This is my first for-serious fic. I really love Yue and I wish there were more stories about her. This is intended to be a very long story with her as the main character. I want to give her character development from where she is in the series and to be honest a love triangle because I adore those. The whole first third/half-ish is just slowburn Zue, though. It's in first person, but there are zero POV switches. I chose first person because I wanted to force myself to get more into her head when I'm doing a story based on a spotlight on her character. Also, I'm doing everything in my power not to rehash the show, down to trying to avoid even a single line while retaining the integrity of canon Anyway, I hope you enjoy my weird fic.

FASTER THAN MOONLIGHT

I never was brave enough to seek out adventure, so maybe I should be grateful that adventure found me.

It was a dream of mine for a lifetime, buried under the perfect Princess Yue, but I was a girl who understood reality. I knew it would be selfish to pursue excitement and I would do anything to protect those I loved and those who loved me.

And so it was a grand accident that I was submerged in ice cold water, clawing at the surface. I was a strong swimmer, but the cold and the sounds of the battle that echoed in my head made me disoriented. I had enough of my wits about me to grab the hand reaching for me.

The man who saved the moon spirit pulled me to the surface. I stared at him, trying to summon the words of gratitude I knew well, but he had done so much for me that I was speechless. He saved my tribe and he now had saved me.

"We have to get out of here," he said, quite clearly. I let him guide me to the chunks of ship that floated on the ocean. The battle was coming to a close, and I looked over my shoulder at my home. It was devastated by the Fire Nation, even if we won.

The Fire Nation man lifted me onto a floating hunk of metal and the air only made me colder. I shivered and wished I had a change of clothes.

"Why is she here?" demanded a nearby voice. I recognized the gravely tone of a wicked Fire Nation boy before I turned to see his scarred face and glaring golden eyes.

My heart raced and I frantically looked for an escape route that did not exist.

This was not a rescue.

I was captured by the enemy.

x

When we were rescued, my hopes of the Water Tribe finding me weakened and my heart sank. It was the Fire Nation that brought me dry, red clothes made of a fabric I had never felt before. The dress was so smooth against my hands that I kept touching it instead of putting it on. At last, I got dressed and tied my hair back into its braids.

One of my blue gems was missing, so I discarded the other and wore my hair like a lesser citizen. My thoughts of fashion faded when I stared at my feet and came to terms with my situation. I was a prisoner of the Fire Nation, a fate I never imagined would come to me.

The Water Tribe would look for me. My father and mother would scour the world, going to the ends of the earth to find me. I heard from the soldiers that the North Pole won the war. If he could, I knew Sokka would get the Avatar to help find me.

My only fear was that they would be too late. I knew very little of the Fire Nation, but if I was taken there, I knew I was doomed.

How could I let this happen?

How could I let myself get captured by that horrible boy and his kind uncle?

I did not know.

x

They did not take me to the Fire Nation, but I was not released from imprisonment either.

"Zuko, be kind to the lady," said the man I now knew was named Iroh.

"She's our prisoner," snarled the boy I now knew was very rash and perpetually angry. "I spent three days freezing in water because you insisted that I be kind to the lady! It's absurd. It's completely absurd, and I'm not getting into this again!"

I did not say a word. Silence was my best friend now that I was on a beachside village where everyone wore red. My hands were in the warm sand; I felt its heat on my skin and reveled in the strange beauty of the foliage surrounding me.

Zuko addressed me for the first time. "Why do you look so happy? You're a prisoner on a gross beach."

I sat back on my haunches and looked up at him. He looked so aggravated and I did not know how he could be when in such a beautiful place. If anything, I should be the angry one; I was the captive who longed for snow no matter how much she loved the sand.

"I've just never seen anything like this place before. It's amazing," I said truthfully, giving a practiced smile that leant itself to no particular emotion. "I never want to leave the sand!"

When I laughed, Iroh laughed with me, but Zuko scowled more fiercely.

Zuko snarled, "I am going to my room, and, Uncle, you better keep her in your sights because I'm going to return her to my father along with the Avatar. You don't have to be a war genius to know she's worth a lot to the Fire Nation."

Iroh shrugged. I shrank. Zuko stalked away to the cabanas.

Calmly, Iroh said, "You don't have to be so quiet. No one will hold your words against you." He stopped and squinted. "Uh, I will not hold your words against you. I cannot speak for my nephew."

"I do not have anything to say," I replied politely. I maintained the poise of a princess, even if I was dressed in Fire Nation clothes, my hands buried in sand as I wondrously gazed at my verdant surroundings. "I want to thank you for your hospitality, but I do not wish to be given to the Fire Lord."

Iroh turned up his palm. "I can understand that, but, really, I don't think my brother is going to find us here or… even bother looking."

"Your… brother…?" I asked, starting to slip out of my collected tone of voice.

"Do you have any siblings?" asked Iroh, which puzzled me more than discovering his relation to the Fire Lord.

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"Count yourself lucky." Iroh laughed, but I could not.

I was scared, even though I knew I had to pretend otherwise.

x

I got out of bed that night to look at the moon.

Zuko and Iroh were asleep. If I knew how to take care of myself outside of the North Pole, I knew I would try to escape. Soon we would have to run into some form of search party. Maybe I could find them if I knew where I was.

The sky was the only thing that was the same as at home.

I tried to reassure myself that I would soon be safely back there.

x

The next evening, I was picking up seashells and examining them while Zuko went about his business. He kept an eye on me, and did not see the approaching ship. It took only a few moments for my excitement to dissipate; it was not a Water Tribe vessel.

"Zuko," I said, turning to my captor. He said nothing. "Zuko, that's a Fire Nation ship. Are you taking me to the Fire Nation now?"

His eyes widened, stunned by what I saw. He wordless grabbed my wrist, and I went with him, not certain how to shake someone off or bark at them to unhand me. No tutor or teacher ever taught me how to say no.

"Whoever they are, I can't let them see or steal you. You're my prisoner," he said, pushing me behind a large statue. "Stay here and don't come out. No one on that ship is coming to help you; they'll be worse to you than me. I'll take care of this."

I stole glances at the people arriving and overheard enough of a heated conversation to know I was going to be taken to the Fire Nation. If the Fire Lord wanted Zuko back…

When his sister left, I remained hidden. I thought about running more than I had in the past, but I was paralyzed by fear. Zuko came to me and said, "I want you to stay in place until tomorrow. She would completely take credit for you if she got you tonight. You can sleep in one of the empty cabanas."

He ushered me away.

That night, I stared at the moon again.

I prayed to the spirits even though I knew they could not help me.

I was the only one who could save me, but I did not know how.

x

In the morning, Zuko took me with him.

"Is that your new girlfriend?" asked the girl who honestly intimidated me. She turned to me and I straightened my posture, looking at her with a gaze I borrowed from my father. I was the only person to represent my family, my people, and my nation, and I would do it well. "You are too pretty for him. You have interesting eyes. Where did you kidnap her, ZuZu?"

I laughed and murmured under my breath, "ZuZu," unable to help myself.

"She's the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe, and I took her prisoner," said Zuko.

The Princess of the Fire Nation looked unimpressed. I kept myself as regal as possible.

"Well, I would not call her on par with the Avatar, but you tried and I am sure you will be commended for it." She spoke like an eloquent royal but sounded sarcastic.

I thought it was very funny to see the boy who was so cruel to me get flustered.

Then that boy became hopeful. Then a single sentence of a nameless man changed my life.

It took only moments before Iroh took me by the arm yet again, pushing me out of the way of the scene that erupted.

I understood why yesterday Iroh mentioned siblings in such a disdainful manner. I knew of sibling rivalry from my friends and subjects at home, but I had never seen them try to kill each other. That was new. I wanted to be surprised at it, but I was taught about the Fire Nation, and they seemed to have a taste for destruction and a lack of appreciation for life.

As I stole glances at quite the scene, I began to recoil. Before I could begin an escape, the same arm that pulled me out of the water at the North Pole threw me over his shoulder and started running into the forest.

I kept letting it happen to me.

Maybe I should have learned to be stronger.

x

I thought the forest was a remarkable place.

"Why are you looking at stuff like that?" grunted Zuko. Prince Zuko, I now knew he was.

"I've never seen trees outside of the Spirit Oasis," I explained, still dreamily poking at the emerald leaf in my hand. "There are so many here."

Zuko glowered. I had no clue why, but I gave him an ambiguous royal smile in response.

"We're fugitives surrounded by trees and dirt," he growled through his clenched teeth. "I really don't see what's so exciting about this situation."

I carefully considered my words before I decided what to say.

"Have you ever looked at something like it was your first time?" I inquired, tilting my head to the side. "I never did until the past few days. It's a good feeling."

Zuko shook his head, his cheeks bright red from barely contained rage.

"I think I'll pass," he grunted.

It was his loss. I kept my lips sealed and watched the leaves soaring in a strangely warm breeze.

"Am I still a prisoner?" I asked, my heart leaping into my throat when I spoke so brazenly.

"I don't care." Zuko threw his arms up and stood. "I really could not possibly care less if you died in this forest. I want to say that you'd be a really good addition to the Avatar, but I'm starting to get the message that my father also couldn't possibly care less if I died in this forest. So, do whatever. Run away. Knock yourself out getting excited about anything that's not made of snow."

He stormed off, fully abandoning his captive for the first time.

I felt sorry for him, but I secretly was happy that this happened; my chance of returning home and not being gifted to the Fire Lord significantly increased.

I released the leaf in my hand and let it float to the ground.

And I vowed that I would become stronger. As I wondered how to fight back against captors, I knew in my heart that I could no longer be obedient and passive. I would escape Zuko, I would find Sokka, and I would join him and Aang and Katara to help end the war.

Only after I did my part would I return to the embrace of ice and grip of marriage.