Opposites Attract (Zuko x Reader)

🔥 refugees ❄️

I didn't know how long I sailed for, but one morning I woke to see a giant rock wall. I scrambled for the map.

Let's see... if I kept sailing in the line La pointed out...

My eyes widened.

This is Ba Sing Se!

I was at the last Earth Kingdom stronghold that hadn't been taken over by the Fire Nation!

Is this where my friends are?

I didn't have time to wonder, as a ship pulled up next to mine.

"Halt!" someone shouted from the deck. "Halt in the name of the Earth King!"

I used Waterbending to stop my ship. Three men from the ship jumped and landed on my deck. Two wore dark green robes and hats that obscured their faces. The other wore an army uniform.

"Who are you?" The one in the uniform asked. "What are you doing on an unlicensed ship in the Ba Sing Se maritime boundary?"

"I'm just a traveler," I said. "I'm meeting some friends inside the city."

"Are you a refugee? Are you planning on living here? Do you have papers?"

"Uh... I'm not exactly a refugee. I'll be staying as long as my friends are. And yes, I do have papers," I dug out my passport that Pakku had gotten me in case we landed in an unfriendly Earth Kingdom town and handed it to the man.

"Y/n L/n," the man read. I'd gone with my real name instead of Suzume, the name I used inside the Fire Nation. I didn't think a Fire Nation name was a good one to use in an Earth Kingdom city.

"Follow my ship," the man said. "All refugees have to be checked in before entering the city on the ferry."

"Ferry?" I asked. "But I have a boat."

"Sorry, no exceptions," the man said.

La's line had disappeared by now, leaving me with no choice but to follow the Earth Kingdom ship.

We pulled into a dirty-looking port, crowded with refugees. I winced at the smell as I walked off my ship with a knapsack of the remaining supplies and my two spare outfits. My weapons were concealed under the long coat I wore over my faded blue tunic.

I presented my passport and other papers to a crabby woman after standing in line for what felt like forever. They were easily passed and I received a ticket for the next ferry.

In the meantime, I found a small unoccupied spot to sit and rest.

"Excuse me, miss," a middle-aged woman said. She wore dirtied robes and held a small child in her arms. "Do you happen to have any food? It's become hard to come by."

I opened my pack and gave her most of what I had left. Granted, it wasn't much, just a few packs of preserved meat and some slices of bread, but the woman looked at them like they were gold. The child in her arms gurgled happily.

"So, are you a refugee?" I asked her.

She nodded. "The Fire Nation drove my family away from my village."

"You're going on the next ferry?"

"Oh," her face dropped. "No. We lost our passports. My husband was arrested for trying to forge new ones."

"I'm so sorry."

"We'll find our way into Ba Sing Se eventually," she said with a hopeful smile. "Thank you for the food."

I nodded and sat in silence until the boardings for the next ferry was called. I gave every last bit of food I had to the woman before standing and walking aboard the wooden boat.