{the dark spirits return}
hana and zuko kept their heads down as iroh begged for money. zuko was humiliated but hana? hana could care less about being a beggar. she was just drained. all of the life and emotion was just sucked out of her like it was nothing.
she leaned her body against their stolen ostrich. he was very warm and nice to her. the two liked each other very much. she felt bad about stealing him but he didn't seem to pay any mind. maybe it was because he's an ostrich and not a human, but animals have feelings too. she really didn't know.
"spare any coins for weary travelers?" iroh used his hat to hold their money.
some man was kind enough to throw in a few copper pieces and walked away.
zuko was rather ungrateful for this act of kindness, "this is humiliating! we're royalty. these people should be giving us whatever we want."
hana scoffed at him, "stop acting like an ungrateful bitch. truth be told, it won't get you anywhere. besides, these people don't have to any of us a damn thing."
"zuko, they will if you ask. and yes, hana, you have a point. they don't have to give us anything," iroh acknowledged the two teens disagreement.
they watched as a few villagers pass by, he was scanning them. he was looking for someone he could prey upon.
"spare change for a hungry old man?" he asked a woman passing in a weak voice.
"aw," the woman very clearly felt bad. she quickly produced a coin from her sleeve and put it in his hat, "here you go."
geez, you would think he's done this before.
"the coin is appreciated, but not as much as your smile," he told her.
she laughed and walked away. zuko slapped his forehead. hana snorted that this interaction.
then, a man came up to them. he carried broadswords on his back. he didn't seem to be anything good, a bit rude almost.
"how about some entertainment in exchange for," the man pulled out a gold piece. "a gold piece."
there it is. see, this annoyed her, how was he going to take advantage of-
"we're not performers,"zuko huffed.
"not professional, anyway," iroh stoop up and began to clap and sing. "it's a long, long way to ba sing se, but the girls in the city they look so pretty!" iroh shifted back and forth as he sang.
the man was obviously displeased, "come on! we're talking-" he pulled out one of his broadsword, "a gold piece," he pulled out the other. "let's see some action!"
hana's eyes grew. this was twisted. what the fuck would make someone do this to another person? she looked at zuko, who was seething in anger.
he pointed his swords at iroh, "dance!"
the man began to swing his swords at iroh's legs. iroh carefully avoided being hit as he sang.
hana closed her eyes, fearing the worst, but soon he stopped singing. she heard that evil man's twisted laugh and she opened her eyes. iroh was fine, not one scrape.
he continued laughing, "nothing like a fat man dancing for his dinner." he tossed a gold piece at iroh, "here ya go!" then he walked away like it was nothing.
iroh picked up the gold piece and sat down, "such a kind man."
that was not kindness, iroh. that was a cruel man.
they continued to beg all day until nightfall. they decided they needed shelter for the night. they found a cave and iroh set up a fire. soon, iroh was asleep and that left the two of them up.
the two said nothing to each other, instead opting to nod. they knew this was something they agreed upon. he needed to be dealt with and they'd do it.
the two slipped out and got their masks. they put their masks on and made it back to the village. they carefully surveyed their surroundings.
they were lucky. he was out, and for the most part, unprotected. they watched him walk down the alleyway. this when they decided to strike.
the two made enough noise to scare the man, "who's there?" he pulled out his swords.
hana jumped down in front of him. she was distracting him.
"who are you?" he pointed his swords at her.
she said nothing, waiting for zuko to disarm him. zuko quickly made his way down and disarmed him.
the mans swords fell out of his hands and zuko threw him into a stack of boxes. he was knocked out cold.
zuko looked at the swords on the ground and picked them up, "come on."
the two of them quickly ran off. it wouldn't be until sunrise they'd show themselves again.
when they did, they stole food from random villagers.
truth be told, hana didn't like stealing. she didn't like taking away from people's hard work, especially when they were also just trying to get by, but she knew they needed food and to get by too.
they quickly made it back to the forest and stored their masks and the swords in the tree. they picked food back up and went back to the cave where iroh was waiting.
iroh sat cross-legged and zuko threw the basket of food at him. iroh caught it, "where did you guys get these?" iroh was clearly suspicious.
"where does it matter where they came from?" zuko said as he walked away.
iroh ate one of the buns, "mm!"
hana walked into the cave and found a spot where she sat quietly. she toyed with her necklace.
hana took a small nap. when she woke up it was clearly getting darker.
maybe it wasn't a nap.
iroh and zuko were sitting across from each other. iroh had a gold teapot in front of him. he was inspecting it.
she got up and sat next to zuko. they didn't say a word until iroh stopped inspecting the teapot.
"looks like you did some serious shopping. but where did you get the money?" iroh looked up at zuko.
zuko avoided the question, "do you like your new tea pot?"
"to be honest with you, the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or a tin cup," iroh got up and sat on the other side of zuko. "i know we've had some difficult times lately. we've had to struggle just to get by." he put his hand on zuko's shoulder, "but it's nothing to be ashamed of. there is a simple honor in poverty."
"i can attest to that," hana snorted.
"there's no honor for me without the avatar," zuko told him, ignoring hana's comment.
"zuko..." iroh sighed. "even if you did capture the avatar, i'm not so sure it would solve our problems. not now."
"then there is no hope at all," zuko turned to get up.
iroh quickly stopped him, "no, zuko! you must never give in to despair. allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. in the darkest times, hope us something you give yourself. that is the meaning of inner strength."
well, my inner strength and i aren't friends i guess.
zuko looked back at iroh, but decided to leave anyway.
hana sighed, "that didn't go well."
iroh gave her a look disappointment, "no. no it did not."
she didn't see zuko for a while. she sat in front of the fire with iroh, who was probably mentally beating himself up.
hana felt bad for iroh but they both knew zuko. zuko was stupidly stubborn and a pain in the ass.
she picked at her nails as she waited for zuko to return. when he did she knew it was nothing good.
"uncle, i thought about what you said."
iroh was pleased, "you did? good, good."
"it's helped me realize something," he paused. "we no longer have anything to gain by traveling together. i need to find my own way."
"WHAT?" hana snapped. "listen here, my friend, you don't get to leave us after we've followed you because we care about you! that's not how it works. i could be buddy-buddy with the avatar right now. i could be teaching him earth bending but i'm not! i'm here, with you!"
zuko ignored her and picked up his pack. he began to walk away. as he did this hana bitterly laughed and flipped him a middle finger.
iroh stopped zuko, "wait!" iroh lead the ostrich to zuko. he gave him the reigns.
zuko jumped on and shook the reigns. the ostrich took off.
"i'm gonna kill him the next time i see him," hana angrily said. " 'yeah hana. i'm gonna leave you and my uncle after you've found out my father is technically behind the death of your family. you totally never gave up anything for me'," she mocked him.
iroh looked down, he was saddened by the abrupt leave of his nephew.
hana frowned at the sight of the man, "i'm sorry iroh."
"it is not your fault hana."
lexi speaks;
sorry this was late. oops. anyway, i dont really know if i like this chapter.