Alone
Zuko sat. Meditating, he would claim, if asked, but in reality, his mind was racing. Thoughts whizzed around and around in his head, almost making him dizzy. Politics, tax brackets, etc, etc, all bouncing over and over. His head began to spin again, so he slapped himself in the face. He breathed in, deeply, before breathing out. Slowly emptying his head of thoughts, he could feel himself beginning to relax. The thoughts began to drain from his head, his breathing began to slow. He could feel himself slipping into a meditative state, until…. A thought appeared, beginning the cycle anew.