[Earth on Fire] Zuko x OC

Chapter 7: The Waterbending Master

Things between Zuko and I were weird.

Ever since we'd worked together to free Aang from Zhao's evil clutches, I didn't know quite how to act around him. I didn't think we were enemies anymore, but we weren't exactly friends either. The strange thing was, since he was still hunting the Avatar and I was still secretly spying on him, we technically were enemies.

We didn't really act like it though. He generally stopped making rude comments and referring to me as "prisoner", and I generally stopped replying with snarky comments and referring to him as "Prince Pouty."

It wasn't friends, but it was a vast improvement. There are just some things you can't go through without gaining some mutual respect, and escaping from a deranged Fire Nation general with hundreds of soldiers and a team of master archers at his disposal is one of them.

Speaking of that night, Zuko and I were now technically fugitives. I'd seen wanted posters featuring our masked faces emblazoned with the caption, "WANTED: THE BLUE AND GREEN SPIRITS," at the last port we'd stopped at. When I pointed the posters out to Zuko, he shrugged, not caring, but I could see the flash of panic in his eyes.

I was a little worried too, but it was unlikely we would be discovered. There was no way Zhao could've known who we were, and nobody would expect the Avatar's rescuer to be the banished Fire Nation prince and his Earth Kingdom princess prisoner.

Besides, it was kind of cool to be a wanted criminal.

I wasn't sure if Iroh suspected anything about us, because when he first saw the poster, he cast a worried glance at Zuko and I. But he hadn't mentioned anything about our absence since that morning, so I figured he was clueless.

The next few weeks were generally uneventful, save for one occasion where some crazy bounty hunter named June attacked our ship, searching for a stowaway. Zuko, of course, immediately tracked her down and demanded she help him find the Avatar using Katara's necklace.

I didn't trust June. With her jet black hair and her assortment of weird tattoos, and especially that creepy shirshu, the bounty hunter unnerved me. I warned Zuko against using her help, but he merely ignored me, as usual, and rode off with Iroh. I smirked to myself as Zuko returned about a day later without the Avatar, the necklace, or the bounty hunter.

"Is that... perfume?" I asked incredulously, sniffing the air as Zuko stalked past and then recoiling as the strong scent hit my nostrils. He responded with a glare as he slammed the door of his room behind him. I rolled my eyes.

Clearly not that much had changed.

__________

Fortunately, we didn't encounter Zhao for a few weeks after our escape. Unfortunately, when we did cross paths again, it was not a diplomatic meeting.

It started off as a beautiful night. We had docked for the night in a small town near the edge of the Earth Kingdom borders. The air was pleasantly warm and fireflies twinkled lazily against the purplish navy sky. After a delicious dinner of noodles, Iroh pulled out his tsungi horn.

"Who's up for Music Night?" he said, and the crew cheered. Zuko scowled.

"No thanks," he said, rolling his eyes while putting his bowl away.

"Aw, come on, Zuko!" I said, tugging on his sleeve. He fixed me with a look and pulled away, stalking below deck to go sit in his room, presumably.

"Leave him be," Iroh told me, beginning to strum. The other crew members pulled out their instruments and Lt. Jee handed me my flute. I joined in as they began to play a classic ballad.