CHAPTER 15: DEPRESSION

Iroh stared at his nephew with a confused look. He thought he might have imagined what Zuko just blurted out to him. He decided to just let it pass since it wasn’t worth the trouble.

“What can I get you sir?” An unusually attractive young woman came up to him and asked. He quickly realised she was the waitress of the establishment.

“Some hot tea would be nice,” he ordered.

“Certainly,” the young woman answered. “And for you?” She turned to Zuko who was staring out into space.

He had this annoyed and terrified look on his face. The young woman suddenly didn't know how to react. He seemed just fine talking to her a few minutes prior but she couldn't read. Here she thought she found a decent guy but he too seemed a little peculiar.

“I'm fine actually,” Zuko suddenly spoke.

He suddenly started staring at the goblit of saké infront of him. He looked to be thinking of something deeply so she decided not to pry any further. Maybe her mom was right. There were no decent, smart and reliable men. The Fire Nation probably killed them all. At least according to her mom. Diya never was one to judge people on first impressions. She learnt that lesson the hard way.

She left the table of Zuko and Iroh and walked towards the kitchen at the back. Iroh continued to study the peculiar eccentricities of his nephew. He had changed so much in such a short span of time. It really was the strangest thing. The change of behaviour gave him a sudden idea. Maybe his nephew was not so opposed to the idea of finding a girl and settling down.

“That was a lovely young woman,” he began. “Perhaps you should talk to her?”

Zuko turned to the old fat man. He looked at him quizzical. Not exactly trusting his ears on hearing his uncle tell him about a girl. He simply smiled at his uncle and dismissed the thought. He had a more serious matter to think of than his libido. Most notably his reduced intellect which was affecting his self esteem. He always prided his intelligence on earth, the only thing at made him essentially special, more special than the majority of the population.

He looked up at the young woman walking towards them. Her hips seemed to sway like a hoola dancer. Emphasized by the long tight greenish yellow dress. Even the apron tied around her waist followed her hips. Her breasts jumped up and down with every step. As if shouting ‘howdy!’ at him. She placed a kettle of hot seemering tea on the table. Along with an empty cup and tiny bowl of sugar.

“Thank you young lady,” Iroh thanked her. “May I have the pleasure of your name?”

“Your company might not be too bad actually?” Zuko immediately added with a slight smirk. Iroh was filled with unending joy at his nephew's sudden enthuthiasm.

“My name's Diya,” she answered. “My shift will end in half an hour so I can join you then.”

“I look forward to it,” Zuko said with a smile.

Perhaps he needed to alleviate his stress. He decided his sudden abstinence was only adding to clouding his mind. He should let out his urges and see what it leads to. Perhaps it would not return the might of his mind to strength but it would ease the burden.

Unbeknownst from Iroh and Zuko, a mysterious figure watched them from afar. The figure was a young man of average height and a bit scrawny. He had a cheesy buzz cut and an evil smile.

This was Sokka, the southern water tribe native. He was still not convinced with the Fire Nation Prince. Especially after he heard the business going on with his sister. He just had this gut feeling that something was off about Zuko.

“Hey Sokka,” a voice suddenly called him from behind.

He turned back to see his sister Katara and his girlfriend. They were with another young woman with an odd baggy dress.

“Hey guys,” Sokka greeted. “I thought we were supposed to meet by the entrance?” He asked.

“We were actually headed there ourself,” Katara answered.

“Well there's Zuko too,” Suki noticed. “Should we walk over to him?” She asked.

“You guys go on ahead,” Sokka answered. “I actually have something to get to.”

He left the group standing. Katara and Suki wanted to object but he was already far off. Manori too was baffled by the distance the young man showed to his friends.

“So I have to get back actually so I will see you around,” She bit goodbye and headed in the same direction as Sokka, towards the north.

Suki and Katara decided to join Zuko and the elderly man he was sitted with.

***

About two hours passed after Sokka left Suki and Katara. The pair joined Zuko and his uncle Iroh. Eventually they were joined by the insanely attractive young woman in Diya. Zuko openly flirted with Diya. Needless to say that Katara was very uncomfortable during the entire encounter. Eventually the sun started to set and the group separated.

They met up with Aang and Sokka by the same entrance. After a brief introduction to Iroh, they decided to find an inn for the night. They found a quite cozy and comfortable inn courtesy of Sokka who spent some time around the city looking for a decent and affordable place.

They got 3 rooms, divided into pairs for each of them. Suki and Katara in one room. Sokka and Aang in another. Zuko and his uncle Iroh in another.

“I think our room is this side?” Zuko asked as he stared through the darkness.

The candle light was barely visible in the dark hallway. It almost seemed purposeful that it limited visual. The lobby of the inn was quite lit.

*Boom!!*

Zuko suddenly walked into a wall. With an annoyed grunt he rubbed his forehead. He suddenly created a lamb like flame in his right hand and held it up to see properly. He looked around to see that it was only them two active in the hallway.

“It is not wise to show your bending around nephew,” Iroh warned and flushed out the flames with a wave of his arm.

He suddenly recreated the flame in his hands before spreading it out into the hallway to light up the lambs on the walls. The hallway way suddenly looked a lot better with the light. The pair walked into the room towards the end of the hallway.

The room was rather very simple. Just a pair of beds in each corner. A window between them that let in the crescent shaped light of the moon. Below the window was a small wooden drawer. On top it had a few essentials such as an extra lantern, a large jug of water and two cups. Infront of the drawer appeared to be a bucket empty of water. There was a lantern attached on the center of the ceiling.

“From the comfort and luxury of the palace to a commoners room.” Zuko uttered in slight annoyance. “How the mighty have fallen.”

“Luxury and comfort is not all its cut out to be,” Iroh said.

“I am the Prince of the Fire Nation uncle,” Zuko stated. “I should not be living like this in a country. Especially since I am a future king.”

Victor was not sure if those were his words or the personality of Zuko. All he knew was that his real personality was getting mixed with the deceased Prince. Perhaps in time he wouldn't even know the difference between his own words and Zuko’s words. He already lost the one thing he was most prideful of on earth, his intelligence. In time he would lose other sides of himself that he loved.

“I will be down at the bar getting a... er... something,” Zuko said and suddenly exited the room.

His mind was once again entering a state of depression. He hated that he felt that way. There were things to be excited about in his new life. For one was his bending. Creating Fire out of nothing and bending it whichever way he wished was a surreal feeling of power and exhilaration. He had forgotten that feeling until he created that small flame. It only made him realise how much he missed using his abilities out in the open.

So he made his way down to the lobby. He walked up to the owner behind the corner.

“Can I get some rum?” He asked the short overweight man with a bushy moustache.

“Certainly,” replied the old man and disappeared off into the back.

Suddenly Zuko heard footsteps. He turned to see Katara standing by the foot of the stairs. She had a look of uncertainty. Like she was not expecting to see him anytime soon. Even the smile she had vanished at his sight.

Zuko couldn't help but sigh at that. Her behavior was starting to annoy him greatly so he simply turned back to the counter.

The innkeeper arrived and placed the large wooden cup of sake before him. He grabbed the cup and walked towards a chair by the waiting area of the tavern. He leaned back into the comfortable and soft chairs. He didn't know the material but it felt leathery. Inside it felt like sponge but not quite. All he knew was it was a very comfortable chair.

He took a long sip of the sake and it went down cold and smooth down his throat. The taste wasn't the best but it still calmed his nerves. He placed the cup on the coffee table like table and leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes. He felt a feeling of relief and calmness. The depressing thoughts exited his mind like a waterfall. He just had this feeling of bliss.

“Ehem!!” He suddenly heard a voice.

He opened his eyes to see Katara sitted opposite him. She appeared to be having a cup of hot steaming tea. Without saying anything he grabbed his cup, took a large sip and leaned back into the chair again.

“Can we talk Zuko?” Katara asked after a minute or so of silence.

Zuko took a long deep sigh of annoyance.

“I am listening,” he urged her to continue.

A long period of silence passed and neither spoke a thing. Eventually Zuko opened his eyes to sit up as he waited too long. He sat back up and looked straight at the girl.

“What do you want Katara?” He asked in an annoyed tone.

Katara gathered all her strength and looked back at him. Staring into his fiery yellow eyes.

“I wanted to tell you uhm... er...” The words simply couldn't come out.

Eventually she just couldn't take it and stood up to run upstairs.

Zuko was left stunned by her actions. This was not the Katara he saw in Avatar. She seemed different but he just couldn't place and identify the difference. He looked to the innkeeper for his reaction but the innkeeper was gone. He figured he vanished into the back.

“Women are a different breed aren’t they?” A voice suddenly said from behind him.

Suddenly Zuko was filled with a feeling of doom. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to run. It was an immense fear for his life that he'd never felt in his life. He slowly turned to see ‘him’.

A hunched back elderly man in purple robes with ornamated rubbies. Zuko felt all his strength disappear. He wanted to avoid an encounter with this man at all cost. This was one of the most powerful people on the planet. Easily in the top five of the most powerful benders on the planet. This was the king of Oma Shu. The most powerful earthbebder since Avatar Kyoshi herself. The strongest non firebender left alive on the planet. The wise and legendary King Bumi.

Suddenly Zuko felt a knock on his head and his mind immediately drifted into unconsciousness. Standing over him was a short young and bald boy.

“Good work Aang,” Bumi said.

[A/N: Read 5 to 10 chapters ahead on my patreon available now. 

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