CHAPTER 8 – ZUKO

Sleeping in the Outer Ring again was strange at first. It seemed like life never stopped moving down here. In the Upper Ring, all the residents went to bed fairly early. They all had important jobs to get to in the morning. The Outer Ring was a different story.

Since I'd last been here, the night-life scene had exploded. Bars, clubs, and a variety of types between the two categories had popped up everywhere in Ba Sing Se. Now that there was no war, the poor citizens of the city had decided it was time to live life to the fullest.

The first night back, sleep was difficult to catch. But it became easier as more nights passed.

Meeting Ming felt fresh. It felt as though she didn't want anything but me. She didn't know I was the leader of the richest Nation. She had probably noticed the large stack of money I'd carried and my clothes, but my apartment was run-down and filthy. I hoped I had come across the way I'd intended – a poor, lonely man just getting his start in the world.

Later that afternoon, I sent a messenger bird to Uncle about Ming. The scroll he sent back was another one of his riddling proverbs. I read it again and again, trying to make sense of it. But I failed.

I guess at some point in my vacation, it did turn into looking for a wife. Some people of my Nation had to harbor worries of who would lead should anything dire happen to me. The plain truth was I had no heir to the throne. Should I be unable to lead, the Nation may collapse completely.

After the events in Yu Dao, where earthbenders and firebenders had joined to create families, doing the same myself wouldn't be such a terrible idea. All of the Earth Kingdom girls I had encountered during banishment had been sweet. Poor Song, whose ostrich horse I'd stolen.

Song and her mother had cared for Uncle as though he were their own family member. It now reminded me of how Katara had healed me after Azula struck me with her lightning in the courtyard outside the palace. That was the only envy I had of the Avatar – his and Katara's relationship.

My first time ever watching them interact, I knew they would get together. Of course, they had yet to get married, but any letters I receive from Aang mention her, always. She is his great love. She unintentionally freed him from his iceberg. She was made for him, and neither had to search for the other.

I was made to search for anything I wanted.

The next day, I woke up early with anticipation of seeing Ming again.

Ming was a beauty to behold. Her brunette hair shone as though it underwent the most expensive hair treatments regularly. The simple manner of her clothing only accentuated the beautiful green of her eyes. She was a classic Earth girl, just as I was classic Fire Nation.

I still had a few hours to pass before I was supposed to go to the market. Deciding my little apartment was too dirty, I gathered what meager cleaning supplies I had and started working. By the time I was finished three hours later, my home had a bit more sparkle and a lot more clean to it. Quickly, I washed up and changed clothes before walking out the door.

The market was only a few blocks from my apartment. I was there in five minutes. Looking around, I didn't see Ming, so I sat on the edge of a fountain to wait.

I don't know what it was with the Ba Sing Se and fountains, but they were everywhere. The best one I'd seen so far was when I was here as 'Lee' before. The fountain Jin had taken me to. Until the recent installment of streetlamps on the major paths, the only real public fire was those lamps surrounding the other water work.

The small plaza I was waiting in only had two entrances. From where I was sitting, I had a direct view of the one Ming should walk through. Time went by, and though I had been early, Ming should've come by now. My spine had since quit sitting so straight, and now I was slouching. Staring off into space, I realized the grocer was trying to wave me over to him.

"Look," the grocer said, "I'm sorry man, but she's not coming today."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I've known that girl for a long time. Every day, she comes to my stand, buys a day's worth of produce, and leaves," he said. "Yesterday after you all had left, she came back and bought double her usual amount."

"So she had no need to come today," I said. It dawned on me that she had stood me up. I'd never been stood up before, and it hurt worse than the scar upon my face.

"That's right," the grocer said. "I thought it was funny, too. You must've scared her off, boy."

I gave him a demeaning look. "Thanks anyway," I muttered, turning around.

"'Course," the grocer said, getting my attention again, "that girl ain't always been too bright."

Turning back towards him, I waited for him to continue. "I mean, I recognized you." My cheeks grew inflamed. The grocer laughed at me. "Don't worry, boy. I got a gift for recognizing people. Got nothing better to do all day." He winked at me. "Secret's safe with me."

I gave him a bow. "Thank you."

He bowed in return. "No problem." He rose from his bow. "I'd go find that girl and put some sense into her though." He handed me a folded piece of paper, and I knew instantly what it was.

I gave the grocer a sly smile before I went in the direction of Ming's apartment. Finding it with ease, I knocked on her door. To my surprise, a boy answered it.

"Yes?" he said.

"Is Ming here? I'd like to speak with her," I said.

"Yeah," he said to me. "Ming!" he yelled over his shoulder.

"What Hu? I told you to find something else to do other than bother me," she yelled. She came into view behind me and her entire face and neck went red.

"Hu, go away," she said.

The boy held up his hands. "Fine." He shoved past me and walked cockily down the hall.

Ming stepped out of the apartment, shutting the door behind her. "What do you want?" she asked with hostility in her voice.

"You stood me up," I said. There was no way to sugar-coat it.

She looked me dead in the eye. "Yeah, I did."

"Why?" I asked, the hurt accidentally creeping in.

"Look," she said, leaning against the wall, "my family has always been poor. But that doesn't mean I want to be poor for the rest of my life. I need a rich man to support me so I can finally live. I feel honor-less and like filth because of my family's money. To be truly happy, I need that to change."

She hadn't broken eye contact with me once, and I could feel the brutal honesty in her words. "Ming," I said, "I had really liked you."

"Well I'm sorry," she said. She turned to open the door but I stopped her with one hand and held her to her front door. With my other hand, I pulled the paper out of my pocket. I whipped it so it would unfold and held it in front of my face.

"Recognize me now?" I said. The paper was the wanted poster of Uncle and me from when we were fugitives.

I lowered the paper to see Ming's face frozen in shock. "Y-y-you're – the Fire Lord."

Holding her gaze for just another moment, I then turned and left her standing there. I was briefly aware of her yelling apologies at my back, but I ignored them.

Going back to my apartment, I felt broken. I was shattered by the rejection because she had still simply wanted me for my money. Uncle's advice in his vehicle on the way here had failed. No woman loved me rich or poor. Feeling shameful, I went and lay in my bed until the next day.

The following morning, I got dressed to visit Uncle. The wall guards instantly recognized me and allowed me to pass. Making my way up to the Jasmine Dragon, I found Uncle in his usual corner at his pai sho table. Today, he had no men at his table just yet.

"Zuko, come join me," Uncle said loudly, gesturing to the empty chair next to him.

"I'd just like some tea," I said quietly while sitting at his table.

"That's quite alright," he said, motioning to the manager for tea. "Well," he said, turning his attention back to me, "I know you're here for advice."

I gave him a questioning look, and he simply tapped his forehead with a single finger. "Ming only wanted money."

Uncle only looked at me, waiting for me to add more details. "She was tired of being poor and wanted someone to rescue her."

"You won't help shoots by pulling them up higher," Uncle said. The manager had arrived with my tea. I cast Uncle a glance. "It means that she must help herself in getting to where she wants. Relying on another person to do it for her will only encourage laziness within herself." He paused to take a sip of tea. "You made the right choice in leaving her."

"But Uncle, whether I was rich or poor, the women still wanted me for their own gain." I hung my head. "I failed."

"Zuko," Uncle said a bit sternly. "You have not failed because of the flaws in others. You did not cause them to be that way nor did you feed into it. The tributaries upstream have no effect on the ones downstream."

"I know, but this is still difficult," I said. "What should I do?"

"Stay a little while longer here," Uncle told me. "Be yourself, not who others want you to be. Dress in whatever clothes you like. Dress poor, rich, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation. Practice your double swords. Practice your firebending. Do what you please. And remember, sometimes the person who feels as though they deserve love the least, need it the most."

I drained the rest of my tea and stood. "Thank you, Uncle," I said, bowing.

"Not a problem, Zuko," he said, returning my bow.

I returned to my crappy Outer Ring apartment. Taking Uncle's advice, I was going to do what I want, and what I wanted to do was visit the fountain with the lanterns.

Closing and locking my apartment door, I set off to re-discover that fountain. Winding through the streets, I came across just before sundown. As I approached, I noted someone lighting the lanterns. The person was not using a previously lit candle, but firebending just as I had before. All the wicks were lit and the person stopped to admire the effect. I could make out long hair drifting down the back – it was a girl!

A female firebender. My sister had been the only female firebender I had ever encountered. I wanted to meet this mystery girl. Stealthily, I crept into small plaza. Somehow, the girl heard me approach and darted off. Determined, I ran after her.

She was quick and lithe. She was nearly as good as I was. Dress her up as the Blue Spirit and I wouldn't be able to say whether it was me. She turned a quick corner and as I rounded it, she had disappeared. My strides slowed. Bending with my hands on my knees, I tried to catch my breath.

Hands wrapped around my neck, and pinned me back.

"Why are you following me?" the voice asked.

I struggled to twist out of the grip, but it was iron-strong. "Are you the firebender?" I asked. "I just wanted to see who you were."

"What is it to you if I can firebend?" she asked, her voice against my ear. She had dragged me back into the shade of a nearby alley to not attract attention to us. She really was as good as me.

"I just wanted to meet you," I said, hoping she'd release me.

"Wrong answer," she said. And then black.

When I came to, I was laying on my bed in my apartment. The window had been opened, causing a chilly breeze to cut through my tiny bedroom. My heart beating fast, I jerked upright, my head spinning to see if the girl was still here. In the dark, I could barely make out her figure. She was wearing all black, but her face appeared to be blue.

"Who are you?" I asked. My words came out slightly slurred from being knocked out.

She did not respond, but was kneeling in front of me in a flash. She was wearing a mask. My mask. The smiling, blue face got closer to mine. Through the slits of the mask, I could barely make out golden almond eyes. Fire Nation eyes.

Slowly, my hand came out from under my blanket. Reaching towards the mask, my fingertips barely touched the material. It was truly my mask. The one I'd thrown into Lake Laogai. I'd never thought I'd see the Blue Spirit again after that.

"But how?" I asked.

The girl cupped my hand to the cheek of the mask, its fanged smile never faltering. She interlaced her fingers with mine. The material of her glove was thin and I could feel the bones of her hand. Gently, she laid my hand on my lap. She quickly leapt to the sill of the open window. Crouching there, she turned back to me and gave a tiny wave of her hand before jumping down into the night.

I struggled to get up and look out the window to catch sight of her leaving, but she was already gone. I closed the window and latched it. Checking the front door, the girl had locked it. She had anticipated going through the window. Who was she? Why had she knocked me out and brought me back here?

As I drifted back off to sleep, one last thought rang through my mind – how had she gotten my mask?