Zuko Gets Adopted

by mistytales1303

What happens when Zuko gets adopted by the Gaang? Shenanigans

6. The Storm

This chapter got a little longer than I thought it would get, honestly! Hope you enjoy~

Enjoy!

Chapter 6: The Storm

Zuko woke up not to a pleasant sunrise, but tiny paws slamming down on his side with sharp claws. The pain was what woke him up halfway. He was woken up the rest of the way by the sheer shock of the impact. He shot off a fire blast into the air with a scream before he realized it was Momo's screeching he heard and Momo's claws he had felt.

"AAH!" Sokka ducked down, the tips of his machete and boomerang glowing red for a moment. He side-eyed Zuko with some disdain. Zuko coughed into his hand, his face burning bright red.

"S-sorry…" he muttered. Momo landed on his shoulder, wrapping his tail around Zuko's shoulders and neck, staring past Sokka with his ears pressed down. Zuko pet Momo until he crawled down into Zuko's lap. He turned his attention down to Aang. "Hey. Are you ok?"

"It's nothing, I just… had a bad dream. Go back to sleep," Aang said tiredly, rolling over. Zuko knew a thing or two about nightmares. He'd spent the betterment of a year dealing with them after his banishment.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Sokka said, more than ready to disappear back into his sleeping bag. he cracked an eye open at Zuko a moment.

"I won't fire blast anything," Zuko promised. It seemed to satisfy Sokka enough to roll over and sleep.

"Are you all right, Aang?" Katara asked.

"I'm ok," Aang says, though Zuko could tell that he was missing some of his usual enthusiasm.

"Are you sure? You seem to be having a lot of nightmares lately. Want to tell me about it?" Katara offered.

"I think I just need some rest," Aang says. Zuko pursed his lips. He wriggled out of his sleeping bag and gathered it all up. Katara turned to him when she heard him approaching.

"Zuko? Are you okay?" she asks.

He gave her a shrug, dropping his things down on Aang's other side. Aang sat up at the sound. Zuko set it all up and slid inside, settling down with a sigh, not looking at Aang or uttering a word the entire time. He waited a moment before finally looking at Aang.

"I'm right here."

"You don't have to—"

"I do. Now quiet down and sleep. If you have another nightmare wake me up, alright?"

Aang blinked at him a moment and then smiled. He nodded, settling back down. "Got it. Thanks, Zuko."

"Uh huh."

Zuko readjusted in his sleeping bag. The night air was perfect to lull him to sleep without the aid of a fire. Before he knew it, he was waking up to the sun and Appa's roaring yawn as he stretched out over the sand. It was better than having claws in his stomach.

"Look at those clear skies, buddy!"

Zuko sat straight up, fighting his sleeping bag off. He kicked it away to find Aang was setting up Appa's reigns. He appeared to be in a better mood than the previous night, at least. Zuko rolled his bag up, slinging it over his shoulder, and marching up to Appa.

"How come you didn't wake me?" he asks, throwing the bag up onto the saddle. Aang slipped off Appa's head to meet him. The bison turned its massive head towards him, giving him a small roar that almost sounded like a giant purr.

"You never sleep well, either. You were finally getting a good rest."

Zuko regarded him a moment before turning away. "I didn't think anyone noticed."

"Do you have nightmares, too?" Aang asked, Bending around Zuko to be face to face again. Zuko grimaced a moment, images of fire and the phantom pains over his face distracting him a moment. He rubbed at his eyes, glancing away down the beach.

"Sometimes."

"How do you…" Aang trailed off. Zuko regarded him a second. Aang blinked and looked away a moment. "Nevermind."

Zuko watched him Bend back onto Appa, distracting himself with talking to Katara instead. Zuko opted to climb up Appa's tail, settling in next to Sokka just before take-off. Sokka set the map out on the saddle. Zuko held one side down as he pressed down on the other. Sokka hummed, and then Zuko saw him glance up and shriek as feathers started to cover both their visions. Zuko shot his arm out, the talons of the hawk taking hold on the thick sleeve and balancing the messenger hawk. Zuko held the hawk lower, trying to keep it from being blown off Appa's saddle space, and the hawk hopped to his lap instead.

"Alright… you gotta train that thing better," Sokka grumbled.

"He's perfect," Zuko teased. Sokka shot him a glare. Zuko ignored it as he untied the letter. Sokka weighed down the map, scrutinizing it.

"We have to go to a market. There's a pier town not far from here. A few minutes, maybe. We can get food there."

"And clothes?" Zuko asked, picking at the borrowed top. If it was just a little too tight on him, he couldn't imagine it didn't slack a little on Sokka's frame. He flicked the letter open, absently skimming it. He stopped and frowned, turning it over just to be sure it was really the same letter he had sent the bird with.

"Uh, yeah, sure. You got money?" Sokka teased. Zuko's attention broke. He set the letter under his leg for a moment to reach into his duffle bag, dangling the bag of coins with a slight sway to hear them jingle. Sokka glared at it, then at Zuko's smirk, then back down to the map.

"Rich boy."

"It's money Uncle snuck into my bag," Zuko says, burying it back into his bag. "He didn't know how much you guys had."

"Well, at least he's generous," Sokka mumbled.

Zuko wasn't sure of that. He hadn't actually seen what currency Iroh had snuck into the sack yet, but he knew they hadn't been keeping a fortune on the ship. Mostly money orders to restock the physical money when they stopped to restock and shop. From the weight he could tell it would get them some food and him some clothes, however. He fished the letter out from under his leg and after a glance, stared down disapprovingly at the messenger hawk.

"Maybe I should train you better…" he grumbled, rolling the letter up again and retying it. The hawk squawked at him disapprovingly.

"What'd it do?" Katara asks.

"Didn't go to Uncle Iroh, apparently," Zuko sighs. He tilted the bird's gaze up to his face. "Take it to Uncle Iroh this time, ok?"

The bird stared at him until Zuko gave up on a response and let the bird's head drop back against his chest again. He made a note to set it off once more once they'd landed.

"General Iroh, sir."

Iroh looked up at the Captain, patting the seat next to him. He slid a teacup into place as well, already smiling. "Good morning, Captain. What brings you here, except for a cup of tea?"

"Not tea, actually," the Captain says. Iroh feigned his disappointment. Really, it meant more for him. He took a sip as the Captain stopped just short of the table. "There are rumors of the Avatar bringing a Firebender around with him."

Iroh paused and looked up at the Captain, expression unreadable. The Captain waited another beat for any reaction before continuing.

"There's nothing concrete. Mostly just rumors based on the clothing. But, the crew and I have noticed you haven't gotten a letter from Prince Zuko in a while."

"Ah, yes. I'm not worried. He's a growing boy and is on a journey of self-discovery. I do not expect our correspondence to be top priority."

"I understand that," the Captain began. Iroh could hear the uncertainty in his voice. He refilled his tea to the brim with a content smile. The Captain seemed unsure how to take the calm attitude and opted instead for another approach. "May I speak freely, sir?"

"Of course! I encourage it, in fact."

"I—and some of the crew—"

Iroh was sure of it, yes.

"—are wondering if perhaps, Prince Zuko was captured by the Avatar instead. He would have been outnumbered without the soldiers' aid," The Captain stated. Iroh stopped mid-sip, feigning his laugh for a cough and a clearing of his throat. The Captain kept going. "I believe we should head for his last planned location. A small bay village not far from here."

Iroh stood, moving out across the deck. The Captain followed him, waiting for his response. "Is that a good idea? A storm is brewing."

The Captain looked out over the clear skies. He looked slowly back at Iroh, who seemed confident in his assessment of the weather. "I… don't see it. "

Iroh patted his belly. "Intuition, Captain."

"Right… either way, I stand by my suggestion."

"And I assure you, that Prince Zuko is fine. He is a capable young man," Iroh says proudly. He looked back out over the waters, feeling that sense of unease creeping up again. The storm wouldn't be capsizing, but it would be difficult to navigate. He turned back to see the Captain creasing his brow and looking… conflicted.

"With all due respect, sir, it's our heads on the platter if the prince is in danger and we weren't there," the Captain reasoned.

Yes, Iroh was certain that was the case. Nothing to do with the fact Zuko was still a teenager and a rather impulsive one at that. Nothing to do with the concern the crew had been, not so subtly, failing at hiding.

"If that's the case," Iroh says slowly, pulling at his beard, "then I will volunteer for crow's nest."

"Pardon?"

"If you're actually set on going into a storm, Captain, then I'll be in the crow's nest," Iroh explained.

He left no room for argument in his tone. The Captain, smart man that he was, took the hint and bowed. Iroh watched him leave and sighed to himself, running his fingers down his beard more to ground himself than smooth the hair. If Zuko was still in the village, he would have to find him first. If he was still present and Iroh failed to find him… he'd have to cross that bridge when he got there. Perhaps one or two days visiting the crew to show that Zuko was perfectly fine would do the crew good to calm down for a while longer.

Zuko slung the duffle bag over his shoulder. He bowed to the vendor and walked down the pier, looking out over the sea. It was calm—a little too perfectly calm—with the birds coasting over the boats to land on the pulled in sails. He spotted the trio at a fruit stand. The vendor took the basket from Sokka harshly and shooed them away.

Sokka groaned, dragging his hands down his face. He spotted Zuko and perked up. "Hey! You have any money left?"

"I just spent it on the supplies list."

"Did you get any meat?" Sokka asked hopefully. Zuko shook his head only once before Sokka deflated in defeat. "No! Great. We're broke and meatless"

"At least we have some food," Aang says, digging an apple out of Zuko's bag. "I'm fine without any meat."

"I'm not! I'm a growing man! I need meat!"

"Well, you could get a job, smart guy," Katara says. Sokka gasped in offense, pointing at Zuko and Aang.

"Why can't they get a job, huh?"

"I'd get a job," Aang offered.

"You're not qualified for a job," Zuko says, smirking. "Plus, you're twelve. Why do you keep forgetting that?"

"Well, why don't you get one, then?" Aang asks.

"You really want to risk anyone recognizing me on the job?" Zuko shot back. Aang was silent a moment. He looked ready to speak and then fell silent, scrunching up his face in thought.

"Well, why can't Katara get a job?" Sokka asked, turning to her with one last ditch effort. Katara blinked at him, unimpressed.

"Because I already do enough work around here. It's your turn," she says, turning away. She caught sight of a fisherman storming down the pier with a woman rushing after him.

"—fish can wait! There's going to be a terrible storm!"

"Ah, you're crazy, it's a nice day. No clouds, no wind, no nothing, so quit your nagging, woman!"

"Maybe we should find shelter," Aang says.

"Are you kidding? Shelter from what?" Sokka asks, swinging his arms out to the clear sky and sea.

Katara elbowed Sokka. "You could help them. He'd probably pay to have a strong, young man on the boat."

"Seriously? You want me wasting time on a boat?" Sokka asks.

"—hen I'll find a new fish hauler and pay him double what you get." The fisherman shouted. Sokka rushed up.

"Did you say double? I've been on a boat most of my life, I can help you fish," Sokka offered confidently.

"You're hired. But who told you I was paying double?" the fisherman asks.

"Wh—you just said it!" Zuko shouted.

"Bah." The fisherman waved him off, climbing onto his boat. "C'mon, boy! Load the crates and let's go!"

Sokka wasted no time in doing so. "Just tell me where they go!"

Zuko sighed, walking down the pier. "I'm dropping this off if he's really doing this," he says. Aang followed after him, resting his glider on his shoulder.

He walked alongside Zuko for most of the walk, until they were yards from Appa and Momo left Aang to land on Appa's horn instead. Aang cleared his throat, shifting his eyes around at the market stalls. Zuko turned to him, readjusting his bag on his shoulder.

"What?" Zuko asks. Aang looked at him, failing to look confused. He'd been caught. He knew it. Zuko just didn't know what he'd caught him in. "What? Just say it."

"I…" Aang bit his lip and sighed. He fell onto Appa's head once they'd reached the bison. He looked exhausted. "How do you… deal with nightmares?"

"What are they about?" Zuko asks. Aang clenched his fists into Appa's fur, curling up a bit.

"…I don't wanna talk about it."

Zuko hummed. He had a good idea about what kind of problem Aang was having with that response. He felt a similar feeling of reluctance at the thought of talking about his own dreams. He threw the duffle up onto the saddle. Zuko stood at the edge of the dock.

"You know," he started off, sitting on the dock. "I'm not really qualified to give advice on this. Got my own issues to fight. But, Uncle Iroh said closure helps a lot."

Aang was silent a moment. He dug his face further into Appa's fur. "I don't think that's possible."

Zuko grimaced and climbed up onto Appa's head. Aang shimmied up, leaning against Appa's neck instead. Zuko took up the space next to him. The head was sturdier than he thought it'd be. He had expected to slip right off, but there was enough space on Appa's neck to hold them both.

"Then you're going to have to ground yourself after you wake up."

"How do I do that? Meditation?" Aang asks. Zuko stared at him a moment. He set a hand on Aang's shoulder.

"No."

Aang deflated a little, flopping uselessly to Appa's back. Zuko took Aang's hand and brushed it along Appa's fur.

"You taste something, snap your fingers, look around, feel things, smell something strong. Just do things."

Aang ran his hand along Appa's fur. "…And that helps you?"

"It calms me down. I had to find some way to stop reacting when I woke up or I'd have burned a hole in my ship."

Aang snorted, twirling his staff, and hopping off Appa's head. "Well, at least I don't have to worry about that!"

Zuko smirked and slid off Appa's head. The walk back, Zuko listened to Aang talk his ear off about giant koi. Frankly, all Zuko could think was how insane Aang was to have actually ridden the giant fish. They were easily large enough to eat the kid—they were large enough to eat him—and yet Aang apparently had done it multiple times. Zuko let his gaze drift over the bay and he frowned. Dark clouds had started rolling in and he wasn't sure from where they had originated. Aang's voice quieted down as they neared the boat Sokka was still loading supplies in and Zuko turned to see Aang's face falling.

"Hate storms?" Zuko asks.

"Um…. Kind of," Aang admits. Zuko couldn't rightfully blame him. Flying through the air during a storm was more than likely a horrid experience. He didn't want to think about what getting struck by a stray strike of lightning might feel like.

"Are you sure about going out with that coming in?" Katara was asking when they'd approached.

"I can't back out just because of some bad weather," Sokka says. When he came back up, Aang set his staff on the ground and looked over the bay.

"I don't know, Sokka. It looks like it would be a bad storm if you went."

"The boy with tattoos has some sense! You should listen to him!" the woman shouted, walking off in a huff. The fisherman straightened up from the boxes he was handling.

"Boy with tattoos…" he said slowly. He turned to them. "Airbender tattoos."

The fisherman walked off the boat and up to Aang. "Well, I'll be a hog monkey's uncle. You're the Avatar, aren't you?"

"No—" Zuko starts.

"That's right," Katara says. Zuko kicked her harshly in the shin. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"That boy has some sense. The Avatar disappeared for a hundred years!" the fisherman spat. Aang leaned away as he bent down to him. "You turned your back on the world."

The fisherman struck Aang's chest with his finger. Zuko harshly shoved the fisherman's arm away. He had thought a moment about threatening in him with some fire; but thought better of it. The fisherman shot him a hardy glare and Zuko started to recant his decision not to threaten with fire.

"Back off of him," Zuko says. "He's a kid."

"He's the Avatar, and he should have been here a hundred years ago!" the fisherman shoots back. "Or did I imagine the last hundred years of war and suffering?"

"That isn't his fault, Aang wouldn't turn his back on anyone!" Katara shouted. The fisherman looked them both over. He gave a huffing chuckle, with a hint of condensation. "What?"

"I had heard rumors The Avatar was running around with two benders, I just hadn't thought they were true," the fisherman confesses. "Water and Fire, eh? Based on the lass's clothes, you're the water bender, right?"

"Hey, why couldn't I be the water bender?" Sokka shouted from the boat, already grabbing a box. He paused, sensing the tension in the air, and slowly set the box back down while he looked between them all. "Um—"

"Get those boxes down to the storage!" the fisherman ordered. Sokka snatched the box up and almost fell down the stairs. The fisherman motioned to Zuko. "You're the fire starter, right?"

Zuko's glare hardened. "You want a demonstration?"

"Feh! Just like every other Fire Nation brat," the fisherman spat. Zuko clenched his fists, his palms heating up. He grit his teeth, using the pressure to pull his attention away from his anger.

"Back off," Katara warned. "Neither of them have done anything wrong."

"That kid's Fire Nation and the Avatar abandoned the people he was meant to help. Tell me how that isn't anything wrong," the fisherman says.

"Aang and Lee are two of the bravest people I know!" Katara shouts, stepping between the three. "Lee's been a great help to the team and helped us. And Aang's done nothing but help others and save lives since I met him. It's not his fault he disappeared!"

Zuko caught movement and flicked his gaze down to Aang. He was stepping away, unlatching his glider as he did. Katara turned to them. Aang didn't answer her when she initially reached her hand out. Zuko could see the flash of escape in Aang's eye before he took the first step back. He stepped to the side, letting him get the room he needed to flick his glider open and fly away towards the mountains.

"That's right, keep flying!"

"Say something again," Zuko spat. "And I'll burn the sail right off the boat."

"You're a horrid old man," Katara added. She ignored the dismissiveness of the fisherman, rushing down to Appa. "C'mon, Lee!"

The rain had started in on them not long into the flight. Zuko couldn't have expected it to hold off forever, but he had hoped it would have at least waited longer. Katara was looking over the cliffsides for any sign of Aang. Momo stuck his head out of Zuko's poncho, his fur ruffling up against Zuko's neck. Having the lemur in his poncho was, at the very least, keeping him warmer. Really, he thought Katara ought to have Momo under her over-shirt. He at least had his fire to keep him warm, but that may be why Momo was so keen to stay close to him in the rain.

"You think he took refuge on the cliffside?" Zuko asks. It didn't seem very logical, but as he'd stated a few times already, Aang was just twelve.

"No, but maybe, I don't know, a cave? An out cropping?" Katara said. She signed, wiping the water from her brow. "Why did you kick me?"

"I told you already that you shouldn't be announcing who he is. That was why," Zuko shouted over the wind. Katara grimaced, looking over the cliff with more scrutiny. She sighed.

"I'm sorry. I just… no one's been hostile when they find out. Most people are relieved."

"Most. You should know it's not exactly unheard of that people would be angry with the Avatar for disappearing. I'm sure plenty of people think the war would have never started if he hadn't."

"That's not fair—!"

"They don't think about that, Katara," Zuko says. "When someone is angry, they don't care how fair it is."

"… Do you?" Katara asks. Zuko shot her a look a moment before turning back to the cliffs.

"I didn't."

Katara was silent for a long moment. She looked back over the cliff and spotted a small figure in a cave opening, a long set of stairs leading up to the entrance. "There!"

She pulled the reigns, guiding Appa to a portion of stair that was like a breaking spot, larger than the rest of the staircase. She leapt off Appa's head, followed closely by Zuko, and trudged up to the cave entrance. Zuko looked back to find that Appa knew how to balance on the small space surprisingly well with six legs. The bison seemed unperturbed by the small spacing. In hindsight, being able to fly would make one confident, Zuko supposed. If the stories about Airbender territories were right, heights weren't something Airbenders took issue with, at all.

"Aang," Katara calls out, stopping just in the doorway. Zuko joined her, shaking off the excess water from his poncho.

"I'm sorry for running away…" Aang said quietly.

"The fisherman was out of line," Zuko says quickly. "He shouldn't have said what he did."

"But, he's right," Aang says. Zuko shook his head, sending water out everywhere across the cave.

"He's bitter," Zuko says.

"Does it have to do with your nightmare?" Katara asks. Aang was silent for a beat. Appa nuzzled up to his back.

"I don't want to talk about it," he says. "It's kind of a long story."

"I'll start a fire," Zuko offers. He readjusted his poncho, Momo dropping out and taking up space in Aang's lap.

Zuko slipped past Appa and walked down to the base of the stairs where they'd landed. He stopped at a tree growing out of the cliffside, taking as many branches as he could lift off the tree and carrying them back up. By the time he'd gotten to the cave Katara had already set up a small circle of rocks. Zuko took a branch in each hand, heating his hands until the bark felt dry, and then moving on to the next set of branches until he'd dried enough to make a tent of branches. He pointed at it next, shooting a small bit of flame out towards the center. The fire lit up instantly, illuminating the entire cave. Appa moved closer, yawning and laying out on the cave floor to enjoy the heat.

"I'll never forget the day the Monks told me I was the Avatar," Aang began. "I was playing with some kids outside the South Wall. I was trying to teach them how to do the Air Scooter. I'd just made it up, and I thought it'd be fun to share it. After I showed them, Master Gyatso and the other Masters pulled me away. They told me about how they had known I was the Avatar since I was a baby. I played with toys of past Avatars. They were all my favorites."

"They knew from toys?" Katara asks.

"Every Nation has their own method of finding the Avatar. Normally, they don't tell Avatars until they're 16, but the war was starting, and after they told me, everything started changing. The other kids said it wasn't fair to play against the Avatar. So, I mostly just played Pai-Sho with Master Gyatso and trained with the other Masters, but…"

Zuko looked up from stroking the fire. "But, what?"

"But; then the other Airbending Masters wanted to take me away from Master Gyatso, to train at the Eastern Air Temples, instead. I overheard them telling Master Gyatso."

Aang stood, pacing around the cave, the wind spinning around him as his voice grew louder. "How could they do that to me?! They wanted to take away everything that I knew and everyone I loved!"

Aang's tattoos flashed white, glowing bright as the wind flew up around them. The fire shit higher into the air and Katara leaned away from the hot cinders. Zuko put his hands up, bending the flames to keep the main threat of burns away. Aang's tattoos dimmed again and he turned to them. Zuko held his hand up before he could speak.

"You have a right to be angry, just control it," Zuko says. Aang sighed, sitting back down at the fire.

"Especially after the Monks just sent you away like that," Katara adds. Aang looked away from them. Momo took a spot back up in Aang's lap, purring as Aang absently pet him.

"I was afraid and confused. I didn't know what to do. So, I… I took Appa and I left a note. And…" Aang stopped petting Momo, wiping his sleeve over his eyes. "I got caught in a bad storm. When we hit the water, I panicked. I don't even remember making the iceberg. I just… ran away. And the Fire Nation attacked the temple while I wasn't there. My people needed me, and I wasn't there."

"But, you don't know what would have—" Katara began.

"The world needed me, and I wasn't there to help!" Aang shouted. Momo fled off his lap to Appa's horn.

"You might have died right alongside the other Airbenders," Zuko points out.

"You don't know that."

"And neither do you, do you?" Zuko asks. Aang was silent, giving Zuko the good chance he needed to keep going. "I understand why you ran."

"Huh?"

"I said, I understand why you ran," Zuko repeats. "That's not a situation you should have to handle. I don't care about circumstances."

"But—"

"And if you had stayed, and you had died, then what?" Zuko spat. Aang leaned back, unsure. "Do you think the Fire Lord wouldn't have gone for the next Avatar, too?"

"How would he know where to look?" Katara asks. "Wait, how did he know in the first place?"

"The Avatar Cycle has a pattern," Aang explained. "The next Avatar would have been in a water tribe."

"What would have happened if the Fire Lord had killed the next Avatar, too?" Katara asks. Zuko sat back, crossing his arms.

"Doesn't matter. They wasted all their time looking for Aang," Zuko says. He slid down the cave wall. "So did I."

"I wouldn't call it wasted," Aang said sheepishly. He caught Zuko's face redden and turned his attention to Katara instead. "But, the Avatar would have just kept reincarnating."

Zuko blinked and sat up again. "Indefinitely?"

Aang nodded, counting off his fingers. "Me, water, earth, fire, and repeat. That's the pattern of the cycle. So, if I had died, and then the next Avatar from the water tribes died, then the next Avatar would have been in the Earth Kingdom. But the Earth Kingdom is huuuuuuge," Aang said, emphasizing his point by moving his arms in a large arc. "They probably never would have found them."

They were silent for a beat. Zuko ruffled the short hair he had managed to grow out and watched the flames for a moment.

"So, you play Pai Sho?" he asks. "You should play Uncle some time. Maybe then he'd finally lose."

Aang snorted, covering his mouth.

"Help! Oh, please help!"

Aang jumped. Katara shot up, rushing over to the fisherman's wife, guiding her back to the fire. "It's okay, you're safe now."

"But my husband isn't. They should have been back by now. They're stuck at sea, and this storm is turning into a typhoon."

"I'm going to find them," Aang announces.

"I'm going with you," Katara says. Zuko stood, already moving towards Appa.

"Well, I'm staying here," the woman says, sitting right down at the fire.

Momo sat next to her, flicking his tail. Zuko gave a quick pat on his way past, climbing into Appa's saddle once outside the cave entrance. Katara and Aang seated on Appa's head. Once they'd taken off, Zuko started to scan the waters. Aang flew lower and lower over the waters, the waves starting to brush against Appa's toes.

"Aang, fly higher, or the waves are going to overtake us," Zuko shouted.

"Sorry!"

Appa tilted higher, enough that Zuko could see far further than before across the water. He caught sight of a lightning strike, and then curiously, the lightning arc back over the water without breaking. Zuko blinked. That was not a natural phenomenon, and he knew it.

Iroh redirected another strike, using the frame of the crows nest small hut to lock his feet in place on the rocking ship. So long as he kept the stance relatively consistent. He'd redirected three strikes already, having to draw them away from the main deck twice. He looked out over the waters, scanning the horizon for another strike, catching sight of the large, familiar white dot flying past them. He already knew the Captain's orders before he heard them, and the ship tilted to follow.

Katara looked over the water and took Aang's shoulder, pointing towards the ship she could see being tossed by the waves. "The boat!"

Aang pulled the reigns, flying Appa down near the ship's deck close enough that he could hop off. Zuko looked back towards where he'd seen the lightning redirection and what he'd thought was the outline of a ship against the dark waves. The coloring had made it hard to tell for certain. Suddenly, Appa's body lurched and he heard Sokka screaming. The fisherman and Sokka landed square on their rears behind him, and both leaned against the saddle's supplies with relieved sighs. Zuko took a second, but grabbed the rope and looped it around one of the holes of the saddle. He wasn't about to let Sokka go flying if Appa suddenly had to bank to the side. He couldn't do much about himself or Aang or Katara—there wasn't enough loose rope for himself and those two were on the bison's head—but he could at least make sure the men they'd come out for wouldn't fall off.

He'd just finished tying off the knot and looked up to see the boat above them, riding a massive wave.

No flame would stop that.

Appa tried to tilt up, fly away, but the wave was faster. The water started to overtake them and Zuko tightened the knot as hard as he could manage.

"Hold onto the horns!" he shouted.

Katara hugged Appa's horns, one hand gripping the reigns on top of that just in case. Zuko didn't worry too harshly about Aang's grip, his knuckles were already white with his grip. He got one hand gripping the top of one of the holes on the saddle when the water reached him. It hit harsher than he'd have thought. In the back of his mind he knew that he shouldn't have been surprised—he'd been hit with water by Katara before and it had packed a punch—but this was a strength that was thick and unmovable. How laughable it would have been to try and bend fire at something like that.

Zuko's grip loosened in the cold and wet. They were submerged now, weightless, and he couldn't feel his fingers. He strained to open his eyes, watching Appa's saddle get further away. He spotted a light, recognizing Aang's Avatar State before the circle of air started to surround him and then by extension Appa and the others.

Shit.

Appa was directed up to the top of the waves. Zuko watched him go, his brain stopping a moment. He held his breath, noting a few things to hold his own brain steady. Firstly, the water seemed to get calmer the further down he floated, as well as colder. That got his brain to kick start into survival. The cold was starting to seep past his skin and muscle to his bone and he couldn't hold his breath forever. He looked around to find anywhere that would at least be better to swim towards. The whole ocean was just darkness, save for the look of the waves above him, and then the trail.

Wait. Trail?

Zuko honed in on that feature. That was the trail of another boat. An engine boat. Zuko kicked his legs up, aiming for the trail as it got closer to him, breaking the surface of the water with a gasp. He runs through his options. Getting spotted was the best he could do. The worst that happened was that they either didn't see him, or they ignored him, but… he only had one idea for what would most likely get their attention the fastest. He shot off a tower of flame into the air. Even if it didn't get the attention of the ship, it did a little to warm him up.

To his relief, the ship banked towards him. As it neared him, he recognized the Fire Nation style. And the ice burg damages on the side of the hull. Zuko ran his hand on the side of the ship as it passed, grabbing the rope that was lowered to him and he yanked. He started to get pulled up the side, gripping the rope with his hands and feet to keep the waves from knocking him off. He looked up once he got closer and reached a hand up, recognizing the face of one of the soldiers that usually accompanied him onto shore.

"Prince Zuko?!"

"Rosu?"

Zuko was pulled over the side and landed with a thud. Arms were wrapping around him, lifting him up, and he was pressed against a familiar metal chest plate. Rosu squeezed him tight.

"We knew it," he said. "We knew something was wrong when we heard the Avatar had a Firebender with him."

Zuko's blood ran cold. He pushed away from Rosu, shaking out his poncho to keep his hands busy. He hardly had a chance to try and think of an excuse when three other crewmembers came up to start fussing over him. One in particular saying something about the haircut. In his personal opinion, Katara did a decent job, and he had grown out somewhat since she'd cut it—but, he knew why the look would have caused some anxiety among the crew.

"Captain! General Iroh, sir!"

Zuko groaned. Loudly. Loud enough that one of the crew sat him down and draped a blanket over him, muttering something about finding him a new set of clothes.

Katara held her head, shaking out her braid. She looked around to the saddle and froze. "Oh, no."

Aang looked up at her. "What?"

"Zuko is gone," Katara says. She climbed into the saddle, nearly slipping off Appa's neck, just to confirm. The fisherman shook his head out, knocking stray water from his ear. He and Sokka looked over the sides to find Zuko was entirely gone.

"Your fire starter is missing, Avatar," the fisherman says.

Aang looked around hastily, spotting the ship in the distance. He banked Appa towards them, scanning the waters in case he could see anything in the water. There was a small blast of fire out of the water and the ship banked towards it. Aang guided Appa towards the Eye of the Storm, following the ship as it made its way towards the Eye itself.

"Hey, just what are you doing, Avatar?! You're gonna get us killed! That's a Fire Nation ship!" the fisherman shouted. Katara whipped around to him.

"And our friend is on it, so shut up and stay on Appa when we land!"

The fisherman blinked at her and sat back against the supplies. Once they flew into the Eye of the Storm, Aang circled the ship once, spotting Zuko on the deck, stuck in a bear hug by Iroh. Iroh caught sight of them, taking one arm off Zuko to push the Captain's arm down even as he had started to aim up towards Appa. Appa landed on the deck, leveling his gaze to the soldiers on board. Aang was just a little grateful that Appa's size was intimidating enough to make them pause.

Aang turned towards them, grabbing his glider from where it had been strapped down. "Give me a minute. I'll handle it."

Aang Bended himself off Appa's head once Sokka and Katara nodded. Aang set his glider on the deck of the ship, spotting Zuko still stuck in Iroh's iron grip. He looked like he'd given up trying to get out of it. Aang fought back the smile and bowed instead.

"Um… hi?"

The Captain took a step forward. "Avatar. Mind telling me why our prince was on your bison?"

"Uhhhh—"

"I would like to thank the Avatar for coming back to find my nephew after he fell off, if you wouldn't mind," Iroh says curtly.

He kept that same smile on his face, which somehow intimidated Aang more than if he had been frowning. The Captain took a step back, giving Iroh more room to see Aang. Iroh finally let Zuko go, who shoved himself away and finally tore off the blanket now that he wasn't getting constantly drenched. He looked towards Aang and Appa alike with a pained expression. What luck he had.

"Y-you're welcome," Aang said sheepishly. He scratched his cheek a moment. "But, uh… can we have him back?"

"Back?" the Captain asks. "After you kidnap him, you expect us to just hand him over to you?"

"We didn't—" Aang faltered a second, realization hitting him. Technically—or not so technically—Sokka and Katara had kidnapped him. He couldn't rightfully lie about that when he'd taken him along with them in the first place.

Honesty was the best policy, still, right?

"Uh… well, he's kind of… teaching me?" Aang says warily. Zuko face palmed. That was the wrong move then, Aang supposed. The Captain didn't seem to know what to say. After a few long, tense moments, he finally sighed, pinching his brow. Iroh stepped up, much to Aang's relief.

Iroh bowed to him first. "Thank you for keeping my nephew safe. And for helping him on his journey."

"Well, he's helping me, too!" Aang says happily. He started shuffling on his feet. "And… I was hoping he could still help me?"

"If it matters," Zuko pipes up, "I wouldn't mind going with them again."

"What?"

"Or, I could order you let me, that works, too," Zuko says. He relished a little in the anger he saw flash on the Captain's face for a brief moment before Iroh set a hand on his shoulder.

"Captain, I do believe it would be best for Zuko to continue on his journey, and us to continue as we were," Iroh says. When the Captain seemed unsure, Iroh leaned over to whisper to him. "And my brother need not know."

The Captain sighed, straightening up, pinching his brow. He pointed to Aang. "If anything happens while he's with you, I'll have your head before The Fire Lord can have mine, got it?"

"Yes sir!"

"And we're staying on your course, got it?"

"Uh, ok."

"And he is going to keep sending letters so we know he isn't dead."

"He won't die on my watch, I swear!" Aang promised. Zuko smirked at that. If anyone even tried, Aang wasn't the only Bender in the group they'd have to contend with. Any Bender going against three others wasn't going to do so easily. He doubted he had to worry about that much in any capacity.

"And, Iroh, sir?" Aang spoke up. "Do you want to come?"

Zuko blanched at him a second. He looked up to Iroh, who laughed, but then calmed down and smiled at Aang like the innocent child he was.

"I would be honored, Young Avatar, but I think I'd better stay here. Admiral Zhao is suspicious, and I rather enjoy running him in circles," Iroh admits with a chuckle. He patted Zuko on the head. "Keep my nephew safe."

"Yes sir."

Zuko started off towards Appa, pointedly ignoring the looks of the crew, and took Katara's hand as she pulled him up. He also pointedly ignored the stare of the fisherman. He wasn't sure if he had heard any of that, but he was certain that he was never seeing him again regardless, so he wasn't going to worry about it. Aang gave Iroh a final bow and Bended his way back onto Appa's head.

"Appa, yip-yip!"

Appa launched up, flying straight up through the Eye of the Storm and into open air. Zuko laid out on the saddle with a heavy sigh. The fisherman stroked his beard, reminding him very pointedly of Iroh, and stared down at him.

"I admit, I wasn't expecting a Waterbender and a Firebender to ever work together," the fisherman confessed. "Didn't think it could be done."

"Well, I can always douse him if he gets too out of line," Katara teases. Zuko kicked out at her, gently hitting her knee.

"I've been in enough water for today," Zuko groans. His whole body was aching. Trying to swim in the rough waters was exhausting. He was fairly certain he was coming down from an adrenaline crash, on top of that. At least he had the warm sun on him again.

They were almost back to the bay town when Aang spotted some broken cloud formations on the edge of the storm and dived down, navigating back towards the cave entrance where they'd left the fisherman's wife. Once they'd landed and gotten him off Appa's back, the fisherman was chewed out almost instantly, given a hug, and lectured some more. Zuko remained on Appa's back, the bison having backed into the cave enough that the rain only really hit his snout, leaving Zuko looking at the cave rooftop as he laid down on the saddle. It was close enough for him to brush his fingers on the surface. It was remarkably smooth. The saddle shook as Appa shook off his water, soaking Sokka and Aang again.

"Ah! Appa!"

Zuko smirked, settling further into the saddle. He did a few breathing exercises to warm himself up again. It did nothing to dry his clothes, but it warmed up his limbs and body just fine. He paused. Then smacked his hand over his face. He forgot to grab more money off the ship.