What is this?
It took a while for Zuko eyes to adjust. A blinding light that pierced through the entrance of the hut made it look like Zuko himself was passing through a spirit portal.
It took a while for Zuko eyes to adjust. When it did, shock was one word to describe his current state of mind.
"W-what is this place?"
The first thing that quickly caught his eyes was a anchor of land to farm, various rows on display. He turn to his side as he saw a house bigger than the hut he emerged from. It was obvious that this was Kovu's actual home.
The floor of the area was made of white stones which made the rows of farmland more foreign to the environment.
All Zuko had to do was look up at the distance as he saw many structures elevated on what was too short to be considered a mountain but too big to be a simple hill.
At the top of this landscape was what appears to be a castle on the top. But what Zuko noticed was off about this castle was a large tree that covered over the castle.
He tried to look at the tree but the light it emitted was a bit blinding as he turned away.
How odd, if Zuko had to describe this layout would be that the landscape was similar to the air nomads temples while the format looks similar to how it was in the northern water tribe.
As he turned, Zuko saw the surrounding rock formations that seem to circle around the place. If he didn't know any better, it reminded him of the walls of Ba Sing Se ... But not to the same extent.
Actually now that he thinks about it, from a distant memory, this surrounding walls reminded him of the Fire Nation Capital, Caldera. He was beginning to wonder if this place as well was located in the crater of a sleeping volcano. It would explain why this place seems so ... warm.
It seems Kovu's land was located at the edge of this place. He made that deduction since as you approach that castle at the top, the buildings got more clustered.
So if he had to think about it. The outskirts kept the farmlands and livestock of this place as you got higher or closer to the castle the buildings and layout got more clustered.
As he looked at the rock formations it seems very close. They were so close that he can see the ocean's water being push back into a dome formation. He can see the fish swimming through the water. When Zuko looked across to the distance, the opposite rock formations, it gave the illusion of the blue sky.
"How? ... What in the world is this place?"
"Impressive, isn't it?" Kovu says, coming to stand beside Zuko, limping with his sword strapped to his leg.
"This view never gets old, no matter how long I lived here ... On good clear days, you can see the clear ocean surround us"
"That's not exactly what I'm questioning" Zuko got a bit annoyed by how nonchalant this old man was to an outsider.
"How is this place keeping all the water out'
Zuko felt the dampened rocks on his feet with the saltiness in the air.
"Are we in the bottom of the sea?"
Zuko was drawn to the giant tree suppling light to this place.
"What in the spirits is that?" Zuko says as he points to the tree.
It seems that in his confusion, his earlier despair was replaced with wonder.
"Hmmm ... Where to begin?" Kovu beckons Zuko to follow him. They began to head towards Kovu's actual home.
As they walked, Zuko noticed in the distance, was a large pillar which seemed to make of a crystal like material. He eyes followed it up as it reaches all the way to the top of the dome.
How odd ... This was the first thought he had as he studied the crystal pillar. He was a good distance away but like the tree he felt a powerful energy coming from it.
That's when he noticed. He looked over the horizon and noticed what he can count in the distance 5 more of the crystal pillars.
"Hmm, I suppose we can start with these" Kovu casual pointed with his thumb at the closest pillar that he first looked at.
"These here are our Pillars, it because of these pillars that the oceans water and it crushing weight are kept away from our tribe"
We reached Kovu's home as they entered it. Zuko noticed how Water Tribe it looks.
He waits by the gathering space as Kovu goes through an archway returning later with some spare clothes.
"The Giant Tree you saw at the top is the 'Grand Spirit Tree' as I assume you figured out, it is our source of Light down here. As well as our air supply. The plants we were able to grow here helps as well"
Kovu handed over a spare naval blue jimbe kimono along with the red Fire Nation pants he came in with on the night Azula pushed him overboard.
"The only salvageable part of your clothes when you fell into my life was your pants. Your robes and top were damaged so I got rid of them."
Zuko began to dress as put on his Fire Nation pants along with the jimbe kimono. Actually he cant get a good look at it be he seems to tell that the red clashing with the blue was a bit odd and reminded him of how the pirates he ran into on the surface would dress. Luckily Zuko didn't seem to care much about fashion.
"Hmmm ... Your gonna need some new footwear give me a moment"
He came back with some spare tabi socks and straw sandals for Zuko to wear.
"As for where we are exactly, we are in the bottom of the Mo Ce Sea"
"So we are under the sea"
"Yes"
"How did I get here?!"
"Your asking me? ... How should I know? You don't exactly get here by yourself, you know. There has been only a handful of people who made it by themselves ... And let's just say they didn't really last long"
As Zuko got more on edge when suddenly a flash of realization flooded his body. "Wait!" He padded down his pants as panic crept on him more.
Where is it? Where is it? Don't tell me it fell into the sea!!"
"Where is the rest of my clothes?!"
"??? ... I told you they were tattered. So I got rid of them ... I didn't thi-"
"Where did you dump them Old Man!!"
As his anger rose and he was in front of Kovu. He suddenly felt a sharp pain to his side. "Ugh!"
"Careful ...." Kovu guided Zuko to a seat by the floor. The old man gave a quick conflicted look as he saw the slightly opened wound.
Blood began to drip and slip through.
Kovu gave a sigh as if he saying screw it. He quickly left the gathering space for a moment as a second later he came back with a bowl of water.
"Hold still"
Kovu took off his sword braced to his leg and with a big huff, he knelt behind him, rolling up his sleeves. The old man drip his hand in the bowl of water as the said water covered his hand and began to glow.
Kovu, with practiced precision, then slowly placed his hand on Zuko's lower back as the water hummed and resonated with the wound.
"I apologize, its been way too long since I have used the healing aspect of Waterbending. You probably be better off with the tribe's healers but we can't have that now."
The pain dulled—cool, quiet, like mist across hot stone.
Zuko grunts quickly came to a past as he relaxed at the soothing healing properties of the water.
Zuko didn't speak. Not yet.
Zuko sat in silence on the floor mat, the warm air clinging to his skin with the faint dampness of sweat. His thoughts churned like the sea outside—directionless, dragging him under again and again.
He didn't know what time it was. If time even worked the same down here.
Kovu words stuck to Zuko for a moment as he was lost in thought while Kovu healed his wound.
First Kovu said that there has only been a handful of people who made it here either by accident or attentional. So I'm not the first person to find this place. But it was the second thing that got Zuko on edge, it was that they didn't last long.
. . . . .
Kovu with his free hand went into his jimbe as he pulled out something which he can only suspect what got the young man on edge.
"Here ... this was on you person as well" Kovu dropped onto Zuko's lap the object as it landed on him. Zuko deep thought was interrupted and his eyes widened when he realized what this was. It was the dual blade guards that he was clutching to as he was in sea.
Relief was washing over him. Cooling his sweat on his skin. He was calming down.
"I was waiting for you to settled in to give it back to you ... but if your gonna open your wound in panic .... well lets just say I don't want you dying after all the effort I had to do to patch you up"
Zuko always had a short fuse. But this outburst was a bit different from the other times. This had genuine worry in his tone.
"S-sorry" That was the only word that came out of Zuko mouth.
"It must be important to you ... so don't worry about it too much"
Silence came upon the room again.
"I suppose," Kovu said after a while breaking the silent humming of the water, "you have more questions"
Zuko simply nodded.
"This place... you weren't supposed to find it. No one is. For generations, our tribe has stayed hidden. Tucked beneath the sea. For... Let's just say reasons."
Zuko could hear the weight in that pause. And then he asked.
"Is this some water tribe?"
It made sense, from what he has seen so far. Zuko can only assume that this was some forgotten Water Tribe lost to time or something like that. He had visited both the Southern and Northern Water Tribe, so he was safe in his assumptions since Kovu own home had a Water Tribe feel to it.
"Haha ... Well I guess you can say that. This place, when it was still on the surface was just that, a water tribe. I read it was also a central trading hub between the four nations as well. Heh ... I used to call this place the legendary Central Water Tribe"
Zuko ignored that bad naming sense from the old man as he continued his questioning.
"Hey don't give me that face ... I think its a better name than the Mo Ce Tribe"
"So ... What happened?"
". . . . . I can't say"
Zuko gave him a look. As if he was getting annoyed for him being cryptic again.
"Look boy, I may be old but I'm not that old. I can't say because I don't know. The only reference I read about was something about the 'Great Battle' ... It seemed like this place lost"
Kovu then looked away as he muttered to himself.
"If truly want to know, then you gotta ask the Chief. The archives is under her protection."
Then as if to change the subject.
"This placed started out as a Water Tribe, but due to its location other nations cultures came into this place before ... You know"
I see. That explains the miss mash of different buildings and layout then.
But then a though came across Zuko.
Wait ... if this place was a central hub for all the four nations and it was suddenly cut off from the surface for all these years ... then shouldn't ...
"A-are there .... Airbenders here?"
He can remember how the layout of the landscape was similar to the air nomads temples so it was a interesting theory to have.
". . . . ."
Silence fall on the room again. Zuko couldn't see Kovu face but he felt a ... pressure coming off of him. He for some reason didn't want to turn around to see his expression.
"No" Kovu answered coldly.
"Look Kuzon .... the Air Nomads never fully settled into this place. They believed into staying at their temples way back when. So when this place fell ... I believe there were no Air Nomads present."
"I see" Zuko was a bit disappointed for some reason at his answer.
"Why the sudden interest in Airbenders?"
"Well ..." He wasn't sure how to to answer. "They are extinct on the surface"
". . . . ." Kovu just kept quiet.
"I guess I was just getting my hopes up for some reason"
"Interesting" Kovu simply answers without a care in the world. "What a dilemma the surface is in right now."
"You don't seem that concern about that"
"Heh ... What's a old man like me gonna do about it ... Hmmm I guess the 3 nations doesn't have the same ring to it. I guess that's regretable though"
Silence occured again. Zuko broke the silence again as he decides to ask something base on what Kovu said earlier.
"What's gonna happen to me?"
Kovu thought for a moment and began to be blunt as if he just wanted to just rip the band aid.
"We have rules here. Harsh ones. The fewer outsiders who know we exist, the safer we are. If the Council finds out you're here..."
He didn't finish the sentence.
Zuko exhaled through his nose as the sinking suspicion came back.
"So I'm a prisoner, then?"
He was beginning to get a sense of Deja Vu. He was feeling like when he first got to Ba Sing Se. A prisoner trapped in enemy territory.
"Well... no. But also yes," Kovu said with a dry shrug. "You're not locked up, but you can't exactly go for a stroll downtown either. Well maybe you can with the outfit I gave you but just don't cause a scene"
Zuko scowled. "Great."
"You can stay with me. For now. I'll figure out what to do with you. And maybe, while we sort out your situation you seem to have boy."
That cut deeper than Zuko expected.
"My own situation?" he echoed.
Kovu didn't respond immediately. Just kept the water flowing over the wound.
"You've got a look about you," he said finally. "Not just pain. Regret. Guilt. Anger. You've been carrying too much for too long. And judging by your condition, it's been eating you alive."
Zuko didn't answer. He didn't need to. He looked to the floor as his mind began to sink into despair.
He had chosen wrong. Again.
He'd betrayed his Uncle, the only person who was on his side through these troubling times in his life.
Turned on the Avatar and his friends.
Backstabbed Katara, the person that gave him a out.
Trusted Azula. And where had it gotten him?
Bleeding in the middle of the ocean with no nation, no honor, and no way forward. Zuko was truly alone in this world now.
What would mom think of me now? I failed her. She died for a worthless son like me.
He rubbed his eyes. "I don't even know who I am anymore," he muttered. "Every time I try to do what's right... I make it worse."
Azula was right ... I should have been the one to die that day
The water stilled. Kovu sat back on his heels. He finished his treatment as he dumped the water back in the bowl. Zuko didn't even attempt to put back on his Jimbe.
Kovu then went into his sleeve as he pulled out a case. He opened it up to a greenish substance which only be assumed to be some kind of ointment. He dripped his hand as he then place the ointment onto Zuko wound. Working as both a disinfectant and a way to help keep the wound close.
Zuko winched as the cold ointment touches his wound. The ointment stung as it later caused a cold sensation to radiate from his injury. Then he felt relief from the pain, It seems this was really good ointment.
"You don't trust your own judgment. That's dangerous. I have seen that turn men into husk of their former selves or just into blind puppets"
"What should I do?"
"That ... I'm not sure. It is up to the one conflicted with those thoughts to fix it themselves ... If another person gets you out of those woods then you just become dependent on that person. The next time you hit a crisis and your back to square one"
Now that he thinks about it. Uncle has never directly ever told him what he should do. He would be there by his side as he made his own decisions. He would just give him advice. An ear to listen to when he was troubled and wanted to rant.
Zuko just continued to stare at the floor. He pulled out his treasured memento from his mother, the decorative dual blade guards. He began to fiddle with it, separating them as he bought them together to complete the design.
Kovu placed the bowl of water back to Zuko can only assume was the cooking area or bathroom.
"What now?" He asked quietly. He doesn't know what to do next. Or how to proceed.
Kovu rose with a grunt, adjusting the brace on his leg.
"Now? You eat. You sleep. You heal. You observe. You stay hidden. You breathe."
He turned toward the doorway, lifting the flap just enough to check the light outside.
"And when you're ready, you decide what comes next."
Zuko sat alone for a while after Kovu left. He finally decides to put back on the jimbe as he took one final look at his memento.
What should I do?... Mom ... Uncle
For the first time in days, no one was asking him to prove anything.
He wasn't the banished prince.
Wasn't the enemy.
Wasn't the failure.
He didn't have to hunt the Avatar
He was just... here.
And for now, that had to be enough.