Opposites Attract (Zuko x Reader)

🔥 the moon spirit ❄️

Panicking, I just managed to untie the lifeboat and summoned a wave to help me push it into the arctic sea.

I was almost halfway to shore when I heard some shouting from the ship I'd just left. I glanced back, seeing a shipman holding a lantern, although with the almost-full moon, I doubted they needed the lantern to see my little boat. The shipman pointed at me, and half a dozen others joined him. Lastly, Zhao joined them at the rail. He put his hand up, and each of the seven crewmen formed balls of fire in their hands.

Shit...

I laid the oars across the bench and stuck my hand in the water at the back of the boat, summoning a strong current to hurry me along. The boat rocketed forward, and Zhao lowered his arm, pointing his hand right at me. The shipmen fired. I raised a tall wave, intercepting their blasts midair. The fire was swallowed by the wave, but no doubt they'd shoot again.

I strengthened the current driving the boat, and managed to leap onto the icy shore just as the fire soldiers let loose another set of fireballs. Luckily, they were far enough away that the shots just smashed into the water. I heard an alarm being raised at the nearby Water Tribe wall.

My plan? To walk right up to them, say, "yo, I'm a Waterbender, friend of the Avatar. You seen him around?" and hope they didn't attack or arrest me.

To be honest, I'd rather risk it with the Waterbenders than find wherever Zuko had snuck in from and chance bumping into him.

"Who's there?" A man's voice called.

I quickly dropped the Fire Navy cloak, leaving myself in the thin Earth Kingdom tunic and pants. I shivered as I stuffed the uniform into the heavy helmet and tossed them into the water, letting them sink.

I walked around the corner, meeting a Water Tribe man armed with a spear. He leveled it at my face.

"Who are you?"

I put my hands up in surrender. "Calm down. I'm not an enemy. My name's Y/n. I was traveling with the Avatar, but got separated."

His eyes narrowed. "Why was that Fire Nation ship firing at you?"

"I kinda stowed away on their ship to get here."

"Come with me."

He led me up the icy ramparts and into the city. I hugged my arms to keep warm. I should've been used to it, but I didn't have my thick parka and warm snow pants from back home.

The man led me to a large ice palace-like building.

"The Chief is in here," he said. "He'll decide what to do with you."

I walked in after him, seeing two other men talking over a table with a sheet of paper I assumed were battle plans.

"Chief Arnook," the man said, bowing. "I found this girl outside our walls. She says she was traveling with the Avatar before getting separated."

One of the men stood. He looked about fifty, with icy blue eyes, dark long hair, and a short beard. A necklace of bear teeth and blue beads hung over his blue fur-lined parka.

"Thank you, Ichiro," he said to the soldier. "You may return to your post."

The soldier bowed and left.

"What's your name?" Chief Arnook asked.

"Y/n L/n," I said. "I'm from the Southern Tribe."

"Yes, the girl with the Avatar mentioned you," Arnook said. "How did you get here?"

"I stowed away on one of the Fire ships and escaped on a lifeboat."

"And can you Waterbend?"

"Yes."