Purple Flame

15

The next day as Zuko, Iroh, and I are riding on our separate ostrich horses. Iroh fake-moans in pretend pain at every step the ostrich horse takes, clasping his left arm.

"Maybe we should make camp." Zuko said looking at his uncle. I frowned and laid my head back against Zuko.

"No please, don't stop just for me!" Iroh theatrically lets out several more groans of pain. Zuko pull at the reins, annoyed by the performance displayed by his uncle.

As they dismount, the ostrich horse is alarmed by something. Zuko immediately takes on a firebending form, ready to defend himself. I pulled at both the reigns and frowned slightly.

"What now?" The Rough Rhinos ride through the thicket at both sides of the road Zuko and Iroh were traveling on. One of the men's rhino steps the ground forcefully breaking the surface. Zuko keeps up his defensive position, looking at the men that surrounded them. Iroh's face clears up as he stands up and places a hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"Colonel Mongke! What a pleasant surprise!"

"If you're surprised we're here, then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps." The Rough Rhinos prepare themselves for battle, each readying their own weapon of expertise. I sighed and moved away from the group of men, still sitting atop one of the ostrich horses.

"You know these guys?"

"Sure. Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapon specialist. They are also a very capable singing group." Iron replied to Zuko.

"I'll stay out of the way." I said catching the attention of one of the rough rhinos. I looked down and fiddled my thumbs.

"We're not here to give a concert. We're here to apprehend fugitives!"

"Would you like some tea first? I'd love some. How about you, Kahchi? I make you as a jasmine man. Am I right?"

"Enough stalling! Round 'em up! Including the girl." I sighed before climbing off the ostrich horse. One swings his ball and chain at Iroh, who kicks it away. The chain wraps itself around the leg of another's rhino. Iroh tumbles over the ground, dodging two fire blasts. He rises back up and hits the rhino in the rear, making it dash away, yanking one off his rhino and dragging him along.

Iroh waves goodbye as he watches them go. One shoots a lit arrow at Zuko. He quickly reacts by knocking the arrow away and releasing a fire blast, burning a hole in the surprised archer's bow.

Mongke joins the fight by directing some fire blasts at me. I frowned and moved my hands in a circle deflecting each one before sending a strong blast of my own. As Mongke is busy with me, Zuko runs up and jumps on the back of the Rhino. With two spinning fire kicks, he sends Colonel Mongke flying. I grab the reigns of both ostrich horses climbing on one and riding over to the guys. Zuko climbed on behind me as Iroh got onto his.

As we began to ride away one of the rough rhinos immediately starts the pursuit. He throws a grenade at the fleeing ostrich horse. It explodes right in front of it, but we ride through the explosion's smoke.

"It's nice to see old friends."

"Too bad you don't have any old friends that don't want to attack you."

"Hmmm ... Old friends that don't want to attack me ..."

"It would also be nice if I didn't have to fight people who can't hold a candle to me." I mumbled. Zuko snickered slightly.

*short skip*

After a rough welcome at a tavern, we were moved to a flower shop.

"It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets."

"Now that you played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging, or is someone in this club going to offer some real help‌?" Zuko said I sighed and grabbed his hand.

"You must forgive my nephew. He is not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts." The Pai Sho player leads Iroh toward a door with a peephole in it. He knocks two times. A man slides open the small window in the door and peeks through.

"Who knocks at the garden gate‌?"

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." Iroh smiles as the door opens to let him and the Pai Sho player through.

When Zuko attempts to follow them, the door slams shut in front of him. He looks at the door with a pout when Iroh opens the small window.

"I'm afraid it's members only. Wait out here." Iroh said.

"Zuko." I said walking away and looking at the flowers in the pot. He followed close behind me as I smelled every possible flower. He pulled me away from the flowers as the door squeaked. I almost fell at his sudden movements and then watched as Iroh and the other man came out.

"What's going on? Is the club meeting over‌?"

"Everything is taken care of. We're heading to Ba Sing Se." Iroh and a man bow to each other in respect.

"Ba Sing Se? ‌Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital‌?" I said walking out from behind Zuko.

"The city is filled with refugees. No one will notice two more."

"We can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn't break through to the city." Iroh happily shrugs his shoulders. A bell signals that someone has entered the shop. A young man approaches the group, holding up some papers.

"I have the passports for our guests, but there are two men out on the street looking for them."

And that's how we ended up hiding in flower pots.

*short skip*

"Who would have thought after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace ..." Iroh turns away for a second before turning back with a floral hat on his head. "as a tourist!"

"Look around. We're not tourists, we're refugees." Zuko sips food and spits it out. "Ugh! I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt. I'm tired of living like this!"

"Stop you're making a scene." I said quietly.

"You need to eat better. You've given me most of your food this entire time."

"You need the strength more then I do." I said with a small sigh.

"No. We all need to eat real food."

"Couldn't help but over hear. My name's Jet and these are my Freedom Fighters, Smellerbee and Longshot.l

"Hey." The one introduced to us as Smellerbee says.Longshot nods.

"Hello." I waved as Zuko spoke.

"Here's the deal. I hear the captain's eating like a king while the refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"What sort of king is he eating like?" Iroh said.

"The fat, happy kind." At this, Iroh's mouth hangs open as he starts to drool. "You want to help us "liberate" some food?" Zuko looks at me and then nods throwing out both our portions.

"I'm in."

Moments later Zuko returns with Jet and hands me some food. I frowned and looked at him as he and Jet sit beside us.

"From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall."

"It is a magnificent sight."

"So you've been there before?"

"Once. When I was a ... different man." Iroh said. I took a bite of the food. Zuko put an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him.

"I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of, but that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se: for a new beginning. A second chance."

"That's very noble of you. I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances." Iroh replied to Jet.