Ch.19: Birthday and memories

Lost in the screams of pain is a chapter story,
All the stories are about fragments out of Zuko's and Iroh's lives.

It's Zuko's fifteenth birthday today, Iroh thinks about some good memories. Mai's life has been changed.

Iroh is sixty-four,
Zuko is fifteen,
Mai is fourteen.

Lost in the screams of pain,
Chapter 19: Birthday and memories.


The sun rose up above the great ocean, it was midwinter today.

Iroh lay on his bed, he enjoyed the first little sun rays, they where shining through his window, filled his room with happiness.

<Hmm, fifteen years ago. Zuko was born! Oh, Agni he was so small! So much smaller than my son Lu Ten.> Iroh thought with a huge smile.

<Lu Ten had been born at the end of the summer, Zuko in the winter and Azula in the beginning of the summer.> Iroh closed his eyes and thought about his two young boys. <They were so different from each other! Like water and fire.>

<You could see that they were cousins; they had some things in common! They had the same hair color, some similar appearances in their faces. Just like me and Ozai, but they were both individuals. They both had other traits, interests, taste,…> Iroh couldn't help it, but he felt so happy.

Today, he felt the presence of Lu Ten.

Iroh stood up, dressed himself and went downstairs. Prince Zuko waited for his uncle, he sat at the table. Waited patiently for their breakfast.

"Good morning, Prince Zuko!" Iroh said happy.

Zuko turned his head and gave his uncle a tiny smile.

"Today is a special day, isn't it?" Iroh asked.

"Euhm, my birthday?" The boy grinned foolishly; he didn't really care about today. He's happy to be fifteen, but he could celebrate it in silence.

"Indeed. You're fifteen!" Iroh shouted out with a huge smile.

Zuko's eyes blinked a little bit. Becoming older made hem just a little bit prouder.

"I have a little surprise for you!" Iroh said with proud in his voice.

Zuko looked up, he became so curious. "What is it?"

"You will see!" Iroh had asked the cook for this surprise. He knew Zuko's favorite food and candies. They couldn't miss today.

The cook enters the room with a large basket; it was full with butter cakes, cookies and fruit milk. Zuko was fond of these and they were rarely to be found for the troops from the fire navy. Iroh has moved heaven and earth to buy them.

The boy's face changed by seeing these delicious foods. It had been more than a year; it had been so long since he had tasted his favorite candy.

"Come and join me Prince Zuko." Iroh asked. He didn't need to ask this twice, the boy sat down and glared over the table.

"Oh look, raspberries cake's!" Zuko whispered.


<Stealing food out of the kitchens was Zuko's favorite game as a young child, he favorite the raspberries, he loved them. When the coast was clear, Zuko enjoyed his victory by eating them up. But at one day, it was hilarious and sad at the same time. His game went so terribly wrong.> Iroh thought.  

Zuko had stolen raspberries out of the Royal kitchens. He smuggled it into his pockets and pretended like he knew nothing. He went outside but he hadn't the chance to go to his secret place.

Azula had stopped him, she wanted to play. He didn't want to, but his mother forced him a bit. So he played with his sister.

After an half an hour, the maid came outside. She was very furious, she was ordered to make a raspberry cake for Fire Lord Azulon. But there were no raspberries enough.

"Who took the raspberries?" The maid asked with anger in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Ozai asked angry.

Ursa looked over at Iroh; she was worried and hoped that this was a mistake.

"There are raspberries missing, someone is stealing food out of my kitchen!" The maid said. "That cake is ordered! If I don't do my job properly, I'll get fired."

Prince Iroh looked down towards Lu Ten. Provides that his son had committed theft in the Royal palace. He knew that Lu Ten was still a boy and that smuggling food, isn't a crime. But Fire Lord Azulon sees this situation different.

"What? I didn't do this!" Lu Ten shouted out.

Ozai glared over at Lu Ten, he felt at the boy's pockets.

"They can already been eaten up!" The maid said.

"Uhu, better safe than sorry." Ozai said. "He doesn't have it."

Ursa felt in Azula's pockets. "No, nothing."

"Come here Zuko!" Ozai said while he smirked at the maid. "I'm very sure that there is nothing at all."

Zuko's face turned pale.

Ozai puts his hands into Zuko's pockets; it made a horrible smashing sound. Ozai's head turned red, he looked at his hands. They where pink from the missing raspberries.

"You filthy thief!" Ozai shouted while he gave Zuko a slap.

Zuko was lying on the ground; his face was under the raspberries juice.

Azula couldn't stop laughing; Lu Ten had closed his eyes. Ursa and Iroh understood the situation, but had so much compassion.

The maid was furious at the boy.

Ozai took his son by his ponytail. "You don't need to worry." Ozai said towards the maid. "You won't be fired for this."

"And you, come with me." Ozai dragged his son by the hair towards the Fire Lord.

Zuko had been punished by his grandfather. He had to do chores in the kitchen and he had extra training for three weeks. Well it was a hard punishment, for something innocent. But these were the rules of our family.


"Enjoy the food." Iroh smiled emotional. "Happy Birthday."

Zuko beamed towards his uncle, his mouth was pink from the raspberries. "Thank you uncle, this is ---."

"This is so sweet." Zuko whispered, he remembered his last years in the castle. Without his mother, without Lu Ten. There were no birthday presents anymore, no parties, there was nothing.

Iroh laughed ironically. <He's fifteen now. He looks a little bit more like a man, but his still a young child inside.>

"Today we'll go out." Iroh said mysterious.

Zuko looked up fast. "And the avatar?"

"It's for one day, Zuko. Come on!" Iroh frowned.

"Okay then. Where will we go?" Zuko asked curious.

"You will see." Iroh said.


The troops were free for today.

Iroh and Zuko walked through an orchard. It was a very beautiful orchard, who was located nearby a small Earth Kingdom village. They both enjoyed this relaxing moment.

Relaxing was rarely planned in Zuko's day plans. He searched for the avatar every day, every night. Sleeping didn't really fit in his plans; he did some quick naps now and then.  

The two passed a small grocery shop. There hung a name board. <Lady May's grocery shop.>
Zuko's eyes became blurred, he turned away from it.

Iroh knew what his nephew was thinking.

"Zuko?" Iroh asked softly.

"I don't want to think about it now." Zuko said gently.

"Come let's go." Iroh said while he took his nephew by his shoulders.

Zuko didn't give up on her, but thinking about Mai and their future hurts too much. His uncle knows this, so they kept the name quite.


Omashu.

Mai lay on her bed; she was throwing some of her stiletto knives against her wall. She's fourteen now and has no real friends anymore.

Her parents aren't really interested in her nor her qualities. They gave her a very different education since she's a teenage girl. She's fourteen and needs to think like a grown up, behave like an adult. Her life gets more bored every day, she doesn't come outdoor anymore.

Mai doesn't want to see anyone. She just wants, to be free. She wants to be the real Mai again. Every day she hopes to be saved.

Mai often dreams about Zuko. That Zuko comes back and saves her, like he always did. Mai sighed deeply.

"Happy Birthday." She whispered against her knife. Mai pressed it against her lips and closed her eyes. Zuko had teach her the basics of sword fighting, fighting with knifes, some tricks. He's her inspiration. The knives remind her of him.

"Happy Birthday Zuko. I hope you're happy and enjoy your day." She smiled at the knife.

The girl walked towards her window and glared outside. She thought about the memories and hoped to face a different kind of future.