Zuko and I were seated in front of Iroh, who was drawing in the sand as he spoke. "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 had pretty good senses of humor!" Iroh stopped and smiled widely.
I broke out laughing, but Zuko stood there, not moved.
He continued. "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.
"It is important to draw wisdom from many places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale." Iroh answered, drawing an "x" through the four elemental emblems he had drawn in the sand.
"Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole." he continued, drawing a circle around them.
"All this four elements talk sounds like Avatar stuff."
"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." Iroh said, poking the stick that he was using to draw at Zuko's heart.
"You see, the technique I am about to teach you is one I learned from studying the water benders." Iroh said.
Even though all I'd done was go into trances, take the soul of one cuddly animal, and sit on my ass all day, I still felt tired. I decided to go into the hut and rest again after Iroh's little "Avatar talk". I was taken out of my trance when I heard thought I heard the sound of the Ostrich Horse. I ran out of the hut to see Iroh standing outside and the Ostrich Horse dashing off.
"Did it escape?" I yelled.
"If you call Zuko running around to find lightning on it, then yes it did..." Iroh said with a sigh.
We decided to leave the abandoned town. Iroh still had his Ostrich Horse and Zuko and I still had ours, so we had two. I rode on one of them by myself while Zuko rode on the other with Iroh at his back. I felt bad that I hadn't completely healed up Iroh's wounds. The trotting of the Ostrich Horse caused him pain that he began to express after about three or four hours of riding.
"Iroh, are you sure you don't want to stop?" I asked.
"No, I'm-OW!Fine..." Iroh replied.
"I think we should make camp." Zuko said, looking back at his uncle.
"No, please. Don't stop just for me." Iroh groaned in pain.
I laughed a little as Zuko gritted his teeth and pulled on the reins of his Ostrich Horse. Iroh sighed in relief, sitting down on a rock after Zuko stepped down. I chuckled a little and hopped off of my Ostrich Horse. As the Ostrich Horses turned their heads in the same direction, Zuko got into a fighting stance.
"What now?" Iroh asked.
Five fire nation men atop of Reptile Rhinos appeared.
"Colonel Mongke" Iroh said.
I smirked at the sight of the Reptiles Rhinos. I could definitely use one of those, but I'd have to steal at least two of their souls to get one into my arsenal of spirits. I put a hand on the handle of my chain scythe, which was chained around my waist.
"If you are surprised we're here, then the Dragon of the West has lost his touch." the Colonel said as he aimed his hands towards us, ready to firebend.
The other grabbed their weapons.
"You know these guys?" Zuko asked.
"You don't happen to be close friends with them, do you...?" I asked.
"Sure, Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos are legendary! Each one is a different kind of weapon specialist. They are also a very capable singing group." Iroh stated.
I bursted into laughter. The general scowled a little at me and then spoke.
"We're not here to give a concert! We're here to apprehend fugitives!" he yelled.
"Would you like some tea first? I'd love some." Iroh said.
He looked at one of the other Rough Rhinos.
"How about you Kadji? I make you out as a Jasmine man. Am I right?" He asked the large man with the beard, wielding a Qiang.
"Quit stalling, round them up!" the colonel yelled.
One of the Rough Rhinos attempted to capture us with a ball and chain. Iroh kicked it out of the way, making it wrap around the foot of another Reptile Rhino. He slapped the rear end of the Rhino and it ran off, dragging the rider who had swung the chain at us off with him. I ran over to the Reptile Rhino. The fierce looking creature had no reaction to me. I could tell it had quite a temper, so no reaction was better than being trampled.
"Come to mama." I said, putting my hands on its cheeks.
I closed my eyes and absorbed it soul when I reopened them and inhaled. It wailed as it fell to the ground, dead. Its energy renewed me and felt great. I ducked under an arrow as it grazed my head, chopping off a few hairs and turned around to see one of the riders holding a bow. I growled at him a little bit and got into a leopard stance, my hands lighting in Soul Fire. Before I could do anything, Zuko made his bow useless by piercing through it with fire. I turned around to see Iroh firebending at Colonel Mongke. I spun around with my arms on my left side, making a 360. When I was facing the two again, a spirit leopard appeared that pounced at the Rhino and tore through its side, badly wounding its flesh and stealing part of its soul. The Reptile Rhino groaned loudly and fell to the ground. Zuko kicked the Colonel off of it in mid air and ran over to Iroh, who was on the Ostrich Horse.
"Let's go, Liiru!" He yelled.
"One minute!" I yelled back as I ran over to the fallen Reptile Rhino.
It was still alive, but barely. I took its face in my hands and sucked in its soul, feeling a tingle on my left arm.
"There we go!" I exclaimed.
I looked around for the other Ostrich Horse, but it was no where to be found. I started running and flipped forward. My hands glowed purple, as did my eyes and the newly added tattoo of the Reptile Rhino, when they came in contact with the floor as I did a hand stand. When I completed the flip, I was on top of the back of a Spirit Reptile Rhino.
"HELL YEAHHH!" I yelled, running behind the last Rough Rhino, who was after Iroh and Zuko.
I snuck up behind him and kicked him off of the Rhino as he threw a smoke bomb at Iroh and Zuko. My spirit rhino ran up in front of it as it came to a halt. I hopped onto the spirit rhino and caught up to Iroh and Zuko.
"When did you?... I'm not even going to bother..." Zuko said.
Iroh laughed. "Well, her Ostrich Horse did disappear."
"Whatever. Uncle, don't you have any old friends that don't want to attack you?" Zuko asked.
"Hm.. Old friends that don't want to attack me..." Iroh pondered.
With Iroh leading the way, we found ourselves at a rather dirty and poor looking earth bar at the border of a desert. Despite the look and people of the place, the drinks were amazing! They were served in ice cups, carved from the small glacier outside, by the bartender who used swords to cut up the fruit to make them.
"No one here is gonna help us. These people just look like filthy wanderers" Zuko said, taking a look around at the people.
"Uhh... We're pretty much the same thing... Just not as filthy." I exclaimed.
"Ahh, this is interesting. I think I've found our friend." Iroh said, looking at an old man sitting at a Pai Sho table by himself.
"You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho..?" Zuko asked a little angrily.
"I don't think this is a gamble." Iroh said, getting up and walking over to the old man.
I shrugged at Zuko when he looked at me and followed Iroh with Zuko close behind.
"May I have this game?" Iroh asked, standing near the empty seat in front of the Pai Sho table.
The man gestured for Iroh to sit down. "The guest has the first move."
Iroh accepted the invitation and sat down, placing the white lotus in the very center of the board.
"I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many people cling to the old ways." the man observed.
He bowed his head towards Iroh.
"Those who do can always find a friend." Iroh said.
He bowed his head in the same way.
"Then let us play." the man replied.
Zuko and I sat down on the spare chairs around the board as we watched the two play. When they both used up all of their pieces, they had formed a white lotus on the board.
"Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know its secrets." the man said.
"What are you old, gas bags talking about?" Zuko asked.
"Zuko!" I scolded, elbowing him in his side.
He pouted at me and rubbed the spot where I elbowed him.
"I always tried to tell both of you that Pai Sho is more than just a game." Iroh said.
He flipped the white lotus piece around his fingers and caught it with a smirk.
"It's over! You three fugitives are coming with me!" a man with long hair and a green robe that exposed his chest yelled.
He had no shoes on, so it was obvious that he was an earthbender. The old man got up and cut in front of the earthbender and his companion.
"I knew it! You three are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!" the old man said, pointing at us.
"I thought you said he would help?" Zuko asked Iroh.
"Yeah, this doesn't look like its going to make anything better!" I added.
"He is helping, just watch." Iroh said, putting a hand on both of our shoulders.
"You think you're going to capture them and collect all that gold?" the old man asked.
The word "gold" was like magic to everyone in the bar. They all turned and looked at us and then two men who were originally after us. They stood up, surrounding the two.
"Uhh, maybe we should go..." the more kempt one of the two said.
The other smirked at the thought of a fight.
"Follow me!" the old man said.
We obeyed, following him out of the bar in the confusion. The man led us to what appeared to be a simple desert plant shop.
"It is an honor to meet another member of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets." the old man said with a bow.
He started walking with Iroh close behind, smiling, towards another door.
"Now that you played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging or is someone in this club gonna offer some real help?" Zuko asked.
I cleared my throat with my arms crossed. Zuko immediately covered up his right side, the side I always elbowed.
"I apologize for that, sir." I said, with a slight bow to the old man.
"You must forgive my nephew, though his girlfriend does try to watch and make up for what he says. He is not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts."
The old man laughed in response and then knocked on the door in front of us. The eye slot opened up.
"Who knocks at the guarded gate?" a man asked.
"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." Iroh replied.
The door opened up and he and the old man walked in. It was slammed in our faces before we could enter. The slot opened again, but this time Iroh's eyes were there.
"I'm afraid its members only. Wait out here." he said.
Zuko pouted. He looked at a flower on the table next to him and sniffed it. He scrunched his face up, repulsed by its smell. I laughed at him. After about an hour of waiting, both of us were bored to death. We'd looked around and sniffed at every plant in the shop. They either had no scent or had a horrible odor. Zuko was sitting down with his back against the pillar by the door, while i was lying down next to another one parallel to it. I was playing with a spirit leopard cub.
"You shouldn't do that..." Zuko said.
"But I'm so bored! He's cute, and cuddly, and he's entertaining me! You're just jealous cos' he'll steal your energy if you try and pet him!" I pouted, hugging the cub to my chest.
It growled playfully and gnawed at the strands of hair that lay on my chest from my head.
"You're wasting your energy with it. Keep it up and you'll have nothing left to fight with if we get ambushed or something." Zuko explained.
I sighed and looked at the cub. It looked at me with the same puppy dog eyes that the armadillo bear did before I took its soul.
"You heard the man... You gotta go." I said.
It whimpered a little.
"I know, I kno- OW! YOU LITTLE!-" I yelled as the cub bit my nose.
It seemed to cackle a little bit as it ran off of me and into a portal it created in the ground.
Zuko chuckled as I rubbed my nose. "That's what you get."
I walked up to Zuko and plopped down next to him.
"Ughh! What are we going to do now! I'm so bored!" I complained.
"Well, there's always one thing we can do..." Zuko said.
I looked at him and he smirked. I pushed him away a little.
"You're such a pervert! We haven't even done that yet and besides, you haven't brushed your teeth or bathed in a while. There's no way I'm doing anything more besides giving you a peck on the lips." I said.
"I'm no pervert! And you haven't brushed yours or bathed in a while either but I'm not complaining!" Zuko replied.
"We're in the middle of a shop with Iroh and-... What are you smirking at...?" I asked, looking at a smirking Zuko.
"You said 'We haven't even done that yet'. Does that mean you're planning on doing it sometime soon?" Zuko said, his smirk growing wider.
"And that's why you're a pervert. Keep dreamin'. I'm going to sleep now." I said, leaning against Zuko's shoulder.
His arms wrapped around me.
"Try anything and you'll regret it. I'm tired, dirty, and not in the mood." I said.
"I wasn't..." Zuko said.
He kissed me on the forehead and we both fell asleep.