Chapter Three "lead me, leave me"
The Crystal Spirit Masterlist
chapter two / chapter three / chapter four coming soon
Pairing: Zuko x Fem!OC
Summary: in which two spirits try their luck at love in the middle of a hundred year war.
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“Iroh would like you to know that the massage starts soon.”
Blinking her eyes open, Satori stared up at the sky.
They had landed on solid ground a couple of hours ago, and despite having access to food for the first time in quite a while, Satori could not bring herself to eat.
In fact, she could not quite get herself to do anything, So she laid under a flowery tree, closing her eyes and begging the world to stop spinning.
Zuko had placed a plate of food by her quite some time ago, being told by his uncle to do so. It went untouched, and he had made several snarky comments about it earlier.
Satori was too exhausted to be bothered by his snark, it had been very clear that he was having a bad day, in fact yesterday was the warning sign of his temperament as he was very withdrawn and quiet the day before.
Petals landed around her, coating themselves in her hair.
Her mind was spinning, and moving and pulsing. It was too quiet, and too calm. She wanted to scream and cry but also to melt and become invisible.
Too many things were talking to her, too many voices, too many opinions. Her own thoughts were too loud and too quiet and just as she was about to be sucked back into the black hole of maximalism of emotion, his sharp voice cut through again.
“So get up, my uncle won’t start his massage until you get over there.” He commanded.
Satori gently got up, swaying a bit before walking towards the masseur spot, not bothering to brush the petals off of her. The petals fell off regardless, gently untangling themselves from her hair and clothes and gently leaving her be.
She prayed the massage would clear her mind, but the other teenager going through it caught her attention.
His Uncle, retired General Iroh crouched by him. Zuko kept his head down, leaning against the wall.
Satori valued privacy, but she couldn’t help but overhear them.
“It’s the anniversary, isn’t it?” Iroh prompted as he sat next to his nephew.
Zuko looked up. “Three years ago today, I was banished. I lost it all.” He said, before taking off his hat. “I want it back.”
“I want the Avatar, I want my honor, my throne.” He continued. “I want my father not to think I’m worthless.”
Satori bristled.
“I’m sure he doesn't!” Iroh comforted cheerfully. “Why would he banish you if he didn’t care?”
Even the masseuses gave him an odd look.
Zuko stood up, going on a walk around the building.
“That came out wrong, didn’t it?” Iroh sighed.
Giving him a small look of assurance, Satori nodded before getting up and thanking the masseuse before getting up and following the scarred boy.
She walked beside him for a while, as the two awkwardly walked around the forest. Satori picked flowers while keeping pace with him.
“Why are you following me?” He asked pointedly.
Satori shrugged, but continued. “I’d hate for you to be alone.”
“I want to be alone.”
“Do you? You seem to dislike it if you want your old life back.” She tilted her head, gently petting the flower petals she plucked.
“Can you just go away?” He snapped, fire blazing at his fingertips before he clenched his fists. “You don’t even know me!”
Satori shrugged, keeping a calm, levelled head. She wasn’t one to get angry or escalate a situation, nor did she have the energy to. “I sailed with you on a boat for 2 weeks, I’ve heard a lot of things.”
“That’s not the same as knowing me.”
“I suppose not. So tell me about yourself.”
Zuko glared at her. ‘I don’t want you to know me.”
She picked more flowers, adding them to her bouquet, moving thorns and branches out of the way as she picked roses. “You said it was an anniversary, what’s that about?”
She listened, picking flowers as he went on a brooding rant about how he wants everything back, and how he wants everything to go back to normal. Or rather, how they never were. He wants his father and sister to respect him, to make his mother proud.
“How do you want something you’ve never experienced?” Satori asked after he was finished speaking.
“Excuse me?”
Satori wrapped her bouquet in a ribbon. “You said your father has never respected you and want him to now. You’ve never had your fathers respect. How do you know you’ll like it?”
“I just will.”
“What if you hate it?”
“I won’t.”
She tied the flowers in a tight bow. “How do you know?”
“Can you just be quiet?”
She nodded, handing him the bouquet. “Happy Anniversary.” She smiled, before walking back and helping Iroh collect shells.
Zuko watched her, staring at the handpicked flowers. He sat by a nearby river, gently placing the bouquet into the stream of water and watching as it was taken away, laying down against the riverbed and dreaming of his mother.
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Gently placing shells in a sack, she followed as the retired fire nation general admired the shiny mollusks, admiring the unique designs.
‘I cannot thank you enough for letting my nephew and I on that raft back at the Water Tribe.” The old man said, dusting off seashells and handing it to the young girl. ‘But I can’t seem to understand why, after all we certainly are not allies to the Avatar.”
Moving her hair, she took the seashell and dropped the shell into the sack she replied. “I’m not too sure, and as silly as it might sound, the spirits told me to say yes.”
“It’s not silly at all my dear.” Iroh said, smiling at her before his expression took a gentler, more remorseful turn. “My condolences for your loss, you and the princess seemed close.”
She returned the smile, eyes a bit far off. “Thank you. We were.” She swallowed, picking up another shell. “She was my friend. But I understand what she had to do, and I can only hope she’s pointing me in the right direction.”
Iroh gently touched her shoulder. “I doubt she would steer you wrongly. Feel free to travel with my nephew and I for as long as you please. I’d be honored to have a girl as kind and intune with the spirits travelling with us.” His eyes gleamed as he spotted something on Satori’s neck. “The White Lotus…do you play?”
“Oh no,” Satori touched one of her many necklaces, a Pai Sho tile on a string. “A kind master gave this to me during my early days of travel, as a token of thanks. Something about how if I ever needed help, this would help me one day.”
Iroh nodded, understanding in his eyes. “Well, if you would ever like to learn, I’m a big fan of playing.”
Smiling, Satori nodded as the two headed back to the cabin they were staying at. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
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“Look at these magnificent shells!” Iroh showed off to his nephew. “I’ll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come.”
“We don’t need anymore useless things!” Zuko protested. “You forget, we have to carry everything ourselves now.”
“Hello Brother…Uncle.” A sharp voice came from the chair across from the bickering duo.
Zuko’s eyes narrowed as he looked at his sister. “What are you doing here?”
Glancing around, Satori gently excused herself from the unexpected family reunion.
“Back in my country, we exchange pleasant hello before asking questions.” Azula commented pointedly, standing up and wading her way towards her brother. “Have you become uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?”
“Don’t call me that!”
Iroh bowed down gently. “To what do we owe this honor?”
Azula snapped a sea shell in her nails. “Must be a family trait. Both of you are so quick to get to the point.” She rolled her eyes. “I came with a message from home. Father’s changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him.” She told them. “He has heard rumors of plans to overthrow him. Treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can really trust.”
She looked to the side, at the setting sun. “Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home.” She looked back when her announcement was met with silence. “Did you hear me? You should be happy, excited, and grateful. I just gave you great news.”
Iroh tried diffusing. “I’m sure your brother simply needs–”
“Don’t interrupt, Uncle!” Azula barked. “I still haven’t heard a thank you. I’m not a messenger. I didn’t have to come all this way-”
“Father regrets?” Zuko looked back at his sister. “He…wants me back?”
Azula scrutinized him with a look. “I can see you need time to take this in. I’ll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening.” She excused herself.
Satori re-entered the home, having stood outside, listening before coming back and beginning to cook dinner for them. “Well… How about a meal to think the lovely news over?”
They sat down, eating rice and salmon Satori had prepared with some mushrooms. Iroh made tea. It was a simple meal, but Satori hardly worried about the simplicity of the food while the argument happened around her.
“We’re going home! After three long years. It’s unbelievable.” Zuko celebrated, eating his food quickly before pacing around.
Satori sipped her tea and Iroh spoke. “It is unbelievable.” The man agreed. “I have never known my brother to regret anything.”
Zuko looked at his uncle. “Did you listen to Azula? Father realized how important family is. He cares about me!”
“I care about you!” Iroh stood up. “And if Ozai wants you back, well I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine.”
“You don’t know how my father feels about me. You don’t know anything!”
“Zuko…” Iroh lowered his tone. “I only meant that in our family, things are not always what they seem.”
Whipping around the teenaged boy looked at his uncle. “I think you are exactly as you seem. A lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who’s always been jealous of his brother.” After that spat, Zuko walked off.
Satori started to clean up dinner.
“Would you mind helping me pack, dear?” Iroh asked, gently taking out a bag.
“You’re going with him?” She asked, gently placing the bowls on a table, jewelry swishing as she walked around to help him.
“Family sticks together.” He said to her, and it’s also what he said to Zuko as he ran down the mountain after him, ready to board the docks with him and onto the Fire Nation ship.
“We’re finally going home!” He said happily, continuing down the fleet of stairs. Iroh glared, vision laced with suspicion as he looked at the Fire Nation Ship.
Satori laid in a tree, directly across from the ship. Iroh had placed her there in case something were to happen. He had told her his suspicions.
So she sat in the treetops, fingers itching to release the arrow stretched into the bow’s string. She watched as the two boarded the ship, Azula waiting for them.
But even Satori could hear the booming voice of the Ship Captain from her spot.
“You heard the princess! Raise the anchors! We’re taking the prisoners home!”
Azula’s glare could kill as she narrowed her eyes at the Captain for spoiling the mission to catch and capture the travelling royals.
An arrow shot through the air, knocking the captain unconscious and into the ocean as Iroh attacked, starting to defend themselves from the soldiers.
“You lied to me!” Zuko yelled.
Azula rolled her eyes. “Like I’ve never done that before.” She quipped.
A battle. Redirected lightning and a nicely aimed arrow sent Azula overboard as Iroh and Zuko made a run for it.
Satori, with her satchel, dropped down from the tree tops and ran with them.
They ran and they ran and they ran.
When they were a sizable distance away, Satori helped them cut off their royal ponytails as nicely as she could before urging them to keep walking.
As Satori walked behind the two new fugitives, arrows at the ready, jewelry jangling and a new bracelet on Iroh’s wrist, she prayed to the spirits that she was on the right path for her.