Chapter 2

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Chapter 2 I feel lost in limbo. We ride on this beast from town to town, but with no plan, no direction, and at the moment, no food. And so now we find ourselves in the humiliating situation of sitting here in the marketplace of a small village begging for coins. I hate this! I just hate it. "Spare coins for weary travelers?" Uncle called out to each person walking by. Some toss coins into his basket, others don't. "This is humiliating! We're royalty. These people should be giving us whatever we want." "They will," Uncle replied. "If you ask nicely." That's not what I meant! Imagine me, a prince of the Fire Nation, reduced to this. Things can't get any worse than they already are. Just then a man came up to us, waving a gold coin at Uncle. "How about some entertainment in exchange for a gold piece?" he asked. How dare he! What are we, trained animals singing and dancing for our supper? "We're not performers," I said. This guy should just move along before I make him regret the fact that he ever saw us. What's Uncle doing? I can't believe it. He's

standing and singing for this guy. "Let's see some action!" the man yelled, before pulling out two swords. "Dance!" he shouted. Now he's swiping the swords at Uncle's feet. Uncle is dancing to stay out of the way. I would blast this guy with Firebending in a heartbeat if it wouldn't blow our cover. "Ha! Nothing like a fat man dancing for his dinner," the man said, laughing. Then he tossed the gold coin into our basket. I'm totally humiliated, but Uncle doesn't seem the least bit embarrassed. "Such a kind man," Uncle said. I can't take this anymore. Maybe I can't stop the humiliation in the middle of a crowded market, but that doesn't mean I can't do anything about it. That night I put on a blue mask to hide my identity. Moving quickly across the rooftops, I looked down into a dimly lit alley and spotted the man who had forced Uncle to dance. Perfect! Down I dropped, taking the arrogant fool by surprise. I knocked him down and he dropped his swords. I snatched them up quickly and flashed them

in front of the man's face. He scrambled to his feet and dashed away. Now I have a disguise—and two excellent weapons! Hmm… that gives me an idea. If those who have plenty won't give me what I want, I'll simply take it—or rather, my alter ego, the Blue Spirit, will take it! There's someone carrying baskets of food. Those baskets look like they belong to me. I'll just swoop down on these foolish peasants. If my mask doesn't scare them, my swords will! There! I have freed the food from the grasp of these peasants, and it is now mine. I feel better already. But I can't let Uncle know I'm doing this. He'll go on about right and wrong and I'll never hear the end of it. I hid the mask and swords in the trees, then delivered my bounty. "Here!" I said, tossing the food to Uncle. "Where did you get this?" he asked suspiciously. I knew he would give me a hard time. "What does it matter where they came from?" When have you ever questioned free food, old man? Over the next few days I brought many treasures to Uncle at our hideout in the woods. Food, blankets, gold, jewels, all liberated from their former owners by the Blue Spirit.

I like taking what I want without asking permission. "Zuko, I think we should talk," Uncle said when I had returned with a large sack of gold and food and a new teapot for him. "I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle to get by. But it's nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honor in poverty." Honor? How can he speak of honor? Has he forgotten so soon? "There is no honor for me without the Avatar." "Zuko, even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now." Hard as it is for me to acknowledge this, I know that he is right. With Father now having placed his trust in Azula, even getting my hands on the Avatar might not be enough to satisfy him. "Then there is no hope at all." Uncle leaped up and grabbed me by the shoulders. "No, Zuko! You must never give in to despair, to your darkest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give to yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength." Words. Just words. They mean nothing to me. Uncle can't possibly know how I feel. In fact, I can't see a good reason to continue traveling with him. I

have lingered too long in his shadow. He slows me down. Him and his tea and his food and his comforts. No, it's for the best. I must do what is good for me. "Uncle, I've thought a lot about what you said and it's helped me realize something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling together. I need to find my own way." There, I said it. I feel better already, like a burden has been lifted. He's not saying a word. He's just looking away. Very well. I'll just go. "Wait!" Uncle cried. What? Now that he sees me leaving, is he going to try to talk me out of going? No. He's just giving me the ostrich-horse. Well, it will be easier than walking. I'll take it. Thank you, Uncle. Good-bye. I've always had to struggle, always had to fight, from the time I was a boy. It's made me strong, made me who I am. That's why I know I will survive, here, alone. I rode the ostrich-horse into a small Earth Kingdom village. My stomach was grumbling and I felt light-headed, but I had to focus. I had to find food in this village. "Could I get some water, a bag of feed for the