Zuko looked up at the cloudless, idyllic sky.
They say that relief comes after conflict, but Zuko felt nothing of the sort;
he just felt exhausted.
ACT I
"If there's more than one way to do a job,
and one of those ways will result in disaster,
then somebody will do it that way."
- Robert Murphy
Day 1 || 7AM — Zuko
All he wanted to do was step back onto the ferry he had barely disembarked from and return to the Fire Nation. He may have done exactly that, but he felt his duty like a physical weight, inescapable, upon his shoulders.
It chained him to where he stood and Zuko paused in his stride. The first thing to strike was what was unignorable; when he naturally turned his head, he saw the sun high and full in the sky. The light from its rays stabbed Zuko's eyes as if replicating a spotlight shining down solely on him, momentarily blinding him. He squinted through the sunlight impeding his vision.
This city, as much of a cornerstone for trade and politics as it was, never really changed. It was always shifting about, but its pillars persisted. The sturdiness of its walls, always in the periphery no matter where you went, lent an unyielding quality to the city; the same quality naturally found itself exhibited in its citizens. The stark divisions of wealth endured. A place defined by its walls; that was what he would find here. And he was finally here; he let out a breath and slumped in resignation at the thought.
People were rushing to and fro; some eagerly walking to their destinations, some milling about, and some going through the motions to check in or out. He soaked in the bustle around him. There was always a deluge of people rushing about; lively, always, but somehow stagnant at the same time. From the rich with their security and expensive silks to the poor with their weathered appearances and even to the merchant peddlers selling their wares, a huge mix of people had gathered; some of who paused to gawk at them. It was a crowd; noise impeding him from all directions, no respite from the hustle and bustle.
And he keenly felt anxiety that the ride had nearly banished come back; stronger than before, like a tide of negativity washing over. The cautiously optimistic feeling developed during the ride over had disappeared without a trace; flitting away as if nothing more than fantasy, a facade he had created to force himself into coming.
Toph's voice roused Zuko from his rumination. "There's nothing like feeling the sweet, sweet earth beneath your feet," she sighed contentedly. She was wriggling her feet on the floor with an expression of utter bliss. Finding such an expression of unabashed delight disturbing, he didn't hesitate to avert his eyes.
Her interruption timely reminded Zuko of his original goal before his thoughts began to consume him. "I'll have to take your word for it," he replied, searching the landing. Despite the thick, concentrated masses, his uncle was always easy to locate. He, more than anyone else Zuko knew, stood out amongst a crowd.
He began a beckoning gesture to Toph and then stopped suddenly, rubbing his neck. "Come on, let's go," he said instead. His uncle had moved quite aways ahead of them, but Zuko and Toph quickly caught up to the rest of their party, and Zuko took his rightful place by his uncle's side.
His uncle noticed their approach immediately and visibly brightened. He started up his chatter from a point before they had lost sight of each other, "Nephew! Isn't it refreshing to be back? I always take great pleasure from our visits here." He looked about, his eyes keen.
While Zuko could respect his uncle's adoration of this city, it would always be the place of his greatest failures. He would permanently live with the shame of the decisions he had made here; the shame was like a cloak and it choked him with every second he spent in this city. It was as if just returning to the city, itself, reverted Zuko into the confused and angry— he had always been so angry— teenager he used to be.
He made sure that the sombre musings that were taking place in his head didn't reflect outwardly. He didn't want to rain on his uncle's enthusiasm. He let his uncle go on and on about the trip as they moved further into the receiving center and checked in. He nodded and smiled at the appropriate points, of course, but contributed nothing of his own thoughts.
An attendant swiftly approached them and stopped in front of Iroh. Iroh paused his animated chatter and turned to the approaching stranger. Zuko silently thanked the gods; he had been nearing the limits of his patience. "I would like to humbly welcome you all to the great city of Ba Sing Se. We are honored by your presence," the attendant bowed deeply and took his time to straighten. "If you wait a moment, I will fetch someone to escort you to your destinations," he finished speaking and moved to leave.
"That is not necessary," Uncle said and clapped the boy on the shoulder; halting his escape. At this action, the attendant stiffened like a cornered cat. "The slight breeze is a gift on this humid day; wasting it would be a travesty, a scenic walk around seems appropriate. Wouldn't you agree?" Uncle Iroh asked rhetorically.
The attendant moved to answer but was cut off by Uncle before he could say anything further, "Just some directions and we'll be on our way," Uncle was smiling cheerily.
At this point, the attendant was wringing his hands looking deeply distressed. "Um, that's really not protocol, sir," he nervously stammered out. He appeared as if a stray breeze would knock him right over and Iroh was no gentle breeze.
"Nonsense. We don't require a guide and we are not in need of any security." Uncle Iroh smiled and gestured to the entire retinue that was trailing a respectable distance behind them. The attendant looked like he wanted to argue, but then Zuko gave him a stern look. He stiffened even further, widened his eyes in alarm, and ultimately caved. Zuko applauded him for not folding immediately. The attendant bowed again; giving them well-wishes on their trip, and then hastily escaped.
Zuko privately thought the whole exchange had been hilarious, but his manners prevented him from saying so; Toph had no such reservations. "Wow, Pops, you really steamrolled that guy," she pointed out idly, scratching at her armpits.
Zuko's palm met his face and his uncle only laughed. "It was not my intention to do so," Iroh said, mirth clear in his voice.
Uncle Iroh started walking in the direction of the exit and everyone followed suit except for Toph. Zuko looked at Toph standing still and his uncle getting further away and made a decision. He made his way towards his blind friend; they would have to catch up later.
Toph had her arms crossed. She was lightly tapping her foot on the floor in a rhythmic motion. He watched her foot bounce. "What is it?" he asked, knowing she had a reason for staying behind.
Her foot stilled. "I wanted to talk to you. Alone," she stated plainly. He studied her and raised a brow.
Day 1 || 8AM — Sokka
Under the sweltering heat, Sokka practised routine. His awareness wholly focused on his own limbs, his exhaustion, and his drive; satisfaction from steady improvement and well-practised movements thrumming through his veins.
Filling his lungs deeply, Sokka struck his sword forcefully downwards. The air left in a harsh hiss. He slowly, purposely slowly, lifted his arms until the apex point pierced the blue, limitlessly blue sky stretching out a vast horizon above. He held it there a moment; it was a moment of stillness for him, where he was one and everything made sense. The moment suspended itself in-between one breath and the next. Sokka lowered his arms, unhurriedly coming back down to earth.
In defiance to the slow movements of before, he jabbed his sword swiftly, powerfully through the empty air stretching out before him; the wind it cleaved through audibly gave way. Sokka paused for only a single beat before deftly pivoting his wrist and elbow together anti-clockwise, striking downwards. He held that pose for a moment and then returned to a neutral stance. He then looked skywards once more; the position of the sun in the sky had quickly climbed; it was probably already time.
At this stage in his morning practice, Sokka had worked up quite a sweat, but he still committed himself to completing his cool-down katas. He put himself through the paces but unusually took his time with each set, intent on getting each effort just so when he usually would have aimed for efficiency. Sokka, when he felt the easiness sink into his frame, ended his routine. He walked through the garden until he came upon the place he had left his towel. He picked it up and mopped at his dripping face, dropping down to settle on a nearby boulder, his limbs collapsing in a graceless heap.
Sokka had been steadily relaxing when going through his katas; but now that he had finished, reality had once again reasserted itself. It had only been a couple of minutes, but already he was growing tenser by the minute. And despite his current lack of exertion, his heartbeat refused to slow and his sweating only grew worse. He could feel his face setting itself into lines as he continued to ineffectually mop at the perspiration on his brow.
He crossed his arms over his shoulders and shivered. Now that he wasn't in the middle of his training, he could feel the chill in the air and the wind that had felt pleasant before was now screaming the opposite effect.
Sokka sucked on his bottom lip in thought. He stood, wrapping the towel around his neck. Following the paved trail leading out of the private practice field, he headed back to the villa, his feet dragging all the way.
Day 1 || 9:30AM
He smoothed down his clothing, the silk of the newly bought top sliding smoothly underneath his fingers. He spritzed on a neutral fragrance, careful not to add too much; sniffing the air around him, he nodded in satisfaction. Then he slowly, ever so slowly, glanced up to what was awaiting him— all this time, always on the fringes of his awareness— the mirror.
Sokka, all while carefully checking his reflection, ran an evaluating hand over freshly shaven skin. The face that stared back looked young… too young to be sitting where Sokka was right now. He hastily stamped down the feeling and focused on scrupulously applying the pigment coating the fingers of his opposite hand. Traditional markings revealed themselves on his skin, some of them common, but most of them new to him, recently handed down. He finished and couldn't look away from the figure staring back; his reflection commanded respect, like everything Sokka had always wanted to grow up to be. But he couldn't help the alienation; it just didn't ring true. It was who he wanted to be, but it wasn't who he was.
This was the first year that he was on his own representing the Southern Water Tribe and he had focused so much on looking the part, yet he didn't feel it. Sokka had always known that he would be the next Chief, but never had the reality seemed more real to him than it did right at this moment. The responsibility given to him weighed on his shoulders heavily. He made a face at his reflection; worried that everyone would be able to see right through him even with the fancy silks and markings he disguised himself through, a mask he had inadvertently created. When he looked at himself, all he saw was Sokka, not Sokka, the future Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, just… Sokka.
"You know, with all the effort you're going through for your appearance, you could stand to actually comb your hair for once in your life," Katara commented from the doorway.
Sokka startled and fell off the stool he was sitting on. "How long have you been standing there!" he screeched, scrambling to his feet.
"How long have you been staring at your own face?" Katara mocked.
"Katara!" he shouted, unable to articulate anything beyond his sister's name. His face was flushed with embarrassment. Katara only looked back at him with unrepentant amusement.
He frowned at her and she gave a quelling look back in response and moved further into his room. "You look fine. Stop worrying so much. You've been to plenty of these things with Dad before. Besides, I'll be there. If you mess up, I'll rescue you. I promise," she winked and then moved closer to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Whatever, Katara," Sokka replied, secretly more reassured, and shrugged her off. "We should start heading over. I have to be there early to help with some things," he added, hoping to end the conversation.
"Lead on, Chief Sokka," intoned Katara in a faux-official voice. Apparently, she was just going to keep on teasing him. Sokka grumbled back but led the way out of their villa.
Day 1 || 9:30AM — Iroh
Iroh noticed the unusual quiet of his retinue, the rigidness of their posture, and other details that revealed them to be ill at ease. It reminded him of the state of his dear nephew earlier, the brave face Zuko had donned couldn't hide his strain. At least, not from him. Because Iroh knew; Iroh always knew when it came to the wayward prince.
Normally he would have tried for conversation; in this environment, however, he only looked upon the landscape— his expression the very definition of placidity. The stroll to their destination was blanketed by this tension; the choking silence commenced and didn't ebb. Stifling air seeping around him, Iroh walked on casually.
As he approached journey's end: the villa that had been provided for their stay, a familiar green-clad figure came into view. She was quite a distance from him one moment, but the next… Ty Lee was suddenly in front of him. Iroh blinked; a little taken aback, but he quickly composed himself.
As his surprise wore down, Iroh felt genuinely happy to see her; a smile lit up his face. "Firelord Iroh! How was your trip?" Ty Lee was quick to ask him excitedly.
He stepped into a hug and answered, "It was very calm. I saw some truly beautiful sights on the way, but none compare to the beauty of the city itself."
She clasped her hands under her chin and smiled sunnily. "That's great to hear!" she exclaimed and then her smile dimmed a little. "Too bad I can't stay too long, but I can still give you a tour if you'd like?" she offered.
"That sounds splendid," he returned, pleased.
Ty Lee bounced up and down quickly and then leaned forward to clasp his hands. "Come on! It's really pretty," she said. Iroh only chuckled and let himself be led.
Day 1 || 10AM — Katara
"Come on Katara! What are you looking around for? It's not like we don't see the same scene every year or anything," Sokka said sarcastically, trying for the attentions of his sister. However, his efforts fell on deaf ears because Katara was miles away.
Her body felt light, a buzzing along her nerves, a cacophony of sensation assaulted. She was valiantly trying to ignore the fluttering frenzy. She looked around distractedly, her view landing on a small girl. The girl was excitedly pointing to something and tugging on her mother's sleeve— urgency shown in its antsiness. What the girl desired was a stuffed bear, which her mother swiftly bought for her. The girl clapped her hands rapidly together and eagerly grabbed the toy bear, hugging it to herself and then her mother tightly. Katara saw this display and her feelings coalesced into a deep sense of warmth.
All of a sudden, she heard her brother's loud shouts a few feet ahead and turned. How could she not have heard him before! People had their heads turned in their direction, staring at their display. She quickly caught up to her brother to prevent further embarrassment. "Would you quiet down! I'm right here!" Katara hissed.
"I've been calling your name for five minutes, Katara! I have a schedule that says we're already twenty minutes late! What's the point of slaving over schedules if you people are incapable of following them! I swear…," Sokka had gone from yelling at her to muttering to himself in frustration.
Katara smiled. At least Sokka was never going to change, she thought, her mood improving. She moved forward and hugged him on impulse. Sokka stopped his tirade and looked at her suspiciously, probably wondering at her abrupt change in mood. Still, he returned the embrace.
Day 1 || 11AM — Zuko
Zuko ambled up to a Fire Nation soldier on guard with Toph shadowing his footsteps. He wasted no time. "Have you seen my uncle?" he asked.
"I believe that the Firelord is inside the kitchen, your highness." the guard replied, bowing.
"Thank you," Zuko said, nodding at the guard. Toph started heading inside and Zuko followed suit.
As soon as they came through the entryway, Zuko realized that he had miscalculated the sheer size of the residence; the way it looked from the outside was deceptive. "This villa is bigger than I expected. I kind of regret not asking the guard where exactly the kitchen was," Zuko remarked, scratching his head. He turned on his heel to get a measure of the room and counted four doorways in the entryway alone.
"He's around the corner and then a couple of doors down," Toph replied, already heading in that direction.
"How did you… oh right," Zuko trailed off sheepishly and followed.
They entered a spacious room with a kitchen that looked like it had never before been touched. "Ah, there you two are. I was starting to worry," Iroh called from where he was behind a counter. "How do you like the villa?" he asked.
Toph and Zuko ventured further into the room. "Anything is better than the stuffiness that is the Fire Palace, Pops. But I do really like the place from what I've seen of it so far," Toph replied relaxing into a chair.
"We've seen like a hallway and a grand total of two rooms," Zuko huffed.
"Then take my word for the rest of the place being just as nice," Iroh said. He turned Zuko's way when Zuko grew near and held out his arms expectantly. Zuko took the obvious cue and hugged him.
When he stepped back, Zuko saw numerous pots in use, all bubbling away happily. A myriad of teapots and cups were clustered together on the counters before Iroh. He took it all in and then moved to help.
"What's all that tea for? I hope you're not going to drink it all yourself?" Toph asked curiously.
"It's for the guards that came with us. Tea is best enjoyed with others and I suppose being in Ba Sing Se has me feeling nostalgic," Iroh shared conspiratorially.
Zuko, who had been reviewing his uncle's handiwork during their exchange, spoke up, "...Uncle, you're using white dragon bush to make this tea." His uncle directed a puzzled look his way. "...this is poisonous. Where did you even—" he exclaimed and then halted his speech to run a hand down his face in exasperation.
Iroh looked baffled. "I picked these just today. I could have sworn…" he rubbed at his chin while peering into one of the biggest pots looking down upon the poison he had unwittingly created.
Zuko turned to regard the amused face of his blind friend, "Not one word."
"I wasn't going to say anything," she replied, the huge smirk plastered on her face running contrary to her innocent statement; Zuko didn't even bother.
"I'll get a guard and we'll… start over," Zuko said.
Day 1 || 11:30AM
The birds were chirping and the sun had cooled off in intensity. By all accounts, it should have been a pleasant walk and it was, for everyone who wasn't Zuko.
"I, for one, could definitely use some entertainment. I swear the few days I spent at the Fire Nation Palace felt more like weeks. Also, it's just so nice to have a vacation for once. We never really take the time to just sit around," Toph said.
Iroh laughed in amusement. "You couldn't find anything to entertain yourself with in the entire city?" he questioned.
"I don't think plays, operas, or whatever are my style. I got enough of it growing up. And the last thing I want to do is spend too much time in the presence of those stuffy nobles," Toph said dismissively.
Iroh laughed heartily and then sobered. "Well, we weren't resting on our end either. Preparing for this year's summit was a gruelling experience. I don't think I ever even left the council chambers except maybe to rest. We were so busy; we even had our meals there. It's so refreshing to have left Fire Nation soil; it's like the worries of that land don't follow me to this one. It feels wonderful to be able to relax," shared Uncle Iroh.
"Uncle, we can't relax yet. This isn't a vacation for us. We have all the meetings to attend lest you forget," Zuko made sure to remind his uncle.
"I haven't forgotten. I can still enjoy the walk to the main hall before I have to deal with those matters you know, especially when it's such a beautiful day like this. It's important to enjoy the little things. It's about the journey and not the destination, Prince Zuko," Uncle quipped.
Zuko didn't agree. No matter how light the atmosphere around them was, he couldn't ignore how crucial the meetings this year would be for his nation. He felt envious of the easy air around the others. He wished that he could unwind even just a bit, but he couldn't help tensing up more and more the closer they got to the Palace. The cloud of dread that had arisen when he arrived at this city was growing thicker by the minute and it threatened to swallow him at every turn.
Day 1 || 12PM — Suki
"You can both join the Southern contingent?" Suki stated more than asked and the Fire Nations soldiers nodded in compliance, moving to their assigned posts. Suki was finishing up giving orders to the Fire Nation soldiers who had just arrived when Ty Lee approached her. "Oh, Ty Lee! Great timing. Do you have a report?" she turned and asked the other warrior.
Ty Lee straightened. "Yep!" she replied exuberantly. "All diplomats, leaders, and important guests scheduled to arrive by this time are accounted for," she reported and saluted smartly.
"Good to hear. Well done, Ty Lee," Suki said.
"Of course, Captain!" Ty Lee basked in the praise. Suki laughed at Ty Lee's boundless enthusiasm.
She waved Ty Lee towards her. "Come with me. I'm going to give everyone their rotation assignments for when the meetings officially start," Suki waited for Ty Lee's agreement and then they went together to communicate with the other Kyoshi Warriors.
A strong wind went past and Suki shielded her face. The winds were picking up and Suki was growing troubled. It was growing colder as well; she could feel the chill despite her heavy warrior garb. She was going to have to keep an eye out. A storm was beginning to brew.