Iroh laid on Aoi's back after Mia healed his wound. In silence Zuko and Mia walked next to Aoi, away from the burning village. They brought him to the side of the forest, next to the river. There they saw a kind of house: small and deserted. Zuko laid Iroh carefully on a pile of hay, that was stuffed in a huge pillow. Mia walked to the small kitchen and checked the drawers, but the only thing she could find were some plates and chopsticks.
Mia made a fire in the fire place, and filled the kettle with water. She walked up to Aoi, who laid next to Zuko and whispered: "Go and get some food, leave some for us." The cat stood up and walked out of the door. Mia was quite impressed, for he did understand what she was saying.
Mia grabbed her bag and searched for some herbs. "Could you make some tea? Then I can see what I can find outside. We need more herbs for your uncle, his wound needs to be cleaned every two hours, otherwise it will infect and then he will get sick. When I come back, I will show you how you do it. Don't worry, I will give you the instructions." Mia said like she was a professor, not looking at Zuko. Zuko nodded and started to cut the herbs of Mia into little pieces with a blunt knife out of the drawer.
Mia walked outside and she started to look for some herbs. It was twilight and Mia knew she should hurry. In the garden of the house, she found a good cabbage, some potatoes and some carrots. Mia grinned when she thought of the cabbage man back in Omashu and stood up. She collected her herbs and saw Aoi walking up to her, with two rabbits in his mouth.
When Mia entered the house, Zuko had already made the tea. "I am going to cook, have you cut the herbs?" She asked and she walked up to him, "heat it up a bit, so it will become more like a thick liquid. Not to much for it will turn into tea." MIa walked back to the kitchen and started to cook. She couldn't make more than a mix of stew and soup, and it was to disgusting to even look at. Mia added some seasoning and it was all good again. The smell of the soup seemed to wake up Iroh, and Zuko bend over to him. "My wound didn't influence my reaction to the smell of good food." Iroh said with a faint smile. "My father is sick..." Mia mumbled, "and maybe he won't be even alive when I arrive at Ba Sing Se. I don't know what to do. I want to be with you, with Aang to just defeat your father and I want to be with my family again... It is so hard to choose." Zuko nodded slowly and he pulled Mia's arm. Mia moved and she sat down next to Zuko. "I know what you mean," he started slowly, "and I want to be with you as well. But we just can't. Unless..." Mia looked up at him. "Unless what?" Zuko looked to the other way. "I am not going to believe in your father's terrible idea's about how he wants to destroy the other nations."
"Mia..." He said slowly, "after I captured the Avatar and restored my honor in a few years, I will become Fire Lord," he touched her face, "and then I will made up all the mistakes my father has made." Mia shook her head and eyes filled with tears. "Once you sit on that throne Zuko, and once the Fire Nation rules the world... There is no way of stopping them and... you."
Angrily Zuko let go of Mia's face. "You don't understand." He said. Mia rolled with her eyes, "of course I do not. I am stupid." Mia replied with a funny face, but full of sarcasm. "Mia once I sit on my throne and have my life back I-" Mia stood up and looked at him. "-Is that all you want?! A throne?!" Mia asked. "I WANT THE LOVE OF MY FATHER AND YES I DO! I WANT THAT THRONE! LOOK AT ME! I AM A ROYAL AND I SHOULD NOT BE HERE IN A DESERTED CAGE THAT YOU CALL A HOUSE! I HAVE 3 SILVER COINS WITH ME, I HAVE NOTHING BUT THESE OLD CLOTHES AND I AM STUCK WITH YOU WHO KEEPS CONFRONTING ME WITH EVERYTHING! He yelled. iroh snored, but he did not wake up. Mia's mouth fell open and she narrowed her eyes and turned around.
"Mia I am sorry, I did not wanted to yell at you...." She heared him saying quietly, but she did not response to that.
She opened the door and she stepped outside. The rain fell with buckets out of the sky and it was really cold. She stood there, in the mud that came to her ankles and her hair sticking onto her face. She closed her eyes and her tears melted together with the rain. She took a deep breathe and started to cry, very loudly.
From behind Zuko walked up to her and he hugged her from behind. Mia did not push him away. "I am confused, so confused and please understand that I don't mean to hurt you." Mia nodded slowly. "I do not want to hurt you either." She replied quietly and she turned around. Mia's hand reached to his scar and she touched it slowly and gently. Mia stood up of her those, even if she sunk deeper in the mud, but wrapped hr arms around his neck and kissed him. When they stopper, they still stood there in the rain for a while. It seemed like forever, but they did strumble back in, both still a bit awkwarldy feeling.
When Zuko fell alseep Mia packed her stuff. She searched in the wardrobe and find a cloak. She changed her Earthkindom winter clothes, for something more lightly. The woman who lived here was more skinnier than Mia, and so the clothes were a bit too tight. No problem, for she'd probably lose more weight. Mia bend over Zuko and kissed him on his head. He moaned a bit and Mia smiled. "I hope you understand." She whispered and she stood up.
"I think he wouldn't." Iroh said and Mia almost yelled it out.
"Please don't..." Mia said.
"Mia, you cannot walk away now. Let's travel together. It's safer and I think we all need to talk things out."
"You mean yell things out." Mia corrected him.
"Everyday he talked about you. Don't you think he missed you?" Iroh said. Mia thought about it and Iroh reached to Mia's hand and grabbed it. Mia sat down next to Iroh and she hugged him. "I need you as well Mia, and I am sure you need me too." Mia nodded. "Yes, I do." She replied. "I am going to teach Zuko about lightening..." Iroh started and Mia looked up, "would that be wise?" She asked slowly. Iroh shrugged, "we will find out tomorrow." Mia smiled at him and sighed. "I am very proud of you." He said and he fell back to sleep. Mia stood up and put her old clothes on. She laid down next to Zuko, close against him and fell in a deep sleep.
~
The next day Mia and Zuko were ready for Iroh's training. Mia had already quite mastered it, but Zuko did not learn a thing yet. When they were enjoyning their tea, Iroh told what lightening was. "Lightening is one of the purest forms of Fire Bending, without agression. It's is not fueled by rage or other emotions like normal Fire Bending. Not everyone can master it. It's is presice and deathly just like Azula. The tecnique requires peace of mind."
"I see... that's why we are drinking tea," Zuko said and Mia frowned, "to calm the mind."
"Oh yeah! Good point!" Iroh said a bit loudly. "I mean yes... we do."
The three went to the top of the hill. Iroh explained what the energy does to Zuko, which Mia already knew.
"Mia?" Iroh asked. Mia looked up and she stood up and laid down her sewing work and walked up to Iroh. "If you'd like to demonstrate..." He asked. Mia nodded and took a deep breathe. She made the moves and out of her fingertops the lithening shot in the clear sky. A loud bang was heared and Mia immediately took a deep breathe again. "I am ready to try it." Zuko said. "Remember, once you've seperated the energy, you have no commanded over it anymore, but simply it's humble guide." Iroh said and he pulled Mia with him, a few yards away from Zuko.
Immediately Zuko didn't make any good moves and the only only thing that happened was that the ground got hit and Uko flew away a few yards from his place. Disappointed Iroh shook his head and Mia sighed.
Zuko kept trying and trying, while Mia and Iroh were drinking tea in front of the tea. "Why can't I do it and she does!" Zuko yelled. "Mia had already learned it from her mother." Iroh said. "So what? This keeps exploding in my face like everything else does!" Zuko yelled. Mia walked up to him and gave him a kiss. "Zuko, you must get rid of the feelings of shame and anger. You want your anger to go away." She said seriously.
"I do not have shame at all, Mia. I am proud as ever." He replied. Mia shut her mouth, so Iroh could talk to him. "Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but it's source." Zuko loked disappointed. "I have an idea! I could teach you a Fire Bending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I have made it up myself." The whole day Zuko and Iroh practiced the move that could receive lightening and turn the energy to send it away again. Maya already learned Mia that, and so she watched the two. Mia did not really think about Aang, Katara, Sokka or Toph. She did miss their presence, but this was jus the best thing to do. Maybe she will meet them once again in Ba Sing Se. But now, that's not her concern.