Days on the Sea - Monthly Omake

An omake that depicts a conversation between Zuko and Ty Lee in their time at sea together, set during the year’s time skip between Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. This omake was made possible by all of my wonderful patrons over on Patreon, I am very thankful for their support!

--------

“The Eastern Earth Kingdom?” Ty Lee asked, a confused sound leaving her as she looked at you, a rather content Taro perched on her shoulder, gluttonously munching on the snacks she was providing judging by the sounds of it. “Isn’t that enemy territory?”

Focused as you were on the reports you’d pulled from the Fire Navy outpost near the outposts you’d just passed by, you could only nod. “It’s as far from the front lines as you can get without entering the Fire Nation.” You said.

“Sounds really dangerous!” Ty Lee chirped, before chuckling. “Nothing we can’t handle though!” You couldn’t help but laugh at her confidence, though it was tempered by the knowledge of the conversations you’d had with both Uncle and Captain Lee Ren.

“It is dangerous, but only a certain amount is due to the enemy.” You said, your voice filled with caution. “We will be cut off from the logistics networks we’ve been making use of, and any Earth Kingdom port this far from the war will be more than enough to openly oppose our approach.” You sighed. “We will likely have to implement rationing.”

“Jeez.” Ty Lee murmured, seemingly deflating. “That’s gonna suck.” But of course, Ty Lee being Ty Lee, she almost immediately bounced back. “Oh well! I’m sure that’ll make up for all the exercise I don’t get on his ship!” Something that had you frowning deeply.

Pausing on your perusal of the papers, you turned to look at Ty Lee with a searching look. “You’re okay with that?” You asked. “It’s gonna be a miserable affair.” So much so, that you half expected to deal with a mutiny for even proposing it to a body of soldiers, who would be made fully aware of what they were getting into.

“I mean… you can’t go back home if you don’t find the Avatar, right?” She asked, seemingly not even concerned with what you were saying, something that made you frown even harder! “And I promised to help you with that!”

“But you didn’t sign up for this!” You pressed. “You’re not even a soldier like those people outside! How can you say you’re okay with this when I’m dragging you toward something you’ve never been prepared for!”

She was the daughter of a noble, who had grown up in the excess familiar to those close to the Capital, and who had the favor of the Royal Family… how could she withstand all that awaited her in the Earth Kingdom?!

“You didn’t sign up for it either, Zuko.” Ty Lee pointed out, pouting as if she thought it was no big deal! But it was, it really was! “You grew up in a Palace, not on a ship, and definitely not near anything you just described to me. If you can handle that… well I can too!”

“I can handle it because I must.” You said, feeling no little desperation as she simply refused to understand. “At any point, you can go back to the Fire Nation and be welcomed back, you can even go back to your Circus, any Circus, if you want!”

“Well!” Ty Lee said, crossing her arms and meeting your look with one of her own. “Because I don’t want to!”

“Why?!” You asked, your desperation finally bubbling to the surface.

“Because I want to help you!”

Those words, along with the frown that was marring the face that was so used to smiles, brought you pause. You’d never seen her so angry. But even so, even though it made you feel so guilty to do so, you couldn’t help but ask…

“Are- are we good enough friends for that?”

“Of course we are!” Ty Lee responded heatedly in immediate fashion. “W-we might not have been back at the Palace, but do you seriously think that the time we spent together on this ship meant nothing to me?”

The wind was taken out of your sails in the face of those words, with you deflating immediately as happiness and shame flooded your body in equal measure… the only thing you could think to do in the face of that was to bow your head.

“If I had any kind of honor left, I probably just lost it here.” You said, cursing yourself inwardly even as Ty Lee gasped. “I’m sorry, Ty Lee… I didn’t mean to insinuate that.” You had just been concerned, concerned for her.

“O-oh come on Zuko, don’t say that!” She was quick to try and console you, like the good friend that she was, a friend you were not worthy of. “Don’t think that either!” How did she--- “Because I just know how you work, okay!”

…Scary.

“Look, don’t worry about it!” Ty Lee said, reaching over to grasp your face in her hands and forcing you to look at her. “You were just concerned about me, and that’s okay!” A pause. “Just don’t try to push me away because of it, I can handle myself!”

She really could, couldn’t she?

Yet another thing to have shamed yourself over… but enough about those thoughts, before you made her even angrier over them when she inevitably read your mind.

So you simply smiled as widely as you could. “Yeah… I’m sorry about that.” You said. “I should have remembered someone as talented as you wouldn’t be cowed by any threat.”

“J-jerk.” Ty Lee murmured, looking away with a huff before whispering to herself. “How can you be so cute and dense at the same time?” She was probably hoping that you didn’t hear that--- wait a second.

C-cute?

Now that was unexpected, how did you even respond to that--- wait, she didn’t know you’d heard it! You could play it off and she’d be none the wiser.

“I sure am.” You nodded with utmost seriousness, which at least got a giggle out of her!

Situation resolved successfully!