Y/N's POV
We continued to follow the direction of the avatar for days, without encountering him once.
Zuko was growing more tireless and angry by the day.
One night, I was begging Zuko to join the crew above deck for music night, he refused as Iroh was begging him to play the sungi horn.
Whilst the rest of the crew and Iroh was above deck dancing and playing music, I stayed in Zuko's room, begging him to join them.
"Please, Zuzu"
I teased.
"No."
"Come on! I want to dance with you! Like old times!"
When Zuko and I were younger, I'd get him to dance around the garden with me, neither of us were the best dancers, but I enjoyed the freedom of dancing the way the actor's would on stage whenever we attended the theatre, it wasn't usually allowed in the fire nation, but being friends with the prince and princess had it's perks.
"I am not dancing around in front of the crew, Y/N!"
"Please, Zuko! For me."
He sighed and dropped his composure and started to walk towards me before the door opened and he slammed himself back into the wall and crossed his arms.
He stated:
"For the last time, I'm not playing the sungi horn."
Iroh stood at the door, despair apparent on his face,
"No, it's about our plans. There is a bit of a problem."
We both turned to Iroh and from behind him emerged Zhao. Great.
He looked at Zuko and stated:
"I'm taking your crew."
"What!?"
"I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole."
Zuko turned to Iroh,
"Uncle, is that true?"
"I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone. Even the cook..."
Zhao then continued,
"Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the avatar, but I can't have you getting in my way again."
Zuko went to attack Zhao but Iroh stopped him yelling "no!"
Zhao took notice of the dual swords hung on Zuko's wall, and walked over to them, examining one of them.
"I didn't know you were skilled with broad swords, Prince Zuko."
Zuko quickly responded,
"I'm not. They're antiques. Just decorative."
"Have you heard of the blue spirit, General Iroh? Y/N?"
Iroh calmly responded,
"Just rumours. I don't think he is real."
I continued,
"He isn't, he's just a ghost story."
But Zhao opposed,
"He's real, all right. He's a criminal and an enemy of the Fire Nation. But I have a feeling justice will catch up with him soon. General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands, if you change your mind. Y/N, I'd like to speak with you, if you'd be kind enough to follow me above deck."
Zuko went to speak against him but I nodded followed him before sending Zuko a smile, trying to tell him not to worry.
Zhao sat at a table in the captain's cabin and gestured for me to sit across from him.
I complied before asking,
"What would you like to speak with me about, Admiral?"
"I'd like you to join my mission to the North Pole, General Zorian, your father, speaks highly of you. You're an exceptional soldier and I've been told that you're very keen to get onto the front lines."
"With all due respect, I have no interest leaving Prince Zuko here, I'm not an official member of his crew yet either, so lawfully I don't need to join the rest of his crew."
"Your duty to the Fire Nation can't be served under the banished prince, we're leading an invasion at the North Pole, and by the end of it, we'll have control of the Water Tribes and we'll have the avatar. It's a momentous occasion for the Fire Nation."
"I have no official military duty to the Fire Nation, I'm not of age yet, I served at your harbour out of my own free will, and with that same free will I'm choosing to remain with Prince Zuko. I'm sorry Zhao, but my mind has been made."
He exhaled,
"I see. Well, as I said to General Iroh, my offer still stands if you change your mind."
I nodded and he departed the ship leaving myself, Iroh and Zuko behind.
Myself and Iroh wished the crew a safe journey before going down to Zuko's quarters.
Iroh opened Zuko's door and peered in,
"The crew wanted me to wish you safe travels."
"Good riddance to those traitors!"
He turned over onto his side, facing the wall and continued,
"What about Y/N? Did she leave too?"
I stepped out from behind Iroh and jokingly gasped,
"Prince Zuko! I'm offended! You really think so lowly of me!"
He ignored me, Iroh paused before suggesting,
"It's a lovely night for a walk. Why don't you join us? It would clear your head."
Zuko stayed silent.
"Or just stay in your room and sit in the dark. Whatever makes you happy."
I frowned, poor Zuko, it's like no matter what he does, hardship finds it's way to him.
I followed Iroh out of the boat and down a path, after about six minutes, we heard explosions from behind us. We turned and to our horror, saw fire and smoke from the direction of the ship.
"Zuko!"
We both shouted in unison and sprinted towards the ship, Iroh, although more powerful than me, is a lot older and a lot less fit than me, so I ran way ahead of him.
I felt tears falling from my eyes and past my ears as I ran, hoping that by some miracle Zuko wasn't on the ship. That somehow, he survived.
When I got to the dock, most of the ship was blown into pieces.
I jumped straight into the water, it was dark and I could barely see below the surface if it wasn't lit by the fires above.
I swam up to gasp for air,
"Zuko!? Zuko! Where are you?"
I got no response.
I dove back down into the water, straining my eyes to look for him, but I couldn't see him.
I kept swimming and swimming but he wasn't there. Zuko wasn't there.
I resurfaced, tears streaming down my face and cried out again,
"ZUKO! PRINCE ZUKO!"
But no response.
I turned again and started swimming above the water.
I knew that I wasn't going to find him, but I couldn't just give up,
"ZUKO!"
No response.
"ZUKO!"
No response.
"PRINCE ZUKO!"
No response.
I pulled the water from below me and propelled myself onto the remainders of the burning ship.
Iroh had caught up to me and was calling him from the dock, he then jumped onto the ship and pulled me away as I tried to run in,
"Are you a fool? You cannot just run into fire!"
"I have to find him... Iroh... what else am I supposed to do!?"
"Continue your search on the waters, I'll go into the ship."
I nodded before jumping back into the ocean.
"Zuko!"
No response.
"Zuko! Can you hear me!?"
No response.
I kept swimming. Then, I saw him. I saw Zuko. He was limp against a floating piece of the blown up ship. I shot myself towards him using my bending and pulled him to the shore whilst screaming,
"IROH! IROH! I'VE GOT HIM! I'VE GOT ZUKO!"
Iroh came running out and rushed to the shore,
I bent the water out of Zuko's lungs and smiled through my tears when he inhaled deeply and then started spluttering.
Iroh smiled and examined Zuko's cuts and bruises,
"Y/N, you're a water bender... can you-"
I cut him off,
"Yes, yes, I'm a healer. I need to examine him though"
Zuko then opened his eyes slightly,
"Y-Y/N? Uncle?"
Iroh replied to him,
"Shh, it's okay. Y/N is going to fix you right up."
We both took one of Zuko's arms and pulled him up, carrying him with our shoulders into the forest.
When we were further away from the shore and isolated in the forest, we placed Zuko down.
I turned to Iroh,
"Can you get me some water, please? I need enough to heal his wounds."
Iroh nodded and left me with Zuko.
"Can you take your clothes off for me please?"
Zuko turned bright red,
"W-what? I mean, y-yeah, sur-"
I felt my cheeks heat up,
"I mean, I just- I need to examine your wounds."
"R-right"
Zuko sat up and tried to remove his tattered robe before hissing in pain and falling back onto the ground.
I sighed,
"It's fine. I-I'll help you out"
I helped him sit up and awkwardly removed his robe.
"I-I'll work on the top half of your body first, to make this less uncomfortable for you"
I examined the bruises and open wounds on his torso, tracing them with my hand.
"Wow, that looks really painful."
He didn't respond to me.
"Do you know who did this?"
He sighed,
"Remember the pirates?"
"Really? It was them?"
"I saw their bird right before the ship exploded... it was them..."
"But they had no reason to attack you, sure you had bad relations with them, but they have no reason to go out of their way to have you killed..."
Iroh stood behind us, with a bucket of water.
"It must've been Zhao. He said he didn't want you in the way anymore, and they didn't attack until Y/N and I left the ship. They're pirates... they'll do anything for money."
I took the bucket of water from his hands and began work on Zuko's wounds before responding to him,
"I'm going to murder him. And them. I'll end every single one of them."
"Y/N, you're not thinking straight. We need to be smart about this. He has the entire Fire Navy."
Zuko sat up,
"What do you suggest, Uncle?"
Later that night, I took Zuko under the sea and below Zhao's ship, we found an entrance from below the ship climbed on board, I followed him until he found armour and disguised himself,
"I'll see you soon, Y/N"
I felt a tear fall down my face before I pulled Zuko in and hugged him tightly,
"I'm so sorry, Zuko. I'm sorry I wasn't there."
He didn't hug me back at first, but then he pulled me close and held me tight.
"I don't know why you're apologising, you saved my life."
I didn't let go until we heard someone walking down the hall,
I pulled away from him and whispered,
"I have to go! I'll find you when I get back on the ship!"
I darted away, jumping out of the nearest window and bending myself into the ocean.
I then met with Iroh as we entered the boat, I rubbed my eyes and wet them, trying to appear as though I'd been crying a lot.
Zhao welcomed us into his office and Iroh explained to him what happened, that Zuko was gone and the ship was destroyed,
"The Fire Lord will not be pleased when he learns who is responsible."
Zhao raised his eyebrows and questioned Iroh,
"You know who was behind the attack?"
Iroh slammed his fist onto the table and replied,
"Yes. Pirates. We had a run in with them a while back. They wanted revenge."
Zhao smirked as he sipped his tea, I wanted to rip his head from his shoulders. He placed the tea cup onto the table and started,
"So, have you both reconsidered my offer?"
Iroh replied,
"Yes. I accept. It will be an honour to serve as your general."
"I'll be joining too. I will not allow Zuko's death to be in vain. He set out to capture the avatar, so I need to be a part of finishing his mission."
Iroh raised his tea cup,
"To the Fire Nation."
Zhao continued,
"To victory."
I was sent below deck to find myself some armour, I didn't opt for the heavy armour like what Zuko was disguised in, I needed clothes that gave me more freedom to move.
When looking for them, I felt a presence behind me, then I heard a husky whisper in my ear, sending shivers down my spine,
"Do you know how happy it made me when you joined me at the harbour?"
"P-Prince Zuko!"
"Shh!"
"Sorry, you startled me."
"It's fine, but I just wanted to thank you, for everything. For joining us, tracking the avatar with me, following me into the most dangerous situations, saving my life again and again."
I smiled,
"Of course. I'll always be here for you, put the mask back on. You're gonna get us caught!"
Zuko's POV
I passed uncle in the corridor, he whispered to me,
"Our plan is working perfectly. Zhao doesn't suspect a thing."
I pulled down my mask and replied,
"You didn't have to do this."
"No nephew of mine is going to stowaway on a ship without some back up."
"Thank you uncle."
I sighed and continued,
"Don't let Y/N do anything stupid, please."
"She's a smart girl, I've only ever seen her act irrationally when it comes to you. You know, when we came back to the burning ship, she tried to run into fire to find you."
"She did what?"
The door started to creak, and uncle said,
"Someone's coming. Stay hidden until we get to the North Pole and the avatar will be yours. Good luck."