The ship made oversized noise as it landed on the harbor.

"'I find it hard to believe that the avatar would be near a fire nation colony. It would be very foolish of him"

Iroh commented, hoping his nephew would get the hint and don't get his hopes raised.

"Maybe he is planning to go out of his cowardly hiding and attack the fire lord."

''That sounds unlikely, my nephew."

"It doesn't matter, anyway. The ship needs to land and restock."

''Yes, the crew seemed happy about arriving at the port! Why don't you join them on their night off, Zuko?''

'And ruin everyone's mood?' Zuko thought sourly. He had no illusion about how his crew thought of him. Zuko scowled Didn't Iroh hear any of the insult, the complaints?

"I need to find the avatar, uncle. I can't afford to waste time like that."

''You better get ready to land then, my nephew.''

"I will."

Zuko said, facing away.

The servant still hasn't returned. He was getting frustrated. It wasn't supposed to take so long. Then he heard quiet tiptoe of the servant girl. Zuko searched her face for explanation. He found that her face resembled the face of someone who had been ordered to poke something violent and hungry. That couldn't be good.

''My prince, I am afraid that Nazun, the mayor of the fire colony Gojing refused your audience.''

''Why?''

He snapped and the girl shrunk a little more. It was a long while before she spoke again.

"He said that he will not waste time with an honor less royalty."

"He said what?"

The girl cringed. How dare a colonial mayor refuse to speak with him, and so bluntly at that? Zuko fumed. He was a prince, a member of the royal family. He deserved better treatment than this. Except there was nothing he could do. The Mayor technically had every right to insult Zuko and more, and Zuko could do nothing about it.

One of his men was making inquiries to the servant girl while Zuko stared in shock and anger. Despite her shy demeanor, she seemed to be a chatty one, because she knew a lot about the street where people had disappeared and spirits had wrecked destruction, just south here. Zuko gritted his teeth. If he attacked the mayor now, he would be prohibited from his colony. Finding the Avatar was his first priority. No matter how much Zuko wanted to storm in and burn his whole house in to ground.

The servant girl had wisely left the prince. He beckoned his crew.

''Spirits are tricky thing, my nephew, be very cautious.''

Uncle advised Zuko as they rode. After telling Iroh what had happened with the mayor, Iroh had tried to console Zuko. Zuko had replied that it didn't matter. When continued efforts to console the prince had failed to yield any other response than determinedly blank look, Iroh had given up on it.

''I'll be fine, uncle.''

Komodo rhinos buckled and stopped. The prince tugged on the rein. They did not move.

''What's wrong?''

zuko said, half to himself an half to Jiha, his mount.

''I believe that your mount has sensed spirit's presence. They are more adapted at sensing them.''

Zuko frowned. He was going to feel uncomfortable every time rhinos acted strange.

"We must be close then."

They were. As they rode, streets got messier and messier until they disappeared beneath rubbles. All the building was crumpled and burnt. There were pillars of earth sticking up. Either some earth bender had tried to fight them, or the spirit was of earth kingdom. Which didn't make sense, because the fire marks were way too big for any human to have made, at least three times his height. Unless it really was the avatar?

"Sir?"

Zuko looked back, snapping back from small smile that had appeared on his face.

"Prince Zuko?"

It was a small group of people, scruffy and injured. He gave a small nod. Some were staring at his scar and whispering. Everyone just had to do that. Zuko tried to keep his face blank.

"My prince, we are honored by your presence. Our homes had been destroyed by the spirits."

Or maybe his scar was just that ugly that people couldn't help it. They wouldn't insult him if they wanted him to help them, which they obviously did.

"We hoped that you would be able to find a way to stop this spirit."

Someone muttered at the back of the crowd.

"Stop the spirits? He's just a banished prince, not Agni on earth!"

Zuko lunged at the men. He had enough of people insulting him. Uncle stopped him and pulled him back. He said in low whisper.

"Zuko, upset people have tendency to say things they regret. I'm sure he didn't mean it. You must not consider leaving these people just because of an outburst."

If there was anything Zuko should understand, it was that, iroh thought. Zuko had said many hurtful things to many people, but he seldom meant it. And maybe he would help those poor people, too.

"Uncle, my responsibility is to capture the avatar."

Zuko said angrily, realizing just what his uncle was trying to do.

"My nephew, as their future ruler, you must take care of your people. A ruler's responsibility is first to his people."

Zuko flinched at that. Uncle was right, after all. If someday, he was to be the fire lord (if it ever happened) he needed to take care of his people. He shouldn't have been so selfish.

"One cannot be a good ruler without honor."

"My nephew, I believe that you will become a great leader, regardless of your current circumstances."

Uncle was right again. After all, banished or not, this was his people. As the crown prince, he had to do something to help them, if only to prove that men wrong.

"Please excuse his behavior, my prince. He had been quite upset since his best bud died trying to fight it."

Zuko's eye widened. He didn't even think of that. He just thought it was some destroyed buildings, something that could be easily fixed. Zuko felt full out guilty of even considering just leaving those people now.

"How many?"

"well, sir, all the building on this street is damaged and there's eight injured. … five person died."

The group deflated.

"What kind of spirit is it?"

"Well, we don't know for sure, but there are two of them."

Zuko stared at him

"There's two of it?"

It was afternoon. And the two spirits appeared. They were intimidating, to say at the least. One was a strange golemn spirit and one was a giant many legged salamander…Thing. No avatar. He almost got up and left at that.

Five people, Zuko thought. He had to stop it, even if he had no idea how. Originally, the plan was for Zuko and Iroh to simply wait and watch the spirits to find some way to stop them. All the other civilians were a safe distance away and only Zuko and his uncle was-

Zuko shot forward, shooting the fireball at the earth golemn. It barely reacted, like Zuko ha thrown a matchstick instead of a fireball, and kept fighting the fire spirit, one of its limbs dangerously close to smashing the little girl. Only thing the girl seemed to be capable of doing right then seemed to be staring at the limb about to crush her to itty bitty pieces and hope her wide-eyed-staring could somehow miraculously stop time.

'What is that little brat doing here?'

He thought he made sure everyone was out of this area. He had checked. Twice.

"My nephew, be careful!"

Uncle Iroh shouted. Zuko pushed the girl out of the way but took a good solid hit on his chest. Well, so much for being careful, Zuko thought.

Zuko was pretty sure that the earth spirit didn't know zuko was there, but that didn't stop it from hitting Zuko again and again, it's large stone tail sweeping dangerously. He needed to get out of it's range, and take the girl too, if he can.

He rolled out of the next sweep and started running. His chest felt like it was on fire. But he had been through worse. He could take it. He picked up the kid and ran, not slowing until he reached uncle.

"My nephew, that was very dangerous! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, uncle. You can stop worrying about me"

Uncle Iroh frowned at that, but he turned to the kid.

"How about you, dear child. Are you hurt?"

The kid shook her head, still too frightened to speak. She looked at the spirits with wide scared eyes.

"Do not worry, my child. They are currently too busy to spot us."

They were. They didn't seem to be aware of their surroundings, Thrashing around. It was quite a sight. The giant, bulk masses of stone lunged at the fiery lizard, slow and deadly, and the lizard squealed and screeched, clawing the stone like a demon. Chunks of stone and fiery sparks that was entirely too big flew. Fire and earth, Zuko noted.

"Uncle, do you think it's possible that the spirits fighting have something to do with the colonization?"

Zuko asked. His uncle was the spirit expert, after all. Uncle replied, more serious and sharper then usual. The true dragon of the west.

"It is very likely, my nephew. Infect, I believe that the earth spirit is the guardian of this land."

Which would make the fire spirit intruder. No, zuko thought, stop the traitorous thought and focus on the goal, like uncle iroh was doing. He glanced at uncle, his expression sharp as the flame. He knew that look in uncle. He was thinking. Or plotting.

"What about the fire spirit, uncle?"

"I believe it is a spirit in some kind of fire nation artifact."

They kept on watching, the kid, Zuko and Iroh, until Zuko realized that the sunrise had ended and it was wholly bright. The earth spirit raised it's head and vanished. The fire spirit hissed and spat at that until he slinked away to thin air.

"Well then zuko, let's get your injuries looked at."

Uncle said.

"You have a cracked ribs and a small concussion, but other then that, you'll be fine, sir, as long as you don't exert yourself."

The physician treating Zuko finished poking at him. Zuko hated physician with a passion. He hated this moment with passion. The townsfolk and his crew were staring at him like he was two headed turtleduck. The one who had insulted Zuko muttered again.

"Well, he got off better then lee did."

Zuko growled and lunged at the men. The physician restrained him, telling him that it just was the injury making him cranky. Lieutenant Jee pointed out that no, prince zuko was always like this. Zuko glared at him and his disrespectful comment. Yes, it was true, but he didn't have to point it out. He grumbled at his remark. How was he supposed to react when people kept pushing his button?

But when he thought, with handful of people ogling him and his crew and his aching head and chest that his mood possibly couldn't get worse, uncle appeared with tea.

Zuko groaned out loud.

Uncle had brought ginseng. Although Zuko sometimes doubted that uncle would actually rate their tastes and favorite one over another, ginseng, nonetheless, was uncle's favorite tea. He brewed it slowly and with such affection which only uncle could be capable of, especially considering the fact that that deep love was directed at tea. He took in a deep breath of it, smiled and started pouring teas.

"Would anyone enjoy a cup?"

Uncle asked. Various people requestedone. Uncle smiled like he was paid for it and started brewing another pot. The air dampened with that particular tea smell. Taking another resigned breath, waited for his uncle to hand out advices.

However, he didn't seem to be planning for group therapies now. Iroh retained some of his sharpness, asking about what he intended to do with the spirit. Zuko liked it when uncle became somewhat respectable, but sometimes, the way he quickly shifted from uncle teapot to the Dragon of the West unnerved him, time to time.

"We should find the item and dispose of it."

Zuko glanced side along. Someone had just flinched. He was sure of it.

"Well, if it is a strong spirit, we may have some problem, my nephew. It might be better to find another option."

No reaction this time. He was pretty sure of the direction, but he couldn't point out exactly who had flinched. Ugh. He hoped he could just burn some stuff and go back to finding the avatar. This was getting to be more complicated then Zuko had thought. Zuko snapped at iroh.

"Well, what am I suppose to do then?"

"Well, we could either ah, fulfill the spirit's wish and satisfy him, or an stronger spiritual being could order it to settle down. But I advice you to be careful, my nephew. It is not wise to wonder among that world carelessly."

Zuko was pretty sure that 'satisfying' the fire spirit would mean mangling the earth spirit, which was very likely a guardian spirit and crossing the guardian spirit was, frankly, very, very bad idea. And he didn't know any spiritual beings… wait. He did. But he couldn't tell uncle Iroh.

Or did he? Iroh may have killed the last dragons, but whenever he spoke of it, there was sorrow in his voice. And that Iroh, dragon of the west was quite different from uncle Iroh who smiled and offered him cups of tea. But did Zuko dare trust iroh?

Put it that way, it wasn't a very hard chose. Zuko accepted a cup of tea and spoke.

"Uncle, I need to talk with you. Alone."