Author's Note: Hey everyone! First, thanks for the ongoing interest and support for this story. Reviews would be very much appreciated, still. After last chapter's events this is the first chapter where Ming will be more or less off screen. What I mean is that we won't exactly know what happened to her until much later, very much later, and Zuko will be travelling with Iroh only or completely alone. We will still be with them, because even though she's not directly involved, there might be flashbacks or other forms of her having some influence. Of course, if you completely dislike this, feel free to write it in a review. I thought it an interesting experiment and let's see where this brings us to. Enjoy!
Zhao's ship, 100 AC
To his discomfort, Zuko had to wear the whole soldier armor including the mask, at all times to keep his scar hidden. Earlier this day his uncle had told him that they'd land soon, and asked, if he had a plan, he had said, he was working on it. But the only thing he could think of was to sneak in hopefully unnoticed during the attack of the Fire Nation fleet and then capture the Avatar. He estimated that the boy would not be at the front, but rather protected in the back. Maybe he was wrong, but that would be noticed quickly, and he would be able to adjust. He knew, his uncle wouldn't be too fond of it, way too risky. His mind traveled to his wife. Most likely she was just enjoying some kind of wellness treatment. She would for sure at least try to talk him out of it. He sighed, sometimes he thought she didn't understand that he had to do all this not just for his honor, but also for her and for their country. Then again, she probably knew him better than anyone else, maybe he was doing her wrong in assuming she wouldn't understand anything. She was smarter than most people gave her credit for. For a moment he wished she was with him. He missed her slinging her arms around him. Unconsciously he touched his armor where the pendant was hidden. He would come back to her and bring her home. Whatever it would take.
A few hours later the ships had dropped their anchors and Zuko changed in a white combat suit that was more fitted for the hard conditions at the pole. He was preparing a boat when his uncle entered the room, "If you're fishing for an octopus, my nephew, you need a tightly woven net, or he will squeeze through the tiniest hole and escape."
Zuko sighed, "I don't need your wisdom right now, Uncle."
Iroh looked down sadly, "I'm sorry. I just nag you, because … well, ever since I lost my son …"
"Uncle, you don't have to say it.", Zuko interrupted with much more empathy in his voice than before.
Iroh still finished the sentence, "… I think of you as my own.", he then pulled his nephew in a tight hug.
Almost whispering the banished prince said, "I know, Uncle. We'll meet again. After I have the Avatar."
Iroh pulled away and wiped tears out of his eyes, but he spoke much more upbeat than before, "Remember your breath of fire. It could save your life out there."
Zuko nodded, "I will.", then he used the ropes he had worked on earlier to let the boat down.
"And put your hood up. Keep your ears warm!", his uncle called after him.
He smiled, "I'll be fine."
As he paddled his way through a world of icy spikes, always careful to look out for Water Tribe guards, he wondered how people had the idea to even settle in such an ice desert. Even if waterbending was stronger here, there were so many things you'd have to watch out for every day, as a nonbender even more. For example, to not fall into the water. Carefully he pulled the canoe on a larger ice shield not far away from a large wall of ice. Guards patrolled on it, so he looked at the other side and saw a group of turtle seals. One of them dived into a hole next to the wall. They breathed air, so they needed to come up somewhere, he thought. Without hesitation he took a deep breath and followed the turtle seal into the hole.
It almost wasn't enough, he had a short flashback, just a few days before, maybe a week, he had lost track of time somewhere. His exploding ship, the last thought he remembered before everything went black, Save Ming! Then waking up at shore, cold and drenched, but alive and her relieved expression as she saw that he opened his eyes. He needed a few moments to catch his breath, just laying on a shield of ice, then he rolled to his side and shivering. Remembering his uncle's words, he breathed fire and warmed himself up.
Of course, the group of turtle seals were less than happy about this and began barking. Annoyed he hissed, "Be quiet!", but they didn't listen. Quickly he got up and made his way between them to another ice channel, where water was flowing. He almost lost his balance when he set foot in it. The foot sank centimeters deep into the ice. He cursed under his breath and began crawling up the channel.
After the first channel followed another and another until he thought he'd only see blue and white for the rest of his life. Suddenly a channel opened into a small basin of water. He saw that the next tunnel was underwater, so he took a few deep breaths and dived. It was longer than expected, and just as he violently exhaled, he was shocked to find it a dead end. There was just ice in front of him. The banished prince struggled; he didn't want to die here. Ming's face appeared in front of his eyes, her voice echoed in his brain, please come back, so, he didn't allow himself to panic further and used his firebending to warm his hands enough to melt the ice, and soon the hole was big enough that first a good amount of water, and then a heavily breathing Fire Nation Prince came through. He walked a few steps and collapsed against the wall. For a moment he let his head fall backwards and closed his eyes, trying to regain his breath, then he whispered, "Qing Qing", and forced himself to stand up again. If he'd stayed there, he would probably freeze and never make it back. He had to go on.
From his point of view, he could see how the city was built. The main wall was only at the front, the rest was guarded by natural cliffs, and in their center rested the palace. As he looked closed, he could see something behind it, a shimmer of green. Curiously he got closer and noticed a familiar glow at the green island. He hurried towards it.
As he came near the island, he saw the Avatar meditating while his tattoos glowed. Next to him were two Water Tribe girls, the one that traveled with the Avatar and another one with white hair. They talked about what the boy was doing. Just as he sneaked up to them, he could hear the one he knew say, "He's, my friend. I'm perfectly capable of protecting him."
He couldn't resist, so he said in a sarcastic tone, "Well, aren't you a big girl now."
She turned around, "No…"
With all the determination he had he said, "Yes. Hand him over and I won't have to hurt you.", it just might could've worked, just maybe. He had to try it; Ming would be disappointed if he just attacked. The white-haired girl ran away as the fight between him and the waterbender began. He continuously shot fire blasts at her, but she dodged successfully each time, then she sent him to the ground, knocking him back several feet. He took a few deep breaths, he wouldn't give up, never, so he said, "I see, you've learned a new trick, but I didn't come this far to lose to you.", as an answer he was sent even further back and suddenly water was all around him. He had to watch helplessly as the waterbender froze it solid. He was almost immobilized. Gritting his teeth he snapped at her, "You little peasant. You've found a master, haven't you?"
The ice began to glow red and melt, and as soon as he was freed, he attacked the waterbender again. He consciously moved towards the meditating Avatar and tried to grab him by his collar when he was thrown to the wall. A large wave formed under him, and he was again, encased in ice. When I think that Ming took pity in her… , he thought as he dropped his head.
All of sudden he felt the first rays of sunlight reach him. With all the determination he could muster he raised his head and breathed steam, melting the ice that was enclosing him. He saw that the waterbender had turned her back towards him and fired a blast at her. She was quick enough to block the blast with water but was sent right into a tree from the impact and knocked out. He looked down on her, "You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun.", then he took the Avatar by his collar and began to drag him away.
He had to get away from the city, so he somehow reached the ice cliffs. The banished prince didn't really anticipate the blizzard on top of them, but he still went on. Determination was splattered all over his face. However hard this may be, he would make it back.
Suddenly something cracked beneath him, his eyes widened, surprised that the ice under him began to cave in. He started to run until the cave-in threw him off balance and he lost his grip of the boy. For a moment everything went black, shortly a picture of Ming screaming his name appeared in front of him and he snapped back into reality. Hastily he looked around, spotting the Avatar not far away from him. In the distance he could make out a cave, exhausted he whispered, "Shelter.", and began dragging the boy towards it.
He tied the boy up and tried to keep himself warm with his breath of fire. As the Avatar remained in the Spirit World, the banished prince looked out of the cave into the blizzard. He spoke halfway to the Avatar, halfway to himself, "I finally have you, but I can't go home because of this blizzard. There's always something. Not that you would understand.", he chuckled, looking at the grey, raging sky, "I think my wife would be angry with me for what I'm doing now, she doesn't understand that you can't always take the high road. But maybe I'm doing her wrong, assuming this. She's very empathetic. Maybe she understands more than I think she is, and she's tougher than she looks. We both had to struggle, but we always find a way together.", a small smile appeared on his face, "Now I can finally take her home and give her the life she deserves.", he reclined against the cave wall, "Guess we'll be here awhile."
For some time, he didn't really know how long, since there was no sun or anything else except dark grey clouds and the raging blizzard outside, Zuko just sat there and thought about whatever crossed his mind. He wondered what Ming was doing at the moment. She should still be at the spa where he left her. He smiled when he pictured her getting massaged or sitting in a sauna. Not long and he would return to her, hug her, kiss her, sit with her under the spa's cherry trees and smell the different scents that were worked into her skin. He remembered her laying in the bed on their last evening together, only the blanket wrapped around her form. Suddenly he was very sad that she was not with him, even if the blizzard would pose even more of a danger to her than it did to him already. He let his head fall back and whispered, "Agni, I miss you."
Zuko jumped when a childish voice was heard, "Who?"
He shot the young Avatar a glare, "None of your business. Welcome back."
"It's good to be back.", the boy answered. Then he propelled himself out of the cave, but because he was tied up it wasn't long and Zuko held him up by his collar again.
"That won't be enough to escape.", he said as he pulled the boy up.
Suddenly the kid's eyes brightened, and he yelled, "Appa!", and in seconds the sky bison landed in front of them and the waterbender jumped off.
Zuko threw the tied Avatar aside, who yelped as he hit the snow. He focused instead on the waterbender, "Here for a rematch?"
She countered his fire blasts and said, "Trust me, Zuko. It won't be much of a match.", then she launched him up into the air before letting him drop to the ground, ice and snow landing on top of him and knocking him out.
The next thing he knew was the feeling of a strong headache. Slowly he put together his surroundings. He was back at the green island. A group stood around the pond, all staring at it, and the light was somewhat off. Everything seemed gray. Confused he looked at the sky, and his eyes widened in shock. The moon was gone. There had been a full moon before, now there was none. He saw his uncle attacking Zhao and the admiral retreating and leaving his soldiers behind, who were quickly defeated by his uncle, who then returned to the pond. While nobody was watching, he burned through the ropes and untied himself. Then he hurried after Zhao. He would not let him escape. Something roared behind him as he ran towards the city, but he decided it was best not to look too closely at it.
When he finally caught up with Zhao, he threw a fire ball at him. The admiral turned to face him, shocked he asked, "You're alive?"
Angrily Zuko shouted at him, "You tried to have me and Ming killed!"
Zhao answered while fighting, "Yes, I did. Shame it didn't work out. You're the Blue Spirit, an enemy of the Fire Nation! You freed the Avatar."
"I had no choice.", Zuko threw at him.
Enraged Zhao yelled, "You should have chosen to accept your failure; you're a disgrace. Then, at least, you could have lived!"
Zuko laughed humorlessly, "Oh really? You abused your own daughter, hit her, burned her, tried to make her give up on people she loves, and I'm the disgrace?", as an answer, Zhao attacked with an angry scream. They came to fight at a small bridge where Zuko finally began to have the upper hand, when suddenly everything was showing a little bit of color again. For a moment both combatants looked at the sky. The moon was back.
Zhao stared at it, "It can't be!", all of sudden a blue glowing energy emerged from the water and grabbed the admiral.
Zuko hastily held out his arm, "Take my hand!", Zhao considered it, but then retracted his hand. Shocked, Zuko watched as he was dragged under the water and soon, he lost sight of him. He took out the pendant Ming gave him three years ago, put a light kiss on it and whispered, "I tried, Qing Qing, I really tried.", then he put it back under his suit where it would be safe.
A few hours later he laid down on a makeshift raft he and his uncle had hastily built. His uncle sat next to him, "I'm surprised, Prince Zuko, surprised that you are not at this moment trying to capture the Avatar."
Zuko closed his eyes for a long moment, "I'm tired."
"Then you should res. A man needs his rest.", his uncle advised him.
Weeks later they finally made it back to the spa where he left Ming behind. Spring was beginning and the cherry trees already bloomed beautifully. Zuko felt high-spirited, even if they just came from a strenuous travel, but he would see Ming again. He imagined how her eyes would lit up when she saw him like they always did.
Upon arriving they first booked two rooms for themselves and were given light red robes and comfortable pants and shoes. Then servants came and asked what they wanted to do first and Iroh went straight to the massage table. Zuko said he wanted to walk around a while first.
Of course, he had a clear target in mind. He remembered exactly where the little hut was. He walked up to it, seemingly strolling to a random wanderer's eye, but he was trying to be as quiet as he could, so he would surprise her. With a smile on his face, he looked through a window, only to see an old lady napping on the bed. His expression fell apart. What was the meaning of this? Had he looked for the wrong hut? Did she change her room?
Quickly he walked back to the lobby and asked one of the servants, "Excuse me, I'm searching for somebody. She should stay here as well, could you help me?", the servant nodded and led him to a small desk where a big book was stored.
"Who are you looking for?", he asked.
"My wife, her name is Ming. She checked in a bit over a month ago, but when I searched for the hut where I left her, I found somebody else there.", the banished prince explained.
The servant's eyes lit up, "Why didn't you say this earlier? Of course, I remember. Usually, such things aren't happening here a lot."
Zuko's eyes widened, "Interesting things?"
"Yeah, she checked out the same night she came. Or rather she was checked out. The Fire Nation navy came in, Admiral Choi or Zhao or something like this was his name. I think he said he was her father. Anyway, he had soldiers with him, so I didn't ask that much. He took her with him. Both looked way grumpy when they left. Two of the soldiers held the girl by each arm.", the man talked like a lady at the market.
Zuko stared at him in shock as a cold fear gripped his heart. She couldn't have been on the same ship he was on, could she? How hadn't he noticed? And if she was on the ship that meant… Oh no, that meant that she was most likely dead as the fleet got destroyed. He shook his head in disbelief, as tears welled up in his eyes. He whispered, "That can't be."
The servant looked at him worriedly, "Ah, I almost forgot. He didn't take her with him on his ship. She was sent back to the Fire Nation on another ship. He said he arranged that someone would take care of her there."
Zuko breathed deeply for a few moments. At least she was alive. But she would be untouchable for him as long as she stayed in the Fire Nation. There was the old problem again, he needed to capture the Avatar, he needed to return home.