zukoofthenations

[zukoofthenations]

Chapter 8: The Dishonorable Soldiers

Read also on FF and AO3. I have some important author’s notes in those places.

Zuko raced down the street, following the noise and commotion. He could sense that there was danger up ahead, but his feet wouldn't stop running. He could sense fire nearby, and this fire was a danger to his family and his life here. That sensation pulled him forward at top speed.

Zuko ran face-first into a crowd of people, and proceeded to push his way to the front. The crowd had gathered in front of the town's best inn, where a platoon of soldiers was standing just outside. A couple of girls that Zuko recognized to be waitresses in the restaurant connected with the Inn were crying off to the side, shooting fearful glances towards the soldiers.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you and your men to leave the premises." The innkeeper was speaking to an officer in an even voice, the way he always spoke to impolite guests. "You've demanded things that are not my policy to give, and many of your subordinates have harassed my employees."

The officer clasped his hands behind his back. "My men have been on the frontlines defending this country. This is their first time back in the homeland in six months. Don't you think they deserve a little entertainment and some rest?"

"One of your men molested my daughter!" the innkeeper shrieked.

Zuko flinched. That explained a lot. The innkeeper was notoriously overprotective of his daughter. Although, his concerns for her were usually based in fact.

"If that is true, then I will be sure to conduct an investigation and court-martial the man myself," The officer offered. "I still need for me and my men to spend the night."

While the officer was still talking, Zuko began to feel a new heat source a little behind him. Somehow, the blacksmith's house had set fire.

A little way away from the flames, a group of about five or six firebending soldiers were laughing.

Zuko didn't think. He pushed his way through the crowd towards the blaze.

Someone else noticed the fire and started to scream, attracting the attention of everyone else including the innkeeper and officer.

Zuko broke through the crowd and with a wave of his arms dispelled the flames.

Most of the townspeople breathed a sigh of relief. The soldiers whispered among themselves.

Zuko felt his hands pulled down by someone behind him. When he looked, Noren was keeping a strong grip on Zuko's wrists while looking at the officer with an expression of terror.

Another source of heat appeared, this time over by the inn.

Before anyone else could do or say anything, Zuko raced up to it and waved the flames away again.

All eyes were fixated on him, especially the officer.

"Young man, are you a firebender?" the officer asked.

Zuko stood up straighter. "I am."

"I wasn't aware that there were any benders left in… places like this," the officer said. "I certainly didn't think that there were any that were trained."

Zuko froze. He had a point, there weren't any masters around here to train poor young firebenders. Thinking quickly, Zuko replied, "I certainly wouldn't consider myself trained, sir. I've mostly been self taught."

"General Bujing!" One of the soldiers shouted as they ran up to whisper in the officer's ear. With a jolt, Zuko realized he was the same man that had spied on him earlier today in the quarry.

The General narrowed his eyes as he heard the soldier's report. "Interesting."

Zuko didn't like the sound of that.

General Bujing strode over to were Zuko was standing. "I'm not sure I really believe you, but supposing I do, I know of a way that you could be trained in your firebending." The General stopped in front of Zuko. "Join the army."

Zuko realized that he was shaking. "I-I'm sorry sir, but I can't. I need to take care of my family…"

"By joining the army, you are protecting your family. As well as every other citizen of this great nation."

"But I'm only sixteen… and still in school…" Zuko protested.

"Well, there are some young people jumping to join the army as soon as they turn fifteen, so I'm sure you'll feel right at home."

Zuko swallowed, his mind racing to come up with another excuse.

Gneral Bujing stepped forward and whispered in Zuko's ear. "Listen boy, I don't know what you're hiding and I don't particularly care, but this country needs for firebending soldiers, and I fully intend to get them, one way or another…"

The General left the threat hanging, but Zuko got the picture. The soldier that had seen Zuko's impromptu lesson would know who the only two firebenders in the village were. His eyes scanned the crowd and finally locked on his family. Zuko could see his family at the front of the crowd. His mother had tears in her eyes. Noren was clutching his wife and daughter like someone might steal them away. Kiyi, Zuko's baby sister and a recently discovered firebender, was hanging on to her father for dear life.

Zuko closed his eyes. This is so wrong in so many ways.

If he went with them, then he would have to leave them behind. He'd leave his true home, the only place he knew he'd be safe. By joining the military, the chance of someone figuring out who he was would become much higher. That wasn't even mentioning is own opinions on this long-drawn-out war.

If he didn't go with them, then there was a good chance that they'd do something horrible to Kiyi.

They didn't really give him a choice.

Zuko took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll join the army."

General Bujing smirked. "Smart boy. I'll give you a day to pack and say your goodbyes. I'll be expecting you at the docks the next town over by sundown tomorrow for your transportation to basic training."

The soldiers released Zuko and left in a stiff formation. With nothing to hold him up anymore, Zuko fell to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.

[zukoofthenations]

Chapter 7: Night with Family

Read also on FF and AO3

When the sky started to darken with the setting sun, Zuko brought his impromptu students to their respective houses. With a town as small as Hira'a, everybody knew everybody, including Zuko. So, when he dropped each kid off at their homes, they all greeted him by name.

"I really appreciate you looking after my little girl," Shurei's mother said when he dropped the girl off.

"It's no trouble," Zuko replied. "Kiyi likes to play with her."

Shurei's mother gave him a kind smile. "Still, I'm sure a nice young man like you must have something else he would rather be doing than teaching little kids basic bending forms."

Zuko shrugged. "Not really." It was true. Other than his classes in the small schoolhouse in town, he didn't really have any obligations outside his family. He would occasionally help Noren with the acting troupe (as either an extra, stagehand, or on very rare occasions with a small speaking role) but he didn't really have anything he wanted to around town. Other than practice his firebending and swordsmanship, of course.

"Oh," Shurei's mother looked concerned. "Well, I still appreciate it. Shurei has shown me some of the forms you taught her, and it makes her look so strong and confident!"

Zuko tried to fight against the grin of pride on his face, but in snuck through. "I'm glad to hear that."

A little boy tugged on Zuko's sleeve. He was Seiran, the only other kid besides Kiyi Zuko hadn't dropped off yet.

Zuko go the message. "Sorry to leave, but Kiyi and I need to be home for dinner soon, and Seiran still needs to get home."

The woman chuckled. "I understand. Stay safe!"

Seiran's house wasn't much farther away. When Zuko knocked on the door, a young woman about his age opened it.

"Oh! Zuko, it's you." Yuki, Seiran's older sister, greeted him. He noticed that her cheeks were unusually pink.

"I came to drop off your brother," Zuko explained.

"Oh, yes, that's, um… good," Yuki started twirling a strand of her hair. "I want to say – I think it's really great that you take time out of your day to look after all the kids."

"Oh, well, thanks," Zuko warily accepted the compliment.

"Have you had a discussion with any of our teachers about what you're going to do after you finish school?" Yuki asked.

Zuko scowled. In technical terms, fire nation children were considered to be adults at the age of fifteen, but they generally weren't required to take on all the responsibilities of adults until they finished their secondary schooling, usually around eighteen. At that point, it was expected that they would start contributing to their nation.

"Yeah, they talked with me about it." Zuko's feelings on the subject wasn't something he was willing to volunteer easily.

"What are you thinking about doing?" Yuki asked, not taking the hint. "Considering how well you do in school, I can imagine you have a lot of options!"

Zuko bit his lip, trying to come up with an optimistic answer. "They suggested that I could try becoming a teacher?" Honestly, that was the only thing they had suggested that even remotely appealed to Zuko. "I'm not sure I could really do that, though. It requires a lot more studying, and my parents would have to pay to send me to university…"

"Oh, I think that's wonderful!" Yuki exclaimed. "You do seem to do well with kids."

"What are you planning on doing after you finish?" Zuko desperately wanted to change the subject.

Yuki scratched her head. "Oh, I'll probably just stay, find a husband, and become a good housewife. I like taking care of kids, after all."

"You could start a daycare or something," Zuko suggested.

Yuki's face turned red again. "Actually, um…"

"Zuzu! I wanna go home and make dinner!" Kiyi whined.

"I've got to go," Zuko interrupted.

Yuki looked crestfallen. "Oh, okay. Come back soon!"

Zuko nodded and took Kiyi's hand, hurrying home.

Their house was close to the edge of the town. This made it a little farther from the stage than was usually expected of the head of the acting troupe, but it gave them enough open space to support mom's garden. Officially, people went to the local apothecary for medical advice and medicine, but Zuko's mom also sold home remedies and gave suggestions on small injuries. The income from her medical plants helped support the family of four, since Noren's job with the troupe didn't pay quite enough.

When they reached their doorway, Kiyi released Zuko's hand and bounced forward into her mother's arms. "Mommy! We're home!"

"Did you have fun?" the mother asked, picking up her youngest. "I hope you didn't bother Zuko too much."

"She wasn't a bother, mom," Zuko rolled his eyes. "Do you need some help with dinner?"

"Actually, yes. Would you mind pealing four potatoes?" Zuko's mom directed. "Kiyi, I need you to put two scoops of rice in the pot, could you go do that?"

"Yep!" Kiyi enthusiastically agreed. Both children left to do as they were told.

When Zuko was halfway through the second potato when his sister spoke up again. "I just remembered! Mommy, look what I can do!"

What is she going to… Suddenly, Zuko remembered what he'd just discovered about his littlest sister a few hours ago. "No! Kiyi, not inside the house!"

Too late. Kiyi executed an almost-perfect firebending form, ending with a punch of fire, aimed right at the wall under a window.

Zuko was up in half a second. He put the flames out with a flick of his wrist, and ran up to see the damage. Luckily, there weren't any decorations on that wall, but the scorch marks were clearly visible. It would have to be repaired.

Zuko's mom looked astonished. "You're a firebender," she breathed.

Kiyi nodded, looking up hopefully for her mother's approval. "Now I can shoot fireblasts like Zuzu!"

Her mother smiled kindly. "Yes, that's right. You're just like your… brother."

That statement made this click for Zuko. Seeing Kiyi firebend at such a young age must have reminded his mother of another little girl who had produced her first flame at an absurdly young age.

Trying to distract them, Zuko cleared his throat. "Kiyi, what do you think would have happened if I hadn't been able to put out the fire quickly?"

Kiyi looked at him and blinked, confused.

"The fire would have spread and damaged most of the house," he answered for her.

Kiyi's mouth opened with a sad "Oh" sound.

"Your brother is right," Zuko's mom confirmed. "From now on, we have a new rule: No firebending in the house."

Kiyi tilted her head. "But what about those times when the fire goes out and you ask Zuzu to set it again?"

Her mother laughed at that. "Let me rephrase. No firebending in the house without my express permission."

Kiyi looked downcast, but nodded.

There was a knock on the door. Zuko went and answered it.

It was a neighbor from two houses over. "Excuse me, but is your mother home?"

"I'll be right there," the woman in question answered.

"Ah, Noriko!" The neighbor looked relieved when he saw her. "I hate to trouble you so late, but my husband bashed his hand during work today, and I know that your poultice works the best for him…"

"Say no more, I have just the thing." Zuko's mom smiled kindly and started leading her neighbor outside. "Zuko, when you're done with those potatoes, please chop them and add them to the big pot on the fire. I'll be back when I'm done with this."

Zuko nodded as he watched her leave to take care of their neighbor. When they had returned from forgetful valley, Ursa had decided to start going by the name Noriko, since she couldn't continue to be called "Ursa" with a new face. Even now, Zuko had a hard time remembering that was her name, but brushed it off by saying that to him, she was just "mom."

"Zuzu, why doesn't mom let me cut things for dinner?" Kiyi asked.

"Because you'd hurt yourself with the knife," Zuko answered, not missing a beat. "If you want to help and promise not to burn yourself, you could try stirring the pot."

"Okay!" Kiyi beamed.

The two siblings continued like that for several minutes. When Noren came in, they both looked up.

"Daddy! You're home!" Kiyi abandoned her place by the fireside to run up and hug her father.

"Hey there! How was your—" Noren noticed the scorch marks on the wall. "Um, what happened here?"

"Kiyi discovered she is firebender," Zuko flatly responded.

"Oh," Noren had that long-suffering look he sometimes got when things became way outside his comfort zone.

"I'd show you daddy, but mom says I can't firebend in the house anymore." Kiyi explained.

"No, that… probably would be best," Noren was looking a little pale. "You can show me some other time, when we're outside and away from a lot of important, flammable things."

Zuko's mom came back in at that point. "Oh honey, you're home!"

"Sorry to come back so late," Noren kissed his wife in greeting, "The tryouts took longer than I realized, and I'm still not completely sure who I should cast."

"Oh?" Noriko raised an eyebrow. "Any particular part giving you trouble?"

"Well, the minor characters are relatively easy to cast – anyone who is willing to come to practice can usually fill those. I'll probably have to play the water spirit again since nobody wants to be the villain, but I expect that. Yuki is willing to be the Dragon Empress, and I have to admit her acing has improved during the last year… The only one that's giving me major problems is the Dragon Emperor." Noren explained.

"Kiyi, go set the table, dinner is almost done." Noriko turned back to her husband. "Well, what seems to be the problem? I'm sure a lot of actors tried out again this year."

"Yes, there were a lot of people trying out for the part," Noren admitted, "but I don't think any of them really understood the role. Everyone is a little melodramatic with the love scenes, but I can work with that. What I can't fix is how none of them seem to be able to convey the emotions needed in the soliloquy in act 1. You know, the one right after he's been cursed?"

"Ah," Noriko nodded, finally understanding. "A lot of people have a hard time with that. They want to make the Dragon Emperor proud, but in that scene he can't be arrogant."

Kiyi tugged on Zuko's shirt. "Zuzu? Do you know which part of the play they're talking about?"

Zuko smiled and thought back to the words he'd heard a thousand times during practices when he would act as a stagehand. "A curse! Oh, how wrong this body feels to my soul. I, who once rode the clouds, am now bound to the earth on these human legs. I, who once controlled a volcano, cannot touch a hot sword with these human hands. My wings are gone, my scales are soft. I am no longer a dragon or an Emperor. Even my flame has all but died. The peers of my past must not see my disgrace, they would laugh at my disfigurement and corrupt my legacy. Let them think that their Dragon Emperor is dead; from now on, my life is that of Noren, the human man."

When Zuko finished reciting the monologue, he realized that all three of his family members were staring at him. He cleared his throat. "You remember when I helped set up the harnesses on the stage last year? Tatara was practicing nearby, and I swear he repeated that same soliloquy over a hundred times."

"That was… Amazingly good, sweetheart." Noriko praised.

"Much better than anything the boys today did," Noren affirmed.

"Why don't you make Zuzu the Dragon Emperor then?" Kiyi suggested.

Zuko blanched. "Wha—We had this discussion years ago! If I get a part – especially one as big as the Dragon Emperor – people will assume you're being biased."

"Not if you keep nailing the character like that," Noren said.

"But… Nobody would want to see an actor with a face like mine!" Zuko groaned.

"That's what masks are for," Noriko countered.

"Zuzu? Don't you want to be the Dragon Emperor like daddy?" Kiyi asked in her innocent, childish way.

Zuko really couldn't say no to that. Internally, he felt that his was a bad idea, but still conceted. "Alright, I'll do it. When does practice start?"

Noren beamed. "Group practice starts in about a month, but since you and Yuki are going to spend half your days in school I'd rather start working with you two as soon as possible."

"Well, that can wait for later," Noriko interrupted. "Dinner is pretty much done, let's sit down to eat."

The family of four gathered around their table and started on their food. A few minutes into it though, a loud scream interrupted their peace.

"What the-?" Noriko turned her head in the direction the sound came from.

Another scream broke through the night.

"It's coming from the town square," Zuko realized.

Noren's face looked pale. "I'll go see what's going on. Noriko, Kiyi stay here. Zuko –"

The teenage boy was already out the door.

[zukoofthenations]

Chapter 6: Five Years Later

Read also on FF and AO3

Sixteen-year-old Zuko took a deep breath and released it as a blast of flame. He was in an old marble quarry that had been abandoned long before he'd been born. Generations ago, the mine had encouraged people to settle nearby and less the precious rock to jewelers, masons, and carpenters, who would use the stone in their craft to make beautiful jewelry, stonework, and furniture for the noble classes. Since the war though, the dwindling demand for this rock had led the locals to depend on other methods of income and abandoned the mine.

When Zuko first heard that story from his Mother and Noren, he hadn't thought much about it other than how it had sated his curiosity. Now he recognized that it was a little sad, since it was a reminder for how much of people's lives had changed in even the smallest ways due to the still ongoing war.

Zuko took a lot of pride in the fact that he had found a new way for this place to be useful. With the high walls of earth and rock and the lack of vegetation or wooden buildings, it was the perfect place for him to practice his firebending.

When they first got back to Hira'a after visiting the Mother of Faces, Zuko had avoided using his firebending. He just didn't see any point. He wasn't a prince of the fire nation anymore, and it's not like he was ever any good. Not to mention the fact that there wasn't a single firebending master in the village, so he couldn't learn anything new from a master. All he'd be able to do was practice his basics.

However, some boys in the village wouldn't stop making fun of his scar, and Zuko lost his temper one day. He needed to let off some steam and made himself get away from all flammable houses and settled down in the quarry, where he practiced and drilled his basic forms until the sky was pink with the sunset and his mom was sick with worry.

Nowadays, Zuko made firebending a vital part of his daily routine. He would also practice with his Dao swords, since he still took a lot of pride in it and found the movements to be relaxing without any internal pressure to be as good as his estranged relatives. Whenever he was feeling stressed or just bored, he'd just say "I'm going to the quarry" and everyone accepted it.

That wasn't to say that Zuko was necessarily unhappy with his life here. It was difficult in some ways, such as how he and his mother had to keep a garden going and keep traps up since Noren's income from the acting troupe wasn't quite enough for them to live off of. But, compared to his life in the royal palace with constant brown-nosing and high expectations, the honesty and simplicity of this life was a breath of fresh air.

Zuko took another deep breath and kicked the air, sending some flame towards the roof of a manmade cave. It hit the curved ceiling and spread out, curling around each rock for a moment before going out with nothing to devour.

A soft clapping could be heard from the top of the opposite wall.

Zuko looked up. "Kiyi, do mom and dad know that you're here?"

Kiyi was a new, but not unwelcome, addition to the family. When his mom and Noren had told him they were expecting, he had been uneasy. Considering his relationship with Azula, he hadn't been looking forward to becoming a big brother again. But with Kiyi, he found he liked being able to identify himself as her older brother. She frequently came to him to play and for help, and Zuko realized he was glad to provide for her. Something about their situation allowed him to have a much better relationship with her than he had with Azula.

The four-year-old giggled. "Uh-huh! I told Mommy I wanted to play with my friends and Zuzu, and she said you were here. Oh, and she wants us home for dinner soon."

"Okay, let's go find your friends," Zuko conceited. He still wasn't sure why she always wanted to play with a boy who was 12 years older than her, but oh well.

"But their already here!" Kiyi squealed. To prove it, the heads of about five other kids close to Kiyi's age popped up.

Zuko smirked when he realized what his sister and her friends were doing. "I see. You guys want to train as well?"

All the kids squealed in happiness.

Zuko hadn't planned on teaching anyone else firebending. He hadn't even planned on letting anyone else see his pathetic attempt at the martial art. Kiyi had watched him practice a few times when mom and dad sent her to get Zuko, and he ended up catching her showing some moves to her close friends. When he saw that, Zuko felt obligated to show her the proper way to do the move, and she ended up making him show it to her friends as well. Now that it was going on, Zuko had to admit that it was a good thing to be doing, since even if none of the kids turned out to be firebenders, the movements were useful for defending oneself.

Now, as the kids lined up in front of him, he knew what to expect. "Okay, we could start out with some basic exercises in breath control…"

Cue a coordinated whine from the kids.

"… but I know you all hate that, so we'll save it for the end. Instead, we'll go over the basic movements."

Cue a collective cheer.

Zuko showed them the movements first, going slowly and highlighting the important elements, and the went faster, showing them how it was supposed to be done, complete with a burst of flame at the end.

"Have you got it?" He asked them when it was done.

All of them nodded, with varying versions of "yep!"

"Well then, try it out."

All of them attempted to mimic his movements. Some of the kids fell down, and their friends would help them up. Zuko tried to give a few pointers and reminders about larger mistakes.

Kiyi was the most focused of the kids. She flowed through the stances, not as well as Zuko, but much better than the other kids. Her movements didn't falter, and at the end, a small flame appeared for a second.

"Zuzu! Did you see that?"

"I did!" Zuko couldn't believe his eyes. Kiyi, his little sister, had just firebended under his instruction.

"I made fire!" she cheered.

All the other kids stopped what they were doing and crowded around her, demanding "Do it again!" and "Show me how!"

Zuko wanted to join in their celebrations, but something was bugging him. He looked up at the top of the wall behind Kiyi and locked eyes with an unknown onlooker. He was dressed in armor, and must have been from the military. When he saw Zuko looking at him, he quickly ran away, just like that jackalope five years ago.

Zuko briefly wondered what that soldier was doing, but shrugged it off in favor of watching his sister summon another flame.

[zukoofthenations]

Chapter 5: Mother of Faces

Read also on FF and AO3

A few weeks later, the trio were having dinner together at the campsite. Most of their meals had consisted of roots, berries, and occasionally a jackalope that had landed in one of the snares. Today, Noren and Zuko had managed to wrangle a Kemodo chicken which was roasted over their fire.

Zuko took a bite out of the hunk of meat skewered on a stick. He grimaced, but didn’t say anything. Noren had been in charge of cooking today, and he didn’t want to be the first person to say anything.

Zuko’s mom took a bite out of her on skewer. “Noren, love, this to dry.”

“It tastes like ashes.” Zuko confirmed. He knew exactly how that tasted, thanks to one of his sister’s pranks.

“Oh, come on, it can’t be that bad!” Noren protested. He took a bite out of the third skewer. “Okay, it’s that bad.”

Zuko scowled. “And I was looking forward to having some real kemodo chicken for the first time in forever, too.”

“How about you just let me do the cooking from now on, okay?” Zuko’s mom suggested.

Noren wasn’t paying attention to their conversation anymore. He pointed to the pond. “Look!”

Zuko and his mom turned around. The pond that they’d been patiently waiting beside finally had a visitor. It was a giant spirit wolf, drinking peacefully.

Zuko turned to his mom frantically. He hadn’t fully believed in the spirit until this moment. Now that what they’d hoped for was actually happening, he wasn’t sure what to do.

Zuko’s mom had a face that screamed determination. “Come on Zuko, let’s go meet the spirit.”

Mother and son stood up and walked towards the pond. Noren lingered by the trees; he had no reason to see the spirit.

The water of the pond bubbled up in the center. From that large bubble, a mysterious form stood up. It looked vaguely like a woman, with five faces and horns on her head. Many other faces floated behind her without bodies. Zuko had never seen anything so mysterious in his life.

“I am the Mother of Faces. Through me, separateness came into the world. Through me, came identity,” the spirit spoke with the face turned towards Zuko and his mom. “The one became the many.”

Zuko was shaking with an odd mix of fear and anticipation.

The spirit looked down. “I am a generous spirit, softhearted and kind. Each season I grant one favor to humans. Please, ask what you want.”

Ursa opened her mouth, but Zuko realized what the spirit had said provided a problem. “Wait… does that mean you’ll only change one face?”

“Indeed,” the spirit confirmed.

Zuko’s mom looked saddened by this, but steeled herself. “In that case, I ask that you change the face of my son.”

Zuko’s eyes widened. “What? Mom no!”

Ursa smiled at her son. “I’ve seen how much you grimace whenever you see your own reflection. You don’t want to live the rest of your life with such an ugly scar, do you?”

“No! But…” Zuko looked towards Noren. They wanted to start a new life together… “We came here so we could hide from Dad and anyone who’d try to hurt us. They’d be able to recognize you!”

“We’ll find some other way, my dear.”

Noren came forward to join the conversation. “We can continue to stay here until the Mother of Faces comes back again.”

“No, Noren,” Ursa shook her head. “You have the troupe, the life you’ve built in Hira’a, to think about.”

“But…” Zuko took a deep breath. “Mom, nobody will be able to recognize me with this scar anyway. If you change your face and I don’t, we’ll still be safe.”

“Zuko…”

“I’ll tell people the scar is from a training accident. I’m not that good at firebending anyway,” He grumbled.

Zuko’s mom looked like she was trying to come up with a counter argument, but didn’t say anything.

“Young man, you have a great deal of wisdom and sense of righteousness for one so young,” The spirit spoke again.

Zuko turned to the spirit. “Please, Mother of Faces, give my mother a new face. My father tried to kill us and probably wants to finish the job. He is a powerful man, and I believe that this is the only way we can be safe.”

“Will you accept a new face?” The spirit addressed Ursa.

She cast one more look at her son before nodding. “I will. If I do not take a new face, my son will be in danger.”

The spirit turned to Zuko again. “I can recognize the personal sacrifice and bravery you are showing today, young man. In honor of that, allow me to provide you with some knowledge. I am connected to identity and people’s perception of it. I can sense that your face, scarred and disfigured as it is, will be one that is honored for generations.”

Zuko swallowed, unsure how to take the spirit’s advice.

The spirit summoned a plain face in her hand, the kind of face that would blend in with the crowd. It spun around as the spirit leaned into Ursa.

“Hold still.”

[zukoofthenations]

Chapter 4: Forgetful Valley

Read also on FF and AO3

Zuko's mom tried to explain to him why they were going to live in a forest from now on. She said that they were going to be safe from dad there, and if they were lucky a spirit or something would give them new faces so they'd be safe from dad forever.

Zuko still wasn't sure about the whole spirit thing, but it was starting to sink in that his dad really had planned to kill him, so anything was possible at this point.

His mom tried to keep his injury wrapped up at all times, but once, while she was changing his bandages, he noticed his reflection in a bowl of water. When he saw himself, Zuko had gasped in shock and startled his mother. The left side of his face was red and blistering; he had tried to open his eye and could see, but not open his eye all the way.

I look like a freak, Zuko realized while his mom wrapped up his face again. She had insisted that he keep his burn covered for the next week to make sure that it didn't get infected. There was a part of Zuko that wondered if she really just wanted to cover his face.

Zuko hoped that this face-changing spirit was real, but he didn't think that he was that lucky.

When Zuko, his mom, and Noren first got to Forgetful Valley, Zuko really wanted to get out of his place. He may not be as opposed to ickyness as, say, Azula's friend Mai, but he did have a limit to how many times a bug crawled on him before he squealed. When they slept in a tree that first night, he had been convinced that he was going to fall down and break something important. When they had their first meal on wild berries, he dreamed of the spicy roast komodo chicken he used to eat at the palace.

He tried not to complain though, since he knew he couldn't go back home, and because he had never seen his mom look so happy.

As time went on, they started to change their surroundings to make things more comfortable. Noren and Ursa built a light shelter out of felled trees, sturdy branches, and leaves. At first Ursa told Zuko to lie down and let himself recover, but after a few hours of twiddling his thumbs he asked if there was something he could do, so Noren showed him how to lash the wood and leaves together to form a roof. Before long, they had enough of an immediate shelter that they could worry about a fire pit. Zuko helped them arrange several stones in a tight circle while his mom and Noren looked for wood.

When the whole thing was set up, Noren pulled a pair of rock out of his pocket and kneeled down. Zuko couldn't tell what he was supposed to be doing.

His mother, on the other hand, did. "Oh, there's no need for that, love. Zuko, would you mind showing us some of your firebending?"

Zuko blinked at her, puzzled. "Do you want me to drill my basic forms?"

"If you want. But I need you to use your bending to set a fire in the middle of our fire pit," she clarified. "Do you think you can do that?"

Not bothering to answer in words, Zuko stood up and took a stance. He breathed a few deep, controlled breaths and began a familiar, fluid set of movements. It was just a basic form, one of the first things he'd learned in firebending: A controlled set of breaths accompanied by a few shifts in weight, ending with punch and a fire blast. His blast may not be as large as Azula's, but he had gotten a good grip on the form years ago.

When he reached the end of the form, instead of sending the fire into the air or a dummy at shoulder level, he directed it towards the center of the fire pit. A small ball of flame, about half the size of his fist, hit the woodpile and set it aflame.

Ursa had a proud smile on her face. Noren looked surprised, but not unhappy. Zuko, however, was on the verge of tears.

"It's smaller than normal," he noticed. Normally his fireball was a little bigger than his fist. When he really tried and was pissed off at Azula, he could sometimes make it about the size of his teacher's head.

"Well, you're probably just a little out of practice," Ursa suggested.

But Zuko knew that wasn't it. He may have been injured and hadn't practiced in a week, but that wasn't an excuse for him to be this sloppy. Deep down in his very being, he could sense that his inner fire had weakened.

When he looked at the small, flickering flame, he didn't feel any anger or rage, only frustration, regret, and something like sadness.

Noren added some more wood to the fire. "Well, I know I couldn't do anything like that. Even with the rocks, it usually takes me close to a hundred tries to get a spark."

With the addition of a fire, the necessities for their shelter had been met, so now they could focus on getting more food.

"Mom, I don't mind the berries, but do you think we could eat something else?" Zuko asked.

Ursa sent her son one of those Mother-certified, don't-argue-with-me glares. Zuko backed up slightly.

Noren cleared his throat. "I actually was thinking about going hunting… Now that we have a fire and a place to store our stuff, there's no reason we can't walk away from the campsite and get some meat."

Ursa looked at him, scowled, and finally sighed. "Fine. If you two want to eat meat, go ahead and hunt. Have some male bonding time while you're at it."

Zuko frowned. "Mom, what do you mean by that?"

Ursa pointed to the two of them. "You two have been acting weird to one another ever since we got here. Go work it out. While you're gone, I'll gather some medicinal herbs since I'm sure one of you will get injured."

Zuko flinched. Yes, he had been acting weird around Noren. He just… didn't know how to feel about the man. Obviously, he knew Zuko's mother and was helping them survive in this forest, but Zuko really didn't know anything else about the man. Noren was just some big mystery that had shown up in his life when they got here.

In addition, there were times when Noren and Zuko's mom would start talking and doing stuff and it seemed like… like they had completely forgotten than Zuko was there. And when Zuko did make his presence obvious, he felt like they both resented him for butting in.

Hence the awkwardness.

Noren appeared to be sizing Zuko up. "Are you sure he's ready for it? We're going to need to run and hide from the beasts, and the spear is awfully heaving." He asked Ursa.

Zuko stood up defiantly. "I can run and hide just fine!" To protest Noren's last point, he marched over to and picked up one of the spears Noren had made las night out of a long stick and a sharp rock. It was heavy, but Zuko could handle it easily after the strength training his swordmaster had made him do.

Ursa folded her arms and smirked at Noren.

Noren sighed. "Alright, we're going hunting. Together."

Zuko crouched down behind a fallen log. He could see the komodo rhino grazing by another one of those ponds that appear everywhere in this forest. He thought about the komodo sausages he had in the palace, and his stomach grumbled.

Noren was crouched down beside him, staring at the animal just as intently. "I've taken down a komodo rhino a few times before. It's difficult because of both its size and tough hide, but it's possible. We'll have to rely on the spears."

Zuko nodded. That made sense. In the back of his mind, he remembered hearing in a lesson that the komodo rhino's skin was incredibly thick and durable, which was why they were more useful in battle than most domesticated creatures.

Noren shifted his hold on his spear. "I'm going to try and get closer. Stay here and stay still. We don't want to startle the beast before we pounce." He then stood up and snuck around to get close to their potential prey.

Zuko tried to do what Noren asked. However, his position currently put most of his weight on one leg and his hand was cramping around the spear. As quietly as he could, he shifted the position of his feet and moved his spear to his other hand. In doing so, he unwittingly parted the leaves of a bush in front of him, and became face-to-face with a jackalope.

For one second, both Zuko and the jackalope froze, ears perked and eyes open wide. In the next moment, the jackalope had scampered away, right into the path of the komodo rhino.

The motion startled the komodo rhino. The large beast reared up and took off… right in Noren's direction.

"Look out!" Zuko cried.

Noren, however, didn't move. Instead, he lifted his spear and took a sturdy stance. The raging beast soon blocked Zuko's sight of the man.

"RAHR!"

A blur of motion, and the komodo rhino took off in a different direction. Zuko ran up to where Noren was laying on his back.

"I'm sorry!" the boy cried. "I tried to be quiet, but that jackalope…"

Noren sat up. "Wait, what are you apologizing for?"

Zuko bit his lip. "I tried to be still and quiet, but I moved a little and startled a jackalope, which then startled the komodo rhino, which is why it charged after you."

Noren blinked. "Oh. Well, there's no harm done. In fact, it gave me an opportunity to get a hit in. Didn't get it deep enough to kill though."

"But that was supposed to be food!"

Noren shook his head. "To be perfectly honest, I didn't expect to bring down something as big and difficult as a komodo rhino this time out. I'm surprised we even saw one."

"But…"

Noren put his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Look, you might have messed up, but it's not the end of the world. Just make sure that you realize what went wrong and try not to do it again next time." Noren finished standing up and brushed himself off. "Wait… Didn't you say something about a jackalope?"

"Um, yes?"

Suddenly, the biggest grin stretched across Noren's face. "Zuko, how would you like to learn how to snare a jackalope?"

Zuko shrugged. "Is it meat?"

"Yes, it's not as much meat as a koodo rhino, but it's still meat."

"Well, okay then."

Noren pulled a long string out of his pack of supplies. "Would you mind showing me where you saw this jackalope?"

Zuko showed Noren the path the jackalope took, and in return Noren showed him how to set up a simple snare. Farther down the rabbit path, he had Zuko try it out for himself. He gently gave Zuko guidance on what steps to take, and let him know what he was doing wrong and how to fix it. Eventually, Zuko had a completed snare that Noren hadn't even touched.

"Well done!" Noren congratulated him. "Now we just need to wait and check on these every so often. We can come back on our way to the campsite."

Zuko nodded. Now that he'd done something successfully by himself, he felt happy and confident, something he hadn't really felt since… well, since he and his mom had left the palace.

Riding this emotional high, he turned to Noren. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead." Noren replied.

"Why are you helping me and Mom so much?"

Noren looked genuinely surprised by that question. "It's it normal for people to want to help others?"

Zuko frowned. "I guess, for some people…" His mom, for instance. His uncle Iroh also liked to help servants who were down on their luck, or soldier families who'd lost their sons in battle. But he couldn't think of any time his Dad had done something nice for someone he wasn't expecting something from. "But most people would have only given us some supplies or information, like that girl at the first house Mom and I went to. You completely uprooted your life to help us."

Noren just shrugged. "Well, I guess I'm just unusual."

Zuko bit his lip. He wasn't stupid; he had some idea about what was going on between Noren and his Mom. He just wasn't sure how to ask it. "You know the Dragon Emperor and Empress in Love Amongst Dragons?"

Noren nodded. "I do. I told you that I'm directing a production of the play when we first met, didn't I."

Zuko looked away. "Um, well, I was wondering… Do you feel for mom the same way that the Dragon Emperor felt for his Empress?"

Noren's face turned red.

Zuko took that as a yes.

Noren cleared his throat. "Zuko, um, I don't want to make this whole situation weird…"

"Too late," Zuko flatly replied.

"Yes, well… Zuko, I really do care about your mother. And I want both her and you to be safe and happy."

Zuko glared at him out of the corner of his eye. He wanted to believe that Noren was a good person, but… "I can't let Mom get hurt."

"I know that," Noren accepted, "and I have no intention of hurting her in any way."

"What do you want then?"

"I—I would really like to spend the rest of my life with Ursa."

Zuko scowled. "You mean, like a family? Mom and I already have a family, and Dad – my Father – He, he…"

Noren gave Zuko a sympathetic smile. "I have no intention of hurting you either, Zuko."

Zuko stiffened. "YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER, OKAY!"

Noren sighed. "I know I'm not. I just… I want all of us to get along, somehow."

Zuko realized his eyes were getting blurry from tears. He wiped them away. "Just… You've got to be better than him, okay?"

"Pardon?"

Zuko took a deep breath. "If you're going to try and make us some kind of fantasy family… then you've got to be better than… than my father. You can't make mom sad all the time or yell at her when you think I'm not listening. You've got to be better than him."

Noren looked Zuko in the eyes. "I can't promise that everything will always be perfect, but I will do everything I can to make you and your mother happy, okay?"

Zuko wiped his eyes again. "You promise?"

"I promise."

The two of them got back to walking through the forest again. After a few minutes of silence, Zuko spoke up again. "You know, you may not be my father, but that doesn't mean you can't be my dad."

Noren raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Maybe. Someday. If you keep your promise."

Noren chuckled. "Well, just take your time in deciding that."

[zukoofthenations]

Chapter 3: Noren’s Tale

Read also on FF and AO3

Noren led Ursa and Zuko to a small, open-air serving area opposite the stage. The food it served was much plainer than what Zuko was used to: simple noodles with some pig chicken egg and Koala sheep sausages. For his hungry stomach though, it was the best food in the entire world. He dived in as soon as the bowl was set in front of him.

However, Zuko only got two bites in before his mother interrupted. "Zuko, what happened to your manners?"

Zuko looked up and noticed his mother was giving him The Look. He may not have been on the receiving end of The Look as much as Azula was, but he could sense his mother's disproval. Realizing what was wrong, Zuko guiltily straightened his back, made sure his chopsticks were in his hand properly, and made an effort to take smaller bites.

He also looked up at the man sitting across the table. "Thank you for buying us this food, sir."

Noren looked surprised when the boy addressed him. "It's no trouble. Zuko, was it? Feel free to ask for seconds, growing boys like you need to eat."

Zuko smiled, nodded, and continued eating, albeit at a politer pace.

Ursa watched the scene before her with humorous eyes. "You seem to have a way with children, Noren. Are you a father?"

Noren gave an uneasy laugh at that statement. "No, I'm afraid life hasn't led me down that path just yet."

Ursa took a bite from her food. "Well, you certainly would be well-suited for the role. Much better than my late husband."

Zuko froze just before he was about to take the next bite. Why was mom talking like dad was dead? Well, he had to admit he wasn't sure about seeing his father again anytime soon, but still…

Noren raised an eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

Ursa had another bite of food, looking pensive. "Let's just say my son and I need to make a fresh start somewhere far away from my in-laws."

Noren nodded, accepting this explanation. Zuko went back to eating.

When all of them were almost done with breakfast, Noren started the conversation back up again. "So tell me, do you have a favorite play?"

Ursa beamed. "Oh, that's an easy question. Love Amongst Dragons!"

Zuko just rolled his eyes. He was considering taking up Noren's offer for seconds, but decided that he was full enough and finding someplace to sleep took priority.

"Well, you probably already know this, but my troupe puts on that play every year. If you're still around in a couple of months I'd really appreciate it if you came by," Noren offered.

"Oh, I'd love to," Ursa replied. "I haven't gotten a chance to see a well-done production in years. I don't think Zuko has seen any plays outside Ember Island."

"Ah, I've heard that the troupe there is an embarrassment to the profession." Noren nodded.

Ursa smirked. "You know, your name seems like such a strange coincidence."

"How so?" Noren asked.

"In Love Amongst Dragons, the Dragon Emperor took the name Noren when he entered the Mortal World," Ursa explained. "Now you, a man name Noren, direct that very play. Unusual, isn't it?"

Noren wiped his mouth. "Well, you may have a point there, Ursa."

Zuko's mom stiffened beside him and stood up. "I'm certain I haven't introduced myself."

Noren seemed to realize he'd made a huge mistake. "Oh! I –"

Ursa pulled Zuko to his feet. "Zuko, we have to go," She turned to Noren. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing… Thank you for breakfast. Good day." She started to walk away, pulling Zuko along.

Noren stood up and called out to them. "Please, don't go! Sit down! Let me explain!"

Zuko looked behind at Noren, but didn't try to stop or slow down his mom. It's not like he really knew the man.

Noren took a deep breath. "When we were six, you kicked me in the stomach and pushed my face in the dirt."

Ursa suddenly froze when she heard those words. Zuko accidentally crashed into her from the momentum.

Noren started walking towards them. "When we were twenty-one, you shattered my heart."

Ursa turned around. "It can't be…"

Noren came up right in front of them. "And now, you're going to walk away before we even get the chance to have a proper conversation?" Noren looked Ursa straight in the eye. "My dear Ursa, don't you think you've hurt me enough?"

"Ikem," Ursa breathed.

Zuko didn't have any idea about what had just happened, but from the tears and smile on his mother's face he knew it had to be something significant.

Ikem led Ursa and her son to his home so they could talk in private. As soon as the stepped under his roof, Ursa realized that Zuko was practically falling over.

"Zuko, love, what's wrong?" She asked.

Zuko's eyes fluttered and he leaned more on her. "We've been up and walking all night, mom. I'm tired."

Ursa realized that he was right, and was tempted to slap herself not noticing sooner. She'd been running on adrenalin ever since she found out about Azulon's punishment for Ozai, but Zuko was still eleven and recovering from a major injury.

Ikem, being the absolute dear she'd fallen in love with, provided a solution. "Zuko, how about you take a nap in my bed while your mother and I talk?"

Zuko nodded and let himself be led into a bedroom in the back of the house. When Ikem came back, he whispered in Ursa's ear, "Let's go out to the prop warehouse so we don't disturb him."

Ursa nodded and followed him out that way.

When she walked through the familiar doors, Ursa couldn't help but laugh. "Look at all this clutter! I guess the new director isn't any more organized than Grandma Guchi!"

She soon zoned in on the masks that hung off the wall. Just seeng them again made her think of happier times. "These masks… They're so beautiful. When I was in the palace, I secretly had a set of these made to remind me of the acting troupe," she told Ikem. "To remind me of you."

As Ursa picked up the Dragon Emperor mask, Ikem came up behind her. "After you left, I died," he reminisced. "Not literally, but I may as well have."

Ursa turned and looked at her beloved. He looked so sad.

"Everyone in town knew us as Ursa and Ikem. Sometimes, folks would come up to me and tell me things would be okay, but deep down they knew they were lying," Ikem continued. "Other times, they wouldn't say anything. They would just stare, like I'd been disfigured. Maybe I had."

Ursa felt terrible for making him go through that. Ikem deserved better.

"It was too painful to stay here, yet it was the only home I'd ever know," he continued. "So I did what people do when they want to forget their own misery. I went down to Forgetful Valley."

Ikem took the mask in his hands. "And there – the most amazing thing happened. You know how people talk about the spirit world? Well, it's all true." He put the mask over his face.

"A powerful spirit walks through Forgetful Valley from time to time… and if you're lucky enough, she will give you a new face. A new identity, a new life! I came back to Hira'a as a different person."

Ursa removed the mask and touched her love's face. "It all seems so impossible. But here you are, right in front of me. My dear Ikem, with a new face." Her heart felt like it would burst with joy being right next to him. "Really though, why didn't you use your new life to marry and have children?"

Ikem closed his eyes. "Ursa, you know why."

A long time ago, back before Azulon and Ozai had ruined everything and Ursa and Ikem were still the town's favorite love story, he'd said that he would never be able to look at another girl since her beauty had ruined him. Ursa finally understood just how true those words were.

She looked back down at the mask. "So Ozai was lying, then. He never found you. Your new face kept you safe this whole time."

Ikem put his hand on her shoulder. "Ursa, tell me honestly, why did you escape the palace? Are you in danger?"

Ursa bit her lip. Talking about this to anyone could be dangerous in so many ways. But then again, this was her Ikem.

"Have you heard about how Prince Lu Ten passed away, and Prince Iroh retreated from Ba Sing Se?" she asked.

"I'd heard about the prince's death, but there isn't much news about the movements of the war here." Ikem replied.

Ursa took a deep breath. "Well, Ozai apparently tried to use his brother's misfortunes to take the right to the crown. Fire Lord Azulon took this to be a grave insult to his firstborn, and wanted to give Ozai a punishment that would fit his crime by killing Zuko."

Ikem's eyes were wide in shock. He almost looked a little sick.

Ursa wasn't done though. "I found out because Azula, Zuko's younger sister, had overheard their conversation and she was teasing her brother about it. I had no doubt that Ozai would do it: Azula may be a useful tool for power to him, but he has no love for Zuko. I thought about making a deal with Ozai or begging the Fire Lord for mercy, but that would only be a temporary solution. Even if Zuko's life was spared this time, he and Azula would surely be the victims of Ozai's quest for power again somewhere down the line. I had to get them away from there."

"I tried to escape with both my children, but Ozai must have realized what I was planning and was waiting for us. He tried to kill Zuko with fire, burning his face in the process. I managed to get him away, but I had to leave Azula." Ursa felt a few tears crawl down her face.

Ikem sucked in his breath. "I see. I thought Azulon and Ozai were evil for taking you away from me, but to try and do that to your boy…"

Ursa nodded. "Sometimes I still can't believe I tolerated that horrible man for twelve years."

Ikem turned his face and looked pensive. "That burn on Zuko's face, it's going to scar, isn't it?"

Ursa nodded again. "He'll have a reminder of how cruel his father can be for the rest of his life."

"You know, the spirit I met could help your son with that. Give him a new face, one without a scar." Ikem suggested.

Ursa's eyes widened. "You really think so?"

Ikem nodded. "She could also give you another face as well, make it easier to hide from Ozai. He could look all over the world for you two and he'd never find you, because your faces don't exist anymore."

"Or I could return to the capital, get Azula out of there. She wouldn't recognize me, but at least she'd be safe and away from Ozai's influence…" Ursa considered.

"Or, you could start a new life here," Ikem suggested. "With me. We'll say Zuko's father passed away in the war, and you and I met while traveling. We could get married, and start the life we thought we'd have before this whole thing started."

"I don't know, Ikem…" Ursa was pretty sure that Ikem's plan was too good to be true. "I have to think about my children."

Ikem looked heartbroken.

Ursa took his hand. "Come on, let's go see that spirit of yours."

"Alright," Ikem nodded. "I need to arrange for the troupe to practice without me for a while, you should gather some supplies and wake up Zuko."

[zukoofthenations]

Chapter 2: Return to Hira’a

I probably should have mentioned it earlier, but this fic will have major spoilers for “The Search”

Read also on FF and AO3

When Zuko regained consciousness, his world was rocking. He was looking up at the sky, but he could sense the horizon bobbing up and down. For the first few moments, Zuko couldn't figure out what this sensation was and why it felt familiar, until he remembered. His family always took a ship to Ember Island every summer; this felt exactly like that.

Distracted by the rocking of the ship, Zuko didn't even notice he was only looking out of one eye. His left eye was covered by some kind of cloth and the whole area surrounding it felt stiff. Zuko lifted his hand to touch his closed eye, and flinched from the pressure on tender flesh.

"Zuko, my love?" Zuko's mother sounded worried. "Are you awake now?"

"Mom…" Zuko realized that he was crying. "It hurts."

Ursa leaned over her son. There were bags under her eyes; it didn't look like she had slept all night. She had a cool, wet cloth that she wiped the right side of Zuko's face. "I know, my dear, I'm doing all I can. Try not to aggravate it though, I should be able to do more when we get on land."

Zuko started to sit up. Ursa hovered, trying to help her boy get to an upright position.

"Where are we going, Mom?" Zuko asked "Ember Island?"

Ursa had a sad smile. "No dear. We're going to the place I grew up, at least for little while. Hopefully, we'll be safe there."

Zuko almost asked why they weren't safe at home, but then he remembered. The audience with Grandfather. Azula's warning. Mom waking him in the middle of the night to pack his stuff, Dad stopping them from leaving…

The left side of Zuko's face ached.

Some of his anguish must have appeared on his face, because Zuko's mom asked, "What's wrong?"

Zuko schooled his expression one of innocent curiosity. "How much longer until we get there?

Ursa gave her son a kind smile. "A couple of hours until we reach the island, then we'll have to walk for a while."

Ursa knocked on the door to her parent's house. It was night again; she'd forgotten how long it took to get to the island of her birth by boat and deeply regretted not stopping partway to get some more bandages and aloe for Zuko's burn. She was extremely lucky that the shady boatman she'd hired to transport them already had some on board, as well as some vinegar and honey in his kitchen.

Both mother and son were exhausted, and Ursa could tell that Zuko was in a lot of pain. The boy may be trying to put on a brave face, but his mother had been watching him constantly since the day he was born and knew when he was trying to hide something. She was a little worried that he hadn't asked her to try and do something about it, but he'd always been more of the suffer-in-silence type. The fact that he'd barely spoken at all the whole trip set off all of her maternal warning bells.

The door opened and a young girl Ursa didn't recognize greeted her. "Can I help you, stranger?"

Ursa pushed her hood back. "I'm sorry for disturbing at this late hour. I'm looking for my – for Magistrate Jinzuk and his wife Rina."

The girl's face fell. "Oh. They both passed away years ago," she explained. "I'm sorry."

Ursa fought back the tears. Now wasn't the time to mourn. Nevertheless, she unconsciously pulled Zuko closer to herself. He flinched when she accidentally touched his burn.

That shook Ursa out of her moment of grief. "Is there any chance that the garden here still has medicinal herbs? I'd be willing to pay." Ursa still had a few coins left over from what she'd hastily collected in preparing to escape, though most of it had been spent on the boat. She still had some jewelry she could sell, if need be.

The girl shot Zuko a glance. "He's been hurt?"

"Burned. Badly, I'm afraid." Ursa confirmed.

The girl bit her lip. "I maintain the garden, but the current magistrate has no knowledge of medical plants or need to sell the herbs. I doubt he'll notice if some aloe is missing."

Ursa felt like crying again, this time in relief. "Thank you. Thank you, so much."

"I also have some ruined clothes that should work for bandages."

"You are a spiritsend."

Zuko was tired. He thought that he and his mom were going to stay at that house, but instead they were walking back into the town. Between the pain, dehydration, and hunger he was dragging his feet and leaning on his mother as they walked towards a raised platform in the middle of the town square.

Zuko's mom helped him get up on the platform and lay down. Zuko closed his eyes, planning on going to sleep, until a sharp pain made him alert again.

Ursa was changing his bandages. "It's healing well. So long as you don't aggravate it or have deeper damage, you should be able to see out of that eye eventually." She frowned, "I'm afraid you will have a scar though, sweetheart."

Zuko just grunted and started to close his uninjured eye. He was too exhausted to care.

Ursa applied the medicine and re-wrapped the burn. When she was done, she sat down next to Zuko and pulled her knees up. After a few moments, she started to laugh.

Zuko sat up and gave his mother a concerned look.

Ursa noticed and smiled. "Sorry to worry you. I just realized where we are. I used to spend more time at this stage than I did at my own home, so I must have unconsciously brought you somewhere familiar to me."

Zuko looked around. "This is a stage? Where they put on plays? Like on Ember Island?"

Ursa shook her head. "Much better than Ember Island. Woodworkers would spend months crafting the props and set pieces, the costumes were hand-stitched by talented seamstresses, and the actors would start rehearsing half a year before production and practice on stage from sunup to sundown the last week. The resulting play could only be described as a work of art."

Zuko frowned. "That sounds like a lot of work for just a play."

"True, but everyone took a lot of pride in being able to be a part of something that big. The acting troupe is the thing that makes this town special. There are small farming towns all over the fire islands, but people would come to Hira'a to see the plays. When they came, the local inns, restaurants, and shops would get a lot of extra business. The whole town benefited from the amazing plays."

Zuko wasn't sure that he understood the appeal, but he saw how happy his mother looked. "What kind of plays did you put on?"

"Well, every so often a senior member of the troupe would come up with an idea and write a play especially for us. Those tended to be hit or miss though, and rarely were repeated. There were a lot of old fairy tales; my first speaking role was in The Twelve Bending Ladies. A few historical dramas – the set designers really outdid themselves in Legend of the Sun Warriors – and, of course, we did Love Amongst Dragons every year."

"Is that why you love that play so much?" Zuko asked. "You made me and Azula watch it every year, even while you complained about how terrible the actors were."

Ursa smiled. "Yes, well, I always had a soft spot for romances. I had always wanted to play the Dragon Empress."

Zuko tilted his head, curious. "Why didn't you?"

Ursa's eyes suddenly grew very sad. "I had finally managed to get the role, but then… Well, that's ancient history and there's no point in dwelling on it."

Zuko frowned. "It was because you had to marry dad, wasn't it?"

Ursa looked at her child, surprised that he was able to figure that out.

Suddenly, Zuko found all his inner thoughts and worries coming out. "I know you and dad didn't love each other. You could barely tolerate each other. I learned in politics class about something called 'arraigned marriages,' that's what it was, wasn't it? Dad was a prince and you were –"

Ursa pulled her son into an embrace. "Shhh, my love, it's alright. We're fine now."

Zuko felt a tear slide down his cheek. "I'm glad we got away, mom."

"I know," Ursa reassured him. "I just wish we could have gotten your sister out as well."

Mother and son stayed like that for a while. Zuko could feel the heat of the rising sun, and realized that they'd been up all night.

Someone cleared their throat close by, startling the two of them.

"If you're looking for roles in this year's production, I have bad news for you. Tryouts ended weeks ago."

Zuko and his mother looked up. It was a man about Ursa's age with a beard and a mustache walking towards them.

Ursa stood up and urged Zuko to do the same. "Oh no, I'm not sure why – I'm just visiting some old memories and sharing them with my son."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize –" The man suddenly stopped talking when he got a good look at Ursa's face.

Zuko looked between his mother and the stranger, noting the tense silence and the shocked look on the man's face.

The man gave a small bow of greeting. "My name is Noren. I'm the director of the Hira'a acting troupe."

Ursa stiffened. "So, Grandma Guchi…?"

"I took over when she retired." Noren explained.

Ursa gave him a small bow, one that Zuko mimicked. "It's nice to meet you Noren."

"You know, old memories don't always have to be unpleasant." Noren said.

"What do you mean?" Ursa asked.

"It's almost sunrise. Sitting in front of a empty stage with your son seems like a terrible way to start the day," Noren explained. "Perhaps I could buy you two breakfast?"

Zuko stared at the stranger. Although anything he could ever want had been provided to him his entire life, he had come to the realization a long time ago that nobody gave you anything without some kind of ulterior motive. The only exceptions to this rule were mom, Uncle Iroh, and Cousin Lu Ten. What did this man want from them?

His grumbling stomach told him that he could figure that out later, though.

Ursa smiled at the stranger. "That's very kind of you. Thank you."

[zukoofthenations]

Chapter 1: Escape in the Night

Read also on FF and AO3

Prince Zuko couldn’t sleep. His sister’s words were still echoing in his head.

“I’m only telling you for your own good. Maybe you’ll find a nice Earth Kingdom couple to adopt you.”

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut. No, no no no no no. It couldn’t be true. Father could be dismissive, neglectful, and downright cruel at times, but he only used biting words. He wouldn’t kill his own son.

Would he?

Azula always lies.

His sister was jealous, mean, and sadistic. She enjoyed teasing Zuko and making his life difficult. Surely that was all this was: an exaggerated lie to mess with her favorite victim.

But… This wasn’t the same as her usual brand of teasing. This had to do with life and death, not dips in the pond, angry turtle-ducks or burnt shrubbery. It was much heavier. A far cry from usual sibling rivalry.

Zuko couldn’t escape these thoughts and go to sleep, so he immediately noticed the person that entered his room quietly.

“Mother? What are you doing here?” Zuko asked, rubbing his eyes.

The prince couldn’t see his mother’s face, but he could hear her shortness of breath. “You’re awake,” she noted. “Good, that’s…. good. It’ll make things easier.”

Ursa opened one of Zuko’s drawers and pulled out the sack he uses to pack for their annual Ember Island vacation. “Zuko, I need you to be as quiet as possible and do what I say without question. We’re going on a trip – you, me, and Azula – and I need you to get dressed in your play clothes. Pack only what is most important. I’ll go get your sister ready; meet me in her room.”

Zuko nodded and got up to do what she asked. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but since it was Mother asking it of him, it must be for a good reason.

Ursa left the room while Zuko changed. His “play clothes” were his most casual style of dress, consisting of only a simple red shirt and black pants. Wearing it, Zuko wouldn’t look any different from any other eleven-year-old boy in the fire nation. Since his mother had said they were going on a trip, he decided to pack a few changes of clothes. He also stuffed his pair of Dao swords in the bag. He’d started training with them a few years previously, and wanted to continue training so his lack of natural talent wouldn’t put him behind his sister. His mother had told him to pack what was important, so he added his pearl dagger to the pack after moment of hesitation.

Satisfied with his packing, Zuko tiptoed to his sister’s room, where his mother had just finished packing another bag while coaxing a sleepy Azula to change clothes. In typical Azula fashion, she made sure to complain.

“Why can’t we wait to leave until morning, Mother? And why isn’t dad coming with us?” The nine-year-old girl raised some of the same questions Zuko had wondered earlier, but didn’t ask.

“Your Father is going to be busy with stuff for the Fire Lord,” Ursa answered her daughter’s second question. She seemed to be ignoring the first.

Azula grumbled but didn’t ask again. Ursa led her two children down the dark halls of the Fire Nation Palace towards a courtyard in the back, where there was a lesser-known exit. It’s unlikely that anyone would notice the three royals leaving that way, unless they were looking.

When they were about halfway through the courtyard, a voice cut through the darkness and startled the trio.

“You can’t run from this, Ursa.”

Azula wrenched her hand out of her mother’s and ran in the direction of the speaker. “Dad!”

Ursa clenched Zuko’s hands tighter, and he noticed that her skin was ice cold. “I won’t let my children suffer for your ambitions, Ozai.”

Azula caught up to Ozai, but he didn’t even acknowledge her. “It is the Fire Lord’s order, I can not refuse.”

Ursa grit her teeth. “Azulon told you to do this as a punishment, but I know that you see it as no different than pruning the family tree!”

Ozai stepped forward and narrowed his eyes. “I had intended to be merciful, to make it as painless as possible, but your interference has forced my hand. Zuko, quit hiding behind your mother’s skirt and face me!”

Zuko attempted to come forward at his father’s request, but his mother held him back.

“Stay behind me, Zuko. Please, just do this for me.”

“But – Why, what –“ Zuko fumbled over his words, unsure what he wanted to know.

Ozai turned his steady gaze to Ursa. “I have no qualms about hurting you if that is what it takes.”

Ursa steeled her gaze. “Better me than my child.”

Ozai let out his breath in a large huff. “So be it.” Then, before anyone could react, he punched the air and released a massive fireball in the direction of his wife.

“Run, kids!” Ursa shouted.

Zuko didn’t listen to his mother. All he could think of was it’s coming right at her, mom’s not a bender, and I should be able to block it.

He didn’t consider the fact that he wasn’t in a good stance. He didn’t consider the fact that he was just an eleven year old boy. He didn’t consider the fact that he was still a relative novice at bending, and his father was considered a master. He just acted.

Zuko pushed in front of his mother and raised an arm to block the attack.

Just before it happened, Zuko caught sight of his sister’s face: an odd mix of admiration and dawning horror.

Pain.

Pain, pain, pain

Burning.

Burning pain.

Suddenly, Zuko couldn’t register anything except the burning, throbbing pain centered around his left eye. There were screams all around, both his own and his mother’s, but he couldn’t hear them. He couldn’t smell the burning flesh or the courtyard flowers. He couldn’t see anything but red and black.

There was one thing that cut through the pain. A small whisper from his mother.

“I’m so sorry my daughter, but Zuko needs me right now.”

[zukoofthenations]

Here’s the cover of this story.