Previously on The Legend of Perseus; Bender of Oceans
You're something incredible Zula." Her bodyguard smiled widely at her, his sea green eyes glimmered under the stars. A warm comforting feeling rushed through her. The tiniest of blushes almost reached her cheeks but she willed it away as quickly as it appeared.
'For Agni's sake what are you doing to me?' She questioned herself internally.
"What's on your mind princess?" Her bodyguard questioned, stealing her once again from her thoughts.
"I think it's time we have a long overdue talk." She answered with a tone of finality. Neither of them may have wanted to have the conversation but the time had finally come to clear the air.
/
The Legend of Perseus; Bender of Oceans
Chapter 17: Zuko Alone
Omashu
"I think you might be right, Azula." Percy replied quietly as he glanced at the glimmering sky above.
The shimmering stars helped ease him and maintain a calmness even if his heart had started to race. The son of Piandao knew they needed to bury the hatchet but he would be lying if he said he hadn't been dreading the conversation.
The princess remained quiet, her eyes joined Percy's directed gaze at the glittering night sky.
Percy wasn't sure how to start but was relieved when Azula spoke first.
"We need to put an end to this stupid feud between. If we keep fighting we're only going to cause more problems." She stated firmly.
"I completely agree with you." He replied quietly. "I'm glad we're on the same page."
The princess took a moment to convene her thoughts. She found the words difficult to piece together to share her thoughts.
"I want to apologise for our argument on the boat after they escaped. I said things I didn't mean, and I shouldn't have questioned your loyalty." Azula took a second to breathe.
"I know you won't betray me. I let my emotions get the better of me."
Percy tried to focus his thoughts as he continued to stare at the stars above.
"Thank you Zula." He whispered quietly.
"I'm sorry that they got away in the first place. You were right when you said I held back. I let my own personal feelings get in the way of the mission and I shouldn't have let that happen." Percy started before taking a moment to focus his thoughts.
"And I'm sorry that I've been distant and combative with you since we left the Capitol. It's made things needlessly more difficult."
A peaceful silence enveloped the two for several moments. The only sounds around them was the occasional breeze of light wind.
"If you don't mind me asking why have you been so off since we left Caldera?" Azula enquired and directed her amber eyes at him.
Percy dipped his head and faced her. His sea green eyes stared deep into the Princess. "Because the Fire Lord reminded me of the consequences if I ever fail my duties. Even if Zuko and uncle are family."
Azula looked bemused. "What do you mean?"
"Your father wanted to make sure I remembered I was loyal to you and the throne. Nothing else." Percy's jaw clenched. Anger bubbled deep within as he remembered his last conversation with the Fire Lord
"Apparently every letter I sent them was copied for him to read over. Your father knows I'm close to them so he reminded me that failure doesn't result in punishment just for me. But also for my dad and our family history."
"Condemnation of memory?" She subtly asked.
"Yes." The son of Piandao replied curtly.
Azula sighed and shook her head. "If that's the case why did you let them get away. If one of the imperial guard reported what happened-"
"The imperial guard on this ship are more loyal to you than your father Azula. The amount of time we've spent with this regiment. From touring the isles to the campaign. We've fought side by side with these men. Lost together, won together, and drank together. They defer to you and trust your judgement." The water bender interrupted firmly.
"And they're family Azula. Even if you have your issues with them, they're still family. Zuko's the first friend I've ever really had, and if it wasn't for uncle." Perseus paused as his voice hitched in his throat.
"I don't even know if I'd still be alive, let alone be your bodyguard if it wasn't for uncle. Surely there's a better way of going about this than betraying them?"
It was Azula's turn to be silent. She directed her golden eyes away from Perseus and faced off into the horizon. Was there a better way? The uncomfortable silence grew until it was broken by her bodyguard's calm voice.
"Zula?"
"We kill two birds with one stone." A cunning grin embraced the Princesses face. She had formulated a brilliant plan that would not only appease the Fire Lord but also appease her annoying, waterbending bodyguard.
"Not only do we track the Avatar to find Zuko and Iroh. We convince Zuko to help us capture the Avatar and return to the fire nation as a hero."
/
Earth Kingdom Village, South of Omashu
Despondent.
Exhausted.
Discontented.
Zuko had been running out of ways to describe the myriad of emotions he had been feeling since their narrow escape to his sister and old friend. The deep pit of emptiness had grown even more and continued to plague his every waking moment. Complete hollowness was consuming the banished prince.
Starvation, exhaustion, and constant travelling had taken its toll on him. He felt weaker and scrawnier than he ever had before. The regal pride that usually surrounded him was long gone.
Somehow with a sheer stroke of luck they had stumbled into another Earth Kingdom village. Despite its lack of amenities and their lack of money to even buy food, the village provided them a long overdue sense of stability and reprieve from the harsh condition of roughing it in the wilderness.
Zuko and his uncle sat down in one of the village's main thoroughfares. Their few belongings strewn beside them.
"Spare coins for weary travellers?" His elderly uncle asked the passing villagers.
Zuko was sick and tired of begging like a lowly commoner scrounging for scraps. "This is humiliating uncle." He spat, his frustrations with their current lifestyle finally bubbling to the surface.
"We are royalty. These peasants should be giving us whatever we want." He humphed as he crossed his arms.
"They will nephew." Iroh mused beside him. "If you ask nicely." His uncle attempted to smile at him but Zuko averted his eyes and glared at the dirt path.
"Spare change for a hungry old man?" His uncle continued begging. This time directed to a young lady who was walking past.
"Aww." The women kindly smiled at them. She threw a coin into Iroh's upturned hat.
"Here you go."
"The coin is appreciated my dear. But not as much as your smile." The elder man smirked as the young woman walked away with a light blush on her face.
Zuko hardly paid attention to his uncle's antics. His mind was adrift, thinking about that day their paths crossed with Percy and Azula.
The exiled prince still struggled to process the events of that day despite the countless hours musing it over. He should've known better when it came to Azula. She would do anything to gain favour with their father and stabbing him in the back shouldn't have been a surprise.
After all… Azula always lies.
But Percy's betrayal…
Percy's betrayal stung deeper. With Azula it should've been expected. But his oldest friend, his oldest confidant. Stood by her side and assisted her in deceiving him.
It was the toughest pill to swallow but he should've learned the lesson long ago. Inevitably everyone chose Azula over him. Of course Percy would've followed the trend.
An approaching figure broke Zuko from his stupor.
His eyes narrowed at a muscular man who stood before them.
"How about some entertainment in exchange for a gold piece." The man mocked as he waved a coin in his hand.
The exiled prince felt his fist clench. "We're not performers." Zuko sneered, before he could curse the man out further his uncle's hand grabbed his forearm.
"Not professionally anyway." Iroh interjected.
The older man stood up and cleared his throat.
"It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se. But the girls in the city, they look so pretty-"
"Come on." The man smugly grunted. "This is a gold piece we're talking about here. Let's see some action."
He drew out a pair of twin dao blades and slashed slightly ahead of Iroh feet in quick succession. "Dance." He demanded.
"They kiss so sweet that you really have to meet, the girls from Ba Sing Se." Iroh continued to sing as he easily dodged the wickedly sharp blades.
Zuko's anger was bubbling within. Just as he stood up, ready to punch the man, the sword wielder began to laugh.
"Nothing like a fat man dancing for his dinner." The man mocked as he threw the coin to the floor.
"Such a kind man." Iroh smiled as he picked up the coin.
The exiled prince glared at his retreating figure. His uncle sat down once more but Zuko was riled up. This never ending tour of humiliation was growing tiresome. The swordsman disappeared behind a travelling cart that passed in front of the firebender.
A familiar blue mask stared directly at him.
/
Night had set upon the quaint village and the half full moon dimly lit the streets. Zuko carefully prowled from shadow to shadow, donning the mask of the blue spirit he had stolen earlier in the day when his uncle was preoccupied.
He followed the burly man who made a mockery of them earlier. Carefully poised awaiting the right moment to strike. The banished prince occasionally had to hide from view when the man would turn his head but he had done well not to be spotted so far.
The firebender watched as the man disappeared down a narrow and decrepit alleyway that was engulfed in inky dark shadows. The moon's watchful gaze fading behind clouds.
'Finally.' Zuko thought to himself. The perfect opportunity had finally crossed his path. He quickly ducked in after the burly man, ready to confront him.
The villager was slightly ahead of him. Zuko picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it far ahead of them. The sound of the rock hitting a wall echoed around them.
The man quickly drew his twin swords and continued looking forwards. "Who's there?' He bellowed.
The banished prince silently rushed him. He was only a step behind him now and pounced, violently kicking with his right leg aimed at the man's knee. The sound of bone crunching and the man wailing rang in his ears.
The swordsman was crouched down nursing his leg and Zuko quickly followed through with a knee aimed at the back of the man's head. The rattling of metal bouncing off of stone echoed as the swords fell to the ground.
The firebender picked the blades up fervently. He was sick and tired of begging and living in squalor. It wasn't who he was. Life wasn't just going to magically get better by waiting and twiddling his thumbs.
He wasn't lucky like that.
Memories of the one sided conversation with the Avatar at the North Pole flooded his mind.
He had done his suffering.
It was time to fight.
/
Nan Xiaba Peninsula
The exiled prince had long lost track of how long he and his uncle had been on the run for. How many weeks had passed since their encounter with Azula and Percy? It was a question he didn't have the answer for. Every day merged into the next, one week blended into the one that would follow.
They had continued their journey south. Away from Omashu and the Fire Nation colonies, heading deeper into Earth Kingdom holdings. Zuko and Iroh remained far away from the main paths and thoroughfares that connected the villages and towns, once again returning to the wilds of the forests. The more they could minimise their interactions with strangers the more likely they were to be safe.
They called a tiny cave hidden in the depths of the trees their home. Their belongings strewn against the walls and a small fire at the entrance that his uncle tended over. Zuko was returning from another successful outing. He carefully hid the blue mask and twin blades in a small pit he dug at the base of a tree close to their camp.
A pole was stretched over his shoulders, and on either side were two heavy baskets brimming with food and trinkets.
"Hey uncle, I'm back." Zuko spoke out to Iroh who continued to stoke the flames of the fire.
"Where did you get all of this nephew?' Iroh asked suspiciously.
Zuko frowned. "What does it matter?"
"Well nephew it looks like you've done some serious shopping, yet we don't have the money for any of it. " His uncle replied calmly.
"So you don't like your new teapot? Or having food in your bowl? It's stuff we needed so I acquired it uncle." The banished prince retorted with a frustrated look on his face.
Iroh remained quiet for a moment. "To be honest with you. The best tea tastes delicious whether it comes from a porcelain pot or a tin cup."
The elder man paused. "I know it hasn't been the easiest time this past month and we've had to struggle to get by but it is nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honour in poverty." Iroh stated in his wise, all knowing voice.
"No uncle there isn't. I'm fed up with struggling and there is no honour in it. The only way I get my honour back is by finding the Avatar. Hiding and twiddling our thumbs does nothing to help us." Zuko spat his never ending frustration with their predicament bubbled to the surface.
Iroh sighed heavily.
"Even if you did capture the Avatar nephew. I am not too sure that it would solve our problems. Not now."
Zuko frowned deeply. "Then what's the point uncle? There's no hope anymore." He muttered as he turned away.
The firebender felt his uncle's strong hand hold onto his shoulder.
"No Zuko. You must never allow yourself to give in to despair." Iroh took a breath. "Allow yourself to slip down that dark road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times hope is something you give yourself."
The young firebender could feel his uncle paternaly caress his shoulder.
"That is the meaning of inner strength."
Zuko stood up, releasing himself from his uncles grasp. He began to walk into the woods, needing time alone with his thoughts.
/
Iroh remained at their camp. Sat beside the fire, stoking the orange embers as he drank some tea. He chose to allow his nephew the space he clearly needed. The immense, personal, turmoil had discernibly weighed on the young man. Hours had passed and dusk was soon closing in as Zuko had made his return.
"Uncle. I thought a lot about what you said…"
"You did? Good. Good." Iroh replied warmly. Proud that his nephew was starting the journey of self reflection.
"It made me realise something. We no longer have anything to gain by travelling together." The young man paused and a frown grew upon Iroh's face.
"I need to find my own way." Zuko stated with a glint of determination in his eyes.
Iroh lightly sighed. He desperately wanted to argue against the young firebender. To tell him that he needn't tread the path alone. But Iroh knew it would be fruitless. The elder man had seen that look in Zuko's eyes before. In generals, warriors, politicians. Even in his own reflection when he was a younger man.
It was a resolute resolve. The look of a man who was steadfast in the decision that they had made. No amount of rationalisation or discussion would change Zuko's mind. His young nephew was clearly adamant, and Iroh knew he had to respect that.
Just as he trusted his other 'nephew's' determination long ago, he had to provide the fire nation prince that same regard.
"I won't argue against you nephew, if that is what you wish. I only ask that we share one last cup of tea, and I'll help you pack."
"Thank you uncle."
/
Si Wong Savannah
Over a week has passed since Zuko chose to depart his uncle's side and for them to go their separate ways. He may have decided it was his time to venture out into the harsh world on his own but he was unsure as to where he was actually going. The young firebender and his ostrich horse had found themselves wandering the edges of the expansive, never ending Si Wong desert, where grassland met sand.
So far the world had fought him at every turn, unforgiving in its cruel and torturous mocking ways. His first day traversing a rickety old rope bridge nearly ended in disaster. The wooden boards underneath them giving way nearly ending in their deaths. He lost his supplies in the process leaving them with nothing but two skins of water to survive off of.
In its merciless ways the world had sent him straight back to suffering. A bitter sadistic joke.
The smell of smoke and roasting meat broke the young boy from his stupor. He hurried his ostrich horse along the narrow pass in the direction the smell originated from.
As he reached the ridge of the path he looked down below. A woman sat down, leaning against the base of a tree. A small campfire sat in front of her with a spit of meat cooking. Zuko could feel the pangs of hunger race through him. He unsheathed one of his swords and hopped off of his stead. He was ready to rush down and take what he needed but quickly ducked down at the sight of a second figure.
It was a man who approached the woman and handed her a skin of water before rubbing her belly then caressing her face.
Zuko sheathed his sword and returned to his ostrich horse. No matter how hungry he was there were lines even he wouldn't cross.
/
Exhaustion, starvation, and dehydration twisted and churned deep within Zuko. His mind hung on the precipice of delirium and shock. The beating sun above engulfed him in an inescapable heat.
He knew his ostrich horse was in a similar state and if they didn't find sustenance soon they would be making acquaintance with death. The pair reached the peak of a small hill and nearby in the distance a small town could be seen.
"Finally." He murmured to himself with a small grin. A week ago if he was told he'd be happy to see an earth kingdom town he would've burned the messenger. How things change so quickly.
They entered the quiet village, streets were near barren during the midday heat. He passed a small group of men playing a dice game and stopped beside a vendor. The exiled prince hopped off his stead and spoke to the man who staffed the stall.
"Any chance of a bag of feed, water, and a hot meal?" He questioned the man as pulled out the few coins he had.
"Not enough for a hot meal. But I can get you two bags of feed alongside the water for that.
Zuko just curtly nodded. If that was what he was able to get now he would just steal what he needed later.
The man entered his shop to grab the feed and the firebender saw a pair of small children from the corner of his eye. They hid behind the stand and threw an egg in the direction of the gamblers before fleeing.
"Hey!' Zuko heard one of the men shout in his direction. "You throwing eggs at us?' They demanded.
"No." The firebender answered without turning around.
"Do you know who threw it?" They pressed.
"No." Zuko repeated himself.
"Is that your favourite word? No." The leader of the group snipped. "Egg had to come from somewhere."
Zuko rolled his eyes and turned to face them, his hand on the hilt of his blades. "Maybe a chicken flew over." He smirked before turning back to collect the feed the shop vendor put down.
Before he could put his hand on it the leader barged in front of him. "The army thanks you for your contribution, stranger. You better leave town. The penalty is a lot steeper than you can afford." The man devilishly smirked before the group walked off.
"Those soldiers are meant to protect us from the Fire Nation. But they're just a bunch of two-bit thugs." The shopkeeper murmured as Zuko returned to his ostrich horse.
"Thank you for not ratting me out to the soldiers." A young boy appeared from behind his stead.
Zuko began to set off but the boy quickly grabbed his reins. "I'll take you to my house and feed your ostrich horse for you. I owe you one."
/
The pair and the ostrich horse arrived at a small homestead and farm a small trek away from the town. As they arrived a bull-hog and woolly-swine announced their presence with oinks and squeals.
"No one can ever sneak up on us." The young boy joked.
"Yeah no kidding." Zuko smirked.
"You a friend of Lee's?" A man, presumably the boy's father, interrupted them.
"This guy just stood up to those soldiers! By the end he practically had them running away." The boy Lee praised. It wasn't quite the way Zuko remembered it but he'd take it.
"Does this guy have a name?" A woman who Zuko assumed was Lee's mother asked.
The exiled prince's mind went blank. He couldn't quite use the alias he had been used to here.
"Uhhh. I'm…."
"The boy doesn't need to say who he is if he doesn't want to Sela. Anyone who stands up to those bandits dressed as soldiers is welcome here." The father smiled kindly at him. "Those men bring shame to the colours they wear.
"The real soldiers are off fighting in the war, like our eldest Sen Su." Sela the mother spoke warmly in agreement with her husband.
"Supper's going to be ready soon. Would you like to stay?" Sela kindly offered.
"I can't. I should be moving on." Zuko replied quietly. A frown embraced his face. No matter how hungry he may be, he wasn't going to accept a handout. He wasn't a beggar.
"Gansu." She started as she pointed at her husband. "Could use some help with the barn. Why don't you two work for a while and then we can eat."
Zuko nodded and chose to accept the offer, he would rather earn his keep.
/
"You dont look like you from around here. Where are you from?" The boy Lee pressed from a ladder at Zuko and Gansu worked on the roof.
"Far away." Zuko replied curtly. The less the family knew about him, the better for everyone.
"Ohhhh. Where are you going then?"
"Lee, give it a rest. Stop asking the man personal questions, got it." The boy's father commanded authoritatively.
"Yes." Lee sighed.
Zuko and Gansu returned to the work at hand and not a moment passed before Lee piped up once more.
"So where did you get that scar?" The boy questioned throwing Zuko off and causing him to bash his thumb with the carpentry hammer.
"Lee. It's not nice to bother people about things they might not want to talk about. The man's past is his business." Gansu chided.
The pair returned to work, this time in silence and Zuko found himself lost in a memory.
He was back in the incredible royal gardens. Surrounded by an array of plants, flowers, and bushes in full bloom. Zuko sat underneath a cherry tree on the grassy edge of a turtle duck pond. A cooling breeze graced his skin and he watched the small animals swimming and zipping around in front of him.
The familiar figure of his mother sat beside him, feeding the turtle-ducks from the palm of her hand. A comforting warmth filled Zuko. A security he rarely felt in the royal palace embraced him.
"Hey mum. Do you want to see how Azula feeds the turtle-ducks?" The prince asked with a cheeky grin.
"What do you-" Before his mother could finish her question Zuko threw the entire bread roll in his hand directly at a baby turtle duck. Forcing it to tumble under the surface of the water.
"Zuko, why would you do that?" His mother chided disappointedly. The young boy was quickly filled in shame at the sight of the disconcerted look on his mothers face.
He spotted the baby turtle-duck pop back up to the surface of the water and let loose a small sigh of relief that he hadn't hurt it. The firebender saw the mother turtle duck quickly racing in his direction and before he knew what was happening it clamped down on his foot.
"Ow! Ow ow ow!" Zuko winced in pain as his toes began to throb. "Stupid turtle-duck! Why would she do that?" He asked incredulously.
"Zuko." His mother sighed. "That's what mothers do. If you mess with their babies -hrum" Ursa joked as she grabbed him and pretended to chomp at him. "They're gonna bite back."
Zuko laughed with his mother as her antics brought a smile to his face.
"It's good to have you back home in the Capitol. How was your time at Shu Jing with Master Piandao?" His mother asked with a warm smile.
A wide grin graced the young prince's face.
"It was really good! Master Piandao is so cool. The way he fights and trains with a sword is so awesome! He gave me some swords to take him and continue training with!" Zuko beamed.
"I hope you remembered your manners and said thank you." His mother raised an eyebrow as she smiled.
"Of course I did." Zuko smugly replied. "Master Piandao also has a son. He's ridiculously good with his sword but I beat him a couple times." Zuko beamed but chose to refrain from sharing how many times he got beat.
"Oh what's his name?" Ursa asked with a warm face.
"His name's Percy. When do you think I can go back to Shu Jing and see them again?" He asked curiously.
Pride filled his mothers golden eyes at seeing her son making a friend instead of being closed off.
"I'm sure you can visit again soon. I bet Percy will be delighted to see you and sword fight again."
"Muummmm!" A familiar girl's voice shouted out from across the pond.
"Can you make Zuko play with us? We need another person to have even teams for a game." The sickly sweet voice of Azula pleaded.
"No." The prince frowned. "I'm not interested in playing cartwheels."
"Come on Zuzu, you've been away for so long I just want to spend some time with you." Azula retorted with a sly smile.
"Go on Zuko. Spend some time with your sister. I have some matters to tend to anyway." His mother smiled at him kindly.
"Fine." Zuko humphed as mother stood up and walked off.
Azula was quickly joined by the familiar sight of her two friends.
"Hello Zuko!" One of them sing songed in his direction whilst the other remained quiet.
"Hey Ty-Lee." Zuko replied curtly before a blush graced his cheeks as he directed his attention to the third girl.
"Hi Mai." His voice turned quiet.
The prince saw his sister roll her eyes in his direction at the interaction. "So the game we're going to play is who can shoot an apple off of their teammates head. I'll partner with Mai, and you will partner with Ty-Lee."
"What!" Zuko asked incredulously. "I'm not shooting fire at them."
"Now now Zuzu. You're not a wuss are you?" Azula teased with a sly smirk. "Girls put the apples on your heads."
Just as the princess commanded the two girls followed suit. They quickly perched an apple atop each of the heads and stood deathly still.
"Three." Azula started a countdown as she took a stance.
"Two." Zuko couldn't help himself but look at his sister and then her friends. Confusion riddled across his face.
"One."
The prince tried to quickly take a stance desperate not to lose to his sister but it was much too late. Azula punched forwards in the direction of Mai. An orange ball of flames rocketed through the air and engulfed the apple in flames. Zuko quickly darted in her direction and knocked her over. Both of them falling into the pond and getting drenched in water.
He heard the sound of laughter filling his waterlogged ears as he and Mai sat sheepishly.
"Awww aren't yous two cute." Azula teased.
Ty-lee joined in on the mockery. "Zuko and Mai, sitting in a tree-"
"Suppers ready!" The voice of Sela broke his wandering mind from the grasp of his memories.
/
"Thank you so much for the food." Zuko bowed to the family, remembering his uncle's lessons in decorum. "I should be taking my leave."
"Don't be ridiculous. With your help on the barn you've earned some rest before you move on. Stay the night and head off in the morning." Gansu spoke out stopping him in his tracks.
"I shouldn't overstay my welcome-" The exiled prince attempted to disagree but was quickly stopped once more.
"You're not overstaying. You should regain your energy before setting back out on the trail. The desert is unforgiving at night. Regain your strength and head off in the morning." Sela interjected.
"Okay. Thank you." Zuko smiled slightly.
/
The exiled prince was in the depths of sleep. His mind hopped from one dream to the next, never settling on one memory for too long. The sound of the barn door creaking stole him from his peaceful rest.
The fire bender quickly shot up to his feet and glanced around the barn. His ostrich horse remained asleep on a rut of hay and nothing looked out of place. Well. Nothing looked out of place until he noticed that his dual swords were missing.
Zuko put on a pair of sandals and quietly exited the barn. He could hear the recognisable sound of metal hitting and wood and followed the origin of the noise. He found the young boy Lee, with both swords in hand hacking away wildly at a dead tree.
He almost wanted to laugh at what he was seeing. Lee's legs were too close together and stiff. His arms were the complete opposite, too loose and not grasping the sword handles correctly.
Did he look that ridiculous the first time he used them?
"You're holding them wrong." Zuko spoke out, scaring the young boy.
Lee looked at him with a sheepish expression. "Oh, I'm sorry mister. I-"
"It's okay. Here, hand them over." Another memory overcame Zuko.
"What do you even know? When uncle Iroh and master Piandao spoke before you returned from your lessons I overheard that you haven't even started your training yet." Zuko replied with a snide tone.
"I might not have started my training yet but I've watched my dad train countless students. I know what I'm talking about." The familiar voice of his old friend retorted.
Zuko's golden eyes narrowed as he glared at him. "Fine then. Show me what you mean." He sneered as he handed the swords over to the green eyed boy.
"So you holding them like this." Percy started as he copied what the firebender was just doing. "Which is a bit too loose. If you move you hands a little closer to the hilt and hold it like this you'll have a better grasp."
The young boy started to explain as he showed Zuko what he was doing. "The sword should be an extension of your arm. It should feel solid and secure, not flimsy."
Percy followed his words by going through some motions with the twin blades.
"Keep in mind these are dual swords. Two halves of a single weapon. Don't think of them as separate because they aren't. They're two halves of the same whole."
The exiled prince hadn't realised it but he went off into his own world of old memories again. He quickly realised though that without meaning to he had mirrored Percy actions and recited his teachings from all those years ago. A small smile flickered on his face at the old memory of Shu Jing. He looked to his side and saw Lee looking at him with wonder.
"That was so cool."
"Here. Try again." Zuko said, passing the swords back over to Lee.
"So I should hold them…. Like this?" Lee asked showing his grip on the swords.
"Yeah that's better." He replied with a small smile.
Zuko watched as Lee tried to copy his movements. The firebender could see that the boy might have struggled with the motions and the weight of the weapons but was trying his best. He definitely had the heart for it.
The exiled prince noticed how high the moon above them was and realised how late into the night it was.
"Hey Lee, I think we should call it now. I need to get some sleep before leaving in the morning.
"Okay mister. Thanks for letting me try out your swords.
The two of them started walking back in the direction of the farm. The night air was cool and the land basked in the moonlight.
"I think you'd like my brother Sen Su, he used to show me stuff like that all the time
/
The morning sun had already begun to climb into the clear azure sky above. The early rays provided a pleasant warmth to Zuko's face after a cold night.
The firebender checked over his belongings that were strapped to his ostrich horse, making sure he hadn't left anything behind. As he saddled up and gripped the reins the family looked ready to see him off.
Sela the mother approached him with a small box. "Here's some food that should last you a couple meals."
"Thank you-" Zuko began to reply but was distracted by the sound of a stampede heading towards them.
He looked in the direction of the noise and the gang of men who stolen his feed the day previous was quickly approaching.
"What do you think they want." Gansu spat at the sight of them.
"Trouble." Zuko replied with a frown.
The bull-hogs and woolly-swine began to squeal and oink like a thunderous storm as the gang of men stopped in front of them.
"What do you want, Gow." Gansu spoke to them from the exiled prince's side.
"Just thought someone ought to tell you that your sons battalion got captured." Gow smirked. "You boys hear what the fire nation did with their last group of prisoners?" He sarcastically asked his men.
"Dressed 'em up in fire nation uniforms and put them in the front line unarmed was how I heard it." One of them answered with a snide voice.
"Then they just watched." The lackey finished as he spat on the ground.
"You watch your mouth." Gansu snapped aggressively as he stepped forward.
Gow tried to approach on his ostrich horse but Zuko quickly blocked him off with his own. The two of them glared at each other for a tense moment before Gow spoke once more.
"Why root around in the mud with these pigs? Let's return to town boys."
"What's going to happen to Sen Su?" Lee asked his parents in a shaky voice as he was embraced by Sela and Gansu.
Another memory briefly flashed in Zuko's mind, the day he found out about the passing of his cousin Lu Ten. His head dipped as a heavy sadness overcame him.
"I'm going to the front. I'm going to find Sen Su and bring him back." Gansu stated with a steady determination. He and Sela began to walk off and Lee approached Zuko on his ostrich horse.
"If my dad goes… will you stay?"
"No… I need to move on." Zuko replied quietly.
The firebender reached into the side of his robes and pulled out an ornate dagger sheath.
"Here, I want you to have this. Read the inscription." Zuko passed the weapon over to the young boy.
"Made in earth kingdom." Lee replied puzzled.
Zuko sighed. "No. The other one."
"Never give up without a fight." Lee murmured.
"It was a gift from my uncle, to help me toughen up. Hopefully it will help you." Zuko replied as he began to trek off on his ostrich horse.
/
It was late into the day and Zuko chose to take some respite beside a narrow stream. He sat down on the ground and prepared some food for himself and his stead. As he worked his way through the meal his mind wandered once more.
Zuko was back in the royal palace. In a day he could never forget. The prince was practicing With the knife that had been gifted to him by his uncle, trying to utilise some techniques master Piandao had shown him in his most recent trip to Shu Jing.
"You spend all your time playing with knives and swords and you're not even good." The voice of his sister teased.
"Master Piandao said I'm progressing really well. Put an apple on your head and we'll find out how good I am." Zuko retorted
"Not interested." Azula replied, sticking her tongue out at him. "By the way, did you hear uncle's coming home?"
"Does that mean we won the war?" Zuko queried.
"No. It means uncle's a quitter." Azula answered as she wandered around the room.
"Uncle's not a quitter!" The prince refuted angrily.
"Yes he is. He found out that his son died and decided to run away. A real general would stay and burn Ba Sing Se to the ground, not run away."
"How do you know what he should do? He's probably just sad he lost his only child." Zuko suggested with a sadness overcoming his voice.
"It's what father said and father's never wrong." The princess declared.
"Children." The voice of their mother interrupted them as she entered the room. "Your father has requested an audience with Fire Lord Azulon, best clothes hurry up."
Zuko quickly ran to get changed. He quickly disappeared out of ear shot and couldn't hear the conversation his sister and their mother was having.
/
Zuko sat on his knees in the throne room beside his father. His sister was to his right and the looming figure of their grandfather sat upon the throne looking down on them.
"And how was it that great grandfather Sozin managed to win the battle of Han Tui?" His old raspy voice questioned.
"Great grandfather won because…" Zuko tried to rack his brain for an answer but it was coming up empty.
"Because even though his army was outnumbered, he cleverly Calculated his advantages. The enemies were downwind and there was a drought. By burning the forest that they were hiding in down the enemy was in disarray and then he attacked." His sister replied expertly and confidently.
"Correct my dear." Fire Lord Azulon announced.
"Would you like to show your grandfather some of the new moves you showed me?" His father beside him commanded and Azula nodded before standing up.
Azula took a stance and bowed to the Fire Lord. She began to work her way through the movements and fire danced out across the throne room. A ball of flames would fly in one direction, an arc of liquid fire would rocket through the air. Zuko's head dipped. A part of him always knew that Azula was the better bender but seeing how far and quickly she progressed was disheartening.
"She's a true prodigy." His father proudly spoke beside him. "Just like her grandfather for whom she's named.
Azula sat down beside him and whispered so quietly only he could hear. "You'll never catch up."
"I want to show what I've been learning." Zuko sputtered out as he stood up.
Fire Lord Azulon waved his hand as if to say 'go on.' Zuko bowed and took his stance. He tried to copy Azula's movements but failed miserably. Instead of rocketing flames and liquid fire, he produced little dribbles of smoke and embers that petered out lifelessly.
"Prince Ozai! Why are you wasting my time with this pomp? Tell me what you want, everyone else go."
Zuko and Azula followed their mother. The prince's head bowed deeply with embarrassment. "I loved watching you Zuko, that's who you are. Someone who keeps fighting even though it's hard."
The firebender didn't reply. As they were exiting Xuko felt his arm being grabbed from behind and his sister dragging him into the curtains that adorned the walls of the throne room.
"What are you doi-"
"Shhhhh." Azula whispered as she raised a finger to her lips.
The two walked further round and peered through the ruffles in the direction of the throne.
"Father. You must have realised as I have that with Lu Ten gone Iroh's bloodline has ended. After his son's death my brother abandoned the siege at Ba Sing Se, and who knows when he will return home?" The snakelike voice of his father purred.
"But I am here, father, and my children are alive-"
"Say what it is you want." Fire Lord Azulon interjected.
"Father. Revoke Iroh's birthright, I am your humble servant. Here to serve you and our nation."
"You dare suggest I betray Iroh, my firstborn." The Fire Lord denounced angrily as he stood up. The orange flames that surrounded the throne surged and roared mirroring their master.
"Directly after the demise of his only beloved son? I think Iroh has suffer enough." Azulon paused as he pointed at Zuko's father.
"But you? Your punishment has scarcely begun!" As the Fire Lord's voice rose the entire throne room was engulfed in an orange glow from the heat of the flames.
Zuko turned and quickly fled, leaving his sister alone in the throne room to watch what was happening.
/
"Fathers going to kill you." The sickly voice of his sister spoke out as she opened the door to his room. "Really he is."
"Ha ha Azula. Nice try." He replied as his eyes narrowed in her direction.
"Fine. Don't believe me. But I heard everything. Grandfather said fathers punishment should fit the crime." Azula began as she closed the distance to his bed.
"You must know the pain of losing a firstborn son by sacrifice your own!" Azula recited trying to copy their grandfathers voice.
"Liar!" Zuko accused.
"I'm only telling you for your own good." Azula replied with a slight frown.
"I know-" her face light up with a devilish glee. "-maybe you can find a nice little earth kingdom family to adopt you? Or maybe you can move to Shu Jing and live with your little friend?"
"Liar! Father would never do that to me." He insisted.
"Your father will never do what to you?" The voice of their mother quizzed as she entered his room. "What is going on here?"
"I don't know." Azula replied quietly. Her eyes wide as though she had been caught.
"Right young lady." Their mother moved over towards them and grabbed Azula by the wrist. "It's time for a talk."
As the two exited the room Zuko found him reciting his commonly repeated mantra.
"Azula always lies. Azula always lies."
The sound of a wagon being pulled by an ostrich horse snatched him from his thoughts. He quickly sat up and saw the figure of Sela looking at him. Had he fallen asleep?
"You have to help, it's Lee. The thugs from town came back as soon as Gansu left. When they ordered us to give them food Lee pulled a knife on them." Sela told him as she hopped off the wagon and walked towards him.
"I don't even know where he got a knife. Then they took him away-" tears began to flow freely from her eyes.
"They said if he's old enough to fight then he sold enough to join the army." Sela covered his eyes as she broke down.
"I know we barely know you but-"
"I'll get your son back." Zuko interjected defiantly as he stood up.
/
The exiled prince had raced back to the village as fast as he could force his ostrich horse to run. The sun above was slowly setting, painting the sky a tapestry of orange and red hues. As he entered the ingress of the village he could see the band of thugs ahead of him. The small figure of Lee was tied up to one of the supports of the water tower.
"Hey, there he is! I told you he would come!" The voice of Lee shouted out excitedly.
Zuko hopped off his steed as the group of thugs and their leader Gow approached them.
The firebender took of his straw hat and stared them down insubordinately.
"Let the kid go."
Gow laughed at him. "Who do you think you are? Telling us what to do."
"It doesn't matter who I am. But I know who you are." Zuko replied bitterly.
"You're not soldiers. You're bullies. Cowardly, bastard freeloaders abusing your power. Mostly over women and kids." He spat.
"You don't want Lee in your army. You're sick cowards tormenting a family who's already lost one son to the war."
A deathly moment of silence fell.
"Are you gonna let this stranger stand there and insult you like this?" Gow mocked his own men.
One of them quickly charged in his direction and Zuko solidified his footing. As the distance disappeared he pounced, quickly unsheathing his sword and butting the man's temple with the hilt of one of his blades. The first man fell to a slump unconscious.
A second raced towards him, spear blade pointing directly at his chest. Zuko slashed through the wooden pole with his blade effortlessly. He quickly treated him like his comrade and smashed the man's temple with his hilt knocking him out as well.
The third man joined the attack. The firebender side stepped and with a single motion spun round and kicked the man at the base of his skulls rendering him unconscious as well. Three cowards who abused the citizens of their town and they couldn't even put up a fight. Disgust at the men filled Zuko's depths.
Gow stared him down and unsheathed two war hammers. Zuko took a stance with his two swords and faced him down fearlessly. Before he could react Gow smashed one of his hammers into the ground and a mound of earth rose. With his other hammer in tow he smashed the rock forwards and heavy chunk thundered in Zuko's direction.
The exiled prince quickly deflected the mass with blades and was slightly pushed back. Through the splinters of rock and stone he saw three more mounds of earth racing towards him. He deftly diverted one and smashed through another but the third impacted him squarely in the chest winding him.
Zuko coughed but raced forwards knowing he needed to close the distance between himself and his opponent. A stream of rocks and stone barrelled towards him. He tried to defend himself with his swords once more but one impacted his side as he lost his footing and Zuko fell backwards.
As he stood up the voice of Lee shouted at him. "Watch out!"
His eyes narrowed in on Gow but it was too late. A heap of pointed rock appeared from in front of him and knocked him on his back. Zuko laid sprawled out his body in pain from the hefty beating he just took.
"Zuko. Please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this Zuko, no matter how things may seem to change. Never forget who you are." The voice of his mother echoed in his mind.
Zuko's reactions took over and adrenaline raced in veins. He spun around with his blades in hand and liquid flames surrounded him as he roared. The blast of fire launched Gow back as the firebender stood to his feet.
Zuko raced forward as the leader of the thugs tried to stand. With several swings of his sword fires raced forwards and connected with Gow knocking the man into the side of a dilapidated building that came down onto him trapping him in place.
"Who are you." Gow asked, fear lacing his tone.
Who was he? Zuko knew exactly who he was.
"My name is Zuko. Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai. Prince of the Fire Nation" His voice loud and proud as he sheathed his swords.
Zuko reached down and grabbed the sheath of the ornate dagger poking out from Gows robes. He ignored the murmurings and whispers of the village folk who hid in the side streets.
He approached Lee who was already in the process of being fried by Sela. As he got closer Sela stood in front of the boy protectively.
"Not a step closer." She warned.
Zuko knelt down and handed out the blade. "It's yours. You should have it." He said as he looked at Lee.
"No! You're just like them that took Sen Su. I hate you!" The boy shouted.
"Leave. Leave and don't come back." Sela angrily spat.
The exiled prince stood back up and returned to his ostrich horse. The people of the village were armed and stood on the side of the street to see him on his way.
As he quietly left the village his mind returned to its incessant wandering.
"Where's mom?" Zuko asked Azula after running all around the royal palace.
"No one knows." His sister replied tauntingly, removing her hands from behind her back and waving around his dagger. "Oh and last night. Grandfather passed away."
"Not funny Azula. You're sick, and I want my knife back. Now!" He demanded as he tried to grab our for it.
Azula dodged his attempt and faced him. "Who's going to make me? Mom?" The princess smirked.
Zuko snatched the blade from her and ran off once more. Desperately searching every corridor and room for his mother. He ended up in one of the many courtyards and saw the looming presence of his father staring off into once of the ponds.
"Where is she?" Zuko begged.
The silence was deathening. The feeling of abandonment was all encompassing. He was all alone in the royal palace.
Just as he was all alone now.
Authors Note
Hope you all have enjoyed the long awaited chapter 17, Zuko alone. Taken much longer than expected because after doing my first full draft my copy unfortunately got corrupted and I lost it all so had to restart which kinda set me back a bit but happy that's it's all now finished.
It's definitely been the toughest chapter to write so far. I had so much ideas and concepts I wanted to explore whilst also remaining faithful to the original episode and what made it so great in the first place. I think I've been able to strike that fine balance and eagerly await to hear everyone's thoughts on it. Getting Zuko's characterisation right and trying to flesh things out in the flashbacks was tough but I'm happy with how it's ended up.
The reception as always form everyone has been nothing short of incredible. To think that we're now nearly at 500 favourite and 650 follows is immense and I want to make sure each and every one of you loves the story.
Before doing review reply I also wanted to make a little note here. For all the people that leave reviews or messages me about art commissions I'm not interested. I'm sorry but I'm really now, and it has gotten frustrating when I've explained to some of you that I'm not interested but I continue getting messages after the fact.
/
Now as always my favourite part of all this, getting to reply to all of you awesome guys.
Superhero01: I enjoyed the first confrontation between Katara and Percy too. It's definitely going to get more intense between them in future chapters. Hope you enjoyed Percy and Azula finally having the tough conversation!
IAmOutOfIdeas: Cheers man! Hope you've enjoyed this one as well.
Cruden: Now the hunt for avatar starts in the next chapter hahahah.
Anonymous: I'm looking forward to that seen in the next chapter, a good old Mexican standoff. I've got quite a few ideas for the eventual Toph V Percy fight that will inevitably happen in the future, his earthshaker abilities will show up much later in the series. It'll be unlikely for them to show up in this first book.
Sharkwest: cheers man! Hope you've enjoyed the chapter, look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
WitchBitch: Thank you for the kind words! I'm loving writing it and happy to see everyone enjoying it with me. To answer your question. Yes. Absolutely. I fully intend to explore Percy's abilities with storms and earthquakes as the story progresses. I already know when I'm going to introduce his stormbringer abilities and how Percy is going to handle that new dimension of his 'bending/godly' abilities.
TalentedAl4200: Aww thanks man but I can't take the credit for the line. I've done so much reading on different philosophies so I can do the avatar universe justice. So much around bending isn't physical but mental and I really wanted to explore that properly. The line comes from a guy called Rumi who was a persian poet.
TheReaderOfTheOlympians: Thank you so much! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as well!
/
I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone once again who's joined in on this wee community, I love to see it grow and love reading all your thoughts and ideas. I appreciate you all so much.
So if you have enjoyed the chapter and made it this far, don't forget to follow and favourite and join in on the journey. And please, leave a review, I love reading and replying to them and it makes it feel like there's a little community here!
As always folks,
Take care,
Admeto.