𝔸𝕖𝕪𝕖𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝔸𝕤𝕤𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟: ℤ𝕦𝕜𝕠 𝕩 𝕆𝕔

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟙𝟠- ℙ𝕠𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕤 𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕣 𝕋𝕖𝕒?

For the past twenty minutes, Iroh was entranced, his breath taken away as he marveled at a stunningly vivid red and white flower.

Zuko emerged from the bushes sporting a new buzz cut, his determined expression framed by black hair. "I didn't find anything to eat! I can't live like this! I wasn't meant to be a fugitive." Frustrated, he raised his fists, unleashing a yell to the open sky. "This is impossible!" Zuko turned to Iroh, asking, "Uncle, what are you doing?"

Iroh continued to admire the flower, saying, "You're looking at the rare white dragon bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious, it's heartbreaking. That, or it's the white jade, which is poisonous."

Aeyenna raised her hand, her once curly and voluminous hair now transformed into a sleek, straightened look. "I'm voting poisonous," she declared with a wry smile.

"We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing," Zuko declared with determination, grabbing Aeyenna's hand as they briskly walked away on their quest for food.

"You should have let me stay to keep an eye on him, to make sure he doesn't try to consume the flower," Aeyenna remarked, expressing a touch of concern about the situation.

Zuko grumbled with frustration, saying, "He's a grown man; he's perfectly capable of making his own decisions."

"Not when it comes to tea," Aeyenna huffed, continuing on their way toward the pond.

Aeyenna watched closely as Zuko struggled to catch even a single fish, observing his efforts by the water's edge.

Zuko turned to her, frustration etched across his face. "Aren't you going to lend a hand?! Just sitting there and looking pretty won't contribute anything!" His words carried a mix of irritation and a plea for assistance.

Aeyenna blushed slightly, shook her head, and adeptly waterbended the pond to make it easier for Zuko to catch fish. Together, they gathered the spoils of their efforts and headed back to Iroh.

Zuko cleared his throat nervously before speaking to Aeyenna, "Um, Aeya, how are you holding up after the whole Hiroshi incident?"

Aeyenna took a deep breath, attempting to compose herself after the emotional turmoil. "You know, it's been hard," she admitted, blinking away threatening tears. "But being with you and Iroh again is, in a way, a sort of distraction, I don't know."

Zuko hummed thoughtfully. "I'm glad to hear that. Your hair looks good, by the way. It's...different."

Aeyenna ran her fingers through her hair, smoothly combing it – something she could never do with her curls as her fingers would get tangled. "Thanks,"

Upon coming back from the fishing trip, Zuko and Aeyenna discovered Iroh hunched over, his back turned to them. "Zuko, remember that plant I thought might be tea?" he asked, evoking a sense of curiosity in the air.

Zuko shot a surprised glance at Aeyenna before focusing on Iroh. "You didn't..." His voice trailed off, a mix of disbelief and concern etched across his face.

"I did," Iroh admitted solemnly, turning to face them. "And it wasn't." As he revealed himself, it became apparent that he was swollen and covered in red marks, a consequence of the ill-fated plant identification.

Surprised, Zuko shouted and instinctively leaped into Aeyenna's arms, who caught him. "Aghhh!"

Surprisingly calm, Iroh stated, "When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing." Excitement took over as he added, "But look what I found." Extending his arm, Iroh revealed a handful of berries. "These are bacui berries, known to cure the poison of the white jade." Less enthusiastically, he continued, "That, or maka'ole berries that cause blindness."