Prince Zuko was being helped into his military uniform. He could not help but feel- what was the word Izanami had used? Timid. He could not help but feel timid as he thought of what could happen. The beam had been the first solid clue he had gotten in the past two long years.
When he realized he was done being dressed, he bowed his head to dismiss the people that were helping him. As the left, another person took their place. Izanami. They had been best friends since Azula had brought her home, along with Mai and Ty Lee. Ever since then, they had been practically attached at the hip. She had even left behind her life for him when he had been banished. She had told him she loved him after his Agni Kai, when he thought she would be disgusted with his face. And Zuko loved her. He had loved her since…. Well, he didn't really know when he really started to love her. He had just one day realized, while laughing along with her to some joke that he couldn't remember, that 'oh my spirits. I'm in in love with my best friend.' Izanami made him feel calmer and level-headed. She also made him feel strong and worthy.
Before Zuko could dwell any longer on this thoughts, he heard Izanami laugh lightly.
"What is it?" He asked her, confused to why she was laughing.
"I have seen thousands of men dressed in full Fire Nation armor," She explained, walking over towards him. "But I will never understand the helmets. They are so silly."
Izanami reached up and took the helmet off him, placing it on the ground next to her. "There. Much better."
Zuko took the opportunity to kiss her quickly, smiling lightly as she shut her eyes and smiled when he pulled away. He would kiss her every second of the day if he could always see her like this.
"You know," Izanami said as she opened her eyes, "I would say that you look amazing, but I see you in this garb almost every day. It's not that exciting anymore."
Zuko cracked a small smile as she teased him. "Are you ready?" He asked her.
She nodded as he walked over and picked up his helmet before he held the door open for her. "Well then, let us meet the crew below the deck."
~00~
As Zuko and Izanami, along with the crew, waited below the deck, they could hear the ice breaking as the ship plowed through it and felt it as it vibrated throughout the ship.
Under her breath, Izanami turned so only Zuko could hear her. "Was it necessary to break the ice?"
"Well, we couldn't have walked!" He whispered/snapped back to her, making Izanami sigh. They both turned back to face the latch, waiting for it to open.
When the ship finally came to a stop, it was not long before the latch opened. Zuko began to walk down first, followed by Izanami, and behind her, the rest of the crew. Izanami looks towards the villagers and quickly did a head count. Sixteen. She was shocked by the small number of people. The entire village could probably live comfortably on the deck of the ship.
Her attention was drawn away from the villagers, to a boy, dressed as a Water Tribe Warrior, charging at them with his weapon raised. Izanami stepped forward to deal with the boy, but Zuko got to him first. He flung the boy over the side of the latch, making him land head first into the snow.
They continue to make their way down the latch and towards the village, stopping once Zuko reached the villagers. Izanami stood behind him and to his right, not speaking but observing the situation.
"Where are you hiding him?" Zuko demanded, looking over their faces. When he received no answer, he stalked over to an old woman and grabbed her. Izanami called out his name in warning, but he ignored her. "He'd be this age? Master of all elements?"
Before he could do anything more, his hand was slapped from his grip on the old woman's hood. He turned his attention back to whoever did that to see Izanami standing between him and the old woman.
"Ma'am, please go back." Izanami said to her. The woman wasted no time in returning to her granddaughter's open arms. Izanami glared at Zuko before she returned to her position behind him.
Zuko rolled his eyes at her before he turned his attention back to the villagers, "I know you're hiding him!"
Before Zuko could speak again, the young Water Tribe boy charged again at Zuko with his weapon raised. But Izanami quickly intercepted him, picking him up by the backs of his hood and pants before throwing him over her and Zuko's shoulder, who had bent over when he saw Izanami pick up the boy. The boy was still not interested in Izanami, as once he was upright, he rolled and threw his boomerang at Zuko, who ducked and looked at the boy in anger.
Izanami turned and looked in the direction the boomerang had gone. Behind her, a small boy cried out, "Show no fear!" and threw a spear to the Water Tribe boy, who caught it and charged at Zuko once more. As he reached the Prince, Zuko broke off pieced of the spear with his wrist guards and once the head of the spear was gone, he bonked the boy in the head with it several times he lets it go and casted the boy and the spear aside.
Zuko stood angrily over the boy and Izanami's eyes widened as she saw the boomerang return.
"Zu-" She tried to call to the Prince, but was not quick enough and ducked to avoid being hit by it, leaving Zuko to get hit in the head with the boomerang. "-ko."
Zuko's helmet had turned slightly, and he straightened it quickly before turning back to the Water Tribe boy. He shot fire out from the side of his clenched fist, standing over the boy menacingly.
Izanami was pushed slightly forward as a huge gust of wind blew Zuko upside down and backwards. She looked towards the villagers as the cheered and saw a young boy with a shaved head and was dressed in Air Nomad clothing with a bright blue tattoo across his head and stopped at his forehead. She looked at the boy in bewilderment, before her eyes widened. Air Nomad clothing, the staff he held in his hand, his tattoo's. This was the Avatar?! He couldn't have been more than fourteen!
Izanami looked back at Zuko and saw that he was getting himself back up. Zuko motioned for the crewmembers to surround the Airbender. Izanami stood stiffly with her hand on her weapon of choice, a leather whip.
"Looking for me?" The Airbender asked, keeping his eyes on Zuko.
"You're the Airbender?" Zuko asked in disbelief, "You're the Avatar?"
"Aang?" Izanami looked over to see a Water Tribe girl, the granddaughter of the old woman, looking at the Airbender, Aang, in disbelief.
"No way." The Water Tribe boy said. Izanami was silent, looking at Zuko and Aang as they circled on another.
"I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training. Meditating." Zuko yelled, "You're just a child!"
"Well, you're just a teenager." Aang pointed out. Zuko cried out and firebended at Aang, who deflected it with his staff. Izanami watched as Zuko sent fireball after fireball at the young boy, who was able to deflect each blow with his staff. They both moved in circles once again, not taking their eyes off each other.
It wasn't until Zuko's fire had almost touched the children that Izanami became alarmed. Aang head realized too, that Zuko wasn't going to stop until he had the Avatar.
"If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?" Aang said to Zuko, who straightened up from his firebending stance, and nodded. Zuko motioned to the crewmembers to cuff Aang and walked over to Izanami.
"That was too close, Zuko." Izanami whispered, "You could have hit the villagers. The children."
Zuko paid no attention to her and once that Avatar was secured, he put a hand on Izanami's back and led her up the latch. "Head a course to the Fire Nation. I'm going home."
"No, Aang! Don't do this!" The Water Tribe girl called out.
"Don't worry Katara, it'll be okay." Aang called out to her, "Take care of Appa for me until I get back."
~00~
On the deck, the Avatar faced Zuko, Iroh, and Izanami as well as many of the crew.
"This staff will make an excellent gift for my father." Zuko said, taking the staff from a member of the crew, "I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks."
Aang looked at all the people who surrounded him, and he saw the only girl there roll her eyes at Zuko's words. Aang stared at her a moment for confused as to why she wasn't staring at him like the rest. But Aang couldn't dwell on it any further, as his attention was drawn back to his captor's words.
"Take the Avatar to the prison hold." Zuko commanded, "And take this to my quarters."
Zuko shoved the staff into Iroh's hands and stalked away.
"Hey, you mind taking this to his quarters for me?" Iroh asked a guard as he gave him the staff, smiling at the guard.
"It's okay, I'll do it." Izanami told the guard, gently taking the staff from him.
Izanami went to walk away but stopped and turned back to Aang. "I just have one question." The Avatar stayed silent but looked at her in anticipation. "How did you stay alive?" She asked him, looking him over.
"I was in the ice."
Izanami furrowed her eyebrows at him, trying to figure out what he meant. "Ice?" She asked, "What do you mean ice? Did you eat it or-"
The guard interrupted her before she could ask any more questions. "I'm sorry ma'am, but I have to take him to the prison hold."
"Yes, of course." Izanami bowed her head to the guard. "Make sure no harm comes to him. He's not any use to us dead."
Aang watched as the girl walked away, feeling puzzled. She seemed trust worthy, but how well could you trust someone who assisted in your capture?
~00~
Izanami said nothing as she entered Zuko's room, not knowing what to say. But luckily, there wasn't too many moments of awkward silence before a guard came rushing in.
"The Avatar has escaped!"
"Well, go!" Zuko yelled, "Do not let him escape!"
The guard quickly left, following orders. Izanami looked to the Avatar's staff, that was still in her hand. "Zuko." She said, drawing his attention to her, "He won't leave without his staff."
Zuko nodded at her and took the staff from her, leading her out of his room. "Go find Uncle, if you see the Avatar, do not try and stop him. Just try to lead him here."
Izanami nodded and gave him a quick kiss. "Be safe."
"You too."
~00~
Izanami ran down the hall, running towards Iroh's room. She barged in, not even bothering to knock, and found him already asleep.
Seriously? she thought, they hadn't even captured the Avatar half an hour ago.
"Iroh!" She yelled, rousing him from his sleep, "We need to help Zuko- the Avatar has escaped!"
"What?!" The former General shot out of bed, fixing his robes as he ran to the door, "We must help Zuko, he will not be able to face the Avatar alone!"
Izanami rolled her eyes as Iroh ran out the door and made his way down the stairs.
"That's what I just said." She muttered, sighing as she took two steps at a time.
~00~
When Izanami and Iroh reached the main deck, the Avatar was already flying off with his sky bison.
"Huh?" Iroh said as he rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was still dreaming.
"Oh, spirits." Izanami looked up as the animal flew further away. "A flying, sky bison. He actually has a large, flying, animal." She looked around to see the crew frozen, with their arms stretched out. Where was Zuko? "Zuko! Zuko, where are you?"
"Over the side of the ship!" He yelled back. Izanami ran over to see him hanging onto the ship by the anchor.
Izanami and Iroh ran to help Zuko back onto the main deck. "Shoot them down!" Zuko yelled when he was firmly on the deck.
He and Iroh ran to the middle of the deck and firebended a ginormous ball of fire towards the sky bison, but it was immediately ricocheted to the ice cliff that was beside them, creating an avalanche of ice and snow that buried the front half of the ship. And Izanami.
Zuko gasped as he saw Izanami being buried under the avalanche.
"Good news for the Fire Lord. The nation's greatest threat is just a little kid." Iroh said as he and Zuko ran over an began to dig and melt the snow that buried Izanami.
"That kid, Uncle, just did this." Zuko growled as he dug out faster, not hearing Izanami call out, which meant she could be knocked out. Not a second later, he found the top of her thigh and grabbed it, pulling her out.
"Are you okay?" He asked pulling her to him to warm her up.
"I hate the South Pole." She muttered, pressing her face to Zuko's chest as she shivered. "And the North Pole too, by association."
"Dig this ship out and follow them!" Zuko ordered, pulling her up before he saw crewmembers unfreezing the ones that had went up against the waterbender. "As soon as you're done with that."
"Let's get you warm." Zuko said to her as he lifted her up bridal style and barked out order to get some hot tea going.
~00~
An hour later, Izanami was warm again and in her room with Zuko and her under the covers.
"What's the plan now?" She asked softly, not wanting to upset Zuko by speaking about the Avatar, the one who had just escaped from them.
"We find him. Where ever he is going, he cannot hide from me." Zuko muttered.
"Us." She reminded him. Even if she was hesitant about the Avatar being a kid, she was with Zuko. She wouldn't let him do this alone.
"Us." He agreed, "He cannot hide from us."
Izanami nodded and burrowed herself further under the covers, making Zuko put an arm around her and pull her closer to him. She had never thought that they would find the Avatar, nor had she thought that he would be a child. When she had decided to leave the Fire Nation, she hadn't imagined that she had any chance of coming back. Well, she always could come back. Izanami was never banished. But she would never come back without Zuko. Now that they had a chance to come back to the Fire Nation, to go home, Izanami didn't know how she felt about it. Because it all depended on what they were willing to do to this child.