CHAPTER SIX
YAN AND ZUKO PASSED BY THE EARTHBENDER GUARDS that guarded the inner city, avoiding the way they watched them intently. Zuko kept his head low as he walked behind Yan; he made sure to keep close to the shirshu that still didn't like him. He would glance up at the towering wall but never looked for too long. Finally, they walked through the dilapidated Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, the overall smell strong and pungent.
"Stay close. There are looters and thieves around here." Yan warned Zuko. He nodded and walked closer to her, looking around every now and then. The sight of the tiny shops and sick people made his stomach churn; he didn't know people lived so poorly in the Earth Kingdom. Granted, he had never stepped foot out of the Fire Nation until now. This was the good his country was doing?
"Anyway, do you know where your uncle could be? This is a big city and he could be anywhere." Yan asked as they walked to the monorail transit. They weaved past people that passed them by, Yan keeping a tight grip on the shirshu's saddle to make sure the animal didn't run off. The monorail transit was more crowded than usual; not that it wasn't very surprising, people were always trying to get out of the Lower Ring. However, the crowd made it somewhat difficult for Yan and Zuko to maneuver through. Finally, they broke out of the crowd and stood in an empty area as the monorail slowly returned to the station.
"Last I heard from him, he is situated in the Upper Ring. Do you think we'll be able to get there?" Zuko asked as Yan ushered him into the monorail. They sat in a seat near the door; well, they actually took up about six seats since Yan's shirshu lay at her feet and no one dared to get close to the creature although he was calm.
"We'll be able to get there, don't worry your royal head about it. We just need to drop Xian off at my house and then we can head for the Upper Ring. I can't bring him into the Upper Ring and he doesn't like the Fire Nation soldiers." Yan said reassuringly. Zuko nodded and the two quieted down. Yan ignored the whispers around her as Xian lay quietly, the mole-like creature occasionally dropping his large tail against the monorail floor. When they arrived at the Middle Ring transit, they were the first to hop off.
Zuko followed Yan closely. He noticed that the Middle Ring wasn't as... for lack of a better word, disgusting as the Lower Ring. Unlike the Lower Ring which had dirt roads, the Middle Ring's streets were made of white flagstone that somewhat resembled the porcelain floors of the Fire Nation Palace that he had walked along countless times. The buildings were larger and had green tiled roofs, showing that life was different and quite a bit more wealthy from the Lower Ring.
Before he knew it, Zuko stopped walking when Yan did. She stood in front of a fairly large house before she began to walk to the side of the building where a gate stood. She gripped Xian's reins tightly as she opened the gate quickly, looking around as if she were afraid of being spotted.
"Is this your house?" Zuko asked loudly. Yan flashed him a look to stay quiet and he quickly shut his gaping mouth. She pulled her shirshu into a garden and quickly took the reins and saddle off. She put the items into a wood crate and exited the yard, locking the gate behind her. She whispered for Xian to stay where he belonged as he jogged back to the gate when she walked out of the garden.
"Alright, we can go now," she said tiredly. The journey to and from the Fire Nation was a long one; she barely got any sleep and just wanted this whole thing to be done and over with. But there is no such thing as a quick war when it comes to the Fire Nation. Zuko nodded and they walked back to the monorail transit. Their walk was quiet and the awkward atmosphere was heavier when they sat side by side on the train. By the time they exited the transit, no conversation was shared between them.
"The Upper Ring is a bit smaller so finding your uncle should be easy. First, I'm sure you're hungry or thirsty. There's a tea shop nearby if you want to go there. I don't have any money on me, but the owner is very nice and usually gives me a free drink whenever I ask him." Yan suggested. Zuko nodded and followed her as she walked down the street. He noticed that the Upper Ring had more guards walking around than the Lower Ring or Middle Ring. The Middle Ring had a few guards around but not as many as here while the Lower Ring had slim to none. They would have to be careful and not draw any attention to themselves.
"You two. The boy in the green robe walking with the boy in the cone hat." Yan turned when she heard a Fire Nation soldier call. Zuko kept his head low as the soldier approached; so much for not drawing any attention. He stood behind Yan as she crossed her arms in annoyance.
"May we help you... sir?" she huffed, her anger already brewing. If it wasn't already obvious, Yan did not care for the Fire Nation soldiers that roamed around Ba Sing Se. She made it her mission to avoid them at all costs; this, however, wasn't her lucky day.
"Do you have your passports, boy?"
"Yes, we do. We are citizens of the Middle Ring."
"Show them to me."
Yan sighed in exasperation and pulled out a small green card with black writing on it, pushing it into the soldier's face before pocketing it. When she turned to leave, the soldier grabbed her upper arm. Zuko's hands balled into fists; although he had his gripes about Yan, he knew better than to put his hands on her. Besides, her threat of crushing him under a boulder still repeated in his mind. He knew she had military training and could easily defend herself against someone bigger than her.
"What about his passport? And why are you carrying a sword? Civilians aren't allowed to have weapons here in the Upper Ring."
Yan bit her lip as she desperately thought of a lie; this wasn't good! If they found out Zuko was, well, Zuko, everything would be ruined! She stuttered and stumbled over her words, chuckling nervously as she tried to come up with an excuse to both the soldier's questions.
"Ah, there you two are! I have been looking everywhere for you! Sir, these youths are my employees who work at my tea shop. This young man was delivering this sword to a customer, which is why he has it." the familiar voice of Mushi said. Yan sighed in relief as the soldier released her arm. She sent a smile at the old man and they were escorted away.
Not before she stuck her tongue out at the rude soldier and flipped up her middle finger while he looked at her dumbfoundedly.
"You're lucky I was nearby, Yan," Mushi whispered in the earthbender girl's ear. He led her and Zuko into the Jasmine Dragon and took them to a table in the corner, ordering them to sit.
"Mushi, how did you know it was me? Wait, we'll answer that later. We need to speak with you right away," Yan said quickly but the old man was already off to serve them tea. Yan sighed and laid her head on her arm. Sweat beaded her forehead as she calmed her beating heart down.
"God, I thought we were screwed." she groaned as she rubbed her eyes. She took in deep breaths as her mind continued to swirl. As she shut her eyes for a minute, Mushi came back around with a tray with two teacups.
"Here you are, Yan. I brought you ginger tea for your nerves. Where have you been? Your parents came here a few weeks ago with a letter that you wrote and asked me if you were here. They have been worried since you suddenly disappeared." he scolded as he pulled an extra chair to the table and sat down.
"I will explain later, Mushi, but we really need to talk with you," Yan said hurriedly. Mushi noticed the man who was sitting across from Yan and raised a brow.
"Who is this?" he asked as he folded his hands in front of him. Although he was an old man, Mushi was quite the fighter. If this strange man was harassing Yan, he wouldn't hesitate to put a quick stop to it.
"Uncle, it is me," Zuko said as he raised his head, finally revealing his face to the old man.
At this point, Yan's eyes grew incredibly wide when Zuko called Mushi ― if that was even his real name ― his uncle. He wasn't lying when he told her his uncle was living in the Upper Ring; she just didn't expect him to be someone she'd known for years.
"What? This is your uncle?" she asked, her eyes still wide. Zuko nodded as he looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. Yan opened her mouth to ask more questions but Mushi raised his hand to stop her.
"Let's go somewhere private so we can talk," he said. Zuko nodded and was already standing and walking out the door with Mushi. Yan was seemingly frozen in her seat as she looked down at her untouched ginger tea. Mushi walked back over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, meeting his kind amber eyes before standing and walking to the door.
"Mushi, please tell me you have found her. Lian and I have been searching for weeks but we haven't found her in the Lower or Upper Ring. The soldiers won't do a damn thing; they said that they have more important things to worry about than finding a missing teenager."
Yan froze again when she heard her father's voice begging Mushi for any information on his daughter's sudden disappearance. Before she could turn to face her father, Mushi ushered her forward.
"Fengge, I will help you look for your daughter momentarily. Right now, I have to head to the nearby market to pick up more teacups. Don't worry, I will return and help you find her; she couldn't have left the city." Mushi expertly lied as he led Yan outside before she revealed herself. She leaned against the side of the building, breathing heavily as her anxiety washed over her. She put her hands on her knees and squeezed her eyes shut.
"Come along, Yan," Mushi said as he led her along. She nodded slowly and followed the old man down the street. Their journey was quiet as they entered a large home with a second floor. Yan slowly sat down at the dining table, fiddling with her thumbs as she looked down at her hands.
"Start talking. Is Mushi even your real name? How is he your nephew?" she finally asked. Mushi placed a hot cup of tea in front of her as he sat to her left.
"It is true, Prince Zuko is my nephew. My real name is Iroh. I am- no, I was a general for the Fire Nation before I came here." Mushi ― no, Iroh ― confessed. Yan swallowed thickly as she came to the difficult conclusion: he was a firebender.
"So... you're a firebender that owns a tea shop in Ba Sing Se that just so happens to be the uncle of the former Fire Nation prince?"
"Yes, that is correct. Drink your tea, it will calm you down."
"Why didn't you ever tell me?"
Iroh sighed as he sipped his tea. Yan looked up at him, a mix of emotions in her brown eyes; a part of her felt hurt and betrayed that he never told her who he really was, but another part of her understood why.
"I wanted to start my life anew here in Ba Sing Se. Eight years ago, my son Lu Ten and I attempted to conquer Ba Sing Se for the Fire Nation before Princess Azula succeeded two years later. However, my son," Iroh stopped mid-sentence to compose himself as tears started to form in his eyes, "was killed during the siege. After that, I renounced the throne and started a new life in the city I conquered and became Mushi, a humble tea enthusiast."
Yan sat, stunned and at a loss for words. She sympathized greatly with Iroh; she had lost her younger brother two years ago when her mother was refused medicine to save his life. She was very much aware of the loss of a family member and the depression that followed.
"I'm sorry Mu- Iroh. I truly am," she said quietly as she sipped her tea. Iroh patted his eyes and took in a deep breath before turning his attention to Zuko.
"Why are you here? Fire Nation soldiers roam around here frequently. If they discover you are here, they will send you back to the Motherland." he scolded. Yan set her cup down and scooted closer.
"It is partially my fault. I'm sure you are aware that my father was going to fight against the Fire Nation and I couldn't have that. I went instead and trained as a non-bender man with the Earth Kingdom army. The regiment I was in headed for the Fire Nation capital to take Zuko out but we left the city before they got to him. He said that you could help us." Yan explained, twiddling her fingers nervously as Iroh gave her a stern look.
"We are fine, uncle."
"Yan, would you please give my nephew and I some privacy? I will call you back here momentarily."
Yan nodded and rose to her feet. She bowed respectfully to Iroh and made her way downstairs. She collected her shoes and made her way outside to give the uncle and his nephew privacy.
Yan sat on a bench, her leg bouncing with anxiety. She twiddled her thumbs, not sure what to do next. Instead of sitting around, she rose from her spot on the bench and began to walk back to Iroh's home. He understood where she was coming from and why she wanted to continue fighting. He was a very open man after all and didn't discriminate against the fact that she was a girl, unlike her father.
Her mind went back to the argument she had with her parents before she even made the decision to take her father's place; they had mentioned the Avatar. The Avatar had disappeared long before Yan was born. Even if the Avatar did return, they probably wouldn't be able to free Ba Sing Se. They were far too late to the war. She pushed the thought away from her mind as she continued to Iroh's house.
As soon as she entered Iroh's home, she could hear the old man and his nephew conversing with each other. Their conversation seemed somewhat tense from what Yan could hear.
"Uncle, I heard gossip from the palace servants. They said that the Avatar has returned and freed the Northern Water Tribe from Admiral Zhao. Now, imagine if I captured the Avatar. My father would treat me with respect and actually add me into his world rule instead of making me a figurehead in the Motherland. He will actually see that I am worth something more." Zuko exclaimed. Yan's eyes widened at the mention of the Avatar; so they really had returned? What a surprising coincidence. Her parents weren't actually making something up to guilt trip her.
"No, Zuko. You do not need to prove yourself to him. Capturing the Avatar is not part of your destiny. True, you do not have any real power in the Fire Nation, but wasting your energy and ruining your mental state is not the way to gain power." Iroh tried to explain to the hot-headed teenager, but the boy was not hearing it.
"How could you say such a thing? I would've expected you to be proud of me! Don't you want the Avatar captured? He's an enemy of the Fire Nation."
"Zuko... I left my old life behind. I suggest you do the same and make a new life for yourself. You do not need power nor do you need your father's respect. How could you want respect from a man who challenged his own son, his own first-born, to an Agni Kai?"
Their conversation ended there. Yan was siding with Iroh; he was much older and wiser than Zuko so it seemed like the right decision. She walked up the stairs and rounded the corner, knocking on the wall to make her presence known. The two looked at her, Zuko averting his eyes from the earthbender girl. She cleared her throat and sat at the table beside Iroh.
"I couldn't help but listen to your conversation. I have to side with Iroh on this one. I don't know your entire family history, but if your father gave you that scar, then why bother trying to earn his respect? Who cares if you-"
"You wouldn't understand. You're not a royal like I am; you are an Earth Kingdom peasant. No, you're nothing but a filthy dirt bender." Zuko spat angrily. Yan's eyes widened at the harsh words that easily rolled off his tongue. She had been insulted before, but never to this extent. She bit her tongue and took in a shaky breath, the derogatory term cutting deep.
"You don't think I understand? I may not be burdened with riches or land like you, but I do know a thing about family. Did you know my father once served in the Fire Nation army? He left because he saw how evil and horrible the Fire Nation was. He vowed to never let the Fire Nation take his family, yet he failed to protect us; he gave up after my brother died. He probably wanted to fight so he could die in battle as a final attempt to prove himself.
"Remember this, Zuko: I could've easily left you to the Earth Kingdom, but I didn't. I saved you because I saw good in you. Perhaps I was wrong." she said as she stood up. She bowed to Iroh, ignoring Zuko completely. As Iroh tried to get her to stay, she shook her head and left the room quickly. She could hear Iroh scolding Zuko upstairs; good, he deserved it for being so ignorant.