Burning Bright
Part V
Zuko stormed into their little apartment moments after he discovered that the Avatar was here in Ba Sing Se. He had said a quick goodbye to Jin before leaving, only looking back to catch the confused and worried expression on her face. Zuko suddenly started feeling guilty. Maybe he should have given her a proper goodbye. He will be leaving the Lower Ring soon. That might have been his last chance to talk to her. He scowled in frustration.
Why did he even care?
He was going home soon. That was all that mattered.
Zuko burst into their living room, his eyes blaring with passion. His head was now buzzing with millions of plans on how he might be able to capture the bison and use it to blackmail the Avatar. He needed to proceed through this matter with utmost caution although he also needed to be efficiently fast. Who knows how long it will take for the Avatar to discover where his bison was? He needed to be faster if he was ever going to be him to the punch.
Iroh noticed Zuko's arrival and gleefully shared his enthusiasm over their new teashop with his nephew. He was completely unaware with Zuko's foul mood.
"So, I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it," Iroh gushed. He immediately wrote it down on a scrap piece of paper. After leaving the teashop, he had spent most of his morning writing down names.
Zuko rolled his eyes and said, "The Avatar's here in Ba Sing Se."
He held the leaflet out for Iroh to see.
"He's lost his bison," he said as Iroh scanned the paper. Iroh took the leaflet from Zuko's hand, his face melding into an unreadable expression. He didn't say a word to his nephew for a long time.
Finally, in a voice ridden with chastisement he said, "We have a chance for a new life here."
Zuko scowled and stomped his way towards the window where he stared at the many buildings and apartments crowded together. What was it with all these people spouting nonsense about starting new lives and leaving everything they once had behind? And what was his uncle implying? That they simply forget about the Fire Nation? Was he insane? You can't just forget things like that. Zuko's head started to pound in anger.
"If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us," Iroh said in a pleading tone. He held his breath as he waited for his nephew's reply.
Zuko spun around to face Iroh, his face clearly irate. In an angry voice he said, "Good things that are happening for you!"
"But you cannot deny that good things are happening to you too nephew. In the past few weeks you have been the happiest I have ever seen you in since your banishment! You are making friends, you are enjoying things for the first time and you are finally acting like a normal teenager! You are at peace Prince Zuko!" Iroh said his voice rising octaves higher with every word.
Zuko scowled when he heard the word 'banishment'. He looked away and heatedly said, "Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea ?"
Iroh sighed and earnestly said, "There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want for your life, and why."
Iroh kept his calm façade but he was bubbling with fury underneath. How could his nephew be so blind? They had a chance to start anew, to get rid of all their past ills and now his nephew was jeopardizing all that over another stupid and impossible bid to win his father's love. Iroh sighed. Sometimes, he thought that guiding Zuko was impossible and that he could only keep his nephew from going astray for so long.
Zuko turned to look outside the window again. He said in a determined voice, "I want my destiny."
"What that means is up to you," Iroh wearily called after him as Zuko left the window.
Iroh winced when he heard Zuko slam the door in his room. He had a feeling it would take more than a few words to convince that boy.
Iroh shook his head and decided for now he'll concentrate on his new teashop.
He began to think up of another name.
"The Tea Weevil!" He frowned and shook his head in disgust. "No, that's stupid."
Zuko spent the last few days in his room making preparations for his upcoming trip. He managed to steal a map of the underground headquarters of the Dai Li and he was now planning possible locations where they might have hidden the bison. Zuko took a brush out and he started marking different rooms where the bison might be hidden.
THUD!
Zuko winced.
For the past few days his uncle has been busy with preparations of his own. He had started going to the Upper Ring to inspect their new teashop, he went to different woodshops to look at their tables and chairs and he also started creating the menu. He had tried to unsuccessfully get his nephew involved but Zuko was adamant with his plot to retrieve the bison.
THUD!
He started marking possible exit routes.
THUD!
Zuko growled. What was that stupid noise! Zuko shook his head. He has to remain focusedif he will ever pull this off. He looked at the map. He already plotted through the escape route. All he needed to do know was to figure out what to do once he actually had the bison out.
THUD!
He needed a big space where he might be able to hide that thing. Maybe he could use the coal mines. He scowled. No. That was dumb. Jin would never let him use it if she found out. She wouldn't understand.
THUD!
Maybe he should find the Avatar first then blackmail him that…He stopped that train of thought. It sounded too stupid.
THUD!
What was that noise? He can't concentrate with all this noise!
THUD!
"Would you keep it down!" Zuko yelled as he slammed his sliding doors open.
His cheeks immediately burned in embarrassment after seeing who was in their living room.
He Shen was there, the liuqin slung on his back as always, his hair falling all over his face despite having a topknot. He was trying to carry their kitchen table but he would often stagger from the weight. Every so often he would accidentally drop the table causing it to make a thudding noise. Iroh stood in the corner, calmly sipping a steaming cup of tea.
And beside his uncle stood Jin.
Zuko suddenly felt a sick feeling in his stomach. He was a little afraid to face her after the harried and rude way he left her. He carefully watched her reaction and was relieved to find out that she was not mad at him. She flashed him a bright smile. Zuko sighed. Of course. She never got angry. Sometimes he found that frustrating. It made him feel guilty even when he didn't really do anything wrong.
"Hey it's Li, man! Hi dude!" Shen started waving his hand enthusiastically. Zuko returned a reluctant wave.
"Nephew! It's nice of you to join us," Iroh jovially said as He Shen successfully managed to lug the table past their door. He then gently dropped it making a slight noise before resting his elbow. His breathing was short and labored.
"Sorry about the noise, man. Your tables are heavy," He Shen said as he breathed in and out.
"What are you doing here?" Zuko demanded before he could stop himself.
Jin still kept her bright smile on but Iroh's face fell. He glared at his nephew and quietly chastised, "Li! Stop being rude to our guests!"
"Your uncle gave He Shen a job," Jin smiled. Despite his foul mood, Zuko couldn't stop himself from smiling back at her.
"So where have you been man?" He Shen piped up from his place.
"Huh?"
"I mean I haven't seen you around anymore. Did you and my sister break up?" He She playfully asked.
Jin glared at her brother while Zuko desperately tried to stop himself from bursting out another unnecessary and offensive comment. Iroh seemed to notice this because he immediately started explain He Shen and Jin's presence in their apartment.
"Jin's wonderful brother has agreed to help us bring all our furniture to the Upper Ring. And without charge too!" Iroh cheerfully told him.
"Oh."
"And since you have decided to lock yourself up in your room for the past few days, the lovely miss Jin was kind enough to accompany me as I searched for various ornaments to decorate our shop and apartment," Iroh said putting emphasis on the fact that he had not come out of his room for days. Zuko glared at his uncle but Iroh merely shrugged.
"You should have seen your new apartment Li! It looks so beautiful!" Jin exclaimed.
"Yeah, it's fully loaded!" He Shen said as he went down the stairs. Zuko could hear the loud, thudding noises the table was making as He Shen carried the table downstairs.
"You've been to our new apartment?" Zuko asked in surprise. His uncle did invite him to go there yesterday but he had declined in favor of going to the marketplace to buy materials he might need for his venture to capture the bison.
"Yeah, your uncle showed us around yesterday," Jin said.
"It was my pleasure," Iroh said as he bowed his head. He Shen came back to their living room where he started carrying all their kitchen wares. He piled their pots and pans into his hands.
"And guess what nephew?"
"What?" Zuko asked through gritted teeth. He wondered if his uncle was about to make him feel even guiltier for not helping him with the teashop.
"Jin has also invited us to her house for lunch!" Iroh said.
He Shen jerked his head up and nearly dropped everything he was carrying.
"She did what?"
"I invited them over to our house for dinner," Jin informed him as she rolled her eyes.
"Are you trying to poison them?" He Shen demanded. Zuko thought that he was joking but by the tone and inflection of his voice—he sounded extremely serious.
"Jin is the worst cook ever! Ever!" He Shen said. He made wild gestures with his free hand.
Iroh chuckled and he lightly commented, "I'm sure that you are exaggerating—''
"I'm not making this up, man! She either undercooks or overcooks everything!" He Shen said his voice becoming more and more hysterical.
Jin frowned and said, "That's not true—''
"Once she tried to cook fish and when she served it to us it was still moving! I swear it was swimming in the sauce!"
Jin weakly argued, "It didn't move! It sort of slipped from the sauce—''
"And did you know that she burned water? I'm serious! She burned water," He Shen said.
Jin lightly slapped his arm.
"Stop scaring Li and Mushi!" she said as He Shen gave a mock flinch.
"Rest assured, Jin, I am not frightened in the least bit," Iroh said good-naturedly as he patted Jin's back. He then added, "I am sure that you are a wonderful cook."
He Shen made a gagging noise.
This made Iroh laugh.
Jin and He Shen cheerfully laughed with Iroh.
Zuko watched them as they continued to laugh, their eyes twinkling as they invited Zuko to join their mirth. He watched Jin and He Shen laugh. They had the same kind of laughter. Outrageous but at the same time it wasn't too flamboyant. Jin and He Shen were alike in so many ways but they were also very different. They were both carefree, fun-loving and nothing ever seems to shake them. They handled everything with a smile. But Jin seemed more grounded and determined while He Shen was more aloof. Jin took her responsibilities seriously while He Shen's main responsibility was to sing and "spread joy and happiness."
He thought about Azula and him and how both of them were eerily similar but so different at the same time. They were both domineering and arrogant and they always need to get what they want. But at the same time Azula was so much better than him in many ways which was why they were so different. Azula always got what she wanted. He had to fight to get anything done his way. He involuntarily clenched his jaw.
"Hey would you mind being the one to bring all this stuff to the Upper Ring today? Mr. Yong just called up. Says he needs something done," He Shen said. Jin took a few of the pots and ladles from his hand.
"Yeah, it's fine with me," Jin said as He Shen started making his way downstairs. Jin then turned to look at Zuko.
"Maybe you would like to come with me Li? You'll be able to see your new apartment," Jin said.
Zuko, who was deep in thought, jerked his head up after realizing that Jin was talking to him. His uncle however decided that he would answer for Zuko. Again. He wrapped a hand around Zuko's shoulders and said, "He'd love to!"
Zuko frowned and nodded.
He has a voice, you know.
He didn't need his uncle to answer for him all the time.
And truth to be told he would have yes with or without his uncle's prodding.
…
Zuko wondered how they will able to transport all of their things to the Upper Ring but his question was quickly answered when he saw what was waiting for them downstairs. An emu-horse that was fastened to a cart stood waiting on a corner. Most of their things were neatly piled up in the back. He Shen took the kitchen wares from Jin's hands where he carefully arranged them. He then bid the two of them goodbye, singing a song loudly as he disappeared around the corner.
For some reason Jin looked excited. She hopped onto the cart seat and patted the space beside her, motioning Zuko to sit with her. Zuko climbed onto the cart and sat with her.
"I hope you will like your new apartment. I chose most of its decorations," Jin said as she tried to keep the rearing emu-horse at bay.
"I'm sure you did great," Zuko assured her. He tried to help her calm the emu-horse. "Is this yours?"
Jin looked up and said, "What?"
"The emu-horse."
"Oh no! Your uncle rented it. His name is Jasmine," Jin said. She finally sat back as the emu-horse stopped kicking around. She gave a small tug at the reins, sending the emu-horse forward.
The emu-horse clopped its way to the Upper ring.
"Jasmine?"
"What?" Jin giggled.
"You said it was a 'he'," Zuko stated.
"I told your uncle that but he was adamant in keeping the name. He said it's named after your new teashop," Jin said. They passed through the crowd-filled streets of Ba Sing Se. Everyone parted once their cart and emu-horse passed through. He noticed that Jin had a slight difficulty navigating through the crowds of people and through the many stalls parked in the road.
"He has a name already?" Zuko asked in surprise. When he last left his uncle, Iroh was still busy thinking up of different names.
"Your new teashop is named The Jasmine Dragon. I think that it's a really good name," Jin said as they turned around the corner.
"Yeah….I guess so. It's dramatic and poetic and stuff, right?" Zuko mumbled.
"Me and He Shen came up with names too. But they were either stupid and or just plain silly," Jin said.
They were both talking amiably but Zuko noticed that there was much tenser and deeper undercurrent in their conversation. It was as if the two of them knew what they really wanted to talk about but they couldn't bring themselves to start the conversation up. They were pretending that everything was fine and that nothing is different. They were pretending as if it was back to those times where he was just Li—the boy who liked to go around Ba Sing Se, the boy who liked to eat Snow skins, the boy who didn't care about anything else in the world.
But he wasn't Li anymore.
He was Zuko, once again. The boy who had his goals and who had his destiny to fulfill. He was so deep in his thought that he didn't notice Jin looking at him with an odd look.
"I missed you," Jin commented.
"Huh?"
"You've been gone for days. Your uncle wouldn't tell me what you were doing. He just keeps telling me that you were busy. I missed those times where we would just hang around Ba Sing Se."
"I missed those times too," Zuko admitted. He felt so peaceful during the days where he had no other concerns than brewing tea and cleaning up tables. He missed all those times where he was with a person who didn't know anything about his miserable life. He missed all those times where no one was trying to kill him in his sleep. He wanted to keep those times with him.
But he can't. He had a destiny to fulfill.
"Li?"
"Huh?"
Zuko looked at Jin.
"How are you?" she asked. Her voice sounded light and conversational but Zuko saw that she looked extremely concerned.
"Fine," he muttered. He avoided looking at her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I said I'm fine!" Zuko snapped. Jin moved back but she held her gaze defiantly.
"Okay…okay….I get it. I'm just….worried."
"You don't need to be worried," Zuko grumpily said. Why did Jin always have a way with getting under his skin? He stared at her haplessly. He just wished that she would stop. He wished she would stop caring about him so much. It was so stupid. She barely even knew him.
"I think I need to be. You're so…..differently lately," Jin persistently said. Zuko frowned at her.
"How so?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"I don't know," Jin said as she looked away.
He wanted her to drop it. He just didn't want to talk about it right now. Jin however, was being annoyingly stubborn and determined as usual.
"The new teashop isn't anything exciting to me at all. I hate tea," Zuko sighed defeated. That was true. He did hate tea and that stupid new shop.
"What are you talking about? It's extremely exciting! You and Mushi are moving into the Upper Ring! Most people wait for their whole lives to get a chance like this," Jin cheerfully said.
"I don't care. I want to have more things in life than living in the Upper Ring and having a nice apartment!" Zuko grumpily said.
"But what more could you ask for?" Jin asked. She looked at him seriously.
"You wouldn't understand," Zuko said in a hard voice. He looked away from her.
Jin chose to ignore the fact that Zuko had just been extremely rude and cold to her. She continued in a firmer voice, "I know what it's like to start all over again. To leave everything you have once known and to just begin from scratch. It's tiring. It's draining. But it's also uplifting. Li, you and your uncle have almost done it. You're on your way to rebuilding your lives again."
Zuko felt guilty. He remembered that Jin has been here for five months already and she was still probably living in the same shoddy apartment with lousy plumbing systems and pouring bills. And to top it all off, Jin had no else left but her brothers.
Something about the way she said that made him wonder what her old life was like. That made him realize that aside from knowing that she had no parents and two brothers, he really didn't know anything else about her.
"All that's left for you to do is to shed all your old skin and embrace the new life that you are about to have," Jin said. She gingerly touched Zuko's arm. Zuko sighed. It was much more complicated than that. He didn't want this kind of life. He wanted to return to the Fire Nation and fulfill his destiny as the heir to the throne. He wanted to fulfill his destiny of capturing the Avatar.
"It's not that easy," Zuko muttered.
"Oh…because brewing tea is so hard," Jin sarcastically said.
"That's not what I'm talking about!" He turned to look at her and in a voice colored with passion he said, "Don't you want more out of your life than serving tea? Than cleaning tables! Than getting a stupid apartment?"
Zuko tired to breathe in and out to calm himself down but then he realized that it wasn't working. He was becoming more and more worked up.
Jin gave him a blank look.
"It doesn't matter what kind job or what kind of place I live in. All I want for my life is that I will be happy," Jin said. She looked completely unaffected by Zuko's heated outburst.
"That's stupid. The problem with you is that you never take things seriously," Zuko muttered once he calmed down. They were now approaching the gate for the middle ring.
"And the problem with you is that you take things too seriously," Jin shot back as a guard halted them.
It took them twenty minutes to get everything processed. The guard was being extremely suspicious about the whole matter and he kept demanding many document papers from Jin. Jin showed him a personal letter from his uncle stating her purpose of going into the Upper Ring, official documents about the teashop and the lease of Zuko and Iroh's new apartment. After examining all those papers he began to question Jin on many different things. Jin handled all the questions with poise and assuredness.
As soon as the guard let them threw Jin immediately began to complain, "You would think that I have some sort of contagious disease."
"I never knew security here was so tough," Zuko commented as Jin steered them along the wide roads of the middle ring.
Zuko looked around and was amazed to see the difference between the Middle Ring and the Lower Ring. The buildings of this Ring are much larger than those of the Lower Ring and the roofs were tiled green. The houses were spaced better than the Lower Ring and there was an abundance of flowers and trees. He looked at Jin and saw that she was still annoyed with their encounter with the guard.
"It's so stupid how they block off all the poor in one area. Earth Kingdom culture is so ridiculous at times," she grumbled.
"Every kind of culture is ridiculous at times," Zuko sighed as he thought about his own nation. He had to admit that even their governmental system was flawed and often unjust.
"So what kind of instrument do you play?" Zuko asked before Jin could start asking him questions about his family and the war and why he was acting so weird.
"You're very unfair, you know."
"I just asked you question."
"We always talk about me. When is the time where we talk about you?"
"I told you I'm not very interesting."
"You always say that," Jin frowned. The emu-horse clopped its way over the bridge.
"You're very unfair too. I already told you about how I play the Tsungi Horn!" Zuko said.
"Well, I'm hardly interesting too," Jin pointed out.
"You're just saying that. I bet you also play something embarrassing."
Jin sighed and said defeated, "I play lots of instruments. If you have lived with He Shen for the past sixteen years then I'm pretty sure you'd be crazy if you don't learn any sort of instrument."
"I can only imagine," Zuko chuckled.
They had more frivolous discussions as they neared the gate to the Upper Ring. Their ridiculous and often silly conversations took his mind off things. They talked about the University, they maligned and made fun of Earth Kingdom officials and they bickered about pointless matters. Zuko felt the pressure of capturing the bison easing off him a little.
They soon reached the gate to the Upper Ring. Security was tighter there. Jin and Zuko had to step out of the cart to be taken into a little shed for questioning. The guard there was tiny and stuck-up looking and he looked at Jin's shabby clothing with a condescending eye. That irritated Zuko but he immediately cooled down once he saw how Jin handled the whole ordeal. Instead of her usual bright voice, she answered the guard's questions with a cool voice and a very apathetic expression. She stood up straight and tall and if it weren't for the fact that the hem of her dress was frayed and choppy Zuko might've thought that she was a noble.
The guard let them go as soon as Jin answered all his questions (with very minimal help from Zuko). They went back to the cart where Jin continued to complain as she drove him towards their new apartment.
They didn't talk about his weird behavior or the fact that he was twice as cranky as he normally was anymore although Zuko noticed that Jin kept on looking at him with a meaningful glance as if she wanted the conversation to head that way again. However, whenever Zuko noticed that the conversation was heading in that particular direction he would immediately cut it by asking her some stupid question or making a ridiculous comment. Finally, when Zuko interrupted her for the fifth time, she gave up completely and they talked about nothing else but teashops and shabby services of Earth Kingdom guards.
They finally arrived at their new apartment where Jin insisted that she show him around for awhile before they started piling all their stuff into the apartment. Jin proudly showed him around and Zuko had to admit that he was impressed by how it looked. It was bigger and more spacious than their last apartment. Jin told him that she picked out most of the paintings that hung on the wall and that the ornately carved table sitting in the living room was a result of her choosing. She told him that his uncle chose the paint color but she chose the rugs and carpets which were currently rolled up in a corner. She then led him to his uncle's quarters.
His uncle's room looked cozy and snug, with a cot lying in one corner. A little dresser was on the right side while a small round table stood in the center.
"What's that?" Zuko asked as he pointed to the table.
"It's a tea table," Jin pleasantly explained to him.
"A what?"
"Your uncle wanted a tea table. Do you like it? I chose that too," Jin cheerfully said.
"Uncle has completely gone insane."
"What are you talking about? I think that it's a great idea."
"Ugh! And how much did it cost?"
"It was a steal! Worth about a five hundred silver coins!"
"What! What kind of person would spend all that money on a tea table?" Zuko said flabbergasted.
"Well, I would," Jin airily said as they exited his uncle's room.
"What's the purpose of that anyway?"
"It's so you can appreciate the beauty of a good cup of tea even in the comfort and confines of your room," Jin chirped.
"You and uncle have gone completely tea-crazy!"
Jin ignored him and led him to his room. Zuko was a bit disappointed to discover that it wasn't as furnished as his uncle's. Except for the cot lying on the right side, it was extremely bare.
"How come it's so….empty?"
Jin looked up at him and said, "Your uncle wanted me to pick the things out for you."
"And all you got for me was a cot?"
"I didn't want to pick stuff up only to find out that you totally hate it."
"Well….that's stupid. I'd like anything you would pick."
"That's not true. We have completely different tastes," Jin scoffed.
"I'll be the judge of that once I see your room during the dinner you invited us in," Zuko said.
They then went back downstairs to get all of Zuko's and his uncle's stuff. He helped Jin carry the table and they spent ten minutes trying to figure out the best place to put it. Jin was very indecisive as to where to position the table. Zuko pretended to look impatient and annoyed but the silly expression on his face gave the whole thing away.
When they finished placing the kitchen wares on their designated areas and positioning the rest of the furniture, Jin and Zuko decided to take advantage of the fact that they were in the Upper Ring. They explored the ring some more before going back to the Lower Ring.
When Zuko returned to their tiny and cramped apartment, he had a stupid grin on his face.
Zuko spent most of the night packing his clothes up. Iroh told him that they will be moving into the Upper Ring in three days time. That only made him more irritated and nervous because it meant that the time for capturing the Avatar's bison was drawing nearer. He still hadn't figured out what to do with the bison once he had it outside the lake but he decided that he'll just think of something once the ordeal was all over.
His uncle still continued to try to dissuade him of the mission he was about to partake but Zuko was very adamant in his quest to pursue the Avatar's bison.
Iroh sat in his chair and looked at his nephew's room with a worried ear. He had to stop Zuko from undertaking this. He just had to. But how could he? Time was running short. He knew that by the time they moved into the Upper Ring, Zuko would be long gone on another wild goose chase. So far, nothing he said managed to convince Zuko not to push through with it. Iroh rubbed his chin. How could he stop Zuko?
Iroh sighed and decided that maybe if he got more interested in the teashop, he would stop this fool's errand of capturing the bison.
"Zuko!" he called out.
"What! I'm packing!" Zuko yelled back from the confines of his room.
Iroh sighed and said, "I am going to go around the city tomorrow to look for suppliers and perhaps advertisers! I would really like for you to come!"
"I have to do something!"
"But nephew! Surely you will not leave your frail, old uncle alone to walk in a big, dangerous city in this unbearable heat!" Iroh said in a mock-disappointed tone.
"I'm sure you will make it out alive uncle," Zuko wearily called back.
Iroh sighed defeated. Sometimes, there was just no reasoning with that boy.
"Fine! I guess I can ask Jin to help me again!" Iroh grumpily said.
Suddenly there was a silence. Iroh waited for his nephew's reply.
To his surprise Zuko opened the door slightly and said, "Jin will be there?"
It was as if a light bulb flashed in Iroh's head.
He suddenly knew how to stop Zuko from pursuing this pointless and not to mention extremely risky mission.
With a devious smile, he coyly said, "Yes. I told her how horrible of a nephew you were. Leaving your uncle to fend for himself. So she told me that she'll do whatever she can to help."
"What's with you spending so much time with her anyway?"
"I don't have any idea what you are implying."
"You're a weird, old man! You leave Jin alone!"
"Would you calm down nephew? You are so paranoid these days! This will be the last three days we will see her and she has been a wonderful presence. I just want to give her the proper goodbye she deserves."
"We can still meet up with her."
"But not in a long time. I am sure you saw how difficult it is to move from one ring to another in this city."
"Yeah but—''
"I know that you are frustrated that you will not see your lady friend again—''
"I don't know what you are talking about uncle! I don't care if I see her or not!" Zuko heatedly snapped before storming back into his room.
Iroh sighed disappointed.
He guessed that his plan didn't work after all.
He was losing his touch.
Suddenly, Zuko cracked his door open again.
In a sheepish tone he mumbled, "And uncle…..I will be going with you tomorrow."
Iroh smiled as he sipped his tea.
He wasn't called one of the greatest generals of the Fire Nation for nothing.
…
Iroh was completely shocked to find Zuko leaning against the counter, a slice of bread in his hand the next morning. For the past few days, the boy had not come out of his room and would only come out for a quick bite. Iroh was now used to spending breakfast, lunch and dinner alone. The silence of his mealtimes was often spent on thinking schemes and ways to prevent Zuko from pushing through with his mission of capturing the bison.
Zuko bit off a piece of the bread.
"I bought some bread for breakfast," Zuko flatly said. He held out a piece of bread.
"You're up early," Iroh commented as he took the bread.
"Well what do you expect? If you want to catch up with the suppliers and advertisers before the rush hour starts, then we have to be up early," Zuko irately said.
"But you hate waking up early," Iroh said as he looked at Zuko with a suspicious eye.
"I had to buy the bread," Zuko muttered. He suddenly looked nervous. He avoided Iroh's gaze.
Iroh ate a bite out of the bread and was shocked to find that it wasn't the hard and crusty bread they were used too. It was soft and fluffy which means that Zuko bought the more expensive kind of bread. He frowned. His nephew would never spend money on something like this.
"This Madame Ying's bread."
"So?" Zuko asked edgily.
"So? Nephew this is worth ten silver coins a loaf!"
"Don't worry. The money came out of my own wallet," Zuko muttered.
"But you told me you would never spend your money on something as pointless as this!" Iroh exclaimed.
Zuko looked down and mumbled something incomprehensible. Iroh craned his ear to hear more.
"What? I can't hear you."
"…."
"What was that?" Iroh asked.
"Fine! It's cause you told me Jin would be here for breakfast! You don't expect me to just let you feed her stale bread?" Zuko burst out. Their kitchen counter nearly burst out in flames from his outburst.
Iroh then threw his head back and laughed.
He knew that his nephew liked Jin (although he took great pains to deny it) but he never knew that Zuko was in this deep. He knew that if he played his cards right today, he might just be able to stop Zuko from undertaking this pointless mission.
Iroh raised a brow.
He just couldn't help poking fun at his nephew for one last time.
"And for your information nephew, I wasn't going to feed her stale bread," Iroh said as he tried to keep a hold of his giggles.
"What?"
"I bought some rice cakes yesterday."
Iroh's laughter was drowned out by Zuko's frustrated scowl.
Iroh was sure to keep out of Zuko and Jin's way once they started looking for suppliers. Iroh usually hung in the back and watched from a distance as Zuko and Jin talked and walked together. They often got distracted from the main purpose of their trip but Iroh didn't mind as much. From his observations, the only thing that was holding Zuko back from this dumb trip was…..Jin.
Although it looked as if Zuko didn't know it himself yet.
His nephew had unknowingly set a bit of roots in this city. He knew that Zuko was having second thoughts about this mainly because as always, the boy does not have a proper plan and he also feels reluctant to just go and leave Jin and be the Fire Prince again.
Zuko can deny it all he wants but Iroh knew that his nephew actually enjoyed spending time with a normal person.
Iroh watched as a teenager from a nearby stall suddenly approached the two of them.
Iroh couldn't stop himself from smiling.
He knew all too well who this boy was.
His name was Jiao and he sold fish. They boy came from one of the more prominent families in the lower Ring. He was tall, good-looking, and he had more money than most people here in the Lower Ring and he took every opportunity to flaunt it—in front of Jin. The many vendors in the marketplace had informed Iroh of Jiao's never ending crush of Jin although much to Jiao's misfortune—his affection was not returned. Jin didn't seem to find him the least bit attractive.
Zuko still hadn't met Jiao yet.
Iroh chuckled as he watched from the corner.
He was very curious to see Zuko's reaction.
"Hi Jin!" the fish-vendor said as he confidently strode towards her.
Zuko wrinkled his nose at the boy. He looked arrogant and he kept staring at Jin with a flirtatious eye. Zuko immediately disliked him.
"Hi Jiao," Jin flatly replied. She didn't seem too eager to go in a conversation with him.
"So how are you? I didn't see much of you in town," Jiao said as he draped an arm around her shoulders.
Jin quickly removed his arm from her shoulders and stepped back.
"Oh I've been around…." Jin said. She rolled her eyes as he flashed her a cheesy grin.
Jiao made a step forward but Zuko accidentally tripped him causing him to fall flat on his face. Jin laughed.
Accidentally.
It wasn't on purpose.
Jiao growled and grumpily stood up. He started dusting his clothes off.
"Who's he?" he asked pointing a thumb at Zuko.
Jin immediately looked excited. She eagerly grabbed Zuko's hand and said, "His name is Li. He's my friend. Li….this is…."
Jin sighed and said in a flat voice, "Jiao."
Jiao smirked and held his hand out, "Pleased to meet you Ling."
"It's Li," Zuko flatly corrected.
"Whatever. So….how long have you and Jin known each other?" Jiao glared at him in what he must've thought as his most threatening gaze.
Zuko scoffed.
He's seen worse.
"I don't know. A few weeks," he shrugged.
Jiao however had completely ignored Zuko and was now focusing his attention on Jin.
Zuko clenched his jaw.
"So…the Spring Festival is up and I've heard that you still don't have date…." Jiao smirked.
Jin stepped back and said, "That's right. But I don't plan on going. I have to help my brother with Mr. Yong's apartment. He needs it remodeled."
"And as it turns out….I have no date too!" Jiao said completely ignoring what Jin had just told him.
Zuko tried to keep his temper in check.
All he had to do was calm down.
Breathe in and out. In and out.
Ugh, that wasn't working.
"I'm sure you could find one….eventually," Jin said.
"And I was thinking—''
"Nephew! Jin! There you are!"
Jin looked relived. It was Iroh. Iroh immediately started talking about an advertising shop that was just down the street before gently chastising them for straying too far. He then informed the annoyed Jiao that they had to get going. He then grabbed Zuko by his arms and dragged him away before he could do something horrible to that boy. Iroh could practically see the smoke spouting off Zuko's ears.
Still, he couldn't help teasing his nephew a little bit more.
"Jealous, Prince Zuko?" Iroh whispered.
"I am not!" Zuko snapped.
Suddenly, they heard a loud scream. Iroh, Jin and Zuko looked back to find Jiao yelping and jumping up and down as his clothes mysteriously caught on fire.
Zuko smiled…..satisfied.
Jin and Zuko grew bored after waiting for Iroh to finish his conversation with the advertiser. The two of them suddenly started talking about tea and Pai Sho and there was only so much more of Zuko's patience before he would snap. He gestured Jin to leave and together they silently stole out of the advertiser's shop. Zuko and Jin bought some fish crackers before climbing unto one of the lower walls of the ring. They sat there together and ate the fish crackers as they watched the stream of people passing by.
Zuko realized that he had two more days before he would go capture the bison.
Two more days before regaining his honor.
Two more days before capturing the Avatar.
Two more days before going home.
Two more days before leaving Ba Sing Se forever.
Two more days before leaving Jin.
He suddenly felt sad for some unknown reason. That's right. He won't be seeing her again. As the years go by he will probably never see her again and she will probably forget about him and she will get married to some peasant like Jiao who does not really care about her and she will live happily ever after.
Zuko frowned.
Why was he even thinking this?
He was going home. He shouldn't even be thinking of stuff like this.
Why did he even care?
Because you like her, a small voice from the back of his head told him.
Zuko shook his head.
No, he didn't.
Actually, he did like her…..as a friend.
Nope, you like like her, the voice told him.
Zuko frowned.
The voice also sounded annoyingly like his uncle.
Maybe he should just give up on capturing the bison.
No, that wasn't an option. Zuko internally cursed himself for even considering that.
He will capture the Avatar's bison and get his honor back.
"So don't forget that you'll be going to my apartment for lunch the day before you leave for the Upper Ring," Jin reminded him, interrupting his line of thought.
"Huh? Oh yeah. Sure. What's it like?"
"Hmm?"
"Your apartment."
"It's really small," Jin said. She started kicking her legs in the air.
"Small? Is it smaller than me and my uncle's?"
"Very. It's not much but….well…I just feel lucky that I'm not homeless."
Zuko snorted. How could someone be so obscenely optimistic?
"What?" Jin demanded
"You are so easy-going. Do you ever get bothered? By anything? At all?" She had to be fazed by something. Honestly, how could she be so happy all the time?
"Well….I get bothered by the war."
That made Zuko feel guilty.
"The war?"
"Yeah….it's so unfair how many lives are ruined by it," she muttered.
"Everyone gets bothered by the war," Zuko said looking off into the distance. Everyone including him.
"But it's all going to end soon," Jin said cheerfully.
"What makes you say so?" Zuko said. The war was never going to end as far as he was concerned. The Fire Nation was at the winning end and Sozin's Comet was approaching. The Avatar was about to be captured (by him hopefully) and it would only be a matter of time before Ba Sing Se fell.
"The Avatar! He will stop the Fire Nation eventually," Jin said determinedly.
"But how do you know that he won't fail?"
"Why are you so pessimistic?"
"And why are you so optimistic? You shouldn't get yourself worked up over the Avatar. He might trip on your expectations and you will be left disappointed!"
"Why are you always assuming the worse?"
"I don't want to get my hopes up over nothing," Zuko frowned.
Actually, he didn't want her to get her hopes up over nothing. There was just no way the Avatar could save the world even if he managed to escape from Zuko's grasp. Again. He still had a long way to go from mastering all elements and from the looks of it he was running out of time.
"So your saying that you don't believe in the Avatar?"
"I'm just skeptical that he could save the world," Zuko shrugged. Jin didn't answer him. They continued to watch the passer-bys in silence.
Finally Zuko made another attempt at a decent conversation.
"Did you get a chance to finish your Dual Dao swords?"
Jin sighed and looked at him.
She said in a sad voice, "Unfortunately not. I decided to just scrap that."
"Why?" Zuko demanded.
"I don't know. It's pointless, really. I mean who's going to teach me now that you're in the Upper Ring," Jin said.
Zuko suddenly had an idea.
Before going to sleep he hurried over to Duan Jie's forge. He felt happy to find that he hadn't closed yet. Duan Jie looked happy to see him.
"Li! It's so nice to see you! But what are you doing in this hour? We are just closing up," Duna Jie said.
"I want you to teach me how to forge a pair of Dual Dao swords."
The next day, his nephew was nowhere to be seen. Iroh woke up to find a note from Zuko stating that he would be gone all day running some errands.
Iroh sighed worriedly. His nephew seemed relentless in his quest to capture the Avatar's bison. That worried Iroh. It seemed as if Zuko would not be convinced. He sighed. Sometimes his nephew's blind loyalty towards their nation frustrates him. He longed for the day when Zuko would be able to see how horrible his father truly is and how much wrong their nation has done against the different countries.
It was late in evening before Zuko arrived.
He looked hot and sweaty, and his hands were lined with ash.
But he looked proud and triumphant as he showed off to Iroh a pair of perfectly forged Dual Dao swords.
The next day was their last day in the Lower Ring.
It was also the last day before Zuko would go and capture the bison.
They went about their usual business for the day. Zuko finished his packing. While searching through his cabinets he found the books and he had bought and realized that he will not need them. He decided that he'll give them to Jin tonight. He had already given instructions to his uncle. Iroh must be the one to bring his luggage because he had some "business" to attend to. Iroh looked unhappy.
For most of the morning he spouted proverbs about being contented and having a peaceful life.
"A contented man is always rich," Iroh suddenly said as Zuko lugged his bags to the living room. Zuko merely rolled his eyes.
By noon, Jin arrived with He Shen. The two of them cheerfully lead Iroh and Zuko their house, He Shen and Iroh singing loudly while He Shen strummed his liuqin.
Jin's apartment seemed to be located near the most crowded part of the city. The building was old and rundown with peeling paint and cracked and broken windows. Zuko felt sorry for Jin but he was amazed to see that she looked contented enough. Their apartment unit was really smaller than Zuko and Iroh's, with their kitchen barely supporting all of them. Ge Jiang as there although he looked amiable enough for the occasion.
Jin as it turned out didn't cook for them. Instead she bought some ready-made food from a nearby store. He Shen teased her about her cooking abilities even further. Iroh asked Ge Jiang more about himself and Zuko was mildly surprised to find that he answered his uncle with a cool politeness. The three siblings however, seemed uneager to divulge things about their previous life. They seemed to shrink whenever questions were asked about their former lives. Even Ge Jiang, who was very eloquent in speech, stumbled whenever Iroh asked any questions about their family and where they lived.
They continued to talk some more until lunch had long passed. He Shen and Iroh started singing songs while Ge Jiang left the apartment, giving a respectful bow to Iroh before he left.
Noticing that Iroh and He Shen seemed busy, Zuko silently tugged on Jin's sleeve.
"Come on. I want to give you something," Zuko said in a low voice.
"I'll show you my room," Jin whispered back.
Together they scrambled towards a small room tucked away in the corner.
Zuko's eyes bulged once he saw Jin's room. It was small and crowded but it looked very fascinating. A cot lay on the side where a small table stood beside it. But on every inch of the wall was every different kind of weapon imaginable. They were hung on the wall and carefully arranged. However, on one wall, an Earth Kingdom banner stood.
"Whoa," Zuko whistled.
"Yup. Took me weeks to get my whole collection back together," Jin said proudly.
"You had a collection?"
"Back in my old home."
"How come no one wants to talk about you and your brothers' past?"
Jin frowned and she quickly changed the topic, "What did you want to give me?"
Zuko frowned back at her but he decided to let it go. From the insides of his shirt he proudly procured the Dual Dao swords. He had spent the whole day learning how to forge them. He was at first, nervous that it might not be up to Jin's standards but Duan Jie assured him that he had forged them perfectly.
Jin looked impressed.
"Wow!" she exclaimed as she examined them.
"Even though I might not be able to teach you anymore, you can add it to your collection. And besides, I already taught you the basics. You can practice on your own," Zuko told her. Jin started swinging them around.
"Thank you so much!" Jin said. She hugged him. Zuko unexpectedly found himself hugging her back.
"And oh…..yeah. I forgot. I have some books back in the living room. I want you to have it," Zuko said gesturing outside.
Jin suddenly stiffened.
"Li?"
"Hmmm?"
"Where are you going?"
"What are you talking about?"
Jin stared at Zuko. Zuko frowned. Nothing ever seems to pass by Jin.
"I don't know….your giving me Dual Dao swords as a sort of…..goodbye present and your giving away things that you won't really need," Jin muttered.
"I am saying goodbye. I'm going to the Upper Ring remember?" Zuko nervously said.
Jin looked unconvinced.
"We can still see each other. My brothers have lots of odd jobs in the Upper Ring so I can still see you at times. It's not goodbye for good."
"You don't know that."
"Li….whatever your about to do….I think you should think about it," Jin warningly said.
"What? I'm not planning anything."
"I have a bad feeling about this….."
"For the hundredth time…nothing's up. I'm embracing life like you told me."
Jin looked at him skeptically.
"I really wish there was something I could say that would stop you from doing something stupid."
"I'm not about to do anything. It's all in your head."
They looked at each other. Jin held her fiery gaze defiantly.
Why did she even care?
It's not like Zuko and her knew each other that well.
Zuko sighed.
He just wished that she would just stop. He doesn't deserve whatever concern she has for him.
"Me and my uncle have errands to attend to. I have to go," Zuko flatly said. He hurriedly scrambled back to the living room where his uncle and He Shen were happily singing a song.
Iroh didn't look too happy to leave but Zuko was growing impatient. Iroh finally agrees and together they are led outside the apartment by Jin. His uncle goes ahead of him muttering complaints.
Jin tapped Zuko's shoulder and she looked at him with a pleading look.
"Don't do it," she whispered.
"Don't do what?"
Jin sighed.
To Zuko's surprise she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
In a low voice she added, "Be careful."
As soon as she left he went to look for the bison.
But not before looking back.
Iroh sighed. Why did he always have to be a step behind Zuko? He growled as he watched his nephew, in his blue spirit mask, readied himself to attack. Zuko immediately stepped back after realizing that this was his uncle.
"Uncle," Zuko said taken aback.
Iroh feigned puzzlement. "So, the Blue Spirit. I wonder who could be behind that mask ."
Zuko removed his mask.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing. What do you plan to do now that you have found the Avatar's bison? Keep it locked in our new apartment ? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him ?" Iroh sarcastically said.
"First I have to get it out of here," Zuko muttered.
Iroh cried incensed, "AND THEN WHAT ! You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go."
"I would have figured something out!" Zuko heatedly shot back.
"No! If his friends hadn't found you, you would have frozen to death!" Iroh shouted back angrily.
Zuko looked away in anguish, "I know my own destiny uncle."
"Is it your own destiny or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you ?" Iroh forcefully asked.
Zuko said in a voice laced with torment, "Stop it uncle."
He turned towards Appa, "I have to do this."
"I'm begging you Prince Zuko! It's time for you to look inward, and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you? And what do you want? " Iroh furiously pleaded.
"I want my destiny!" Zuko yelled.
"No, you want peace! And you have found it here!" Iroh roared back.
"I hate this city! I want to leave this place!" He screamed in anguish.
"No! That's what you are stubbornly telling yourself. But deep inside, I know you love this city! Think of all the people that you will be hurting if you go back to the Fire Nation! Think of Jin!"
Silence suddenly enveloped the place. Appa gave a low growl.
"Jin…" Zuko muttered.
"Do you think that she will be happy once you've miraculously captured the bison and blackmail the Avatar? Do you think that she will still like you once she's found out that you had just crushed her one last hope at peace?"
"She'll understand," Zuko weakly argued.
"No she would not! And you know it! She will never forgive you if you do this!"
"She will! Jin is not that kind of person! She's kind and understanding! She will forgive me!"
"Her mother died because of the Fire Nation! You can't have it both ways Prince Zuko!"
With a cry of frustration, Zuko hurled both of his swords to the ground, followed by the Blue Spirit mask. His cries echoed throughout the entire chamber.
He hated it when his uncle was right.
"You did the right thing nephew," Iroh said as Zuko pulled out the Blue Spirit mask.
"Leave it behind," Iroh said.
Zuko walked to the edge and dropped the mask into the lake, where it slowly sank into the depths.
Although he felt a strong surge of tranquility wash over him as the mask dropped, he still felt like he just killed a part of himself.
"You did the right thing, letting the Avatar's bison go free," Iroh said as he closed the door behind him.
" I don't feel right," Zuko feebly said.
His vision started to blur and everything suddenly started going dark.
He suddenly collapsed unconscious to floor, breaking a vase as he did so.
Iroh rushed to his side. "Nephew?"
For Zuko, all he could hear was the distinct sound of hissing and the smell of smoke.
Another update down!
If you've noticed I added a bunch of other stuff to their conversations. I hope most of the original conversations are accurate. I had to re-watch the whole episode to get it down.
Thanks to SkorpionQueen012 and ArrayePL for the reviews! Keep sending feedback and comments guys!
Thanks also to those that have read this!
Don't leave me hanging.
Please send reviews and comments.