-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Faceless

---Chapter 1: Uzin of the Fire Nation

Circle time. I hated circle time. About ten of us and Doctor Hwang gathered in the courtyard and sat in a circle. Here he asked us questions and we generally opened ourselves up to all the other residents in Ash Springs… or at least the residents from my wing- but not me. I didn't even want to be here. I never wanted to be here. I was thirsty, that was my big realization. But we had some new faces in the circle and Doctor Hwang likes to do introductions. This must have been my sixth time if I was counting correctly. It looked like some of them were from the Earth Kingdom and some of them could have been from the colonies. We were supposed to listen very carefully and remain thoughtful of the other residents. That's what Doctor Hwang and Doctor Jing always said, but I wasn't listening. I sat with my arms crossed and looked towards the sky and drifted from the rock garden to the number of palm trees planted out in the courtyard. I always let my mind wonder in these sessions. I'd rather be reprimanded and forced to clean out the engine room of a war ship.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce Joo Dee. She's from Ba Sing Se in the Earth Kingdom. I hope everyone gives her a warm welcome," Doctor Hwang said.

I looked over to Joo Dee. She was sitting next to me. She had been at Ash Springs for the last week or so. Even if you didn't know her name, you would know the smile. She never stopped smiling. She smiled all the time every day. She smiled non-stop. She smiled so hard that she frightened some of the residents and for some reason she could reduce the Dai Li guy to an unhinged mess. She smiled so much that some residents started to mimic her and also smile non-stop. I can't tell you how long it took the doctors to put a stop to that. It seemed like she was trying hard to be courteous, and only ended up disturbing people. As for me… I couldn't look at her for any length of time because that smile would haunt me for the rest of my life. My superior officers had nothing on her when it came to intimidation. Usually I concentrated on her hair piece or the robe she wore. Anything so I didn't have to look at that stupid smile. With that smile, she belonged at Ash Springs. She needed help.

"Hello, I'm Joo Dee!" She waved. Her enthusiasm could kill someone.

"Why don't you say a few things about yourself?" Doctor Hwang encouraged.

"Yes well… I'm from the Earth Kingdom. I worked for the Cultural Authority as a guide for Ba Sing Se's esteemed guests. I was sent here by my parents. They say that I could use a long vacation for how hard I worked."

"Everyone needs a break from work. You know Joo Dee, you don't have to smile so much. Sometimes… we don't smile. Our expressions have a rest position. It's very healthy and necessary to everyday life."

Doctor Hwang tried to demonstrate and put a blank look on his face. I couldn't help but laugh. As doctors go he was quite young, but just as formal and incapable of acting normal. He always seemed like he was examining something. The first time I arrived at Ash Springs I thought he was the model for some of the propaganda posters during the war. His black hair, his moustache, it was all so impossibly neat and tidy. But Joo Dee, unsurprisingly, didn't buy his explanation.

"Nonsense. Not smiling would seem discourteous. It's important that visitors and guests always feel welcome- especially the ones that I had the honor of guiding around the city. I was even promoted one time for my hard work!"

"That's true Joo Dee, but you aren't in Ba Sing Se. You're on vacation. You deserve some time to yourself. No one works all the time. I want you to think about that while staying at Ash Springs."

Joo Dee didn't stop smiling but nodded. Doctor Hwang scribbled something down on his scroll and turned to me. I hated when it was my turn. It never got any easier as many times as I did it.

"Uzin, would you mind introducing yourself?"

I was so thirsty. I didn't think my mouth was going to be able to move.

"Why? I've already introduced myself… three times this week actually," I said.

"Yes… but we have some new residents and I would appreciate if you showed the courtesy of introducing yourself again."

I didn't want Joo Dee to know my name; she might try to give me a tour of my own room or the dining hall or something equally worthless. Sometimes, when everyone was allowed to walk around, she would start tour groups. One time she had a crowd of fifty following her around and listening intently. A couple misinformed visitors to the island even took her for a member of the staff.

"No, I'd rather leave."

When I stood up, so did Doctor Hwang. The guards in the courtyard took notice and approached the circle. They could firebend, but so could I. Possibly, I could take down two of the guards. But there were always more outside the courtyard walking the halls. It wasn't so much a matter of skill but a matter of numbers. How well they were trained was a good question… but they probably had more Firebenders here than the Boiling Rock.

"Now Uzin, if you don't calm down I will have no choice but to move you to the secure wing." Doctor Hwang crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at me.

The secure wing? I didn't want to get moved to the secure wing. It was across from the main wing. Outside, you could see some of its guard towers in the distance. It was a metal circular building with metal walls and metal doors. With metal floors and bars and supposedly it was designed so well not even a Fire Lord could burn himself out. I heard they had cool down rooms that made the Boiling Rock seem tame in comparison. No way was I going to be put in there. Hesitantly I sat down and watched as the guards backed off. Doctor Hwang sat down and readied his scroll.

"Now, go right ahead." He gestured to me.

I sighed and went through the motions.

"My name is Uzin. It's my father's name, which he got from his father."

"What generation does that make you?"

"Uzin the third. My father was a part of the Fire Nation Army, retired. I went into the Navy. I enjoyed the travel opportunities."

Like always whenever I mentioned that part about my life, the same resident who always did stood up and gave me a respectful bow. He believes he's in the military even though his spear is a fragile stick and his helmet is a bowl stolen from the dining room. It's nothing compared to my uniform, which the doctors still let me wear for some reason. They never let me have the helmet though.

"What was your last operation during your service, Uzin?"

"The Siege of the North, led by Admiral Zhao."

"How did that go?"

"Not well."

Doctor Hwang narrowed his eyes.

"Now Uzin, this is one of your problems. You never give a straight answer. You always hide behind sarcasm or poor generalizations. I want you to be honest. It is important that you share the experiences you had during that time. Please, tell us. We're all listening."

I looked around the circle. None of these people cared. They were all crazy. One of them wore clay masks and called himself the Face Stealer. One had an unusual compulsion to paint random things purple. One was from the Dai Li, an Earthbender who probably could have left whenever he wanted to but didn't because he had nightmares about little blind girls and didn't get any sleep. Next to me was a woman who never stopped smiling who could make him cry. Across the circle was a man who thought he was a soldier. I could go on, and this didn't even cover the violent cases locked up in the secure wing. All of them had a fire that had burnt out a long time ago. Ash Springs was nothing but a place to stick crazy people. Everyone who was a waste. And I was here for some reason. Thirsty. But if Doctor Hwang wants me to explain, then I'll explain.

"It was Admiral Zhao's plan to wipe the Northern Water Tribe off the face of the map. It involved the spirits. The moon disappeared from the sky and then the ocean rose up and decided to destroy everything. The Avatar was probably involved but it was a big watery monster that couldn't be stopped. It was huge. Men were smothered in ocean water, frozen solid, dragged down the bottom of the sea, stranded in restless freezing waves. Great ships were flipped over like turtle ducks. Tossed backwards like they were thrown from a catapult. The ship I managed to reach in the retreat was cut in two by water. And now, whenever I see wa-"

I stopped. My throat closed up and my body began to shake. I sat down, not even realizing that I had stood up in the first place. I must have been waving my hands all over. Whenever I started talking about the North Pole I never could keep track of myself. Quickly I shoved my hands under my arms and met a crowd of wide eyed nutcases staring back at me. Doctor Hwang looked like he was scribbling down a novel on his scroll.

"And now whenever what? Uzin?" Doctor Hwang asked gently.

"No... Nothing."

"You were going to say something. Something about water."

"No. It's not about water. It was… Walrus Panthers. I hate them."

"It's definitely about water. You've mentioned it before."

"I was sent here because of my father's wishes. He thinks because the war is over and all the changes going on at the capital I have unresolved stress or something ridiculous like that. Like I can't handle change! I was in the navy!"

"No, he sent you here because when you get near any amount of water, no matter how small, you have a complete breakdown. He's worried about you. You won't drink anything."

"Shut up about the stupid water! Shut up!"

The guards moved back in on my side. Everything was so silent now. The Joo Dee lady was still smiling. I had my hands in my hair and sweating for some reason. I was still thirsty.

"Are you going to be all right Uzin?" Doctor Hwang asked after a time.

"I'm tired. Am I done?"

"Yes, that's alright. We'll talk more during the private sessions."

An arm shot up into the air.

"The Face Stealer wants to go next!"

We all looked over to the man wearing the clay masks. I hated when he spoke in these group sessions. Every time, it involved talking in the third person, obsessing about faces and how he was going to take them. He was probably the most unsettling resident in my wing. But before the doctor could say anything a shadow rolled over the courtyard. Everyone looked up to see an airship overhead. It was amazing. I had heard about airships but I had never seen one before. Banners hung from the sides as it passed by. I thought I recognized the insignia but it was too quick for me to be sure. Doctor Jing ran out into the courtyard. She was an older doctor who wore glasses and had the fanciest top knot I had ever seen. Even the royal family would have been jealous. I liked to joke that her topknot got her exiled to Ash Springs where she's forced to take care of crazy people.

"Doctor, did you just see that?" Doctor Jing asked quickly.

"What was it? We aren't expecting any new patients today. At least not by airship."

"No! That airship had the markings of the Fire Lord!"

"What?" Doctor Hwang dropped his scroll and brush. "The Fire Lord? No… we aren't… it can't be him! Why would he come here?"

"It's probably about his sister! You better find the other doctors and nurses. We don't have much time."

One of the guards entered the courtyard in a panic; you'd think we were being invaded. The excitement spread to the circle easily. Everyone was getting restless.

"The airship just landed at the south dock! The Royal Guard is stepping out! Whatever we're going to do, we better do it quick!"

Doctor Hwang tried to eat his fingers and before he could chew through them he quickly regained his composure and turned to the circle.

"Okay, everyone, may I have your attention. I'm sorry to say we have to end our circle session early. If everyone could move to the recreation room, we'll have to resume this later."

"The Face Stealer didn't get to speak!"

Easily the best thing that happened all day.

"Please, everyone, move to the recreation room."

Doctor Hwang and Doctor Jing left along with two of the guards. The rest of us were corralled inside. The recreation room wasn't far from the courtyard. It was just a large room with Pai Sho tables and plenty of seats with large windows over looking the garden. I didn't want to go to the recreation room. I wanted to watch the doctors and nurses and attendants flounder in the face of the arrival of the Fire Lord. It was like anytime Admiral Zhao came on board the ship I served on. It wasn't so much of an inspection but an excuse to hand out demotions or make an example of someone. In not even a week I realized that only Zhao could make Zhao happy. But with a Fire Lord… I mean the new Fire Lord. Fire Lord Zuko. I never saw him but other survivors said that he was there at the North Pole. When Ozai was still Fire Lord, he was even blamed as one of the reasons the whole invasion failed. I had to know if it was true. Now the only matter was finding a situation where I could get close enough… No one approaches the Fire Lord randomly, especially if you're a resident at Ash Springs…

- Next Chapter: Fire Lord Zuko