Chapter 2: Introductions

119AG

Fire Nation Royal Palace, A Meal Room

"Izumi, come here. Let me fix your hair. We are going to meet someone new today," Mai called her daughter over after the messenger relayed the information that the Fire Lord had returned after a successful search.

"Who?" Izumi asked just as the door opened revealing Zuko and Masaru.

Izumi shrieked a little and jumped behind her mother's skirts as the parents laughed. Masaru hid too, simply and instinctively mirroring her reaction, wondering what exactly she was afraid of, but thinking whatever it was must be something worth being afraid of, so he thought he'd hide too.

"Zumiya, don't be scared. It's just a boy," Mai said with a soft hand on her daughter's tiny back.

"Me? She's afraid of me?" Masaru asked, scrunching up his face momentarily in unmasked bewilderment. He stepped out from behind Zuko's leg while the girl, Zumiya, still clutched onto her mother's leg.

"Izumi, please come out and say hello. This is Masaru Lee. He is the only child and son of Toph Beifong and Satoru Lee. Do you remember who they are?"

"Toph Beifong is the sole inventor of the martial art of metalbending. She was born in Gaoling and is the current chief of Police of Republic City." Izumi recited dutifully.

"And Satoru Lee?"

"CEO and co-owner of Earthen Fire Refineries. He invented the fork-lift and the assembly line, and he revolutionized our airships-"

"-he IS revolutionizing our air ships, but nobody is supposed to know that yet, little missy," Mai corrected her daughter, touching her little button nose as she eyed Masaru suspiciously.

Masaru turned to Zuko. Is somebody going to quiz me next on useless trivia? Am I supposed to do something? Why can't we just eat? Thought the five year old child impatiently. He remembered Zuko being the Fire Lord and then took a knee, staring directly at Izumi.

"Forgive me for asking miss, but is it true what they say about you?" Masaru asked.

Izumi's brows furrowed, her nose lifted and her mouth curled into a suspicious frown. "Is what true?"

"That you're a princess?"

Izumi looked up at her mother with confusion. Zuko and Mai purposefully never called her Princess Izumi, hoping to instill a sense of humility in the girl from an early age so that she didn't grow up to be arrogant and demanding like the former Princess of the Fire Nation, Azula. To Izumi, Princesses were just other things in fairy tales and histories.

When the gave no response, Izumi turned back to Masaru and told him all she knew. "But- I'm just Izumi." she insisted innocently.

Masaru turned to Zuko, clearly not believing her. "Well, Just-Izumi, it is very nice to meet you. I am Lee, Masaru Lee... but you already knew that since.. Your father already… introduced me..." Masaru said standing again and bowing before walking back to Zuko.

"Lee is such a common name in the Fire Nation, and yet you introduce yourself like a nobleman," Izumi replied subconsciously before covering her mouth for speaking impolitely.

"Well maybe I am just proud of my particular branch of Lees… Is that a crime?" Masaru asked feigning annoyance.

"No, I just-" Izumi started to say before her child's mind produced nothing.

"I'm only playing with you!" Masaru said with a smile. Izumi didn't trust him. "You're shy aren't you?" Masaru asked leaning to the side with both hands clasped behind his back.

"She just needs a little encouragement, that's all," Zuko said, looking at Mai.

"Go on, Izumi. Masaru will be staying with us for a while to learn firebending from your Great Uncle Iroh, so might as well make friends with him. He won't hurt you."

"You can already firebend?" Izumi gasped letting go of her mother's skirts immediately. "Can I see?!"

"You can't yet?" Masaru asked. Izumi shook her head. "Alright, I'll show you, but I am not very good at it! I've only done it twice!" Masaru said pressing his hands together and sliding his foot back dramatically before opening them like the pages of a book revealing a tiny, candle-sized, red flame.

"That's it?" Izumi asked, disappointed looking up at him with turned down brows.

"Well sorry!" Masaru shot back at her, folding his arms over his chest. "If I let it get any bigger, I am afraid I will lose control and then you will end up looking like your dear father with how closely you were watching!"

Izumi's face scrunched up in anger and she jumped on him screaming and punching with feeble little fists. "YOU TAKE THAT BACK! TAKE IT BACK!" Izumi screamed.

"Zumi!" Mai scolded prying her daughter off of the boy by her tiny waist, holding her there, hanging in the air until she calmed down.

"Saru!" Zuko said helping Masaru to his feet again.

"Zumi, make friends not enemies." Mai reminded her.

"He meant to insult me!"

"And you let him. I wear my scar like a badge of honor. It is a testament to what I have overcome on my journey to where I am today. If Saru did scar you accidentally after letting his flame get too big, I would hope you'd do the same. Curiosity is not a sin, Izumi. In fact, it is a very beneficial trait that will help you become an incredibly intelligent woman someday." Zuko explained.

Izumi frowned as she dangled from her mother's arms. Mai slowly set her daughter back down on her feet again.

"You can trust the boy, Izumi," Mai reminded the girl quietly.

Izumi closed her eyes took a deep breath and her frown went away as she looked at Masaru curiously. Then suddenly, she asked, "Do you like raspberry pastries?"

Masaru blinked a few times to make sure he heard that correctly.

"Raspberry pastries? I've never even heard of those before. I know blue pineapple berry pastries, but what are raspberries?"

"You don't know? In that case, I MUST introduce you!" Izumi gasped and grabbed his hand before running out the door, dragging him behind her.

"But what about lunch?" Masaru yelled.

"You can eat the pastries! Mother does say they're filling!" Izumi replied.

"But that's not healthy!" Masaru protested still allowing himself to be lead through the palace by the little lady.

Just raspberry...?

Inspired by Earth King Kuei's pet bear...

{"You mean, platypus bear?

No, it just says 'bear'.

Certainly you mean his pet skunk bear.

Or his armadillo bear.

Gopher bear?

Just ... bear.

This place ... is weird." - S02E014 The City of Walls and Secrets}

If you have time, let me know what you think of the introduction of these little babies to each other! I hope you have fun reading these. (THERE WILL BE NO ENEMIES IN THIS STORY!...maybe some princess rivalries a lot later, but lets be real... Hou-ting has nothing on our little Fire Baby!)