Author's Note:Y'all this one was harder to write. I wanted to make sure I addressed last chapter a bit, but also progress Mira's growth and my original plot line. It's harder in Book Two: Earth because this is where I start to show more and more of the original plot etc. It's also where I develop Mira and Zuko's relationship more. This is the book where stuff gets spicy! I'm trying to find a good balance with as much realism as a fanfiction can have in the Avatar world. It's a challenge I am adoring though, so please never be afraid to drop criticisms, things you'd like to see, the stuff you love, and the stuff you hate. Poor Mira has some trauma y'all, I feel bad for her but I promise that despite how cruel I sometimes am to her, she has a lot of good times up ahead as well. Just imagine when she meets the GAang officially!
I hope you guys enjoy this one either way, and are excited to see Zuko and Mira's relationship progress. This is a long burn y'all but I think it's a worthwhile wait. Specially if you guys love angst? Anyways no more soft spoilers, enjoy this chapter! I think it's only a few more chapters till the burn becomes a fire, although it may be more than a few. I can promise it's not a lot though. Gotta love vague opinion based measurements :P
To the reviewer who wished Mira kept the baby, that is actually a hilarious idea. I did think about it, but I've had an infant. I would not wish an infant on Mira who care barely care for herself right now. I might bring the baby back later though. Hmm, future ideas.
As always, slight violence trigger warning involving a woman, a gun, a knife, threats, and a baby. This is only a dream and nothing is too graphic.
~Chapter 3 Start~
Sleep became harder each night. I kept dreaming of Sadar and his men finding me, sometimes they killed me, other times they kept me for undisclosed reasons. Sometimes I dreamed about the mother and her baby. My mind was a mess, trauma added on top of my already jumbled thoughts. The heat and lack of supplies were beginning to take their toll and I stopped at a nearby stream to refill my flask. Drinking feverently, water rushed past my mouth and down my throat. Once my thirst was quenched, I mounted Ernie once more.
My anxiety had been off the charts ever since I fled. I failed in every attempt at tracking Iroh and Zuko down. I hadn't been able to stop myself from shaking or fidgeting as my anxious thoughts began to close in on me. It took everything I had to not just break down as each hour crawled by and I found myself even more lost. My head was pounding, my skin already burned and peeling. I was starting to question my decision to look for them as time stretched on.
Today was so scorching hot I had my outer top hanging around my waist. I was riding through the forest, avoiding the Fire Nation soldiers that had been stampeding through the area. I wasn't sure what was up, but they were all over the main roads and blocking access to any nearby towns. I was just thankful it wasn't Sadar and his men and that the Fire Nation still didn't seem to know who I was.
As I rounded the bend of the river I heard a shuffle and stopped, pulling the reins so Ernie would back up behind a thick willow. I was barely able to see the outline of several people through the thick hanging branches. I could see several had weapons, while the rest remained unarmed. I noticed the colour of their armor next and paled; Fire Nation soldiers.
"Hurry up and fill your flasks, the Avatar was spotted in this area, we need to join the search." I heard one man say.
"Yes sir." Several voices answered.
I could hear them begin to shuffle around, filling their own flasks as the thought of finding Aang rushed through my mind. My heart clenched at the sudden thought. What about Zuko and Iroh? I wasn't sure I was ready to say goodbye to them. I was gripped with the thought of how selfish that want was. I had mastered firebending, they had nothing further to teach me. Why would I go after them instead of Aang and his group?
I knew the reason and shoved it down my throat. Pulling on Ernies reins I headed back up the river and to try following it east. I started to chew on my lower lip, a nervous reaction to my racing thoughts. Joining Aang would make the most sense, I could finish mastering waterbending as well as learn airbending and earthbending. I could come clean to them, tell them everything. They would probably accept me then. If I stayed with Iroh and Zuko I would have to keep the fact I was the Avatar a secret, delaying learning the rest of the elements instead.
Aang would also be easier to find. I could just let the Fire Nation lead me to him. It was the best course of action, fate at work. But I still couldn't stop hoping I would see Zuko and Iroh again, one day.
~Break~
I was trying to find a place to set up camp, but everywhere I stopped I would see a fire and need to leave. The Fire Nation was everywhere I seemed to turn. Once again, it seemed that luck was not on my side as I found another fire just around the bend of the river. I decided to check it out, just in case I could learn more information about where Aang was. If it was the Fire Nation I could just feign being lost and leave, hopefully.
Riding closer as the darkness slowly grew, I saw only one person. It certainly didn't look like a Fire Nation camp. It was just one lone man, seated around a fire making...tea? As I got closer I realized he had long grey hair and dark green clothing. Oh my god, it was Iroh.
"Iroh!" I shouted as I dismounted and ran towards him.
He turned around, his eyes widening, and caught me as I hugged him.
"My dear, how are you?" He asked, hugging me tight.
"I'm ok, a little tired, but ok." I sniffed as I let him go.
"Well, let's remedy that shall we?" Iroh smiled as he let me go.
"By the way, I got something for you." I sniffled with a small smile.
I dug around in my pockets until I found the small Pai Sho tile Aiwon had given me.
"Here, I know you lost the last one." I smiled handing him the lotus tile.
"Thank you my dear, what a thoughtful gift." He smiled, inspecting the tile in the fire light.
Zuko wasn't with him, I didn't miss that much. I couldn't help but feel a little guilty wondering if our fight had anything to do with that. That thought was quickly replaced by the warmth of the fire and Iroh's company. I knew I needed to keep searching for Aang, but staying with Iroh while I searched couldn't hurt.
I was safer with him than alone, after all.
~Break~
"So you've been following Zuko?" I asked as Iroh finished telling me his story.
"Indeed I have. I always knew you would come back to us in time. I didn't blame you for disagreeing with what he was doing." Iroh said as he took a sip of his tea.
"Thank you Iroh. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. But, I think it was for the best." I smiled, remembering my resolve to stop depending on everyone else.
I was going to find Aang, I was going to stop lying, and I was going to train harder than I ever had before. I had already learned a lot about waterbending, enough I could comfortably control it. If I could find Aang, maybe I could learn from Katara.
"We shouldn't be far from him if we leave in the morning so rest." Iroh smiled as he handed me an extra blanket.
"Thank you." I said, setting up my bed.
I fell asleep easily that night, for once not seeing the river running red. It felt right being back with Iroh, but now I was worried about Zuko. If Iroh wasn't around him to influence him, he was going to go right back to hunting Aang; he had admitted to me as much already. This was good and bad news, good because that meant traveling with Iroh to find Zuko would also most likely lead us to Aang. But it also meant that Zuko and I might be opposing one another when we did find Aang.
I always knew, one day it would happen. He had made his allegiances clear. For a moment when we traveled as fugitives, I had thought he could change. But maybe some people can't change.
~Break~
We found tracks not far from where we were camping. They seemed to be heading down the valley. I looked around trying to spot Zuko, or anything that gave an idea of where he had gone, but it seemed he was already long gone. It was obvious by this point that he was hunting Aang. As we followed, we found ourselves dodging more and more Fire Nation soldiers.
"Well, I am certainly glad you brought him back. I wasn't looking forward to walking the whole way." Iroh laughed from behind me.
"Me too. Now come on, we've still got to catch up to Zuko." I spoke as I flicked the reigns.
We continued to track Zuko as quickly as we could. The sun was almost midsky when we had lost the tracks we had been following.
~Break~
We had set up camp again for some lunch. We hadn't been able to find any more tracks, but Iroh was still optimistic. We were now gathering what we could for lunch before we had to head out again. Iroh was collecting wood as I handled looking for berries. I was the only one with a book to help identify them anyways.
"Are you sure we have time to rest?" I asked.
I was anxious about wasting any time. I couldn't afford for Zuko to find Aang first. He was a wild card now. Dangerous, unpredictable, and angry at me.
"If we do not get enough rest we will not be able to travel, much less fight. It is important that we remember to care for ourselves." Iroh spoke as he gathered some firewood.
Suddenly I felt the earth shaking and Iroh went flying and landed on his face. I rushed over to him, my hands raising to fight if need be. Iroh sat up with a wince on his face.
"Ouf...that really hurt my tailbone." He groaned as he rubbed it.
A young girl with her hair tied up with a green band adorned with white puffballs. She was wearing a green outfit with a cream overshirt made out of much nicer cloth than ours. She glared at us and jumped onto the boulder behind Iroh. She didn't seem to be wearing shoes, and had two green bracers on her arms. Was she an earthbender? Her eyes were milky white and pupiless. She looked...blind.
"Whoa, was that really necessary?" I asked, staring at the girl.
"Who are you guys?" She asked.
"Travelers, we were just gathering firewood." I sighed, annoyed at her bossy tone.
"We were going to make tea, if you'd like to join us." Iroh smiled.
"Iroh, you can't just offer tea to every single person who assaults you." I sighed, pinching my nose.
"It's fine, we can't forget our manners, Mira." Iroh waved off as he stood up.
"Sure, I could go for some tea." The girl smiled.
She jumped down and began walking with us, before as she reached me. I wasn't so sure about Iroh's invitation, so I looked at her with caution. She turned to me, the look on her face thoughtful.
"Hey, Mira?" She asked.
"Yeah?" I blinked, stopping when she spoke.
"You're footsteps you're...rather light on your feet aren't you." She blinked, trying to find the right words.
"I suppose so, why?" I asked, not sure where she was going with that comment.
"...No reason. The name's Toph by the way." Toph said as she began walking again.
That was...so...strange.
~Break~
We returned to our camp which was set on an outcrop on the cliff. We were hidden away from view by trees, and could see anyone heading up towards us from below. Toph and I had fallen into easy conversation as Iroh made the tea. She told us about leaving home and about her blindness.
"So you see with earthbending? That is so cool!" I gushed as I served her some lunch to go with her tea.
"Thanks. Earthbending always came naturally to me. It's nice being out, able to touch and feel the dirt between my toes." Toph grinned.
"I'll bet. Being cooped up inside must have really sucked for you, huh?" I mused.
"Yeah, it did. But now I don't need to deal with being stuck inside. I can go wherever I want, do whatever I want." She said, stretching out her arms.
"Living the dream huh?" I laughed, beginning to eat my own lunch.
"Yeah, most definitely living the dream." Toph laughed.
"Here is your tea. If it isn't too bold of me to ask, you seem a little too young to be travelling alone." Iroh said as he handed her a cup.
"You seem a little too old." Toph said back, taking the offered cup.
"Ah ha ha ha, perhaps I am." Iroh laughed.
"I know what you're thinking, I look like I can't handle being by myself." Toph said as she stared off into nothing.
She had retreated into herself, tucking her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. But, if she was truly not traveling alone, it was important for us to figure out why she was now. For her own sake, if not ours. No way Iroh would let another little duckling wander off alone willingly after what Zuko and I pulled.
"I wasn't thinking that." Iroh answered.
"You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea!" Toph said, taking a sip.
"I poured your tea because I wanted to. And for no other reason." Iroh smiled as he lifted his hand up in protest.
"People see me and think I'm weak. They want to take care of me," Toph said looking away. "But I can take care of myself by myself."
"You sound like my nephew." Iroh said sadly.
I looked down at my tea, swirling it in the cup as I thought back to how much I actually missed him. I hadn't wanted to let myself admit it, but I missed Zuko a lot. I was essentially planning on abandoning them once I found Aang. It was the right thing to do, but I couldn't help but feel rotten. I had grown incredibly attached to Iroh, he was the closest thing I had to a family but...there would be no future for me here if the Fire Nation won.
"Always thinking you need to do things on your own, without anyone's support. There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you. Not that I love you. Well, I just met you." Iroh laughed as Toph joined in.
"Besides, if people do it out of love, it's because they want to see you happy, not because they see you as weak. I'm sure you help the people you care about." I added.
Toph was silent for a moment, mulling over our words. She seemed to tilt her head at my comment before smiling.
"Thanks guys. So, where is your nephew?" Toph asked.
Iroh and I exchanged sad looks.
"I've been tracking him actually, both of us have." Iroh said, taking a sip.
"Is he lost?" Toph asked.
"Yes, a little bit. His life has recently changed, and he's going through very difficult times. He's trying to figure out who he is, and he went away." Iroh said looking down sadly.
"So...now you're following him." Toph clarified.
"I know he doesn't want us around right now, but if he needs us, we will be there." Iroh answered.
I didn't say anything. What could I say?
"Your nephew is very lucky, even if he doesn't know it," Toph smiled as she stood up. "Thank you."
"My pleasure. Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights." Iroh said, raising his glass.
"No. Thank you for what you said, both of you. It helped me." Toph explained.
"I'm glad." Iroh smiled.
"It was wonderful meeting you Toph. I hope we meet again one day." I said as I retrieved her cup and placed it with our dirty dishes.
"Oh, and about your nephew, maybe you should tell him that you need him, too." She said as her parting words.
Iroh took a deep sip of his tea, taking her words to heart. I wondered what he was thinking, but didn't feel the need to pry. I refilled my cup and sat back down watching the sun beginning to set.
"You know, it's not just Zuko who needs you. I need you too. I...no one has ever been as kind as you have." I smiled, although it never reached my eyes.
I needed to tell Iroh how much he meant to me before I left. He deserved that much. He was a kind man, he was the first person here I had formed a bond with in this time. He gave me wisdom, taught me to fight, and never judged me. What would he think once I was gone? Would he still understand and show patience? Would he be angry?
"What do you mean?" Iroh asked.
"People from my home aren't as...nice as you, actually not many people I've run into recently have been very nice. But you were there for me when no one else was. I was a complete stranger, I don't think I would have survived if you didn't take me with you. Not many people would have done that." I answered truthfully.
"What about your parents?" Iroh asked, eyes calm but focused.
"I mean, they loved me. They weren't...abusive or anything. But we were never super close, they never treated me like you do. I never really had many people believe in me, except my best friend that is. My parents didn't support a lot of my decisions, like moving away to go to school." I admitted.
"I'm sorry they don't see what we see in you. I am glad to have met you as well, my dear." Iroh smiled, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I smiled back, but it was empty. I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to convey how much I appreciated and loved Iroh for everything he had done for me. I wasn't an idiot, I knew I stuck out like a sore thumb here. Everything from my old clothes, to how I looked, and how I acted. He never seemed bothered, he never looked annoyed, and he always gave me his full attention. I wasn't sure I was ready to leave my safety net yet.
Sleep was hard to find that night. I lay awake drifting through different thoughts and fears as I questioned myself over and over again. I just prayed to whatever spirits were around, that I made the right decisions. I don't know if I could survive being the reason someone dies again.
~Break~
Everything around me was pitch black. I tried to focus, but my vision was blurry. A light turned on above me and I realized I was laying on my stomach, hands tied behind my back. I tried to move but couldn't. The light slowly flickered as if the bulb wasn't fully screwed in. I heard footsteps and twisted my head to see a shadowy figure stepping towards the light.
I heard the sound of a knife being sharpened and the shadowy figure hit the light. I saw combat boots first, next I saw knees. The figure was dressed in black clothing, he leaned towards my face until his face was illuminated by the overhead light. It was Dan, smiling sickly as he sharpened his knife. His piercing eyes were exactly as I remembered when I had last seen him. Full of pleasure and unchecked rage.
"Bring her in." He sang, stepping out of my vision.
I saw the mother drug in, screaming. Her child was still in her arms, bundled against her chest. Dan took the child, smacking the woman away as he laughed. Walking back over, he knelt down again, the baby held limply in his arms as it wailed. I looked at the chubby red cheeks and tried to reach out. I heard shuffling and the woman was brought to her knees, sobbing. Her eyes were closed tight, as if knowing what was going to happen next.
I heard footsteps again, and as the next figure hit the light. His back was turned to me. He raised his gun, the click of it echoing around the room. I tried to close my eyes but Dan grabbed my head with one hand, forcing me to watch. A shot rang out and the mother crumbled, the floor suddenly coated red with blood. There was a flash of light and the figure turned around, still holding the gun. It was Sadar, and he was grinning at me. He walked over and knelt down, placing the barrel of the gun under my chin.
"My dear, we can't let them know you're alive, we might still need you. She died so you could live, how does that feel?" Sadar said, his tone full of ice as he continued to grin wide. "Dan, get rid of the child."
"Nooo!" I screamed.
~Break~
I shot up in my bed to find Iroh hovering over me. His hands were reaching out for my shoulders, his eyes calm and passive.
"It's alright, my dear. You're here, you're safe." He said, slowly pulling me into a hug.
I began to sob, unable to keep it in. The dream had shaken me in a way I couldn't describe. I had hoped once I had met up with Iroh they would stop, like they had the first night, but I wasn't that lucky. Clinging to Iroh's sturdy form, I let everything out that had been building up inside of me since I had arrived here.
The worst part about that dream was the resounding fact that I truly couldn't do anything to stop Sadar. When I had tried, someone had died. They had guns, they had tech none of us had. What hope did I have? What the hell could I possibly do?
~Break~
We had rested longer than expected. Iroh had held me well into the night until I had fallen back to sleep. He didn't wake me when he awoke, instead letting me rest. The kind gesture did mean I was rested, but it also meant we were now rushing down towards a small canyon filled with the ruins of an abandoned city. Iroh had scouted around before I awoke, finding tracks of another bird leading down that way. I was sceptical it could be a trap, but I trusted Iroh completely. Even now he was impressing me with his knowledge and skills.
As we reached the abandoned city, we dismounted and I left Ernie tied up a decent ways away. Iroh and I got closer to the ruins when we heard the sounds of a fight. I broke into a sprint, darting around a wall of a collapsed house. I rounded the wall in time to catch Zuko flying through the wall of one of the ruined buildings across the street. I turned and saw Azula, who was now attacking Aang as he jumped between buildings, scaling them.
I watched Aang for a second, unable to believe I had actually found him. I saw Azula rushing to follow him and sprung into action. I rushed up, kicking her in the side, catching her off guard. She regained her balance before she fully fell, giving me a foul look as she spotted me.
"I see you're still alive." She snarled, launching a series of blue flamed punches towards me.
I deflected a few, before I had to dodge a particularly nasty kick. Distracted, I was unable to stop her from going after Aang. I was shoved back with a particularly nasty blue blast of fire to find her scaling the building, following Aang. Forget about Safar, how the hell was I supposed to fight her? She sent a blue flame into the corner of the roof Aang was standing on, cutting clean through. The building fell into a heap as Aang leapt away, barely catching himself on what was left of the roof. Azula attacked him once more and sent him falling into the debris. Aang let out a shout, avoiding another fiery attack, before I heard his body hit the rubble below him.
Azula had set the house on fire, the blue flames persistently crackling as it tore through the dry wood. I got myself to my feet barely catching Katara rushing past me. She let out a stream of water smothering the flames, freeing Aang, before bolting as Azula turned her sights on her. I intercepted Azula once more, stopping her pursuit of Katara. I sent out a high kick, aiming to hit her in the face. She caught my foot attempting to lift me so she could knock me off balance. Catching onto her plan, I allowed her momentum to carry me, and I spun around midair twisting my other leg up, catching her around the head. We fell onto the ground where I twisted her around pinning her as she let out a snarl of flame.
I rolled away avoiding the onslaught of fire, jumping to my feet as Sokka came out from an alley. He stopped Azula's next attack directed at me, and I rushed up to join him. She dodged his first two strikes easily, stepping into the middle of the street. We all started to advance on her from where she had retreated. Iroh came speeding out from behind me, heading towards Zuko. I cast a quick gaze towards him as he roused his nephew.
"Uncle." He groaned.
"Get up." Iroh ordered.
He helped Zuko up as Azula began her attack. She went after Aang first so Katara sent out a jet of water that Azula managed to counter with her own fire. She sent out another stream of blue fire towards me which I broke through, sending one of my own. Sokka threw his boomerang which Azula deflected, knocking it away with a hit of her own. He dodged Azula's counter attack, which was a series of fire blasts, managing to avoid every single one. Aang jumped behind her as we worked to coral her into a corner where she could no longer jump around as freely. She was too agile for us to chase, and way too volatile. She started to move in what I assumed was another attack, only to fall to her knees into the dusty dirt.
"I thought you guys could use a little help." Toph gloated with a grin.
"Nice timing." I smirked.
"Thanks." Katara said.
I didn't have time to wonder why Toph was there as Azula was already standing back up. She continued to send out attacks. Each one was dodge, deflected, or dissipated into nothing. She continued to retreat, her jaw setting into an angry scowl. She rushed through a small gap in another alley, attempting to lose us, but was stopped by Iroh and Zuko. This was it, we had her cornered. I had my hands up at the ready as I moved to stand beside Zuko and Toph. We closed in and finally, Azula stopped retreating. She looked at us surrounding her with a sneer on her face.
"Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors all working together. I'm done. I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honour." Azula spoke as she raised her hands.
I caught Iroh looking wildly around at us all and I grew confused. Did he know she was lying? What was he looking for? But before I could figure out the answer, Azula spun down to the ground, letting out a stream of lightning, striking Iroh in the chest. Everything happened in slow motion after that. Itoh was sent spiralling back as Zuko turned to watch in horror.
"Ahh!" Iroh yelled as he collapsed.
I heard Zuko yell as we all sent our own blasts at Azula. She managed to shield, causing an explosion she was able to escape under the cover of. I realized then, it was probably Iroh who was the only one she couldn't go toe to toe with. I couldn't believe what had just happened.
Everything was on fire as the smoke burned my lungs. I rushed towards Iroh repeating no no no no no! Over and over again to myself. I was afraid to touch him, and unsure of what to do. I looked up at Zuko helplessly as he joined me. He knelt down and let out another snarled shout. Fisting his hands and covering his face. Aang and his group started to walk towards us. I looked up at them as tears poured down my cheeks. When had I started crying?
"Get away from us!" Zuko snarled.
"Zuko, I can help." Katara pleaded as she stepped over to us.
"Leave!" He shouted, sending out a wave of flames.
Aang and his group bolted after that. I was still sobbing, unable to argue with Zuko, just wanting to get Iroh somewhere safe. My previous plan was abandoned as Aang and his friends slowly disappeared. I couldn't stop seeing the mother where Iroh had been struck down, and it took Zuko shaking my shoulder to snap me out of it.
"Come on, you need to help me get him mounted." Zuko spoke, his tone soft and calm.
"Yeah, of course..." I whispered, wiping my face on my sleeve.
We gathered Iroh up onto Zuko's bird, and I quickly left to retrieve my own. We traveled well into the night until Zuko found an abandoned shack. He took Iroh inside without saying anything to me, and began to strip him down and tend to his smouldering melted flesh.
The smell was horrible. Like burnt rubber and melted cheese. I wanted to gag, but I remained seated next to Zuko, handing him a clean rag as he needed. It wasn't long until Zuko excused himself to gather some aloe for Iroh. We were in a desert like area so we both figured it would be around. I waited until he returned, keeping Iroh cool and clean, and then helped Zuko break apart the aloe and slathered it on Iroh's wound.
The aloe covered up the smell, but the memory of it would stick with me forever.
~Break~
"Thank you." Zuko said to me on the second day.
He hadn't spoken to me since he got me to help move Iroh onto Ernie. We had mostly worked in silence, keeping to ourselves. I wanted to ask if Zuko was okay, but I couldn't find the words. I felt horrible, Iroh was hurt, I had failed in joining Aang, and I had lost my only chance to learn the rest of my bending.
"You're welcome." I smiled woefully as I changed Iroh's bandage.
"No...I mean it...no matter what, both you and Iroh have always been there for me. I'm sorry for how I treated you, you deserved better." Zuko spoke, his tone so soft I almost didn't catch it.
My hands halted in their movements as I bit my lip. My heart was pounding, and my previous thoughts evaporated. I continued to wrap Iroh's bandage, careful to not tie it too tightly.
"It's ok, Zuko. I understand. Really, I do. I just hope that from now on we can be an actual team. I'm on your side." I smiled, trying to break through even one of his walls.
I couldn't stop the words from coming out, he mattered to me, Iroh mattered to me. How could I turn my back on Iroh when he needed me most. I wasn't even sure how he had survived being struck with lightning like that.
"I know that now. Thank you." He smiled.
There was that damn smile again. He keeps doing that and it's going to be hard to keep lying to him about who I am. All I was doing now was stalling the inevitable.
~Break~
It was day three, and Iroh wasn't getting any better. Zuko had stomped out to look for more herbs, leaving me to quietly sob as I tried to clean the now foul smelling wounds. I didn't have to be a doctor to know it was infected.
I gathered more water, and carried it back up the hill towards the hut we were squatting in. On the way, I tripped on a rock, sending the pot of water to the ground, spilling the contents. With a small groan I gathered the water back up using my waterbending, wrung the dirt out of it, and put it back into the pot before anyone could see.
As I walked into the hut I had a realization. Katara had offered to help, Aiwon had told me about chakra channels...was it possible...I could heal him with waterbending? Figuring I had no other real shot, I gathered the water into my hands and placed them over his wound.
I focused on the chakra channels that had been explained to me, and thought healing thoughts. You know, like happy thoughts in Peter Pan, but for healing. I focused on the cool energy, and bid the water to heal his skin, remove the poison, and close the wound. It took a few minutes before I started to feel warmth spread through my hands. I opened my eyes and watched in fascination as Iroh's skin began to knit together, the pus no longer in existence. I jerked my hands away, startled and not wanting him to be too healed it was suspicious. He let out a small groan before quieting down.
I let out the breath I was holding as I waited for Zuko to return. Laying back down in my bed, I closed my eyes for a moment, just to rest. There were no nightmares that night, but neither were there any dreams.
~Break~
"Uncle...Uncle." I heard someone calling out as I awoke with a start.
"Whash goin' on?" I slurred out, rubbing my eyes.
"You were unconscious. Azula did this to you. It was a surprise attack." Zuko continued.
Trying to fully wake up, I found Iroh was sitting up and talking to Zuko. Iroh let out a small grunt of pain as he situated himself to sit, pulling his legs to sit crossed. I was so thankful Iroh was awake, I hadn't realized I was gaping at them openly.
"Somehow that's not so surprising." Iroh groaned as he fully sat up.
"I hope I made it the way you like it." Zuko softly spoke, handing Iroh a cup of tea.
Iroh took a sip and grimaced, before pulling the cup away. I quickly closed my mouth, staring at Zuko as we made...tea. This was...new. Just how long had I been asleep?
"Mmm...good." He deadpanned.
He took another sip and gagged. Which of course meant it wasn't good at all. Iroh continued to try and school his face, but was unable to stop gagging as he took another sip.
"That was very, um, bracing." He coughed into his hand to regain his composure.
Zuko poured him another cup as he handed me one. Oh great, now I was expected to drink this tea. Looking at Iroh again, seeing him stare at the tea with a grimace. I stared down into my cup and debated if I wanted to actually try it or not.
"Mira and I took care of you." Zuko explained, finally acknowledging I was awake.
I looked up, not expecting him to say that. Zuko gave me a soft smile and I returned it, taking a quick sip of the tea without thinking. It tasted bitter and burnt. I almost spat it out, but stopped myself. I swallowed it and made a strange noise in the back of my throat. Bracing was an understatement.
"Thank you very much, Mira." Iroh smiled as he quickly tossed his cup of tea out the window when Zuko wasn't looking.
"It was nothing." I blushed, trying to play off the attention so I could get rid of my cup too.
"So, Uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before we run into Azula again. We're going to need to know more advanced firebending if we want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're gonna say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her." Zuko explained.
I was actually touched that Zuko included me in his plans. I guess what I said the other night really hit a nerve, a good nerve at that. I quickly tossed my tea out the window when Zuko was paying attention to Iroh. I continued to hold the cup so Zuko wouldn't refill it, pretending to take the occasional fake sip.
"No. She's crazy, and she needs to go down," Iroh corrected, "ahh...it's time to resume training."
Iroh was now standing and looking at us both with intent. He stretched, cracking his back as he worked out his muscles. I was amazed at how quickly he was bouncing back now and stared at my hands.
Waterbenders were amazing.
~Break~
"Lightening is a pure expression of firebending—without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is," Iroh explained as he made us tea. "Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire. It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind."
Iroh handed us each a cup, which I took with a happy grin. This was something that could be very useful to know in the future. Iroh was literally teaching us how to take down Azula. He was going to show us how to bend lightning!
"I see, That's why we're drinking tea—to calm the mind." Zuko nodded.
"Oh yea, good point!" Iroh laughed.
"You just wanted tea didn't you." I sighed.
"I mean...yes, that's why we are drinking tea" Iroh corrected himself. "There is energy all around us, the energy is both yin and yang—A positive energy and a negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance, and in the moment the positive and the negative energy come crashing back together. You provide release and guidance, creating lightning." Iroh explained as he motioned for us to step back.
The concept made sense. It was hard to argue considering that is how electricity is made in my time. Using negative and positive energies. I took a moment to think about how the charges move once a circuit is completed, and focused on the sound of lightning crackling through the air.
We watched as Iroh began to draw his arms around in a circular motion, pulling electrons from the air and sparking them. Raising his hands up towards the sky, and downwards again, I could feel the current getting stronger. He sent out a shot that went up into the sky, crackling with such intensity it shook the air.
"I'm ready to try it." Zuko spoke first after Iroh's demonstration.
"Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it," Iroh explained as he rubbed his shoulder. "You are simply its humble guide. Breathe first."
Zuko did as instructed, taking a deep and calming breath. He followed Iroh's movements exactly, but as he went to strike the power sailed back at him, causing an explosion. I braced myself as Zuko came flying back towards us.
"That...does not look fun to fail at." I sighed as Iroh motioned for me to go next.
I took a deep breath, remembering my breathing exercises from Aang and Aiwon. I started the movements, not as perfect as Zuko had, feeling the energy spiraling up through my core and out of my chakra channels. The movement reminded me of waterbending, so I applied what I knew, allowing it to become an extension of my arm, flowing through and crackling at the tips. I opened my eyes to find electricity had already begun to gather. Feeling more in control I reached out my arm, extending fully as a small bolt leapt from my fingertips and through the charged sky.
"Holy...crap..." I muttered with wide eyes.
"Well, Mira, it seems you are a natural." Iroh said with a proud smile.
"Still need more practice, but holy cow...that was as scary as it was exhilarating." I laughed, feeling my body tingle.
"Indeed it is, Mira, indeed it is." Iroh clapped me on the shoulder.
I turned to find Zuko giving me an appraising look. It was not necessarily jealous or angry, but it made me feel vulnerable all the same. Just what was he looking for?
And what did he see?
~Break~
Iroh was having some more tea as Zuko and I practiced. I had managed to get my lightning a little stronger, but it seemed I lacked conviction and was afraid of the lightning's power. It was draining my attack and thus rendering it less effective in combat. Zuko, unfortunately, kept getting angrier every time he failed, causing the explosions to get worse and worse each time.
"Oaff! Why can't I do it!" Zuko snarled as he hit the ground with his fists. "Instead of lightning, it keeps exploding in my face, like everything always does."
"I was afraid this might happen," Iroh sighed, standing and walking towards us. "You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you."
"What turmoil!?" Zuko shouted as he turned to Iroh.
"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away." Iroh explained.
"But I don't feel any shame at all. I'm as proud as ever." He muttered, shying away in anger and disbelief.
"Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame."
"Well, my life has been nothing but humbling lately." Zuko said, turning away from us.
I felt helpless as I watched the interaction. I wasn't sure if it was right for me to say anything, considering I could produce lightning and he couldn't. But Zuko was my friend and I was worried about him, I wanted to help him succeed in this at least.
"I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself." Iroh winked, pointing towards his chest.
Zuko turned around looking a little bit happier. I smiled, feeling the tension lower as I wandered over to finally join them. If Zuko could master something Azula hadn't yet, it might just salvage today's lesson entirely.
~Break~
"Fire is the element of power." Iroh explained as he drew the Fire Nation symbol into the dirt. "The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns, and found peace and freedom. Also, they apparently had pretty good senses of humour."
Iroh paused for the laugh but only got a dead look from Zuko and a blink from me. He continued to draw out all the nations' symbols as he continued to teach us.
"Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything." Iroh continued.
"Why are you telling us these things?" Zuko asked.
"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others—the other elements and the other nations—will help you become whole." Iroh finished explaining as he circled all the symbols he had drawn.
"All this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff." Zuko said and I found myself agreeing with him.
"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful, but it can make you more powerful, too. You see, the technique I am about to teach you is one I learned studying the waterbenders." Iroh explained as he circled all the elements.
"Wow, that's...amazing Iroh." I spoke up, taking in everything he said.
This was the most I had gotten to learn about who I was. Was I really that powerful? Zuko did say I learned fast, Aang said I should believe in my abilities more because I was strong enough on my own but...I couldn't do the things Aang could. Perhaps, the only way for myself to feel whole was to finish learning to bend the other elements.
~Break~
Iroh now had us standing up to practicing the different movements of his firebending move. I was feeling pretty secure in learning this move, having learned waterbending already, but I hoped Zuko could accomplish it as well. I didn't want yet another thing for him to be upset at me over. He had us following his movement, across our chests and out towards our arms and up our shoulders. We were standing in a circle moving as one whole Iroh lectured us.
"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A waterbender lets their defence become their offence, turning their opponent's energy against them. I learned a way to do this with lightning." Iroh explained.
"You can teach us how to redirect lightning?" Zuko asked, amazing.
"If you let the energy on your own body flow, the lightning will follow it," Iroh nodded. "You must create a pathway from your fingertips, up your arm to your shoulder, then down to your stomach. The stomach is the source of energy in your body. It is called the sea of chi, only in my case, it is more like a vast ocean." Iroh laughed as he patted his belly.
I snorted and let out a chuckle of my own.
"From the stomach, you direct it up again and out the other arm. The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart, for the damage could be deadly," Iroh explained, pressing his fingers against Zuko's chest. "You may wish to try a physical motion to get a feel for the pathway's flow, like this."
Iroh now put all the parts together we had learned and we went through the motion slowly together. Slowly, we picked up speed, keeping our movements precise. I visualized the current I had felt earlier slowing through my chakra channels. I visualized the bright blue energy following the paths down my arm, through my shoulder, into my stomach, and out my other arm.
"Now, are you focusing on your energy? Can you feel your own chi flowing in? Down, up, and out?" Iroh asked.
"I think so." Zuko answered.
"Yeah." I responded, my eyes closed as I focused.
"Come on. You got to feel the flow." Iroh cheered us on with a little as we continued.
We spent the next few hours practicing, I could feel the sun beginning to set as my arms felt heavy and sore. I hadn't had a workout like that for awhile. I was surprised that Zuko didn't complain once about taking things slow to perfect the movement. He accepted perfecting the basics first.
"Excellent. You've got it." Iroh said.
"Great. I'm ready to try it with real lightning." Zuko announced, turning to face Iroh.
"What? Are you crazy? Lightning is very dangerous." Iroh declined.
"I thought that was the point—you teaching me how to protect myself from it." Zuko argued.
"Yeah, but I'm not going to shoot lightning at you. If you're lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all." With that Iroh walked away, ending the discussion.
"What about you, Mira, will you help me?" Zuko asked, turning to me with a frown on his face.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea..." I mumbled, biting my lip.
"Iroh said it himself, your lightning is weak, it would be the least risk." Zuko goaded me.
"Ugh, fine. But if you die, I'm not taking the fall for it." I grumbled.
~Break~
"Mira, you need to strike harder than that!" Zuko complained as I let out another even weaker bolt of lightning.
"I'm sorry! I don't want to hurt you...maybe Iroh was right." I grumbled.
Just as I said that, thunder started to roar overhead. I stopped my arm and sighed out, noticing that mother nature was signaling the end to our training.
"Come on Zuko, it's going to rain. Let's head inside." I said, jabbing my thumb towards the hut.
"No, I haven't perfected this move yet." Zuko said with a scowl.
"Zuko, it's going to be pouring rain. It literally looks like a storm is rolling in. I am going inside because I have very few changes of clothes and do not want to go to bed soaking wet." I said with a scowl of my own.
"Fine, if you can't help me. I'll find my own lightning." Zuko spoke as he started off towards higher ground.
"Zuko wait!" I shouted as it started to rain.
"What?" He asked, turning to face me.
"Just...be careful, please?" I asked, giving him a pleading smile.
"I will." He said as he turned to walk away.
I wasn't sure so letting him go on his own was such a good idea, but I knew I wouldn't be able to stop him. Zuko was stubborn like that. It was something we had in common.
~Break~
Zuko didn't come back until late in the night. He was drenched, but quiet as he went about getting ready for bed. I couldn't smell the tell-tale signs of lightning, but it's possible the rain could have washed it all away. He quietly changed before getting into his bedroll beside me.
I rolled over and hid my face into his back, happy he had returned. I was worried he wasn't going to come home, and I was scared of where his emotions were taking him. I felt him tense, but he didn't move away. As he slowly relaxed, I allowed my eyes to close. I wondered for a brief moment if Zuko was capable of change and if he had already started too. It felt like hours, but I soon fell asleep, feeling warm and comfortable and undeniably safe.
~Chapter 3 End~