Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar and the Last Bender or its characters
Pointers: 'italics' means that the character is thinking
Summary: Nothing more than a princess then turned vigilante. Now she's a prisoner to Zuko as bait for the Avatar. Will she be able to escape or will she choose the darker side? Maybe it might make her discover what it means to be touched by the dragonspirit. Zuko x OC
Book 2: Earth
Refugee Life in Ba Sing Se
"It feels weird." Enyo said as Iroh lied on his back, receiving a massage from two attendants. Zuko and were sitting the side, his face concealed by a hat.
Zuko turned to look at her, "What feels weird?" He asked.
"Being here," She shrugged her shoulders, "I mean should we really be in open places like this?" She asked as Zuko looked away.
"Why don't you ask my lazy Uncle." He pointed out, but the older man was too busy relaxing.
"Aaahh," Iroh sighed, "this is what I've been missing. Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?" Iroh asked as he casts one glace at his nephew and walks over to sit beside them on the floor. "I see. It's the anniversary, isn't it?" He noted as Zuko had a rather dejected look on his face as the girl listened on.
"Three years ago today I was banished. I lost it all." He looked up suddenly, "I want it all back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, and I want my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless."
Before Enyo could say anything, Iroh had spoken first with over exaggerated optimism, "I'm sure he doesn't! Why would he banish you if he didn't care?" The Princess placed her face in her palm, shaking her head as Zuko walked away. "Erg… That came out wrong."
"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!" She joked in a very sarcastic manner, "I know you were trying to help, Iroh but that was really bad."
"I didn't know how else to put it." Iroh stroked his beard as a frown adorned his face.
"…How come you say cool proverbs when nobody wants to hear 'em, but when they do need them you got nothin'?" Enyo asked with a curious look on her face.
Iroh merely shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know."
"I'll go after him." stood up and walked toward the little river that Zuko appeared to sit under. Enyo's face brightened, realizing that the three was actually a Cherry Tree. It was her first time seeing them and she remember her mother saying that it was a tree she would love to see for herself, this was one was a baby compared to the grand ones her mother spoke of. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful sight. Zuko had turned to look at her as a childish look was on the girl's face, her amber eyes brightening at the sight of three and she was on her tiptoes.
Zuko looked at the tree and then back at her, "You're really this excited over a simple tree?"
"It's not any tree. It's a Cherry Blossom tree!" She ran over, her hands on the bark as she looked up at it with much enthusiasm, "I always heard about them but I never seen them."
"It's still a tree." He said as she shook her head.
Enyo looked at him with a very serious expression, "Want to know why I like them so much?"
"Seeing as though you're going to tell me whether or not I would like to know, go ahead." Zuko folded his arms and closed his eyes.
There was a small silence between them and when he looked up, he saw her eyes closed. "The Cherry Blossom tree represents human life. It only lives through the Spring, so short. Just like how a human's life is. Still, even though it knows it will die only in matter of time, when it's alive it is strong and vibrant bringing a sense of brightness and happiness to those who see it. Its beauty giving someone out there a little flutter in their heart. It's a tree worth loving and worth adoring because it is just like us, trying to be strong despite how short life can be."
Zuko didn't say anything because he was actually enthused by her wisdom. He just saw it as a simple tree, seeing many of them in the Fire Nation, but it actually stood for something so much more. It really did seem that the littlest of things had the biggest affects. "That's nice." He managed to say, not trying to sound sarcastic.
"In a way, this tree reminds me of you." Enyo said with a playful smile, "It's wilting because its unhappy. They are used to being grown in Fire Nation soil along with the rest of the Cherry trees. It can only be stronger in the Spring when it's at home, but it is trying its best not to fall apart and all it really needs is for someone to be there for them to catch them when they fall. Unlike this tree, you have that person and that's your Uncle." She further explained with certain warmth in her voice, "This tree wants to fight even though they are away from home. Sometimes new soil and a new perspective can make their lives filled with happiness and longevity but it will take a while for this tree to learn."
"Thanks." He told her, standing up as she looked at him with her eyes on his.
Enyo gave him a playful, soft punch to the shoulder, "You needed it."
"The punch or the encouragement?" Zuko asked, rubbing his arm slightly.
"Both." She answered as they walked back to the massage table in silence but a happy air was between them.
When they had seen Iroh, he had poured a bag full of seashells on the table. He lifts a few, inspecting them. "Look at these magnificent shells! I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come." Iroh said with such awe, couldn't help but want to laugh at the old man's childish expression.
"We don't need any more useless things! You forget we have to carry everything ourselves now."
"Hello brother. Uncle." A voice said, causing all three of them to turn to the owner of the voice. She was at the table, her hand on a seashell. Both Iroh and Zuko looked surprised and then angry, Zuko is the first to step forward.
He had spoken to her rather accusingly, "What are you doing here?"
She seems unaffected by their glares. She toys with the seashell in her hand as her voice became rather arrogant. "In my country, we exchange a proper 'hello' before asking questions." The sibling gets up and walks over to face Zuko, "Have you become uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?"
Zuko became furious, "Don't call me that!"
Enyo began to chuckle, causing Azula to now have her gaze on her. "And who are you?"
"Uhm…" looked at Iroh for help but he shrugged his arms, "I'm a friend, I suppose. Just a poor friend they found along the way."
"I see. My Uncle always had a thing for helping those in poverty, how blessed you are to be around a Prince and a General. Too bad their names mean nothing because they were banished, but that's all about to change."
"What do you mean by that, Azula? Iroh asked.
Azula spoke, still holding a seashell, "Hmmm… Must be a family trait. Both of you so quick to get to the point." She shatters one of Iroh's seashells with her sharp nails on the last word, "I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind. Family is suddenly important to him. He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him treacherous plots. Family is the only ones you can really trust." Her voice and expression softens, "Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home." Zuko looked out the window. "Did you hear me? You should be happy. Excited. Grateful." Azula said as a pleasant expression formed on her face. "I just gave you great news."
"Oh wow," Enyoo spoke up, "looks like all your dreams have come true, right Zuko?"
"She's right." Azula poked, "I actually like you, what's your name, peasant girl?"
Enyo frowned immediately, but Iroh gave her a cautious stare. "My name is Enyo, nice to meet you Princess." She bowed deeply.
"You're not bad." Azula said as she then addresses her brother and walks up beside him. "I still haven't heard my thank you. I am not a messenger. I didn't have to come all this way."
Zuko still has a look of shock and disbelief across his face. "Father regrets? He wants me back?"
"I can see you need time to take this in. I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening." And with that said, the Azula left.
Zuko spoke happily, "We're going home. After three long years. It's unbelievable." Zuko walks behind a thoughtful Iroh, carrying some folded clothing.
"It is unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything." Iroh said.
At first Zuko sounds surprised, and then forceful. "Did you listen to Azula? Father's realized how important family is to him. He cares about me."
Iroh frowned. "Zuko, I only meant that in our family things are not always what they seem." He said gently.
Zuko whirls around angrily and faces Iroh, leaning in as he accuses him, his voice nasty. "I think you are exactly what you seem: a lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who has always been jealous of his brother." Zuko turns and walks away as Iroh looked on sadly.
"You know he doesn't mean that, Iroh." said Enyo as she watched Zuko walk away, "Let's just be supportive of him or whatever."
At Azula's ship, a group of Fire Nation soldiers form two ranks along the path leading to the ship. Zuko, and Iroh walk toward them. Azula, who was standing at the top of the stairs leading onto her ship, a soldier on each side. Enyo, Zuko and Iroh walk between the soldiers. Zuko looks content, is enthused, while Iroh eyes everyone on the ship suspiciously. Azula raises her arms in greeting and bows to them.
"Brother! Uncle! Peasant!" They all bowed except for Enyo, offended by being called a peasant but was forced into a bow by Zuko while Iroh opens one eye slightly, watching the soldiers beside them. "Welcome. I'm so glad you decided to come."
"Are we ready to depart, Your Highness?" asked the Captain.
Enyo knew that Azula was a little to glad, "Set our course for home, Captain." The Fire Nation princess said pleasantly.
"Home." Zuko said wistfully as the trio began to climb the stairs onto the ship, the captain leading the way.
The Captain began to order the other men, "You heard the princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners ho-" He stops abruptly, realizing his mistake. Iroh, Enyo and Zuko stop, looking surprised. Azula was enraged as the captains eyes were wide. "Your Highness I-" He said mortified. Iroh, who looks to his left, then spins around, backhanding a guard off of the ship and kicking another down the incline. Another guard approaches from his left. He elbows him off the incline. Enyo punches a guard that approaches from Iroh from his right and grabs another, spinning him around and tossing him.
Zuko grabs one guard, throwing him off the incline and into the water. He stalks up the incline, furious. "You lied to me!"
Azula looked pretty confident. "Like I've never done that before," She said smugly as she turns and walks away, and two guards launch fire at the the prince. Zuko brushes the fire aside and charges forward, screaming. Zuko leaps on board, knocking two guards on either side out of the way with flames shooting from his arm and leg. Zuko takes up a fighting stance at the left while Azula remains motionless, her back to her brother. She glances to her left and grins evilly. Zuko, who brings his arms down, fire daggers appearing in his fists. Iroh and Enyo, who are fighting soldiers on the path leading to the ship. A soldier launches a kick at Enyo, but a blast of fire from Iroh sends him flying. Two other soldiers approach from each side, and Enyo sends strikes from her unsheathed Katana, knocking them from the path. Another guard launches a fireball at Iroh's face, but he avoids it, grabbing the soldier's arm and putting a hand on his neck. Holding the guard, he turns toward the ship.
"Zuko!" Enyo yelled as she ran, hitting another soldier at his side, "We have to get outta here!" Iroh had tossed a guard off the side of the path. Another approaches, but Iroh steps to the side and pushes him away with a palm to the face. Zuko swings his daggers at Azula repeatedly, but she simply avoid them. She grabs his arm and spins him around. Zuko is breathing hard.
"You know Father blames Uncle for the loss at the North Pole. And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar. Why would he want you back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?" Azula said as Zuko brings out his fire daggers again and leaps at Azula, throwing a flaming kick at her head. She leaps back, nimbly dodging his blows. She swipes at his face with her fingernails. Zuko staggers back, revealing three cuts on his forehead. He charges forward and screams, swiping his daggers at Azula. She blocks his blows effortlessly and the fight continues up the stairs toward the cabin of the ship. She kicks Zuko, knocking him down the stairs a bit. He recovers quickly and charges back toward Azula. She blocks his fist and grabs his arm, bringing it down harmlessly. She glares at him, and Zuko's eyes widen. She tosses a blue flame at his head, sending him tumbling down the incline.
Zuko lands with a thud and pulls himself up, looking back at the incline. The Prince's vision was blurry and shaky as he tries to locate Azula. She is standing at the top of the incline and begins to swing her arms in arcs around, lightning arcing around her. It is the same maneuver she was practicing earlier. She aims her fingers at Zuko and a lightning bolt shoots toward him. Iroh, who suddenly appears and grabs Azula's fingers in her hand. She channels the electricity through his body and shoots it from his other hand, letting it explode harmlessly into the cliffside. She turns back to Azula and kicks her, sending her flying overboard. She splashes into the water. The trio ran down the path from the ship. The three run down a path, pausing at a small body of water at the side of the river. They collapse onto their knees.
"I think we're safe here." Iroh said as Zuko brings out a knife with some writing on the blade. He stares at it for a moment. Iroh nods solemnly and turns to Zuko. Zuko takes the knife and brings it behind his head and cuts off his pony tail. He passes the knife to Iroh, who does the same. The prince releases the pony tail, letting it fall into the water. Zuko and Iroh's hair are seen floating down the river.
Enyo folds her arms, "At least I already blend in."
"Lucky you." Zuko said with a dull expression on his face.
"Look, don't get snazzy with me because..." Enyo stopped herself, knowing that if she reminded him of his mistake for trusting his sister would only hurt his feelings more than she had wanted. "Because I'm not a baldy, doesn't mean you have get cheeky."
"I am not bald!" He said with his hand on his hair, which was in a short cut.
Enyo flipped her hair, "Compared to me you are."
"Your a girl, your supposed to have long hair!"
"Let's get going before we all be beheaded and have no time for hair!" Iroh said as they both prince and princess looked at each other than then sighed.
Iroh was looking at a pretty, white and red flower. Iroh squatted in front of the plant, mesmerized. He is in a forest and is wearing a dark green shirt and trousers. A bush begins moving in the background and a series of grunts are heard as Zuko, clad similar to his Uncle, emerges from with Enyo.
Zuko was frustrated, "We didn't find anything to eat. I can't live like this. I wasn't meant to be a fugitive." He kicked the ground angrily, "This is impossible!" Iroh sniffs the flower deeply.
Enyo and Zuko looked at each other with somewhat confusion, "What are you doing, Iroh?" asked Enyo.
"You both are looking at the rare white dragon bush." He said lovingly. "Its leaves make a tea so delicious it's heartbreaking!" Iroh said rather gravely. "That, or it's the white jade bush, which is poisonous."
"We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing." Zuko said as Enyo looked at the old man curiously as he was still contemplating and stroking his chin.
"Delectable tea or deadly poison?" Enyo shook her head before following after Zuko.
Enyo had hid in a tree, "If you just let me do what I do best then I am sure we will be able to get something to eat."
"Fine, do whatever you want!" Zuko threw his arms in defeat and leaned against a tree.
The Princess eyes roamed around the area until she had saw a shadow move a bush, she immediately placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. Zuko noticed her ready position and before he knew it, she jumped onto a another branch and then dived down into the area surrounded by bushes. When he ran over, he saw her holding what look to be a white baby dragon. "Zuko, its... Its a dragon!" She said as she placed her hand on its white scaly skin and its purple eyes staring into hers.
She had looked at the dragon in the eyes, feeling some sort of nostalgia. Zuko had then looked over and saw another dragon, it was the same height and had black, scaly skin. They both had small horns adorning their heads as well long ears that were behind their horns. "What would dragons be doing here?" He asked as he watched as she kept herself looking in the eyes of the dragon, seeing a flash of a dragon similar to the one she held but longer and larger. She could remember lying in bed and opening hers seeing the dragon circle her, her arms reaching toward it to touch it. "I don't know, but maybe there are some dragons around but they are hiding."
Zuko watched as the black dragon inched toward him, hostile and ready to attack. The dragon opened his mouth, an electric ball forming at its mouth, causing Zuko's eyes to widen and move back, but the white dragon had moved away from Enyo and nudged the black dragon in its side. The black dragon stopped the attack inching away from Zuko with a look of distrust on its face. The Princess crawled over to Zuko, "Aren't they are adorable?
The Prince glared at her, "That one tried to kill me! I don't find anything that tries to kill me adorable."
"What? Your in their territory and they thought you were going to endanger them. Its only natural." Enyo raised an eyebrow, folding her arms.
Zuko rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Let's go back and find Uncle since we obviously can't find nothing to eat."
"I hope he didn't make tea out of that flower," Enyo sighed as she stood and Zuko following behind her.
As they tried to make their way back to camp, both the dragons followed behind them. Zuko was the first to notice and looked back, "Your little dragon friends are following us."
"And what am I supposed to do about it?" She asked with her hands in a "I don't know" gesture, "I might as well keep them, huh?"
"How are you going to hide two dragons? Everyone is going to know that we are Firebenders!" The Prince explained as the girl was lost in thought.
"I'll just hide them in my satchel, they'll fit in there and I'll only let them out when the time is right." Enyo smiled as she picked up both dragons enthusiastically and skipping off towards camp, leaving behind a confused and irritated Zuko.
"Remember that plant that I thought might be tea?" Iroh asked once he heard the two entering back into their campsite.
Zuko and Enyo look horrified. "You didn't!" They said in a unison.
"I did." Iroh turns around to reveal his red, swollen face which he is scratching. "And it wasn't."
Zuko shouted in repulsion, "Yah!"
Enyo screamed while Iroh calmly scratched, "When the rash spreads to my throat I will stop breathing." But then the old man got rather excited, "But look what I found! These are bacui berries, known to cure the poison of the white jade plant. That, or macahoni berries that cause blindness."
"We can't take anymore chances Iroh, we need to get help." Enyo frowned.
"But where are we going to go? We're enemies of the Earth Kingdom, and fugitives from the Fire Nation."
"If the Earth Kingdom, discovers us, they'll have us killed." Zuko said musingly.
"But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula." Iroh pointed out. They all nod in agreement.
"Earth Kingdom it is." Enyo said as Iroh had just now noticed the two small dragons in the girl's arms.
"Are they..." Iroh began, surprised. The two dragons hissed at him and buried themselves in Enyo's satchel as she looked at them with a confused expression.
"Yeah, me and Zuko found them when we were trying to look for something to eat, but you shouldn't go near them until we find you a doctor." She patted the side of the satchel, only to hear a hiss.
She looked down to see the black dragon poke its head out and seemingly glare at her, "He sure has your attitude, doesn't he?" Iroh said to Zuko.
The Prince had a deadpanned expression, "Don't compare me to an animal."
At a doctor's office, a doctor is working with a patient who is on a table in front of him on his back. Iroh was sitting on another table, naked from the waist up, being attended by a young woman who is a healer at the hospital. Iroh is covered with the red rash from eating the white jade flower. Song, the doctor, is applying a clay like substance to the rash. Zuko and Enyo sit behind the young woman, a coolie hat obscuring Zuko's face as he looks toward the floor.
"You three must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the white jade, much less make it into tea and drink it." said the woman.
Iroh laughed sheepishly. "Heh heh heh. Whoops!"
"So where are you traveling from?" asked the female.
Zuko stood and talked rather quickly. "Yes, we're travelers."
"Do you have names?" she asked.
Zuko spoke rather hesitantly. "Names? Of course we have names. I'm. . . Lee. And this is my friend, uh, er... Y - Yun. And this is my uncle, uh. . . Mushi."
Iroh shot him an unhappy look from behind Song's back as well as Enyo, "Yes, my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him Junior." He said facetiously. Iroh looks over Song's shoulder at "Junior," who balls his fists at the name his uncle has just bestowed on him while Enyo snickers.
"Mushi, Yun and Junior, huh? My name is Song. You three look like you could use a good meal." Song turns and swats Iroh's hand away scratching his rash, "Why don't you stay for dinner."
"Sorry, but we need to be moving on." Zuko said while Enyo elbowed his gut, making an 'oof' sound come from the Prince. She was clearly hungry and clearly displeased by his answer.
"We would love to join you for dinner Song, thank you so much for the offer!" Enyo bowed slightly, causing both Iroh and Zuko to give her a very shocked and skeptical look.
Iroh looked over at his nephew as his face was puffy and had clay smeared on it. "She must be really hungry, usually, Yun has a very, very bad tem-"
The girl shot him a cold glare. Song looked at Iroh, "What was that Mushi?"
"Nothing, excuse me but I feel as though I have lost my soul to a fiend." He said as he walked out the room and Enyo let out a sigh of relief as she looked down at the two dragons who looked up at her with their purple pupils.
It was nighttime when they reach Song's house. The trio and Song were seated at a knee high, Asian styled table. Song's mother approaches the table with a plate of roast duck.
The woman seated herself. "My daughter tells me you're refugees. We were once refugees ourselves."
"When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation raided our farming village. All the men were taken away." Song's face looked sadly down to the floor, "That was the last time I saw my father."
Zuko eyed the girl as she finish and during his reply he lowers his gaze. "I haven't seen my father in many years."
Enyo's face slowly went from a smile to a frown, "Same here."
"Oh. Are both your fathers fighting in the war?" asked Song. Iroh finishes slurping a mouthful of noodles as he looks with some trepidation at his nephew to see how he will answer this dangerous question. Zuko puts his bowl on the table and replies.
"Yeah," Zuko looked away and then at Enyo, wondering how she would ask the question.
Enyo was frozen, unsure how to answer, "Well, I ran away from home." She rubbed the back of her head, laughing nervously. "You know, I was that rebellious kind of kid but I kind of regret it."
Song frowned, "Well, why don't you go back home?"
"I'm not ready yet." Enyo said as she poked her food, "I... I have to look for someone first." She said, making up the whole story. Still, some parts were true, she indeed had to look for a person to explain her what it means to have the power of a dragonspirit.
Enyo, Zuko, and Iroh were leaving Song's house. They stand in her courtyard. It is still night, and fireflies buzz lazily around them all. Song and her mother stand ready to bid them goodbye.
Iroh bowed before speaking ever so graciously. "Thank you for the duck. It was excellent."
"You're welcome," Song's mother said as she handed him a pack of leftover roast duck," It brings me joy to see someone eat my cooking with such… gusto."
Iroh patted his stomach. "Much practice." Zuko turns to leave, but Iroh stops him. "Junior, where are your manners? You need to thank these nice people." Iroh scolded as Zuko turned and offers a small bow, his face still obscured by his coolie hat.
"Thank you." Zuko said quietly, without much feeling.
Song spoke rather quickly. "I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world, but there is hope. The Avatar has returned!" Song said with such happiness.
"I know." Zuko said intensely.
Enyo bowed deeply, "I thank you both for accepting us, I really enjoyed the duck, it was the best meal I had in three weeks. I hope you see your father again."
As they pass the courtyard gate the see a stable where a war ostrich is tethered. Zuko stops, looks at the animal, and then looks back at the courtyard. He releases the ostrich and begins to lead it away with them.
Iroh was appalled. "What are you doing? These people just showed you great kindness."
"They're about to show us a little more kindness." Zuko offered his hand to Enyo, frowned "Well?" Enyo looked down, dreadfully unhappy with this turn of event just like Iroh and turned the offer and walked alongside Iroh. The trio left with the ostrich, but little did they know that Song looked out from her front door. She was crushed. She looks down in sadness and closes the door.
Enyo, Iroh and Zuko were sitting on straw mats, their stolen ostrich horse behind them. Iroh holds his hat in his hand. A cart festooned with masks for sale passes briefly in front of them. One of the masks is the Blue Spirit mask. As the cart passes, another pedestrian walks in front of Iroh, who holds his hat out to the pedestrian and speaks to him.
"Spare coins for weary travelers?" Iroh asked as a man threw a few copper coins in Iroh's hat, joining a dozen already there.
"This is humiliating! We're royalty. These people should be giving us whatever we want." Zuko said.
"They will – if you ask nicely." Iroh grinned as Enyo folded her arms and rolled her eyes, she didn't like this at all.
Iroh next solicits a well-dressed young woman, "Spare change for a hungry old man?"
"Aww," She produces a coin from her sleeve and puts it in his hat, "here you go."
"The coin is appreciated, but not as much as your smile." Iroh cheesily said while Zuko slaps his forehead in frustration. The woman giggles and walks away. A man carrying a pair of broadswords on his back wanders by the opposite direction as the girl. He stops and addresses the beggars.
He smiled somewhat cruelly. "How about some entertainment in exchange for..." Zuko was sitting in a petulant pose as suddenly, the Broadsword Man's hand appears in the foreground holding a gold coin, "a gold piece."
"We're not performers." Zuko said as Iroh smiles and puts his hat on the ground. Enyo notice the man eying her and she knew that this was not going to turn out well.
"Not professional, anyway." Iroh said as he stood up and clasping his hand together, his mouth open to sing.
Enyo closed her satchel, causing the dragons to ruffle up a bit but she pats the bag lightly and they stay still. "Excuse me, but Iroh would you not humiliate yourself like this."
"He's doing it for a gold piece, you should be grateful I would even offer something like this!" The man said, pushing the currency in her face.
Enyo moved his hand away from her face, "Look here, asswipe! Don't you put that in my face! I refuse to demean myself for money, so why don't you take that gold coin and shove it up your ass!"
He stood up, "You talk a lot to be such a little girl! Let's see what your worth with that sword!"
"Fine, let's rumble." Enyo placed the satchel down, leaving Iroh and Zuko to watch with wide eyes as she picked up her sword and tied the belt around her waist. "Hey everybody! Come watch this man get his butt handed to him by a teenage girl! Come one and come all!" The Princess waved her arms about, causing a circle to form as Zuko buried his face in his hands.
The man, we'll just name him Xin, had unsheathed Dadao sword and then ran toward her as she stood there with her hand on the hilt of her sword. Everyone watched with wide eyes as the girl had her eyes closed and made no sudden movement as he moved closer and closer to her, with a swing, nobody had noticed Enyo's katana be released from its scabbard and collide with the man's sword and the force made it fly toward a nearby tree. "W...What? That's impossible!" Xin finally spoke in the long silence as Zuko's eyes widened at how quick the battle ended.
"How is that impossible?" Enyo asked with her head tilted to the side, "You just lost!" She took his gold coin from his pocket and placed it in the hat as many people cheered and threw their coins in the hat, filling it up Iroh jumped for joy and play with the gold. "Good bye, loser!" She waved her hand as the man ran off, grabbing his sword and then coming right back. Enyo had narrowed her eyes and with a quick movement swung her sword at him again and silence filled the air.
Enyo's sword was back in its sheathed and the man's stood there, eyes wide, and everyone had begun to wonder what exactly had she hit. Then a tare had filled the air and there was a large x-cut on his shirt. "...Your an Airbender aren't you? There's no way!"
"Actually, I'm not and there is a way. Its called being quick or what my dad calls it Iaido!" Enyo gave him a fake, sweet smile. "Get the hell outta here or the next thing that's going to be ruined is your body. Buh-bai now!" She waved as he stormed off as more gold coins flooded towards them. "Thank you all for watching! I hope you all have a wonderful day!"
The next day, instead of spending all the gold gold they earned on a hotel they decided to go in a cave but that night Zuko was missing for a little while but came back with items that Iroh made him buy which was a map of the city, some teapots and tea leaves, and dinner. Enyo was outside the cave, feeding the dragon's a piece of bread that she had brought and enjoyed the nice breeze that filled the air.
"I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by," He puts his hand on his nephew's shoulder, "But it's nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honor in poverty."
"There's no honor for me without the Avatar." Zuko said with his eyes at the fire.
"Zuko... Iroh sighs, "Even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not sure it would solve our problems. Not now."
Zuko spoke abruptly. "Then there is no hope at all." He turns to get up.
"No, Zuko!" Iroh said rather quickly, "You must never give in to despair. Don't allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength." Zuko looks back at his uncle for a moment, then gets up to leave. He walks away frm the cave.
Enyo had turned to look at Zuko as he looked at her. "What's up?" She asked, knowing something was wrong.
"I'm leaving." He started walking, but Enyo grabbed his arm.
"What?" Why are you leaving?" The Princess asked with a frown on her face.
The boy looked away, "I can't stay with you guys. I have to find my own way."
"Zuko, you can't always do everything on your own. If we could do everything, we wouldn't make mistakes!" Enyo's grip on his arm tightened, "Iroh is going to be devastated, you know that? Do you really want to hurt your Uncle like this? Does he matter that little to you?"
Zuko forced his arm away from her, "Just leave me alone. You won't understand."
Enyo watched him walk away, anger evident on her face. Both dragons had watched until his figure was no more. "Maybe we aren't friends..."
It was the next day and Iroh declared he was going to follow after Zuko. After some convincing and tea bribing, Enyo had finally gave in and went with him with both dragons with her. They had been walking for a while and they were growing hungry and tired, but they kept trudging on figuring they would lose track of the Prince if they had stopped to rest. Eventually, Iroh fell, lying on the ground massaging his behind. His hair and beard are no longer nice and tidy, but long, shaggy, and unkempt. "Ohhh… That really hurt my tailbone."
"Are you okay, Iroh?" Enyo asked, worried. Suddenly Toph appeared in a stance on a rock behind them.
Iroh and Enyo looked at each other and then at her.
The afternoon sun was overhead. Toph, Enyo, and Iroh sit around a campfire on a rock ledge. Iroh pours all three of them tea. He offers her the cup, but she doesn't take it immediately.
"Here is your tea. You seem a little too young to be traveling alone." Iroh said to her while Enyo takes her cup, watching the steam fly up.
Toph soon takes hers. "You seem a little too old."
Iroh laughs, "Perhaps I am."
"I know what you're both thinking. I look like I can't handle being by myself."
"I wasn't thinking that." Iroh said.
"Neither did I," Enyo looked at her, "I could really care less."
The former General looked at Enyo as Toph frowned, "Oh yeah, the how come I couldn't pour my own tea?"
"I poured your tea because I wanted to and," he made an emphatic gesture with his hand, "for no other reason."
"People see me and think I'm weak. They want to take care of me. But I can take care of myself by myself." the Earthbender replied.
Enyo rolled her eyes, "You sound just like that self-righteous idiot! Why do people think they can just do everything by themselves?" She threw her arms in the air as Iroh looked her, smiling. "I mean, ugh! Like damn, somebody actually cares about you and all they want to do is just help you, they aren't doing the things for you, they are just supporting you! What is wrong with this world? I mean, dammit! Its hard to find people to trust now anyway and now you won't even let someone who you actually know who wants nothing but the best for you help you? Jeez!"
Toph had frowned as Iroh decided to put it in a nicer explanation, "What she means to say is that there is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you. Not that I love you; I just met you."
The Earthbender sighed, "Well, where is the guy you both are looking for?"
"We've been tracking him, actually." Iroh replied as he watched Enyo stare at her cup.
"Is he lost?" asked Toph.
Iroh had a rather concerned look but Enyo spoke up. "Yeah, he feels like he has to do something and being ridiculous that it may be, he's doing it by himself."
"So… now you're following him." She said, adding the pieces.
"Yes..." Iroh answered, "I know he doesn't want us around right now, but, if he needs us, we'll be there."
"This guy is very lucky, even if he doesn't know it." Toph said while standing up. "Thank you and by the way, you have a very bad attitude, but I like it! I hope we can meet again." Toph said as Enyo blinked a couple of times, confused.
"Our pleasure. Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights." Iroh smiled.
"No, thank you for what you guys said. It helped me..." Toph picked up her bags.
"We're glad." Iroh answered as Toph began to leave, but turns back briefly.
"Oh, and about him. Maybe you both should tell him that you need him too." she left, leaving them both to consider what she said.
"She's delusional. I don't need him." Enyo looked down at her tea, scoffing at the idea but Iroh merely chuckled.
In a ghost town where Aang waits patiently, the wind ruffles his clothes. He had a rather resolute face as Azula was approaching in the distance on her, a lizard passes by. She reaches the main drag of the town and dismounts. The two face each other, "Alright, you've caught up with me. Now you who are you and what do you want?" Aang demanded from the female.
"You mean you haven't guessed? You don't see the family resemblance? Here's a hint." In an imitation of Zuko's voice, "I must find the Avatar to restore my honor." Aang was nonplussed, "It's okay. You can laugh. It's funny."
"So what now?" Aang asked, obviously confused about the whole ordeal.
"Now… Now it's over. You're tired and you have no place to go. You can run, but I'll catch you."
Aang stood up, "I'm not running." A cruel smile spreads over Azula's face as the breeze blows a strand of her hair.
"Do you really want to fight me?" Azula asked as suddenly Zuko bursts into the scene from an alley between the Avatar and Azula. He tumbles off the ostrich horse he is riding, and lands in a crouching position.
"Yes!" The prince stands and throws his straw coolie hat away, "I really do."
"Zuko!" Aang shouted.
"I was wondering when you'd show up, Zuzu."
Aang laughs a bit. "Zuzu." Zuko goes into a firebending stance, facing Azula, but his arms are outstretched both towards her and towards the Avatar on his other side.
"Back off, Azula! He's mine." Zuko said clearly to his sister.
"I'm not going anywhere," The Princess assumed a firebending stance. The three were facing off. Zuko looks weary, Azula confident, and Aang worried. Zuko's eyes shift from side to side and he scrutinizes his opponents. Azula launches a blast of blue fire at Zuko, who blocks with a wall of his own fire. Though he blocks the blast, it does knock him to the ground with a crash. Aang freaks out and jumps into the air with his glider. Azula knocks him out of the sky with a wave of blue fire. Aang lands safely, using his staff as a helicopter blade to both break his fall and dissipate the blue fire in his immediate vicinity. Aang rolls over on the ground to gets up, but Azula lands near him after jumping off a nearby roof. He avoids her and gets up with his staff. Zuko has gotten back up and is firing blasts at Azula. Aang is between them now. Azula launches blast after blast of blue fire at Aang, but he dodges and runs around her.
After a few moments, Azula chases Aang into the upper floor of a bombed out building. When the Princess enters, her expression turns to alarm. There is no floor and the drop is sheer to the bottom. Aang is on the opposite from the door sitting on an air scooter. Azula leans precipitously over the edge on the side with the door, her arms flapping comically. Aang, who smiles and waves at her, then Azula, who almost falls in, but recovers and manages to regain stability standing on a ledge next to the doorframe. Right after she recovers, her brother runs in and promptly jumps into midair, screaming in surprise. He hits the ground below with a crash. Aang, whose air scooter is dissipating.
Azula fires several shots at him which miss. He dissolves the rest of the scooter, bounds over to her on the ledge and knocks her off. She lands, gracefully and ready for action, next to Zuko who is struggling to get up from where he landed. Aang who runs out of the door he originally entered through on the second floor. He runs down to the street level. Suddenly, the side of the building is blown open by a blast of blue fire and Zuko is blown out onto the street. Azula appears and starts firing blasts at Aang. He dodges each, jumping up between the walls of a nearby alley, in effect scaling the buildings. As he reaches the top of the building on the left, Azula slices a triangular piece of it off with a blast of fire. The piece of the building falls out from under him, but he catches on to the remainder of the building. Azula repeats the process and this time Aang is unable to recover. He falls into the building beneath a heap of rubble.
Aang looks up from the rubble in which he is entombed inside the building. Azula enters and lights the rubble around the room on fire. Aang tries to free himself from being trapped underneath a large beam, but fails. Azula walks forward with a cruel smile. Azula assumes a bending stance. Over her shoulder, Katara is seen entering the doorway. Azula, where with one behind her for balance she is hunched forward in a firebending stance, her right hand raised to strike.
Suddenly, a water whip grabs her by the hand poised to strike and yanks her backward. Aang looks shocked, as the water whips appears and breaks the wooden beam. Aang smiles and rubs his wrist. "Katara!" Aang shouted in shock. Azula whips around and fires a few blasts at Katara, who runs. Azula pursues her out of the building. As she passes an alley, Sokka jumps out at her and slices the air with his club, missing the Princess, but breaking her pursuit of his sister. The Avatar, Sokka and Katara now forming an arc around Azula and pushing her back. Zuko still lies on the ground nearby. He wakes up slowly. A fuzzy picture of Enyo resolves itself, a burning building in the background.
"E-Enyo?" Zuko said wearily.
The girl rolled her eyes, "Come on. Get yourself up, we got something to handle." She said with her hand open for him to grab. He grabs her hand and hauls himself to his feet. Azula launches herself at Aang, who jumps out of the way. The Princess and the allies trade blasts and dance around each other, but it is clear that Azula is outgunned. She is falling backwards in an orderly fashion, when suddenly she is pushed to the ground from behind, revealing Toph.
"I thought you guys could use a little help." Toph said with a smile.
"Thanks." Katara said with a genuine smile. Azula gets up and starts to run, still trading blasts with them. She turns and runs down the alley. As she reaches the end, she ends up running into Iroh's belly. She bounces off, looking utterly confused. Enyo, Sokka, Aang, Katara, Toph, Zuko and Iroh closing in on Azula, whose back is now to the corner of a burnt out building. She has no place to go.
"Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors all working together. I'm done." Azula raises her hands in a gesture of surrender," I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor." Enyo, who shifts her gaze momentarily from Azula to line up of her allies. She sees Toph, the girl whom she had tea sometimes earlier with Iroh. She figures out the connection between the Earthbender and the Avatar's party. Zuko meanwhile, is weak, he is breathing hard and might not put up a fight when it comes to defense right now. Azula fires at him instead, but Enyo jumps in the way and spins and falls.
All four benders then fire at Azula simultaneously and Sokka throws his boomerang. Azula makes a shield of blue fire, but the combined blows of the forces directed at her cause a tremendous explosion. When the smoke clears, Azula is gone. Nearby, Zuko kneels in despair beside his best friend, who lies still on the ground where she fell. Enyo groans softly as Zuko clenches his fist and teeth in anger. Sokka, Katara, and Aang run toward them, Sokka had taken her away from Zuko's grasp, making him look at the empty space in which Enyo was in. "Katara, you have to heal her right now!" He told his sister as she pulled out water from her waterskin and began to do a healing session. The Prince had his eyes on the ground and then looked toward the direction of where Enyo's satchel was to see both the dragons peeking their heads out. Iroh picked it up and kept it closed, giving Zuko a thumbs up.
"She'll be fine," Iroh tried to comfort everyone as they had worried expressions, "She's a tough girl."
Enyo opened one of her eyes, a lazy glaze over her eyes. "Is he alright?"
"I'm fine." Zuko said as he sat next to Sokka, "What did you do that for?"
"I owed you." Enyo said weakly and gave him a smile which was the first one she actually gave the whole time she met him, "Thanks Katara." She closed her eyes, feeling tired.
Sokka frowned and then looked at Zuko, "You mean her life was in danger before?"
"Zhao blew up my ship and we had to jump out the window. I protected her." Zuko glared back at Sokka, not liking the way the watertribe warrior was talking to him.
Aang walked over, "She's fine, Sokka. She did this all on her own, alright? She would this for any one of us, let's just be grateful that she's alive."
The watertribe warrior held Enyo close, "No Aang! Zuko is dangerous! We can't let her keep traveling with him!"
The Prince furrowed her brows, "Traveling with me was her decision, wasn't it? Besides, I could care less if you take her or not."
"Sokka," Enyo mumbled, "I'm okay." She said as her face was pressed against his shoulder, her eyes opening halfway. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I promised Aang."
The watertribe boy sighed and loosened his grip on her as she got up, weakly. "Don't push yourself." He looked away, feeling upset about the whole situation.
"Hey," Enyo said to get Sokka's attention, "I'm just following my instincts. I told you its 50/50 thing." She looked at Zuko and then at Iroh, "We should get going. Aang, I told you what I would do."
Zuko held her up since she wobbled side to side, "You shouldn't be walking."
"Uhm, how else am I going to go with you guys? Unless... Your gonna give me a piggyback ride?" Enyo eyes lit up.
"No!" Zuko immediately ended her happy face 'causing a frown to appear.
"Hey! Your the reason why she's hurt, you might as well do it!" Sokka said, squinting his eyes as he pointed his finger accusingly at Zuko. "You owe her."
Katara nodded her head ad Aang did the same. "Fine." The Prince didn't want to get ganged up on again, he got on one knee with a flustered face. "Just hurry up and g- Oof!" Enyo practically jumped on his back, her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck. "Did you really have to jump that hard?"
"Sorry," Enyo apologized, "Piggyback rides are just so fun!"
Aang laughed, "Enyo looks like a little girl."
"Eh?" The Princess turned to look at him, "I do not!"
"Your even acting like one too," Katara joined in as Enyo narrowed her eyes at them, "I am not!"
Sokka just shrugged, "Take little Enyo off, we should be going. You comin' Toph?" The boy asked nonchalantly as Iroh waved.
"See you all again!" Iroh said as they all waved and aboard Appa. Sokka watched as Enyo talked to Zuko, teasing him the whole time.
Toph sighed, "Why didn't you just tell her, Sokka?" She asked as Katara and Aang were too busy talking.
"Tell her what?" Sokka asked, "There's nothing I need to tell her."
"You obviously like her." She said with a grin on her face, "It's written all over your face, Snoozles."
Sokka pointed at her with his mouth opened and then closed it and looked away, "You can't see so how would you know?"
"Your heart literally died when you thought she was a goner, come on now, don't lie. I can tell when your lying!" Toph waved her finger at the last bit.
Iroh had walked along Zuko, who was still carrying Enyo on his back, but she had fallen asleep. The man looked at his nephew and then at the young girl, "You seemed really hurt when you saw her like that."
"I thought she was dead." He said looking down at the ground, "Nobody deserves to die for a banished Prince."
Iroh shook his head, "Don't say things like that, Zuko. You will be Fire Lord one day."
"Me? Fire Lord?" I doubt that." His nephew said as he looked behind him to see the girl's sleeping face, he smiled slightly before looking away as they walked in silence. They found a decrepit building that was good enough for them to hide in, Zuko had rested Enyo on a futon that he had found, letting her sleep.
He walked to the sitting area where Iroh had finished making a pot of tea. "I will begin her training when she is well or more along the lines, when I feel she is ready."
"How did you know I was going to ask you that?" Zuko asked, "Besides, what if she really isn't a Firebender?"
Iroh smiled, "I can tell. She has that firebending spirit."
The two dragons inched toward a cup, Iroh pouring them one and they drank it contently.
Enyo had tossed and turned in her sleep, finding herself unable to feel comfortable. It wasn't the futon that made her sleep uneasily; it was her dream or more like a nightmare.
Enyo's dream...
Everything was dark and she had sat there in the darkness. It was cold and quiet, the only sound that could be heard were her own movements. She stood up and walked, all by herself. She didn't call out to anyone, fearing of what might show. When she reached what seemed to be the light coming from the other side, a statue appeared before her. The statue was of a dragon and it was large dragon, probably bigger than Ran and Shaw. Enyo stood there staring at it, admiring the great detail and artwork that had been put into it. "What does this mean…?" She asked her, her fingers pressed against her lips as she tried to read the inscription on the statue but then a voice had broken her out of her concentration.
"You should have talked to Tui and La," Enyo spun around but she had saw nothing but darkness, but when she turned around she had seen a red dragon, the dragon from the statue circling around her. Enyo froze there, afraid because she didn't know whether this was really happening or just a figment of her imagination. "What do you mean?"
"You would have been able to ascend to the Spirit World had you went," He told her as his golden eyes were now looking at hers. "Humans can only enter the Spirit during the Winter and Summer solstice."
Enyo had then narrowed her eyes, "Why do I need to go into the Spirit world?"
"You want to know what it means to have a Dragonspirit, don't you?" The Dragon asked in a rather taunting voice.
"Yes, I do." She said as she watched the dragon continue to circle her.
It stopped and looked at her once more, "You can only find out by venturing into the Spirit World. Let me tell you this though, you can't become a Firebender until you have the desire."
"I do have the desire!" Enyo shouted, growing frustrated by the whole ordeal. "I keep trying and trying because I so desperately want to do it."
"Out of your own greed, but not from your heart you want to do it." Enyo closed her eyes, now seeing her mistake. "When you are able to align your heart with your desires for something you really want then you will able to master Firebending. Your Firebending is special, is just like the dragons."
The Princess then looked down at the ground, "How is it like the dragons?"
"It is something I cannot explain, you must witness sit yourself." The dragon opened it mouth and flew closer to her as it was going to eat screamed and darkness completely engulfed everything
End of Enyo's dream
She found herself gasping for air, her eyes wide open. Zuko and Iroh beside her bed looking at with a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness you are okay, you were screaming and shaking as well as sweating the whole time." Iroh said as he wiped her forehead with a cool cloth.
Enyo had looked at Iroh with endearing eyes, "I… I had a nightmare. I didn't mean to worry you."
"It wasn't worrisome, it was bothersome." Zuko stood up, "We couldn't sleep because of you."
The Princess looked at the Prince with an angry face, "Look, I'm sorry! I can't help tha-" Enyo cringed, her chest tightening since her wound had not fully healed.
"Do not stress yourself, Princess Enyo." Iroh said as he placed green goo on her chest, it helped relaxed the muscles and she was able to breathe normally. "You're still under recovery."
Zuko turned to look at her and then walked away, not even apologizing for causing her pain. "He sure is a piece of work!" Enyo shouted, hoping that he had heard her say that.
"He just feels guilty." Iroh said as the girl's face softened before showing frustration once more.
"What do you mean?" She asked, "What is he feelin' guilty for?"
"You could have died saving him and he feels that it is his fault that you had tried to protect him," Iroh said as he wiped his hands in a bowl of water, "Zuko has been feeling as though his life is meaningless for quite a while and that just hit him hard."
Enyo rolled her eyes, "Lemme talk to him." She stood up and walked out of the room.
"You shouldn't strain…" The girl was gone, "yourself." He let out a long sigh as the dragons walked toward, looking at him quizzically.
Zuko was leaning against a wall, his eyes looking on the setting sun outside. He had his arms across his chest. He turned to see Enyo looking at him, light traces of sweat coming down her face as she walked over to him. "What are you doing out of bed?" He managed to ask her as she let out a huge huff, feeling very tired.
"Well," She began, "I, uhm," For some reason, the words couldn't come out right. "Well," she said again before shaking her head, slapping her cheeks a couple of times, "Look, don't ever feel like your life isn't worth anything, ya hear me?" She pointed her finger at him.
Zuko raised his eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"
"I saved you because you saved me and because you're a really important person to the world, alright." She looked down at her feet, her cheeks becoming a hot, "Without you, there is no hope for the Fire Nation."
"Your talking crazy, you need to go back to bed." He walked over toward her, but she pushed him against the wall.
"No, Zuko!" Enyo closed her eyes tightly, "You might not see it but your life is really valuable!" She opened her eyes, her breathing heavy. "Your life is the future of the Fire Nation! One day, you will lead the Fire Nation to its most glorious point, okay? You will save it. You will be the best Fire Lord ever! You know how I know this? Because I believe in you even though you don't… you don't believe in yourself." Zuko looked at her with wide eyes as she felt her arms give out and drop to her side, "You'll be… the best Cherry tree…" She mumbled before blacking out, Zuko catching her and letting out a sigh as he did so.
Iroh had walked into the room, "She passed out, huh?" He asked as he then took the girl in his arms, "I'll put her to bed but tomorrow we have a lesson, so get some sleep."
"Lightning is a pure expression of Firebending, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire." Iroh takes the tea kettle off the fire and pours it into another pot. He then begins to pour two cups. "It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind."
"I see. That's why we're drinking tea: To calm the mind." Zuko said.
"Oh yeah, good point! I mean, yes." Iroh said quickly, trying to act like it was all his intention to drink tea during this lesson.
Outside of the building, Zuko and Iroh stand on the edge of a hill overlooking the valley with a walled, abandoned city at the bottom.
"There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang; positive energy and negative energy." he holds up one finger on each hand to stand for the two forms of energy. "Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together." he brings his hands together to illustrate the point. "You provide release and guidance, creating lightning."
Iroh holds out a hand, signaling for Zuko to step back. He holds his right hand to his side and with two fingers extended begins to create lightning by rotating his arm in a circular motion around his body. He mimics the motion with his left arm. Zuko and Enyo looked rather impressed. He brings his two hands together and then lunges forward with his right hand extended and shoots lightning into the distance. "I'm ready to try it!"
"Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide. Breathe first." Zuko breathes in and closes his eyes. He then begins to mimic the motions that Iroh performed, except that he does not create traces of lightning. He shouts and shoves his right hand forward, but it merely causes a fiery explosion that shoves him backward. He falls on his back next to Iroh. His Uncle shakes his head slightly.
Zuko has a frustrated look on his face and clenches his fist. Iroh looks on while leaning against the building in the background. "Why can't I do it? Instead of lightning, it keeps exploding in my face! Like everything always does!"
Iroh gets up from his spot and walks over to Zuko. The Prince stands up. "I was afraid this might happen. You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you."
Zuko turns to him, an angry look on his face. His voice showed that he was frustrated and enraged. "What turmoil?"
"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away."
"But I don't feel any shame at all! I'm as proud as ever!"
"Prince Zuko, pride is not the object of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame."
"Well… my life has been nothing but humbling lately."
Iroh looks to the side. "I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself!" he points a thumb toward himself and smirks slightly. Zuko smiles.
Iroh was drawing the symbols of each of the bending disciplines in the dirt with a stick as he explains them. Zuko sits cross-legged nearby, observing intently with Enyo at his side. "Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also, they apparently had pretty good senses of humor!" Iroh smiles widely, but they turn to see Enyo walking over them and sitting down.
"Don't mind me, I'm just here to watch because I'm pretty bored and sleeping isn't making me feel much better." Enyo waved her arm dismissively so they would continue on, "Oh and Aang is really funny!"
"He is." Iroh said as Zuko cleared his throat, frustrated. "Anyway, Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."
"Why are you telling me these things?" Zuko asked, obviously annoyed.
"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale." he said as he draws lines separating the four symbols in the dirt. "Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole."
"All this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff." Prince Zuko added.
"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But, it can make you more powerful too." He pokes Zuko's chest with his stick. "You see, the technique I am about to teach you is one I learned by studying the Waterbenders."
Zuko and Enyo looked intrigued. "Interesting..." Enyo mumbled.
"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A Waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponents' energy against them. I learned a way to do this with lightning."
Zuko got rather excited. "You can teach me to redirect lightning?"
Iroh nodded as Enyo watched with interest, "Wish I could be having this lesson, but I'm all sorts of messed up."
"Don't worry, you'll receive your lessons soon enough." Iroh told her with a smile as he continued on, "If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it." He explained as he points with his right arm at an angle into the air and points at it with his other hand. "You must create a pathway from your fingertips up your arm to your shoulder and down into your stomach." Iroh moves his left hand from his arm, to his shoulder, and then to his stomach. "The stomach is the source of energy in your body. It is called the sea of chi. Only in my case, it is more like a vast ocean." Iroh and Enyo laughed while Zuko looks stoic. "You direct it up again and out the other arm." he points off into the distance with his left arm. "The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart," he walks up to Zuko and points his fingers at his chest, "or the damage could be deadly. You may wish to try a physical motion to get a feel for the pathway's flow. Like this." he points to the left with both his arms and Zuko mimics the motion. Iroh then takes his right arm and points it in the other direction. Zuko this move as well. Iroh and Zuko then move their left arms to the right and back again. "Now, are you focusing your energy Can you feel your own chi flowing in, down, up, and out?"
"I think so." Zuko said.
He continues to mimic the motions Iroh showed him. He begins to move his arms in waving motions at his sides. "Come on. You've got to feel the flow."
It was now evening. Zuko and Iroh are still practicing the motions. Iroh suddenly stops and stands in front of them. "Excellent! You got it!"
Zuko bowed slightly, putting his hands together. "Great! I'm ready to try it with real lightning!"
Iroh and Enyo gave Zuko a questioning look. "What? Are you crazy? Lightning is very dangerous." Iroh explained.
The Prince was clearly annoyed. "I thought that was the point:" Iroh's eyes twitched as Zuko continues, "You teaching me how to protect myself from it."
Iroh became frantic, "But I'm not going to shoot lightning at you!" He waves his arms around defensively. He turns away from Zuko and looks at him out of the corner of his eye. "If you are lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all."
Zuko gazes off at dark clouds in the distance. "Well, if you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning."
Iroh, closed his eyes and trembles a bit. While Enyo's eyes were wide in fear. "He can't be serious! He… He just can't be," She stood up but felt a stinging to her chest but Iroh tried to help her and before he could say anything, she spoke. "Alright. I'm going to go sit down, maybe he needs some time to himself."
Zuko stands at the peak, staring at the clouds. He spoke defiantly at the sky, "You've always thrown everything you could at me! Well I can take it! And now I can give it back!" Lightning strikes in the distance. The Prince's face was covered in rain, he glances up at the sky. "Come on! Strike me! You've never held back before!" He closes his eyes and a stream of tears begins to flow from his good eye. He raises his arms and shouts before collapsing onto his hands and knees.
They began traveling after a week, Enyo finally getting through a full recovery and receiving some training more combat wise since she wasn't able to summon some Firebending. Iroh had taught her some movements, hoping that it would be a good start. She even explained to him the dream she had to tell him why she hadn't been able to bend, Iroh promised to help but she knew that it was something she had to learn on her own. They had been walking to the docks so they could go to the Earth Kingdom. They had bought their tickets and were now on the deck of the ship. "Who would have thought, after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace…as a tourist." as he says that last bit, he turns to Zuko, putting on a flowered straw hat and wide grin.
Zuko, grimly said. "Look around, we're not tourists, we're refugees." He took a sip from a raggedy, wooden bowl, "Ugh!" he spits over the railing, "I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in dirt... I'm tired of living like this."
Zuko leaned on the rail despondently. "Aren't we all?" said a boy, a stalk of prairie grass in his mouth as he adopts a sly grin. "My name's Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters, Smellerbee, and Longshot."
"Hey." Smellerbee responded, Longshot nods a greeting.
"Hello." Zuko said while looking out over the lake.
Enyo came walking over, rubbing her eyes as she walks towards Iroh. "What's going on?"
"We are meeting new friends," Iroh said happily, "isn't that great?" Enyo looked over to these "new friends" of theirs and her eyes locked right on Jet's.
The Princess's eyes widened, "J-Jet?"
"Sniper? I thought you were with the Avatar?" He asked her, "What are you doing here?"
"More like," She unsheathed her sword, "What are you doing here?" Her eyes narrowed as Jet lowered her sword.
"I'm not that kind of guy anymore, Snipe." He said as Zuko and Iroh looked at the two, feeling the tension. "I've changed."
"It's true," Smellerbee said as she walked towards them, "We all changed. We want to start a new life and we figured we should do that in Ba Sing Se."
Enyo sighed, feeling that she could believe them. She was still skeptical, but somewhere in her heart wanted to believe that the people she had grew up with had changed for the better, "Alright. What are you scheming though Jet? I can see you're up to something." She folded her arms as the boy grinned.
"Alright, here's the deal. I hear the Captain's eating like a king, while us refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?" He said as Iroh was more interested in the conversation.
"What sort of "king" is he eating like?" Iroh asked as Enyo raised an eyebrow.
"The fat, happy kind." Iroh mouth gapes open, drooling as Jet says this. "You want to help us "liberate" some food?"
Zuko stares down into at the bowl of gruel, considering a moment before hurling it out over the rail. He turns to Jet, "I'm in."
"Just like old times," Enyo had her head tilted back, her eyes on the sky.
Longshot nodded as Jet grinned, "C'mon, Enyo. We all know your appetite isn't something to be coaxed with gruel."
"Eh," Enyo punched the boy in his shoulder, "You know me so well, dontcha smooth stuff?"
"You know it." He said
Jet passes out food to the thankful passengers along with Enyo. The mission was a success and since they were all good in stealth and light, they had managed to do it with smoothly. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Iroh and Zuko were sitting and eating with Longshot and Smellerbee.
"So, Smellerbee, that's an unusual name for a young man."
The young girl was definitely peeved, "Maybe it's because I'm not a man. I'm a girl!" She shoots Iroh a look, rises and walks off.
Iroh called after her, "Oh, now I see! It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!"
Enyo shook her head, "She gets that a lot."
"I can see why." Zuko said as Iroh tried to suppress his laugh as Enyo gave him a glare before continuing to eat her food.
Longshot quickly rises and follows, catching Smellerbee with a hand to her shoulder. He steps in front of her, giving her a hard look. Smellerbee contrites. "I know. You're right. As long as I'm confident with who I am, it doesn't matter what other people think. Thanks Longshot." she thanked him as he nods a stern approval.
Zuko, Iroh, and Enyo are joined by Jet, who sits with them. The Freedom Fighter speaks rather eagerly, "From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall.
"It is a magnificent sight." Iroh said.
"So, you've been there before?" Jet asked, curious.
"Once, when I was a different man." Iroh said as he looked away with regret.
The Freedom Fighter glanced around as he spoke, "I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of. But that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se, for a new beginning. A second chance." Enyo smiled at him, actually now believing that Jet had meant everything he said.
"That's very noble of you. I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances." Iroh shared a meaningful look with Zuko, while Jet looks into the fire.
Enyo ran her fingers through her hair, "Well, I'm glad we aren't enemies anymore. You were my best friend Jet. We use to do everything together and after the past couple of years, everything had went downhill."
The Freedom Fighter placed his hand on her shoulder, Zuko stared at the boy's hand that was resting on the girl's shoulder, somewhat irritated. "It doesn't have to be like that anymore. It really hurt to see you leave, it hurt all of us. It wasn't the same without you. That's why you see we all broke up, we realized our mistake or more of my mistakes."
Enyo gave him a small smile, "Don't beat yourself up. You were resentful and I can see how it lead you down that path. More importantly, you learned from it and I hope you stay on this new path you've taken. It will lead to a bright future."
Zuko stood at the prow looking towards the nearing shoreline. The ferry was moving slow through the early mist. Jet sees Zuko and approaches him from behind, "You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were." Zuko glances warily at Jet who now stands next to him. "You're an outcast, like me. And us outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each other's backs, because no one else will."
The Prince speaks rather grimly, "I've realized lately, that being on your own isn't always the best path."
At the debarkation point for Ba Sing Se, which resembles a large, stone train station. People are milling about in groups while Zuko, Enyo and Iroh, who are seated with arms crossed at a waiting area, were approached by Jet who casually sits down next to Zuko since Enyo is in the middle of Iroh and Zuko.
"So, you guys got plans once you're inside the city?" Jet asked them.
A tea peddler comes by, "Get your hot tea here! Finest tea in Ba Sing Se!" All four of them look up to see the tea merchant pushing a concession cart in front of them. Iroh waves an arm, "Oh! Jasmine, please." The peddler pours tea into Iroh's bowl, who delightedly takes a sip. His eyes widen in shock and he spits it out in disgust, "Blaugh! Ugh. Coldest tea in Ba Sing Se is more like it. What a disgrace!"
"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Jet gestured for Zuko, who seems to be ignoring the tea episode and Enyo getting a cup of tea herself, to follow him. Zuko gets up reluctantly, sighing.
Jet had moved them away from where Iroh sat, "You and I have a much better chance of making it in the city if we stick together. You want to join the Freedom Fighters?"
"Thanks, but I don't think you want me in your gang." Zuko said, his face looking indifferent.
"Come on, we made a great team looting that Captain's food. Think of all the good we could do for these refugees. Besides, I'm sure Snipe is willing to join back with us since she was apart of it for so long."
Zuko turned and began to walk back towards Iroh, "I said no."
"Have it your way." The Freedom Fighter said mildly surprised. He then looked Iroh.
Enyo handed Iroh her cup of hot tea, "You can have mine Uncle. I guess mine was apart of the hot batch. I'll just drink your cold leaf juice since its pretty humid in here to me." She said, handing him the cup with a smile.
"Thank you, Enyo." Iroh said as he enjoyed the hot cup of tea.
They were now at the Ferry Landing, at the ticket gate. An Earth Kingdom official, a sour, heavy set woman with a large hairy mole above her eyebrow, looks over Iroh, Enyo and Zuko's papers dubiously.
She had spoken rather unpleasantly. "So, Mr. Lee, Ms. Yun, and Mr... umm... Mushy, is it?"
"It's pronounced Moo-shee." Iroh corrected her politely.
The woman had looked up from the papers angrily, "You telling me how to do my job?"
Iroh stepped closer, "Uh, no no no." He began speaking charmingly, "But may I just say that you're like a flower in bloom, your beauty intoxicating."
The custom lady smiled, obviously charmed by Iroh. "You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself handsome." She makes cat-claw gesture, "Raorrr. Welcome to Ba Sing se." She stamps their papers and pushes them forward.
Zuko snatched his papers from his Uncle disgustedly, "I'm gonna forget I saw that."
"I will never understand old people," Enyo said with disgust, "How could they still think that they can be charming?"
"Are you trying to say that old people can't fall in love, young one?" He asked Enyo, curious of her way of thinking.
"Yeah." She answered bluntly, Iroh pretended to cry.
Zuko was walking down the street with Enyo beside him. Iroh catches up to them from behind, holding a large vase with several orange flowers placed in it.
"I just want our new place to look nice in case someone wants alone time with their lady friend." He gives Zuko a small nudge with his elbow. Enyo, unaware of what was being said had been looking at the city around them.
"This city is a prison. I don't want to make a life here..." Zuko groaned, "And what lady friend?"
"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not. Now come on, I found us some new jobs, and we start this afternoon."
At a small tea shop in the lower ring. Jet is leaning against the shop's wall near the window. He turns around and peeks inside, spotting Enyo, Zuko and Iroh speaking with the tea shop owner.
"Well, you certainly look like official tea servers. How do you feel?" asked the tea shop owner.
"Ridiculous." answered the Princess.
Enyo walked up to them, unbeknownst to them until she spoke did they give her attention. "You can say that again. I look like a maid instead of a tea server." She folded her arms, "Besides, I hate dresses and this is so form fitting."
She gave a twirl as Zuko looked at her and then looked away, his face showing a slight tint of red but he hadn't let them seen it.
Iroh desperately attempts to tie the string behind his back, but his effort is in vain. "Uh, does this possibly come in a large size?"
"Because you have to appeal to our male customers, Yun. You have such a pretty face and a nice frame took, so why not make their day more enjoyable by showing them your blessings?" He asked as she gave him a deadpanned expression, "Oh and I have extra string in the back. Have some tea while you wait." The owner pours two cups of tea and hands them to his new employees before heading to the back of the shop. Iroh takes a sip from his cup, but quickly pulls it away, his face contorted in disgust.
"Eeow! This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!" Iroh said in disgust.
Zuko glared at his uncle. "Uncle, that's what all tea is."
"How can a member of my own family say something so horrible? We'll have to make some major changes around here." Iroh grabs the tea pot and heads over to the window Jet is spying through. Jet pulls away just in time as Iroh dumps the tea out the window.
It was night now in their apartment as Iroh is standing by a counter with a teapot and Zuko is lying on a cot and Enyo was brushing her hair in the corner out of the curly hairstyle the owner tried to fixate with to make her look more cute.
"Would you like a pot of tea ?" Iroh asked his nephew.
"We've been working in a tea shop all day. I'm sick of tea!" Zuko shouted, his arms thrown in the air.
"Sick of tea? That's like being sick of breathing! Enyo, would you like some?" He asked as she opened one eye.
"Sure, I would like some Iroh." She said as she turned to look at him.
Iroh poured her a cup, "Why don't you call me, Uncle from now on. You're basically like family now."
Enyo looked at him and then down at her cup, "Uhm… Okay, Uncle…?" She tested it out and then smiled, showing them her pearly whites. Iroh smiled back at her as Zuko looked at her with a small smile on his face as she seemed to be so enthusiastic about calling Iroh her own Uncle.
She looked at Zuko, "What are you smiling at? What do you find so amusing?" She asked.
"Nothing." He answered her as he got up and walked out of the room and to his.
"He is such… Ugh! I can never understand what goes on in his head." Enyo threw her arms in the air out of frustration.
Enyo had decided she was going to take a walk that night and left their small apartment through the window since walking out her door and the front door would make too much noise. She was wearing her regular Earth Kingdom clothes and her sword at her hip. She raised her arms above her head, stretching as she enjoyed the nice Spring air. "Ah, this feels good!" She said to herself, humming delightfully as she walked with a spring in her step. Where she was going to go? She didn't know, but she had wanted to go just about anywhere. The lower ring is supposed to be the most crime ridden ring, but she was willing to fight about anyone and to see if she would gain the desire to fire bend.
"Help! Someone help me!" Enyo immediately look in the direction where she heard the voice, she ran as fast as she could to see a woman fighting a man for her satchel. "Please, you can't take this! I need my money."
"We need it more than you do!" The man shouted back at her, but then felt a hand on his shoulder. "Who are you?"
"Uhm, just a civilian. Anyway, can you please not rob this lady because I really don't want to hurt you." Enyo said with a uneasy smile, but the man pushed her away and she stumbled a bit. "ARGH! Why does everyone want to do things the hard way?" She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, but then two hooks had appeared before the man's neck.
Shuang gous? Enyo knew that it could only be Jet. "I'll let you live if you run away right now." He said as the man looked behind him and then nodded his head, quickly agreeing. Jet let the thief go, kicking the man in the back as he started to run. Enyo moved out the way as the man ran down the alley, the woman thanking them repeatedly. "Hurry home, it's not safe out here." The woman continued to thank them before running off, trying to hurry her way to home.
"What are you doing out here, Jet?" Enyo finally asked him.
"I could ask you the same thing." They both turned to see Zuko, he walked out of the shadows and stood next to Enyo.
"I went out for a walk, I was restless." Enyo explained, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "What are you doing out here?" She asked him.
"I heard you." He quickly answered as she let out a sigh and then pouted.
"I thought I wasn't loud." She folded her arms, "I didn't mean to wake you up."
"That doesn't matter, it's dangerous out here." The Prince narrowed his eyes, "You could get hurt."
Enyo turned around to face him, her hands on her hips. "I can take care of myself!"
"She's right, Lee." Jet walked closer to them, "She's more than capable."
Enyo gave a triumph smirk, "See! Jet knows me well so his word proves it."
Zuko looked at Jet and then at Enyo, "I don't care. There are many Earthbenders out here, masters at that, do you think that it will be easy taking them out with just your sword when your on their territory?"
The Princess clenched her teeth and then looked down, almost in defeat. He was right. "Right…" She mumbled, now allowing him to hear it. "I can take them down too!" She pointed her finger at Zuko's face, making him look down at her finger and blink twice. "I'm a strong girl!" She flexed her arm that she used to point at him and placed her hand on her muscle. Zuko tried to suppress as laugh but ended up looking away, snickering at most. She turned to look at Jet, who was chewing on a stalk of prairie grass, with a sly grin on his face. "What's so funny?"
The Prince quickly pulled himself together, "We should go home." He said, his face now serious.
"But…. I just," Enyo sighed, "Fine." Both boys looked at her in shock, surprised that she had actually gave in so easily.
"Wait, I wanted to tell you that I know you work in the tea shop now." Jet told them as Enyo perked up a bit at the talk of the tea shop.
"Yeah, what about it?" Enyo asked, "Wanna work there too?"
"Uh," He looked down at his feet and then looked away, "Well,,,"
Zuko frowned as Enyo grinned, "I'll give you a recommendation! What about Smellerbee and Longshot?"
"Longshot got a job as a mail carrier and I had put Smellerbee in school." Jet informed her, "I'm the only one who isn't in work, besides. I need a job where I can be a people person."
"You would definitely be a good waiter!" Enyo said, "Better than Mr. Broody over here!" She pointed at Zuko.
"Hey!" Zuko said, offended.
"Its getting late and I'm sure Longshot and Smellerbee are worried about you," Enyo waved at Jet, "See you tomorrow. Come at the teashop at noon and look sharp! C'mon Zuko." The girl turned around began walking, her arms behind her head.
Zuko had looked back at Jet, who had his hand on his shoulder. "If it's the last thing you do, make sure she doesn't get hurt." Jet said as Zuko nodded his head and then turned around to catch up with Enyo. Jet watched them leave before walking down opposite direction of the dark alley. Zuko looked at Enyo, "Why did you stop being a Freedom Fighter?" He asked her as she looked up at him.
"Jet hates the Fire Nation, a lot. He lost his family because of some Fire benders when he was eight-years-old and since then, he held onto this strong grudge against them." She said, looking up at the starry night, "I never noticed that his hate for them had driven him to want to kill innocent people. He wanted to wipe out this town taken over by the Fire Nation by blowing up the dam. It was the first time I met Sokka, Aang, and Katara."
Zuko continued to look forward, "You still haven't explained why you stopped."
"What do you mean?" Enyo frowned, "He wanted to kill innocent people! Well, Jet's a pretty charismatic person, anyone just about falls for his smooth talk. He had everyone fooled, even me for a long time."
The Prince sighed, "How are you so sure that he changed his ways now?"
Enyo looked at him, "Because not once has Jet ever admitted to his mistakes. Never."
"Sounds pretty proud to me," Zuko said as Enyo sucked her teeth. "What?"
"Like your one to talk," Enyo glared at him from the corner of hers, "You never want to admit to your mistakes. Neither can I. Everyone has pride, especially those who always try their best to do everything on their own." She gave him a small smile, "What? I was like that too, but when I met the Freedom Fighters, I discovered that it's better to listen to another voice than to listen to your own and that's what I tried to tell you. I don't wanna see you get hurt."
He was surprised to hear her say that, "Why do you feel as though you need to protect me?"
Enyo looked at him, "Because you're my friend."
"You would sacrifice your happiness for a friend?" Zuko asked her with a curious look in her molten, gold eyes.
She smiled, "Of course! That's what true friends do. Like I said before, you're the future Fire Lord. The world… needs you." Enyo yawned, "It's really late. I didn't imagine all of this would be happening."
Zuko smiled a little, "Me either."
"Zuko," Enyo called his name softly while looking ahead.
"Yeah?" He answered, looking ahead as well.
"Can we always be friends?" She managed to ask as he furrowed his brows in confusion.
He finally asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"I want us to be friends forever." Enyo said to him, stopping with her arms now behind her back. "When I'm back at home and your Fire Lord, let's always be friends!"
"You must be tired, your talking crazy." He continued to walk as she dropped her jaw.
"W-WHA?" Enyo ran up to him, "What are you talking… Ergh! Whatever." She folded her arms, not feeling up for arguing.
It was the day and at Noon. Jet had walked in Pai's shop wearing his customary Earth Kingdom clothes, he managed to not have a stalk of prairie grass in his mouth. Enyo dashed over to him, "Jet, you look great! You smell great too!" She had said gleefully, actually proud that he was trying his best. Pai had walked over once he saw a very cheerful Enyo.
"So, this is the boy you were talking about, Yun?" He asked as Lee looked at her, wondering why she was being called by that name. Enyo gave him a nervous smile.
"Yeah, this is Jet!" Enyo answered.
Jet bowed, "Nice to meet your, Mr. Pai." He said coolly.
Zuko watched with mistrusting eyes as the Princess seemed so excited for Jet's arrival. "I never seen Enyo so happy like this." Iroh broke the Prince out of his thoughts.
"I don't trust Jet." Zuko said he finished cleaning off the plate.
Iroh looked at his nephew skeptically, "Why not?"
"Because nobody changes that fast, Uncle. He might be up to something; he might be trying to use her." Zuko picked up another washed off plate handed by the older man.
"Enyo knows Jet more than anyone else," Iroh explained, "I'm sure she will know if Jet is being dishonest or not."
Enyo hugged Jet tightly, who gave her a hug back. She pulled away from him with her hands now on his shoulders. Jet gave her a smile, "I wouldn't have gotten this job without you."
Zuko's eyes widened, "How did he get the job? He didn't have to do an interview or anything!"
"Why couldn't he get the job?" Iroh asked, "It seems to me you're jealous."
"Jealous of what, Uncle?" Zuko asked furiously, "I'm a Prince, he's a vigilante and a peasant."
"You actually care if he works here, do you think it's because Enyo will be more preoccupied with him instead of arguing with you?" Iroh asked, a smile on his face.
"I'm glad he'll take all her attention. She annoys me." Zuko stormed off to the back to make another cup of tea.
Iroh sighed, "Teenagers."
Enyo had watched Jet work diligently, not making any sort of mistake. More girls had taken the liking to the shop because of him and he managed to quench their thirst and their lust with his words and serving. Iroh looked at Enyo as she seemed to be studying his every move, "So, is Jet someone you like, young one?"
"Huh?" She broke out of her gaze, "Oh, no. He's my friend and I only want the best for him." Zuko had quietly walked behind Enyo and Iroh, wondering what nonsense his Uncle had been spewing.
"Nothing more, just a friend?" He asked as he poured tea in several cups, "I'm sure you have someone you like."
Enyo looked at Iroh suspiciously, "How did you know that I like someone?"
Zuko's eyes widened as his Uncle did the same. "Uhm, well, it was just a guess really."
The young girl looked down at the cup of tea, "Well, I do like someone but I'm pretty sure that he's not even thinking about me."
"Well, who is it? I'm sure I can give you that insight." Iroh kept poking.
The Princess smiled, "Thanks Uncle, but I like-"
"Lee!" Pai called him, "We need several cups of Jasmine tea at tables 7, 8 , and 9."
Enyo and Iroh had turned to see Zuko grabbing a new tray, he turned back to look at him as they looked at him. "What? I wasn't here the whole time or anything." He grabbed it and placed the cups on his tray and went to the tables Pai told him about.
"Anyway, what were you saying, Enyo?" He asked her as she blinked a couple times.
"To be honest, I actually like-" She paused and then looked at Jet, "Hey, what's up, Jet?"
"Why are you using a different name?" He asked her, curious.
Enyo blinked a couple of times, "I thought it would be fun to be a different person." She shrugged her shoulders and placed some cups on his tray, "You have work to do." Enyo shooed him as he gave her skeptical expression.
Iroh sighed, "Now, what were you saying?" He said as he prepared another pot of tea.
"Hm?" Enyo blinked a couple of times, "Oh, you asked me about who I like, right? I like-"
"Hey Mushi!" Jet said as he placed the empty tray atop of the counter, "We need more ginseng tea and once customer wants black tea with a hint of lemon."
Iroh was definitely annoyed as he took the order, "It'll be ready soon."
"Oh and they love your Moon cakes, Yun!" Jet played along when it came to her name, "Can you make some more?"
"Sure!" Enyo said as she walked to the back and Zuko came over and placed his tray down.
Iroh looked at him, "I'm surprised she is not avoiding my question. She's quite an honest person.."
"What question?" Zuko acted like he didn't know what his Uncle was talking about.
"I guess you don't want to know the answer then." Iroh had walked over to check the pot and added some leaves to the hot water.
Zuko rolled his eyes, "What did she say?"
"Actually, I don't know. We keep getting interrupted." He said as his nephew gave him a deadpanned expression.
Enyo came back with some fresh, hot moon cakes and placed three on a plate and placed them on Jet's tray. "Here you go, I decided to make more since they are becoming a hot attraction." Jet then walked away, heading towards the table of girls who had hearts for eyes.
"I didn't know you were such a good cook, Enyo." Iroh said as he walked over to her, leaving his nephew to wash dishes.
The Princess merely shrugged her shoulders, "I only know how to cook Earth Kingdom food, but I use to watch my mom cook when I was real young and so I remembered some things and I was the one who had to find food and cook it when I was in the Freedom Fighters." She said and then sighed, "I wouldn't say I'm a great cook, but its alright."
"Alright? Everyone wants a moon cake, it must be great! We should save some for home." Iroh said as Enyo smiled.
"I guess and didn't you ask me something?" She asked, her amber hues on the old man.
"Oh yes, I asked who do you like." Iroh said, exasperated.
The Princess smiled, "I like everyone."
Iroh's face fell, "Everyone?"
"Just kidding!" She teased him, knowing he had been wanting to know all day. "Well, I don't like him anymore since he had a girlfriend."
"Your talking about that watertribe boy, aren't you?" Iroh noticed her eyes widened for a second.
"Sokka." Enyo said his name and then smiled, "Yeah, I did…" She looked at the older man, "but he was with that Moon Spirit girl and so I know he didn't feel the same way."
"There are others guys available." Iroh said as he took the pot off the stove and poured some tea into several cups. "For instance Jet and my nephew."
"Zuko?" Enyo gave him a dull expression, "He rather choke on fire then have a relationship like that with me. Jet? He's never serious about things like that. He always has a motive for everything and I'm not much a challenge for him." She sighed, "I just think I need to focus on other things."
"What if I told you my nephew actually likes you?" Iroh asked as Enyo arched a brow.
"No way, that doesn't sound like him. Besides, Zuko isn't my type. I don't like constant fighting, I can never understand what he's really thinking behind his angry or one of his stoic expressions. He's impatient, arrogant, classist, short-tempered," and before she could say more things she didn't like about him she remembered when he had gave her his body warmth by holding her when they were at the North Pole, when he saved her from the explosion before that, when he gave her that piggy back ride, and when saved her from falling on ship when they were on the deck. "… But he can be sweet in his own way."
Iroh paused when she had said that last sentence, a soft smile on her face and one formong on his. "Seems like he's your type to me."
"Why are you trying so hard to set me up with him anyway?" Enyo finally asked, curious about Iroh's thoughts as of now.
The man merely smiled, "I'm just a curious, nosy old man."
"Uhm, okay." The Princess shrugged and then went back to the kitchen.
Zuko had walked over to his Uncle, "Found out your answer?"
"I did." He said as he placed his hand on Zuko's shoulder, "You need to be more nice."
The boy raised an eyebrow, "…More nice?"
"Yeah, you're not nice enough." He said as Zuko looked a Enyo as was in the kitchen wiping sweat from her forehead.
"…Your thinking too much." He told his Uncle as he walked back into the kitchen and Enyo looked at Zuko strangely.
"What are you doing back here?" She asked him as he looked down and the back at her.
Zuko didn't say anything at first but after a few minutes, he finally managed to say something. "Are the moon cakes done?"
"Uh, no." Enyo looked at the glass that showed her the pastries.
"Oh…" He said, suppressing a yawn.
"Do you think that I'm just an unlucky person?" She asked him, scratching her cheek shyly. "I just can't seem to get lucky when it comes to… Y'know love and stuff."
Zuko's eyes widened, "What nonsense are you spewing?"
"Uncle asked me did I like someone and I told him who. He also asked me about others, he even mentioned you." Enyo laughed with her hand on the back of her head. "Crazy huh? Us two? We'd kill each other."
The Prince frowned, "Yeah, true. Your so annoying, it would drive me insane." He said as she smiled sadly.
"I told him how I use to like Sokka," Her voice became soft when she said his name, it was endearing. The Prince's fists tightened. "The day I first met Sokka was the day I first started to like him." She sighed softly, "… For a tiny bit I almost believed he felt the same, but when I saw him with Yue, the girl who turned into a Moon Spirit I knew…. That I was believing on something stupid." Enyo ended up laughing nervously, "Really stupid me, right? Who would like a girl like me? I'm so brash, temperamental, and violent."
"You're also persistent, pretentious, loyal, caring, and selfless." Zuko said as Enyo froze, not believing he had just said that. "You always put others before yourself and you always want to believe in everyone and you always think that you can do each and everything. The most annoying yet strong thing about you is that you never give up."
"Is this a joke? Did Iroh, I mean Uncle, make you say these things?" She asked as she walked over to him, placing her forehead against his making him blush as she checked his temperature. "You seem fine, maybe your just actually being nice for change." Enyo smiled at him, "Thanks. You cheered me up." Enyo gave him a kiss on his cheek and opened the oven with oven mittens and brought the tray of hot moon cakes outside.
Zuko stood there, his hand on the cheek she kissed, and a smile on his face.
It was the next morning and they were in Pai's teashop. Enyo, Zuko, and Iroh were all working under the guise of Yun, Lee, and Mushi respectively. Enyo was waitress taking orders and writing down on a notepad while Zuko was walking down the shop with a trey of cup and looking over his shoulder. He walked up behind Iroh who was on the ladder, stacking things on a shelf. "Uncle, we have a problem." he said as Iroh descended down, "One of the customers is one to us. Don't look now." He said as a rather attractive girl was sitting at the corner of the shop sipping tea, "but there is a girl over there at the corner. She knows we're Fire Nation." he said as Zuko forces Iroh to turn around as he turned to look. The older man merely sports a grin on his face. "Didn't I say don't look!" Zuko snapped.
"You're right Zuko. I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you." Iroh explained as Enyo walked up, surprise written on her face as she heard that sentence.
Zuko reeled back in surprise, "What?"
"Who would like broody over here?" Enyo pointed at Zuko who glared at her, "She must have some odd taste if you ask me."
Jin was behind the trio suddenly, "Thank you for the tea." She thanked him as she hands Zuko a few coins who takes them and turns away from her, "What's your name?"
He turned back to her, "My name's Lee. My Uncle Mushi, my friend Yun, and I just moved here."
"Hi Lee, my name is Jin. Thank you and, well, I was wondering if you like to go out sometime." she asked as Enyo felt a sting go through her chest, she winced a little as she watched the scene. She figured it was because she was annoyed at the fact Jin didn't greet the rest of them and kept her attention at Zuko.
Before the stunned Zuko could respond, Iroh chimed in. "He'd love to!"
"Great! I will meet you in front of the shop at sundown." She walked away, leaving Zuko standing bewildered as his Uncle throws an arm around his shoulders with a large, goofy grin on his face again. Enyo rubbed her chest and going with the idea she was just making up the pain.
"Wow, I can't believe Mr. Broody has a date!" Enyo grinned, giving him a big smile.
The Prince looked at her, "Its not like I want this date."
"Why not? She's a cute girl and she likes you." She said, now confused. Zuko had frowned, deeply.
Enyo arched a brow, "Eh, your always confusin' me." She placed four cups of Jasmine tea on the tray and took it to the customer herself.
Iroh had looked at the two, smiling a very mischievous smile.
It is nighttime now Enyo was taking off her apron. She had watched as Iroh was gussying Zuko up, making sure he looked perfect on his date. He was wearing a nicer Earth Kingdom outfit, a contrast to his typical brown every-day clothing. His hair, which was usually shaggy and unkempt, had been combed and parted. Enyo could feel her heart beat fast as she watched Zuko look at her but she looked away with a blush, unsure why she had even done that.
Zuko had walked over to her with an unsettled expression but his footsteps couldn't be heard, all she could hear was her heart beating loud in her ears. She placed her hand on her chest, feeling it tightening. "How do I look?" The Prince asked as she looked up at him.
"You look…" She paused unable to say the rest for a brief second, "You look," she slowly smiled, "like a million gold pieces."
The Freedom Fighter leader had walked over and gave Zuko a thumbs up, "Good luck." He said as Zuko watched Jet sit next to the Sun Warrior as she looked down at the ground, a blank expression coming across her face. "Enyo, can you come over my apartment?"
"Why?" Enyo asked, blinking a few times. "Somethin' wrong?"
"Nobody knows how to cook." Jet looked down, embarrassed,
"Sure, I'll cook you guys some dinner."
"Mr. Mushi, you can come with us! Snipe makes great Chili and roasted Turkey Duck."
"Turkey Duck? That sounds delicious!" Iroh placed his hand on his stomach, patting it twice. "I would love to join you and the rest of the Freedom Fighters."
Enyo gave them a nervous smile, "Its not really all that great like Jet says it is."
Zuko was annoyed by the whole happy conversation, "Maybe I should just reschedule my date."
"No!" Enyo frowned, "Don't do that. Jin looked very excited, you can't hurt her like that." She said giving him a playful push toward the door, "She'll be here really soon, so stay sharp!"
"Why are you so supportive of this?" He asked her, almost seeing that she was too enthused about it all.
The girl froze and then blinked twice, "You could use a date, it will clear your mind. Who knows, maybe a girlfriend will make you happier!" She gave him a hopeful smile, "Go ahead! Go, go! Mushi! Come see Lee off!"
Zuko had arrived home from his date to see Enyo lying at the windowseat, her eyes closed and her mouth slightly opened. He wondered if she had been waiting for him, watching through the window to see if he was coming home. "How was your night, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked as he enters the room.
Zuko walks across the floor and into what must be his room and slams the doors behind him without a word. Iroh looks after him for a second with a confused look on his face before turning to trim the flowerbed sitting there. Though, when the sound of the doors opening again is heard, he turns back around. He cracks the door open so that his face was seen, "It was nice."
"Could you take Enyo to her room? She fell asleep waiting for you to come home." Iroh said as Zuko gets up and picked up the girl bridal-style to her room. He looked down at her, noticing that her hair was free from its usual ponytail and now long enough to touch the floor. He tried to stop it but it was too long and he knew that if he moved too much that she would wake up. When he opened the door to her room and reached the futon, laying her down, he sat there for a few minutes as the moonlight was the only thing that lit up the room and rested on her face. She opened her eyes halfway, sitting up a little and rubbing her eyes.
"How was your date, Zuko?" She asked after yawning with her hand over mouth. She looked up at him lazily, awaiting her answer and he graced her with a very calm voice.
"It was nice." He answered, but she grabbed his arm when he acted like he was about to leace.
Enyo yawned again, "That's great. Did you guys kiss?"
Zuko blushed, "Why are you asking me something like that?"
She giggled, the sound of it almost reminding him of tinkling bells and it froze him in place. "Because a kiss is always the best ending to a date or so I've heard." She gave him a smile. "I'm glad you had a good date, I was worried."
"Worried about what?" He asked her as she blinked a couple of times.
"That you might scare her away with your angriness, I didn't want you to end up being sad or anything." She yawned again and closed her eyes halfway. "But I'm glad to hear that didn't happen."
"Go back to sleep." He pulled the blanket up to her chin and he attempted to leave again but she grabbed his wrist and stopped him again.
"How did it feel?" Enyo bluntly asked.
The Prince's face went red again, "Why are you asking me this, Enyo?"
"I'm curious." She managed to say with a somewhat angry expression, "Why else?"
"Haven't you kissed someone before?" He asked her as she shook her head.
"No," Enyo gave him a lazy smile, "I always wanted to kiss someone I loved."
"I don't love Jin." He quickly said.
"Nobody said you did, Zuko." Enyo rolled to her side, still looking at him curiously. "I'm just that type of person."
The Prince then managed to ask her another question, "Did you want to kiss, Sokka?"
Her face flushed red, "Uhm…" She hummed before putting the blanket over her head, "Yes." She answered, the blanket muffling her answer but Zuko guessed what her answer was. "You can go to bed, Zuko." She said before closing her eyes, "I'm done with my questions." Zuko got up and walked toward the door, "Good night." She mumbled.
"Good night, Enyo."
Inside the teashop, Iroh is pouring tea for a wealthily dressed man and his bodyguards. As Iroh walks away, they sip the tea and smile, and then rise to approach him.
"So you're the genius behind this incredible brew. The whole city is buzzing about you." Quon holds up the teacup in a hand glittering with jeweled rings, "I hope Pao pays you well."
Iroh smiles, "Good tea is its own reward."
"But it doesn't have to be the only reward. How would you like to have your own tea shop?" Quon asked Iroh, who looked rather stunned.
"My own teashop? This a dream come true!"
Zuko had looked at Enyo, unaware of what his Uncle was doing. The girl had smiled at Jet, laughing at whatever they were talking about. The way he would just so casually talk to her any moment he could get, making her smile and causing that sound of tinkling bells to fill the air without any effort or notice had bothered him. He didn't know what it was, but it completely aggravated him.
Iroh then moves over to them, excited. "Did you hear you three? This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the upper ring of the city."
Quon then approached them, "That's right young ones. Your lives are about to change for the better." Zuko continues to walk away towards the front door, setting down the tray cups.
He speaks rather gravely, "I'll try to contain my joy." He said while stepping outside. Closing the door behind him, Zuko steps out to lean against the front of the teashop. One of the Appa leaflets flutters out of the sky, Zuko catches it out of the air and reads it. Realizing the import of it, he begins scanning the sky for the source of the paper. He climbs to the roof of the shop just as another scattering of them settle to the street. Looking at the leaflet once more, his face becomes set with determination.
Inside the cramped Apartment, Enyo and Iroh were packing as the door slides open and Zuko enters. "So, I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How 'bout the Jasmine Dragon? Me and Enyo came up with it. It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it."
"The Avatar's here in Ba Sing Se." Zuko said as he holds out the leaflet, "And he's lost his bison."
Iroh takes the leaflet. "We have a chance for a new life here. " Zuko walks to stare out a window, "If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."
Zuko spun around to face Iroy, clearly irate. "Good things that are happening for you. Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?" '
Iroh spoke rather earnestly. "There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want for your life, and why."
The Prince turned to look outside again. "I want my destiny."
"What that means is up to you," Zuko walks away from the window as he says this. "The Tea Weevil?" Iroh shakes his head in disgust, "No, that's stupid."
"I'm going after him, Uncle." Enyo said as she followed after him.
Inside a chamber, Appa is chained to the floor, and the light from the doorway casts the shadow of a figure on him as the bison rises. Appa moans uncertainly.
The Blue Spirit closed in on him. "Expecting someone else?" He stepped into the chamer, he draws a sword, while Appa shifts nervously in his chains. "You're mine now." The door behind the Blue Spirit, and a shadow is seen in the light spilling inward. The Blue Spirit turns and readies both his swords to attack. Then something sharp was to his neck and he turned to see that it was Enyo.
Enyo feigned puzzlement. "The Blue Spirit, huh? I wonder just who could be behind that mask?"
Zuko removed his mask, "What are you doing here?"
"I was just about to ask you the same thing. What do you plan to do now that you have found Appa? Keep him locked in our new apartment? Maybe Iroh should make a pot of tea for him, huh?"
"First I have to get it out of here." He said as the girl's sheathed her sword.
She let out a long sigh, "Are you serious? You never think these things through, Zuko. This is exactly why when we were in the North Pole the mission failed." She threw her arms in the air, "You had Aang and then you had nowhere to go!"
Zuko became heated, "I would have figured something out!"
"Really?" She folded her arms, "If I would of never met the Avatar, you would have been out there. Dead."
The Prince looked away in anguish, "I know my own destiny."
"Do you? Is it your destiny?" Enyo asked, a frown on her face.
"Stop it!" He said, tormented by the realization, "I have to do this!" he turns away, toward Appa.
Enyo walked over to him, making him face her as her eyes were locked on his. "I'm begging you, Zuko. You have to look inside yourself, and begin asking yourself some questions." She tightened her grip on his shoulders, "Who are you? And what do you want?" With a cry of frustration, he dropped his swords and ripped off his mask. "Let's fix this."
Momo, sweeps down out of the sky and lands on Aang's shoulder chattering excitedly. "What is it Momo?" the Avatar asked as Momo launches upward, past Long Feng, to disappear into the bright midday sun. Moments later Appa emerges from the dazzling light, hurtling downwards towards them. The four heroes look upwards with expressions of delight. "Appa!" Appa swoops down and smashes through the first wall, continuing onward through the second. The Dai Li perched on the wall are knocked senseless by the bursting walls, and fall to the ground or spill into the water. Aang and Toph bend the cliff that the remaining agents are perched on, flinging them far out into the lake. Appa circles around to land heavily near the shaken Long Feng, as the remaining Dai Li flee. Turning from his fleeing men, Long Feng faces an enraged Appa.
"I can handle you by myself." Long Feng says to the Bison as he launches a kick at Appa, who catches his leg in his teeth. With a mighty toss of his powerful neck, Appa sends him skipping far out across Lake Laogai, to disappear with a final splash. The sky-bison pauses momentarily before spitting out his shoe. Aang, Sokka, Katara and Momo throw themselves onto the shaggy bison, while Toph strokes his nose.
Sokka hugs the Bison's leg, "Yeah! Appa!" The watertribe boy cries in happiness.
Aang pressed his head in Appa's furn, crying. "I missed you, buddy." Appa's great brown eyes close in contentment. Katara stares down wistfully at the lake's surface, eyes brimming with tears. Aang puts a hand on her shoulder, and she turns back to them, wiping a tear. All four of the gather in an embrace, as Appa carries them off into the distance. Panning to the shore, Zuko and Enyo emerge from the passage originally uncovered by Toph.
"This was the right thing, Zuko." Enyo said as he pulls out the Blue Spirit mask, regarding its demonic visage. "You don't need it anymore." Zuko walks to the edge and drops the mask into the lake, where it slowly sinks into the depths.
Zuko had came in the Apartment, his Uncle looking through the window as Zuko looked downtrodden, "Enyo told me what you did, Zuko. You did the right thing, letting the Avatar's bison go free."
Zuko spoke rather feebly, "I don't feel right." his vision had begin to blur and grown dark. He suddenly collapses unconscious to the floor, breaking a vase in the process.
Iroh, alarmed, shouts his name. "Zuko!" he rushed to his side to aid him. "Enyo! Enyo!" He called for the girl as she walked out the room, rubbing her eyes.
"What's wrong?" She looked down to see Zuko lying on the floor, "What happened to Zuko?"
Zuko was tossing and moaning on his futon in the apartment. Enyo was kneeling next to him, and reaches to take a cloth from a tub of water. "This will help you cool you down."
The Prince looked at her, speaking feebly. "So thirsty." He says as he tries to sit up, but is pushed back down by Enyo.
Iroh came back with another buck of water, "Here's some clean water to drink." He ladles water from another bucket, and support Zuko's shoulders while he drinks. "Stay under the blankets, and sweat this out." Zuko snatches the ladle from him and drains it completely. He tosses it away, turns and grabs up the bucket, proud it down his throat and splashing his chest. He hurls it against a wall before settling back down, coughing.
Enyo was sitting near a sleeping Zuko. She mops the feverish Prince's brow with a damp cloth as he continues to moan and toss. "You'll be fine." She soothed, obviously fearing that the worst might happen to him.
Inside of Zuko's Dream...
In his dreams, a figure kneels upon the Firelord's throne-mat, behind a screen of golden flames. Rows of fire nation soldiers genuflect towards the throne, and they bow towards Zuko. Clad in the raiment and crown of the Firelord, his serene face is without scar or blemish. As he sits impassively, two sinuous dragons, one blue and one red, slither down nearby pillars to address him. "It's getting late. Are you planning to retire soon, my Lord?" asked the blue dragon, its voice exactly like Azula's.
"I'm not tired." Zuko answered.
The Blue Dragon began drawing close to his face. "Relax, Fire Lord Zuko. Just let go, give into it. Shut your eyes for awhile."
The Red Dragon's voice was exactly like Iroh's and it was insistent, "No, Fire Lord Zuko! Do not listen to the Blue Dragon. You should get out of here right now. Go! Before it's too late!" he said as both dragons are poised to either side of him.
"Sleep now, Fired Lord Zuko." the Blue Dragon cooed before they both disappeared. The throne room is swallowed by inky blackness, and the four pillars crumble and fall into the void. As the room falls dark, the soldier's armor collapses to the floor, empty. Zuko searches the darkness, eyes wide with distress. Two golden eyes appear, then the face of the Blue Dragon, which closes rapidly. The Dragon's voice began rising, "Sleep, just Like MOTHER!" The dragons jaws gape wide, swallowing Zuko in complete darkness. Within that darkness we draw closer to the figure of Ursa, who drops her hood as we draw closer.
Fire Lady Ursa voice was plaintive, "Zuko, help me!" the Prince's face was reflected in her eyes, he was distraught but he seemed to fall into the,
Now Firelord Zuko was kneeling once more on the throne-mat in a sea of blackness, and a hole seems to open up beneath him, swallowing everything.
He was under the Cherry Blossom Tree in a field, Enyo leaning under the tree under it. "Its about time you showed up."
"What's going on?" He asked her as she walked over to him, opening her hand as a blue flame appeared atop of it as a dark, sinister look was on her face.
"Your end!" She shouted, the field covering with nothing but dead grass and all the petals of the cherry tree were on the ground burnt as she firebends a gout of blue flames towards him, laughing as she did so and then everything he went black.
End of Zuko's Dream...
Iroh was pouring hot tea into a stoneware cup. "You should know this not a natural sickness. But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea." He said as he supports Zuko's head as he drinks.
The disorientated prince asks, "What, what's happening?"
"You're critical decision, what you did beneath that lake…it was in such conflict with your image of yourself, that you are now at war within your own mind and body." Zuko takes a second sip of tea as Iroh says this.
"What's does that mean?" He asked before he collapsed in a fit of coughing.
"You're going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful Prince you were always meant to be."
Zuko woke up still groggy from sleep. He enters Enyo's room to see that it was empty. He walked to the kitchen to see her cooking some food, a happy smile on her face as she stood near the stove. As he looked at her, he saw a flash of his dream with that evil look on her face and she was Firebending. Did that mean once she learned that would become evil? She turned around and noticed that it was Zuko standing there, his eyes still glue to her. "Zuko? You okay?" She asked as she sat down at the table.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He answered as she took out some fresh Pau buns out the oven and placed them on the table. "You cooked?" He asked, surprised.
Enyo pouted, "Well, Uncle wasn't home and I was really hungry… So, I decided to cook." She looked at him and then down at the buns, "They aren't bad or anything."
Zuko picked up a hot bun, blowing some of the steam off of it before taking a bite. The Princess had watched to see his reaction as he finally swallowed it down. "Its… Good." He took another bite, "Really good."
Her face lit up, "Its been a long time since I cooked Pau Buns and so I figured it wouldn't come out right. I'm glad you like them." Enyo let out a sigh of relief before taking a steam bun of her own and taking a bite out of it.
"Do you think you can see yourself becoming evil?" Zuko asked her as she gave him a rather confused expression.
"What are you talking about?" She asked him, "What gives you that idea?"
Zuko shrugged his shoulders, "It was just a question."
"Okay… Well, I guess I can't." She shrugged her shoulders, "I suppose if I lost everything I really cared for… Then maybe I would." Enyo closed her eyes and let out a long sigh, "But I just hope that it will never come to that point. Ru! Li!" She called the dragons they ran out of her room and stood there, their tails moving back in forth.
"Ru and Li?" Zuko looked at her curiously, "Why did you name them that?"
Enyo placed a pork bun down, watching them both glare at each other and circle each other. She looked back at Zuko, "Ru is pretty smart, cunning at most." Ru then points his head toward something, roaring softly yet eager.
Li quickly turns, tail wagging excitedly and runs off into that direction as the black dragon begins to eat the pork bun. "I see." Zuko said as he watches the ordeal.
"And Li," Enyo watched the white dragon come back and he slaps Ryu with her tail, "She reminds me of white plums." Enyo smiled, "And they are her favorite fruits!" She reached for the fruit basket, getting a white plum and then placing it down for Li. The white dragon forgets about the pork bun and eats the white plum happily.
"Li kinda has your behavior," The Prince said as he took another bite of his Pau bun, "Your both violent and love to have your way."
The girl stiffened and then gave Zuko a serious glare, "Well, Ru is like you! You try to have your way all the time and are willing to do whatever you want through all costs!" She points her finger accusingly at Zuko, shouting at most.
"Why are you yelling?" Zuko asked calmy, knowing it would grate on the girls nerves and it did. She pulled her hair and shook her head.
"I hate you so much!" She stood up and started to walk out the room. The boy sighed and continued to eat his pork bun, but before he could take a bite, he noticed it was missing. He blinked a couple of times to see Enyo shoving the rest of the bun in her mouth and then runnign toward her room, laughing maniacally.
"She's such a kid," He said before looking down at the dragons who were circling each other before playfully attacking one another, Li licking Ru's face as he struggled to get out of the trap of affection.
I think the best picture I can summon of what the dragons Ru and Li looks like is this one I found on Zerochan which is a dragon form of eevee from Pokemon! Its so adorable.
Ru: In Chinese means intelligent, a scholar.
Li: In Chinese means plums / Li was named after white plums since she has white scales.
Please answer the poll on my profile!
