"Pretty crazy night, huh?"
Hiro nods, leaning forward onto the boat's railing. Caldera rises on the horizon, only a half hour away by their boat, and Chika's warm weight is comforting on his boots.
"Yeah, Ty Lee. It was crazy." Ty Lee smiles up at him with this, and the guilt stewing in him bubbles to the surface. "Listen…"
"Hm?" She tilts her head at him curiously. "What is it, Hiro?"
"Last night, I got really angry at Azu- at the Princess, and I could tell you were scared. I'm sorry about that, I really hate getting angry but it just happened…"
Ty Lee wilts a bit. "Oh. Yeah, that." She brightens then, a glowing smile back on her face. "It's fine! Being angry is a part of life, everyone feels it. If you bottle up your emotions, your aura gets all gray and dingy. "
Hiro's brow creases in confusion. "My aura?"
"Of course! Everyone has an aura; it's like what you feel, but in your spirit. For example…" She points at Zuko. "Zuko's is usually really black and angry, and it makes me sad. But today it's all red, which is great!"
Hiro chuckles, and she beams at him. "Hey Ty Lee, what's my aura like?"
She looks him up and down, thinking. "Yours is a nice bright yellow, like the sun. It's so warm!" Hiro smiles and wraps an arm around her shoulder, closing his eyes to savor the warmth of friendship.
"Am I interrupting something?"
Hiro turns his head sharply, which sets off the tightness in his chest in a chain reaction. He bends over and hacks into his sleeve painfully, but two hands gently pat his back, one calloused and one dainty. He looks up to see both Ty Lee and Zuko staring at him with concern. "Of course not. You want in on the hug?" He spreads his other arm wide, and the prince flushes.
"Of course not! I was just wondering if I could have a word with you?" Zuko's good eye flicks suspiciously to Ty Lee, who just grins and bounces away to Azula and Mai. Zuko closes the distance to Hiro, leaning on the railing next to him and gazing at the city approaching.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Hiro gives Zuko a questioning glance, and the prince's brow furrows.
"I know I shouldn't be thinking like this, but something doesn't feel right. Why would my father send you of all people to guard me on a vacation? He knows that I don't need an escort- no offense of course," he adds, panic rising on his face.
"None taken, Zuko. I get what you're saying." Hiro quickly soothes. "I admit, it is pretty suspicious. The Fire Lord's not a dumb man, everything he does is calculated. So why would he send me?"
"It has to be something to deal with you," Zuko continues. "He wouldn't have sent anyone usually, so the variable is you. What could he possibly want you out of the way for?"
"Wait." Hiro feels sick. "Zuko, you don't think…"
"Hiro?" Zuko turns to face him, concern creasing his scarred face. "What is it? What do you think?"
"Iroh." The word whooshes out, and Zuko sags. "I'm the one who fought off the assassin, but what if it wasn't a rogue firebender? What if the Fire Lord wanted Iroh dealt with permanently?"
"Uncle has a lot of supporters. He's friends with everyone, the civilians love him! Why would Father have him killed?" Zuko whispers, keeping his voice down to avoid drawing attention to their discussion.
"Exactly. Why publicly execute a man who the people love when you can just hire someone to do it discreetly?"
The two of them take a moment to absorb the new knowledge, and Zuko meets Hiro's gaze with a panicked eye.
"D-Do you think…"
"General Iroh is a strong man," Hiro assures. "And after all, if you and I can take out an assassin, so can some of the other guards. Still, we should check on him just to be sure. Just in case…"
The sentence hangs in the air, and Hiro feels the tightness in his chest grow.
"How will we get in?" Zuko whispers, arms clasped across his chest.
"Don't worry, I've got a plan." Hiro coughs out into his sleeve. "Just follow my lead…"
…
"Hey Hiro, what brings you here?" The guard asks, writing something down on a piece of paper.
"I'm here to see my father." Hiro says shortly, and the guard looks up in surprise.
"Uh, of course! And who's your friend?"
"This is my long-lost brother… Lee! Yeah, Lee."
The guard blinks in confusion. "Wasn't that fella you showed around last week named Lee too?"
"No, that was Li. This is Lee! Big difference." Hiro emphasizes, and the guard shrugs.
"Whatever you say," he mutters, and gestures toward the prison cells. Hiro thankfully leads Zuko down the hall, but freezes when the guard stands again.
"Let me escort you there, it's protocol. Got to stick to the rules, eh?" The guard walks over and begins to lead them, and a pit drops in Hiro's stomach.
"Yeah. Sure. Whatever." Hiro and Zuko follow after the guard, and Zuko tugs at Hiro's arm.
"I didn't know your- uh, our father was here. Why didn't you tell me?" The tone is faintly accusatory, and Hiro swallows dryly.
"I just didn't think it was important, okay? Besides, I'm not exactly proud of it." Hiro muscles past Zuko and strides ahead, ignoring the prince following after him.
The guard leads them to a basic prison cell, opening the door with a key from his belt. He gestures with one hand to the now ajar door. "Go on ahead, I'll wait out here."
Hiro sighs and drags Zuko into the room, closing the door behind them.
The air is stale and rank, and the room is the same. A steel cage, designed to hold a non-bender, takes up most of the room, while a small stool sits in the corner. The cage itself hold a small straw cot and a small table, proof of good behavior.
On the cot sits a ragged lump in tattered clothes, facing the wall and away from them.
"...father?" Hiro whispers, but in this prison of stone the words seem louder than a shout.
The lump becomes a man and scrambles to his feet, rushing at the bars with desperation. A rugged, unkempt face stares at Hiro, wild eyes set into sunken holes.
"Hiro? My boy! You're here!" The man cheers, his eyes unfocused.
"Yeah, dad. I'm here." Hiro keeps his eyes on the floor, until Zuko steps forward and gently touches his shoulder.
"Who is this?" The man demands, arms desperately grabbing for Hiro but just falling short.
"He's a friend, dad." Hiro turns to face Zuko, who gives him a supportive squeeze on the shoulder. He's obviously confused, but going with it.
"Son, do you have any-"
"No, dad!" Hiro snaps, jabbing a finger at his father. "No, I don't have any of those drugs. I don't know how you keep getting them, but it needs to stop. Now."
"Hiro, Hiro, my boy…" The man licks his cracked lips. "I need it, son. You don't understand, I need it. Hashish keeps me going, it helps me!" Hiro stares into the twin holes of despair and desperation, and resists the urge to put his fist through the wall.
"No, dad. It's killing you, and you need to stop." Hiro protests, turning away. The man's pleas become screeches of anger and frustration, and Zuko drags Hiro out the door before he can do something he'll regret later.
Hiro takes a moment to collect himself, focusing on the breath flowing unsteadily through his scarred lungs until his chest rises and falls as steadily as it can. He opens his eyes and turns to Zuko, who stares at him with confused golden eyes.
"What was that all about?" He asks, and Hiro scuffs his boot on the ground.
"Do you know what hashish is, Prince Zuko?" Zuko shakes his head, and Hiro sighs.
"Well hashish, or hash, is a narcotic produced in the swamps, it's very popular on the streets and in the slums. The Fire Lord had a huge crackdown on drugs a while ago, so it's very hard to smuggle in, but I'll be damned if it isn't profitable. I should know; my father trafficked it for a few years, until he got caught and ended up here."
"My dad's not exactly all there in the head. Hash will do that to you, and he's been on it for years now. " Hiro glances over at the guard, who bows his head respectfully and walks away after locking the door. "I want to help him, but I can't do it myself," he adds quietly.
"I'm sorry that you had to see him, I wish we could have found another way to see Iroh." Zuko's gaze is sad, but Hiro shakes his head.
"It was the only way. Anyway, we should be moving on to your uncle. I don't want to slow us down with my personal issues." Hiro moves on, making his way to where Iroh's cell is, but he can feel Zuko's gaze burning into his back.
But nevertheless, his prince follows closely behind him, and they sneak their way over to the firebender cell block.
Hiro unlocks the cell with his own set of keys, and tentatively opens the door. While he's no stranger to death, even he dreads to think about what could have happened while they were gone. Zuko immediately slips through the doorway, and Hiro follows close behind.
The sliver of light from the hallway illuminates a hunched form in the cell, leaning against the wall in a rather worrying heap. Hiro immediately fears the worst, for surely even the great General Iroh would be unable to face an armed assassin while locked in a firebender's cage.
"Uncle?" Zuko whispers, and to Hiro's surprise the figure moves, a gaunt head turning toward them.
"Prince Zuko? Why are you here?" Iroh asks from the floor, and as he moves into a cross-legged position Hiro gets a glimpse of toned muscle.
"We thought Father's assassins had killed you! It made sense; he sent Hiro and I away, leaving you open for an attack. What happened?" Zuko declares, his voice agitated.
"It's true that my brother sent a man to end me. However, I made him think that I was crazy, like the prison had gotten to my brain, and he left me alone. While a battle may be won with a sword, the war is won with cunning." Iroh informs, and Hiro takes a moment to digest the words of wisdom.
"He might have thought that seeing you in disgrace would convince the commoners to lose support for you, instead of killing you and making you a martyr. Acting insane was smart, and thanks to the visit earlier he's seen it himself." Hiro muses, and Zuko gives him an odd look.
"Visit?"
"I'll tell you about it later. I'm glad you're okay, General Iroh. We feared the worst when we realized what might have happened." Hiro bows before the seated ex-general, who nods in return.
"And you, Prince Zuko?"
Iroh's question hangs in the air, heavy as the stone surrounding them. Zuko bristles, and for once Hiro can see the uncertainty in his eyes up close.
"I don't need you, Uncle." Zuko responds shortly, and spins on one heel to storm out of the cell.
"Zuko-" Hiro reaches out and grabs one of Zuko's hands as he leaves, but in an instant the hand is pulled out of his grasp and Zuko's eyes burn with fire.
"Don't touch me." The prince hisses, and Hiro shrinks back in surprise. With a huff, Zuko stomps out of the room, and Hiro is left despondent.
"Again, I am sorry that my nephew is rather abrasive. It is in his nature; he constantly struggles for balance within himself, and he takes the stress out on others." Iroh speaks, and Hiro turns his gaze to the man on the floor.
"Actually, I've been finding more and more that he's a pleasure to be around. Sure, for the first few days he was brash and uptight, but recently he's been opening up more and talking to me."
A craggy smile splits Iroh's face. "That is wonderful! I am very glad to hear that you are getting through to him. I fear that the time for him to choose may be upon us soon, so he may need of you. I myself have been preparing and getting into shape, for my physical prowess has been lacking of late."
Hiro quirks a brow. "What do you mean? 'The time to choose?'"
Iroh looks at the door warily, and then leans closer to the bars. "I need you to do me a favor. My nephew needs guidance, and I will do what I can to provide it from in here. You see, there is a part of Zuko's history that he needs to learn, about what happened with his great grandparents."
Hiro gives him a confused look. "His great grandparents? Where do I fit into this?"
"I need you to deliver a letter to him tonight, secretly, telling him to find the story of the Avatar and the Fire Lord in the Dragonbone Catacombs. I hope that this story will help him realize what he must do in order to be the beautiful prince he has always been, deep down."
Hiro nods. "I can do that, easily. Is that it?"
"There is another task, and this one may prove to be more difficult." Iroh's eyes glint dangerously, and Hiro gulps. "The crown of Avatar Roku, passed onto him by Fire Lord Sozin, supposed to be worn by the Crown Prince, is kept in the Royal Reliquary. Zuko will have need of it soon, and I wish to have it on hand for when he does."
"Let me get this straight. You want me to steal a royal artifact from under the nose of heavily armed guards?" Hiro's mind reels.
"Steal, borrow, whatever you need to do to get it. I am sorry that I must give you such a dangerous task, but desperate times call for desperate measures." A saddened expression crosses Iroh's face as Hiro sets himself down on the floor in front of him, setting his head in his hands as he thinks about what must be done.
"Hiro…" Iroh hesitates. "You are a wonderful young man, and I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for my nephew and I. I wish that things could be different; that you could be enjoying a normal childhood instead of committing treason in a war that never should have started, but fate has a cruel way of twisting things. But you have never," his tone turns fierce, "never lost sight of what is important to you, and that is incredibly admiral."
Hiro wipes away the tears beginning to pool in his eyes with one hand. "Thank you, General Iroh. It's just… I know that the Fire Nation is sick- I see it everywhere, in this damned war and in the way they call the Earth Kingdom people savages. But I don't know where to start! How can I fix anything when I can't even help my own father?!"
Iroh reaches through the bars and rests a wrinkled hand on Hiro's shoulder. "It will be difficult, but if nobody acts when times are tough then change will never happen. It is up to us to spearhead that change, and pave the way for others to follow. Still, I may know someone you can contact about getting help with what you need."
Hiro looks up, confused. "Really? You do?"
"Yes, they might not be able to offer much but they will do what they can." Iroh reaches into his rags and carefully extracts a ceramic tile, which he slides over to Hiro through the cage bars. "Look in the taverns until you find a man with a pai-sho table. You must favor the White Lotus gambit, and he will follow. Once the game is finished, you must show him this tile, and he will know that it is mine. Then, and only then, he may be able to help you."
Hiro gratefully pockets the tile. "Even in prison, you still always find a way to get things done." He stands, and brushes the dust off his pants. "I'll get that crown and that letter delivered, General Iroh, I promise."
"You can call me Uncle if you wish, my boy." Iroh smiles up at Hiro, and for once his heart squeezes in a way that isn't unpleasant at all.
"I promise… Uncle."
…
Hiro marches forward, carefully playing the part of an average Fire Nation guard. Which wasn't hard because, you know, he was an average Fire Nation guard. Chika pulls at the leash in his hand, dutifully sniffing the ground before him and aggressively straining forward.
"Halt! Who goes there?" The guard outside the royal chambers calls, and Hiro pulls his helmet further down on his head.
"My armadillo-dog smells Earthbender, so I'd like to do a quick sweep of the royal chambers. If it were serious she'd be barking, but it's better safe than sorry."
The guard looks conflicted. "I don't know… the prince is asleep, and if he's awoken it'll be both our heads."
Hiro huffs. "Well don't blame me if the prince was murdered in his sleep by an Earthbender assassin." He turns to leave, hoping desperately that he was convincing enough, and thankfully the guard calls after him.
"W-Wait! You're right, better safe than sorry. Go on ahead." She unlocks the door for him, and he gratefully breezes past with Chika tugging at the leash convincingly.
Once the door is closed behind him, Hiro sneaks around the corner, careful not to be too loud. He makes his way down the hallway, noting the various names inscribed on the oaken doors as he passes.
He finally makes it to the Zuko door, and ever so carefully eases the door open with nary a sound. Chika plops down outside the door, panting happily, and Hiro begins his 'break-in'.
The Crown Prince chambers are large, comprised of multiple rooms. A large bed lies in a room beyond the woolen carpet consuming the majority of the space, and a slightly smaller couch sits within sight of a moonlit balcony. Dozens of candles sit in circles upon a large wooden table, presumably for meditation, and Hiro can see the peacefully sleeping form of Zuko upon the bed.
Hiro tiptoes over to the table, being ever so careful of the floorboards creaking under his feet. He gently sets the scroll down, and instantly turns to leave, but something on the table next to the candles catches his eye.
He reaches down and picks up a small rubber stamper, emblazoned with the Crown Prince's symbol on one side. A small bottle of ink lies next to it, as do a few papers requiring Zuko's signature for whatever reason.
Hiro pockets the stamper and the ink, for a plan has begun to form in his brain.
A minute later he has dashed out of the room, surely waking the prince as the plan required, and is long gone from the royal chambers before the prince can give chase.
By the time the moon is high in the sky he is before the entrance to the Royal Reliquary, with a scroll clutched tight in his grasp. He'd dropped Chika off at his home before coming, as an armadillo-dog might arouse suspicion.
"Come forward and declare your business, guard." The man at the golden doors orders, keeping one hand on the axe hanging from his belt.
Hiro bows low. "I have come at the request of Fire Prince Zuko, to retrieve a royal artifact. He desires to wear it as a display of the Fire Nation's eloquent history, and I am simply here to get it for him." He hands the man the scroll, praying that his forgery would be good enough.
The man inspects the document, giving Hiro an appraising look, before waving him through.
"Let him in! We'll be inspecting you on the way out." Hiro nods wordlessly and marches into the Reliquary.
Tables and shelves take up the majority of the floor, covered from end to end with all sorts of relics. From old Sun Warrior masks to crystal dragon statues, the Royal Reliquary holds all manner of artifacts.
Hiro finds his way into the 'Fire Lord Sozin' section, carefully making his way around cluttered tables and overflowing baskets.
Avatar Roku's dragon scales, the Sword of Sozin, Lavabending: The Forbidden Art… oh, there it is!
Sitting on a dusty shelf is the artifact he's been looking for; a small, unassuming Fire Nation crown with a built-in hairpin. Hiro snatches it up, carefully wrapping it in a clean cloth and holding onto it with two hands.
"Everything seems to be in order. Tell the prince to send it back whenever he decides that he's done with it." The guard orders again, and Hiro nods furiously.
"Of course, of course. Thank you so much!" Hiro skips off into the night, incredibly grateful to the world that no blood was spilt.
Sneaking it into Iroh's cell was a piece of cake; he just needed to pretend that he was delivering a message to one of the prisoners from their ex-wife, and he was in without a hassle. Soon enough he was stretched out in his too-small bed in his too-small government apartment, half of the bed taken up by Chika's sheer mass.
As he lays there, one arm buried deep beneath Chika's weight, Hiro fingers the small pai-sho tile with his other hand and resolves to find answers tomorrow, once he's slept off the excitement of the past few hours.
And he's just managed to fall into a light sleep when Chika's ears perk up and a loud knock pounds at his door.