An Unwelcome Face
Chapter Two: The Third Wielder
3 Years Later
The Palace was as calm as it was any day that the Fire Lord had a meeting to attend to. It was as calm as it was when all the palace inhabitants were occupied or bored. And it was as calm as it was when all of the servants were about their business, glad that their week break was approaching. But it wasn't as calm as it usually was when Princess Kya set her room on fire, with her sneeze.
Instead of being terrified, as a child of near eight should be when seeing their room burst into flames, excitement filled her body, from head to two. Uncontrollable energy surged her as she raced down the many twists and turns of the palace, which was no longer large enough to exhaust her by running from her chambers to the thrown room.
Perhaps if Kya had know that in her father's past he got himself banished when entering a thrown room, or that her grandfather was the one that had banished his child for interrupting a meeting, or that it was extremely stupid to barge in on a room full of governors discussing droughts and the sort, maybe she wouldn't have burst in, excited as she was.
But she did.
If Zuko had turned out like his father in any heartless way, his first reaction would to glare at his daughter and hope to silence her cheers and send her away- later to punish her in some other unthinkable manner. But this is Zuko. Fire Lord Zuko. Who suffered the hardship of banishment from his own father, and learned from the loving ways of his mother and uncle. So instead of scarring and disowning his daughter, he was a little more proud than any father could be when his child burst in yelling of such news.
"Daddy! Daddy!" She echoed throughout the thrown room zipping down the empty space and through the other occupants of the room. Their bewildered faces went unnoticed by Kya.
Zuko emerged immediately from the wall of flames, required for such an audience with the Fire Lord. "What?!" He gasped, mistaking her enthusiasm for fear. "Has something happened?"
"Yes!" She stopped suddenly, bending over to catch her breath. "I'm-" gasp, "-I'm-" gasp, "A FIRE BENDER!"
The silence was deafening as all the governors and the Fire Lord stared at the shaking child. The word "firebender" echoed soundlessly.
"A firebender!" Zuko exclaimed suddenly, after comprehension. He grasped her up in the air and spun her around showing his pride in his daughter openly. "My baby's a firebender!"
"Is this an orthodox reaction to show towards one's child during a meeting?" A governor with slick side burns asked Governess Mai quietly.
In her notorious monotone voice she answered, "It is now."
"Your mother would be so happy," He assured, landing Kya softly on the ground. "You go tell Grandfather the exciting news, okay? Tonight we'll celebrate, and if you want I can teach you a couple of my skills."
Kya's face lit up at the sound of learning from her own father, "Pinky swear?" She asked holding hers up.
Zuko's face turned red enough to match his scar. Much to the onlookers' amusement he answered, "Pinky swear." He leaned closer and whispered, "I have to get back to work now, you know how impatient Governors are."
She giggled into her hands then turned to skip out of the thrown room, waving to Aunt Mai on her was out.
The moment the doors slammed shut all faces turned towards the Fire Lord.
"Shall we continue?"
~*~
When Kya heard her father say that he'd teach her a fire bending form she was exhilarated. Being able to firebend like the Fire Lord? That was like asking for glory valid in all nations!
But when it came to actually needing to learn breathing, steps, concentration, she quickly became bored and frustrated. "Why do I have to breath through my nose and out my mouth?" She complained. "It takes to long."
"When Grandfather was teaching me how to fire bend responsibly he told me I needed to breathe and practice control. I didn't listen and was out of control burning down villages..... and things," He admitted with unease with the finishing sentence.
Kya perked up at the sound of burning villages. "You burned down a village?! Aunty didn't tell me that story."
"Hm? Aunt Suki?"
"No, Aunt Mai."
A silence followed as Zuko untangled this information. Mai grew up with him most of his life-she knew all his embarrassing stories. Let alone what happened after the war, what else had she told Kya? He brushed the thoughts aside when he saw Kya's eyes peering at him, young and shiny.
"How about this," He plucked a leaf off the nearby tree. "If you can keep his leaf from burning up in fifteen minutes, I'll teach you how to make the real fire- intentionally. I assure you it's now the most popular way to begin fire bending. The Avatar began his training like this himself!"
Zuko left Kya in the courtyard alone, dismayed and with a leaf in her hand.
One of Kya's nursery maids stood by the doorway bowing, "You Highness, do you think it's wise to do that? What happens if the leaf starts on fire?"
"I can whole heartedly assure you it's one of the most unwise things I've done during my reign as Fire Lord; And I'm positive the leaf will start on fire. When it does- I think it'll be time for her to meet her aunt."
The maid paled at the thought of her "aunt". Unnoticed by the Fire Lord, who continued down the hallway, she leaned against the wall wondering what possessed her to be a nursery maid.
~*~
Because Zuko was usually right when predicting his child, Kya had yet again ran across the Palace seeking her father to show the weak flame in her hand.
After questions and explanations they were off to the Asylum.
"I would like to speak to my sister," He told the manager. All visitors had to go through him- to reduce unwanted conflict.
When the manager looked up to see his Fire Lord he stood abruptly and bowed. He had a large stomach and a thick facial structure. "Yes, my Lord, right away."
As he turned to leave he glimpsed at Kya. "I would advise to go in alone first, then bring the child in."
"I see your point, I'll go in first."
"Daddy, don't leave me out here alone..." Kya mumbled softly hoping only he would hear.
"Don't worry, you have the whole Royal Guard squad's attention," He said eying the group of men required to following him around outside the palace walls.
"Right this way, my Lord."
Zuko followed the man down a labyrinth of halls and security. They nodded to many post guards and other doctors. Zuko found it amusing how whenever they passed someone the all pulled back their sleeves to show a curious mark, tattooed on their wrist.
"For identification matters, my Lord; I assure you that after the Boiling Rock incident many years ago, our security precautions were pushed up many steps."
Zuko's face turned red at the memory of that day. It had been him and his friend Sokka who had outsmarted the system and broken the record of no breakouts.
Finally they came to a vault door the size of any other with bars before it. Beside the door were two guards who looked like they'd been there for too long. They bowed when they saw their company and with a silent nod from the manager they pulled a lever, high on the wall- causing the bars to slide away. Together they twisted the handle after spinning some locks. The door pushed open and a gust of air too fresh to be expected under such tight security blew on them.
"Have Princess Kya be brought down," Zuko said as he walked in. After coming to this door once every week to visit his sister he trusted that she was ready to, again, meet her niece.
Zuko stepped in to a reasonably lighten room. It was large and had the requirements of a sitting room. Three doors branched off the room. One he learned was the washroom, one the bedroom, and the other led to the green house where all occupants were free to roam under supervision.
"Zuzu!" A familiar voice echoed from the bedroom. The door swung open and out stepped Azula. She had aged too much for her young crisp age. Her face was wrinkly around to eyes and she was very pale. By requirement her hair was cut short, right below her ears. The length didn't suit her but it had it's charms some times.
"Azula," He greeted with open arms. They clasped into a hug that took too long to get right. It seemed normal now, after all these years. "How are you this week?"
"I'm fine," She admitted. "It was a long week though. I got to see dad."
Zuko didn't say anything. He had signed the papers a year ago to allow Azula to see him once a month. He himself hadn't seen him since his mom had gone to visit him for the first time, nine years ago. She had made a habit of going twice a week to see her family. Ursa's time had come though. She passed two years before Katara. They had never gathered as a family, all four of them, ever. And it was because Zuko couldn't stand to be there- with his estranged family.
"That's great, how is he?"
"Same as ever. He never stops talking about his redemption. He kinda sounds like you sometimes...." She said with an unhappy sigh. Throughout her therapy she noticed her uncommon devotion to her father, and that it was killing her, doing his every bidding. She had been more like a faithful servant than a daughter.
"I-I want you to meet someone," He said now getting that burning pit in his stomach when he discovered too late that he didn't want to do what he was about to do. "I think it's time you met Kya."
Another silence followed. They seemed to be common today.
"Why should I meet you daughter?" She asked, bitter rising in her voice. "You never trusted me to meet her before!"
"Azula, you tried to kill me for the thrown. It's fatherly instinct to want to protect his kid from someone who tried to kill him."
"I was crazy then!" She yelled. "I didn't know what I was doing. Dad controlled everything!"
"Stop blaming him Azula!" He responded just as loud. "I stopped blaming him a long time ago, it's your turn!"
Azula looked down with wide eyes. "But why should I meet her? What good will it do her to meet her crazy aunt?"
"She's a firebender," He said quietly. Azula looked up. "I don't want her to turn out like Me, or You, or Dad."
"There's nothing wrong with us Zuko! We had an unbelievable gift to be the best."
"And I don't want her to grow up thinking that she's better than anyone else because she's a firebender!" Zuko burst. "That's how it was for our whole family, and we started a war! If she sees you and understands that this is how you ended up, then maybe she'll learn with patience and control."
"I did have control! And I had plenty of patience," She retaliated. Zuko didn't say anything, but instead left her words echoing in her mind. After a minute she seemed to have listened to herself to take silence much more. "Fine! I was out of control."
"Okay, I'll bring her in now."
"Is she going to school?" Azula asked as he went to the vault door. "I went to Fire Nation Academy for girls, it- it was a good school...."
Zuko stopped and turned, "I hadn't thought about school.... How long does the curriculum last for?"
"Usually girls go when they're six or seven, and leave when they're sixteen. But lots of girls transfered in and out throughout those years."
"Such as yourself?" Zuko inquired
"Yes, at fourteen I was taken out by Dad to hunt you down," Her bitter tone spat. "Because he was too lazy to do it himself."
"Back to the subject," He quickly said before this one got out of hand. "How long do they stay at school at a time?"
"Hm," She thought. "I think it's a month. Then they go home for half a week."
My baby gone for more than a week!? Zuko broke down internally. He coughed to clear his throat and said, "If it's best for her, and she wants to go, she may."
Finally he got to the door, and knocked. After clicks and screeches the vault door swung open revealing the Royal Guard, Kya, and the two stationary guards. Kya peered into the room to inspect, "Is this was all jails look like?" She asked the stationary guards. "I thought you were suppose to punish people here."
All the guards stifled their amused laughs as they sent her in. Kya stepped into the room and spotted her dad. She walked to stand by him.
"Kya, this is your aunt, Azula," He introduced. "Azula.... This is Kya."
"My, my, you look like your mother don't you?" She asked inspecting her. "Same skin, same hair, blue eyes- ah, but they're the same shape as ours aren't they?"
Kya managed a nodded under Azula's inspection. "I'm not a waterbender though, I'm a firebender," She added proudly.
"Why yes, I've heard!" Azula said. "I'm a firebender too you know."
Kya nodded again.
"But I wasn't a good firebender- I was a great firebender, I was the best of the best," She gloated.
Zuko rubbed his eyes while holding back a groan.
"If you were so great why are you in jail?" Kya asked innocently.
To Zuko's surprise Azula laughed aloud, "Why because I had no self control. You know I tried to kill your father with fire bending?"
The child to a half step back. She wasn't really liking her aunt much.
"I would have gotten away with it too, but your mother saved him with her water bending. Let me see your hands, Child."
Reluctantly Kya offered Azula her hands. Azula took them and traced the many lines and squeezed her finger tips. Kya did her best not to laugh, but she had a weakness: she was ticklish. "Well, look here, you haven't been a firebender for more than a week have you?"
"No, I set my chambers on fire when I sneezed, two days ago."
"Yes, you have no experience at all, but look at this line," Azula pointed randomly. "That line shows that you indeed have water tribe blood in you. It's very hard to be a waterbender and have no control." Her tone changed, "Do you want to make your mother, and her family happy?"
"Yes, of course," Kya said hesitantly.
"Then you learn to fire bend like a water bender, you hear me? You firebender with control."
Frantically she nodded, "I promise!" She leaned in to Azula's ear a whispered, "How do I learn firebending though? Dad's such a bad teacher...."
Again Azula laughed, "Why you'll have the Avatar to teach you; he still visits I assume."
"Yes, every four months."
"And you'll have you Granduncle too-"
"I have a Granduncle?"
Zuko stepped in. "She means Grandfather Iroh, Kya."
Azula looked up at him with disgust on her face, but wiped it away quickly to look back at Kya, "Yes, your grandfather. And of course school."
"School?"
"Yes, darling, haven't you been to school before?"
"No, I've been home schooled," Kya informed.
"I see, wouldn't you like to go to school, make friends, learn fire bending?" Azula cooed.
"Oh, yes! It sounds like fun! Daddy," She turned to face him, "May I go to school?"
"What a wonderful idea. How about Fire Nation Academy for Girls?" He suggested a little too conspicuously.
And so the day continued at the Asylum. They stayed for another hour, half of which Zuko trusted his instincts, and left Kya to be with Azula alone. He roamed the halls for many minutes until he found himself somewhere he didn't want to be. The cell he stood in front of belong to no other than his father. Plagued by his own judgmental questions he lost track of the time and returned to Azula. Not today, he thought.
"Hello?" Zuko asked as he entered her cell again. "Azula? Kya?"
"My Lord," A guard bowed. "They're in the greenhouse."
Zuko returned the bow and stepped out side into the warm arm. Kya and Azula were on the grass, laying on their stomachs talking. Zuko felt a trickle of heat burn in his heart. It had been so many years since he last saw Azula in such a carefree stance. She was practically a child again with Kya. He couldn't help but smile, "Kya, it's time to go."
They both looked up at him with pouting faces, but still rolled up to a sitting position. Kya yawned and stood. Azula followed.
After they said their good byes and Kya stepped back through the vault door, Zuko turned to Azula, "Thank you." And they hugged.
"You tell my niece to watch her back at that school."
"Good bye."
"Bye, Zuzu."
~*~
The day of orientation arrived for the Fire Nation Academy for Girls. Zuko had his Fire Lord clothes on, and Kya was dressed in her required uniform. Her things were packed and the only thing they had left to do was stop by Katara to say good bye.
They brought Sea Salt Incense to her grave, because it was her favorite. After it was lit, they both knelt and prayed.
"Mommy, please give me courage at my new school. And watch over Daddy while I'm away. I'm not sure if you know yet, but Uncle Sokka, and Aunt Suki had another baby. I know I've asked for a lot, but maybe you could protect him as well." She finished with a prayer for the dead.
Zuko didn't pray aloud instead he spoke through his mind:
"Katara, guide our child as she begins her own adventure." Though his was simple, he thought it was enough. After his personal prayer he said aloud his prayer for the dead.
Kya slipped her hand in Zuko's as they walked back to their transportation. "Dad?" She asked. "How should I act at school?"
"Well," Zuko thought. He was never good at advice.
"Should I be a Fire Princess, or another student?"
He stopped to look at her. "Be yourself." Then slipped his hands around her neck to secure something.
"Mommy's necklace!" Kya exclaimed. "You've had this all these years?!"
"Yes, chief Hakoda gave it to me the day your mom was buried," He explained. "It was her mother's. And it meant to world to her. It was given to your mom when her mother died, and now I'm giving it to you."
Kya smiled as she fingered her new jewelry, "I'll never take it off."