Dark Puck

While Kouji slept, Iroh had made ready to follow his nephew; by the time the ten-year-old was awake, their things were packed and all non-essentials had been sold or returned to the proper owners. Wordlessly, the boy followed the former general. The old man tracked the teenager to a small, poor town. He and Kouji didn't approach it; Zuko left after two days, looking rather dejected.

Kouji almost had to be restrained, but he managed to quell his urge to go to the prince. "I wonder what happened…"

"I don't know," Iroh said, frowning. "Perhaps when we meet up with him, he'll tell us."

The boy nodded, and sighed. He missed Zuko desperately.

"Let's give him an hour or two before we continue on."

"I'll go get food," said Kouji quickly, and bolted into the town.

Iroh didn't object.

The boy slowed as he reached the centre of town and saw the utter mess. Torn ground and… scorch marks? Was Zuko attacked? he wondered, his eyes wide.

"What d'you want?" a man asked him.

"Just some supplies," Kouji said quickly. "What happened here?"

"We had some trouble. It's gone now. What kinda supplies?"

"Food, mostly," Kouji said. "For me and my uncle." He eyed the scorch marks again.

A deal was quickly struck, and the man sold him the food without explaining the marks. Kouji left the town.

Quickly.

"What did you find out?" the old man asked when he returned.

"Not a lot. I didn't want to push too hard and raise suspicion," Kouji replied. "But there was definitely a fight. Earthbenders and… a firebender."

"...That's not good."

"No. It isn't."

Iroh sighed. "We'll wait an hour, then follow him."

Kouji nodded, and stared at the ground.

After the hour was up, Iroh stood. "Let's move."

The colonist was on his feet and heading in the direction Zuko had gone before Iroh had finished his sentence. The old man smiled slightly to himself, and followed.

After a few days' time, following Zuko became very easy — he was following a very obvious set of tracks. Kouji knelt between the lines, touching the deep furrows in the earth. "Nothing natural caused this…"

Iroh shook his head. "No. What caused these wasn't natural." He frowned, considering them. "I think, when we catch up to what caused these, you should stay out of it."

The boy looked up to protest, then saw the look on the old man's face. He sighed. "All right, fine."

"But, for now, let's keep following them."

Kouji nodded and kept to Iroh's pace, scowling at the ditches and muttering to himself about putting in seeds every twenty feet to make a line of trees.

Several hours later, Iroh was crouching down to better examine a set of tracks when their solitary search was abruptly interrupted. The rock behind him shot forward a few inches, knocking him over. "Oh..." he said. "That really hurt my tailbone."

A tiny girl, about Kouji's age, was perched on the rock behind him, ready to attack again.

Turning, Kouji planted his feet in a bending stance and raised his fists. "Who are you?" he demanded, managing not to stammer in his anger. "What do you want?"

"I could ask you the same question," she snapped, already in her own bending stance.

"Both of you, calm down," Iroh said, standing between them. "I think everyone's a little jumpy these days, particularly when running across unexpected travellers."

The boy hesitated, then reluctantly stood down. "Yes, uncle," he said, a little sullen.

The girl watched them for a moment more, not quite slipping out of her stance, though she did relax a bit. "You still haven't told me who you are."

"Why don't we all sit down and have this conversation civilly, without antagonizing each other?" Iroh asked, before his rather cranky ward could snap back at the suspicious girl.

Knowing what, exactly, Iroh meant by 'civil', Kouji moved to their packs and dug out some tea, watching carefully as the old man brewed it.

The girl relented and climbed down off the rock, crouching next to them. Up close, Kouji could see her eyes were oddly pale, and she didn't quite look at either of them.

"Here is your tea," Iroh finally said quietly, handing first the girl, then the boy a cup.

"Thanks," said Kouji, glancing at the girl again and predictably flushing. She hadn't taken her tea yet. "Should you b-be travelling on y-your own?" he asked, mentally cursing his stutter. Stupid fear of girls.

She glared in his general direction, and took her tea from Iroh. "I know what you're thinking," she said. "I look like I can't handle being by myself."

"Th-that's not what I meant!" Kouji protested.

"You wouldn't even let me pour my own cup of tea," she pointed out, turning away.

"I poured your tea because I wanted to," Iroh said. "And for no other reason."

"Uncle is like that," Kouji added, running a hand through his hair before taking a sip.

"People see me and think I'm weak," she said, a little bitterly. "They want to take care of me. But I can take care of myself. By myself."

"Sounds like my sister," Kouji muttered.

"And my nephew," Iroh said, musingly. "Always thinking you need to do things on your own, without anyone's support. There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you." He chuckled a little. "Not that I love you, I just met you."

Kouji snickered a bit.

So did the girl. "So...where is your nephew?"

"We've been tracking him, actually," Iroh said, staring down into his cup.

"Is he lost?" she asked.

"That's a word for it," muttered the boy, rising to his feet and stalking a small ways away.

"His life has...recently changed, and he's going through very difficult times," Iroh explained. "He's trying to figure out who he is, and he went away."

"So now you're following him," the girl said quietly.

"I know he doesn't want us around right now," the old man said, "but, if he needs us, we'll be there."

One of Kouji's hands clenched into a fist, and he turned his face to the rising sun. Did he really have a right to be angry with Zuko for leaving?

"Your nephew is very lucky," the girl said, after a moment. "Even if he doesn't know it." She stood up, put the cup down, and smiled. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," Iroh said, smiling back. "Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights."

"No, thank you for what you said," the girl corrected. "It helped me." She picked up her bag and slung it over one shoulder.

"I'm glad."

"Heading out?" Kouji queried softly. "Good l-luck."

"Thanks," she said, and started off. She paused, and turned back. "Oh, and about your nephew? Maybe you should tell him that you need him, too."

There was no hiding the boy's flinch.

Iroh simply looked down into his cup. The girl walked away.

"She seemed… different," Kouji said at last.

"Different how?" the old man asked, looking up.

"Almost too… hostile to being helped, I guess." He frowned. "I don't get it. I mean, yeah, she kinda looks fragile, but the way she holds herself…"

"I think she's blind," Iroh explained quietly.

Kouji blinked. "Oh," he said after a moment, then frowned. If she was blind, then how had she known they were there? How had she— unless… Kouji closed his eyes. Iroh had fallen silent, finishing his tea before they got moving again. The boy remained where he was, then slowly untied his bag of dirt and let it fall to the ground. He heard it hit, and felt the tiniest vibration under his bare foot. "I get it," he said then, opening his eyes.

The old man smiled, and put away the teapot and cups. "Shall we move on, then?"

"Yeah, let's," Kouji agreed, picking up his bag and tying it to his belt again.

After several more minutes of walking, they heard unmistakeable combat sounds coming from a dusty little ghost town. Iroh frowned. "Stay here, Kouji."

Kouji sighed, kicked the ground, and nodded.

The old man headed off towards the town.

While he waited, Kouji drew the dirt from his bag and began practising with it, trying to make it form a whip while ignoring his growing worry. He got in maybe two minutes of this before he heard a very familiar groan. It was faint; the town was burning by now. Eyes going wide, the boy stowed the dirt and bolted for the sound; sure enough, the Avatar's bison was standing there. "Wow…," he whispered, approaching the animal. Maybe if he could convince it to fly, he could get Iroh and Zuko out.

At roughly that point, the town exploded, a large column of thick black smoke drifting lazily up from it.

Kouji promptly forgot the animal, and the order Iroh had given him. "Zuko!" He ran into the ghost town.

He could just barely hear Zuko yelling at someone to leave over the crumbling, burning town.

"Zu—" Kouji started to shout, then coughed as he inhaled too much smoke. Covering his nose and mouth with his tunic, he slipped between two buildings and came upon a clearing. He found the prince almost alone in a square, which was mostly clear of smoke and debris. He was trying to drag an obviously injured Iroh away from the fires.

Grey eyes went wide, and Kouji ran to help. "Zuko," he whispered, touching the older boy's shoulder.

Zuko jumped, slightly wild-eyed, then calmed a little when he recognized Kouji. "We need to get somewhere safe," he said.

"Okay," Kouji replied. "I'll help." His throat complained, but he ignored it. Zuko frowned, ripped off a part of his tunic, and tied it around Kouji's face, then resumed trying to drag Iroh. Flushing, the boy moved around to Iroh's uninjured side to help.

It took a while, but the two of them managed to get the old man out of the burning town, to a deserted shack on a ridge nearby. Zuko then set about ripping up the rest of his shirt to use for bandages.

The younger boy helped where he could, biting his lip. He was afraid to ask Zuko what had happened. After taking care of his uncle, the older boy dug a second shirt out of his bag and pulled it on, then went outside to sit on the edge of the cliff and stare at nothing.

Worried, Kouji hovered between Iroh and Zuko, wondering where he was needed most. Zuko didn't seem particularly interested in companionship, just sat there on the ridge, staring at nothing. Iroh was still unconscious — Zuko had mentioned, while bandaging, that he would probably be out for a couple hours, at least.

The younger boy paced a little, then abruptly came out of the building. "I'm going hunting," he told Zuko softly. The older boy just shrugged.

Kouji hesitated, then slipped off into the underbrush. True to his word, he did do some hunting — but not until after he'd got in an hour's worth of bending practise. He would get strong enough to fight at Zuko's side, damn it! He was still sweating when he returned with his prize — a trio of hoppy-possums.

By this time, Iroh had obviously woken up. He was explaining something to Zuko, drawing in the dirt with a stick. Curious, Kouji drew closer, wondering what sort of lesson the exiled prince was getting this time.

"...the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things," the old man was saying. "They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

From what little Kouji had observed of the two siblings accompanying the Avatar, this was true enough. He stopped just behind Zuko, settling the brace of hoppy-possums against his shoulder.

"Why are you telling me this?" Zuko asked quietly.

Before answering, Iroh took a moment to smile and greet Kouji. The young boy bowed back and asked, "What's going on?"

"I'm learning some new firebending," the older boy said, staring at the sketch in the dirt.

Iroh nodded. "It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others — the other elements, and the other nations — will help you become whole."

"All this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff," Zuko said, a little suspiciously.

"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful," the old General explained. "But it can make you more powerful too." Here he poked his nephew with his stick. "You see, the technique I am about to teach you is one I learned by studying waterbenders."

Iroh had a point, Kouji reflected. His own dirt-whip technique had been rather shamelessly stolen from things he'd seen the Water Tribe girl do with water. Granted, she had a lot more control over that move than he had over his…

Zuko stared down at the sketches, frowning. Slowly, he nodded, accepting this — he'd come a long way since he and Kouji had first met. Maybe whatever happened down in that town had something to do with it. Quickly, the boy raced to the shack to lean his brace against the wall, then scurried back to the two firebenders. Even if he couldn't use the technique Iroh was going to teach, it might be a good idea to practise the move anyway. He might be able to come up with something else.

Zuko had stood up, and the two princes were standing about two feet apart, the older guiding the younger in swaying back and forth.

"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy," Iroh explained. "A waterbender lets their defence become their offense, turning their opponent's energy against them. I learned a way to do this with lightning."

"You can teach me to redirect lightning?" Zuko said, sounding almost excited.

Kouji's eyes widened as he stood behind Zuko, copying Iroh's stance and joining in the movements. Bending lightning was possible? It was all the more imperative that he learn this, if only so he could teach it to Ichiro.

Iroh nodded. "If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You must create a pathway from your fingertips, up your arm to your shoulder, then down into your stomach." As he explained, he demonstrated with his hands. "The stomach is the source of energy in your body," he continued. "It is called the Sea of Chi — or, in my case, it's more like a vast ocean."

Zuko didn't laugh at the joke, though Kouji giggled a little.

The old man's laughter quickly ceased, and he continued on in his explanation. "From the stomach, you direct it up again and out the other arm. The stomach detour is critical," he said, lowering his arms and stepping a little closer to the two boys. "You must not let the lightning pass through your heart, or the damage could be deadly. You may wish to try a physical motion to get a feel for the pathway's flow. Like this." He raised his arms again, and began demonstrating. Zuko followed, in a perfect mirror image. "Are you focusing your energy? Can you feel your own chi flowing in, down, up, and out?"

"I think so," Zuko said, quietly, almost absently, more focused on the motion itself than his uncle's questions now.

"Come on..." Iroh said. "You've got to feel the flow."

Closing his eyes, Kouji repeated the movement, trying to get a feel for his chi as well. He thought he could… was feel really the right word here? Maybe sense was better… the chi flowing in him…

Iroh took a brief moment from mirroring Zuko to touch Kouji's shoulder. The boy jumped and looked up at him. "You're moving the dust," he pointed out gently, and quietly enough that Zuko couldn't overhear. Kouji looked down; sure enough, his bare feet now had a small covering of dust. He flinched and nodded his thanks to Iroh. Maybe less with the focusing, more with the movement of his arms?

The old man had already returned to mirroring Zuko.

The sun had nearly set when he finally stopped. "Excellent," the old man said. "You've got it!"

"Great!" Zuko said, smiling a little. "I'm ready to try it with real lightning."

Kouji stopped, staring incredulously at the older boy.

Iroh seemed just as shocked. "Are you crazy?" he said. "Lightning is very dangerous."

"I thought that was the point! You teaching me how to protect myself from it."

"Yeah, but I'm not going to shoot lightning at you!" the old man insisted, almost frantically. Bringing himself under control, he turned around, folding his hands behind his back. "If you're lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all."

Zuko stared after him for a moment, then turned to the horizon, where storm clouds were gathering. "Well, if you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning." He went back and untethered the ostrich-horse. Kouji's jaw dropped, and he ran after the exiled prince.

"Zuko—"

"What?"

"Don't you think this is a bit—" Stupid. "—quick, after only one lesson?"

"I'll never know I can do it until I try," the older boy pointed out.

"Yeah, but only one?" Kouji insisted, holding onto the reins.

"Uncle Iroh said I'd got it right," Zuko shot back.

"You should practise more before you work with actual lightning," the boy replied stubbornly.

"I've practiced enough."

"Then let me come with you."

"No. If it comes down closer to you, I might not get there in time."

Kouji scowled. "You're taller," he pointed out.

"Why do you want to come, anyway?" Zuko asked, irritated.

Because I missed you. Kouji, not realising he'd spoken aloud, turned and ran off.

Zuko watched him go, then mounted the ostrich-horse and rode off towards the stormclouds.

Away from the shack, Kouji planted his feet firmly, working on the technique Iroh had shown Zuko. He had less luck this time; his irritation with the prince was breaking through his concentration. As the rain broke around him, he stopped, swore, and ran back for the shack.

Iroh was sitting in there, watching the horizon, waiting for Zuko to get back.

"I'll get dinner started," Kouji said quietly, passing by the old man. He paused to take off his shirt and wring the water from it.

"He'll be back," the General said, quietly. "I don't think the lightning will come down far enough to hit him. When the storm's over, he'll be back."

Kouji nodded, debated putting his shirt on, then changed his mind. It would be better to gut and clean his catch outside. Taking the dead animals, he slipped just outside the door. While he worked, he looked over at Iroh. "I've been working on a variation of the water-whip thing the Avatar's girlfriend uses," he admitted.

"Good idea."

"I'm not having a lot of luck with it. Do you think if I applied what you taught Zuko, it might help?"

"It might."

Kouji looked up from his task again, blinking water from his eyes. Iroh was watching him now, rather than the horizon. Quickly, he turned back to the hoppy-possums before he cut himself. "Also, I was wondering if I could write my brother and tell him about that technique?" He hesitated. "Ichiro… has hidden his firebending for years. He doesn't want to go to the Fire Nation." It was hard to admit that to Iroh; there was a law that stated firebenders in the colonies had to be trained in their motherland.

"If you like," the old man said, returning to watching the horizon.

Kouji nodded and finished his task in silence, burying the offal before slipping inside to start cooking their meal. By this time, the rain had stopped, the storm passing over them. Once he'd set the hoppy-possums to cook, Kouji dug up a towel, dried off, and pulled his shirt back on.

A short time later, Zuko returned, rather soaked — though he'd towelled off the ostrich-horse, judging by the wet, feathery cloth he was carrying. "Here," Kouji offered quietly, handing out the mostly-dry towel he'd used with one hand while turning the hoppy-possums with the other.

Zuko nodded, silently, and absently towelled himself off. He stopped about halfway through, lost in thought, staring bleakly at the horizon.

Ichiro had done that a lot, too, in the months before Kouji had left. Is it a firebender thing? the boy wondered. Finally, the hoppy-possums were done, and he called Zuko and Iroh to dinner.

Iroh came, but Zuko had to be called twice. Irrationally annoyed by this, Kouji ate quickly, then tried to hunt up some parchment for his letter.

Zuko went to a corner of the shack and curled up there, staring at nothing. "I'll take first watch," he said.

"I'll take the morning one," Kouji offered.

He shrugged, and the boy glanced at Iroh, half-expecting to be turned down because of his youth. "Wake him up when you get tired," the old man said, simply.

Kouji nodded. He'd take what he could get.