25. A Night Out

"Dragon Warriors?" Uncle repeated, thoughtful.

"Those are the exacts words Tuli used." Zuko shrugged. "Does it mean anything to you?"

Uncle stroked his beard. "I've never heard of such a thing."

The Prince looked down and sighed.

Zuko and Iroh were standing on the deck. The younger man was leaning against the railing, looking down at the water swirling in the ship's wake. It looked playful and innocent and reminded him of a certain Air Nomad.

"But", Uncle went on, "I know someone who might know more."

Zuko looked up again, his eyes wide with surprise. Could Uncle be talking about... Could he mean... the original firebenders?

"You think we should", Zuko glanced around to make sure no one but Uncle would hear his next words, "go look for dragons?"

The Prince was more excited by the thought than he'd expected himself to be. Ever since Iroh had revealed to him that dragons weren't extinct, he had had conflicted feelings on the matter. A part of him feared that if he ever met real dragons, they would reject him for being, well, not real. Meeting a real dragon would be pretty awesome, though, and Tuli didn't have a problem with Zuko, so maybe living dragons wouldn't hate him on sight, either.

Uncle turned to Zuko, looking surprised. "That's not what I meant."

Iroh explained: "Most of my knowledge on dragons is based on that meeting I had with two old firebending masters decades ago. Ran and Shaw might understand your situation better than anyone else; they may even be the only living beings holding the answers we seek. However, I don't think it would be wise to go look for them. At least not yet."

"First", Iroh sighed. "I gave an oath never to reveal the last dragons' existence or whereabouts to anyone. However, taking into consideration your unusual situation, I think even the Sun Warriors might be understanding about me bending the rules on that one.

"A more pressing reason is geography; the old dragons reside in the Fire Nation, and so long as you are banished, we can't just sail right in. Also, they live virtually on the other side of the world. Even if we got past the blockade, the trip there and back would take weeks, perhaps even a month."

Zuko nodded, but couldn't help hanging his head a bit lower. Just because he understood what Uncle was getting at, he didn't have to like it. "If we want to keep Zhao and the Air Nomad more or less within arm's reach, we can't just sail to the opposite end of the world and disappear for weeks."

Uncle nodded.

Zuko and Iroh had already agreed that although Zuko was no longer actively trying to capture the Avatar, it would be for the best if it looked like he was still after the boy.

Not that following the Avatar was a bad idea in any case; it would be foolish to presume that it was suddenly safe to let the Air Nomad run around doing whatever he wanted. The kid was a potential threat to everyone's safety, and as such, his actions had to be monitored closely.

Also, Zhao was still after the boy, and the Admiral hadn't become less dangerous in the past few days. They still didn't know what Zhao's secret plan was, but it would've been foolish not to keep tabs on him as well.

For now, their plan was to keep heading north, and in the meantime try to learn more about the Avatar's and Zhao's plans. Also, as Uncle had been quick to point out, now they finally had time to look into this whole dragon business.

"If you weren't talking about dragons, then who?" Zuko asked, frowning.

Iroh smiled innocently. "An old friend of mine happens to live in a Fire Nation colony not far from where we're headed. Stopping there wouldn't require a detour, and would only slow us down a few hours."

"An old friend", Zuko repeated. "Do I know him?"

Iroh laughed. "No. We go back a long time. Since before you were born, actually. I haven't seen her in years, but we still correspond from time to time."

Her, Zuko thought numbly. The young man found himself shivering despite the fact that the afternoon Sun was beating down on his back.

I seriously hope she isn't some old... Gah, I can't even think that through.

"In fact", Iroh went on, oblivious to his nephew's discomfort. "I've already taken the liberty of informing her that I'm planning to stop by this evening."

"This evening?" Zuko startled. "If we intend to get there that fast, we have to give the crew our new heading immediately."

"Don't worry about that, I already did." Iroh replied casually.

Zuko's face fell. "When?"

"This morning."

"Right." Zuko tried to wrap his head around what he'd just been told. "So when you asked me if I would like to know more about my connection to dragons, you were just asking out of courtesy. In reality, you had already made arrangements."

Uncle opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out.

Zuko went on: "I mean, you must have been planning this meeting for some time now if you had time to write to her. Now don't get me wrong, it's good that the crew knows where we're going, and that your friend knows to be expecting you, but when were you planning to let me in on all this? Before or after we docked?"

"Um, well... You were pretty out of it for almost two days", Uncle finally managed.

Zuko rolled his eyes, but more out of amusement than irritation. He was angry, but he also knew Uncle had meant well.

The Prince was curious to learn more of what was going on, so perhaps he could overlook the fact that Iroh had made plans behind his back.

"Fine", Zuko said, and smiled briefly to let his uncle know he wasn't angry with him. "When and where are we going to meet this friend of yours?"

"Actually." Uncle rubbed the back of his neck and smiled apologetically. "I'm going to meet her alone. Privately."

Zuko's eyes widened as he tried hard not to imagine what that meant.

"Oh no, I didn't mean it like that," Iroh hurriedly added as he saw his nephew's pale cheeks turn bright red. "We are old friends, nothing more. The reason why I'm meeting her alone is that I know her through a club of sorts, and it's a members-only kind of meeting."

Zuko was relieved to hear that Uncle was just a member in a secret club. Truly relieved.

I wonder what kind of a club it is? Well, if Uncle thought it important for me to know, he would've told me.

"The meeting shouldn't take too long," Iroh went on with a wide smile on his face. "You won't even have time to miss me, I'm sure."

There was something playful about the way Iroh said the last part, which immediately made Zuko cautious. "Okay. Why?"

"Because I haven't told you the best part yet: tonight, the colony is hosting a Fire Festival."

And suddenly everything fell in place; Iroh's hurry to get to the colony, all the secrecy... This stop wasn't about learning more about Dragon Warriors.

Uncle wants me to have fun. And he was so afraid I'd say 'no', or come up with some reason why tonight was no good, that he arranged the whole thing behind my back.

Zuko would've been irritated by Iroh's nursing attitude if it weren't for the fact that just a few months ago, it would've taken exactly this level of sneakiness to get Zuko to attend a Fire Festival.

The banished Prince Zuko didn't have time to take a night out, especially not to participate in a stupid peasant holiday.

Having fun. Another thing I planned to do once my honor was restored, but not a day sooner.

Uncle was looking at the young man expectantly, obviously curious to hear his response.

"A Fire Festival", Zuko said and shrugged. "Why not. Sounds like it could be fun."

ooo

"Look", Aang said, and pointed at a poster on a bulletin board. "They're holding a Fire Festival in a nearby Fire Nation colony tonight. That sounds like fun. Wouldn't it be cool if we went?"

"Are you kidding me?" Sokka asked. "Why would we want to walk into our enemy's lair voluntarily? Nothing good would come of it. Trust me."

"Funny", Katara put in, smiling deviously. "I thought Mister eager-to-learn-more-about-different-cultures wouldn't want to miss a chance like this for anything."

Aang's face lit up. "Katara is right! Just a few days ago you told me that because I'm the Avatar, I have to learn stuff about the other nations' cultures. I may never get a better chance to see some contemporary, authentic Fire Nation culture.

"Plus, the poster says there will be firebending performances. If we go, I could study both, fire culture and firebending, up close."

"I definitely didn't say anything about going to a Fire Nation colony", Sokka stated, trying hard to think back on what all they had agreed on.

ooo

Four days earlier

"We need a plan."

Sokka turned to look at Katara and Aang. All the children were sitting in Appa's saddle. They had decided to keep flying so long as they still had daylight. It was probably an unnecessary precaution, but Sokka hadn't felt like taking his chances while they were still close to an active volcano.

Also not when they knew Prince Zuko was hiking somewhere in the vicinity, actively looking for the Avatar.

The kids had left the village hours ago, and had been talking non-stop ever since. There had been a lot of catching up to do; Aang had told Sokka and Katara about his eventful night. Sokka and Katara had told their friend of their time onboard a Fire Nation ship, and especially about what they had learned while listening in on their captors.

Now the Sun had begun to set, which reminded Sokka that they still hadn't covered the most important topic. "Seriously, though", the Water Tribe boy went on. "I know we sort of already talked about getting a plan after meeting the Militia, but at the time we only decided to get a plan sometime in the future. I think that time is now. Or, like, yesterday."

Sokka half expected Aang to get defensive again. Last time they'd talked about their hopes and plans for the future, Aang had taken it very personally, viewing it as a sign of distrust towards his decision not to cooperate with the Militia.

Now, however, Aang just nodded. He looked uncharacteristically serious. "I agree."

Katara, too, nodded.

"Aang", Sokka began. "The stuff that Iroh said about the Avatar having to spend years and years studying elements and culture. Was that, I don't know, news to you?"

"No", Aang admitted. "When the monks told me I was the Avatar, they said that I would spend four years studying each element. Only then could I become a fully realized Avatar."

"But Avatar Roku said it's okay if Aang finishes his training faster, so that shouldn't really be a problem", Katara said thoughtfully.

"Right", Sokka agreed. "I remember that Avatar Roku gave Aang the go-ahead to speed things up a bit. Still, and without at all trying to add any pressure, I gotta point out that Iroh wasn't totally wrong when he said that we've still got a long way to go."

Aang looked frustrated. "What can I do about that? I can't get a whole lot better at waterbending before we reach the North Pole."

Sokka lifted his hands in a placating gesture. "I know, I know. But I wasn't talking about waterbending. According to Iroh, there is more to being the Avatar than just mastering all bendings. Didn't the monks say anything about that?"

"...No."

"You mean, like, they gave you absolutely no tips on stuff like how to fight spirits or how to be a good Avatar or anything like that?"

Aang shook his head.

"They probably thought there would be plenty of time to teach Aang everything he needed to know", Katara put in. "The Avatars before him only started learning the other elements when they were older. The monks didn't know Aang would have to learn them all while he's twelve."

Sokka could see his sister's point.

"Yeah", Aang said and smiled at Katara. "Also, the situation really isn't as bad as you guys think it is, because I already know a lot of stuff about different cultures."

"You do?" Sokka asked.

"Sure", Aang's smile widened. "I used to have friends from all four nations before the war."

Sokka gaped at the younger boy, unsure of what to say to that. Aang wasn't wrong, but he wasn't right either.

Just because Aang had known people from other nations a hundred years ago didn't mean he understood or appreciated the other cultures today.

Also, in Sokka's experience, Aang was far from a culturally-sensitive guy. The kid knew what people from different cultures were stereotypically supposed to be like, but he had a hard time getting it in his head that not all people were alike just because they came from the same nation.

Well, why change a good opinion just because it might not apply to everyone? Sokka thought to himself and sighed.

Aang had strong opinions about other cultures, but that wasn't really a good thing.

"Aang, I don't think that will be enough. I mean, it helps, but even if your knowledge on the other cultures is based on personal experiences, it is seriously out of date. Plus I kind of doubt that you ever understood the other cultures on the kind of level that an Avatar is expected to just by visiting them for a day or two."

Aang looked surprised and sad. Sokka didn't want to be hard on the boy, but he also had no intentions of lying to him to protect his feelings. "It's one thing to know someone from the Water Tribes than to be someone from the Water Tribes."

Aang still looked sad, but he nodded. "I guess. I'll have to try to learn as much as I can about each nation's culture while on my way to my bending masters."

Sokka gave Aang thumbs up. "Exactly."

"Look", Katara pitched in. "As much as learning culture is fun and all, I don't completely agree with Sokka on this."

Sokka eyed his sister, but Katara didn't look like she was trying to pick a fight with him.

"I'm not saying that you're wrong", she said. "I just think that learning bending and maybe a thing or two about how to deal with spirits should be Aang's first priority, and since time is something we don't have in abundance, he should focus on bending practices.

"To be a great Avatar, Aang needs to learn a lot. However, Aang doesn't have to be a great Avatar by the end of the next summer. He does, however, have to be powerful enough to defeat the Fire Lord by then."

"But I want to be a great Avatar!" Aang protested.

"And I'm sure you will be", Katara smiled at the boy. "The best. But my point is that you don't have to be one yet."

"Yeah", Sokka allowed, rubbing his chin. "You have a point there. Still, whatever we do, I think we loose nothing by starting to plan a little further ahead than just what we're going to do at the North Pole, or even how we're going to end this war.

"Even if we focus on bending studies for now, it can't hurt to keep our eyes and ears open for the other stuff as well. That way you'll be that much closer to a fully realized Avatar by the time we destroy the Fire Lord."

"But", Aang looked down at his shoes. "I don't actually want to hurt anyone."

Both Water Tribe kids looked unsure about what to say to that.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Sokka asked.

Aang gulped. "It's just... I'm not sure if I can defeat the Fire Lord. Not if defeating him would mean I would have to destroy him. I'm a pacifist. I respect all life."

"Not this one", Katara's tone was dark and serious. "If anyone is getting what's coming for them, it's the Fire Lord. He's the one behind this war. He's brought nothing but misery and pain to everyone for a hundred years."

"I can't believe I'm saying this", Sokka put in. "But I sort of doubt that the current Fire Lord had any more to do with starting the hundred-year war than I did."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Don't get cute on me. You know what I meant. And even if the current Fire Lord didn't start the war, he hasn't done anything to end it, either, making him just as culpable. And then there's the small matter of how he burned his own son's face off."

For a while, all three kids sat in silence. The team's earlier enthusiasm and adventurous spirit was fading away fast.

"That thing that happened to Zuko" Aang spoke up. "It's just awful."

The Air Nomad looked like he had just realized the world wasn't a fair place. Katara wrapped an arm around Aang's shoulder, but she didn't say anything.

Sokka couldn't think of anything comforting to say, either. No words would make what had happened to Prince Zuko anything other than awful.

The Prince was their enemy, but Sokka could still sympathize.

Being told to fight your father? Of course you wouldn't do it. But refusal hadn't worked either. And then it's all your fault and you can never go home again...

Sokka shivered. His father would never have done anything like that to him. Not ever. Not in a million years.

But... if I messed up really bad and were banished and could only win back father's love by doing a stupid task, I would. In a heartbeat.

"The Fire Lord is evil and ruthless", Katara broke the silence. "He has to be defeated, or he will continue to hurt more people."

Aang gulped. "Are you sure that what that Iroh guy told you was the truth. I mean, you said you didn't trust him. Maybe he just lied..."

Katara and Sokka exchanged a look.

They had initially more or less agreed that Iroh was a liar, but neither of them was convinced of that now. Actually, after giving it a lot of thought, Sokka was rather convinced of the opposite; most of the stuff Iroh had said was probably the truth, at least form the Fire Nation's point of view.

Sokka shook his head. "I don't think Iroh lied. I mean, everyone knows you can't trust a firebender, but what reason would he have to lie about that? Why would anyone from the Fire Nation go around creating bad publicity for the Fire Lord?

"As far as we know, all Fire Nation citizens respect their leader. Even the Fire Sages were more loyal to the Fire Lord than to the Avatar. It would be weird if the brother of the Fire Lord talked trash about him for no reason, right?

"I don't believe Iroh could be mistaken, either. He is Zuko's uncle and he was there when it happened. Also, we don't know much about the Fire Lord but we have met Prince Zuko, and Iroh's story would kinda explains a lot about why the angry jerk is so angry."

"I don't get it", Aang said, looking confused. "If Zuko's father was so awful to him, why is Zuko trying to please him by capturing me?"

"Because the Fire Lord is his father", Sokka said, but as he saw that Aang still looked confused, he added, "I mean, wouldn't anyone do just about anything to prove themselves to their father?"

"No", Katara responded. "They wouldn't. Not if their father was evil."

"Like I said, it doesn't make any sense", Aang chimed in.

Sokka wasn't sure why his companions were having such a difficult time grasping the obvious. The Fire Lord was Zuko's father.

Sokka would've done almost anything to please his father and to prove to him that he was a good warrior. He wouldn't have tried to capture Aang, of course, but almost anything else.

Sokka took a breath to give himself time to organize his thoughts. "Well, it's not like Zuko has just one reason to want to capture you. From what Iroh said, I was left with the impression that Zuko is primarily into capturing you because he thinks you're super dangerous."

Aang looked openly surprised. "Dangerous? But I'm twelve. And I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Of course you don't", Katara smiled at Aang reassuringly.

"I'm pretty sure not even Zuko thinks you want to hurt anyone", Sokka clarified. "But, like I said, Zuko has heard of what happened with Jet and the dam, and now he thinks you are, how to best put it, a loose canon?"

"But he's wrong", Katara added. "He doesn't know you like we do."

Sokka sighed. But what if he isn't wrong about Aang?

Still, Katara was sort of right. Knowing that the Fire Nation has a kind of almost valid reason to fear and hate the Avatar changes nothing. Even if Aang is a bit careless sometimes, so what? Everyone makes mistakes. At least Aang isn't out to actively hurt innocent people like the Fire Nation is.

Aang was the good guy. Zuko was the bad guy. That was just how things were.

ooo

The present

"Fine, I may have been the one who spoke highly about studying other cultures. But I still think that going to the Fire Festival is a really bad idea", Sokka tried to convince the others.

Aang had rounded the bulletin board. "This poster has my picture on it."

"Aang, that is a wanted poster", Sokka said solemnly. "Which is another reason why we shouldn't go. We're going to get into a lot of trouble if anyone recognizes us."

"Then we better make sure they don't", Katara smiled. "We'll go in disguised."

"Sure", Sokka rolled his eyes. "We've never gotten into a lot of trouble while disguised."

Aang put down his wanted poster, but then he picked up another: "Look! There's a wanted poster for the Blue Spirit as well!"

"I told you he was real", Aang said happily and nearly hugged the poster. "And this also means that he got away, because they wouldn't put up wanted posters for him if he'd been caught."

Katara sighed and put her hand on Aang's shoulder. "Aang, when we talked about your mystery savior earlier, we weren't trying to say that we didn't believe he existed. I mean, I'm happy to hear that your friend is okay, I really am. I just don't want you to get your hopes up too soon, that's all."

"What do you mean?" Aang looked at her wide-eyed. Katara looked to her brother for support.

"The thing is", Sokka explained. "You told us that this Blue Spirit guy is actually an airbender but, from what you described, I'm not so sure about that. Sounds to me like he could just be a badass nonbender. Could it be possible that you miss your people so much that you made-believed that this guy was an airbender, even when he wasn't?"

Aang's eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms. "I didn't make-believe that he airbended!"

"We just want you to be ready for the possibility that there are no more airbenders." Katara smiled a sad smile at the boy. "And even if there are, they might not be anything like the Air Nomads you knew."

Ever since Aang had announced that he'd met another airbender, Sokka and Katara had agreed that they needed to have a serious conversation about the topic with the monk. After all, last time Aang had been convinced that not all airbenders were gone, it had ended with the Air Nomad finding his mentor's dead body and nearly blowing them all of the face of a mountain.

They didn't want to have to go through the Southern Air Temple all over again.

Sokka was really happy that Katara was taking the lead on the conversation. Aang had to hear this, but Katara could break the news to him more gently.

"Fine", Aang sighed. "I'll be prepared for the worst. But I still believe that the Blue Spirit is an airbender, and even if he isn't, there could be other airbenders still out there."

Katara nodded hesitantly. "There could be."

But it's not very likely, Sokka thought to himself. Before we found Aang, no one had seen an Air Nomad in a hundred years.

"Sokka", Aang turned to the Water Tribe boy. "You said we should have a plan. I think a part of that plan should be that we try to find out if there are any airbenders still left."

"That sounds... reasonable", Sokka said and smiled at the boy. "If they have been hiding a hundred years, finding them won't be easy, but we can try."

Katara brushed Aang's back one more time. Then she changed the topic: "Well, we better get going. We don't want to be late for the Festival, do we?"

ooo

Zuko had been at the Fire Festival for over an hour now, and he still wasn't sure whether he was having fun or not.

"A fire flake, sir?" Seaman Oki handed over a bag of flakes.

"Uh, sure." Zuko took a few flakes. He didn't particularly like fire flakes, the colonial version was too mild for his taste, but it felt polite to accept the man's offer nonetheless.

I'm hanging out with my crew. Whether that was adding to the fun or taking from it, Zuko wasn't sure.

On one hand, the Prince was grateful for the company. Zuko didn't have much experience on hanging out, so having other people along really helped him get a better idea of what people usually did on these sorts of occasions. Also, he was rather fond of his crew in general, and he didn't hang out with them nearly as often as he probably should have.

They weren't bad company. Everything was just so... awkward.

While Zuko had been ill, Uncle had told the crew that Zuko was a dragon, sort of. The Prince had been touched to hear that they hadn't abandoned him or thought worse of him for it, and that the crew had even sworn to keep his secret for as long as possible.

The downside was that now that everyone knew, they kept giving him these looks. Not exactly bad looks, but not good either; it was like they were expecting him to burst into flames and turn into a fiery beast at any given moment.

They were going to great lengths to act casually around him (Zuko suspected Uncle had told them to do that), but they weren't very good at it.

Since they had come to the colony to meet Iroh's old friend and attend a celebration, it would've been weird not to hand out as many shoreleaves as possible. Consequently, almost the entire crew was out making a night of it. Not all of them were hanging out with Zuko, of course, but quite a few were. The Prince suspected his uncle had asked them to keep an eye on him.

They were all wearing civilian clothes for the night. Soldiers were allowed to wear their armors even off-duty, but most preferred not to; they were here to have a good time, not to maintain order. Tonight that was somebody else's job.

So far they'd been mainly walking around and getting to know what kind of attractions this particular Festival had to offer. Zuko wasn't exceptionally impressed by anything he'd seen yet, but he tried to keep an open mind.

There had been a few sort of interesting firebending shows, but to someone who'd seen as much real firebending in his life as Zuko, they didn't offer much excitement or a sense of danger.

Zuko wasn't sure if the Festival was living up to his expectations or not, because he hadn't really had any. Well, except maybe one.

Most people around them were wearing masks of varying sorts. No one in his company had asked the Prince whether he wanted to buy a mask or not. They probably feared that implying that Zuko should cover his face was insensitive.

Truth be told, Zuko wouldn't have been insulted. Not at all. Buying a mask was something he'd wanted to do ever since he'd left his old one at Pohuai Stronghold. However, that purchase was something Zuko didn't want to do in front of his crew.

It wasn't even a matter of whether he trusted them or not; it was a matter of liability. Zuko would be damned before he'd make his crew his unwitting partners in crime.

"So", Sergeant Jiri put in. "I think we've seen the best shows by now, so how about we move inside?"

"Inside?" Zuko wasn't quite following. "Where?"

"Uh", the man looked rather awkward. "You know, to get some... beverages."

"Oh", Zuko felt like slapping himself on the face.

There was absolutely no drinking of anything stronger than Uncle's tea onboard Zuko's ship, but tonight they were on a leave, so of course they were going out drinking. Which would be pretty awkward with Zuko, their 16-year-old boss, there.

Zuko's face spread into a genuine smile. The timing of this was perfect.

"Yeah, sure", Zuko said. "You go right ahead."

"Aren't you coming with us, sir?"

"In a minute. I just saw an interesting", Zuko looked around himself, trying desperately to come up with a plausible excuse, "Puppet show. Earlier."

Zuko felt like slapping himself for not coming up with a better reason. Hand puppet shows were for 5-year-olds. Now his entire crew would definitely think he was too young to drink.

"Okay", Sergeant Cho said, his casual smile exceptionally convincing. "We'll meet up later then. You sure you'll be fine on your own?"

"I think after everything I've been through, I should be able to manage..." For once, Zuko caught on to the mood around him a bit faster. "Oh. You meant that as a joke."

At seeing Zuko's expression, Cho burst out laughing, though the rest of the crew looked rather serious.

They are afraid to have a laugh at my expense, Zuko realized. The Prince smiled widely, trying to signal that it was okay. He could laugh at himself, and so could his crew. He was okay with it. Really.

"See you later", Cho said while wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

Zuko waved at his crew for one final time as they parted ways.

Hopefully they won't think I'm really going to see a puppet show, but realize I was just trying to get out of a situation that would've been awkward for all of us, Zuko thought as he made his way towards a cart that was selling masks.

It took Zuko a while to find what he was looking for. He had to go through three different carts and dozens of masks before he found the right one; the Blue Spirit had never been hugely popular, perhaps because it looked so scary. Oddly enough, Zuko had immediately fell in love with that particular character after he'd decided his sneaking outfit required a mask and started to look for one.

These days, with wanted posters all around, sporting this particular mask had its risks as well. For most people, the possibility of getting arrested didn't add to the mask's appeal.

As Zuko looked at the blue opera mask, he wasn't sure whether he should buy it or not.

I'm not a criminal. Why should I hide my face? I'm not ashamed of the things I do.

When Zuko put the mask on and took on the identity of the Blue Spirit, he felt more free of his duties as a Prince. However, now that he'd decided not to carry out his mission anyway, a means to escape from himself felt a bit redundant.

He was free now, with or without the mask.

"You gonna buy that or what?" A bored looking man behind the cart asked.

"...Yes." Zuko paid for the mask and then quickly hid it under his cloak.

Having a mask used to be about getting away, but it wasn't just about that. It was a practical thing to have when hiding in shadows, and Zuko's ninja master had told him to always dress for the occasion.

Also, the Blue Spirit had a reputation. That could come in handy one day.

The Avatar thinks he's an airbender, Zuko suddenly remembered. That could end badly. But... it could also be useful. If the Avatar was about to do something stupid and needed to be talked out of it, he'd be likelier to listen to 'his countryman' than the Prince of the Fire Nation.

Now that Zuko had successfully carried out his secret mission for the night, he wasn't sure what to do next. Truth be told, finding a new mask hadn't been the Prince's only reason for wanting to get away from his crew. Zuko wasn't too keen on the idea of spending the rest of the evening in a pub.

Maybe I should just head back to the ship? This has certainly been enough fun for one evening, right?

"I'm the Fire Lord, and ain't no one gonna stop me."

Zuko had to turn to look. He nearly laughed when he realized he was looking at a puppet show, and a hand puppet roughly the likeness of Fire Lord had just entered the stage.

Zuko smiled. It was kind of ironic that he had ended up watching a puppet show after all, but what the hell. The rest of the audience consisted of small children, so Zuko was too embarrassed to sit down with them, but he could still hover in the background with the parents.

Man, I used to love watching these things when I was small. Unlike everything the Ember Island Players performed, puppet shows always had exciting twists and character development.

Zuko crossed his arms and leaned on a wooden pillar. He hadn't seen a puppet show in ages.

The Prince had a feeling he hadn't seen this play before, although it was impossible to be sure after just yet. The Fire Lord, which usually represented a general idea of a Fire Lord rather than any particular person holding the throne, was one of the most frequently featured characters; he was in virtually every play.

When Zuko had been six years old, he'd been very proud of the fact that his grandfather was so popular a character. It was one of the reasons why he'd liked hand puppet shows so much. He had hoped that one day people would tell tales of Prince Zuko's great deeds.

I was such a naive kid, Zuko sighed. But hey, who doesn't have a soft spot for hand puppets, right?

The play moved on as a second character entered the stage. It was an Earth Kingdom soldier in a traditional green uniform. The man was apparently a bender since the puppet was holding a boulder in its hand.

The Fire Lord was looking the other way, so he didn't notice the earthbender approaching menacingly.

"Watch out."

"He's behind you."

Several kids spoke up simultaneously; they were so caught up in the play that they were shouting warnings at a puppet. Zuko was amused by this. He could've assured the kids that these plays didn't usually end in the death of the Fire Lord, but he didn't want to spoil the ending.

On the last minute, the Fire Lord turned around and firebent the other puppet off the stage. The kids cheered, but Zuko didn't.

What's the lesson of this play, anyway? That if you're more powerful than others, it's okay to solve your problems by force? The other guy was from an enemy nation so... it's okay to use violence on people from the other nations?

Zuko realized he was being silly, getting worked up over a puppet show. The earthbender was sneaking up on the Fire Lord, fighting dishonorably. That's probably the lesson: trickery bad.

Zuko still felt sort of offended by the play. Our nation is at war, but this is a kiddie show, for crying out loud! Is this really the kind of worldview we want to teach to our children? That because the Fire Lord is powerful, he is always right and gets to burn whoever opposes him in the slightest?!

Zuko realized his fists were starting to heat up and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. It's just a stupid play, the Prince reminded himself.

The play wasn't very different from the ones Zuko had seen as a child, but somehow he couldn't stomach it as an adult. The plot hadn't changed, but Zuko had.

Fire Nation kids grow up watching these plays. No wonder no one ever questions whether the war is necessary, or think that the Fire Lord can be wrong.

Another puppet show had already begun, but Zuko had seen enough plays for one night. The Prince turned around and walked away.

Zuko noticed a crowd had gathered in front of a large stage. On the stage, a firebender was trying to save a masked girl tied to a chair from a dragon made of fire. He was trying to tame the dragon, but it was constantly on the verge of getting away from his leash and charging at the helpless woman.

Zuko stopped to look. The plot of the performance wasn't very original, and it didn't portray an accurate picture of what firebending was actually like, but it had dragons in it. Anything that had dragons in it couldn't be all bad.

The show was about to reach its finale, where the firebender would undoubtedly save the girl at the last minute, but then something strange happened; another performer appeared out of nowhere and destroyed the fire dragon with... airbending?

No - way.

Zuko could no longer fight the urge to slap himself on the face.