Beyond the mirror

Day three

He woke shivering uncontrollably, the first rays of dawn creeping into the room. There was no glass in the window panes, and frost covered the window ledges. His breath steamed in the chilled air. It took a few moments, but Zuko was able to dig within to summon a warming flame in his hands. He let it loop around his body trying to take away the worst sting of it, but the cold had settled deep within his bones.

He padded to the frame. His icy fingertips tingling, he traced the outline of the pellets.

At least the cold was a distraction. Taking a reluctant suck of the air, he let the darkness come swimming in. He imagined the warm sands of Ember Island between his toes, almost too hot to walk across in the midday sun. He imagined the warm embrace of his mother, wrapping him in a fluffy towel when he barrelled out of the sea. He remembered his Uncle's hands - always so hot, blazing with power - tossing him up into the canopy of the palm trees. It felt like he could fly. He'd been so small then. The memory washed over him like a wave. He took it in, then imagined it radiating from him, a great warm halo.

There was a succession of pings. The pellets had fallen out of the wax like a heavy tropical rain.

He leaned back on his heels, taking it in the wax lattice. He was a little dizzy now, swaying on his feel. He reached down for the cloak and wrapped it around himself. Master Tou and Azula would surely be here any moment. He didn't want to risk stealing back to his room to warm up.

Better to let them think I got here early, rather than stayed here all night.

He attempted to smooth down his ponytail while he waited. His hair was unruly at the best of times, let alone when he'd worn it all night. It never sat quite right, as a dignified Prince's hair should. He was just wondering if heating some of the wax to use might work as a substitute hair oil, when Azula strode into the room.

"You look terrible, big brother."

"Pot to kettle. You look like an overripe tomato in that gi."

Azula sniffed, and pulled at her training outfit, which was today a delicate blend of peach and ochre silks, emblazoned with pomegranate apples. The design was reserved exclusively for women of the royal family. It was supposed to symbolise fertility, which made Zuko feel a bit queasy, when applied to his baby sister. All the more so considering Ozai had commissioned and gifted it to Azula for achieving perfect marks on her exams last summer.

"Your hair's all kinky at the back. Did you sleep in here?"

"Of course not. I just couldn't spend another evening listening to the Fire Sages bore on, so I went right to bed."

"After you completed your task?"

"Of course. Right after you guys left."

"How come the pellets under your frame are still warm?" Azula asked, feigning surprise.

"Oh, because i was...practicing. Just now."

"If you say so."

Master Tou entered, puncturing the tension.

"Good morning students. Please assume your meditation stances for the final time."

Zuko gratefully slid into his stance, not bothering to remove his cape. Now the master was in the room, etiquette dictated that he didn't bend until commanded, even if his limbs felt frozen. The darkness was comforting. After a while he forgot the chill and the ache. He forgot that he hadn't eaten anything since lunch yesterday, and that he still had to face his father at some point that day. He was cradled in the stillness.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

When Master Tou brought them out of the meditation, Zuko felt ready to shrug off the cape. Had the master used fire bending to warm the room somehow? It was almost stuffy. His gi was feeling a little clammy.