"Zendina," he said finally. "The only daughter of Katsu and Usha, the leaders of the rebel group, Agni Baghi."
She had followed him in silence for what seemed like an hour before he finally spoke. But just as she was about to besiege the old man with questions, they arrived at small clearing that was clearly set up as a very simple camp; a small bed of twigs already prepared under a tea-pot, which he threw flames at as he sat down and gestured for her to follow.
"I know you probably didn't expect for me to know who you are," he said slowly. "But when your parents were put to death by my brother, well, at that time I was very involved in the political affairs of my Nation."
"But I was only a child..." the words fell from her lips as she fought the memories of fleeing her own Nation at nine years old.
"And that was the reason there was never any official pursuit, why they never bothered tracking you down. My brother, he believed that you would die before you ever made it to the Earth Kingdom."
"Then how was it you knew who I was, if the Fire Lord thinks I have been dead for the last seven years?" Zendina knew she was probably betraying herself by speaking so freely, but he already knew who she was, so what else had she to lose?
She waited for his reply as he poured them both tea, handing her a cup, and then reaching into his sleeve. He placed the same White Lotus tile he had briefly flashed to her in the woods on the ground between them. She sipped the tea and waited for an explanation.
"Your parents were not just leaders of the Agni Baghi, but members of the White Lotus. I was not a member when the Fire Nation killed your parents , but I did learn of your survival not long after I joined."
"What?" she murmured. "The White Lotus has known I have been alive all this time?"
"Of course," Iroh said solemnly.
"And they did nothing? They just left me, as a child, to fend for myself? Wandering for seven years through the Earth Kingdom as a refugee from my own Nation!"
Hot, angry tears had sprung into her eyes and she fought to keep them from overflowing. Her parents had dedicated their lives to the teachings of the White Lotus, their rebel group had been based off these teachings! She had long gotten over the fact that they hadn't been able to save her family from their fate, but they had known she was alive this whole time. Someone, somewhere should have taken her in.
She had spent her first nights on the run absolutely terrified. Of course things had gotten better over time, as she learned trial by fire, making mistakes that could have potentially cost her young life. But knowing that this group of people could have saved her, sparred her so much pain and heartache and hunger and all those sleepless nights, and yet didn't...
"Zendina, you have to understand," Iroh said gently. "They couldn't intervene with destiny."
At his words the angry tears finally spilled over. "Destiny? It was my destiny to suffer? It was my destiny to wander the Earth Kingdom alone, and heartbroken and on the edge of death as a child?"
Iroh looked at the young woman with sadness. "Much like my nephew, you have had to suffer to bring your closer to your destiny. It has been this way for many in the last hundred years. But I can see that your suffering has made you a strong and determined young woman and that is what is the most important."
At the mention of Prince Zuko pushed her over the edge in that moment. "Your nephew and I are nothing alike," she spit with venom. "The banished Prince was pampered in a palace for his whole life, he never knew an ounce of suffering. He had servants to attend to his every whim and a mother and father to take care of him and a sister to love him and he never had to imagine or question what it might be like without them."
As she finished speaking, Zendina downed the last mouthful of her tea, tossing the cup at the old man and stood to leave. Iroh, a man of impeccable manners even when among his enemies, stood as well to bid the vengeful young woman farewell.
"Remember Zendina, my nephew is from a royal family, and they more so than everyone else, are often not as they seem."
But in her anger Zendina didn't even pause. She didn't care if the Prince was less than he appeared. Sure, he had a scar, but didn't she have hundreds? And even more, the scars of the wounds his family had left on her soul? The boy was a Prince, and so, banished or not, he would always be loved by someone. His uncle Iroh trailing him and keeping him safe was proof of that. Zuko had never known true suffering, only inflicted it on her and other people, and she was finished with that. As she left Iroh behind with his tea in that clearing in the woods she knew her plan. Zuko was going to learn suffering, he was going to experience the full extent of what it truly means to have nothing and no one.
It didn't take her long to find her way back to his camp. When she finally arrived though, she found that both he fruit his uncle had left for him, and the Prince himself were gone. She knew it wouldn't be hard to track him and quickly found his path. She could tell he was starving, as she followed the tracks of his ostrich horse she saw the seeds and pits of the fruit left by his uncle scattered on the ground; he hadn't spared a moment to eat, but had moved quickly. She wondered what his rush must be.
As she continued making her way along the Prince's trail a strange shadow passed over her. Something was flying above her, bigger than any bird. She cast her gaze upwards, using her hand to shield the sun from her eyes, but all she could make out was a strange shape flying quickly overhead and disappearing behind the tall trees. The shape had looked almost human, but she shook her head. Some strange type of bird she had yet to find in her travels. For most of her life she hadn't had time for bird watching, or enjoying the scenery of the Earth Kingdom, so who knew what kind of creatures really lurked in these forests. Giant humanoid birds? For all she knew, it was completely possible.
After a few hours of chasing the ostrich horse's tracks, Zendina noticed the landscape was beginning to change. The forest was starting to give way to smooth, dry plains. She recognized some of the shrubbery as that of the badlands, an area just as abundant as the forest if one knew how to use it's plants. It's canyons were also excellent for hiding out. It would make tracking a little bid harder, she admitted to herself, but based on the growing heat, she figured it wouldn't be long before Zuko went looking for a water source.
"It's a good thing I've spent half of my life in the Earth Kingdom wilderness," she muttered to herself as she headed further into West.
It had been a little under an hour before she finally spotted something on the horizon. It wasn't the Prince, but instead a small, deserted looking mining town, backlit but the sun beginning its western descent. She wasn't sure if there would still be water in the wells for herself, but she could bet Zuko would be there. She was actually a bit taken aback at how fast he had moved today. Maybe it was simply renewed vigour from the fruit he had found; he finally had enough energy to get back on the move. But she had a hunch there was another reason I was travelling so quickly all of a sudden. That was when she saw it again.
Just as before, a flying figure passed between her and the sun, casting a shadow on the ground. But this time, there were no trees to block her vision and she saw the distinct figure of a person, gliding through the sky towards the small town. As the figure passed over, white tufts floated down from the sky, landing on the ground in a trail behind the flying figure.
"What in the name of Roku..."
She started to move faster, trying to keep pace with the shadow of the flying figure. After a few moments she broke into a full-blown run; might as well follow it if it was heading towards her destination anyway. It didn't look big though, about the size of an older child, but with wings, somehow. Was this what Zuko had seen? Was this why he was moving so fast? Was he trying to get away from it? As both she, and the figure, approached the desolate town, she saw the figure land. She was right, it was just a boy. But he didn't have wings, it was some sort of flying device, that as he whipped it around in his right hand, the wings disappeared and it became a staff. His clothing was quite strange as well; it didn't appear to be Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation in style, but instead was loose and flowing. Over his left shoulder was a satchel, half filled with what appeared to animal hair. She grimaced, a bit repulsed.
The boy looked exhausted though, as he began to walk through the main road of the town, continuing to make his trail of animal fur. He yawned once or twice, and she saw him glance over his shoulder a few times, prompting her to hide behind buildings as she followed him. Subliminally she was also looking for Zuko, but she was almost as interested in the flying boy, who was now standing in the middle of the town. He dumped the rest of the fur there, and turned, whipping his flying contraption back out. He seemed to look between it, and the fur trail he had just made, ruminating over something in his mind before spinning his device back into a staff and sitting at the end of the stream of white fur.
It was only then that Zendina noticed his tattoos; blue ink that stretched from his forehead, over his crown, trailing down into the back of his strange orange shawl. She could also see similar markings on his hands. It was curious that a child so young would have tattoos, especially such visible ones. They weren't particularly nice tattoos either, they looked to be just simple arrows, although given that they all disappeared beneath his clothing there could always be a more intricate design she couldn't see. She watched him for a few moments, he seemed as if he were waiting for something, or perhaps maybe just trying to nap, she couldn't be sure. But assuming, based on the odd fur trail he had made, there was someone, somewhere who was meant to follow it.
Just then, she heard a shuffling noise behind her, and the unmistakable sound of avian-equestrian feet. So Zuko was here. She pressed herself tighter against the outside of the alleyway, though given that he had no idea who she was or that she was following him, he would likely never even notice her. Instead, she saw him trying to find a hiding spot himself. He did look remarkably restless, she noted. Perhaps he was hiding from the boy? Although, the boy looked no more than eleven or twelve years old, so surely a Fire Prince could handle a pre-teen kid with some boring tattoos. The Prince shifted positions though, moving out of her sight and around a corner. It was almost laughable that he was this scared of a child. She began to move to follow him, knowing that in his fear, this was the perfect time to strike, when a strangle shuffling sound filled her ears. As she peeked around the corner to find the source of the noise the young boy spoke.
"Alright, you've caught up with me. Now who are you and what do you want?"
From her hiding place Zendina couldn't see who the boy was speaking to as the shuffling sound came to an abrupt halt. Instead she heard the sound of someone dismounting an animal. Momentarily forgetting Zuko, she stealthily clambered up some trash heaped into the alleyway, pulling herself up onto a broken balcony and slipping into the shadows so as not to be seen. Now she had a better view of the scene unfolding before her, and a better view of the teenage girl the young boy was talking to.
"You mean you haven't guessed? You don't see the family resemblance?" the girl smirked placing her hand on her hip. The creature she had ridden, a giant lizard of some sort, stood behind her his menacingly.
"Here's a hint," she continued, placing a hand over her left eye. "I must find the Avatar to restore my honor!"
Zendina could see the boy staring blankly at her.
"It's okay, you can laugh, it's funny." The girl's smirk returned.
"So what now?" the boy asked, still seated below Zendina's perch.
"Now? Now it's over! You're tired and you have no place to go. You can run, but I'll catch you."
Despite her young age, she could sense a cruelty in the girl. As if she was relishing in tormenting a child. He had run from her, that much was clear, and maybe he was a bit dangerous, since Zuko was hiding from him, but the girl seemed prepared to do horrible things to this boy, who was still a child, and she refused to believe any child could be that lethal. But at her threat, the tattooed boy finally rose.
"I'm not running."
At that, the girl's smirk turned even more menacing. "Do you really want to fight me?"
Before the boy could even answer, a ostritch horse trotted between them with a figure jumping off it's back.
"Yes, I really do," uttered the banished Prince, tossing his bamboo hat. But Zendina was confused, he wasn't facing the child he was so afraid of. Instead he was facing the teenage girl.
"Zuko," the boy shuddered. Was Zendina the only one not surprised to see him there? He wasn't exactly the most stealthy guy.
"I was wondering when you'd show up ZuZu," the girl teased. She clearly wasn't afraid of his threat. But the nickname? They must know each other.
"ZuZu?" the kid asked, chortling.
As Zuko took a fighting stance he retorted, "Back of Azula, he's mine!"
It clicked then. The girl wasn't just any girl, she was Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. She had heard rumors that the Princess was slightly unhinged, but this girl seemed borderline savage. And quite possibly very dangerous if she had any idea who Zendina was. She knew the Princess to be much more skilled than her older brother, both in combat and survival. But maybe she wouldn't have to worry about Azula, she and her brother clearly didn't have the best relationship, illustrated by the fact that the Prince was currently threatening her.
"I'm not going anywhere," Azula shot back, matching her brother's stance.
In the middle of all of this, Zendina had to wonder what part the young boy played. As the siblings glanced at each other and then at the boy, he too moved into a fighting stance, staff in hand, ready to strike. Even from above them all, hidden in the shadows, Zendina could feel tension and electricity buzzing through the air as they all waited for the first strike. If she had been betting, Zendina would have won, as unsurprisingly, a shot of blue flames flew from the Princess' fingertips towards her brother. He quickly countered it with his own flame, in a move that was both offensive and defensive. As the heat faded from the first strike, Zendina watched the young boy try to flee. He whipped around his flying device and jumped into the air, miraculously gliding away from the fight. But Azula was too quick, she extended her sapphire flames to create a fire whip, slapping the boy right out of his ascent.
As the boy came tumbling from the sky, Azula jumped up on the very same balcony Zendina was hiding on. Not daring to move, she watched as the Princess nimbley swung herself on to the roof of the building, using her height to gain an advantage over both the boy and her brother. What ensued was a seemingly strange fight. Azula attacking the boy and defending herself against the attacks of her brother, while the young boy seemed to manage to extinguish all the flames shot his way. She wasn't sure how the kid was doing it, but between him putting out the flames and Zuko disrupting her attacks with his own, the fight seemed pretty hopeless for the Fire Princess.
The trio disappeared into a hollow building for a few moments, only for the boy to reappear, quickly followed by Azula, who appeared to have knocked out her brother by kicking him through a doorway. Within moments, Azula had the boy pinned down beneath a pile of rubble. She set a blaze to the broken boards surrounding him, as she walked toward him triumphantly, her hand raised, poised for a final strike. Then Zendina noticed two water tribe teenagers join the fight. Even with Zuko knocked out, Azula was up against the boy and his two friend's now, one of which was a water bender. No matter how skilled the Princess might be, she didn't stand a chance this outnumbered.
As the fight continued she noticed Iroh coming to the aid of his nephew, and then, as her gaze shifted back to Azula, she saw the Princess stumble. A small figure emerged from the shadows of an alley; a little Earthbender girl! It was four against one now and Zendina could tell Azula was beginning to panic. As began to run, her uncle stepped into her path, blocking her between two different enemies.
As all six of them began to back the Princess into a corner, Zendina clambered on to the roof of the building, crouching low, but not so low that she couldn't see the fight.
"Well, look at this, enemies and traitors, all working together. I'm done. I know when I'm beaten," Azula admitted, raising her hands above her head in surrender. "You got me. A princess surrenders with honor."
Zendina could feel it again, that tension and electricity in the air. The group below her eyed each other, suspicious at the ease of capture. It was in that split second that Azula struck. Not the tattooed boy, or his companions, and not her brother, but instead her sapphire flames hit her uncle square in the shoulder. Before the old man had even hit the ground, the other five had already unleashed a fury upon Azula. But when the smoke had cleared she was gone. Even from her high vantage point, Zendina couldn't see where the Princess had gone. It was as if she had just disappeared.
It was Zuko's despairing growl that turned her attention back to the old man on the ground. As he shouted at the boy and his friends to get lost Zendina watched Iroh for any signs of life. The female waterbender stepped forward to offer her help, but Zuko only bellowed at her, unleashing flames to ward the group off. She hadn't noticed it, but a few tears had begin to run their course down her cheeks. The smoke, she thought, looking at the buildings on fire around her. She slid from the roof she had been roosting on, knowing it soon would be englufed in flames as well, and moved back into the shadows. She knew Zuko needed to move his uncle to a safer place. Something tugged on her heart, for only a brief moment, a moment she would later deny, and after finding the ostrich horse she slapped it's tail feathers, forcing it to run in the direction of the Prince and his uncle. She didn't stay to make sure Zuko caught the creature, or help him load his uncle on to it, she knew he would. Instead she slipped through the shadows and smoke of the burning town, back into the badlands to sift through the events that had just unfolded.