Chapter 4
The sun beats down heavy on the cracked dirt training grounds, leaving guards sweltering in armor and causing once-rigorous battles to turn into sluggish spars.
Hiro's bandages itch as he turns the corner into the grounds, Chika limping dutifully at his side. She was lucky enough to have her thick shell to save her stomach and back from much harm, but her canine legs were not so lucky. A thick bandage swaddles a front leg, where burn salves slowly take their work.
Hiro's own right arm is bandaged from the wrist to the shoulder; the assassin's dagger left quite a long gash, and the hand-shaped burn on his bicep needed treatment, so he was on strict orders to take it easy for the next week or two. Even so, it couldn't hurt to stop by and give the new guards a few tips, right?"
"Hey Hiro, over here!" A voice calls out, and Hiro squints into the hazy summer heat to see Ren waving over to him, beckoning him to come join the small cluster of guards in the shade of a large tree.
Hiro makes his way over, Chika following closely at his heels. The other guards take in his bandages, and Ren claps him on his (thankfully uninjured) shoulder.
"We heard about what happened, you're quite the talk of the town! An assassination attempt thwarted by a single guard, what a tale!" Ren grins at him, and Hiro smiles back.
"Well, I can't take all the credit! I would've been lost without Chika here." He leans down to scratch behind the armadillo-dog's ears, and Chika pants in joy.
"Well c'mon, tell us all about it!" One of the other guards exclaims, and Hiro laughs. He sits down, resting his back against the base of the tree, and the guards follow suit.
"Okay, so there I was, doing my patrol rounds, when I find Koji lying on the ground. Agni guide him, he was a good man." The group takes a moment of silence to send a prayer to Agni, before Hiro continues. "I rush down to the prisoner cells, where this scrawny-looking hooded guy somehow trips me. He almost gets me while I'm down- he was a firebender- but I'm too smart for that and I get up," Hiro boasts. All good stories are exaggerated, and this is no different as the recruits watch him with starry eyes, Ren especially.
"He was a titchy fellow, not really built for one-on-one combat, so I beat him up pretty good and threw him against a wall. I thought he was down for good after that, but he kicked me and ran for it. That's when Chika here saved the day!" Hiro wraps both arms around Chika's neck, and she climbs into his lap where all the guards lavish her with attention.
"She tackled him and kept him on the ground like I've trained her, and she tore into his arm so I could have time to get to him. The bastard burned her leg, so I picked him up. He wouldn't tell me who sent him, so I tried choking him out, and that... didn't go so well, as you can see." Hiro gestures to his bandaged arm, wincing as he raises it to flex his stiff muscles.
"What happened? Keep going!" Ren eagerly leans forward, and Hiro laughs at how everyone hung onto his every word.
"Fine, fine. He had a knife hidden somewhere, and he slashed my arm with it, but I didn't let go. He got one of his arms up and his hand burned my bicep, it'll definitely leave a scar. I probably would've been a goner if it wasn't for Koji; somehow, he managed to drag himself over with whatever life he had left and burn a hole clean through the assassin. I didn't know he was a firebender, but obviously he apparently was. He saved my life, so I went to his Burning and gave my condolences to his family."
When people in the Fire Nation died, instead of being buried they received a Burning, where their body was set in a bonfire and they burned bright one last time before becoming one with the world. Of course, Koji wasn't actually a firebender and didn't save Hiro, but it was a good cover story and Hiro actually attended his Burning. Savior or not, he was still a good man and Hiro was sad to see him go.
The group of guards applaud lightly, and Hiro shakes his head in modesty. "You did the Fire Nation a great service, Hiro. A firebender working against his country is the highest offense of treason, and you and Koji did the right thing by ending him," Ren pipes up. A few other guards murmur in agreement, but a couple avoid their gazes from Ren's and choose instead to stare at the ground.
Hiro's brow creases. "Well, I wish he could have answered for his crimes and gone to jail instead, but what happened happened. It's a terrible thing to end another's life, and although he tried to kill me and almost succeeded, he didn't deserve to die just for not supporting the Fire Nation. Nobody does."
"Nonsense!" Ren waves a hand in dismissal. "The Fire Nation is the best, we only make things better! Those who work against us deserve to-"
"What's going on?" A raspy voice asks, and the group turns collectively to see a cloaked figure watching them, a Firebender mask obscuring their face.
"Li!" Hiro exclaims, glad to change the subject from whatever Ren was going to say. "I was just telling everyone about what happened with the assassin. Everyone, Li here will be sparring with us from time to time, so we should get started on that." Hiro heaves himself to his feet, the other guards groaning as they grab their training weapons in the summer heat. He walks over to Zuko, stretching his legs as he falls into step next to the firebender.
"Did I come at a bad time?" Zuko asks, his voice slightly muffled by the mask. "I can come back later, if that would be better."
"No, that was perfect timing! Ren is… much more patriotic than I thought, and things were just getting awkward. It's nice to see you here, though. You have your swords?"
"Yeah." Zuko pulls the blades and scabbards from his cloak, slinging them onto his back and drawing them in a single fluid motion. "Who's going down first?"
Hiro chuckles, clapping his uninjured hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Why don't we have you face Ren? He's quite eager to spar with you; to them, you're a Fire Nation hero, after all."
Zuko goes stiff under his touch, but Hiro is pleased to see that he doesn't shake his hand off. "I'll finish them quickly," is all he says before he is pulled into the makeshift ring.
…
Needless to say, Zuko wipes the floor with them.
Hiro himself doesn't fight, but just watches from the side, studying the fights critically. He marvels at how Zuko manages to slide from one move to the next without any pause; every swipe is one fluid motion, no pauses or hesitation.
"Great fighting," he praises Zuko as the fighting finishes. The prince flushes slightly beneath his mask, sheathing his swords back on his back.
"Thanks. I studied with dao blades under Master Piandao, and I've been training for years so I'd honestly be surprised if any of these recruits could beat me. Still, they put up a good fight."
As they talk, Ren jogs over to the pair. "Hey Hiro, some of the guards are going to go out to eat, do you want to come? It'll be fun, we pooled our money for good food and booze!" He asks excitedly.
"What do you think, Chika?" Hiro rubs her ears affectionately, and her tail thumps on the ground in response. "I think that's a yes. Do you want to come too, Li?"
Zuko seems caught off guard. "I don't know-"
"We would be honored to have a hero such as yourself with us, sir!" Ren exclaims, eyes practically shining in admiration. Hiro chuckles and thumps Zuko's back good-naturedly.
"C'mon Li, it'll be fun. Plus, I can introduce you to a few more guards. What do you think?"
Zuko seems to mull it over for a second. "I guess it can't hurt. Aren't parties not allowed though?"
"Yeah, but nobody really minds if us guards have a night out every once in a while. We keep it off the record too, just in case." Hiro winks, and Ren grins.
"Alright, I'm going to go catch up with the others, but I'll see you there!" Ren jogs after the retreating guards ahead of them, leaving Hiro and Zuko alone for the time being.
"So, what did you think? How did it feel to get back into training?" Hiro asks, turning to face the masked firebender as they walk together.
"I was out of practice, but it felt good to start again. You were right, Ren does seem quite excitable when it comes to the Fire Nation, but everyone seems nice enough."
"That's good to hear." Hiro pauses to wheeze into his one good elbow. Chika nuzzles against his side as his coughs subside, and he gives her a light pat on the head. A comfortable silence falls between them; Hiro marvels at how fast he's grown to like the Fire Nation prince, despite his gruffness and lack of social cues.
They eventually arrive at a small tavern at the edge of town. Most of the other shops and bars are already closed, as the moon has begun to rise above the horizon, but this tavern is still merrily lit.
"After you, my prince," Hiro jokes as he opens the wooden door and holds it for Zuko. The only response is a narrowing of eyes through the mask, and the prince breezes past and into the tavern.
Inside, several long tables stand with platters of food scattered across; mainly whatever the guards could scrounge up on such short notice, but more expensive pastries and meats dot the tables here and there.
At the tables and on chairs strewn across the open space sit two dozen or so guards, Hiro estimates. Most clutch mugs of ale or are downing shots of firewhiskey, Hiro notes with distaste, and fires burning brightly in sconces on the walls give the gathering a rather merry mood.
Zuko stands uncomfortably at the door, rooted in place at the sight of the bustling party. Hiro grabs his arm and leads him into the fray, dodging the already-drunk guards and weaving around haphazardly strewn chairs. Chika follows closely at his heels, and the trio makes their way over to where Ren sits with a few other recruits.
"Hey Hiro, Li, glad you could make it!" Ren calls out above the din as they approach him, and Hiro flashes him a grin.
"Thanks, this is Li's first night out, I'm going to show him what's up," Hiro yells back, having to shout to be heard over all the noise. Luckily the tavern is placed near the edge of Caldera City, so they won't disturb anyone with their party.
Probably.
"So, what do you think?" Hiro tugs on Zuko's arm to get his attention, and the prince snaps out of his stupor.
"It's… loud." Is the only answer he gets, but it's enough. Hiro nods in encouragement.
"You get used to it. Are you hungry?"
Before Zuko can respond, a voice from one of the larger crowds booms above the hubbub.
"It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se…"
The tavern goes silent.
"But the girls in the city, they look so pretty…"
The rest of the large crowd picks up the song.
"And they kiss so sweet, that you really have to meet…"
"The girls from Ba SIng Se!" The entire room finishes, and laughter begins to boom again. Zuko gives Hiro a confused glance, so Hiro slings an arm across his shoulders and begins to sway in time with the rhythm.
"It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se…" The female guards start again, and Hiro joins in chorus.
"But the boys in the town, you'll never see 'em frown…"
A few other guards join in again, and Hiro gives Zuko a wide grin.
"And they're just so strong, that you'd really get along…"
"With the boys from Ba Sing Se!" The whole room belts out again, and for a moment beneath the mask Hiro can see a genuine smile creep across Zuko's face.
"Welcome to the guard, Zuko. You're one of us now." Hiro grins down at the prince, and Zuko doesn't even seem to mind the slip of his name as he smiles back up. After all, the room is far too loud for anyone but them to hear each other.
Even if they did, Hiro wouldn't care. Because in that moment, it's just the two of them, smiling at each other as cheers erupt around them.
Ren muscles his way over to them. "I've got to say, the Earth Kingdom has some great drinking songs. I'm glad we conquered them, they're boosting morale!"
The smile slips off Zuko's lips and Hiro's grin fades. "What do you mean?" Zuko asks.
"Ba Sing Se is ours now, remember?" Hiro can see an ugly look in Zuko's eyes through the eye holes, and it honestly surprises him.
Does Zuko… regret what happened to Ba Sing Se?
Interesting.
Shaking off the thoughts, Hiro grabs Zuko's arm. "C'mon, let's get some food. See you later, Ren." Zuko doesn't protest, just stumbles along Hiro and barely manages to avoid stepping on Chika's tail.
"Don't look so sad, Mr. Fire Prince," a smirk falls back onto Hiro's face. "Just enjoy the party. Now, are you hungry?"
…
The two of them sing songs and stuff themselves on Fire Nation cuisine for what seems to be hours, as time just slips away and is replaced by the thumping of feet and cheering of voices.
Eventually, the heat of the room catches up to Hiro and his chest begins to feel ever so slightly tighter. The once-large rooms starts to seem cramped and overcrowded, and he takes a seat to hack into his sleeve again.
"What's wrong?" Zuko asks curiously, and Hiro waves a hand in dismissal.
"It's nothing, I just need some fresh air, that's all."
"Do you… do you want to go for a walk, then?"
The question catches Hiro off guard. "Like… now? With you?"
The prince nods, confusion written on his face. Although at what, Hiro isn't sure.
"Sure!" Hiro forces himself up and out of his chair, covering his mouth with one hand as he coughs into it. "We could get some tea too, to calm ourselves down." Hiro looks Zuko up and down critically. It's obvious that the prince is slightly intoxicated, and although Hiro himself wouldn't drink he knew the signs. "Although, you may need it more than I do."
They make their way to the exit, avoiding Ren's wave goodbye as they do so. The faint chill of the night air is refreshing to Hiro after the stuffy party, and he gratefully sucks in air.
Hiro leads the way to the same tea shop where they'd gotten tea a few nights prior, and they buy cheap mugs of tea to take with them.
"So, where do you want to go?" Zuko asks, and Hiro shrugs as he sips his tea.
"I'm not sure. There's a nice rooftop I know of we could sit on, or there's a turtleduck pond I know of near here. Any preference?"
Zuko visibly perks up. "The pond sounds good to me. I used to feed the turtleducks in the palace, before…" He trails off, and Hiro flashes a comforting smile.
"Well, I'm sure these turtleducks will love to be fed, too. I swiped a bread roll from the party in case we got hungry, so we can give them that," Hiro offers, and Zuko's frown begins to fade.
"I'd like that."
They walk in mostly silence until they reach the pond, with the exception of Chika's whines for attention. Hiro ends up carrying her for the last stretch of the walk, as her once-eager trot turns into an unsteady limp.
When they reach the turtleduck pond, Hiro sits with his back against a tree with Chika in his lap, and Zuko sets himself down next to him after removing his helmet.
"Here, we can each feed them half of the roll." Hiro breaks the bread in half, handing one part over to Zuko before breaking his half up further. The turtleducks, ever eager for an easy meal, swarm around them and Chika growls.
"Chika, no. She gets excited around them, probably an old hunting instinct. She won't hurt them, though." Hiro gives her an affectionate shell rub, and Zuko tosses a chunk of bread out into the water.
"I noticed you looked pretty bad at the end of the party."
Hiro looks at Zuko in a mixture of confusion and slight hurt.
"No, I mean- not bad, but- ugh, why am I so terrible at this?" Zuko buries his head in his hands in exasperation, and Hiro chuckles.
"No, it's fine, I get it. I inhaled a lot of coal dust in the mines, and it's left a mark. I'm sure you've noticed that I cough a lot, but there's not much that healers can do to help." Hiro takes another sip of tea, and Zuko nods.
"That's rough, buddy." Hiro snorts his tea, and the atmosphere becomes comfortable once more.
"So, how's life in the palace been? Are you glad to be back?" Hiro asks, idly tossing more breadcrumbs out to the turtleducks.
Zuko hesitates. "It's… different than what I expected. Everyone expects me to be a snotty brat because that's who I was when I left, but I've changed. I've seen things, some that I wish I hadn't, and honestly I'm not sure what to think."
Hiro hums in thought. "Take some time to just sort it all out. In my experience, it's always good to mull it over and give it time."
"I'm going to Ember Island for a few days, my father wants to meet with his advisors alone. It'll be a waste of time, but maybe it might help."
"Relaxing is never a waste of time. It's important to take care of yourself, and sometimes all you need is a beach and friends. I'll make sure Iroh is safe while you're gone."
They lapse again into silence, and the turtleducks quack hungrily for more bread. Hiro tosses the last bits of his half, and they gobble it up eagerly before swarming Zuko for the rest of his.
Hiro realizes his knee is grazing Zuko's, but he finds that he doesn't mind. And from how Zuko seems to be the most relaxed he's ever seen him, he probably doesn't mind either.
The comfortable silence is shattered by a bark as Chika leaps to her feet, scattering the turtleducks as she joyously chases them in circles.
"Chika!" Hiro yells and jumps to his feet as she leaps into the pond, swimming after the fleeing turtleducks. Hiro leaps in after her, the water only reaching knee-deep, and frantically splashes his way over to her. Zuko follows close behind, and they both grab Chika's collar at the same time.
Hiro stifles a laugh as the prince of the Fire Nation, now sopping wet and disgruntled, gives him a sore look. Their eyes meet and Zuko's frown softens, for once more it's like everything else is gone and it's just them standing together in the pond.
Then Chika barks and the moment is gone, but a warm feeling remains in Hiro's chest. Zuko coughs awkwardly and looks away, while Hiro busies himself by picking up Chika and clasping her to his chest.
"Sorry about your clothes, Prince Zuko." Zuko's royal cloak, once pristine and clean silk, now soggily droops with mud and water.
"It's fine, I'll just say I was practicing my firebending in a pond. My father won't care, if he thinks I'm training."
"That's good." Silence stretches between them once more. "Well, I should probably take Chika home. Thanks for the tea and the conversation, though. I hope you enjoy your time on Ember Island!"
Zuko smiles ever so slightly. "I'll try, but knowing Azula that won't happen. Good night, Hiro."
"Good night, Prince Zuko."
Sorry for the longer wait! I wanted to make this chapter as good as possible, but I wrote the last half fueled on caffeine so let me know if anything seems off. Feel free to leave a review, and thanks for reading :)