Author's Note: This was without a doubt the most difficult chapter to write so far, and the fact that I fell asleep while writing it and woke up to a broken air conditioner didn't help matters. Please be honest in your criticism.

Chapter 6

Iroh

As my companion and I undertook our journey into the marketplace, I was ever on the alert. Unaware of what exactly we were looking for, I took note of everything I could see. My mind was like a steel trap, luring in everything, letting nothing out...

My train of thought was disrupted by the sight of a 2 foot high ceramic statue of a bagermole. I tugged on Zuko's sleeve.

"Zuko! Isn't this a lovely item? Wouldn't it look handsome in the apartment?" He ignored me and continued walking. I sighed. My roommate did not appreciate art. I resolved to return later to purchase the statue and continued following him.

It soon became apparent that we had reached our destination. A wooden cart had been overturned, then smashed to pieces in the street, where a pile of ruined cabbages made passage impossible. A little man lay curled in a ball nearby, rocking slowly back and forth, muttering over and over, "My cabbages." The entire area looked as though it had been swept by a fierce wind.

"Great spirits!" I exclaimed. "What happened here?"

"That," said my companion, "is what we're about to find out." He bent down and examined the ground. "I'll investigate the scene. See if you can get that cabbage merchant to tell you anything." He continued his intense examination.

I walked over to the cabbage merchant, who was still rocking back and forth. I kneeled down to his level, but he was either unwilling or unable to make eye contact. He continued rocking and muttering.

"Hello there, my friend," I attempted. The cabbage merchant could have been deaf for all the response I got. "Uh, lovely weather today!" More rocking. More muttering. I decided to get down to brass tacks.

"Perhaps you could tell us exactly what happened here today?"

For the first time, the cabbage merchant ceased his motion. Slowly, he turned his head, looked me in the eye, and opened his mouth in a blood-curdling scream. "MY CABBAGES!" I ran, bumping into Zuko in my haste. He glared at me.

"Well," he growled, "did you find out anything?"

I chuckled. "The cabbage merchant proved singularly unhelpful. Apparently, the incident was traumatic."

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I think I know what happened here."

"How so, Mr. Zuko?"

"Look." He pointed to the ground. "See the way the earth's been disturbed here? It looks like a miniature whirlwind touched down here, coming out of nowhere."

"But that would take-"

"An airbender," he finished. "There's more. Come on." He led me back a bit and pointed out some footprints. "Four people were running from someone." He pointed to a different set of footprints. "By the heavy tread, I'd say they were guards. Anyway, these guards chased these four people here, and then the tracks just stop. Like they flew away." He paused and adjusted his hat. "Four people, an airbender among them, were chased here by guards, destroyed this cabbage cart-"

"MY CABBAGES!"

Zuko turned abruptly and with a roar sent a blast of fire soaring toward the traumatized cabbage merchant, who managed to duck just in time.

"You must learn to control your anger," I said gravely.

"I'M NOT ANGRY!" he bellowed. I blinked. He paused and breathed deeply. "Just let me talk. They destroyed the cabbage cart and then, apparently, flew away."

"Excellent deduction," I said. "And without even seeing the flying bison track."

He turned to look at me. "Flying... bison track?"

"Of course," I said cheerfully, pointing out the huge, three-toed imprint in the dirt. "You didn't even see it and still managed to figure all that out!" I beamed at him.

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" he cried.

"You didn't ask!"

He buried his face in his hands for a moment. Clearly, the heat of the day was getting to him. He raised himself up.

"Do you know what this means?" He did not wait for an answer. "It means I've finally found him. The avatar!"

"Technically," I said helpfully, "you've only found evidence that he knocked over a cabbage stand and flew away." A furious groan escaped his lips. Yes, the heat was definitely getting to him.