Flowers didn't just grow in the spring in the Fire Nation. Several varieties apparently also grow in the winter. When Katara discovered this, she wondered why she never saw flowers in the South Pole during any season, although she figured the ice and snow had something to do with it. She asked the palace gardener who was helping them prepare their parade float.

"Yes, these cold-weather flowers are hardier than their spring and summer cousins," he replied. "But they still take root during the other seasons. They need the warmth of the summer and the winds of the fall to prepare the ground for proper growth." He paused to thoughtfully stroke his beard. "For everything on earth there is a season, just as there is a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to harvest…"

The gardener had trailed off but Katara remained poised to hear the rest. Her Gran Gran used to recite it often. She didn't know its origin, but the passage had helped her grasp the idea of destiny while at the same time made her feel more at ease in her present circumstances. If there is a time for everything, then I don't have to worry so much about keeping control… or losing it. The gardener must have sensed her silent reflections because after a beat, he picked up where he left off:

"A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace."

"What was that last part?" she asked.

"Which one, 'a time for war and a time for peace?'" the gardener clarified.

"Yeah. I've not heard that part before." Gran Gran never said that line.

"I think it's been adapted throughout the nations over the years. The part about the stones comes from the Earth Kingdom, and we don't say that line here in the Fire Nation. Perhaps the Water Tribes don't believe there is a time for war. Seems likely to me anyway."

"Yeah, makes sense." Who is this man? He seems too well-versed and well-traveled to have worked in the royal palace garden all his life.

When the gardener was not imparting words of wisdom, he was advising on floral patterns and color schemes for their parade float. The theme was "waves of change," and each bending art had a side and its own wavelike element. A boat mounted on a cart made up the base of the float, and it would be hitched up to a dragon moose just like all the other floats in the parade. Except when they got down to the harbor, the boat part would actually set sail so they could make their getaway to Ember Island. The flowers served as a disguise and a decorative element they could easily shed in the water.

Toph and Aang used their metalbending to make wire frames for each "wave." The air waves looked like a series of spirals, and the gardener brought in calendula flowers in shades of orange and yellow. The water element was easy enough to recreate, but harder to find flowers for, but a mixture of purple pansies and blue violas finally did the trick. The "earth wave" was a difficult concept to illustrate, but Toph described vibrations she had felt under the earth, like waves or "tremors," she had called them. The gardener created a backdrop with a spindly brush he called "winter jasmine" and wove in another stalky flower called "erica" to further create a sense of movement.

The "fire wave" was modeled after an actual firebending form, one of the very few defensive moves in an otherwise assertive bending art. The gardener chose none other than the Fire Nation's official flower, the snapdragon, which blooms year round in bright orange, red, and yellow. Katara knew these flowers well since they were planted everywhere on the palace grounds. They were pretty enough, she figured, with their vibrant colors and all, but she always found their thick and pointy appearance to be a bit… aggressive.

All in all, she was pleased with how the float turned out, a representation of the four nations that they had all created together. And after her encounter with Fire Sage Satoru, it was a most welcome sight to join her friends gathered there waiting for the parade to begin. She knew she would find love and comfort among them… and the occasional bickering, but she still wouldn't have it any other way.

"Sokka! The dragon moose is eating the flowers again!" Suki hissed.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Sokka whined.

"I don't know. Distract him?"

"Do you think he likes fireflakes?" Sokka started rummaging through his bag.

"Oh, no. He's eaten half of our fire wave! Now what are we going to do?" Suki picked up the half-chewed snapdragon remnants off the ground.

"Meh, we'll just get Iroh or Zuko to make a fire wave, it'll be fine." Sokka shrugged while shoving a handful of freflakes into his mouth.

Katara knew she had walked in on this conversation just in time. "No, Sokka! No firebending during the parade! Remember, we have the fireworks below deck!"

At that moment, Katara felt a hand on her arm. It was Fire Sage Alla, the newest and youngest and nicest of the five Fire Sages. Shyu was nice, too, Katara remembered, since he had helped them contact Roku on the Winter Solstice two years ago, but he had also been a bit aloof since then.

"Katara, don't forget that the snapdragons should be burned once you are out at sea. After the fireworks is fine, but the flowers are poisonous to the fish," Alla advised. "The other flowers are fine, though."

"Oh! Are they poisonous to the dragon moose, too?" Katara shot a concerned look back at Sokka who was offering the animal a handful of fireflakes just then. Her brother grinned sheepishly.

"No, no," Alla said. "The dragon moose eats anything and everything." She laughed. "OK, I think they are almost ready to begin the speeches. The Fire Sages will be on the float behind you, and we'll keep watch."

"Thank you," Katara said. She scanned the next float in the procession which was themed to represent the Fire Nation. Zuko's advisors, Piandao, Jee, and Lady Za Jei were there as well as the other three Fire Sages including Satoru whose back was turned to her. She shivered at the sight of him. "Alla, where's Shyu?"

"Oh, he's uhhh… I don't know. He has a thing… he does on the Winter Solstice. I was told last year not to ask any questions."

"Oh."

They were then interrupted by the sound of a gong. The speeches were about to begin.


Zuko, Iroh, and Ursa emerged onto the platform. The new Fire Lord robes caught the sunlight in the way that reflected the subtle fabric variation that mimicked dragon scales. The golden crest at his collarbone and the flame in his hair also flickered brightly. When Zuko stepped forward and the sun shone fully on his face, he smiled and extended his arms. Today, the young dragon became a man, and he had something to say to his nation… and to the world.

"Welcome to the First Annual Winter Solstice Celebration otherwise known as my uncle's excuse to throw a big party when I asked him not to make a big deal out of my birthday. I think I may have lost that argument now and for all times. The Fire Nation has not traditionally celebrated the Winter Solstice. I mean, it's the shortest day of the year, and let's face it, we really like our sunshine. I've heard some in the Fire Nation call it an unlucky day… actually, I heard that a lot growing up… um, anyway, but today we reclaim this day for celebration. So, thank you for joining us for a cultural exchange through the parade, food, and… whatever else my crazy uncle has planned!"

Zuko nodded to Iroh who bowed while the crowd cheered. Zuko then raised his hands again.

"This day is also special to me and significant for the Fire Nation as I present to you Lady Ursa, daughter of Jinzuk and Rina of Hira'a and mother to the Fire Lord. After her many years of absence, Lady Ursa returns to us with her honor fully restored. She has been acquitted of any allegations made against her, and her marriage to former Fire Lord Ozai has been nullified. The details of her case are on pubic record for those who wish to see documentation… although, I for one would like to put Ozai and his reign of fear behind us, so that we might prosper in an era of peace."

At this, Ursa stepped forward, smiled briefly at her son, but then kept a steady gaze toward the harbor in the distance, not acknowledging the crowd's cheerful affirmation. She wore a black dress with gold embroidery that bore semblance to Zuko's robes. After a few minutes, she moved back in line with Iroh and Zuko, and the Fire Lord continued his speech.

"All the nations are gathered here today in what I had hoped to be an expression of this peace we all speak of in the immediate aftermath of war, this peace we hope to achieve as we rebuild our world together. I mean, what better a birthday present for the new Fire Lord than to see that all the nations can put aside their differences and just get along? If you asked me what I truly want, then that is what I would wish for.

I may be young, but I am not delusional. I've had many meetings with diplomats this week that would lead me to believe that peace is not attainable. As the instigator of the war, I do feel it is my responsibility to lead in the peace effort, and I have been frustrated when no one seems to follow. Of course, why would you? The Fire Nation has done nothing but take by force. Why accept our offers of peacemaking? What do you have to gain?

So then I realized that we are thinking about peace in the same way that we think about war. Give and take. Force and surrender. Conquer and acquire. Peace, my friends, is a process. It is the taxing and tedious effort of solving our problems without violence or oppression. It is a series of actions and agreements where we seek the interest of all concerned. And where we disagree, we live in mutual tolerance. Instead of focusing on where we are different, we find our common ground. We all share this world. We all want a better future for our children. And we will all pass into the spirit world someday. Our time is limited, so we should make the most of it.

There is an old proverb that says, 'there is a time for war and a time for peace.' Well, the way I see it, is that if we don't actively pursue peace, then the only other option is war. And I'm tired of fighting, aren't you?

So as we are all gathered here today, I leave you with this. Stop fighting for peace and start embracing it. Stop worrying about what you are due, and figure out what you can do. And stop thinking about the end goal when we haven't even started the process. Our time is NOW, and this will be our legacy. So it is not just peace for our nation, but for all nations. And not just peace for our time, but for all times."

For a span of about three seconds after Zuko finished, one could hear a pin drop in the silence that blanketed the Royal Plaza. Then, an eruption of cheers and clapping caused Zuko to nod and quickly retreat from the platform with Ursa at his heels. Iroh lingered to say a brief word about the agenda with the parade procession first followed by the festival and fireworks. Soon, the three of them arrived at the parade float, and everyone exchanged hugs and handshakes.

"Did you plan on saying all of that, nephew?" Iroh asked after their embrace.

Zuko let out a sigh of relief. "No, actually. I was gonna stop after I presented mother, but the rest just kinda… came out."

"What brought that on, may I ask?" Iroh continued. "I'm sorry I haven't been part of many meetings these past few weeks. I've been busy party planning."

"Right, I know. Since everyone has been coming here for the festival anyway, there have been a lot of peace proceedings. These meetings have been frustrating. Lots of bickering. I guess I got fed up and felt like something should be said about it."

"Well, that's certainly a better way to handle it than blowing up in a meeting or storming out," Iroh replied.

"Oh." Zuko cast him a rueful smile. "I may have done that, too."

"Well, I'm very proud of you, son," Ursa interjected.

"Me, too," Katara added while slipping an arm around his waist.

Zuko wrapped his arms around her shoulders and squeezed her back. "Thanks."

Just then, they lurched into motion, and the parade was underway. Katara caught something out of the corner of her eye, a figure staring at her from the float behind them. She quickly jerked away from Zuko and crossed to the other side of the boat. Zuko was admiring the flower displays and did not appear to notice her abruptness nor the reason for it.

Satoru was watching her.


A/N: The "proverb" is from the Bible, Ecclesiastes 3:3-8, and it comes from me thinking, isn't there a saying, "for everything there is a season..." and then finding the whole passage to be interesting and potentially relevant. I am attributing the source, much like I would any other element of canon, but I have also adapted it for this story, as one does with fanfiction. (As I understand it, many who uphold biblical scripture as truth would object to the idea that it has been "adapted throughout the nations over the years." Conversely, there are many who say this is exactly what has happened with such texts. I'm not making a statement either way. Ecclesiastes is classified as "wisdom literature" which I think is useful in our world and definitely applicable in the spiritual world of ATLA, regardless of it being more strongly presented under Eastern religious influence.)

In short, I found a cool "quote" and I wanted to use it.

Zuko's speech is loosely based on a speech entitled "A Strategy of Peace" given by John F. Kennedy as a commencement address at the American University on June 10, 1963. So, I've moved on from religion to politics, although recently such topics have become so charged that it's almost advisable to avoid them altogether if you want to have a civil conversation with someone. But lamenting over this is how I stumbled on the speech in the first place, where JFK asserts that "world peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor-it requires only that they live together in mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement."

JFK is also attributed with popularizing the saying, "a rising tide lifts all boats," for which this fic is named. I didn't know that when I chose the title, and I actually wrote Zuko's speech in this chapter a long time before starting the sequel. (It was like I knew our young leader would say something like this at some point.) JFK uses "a rising tide" to describe an economic policy, so maybe I will explore that angle as well. It's kinda like the Carl Jung thing (famous psychiatrist). Just knowing that there are parallels out there, and that I can research presidential speeches and biblical passages and even horticulture makes writing this and interweaving things a lot of fun.

Because learning is fun.

But if this chapter was a little too symbolic or didactic or just... boring... there's more action in the next chapter, I promise!