AVATAR BOOK IV: AIR
Chapter 1: A New Peace
After the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai at the hands of Aang, the Avatar, the signs of a bright new world and an era of peace were ever-present. A week after Aang's victory, Team Avatar and people from all of the three surviving Nations gathered in front of the Fire Nation Royal Palace to witness the coronation of the new ruler of the Fire Nation: Zuko. With hundreds of people watching, the Fire Sages placed upon Zuko's head, the Royal Fire Lord Head Piece and declared him the new ruler of the land. As is customary, Fire Lord Zuko delivered a speech to the people, giving the credit of Ozai's defeat to Aang, the Avatar.
"With the help of the Avatar," said Zuko, preparing to end his 'longer-than-it-should-have-been' speech, "We shall rebuild this world together, and usher in a new era of peace, and love!"
The gathered crowd of the Three Nations clapped and applauded, cheering viciously. The many benders that came to witness Zuko's coronation displayed a wide array of moves; with firebenders creating fireworks, water benders creating tall, sparkling fountains, and earthbenders joining together to erect a large granite monument in the new Fire Lord's honor.
Standing at the head of the Royal Palace's coronation stage were Aang and Zuko, the Avatar and the Fire Lord, bearing great smiles. Facing each other, they bowed traditionally before embracing each other like brothers. It was just a year ago when they were enemies. Now however, they were close friends.
Aang, a fully realized Avatar, left Zuko in order to search for his friends in the crowded plaza below, grinning from cheek to cheek. He did not think it would be possible but he had done it! He saved the world!
However, what pleased him more was the sight of people from different parts of the world, conversing with each other, seemingly forgetting their differences.
This marked the first time in over one hundred years, where people from all three surviving Nations were gathered together in the name of peace. Also impressive was that they were gathered in the Fire Nation Capital, the place where the idea of the Great War was first conceived in the mind of Fire Lord Sozin.
Earth Benders, Water Benders, and even the Fire Benders spoke amongst each other like friends who haven't seen each other for a long time. By the look of some of them, Aang would say that they were.
He knew that there were still tensions between the three Nations but he pushed those thoughts away, for now.
Passing over a group of celebrating Earth Benders (Wherein Aang's friend Haru danced a funny jig native to his village) he saw, to his delight, a tuft of white fur flitting about behind several members of the Swamp Tribe, who looked completely out of place with their ridiculous swamp gear.
"Momo!" Aang cried, excitedly.
Jumping down from the platform, he ran with inhuman speed towards the Swamp Bender crowd, ducking past the celebrating peoples, uttering a quick "Sorry!" whenever he bumped into someone.
In no time at all, he came across a clearing, containing his friends, the members of Team Avatar. In the center of it laid Appa, Aang's Flying Bison, his large brown underbelly exposed to the afternoon sun. Circling above him was his companion, Momo the winged lemur. Along with Appa and Aang, the three of them were the last of their kind.
The rest of Team Avatar was located in close proximity to the two animals:
Toph, conversing with The Boulder; Katara, standing next to Toph, listening intently to their discussion; Suki, back in her Kyoshi uniform mingling with the other Warriors including their newest recruit, Ty Lee; and Sokka, in crutches, gaping lovingly at his girlfriend, before snapping back into reality as soon as Aang approached.
"Aang, buddy!" said Sokka, limping forward to place an arm around his shoulder.
"That was some speech huh?" he said with a smile, referring to Zuko's hour-long harangue about improving their war-torn world; which, Aang admitted, was indeed very long and slightly monotonous, perhaps because the newly appointed Fire Lord was unskilled with speeches. This was evidenced by the fact that he often stumbled upon his own sentences and occasionally dragged on with a point that had long been taken by the crowd.
Almost immediately after he had begun, the audience became lost in his string of broken and misplaced words and sentences.
Therefore, it was fortunate that, while Zuko stood pondering what he was to say next in the midst of a thirty second silence, a wise Fire Sage interjected and summarised Team Avatar's entire struggle against the then-Fire Lord Ozai along with Zuko's contributions to the team and his daring battle with Azula in a fierce, comet-enhanced Agni Kai.
When Zuko again spoke, he spoke more steadily and by the time he was finished, the crowded plaza was exploding with cheers and tumultuous applause.
"Yeah," said Aang shakily. "It was something else."
Sokka threw up his arms in a sarcastic and dramatic fashion.
"I know right?" he said with a laugh. "It was like he'd never spoken in front of a crowd before!"
He then proceeded to mimic Zuko by placing a hand over his right-eye, speaking in a largely inaccurate tone which Aang guessed was supposed to resemble Zuko's voice.
"Hi guys, I'm Firelord Zuko! And I-" Sokka stopped, frozen. The real Zuko had entered the clearing.
"You're right," he said in his usual rugged tone, causing Sokka's face to turn red at the realisation of his terrible character impression skills. "I've never spoken to a crowd before." Zuko continued. "At least, not a crowd as large as the one gathered here."
With his face still crimson-red, Sokka waved shakily. In a small voice, he said "Z-Zuko! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't expect to see you here…"
"I just gave a speech, you moron!" Zuko snapped. "Weren't you making fun of me just now?"
Sokka's jaw dropped. If his face had gone any redder it would have spontaneously combust.
"Oh right…" he said, trailing off. "You need to improve your public speaking skills."
"I know that!" Zuko retorted, angrily. "Well, you need to improve your impersonation skills!"
"What!?" shouted Sokka, shrilly. "My impersonation skills are as good as they can be!"
"Is that so?" Zuko jeered, taunting him. "Because if it is, then why did you put my scar on the wrong side of my face?"
Sokka choked, unsure of what to say for a few seconds before launching into another verbal attack about Zuko's speeches.
"Oh, Aang!" called a familiar, soothing voice. Aang turned and glimpsed Katara waving towards him, he blushed slightly. "I didn't notice you were there!"
Aang scratched his head nervously. "It's okay Katara, I just came looking for you guys, and ran into Sokka here." At that, he motioned towards Sokka, who was still in a heated discussion with Zuko about his "pathetic speaking skills".
"Pathetic!?" said Zuko. "You're one to talk, Mr. Invasion Plan!"
Sokka's face went from bright red to violet. "How do you know about that?" he said, flushing.
"I have my sources." Zuko replied nimbly, before turning away. Sokka's eye began to twitch. He was about to stomp towards Zuko when Katara interrupted.
"That's enough Sokka!" she said.
Sokka turned away defiantly. "He started it."
…
Zuko stalked away with his line of guards, noblemen and Fire Sages and walked back onto the stage.
"Listen up everybody!" he shouted, quieting the corwd. "To commemorate this special day, I am holding a feast, in honour of a New Era of Peace!" The people cheered. Members of the Gaang pumped their fists.
"Are we eating the bison?" shouted a plump Fire Nation noble amidst the cheers. The crowd's laughter ceased.
"What?" he asked dumbly, only to be blown away by a blast of air from an annoyed Aang.
Sokka jumped in front of the man. "He's not just a bison!" he corrected him. "He's a flying bison, you idiot!"
The people gathered around them laughed. The poor, bison-eating noble slinked away, embarrassed.
"Anyways," said Zuko distractedly. "Because our cooks require time to prepare, I want everyone to return here in two hours to be admitted into the Great Dining Hall." With that, he walked away into the palace.