As the airship passed over the city's inner wall, he found himself gazing out the window. Ba Sing Se stretched far and wide in all directions below him. The grand city had been rebuilt to its former glory. But if Zuko looked closely, he could still see hints of when Ba Sing Se had fallen to the Fire Nation—wounds that had not yet completely closed.

And then there were the walls. Zuko felt reverence towards the outer walls; they showcased the Earth Kingdom's strength. But with regards to these intra-city walls, Zuko didn't feel quite the same. Even with the walls separating them, he found it funny that he was able to see the Inner, Middle, and Upper rings all in one view. It was almost ironic.

"Sir," one of the crewmembers announced as he approached the firelord from behind. "We'll be landing in a few moments." Zuko nodded and returned his attention back to the window.

As the airship descended, the city skyline rose higher and higher. Zuko felt a light bump as the ship touched ground. Immediately, two of his guards rushed to him. "Firelord Zuko, there are a few Dai Li agents waiting on the landing zone. No doubt they want to know why you are here."

He remembered the Dai Li from the last time he was in Ba Sing Se, and the thought of them still left a bitter taste in his mouth. Apparently, time had done little to temper their rigidness. Zuko finally turned away from the window. "Tell them that I am here to visit family," he replied. "Surely they won't find any fault in that." The guards bowed their heads and hurried away. Shortly after, Zuko headed for the exit ramp himself. A crewmember on board noticed him passing by.

"My lord, shouldn't you wait for your escort to return and—?"

"And attract half of the city?" Zuko finished. "I'm not here on official business. I just want to see my uncle. It's better to keep a low profile."

"Of course. Forgive me," the crewmember replied.

"It's all right. I appreciate your concern." Before he stepped onto the ramp, he paused. "We, er, might have to stay a day or two. Depending on… well, depending on the circumstances."

"Everything has already been taken care of," the crewmember replied.

The clear weather was the first thing Zuko noticed when he stepped down from the airship. Not a cloud in sight, and the sun shone bright. Even then, the air was cool from the shade provided by the lofty buildings.

Taking a deep breath, Zuko continued forward. He hadn't been to Ba Sing Se in a while, but he knew exactly where to find his uncle. And speaking of which, how was the Jasmine Dragon doing these days? Business would be bustling as usual. He expected nothing less.

Even without his royal escort, he stuck out like a sore thumb. His robes, with its varying shades of red, didn't exactly blend in with the crowd's green, black, and gold colors. People gave him curious glances and whispered to one another, but otherwise didn't bother him. That was good; the last thing he needed was to have a firebending showdown in the streets of Ba Sing Se. That might've flown when he had been a banished prince, but not so much now as firelord.

It wasn't before long until he found himself in front of the Jasmine Dragon. Even from where he stood, Zuko could tell that the inside of the teashop was filled with lively patrons. After a quick thought, he changed direction and began walking around the teashop. Behind the building was the back entrance where only employees were permitted to go through, but he was sure his uncle wouldn't mind this one exception.

Standing in front of the wooden door, Zuko rested a hand on the handle. He inhaled deeply. In his mind, he was searching for what to say when he walked in. He couldn't think of anything. Curses, he was never good at this.

Never mind. It was pointless to dwell. Turning the handle, Zuko stepped into the backroom of the Jasmine Dragon. He opened his mouth but quickly shut it when he realized he was alone. The room was empty, but neat as always. Atop the stove, a kettle was quivering and whining. There was a long shelf on the wall that was lined with jars. The stout neck of each jar was wrapped in twine and had a label dangling from it. Zuko wandered over to the shelf and began reading each label down. Jasmine, ginseng, oolong, Dragon Well… Oh yeah, they were all here.

Zuko had taken the lid off of one of the jars and was sniffing the fragrant leaves inside when he heard a pair of footsteps growing louder. He quickly clamped the lid back down and pushed the jar back as the backroom's door curtains flew open and he appeared.

They locked eyes for a moment, and then Iroh laughed. "For a second, I mistook you for a thief. Then I thought to myself, 'What kind of thief wears royal robes?'"

The sound of his laughter made Zuko break out into a wide smile. "It's great to see you again, Uncle," he said, rushing forward and hugging the old man tightly. "I'm sorry I haven't written or visited in a while."

Iroh hugged him back. "There's no need to be sorry, Zuko," he replied. "It must be tough work running a nation while creating a new one."

Zuko straightened up. "The United Republic? Aang and I are building it together."

"You and the avatar—working together. I couldn't be more proud."

Warmth spread across Zuko's face as his uncle's words elicited a childish joy within him. He cleared his throat and quickly said, "So how have you been? I've noticed the teashop is as popular as ever."

"It's hard work," Iroh said as he walked over to the hissing kettle and lifted it from the stovetop. "But as long as my customers are enjoying their tea, I'm happy." He poured the hot water into a clay teapot.

Zuko watched the steam rise. "Is it just you today? You don't have any help?"

"I have you, don't I?"

Zuko pressed his lips together, forming a tight line. "Uncle, I'm firelord now."

"Being firelord doesn't mean you shouldn't help your poor old uncle every now and then." Iroh set the kettle down and turned to face Zuko. "How about it, Nephew? Just like old times?"

Zuko sighed, but he was still smiling. "Okay, sure." He reached for the clay teapot, but Iroh pushed his arms down.

"First, this," his uncle instructed, holding up an apron. Zuko's face dropped. Iroh went ahead and pulled the apron over the young man's head. "The palace tailors worked hard on those robes, Zuko. It would be a shame if they were to get soiled." The firelord's expression was that of defeat as he tied the apron around his back.

"Now it really feels like old times," he mumbled as he pulled the royal headpiece from his hair.

Iroh chuckled. "These humbling experiences are what make an excellent leader."

"Yeah, yeah," Zuko sighed as he walked through the door curtains.

Despite his reluctant behavior, Zuko found a homely comfort in helping Iroh with the teashop. It was a nice change from being stuck in the palace, even though his feet never stopped moving as he served pot after pot of hot tea. And it was good to see his uncle doing what he loved best.

As the sun traveled through the sky, the flow of customers never stopped. Zuko lost track of time until he realized that the teashop was growing quieter and quieter. When the last customers left, Zuko peeked outside and was shocked to see that it was already dark out.

"It's closing time," Iroh announced from the back of the room, wiping his hands on his apron. "Are you planning to stay overnight?"

"Depends." Zuko closed the window and walked over to a nearby table. He sat down. "Uncle, can we talk?" he asked, his voice somber. Iroh took his seat across from him. "You know why I'm here, don't you?"

"You read my letter."

"Yes."

There was a heavy silence. Both of them were wary of addressing the elephant rhino in the room. Finally, Zuko pulled something from his robes and laid it on the table between them. Iroh reached over and delicately lifted the white scarf with both hands.

"She showed this to me the day she bought it," Iroh said, his voice quiet and sad. "I remember how her eyes sparkled. She was so proud of herself. The sight filled me with much joy." He lowered the scarf and gently laid it back down.

"But what you said in your letter…" Zuko began, staring urgently at Iroh. "You said…"

"To be honest, I don't know why I sent that letter," Iroh said, still gazing at the scarf. "Maybe I shouldn't have."

"Tell me what you saw."

"Zuko—."

"Uncle, please."

Iroh raised his eyes. "I was in a marketplace in the Middle Ring, one that is close to the wall that divides the Middle and Lower rings," he recalled. "That marketplace has some of the best teapots in the entire city. They even have some nice glass ones. Anyway," he continued quickly, catching sight of the impatient look that flashed across Zuko's face, "I spotted someone perusing a nearby stall. She was wearing a long dress and her head was covered in a shawl. It was then I had the most peculiar feeling, looking at her. So I decided to walk over and say hello. When she turned to me, I saw that it was a young girl. Her reaction surprised me; she looked shocked. Her eyes became glassy. I asked for her name, but she just said, 'I'm sorry,' and hurried away. For a while after, I thought I had frightened her. And then, all of a sudden, it came to me." Iroh closed his eyes. "I knew that face. Her eyes, they were amber. And I remember the way they used to sparkle."

Zuko's hands were pressed tightly against the table's surface. "Is that it? You didn't follow her, find out who she was?"

"I didn't," Iroh admitted. "She fled towards the Lower Ring. I couldn't follow her there. But if she is who I think she is, I fear for her."

"Why?"

"Have you not heard? The Lower Ring has become a dangerous place for anyone with Fire Nation origins," Iroh answered. "Someone is targeting them. There have been many deaths, and the killer has remained undetected."

"What?" Zuko's eyes widened. "This is serious! Why hasn't the Earth king told me of this? Why haven't the Dai Li done anything about it?"

"It is no secret that the king and his authorities often neglect the Lower Ring. I imagine there are a number of horrible things that go unimpeded in there."

"As firelord, I need to put an end to this. These are my people!" Zuko stood up. "And you say you saw her going into the Lower Ring? What if she's next?"

"I am afraid of the same thing, but there is little we can do for now. Zuko, it is late. We can talk more tomorrow," Iroh reassured. "You can spend the night at the apartment. Your bed is still where you left it."

Zuko sighed, but he realized the truth in his uncle's words. "Very well," he said. "Let's—." The sound of the front door opening interrupted him. He turned and saw a woman enter and sit down in a corner. She didn't speak or even look at them.

Annoyed, Zuko called out, "We're closed."

"I won't be long." Her voice was steely.

"Now, now, anyone is welcome to my teashop at any time," Iroh corrected as he rose. "Go ahead and go home, Nephew. I'll join you later." To the woman, he asked, "What would you like?"

"Surprise me," she replied, her tone still devoid of any friendliness. Iroh headed to the back, and Zuko followed. Before he walked through the curtains, he cast one last glance at the woman. He couldn't quite pinpoint her age—in fact, and Zuko couldn't believe the ridiculous thought as it came to him, she looked almost timeless. She didn't look young, but she wasn't old either. Her body showed no consequence of age, hardened by muscle and a rigid demeanor. She wore a black, sleeveless tunic. Stretched across her back was some kind of pale brown animal hide. Her eyes, downcast, were ringed with dark makeup. Black hair swooped down her face and concealed one eye.

Zuko didn't like the sight of her. Everything about her screamed predator. She resonated a kind of aura that made Zuko's palm sweat at the thought of getting anywhere near her. But apparently, his uncle had a completely different opinion of her.

As he entered the backroom, he heard Iroh ask, "Now what do you think she meant by 'surprise'? Does she mean a crazy kind of surprise, or a pleasant sort of surprise?" He was going through the tea jars on the shelf.

"Are you seriously going to serve her tea?" Zuko said.

"Of course. I meant what I said out there. And why would I turn away such a lovely customer?"

Zuko blinked. "Lovely? She looks about as lovely as an angry saber tooth-moose-lion." Iroh ignored the remark as he continued preparing the tea. Zuko let out a breathy sigh. "Just be careful, and don't take too long, okay?" He rolled his eyes as he left through the employee door. He was pretty sure his uncle only wanted him out of the teashop so that he could spend some quality time with that woman. She wasn't bad looking, but at the same time she just looked so evil.

But who knows, Zuko thought as he made his way down the street, maybe raccoon eyes and a scary disposition was what his uncle preferred. The thought of Iroh dating made Zuko chuckle. Was it even possible at that age?

Suddenly, Zuko stopped. A terrible thought came to mind. He remembered what Iroh had told him back in the teashop. Someone in Ba Sing Se was targeting and murdering anyone who came from the Fire Nation. A deep, sinking feeling of dread burned in Zuko's chest as he turned around and raced back towards the Jasmine Dragon.

We staked out on a mission

To find our inner peace

Make it everlasting

So nothing's incomplete

It's easy being with you

Sacred simplicity

As long as we're together

There's no place I'd rather be

"Rather Be" by Clean Bandit