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The metal ship, brutal and deadly in its exterior, held no warmth in the prince’s chambers. A fire blazed in the hearth in front of his work table, each stroke of the charcoal stencil eliciting a flicker of flame. Fingers absently twirled the tattered blue fabric as his eyes were focused on the parchment.
A circle. Two rectangles. More detail. More shading. Swirls of black.
Zuko furrowed his brows glancing between the parchment in one hand and necklace in the other. It wasn’t right. He growled, crumpling the page in a fist and threw it into the fire. Like the others before, the page lit, edges consumed as the flames licked up more and more, closer to the lines of charcoal until there was nothing.
He grabbed a book from the corner of the table, leafing through until he reached a blank page. Opening his palm, Zuko studied the pendant and began again. And again. And again.
He had been drawing the fabric too thin. The pendant was too circular. The edges had been too straight rather than ebbing and flowing like the cold water underneath the ship. The swirls of water were too thick, then too cramped within the small space.
Smoke blew through his nose in aggravation.
He began again.
The swirls were perfect, one gently climbing on the other to make three crests.
He didn’t smile. He didn’t look at the pendant resting gently in his hand. He was drawn in by the movement of the stylus. Two lines, long and curved. Two rectangles. The curves of a nose. Two loops of hair. The hint of a smile hidden behind two straight lips. Dark eyes that would have been blue had he had color. They revealed ferocity, crushing in its determination. Life lived within their depths, so limitless and beautiful. They branded his mind.
When Zuko pulled back the side of his hand was black with charcoal. Eyes raked over the page in horror. His breath caught. The flames in the hearth grew. Those eyes stared back at him like looking through a window into his very soul. A hand inched closer to the image, knowing it’d be better to burn the evidence of what he’d done. A finger traced the outline of her face. Something burned inside him, nothing like his usual well of anger and frustration that fueled his fire.
With a yell he stood, slamming a hand on the book, fingers itching to tear the page out. It would be so easy. The page would burn along with the rest of his inability to restore his honor. So much time spent looking for the Avatar; so many trips around the world in vain. Until now.
The Avatar, someone he had believed to be old, was not. The very thing he’d been searching to capture for years was a child and just out of reach. A child would be easy, much easier than he expected. Maybe the spirits were smiling down at him after all. He opened his palm, the swirling designs of water staring up at him, taunting him.
The Avatar wasn’t alone. He those two water tribe peasants following him around from one kingdom to the next. But Zuko would capture the Avatar. He would return to the Fire Nation. He would face his father again and restore his honor.
All it took was finding the girl. The water bender with the fury of a riptide. She would be his key to the Avatar. The kid seemed to keep sliding out of his damn grasp. First in the Southern Water Tribe and now as they sailed from Kyoshi Island.
Fingers tightened around the necklace.
He wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop–not when he had been so close.
His chest rose with each breath through gritted teeth.
But now? Now would be exceedingly more difficult with his uncle changing their course after somehow misplacing one of his precious Pai Sho tiles. He swore Iroh would miss a lot more than the white lotus tile if that stupid game got in the way of Zuko’s mission.
Releasing a huff of built up smoke, he collapsed on the cot beside the hearth. Eyes shut, he breathed. Flames slowed, the fire no longer a blaze beside him. Lifting his hand, he stared again at the necklace, willing it to tell him what he wanted to hear. He watched, breathing deeply, as the firelight danced over the markings. The wood was treated with something to prevent rot, the crevices and etching of a knife smooth under his thumb as he traced the symbols. Using the other hand, he tied the thick string around his wrist.
The pendant was still in his grip as he shut his eyes.
—
They arrived at the port the next morning, the smell of rotten vegetables pungent in the air. Iroh led the way from one shop to the next, stopping only when someone mentioned a blend of tea. What happened to looking for that damn tile?
The line of stalls and carts were endless. It was far more people than the Fire Prince had encountered in the three years he’d been tracking the Avatar. The sounds of the harbor were deafening compared to the Fire Nation vessel. Zuko caught strings of conversations as bargains were made. One lady complained endlessly about the quality of the fruit to the aged cart owner. A shopkeeper argued with two other men down the line. Two servants passed them complaining about their master.
Zuko may have been blessed by the spirits themselves when he overheard two men, pirates he assumed from the state of their clothes and smell they didn’t seem to acknowledge. One was thing with long hair that fell to his shoulders while the other was bald with a frame wide the size of Zuko himself.
“-that fucking monk and that girl.” The thinner one muttered, picking at his nails with the tip of a dagger.
“Water Tribe by the looks of her. Young thing too.” The larger pirate gave a wicked grin.
The two shared a low laugh.
“A monk?” Zuko found himself asking and the two startled. Wide eyes found him, and he took a confident step closer. Fingers clutched the pendant hidden in his palm.
“Did he happen to have an arrow on his head?”
“Yeah, what of it? They friends of yours, kid?”
He narrowed his eyes, expecting them to take a gander at his attire and the Fire Nation guards standing behind him. They’d learn their place.
“Isn’t there someone more important I can speak to about this?”
The larger man, bare chested with a sword strapped to his hip stalked forward breathing down thin fumes of ale at him. He looked up, noting the Fire Nation insignia and the several masked soldiers. A wide smile grew on his face.
“Certainly, your highness.”
The other man chuckled darkly and grabbed him roughly by the arm, pulling him into the shop. His uncle followed quietly, no words spoken as he watched Zuko be tossed through the curtain.
A man stood at the end of the ship, his face grim as he took in Zuko steadying himself and his uncle perusing the items on display. A tricorn adored his gray hair that flowed to his shoulders where a green macaw perched.
“The little Fire Nation Prince knows of the monk and the Water Tribe girl.” The larger pirate said, the muscles in his arms bulging as he crossed them over his chest.
“Of course. Our sneaky little friends.” The captain hummed, eyes narrowed on his uncle lifting a rather expensive looking jeweled box. “They stole from me. Rather rude considering the deal I gave them on that scroll.”
Zuko didn’t let his curiosity show, thumb running absently over the smooth crevices in the hidden necklace. “They have something I want as well. Perhaps we can make a deal?”
A sneer grew on the captain’s dirty face. “A deal? And what is it that you want, little prince?”
His honor?
A place in the Fire Nation?
His father’s acceptance?
So many things that seemed impossibly out of reach just a year ago. Now, here he was so close to getting it all back. Zuko would not waste this chance.
“I help you find them. You get your scroll back. That’s the deal.”
“And how do you expect to find them, prince? Hard to get Daddy’s help all the way out here.” He sneered and Zuko’s face contoured in rage.
“How dare-“
“Patience Prince Zuko.” Iroh rested a hand on his shoulder cutting him off before he set the whole damn store on fire.
Flames danced at the tips of his fingers. Patience? Fuck that. For all he knew they had run off to the edge of the world in hopes of escaping him. Why had they stopped here anyway? Why risk getting caught stealing some damn scroll?
“It seems you have quite the collection.”
The captain watched as his uncle unrolled a thick brown scroll. A sound of contempt rose out of him when he glanced at the captain.
“My, my-can’t say the Fire Lord would be pleased to learn that some of his rather important battle plans have gone missing.”
The captain paled. Iroh looked towards the soldiers standing at attention by the door drew closer into the room with a silent command.
“You get your scroll back. We get the monk. Everyone leaves happy.” Zuko motioned for the men to halt when they stopped before the captain. His whole body trembled behind his ostentatiously large desk.
“Fine-fine!”
“So tell me about this scroll.” Zuko commanded.
—
Water bending. So it had been the Avatar and the water bender. Zuko assumed–hoped. But to have substantial evidence? Who else would be stealing a water bending scroll than the Avatar’s water bending teacher?
Teacher would be generous. The girl was merely bending her element with the practice of a child. So she was learning then? Training herself….and the Avatar? No. Not likely. When the time came overpowering her would be easy. He wouldn’t lose to something as weak as water, not when he had fire in his veins.
“Just bring your men to the docks. They’ll be near water.”
With a few soldiers, the pirates, and his uncle, they tracked the Avatar and his little friends. Two long hours were spent searching the beaches along the canal. He couldn’t stop now. Not when he was so close. Not when he could nearly taste a cut of charred tangy meat or feel the warmth of the western sun.
The spirits had not abandoned him when the captain caught a glimpse of smoke rising in the distance. It was a long distance away, maybe taking an hour to reach. The sun was already setting over the trees, but Zuko only gave it a withering glance. His fingers found the tattered fabric hanging from his wrist. He didn’t need the strength of the sun to fuel him tonight.
“It’s them.” Zuko ground out, one hand clenched at his side, the necklace firm in his grasp.
“It’s quite a beautiful night. Too mad we won’t be back for a game of Pai Sho.” Iroh hummed and Zuko rolled his eyes. “There must be other travelers than our friends out here tonight.”
The captain grinned wickedly. “Well other travelers still have valuable things. We never return empty handed.”
His uncle huffed and turned away with a grimace. Zuko remained, standing beside the captain as the ships grew close to the plumes of smoke rising over the tree line.
The sun had long since set as the ships drew near and decided to beach their ships a short distance away from where the smoke had been spotted. Zuko made quick work commanding half his soldiers to remain with his uncle while he took the other half and a couple pirates to comb the forest.
His blessing continued in the form of a noticeably feminine voice yelling where he spotted a familiar blue tunic just on the outskirts of the forest. She was shouting, not at the Avatar or her Water Tribe brother, but at the water. Her dark hair reflected the moon. Slender arms arching and flowing as a stream of water grew from the water to move beside her body before collapsing into a puddle at her feet. Clearly not a master then.
Fingers tightened on the necklace in his grip. Finally. He hadn’t planned to watch her from the gaps in the trees, flanked eventually by the pirates as they trudged along.
They watched her with sneers. Quiet chuckles that had him fighting not to turn on his word and end them where they stood. He tried not to think too hard about his broiling rage at that. A pirate strode forward into the opening, a disgusting smile growing on his gnarled face. The water bender wasn’t facing them, too focused as she peered through the trees at the shore.
Zuko followed, stepping along the tree line to block any chance of escape. She wouldn’t slip through his fingers. She noticed the pirate first and fought against his hold on her, bending a stream of water from the river into his face. He startled back and released her, only for her to run right into his arms.
“I’ll save you from the pirates.”
—
He stared as she was tied to the tree near the beach. His eyes didn’t falter as she struggled against the restraints.
“Tell me where he is and I won’t hurt you or your brother.”
He had her and she had her use for him if she chose not to talk. The Avatar would come. The water bender glared at him, that fury he’d seen at Kyoshi Island boring into him.
“Go jump in the river.” She yelled and his lips quirked up at her tenacity.
“Try to understand. I need to capture him to restore something I’ve lost. My honor.” He encircled her like a beast before striking its prey, because that’s what she was. Those piercing eyes refused to meet him.
Good.
This made it easier. She was a means to an end. She was his way to find the Avatar. Maybe the water tribe girl just needed a bit of a reminder of that.
“Perhaps in exchange I can restore something you’ve lost.”
He couldn’t resist the temptation at being so close. The girl was all consuming in his mind with those eyes and her damn necklace. He pulled the necklace from his wrist, displaying it in front of her. Her scent pulled him closer, hands holding up the string at her neck as if to tie it together himself. He did no such thing.
“My mothers necklace!” She gasped.
Blue eyes finally looked at him as he gave her a smug smile. He let her watch as he walked away, taunting her with it swinging between two fingers.
“How did you get that?”
“I didn’t steal it if that’s what you're wondering.” Zuko replied honestly and narrowed his eyes. Playing with her had been enjoyable, but enough talk. “Tell me where he is.”
“No!”
“Enough of this necklace garbage!” The captain yelled and Zuko turned his glare on the man. “You promised us the scroll.”
He sneered, pulling the paper out from the tie on his back and held it over an open palm. “I wonder–“ The palm lit with a flaming orange glow. “How much money do you think this is worth?”
The pirates gasped and shouted in protest, but Zuko didn't care. He had the girl. She was his key to the Avatar. “A lot apparently. Now you help me find what I want. You’ll get this back, and everyone goes home happy. Search the woods for the boy and meet back here.”
The captain of the pirates grimaced and turned away. “Fine.”
When the pirates disappeared into the trees Zuko relinquished his flame and turned towards the water bender. “So. A water bending scroll. Let’s have a look shall we?”
“No! Don’t ruin it-“ she shouted, but he didn’t answer nor care.
The images before him danced with swirling waves. Nearly two dozen figures were painted on the parchment in various motions. He appreciated the forms. It was like a dance as the figure moved from one move to the next, the water a continuous stream. He recalled the light stance of her feet and the way her hips swayed with the whips she had attempted to procure.
“How do you expect to train the Avatar with no water bending master?” He asked her, but she only glared in response.
Minutes turned into hours and his patience was growing thin. Zuko waited, eyes narrowed on the tree line. The water bender continued to move her body and her bound wrists against the restraints.
“You can’t keep me tied up here forever.” She shouted. If she had been blessed with something as strong as firebending rather than her water she would’ve burnt him with the look she gave him.
“You could remain there forever for all I care.” He muttered. He looked from the dense cluster of trees to her.
“Prince Zuko, perhaps we could allow her to at least get comfort-“
“Shut up!” Zuko shouted, cutting Iroh off.
He took several long strides to stand before the water tribe girl. The peasant haunted him day in and day out with her stupid necklace that he clung to. He could never get those burning blue eyes out of his head. At his approach the girl recoiled, but her eyes never wavered.
“It’s only a matter of time until we find the Avatar. I give my word no harm will come to you or your brother if you’ll just tell me-“
The girl cut him off with a sharp laugh. “As if I’ll believe anything you say. I’ll never tell you where Aang is.”
Zuko tasted ashes as he stared down at her. She was so much smaller than him; weaker, younger, and so easy to break. He knew from experience the naïvety she held. He could see her inner strength that had yet to be broken and remade to something far less innocent. She’d learn to bend to those more powerful. But something told him that she wouldn’t, she’d face the consequences and fight. Her mistake.
“We’ll see.” He murmured with a feral grin.