A/N- not much editing was done to this chapter, the same can't be said for the rest of them. Also because of a review I got I'd like to clarify the ages of the characters a little bit. In this story, the characters are 3-4 years older than they are in the show and some events of the story take place at slightly different points in time. For example, at this point in time Zuko is 18 and will be 20 when he finds Aang as a 15 year old in the southern water tribe, unlike 16 year old Zuko, who was banished at 13, finding 12 year old Aang like in the series. I hope this clears things up!
Several days later
Zuko threw his hands up in rage, how could Lu Ten do this to him? How could he do this to Hiromi?
He just left them there at the palace, knowing that their lives were miserable without him.
He looked at a letter Lu Ten had written to him that was sitting on his dresser, remembering what it had said.
"I just feel like it would be so easy to give up, I want to be back home with Hiromi- but I don't know how much longer I can fight. She's the only thing keeping me alive, cousin Zuko. I am fighting for her."
"That's why he's gone!" Zuko shouted, throwing a bottle that was on his dresser across the room. "He just gave up." Zuko added in a whisper, falling to his knees.
His eyes became flooded with tears- his heart overrun with emotion. Lu Ten had been his best friend, now who could he turn to?
Zuko remembered a conversation he had with Azula after they got the news.
"Uncle Iroh lost. He's coming home."
"He didn't lose! He's probably just upset that he lost his only son."
She began to ramble about how Iroh was weak and a bunch of other nonsense, but Zuko hadn't been listening.
"Miss Hiromi, I was instructed to give this to you by General Kaohsiung in the event of his demise."
Hiromi looked up from her breakfast at the messenger, tears in her eyes. She nodded her head, dismissing him from her presence.
"My condolences, Miss Hiromi." he said as he handed her the parcel.
She pushed her breakfast out of the way and set the large envelope in front of her, not sure what to expect. Hiromi sobbed a few times, took a deep breath, and opened it.
Inside was a letter, a painting of her mother and father, and an...Earth Kingdom passport? What was this about?
Hiromi opened the letter, which read:
My dearest daughter, if you are reading this it can only mean one of two things. Something unspeakable has happened to me, or it is your nineteenth birthday. I hope with all my heart it be the latter, but I know that's not how destiny works. I am so sorry if it is the former. I love you more than anything in this world, dear Hiromi. There isn't a thing I wouldn't do to make you happy.
I'm sorry I haven't been there for you all these years. After your mother died, I lost myself in my work. It consumed me and I didn't have time to spend with you. By the time I realized this, I was already promoted to Colonel and it was too late for me to turn back. I regretted joining the higher ranks of the army and wished there was something I could do to make the clock go back.
Hiromi cried as she continued reading the letter, her father continuing to write about how sorry he was that he hasn't been there for her.
You remind me so much of your mother, especially when I see you bend. I know your mother wasn't a firebender- but she was a bender, nonetheless.
What was he talking about?
I need to tell you how your mother and I met, something I should have done a long time ago. She had been a prisoner of war, a young Earth Kingdom girl that I rescued from imprisonment. I was captivated by her beauty, but I fell in love with the lady she was. She was brave, spirited, funny, loving- everything I could have hoped to find in a soulmate. Iroh discovered our love affair and helped me forge fire nation documents, claiming she had grown up in one of the colonies. She easily passed for a fire nation woman, with her dark hair and golden eyes- not to mention her fiery attitude. She was the most determined lady at the palace, and when it was discovered she was going to have our first baby- we were ecstatic.
This child wasn't you, Hiromi.
Don't fret, you don't have a long lost brother or sister anywhere around. Your mother had a miscarriage with this first child. As a result, we didn't tell many people of your conception when it was discovered we were going to have another child- this time you.
This proved to be a mistake, my mistake. We didn't want to make a big scene about your birth, in case something went wrong with your delivery. Your mother and I both thought it would be best if we kept everything quiet- she couldn't bare seeing everyone's faces look at her as if she had failed me. When it came time for you to be born, we didn't call very many doctors or housewives to assist your mother. The doctor said there was nothing we could have done to prevent what happened- but I can't help but wonder what would have happened if we had just brought in a few more people to help with the delivery. I miss Akemi so much, Hiromi, I really do.
Akemi. It had been so long since she had heard her mother's name.
Hiromi, there's one more thing I need to tell you concerning your mother- it's the reason for the Earth Kingdom passport that was in the envelope with this letter.
Hiromi had forgotten all about the passport, she looked at it to make sure it was still hidden inside the envelope.
Akemi was being held as a prisoner by the fire nation not because she was a powerful earthbender, but because of her ties to the royal family.
Akemi had been in line for the throne of the Earth Kingdom.
Hiromi looked up from the letter, making sure no one was standing around her- making sure no one had somehow found out this information.
I left the passport here in case you wanted to pursue a life outside of this dangerous nation. I wanted to give you a chance at a new life- a choice your mother and I weren't blessed with. If you choose to see your family in the Earth Kingdom, and I am no longer around, you will need to speak to Iroh about what to do next.
I love you, Hiromi. Never forget that. And never forget who you are- don't lose yourself in the big things, dearest daughter.
I love you so much. -dad
Hiromi watched with blurry vision as her tears fell onto the parchment. Oh, how she wished the letter would have gone on forever.
"I love you too, dad." Hiromi whispered, pulling the passport out of the envelope. Her name was written on it in beautiful handwriting, no doubt her mother's.
"Hiromi Hou-Ting" it read, her earth kingdom name written proudly next to the large, golden earth insignia seal at the top right-hand corner of the passport.
It was artistically designed, with its green and gold designs shining metallically.
"What am I supposed to even do now?" Hiromi asked, crying into her hands.
She heard shuffling behind her.
"Who's there?" she shouted, stuffing the letter and passport into the envelope before she turned around, her hands blazing with fire so pure that it was nearly white.
She saw movement further down the hallway and shot a hot whip of flames towards the figure, confident that if it were Kiyoko she would have announced her presence before she even entered the house as she always did.
"Please, I didn't mean to startle you." a familiar voice said, stepping out of the shadows.
"Iroh!" Hiromi shouted, running to hug the old man.
He laughed and returned her hug, then picked up a basket he had carried there with him.
"I need to discuss something with you." Iroh said, already walking out the door.
Hiromi nodded her head and followed him, knowing she was on her way to having a picnic with Iroh.
As they approached a large tree in the field behind her home, she took note of how much Iroh had aged since she last saw him.
It wasn't just his title that had changed, with the death of fire lord Azulon, prince Ozai had become heir to the throne. But his once happy eyes were now drooping down with the death of his, of their, beloved Lu Ten. His hair had grown much more white than gray. His walk was even different: instead of walking with his usual confident stride, he trudged around as if he were weighted down- slowly and slightly hunched over.
Iroh laid out a blanket and began making some tea for the two of them.
"I assume you've read the letter your father sent you." Iroh said, not looking up from his tea making.
"Oh, um, yes." Hiromi said, then added, "Sir."
Iroh chuckled, "You don't have to be nervous around me, Hiromi. I've known about this long before you were born. Your secret is safe with me."
Did Iroh know of her ties to the royal family? Surely not- if he had just spent nearly 600 days attempting to capture the city that was evidently her family's.
"I know that your mother was once a prisoner of the fire nation, a dangerous earth bender that we captured outside of the walls of Ba Sing Se."
So he didn't know.
"Do you want to go back to the earth kingdom?" Iroh asked, handing her a glass of tea.
Hiromi had to keep herself from chuckling at his question, how could she go back if she had never been there to begin with?
"I don't know." she said, ignoring the logical fallacies of the question.
"You don't have to." Iroh started, "You can stay here in the fire nation with the royal family. I've always seen you as my own daughter, and just because you are no longer going to be with my son is no reason for that to change."
Hiromi tried not to cry, but this was the first time someone had said it to her aloud- that she could no longer be with Lu Ten. But this didn't keep her from considering his offer, it made sense for her to stay with Iroh- she had practically lived in the palace her whole life, they might as well have been her family. Plus, who's to say that her family in the earth kingdom would take her in? A girl that was previously engaged to the future crown prince of the fire nation claims to be a part of the royal family in the earth kingdom and they just accept it and let her in? It sounded even crazier each time the said it to herself.
"I will stay with your family, Iroh. The palace city is my home, regardless of where my blood is."
He smiled and nodded his head, accepting her answer.
Ursa handed her husband the poison- the throne for a life.
That was the promise she had made to him- she had made him an untraceable poison to kill his father in exchange for the life of their son- in exchange for Zuko's life.
She ran down the hallway into Azula's room, kissing her on the cheek and saying her goodbyes to her lovely young daughter.
She then snuck into Zuko's room, planning to do the same thing- except he woke up.
"Zuko, my love, listen. I want you to know that everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Don't forget who you are." He laid back down and went to sleep, Ursa watching him drift away as she snuck out of his bedroom the same way she came in.
As the fire sages assisted her onto the small boat, she watched Ozai's evil stare follow her out of the tunnel under the palace. The night sky was beautiful above her, but it was only a mask. It masked the murder that was taking place under it, it was masking her broken heart.
She only had one place to go, and that was where this all began.
Home.
Hiromi watched Zuko as he attempted to walk into the war meeting, being denied entry by the guards that attended the door.
Iroh then approached him, shared some words with him, and spoke to the guards. They stepped out of the way, allowing both of the princes to enter.
Hiromi continued out towards the turtle duck pond, the only place she ever went anymore. She was slowly losing everyone that was important to her: her father, Lu Ten, and most recently Ursa. Next thing she knows Iroh and Zuko were going to be leaving too, knowing her luck.
"Maybe I should have gone." Hiromi said to herself, sitting down under the familiar cherry blossom tree. It seemed the ground had grown accustomed to her and Ursa sitting under the tree- as it dipped ever so slightly in the perfect shape for her to rest against the tree comfortably.
Many turtle ducks ran to greet her, chirping excitedly at her presence.
Hiromi smiled and pulled a piece of bread out of her pocket.
"Hello, Hiromi." a dull voice called out from behind her.
Hiromi turned around, "Oh, hello Mai. Care to join me?"
Mai studied her and shrugged her shoulders, "Sure, I have nothing better to do."
Hiromi tore the bread in half and handed one piece to Mai, who smiled and accepted her peace offering.
The two girls had a pleasant and civil conversation- something that seemed to happen more frequently as long as Azula wasn't around. They laughed and fed the turtle ducks, who were eager to meet Mai.
"I'm very sorry about everything that's happened to you recently." Mai spat out, looking out at the pond- something everyone seemed to do in attempts to avoid eye contact. Not that she blamed her, the pond was mystifying, its beauty so simple and elegant- it was hard not to be captivated by it, even during conversation.
"It's not your fault," Hiromi started, interrupted by the sound of shouting coming from the room the war meeting was in.
Mai and Hiromi shared a worried look and ran towards the shouting, leaving the bread and the always-hungry creatures behind them.
Just as Hiromi was in listening distance, the only thing she heard before her head went spinning was Zuko challenging someone, a General, to Agni Kai.
Everything seemed to be happening at once to Hiromi. The death of the two most important men in Hiromi's life, the introduction of her biological mother's lineage, the disappearance of the only mother figure Hiromi has ever had aside from Kiyoko, and now the banishing of Hiromi's last friend- who was banished by his own father, nonetheless. Hiromi sat down on her bed, looking at the array of memories set before her.
Everything she looked at brought back a reminder of her home in the fire nation. She didn't have a place here any more, but could she really just get up and leave her past behind? She looked at the messy arrangement of various combs on her vanity, all of which were gifts from Lu Ten and Ursa.
She looked at the box of letters from Lu Ten that had been emptied onto the floor around her. She looked at the simple parchment it had been written on and the creases some held from being folded up for so long. How many of these had she read more than once? How many of these did she reply to? Hiromi began picking up the letters and reading them one by one, each one more painful to read than the last. As the letters were refolded and placed back into the box, Hiromi became fascinated by the closing line of all of the letters.
As Kiyoko began dinner that night, Hiromi thought of Iroh's last words to her.
"You can come with me, you know. You can leave the fire nation with my nephew and me."
Could Hiromi leave all of the memories she had with Lu Ten? Could she leave the ones she had of Ursa?
She certainly couldn't stay with Azula with good conscience, but what other choice did she have? Hiromi thought of the turtle duck pond and the cherry blossom trees in the garden. She thought of Kiyoko and her father. She thought of the mother she never knew and the woman who acted as her mother. Hiromi looked around, she could still see where they had made their memories together. She saw the table where her father would eat dinner with her when he was home. She imagined him making a silly joke about her and her firebending. She tried to remember his hearty laugh, the way it would echo through their quiet, empty home.
Hiromi stopped at that thought.
"I only thought it was empty then."
Kiyoko turned her head slightly towards Hiromi, "What did you say, m'lady?"
Hiromi looked back at the older woman and feigned a soft smile, "I was only talking to myself, sorry Miss Kiyoko."
Kiyoko nodded her head and continued cooking, frowning at the thought of what pain the poor young lady must've been experiencing. Her thoughts soon drifted off into reminiscent memories of her childhood, from when she was Hiromi's age. She remembered her brothers being sent to war, and she said a silent prayer, thanking the spirits for having kept her family safe during her times of hardship.
Iroh stood in the garden, trying to contemplate the events of the past few weeks. He looked at the turtle duck pond before him, the stars above illuminating its surface. He closed his eyes and tried to picture his son standing next to him, smiling and laughing at something he or Iroh had done. The now retired general sighed and let his shoulders slump over, not making any attempt to pick himself up. He fell to his knees, sobbing into his hands next to the water. He cursed the man who took his son from him, he cursed the day Iroh decided to lay siege to the impenetrable city. Iroh reflected on his time outside of Ba Sing Se, the countless days and nights he spent wishing he was home with his son. He remembered lying awake at night, the screams of the earth kingdom soldiers haunting his memories. Iroh looked up at the moon, wondering how many people of the earth kingdom were looking at this same moon at this very same moment. His mind drifted off into wondering the same about the water tribes of the north and south and people of the fire nation colonies. He thought of the war that had lasted over 100 years, the war that caused an entire nation of people, the air nomads, to go extinct. Iroh wondered what all their differences were aside from their respective element or nation they were born into. Would Iroh ever see a world where the nations were united? They all looked up at the same moon, breathed the same air, walked on this same earth. They all would burn when they played with fire, and Iroh saw that the war was nearing its breaking point.
Just as Iroh came to this conclusion, he saw a single cherry blossom petal drift off from the tree behind him and settle into the calm water before him. Iroh nodded his head, as if accepting some sort of challenge from the garden itself.
"I agree. It's time for change."
He dusted off his knees and returned to his quarters, where he would spend this last night before leaving to help his nephew search for the avatar at dawn.
As Iroh walked to his room, he couldn't help but hesitate at where his son once would have slept.
He stopped at the doorway, taking one deep breath before pushing on the door and walking into the cold, dark room. Iroh shivered and held back his tears as he stepped in, closing the door behind him.
The bed was still made, his books hadn't moved from their places on the bookshelves since he had left for Ba Sing Se. Iroh let his fingers run across the spines of the books, their ridges cold to the touch. He looked across the moonlit room at his son's nightstand, all of its contents arranged neatly on the wooden surface. Iroh shook his head as he sat down on the floor.
"Lu Ten was never this neat." he whispered, growing sadder and sadder as he examined the room.
Everything in this room had once belonged to Lu Ten, but it wasn't him. The room wasn't what made Lu Ten who he was, and neither were its contents. Lu Ten's contagious laugh and smile is what drew people to him. His charming personality and tall figure is what caught everyone's attention, not the books on his shelf. Iroh wasn't going to grieve properly trying to immerse himself in Lu Ten's belongings- all Iroh had left were the memories of his only son. All he had left were the dreams Lu Ten would wander into every night, dreams of Lu Ten as a child- when he would play games with Iroh. These were what would keep Lu Ten alive in Iroh's heart, not sitting on his floor trying to imagine Lu Ten in his room. Thinking of his son's laugh is what would heal his broken heart, remembering his smile is what would keep him from falling off the edge, looking at Hiromi is what would remind him what a lucky man he is that his son could have impacted so many people in a positive way.
Iroh thought of Hiromi.
"Is she coming with us?"
Iroh stood up and brushed off his knees, his hands slightly damp from being cried into. He walked the rest of the way back to his room, using all his strength not to look back at the closed room he had left behind.
He knew the room wasn't what was going to help him, but that didn't keep Iroh from wishing his son would magically reappear out of that bedroom happier than ever.
If only Iroh could see him one last time.
He would remember to tell Lu Ten how much he loved him.
He would remember to give him one last hug.
He would remember to have tea with his beloved son another time so that his memories of Lu Ten clumsily pouring tea wouldn't be as fleeting.
Iroh would write down everything he could, trying to describe the way Lu Ten's smile lit up a room. He would try his best to draw a picture of his son, capturing the happiness in his eyes as no artist had ever done before.
Iroh shook his head, trying to make his mind think of less impossible things, such as Hiromi.
He needed to talk to her.
A loud, brief noise outside of Zuko's window woke him up from his deep slumber. He shot up out of bed, immediately regretting his sudden movement when a headache comparable to a lightning strike engulfed his brain, causing him to slowly lay back down. Zuko reached for the glass of water next to him, but the bandages covering one side of his face distorted his depth perception, causing him to knock the glass over and spill its contents all over the floor.
"Aaagh!" Zuko shouted in frustration, throwing his hands above his head. He felt his heart pulsing in his eye, his painful and likely permanent reminder of the loss of his honor.
He remembered his father's words, the words that would forever haunt him.
And suffering will be your teacher.
After that, everything was white. That's all he would see anymore: white. The white light of fire, of moonlight, the blinding white light of rage. Zuko huffed, thinking it accurately captured the essence of his feelings at the moment.
He closed his eyes and began to drift back to sleep.
Until he heard the noise again.
"Who's there?" he shouted, this time deciding to slowly get out of bed.
He felt his foot touch the cold, wet spot on the floor where he had spilt water, being careful not to slip as he walked towards his open window.
"I said, who's there?" he shouted again, this time louder and while hanging his head out of the window.
"Psst! Down here!" Hiromi had her hands cupped around her mouth so that her voice would carry more towards the prince's window.
Zuko quickly pulled his head back inside, ignoring the throbbing in his face and grabbing a cloak to wear over his head. He needed something to hide his mark of shame from Hiromi. He looked back out at her to make sure she was still there, "I'll be down there in just a second!" He half-whispered back down to her.
She nodded her head and ducked back down into the bushes, which is when Zuko noticed a medium-sized knapsack draped across her back.
He walked out into the moonlight, his bandages still hidden by the cloak that was over his head and shoulders.
"Hiromi, why are you here?" he asked, helping her out of the bush she was hidden behind.
"Because," she started, standing up straight, "I'm going with you."
Hiromi carelessly propped her elbows on Zuko's bedroom window, resting her face in her hands. Was she ready to leave the fire nation? How could she leave everything she's ever known without any second thoughts? Hiromi lifted her face out of her hands and looked out into the courtyard. She could barely see the turtle duck pond from where she was, but that didn't prevent her from thinking about it. The garden is where she grew up. It's where she made her first friends, it was where she found love- the love she found for Lu Ten and for Ursa. Hiromi looked up at the stars and remembered how beautifully they always reflected off of the dark water at night time. She smiled and thought about when she was younger, when the only reason she tried to avoid confrontation with Azula was while they were playing tag. Hiromi grimaced at the very thought of the princess, who obviously hated Hiromi for some reason. She wished with all her heart that she could respond to the princess's snide comments with firebending, but Hiromi knew that wouldn't be in her best interest. Azula had improved greatly since the two of them were children, and Azula took up fire bending with great ease- even more so than Hiromi had. Azula's skill in bending was rumored to have surpassed that of all her teachers, and Hiromi wasn't exactly eager to try and disprove them.
"I never realized you were such a light sleeper." Hiromi said, sitting down on the foot of his bed.
"Yeah, well not everyone sleeps like a rock like my uncle." Zuko said just as a loud snoring sound rumbled down the hallway.
They both looked at each other and laughed silently, "Why are you doing this?" Zuko asked once the room became silent again.
"Sitting on your bed?"
"No, why are you coming with me? You aren't the one who was banished." Zuko looked down as he said this, revealing to Hiromi his now nearly bald head.
"Well, neither is your uncle." Hiromi retorted.
"What are you talking about?" Zuko said, looking back up at her.
"Wait, you didn't know Iroh was coming with you?" Hiromi asked, raising an eyebrow at the injured prince.
"I mean, I don't know. I guess I didn't really think about it," he paused, taking a moment to think before he continued. "But Iroh really is coming with us?"
Hiromi nodded in confirmation, "He asked me to come with the two of you."
"And you agreed?"
Hiromi nodded her head once more, "I mean, yeah. You and Iroh are all I have left besides Kiyoko. I didn't really have much of a choice unless I wanted to become buddies with Azula."
Zuko rolled his eyes, "Try when the kingdom freezes over. "
Hiromi laid down on the bed perpendicular to Zuko, "Why doesn't she like me?"
Zuko shrugged his shoulders, his mind drifting to thoughts far from Azula. Wouldn't Hiromi want to stay at the palace where she's always been? Why would she want to leave this place willingly? Zuko pondered this, thinking it unfair that she had a choice and he didn't. But he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for holding it against Hiromi that she wanted to leave. He knew that Ursa was just as much a mother to Hiromi as she had been to himself. Losing Ursa was just like Hiromi losing her own mother, which she had already experienced early in life. Before he could contemplate his guiltiness any further, his mind sidetracked to thoughts of Hiromi's mother.
"Do you ever wonder what your mother was like?" Zuko asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them.
"Well yeah, all the time." She said, propping herself up once again.
"I bet she was nice."
"Yeah. Me too."
Hiromi stayed propped up for about two seconds before she let herself fall back onto the bed again.
"I knew I shouldn't have sat back up. That conversation lasted about half as long as it took me to even sit up." Hiromi thought, scolding herself for not trusting her better judgement. She continued to think of her mother as she laid down, looking up at the dark ceiling above her.
Sometime after that, the two teenagers drifted asleep without another word being said between them until the next morning.
"Where are all my blankets?" Zuko thought, the cold air waking him up.
He looked at the foot of his bed where Hiromi had fallen asleep the previous night. Surely enough, Hiromi had somehow managed to steal all of the blankets from where she slept. Zuko looked at the rays of sunlight that managed to find their way through the thick clouds outside. It was almost dawn, and Zuko knew he would be leaving before the sun had completely risen.
Just as Zuko was getting out of bed, he heard knocking on his door.
His eyes quickly looked back and forth between the door and Hiromi, who was still fast asleep on his bed. In order to avoid an awkward encounter, he decided to walk to the door and open it himself.
"What is it?" He said, cracking the door open and peeking his head out.
Iroh stood at the door, a small bag hung over his shoulder. Zuko had almost forgotten that his uncle was coming with them."We have to get going soon, before we leave I have to stop at Miss Hiromi's house and ask her something."
Did Iroh not know that she was coming with them? "Uh, Uncle, isn't she coming with us?"
His eyes widened, "Did she tell you that I asked her?"
"Er- yeah. She, uh, said she was coming with us and that she would be here early in the morning. I'll be out in a minute, wait for me in the courtyard."
Iroh nodded his head and Zuko quickly shut the door, looking to see if Hiromi was still asleep.
"Hiromi, wake up." Zuko said, reaching over to shake her.
"What in the-" Zuko's hands sunk down into the blankets as he touched them.
"Where did she go?" He looked around his room and noticed that her bag was gone as well.
He ran to the window as he put on his clothes, searching for any sign of the girl.
"I really shouldn't have ran, now my head hurts again." Zuko thought to himself.
He grabbed the bag he had packed and brought it with him as he walked to the courtyard to meet his uncle. There he found Hiromi, dressed in pants and a long sleeved shirt, talking to his Uncle.
"Since when does she wear pants?" he wondered as he walked towards the two people.
Once Zuko got to Hiromi and his uncle, they were approached by several guards.
"The Fire Lord has ordered us to escort you and your uncle to the ship."
"They're giving us a ship?" Zuko thought, amazed by his father's generosity.
Zuko nodded his head, following the armor-clad guards to the docks.
Hiromi stayed behind the men, unsure of whether she was supposed to go with them or not.
"Psst, Iroh."
"Yes?"
"Am I even allowed to come with you guys?"
"Well of course you are, why would you suspect otherwise?"
Hiromi shrugged her shoulders and quickened her pace so that she walked side-by-side with Iroh. Many of the guards gave her a sideways glance and rolled their eyes. Hiromi looked down to avoid their condescending glares and keep from feeling self-conscious about what was happening.
She couldn't explain why she was embarrassed, perhaps because people may think she was getting banished as well? In a way, she was. But it wasn't like anyone's opinion really mattered to her now that she thought about it. She didn't really know anyone in the kingdom aside from the people she was walking with.
By the time they finally made it to the docks, the sun was more than halfway visible over the horizon. The sky, which was a rich orange color, reflected onto the ocean before them- acting as a mirror to the beautiful hues of the world above them.
Zuko tried to hide his disgust when he saw the old naval ship his father was allowing him to use.
"No wonder he was being so generous, this thing is an ancient artifact." Zuko thought, feeling foolish for thinking his father would have let him use something more valuable.
As Iroh boarded the ship, he looked behind him to take one last look at the palace. No one had come to watch them depart, but Iroh hadn't even expected a ship from his brother- much less a goodbye. Iroh wondered who the crew would be made up of, or if him and his nephew would be left to find their own crew.
"We'll start by searching each of the air temples, and we won't stop until we find him." Zuko said as he stepped onto the deck of the ship, examining the crew before him.
The malice in Zuko's voice sent a chill down Hiromi's spine, causing her to shift her feet slightly. She looked up at him and wondered where the old Zuko had gone, then looked at Iroh and was thankful that she had him with her to keep her comfortable.
She skillfully avoided Zuko as Iroh escorted her to a small cabin above deck. It was small, and had only a cot and a dresser inside it. Hiromi smiled at Iroh and gave him a hug, thanking him for his generosity.
As the ship departed, the sun made its way above the horizon and, in the back of her mind, Hiromi wondered when she would see the sun rise from the fire nation again.