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Chapter Text

Desolate and away from the mighty and secure Earth Kingdom lay your village, humble in its nature in comparison. Nevertheless, your situation was far from dire as your small population was a close knit community. Everyone played their part to help with the upkeep in a rather traditional manner; the women would take the domestic duties in their stride, proven by the cleanliness and lack of famine throughout the village, the men- earth benders or not- would be assigned to keep guard of their post proudly or aid with agricultural needs, their hands often calloused and faces weary, yet still maintaining a sternness about them, from the constant demand of farming and the children being separated into a dichotomy: earth benders, non-earth benders. You, fortunately, were one of the lucky ones. Strong, mighty, resilient in nature. You were an Earth bender. Despite being a girl, you helped with many light duties in aiding to build fencing and structure to the village. Characteristically, you took quite well to this talent of yours- especially the aspect of structuring the village. For your age, you were a bright young person, reinforced by the constant firm praise from the chiefs of the village.

During a particularly scorching day where the sun beat its dazzling rays down onto the grassy plains and ragged mountains, you found yourself among your friends- the forest. The trees’ leaves sung to you in ways you could only understand, the blanket of grass beneath your feet a welcoming sensation that juxtaposed your toughened feet from the fierce training you had been undergoing for 9 months with the local wise-man-earth-bender (which you feared quite a bit). After a while of aimless wondering and making notes of some of the abstract, jagged scenery, you stumbled upon your place.

There it lay, the tension immediately leaving your shoulders upon seeing your ditch. Vast it was, and full of rocks making it perfect for you to practice your techniques and defensive skills you’d been tirelessly practicing. Carefully, you slid down the ditch and took your stance. Walls loomed over you, clammy hands trapping you in. Still, you took your stance. Hips square, shoulders aligned and feet planted as sturdy as a tree stump. This moment was more than just a display of skill to you, the second your feet took their position was an infinite connection to the proudness of the earth kingdom and the greater benders that came before you- Avatar Kyoshi being a favourite. Minutes passed as you moved through the motions and manipulated the rocks ahead of you. Focused completely on your craft, until you suddenly hear a rustle. It was subtle as if a squirrel had broken a twig or a bird picked a berry off a bush, yet you heard it echo panic throughout your mind. A flash of red appears, and your blood courses with electricity in an instant.

Lightning fast, you reposition yourself with your once powerful stance now seeming clumsy and uneasy. “Show yourself!” you shouted uncertainly, the assertiveness you attempted to convey pathetic. After agonising moments, there he was. A boy, your age of 11 years old, with his hands up to his face as defensively as you. Zuko. After a few empty threats from your side and backing yourself up, he slides down the wall with a small tumble. You lowered your arms, adrenaline transitioned into curiosity upon seeing his shambled display. His smart, spiky uniform was far more attractive compared to your plain simple clothes. His was fitted with gold accents that complimented the abstract shapes and wine red hues of his clothes. hair additionally fitted neatly and skin healthy with rosy cheeks. You were in loosely fitted clothes, somewhat ragged, tied at the waist with a dark green strip of cloth. It was plain compared to the deep rich colours that decorated him as your clothes were in a stark contrast of a boring beige that has been stained with dirt and adorned by holes. Your face being little improvement- although not unhealthy, you were clearly not as nourished as Zuko.

As if a standoff took place, you maintained eye contact with each other. Yet, neither lifted a finger. The leaves continued to sing their symphony with the instrument of a gentle breeze, and the uncomfortable shifting of earth beneath the both of your feet sure allowed for a silence to not be allowed to settle. Eventually, you took a rather brave step forwards and he swivelled his foot back into a precise stance more sleek than yours.

“Stay back.”
He spoke loudly with hoarse tones in his accent, his eyebrows curled down into a furrow. You took a hard stance once more, a shaky breath escaping your throat as you raised your hands in surrender. “…I’m sorry. I.. just wanna know where you’ve come from? You aren’t really- you know- dressed like me?” You uttered, more apologetic than you intended. He was clearly frustrated, and you weren’t here to get your skin melted off.
In a similar fashion as you, he lowered his arms and took on a casual stance as his eyes softened. “I ran away. I needed to get away.” He said bluntly, monotones creeping up into his voice. Awkwardly, you stood there unsure of what to say. A small apology came out, to which he shrugged dismissively. With a thud and an attempt to move away from the tension in the atmosphere you planted yourself down on the floor without a ‘lady like’ etiquette. He sneered slightly in response “you are nothing like my sisters. You’re dirty, and… weird.”
Against what his intentions were, you let out a small chuckle from his comment. “Oh really? Well I’m sorry your majesty, would you prefer me to be all neat and pointy as you?” You mocked lightheartedly before starting again in a softer voice, “…sit?” He hesitated before he took a poised and put together seat next to you. His posture was full of discipline, yours totally disgraceful in comparison. Hours passed, and you conversed and contemplated every aspect of your individual troubles. After so long, it seemed you had a lot in common with this fire nation boy. However, there was a clear imbalance with the subconscious fear of him being from the fire nation terrifying you from not only the tales told, but your own experience in your father being slaughtered due to being the head of defender in your village by a gang of fire nation thugs ambushing your village. This lingered as a hot ball of lead in your stomach bouncing about. Though, you refused to allow it to consume you as you listened to this boy spill his troubles to you, talking vaguely about his sister psychotically confessing Zuko’s ‘inevitable death’ by infanticide from his father. Though, he seemed to trail off eventually as you comforted each other in your own terms- your statements of ‘being strong’ and ‘telling her to fuck off’ quite a stark contrast to his looks of pity as you talked of your father’s death. Moonlight began to illuminate through the gaps in the trees to provide a dim glow to the two of you and your surroundings. Spontaneously, Zuko seemed to be in a rush as he closed down his conversation about his mother’s mysterious demeanour after the news. Like an animal desperate to escape, he dashed up the wall and sped off. Before he disappeared into the void of darkness, he let out a small call, “I’ll be back tomorrow!”

Those words echoed out, a promise that lingered like the sweet floral smell flowers blooming in spring. And as he said, he did. Weeks passed of these endless conversations full of turmoil that was meant to be troubling you both beyond your years, whilst simultaneously being laced with moments of joy as you teased and he responded in a small fit of rage. It was utterly perfect. You had finally found a friend, someone who understood your troubles to an extent no one else could- your souls intertwined despite your young age and despite your different culture. And yet, this could not stay unchanged. Time marches onwards. After all, it only takes one small spark of fire to set a woods alight.

One day, it stayed more silent than before. It was defeaning, and yet you tried to ignore it and put up walls to the awful feeling that pulsed through your veins and clouded your mind. “Ivy…” he began, his voice quieter than usual. You hummed absently in response, fiddling with some rocks as you adjusted your stance.

“I.. must tell you the truth.” Zuko took your hands into his to force your attention, a moment of soft affection that seemed minuscule in comparison to the weight that had just landed atop of you, akin to the gravity of a boulder crushing your ribs. You could smell him as you took deep breaths, his expensive, alluring aroma once a comfort to you, now spicy and stinging as your throat tightened. Pursing his lips and glancing down, he began. “I’m not who I told you I am, I’m-“

You cut him off, not ready for the words- whatever they may be- to pour out and utterly break the perfect picture you had of this friendship you depended on so vitally. “That’s okay. Please don’t. I don’t care who you are.” You whispered, voice cracking slightly in a way it hasn’t since your father was murdered by a fire nation soldier as a toddler. It broke in a way you promised no one would ever do to it again.

“…I’m the Fire Lord’s son, Ivy.” He spoke out gingerly, as if trying to hold your already fragile soul together with soft words that held so much venom.

“…What?”

Chapter Text

Time is an arrow that marches onward. It does not bend to the will of anyone, despite how one may long and plead with the moon, sun and stars to rewind back to a moment of glorious ignorance.

You spent your days yearning for a moment where this heaviness could subside and you could stay focused on your jobs around the house and village. Inevitably, it never came. You were cursed by the thing that once held great power- knowledge. Knowledge that plagued your mind like a disease, eating at every crevice and chink within your brain and weakening your once trusting heart. The knowledge that for months, you had trusted a boy that had direct link to your father’s murder, and constant injustice that was growing around the world as the fire nation began their expansion. Of course, you understood there was very little he could’ve done with him probably only just grasping the concept of speech when your father was murdered. But it wasn’t that, it was the understanding that he would one day take over this hopeless situation and finish off what his dictatorial ancestors had begun and conquer the world.

This often sent burning sensations throughout your chest, every breath heavier than the last when the familiar sting of betrayal settled in comfortably. After all that happened, you couldn’t bear to go back to that now haunting place with the premonition that he would be waiting. Days turned into weeks, and soon an uncomfortable sense of normality settled back in.
Apart from how you were now no stranger to sleepless nights- and neither was he. Crisp, musky air lingered in your nose as you leaned out of your window. Arms rested on the wooden pane. Eyes fluttered shut in an attempt to block everything out but this serene moment. The familiar silence of deep night settled all around you; your mother shifting every so often, the crickets chirping their songs until the birds in the morning could take over, the cows solemn calls dissipating into the air. It was all so beautiful. And still, the heaviness lingered in your chest. During the day it seemed easier to distract yourself from your thoughts when pushing your physical bounds to their limits in the tedious chores of labour, but once night fell it felt impossible to silence the voices that screamed betrayal in your mind, which left you awake.

Eventually, you reluctantly opened your eyes and peered up to the moon. Although you could hardly admit it to yourself, you knew that you were really here because Zuko was doing the same thing. There was some solace in knowing that, despite the fact you never returned to the ditch, Zuko was being comforted by the same light as you. Nevertheless, it could never compare to the commiseration you whole heartedly gave each other when talking endlessly about your problems. See, the moonlight was something you both admired- Zuko hearing some wise words from his uncle about water benders being lunar, while he was sonar and you finding a comfort under it when your village would sit around a large fire and talk uninterrupted into the night- but now, it left you clenching your jaw a bit tighter as you fought back tears that threatened to spill. 

After a long while of pondering at the moon and begging for your mind to rationalise Zuko’s confession that seemed so long ago now, you finally decided you had worn yourself out. Joints ached and grated with bruises already forming as you collapsed onto your bed. Weary and exhausted, you allowed your complex flare of emotions to subside as you drifted into an uncomfortable sleep.

Dawn arose uncertainly, its melancholy clouds gathering around the landscape. Unlike the other amiable, homely mornings with the cockerels screeching to let everyone know that yes, it is the morning and benign sunlight softly warming the village into a state of liveliness, this morning was stale, the sky a dishwater grey broken up by splotches of blue peeking desperately through the thick clouds to bring some relief to the bleakness.
You smelt smoke in its intense aroma. Familiar scents of charcoal, chaos, upheaval knived its way up your nose with charcoal black plumes of doom spreading its evilness about the place. It immediately woke you and your mother up into a vigilant state, your chest tightened with apprehension as your mother ran over to you.
“Momma, what’s going on?” You turned to her with wide eyes, eyebrows furrowed infinitely low with a shaky voice. She turns to you, pity mixed with hints of worry which gave you no comfort, yet blocked out the hue and cry of agony in the distance, like it was a dull rumour of another village. Just then, it was as if time finally fell still.

The fire nation was here.

In a flurry of terror, you both rushed out the house with intertwined hands only to be met with a blaze of ruby reds and hazardous oranges that flared and consumed everything in its path. Men of similar uniforms to Zuko set your village alight, their faces stony with anonymity as they hid behind their ivory masks. As if hell had dawned upon you both, disjointed screams twisted in a cacophony of affliction with the sickening crackles of fire splintering the wooden houses and barns. You see a soldier drag a man mercilessly. He leaned down, pointing his fingers at the man’s crying face.

CRACK!

That familiar crackle sound came out of his fingers when a swarm of fiery colour spilled directly onto the man, burning and melting without hesitation. Roaring flames clung to the man and seared through the man’s fragile skin, licking through the layers effortlessly. They bit at the man’s skin as his screams begged, willed for a means of escape. 
You turned, eyes squeezed shut as the smoke infiltrated them. You craved nothing more than escape from this reality, this burning prison you’re trapped within. Twisting and turning against the fires, your mother frantically led you through valleys of the village collapsing around you to find a path of escape like a rat trapped in a maze. It was a futile attempt as the fire’s disgustingly deafening crackles popped around you both. It was a dead end. A laugh as taunting as the fire itself came from behind you both; it was the seeming leader of the clearance group sent to you. Silent as a mouse, he moved skillfully towards you. You took a stance infront of your mother, desperate to defend the only family you had left. 
“Get out of my way, little girl.” The soldier spat.
You toughened your stance, heart pounding in your ears, lips pursed in full concentration. Stepping forwards with feet beating on the floor, you shot jagged rocks out the ground in an attempt brimmed with anger to protect. Of course, naturally, it was useless, the soldier easily blocking your attacks and roughly shoving you by a fistful of your hair to the side before grabbing your mother.

”Let her go!” You screeched, voice pleading in despair. 
Another laugh escaped his throat as he positioned his fingers in a similar fashion to the previous soldier, and finally let off the flow of fire you had dreaded. Your mother was teary eyed, miming something to you, although severely incomprehensible from how the fire roared around you and your eyes welled with tears of pure devastation. Once she was alight in a blaze of dancing flame, you scrambled over to her uncaring of how the fire threatened to blister your skin.

”No! Nonono! Momma! Please!” You sobbed, voice coarse with desperation laced with suffering. You watched her screams slow as she came to a still, skin bubbling violently as you watched how the fire broke through her body and snatched her soul. Your tears were heaving, the choking of your voice drowned out by the depredation that swallowed you as you wallowed on your knees.

In a flash, the soldier interrupted your initial grieving- if you could call it that- and shackled your wrists behind your back. Tirelessly, you fought back, pleading at first to be let go but soon transitioning into a flurry of anger and kicking. Of course, your stature was much smaller and weaker than his own, and he carried you away over his shoulder while commanding your silence.

After minutes of fighting, you arrived at their tank-like vehicle. Many of the children in the village were here, though many in much worse condition than you with the worst passed out with exposed bone sticking through their flesh like jagged rock. One by one, you were forced harshly into the back of this dim tank. Your shackles all jangled and clinked in a hopeless silence as you hung your head low, the smell of metal dampening all hopes of earthbending. By the time you had began to move, a voice full of energy boomed with feigned reassurance, “you will all be safe. You’re being taken to a special house made for people like you. We aren’t going to hurt you.”

Those last words rung in your ears, because how could they hurt you any greater than they already have? They’ve taken away everything from you, and you couldn’t care what happens now. 

Days passed endlessly as time marched onwards once more, though you found yourself in unfamiliar territory as you had been passed through many ships overseas, separated from the others from your village upon being found out to be the only earth bender left. Though they could’ve easily slaughtered you, which to an extent you desired, there was still experimentation on taking away bending, and a child whose blood wasn’t royal and was a plain little creature in an unknown village was perfect to use. You wouldn’t be missed, and your skills weren’t developed enough to be a true threat. 

Held idly in a distant metal cell in an even more desolate place than your former village, months passed. You caught yourself clinging onto the only hope left, Zuko. You had an inkling you were within fire nation territory, which both angered you and gave you a twinge of optimism as you prayed every night when watching the moon from a slit in your cell door that he would surely have some knowledge on your captivity and be on his way to release you. He had that power after all, right? Though, this hope eventually dwindled as you understood he abandoned you. After all, he had grown to be ashamed of his secret. He was estranged once it came out as the truth that he, a royal fire nation prince, had mingled with a peasant in the Earth kingdom extensively. And of course, this had to be punished with the destruction of your village. A harsh lesson learned.

As he was able to push the memory of you into the back of his mind, you stayed trapped in mind forged manacles with the consuming, unstoppable force of your hardened emotions enveloping you in this prison of yours. This total isolation from the world kept you away from Zuko to punish him. But it seems it would eventually be to keep him protected as you felt every speck of kindness had burned to the ground with your village, now replaced with a want, no, need for vengeance. To pass the time, you would create stories within your head, sometimes thinking back to the village when it didn’t ache too hard on your chest and didn’t keep you restless at night. Often, you remembered one of your fonder meet ups with Zuko. He got stung by a bush of some common poison ivy that flared his skin up in a red rash with a strong burning sensation. Gingerly, you tended to his pain with some cream you sprinted home and back to get that soothed the redness and subsided the pain. You prodded at his skin, demanding that he be more careful while giggling as he pushed you off.

”No wonder you’re called Ivy, you’re just as bad as this.” He mumbled in a lighthearted frustration from your prodding while raising his stung arm to you, to which you gasped in mock offence, feigning hurt.

A comfortable silence fell over the two of you as you continued to rub the cream in.

”Ivy?”

”Hm?”

”Promise we’ll always be there for each other, yeah?” He spoke softly, eyes suddenly wide and sad as a lamb.

”Hey hey, c’mon. Of course we will.” You replied in a giggly tone, bringing him into a careful embrace.

His promise echoed throughout your mind constantly. He broke the only hope you had left, the only trust you had so deeply in anyone had been shattered. How could you ever forgive that?

Chapter Text

When one spends so long in the confinement of, not only a physical prison, but their mind, it makes you crazy. Out of instinct, your mind will look for anything to latch an experience onto as to rationalise the emotions that come along with it- and you were no stranger to this occurrence as you took all of your confusion and rightful hatred towards the fire nation, and their unforgivable sins, and pinned it on Zuko. Ultimately, for the past few years you had been trapped in a cage of metal misery. Your days consisted, rather peacefully if it was by choice to live this solitary life, of poor attempts to distract guards and win their love- though you were an awful liar-, plain rice in a terribly crafted clay bowl, meditation that felt like hours but were really 6 minutes of unfiltered boredom and, perhaps most usefully, the continued practice of your craft. Easily, earth bending, even if it was only performative, was the last string to tether to the kite that was your sanity as you moved more comfortably through your pre-learned motions, perfecting them as you put yourself through your paces in building muscle that curved around your form impressively and mastering a balance that would anyone years to master. Thankfully, you had years. While your attempts to manipulate the soldiers into your release were truly depressing at the best, it did allow for some guards- usually the newer ones- to take an uncomfortable pity on you and sneak you an extra bowl of rice, or even sneak you new earth bending scrolls with ancient techniques that were plastered into the paper intricately every so often to keep your mind sharp. After all, you weren't getting out for the foreseeable future, so when you were finally going to be tested on, the fire nation would've already taken over so your self taught skills couldn't be too hard to manage. Fortunately, this was the case for a long while. The days blending monotonously as time ticked on indefinitely.

Nonetheless, this cycle of tedious repetition could not repeat forever as your 'secret' hiding spot became quite popular among some unknown rebellions that had spiked up upon hearing the inhumane conditions children were kept in to indoctrinate them. Particularly an Earth Bending group whose nature was rebellious and strong, just like how flowers persevere to bloom in the most unlikely places. In a flurry of organised events, this small skilled group was able to free you from your prison and your deteriorating mind. You joined them in consequence, the leader being an older man with a dry sense of humour and a nasty burn scar across his face leaving one eye blind. Although you did your best not to, you found yourself seeing Zuko in him and felt a pang of guilt. But your anger burned harder, your fury bubbled through your veins for years and now you were released. Finally. You were free.

You all lived underground in a cave system- harmonious with badgermoles. Unlike the sporty art that earth bending had become, this group’s earth benders learned from the badgermoles to consequently make a dying breed of benders who learned the original techniques and appreciated the art in a deeper way than the flashy style it was becoming. The cave systems were confusing at first, but you soon adapted to the darkness and the eerie noises that became like lullabies your mother would sing to you. However, you adored this life for the main reason that you could exist in a space that was like your life beforehand- traditional and using the earth as your source for everything. 

Being around a group of people from all different parts of the Earth Kingdom only deepened your sense of connection to your roots, and fueled your hatred for the fire nation and, most importantly, Zuko. Additionally, it made your earth bending skills infinitely stronger as you were able to bring the scrolls with you and learn the subculture of techniques from people that previously lived in the city. Still being a young girl, you was able to fit in immediately as many of the elders was protective over you, especially after seeing the disheveled state you were in after being rescued. 

Chapter Text

A couple years have passed now, and you had become comfortable in this new life of yours. Well, anything would beat the cell you had found yourself in for months and the total isolation it inflicted upon you. But that’s beside the point as you were now confident in your skills and had become longing to explore the world. As they gave hope to the majority, the Gaang had become quite well known at this point; which your community were one in the majority that intensely supported them. Though they were comparatively more violent in your efforts for freedom, you stood for the same thing. You knew Zuko was apart of them upon having seen a wanted poster, and- although you had nothing against the rest of the group- you were hungry for blood. And no one could stop you.

After 3 weeks of planning, you confronted the leader of the group to explain your plans to leave. Uneasily, you approached the rock he was sat on near the entrance of the cave system and came around to face him and watch his reaction carefully. Yun was a stubborn man out of compassion, and didn’t relish in the idea of change too often, so you knew this would be a hard sell. After all, you were like a daughter to him as he not only mentored you but was the grounding force you required after the loss of your parents. Once you made it to him, your harsh shadow cast upon him in the sunny afternoon. He didn’t look up from his whittling of a branch into a sharp edge. You cleared your throat, mind scrambling to find the right words. It was a precarious situation.

“Yun… I need to speak to you, now,” you began, voice meek, “I, um, I think I want to leave to explore.” 

Yun looked up from his branch, eyebrows furrowed disapprovingly. In a panic, you waved your hands to gesture that he should let you continue; before he got the chance to speak, you once more began to babble hurriedly again.

”Please don’t stop me, because I know I’m ready for this. Even you have said I’m exceptional! And.. and i just need a change.” 

Your reasons sounded better in your head, but you waited patiently for his response. You could practically see the cogs turning in his head as his wise expression faltered for a moment.

”How long have you planned this?” He inquired, voice indifferent.

”Three weeks. I have my bag packed with what I’ll need, and i promise I’ll send letters when I can.” You responded eagerly, your heart pounding with anticipation.

He paused and hummed.

“You’ll have dinner with us tonight, and then tomorrow we will see you off. Let us do a ritual to keep you safe.” He answered knowingly, and what he knew is that he couldn’t stop you and your fiery nature.

Once it hit twilight, you were all gathered around the fire and soup that bubbled over it. Familiar aromas filled the air, ones that felt like home before the fire nation’s genocide. Everyone clasped a bowl in their hands and took their fill: elderly, sick and the pregnant woman going first. Gentle chatter filled the air, hope especially prevalent on the warm summer night. Once the evening began to close, Yun stood up and announced the news of your departure. Immediately, eyes fell on you with hushed chatter; to which you felt rather flustered. Some gazes were surprised, some gazes were full of disbelief and some gazes were etched with softness and support of your independence. 

“We will do our prayer for Ivy’s inevitable departure, and pray for her health and safety to the Earth.” 

After answering some frantic questions and politely declining some of the women’s worried pleas for you to stay, everyone sat infront of you and Yun. Gingerly, he placed his calloused hands on your shoulders and stomped his bare feet on the ground, chanting a mantra that was linked to mother nature and the connection earth benders have with it. Earth benders were regarded as the least spiritual as they’re natural opposites to the spirit world with their beliefs rooted in the reality of this world. Therefore, their rituals are sparse, but the ones that exist pray to the divinity of the earth and lion turtles due to the connection with energybending. Everyone shared this intimate moment with you; bittersweet in nature as people gave their token of goodluck through encouraging, and warning, words.

Morning rolled around in an agonisingly slow fashion as you tossed all night with excitement. Pink hues were painted onto the clouds with the sun erasing the stars and warming the sky with passionate oranges and yellows. Although you were weary, you were up at this early time. Most everyone was still asleep so you crept over their sleeping forms with your bag clutched tightly. It felt somewhat cowardly to run while everyone was asleep, but it was equally hard for you to leave the place you fondly dubbed home for years. But you knew this was your destiny, you knew you had to find him. Shakily, you inhaled the crisp morning air with shut eyes in an attempt to capture and keep this moment of tranquility in your mind forever. Like a spooked deer, you jumped once you felt a hand on your shoulder. Whipping your head around, your widened expression softened upon seeing Yun’s melancholy expression. The sunlight cast a gentle lustre on him, highlighting his wrinkles and the scar that was plastered on his skin. Without warning, you were pulled into a tight embrace with him. He wrapped his frail- yet surprisingly strong- arms around you, holding you close as if you were porcelain. Except, as a matter of fact, you were porcelain to him.

”Promise me you won’t do anything rash. I know what you’re like Iv, and I need to know you’ll keep a steady head.” He mumbled, voice firm to leave no room for argument.

The air in your throat hitched as he talked to you in that same tone as when you were first introduced into his life in your malnourished and terrified form.

”I promise.” you muttered in a tone of voice that was surprisingly soft.

Once he let go, he grabbed your hand and placed a necklace in the palm of your hand. The pendant was made of wood as a small earthbending symbol with the string being slightly frayed, but made with love. You inhaled sharply as you blinked back the tears that pricked in your eyes. Without a second thought, you slung it over your neck and clutched the pendant for a moment, your thumb brushing over the wood to feel its grooves and edges. 

“Thank you. Thank you for everything you’ve given me.” you whispered, the words lingering in the still air. 

His lips curled amicably for a moment, before placing one hand on your shoulder and giving you one last piece of advice.

”Strike when the time is right, patience is power.”

As if you were an animal being ejected off to the wilderness, you nodded and turned on your heel. There was an unspoken understanding of what you were really going out for as he was the only person in the group who knew about Zuko, and he knew that you needed this closure one way or another. But it didn’t make the absence any less sour as his countless words of needing to find solace in yourself went unheard. 

You travelled off, an ineffably vast ocean of emotion swirling in your stomach. Descending down into the forest that lay infront of you at the bottom of the hill, you didn’t turn to look at Yun one last time. It was too painful. You had a strong head, and a bag of supplies with years of experience. But this was the first time you were in remote isolation since being captive, and apart of that terrified your essence. But there was an undeniable truth that you were totally and utterly free, your wings had been clipped too much and your identity ripped away from you too forcefully. However, now, you could run as far as you wanted. Get away from it all.

Your mission was clear. You had to find Zuko.