Categories > Cartoons > Avatar: The Last Airbender > A Mispent Youth
Birthday
Zuko knew it was going to be a good birthday even before he woke up.
He could hear people moving around his room as he slept, getting ready to wish him happiness on his eighth birthday. It was a feeling he had that made even his dreams sunny and bright.
"Happy Birthday Zuko!" they cheered. Zuko opened his eyes and look around the room. Even cousin Lu Ten was there, holding Azula by the scruff of her shirt like a very petulant dog.
Yes, today was a very good day.
Mom was there too, naturally, along with Ty Lee and Mai. Ty Lee gave a big toothy smile and looked around the room as if something was going to jump out at any moment. But Mai just looked at him with wide unblinking eyes. It would have been creepy if he weren't used to it already. Mai was easy to get used to.
"Happy Birthday Zuko!" beamed Ty Lee, ignoring all palace rules to jump on the bed and give Zuko a hug. If it had been anybody else doing this he would have been embarrassed, but Ty Lee hugged everybody so it was okay. Ty Lee was a very huggie person. "May your days be long and your nights be short and I hope nothing bad happen to you even though-"
"Ty Lee you're crushing my spine and the toast isn't until after the noodles," sighed Zuko. She really wasn't crushing anything, but it seemed like the right thing to say to get her off without pushing. Pushing girls was usually a really bad idea because they pushed back harder and started to cry and never fought fair. Zuko sort of hoped that not all girls were like this, though they probably were, just the crazy younger Fire Nation elite ones.
"How does it feel to be another year older Zuko?" smiled his Mom. Zuko shrugged his shoulders. He didn't feel any older. How were you supposed to tell anyway? Was there some big brain growth spurt that came on birthdays to make you eight all of a sudden? Would he suddenly be able to count to a million, or read the scrolls Lu Ten liked, or Fire bend like a Master? Or was it a normal growth spurt that would make his head bump the ceiling and his toes stick out of the bed? Zuko wiggled his toes. No real growth spurt, he still had to wait for that. Someday Zuko was going to be ten feet tall and then he'd never miss anything 'cause he could see it all. Except maybe what the stuff the really short people talked about, but Zuko knew that wasn't very interesting. "Quick, get dressed and we'll open presents."
"You have tons of stuff!" bounced Ty Lee. "My parents only give me money on my birthday."
"Only royalty gets presents on their birthdays, Ty Lee," stated Mai as they all left the room. She looked really bored like someone had woken her up too early and now she was just trying not to fall asleep. "There's no point in giving them money."
"And who ever gives the best presents thinks they'll be the best when it comes to Dad. Birthdays are good for suck ups," smirked Azula. Zuko would have hit her if she wasn't right.
Zuko quickly got dressed and rushed outside. Ty Lee was right; there were a lot of presents. The stack seemed to reach the ceiling. Each one was wrapped in pretty red and gold paper, each one was trying to out wrap the others. Most of them were from people he didn't even know.
Yes, today was a very good day.
Zuko quickly began unwrapping his presents, with a little help from the over eager Ty Lee and a lot of unwelcome help from Azula. Azula liked to burn the wrapping paper off, which sometimes hurt the stuff inside.
He got a lot of funny gifts. Loads of scrolls on advanced Fire bending that Azula quickly tried to 'borrow' by stuffing them into her sleeves, a confused looking turtle duck that Zuko put into the pond before the poor thing dried up, another load of scrolls about history with big words he couldn't understand that Mai made up meanings to, a pair of duel swords that his Mother quickly removed, toys of the sort he hadn't played with since he was four, toys he wouldn't be able to play with until he was eighteen, a golden flute that made high pitched squeaks when Zuko tried to play it, and even then more things followed in what seemed like a never ending pile of stuff. Zuko didn't even want to think about all the thank you cards he'd have to write.
After he opened all the stranger gifts he started in on the gifts from people he really knew. Mom, along with Azula who probably had nothing to do with it but got her name on it anyway, gave him a story scroll with pretty pictures and words that he could really read. He got laughed at for trying to read the whole thing right then though. Ty Lee gave him a large pair of mittens, a gift that made no sense to anyone but Ty Lee herself.
"It'll protect you from danger!" she'd explained, but why would he need protection? And how would mittens help?
Uncle Iroh gave him a Pai Sho set with extra lotus tiles. Mai and Zuko both gasped at Lu Ten's gift, a large set of small knives too small for fighting but wonderful still.
"Lu Ten, what were you thinking?" groaned Mom. Lu Ten smiled.
"They're for whittling Zuko. I'll show you how to make all sorts of stuff. Platypus bears, masks, statues, carving your name on a tree, who knows what else," sighed Lu Ten, leaning back into the wrapping paper. Zuko's Mom still looked doubtful. Lu Ten tried to sooth her worries. "With adult super vision of course."
"They're great Lu Ten thanks!" bounced Zuko as he gave his cousin a big hug. He knew about whittling since Lu Ten did it so much. Lu Ten could make anything out of anything: but only if he was bored. Uncle Iroh said Lu Ten's brain took daily vacations, and you never knew when it was going to come or go. Father said he was nuttier then a fruitcake. Zuko thought he was like the sun, sometimes he was there and sometimes he wasn't, but it was always better when he was around.
"Wow," said Mai, sincerely. She looked at the little knifes almost lovingly. "These are really nice."
It was Zuko's turned to look at her. "You like knives too?"
Mai gave him a big smile, "I like pointy stuff."
Mai's gift was a large collection of candy, the sort that stays hard in your mouth until you finally suck on it long enough to turn it into a liquid that just slides down your throat, Zuko's favorite kind. But he sort of liked the smile she gave him better.
Opening the presents took all morning and by the time they were done Azula looked like a giant ball thanks to all the gifts she's 'borrowed', Zuko's Mom had given everyone a good talking to, Lu Ten had decorated Ty Lee in all the wrapping paper, Mai had smiled twice, and Zuko was very hungry.
Lu Ten carried Zuko inside where his birthday noodles were waiting. Birthday noodles were one of the most important parts of a birthday. Zuko didn't know why, something to do with long life, but they tasted really good. He was honor bond to eat them so it helped that they tasted good. And it gave everybody a reason to slurp which was always fun. Ty Lee banged her chopstick up and down rudely, Mai ate it noodle by noodle, and Azula tried to throw it at him. Lu Ten did the mature thing and threw the noodle right back at her.
Yes, today was a very good day.
"Toast time," said Lu Ten, he and Zuko's Mom held their tea glasses in the air. Ty Lee and Azula raised their glassed as well except it was juice because nobody trusted them with hot stuff. Mai, who was trusted with hot stuff, raised a noodle instead. The royal family was surprisingly laid back on dignity when with friends. It sort of annoyed Zuko, but as long as they were dignified the rest of the time it was all right. "Happy Birthday, Zuko. May your life be long and your needless court functions short. May your life be complicated, but not so complicated you take it seriously."
Zuko laughed, Lu Ten hated giving normal speeches. Zuko just wished he understood what Lu Ten meant.
"Here here," said Zuko's Mom as everybody clinked there glasses, and in Mai's case noodle, together.
"I'm going to be a toaster!" Azula stood up on her chair and gave a big smile. Zuko feared for the future. "My name is Azula. I'm six years old and a Princess of the Fire Nation and a protégée Fire bender. Zuzu-"
"Don't call me that," muttered Zuko, raising a fist. Ty Lee covered it in wrapping paper.
"Fine, Zuzu. This is Zuko. Zuko is now eight years old in Fire Nation years. And even though I am much better at everything he's still family and happy birthday and stuff. We're glad to have him around, at least until we do the right thing and release him back into the wild. The End, Sincerely Azula."
Everybody clunked glasses and noodles again. Zuko and Azula both looked at each other from over the table, one smiling evilly and the other frowning deeply. Zuko knew she was making fun of him. He was eight years old, besides he would have known she was making fun of him at six. The Fire Nation didn't raise dump people, especially not in its royalty. It was not very honorable.
Lu Ten stretched out lazily. "Well I've overstayed my welcome, I have to go train. See you at the banquet tonight Zuko It's on your Birthday and that has to count for something."
"Do you have to go?" asked Zuko.
"Sorry Zuko." Lu Ten shouted as he walked out. "It's my duty."
Zuko nodded. Duty was the reason you did everything.
"I'm going to practice my Fire bending," said Azula, pulling Ty Lee along with her. "Watch me, Ty Lee. You too, Mai."
"Don't worry," said Ty Lee, holding the shorter girls arm protectively. "I'll protect you."
Azula snorted. "Protect me from what?"
"Them."
Mai waved to Zuko as she went after her two friends. "Bye Zuko. Happy Birthday!"
Zuko's Mom slumped down on the couch and relaxed until she looked like a giant noodle. Zuko picked up his scroll and began to read until he did too.
Yes, today was a very good day.
Birthdays were fun, but he was sort of glad they only came once a year, who'd want to be so tired twice?
Zuko knew it was going to be a good birthday even before he woke up.
He could hear people moving around his room as he slept, getting ready to wish him happiness on his eighth birthday. It was a feeling he had that made even his dreams sunny and bright.
"Happy Birthday Zuko!" they cheered. Zuko opened his eyes and look around the room. Even cousin Lu Ten was there, holding Azula by the scruff of her shirt like a very petulant dog.
Yes, today was a very good day.
Mom was there too, naturally, along with Ty Lee and Mai. Ty Lee gave a big toothy smile and looked around the room as if something was going to jump out at any moment. But Mai just looked at him with wide unblinking eyes. It would have been creepy if he weren't used to it already. Mai was easy to get used to.
"Happy Birthday Zuko!" beamed Ty Lee, ignoring all palace rules to jump on the bed and give Zuko a hug. If it had been anybody else doing this he would have been embarrassed, but Ty Lee hugged everybody so it was okay. Ty Lee was a very huggie person. "May your days be long and your nights be short and I hope nothing bad happen to you even though-"
"Ty Lee you're crushing my spine and the toast isn't until after the noodles," sighed Zuko. She really wasn't crushing anything, but it seemed like the right thing to say to get her off without pushing. Pushing girls was usually a really bad idea because they pushed back harder and started to cry and never fought fair. Zuko sort of hoped that not all girls were like this, though they probably were, just the crazy younger Fire Nation elite ones.
"How does it feel to be another year older Zuko?" smiled his Mom. Zuko shrugged his shoulders. He didn't feel any older. How were you supposed to tell anyway? Was there some big brain growth spurt that came on birthdays to make you eight all of a sudden? Would he suddenly be able to count to a million, or read the scrolls Lu Ten liked, or Fire bend like a Master? Or was it a normal growth spurt that would make his head bump the ceiling and his toes stick out of the bed? Zuko wiggled his toes. No real growth spurt, he still had to wait for that. Someday Zuko was going to be ten feet tall and then he'd never miss anything 'cause he could see it all. Except maybe what the stuff the really short people talked about, but Zuko knew that wasn't very interesting. "Quick, get dressed and we'll open presents."
"You have tons of stuff!" bounced Ty Lee. "My parents only give me money on my birthday."
"Only royalty gets presents on their birthdays, Ty Lee," stated Mai as they all left the room. She looked really bored like someone had woken her up too early and now she was just trying not to fall asleep. "There's no point in giving them money."
"And who ever gives the best presents thinks they'll be the best when it comes to Dad. Birthdays are good for suck ups," smirked Azula. Zuko would have hit her if she wasn't right.
Zuko quickly got dressed and rushed outside. Ty Lee was right; there were a lot of presents. The stack seemed to reach the ceiling. Each one was wrapped in pretty red and gold paper, each one was trying to out wrap the others. Most of them were from people he didn't even know.
Yes, today was a very good day.
Zuko quickly began unwrapping his presents, with a little help from the over eager Ty Lee and a lot of unwelcome help from Azula. Azula liked to burn the wrapping paper off, which sometimes hurt the stuff inside.
He got a lot of funny gifts. Loads of scrolls on advanced Fire bending that Azula quickly tried to 'borrow' by stuffing them into her sleeves, a confused looking turtle duck that Zuko put into the pond before the poor thing dried up, another load of scrolls about history with big words he couldn't understand that Mai made up meanings to, a pair of duel swords that his Mother quickly removed, toys of the sort he hadn't played with since he was four, toys he wouldn't be able to play with until he was eighteen, a golden flute that made high pitched squeaks when Zuko tried to play it, and even then more things followed in what seemed like a never ending pile of stuff. Zuko didn't even want to think about all the thank you cards he'd have to write.
After he opened all the stranger gifts he started in on the gifts from people he really knew. Mom, along with Azula who probably had nothing to do with it but got her name on it anyway, gave him a story scroll with pretty pictures and words that he could really read. He got laughed at for trying to read the whole thing right then though. Ty Lee gave him a large pair of mittens, a gift that made no sense to anyone but Ty Lee herself.
"It'll protect you from danger!" she'd explained, but why would he need protection? And how would mittens help?
Uncle Iroh gave him a Pai Sho set with extra lotus tiles. Mai and Zuko both gasped at Lu Ten's gift, a large set of small knives too small for fighting but wonderful still.
"Lu Ten, what were you thinking?" groaned Mom. Lu Ten smiled.
"They're for whittling Zuko. I'll show you how to make all sorts of stuff. Platypus bears, masks, statues, carving your name on a tree, who knows what else," sighed Lu Ten, leaning back into the wrapping paper. Zuko's Mom still looked doubtful. Lu Ten tried to sooth her worries. "With adult super vision of course."
"They're great Lu Ten thanks!" bounced Zuko as he gave his cousin a big hug. He knew about whittling since Lu Ten did it so much. Lu Ten could make anything out of anything: but only if he was bored. Uncle Iroh said Lu Ten's brain took daily vacations, and you never knew when it was going to come or go. Father said he was nuttier then a fruitcake. Zuko thought he was like the sun, sometimes he was there and sometimes he wasn't, but it was always better when he was around.
"Wow," said Mai, sincerely. She looked at the little knifes almost lovingly. "These are really nice."
It was Zuko's turned to look at her. "You like knives too?"
Mai gave him a big smile, "I like pointy stuff."
Mai's gift was a large collection of candy, the sort that stays hard in your mouth until you finally suck on it long enough to turn it into a liquid that just slides down your throat, Zuko's favorite kind. But he sort of liked the smile she gave him better.
Opening the presents took all morning and by the time they were done Azula looked like a giant ball thanks to all the gifts she's 'borrowed', Zuko's Mom had given everyone a good talking to, Lu Ten had decorated Ty Lee in all the wrapping paper, Mai had smiled twice, and Zuko was very hungry.
Lu Ten carried Zuko inside where his birthday noodles were waiting. Birthday noodles were one of the most important parts of a birthday. Zuko didn't know why, something to do with long life, but they tasted really good. He was honor bond to eat them so it helped that they tasted good. And it gave everybody a reason to slurp which was always fun. Ty Lee banged her chopstick up and down rudely, Mai ate it noodle by noodle, and Azula tried to throw it at him. Lu Ten did the mature thing and threw the noodle right back at her.
Yes, today was a very good day.
"Toast time," said Lu Ten, he and Zuko's Mom held their tea glasses in the air. Ty Lee and Azula raised their glassed as well except it was juice because nobody trusted them with hot stuff. Mai, who was trusted with hot stuff, raised a noodle instead. The royal family was surprisingly laid back on dignity when with friends. It sort of annoyed Zuko, but as long as they were dignified the rest of the time it was all right. "Happy Birthday, Zuko. May your life be long and your needless court functions short. May your life be complicated, but not so complicated you take it seriously."
Zuko laughed, Lu Ten hated giving normal speeches. Zuko just wished he understood what Lu Ten meant.
"Here here," said Zuko's Mom as everybody clinked there glasses, and in Mai's case noodle, together.
"I'm going to be a toaster!" Azula stood up on her chair and gave a big smile. Zuko feared for the future. "My name is Azula. I'm six years old and a Princess of the Fire Nation and a protégée Fire bender. Zuzu-"
"Don't call me that," muttered Zuko, raising a fist. Ty Lee covered it in wrapping paper.
"Fine, Zuzu. This is Zuko. Zuko is now eight years old in Fire Nation years. And even though I am much better at everything he's still family and happy birthday and stuff. We're glad to have him around, at least until we do the right thing and release him back into the wild. The End, Sincerely Azula."
Everybody clunked glasses and noodles again. Zuko and Azula both looked at each other from over the table, one smiling evilly and the other frowning deeply. Zuko knew she was making fun of him. He was eight years old, besides he would have known she was making fun of him at six. The Fire Nation didn't raise dump people, especially not in its royalty. It was not very honorable.
Lu Ten stretched out lazily. "Well I've overstayed my welcome, I have to go train. See you at the banquet tonight Zuko It's on your Birthday and that has to count for something."
"Do you have to go?" asked Zuko.
"Sorry Zuko." Lu Ten shouted as he walked out. "It's my duty."
Zuko nodded. Duty was the reason you did everything.
"I'm going to practice my Fire bending," said Azula, pulling Ty Lee along with her. "Watch me, Ty Lee. You too, Mai."
"Don't worry," said Ty Lee, holding the shorter girls arm protectively. "I'll protect you."
Azula snorted. "Protect me from what?"
"Them."
Mai waved to Zuko as she went after her two friends. "Bye Zuko. Happy Birthday!"
Zuko's Mom slumped down on the couch and relaxed until she looked like a giant noodle. Zuko picked up his scroll and began to read until he did too.
Yes, today was a very good day.
Birthdays were fun, but he was sort of glad they only came once a year, who'd want to be so tired twice?
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