Chapter 01: Into the Night
Rating: K
Pairing: Zuko x Jin (Jinko)
Woot, here is the first chapter of my first Jinko. Fair warning ahead of time, Jin is not introduced until probably about chapter 3, then she becomes a major influence. This chapter is mostly just to tart setting a scene, get to know the setting and things of that nature. Also I come dangerously close to creating some OC's here, but I'm not sure if they will be developed more in future installments. Nothing really major happens here, as I said it is mostly just expostion. Setting Zuko's mood and mindset and stuff like that. It hopefully picks up next time. Thoughts always welcome. Enjoy.
Elbows resting on the top of the outer railing, Zuko leaned over the edge of the large balcony, taking in the sight of the city below. Small lights flickered in the night air, trying to illuminate the large city. As he gazed at the vast expanse of city, he noticed the distinct differences between the Upper and Lower Rings.
Turning his head, he glanced at the empty space that surrounded the palace, taking in the sights of the royal gardens and various smaller structures. The reds and golds adorning the outside of the palace belied its use as the home of the Earth King. Even in the pale moonlight, he could see the subtle glints of gold on the outer columns and the eaves.
It all served to remind him of the Fire Nation, the nation of his birth, the place he should be calling home. But as he turned his head, he stared indifferently at the dark greens and light browns that filled the interior of the structure. The scarred teen smiled dryly as he thought about the contrast in colors, thinking of how similar it was to himself.
On the outside was the façade of the banished prince, given a mark that would forever remind him of his position in his father's eyes. On the inside was the young boy craving, starving for his father's attention, his love. He wondered, not for the first time, if the two parts could ever be reconciled, brought back into one single entity.
Feeling a sense of loss as he gazed at the fine green silks adorning the bed he would be sleeping in, the young Prince felt a surge of anger, a feeling of bitterness and grief that had been his closest companion since his banishment. Golden eyes closed against the cool of the night air, his face contorting into a look of anger as he recalled his actions in the catacombs.
"I'm sorry, uncle…" he muttered to the empty air around him, his voice a familiar choke of emotions, from anger to sadness. The look of utter disappointment on the older man's face had said more than any words could have, but he had been too stupid to see it. Too busy listening to the sweet poison being poured into his ear by his wicked sister.
The smell of scorched earth and burned flesh and cloth still hung sickly in his nostrils, another reminder of what he had done. The Avatar was gone, and he had played an instrumental part in the boy's downfall.
More grief filled his chest, until finally he could stand it no longer. Sucking in a deep breath, he yelled as loudly as his lungs would allow, a long burst of crimson flame dancing into the darkened night sky. The moonlight itself seemed to recede from the flame produced by his turmoil, his rage. How could he have been so stupid?
Even his personal mantra had failed him on that day, the words he told himself whenever he had dealt with the girl who was more nemesis than sister, more adversary than sibling. His uncle had always been there for him, supported him, guided him, even when the decisions he made were clearly wrong. But he had forsaken the certain kindness of his uncle for the cold calculations of his sister, and the ephemeral love from father she presented to him.
As the last flickers of flame danced from his lips, tears streaked down his angled features, dripping carelessly from his sharp chin. Again his honey colored eyes dropped closed, his body trying to shut out the tears that flowed freely from them. The strength that he prided left his body, knees finding a resting place on the tiled floor beneath him.
Hands gripping the carved marble of the railing, Zuko let his head rest on the cool surface, the tears falling in pained drops beneath him. He remained like that for a seeming eternity, his thoughts a torrent of guilt and rage. Sadness and pain. All the negative feelings of the proverbial rainbow.
Finally he felt himself calm down, taking a deep breath as he rubbed the tears away with the sleeve of his soft brown kimono. It was all wrong. His body tensed a bit as he felt a distinct presence to either side of him. Looking carefully to the sides, he felt the presence of what he assumed to be Azula's loyal Dai Li agents, obviously ordered to be sure he was not up to anything.
As though he could. Azula, he thought with more than a little bit of scorn, was always the smarter of the pair. She was the one with the plans, the one with the cool, even demeanor to turn any situation that had run against her. She was the one with all the talent, all the adoration from their father. He chuckled dryly, no hint of joy in his voice, as he realized that she was truly everything he would never be.
Turning back towards the large bedroom, the young man let the lime green curtain fall behind him as he entered, his bare feet padding softly on the cool stone. Looking around the room he let his eyes fall on all the fancy carvings, all the intricate patterns and impossibly fine materials, all fit for royalty. He wondered why he was not happy with what he had gained.
Sure, he had spent so long aching to return home, complaining about having to live as a commoner, lecturing to his uncle about how he was a prince, and people should be bowing and giving him whatever he wanted. Golden eyes rested on a pair of lovely girls bowing near the large door, brown hair flowing behind the back of one while streaks of jet black were tied up in a bow for the other.
The clothing was they wore marked them as servants, similar in some way to how his scar marked him. The thought made his face hurt, the burn aching as it happened to do on some occasions, usually in matters regarding his family.
"Is there anything we can do for you, Lord Zuko?" one girl chanced to ask, her mint green eyes glinting slightly off of the charcoal toned marble of the floor beneath her. Zuko winced a bit at the title, having grown so used to several other names. 'Prince Zuko', uttered by his uncle with caring and attempts at guidance. 'Zuko' spoken with bitterness and rage by the young Avatar and his two friends from the Water Tribe.
'Lee'. That name brought with it the most difficulties, the harshest memories of the kind of person he was. Spoken with care by a trusting healer when he had first gone on the run from his own family. Spoken again with uncertainty and clear sincerity by another girl as he had attempted to fit into a city of refugees.
But of all his aliases, this one felt the most foreign. He had no idea who this 'Lord Zuko' was, but he knew it was not him. Closing the distance between the pair of girls, he placed a hand on their shoulders, bringing them to eye level.
"Please, don't call me Lord Zuko," he said, the girls turning their gazes once more to the ground beneath them. Zuko groaned a bit at the formal nature ingrained so deeply in all the servants around the palace.
"No, that will not do, Lord Zuko. Lady Azula has insisted that we treat her brother with all the honor due the heir to the throne of the Fire Nation," the darker haired girl said, her voice a hurried jumble of emotions. Chief among them was an emotion Zuko had far too much experience with. Fear.
"Yes. She has ordered us to see to anything you might require," the brunette said, similar tones in her own voice. Zuko felt his teeth begin to gnash together within his mouth, wondering what she had done to instill such obedience in these girls. He also wondered just how many other such people might be living in the palace.
"Look. I don't care what Azula told you, but you don't have to be so formal with me. Just call me Zuko, alright?" he said, almost pleading with them to treat him normally. The two girls looked at one another, and for a moment Zuko thought he was going to get through to them.
"I am sorry, Lord Zuko, we cannot go against Lady Azula's wishes," the brunette said, bowing in respect to the man who was now her lord. The other girl did likewise, the pair lowering their heads to the young man. Zuko was at a loss. True, this is the kind of thing he had been longing for during the long years of his banishment. To have servants waiting on one hand and foot was what any noble should want.
So why didn't he?
"Alright, come with me a minute," he said, an idea forming in his head. The girls, as he had expected, followed a short distance behind him, their simple robes shuffling as they walked to keep up with him. His lips held together in concentration, he hoped he was walking in the right direction.
Greens and other earthy tones filled the entirety of the large palace, the corridors lined with dark green columns, emerald green carpets lining the marble floors. It was all so opulent, so fancy, and completely different than what one might expect when looking at the palace from the outside.
His eyes brightened as a sigh of relief escaped his lips, glad that he had seemingly found the correct door. All the doors looked the same, and so he had no idea for certain, but as he glanced back at the girls, their looks told him that he had reached his destination.
"Are you going in there?" the black haired girl asked, unmistakable fear in her voice as she squeaked out her question. The pair of girls shivered noticeably, afraid of possibly slighting the Princess in any way.
"Well, you're my servants for now, right? So, you better follow me, or I'll have to report you," he said, internally wincing at the bossy tone he was forced to adopt in front of the young girls. He felt bad for bossing them around, but knew they would probably not follow him otherwise.
Swinging open the large green door, he watched the soft lamplight of the palace glint off of the golden frame, before illuminating the room within. Scanning the room carefully, his eyes focused on the lamp hanging from the center of the room. With a simple snap of his fingers, Zuko lit the lamp, filling the room with light.
"What are we doing here, Lord Zuko," the brunette asked, hesitantly following as the Prince entered the large room. He stopped in front of a large closet, casting a look back at the pair of girls. Throwing open the intricately carved closet door, he grimaced noticeably at the sheer number of outfits Azula had "procured" in such a short amount of time.
Olive greens, tones reaching from the darkest shades of green to the brightest emerald glimmered in the closet, the girls gasping as they took in the sight. Zuko allowed himself a small smile, knowing that they were still girls, despite their "programming" by Azula.
"I don't know anything about girls' clothing, so you guys each pick a dress or two to wear," Zuko said, offering instructions to the girls as he made his way back to the entrance. Two sets of green eyes rested on him as he walked, a small squeak from the young brunette stopping him as his foot crossed the threshold.
"L-Lord Zuko, what are you doing?" she asked, her eyes darting from the fancy clothing to the oddly humble Lord. Zuko turned towards the young girls, a sad smile gracing his face as he did so.
"These are gifts. Don't worry about Azula. I will take care of her if she ever comes back here, so do not worry. But in exchange, you will refer to me as simply Zuko from now on, is that understood?" he asked in his royal tone, his smile picking up a bit as the girls' eyes shot open in surprise.
"B-but we have not done anything to deserve such kindness," the darker haired girl said, her hands clutched together against her oddly ample chest. The brunette nodded her agreement as Zuko turned squarely towards the girls.
"It's not what you have done, it is what you are going to do. I'm going to be going out, and I don't need anyone to know. You two can cover for me, can't you?" he asked, a near chuckle escaping his lips as he noticed the looks of shock on their faces.
"If that is the case, then we should accompany you," the younger of the girls tried to say, Zuko raising his hand to offer silence.
"No, I need some time alone, and the only way I can do that is by getting out of here for a couple of days. I will also say that there is a small bag filled with gold coins sitting on the dresser in my room. I would be quite angry if it were not still there when I return," he offered, smiling as he nodded before leaving the room.
Making his way back through the large corridors, Zuko felt a good deal better with himself for what he had done. He wasn't sure of the girls would take his hint and make a break for it, but he had left the door open. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he entered his own room, the greens he had become accustomed to seeing offering him some peace of mind.
Looking around the room, he smirked as he noticed the pack he had been using for the large portion of his travels in the Earth Kingdom. Tossing off the distinctly royal garb he had been wearing, Zuko made his way to his own closet, kneeling as he pulled out a small box.
Slipping the compartment open, he pulled out the shadowy garb that he made use of during the occasional time he would call upon his alter-ego. It was not something he should enjoy, being the finely raised Prince he was. But something about sneaking around in shadows, outside the visions and rules of men was exhilarating, and it made him feel as though he could equal Azula on some level.
Pulling the black garment tightly over his body, he then stuffed his simple garments from his time serving tea into the pack, as well as a simple yet fancy kimono, made of fine olive and emerald green tones. Once he was satisfied with his slight preparations, the young man slid his nobles' robes over the ninja getup, being certain that the dark clothing was not visible to the naked eye.
Hoisting the pack over his shoulder, the young man set the bag of coins on his dresser, as he had told the girls about only a short time earlier. Settling on his preparations, the young man focused his energy for an instant, snuffing out the candle hanging from his own ceiling. Carefully making his way through the corridors, he smiled and nodded, returning the formal greetings offered him by the myriad servants.
Though he could not see them, Zuko knew the Dai Li were creeping around the palace, their presences obvious but hidden to all but the most trained minds. He would have to remember to thank his uncle one day for his advice to train in other forms apart from fire bending. At first, he had laughed at the idea, but the skills he had developed with the dao swords as well as stealth had served him well.
As he reached the large doors of the palace gate, he figured this would be the most difficult obstacle to overcome. Sucking in a deep, calming breath, he made his way right up to the gate, watching as two burly men came up to him.
"Halt. Who goes there?" one man asked, the moon's light illuminating the heavy scar marking the man's right cheek. Zuko felt a throb of pain in his own cheek, the scar suddenly weighing him down heavily.
"Oh, I'm sorry Prince Zuko, I didn't notice you," the other man said, saluting the young man profusely as he backed away a few steps.
"It's quite alright. But I would like to leave the palace for a bit, to see the sights of the city. You can arrange it, can't you?"
"I-I am sorry, Lord Zuko, but we are under strict orders from Lady Azula to not allow anyone in or out of the palace without her say so," the scarred man said, stumbling on his words a bit as he feared Zuko would simply blow his top. The Prince of the Fire Nation had a well known reputation as a hot head, one who lost his calm at even the smallest perceived slight against him.
"I understand. But how about you let me worry about Azula? Besides, you didn't see anyone tonight, did you?" Zuko asked, his meaning clear as he reached into his pocket, producing a small handful of coins. The two gatekeepers looked to one another before snatching up the coins.
"Who came to the gate? I didn't see anyone," the unscarred man said, offering Zuko a warm, appreciative smile as he set about opening the gate. Zuko watched as the heavy gate groaned open a tiny bit, just enough for him to slip through. The young man offered the pair of keepers a subtle nod of the head, before indicating that he would need re-entrance in a couple of days.
His situation settled a bit more, he set about losing the Dai Li agents, which he knew would be a much more difficult task.
Next time, Zuko escapes from the Dai Li agents tracking him, and reminisces about how he ended up in his current situation. As I said in one of my other stories, this one is a sort of 'What if...' kind of thing, based on the canonical comic 'Going Home'. Basically just how things would have gone if he had held to his thought and not returned to the Fire Nation with Azula. There will be mentions of Maiko here, but it will be Jinko all the way (my favorite pairing currently), so hopefully you will all stick along for the ride.
Also, for the fans out there, if I were to use the two girls (and maybe the two gatekeepers) as OC's, what kind of names might you suggest? Naming is the one thing I hate more than anything else, even action scenes. They will not be major characters, if I use them, but with a story like this, there would definitely be some non-canonical characters in it :P Until next time people.