Azula
Zuko didn't ask where Iroh found the makeshift skiff as they cast off from the shores of the ruined outer wall. The sheer devastation they had to navigate through left Zuko slack-jawed.
He gaped in shock and horror as the light of the setting sun glimmered off the jagged surfaces of Zhao's drowned fleet. There was just as much wrecked black metal sticking out of the smooth surface of the ocean as there were icebergs. There were more floating bodies bobbing stiffly than he could count, frosted with ice. They gleamed in the dusky light, eyes glassy and unseeing.
"Uncle, what happened to the fleet?" Zuko asked faintly, fixing his eyes on the horizon to avoid looking at the bodies. He was terrified that if he looked at one too closely it would be someone he knew from his crew.
"Zhao enraged the Ocean Spirit when he killed his lover, the Moon Spirit. The Ocean Spirit merged with the Avatar to exact revenge. The only thing that stopped the rampage was Princess Yue's sacrifice," Zuko wondered if he himself would have laid down his life to save his people from a similar fate…
In a heartbeat.
"She did her duty to her people," he said solemnly.
"She was also very brave," murmured Iroh.
"… Yes. She was," Zuko agreed after a beat.
"What happened to Zhao?" Iroh asked. Zuko thought of the furious roar he had heard coming from the fingers of water as they had closed over Zhao and dragged him to a watery grave… Is that what drowned the rest of the soldiers too?
"The Ocean Spirit took him," he explained shortly. Iroh was unsurprised.
"He meddled with forces far beyond his power or understanding. It is truly tragic that so many men had to pay for his avarice with their lives," Iroh's voice was heavy with sorrow and regret.
"Do you think… do you think that…" Zuko was afraid of the answer he would receive if he asked his question so he trailed off into uncertainty.
"I think a few of the ships got away," answered Iroh with a knowing look.
Zuko nodded curtly. He still had hope that his men had been spared, that any men had been spared was a miracle.
As they gained distance from the Northern Water Tribe, Zuko's chest prickled uncomfortably. He rubbed his chest idly, but quickly dropped his hand when Iroh's gaze fixed on his gesture worriedly.
"I'm surprised you acquiesced so easily when I suggested our departure. I'm surprised that at this moment you are not trying to capture the Avatar…" ventured Iroh carefully.
"I'm tired," replied Zuko truthfully. He was bone weary, and numb.
Iroh put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Then you should rest. A man needs his rest."
Zuko lay down on the floor of the skiff and closed his eyes.
They were adrift at sea for three weeks in total, with no food, and precious little water. During that time, the prickling in his chest reverted to the full-blown aching chasm it had been on Zhao's ship.
The distance he was putting between himself and Katara felt like a tangible thing that was being stretched further and further beyond its limits.
His nightmares returned, and with them, the clawing and scratching at his chest.
He dreamed that Katara sacrificed her life to restore the Moon Spirit instead of Princess Yue. He was left clutching her lifeless body in the oasis.
He dreamed that Zhao's men defeated him in the oasis. They forced him to watch and listen as they branded her face so they would match.
He dreamed that one of the bodies floating face down in the ocean was hers…
It was impossible to conceal his suffering from Iroh on their tiny skiff. The first few nights Iroh had shaken him awake and tried to get Zuko to talk with him about it, but Zuko remained tight-lipped and uncommunicative.
Luckily, Iroh attributed his altered behavior to something else entirely.
After one particularly nasty dream where Katara had been carried off by the vengeful Ocean Spirit, Iroh once again shook him awake.
"I have always wanted to spare you the horrors of war my Nephew," he murmured. He looked as if he would be weeping if he weren't too dehydrated to produce tears.
The next day they made landfall, dragging their weak bodies to a small Firenation outpost. It was only a handful; a handful of houses, servants, settlers, and soldiers, but they were very lucky to have landed nearby.
The pain in his chest and thoughts of Katara had been so all consuming that Zuko didn't realize how hungry he was until steaming hot, fragrant food was put before him.
He had never starved before, so he ignored Iroh's advice to take it slowly and in small portions.
He stuffed himself silly, and spent his first night back in civilization throwing his guts up.
After that he did as Iroh advised him and carefully sipped his broth and took small bites.
After a few days with proper meals, Zuko felt much stronger, although the ache did not abate and sleep was still not restful.
He was sitting in the sun, trying to tune out Iroh prattling on to his masseurs, when the world in front of him disappeared…
He heard Katara scream. He and looked down to see that he was encased in earth up to his knees, except they weren't his knees and he wasn't looking. Katara was. She scrabbled for purchase with her hands, but it was no use.
"I can't move!" she cried in panic.
She was surrounded by earthbenders wielding giant stone wheels. They formed a V around her, and Katara was at the point.
"Don't hurt her!" it was the Avatar. He sent a blast of air at a tall powerfully built man with a large beard. The man bent a shield of rock, and the air whistled past him harmlessly.
The man made a gesture with his hands, and with a shriek, Katara spiraled deeper into the earth, up to her thighs.
Zuko could only observe in mounting fear and frustration. Why was the Earth Kingdom attacking Katara? The Avatar was their ally!
"Katara! No!" Sokka charged at the man on an ostrich horse, but the man lazily flicked a wrist and the ostrich horse's feet became encased in earth. Sokka went flying through the hole at the center of one of the giant wheels.
"Stop this! You have to let her go!" The Avatar seized the man's sleeve.
"You could save her if you were in the Avatar state," he jeered.
"I'm trying! I'm trying!" tears of desperation dripped down the Avatar's face.
"Aang! I'm sinking!" there was real panic in Katara's voice as she slid into the earth up to her chest.
"I don't see glowing!" the man taunted.
With a frightened yelp, Katara slid down further until only her head was visible.
"Please!" she begged, struggling to keep her chin above the quicksand-like earth around her.
"You don't need to do this!" screamed the Avatar in anguish, falling to his knees.
"Apparently I do," said the man coldly. He closed his fist, and the earth swallowed Katara completely, smothering her terrified scream.
It was pitch black, she couldn't see anything. She could feel walls of earth surrounding her on all sides, like a tomb. The rock encased her so tightly that she couldn't move an inch.
Her shuddering panicked breaths sounded very loud in the confined space.
Zuko tried to urge her to calm down, to breathe slower and conserve oxygen, but she remained insensible to his presence.
Zuko could make out the muffled sound of things happened above ground.
"It worked! IT WORKED!" cried the man joyously. A moment later, he yelped in alarm.
It sounded like a fierce storm was whipping up above them.
"Avatar Aang! Can you hear me!" called the man. It was difficult to hear him above the roar of the storm.
"Your friend is safe!"
Suddenly Katara was moving. She burst through the surface of the earth and landed on her hands and knees, gulping down fresh air and blinking in the sunlight.
"It was just a trick to trigger the Avatar State!"
The Avatar State was truly a frightening thing to behold. The Avatar sat the top of a tornado, staring down at the world with angry glowing eyes.
"-and it worked!"
The Avatar gave no indication that he heard or understood anything the man had said.
The tornado collapsed, sending dust whirling in every direction. Katara raised her arms to shield her face, and squeezed her eyes shut.
The next minute was terrifying, the earth shook and roiled, there came the splintering sound of wood being destroyed, and the heavy thud of earth hitting earth. Zuko was sure that at any moment Katara would be crushed or impaled, but she stayed tightly curled in a defensive ball and remained untouched by the maelstrom around her.
When the dust finally cleared and Katara uncurled and opened her eyes, the Avatar stood in the middle of absolute devastation, an angry half-bubble of air still swirling around him.
Katara stood and tried to approach, making hot fear sink into the pit of Zuko stomach. Did she always have to go out of her way to put herself in danger? Zuko longed to snatch her back, but he was powerless to do anything.
Luckily, she was rebuffed by the wind, and unable to get much closer.
A few more minutes passed, and then the air stilled. The glowing stopped, and the Avatar fell to his knees…
Zuko came back to himself with a start. His heart was racing and his palms were sweaty.
He felt certain that his vision was real, which meant that Katara was no longer at the North Pole, she was somewhere in the Earth Kingdom.
He needed to find her. If the Earth Kingdom was after them too, she needed his help staying out of trouble.
He was ruminating so intently, that he didn't notice Iroh sidling up to him.
"I see - it's the anniversary isn't it?" he said gently, lowering himself sit cross-legged beside Zuko.
Zuko's eyes widened as he quickly calculated the dates in his head…
"Three years ago today I was banished…. I lost it all…" he remarked softly.
He still wanted the Avatar, he still wanted his honor, and he still wanted his throne. Most of all he wanted his father not to think he was worthless - the only problem was that he couldn't help but want what Katara wanted more.
He couldn't bear to meet Iroh's eyes, they were full of sympathy that he didn't deserve.
Father is right to think I'm worthless… The thought was painful, but Zuko felt the truth of it down to his marrow. His father deserved a better son, a worthier son as his first born, but instead he was stuck with a traitorous weakling.
"I'm going for a walk," he muttered brusquely, rubbing his aching chest absentmindedly.
He wasn't sure how long he wandered around aimlessly, thinking about his father and thinking about Katara, but when he returned, the sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows on the ground.
Iroh fell into step beside him, interrupting his thoughts as he made his way back to their dwelling.
"Hello nephew," he greeted cheerfully. Zuko acknowledged Iroh with a curt nod. He knew what Iroh was trying to do, it had been a favored strategy of his for years to try and coax Zuko out of surliness with excessive good cheer. It rarely worked.
He held open the door for Iroh to enter; the old man's hands were full.
"Look at these magnificent shells! I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come," Iroh tipped his haul onto the table before selecting a pink shell to hold up for Zuko's approbation.
Zuko very badly wanted to snap at him that they didn't need any more useless things, after all they had to carry everything themselves now, but he couldn't work up the energy or the inclination to do so.
He felt too guilty. He felt like a fraud, an impostor pretending to be the real Prince Zuko. It was only a matter of time until his Uncle discovered his shame. All his usual fire and bluster towards Iroh was quite simply extinguished.
Moreover, he was tired. The days had been passing in a blurred haze of pain and disturbing dreams. Each morning it was getting harder and harder to obey the call of the sun and rise.
He was listless.
He ached for Katara's presence.
"Hello brother, Uncle."
Both Iroh and Zuko jolted in surprise at the voice. It was Azula, Zuko's younger sister.
She was seated in the corner of the room, shrouded in shadows. Her voice was slightly different than he remembered, older, but he would recognize that haughty saccharine tone anywhere.
All he could do was stare.
When he was banished, Azula was only eleven years old. Now she was fourteen, and it wasn't just her voice that was different. She'd grown taller and leaner; her features were more angular. She really resembled their mother now.
"In my country, we exchange a pleasant hello to greet one another," Azula chided mockingly when neither Zuko nor Iroh said anything. She gracefully uncrossed her legs and sauntered across the room to stand in front of them.
"Have you become uncivilized so soon Zuzu?" she taunted.
"I forgot you used to call me that," Zuko muttered. The nickname brought back many half-buried memories- largely unpleasant.
He always hated being called Zuzu, but his chest ached and he was tired - he found himself unequal to working himself up into indignation. Zuko wondered if Katara called Sokka something silly and degrading…
Don't worry, I have nightmares too…
He dismissed it as unlikely.
"To what do we owe the honor Azula?" asked Iroh seriously.
Azula's gaze bore into Zuko, calculating and analyzing.
"I've come with a message from home," Azula's statement cut through Zuko's lethargy like a hot knife through butter. During the last three years, he had never received any sort of communication from home. Azula smirked knowingly when Zuko's slouched posture straightened and his expression suddenly flipped from inattentive to completely focused, if a bit surprised.
She announced her message slowly and clearly, so there could be no misunderstanding.
"Father has changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him. He has heard rumors of plans to overthrow him, treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can really trust. Father regrets your banishment, he wants you home."
It was everything he ever wanted…
Irony. Bitter, bitter irony that his deepest, most ardent wish was being offered to him on a silver platter, and he couldn't accept.
He felt a piercing pain in his chest that might have been his heart breaking.
"Did you hear me? You should be happy, grateful, excited. I just gave you great news," declared Azula impatiently when Zuko remained perfectly frozen.
"I'm sure your brother simple needs a moment to-"
"Don't interrupt Uncle!" Azula snapped harshly, "I still haven't heard my thank you. I'm not a messenger. I didn't have to come all this way," she continued. Zuko barely heard her.
"Father regrets…? He… wants me back?" his thoughts were so scattered that he struggled to articulate anything at all.
"I can see you need time to take this in. I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening."
She let herself out, leaving a heavy silence in her wake.
Iroh was the one to break it.
"Zuko-"
"I-I'm going to bed," he muttered stiffly, before lurching clumsily to his room. He needed to be alone.
He slammed the door behind him, leaning his back against it.
He slid heavily to the floor, and hung his head.
Everything he ever wanted was within his grasp, but all he could think about was Katara. Katara entombed in stone, Katara threatened by soldiers, Katara laying down her very life to protect the Avatar… He wanted, desperately, to go home, but he needed her to be safe. He felt as if he was being torn in two.
There came a knock at the door.
"Zuko? Are you okay?" Iroh called, voice laced with concern, "May I come in and speak with you?" he appealed. The doorknob turned as he tried to open the door, but Zuko's weight was against it.
"I'm fine. Just tired. Going to sleep," Zuko replied, praying for Iroh to leave him be.
"…Okay Nephew. I just… I just want you to know that I care about you, and if you need to talk about anything, I'm here," Zuko heard the floorboard creak as Iroh shifted away.
He didn't deserve Iroh's kindness and trust. Not when he was planning to betray him, to betray everyone.
He wanted to roar in frustration.
Instead, his eyes welled with tears, and for the first time since he'd been banished, he cried.
When the sun rose the next morning, Zuko packed some essentials into a bag. He dressed modestly in neutral colors, leaving behind anything that was red.
He went to cut off his top knot, going so far as to raise the knife to his head, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not yet. He decided he would do it after he said good-bye to his sister and Iroh.
He didn't really want to see Azula again; she was a shining beacon of everything he should be, but wasn't. She knew it too, and when they were kids she never failed to rub it in his face, but she was still his sister, and she had come a long way to deliver their father's message. He owed her a reply.
When he emerged from his room, Iroh was waiting on the other side. He also owed Iroh… something. An apology, or some sort of explanation.
"Your sister sent a message. She will be awaiting us on her ship, it is moored in the harbor."
"G-great."
He felt sick with nerves over what he was going to do. His palms were sweaty, hands shaking. He tried to speak, to tell Iroh that he wasn't going home, but he couldn't quite get the words to leave his mouth.
"Zuko, are you okay? You look very unwell," Iroh put a hand on his shoulder and peered into his face.
"I'm fine. Let's go see Azula," he said shortly, shrugging it off.
"So you are accepting her offer?" asked Iroh sharply.
"I-I'm just…" he coughed to clear his throat, "I'm going to speak with her. Come on."
Iroh frowned, but followed Zuko as he made his way down to the wharf. Every step he took felt heavier than the last, like he was marching to his own execution. By the time he arrived on the beach, he felt like he was going to be sick, or faint.
Everything in him rebelled against rejecting Azula's offer, he wanted it wholeheartedly, wanted it like he'd never wanted anything before, but he just couldn't.
Azula was waiting on the bow of her ship, with a full complement of soldiers lining the gang plank. Zuko couldn't help but notice that the ship was twice the size of his, and clearly a newer model.
"Brother! Uncle! Welcome! I'm so glad you decided to come," she sounded genuinely happy, which made Zuko feel worse about what he was going to do.
"Are we ready to depart your highness?"
"Set a course for home, Captain."
Home…
"Actually, Azula I-" he was cut off by the answering call of the Captain.
"You heard the Princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners home!"
It took a moment for his brain to process the words.
Prisoners...
The genuine, happy expression slid off Azula's face with frightening alacrity. The look she gave the Captain was a startling contrast- it was pure venom.
"Your highness, I…" the poor man trailed off into a petrified silence.
For a moment no one moved a muscle, and then Iroh sprang to life in a flurry of motion and fire, sweeping men into the ocean below them.
Zuko stood ridged on the gangplank. He was equal parts devastated and relieved.
"You lied to me," he said evenly, staring up at Azula unflinchingly. Now that the decision to stay or go had been taken out of his hands, Zuko felt oddly calm.
"Like I've never done that before," she drawled dismissively. She stepped back neatly, slipping between two guards. They attacked him, heaving fire at his head.
Zuko blocked automatically, and executing a fiery swivel kick and a punch to knock both men overboard simultaneously.
"Zuko, lets go!" cried Iroh from further below, already dealing with the last few men barring their way.
He turned away from Azula to leave, keeping a wary eye on her as he went.
"You know father blames Uncle for the loss at the North Pole, but he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar!" Azula called mockingly.
Zuko halted in his tracks, and he saw Azula's smirk widen.
"Why would he want you back home? Except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him!" she was trying to goad him into attacking her. He wouldn't fall for it, not this time. He clenched his fists, and continued walking away.
"When did you learn to control your temper Zuzu? Mother would be so proud," she said sarcastically.
"Mom wouldn't want us to be fighting," he answered roughly.
"What she would have wanted is immaterial seeing as she abandoned us. Poor Zuzu, mother always loved you better but she didn't love you enough to stay," against his better judgement, Zuko halted again. Sensing his weakness like a shark smelling blood in water, Azula went in for the kill.
"Maybe its a good thing she went missing, that she didn't have to witness for herself what a pathetic weakling her son turned out to be. Her son, a traitor. She would be ashamed," Azula's barb was a direct hit, and Zuko's tenuous control of his temper snapped. His calm had evaporated, and he saw red.
"Fine Azula. You want a fight? You got it!"
He formed a pair of fire-daggers, and charged onto the ship with a battle cry.
He had improved leagues since he'd left the Firenation and continued his training under Iroh's tutelage, but Azula - who was already the superior fighter before he left - was even better now.
She dodged his strikes with embarrassing ease, reading his strategy like a book and countering with ruthless efficiency.
She was playing with him, like a cat with a mouse, letting him tire himself out and waste energy on ineffective attacks.
When she finally sent fire at him it was blue. Zuko was so shocked that he failed to block Azula's kick, and was flung backwards in a sprawl on the ship deck.
Blue flames at fourteen? He never stood a chance.
Her arms moved in an unfamiliar pattern, weaving around each other in a wide graceful arc. Azula was conjuring something... Something that crackled.
With a shock of clarity, Zuko realized what it was- lightening- and then she was pointing two perfectly polished nails at the center of his chest…
Suddenly, at the very last moment possible, Iroh was there.
He grabbed Azula's hand firmly, somehow redirecting the lighting to glance off a nearby cliff face with a burst of rock and debris.
He bent Azula's wrist just shy of breaking, before unceremoniously tossing her overboard into the ocean below.
Her shriek of surprise and the sound of the smack when she hit the water was satisfying to Zuko's ears.
"Come on Nephew, we need to go!"
Zuko accepted the hand Iroh offered to help him up, and then they ran for their lives.
What do you think?
Did I get the characterizations right? I also struggle to write descriptions, were those okay?
Until next time :)