Chapter Three "The Two Colonels"

Chapter Three "The Two Colonels"

Zuko had done it! They had finally finished the shopping list! There were only twenty things on the list but apparently they HAD to stop at Every. Single. Shop. Okay no, that wasn't true, they hadn't stopped at every shop but it sure felt like it.

Zuko shoved the list in his pocket. They had spent an hour and a half in town getting things and Zuko was done with it all. He just wanted to go back to the tea shop. Sokka somehow still had energy, and lots of it. Just listening to Sokka speak made Zuko tired. He desperately wanted metal brew or at least green tea. The quicker they got back the better.

Sokka stopped to admire a spear and a little more of Zuko died inside. He stood grumpily next to the stall holding the heavy grocery basket. Then Zuko saw two men. The two men were adults maybe thirty to forty. One was taller, he wore long green robes, his long brown hair was tied up in the earth kingdom bun.

The shorter one's robes were short and made for movement, his wild hair was black and fell out over his shoulders and in his eyes. But that wasn't the weird thing. What stood out to Zuko was that they were holding hands. That was... strange.

The taller one leaned over and whispered something into the shorter one's ear. Whatever he had said made his companion laugh and then the shorter one pulled the taller one down and kissed him! Like actually kissed him! On the lips! Zuko's jaw dropped open.

"Sorry for the wait Lee," Sokka came back over to Zuko "it's a nice spear but for those prices? no way."

Sokka eyed Zuko "Are you okay?" He asked.

Zuko pointed at the two men. "Look," he said.

Sokka followed his gaze and saw the two men. He watched them for a second then turned back to Zuko.

"What?" he asked.

Zuko frowned. "What are they doing?" he asked.

Sokka looked at Zuko as if he had turned into a saber-tooth moose-lion, "they're kissing," he said simply.

"Yes but why are they doing that?" Zuko asked.

Sokka looked at Zuko. "When people are in a relationship they tend to be affectionate with each other," he said slowly while exaggerating with his arms.

"Yes Sokka! I know! But why are they doing that? they're both guys," Zuko asked.

Sokka shrugged. "Yeah so?" he asked.

"So? They are both male, men can't do that!" Zuko said.

"Says who?" Sokka asked.

"The f-" Zuko froze. Then he put his hand on his chin. That was a very good question, who said that?

Sokka put his hand on Zuko's shoulder, "Buddy I don't know where you come from but have you ever heard of the word "Gay"?"

"Gay?" Zuko shook his head. "No?"

"Gay is when a man loves another man... well there's also the same thing with girls but they're usually called Lesbians" Sokka explained.

"Girls can be like that too?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah, there's not just that there's also bisexual, which is what I am, and pansexual and there's also whole bunch more," Sokka said.

"What does kitchenware have to do with this?" Zuko was getting confused.

Sokka shook his hand dismissively "Nevermind," Sokka pointed at the couple "Look at them."

"Don't you think they look happy?" Sokka asked.

The shorter loose haired man was laughing, the taller long-robed man's face was red but he was smiling. They walked down the street together arm-in-arm. Zuko's frown softened.

Sokka seemed pleased with himself and pulled Zuko by the sleeve. "C'mon we should get back to the Jasmine Dragon," He said.

They walked in silence as they walked. Zuko's mind was racing. People could love the same gender and more? He had never heard of this. After a while Zuko spoke.

"What is Bisexual?" He asked.

"Hm? Bisexual? Oh that's when someone likes more than just one gender," Sokka said.

Zuko frowned.

Sokka laughed "Sorry Lee, that's probably not the most helpful explanation," He said.

Zuko shook his head. Sokka put his arms behind his head.

"Okay let me try again.... Take me for example, I am bisexual. Because I'm bisexual I don't only like girls, I like guys too. But that's my personal preference other bisexual people can like more genders or all genders," Sokka glanced over at Zuko.

"Am I making sense?" he asked.

Zuko nodded "So far."

"Good, Pansexual is when you don't really care about the gender you perfer the person themseleves," Sokka scratched his head. "At least, that's what I think it is."

"You don't know?" said Zuko.

Sokka shrugged, "I only know what I like, and I like guys and girls. I can't speak for everyone else."

Zuko was silent for a moment as he thought it over. "How did you know you were Bisexual,"

Sokka's cheeks went red. "Well," he chuckled.

"I kind of always have. Although at one point I met this guy, he was a complete dickhead but damn he was hot," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Zuko nodded, He didn't really understand and he was still confused, and he wasn't exactly sure what he was confused about. They walked the rest of the way back in silence.

____________________________________________

That night Zuko sat on the floor drinking tea with his uncle as his uncle rambled on about the supply and demand of loose leaf tea. Normally Zuko would listen but tonight his mind was preoccupied.

"And so in the autumn when the leaves are dried the price goes down but when winter comes up, so does the price. Everything is about timing, Zuko," Iroh took another sip of his tea.

"Uncle, have you ever heard of someone being gay?" Zuko asked.

Iroh spat out his tea. "Where *cough* did you *cough* learn *cough cough* that word?" he asked.

"I saw two men in the markets today and they kissed, Sokka said they were gay," Zuko frowned.

Iroh was silent.

"I don't understand it, I've never even heard of it before, have you?" Zuko asked.

Iroh looked at Zuko, his eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Zuko have I ever told you the story of the two colonials?" he asked.

Zuko shook his head. Iroh took a long sip from his tea, he placed it down on the table. He took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Back when I was still the general of the fire-nation army in the hundred year war I had two excellent field officers, Colonial Xaamah and Colonial Zavri. They were highly trained in almost all fields of combat and defense.

Xaamah specialised in hand-to-hand combat. But he also was brilliant with a simple bamboo pole. He could disarm you in a heart-beat and kill you in the blink of an eye.

Zavri was especially creative when it came to fire-bending. He had memorized five-hundred different fighting moves and styles. He would mix them together in a lethal combination of skill and creativity.

But when Zavri and Xaamah would fight together they would destroy whole armies in minutes. Xaamah was loud, reckless and lethal, and Zavri was quiet, cautious and deadly. They were evenly matched and I would even say they fit together like two sides of a sword.

They ate together and practiced together and planned together. You never saw one without the other. They were perfect together and closer than brothers."

Iroh paused to take another sip of his tea, all the joy had disappeared from his face.

"One day after an especially victorious day. We had wiped out two entire armies that day, all thanks to Zavri and Xaamah. I went to find the two colonials as they were not celebrating with the rest of us...

I went to their tent and found them together... The way a man and woman would lie together...

I rushed from their tent horrified by what I had seen.

Xaamah came to my tent and begged for mercy... but not for him. Xaamah begged me to spare Zavri because according to the fire nation what they were doing was unthinkable. he did not care what would become of him, he only cared for the safety of his Zavri.

I sent him away as I was still angry and confused. Later on Zavri came into my tent and calmly stated that he would lay down and die quietly with no fight if it meant I would spare Xaamah.

I sent him away as well but I was torn. They had both come to me separately and said they would give their lives for the other if it meant they would live.

In the morning I sent for both of them, they came into my tent and knelt at my feet. They wouldn't dare look at each other. I asked them:

"You two won't even look at each other. Tell me, are you ashamed of yourselves?"

Zavri looked me in the eye and told me:

"I will never be ashamed, General Iroh. I love Xaamah with my heart, soul, and body. He is my equal, my other half and my soulmate. And I will never be ashamed of loving him. I am only ashamed that I have put him in danger because of my love,"

"But now you face death because of this, are you really willing to die over it?" I asked him.

"I am," Zavri told me.

Xaamah broke down in tears and he fell upon Zavri and clung to him. He looked up at me and said:

"If we are to be killed then kill us together. For I'd rather die in my Zavri's arms then live apart from him,"

I stood there in my tent with these young men kneeling in front of me whose love was too pure for the cruel world they lived in. It was clear to see that they loved each other, more than they could love anything else. And I couldn't take it...

I fell to my knees in front of them, I begged them to forgive me, for at first I hadn't understood,"

Iroh smiled, his eyes filling with tears.

"They forgave me and with time they taught me to understand their relationship, in fact one of the reasons they fought so well together is that they were constantly trying to impress the other or one-up each other.

I made sure that their relationship stayed a secret. Because they still lived in a world of which did not accept them. Just because I had learned to understand did not mean the others would. So I made sure I did my part to keep them safe. If people asked questions I would say:

"They are two of my most valuable soldiers of course they need the secluded tent,"

"Noises? They are training! Why do you think they defeated the enemy army the other day? Training, lots of training,"

"Yes, they swap clothes. All a part of training!"

One day Zavri and Xaamah approached me. there was a mountain one that the fire nation army had camped next to, they wanted me to join them for a hike. So we hiked up the mountain, it took us all day so by the time we got up there it was sunset.

I was exhausted but I turned to look at Xaamah and Zavri. They had dawned their finest battle attire. They told me that they were leaving, they were running away to start a life together. They weren't safe with the fire nation so they would find a place where they could be accepted.

There, on top of the mountain, they asked me to marry them. To marry them as man and husband. So by the power of the setting sun I pronounced Xaamah and Zavri "husband and warrior" I wished them good luck and bid them farewell. They ran off into the night together. I never saw them again.

Every now and then I got a rice paper letter. The letters were addressed to no one and unsigned, they told of a family living in a faraway fishing town, the family had twin daughters and a son. The family was safe, the fishing town accepted them,"

Iroh's smile faded.

"Then I heard the news, two fire nation men had been caught hiding out in an earth kingdom fishing town. Xaamah and Zavri died together fighting..."

Iroh wiped his eyes as tears streamed down his face, he sobbed silently as his body shook from recalling the memory. But then he smiled through the tears.

"If only they could be here now, in Ba Sing Se. There are no rules here against gay marrige, they could have finally been free." he said.

"People love other people. That's how we are. We have no control over who we love or how we love or why we love... we just do... Do you understand, Zuko?" Iroh asked

Zuko nodded. He did, or he at least he thought he did. He wanted to ask his uncle what happened to the children of Xaamah and Zavri but he had obviously brought up painful memories for his uncle. He could sympathise with his uncle's grief. the grief of losing two friends like that because of who they were.

Zuko did all of his chores quietly that night. He thought a lot about what his uncle had told him. He turned it over and over in his mind until finally, it clicked. He smiled as he looked out at the twinkling lights of Ba Sing Se.

He understood.