Chapter 7: The Monster of Lake Laogai Part 2

When walking into a life-threatening situation, Zuko had learned over the years to steel his nerves, silencing his emotions to where he could do things without hesitation, because hesitation would spell his death. He felt that same coldness as he held his sword against a Dai Li agent's throat, forcing the man to lead him to Lake Laogai where the agents were holding the Avatar's bison.

He'd let himself forget his mission for too long, he wasn't going to let it slip away this time.

The surface of the lake sparkled in the early morning light, and Zuko gave the officer a rough nudge. "Open it."

The man made a weak sound of protest before earthbending a tunnel into the lake, revealing the entrance to the secret prison. Zuko thanked him before knocking him out with the blunt end of his sword, not wanting to leave a witness as well as a possible enemy just waiting for him.

Leaving the agent behind, he made his way into the tunnel, taking one last look at the rising sun before descending into the dark.

The passageways were made entirely of stone, each corridor lit by several genomite lamps. The endless passages and seemingly expanding darkness would easily make anyone feel like a rat trapped in a maze, but Zuko knew exactly where he was going. It was almost like a gut feeling, something pulling him in what he knew was the right direction.

He came to a door, breaking the lock and entering to find the Avatar's bison chained inside.

The animal was skinnier than the last time he'd seen it, it's fur clumped and tattered, and a layer of filth covering his body. The beast had definitely seen better days, but it didn't have to worry anymore now that Zuko had found it.

"You're mine now." He told it, reaching for his swords to break its chains.

The sound of the door opening made him stop, readying himself to face more Dai Li officers, but he froze when he saw his uncle standing before him, his amber eyes like ice. "Uncle…?" he whispered.

"So, the Blue Spirit… I wonder who it could be behind that mask?"

Zuko sighed, taking off his mask and hood, the underground air cold against the back of his neck. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." He scoffed, "What do you plan to do now that you've found the Avatar's bison? Bring him back to our new apartment? Maybe I should put on a pot of tea for him!" it was rare for Iroh to ever raise his voice, but he was tired of his nephew throwing away his chances at a peaceful and happy life all for the sake of someone else.

The prince didn't meet his eyes, "First I need to get it out of here."

"And then what?!" he roared, making Zuko flinch slightly. "You never think things through! This is exactly what happened when you had the Avatar at the North Pole; you had him, and then you had nowhere to go!"

"I would have figured something out!"

"No! if his friends had not found you, you would have frozen to death!"

Zuko clenched his teeth, squeezing his eyes closed and refusing to look his uncle in the eye. He knew he was right, but he'd already come this far. If he didn't see his mission to the end then what did he have? He was a disgraced prince who had sacrificed everything and had gotten nothing in return, but if he stopped now he really would be left with nothing. "I know my own destiny Uncle!"

"Is it your destiny?" he asked. "Or is it the destiny someone else has tried to force on you?!"

"Stop it!" he yelled, feeling his steeled emotions burn away. He'd pushed away everything and everyone ever since his mother disappeared without a word and now everything was coming back to slap him in the face. He couldn't falter now, "I have to do this!"

Iroh made to touch his shoulder, but hesitated, only holding his hand out for his nephew. "I am begging you, Prince Zuko, it is time for you to look inward, and begin asking yourself the big questions!" he touched Zuko's arm, feeling the prince flinch under his touch. "Who are you? And what do you want?"

The prince felt his swords shake in his trembling fists, feeling as though his teeth would break if he clenched them any harder. He stared at the sword in his grasp, then at the chain holding the Avatar's bison prisoner, then back at his own hand.

He had always done what was asked of him, it was his duty as the Crown Prince. If he was told to train his firebending harder, he would. If he was told Azula was better than him at something, he would be the best at that something.

If his father asked him to chase a ghost of a man around the world in order to come home… he did.

Zuko did everything his father ever asked.

And it still wasn't enough.

It never would be.

He collapsed under the weight on his shoulders and screamed, throwing away his swords and letting his mask fall beside them in the mud.

In all his time chasing the Avatar, he never thought of himself as the one running away, but he was. He thought if he just captured the Avatar, he could convince himself that his father sent him away out of love.

But he was so tired of that.

He was tired of running.

Zuko felt his uncle's hand on his shoulder, and while he still couldn't face him, he knew Iroh wouldn't scorn him. He never had, despite everything they'd gone through because of Zuko's arrogance and pride.

The prince knew his journey would not end in Ba Sing Se, but he was tired.

He deserved to rest.

Moro had counted the genomite lamps outside the metal door about fifty times now, anxiously waiting for Mushi… sorry, Iroh to come out with Zuko in tow.

It felt so weird to call them that, even though those were their real names.

She had met Lee, talked to and teased, and confided in Lee. Moro quickly shook her head, reminding herself that Lee was always Zuko, as crazy as it was to learn her friend was a prince of all things. She just wanted to get out of these tunnels, because every corner and shadow felt like eyes on the back of her neck, hiding Dai Li agents that would snatch her up like hungry tigerdillos.

When the door opened it felt like a boulder had been lifted off her chest, Moro sighing with relief as she watched Iroh walk out with Zuko at his side.

The old man had insisted he go in alone, and she understood why as soon as Zuko's golden eyes met hers. Exhaustion turned to confusion, and confusion was always a shortcut to anger.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, sounding tired.

Iroh answered when she blanked for one of her own, "She helped me find you." He explained, "She knows everything, Prince Zuko."

His eyebrow twitched, suddenly regaining his energy. "You told her?!"

Moro quickly took his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. "I asked him to, and frankly, I don't care." Zuko blinked, not used to Moro looking and acting so serious, but here she was, her mis-matched eyes steeled by her resolve. "I probably know better than anyone how you feel."

He scoffed, sneering in her face and ripping his hand away. "No you don't," he growled. "You have no idea what it's like to be trapped in a life you were never meant for, to have everything taken from you, and your only chance at fixing it repeatedly ripped away!"

Zuko clenched his fists and yelled in her face, but Moro didn't flinch, her blue and yellow eyes narrowing in the face of his anger.

Before he could protest, she pressed her finger against the crease between his furrowed brows, like she always did when she was teasing him.

He was about to slap her hand away, prepared to scream at her for never taking anything seriously, but he never got the chance, as he was quickly silenced by what he saw when he opened his eyes.

Moro honestly felt like she was going to vomit, but she was doing it, she held a flame in her open palm, just like she had shown Iroh. It wasn't anything to sneeze at, a firebending master could probably wipe the floor with her pathetic little pink flame, but it was undeniable by the look on Zuko's face that he was more surprised than he had ever been.

He blinked for a while, dumbfounded, the light of her fire reflected in his eyes.

"Believe me." She said, snapping him out of his daze, "I know."

The flame dispersed, and Zuko suddenly felt like he didn't know Moro at all. He assumed she was an ordinary, harmless street urchin just like everyone did, but it seemed they had more in common than he ever could have thought.

She nudged his shoulder, smiling slightly, "I know hiding who you are from the world sucks, but… at least you're not alone, right?"

Zuko said nothing for a long time, just staring at her like he was trying to figure out everything about her just from how she looked. He only snapped out of it when Iroh touched his arm, his uncle giving him a gentle smile, the former prince sighing as he did.

"Let's just go home." He muttered.

Moro and Iroh walked beside him in comfortable silence as they left the tunnels beneath Lake Laogai behind. When they reached the surface, Zuko stood by the water, looking at his reflection be pulled and warped by the ripples. He felt Moro nudge his arm, and despite himself, he smiled, actually happy she was with him.

His uncle came up next to him, "It's time, Prince Zuko."

The boy nodded, takin a deep breath before tossing his swords and Blue Spirit mask into the water, watching them sink into oblivion.

It was a good thing, he knew it was, but it still felt like he was losing a part of himself.

Hunting down the Avatar had been his only purpose for so long, it almost felt wrong to let it go so easily. Honestly, he just wanted to go home and forget the day ever happened, he was so tired…

Zuko made his way to start walking back towards town, but stopped when Moro suddenly threw her arms around him. His eyes widened as he felt her hug him, not saying anything, no teasing or sass, just a hug. As much as he usually hated it when people hugged him, he was too exhausted to push her away.

He felt himself relax in her arms, closing his eyes and trying to ignore all the spices from the morning market that liked to cling to her hair as the sun rose over Ba Sing Se.

The dusty fields around Lake Laogai faded back into the rough streets of the Lower Ring, and for the first time since they arrived, Zuko felt a strange kind of comfort in it's familiarity. Walking with Moro by his side felt better than it used to, he wasn't annoyed by her very presence anymore.

She was a firebender, just like him.

She was hiding, just like him.

He didn't notice he was staring at her until her eyes met his, and he quickly turned away, choosing to ignore the heat in his cheeks.

Almost reading his thoughts, she spoke, "My dad was a firebender in the Fire Nation army, and he met my mom during the war… she always told me to hide my bending because… well, benders in the Lower Ring are never around very long."

"Is that why you're so afraid of the Dai Li?" It wasn't hard to see, every time the secret police were even mentioned Moro became eerily silent and tense, like a frolicking Fire Ferret that just caught the scent of a nearby predator.

She nodded, "What about you? I never gauged you as a prince, should I start bowing from now on?"

He rolled his eyes, finding her lame jokes comforting for once. "I'm not exactly a prince anymore… I was banished."

Moro didn't reply, knowing from what Iroh told her that his banishment was a sore subject, and why wouldn't it be? She couldn't imagine being thrown out of her home and turned away from her family. Not giving herself a second chance to overthink it, she took his hand and gave it a squeeze,

"I like the name Zuko more than Lee anyway."

He didn't object or let go of her hand the entire rest of the walk home.

Moro's words made him feel slightly better, but it felt like he was walking through a fog. His body felt heavy and his head felt like it was full of buzzard wasps. He almost chalked it up to just being tired, but this didn't feel normal. Zuko felt like he was going to puke out all his organs, and holding onto Moro's hand was all that kept him from falling on his face.

He almost praised the spirits when they made it back to the apartment in one piece, feeling Moro give his hand a final squeeze before letting go.

Iroh closed the door and smiled, "You did the right thing, letting the Avatar's bison go free."

He barely heard his uncle's voice, feeling like he was underwater. "I don't feel right…"

Trying to keep himself up, Zuko reached for the table against the wall, but his fingers only brushed the wood before his legs gave out and he collapsed.

He barely heard Moro's voice, "Zuko!" everything was fading, Zuko couldn't think straight, and as much as he fought to stay awake, his vision went black, and he was gone. "Zuko, wake up!"

She shook him, wincing when she felt how hot his skin was. He looked like he just got swallowed and spit up by a badgermole, all sweaty and pale, he looked like crap. Iroh quickly rushed to her side, carefully turning Zuko over.

The spikey-haired boy was mumbling gibberish in his passed-out state, letting out a weak sound when his uncle's palm brushed aside his sweaty hair.

"Gramps, what's wrong with him?" she cried.

He just looked at her, a touch of fear on his withered face. He didn't give her an answer, only holding his nephew's limp body in his arms as he and Moro sat together on the floor of their apartment.

Get ready for some weird shit! Ciao!