A/N: This is going to be a test fic with probably, who am I kidding? sloooooooooow updates. Tell me what you think.
One, two, one, two. The pounding of Zuko's feet reverberated through his entire body; wet clots of sand carved out and flung behind his long even strides. The resultant trail of divots marked his path along the shore like an ink dotted course on a map. In...out...in...out. The crashing of the tides echoed the steady cadence of his body in flight. It was a constant, familiar rhythm, like the soothing rise and drop of his mother's hand with a needle and thread. And it, this, was freedom, silence, pure joy; like a phoenix, the Prince imagined, or Agni loosed on the mortal world. It was the time when he could just simply exist, be him, be Zuko. One two, one two, in, out, in, out.
He sucked the refreshing, salty air deep, through his lungs to the center of his body, letting it out in long streams that lingered in the mist behind him. It was an unusual morning for the lands of the Fire Lord, especially for the springtime. But the cool weather did not bother the Prince of the Fire People overly much; he found it a surprisingly welcome change to his usual morning run along the private beaches near the palace. The bare-chested figure continued his sojourn through the clearing fog until he reached a distinctive cluster of rocks and proceeded to stretch his warm muscles. Panting slightly, Zuko lifted linked hands skyward, pulling his entire body taught, and let the first few rays of sunlight that had managed to sluice through the gray haze, hit his pale chest. Energized and tranquil, he was loath to return to the Fire Palace; back to his father and sister, and a court of war and greed, treachery and betrayal. He wandered almost unthinkingly down to the water, gratefully drinking in the respite of morning calm.
He waded into the shallow tides where the fizzing foam descended on the sand and carried it back to its home of watery depths. Yet the cool rushing water was gentle and welcome on his warm feet, soothing him even further. Zuko continued his descent into the ocean slowly, absently running the cold, tangy wet over his limbs whilst staring unseeingly at the water. He did not notice the low mist start to clear as the sun slowly won the battle over the hazy gray clouds. But when he knelt down to scoop up another handful, his hand brushed against something solid underneath the rushing water. He glanced down, What the…? A satin blue ribbon with an equally blue circular pendant attached by a silver link: a woman's necklace. He carefully picked it out of the water, laying it in his palm to study the design of rolling waves that was certainly not of his people. His hand closed over it, head snapping up to automatically scan the waterline. It's probably from a ship wreck or somebody dropped it overboard. But something about a hundred yards away, something he had failed to notice earlier, caught his searching gaze; a dark mass, tangled seaweed?
He unconsciously started towards the distant silhouette, and when he became close enough to recognize the shape of a body he broke into a run. As soon as he reached her he realized that the dark tangled mass was her hair, a rich coppery dark brown. He knelt down in the surf, trying to find her pulse underneath the long, thick, wet tresses. The Prince breathed a sigh of relief, it was there, shallow but steady. She was face down in the sand, long slender arms bent at an angle and reaching above her head. But he did not need to turn her over to determine that this female was not a creature of fire; he saw it in the light caramel skin, the blue apparel, the wild braids interspersed throughout her hair. But he did not need his eyes for this either. He could feel the water in her veins, and the cool emotive power it had, as surely as he could feel the liquid, hot tempered fire that ran through his and his kin.
But where had she come from? A shipwreck? What kind of creature was she? A mermaid? A siren? A human? He rolled her body over and scooped her up bridal-style, carrying her away from the busy tide and gently depositing her on dry sand. He checked her arms and legs, her ribs; she seemed to have no broken bones, just a few scraps and bruises. But she looked pale under her tan skin, with dark circles underneath long black lashes. Suddenly she softly groaned and shivered, prompting Zuko to curse and realize she needed care, and not him out here examining her. She was probably burning with fever.
He scooped her up again taking a quick jog back to the palace. He entered through the servant's quarters, bellowing for assistance whilst servants scurried to and fro following him up to the infirmary in alarm and chaos. Most of the nurses let out little gasps and shrieks of surprise heard amid the clattering of metal implements being dropped upon the floor, when the imposing, scowling young man kicked open the door. They quickly recovered though, and Zuko's burden was snatched from his arms and placed on a clean bed. As the nurses bustled round the room the young prince stood awkwardly near her, a pace behind the healer as the older man examined her.
"So what is she?"
Doctor Hisoka looked over his shoulder at the Fire Prince whom he had brought into this world with his own two hands. His eyes lingered on the scar, as they always did and which always made Zuko uneasy, remembering the horrific wound that he had not been allowed to heal. Not for two long agonizing days was he aloud to bandage and treat the burn covering the boy's left eye and ear. The horrific scar was to be his constant reminder, so Ozai decreed, of unquestioning obedience and loyalty. The old healer would have quit long ago but for the promise to Lady Ursa to watch over her son. He wished he could have healed the emotional wounds as well. "She's part human, part mermaid, and part something else. I can't tell if it's Siren, Nereid, or Nixe."
"How can you tell she's part mermaid?"
"She has gills, look." He pressed the delicate shell of one ear forward, to reveal two tiny slits. "And a scale or two," he lifted up one of her hands to show a pattern of iridescent blue green scales that encircled her wrist, much like a bracelet of precious sea gems.
The nurses continued their flurry of activity while shooting furtive looks at the Prince as they carried in buckets of water, towels, and bandages, waiting with various instruments to descend upon the patient. One stout older woman who had served the family for years, clucked her tongue impatiently at Zuko, her hand clutching white curtains she was trying to pull round the bed. "Prince Zuko, doctor, please, we need to get this girl out of these wet stinking clothes," she gestured to another woman approaching with scissors and a vast tub of hot water being prepared by benders in the corner. "Yes of course, Noriko. My Prince, old Hisoka gestured towards the door." I will have you summoned after I see to her."
Zuko nodded once, retreating and only pausing at the doorway for one backward glance at the prostrate girl before she disappeared behind voluminous white curtains.
What was this knot of tension in his chest? Could it be he was actually worried about the girl? He didn't know her and she obviously wasn't one of his people. He had been taught that those different from him, specifically not of noble blood, were beneath him. And creatures not of fire, well they were less than nothing, slaves to be used and dominated. Or so these ideas had been repeatedly drummed into his head by his father and had been passed through the male line since his infamous great grandfather Sozin. His feet stopped and his head turned to gaze at the painted face of the formidable old man with the piercing golden eyes so like his own. Zuko shook his head and looked away. He had had his mother's teachings, and his cousin Lu Ten, and his uncle still kept him relatively sane.
"And what has you pacing these endlessly gloomy halls so early in the morning my nephew? Admiring the cheerful faces of your ancestors?" Iroh chuckled lightly.
Zuko tensed automatically before recognizing his uncle's voice and turning to his right with a faint welcoming smile. Iroh stepped out of the shadows, his hands characteristically clasped in front of him, hidden gracefully within his long red silk sleeves. He glided to his nephew's side with surprising ease for a man carrying such a large girth and fell into pace beside him.
"I was…merely thinking Uncle Iroh."
"Zuko, you may be evasive and secretive with your father and everyone else for that matter. But please tell your poor old loving uncle what troubles you."
Zuko refrained from rolling his eyes at the feigned pathetic note in Iroh's tone. "Well, it's about this girl. I can't really tell father…she was just lying there and I had to…"
Iroh heaved a long suffering sigh. "Nephew, haven't we had this talk? I thought I told you about these things. I know, I know, you're seventeen going on eighteen. But it's dishonorable to amuse yourself with palace girls, they rely upon us. We are their employers and to impregna…
During this speech the Prince went from confused to bewildered, to his eyes growing round in horror. "Uncle! I would never do that! I'm not…I've never…I'm a…" He couldn't finish but could feel the blush creeping up his pale neck. Dammit, the Fire Prince didn't blush.
He stopped and fully turned to his grinning uncle, face practically glowing. "Just checking Zuko," Iroh gave him a reassuring pat.
"I was going for my morning run along the beach, like I do every morning and well I noticed this thing," he held out the blue necklace. The Prince proceeded to tell his uncle everything, up until leaving her in Healer Hisoka's care. "And she's of the Water People and I can't tell Fire Lord Ozai. What will he do to her? She's just a defenseless girl that washed up on the beach."
Iroh looked unusually serious, "You're right nephew. We must keep this from your father. Hopefully she will regain consciousness soon so we can get her out of the Palace."
"Well, well, won't father love to hear this. His brother and his son plotting against him."
Yellow eyes gleamed from the darkness, like some dangerous predatory animal staring at them.
"Azula!" Zuko growled. "This is none of your concern, we're not plotting anything."
The demonic yellows eyes seemed to take on an overly bright glow, before the robed body of a treacherous female slowly came into view. Like a snake slowly being charmed from a basket or a slinking panther stalking its prey, she crawled from the shadows.
In the torchlight her eyes were once again their normal honey gold and not the awful yellow he had imagined. She oozed power; she was confidence, his sly, frighteningly talented, clever sister. Her shoulders and hips were almost seductive in their sway. "Secrets, secret, brother," she cooed. "Now," she held one deadly fingernail to her lips in mock-thought and struck a pose, "what would father say if I told him that his own brother and loving son were keeping things from him. Meeting in dark secretive places, harboring filthy creatures of water."
Zuko snorted, "It's the family portrait hall."
Iroh held up an arm to Zuko, "Azula, please do not tell Ozai this. Think he will do to a girl no older than yourself. Have some compassion."
Her eyes hardened at his words and his formal tone. "Uncle, you know, you've never called me 'my niece,' and frankly your intimacy with Zuko should be brought to the Fire Lord's attention in case you are really plotting something. Besides, you know what the Water Tribes and its creatures are to us, we are at war. Mercy is for the weak, like you and my clumsy brother."
"Don't torture and murder an innocent because you're jealous," Zuko snarled.
Brillant blue flames shot out of Azula's fists when she clenched them in rage, her entire body going rigid . "Father is going to hear about this treachery now." And with that she turned sharply on her heel and sprinted down the shadowed corridor.