Solis & Luna

Or

The Cold Sun


Andiroo- Chasemycars- thank you for your enthusiasm for my story and for your honesty- please don't lose it if you continue to review.

For all of you who have put this on your favorites and alerted this story- YAY. My gratitude is endless

P.S. Disclaimer here.


Chapter 2: A New Night

Zuko breathed in the twilight that was gracing his nation. A gentle breeze that carried the smell of soft perfume, the garden below, and spiced meat from the kitchen drifted across his face, caressing the strands of hair that fell loose from his imperial knot.

The Fire Lord opened his eyes, his peacefully molten eyes gazing upon a sky of an endless soft blue that stretched and hung behind the fire of the sun and the pale face of La. Zuko leaned heavily on the railing of the balcony, tightening his grip in response to the cold breeze and the frustration he was feeling.

Dragging his gaze across the roof tops that faintly radiated a soft red glow in response to the dying sun, he finally rested his restless eyes upon the vivaciously colored specks of the towns people spattered in the distance. He never walked among his people anymore or any kind of 'common' people.

He did not eat his dinner at the table of a kind family, but ceremoniously ingested fine foods carefully designed to please the subtle palate. He did not wander the streets alive with vibrant colors and people, he wandered empty halls- that is if he was given the time to wander anywhere. Passing nameless advisors or gentry that prostrated themselves before him no matter his insistence otherwise did not qualify as human interaction. It seemed as if no one would look him in the eye anymore.

Zuko straightened, an idea coming to him in a rush of euphoria. He felt no trepidation for what he was considering in fact, as he began to shed his outer robe, he was feeling as if he just discovered a way to freedom. He was giddy just thinking about what he was about to do.

As his robe and ties and other ceremonious garb was discarded on the ground he was left standing in the chill of night, grinning, just feeling simply alive in his leggings and his under yukata. The freshness of the feeling wore off as logic wormed its way through to his thought process- it wasn't like he could hide his face, and the clothes that he was wearing were going to be much finer than any of the things people wandering the street might have. He would be immediately noticed and thusly discovered by his retinue, and then he would be back to square one.

He thought for a moment more going through things, stubbornly trying to find away around the blasted problem of discovery. It would be a pain to redress himself, just one more reason why he was unwilling to let this thrill slip between his fingers. Irritated he thought 'Those hideous things are off anyway- why were they so elaborate tonight of all nights?'

Glee overtook him again and he leaped on the railing of the sweeping balcony with practiced fluidity.

'There's a festival tonight, and that means masks, and that means reason to wear ridiculous clothing.'

Zuko always felt the palace clothing to be ridiculous now that he was actually required to wear traditional garb. Traveling - clothing always seemed simpler. With one last deep breath of the new night, he tensed his thighs and leaned forward into the sky and jumped off the sweeping balcony, leaving his constraints behind him.

Zuko crouched on the palace walls looking for a way to get down with out breaking his legs. He could always stab his blades into the wall but that would damage the blades, and give great tracking material to the people who might come looking for a supper skipping lord. The mask he wore in stead of the Blue Spirit was emblazoned with gold scales and red enamel, forming a sort of pattern that could be interpreted as a dragon. Zuko looked left and then looked right… and then looked down.

"Ehhh…"

'I'll just go down a bit more.'

It was at times like these that he missed Aang. He knew he wouldn't have been bored at the palace if Aang was there. The work would have gone by twice as fast- perhaps three times as fast if Aang didn't like the mountains of paperwork and had it accidently blow away. The last time he had come though was a month ago, just in time for a huge banquet to be thrown in his honor and ending just in time for a riot to break out on an outskirt town. Zuko couldn't personally attend himself- he had to deal with the repercussions here. Representatives from that district were at each others throats- not literally that would just be improper. Zuko snorted in disgust. For all of the hot tempers supposedly living in the fire nation, temper- and any other emotion that was deemed 'unreasonable'- sure seemed scarce in the palace.

Any passion felt towards anything whether it be an important matter of state or an insignificant settlement of a dispute not was usually smushed by the overwhelming face of fat apathetic indifference.

It got old. Zuko saw a tree minding it's own business near the wall and decided that that was a good as place as any to get down.

At first it was good. It was better than good, it was the best time of his life. He had Mai; their sessions together were usually spent telling the other that they didn't hate each other ( a privet joke then ) and kissing. He wanted something more. Well…that would have been ok then, but it became a problem for him to enjoy her company after he tried discussing something that actually mattered. She had shut him out so many times and her eyes shifted away from intoning something like "This bores me," or "Can we talk about something interesting for once?" As his responsibilities became more clear and once the chaos of reorganization settled just enough for some foundations to be erected once again his stress became greater and soon he found he couldn't do anything right by her. Nothing that he had to say was interesting, nothing he did to make it up to her was nice or sweet or appreciated.

"What do girls want anyway?" He muttered as he perched in the trees branches.

He thought of Sokka and his self proclaimed 'skills with the feminine species.'

Zuko casually suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, and thought 'Well a moon princess and a warrior love him so I guess he has something.'

He then smirked. He thought at one point Toph may have liked Sokka. He pondered on her for a moment, trying harder to concentrate on getting on the ground rather than trying to recall facts about her whereabouts. He landed on the ground with a dusty thump and minimal discomfort. He darted forward to escape notice of the patrol men, and took an inconspicuous ally into the center of town. However irritating his nickname was he missed her blunt honesty and capricious nature. Alright- so maybe the capricious part he would be happy to never see again- what was it with girls and capriciousness? Even Katara- who was rather sensible- he thought 'when she isn't overcome with emotion' was capricious sometimes.

Then the sounds of drums and music and happy gleeful shouts and drunken roars reached his ears, and he was awash in the sights and sounds of the city; of his city.

He smiled through the mask.

'Katara would love this,' he thought off-handedly. He thought of his last letter to Katara- thanks to a jealous Mai. It was an angry letter, and one he probably shouldn't have even written, but if Mai would just listen or even give him the time of day.

Zuko stopped at a stand that was selling Spiced chicken-fish and bought a few sticks. 'She probably doesn't even care, really.' He had felt bad about sending the rant, but there was nothing he could do.

No it wasn't true. She does really care. Katara wouldn't do something out of ingrained polite protocol. He needed to get away from this place.

Perhaps he would just stay until the dawn and catch a ship to the earth kingdom. Surely one of his viziers could control things while he was gone for a week or so? That's why he had- what was it again- a steward, right? The fire nation did have something like that right? He chewed thoughtfully on his food while passing a puppet booth- a story of the Sun and Moon and the reason for this celebration- and decided that he was going to enjoy himself here. He smiled behind the mask as he caught a kid staring.

"Want some?"


So thus did Lord Zuko sit and watch a puppet show.