The Earth Kingdom Revisited

Chapter 4 – The Spa Town of Han Yui

Just like the crewman said, within an hour Zuko got his first glimpse of land. Shortly, the ship was docking in the small harbor. Zuko remembered the harbor vividly. It was the scene of yet another humiliation at the hands of his sister, Azula. He had been naïve and desperate enough to believe the girl when she said that their father wanted him home again and that he actually regretted his actions. "Hmmph," snorted the Fire Lord, frowning at the memory. He and his Uncle Iroh were forced to flee, literally running for their lives, after they discovered Azula's plan to take them back to the Fire Nation as prisoners. They had become fugitives, traitors to their nation and had cut off their topknots to symbolize their disgrace and loss of honor. That moment was one of the lowest in Zuko's life.

Focused on his shame and quest to capture the avatar, Zuko never noticed or appreciated the spectacular beauty of the small spa town of Han Yui. The sea was a soothing shade of blue and the harbor was surrounded by huge, white rocks, some rounded and others almost triangular in shape. Beautiful cherry trees covered with pinkish blossoms formed a canopy over the entire spa. The trees were blooming the last time he was here as well. The buildings were Fire Nation in design, white with red roofs. Once the town had been pure Earth Kingdom, but about twenty years before Zuko's first visit there, it had been overtaken by the Fire Nation. A river also runs through the town, its flow providing a soothing background noise in tandem with the ocean's waves.

Giving last minute instructions to his crew, Zuko grabbed his pack and headed up the steep stone stairway to the spa. Piandao followed, carrying his own pack. The crew would restock the ship and then leave, heading for the rendezvous point of Yanhai, another coastal town a few days away by ship. Once at the top, the two men put down their packs and rested briefly, taking in the lovely surroundings.

"Do we have time for a bath and a massage, Zuko," Piandao asked.

"I suppose so. We can stay here tonight and leave early in the morning. I'll see about getting some ostrich horses to ride."

They got up and walked towards the main building, packs across their backs. Zuko approached a desk inside. There was no one about, so the Fire Lord rang the bell for service. An older man dressed in the light pink robe trimmed with darker pink that was standard for this spa appeared quickly.

"May I help you gentlemen?" he inquired politely.

"Yes," Zuko replied. "We would like a cabin for the night, please."

The man looked up quickly searching Zuko's face. "Haven't I seen you here before, sir?" he asked curiously.

"I was here last year with my uncle."

"Oh, yes, I remember. Your uncle was a wonderful guest, so polite and cheerful."

Zuko snorted. "Unlike me, you mean."

Flustered, the older man replied, "No, I didn't mean that at all, sir."

"It's alright," Zuko laughed. "I was probably a jerk. That was a very difficult period in my life and I'm afraid I took that out on a lot of people. I promise that I will be the perfect guest this time."

"You won't get any trouble from me," Piandao added.

"Wait a minute," said the spa attendant. "You're Fire Lord Zuko, aren't you? After you left last year, your sister, Princess Azula threatened us with death if we harbored you or your uncle. She declared you both fugitives and traitors. You and the avatar ended the war. He defeated your father and you defeated your sister." He bowed respectfully. "It is an honor, sir."

"Thank you," replied Zuko, flushing slightly. "The avatar and I had a lot of help ending the war. A lot of great people were involved. This man right here," Zuko pointed at Piandao, "was part of a group that retook Ba Sing Se for the Earth Kingdom. His name is Master Piandao."

The old man bowed to Piandao. "Thank you too, sir. I must tell you both that not everything is perfect here in the Earth Kingdom. Many people are dissatisfied with the Fire Nation's reparations. And many are unhappy to still have Fire Nation troops in our country."

"I want to know how people feel. That's partly why I made this journey to the Earth Kingdom. Here is where I finally saw the war for what it really was, nothing more than a tyrannical Fire Lord bullying and terrorizing the world under the pretense of bringing our so-called 'greatness' to everyone. I love my nation. But for 100 years, it was dishonorable and violent. I'm working hard to change that. My people have been taught all their lives that the war was good and right for the world. It will take time to undo that teaching. And it will take time to rebuild cities and villages, reestablish trade between nations and forge good relations."

"I'm on your side, but know that not everyone is."

"I understand," Zuko replied. "And please, could you keep our identity secret."

"Certainly, sir, I'll show you to your cabin."

"Oh," exclaimed the Fire Lord. "We'll need two ostrich horses tomorrow. We need to get to our next destination quickly. Walking won't do."

"They'll be here tomorrow morning, sir."

The spa attendant showed Piandao and Zuko to a secluded cabin. They requested that meals be brought to the cabin so they could eat in privacy.

"I don't know about you, Zuko, but I'm going to get a massage," Piandao said to the Fire Lord.

"Go ahead," Zuko replied. "I'm going to stay here for now. Maybe I'll go for a walk later."

"Do you think it's wise for you to walk around alone, especially if some people are not exactly happy with you or the Fire Nation right now?" Piandao asked concern in his voice.

"I'll wear this hat and put on the spa clothes. No one will notice me."

"Fine," stated Piandao flatly. "But be careful. I don't want to face Mai if you get hurt or killed walking around a spa."

Zuko grinned. "Well, I wouldn't want to put you in that position so I'll be especially careful and bring my knife as well."

The two men parted ways, promising to meet again at the cabin for dinner in a few hours. Piandao headed off to the spa while Zuko lay down on one of the beds. He pondered what the spa attendant had said. Zuko was fully aware that some discontent existed in the Earth Kingdom. But he was not aware of its extent and that worried him. How could he possibly make everyone trust the Fire Nation again after one hundred years of tyranny? "I'll just have to continue doing what I'm doing. And Aang will have to continue his work. Hopefully between the two of us and The Order of the White Lotus, everything will work out happily for everyone in the end," he said to himself.

Deciding to take a walk instead of thinking anymore, Zuko got off the bed and changed into his spa clothes. He left the cabin and followed one of the many winding paths leading away from the spa buildings themselves. The path he randomly chose led into a forested area, dense and dim and at least ten degrees cooler than the air at the spa. He walked aimlessly only meeting one person who did not as much as look up at him. Eventually, the path circled back to the main courtyard of the spa. Zuko decided to take the steps down to the harbor and walk along the water's edge for a bit. Picking up stones and skipping them across the water was relaxing. The young man sauntered back and forth across the small beach, searching for smooth stones and watching as they skimmed the water's surface. His thoughts turned to Mai, as they often did. Zuko walked back up the stairs and to their cabin, composing a letter to Mai in his head as he walked.

Dear Mai,

I've just come back from a walk in the forest and along the beach here at the spa. Piandao is off getting a massage. We're staying the night here and heading off early tomorrow for the next village (I don't recall its name).

I've been thinking about you a lot. I wonder what you're doing now. Are you having dinner alone or with your parents? Are you staying up late or going to bed early? What are you eating? What are you wearing? You get the idea. Piandao's great, but he's no you.

One of the workers here at the spa recognized me from last year. Then he realized that I'm Fire Lord now and proceeded to tell me that many Earth Kingdom citizens are not completely happy with what they've gotten so far and many don't like our troops in their territory even though they are helping to rebuild, not terrorizing people. I can't blame them. You can't wipe out a hundred years of hate in a few months. And we can't change the whole philosophy of our nation in a few months. I'm rambling now……sorry Mai.

Anyway, all that reminds me of General Meng. Has he sent any more nasty letters? We're close to his town of Sen Si. Maybe Piandao and I should go talk with him? I'll ask Piandao what he thinks.

Write soon and let me know how you are. I miss you and I love you.

Zuko

He and Piandao had kept one messenger hawk with them. Zuko rolled up the parchment and sent it off with the eager bird. A few minutes later, Piandao arrived at the cabin looking extremely relaxed.

"You should have gotten a massage, Zuko. I feel great."

"I went for a walk and wrote a letter to Mai. I just sent it off," Zuko stated.

"Ahh," Piandao said knowingly. "You miss Mai, don't you?"

"Very much," Zuko replied a little wistfully.

"Zuko, sometimes a short separation is good for a relationship. You will really appreciate Mai when you do see her again and she will appreciate you."

"I suppose that's true," the Fire Lord said.

"I feel relaxed and also very hungry. How about you, young man? Are you ready for supper?"

"I could eat."

"Fine, I'll go back to the main building and see about having our meal sent over shortly."

The two men ate their meal in relative silence. Eventually, Zuko spoke. "What do you think about making a quick stop in Sen Si? Remember I told you about General Meng and his letter. He's not happy with me and what I've done to help his town rebuild. Maybe I should talk with him face to face."

"Hmmm, I don't know, Zuko. There are a lot more of his men in his town then there are of us. We could be looking for trouble. I understand the desire to talk with him and try to work things out. But he may not be a stable man. And, he may have the whole town backing him up. I think it's better to negotiate where you are safer, preferably back home at the palace."

"Do you think he would try something? I mean, do you think he would try to kill me? What good would that do him? Aang would take care of him as soon as word got out. But who would take the throne….Uncle?"

"Iroh is the only sane member of your family left to take the throne should something happen to you, Zuko. But, we'll do our best to keep you safe. Your leadership is still new. You still have to prove yourself to a lot of people. Whether it's fair or not, the atrocities of your forefathers are on your shoulders now. Like your uncle told you, you and only you can restore honor to the Fire Nation. You can't do that if you're dead. So taking needless risks is out of the question. Send a letter to this General Meng. Invite him to the palace for some private talks. See if you can smooth things over with him. That's my advice."

"Okay," Zuko agreed. "What you said makes sense. We'll avoid Sen Si."

"Good decision. Now let's finish our meal. I'm going to bed early. Those ostrich horses will be ready for us at dawn. I suggest you get to sleep soon too, Zuko."

"I will. We've got a day's ride ahead of us. That's if everything goes well. Then will be in Song's village. I wonder what that will bring," Zuko mused, putting down his chopsticks. He stood up and moved over to his bed, ready for sleep and whatever tomorrow might bring.