Fire & Rain: Book 2 (slow updates)

The Southern Water Tribe: Part 1

Zuko's POV
It had been a couple of weeks since Y/N had been following me around when I received a letter from Sokka and Katara's father.

It took us about a day to travel to the South Pole, and Y/N was still acting weird, she hadn't been the same since the day of the comet.

"Y/N?"

She glanced over at me from where she sat slumped against the wall in the captain's cabin, "mhm?"

"Is everything okay with you? You've been acting... off ever since you returned."

She sighed, turning away from me, "I'm fine. I've got stuff going on at home, remember? My parents have just met Katia and there's just... other things."

I slid my back down the wall to sit next to her and pulled her hand into mine, "talk to me."

It took her a few moments to finally speak, but I wasn't expecting that when she'd finally tell me she'd say, "I'm worried about Azula."

"What?"

"She's been locked up in some sort of... asylum... when you look at the bigger picture, what did she really do to deserve that?"

"Is that a serious question?"

She let go of my hand and stood up, "think about it! She was only doing what she was told! Okay, she was a big part in the Fire Nation taking over the world but that's because that was what she was taught and trained to do. In the eyes of the law at the time, Azula was a hero."

"She's in there because she needs help. She keeps talking about someone who isn't there, screaming about things that don't make sense... this is what's best for her."

"And who are you to decide that!? Did you ever ask her what she wants? Okay, so she's hearing voices? It doesn't give you the right to just lock her away like she's insane!"

"Y/N... listen to yourself, if she's hearing voices, she probably is insane."

She took a deep breath and muttered, "forget it." Before storming off somewhere else in the air ship.

—

As we landed in the Southern Water Tribe at the same time as the Earth King, we were greeted by protesting southerners,

"THE SOUTH IS FOR SOUTHERNERS!"

"FOREIGNERS OUT!"

And as we stepped off the ships, one of the guards yelled, "announcing the arrival of Earth King Kuei and Fire Lord Zuko!"

As I caught up with the Earth King, he was muttering, "it's... f-f-freezing!"

"Well it is the South Pole, your majesty"

He turned to me and then back to the protesters and asked, "are those p-p-people protesting the c-cold?

"I'm afraid not. They're protesting us. And after what the Fire Nation has put them through, I can't blame them."

He turned to his pet bear and asked, "Bosco? W-w-would you mind?"

And understanding him, the bear wrapped his paws around the Earth King, "ahh! Much better! Everyone should have a bear for a best friend! Zuko, if you'd like to join me, I'm sure there's enough room in Bosco's hug."

"That's very, um, generous of you, but no thanks."

"Fire Lord Zuko! Earth King Kuei!"

Sokka rushed over to us an enveloped me in a hug, "thank you so much for coming!"

"Sokka! Good to see you, buddy!"

He perked his head up and gasped, "is that Y/N!?"

He rushed over to her to hug her, too, "how have you guys been!? We've not seen you in a while!"

Y/N looked over at me, expecting me to answer, "oh, uh- we've been great. But, you sure we should be here? I don't wanna cause the South any more trouble."

"Don't worry about them. They just need to see what we're trying to do. Then they'll get it."

"Protecting foreigners, Sokka!? You've been away far too long! You've forgotten where you belong!"

I caught a glimpse of Y/N sending one of the protestors a death glare as we followed past the protestors and into a meeting room.

Y/N wouldn't sit down with us at the table, and insisted on staying by the door to stand guard as Head Chieftain Hakoda explained his plans to establish embassies in the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, as well as building a modernised Harbour on their shores.

"You can count on the Fire Nation, Head Chieftain Hakoda. Your people have suffered so much destruction at our hands."

The Earth King then begun, "I'm sorry that the Earth Kingdom can't support you so readily. We have so many of our own needs back home. But if I could show me advisers that the Southern Water Tribe is going to make measurable, concrete progress towards civilisation-"

"Excuse me!?" Katara almost yelled at the Earth King.

"Oh, dear. Please, forgive the clumsiness of my words, Katara! I should've have phrased it differently. Of course, what you already have here is a form of civilisation. We would simply want you to achieve a higher form."

I glanced over at Y/N who didn't seem bothered by the sudden tension between Katara and the Earth King, she just stood up straight by the door, as she said she would.

"In fact, we'd be honoured to help the Southern Water Tribe develop into a cleaner, safer place! And perhaps warmer, too."

"With all due respect, your majesty, compared to the outer ring of Ba Sing Se, the South Pole is-"

"Head Chieftain Hakoda! We've just recovered an alert from the prison! Gilak and his army-"

The guard was cut off by a boomerang knocking him back and landing in the hands of a man who finished his sentence, "-are here."

Y/N immediately jumped back from the door and held up her guard, ready to attack them.

They didn't make a move whilst they argued back and forth with Head Chieftain Hakoda, until a few of them yelled, "foreigners out!", lunging straight for myself and the Earth King. 

I fire bent at them, not actually hitting them and warned them, "stay back!"

Aang rushed to protect the Earth King and I almost was hit with the massive blade that the man I knew as Gilak had just swung at me, "ash maker!"

"Woah!" I jumped back but before I could retaliate, Y/N had tackled him to the ground.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on the Fire Lord! Zuko, get out of here!"

"But-"

"I can handle him, just get moving!"