(a/n: this was one of the first parts i wrote for this story when i came up with the idea in ~2016, and i'm so excited to see it come to fruition. it's one of my favourite parts in the whole fic and i hope you enjoy it as much i do!!)
Tales of Ba Sing Se – The Tale of Nava: The Music Box
Nava roamed the merchant's district, mostly window-shopping and watching other people. She saw a woman feeding her child a treat from one stall, and a man haggling with the merchant at another. The stall that caught her eye was one that was a little smaller than the rest. It was nestled out of the way and was really just a table littered with trinkets of all sorts. She examined the items, her gaze eventually coming to rest on a small wooden box. She picked it up and carefully turned it over in her hand.
The box was a bit smaller than her palm, it was a deep red with white flower carvings covering it. On the back was a silver key.
"Excuse me," Nava said to the merchant. She held up the box. "How much for this?"
The man's face stretched into a kind smile. "For you, three copper pieces."
As Nava fished through her pockets for the money, the man went on.
"That music box used to be my son's. He would play it every night before he went to sleep. He even took it with him when he went to fight in the war."
"Where is your son now?" Nava asked even though she was sure she already knew the answer.
"He never came back. This is all that's left of him."
"Are – are you sure I should take this? I don't want you to part with it if –"
"No, no, please, take it. My wife and I have no further use for it. Play it for your children and take good care of it. Please."
Nava nodded solemnly.
"Okay. Thank you very much, I'll treasure it forever," she handed over a silver piece.
The man looked at her in disbelief.
She merely smiled and bowed, walking away from the stall.
She hurried back to the apartment, and could hardly wait until the door was closed before she started winding up the music box.
The tune that tinkled out was slow and calming; it was like a lone spring in the middle of a dense wood. The very sound of it made Nava feel at peace, so much so that she didn't even notice when the music had stopped. She wound it up again.
Growing up, Colonel Shinu had gotten her all sorts of toys and books to play with, but once she got to the military, all of that had to go. She'd snuck a stuffed animal into her barrack once and when her advisor found out, Nava was put on cleaning duty for two weeks instead of her regular training. Her hands had never been so cracked and dry before.
Zuko and Iroh returned in the early evening, the younger of the two looking extremely exhausted.
"Busy day?" Nava mused as she poured Iroh a cup of tea.
"You wouldn't believe it! People were lining up out the door!" Iroh exclaimed as Zuko plopped onto the cot.
"People must really love your tea," she glanced over at the Prince. "Are you tired, Zuko?"
He grunted in response and rolled over so his back was to them.
Iroh strayed over to the window, spotting the music box Nava had set there hours before.
"When did you get this?" he asked, picking it up and examining it.
"Earlier today. I was out for a walk by the shops and decided to buy it."
He turned the key and as the music played, Zuko suddenly sat up and looked around wildly. "Where is that coming from?" he demanded. He zeroed in on the box in Iroh's hand.
"What's wrong?" Nava said, startled by his outburst.
Zuko quickly composed himself and shook his head. "Never mind. I just know that song from somewhere."
Nava looked to Iroh with her brows furrowed and he shrugged, setting the music box back where he found it.
///
That night, while Nava was just dozing off, she heard the door to the room slide open. Someone stepped in and she could tell it was Zuko by the footfalls. She listened as he crossed the room and stopped over by the trunk - where she'd left the music box. She opened her eyes and yawned.
"Zuko?" she asked.
Zuko jumped and whipped around. Nava sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"What are you doing up?" she whispered.
"Couldn't sleep... I was just looking at the music box," he said.
"You seemed pretty upset when your uncle played it earlier... why is that?"
Zuko brought the toy from behind his back and stared down at it. He didn't answer for a long time.
"My mother had one just like this one. She would play it every night before bed for my sister and me," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "The only difference between this one and hers was that the key on hers was chipped. Before she disappeared, she gave it to me so I could play it for my children when I had them."
"What happened to it?"
"I don't know. I went to bed one night and it was on my bedside table and when I woke up it was gone. I still remember the lyrics my mother sang when she played it."
"Can I hear them?"
Zuko glanced at Nava, then to the open door, where in the next room Iroh gave a great snore.
"Outside," he said. He took her hand and pulled her up. He took her to the window and they climbed out. They scaled the wall and sat facing each other on the roof. There was minimal light; the moon was only half full and the torches on the street didn't reach the rooftops.
Zuko turned the key with shaking hands. Nava wanted nothing more than to take his hands in hers to steady them, but she stayed put. She didn't want to scare him - this was the most he had ever opened up to her and she didn't want to spoil it. He released it and let the tune play through once before nervously singing the lyrics:
"There are those who'll tell you you're wrong,
They will try to silence your song,
But right here is where you belong,
So, don't search anymore."
Nava felt his fingertips brush hers and a jolt of electricity shot up her arm. He took her hand in his as they stared at each other.
"You are the dawn of a new day that's waking,
A masterpiece still in the making..."
He held their hands up, pressing their palms together.
"...The blue in an ocean of grey
You are right where you need to be,
Poised to inspire and to succeed."
Their fingers folded over.
"Soon you'll finally find your own way."
They held each other's gaze as the box tinkered the last few notes, then came to a stop.
In the darkness, they could see tears glistening in the other's eyes.
(the song featured in this chapter is Wanderer's Lullaby by Adriana Figueroa, i provided a link to the video)
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fire in your eyes • zuko
Fanfiction"You stayed, you always chose to stay." // "I'll stay as long as you'll have me." She was a runaway, wanted by the Fire Nation. He was a disgrace, outcasted by his homeland. He was willing to stop at nothing to regain his honour, she was willing to...
