Operation Avatar

“How was your outing with Azora this afternoon, Zuko?” Iroh asked after supper. He was leaning back in his chair, filling a pipe with spiced tobacco, an after dinner ritual Iroh picked up during his time as General of the Fire Nation Army.

“It was alright,” Zuko responded simply. He watched the flames dancing in the fireplace for a while before snapping his fingers, drawing a flame to his hands. He wove the fire between and around his fingers, enjoying the warmth it brought him.

“Really? The cook informed me there was a stir of trouble at a tailor’s shop. Care to explain?”

“Not really.” Zuko kept maintained his concentration on the fire, willing it to move faster between his fingers until it was nothing but a constant blur of fire. He tried to ignore his uncle’s persistent gaze but he eventually caved. “The shopkeeper saw her scars, thought she was going to burn the place down. He ordered her to leave.”

“So, naturally, you burnt some of his merchandise.”

Zuko shrugged. “He insulted the Fire Nation.”

“He also insulted Azora.”

Zuko’s eyes flashed to his uncle. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Iroh shrugged and drew a breath on his pipe. He exhaled, the thick smoke puffing into the air. “I don’t know. What is it supposed to mean?”

Zuko shook his head, not in the mood for his uncle’s philosophy games. With a flick of his hand he threw the flame back into the fireplace. “Something strange did happen today.”

“Oh?”

“When we were at the tailor, the girl got mad, and the ground started to shake.”

“Was this when the tailor was yelling at her?”

“No. Before. The tailor mentioned something about starting a dowry. He said she should be getting ready for marriage.”

“Hm.” Iroh took a few puffs on his pipe while contemplating. “And you think Azora caused the ground to shake?”

Zuko composed himself against a blush. It sounded foolish when it was spoken out loud. “Yes.”

“You think she might be an Earthbender?”

“Well, yes. Actually, I think she might be more than that. Uncle, I think she is the Avatar.”

Iroh coughed on his draw from the pipe and his eyes brightened with sudden tears. “The Avatar?”

“Yes. Look at her. She has all the features of a Fire Nation native, yet she is able to bend earth. Only the Avatar is capable of bending an element not from their birth nation!”

“Zuko, I think you are getting carried away. The last Avatar was supposed to be born into the Air Kingdom. Even if it has been a hundred years since his disappearance, we would have heard if the Avatar was reincarnated. Besides, for the Avatar to be born into the Fire Nation again he would have had to pass through the Water and Earth Kingdoms. That is simply not possible in a hundred years.”

Defeated, Zuko slumped back in his chair. The hope that had filled in his chest deflated. All thoughts of returning to the Fire Nation as a hero faded away and left a dull ache in its place.

“Besides, my nephew, you don’t even know if that was her who caused the shaking. It was as well have been a convoy on Yak-mules.”

“I guess you’re right,” Zuko admitted in a flat voice, and just like that, the conversation ended.

A few minutes of silence passed as Iroh finished his pipe. Setting the trinket aside, the old Firebender got to his feet and started collecting leftovers and placing them on a tray. “Zuko, could you please take these to Azora’s room? She said she was not hungry, but she should probably eat something just in case.”

Zuko didn’t have a chance to respond before his uncle dropped the tray in the Prince’s lap. Lacking any energy to put up a fight, Zuko stood up with the tray in his hands.

“Oh, before you leave…” Iroh went to the table and plucked a single red lily from the bouquet, putting it in a small glass of water. He then placed the flower on the tray, along with the other food. “Women love flowers.”

Zuko shook his head, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes and started out the door.

“Do tell Azora I would like to meet with her tomorrow. I have a number of lessons I believe will be of great interest to her.”

Zuko nodded but didn’t say anything. He left the room and walked down the hallway. Before reaching Azora’s room, however, he had the urge to quickly visit his own. He ducked into his room and placed the tray on a table. Zuko then walked to the mirror.

Without even knowing why he was doing it, he started smoothing stray pieces of hair against his head, and adjusting his clothes so they stood straight. He cleared his throat a couple times, and was about to quickly wash any sweat and dirt from today’s adventure of his face when he realized how ridiculous he was acting.

What am I even doing? he wondered, and he quickly tousled his hair and pulled his clothes so they were crooked once again. I’m acting like a fool.

Zuko was about to leave the room when his scar caught his attention. Ever since the Agni Kai six months ago Zuko had done his best to avoid his reflection. Even when he did use a mirror he wouldn’t pay any attention to the left side of his face.

But after today’s events, for some reason he couldn’t look away from the disfigurement. He couldn’t help but think of Azora. He knew all too well the emotions she was feeling. The pain of seeing people recoil when they see your scars. The hurt of seeing your own body destroyed. Knowing that whenever people look at you they either try their best to ignore your disfigurement or can’t stop staring at it.

Zuko reached onto his dresser where a small jar of ointment sat. Uncle Iroh had given it to him the day of Zuko’s banishment. It was supposed to help with the burn. Zuko always wished it would make his shameful scar disappear completely, but that never happened.

Without another thought, Zuko slipped the jar into his pocket and, after picking up the tray, headed towards Azora’s room.