❃ Truth in Confidence ❃
The Prince opened his eyes groggily. It took him more effort than expected, for Father Sleep was trying to win his consciousness back to the other side. But Zuko persisted, he wanted to wake up and check what had happened. Was Keya alright after the fire? He pushed through his feverish mind and tried to show that he was awake. He felt so uncomfortable... His head felt way too warm, but his body felt cold. He was so thirsty.
"You should know, this is not a natural sickness." Iroh explained once he noticed that his nephew had woken up. The old uncle dutifully poured some of the herbal broth into a small cup. He helped his nephew up and held the back of his neck supportively. "But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea!"
"Wha-what's happening?" Zuko mumbled, still completely disoriented from his nightmare and the fever that raged on within him.
"Your critical decision -what you did beneath that lake- it was in such conflict with your image of yourself, that you are now at war within your own mind and body."
Zuko coughed and groaned. "What's that mean?"
"You're going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience. But when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful Prince you were always meant to be." Iroh motioned for Keya to do something.
The sick Prince sighed in relief when he saw the Earth Kingdom girl appear before him, alive and unburnt. She squeezed the water out of a wet cloth and patted his forehead with it. Her young face was back to how he remembered it. Her soft, grey eyes sparkled when they made eye contact with his own. Her tongue was poked out between her lips subconsciously, a sign of the focus with which she tended to him. The midday sun streamed inside through the open windows behind her. Its warm rays highlighted her messy hair like a bright halo. She looked like an angel...
The sight was so calming to him that, before he knew it, he was asleep again.
Zuko woke up. His green blanket fell from his bare torso as he sat up and looked around. His uncle and Keya were both snoring softly in the corner. He smiled softly at the sight.
It seemed like his fever had dropped a bit. He felt a lot better. Still, the night's sweat clung to him uncomfortably. He decided that he would feel better after a good wash.
Zuko stood up and made his way over to the attached washing room beside the sleeping area. This room had a small toilet area with a wooden table. On the table, they kept a stone basin that they would refill with fresh, cold water every day. The Prince instantly headed to the basin and looked down. His hands formed a small bowl as he splashed some cool water on his face.
Behind the basin was a mirror. As he raised his head from the basin, his eyes automatically opened and took note of his own reflection.
To his horror, his scar was gone! Not only that, he was bald! And worst of all, he had an airbender tattoo as well! He had turned into the Avatar!
"Ah!" He yelled and jumped back in fright. His heartbeat quickened and quickened to a pace so fast, he was sure his heart would explode. His eyes were wide with fear as they looked back at the bald headed monk in the reflection. His heart pounded even faster. For a moment, it felt like he was dying, and then-
"AAH!" Zuko sat up with a yell. Sweat dripped off of his bare chest. He was gasping for air.
Quickly, he felt for his scar again. It was still there. He didn't know if he should have been disappointed or relieved. Would he have preferred to live without it? His feverish mind was too tired to give the matter much attention. He was so tired... He looked out the window. Stars twinkled outside peacefully, the city was quiet. He could hear Iroh and Keya murmuring softly in the kitchen, but he was too tired to get up. The young Prince laid back down and closed his eyes once more. This time, the dreams left his mind alone.
Keya and Iroh were on the other side of the thin wall. They sipped on the remaining tea that Iroh had brewed earlier as they quietly reflected on the day's events.
"Do you think that the herbal tea helped with Zuko's fever?" Keya sipped her tea. Iroh thought about his answer with a hum.
"Hmmm. When I checked on him a while ago, his fever had dropped slightly. I believe that he might wake up tomorrow and feel a lot better."
"Alright then," Keya said, "I'll hold you to that..."
The two sat in silence for a while again. Both of them had lots to think about. For Keya, her worries regarding her brothers' trip and her mother's whereabouts never really left the girl's mind. She knew logically that the boys would likely make it. They were a lot stronger and smarter than she was, after all. Besides, her notes on the map would help guide them. As for her mother, the woman was physically strong enough to survive. In the end, the matter would depend on her mental durability, which was a rather worrisome topic. She would have to discuss their next move for retrieving Lin once they arrived.
For Iroh, his mind was mainly consumed by three topics. First, his nephew's health, of course (although at this point he was quite certain that Zuko would be up and grumbling again soon). Secondly, his new tea business would be opening this week. They had the name sorted out and everything. Still, the excitement lingered in his thoughts continuously. And lastly, his theory on Keya's life story had recently resurfaced to the front of his mind. The limited (but still vulnerable) information that she had shared with him was incomplete. It was as if she always left something out, a connecting secret to all of it. His main theory was being worked on as he sat there in silence, sipping his tea. He had had an intuitive inclination towards the specific connecting factor that would explain Keya's life. From what he knew of her heritage, it wasn't entirely impossible, despite being very unlikely. The old man had tested the waters a bit earlier. Now, he wanted to see if he could get to the answer without pushing her too far. He coughed to prepare his voice.
"How have your breathing exercises been going? Zuko told me about the trouble you were having. Do they help?" He asked casually. Keya looked back at him and nodded.
"Yeah." She said. "Actually, they were surprisingly effective in helping me feel more connected to my surroundings. It almost feels as if I'm a bit lighter now."
How interesting. Iroh stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Oh, did they now? Did you know that I learned those exercises by studying the old airbending scrolls?"
Keya blanched, her eyes widened nervously. "O-oh, of course." She stammered. "Well, those guys definitely knew what they were doing. So, good on you for checking out how they breathed air... their element... yup." She popped the 'p' awkwardly. Iroh squinted at her suspiciously.
"Yes... they were good at working on their breathing technique. Interestingly enough," he hinted, "these exercises work especially well when one can actually airbend. Or at least, that's what I've assumed from the text. It would probably have been easier and more effective if someone from the airbenders could have trained me personally."
"Hmmm, really? How interesting. What, err, what would you do i-if you actually met one?" Keya asked timidly. She didn't want to risk implying anything to him, but she was too curious not to ask.
Iroh stroked his beard again. "If I met another airbender, I would ask them to train with me. Seeing their techniques in real life could teach me more than any of the scrolls could."
"Would... would you not mind?"
"Would I not mind what, dear?"
"That they were an airbender. Like, err, hypothetically, let's say I was an airbender-" dangerous! "-what would you do?"
A glint passed through Iroh's ember eyes. He recognised that he was being tested on some level. He supposed that she would reveal some information to him, depending on how he answered this question.
"If," he said slowly, "you happened to tell me right now that you're an airbender, then... I would be very intrigued to know more about it. I suppose that I would try to help you and see what you could do with some training- granted you hypothetically haven't had one, of course."
Keya's eyes sparkled. "You would help me? Even though your home country would want you to turn me in?" Iroh gave her a strange look, so she faked a cough nonchalantly. "Hypothetically..."
Iroh smiled gently. "I would never knowingly put you in harm's way, dear. I can promise you that I will do my best to protect you and keep you safe. As a matter of fact, I already do. You being an airbender wouldn't change that."
His words reached through her and tugged at her fragile heart. The fatherly love that he held for her was something that she had never had the privilege to experience for herself. It felt warm and unconditional. It felt safe.
"That's great, because it's true. I-I am a..." The young girl swallowed thickly as she tried to get the words out. "I'm an airbender."
For some reason, despite having suspected this fact for a long time, the truth was still surprising to the old man. Iroh choked on his tea and quickly sat his cup down as he coughed and hacked. Keya patted his back to help him recover. After a while, he regained his composure and turned to face her.
"So it is true then. I've been suspecting the matter for a while now. I'm honoured that you've trusted me enough to share this with me."
Keya gasped. "Wait- how long is 'a while'? Was I that obvious?"
"Well," the old man said, "I first started to suspect something when I gave Zuko and you that demonstration of my lightning. You were cowering on the ground when it went off, but that wasn't the reason that I suspected anything. When I checked on you, there was a surge of dust swirling around your form. At first, I thought that you could sand bend, but the way the dust moved seemed strange in a way. Strange, but familiar. Later, I realised that I had recognised the movements from an old airbending scroll that I had read a long time ago."
"Oh... yeah, I remember that. I must have been airbending unintentionally. Actually, all of my airbending so far has been unintentional. I only discovered this... talent that day after I found out that Zuko and you were firebenders."
Iroh pondered the new information while stroking his beard. "That must have been the reason that you got sick that day. Is that why you noted its similarities with Zuko's fever? Did you go through such a change yourself?"
"Sort of." Keya shrugged. "I guess that my fever was more of a way for my body to cope with what my mind couldn't accept. It was rather shocking and scary, knowing that I have a talent that I could be captured over. The fact that the two of you are firebenders didn't exactly calm me down..."
Iroh laughed. "Yes, I can imagine that that wasn't the most comfortable position for you to be in. Hopefully, you don't feel that way now."
"Well, in a way I do trust the both of you. I'm still not sure how Zuko would react if I told him. But for now, I'm very happy that I got to confide in you. Thank you."
"The pleasure is all mine." Iroh smiled. "And as for my nephew, let's wait and see how he'll transform after he gets through his fever. You can decide after that whether you'd like to tell him or not. I'll keep your secret for as long as you'd like."
Keya smiled at him. She was so glad that she had a man like Iroh in her life. He was so wise and fatherly... she couldn't wait to introduce him to her brothers. The girl reached over to her friend and pulled him into a bear hug.
"Thank you, Iroh. I'm forever grateful that I've met you."
Iroh hugged her back. "The feeling is mutual."
❃
A/N: The truth is out! How do you think Zuko will react if/when he finds out?