Chapter Text
Zuko is somewhat taken aback by the Avatar, the first time they meet.
It’s not because he’s a child, a fact that is common knowledge across the nation. Twelve is young, but the previous Avatar, a young Earth Kingdom girl whose name he can’t remember, had died at only four years old, and Zuko suspects that most people are simply relieved this Avatar has managed to survive into the double digits.
It’s not the bald head or blue arrow down his forehead, either, which Uncle had already explained to him, as if Zuko hadn’t covered the history of the Air Nomads in his studies growing up; the nation his great-grandfather Sozin would have destroyed entirely, had it not been for the efforts of Avatar Roku. He knows it’s the mark of a master airbender - and sure, twelve is young, very young, to be a master, but this Avatar is not the first prodigy Zuko has met in his life. Azula had been well on her way to surpassing their teachers before she got sick and lost her fire, and even now, though the only heat she can create is the crackle of lightning and she hasn’t conjured a true flame in years, she is still a better firebender than he is. And anyway, Zuko isn’t one to judge based on an unusual appearance - he’s a lot of things, but he isn’t a hypocrite. He knows what he looks like.
No, what leaves him slack-jawed, lost for words, is the seemingly boundless energy the Avatar possesses. They meet, and Zuko is swept up in the whirlwind that is the Avatar, a laughing, spinning boy lighter than air, and as events unfold Zuko is as helpless as a lead buffeted by the wind.
It starts like this:
Zuko is sent to Ba Sing Se at the request of his Uncle, which is not unusual. Since abdicating the throne, Uncle has assumed the position of the Fire Nation’s chief ambassador to the Earth Kingdom, and has resided in Ba Sing Se since Zuko was eleven. Officially, these visits are to educate the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation about Earth Kingdom affairs and politics, and to promote good will between the two nations. Unofficially, their purpose is for Uncle to make sad eyes at Zuko - sometimes with worry, sometimes with disappointment, but always a glimmer of hurt and grief - while torturing him with nonsensical metaphors, tea, and Pai Sho.
Zuko is the only member of the royal family that is invited, which is also not unusual. There would certainly be a benefit to the Fire Princess’s education, were she to visit, something Zuko brings up on his third visit to Ba Sing Se when he is fourteen. A few months later, both he and Azula travel to the Earth Kingdom to stay with Iroh for a week.
They do not return together. Azula leaves two days into the trip, alone, with only blasted black scorch marks on the stone pavilion outside their Uncle’s abode to mark she had ever been there. Zuko doesn’t know what Uncle and Azula argued about that night, doesn’t ask, but from the way Uncle’s gaze lingers a little too long on his scar afterward, it isn’t hard to guess.
He doesn’t ask Azula about it, either, and she doesn’t offer to tell him. She declines Uncle’s next invitation, and the one after that, and pretty soon the careful calligraphy of his missives return to only requesting Zuko’s presence.
What is unusual about Zuko’s visit to the great Earth Kingdom city is that the Earth King has another honored guest arrive six days into his week-long trip: the Avatar. Zuko is admittedly very curious about this, though he isn’t sure what to expect from a twelve-year-old, and he isn’t particularly interested in the Earth Kingdom sycophants that will inevitably be competing for his time. Fortunately - or maybe unfortunately - for him, the Earth King invites all of his honored guests and most trusted advisors to dine together at his table, apparently an Earth Kingdom tradition meant to foster camaraderie .
The somewhat informal open-service tables are not dissimilar from those of the Fire Nation, though in the palace, Zuko typically takes his meals alone. The food may be different - the nutty soups and rice dishes the Earth Kingdom favors taking the place of the spicy curries of Zuko’s homeland - but the setup and politics are nearly identical. Any visiting nobles or officials are allowed to sit at the table and break bread at any time. There is a seat for the Earth King at the head of the table, but it has been empty every time Zuko has been to Ba Sing Se. The Earth King is a difficult man to get a hold of.
The rest of the table is seated by descending rank, with foreign dignitaries such as Iroh and visiting royalty such as Zuko sitting near the top. The Avatar must also fall into this category, as on the penultimate day of his trip, Zuko finds himself seated directly across from what surely is not a monk and is instead a vibrating ball of energy sent straight from the spirit world, intent on consuming a large platter of fruit entirely on his own.
Zuko chooses to pay no mind to this, already only half-listening to whatever convoluted story Uncle has begun to tell the well-dressed man that has approached them with tea, familiar with Ambassador Iroh’s habits after several long years in the city. Zuko is presented with a steaming cup that he does not drink, fiddling with his hands and thinking of nothing in particular.
He’s felt off all week, like he’s the sparks drifting off a flame, sometimes here, sometimes there, but never really all together, checked out and lost in his own thoughts. This happens sometimes - more and more often, it feels like - and he’s never quite sure what to make of it, this floating feeling like he’s watching himself walk through the day, nothing more than a passenger, as if he’s just a stray ember and not the prince of a nation.
“…and so that’s why we’re in Ba Sing Se,” the Avatar says, and with a start Zuko realizes that Uncle had been chatting with the young monk for several minutes already. “How about you?”
Zuko stares blankly, and it becomes obvious that the Avatar is speaking to him, not Uncle. “…I’m visiting my Uncle,” he says after a beat, wondering exactly what he’s missed. “I- my mind was wandering, have we been introduced?” This strikes Zuko as an incredibly stupid thing to say, since he obviously knows who the Avatar is, and it’s pretty likely the Avatar is at least somewhat aware of who Zuko is, but this doesn’t occur to him until the words have already left his mouth.
“I’m Aang! I’m the Avatar,” Aang says, utterly unperturbed. “And you’re Prince Zuko. Hi! It’s nice to meet you.”
Zuko moves to bow before he remembers he is sitting down, and merely manages an odd bob of his head. “I’m…likewise honored to make your acquaintance, Avatar Aang.”
“You can just call me Aang,” the Avatar says brightly, before turning back to Uncle. “So, is there anything interesting to do in the city? I don’t really have anything to do while Monk Pasang and Monk Rabten try to find me an earthbending teacher. My friends and I were just going to go look around, but since you’ve been here a while, I bet you know some cool spots!”
“There are many interesting things to see around Ba Sing Se. Unfortunately, I am quite busy today. Prince Zuko, perhaps you could accompany the Avatar around the city today?” It’s not really a question. Aang seems thrilled at the prospect, and Zuko’s fate is sealed.
-
This is how Zuko finds himself being dragged through the city by the Avatar - Aang, he reminds himself - while his companions, two kids from the Southern Water Tribe, a boy and a girl that might have been siblings, look on somewhat perturbed.
“Aang, who’s this?” The water tribe girl asks, hand resting on the pouch of water on her hip. Zuko chooses to ignore this.
“This is Prince Zuko!” Aang says, already latched on to Zuko’s arm and grinning widely. “Zuko, this is Katara and Sokka! They’re from the Southern Water Tribe.” As if that wasn’t obvious from the blue they wore from head to toe, or the fact that the Northern Water Tribe had rebuffed all attempts at contact for the past two decades. Zuko notes the absence of his title, but figures the Avatar probably outranks him, in the grand scheme of things, so says nothing.
“Aang,” the boy - Sokka - says carefully, looking Zuko up and down and taking his measure like he’s the day’s catch. “What is he…doing here?”
“He’s going to show us the city!” Aang says, either oblivious or uncaring of his companion’s discomfort. A beat passes.
“As a gesture of the Fire Nation’s good will to the Avatar,” Zuko adds unwillingly, “and as a personal favor to Ambassador Iroh.” Mostly the latter, if he was being honest. He couldn’t see the logic behind the Fire Nation Prince escorting the Avatar and his friends around an Earth Kingdom City, but leave it to Uncle to get him wrapped up in whatever this was.
“That’s what we have her for, right?” Sokka jerks his head in the direction of the Joo Dee that Zuko realizes has been standing to the side this entire time. Gooseflesh prickles at the back of his neck. The Joo Dee have always made him uneasy, for reasons he cannot quite place, and Uncle has made it clear he should be wary of them. Zuko has learned to mostly ignore them during the time he’s spent in Ba Sing Se, but he still doesn’t like their uncanny ability to suddenly appear.
“This is correct,” Joo Dee says, smiling widely in a disturbing mimicry of Aang’s grin. “I am Joo Dee, a Cultural Ambassador of Ba Sing Se.” Joo Dee’s smile does not waver the entire time she speaks, and he watches Sokka suppress a shudder.
“I can offer a…somewhat different perspective on the city than Cultural Ambassador Joo Dee,” Zuko says carefully. Less creepy, he doesn’t say, but Sokka seems to get the memo.
“Sure, alright, whatever. Bye, Joo Dee, guess we don’t need you,” Sokka says, ushering the Joo Dee on her way. Joo Dee does not move, does not even blink.
“I am afraid that will not be possible, Sokka of the Water Tribe,” Joo Dee says, pleasant as ever. “I must ensure the Avatar and his companions receive a complete tour of all our great city has to offer.”
“Yeah, figures,” Sokka mutters. Aang looks back and forth between the water tribe kids, Joo Dee, and Zuko, smile beginning to fade.
“So if we can’t get rid of her, then we don’t need him,” Katara says, and Zuko is very aware of the fact that her hand has not moved away from her canteen. “So, bye, Prince Zuko. Go do- whatever it is you people do.”
“Jerkbending,” Sokka offers, as if this is a normal thing to say.
If Zuko was surprised by the Avatar’s - enthusiasm, he was at least somewhat prepared for the hostility of the Water Tribe kids, even if he hadn’t been expecting them. From what he’s heard, the Southern Water Tribes have a…less than traditional view on governance, and Zuko knows there has been some friction involving Fire Nation activity in the South Pole, though nothing serious. Besides, Zuko was more than used to the hidden jibes and blythe dismissal of his rank he was subjected to in Father’s court.
“Sure. Bye,” he offers the Avatar, trying to extricate himself from his grip on Zuko’s arm. No luck.
“Guys, come on! I know you don’t like the Fire Nation and you know what my people went through,” Aang pauses for a moment here, pensive. “But Zuko doesn’t seem so bad, right, Zuko?”
“Prince Zuko,” Zuko corrects delicately. He’s not sure Aang notices, but the others do.
“Right. Prince Zuko.” Katara’s eyes are narrowed.
“We have to go to the Fire Nation eventually so I can learn firebending, this would just be getting a head start on that,” Aang wheedles.
Sokka sighs, martyred. “Aang’s right. We don’t have to like the guy-“ and here he shoots Zuko a dirty look, “but this was going to happen eventually.”
“Yeah,” Katara says, unconvinced. “Sure.”
This is how Zuko finds himself following the Avatar - who, even for being an Air Nomad, is lighter on his feet than he has any right to be - on the world’s most verbose tour of Ba Sing Se, accompanied by two Water Tribe children who seemed to be taking turns burning a hole in the back of his head with their glaring.
-
Zuko has always been fascinated by Ba Sing Se’s monorail system, and as the group sits in a train traversing the city walls, he is more than content to read the latest brochure on the technology provided in the pocket in front of his seat. He has quietly suggested trying to implement a similar system in Caldera - which, being on what once was a volcano, has steep, winding streets that have too much incline for a traditional rail system, but would be much more easily traversed by cable car - but the idea hasn’t caught on yet, and he doesn’t want to press his luck.
“What do you think, Zuko?” Aang startles him out of his reverie, and he has to put together the last few minutes of conversation he has been half-listening to, letting his fire burn away the remnants of that odd half-floating feeling that had crept on him again.
“Yeah, Prince Zuko,” Sokka says. “Give us your alternative perspective on this, uh, technological innovation.”
Zuko shrugs. “I like it. They’ve been able to make a lot of advancements with production the last couple of years in the factories, and they’re much more efficient now that they’re powered by steam and not earthbenders.” Most of the metal components of the monorail are imported from the Fire Nation - the Earth Kingdom’s traditional methods of heating ore just can’t keep up with firebending. “I think they’re installing one in Omashu, too, but I don’t know when it will be ready.” Sokka gives him an odd look, like this wasn’t the response he was expecting, and sighs when Joo Dee launches into her next explanation of Earth Kingdom infrastructure.
After a while of this - occasionally getting out of the monorail to look at one thing or another - Joo Dee leaves their car to get them tea, and Zuko feels himself relax infinitesimally. The effect is obvious on the Avatar and his companions, too.
“Tui and La, that lady is creepy,” Sokka complains, dragging a hand through his hair. “I mean, what’s her deal?”
“She’s an informant,” Zuko says quietly “Anything you say to her - or around her - goes back to the Dai Li.”
“How do you know that?” Sokka eyes him, suspicious.
“My Uncle has been the Ambassador to Ba Sing Se for years. And I am Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, these are things I need to know.”
“Of course. How could we forget.” Katara is playing with the cap of her canteen, tightening and loosening it in turns.
“I thought the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation got along?” Aang is chewing on his lip, deep in thought. “I know there was…that trouble, a while back, but isn’t there supposed to be peace now?”
“Uh- something like that,” Zuko says, a little too quickly, because it’s probably not a good idea to discuss concerns of national security with the Avatar. Or politics in general. He already regrets mentioning the Joo Dee thing. “Look, you can probably speak freely in your private quarters, but anywhere in public, there will be a Joo Dee- ah- supervising you.”
“Ok, great. Phenomenal, actually. I really love that,” Sokka deadpans.
“Peace with the Earth Kingdom,” Katara snorts to herself. “What, the same way the Fire Nation has peace with the Southern Water Tribe?”
“What do you mean? All Fire Nation activity in the South Pole has been peaceful.” Zuko has had a front row seat to international politics since he was twelve. He knows there’s been some disputes over land use, but as far as he’s aware, nothing
to warrant this reaction.
“You’re the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, aren’t these things you need to know?”
“Enlighten me.”
“About what? About how the Fire Nation has been pushing my people out of their traditional hunting grounds to build their factories? How you set up your oil rigs in our waters, driving the fish away and melting the ice on our coasts? How about how the Fire Nation brought the spirit flu to the South Pole? The Fire Nation killed my mother!” Katara has worked herself up - figuratively and literally, now standing over Zuko, who is still holding his monorail brochure.
“Woah, Katara - they didn’t actually kill her,” Sokka says, and it seems like this is a discussion they’ve had before. “It’s just, uh. Mostly their fault.”
Zuko carefully considers Katara’s words. There is a part of him that wants to leap up and defend himself - defend his nation, his people - but he’s learned to burn away that part of himself years ago, the same way he has learned to stop seeing people as people, and instead as names or numbers written on a scroll in his father’s conference chambers. He knows the consequences of caring too much.
“I’m sorry to hear about your grievances with the Fire Nation,” Zuko says in his most careful diplomacy voice. He lets himself imagine, momentarily, how he might react if the Earth Kingdom tried to establish factories and mines on Fire Nation shores. “I can understand how you may view the Fire Nation as having taken your land and seas, but I will remind you of the treaties between our nations regarding land use in the South Pole. This land was freely offered to us. And I’m sorry to hear you believe the Fire Nation is responsible for the death of your mother.” None of this is his fault, necessarily, and it’s not traditionally Fire Nation to go so far as to apologize, but he is able to concoct something resembling this from memories of other diplomatic dealings to attempt to soothe the Water Tribe girl. Somewhere inside him, he remembers feeling something about the reports he had heard of the land use disputes in the South Pole, but he sears this away as fast as he remembers it.
“Land to share, not to take and destroy!” Katara exclaims. Sokka has grabbed her arm and is attempting to pull her back down into her chair.
“Yeah, buddy, I’m not sure if you realize exactly how far the Fire Nation has taken things in the South Pole, but it’s…not great.” Sokka makes a face. “They didn’t actually kill our mother, though. Well- not directly.”
“They might as well have,” Katara hisses, and Sokka massages her arm in what Zuko assumes is meant to be a soothing gesture. It doesn’t appear to be working.
“She died when the spirit flu came to the South Pole,” Sokka offers by way of explanation. “A lot of our people got sick. More than the Fire Nation, though plenty of them got it, too. Enough to use up most of our resources. And healers. They said they had priority, and they were…convincing.” Sokka swallows.
“And there wasn’t enough to go around for all of us, so I was healed and my mother wasn’t. And now she’s dead. Because of the Fire Nation.” Because of you, Katara’s face says.
“Oh. I’m sorry,” Zuko repeats. “My mother also died of the spirit flu, as did my grandfather.” His sister had almost died, had never been the same after. Couldn’t use fire anymore - the healers said it had damaged her chi, a strange side effect of the disease, which was a sickness of the spirit as much as of the body. But Azula could still throw lightning just fine - more than fine, actually - and part of Zuko was grateful for that. Father didn’t need two dissatisfactory children.
No one seems quite sure what to say to this, though the deaths of Fire Lord Azulon and Lady Ursa should have been common knowledge. When the spirit flu suddenly swept across the world five years ago, draining life from young and old, weak and strong alike, no one had been safe - not even the royal family of the Fire Nation, tucked safely away in the palace. All it took was one servant with a sick family member, and in a matter of weeks, a fifth of the palace staff was gone, and the Fire Lord with them. Zuko never got sick. Some said it was luck, but he knows better.
Thankfully, this is the moment Joo Dee finally returns, beginning to pour them each a cup of tea, and Katara seems willing to let the subject drop, too busy eyeing the Cultural Ambassador with suspicion.
-
“Sooo…Zuko,” Sokka says, and Zuko doesn’t bother to correct him on his title. He knows Father would care, but he doesn’t, and so far away from Royal Caldera, it’s hard to keep up the notion. Joo Dee has finished their lengthy tour, though she still follows the gang closely. “Any sightseeing suggestions?”
“The public gardens in the Upper Ring are nice,” he says without thinking, before realizing this Water Tribe boy who seemed to hold nothing but animosity for him was now asking him for tourist advice. Though this is ostensibly his purpose here - alternative perspective, and all that, it’s really just politicking. He knows Father would probably want to be in the Avatar’s good graces, which is likely why Uncle arranged this situation in the first place. “There’s, uh- a labyrinth. And turtleducks,” he offers by way of explanation.
“Oh! I love turtleducks! I have some bread we can feed them.” Aang’s eyes light up, and he begins to search the bag strapped to his back. “Katara had me bring some snacks, just in case.”
“Bread isn’t good for them,” Zuko says automatically, and the Avatar seems put out. “But we can probably get some seeds for them instead.”
“Okay!” Aang seems unbothered by this momentary setback. Joo Dee escorts them to the public gardens, and leaves to go find some seed for the turtleducks at Zuko’s request. The Avatar and his companions seem somewhat more relaxed upon her departure.
Zuko leads them to the turtleduck pond, where Aang immediately busies himself with creating vaguely duck-shaped water droplets that hang lazily in the air above the pond. Katara watches him, then delicately begins to make her own, somewhat more elegant replicas of the ducks.
“Turtleducks, huh?” Sokka asks. He’s standing on his bad side, and Zuko starts, though he should be used to it after all these years. “Oh. Sorry. You just didn’t seem like a turtleduck guy. Because of the whole Crown Prince of the Fire Nation thing.”
“My mother used to keep them in the palace gardens,” Zuko explains. “They remind me of her.”
“Huh.” Sokka doesn’t seem to know what to say to this. “You know, you’re not as bad as I thought you would be,” he says finally.
“Because I’m Fire Nation.” Zuko doesn’t bother adding the Crown Prince part.
“Yeah, that. Most Fire Nation I’ve met haven’t been very…friendly,” Sokka says slowly, noticing at the same time as Zuko that Joo Dee has returned with the seed for the turtleducks. So much for that brief reprieve. Aang startles at her sudden reappearance and all of his duck-droplets burst at once, soaking him and Katara, who laughs and splashes him one more time for good measure.
“How did you all meet?” Zuko asks, doling out a handful of birdseed for each of them to start with. He lets himself admit that he does want to know how two water tribe kids - only one of whom can waterbend - ended up running around with the Avatar.
“Katara and I had the same waterbending teacher, Master Pakku,” Aang tells him brightly. “Katara is great - she’s a waterbending master now too! So she’s my Official Waterbending Tutor while I travel,” Aang says, attempting to mimic an officiating voice. “The monks started my training early, because…” Aang doesn’t need to continue. The death of the previous Avatar, no more than a nameless, faceless child to Zuko, had been a global tragedy. Too young to be able to save herself from a simple childhood accident. Apparently she never even went into the Avatar state. “So now I’m here to try and find an earthbending teacher, and Katara is here to help me continue to master waterbending,” Aang finishes brightly.
“And I am also here,” Sokka adds magnanimously.
“And Sokka is also here,” Aang agrees. “He’s the plan guy. And the meat guy. And the boomerang guy.” Zuko decides not to question any of these titles. “It’s been hard to find someone to teach me earthbending, though. The people here say- that I don’t need to learn early, that what happened before won’t happen again, but…” Aang trails off, glancing at Joo Dee. “And since the world is at peace, there’s no rush to prepare me.”
They sit in the garden for a while, feeding the turtleducks until their bag of seed is empty and the sun is beginning to set. Joo Dee reminds them that they have missed dinner - reminds them of this several times, actually, because apparently the Earth King really wants this little monk kid to eat at his table and entertain his guests - so Zuko takes them to one of his favorite street vendors selling kebabs. Sokka makes a serious attempt at draining Zuko’s royal wallet, eating far more of the chickenpig skewers than he has any right to and making it clear why he’s the ‘meat guy.’ Aang isn’t far behind, consuming several veggie kebabs at a rapid pace.
“So, Zuko, what do you want to do tomorrow?” Aang asks, apparently already latched on to him after one day.
“Unfortunately I’m returning to the Fire Nation tomorrow morning,” Zuko says. Aang pouts.
“Couldn’t you stay a little longer? Show us more of the city!” Aang’s voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper. “And I probably won’t get an earthbending teacher while I’m here, because everyone’s being weird about it, but you could probably show me some firebending…”
“I am afraid not, Avatar Aang,” he says firmly, stiff and formal. “I must return to my Father. I have a duty to my nation.” He doesn’t even think about extending the trip. He knows better than that.
“Okay,” Aang says, deflated. “Well…see you around, then.” Not a traditional goodbye for royalty, but this day has showed Zuko not to expect this sort of thing from the Avatar. Katara doesn’t seem unhappy about his departure, though, and shoots him another glare while Sokka pats Aang on the back.
-
A month later, Zuko enters Father’s throne room to see the man stooped over the kneeling Avatar, one hand on his shoulder, and Zuko’s heart skips a beat at the echo of his shame. He feels-
He holds his breath, letting his inner flame consume whatever emotion threatens to overwhelm him, and decides not to feel any way at all.