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Small Flame Six
Title: Small Flame
Authors: Eleanor and Puck
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Rating: PG?
Summary: A retelling of the tv-series with one major difference: A boy named Kouji is added to Zuko's retinue, and the story is largely told from his point of view. And if anyone can come up with a better summary, PLEASE. Do so.
And now we move on into Season 2!
When they finally made land, Kouji threw himself from the small craft and hugged the ground. "Land!" he moaned. "Sweet, sweet, land!" Zuko said nothing, just climbed off the raft. He'd been almost completely silent the whole trip from the North Pole, answering questions inarticulately and monosyllabically. Kouji rolled over onto his back and pushed himself up onto his elbows, watching Iroh disembark. His front was covered with sand now, but he didn't seem to mind. "What now, general?" "Now, we look for someplace to stay, at least for tonight," the old man replied. "We might be near one of the other colonies," Kouji said after a moment's thought. "It's worth a try." Rolling to his feet, the young boy oriented himself and looked around. "…I'd probably need to see a map," he admitted. "Ah, well," Iroh said. "Why don't we move inland a bit, and see what we find?" "All right," Kouji agreed readily, slipping out of his shoes and dumping the sand from them. Zuko said nothing, just headed away from the beach. With a sigh, the boy trailed after him, carrying his shoes in one hand. Iroh followed close behind. As it turned out, Kouji had been right — there was a colony close by. The three of them got settled in quickly; to nobody's surprise, Iroh arranged for a massage. After about a half an hour, the old man sighed. "This is what I've been missing. Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?" Zuko didn't reply, just remained where he'd sat down as soon as they'd been given clothes to change into. Kouji glanced over at him. "You'd think that would be one of those common-sense things." Iroh laughed a little. "Perhaps." When his massage was done, he thanked the two masseurs, and went over to Zuko, who still hadn't moved. "I see. It's the anniversary, isn't it." Confused, Kouji looked from Iroh to Zuko. "Three years ago today I was banished," the younger prince agreed, bitterly. "I lost it all. I want it back. I want the Avatar. I want my honour and my throne. I want my father... not to think I'm worthless." Grey eyes went wide at this. Zuko…? thought Kouji, afraid to speak. "I'm sure he doesn't!" Iroh said, a little too cheerfully. "Why would he banish you if he didn't care?" Zuko shot his uncle a glare, then rose and stalked off. "Zuko…" Kouji rose to his feet, intending to follow the prince. "...That came out wrong, didn't it," Iroh muttered. "You think?" was the boy's parting shot. Zuko had left the colony proper to find someplace to sit alone and stare off at the horizon. Kouji stopped some yards away from him, wondering if he should talk to the prince or not. "What do you want?" he asked, sparing Kouji the trouble of deciding. The boy hesitated a moment. "Nothing," he said. "I… I thought you might like some company…" The prince shrugged, not saying anything further. Kouji decided to take that as an invitation rather than a rejection and came to sit beside the prince — though he was careful to keep a few feet between them. Zuko didn't say anything more, but he didn't seem to want Kouji to leave, either. They remained there, unspeaking, until Kouji rose nearly an hour later. "I'm going to go down to the beach. Want to come with me?" "...Fine," the prince replied, toneless, more because he recalled what happened the last time he refused a similar offer than because he really wanted to. Despite the tonelessness, Kouji grinned happily at him. "Great!" He eagerly led the way down and took some time to actually act his age for once, even trying to get Zuko involved. The older boy was even less interested than usual, but at least he was there, and not moping. Finally, around sunset, a sopping wet Kouji let Zuko drag him back to the colony — though when the prince wasn't looking, he ducked down and scooped a small handful of sand into his bag. Zuko, after dropping Kouji off with Iroh, wandered off to be alone some more. The boy watched him go and sighed. "I wish there was some way I could help him…" "Today brings back some very painful memories for him." All-too-literally painful ones, the old man thought, but didn't add. "I'd gathered that from earlier…" Kouji sighed. "...He's handling it better than last year, at least." "What happened last year?" the colonist asked curiously. "Would you like the short version or the full story?" "Anything to help me understand…" The old man sighed. "The short version would be that he got very drunk and nearly got himself killed by a sabre-toothed mooselion." Kouji's eyes widened in horror. "What?" "We had stopped to restock, and he wandered off while I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been. Two hours later, one of the sailors carried him back, unconscious, covered in blood, and smelling like a brewery. He filled me in on the details when he woke up two days later." "Koh's legs," breathed Kouji. Iroh didn't even reprimand him for swearing. "What happened?" "...One year ago, or three? Or two, that's a story as well." Kouji hesitated. "…yes?" Then he held up a hand. "Then again. Maybe I should wait for Zuko to tell me about whatever happened three years ago…" "He won't," Iroh said. "He never talks about it. Which, in some ways, is a problem, but I won't force him to." "Maybe he will one day," Kouji replied. "I'll wait for that day, I think." "All right." The boy looked out over the ocean. "…I think I'm going to bed." "Probably a good idea, yes." Kouji hesitated another moment. "Do you think I should tell him?" "Tell him what?" Iroh asked. "About my bending…" "That is entirely your choice." Kouji nodded, and went to bed. Iroh watched the horizon for a while, then went to bed himself. * * * Kouji woke up first and very quietly puttered around the kitchen of the small house they'd been put up in, trying to make breakfast with a pan a little too large for him to wield easily. "Here," Zuko said, unexpectedly, from behind, helping him with the pan. Kouji jumped and let go of the pan, so it was a good thing Zuko had hold of it. The startled boy looked back over his shoulder at the prince. "Th-thank you," he said. The prince shrugged, and set the pan on the stove. "What were you making?" "Jiānbǐng," said Kouji, flushing. "I didn't expect the pan to be so heavy…" Zuko nodded. "You have everything you need?" "Yeah, I double-checked to be sure." "Okay." There was a brief pause while Kouji hunted up a stool — he wasn't exactly a large boy, and the pan was too heavy for him to fool around with while standing by a stove just a shade shy of being too tall. Zuko, meanwhile, had started cutting things up. A smile spread over the boy's face as he lit a burner on the stove and started his own preparations. The older boy didn't say anything, just helped assemble the breakfast in silence. When everything was finished, Kouji spontaneously hugged the prince. "Thanks, Zuko," he said, smiling up at him. "...you're welcome," he replied, more than a little startled. Kouji's grin broadened, and then he went to wake Iroh. The old man woke easily, as always when there was something cooking. "Zuko and I made jiānbǐng!" the boy exclaimed, still grinning. "Wonderful!" the old man said, grinning back. Kouji led him to the table, and the three of them ate. Afterwards, Zuko wandered off on his own again, and Iroh suggested that he and Kouji go look for seashells. "All right," the boy agreed cheerfully. It seemed that making breakfast with Zuko had made his day. Iroh smiled a little to himself, pleased by this development, and led him down to the beach. Like he had the evening before, Kouji reverted back from trying to imitate the mannerisms of an adult to acting like the child he was, racing the waves and helping Iroh find the 'perfect' seashell to bring back to the house. After several hours, Iroh finally suggested they head back and show Zuko what they'd found. The boy agreed cheerfully enough, tagging along behind the old general as they made their way back. "Look at these magnificent shells!" Iroh declared, emptying his bag out onto the table. "I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come." "We don't need any more useless things," Zuko replied, impatiently, having come in a few minutes after Iroh and Kouji. "Don't forget, we have to carry everything ourselves now." "I thought that's what I was for," the boy put in. Before Zuko could reply, a soft, cool female voice from a corner said, "Hello, brother." All three of them turned, though Kouji instantly sidestepped behind Iroh's reassuring bulk so the girl — Zuko's sister? — wouldn't see him turn red. "Uncle," she greeted Iroh, with a note of derision. "What are you doing here?" Zuko asked, low and a little bit wary. That tone added to Kouji's mounting worry. Something was off. "In my country," she said, sounding slightly bored, "we exchange a pleasant 'hello' before asking questions. Have you become uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?" Very off. Kouji then realised that while he had blathered about his siblings off and on to Iroh or any of the soldiers who seemed interested, Zuko had never once mentioned his sister. "Don't call me that!" Zuko snapped. "To what do we owe this honour?" Iroh cut in, before the tension between the siblings could escalate to real violence. Kouji took a few steps away, wondering if maybe he should wait outside. Anything to get away from the cool, pretty girl. "Hm," the girl said, examining one of the shells. "Must be a family trait. Both of you so quick to get to the point." She crushed it with frighteningly sharp nails. Kouji fled outside. The rest of the conversation was indistinct, but, after a few moments, Azula left, saying, "I can see you need time to think this over. I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening." The boy waited for her to be out of sight, then walked back into the house. Zuko was standing at the window, looking stunned. "…Zuko?" The prince didn't answer. Concerned, Kouji looked over at Iroh. Iroh also looked surprised, but, unlike his nephew, there was more than a trace of worry and wariness. "…what's going on?" "I'm not sure," Iroh muttered. Zuko remained silent. Kouji raised a hand to his cheek and winced as he realised he was still blushing. "What did she want?" "Father sent her to summon me home," Zuko replied, quietly, hoarsely. Something inside Kouji broke. He ignored it. "Really? But… that's great! …isn't it?" "Yeah. Yeah, it is." Iroh didn't look so sure. Kouji forced a smile. "You'll write me, won't you? When you go back?" "Sure." He didn't seem to be paying much attention, still seemed a little poleaxed. Hardly seeming aware of it, he reached up and lightly touched his scar. "…I'll go make dinner." He had to come up with an excuse to turn away before the mask cracked. "Sure," the prince repeated. Kouji made it to the kitchen before the grin faded, to be replaced by a frown. Zuko had already said it — he wanted to go back home, more than anything. And now he had that chance. Kouji had no right to want the prince to stay. Iroh joined him in the kitchen before long. Unlike his nephew, he didn't seem very pleased by the message. The boy didn't speak, not trusting himself to. The old man was extraordinarily perceptive in ways that frightened Kouji on occasion. "You don't want him to go with her, either, do you." Like then. "…that's not…," Kouji started to stay, then stopped. Iroh looked at him, an odd little smile on his face. The boy dropped his head and mumbled something. "I didn't hear that." "I don't want him to leave me," Kouji repeated, still not looking at the old man. Iroh nodded, and walked over and hugged the boy. He froze for a moment, utterly startled, then hugged the general in return. After a moment, the old man released him, and Kouji stepped back. "I… guess I'll be going home? If Zuko does?" "If you want," Iroh said. Kouji laughed a little. "What else can I do?" "I don't know." The fact that Iroh, too, had misgivings about Zuko's homecoming, and didn't invite Kouji to come along, probably meant something. "…what's bothering you?" "My niece is very adept at lying." Kouji was not a stupid boy — and unlike Zuko, he had witnessed Iroh's reaction to Zhao's attack on the moon spirit. "You think it's a trap." "Yes." "What do you want me to do?" Surely the Dragon of the West Ichiro so admired would have a plan. "Gather your things. Quietly. Find a place to hide, maybe a mile outside the colony. If Zuko and I don't join you there in two days, assume that either I was wrong or we got caught, and head for home as quickly as you can." "Yes, sir," Kouji replied. He could do so easily enough. The old man sighed. "I'll try one last time to talk Zuko around. If it works, I'll let you know and the three of us will leave together, tonight." "All right." He turned back and left to try and persuade Zuko that his sister, as always, was lying. While Zuko was distracted, Kouji packed what clothes he had as well as a few small trinkets that wouldn't weight him down, then wedged his shoes into a corner of the room and hoped nobody would notice them there. No one seemed to notice, though, at dinner, Zuko was Not Speaking To his uncle. Kouji tried a few times to make conversation, but stopped after a few awkward silences. The three of them, therefore, went to bed without any further real conversation. Kouji slept badly that night, tossing and turning and continuously waking up. Judging from the pacing going on in the older boy's room, he wasn't the only one passing a restless night. Eventually Kouji gave up on sleep and went to scratch quietly on Zuko's door. "What is it?" the prince asked, after opening it. "I couldn't sleep," the boy admitted, "and I saw you were up, so I thought maybe we could… talk?" "Sure." He stood aside to let Kouji in. "Thanks." Kouji slipped inside and found a seat in a corner. "So? What is it?" Zuko asked, after a slightly awkward few minutes. "Um… well…" Kouji sighed. "I guess I wanted to say goodbye…" "You're not coming with us?" The boy shook his head, afraid to glance at the prince. "I… maybe this makes me a bad citizen, but…" He hesitated. "...Oh." Zuko stared at his hands. "I guess here is home for you." "Yeah. I was born here. I don't know anything else." Kouji sighed. "And… I guess it kind of scares me. The Fire Nation, I mean." Zuko just nodded. "Okay." Kouji sighed and looked over at the wall. Maybe he should just tell Zuko why he was so afraid? The prince said nothing, but stood up and started pacing again. By the look of things in the room, he'd started to pack, stopped, and started again, probably several times. "…want some help?" Kouji offered, rather than confess. "...Huh? Oh. No, I'll take care of it." "All right." The boy fidgeted awkwardly, and dropped one hand to the bag of sand and dirt at his waist. It had turned into a comfort thing for him. Zuko said nothing more, just kept pacing incessantly, waiting for morning. "…Zuko?" "Huh?" "There's… something I should probably tell you." "What?" Kouji took a deep breath. "I'm—" A sharp pain exploded in the back of his head, and he clutched both hands to it. "Ow!" "What's wrong? What happened?" "I think my sister fell out of a tree," the boy muttered, rubbing his head. "Koh's legs…" "...Oh." Zuko looked somewhat relieved. "I… guess I'll go back to bed." "Okay. Good night." "Good night, Zuko," said Kouji softly. He hesitated, then hugged the prince tightly. Zuko, startled as ever by the show of affection, forgot to hug back. Kouji let go, smiled sadly at him, then returned to his room. The prince watched him leave, then returned to his pacing, checking every few seconds to see if it was tomorrow yet. * * * Kouji stood at the door of the house, watching the ship down at the bay while he considered the places he could hide. With any luck, Zuko really would be going home… Kouji sighed and headed down the stairs. Zuko had headed out as soon as it was light, and Iroh followed about a half-hour behind. The boy kept walking, avoiding the turn to the docks and heading down the road towards the inner portions of the Earth Kingdom. Like hell he'd go home now. Less than two hours later, he heard someone running behind him. Wary, the boy turned around. Behind him were Iroh and Zuko, both somewhat dishevelled. "Time to go!" the old man shouted, and the prince picked Kouji up so they could run faster. The boy squeaked in surprise as he was hauled over the teenager's shoulder, but he didn't fight Zuko. So Iroh had been right, after all… After several more uncomfortable minutes of running, Zuko deposited Kouji next to a stream. "I think we're safe here," Iroh agreed. The younger prince didn't reply, just pulled out the knife he'd carried — but never used — for as long as Kouji had known him, and studied it for a long moment. The boy watched Zuko, saying nothing. After that moment, Zuko reached up and cut off his ponytail with the knife. Wordlessly, he passed it to Iroh, who similarly sliced off his topknot. Kouji in turn pulled his long hair out of the ponytail he'd begun wearing somewhere along the line, letting it fall loose to his shoulders. The two princes tossed their sliced-off hair into the stream. Zuko stared at his knife for a few more seconds, then put it away and stood up. Kouji opened his mouth, then closed it again, unwilling to break the silence. "We shouldn't stay in one place too long," Zuko finally said, very quietly. "Then we should move now, right?" the boy asked. He shrugged. "We may as well," Iroh said, softly. Kouji dug into the ground with one bare foot, considering their options. "Let's move farther inland," the old man suggested, after no one moved for several seconds. "I'll go last, cover our tracks," Zuko agreed. "What should I do?" the boy asked. "Stay between us," Iroh said. Kouji sighed, but nodded — he was a glorified (and extremely young) clerk, after all. "Yes, general." Without further discussion, Iroh led them off into the woods.
Current Location: my bed
Current Mood:  bitchy
Tags: au, avatar, fanfic, small flame
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