What the Future Brings
Things start heating up now that an asassian has come for Zuko. Looks like she's out for the bounty on his head.
Chapter 2: An Asassian Appears
Miharu was walking through a sea of Dandelions, with only a little butterfly as her company, holding onto a small bag draped over her right shoulder. She stopped and let out a sigh of discomfort. "This heat is horrible. I have to find some shade before I continue" Miharu said to herself, squinting her eyes. But, something that she saw made her frown.
"What kind of animal is that" Miharu asked herself as she walked up to a house with a huge 'bird-like' creature tied to the deck. She tilted her head in awe as she saw it react like a chicken. She smirked and said "it's a chicken". Just then, Miharu ducked below an open window as she heard voices coming from inside the little house. She moved ever so gracefully to the side of the window and peeked in.
'"wonder whose house this is" , she asked herself as she spotted a teenager about her age standing near the door. Her eyes widened and she dropped her jaw. "It's that banished prince! Prince Zuko", he whispered under her breath. Miharu felt her heart pumping faster and faster. "He's an outlaw. He could be worth lots." She peeked inside the house again to see what was now happening.
Iykoni excused herself from her aunt and faced Zuko outside of the room, with her cousin in her arms. "Oh no, its alright, I assure you. Besides, you need to eat something before you go."
Sitting himself down at the low table, it was decided not to turn down hospitality when it was so generously offered. Old habits died hard when Zuko was seen sitting as if he were at a royal banquet at the table. His hands folded in his lap and his hat taken off and neatly placed aside, anyone could tell by his manners that he was no one of a commoners class.
Iykoni smiled as she stepped closer to the boy. "This is my baby cousin, Kali. She's about to make a year old next week." Kali looked up at Zuko with big, hazel eyes. She reached out for him with her little, chubby arms. The teenage girl giggled, "Oh, I think she wants you to hold her...Here," she handed the boy the baby. "Mind her head." "Uh, I-" Too late, Prince Zuko now had an infant in his hands. "What exactly do I do with...it?" Looking at the 'it' with a light grimace that mixed with surprise, disgust and confusion he held the baby with unsure hands.
Baby Kali made little cooing noises and placed her little hands on Zuko's face. "I'm going to be like a big sister to her." Iykoni's mind trailed off as she gently rubbed her cousin's head.
Looking at the baby, it smiled wide, giggling a bit and then reaching out to touch Zuko's face. This was an...odd situation. The pampered prince has never had to deal with children, not alone infants. The right hand of the child caressed his scar, which felt rather odd seeing as the skin didn't have much feeling left in it. Pulling back after only a moment of that, the boy stilled seemed rather confused what to do with the child. Actually, he looked like a bumbling fool with a foreign 'thing'. Setting the baby into his lap, keeping it under control with his gentle, but firm grip Zuko muttered to the baby, "I sure hope I wasn't like you when I was a child."
"I'll get you something to eat. My aunt will be with us shortly." Iykoni picked up the grocery bags and went into the kitchen. She washed off the peaches and stored the cantaloupe in an ice box. There were two pots on the stove from that morning's breakfast. It was rice and beef curry. Iykoni began heating the food and even scrambled two eggs. She took out a small chopping board and sliced pieces of cauliflower. She had to take a moment to rest her hand because it was aching from the wound.
When everything was ready, Iykoni pulled out a big plate and placed the food on it in a neat fashion. She entered the room and sat the food on the table in front of Zuko. She also sat a pair of chopsticks, wrapped in a napkin, next to the plate. Iykoni took her spot on a cushion across from him. "I apologize if I'm being a bit forceful on having you here...I haven't had much company lately."
During that entire period of time Zuko had been listening to Iykoni. He was more than surprised that she had actually made a meal for him. It would be pleasant to have a warm meal that was properly prepared instead of a fish that had been stabbed, cooked, and then eaten. Zuko just felt she shouldn't go through the trouble.
Iykoni's aunt finally walked into the room. She was a bit thick from having to put on weight for the baby. She was about 5'6'' and wore a long white dress with sleeves that reached her elbows. Her skin was light brown, she had rosy cheeks, and her hair hung down to the mid-section of her back. It was almost jet black and was tied on the end with a blue ribbon. Her eyes were the same as Kali's. She looked quite lovely, but the stress of a baby shone on her tired face. When Zuko looked up to see the girl's aunt walk into the room, he frowned. "She looks like mother…" Indeed. Well, at least her hair and that warm smile reminded him of his late mother.
"Auntie, this is Zuko - Zuko, this is Aunt Lin." The aunt greeted the boy with a pleasant smile, "Nice to have you here. I hope Iykoni hasn't caused you any trouble." Tilting his head forward in a bow that simply greeted the women, he spoke. "Nice to meet you. Your niece has been very kind to me. She had been no trouble at all." In his classic flat tone he spoke, and that tone nor his expression changed when the baby began to crawl back to Iykoni.
"Good riddance," Zuko thought harshly as the infant crawled away.
Aunt Lin sat next to her teenage niece. A slight groan emitted from her throat, from the pain in her back. "So, Zuko, looks like you're a traveler, right? Where are you headed? Are you by yourself?" He nodded, reassuring Aunt Lin that he was indeed a traveler. "I'm not headed anywhere in particular, I simply wander with my uncle." Half truth, but Zuko knew his boundaries when it came to addressing his personal life.
The ostrich horse outside, squawked. Baby Kali heard it and crawled out of Iykoni's lap and over to the window. Iykoni felt the child stir, "Hm? Kali, you silly girl! Come here!" She caught the infant before she managed to climb up a small stool. Iykoni heard the animal make more noise and peeked her head out the window. She thought she saw something move. Iykoni simply shrugged it off and walked toward the kitchen. "I'll pack some food for you before I forget," she called to Zuko, her voice echoing from the doorway. "I'll fill your water pouch too," she added.
Looking over to where Iykoni's voice originated from, he called, "Thank you very much." These people actually had food to spare for a passer-byer? Zuko didn't understand it.
Aunt Lin smiled as she watched Iykoni leave, "She's a good young lady. Works hard and barely complains." She turned back to Zuko, "Iykoni's always talked about traveling, but I don't know if she could handle it." He nodded in agreement when the women addressed him once more. "Yes, it would be hard for anyone her age to survive alone as a traveler..." Trailing off, he lost interest suddenly in speaking.
Iykoni returned to the room with a sack of food. "I packed you some rice, bread, potatoes, fruit, and vegetables. I can easily buy more, so don't worry." Iykoni interrupted Zuko's sentence, but the interruption was greatly accepted. Standing up when he was handed the food and water, Zuko walked a few steps before turning back to Aunt Lin and Iykoni. Kali suddenly started crying. "Oh dear, she must be hungry," Aunt Lin rose to her feet and Iykoni handed her the baby. "Take care, Zuko. I hope you'll have safe travels." She bowed slightly and retired to her bedroom. Iykoni laced her fingers behind her head and said, "Well, I guess you have to be on your way. Be careful, okay?"
"I will. Thank you very much and take care." Tilting his head once more in a bow, the prince turned his back, heading out the door of the house.
Miharu quickly turned her attention to the door of the house. The teenage boy that she had been spying on was now out of the house. Miharu smirked at this. 'This could seem interesting' she thought to herself as she slowly reached for her dagger strapped to her thigh, the metal twinkling in the sun. Out of the corner of Zuko's left eye, a blurry figure was made out, but he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was. Miharu ducked down even lower as she saw that he had stopped walking. 'He must know that I'm here' she thought to herself, her smirk slowly slipping from her face. She laid down the bag that she was holding with her other hand, and took out a small crimson brooch, and placed it within one of her pockets. Miharu then, stood up and started to run towards the 'outlaw'. "You are so mine" Miharu said under her breath as she jumped up into the air, once she was within range.
His eye went wide not in total fear, but more in surprise. At first when he walked out of the house Zuko had thought it was simply a bag or a log which he had not seen before he entered the household. Yet, now it was perfectly clear what, or should we say who it was that had caught his attention.
Miharu swiftly stuck her hand inside the pocket with the brooch, and pressed the jewel. Razors appeared on all sides of the brooch, and once done, she threw it straight at him. She was fast, they both knew it. He had turned gracefully to meet the women's stare head on, spreading out his stance into a offensive position out of instinct. The brooch confused him, but only for a seconds time. Razors out, cutting through the air toward the boy a hand swat the pest to the side. Though one of the points of the razors had nicked his index finger, it was nothing.
The mental process had no time to waste on piety thoughts such as 'Who was she?', and 'What did she want?'. Oh, no. Mind was in tactics mode now.
Turning to meet the women's deadly gaze once more, Zuko sprang forward, Axe kicking the air bringing down the foot so hard that flame would ignite the air around the blow, spreading out toward the assassin. It wasn't meant to really hurt the attacker, only cause her to back off for the time being.
Zuko had jumped back once his feet touched the weed ridden ground, landing on one knee, a hand sustaining this posture. His head snapped up, glaring daggers at the women.
Miharu landed on a stump not far from him, almost losing her balance when the prince shot the fiery blow at her.
"What do you want!?" Demanding an answer, his anger was worse than when he had fired the warning shot off at Iykoni. The tone resembled that of a dogs bark when it was chasing after a cat. The ostrich-horse reacted to all this. Flailing where it stood, trying to make sense of the sudden flurry of movement. Miharu stood up straight and slowly moved her bangs behind her ear. She smirked as she saw that Zuko was angered. "You should know, Zuko" she said coolly at him. She took a step off from the stump and walked up a bit closer to him.
Iykoni was sitting at the dinner table, thinking about the boy she had just met. "Zuko...he can't really be the-" Suddenly, she heard commotion coming from outside. When she opened the front door and stepped on to the deck, she saw Zuko with a girl. They were both standing across from each other; looking as if they were ready to lunge at each other's throats. "Hey!" Iykoni shouted. Both of the teens looked at her, surprised. "The tomatoes! Great, now I have to replant them." thought Iykoni as she frowned at the crushed plants. Her eyes darted from Zuko, to the mysterious girl.
Great.. Glancing to see Iykoni poking her head out of the door to see the fight that had just ensued, Zuko didn't respond to her yelling only looked back to the assassin barely moving. He had to move out of there fast if he didn't want the kind-hearted young women get hurt. This was rather troublesome. Tensing, eyes narrowing further at Miharu paying close attention to see if she would move. Without him noticing, a bead of sweat had dripped down from his temple to the bottom of his jaw. He wasn't scared, nor was he stressed, nervous was more like it.
Miharu quickly turned her head to see the other girl that she had seen earlier inside the house. "Who is this? Your girlfriend?" she asked crossing her arms. Zuko growled, "She's not my girlfriend. And leave her out of this." So harsh but so carefully placed were his words that they could send chills down anyone's spine.
Now serious, she stared down the boy, "Zuko, I know that you are an outlaw. I have seen the wanted scrolls. So, I'll cut you a deal..." she was cut off by Iykoni, "Who are you? What business do you have?" Seeing that the two where in front of her house in fighting stances, she assumed that Zuko was attacked once he stepped out. Either this girl appeared by coincidence, or was waiting for him. "Honey, the older kids are talking now," Miharu said as she swished her head, making her braid sway to the left, then, to the right. Iykoni took her bending stance, angered by this young woman's words. "Don't address me as a child. I may look a bit young for my age, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to degrade me." Miharu ignored this; she squinted her eyes and clutched her katana tightly looking at Zuko. "As I was saying, I'll cut ya' a deal. If you do something for me, then, I'll do something for you" she said cracking a smile.
This women...her voice was cold like steel, but it was a familiar sounding cruelty. Someone else Zuko knew sounded this blood-thirsty and sadistic. His teeth had clenched when the assassin spoke of the prince as dirt.
Wanted scrolls... Were they that prevalent now that even a normal assassin knew of his betrayal? Who's doing was this?
"I wouldn't do anything for you. I could defeat you easily anyway, wench." Spatting out the last word, Zuko still couldn't help but wonder what this sly women wanted from him even though he knew that it would be a trick. He spotted the katana. "Do not draw your weapon. I've done nothing to harm you, so you have no need to attack." Miharu chuckled as she heard him call her a 'wench'. "Zuko, I've been called that so many times, its become quite funny now a days. Also, I doubt that you could uh, 'easily' defeat me. Yes you can so-called 'Firebend' but me not being able to do so has not slowed me down" she said quickly dropping her smile.
Looking back to Iykoni then to Miharu and back again, he sighed wanting to ask what in the world this women wanted from him. His stance did not change, the only thing that moved was his lips and his eyes. "Why did you have to go and hurt yourself, Uncle?" If it wasn't for Iroh falling injured under Azula's wrath, the prince would've never gone into the city.
Iykoni's eyes rested upon Zuko. "So, you really are the banished prince...Who would've thought that I'd actually run into you?" Her voice was calm, but one had to wonder why. A spiteful glare shot over to Iykoni as she whispered her realization. Zuko wondered just how everyone knew of his banishment, besides the wanted posters. Iykoni came out of her bending stance and stood up straight. "Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person to turn you in. Doing so wouldn't stop the war." The only reassuring aspect that showed Iykoni not being against the prince was that, she seemed to run a democracy in her morality. But, why should he tell anything to this peasant? She wasn't going to help him in any way, except give him food as she so generously had done beforehand.
Iykoni spoke, "Prince Zuko…I've heard a lot about you. You are wanted throughout the entire Earth Kingdom. It's a shame how people only want power and money." Her gaze averted to Miharu, "But, the way I see it, instead of trying to catch fugitives of the Fire Nation who just wanted to escape Ozai's tyranny, why don't you go after the heart of the problem?" Zuko tensed when his father was mentioned, quickly relaxing and looking at the girl with less of a suspicion. The girl continued to speak, "Put your skills to good use and get rid of the Fire Lord himself." The suspicion returned and Zuko's eyes went wide when she spoke of killing Ozai. Mouth agape until the prince noticed the error and ground his teeth together in a poorly suppressed rage. Emotions changing to a now harsh, but reasoning tone, Iykoni continued, "If I were in your shoes Zuko, I wouldn't give a damn what happens to my father who disowned me. I'd move on."
"How dare you disrespect my father!" Brow furrowed fiercely, the boy raising his volume to convey his utter shock at what was said. "My father didn't disown me..." A whisper, and a glance away, "he loves me..." Zuko believed this as truth, no matter what others said. How could you stop loving the man who aided in bringing you life no matter what horrible things he may have done? Every time the boy thought about such things, even though torn, he thought that his father was only testing his strength and believed him to still to be his son, even if he did banish him.
Miharu spoke up, "Zuko I'm not here to capture you I'm actually here to give you a warning. There are people who are searching for you. My boss has sent me out to track you down and to tell you. I will just say it now, my boss is...anonymous" she said, looking at her nails, smirking.
A breeze blew through the sea of dandelions and Miharu's braid swished softly, brushing her shoulder. "You know you might want to hear my bargain" she said, starting to walk up to Zuko "it might just...interest you in some way". She stopped only a few inches away from his face smirked, then, bent down and picked up her brooch blade. She blew on it softly, blowing the dirt off from it. She turned and started to walk away. "Oh and I almost forgot, my boss also told me to give this to you but, I don't think you would want to hear anything about the whereabouts of the Avatar. So, I'll be on my way" she said holding a scroll over her head then, bending over to pick up her bag and placing it within the bag. She swung the bag over her shoulder and tilted her head to look at Zuko.
Frustrated with all this, he went quiet, his expression softening and then sharpening with confusion and excitement when the Avatar was mentioned. "She's probably just taunting me.." Could he be sure? Only one way to find out.
Clenching his fist, looking to the ground thinking this decision over, Zuko looked up with unsure defiance and murmured, "What do I have to do with your bargain to have the scroll?"
Miharu's smirk widened into a devilish grin. "I'm glad that you have accepted my bargain" she said walking towards him again.
Again, his brow furrowed ever so slightly at this malevolent expression. This women was up to something, that was apparent. The only thing Zuko could do in his position, in the middle of two girls who both supposedly had something against him was be on his guard no matter what. That was obnoxious.
She pulled out the scroll from within her bag and held it out for him. With an unchanging face, Zuko took a step toward Miharu who had in turn walked toward the prince. Reaching out a cautious hand to grasp the scroll, the hand pulled back when the scroll was retracted into the tricky hands of the assassin. A look was shot at Miharu that would show Zuko's anger with her.
"Ah," she held it farthest from him, "before you can receive this, you must first...how should I say...let me capture you. But, don't worry yourself too much I have a plan that'll...work out for the two of us" Miharu said softly with a glint in her eye. At hearing this a demanding, "What?" passed the boy's lips.
She started to think about what Iykoni had said about people only wanting power and money. She was in fact thinking of this but, she also had a plan so that both of them could get what they want. She stared straight into his golden eyes waiting for his answer. 'Man, my boss better know what she is doing' thought Miharu, rolling her eyes. "So, what'll it be? Get captured, follow through my plan and have this scroll or, walk away with nothing?" she said crossing her arms with the scroll still in hand.
When she went on the further Zuko was infuriated with the situation at hand. In a fit, his hand went up to grab the women by the collar, forcefully pulling her up off the ground if she didn't move. He knew it was a bad move right after he had performed it. Hurting the women wouldn't release any of his frustration of the day nor would it get him closer to reaching his goal; The Avatar.
"You expect me to fall into such a trap? What do you take me for; an idiot?! Kill me now if you care so much about the damned bounty on my head!!" At this time, he was yelling and he was more than pissed. The women attacking him, and then taunting him with the promise of locating the Avatar. Zuko was indecisive in the matter of just dropping the entire subject and going back to his Uncle or pursuing this chance in actually obtaining his goal.
"You're just playing with me aren't you? I'm sick of it."
As Miharu was dangling by this teenagers hand that was grasping her collar, she grabbed his wrist and tweaked it in the opposite direction. "You know, I do like a man with...potential" she said still grasping his wrist. "But, treating a person holding the only known information about the avatar like this will NOT get you any closer to holding it in your grasp" she said putting her foot upon his chest and pushing him back while letting go of his wrist.
Wincing in pain and letting out a hurt cough when his wrist was bent back into an unnatural posture, Zuko was caught off guard when the assassin decided to kick him in the chest. Now it was time for Iykoni to step in! She stomped her foot onto the ground, forcing the earth under the assassin's feet to rumble, causing her to fall. Iykoni arrived a bit too late to save the prince from the kick, and thus he was hurled backward across the ground before skidding to a stop. With a moan and a annoyed grunt, Zuko got back to his feet after a few sluggish moments.
Grunting from the force of falling hard on her back, Miharu glared at Iykoni. She smirked, "You know, I wasn't really supposed to tell anyone else about our 'meeting', and if my boss found out...let's just say I would be on vacation for a long time," she said as she looked from the girl to Zuko, grabbing her dagger and pulling it out.
A bit thrown off his train of thought by the sudden blow, it was amazing that the prince actually responded to Miharu's reckless action. When she charged with the weapon ready at Iykoni, he managed to run fast enough to slide in front of her as some sort of protection.
Miharu stopped, smirking, "Hmph, but it would be such a waste of time". Zuko only looked behind his shoulder to check on Iykoni when Miharu decided to call her attack off. She walked back up to her bag and picked it up. "What will it be? The scroll or nothing at all. Oh and I'm not playing any games with you, this is strictly business. My boss, well, she's known you for quite sometime now" Miharu said coolly as she swung the bag over her shoulder again. She looked at Zuko and said "I'm guessing she's known you like forever..."
Who the hell is this lady? Gaze narrowing once again, the suspicions just kept building upon Miharu's shoulders. The 'Boss' had known Zuko forever? What was she getting at. The assassin was getting no where with what she was saying, because it was only making the prince more cautious with giving in to the idea of being captured to get the scroll. Was the scroll even worth all that? Yes, no, maybe, no, yes.
Iykoni was getting sick of this. She didn't want them to start fighting again; not after they ruined her tomatoes! She sighed heavily. "Miss Assassian, how about I make a little deal with you first? Let him think about it. Give him a few hours and return later this evening. Zuko has to take care of a few things." Her eyes glanced over at the boy, hoping that he'd catch her drift, "Your uncle?" She didn't want the prince to forget about his guardian.
Zuko's expression softened when Iykoni mention Iroh. Looking to the ground, hiding his eyes in shame because of his selfish actions, he thought all of this over for a minute. The area became still and silent for a while as the prince pondered over all of these choices.
Looking back up to meet with the devious stare of the women, Zuko muttered, "I will meet you here later tonight. Please do not harm Iykoni or her family. We will settle this when the moon is directly above us." Without any more words, Zuko untied the ostrich-horse and looked ready to leave.
Miharu watched as the enraged teenager jumped upon the 'large chicken'. "I give you my word that I shall not hurt her nor her family" she said as she bowed low then stood up straight looking at the two of them. 'Under the full moon, perfect for me but not for him' she thought to herself as she started walking off into the meadow. "I will met you here under the light of the full moon then, Zuko" she said, turning her head to look at him.
Mounting the saddle without a word, Zuko only glanced at Iykoni and Miharu. The bird gave a coo that basically said that it was ready to go. Nodding as an agreement to the assassin's bow, the prince gave a hard kick, driving his heel into the bird's side making a honk echo through the area.
Putting it's massive foot forward, the bird strode off leaving a dust trail behind with it's quicken gait. The dandelions ripped under it's claws leaving the area even more flawed than it had been before Zuko had arrived at the kind Earth Kingdom girl's house. He would return later with a more refreshed mind. A thought hung on the prince's mind that Iroh would stop him from leaving so late at night. That never stopped him before, but as time went on he felt worse when he left the old man by himself.
"I will finally be able to return home…" It seemed that logical thinking was replaced by the fantasy that Zuko would indeed capture the Avatar with the information that Miharu had. This was one weakness of the prince, and he didn't even know it.
As the sun began to slip from it's mid-day spot, the boy returned to his Uncle to give him the medicine and plan his return back to the young women's house.
End of chapter 2!