REJECTION

Sounds of flame bursts, panting, and quick feet come from the background. Two young men, one shorter and bulky in stature with dark brown hair, the other tall and lanky with black hair are fighting. Fire coming from every which direction, the two quickly maneuver around each other and their obstacles. The palace courtyard was a perfect place to practice their firebending. There was enough space to move around, with trees and the pond, to provide possible cornering opportunities.

"You won't get me this time Iroh" said the tall, lanky Ozai as he launched a flurry of fire balls towards the other brother.

Just as Ozai said this, Iroh landed a kick which knocked Ozai onto the ground. "Better luck next time little bro," Iroh stated between his chuckles.

Ozai got up and wiped the dirt off his clothes and he stormed back to the palace.

"What's wrong little brother? Did it hurt on your way down?!" No longer getting amusement out of harassing his younger brother, Iroh turns to the nearest servant and barks orders for fireflakes. When the servant arrives with the fireflakes Iroh responds with "what took you so long, it is not like it is difficult to get me a plate of fireflakes!" Quickly grabbing the plate out of the servants without looking back, Iroh heads into the palace.

As soon as Iroh steps into the palace, another servant bows in front of him and informs Iroh that "Firelord Azulon wants to speak to you, sir."

"Please tell the FAATTHHERlord, that I am not interested in speaking to him: I have plans," laced with sarcasm, Iroh heads to the main doors to leave the guarded palace, fireflakes in hand.

Outside of the palace is the polar opposite of where Iroh just came from. Rather than lush green gardens, everything being spotless and in order, there was no green, filth, and chaos. Iroh met up with some of his friends, while neither intelligent, they provided Iroh with backup during a good fight.

"Hello Prince Iroh, nice to see you want to hang out with us lowlife today" said Hayato, a small and scrawny young man, slightly older than Iroh. One could not tell by looking at him with his hair disheveled and scars covering his body, but he had some of the quickest hands in the fire nation. Iroh barely won a fight against Hayato a few years back, and the two became allies.

Iroh punches Hayato on the arm, "I denied an audience with my father to see you guys today, let's make the most of it. What do we want to do today?"

Daisuke, the last person who makes up the terrific trio, was the largest out of the group. He had flame red hair and bright yet piercing blue eyes: he was a sight. Iroh and Daisuke joined forces shortly after Iroh befriended Hayato. "Being a prince must be sooo difficult," Daisuke added.

Just then a young lady walked by. The two friends tried to make plans for the afternoon with Iroh, but he was not focused on them, but rather on her. This lady walked with a purpose, and looked like she did not want to be bothered. She had smooth auburn hair which covered her back, gray eyes, and a fierce visage. Her tall and slender physique was the opposite of Iroh's, and he was instantly drawn to her. Without hesitating, he nudged to his friends that he was going to try to flirt with the young lady. Just as he approached her, before he could attempt to say anything, he was abruptly stopped.

"Do not even try. I am not interested," she said with a bite.

"Do you know who I am?!" Iroh asked, shocked that anyone would turn him down!

"Oh I know who you are, you are a bully!" The young lady did not break stride, she kept her eyes focused straight ahead. "I see you attack the towns people with your gang of hooligans. I have no interest in a so called 'man' who has no maturity, let alone, and self-respect." The young lady stormed off, leaving Iroh in awe over the fact that he was left, rejected, in front of his friends, and every other lay person in the general vicinity.

Trying not to laugh, Daisuke offers Iroh the humbling notion of "now you know what it is like to be one of us! We have no royalty card to play here!"

Humiliated, Iroh walks back towards the palace, unsure of whom the young lady was, let alone what to do with himself, now that his friends say this. He went straight to his corridors, and did not leave the entire evening. Regardless of his rejection, when Iroh slept that night, he dreamt of her.

Before dawn, Iroh has decided he needed to leave the Fire Nation; he packed his belonging and left the palace before anyone would be able to stop him. Iroh left a note which stated:

I need to find my honor, I am going dragon hunting. Not sure when I will be back.

-Iroh