Sokka and Zuko who were the one's keeping their mouths shut anytime someone said anything. They didn’t look at one another, or rather they couldn’t without blushing.

Katara was beginning to get fed up with the two of them covering the truth with a blanket and expecting it to disappear.

All she wanted to do was lock them in a room and yell kisses through the door.

But Toph already tried that.

She would need a more subtle approach.

Arriving at the temple though gave her something.

“Hey Aang how about you and i go down to the river and practice some water bending!” Katara smiled happily at him.

“Sure!” Aang grinned.

“Great, give me five minutes and I'll meet you down there.” Katara instructed Aang down by the water and turned to Zuko and Sokka.

“Listen, when the air temples were invaded… some bodies were still left behind at the southern one. Do you think you and Sokka could go around and… dispose of any of that?” she asked looking
at them guiltily.

“What… why would i-” Zuko said looking panicked.

“I know you have no part in that. It was really tough for Aang to see. They are mostly skeletons now. If you were to just…” she made a flame motion with her hands and Zuko’s mouth turned into
an O.

“Yeah um- sure…” Zuko said, looking uncomfortable.

Katara knew for a fact that there were no bodies around here. Her father had sent in a letter a few weeks ago saying they already cleared any remains out of this place days from now after some meetings with the earth kingdom

It maybe wasn’t the best excuse to get Sokka and Zuko alone together, but it was one that she knew would work.

Sokka and Zuko didn’t seem to catch onto her train of thought though.

The second she was gone the two of them making brief eye contact before averting their gazes quickly.

“Um- split up and search that way? You can just carry a torch?” Zuko offered.

“Yeah, let’s do that.” Sokka said, grabbing a spare branch laying around and holding it out to Zuko for a light.

“Tell ya what that is a pretty useful skill to have.” sokka missed.

“What? A walking lighter?”

“No, a walking candle holder!” Sokka smiled before bursting into laughs at his own joke.

“Ah! Ahhhhahahahaha, candle holder.” he gasped for breath trying to calm down as Zuko gave his best unamused look. But sokka could see him holding back that smile.

“Alright you go that way i go this way and we dont tell another soul about what we saw unless i end up really messed up by it then i’m sorry your gonna hear about it.” Sokka said truthfully.

“That's alright, I can do more than hold candles.” Zuko said seriously. Sokka laughed at that and the two parted ways down their own respective coradores.

Do more than hold candles. What else would he be holding? Would he be holding Sokka? Oh spirits did he mean he would be holding Sokka!

Why did Sokka want that right now!

“Stop that, now what are you here to do.” he told himself, looking at the torch that Zuko had lit for him. Why did this feel so personal to be holding.

Why was Sokka making this into a big deal!

After what happened in the tunnel Sokka had no idea what to do now.

They talked about stuff Sokka never talks about, they leaned on one another in a way that was more than platonic, they held hands even after they exited the tunnel.

Sokka didn’t know if that was an isolated instance or not. He didn’t know what to believe and everything felt so confusing and surreal that that blue light he’s seeing in front of him is making total sense right now.

“Sokka…”

As Sokka grew closer to the glowing blue light it started to take shape as a girl with dark skin and white hair wearing flowing robes. Every part of her is luminescent and ethereal.

“Yue?” Sokka asked, feeling his heart speed up and his gut drop.

It wasn’t even night, yet here she was.

“Sokka don’t waste your future on the past.” she told him, her voice echoing around the room. It looked like some sort of offering room with a large silver crescent carved into the stone wall.

“Yue, i can’t just forget you.” he told her.

“You’ll ever forget me. But you can’t spend your life remembering. Don’t throw away what could be for what was. I want you to be happy Sokka.” he couldn’t respond to that.

He had so much he wanted to say and yet no words could let him say it.

Yue evaporated into that moon carved into the wall causing it to lose the same silvery glow she held.

Sokka fell to his knees, dropping the torch. He couldn’t cry, he wouldn’t cry. He cried enough that day.

Except he didn’t cry at all.

He had too much to do.

He still has too much to do, and yet right now all he could do was let that torch burn out. On the floor.

Zuko on the other hand had a very different experience of wandering the temple for an hour and finding nothing but stone rooms and messy beds.

The only thing worth disposing of was some rotten fruit husks sitting out by the fountains.

Zuko decided he might as well find sokka and see if he had anything to report.

Following the direction Sokka had left in, it didn’t take Zuko long to come across the dark room with a moon shrine.

Lighting the way with his palm he saw Sokka leaning against the wall staring at the crescent moon carved into it.

“Sokka? Did you find anything?” Zuko asked worried before it clicked in his head.

“My first girlfriend turned into the moon.” damn, this must be awkward.

Sokka didn’t say anything though.

“You… um- you run into something that messes you up and need to talk about it?” Zuko asked scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

“I don’t know honestly.” Sokka sighed, seeming completely deflated.

Zuko came over and sat next to him by the wall unsure of what to do.

It took a moment of hesitance before Zuko saw the hearth in the center of the room and threw his fire into it, lighting it up a bit more so he didn’t need to hold the flame.

They sat in silence for a little longer until Sokka broke it.

“I never got a chance to really process all of it.” he started.

“When she… left, there was so much going on and so much I had to do. I still have to do it. I still need to pull the team forward. Everyone keeps wanting to goof off and I understand that we’re kids. Yet I feel constantly stuck with being either a stick in the mud or the non serious one. But I never even made it to Yue’s funeral. I never got to cry over her leaving and no one will let me say she’s dead without correcting me. It doesn’t help that people always call me the idea guy and the planner while still saying I can't fight, or I'm not on a level playing field next to a bunch of benders.” he sighed.

Zuko didn’t know what to say at first. That was a lot to unpack. Zuko wasn’t good with words, he was just a glorified candle holder.

Might as well do something though, so Zuko opened his arms offering a hug only a second before Sokka tackled him into one strangling embrace.

They didn’t say anything, they didn’t need to know Zuko was there holding Sokka and he tried to keep his mind off of how much his heart was racing at the feeling of holding the water tribe warrior.

Neither were sure how they got there when Katara could be heard shouting dinner.

“We should go.” Sokka said, standing up and taking Zuko’s hand with him as they began to slowly walk back.

“Thank you.” he started.

“I didn’t know I needed that.”

“um... What are candle holders for?” Zuko joked awkwardly getting a half hearted chuckle before it was quiet again.

They walked in the quiet for a while till Sokka stopped them, turning to Zuko, still firmly gripping his hand.

“Listen… i- for a long time I thought that emotions have no place in war. That i need to push away everything i felt til we're okay again, but i can't. Yue proved that. I can’t keep tabling my own feelings for another day. Not just mourning. I can’t push away fun, or anger, or sadness, or…. Or liking someone a lot.” he forced out the last part turning bring red and looking away.

Zuko turning red as well looking at his hand in sokka’s.

'common Zuko don't screw this up, you are not reading it wrong, just...' Zuko thought to himself

“We’re in a really weird spot right now, and i don’t know what’s happening in the future but-” Sokka couldn’t finish his sentence before Zuko pulled the other boy forward till their lips met.

It wasn’t a long kiss by any means. But with the two of them gripping one another's necks as they pulled away Sokka could have swore that the room had gotten ten degrees warmer.

“I- i really like you Zuko.” Sokka smiled at him.

“I really like you too.”

“Hey! If you two don’t get here soon then Toph is going to eat your food!” Katara yelled around the corner.

Sokka and Zuko pulled away and went to sit with their friends at dinner, side by side.

When everyone went to bed, Zuko and Sokka went to the same sleeping bag yet again, though this time they made no effort of giving one another any distance.

Chapter Text

“Uncle, we've been walking for hours, where are we going?” Azula groaned

“Almost there,” the old man huffed and puffed. Azula wondered how the plump old timer was even able to keep up with Azula let along pass her.

They were currently walking up the cliffs of somewhere in the earth kingdom, where she wasn’t entirely sure. It’s not like she took an in depth history of the earth kingdom in school, she was taught the basics though.

‘This is where the fire nation colonies are you should keep them in mind when you need aid of any sort. These are a bunch of villages that have been blinded and warped from years of poor rulership and we must show them the true ways. And this is ba sing se the earth capital that your uncle, prince Iroh laid siege to for six hundred days.’ my how things have changed.

As they reached the peak of the cliff Iroh let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Iroh asked contentedly. Looking out over the rich green forest of trees shadowing around the sea shore and the cliffs, the light of the sunset blanketing everything in a rich veil of oranges and pinks. It gave a promise that the sun would rise tomorrow and everything would return.

“Beautiful.” Azula said boardly.

“If only we could see it in a different circumstance.” Iroh sighed sitting down gesturing for Azula to do the same.

“Do you know why I brought you here?” he asked after a moment.

“Because it grows the best jade bushes?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“That is very true but there are also poisonous flowers mixed in with them, do not get them mixed up.” Iroh shivered at a memory.

“I brought you here, because when i left the fire nation to see the world i was a very different man. I was a tyrannical warlord, I was a dragon slayer, I was a grieving father. When I set out to the
world I knew people would call me a traitor or a coward, saying I was turning my back on our country.”

“They said more than that uncle.” Azula smiled.

“Of course they did, but i knew that the best way to test your belief of something is to leave it behind for a while, if you come back and still believe it, then it must be true. Only when I left all of the fire nation behind and set out to see the world, see the earth kingdom and the northern water tribe, visit the air temples, that's when I realized what the fire nation has done to the world. I saw the effect we have had, it showed me the better way to go about uniting the world.” Iroh sighed.

“Explain.” Azula said intrigued.

“It is easy to destroy and hard to create. The fire nation's goal when the war started was to unite the world, but he did not want to create trust and balance to do so, he chose to destroy anything
in his path. That was the fatal flaw. The more you destroy the craftier the creators get. And over time you forget why you destroy in the first place.” Iroh said.

“But all we wanted was to help the world.”

“Indeed we did, but when the fire nation whipped out the air nomads attempting to destroy the avatar, that is when we chose the wrong path. We tried to raise ourselves above the spirits, we tried to become gods, and doing so forced us into ages of darkness and war that no one could escape.”

“Speak for yourself, i have thrived.” Azula sassed.

“Indeed you have become a very powerful fire bender at such a young age.” Iroh smiled.

“My age has nothing to do with my skill.” Azula retorted.

“I didn't mean to imply such a thing, I am sorry. Anyone is able to become something great at any age so long as you have the passion to learn. Do you still have that passion?”

“Of course i do. You can always become greater than what you already are.”

“Do you have the humility to learn?” Iroh pressed.

“Why would i need that? I’m a princess.”

“Sometimes we learn things that go against everything we were ever taught before. We must have the humility to open our minds to those teachings and allow ourselves to entertain those ideas. They are very hard to do. I spent many of my travels in pain and anger at all that I had to learn. Those travels taught me things of this world that the fire nation never could.”

“The fire nation is what's important all the other savages of this world are irrelevant.”

“Ah, but if the water tribes are gone, and the earth kingdoms are gone who will then take the place at the bottom?” Iroh asked.

Azula wasn't sure she knew the answer to that.

She knew her uncle didn’t believe they were at the bottom, he thought they were on level playing fields but she did want to see where he was going with this.

“Who?”

“The fire nation is at the bottom, if we allow for the rest of the world to be destroyed by the fire nation then all there is left to conquer is your own people. Rebellions would take place, colonies becoming countries and becoming enemies, you would create your own downfall by this.”

“You dare entertain such treasones ideas uncle?” Azula snapped.

“I tell you as the future fire lord you intend to be, you must think for the generations ahead of you and not just your own. Could your future children pay the price for your actions. What could be
a good idea today can lead to catastrophe in the future.”

“I suppose that makes sense.” Azula shrugged noncommittally refusing to do anything more than entertain iroh.

“Well, that i suppose is the beauty of youth. When you are young you do not need to make those tough decisions, you do not need to decide the fate of the world. You simply must decide the fate of yourself.” Iroh smiled warmly, meeting her eye.

“Azula, I will never try to make you do anything you are not wanting to do, or see a point of view you do not agree with. But if i may ask of you that you find one thing you want to do by yourself. Without Ozai’s input, or Zuko's input or my input, what is one thing that you, Azula want?”

Azula sat with that for a minute, she had no answer to that honestly. What did she want to do?

She didn't want to go home but she also didn't want to be deemed a traitor to her nation. She wanted the throne and yet she wanted nothing to do with it at all.

And what was uncle actually asking her to do? There was always a right answer to something even when they said there wasn't.

To him though he was the type of man to let you choose wrong and not correct you on it ever. She wasn't sure what the choices were. It was one of those things that was hard to define and too abstract of a concept to properly write out.

She didn’t say anything to that and Iroh didn’t push for an answer as he went about setting up a small fire and making a pot of tea despite him being a fire bender he insists on making it without bending. Something about it tasting better.

The two sipped their tea in silence neither one of them offering up anything of what was in their head.

If you were to ask Azula her uncle was playing the waiting game and would scold her when she finally did give an answer even if it was the right one simply for being slow.

If you were to ask Iroh he would say that it has been a long time since he got to sit with his niece over a cup of tea and he was greatly enjoying it.

As the sun started setting, Iroh let out a long yawn and pulled out two rations ending one to Azula.

“You do not need to make a decision today. There is no time limit, the only correct answer is the decision made by you.” Iroh smiled before the two two went on eating in silence.

As the two laid down to sleep far enough away from the cliff Azula came the conclusion of what she wanted to do, or rather, what she didn’t want to do.
She didn’t want to go home. She wanted to find her brother, even if he didn’t want her around she still wanted to find him.

She tried to kill him too many times and nearly succeeded too many times, but she wanted to find him and talk… about something that she hasn’t even decided yet.

She just wanted to sit and talk to her brother… she was going to do that. She could leave now to do that, but she would wait until morning to tell uncle. She didn’t want him worrying.

Chapter Text

When Sokka and Zuko came back from their scouting missions Katara could tell that something happened.

The way they were walking closer together and the way they kept bumping shoulders at dinner was enough to tell her.

The next morning though, that was the moment she knew her plan worked.

Waking up early and seeing Zuko gone was not uncommon, but Sokka?

Unheard of.

She managed to tiptoe around a little while and found them sleeping sider by side in front of one of the fountains, their hands tangled together and using one another's head as a pillow.

She would be lying if she said she wasn’t giddy for her brother.

After Yue things had been hard for him in that department, not to mention how much they were moving around and the stress it took on him.

She was glad he found someone who might be able to understand that.

Given that neither of them fuck it up. She was happy for them. As she was about to tip toe back she heard it.

“Katara! Sokka! Zuko! Where is everyone!” Aang was awake and looking for them! And they were waking up!

Katara rushed around the corner in time to throw a hand over Aang's mouth before he yelled again.

Pulling away a moment later when she realized how close they were. She wasn't blushing! He was blushing!

“Shhh! Let them sleep, we don’t know anything!” she hisse pointing to the two boys spooning by the fountain.

“Woah! I didn’t know they were together!” he said in awe.

Katara gave Aang one of her looks that asked how he had survived this far in the first place before pulling him back to their camp.

“What do you think happened in the tunnel?!” she asked him.

“I thought they said it was the light on rocks.” Katara rolled her eyes.

“And why do they cuddle up every night?” Toph chimed in now awake.

“It’s been cold! I would cuddle too if they weren’t insistent on being alone and oh…”

Toph shot a look in Kataras general direction that said ‘you’ve got your work cut out for you here sweetness’

When the two showed up later Katara quickly jumped in with an excuse for them.

“Hey! I wondered when you’d get back! Did you see any danger, you were scouting right?” she asked Sokka stuttered for a minute before jumping onto the excuse gratefully.

“Yeah! Scouting nothing to report everything is…” he glanced at Zuko.

“Perfect.'' He did not hide that blush well and Katara was doing everything to try and keep Aang from being an idiot.

It made her wish that she was into women rather than the big eared dork who kept wanting info till she basically drug him down to the water for
‘Practice’

“Listen Aang, in the Southern Water Tribe we don’t just ask if two guys or two girls are dating.” she stated.

“Why not?” Aang asked, utterly baffled.

“Well, you’ve been there, we don’t have a lot of people and our culture is struggling to survive with it. When two men or two women announce that they are together it has a stigma of them willing to let the culture die because they can’t have biological kids. It’s pretty taboo. The only time it’s really accepted is if two widows or widowers who already have kids end up together. For Sokka it’s a touchy subject.” she sighed.

“I.. guess i didn’t realize…” Aang said, looking remorseful.

“Just don’t bring it up when the fleet gets here.” Katara said with a shrug.

“Would your dad be upset?” Aang asked, genuinely concerned.

“Definitely not, i can guarantee you, but it’s something for Sokka to say.” she shrugged thinking of all the reasons her dad would be the opposite of upset.

They used to joke around about Sokka trying real hard to be a father before he could go on hunting trips alone.

“I’ll try and keep my mouth shut for once.” Aang smiled sheepishly.

“So when do they come?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

Katara's eye caught something in the distance and then lit up.

“Now! Aang! That’s my dad!” she exclaimed at the sight of the water tribe ship beginning to pull into the harbor.

Chapter Text

It was one thing to say that Zuko was nervous to be around the crew of the watertribe.

It was another thing entirely to say that he, the crown prince of the fire nation, was now dating the son of the chief of the water tribe who looked just as threatening as you would expect and said the son of the chief was not out to his dad.

Sokka explained a bit of Water tribal culture to him and that made Zuko want to curl into a ball and die.

He didn’t want to be the reason to make chief Hakoda angry at his son, and he didn’t want chief Hakonda to tell his son to stop dating Zuko.

what the dad wants the dad gets. And Zuko did not like the look of it.

The second news came that they were docked. Zuko went to ‘scout for food.’ and made himself scarce with Katara telling him he had to be at dinner.

Not helping Katara.

Sokka on the other hand was nervous for a different set of reasons.

It had been a long time since he got to see his dad and vise versa.

He wasn’t sure how he would react to seeing Sokka now.

But as soon as Sokka laid eyes on his dad all those worries went away as he wrapped Sokka and Katara in a massive bear hug along with Bato.

The crew was happy to be on land and meeting the avatar.

Anyone who had immediately underestimated Toph because of her blindness was promptly proven wrong when she set up a stone campsite with tents, chairs, fire pits, and even closed off bathrooms attached to each little hut.

Though as soon as they heard the crown prince of the fire nation was here, all Sokka excitement melted away to how complex his situation was now.

He and Katara were trying their hardest to do damage control and make him out the way he was with maybe a little embellishment, explain that he wasn’t an evil fire bender like a lot of people believe.
When Toph went to find him for dinner that was reinforced with the fact that he found a whole crop of hot and wild chili peppers to harvest and the excitement in his voice made her feel a little guilty at what she was about to drag him into.

Dinner was… alright… everyone was tense, glancing over at the fire prince who sat a little ways away with Toph next to him putting her feet up and closing her eyes looking the very picture of comfortable and aloof around him as she rambled on about mud, he nodded along and chimed in with her from time to time but kept his eyes fixed down.

The entire water tribe crew was having the same thought.

This cannot be the spawn of that demon currently on the throne.

Traveling around in the earth kingdom they have heard stories of the fire prince.

Though chalked it up to mostly propaganda.

The burn covering half the boys face though, already put a streak in that excuse and the fact that Toph was essentially turning off all her senses around him said a lot.

Hakoda wasn’t sure what he was feeling when after dinner Sokka and the prince collected dishes and went to wash them, then disappeared to scout the island together.

Katara had very little to give on the matter saying

‘Zuko is the only person Sokka’s age he’s been able to bond with.’

Hakoda felt more than a little guilty at that. Bato’s children were grown up and off fighting the war and Sokka was too young to go thank Teu and la.

It made Hakoda wish that Sokka and Katars stayed that age, so they weren’t here barely teenagers and fighting a damn war with the avatar who wasn’t even a teenager to begin with.

Not to mention Toph who while only being twelve was borderline hostile when offered help with something and very independent.

It made Hakoda wonder what had to happen to make her so angry about the offer. She clearly didn’t want anyone to take care of her, but Hakoda felt for the kid.

As he was putting his stuff away that night on one of the shelves she so kindly made him call her over.

“Hey Toph can you help me out here, you're the master earth blender.” a big grin spread on her face.

“Your damn right I am!” She laughed and took the bag from Hakoda, dropped it on the ground and launched it into the sky onto the shelf perfectly.

“Impressive, I couldn't do that with my arms let alone a rock. How’d you learn earth bending anyways?” he asked.

“A couple of badger moles taught me.” she shrugged.

“That… makes a lot of sense actually.” he said thinking about the way she bends as opposed to the soldiers in the earth kingdom.

Her movements were a lot like the wide sweeps of the badger moles.

“You said you're able to see with earth bending, are you able to tell the different types of rocks and minerals around us?” he asked, getting an idea.

Sokka and Zuko got away as soon as they could.

“Do you think they think i’m an evil tyrant? Do they like me? What happens if they don’t like me? I know i was taught some incorrect things but please tell me they won’t skin me alive and make
jewelry out of my bones.” Zuko nervously yammered.

“Wait wha-”

“Though honestly if they do promise you’ll wear my teeth every day for at least a year.”

“Zuko first of all, calm down, second of all what the actual fuck?”

“I don’t know! I don’t want to screw it up for you.” he sighed heavily.

“How could you screw this up for me?” Sokka asked not to get it.

Zuko sighed again.

“If your dad finds out and he doesn’t like it… would he…” Zuko didn’t know how to word it.

“He wouldn’t turn me into a tooth necklace, I promise.” Sokka said, rolling his eyes and sitting next to his boyfriend.

“Common.” he gestured and the two leaned into one another.

“My dads a good guy, he’d understand. It’s just… complicated.” Sokka sighed.

“I know.” Zuko grumbled, burying his face into Sokka's shoulder as the two started being able to relax a bit more.

“For real though why the teeth thing?” Sokka asked. Zuko huffed a little with laughter.

“You wear a tooth necklace already, and if you wore my teeth I could bite you all day every day.” Zuko said, yawning sleepily.

Sokka very quickly realized that as soon as he and Zuko were cuddling he fell asleep almost instantly.

It was kinda adorable.

The two fell asleep by the one of the temple's old gardens last night with a good view of the stars, Sokka would have been cold if he didn’t have a literal human firebell next to him all night.

only waking up to zuko bitting his shoulder telling him to get a move on.

When the two made their way back to camp in the morning

Sokka saw his dad carving something into a stone.

“Hey dad whatcha makin?” he asked happily.

“Bato’s been saying for years now that i need to make him a necklace so i’m finally doing it.” he said with a big grin.

“Nice!” Sokka said and sat down next to him. Hakoda froze then and seemed to be psyching himself up.

“Are you okay with that?” he asked, sounding serious.

“Um, yeah, sure. I mean it’s not like you can get the normal water tribe jewelry around here, but thats almost better is it a sapphire?” Sokka said, wondering why his dad was making such a big thing out of a necklace. Sure it wasn’t bone or arctic rocks but a sapphire necklace on a leather cord is pretty badass.

“Okay, good. I’m glad you think so.” Hakoda smiled and went back to carving the symbol of a boat onto it.

“So where did you and Zuko sneak off to last night?” Hakoda asked after a minute.

If he had been looking at Sokka he would have seen the look of pure horror and fear on his face before he came up with an excuse.

“we -um went to look around, see if there was anything useful and what not, we came across some unused bedrooms, with mattresses. Two of them! Two unused bedrooms with walls… and single beds…” he said nervously and hakoda nodded along only half listening till he held up the finished necklace.

“Think he’ll like it?”

“Of course he will! You made it for him.” Sokka smiled Hakoda seemed far more at ease with that comment and walked off to find Bato.

“Man, i hope i have a friend like that someday.” he muttered to himself before going to find breakfast.

Chapter Text

Zuko wasn’t really doing much, just kind of trying to stay out of the way while still being useful.

He saw the way Sokka and his dad interacted. Part of him was a little jealous but the rational part told him that Hakoda was likely going along with it for his crew.

Or he was happy to have his kids there in one place to make sure they didn’t fuck up, or he was too busy to notice.

Zuko didn’t know what answer was right. Did it make him a bad boyfriend to hide away while his boyfriend’s dad was around.

Was he hiding from his boyfriends dad, or what his boyfriends dad could do?

He was really just down by the chili peppers harvesting them and slowly drying them out to pack away later. It was a similar method to making jerky really.

As he was making his way back to camp one of the water tribesmen came up to him.

“This came for you.” he said, giving him a suspicious look and handing over a scroll with a blue fire sealed onto it.

Zuko furrowed his brow as he broke the seal of Princess Azula and read it.

“Zuko,
I am not returning to the fire nation.
If you will have me I am going to be joining you at the air temple, i promise not to attack your pet peasants.

Uncle is going to some sort of old guy club. My last informant letter has given me reason to believe that father has started to crack.

I will be there in two days from when you get this letter will be arriving by the gardens.

Be safe and if you have any trouble you know what to do.

Azula.” Zuko was even more confused now as he read that over and over again.

“Zuko, you alright buddy?” Aang asked. Zuko looked up and saw he had unwittingly made a spectacle of himself.

“Yeah… my sister just went rouge.” he said not able to make sense of it himself.

“Wait, blue flame crazy sister?” Sokka asked in shock.

Zuko sighed.

“Yeah, she’s… on her way here. She won't hurt anyone.”

“Um, no offense Firefly but last time we ran into her she burned down our camp site.”

Zuko let out an exasperated breath.

“She’s a… complicated person. Just… give her a try please?” he asked looking specifically at Sokka.

Silently saying.

‘Your dad scares the hell out of me you can put up with my sister.’

“We’ll give it a try. But if she hurts anyone she’s leaving.” Toph said stubbornly.

Zuko nodded and walked away only to notice he was being followed.

“Prince Zuko, if i may have a word.” Zuko felt his heart catch in his throat as chief Hakoda came running up to him.

Zuko managed a nod before they stepped to the side of one of the buildings.

All Zuko could do was hope nothing too bad would happen, and that it would be concealable.

All Hakoda could do was watch the way the fire prince was folding into himself, eyes darting at every possible exit, clearly panicking.

Hakoda backed up and tried to make his body language open and relaxed.

“I just wanted to know some of what your plan was?” Hakoda asked.

Zuko was a little caught off guard but was able to relax at that.

Just strategy, it’s only a strategy talk.

“Well, I have a good reputation in the fire nation. A lot of people thought that I would be the ruler to bring peace, if they see me standing against him they will already be asking questions. From what I hear , the fire nation is already falling out of Ozai’s favor. Now that Azula has revolted, that says a lot. He doesn’t want to. If the fire lady left, the fire lord's brother left, and now both heirs to the throne? The fire nation is going to want answers he can’t give.” he explained and Hakoda nodded along saving the questions about those statements for later.

“We can land in an offshore spot in the fire nation, Toph can get us inside and confront him. There are still a lot of details to iron out but that's the bare bones of it.” Hakoda nodded.

“Still, not a lot of kids are willing to go against their dad like this.” Hakoda said, realizing that it sounded accusatory when the prince started backing towards an exit only to see Hakoda still sitting relaxed.

“Well… he’s… not the best father… um, yeah…” Zuko said looking anywhere but Hakoda and nervously rubbing at the back of his neck.

“I get it, whatever happens though, you’ll always have a place in the southern water tribe if you need it.” Hakoda offered.

“What?” Zuko asked, confused.

“Katara told me about you, you seem like a good kid. The south will always welcome another set of hands, especially one who can warm up the camps from time to time.” Hakoda smiled.

Zuko just nodded and they fell into an awkward silence.

“Well, um… I'm gonna go walk the perimeter. You know.” Zuko pointed back towards the trees and got himself out of there and into a dense thicket of trees out of ear shot.

Before continuing he stopped to take a deep breath then yelled out.

“I know you’re out here!”

“Nice to see you too Zuzu.”

Chapter Text

“Not to sound angry or anything but what the fuck are you doing here?” Zuko asked angrily

“Isn’t it obvious? I want to help.” she shot back.

“I find that a little hard to believe.” Zuko said something harshly and Azula deflated a little.

“Look i’ve been thinking a lot.” she started.

“That must have hurt.” Zuko quipped without thinking and for a second you could see the fire lightn up in her eyes before she squeezed them shut and took a deep breath.

“I killed Zhao.” she said evenly as if she were just admitting to taking a scroll without permission.

“I made it clear that i did it. Therefore renouncing my role as the new heir to the throne and becoming a traitor to our nation along with... other stuff, but we can discuss that later. Uncle has left the royal family as well and last I heard he was staying with some pi-sho club in the earth kingdom.” Zuko didn’t know what to say to that.

That was a lot of information all at once and none of it was good or bad news.

“Wait… so the fire nation…”

“Is outraged. My last contact has informed me of riots happening in front of the palace that resulted in ten citizens being executed on the spot to temporarily regain control.” Azula explained.

“but … okay..” Zuko stopped needing to take a breath as he sat down on the ground with Azula joining him.

executed... because of them? he cant... why would they... oh agni...

“So go over that again.” Zuko said desperately getting an eye roll from Azula.

“Dear Agni dum-dum listen this time.” She held up four fingers as each point like their tutors did as children to explain politics.

“One, the firelady vanished mysteriously a few days before firelord azulon died. Two, the crowned prince and ‘national treasure’ has been missing for over a month and no one has heard anything else three, the following heir princess Azula has become a traitor to her nation and joined the rebellion so to speak, and the only other person left to take the throne was Uncle and he… published some less than kind words regarding father.” she said looking away with a small smirk.

“What did he do?” Zuko asked, unable to imagine his uncle being rude to someone.

“Well he got into contact with a scribe, and gave him enough money to print a thousand flyers, get them hung then an express ticket for him and his family to ba sing se.” Azula pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it over.

“Prince Iroh of the fire nation has formally renounced all ties he has to the current fire lord and all political aspiration involving him. Prince Iroh said and I quote ``I am not a perfect person but even I know better than to endorse a person who would hurt an innocent fire nation citizen. Even i know it is wrong to raise the flames to a child when they do not follow directions. or to a peson standing for what they feel is right. The fire lord is a tyrant and i will support him no further.``

“The rest of the flyers apparently were removed pretty quickly but enough people got a hold of them they are being copied and sent everywhere. Don’t you get it! No one truly supported father. They saw him as a placeholder. Once you took the throne everyone expected it to get better. Now that no one is sure if you're alive or not they're panicking and they want him gone. The fact that literally everyone has left him, only cemented the facts. this war is coming to a head zu-zu and i am not about to be on the losing side. so get up and pull yourself together.” Azula stated a little harshly.

“So… you want to help us?” Zuko asked.

“Yes I do. I know I haven't been what you deem a good person. I know it will be hard to gain anyone's trust after this. But i want to cut Ozais fucking head off.” Azula stated.

There was a long moment of tense silence. For once zuko could hear how nervous she was.

then that silence turned to understanding.

this was how she coped growing in that environment, Zuko tried avoidance, hiding from what would hurt him, Azula tried to imitate it.

if she became the monster then the monster wouldn't hurt her.

“I think you're a good person who was raised with warped beliefs.” Zuko said finally.

“I trust you Azula, and i’m glad you want to help.” Azula smiled deviously but both of them knew it was to hide any real emotions.

“Well someone has to make sure you and your little water tribe pet don't die.” Zuko’s eyes widened, cheeks going red.

“How did you-”

“I’ve been here for days, i’ve seen you two together, it’s cute.” she teased.

“Listen you can't talk about that right now, something something, watertribe culture.” Zuko explained.

“Of course not! I promise.” and she poked him in his blushing cheek shocking him with a little electricity and a giggle.

Chapter Text

As this conversation was happening Sokka was stressing to talk about his dad being there.

“It’s just I don't know if my- if I am everything he wants me to be. I don’t know if what I want lives up to his expectations.

“You talking about you and firefly?” she asked lamely.

Sokka turned red and looked around frantically before quietly shouting.

“How do you know about that!?”

“Snoozles, I feel everything all the time. And that being said , if you two ever decide to go any further with this, do it in a tree.” Sokka crippled down then into a pile of goo groaning something about covering her feet in wooden shoes.

“And with that whole i can feel everything, your dad literally has no right to judge you here.” she started smiling a little to herself at what she could feel happening on the beach earlier than dad.

“What?”

“Just go talk to him and you'll feel better.”

“Your right i’m gonna march over there and see how it goes!” Sokka said, taking a deep breath and going over to where Bato and his dad were just walking in, Bato wearing the necklace Hakoda had been working on.

“It's about time you got to that!” one of the crew shouted and a few smiles and laughs were exchanged.

“Can we talk dad?” Sokka asked nervously.

“Of course, i’ll be right back bot.” Hakoda said to Bato before he and sokka walked away a little.

“So what do you think of zuko?” he asked, trying to find an opening.

“He seems… jumpy, i don’t think he likes me too much.” Hakoda said a little dejectedly.

“Oh… yeah, i think it’ll just take some time on his end, but what about you? You think he's a nice, trustworthy, good person?” sokka asked,
Hakoda eyed him questioningly.

“I think he is very polite, and trustworthy and while he certainly has some false information on the water tribe i can tell he’s trying.” Hakoda stated firmly.

“Why do you ask?”

“Well… um… see the thing about Zuko…”

“Koda! Common!” Bato called walking over and throwing his arm around Hakodate's shoulder and placing a kiss on his temple.

“Common let's go celebrate with the crew, Sokka you wanna join us?” he asked. Sokka looked at the two with confusion.

“Um… no maybe later.” he says.

“Okay, don’t be shy sokka.” Hakoda smiles kindly and the two walk back to the crew's camp draped onto one another and Sokka went to find Katara who was down by the water practicing.

“So the strangest thing just happened. I was talking to dad about… stuff… and then hakoda just comes over, kisses his head and steals him! Like i get their friends but what was that?” Sokka asks.

Katara drops her water turns to look at sokka slowly with a look of the purest frustration before collapsing on the ground head in hands screaming.

“Sokka! You idiot you don't even know!? He asked you! He was making it and fucking asked you!” she screamed at him, the water freezing around her.

“Um… katara?” he asked.

“No! I can’t your so stupid! I can’t do this anymore! How have you ever make it this far in life!'' At this point Toph had appeared to watch the show unfold after feeling it from camp.

“What are you talking about?” Sokka asked nervously that she was going to kill him.

Katara took a very deep breath before looking at him in bewilderment, having her own internal conflict on outing their father, to her own brother even after said brother has had it spelled out in front of him!

“Ya know what, go ask him yourself! I promise you’ll feel better about everything! “She huffs out honestly and truly done with her brother at this point.

“Please disclose to Zuko how dense you are before your wedding.” she snipps not truly thinking of what she just said as the color drains from Sokkas face.

She looks at him a moment later shocked at her own words.

“You know?” Sokka asked.

Katara huffs again

“Yes I know because unlike you I have common sense..” she said

“Oh Yeah… haha, so um-”

“You're cute together.” Katara cuts him off and ruffles his hair messing up his ponytail.

As if on cue Zuko nervously walked into the clearing.

“Toph and aang around here? We need to talk.” he told them.

Toph drug aang over just then as if she had been listening the whole time.

“What's up firefly?” she asked.

Zuko paused for a minute as if trying to get a full read before continuing.

“My sister has left the royal family, she said she no longer supports the firelord and will not return until he has been deposed.” he started.

“What does that mean for us?” Sokka asked.

“More importantly how did you find this out?” Aang chimed in.

“Promise You won't attack.” Zuko said tentatively.

They made no such promise as Azula came into the clearing, looking less homicidal maniac and more calculating and guarded.

“I am sorry for throwing a plethora of fire at you and burning your campsite more than once, it was unproductive and counter intuitive and i know that now.” she said flatly.

“That's the most apology you've ever given.” Zuko said to her.

“Yes, well, I cannot say my idiot brother is entirely wrong about the circumstances.” she shot at him.

“I can't say my explosive sister is the warmest person.” Zuko snipped back.

Sokka burst out laughing.

“Ahahaha get it! Warmest person! Cause she’s- she’s a…. Later then.”

“You are a pathetic idiot no wonder Zuzu likes you, birds of a feather i supposw.” Azula smiled.

“Zula…” Zuko warned.

“I’m trying to be supportive of your… warrior.” she decided finally knowing the term ‘water tribe savage’ wouldn’t go over well.

“If it is at all helpful i have vital information on the fire nation capital. I can tell you exactly what the standing is and how to sway the odds in our favor without playing the hostage prince card.” she added helpfully.

“I still don’t trust her.” Toph said after a moment.

“Would it help if I speed up my heart rate at each lie I tell?” she asks, sounding genuinely sincere.

“Your not helping your case sis.”

Azula deflated a little.

“Fine, you want the reason? I had always thought that when either Zuko or I became firelord our father would be dead and unable to have any more control. Now there is talking naming me fire lord and him becoming something much larger. He made a new roll for himself that's even higher than a king. I don’t want that. I do not want one of us to sit on the throne with him still looming over our heads. I want him away from us and everyone else so he can't hurt any more people ever again.” Azula stated coldly, though not directed towards them.

“And when he is locked up, who takes the throne?” Katara asked, eyeing her next to her brother.

“I plan to travel for a while i believe. It would do well to get out of the capital for a bit.” Azula stated.

“That is assuming Zuzu doesn’t crash and burn as fire lord.” she quipped at him.

“So long as you don’t start more wars there will be nothing to worry about.” he bit back.

It became apparent that this was not hostile bickering so much as the way they communicate with one another.

“Fine, you can stay, but we’re watching you.” Katara huffed and walked away.

“You said you have someone in the capital giving you information, how do we knew we can trust them?” Zuko asked.

“You tell me, your engaged to her.” Azula grinned. Zuko couldn’t stop the smoke that huffed out his nose in anger

“Mai and i aren’t engaged we’re just….”

“Forced to share a bedroom and produce a few kids?” Azula offered.

Zuko turned red at that.

“Okay! Great to see your on our side now, love to hear that, ten outta ten, but i need to talk to Zuko here for just a minute so if you don’t mind! Toph?” Sokka asked

“On it.” with that Toph made a stone shoe that wrapped around Azulas foot somewhat tethering her to the groun while still having motion.

Sokka then proceed to grab Zuko by the hand and drag him away.

“What the heck is she doing here?!” he demanded as soon as they were far enough away Sokka was sure Toph couldn’t hear them.

‘She showed up in the woods a few days ago i saw her earlier today and we talked.” Zuko explained.

“And you brought her to camp?! She’s tried to kill us!”

“She tried to kill me.” Zuko clarified.

“Exactly! She tried to kill you and probably abduct aang or something. We can’t trust her!”

Zuko took a deep breath before continuing.

“Sokka, she did try and kill ME. moving past that is up to me to do so. As for kidnapping Aang, need i remind you how i ended up here?” Zuko asked harshly.

Sokka shrunk back a little at that.

“Yeah… um… well she…”

“Sokka, I don’t fully trust her either. But at the same time she is my sister. She and i have been through a lot together. I can’t turn her away and let her go back to our father. All that would do was hurt her and give Ozai another bargaining chip of the avatar being too dangerous for even the princess to defeat. So long as we keep an eye on her, this could be a huge advantage.” Zuko explained.

“I suppose your right, i just… i dunno.” he sighed.

Looking up Zuko could see the moon coming out with all the stars.

"i know it's hard to understand the way she is... growing up mom saw her as the replacement child, and dad saw her as a prodigy. looking back she wasn't seen as a child or a person. she was always seen as the back up. i can see how she ended up the way she did, and i'm not about to leave my sister when shes asking for help."

"this isn't asking for help Zuko!" sokka stated.

"would katara ever come up and ask you to help her?" Zuko asked.

"i guess not..." Sokka trailed off.

"listen i know you don't like Azula, and i can respect that. but sending her back to where i know she would be disowned or worse, i can't let that happen. and i hope you can understand that." Zuko asked.

"i can understand that. and, so long as she doesn't pull something psycho again, we could use some intel." Sokka offered.

“ we can get that later though, Common, lets go scout or something.” Zuko offered holding out his hand, Sokka took it and the two went and walked down by the shore completely unaware that a certain watertribe chief was down there fishing.

Chapter Text

It was nice to be alone for a while. Hakoda had spent the last three years glued in with his crew.

While he loved them all and he wanted to spend time with his kids, this here was a rare commodity to be able to step away and not have to hear the constant banter of the crew.

He would meet up with Bato later on and they would have some time together, but right now it was just nice to breath in the ocean and… voices?

Hakoda peered around some trees to see his Sokka sitting next to the fire prince talking.

Not only that, holding hands and… leaning on one another and… oh spirits Sokka is dating the fire prince….

Hakoda should have known, no wonder the two seemed so close.

Did katara know?

How out of the loop was Hakoda here?

How long had those two been together?

And what just moved behind him?

“So, your Hakoda.” he jumped, spinning around to see a girl wearing metal armor and her black hair tied back into a wolf tail as she looked at him with calculating golden eyes.

“I am…” he said somewhat unsure.

“And how are you feeling about all this?” she asked in a no less calculating tone.

“I-what?”

“Hm, such intelligence from the chief no less. Look out there,” she pointed towards Zuko and Sokka making heart eyes at one another.

“What do you think of that?” she asked, and Hakoda was truly unsure what she was thinking about it.

“I-if their happy together then-” he was cut off by her grabbing the front of his tunic and dragger him down to eye level.

“They are very happy together, and while i will never understand what my brother sees in…” she looked Hakoda up and down with a critical eye.

“Your sort, i’ll be damned if you ruin it for him, if i hear one critique about their choice, i inact several critiques on you.” she let him go then and walked away as if that was nothing.

Leaving Hakoda feeling like he had just got whiplash.

“I guess that’s the Princess…” he muttered looking back to Zuko.

They certainly didn’t act similar, but the resemblance was uncanny.

Hakoda shook himself out of his head and went back to camp,

‘Dont act like a weirdo spying on your son and his… boyfriend?’ status unknown, Sokka will tell him when he decides too, clearly there is nothing for Sokka to worry about there.

Hakoda meets up with Bato and they start talking battle plans with the crew, Hakoda ignores the shit eating grins on all the crews faces about their new necklaces.

Quite honestly being away from hime so long has given the crew a new perspective of the world in many regards.

If you were to tell Hakoda three years ago that he would be able to be with his first mate and not be deposed as captain he would have said that was a nice fantasy and continued calling bato to his cabin for ‘late night battle plans’ now the crew is laughing and joking and saying ‘it’s about damn time.’

Hakoda remembers explaining to Katara what his relationship with Bato was, she was only nine or ten and they had lost their mother a few months ago.

He remembers explaining how no one could ever replace Kia and how Bato had done so much for them and helped them and that just because some people say bad things doesnt mean those things are true. It took Katara a while to grasp that, and Sokka… sokka didn’t grasp it for a long time.

Hakoda explained bato moving in and sokka just said ‘great another person to do guy stuff does this mean we need to build another bed.’ Hakoda explained them sharing a bed because they were so close and sokka was just ‘great less work for me, i like bato.’ and ran off to throw a boomerang at stuff.

Sokka has always been a straight forward person, he doesn’t do hints real well, beating around the bush doesn’t happen either.

Hakodas the same way.

It took bato looking him in the eye and saying that he liked him for Hakoda to finally put the pieces together.

Bato had to spell it out for Hakoda to even realize what was happening.

Actually… does Sokka even know?

Chapter Text

Sokka and Zuko were sneaking back to camp the next morning hand and hand after more then talking.

“I’ll see you at breakfast, i’m gonna go find Azula.” Zuko said kissing Sokka on the cheek and pulling away.

“If your not at breakfast i’m sending a search party.” Sokka yelled back teasingly earning a very poutlike scowl in return.

“You’ll never find me.” Zuko bit back before disappearing out into the woods where Azula had camped out.

“Sokka.”

“Aahah!” Sokka screamed jumping ten feet in the air startling back to see his dad standing there with his arms crossed.

“You! How did you! What did you- what are doing here?” Sokka asked trying and failing to play it cool, his voice several octaves higher and his face red.

“I just wanted to talk to you is all,” hakoda said gesturing to some rocks near by.

‘This is it i’m gonna die, my dasd is gonna wanna talk about this, and he’s gonna want answers, and then hes gonna ask about grandchildren and our culture, and i’m gonna have to tell him no…. Oh tui and la help.’

They sat down on the rocks and Hakoda turned to look at Sokka with an unreadable look.

“Are you aware that i have been with Bato the past three years?” he asked.

Sokka ruffled his brow.

“I mean, yeah? You two have been on a ship together.” Sokka said confused as Haoda face palmed.

“No… Sokka…. I have been dating Bato, that necklace was an engagement necklace.” Hakoda said looking at his son in baflment.

Dating bato?

Engaged to bato?

Three years?

“That would explain why you didn’t want to build another bed.” Sokka said slowly.

Hakoda let out a soft huff of laughter.

“Yes, that would explain it. And being at sea for the past few years has made not just me but the whole crew realize that, our culture is already very different then it used to be. The southern water tribe is stuck in the past of when we had water benders, we don’t have that anymore, we need to start re building outside of that culture. We cant do that if we insist on only staying with
our tribes. So, i know i don ‘t need to say this but just for clarity, i don’t care who you date, i don’t care if you have kids. Sure i would love grandkids but even if you don’t have kids i am still so proud of you and your sister and the people you’ve become. I love you Sokka.” Hakoda smiled.

Sokka wanted to cry now, he wanted to go into the ocean and have a deep cry until he didn’t have to feel feelings anymore.

Cause his dad, his tribe, was not gonna judge him for how he felt! Well, maybe in his taste in men, but… they were willing to adapt. And thats all Sokka ever wanted.

“I’m dating Zuko.” Sokka blurted out, gaging his dads reaction to that.

“I know Sokka.” Hakoda smiled.

“You do?” he asked shocked.

“I saw you last night, the fire princess is… very defensive of your relationship.” Sokka tilted his head confused.

“That… doesn’t sound like her.” Sokka said slowly.

“I think specifically shes defensive of her brothers happiness. It doesn’t sound like shes a fan of the water tribe though.”

“That sounds more likely.” Sokka nodded.

“Well, should we get back to camp then.” Hakoda offered.

“Yeah… we should.” Sokka got up with him feeling way less tense then he had in a long time.

Chapter Text

The scribe just sent his last letter out to princess Azula, taking the copies of her letter out to every trustworthy printer in the capital to send out and distribute as widely as possible including her instructions for when they are raided.

Within hours the royal guards are patrolling the streets trying to get a handle of the chaos being caused by the news that now both heirs have defected from the throne and are now openly opposing Ozai, along with general Iroh and news of general zhao's death and his crimes. As well s evidence of the firelord's knowledge of said crimes.

The flyers stating that anyone willing to oppose firelord Ozai in support of prince Zuko in the upcoming confrontation will be granted full pardon for any past war involvment in the new order.

It had all started with peasants deposing Ozai, easily controlled and locked away, that then led to nobles when they heard of what Zhao had done and their own children's stories of letters written to the firelord in regards to it.
The fliers of the princess’s deposition of her father was soon accompanied with other nobles and political figures disposing him as well, all the way to the fire colonies where the tables turned to anyone sporting a fire nation emblem was being locked in chains.

Rioting was starting to over through Ozai to the point that the fire lords palace has been reduced to a skeleton crew whether people defecting, or not being deemed trust worthy.

The people in the streets protesting and demanding answers, with guards spread thin trying to keep them out of the palace.

Ozai was locked away in a meeting room with his advisors plotting on how to take back control of the situation without killing three quarters of the population in the fire capital

“We need to hunt those two down and get them to retract what they said.” one advisor suggested, all of them visibly tired from the amound ot time they have been in meeting.

“The princess is not easily swayed,” another advisor added.

“You suggest my daughter is too corrupted to see the error of her ways.” Ozai asked standing up and going over to the advisor in question. A spindly older man with little political exploits.

“No sire! I would never say such things about the princess.” he said bowing low.

“Then you say she is correct to disobey like this? You think it acceptable for this behavior?”

“Sire please i- aahhhhh!”

The man was reduced to ashes and tinder in moments as the firelord set his robes on fire.

The room was dead silent at witnessing such a crime at the hands of the fire lord. And just how easily he cared to do so. Just how passive he was to kill his own advisor.

“The princess is all but gone mad, notify the nation of her instability, she is beyond reason, and to kill on site.” Ozai said turning to his remaining advisors who looked at him with something akin to a rat trapped in a maze that it didn’t know how to escape.

“And-and the prince… sir?” one advisor dared to say earring looks of fear from the others.

“The prince is being manipulated by his captors, he is to be apprehended and brought home.” the fire lord said, the word home sounding foregn on his lips.

The idea of this palace being a home sounding utterly ridiculous to everyone who heard it.

The advisors went off to fulfill their duties and in the halls hearing distant whispers of how the fire lord has lost it.

Leaving the servants much like caged animals, loyal to their fire lord till the end, though also knowing that they would not be able to leave if they tried.

Chapter Text

Zuko and Azula were at lunch by the fire when two messenger hawks came at the same time, one holding a letter from the royal scribe.

“You had him post the notices?” Zuko asked her shocked.

“Of course, i did like you said we need to have the people on our side, with this it needs time to fester, unless father is willing to surrender everything, they will not be happy with that.” Azula said obviously ignoring the fact that everyone at the site was looking at them expectantly.

“By the looks of it the fire nation is close to civil war.” she added a little too casually.

“How do you know that?” Zuko asked.

“By this one.” she said holding up another scroll with a messy seal put on it.

“Oh…” Zuko said face going stoney.

“Zuko? Whats wrong?” Katar asked.

“Look at the seal, it has raw edges, no one would let that be sent unless things are truly going wrong.” Zuko said taking the scroll and reading it out loud.

“By the high order and decree of fire lord Ozai,

The defection of princess Azula has been officially deduced as hereditary psychosis too extreme for reasonable intervention and apprehension. The princess is armed and dangerous, kill on site.”

“Well at least he acknowledges it’s hereditary.” Azula huffed showing no sign of distress.

“Did you not listen in linguistics? The scribe adds the inflection and implications.” Zuko said giving her a look of annoyance.

“What does that mean?”Toph asked.

“The scribe is implying that the fire lord has also fallen into extreme psychosis with unreasonable intervention.” Zuko explained before he continued reading.

“As for Prince Zuko, in the clutches of his captors we fear his words no longer his own, there for any report of the prince must be sent to the palace immediately, any sighting of prince Zuko is to
result in immediate apprehension.”

“The courts are favoring you still and hoping that their royal treasure will be able to solve this by coming home,” Azula applied.

“The prince is being manipulated and may struggle. Any action necessary must be taken to bring him home alive,”

“Please for the love of spirits just bring him back to fix this!” Katara guessed.

“Yup.” Zuko agreed before scanning over the rest.

“Then it’s stuff about Zhao.” Zuko said handing the scroll back to Azula.

“Apparently they found him dead in the woods with intestines spelling out a certain someone's name,” he said glaring at his sister.

Everyone looked on in horror.

“That was quite fitting though don’t you think?” Azula asked.

“Was he alive when you did it?” Zuko asked.

“No, he has always been very weak willed, only screamed a little for succumbing to blood loss.”

“Pitty i hoped he would have watched you pull them out.” Zuko said putting the scrolls away.

“Um… what in the name of Tui and La?!” Hakoda asked.

“He deserved it.” both siblings said at the same time before glaring at one another.

“But this is... Not good.” Zuko said.

“But also... not bad.” Aang offers, ever the optimist. Even if he was looking a little green at that last conversation.

“It does mean that anyone with fire nation loyalties may try and kill me on sight and re kidnap you.” Azula said looking to her brother.

“I don't think that will go well for them.” Sokka observes also looking at Azula nervously.

“However, it does give jus passage into the castle again.” Azula states.

Everyone looks at her questioningly.

“Truly you are all the smartest people i’ve ever met.” she says dryly.

“If father truly thinks your being manipulated is debatable. But he does realize that your compliance with his regime is critical. Therefor he needs you alive, and under his control. He wants to
brain wash you into submission again, that is how we get in.” Azula states.

“I’m supposed to turn myself in?” Zuko asked angrily a bit of fire flaring out his nostrils.

“No, your supposed to be apprehended. Angrily, but… tastefully angry. You must be level headed through it, if you appear irrational you’ll receive my same status as insane.”

“And are you?” Toph asked.

“I will deal with the ramifications of that later thank you very much. You,” she said turning t o Zuko.

“Are going to need to march into the fire colonies for ‘supplies’ when you get apprehended, you put up just enough fight, enough that people see. You coming in will be a big enough of a
distraction that they can get in, i assume that you’v ehad the forethought to get the earth navy on board.” Azula askes Hakoda.

“Yup awaiting the go ahead.” Hakoda said going along with it.

“Good,, they are to wait outside the waters of the capital, warn any earth benders that there is an active volcano there, so best not th bend the earth around the castle unless they want to fry everyone alive.” Azula said casually.

“What about us? What do we do when we get there?”

“Your job is to get rid of all the other guards, and backup for when Ozai snaps completely, theres no telling what he’ll do when he realizes. We cant kill him though.” Zuko states.

“I know he’s your dad all but why not?” asked one of the water tribe warriors carefully.

“I hate saying it but i agree, leaving him alive opens the door for him to…. You know, come back.” Azula said.

“His remaining supporters will view him as a martyr if he died. He died for what he believed in and a new world order. People will paint him as a heroic victim. If he gets locked away forever, then it allows the people to see him for what he is. It allows him to face repercussions and admit defeat, no one wants to follow a failure.” Zuko stated.

“Hm.” was all Azula said.

“Okay, but we need a backup plan, what if we get captured or-” Sokka started

“Shh!” Toph hissed all the sudden

“We need to leave, now!” she said moments before a loud boom

“Who's attacking!” Sokka yelled as Zuko grabbing onto him and pulling away moments before a fire ball hit where he would have been, right next to where they were pinned on the floor.

“Bounty hunters.” Zuko said inches away from sokkas face.

Nope, no time for romance. Not right now. Cant be right now.

“Crew on to the ships! We’ll distract them!” Aang shouted.

“We’ll meet you at the shore line go!”

The crew ran to the ships as the others hurried to pack up camp, Azula scanning the sky line for the ones responsible.

“Hey! Hot rod! In the trees!” toph yelled pointing towards a cluster if trees where Azula saw them, and throwing fistfulls of blue fire and lightning towards them, setting the trees ablaze.

“Azula hurry up!” Zuko yelled grabbing her wrist and dragging her onto Appa a moment before take off.

“I was having fun though.” Azula quipped as they took off, Katara putting out the trees.

“Don’t play with your food.” Zuko stated.

“And maybe don’t set fire ti a sacred air temple.” Aang asked a little huffily.

Azula said nothing to that laying back and looking at Zuko expectantly.

“You know what we need to do.”

“Yeah…” Zuko breathed out.

“We need to land at new ozai. Or- omashu.” Zuko said to aang.

“Why there specifically” Aang asked not too happy about it still being new ozai.

“It’s right by a sea port with straight passage to the capital, also, we… know the mayor and his daughter you guys might get protection from them.”

“Oooooh!” Azula cackled earning a flaming glare from Zuko.

“What? Who's his daughter?” Sokka asked, feeling a pang of jealousy rise up.

“I told you about mai.” Zuko said.

“Oh! Her…. yeah…” Sokka said shortly mai is dating a woman though, and Zuko is dating him. So… nothing to worry about...nothing…

“Mai has been very worried about you zuzu, it’s kinda cute.” Azula grinned at her brother.

“Stop!” Zuko shouted.

“No really, i would go so far as to say beside herself with grief, over the loss of her beloved fiance.” Azula grinned.

“I’m serious stop it now!” Zuko said getting in her face.

“Why so defensive Zuzu?” Azula asked grinning at Sokkas bright red face.

“You know why.” Zuko said huffing and going to sit next to Sokka, who didn’t want to look at Zuko.

Katara toph and aang were just confused at the whole exchange.

“Who’s mai?” Aang asked earning a glare from Zuko.

“Okay… ask later.”

The rest of the ride was filled with awkward silence

Chapter Text

Zuko was trying to figure out the fact that Azula wants him happy while trying to sabotage him ,while also trying to figure out what is going on in Sokka's head.

Sokka knows Zuko cares about him, Sokka knows that me and him had a political engagement, but that was the end of it.

Sokka knows that Mai is with ty-lee, and obviously Mai would be worried about him, their friends and everything has been dunked into chaos as of late.

Sokka meanwhile was trying to figure out how worried he should be about meeting his boyfriend's fiancé, trying to figure out how he felt about it.

Trying to figure out why those golden moody eyes always seemed to poke at just the right place to make his brain go gooey…. And made him suddenly want to just cuddle the rest of the day… he didn’t want Zuko to walk into this alone, that was the last thing he ever wanted was for him to put himself in harm's way.

But no, there was little that Sokka could do about it, and he understood that 1Zuko had to play his role in ending this war. So for that Sokka could hold it together, be all, stoic, plotting, serious plan guy… not caring boyfriend who just wants- oh spirits, his hair is so pretty!

Focus sokka!

Sokka was pulled out of his own internal monolog by Aang announcing they had landed just outside of omashu Sokka and Zuko exchanging looks at the familiar campsite, and Aang and Katara exchanging looks at the tunnel system still visible nearby.

“Well, what now?” Zuko asked, looking around.

Azula stepped up with a devious smirk,

“We need to think this through before anything else.” Sokka jumped in seeing the look on Azula's face.

“I was only going to say that Zuzu needs to butter up his fiancé to house his little… entourage for the time being.”

Sokka didn’t like the way she said that.

“Azula,” Zuko started.

“Yes dear brother?” she asked, earning a low growl from Zuko as he pulled her a little over to the side.

“What happened to being supportive?” he asked her with a scowl.

“Oh fine, I'll go talk to Mai. you go get yourself apprehended.” She waved him off though didn’t go anywhere.

“Zula?” Zuko asked, quivering a brow.

There was a long pause after that, her face went to something… softer at that.

“Whatever he offers you, don’t take it.” Azula states looking at him.

“I know.” Zuko said.

“I mean it, no matter what he says, what he tries to do, how he tries to convince you, don’t listen. He always lies.” Azula states looking at her brother with a fire he hadn’t seen in her before.

“I love you too.” Zuko said smiling a little at her as she wrinkled her nose in disgust, letting out a string of disgruntled noises.

"I! you... why-you worthless! ugh!!" and began punching him repeatedly in the arm.

“Ow! Hey, stop!” Zuko yelled but couldn’t help but laugh at the fact she wasn’t punching as hard as he knew she could.

“You! Are! Such! An! Imbecile!” she yelled at him brow furrowed and small puffs of smoke coming out her nose.

“Go talk to Mai already.” Zuko smiled at her as she glowered at him.

“If this plan works it will certainly be a result of me carrying your weight. “Azula snapped and stalked away.

“you …. Guys okay?” Katara asked carefully, Zuko suddenly saw everyone watching that exchange.

“Yeah, that’s just how she is.” Zuko said with a small smile.

“Who’s mai?” Aang asked after she left, and decided to change the subject.

“Fiancé.” Zuko said flatly, looking at Sokka as he did.

“Purely political thought.” he added quickly when he saw Aang about to say something along the lines of “faith and trust in relationships bring everlasting
peace and blabla bla,”

“Nothing romantic, with any luck we can get that whole arranged marriage waved away.”

Zuko shrugged, looking to Sokka with a question before everyone went milling about with their own projects to try and prepare for what was gonna happen.

Zuko went up to Sokka and sat next to him.

“Are you okay?” Zuko asked.

“I dunno, no one ever told me what to do when meeting your partner's betrothed.” Sokka sighed, and Zuko let out an awkward chuckle.

“Oh, yeah, well… Mai is… blunt, and abrasive, and can sometimes come off as mean and-”

“This is really gonna happen…” Sokka said suddenly.

“You're walking into the fire nation again… what if you don’t walk back out?” Sokka asked.

“Then… Aang will need to stop my father.” Zuko said, looking over to the kid playing with his pet lemur.

“Okay… I don't like either option.” Sokka sighs looking away before going back to Zuko.

“Can i… can we take a walk?” Sokka asked, Zuko could feel his heart trying to escape him.

“Yeah… okay… but if someone sees us then-”

“They won’t.” Sokka states before the two stepped away, not wanting to disturb the others, Toph would know where they were.

Chapter Text

Zuko and Sokka were walking hand in hand through the woods, not talking, just enjoying one another's company.

“So… when do you go?” Sokka asked him, finally breaking the silence.

“When Azula gets back,” Zuko said.

“And what if… she…”

“She will come back, even if someone does catch her, no one can match Azula,” Zuko said calmly.

“I would like it to be known that I do not like this plan,” Sokka said matter of factly as the two came to a clearing and decided to sit down.

“Do you got a better idea?” Zuko asked him.

“No… I just- I don’t like the thought of you being drug back there in the brig of a ship” Sokka said glumly.

“It’ll be okay Sokka.” Zuko offers to take Sokka's hand and plant a kiss on his cheek.

Sokka reached up to catch his cheek before he pulled away.

“Zuko I- I really care about you,” he said, those big sapphire eyes looking back at Zuko's.

“I...really care about you too,” Zuko said, with a smile, leaning into Sokka's hand.

Zuko loved the feeling of butterflies that Sokka gave him. He loved the way that Sokka would look at him like Zuko offered the world. It also terrified him for what would happen when this bubble popped, for what became their reality when they no longer had the ability to live in this bubble of a few teenagers running around on a flying snot monster, with a giant eared ball of energy, along with his flying lemur Momo.

Zuko couldn’t help but get that pit of anxiety at the thought of everything that will change soon.

Sokka must have seen that.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Sokka asked, scooching closer.

“Nothing i-” Zuko stopped and sighed.

“I don’t want this to change, if I'm going to become the fire lord… what if I end up just like him?” Zuko asked brow furrowing at the idea, with his heart rate quickening.

“No, your nothing like he is Zuko,” Sokka said cupping both sides of his face and moving so close he was practically in Zuko's lap.

“You don’t know that.” Zuko said, leaning against a tree, latching his hands around Sokka’s waist, pulling him closer.’

“But I do know that firefly,” Sokka smiled, leaning in and kissing his nose.

“Because, you are kind, caring, dedicated, and loyal, and you will be the best fire lord in the world! has! ever! Seen!” Sokka kissed his face again with each word, till he was just attacking Zuko with kisses as he laughed.

“Okay! Okay! I got it stopped!” Zuko laughed, taking Sokka and kissing him now, cupping his cheek and leaning into it. Knowing that at the end of the day so long as Sokka believed in him, Zuko could try to believe it too.

“Don’t stress right now, we can stress later,” Sokka said, pulling away and leaning into Zuko’s chest.

Zuko didn’t know what to do with all the feelings bubbling up inside of him, he didn’t know how to process everything happening,

Sokka was so sweet and dedicated, and strong, and he wanted to protect everyone, while also just wanting them to be happy, and Zuko loved how dedicated he was to his family, and loved how willing he was to let Zuko in his life, and loved how he would bicker with Appa when at the end of the day loved him more than anything…

Agni Zuko loved Sokka.

Before he had a moment to process that, before he could grasp what that meant, their peaceful bubble popped.

A sudden loud roaring through the trees, seconds before a fireball got thrown,

“Look out!” Zuko yelled, pushing Sokka over, circling a wall of fire between them and the blast.

“Run!” Zuko screamed, pushing Sokka towards the campground.

“Zuko!”

“Go! Stick to the plan!” Zuko yelled, pushing Sokka away, not turning back to watch him leave and fanning the wall of fire to make more smoke block them.

‘Okay, slightly different plan but… plan nonetheless….’

Zuko thought to himself as the smoke settled and he saw the rough rhinos come into view.

Of course, it was them.

“Prince Zuko, you're coming with us.” Colonel Mongke said, wielding a weapon.

“Under what charges,” Zuko said, taking on a stance.

“Conspiracy to take down the fire lord, don’t worry though, your father is being very gracious about this,” he said glaring at Zuko.

The rough Rhinos never really got along with Zuko or his uncle.

“This is all a misunderstanding.” Zuko tries. They needed the plan to stay on track. He just had to….

“Sorry highness, you got a nice bounty on your head, and the head of your co-conspirators,” he said.

“Fine…” Zuko says defeatedly, lowering his guard just enough for them to do the same before throwing fire onto the grass around them and taking off towards new Ozai.

He could feel the rhinos on his tail, and the only way he could manage to stay ahead was doing that jet propulsion trick Azula taught him as he came to the gates of the city,

and… this wasn’t good.

The doors were open, they shouldn’t be open, it looked as though they were cracking apart too, and you could still hear people shouting inside as Zuko came running up to it and into the door.

“Fine, new plan, first step and go from there,” Zuko mumbled running into a packed crowd.

“Where is he!” He heard them roaring behind him.

Wow, they are actually rioting here, it hadn’t sunk in till just how angry the fire nation is.

Things weren't that far from going hostile either, maybe a bad idea now… nope, too late can’t go back gotta go forward. As he pushed himself to the front of the crowd that was… not calming down as the rhinos barreled through.

That seemed to be getting more hostile by the second at the presents of avid Ozai supporters.

Clamoring around to one of the stands nearby and climbing on top, potentially squashing more than a few cabbages as he did so.
“Hey!” he screamed at the top of his lungs gaining enough attention for a few people to look over and see him.

“The prince... He’s here! Is he okay?” whispers and shouts filled throughout the center square as heads turned and bowed to him.

‘Okay, calm for the moment. Only a moment, do not let the moment go’ he told himself remembering everything every tutor ever told him about public speaking.

“I don’t want to see my nation getting hurt! I know what Ozai plans to do! I know he has proclaimed I am being manipulated, and misled, I can assure you it is false! But if this rioting goes any further you could all be sentenced to execution, I can’t have you taking that risk for me. For any ruler! What kind of price would I be if I let people get hurt and die for my own words and my own declarations. I know this slander from Ozai won't stop until I comply. “Zuko said at the top of his lungs looking over the market trying to see if anyone remotely resembled Azula.

A few shouts of protest came from that.

“I assure you, my views never will change on this matter. However, I will go to the capital, I will speak with my father. Mark me at this, the next time you hear me supporting him is the moment my words will no longer be my own, and you will need to fight for your own freedom from a monster like him!” Zuko shouted to a cheer from the crowd.

Zuko jumped down and went over to the rhinos.

“Collect your dirty money and let’s go,” he said.

They all smirked at one another, too stupid to see what that was.

“Pretty words to get the people on your side? Not bad princy.” one said

And Zuko meant every word of it, he hoped, with everything in him that they wouldn’t have to riot, that they wouldn’t have to get involved with any of that and that he could just… sort it out.

Yet even with him going willingly the rhinos still seemed to favor the “I captured them and they can’t get out’ approach.

Hoisting him onto one of the rhinos, sandwiched between two of them as they rode out of the city.

“Any funny business and the royal treatment is over princy.”Khachi growled as Zuko felt something sharp into his back.

Zuko had many retorts he’d like to add, though decided it better to just keep his mouth shut and hope with everything that his friends were able to get to Mai’s before anything else happened.

“So where the rest of you??” Zuko asked them. If he remembered correctly there were seven of them, and he could only see three here.

“They're on another bounty,” Mongke said roughly as they picked up the pace towards the docks. “The sooner you're off the sooner we can join them,” Mongke added, Zuko could hear a smirk in his voice.

“What's got you so happy?” Zuko asked.

“We are about to get rich is all,” he said as they got up to the docks, basically dragging him off the rhinos. Immediately walling him in with little more than an inch of space, seeming to have a sword or ax or scythe pinned to him at all angles.

“Is this you trying to get more money than the bounty by saying I was a hard catch?” Zuo asked.

“As if!” the leader grunted going up and into one of the pitched tents

“You both stay here and keep a lookout,” he said grabbing onto Zuko and pulling him into the tent with him.

“Common princy.” mongke said. Pushing him into the tent.

Plunging him into the darkness with only a candle to light the room.

“Alive and unharmed, I’m sure our beloved prince is happy to be going home,” Mongke said as Zuko's eyes adjusted to the light.

Two guards, and… general shinchi of the southern raiders

What was he doing all the way out here?

“Good to see, when the others get back with avatar and his accomplices we will be set to go.”

Silence.

The room was suddenly a lot brighter than before.

It was a lot louder than before, the blood was pounding in his head and he felt like he was about to be sick.

“What!” Zuko yelled. Pulling away from Mongke.

“What do you mean! You can’t just-” he stammered feeling like everything was starting to close in on itself.

“Prince Zuko-” general Shinchi was cut off by fire being thrown at his head and Zuko ran out the tent, dodging around the other two outside the door.

“Get him!” Zuko heard being yelled as he ran forward towards the woods.

“Zuko!” he could hear in the distance. It sounded like… Azula!

“Zula!” he yelled back.

“Zuko! Get over here!” she yelled dropping down enough for him to see her hanging from a tree.

He saw her eyes widen as he got closer than...gone… and he felt a heavyweight hit his back, throwing him to the forest floor and...darkness.

Chapter Text

“Be careful! One wrong move and it’s our heads!” he heard as Zuko felt himself being moved, darkness.

Something soft and warm… something… a pallet!! Dear Agni, he missed anything even close to a bed!

Why was he in a Pallet?

‘This isn’t the time to sleep’ he kept telling himself over and over trying to pry his eyes open

Slowly opening his eyes to a dimly lit room, the only light coming from outside in the hall.

Agni with his head pounding the way it was he was grateful, forcing himself to sit with a loud groan someone in the room gasped.

“M-my prince. P-please, lay down, do not hurt yourself?” a man said in a shaky voice.

Zuko's eyes darted around till they finally focused on a slouching figure over in the corner.

“Where am I?” Zuko asked eyes narrowing in onto the figure and lighting a fire in his palm, getting a squeak from the man.

“P-please. The captain has orders to bring you home I am only meant to make sure your alright I swear I’m just the healer.” he rushes out face growing more and more frantic the more conscious Zuko looked.

Finally, Zuko let out a sigh and let the light dim in his palm to that of a candle before speaking.

“I don’t blame any of you. But I need to know who else was captured. That is an order.” Zuko said giving him the noblest look he could muster at the moment.

“There was no one else brought in the southern raider as far as I am aware.” the healer stated, suddenly standing a lot straighter as if giving a status report.

“Hmm…” Zuko hummed playing with the small flame in his palm.

“What’s your name?” he asked looking back up at him.

“I-my name is Ge-Shi, your majesty,” he said bowing deeply.

“Ge-Shi, thank you for making sure I was alright, I am greatly honored that you would take your time to ensure my safety,” Zuko stated, the same noble tone, trying to find the best possible words to butter him up just right, and the way Gi-Shi lit up at that told Zuko it was working.

“But I must know how long I was asleep for, and I need to speak to the captain.” Gi-Shi bowed again even deeper than before.

“You were asleep for a day and a half it is another week till we can get to the capital your majesty, and it is an honor to sever you my prince, the tales of you ring true, I will notify the captain of your summons,” he exclaimed.

“Thank you Ge-Shi I would greatly appreciate that, you can leave,” Zuko said as Ge-Shi bowed once more before knocking on the door, as it swung open a d Gi-Shi left.

With a heavy sigh, Zuko stood up, ignoring the pain in his bones as he looked around the room.

It was far more than any prisoner would get. A simple pallet, with a little table and bench, welded to the floor, along with a night table by the pallet.

Zuko couldn’t help but feel foolish at being a literal prisoner but still having to dismiss one of the people holding him captive, even more so the idea that the captain of this very ship, likely would not be able to refuse Zuko wanting to talk to him, at most me may be able to hold it off till the next meal before his crew gets antsy.

Zuko just loved how much political havoc he is currently in the midst of.

A ship of people is holding him, hostage, while at the same time going to have to do everything he says, while also trying not to anger the fire lord with following Zuko’s orders, and not getting on Zuko’s bad size as he is the future fire lord.

Oh, Spirits his headache just got a lot worse!

Walking around the room he did find a bucket of water with a ladle, picking it up and drinking liberally before finally sitting back down on the pallet to try and meditate, try and find some way to counteract his nerves, some way to get Sokka and Azula and the others out of his head and if they were okay. Something to distract him from whatever evil awaited.

Chapter Text

General schinchi was a nervous wreck!

Not to the crew, as far as they were concerned their captain and General handled the news that the single most important person and prisoner in the fire nation had summoned him with the same collected calm he always had.

In actuality, Schinchi was debating the pros and cons of jumping overboard.

In all truth, very few people have ever had the privilege to speak to the prince.
Sure Schinchi had seen him at royal parties, and at important speeches, however, he was always kept under very tight guards and supervision. Schinchi had always heard good stories from the guards, however, if you spend ten minutes in the palace, you will know that so much as a negative breath could get you killed.

So being summoned to a prisoner that if they wanted to could take control of the ship with two words… was stressful! Very… stressful!

From what he had been told by the Fire Lord himself was to expect the prince to be under deep manipulation, and to expect him to behave potentially erratically, or to not act himself. As if Schinchi had any reference for how the prince acted normally.

All and all they are not to trust anything the prince says.

to interperate the princes' talk of rebellion as no more than someone whispering in his ear.

At the same time though, Schinchi knew the fire nation and knew that they were watching this all unfold. If the prince ends up acting out to the point they would need to restrain him in any way, then Schinchi and his crew were going to be executed in the square for daring to go against and potentially harming the beloved crown prince. In the same Breath of Schinchi were to allow him more freedom the Firelord specifically allowed, then the Firelord would have him executed for going against his orders and committing treason.

yet, being the captain he is, he hitched himself up by his bootstraps and went down to the quarters to where the prince was being kept with two guards outside the door.

One of the nicest rooms on the ship, even though they had to gut it of just about everything the prince could use as a weapon per the fire lord's orders.

Schinchi looked at the two guards with the silent question being asked.

“Not a sound from his majesty since Ge-Shi left.” one reported. Schinchi nodded as they unlocked the door and he walked in.

“Prince Zuko.” General Schinchi said, bowing deeply.

“You wished to see me?” he asked, not daring to look up till being told to, nobles were extremely rigid on that sort of thing.

“Stand up Schinchi we’re not in court.” he heard immediately standing to attention to see the prince sitting cross-legged on the pallet.

“Thank you, your majesty,” Schinchi stated dutifully.

Giving the prince the most respectful look he could muster.

The prince looked startlingly like his father. Same jawline, eyes, same posture and build, if it wasn’t for the scar on the other side of the prince's face Schinchi would swear he was looking at a younger Ozai.

The prince sighed, standing up himself and pacing slowly back and forth.

“The avatar and his compatriots were also targeted, were they captured as well?” he asked evenly looking at Schinchi with an assistive eye before adding
“and let me give you fair warning. I spent a good deal of time with said companions, one of which can detect lies like a badger mole, and was kind enough to teach me as well, I want the truth and only the truth.” the prince said seriously, knowing that general Schinchi had no way to spot a lie himself.

“I do not know your majesty,” he said bowing again.

“It is true that they had been cited for your abduction however they were strictly prohibited from being on the same ship as you, i know that they were in pursuit as we set sail.” Schinchi stated voice most definitely not quavering as he felt the prince’s scrutinizing gaze.

A low hum was all that came from the prince.

“How long till we reach the Caldera?” he asked instead.

“A week's time, your majesty,” he answered.

A beat of silence that felt like it lasted a lifetime.

“Very well, I would like you to know that I do not hold you or your crew accountable for these circumstances. I understand you cannot go against my fathers orders, and I understand you think I am not in my right mind. However, you must understand what is at stake here.” he said evenly as Shinchi dared to look up and meet those intense golden eyes.

“When we get to the Caldera, and I get transferred from your ship, I order you to get your crew and all their families aboard, and sail as far away from the mainland as you can. I don’t know what
is going to happen, though I expect it to be… explosive.” he started not tearing his gaze away from Shinchi.

“Yes your majesty,” he nodded. Dutifully.

“Repeat your orders back,” he said in the same even tone.

“I am to transfer you off the ship as ordered by your father, I am to get the crew and their families aboard, and sail far away until given notice to return.” he repeated, voice shaking at the implications.

The prince nodded.

“Let me be clear, this is not a banishment, you are not being exiled, you may return when you deem it safe enough, this is for protection trust me,” he said with a nod before turning around to look out the porthole.

“Understood your majesty.” he nodded back, fully intending to follow those orders to the letter.

“Is there… anything else your majesty?” he asked slowly.

“You tell me.” was all he said not looking back.

Schinchi was on the unknown ground here. What was he supposed to say, what was the protocol for transferring back a prisoner who had more political leverage than the fire lord himself? Taking a deep swallow he went for the safe bet.

“Your father gave specific instructions that you were not to leave this room unless under my undivided supervision, and that none of the crew are able to speak to you unless necessary,” he said dutifully, rattling over what else would be safe to say.

“Schinchi.” the prince interrupted catching the small smirk on the prince’s lips.

“We are already in a political chokehold at the moment, don’t make it harder on yourself. I intend to wait out my stay on your ship till we arrive at the Caldera. No one is getting thrown overboard, and I am not going to stage a mutiny on your vessel. If you allow me to leave this room I be most grateful, though if you have too many duties to fulfill under my fathers' paranoid idiotic demands, then I am perfectly fine waiting out my stay.” he said smoothly in a placating tone.

Schinchi had been given the choice of what to do here. Of all things he did not expect the prince to let him make the call on this. He expected demands to be allowed on the deck, and to ramble on manically about his rebellion and virtually setting his crew up for the death penalty.

This was a call for Schinchi to make, and it was at that very choice that cemented the fact that the Firelord's orders had been overruled.

Chapter Text

“We’re screwed! We’re screwed, we’re screwed, we’re screwed, we’re screwed!” Sokka muttered to himself trying to outrun the rhino men chasing him.

Just his luck the moment they have a moment of silence to just cuddle, it’s ruined! Of course, it is!

He ran straight back to camp, which, truly not the best idea, but only close enough that he was certain Toph would be aware and able to warn them.

He ran as fast as he could only for them to get closer and closer till it was as if the ground came and swallowed him whole as he fell, most certainly not screaming!

Falling deeper and deeper till he saw light! Beautiful light! Was it lava? Oh, spirits he was gonna burn alive!

“Ahhh!” he screamed falling in and stumbling onto the hard floor and- no lava.

As Sokka looked around to his relief saw Aang, Katara, and Toph there, as well as Azula, which he was less pleased about.

“Where are we?” he asked, looking around at the wooden floors, and dirt walls, as well as racks of bottles.

“King Bumi's old wine cellar.” Katara chimed in.

“Are we…” he trailed off.

“Mai is dealing with it,” Azula added, looking less than pleased.

“And Zuko…” Sokka trailed off.

“Captured,” she said emotionlessly.

They sat in a tense silence after that, no one wanting to speculate any more than they had to.

It felt like ages by the time it was broken as the door opened and the sound of footsteps down the stairs before a girl walked in Azula’s age.

Flowing robes, and hair in two hanging buns, and a thoroughly unimpressed expression.

“Great avatar… others,” she said dryly, at the others she looked directly at Azula before quaking a small smile.

“It really is good to see you, Mai,” Azula said. Sokka assumed they had already given greetings based on the look Mai gave.

“I get it, you worship me, now common, we have ten minutes tops and I am not about to try explaining this to Father,” she said, taking a bottle off one of the shelves and stashing it away in her sleeve before everyone follows her up the stairs.

Aang looked around at the Bumi's palace as they walked through, up the stairs and around certain hallways, avoiding others. Sokka could see it on his face as Aang looked more and more depressed the more fire nation decor that they saw in Bumi’s castle.

“Monk child, keep up and be sad once we get somewhere less open,” Azula said sternly grabbing one of his ears and pulling him along when he started lagging behind.

“What room are we going to?” Katara asked their guide quietly.

“Zuko's chambers, they’re right next to mine, set aside for when he was to stay here,” Mai said blandly, noticing everyone but Azula looking confused.

“Courtship? Though we aren't married we are expected to spend alone time together in the noblest of ways,” she smirked.

“What?” Sokka asked.

“They’re meant to have sex without anyone knowing about it.” Azula chimed in and smirked at Sokka’s choked expression.

They arrive at the room then and Mai pushes them all inside, Sokka still thoroughly scandalized.

“And… you-um” he stuttered bright red.

“We have great fun jumping on the bed and gossiping.” Mai shrugs.

“I would never get in the way of my Fiance and his boy toy,” Mai said, smirking at that.

Sokka only blushed harder when he realized what was happening.

“You are just as bad as her!” he started jabbing an accusatory finger at Azula. The two just giggled at that. Before Mai’s face went back to the same bord expression.

“The ship set off about an hour ago, it takes a week to arrive at the caldera by ship. I am told it will take a day and a half by your… wad of fur?” Mai says in the same uninterested tone.

“His name is Appa,” Aang said defensively.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Guards will be patrolling the forest, Ty-Lee says she got him settled in an out cove nearby, he’s in good hands with her, though don't be surprised if he has flowers in his fur by the end of his stay in her care.” Mai assured, Aang didn't look happy but trusted her enough.

“They have been told that Ty-Lee is staying here in this room, so expect her to come by often enough, I’ll see about extra food, and make arrangements for you to leave when time,” Mai said, looking at all of them. Eyes finally landed on Azula as the two had a silent conversation.

“There is fire nation clothes in the cabinet, we guessed on your size, Avatar if you leave, cover your arrow,” she said pointedly.

“My arrow is a symbol of pride and hard work! I don't want to cover it!” Aang protested.

“And I don't want to be a political pawn for my father with the expectation of being bred to produce a future fire lord, but here we are,” Mai said far too bluntly, and Aang looked so uncomfortable he just nodded a little.

“My room is through there,” Mai pointed before gesturing to Azula who followed her through to Mai’s room before the door closed shut.

“Damn,” Toph said with a small smirk.

“I can't see why Zuko wouldn’t want to bang her, she’s a riot.” Toph grinned brighter.

“Let's just settle in… um… clothes,” Katara said looking to the large armoire next to the king-size four-poster bed, looking around the room, all and all was rather plan, though you could tell the amount of detail and money that must have gone into it simply by the gold trim on the walls, and carvings on the side of the dresses and four-poster bed.

She went over and threw it open digging through for various garments passing them to who she believed they were for.

Sokka got dressed in a long tunic and sandals, pulling his hair back in a top knot, looking in the mirror when he was finished.

“Dang! I’m… hot stuff!” Sokka grinned at all of them, only getting groans in response.

They settled down for a while, Toph taking a nap on the bed, Aang meditating, as Katara nervously fidgeted with her water until Mai opened the door to her room coming in with a large platter of food along with Azula nearby before looking to Sokka.

“Come with me, we have more in the hallway,” she said, gesturing to her side of the room and out into the hallway, Sokka looked around to see if anyone was watching as he picked up the trays of tea and noodles before going into Mais room again.

“Won't they ask where all this food is going?” Sokka asked her.

“You’ve never seen Ty-Lee eat,” Mai answered not unkindly.

“Oh, Sokka.” she stopped him as if just remembering something, putting down her tray and going to her wardrobe.

“Zuko sent this back with me during our last visit, I don't wear it, you may though,” she said, handing him a folded up long-sleeved kimono.

“I imagine the short girl is a blanket hog.” was all she said before picking up the tray and walking back into the other room with it, leaving Sokka to hold up a kimono before putting it on and tying it loosely... It was a comfortable flowy material with light fraying on the end, likely from excessive wear.

Sokka could help but pull it to his chin and take a deep breath in, smelling faintly of campfire smoke and melon.

The exact way he remembered Zuko smelled after that spa trip.

Spirits that felt like eons ago now.

It seemed so much simpler and easier, as Sokka pined over Zuko there.

rather now, his feelings open and known for someone he worried he wouldn't get to see again.

Sokka only managed to snap out of his own head when Toph called for him he brought the other tray back.

No one commented on the kimono, and even if Sokka was worried out of his absolute mind for where his boyfriend was, and what horrors could be happening, he could feel a little more at ease, at least having something that smelled so much like Zuko with him.

Climbing into the four-poster bed that night with one of them each taking a corner Sokka couldn’t help but sink into the Kimono and breathe in the smell, pretending Zuko was right next to him, and if he closed his eyes he could pretend that if he wanted to reach out and touch Zuko, he could.

Chapter Text

Schinchi had allowed the prince to wander around for the rest of their journey, so long as there was at least one person watching him at all times.

Not that he was ever alone, Schinchi quickly realized, that his crew was all too taken with the prince, and if it were not for the prince’s adamant statements that they needed to finish their mission Schinchi is not convinced that that wouldn't have defected and become pirates just to keep the prince away from the growing threat that was his father.

Schinchi was sure he didn’t mean to do it, that was the troubling thing.

The occasional mention of getting in trouble for this, or the consequences of that, that he quickly rushed past when he realized what he said, if he was trying to make the crew protective of him, it was a very effective strategy.

The day they arrived at the capital showed Schinchi a new side of his crew of more than ten years he didn’t know was there.

The prince spent half the morning hunched over a bucket, and the other half pacing his quarters like a caged animal, showing the manic, unhinged teenager that Ozai had first warned them about, however this wad not because of the avatars doing, this was at the prospect of going to what was supposed to be safe.

Schinchi went to the princess quarters periodically unsure of how to handle the prince’s growing anxiety, finally dreading going down to the prince’s room to tell them they had arrived.

Arriving with a bow, the prince not even sparing a glance as his hands remained tightly laced in his hair Schinchi just ripped off the bandage.

“We have arrived your majesty,” he said slowly, watching in bafflement as the prince’s pacing slowed, his expression going through fifty different emotions before it was like everything drained. The prince took a deep breath and began tying his hair back.

“Remember what I told you the first time we talked?” Zuko asked looking at Schinchi with carefully controlled calm.

“I do.” Schinchi nodded.

“Do it quickly.” was all he said, putting on a standard top knot, closing his eyes as he schooled expression taking one more deep breath.

“Are there a lot of people?” he asked, not opening his eyes.

“The docks are under very strict crowd control,” he answered, deciding not to mention the large crowd just outside of the docks.

“Let's get this over with then,” he said evenly before following Schinchi out the door and onto the deck by the gangway where royal guards were already waiting.

“Thank you for hospitality, I am greatly honored for my time here, and wish you only the best of wind on your missions to come.” the prince said with a pointed look to each of the crew who Schinchi had briefed beforehand as the guards were trying very hard to herd the prince down the gangway and into one of the royal palanquin right in front of the ship.

As the prince got off and away Schinchi left little time as the crew and their families boarded the ship with little time for questions and prayed that they would have land left to come to.

________________

The tension was palpable in the palanquin, all the windows covered, and the doors notably locked. Zuko could hear people just outside yelling things, a lot of yelling, and Zuko couldn't tell if it was good or bad.

Adding to the suffocating feeling rising in him was Lo and Li sitting directly across from him staring with unreadable expressions on their face.

Zuko would have liked it better if they were scowling, or yelling, anything other than just… sitting there.

“There's a lot of people.” he decided to say instead giving them what he hoped was an equally unreadable expression.

They said nothing continuing to stare as Zuko felt the palanquin going up what he assumed were stairs, Zuko guessed they were taking him directly inside, no easy route for escape, or access to any civilians.

The silence continued until they came to a stop when one of them finally spoke.

“Your nation has greatly missed you, prince Zuko, as have we.” before they bowed in their seat and the door opened, at last, Zuko climbed out.

He was in the foyer. It looked more or less the same, though if he looked a second longer he began to see dust collecting here and there, as well as guards fewer than normal, the two from the docks flanking him on either side.

“Shall we take you to your chamber your majesty?” one of them asked. Zuko didn’t know them, he had never encountered them, and if he did it wasn’t long enough to talk… they looked tired, and stressed and like they were on the verge of passing out.

“I can make my way there.” Zuko tested knowing that it never worked even before.

They didn't move or speak just giving him a strained look of hardly held professionalism.

“I see.” Zuko sighed beginning to walk slowly to his old room.

His room… he had been gone for a long time, he should miss people, he should miss his room. Zuko couldn't think of anything in his room that was his thought.

He had a few gifts given, and decor that his father had deemed acceptable for a prince.

Walking through the halls of the once-bustling palace, Zuko quickly realized how much things were falling apart at the seams.

There was dirt just beginning to pile up and collect places. As well as broken things hiding away in corners, the few servants they did pass took one look at him before going wide-eyed and hurrying away, any guards looking just as tired if not more than the two flanking him.

Zuko wondered just how unhinged his father has become. On top of that wondering what exactly his father was going to do to him.

Finally, the guards arrived at his door with him, looking untouched.

Zuko hesitated before opening it, looking between the two guards with worry clear on their faces before they noticed him looking, going back to the same blank looks they had before.

“What's going to happen?” Zuko asked finally.

They didn’t say anything.

“You're not allowed to talk to me?” he asked.

One of them shook their head slowly, causing Zuko to let out a long sigh.

“It’s alright, I get it. The guy is a psychopath.”

As Zuko went to open the door, he didn’t need to turn around to see the choked looks on their faces at Zuko so casually stating what all of them had been afraid to say.

Walking in Zuko saw that his room quite truly had been untouched, not even the scrolls on the nightstand moved from where they had last been set the night he was abducted by the Avatar's friends.

Zuko looked around half-heartedly before finally turning back to the guards again, seeing that worried look on their faces before it got schooled back into the same neutral look

“What am I expected to do now?” Zuko asked carefully as the two guards seemed to have a silent conversation between themselves.

“Get cleaned up and dressed.” one of them said finally.

“Please.” the other added with that same worried look.

Zuko’s eyes darted between the two of them for a moment as he sighed.

“He’s really gone off the deep end,” Zuko said not as a question.

“Alright, where am I to meet him?” he asked instead.

“Family dining room.” the other supplied calmly. Zuko just nodded

Going to the bath chambers seeing a tub of hot water was already drawn. As well as a pair of dress robes already laid out on the stool nearby.

Despite his best efforts though, the warm clear liquid did not have the same pull it usually did. Only made him think of a certain water bender who would try and splash her annoying brother with it, then leading him to think of said annoying brother of hers.

“Please be okay…” he muttered, praying to whatever spirit was listening before getting into the bath. Trying very hard not to linger longer than needed, though he will admit that the water felt wonderful on his skin. He would also fully admit to relishing the feeling of actual shampoo and soap and not just hoping any random stream would wash off the dirt.

Getting out of the tub slowly, doing his hair into a neat top knot, getting into the robes laid out for him.

They were… casual.

As casual as his dad would get... Comfortable even.

They looked expensive as well, it made a strange knot get formed into his gut at that.

Though getting dressed in the gold and red silks, without any shoes he noted, he went out to his chambers, meeting the guards standing there like statues.

“I don’t suppose I'm allowed to walk myself there?” Zuko asked as the guards shook their heads.

A sigh from Zuko as he walked, barefoot, through the palace, something his father would have never let him do. Wearing what his father would call, wealthy peasant garbs referring to loungewear, also a never.

Zuko arrived in the hallway before stopping, seeing the kitchen door shut…

It was never shut, they always said it was too hot to leave shut.

Despite his guard's desperate desire to keep walking, Zuko couldn’t quite get himself to move.

There were too many variables at hand, too many things at stake, and too many things left to chance.

“Your majesty?” one of the guards asked finally.

” I just… I need a moment.” Zuko said slowly moving to lean against one of the walls. To take a deep breath.

The halls were far too empty, while also being cluttered, and there were no people, yet the people there seemed on the verge of passing out from stress and exhaustion.

“What can you tell me?” he asked them seeing the two exchange more looks.

“Please it doesn't have to be big, just… is there food? Where is he sitting, how is he wearing his hair, is there anyone else in the room? Anything?” he asked pleadingly as the two had more silent conversation.

“There is food, and… several people are in the room as well at the moment.” they offered

Zuko nodded getting up and moving towards the dining room, opening the door bracing for something. Shouting, silence, glares.

Of all things he could have expected, every outcome possible, he did not expect this.

“My son!” he heard an uncharacteristically happy voice as arms wrapped around him in… a hug…

His dad was hugging him, and Zuko… didn’t know what to do with this…

His father didn’t hug Zuko, didn’t touch Zuko unless Zuko was in trouble.

Now here he was… hugging him, and Zuko could do little more than stand there rigidly as his father let go holding Zuko at arm's length a hand planted on each of his shoulders with a smile.

“Welcome home,” he said with that same smile, and tone that made Zuko feel ill, feeling like the floor had just gotten pulled out from under him as his father lead him to the chair right next to his own, and Zuko looked around the room to see… the palace staff much smaller than before… looking just as tense and uncomfortable as he felt.

“They wanted to make sure you were alright, as you see, he is home safe, if I may catch up with my son in peace?” he asked pointedly, and Zuko did not miss the edge to his father's voice under the sickeningly sweet tone.

Even then the staff seemed reluctant to move Ozai looking only slightly frustrated when they hesitated.

“It’s alright, we just need to… talk,” Zuko said finally allowing himself the satisfaction of his fathers put out expression when they left for Zuko's request.

Then they sat there… only them. With enough food for a family of four. The symbolism wasn't lost on him.

“You must be hungry eat.” his father smiled gesturing to the bowls.

Zuko did scoop food onto his plate, though the way his father was staring at him made him too sick to even touch it, especially the fact that Ozai didn’t even take a serving for himself.

Then they just sat there staring at one another.

It was like Ozai was trying to crack into Zuko's mind with those eyes, wanting to dig around and find something to use against him.

Zuko wasn’t going to let him, wasn't going to talk, he would keep staring for as long as his father forced him to.

“It’s good to have you back,” Ozai said with a warm smile.

Zuko was uncomfortable with how natural that smile looked. How nice it looked, how he felt… something with it. How he felt pride at it being directed at him.

Zuko swallowed before speaking, mouth dry as he refused to touch the water.

“You’ve said that.” Zuko decided to say instead.

Then… he laughed. A low quiet laugh, but he laughed.

Zuko looked to his father at that in sheer confusion.

“I understand our relationship has been… distant, with work and everything. I know you're still sorting through everything that had happened, but… I’m here now. Whenever you need me, I’m here.” Ozai smiled kindly.

Zuko hated that his own lips twitched in response, hated how his dad saw it and his own smile only became more real at that.

Hated that same pinch in his chest at him being the cause of his dad smiling

Zuko was screwed.

Chapter Text

Ozai hugged Zuko again after what he supposed was dinner. He couldn’t really tell for sure.

They just sat there… His dad kept smiling and talking and saying things he has never said.

“Ya know, remember those turtle ducks that used to come by, we could probably lay out some seed so they would return again, cute little things,”

“What do you say we go for a walk in the garden tomorrow, just the two of us.”

“You’ve always been so resilient, it's something i have always been proud of, even if i don't say it enough, i truly am proud of you Zuko.” it was that last one that hurt the most.

Zuko had tried for years to hear those words, had struggled and fought with everything he did, to hear those words, now that he heard them… it was like everything in him broke.

Zuko excused himself, not giving his dad time to protest as he left, not waiting for the guards outside the door as he rushed back to his chambers and to the bathroom where he locked himself in.

“I truly am proud of you Zuko.”

“Proud…” Zuko echoed quietly, leaning over the water basins by the mirrors.

“He’s proud of me,” Zuko said again feeling that same pinch of hope and that same smile starting to come to his face before he shook himself out of it.

Looking at his own reflection, especially on the left half of his face, trying to get a grip.

That person looked confused and stressed and… like a little boy who still wanted their dad's approval.

Squaring his shoulders Zuko splashed his face with water between deep breaths.

“You have wanted to hear that for years. You have gone so far as to ask him to say it, and he didn’t. He is proud of you because you have the power now, you cannot let him have that power. He has no right to my own emotions, I don’t owe him anything, nothing he can do will make up for the past.” Zuko lectured himself, taking a few deep breaths as a knock was heard on the door.

“Prince Zuko, are you alright?” one of the guards asked as Zuko opened the door.

“Yes… just… a lot,” he answered vaguely going over to the window sill, sitting down on the reading seat set up there.

“How long have you two been working?” Zuko asked, looking at them, the two exchanged looks again.

“We’ve been here for three weeks-”

“Not what I mean, how long have you been on shift without a break?” he asked.

The two looked at one another again.

“47 hours your majesty.” the other answered tiredly.

“I give you my word of honor that I will not attempt to escape, please lay down on the bed and sleep, so Ozai does not catch you dozing on the job.” he said pointedly.

“Your majesty-”

“That's an order,” Zuko said finally before taking a deep breath.

“I assure you I will not attempt an escape tonight. Please stop killing yourself, you look like dead folk walking.” Zuko said simply nodding to the bed again.

It didn’t take much more convincing before the two quite truly collapsed, their snores soon being heard behind him as Zuko stared out from the now locked windows, seeing a big full moon in the sky.

He remembered what Sokka had said about his own relationship with the moon.

Zuko let out a long sigh at that, looking back up to the sky as he did.

“Hey… so, I never really got your name,… um… but, can you make sure that Sokka's okay, all of them? I dunno, some kind of sign that there alright would be amazing. I really care about them, and… from the sound of it you did to… please.” Zuko stammered on, looking up as he did.

Nothing happened for a long while as Zuko sighed, only for the moon to suddenly shine much brighter into the room, stretching over to the back wall, making inorder to make the shadows of four figures sitting on Zuko’s bed rather than the two snoring guards.

Zuko let out a sigh of relief.

“Not gonna lie that's a little creepy… but thank you, really. I promise I won't have sex with Sokka outside at night.” Zuko quipped as the shadow turned into what Zuko could only make out as two bodies pressed together, which Zuko most certainly did not blush at.

“I don’t know how to interpret that,” he said finally as the moonbeam went away and it felt almost as if the moon left altogether even if it stayed in the same spot.

“Talk to you later,” he said, finally looking at the two guards again before getting up and walking out the room.

He wasn’t escaping… just… getting information is all.

Zuko, despite his best efforts, knows that deep down his dad was good-

No… he was good at getting what he wanted. And good at manipulating people just so they would give it to him. Zuko knows that now. Knows that all the stories being drilled into him were not even half the story. His dad did horrible things that he couldn't excuse, his dad was a horrible person. Yet it couldn't get rid of the swell of joy when his dad did hug him, and say he was proud of him. Those little moments where Zuko did forget himself and let those words sink in, and wrap him in that ring of false hope he had as a kid.
However, No matter how much Zuko wanted to say otherwise, to let Ozai get his hooks into him again, and drag him down along with Ozai, he couldn’t. Not if he wanted his nation to be alright, not if he wanted his friends to be alright, not if he wanted to stay with a certain loud-mouthed water tribesman that for whatever reason Zuko really, really, liked.

Zuko needed someone that would tell him the truth without giving Ozai lip service, even when he wasn't there. Someone to screw his head back on, and get rid of that hope that everything was happy.

Zuko just prayed they were still in the kitchen, not having gone home already, though seeing all the servants he passed, he was growing concerned that maybe they couldn’t go home at all.

Passing by as quietly as he could in the darkened hallways with the signs of disarray sputtered about, he continued on to the kitchens to find Lee-un, the head chef, for as long as Zuko could remember the guy always stayed in the kitchen late doing this or that.

Tonight, thank Agni was no different, as Zuko pushed open the door to see the man still there, at the small table in the corner with a glass of something in front of him.

He didn’t even look up when Zuko walked in.

“Lee-un?” he asked quietly getting the man's attention, perking up when he saw the prince, “Prince Zuko, i-” he started to get up.

“Shh, sit down.” Zuko gestured to the chair, sitting down across from him, as the two sat still in the thick silence neither of them knowing quite what to say until Zuko finally spoke.

“Tonight was messed up,” he said, finally getting a snort from Lee-un.

“Good to know you felt it too.” Lee-un grinned.

“That man… he’s not my father…” Zuko breathed out.

“What are you talking about prince?” Lee-un asked, holding up his glass.

“he has never hugged me in his life, mom said he never even held me as a baby. Then…” a shiver ran up Zuko's spine.

“He kept… smiling, and talking, and praising and…” Zuko felt his nose scrunch up in discomfort now that he was looking back.

“And it's even more messed up that I actually enjoyed it! How fucked up is that? Have I seriously gone crazy?” Zuko said, running a hand through his hair, face down looking at the table as Lee-un slid the glass in his direction.

“You need this more than me, and that's saying something’' Lee-un said as Zuko knocked back the contents of the fire whisky.

“You're not crazy about this Prince, since we got notice you were coming back he has been working the staff to the bone wanting you to feel welcome, believe it or not, the place had been in worse shape beforehand,” he said with a shrug.

“No wonder you're all zombies,” Zuko grumbled.

Lee-un just nodded.

“He wants you on his side, give him your approval and the nation will be back the way he wants it to be, at least that's what he believes. Give him your approval publicly and he wins.” Lee-un supplied, pulling out another glass for himself and filling Zuko's.

Zuko reflected on that.

"He needs my approval. I do not need his.’ Zuko told himself, again and again, willing it to sink in as he did.

“How has he been?” Zuko asked finally.

“Honestly?” Lee-un asked one eyebrow up as Zuko nodded.

“Man’s gone balls to the wall lion-bat shit,” he stated firmly causing Zuko to snort.

“Eloquent as always,” he said with a small smile before letting it fall.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“Don’t be, it says a lot that people only listen to him when you're the carrot at the end of the string. The second you're gone, he loses power.” Lee-un shrugged.

Zuko was about to say something when he heard footsteps, very distinctive footsteps as Zuko met Lee-un’s eyes, taking both glasses and rushing to hide behind one of the counters in the kitchen to wait.

“Cook!” he heard his dad bellow.

“Yes your majesty?” he heard Lee-un say and Zuko winces at the casualness of it, he can practically hear the glare Ozai is giving him.

“Why have you not started on breakfast?” he asked.

“It’s ten o’clock at night my liege?” Lee-un said something more formal.

“I don’t care if it is the end of days until my son is over…” he could hear Ozai calming himself.

“Until my son is well again, we must all be doing our part to make him feel at home, understood?” Ozai asked coldly, Zuko felt a shiver run down his spine at that.

“Understood,” Lee-un said and he could hear Ozai’s footsteps leaving as Lee-un came around the counter to look at Zuko, who just handed him both glasses, saying nothing as he knocked both of them back.

“Well prince what do you want for breakfast, seeing as I‘ll be making it for… the next ten hours,” he said quietly as Zuko paused.

“He doesn’t know shit about bread, just pull out a backup loaf in the morning and tell him it's proofing,” he said finally seeing the look of relief on Lee-uns face at that.

“I knew I liked ya you little fire cracker, off to bed with ya,” he said shooing Zuko out as he got to work, likely on finishing the bottle, and Zuko did not blame him in the slightest.

Zuko really didn’t know where else to go tonight, he could tell security was also sparser than usual, most of the guards clustered around doors and windows rather than positioned throughout the hall. It sent enough of a message though, no one gets in, no one gets out.

He tried to talk to a few of the servants still up working, but they didn’t acknowledge him at all really, the most they said was ‘we are not to talk to you until you are feeling better your majesty’ and went back to work.

Zuko could only sigh as he made his way back to his room, guards still asleep on the bed as he reclined against one of the walls and fell into a fitful sleep himself.

Zuko woke up before sunrise the next morning feeling like shit. The guards were up, though thankfully hadn’t moved him.

They seem to have relaxed enough to give him important information.

“We will be changing guards within the hour, servants will be coming to help you get ready today.” one said.

“Ready for what?” Zuko asked confused.

“We do not know your majesty.” the other answered bowing.

Zuko just went to the bathroom and got as ready as he could without clothes. Finding, to his dismay, all of Zuko's clothes had been removed from the closet, the guards having no knowledge of where they went.

Zuko could only guess this awesome sort of power play to get Zuko to stay here.

‘Think Zuko the best way to end this with no one getting hurt.’ he asked himself, looking at his reflection in the mirror the whole time. It had been a while since he really looked at himself. He had defiantly lost some weight, looking at his cheekbones, bags under his eyes darker, his hair longer and shaggier. Along with a deep bruise on one arm from Azula punching him.
He didn’t look bad, though had certainly had some better days.

A knock at the door was heard then, making Zuko jump.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Prince Zuko?” a small feminine voice asked.

Zuko sighed, opening the door to three servants, two women one man standing there waiting for him.

“I can get myself ready, but thank you.” he tried as the three shifted on their feet nervously.

“The… fire lord made it very clear we were to help you,” she said softly, she couldn’t have been a year older than Zuko, none of them looked older than eighteen for that matter, making Zuko's shoulders slump at seeing how out of depth the three were.

“Alright.” he sighed going and sitting at the stool set there and allowing them to do whatever it is his dad decided to do like Zuko was little more than a poodle monkey to be paraded around.

The younger girl, who he learned was named Cho began doing his hair, pulling it back into an elegant top knot within an inch of his life, the man, Lee was apparently filing fixing his horrid nails, and making sure his robes fit.

Said robes looked like they were worth more than what all three of them got paid in a year combined. As for the other woman, Hi-jo she began smearing pigmented creams and powders on his face to look more ‘lively’ as she said it.

Zuko could already piece together that whatever he was going to be doing would result in him addressing the public.
This wouldn't go well.

He already said a silent apology to the three for undoubtedly messing up what they were working so hard to do but it would happen, he knew it.

Once finally ready for whatever lay ahead, Zuko couldn’t help but wonder if this wasn’t what his father wished to see his son as.

Regal dress robes, with golden embroidery going all along the base and sleeves to resemble flamers, the large swooping sleeves made it impossible to do anything practical with. Zuko was just happy the trousers underneath didn’t look nearly as frivolous as the robes, as he pondered the reasoning behind manicuring his fingers when the sleeves covered them up.

As to Zuko’s utter dismay at the makeup… his scar was covered… no trace of it left except for the slight squint of that eye, and his hair ever so conveniently covering that ear as well.

They covered his scar… this was what his face would look like without it…

It was a nice face… he looked innocent, and sweet, and… not like a fire lord at all, not like himself at all.

“What do you think your majesty?” Lee asked finally.

“You covered it…” was all he said.

“Yes…. your… father recommended we-”

“Do you know how I got it?” he interrupted them.

The three exchanged looks.

“No your majesty,” Cho said bowing.

“My dad did it,” he said turning to her, all three of them froze at that.

“I said we shouldn’t slaughter innocent troops… he didn’t like that. He then decided that I must learn respect, and suffering would be my teacher.” he spat out bitterly, those words burned into his head as he looked into his reflection again, ignoring the puffs of smoke coming out his nose.

“Let's get this over with,” he said shortly, walking out and following the guards to the family dining room, steeling himself as he walked in, seeing a few servants standing there and noting their expressions when they saw Zuko's face, some shocked, some curious, some grim.

Ozai got up and hugged Zuko again.

There wasn't that same feeling of confused hope this time.

He could feel the makeup on his skin as if a reminder that his dad, didn’t like the face that he created. Didn’t like the face, that he himself destroyed.

Zuko sat down anyways, meeting his dad's eyes.

“I was thinking we could go for a walk today and meet our adoring subjects! They’ve missed you, as have i.” Ozai smiled, and Zuko didn’t miss the tightness in his eyes at sayings it.

“I’ve missed them,” Zuko said back, as Ozai nodded.

“Have you?” he asked, Zuko agreed, noting all people and exits in the room.

“I have, I missed our people, the palace staff, the palace. I missed the fire nation…” Zuko said allowing him, self grim satisfaction as he never mentioned missing his dad.

“Well, no reason to keep them waiting,” he said tightly seeing as neither of them was touching the bowls of oatmeal and bread in front of them.

“No reason at all.” Zuko frowned standing up and following his dad out to the foyer, begging and pleading for something, some kind of sign that the others were here now, that he could move past this insufferable game.

Almost subconsciously he walked with one hand outstretched touching the stone walls as he walked continuing to follow behind Ozai, who was following the guards when his foot hit it.

A crystal… a green crystal…

Zuko thought back to the crystals that Toph had shown him early into their friendship again to the crystals in the secret tunnels with Sokka.

Pausing to pick it up, knowing for a fact there was nothing around that it could have broken off from.

Zuko took a deep breath before catching up.

‘Do what you do best, be an aggravating disappointment’ he told himself as the doors opened and… that was a lot of people… they didn’t look happy either.

Zuko began to wonder what his dad's plan here was. No one looked relieved or happy to see him, they looked guarded, and expressions tight. They weren't stupid either despite what his dad tried to believe, they could read faces, and Zuko did his very best to give the facade of pure and utter contempt for his dad.

“Our prince has returned!” he announced confidently.

There was applause… a few cheers… not the reaction he wanted by the look of it.

Ozai just… decided to dig the wounds in deeper and push Zuk forward to speak. One hand, holding his right arm into a death grip as he did.

“Hello, um…” Zuko shrugged, suddenly very out of depth, eyes scanning the crowd of angry-looking faces. Gold and amber eyes looking back at him, as his eyes landed on a pair of grey- grey eyes… grey unseeing eyes that looked worried… Toph!

He couldn’t see the others, but that was alright, he didn’t need to.

“There is nothing for me here as long as a tyrant is on the throne! As long as he willingly oppresses those he promises to protect! I am more a prisoner here than ever! And I will not stop fighting until the fire nation's honor is restored-hey!” he yelled out loud enough t be heard as his dad's hand yanked him back trying very hard to drag him back into the walls of the palace as the people outside began to yell.

“What are you thinking!” he hissed.

“What am i- read the room! What made you think this was a good idea?” Zuko asked incredulously.

“I am trying to be nice, I am trying to be considerate but you-”

“No!” Zuko cut in, the word echoing through the hall.

“You're too late for that. Three years too late,” he said in a low glory tone, reaching up and yanking the pompous robes off from his shoulders.

“Zuko, I have had to make many hard calls as fire lord, you must understand-”

“Was this a hard call?” he asked gesturing to the covered scar on one side using his hand to wipe away some of the makeup.

“Was it a hard call to poison my grandfather? Yes, I know about that.” Zuko hissed his dad's hand coming up only for Zuko to dodge and shove him away.

“Was it a hard call to alienate the fire colonies and treat them as less than, while also being your biggest cash cow?” another shoved as he saw lightning flicker at his dad's fingers.

“Was it a hard call to kidnap my mother, because no other woman wanted to touch you by the time you were thirty?” Ozai stepped back, throwing lightning as it landed right into Zuko giving him barely enough time to redirect it towards the Dias, still feeling the sparks mixing with his anger as he continued.

“Was it a hard call! To keep a wart going when you had the power to stop it at any time!” Zuko didn’t stop himself from whipping fire in Ozai’s direction at that catching onto one of the tapestries nearby. The ground beginning to shake under them, as it did.

“Everything I did was to keep us safe!” Ozai yelled, throwing fire back at Zuko as he did, only for Zuko to throw it right back, as the river below started sloshing louder.

“No, it wasn't! It was to keep you in power!” Zuko yelled watching as the stone came up and engulfed Ozai’s hands pulling him down, the water from the river below adding in freezing around his mouth, leaving only his nose, so he couldn’t bend.

“You never suffered, you were a spoiled child and are now a spoiled coward. You save no honor. And you have no respect… I hope one day you might see that…” he sighed, backing away moments before the loud bang of doors before someone threw themselves at Zuko wrapping their arms around him.

“Zuko! I was so worried! Are you okay? I’ll kill you if your not!” they asked as Zuko realized to his shock that Azula was wrapped around him like a koala monkey.

“Um… I’m okay… really,” he said slowly not able to stop the smile on his face as she dropped off, holding him at arm's length, looking intensely at him for any sign of damage.

Only to proceed to punch him repeatedly in the arm

“you! are! So! Stupid! You are never allowed to scare me again!” she screamed fire coming out her nose before her gaze landed on Ozai. Zuko saw the exact moment it clicked for her too.

“You get ten seconds. No fire,” he said backing up before she immediately punched him in the face.

“You are the most useless! Disgusting! excuse! of! a! human! And you ruined a perfectly good family!” he heard her screaming before pulling her away still setting, arms wrapped around her.

“I don’t want your hugs.” she huffed.

“Do I look like I care?” Zuko asked as she huffed, half-heartedly petting his hair, only for another person to ram into the hug… and another… and another… and another…

“Okay, other things to do… get off me!” Azula hissed pushing everyone away before fixing her hair and dusting her outfit off, eyes turning to Ozai, now with a very bloody face.

“You’ve lost it, father. And coming from me? That’s saying something.” Azula said calling over guards.

“You… eight, with me,” she said to them, as she and Toph, remarkably began to drag Ozai out, him not even… fighting it really.

“This was… easy,” Zuko said confused.

“Speak for yourself!” Sokka groaned leaning in on Zuko as he did.

“What?” Zuko asked, looking now to Katara.

“We had to break into the fire nation, take out way too many troops, get into the capital without being seen all while everyone is looking for us, and finally stay hidden long enough to be here if you needed us,” Katara said tiredly.

“Zuko?” Sokka said softly sounding… sad? Why was he sad?

“What? What’s wrong?” Zuko asked, brow furrowed as he pulled Sokka up to look at him seeing tears begin to well.

“I lost boomerang!” he sobbed before falling into Zuko's arms sobbing, leaving Zuko to awkwardly pet his back.

“It’s oaky… we’ll… we’ll get you a new boomerang.” he offered.

“With golden embossing?” he asked with pouty eyes causing Katara to gran and walk away.

“Um… sure… whatever you want.” Zuko couldn’t help the smile at his boyfriend's antics at that.

“Your the best.,” Sokka smiled hugging Zuko some more before pulling him into a deep kiss.

The feeling of Sokka against him again was beyond anything Zuko could have wished for. The idea that Sokka was safe, and everyone else was unharmed brought him to this overwhelming pool of joy in him that almost felt suffocating.

When they pulled away all Zuko could think to say was.

“I’m the fire lord.” the realization hitting like a ton of bricks.

“Oh shit I’m the fire lord.” he huffed again beginning to shrink at the realization.

“Hey, hey! Zuko listen! Don’t worry about that! I’m here!” Sokka interrupted him making Zuko meet his eyes.

“I’m here with you and no matter what happens We’ll figure this out, together.” he smiled, leaving the blush to run up to Zuko's face.

“I-i guess we will.” Zuko agreed before pulling one another together into another kiss. That despite everything told them that so long as the other one was there, everything would be alright.

The End