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Hakoda carefully observed the back and forth banter between his son and the prince of the Fire Nation. When his son first introduced them, he didn’t have time to fully process just how they came to know one another - not to mention, why the Fire Lord’s son was helping them escape. He did pay attention to how they interacted, however.
Sokka appeared relaxed in conversation with the elder teen and his girlfriend, Suki, was cordial enough with the latter. The factor that solidified his suspicion that this camaraderie was fairly new lay in the tension in Zuko’s mannerisms and the obvious discomfort he had with Hakoda’s presence. What didn’t make sense to Hakoda, was Zuko’s nervousness around Chit Sang. Shouldn’t he be relieved with the presence of one of his subjects in the midst?
Perhaps, he was uncertain of Chit Sang’s loyalties. Being within a Fire Nation prison didn’t necessarily mean one was opposed to the Fire lord. Except, the man helped them escape - albeit for his own gain - but it had to surmount to something. Whatever the reason, Zuko was purposefully avoiding being alone with himself and the former prisoner.
As much as he trusted his son, Hakoda still had some concerns he wished the prince to clarify for himself.
He was surprised to find that Zuko was quite capable of captaining a ship and navigating the skies as effectively as he was, presently. Sokka had relayed in more colorful terms that the fire prince had hunted them down for months on end in the past, leading a small squadron from the Fire Nation navy. He wondered what made Zuko change his tune, all of a sudden.
The hour was late and he hadn’t seen Sokka emerge from his quarters to relieve Zuko of his duty of navigator. It wouldn’t do for the prince to fall asleep at the wheel, steering them off course. Knocking on the steel door post to announce his presence, the prince swiped a hand through his hair.
“About time you came. I expect to start back with Aang’s training as soon as we retur-”
He paused as he realized Sokka was not who stood before him.
“Er - mm, hello. I~ thought you were Sokka.” He stated, as a blush crossed his cheeks.
“Understandable, as this was supposed to be his shift. But I think both of you deserve rest, after recent events.” Hakoda reconciled.
Zuko scratched at his elbow at the awkwardness of the situation and made to leave for his quarters.
“I do have a few questions for you, though.” Hakoda spoke up. Zuko froze in place, refusing to look him in the eyes. “You weren’t with us during the eclipse. The last I heard of you, you had aided in the defeat of the Avatar in Ba Sing Se. How does one change their stance from then to now?”
He left no room for escape in this conversation, Zuko realizing his predicament immediately. He ran his thumbs across clammy fingers, before forming a fist and making a decision. It’d be better for him to explain himself than let Katara relay his story for him. Besides, there was no other way for him to evade the questions without seeming suspicious.
“You may want to sit down for this; it’s a lot.” Hakoda followed Zuko’s advice and left a space for the younger to occupy next to him. With a sigh, Zuko sat opposite the water tribe chief. “First, I apologize for endangering your children and being the reason for a lot of their turmoil. Not only that, I helped in almost eliminating the only hope for the end to this war.”
Hakoda sat in contemplating silence, while the other gathered himself together.
“When I went back home, I had something I never thought I’d get. My father welcomed me with a smile on his face and actually sounded proud of my accomplishments. I soon came to find out his perception was all based on a lie and that my impending doom would come sooner or later. Not only that, but my uncle wants nothing to do with me - as he should.”
Tears decorated the words coming from the burdened down prince before him and Hakoda frowned in confoundment.
“I was so stupid! I took out my anger and frustration on him, when he was in a far worse position than me.”
“So, is that why you decided to join the Avatar,” Hakoda interrupted. “To free your uncle?”
Zuko gave him a wilting look, Hakoda unsure if the glare was being directed at him or inwardly. “I attempted to break him out the day of the eclipse. But he had already escaped on his own. My uncle is a very skilled fighter; I wasn’t really surprised by that prospect.
“I joined the Avatar because of my uncle’s advice. He said there’s a war of good and evil warring within myself. Much of it is because of my upbringing, but my uncle believes it is also because of my family lineage.” He gave Hakoda a nervous sideways glance. “This may be hard to believe, but my great-grandfathers are Fire Lord Sozin and Avatar Roku.”
Hakoda raised his eyebrows at the odd relations.
“Yeah, I was surprised too. My father hid that bit of information pretty well. But that’s not the only thing he hid. I read a diary of sorts that Fire Lord Sozin left behind. It reinforced a lot of the ideologies within the Fire Nation, but it also shed a positive light on Avatar Roku, whereas Fire Nation citizens are taught the Avatar was a treacherous entity.
“To the Fire Nation, he would seem like a traitor. But the way my grandfather wrote about him, the Avatar was just fulfilling his purpose. He never truly hated the Avatar, as history would have us to believe. They were only two friends with conflicting points of views.”
Zuko bit his lip and wrung his hands in an attempt to avoid forming a ball of fire to comfort himself.
“In the end, Fire Lord Sozin was the one in the wrong, leading a whole nation into shame because of his own selfish desires. So, only days before the eclipse, I decided to confront my father and leave to follow my newfound purpose. I knew Aang didn’t know firebending, and if I could expedite that process, then I would do all I could to help.”
Swallowing his own fear, he finally locked eyes with Hakoda with his hands clenched against his knees. Hakoda had been listening intently, attempting to comprehend all that the prince had confided in him. He hadn’t suspected the prince would turn his back on his nation over a trivial matter, but he didn’t expect his reasoning to be so...selfless.
“So you’re still fighting for the good of the Fire Nation…”
Zuko’s eyes widened in terror and shook his head rapidly. “No! I-I’m fighting for the peace of all nations. I understand the role we played in this war.”
“I’m not saying you don’t understand.” Hakoda took Zuko’s hand in his own and lowered it from its placating gesture. “But ultimately, you want your people to understand the truth. And to change.” He searched Zuko’s glassy globes of gold for clarification. “Am I right?”
He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, Zuko turned away from Hakoda’s imploring gaze and slid his hand from the other’s grasp. “Yeah. If that’s possible.”
They sat in an uncomfortable silence - Zuko not knowing whether the questioning was over and Hakoda wondering if he should continue the conversation another day. Being this close to the younger man, Hakoda was able to see the details of the infamous scar up close. The lighting wasn’t the best, but the old wound still looked painful. Probably more menacing with the shadows cast over the expanse of dead skin. It didn’t occur to him how rude his curiosity came off to the other, until Zuko lightly held a hand to his face.
“You’ve probably heard many stories about how this happened.” Zuko whispered, shame coloring his words and crushing Hakoda’s heart.
A bit sheepish at his lack of tact, Hakoda stated, “It’s not uncommon for warriors’ bodies to be marred with scars.”
“I didn’t get this during a battle. Not a real one at least…”
Hakoda had heard the lore spread across the lands. A banished prince, marked by his own father. Another story explained it was a training accident, but Hakoda could read body language. This burn was anything but an accident.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Hakoda pried. “What made you return to your father’s side, if he did something like this to you?”
Hakoda’s hand had become level with Zuko’s face, hovering in the air as he became aware of his own actions. Zuko stared at the hand only inches from his face. He looked at Hakoda and remembered Sokka’s unbridled joy at seeing the man - his father - again. The frequent stares of affection, the repeated hugs at any point in time whenever emotion overwhelmed them. Zuko’s vision blurred as his eyes filled to the brim with tears, Hakoda’s form shifting into a face long buried within his memory. The Fire lord’s lips were quirked at the corners in a ghost of a smile, accompanied by an equally calming gaze. A strong, protective hand spanned across the space between Zuko’s shoulder blades - comforting and warm to the touch...
“Because I’m a fool.” Zuko revealed through his tears.
Hakoda was frozen in place, conflicted between wanting to comfort the young man before him or give him space. His decision was made for him, when Zuko grabbed onto his hand and placed it against his scarred cheek. The rubbery, dry skin felt brittle to the touch as warm tears pooled against his hand. But Hakoda could care less about the texture of the other’s skin. Wasting no amount of time, Hakoda took the invitation for what it was and pulled the young man into a proper embrace. His hand shifted to cradle Zuko’s head, his other arm simultaneously wrapping around his shoulders.
Zuko clutched onto the elder man’s back and buried his face into Hakoda’s strong chest, as he shook with the force of his sobs. This felt familiar; he felt safe. A waft of jasmine tea and a hearty chuckle. Long fingernails brushing his bangs aside with the slightest touch. The rhythmic thrum of a heartbeat as he rested against the warmest hearth of them all. Uncle Iroh. Mom...Father. He sighed longingly.
“I remember when my family was happy.” He began to explain, voice still muffled in the fabric of Hakoda’s shirt. Realizing how weird and inappropriate his current behavior was, Zuko attempted to pull away. But Hakoda’s embrace remained firm. He huffed as he nestled his cheek back into the space between the man's pecs.
“I felt safe and secure. I don't think there was any hate or anger in my heart. Probably why I was so horrible at firebending.”
Hakoda raised his brows in question. From what he observed, Zuko was pretty decent and not at all a novice when it came to firebending. However, he refrained from interrupting and continued to listen in silence.
“I remember exactly when everything changed. My uncle had been assigned to lead the battle of the century: The Siege of Ba Sing Se. Fire Lord Azulon had declined my father's request to join him on the battlefield. Instead, he insisted my father should stay and raise his children. At least, that's what Azula told me. She probably just knew that would put me on edge, which it did.”
Zuko sucked in a deep breath, wondering why he was even revealing all of this to a man he just met. Let alone a man who probably hated the Fire Nation - his family especially. But he couldn’t bring himself to stop. It was like the dam was broken and nothing could prevent the overflow of words spilling from his lips.
“Up until that point, my father hadn’t been very vocal about my slow progression in firebending. With Azula and I becoming obstacles to his plans, he began to bear down harder than a rhinoceros-buffalo. Azula was placed under the most elite trainers, too vigorous a regimen for a 10 year old. And I was given no rest, not until my technique was at least on par with the generals in my grandfather's war room.
“A weirdly specific task, don't you think?” Zuko tilted his head back so he could prop his chin against Hakoda's chest.
Seeing the opening for a dialogue, Hakoda replied, “Not if he were planning treason.”
A grim smirk spread across Zuko's face, before he turned his head back into a more comfortable position. “Exactly. But I was too young to piece that together. Instead, I could only think of how unfair it was that Azula got all the praise, when I busted my ass off just as hard.”
He focused on the coals scattered over the floor from where they spilled over from the wall storage unit.
“It was all according to his plan. The angrier I got, the more powerful my bending became. Except, I peaked way too soon and couldn't seem to master any of the advanced techniques. All these years I believed it was because I was truly inferior - and a failure, as I’ve heard so many times when people thought I couldn't hear. Now I know, it's because that style of firebending wasn't intended for me.”
Completely lost on what the prince was rambling on about, Hakoda thought he should cut in. “What do you mean, style of firebending?”
Feeling less pitiful, Zuko removed himself from Hakoda's stronghold, a proud smile set on his face. The sudden change in his mood really threw Hakoda for a loop.
“Aang and I visited the first tribe to ever be gifted the flame from the sun spirit, Agni! It was the most humbling, yet uplifting experience I’ve ever had.” Zuko’s arms spread wide as he attempted to reenact the experience. “I couldn’t believe there were actual dr-”
His eyes became impossibly wide and he let out a violent cough, before unwittingly changing the subject. “Uh, actual - flames from the very first fire created.”
Hakoda crossed his arms and raised a brow at the lad, a knowing smirk on his face. Zuko gave him a sheepish, almost pleading look as he charged on with the story.
“So, they enabled us to learn a new style of firebending, that used the breath of life to fuel our flames, rather than hate and rage.”
As he finished the sentence, a pulsing flame materialized in his upturned palm. The heat from the fire radiating onto their chests and the dim light illuminating their expressions. Zuko seemed to be in a daze, as he stared into the core of the flame. His eyes trailed up to meet Hakoda’s and a spark of fear flashed across his face. Immediately, the flame extinguished and Zuko was apologizing.
“I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking. I just -”
“Why are you apologizing?” Hakoda asked, simply.
“I mean, you just...You seemed shocked.” He replied, volume decreasing as he finished.
Hakoda took hold of Zuko’s wrist and cupped the back of his hand with one of his own. “If I’ve learned anything from this war, it’s that we’re all going to coexist in the aftermath. The best way to start is through trust.”
Zuko observed Hakoda’s features with baited breath, as he nudged Zuko’s hand in an encouraging gesture. He jerked his chin toward Zuko in a slight nod and lowered his eyes to their clasped hands.
Heat built up between their palms, uncomfortably so for Hakoda, until Zuko lifted his hand from his own. Hakoda watched as the view between the surfaces of their palms became distorted as a heatwave formed. Zuko slowly began to flip his palm over, the Water Tribe chief mirroring the motion in a trance. With his hand poised in the higher position, Zuko took in an even breath. A hissing exhale released from his lips, as he trapped the heat within the tiny space. In that same moment, a ball of flame swirled to life, revolving in an illuminating show of phosphorescence.
Hakoda wondered if he’d masked his fear any better than the last time. Zuko was right. Fire terrified him. Fire was the enemy. Fire represented death and death equated to Kaia. His heart sank as his late spouse came to mind and his fingertips subconsciously curled to smother the flame, if not for Zuko’s fast reflexes. The prince gripped desperately at his hand, snapping his attention to the owner of said appendage.
“Fire is just as dangerous as it is a necessity. In the wrong hands, almost anything can become a weapon.” Zuko sighed, and with the slump of his shoulders, the fire died down as well. “My uncle once told me that. After I got this scar, actually.”
Standing from his seat next to the Water Tribe clansman, Zuko figured his welcome was overstayed. “I appreciate your willingness to make amends with my people. Even after all the terrible and disgusting things we’ve done...As the next Fire Lord, I will assure you Fire Nation feet will never set foot onto Water Tribe territory, without approval from any of its leaders.”
He bowed lowly, in respect of his elder’s status as a warrior. “Good night.”
Hakoda watched the back of Zuko’s form as he walked away. He pondered over the words of a broken child, marvelling at the steadfast posture of the empowered man now taking his leave.
“Prince Zuko.” The teen looked back with a shocked expression. “Thank you.”
Zuko sent him a smile reminiscent of the warm feeling churning within Hakoda’s own chest. With another weight lifted from his shoulders, the banished prince left the ship’s bridge in peace.