A. N. : A welcome break from all the Gal Pals drama with today's chapter... or did y'all want more of the pain ? Either way, I'm the one writing, and I said it's break time. Say hello to happy Zuko ! It's a rare sight, especially in this fic... I feel like I should apologize to someone for that haha (Also, the music vibe for this chapter is Kiyohiko Ozaki's また逢う日まで (mata au hi made/until the day we meet again), which I find immensely cheerful for a breakup song. Must be all the trombone)
It's lunch time.
Zuko sits between Uncle and Jet, feeds Lin something that could almost be mistaken for gruel if not for the bits of crackers still resisting their soaky fate. He watches as Katara takes advantage of Sokka's current half-awake state to get him to eat something, watches as Toph, the Avatar, and the Kyoshi Warrior share some old memories of going to Ba Sing Se and coming face to face with a giant sea monster, with Jet interjecting at times with wildly embellished stories of the ferry.
If it wasn't for the dry meat and the even dryer crackers, this would be a great time. But good is fine too.
Of course, Zuko still worries, for Azula and what Father might do to her, for the fate of the war, now that the invasion plans changed so drastically, they might as well have been cancelled, worries for a million other things, but –
Uncle is safe. Sokka is slowly getting better, or at least conscious for longer spans of time, and Jet shouldn't be in a situation where he risks blowing up too soon. Lin is eating well, seems to even enjoy the ever-growing number of people around her. Uncle praised Zuko for his work with the Avatar, praised him for his lightning-redirection in Tenuht, watched with a smile as Zuko passed on that technique to the Avatar.
It's a nice change of pace.
Still, Zuko can't stop himself from rolling his eyes at Jet's ridiculous tales of their liberating food from right under the captain's nose – now a giant covered in jewels for some reason ? –that he depicts like a heroic act of sneaking into a room to steal dishes the size of grown men.
He was only planning on letting Jet spin his fantastical tales without commenting on them – as ridiculous as they are, Zuko has to admit they're pretty entertaining – but when the Avatar starts to wonder if maybe the captain was some sort of spirit, it's pretty clear that things have been allowed to go on for too long.
Zuko slaps the back of Jet's head while the idiot just laughs. No, the captain wasn't a spirit, no he wasn't a giant either, please don't believe everything Jet says –
Uncle and Toph both let out bellowing laughs, and even Katara, as busy as she is, and the Kyoshi Warrior chuckle at the Avatar's disappointment and Jet's over-the-top insistence that everything he said was true and how dare Zuko call him a liar – you wound me ! And here I thought we were friends ! – complete with a hand over his chest as he feigns falling backwards from the despair of it all.
It's ridiculous, and Zuko can't help but start laughing too.
He hasn't felt this light since… ever, probably. Or maybe back when Mother was still around, and he simply doesn't remember it. But even in Ba Sing Se, with Smellerbee and Longshot and the evenings spent on the roofs, there was always the weight of Li's name, of the threat that everything would come crashing down simply because of who he was.
There is no such thing now. Only the warmth of Uncle's presence at his side, of Lin in his arms, and of everyone's smiles.
The weightless fun can't last forever though. Zuko knows that.
So when, after the laughter has died down, Uncle announces that he will take his leave and join with the White Lotus to prepare for the arrival of Sozin's Comet, Zuko can't say he is shocked.
Sad, yes, especially when this new separation comes so soon after he got Uncle back, but not shocked.
It feels unfair, though. He knows it isn't, knows Master Piandao said the White Lotus have plans of their own and that Uncle is an important player in them, knows thanks to Uncle's that the Avatar's training doesn't require Uncle's presence and that Zuko is enough, knows, even, that he doesn't need Uncle's guidance as much now that he's found his own path and that, all things considered, he didn't do too terrible a job at keeping himself alive and mostly out of trouble while Uncle was imprisoned.
He knows all that.
But still he takes Uncle in his arms – at least tries to, as well as he can with Lin still in his lap – and holds him as close as possible, telling him he'll miss him and please be safe –
Uncle holds him back, makes him promise to take care of himself and of Lin, then rises to his feet and gives both thanks and words of advice and care to everyone else.
The others answer with hugs and a punch in the arm from Toph and take care Uncle and it was an honor to meet you and a nod from the Kyoshi Warrior and a don't die old man from Jet – and hey, a bit more respect for Uncle please !
Katara offers Uncle some of the remnant crackers, which he gladly accepts before turning one more time to Zuko, saying that they'll meet again and that he's so proud of him, and that if Zuko ever feels that he has nothing more to teach the Avatar, the Sun Warriors ruins might hold some old secrets for them.
He bows, then, saying one more goodbye, looks at the sun before heading north with the assurance of one who knows where he's going.
And just like that, he is gone.