Still-Considering-Name-Options-AU: Agni Kai

[weirdlet]

Not sure if this one follows the original script too closely or not- hopefully it adds enough to make it fun.

The AU: Princess Zura was pregnant when she was exiled- now she roams the world with a child in tow, seeking the Avatar as her chance at redemption- for herself and her daughter...

The Prompt: Zhao and Zura's...interactions. At any time you want, but Zhao being Zhao and Zura exploding are very much wanted.

The Fic:

“Uncle,” she said, stepping down onto the deserted shore. “I want the repairs made as quickly as possible- I don’t want to risk losing his trail.”

“You mean, the Avata-“

“Don’t mention his name on these docks!” she hissed, hefting the toddler in her arms. “Once word gets out that he’s alive every man in the navy will be out looking for him- and I don’t want anyone getting in the way-!”

“-Getting in the way of- what, Princess Zura…?” came the detestable purr. Zura winced and turned around carefully, leveling a composed glance at the approaching officer.

“Captain Zhao,” she said coldly, arms crossed purposefully under her daughter’s sling.

“It’s Commander, now,” he said, with a greasy smirk. “And General Iroh; great hero of our nation.” Zhao bowed, and glanced at the curious toddler in her arms with a somehow even greasier look. “And, ah…”

“Princess Lan Min,” Zura bit out as delicately as she could.

“Yes, your little- stowaway,” he said, and Uncle hastened to return the bow that she did not, inasmuch to distract her from killing the man right there as to make up for her bad manners. “The Fire Lord’s brother, daughter and grandchild are welcome guests anytime- what brings you to my harbor?”

“Our ship is being repaired,” Iroh said genially, and Zura took a tiny bit of satisfaction in the startled look on Zhao’s face. Half an iceberg had fallen on the prow, and she knew very well that the whole thing looked like someone’s paper-sculpture project for school, that had been dropped and trampled by child giants on the way to class.

“That’s- quite a bit of damage…”

“Yes- you wouldn’t believe what happened,” Zura flatlined. Uncle Iroh glanced at her, but held his piece.

“Oh?” the harbor commander drawled, and Zura looked down at Lan Min, busying herself with tracing a lock of her daughter’s hair, tucking it back behind a tiny ear before allowing her hand to be captured by small, grabby fingers.

“Sea monsters. Terrible sea monsters, that wanted to eat us up,” she cooed at the end, getting a giggle out of her daughter and earning the further disgust of the sideburned man looming over them. Uncle hid a smile behind his sleeve, and she could just see the start of a vein in Zhao’s forehead that, with further tweaking, could be made to stand out just like a firehose.

“That’s- fascinating. You’ll have to regale me with all the thrilling details,” he oozed, recovering, and suddenly he was looming into her face. Lan Min made a startled sound and grabbed for one of the shiny decals on his chest.

“Join me for a drink?”

“Sorry- I don’t drink with strange men,” Zura retorted quietly, hefting the sling and reaching out to untangle Zhao’s cloak from her daughter’s small, sticky fingers. “Look what happened the last time.”

“Princess Zura- show Commander Zhao your respect,” her uncle admonished, a light sting in his tone. “We would be honored to join you.”

“Very well- please, follow me,” Zhao offered, so polite as to make the teeth ache, and led the way into the makeshift settlement of the harbor.

…

There was small talk and the usual preliminary rituals- junior officers arranged the tent’s furniture and brought tea, offered a comfortable chair for the princess to settle into with her child in her lap. Zhao, being the same blowhard she’d figured him for a couple of years ago, saw fit to give her an accounting of how the war fared, since of course she was no longer privy to the majority of military information, and had to rely on news and her own travels and hardships to get a picture of the state of the world. She was busy breaking a cookie in half with Lan Min when his interest took a sudden turn.

“And how goes your search for the Avatar?”

There was a stumbling crash, and Uncle apologized profusely as Zura turned a glare on the commander.

“We haven’t found him yet.”

“Did you really expect to?” Zhao growled in dismissal. “The Avatar died a hundred years ago, along with the rest of the Airbenders.” She closed her eyes and set her mouth, taking the words like a blow.

“Unless- you’ve found some evidence…” and that was why she hated him so- he sounded like her eel-voiced brother, always picking, prodding, throwing out hooks until something stuck and tore. Zura looked down at her child in her arms, the reason she strove so hard.

“No. Nothing.”

“Princess Zura,” Zhao said, rising from his chair and menacing like an angry teacher. “The Avatar is the only one who can keep the Fire Nation from winning this war- if you have an ounce of loyalty left in you-“ and here she bristled, arms tightening and high color coming to her face.

“I haven’t found anything,” she snarled, and Lan Min tugged on her collar, pulling her back and forcing her to swallow the rage. She took a breath, held it- let it go. “If I had- we would be home by now. It’s like you said. The Avatar probably died a long time ago- and I did not come here to have my loyalty questioned. Uncle- we are leaving.” She rose with her daughter, who reached back for the cookie plate with a small whine of longing.

She didn’t know why she was surprised when the guards barred her path.

“Commander Zhao- we interrogated the crew as you instructed. It took a while, but one confirmed that the princess had the Avatar in custody, and allowed him to escape.”

Zura smoldered as Zhao leaned over her shoulder, coming far too close into her personal space. “Remind me again…” that smile was shark-like, “-how your ship was damaged.”

…

She sat like a stone while the story was recounted for the commander; Lan Min fidgeted in her arms, and Uncle just sat there, watching the proceedings with tea in hand. Zhao ordered that they be kept there- she fisted her hands in the material of the sling, trying to keep them from shaking or smoking.

He dared.

Of course he dared.

“I underestimated him once, but it won’t happen again-“

“No it will not- because you won’t get a second chance. This is far too important to leave in a teenager’s hands- much less one toting a child around.”

“I’ve been hunting the Avatar for two years!” she protested, springing to her feet.

“And you’ve failed!” Zhao roared in return. “And little wonder,” he continued, looking at her with clear disdain.

“This is my only chance, her only chance!” The guards were starting to close in around her, and she stood with her daughter in her arms, eyes wide with outrage. The lamps around the tent blazed, nearly setting fire to their shades- the guards stood their ground and blocked her way, but didn’t close with her.

“Neither of you ever had a chance- and in any case, he’s mine now,” Zhao said, smirking. He turned and left, untouched, unhindered.

It was a terrible example to her daughter, but so satisfying to kick that table into splinters.

…

He returned soon enough- Zura looked at him with absolute hate, the kind that made Lan Min quiet and clingy, dueling heart-fires with her so that she felt immense love and terrible, terrible anger at once.

“My search-party is prepared- after I’m out to sea, my guards will escort you to your ship and you’ll be free to go.”

“Are you afraid I’ll find him first?” Zura said, voice a terrible quiet sound. Zhao ruined the ambience with careless laughter.

“You? You can’t possibly compete with me- I have hundreds of warships under my command and you, you’re just a banished princess- no home, no allies, ruined for the military or the respectable marriage bed. Your own father doesn’t want you or your bastard brat dirtying up his bloodline.”

“You’re wrong,” she snarled. “When I deliver the Avatar to my father, it will prove my worth, and hers-“

“If he’d ever had any intention of that, you’d have been brought home by now. The very fact that your child was allowed to live shows that he doesn’t care to have you back.”

“You traitorous-!”

“Don’t talk to me about loyalty, princess,” Zhao smiled, gliding closer. “Your track record’s pretty tattered. Loyalty to your country, when you speak out against our policies? Loyalty to your family, when you can’t keep yourself out of trouble before being properly wedded? The Fire Lord could have allowed you to be cleansed and taken you back into the fold, Avatar or no- but in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace.”

“That’s not true, none of it’s true-“

“You’ve got the scar to prove it,” he said, darting in that one last little knife as the lamps started to cook.

“MAYBE YOU’D LIKE ONE TO MATCH!!!”

The old general moved to snatch the child from the princess’s arms- she cried now, loud and upset, and the princess surged into Zhao’s face.

He just smirked.

“Is that a challenge I hear?”

“You have insulted my loyalty, my family; impeded my duty; distressed my child. I will have satisfaction from you,” she hissed. “Agni kai, at sunset!”

“Very well. It’s a shame your father can’t be here to watch me humiliate you- I suppose your uncle and your daughter will do.”

…

…

The sun sweeps red across the harbor, great Agni witnessing dispute between his fractious children as his dying act for the day. The gong rings out.

Zhao stands and turns, following the old ritual in correct form.

He watches the red cloth fall from her shoulders, pale and corded. She’s leaner than he thought, the flare of hips highlighted by strong stomach muscles and a nip in at the waist. She’s not soft.

Her breastband is snug and beginning to dampen.

He smiles.

“This will be over quickly.”

Princess Zura’s eyes are snake-like beneath that bizarre haircut, a mix of humble shame and fierce nobility, and she swirls fire through the air.

They take turns casting aside each other’s blasts, advancing back and forth. He’s old and smug and knows the common treacheries; she’s young and hotheaded and good for all she’s too open and honest in her moves.

She realizes he’s showing off, far more than would be appropriate unless this were in front of an audience, and begins to wonder if this is an actual duel or some sort of bizarre courtship ritual.

She has royal blood but is not currently in the succession and thus, out of reach. She has nothing of value to him, and must thus be needful of what he possesses. She’s young. She’s fertile. No one else in the world could possibly want her.

When next he leaps at her, she kicks his feet out from under him and drives him stumbling back. When she has him on the ground, she leaves him unmarred but for his pride. The ground smolders around her feet, very near to what is very precious to him.

“Don’t get in my way again.”

Comments

[floranna.livejournal.com]

Hehhehee.

Very Zura-like, and Zhao is very much IC. Holy shot, she is pissed.

Wonderful way you made her dodge Zhao's questions at first. made me laugh like a hyena.

[weirdlet.livejournal.com]

^^

I had so much fun with these two. I didn't change it very much from just what happened in the episode, but jeez, they're already so intense with each other there...

[floranna.livejournal.com]

Yes, there are times when I watch the show and could swear there is at least somekind of a sexual tension between them...

That is the main reason why Zhao/Zuko is one of my favourite parings. ^^

[permetaform]

ohhhhhhh, very nice. I like the way you mapped the canon into this universe, an echo like a lick to the ear. =0

[weirdlet.livejournal.com]

Hee. It just fit- sometimes it's really hard to improve on the original.

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

I feel really kind of embarrassed now that I didn't notice the collection post was sticky.

I adored the way Zura used Lan Min's presence and the opportunity it provided her to coo and tell stories to her baby to discomfort Zhao, and “Sorry- I don’t drink with strange men,” Zura retorted quietly, hefting the sling and reaching out to untangle Zhao’s cloak from her daughter’s small, sticky fingers. “Look what happened the last time.” Win.

Zhao's demented idea of how to get a girl to notice him is disturbingly canon. What, does he think she's one of those girls from myth who'll marry the man who can defeat her? Humiliating a woman is no way to get her to want to do anything but hurt you back. I wonder. Given his bizarre need to pick Zuko as his rival in canon, could that mean he subconsciously wants to humiliate Ozai through him?

[weirdlet.livejournal.com]

Zhao- is ambitious. He is, of course, loyal- because that gets him farther. The thought of being on absolute top of the heap is thrilling but he mostly manages to restrain himself to things he thinks he can accomplish in one lifetime.

And he has no time for those who fold, bend or break easily, unless it's in a way that gives him what he wants- cranky/stabby women he can deal with, it keeps him on his game. Sobbing ones freak him out if that wasn't what he was trying to do.

He's just such a dick^^

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he's loyal in a "Hey Mr. Firelord, I like you because you give me nice commands with which to play" way, but deep inside, he knows he wants to be Firelord.

The cranky/stabby woman will stab him.

I love that Zura gets what he's doing and is like "what?".

[weirdlet.livejournal.com]

Zura: "...aw hell no."