Chapter 1: the waterbending scroll, familiar faces
"Mom look! I did it!" Said the five years old girl who twirled and dances as small sparkles of flame floated around her. "that's beautiful Ulani!" Answered the cheery voice of a man. "General Iroh!" Both girls yelled, running towards him and he heartily laughed as he embraced them both. The older woman laid a gentle kiss in his bearded cheek and the little girl hanged from his harm.
"General Iroh, look what I can do now!" Ulani said, dancing around him and making small flames dance with her. "Zelka's been teaching you marvelously! You are as beautiful as the fire lily!" He said lifting the girl in his arms. "One day I will go to the fire lord castle and dance for you!" The little Ulani said and both elders laughed.
I opened my eyes and closed them again at the brightness. Of course, it was all a dream, of the good days, the happy days. I stood up and stretched, swiped the dirt off my clothes. Something simple that helped me blend in, tank top, baggy pants, knee high boots, simple nomad clothes. I sighed and picked up my bag, I ran out of food so I should probably go to the market.
After a few minutes walking I got to the market. I browsed around hearing the people chat, I heard something about the avatar causing trouble to the local pirates and other stuffs. The avatar is here, has he really come back.
"Is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!" I stopped dead in my tracks. That voice, it can't be his is it? "You bought a zungi horn?" That was an unfamiliar voice. Maybe it was just my imagination from the dream, yeah, it must be it. "For music night on the ship" I heard him again. I couldn't help the grin on my face as I ran towards the voice and stopped as I saw them enter a pirate ship. I waited outside the ship and took a deep breath. I just hope is really him, not just my mind playing tricks on me.
After a few moments they came out along with the Pirates, I called for him. "Hey! Wait, please!" I said waving at him and when he turned around and I saw his face my breath got caught up in my chest. I stopped in front of them, I didn't took my eyes off him, I took in as much as him as I could, comparing him to the mental imagine I had of him from years ago. His face was adorned with wrinkles, his hair was completely grey, his belly was wider but his eyes held the same sympathy and wisdom. I notice the boy who was with him take a defensive stance. I bowed and smiled at them. "General Iroh is a great honor to meet you again" I said with a huge smile in my face but he seemed confused. "Who are you?" Demanded the boy taking a step forward. I took a closer look at the boy, he wore a fire nation armor, his head was bald apart from the long ponytail in the middle of his head, his golden glaring eyes held determination and pride, then I noticed the scar that covered his eye and ear.
"I see you don't recognize me, after all it's been almost 11 years since the last time we've met. I've changed a lot but you haven't changed a bit General Iroh" I said smiling again and this time he smiled back, it was a polite smile. "It's me, Ulani. The daughter of Zelka"
His eyes went wide and he passed the boys side in a flash and hugged me, I hugged him back. "Look how much you've grown! You're still as beautiful as a fire lily" I smiled, a small tear fell down my cheek.
"Uncle, who is she?" Demanded the boy, interrupting the moment. "She is the daughter of a dear friend of mine. It's been so long since I last saw both of you, how is Zelka?" I frowned a little, not enough for them to notice but once again I smiled. As I was about to answer he talked ahead. "Let's talk on the ship! And have a nice cup of tea!" He said, placing his hand behind me and guiding me towards the massive metal ship.
"I'm not letting a stranger walk in freely in my ship" the boy said crossing his arms and glaring at me once again. "Oh my nephew!, she's no stranger to me" Iroh said patting my back. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Ulani, I also come from the Fire Nation. It's an honor to meet you Prince Zuko" I said bowing to the boy. He said nothing. "She is the daughter of one of my closest friend back in the Fine Nation and she is also a marvelous dancer" Iroh said and walked me inside the ship, ignoring the glaring teenage boy.
"Now, tell me about you, how have you been my dear?" Said Iro filling a cup with tea and handing it to me. "Good, I've been going around to where the wind takes me" I said sipping the hot tea and he laughed. "How is Zelka?" He asked with a smile in his face and I frowned. "She died almost four years ago, she got very sick very quickly" I said a little low and his smile turned into a pained frown. "I'm so sorry to hear that" I placed my hand in his and smiled at him.
"I decided to leave the fire nation and make the world my house. But before that I wanted to make moms wish come true" I said smiling a little."uncle! It's time to go to with the pirates, say goodbye to your friend, we're leaving!" Zuko yelled and went below deck.
"Come with us dear, your company would do great for Prince Zuko" Iroh offered but I knew I couldn't stay long. "I'm sorry General Iroh" I was interrupted. "Call me uncle, since Zelka had you, you've been like family to me" Iroh said patting my shoulder. Damn he knows how to manipulate ones feelings. "I can't stay in a place for too long, besides, I would feel terrible eating from your hands without earning it" I said trying to come up with an excuse but being truthful. "You can work for us! As a crew member" he said but before I could talk I was interrupted once again. "Uncle!" Zuko shouted very loudly. Iroh pushed me below deck, through the inside of the ship until we entered a room with a smaller boat that was being loaded with supplies. "Zuko! We have a new crew member!" Iroh said loudly and happily. Some of the already crew members stopped to look at me while Zuko turned sharply towards us, his ponytail whipping violently behind him. "What!? I don't need any more mouths to feed" Zuko said. "It will be good for you to have someone your age in the ship" Iroh said grabbing a hold on both my and Zuko's shoulder and pushing us into the boat.
Once we were in the river following the wooden boat of the pirates, Iroh and I continued talking more freely since Zuko was on the pirates boat.
"I was going to dance for the Fire Lord. But it was cancelled because of an Agny Kai." At the mention of the event he frowned even deeper. "I was there, I saw it. The day Prince Zuko was vanished I left the fire Nation, hiding in war ships and working in various places to survive." I said confidently, I was proud of the life I was living and I wasn't ashamed of the things I did.
He came closer to me and moved my hair behind my ear and his eyes went wide. "How did you get that scar?" He asked worriedly. "Fire Nation mercenaries. They where in a earth kingdom village causing trouble and terrorizing people. There was one boy who stood up to them. They where going to attack him so I stood up for him. They said I was going to suffer his punishment and I did, he burnt my face, neck, shoulder, part of my arm, breast and my side." I said and I saw a hint of shame and rage in his eyes and I smiled at him. "It was almost two years ago and Im happy I did it, I didn't wanted that kid to have a horrible scar that will haunt him, but for me, it's a reminder that I was strong, even against my people" I said smiling and he smiled back.
We stopped beside the river bank, Iroh and I stayed close to the boats while Zuko left with the pirates and returned later with a water tribe girl. He tied her to a tree. He then started interrogating her and black mailing her with a necklace, then turned to the pirates and did the same to them but with the scroll. "Your nephew can be very intimidating" I said to Iroh and he sighed. "He has a bad temper but he is a good guy in the inside" he said. Deep deep down he must be nice.
The sun was rising and we where still in the boats in the river banks, with the water tribe girl tied to the tree. Iroh had told me that she was the avatar friend and Zuko was on a mission to hunt him. After a while the pirates came back with two boys, a water tribe boy and a bald kid with a arrow tattoo, wait! The avatar is a kid!
I was standing next to Iroh who was standing next to the girl. "Aang, this is all my fault" said the girl with regret in her voice. "No Katara, it isn't" the bald boy answered. "Yeah, it kinda is" said Iroh, I chuckled at him and the girl, Katara, gave us a quick glare. Then the water tribe boy started rambling about how it was better to sell the avatar to the black market or the fire lord. I see what you're doing clever boy, and it worked for him, soon the soldiers and the pirates where fighting, me included in the whole thing. I might look like a wimp but I have lived long enough to know how to defend myself and I'm damn good at it!
Zuko was fighting with the pirates captain then Iroh interrupted saying that their ship has sailed, and it was in fact. The Captain ran to his ship while Zuko laughed but was shut up by his own sailed boat full of mocking pirates, now it was my turn to laugh before running behind them.
I saw the whole thing, how those three kids fought a whole crew of pirates, and tried to slow down the ship to not fall off the waterfall and when our boat crashed with the ship they flew off in a flying bison, oh I'll love to fly in that. We got to the edge of the cliff, panting. Iro was panting and suddenly he giggled and said between laughs. "Prince Zuko, you're really going to get a kick out of this" dramatic pause "the lotus tile was in my sleeve the whole time!" He said with a huge grin, showing the py-sho tile. Zuko took deep breaths and grunted snapping the tile out of Iro's hand and tossing it off the cliff.
"Now that was rude!" I said to the prince, he glared at me and yelled "shut up!" Before storming off to the ship.