On Deck <Zuko's Ship, Open Sea>

[iroh]

Iroh was in his room, sleeping. Then he could faintly hear feet stepping on the ship floors, rustling of the crew, then Zuko's orders. He woke up after a 9 hour sleep, a sleep that he needed. Iroh picked himself up from his most comfortable bed as his back made a loud crack and stretched his ligaments. The old man rubbed his eyes and changed into decent clothes. He brushed himself up, went to the fireplace to get the teapot, and sat down by his small desk.

The retired General thought of the waterbender girl a while back that he met, whatever her name was. Young, but she had some talent. He wondered what happened to her after he "ran" from her. He looked into a small mirror on his wall and saw how much he changed since his General days. Since the day of his son's expiration, he became more and more weaker. Running from a Waterbender girl is proof that's hard to argue with. The clatter outside his room took him back to present.

The old uncle tilted the teapot toward his favorite teacup as he was closed his eyes to smell the tea. But he could smell nothing. He immediately opened his eyes and saw the empty teacup and dropped the pot. The loud noise of the pot echoed in his rooms, in the passage, causing a dead silence. "There's no tea..." he said quietly.

Iroh flung the half-open iron door of his room open and walked as fast as he could to Zuko's room. He flung that door open, approached and interrupted Zuko who appeared to be bullying a young soldier. "Zuko! At our last stop, did you give the shop keeper my list of needs?! Because... there's no tea left, Zuko!" He suddenly felt how obsessed he was with tea and blushed a bit...

[sho]

Sho winced as the crewmen’s rough hand slapped him on the back, but never-the-less he managed to offer the man a shy smile. It was true of course; Zuko did have much more experience in firebending that he had… but, really, that wasn’t the thing that was bothering him. He was just upset on all the training he had missed out on and could probably never replace. Seeing the kind of things he could have already accomplished only furthered the humiliation of his loss. By not paying much attention to his bending, he realized, he had been ignoring a part of himself.

“Yeah. Just a little sore.” Sho replied simply to the crewman, while massaging one temple with his thumb. He sighed and stared over the side of the deck for a moment, so his head’s throbbing could cool down. His thoughts began to drift through the events of the day: Enitsua’s death, his short conversation with the prince, and the fight. Indeed, he felt very sore.

“But I think I’ll turn in early tonight, anyway.”

[zuko]

As Zuko was headed down the hallway, just before he completely left top deck he noticed his uncle headed for him, looking a bit flustered and...worried? Then out came what Zuko was a little afraid about; no tea.

"Uncle..." Zuko began as his eyebrow and scar creased together with confusion and frustration. "There isn't even enough food on the ship. Tea isn't important." His uncle could get so overworked by the most unimportant things, that sometimes it felt hard to be related to him. But knowing his uncle, the prince knew he would be forced to speed this ship up. Zuko remembered how "important" it was for him to stop the ship when his uncle apparently lost one of his lotus tiles. Tea would probably be a bigger issue, even though it wasn't an issue to begin with in Zuko case.

"I'll be in my room..." Zuko said tiredly as he walked past his uncle. Zuko figured that in a matter of moments he would feel the ship take a sudden surge to move faster toward to Nadai Island, due to the order his uncle would probably give because of no tea.

The day was ending and sunset was almost over. Zuko wanted to get out of his heavy armor and relax, if possible. Dinner hadn't even occurred to him. For some reason, he just wasn't hungry...

[iroh]

Iroh saw Sho leaving back to her room. "Good night! Sweet dreams. And let me know if you find any tea!" He smilied wide and waved.

Iroh looked at Zuko. "Yes, I know that we can't afford just 'going' anywhere and buying what we need, but it's tea we are talking about. And me that needs tea. Please, can we stop once more? I see a port in the distace. Just go in, get tea, get out, and everyone's happy!" He knew that was untrue. Zuko, happy? Pft. He would just get bitter. Iroh knew he was making such a big deal for tea. But it is tea. He saw steam coming from the ship and his stomach started to make noises. "Please Zuko... just one stop. I'll limit my tea time to only 2 cups a day." Iroh put on a fake smile and put his hands in his sleeves, hoping for his desired answer.

[sho]

As Sho began to wander down, yet again, into the depths of the ship, he very quickly picked up the sound of two male voices conversing. Turning the corner that led way to the crew’s sleeping quarters, Sho’s soft eyes instantly locked onto two familiar faces - one of which he didn’t really care to see, and the other whom he had spent little time around. The Great Dragon of the West. The one who held siege at the great Earth Kingdom capital of Bai Seng Sei. Someone who he had heard much about, held deep respect for, but had never spoken to. Nor was he in the mood too, really. He had made a fool out of himself enough for the day. No need to completely embarrass himself in front of a great firebending master.

Stopping in mid-stride, Sho lowered his whole torso into a deep, respectful bow before quickly passing the two, his gaze firmly locked on the ground. His head was still aching pretty badly from his fall, and one whole shoulder seemed to be consumed in soreness. He was ready for bed and was still pretty distressed in his own depressing thoughts as he heard a voice call after him.

The young servant couldn’t help but hesitate and glance over his shoulder, somewhat baffled at the warm, hardy voice that so kindly spoke to him. He almost smiled, so pleased that the retired General’s first words to him had been kind… Although, the last sentence kind of confused him, and Sho quickly arched one eyebrow in question at the prince, before continuing on his way.

Even though still troubled by his lack of bending experience and, really, the whole day, Sho couldn’t say that the few, kind words spoken to him by a very famous and respected general of the Fire Nation didn’t calm his mind just a little bit.

[zuko]

Zuko stopped in his tracks as his uncle continued ranting about his lack of tea. Looking over to see who Iroh was talking to, Zuko realized it was, yet again, Sho. As Iroh finished his last sentence and saw the confused expression on Sho's face, Zuko just closed his eyes with frustration and shook his head, as if telling Sho to forget about it.

Zuko then glanced back at his ranting uncle and sighed angrily. "UNCLE! I told you. Tea isn't important now. Besides, we will be stopping at an island soon for supplies. You'll have to wait until then," Zuko said, trying to convince his tea-loving uncle that everything will be stocked back up once they get to a port.

"I'm going to bed..." Zuko said as he began to stroll away from his uncle and head to his quiet room yet again. The prince rubbed his right temple tiredly, taking small exhausted steps. His mind was sleepy and full of confusion. There were so many things he still needed to do tomorrow.

[iroh]

NO TEA?! Iroh reached his hand out to grab Zuko's shoulder as he strolled away but realized that he should try to control his urges. And he promised himself.

He strolled out onto the deck. Why were these youngsters going to bed so early? I thought the young kids went to bed late and the elderly early. The night was beautiful. A slight cool breeze ran through Iroh's silvery-grey hair. The stars twinkled and small waves hit thier little ship.

As Iroh leaned against the edge of the ship, he thought about Zuko. Both of them have not been communicating for a while now. Iroh is just like his father now. Teens, as Iroh knows, ignore the parents and they just want to be alone. They don't listen and want to do their own thing and have their own attitude. He heard Zuko's condition was callled "Angst."

After an hour of relaxing and thinking, Iroh decided to walk back to his cabin. It finally started to get late and his eyes began to close. Still, after promising to try to take control, he prayed for that island to come to his sight the next day. To sleep (and get his mind off of tea), he had to count hogmonkeys...

[sho]

Sho slipped out from underneath his sheets and stood, keeping his eyes wide open to adjust to the darkness. His senses became sharp and attentive as his heart began to pump with excitement and adrenaline, and were sensitive to any sight and sound. There was the soft (and not so soft) snoring of the crewmen and the occasional creek of a bed or rocking hammock, and Sho saw the flickering gray shadows of shuffling sheets and shifting limbs. There was nothing out of the ordinary about, and accepting that the coast was clear, Sho lit a small ball of restless, yellow flame in his palm, and tiptoed towards the door to the sleeping quarters.

Soft light flickered against the dull gray walls of the corridors as Sho walked along, his mind strangely blank of distractions and instead focusing on getting up on deck without disturbing anyone. The trip through the hallways was uneventful and rather quiet, ignoring the soft rocking and creaking of the small ship. Still, he was wide awake and filled with energy and attentiveness, excited about this on-the-urge, middle-of-the-night practice session.

Finally, Sho stepped upon the deck and extinguished the small ball of flame in his hand, letting the gentle glow of the moon provide as his light source for the time being. Night was probably not the best time to practice his bending, but he would have no time later... nor would he enjoy being watched.

[zuko]

The bedroom was dim; only being lit by seven candles which burned softly on a nearby table in the prince's room. Hung high above them, was a decorative dragon head piece that seemed to move as the flames flickered silently below it.

Zuko lay on his bed, watching the candles burn lower and lower as wax slowly dripped off the sides of the candle and onto the table. He desperately wanted to go to sleep, but his mind kept mocking him with memories. Images kept replaying over and over; from his mother to his banishment then back to his mother. He missed her...he only wished that she was here so he could smile and finally sleep. 'Why did you leave...?' he asked mentally as he watched one of the seven candles extinguish silently, making the room a little darker.

Then from the corner of his eye, Zuko caught sight of a different light; a light that passed slowly underneath his door and headed down the hall toward top deck. Zuko stayed where he was for a long while, contemplating on following it or not. But who would be up this late walking around the ship? Well...except for him of course.

Standing up slowly, Zuko headed for the door and quietly headed for top deck, wondering who was up there.

[iroh]

As Iroh lay down in his large bed, he realized how sleepy he wasn't. He sat up and walked over to his small table. He took a rare fictional book and began reading in the candlelight.

As the light got dimmer, Iroh's eyes closed. He headed back for bed and layed on his side. He thought about if Zuko and the others were really sleeping now, or doing something without Iroh. Maybe they were trying to discuss Iroh's issue with tea and they could be trying to devise a plan for Iroh to stop drinking his beloved tea.

Iroh saw a light just before he went to bed. This light could be seen through the gap between the door and the floor/wall. It was heading towards the deck were Iroh recently came from. Maybe it was someone joining the discussion to perish my love for tea! It has to be.... everyone went to bed early just for this. They were all irritated and .... it just had to be!

Iroh got up from his bed and opened the door. The source of the light seemed to already have gone up to the deck or Zuko's room. He walked to Zuko's room and opened the door. "Zuko?" he asked, but no answer. Iroh then walked up to upper deck to see what was going on.

[sho]

Bright flame burst from the young servant’s palm and flew out over the side of the deck. Immediately afterwards, his other hand shot out in front of him in a similar fashion, sending out another quick line of fire and immensely brightening the dull, metal deck and lighting up spots of the black sea. His body was already filled with the familiar warmth that firebending provided, but the heat was growing in him with every crazy blast, while his auburn eyes narrowed in focus.

Sho continued with basic hand blasts for a few more moments, letting his body adjust to the heat and giving his arms a chance to stretch. Then he began working his way up through basic stances and moves by performing a few swipes and kicks. Sweat now beginning to form in beads on his brow, Sho’s body began to fill with that excitement again - that confidence - as he watched the restless flames burst out with that passion again before extinguishing. He was doing well so far, he knew… simple as the few moves were. But still, if he could do those simple moves with such sureness... what was stopping him from moving on?

Heart now racing with excitement on what he could accomplish, Sho’s mind suddenly flashed with the image from the fight from earlier – one of Zuko’s last finishing moves actually. His mouth twitched into a smile. He could do something like that right, try? Do something just as impressive, powerful? Bustling with energy, Sho dashed forward a short distance and spun while conjuring and nourishing a strong ball of fire between his hands and near his center.

During the spin, however, Sho’s heel slipped on the deck. Instinctively thrusting his hands and the flame forward as to finish the move, the ball of flame burst out in front of him and promptly exploded three feet in front of his face. As he was falling, he avoided most of the blow, but the heat still rushed at him as he hit the ground, sending him sliding backwards. A groan escaped his lips, while an ache of pain throbbed through him for a moment. Slowly he opened his eyes and sighed, before shifting restlessly to his feet with a defeated expression clear on his face. So much for being a successful practice session.

[zuko]

Rubbing his good eye, Zuko exhaustedly walked down the long corridor of the ship then turned again toward top deck. Nonetheless, Zuko kept his eyes open and curiously alert, especially as he began to hear something. It sounded so familiar, that it didn't take long for Zuko to realize what the sound was: fire. But it sounded irregular and the sound would be quiet for one moment, then loud another moment. Was someone firebending?

Zuko walked a bit quicker, his bare feet quietly tapping the metal floor of the ship. As he got closer, he began to see flashing orange and yellow light just ahead of him, the sound of flames getting louder. Zuko narrowed his eyes in curiosity and suspicion. Had the stowaway gotten loose? Was there someone wreaking his ship even more so?

As these questions poured through his mind, he found himself almost at a jogging pace, entering top deck just in time to see a small explosion erupt into flames, knocking someone backward and sliding across deck. Zuko stood frozen for a moment, squinting his eyes to focus upon the person's face as he stood up again. The moonlight cast shadows over the ship, making it hard to see the person clearly from where Zuko was standing.

Striding quickly over to the silhouette, Zuko shook his head wondering if that was supposed to be firebending or not, mostly as to why this person would be out here doing so if it was. Glancing at the angle of the moon, Zuko did not realize it was so late. His feet suddenly felt colder as soon as he began to walk across the exposed metal of the ship, causing Zuko to wake up just a bit more. Turning a bit to see the face of the night owl, Zuko raised his eyebrow questioningly as he glared upon the person, realizing quickly that it was, yet again, the servant boy.

Frustration waved over the prince. 'Why is it always him?' Zuko asked himself mentally as he still looked upon Sho with a confused expression on his face.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked rather demandingly, but with a hint of curiosity lurking in his voice.

[iroh]

Iroh walked as fast as he could for being sleepy. It was a bit cold so he put his hands in his sleeves of his black and maroon night suit. He finally came close enough to deck and heard firebending. He could here those beginner blasts and they gradually got more intense and full.

Then, the old uncle got closer to the curve leading to the deck, he could see the light reflecting off the wall. A small explosion was heard next and Iroh heard a small groan. Zuko's voice followed and Iroh rushed onto the deck. Now he KNEW it wasn't a meeting for his tea insanity, but Zuko got hurt.

"What's going on?! Zuko, are you alright?" asked Iroh in a concered and shocked voice. He saw Zuko up standing next to Sho, who was apprently the one hurt. "Sho, are you alright?" he asked the man. Iroh walked over to Sho who seemed in moderate pain.

[sho]

“I… I… was, ah... Um… j-just…” Sho stuttered unstably, backing up slightly in shock as the prince approached him. How long had Zuko been standing there? Did he see the explosion? Well, if he had been anywhere nearby it would have been hard to miss – it has been loud as well as bright. Sho’s cheeks reddened slightly, though it was almost invisible in the darkness. Why did everything he do end up with him making a fool of himself? Couldn’t he do anything right? Hanging his head in embarrassment, auburn eyes focused on the ground, Sho opened his mouth to give an understandable reply… until another voice burst from the darkness and a figure came into focus.

“Oh, no.” Sho mumbled quietly, scrunching up his shoulders while lowering his face more and taking another step backward. Embarrassing himself in front of Zuko was one thing – he’d done it before – but in front of the great Dragon of the West? Humiliating! Why did things always just seem to get worse?

Sho’s eyes widened slightly, however, when the retired general addressed him by his name. He was shocked Iroh even recognized him, let alone knew his name. Sho’s mouth twitched into what could be considered a reassuring smile, though, it quickly became more of a grimace as Sho jerked up his face up a little too quickly, sending a throb of pain through his neck. He held in what was his traditional formal stance – feet shoulder length apart and hands clasped behind his back.

“I’m fine, sir.” Sho replied, nodding at the general, his face now mostly cleared of any emotion. He turned his face to Zuko, his eyes clear with indifference. “I was just practicing.”

[zuko]

Zuko listened to Sho stutter and mumble, as if he was embarrassed that Zuko had approached him. The prince could not see the boy's face in the dark very well, or at least not his full expression, but judging from his voice, Sho sounded a bit unnerved. Zuko stood impatiently as he waited for an understandable answer from the servant. As he was about to open his mouth to demand Sho for an answer, another voice appeared behind him. Turning sharply around, Zuko saw a small and large figure appear from the darkness. Zuko narrowed his eyes, surprised to see his uncle this late.

Zuko nodded at his uncle, his expression even more curious, but slightly irritated. "Everything is fine..." he replied, a little annoyed by his uncle's sudden urge of worry.

But Zuko's focus was then turned to Sho as the servant spoke to him and gave a reply that left skepticism on the prince's face. Practicing firebending? Zuko's mind flipped back to the explosion he saw and raised his eyebrow at Sho. What exactly was the servant trying to pull off that would cause an explosion like that? This was a question that Zuko wanted an answer for...

"Practicing firebending this late? What exactly were you trying to do?" Zuko asked as he took a step closer to Sho, his agitation rising.