AN: Yo! Welcome!
The normal plot has been done to death, so I threw it in a blender and hit the high setting. No regrets.
...
Ch. 3 Teachers, Spirits and Murder oh my!
...
Lu Ten gaped at the two children that he was currently being taught advanced fire bending by. The girl grinned unrepented as his cousin smirked smugly.
"How-what?!" Lu Ten sputtered as the girl's grin transformed into a smirk that rivaled his cousin's.
"Fire bending is about using your chi to create fire. The sun lends us strength, and like Sozin's comet, we are able to draw energy off of things innately, however, there is a way to draw more than the sun's power to be used. The first step is understanding how to channel heat out of something.
"Firebenders can channel heat out of things using their chi. You've seen it before with Volcano experts who draw heat out of the caldera. All temperature is, are vibrations of energy. A temperature is correlated to the amount of energy in an area. Therefore, if you focus hard enough, you can draw the energy out of the environment." Lectured the girl as she gestured for Zuko to demonstrate this time. His cousin focused hard on the pot of boiling water over the bonfire. Suddenly there was a chill filling the air and a crack as the boiling water froze so fast the pot cracked, frost gathering on the logs that were just burning.
Lu Ten could feel how his cousin had sucked the energy out from the area surrounding the pot and fire before Zuko punched over the cliffside, his fire burst enough to rival five adults, despite the fact that Zuko was only nine years old. To think it had been two years before his cousin had disappeared off to Shu Jing to work on his 'swordsmanship.' Ha, swordsmanship his ass! His father had a lot to answer for! What was he thinking, teaching these little kids enough for them to get into shit like this?! This was beyond anything the Fire lord could do and if he caught wind of it, these two's bodies could disappear rather quickly into the lava below the palace. He could tell why after a few months' absences, Lady Ursa did not fight to have her son back from Shu Jing like he had thought would happen. It made sense now why she always went to visit the children, taking them on trips to the home islands versus having them visit the royal palace.
Lu Ten started sputtering something that sounded like 'mad geniuses' and 'bloody prodigies' doing 'crazy things.'
…
"Father! You have a lot to answer for!" Lu Ten yelled as he burst into his father's room. His father merely raised a brow as he sipped his Ginseng tea.
"Oh? Do tell?" his father asked mildly as Lu Ten threw himself into the seat across from his father, his hands pulling his hair out of his topknot as he clung to his head. His father shoed his hands away from his hair and gently pat it out of his face. He looked up to meet kind but concerned eyes.
"Why are you so distressed my son?" asked Iroh as his son shot him an incredulous look.
"I just saw Zuko suck the chi from a fire and a pot of boiling water and use the energy to release a gout of flames that should only be possible with Sozin's comet! What the hell did you teach them, Dad?! If grandfather caught wind of this, they would be dead before the day was out!" cried the younger man as the old general's eyes went wide in alarm. At his father's stillness, the young man looked up only to pause as he took in his father's ashen face. His eyes widened in realization.
"You didn't teach them that?" breathed Lu Ten before sitting back, feeling numb with shock. Iroh's face grew pensive.
"I knew Moriko was working on transferring chi when she was almost four, but I had not realized they had managed to progress so rapidly for their ages," murmured his father, appearing just as alarmed as his son. After a moment, Iroh looked up eyes shrewd.
"And they showed you this?" he asked as his son shook his head to clear it.
"They were trying to teach me. They said if I was going with you to Ba Sing Se I would need every edge that I could have to survive." He said quietly and he could see concern fill his father's eyes.
"They said that?" he said sharply and Lu Ten nodded a bit surprised at his father's tone. He sent his father a questioning look at his father's hardened but thoughtful expression. Spotting the unspoken question Iroh spoke up for his son's benefit.
"When those two say things of that nature, there is always weight to their words. If they intend to teach you, maybe it's best you delay your arrival to Ba Sing Se for a bit. Take their guidance, and do not let their age or childish games fool you, they are both far smarter than they have any right to be. If you need to stay longer, which I suspect will be the case then stay. What they are teaching has never been recorded in the annals of firebending history," he said as his son swallowed, before bowing his head in acquiescence.
"Yes father," he murmured as his father squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.
…
Lu Ten panted for breath, shirtless and dripping sweat as he finished the sword kata, the hot noonday sun beating down on his back.
"Good! Take a break or keep going?" yelled the girl as Lu Ten straightened.
"Again," he called and she nodded.
"I would recommend that you replenish your chi and cool the area around you then," she called and Lu Ten nodded tiredly before closing his eyes and moving through the form, pulling chi from around him and the temperature began to drop. Having gathered enough to chill the air and revive himself he nodded to the young Moriko and she grinned back, looking pleased with his progress.
"Again!" yelled the girl. He straightened his back before moving fast as lightning through the form, the blade singing through the air as he moved.
…
Lu Ten hit the ground hard and skidded a couple of feet before laying still, gasping for breath. He was trying so hard but he had so far to go. The siege of the Great Ring City of the Earth Kingdom had already been ongoing for half a year, but he still had so much to learn as his teachers impressed upon him every other day, like right now.
"Don't get cocky or it might be the last thing you do. Now get up," demanded Zuko as his cousin struggled to regain his breath.
"Can't I fight Moriko instead," the young man whined as Zuko's eyebrows rose in surprise. She was a good swordswoman and a good if not grumpy teacher when it came to certain things.
"Why?" Zuko demanded as his older cousin continued to whine something that sounded a lot like 'overpowered brats' and 'standing a fighting chance.' Zuko barked a laugh before it turned a little maniacal. Lu Ten's expression filled with dread as Zuko began to head towards where Moriko would be meditating.
"I sense that somehow I've made things worse for myself," muttered the young man before jogging after his cousin.
"Wait! Zuko, I was just kidding! You shouldn't bother her; you know how it gets when she's meditating and there are interruptions!" Lu Ten called, a little frantically as his cousin grinned evilly.
"It's far too late for that now, cousin." He grinned before tapping on Moriko's shoulder. She blinked out of her trance slowly before sending his cousin an annoyed look that spoke of future pain. Zuko smirked and jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Lu Ten, before saying something in a language Lu Ten had never heard before. She gave an incredulous snort before smirking up at the young man.
"There is a reason why Zuko handles your hand-to-hand lessons, Lu Ten," She said as she stood.
"And you're about to find out," muttered Zuko. Moriko shot him a reproachful look and he shrugged.
"It would be nice to you beat up someone else other than me," he said as way of explanation, and she rolled her eyes.
…
Master Piandao stared concernedly where the still form of Prince Lu Ten was slumped as he sat at the dinner table. Shooting the children a questioning look Zuko tried to hide his snickering as Moriko harrumphed in annoyance.
"He's still not conserving his chi enough to last in a battle." She muttered to herself grumpily before swatting at the asleep young man. He didn't move. She breathed in deep and Zuko flinched preemptively knowing what was to come.
"LU TEN! WAKE UP! EAT YOUR FOOD!" she yelled, and the young man yelped as he jerked awake, looking around blearily.
"Wha-"
"Eat!" she demanded as she shoved a premade bowl of dinner in his face. He took it as if in a trance and began eating looking like a zombie. Moriko harrumphed again before turning a grumpy look on Zuko.
"You've been going easy on him!" she complained. Zuko shot her an incredulous look and she gestured to a half-asleep Lu Ten who was shoveling food into his mouth without anything close to courtly grace.
"Look at him! He's half-dead!" she complained.
"So?" grumped Zuko and she glared.
"If you had been driving his ass into the ground every day then he wouldn't be so worn out right now! And if he started using the techniques we taught him he would have greater stamina and be able to conserve his chi more," she complained.
"I should take over his training before you let him slack off," she muttered and the Crown Prince slowly met Zuko's eyes, a silent plea in them to rescue him from his impending fate. Zuko sighed before saying 'you owe me big time,' with his eyes before interceding on Lu Ten's part.
"You aren't the best at teaching hand to hand Moriko. You do good with weapon training, but otherwise, you get grumpy then take it out on your students. How about you test him once every couple of weeks to check his progress," he suggested. She frowned in thought as Lu Ten slumped in relief. Better this be a weekly or biweekly thing than an everyday sort of thing.
"Fine! But if he makes no progress, then I take over his training," she grudgingly complied. Under the table where Lu Ten couldn't see, the two kids fist-bumped over a plan well executed.
Now the young man wouldn't be so keen to keep slacking off in the future.
…
1 year later
"Zuko," someone whispered in the dark. Zuko sat up ramrod straight and prepared a fireball as he blinked blearily. It was maybe 1 am.
"Wha," he murmured groggily as he took in the sight before him. His sleepy confusion morphed to absolute horror, and he shot out of bed as he lit all the candles in his room in one motion before grabbing his friend in the next.
"Stop freaking out," she muttered as Zuko forced her to sit down before checking her blood-splattered form for injuries.
"Why are you covered in blood?" he demanded in a hysterical whisper as he swiftly checked her for injury. She had stepped on some glass at some point and her foot was bleeding. He tsked as he started pulling medical supplies from around his room. She raised her eyebrow in surprise to find he already had this stuff in his room before wincing as he began to pull the glass from her foot.
"There was an assassin. I sensed them when they came up to the house and decided to watch them to see what they were trying to do. They tried to go for Lu Ten while he was sleeping." She said quietly as Zuko paused in his work, eyes widening in alarm as he looked up. He swiftly moved to grab his dao and secure them to his back before he got back to work. Grim eyes met his own and he frowned as he got back to work cleaning out her wound before starting to wrap her foot in a bandage carefully.
"The blood?" he asked as she gave a quiet snort.
"Not mine. Mostly. But it's not normal for eight-year-old little girls to wake up in the middle of the night and kill trained assassins. What are we going to tell the others?" She hissed as Zuko sighed, pausing in his work.
"We can tell them that it was me," he pointed out as she grimaced.
"Yeah, but killing isn't really your… vibe," she pointed out with a grimace as he began to work on the cut on her palm. He glared at the offending wounds before looking up, eyes burning with simmering anger.
"Well, I can fix that," he growled as she blinked in surprise trying to figure out his meaning.
"What do you mean?" she asked uncertainly as he grimly wiped away the rest of the blood on her face and arms. After a moment he had gotten it all off, revealing the scrapes and nicks hidden under and he scowled as he noticed the bruising on her cheek.
"Do you think I like the fact you got hurt, or do you think I would be upset over it?" he demanded. She sputtered incoherently.
"W-wha- enough to... you know?" she demanded a bit incredulous, not really believing that someone who had always used non-lethal means would suddenly change their mind. His scowl grew thunderous enough to shout that yes, yes he would. Her eyes went wide and after a moment she looked away slightly embarrassed.
"You don't need to do that for me," she muttered as his scowl managed to grow somehow.
"I decide what I'm willing and not willing to do. Now, next time there are assassins unless you don't have the time to do so, come and get me and we'll take care of them together, whatever we choose to do in the end," he said as he took her hands in his own, giving them a light squeeze. She nodded sheepishly and he pulled her to stand before pulling her towards the door. She paused with a frown before looking up, eyes grim as she sensed the inner flames of two people approaching the manor.
"There are two more moving towards the Manor," she whispered. Zuko's eyes grew thunderous once more and he nodded before the two of them set out into the night.
…
It had been a long night, and it was almost morning, the sun soon to rise in three hours' time. Something shuffled through the dark. The two moved in tandem, Zuko pulling his blades as Moriko used her flames to light the hallway.
Master Piandao blinked in alarm as he took in the two battle-ready children. He had clearly been on his way back from the bathroom, his wing in the same hallway as Lu Ten's. He frowned as he took in Moriko's scrapes and bruises as well as Zuko's protective stance in front of the girl and his blood-streaked blades. There was blood splatter across both children, and he could see most of Moriko's blades on her blade holster had been used.
"What had happened," he demanded, and the two children looked to one another, communicating in their made-up language quietly before the girl finally spoke.
"I caught an assassin trying to get into Lu Ten's room sir. I managed to take care of it without waking him up then went to find Zuko after making sure no one else could have snuck into the house and that your rooms were safe and secured. There have been three more assassins since then. We've been taking care of it." She said as the man's eyes went wide in alarm.
"Why didn't you wake us?!" demanded their Master and both children looked to one another before Zuko spoke grimly.
"Because what assassin expects to be assassinated in the dark while their targets remain asleep and unaware? To wake you, to have lights on, etc. would let them know that we know that they are there. They would have been able to send in a report letting others know that we know people are trying to assassinate us. If we are lucky, they will continue trying to kill us in this fashion instead of more creative means," he said as Moriko nodded.
"And with any luck, the entire group has made the mistake of coming into this quiet home to look for their comrades and to gather information. Isn't that right, intruder?" Moriko called over her shoulder as she turned and the assassin in the shadows froze in fear as those fearsome gold eyes met their own.
Before they could move, Zuko had used chi enhanced speed to appear beside the intruder. The hilt of his sword slammed into the base of their skull, and they went down like a sack of potatoes. The shadows moved behind the boy and there was a clang as Moriko appeared behind Zuko and deflected the blades that had been aimed for his back. There was the sing of a blade through the air as Zuko turned and swung at their newest attacker, a loud thump filling the air as the body hit the floor. The two kids turned to their unconscious captive, with dangerous eyes before looking up to meet their master's startled eyes as he hesitated in the doorway.
Master Piandao took a steadying breath before straightening, his face grim as he took in his students. While he didn't like it, he could see their point. Moriko motioned with her head and Zuko nodded before the two of them began to move the bodies towards a large walk-in closet. Their master tried not to faint when he realized that four more assassins had been stashed in the closet already, one bound and gagged, the others unmoving. Zuko bound his captive while Moriko grabbed her cleaning supplies and swiftly worked to get the blood out before it could set on the wall and floor so there was no evidence of violence to alert others that might come this way. After a moment Piandao realized that they had been guarding this hallway because it was the one that led to his and Lu Ten's rooms, and if all the assassins were indeed for him and the young man then this hallway was being used as an ambush and kill zone by the children. While they might be on the third floor, Piandao was still nervous that someone might try to get through Lu Ten's window. He mentioned as much, and the two kids met each other's eyes.
"Don't worry. We took care of that too," said Zuko grimly as their master tried not to shudder. Moriko murmured something to Zuko in their language and he nodded before jogging off only to return with Piandao's sword that was swiftly pushed into his hands.
"Here. Why don't you go relax in Lu Ten's room? No lights. If he wakes up, let him know what's going on and stay in there. We'll take care of this," Said Zuko as he pushed his master towards his cousin's room.
"Despite your skill, you two are only children, are you sure you should take this course of action? I would prefer to spare you two from further violence," he said pausing outside Lu Ten's door.
"Master, not to be mean, but when it comes to fighting the two of us, you know you are already outmatched. Also, we are smaller and harder to spot by assassins; far more likely to get the jump on them. At dawn, Zuko and I will rest and you two can take care of the rest for a bit until he and I recover from our long night. Also, we locked down the wing my parents are in so you two will need to let them out in the morning," Said Moriko firmly as she pushed the key into the Master's hands. His eyebrows went high as he was ushered into Lu Ten's room and the door was shut.
"How much time do we have?" asked Zuko as his companion sighed tiredly.
"Five minutes. Two are most likely at the bottom of the stairs and moving this way," she said as he nodded.
…
By night's end, the two kids were exhausted and at dawn, they banged on Lu Ten's door calling to be let in. The adults opened it only to be alarmed at the haggard and blood-splattered appearance of the two children. Lu Ten and Piandao quickly helped clean and bandage them up as needed before getting them a change of clean clothes.
The tired children thanked them groggily, left them a few instructions regarding the remaining assassins, and went to sleep curled up together in the corner of Lu Ten's bed. Lu Ten was told to stay with the children, and Master Piandao went to retrieve Moriko's family from their wing. It would be best to move them to the same hallway that he and Lu Ten lived on if only to make sure that they could be well defended through the day.
Zuko and Lu Ten weren't the only ones Moriko had been teaching her particular brand of firebending to and her father was becoming a formidable fighter in his own right. Having him help guard the children and Lu Ten, especially in the daytime, would help keep their forces from being spread too thin in this big manor home, more of a castle really.
He sighed wondering if he should tell the parents the truth. He realized when he unlocked the wing her family was in that he didn't need to. Moriko's father looked grim as he looked up from the note in his hands that his daughter had left him.
"Assassins?" he asked and Master Piandao nodded hesitantly as her father nodded grimly.
"I'll go get Hitome and the baby," he said as he grabbed a bag by the door and left it by Piandao. He frowned as he examined it before realizing that it was food and supplies from the note pinned to the side of it. It seems Moriko had gathered food and supplies for her family before locking them in the wing in case they were forced to remain there for a while. They would now bring those supplies with them upstairs in case the food in the kitchen had been tampered with, though Moriko said she had locked up that room as well last night as well as the armory.
The family was swiftly moving down the wing as they moved to meet the master. Hefting the bag Piandao motioned for them to follow and the group swiftly made their way to the upper wing. Hitome rushed to where the children slept and checked them visually as she soothed the baby before setting down on the end of the bed. After the two men ensured that the family was settled with the crown prince and the two children, Master Piandao and Kazuto moved into the hallway and shut the door.
"It just said in the note that there were assassins. What happened?" demanded Kazuto as the other manned sighed. Piandao quickly explained the situation and the other man swore quietly.
"What do we do?" he asked quietly as the other man frowned.
"Honestly I'm not too sure. I suppose clean up and wait for those two to wake up. I think they were putting the assassins in here," he said with a grimace as he pointed to the closet down the hall. Kazuto's eyes went wide, and he sighed.
"As disturbing as this is going to be for us to be faced with their handiwork, just know that Moriko has always been protective of family and friends, which includes you. I sense that Prince Zuko had become fiercely loyal and protective of her, you, and his cousin as well. These deaths, as unsightly as they may be, were for all our sakes," he said firmly as the Master frowned, the two men pausing at the door.
"The first day I met your daughter, she showed a prowess of bending that bordered on legendary, an awareness of her physical limitations that bespoke her brilliance and her ruthless determination to protect her loved ones. From there I have seen her kindness, her compassion, and more loving nature. While it might disturb me, I do not fear from her, only for her and what this might do to her heart. She was very young when she killed Mura, but this time she is old enough to understand her actions. Zuko as well. After this the children might need to lean on us more than they did before," he sighed as Kazuto grimaced.
"I'll be honest. I think she and the prince will be fine as long as we treat them like normal," said Kazuto with a shrug as Piandao's eyebrows rose.
"Truly?" he asked, and the man nodded. He sighed.
"Very well," he said, and the two men moved to handle the mess in the closet.
…
"Zuko." Someone was shaking his shoulder and he shot up to a sitting position, his eyes meeting Moriko's as the adults began to move close to fuss over them.
"You couldn't save Lu Ten despite how hard you tried because each lifetime he was being assassinated," said Moriko in English as Zuko paused. He cursed quietly. Even half-awake, that made sense. That made so much sense now, how could he have missed that?! It was just so… UGH!
"I have fresh eyes to the situation Zuko. You can't be expected to remember everything," she said, shooting him a look as he grimaced.
"Fine, but it's still a shitty thing to realize," he growled as she squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.
"Don't worry. I have a plan," she said as he looked up.
…
Apparently, the plan was to make it look like any that tried to go after Lu Ten would meet divine retribution, met out by the spirits. Then the common folk and even the nobles would fear trying to harm him.
The bodies of the assassins would show up in the waters around the caldera, poetry forming warnings as spirits were apt to doing etched into bodies that shouldn't look like they had been killed yesterday despite having died weeks ago.
uncouth swines that come
touch not upon divine right
peerless assassins
look away thy curs
Those that seek the dragon thone
death will only haunt
look upon Lu Ten
gracious son of fire and light
savior of the world
This time was no different than usual, and there were murmurs in the marketplace wherever Lu Ten now went, his cousin and their little friend Moriko always following.
...
A storm lit the night sky with lightning as the typhoon continued outside the Ember Island manor they were staying in. Moriko motioned and her father nodded before nearly disappearing in a chi-enhanced move that left him a blur of motion. The assassin couldn't even speak as the man sucked the chi out of him until he dropped unconscious. She could hear the thud of a body from the next room over before Zuko let out a signal whistle that meant 'target neutralized.' Within thirty minutes that had finished the cleanup.
"While things have gotten better, maybe we should send Uncle Iroh a message about the situation. In person," Moriko murmured as Zuko met her gaze with a frown.
"What about our public campaign to make it seem like Lu Ten is being protected by the great spirits themselves?" he whispered in English as she grinned, so happy she had taught him.
"Don't worry, Lu Ten will come with us. So will the rest of the group," she murmured quietly as she motioned to their little entourage. Zuko nodded.
…
Two years later
"WE ARE NEVER GOING ON FIELD TRIPS AGAIN! WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN?!" Lu Ten screamed as he clung to the side of the small fire nation warship while it threatened to capsize, the typhoon raging around them. His twelve-year-old cousin and a nine-year-old Moriko looked to one another before speaking rapidly in their made-up language before coming to a swift consensus on something, then they opened the bag they had been carrying.
Zuko slid on a mask of the blue spirit as the girl slid on a ghostly white mask with a blue swirl across the mouth and a symbol on the forehead. They both stripped down to their loincloths, the girl wearing chest bindings before they turned to him.
"Stay on the ship. We'll take care of this," said Moriko firmly as Zuko nodded beside her. With that, they were running for the edge of the ship. Lu Ten screamed "NO!" in distress as they went leaping over the side. There was a sudden lurch that threw him to the deck before he could try to follow them, and the metal of the ship groaned. Some of the crew yelled in distress and he lurched to his feet noticing the frost that was now clinging to the rail as he used it to pull himself up, the cold biting into his hands. He realized with a jolt of awe that the water surrounding the ship was frozen, waves frozen in mid-motion as the ice began to grow around the ship, the crackle of electricity humming through the air as two figures danced on the ice, converting the energy in the water to chi. Unable to take that much energy into their bodies, they were using the excess to create lightning. The ship had stopped threatening to capsize, the ice it was trapped in stabilizing it as the storm raged around them.
"Great Agni! Spirits sir!" One of the soldiers cried as he pointed at the two masked children as they wove the lightning around them in a flawless dance. There was a boom of thunder so powerful, everyone instinctively hit the deck, Lu Ten felt it in his chest as the two finally released the excess energy into the sky. The crew shot to their feet to find the two figures had disappeared. The sea churned wildly beyond the wide circle of ice that protected and stabilized their ship. The crew murmured loudly as they pointed around, clearly at a loss on how to handle the situation.
"What was that?!" Zuko cried from beside Lu Ten as he pointed out where the figures had been a minute ago and the young man nearly jumped out of his skin, knowing their speed had been a clever use of chi that they had been doing for years. Despite knowing how to do it himself, it still startled him at times. He turned to find Moriko jogging up beside Zuko, their clothes already mostly back into place, Moriko fussing with the collar of her shirt that Zuko quickly helped her with. One of the crewmen came running up, looking shaken.
"Storm and Ice Spirits! They must have wanted to protect the Royal family," said the man as he cast an awe-filled look at where Zuko, Lu Ten, and Moriko stood. While Moriko had never been stated to be explicitly part of the Royal family, it was well known to any that interacted with them, that the two children were nearly inseparable and treated each other as equals.
The three looked at each other before Lu Ten looked grimly over the ice. His cousin Zuko had told him long ago of the ploy they had used to make it look like spirits had struck down all the assassins. Even today there were still murmurs that Lu Ten was still protected by them.
"Then we must humbly thank them for their intervention," he said before sending the sea a respectful bow that everyone swiftly followed. He caught the grin those two sent each other at a job well done.
…
A week later
Lu Ten gripped his head where he sat on the sand, not caring that he was getting sand in his armor or dirt on his clothes. The ruins of the Sun Warriors could still be seen in the distance, and he refused to turn and see them. Dragons. There were still dragons, and his father had been protecting them for a very long time. He couldn't help but wonder what else his father had been hiding from him and he pushed the thought away rapidly. There was only so much he could handle right now.
"I think we broke him," Moriko muttered to Zuko who grunted in acknowledgment, the two standing off to the side to give him space, their voices quiet but carrying further than they probably suspected.
"He's been dealing with us for years, you would think he'd get used to it by now," muttered his cousin and Lu Ten had to suppress the childish urge to scream in frustration.
"Not helping Zuko, give the guy a break. We did just kind of shatter his philosophy regarding the nature of firebending and bring into question the teachings of Firelord Sozin and in essence the hundred-year war. Wait till he reads the writings of Firelord Sozin in the dragon bone catacombs. Bet you 50 silver he has a full-blown meltdown and we find him crying in a tavern somewhere in the earth kingdom." She muttered as Zuko sighed.
"Hey! Give him some credit. I bet it'll at least be in one of the fire nation colonies, not in earth kingdom territory. He might have a crisis, but even he's not that dumb," he said as Moriko smacked his shoulder.
"Don't call Lu Ten dumb Zuko, you're doing that thing you do when you are getting grumpy again. Stop it, it's mean," she chided as Lu Ten put his head between his knees and tried not to weep from frustration. There was more? Of course, with those two there was always more. To think his life would derail so much from just meeting them three years ago. He had been about to go to Ba Sing Se, but after his first firebending and philosophy lessons with those two, he had found himself getting sucked down a rabbit hole of bizarre lessons, field trips, and obscure teachings that his father encouraged him to attend.
"If they want to teach you, then let them," his father had said before patting his shoulder. Before he knew it, his father had been visited by the children and had given up on Ba Sing Se after a 300-day siege. He remembered his father bursting into his room at the Piandao manor two years ago, still dusty from the road before he had been snatched up and held close despite being a twenty-three-year-old man. Stunned by his father's sudden entrance and actions, it took Lu Ten a moment to hug his father back.
"Oh, my Lu Ten, my precious son," his father had murmured before quiet tears had begun to soak the younger man's shirt. Alarmed his hug for his father grew fiercer and he did his best to comfort the older man. Those two hovered in the doorway, eyes sad but content as they watched father and son hug. Zuko Took Moriko's hand and she squeezed it reassuringly as the two smiled at each other, tears in their eyes. Without a word they left, leaving father and son to their reunion. From there, he wasn't sure if he was the one following them around or if they were his silent shadows.
He often found them and his uncle conferring quietly over maps, despite the fact that his father retired around the same time the siege for Ba Sing Se ended. He, his father, and the kids started taking trips to the Earth Kingdom, traveling incognito as earth kingdom peasants, posing as traveling merchants. What he saw haunted him, and he began to realize how much damage the war had been doing. Orphaned children always grinned with relief when he gave them free food and more often than not, they would end up bringing the children to the colonies. He was starting to get used to the fear and disgust sent his way whenever he revealed his identity to the children as he instructed the guards to look after the children, keep them well-fed, send them to the earth kingdom schools, and house them. He had already had to open up five orphanages through the different colonies. He had started opening up war relief and medical centers in them as well for both earth kingdom and fire nation citizens.
It was always bittersweet to return home after a long trip through the earth kingdom. Moriko and Zuko were a silent comfort, seeming to sense when he needed extra hugs or a distraction from the devastations of war. He sensed that this was another one of their unspoken lessons, meant for him to come to his own conclusions about the war, despite their hints that there would be more for him to learn. He still needed to visit the dragon bone catacombs, but they had kept their itinerary rather full since visiting the dragons. They were easing him into whatever they were trying to teach him and knowing what he had learned so far was already difficult enough, he decided not to push their teaching schedule. He suspected they would find him crying in an earth kingdom tavern as predicted if he did.
…
One year later
…
The table paused in their eating as a messenger hawk flew in through the window. Master Piandao frowned as Iroh took the note from the bird. The albatross-gulls cried merrily from the beach as the waves crashed over the shores of Ember Island.
"We have been summoned to court," murmured Iroh and everyone at breakfast froze. Zuko's eyes were wide, face pale the egg falling out of his chopsticks. The fourteen-year-old boy's breathing started to pick up and an eleven-year-old Moriko gripped his hand firmly, causing him to meet her flinty eyes. He seemed to take some reassurance from her, and he squeezed back, breathing leveling out as Lu Ten stared at his plate looking troubled. The young man and the kids looked at one another, before looking to Iroh for more information.
"We are permitted to finish our vacation on Ember Island, but will be expected in three weeks' time," he said and the three looked to one another a round of silent communication going through them before Lu Ten nodded seriously.
"We will begin our preparations then. I believe our court manners might need a bit of polishing," he said sending a pointed look to the two kids who sulked at his pronouncement.
"New robes as well for my two alcoates," said Piandao to the kids who grinned back. Moriko looked at where her parents sat feeding her four-year-old brother Izuna as her eight-year-old sister Jina worked steadily to eat her own breakfast. She looked back to Iroh, her eyes worried.
"Your family is not summoned, only you," he said gently, and the preteen nodded seriously before Zuko squeezed her hand.
"It will be good to see the Caldera again," she said as Zuko smiled grimly.
…
"Hey Moriko?" she looked up from her reading as Zuko lay on his bed, making shapes with his fire over his head to practice his control with the flames.
"Yeah?"
"With us going to court, I'm going to end up betrothed very quickly if we don't do something," he said as she blinked in surprise, more than a little caught off guard. He finally looked at her directly, sitting up.
"Do you always want to be able to stay by my side?" he asked, drawing Moriko out of her lost expression. She nodded slowly and he grinned before holding out the first gitt of a royal engagement. She grinned before accepting the gift before tackling him in a hug.
...
"Oh my god," Moriko breathed before shooting across the dock, Zuko following swiftly as she ran.
"Kuro!" she shrieked with glee at the startled harbor master before she threw herself at him for a hug. The man swung her around as he caught her, to keep from getting bowled over, face confused. After a moment it transformed to wonder.
"Moriko?" he gasped before giving a shocked laugh hugging the girl back.
"You've grown so tall!" he crowed as she giggled.
"And you've only grown more handsome," she beamed as she touched the burn on his jaw. He looked startled before something soft filled his face.
"You were always a sweet kid if a bit mischievous." He said with a grin as she laughed.
"A bit? A bit mischievous? You've met her, right?" demanded Zuko grumpily as the Harbor Master looked up only to startle at the grumpy expression on the handsome teen hovering behind Moriko. Spotting the high-ranking armor his eyes widened in alarm and the girl snickered. After a moment the man recovered enough to grin down at the girl before dramatically covering his heart with his hand… dramatically.
"I thought I was your one true love, but you've replaced me with a younger man," he cried, before pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. After a moment he smirked mischievously at the girl.
"My wife will be so relieved to hear that," he teased, and it was Moriko's turn to gasp dramatically.
"You said you would be my husband one day!" She accused dramatically before pretending to swoon. The young man beside her rolled his eyes but caught her fake swooning self before hefting her up easily in a bridal carry. The Harbor Master gave a booming laugh when the girl squeaked in surprise as she shot the young man a look.
"I guess you'll have to make do with me," said the young man and the girl's face turned the color of a tomato as she sputtered something that sounded like 'sneaky bastard' and 'dirty cheater.' The youth smirked at her before looking up to meet the harbor master's gaze. He gave a small incline of his head.
"Prince Zuko," he introduced, and it was the Harbor Master's turn to lose his composure. The youth gave the sputtering pair a small laugh before walking off, the girl still in his arms.
…
Iroh watched as the two children made their entrance at court. They were impeccably dressed in royal finery and moved with coordinated precision and grace through the room.
"Presenting Prince Zuko and his intended, Lady Moriko of Shu Jing," announced the crier, and Iroh nearly spat his tea out on the noblewoman he had been talking to. He suddenly realized there was a small ornament hairpiece in Moriko's hair signifying her station. His head snapped around to see where Ozai and Ursa were to gauge their reaction to the news.
He was a bit surprised to see his sister-in-law's pleased smile while his brother sent his son a disinterested nod. Suddenly it made sense why Zuko had been receiving a lot of hawk mail recently from his family and the fire sages. It must have taken time to pull that together, Iroh thought as he wondered how long the engagement had been affirmed at the fire temple. Suddenly the note from his younger brother made so much sense, about why Ozai had been asking about Moriko's abilities with firebending and her prowess with a blade. While the request for information had nearly given Iroh a heart attack, he downplayed it enough to keep her extraordinary but not enough to warrant a disappearance of the girl into an early grave.
The couple made their way over to Prince Ozai and his wife, bowing with perfect court manners as their son introduced them to the girl. From where he could see, the meeting was going well, with Ursa looking happy and Ozai looking mildly interested as Princess Azula hovered behind her parents. After all, she had barely seen her brother for the past eight years since he had left for Shu Jing. She had been four, almost five when he had left.
"That's a bit unusual, isn't it? For the young Prince to be gone from the court for so long then to return engaged? The boy is only what, fourteen? And she's such a little thing, to be engaged already," tsked the noblewoman with a haughty sniff before continuing. "My daughter would have made a better match than that child," she said snootily and suddenly it made sense to Iroh why the two had made their relationship well stated upon being reintroduced to the court, despite the young age. It would cut out any attempts to get between the two early on, as it was considered unsightly to try and win the affections of someone already promised to another. Now the rat viper nobles would have a much harder time trying to set the young Prince up with their daughters.
The two of them moved with an almost eerie coordinated poise as if they didn't need to see each other to react to a change in the other's movement. Iroh could see that his brother Ozai had picked up on it and the mild interest turned into actual interest as he let his wife do the talking but watched the children talk carefully. Zuko seemed to falter on something, and Moriko smoothly interceded on his behalf subtly touching his nephew's hand to convey comfort before the motion was smoothly turned into her slipping her hand up her sleeve to retrieve a small but beautifully wrapped gift that she graciously presented to the couple. He could tell Ursa was charmed by the pleasant surprise and Ozai was very interested indeed at a display of tact, something Prince Zuko was infamous for lacking.
The girl and Prince Ozai seemed to lock eyes as he asked her something, his voice lost in the court. Her lips curved in a barely-there smile as she dipped her head slightly, eyes never faltering from his brother's as she spoke. The two stared for a minute before the crier announced another noble to the court. She gave a small respectful nod of her head and Ozai gave a tiny smile before they both looked away. Already a battle of wills between those two, Iroh noted yet, she had managed to show enough respect to counter the steel in her eyes when she had looked at his brother. It hadn't been a challenge on her part, but she hadn't backed down either. He could only wonder what had been said between the two as Zuko raised an eyebrow in question at the preteen girl. She shot him a small smile that seemed to say later and the two moved to stand beside the royal couple. Ursa looked pleased by the silent communication and said something quietly to Ozai who nodded. The two cast surreptitious glances at the two kids while the young couple talked quietly.
Iroh glanced around the court to see who had been watching the exchange between the two generations. More than a few would have been wanting to see how the older couple would receive the young Lady Moriko since this would give others a forecast on how likely this engagement would make it till adulthood.
There were a number of relieved or sullen faces in the crowd as young girls that had been brought to the capitol by their families realized what the news meant for them. A small crowd of teen or preteen girls seemed to linger on the periphery of the young couple as if waiting. Iroh politely excused himself from the noblewoman, casually making his way over to the periphery of the young couple as they talked quietly. After a minute, the young Prince Zuko was called upon to go properly address his grandfather since he was coming back to the capital for the foreseeable future.
The girls subtly tried to herd Moriko away from the royal couple, but Iroh was pleased to see she refused to move as a girl tried to crowd between her and Prince Ozai. If anything, Moriko stepped closer to the girl forcing her to step on Prince Ozai who seemed to realize that there was a girl stepping on him that was too focused on the now staring Moriko to realize her err in judgment. He hissed something venomous, and the child jumped in surprise before stammering out an apology. Ozai seemed to be getting angrier as the young teen continued messing up her attempt to apologize to the royal prince.
When it seemed his brother would blow his lid, Moriko smoothly interjected that the girl should go join her friends where she belonged before she made even more public mistakes and that perhaps she should pass on her wisdom to the others to avoid future mishaps from happening to them as well. Ozai's eyes widened in realization before they darted around and he spotted the crowd of girls that was subtly trying to retreat, then his eyes shot to Moriko who was staring the other girl down coolly. He seemed to realize that Moriko had just headed off an attempt to corner her and sent a warning to the rest of the waiting girls, using him and his known temper to do so. Instead of looking annoyed his brother looked positively charmed at her handling of the would-be bullies and heckler.
"That was well done," Ozai commented as Moriko gave a small nod of her head.
"You honor me with your compliments Prince Ozai." She murmured, not quite demure enough to be a court lady, eyes meeting his though there was no challenge in them. He gave a small smirk before putting his hand on her shoulder, signifying his acceptance of her and Iroh grinned.
"Well done indeed, my dear," he said as he came up on her other side. Her eyes flashed up to his as she smiled more openly.
"Your hovering, as usual, is always appreciated, Prince Iroh," she said warmly, and he grinned.
"But unneeded like usual," he said with a dramatically sad sigh and Moriko hid a small giggle behind her long sleeve.
Zuko shot the group a questioning look at his return to find his father's hand resting on Moriko's shoulder and his uncle on her other side.
"Did it go that badly?" he asked, looking concerned before his eyes turned steely and he started looking for the group of girls. Moriko's smile was sweet as Ozai's brows rose in surprise at his son's astute observation and his protectiveness. The girl coughed to hide a laugh.
"No, I handled them, though your father was gracious enough to assist me. Uncle is just feeling protective is all," she said with a mischievous smile that she hid behind her long sleeve. Iroh noted how Ozai was watching Zuko carefully. The teen relaxed slightly before sending his dad a smirk.
"Many thanks, father. She can always handle herself, but that doesn't mean that I like that she has to do so." He said as he slid between Iroh and Moriko. She smirked.
"Well, you're an all-or-nothing kind of guy. So subtle no one gets the hint or so blunt you could use your lack of subtlety as a spoon. It's often best that you let me handle the things that require a bit more refinement," she murmured quietly as Zuko smiled. Iroh could see how his brother's attention peaked as he looked at his son with an appraising light. This might have been the first hint Ozai had ever seen of his son's more wily nature and he was watching carefully. Iroh suspected the children were playing Ozai. Moriko was hinting that Zuko had hidden depths that people didn't often pick up on, including his brother.
"Sometimes you're as tactless as me. But no one ever sees me coming," he teased as she sighed and Iroh hid a smile. They were definitely playing Ozai to gain his intrigue.
"Yes yes, you're so overt, it's covert. No one ever suspects you of being capable of duplicity due to your usual bluntness, while everyone suspects that I might be up to something. Might be why we get on so well," she murmured as the young Prince smirked taking her hand.
"Nah. You're able to put up with me, that's why," he said easily as she hid an unladylike snort behind her elegant sleeve.
"Flattery will get you the world Prince Zuko," she teased as he grinned.
"You're right since it got me you," he murmured cheekily as she made a gagging face behind her sleeve.
"Oh, that was so cheesy. Wow, that was so bad it was a little good," she complimented as Ozai looked away to hide a grin while Ursa hid a laugh in her sleeve. Princess Azula looked distinctly bewildered at her parent's behavior and the introduction of her long-lost sibling.
…
Ch. 4 Preview
Zuko fell out of his chair when his door was suddenly kicked open.
"Get up and get your sparring gear on!" cried Moriko excitedly as she bustled around Zuko's room. He had to admit it was weird being back in the palace but it wasn't a bad thing. Having Moriko around to shake things up was usually pretty nice. Sometimes, however…
"Whyyyy?" he ground out and the girl grinned devilishly.
"Your grandfather has requested to see our progress with our combat abilities," she said as he sank to his chair face pale.
"W-what the hell?!" he yelled, somehow suspecting that this was Moriko's fault somehow. She only cackled happily.
"Hurry up Zuko, this is going to be fun!" she cheered as he tried to force down sudden nausea. Sometimes she could be absolutely terrifying.
...
AN: Yo! My life is on fire like the Earth Kingdom during Sozin's comet but there's always fanfiction. Anyways thank you for the lovely reviews! I don't think I have had as many reviews in such a short amount of time as I have recently so this is pretty nice, thank you!
Also, please note we have diverged from Cannon at this point. Lu ten is alive despite all efforts to the contrary, Zuko is not banished, so his parents are still together and Zuko has been gone for almost eight years with only Azula for their parents to dote on. That should make an interesting combination considering in the show it was shown that both parents had a favorite child that caused a rift between the siblings.