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❝𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓—𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒.❞
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In Ba Sing Se, every night is unique, and the city always seems to have something new to show its residents. As of today, the great Earth Kingdom city presents the elusive Duchess Phoenix, a traveling circus troupe that's come by the city for the celebration of the Sun Lantern Festival. Lucky to have caught it, Iroh fell behind Zuko's wide strides, smiling as they had just come across a rarity.
"Look, Prince Zuko." Iroh laughed heartily, "We seemed to have caught wind with the renown Duchess Phoenix troupe! This show must be for the Sun Lantern Festival. What an amazing performance! We should go and watch."
"Uncle, please." Zuko sighed, "We need to find a place to stay; we don't have time for circus-"
Freaks was what he had planned to say, but Zuko's musings could not rest even at that moment. He remembered an old friend, who had once left nobility to pursue the circus. At that thought, he began to frown--almost unsure if he was disappointed in himself or the fact that he had empathized in the first place.
"Uncle, wait."
But Iroh had already forced himself through the crowd with Zuko following reluctantly behind him. Citizens gathered in hordes, surrounding the performers as they sang and spun in the city square. Zuko tried to call out for his uncle who had gotten away from him, but by then, the show had already begun. He repetitively shouted, but his voice kept getting lost in the sea of endless cheer and song. Zuko never had a large appreciation for the arts, but at that moment, when he stretched to see above the crowds, he caught a glimpse of the main dancer in dazzling red. All inhibitions had collapsed.
He could not take another step, but the crowd seemed to clear for his sake as the dancer spun closer toward him. She was so near, and he was so certain. With cheers draining away into muffles, he could hear only her footsteps across the pavement—rhythmic and methodical. It was so familiar. Slowly, lights from lanterns turned into blazes of fire. The beating of lively drums slowed until it took another form: the tune to the Fire Nation's "Ode to the Sun." His mind returned to another place, in a time long past, when he had celebrated the Sun Lantern Festival in the royal palace one too many years ago. A distinct memory was forcefully unfolding before him.
That's it! It was her. He recalled, staring into his memories at the nobleman's daughter dancing in the processions.
The performer from Duchess Phoenix looked older (as he was too), but the memory rang bells that were too loud and too vivid for him to ignore. That night in the palace, Shei Raosho had approached him. He recalled that she was a little less than a friend to him but surely more than a stranger. Being part of the Fire Nation's elite families, they knew each other only out of duty, but Zuko had always thought that she was a wonderful dancer.
"You don't like to dance, Prince Zuko?" The memory of Shei greeted, gracefully pausing from her celebration to speak with him.
Prince Zuko echoed twice in his mind, and he wondered why this recollection was so vivid.
"I guess so." He remembered replying with his attention wistfully elsewhere.
Shei tracked his eyes, "Oh, I see."
"Huh?" Zuko stiffened defensively.
"You stare at Mai too much." Shei teased, laughter piercing between her words, "It's too obvious! You know, Prince Zuko, maybe you should just speak with her seeing as you both equally hate this festival so much. You two are like a perfect, gloomy pair!"
"I don't know what you're talking about..." Zuko flushed.
Shei left him with a knowing smile, already satisfied with teasing banter—back to the processions. Shei danced for a while more, and Zuko's gaze turned warm. Looking back at the past was sometimes very blissful. Two seconds longer and a smile might have even cracked through his lips, but Shei had unexpectedly taken a bow in the middle of "Ode to the Sun."
Right, Zuko thought, these are only memories.
The palace collapsed as suddenly as a falling house of cards, returning the scenery to the bright city square. The drums to the familiar Fire Nation tune reverted to its lively Earth Kingdom style beat, and the crowd grew once again very loud. Zuko instinctively held a hand to his ear to block the noise then looked up quickly after. It was to no avail. The dancers were already finishing, and his arm had finally found his uncle's.
"There you are, Prince Zuko! I seemed to have lost you in all that brilliant dancing! Apparently, that whole show was a teaser for their actual show. If the advertising was that good, then I can't even imagine how tomorrow night's will be when they—" All these things Iroh had rambled on about, but Zuko could not hear nor understand a thing.
At that moment, he was unsure of how he felt. His heart either filled with hope or melancholy. He could not yet decide, but mixed emotions surely stirred as he had just witnessed who he had remembered to be Shei Raosho, a fellow banished nobleman's child. She was exiled so long before him; he hadn't even thought to remember her. Now, Zuko could not stop thinking about her.
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❝ The present could never be this sweet; I wish I could stay in this memory forever. ❞
