With an infuriated shout, he kicked at a pair of slippers and sent one of them flying across his room. He picked up the remaining slipper and threw it against the wall as hard as he could. Then he let out another frustrated cry. He hated his sister! He hated her! Why did she have to be so much better than him? It wasn't fair! Not only did she humiliate him in front of their father, she then HAD to rub in his face with her sadistic, piercing taunts.

Defeated, Zuko sank to the ground and sat against the side of his bed. He drew up his knees, fighting the lump in his throat and the burning in his eyes. Azula was only five. FIVE! How did she manage to outshine him already?

And why did Father have to snap at him for such a small mistake in his form? Did he really expect a seven-year-old boy to perfect the bending forms so quickly? Of course he did. His father based his expectations of him on Azula. Because she was SO perfect.

Zuko lifted his eyes when he heard footsteps approaching his room. Shoot! He had left his door open! No doubt Azula was looking for him to give him another round of verbal abuse. His brow furrowed as he listened to the sound come closer. Maybe, seeing the open door, she'd assume that he was elsewhere. But the footsteps continued until he heard the person enter the room. Of course. He should have known better than to expect Azula to be tricked like that.

Well, if she was here for him, he wasn't going to let her find him like this. Springing to his feet, he shouted, "Leave me alone! I don't want to hear it!" Suddenly, the rage drained from his face, replaced by embarrassed shock.

The little girl in his room wasn't Azula. It was a girl with long, partially braided hair and dressed in servant clothes. She dropped her basket with a terrified gasp. Before Zuko could say anything, she whirled around and fled from the room. Zuko hurried after her. "Hold on, I didn't mean to—." He stumbled over something on the ground. It was the basket. Wrinkled clothes and sheets spilled out of it. The servant girl had come in, thinking that the prince was out of the room, to collect his dirty laundry.

Zuko let out a sigh and walked over to his door. "Great. I'm just one mess-up after another," he groaned.

"What was that, Zu-Zu?" came a sweet voice. And then SHE appeared. Zuko flashed her a scathing look and slammed the door.

His elbows were starting to hurt from leaning on the windowsill for so long, but he refused to move. Zuko stared up at the pieces of night sky that were still visible behind the rooftops. The night had felt like an eternity. If only the sun could rise sooner.

"Zuko, you need to rest," he heard from behind him.

Zuko lowered his head, looking at the wood between his arms. "I can't sleep," he admitted.

Iroh appeared beside him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're worried," he said.

"I'm more than worried," Zuko said. "I feel like my heart is about to explode out of my chest. I can't believe what I saw tonight. What if that woman hurts her?"

"You still believe she is the Lower Ring killer?" Iroh asked. "I don't think so."

"No?"

"I've heard that the deaths in the Lower Ring were caused by poisoning. Arlei doesn't seem like the type to use poison. She's much more confrontational. I know that as a fact."

"That doesn't change the fact that she kidnapped Seiya!" Zuko argued.

"Kidnapped?"

"That's what it was, wasn't it? I know Seiya! She wouldn't have been able to fight back even if she wanted! That's not who she is…" With a frustrated sigh, Zuko dipped his head down and roughly shook a hand through his hair. "Once the sun's up, I'm going to look for leads on their whereabouts." He pushed himself away from the windowsill. "I guess I'll try to sleep. There's no point in standing around."

Iroh heard the sound of Zuko's door closing. He turned to the window and stroked the branches of the bonsai tree that was set just below the windowsill. He understood the boy's anguish. Seeing the young girl also brought him conflicted feelings. He was overjoyed that she was still alive, and even more so that she cared enough for him to defend him. But what saddened him was the cold way she treated Zuko. Something terrible must have happened to her in the seven years since that day to cause such a shift in her heart, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know what.

It was an adorable sight to see—a tiny thing trying to balance the tray in her little arms. As she got closer to the table, her strength sapped and she began to teeter. Iroh reached out and steadied the tray before it and the little servant could fall over. He helped her set the tray on the table. The young girl was clearly out of breath.

Across from the table, his son flashed him and amused look. The girl unstacked two cups and set them out. "Is it just you?" Iroh asked curiously.

"Siyi and Rika had to help in the kitchen," the little girl answered as she lifted the teapot with effort. "Moina went to clean one of the guest rooms. I don't know where Bei and Sami are."

"I see. So everyone's busy, huh?" Lu Ten said. The little girl reached for his cup with the teapot, her arms shaking from the strain. He gently took the pot from her. "Here, let me." As he poured, he said, "And you got stuck with serving us old timers our afternoon tea?"

"Oh no, it's an honor!" the little girl cried, swooping down in a bow. Both men laughed.

"Why don't you join us?" Iroh invited.

The little girl nervously fiddled at the ends of her hair. "If the head catches me not working…" she fretted.

"Don't worry, we were the ones who invited you. The head servant can't argue with that." The girl finally kneeled down at the table. Iroh prepared her a cup. "What's your name, little one?"

"Seiya," the girl answered, watching the cup with wide eyes. "Is that for me?"

"It is." He placed the cup in front of her. The girl's hands remained in her lap. "How old are you, Seiya?"

"I'm six."

"That's very young," Lu Ten said with a frown. "I'm not sure how I feel about you working like this."

"It's okay," Seiya replied with a tiny shrug. "The bed's a lot softer here, and the chores aren't so bad."

'She must have come from an orphanage,' Iroh thought sadly. Seiya lifted the cup and took a tiny sip. She set it down in a hurry and made a face. "Urk!" she squealed, sticking her tongue out. "It's bitter!"

"That's just how tea is!" Lu Ten managed to say between chuckles. When he was finally able to catch his breath, he leaned down towards the little girl. "So Seiya, can you firebend?"

A wary look came over the girl's face. "Servants aren't allowed to firebend!" she said in a hushed voice.

"Aw, come on. Just this once. I won't tell anyone," Lu Ten encouraged. Seiya cast a quick glance over her shoulder, and then ducked towards him.

"Well, if I concentrate really hard," she whispered, "I can sometimes do it."

"Let me see."

Seiya reached out with an open palm. Her brow tightened as she glared at her hand, trying to focus with all her might. Nothing happened. Seiya dropped her hand, disappointment drooping her shoulders. "I can't."

"Yes you can." Lu Ten lifted her hand and opened her palm again. "Take a deep breath." She obeyed. "As you do, can you feel warmth growing in the pit of your stomach? That's your inner energy building up. Now, when you exhale, try to direct that energy through your arm and out of your hand." Seiya blew the air out slowly. As she did, a small bulb of fire appeared in her palm. Her mouth flew open. "I did it!"

As he watched, Iroh couldn't help but feel a deep pride for his son. Judging from the way he treated the child, his son would grow to become a great man. And in the distant future, he'd become a great firelord.

"Now let's have a little contest," Lu Ten suggested. "Let's see who can shoot the most fire out of their finger."

"But you'll win!" Seiya said.

"You never know," he responded. "And you should always try even when you're not sure you'll succeed."

"Okay."

"On the count of three, all right? One… two… three!" Seiya took a deep breath as though she were about to go underwater. A small, candle-sized flame appeared on her fingertip. Lu Ten purposefully caused only a small string of smoke to slither from his finger. "Oh no! You beat me!"

Seiya gasped. She grabbed her cup and held it out to him. "Maybe you should drink more tea!"

Iroh couldn't remember when he had last laughed so hard.

Despite his uncle's protests, Zuko went to the Lower Ring as soon as the sun rose. Walking down the smelly, litter-filled streets reminded him of when he and Iroh had come to Ba Sing Se as refugees. They had started in the Lower Ring, living out their first few weeks in a creaky, dingy apartment. This part of the Lower Ring wasn't where he had lived. The area seemed much worse. He was astounded that people were able to get by in these conditions.

Then, up ahead, he saw a commotion. There was a crowd gathering around a large building—thick throngs of curious onlookers. As Zuko came closer, he saw a line of royal guards forming a blockade between the crowd and the building. At the door, a figure clad in black and green stood, his hands hidden behind his back and his face concealed by the dip of his hat. A Dai Li agent. Something big had happened here.

Zuko slipped through the crowd. He wondered how he was going to get through the guards undetected. The answer conveniently showed itself.

An old man suddenly tried to push past the guards. "That's my inn!" he protested. "You can't keep me out of it!" As a few guards broke formation to shove the old man back, Zuko ducked down and slipped past.

"This is a crime scene now," he heard a guard reply. "Once the general has finished inspecting the area, you can have your inn back."

Crime scene, huh? It wasn't hard to guess what happened here. It looked as though the Lower Ring killer had struck again.

"Halt!" a stern voices demanded. The Dai Li agent stepped in front of Zuko's path. Zuko stopped. Listening to the conversation had made him forget about the agent. He had raised his head to glare at Zuko. The agent was surprisingly young, and suddenly Zuko didn't feel as intimidated anymore. "Civilians are not permitted to enter. Turn back and be on your way. There is nothing to see here."

Zuko stood his ground. "What happened here?"

"If you do not comply, I will have to use force." The agent removed his hands, covered in clay, from his back.

"Put your hands down," a female voice ordered. The Dai Li agent quickly obeyed, returning his hands behind his back. A woman clad in light armor stepped out from behind the agent. Her hair, just starting to turn gray at her temples, was tied back in a bun. Despite the austere, formal way she carried herself, the soft features of her face portrayed genuine kindness. As she stopped in front of Zuko, she lowered herself into a courteous bow. "It is an honor, Firelord," she addressed. "You'll have to forgive my son. He was just trying to do his job, and I doubt he recognized you." She nudged the Dai Li agent. "There's no need to act so stiff, Jangzhen. I don't know why the Dai Li have to be such sticks in the mud." Turning back to Zuko, she added, "I am General Jing Yin. What brings you to the Lower Ring?"

"The same reason you're here," Zuko replied, looking over his shoulder at the dirty street. "General, huh? You're part of the Council of Five?"

"The first female member," Jing Yin said. "A few of the generals decided to retire after the Yudao incident was resolved. And I'm here to investigate a murder that happened here." She motioned towards the inn. "Let's not talk out here in the open, Firelord Zuko." Zuko followed her into the inn. The place was completely empty. A large wall of curtains obscured half of the room.

"I thought the Council of Five dealt with military affairs," Zuko said, examining the room. "While internal conflicts were controlled by the Dai Li."

"Yes, technically King Kuei and the Dai Li should be handling this," Jing Yin agreed, "but seeing as this problem has been going on for months, it doesn't look like they care enough to do anything about it. General How won't help me either; he says I'm on my own. And besides, I don't trust the Dai Li. Especially because they and a… certain individual, practically handed the city over to the Fire Nation during the war."

Zuko looked back at the silhouette standing in the door. "But your son is one of them."

"I know," the general's voice became heavy. "Deep down it pains me to see his talents utilized by those discreet traitors, but this was his heart's calling. I won't deny him that. My son is a righteous young man, and that lets me know I can trust at least one of them," Jing Yin said. She marched over to the curtains and pulled it aside. "After you, Firelord." Zuko passed through the curtains. On the other side, he saw a body slumped over one of the tables. He stared, horrified.

"He was from the Fire Nation," Jing Yin confirmed. "Just like all the others."

Zuko remembered the conversation with his uncle from the day before. "Poisoned?"

"Yes." The general looked at Zuko with surprise. "You're aware of this?"

"I found out yesterday," Zuko admitted. "But I'm a little peeved King Kuei never told me about this."

"I understand the king's reasoning, not that I agree with it," Jing Yin said. "This kind of news would cause political turmoil. We all know there's already been enough of that between the Fire and Earth nations already. Additionally, there is a decree that any foreign civilian who passes through Ba Sing Se's walls with the intent to reside in the city receives dual citizenship. That means they are under the jurisdiction of the Earth Kingdom. So this is our problem, not just yours. Still, I tried to tell the king to notify you, but, well…" She heaved a sigh. "You can probably guess how he responded."

"I see," Zuko said, cautiously walking around the table to get a different view of the body.

"Don't touch him. He's already in rigor mortis."

"I wasn't planning to." Zuko looked back at the general. "So have you found any clues?"

"Not really. The poison was in the man's drink. I have no idea who put it in, though."

"I have an idea," Zuko said. "I think I know who the killer is."

"Really?"

"She tried to attack my uncle last night in the Upper Ring. She's tall with short hair, and has a really dangerous feel to her. Got dark makeup here." He traced the outline of his eye with his finger. "My uncle mentioned her name…" He fought hard to remember. "Arlee?"

"Arlei?" Jing Yin said, her eyes brightening. "She's here in the city?"

"You know her?"

"Yes, she's—Firelord Zuko, Arlei is not a murderer. She's a hero."

"A what?" There was no way he heard that correctly.

"A hero," Jing Yin repeated. "During the war, she saved this city. She and the Generals put an end to the Legendary Seige of Ba Sing Se."

Like autumn turns leaves

Winter will breathe cold on our necks

Snow in our paths

Wherever she goes

All that I know is that

Beautiful things never last

That's why fireflies flash

"Fireflies" by Ron Pope