Chapter Text
The pond was just as Zuko remembered. Large with stones around the rim and a great tree on the other side. The turtle ducks swam happily and without care. The clear water reflects his smaller, unscarred features. He lifted his hand and touched the smooth skin around his left eye. A dream? Was it all just a terrible dream? Footsteps, light as the wind approached. Zuko doesn’t turn his head as the figure comes to stand near to him; his gaze still focused on his watery reflection. He lowers down to a knee and reaches up again to touch the left side of his face. Something disturbed the still pond as a ripple rode over Zuko’s reflection. And then, for a moment, it changes. His youthful face is replaced by an all too familiar blue and white mask. He jumps back with a gasp. “Zuko?” Warm soft hands perch themselves on his small shoulders steadying his slightly shaking form.
Zuko’s head whips to the figure behind him, “M...Mom?” Ursa gives her son a small smile as he turns to her fully, hands never leaving his shoulders. Zuko takes in a deep breath, and then another before pushing himself into his mothers’ embrace, “Mom!”
Ursa’s arms wrap securely round her crying son as he clung tightly to her. “My Zuko. My beautiful boy.”
“I-I missed you so much,” Zuko chokes out.
Ursa smiles as she, so gently, lifts her son’s head and looks into his tear-filled eyes, “I am always with you. No matter how impossibly far I am.” Her hand lightly caresses his face and the simple gesture is so gentle that it has Zuko breaking down into more sobs. Ursa just holds her son close as she whispers soothing words to him.
After what could have been hours, Zuko’s crying finally comes to an end. The two sit by the pond in a comfortable silence as the sun casted an orange glow across the sky. Zuko sighs as the peaceful surrounding washes over him, wishing this moment would last forever. Ursa shifts for a moment before settling again, “Look.”
Zuko turns his head only to be met with, what could only be, a mask being placed on him. Quickly the warmth he felt faded as a cold wind rushed through. Zuko removes the mask to see that his surroundings had changed drastically. What was once the beloved palace pond covered in the light of the fading sun was now a foggy swamp encased by tall trees. The only light source being that of the shining full moon above. There is something oddly familiar about this place, but Zuko couldn’t say what. He turns the mask in his hands. Zuko’s eyes widen as the Blue Spirit mask stares back at him. Freezing water rushed around him, nearly throwing Zuko off balance. The mask falls from his hands, sinking into the murky water, as he regains his footing in the waist deep pool.
“Mom?” Zuko says as he looks to where his mother once was only to see she was gone. “Mom? Mom!” He shouted. Zuko waded through the water as he frantically looked around the area for his mother. But Ursa was nowhere to be seen. Zuko was alone once again. He screamed into the night. The freezing water soaked into his clothing until it reached his bones.
Ripples appeared as the water began to pull Zuko back. He fights against it to failing results. Then he feels hands on his shoulder and the water stops trying to drag him back. Quickly Zuko turns to face the person behind him hoping it to be his mother. Ursa is not there. Who is there is that of a towering figure wearing the Blue Spirit mask. Or perhaps it was the spirit itself. Whatever the truth Zuko doesn’t move; or he tried to and found he couldn’t. The spirit's hand lifts and perches on the right side of his face. The touch is that of ice. The hand then moves down to his neck and Zuko starts to panic as it lightly wraps around his throat. The hold is firm enough to keep him in place, but not enough to feel suffocating. The figure leans down and whispers in a deep, raspy voice, “Wake up,” before shoving the young prince into the murky water below.
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Zuko shoots up from his sleeping mat with a gasp. A hand goes to grip the damp clothing over his chest as he heaves in deep, unsteady breath after another. Once calmed and fully awake does Zuko have a glance at his surroundings. He was in a forest grove with the final light of the campfire dying out. Right, he was off on his own and found this little opening in the thick forest to settle for the night. Had it not been for the sudden dream this could have been his most restful night yet. Something warm runs down his cheeks. With the swipe of a hand does Zuko realize that he was crying. He rubs his eyes, ignoring the difference in skin texture on his left side.
After a moment Zuko stands and begins packing his few belongings and destroys the remainder of the campfire. He chooses to head deeper into the forest in hopes of making himself tired enough again to get a few more hours of rest. The moon above guides his path through the uneven trek. Zuko does his best to not think about the dream, or the heavy weight of the Blue Spirit mask on his side. He selfishly wishes his uncle was there; Iroh always knew the best way to calm him after these kinds of dreams. Zuko pushes thoughts about this uncle to the back of his mind. He long since made his choice, the wrong one at that, and as a result he lost the only person in the world who loved him unconditionally. He doesn’t deserve to wish for someone who has every right to never forgive him.
A root trips him and has Zuko stumbling forward. It takes a bit of effort to regain his footing as his overwhelming emotions and remaining drowsiness still grips him. Zuko supports himself on a nearby tree and shakes the offending ankle and checks it. Thankfully undamaged Zuko sighs as he rubs a hand down his face. The moon shines brighter here thanks to the reflection of the large pond before him. Some might call it a coincidence, or irony, but to Zuko it felt more like a slap in the face. The last thing he needed was a random pond in the middle of a forest after his nightmare. The annoyance only lasted for a moment before exhaustion began to settle in once again. Zuko grumbles as he rests his belongings against a tree a few feet from the water's edge. Once he settles sleep tugs at his consciousness. His eyes began to droop shut, and just as darkness was about to engulf him once again a splash stopped it. Zuko shoots forward, eyes widening at the sudden sound, sword in hand. He scans the area only to see a figure in the center of the pond. A white veil pool around their form keeps Zuko from identifying the sudden arrival.
“Hello?” Zuko calls out to the strange figure as he gets to his feet; still gripping his sword. The figure doesn’t pay mind to the exiled prince. Zuko walks enough so his shoes are now touching the water. “Hey!” He shouts a little louder. This is what gets the figure to turn slightly. Their head is bowed and the nearly shining veil keeps their face a mystery, but Zuko knows they’re looking at him.
An arm rises from the water and reaches out to him. Something in him wants to move towards the figure. He doesn’t even realize he’s reaching back until his own arm is in his vision. The figure’s head lifts slightly and Zuko swears he sees a small smile underneath the veil. His heart stings at the sight. That smile was so familiar, but he couldn’t say how or where or who. Zuko doesn’t get time to think about it as the water ripples around the pond and without warning the figure is dragged under with a short, high pitch scream.
Zuko doesn’t think as he throws himself into the cool water. Horror and fear drives him down and deeper under the dark water. The shining light of the veil guides him down. The figure looks to him and reaches out in his direction. The long dark hair and flowing light green and cream dress outlines the figure of the distressed girl. Zuko swims faster, pushes harder, and ignores the burning in his chest as his lungs scream for air. He doesn’t stop until he reaches the girl and pulls her to him. Until she is securely in his arms. Until his feeble attempt at fire bending under water at whatever is pulling her down stops, vanishes, and releases. Only then does Zuko stop. His lungs unable to bear the pain, he coughs and water finds its way in. The desperation to save the girl has his body sore and useless to attempt to swim back to the surface. He coughs again letting more water in as his grip on the girl begins to loosen. Zuko’s vision becomes blurry as he slowly slips into the darkness.
A glow shines in his vision. The strange girl he attempted to save, whose face looks so familiar his heart stings again, looks down at him. “My wonderful warrior. Oh how I have missed you. I have waited for you for so long. Time is not on our side. Please, my love, come and find me,” her voice is light and ethereal and comforting as Zuko’s eyes close shut.
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Warmth covers his face as Zuko slowly opens his eyes to the bright morning sun. He coughs for a moment before moving to sit. He was still in the forest by the pond he had found. Unsteadily Zuko gets to his feet and wipes the mud from his damp clothing.
‘Mud?’ Zuko thinks to himself. ‘Why are my clothes wet?’ It’s then that he notices the small trail between where he woke and the pond; as if he was dragged from water and placed there. The insanity from the night’s endeavor comes crashing forth. The veiled girl in the river, Zuko’s attempt to save her, the crypted message she left him with as he nearly drowned in the process. “Hello?!” Zuko shouts wondering if his unknown savior or the mysterious girl was still in the area. A moment, then another, and another and still no one comes forth.
Zuko shakes his head and finishes cleaning himself down before turning to walk to where he left his bag and other items. The first step he takes has him stepping on something too smooth, and too weak to be a rock. Looking down, Zuko is met with the mask of the Blue Spirit. An item he most certainly left behind with the rest of his things. Slowly he picks up the mask and examines it. Other then the strange warmth, which was probably the result from the rising sun, it looked normal. Zuko sighs as he wipes the dirt from the object and walks his way over to his belongings; ready to finally leave this strange forest and put that terrible night behind him.