(I don't own ATLA or its characters)
Often, Hama wondered if life in prison would have been better than this. This miserable fucking existence playing house with a man like Ozai.
She still remembered the days right after she'd been caught for the second time. Even encased in a metal coffin so thick the ocean itself couldn't have gotten her out, Hama had still managed to frighten the monsters who held her captive with mere looks.
As if Hama had been the one who had burned their homes and brutalized their people. As if she had done ANYTHING wrong.
Yet they all looked at her with fear.
All except their Chief, the head monster if you will. Fire Lord Azulon was a man who was pale as death despite being so soaked in blood he might as well take a bath and drown in it.
No, he did not fear her. Nor did he flinch as grey eyes foretold the way which he would leave this world in all the painful ways they could. Arrogant as Hama had always known he must be.
Azulon's eyes did narrow when she told him where to shove it.
"Bloodbending," Azulon had said to a young man at his side, who eyed her with disdain. "Belongs in civilized hands, where it can be properly cultivated and used to spread the glory of the Fire Nation. You understand this, Ozai?"
Cold gold met her icy glare, "Of course, my Lord."
Hama refused to blink until they left.
Soon she was forced to marry and lay with Ozai, the Fire Lord's youngest son. He was a cruel and callused man who somehow made his father look like a cuddly penguin-kitten. A man who felt he now owned her.
A man who shouldn't have been shocked when Hama made her third bid for freedom as soon as the moon was full and her power was at its peak.
Dozens and dozens of bending thieves called "Chi blockers" had descended upon her that night, coming at her in droves until Hama was overwhelmed.
It didn't take long for them to guess her limitations and adapt.
From then on Hama was locked beneath the palace during the full moon. Away from anyone she could use.
That was fine, she decided as she stared into the eyes of her infant son. She would train Zuko to destroy them in her place.
Now, years later, it was time for lesson one.
"I think you're ready to try something more advanced."
Zuko, now ten years old, looked up from the turtle-duck he was feeding. "Really? Is it something cool?"
"Very." Hama grinned, motioning him closer. "You know that water is in everything, yes?"
Zuko nodded, watching as his Mother crouched down at the pond.
"Then you also know that a waterbender is never truly helpless." Hama smiled as a turtle-duckling crawled into her hand. "Watch closely."
Zuko did watch closely as the turtle-duckling made an unearthly sound of pain as it twisted. Forced to follow his Mother's movements as if it were being held up by invisible strings.
"What are you doing..?" Zuko whispered, feeling his blood run cold. "You're... You're hurting him!"
"You need to think about the possibilities, my dear Zuko."
Hama stared unblinkingly as she forced the turtle-duckling's head up, petting under its chin.
"It's the only way you'll survive in this world."
Zuko felt his eyes become very wet very fast. "It's mean! It's mean and wrong and-"
"Zuko." Hama turned to look her son in his wide, unfortunately Fire Nation eyes. "Look at him, what do you see?"
"A ba-baby."
"That's the problem, that's not all this turtle-duck is." Hama stood up, handing the creature over to her son's trembling hands. "It's a being full of water, just like the grass and the flowers. Just like you and me."
Tears rolled down pale cheeks as Zuko clutched the too-still turtle-duckling to his chest. "I.. I don't want to! Please, please don't make me-!"
"It doesn't matter." Hama sent a murderous glare the Palace's way, not that her son could appreciate it with all his crying. "You have the ability, so you must."
"..O..Okay."
Zuko heard his own weak, pathetic, miserable croak and nearly stumbled. Nearly didn't recognize it as his own. He felt his limbs move into the familiar stance and his lungs breathe, but it didn't feel like he was controlling either.
Like he himself was a spectator in his own body. A ghost forced to watch from the inside as Zuko of the Caldera connected to blood for the first time. Breath hitching as the little being in his grasp went rigid.
"Congratulations Zuko, you're a bloodbender."
The Prince started to hate going to the turtle-duck pond after that.
They all ran from him.
Waterbending was as fluid and elegant as firebending was fierce and sharp. The Royal siblings, now the only heirs the Fire Nation had, perfectly exemplified this as they moved in a strange tandem before their grandfather.
Grandfather hardly seemed impressed.
"Ozai why do you waste my time with this pointless pomp?" The Fire Lord demanded. "You two out, I wish to talk to your father alone."
Zuko made for the door when Azula dragged him behind a curtain.
"What are you doing?" He whispered-hissed. "We could get in trouble!"
"Only if you don't shut up." She shot back, turning to watch their father make a bid for the throne.
It didn't go well.
Zuko opened his eyes to see a giant white orb in the sky.
Why is the moon in my bedroom?
Belatedly Zuko realized he wasn't in his room at all.
Instead, Zuko was on a boat buried beneath several blankets. A boat that was moving very very fast towards nowhere in particular.
Feeling much like he was having a very strange Mango-are-talking-to-me type dream, Zuko sat up. Gold eyes landing on the figure who conducted the ocean.
He jumped when wide grey eyes locked onto him and, for a split second, Zuko didn't recognize them as belonging to his Mother.
"Uh.. Mama where are we going?"
"A safe place." The boat rocked with Hama's movements. "Where no monsters can harm or use you."
"Monsters?" Zuko cocked his head to the side, "Am... Am I dreaming?"
"You should be, now go back to sleep."
"But-"
"-But nothing." His Mother steamrolled right over him. "Bed. Now."
Zuko blinked blearily at his Mother, before laying back down. The raised walls somewhat shielding him from the wind and saltwater as the rocking of the hull eventually coaxed him back into a dreamless sleep.
When he woke up the next day Zuko was told two truths that would shatter his world. A) His father wanted him dead, and B) he could never go home.
The third thing he learned was less fact and more of a general knowing that things would never be the same.
Zuko had been right, of course. Everything changed the day they left the Caldera.
In the small coastal town of Hinzyu on the largest of the Three Vulcan Islands, Hama and Zuko made their home.
They had originally just been passing through on their way to the colonies, planning to stay at the local inn for a few nights rests. That was when the old Innkeeper, Gonzu, offered his Mother a job.
Old Man Gonzu claimed his joints were getting old and worn and that he had never been much of a cook anyhow.
In retrospect, it probably had more to do with Old Man Gonzu being a pervert who had a thing for his Mother than any actual need of help. But at eleven years old, Zuko didn't think much of the way he talked or looked at her.
Zuko also didn't think much of it when barely a month later, Old Man Gonzu mysteriously died while out for a midnight walk. Leaving the Inn to his only employee.
Luckily for them, neither did the town of Hinyzu. Even when someone started going missing every month on the full moon.
The Spirits must just be angry is all.
This morning started like any other; with Zuko in his bed, nuzzled so deeply in his blankets he might risk becoming physically conjoined with them.
He was, that is until his Mother ripped them from him with a cheerful cruelty.
"Wakey wakey!" She gave his side a few good pokes. "The sun is up, birds are chirping-"
"-I'd rather be snoring."
Hama laughed, "Come on boy, we have shopping to do."
"You mean I have shopping."
"Glad to see you're excited." Patting his head Hama made for the door, "Breakfast will be ready in ten!"
"Yeah, yeah.." Zuko slid off the bed, watching his Mother leave before changing into his day clothes.
They were nothing like what he used to wear in the Caldera. Instead of elaborately designed silk robes, he wore simple peasants wear, something even the servants in the palace wouldn't have dared worn.
Azula would probably laugh if she saw him.
Stomping down the attic steps all the way down into the kitchen Zuko made a grab for a plate at the same moment his Mother made a grab for his head.
Ducking Zuko swatted her away, "Quit it."
"I will not!" Hama huffed, grabbing his face as she licked her thumb. "Honestly boy you could at least BRUSH your hair-"
"- It's fine!"
"For a homeless man." Hama fixed him an unimpressed look as she did her level best to fix... THIS.
"You're overreacting."
"Overreacting? You look like a bird has been living in your hair!"
Zuko shifted uncomfortably, "It's not that bad."
Throwing her hands up Hama went back to the stove. "Don't blame me if that Bakery-Girl laughs at you."
Grumbling Zuko hopped on the counter, picking at his food as his Mother went on to tell him what his chores were for the day.
"-I'll need you to go down to the market for some bread, eggs, and go by the beach for some hermit-fiddlers." Hama stuck the spoon out to him, "How does this taste?"
"Fine, and I got it. Do you want me to see if Old Man Heto has any ocean kumquats in?"
Hama raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to help me make the soup you're oh so subtly hinting for me to make?"
"I heavily implied it." Zuko stabbed his eggs, "And of course I'll help."
"To be blessed with such a considerate son."
Zuko lightly kicked at her leg, "Shush."
Shoving the last two sausages into his mouth Zuko hopped off the counter to give his Mother's cheek a kiss.
"I'll try to be back soon, love you."
Smiling, Hama started streaming the porridge out of the pot. "Don't steal anything."
"No promises!"
Zuko used his bending to fill the hermit-fiddlers burrows with water. The newly evicted crabs snapped their claws angrily at him before trying to scurry away.
Zuko almost felt bad as he stopped them cold.
Lifting the tiny corpses up the Prince-in-hiding sent them to the bucket, before shifting back into the stance needed to fill the burrows.
If he was just a little better, maybe more like his sister, he would be able to just pull them straight out of the dirt. To tell the hermit-fiddlers apart from the worms and beetles below the mashy sands.
Ear twitching Zuko turned to see a feathered fiend digging through his bucket.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
Staring Zuko right in the eye the thief (who Zuko would later note was a crab-piper) shoved a hermit-fiddler right in its beak before taking off.
As if they expected Zuko to have a normal reaction and curse them from afar.
Legging it like his life and honor depended upon it Zuko opened up the forest with a wave of his hand, caring little for the few stray twigs and briars scratching catching at his ankles.
Azula wouldn't have left anything- Was the last bitter thought Zuko had before the very earth betrayed him.
In retrospect, the tugging and pulling might have actually been the Spirits of the South Poles desperately trying to slow their second-to-last waterbender down long enough to see the hill he was currently tumbling down like a very fleshy and breakable ball.
Zuko wasn't sure when he passed out, but when he woke it was definitely no longer morning since Agni was directly overhead.
The weight of something on top of him immediately sent a jolt through him, as years of having Azula as a sister would, only to see an animal was laying on his chest. One covered in lots of red and gold feathers and… Had crab legs curled up around it…
The hermit-fiddler thief blinked his buggy-crab eyes down at him, making a sort of cooing noise as it reached out to poke him in the face.
What the fuck?
"Okay.." Damn his throat hurt. "Okay.. If you can just… Not finish me off and.. and kinda..."
Zuko didn't know where he was going with that.
"Please get off of me." Seemed like a nice ending point.
The thief retracted his leg, only to hunker down further as if to prove a point. A small warm spot in the cold expanse surrounding them.
Actually.. It really shouldn't be this cold. Why was he shivering so much?
Weakly, he forced his blood-caked arm up to wrap it around the crab-piper when the pain hit him.
The sight of his bone jutting out of his skin nearly made Zuko throw up.
Scooting up to lay against the decline of the hill the Prince-in-hiding took a deep, adrenalin-filled breath. He could fix this, he could, he just needed to shove it back in and sew himself up. His Mother taught Zuko to sew his pants so skin couldn't be that different-
His only source of body heat pecked at the offending bone, which was about as pleasant as you could expect.
Gritting his teeth Zuko tried to blink away the dots in his vision. If just touching felt like THAT, would he even be able to stand to push it in?
He had to. Zuko was a man of the Southern Water Tribes', his mother had told him countless stories of warriors getting broken and impaled but still being able to drag themselves home. Surely, he could handle setting a bone.
That's why he definitely did not whimper when he laid his hand over it, nor did he vomit when he gave it a white-hot pain-inducing shove.
Fresh blood gushed out of Zuko as he heaved, ignoring the angry tittering of the newly evicted crab-piper.
He could feel the blood like always, but it did nothing to soothe him- he was everywhere. Blood was all over the ground and not enough was in him and he was getting colder and colder...
Breathing in Zuko took control. Stopping the bleeding was as simple as that, but putting anything back was another thing entirely.
You still have to sew it closed, a part of him reminded. Knowing he couldn't. He wasn't his sister. He wasn't Azula. Who would have no issue doing any of this.
As if she would be stupid enough to end up in this situation.
Blood coated his fingers as Zuko laid them over his wound, breathing through his teeth as he focused on putting it back. Trying, desperately praying he could fix enough of what was broken to get back home.
Zuko was too delirious to really appreciate the white light that consumed his blood, but the strange peace that fell over his fear-ridden mind as the pain subsided was nice. He could feel the blood staying in on its own as his hands fell away.
Zuko figured he could think about it later as his eyes got heavier and heavier. Even the cold no longer bothered him.
The thief was obviously warm enough for the both of them anyway.
His Mother could never know about this.
Zuko wasn't even completely sure which reaction he would get to having broken (and miraculously healed) his arm, but he wanted to experience neither. So this would obviously have to die with him.
The scar on said arm might be hard to explain, though.
"Maybe she won't notice." Zuko voiced out loud and definitely not to the crab-piper who circled the Prince-in-hiding as he scrubbed off.
Dried blood was not all that bendable.
"I'm getting older; she doesn't bathe me anymore and I can just wrap bandages around it-"
Amused clucking was met with this.
"Yeah, well, no one asked you." Zuko huffed, even if the crab was completely correct in his assessment of how well that plan would pan out.
The bird himself seemed unbothered, swimming closer to try to bite at his hair.
"Hey, cut that out." Zuko grumbled, sinking down into the water as the avian-crustacean searched him for bugs. "Just because you paid me back for stealing my shit doesn't mean you can just.. just..."
Gesticulating Zuko's face reddened when he realized he was indeed talking to the crab-piper.
Slapping the water dramatically Zuko groaned.
"She's going to know, isn't she?"
The crab-piper didn't even need vocal cords to tell him she would. A few hair tugs sufficed.
Zuko shut the backdoor behind him, setting the bucket on the floor as he tried to silently tiptoe upstairs and avoid the inevitable.
"Good you're back." The inevitable laughed. "I take it Bakery-girl did more than fuss over your hair."
Hama paused at that, listened, and confirmed she was still not being screamed at. Turning around she raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." Her son said in a tone that said everything was.
Stepping away from the pot of broth-to-be Hama walked over, taking the bag of Fire Nation fruit from her son's grasp.
"Hmm, well you don't quite look like a bird's been living in your hair, so something must have happened." Hama said, which was really ironic considering a bird was currently living in it.
Leading him over to the counter, she said. "You know, back in the South Pole, we would talk to our parents about our troubles. Secrets were bad for the community, you see, so lying was always worse than whatever they may have done."
Eyeing the cloth wrapped around her son's forearm for only a moment Hama continued, "Or had done to them. Child are you afraid your dear old frail mother will start a fight she can't win?"
Snorting Zuko finally met her gaze, "You're anything but frail. No, it's... I was just stupid."
Then he told her, like a weak-willed worm who couldn't handle being even lightly squeezed.
"And then the blood...Glowed? I think it might have been the spirits, actually. The town is haunted, after all."
Hama didn't say anything.
"What?" Anxiety churned his gut. "You.. You don't think so?"
"I think you have a gift the South Pole used to hold in high regard." Hama began, picking up an ocean kumquat. "Healing is a lost art of our people, one which it seems you possess."
"We... We can heal?" Zuko felt like a rug had been ripped out from under him. "Since when? Why have you never told me? Never shown me how?!"
"I never had any talent for it, so I assumed you'd be the same." Ripping the juice from the fruit, Hama met his angry gaze. "Destroying is easier than mending. I would hate to see you break yourself trying."
"What? Did you think I'd take a knife and some water and try my luck?"
His Mother just gave him an unimpressed look.
"Well, whatever reason you had I do have talent for it."
Hama's face soured, freezing the kumquat juice. "I already told you I can't teach you."
"We'll just have to find someone who can." Zuko waved his hands as he spoke, "I have the ability so I must. Maybe we could find some scrolls or books-"
"Our people burned them to keep the Fire Nations bloody fingers off of them." Hama cut in.
"Then I'll have to find a master." Zuko decided. "The South must have someone and I always wanted to see your Homeland-"
"There is nothing to see." Hama snapped. "The Fire Nation destroyed our Tribes', our benders, our everything. You won't find any answers there."
"How do you know?" Zuko felt his frustration rise. "You haven't been there in decades! They could be thriving for all we know."
"I know because I watched it happen! Our people are dead because of those ashmaking brutes."
"Someone must be out there." Zuko desperately hoped so, anyways. "Waterbending is my only real connection with our people, I have to master it. To be good at it is the only way I can honor them."
Hama didn't say anything at first
Setting a hesitant hand on his Mother's shoulder Zuko swallowed, "Please, let's get away from here. This is isn't your home and it doesn't have to be mine. You can show me the snow and icy world you grew up in. Show me the penguin-otters and the wall of our ancestors."
"I'm afraid that it's too far a journey, with no happy ending." Hama reached up, squeezing his hand with hers. "Going to the South will only bring you pain. I don't want to speak of this again."
Zuko felt like he'd been slapped.
"How will I-"
"Not another word." Hama met his gaze, softening as she cupped his cheek. "If you truly wish to honor our people I will show you my way. You can join me in doing the Spirits work."
Grumbling, Zuko picked up an ocean kumquat. "I don't want to just run this in."
"It's much more than that, my child." Hama kissed his cheek, "Just drop this and you'll understand. Okay?"
"..Yes ma'am."
Zuko did not drop it.
Later that night, under the nearly full moon, he moved quietly through the village he had grown up in these last four years. The citizens of Hinyzu were well accustomed to boarding their windows and not looking outside due to all the supernatural activity in the area, so he was hardly worried about anyone seeing him.
But one could never be too careful.
Shaking off the thought Zuko arrived at the docks. Freezing himself a platform of ice to ride out on as he made a fog to cover his escape. Without his Mother there getting to the South Pole would be a long, lonely journey...
.. Or it might have been if Zuko had remembered to put a certain feathery crustacean back before he left.
"This is fine," Zuko told himself when he did inevitably find the crab-piper he maybe-sort-of-kidnapped. "I can just.. Drop you off on at the Earth Kingdom. Maybe Kyoshi, they have beaches right?"
The crab-piper stepped out of the way of the human's neurotic pacing. Missing the warmth of his personal hair forest.
"No, no I can't. You're a cinder ridden Fire Nation animal there is no way that will end well for anyone. Least of all you."
Continuing his pacing Zuko ran a hand through his bird-free hair. Generally regretting his life decisions. When a thought occurred to him.
"The Water Tribe probably wouldn't know that though, would they?" Crouching down, he gave the still-unnamed-crustacean chin scratchies. "They'll probably assume you're from the Earth Kingdom."
And honestly, who was Zuko to correct them?
Zhao was having a good day. A good, maybe even great day. The kind that typically accompanied one of his promotions. The type of day no one could ruin.
No one, that is, but an absolute asshole like the savage that just sped past his base. Soaking his everything with a crashing wave that might as well have been piss for all the respect it showed.
"Captain, do you.. Uh, do you want to shoot him down?" His Lieutenant, Chang Li, squeaked.
"No... No that would be a waste of resources for one man." Zhao steamed just as the saltwater soiling his uniform did. "That bastard will burn at my hands as all trash should."
Lieutenant Chang Li nodded, "Shall I prepare your personal ship then, sir?"
"Yes." Zhao watched the savage waterbend away as a very-nice, I-found-a-litter-of-puppy-kittens-to-eat grin stretched across his face. "It's been a long while since we raided the Southern Water Tribe."
Hope you like this :D or at the very least it distracted you from the pandemic for a hot minute
Please like, comment, and share! I also have a Tumblr ( IHate Cheddar) where you can ask questions or just follow me for fanart. Thanks again to MuffinLance for the original Mama-Hama au, I prolly wouldn't have had this idea without that in my subconscious lol
Next stop: The South Pole!