They bid their farewells and well-wishes to Uncle Iroh as they boarded the carriage that would take them to Yu Dao. As was scheduled, a summit was to be held with regards to what is to become of the oldest Fire Nation colony in the Earth Kingdom.
"Have you visited Azula yet?" Chiyo asked as she looked out into the vast plains and hills from the window. "I wonder if she's doing okay..."
"I haven't..." Zuko sighed. "After what she did, or what she attempted to do to you, I haven't."
"You really should." She turned to him, taking his hand in both of hers. "You and I both know that she's lost. We've been there. You have Uncle Iroh and me, I have you, Lady Reiko and Kai. She has no one."
Zuko looked down at their joined hands, running his thumb over the back of her hand, distracting himself with the rings on her fingers. "She always had father."
"Did she really? That... monster had Azula as his prodigy, a pawn. But did Azula ever have him as a father?"
He was silent, unsure how to answer her.
"You said that after the situation in Yu Dao has been settled, you were going to look for your mother."
He nodded.
"Then can you at least talk to Azula about this? After all, you are brother and sister."
Leaning back against the seat, he closed his eyes and brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it gently. "Fine."
"Chiyo!" Katara ran and hugged her as soon as they got off the carriage in front of the Yu Dao City Hall. "We were so worried about Zuko after he collapsed, but when Sweetie told me that you were with him in Ba Sing Se, I knew everything was going to be fine!"
The apprentice raised a brow. "Sweetie?" From behind Katara, she saw Aang grinning widely from ear to ear. She made a face and laughed. "Oogieee!"
"Oh, come on! Not you too!"
"See? I told you it would catch on!" Sokka shook hands with Zuko. "Good to see you, buddy. Are you ready for boring lecture time with Professor Boringness?"
"I thought this was a summit for the situation in Yu Dao?"
Sokka pointed behind him at Mayor Morishita and the Elders gathered before the meeting started. "The old fogeys think that we teenagers need to be educated on the ancient theories of government or something. All I heard was blah blah blabbity blah!"
Mayor Morishita had approached the Fire Lord and bowed his head lightly to pay respects. "Greetings on your safe arrival, Fire Lord Zuko. Now that you are here, we can begin the summit."
Zuko nodded in acknowledgement. "Mayor Morishita." Then he frowned when he saw the mayor craning his neck to look past him.
"I-is that... the famous apprentice entertainer? Lady Chiyo?"
"Of course, she is." Zuko tried to hide his smile. "Yes."
The mayor quickly made a beeline for the apprentice. "Lady Chiyo!" Gone was the straightforward and serious mayor, now he was all smiles and greeted the girl cheekily. "I hope you still remember me from all your visits here in Yu Dao years ago!"
She gave him a polite smile and bowed her head. There was a slight change in her stance and mood that no one barely saw it, but Zuko easily recognized that it wasn't her usual demeanor. The guarded expression, the sharp look in her eyes...
It was the trained façade of an entertainer.
"How could I forget the generous Mayor Morishita of Yu Dao?" Chiyo smiled again as she lifted her head. "My teacher, the late Lady Suiren, always boasts of your city's metalwork and jewellery."
"I am so honored! And I will be happy to show you around the numerous shops that make the finest accessories in our city!"
"I'll go do that, Mayor. I'm sure the summit is of far greater importance than showing a lowly entertainer like me around." She bowed. "I'll find my way."
"Of course! Right! The summit! Er... Well, if you do take liking to any of our products, tell the shopkeeper to put it on the Mayor's tab! I'll take care of it!"
Chiyo breathed out a sigh of relief as the mayor left to join the others in the city hall. Zuko had approached her and kissed her forehead. "I don't think I'll ever get used to you being a celebrity, Chiyo. I'm always in competition with your fans."
She laughed and boldly wrapped her arms around and over his shoulders. "They can never compete with the handsome Fire Lord Zuko." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"
"I'm sorry, Zuko. I'm just not cut out for important meetings. Besides, I wanna look around the city, see how it's changed over the years."
"Okay, love." He reluctantly pulled away. "I'll come find you as soon as the meeting is over."
"Hey, Katara, how come she gets to skip the meeting and explore the city?"
"Sokka, you need to be in this meeting! And besides, aren't you excited to learn about the ancient history of Earth Kingdom government structures and the Fire Nation's imperialistic contributions to the former existing structure here?"
"Uh, what now?"
The sound of metal and iron being hammered by blacksmiths can be heard everywhere in the city proper. Swords, daggers, wares, and various other metalworks are sold at almost every turn and corner. Chiyo could see why the conflict for Yu Dao almost escalated to an all-out war.
Fire Nation citizens and Earth Kingdom citizens, firebenders, earthbenders, and non-benders alike stood here free from oppression, living progressively together for the betterment of their city. Something never been seen before, much less thought could be possible.
"If this is what the future holds for all of us, then we finally have a future to actually look forward to." She mused as she ran her fingers mindlessly over the display of iron spears outside a shop.
"Look! It's an entertainer!"
"Wow! I've never seen one before!"
"She's so dreamy!"
"Did she come with a noble?"
"I heard she's Fire Lord Zuko's—"
Different whispers could be heard everywhere she went but she paid them no attention. She chose instead to continue walking east, towards the innkeeper she knew years ago.
She looked up at the signage that read Green Blaze Inn and entered slowly. "Hello? Old Chen?"
"Monkey feathers!" An old man shouted from behind his desk and stood up. "How many times do I have to tell people not to call me o—Oh my spirits!"
Chiyo smiled at the old man and bowed deeply. "I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything."
"No! No! Not at all, my Lady!" Old Chen wiped his hands on his tunic and shook hands with her. "It's been too long since your last visit!" His smile was wide, the creases of age in his face deepening further. "You are just in time! I have finished a new instrument made entirely out of metal! I'm sure Lady Suiren will love this! Where is she by the way? I have so much to tell her over tea!"
She faltered; her heart wavered. Did he not know? "Lady Suiren... has passed. Almost two years now..."
Her sadness was mirrored in Old Chen's face as the news sank in. "Oh my..." Chiyo knew that he was a big fan of Lady Suiren even before she became a concubine of the old Fire Lord. She would often come to Yu Dao and give performances, then visit him to have tea in his inn.
Lady Suiren even revealed that Old Chen was like a father to her. Always taking care of her, always worrying for her, her number one fan.
Old Chen walked dispiritedly back behind his desk, reaching under and pulling up a package wrapped in beautiful green silk. He untied the twine cord that held the silk in place and revealed a koto made entirely out of metal. "I planned to give her this the next time she visited..." He hastily wiped the tears from his eyes. "I-I even engraved her name on the board... I should've made this sooner... She promised she would play a song for me years ago... She didn't even say goodbye..."
Chiyo kept her head bowed, slightly ashamed to be the bearer of bad news.
"Indeed, Lady Suiren is like a fleeting butterfly." He traced Suiren's name on the koto and sighed heavily. "She doesn't belong to this cruel world of ours." Old Chen lifted the koto and brought it to Chiyo. "I want you to have it, young apprentice."
Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "N-no, Old Chen! You made this for Lady Suiren. Keep it... I'm sure she would want it with you."
"Please... I want her music to live on..." It was heartbreaking to see him cradling the instrument close to his chest. "Or at least hear her music one last time..."
They were silent for a long time, before Chiyo decided to try. "Well... maybe I can play it once..."
Old Chen helped Chiyo down on the floor, not minding the dust that had settled there and placed the koto on her lap. Once she was settled, he moved back into a corner and closed his eyes.
Had it been another time, and another situation, she would have marvelled at Old Chen's craftsmanship of the instrument. He certainly had Lady Suiren in mind when he made it. It was flawless, just like her mentor. She tested the metal strings, running the scales with her fingertips, finding them perfectly tuned.
She only knew one song played with the koto. She took a deep breath.
Old Chen waited patiently, his eyes still closed. But as soon as he heard the familiar song, Lullaby for the Butterflies, he could vividly see Lady Suiren even through closed lids.
It was Suiren's composition, a sad lullaby, the story of a butterfly fading as the seasons changed and the flowers died.
He clamped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from sobbing as Chiyo continued to play the song with utmost concentration.
She tried to hold back tears as well. Lady Suiren used to hum this song to her when she was young, before she went to sleep. She always thought that it was beautiful, but she never knew it was this sad.
A crowd had gathered outside the inn, peeking through the windows and wide-open door. All of them moved by the heartfelt harmony of the metal strings and Chiyo's fingertips.
As the final notes of the song had been played. She looked up to find Old Chen with his face buried in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he silently wept.
"Even till now, Lady Suiren, you touch the hearts of so many people. I can only ever dream and hope to be like you, and maybe someday, move people with art the way you do."
