Chapter Text
Zuko is exhausted. He’s been kicking his legs nonstop for several hours just to keep himself afloat. Plus, he’s been in the ocean way too damn long.
He was shivering, and the only thing that kept him up and about was his energy and thin clothes.
Now that his energy’s depleted, and the fabrics reduced to rags, he is not having a good time.
Trying to stay awake was already hard if it was night; what makes it even worse is that he hasn’t eaten, rested, or even drunk anything since the afternoon.
Slowly losing consciousness, Zuko finally let himself stop swimming and just cling to the driftwood he found. Darkness fills his vision, and he just lets the waves guide him.
Agni, please allow Your rays to shine upon me.
Oh, to have a day without trouble. Hakoda is tired of dealing with his crew's squabbles and having to step in before things escalate.
But today is special. Nothing happened. No troubles, no storms, no nothing. Everyone was quiet and everything was calm.
He thought that today was finally the day where hell doesn’t break loose.
And it’s good, but it was too good.
And unfortunately, he was right as the cabin’s door burst open and came a member of the crew, heaving a gallon of air
“Chief, come to the deck—“
wheeze.
“The guys got—“
wheeze.
“Got somethin’ in net—“
wheeze.
Hakoda stood up from his chair and grabbed the heavy waterskin beside his table. He walked over to the boy, who was having a coughing fit.
“Calm down, Gilak.” He said, giving him the waterskin and placing his hands on the boy's shoulder.
Gilak gulped every single drop of water until there was none left. He was still breathing heavily, but he wasn’t coughing as hard.
After confirming that he was okay, Hakoda asked, “Okay, now tell me what happened to get you to rush in like that?”
“Gah— Okay, uhm, the guys caught something in the net and we think it’s a person.”
Hakoda crossed his arms. “What makes you say that?”
“It has limbs and a head, and I’m pretty sure that it’s a boy!”
Hakoda was about to say something, but then a member of the crew cut him off. Someone yells his name from across the deck, loud enough for everyone until the galley to hear.
Hakoda furrows his eyebrows and decides to go. Before he leaves the room, he turns and asks Gilak to lead him where.
Before he could even see the crew, he could already hear their murmurs. All of them referring to the “boy” on the net.
Hakoda reached the top of the stairs and saw the group circling around the alleged person. In between everyone’s legs, he thinks he sees a figure clothed in black.
He strolls towards the circle and manages his way through the crowd. The moment he reaches the front, his gaze lowers down to see the small figure dressed in black and a blue mask beside them.
He would’ve considered throwing them off because it looked like they weren’t breathing anymore, but he stopped because of the huge scar and the person’s features.
Observing the recently fished individual, Hakoda noticed four points. They looked underfed, scarred on the left side of their face, had weird hair, and were old enough but short. Probably eighteen or twenty at most.
The chief stepped towards the person with the idea to stir them up, but they started moving and mumbling. Every member stayed still
They sat up and groaned. The person (Hakoda really needs to know their name) placed a hand on their head.
“Wanyi ain’t suppos’ to be like dis’.” They mumbled. The person removed their hand from their head and looked up.
Despite their eyes squinting, Hakoda swears he saw their eyes gleaming bright gold under the sun.
And he was right. Bright, yellow eyes fully open, then everything clicks.
Amber eyes, pale skin, and black hair. The features of an ashmaker.
Every single pair of eyes was wide; they were still in shock at what had happened. The thought of a most likely Fire Nation man hasn’t fully sunk in.
As a consequence of their slow reactions, the person shuffled through the nets, shoved Hakoda aside, and ran.
Bato, the second-in-command, is the first to realize that the enemy has escaped.
“Everyone,” He calls their attention, his voice booming all around. “There is an enemy on this ship. And if we don’t move now, we may not have another day!”
Bato runs to the direction of where the Fire Nation ran, leading the whole crew at the back of the ship.
Even if no one said anything, everyone knew they thought the same prayer.
Tui and La, lead us to safety with You.
Zuko’s deep sleep gets interrupted when he feels the waves become stronger. Still tired, he did not go through the trouble to open his eyes.
Suddenly, thick ropes surround him and he’s being pulled up.
The wind blows and he shivers hard, but he isn’t able to bend and warm himself up, so he just lets it be.
He feels two pairs of hands grab him and Zuko lands on his shoulder. It shouldn’t hurt more than usual but he’s sure he’s heard it pop. Add a large bruise if you will.
The prince hears unfamiliar voices speaking incoherent words. He doesn’t understand but he knows he’s the subject of what they’re talking about.
Footsteps moved up and down around him, deep and hushed voices overlapped, he could feel everyone looming over him. They all happened at the same time and he felt overwhelmed.
The final footsteps came from his left side. Zuko would deny, but he knew that his heart was pounding against his chest.
Everything finally stills and nothing else happens.
He knew he was on a ship, and decides to try and feel his surroundings.
The first thing his hand felt was wood. Wanyi isn’t supposed to feel like this?
If he wasn’t on the Wanyi, then where was he?
He wanted to sit up, but maybe he did it too fast because suddenly his vision blackened and his head hurt.
Placing a hand on his head, Zuko pries open his tired eyes to see where he actually was.
Blurred browns and blues were all he saw. But the Wanyi wasn’t supposed to be brown and blue. It was supposed to be gray and red and black.
“Wanyi ain’t suppos’ to be like dis’.” He mutters, mostly to himself, but it was probably loud enough for the person in front of him to hear.
Realization sets in, and he notices that he’s on a Water Tribe ship. If the Northern Water Tribe doesn’t interfere with the war, then it was the Southern Water Tribe.
The Southern Water Tribes are ruthless, are savages, are barbarians .
Zuko waited until the right time to book it. He saw the tall men standing still with wide eyes, as if time had stopped.
In a matter of seconds, he was able to escape the circle.
He let out a small whimper as a sharp and electrical feeling shocked his whole body when he hit his left shoulder against the man in front of him.
Even with his shoulder screaming at him to stop and pop it back into its socket, Zuko didn’t stop running.
It was a short-lived relief that he escaped only to be captured again.
Zuko was caught by the scruff, and then both arms were apprehended. Both of his hands were somehow tied behind his back, then he was forced to spin, and now—
He’s being lifted into the air by the collar!
“Where ya’ goin’ lil’ buddy?” The man with a shell necklace carried him as if he were lightweight! (Could’ve sworn he was pure muscle.)
“I am Prince Zuko, heir to the throne, and you will let me go this instant!” Zuko yelled at the man.
Revealing that he was a prince, especially a prince from the Fire Nation, may or may not be the best decision he has ever made, but it worked.
Shell-necklace man was rightfully stunned, but Zuko might’ve said his ability too loudly because a swarm of Water Savages came from his left side.
Without a moment to waste, Zuko uses his remaining legs to kick the guy's stomach and launch himself off. He scrambled up and continued running.
Shell-Necklace falls and clenches his stomach while grunting. Zuko would’ve felt a little bit guilty if he hadn’t been hunted down by a whole bunch of people.
Especially if he’s being chased by a man who looks like he can break Zuko’s bones easily.
Agni, let me live.
“—Prince Zuko, heir to the throne, and you will let me go this instant!”
Everyone overhears the last bit of the conversation, and Hakoda knows damn well that no one on his ship is named Prince Zuko.
“Prince Zuko? The Fire Nation’s prince? Surely not, right?”
“There’s no way.”
“Prince?”
“He's kidding, right? He's not the actual prince.”
Murmurs start turning into loud questions. Then they stop when a thud against hardwood and a loud grunt cut through the noise.
Taqtuq, the oldest warrior, rushed forward to chase the alleged prince. Unfortunately, he got away.
Hakoda should’ve known what he had brought onto the ship.
If six savages chasing him were bad enough, there were even more spiritsdamned Water Rats at the back!
Zuko dodged every warrior who tried to get him, kicking and punching straight at the naval.
Throwing himself off the ship seemed like the best option. But yet again, how will he even get a raft?
Zuko thought of “jumping overboard” at the end of the ship and somehow becoming a stowaway. It was a great plan despite being created while sprinting through the crew, if someone asks him.
He was so close, almost there to the edge of the boat. His plan would finally work.
Suddenly, a rope circles around his middle, and he’s forced to reel back. However, he stumbles and lands on his tailbone, earning a sickening thud.
Zuko yells out a cry of pain when he hits the wooden floor. It hurt, yes, but he has more important things to worry about than his pain.
A net gets thrown over him and he’s trapped. The warriors were closing in, circling him like predators.
I can get out of this. Zuko thought, but with every warrior inching closer, it became harder for him to think.
All his solutions led to nowhere and he’s panicking because what is he going to do? If he firebends, the whole ship would go down, including him. He can’t possibly run without pain, either.
Zuko realizes that he could use his Fire Breath , a technique not widely used, to disintegrate the woven ropes and “fall” off the side of the boat. It was his only chance to do it.
Before he could even breathe out black smoke, he was lifted up like a prize. Held at an arm's length.
The distance was good for them, but bad for him. Could’ve jabbed them in the shoulder, and he would’ve been let go.
Everyone was too close now, and Zuko knew he couldn’t firebend anymore. The net would have ignited, and he would’ve been able to get out, yes, but every single warrior looks like they were about to pounce on him the moment he even moved a centimeter.
Plus, his dislocated shoulder and lower back hurt, so there’s nothing he can do.
I can’t escape, too risky.
Zuko feels like a feral animal, caged and being shown off.
All he can do now is just snarl and control his sparks.
Hakoda stepped forward to examine the captured “prince”, man, assassin, whatever they are. They were snarling as defense like prey. The whole ship tensed every time a spark went loose.
Tui and La, how did I manage to catch a firebender on my boat?
He failed to acknowledge that the person was Fire Nation when they fished them out. The signs were right there, but everyone ignored them. They focused on saving the person more than their race.
However, the more Hakoda observes the person, they don’t appear like an adult. They looked more younger, maybe a teenager.
Maybe a teenager no older than his own son.
Sokka, Katara.
The teenager was panting, trying to breathe normally, but clearly wasn’t working. The Chief suspects that they’re in pain, just doesn’t know where.
Despite being Fire Nation, Hakoda refuses to ignore a child in pain just because of their nationality.
“Bring them to the infirmary.” He ordered.
The crowd erupted into “ What ?” and “ Huh ?”
“Chief, that person is clearly a Fire Nation citizen— a firebender, an ashmaker ! You know what happens when fire comes into contact with wood, so what the hell are you doing?” Iñuk argues, taking a step forward to Hakoda.
“I’ll deal with them, but for now, take care of the child until they are stable.”
Voices are raised, and everyone’s words are overlapping. Hakoda sees the teenager overwhelmed, their ears are covered by both hands, and their only good eye is shut closed.
They remind him of his Sokka when he was overwhelmed. And he didn’t want to see another kid uncomfortable.
“As I said,” Hakoda interrupts, and the loud noise halts. “Bring this child to the infirmary and take care of them until they heal.”
“Hakoda, are you insane—“ Aput shouts, but the chief cuts him off.
“My word is final. Don’t you all forget that I am your chief.” Hakoda narrows his eyes and stares at every single member. From left to right.
Siluq, who was holding the kid, along with the others, begrudgingly followed the chief's orders. The crowd slowly dispersed as two crew members carried the net down to the infirmary.
“‘Koda, are you sure that this is correct? I mean, it’s a firebender for La’s sake.” Bato asked beside him. His face showed concern and confusion. Hakoda nodded.
“Bato, you’re my best friend. You know I wouldn’t let a child suffer just because of their appearance and disabilities.”
Bato ran a hand down his face. “Okay, and you know the wood burns when fire touches it. This person is Fire Nation, and you don’t even know its age!”
“It’s a person, and yes, I don’t know their age, but from what I know, they’re just a kid trying to survive.”
“Whatever, it’s your choice.” Bato turned to leave, but he left with one more word. “Just know that if else goes wrong, all of the trouble will go to your empathy.”
His best friend storms off and leaves Hakoda feeling down.
He sighs, I hope what I did was right.
Zuko stayed awake even with the chamomile tea given by the healer in his system.
He just sat in the cot beside the porthole, his gaze averting from the shadows to the old man sitting in his chair.
He’s by his desk, quietly reading books, and occasionally flicking his gaze towards Zuko. It made him feel uneasy.
The healer sighed and leaned back in his chair.
“Boy, go to sleep.” His gruff voice sounds like the deserted General Jeong Jeong. “I can see you slowly drifting off. Even the robin-hawks can see you.”
“I’m fine,” Zuko replied, glaring at the healer who paid no mind.
The old man stood up, stretched his legs, and walked to one of his shelves filled with too many books.
Zuko could vaguely recognize the red book cover of Love Amongst The Dragons when he pulled it out. The man sat back down on his chair and started reading it.
The prince tried not to seem interested in the book. In fact, he isn't. He’s just a really big fan of one of the characters.. and maybe he memorized the whole plot and dialogue, but those don’t mean anything.
“Hey,” The healer called. Zuko realized he was staring at the book and looked at the man.
“You wanna read?” He held out the book. The firebenders cheeks flushed red when he saw he’d been caught.
As much as he wanted to read one of his favorite plays at least one last time, he declined the offer. “No, I don’t.”
The healer was silent before he let out a slow and unbelievable, “Uh-huh.”
His eyebrow was raised, and he smirked. He got up from his chair again, popping a few joints, and walked towards Zuko with the play in hand.
The old healer's hand raised, and the firebender's breath hitched. He braced for impact, unsure of the man, only for the book to be handed in his face.
“Take the book, boy.”
Zuko narrowed his eyes. Being referred to as ‘boy’ didn’t make him happy. “I have a name, you know.”
The healer (Zuko really needs to learn his name.) raised his eyebrow at a literal prince. “You never gave me your name, so how else would I call you?”
Wow, no respect at all. He probably didn’t know. After all, they’re Water Tribe.
“My name is Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.” He jutted his chin to the guy, sitting straighter than ever and filled with pride.
“Son of Lady Ursa and Firelord Ozai, heir to the throne.”
They stayed silent after a moment. “Great, but you’re still a boy.”
Zuko was seething . All that dramatics of saying a title and zero ounce of respect. He glared daggers at the healer, though staying silent.
The book that the old man was holding dropped from his hands and fell on top of Zuko's lap.
“Read, maybe then you’ll go to sleep.”
Zuko, still annoyed by the fact that no matter what he does he’ll still get disrespected, opened the book and started reading.
The room was filled with silence, except for the frequent sound of paper turning, as both of them were focused on reading. It wasn’t uncomfortable in Zuko’s opinion. It was calm and quiet.
Until a knock and a high-pitched voice call a name.
“Ugh, what do those nonsense boys want?” The older man muttered.
The door creaks open, and three teenage-looking boys come in.
“Hey, Kanut!” The bottom one greeted with a huge smile on his face. The other two pushed him inside the room, nearly falling on top of each other.
They were squished together despite the room fitting at least fifteen people, clearly uncomfortable.
Their gaze constantly flickered toward Zuko, who stared at them with hawk eyes.
“What do you three want?” The healer, Kanut , questioned.
“Uhm, so, you know how Hakoda would, uh, ‘handle’ the prisoner?” The overenthusiastic boy was shifting, moving side to side like seaweed. The other two were just fidgeting with their hands.
“No,” Kanut shook his head with his arms crossed. “I indeed do not.”
The three boys groaned, the overenthusiastic one being the loudest.
“Please,” They begged simultaneously.
“Hakoda’s gonna have our heads if we don’t follow his orders!” The second boy explained.
The first guy clasped his hands together and fell on his knees. His eyes were big now, like those hop-puppies.
The healer gave a scrutinizing look to each teenager. Including Zuko.
Zuko made a face. What the hell, why am I involved?
After what seemed like minutes, he finally spoke. “Not my problem, tell Hakoda I said no.”
“Kanut!”
Zuko tuned out their conversation to focus on finding an escape route. He noticed the open porthole beside him and the outside world.
If he could manage to slip out quietly, he’ll be able to get to the lifeboat and get away as far as possible. It wasn’t a great plan as there were too many warriors patrolling, but it was better than waiting and sticking around for whatever their captain had in mind.
Zuko slowly stood up from his cot, keeping his movements subtle. The voices of the healer and of the other boys were getting louder, covering the faint sound of wooden floorboards creaking beneath his feet.
He crouched, slowly turning the porthole to open it. When it finally opened, he wasted no time in trying to get out.
He carefully stuck his right arm first, checking if he was able to pull himself through. Then, his left arm followed. He maneuvered the arm and settled on a pose that doesn’t hurt his shoulder.
He stuck his head out, and the cold, frigid air blew. He was halfway out, just the hips down, and he’s gone.
Almost.
But someone just had to notice before he was even fully out.
“He’s escaping! The prisoners escaping!”
Zuko felt pairs of hands latch onto his legs, trying to pull him back. He blindly swung his legs in order to kick them off.
Grunts and curses were Zuko’s only indication that he could wriggle out. He put his hand on each side, pushing, moving, and twisting his legs. With one final shove, he fell on the hard wooden floor with a thud.
“Umph,” He groaned upon impact. Dizziness hit him like a wave. The chamomile tea must’ve been laced with something that immediately made him feel sick, but he forced himself onto his feet.
Multiple heavy footsteps followed him. The boys spilled out from the infirmary, their shouts of alarm echoing all around the deck.
They were fast, faster than Zuko thought, with each step gradually getting closer towards him.
But they forgot he was faster.
Zuko took off, his feet pounding against the ground as he avoided crates and barrels.
The night air stung his face, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was getting away from this boat, to find uncle, and continue living.
His heart raced, beating against his chest. Adrenaline pumping through his body was the thing that kept him up.
Behind him, the three guys were chasing him, including a few other warriors.
They thought they could catch him, but Zuko would prove them wrong.
“Don’t let him get to the edge!” One of them shouted.
Zuko smirked. He darted to the side, sliding underneath a man who was in front of him and hitting some points behind his legs. Within seconds, the man was paralyzed and blocked them.
He jumped over a pile of netting. His movements were quick and smooth. His military training and sword-fighting skills were taking control.
It was absolutely laughable how they stumbled and fell over each other trying to get him. Zuko even let out a little giggle.
He spotted a lifeboat hanging from the ship's side and made a beeline for it. His legs burned, ached, but freedom was right in front of him. With a boost, he launched himself to the edge—
“Oh, no you don’t!” A hand grabs Zuko’s ankle and clings on like his life depended on it. Unfortunately, it feels him back a few steps back.
Zuko twisted and planted a kick to the boy square in the chest, sending him skidding across the floor. Another boy tripped over him and they fell like dominoes.
Zuko didn’t even stop to gloat; he scrambled back to his feet and jumped over the edge again.
A guy appears in front of him, almost crashing into Zuko. This one lunged at him, but he ducked and swept his legs beneath the man, making him lose his footing.
Zuko’s hand wraps around the lifeboat's rope, and for a split second, he feels like he’s done it, like he escaped. He’s finally free—
WHAM.
Something hard and heavy slams into him, knocking all the air out of his lungs. Zuko staggers, his vision is spinning, and he realizes he’s tangled in nets. Again.
“Ugh,” He thrashed wildly against the ropes, but it was too late. The net was yanked tightly, and a familiar face was dragging him back like a fish on the line.
The stupid healer was dragging him back, having a smug look on his face. Zuko just wanted to wipe it off his face. He pulled him in with a surprising amount of strength for an old man.
“You’ve got some nerve, brat.” The healer muttered while hauling him to the deck.
The boys finally caught up, panting and shaking. One was bent over, hands on their knees, while the other one was wearing a smug grin.
“Not so fast now, are you?” He sneered, but his voice was quivering from exhaustion.
“Shut up, I managed to take down all of you while none of you did anything.” Zuko glared at him. Kanut snorted but tried passing it as a cough.
Twat. As if he did anything.
He tried tearing the net, but Kanut knelt down and started to untangle the tie and remove the whole net.
“Sit still, boy.” Kanut snapped. “You’re lucky you didn’t fall and freeze to death in the water.”
Zuko scowled, his pride taking more damage than himself. He clicked his tongue but didn’t say anything else.
He was finally out of the spiritsdamned ropes, but he wasn’t out of the ship. And he really wasn’t free.
The healer grabbed Zuko’s collar and lifted him up to his feet like he weighed nothing. (Really, how strong is this guy?)
He gave the firebender a tired look, the one he always sees on people’s faces when they’re stuck dealing with him.
The boys shuffled quietly behind Kanut, unsure if they should continue gloating or leave him alone.
“You should be happy the chief wants you alive,” The old man flatly said, still keeping a steady hold on his collar. “Because if it were me, I would’ve had you scrub the barnacles off in the hull for that little stunt of yours.”
“Tsk,” Zuko kept his head low, allowing the man to lead him back to the infirmary.
“‘Ey, watch that tongue, brat.”
“You aren’t even my legal guardian.”
“I’m your caretaker.”
Zuko rolled his eyes and didn’t say anything else.
When they reach the infirmary, the healer shoves Zuko inside the room. (Is he even a healer if he pushes patients like this?)
Kanut forces him to sit down on his bed. Zuko was let go, but the healer didn’t take any chances. In one swift move, he tied him to the bed frame with a thick rope.
Zuko tilted his head down and stared at his tied hands in shock.
He lifted his head to confront the grumpy man. “Are you serious?”
Zuko yanked at the tight bindings, but he couldn’t budge free.
“You’re too much trouble,” The healer said, sighing back in his seat and grabbing his previous book. “If you want to act like a brat, I’ll treat you like one.”
The prince glared at the man, but he didn’t look up from his book. One of the boys laughed nervously by the doorway.
Kanut waved them off. “Go tell Hakoda I’ve got him ‘handled.’”
They hesitated, then left fast like they were afraid of him running off again.
The room fell silent, except for the splashing of waves and the occasional flipping of pages. Zuko lay down on his cot and stared at the wooden ceiling.
There has to be a way out of this. His mind spun. The ropes were hard, but not unbreakable. He just needed time.
If Kanut thought that he was going to give up that easily, then he had another thing coming.
Finally, after chasing the stupid boy, Kanut will be able to rest his old bones and read his unfinished book.
“You’re wasting your time, you know.”
This boy talks too much.
Kanut sighed, closed his book, and set it down on his desk. “And why’s that?”
He turned to look at the prince and observe him.
Gold eyes stare back at blue eyes.
How can this boy even break free from those ties?
“I’ll get out every time. I’m not staying here. You can tie me up, lock me in here, whatever. I’ll get out. I always do.”
“Then I’ll just keep catching you. I’ve got nothing but time, boy.” He replied, unimpressed with the prince's empty threats of escape.
Kanut could see his jaw tense.
How angry can this brat get?
If he has to take care of this weak boy, then it will be a very long night.
Too bad he doesn't get paid enough for that.
Zuko clenched his jaw, the fire inside him burned brighter and stronger. He wasn’t going to allow some old healer or a couple of nervous boys to keep him trapped. Not now, not ever.
This wasn’t over, and Zuko would make sure of that.