The rest of the way back to the camp was uneventful, and everyone was grateful for it. Zuko was aware that he was probably the subject of multiple hushed conversations, given the amount of looks he was getting, but as long as nobody bothered him, he paid it no mind. His earlier argument with Katara had effectively discouraged even Shen, who only glanced at him occasionally now. The Gaang was already back in their own usual chatter, with only Sokka making sure the firebender was still there from time to time.
When they arrived, the mayor invited the Avatar group to sit with him by the fire again. Zuko considered choosing a different spot, but one sharp look from Sokka was enough for him to give up on that thought. Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, he sat down next to them, staring at the flames bleakly. They were always bringing him comfort, but now they reminded him about the lack of his own fire. He averted his eyes to the woods, but the move seemed sloppy to him, making him aware, that he might actually have the fever like Shen had said.
"I should probably check if the wounds didn't get infected. Even though I won't even be able to see the one on my back, they could always use some attention... Especially that with so many people here, I won't be able to try absorbing fire."
He didn't notice that the mayor seemed to finally make up his mind, as somewhere between talking to Aang and making sure every villager was prepared for the night, he ended up sitting next to him.
With a dose of uncertainty, the old man leaned towards him, silently getting his attention "Hey, Lee?"
"What is it?" Zuko answered just as quietly, though he was wary of the intention behind the hushed tone. He glanced at the rest of the group by the fire; it seemed they hadn't noticed the exchange.
"I just thought… I know you don't want to talk about it, but maybe you need some help with that injury?"
The prince looked at the mayor carefully. He tried to read him, but the only thing he noticed was genuine worry. The old man resembled Uncle in that way, and it made Zuko actually consider his offer. Asking any of Avatar's group for help was out of question, but it didn't change the fact that he needed it.
"I..." he glanced at the group again, and cleared his throat before continuing "I could use some help."
It was embarrassing to admit it, but surprisingly, Shen just smiled warmly in response. He got up, saying louder "I think we might need some more water. Could you help me with that, Lee? There's a stream nearby."
Aang got up as well hearing that "We can all help!"
"No need to bother all of you, Avatar. It's only a few buckets more, you have already helped us so much."
Sokka wasn't happy with that, but he didn't protest about it either.
Shen grabbed two buckets and a torch, as well as a few other things after ensuring that their young guests weren't watching him anymore. He handed the buckets to Zuko, and led the young man away from the camp.
As soon as they were beyond the earshot from the camp, Shen cleared his throat silently and asked:
"So... I guess the assumption that these people are your friends was far-fetched?"
Zuko sighed silently in irritation.
"Of course. Questions. I should have seen this coming."
He considered storming back, but he couldn't just come back alone right now, and the old man apparently knew that.
"They're not my friends. We're just temporary travel companions. They... helped me when I got injured." he answered stiffly. They were almost there, as the camp was set up indeed close to the stream.
"So that happened recently, I guess?" Shen asked carefully, not knowing how much he could ask without angering the teen.
"Yesterday." he confirmed, putting the buckets on the ground with a loud thud. They reached the stream, and Zuko took one more look around to ensure they were alone.
The mayor cleared his throat before prompting good-naturedly "Alright, boy, show me this injury."
The prince was a bit hesitant, but since they had come this far, there was no reason to turn back now. Fortunately, being shirtless around others hadn't been a problem for him, after three years spent on a ship. Turning his back to Shen, he took his shirt off, only grunting silently as he removed it over his head.
Then, he quickly unwrapped the bandage, which the mayor had to admit was put on skillfully, but the sight beneath it made the old man gasp.
"What is it? Did it get infected?" Zuko asked unsettled.
"Uhm..." Shen carefully examined the boy's back. "Well, I'm not exactly a medician... But I don't think it's infected... Is it a burn?"
"No, it's an arrow wound. I cauterized both ends."
The old man was shocked to hear this, and he quickly moved to get a look from the front, finding the matching wound on the chest.
"You- And that happened yesterday?! And you're just walking around like it's nothing...?"
The mixture of shock and sadness on the old man's face agitated the proud firebender.
"Don't pity me." he warned sharply, making the mayor sadden even more. Not waiting for his reaction he proceeded to wash his wound with water.
"No, no. Listen, don't mistake compassion for pity. I merely regret that a young man like you had to go through so much. The world has gone mad." He said as he leaned towards the buckets lying on the ground, taking a new set of bandages out of them, as well as some herb ointment. "Come here."
Zuko didn't move from his spot, but Shen took this as a sign of cooperation anyway. He got down to the job, starting with casual talk to distract the teen.
"You handle it pretty well, I guess it was not a first time too? Although you seem to young to be a soldier. How old are you...?"
Zuko suppressed a pained hiss when ointment touched the wound, and responded "I'm 16"
Shen frowned slightly "So you're not even of age to join army yet. Unless you-"
"I'm not a soldier." the prince said sternly, and decided to clarify to stop him from further insinuating "And it's not a battle wound. Just... a result of my bad decisions."
"What kind of decisions result in getting an arrow in your back? Thievery...?"
A moment of silence passed before an answer came.
"Not quite."
The old man waited a little longer, but no further explanation came, so he sighed "Let me guess, the Fire Nation? Those animals..."
He moved to the front as he spoke, not noticing how Zuko stiffened. However before he could begin applying ointment on the chest wound, the boy caught his hand "I can do this one myself."
The mayor stared at him in surprise, and removed his hand. Then his eyes narrowed slightly, and he took a small step back. "Oh, I get it. You don't agree with me. Judging by those eyes, I was wondering if you didn't have some relatives there."
The prince looked at him alarmed, but Shen continued "But with that scar on your face to prove it, you won't tell me they're not monsters. Maybe not all of them, but... It's the only kind they send here."
Zuko wanted to protest, but he knew he shouldn't if he didn't want to blow what remained of his cover. The mayor must have noticed the stubborn look on his face, however.
"I had a son, you know. Our village technically wasn't called for enrollment, but he wanted to prove himself out there." His breathing picked up as he became visibly emotional while speaking. "Not a year later, I was to pick up what was left of his body. They... There's nothing you can say to defend them. Nothing."
A moment passed, when none of them could look the other in the eye, but after that Shen moved back closer, saying "Now stop squirming around, so we can wrap you up and go back."
And this time, the prince allowed that in silence.
After the mayor left with Zuko, there was a good moment of silence by the bonfire. The other villagers were gradually getting up to prepare for the night. Eventually Sokka spoke quietly "How do you think, what was that about?"
"What do you mean?" Aang asked surprised.
"Well, it looked like the mayor wanted to go specifically with him. Do you think-"
"Actually, I think I may know what it was about." Katara surprised both the boys with that, and they waited for her to continue.
"I told you guys, that we'll talk about it later. Well, when we were getting closer to the village, the mayor got concerned with Zuko's condition, saying he might have a fever or something. I said that it could be due to his wound, and suddenly he got all angry... We argued, and he said we had no right to make decisions for him, and that if it was up to him, he would have rather died than come with us."
"Did he hurt you?" Sokka immediately asked, unsettled.
"No... He didn't touch me. But, he was really mad... I have to admit, I was scared for a while then."
Sokka turned to Aang reproachfully "See? I told you!"
Aang shrinked slightly with guilt, saying weakly "But... I don't understand... Why would he be like that?"
"Face it, Aang. You don't know anything about this guy. It's not safe for him to be around us. And he said himself, that he doesn't want to."
"Well, he also said that he would rather die. So what? I should have just let him...?" the kid asked quietly, letting his eyes fall to the ground. "What kind of Avatar am I, if I can't even save people around me?"
"Hey, you're doing a really good job as the Avatar. You saved an entire village today!" Sokka put his hand on Aang's shoulder, trying to reassure him "But, it's not your fault if someone doesn't want to be saved."
They sat in silence for a while, until they saw the mayor returning, accompanied by Zuko who carried two buckets of water. It seemed as if they were still uncomfortable with each other, though the firebender had a much softer look on his face than before. He slowly approached and sat down next to them, but Shen excused himself to go sleep due to the late hour.
They all looked at Zuko with mixed feelings, but he was unaware of it, occupied with his own thoughts about the mayor's earlier words.
Eventually the silence was interrupted by Aang "I think we should go to sleep as well."
Sokka gave him silent look, but just nodded and got up to grab his sleeping bag, with Katara joining him closely. Aang gave Zuko one more look, and got up to lay down on Appa as usual, leaving the firebender alone by the fire.
A few minutes passed, and when the prince heard a quiet footsteps next to him, he thought that someone from Gaang came back to watch him for the night. What surprised him, was a heavy sigh coming from the person that sat down by the fire, and he turned to notice Guo Jin staring at him intently.
"I heard the people talking about you, you know." he said calmly "They said you're a troublemaker. That you start quarrels, and have no respect for others... So how is it with you...?"
Zuko squeezed his eyes shut hearing this. He was so done with everyone having something against him. But the man continued "We were talking earlier today, and you kinda ran off. I thought I may have said something wrong, but... If it was a shame that caused you to run like that, then good for you. Stop shaming your parents, and try to be a decent man. If you ran from your home too, then it is not too late to go back and apologise. I'm sure-"
"You have no idea what you're talking about." Zuko hissed bitterly, and Guo Jin frowned.
"Boy. Don't be to stubborn to accept an advise from your elders. I have learnt my bitter lesson, and believe when I say that the time we have with our parents won't last forever. If-"
"I know that!" Zuko bursted, and immediately looked around as he realized that the sound was too loud for the late hour they had. He looked back at the old man next to him and added more quietly "But you know nothing about me, so stop lecturing me."
The look in Guo Jin's eyes grew colder as he got up. "Well, about that you're right. It seems I don't know anything about you."
With that the old man left, and Zuko huffed with annoyance, looking at the flames in front of him. This time no one else came, and it seemed everyone has already settled down for the night.
He sat there for a while longer, with his eyes downcast on the fire, before raising his hand in front of him. He tried to conjure a flame once again, but still, nothing happened. He closed his eyes and sighed, laying down to sleep as well.
A night's good rest wasn't meant for the prince this time, apparently, as his feverish mind was visited by nightmares. In his dream, he was in the middle of Agni Kai, kneeling before his father once more. This time, however, all the spectators, including his Uncle, were chanting for the Fire Lord to end him.
"I only wanted you to take me back, please, Father! I am still your loyal son." the prince pleaded once again.
"You are not my son. I gave you a chance, but you have learned nothing."
This time, Ozai didn't reach for his face however. He released a massive wave of fire that swallowed him whole, engulfing him completely.
He woke up with a silent scream, and looked around frantically. His breathing was hurried, and he noticed a few disapproving looks from the nearby villagers he had managed to wake up. They lied back down, and he tried to calm himself down too.
Putting his head back on the ground, he gazed upwards. The stars were nowhere to see, whether it was thanks to the surrounding trees, or the still present volcanic ash in the air. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, but he knew he couldn't force himself to fall asleep again like that.
What he needed right now was a walk. He silently got up and walked toward the stream, remembering the way the mayor had led him earlier. He knelt in front of it, washing his face in cold water, but as he straightened back up, he felt that he wasn't alone. He spun around on his feet immediately, facing the person who was watching him, but it turned out it was just Aang.
"You can't sleep too...?" the kid asked quietly, coming closer.
Zuko remained silent, merely observing as the Avatar passed by him and sat down on a rock beside him, staring at the water.
"It's really hard, you know... just trying your best to do something good, but it turns out that no matter what you do, it won't be enough."
The firebender felt a lump in his throat as he remembered his nightmare. He looked away, unable to face the kid, knowing what he meant.
Aang turned his head to look at him. "I really want to help you Zuko, but I-"
"You cannot help me." the prince stopped him quietly "There is no help for me. Not anymore. I only had one way home, but now... there is nothing left for me."
Aang frowned with worry at his words "But, there has to be-"
"No. It is not your responsibility, so just move on. I'm sure your friends would want that as well. Just... Just go. You did enough, I'll be fine."
He moved to go back into the camp, but the boy surprised him by jumping into his way.
"Then fight me."
Zuko was sure he had heard wrong.
"What?!"
"Fight me." Aang added with more determination. "If you can beat me, it would prove that you'll be fine on your own."
The prince sighed "You can't be serious."
"I am. Come on!" he called as he took a fighting stance.
Zuko held his gaze for a while, trying to wrap his mind around the situation he was in. He considered his challenge, and eventually snorted silently as he understood what was behind it. "I can't."
The kid looked at him perplexed, so he added "I can't beat you the way I am now. I don't even need to try."
Slowly, a smile crept onto Aang's lips.
"So that means you will stay?" he asked hopefully.
"That kid might be more stubborn than me."
"Do I really have a choice here?" the firebender asked with an ironic smile. Aang's grin wasn't what he had expected, but it made him feel somewhat lighter. It turned out that he was able to fall back asleep that night after all.
The next morning welcomed them with a sunlight, which could only mean one thing. The ashes settled down, and so did the Makapu. The people woke the mayor up hastily, and he agreed that they could return to the village, after Aang confirmed the news by flying there on his staff.
Everyone was relieved, as they went back, gasping in awe at the sight of a giant wall of dried lava around the village.
They held a small celebrations on the main square, with everyone either trying to express gratitude towards the Avatar and his friends, or simply trying to at least get a chance to exchange a few words with them before they leave.
They were really enjoying themselves, when Sokka called Aang on side.
"So, have you decided about... You know? Zuko?"
Aang smiled sheepishly, but he answered firmly "Yes. I thought about it yesterday."
"And...?" Sokka asked impatiently, crossing his arms on his chest.
"We have an agreement and he didn't break it, so I won't go back on my word either."
The teenager sighed "Aang, we talked about it-"
Aang interrupted him. "I know. And you were right; he wants to leave as well. So I gave him a condition: he can leave when he is able to beat me."
"YOU DID WHAT?!" Sokka yelled in bewilderment. "You weren't supposed to keep him with us; it was quite the opposite!"
"I know. And I promise that if he does anything, I will take complete responsibility for it, and you'll be able to say 'I told you so', and so on" the kid finished with a smile, and Sokka had a hard time finding the right words.
"But... alright, just be careful so you don't regret it."
They returned to the square, where they found Katara talking with Meng cheerfully. The younger girl seemed to take a liking to her, and Katara didn't mind it. She was just telling Meng about how Aang had ridden an elephant on Kyoshi Island. Both girls laughed, but when she noticed her brother and Aang, she turned towards them.
"Why so grim, Sokka? Something's the matter?"
"Well, Aang didn't change his mind on 'Lee', that's all."
She frowned slightly with worry, facing the kid directly "Are you sure about that...?"
"I know what you guys think, but I just wanted to give him a chance, so we'll stick to the original agreement for now. I hope that's okay with you...?"
"I..." she sighed, and put her hand on his shoulder "Yes, I will support all your decisions. We're a family now, after all"
Zuko had separated from the group as the celebrations started, as he didn't really feel he would fit in there. All the gratitude towards their group was reserved for the others, while he still received odd looks, but it didn't surprise him at all. He passed the crowd and sat on the stairs next to the square entrance, just staring at the view.
His fever was gone for now, and he just closed his eyes to enjoy the sun, relaxing for a bit. The weather was serene; it was hard to believe what had happened there less than a day ago. Suddenly, he felt something covering him from the sunlight, and he opened his eyes to find a young man standing in front of him. Zuko focused on recalling the name the mayor had called him yesterday, and he remembered it was Jiro.
"You're Lee, right...?" Jiro asked nervously.
"Uhm, yeah. What is it?" Zuko responded, standing up out of politeness.
The young man seemed to have second thoughts about this, but eventually he started "I've been thinking about what you said yesterday. I was really angry about it... I thought it was wrong that I couldn't help there. But then, when we were on the way to the forest, and we saw the lava hit the trench... If it wasn't for the Avatar, it wouldn't even mean anything. It means there was nothing I could have done and-"
"Yeah. You couldn't stop it."
Jiro looked at him confused by such brutal honesty. But the prince continued "There was nothing anyone could do. You said it yourself, all the benders from your village did their best, and the village would still be destroyed. And yet you were watching it from a safe distance, prepared. Sure, the houses would be wiped out, but you could rebuild them. You would have still survived, thanks to your actions. That's what matters."
"Yeah, but..." Jiro sighed and sat down next to the spot that Zuko occupied a minute earlier, prompting the prince to join him with a gesture, and he did so.
"It just sucks sometimes... You're not a bender too, right?"
Zuko felt his throat dry up as he spoke aloud what he had been fearing for some time. "I'm not."
"Am I...?"
"But you seem to have it all figured out..." Jiro wondered "You never wished you were a bender?"
The prince sighed as he struggled to find the words.
"Well, in my family, bending is very important." He paused for a moment before continuing. "My younger sister is an amazing bender, a prodigy. I knew I couldn't match her, no matter what I did, so I tried to excel in other fields. I studied books, I trained with swords and-"
"Oh, you're a swordsman?" Jiro interjected excitedly. "I didn't see any sword on you; may I see it? What kind of sword is it?"
Zuko blinked in surprise at such enthusiasm. "They're called dao swords. Dual blades that make one weapon. But I've lost them recently."
"Oh, that's a shame... It sounds cool though."
"Yeah."
They sat in silence for a while, but it was quite comfortable.
"Ah, there you are!" they both turned their heads towards the new voice, which turned out to be the mayor. "It seems that your group will be leaving soon, Lee."
"Then I guess I'll be going too." the prince stood up to go back, but Shen stopped him.
"Wait a second, please."
Jiro must have sensed some unease, as he got up saying quickly "I'll be going too, see ya!"
The mayor kept watching him leave as if he forgot what he came there for, and Zuko was getting impatient with wait.
"What's the matter?"
"Uh, right. I guess I just wanted to check on you. Are you feeling alright?" Shen looked at him with worry, and the prince felt awkward.
"Yes, much better than yesterday." he answered and looked away, adding awkwardly "Thanks for help."
The old man sighed as he noticed the boy's discomfort. "No problem. Look, I know we may have disagreed on certain matters, but I wish you all the best, Lee. You are a good person, and I am confident that you will accomplish great things in the future."
Zuko snorted lightly at the last part, but he actually was grateful to the man, so he responded "And I know that you'll be a far better mayor than these people deserve."
Shen smiled at it, and offered a handshake, that the prince gladly accepted. They both headed back towards the gathering on the square.
"I hope you won't mind, but I was wondering... How did you know so much about managing evacuation and all?" The old man asked on the way, as he remembered the first thing that stroke him about the boy.
Zuko sighed, and Shen was just about to apologise for bothering him with questions again, but the prince answered:
"My father is a... He's a high-rank official, and I just wanted to learn everything I could to about governing people well, if I were to follow in his footsteps."
"I see... So what made you change your mind on career?" the mayor asked lightly, content that the boy was willing to share "I think you could be a great mayor yourself in time."
"It wasn't really my deci- I don't want to talk about it, ok?" Zuko answered, while his hand went to touch his scar involuntarily.
"Oh, of course!" Shen smiled kindly. "Well, if you'll be around then feel free to visit us again sometime."
They made it back to square, where the Gaang was already gathered around the bison, and the mayor then walked closer towards the Avatar to give a last speech.
"Avatar Aang, thank you once again for everything you have done for us. I know it's not much, but we would like to repay you in any way. Please accept these." he said, motioning at bags held by a couple of villagers, who were waiting for his cue. It turned out they contained supplies like flour and oats, as well as a small pouch filled with Earth Kingdom coins.
"Wow, thanks! Are you sure?" Aang asked with concern.
"Of course." Shen smiled warmly at him "You saved the entire village, it's the least we can do."
The Team put the bags onto Appa's saddle, and waved their goodbyes as they got up there themselves. Zuko felt out of place again, sitting in the bison's saddle, but he was slowly getting used to it. Katara grabbed the reins this time, and they got off.
