Fire Family
"And up… then back… tuuuuuurn…" a pregnant Katara was slowly moving in the shallow water, four children in front of her, four orbs of water flying almost in unison, and one small ball of fire desperately trying to move with them. Hoshu and Tuyun were in sync, even though they were slightly off from Katara's called instruction. It was amazing to watch them. She had quickly learned how different their styles were, and yet how complimentary were their strengths and weakness.
Hoshu couldn't create or control water in its ice form, but Tuyun's first instinct was to use frozen water, although she was highly proficient at controlling it in liquid form. Before Tuyun came, Hoshu had only been able to do air attacks by using water and fire bending moves, but Tuyun taught him some basics, and he quickly surpassed her in air-bending skill, even being able to master the air scooter…Tuyun was always getting lost in the palace, until Hoshu suggested she try "seeing" like her mom. Now, Tuyun could figure out where other people were in the palace, but still had hard times figuring out which hallway to take to get to the kitchens, or the war room, etc…, unlike Hoshu who had never gotten lost in the palace or grounds, not even once. "Its like there's a map of the palace in my head… How can you not know where you are? You got yourself there, so you should know how to get where you want to go."
Hoshu's fire bending was his strongest skill, although his air bending was close. With training, Azule had surpassed Hoshu's water bending skills. Surprisingly, like strong fire benders, both of the twins' attacks took on a single distinct color: white. Jiroh was having problems controlling his flames, however that didn't stop him from trying to summon lightning… which he did fairly easily, scarring one of his mother's favorite willows. The irony was not lost on Iroh and Zuko, some had feared Azule would be an Azula reincarnate, she had that sheen of power glittering in her eyes, the determination of a flying boar… but she was a water bender, and here was fumbling Jiroh accidentally destroying things with lightning. Although she hid it well, Azule was furious that Jiroh appeared to have the upper hand, and Hoshu was clearly disturbed by Jiroh's lightning: which Hoshu could not create to save his life.
It was during this emotional time that Azule and Jiroh noticed the bond between their brother and young friend.
"I think they're in love," Azule giggled when she and Jiroh spied them by the pond in their mother's courtyard, laughing and bending harmless attacks at one another.
"I bet I can get Hoshu to say he loves Tuyun," Jiroh bragged.
"You don't have anything to bet!" Azule challenged. Jiroh thought about it for a second, his mind wandering to their upcoming birthday.
"The birthday candles!"
Azule studied her brother, and then her older brother and friend, "Nobody can know about this… You get Hoshu to say he loves Tuyun, and I'll get Tuyun to say she loves Hoshu. First one to do it gets to blow out the birthday candles… all… by… themselves." The twins shook on it, not knowing their playful childhood bet would turn into an honor-challenging quest that would shape their lives for over a decade: and forever change their friend and brother. Their quest was hard, and they constantly sabotaged each other's attempts, but their parents stubbornness was imbed in them: they would not back down, they would not give up without a fight.
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One night, five year old Jiroh accidentally hit a turtle duck with lightning while sparring outside with Hoshu, Hoshu holds the still bird in his hands silently under the full moon while Jiroh begs him for forgiveness and vows never to use lighting again. When the turtle duck started to snuggle against him, Hoshu explained that lightning is part of Jiroh, and he has to keep using it, referencing Aang.
"I know you don't like it, Hoshu."
"What?"
"I know you don't like my lightning… you know… because… you can't… do it."
Hoshu was silent for a while, thinking.
"Control-"
"Lightning can't be controlled!" Jiroh was so tired of everyone saying that. It was easy to say 'control,' it was another thing to actually be able to do so.
Hoshu sighed, "So you have to think before you use lightning…make sure everything else is controlled, so that there is only one way for the lightning to go once you release it. If you can not control something that must be controlled, you must control everything around it, guiding the uncontrollable by controlling its nature," Hoshu gently set the turtle duck on the soft grass, the brothers watched it waddle back to the small pond. Hoshu turned back to face his brother; Jiroh had a very confused look on his face, so Hoshu tried to simplify: "like how earth controls the rivers flow."
Unknowingly to the boys, Katara was watching, and later that night she told Hoshu that he was a good big brother, and will make a wonderful Fire Lord, husband, and father one day.
After a night of sleep, Hoshu woke up and after giving himself a small burn on the shoulder, tried to heal himself, but couldn't. The turtle ducks wounds must have not been as severe as they had looked.
The Royal Fire Family (although Zuko wanted very pregnant Katara to stay home) and Tuyun head back to the Eastern Air Temple for the yearly Peace Convention. Tuyun was extremely excited to get to see her parents again, they had kept in touch with letters, but they were always being called to different parts of the Earth Kingdom, trying to settle disagreements between earth citizens and fire expatriats, they had to settle trading disputes, rebuild destroyed villages, and quell unpredictable rebel outbreaks. Nine years was not enough to erease the hate and fear and pain… but the delegates would all be meeting at the Eastern Air Temple, ready to resolve conflicts and make decisions that Aang had suggested. They were there for diplomacy, but they were also discovering tolerance and the beauty of diversity through their children's eyes.
In the peaceful temple, Katara gave birth to Katsuro, the second birth that Sokka hadn't fainted for. "Now, this one looks like a water bender Zuko," Sokka proclaimed, Katsuro's soft skin was almost as dark as Katara's.
"Nope" Iroh contested, "he's a fire bender. I can tell." Sokka leaned in close to Katsuro's little face. Katsuro's golden eyes flew open, focusing on his uncle.
"See?" Zuko took his son and said proudly upon seeing his golden eyes: the color of an infant fire benders'.
"hmpf, I still think he'll be a water bender!"
"Well he does seem to like you Sokka," Katara smiled softly. Zuko placed Katsuro back in her arms. It had taken them a while to come up with a name, Zuko thought it should be more like Katara than Jiroh and Azule, who everyone considered to be named after his family. Katara had agreed on it because the "-suro" part reminded her of Zuko's name.
Tuyun, Hoshu, Jiroh, and Azule showed their relatives bending skills that they had learned over the past year. Saki gave a demonstration of techniques she had learned so far in Kyoshi. Hanna showed off her sling-shot skills with the one she had received for her fifth birthday.
Aang and Toph discussed what to do with Tuyun. Her water training could still be improved, and Katara was now the only one they felt she was safe with. The water rebels that had attacked the south pole were causing major problems across the southern hemisphere- Aang couldn't figure out who their leader was or where their base was located. Katara and Sokka were disturbed because it was apparent that there were at least some water benders among that group: they would attack only along shores and no trace of them was found inland. They hadn't been spotted anywhere near the fire nation, which was really odd compared to the other rebel forces, Tuyun's location and lineage had been kept pretty hush-hush since her kidnapping. Her and Hoshu tried to show only their earth and fire bending sides when surrounded by people they didn't know, they knew the world wouldn't look kindly on their gifts. They mostly stayed inside the palace walls, which was making them both grow irritated. Toph was especially disheartened by the turn her daughter's life had taken. She felt like she was locking her daughter up exactly like her parents had done to her, and she had hated it so much that she had run away. And Tuyun had the urge to travel, explore new places and things, just like her father. Aang tried to reassure Toph that it was different, Tuyun was happy with her friends in the fire nation, and she went on trips with them to the poles and other places. But Toph missed her daughter, and the sound of her sweet laughter as the wind and Appa's hair tickled her face.
"Lady Katara, when are my momma and daddy commin home?" six year old Tuyun sat curled in Hoshu's favorite chair in the Fire Palace's nursery parlor. Katara was nursing baby Katsuro… again.
"Tuyun… you miss them?"
"mmhmm"
"They're handling important affairs on the other side of the world, Tuyun, they couldn't exactly take you with them."
"They used to," the six-year-old pouted.
"Who told you…" Katara said shocked as her son lazily walked into the room "Hoshu!?"
"Saki told us mom," he plopped down on a couch in a very unrefined manner, "she remembers before the twins were born," he placed his feet on the low table in front of him. "Avatar Aang and Lady Toph didn't let Tuyun out of their sight."
Katara bended water out of the vase on the table and used it to push her son's feet back to the ground, "Well, you were a baby-"
"So I should be more able to go now," Tuyun complained. "I could help them, people who saw me, they'd know-"
"Tuie, we scare people. Nobody wants to know that we exist."
"Hoshu!" Katara scolded, it hurt her to hear them say these things, even if it was somewhat valid.
"What, Its true! I've heard people talking about us…"
"Nobody knows why you two can do the things that you can. Nobody knows if its ever happened before. Aang's ability to bend all four elements scares some people, and he's the Avatar…"
"People are afraid of daddy?"
"He is the most powerful being in existence," Hoshu said in a mechanical manner that made Katara think that Hoshu had been listening to one of his father's rants again.
"He doesn't… act like it, does he Lady Katara?"
"That's just how your father is, Tuyun. He'd rather… ride penguins than fight anyone, anyday. He's always been like that, a peacekeeper, as he should be."
"Momma was never a peacekeeper, was she Lady Katara?"
"No, I believe that's one thing your mother never was."
Hoshu bent the water his mother had used into a ball and threw it at Tuyun. She caught it with a laugh and sent it flying back. They played water ball for a little bit, while playing another game that Katara couldn't see: with each volley, Hoshu would heat the ball to almost boiling temperatures, and Tuyun would take down it to just over freezing temperature. Katara looked up when she heard steam sizzle from ice. Katara let out a warning cough, and Hoshu bent the water back into its vase.
"…I still don't understand why I can't go with them…"
"Tuyun, Hoshu you too, you children… are our weaknesses. The 'strongest beings in this world', are powerless when those we love, the ones who we couldn't bare to see anything happen too, are in danger-"
"Like when Tuie was kidnapped!?!"
"I was kidnapped!?!?"
"Yes Tuyun, It was a very stressful time for everyone… It was the first time Aang had gone into the Avatar state sense, well, that's a different story…"
It was quiet for a while as Tuyun soaked in this information, her mind wandered before she spoke again "…Do you miss traveling Lady Katara?"
"I've been many places, but right now my place is here, with my children and godchild."
"I wish I could travel more."
"Me too."
"The world isn't a very safe place for young children to be wandering… and I should know."
"We totally cramped your style, didn't we mom?!"
A/N: this chapter covers a year of time. This sort of life is how Tuyun lives for the next year as well.
I love interacting between Katara, Hoshu, and Tuyun. I am having a hard time trying to relate that Azule really is a nice girl most of the time, because I always seem to write about times when she's upset. And yeah, Jiroh is kinda a doof. The kids start fitting better into their characters once they're teenagers...
Please review if you liked, or have suggestions!
