Chapter Text
Although Zuko didn’t fully realize it at the time, everything started with his ill fated trip to the South Pole.
He looked out across the white tundra, ashy snowflakes melting against the top of his head, and the cold air freezing his nostrils with each inhale.
His boots crunched on the snow. The water tribe had no real defense, just one laughable opponent Zuko disarmed without really thinking about it.
The boy, well most likely he seemed to be about Zuko’s own age, landed hard in the snow. War paint and slush dripped down his cheeks and framed the bluest pair of eyes he’d ever seen.
He looked out at the crowd of peasants, with their tents hobbled together and the incessant stench of fat and grease. Well, if he thought the boy had blue eyes, he’d basically found the matching set.
A girl, likely around his sister’s own age, held onto the arm of an elderly woman. He charged forward and his hand clamped down on a wrist with papery thin, wrinkled skin. The girl screamed at him, trying to hold onto her grandma even as he tugged her away.
He let out a hoarse shout about the avatar— because he couldn’t afford to think of anything else. Certainly not blue eyes framed by long lashes and tanned skin nor the most attractive cheekbones he’d ever seen—
Neither of them mattered though, because the Avatar turned out to be a child.
It ended with an infuriating burning twisting up his gut, frustrated and confused when he shouldn’t be. He finally had the avatar, a kid no less, so he tried to summon some other feeling: maybe righteousness or relief. Instead his body just continued to smoulder with a barely contained frustration.
It all should’ve ended by now, technically. In fact, Zhao had in theory ended everything with his successful capture of the avatar. It’s not like Zuko wanted to help him, he didn’t, but he couldn’t let Zhao of all people steal his victory. Even so, Zuko couldn’t do anything to stop him.
Good thing the Blue Spirit could.
Zuko’s forehead still smarted from where the arrow had hit against his mask. He tried not to think about the incessant throbbing and rather that he, Zuko, finally captured the avatar— the avatar who’d pulled off said mask when Zuko had been laid out on the ground half-delirious after taking an arrow to the head. The resulting struggle to escape from Zhao’s guards and each other left Zuko victorious.
He deserved this. It was his destiny to win here.
“You have to let me go!” Aang tried to plead with him. Zuko wanted to ignore him, he really did. Probably would’ve if Aang wouldn’t have added: “My friends are sick, I have to help them!” He shoved his bound wrists under Zuko’s nose, probably hoping he’d cut them.
Zuko’s face scrunched up into a dour frown and his voice came out incredulous, “What?”
“Uh-huh,” Aang nodded his head up and down quickly enough it made Zuko feel light headed. A loud CROAK belted in the air. Zuko watched with a mixture of mild annoyance and abject horror as a frog wiggled it’s way out from Aang’s robe. “They have to suck on the frozen swamp frogs!” Aang explained like that was a perfectly reasonable thing for anyone to do. “Let me go check on them, then I’ll be your prisoner.”
Zuko wrinkled up his nose, “No.” Aang’s eyes darted to the side. Zuko’s upper lip curled up, “Don’t—“ Aang lurched sideways, propulsion of air under his feet. Zuko tangled an arm up in his sleeve and jerked him down.
Aang landed hard on the ground with a wheeze of breath escaping his lungs. He didn’t get back up, in fact, he seemed to be unconscious. Zuko nudged his side with the toe of his shoe. Other than the shallow movement of his chest he didn’t budge.
Zuko sat down next to him on the ground and inhaled slowly. He tried not to think about what the avatar had said. His face crumpled into a snarl: “Damn it!” He slammed a fist into the ground. He got back up to his feet and got to work securing Aang’s body to one of the large tree roots with ample amounts of rope.
He heaved his mask down over his face and followed the smell of rotting leaves to the riverbank.
Zuko wadded knee-deep in the stagnant water. With his pants rolled up to his knees, the cold bit into his calves. He wanted to warm himself, but hadn’t Aang specifically mentioned frozen frogs? “This is stupid,” Zuko grumbled under his breath. His hands dug through debris and rock at the river’s edge.
Finally his fingers touched one of the brilliantly cold, rock-solid little bodies. He lifted it up to eye level and scoffed before tucking it away in his pocket. He scanned the bank and saw another glint of ice.
Armed with his two hideously frozen frogs, he trudged back onto dry land. He pulled back on his boots. He didn’t know exactly where they had camped, but an animal chattering drew his attention.
“Are you the Avatar’s?” Zuko's voice grew demanding as he stared down at the creature’s beady eyes. Certainly, it looked like the bat lemur he’d seen Aang with before. In any case, it continued to chitter as it ran off. “Wait!” Zuko rushed after the creature.
The first thing he noticed in the ruins happened to be the large flying bison napping in the corner. Then the hoard of junk. Zuko thought the mess resembled one of his uncle’s ill planned shopping trips more than anything else. His nose wrinkled up with disdain.
The bat lemur leapt atop a mound of fabric on the bison and started to squeak excitedly.
“No, Momo,” He heard a soft cough in protest, “We need water.” Upon closer inspection of the bison, he saw twin sleeping bags made from thick quilted indigo fabric and lined with pelts.
A head popped out of one of them: “Look! Aang’s back, your highness!” Sokka pointed directly at him with a wide grin on his face.
Katara, who had a crown atop her head, frowned deeply. She batted her brother’s hand down, “No.” She squinted her eyes at him, “That’s not...” Zuko’s breathing felt heavy and sticky underneath the mask.
Zuko took a step closer anyway: he could see the sickly pallor of their skin, the clammy sweat beading across their foreheads, and their eyes glazed over with a feverish sheen. Sokka gave a half-hearted pat to her cheek, “Sure, whatever.”
“Sokka,” She sighed. She looked back at Zuko and stared at him hard. Zuko came toward them with his hands held out in front of him, like how he’d approach a particularly shy turtle-duck in an effort to avoid spooking it.
“I’m an earth bender,” Sokka announced with a self-satisfied grin. He picked up a small rock and threw it to the ground. “Heh,” he settled back in the sleeping bag awfully proud of himself.
Zuko gave up and grabbed at him. “Hey!” Sokka’s fist clipped his shoulder. Zuko wrestled his arms down to his sides. All the fight suddenly left him and he blinked up at Zuko, “Hey! Are you a spirit? A blue spirit?” His eyes lit up wide as saucers.
Zuko let out a scoff. His fingers closed on Sokka’s jaw and pried his mouth open. Sokka let out a muffled protest. Zuko shoved the frozen frog into his mouth anyway.
Katara blinked past the heaviness pulling on her eyelids, “What is that?” Her eyes narrowed and mouth pulled into a tight frown.
“It helps,” Zuko’s voice came out indignant. Katara had the audacity to wrinkle her nose up at him. Zuko tried to level his voice out into something that could almost pass for being nice: “It does.” He shoved the frog at her.
Katara eyed the frog warily. Sokka piped up, voice muffled, “Tastes kinda good actually!” The tip of her tongue tentatively poked the frozen animal.
Zuko’s hand tangled up in the hair at the nape of her neck, “Just,” He pressed the frog to her lips, “Here.”
Katara sighed, having the gall to look like she, sick as she was, did him some great favor when she sucked on the stupid thing. Zuko glowered at her and crossed his arms across his chest.
He felt stupid, so ended up just backing up. “Where you goin’?” Sokka asked. At least Zuko felt confident that the two of them at least wouldn’t succumb to exposure, as such he really had no reason to hang around. Sokka still continued with another muffled noise, “Hey!”
Zuko didn’t deign any of that with a response and left all the same moving a bit quicker than he really had to.
When he reached the tree he’d left Aang at, only the sight of split ropes greeted him. Absolutely no avatar in sight.
“Damn it!”
Not only did Zuko not have the avatar, but he also hadn’t managed to grab either of his two friends. His hand squeezed into a fist. Next time Zuko knew he’d do better and no one would be escaping.
Later, it started with a barbed tongue lashing out against Katara and Sokka’s legs.
Katara’s tongue ran across the roof of her mouth. The movement felt stiff and heavy, like her throat and jaw were swollen twice their normal size. A numbness spread out from her gums to her teeth and through it she could taste something foul and salty— like when she’d been a child and inhaled a mouthful of ocean water on Sokka’s dare.
She could barely blink, watching with paralyzed shock as the large muzzle glided across Sokka’s back. A glistening pink nose, rows of sharp teeth, and claws digging into soft earth were all she could manage to see of the creature. She thought she could hear a whimper of breath catching in his throat. It nudged Sokka's shoulders and a roll of parchment slid from his pack.
Katara exhaled sharply and heard her brother do the same. She wanted desperately to reach out to him but her body wouldn’t budge. She blew out a frustrated breath, catching loose strands of her hair against the corner of her mouth.
The large thing, apparently sufficiently satisfied with sniffing at the scroll, reared upright to attention. The crack of a whip sounded and Katara thought they’d be on their way— she tried to quash the dread bubbling in her stomach at the realization this beast wanted Aang—
“Wait,” A pair of fire nation boots dropped down into view. The rank smell of shoe leather and cinder burned the inside of her nose. “We’re taking them with us.” For a moment, Katara couldn’t hear anything past the pounding in her ears.
A hand closed on the back of Sokka’s shirt and she wanted to scream or cry or do anything at all. He let out a noise, something that landed between being a quiet shriek and a breathless croak. Zuko, because of course it had to always be Zuko, hoisted Sokka up anyway. He landed over the animal with a muffled thump.
Katara wanted to spit at Zuko or lunge at him or something, but her body remained motionless when strong fingers closed on her arms. He hefted her clear off the ground and her head spun in protest of the movement. Her chin dropped to her chest so she could only see the tips of her toes and the grass.
Zuko basically tossed her over the creature and she landed half atop her brother’s back— Sokka letting out a grunt in protest. She breathed in and for a moment she could smell something like metal and brine and undeniably like home. Then Zuko slid onto the large saddle next to her.
The line of his back felt searing hot and far too human where it touched her side. She frowned deeply and stared down at her limp fingers. She feebly wished she could act like a child again and take Sokka’s hand in her own.
The woman seated at the head of the creature twisted to look back, “So much for this not being about your girlfriend, huh?”
Zuko shot her a particularly petulant look with his face scrunching up into something mean and serious. Katara pointedly thought of a spoiled child throwing a tantrum when called on their bad behavior. Zuko turned up his nose, “It’s not.” He glowered toward her with his face twisting up, “And she’s not my girlfriend.”
“Whatever you say,” She turned away with a roll of her eyes. The older fire nation soilder’s hand closed on her waist. She let out a sigh but otherwise allowed the movement and snapped her whip.
The creature jolted into a run. The motion jostled Sokka out from under her. Like this, Katara could feel its ribs moving with each breath and could hear the thump of its heartbeat. She imagined running her hands across the supple coat of fur to distract herself from the fear curdling in her stomach.
Sokka slipped forward suddenly with a noise croaking out of his mouth. Katara willed numb fingers to grab at him, to hold on, anything—
Zuko’s finger hooked under the strap of Sokka’s pack and tugged him back into place. He didn’t say a word, barely even spared a look back at them. Even so, ice-cold relief flooded her stomach.
The feeling burnt up when a hand came to rest between her shoulder blades. Maybe Zuko thought better of the gesture or perhaps he hadn’t meant to do it at all, because he withdrew quickly. Even so, his hand continued to hover over them like a snake-vulture circling a carcass.
The three of them— Zuko, his uncle, and the woman— kept almost entirely silent during the ride. It felt eerie with the wind rushing past them carrying the saccharine stench of rotting wood.
Finally, Iroh cleared his throat, “I’ve been meaning to return to Omashu,” He let out a wistful sigh, “I once met a very good Pai Sho player—“
“Quiet, uncle,” Zuko’s voice escaped in a hiss that didn’t have his usual fever pitch. It made Katara want to belt out a laugh. Iroh let out a sound that could nearly pass for a huff of laughter. Zuko glowered at the back of his neck and irritation leaked into his voice, “Can’t this thing go any faster?” He pointedly clipped his heels against the creature’s flank.
“Considering the extra baggage,” The woman’s voice drawled as she looked over her shoulder at them. She looked back away just as quick with her dark hair flipping over her shoulder.
Zuko’s lip pulled up into a sneer. Before he could say anything though, they whipped through the gates of the convent.
The creature circled and circled and circled. Then it reared backward and Katara toppled right off after Sokka.
That time they escaped because of perfume and good timing.
Next time it started with a big old bang of lightning. It ended with Sokka and Katara in a makeshift Appa-saddle-boat in the middle of nowhere—technically, they should have been well on their way to the northern air temple, not stranded in the middle of the ocean, but here they were.
“Do you think Aang is alright?” Katara passed him the makeshift oar. Sokka took it from her while she turned her attention back to the ocean’s waves. Pushing and pulling or whatever. The sun burned at his skin and he itched his bicep.
“Sure, sure,” Sokka waved a hand before he turned a pointed look over his shoulder, “What about us? Few days out here,” He threw his arms out to gesture to the wide expanse of ocean before he scampered closer to his sister and theatrically whispered: “We could be dolphin piranha food.” If they even lasted that long, he smacked his lips together, worry biting at the back of his mind at how dry his mouth already felt.
Katara pushed him back with a shove to his shoulder, “We’ll be fine.” She sounded so sure, but Sokka could see a little tremble in her hands as she moved the water. He turned away and shoved his paddle into the ocean. “Oh, no,” Katara’s fingers closed on the collar of his shirt and tugged him around.
“Oh, great,” Sokka groused, “The dolphin piranhas already here or—“ He looked out and under the blindingly bright sun he saw the metal hull of a hulking ship cutting through the waves. “So it’s dolphin piranhas or fire nation?” Katara nodded with a glum frown. Sokka scratched at the back of his head, “I think I’d prefer the dolphin piranhas.”
His sister turned a scandalized look at him, “Sokka!”
“What!” Sokka tossed his hands up into the air, “You really wanna get on their ship?”
Katara shook her head, hands clenched against her legs in tight fists, “Better than dying.”
Sokka’s voice lilted up high: “Is it?”
Once they’d been taken aboard, they were greeted by a familiar voice, a stupid ponytail, and a big ugly scar: “Where’s the avatar?”
“If we knew that, do you really think we’d be paddling in a saddle in the middle of the ocean?!” Sokka gestured over the ship to where their not-a-boat idly drifted by. He let out a grunt when strong hands forced his wrists forward. He looked at the fire nation soldier just in time to see the cuffs. He shuddered at the feel of metal snapping down on him like a vice.
Zuko’s face pinched up tight, “Don’t play dumb.”
Katara’s eyes narrowed in a cold match to Zuko’s vitriol, “We’re not.”
For a moment, Zuko just looked confused: like he couldn’t possibly imagine believing them, but also couldn’t explain why they’d be in such a stupid situation otherwise. He turned a hard stare toward his men, “Take them to a cell.” Then he stomped off— stormed off? Sokka couldn’t really think of the right way to characterize it.
In any case, he and Katara were jerked down below deck by their bound wrists.
Their jail cell consisted of unyielding iron bars and a single bed. A bed which only had rusted metal bits and no mattress or blanket. Sokka wrinkled up his nose, “This sucks.”
Katara collapsed down to sit— metal frame giving a dangerous creak. Sokka looked closer: parts of the bed had corroded and tiny blunted metal littered across the floor. Sokka leaned down and picked one up. Katara looked up at him with a frown.
Sokka wedged the piece of metal between the locking mechanism and the teeth of the cuff. Katara narrowed her eyes at him, “What are you doing?”
“Uh, it’s a shim,” Sokka tightened the cuff one notch, pushing the shim forward, “Obviously.” The cuff pinched down hard on his wrist. His teeth closed over his tongue in concentration, “C’mon.” The cuff clicked open and he let out a whoop, “Oh yeah!”
Katara glanced around to make sure none of the guards had heard. Her voice lowered to a hiss, “Sokka.”
“I hear you, I hear you,” He dropped down in front of her, cuff still dangling off a wrist and jingling at every movement. He wiggled the metal into the groove between her cuff and the teeth. “C’mon, work.” Katara inhaled sharply when the cuff tightened. Then it clicked open.
Even though they each had a hand free, they still had the big old set of metal bars to worry about. Before Sokka could think of a suitable solution for that, he heard the groan of a door opening.
“Ah, no! Pretend you’re still cuffed!” He tucked his hands behind his back and held the opened cuff in his other hand. Katara looked like she wanted to argue, but with no time to do so, she went along with his scheme.
They stood up next to each other with their backs against the wall.
Of course, it was Zuko who came down the stairs. It always had to be Zuko. He glared at the two of them before he opened up the door. Sokka wiggled closer to Katara and whispered, “Hey, at least he solved the door problem!”
“Shhh!”
“Okay, okay!” Sokka whispered back to his sister.
“Comfortable?” Zuko asked them with a mean little leer. Katara glared at him in response and tipped up her head. Sokka could imagine her calves straining in an attempt to make herself seem larger.
“Oh yeah, best room on the ship.” Sokka gave a kick to the bed frame. He looked right at Zuko and loudly smacked his lips together, “But, wow, I sure am thirsty!”
“How dumb do you think I am?”
Sokka couldn’t help himself in belting out a laugh: “Pretty dumb actually—”
Luckily, Katara raised her voice over his: “— We were stranded in the ocean for hours. We’re dehydrated.” She narrowed her eyes at Zuko.
“I’m sure my pee— if I had any, would be like really really dark yellow—”
“Enough!” Zuko’s composure finally cracked and he bared his teeth in a snarl. “Tell me where to find the avatar.”
Sokka shook his head and let out a mournful sigh, “Sorry, I’m too busy feeling my skin peeling off in nasty, crusty flakes because of how thirsty I am—”
Zuko lunged forward, hand fisting up in the front of his shirt. Sokka grinned at him and slammed their foreheads together. Zuko let out a grunt, stumbling backward.
Sokka lurched forward, hand pawing for Katara’s, “C’mon!” His vision wobbled dangerously. He just barely saw Katara giving a shove to Zuko’s shoulders. He thumped back against the wall. They ran out from the cell.
Sokka squeaked when he felt the heat of fire licking at his heels. Katara skidded to snap the cell door closed, twisting the key in the lock.
Sokka turned back to look at her: “Hurry!”
“It’s stuck!” Katara shouted as she fought with the key. Zuko lunged forward in the cell. Katara let out a sharp gasp when fingers closed around her wrist and tried to wrench her away.
“Let go of her!” Sokka scrambled forward. His nails dug into Zuko’s hand in an effort to pry him off. He lunged down, teeth biting into his hand. Zuko let out a sharp cry and for a moment his grasp slackened.
The lock snapped closed with a soft chink.
“Go, go!” Sokka grabbed Katara’s hand and pulled her out of the room with him.
On their way out they heard an angry shout: “Get back here!” The smell of smoke and fire reached them next.
They both knew he could’ve burned her before. Or him. Or both of them. But neither of them said a thing about it.
They got lucky and stole a compass from one of the soldiers in the top deck and borrowed one of the ship’s boats— Katara raised the water level so they didn’t have to fuss around with whatever weird davit pulley system the fire nation normally used— and then they were off.
That time, Aang and Appa saw them rowing their little boat at sea. Only bummer being Appa didn’t have a saddle for them to sit in anymore.
Oh well, Sokka figured, they’d escaped Zuko again, which was all that really mattered.