Another chapter, yay!
So this one is very much centered on Zuko and Iroh because I love those scenes of them as fugitives and I feel like it's such an important experience for Zuko. I'm super excited to get going on the next couple chapters because I have some interesting things planned...
I want to take a quick moment to thank all of the lovely people who have left reviews on this story! The feedback is amazing and you guys are my heroes!
jjocasta: Thank you so so much for following and reviewing! I'm trying so hard to stay on the writing train so I can keep up with the updates! The whole pandemic situation is definitely helping... I have so much time on my hands! Thanks for your kind words :)
Guest: Yay, thank you! I love series 'reimaginings' because one of my favorite things about A:TLA is the amazing universe the show writers created! It's so fun to just take the characters on an adventure and use certain scenes from the show as inspiration. Glad you appreciate it!
This chapter was inspired by the song 'Love Has All Been Done Before' by Jade Bird from her 2019 album 'Jade Bird'.
I really hope you enjoy!
Chapter 16: Love Has All Been Done Before
…
You are good and you are pure
The angel knocking at my door
But I need something, something more
Because love has all been done before
And you are sweet and you are nice
Keep me calm and satisfied
But I need something, something more
…
It doesn't help that you mean well
They say the devil's in the detail
And I'm trying not to raise hell
But it's lightning before the rain fell
…
Based on the growing fire in his core, dawn was approaching. They had been trekking north along the beach all night, exhausted, itchy, and in complete silence. The meager meal and poisonous tea had done little to abate their hunger and they were both running dangerously low on energy. Iroh had finally stopped apologizing and Zuko couldn't find it in him to forgive his uncle just yet, choosing to focus on resolving the problem at hand. They had to keep going, the only way to remedy this self-induced ailment was to get to the nearest village and find help.
The stick Zuko had been using to scratch himself broke under the strain and he grumbled in annoyance, tossing it to the side. He snapped off another branch from a nearby tree and put it to use scratching the itch he couldn't reach in the middle of his back. He didn't dare turn back to look at his uncle; the last time he had, Iroh's swollen face had made him jump, a reminder of the imminent threat to their lives. Trying to suppress the anger that was flowing hot through his veins, he marched on, scrubbing his back furiously with the stick in one hand while scratching his ribs with the other.
The humming of the crickets around them quieted as dawn broke and Zuko was relieved for the relative silence. They passed by a particularly swampy section of the forest and mosquitos started biting, adding an additional itch to the rash that was spreading up Zuko's arms and across his chest. This would be the most pathetic way to die, he thought, starving, lost, far from home, accidentally poisoned, and eaten by mosquitos. The absurdity of it all nearly made him laugh, a deep scornful laugh to join in with the universe, which was clearly mocking him.
A month ago, he had been hunting the Avatar from the comfort of his ship. Now, he was travelling on foot in the Earth Kingdom without food or water, with only his uncle, poisoned, and struggling to simply survive. The turn of events would have been comical if their lives weren't in the balance. They were part of the Fire Nation royal family, but they were on the verge of dying like nameless peasants in the wilderness. The universe had a dark sense of humor.
His thoughts were interrupted when Iroh choked out his name from behind and collapsed with a thud on the ground. A sense of remorse washed over Zuko as he spun around, fearing that he would lose his uncle here on the beach, having ignored him for the last few hours and refusing to accept his apology.
"Zuko…" His uncle croaked out when Zuko knelt beside him, "I don't think I can keep going."
"Don't say that!" Zuko scolded, trying to hold back tears.
"I'm an old man… Just go on without me… I'll only slow you down… Better one of us die than both."
"Uncle, how can you say that? I'm not leaving you."
"I always thought I would die of old age… in the arms of a much younger woman…" Iroh breathed, "But I guess death by tea is… a much more fitting end."
Despite himself, Zuko chuckled at the joke, though tears welled in his eyes, "You're not going to die here, Uncle. Don't be ridiculous." He reached out, preparing to haul his uncle up and drag him the rest of the way to the village; they had to be getting close now.
A rustling in the bushes caught Zuko's attention and he reached over his shoulder for his dao swords; the last thing they needed right now was a wild animal attack, they had done so well avoiding that fate thus far. However, when a young woman appeared, donning a strange shapeless dress, he released his grasp on the hilt of his swords.
At the sight of Iroh on the ground, she rushed over, "Oh my goodness! Are you ok?" She knelt down across from Zuko, eyeing the rash that had spread to Iroh's cheeks, "What's wrong with him?"
"We drank some poisonous tea," Zuko scowled, embarrassed.
"I thought it was… the white dragon bush," Iroh groaned through his swollen throat.
"The white dragon-… you drank tea from the white jade bush?" She gasped.
Zuko could only nod in affirmation, "Is there a cure?"
The young woman pursed her lips and frowned as she eyed the bushes on the edge of the forest. "There is. Wait here a moment."
"I don't think I could… go anywhere if I tried…" Iroh mumbled as she jumped up and leapt back into the woods.
"Zuko…" His uncle reached up and grasped his hand, rasping through strangled breaths, "I'm sorry. If I don't make it through this… know that I believe you are… capable of great things… know that you don't have to capture the Avatar… you are an honorable young man… and you can live a life… of your own choosing."
"Uncle, what are you saying?"
"That girl… Katara… she made you happy…"
"I don't want to talk about her," Zuko averted his gaze, hoping that the strange young woman would hurry up and return with a remedy. Clearly, his uncle was losing his wits; saying he didn't have to capture the Avatar? He had never heard the old man spout such nonsense.
"I know it's hard… to lose someone you love… but it's not too late…" Iroh breathed.
"I- I don't love her, Uncle! Just-… stop talking about it and rest your throat."
After a moment of silence, the woman returned with a branch in her hands, dotted with red berries.
"Here, these are bacui berries. Both of you eat some, they will stop the swelling and counteract the poison of the white jade. Though, you should come back with me to my village so we can apply an ointment to those rashes."
"Thank you…" Iroh wheezed, "For your help…"
Zuko plucked a handful of berries off the branch and helped his uncle sit up to eat them, before swallowing some himself.
"I don't think… we caught your name…" the retired general mumbled, his mouth full of berries.
"My name is Song," She smiled, patting his shoulder, "It's nice to meet you."
The village was smaller than Zuko had expected and it had taken easily an hour to get there, supporting his uncle's weight. Song had tried to converse with them on the way, but Iroh quickly lost the energy to talk and Zuko wasn't much of a conversationalist so the journey was made in silence.
"Come in, come in," Song slid open the door to her mother's home, urging them inside, "You can just take a seat over there, I'll go grab the ointment."
They nodded their thanks and shuffled into the quaint home, trying to kick off their shoes.
"Song, what's going on?" An older woman came in, dressed in the same shapeless attire.
"I found these men in the woods, Ma. They ingested the white jade."
"Ingested it?" Her eyes widened as she glanced at Iroh then Zuko.
"It was tea actually…" Iroh croaked, an innocent smile tugging at his lips.
"The ointment should be in the chest!" The woman called to her daughter.
"I found it!" Song came rushing back with a small brown jar filled with a pungent green paste. The two women got to work, scooping up copious amounts of the green substance.
Song came to sit in front of Zuko, her palm full of the salve, "I- um- need you to remove your shirt," She stammered.
"What?" Zuko could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks.
"To apply the ointment," She motioned over to Iroh, who had already happily stripped down to his underwear as Song's mother rubbed ointment on him.
"Oh-… right," Zuko replied, still embarrassed as he carefully pulled the Earth Kingdom shirt over his head. He caught Song's eyes widening as she saw the many small scars that marred the skin of his torso, scars he had acquired from training both with swords and fire. Zuko scowled and averted his gaze, wondering absentmindedly if that's what Katara had seen too.
"And… your pants?" Song squeaked, now blushing furiously.
"I don't have a rash down there." He responded coolly. It was a lie, but he would rather suffer the itching than let anyone see him so vulnerable.
"Ok," She nodded, avoiding his glare as she started rubbing ointment on his shoulders.
"You two must not be from around here," Song's mother chuckled, "We know better than to touch the white jade… much less make it into tea and drink it."
Zuko shot his uncle a sidelong glare.
"Whoops," His uncle laughed, smiling innocently. The woman swatted at Iroh's hand as he reached up to scratch himself.
"Where are you travelling from?" Song asked, applying ointment to Zuko's back.
"Yes, we are travelers." He awkwardly responded.
His uncle quickly interjected, saving him, "We were on a ship during the storm two days ago. My nephew and I got washed overboard along with some others from the crew."
"Oh my," Song's mother gasped, "That's terrible."
"It is…" Iroh feigned a look of sorrow, "We were the only survivors."
"Well, I guess it's lucky that you were together," Song added.
"Indeed, it is," Her mother agreed, "Do you have names?"
"Yes, of course we have names," Zuko answered, "I'm… Lee… and this is my uncle… Mushi."
Now it was Iroh's turn to glare, "Yes, my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him 'Junior'."
Zuko scowled back at his uncle as Song repeated their names aloud, "Mushi and Junior…"
"Well, my name is Soo and this is my daughter Song. You two look like you could use some rest and a good meal. You should stay for dinner," She offered, smiling.
"Sorry, but we should really be moving on," Zuko replied coolly.
"That's too bad," Song sighed, "Ma always makes too much roast duck for just the two of us."
Iroh's ears perked up at the sound of that, "Don't mind my nephew," Soo swatted at his hand again as he tried to scratch, "He doesn't know how to accept the hospitality of kind people like yourselves. We would very much appreciate some dinner. Do you make roast duck often?"
Soo nodded, smiling fondly, "Yes, it was my husband's favorite."
Song visibly stiffened as she continued rubbing ointment on Zuko's neck.
"So, uh… what were you doing out in the woods so early?" He asked Song, trying desperately to make small talk.
"I work at the local healing center," She relaxed with a small smile, "A couple times a week I go out collecting herbs to make salves and other remedies."
"She has a healing touch, my Song," Soo grinned proudly.
"Ma," Song blushed again.
Zuko's mind wandered to Katara, remembering her healing hands that glowed blue in the darkness of the swamp. He remembered how her brows furrowed in concentration as she pinpointed his injuries, the cute way her mouth twitched back and forth while she focused. He fought the urge to bring up the waterbender and her healing skills in conversation, instead opting for silence.
When they had both been thoroughly plastered with the green ointment, Soo left and returned with some bedrolls, laying them out on the floor.
"You can rest in here until dinner," She offered, "Song and I will just be in the garden if you need anything."
"Thank you, Soo," Iroh grinned, "Your kindness is like a candle, lighting our way out of the darkness."
Soo giggled at the compliment as she and Song walked outside, and Zuko rolled his eyes at his uncle's tasteless attempts at flirtation.
"Why are we staying here, Uncle?" Zuko hissed, trying to keep his voice down.
"What do you mean? We haven't slept all night, Zuko. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted," He yawned and stretched, as if to prove his point.
"But we need to keep moving! We have to find the ship before the Avatar makes it to Fong's Base."
Iroh waved his hand, "I doubt we will make any progress finding the ship on an empty stomach and on the verge of falling asleep. Let's just catch up on some rest and enjoy the roast duck," He grinned.
"Ugh," Zuko scowled, moving towards one of the bedrolls, "Fine, but we leave after dinner."
"Agreed."
…
Katara woke to Aang shaking her. The wind whipped at her hair as she sat up, still half-asleep. It took her a moment to realize that they were on Appa's saddle, traveling to the destination they had set to meet up with the Kyoshi Warriors. The past few days, she'd had trouble sleeping at night; the moon's waxing, along with the endless dreams of Zuko, had prevented her from slumber. Instead, she had taken to a nocturnal lifestyle, waterbending by the moonlight and sleeping whenever she could no longer keep her eyes open.
"Katara, are you ok?" Aang asked, concern in his slate gray eyes, "You've been sleeping a lot recently…"
"She's just tired from staying up all night," Suki interjected, biting into an apple.
"Staying up all night?" The airbender glanced over at Suki then back to her, "Are you having trouble sleeping?"
"It's just the moon," Katara tried to reassure him, "It's getting close to full and it keeps me up… it's like it pulls on me or something. My bending has been getting stronger every night."
"You have gotten really good at that water cloak form…" Aang thought aloud, "You're sure that you're ok?"
"Don't worry about me, Aang. I'm fine," She smiled as she laid back down in the saddle, intent on catching a few more hours while she could.
Katara glanced over at Suki who gave her a knowing look that she quickly shied away from. She had made the older girl promise to wake her if she caught her saying Zuko's name in her sleep, which had happened more times than she cared to keep track of. Despite the fact that Suki certainly wasn't a fan of the firebending prince, she was practical, more experienced, and knew something about the affairs of the heart, which Katara couldn't exactly claim to know herself. And, she was a good friend.
"Well, we'll probably fly for another couple hours," Aang sighed, "When we land, will you be awake enough to do some waterbending with me?"
Katara nodded, smiling as she settled back into her place in the saddle, closing her eyes once more.
…
They slept most of the day away, much like Zuko imagined Katara would do if given the opportunity with her affinity for the moon. To his dismay, he was plagued with dreams of the waterbender now that his life was no longer in danger. Realistically, she was everything that Zuko would never deserve in a woman and he tried to remind himself that their parting was for the best.
Katara was too good; there was no place in his grim, messy life for her easy laughter and genuine, nurturing disposition. Her compassion was deeper than the ocean and when Zuko had looked into her eyes, he often found himself drowning. She was too good. Katara tempted the part of him that struggled with the morality of his decisions, the side of him that yearned for peace. In her presence, Zuko felt happier and calmer than he could ever remember feeling before.
He thought back to what his uncle had said on the beach. You can live a life of your own choosing…
But all of this was a result of the choices he made; he had decided to let her leave when she gave him that ultimatum – let me love you – he had chosen, albeit poorly, to lash out at her and her culture when she suggested that it wouldn't work between them as long as they remained enemies. It was his decision to stay on this path of pursuing the Avatar, pitting them against each other, time and time again. This life was his own choosing and as nice of a dream as it was – joining the war to fight alongside her, to love her, to spend the rest of his days happy by her side – that's all it was, a dream.
A dream wouldn't get him his honor back, it wouldn't restore his position as crown prince. He yearned for love, but he also longed for the things that had been taken from him: his honor, his crown, his status. Not to mention his father's acceptance – something he had yet to acquire. Love was a nice virtue, but there was no room for it in Zuko's life, it seemed to directly oppose the other values he held dear.
He rolled over, grumbling as his uncle's snores filled the silence in the room. It wasn't long until Song opened the door and saw Zuko, lying awake in his bedroll, frowning at the ceiling.
"Dinner is ready," She whispered.
Zuko reached over to Iroh, shaking the old man's shoulder, "Uncle, dinner."
He groaned as his uncle rolled away from him, still snoring. Song giggled from the doorway before returning to the kitchen to help finish the preparations.
"Uncle!" Zuko said louder, "Roast duck!"
The snoring abruptly ceased and Iroh's eyes shot open, "Mmhnm… what? Roast duck?"
"Yes," Zuko scowled, "It's ready."
They sat down at the table as Soo and Song brought out plates.
"So, my daughter tells me you're refugees?" Soo probed, sitting across from Iroh who was already eagerly serving himself.
"You could say that, yeah," Zuko responded, hoping he wouldn't have to go into detail.
"We were once refugees ourselves," Soo nodded, a solemn smile on her face.
"When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation raided our farming village. All the men were taken away as prisoners. That was the last time I saw my father…" Song looked down at her bowl.
Unbidden, thoughts of his own father entered Zuko's mind, "I haven't seen my father in many years…"
"Oh," Song sighed, "Is he fighting in the war?"
Zuko averted his gaze as Iroh loudly slurped some noodles, glancing back and forth from his nephew to Song, "Yeah… he is."
Trying to lighten the mood, his uncle finished slurping and turned to Soo, "This meal is exquisite. It has been too many years since I last ate such a fine roast duck."
"Thank you, Mushi. I'm glad we were able to share."
After the awkward silence that lasted for most of the meal, Zuko wandered into the garden, waiting for his uncle to finish helping Soo clear the table. He sat on the porch, listening to the chirping crickets and didn't turn to look when the door opened.
"Can I join you?" Song asked.
Zuko nodded his head, not shifting his gaze from the night sky.
Song sat next to him, sighing, "I know what you've been through."
He highly doubted that, not even Katara knew the extent of what he had been through, but he didn't justify his thoughts with a response.
"We've all been through it," Song turned to him, "The Fire Nation has hurt you."
She reached out her hand, leaning forward to touch the mottled flesh of his face. Zuko grabbed her wrist and lowered her hand, frowning. The marred skin of his left cheek tingled with the memory of Katara's fingers trailing along his scar, the cool touch of her water as she tried to wipe away his shame. He idly wondered what this girl's reaction would be if he told her everything – who he was, what he had done. Would she cry for him, try to comfort him? Or would she reel back in disgust, like everyone always seemed to.
"It's ok, they've hurt me too," She breathed, rolling up the leg of her pants to reveal a sprawling red scar that circled her ankle, climbing up her calf.
Zuko met her gaze, then, "You-… you don't know what I've been through. You don't know anything about me."
"I know that you're losing hope," She replied softly, concealing her scar once more, "I know that you're hiding from something... Yourself, maybe."
Zuko scowled. While she was completely off base with regards to knowing what he had been through, she was surprisingly perceptive. "What makes you think that?"
"I don't know… the look in your eyes, how you carry yourself. You don't have to hide, you know."
"I've done some terrible things in the name of honor and loyalty," Zuko muttered, returning his eyes to sky, thinking of Katara's smile, the reflection of the stars in her eyes. "And I hurt one of the few people who actually tried to accept me for my flaws."
"What's her name?" Song asked, her lips curling slightly into a resigned smile.
"Wh-what makes you think this is about a girl?" He was taken aback.
"Again, the look in your eyes," Song chuckled.
Zuko turned away from her, fearing that she might read more into whatever his eyes were saying.
"You don't have to tell me. I'm sure she will forgive you if you apologize."
"It's more complicated than that. I- I can't."
"It doesn't have to be complicated… Love should be easy."
"Nothing is easy. Especially not anything worthwhile."
Iroh opened the door and stepped out into the night, effectively ending the conversation, much to Zuko's relief. He couldn't go on questioning all of his decisions, he had to keep moving forwards and that meant leaving Katara in the past.
Soo followed his uncle out onto the porch as Zuko got up.
"It brings me joy to see someone eat my cooking with such… gusto," Soo laughed.
Iroh proudly patted his belly as he turned, "Much practice," He grinned, bowing, "Thank you for your hospitality."
"Safe travels," Soo bowed back.
Zuko bowed and mumbled, "Thank you," before turning to leave.
As the two women walked back inside, Zuko and Iroh passed by a small stable with an ostrich-horse tied up outside. Zuko paused, stopping to stare at the ostrich-horse as it picked at some food in a trough. If they were going to find his ship and catch up to it, they would need something faster than their own legs. Reaching out with one hand, clicking his tongue softly, Zuko approached the creature, running his hand along its beak before taking hold of the reins.
"What are you doing?" Iroh hissed, "These people just showed you great kindness!"
"They're about to show us a little more kindness," Zuko muttered, climbing into the saddle.
His uncle breathed deeply, the sorrow in his eyes still visible in the darkness.
"We can't keep traveling the Earth Kingdom on foot, Uncle."
Iroh sighed, climbing into the saddle behind him.
…
Their early morning waterbending practice was interrupted when Sokka came crashing out of the woods nearby, yelling and brandishing a bloodied knife, the sight of which made Aang's face turned shades of green.
"Katara, Aang! You'd never believe what I just killed!"
Katara patted Aang on the back, seeing his face twist in nauseating repulsion at the thought of killing another creature.
"What is it, Sokka?"
"Some kind of woolly hog!" He shouted back, "Can I get some help carrying it?"
"I'll go grab Suki and Huan," Katara replied. "Aang, keep working on the water cloak until I get back. You need to feel the water like it's part of you – part of your body – so the watery arms don't break when they come into contact with things."
Aang nodded and Katara smiled, setting off to the campsite to find their other traveling companions.
Back at the campsite, Suki and Huan were sparring and Suki was clearly winning.
"C'mon Huan, don't tell me my sister married a meadow vole! Defend!" Suki shouted as she charged at her brother in-law, throwing her fan, followed by a flurry of blows, most of which hit.
"Sorry to interrupt," Katara raised her voice over the commotion, "Sokka needs help carrying some kind of woolly hog he just killed back to camp."
"You're not interrupting," Suki grinned, ceasing her attacks on her obviously exhausted brother in-law, "Huan was just about to take a break anyways."
The young man scowled at Suki but followed them to where Sokka was trying to drag the carcass through the bushes.
"Sokka, this thing is huge," Huan commented, eyeing the hog, "Impressive skills."
Suki gasped, "And here I thought you were embellishing all of your hunting stories."
"He was embellishing," Katara laughed.
"Thank you, Huan," Sokka said proudly, ignoring the girls comments.
Suki chuckled, "Let's move this thing. I'm not as much of a carnivore as you, Sokka, but I am pretty excited to have a hog roast when the girls arrive tomorrow! Can you two get the front while we get the back?"
The four of them struggled with the weight of the woolly hog, but managed to carry it back to the campsite and set it in the crude pit that Sokka had dug in preparation.
"We're going to be eating meat again soon, my friends," Her brother clapped his hands, rubbing them together as he licked his lips in anticipation.
"Make sure you find some vegetables too," Katara reminded him, "For Aang."
"What- Katara," Sokka complained, drawing out the last syllable of her name, "Gathering is a woman's job!"
"The women are busy teaching the boys how to fight," Katara patted her brother's head, smirking.
"Huan and I can come help," Suki offered, "I'm afraid you might accidentally poison us with all you know about greens."
"Yeah, we can't exactly have you poisoning the Avatar," Huan added, "That would be a tough one to explain to the world."
…
The sun was beating down on them and Zuko's straw hat was doing little to cool him down in the heat. They had spent the last of their money on food the day before and had now been forced to panhandle, leaning against the sleeping ostrich-horse in the marketplace of Ganyang, an agricultural village south of Daiyu and west of Gao Ling. Zuko lowered his face in disgust as Iroh held out his upturned hat to a man passing by.
"Spare coins for weary travelers?"
The man grunted, but otherwise ignored the old general, continuing on his way.
"Uncle, this is humiliating," Zuko scowled in the shade of his straw hat.
"This is necessary, Zuko. We need money for food. Unless we can find jobs, this is the only thing we can do."
"We're royalty!" Zuko hissed, "We're not supposed to be begging strangers for copper pieces!"
Iroh sighed, before holding out his hat again, "Spare change for a hungry old man?"
This time, the passerby stopped, "You don't look hungry," the man snickered in obvious reference to his uncle's round midsection. He was a skinny man with a pointed beard and thick sideburns. "Tell you what, I'll give you a gold piece for some entertainment."
"We're not street performers," Zuko snarled at the man.
"Not professionals, anyways!" Iroh stood, placing his arm on his chest as he belted out a verse of sailor's song he used to sing on the ship, "It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se, but the girls in the city they look so pretty…"
"This for a gold piece?" The man pulled out a sword, "Dance, fat man!" He began slashing at the ground near Iroh's feet. Avoiding the blade, his uncle hopped from foot to foot, still belting out the lyrics of the song, though audibly less in tune.
Zuko gritted his teeth, trying his best not give in to the urge to pull out his own swords and disembowel the man who dared to treat Fire Nation royalty this way.
When the song was over, the man laughed, tossing the gold piece onto the ground. Iroh plopped back down to pick up the coin, breathing heavily as he sighed, "What a generous man."
It was all Zuko could stand. He snatched the gold piece and the three copper pieces from his uncle's hat and stood, "I'm going on a walk," He grumbled, storming down the street as Iroh waved him off.
"I'll be here!" The old man said, before turning to another pedestrian, "Spare some coin for a refugee?"
Zuko followed the skinny man who had disrespected his uncle, weaving through the busy marketplace. When the man stopped at a street vendor, inspecting a bronze dagger with an ornate hilt, Zuko pretended to scan a nearby vendor's wares. It was then that the blue mask caught his eye, hung up on the back wall of the wooden stall among a variety of other masks and wall decorations.
Something about the mask was oddly familiar, but Zuko couldn't place the memory. The wicked grin and pointed teeth of the mask spoke of an ancient folk tale about dragons, a story he must have known in his youth and had since forgotten.
"Can I help you?" The vendor asked him.
"That mask- the blue one."
"Ah, the dragon king mask… that'll be a silver."
Zuko handed over the gold coin and waited patiently for his change, keeping his eyes on his target. He followed the man through the city for most of the afternoon, watching from the shadows while he perused weapons, haggled with vendors, and purchased food for his dinner. When he finally left the marketplace, heading through a narrow alleyway down the hill towards the residential area of Ganyang, a heavy basket of food in one hand, Zuko saw his opportunity.
The alley was empty, but for some piles of broken baskets and wooden crates nestled against a wall. Zuko discarded his hat, pulling out the mask he had purchased and placing it over his face before quickening his pace. The man slowed and turned, but Zuko was already crouching behind the pile of baskets, out of sight. Shrugging, the skinny man continued, walking faster and occasionally glancing over his shoulder. As silently as he could, Zuko leapt up on a wooden crate and jumped up onto the slanted roof of the nearby building, sliding onto the other side of the ridge. He ran across the roof then stopped, waiting patiently to pounce upon his prey.
When Zuko leapt down from the rooftop, the man dropped his basket of food and reached for the hilt of his sword. "W-who are you?" His tone betrayed him; he was afraid.
Zuko smirked under his mask but didn't say a word. The man pulled out the sword he had used to swing repeatedly at Iroh's feet and Zuko delivered a swift kick to his wrist, releasing his grip on the hilt. As the sword went clattering to the floor next to the basket of food, Zuko grabbed the man's wrist, twisting his arm and throwing him bodily into another nearby pile of wooden crates.
The skinny man sputtered as Zuko stepped towards him, "P-please don't hurt me!"
Ignoring the pathetic man's plea, Zuko bent down to pick up the basket of food and the discarded sword, then set off running back towards the marketplace, jumping onto the rooftops.
Iroh was exactly where he said he would be, still leaning against the ostrich-horse, which was awake now, holding out his upturned hat every time someone walked by. Zuko tucked the blue mask into his shirt and dropped the basket of food at his uncle's feet, sitting down without a word.
The blue spirit makes his first appearance! (:
So, yea... not a whole lot of Katara in this chapter. That's mostly just because there isn't really a whole lot going on with the gaang rn other than training and riding around on Appa and I thought it would be a bit repetitive to write that.
I have about half of the next chapter written already, so hopefully it will be up soon!
Please let me know what you think! Revieww?!
...
With love,
A Storm