A/N: I really don't want to rush this but I'd like to keep this story under 25 chapters if at all possible. So the occasional jump forward in time will occur. There will also be some humor in this chapter. It can't all be angst and tear bending.
You guys have such awesome ideas! I wish that I could fit them all into this fic but I hope, even more than that, that you write your own fics so that I can read them! I love how inspiring this fandom is, never change!
….
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
Chapter 4
She put one foot in front of the other. Hours speeding into days until another two weeks had come and gone without her permission. Each day was a small step forward, a tiny ambulation towards acceptance. Acceptance that this was what her life was going to be now.
It was really too bad then, that in her dreams, she was able to run, sprint even, in the opposite direction. It only made it that much harder when she awoke to her current reality.
Bright light, shaded red behind her eyelids flooded the room. The sound of curtains being ripped aside on metal hooks filled her ears, beating against the tiny drum inside and reverberating out. It was that clattering, accompanying the shatter of light that brought her bursting into consciousness.
She hated mornings. That hadn't changed. Out of everything that had shifted around her, she tried her hardest to retain some sense of herself. It was a surprisingly easy thing to accomplish. She thanked her much lamented stubbornness for that. She had a feeling that even Tenzin would be cheering her on.
"Your bath is ready, milady," the dark haired woman murmured, trying her best to sound unafraid.
"Ugh," Korra groaned, turning her face into her pillow and curling in on herself.
Baths. Twice a day. At first wake and directly before bed. Why did she need to stay so clean? It was as if they were trying to wash the Water Tribe out of her with milk water and rose scent. As if they were trying to soften her hard earned muscle from Pro-bending with lotions that smelled of fire lilies and musk. As if they could make her more like the ladies of the Fire Nation by soaking her in oils and dressing her up like a doll.
The first few times they had drawn her bath, they had had to force her in, like a cat, hissing and scratching. It was only a matter of seconds before her staff was running from the room crying because she had sent a vicious water whip their way. And when the head of her staff came in to berate her for her behavior she almost felt bad about it. Almost.
She had tried to convince herself that she could get used to being babied. That she would grow to like the small staff that had been assigned to assist with her every need. That she wouldn't go insane from being confined again.
She lasted two days before encasing one of her older servants in a cage of earth when the woman tried to brush her hair into submission. The wary looks around the Palace became constant. The whispers burned her ears cherry red.
She learned to pick her battles. She learned the best ways to fight against the lack of control she was suffering. She found her weapons.
One last, stinking bath wouldn't hurt.
Today would be the day she reasserted her independence.
She ignored the fluffy white towel being offered to her as she stepped from the bath an hour later and instead water bended herself dry. Her servant scowled and chased after her as Korra walked purposely into her dressing quarters, paying no attention to her nudity. There was a lovely red confection hanging near the door. Another all too revealing two piece.
Servant number two, Satvi gasped when she entered, her jaw falling slack as she looked to the other servant, Mauza. Korra ignored them both as they began to whisper behind her back.
"So," Korra said, spinning on her heels and turning towards them. She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked one hip to the side. It was an intimidating stance, one she liked to use just before a match to unnerve her opponent.
"Are you two going to tell me where you've stowed my water tribe clothing or should I set the entire wardrobe on fire?" she asked, lighting a fire ball in her palm.
They gaped at her like fishes and Korra had to bite back a laugh.
"I could start with this one, right here," she taunted, holding her hand under her carefully chosen and displayed outfit for the day.
Piercing screams filled the air and Korra had only managed to count to One, Southern-Water-Tribe, Two, Southern-Water-Tribe, Three, Southern-Water-Tribe, Four…
She wasn't disappointed, as her head of staff, Mrs. Fontanzi Came careening through the door.
Korra was impressed. She had only ever known one person with the ability to turn that particular color of grape-ish puce.
Once again, she almost felt bad.
Almost.
It was in the beautiful sky-and-ice-cap blues of her homeland that Korra met with her etiquette instructor for the morning. Her hair was in its typical wolfs tail and she had a wolfish smile to match. She was feeling more like herself already.
That morning it would be a lesson about table manners. She actually enjoyed those. If she messed up in the way she handled her chop sticks, in traditional Fire Nation style, or if she mistakenly grabbed the last dumpling for herself; her instructor would sigh and signal for more food to be delivered.
A well-fed-Korra was a happier Korra.
She was able to ride the wave of her own private victories until just after lunch when she returned to her room for meditation time. That was when the loneliness set in.
When she would ache so badly for to comfort of her friends, of their company. When all of the vibrato she had built up was ready to collapse around her, thwarted and suffocated by how much she missed them.
Asami, Bolin, and of course—Mako. Pema, Tenzin, and the kids. Lin and Tahno and all of the friends that she had made along the way. But most of all, in times like this, she missed her team.
If she closed her eyes she could see two pairs of green eyes staring at her, one the color of camphor leaves and the other of the palest mint. A sturdy rock of an earth bending boy with a child-like glee and love for the world that never seemed to fade. A tough cookie of a girl who never backed down from a fight, especially when it was for the rights of others.
A brooding, defensive man with ember eyes who took a while to warm up and let people in, but once a person had been accepted into his life, he would protect them fiercely.
She had tried, time and time again to write them letters but she never got past the greeting. There wasn't anything to say, they had already said their goodbyes. If she wrote to Mako, it would only hurt them both and she would be an anxious, nail biting mess, until he wrote back. If he wrote back. She wouldn't blame him if he never opened it.
If she addressed the note to Asami or Bolin her questions would only be a thinly veiled attempt to get information out of them about Mako. About how he is. Whether he's tried to move on. Whether he misses her.
It wouldn't be fair to any of them. The wounds were still too raw. So she gathered her strength on her own and wished them well. Hoping that they would understand why it was too hard to keep in touch. Hoping that they understood how difficult it was for her to do this alone, without them.
Hoping that they knew how much she missed them. Loved them.
Another day passed and then another. Orange skies fading to blue and then blood red with pink stratus clouds before night fall.
It wasn't all bad, the sunsets in the Fire Nation were breathtaking and the hot springs just outside of the main courtyard and gardens, down the hill and surrounded by black volcanic sand- were quite possibly the best thing in existence.
The days ran together until she didn't know what day it was anymore. Only what her agenda was.
Today was her bi-weekly meeting with Kazou and Almeiza. Her Water Tribe outfit was met without much fanfare and just a small sigh that seemed to say, 'What can you do with a girl like Korra?'
In response to their unsaid words she simply grinned at them cheekily. They were learning to choose their battles too.
She had discovered Kazou's desire for an attentive student and had used it to her advantage. A well worded question, a hint at interest and he was a puddle of affectation. He was able to drone on and on, wax poetic about days gone by, the Fire Nation's history, Romantic heroes, and Feudalism.
When this would happen, Korra would twiddle her thumbs innocently while Almeiza glared daggers at her. The elder would then settle back into her chair, a challenging glint to her eye before she would close her eyes and take a nap. Korra envied her escape.
The five members of the Advisory Council were beginning to grow on her. Especially the two Elder members with her now. They reminded her of the elders of the Order, stuffy and crotchety but with a sweetness and humor that could only come with a matured sense of generativity.
They truly cared about their people and their Nation's place in an ever changing world. It made her like them, just a bit.
And when Kazou had one of his ancient tomes, from his private library delivered to her study and she smelled the unmistakable scent of leather and musty paper. She knew that she had begun to grow on them, as well.
With each small victory, Korra couldn't help but admit to herself that things were getting better.
Other things niggled at the back of her mind though. Like the fact that she hadn't seen Iroh again, in the nearly three weeks since his first arrival.
And that she had yet to have a formal audience with the now-former Fire Lady, Ursa. She only saw her in passing, wrapped in red and gold and always from a distance. She was surrounded by Royal Guard but even over the glint of their armour and thickness of their padding she could see into the circle and catch a glimpse of the woman they protected. She looked pale and drawn. Thin.
When she had asked Almeiza and Kazou about her, they had only said that she was ill and nothing more. The reservedness and caution in their tones told her that there was much more to it than they were willing to discuss with her right now.
She hated being left in the dark. She didn't have enough, behind the palace walls, to keep her mind occupied and she was coming up with all sorts of bizarre explanations for their withholding of information.
Or you know, the obvious bold faced lie that they seemed to be touting.
It was hard not to jump to conclusions, especially when all you had for entertainment were musty old books (Jinora's dream world), riling up your staff, and etiquette lessons.
What she needed most, right now, was a distraction.
A distraction arrived the next day after she had escaped from her gaggle of chaperones and staff.
She ran through the halls, using a ball of air to speed her forward. Her hair was whipping around her and she craned her neck to see the anxious faces of her followers. She whooped loudly, spinning into another corridor and nearly running over Mrs. Fontanzi.
"Sorry, excuse me. Avatar coming through!"
A scream of shock and a resolute, "That is IT!" followed her around the next corner and up a winding flight of stairs.
It was childish, she knew. Trying to run away from them and avoid her responsibilities for a while, but she needed to do something.
She jumped from her air scooter, letting it ghost away into nothingness before studying her new surroundings.
She had never been up here before.
It was a long, cloistered stone walkway, with an open colonnade and big arching windows at one side. Light was playing in big yellow bows and arcs, shining against the gleaming, dark stone and glittering on the pagoda style roof that could be seen just above.
She stood in wonderment for a minute, her feet sliding forward as she stepped towards the open windows to see what lie beneath.
But when she heard the grunts of combat, the tell-tale guttural sounds of chi being manipulated, and the metal singing of swords sliding together she found herself running to the railing and leaning out as far as she could to see the action below.
In the level just below where she was standing was a courtyard, surrounded on all sides by the same cloistered walkways as she was standing on. There were resilient looking training dummies of all sorts and she could count at least four heavily laden weapon racks.
In the very center were sparing pairs, in full black and red armor. Their helmets were three pronged at the top and their faces covered. The elite Royal Procession. The Imperial Fire benders.
The extremely disciplined Palace guards. The men and women who protected the Royal Family at all cost and were trained in multiple styles of combat. Not to mention they were all also prodigious fire benders.
It took all of her strength of will to not jump down there right now, feel the earth break beneath her feet and challenge them all to a duel. She wasn't even sure that they would engage her, or if she could even provoke them into a fight. They had been sworn to protect the Royal Family and by extension, the Avatar who would be married into that same family. She sighed, a puff of air rustling her side swept bangs.
A clamor of feet chased her up the stairs and she was cornered.
She tried to look apologetic and contrite when her personal guard and Satvi, one of her younger servants, came upon her.
It didn't matter that they were going to lock her in her room until evening with only dusty tomes and her thoughts for company. She was too excited to care.
She had found the Royal Procession's training ground. And she would be returning.
.
.
.
He entered the meeting hall resignedly. Today, he would be meeting with Kazou and Almeiza to discuss the upcoming coronation. When he arrived, he was surprised to see that they were already there and waiting.
"Iroh…" Almeiza walked over to him, her expression tender. She had always been like a grandmother or great aunt to him. His Grandma Mai and Almeiza had been good friends and when he would visit with his grandmother, Almeiza was often there. After his grandmother's passing, when he was just a young teen, the Councilwoman had still kept up the weekly tea meetings and chats with he and his sisters.
"Did you get taller?" she asked, wrapping her gnarled fingers around his arms and peering up at him.
"I'm 27 years old, Alme. I don't think I've grown taller," he deadpanned, his heels practically clicking together with formality. A sign of too many United Forces drills and too little time spent outside of that life for the greater part of ten years.
He greeted Kazou with a bow and handshake, before pulling out Almeiza's chair and taking his seat between them.
The three of them lapsed into easy conversation, discussing the upcoming ceremony and glossing over the affairs of state that would be further discussed at the next Council meeting with the Junior Advisors.
They went over the schedule of the Coronation Ceremony and which important people needed to be given special attention to at the event. Who had gained power and who had lost it. It wasn't until the flow of words had begun to ebb that Almeiza decided to say the words that she had obviously been saving up for just. the. right. moment.
"You've been avoiding her," she began and Iroh stiffened in his chair.
"I'm sorry, who are we speaking of?" he asked, cringing internally at how caustic he sounded.
The Councilwoman squinted at him, continuing to grind her tobacco leaves into a fine pulp, between her teeth.
"How many wives are you banking on having?" she retorted, a glint of humor and quirk of lips softening her admonition.
"I have been very busy, Almeiza."
"S'ok, no skin off my nose," to his left, Kazou was trying to subtly rub his temples.
Iroh attempted to reign himself in, he didn't owe anyone any explanations. Especially a Royal Advisor who he had known since he was in diapers and who was now giving him the smuggest expression he had ever seen.
Do not give in, Iroh.
Almeiza spit into her gold spittoon and cocked an eyebrow at him, "Two? Three? Will you be this courteous to them all or will the avoidance be reserved only for Korra."
Stay strong. She's only being a pest. You don't owe her any-
"Didn't peg a big ole' General like yourself for being afraid of the Avatar. Especially when the Avatar was all you ever talked about as boy. Remember Kazou? He was obs-"
Damn it.
"I have been busy, Alme. Since I've arrived I've been in endless meetings. I've debriefed the men and women of the United Forces on the current concerns for our world, now that I will no longer be in charge there. I've been meeting with the Fire Nation Military and figuring out what my duties will be with them after I am sworn in as Fire Lord and therefore, made their commander-in-chief. I've been pinched and prodded, suffered physical examinations and robe fittings.
And let's not forget what we are doing here, planning the coronation and being informed of everything that has been going on as of late," Iroh's chin was tilted high and his expression lofty as he finished.
"Mm," she was unimpressed.
It was as if he was a balloon and a pin had just broken the surface. He deflated, shoulders hunching almost imperceptibly and chin lowering until he was no longer puffed up and looking down his nose at her.
"How is she adjusting?" he rumbled out at last.
"Oh, that girl has fire. She'll be fine."
"I don't know how to deal with her," he admitted and immediately regretted it. He had been trained, all of his life to shield his fears and emotions. As both a Prince and a soldier. A General. The Avatar was thrown into his life again and all of a sudden he was forgetting himself.
"As a person or as your wife?" she pressed.
He scoffed.
"You are no longer at sea, you can't just go with the current and expect for things to go smoothly. You can't anticipate this and come up with a strategy. Korra is a storm that needs to be met head on. You will need to work together, whether you like it or not, to make this work."
"I am well aware," his tone was sour, his lips down turned into a pout.
"I do not envy your position, Iroh. I just hope that you recognize and utilize the resources available to you."
"Is that what she is? A resource?" shocked outrage coated his words and it was too late to reel himself in.
The Elder Advisor smiled at him, as if he had given something away without realizing it.
"I guess that we shall see."
There was a knock at the door and a young man, in the full attire of the Fire Nation Domestic Forces came quickly into the room. He bowed curtly before taking hurried steps over to Iroh's side.
He murmured some quiet words to the Prince and handed him a missive before rushing back out. Iroh calmly broke the red seal and read the letter's contents, his eyebrows falling heavily into a scowl.
Korra and the issues of their future nuptials could be dealt with later.
There was another woman who he needed to see, urgently.
.
He found her in her private garden, just outside of her chambers. It was a place for quietude and tea with close friends or family. She had taken up gardening after his father's death, a few years ago. At first it had just been something to keep her busy but it quickly evolved into an avid interest and hobby.
With the Royal Advisory Council assisting with managing the day-to-day affairs of the kingdom, Ursa had a lot of free time to dabble in various pursuits. This particular one had lasted the longest.
Right now, her peonies were in full bloom. Humongous pink flowers, overtaking the green in their bushes. There were Chrysanthemums and Orchids as well but the Peonies were by far, her favorite. They symbolized prosperity and honor.
Like her father, Ursa believed the latter to be of great importance. She believed strongly in honesty, fairness, and integrity in a person's beliefs and actions.
It was because of this, that Iroh had no doubt of his mother's innocence. She would never be more lenient in her judicial rulings against a bender than she would a non-bender. It went against her code of ethics. The same code that had been instilled in her and her siblings, by their parents, and that she had instilled in her own children.
"You've been avoiding me," she chided, her palms warm against his cheeks.
"I've been avoiding the world, Ma-ma."
She smiled at the affectionate use of his first name for her, only used now in times like this when they were alone and he came to her, troubled.
"Sit," she commanded and he did so quietly. She rang a little bell and asked for her staff to bring them some tea. It arrived after only a few moments, having already been prepared as soon as he broke the threshold to her rooms.
She served them both and then sat back against her seat. He took in her appearance for a moment while he lifted his tea to his brow in blessing before bringing it down to take a small sip, steam rushing over his skin.
She was pale and thin but not in bad health, in fact her face was flushed from being outside and she looked better than when he had first arrived, nearly a month ago. Her hair was pulled up loosely and twisted into a chignon. She no longer had to wear the traditional top knot and headpiece of the direct line of Fire Lord or Lady. She could afford to be more casual now, and the relaxation suited her. Even if the dark circles under her eyes did not.
"I know why you've decided to come today," she began.
"Aside from the fact that it was overdue?" his attempt to keep things light was waved away.
His mother was a woman of duty and convention. They could have idle chitchat later. It was a quality that he had always appreciated in her. She had never understood the desire to procrastinate on a problem, she preferred getting straight to the issue at hand.
"The riots," she offered.
"Yes," he confirmed, taking another sip of tea and waiting as she did the same.
"They're getting out of hand."
"The report said that the palace dockyard was attacked."
She nodded sorrowfully, "They are getting too close to us now, we need to decide a course of action."
"What would you have me do? Should we push back and try to suppress the insurgence? Risk a revolution?"
"I don't know, I wish I knew but…"
"Mother, I need to know what you aren't telling me."
She met his gaze and he could see the fear in those amber depths, the moisture gathering along her lash line.
"Ma-ma?"
His mother crumpled inward, curling into herself until she was something small and very un-Ursa-like. Then, once she had pulled her limbs in fully and made herself into a protective ball, she began to speak. Her body unfurling as she gained momentum with her story, as her words brought back the strong emotions that she had so carefully smothered down.
Her fury making her come alive, like a phoenix from the ashes.
"I've compromised our family's honor, Iroh. It is up to you to win it back," she finished and he stared. Gob smacked.
A near meditative silence fell over them like a blanket and it wasn't until the pinks and reds of the sunset were glowing on their hair and skin that they began the chit-chat that they had initially put off.
"Does she like her servants?" his mother asked between bites of the food that had been delivered to them. Skewered owl-pig meat in a hot curry and yogurt sauce, grape leaves stuffed with rice and spices, flat bread, and cheese.
"She sent them away," he answered, offering her the gossip that his own personal staff had been spreading around, "and they were happy to go," he couldn't keep the smile from his voice.
"Happy to go? They should feel honored to have been given the chance to serve her at all."
"Yes, well, she doesn't fit in here and she isn't what they are accustomed to. It upsets them when she tries to do something herself or asks for them to stop helping," he reasoned.
"Hm," she mused over a bite of cheese, "She needs a confidante. One of Honora's daughters would do."
"No, Lucretza and Zinnia?"
"What's wrong with one of your cousins being her lady in waiting?"
"Lady in—Mother, I don't think that you really understand the kind of person Korra is. She wouldn't be able to stand either of them for more than a week."
"Well, I suppose we could bring your sister's home from the Academy."
"While I agree that they would make a good friend to her, I think that they should stay at the Royal Academy for now. We may have to bring them home soon enough," for their protection, he mentally added.
"Then who do you suggest, Iroh?"
He thought heavily for a few minutes, but he had already known exactly the right girl as soon as his mother had brought it up.
"How old is Evren?" he tried to seem uninterested.
"Iroh!" She was scandalized, hand flying to her throat. "Definitely not," her scolding voice seemed to drop two octaves.
"I'm telling you, Mother. She would be good for Korra."
"No, no, that girl is too foolish; her head is full of dreams. Avatar Korra needs someone older who is familiar with court. Evren? You can't be serious."
"She's your niece!"
"By my no-good brother."
"Ma-Ma, please. How old is Evren now?"
"Thirteen this past summer," she answered reluctantly. Her lips pursed and gaze steady on her peonies. "She is too much like her grandmother, to prone to flights of fancy and—"
"Ty Lee was a great hero."
She harrumphed, nibbling at her cheese and taking a delicate sip of tea.
"Fine. But Hamza will be keeping close watch on their antics."
"Hamza?" His hand rose up to his head in a light smack, his fingers digging into his scalp. "Please tell me that you haven't been spying."
She patted her mouth with a napkin and tried to avoid his eye, when she stole a quick glance in his direction and saw the fire in his gaze she tossed her napkin down on the table, "Of course I have! I need to make sure that this will work.
The entire world will be watching Korra. If she seems off or unhappy they may come after the Fire Nation. My father did a great deal to bring honor back to our family and our people but there are still prejudices."
He knew the truth of her statement from his travels. Certain city ports were a lot less friendly to people who bore the facial characteristics and coloring of a person with Fire Nation heritage.
Mostly it was people his mother's age, who grew up with nightmarish tales from their parents and grandparents about the horrors of the Hundred year war.
He nodded his acceptance of her decision, even if he found it a bit underhanded. His mother was many great things but she was also clever and shrewd. A politic Head of State, born and raised.
"Until Evren's arrival, maybe I should speak with Korra. Try to win her trust," she began.
"I don't think that's a good idea mother. She holds a lot of resentment at her current situation. Maybe Almeiza could speak with her, in your stead. For now."
"Yes, you're right. I will speak with Almeiza in the morning."
.
He left his mother's company and made his way through the halls, ignoring the guards following at a distance and walking up a flight of stairs. He just needed somewhere quiet where he could think, somewhere that wasn't the confining square of his bedroom. When he needed to meditate on various matters while at sea he would simply go on deck and be soothed by the natural lullaby of the waves parting and crashing against the hull. He would watch the way the water crested in the distance or read the signs of the sky.
The sky could tell a sailor many secrets. The color of the sky at sunrise or sunset could reveal whether a storm would be on its way. The stars at night could reveal the current latitude and longitude with the use of a quadrant. They were better than any landmark and more reliable than a compass, the stars wouldn't break during a storm and they didn't require periodic calibration.
He made his way up to the shadowed walkways of the open colonnade. It was well into nighttime now and moonlight was brightening the arches with soft, white light.
The training grounds were closed this late at night and the walkways provided a clear view of the night sky and the bay just in the distance. He smiled up at the twinkling lights, hands folded behind his back as he traces the lines of the Pleiades with his eyes. Then over to Lyra and Draco. Polaris, the North star.
His view was interrupted by a yellow light racing upwards from the training ground in the courtyard below.
He looked down, trying to find its source and was startled but what he saw.
His eyebrows shot up to his hairline, his lips parted as he fought down a gasp and his breath caught in his throat. There was a strange constricting sensation taking over his ribs and a tightening over his chest.
Korra.
She was training, practicing the detailed forms of the four elemental disciplines. He had seen her do many amazing things over the course of their short acquaintance during the battle for Republic City but he had never had the pleasure of seeing her like this.
Her movements were graceful and calm, no threat chasing at her heels to make them more violent and purposeful. No desperation to defend herself.
It was a dance; a flow of gestures, an evolution of steps from the most simple to the most complex.
Iroh watched as she let out all of her frustration at being cooped up, all of her rage and all of her sadness. The joy at being able to move like this again. He watched it all, greedily, taking in the expressions of emotion that flit over her face. The subtle language of her body as she worked through each one, meditatively.
He stood, transfixed. Held in thrall and completely captivated. She was beautiful, an ethereal creature bathed in moonlight. A warrior and all powerful spirit of harmony. A young girl, lost and hurting.
He felt shame over take him for his mishandling of their situation.
They'd been acting childishly. She was always trying to run away and he was always trying to hide. It was cowardly and against both of their natures.
They wouldn't be able to avoid each other forever.
And, as he watched her spinning life into the atmosphere, all of the elements at her will—he wasn't sure that he wanted to try to stay away anymore.
His gaze fell to his boots for a moment as he reflected on this thought.
Perhaps Almeiza was right. It was time to bring his ship to port, to disembark and explore the changing expanse of his future. He'd already charted the course and he could navigate these oncoming storms.
A/N: I've been using the Kubler-Ross model/5 Stages of grief as a loose outline for Korra's emotional journey in this story. She is grieving the end of her relationship with Mako and the life she left behind. She is grieving for all the dreams and hopes she had for the future that had seemed so possible and real but fell through her fingers. The 5 stages don't necessarily have to go in order but here is what we've seen so far: Denial would have been pre chapter 1, Depression was subtle in chapters 1 and 2, and Anger has been an obvious part of Ch 2 and 3. We have touched on bargaining here in chapter 4 with her desire to reach out to her old friends and keep them close. Acceptance is on the horizon, but the others will still rear up from time to time.
Honestly I feel like I could write this story forever, and I would have to in order to fit everything in that I would like, but I have to try to contain it or it will never be finished.
I'm trying not to do too much with OCs but there will be a couple, like Kazou and Almeiza, Evren and other royal family members who are there for the main characters to bounce off of and to help move the story along. Oh, Ursa. What have you been hiding?
Most of my Fire Nation info comes from the avatar wiki because dang, I can't remember all of that from A:tla.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter!