COLLISION - a zuko and yue centric tale

Chapter seventeen

Zuko's mouth was still dry. His eyes were glued together by a gummy paste. He brought a hand up to rub against his eye, his muscles groaning in protest. He felt tired to his bones. He had seen Iroh, Iroh! He had seen Iroh and had felt safe for the first time since leaving the North Pole. It had been too much for him and he collapsed. His uncle must have carried him here, wherever here was, after he collapsed. Zuko blinked his eyes open.

A quiet room. Relaxing shades of red were built into the room. So, it's Fire Nation territory. He hadn't landed in the Earth Kingdom after all. Iroh was resting on a chair in the corner, eyes closed. The old man was dressed in loose robes. With a grimace, Zuko hoped that the robes weren't too loose. Iroh had no sense of propriety sometimes.

"Uncle," he said, voice raspy. "Uncle, I'm sorry." It had overtaken him the need to apologize. He was torn on whether or not he wanted his uncle to hear him. Iroh's head snapped up once he heard his nephew.
"Zuko!" He cried as he rose from his chair and rushed directly to Zuko's side. "You're finally awake."
"How long was I out?"
"Just a day. You were very tired, it seems."
"I had to kayak from the North Pole. I ran out of water."
Iroh smacked Zuko upside the head. "Ow! What was that for?!"
"How do you run out of water?! You were on the OCEAN, did you not pay attention to my survival wisdoms?"
"It's salt water, uncle! I can't drink that!" He rasped.
Iroh sighed a long-suffering sigh. "That is why you distill it with your fire by boiling it and collecting the steam."
"Oh." Zuko had completely forgotten about that.
Iroh shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you are here and that you are safe."

///

"You're going to the Earth Kingdom?!" Hahn shrieked. Yue's forehead creased as she cracked an eye open. She was meditating. Peacefully. In the spirit pond. "And what exactly are you doing in the spirit water? You'll dirty it!"
Yue pressed her lips together, but then thought better of it. "Yes, I am going to the Earth Kingdom. For my spiritual journey." She added. Curt, yet polite.
"And you didn't consult me?"
"I consulted the Chief, who has given me his blessing."
"He also gave me his blessing to marry you."
"Just because we are engaged, does not mean that you can control where I go." Yue narrowed her eyes.
"It means I get a say!"
Yue sighed quietly. "I was going to tell you." After she was gone, she would have sent a letter telling him what she had done. That still counted, right?
"When?" Hahn demanded.
"Hahn."
"What?"
"I was meditating." She redirected the conversation like a true waterbender.
"And now you're not. I have decided. I will allow you to go to the Earth Kingdom, but I will accompany you. For your protection. You clearly cannot be trusted close to the Fire Nation, after all. Or royalty."
Yue thought for a moment. "Are you not still injured, you know, from when you were thrown overboard during the invasion?" Yue kept her face carefully blank. She was never so bold before. She didn't know what had gotten into her, what had started this rebellious streak.
"I'm fine." Hahn snapped, turning on his heel. "I'm leaving now."
Yue held her tongue to avoid sounding too happy about Hahn leaving.

He ultimately did not tell on Yue for harboring Zuko, due to his need for power. This troubled Yue. He had seen her in the middle of committing grave treason, at least, that is what it would have looked like to him, and had done nothing other than be angry and Yue for supposedly betraying their betrothal. It wasn't even a romantic betrothal! Yue did not want to know what Hahn would do for power. This time, it had worked in her favour... but ultimately? Who knew. As a boy, Hahn had seemed sweet as any other. Who knew what had happened to him over the years.

///

Azula knew where her beloved Zuzu was and all that was left to do was for her battleship to reach him... she had already ensured that the prison hold was cold and bare. The urge to torture your sibing was perfectly normal, after all.

///

It was a letter... from Azula. From his sister, his family. Dad had a change of heart. He... wants Zuko. He wants Zuko home.

Iroh held his breath.

A grin tugged on Zuko's features. He was going home. Zuko was quick to write a response to his sister. He was going home. He wouldn't have any chance of giving that letter from Yue to that water tribe boy, anyways. Sokka, his name was.

"Aren't you excited, Uncle!" Zuko exclaimed, packing his few belongings into his satchel from Yue. He kept the letter from her to Sokka with him. "I get to go home. Finally."

Iroh carefully eyed the waterbender insignia on the side of the scroll Zuko had.

Clearing his throat, Iroh spoke, "It is unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything."

"Did you even read the letter from Azula? He's... realized how important family is. He cares about me."

"I care about you. And if Ozai wants you back... well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine."

"You don't know anything about how he feels about me. He cares. He has to."

Iroh gently placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Zuko, I only meant that in our family things are not always what they seem." Iroh did not know exactly what he expected from Azula and Ozai, but he knew better than to expect something good.

Zuko snarled. "I think you exactly what you seem: a lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who has always been jealous of his brother!" Zuko hadn't been angry since losing the avatar at the North Pole. He had been oddly peaceful, but now all of his anger came full force at his uncle. Taking a breath, Zuko stalked away from his uncle. Azula said that the ship would be leaving that evening. Despite his words, he hoped to see his uncle boarding that ship with him.

He wanted his family together again.

///

"Your fiancé seemed surprised earlier," the chief said. Fiancé, he said, as a way of reminding Yue their supposed bond.
"He is often surprised," Yue spoke. "Even during battle." She added.
"Yue!" Her mother reprimanded her, nearly raising her voice. Yue almost wanted her to. She clenched her hands under the table. Her bowl of steamed seaweed laid in front of her. Specks of spices sprinkled on top. Yue liked to mix them all up before eating it, but she hadn't yet. She wasn't supposed to anyways, it made it not look as pretty.
"You agreed to this arrangement. Let me remind you of what you get in return."
"Regardless, the situation has changed. The battle has changed all of us, myself included. Very much myself included."
The moment hung in the air.
"Let me remind you that you, the princess, are going to Ba Sing Se. With your fiancé." Remember that I'm letting you go, and that you better not disappoint me or let something happen to you. Yue stopped herself from sighing. She wondered what Zuko was doing. Despite his state as royalty, he seemed not to be keen on diplomacies.

///

Zuko greeted his sister warmly. Feeling vaguely sick at seeing the splotch of red that was a fire nation ship, but determined to make the best of it. He was heading home, and Iroh had come running down the hill to join him. Something about the whole thing felt off. He couldn't tell what it was. He hadn't heard from his gut in a long time, not truly, so he ignored it. He ignored it until the helmsman made that fateful decision.

Load the prisoners.

So he fought against Azula, again. Red hot rage and a bit of internal defeat as he ran with Iroh. Fugitives. No one but each other. No destiny. Lost.

He just wanted his family together again.

A/N:

I AM SO SORRY. IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

Life has been... life. I finished this chapter though not much has happened. I'm thinking a bit of a time skip till Yue is in the earth kingdom and plot is actually happening. Also, fuck Hahn.

Please let me know what you think! I love comments! Constructive criticism is great! Anything!

Like when I'm feeling down I love reading comments. They make my freaking week. Pls comment.