Speeches: The Chapter! Back to Zuko this time around, and everyone seems to have a whole lot to say. Much shorter than last time around, but I really don't think I'm even going to try to match last chapter's length. Truth be told, I wasn't even intending on writing as much as I did for Ch 8. It just kinda happened.
Anyway, enjoy!
As soon as they'd stepped off, Hakoda placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder, guiding him along and talking animatedly about the improvements to his growing nation.
Feeling the tiniest bit betrayed, Zuko stole a glance back to Ty Lee that was equal parts longing and accusation. He saw her growing smaller in the crowd as he walked away. She was smiling, giving him a playful wave as he was dragged off towards what would likely wind up having to be an impromptu speech. She was enjoying this.
"Zuko?" Hakoda asked.
Zuko snapped his attention back to the older man, embarrassed by his distraction. "Yes, I'm listening. Improvements to the infrastructure, go on."
"Okay, I was actually talking about opening new trade routes, but we can talk about infrastructure if you like." Hakoda replied, looking amused.
"I'm sorry." Zuko apologized sincerely. "My mind was… Wandering."
"Oh, you don't have to tell me. I think I know exactly where it was." Hakoda said. When Zuko's face flushed at his statement, he continued. "You said you're just friends?"
"Yes, of course." The younger man stammered.
"But you do like her."
Zuko hesitated. Hakoda had the same quality as Iroh, in that his paternal instincts extended to the entirety of the gang. He'd been something of a confidant to Zuko during his trips to Republic City, while Iroh was still in Ba Sing Se. Even still, Zuko was hesitant to answer the question.
"Ah, relax." Hakoda said in a casual tone that sounded so much like Sokka, Zuko had to double take to confirm which member of the family he was talking to. "We were all young at some point, difficult as it is to believe. I did make sure to wait until it looked like you two were done talking."
"Wait." Zuko interjected. "How long were you there?"
"Long enough to tell that there's more going on than friendship between you two. My advice? If you haven't already, tell her how you feel before you miss your chance." Zuko still seemed skeptical, so Hakoda continued. "Look, I'm not going to tell you what to do with your life. You can handle your personal business however you like. But what I will tell you is that I made sure that I didn't miss my chance when it presented itself, and I found the woman of my dreams." Something in Hakoda's eyes twinkled at the thought, though at the same time Zuko noticed the Chief's features soften with what looked like a somber pain.
Loss. It was the same look he saw in Iroh's eyes when he spoke of his wife, or Lu Ten.
It was gone almost as fast as it appeared. "And look at me now." He said, much more upbeat. "It's been a rough journey, no doubt. But now I have two children I love than anything in this world, and trust me when I tell you: I wouldn't give that up for anything."
Zuko thought about that. Is that what he wanted? A family? He wasn't even fully sure what it was he felt for the Kyoshi Warrior, let alone what his plans were for the future. But unclear though they were, he was at least able to admit to himself that he did have feelings for her. He just wasn't sure how to tell her.
"You make it sound so simple." He told Hakoda miserably.
The Chief shrugged, grinning. "I'm a simple man."
They stopped at a point near the center of the room, and Hakoda turned to face Zuko. "Alright, here we are." Hakoda began. "Now look- You're a bright kid, so I'm sure I don't have to tell you this. But I'll say it anyway. Many of my people still distrust the Fire Nation."
"I know." Zuko replied. And he did.
It wasn't without reason, of course. Many of the people in the Southern Water tribe knew only violence from the Fire Nation. They'd grown up in a time of war, when raids and attacks were frequent and unrelenting.
Zuko thought of how Katara had treated him when she'd first met him. To her, he'd been the very face of a tyranny that had plagued her since her early childhood. When she looked at him, she saw one of the monsters who'd taken her mother away from her when she was only a young girl.
They'd come a long way since then, and he could honestly call her one of his closest friends now. But he'd had the opportunity to talk to her- to prove himself. He'd worked so hard to prove that he was more than what she saw his nation to be, and finally he'd broken through the wall of anger and prejudice she'd erected. The same couldn't be said for the rest of her village.
"Well…" Hakoda said, breaking him from his thoughts. "This is our chance to change some minds around here. My people may not realize it, but they need this. They need to see you, and know that you're not the enemy."
Zuko nodded. "Then let's change some minds."
Hakoda smiled, then climbed up onto a nearby table and indicated for Zuko to follow. It was unorthodox, but the young Firelord complied. He climbed up beside the older man as he was getting the room's attention.
"Water Tribe!" He shouted. A few hoots and hollers rose up at the cry, members of the tribe raising their voices in response to Hakoda's bellowing call. "Friends and guests! I'd like to say a few words." He paused as more heads turned toward him. A hush began to settle over the crowd as people nudged their noisy friends and directed attention to the Chief. "Don't worry, you can keep eating." A chuckle rumbled through the room. "I just need your ears for a few minutes."
Raised on the table as he was, Zuko was able to see all the way across the room, over a sea of eyes that were all facing him and the chief. People drank and ate still, but conversation had all but died away.
For a brief flash of a moment, he thought he saw a familiar blue arrow pushing through the crowd in the back, but it disappeared too quickly for him to be sure.
"I was going to wait until my son finally decided to grace us with his presence, but I have the feeling that if I wait any longer half of my tribesmen will be snoring under a table." Another round of chuckles. A few cheers from the jokesters in the room. Zuko even heard someone shout "Here here!"
It was a strange system for a speech, utterly alien to him. When the Firelord spoke in his throne room or the War Council chamber, all other voices were silenced. The sheer weight of his station, coupled with consequences for speaking out of turn kept most replies respectful, and delivered in proper order.
He found himself liking this system better. In many ways, it reminded him of a family gathering. Or, at least, what he'd heard those were supposed to be like. Hakoda spoke, and others listened. Not out of deference or fear, but out of respect.
"It's been over five years since the war ended. Five years that we've used to strengthen ourselves. Not just as a tribe, or a single people, but all across the Four Nations. We have visitors here today from the Earth Kingdom-" A bout of cheers rose up. "-Northern Water Tribe-" More cheers. "And even the Fire Nation." There were still cheers, but somehow these sounded quieter- more reserved.
It was a reaction that Zuko was used to. Despite his ceaseless work to undo the distrust and fear felt toward his nation, it still bore the stigma brought about by his Father and Grandfather's lust for power. He and his sister would always be reminders of an era of war that the rest of the world would rather have forgotten.
"Standing beside me is Firelord Zuko, one of the individuals responsible for making this era of peace possible. He worked with the Avatar, and with my children to stop Ozai's reign, and bring an end to the Hundred Year War."
Zuko heard the cheers. They were quieter, and more scattered than before. Of the people who raised their voices now, he doubted that even half truly did so for him. More likely than not, most of them were simply supporting their chief.
Outside of his own Nation, the position of Firelord carried with it the image of a power-hungry, merciless conqueror. He'd been making visits to Republic City and the Earth Kingdom to try to change this, but this was one of his first public visits to the Southern Water Tribe. A few kind words from their own chief might help things along, but Zuko knew that no one could speak for him.
He placed a hand on Hakoda's arm, getting the older man's attention. With a nod, he indicated that he wanted to speak to the crowd. Hakoda nodded back, stepping aside as Zuko stepped front and center.
He looked over the gathered faces. Hakoda had been right. People from all over the Four Nations were gathered before him, all harboring varying amounts of distrust towards him. Once the sight might have intimidated him, but by now he was far too familiar with it to be afraid.
"People of the Southern Water Tribe," His voice was not quite as booming as Hakoda's, but it carried across the room all the same. "I'd like to thank you for your hospitality. I know that since the war's end, I haven't been able to speak to you all personally. But I hope that my being here now shows my willingness to extend the good will of my people to all nations. This Spirit Festival represents a great leap forward for all of us, and shows what we can accomplish if we stand together. There is still a great deal of hardship ahead of us, but if we continue to work diligently and strengthen ties between our people, we can begin to let the scars of the war fade, and welcome a new era of peace and prosperity."
Zuko stopped, and the applause began again. It sounded more earnest this time, a few more people being swayed by his words. Hakoda glanced back at him, giving him a smile and a thumbs-up gesture. "Not bad." The older man said.
"What do you know of peace?" A voice sounded from the crowd.
The cheering stopped.
"What does any offspring of Ozai know of peace?" A man stumbled to the front of the gathered crowd, clearly drunk and wavering on his feet, but managing to keep his angry gaze fixed on the Firelord.
"Nauja, that's enough," Another man said, trying to pull his inebriated friend back into the crowd.
The man, Nauja apparently, simply shrugged him off, taking another step closer. His face looked withered, as though he hadn't been sleeping as often as he ought to. Stubble lined the outer edges of his jaw, and now that he'd stepped closer to Zuko, the Firelord could see the pink tinge of bloodshot in his eyes.
Zuko almost felt the need to walk out and steady the man, if only to make sure he didn't fall. But he stood his ground, even holding up a hand to discourage Hakoda when he appeared ready to interfere. He remained silent, and let the man say his peace.
"I lost my wife to the raids your people staged on our lands. Soldiers who came by the order of your father took my Nala from me." Zuko could see the glimmer of unshed tears in the man's eyes. "That is the 'good will' of your nation, Firelord. And yet you dare to come here preaching peace."
Zuko lowered himself from the table as the man's rant drew to a close. It was a simple gesture, but a powerful one. He wouldn't look down on this man while he listened to him lay his anguish down for all to bear witness. And he certainly wouldn't speak down to him either. When he addressed the Southern Water Tribe man, it would be as an equal.
But before he ever got the chance, Nauja had one more thing to say. "The only good thing your father ever did was give you that scar. He marked your shame so that no one would ever forget what you are."
The words struck Zuko harder than he would have expected. Of course he knew how people likely viewed him, and by extension the mark. But it was one thing to know, and quite another to hear it said so callously. He might have applauded the honesty if it had been any other situation.
"Is that what you think?" Zuko asked. His voice came as a low hiss; a volatile combination of anger and pain boiling just below the surface. "You think he marked my shame, and I have no choice but to… parade around with this symbol of weakness?"
For the first time, uncertainty crept into Nauja's expression. He took an unconscious step back, retreating from Zuko's aggressive advance.
"Well I'll tell you something very few people realize… Nauja, was it?" Zuko was nearly on the man now, only a few paces away. He stared at the man, seeing a light tremor beginning to set into him when he saw the spark of fury in Zuko's eyes.
Ozai would have struck. Ozai would have taught everyone present what the punishment was for speaking against him.
Zuko sighed. "For a long time, I would have said you were right." The Water Tribe Warrior's look of worry and regret shifted to something else. Confusion, maybe.
"Over the years," Zuko said, speaking louder now, for all to hear. "I've actually had many opportunities to get rid of this scar on my face. I know several healers in the North Pole who could do it. There's even one among you who I know is more than gifted enough to do this for me, if I asked. And I know she would, because I've found myself with the very esteemed honor of being able to call her not only an ally, but a very good friend."
Zuko's eyes left Nauja's and began to scan the crowd. No one was speaking now. No one was laughing, and there were no comments being made on the side. All eyes were on him.
As he swept his gaze over the many gathered people, his eyes landed on two very familiar pairs of bright blue eyes. Katara and Sokka stood side by side, not far back from the front of the group. Katara wore a soft smile; the comforting sort that warmed some place deep inside Zuko, and he knew his words were true. Right beside her was her brother, his typical lopsided grin in place. He gave Zuko a nod as their eyes met, letting him know that he was there to support him as well. A pair of arms wrapped around Sokka's left belonged to Suki, who was giving Zuko a determined, encouraging stare. Though he hadn't known her quite as long as the others, Suki had a sort of no-nonsense attitude that was very similar to Toph's. The main difference was that Suki was willing to build you up, while Toph was always ready to tear down whoever was on the opposing side. Both were equally terrifying to face.
With one last lingering glance at his friends, Zuko continued. "I thought about it. For a very long time, I considered getting rid of the ugly mark that I felt had defined me for so long. But then I realized something." He paused, letting his words hang for a moment. "My father gave me this scar after I spoke out of turn during a war council meeting. He was thinking of carelessly sacrificing our own men in the name of his own personal desire for conquest. He said that I'd shamed him by speaking out. Shamed myself...
"But you know what? The only people there who should've been ashamed of themselves were the other men in that room, who allowed him to do as he pleased without raising a single word of protest." It had been one of the generals who had come up with the plan, but Zuko felt that that particular detail could be left out for now.
"The day I received this mark was the first day I was willing to speak out against a tyrant. The day I got this was the first day I acted with true honor, rather than what my father taught me about the word. You may all see this as a mark of shame, but to me… It's a symbol of pride.
"I look in the mirror, and I see that I was willing to speak up for change. I see that I was young, brash, maybe a bit foolish."
He returned his gaze to Nauja. "I see that I was- and still am- many things… But I am not my father."
He kept his eyes on the Water Tribe man as he continued to speak. "I understand what you've lost. What you've all lost. Believe me, this life has taken more from me than I could ever describe."
And it had. He'd lost his Father, a man who had once seemed stern but loving, to the realization that he was nothing but an evil, manipulating monster. He'd lost a loving mother to some stranger who had chosen to utterly abandon him and Azula when they were children. He'd lost a caring, protective cousin to a war he'd barely been old enough to understand at the time.
He tried to tell himself that maybe he hadn't lost Azula just yet. Maybe the smug, annoying little sibling who loved to tease her older brother- her Zuzu- was still in there somewhere. Deep down though, he feared it was too late.
He shoved that thought to the back of his mind as he continued, keeping his face as straight and stern as possible. He was the Firelord now… He couldn't afford to look weak.
"I know how easy it is to give in to feelings of anger- to thoughts of vengeance. And I know that what I'm going to ask you to do may seem near impossible… But for the sake of all nations- not just yours or mine- I have to ask anyway."
Zuko tilted his head up slightly, projecting his voice as far into the room as he could. With how silent it was, he doubted anyone had been having any difficulty hearing him up until now, but he needed to be sure.
"I'd ask you all to accept a Firelord's most humble apologies. I'm not asking you to forget. I would never ask you to forget. But I would ask you all… For the sake of our children, and all future generations, to find it within yourselves to forgive the past, and start working toward a better future. One we can all be proud of. One that we build together."
Cheers and applause erupted once more, and this time there was no hesitation. There were no nervous or spiteful holdouts. This time it felt like they were going to shake the room apart with sound alone, and something about that made Zuko well up with pride.
Then he saw Nauja. The man wasn't angry anymore, but now he stood right in front of Zuko, looking confused and dejected. It reminded Zuko of when he'd first gone into hiding with his uncle. All of his anger, his pain… All impotent and directionless. He couldn't leave Nauja like that. Not now.
"Hey." He said. He was much quieter now, speaking only to the man in front of him. He carefully placed a hand on Nauja's shoulder, ready for the man to jerk the shoulder back or push him away. He did neither of these things, only looking at Zuko with an expression that the young Firelord could only describe as… Lost.
"I never knew Nala." Nauja flinched at the use of her name, but gave no further protest, so Zuko continued. "But I doubt she would want you to do this to yourself. She would probably want your memories of her to bring you joy, not anger or sorrow."
"I know." Nauja said. "Spirits, I know. Nala never wanted anyone to suffer. If she knew that it was the memory of her that caused me to speak in such a way, she'd-" Nauja's voice broke for a moment, but he brought it back with after a brief sniffle. "She'd be turning in her grave. She'd tell me I was turning into a foolish old man, just like my father." He gave a watery laugh, then turned to Zuko.
He dropped to one knee, bowing his head. "Firelord Zuko, please accept my apology. I had no right to speak as I did, and-"
"-Please." Zuko interrupted softly, holding out a hand. "Stand up."
Nauja looked up, and took Zuko's outstretched hand hesitantly. The Firelord helped the man to his feet, putting the other hand on his shoulder to hold him steady. "You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, you were pretty much saying what I'm sure most of the room was thinking. You loved your wife, and you miss her. I wasn't lying when I said I understood that much."
Nauja nodded, and Zuko continued. "Like I said, you don't owe me any apology- but I'll gladly accept it anyway if you'll consider doing the same for mine."
A smile tugged at the edge of Nauja's lips, and the man held out his arm to clasp with Zuko's. The younger man complied, offering his arm in return.
"If I owe no apology, then you most certainly don't either. It was wrong of me to foist the sins of the father on the son. I see that now."
Nauja gave a laugh that sounded nearly embarrassed. "Well… Now that I've made a complete ass of myself, I'm not quite sure what to do. For so long, it was my hatred of the Fire Nation that drove me onwards. Now, you're right in front of me and I can't help but feel ridiculous for it."
"Well," Zuko began. "Now I guess you find something else to drive you. Something…"
Zuko trailed off as he realized that they weren't alone. Of course, the room was full of people, but most of them had started to go back to their own revelry after what they felt was the end of the speeches.
But right behind Nauja, two very familiar people were standing. One was his uncle, beaming with pride. The other was Ty Lee, who was smiling encouragingly, and waiting patiently for him to finish his discussion with the older man.
"Bright." Zuko said, not breaking eye contact with Ty Lee. "Something that inspires you."
Her cheeks turned red, and she looked away before she could see his face doing the same. Nauja didn't seem to notice, tightening his grip on the Firelord's arm. "You make it sound so simple. You've given me a lot to think about, Firelord Zuko. I'll consider your words. You truly are wise beyond your years."
Zuko's gaze drifted over to Iroh. "I have a good teacher."
He returned his focus to Nauja, bid the man a good evening, and then walked over to Ty Lee and his uncle.
"I told you so." Iroh said before Zuko could get a word in. "You did just fine without me. It was an excellent speech, Nephew. Truly inspiring." He said, adding a suggestive tone to the last word. Iroh cackled as Zuko and Ty Lee both blushed deeply once again. The old man got a sick sense of enjoyment out of torturing them both, Zuko was sure.
"For what it's worth," Ty Lee said from his side. "I thought you did a great job too. For a second, I thought you were going to snap on that guy. I'm sorry for doubting you."
"For a second, I was about to snap. Trust me, your concern was pretty valid." He paused, getting a far-off look in his eye. "My father would've done it. He would've lashed out in some way the moment Nauja spoke up. I think that's what stopped me."
"Hey." Ty Lee said, placing a hand on his cheek. "Look at me." He did, his eyes slowly focusing back on the girl in front of him. "You said it yourself. You aren't your father. You're a good man, Zuko. Much better than he could ever hope to be."
He smiled. "Thank you. It means a lot to hear-"
"Ahem." Iroh cleared his throat conspicuously. The two of them jumped, Ty Lee's hand coming off of his face, and Zuko's arm unwrapping from her waist. He hadn't even noticed it was happening until his uncle had interrupted.
"Much as I enjoy being correct," Iroh said with a smug look toward Zuko. "I don't think they're done with us just yet." He said, pointing toward the center of the room. Hakoda was walking with Pakku toward the very same table he and Zuko had been using minutes earlier.
"If I know my old friend, we'd do well to find a seat. He has a tendency to drone on for a while."
"How unlike anyone I know." Zuko said, sarcasm obvious in his voice.
"I've never heard you complain about my advice before. Not until now, when I started interrupting."
Ty Lee covered her mouth to stifle a giggle while Zuko fumed. Seeing the two of them go back and forth was one of the things she'd grown to appreciate over the last few years.
She'd always thought Iroh was funny, but seeing the bond he'd developed with Zuko made her like the old man even more. At a glance, it would be easy to mistake the two of them for father and son. She thought it was cute, and it made her happy that Zuko finally had the ability to share that familial bond with someone.
The thought caused fleeting memories to rise to the surface of her mind.
Countless arguments with her sisters while she was growing up. Many instances of every single one of them acting out at some point or another, vying for their parents' attention. The year they'd made the decision to each get a different hobby, just to differentiate themselves from each other.
Strangely enough, even though so many of those moments had annoyed her growing up, she found herself almost missing them now. She found herself at the confusing point of actually wishing she had someone around to tease her about her acrobatics, or steal her hairbrush, or scheme with her to raid their parent's pantry for snacks.
As much as she loved the Kyoshi Warriors, seeing Iroh and Zuko at their usual banter had her wishing for something she'd run away from years ago.
Family.
Without any real conscious input on her end, Ty Lee found her arm snaking through Zuko's again, pulling his attention away from the discussion he was having with Iroh. Concern was plain as day on his face as he looked at her. "Ty Lee?" He asked. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She replied quickly. "But maybe we should actually find that seat that your uncle was talking about? It looks like Pakku made it up onto the table."
Zuko didn't look entirely convinced, but he relented with a nod. He didn't pull away from her, taking her with him as he and his uncle searched for a good place to sit.
Ty Lee followed along wordlessly, allowing herself to settle in comfortably beside Zuko once they did find a table. She caught him taking a sidelong glance at her before Pakku started talking, still looking worried. She gave him a reassuring smile, and then turned her attention to the waterbending master who was now calling for silence.
Pakku allowed the quiet to settle for a moment before he began to speak. "I would like to speak to you all about why we are here. Certainly, speeches and feasts are all well and good… But the spirit festival represents a far more sacred tradition than food or niceties.
"When my son and grandson first suggested to me that we welcome outsiders to what was traditionally a time of reverence and solemnity… I couldn't have disagreed more heartily. I grew up in a time of isolationism among nations. Few things were shared between us all, least of all customs and rituals."
Pakku looked around at the gathered faces, donning what almost looked like a grin on his own.
"But my grandson, Sokka, has a very unique outlook on things. He said-" Pakku paused, tilting his hand back and forth in a so-so gesture. "More or less- that we owed it to both ourselves and our children to take every opportunity to foster greater understanding between our people. And what better way to do this than to invite guests from all nations, so that together, we may all enjoy this 'spiritual mumbo-jumbo'." Pakku said, placing air quotes on the last bit. Laughter washed over the crowd, until Pakku held up a hand for silence.
"After quite a bit of debating, convincing, and no small amount of compromise, I believe we have come to an agreement that both pays proper respect to the spirits, and provides a warm welcome for our many guests."
Ty Lee saw cups raised across the room at that statement. Iroh raised one that he'd gratefully accepted from a passing server shortly before the speech had begun. She wasn't sure if it was tea or something stronger.
"So we invite you to join with us tonight in revering the spirits that live both in and beyond our world. Those that guard our forests, and our seas. Long have we co-existed in harmony, with the help of the Avatar to act as a bridge between us."
At those words, Ty Lee took a quick glance around, realizing she hadn't yet seen Aang that night. Idly, she wondered if Toph had found him yet. Suki had told her about her role in helping set up a rendezvous between the two, making her promise not to give any specifics to Katara as of yet.
For a moment, she wondered why that was. Then she felt Zuko shift a little closer to her, and she didn't care so much any more. She leaned against him, allowing herself to enjoy the moment.
"Harmonic Convergence is the time when our world and the spirit world are at their closest. It is the time when the most vexing of spiritual events may occur, with spirits passing freely through the veil between our worlds. But above all, it is the time that we recognize these beings which we coexist with in harmony."
Pakku paused, letting his words resonate.
Before he could continue, the door to the hall flew open with a loud bang. The wind, which had only been gaining strength through the evening, now rushed into the hall. A flurry of snow carried on the howling gale framed a newcomer, who ran towards the center of the room without bothering to close the door behind him. He was obviously in a rush, bumping into people as he passed, and nearly stumbling over his own hurried steps.
"Chief!" The man yelled as he pushed his way through the crowd. "Chief Hakoda!"
By now, someone near the door had shut it against the snowstorm, and the newcomer's voice carried clearly over the sudden silence that had befallen the room. He sounded strained- panicked almost. He was out of breath, huffing and wheezing as he approached the man he sought.
Hakoda had pushed his way through part of the crowd to meet the man halfway. He caught him by the shoulders, holding him steady.
"Sir, I- One of-" The man was panting, fumbling over the
"Easy, soldier. Breathe." Hakoda soothed. "Collect yourself, then tell me what happened."
The man nodded, gradually gaining control of his breath as the rest of the room seemed to hold theirs. In the entire time she'd been there, she hadn't heard the room this quiet. Even when Zuko was speaking.
She looked over at him, and they shared a brief nod. They had to find out what was going on.
Zuko stood, and she joined him. They carefully pushed their way through the crowd, getting ever closer to the commotion. Some people seemed slightly annoyed to be pushed away from wherever they were gawking, but moved regardless when they saw that it was the Firelord himself pushing to the front of the crowd.
Zuko and Ty Lee closed in just in time to meet up with Sokka, Suki, and Katara, who had also been working their way toward the Chief and the panicked soldier.
Zuko sent Sokka a questioning look, to which the Water Tribe man replied with a shrug. Neither of them had any idea what was going on. Suki, for her part, seemed caught between worry and curiosity. Whatever was happening, Sokka would likely want to get involved. And if it was dangerous, she wouldn't be there to back him up like she used to be.
Katara was watching with a focused look that Ty Lee found all too familiar. The waterbender always had a certain level of severity and determination that emerged in times of crisis. She had an almost otherworldly sense about these types of situations, and if she looked like that, she undoubtedly had the same feeling as her and Zuko. Something was very wrong.
"One of our patrols-" The man said, bringing Ty Lee back. "They saw something out there. Something bad. Please, Chief, you must come immediately."
"What did they see?" Hakoda asked, then shook his head. "Wait- never mind. Best not to start any more of a panic here than there already is. Let's go."
"Wait, Chief." The soldier said.
Hakoda stopped in his tracks. "What is it?"
The man looked conflicted, appearing to regret having spoken at all. Then he hardened his expression, and looked up to the chief. "We may need the Avatar."
Oh ho ho... Calling in the big guns. At the expense of the big guns' private moments. Like I said, short-ish chapter this time around, but every single one of these is going to be about the length it needs to be. I got what I needed out of this around 5k words. If we go and start trying to apply some pattern recognition to this, we're all going to wind up as crazy as me. No one wants that. Anyway, here's a bunch of words on my thoughts. You can skip the next two paragraphs if you like, or read and join me on an adventure through my most arbitrary musings on these characters and the content.
pretentiousRant
So anyway, the chapter. Really wanted to dwell on something that I saw in a discussion video that "Hello Future Me" posted on YouTube. (If you don't watch his stuff, it comes with a hearty recommendation from me.) He said that this is a world where even some of the oldest people could barely remember a time when the War wasn't happening. There are bound to be some hurt feelings going around, scars that won't heal, anger that won't abate. HFM talked about the cycle of war, and how it repeats itself. Really wanted to show some of the ramifications of a post-war world, and how Zuko deals with the most common comparison that's going to happen, both externally and internally. Zuko and Ozai, Firelord to Firelord, Father to Son. How does Zuko cope with ruling in his father's wake? How can he stop comparing himself to the former Firelord when the rest of the world seems to be doing it for him? It's gotta be a rough time. But he's strong, and he has people there for him.
Also, other random topic. No one's brought this up so far- but the dancing. I just wanted to let you all know that I'm not dumb, that I'm perfectly aware that the Waltz first came about somewhere in central/eastern Europe (Austria-ish), and that the only western influences present in the original show are really the water tribe, being based on Inuit Culture. However, I'm going to defend myself by saying that the sequel show, Legend of Korra (which really is a lot better than most people give it credit for) they sprinkle ALL KINDS of western culture all over the place, outta nowhere. I'm talking Jazz, Waltzing, and Republic city looking very much like an Asian reskin of depression-era New York. Where did that come from? Anyway, if that isn't enough, I'm gonna go ahead and insert the "This is fanfiction I can do what I want" argument and continue to throw in random western culture. I can throw in Viking and Nora (Horizon Zero Dawn again) culture to the water tribe if I want to, and I can certainly make Zuko and Ty Lee dance.
/pretentiousRant
Woo, this is getting to be as long as the chapter. Quick review responses, and then I'll shut up.
G-Man: Your review makes 10, my dude. Thanks! Hit the double digits! Seriously though, thank you for the feedback, and thanks for reading. Also yes, there is a ridiculously high amount of Zutara on this site, and while I have no problem with the pairing- there's enough of it here that the sheer staggering amount is enough to make one physically unwell. I really wanted to do something new, and while I couldn't resist the call of Taang, I did figure that Zuko could be with someone else. Also I just straight up love Ty Lee. She was going to be a major character from the start. Those Zutara folks can have their 40 milliong stories or whatever. We cool kids can just hang out right here.
Guest: Seriously guys, at least type in a name or something. Whatever. Anyway, thank you for the review. And yeah, that's a pretty common issue I have when I read, too. I get so invested in one particular character or group of characters that I hate it whenever the author drags the attention away from them. I kept telling myself I would never do something so cruel. Whoops. And yeah, totally! ZuLee (Tyko... TyZu... idk) is the pairing no one knew they wanted, but hopefully throughout the story I can start winning some hearts and minds around here.
TheBurgerSnatcher: Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate the feedback, and the sentiment, but let me assure you that there are plenty of excellent stories on this site if you look. And many are much better written than mine! I'm actually very critical toward my own writing, and the only reason I got over it and submitted this was because I'm a bit of a drama queen (As Toph would likely put it), and I wanted a very particular kind of story. A lot of these other fics have excellent plotlines, and great character interactions... but so many of them just revolve around that. The conflict is something like "oh, we can't get married", or "I couldn't possibly be with Zuko!". Which is all well and good, but- in my mind, at least- those are SUB PLOTS. The main plot for me needs to have an antagonist. Some individual or force that is actively working against the greater good. Avatar stories need to have that evil, so that the good can rise up against it. I'm probably just narrow-minded, but whatever... It led to me pulling on the ol' infinity gauntlet in the end. "Fine... I'll do it myself."
And that's about it! Shoot, this wound up being almost as long as the chapter. I'm going to go ahead and cut off here, but thank you all again for the views and feedback. Hope you all have a fantastic week!
Cheers,
Specter
