Chapter 6- Cloudburst
cloudburst (noun): a sudden heavy rainstorm; a downpour.
It takes until well into the next day for Tao to regain consciousness, cracking his eyes open to clouds rolling by, which told him they were in the air again. Groaning, he goes to sit up, but a small hand on his shoulder stops him, and as he focuses his eyes and looks up, he sees Aang looking down at him with open concern in his expressive gray eyes. "Don't move. You were very hurt." the airbender says softly, eyes watering in his relief that his friend was awake. Tao just grunts, relaxing back against the saddle, feeling a rolled up blanket under his head supporting it. "Katara stitched you up and bandaged you. She said when you woke up she'd fit you with a sling so you don't open the stitches up moving your arm. She's resting right now though. She was up all night checking on you. We all were." this admission is surprising to Tao. He knew they were all friends now but he hadn't expected Katara and Sokka to lose sleep over him being injured. Aang yes, they had known each other longer and Aang tended to worry more about the people he loved. It was touching, to say the least.
"Where are we?" he rasps, feeling something shift on his stomach, glancing down and seeing Momo pick his head up, ears perking as the lemur looked up at him, curled up on his stomach. Apparently even the pets were concerned for him.
"Heading north towards the Great Divide. We were going to stop and check it out but with you being injured Sokka said we should bypass as many stops as possible." Aang replies, seeming a little disappointed they couldn't stop and check out the impressive landmark, but he could also see the logic in it. The less take off and landings they did, the less stress would be put on Tao's body as it healed. These first couple days were crucial to making sure the wound sealed properly and didn't get infected.
"That would probably be best. We can see the Great Divide another time, after the world is saved and all. It'll still be there." Tao hums, reaching up with a shaky hand and gently scratching Momo on the head, getting a happy chirp from the lemur. He could feel the stretching of his skin under the bandages, being held together by the stitches. The bandaging was snug, and the tips of his fingers on his left hand tingled from the nerve damage in his shoulder, and he hoped this wouldn't effect the mobility of that arm or his bending. He would just have to give it time and wait and see. He couldn't do anything else about it. He could still see the pure hate in Jet's eyes as he had cornered Tao against the tree trunk and swung his blade without a second thought, clearly with the intent to kill. If the blade hadn't come loose of his flesh when it had, Jet would have gutted him rather than just slicing him open. Shivering a little, still able to feel the cold metal cutting into him, Tao sighs. "At least staying in the air as much as possible will help keep us out of trouble."
oOo
Tao was partially correct. They fly in bursts for several days, heading northwest, flying over arid hills, a wide canyon with a river at the bottom, and then more mountains and forests green with new spring growth. The firebender gets stronger every day thanks to Katara's attentive care, gently rubbing healing salve on the deep stitched gash, changing his bandages and making sure it was clean and didn't get infected. She also makes a makeshift sling for his arm with some spare fabric to make sure he couldn't move his left arm too much and open the wound up or otherwise aggravate the injury. Tao takes all the fussing with minimal complaint, not used to being looked out for to this degree. At least not since he was eight. Eventually she relents and lets him help out with basic camp chores like unpacking what he could off Appa with one hand and helping with gathering wood and lighting the campfire. Any more and he was getting scolded by her or by Aang, who was also hovering over him a lot to make sure he didn't overdo it.
It takes them about a week to reach the coast again, at which point Tao was able to mostly use his left arm and didn't need the sling anymore, so he starts doing minor strength training on the arm, mostly when Katara wasn't looking. They were running into a slight problem though. They were out of money, and quickly running out of food and supplies, having spent much of their medical supplies on making sure Tao's injury healed properly. They come across a small harbor town at the mouth of a river that dumped into a wide bay, and as luck would have it, there was an old man in need of some extra hands on his fishing boat. Mostly because his wife insisted a nasty storm was coming in and refused to go out with him.
Sokka volunteers to go, Tao right behind him, wanting to feel useful after having to take it easy for so long. His arm was strong enough for basic tasks, and as long as he didn't overdo it, he would be fine. Unfortunately, as they're loading up the boat, ominous looking dark clouds start rolling in. "Sokka I don't know about this. Look at the clouds." Aang remarks, looking nervously at the sky as Tao passes Sokka a bundle of netting.
"Look, we said we were going to do this job. We can't back out now just because of a little rain. It'll be fine." the Water Tribe teen remarks. Tao though could understand Aang's caution. The storm they had been caught in a century ago had looked much like this one. Billowing clouds, light on top but night black on the bottom, moving quickly, full of deadly wind and rain.
"The boy with the tattoos is right! You should listen to him." the old woman remarks, which gets the attention of the fisherman.
"Boy with the tattoos? Well I'll be a hog-monkey's uncle. You're the Avatar ain't ya?" he says, moving off the boat and towards Aang and Katara, who confirm his suspicion with a wide smile. "Well don't be so smiley about it! The Avatar disappeared for a hundred years. You turned your back on the world." he growls, jabbing an accusing finger into Aang's chest. Tao grimaces, looking away in shame as Katara leaps to defend Aang, not knowing the truth yet. Not knowing that the reason he and Tao had been frozen for so long was because Aang had run away from the temple rather than be forcibly separated from his friends and Monk Gyatso, and Tao had gone with him so he wouldn't be alone. Rather than face this conversation though, Aang flies away on his glider, and Katara is close behind him on Appa.
They don't have much time to conversate after that. The needed to set sail if they wanted to get out, fill the hull with fish, and get back in before the storm got too bad. As with everything else though, it was never that easy. The storm comes up on them fast and hard, its intensity increasing in a matter of minutes. Water falls in absolute buckets, and the wind made huge waves, rocking the tiny fishing boat one way and then abruptly the other. It was all they could do to hold on tight and try and guide the ship back towards the harbor.
The big waves comes up on them suddenly, arcing up over the boat and crashing down on the deck, throwing crates across it, smashing them against the railing and breaking them, scattering flotsam into the water and forcing Tao and Sokka back against it while the fisherman clings to a rope of the mast. Before they can recover and take cover, a second wave crashes down. Sokka is able to hold on, but only one of Tao's arms was at full strength, and he can't grab the railing quickly enough, and he's thrown overboard and into the cold, wild water below.
He tumbles over and over in the water, lungs burning, having not been able to take a breath before he had gone under. It takes every bit of strength he had in him to right himself and paddle to the surface, and in the strain of it all he can feel some of the stitches in his shoulder and chest tear open, blood staining the water around him, and every bit of him was now convinced that if he didn't drown, he was going to get eaten by a sea serpent. After what feels like he was paddling for an eternity, his head breaks the surface and he takes in a heavy gasp before immediately getting thrown back under by another wave. He's able to reach the surface quicker this time, grabbing at a broken side of a crate that was floating nearby, clinging to it and pulling himself as far onto it as he could. Looking around, he's shocked by how dark it was, like it was midnight. And he couldn't see the fishing boat anywhere. The waves had pulled him one way, and pushed them another.
Gritting his teeth, left arm buzzing with pain from his torn stitches, Tao says a prayer to the moon and ocean spirits, Tui and La, to protect him, and to protect Sokka and the fisherman, as he holds onto the floating wood for dear life as the waves throw him around. The storm only seemed to get worse as time passes, and Tao has no idea how long he was out there, holding onto the broken crate, just trying to survive. But it was a losing battle. He was bleeding now, and the water was cold. It was taking more and more energy to cling to the crate and not slip off it and drown. He didn't even dare to use his chi to keep himself warm, needing to preserve his energy for as long as possible. Which meant that he was getting colder and colder, starting to shiver with the cold and with the exhaustion, choking on sea water as its splashed against his face.
He wasn't going to make it.
oOo
Tao groans and turns his head from side to side, head pounding and his entire body aching. He had a vague sensation of rocking from side to side, something that didn't happen when he was on Appa's back in the air. Cracking his eyes open, he looks around, seeing gray steel walls, which wakes him up quickly, and he sits up, gasping in pain and gripping at his shoulder as it protests. He blinks when he feels dry bandages, looking down and seeing he had clean ones wrapped around his shoulder and torso. He was fairly sure he had been bleeding before. And in the water. But he was dry. Looking around more fully now, he sees bars, realizing that he was in a cell of some sort.
Everything rocks from one side and then to the other, and it registers then that he was on a ship. Apparently as a prisoner. From the construction of everything, he was on a Fire Nation ship, an old one. Which told him one thing, and one thing only. Prince Zuko had apparently found him in the middle of the storm and had scooped him up. If his previous encounters were anything to go by, the prince was going to want information on Aang. It seemed his singular goal was capturing him.
Swinging his legs off the small cot he was laying on, he pulls himself to his feet using the wall as support as his knees try to buckle, everything aching, he moves forward towards the bars of the cell, looking around as best he can. It seemed this ship only had a couple cells, and he was in the one the closest to the stairs that led up to the upper level. He was also apparently in the very belly of the ship, which didn't bode well if something happened and it started to sink. He doubted that a prisoner would be prioritized over anyone on the actual crew. Everything was dimly lit, and there were no portholes to tell the time of day by or even just see out into the ocean. Who knew what time it was or how long Tao had been unconscious.
He frowns when a door opens and then shuts in the walkway at the top of the stairs, narrowing his eyes as Prince Zuko comes down the steps, followed closely by a shorter, heavier man with a graying beard and a smaller top knot. The young prince looks Tao's slouched form up and down with mild satisfaction as he stands on the other side of the bars from him, crossing his armored arms. "Good you're awake. Imagine my surprise when it was one of the Avatar's little friends that my crew scooped out of the ocean during that storm." the prince says with only mild sarcasm, and Tao scowls at him. "As repayment for saving your life and restitching and dressing that wound of yours, you're going to tell me exactly where the Avatar is going and how to catch up to him the easiest."
Tao snorts at this, rolling his eyes, pressing a hand to the side of the cell as the ship rocks, too unsteady on his feet right now to keep himself up under his own willpower. "You're dreaming if you think I'm going to give Aang up that easily." he growls, which seems to quickly irritate the prince. "For all he knows, I drowned out in that storm. So you can't even bank on holding onto me until he comes to rescue me."
"You're right. So if you're not going to tell me where he's heading, I may as well just throw you back overboard." Zuko growls, narrowing his eyes.
"Yeah, I guess you should." Tao retorts, which seems to catch the other teen off guard.
"I'll withhold food and water." Zuko tries.
"Go ahead and do it."
"Just tell me where he's going!" the prince shouts, a couple sparks of fire popping off his knuckles as he swings his fist in impatience. The older man rests a hand on his shoulder, pulling the teen back, tone calming and instructing as he speaks.
"Prince Zuko, calm yourself. You cannot expect this young man to simply hand over his friend because you demand it." this seems to do very little to calm Zuko's temper, and he jerks away from the other man and stomps off. Tao can hear his boots on the metal of the ship's decking for quite a while, and the older man simply sighs. "I apologize for my nephew's demeanor. He has had a difficult time as of late. What is your name, young man?"
Tao looks the man up and down slowly, appraising him and trying to decide how much information he should give over. Eventually he decides he doesn't have much to lose and relents. "Tao. What's yours?" he states, tone clipped.
"You may call me Iroh. You have quite the injury. How did that happen?" Iroh inquires, folding his hands in his sleeves. He seemed nothing like his much more fiery nephew. He was almost serene in his demeanor, eyes gentle and a soft smile part of his resting expression. It made Tao feel almost... safe.
"Met some radicals south of here. Their leader didn't take kindly to the fact that I'm a firebender. He tried to gut me." he hums, reaching up absently and resting his hand over the bandages on his chest, sighing. "What's your nephew's problem? Why is he so obsessed with Aang? It seems like everywhere we go, he's not far behind."
Iroh smile grows sad at this and he bows his head a little. "That is for my nephew to divulge. Just know that he is not a bad man, and wishes no real harm upon you or your friends. He is simply... desperate. He is good inside, I promise you."
"Yes, well, he could try to show that goodness on the outside as well." Tao snorts, moving away from the bars and going over to the cot, sitting down with a groan, feeling weak and shaky. "Tell whomever fixed me up again thank you for me, would you please Iroh? I can at least be grateful that I didn't bleed out before I drowned."
"That would be Prince Zuko, actually. He and our crew medic worked for several hours to warm you up and replace your stitching. You were quite hypothermic when we found you, and unconscious. How did you end up so far out in the ocean alone?"
"I went fishing." the younger firebender drawls, drawing a small chuckle from Iroh.
"Well, in any case, perhaps this encounter can be fortuitous for you as well as my nephew. I'm sure he'll return soon to question you further. I promise he will not harm you." with those last words, which Tao wasn't sure if they were meant to comfort or unnerve him or not, and a small, rather respectful bow, Iroh takes his leave, making his way up the stairs much quieter than Zuko had, leaving Tao once again alone with nothing but his thoughts and the rocking of the ship.
Ever since he had woken up in the iceberg with Aang, it was just one nightmare after another, and Zuko was a constant presence in that nightmare, always there, dogging their steps. It boggled Tao's mind. What could his goal possibly be? Why was he so obsessed?
He gets an opportunity for answers several hours later when the door above opens and shuts, and Zuko's heavy boots clomp their way down the metal steps. The prince was holding a bowl of some sort of food, and he comes to a stop on the other side of the bars as Tao sits up to look at him, frowning at his prisoner hard. "You ready to talk yet?" he growls.
"Why are you so determined to capture Aang?" Tao fires back, watching Zuko's mouth twitch in irritation. His eyes don't stay on Zuko's lips long though, sliding up to the ugly scar on the left side of his face. It was ghastly, making his own burn scar seem small in comparison. He couldn't imagine the pain Zuko had been in after it had happened, and he vaguely wondered if his hearing and sight were damaged in that eye or ear at all. His vision was very likely impaired in some way, just from the obvious thickening of his eyelids, and the permanent angry squint that eye was drawn into.
"I need the Avatar to restore my honor. I need to take him back to the Fire Nation and present him to my father." Zuko grits out, nearly fully through his teeth.
"Your honor? Honor isn't a material thing. It can't be given or taken away from you." Tao huffs, even more confused now, and his words do nothing to calm Zuko's apparently short temper.
"Its none of your business. Why would I explain myself to you? You're just some traitor gallivanting around with the Avatar, fighting against your own country in the process."
"I'm no traitor, little prince. The Fire Nation of today is not the Fire Nation that it was a hundred years ago. I'm still loyal to that Fire Nation, but I will never bow to the one exists today and condone the suffering that I've witnessed." Tao growls, his own temper flaring up a little before he quickly squashes it down, setting his jaw and taking in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Don't speak as if you know anything about my past. Though, from the sight of that scar, perhaps we have more in common than I initially assumed."
Zuko's eyes widen and he clenches his jaw, his face flushing in anger and he lashes out with one arm, a wave of fire flying from him, and momentarily he seems surprised when Tao doesn't even flinch as it flies towards him and fizzles out mere inches from his face. The most reaction Tao gives is a twitch of his jaw. "You shut your mouth! What would you know? You know nothing. Just tell me what I need to know. Now!"
"Shout at me all you like. I'm used to the abuse." Tao retorts coldly, even as his mind was spinning with panic and anxiety, Zuko's raised voice bouncing harshly off the metal walls around them, the fire having heated up the room greatly. He was already in a tight space, and now he was being threatened and yelled at. It wasn't a good combination. But he couldn't afford a breakdown right now, he had to stay strong. For Aang's sake as well as his own. If this was some test from the spirits, he had to pass it, he had to get back to his friends. "What will happen to Aang, if you manage to capture him? When you take him back to Caldera City and plop him in front of your father, what waits for him?"
This seems to unbalance Zuko, who stiffens, confused but also seeming guilty. Like he knew what waited for the young Avatar. "What are you asking?" he grits out, hand tight on the bowl of food in it.
"You know exactly what I'm asking. He's a twelve year old boy. Your uncle says you've got good in you. Will that goodness really allow you to subject a boy to a lifetime of being a prisoner, likely being tortured or tormented in some way? Because I know he won't be killed. He'll just reincarnate and then you and your honor are going to come looking for an infant next." Tao jabs, making Zuko twitch a little. The prince doesn't dignify him with a response though, setting the bowl down on the other side of the bars and stalking out on stiff legs. Once he's gone, Tao gets up and grabs the bowl through the bars. The food actually was of decent quality, fresh rice and some spicy marinated chicken. Fire Nation food. He had missed it more than he realized, having gotten used to field gathered food, or whatever Katara could whip up with what he and Sokka caught or what they bought at market. Sitting back down on his cot, he digs in hungrily, half not wanting to use his chopsticks and just use his hands to get it into his mouth faster, but he more prefers to hold onto his dignity.
As he eats, his mind drifts back to Aang and his friends. Were they alright? Had Sokka made it out of the storm alright, or had he been washed overboard or sank with the ship? Where were they going to next, and could Tao escape or convince Zuko or someone else to release him and go and find them? Would Zuko track him and use him to find Aang easier? Questions swirl anxiously in his head, but it does nothing to hinder his appetite.
oOo
On what Tao assumes is the next morning, he's woken by the sound of the upper door opening and shutting, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes as Zuko appears in the doorway of the small prison hold and storage bay, a small basket of some sort in one hand, a bowl of food in the other. The prince looked rather sour as he scowls at his prisoner, though Tao was starting to realize that seemed to be his normal expression. He certainly wasn't a very happy individual, though it wasn't like Tao had room to talk. He had his own abundant moments of misery. Without a word, Zuko shifts his handfuls of things and pulls a ring of keys out of a pocket on his armor, unlocking the cell and stepping inside, shutting the door with a loud clang behind him. Tao wasn't sure he was any more comfortable with Zuko in the cell with him, rather than on the other side of the bars, but it also wasn't like he was in any condition to fight him to steal his keys. Even if he was, what then? He still had to get off the ship without getting killed, and then get to shore, and then find Aang. All impossible tasks for him alone.
Zuko shoves the bowl into his hands, breakfast apparently, and then sets the basket on the end of the cot. It was full of bandages and a jar of salve. The prince is strangely quiet as he unbandages Tao, who does his best to be unobtrusive as he also ate, keeping his right arm out of the way and balancing the bowl on one leg, eating with one hand. The silence was tense, but the prince's hands were gentle and warm against Tao's irritated skin as he works, carefully wiping old salve away, cleaning the ugly line of rather expert stitching with a warm wet cloth, and then applying fresh salve. Its only when he's rewrapping the bandaging that he speaks, voice the softest that Tao had heard it yet. "Why is your fire blue? The only other person I've seen with blue fire is my sister, and you don't seem to be anything like her." he says, gold eyes cutting to Tao's face and away quickly, staying focused on his task.
Tao sighs, deciding there was no harm in answering this. If anything, it might soften Zuko up a little. "My father expected perfection. Firebending doesn't come naturally to me, so I had to come up with my own unique ways of bending. I practiced, studied, and practiced some more, until I collapsed or he hurt me enough that I couldn't move anymore. Eventually I perfected my flame production and started consistently bending blue fire." he says quietly, and he feels Zuko's fingers pause in their work for a moment before they continue.
"Your father was harsh with you." the other teen says as more of a statement of fact than a question.
"That's a way of putting it. A mild way." Tao says, jaw tight, shutting his eyes against memories of fists and fire. Things he wanted to forget but that seemed to get brought back to the surface at every possible opportunity. "If I wanted him to not hit me, kick me, or try to burn me, I'd do better. I'd meet his impossible expectations." once again, Zuko's hands pause, and when Tao looks, the other firebender was staring right at him. They were incredibly close to one another with the medical work the prince was doing on him, and Tao can see the conflicted thoughts clearly in his eyes.
"Maybe we do have something in common." the prince says quietly, and Tao almost thinks he had imagined it, because Zuko quickly looks away and doesn't speak again for a long time. Once the bandaging was done, he steps back, gathering the discarded ones and the jar of salve, looking Tao over. "Was it your father that burned your face?" he asks quietly. Tao stiffens, glancing up at him and then back down at his bowl, bowing his head and nodding once. Zuko says nothing, but Tao hears his breath catch, and he quickly turns and stalks out of the cell with the basket of medical supplies, slamming the door shut behind him and almost running up the stairs to the upper decks.
oOo
Tao doesn't see Zuko again that evening, it was a crew member who brings him dinner, nor the next morning. Iroh is the one who brings him breakfast and sees to his wound, and after its redressed, the older man lingers, making a small pot of jasmine tea and offering Tao a cup of it, who takes it out of shock. It was nice though, the warm liquid soothing some of his aches, and Iroh smiles as he visibly relaxes. "Its nice to share tea with someone who can appreciate its benefits." the older man remarks, to which Tao simply hums. Iroh lapses into a comfortable silence for a few moments, looking down into his steaming cup when he speaks. "Something you said to my nephew yesterday morning seems to have effected him greatly. He spent much of the day on the deck training, but when he was done he sat down and shared a pot of tea with me. He only does that when he's particularly troubled."
"He asked me about my scar." Tao murmurs, sipping on his cup, and when he looks up, he sees that Iroh was watching him quietly, his eyes gently prying. "I take it his father is responsible for that awful burn of his? He nearly tripped over himself leaving when I confirmed that my father did this to me." he says, motioning at his face. Iroh's expression falls, becoming incredibly sad and he sighs heavily, suddenly seeming ten years older. "You don't have to elaborate. Its his business, and I'm sure he wouldn't be happy with you divulging something so personal to an enemy."
"I appreciate that. You are correct, he would be very angry with me if I told you what happened. His father is... not a kind man. He never has been, even when he and I were children. I believe it was only my dear sister-in-law's influence on Prince Zuko that kept him from becoming cruel and cold like his father and sister. He is a good and honorable man. I simply wish he could see it in himself."
Pressing his lips together tightly, Tao closes his eyes, thinking about his own doubts and dislikes towards himself, self loathing that was pounded into him over years. Thoughts of never being good enough, never being strong or fast or smart enough. Feeling like his father's praise, or severe lack of praise, was his only metric for how well he was actually doing. Zuko was clearly a very damaged individual, and Tao could appreciate Iroh for being such a steady presence for his nephew, seeming to be, from what little he could gather, the only one truly supporting him. "Why is he out here? Why is he hunting Aang so feverishly? He talked about getting his honor back, but there must be more to it than that. Honor doesn't drive obsession like his."
Iroh lets out a slow breath, lowering his cup into his crossed legs, rubbing at his beard and trying to decide how much he should say to their prisoner. "It is the only way Prince Zuko will be allowed to return home. Three years ago, right after he was burned, his father banished him. His condition for returning was finding and capturing the Avatar."
Tao blinks at this, confused now. "But... Aang and I were still frozen three years ago. It had been almost a full century since anyone had even seen the Avatar."
"I know. He wasn't meant to succeed. And I believe he will chase the Avatar forever unless something drastic opens his eyes. I will not be around forever, so I pray that happens before I am gone from this world and he has no one to guide him."
Hands shaking a little as he sips on his tea, Tao's mind was a whirlwind of conflicted thoughts and emotions. On the one hand, Zuko was an enemy to Aang, and by proxy, the rest of his friends. He was dangerous and uncontrolled, desperate in his quest to capture the Avatar. He wouldn't, or couldn't, listen to reason. On the other, he was a damaged, angry boy, cast aside by his own father, hurt by his own father, and apparently, the only kindness in his life came from his uncle, and in his past his mother. The number of similarities between himself and the prince were mind boggling, it nearly took his breath away. Pity stirred in his chest, pity he was sure that Zuko wouldn't appreciate one bit from someone like him, and as he finishes his tea, he doesn't know what to say.
Thankfully, he doesn't have to say anything. Once he passes the empty cup back to Iroh, the older man refills it for him and then stands, gathering his pot and cup as well as the empty breakfast bowl and medical supplies, bows politely, and takes his leave, leaving Tao alone with his raging thoughts once again.
This cycle of a crew member or Iroh bringing him food and changing his bandages continues for the rest of that day and into the next one, and its not until after dinner that night that he sees Zuko again, coming down the stairs, looking tired and frayed. And confused. "Well, the great prince finally decides to grace me with his presence." Tao drawls, sitting up in his cot, looking the other up and down as the other teen just stares at him. The needling gets a scowl out of him though, and Zuko huffs.
"Shut up." is all he says before a long pause as they just stare at each other. "The Avatar is going to get himself killed being too nice to his enemies."
Tao frowns at this, getting up and moving up to the bars, looking at Zuko, confused and worried for his friend. "What do you mean?" he says, noticing quite the bump on the prince's shaved head. Apparently, he had been on a bit of an adventure. "Is Aang ok?"
"What, you're not going to ask if I did anything to him?" Zuko snorts sarcastically, crossing his arms and scowling at Tao, who stood eye level with him. When he just gets a crooked eyebrow in response, he rolls his eyes and looks away. "Admiral Zhao captured him. I broke into his fortress to break the Avatar out. It was my intention to capture him for myself, but things went... wrong. The Avatar wound up saving me when he could have just left me there to get arrested and probably executed for treason. Then-" Zuko pauses abruptly, like his voice had snagged in his throat. He works his mouth for a moment, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows hard and his crossed arms tighten against his chest a little. "He told me this stupid story about this friend he had back in the Fire Nation a hundred years ago. Not you, someone else. Then he has the... the nerve to ask me if we could have been friends before the war." Tao couldn't tell if Zuko was forcing himself to be angry at this point, to cover up some other emotion, or not, but he also wasn't shocked by anything the prince was telling him. "I firebent at him and he ran away. Didn't even try to fight back or defend himself. He just jumped out of the way and left. I should have taken my chance when I had it."
Tao lets out a quiet chuckle, a smirk twitching onto his face when Zuko glares at him in offense. "I'm not laughing at you, little prince, relax. That just... sounds exactly like Aang. He can make friends anywhere he goes. He's just got this way of worming his way into your heart, no matter how many walls you have up around it. He's a master of the giant puppy eyes, as well as airbending." trailing off, Tao shakes his head and sighs. "Honestly, if you would settle down for once and explain yourself to him, he'd probably find a way to be your friend too with very few issues. You'd have a hard time convincing the others, but Aang is very forgiving by nature."
"I don't want to be his friend." Zuko growls, but his voice shakes ever so slightly at the end, which grabs Tao's attention.
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes! All I want is to capture him and take him back to my father."
"Even knowing what will happen to him?"
"Yes." Zuko says, much less sure than his previous reply, looking away from Tao, who looks at him incredulously, getting an angry growl from the other teen. "I don't have to explain anything to you." he growls.
"And yet here you are, explaining yourself to me."
"Shut your mouth! Just tell me the Avatar's plans so I can-"
"Aang."
"Wh... what?" Zuko's angry, indignant tirade stutters to a halt when Tao cuts him off, single brow furrowing deeply.
"His name is Aang. He's a twelve year old boy from the Southern Air Temple. He likes egg custard tarts and inventing new airbending tricks. He's a literal breath of fresh air full of joy and love, who's never met a stranger." Tao says, watching Zuko's jaw clench as he tries to resist this humanizing description of Aang. It was easy to just call him 'the Avatar' and only see him as this otherworldly being or entity, a title rather than a person. But knowing his name, his origin, his likes, brought that deity down to earth and put human skin back on it. "This boy named Aang is the reason I'm a functional person today. He can be credited for saving my life, for pulling me out of a dark hole and helping me escape the man who liked to use me as his punching bag. And that's just me. That's not even mentioning all the other lives he's touched in a positive way. Do you really want to be the person to take that light from the world? To have that stain on you? All for what... your own awful father's approval?"
Zuko couldn't look at him, head turned away, fists clenched at his sides, visibly at war with himself. Looking closer, listening to the words Zuko was saying, Tao could see and hear the goodness that Iroh insisted upon. It was buried under layers of hurt and anger and loneliness, under a pile of feeling useless for not measuring up to the expectations of his father. But it was there. It just had to be uncovered. But Tao also knew that it couldn't be done in one conversation, or even ten. He would know, even though he didn't feel his own healing was paramount to anything else. He could keep his emotions tamped down to a degree. But seeing others hurting bothered him, knowing what they were going through personally and feeling compelled to some degree to fix it. Even when it really wasn't his problem. "Just- shut up. I'm going to bed. Uncle will be down in the morning with food and to change your bandages." the prince eventually grunts through his teeth, turning stiffly and stalking up the steps, though the door doesn't slam like it usually did when Zuko left in a huff. He shuts it rather softly, by comparison.
Sighing, Tao makes his way back over to his cot, sitting down on it. His strength had returned, and with the daily application of the wound salve and the changing of bandages, he was healing much quicker than he had been before. Katara did her best but they only had so many supplies, and they had to be stretched, so most of the time the best they could do was just keep the wound clean. He was surprised at how well he was being treated, considering he was a prisoner. He supposed that was another testament to Zuko's good nature. The most he did was shout and demand to be told what he wanted to hear. He hadn't shown any inclination to want to hurt Tao to get him to talk. And it seemed like he was being fed the same food that the rest of the crew and the prince himself was eating, which was another shocking thing. It was all so confusing. He would never outright talk, no matter how much he was enjoying eating Fire Nation food again, no matter how good Iroh's tea was or how kindly he was being treated. He wouldn't betray Aang like that. However, Prince Zuko presented a confusing enigma, and the many ways in which he and Tao were similar was concerning. There was a connection there, and whether or not the prince felt it, Tao certainly did, and he didn't know if that was a good thing, or a terrible thing.