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Separation IV
Title: Separation
Rating: PG-13 for language
Genre: Crossover fusion
Fandoms: Avatar: The Last Airbender and His Dark Materials
Timeline: Season One, immediately following 1x09, The Waterbending Scroll
Summary: Returning to his ship after the fiasco with the pirates, Prince Zuko stumbles across the body of a boy in the river. Quickly it is determined that the boy is alive, but that something is terribly wrong...
Warning: Inspired in part by avocado_love's Inner Nature but completely different from her story, I promise you. Original characters, who will be familiar faces for those of you who've kept up with my other works. Some foul language.
I | II | III
IV
The dæmonless boy had been with them some weeks, and had grown quiet. He spent almost all his time in his quarters, lured out now only with the promise of teaching from Iroh or from Lieutenant Jee. He would eat when fed and sleep when tired, but he never socialised, much to the relief of the men and their dæmons.
Therefore Prince Zuko was startled to come on deck one night and see Kouji standing at the aft of the ship, staring out over the water. His first thought was that the child was going to jump, and he stepped forward, but Irie stopped him. "Wouldn't you do the same if you lost me?" she whispered.
And fury rose in Zuko's heart, for he knew that he would, and he was a man grown, sixteen years old. He and the boy had both been scarred by fire, but even in that Agni Kai three years past, Firelord Ozai hadn't even glanced at Irie. The separation of the boy Kouji and his dæmon had been deliberate, inconceivably so.
And yet Kouji went on.
Before he knew what he was doing, Zuko joined the child at the rail, leaving Irie behind in the shadows. As he stepped forward, he saw Airi's russet fur and felt some slight relief that his uncle had made sure the boy would never be alone.
The exiled prince made no noise, but the boy turned as he drew close. Grey eyes went wide as he took in Zuko's threatening appearance, but after a moment he seemed to relax. With Kouji facing him, Zuko could see that the boy had been clad in the spare clothes of the smallest man aboard, but they were still far too large on him. Even with the shirt as closed as possible on the tiny frame, Zuko could see the bandages wrapped around his torso.
That rage took hold of him, and he spoke without thinking. "Who did that to you?"
Again the silver eyes went wide, but this time Kouji turned away from him. Zuko was having none of this. His hand flew out, gripping the boy firmly by the chin and turning his head back to him. "Who?" he demanded a second time.
Kouji's eyes met his, frightened and sad, but Zuko was relentless. At last, the boy dropped his gaze and whispered two words that made the prince's heart stop.
General Iroh and Lieutenant Jee were again sharing tea when the door to the general's quarters was slammed open. "We're turning this ship around," Zuko snapped, stalking in and dragging a very startled-looking Kouji with him.
Jee blinked. "Prince Zuko, what—?"
Zuko kicked the door shut behind him. "Turn the ship around. We're making a stop in New Sozin."
The Dragon of West didn't seem surprised by Zuko's passion. "I take it you found out who hurt the boy, then?"
The prince nailed his uncle with a piercing glare; unconcerned, Iroh sipped his tea. Airi, having slunk in on Zuko's heels, jumped onto the table, taking care not to jar the tea set, and walked up Iroh's arm to his shoulder. She settled down on her accustomed perch and murmured something to him.
The agitated Irie, in contrast, was lashing her tail so swiftly it was stirring a mild breeze. "Of course we found out," she snapped at the unflappable general.
"Then I commend you for discovering what no man aboard this vessel could," Iroh replied. "But, Prince Zuko — what of your hunt for the Avatar?"
Zuko stopped, his fury temporarily banked as his uncle continued, "If you divert from this route to punish the one who hurt Kouji, you will lose any chance of picking up his trail."
The prince's good eye narrowed and Irie's tail picked up speed. Iroh was right. He looked down at the wide-eyed boy and realised he had yet to release Kouji's wrist. How could he make a choice like this? While he'd never verbally promised the boy vengeance — certainly there had been no time between the confession and Zuko dragging him to his uncle's cabin — the prince felt that he owed the dæmonless boy something.
…but he didn't have to make the choice.
"Fine," he snarled as Irie's tail slowed, then stopped. "The ship will continue the hunt for the Avatar. I will head to New Sozin."
Iroh did not look surprised by this declaration. But rather than speak to his nephew now, he turned his golden eyes onto Kouji. "Can you go back?" he asked the child gently.
Zuko answered before Kouji could. "What are you talking about, Uncle?"
Iroh's gaze shifted to the exiled prince. "You cannot go alone, Prince Zuko," he said calmly. "You will need to identify the attacker, after all."
This time, Kouji was able to answer first. "I c-can do it," he said. But his voice shook, and he was trembling. Politely, the three men ignored this; the boy's decision to return to the place where he had nearly been killed overwrote his obvious fear. Airi, approving, jumped from Iroh's shoulder to lightly twine around Kouji's too-large boots.
"All right, fine," said Zuko. "We'll take one of the rhinos."
Iroh nodded, then opened a drawer and withdrew a small bag, which he handed to Zuko. "While you're at it, get Kouji some clothes that fit."
The boy flushed as Zuko dragged him out to prepare.
Current Location: my bed
Current Mood:  complacent
Tags: character: iroh, character: kouji, character: zuko, crossover, fandom: avatar, fandom: his dark materials, story: separation
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