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English
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Part 4 of Azula Week 2022
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Published:
2022-08-04
Words:
793
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1/1
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9
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Fading Paths

Summary:

“A different life, one that was better than anything he had had before.

“He simply had to search within himself for the will to defend it.”

Or: for Princess Yue’s betrothed, the arrival of the Avatar in Agna Qel’a makes things complicated.

(Written for Azula Week Day Four - Ember Island or Discovery)

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

As Kamu leaned back in the grass, he felt Yue gently wrap her fingers around his. A reassuring gesture, even through heavy gloves.

“Thank you for coming with me, moonshine.”

“Of course,” Yue replied, with a soft laugh at the familiar nickname before her voice grew serious again. “They weren’t very nice to you, were they?”

No, they weren’t.

“They have reason not to be.” It was hard to blame the Avatar, or the two siblings from the South, for their suspicion and resentment. “I am-”

Fingers tightened around his. “You’re Water Tribe, sunbeam.”

Yes, I am.

But to them…

“I don’t look Water Tribe, I look Fire Nation,” Kamu answered, letting the soft ground of the oasis support him. He was unbelievably tired - even more so than was normal for this time of year. “To them? That’s enough to loathe me on principle, even if you don’t consider that we’ve been sitting behind our ice walls while they fight and die.”

“That’s not our fault, it’s the stupid council-”

“I know, but they clearly don’t see it that way.”

All they see is a symbol of… everything, really.

Royalty from the nation that destroyed them, betrothed to royalty from the nation that ignored them…

There were a lot of stars above them to distract him, thankfully - no lights to call to his inner flame, but he had learned how to deal with the depths of the polar winter. Firebenders weren’t supposed to be able to survive without the presence of Agni, but it was possible.

Kamu often wondered if his uncle had known that, or if he had been sent to wither away before the marriage arrangement could even go through. It wasn’t something he liked to think about.

He still sent me here for a reason… and not a good one.

Though it didn’t go how he expected…

That brought an uncomfortable thought to the forefront of his mind. “Hosting the Avatar is a breach of neutrality-”

“We shouldn’t have been neutral in the first place, Kamu.” Yue’s voice was more firm now - a familiar tone, from conversations they’d had before. “You and I know that, Father knows that. We’ve just… never done anything, and this has been a long time coming.”

Mhm.

Forcing their hand - that was what the Avatar and his friends had done, and they had done it very effectively, perhaps without even intending to. Kamu could admit that that was a good thing for the world, but for him… for him it was complicated.

He hadn’t always been Water Tribe, after all. 

“I don’t want to fight them.”

From the tone in Yue’s voice, he was pretty sure she had that particular surprised expression on her face. “You don’t mean the Avatar-”

“No, the Fire Nation.”

My nation… once…

“Everyone will understand that,” Yue reassured him, then promptly sighed. “Well, some people might not, but Father and I will - we do understand. But if they attack-”

“Then I have to fight.” He was Northern Water Tribe - the future chief, even, or at least the fiance of the chief’s daughter. “I will fight, if it comes to that.”

When it comes to that.

You owe them nothing-

“We trust you, Kamu.”

Of course Yue knew what trust meant to him. They were family, after all.

“But will everyone else?”

“No one will try to stop you, even if they’re suspicious.” Laughing a little, Yue tightened her grip on his hand again. “Besides, I have a feeling Katara will be more irate with Pakku than you soon, sunshine.”

True.

That sounded like something to look forward to. “Perhaps he’ll finally get over whatever… issues he has that make him so horrid about the thought of women fighting.”

“Or at least she’ll try to slap him.”

It would be about time… I’ve tried to explain to him that women can fight as well as men, but he won’t listen.

Katara, though… she could kick the scorpion bee’s nest, and she certainly has a right to. They all do.

“So I have to be the hero.”

“I think you would be a good one.” He didn’t bother to tilt his head to see, but the firebender was sure Yue was giving him that look. “And the Avatar needs a firebending teacher-”

“I’ll consider it.”

Kamu knew that change was inevitable, in this case as it had been when he was first sent to Agna Qel’a. He had been a Fire Nation princess then - named after Azulon, even - and now he was Water Tribe, and had a different name and a different identity that fit him. A different life, one that was better than anything he had had before.

He simply had to search within himself for the will to defend it.

Notes:

Well, this is different, huh?

I went for a more introspective approach with the prompt "Discovery" (unsurprising, given my character-driven tendencies) and this little oneshot is the result. Thanks to Nos for the idea and helping me work this out!

Very interested to see what people think...

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