Chapter Text
The first thing that caught Iroh's attention was the fact that Zuko had stopped shouting.
It happened overnight, without any warning. One day, Zuko woke up quieter and calmer than ever before. His loud stomping on the ship's deck was gone, as were his angry words directed at the crew members. Instead, Zuko began talking to the crew, addressing them by name, asking about their families and their hobbies. He began discussing their plans to find the Avatar with Iroh and Jee.
Overnight, Prince Zuko had simply become nice.
The second thing that caught Iroh's attention was the fact that Zuko stopped protesting when Iroh offered him tea. Not only that, he started brewing tea.
And that tea was delicious.
This was something that began to worry Iroh. Sudden calm, and now tea brewing skills?
Something was going on here, and Iroh intended to find out exactly what it was.
When he asked his nephew what was going on, Zuko just smiled at him – which almost gave Iroh a heart attack, because Zuko didn't smile – and said that it would all make sense soon.
It didn't.
Not only that, but everything stopped making sense the moment they arrived on Kyoshi Island. It had been their destination for some time, as they had heard that the Avatar was supposedly hiding there.
Before that, Zuko had been walking around angry, rushing everyone, nervous that the journey was taking so long and that they still hadn't reached the island. Now, he didn't seem to care and he just drank his tea with a strange smile on his face, claiming that everything would be resolved once they reached the island.
Nothing was resolved.
When they finally reached Kyoshi Island, Zuko ordered everyone to be careful and not even try to burn down a single building. He repeated this twice more, as if he thought his crew would not be able to follow his orders.
And indeed, in the end, they were unable to do so.
If Iroh were to be honest, it was the Avatar's fault, who, as soon as he saw Zuko, began attacking him, ignoring Zuko's words that he wanted to talk to him. He was quickly joined by the Waterbender and her brother, who for some reason was wearing a dress... well, Iroh wasn't even going to comment on that. Let the boy wear what he likes.
Zuko, to his credit, did not attack the Avatar.
His crew did not have such reservations.
And although only one building was damaged, it was enough to turn most of the villagers against him.
And in particular, one of the Kyoshi Warriors, who for some reason decided to attack Zuko. Iroh would have intervened in the fight, had he not quickly realized that the girl was not trying to kill his nephew, but rather... training with him?
And then she stopped suddenly. For a long time, she and Zuko looked at each other, talking about something, gesturing quite vigorously.
Suddenly, without much warning, the girl lunged at Zuko, but not to kill him. Instead, she hugged him.
And then she kissed him.
That day officially ceased to make sense.
The attack from the enraged Water Tribe boy, at least, had made perfect sense.
Somehow, they managed to escape from Kyoshi Island. More precisely, the Avatar and his friends escaped, and Zuko ordered that they not be pursued.
Just before they were about to board the ship, a scream rang out:
“ZUKO!”
Zuko stopped abruptly. The same Kyoshi Warrior who had fought him earlier and then kissed him was heading towards them.
And she was walking with quite determined steps.
“Suki...” Zuko began, looking at her with a mixture of emotions that Iroh couldn't quite understand.
Suki thrust a bundle into his hands.
Zuko looked at it in confusion.
The crew, including Iroh, didn't even try to understand what was happening.
“What are you doing, Suki?” Zuko asked, asking the question that each of them was asking themselves.
“I'm coming with you, that should be obvious,” the girl replied. “I'm joining you. I hope you have free quarters for me.”
Iroh looked at Lieutenant Jee, hoping that he would be able to help him understand what was going on here. Jee spread his hands helplessly.
“Prince Zuko,” Iroh decided that this was a good time to try to take control of the situation. “Could you tell us who this young lady is?”
Zuko and Suki exchanged glances.
“Suki, the Kyoshi Warrior,” said Zuko. Which, of course, everyone already knew.
“Yes,” Suki confirmed. She bowed slightly to Iroh. “General Iroh, I wish to join your crew.”
“Are you aware that our goal is to capture the Avatar?” Iroh asked to be sure.
“Of course,” the girl smiled at him. “I am well aware of Prince Zuko's goals.”
“...are you aware that the Kyoshi Warriors just fought to protect the Avatar?” Jee asked.
“Uh, yes,” Suki replied. She bowed her head slightly. “I hope you don't consider this a breach of our neutrality. Kyoshi Island has no intention of interfering in the war. I am here to show you our goodwill. We do not want to fight against you.”
There was definitely something strange about it, but Zuko looked at him in that particular way that made Iroh unable to refuse him.
Besides, having a young girl around might do Zuko some good. Especially when said girl was clearly interested in him.
“All right, Miss Suki!” he said. “Welcome aboard.”
Suki bowed to him in perfect Fire Nation style, as if she had spent years at the royal court.
“The pleasure is all mine, General Iroh.”
The first thing that caught Iroh's attention was the sudden silence.
The second was the desire to drink tea.
The third was definitely the presence of a certain Kyoshi Warrior, who almost immediately decided to move into Prince Zuko's cabin.
This was incredibly strange and should have caused Iroh concern.
And it did cause him concern.
“Prince Zuko,” as soon as he had the chance, he took his nephew aside to talk to him privately. “I know you and Miss Suki like each other quite a bit, but don't you think her presence in your cabin would be a little... inappropriate? You are a young man, after all, and she is a young, unmarried woman and...”
“I know, Uncle,” Zuko replied. “But Suki has decided she wants to stay with me. You won't be able to convince her otherwise. She's incredibly stubborn when she makes up her mind.”
“Prince Zuko, you've only known her for one day!”
“I know,” Zuko said, looking away. “I'll explain it to you someday, okay? Just trust me for now.”
Iroh tried.
Miss Suki's presence, though unplanned, had a positive effect on the crew and on Zuko.
On Zuko, because the boy stopped shouting and raising his voice. Okay, he had stopped doing that just before he met Suki, but now he was doing it even less. Iroh watched them closely, but they were both just... calm. As calm as two teenagers could be during a war.
On the crew, because Suki turned out to be an excellent addition to the ship. Although she appeared here overnight and basically invited herself onto the ship, she did not hesitate to work. She helped everyone and was always willing to give advice, especially when it came to training.
As it turned out, Suki was a really good fighter. She was strong and could defeat anyone, even a Firebender. In her free time, she liked to train and give advice on how to improve their skills.
She also knew a lot about Fire Nation culture.
In an incredibly short time, she became part of the crew and earned their respect. She was always willing to help, although Iroh quickly realized that Suki's main priority was protecting Zuko.
It was as if, in the span of a single day, they had gained a personal bodyguard for his nephew. Which would have been good news, except that Iroh couldn't forget that he had seen her kiss his nephew. Or forget that Suki was still living in Zuko's cabin. And she didn't seem to be planning on moving out.
Ultimately, though, she had a pretty good effect on his nephew. In her presence, Zuko was calmer, more composed. He stopped focusing all his free time on capturing the Avatar. Instead, he smiled more often, was more open with his crew, and spent time with them of his own accord.
So, the changes weren't negative, of course not.
It's just... it's just that Iroh couldn't stop worrying because he didn't understand what was going on here at all.
It could be a matter of love, he concluded one evening, love changes a person, doesn't it?
Zuko stopped shaving his head. He left his phoenix plume untouched, but at the same time, he stopped shaving his head.
“You look ridiculous,” Suki said at the end of the day. "Your hair is completely uneven. Wouldn't it be better if you just cut it off?
“I won't do that, and you know why.”
The phoenix plume was a symbol of loyalty to their country. In Zuko's case, it also represented his status as Fire Prince, even though he was in exile.
Iroh would probably have a heart attack if he woke up and saw his nephew without the phoenix plume. Fortunately, for the sake of his heart, that didn't happen, and Zuko still had it.
...Although his hairstyle was really ridiculous, that was true.
Their search for the Avatar was no longer a frantic chase, but it was still ongoing. Zuko continued to carefully gather information about the Avatar’s movements.
One day, when they reached the abandoned prison, they found an abandoned blue necklace.
“Is this Katara's necklace?” Suki leaned over his shoulder. “It's Katara's necklace, isn't it, Zu?”
“Yes,” Zuko agreed, looking at it closely. “It must have come loose when she led the prison riot.”
Suki shook her head in disbelief.
“That's Katara for you,” she said. “I wonder if she even realizes the significance of this necklace.”
“I doubt it,” Zuko replied. “It's a Northern custom, and... by the way, what are engagements like in the South?”
“Oh,” Suki narrowed her eyes. “I'm not sure. Maybe... Wait, wait, wait, Zu, is this what I think it is? It is what I think it is, right?”
“I haven't said anything yet, Suki!”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Zuko hadn't even finished his sentence before the girl threw herself into his arms, squealing with joy.
Iroh didn't know why she did that.
As far as he knew, Suki was from Kyoshi Island, not the Southern Water Tribe... right?
That same evening, Iroh accidentally overheard their conversation.
He hadn't meant to; he had only wanted to offer them tea. But when he approached the cabin they were sharing, he found the door slightly ajar.
“–different,” it was Suki's voice. “I miss him, Zu. So much.”
“Me too, Suki,” Zuko confessed after a moment. “It’s still him, but...”
“Not quite,” Suki finished. “It's not fair, don't you think? Just the two of us...”
“It'll be okay, Suki. We'll get back everything we lost.”
Under normal circumstances, Iroh would have thought Zuko was referring to capturing the Avatar and regaining his honor, but now, for some reason, he had the impression they were talking about something completely different.
“Do you promise, Zu?”
“I do.”
Sounds that strangely resembled kisses began to come from behind the door.
Iroh quickly closed the door and fled from Zuko's cabin as quickly as possible.
Whatever Zuko and Suki were about to do, Iroh did not want to see or hear it.
When they learned that the Avatar was heading towards the Fire Nation, towards Crescent Island, Zuko didn't make a fuss about it. He didn't insist that they go there, regardless of whether the Avatar was in the Fire Nation or not.
He just exchanged glances with Suki.
“Your turn?” he asked.
“My turn,” the girl confirmed.
A moment later, she was wearing the full makeup of a Kyoshi Warrior.
“I'm going to Crescent Island,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument.
No one even tried to argue with her.
Suki returned some time later, without the Avatar.
Zuko looked at her hopefully. When Suki shook her head, his shoulders slumped slightly.
For some reason, Iroh began to suspect that Suki had not gone to the island with the intention of capturing the Avatar.
When Zuko brought another girl on board – this time the one from the Water Tribe, the one who definitely didn't want to be there – Iroh began to seriously fear for his nephew's morals.
Fortunately, all Zuko did was invite the Water Tribe Girl for tea, which Suki and Iroh also attended.
The Water Tribe Girl kept cursing Suki and calling her a traitor.
Suki listened to her words with surprising calm.
When she finished, Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose.
“You know what,” he said after a while, looking as if he had just gotten a migraine. “I don't even want to talk about Suki anymore. Could we focus on what you were doing, Katara?”
“Me?!” the girl exclaimed indignantly.
“You stole from pirates,” Zuko said simply. “What do you think would have happened if they had caught you? Are you aware that you are their target?”
“You're not going to blame me for wanting to recover part of my Tribe's stolen culture! You're not going to try to make me feel guilty! You destroyed my Tribe! Those pirates had no right to take those scrolls! That is my culture!”
“Agni,” Zuko looked as if his migraine had only gotten worse. “I'll be right there.”
“Huh?!” Katara was indignant.
Zuko said nothing more. He simply left the room and walked away.
Suki smiled at Katara.
“Would you like some tea?”
“I don't want anything from you, you traitor!” Katara hissed.
The smile on Suki's face became a little more forced.
Iroh decided that this was the perfect time to defuse the situation a little. He tried to intervene in the conversation, but all he managed to do was make Katara's angry gaze shift to him.
Someone here clearly didn't like him very much.
Iroh decided not to worry about it.
Fortunately, a short time later, Zuko appeared in the cabin and placed a rather large stack of scrolls on the table.
“These are all the waterbending scrolls I have,” he said. “I collected them while searching for the Avatar. I'll give them all to you, but please, never try to steal from pirates again, okay?”
Katara didn't even flinch. She looked at him suspiciously.
“What are you playing at?” she asked. “Where's the catch?”
“There isn't one,” Zuko said, laying the blue necklace next to the scrolls. “It's all yours.”
“I won't betray Aang!”
“I don't want you to. I want you to stop risking your life for no good reason. Take the scrolls and the necklace, Katara. I'm giving them to you, no strings attached. Like you said, it's part of your culture.”
Katara still didn't move.
“This is a trap, isn't it?” she asked. “You want to use me, you want to gain my trust... What are you playing at?”
“Just take it,” Suki said.
After a long moment, Katara reached for the scrolls and the necklace.
Her friends arrived at dawn, trying to rescue her.
Zuko let them take the girl and didn't even try to attack them.
A storm caught them suddenly.
When it passed, they heard rumors that Zhao had captured the Avatar.
Suki and Zuko exchanged glances.
Iroh pretended not to notice.
Shortly after the storm, Zuko announced that he had found an incredibly important clue and that they had to split up.
He ordered the crew to head for Yu Dao and gave them several extremely strict orders, informing them that they were not to listen to anyone else, that they must not be seen while traveling there, and that they had to leave the ship immediately.
Iroh, Zuko, and Suki remained on the ship.
The rest of the crew left.
“Are you sure, Prince Zuko?” asked Iroh.
“Absolutely,” Zuko replied.
His words made sense two days later when Zhao visited them, claiming he was recruiting a crew for an expedition to the North. But the crew was gone.
Instead, Zhao encountered only three people.
Somehow, Suki was able to manipulate the situation so that Zhao himself invited all three of them on the expedition to the North, convinced that he was destroying their plans (because if the crew wasn't here, then Zuko must have found a new clue and didn't want Zhao to find out about it).
As soon as Zhao left, Suki and Zuko high-fived each other with triumphant smiles on their faces.
“Are you aware of what Zhao is planning?” Iroh asked later, when the ship they were on, one of many ships assigned to the mission to the North, began to move away from the shore. “We are taking part in a major military campaign. Miss Suki, this will certainly violate the neutrality of Kyoshi Island.”
Theoretically, her hunt for the Avatar did not violate her island's neutrality. She did not take part in the fight against other countries. She was simply hunting one person, and sometimes Iroh felt that she was more of a hindrance than a help.
Suki shrugged with apparent indifference.
“We're not here to capture the North Pole or capture the Avatar,” she said simply.
“Zhao wants to destroy the Moon Spirit,” Zuko added. “I saw the plans in his cabin.”
Agni, when did Zuko manage to sneak into Zhao's cabin?
“We're here to stop him,” Zuko lowered his voice. “Zhao is working against the Fire Nation, Uncle. He's a traitor. We have to stop him, make sure he doesn't kill the Moon Spirit, and then turn the fleet around.”
“How?” asked Iroh.
Suki smiled in response.
“We have a way,” she said simply.
The plan was quite simple.
Sneak into the North Pole. Wait until Zhao tries to kill the Moon Spirit. Stop him before he does it. Declare him a traitor – because in doing so, he was acting against the Fire Nation, which is, after all, an island nation. Do we really want to incur the wrath of the Ocean, the lover of the Moon? – and then, on that basis, conclude that Zhao was indeed acting against the Fire Nation, so the attack on the North must also have been his own initiative, because there is no way the Fire Lord would approve of killing the Moon, right?
When it was all over, the Avatar bowed to them, thanking them for their help. Katara looked like she didn't know what to do, though she was somewhat grateful. Princess Yue was definitely grateful for their assistance.
As for Sokka... Sokka couldn't stop staring at Zuko and Suki, as if unable to understand what they were doing together.
But they didn't have much time. They had to get back to the main fleet as quickly as possible.
Iroh couldn't help but notice the sad look Suki gave Sokka.
Shortly thereafter, Zhao found himself in the Water Tribe prison (perhaps already dead), accused of attempting to kill the Moon.
The Fire Nation fleet began to move away from the North Pole.
And Zuko... Zuko didn't seem bothered by the fact that he hadn't caught the Avatar. On the contrary, he seemed pleased with the outcome of their mission in the North.
“What now?” Suki asked. “Are we going to the Fire Nation?”
“I'm banished, Suki,” Zuko reminded her.
“Oh, right,” the girl realized. “So, the colonies?”
“There's a good chance my father will declare us traitors as soon as he finds out we've withdrawn the fleet from the North,” Zuko noted.
And... it was true. Although Iroh didn't think he would ever live to see the day when Zuko would realize it.
“Well, it could have been worse,” Zuko muttered under his breath. “We could have spent three weeks drifting on an ice-cold ocean on a tiny raft.”
Suki looked at him in surprise.
“Really, Zu? Three weeks?”
“Three weeks,” Zuko confirmed.
He turned to Iroh.
“What do you want to do now?” he asked. “There's a good chance we'll be declared traitors.”
“Yup,” Suki agreed. “We could escape from the Fire Nation and go to Omashu. Or Ba Sing Se. Or we could go to the Fire Nation and hope that Fire Lord Ozai agrees to an Agni Kai.”
“My brother will never agree to that,” Iroh said. “Probably. But whatever you plan to do, I will gladly accompany you.”
He didn't quite know what the two of them were planning, but it couldn't be anything bad, right?
“Hmm,” Suki pondered. “We could also find Toph.”
“Now?” Zuko asked.
“If not now, then when?” Suki shrugged. “So far, we've stuck to the script, to what we knew, but actually, now I think about this, why do we have to do that? All we have to do is find Toph, and then challenge Fire Lord Ozai to an Agni Kai. Azula should be in Omashu, right? So only Ozai will be waiting for us in Caldera. That won't be a problem.”
“Really, Suki?”
Suki shrugged.
“Well, if we had Toph on our side...”
Zuko sighed heavily.
“All right,” he agreed. “Let's go get Toph.”