Chapter 7

Plop!

Zuko tossed a rock into the frozen pound, creating a hole in the ice. He picked up another one and threw that one in carelessly. It fell into the same hole.

Plop!

Plop!

Plop!

Zuko glanced back at the palace. It was still dark; no one was awake, but him. He could see the very top of the red, slanted rooftop beginning to be illuminated by the rising sun. He looked around the Gardens. Everything was still dead. The trees were bare skeletons and there was snow hanging off of them like flesh clinging to the bone. The occasional twig would stick up from the snow, looking like a desperate hand reaching out for someone, anyone to save it. Otherwise, everything was white and all previous signs of the Garden's former beauty were gone.

"It looks like a graveyard, no?" a voice broke in. Zuko whirled around to see Iroh standing behind him. The older man held a steaming glass of something in his hand and he proceeded to take a long sip of it. He looked around the gardens one more time before closing his eyes and sipping silently on the drink. "Or a battlefield…"

Zuko gazed up at the man. Iroh was full of stories and experience, as he had discovered at diner last night. He must know everything about the state of the capital. Auska had told Zuko to wait and she would relay the information to him. But Zuko needed answers and he needed them now.

"How are things in the capital?" he asked. Iroh raised an eyebrow at him and lowered his drink.

"Have you no news?"

"No, nothing. No information ever comes this way,"

"I see," Iroh said, walking over and dusting off a snow-covered bench. He sat down slowly and sighed. "I'm getting too old!" he exclaimed, laughing a little. He pushed the snow off of the other side and motioned for Zuko to come sit next to him. "Well, young Zuko, what would you like to know?"

"Everything."

"Hm…alright, then. After the death of your mother, Ozai became more involved in the war. The Northern Earth-Nation territories fell to him, along with some of the easterly ones as well." Iroh took another sip. "And about four years ago, your father remarried and--"

"What!" Zuko blurted out, standing up. His eyes were livid and he had his fists clenched into tight balls.

"Yes, it was about a year after your…leaving. Her name is Mai. And they have a daughter, too. Zula, her name is. A very energetic young lady. Knows just what she wants in life…" Iroh trailed off, staring off into the sunrise. Zuko stared at him incredulously, his mouth drawn in a straight line. So, they had moved on. No one remembered him. As far as Zuko knew, women could not ascend to the throne. Was he still the heir? Would he be replaced by this…this little upstart of a half-sister?

"I can't believe it…" he whispered, weakly sitting down on the bench. Iroh looked over at him sympathetically. So it seemed that Auska never told Zuko. He was blissfully ignorant for the past five years. Kept in the dark. What a pity.

Zuko hung his head in his hands. How could this have happened without him knowing? No one ever told him. Not his father. Not this Mai character. Not even Auska…

Auska knew all about it, Zuko realized. She wanted him to stay with her here forever. She was so selfish! How could she deceive him like this! She knew that there was someone threatening his position and she did nothing. She never did anything to support him. She never had him trained as any kind of a warrior. True, he was very bright and was a master at the written word, but this would mean nothing to Ozai. The Fire Lord needed a son who would be willing to die in battle for his father…for his country. Zuko saw that Auska had made sure that Zuko never had such training. She would keep him on this little island for as long as he lived and he would never, never in a million years, know anything of the outside world. Of all the traitorous things to do!

Iroh and Zuko sat still as statues; the silence of winter deafened their private thoughts. Iroh looked over at Zuko. The boy's breath was ragged and he seemed to be trying to hold in the hiccups that came with furious crying. Iroh turned his head away. He would not shame the boy by watching him cry.

Suddenly, some movement from Zuko. With lightning fast speed, the boy knelt down and picked up a rock. He hurled it into the frozen pound. It crashed through the ice and Zuko launched another one, letting out an angry howl as he did so. The prince hurriedly picked up another of the gray, snow-covered stones that outlined the pound's perimeter. He savagely threw it in, huffing and puffing as steam escaped from between his clenched teeth. The rocks all landed in that hole.

"That is some incredible aim," Iroh commented, picking up a stone and tossing it to Zuko. "Again!" he commanded. Zuko looked dumbly down at the rock and back at Iroh. His uncle nodded his head and he sat back down on the bench. He picked up his drink and took a long sip. "Ah, ginseng tea…my favorite." He sighed, "What are you doing? Throw the stone into the pound." He said, gesturing to the pound with his cup. Zuko looked at him quizzically, but threw the stone in. This time, it landed a few inches away from the previously made holes. Iroh sighed. "Now you are not concentrating. Do what you were doing before."

"But I wasn't concentrating before."

"Then do that."

"I can't just not concentrate."

"You could before."

"I was angry before."

"Then get angry."

Zuko sighed, growing irritated with the old man. Here he was, trying to get some peace and quite and he marches right in and tells him all of this upsetting news. Not only that, but now he was Zuko orders.

"Listen--is there some way you can teach me to concentrate?"

"Yes, I suppose there is…Here watch me." Iroh slowly got up, his hands on his lower back. He took a deep breath in and spread his legs out wide and squatted down so that his bum was nearly touching the ground. He looked at Zuko and motioned for him to do the same with his head. Zuko did as his Uncle told him to and squatted down. "Now take deep breaths in and exhale evenly." Iroh instructed, standing up normally. Zuko nodded and did as he was told. "You are breathing too fast. Slower, calmer. Concentrate."

"I am," he growled under his breath.

"Close your eyes if it helps,"

"My eyes are closed."

"Don't talk!"

Zuko was about to reply, but remained silent. He breathed in and out. In and out. In and out…

Agni, this was boring. He found his thoughts wandering.

"Zuko! You are not breathing! Exhale!"

"I am!"

"You were not. Do not let your thoughts wander."

"Fine…"

So, it was back to the same riddle. In and out. In and out. Inhale, exhale. In hale…exhale…over and over and over…

"See, you're getting it. Now, throw this stone into that hole you made earlier." Iroh said, placing a stone in Zuko's open palm. Zuko looked down at it, doubtfully. He didn't think that he could do it again. Still, he turned to face the pound. He drew his arm back and let the rock go, watching it with hawk-like vision. It landed in the hole. Zuko smiled to himself. "Good job. Again." Iroh said, nodding towards the stones. Another rock was launched into the pool. It landed with a plop in the hole. Ten, twenty, forty stones all landed in the hole. Zuko was surprised. He didn't think that he could do such a thing. But, if he could do this…perhaps he could do more.

"Oh look. It seems your Aunt has decided to join us, "Iroh commented looking over his shoulder. Zuko dropped one of the stones and whirled away to walk further into the Garden grounds. He didn't even want to look at the woman now and he wasn't sure that he ever wanted to again.

"Zuko!" Auska called from behind him. Zuko walked faster and disappeared into the forest that outlined the highly stylized Gardens. Auska kept calling for him, but he ignored her and quickened his pace.

"Leave him be, sister. He is angry with you," Zuko hear Iroh say. Zuko didn't waste this opportunity and slowed his pace. He ducked behind a large poplar and listened to the two speak.

"What do you mean? What have I done?" Auska whined. Zuko stuck his head out a bit from behind the great tree and watched Iroh calmly sit Auska down on the bench.

"He is angry that you never told him about the condition of the Fire Nation and his part in it. He didn't know about Mai or Zula or anything about the war. He is angry that you never told him. To be honest, I think it was foolish to do that, Auska. Think of how betrayed he must feel," Iroh said.

"I didn't want him involved. I want to keep him away from that monster and his disgusting wife. I still don't trust her. I know what she did. Who's to say she may do the same to Zuko?" Auska demanded. Zuko raised an eyebrow. So this new wife had a reputation?

"You could never prove it, Auska. Just drop it. Think of Zuko now, not Mai. How do you think he feels?" Iroh continued, grabbing his sister's hand. Auska looked back into the forest and Zuko ducked behind the tree. Zuko waited, hearing nothing from Auska, and cautiously looked over the trunk of the tree. Auska sullenly shrugged her shoulders and sighed.

"I suppose…he feels absolutely awful. I guess I should go apologize to him," Auska sighed, standing up with much effort. Iroh grabbed her hand and sat her back down.

"Give him some time. He probably doesn't want to talk to you right now. He was pretty angry," Iroh continued. Auska sighed and rested her head in her hands, sighing to herself. The boy-prince watched his crestfallen aunt and couldn't help feel a twinge of guilt. But he brushed it aside and continued his angry march through the forest, reassuring himself that he was right to be angry and if anything she should feel bad about herself, deceiving him the way she did. He walked mindlessly until he came upon a tall, dark wood fence. It towered a good three feet above him and he jumped up to try and see over the thing without much success. Frustrated, he glanced around his surroundings and noticed a cherry tree rooted right next to the fence with a branch reaching out a few feet over. Zuko scampered over to it and mounted his foot against the tree's trunk. Grabbing on to the thinner branches he hoisted himself up until he could just reach the think branch. He squatted down and shuffled awkwardly onto it, for fear of falling back down on the ground below him. Zuko grabbed a branch above the thick one he was sitting on and stood up. What he saw shocked him to the core.

Outside of the forest and over the fence, the entire port city was shining in the morning light. The boy could hear the sound of the waves hitting the piers and the calls of early merchants. Smoke poured out of chimneys and Zuko watched children run out of their homes, school bond. He never knew that such life existed outside the palace walls. He breathed in the deep scent of urban air and gazed at the sun's light coating the city like a pale, yellow sheet of silk. Zuko looked down at the ground below and tried to estimate exactly how many feet he was above it.

"About four feet up…that's not too bad. I could make it if I was careful," he whispered to himself. Just then a glint caught his eye and he looked over to the west. A Fire Nation cruiser was speeding towards the docks and the emblem on its flag betrayed it to be from the capital.

Suddenly, Zuko had a plan.

With a small bag bouncing against his back, Zuko sprinted back to the fence in the dead of night. In the bag were a few changes of clothes, money, documentations of who he was, and a few mementos. The prince had not spoken a word of his plan or even portrayed any kind of hint that he was planning to run away.

Well, not run away exactly, he figured. He was escaping. He wasn't mad at his Aunt anymore. Still, he wasn't going to think about anything else right now. He was completely hell-bent on at least getting past that fence and out to the pier. Suddenly, the wall loomed up in front of him and he had to stop short before he crashed right into it. He found the cherry tree with ease and scampered up the tree. Scooting on to the branch that hung over the fence, he lowered himself as best he could while still holding onto the limb. He let go and landed softly in a pile of dead leaves. Zuko glanced back at the fence in utter bewilderment. Was that all that really separated him from his destiny? A single piece of wood? If Zuko hadn't been mindful of being completely silent, he would have laughed at the fence. With a determined look etched onto his features, he sprinted down the hill and into the city itself.

Even though it was the dead of night, the city was bustling with life. Teahouses had customers pouring in and out of the silk screen doors and woman wearing decorated kimono and exotic hairstyles calmly walked the streets. Zuko stared at the women as they passed by him and a few smiled at his innocence. He slipped under a window and poked his head just over the sill to hear the sound of men and women laughing, with the serene sounds of the samisen in the background. Zuko left the teahouses and bright, city lights and continued on his way down to where he assumed the piers were. As he grew nearer and nearer to the scent of fish, the buildings became smaller and the women who passed Zuko by did not smile at him. Finally, he was completely out of the residential district and he found himself in the industrial area. Zuko frantically began to look for a ship that resembled the one he had seen earlier this morning. As he traveled farther and farther away from the lights and sounds, darkness creped up on him and the shadows began to take on a life of their own. It was chilly down by the ocean and Zuko ran his hand over his arm, trying to warm himself. He couldn't find the blasted ship anywhere and was becoming exceedingly angry and frightened.

"This is ridiculous. I know I saw that ship. It has to be here. Where is it?" he mumbled under his breath, scrutinizing every single boat he passed by.

"We'll help you find your lost ship, kid," came a sleazy voice from behind Zuko. The boy whirled around and came face to face with a group of three men. The one in the middle was tall and lanky, with gold for teeth and grimy hair. The other two were butch and taller than the man in the middle. Zuko's eyes widened in fright and he cleared his throat.

"That's very kind of you, but I think that I can manage," he said. The men sniggered to themselves and sauntered up to Zuko. The boy backed away unsteadily, but one of the buffer men quickly stepped behind him. Zuko collided into his body and fearfully looked up into the man's frowning face.

"Don't worry about us, kid. We don't wanna hurt you or anything…we just wanna see what'cha got in that bag o' yours," the leader smiled dangerously. Zuko clutched the bag protectively to his chest.

"There's really nothing in here. Identification, food, some mementos from home. Nothing that would interest you," he argued. The skinny man's lip curled and he yanked the bag from Zuko. He tore it open and all of Zuko's money spilled out onto the cobblestone.

"Well, well, well…looks like we got ourselves a liar here, boys. And a filthy rich one at that. But it doesn't matter how rich you are, kiddo. Me and my brothers don't like liars. Especially spoiled brat ones like you. You know what to do, boys," the man said, swinging the bag over his shoulder and walking away, whistling nonchalantly. Zuko scampered away from the big man behind him and tried to run away, but found the other obstructing him. The two brutes began to corner him against a building…

"GONE?" Auska shrieked, whirling around from the silk screen window. Two palace guards stood right behind her and nodded their head in affirmation at the same time. "And when exactly did this happen, captain?" she hissed, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"About a half hour ago, ma'am. We heard footsteps in the forest and thought it was one of the cook's children trying to escape again. I chased after the child, but lost the trail. However, when I started to resume the search I found a stuffed animal on the ground. I recalled seeing Prince Zuko carrying it around with him when he was younger and--"

"Do you still have it?" Auska demanded. The guard nodded and revealed the gray wolf toy in his hands. The woman's eyes widened and she took the toy with her two shaking hands. "Tanto…" she breathed, recognizing the toy. She stroked its head absent mindedly and breathed in its scent. It smelled like Zuko.

"Ma'am…?"

"Guards, assemble a party of about 8. I want you to go into the city and scour every corner for him. Don't come back unless you have Zuko with you. I don't care where you have to go or who you have to harass, just get Zuko back here," she commanded, turning back to look out window. The guards saluted and left Auska to be alone in her chambers once again.

"What have you done, Auska…?" she helplessly questioned, gazing up at the stars.

"Get away from me!" Zuko shrieked, rolling away from the two men. A rough hand grabbed him and pinned him against a wall with peeling paint. Zuko's hands immediately flew up to his neck, trying to release himself from the man's viselike grip. The skinny man sniggered from behind the two bullies and fiddled with a coin between his fingers. He nodded to his brothers and left once again, disappearing behind a curtain of shadows. The remaining men chuckled and the one let Zuko go. The prince placed a hand on his neck and coughed, trying to regain his breath. Suddenly, his head jerked up and he saw that the men where mere inches away from him. One reached out a meaty hand to him and it was then the Zuko felt something within him stir.

Not quite knowing what he was doing, Zuko extended an open palm and a fiery blast shot out. The two men jerked back and took a few wayward steps away. Zuko himself was surprised, but seeing that the men feared this new found power of his, he decided to use it to his best advantage. He punched the air and fire escaped from his fist.

"He's a Firebender! Let's get out of here!" one of the brothers said to another. The other man didn't even bother replying. He turned and sprinted into the shadows. Zuko stood in the street by himself, panting. He realized that he still had his fist in the air and he lowered it, shaking a bit. Suddenly, things swayed a little and the boy had to sit down, leaning against the building. He closed his eyes…