"Zuko! Zuko!"
Zuko sat in his bedroom, staring at himself in the mirror in his new clothes. Ever since he became Fire Lord, everything seemed so surreal. He was made aware of the issues, but wasn't left to handle them all on his own, which was nice. He didn't know how to run a nation. And strangely, he was feeling thankful for his advisors, who had been pretty much running the nation alone since Azula… yeah. Zuko's attention turned when he heard his uncle's voice, calling to him from the hallway. Wait… not the hallway? Zuko moved closer to the sound and found that it was actually coming from outside the window. He opened the large doors to the balcony and peered over the edge into the darkness, only making out the faint sihlouette of his uncle Iroh on the ground, with something big in his arms. Something almost as big as him. And stained.
"Uncle?" Zuko questioned.
"Zuko quick, have the guards meet me at the garden doors with medics, and the palace doctor. This girl, she needs help!" He waddled underneath the balcony and Zuko didn't register his uncle's sense of distress at first, then as the urgency of the matter crept up inside him he started barking commands.
"Guards! Assemble a team of medics and meet my uncle at the garden gate! Nurses- prepare a room!" Almost as quick as he'd said it, the team of medics were at the gates just as the guards were opening it, and Iroh was hobbling in as best as he could, wheezing and his clothes smeared in blood. Although when Zuko transcended the stairs to meet him, it wasn't his uncle that his eyes were fixed on; rather it was what he had brought in. Zuko let his face sink into an expression of shock and almost horror as he saw that his uncle had carried in a girl, who's left arm and much of her leg, as well as parts of her abdomen and back and neck were badly burnt. Fresh, too, the wounds still oozed blood and puss, the pink flesh twisted in such distaste that some of the nurses could not stay around due to the smell of burnt decaying flesh. The doctors immediately went to work, taking the girl from Iroh's arms, and rushing her off to a sanitized room. Zuko hurried over to his uncle.
"Uncle what happened?" He asked, bending down to see if his uncle needed any help. Iroh was sitting on the floor now, exhausted and sweating, but otherwise apeared unharmed.
"I came upon a village not far from here." He wheezed, trying to slow his breathing. "It seemed like there was some sort of a revolt."
"A revolt?" Zuko's eyes were wide. He hadn't expected this. Well, he had, but not this soon. It'd only been a few weeks since he ascended to the throne, and naturally there would be old fashioned people who thought the same way that his father, Fire Lord Ozai, had. But it seemed to quick for a rebellion.
"I do not think it was against you, entirely." Iroh said, reading the expression on his nephew's face. "I think it had to do something with that girl's family." Zuko snapped back to reality.
"Her family?" He echoed.
"It was strange. That entire village was almost blaming her family for something. Ousting them from the village, until one young man had set their house afire with his bending." Zuko looked at him as Iroh went to get up, and extended a hand for help. Once standing, the two slowly headed to Iroh's quarters. Zuko had one question in his head, that, due to his uncle's grim nature, he was pretty sure he knew the answer to.
"…The family?" He asked, after a few minutes of wandering through the palace in silence. Iroh just shook his head.
"Go check on the girl for me. Her injuries were grave, and I fear I was too late." Iroh said as they reached his room. "I will wash up and meet you there shortly."
"Okay Uncle." Zuko said, as he turned and walked away. Feeling conflicted inside, Zuko walked towards the medicinal room where he was sure they were treating the girl, and couldn't help but have grim thoughts. It would almost be easier if she didn't make it…. How will we explain that her family is gone? Shaking the thought from his head, he continued onward.