COLLISION - a zuko and yue centric tale

Chapter thirteen

Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Zuko shaves his head. Short black hair falls to the ground by his feet, stark against the white snow. His head is chilled, but Zuko feels more like himself. Prince of the Fire Nation. Not a seventeen year old kid injured and practically alone at the north pole, dependant on a Water Tribe princess. He was... in his own way, thankful for the princess. He would be dead if she hadn't interfered. Maybe. Zuko probably would have been fine. He didn't need anyone. At least, that was what he told himself. Zuko runs a hand over his head, brushing off a few stray hairs. They fall to the ground. He hands the razor to Yue, who takes it without saying anything, though her eyes run over his scalp. She still says nothing.

"I should go soon." Zuko finds Yue standing outside a few hours later. "I'm nearly completely healed."
Yue is silent for a minute, staring at the horizon, and Zuko grows impatient. She speaks before he says anything. "We can go down to the city tonight and find you a kayak. We have enough food here that you can take with you — it should last you a few days."
Zuko nods. It occurs to him that he should have, perhaps, left without telling her. She could now contact her tribe to send soldiers to capture him before he could leave. Zuko still doesn't quite understand why the princess did what she did, but figures that he will be well away from her soon enough and could get back to searching for the Avatar. Zuko tries to look if he can see whatever the white-haired princess is looking at but cannot. He turns and returns to the shelter.

///

Hahn dismisses his Ice-Wolves at the end of their practice session. They limp off quickly as they can. Many were injured during the battle with the Fire Nation but that was no excuse to miss practice. Hahn had been harsher than normal that day, pre-emptively angry with his fiancée about whatever she was up to. Sneaking out of the palace had no viable excuse. She was a princess, for spirits sake. She had very little in the way of responsibilities but one of those surely would be to stay in the palace?

Confronting Yue would have to be done while she was doing the act. Otherwise she could just bat her baby blues and escape judgement. Thus, Hahn was going to find Yue that night and follow her. Yes, that was a good plan. Excellent.

///

Iroh knows that something is up. Fully rested and with a full stomach, he decides to use his firebending to fly above the forest's canopy and inspect his surroundings from a higher vantage point. With a deep exhale, he centers himself and his chi before blasting off. Brow furrowed, he discovers that he was, in fact, on very tiny island. Not the tiniest he had ever been on, but definitely miniscule. Spinning slowly in a circle, Iroh notices that there is a wake behind the island. The island is — Iroh is almost scared to think it — moving? Iroh briefly wonders if he has accidentally entered the spirit world. Frowning, Iroh surges ahead of wherever the island is moving to.

There is something sticking out of the "front" of the island, under the water. Iroh lowers himself to be closer to it. Still, he cannot see quite what it is. There is but one solution. Iroh grits his teeth and lets his fire go out. In midair, Iroh plummets. He angles himself to dive into the water, plunging into the salt-water. It stings his eyes but he keeps them open as he looks at the — lion? Lions do NOT belong underwater. Not to mention, "lions" don't exist. No hyphenation with some other creature? Absolutely not. Lungs bursting, Iroh makes his way skyward. There is soon something at his feet, lifting him up. Iroh, not that fast of a swimmer collapses on it as he breaches air. Gasping, Iroh can see clearly the creature staring at him. A lion-turtle. That must have been what the strange pattern on the island was. A shell. Iroh bows lowly, giving the lion turtle the utmost respect. Iroh did not want to offend it, especially after diving right in front of its face.

"Iroh. The Dragon of the West." The lion-turtle greets him, mouth still yet Iroh could clearly hear him.
"Lion-turtle, great spirit. I see that you have heard of my moniker."
"Yes. I am glad that it is fake," the lion-turtle intones, revealing his knowledge. Iroh eyes widen slightly before bowing his head.
"I apologize for disturbing you, I was curious about why the island — you, I suppose — was moving and wished to investigate."
"You didn't disturb me. Did you think you happened on me by chance? No, I wished to speak with you."
Iroh is surprised yet again. Why did the lion-turtle wish to speak with him? Why was the lion-turtle only now becoming interesting in human affairs?
"There is a white-haired young woman that you will meet. You must help her. She will need your knowledge of the spirit world, Iroh, Walker of Worlds."
Iroh bows lowly to show his acceptance of this task. "Great spirit, I will do so with honour. Thank you for entrusting me with this."
The lion-turtle seems pleased with this. "I fare thee well, Walker of Worlds." The lion-turtle begins to sink back down into the water. "Put the sun at your back, and you will find land — and later, the young women." With that, the lion-turtle is fully immersed into the water again, except for his island-shell. The sea comes up around Iroh and he looks around for a path of escape, his raft is by his feet so Iroh grabs it and climbs aboard as the lion-turtle's paw falls out of sight beneath Iroh. Iroh waves at the spirit, even though he cannot see it, before looking over the horizon at his new path: East.