Spirits Like White Lightning

By Iain R. Lewis

Preface: This is a Next-Generation story with a little twist. Instead of focusing on the kids of the group, this focuses on the kids of the kids, and their trials and tribulations dealing with the aftermath of the series and the actions of their grandparents. This is also an experiment in first-person narration, which is something I've never focused on doing so much before, so I hope you'll bear with it.

The title is named after a Warcraft story I read on this site, the name stuck with me. The chapter title is named after one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan, which may or may not even exist, and if it does, it may not even, you know, be in Japan's possession.

Chapter 1: Gathering Clouds

When the seasons change and the wind turns through the old winding way in the old garden where my father's fathers all once stood, I sometimes feel that old familiar ache and I smile and sit for just a moment to recollect.

I've been lucky, I've known a family who loved me, a home I could always call my own, and friendships that last through the many changing seasons. This time of peace, and me in a position to know how truly fragile this time is appreciates this even more, will be kind to the generations that follow mine.

But, in all of this certainty, there remains moments that seem ephemeral and delicate, far more than any other. Even those years back, and me in the brashness and wisdom of my full sixteen years, realized how absolutely precious those days were, and I never once let my memory subside and fade. I've made it a clear point to remember the scars and the pain just as clearly as the joy and happiness.

The joy and happiness that haven't left me once since.

I turn to watch the clouds gathering in the sky, a storm will soon be upon us and another rainy season will set in. It was a day not unlike this that I first left my pampered home and set out on the path that would lead me to this place today. However, that is not where this story truly begins.

It began on a night unlike this, where the brisk cold winds of the mountains sent a cold shiver down a small girl's spine as she called for her grandfather.

Age was beginning to catch up with the old man, his joints creaked and he was not quite as quick with his mind as he used to be, all things the man took in great stride. With a laugh, he called back to his granddaughter and leapt fifteen feet in the air to land delicately and spritely in front of her. "It's getting late, isn't it?" the old man said, "And it's time for a certain someone's bed, isn't it?"

The small girl nodded, "Will you tell me a story tonight, grampa?"

"Certainly," the old man laughed, "Whatever kind of story do you want, Ananya? Perhaps how I faced the ravaging hordes of the cruel Admiral Zhao among the glaciers of the North, or the time I braved the fierce wilds of the Spirit World to come face to face to face with Koh, the Face Stealer?"

The girl shook her head, "No."

"Well, what story do you want to hear?"

"Gran Gran told me you once nearly got eaten by a giant fish," Ananya said. "Tell me 'bout that one please?"

The old man grew more weathered at the mention of Ananya's Gran Gran. He never once mentioned her to Ananya, excepting the first time he'd met her. She was grown a full year since that day, but she still clung to the hope that he'd reveal more about her beloved Gran Gran every day, while every day the old man grew more reluctant to share the story.

"I have a better story than that," he said, quietly, weakly. "Make yourself up for bed and I'll meet you there."

Ananya hid her disappointment well, but every time he dodged around the issue, it wore down at her and remained a wedge between the two. The lonesome Air Temples made low whistles as the wind breezed through their ancient halls.

One, too old, unable to face his past, and one, too young to comprehend the weight of regret, both felt more lonely for each other's company, one a stranger to his own flesh and blood, the other a reminder of the past.

She pulled herself beneath the blankets and her grandfather sat besides her, looking tired but hoping that tonight, for once, he could put old ghosts to rest. "Do you remember the raven-crows we see sometimes when we glide below the temple?"

Ananya nodded, eagerly, "What about them?"

"They say that they're a very special bird," he said, "One amongst them is most special, however. He is the messenger from heaven, he sends with him the wishes of the spirits and helps guide us down the right path in life."

"Have you ever met one, grampa?" the girl asked, "Are they special, like, how big are they? I bet they're huge! WIth, with three sets of wings! And a lizard tail!"

He laughed, "No, nothing quite so extravagant. The one thing especially different about this one bird is that it has three legs."

"Three legs?" Ananya looked disappointed. "That's boring!"

"Maybe," the old man chortled, "Maybe if I had my way it would have a lizard tail too. But we don't get to decide, do we?"

"I guess not."

"To answer your other question," he said, "Yes, a long time ago. Once, I was told I had to do something."

"Yes, what kind of something?"

"Something -- no, I'm terribly sorry, this isn't a story I feel is appropriate for little girls." He kissed her on the forehead, "I'll think of something else."

Ananya yawned, "But I wanna know what the bird told you," she protested sleepily.

"Someday," he promised, "Someday, maybe you will be ready to hear it, and I will, may the spirits help me, be ready to tell it."

"Grampa."

"Yes, Ananya?"

"I love you," she said, "Even if you're weird."

Aang chuckled, "I love you, Ananya, you are my everything."

The candles blew out in a dying breeze and the years, as they do, passed and the seasons danced the old cycle. Then, the autumn turned to winter, turned to spring and then to summer, many years past.

A young man and a young girl meet for the first time since they were children in the gardens of the Fire Nation's palace. Myself, a young fool at the time, and the girl, my best friend's sister who I would often begrudgingly entertain in games of house and tea ceremony, now a beautiful young woman.

I saw her and I was stricken from the very moment she walked into the garden. Still, I can remember the way the sun made her jet black hair shimmer, the way her eyes were warm enough to melt your heart from a thousand paces. Everything about her was perfect, she was the absolute image of the Fire Nation beauty.

Being that I was sixteen at the time and being that she was beautiful, I could only manage to grunt and nod at her when she approached. "Kuzon, it's a pleasure to meet you again. It's been so long."

"We've met?" I asked, momentarily forgetting she existed prior to this moment of absolute brilliance. "Oh, Daisuke's sister, Nadesico, isn't it?" It was a lame response from a boy who was trying too hard to be cool.

"Yes, I'm so glad you remembered me."

And my mind went absolutely blank at that. "You are?" I managed, I think it was a minute after she had first spoken. Ever polite, ever composed, Nadesico did not seem to begrudge my lack of manners and etiquette.

"Yes. When your Lord Father invited me to visit the palace, I was so worried you'd have forgotten how we used to play together."

"How could I forget?"

"I'm glad I made an impression on you," she said, mysteriously. "Your mother told me you have been studying at the Royal Academy these past years?"

The Royal Academy, among a barrage of tutors, and being forced to sit through thousands of aristocratic social events to teach me proper manners in these places, all took up much of my past few years. It was amazing that I managed from the day I turned twelve to find any time to myself. However, as the only grandson of the Fire Lord, I was put into a rather uncomfortable situation.

I was lost contemplating the rather sorry state of my year when she prompted me to respond again, and I nodded bashfully. "It's been busy."

"Yes, I can relate. My studies at the Royal Academy for Girls have taken up much of my time, but Daisuke has kept me abreast of what you two have been up to."

Good old Daisuke, my best friend since I was old enough to have best friends that weren't imaginary, animal, or fruit. Unlike his sister, he never seemed to get past his awkward phase. I hadn't seen him since the semester had ended and I was back in the palace to continue my studies under the aforementioned barrage of tutors. My grandfather, a strict and serious man even in private, had insisted that I keep ahead of my studies.

I did write to him once when I found the time, but I was not aware that any return mail had been sent. However, Nadesico's presence meant that Daisuke wouldn't be far behind, and if I hadn't been preoccupied with my eyes suddenly being prompted to discover further aspects of her beauty by the word 'abreast,' I wouldn't have been surprised to see him walk in at that moment.

"Kuzon, you old dog!" he laughed, launching his lanky body at me and pulling me into a headlock. My intricately kept haircut found itself undone by Daisuke's furious greeting, and I felt the strands of unruly hair fall over my face. Nadesico seemed to be containing a giggle, which only made me wish I'd intended to give her a chance to laugh.

Instead I focused my anger and hatred upon my best friend, "What was that for?"

"Old time's sake," he grinned. "Oh man, the Academy is finally going to make us graduates next semester. It's going to be fantastic! Desi here just started last year, so she'll be confined in that awful school for another two years."

"It's not awful," Nadesico said, hotly, "And I told you not to give me that silly nickname."

Daisuke looked at her as if she'd grown a second head, I looked just because I wanted an excuse to look at her. "Ignore her," he said, finally, "She's just being a wet blanket. That school's filling her head with all these rules about being a proper lady."

"They're not -- I mean --"

"See, she's speechless already at my impeccable argument," Daisuke said. When he turned away, I gave her a brief apologetic smile. And when she returned that smile with one of her own, I was certain I wasn't standing on the ground at all.

"And if it isn't the old man himself. Prince Roku, remember me?"

My dad, and to this day, I refuse to refer to him as anything other than dad, much to the chancellor's annoyance, gave Daisuke a light and care-free smile and said, "You're that boy who lost his swimsuit that time on Ember Island, right? I remember you better than I want to."

"Hey, no fair," Daisuke said, "I didn't, you -- that never happened!"

Nadesico laughed. "It's so good to see you again, Prince Roku. Are we early?"

"Not at all. We wanted you to arrive first," Dad said, a mysterious grin on his face. My father was, and to this day remains, the man I admire most in my life after my grandfather. Both my Uncle Lu Ten and he had so much riding on their shoulders.

Imagine the expectations set by Fire Lord Zuko, hero of the great war, and the man who lead the Fire Nation into an era of unrivaled prosperity and through whom the world respected the Fire Nation again. They were expected to be honorable beyond honor, regal beyond kingly, and Firebenders of the first order.

My Dad was no expert firebender, not by a long-shot. My Uncle was much more capable at Firebending, but he had his own failings.

"Kuzon, do you mind helping your Uncle with the preparations in the main hall. Your mother and I need to talk to Nadesico with her parents for a moment."

"Oh, sure," I managed to say. I cast a glance at Nadesico, who seemed more radiant than ever. "I guess we'll have to catch up later."

"We will," she said, happily.

"What do you want me to do?" Daisuke asked.

"Come on, idiot," I grumbled in a low voice, "You're helping me, of course."

"You're still angry that I ruined your hair, huh?" he asked, his face plainly confused by my grumbling demeanor. I had already forgotten about that, to be honest, but I nodded to hide the real reason. Daisuke, while dependable and a good friend, had an irritating habit of putting his nose in everyone's business.

I decided if my parents wanted to speak to Nadesico and her parents alone, there was the unspoken provision that Daisuke would not be present in that company. My dad smiled brightly at that, and he seemed to speak to Nadesico in a friendly manner as they left. It left me envious that I couldn't seem to untangle my tongue to even manage a proper greeting.

"So, my sis is back from the Academy special for this big day," Daisuke said. "Man, sixteen. You're a man, now. Finally catching up."

"Just because you were born three months before me, you think that makes you so special," I grumble, remembering the fuss of his celebration. The Lord and Lady Hakamura were from a highly respected noble family who came to prominence with the end of the war.

With the colonies closing and people returning home, there was a political mess, and some people felt that the Fire Lord's first challenge would be the most precarious. The way Daisuke's father tells it, his old man single handedly negotiated the reestablishment of the colonies as a sign of cooperation between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation.

I was more aware that the Avatar himself was the real hero in that situation, but I never said anything to Daisuke about it. The Hakamura boy became my roommate at the Academy and he made it his absolute mission priority to befriend me from the first night we spent together.

"Remember the old dorm?" he asked out of the blue, as if sensing that I was in fact thinking of it, one of his amazingly uncanny talents, "Well, I tracked down everybody from that building and made sure they signed you a card. You know, well-wishing the Prince a happy sixteenth birthday."

"You did?" I was taken aback. Daisuke rarely thought, let alone did things thoughtfully.

"Of course I did! What sort of guy do you take me for." He handed me a small card with a hand painted 'Happy Sixteenth' on the envelop. I opened it, and saw a sheet filled from edge to edge with well-wishes from everyone I'd met in my first year of school.

I barely remembered any of their names.

"How kind of them," I said, politely.

"That's what I thought," Daisuke said. "And then, out of the blue, you wrote me, and I thought I'd respond when my mother sent me the big news about -- well, I can't exactly say yet. Mom would murder me."

"Tell you what?"

"You'll see?" he grinned, "And from what I saw, you're going to like it."

I wondered what he was talking about, and what he'd seen, but I didn't press the issue any further since I found my uncle standing at the door with a perplexed look on his face. My Uncle was my grandmother's favorite since he was small. A quiet, well-behaved child that grew into an awkward, quiet young man, and then into a quiet, reserved crown prince when he was of age. The future Fire Lord however had a tendency to not actually speak to anyone unless spoken to.

He was looking at something behind us as if there was something wrong with it, and instead of a simple hello, he brushed right by us to check the door. "Uncle," I said, "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, Kuzon, I didn't see you and your friend there. It's the decorations, they're a bit off to the side here. The lights should be mixing."

"I don't see anything wrong with imperfect decorations. Who notices them, I sure didn't," Daisuke said. "Come on, your Majesty, you know you're above this. Delegate, find a servant, tell them to get their butt in gear, and do their job."

"Yes, well, I just thought it'd be easier," my uncle said in a very quiet voice. He was always rather moody, but he was surprisingly helpful and polite in most company.

"I'll help you with that," I said, as I couldn't refuse without feeling guilty. Daisuke rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms.

"All right, gents, we'll play that game, then," he said, a little more amused than I think he intended to be. We spent a bit straightening the lanterns in the hall, and I had to admit, the lights were quite pretty when they were properly arranged. The colors mixed together to make rich purples and elegant oranges in a subtle pattern.

"There," my Uncle said, "That's what I was going for."

"You planned this all out, huh?"

"In my spare time," he said, modestly, adjusting his glasses. "Well, the main hall is in order, and the servants are doing a fine job in the other corridors, so I think what you boys and I will have to do is a bit of supervision, followed by a second-look at the guest list, and preparations for the dance hall."

"This is going to be great," Daisuke said, "Hey, our the twins going to be there?"

"Hm?" my Uncle said, looking up, "You mean Kimiko and Michiko? Of course. They couldn't stop talking about the celebration."

My cousins, the dreadful twins, were going to be there, and it was the most harrowing thought of the day. They were incredibly creepy. They never seemed to ever be apart, and I swear to this day that they share a mental bond. They communicated without speaking, and they finished each other's sentences.

Daisuke, however, seemed to find all of this irresistible. "Excellent," he said, with a confident drawl. "So, Your Majesty, lead on."

"Oh, quite," my Uncle said with a surprised yelp.

Supervision seemed to involve splitting up, and Daisuke seemed more than happy to supervise the young ladies hired to prepare the dinner tables for tonight's feast, and Uncle Lu Ten was monitoring the corridors to make sure that the lights blended the colors together like in the other hall.

That left me with the undeniably frightening task of all. I had to see if my grandfather approved of the work so far. The old man was, and I swear always has been, a terrifying presence to stand before. The way his scar wraps around the side of his face, his eye always angry, always, and his stern, serious face.

My family is, for the most part, a rather unconventional sort. In public we put on airs of decorum and an almost similarly stern face, but in private we relax those appearances. My grandmother even cracks a smile once in a while, but I'd never, ever seen my grandfather lose control of his emotions for more than a second.

"Fire Lord Zuko?" I asked, approaching the audience chamber with a bowed head.

My Grandfather sat behind a wall of fire, his eyes closed, and he seemed lost in meditation. Not wishing to disturb him, I kneeled in front of him, and closed my eyes, head bowed down in deference.

The old man spoke in a whispery, rasping voice, "Kuzon, is everything all right?"

"Yes, Fire Lord Zuko," I said, in proper titles. "I am here to ask my Lord Grandfather's opinion on the current state of the palace for the celebration of my sixteenth birthday."

I swear, the old man let loose a low chuckle for a second, and I glanced upwards. Not a change on that stern face was there. "Kuzon," he said, and he sounded very old for that second, "Sixteen years all ready. There was a look on his face I couldn't place, but now I'm certain it was reminiscence. "I'll be around to see that the palace is in order momentarily."

I bowed again, "Thank you."

"A moment, Kuzon," he said. "While we are alone in this chamber, you need not use titles. You are my grandson, after all."

"Ah, I'm sorry, Grandfather," I managed to spurt out, red in the face.

"I heard the Lady Nadesico Hakamura is here."

"She is," I said, "Dad and Mom are talking to her."

"I see. I'd like to meet her. It's been many years," he said. He stood up, and grabbed his cane to steady himself. Fiercely independent even just shy of seventy, my grandfather was always with a cane to make up for injuries he'd sustained during the war that had been aggravated by time.

He terrified me, but he was the man I wanted to be. A true hero, even at his age.

The door to the chamber flew open as I stood to leave, and the guards stood there, absolutely stunned by the sudden noise. "What is all of this?" the Fire Lord demanded, and the guards shook their heads.

"No one -- " they were stopped by the flapping of wings by a small bird. It landed on the floor in front of me, and I saw, though I did not know its significance, that the bird had three feet. It dropped a note on the floor, and then began to flap its wings and take off again.

I picked up the note. The name on the envelope said 'Zuko.'

My Grandfather moved like a man possessed, siezing the note from my hand fiercely with his wrinkled hands and tearing it open. Whatever it said, I don't know, as he burned it up as soon as he read it, and his eyes seemed so much darker set.

"Grandfather," I whispered, "Is everything all right?"

"It's all right," I heard him say, shakily, "Everything will be all right. It is your birthday, the celebration will go on without interruption."

"What was that bird? I've never seen a raven-crow used as a messenger before."

My Grandfather did not say a word. He just leaned heavily on his cane and looked like an old man at the end of his days. "Yata-garasu."

"What?"

"Nothing," Grandfather said, coldly, "I need to speak to your parents. Do you know where they went?"

"I think they were entertaining Nadesico and her parents in their private study."

"Yes, of course," he said. "I should have known. Kuzon," he said, as if trying to grasp for words to tell me for reasons I did not know. He failed, faltering, and he walked off without saying a word, leaning heavier on that cane than I'd ever seen.

My Grandfather's sudden change in mood notwithstanding, there was a feeling of dread as I walked through those monolithic halls back towards the main hall. The shadows seemed just a bit longer and the crowd of servants seemed thinned.

When someone grabbed my shoulder, I turned to look back at it, and found no one there, and I quickly turned myself around to find who or what had snuck up on me in that old hallway. And yet there was no one standing there when I turned.

"Okay, this isn't funny," I said, nervously. "Daisuke, is this your idea of a joke?"

"Daisuke's here?" a voice whispered in my left ear. A voice in my right ear whispered, "That moron who hit on us?"

I whirled around, "Kimiko, Michiko!" The twins stood and smiled in that dull, creepy fashion of theirs. I've seen paintings of grandmother when she was young, when she always wore that bored expression on her face. They took after her, in many ways. The way they slouched their shoulders -- always away from each other in a creepy display of symmetry! -- the way they spoke in a creepy monotone, it all reminded me of grandmother.

But their eyes were different. Whereas ennui pervaded like a mist in her eyes, theirs were always alight with mischievous delight. "That's our names," Kimiko began, and Michiko finished, "Don't wear them out."

My Uncle's wife died when the two were very small, and my own mother had taken it on herself to act as a motherly figure to them when they were growing up. I still feel they conspired to steal her attention from me, and they were bullies in their own way, even if they were younger than me by a couple years they managed to intimidate me easily.

I never let it show, and I always prided myself on my stoic composure. "What do you want?"

"We wanted to see the pretty girl," Michiko said. Kimiko giggled, "Much too pretty fo Kuku." I bristled at Kimiko's nickname. It was the only way I could actively tell one from the other, Kimiko was the meaner of the two, with a tendency to give me nicknames at every opportunity.

"What do you mean she's too pretty for me?"

"Oh, Kimi!" Michiko complained, "You'll spoil his birthday surprise like that."

Kimiko put a hand to her mouth and had the decency to blush in shame, "Oh, you're right, Michi. Aunt Suzuka will be cross."

"What are you two talking about?" I asked, my voice rising as suspicion started to well up inside me. "What birthday surprise."

"Nothing!" they said in unison.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, but when the twins decided to keep a secret, it was kept. I decided to avoid pressing the issue, considering the poor luck I'd been having of late, and asked, "Have you seen grandfather?"

"He was just coming out of the study," Kimiko said, and Michiko added, "He looked really pale. Like he'd seen a ghost!" Kimiko giggled in delight at that description, "The Ghost of General Iroh!" Michiko was eager to join in, insisting, "No, no, the Ghost of the Phoenix King!"

"He got a strange message from a weird bird," I added. "Did he say anything to dad about it?"

"We don't know," they chorused, "We didn't get to go in."

"But I thought you went to see Nadesico."

"Oh, we did," Kimiko said. Michiko giggled, "Kuzon remembered her name. He must really like her."

"Hey, we were childhood friends!"

"Oh! I remember her now," Michiko said, Kimiko added, "She was the one who always wanted to play tea ceremony."

They both shared a look of distaste. "What's wrong with learning tea ceremony."

"Mad Aunt Azula practices tea ceremony," they chorused.

"What's wrong with Aunt Azula?" I demanded to know. I always grew a little angry when people called her mad.

"Total basketcase," they chorused.

"She's not," I protested, weakly, but I knew the prevalent image of my Great-Aunt. She didn't live in the Fire Nation anymore, she went underground in the Earth Kingdom many years ago to rediscover herself, she'd told me once, and at that time lived in Ba Sing Se, a wealthy but otherwise ordinary citizen.

"She really is, Kuzon," they continued in unison, "Toys in the attic."

"She's not!"

"Who's not?" a voice broke in. A gentle, soft voice that I immediately knew and felt safe around. The twins suddenly stopped being lionesses, and turned into kittens. They bowed and played with the ribbons in their hair.

"Aunt Suzuka!" they called out to my mother, "We were just playing with Kuzon!"

"That's good, girls," Mom said, looking at me, "Kuzon, you're going to be late for your own birthday party at this rate."

"Oh, yeah," I said, looking aside for something to catch my interest. "I know, but."

"No buts," Mom said, giving me a critical glance, "We have a lot to do. Walk with me." I couldn't disobey that order, and I fell into step alongside my mother. She was always so carefree and looked uncharacteristically serious today. "Now, I know your father insisted on it being a surprise, but when I was your age, I knew I wasn't exactly ready for this."

"My birthday?" I asked, "I'm fine with that. Sixteen years, finally entering adulthood."

"Yes," she said, "My little boy's going to be a man. And men are expected to, you understand, take on certain responsibilites."

"Yes, I know," I said. I was thinking in my head of all the things that came with being sixteen. I would be able to escort my Uncle and Father to diplomatic meetings and learn to rule, and all of these things seemed, at the time, exciting and fresh.

"All men," she continued, "Not just princes, must bear a certain duty."

"Mom?" I asked, now finally picking up that she was trying to carefully approach an awkward topic for her. I looked down at her, still hung up on the youthful joy of finally being taller than my mother.

"A man's duty to one woman," she said, finally, after taking a deep breath. "Your father swept me off my feet when we met, but our marriage was, you understand, an arranged one."

"An arranged marriage?" I asked, "Wait, do you mean --"

"We were discussing with the Hakamuras the possibility of arranging a marriage between their daughter and yourself, Kuzon," she said. "Your father has this delirious idea that it would be a wonderful birthday surprise, and no one's been able to talk him down, so, when he announces it, do your best to act surprised."

"Nadesico and I are going to --"

"That's right," she said, looking at me. "You look excited, young man."

"I do?" I tried to resume my stoic face, and my mother laughed at me. "What is it?"

"You look so serious, like your grandfather," she said, "But he smiles from time to time. I don't think I've seen you smile since you got back, not like you used to."

"Grandfather never smiles, he'd lose his mystique," I protested.

"He smiles quite often, especially when you talk to him about his most precious possessions," she said, giving me a meaningful look that in my sixteen years of age I did not fully comprehend. "Perhaps he appears stern, but he's a serious man who's lived a serious life."

She pulled me into a hug. "What was that for?" I asked, attempting to remain composed. I was far too cool to be caught hugging my mother.

"Does a mother need a reason to shower her little boy with affection?" she asked, a twinkle in her eye.

I couldn't exactly say she was wrong, embarrassed or not, I couldn't exactly tell my mother I didn't like the attention. She seemed to be growing more and more misty eyed. "You're a man now, though," she said, wistfully. "Come on, we need to get you cleaned up so you can greet the guests. They're coming in from all corners of the world."

"Yes, mom," I muttered.

Dressed in my finest robes for the evening's celebration, I felt a little like one of those penguins in the South Pole that I heard so much about, that waddled and could be ridden on one if you were to muster the gumption to jump one one's back and slide it down an icy slope. Waddling and uncomfortable, I found myself ushered off to the main hall to welcome the guests who came from all corners to the event.

The Earth King was attending, the King of Omashu had declined citing personal reasons, the same with the Great Chief of the Water Tribes, who had instead sent his wife in his place, a striking old woman who exuded a rather intimidating presence. "Prince Kuzon, it's an honor."

I nearly choked at her total lack of etiquette. She offered me her hand, and I just stared at it for quite a bit before she realized her misstep. "I'm sorry. We kind of don't have this level of, well, this sort of set-up in the Water Tribes."

"You don't seem very Water Tribe," I hazarded after a second.

"It shows, huh? Earth Kingdom, through-and-through."

"Lady Suki, you're holding up the line," I heard my Grandmother wryly proclaim from her seat. She raised an eyebrow in a mocking way, "Not often I see one of my old prison buddies at a fancy dress party."

"Mai, you haven't changed at all," Suki said, moving along and letting the line flow again. People came, people went, people I recognized, people I didn't, people my mother knew, people my grandfather knew, there were people as far as the eye could see and I was for the first time feeling a little shy.

Daisuke grabbed me around the shoulders, his messy hair tied up into a top-knot that looked uncharacteristic on him. It still spilled out from the tie, and he still had a large goofy grin on his face. "Man, your cousins totally blew me off."

"You're surprised?"

"Got farther than last time," he said, "The second one was the one to shoot me down this time."

Baby steps, I thought, shaking my head at his antics. "I need to greet the guests and --"

"Go along, Kuzon," my mother said, kindly, "Tell your father it's his turn to do the greeting. You should be enjoying your birthday party by now."

"We'll do that right away, milady, and might I add, you look lovely this evening. Is that a new kimono, the colors bring out your eyes."

"Daisuke," I grumbled.

"Oh, you," she said, shaking her head with a laugh, "You're a trouble-maker. Keep my boy out of your trouble, though."

"Sure, I will!"

"Thank you. You two have fun, all right, try not to break too many hearts," she teased, pushing me along.

"Well, time to find your old man," Daisuke said, "It's a pity your mother's married. She's gorgeous."

"She's my mom!"

"And you have a very pretty mommy, is all I'm saying."

I still am not sure, to this day, if he was doing this to get a rise out of me. It worked without fail, and I am certain my face turned a shade of red and smoke started to come out of my nose. "Shut up, Daisuke!"

"Whoa, cool it, you'll start a fire," Daisuke laughed. I grunted.

My Firebending was considered prodigious, but I didn't really have time to focus on it, and my control sometimes waned when I lost my temper. My dad thought it was hilarious, and he would often whisper things to my grandfather, who would not, and he'd watch me more closely afterwards.

Dad and Grandfather were busy talking near the back of the room when we approached, and my dad's expression was not the usual easy-going smile. He seemed to be concerned about something, and spoke in hushed voices. I could see Uncle Lu Ten looking somewhat flustered nearby, a resigned expression on his face.

My dad was not so easily put back by my Grandfather's stern look. "Dad, it's your turn to greet the guests," I said.

"Come on, don't leave your beautiful wife unattended too long, some young stallion may sneak in and steal her away."

"Oh, good point," he managed to retort in a distracted way, "I'll be sure to keep the rhinos away from the palace just to be safe. Dad, I'm serious, you can't just --"

"Enough," the Fire Lord said, "Today is a celebration. I won't hear anymore from you, Roku. My decision is final."

Dad looked hurt, and bowed his head, "Stubborn old fool," I heard him mutter as he moved straight towards the entrance without a second glance. I felt a bit concerned, he didn't even wish me a happy birthday.

Grandfather surprised me, saying, "He is simply concerned about things that do not concern him," he said. "He's a good son, but he is still uninvolved."

"Grandfather,' I said, "I'm sure he just wants to help."

"We can help too. We're manly men now," Daisuke added. My Grandfather did not look amused.

"Today, Kuzon, your new life will begin. You will now bear your own responsibilities, and face your own hardships. These hardships, these trials, will lead you to discover the man you must be to face the future."

"Typical Zuzu," I heard someone familiar mutter from the crowd, "Uncle was always better at the philosophy, you know."

"Aunt Azula!" I called out as the crowd let her pass. She was an old lady with dignity and grace of someone much younger, a face that carried many wrinkles, and tired bags under her eyes, but she always had a reserved and quiet aura to her. "You came!"

"You did not think I'd stay in Ba Sing Se on my favorite nephew's sixteenth birthday, did you?" I pulled her into a hug, which had her looking more confused and uncomfortable than anything, but I was happy to see her. I hadn't seen her since we'd visited her and her teahouse in Ba Sing Se. She looked well, and I was happy.

"Azula," my Grandfather said, carefully, "Welcome home."

Azula didn't immediately respond, and finally, quietly, and a little melancholy, she said, "This was never my home, Zuko. Don't mock me."

"I'm not," he responded. "Welcome home. You've been gone a long time."

"You've gotten old," Azula answered. "Five years ago, you'd never have said that."

"Five years ago, maybe I would have. How is the Jasmine Dragon?"

"Small talk doesn't suit you, Fire Lord," Azula said. "And it fares well. Well enough that her mistress can leave her with the staff for a few days."

"You just arrived? I insist you stay here in the palace," Grandfather said. He did not sound thrilled about the idea, but I could sense that he was trying, for some reason or another. I still don't know the reason, but I now have suspicions as to what they were.

"Kuzon," Azula said, with a smile, "A lovely young lady has been looking for you for some time. Your father has some kind of announcement business to take care of." She wrapped her spindly fingers over my shoulder, "You should go see them."

"Yes, I guess I should."

When I left, the conversation between my Great-Aunt Azula and Grandfather became much more serious. "I noticed that the Mountain King and the Great-Chief didn't show. Surprising, though, that you don't seem surprised."

"Why would I be?"

"Word travels," Azula said, "And word says that the Avatar has left the Air Temples for the first time in ten years. And then, suddenly, the Great-Chief and the Mountain King both decline to appear at the biggest social event of the year? I don't believe in coincidences."

"I don't care for the tone."

"I want to know, has someone threatened you all for what happened almost fifty years ago?" Aunt Azula was always predatorial, and careful. She watched my Grandfather like a hawk until he responded.

"I received a letter."

"I thought as such," Azula said. "Oh, look, they're about to make the announcement."

"Honored guests," Dad called from the podium as he raised a bowl of rice wine. "I'm honored that you've all joined us to celebrate my son's coming of age. Prince Kuzon is now sixteen, of age to be considered an adult. And," he grinned, "Well, we have another reason to celebrate."

Nadesico looked at me conspiratorially, as if saying she was sorry for something, and I smiled back at her, trying to calm her down. I had never been in love before, but I was certain that on that night I felt it for the first time.

"Nadesico, only daughter of the Hakamura family --"

My Dad -sentence as a man appeared in the doorway. He was dressed in simple peasant's clothes, but he stood seven feet tall and on his head he bore a tattoo of a bird of some kind. He looked straight to the back of the room.

I suddenly was gripped with a feeling of panic, and I gave Nadesico a fleeting look as I vanished into the crowds and ran as fast as I could through the stunned revelers. I knew, on some instinctual level, that this man was here for my Grandfather, and I knew I had to do something.

"What is the meaning of this?" my Dad demanded to know. He was moving from the podium up to the man, and when he approached, he was thrown aside with a simple shrug. I watched with growing horror as my Grandfather, hobbling on his cane, approached the man.

"You came," he said, firmly.

"Zuko, Fire Lord," the man recited as if reading a warrant, "It is time."

"You interrupt my grandson's birthday, and demand to humble the Fire Lord before his people? I won't stand for this, no matter who you are."

The man reached his hand out, and my Grandfather batted it away with his cane. "You resist?"

"No, but not here," he said with a haggard sigh. "Not here."

"Get away from my grandfather!" The words escaped my lips before I could even think about saying them. I ran to him, fire bursting from my limbs as I moved to punch him with as much force as I could.

The way he moved was unreal, the man grabbed my arms, avoiding the flames, and he snapped me around, cutting off my breath as he twisted my arms back. I fell to the ground and coughed from the force of his throw.

"Kuzon!" my Grandfather shouted, his eyes ablaze.

The strange man stared at me for a moment, and I watched him with a cold glare. He turned to my Grandfather, took him in his hands, forcing his limbs to move in ways they were not ready to, and Grandfather's shouts of pain shook me greater than my own pained arms.

The Fire Lord was being embarrassed in front of guests from all over the world by this stranger. In my head, I couldn't accept this. I shouted, "If you want someone, take me!" And the massive man paused, and complied.

He put Grandfather down and picked me up in his massive hands and I saw him close his eyes and I felt like something had struck me deep within, something spiralling into my very spirit and I could feel this man's spirit, a spirit that burned brighter than the sun, and my eyes were alight with flame.

I felt something tearing me up from within, and I heard, from a great distance, the sound of fire and thunder.

And the man pulled away, his body writhing from the flames and the coursing of lightning. Grandfather grunted through the pain as he stood up straight without his cane, and my Great Aunt Azula stared at the man, her hands painted blue from the lightning still charged in her hands.

"Kuzon!" I heard Nadesico cry.

The world seemed very distant, and I felt like I was merely an observer. Inside me, I felt like I was being tugged in two directions, and my eyelids felt very heavy and I couldn't quite keep them open.

I fell into a deep, restless sleep with only dreams to keep me company, empty dreams filled with men with no faces and no souls. All of them empty except for one, a girl who called my name. I answered quite slowly.

She was someone I'd never seen before in my life.

To be continued.