Honor, Love, and Dragons (Zuko x OC)

The Blue Spirit

Nightmares and Frog Sucking

~~~

"You were gone for a while," Ivana said, watching Zuko walk up on deck from the dock below.

"Mind your own business," Zuko grumbled, going below deck. Ivana rolled her eyes and went back to appreciating the crescent moon that shone over the sea. She coughed a few times, having felt less than herself after the storm.

Ivana gazed at the view for a while longer before getting a chill. She shivered, leaving the moon behind as she rushed below deck to get warm. She sniffled before sneezing violently outside of Zuko's room. He opened the door a second later. "You're not sick are you?" he asked, squinting at her.

"I'm fine," Ivana huffed, before sneezing like a kitten.

"You are. You don't sneeze like that unless you're sick."

"You're wrong. I'm just fine. Just cold," she said, her body was starting to deteriorate at a fast pace. She was shivering aggressively, the cold showing its extreme effect on her.

"You wouldn't get sick if you stayed below deck at night," Zuko huffed, "Go get some rest."

"If I am sick, it's because you sailed us through that storm," she huffed. She blinked as her mind started to get foggy. "I'm gonna go... get some rest," she decided, walking slowly to her room.

"I'll check on you in the morning," Zuko replied, watching her go into her chambers. He went back to his room, getting some rest as well.

In the morning, Ivana woke up with her whole body feeling as heavy as a rock. She remembered waking up multiple times with chills during the night. She couldn't get enough blankets. She felt her own forehead and groaned. She was burning up. She rolled over and tried to go back to sleep to avoid feeling how miserable she felt.

Before she could drift off, Zuko walked into her room. She pulled her blankets tighter around herself before rolling over to face him. "How do you feel?"

"Like a komodo rhino trampled me," she muttered before sneezing violently.

"Anything I can do?"

"No, just let me die in peace," she joked, giving him a small smile. He rolled his eyes, showing a hint of a smile. "Actually, you can get out so you don't get sick. I don't want to have to take care of you like I had to when we visited the Eastern Air Temple the second time. You were unbearable."

Zuko shook his head. "Get some rest," he said before heading for the door. Ivana hummed in agreement, getting comfortable and trying to fall asleep again. She soon succeeded.

~~~

Ivana woke up in the ship's corridor. She stood up and looked around. Each door was open and figures stood in each doorway. She got closer to the first door, finding her father standing there. "Dad?" She tried to reach out and touch him, only to have him disappear and the door slam shut. She widened her eyes in fear as she went to the next door.

This time her grandmother stared back at her. She reached out to touch her too before the same thing happened. She stepped back, turning around to see her mother. "Mom? Mom!" She disappeared too. The slamming of the doors echoed in her mind as she looked at the next door. Her brother, Quin was at the next door, staring back at her. She felt tears streaming down her face. She brought her hands to her face, confused by them. She hadn't cried in years.

The door slammed shut and she jumped back, turning to the next door. As much as she didn't want to keep looking, her feet led her to the next door. She saw her brother, Botan. She reached out to touch him too, but he disappeared. The door slammed shut in her face. More tears fell. She just wanted it to be over. She turned toward the next door. Her grandfather stood in front of her, frail as ever. His door slammed shut as well.

Ivana turned to the next door, finding Iroh standing there. She fell to her knees as the door slammed shut. She turned her head to the second to last door to see thirteen-year-old Zuko. The door slammed shut. She looked up to the door at the end of the hallway, seeing the present Zuko staring down at her angrily. She cried out as his door shut as well. She was on her knees in the dark, alone.

~~~

Iroh came in to check on Ivana after Zhao's soldiers told Zuko he couldn't pass into their waters. He was giving Zuko time to calm down and figured it was the perfect time to see if she needed anything. He knocked softly, entering when he didn't hear a response. He lit a candle and approached her. Her skin was pale and clammy and she was struggling in her sleep. He reached out to feel her forehead. She was burning up.

Iroh left the room to gather the proper supplies to care for her, only to find that they were depleted. All he could find was a cloth to dampen and place on her forehead. He gave directions to a crew member to care for Ivana while he spoke to Zuko.

"Is everything okay? It's been almost an hour and you haven't given the men an order," Iroh pointed out.

"I don't care what they do," he huffed.

"Don't give up hope yet. You can still find the Avatar before Zhao," Iroh tried.

"How, Uncle? With Zhao's resources, it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar." His voice changed to a whisper, "My honor, my throne, my country, I'm about to lose them all."

"You must keep hope Zuko. However, we have another problem. Ivana is severely ill. I wasn't able to wake her. I'm afraid we need to intervene immediately," Iroh explained.

"I'll go. I need to clear my head," Zuko shrugged. He got up, packing some supplies. He left on a komodo rhino. Iroh had been to the area before when he was younger. He gave Zuko directions to a pond that held frozen frogs that would cure Ivana. He stopped on the road and tied up his rhino before he tried to get to the pond himself. He froze when he heard voices.

"Take the avatar back to the base. Zhao will be pleased." Zuko hid behind some bushes as he watched the avatar being dragged away in a net.

"No," he whispered. He wanted to go after them, but Ivana needed these frogs. He knew he would just have to come back. He waded into the pond and quickly picked up a few frogs before riding back to the ship.

He gave them to his uncle. "I'll be in my chambers for the rest of the evening. No disturbances." Iroh nodded, taking the frogs to Ivana. She sucked on the frogs, soon waking up as her fever broke.

"I haven't been that sick since I was a little kid. Ow, my body still hurts," she grumbled. "I still can't believe you made me suck on frogs, Iroh. Ick." She stuck her tongue out.

"It was a necessary evil, dear. Zuko has retired to his chambers for the night. Do you need anything before I do the same?"

"No, I should be fine now. Thank you," she said, giving him a tired smile. He waved her goodnight and left her to rest a bit more. Hopefully, she'd be almost fully recovered by morning.