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Chapter Text

His human was late. Not just late, but late enough that the turtleduck had noticed.

Amezaiku went in search of his favorite human when he failed to show up for two meal times. Off the little turtleduckling went, angrily waddling towards his favorite human's den. He, of course, knew that he should not be seen, his favorite human had told him many times that if he was spotted, he would be returned to the pond.

Amezaiku was as stealthy as his favorite for many reasons, the primary reason being that if he could remain out of sight, then they would get to spend more time together.

The second reason, the cold-angry-distant-sire wouldn't have reason to make his human cry.  

Amezaiku tilted his head as he scanned his human's den and found the scent stale and his den bare of his coverings. This would not do, Amezaiku would need to scold his human for forgetting to inform him of his migration. It was hard work for a turtleduck, but for his human, Amezaiku would do the impossible.

Amezaiku found where his human's scent was strongest and followed from there to a foul smelling place that covered all scents. It took patience, which Amezaiku had plenty of, to wait for the wood coverings to move open enough for the turtleduck to squeeze through.  

His human!  

Amezaiku quacked, scolding him for sleeping past sunrise and for moving his nest but his human did not awaken. He moaned and shifted in place but did not wake. Amezaiku peered around for humans but thankfully there were none around.

He made his way up the nest one beakful of cloth at a time until he could safely sit without risk of falling. His human smelled of pain and sickness. His head was bound with foul smelling substances and cloths.  

Amezaiku coos softly as he picks his way closer to his human. Gently tapping him on the chin, a bleary gold eye cracks open.

"-Ku?" He croaked, fingers coming to rest on his shell briefly before his eye rolled and he sank into unconsciousness. Amezaiku barked, tapping incessantly at his chin but he did not rouse again. Amezaiku could hear loud steps and panicked as he quickly burrowed under the smooth coverings laid over his human to ward off chills.  

The humans come in and chattered over his human. They sat him up, he moaned and groaned but did not wake as they set something on his lap. Amezaiku could smell food. Had his human not eaten? What had happened to his human?

He had left Amezaiku with a wide grin and a promise to return next sunrise. And now he was here smelling of pain and sickness. Had the cold-angry-distant-sire hurt his human again?

Or was it nestmate-that-smiles-with-anger-but-reeks-of-loneliness that had played too rough with his human again.    

He-who-smells-of-tea is here, he speaks with a croak and the other humans respond to him but none of them address his human. He knows his human hates that.

"We will be leaving tonight, is there anything else that you can do for him?" Leaving? They were taking his human away? The only human that looked after them? Amezaiku had to warn the flock. But he also had to stay with his human.

Maybe Amezaiku could warn the flock and then return to his human's side. After all his human was their protector and without him they would most certainly be hunted down by the humans and hawks as well as cat owls. It was only due to the actions of their protector that their flock had ten turtleducks. Their numbers used to be greater, but now they were only a small number without sires.

Amezaiku had a lot of work to do.

But for his human, he would do the impossible. 

Zuko saw Azula. She was perched on the edge of his bed with a smile but her eyes. They weren't smiling. He stretched out his hand, it felt like he was moving underwater, she grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed it. He couldn't feel it.

He knows from experience though, that she was gripping his hand in a punishingly tight grip that makes his bones creak. 

"Father says you've been banished. I suppose that makes me crown princess now." Oh. What did he do to get banished?

"You spoke out in Father's war room like the dum-dum you are." Huh. Sounds like him.

"You leave today, honorless and banished and i become an only child in the eyes of the fire nation." She's disappointed in him. More than that, she's furious that's he's abandoning her too.

"If i write, will you kill the messenger?" Her eyes flash, her lips curl into a cruel smirk and then her nails are resting on his exposed throat. 

"Swear it." Zuko looks into his sister's eyes, the eyes of his rival in Father's affection and smiles as best he can.

"I, Zuko, son of Ursa and Firelord Ozai, solemnly swear to write to Princess Azula, daughter of Ursa and Firelord Ozai on pain of death on a cold moonless night should i break my vow." Her eyes light up in glee as she stalks out of the room like a silent shadow.

His face throbs, a violent shudder wracks through his body as the door slams open. He sees uncle?

The world whites out, then darkens.

Zuko sees sunlight, it feels warm and gentle, like hugging a turtleduck. Or on the rare occasion Azula allows it, a hug from her.

The world is swaying, he catches a glimpse of water and metal then he's jostled and he's lost to a wave of pain.

Zuko couldn't remember what happened.

He couldn't see or hear out of his left side, and he felt horribly, horribly ill. The world swayed beneath him, a constant rocking motion that made him sick. Not that that he wasn't already sick, maybe it had something to do with his injury?

But there was a bright spot whenever he awoke. 

His turtleducks were here! Or they were a vivid hallucination, one that seemed more and more likely when they vanished at the sound of footsteps.

Amezaiku was truly agni sent, able to calm him down from faceless burning nightmares filled with screaming or panic attacks when he didn't recognize his surroundings.

He had yet to actually find out why he was on a ship, or why he was hurt. And he'd only met the ship doctor a handful of times. 

Zuko was choking on his own breath, but small whistles and growls along with soft pecks or nips slowly helped him. He was covered head to toe in turtleducks.

Footsteps were coming, and there his turtleducks went, forming a straight line as they headed for his shelf. And then formed a line on the lowest shelf where they proceeded to roost? The door opens with a soft creak.

"Prince Zuko? Ah, good, you're awake." Doctor Tatsuki slips into Zuko's room with a bow, hands full of supplies. Zuko slowly pushes himself into a sitting postion, the world blurs briefly and doesn't focus until Doctor Tatsuki is propping him up against the wall.

It's still unbearably painful to have the bandages removed, but the doctor was getting better at removing the bandages without causing any new tearing or bleeding.

He was almost afraid to ask how bad it was. He couldn't see or hear out of that side.

When he asked, the doctor recited how he received his injuries was if Zuko had asked this question many times before. 

Father had been merciful. He'd shown restraint. Zuko knows that father could have killed him, he and Azula had watched him burn an assassin alive when Zuko had been in the very same position. 

"Today I'm going to start weening you off the medication and see if that increases your appetite." Oh yeah, he'd forgotten about that. Whenever he awoke, usually alone, he would take the food left behind and feed it to his turtleducks.

"Your uncle, Prince Iroh, will be dropping by later today." Zuko stared at the doctor.

"Uncle? Why?" The doctor froze as if realizing that he'd misstepped. He bit his lip, peering at the door for a moment before lowering his voice considerably. 

"You were banished my prince..." he paused for a moment before breaking decorum and laying his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Your father, the fire lord banished you and stated that you could only return home once you've captured the avatar." The doctor gripped Zuko's shoulder with a look on his face that Zuko would sometimes see on some of the servants when he limped to his room after a lesson with father.

"Prince Iroh gathered a crew and a ship while you were indisposed and has been running the ship for the past three weeks." He'd been unconscious that long?

"Why?" Doctor Tatsuki had that look on his face. The look the palace guards had when he had to defend himself the first time because father had said he was not allowed their protection because he should be able to defend himself with his firebending abilities. Zuko never pointed out that Azula was still allowed their protection even though her skill was four sets higher than Zuko's but it was probably to make his stronger.

Zuko's firebending had improved leaps and bounds after he'd had to protect himself.

Although he wasn't allowing servants to wake him up anymore after he almost hurt one for approaching him unaware. He had apologized, as much as he was allowed to, and even pleaded for the guards to make sure that the servant was taken to the doctor right away. They had even kept quiet about his mistake! 

"Why don't we go onto the deck, you could use some sunlight." He avoided Zuko's question. That was quite rude.

Zuko just wanted to know why Uncle would follow him. It wasn't like they had that close a relationship, they had a handful of memories together that were scattered throughout his childhood but that ended when Lu Ten had not returned home. Uncle had barely spent time with him after that. Had declined Zuko's picnics, even Azula didn't decline those!

Did...

Did uncle feel guilty for Zuko getting hurt? Even though it was Zuko's fault? Even though he had looked away. Looked away like the other times. Or did he not see what happened to Zuko and came out of some misplaced sense of familial duty.

Azula clearly needed his guidance. She was shaping up to be a great tactician, would maybe one day surpass him.

Zuko followed after the doctor, wondering what reasons uncle could have for following Zuko.

Yet Zuko could not think of any reasons.

Father had not ordered him to come, had he? Was Zuko to resume his training while searching for the avatar?

Iroh caught his first look at his nephew, awake and moving that is, in three weeks. He was wobbly on his feet, flushed with fever and dazed as a baby cat owl that had fallen out of its nest.

Doctor Tatsuki was hovering beside Zuko as he made his way to the rails, hands gripping tightly to it as he peered over the edge.

"I need paper and ink." He wobbled in place before falling into a semi-graceful heap.

Iroh made his way towards his nephew, glazed gold eyes, or rather eye, peered up at him. 

"Prince Zuko." How did he tell his nephew that his father had sent him on a fool's quest? That his father did not love him in the same way that his nephew loved his father.

"I need information on past avatars. But first i need to write home." Iroh's heart clenched, his brother would not care to read any letters sent to him by his son.

"Of course Prince Zuko." Iroh would look after his nephew. He would guide him and protect him as best he could and as much as his nephew would allow.

Chapter Text

Amezaiku was patient, his sister Daifuku was not. His sister was foul tempered and would often bite the humans that attempted to invade their space. Mochi and Anko were gentler, kinder, but they were too kind. His human needed someone to look after human.

Somehow his human was slightly defective. But Amezaiku loved him anyways. Though, if the Agni his human spoke about when looking at the sun, could help him out more then Amezaiku would appreciate this sun figure more.

Dango though, his nestmate from another bale, was a lot more determined to spend time with their human after seeing how hurt he was. 

Which is exactly why they were stacked on top of one another, Hakuto was by far the heaviest and used that to her advantage to make the strange metal contraption turn downwards it they have previously seen it do in order to open.

Amezaiku takes point and leads his brothers and sisters towards their human. They take great care to not be seen, through the strange nest they now reside in seems eerily empty.

Amezaiku takes a look at the steps the lead towards sunlight where their human's scent is strongest and ponders how they should go about climbing them.

Azuki takes flight and hops up and continues to flap his wings and bounce. The rest follow suit with nods of agreement.

The sun shines brightly over them, and their human is sitting on the floor with thin crinkly smells of trees 'paper' with his tiny tree with fur that tastes foul.

Amezaiku wastes no time in scolding his human as he runs forward. His human looks up startled, resting his tiny tree against his cheek, he sets it down and extends his hand. Amezaiku is beaten by Dorayaki, who has always been the swiftest runner amongst them. Amezaiku does not mind as he is set down at his rightful resting place, his human's shoulder.

"Turtleducks?" Someone whispers harshly earning Daifuku's ire.

"Are those the palace turtleducks?!" Someone else yelps, Amezaiku honks angrily, his wings splayed when he sees a human approach his human. His human twitches, Amezaiku trusts Mochi and Anko to soothe him though.

"Prince Zuko..." Amezaiku turns and sees his human's Plump-smells-like-tea-and-grief nestmate approaching. Amezaiku allows him to step no further, he knows that his human was harmed after going with this male.

"Amezaiku." Amezaiku turns at the soft call, his human extends a finger to rub at his bill and he folds as he always does for his human. Dango barks at him for folding but clearly Amezaiku is the one receiving affection. His flockmate is just jealous.

"When did you have time to sneak the turtleducks on board?" His human has them all settled on his lap, offering them soft pets and even softer praises with adoring compliments. 

"I woke up and they were there." He states simply before returning his attention to them as they all settle down to rest.

"Perhaps you should not get so attached to them-" the finger on his shell warms considerably and suddenly it is silent. Amezaiku ponders what it could mean but shrugs it off as inconsequential human things when his human resumes his pets.

"I've completed my letter, have it sent off at once." Amezaiku pays little attention to the human that approaches when his human shifts his grip on them so that they are all pooled comfortably onto his lap.

"Prince Zuko." Amezaiku tuned out the human in favor of the soft words aimed his way.

"You're so smart and brave! Yes you are!" He didn't smile, he reeked of pain and loneliness it nearly overwhelmed the scent of sickness clinging to him. Mochi quacks softly, their soft-sunshine-filled-with-sorrows stops speaking and listens to them.

He always stops and listens to them.

Sure he did not always understand them, but his enthusiasm more than made up for that.

[Rest] Mochi tells him, it takes a few repeats before he seems to understand. His shoulders bow, a breath puffs out hardly disturbing their feathers before they are deposited onto the floor.

"I will be returning to my room." He climbs to his feet, wobbling like a hatchling. He tumbles, Amezaiku honks at the hand aiming for his human.

Hands that always seem to harm his human.

Made him cry and reek of pain and sorrow.

Made him walk stiffly and hide in the shadows.

Made him silent as a predator stalking prey even when he was prey in the eyes of others.

Terrorized him and shouted at him as he was made to run after larger humans.

Amezaiku would not stand for it anymore. His human has suffered for the last time. He let out a battle cry, his brothers and sister flew to his side.

Soft-sunshine-filled-with-sorrows let out a muffled squeak when he landed on the ground but Mochi and Anko were there to soothe him as Daifuku and Dango unleashed their fury.

Zuko stares in disbelief as a soldier is being mauled by eight turtleducks. The man shrieks and flails, its very distracting which is good for him because pain and also bad because now there are dozens of people crawling out of the woodwork, metalwork? To observe the commotion. 

A soft nibble catches his attention and his heart softens as Mochi peeps at him in a scolding manner. Zuko settles the two turtleducks onto his shoulder and turns back towards the others just as the soldier bellows in rage. Zuko's heart pounds in his chest even as he's throwing himself forward with reckless abandon to rescue his turtleducks from the fire pouring out of the soldier's hand.

Several things happen at once.

You will learn respect. A hand cradling his cheek.

His hands burn as they close around a hard shell.

And suffering shall be your teacher. Burning him, he's screaming.

The soldier hits the ground as does Zuko who instantly curls up to present a smaller target and tucks Momiji away.

Zuko's shrieking and there is fire every where. One of his turtleducks is hurt. It's his fault. It's his fault!! Like everything is always his fault!

Someone else is screaming behind him.

The fire is gone.

The deck is empty. 

His turtleducks crowd him and Momiji won't come out of her shell.

He's stuttering helpless apologies whenever he can spare a panicked breath.

"Prince Zuko you must breathe." Uncle?

Zuko looks up and spots uncle kneeling on the floor. Shame floods his face as his panic grows. He was acting so shamefully, father would be furious. He would be so furious and Zuko is already banished. What would he do if he found out?

"Don't tell father!" He gasps, Uncle's expression twists into something painful and Zuko can't look at him anymore. Uncle surely would be upset that Zuko is making a disgrace of himself, he might even take away Zuko's friends. His only friends.

Mochi sharply nips at his ear drawing his attention in time to get smacked by a wing. Zuko holds his breath and slowly lets it out. His lungs hurt, he feels like he can't get enough air but he takes a slow deep breath in and holds it. When did he get so lightheaded?

Dango is headbutting his hand demanding pets as he shakily exhales.

He continues petting Dango, trying to encourage Momiji to come out of her shell and keep his breathing even. Uncle kneels just out of reach with his gaze averted as if to offer Zuko privacy for his shameful display of weakness.

It takes a long time, too long, but Zuko is finally breathing evenly without having to count.

"Perhaps you should retire to your room Prince Zuko." Zuko shakily climbs to his feet, cradling Momiji and Dango to his chest but freezes when Uncle holds up a hand.

"Without the turtleducks, they must be returned to the palace." His heart clenches. He looks down at Momji who peeks out of her shell, and Dango who sits imperiously on his palm, then to Mochi and Anko on either shoulder. He looks down to Amezaiku and the others by his feet as they wait for him to lead the way.

"Ah... beg your pardon your highness." Doctor Tatsuki speaks hesitation in every line of his body. "It wouldn't hurt him to keep the turtleducks, and it would take nearly a month of travel to send one lone ship back towards fire nation waters with no guarantee for the safety of either the passenger or the turtleducks." Zuko didn't get his hopes up, far too often things have not gone his way. He knew better than to ask for something he had not earned.

Daifuku nudges his ankle and flaps her wings with a tilt of her head. Zuko subtly shakes his head, she hops onto his foot and tugs at his sleep pants more incessantly now.

"We will discuss this later." His heart falls but he doesn't show it as he bows towards his uncle and stumbles towards Doctor Tatsuki, the kind doctor stretches out his arm but pulls it back when Amezaiku flies straight towards him.

It takes a long time to get back to his room, Momiji has finally come out of her shell but one of her wings is badly burned. Zuko doesn't cry. 

But he does get on his knees and asks, (begs like the disgrace he is) doctor Tatsuki to help her, the older man averts his eyes as he pulls Zuko off the floor. His salt and pepper hair is coming out of its top knot as he helps Zuko into bed, before he finally accepts Momiji.

He speaks softly to her, telling her that she is brave and that she did not deserve to be hurt. That she would be looked after and protected better. That she should not grow ashamed of her scars and bear them with pride no matter how they came to mar her. Zuko wonders if its okay for him to listen to the doctor's words. 

In the end he decided that it would be okay, as long as the doctor didn't notice.

"Now where have you been hiding?" He asks aloud, Zuko watches his turtleducks ignore the doctor as they surround him on his bed. Which now makes Zuko wonder just where the turtleducks have been leaving their droppings. He resolves to figure that out once he's able to supervise them without passing out.

The doctor is carefully examining his hands, rubbing something onto them as he slowly bandages them up.

"Get some rest Prince Zuko." Zuko is not in the habit of following orders, but he is tired so he was going to allow it just this once.

Tatsuki watched as his patient slips into an exhausted sleep. His hands would not scar, thankfully. He did not deserve to have anymorr burn scars, should never have had any in the first place. Did the fire lord know how much shame his son would carry for forever being marked by fire for everyone to see?

The turtleducks stare at him, the one injured is tucked up against the prince's injured side. 

The prince was just a child, a royal one, but a child none the less. He should have been protected, but knowing what he does now. It was treason to think about, but the fire lord did not deserve to raise his children. If he could do this to his son, what's to say that he could not do the same to his daughter?

Tatsuki quickly wiped away the tear that rolled down his cheek and took a deep breath.

He would do his best to look after the child in his care. And he would work hard to find a solution to keep him away from returning to his father. He would work on a solution to take his daughter as well, the princess was two years younger and though she was a prodigy, she was that much more susceptible to harm.

Tatsuki doesn't know if he's the only one, (he can't be right?) Who has thought these treasons thoughts, but he knows that he won't be able to get away as easily if he is caught.

"Hopefully you won't have to wait too long Prince Zuko." Tatsuki rises to his feet and leaves the room to head towards the sickbay, he had some notes to write.

And quite a lot to think about.

Treason was going to be a lot of hard work, especially with general Iroh on board. Were it just Prince Zuko, he thinks it would have taken a lot of anger and denial but in the end he would see it through with acceptance and none of the flame sickness that children developed when their world views were drastically altered. It had been years since a royal fire bender was documented with flame sickness, but Tatsuki would bet his wages that the Prince would be the next case.

For some reason all the negative luck that Fire Lord Sozin had accumulated along with his son Fire Lord Azulon, had fallen right onto Prince Zuko's head.

Poor child had the worst luck when the royal line was usually blessed with the luck of Agni. Maybe his midnight birth on the night of a full moon had been the cause of all the negative luck attaching itself to him. Could this be the curse of stealing the waterbenders from the Southern Water Tribe?

"Doctor Tatsuki?" Tatsuki supresses the flinch that would have given away his thoughts and calmly turns to face General Iroh.

"General Iroh?" The older royal smiles pleasantly his gold eyes sharp and focused as Tatsuki measures out the next dose of Prince Zuko's medication and slowly ground down herbs for burn paste.

"Retired." He says simply, it does nothing to reassure him when the Dragon of the West smiles at him.

"Was there something i could help you with?" Tatsuki resumes his work, wondering if it was his turn to be interrogated by the royal as the rest of the crew. He wonders what the royal has learned.

How many on board were spying for the fire lord?

How many were traitors to the crown sent to kill the prince?

How many would have succeeded if both Tatsuki and general Iroh had not made many unannounced visits to the prince's room?

"I read your transcripts." There is a pause, Tatsuki knows what he's done. Knows it goes against everything he was taught as a healer and then as a doctor.

"They were in pain." He says, measuring out the salve into containers. "I don't regret it." He sets the salve down and turns to face the Dragon of the West.

"I will not harm Prince Zuko." The general stares silently, scrutinizing him, mapping out his past and future with those piercing gold eyes.

"I will be watching you closely doctor." Tatsuki nods, bows to the general as he leaves and waits patiently for the sound of his footsteps to fade. 

He collapses onto his stool and rests his head against his desk. 

Maybe the general was on the prince's side. Maybe he had an ally on board this nest of viper bats. He couldn't make the mistake of trusting General Iroh blindly, it had cost him last time.

He would have to make sure that his loyalty was not doubted, that he was not taken away from the prince. He needed a test. Something that would tell him just how far general Iroh would go for his nephew, how far he could push his treasonous actions.

The turtleducks might be a good start. Clearly Prince Zuko had an emotional attachment to them as the turtleducks had one to him.

Now.

How does he use that?

Chapter Text

Iroh was worried for his nephew. Worried about the injured thirteen year old on a ship that was no better than the cesspool that is a prison barge.

The crew his brother had pushed at Iroh before he could even make a move, they were the worst of the worst. Murderers, liars, rapists, people that could not follow an order to save their life. Half of the crew weren't even from the navy!

They were foot soldiers, or imperial benders that had washed out and thus never made it into the actual army, they even had a few deserters.

On this ship with a crew of thirty not including himself, Zuko or the ship doctor, there were maybe four that were truly innocent or at the very least not beyond salvation. 

There was Satomi, a deserter brought back in chains and only saved from execution by promising to inform his brother of any and all events on board the ship. She was three months pregnant and had lost her ability to fire bend, Iroh does not believe that she will make it.

Shin was the youngest on board, only older than Zuko by four years and a nonbender that had beaten his commanding officer for branding an earth nation child's leg. The girl would carry a limp for the rest of her life.

Zoryu had actually stolen from his superior, what was actually stolen was not written down but the lad was clearly ready to desert the army. His division was censored, but given how protective the lad was of Shin, Iroh suspects he maybe of the 40th division that was to use the 41st as bait for the earth kingdom army.

And then there was Kaien, Iroh doesn't know what the man was hiding but he suspected it had to do with the fact that he was a colonial. His record was impeccable, not a stain in sight and yet here he was. Kaien clearly had a soft spot for his nephew though, Iroh could use that to his advantage. 

For now though, he had to check on his nephew. And the turtleducks that had somehow been smuggled on board.

Iroh stared at his sleeping nephew and his bundle or rather, the bale of turtleducks that have begun to roost around him.

One stares fearlessly up at him. Iroh can't tell them apart but he believes that this maybe the one that called the attack on Seaman Shu. Its beady little eyes stare directly into Iroh's soul, or maybe he was reading too much into this. 

"Oh nephew, how i badly have i failed you that you would think i would treat you as your father does." Iroh weeps in silence as he recalls the absolute terror on Zuko's face at the sight of fire. His shrieks of fear and pain as he hit the ground with the turtleduck cradled in his arms. How he lost his breath and flinched away from Iroh as if Iroh would dare to strike him.

Iroh was willing to do whatever it took to make his nephew see him as someone who would protect him. Someone that would not hurt him. Or abuse him. Someone he would be able to trust.

It was going to be a long and hard road, but Iroh was looking forward to the day that he could hug his nephew without making him flinch away.

Iroh sat vigil beside his nephew for the next few hours.

Doctor Tatsuki made an appearance twice to check on Zuko and the turtleducks.

"It would be in your best interest to allow Prince Zuko to keep his turtleducks. He has a high emotional attachment." He doesn't look at Iroh when he speaks, instead he inspects Zuko's hands as well as the wing of the injured turtleduck.

"You speak of their ability to reign in his panic." The doctor nods briefly, as one particularly vicious turtleduck attempts to maim the doctor.

These animals were usually seen as docile and quite pathetic to be honest. But seeing how they guard his nephew, Iroh can see the merit of allowing them to stay. They would be able to guard him whenever Iroh was not close.

Though he might have to see about securing their protection from the crew. It would no doubt hurt his nephew if they were injured as this one was.

Iroh will contact the white lotus when they reqch the next port and inform them that Zuko is making his recovery and his ship will not be able to any messages or transport items as his previous ship had been able to.

He would need to be especially careful around this crew. Any slip up on his part and his nephew would pay the price. He could not let that happen, he'd already suffered so much. He was thirteen summers, not even of age to enlist.

Iroh's greatest regret would forever mark his nephew. He had to do better from now on. He would not look away from his nephew's suffering.

No matter how much he cried or screamed in his sleep and through fevered nightmares during those first few weeks. He would do his best to show his nephew that kindness was not an act. That it was not conditional.

He would work on teaching his nephew about love when he had healed. For now, it would be too sore a topic to dare bring up.

Zuko slowly came to awareness by an insistent tugging of his ear. He turned to the source and opened his eyes, Dango stared at him from his pillow. 

He could feel the sun low in the sky, sometime around the early evening then.

There was tea, luke warm, beside his bedroll. Amezaiku was already waddling towards the door with an imperious tilt to his head. Zuko bit back a laugh, a pained squeak had him looking down at his chest to see Momiji dangerously close to falling off his chest. Zuko made sure to telegraph his moves as he cupped her into his bandaged hands.

"I'm so very sorry." He apologizes softly, the turtleduck flicks a wing dismissively as she slowly drifts off to sleep now that he is no longer moving.

Zuko nervously makes sure that he is presentable before he makes his way to the door. He's nervous about what uncle will have to say to over his shameful display. 

WARNING ⚠️ 

He doesn't know what uncle would do as uncle has not ever had to deal with his disciplinary issues. Even Azula stopped finding it funny when Zuko messed up no matter what he did.

Sometimes it felt like father hated him.

But he didn't. He was just trying to make Zuko into a better person. Zuko just wasn't trying hard enough.

He would prove to him that Zuko wasn't always a screw up. He'd regain his honor and go home. Father will welcome him back with open arms and Zuko will learn to keep his mouth shut. 

Zuko just had to, he had to be tougher. He needed to harden his resolve.

He is his father's loyal son.

END WARNING ⚠️ 

Zuko carefully tucks Momji back into his bed and begins to shuffle aside the remaining turtleducks as he cracks the door open to slip out.

"No. You can't come with. You be good and stay here until i get back." Amezaiku and Dango absolutely refuse and begin to make a fuss. Zuko drops down to his knees and runs his bandaged hands over their bills and down their shells.

"Shh. It's just like the palace, you need to stay out of sight until i come back or they'll send me away again." Amezaiku sullenly settles down, even nipping Daifuku when she refused to budge. Zuko almost didn't want to go, but if he faced uncle head on, the punishment would be less.

And maybe he could even plead his case to allow the turtleducks to remain until Momiji was all better. They were a bale and hated to be separated.

Zuko takes a steadying breath and slowly lets it out before he makes his way towards the upper deck.

He doesn't meet anyone on the way. Neither does he hear anyone.

Which was strange given the size of the ship's bow that he saw when he wrote to Azula.

It could comfortably hold anywhere from 15 to 30 people before it begins to feel crowded. Seeing no one on deck, well, that probably meant nothing good for him. At least no one would be around to witness his punishment.

"Prince Zuko, Prince Iroh is actually in his quarters." Doctor Tatsuki keeps his palms flat against his thighs as he bows. Zuko follows after the doctor even as he struggles to contain the questions bubbling up inside him.

Doctor Tatsuki glances back at him, his eyes are very kind if a bit sad as he smiles.

"I take it you have a few questions." His cheeks heat up as he chastises himself for being too obvious.

"It's alright to have questions Prince Zuko. A curious mind is a bright one." Zuko thinks he likes this man.

He just has to figure out what the man wants in return before deciding if its too much for him to give.

"Is it about the ship?" Zuko glances at the corridor they are taking. "The crew?" A soldier appears, bowing low at the sight of him bjt Zuko can see resentment burning brightly in the man's eyes.

"Is it about the mission you were given?" The doctor shifts so that Zuko is hidden from view when the next soldier, no, this one's rank is that of a one of the southern raiders. What was one of them doing on the ship?

Zuko looks down when a hand waves in his face and points directly to the doctor's back. Zuko steps closer just as the doctor pivots on his heel to address the soldier.

"Ah, Chan. Have you seen General Iroh?" The soldier grumbles something before stalking off, the doctor shifts again so that Zuko is still out of sight. 

"You must be very careful Prince Zuko." Zuko takes the warning seriously. It wouldn't be the first time someone turns traitor to the crown and attempts to kill a royal.

He nods at the doctor's serious expression, he smiles tiredly as he motions for Zuko to follow.

He quietly explains that there are about thirty soldiers on board. Most, if not all are straight from the army or flunked out as imperial firebenders.

There are three engineers assigned to the ship, there isn't much hope on them being able to repair the ship as they mostly work with tanks.

Two cooks, one accused of poisoning the infantry battalion before they arrived to Omashu thus leading to their failure at capturing the city.

Two helmsman, one nearly deaf and the other committed treason.

Eleven fire benders of various skill level and ten nonbenders.

And then there was a foot soldier that was at least four months pregnant and could no longer fire bend and a soldier that was listed as a nonbender of impeccable record but ended up on board somehow.

"What do you want in return..." Zuko swallows tightly. "For all the information you've given me?" Those kind eyes look so unbearably sad and Zuko feels wrong footed.

He doesn't know what he's said to make the doctor look at him like this.

"You wouldn't believe if i said i wanted nothing in return, would you?" Zuko says nothing, he doesn't know how to respond. Would saying yes upset him more? Or would denying it, just prove how bad a liar he was.

"Very well." He sighs a little and completely vreaks decorum and propriety to lay his hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"Protect yourself and your turtleducks as if this was a nest of viperbats." That-

That was not good.