[SHORT FIC] A Long Time Coming
Title: A Long Time Coming
Characters: Smellerbee, Longshot, Zuko
Summary: The Firelord receives visitors, and some clarification on the death of a friend.
Warnings: Sadness and the possibility I may continue this
There was a small girl outside the gates, and a boy as well. They were dirty, the guard said. Commoners, not worthy to see the Fire Lord. But the guards were new, and they didn’t know that commoners were just the people Zuko wanted to see. After his time of ruling began, the Fire Lord made it known that he didn’t get there by knowing royalty. Royalty was what had gotten him farther from the throne. He had commoners to thank. Even if one was technically a member of the Bei Fong family, and two were the children of a Southern Water Tribe leader, and the other the Avatar.. .
Okay. So maybe he knew important people.
Still, when the two arrived at the gates, there was nothing. No yelling, no threats, no pleas. They just asked to tell him one thing.
“We knew Jet.”
That was it. They were let through, down the long ornate corridors, lined with red pillars and gold dragons, portraits of past Fire Lords and statues in their honor. A hallway of everything he knew they must have hated with every ounce of their being. A hell for any freedom fighter who had lived in the past hundred years.
Still, they were quiet; respectful, if not from simply being stunned.
“Sir.” The guards looked at him, hands still holding the girl and the boy’s wrists. Security was essential. Assassination attempts came almost weekly; you couldn’t take any chances. But it was no different than his years abroad: on the ship, in the Earth Kingdom, in Ba Sing Se. It was understandable, but no reason for the two in front of him to be treated like prisoners.
“Let go of them. I will not have my guests treated this way.”
“Sir, they had knives, are you sure this is-“
“You can keep the knives,” the girl - what was her name? - spoke up. “We just wanted to talk to him.”
The Fire Lord nodded to the guards, and with a simple gesture, they left. No doubt they remained just outside the door.
“It’s been a long time.”
“Long enough for you to become Fire Lord.”
“The war is over.”
“Thanks.”
There was nothing more to say. Somehow, ending a hundred year battle seemed trivial when these two were in front of him.
“Jet... he-“
“He’s dead. Under Lake Laogai.”
His throat was dry, heavy with nothing but still impossible to swallow. He had figured, of course. But that didn’t mean it was something he wanted to hear. Somewhere in him, maybe he never believed Jet was dead. To him, it could stay unclear.
“There was a play… it had Jet in it.” He chuckled, bitterly. “He wasn’t portrayed well. None of us were, I suppose, but..”
She listened. The other boy too. But he always seemed to listen.
“In the play, a rock crushed him.”
“The rock didn’t kill him.”
The boy shifted.
“What did?”
“Do you really want to hear this?” Her voice was tired, fighting any emotion, but at least she could say something. At least Jet’s story could finally be told to someone.
He nodded.
“How much do you even know?”
“Not much.”
“I could’ve told you that, Li.”
“He was arrested. That’s all.”
“Before that?”
“...the ferry?” It must have been obvious he was confused, because she just laughed.
“Here’s how this is gonna work. You can tell us about the ferry, and the fight, and in return we’ll tell you anything you want to know about Jet. “
“How he-”
“How he died, how he lived, anything.”
“Why? ...I don’t understand. You never trusted me.”
“Because if you know everything, if you know all about Jet, and you still have a clear conscience...” She took a breath, clenching her fists, “and you don’t want me to punch the daylights out of you, then this whole trip was for nothing.”
Zuko took a deep breath and smiled at her. It wasn’t friendly, it wasn’t condescending, it wasn’t anything more than the exact expression that would be on someone’s face when they had something a long time coming. “Did you want to start, or I?”
Characters: Smellerbee, Longshot, Zuko
Summary: The Firelord receives visitors, and some clarification on the death of a friend.
Warnings: Sadness and the possibility I may continue this
There was a small girl outside the gates, and a boy as well. They were dirty, the guard said. Commoners, not worthy to see the Fire Lord. But the guards were new, and they didn’t know that commoners were just the people Zuko wanted to see. After his time of ruling began, the Fire Lord made it known that he didn’t get there by knowing royalty. Royalty was what had gotten him farther from the throne. He had commoners to thank. Even if one was technically a member of the Bei Fong family, and two were the children of a Southern Water Tribe leader, and the other the Avatar.. .
Okay. So maybe he knew important people.
Still, when the two arrived at the gates, there was nothing. No yelling, no threats, no pleas. They just asked to tell him one thing.
“We knew Jet.”
That was it. They were let through, down the long ornate corridors, lined with red pillars and gold dragons, portraits of past Fire Lords and statues in their honor. A hallway of everything he knew they must have hated with every ounce of their being. A hell for any freedom fighter who had lived in the past hundred years.
Still, they were quiet; respectful, if not from simply being stunned.
“Sir.” The guards looked at him, hands still holding the girl and the boy’s wrists. Security was essential. Assassination attempts came almost weekly; you couldn’t take any chances. But it was no different than his years abroad: on the ship, in the Earth Kingdom, in Ba Sing Se. It was understandable, but no reason for the two in front of him to be treated like prisoners.
“Let go of them. I will not have my guests treated this way.”
“Sir, they had knives, are you sure this is-“
“You can keep the knives,” the girl - what was her name? - spoke up. “We just wanted to talk to him.”
The Fire Lord nodded to the guards, and with a simple gesture, they left. No doubt they remained just outside the door.
“It’s been a long time.”
“Long enough for you to become Fire Lord.”
“The war is over.”
“Thanks.”
There was nothing more to say. Somehow, ending a hundred year battle seemed trivial when these two were in front of him.
“Jet... he-“
“He’s dead. Under Lake Laogai.”
His throat was dry, heavy with nothing but still impossible to swallow. He had figured, of course. But that didn’t mean it was something he wanted to hear. Somewhere in him, maybe he never believed Jet was dead. To him, it could stay unclear.
“There was a play… it had Jet in it.” He chuckled, bitterly. “He wasn’t portrayed well. None of us were, I suppose, but..”
She listened. The other boy too. But he always seemed to listen.
“In the play, a rock crushed him.”
“The rock didn’t kill him.”
The boy shifted.
“What did?”
“Do you really want to hear this?” Her voice was tired, fighting any emotion, but at least she could say something. At least Jet’s story could finally be told to someone.
He nodded.
“How much do you even know?”
“Not much.”
“I could’ve told you that, Li.”
“He was arrested. That’s all.”
“Before that?”
“...the ferry?” It must have been obvious he was confused, because she just laughed.
“Here’s how this is gonna work. You can tell us about the ferry, and the fight, and in return we’ll tell you anything you want to know about Jet. “
“How he-”
“How he died, how he lived, anything.”
“Why? ...I don’t understand. You never trusted me.”
“Because if you know everything, if you know all about Jet, and you still have a clear conscience...” She took a breath, clenching her fists, “and you don’t want me to punch the daylights out of you, then this whole trip was for nothing.”
Zuko took a deep breath and smiled at her. It wasn’t friendly, it wasn’t condescending, it wasn’t anything more than the exact expression that would be on someone’s face when they had something a long time coming. “Did you want to start, or I?”