The great city of Ba Sing Se was again secure within its walls, won back from the Fire occupation on the Day of the Comet through the efforts of the long-dormant Order of the White Lotus. Around noon Avatar Aang had arrived from the Fire Nation capitol city with a few of his allies: Katara, the waterbender; Sokka, the warrior; and Toph, the metalbender. The sight of Appa flying over the city's walls had been met by cheers from both the Earth capitol residents and the mid-ranking White Lotus members, all eager to meet the boy who had defeated the Firelord and ended the war.
The Avatar and his friends sat at a table with the five White Lotus masters and the Earth King. It had taken only a day to find Kuei; earning the scouts put to the job promotions within the Order. They hadn't been without help; the King had offered June a position with the royal court for her assistance, but the bounty hunter had laughed and refused. She preferred the life she had, so she said. Kuei himself had eventually been coaxed back to his position and had already made several political gains for the Earth Kingdom. But nobody was looking forward to the issue of the Fire Nation colonies, set to be discussed in the following months.
Time passed; discussions came to an end and maps were folded away. The meeting had been slowing for a while now: Kuei was spending more and more time glancing anxiously at the bear dozing in the corner of the room rather than focusing on the discussions, and the Avatar's friends were growing impatient with the slow progress.
Kuei said a last few words, then retreated through the main door, the sleepy bear following after him. The scribes stamped reports of the meeting with the seals of the Earth Kingdom and the White Lotus, giving a set of the finished scrolls to Iroh before leaving the room.
Iroh, noticing how tired the younger members of his party looked, said, "We have made progress! Slow, but such is the way of rebuilding a world. You all look hungry, will you join me for a meal? And then tea and Pai Sho, if you can stay awake after so much work!" He laughed, drawing out a few smiles from around the table.
They gathered in an inner room of the Earth King's palace, tired but content with the day's work, and talked of the future as Iroh passed around pots of tea and dishes of dumplings. He had requestioned a very surprised street chef to cook for the White Lotus while they remained in the city, and on discovering the man was homeless, had even offered him a permanent position with the Order.
"I never thought restoring balance would involve so much politics," Aang said, gratefully taking a steaming cup of jasmine tea. He was leaning against a cushion, eyes bright despite his exhaustion. The rest of his friends were sprawled similarly, the White Lotus masters seated with slightly more dignity around the low table. Momo chittered and curled up next to Aang, and he reached over to scratch the lemur's head. "I wonder what Zuko's up to."
"Running a country, what did you expect?" Toph said. She had one bare foot up on her knee, comfortable among friends.
"What I want to know," Sokka put in, "is when I can see Suki again! I mean, when we can see the Kyoshi Warriors again."
"Not yet, lover-boy," Katara laughed, "That comes later." Sokka pouted.
"We got a lot done today," Aang said.
"Indeed we have." Piandao passed a tray of fruit to Bumi, who snatched up three peaches, juggled them above his head, and then ate them whole. Pakku glared at his antics, but Iroh laughed out loud.
"It is good to be among friends again," he said. "As for Zuko, I am certain my nephew will make a fine Firelord."
"Time will tell," Pakku said.
"We're all making progress. Sokka?" Katara prompted. Sokka cleared his throat, affected an official air, and began. "We've arranged trials for the remaining prisoners at the Boiling Rock." He pulled out a scroll. "Tomorrow, we will begin retracting martial law in the villages."
Aang smiled. "One step closer to harmony."
"Harmony?" Jeong Jeong's bitter voice silenced the discussion. "How can that ever be, with one element nearly destroyed and another corrupted beyond measure? Air can never be restored, and Fire can never be benevolent." His flashing eyes settled on Aang. "We may have ended this war, Avatar, but we can never save this world."
"Fire need not be solely concerned with destruction, my friend," Iroh said, gently but with conviction. "You and I used fire to free Ba Sing Se, and you cannot call that destruction."
"It is a danger, a curse. Even in our hands, Iroh, even when used in in the name what we think is right. And do you remember what we once thought of as right? Do you remember what we did on the orders of your father, what we ordered others to do?"
Aang suppressed a shudder and glanced at Katara, who was looking away, thinking of some distant thing. He had known Jeong Jeong and Iroh had been leaders in the Fire Nation military, and on some level had been aware of the horrors they must have committed, but he had never truly linked what he and his friends had seen of war with his first firebending teacher. He couldn't even imagine the guilt of having lived such a life. It had taken Aang so long to want to firebend again after burning Katara, to be able to use the element without memories of guilt and shame, and that had been such a small thing compared to what Jeong Jeong must have done in his past. Even if Aang saw him as redeemed, he might never think the same way.
"I could never forget," Iroh said, his eyes going to the Earth Kingdom hangings on the walls. "But you must understand, Fire is a part of the balance of the world as much as Air, Water, and Earth."
"So it may be, as destruction is part of the balance, as are death and pain. This has aways been so."
"The Sun Warriors certainly do not think of it so."
Jeong Jeong only shook his head, cynical. "What use is that long-dead civilization except as an example of our fate?"
"But they're not-" Aang began, and then fell silent, remembering his promise to the chief.
Iroh smiled. "Once the city is securely under the control of King Kuei, there are some... old friends of mine I think you should meet. They have a unique perspective on our element."
Ran and Shaw, Aang was certain, would deem his teacher worthy of seeing the truth of Fire: that, just as any element or man, it could be used for evil or good, that as much as it was war and destruction, it was also warmth and light.