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For the first time since Team Avatar had settled there, the mood in the Western Air Temple was celebratory. Sokka and Prince Zuko had spent the last few days at the Boiling Rock, a Fire Nation prison in the middle of a volcano. They had returned with Suki, a warrior of Kyoshi Island and a dear friend, and with Hakoda, Sokka and Katara’s father. The family reunion had been truly joyous, as neither Hakoda or his children had expected to be reunited anytime soon. Hakoda had been captured in the capital so that his children, the Avatar and the other young freedom fighters could escape after their attempt to end the war with the Fire Nation failed. They had all fought together, and that experience had brought them close after years of being apart.
The one person who was not feeling especially festive was Prince Zuko. While Katara, Sokka and Hakoda shared their good cheer with Aang, Toph, Suki and the rest, Zuko kept his distance. The disgraced son of the Fire Lord had found his true path to regaining his lost honor by training Aang to bend fire, the last element he needed to master as Avatar. But he knew that he wasn’t welcomed, but merely tolerated. He couldn’t blame them; he’d spent the better part of a year chasing them down and trying to capture the Avatar, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.
Truthfully, whether Aang and everyone else saw him as a friend or not was not important. The only thing that mattered was that Zuko could complete Aang’s training and prepare to take down the Fire Lord and bring balance to the world. His redemption was personal, and other than his uncle, he didn’t really care if anyone else thought he was sincere or not. Even still, there was some comfort to take in knowing that Aang and Sokka had warmed up to him a bit over the course of his stay.
One person who did not share those fuzzy feelings was Katara. Sokka’s sister had been the first member of the team to even consider seeing Zuko as a person instead of an enemy, and he’d paid her back with betrayal. He couldn’t blame her for hating him. Since this was the first night she’d get to spend celebrating the return of her father, Zuko thought it best not to spoil the mood with his presence. So while everybody else gathered around a campfire and shared a meal together, Zuko had his own private little cookout about fifteen yards away from them.
And while he wasn’t exactly happy about it, he was mostly content, and that was about as good as he could hope for. For at least twenty minutes, he could relax, enjoy his food and the warmth of the fire, and know that other people were happy because of his actions. Uncle Iroh would have been proud of him. If Zuko closed his eyes, he could almost feel the warmth of Iroh’s hand on his shoulder and his deep, smokey voice giving him wry, thinly veiled praise.
“You know, you don’t have to be here all by yourself, your highness.”
Zuko was half-startled by the voice of an adult male; there hadn’t been anyone older than him in the Western Air Temple for most of his stay. But his tension was relieved when he opened his eyes and saw Hakoda. The Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe had a calm, assuring smile that reminded Zuko of his uncle.
“I don’t really feel like royalty anymore, sir,” Zuko answered. “And I don’t mind being alone.”
“You don’t think you deserve to sit with us, hmm?” Hakoda lifted an eyebrow.
“I’m okay,” Zuko answered shortly, trying not to give into an urge to snap. He’d gotten a lot better about controlling his anger, but his default mood was always sullen. “You should go have fun with your family.”
Hakoda approached Zuko and knelt down so that their eyes were level.
“As I remember it, I wouldn’t be here to have fun with my kids if it weren’t for you, Zuko. You brought Sokka to the Boiling Rock, and you helped us escape. I’m in your debt, and the least I can do is invite you to have dinner with us,” Hakoda explained bluntly. “You wouldn’t dishonor me by declining would you?”
Resisting the urge to groan, Zuko put out the fire with a simple gesture and stood up. “I suppose I wouldn’t.”
Despite his apprehensions, it felt nice to be invited to participate. When Zuko came over, most everyone gave him a friendly greeting. Even Katara managed not to be rude to him. Perhaps he was more welcome than he imagined himself to be after the last few weeks.
Hakoda gestured for Zuko to take a seat next to him, but before the Prince could do so, Katara swooped in and took the spot. As his daughter cuddled up to him, Hakoda offered Zuko an apologetic look, but said nothing to Katara. Zuko could hardly blame him; he was sure that Hakoda had missed Katara just as much as she had missed him.
Zuko sat down, looked away, and tried to focus his mind elsewhere. He hadn’t expected to have any feelings about Hakoda being with them. But seeing a father who genuinely loved both of his children and was so free with affection and attention was jarring for Zuko. The Fire Lord had never been a particularly loving parent; the best Zuko could ever hope for was approval. And he barely even had that. If it weren’t for Iroh, Zuko doubted he’d have any frame of reference for this being something normal, and Hakoda’s relationship with his kids would have felt completely alien and unnatural.
The prince let out a slow, intentional breath. In his head, the voice of his uncle told him to let go of his anger; it wouldn’t do him any good to be upset that somebody else had what he wanted. It would accomplish nothing except leaving him bitter.
But as soon as Zuko put these thoughts out of his mind, he was distracted by muted giggling. Turning towards the sound, he saw Suki and Sokka holding hands and quietly engaging in a conversation not meant for the others. For the time being, they were happy to ignore everyone else.
It figures. Sokka goes looking for his father and gets his girlfriend back as a bonus.
Life just wasn’t fair. When Zuko made what he knew was the right choice, he lost his family, friends, and his girlfriend Mai. He’d counted on rescuing and reuniting with his uncle, but Iroh had busted out of prison himself during the eclipse that robbed the Fire Nation of its bending. Now Zuko had no idea when or if he’d ever see his uncle again.
As for Mai? Well, she’d helped Zuko and his friends escape from the Boiling Rock, betraying Zuko’s sister to do so. He appreciated the gesture, but didn’t even want to think about the consequences of her actions. Azula was not someone a person would cross lightly.
“I’m going back,” Zuko declared as he stood up.
“To the Fire Nation?” Katara was quick to accuse.
“No!” Zuko snapped, drawing the attention and ire of most everyone else. “Just back to my own campfire.”
“Why?” Aang interjected. “You’re welcome here just like the rest of Team Avatar.”
“Right.” Zuko’s sarcasm was unmistakable. “Maybe I just don’t feel like joining in. Goodbye.”
“Zuko.”
The prince ignored Hakoda’s direct address and walked away. He couldn’t be around them right now. Seeing other people rewarded for their heroic actions and enjoying the company of those close to them was too difficult right now. It made him angry, and when Zuko’s temper boiled over, people got hurt and things escalated until it was out of control. The best thing to do was to remove himself from the situations that were triggering his bad mood.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a firm hand on his shoulder, which he immediately swatted away. Turning around, he expected to see Aang or Sokka, but was surprised and annoyed to see that it was a clearly aggravated Katara who had followed after him.
“Hey! What are you doing?” she demanded. “We invited you to come over. You can’t just blow my father off like that, it’s rude.”
“What’s it to you?” Zuko scoffed. “I figured you’d be leaping for joy that I didn’t stick around.”
“Yeah, well I’m outnumbered and sometimes you go with the group to keep the peace,” Katara huffed, crossing her arms. “Which is what you need to do. Come back.”
“No,” Zuko stated flatly, resuming his trek back to his own pitiful campfire.
Before he made it more than a few steps, a whip of water coiled itself around his wrist and tugged him back to face Katara.
“Hey!”
“I wasn’t giving you an option, Zuko. Come sit with the rest of us.”
“Just leave me alone!” Zuko roared, smoke flaring out of his nostrils and fire shooting from his hands. He’d done his best to control his temper, but now it was literally flaring up.
“Oh, if it’s a fight you want...” Katara bent the water from her canteen into a spiraling ring that orbited her, acting as a shield as she struck a ready pose.
Zuko’s trademark flaming daggers jetted from his closed fists, and he grit his teeth in preparation to defend himself. This wasn’t what he wanted, but maybe he’d just been delaying the inevitable. After all, the universe seemed to reward the bravery of heroes, and it only took away from him; maybe he wasn’t cut out for being good after all.
Before the sixteen year-olds could come to blows, the voice of reason stepped in. But this time, it wasn’t Aang or Sokka playing peacemaker. It was Katara’s father.
“All right, that’s enough,” he declared, snapping at both of them. “Whatever is going on, it is not worth fighting about. Stand down, both of you.”
Neither teenager heeded Hakoda’s words. Zuko kept his eyes trained on Katara’s, but when he saw her look at Hakoda, he did the same thing. The man towered over both of them, and Zuko recognized something in the stern gaze; this was a man who was used to being listened to. It reminded him of how easily his uncle could shift from being a gentle lover of tea to acting like the general who’d laid siege to the Earth Kingdom Capital for a hundred days.
“Katara, I said stand down,” Hakoda repeated.
“Dad, he’s ready to attack,” Katara argued. “You saw him firebend at me. He’s dangerous.”
“I saw you use your bending on him first, young lady.” The title made Katara flush, and Zuko was taken aback. “You’re both acting hostile, and I expect better from my daughter. Do as I tell you and stand down.”
“Or what?” Katara hissed, turning her attention away from Zuko and addressing her father directly. While her voice was still raised, the water she’d been wielding fell in a circle around her, making her far less threatening. “Are you going to send me to my tent? Spank me? I’m almost fifteen years old, Dad.”
“Which is still young enough to get spanked, Katara,” Hakoda grumbled, putting his hands just above his hips but otherwise not reacting to her aggression.
Katara’s face was flushing fully red now, and Zuko was trying to contain the urge to laugh. The last time he’d even heard someone mention a spanking was when his mother caught Azula setting Ty Lee’s braid on fire. The prospect of Katara being treated like a naughty six-year old was hard not to enjoy.
“Dad,” she huffed through gritted teeth. “That’s not funny.”
“It isn’t meant to be,” Hakoda assured her. “You’re out of line. Calm down and let me handle this before you do something you’re going to regret.”
Chewing her lower lip, Katara seemed like she was going to push the issue. Instead, she waved her hands and turned around, saying nothing more than a clearly aggravated “Fine.”
With Katara off of his case, Zuko resumed his own walk. He didn’t make it far.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Hakoda demanded.
“Whatever I want,” Zuko almost growled. “And I don’t need you to fight my battles.”
“There shouldn’t have been a battle to fight. And look at me when I’m talking to you, young man,” Hakoda insisted, taking a few steps in pursuit.
Zuko couldn’t believe that he’d heard those words come out of someone addressing him. His entire life, he’d been called “Prince Zuko” or at least “Zuko”, even by his father and uncle. Nobody who valued their life would ever dare to refer to him in such a condescending way. And with his temper stretched thin, the Prince lashed out.
“Do you have any idea who I am?” he all but growled, nearly stabbing his chest with his thumb in a self-important gesture. “You can’t talk to me like that.”
Hakoda was not the least bit intimidated. He held his ground and folded his arms in front of him.
“Yeah, I know who you are. You’re a prince who sacrificed his throne to do what he thought was right. And I’m the chieftain of my tribe, so I’m not that impressed,” Hakoda explained. “More to the point, you’re a rude, angry young man who stormed away from dinner without an explanation and you threatened my daughter.”
“Only because she threatened me! I thought you were on my side!” Zuko stomped his foot and shook his head. “I don’t owe anyone an explanation. I just want to be left alone.”
“I’m not on anyone’s side. I broke up a fight between two angry teenagers before someone got hurt,” Hakoda clarified. “One of them is still giving me an attitude.”
“Yeah, well, tough!” Zuko grumbled. “My only job here is to teach Aang firebending, and I’m doing that. I’ve done more than that, and I’ve got precious little to show for it. Everything goes perfectly for your family, but nothing I do makes a difference. So excuse me for not wanting to join the merrymaking.”
“If you keep excluding yourself from group activities, where everyone is trying to bond, you’re never going to get your friends to trust you.” Hakoda's hand landed on Zuko’s shoulder in a grip that was reassuring, but very firm. “Like it or not, my family is your family now, and you don’t get to choose when you are and aren’t a part of it.”
“Whatever,” Zuko scoffed, aggressively pushing Hakoda’s hand off of him. “I don’t need any friends or family, especially ones that don’t trust me. Back off, and that’s an order.”
“You’re not in a position to be giving orders to anyone, mister,” Hakoda countered. “Least of all me. I want you to come back to the group, apologize for leaving so abruptly, and then try your hardest to have a good time.”
“Do I look like someone who’s capable of having a good time?” Zuko roared, shoving Hakoda in his frustration. “Just leave me alone, old man.”
Hakoda took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “That is the last disrespectful comment I’m going to tolerate from you.”
“Oh what, are you gonna pick a fight with me too?” Zuko laughed in spite of himself. “One, that makes you a giant hypocrite, and two, you’re not half-as-scary as your daughter. I won’t even use my firebending.”
“No. I’m not going to fight you. I’ve got something else in mind.” Without warning, Hakoda grabbed Zuko’s wrist and started walking towards Zuko’s campfire. “Come along.”
“Hey!” Zuko was surprised that Hakoda would grab him, and even more surprised by how forceful the grip was. He had to walk along if he didn’t want his arm pulled out of its socket. “What are you doing? Let me go!”
Hakoda barely acknowledged Zuko until they were at the fallen stump that Zuko had been using as a chair earlier. “Give us some light.”
Zuko didn’t want to follow any orders, but he also didn’t want to stumble around in the dark. So he waved at the pile of sticks and set them ablaze. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I thought I gave you plenty of warning.” Hakoda took a seat on the log, refusing to relinquish his grip on Zuko’s wrist. “I’m tired of being ignored, disrespected, and treated with hostility. If you’re going to act like an impertinent child, then I’m going to treat you like one.”
“What?” Zuko muttered, completely dumbfounded.
“You’re getting a spanking, kid. C’mere.” Hakoda enforced his order with a solid tug, pulling Zuko close enough to grab him by the waist.
“What? No, I’m not! You can’t do that!” Zuko declared. Prince and Chieftain engaged in a brief wrestling match that ended with Zuko bent over Hakoda’s lap. Zuko could not outmuscle a fully-grown man who’d been participating in guerilla combat for the last several years, and he wouldn’t dare dishonor himself by using his firebending to hurt a non-bender whom he respected. “Hey, I mean it! I’m Prince Zuko!”
“And your royal behind will blister just like anyone else’s, boy,” Hakoda declared. Barely a second passed between this promise and the first smack on the seat of Zuko’s pants. He gave Zuko precious little time to register the spark of pain before launching into a volley of slaps, increasing the intensity as he went along.
“Ow, ow! Knock it off! Ow! Hey! I mean it!” Zuko grumbled as his bottom was targeted by Hakoda’s powerful arm and steady palm. The Prince tried to squirm free, but Hakoda’s left arm had a secure grip around his waist, and wriggling only served to make the man’s lap an even less comfortable perch. “Ow, oww! Quit it!”
“Not until I’ve seen a change in your attitude, Zuko,” Hakoda declared, continuing to spank even as he scolded. His hand bounced back and forth, pummeling each cheek in equal measure. “I don’t care how angry or upset you are, it’s no excuse to treat me or anyone else with hostility and disrespect. Just because you’re a Prince doesn’t make you better than any of us.”
“Ow! I know that! Ouch! I don’t think I’m better than you! I just want to be alone,” Zuko hissed. Resigned to the fact that he wasn’t going to stop Hakoda from dishing out discipline without resorting to firebending, Zuko placed his hands on the log and tried to brace for the impact of the swats. He managed to endure a few without yelping or hollering, but Hakoda merely increased the tempo to compensate. “Ahh! I didn’t mean anything by it! I’m just angry!”
“Like I said, that’s not an excuse,” Hakoda reiterated. “You’re what, sixteen, seventeen? You should be old enough now to know how to control that temper of yours. If you want people to respect you, and trust you, and invite you in, then you have to do the same. You can’t be aloof and grouchy and aggressive all of the time.”
“Why do you even care?” Zuko snapped, gritting his teeth through another hard spank. “Ouch! Stop it, come on! That hurts!”
“I already told you why I care, Zuko.” Hakoda struck a thunderous blow to the top of Zuko’s left thigh, and then an equally harsh one to the right side. Then he pressed his hand against shoulder blades, seemingly to provide some comfort. “You’re family. The moment you turned your back on your father and came here, you became part of this family. Just like Aang, and Toph. You’re helping Aang save the world, and you helped Sokka save me. And there will come a time when you save Katara, and she realizes how lucky she is to have you around.”
Zuko was quiet then. He couldn’t dare to believe Hakoda’s words, even if he wanted them to be true. He missed his uncle so much, and his mother too. And he missed Mai, and if he really thought about it, he missed Ty Lee and even Azula. He wanted to have that with Sokka and Aang and Toph and even Katara, but he didn’t see how that was possible.
“She hates me. And she has a right to. Everyone has a right to hate me. And they all do, even if some of them are nicer about it than others. I’ve done so many terrible things to everyone, and even if I want them to forgive me and accept that I’ve changed, I can’t expect it,” Zuko ranted, finally saying all of the things he’d wanted to tell someone for weeks. “I don’t deserve it anyway. I’m a monster just like the rest of my family.”
The smacks that followed felt like affirmation of that very fact to Zuko. Maybe that was why he’d put up so little fight in the first place. Zuko had been angry at himself for most of his life, full of regret and guilt and self-loathing, and crushing feelings of inadequacy that came from being destined to be Fire Lord but always struggling to accomplish anything. The last few months, he’d felt even worse - betraying his Uncle, the only person who still loved him unconditionally. Well... probably not anymore.
He deserved to be beaten, to be punished, to suffer for all the suffering he’d caused. It didn’t feel great to be getting a spanking, but it hardly felt unfair.
“You are not a monster, Zuko. You’re a child who’s made some mistakes, and some of those mistakes were because you were trying to do right by the people who raised you.” Hakoda’s words cut through the fog of despair that was suffocating Zuko. “I believe in second chances, and I believe that people can be who they choose to be. And I promise you; nobody hates you as much as you think they do. Not even Katara.”
“I... I don’t know if I believe you,” Zuko dismissed half-heartedly.
“That’s fine. You don’t have to. But whether you like it or not, you’re a part of this family. That means I’m going to hold you to the same standards I hold my children to, and if you keep being an angry, disrespectful little punk, then I’ll take you over my knee and smack some sense into you,” Hakoda promised, punctuating that with another flurry of spanks that made Zuko holler and kick. “Is that clear?”
“Yes Sir! Oww! It’s very clear, Sir. I’m sorry!” Zuko gasped. He was achingly sincere. While he still had his doubts about the others, he definitely believed that Hakoda cared about him. Knowing that, he was truly sorry for treating him so poorly.
Maybe Uncle Iroh should have put him over his knee a few times over the last year. Zuko could think of countless times when it would have been merited.
“Alright. And you’re going to do as I asked?” Hakoda pressed the issue further, smacking harder and faster to get Zuko’s undivided attention.
“Yes! Yes I’ll do as you asked! Ouch! I’ll go back and apologize and I’ll try to have a good time! Oww!” Zuko was starting to wonder if Hakoda was secretly a firebender. His bottom was positively sizzling with the heat the man had smacked into it.
Finally, Hakoda seemed satisfied with Zuko’s change in attitude. He set Zuko on his feet in front of him, and took a hold of his biceps to keep him from straying. Expecting another lecture, Zuko frowned and did his best to avoid Hakoda’s steely gaze, but the father lifted his chin to force the issue.
“Normally after I spank one of my kids, I ask them if they want a hug. But seeing as you’re mopey and insecure, I’m not going to give you a chance to lie to me about it.” With that, Hakoda pulled him in close, wrapped his arms around him, and applied a crushing bear hug. “You’re a good kid, Zuko, and you’re going to be a great man one day. I’m lucky that you’re here, and that you’ve made the choices you’ve made. I wouldn’t be here without you.”
Zuko didn’t know how to handle the hug at first. It was truly foreign to him; he rarely even allowed his Uncle to hug him, and both of them were so stuck in the decorum of royalty that they rarely bothered to show that kind of affection. That someone was willing to give it to him so freely, especially after a punishment, was a shock to his system.
And after a few moments, Zuko began to cry. He buried his face on Hakoda’s shoulder and started sobbing. He didn’t expect it to last; surely Hakoda would give him some reprimand or at least a pep talk about being tough. But it never came. Hakoda simply hugged him tightly, and patted his back while Zuko got through the worst of his tears.
“Not a lot of hugs in your family, I take it?” Hakoda asked solemnly when Zuko finally broke away.
“No,” Zuko laughed, drying his tears. Then he gestured to the scar on the left side of his face, burnt scar tissue in the shape of a hand. “The last time I got punished for something, my father gave me this. He’s not exactly the hugging type.”
“Sounds to me like he isn’t really a father type, either,” Hakoda huffed. The contempt in his voice sounded personal; not the anger of a soldier who wanted to take down a tyrant, but of a concerned parent who wanted to protect a child from abuse. “I promise that you’ll never have to fear something like that from me. I don’t believe in permanent consequences.”
“Good to know.” Zuko finally managed a smile. “So. We should probably head over before anyone starts asking questions.”
“Sounds good to me, son.”
Zuko didn’t take the phrase literally, but he appreciated the sentiment nonetheless. And he was true to his word, joining the group and forcing himself to participate in the conversation. Sokka gave him a look of knowing sympathy without drawing too much attention to it; it seemed that something about Zuko’s demeanor was a dead giveaway that Hakoda had spanked him. Even Katara seemed to notice, and while Zuko could swear that he saw a smug smile briefly flash across her face, he didn’t have to imagine her squeezing his shoulder.
It was a small act of kindness, but it was more than he’d gotten from her the entire time he’d been at the Western Air Temple. Maybe Hakoda’s dream of having Zuko be treated like part of the family wasn’t as far-fetched as it had sounded.