Trials of Love
It was four days after they'd left the benevolent Song's house and right now deep in a woodland valley the three Fire Nation fugitives were busy weighing their options on how best to proceed next.
"Look, Zuky, Uncle, we aren't always gonna be able to depend on the kindness of others. Not everyone gonna be kind to us. The world can be a harsh place. Especially given what our own country did!" Akiko added in bitterness.
"So what do you expect us to do, Akiko? I for one am not gonna take chances on plants again or go begging like a polar bear-dog for scraps!" asserted Zuko quickly with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed.
"Please, Zuko, Akiko, we can think of something if we are calm and just think. Life doesn't have to be so bleak."
"I do have an idea, even if I'm not happy about it, Uncle. But the only thing that's gonna get us by for a little while is money."
"But we haven't got any money, Akiko," reminded her father placidly.
"We can always make some," Akiko replied back to the old man who raised her. "I mean I was the one who insisted we leave some form of payment for Song's ostrich horse before we took it so we didn't technically steal it. So I gave up some of my family priceless jewelry to pay her back."
"So what are you proposing, my daughter?"
"I'm saying that whatever valuables we got we are gonna have to sell them and get as much cash for them as we can. Desperate times call for desperate measure and believe me, Uncle I've seen plenty of people go to really desperate lengths in this war for some money."
Shivering with revulsion and horror she recounted for an hour about how over the last three years during the course of her travels she'd seen everything from grave robbing to soldiers stealing from those they just killed to people making war souvenirs.
All to pay for the sin of greed and a means to an end to just make a buck. Which is why she wasn't too worried if anyone really noticed her hair comb was red. People would just figure it would've come from some type of trading by some shady dealer as was so common nowadays.
"It does make the most logical sense if we are to survive that we are gonna need some money," Iroh admitted as he stroked his gray beard at last. But then turned to his daughter and continued on, "But Zuko and I only have a few things left on us before we changed into these clothes."
"And a few things we won't give up," added Zuko and Akiko knew instantly what he was talking about of course. There were, of course, things she never parts with no matter how bad things got. She never gives them up.
"I understand there will be one or two items we can't depart with," she started off slowly and in an understanding voice as she places her hand on Zuko's shoulder. But after a moment she got serious about the reality of their current predicament "But whatever we can sell must go. I hate to give up what is my rightful inheritance, Zuko; all this priceless jewelry that been in my family for generations.
However, if it means food and water then we must take it. I will only keep the most precious pieces I can't ever depart with. I only have a little money that for some reason Xiaoying had left me before I left the Fire Nation.
It's only about 150 Earth Kingdom gold pieces which will not stretch far I can't tell you that," she told her love and father honestly that what little money she did possess won't help them much.
"What else should we know before we go forth, daughter?"
"That I already have spoken with Kai and Ting-Ting and they've agreed to stay vigilant and watch out for the danger that may come our way. So we will at least be moderately protected and they'll still offer whatever advice they can as that's what spirit animal guides do.
But as for the last gourd and pouch of spirit water and berries, they're able to bring me? That is likewise off-limits except as a last resort. We don't know when we'll need it as I told Zuko, Uncle.
That consuming water and food from the Spirit World intensifies one's chi and consequently, the prowess of one's bending power, strength, and abilities.
Therefore only in the direst of straits and if I say only if we know we are gonna engaged someone like the Demon Azula do we consume them. But only for that reason and that reason alone. Otherwise, they are left alone. Deal?"
"Deal," both Zuko and Iroh concurred with Akiko who smiled and nodded.
They then gathered everything of value they're willing to sell and put it in a large bundle and with Kai and Ting-Ting to lead the way sought out the nearest village with a pawn shop to try and make some money.
It took another day and a half to reach a village and by then there were really hungry and starving. But they had to attend to business first so they just tried to blend in with the crowd and not draw too much attention to themselves.
But something about this village made the hair on all their bodies stand up on ends and they weren't sure what it was. It was clear though it wasn't a friendly town that was for sure given all the characters they're seeing and just how the buildings looked.
"I really don't like this place," whispered Akiko to Zuko who nodded. "Yeah, it reminds me too much of the place back home where I had your comb made. Just thieves and robbers and it looks like everyone ready to brawl any second. Watch your step."
It was true no-one here looked like they'd ever heard of proper hygiene and there was definitely some illegal dealing going on and maybe something more going on. And yeah it looked like there was much to start a fight going on.
They kept on their toes as they passed a group of surly looking men who were busy drinking and gambling while a few were cleaning some highly dangerous looking weapons.
Iroh then surprising in a rather cheery and polite voice asked these men causally if they knew where they might be able to do some trading. They looked at him as if he was stupid or had a death wish.
One guy who looked almost 6'9 and was very muscular build was really staring them down. He was shaved bald except for a thin ponytail down the length of his back. He had no shirt just leather pants and boots but across his chest was a harness load down with an array of weapons.
"What did you ask, stupid?" he said in a voice that was as sharp as a sword blade and clear ready to do them harm.
"I'm merely asking which way would be the nearing trading post, my good man. There is no need for name calling or rudeness. We can all be civilized here." Uncle said a surprisingly calm manner.
"You really must be senile you old fool if you don't get what right in front of your eyes!" laughed the brute but jerked his head in a direction. "You want to trade go three streets down and then to the left. You'll find a fellow by the name of Black Dog as we call him.
Good luck getting a good price from him! He's a dog on a bone already but doesn't expect him to give you a bone. But he may be willing to give you something else to forget the world around you. If you got something nice to trade him!"
"You have been most kind. Thank you." Uncle bowed respectfully and they made their way and then Zuko couldn't help but keep one hand on Akiko before whispering to his Uncle.
"Uncle, are you stupid or something? We've entered a rat-viper nest! This village is a criminals den obviously! This place is just for thugs, brutes and other people of the likes!"
"Yeah, I think we should keep going and go to another place and try to trade. Someplace without people who aren't itching to cut our throats!"
"We'll be fine. And we don't know how much further the next town is. Now come on. Let's get our trading done. I'll get us a good price. Now come on."
The three of them made their way down a dark alleyway. There was a very strange smell to it that neither Zuko or Akiko had ever smelled before, though it looked like Iroh was at least familiar with it by the way his face showed some recognition to the smell.
It was a sweet and yet bad kind of smell and due to how this criminal village been designed there was no sunlight in this alley so it was like a moonless sky right now.
So they didn't at first notice till that there were more than a few people stalled out on the dirty alleyway till they tripped over them. It shocked Zuko and Akiko as Uncle quickly picked them up but both of them had looks of horror on their face.
Because now that their eyes had adjusted to the darkness they could see at least five people all spiraled out in the alleyway. All moaning with very sick looks on their face with a funny look smell on their clothes.
"What is going on? What else is going on here?" demanded Akiko who was becoming increasingly frightened and even Zuko was not liking this.
"I'm afraid, my nephew and daughter there are some who find other means to escape their problems or the harsh realities of the war that aren't pleasant or exactly healthy. Stay be me and we will get out of here quickly.
But don't touch, eat or drink anything. You never know what someone might slip you."
"Slip us? What does that mean, Uncle?" the two teens asked confused as they now entered an even creepier shop then one Zuko had gone to three years ago to get Akiko's comb.
Behind the counter of this extra creepy-crawly, the shop was a very pale-skinned 5'8 bald man with a scar above his right temple obviously from a sword fight.
The shop was extra creepy for half of it was obvious for trading which was done in the front. But this man who went by the nickname Black Dog from what the brute told obviously had another business in the back room.
And both Akiko and Zuko had a good enough view into the backroom to catch a glimpse of what it was. They just happened to be standing at the right angle while Uncle was trying to do business with this creepy and shady man who had left the door to the backroom open.
Zuko and Akiko saw something they didn't understand but still horrified them. They could just make out a room where that strange smell was coming from. From where they stood and could see in that backroom there were at least six to ten beds which had a small table by it.
On these tables were a nut-oil lamp and they could see right now there were at least two to three people putting a pellet of some kind into a long-stemmed pipe and looking very dopey and happy from whatever was coming from the pellet.
Neither wanted to know what this place was and wanted out as quickly as possible. Luckily Iroh had gotten done with the dealing and they're out of there faster then if Azula was on their tail and they're making their way back to sunlight.
Having been raised in the luxury of the Fire Nation Palace and of course under the Fire Nation line that the war was good and right at all there were many horrors and realities they had never known about.
So far they'd gotten a few first-hand lessons about the harshness of the reality of the war.
Hearing Song's story had obviously shaken them both to the core and really made a big impression on both of them. Akiko's experiences with having to carry the burden of Aang's feelings inside her and the horrors of what the sin of greed had become because of the war had really done a number on her mental health.
But before the night was over they'd learned some more dangerous things that weren't a necessary part of the war but just part of reality and how dangerous life was.
All they'd gotten for their valuables even with Iroh's best skills were only 250 more gold coins. But what could expect with this lot? So that was 350 coins and it was agreed to only use it in the direst of straits again.
They're just hoping to leave now and go to the next town for a bite to eat and plan their next move and hopefully stay away from the Fire Nation and Azula. But as they're leaving they passed the local tavern and then ran into the worst trouble they'd run into in this lowlife place.
It was obvious that it was more than a just happy hour at this joint and that all of these ruffians had passed of the point of drinking themselves stupid. And there was also that strange smell. So you had intoxicated criminals who were also high on some type of drug and they wanted to have 'fun."
Unfortunately, their fun was something that none of the Fire Trio was liking. They're just trying to leave when that brute and a couple other bizarre characters came out of tavern all drunk and high spot them.
Their eyes became locked on Akiko and faster even a saber-tooth moose lion could move they'd intercepted the group. And clearly, they're predators ready to dine on prey.
"Hey, sweet cakes, why you wasting your time with this old bag of bones and scar boy? How about we go and have some real fun? We could show you a much better time then these stupid fools," as they tried to touch her.
"Leave me alone! Don't talk about my father or my love like that!" she snapped as she jerked back when they tried to touch her.
"Oh, come on, a pretty little thing like you shouldn't be with someone as old and ugly as these two," as the flirty and trying to touch her got worse.
"She said to leave her alone. Now get lost!" Zuko got in front of men.
"Oh, what do you think your gonna do little boy?" they taunted.
"Yeah, you and the old man really think you can do anything?" they mocked as they now were trying to abduct Akiko.
But as soon as one of them made a grab at Akiko's waist Zuko's rage broke and he grabbed the man who had the audacity to touch Akiko. He grabbed the man's wrist hard and squeezed it till it snapped then he shoved him to the ground.
Then the fight was on as Iroh and Zuko began to fight it seemed like the whole village of this criminals to defend Akiko. They knew they couldn't call forth fire, but that was alright. Their rage was enough to replace their firebending.
Akiko had never thought Zuko could ever fight like this even with all the katas they'd even come up with as children. He was as fast as lighting with his punches, kicks, and spins as was Uncle.
Despite their opponents were either younger or older and well armed and criminals they're clearly outmatched. The fight was happening so quickly and the men were falling faster then the eye could see.
But in a matter of moments all had been beaten and Zuko was standing and breathing hard and Akiko ran over to his embrace shaking knowing exactly what these men had been trying to do.
Obviously, they'd desired to kidnap her to sell her for a profit for 'personal use' at a brothel. She could see that with her own eyes when they'd looked at her and the whole incident had started. It had scared her too much to fight back.
Zuko and Iroh had both realized the same thing and weren't about to let their Fire Lily or daughter be abducted and sold to a sex slave either. And Zuko made it clear to these fools if ANYONE ever tried to touch his girl again or got that idea again he'd make sure they'd be meeting Anto the Black Spirit of Death within two minutes.
They quickly got going and kept running as far away as they go from that terrible place where all those horrible memories were made. From the criminals, liquor and what Uncle had told them was an opium den.
He'd heard and seen them before in his travel and told him yes even some Fire Nation soldiers got addicted to it. Some people couldn't deal with their problems in life whether it dealt with the war or other aspects of life in a normal way.
So they found ways to escape reality and that came through poison to the body. Drinking, drugs, gambling anything and everything to escape reality even for a short trip.
Zuko and Akiko both asked if their Uncle ever had been part of any of that dishonorable behavior and he said no. He'd under no circumstances ever had dishonor himself with poisons, he had however seen more then a few good men succumb to such dishonors.
He said there were numerous other horrors he knew men were capable of. More than they just saw or Akiko had witnessed on her travels. Some things that were some exceedingly dishonorable had been done. Things that were so unspeakable they'd been swept away under the rug and never revealed to the public of what more then an of few men had been guilty of.
Iroh didn't have to say more than that as they made their escape. They could piece together for themselves what he was talking about without him having to actually say it and it made them sick.
Sick to know just what horrors human beings were capable of. These poisons that were part of reality. The ignominious behavior that everyone was tempted to do and still the unrighteousness they could be enticed to commit.
As a result, they just reminded silent as they made their escape. Just contemplating and processing this knowledge of now realizing and knowing just how far humans could sink when it came to their fellow man.
After another day and night, they came to a more friendly and nicer village. By this time they hadn't eaten or drank anything for days and were beyond tired. Again they'd the village checked out by Kai from the air and Ting-Ting by ground.
This time they did a double sweep and report back there were no unsavory characters and looked much friendly are there was what looked like an inn not far. Though reluctantly they needed to really rest and get food after the tortures time they just had.
Unfortunately, the inn was booked up with people. However, the kindhearted innkeeper's wife said she would fix up their stables for them to spend a day and night there for only five coins.
She could clearly see that Zuko and Akiko had been traumatized by something terrible. She's a pretty good guess what it was. Given which direction they'd come from. So it seemed she have taken a lot of pity on them knowing what exactly lay in the direction these unfortunate refugees had come from.
The petite silver-haired old woman was surprisingly strong as she was kind setting them up a place in the stables for the night.
"There a water pump and outhouse just outside you can use. And we've some extra feedbags for your ostrich horse. I'll be back in half an hour with food from the supper table for you all."
"Thank you, madam. You are most kind," Iroh told her kindly and she just smiled radiantly and replied back.
"It's the least I can do for anyone who had the misfortune of stumbling into that bandit town. Many travelers find it by accident and well not many are as lucky as you to make it out unscathed," she paused and looked at Akiko.
"Particularly young females. Those wicked men and all the other monster who flock there are well known for trying to pick up any girl of any age who might stumble into their mist and well..."
"I will never let anyone hurt or take my girlfriend and my uncle will never let anyone harm his adoptive daughter. We will fight to the death again if they dare try that stunt again." Zuko growled as held a shaking Akiko.
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable and brought back your fears. But that's why I couldn't leave you all three out of the cold. No-one who escaped that bandit evil den should be left out in the cold for even a night."
"Thank you. I don't want to be out there after this."
"Understandably. You three can know this village is much safer and you should be alright for tonight and tomorrow before you continue on your way. Just finish getting cleaned up and I'll go fetch you some dinner," and with that, the old woman left.
"Akiko," spoke Zuko when the old left turned to his shaken beloved and said, "Why don't you take a hot bath and soak away those awful memories. Uncle and I will stand watch and you'll be okay."
"You promise?" she asked in a small voice.
"Yes, my lovely Lady. Just go take a bath and get cleaned up and when dinner arrives we'll eat. Then will try and get some sleep."
Akiko was still rather traumatized by the near abduction. Though in the end did as her love and father said. Iroh stayed by the entrance of the stables and Zuko stayed close to Akiko but there was a curtain so they couldn't see her bathing.
Not long after she finished her bath the innkeeper's wife returned with a large serving dish full of food and drinks. She made sure they're all settled as was their ostrich horse before she wished them goodnight and went back into the inn.
Given they hadn't eaten well since Song's house they're ravenous and looked at food with their mouths watering.
The roast duck skin was parted and crisp, with the meat salty, rich and very good. There was a squab cooked in soy sauce so that its skin and meat were a deep dark brown all the way down to the bone. The shark-fin soup tasted like it was freshly caught from the sea. There were huge prawns fried in a special batter that gave them an extra fluffy coat.
The inn must have some great connections as they weren't close to the sea but for now, they just felt like feasting on this great food. And drinking some fine fruit juice that came with it.
After finishing the small feast Uncle and Zuko each took a bath in turn and then it was time to try and sleep. But Akiko was still too worked up to sleep at first. Zuko then told her he'd stay up all night and protect her from anyone who came.
He sat up and seemed determined to keep this promise as Akiko kept laid her head in his lap and he kept stroking her till she eventually fell asleep. But Zuko kept his promise. While Uncle and Akiko slept he stayed up all night keeping watch over them.
Finally, morning came and Akiko was very stunned to see that Zuko had literally stayed up all night to make sure no-one came. She told him to try and get an hour or two of sleep in before they'd have to leave to which he did.
About nine in the morning the innkeeper's wife came by with their breakfast which consists of meat-filled dumplings, pastries full of meat and shrimp and some tea.
Feeling much better after getting two square meals and having a bath each they did pay for their stay and then had to get going. Had to keep moving since staying in one location was too dangerous.
Though the whole experience still had a lasting impression on Zuko and Akiko which they still talk about among themselves as they wandered the streets of this town for the next few days.
"I never want something like that to happen again! I never want to feel vulnerable ever again!" Akiko kept saying to Zuko.
"I'll always protect you. But your right, Akiko. I never want to be put in a position again where we're gonna be victims or not able to defend ourselves. It's hard to fight when I don't even have a weapon for myself!"
"I know! You lost your swords when my ex-father blew up your ship! Yes, I heard everything through the grapevine. I even sent an anonymous and humorous letter to him via my spirit animal guides after you busted Aang out of that fortress of his!" she whispered back to him as they talked very quietly three days later.
"How do you know...?"
"Zuko! We played the "Spirit Game" so many times as children who else would the Blue Spirit be?" she shot back at him as they curled up next to each other. They, Uncle and the Ostrich Horse had found a cozy spot, for now, to sit and while Zuko and Akiko were talking in very low voices that no-one could make out what they're saying Uncle was panhandling.
"Okay, you caught me. But what else was I suppose to do?"
"Well, I'm proud of you. You kept your promise of winning a duel in my honor. You shamed that bastard by busting the Avatar out which I added icing to the cake with my mocking letter. And even after he tried to kill you-you did attempt to the right thing and save him.
So for all those things I'm proud of you. That you are not willing to kill anyone and never sunk like the Demon to anything that would be truly below honor. Still, what are we gonna do now?"
"I don't know. I really don't. I mean I'm royalty and you're practically royalty as well! You're the adoptive daughter of the Dragon of the West and given an actual title of Lady. Furthermore, you are my fire lily! This is a stupid situation we are in," he muttered angrily.
"Yeah, this all around sucks big time. I didn't imagine when I was a child that I go from being born alone, to finding the love of my life to begging for scraps like this. Oh if I have to hear one more time from that Demon who I just can hear already cackling.
"Oh, poor little orphan girl! Begging on the streets like the stupid little girl you are!"
"I smack Azula on the mouth for that! You're far more than just an orphan and I know that's what's been going on in your mind."
"It's just...Uncle? Uncle, what are you doing?" Akiko's attention had been turned from their hushed conversation to Iroh degrading himself.
Or what they considered degrading himself as he was acting so very pathetic the way he was pleading and then they got really angry the way he let himself become a dancing monkey for a guy with broadswords just to get a few coins.
"Uncle! You shouldn't let your own dignity and self-respect be taken away like that!" snapped Akiko after the guy with the swords left.
"He was so kind and he did give us a gold coin."
"Uncle are you that blind?! He made a fool out of you! And that wasn't kindness at all! Geez, Uncle! Do you not care at all about yourself anymore? Or you gonna let yourself be forever humiliated? A powerless victim and unable to help yourself and just walked all over?!" yelled Zuko who stormed off and Akiko chased after him.
"This is so humiliating! I'm not ready to throw away my self-respect and dignity just because of all this! I won't allow myself to be degraded! Uncle might but I'm not!" Zuko yelled as he slammed his fist into a wall.
"I hear you Zuko. You know I keep thinking about what our mother would say. Also what my birth mom and all my ancestors would say in this situation. And they wouldn't take this lying down."
"Yeah? What do you think Mom or your legendary ancestors would say to us right now?" he asked in a huff as he leaned against the wall.
"From everything I've ever learned about my Dragon Guardian heritage and what we know of our mother? I'd say they would be saying right now this.
To whom their voices belong to we cannot see for their only in our dreams. Those voices we hear even though no-one there all says the same message and it's this, Zuko.
"It's strong and best beware. It's up to you, you got to choose. So are you gonna win or are you gonna lose?
Because we can never give up and never give in. And when we fall down we've got to get back up again. We know we got to be fighters if we're ever gonna win! So we can't ever give up or ever give in!"
"I can agree with that. The last three years whenever something tried to pull me down and I feel weak like I can't go on? From way down deep something strong and I can feel those same words carry me along."
"It's up to you, you got to choose. So are you gonna win or are you gonna lose?
Because we can never give up and never give in. And when we fall down we've got to get back up again. We know we got to be fighters if we're ever gonna win! So we can't ever give up or ever give in!" Akiko replied with great relish in her voice and Zuko nodded.
"And I say let's take back some control right now. Never become victims again and make sure Uncle never has to let someone make a fool of him again."
"Well, how about we play the Spirit Game tonight? It's been so long since we played it? And I miss playing with you." she replied slyly with arched eyebrows.
"Well, I'll need a mask."
"That's not a problem. I say it's worth a few coins to pay for a mask," pointing to a nearby cart including the right one and Akiko was smiling deviously.
It was very dark that night as they stalked the man with the broadswords but they're too good at this game. He never knew what hit him.
All those years of lessons from Xiaoying paid off especially the feather walking as Akiko was able to jump down first and surprise him and break his stance by taking his legs out from under him.
By the time he recovered and reached for his swords, they're not there. They'd been already removed. He then stood up to see who had attacked him and saw two masked figures in black one having his swords and the other having a sword of their own.
He started to back away but they weren't finished with him. He ran but they chased him down and one figure threw something and he fell to the ground as now his feet were encased in some kind of strong adhesive substance.
He as he laid helplessly in there helplessly in the alleyway the two figures just gazed their masked gaze at him. The blue masked figure grabbed him by his shirt and the red mask figure than in the blink of an eye had his hands tied behind his back.
The blue one then hit him on the head with the hilt of the stolen sword. When the man came to the next morning he found himself in the town square being laughed at. For he was tied up and stripped of his clothes down to his underpants with the words. "Will be laughed at for a gold piece" written over his bare chest.
The next few villages along the way then became victims of a strike and flee attacks. Two assailants, both dressed in black, one in a blue mask other red would strike hard and fast.
They steal like maybe one water jug, one bushel of food, one bag of coins. They never actually harmed anyone and never actually took a great amount. It was always just a very small amount. But again a perfect duet of a team working seamlessly together to carry out a strike, grab and flee.
After another successful theft of both food and water, Akiko and Zuko were making their way back to their hideout with Uncle in the hollow of a tree in the woods. First, they hid their masks and then went inside.
Uncle glanced up with clear disapproval as they threw down the food and water. "I'll get to make us dinner. Zuko you could try and improve your tea making skills."
"Yeah, I guess I should. You do like your new pot right, Uncle?" Zuko asked and Iroh looked at both his nephew and daughter finally having had enough of what he been suspecting been going on.
"Okay, you two what's going on?"
"What? I'm just making dinner, Uncle. And I thought you wanted Zuko to be a better tea brewer. You always complained when were children he was so terrible at it," Akiko replied confused as was chopping vegetables to make stew.
"You both know what I mean. Where has all this stuff been coming from? I know how much money we have. I counted the money in the money bag. And I know how expensive all this stuff is.
And don't think just because I'm old I'm a fool. Just because a teapot is beautiful doesn't mean the tea itself will taste as wonderful. So what have you two been doing?" he asked sternly.
Unable to lie to Uncle they just yelled at him. "What did you expect us to do, Uncle?! Always be victims?! Let everyone walk over us?! Just be beaten down to the ground and treated like dirt!" they yelled at him.
"We needed to have some control! And we deserve some kind of life after what life gave us!" Akiko yelled at him.
"Everything in life always been hopeless! Never has life given either of us anything but pain and misery! So what's wrong with taking a few things?! We didn't hurt anyone! We only took what we needed!
We are just trying to survive! We just need some feeling of power and control, Uncle! For once not to be the victims but the people with the power!"
"Listen to me both of you. I know life has hand both of you not a lot of pleasures. And life right now is dark and you're feeling at your weakest and most powerless. But this is the time you must give hope to yourself.
Life itself can be just like how you learn to firebend in a way."
"Are you trying to teach us about life by using firebending as a metaphor? Or is this more about firebending philosophy?" Akiko asked confused.
"A bit of both actually. Please just listen to me. The fire itself is life. But for a firebender, they can't just live life standing outside the fire."
The two teens were now really confused by what the hell Uncle was talking about so he lit his flame his hand and explained. "You see this flame? Think of it as life and think of people standing around the flame itself.
Many people think themselves as cool for their hearts have no scars to show. They are the ones they don't let go or risk the tables being turned.
Then there are those who people call the fools of life. They dance within the flame who chance with sorrow and shame and understand about being burned.
But to live you got to be tough and full of desires because one cannot live life standing outside the fire.
People think they're strong thinking they can face this world alone. To get by on their own and never take the fall.
People may think those are weak who are unable to resist the slightest chance that love might exist and for that forsake it all.
But it those people in this world bent on giving and walking a wire who understand you're not living if you stand outside the fire. For life is not tried it merely survived if you're standing outside the fire.
For one love is burning deep in your soul constantly yearning to get out of control and it wants to fly higher and higher that's when you know you can't abide standing outside the fire.
So, in other words, you not living if you don't dance within these flames of life and let life burn you a little. Standing outside the fire of life your just not living. You must not stand outside the fire you must dance within it to live," as he snuffed out his flame.
It looked like he only left Zuko and Akiko more confused and torn up as they merely walked out. They're gone a very long time and he was getting worried as the sun was starting to set by the time they came back.
"Uncle we've something we need to tell you," Zuko started off.
"Yes?"
"We've been thinking a lot about what you said and about a great deal of many other things," Akiko picked up from where Zuko left off.
"Good, good. I'm glad you're thinking things through." Iroh started to say when he notices their faces and his own fell. "What's wrong?"
"We've come to the conclusion Uncle that we've nothing more to gain traveling together. Akiko and I can't figure out what we need to figure out with you. We need to find our own way."
"Your both leaving?" he asked in disbelief.
"Uncle listens, we gotta say what's on our minds. Something about the three of us together doesn't feel right these days.
Right now life just keeps getting in the way. Whenever Zuko and I try to somehow make a plan is always rearranged. This is so hard to say, Uncle. But we gotta do what's best for us. You'll be okay." Akiko told him reassuringly.
Uncle just stayed silent as Zuko tried to explain further why they needed to go.
"We got to move on and be who we are. We just don't belong here. We hope you'd understand. We might find our place in this world someday but at least for now we gotta go our own way."
"We've left already everything behind. And we have gotten our hopes up one too many times. Because we've watched them fall every time. Every color around us turns to gray and it's just to hard to watch it all slowly fade away.
We are leaving today because we gotta do what's best for us, Uncle. And again we know you'll be okay." Akiko reasserted with him.
"What about us as a family? Everything all of us been through?" Iroh asked painfully.
"Don't you trust us?" they asked him and he was looking so sad and instead said.
"I'm sorry I did anything that hurt either of you but what am I suppose to do?"
"We gotta leave and we'll miss you, Uncle. But we really gotta go our own way. We won't leave you without protection. We'll leave you with most of the money and Kai and Ting-Ting will remain with you," Zuko explained as he and Akiko finished loading up the ostrich horse and then hugged Uncle goodbye and Akiko kept her orders firm.
That her spirit animal guides were to stay with Uncle, not her this time and then with that the two teens went their own way and left Uncle alone not knowing where they going or what they ended up doing. Only knowing least, for now, they gotta go their own way.
