Chapter 2

"And so your father sends us off. It's just like him, too. The man knows nothing of tact," Auska's usual cold and ironic voice snickered. The long, raven black hair once tied back in two buns streamed widely in the sea breeze. Strands crossed her face and joined back into larger strands and those into even larger strands. The ebony silk of her mourning robes shined with a reddish tint as the sun set into the azure body of water.

Zuko stood by the woman in forlorn silence, gazing back at the silhouette of the Fire Nation palace. The fiery sun glared in his eyes and Zuko squinted them to try to get a better picture of his home. He wanted to make sure he remembered it. After all, this would be the last time he would see the palace in a very, very long time.

"What are you thinking, nephew?" Auska addressed him, turning her attention down to the 7 year old. She laid an elegant hand on his shoulder and let it fall to his back, where she rubbed him affectionately. Zuko stiffened at the unfamiliar touch. He was unaccustomed to someone touching him like that. Was this some kind of affection? Was he supposed to do the same thing? Never before in his life had he ever felt so confused over a simple gesture. If fact, never in his young life had he ever been so confused at all.

"I thinking about…" he started before looking down at the ship's deck and sighing, "I'm not really sure what I'm thinking, Aunt Auska," the prince concluded, gazing back up at the horizon. The palace was now only a small dot of black on the large, everlasting horizon and that thought made the stinging rise up again.

"Surely your head isn't completely empty. Zuko…as long as I am to be your guardian, I want you to feel that you can talk to me. I know I could never take the place of your mother…but, let me try to help you. I know these are trying times, nephew. Please, don't shy away from me," Auska asked, falling onto her knees so that she was amber eye-to-amber eye with the boy. He took a few steps back, unaccustomed to this kind of nearness with someone else's eyes, but upon seeing the sorrow in his aunt's eyes, stopped in his tracks. Zuko stared at her for the longest time like that: her gown raging in the wind, black hair blowing across her face, and her emotional orange eyes holding such grief. He bore the image into his mind and swore that he would never forget it.

"I'm sorry, Aunt." Zuko mumbled, head cast downwards and to the side so that he could avoid looking into her sorrowful eyes. He watched as her shadow grew over him and he watched as it slowly covered him and blocked out the glaring light of the setting sun. It seemed like an eternity until he finally heard her voice again.

"Zuko, shall we go inside and have some dinner? Does that sound good to you?" she asked, gently grabbing his gloved hand and leading him back to the main haul of the iron ship.

"Dinner would be fine," Zuko answered, a small smile creeping up on his face. He hoped that after dinner things would return to normal and he would not have to witness anything so hyper-emotional ever again.

Dinner that night consisted of smoked salmon, white rice, stir-fried vegetables, and a generous supply of green tea. Zuko sat across the gigantic table from his now less richly adorned Aunt Auska and watched her pick at the pink, juicy fish. He looked down at his own fish and prodded it gently with the black chopsticks. It steamed and a mixture of sea-salt and marinade constituted the smell. Zuko turned his attention to the veggies and identified each one: broccoli, sugar snap peas, carrots, water crest, and eggplant. The young prince hesitantly picked up a carrot and brought to his mouth.

"Oh, do blow on that before you eat it. It looks hot," Auska said, chopsticks poised for picking up another portion of salmon. Zuko blinked up at her, glanced at the veggie, and blew on it gently, his blowing hardly making a sound. He popped it into his mouth and chomped on it thoughtfully. He looked up to see his aunt smiling at him in a way he did not understand.

"Zuko, what would you like to do once we arrive at my palace?" the black haired woman asked, signaling for the servant standing off to the side to pour her more tea. Zuko watched as the green, steaming liquid was poured into the terra cotta cup and thought about how to phrase his response.

"Well…what is there to do?" he asked finally, gazing steadily at his aunt. She smiled and winked at him from over the rim of her cup. Placing it back down onto the cherry table top, she quietly cleared her throat with a little cough.

"A good question. Anything you like to do can be arranged back home," Auska replied. Zuko felt a strange sense of uncertainty and isolation at the mention of the "home", when referred to his Aunt's palace. Could he ever come to know it as home?

"Tell me, what do you like to do? Quite honestly, although you are, undoubtedly, my favorite nephew, I hardly know you, Zuko," the woman confessed frankly, "I suppose I like you…for your mystery," Auska confided, smiling at Zuko in a way that put him off guard. He had no idea what she was referring to by his "mystery". Zuko didn't think he was mysterious. Honestly, the prince considered himself quite simple and almost boring.

"I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about," Auska guessed, taking the bowl of white rice in her left and the black chopsticks in her right. Zuko shook his head no and this aunt let out a tinkling laugh, her head thrown back, and shoulders shaking. "I figured as much! Well, my dear, I say this because to me, you are a complete mystery. So quiet! Whenever I came to your father's palace, you'd either be off studying or off with one of your little playmates. I've never gotten a chance to see you outside of family gatherings!" she answered, stuffing a wad of rice into her mouth and then embarrassedly wiping her mouth with the napkin.

Zuko contemplated on her words. It was true what she was saying. He never really did see her outside of family affairs. He wondered why she was his favorite then. The boy looked down at his bended knees and frowned. Zuko was truly baffled now.

"What's funny," Auska's voice interrupted and Zuko's head shot up to give her his owed attention, "is that, according to my very reliable sources, I am your favorite aunt, apparently. I wonder why that is?" she inquired suggestively, placing the white, porcelain bowl down onto the long table. Zuko stared at her in awe. Was Aunt Auska a mind reader?

"Apparently, we were thinking the same thing?" she hazarded a guess, sipping the green tea. Zuko nodded his head in wonderment and Auska laughed her laugh of tinkling bells. "Great minds surely think alike!" she exclaimed, smiling at him, laughter still held in her amber eyes. Zuko allowed himself a small smile and picked up a piece of fish. He blew on it cautiously and placed it in his mouth.

"But, truly, I ask you: Why? Why, out of the all the aunts you have, do you pick me?" she asked sincerely, staring at him with such an emotional intensity that Zuko could not look away. He tried to form words, but found that none suitable enough could be called up.

"I…I don't know," he answered lamely, dropping his gaze onto the floor. He could still feel his aunt's powerful eyes on him and he bowed his head further down.

"Hmmm…" Auska hummed, interested, and stuffed some peas into her mouth. She chewed them slowly, contemplative, and swallowed. "I believe the answer was already stated, yes?'Great minds think alike'? Yes, that was it," she said, picking up a single grain of rice and attempted to have it stand up. Zuko glanced up and smiled at her efforts.

"Like this," he inaudibly explained, taking a chopstick and picking up a grain. He placed it neatly on the top of his white rice and picked up another grain. They both were able to stand up on straight. Auska stared at the boy's skill with wide eyes, watching eagerly as he continued to stand one after another up with out any difficulty.

"How do you do that?" she asked bewildered. Zuko's smile broadened and he began to pick them up with greater speed. However, not one fell. His accuracy and poise were perfect.

"I could spell my name like this," he bragged, his courage beginning to shine through and his true self slowly beginning to be coaxed out of its wounded and guarded shell. Auska laughed and clapped her hands in delight.

"Fine things, my boy! You were made for fine things!"