Shattered

Chapter Ten

Saki's face broke into an easy smile as she brought the wagon to a halt. Her warm brown eyes darted curiously from the half dressed teenager to her farmer friend and back. Anko resisted rolling her eyes; trust Saki to be able to smell a mystery. She cracked a smile at the Innkeeper. "Hello Saki. I hope you haven't come all this way to collect on that broom."

Reassured, Saki's natural smile widened. "No, I've come on a mission of mercy."

Anko raised an eyebrow at this, but before she could inquire, four younglings came tumbling out of the wagon. A tawny haired girl, carrying a tin pail, approached her. Peeking out from behind the farmer's legs at the scowling firebender, the girl motioned for Anko to bend down. She obliged, "What is it?"

"Um, um, is he mean?" What was probably meant to be a whisper came out loud enough for all to hear. "Mari!" her mother exclaimed from the wagon seat as a couple of the older children hid their faces.

"You mean him?" Anko turned her head to look back at Zuko, who was trying to pretend that he hadn't heard the girl's question. "Well, he certainly frowns like he's mean, doesn't he? But you know, Misha likes him and she doesn't usually like strangers or men, so I think he's alright."

"Really? Misha likes him?" Mari peeked again from around Anko's legs. She gave the teen a shy smile and waved. "Hi," she greeted. Completely out of his element, Zuko gave the child a stiff nod in return. "Um, Anko-san?" the eldest of Saki's passengers interrupted before his sister could speak again. "Can we pick some moonpeaches?"

"I'm afraid most of the moonpeaches are probably gone by now; the birds and the beasts like them too. But clever children should be able to find the first of the starberries down by the river."

"Starberries!" the boy squirmed with excitement. "Mom, can we?"

"Just be careful," Saki agreed. "And don't eat so much that you make yourself sick!" she yelled after the four retreating backs. Watching them leave, Anko asked absently, "Isn't that the same little girl who used to ask you if I was mean?"

The innkeeper smiled gently at her friend. "You're alright here Anko, but you tend to scowl something fierce when you're in town."

"Ah," Anko turned back to the wagon, "And your "mission of mercy?" she inquired.

"That's right," Saki grinned at her friend. "It would be an act of abject cruelty to make anyone suffer through your cooking for any length of time."

Zuko, feeling a little left out, had approached the two women slowly. He drew even with Anko in time to see a look of indignation cross her face, the tiniest of smiles betraying its lack of sincerity. "What's wrong with my cooking!" she exclaimed.

"Hm, let's see," Saki leaned back in the wagon seat in mock thought. "What did you have for breakfast this morning?"

"Left over rice and fruit."

"And for dinner yesterday?"

"Rice and vegetables."

"And for lunch?"

Anko scowled, "Is this going anywhere?"

With a beaming smile, the innkeeper produced a huge wicker basket. "That," she said in a patronizing tone while gesturing at Zuko, "is a teenage boy, and growing boys need meat! So I've brought you a pot roast." The smell from the basket came wafting towards the two on the ground. To his embarrassment, Zuko's stomach growled. Glancing the teen's way with a tolerant smile, Anko slowly shook her head. "Well if anyone knows anything about growing boys, it would be you, Saki."

"Oh!" Saki returned to rummaging, "Speaking of, I have something for, um…"

Realizing the problem, Anko interceded. "Where are my manners? Saki of Yopoko, this is Zuko, of the Fire Nation. Zuko, this is Saki. She runs the Portside Harbor Inn, the building ashore from the dock you were staying on."

"We met once before on the dock, though I doubt you remember," the innkeeper said cheerfully. "This is for you." She pulled out and tossed him a familiar looking bag. "Hige managed to get that from your boat."

"My clothes!" Zuko exclaimed. His genuine smile turned into a frown as he realized the implications of what the woman had said. "What happened to my boat?" he demanded.

"Gone," Anko said flatly, a look of disgust crossing her face. "The vultures were probably picking it over before we even got out of town."

Saki nodded. "Hige was lucky to get that," she gestured towards Zuko's bag.

Zuko stepped back to glare at both the woman. "But it's my boat."

Anko sighed, "It was your boat, and now it's someone's plow or wagon hub or pitchfork. The engines were probably scavenged for parts or sold for money." She shook her head. "I'm not condoning it, but metal is valuable around here… and the happiness of one lone Fire Nation soldier, well, you saw personally how much respect they had for that."

Zuko clutched the last of his belongings to his chest, glowering angrily at the ground. Why? Why did everything have to be taken from him? First his honor and his throne, then his single chance for redemption, his hope, his pride and now this? He ground his teeth together. Stupid peasants. I'll teach them to mess with a firebender. I'll burn their whole damn village down! He shifted his glare back to the women, flames dancing about his fists. Saki met his gaze; the murderous intent she saw in his eyes caused her to look at him with fear.

Good, Zuko thought triumphantly. They should fear me.

The emotion was fleeting; long ago his Uncle had tried to teach him the difference between fear and respect. He said that a good ruler was followed because he earned the respect of his people, only a bully and a coward needed to rule by fear. The familiar specter of shame engulfed him. Taking out his anger on the only two people who had tried to help him would truly be a despicable act. Bloodlust gone, he glanced ashamedly at Anko, who had been watching his reaction with a slightly cocked head and a carefully neutral face. The corners of her mouth twitched upward in a slight smile when she saw some of the rage leave his eyes.

She addressed him in a conversational tone, as if nothing had even happened. "You know, you've been complaining non-stop about having to wear my Grandfather's clothes. Why don't you change into your own while Saki and I get lunch on the table." She spoke over her shoulder to the innkeeper, "Unless, of course, you think my unskilled hands will taint your excellent cooking."

"Oh… of course not," Saki stammered, still a little rattled by Zuko.

The Fire Nation Prince recognized the out Anko was offering him and took it gratefully. He paused on his way to the house to quietly thank Saki for her efforts in returning his bag to him. The plump little innkeeper's face broke out into a huge smile at his words. "No trouble, no trouble at all. I can't believe Anko has you wearing Kazuma's clothes."

"It was either Grandfather's or mine. For some reason he seemed to have a problem with wearing mine."

Slightly embarrassed, Zuko escaped to the house. "Anko…" Saki gave the farmer a worried look as she handed down the basket of food. The earthbender simply rolled her eyes skyward. "Teenagers," she muttered with a slight smile.

Zuko slipped into his room and pulled the door shut behind him. The bedroom still reeked of burnt futon despite the open window. I am such an idiot. He slumped against the wall, eying the area where the bed once lay with guilt. Trying to shake off the dark feeling, he pushed himself away from the wall and unceremoniously dumped the contents of his bag on the floor. There were several changes of Fire Nation clothes; he fingered the soft, light cloth thankfully. He would be so happy to rid himself of the hot, itchy homespun that Anko had given him, all of which were three sizes too big anyways. His black ninja outfit was there, as well as a couple of daggers. A map of Yopoko Island and the surrounding waters and a purse, courtesy of his Uncle and miraculously still containing its contents of coins were also in the bag.

Frowning, Zuko pawed through the remainder of his odds and ends. The letter scroll from his Father was missing. Zuko realized it had been sitting next to him on the dock when he was attacked. Heart suddenly pounding in his chest, he closed his eyes in misery. Arrgg! Moron! How could I be this stupid? My letter could be anywhere by now; the whole town is probably laughing about it. He tried to calm himself down. Maybe Anko had picked it up and she just hadn't said anything yet. That was the best possible scenario that he could come up with. He heard the voices as the women came into the house.

"Uhg!" I was just kidding about your cooking Anko, but that smell! Did you burn your own rice this morning?" He could hear Anko chuckle. "Yeah, something like that."

Zuko changed quickly. He exited the room sideways, quickly pulling the door shut. The two friends had already set the table. He stood uncomfortably by his door. "Was everything there?" Anko asked him.

"There was a letter scroll," he said quietly. "I think it was next to me on the dock; there was a Fire Nation seal on it." He looked at the farmer, hoping desperately to see some sort of comprehension in her eyes. Instead she looked at Saki, who shook her head. "No one has said anything about it."

Anko frowned thoughtfully. "I don't remember seeing any scroll, but you know, you were stepped on and tripped over. It's very possible it got knocked into the bay during the fuss. Was it important?"

Relieved, Zuko shook his head slowly.

Anko shrugged, "Well then, let's eat!"

Saki's food, Zuko decided, was indeed excellent. Almost as good as the food his ship's cook usually prepared. So good it was almost worth listening to the woman's nonstop chatter. Almost. As he and Anko silently ate, the innkeeper went on and on about anything and everything. Affairs, debts, drinking problems; Zuko had no idea so much went on in one small town. Nor had he ever wanted to know. As one of the woman's stories made his ears blush red he stole a quick glance at the stoic farmer next to him. Catching his eye she gave him a private smile and a wink. He felt better knowing that he wasn't the only one overwhelmed by Saki's gossip. Warm and comfortable with a full belly and with the incessant drone as background noise, Zuko didn't even notice when his eyes slowly slid shut. It was a while before he realized the talking had stopped and silence filled the room.

"Is he alright?" Saki's voice seemed to come from far away.

He could almost envision Anko's lazy shrug as she answered. "It's his head injury. It takes a lot out of him."

"Are you just going to leave him there?"

"It'll be alright for now. Why don't we go out on the porch so we don't disturb him and you can tell me the real reason you came out here."

That caught Zuko's interest. He struggled against the soft surrounding darkness, trying to stay conscious enough to hear them talk. Their words tickled his mind from a far off place. In his strange state of semi-sleep he could just barely comprehend them.

"Actually, it has to do with the boy. Do you remember the night he was attacked?"

"Of course," Anko said matter of factly. "It was four on one; I took care of the others and brought Zuko home. What of it?"

"One of those "others" you took care of was Shinji." At Anko's silence Saki explained exasperatedly. "Oh come on Anko, Shinji, the headman's eldest son."

"Really? If I had known that I would have hit him harder."

"Anko, this is serious! Shikimaru is furious. He's been talking to the whole village. He says this is proof that you're unstable; that you don't belong here."

"Heh, still trying to take my farm, is he? He has been saying stuff like that for years."

"Well this time things are different. From the village standpoint you assaulted four of our own children, for the sake of a firebender. People are listening to him; they're calling you a traitor."

Anko's response was harsh and bitter. "Children!" she snarled. "Those were grown men. Beating and stomping on an unconscious teenager! Me, a traitor? Last time I checked Yopoko was still neutral territory. If those four felt so strongly about fighting the Fire Nation they'd go join the Earth Kingdom's army! And if their parents had brought them up with more honor, none of this would have happened. Let Shikimaru talk. I'd do it all over again if given the chance."

Silence. Then Anko spoke again, "What on earth are you smiling about?"

"Oh come on Anko, don't you find it a little ironic? You, of all people, defending a Fire Nation soldier. You've always hated the Fire Nation. You're the last person I would have anticipated coming to his aid, and so fiercely too."

More silence, then Anko sighed. "That was a long time ago, Saki, and he is only a boy."

It was the last thing Zuko heard before he slipped into unconsciousness.

Zuko woke with a start and winced. His neck was cramped from hanging down for so long. He slowly rolled his head from side to side to stretch the kinks out. The house was silent, the table was clear and Zuko was beginning to think the whole thing had been one big messed up dream. Except the room still smelled of smoldering straw… and pot roast.

"Ppprrip," Misha the foxcat walked into the room and jumped into his lap. He absently scratched her head while considering what he had overheard. It all seemed so far away; he wasn't sure of what was real and what was his head playing tricks on him. If his memories could be trusted then only two things were for sure. One: Anko was an earthbender and two: she hated the Fire Nation. But then why did she help him? Did she know who he really was? Was she intending to use him for some purpose?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. After all, no one did anything for nothing; he had learned that as a child, when he realized that the courtiers had only been nice to him in hopes of getting in good with his Father. After the Agni Kai, only his Uncle had time for him. So there had to be a reason behind it all, a motive for the earthbender's actions and whether she liked it or not, Zuko intended on getting some answers.