Author's note: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, it took me a little bit longer than usual to complete. Let me know what you think, did you like the chapter before this or should I have just had a time jump and included the 106 AG section in this chapter. If you're enjoying my story please leave a review :)
The Wedding
A few months before the wedding.
The council met at City hall for their weekly meeting. This week though they had a rather unusual topic on the docket; Aang and Katara's wedding.
"I don't know guys." Aang said rubbing the back of his neck. "I always though we would have our wedding at the Southern Air Temple."
"Aang this is practically a royal wedding. It would be a massive boost in economy for the Southern water tribe to host your wedding. Besides the infrastructure is already in place to be able to host such a large scale gathering. Would you really want hundreds of people wandering around someplace so sacred to your people, like the Southern Air Temple, anyway?" Ari reasoned with him.
"I see your point." Aang told her.
"You could always have another more private ceremony at the air temple, but the large official one here." Ari told him.
"That's a great idea!" Aang said brightly as he turned to take Kataras hand.
"You really have a knack for this." Hakoda whispered to Ari with respect.
"If all the world leaders are already going to be here for the wedding we should have a conference." Sokka suggested. "We could call it The Southern Water Tribe Peace Summit!" He said excitedly, some things never change and Sokka still loved naming things.
"That's actually not a bad idea." Hakoda said with a nod making a note of it.
Ari scribbled away furiously on the scroll in front of her, this was going to be a massive undertaking no matter what they did. She found herself happy for the work though, there would be plenty to do to keep her mind off the clock ticking down to her children's rescue.
The present
"Your family are scheduled to arrive today." Ari told Zuko as she was making breakfast that morning. "How do you think we should great them?" She ask shifting nervously.
"I figured we would go out and great the air ship all together, as a family." He said looking a little confused.
"But won't it look strange if Roku is the only one who recognizes his grandparents? What will people think?" Ari ask, her anxiety mounting.
Zuko got up and walked over to her. "It will be okay. They are all still really young and would have only seen their grandparents once a year. It wouldn't be that unusual if they had forgotten who they are momentarily." He assured her as he pulled her closer. Ari forgot about the pancakes cooking on the stove top for a moment and leaned back into his warm chest. It was nice having this small moment alone together; Sokka was busy with preparations for the summit and had left early that morning, Suki was out at the market running errands, and the kids were all playing together in the nursery. This was the closest Zuko and Ari had come to alone time since the arrival of her other three children. Zuko couldn't wait to get their bed back to themselves once they were back home in the Fire Nation.
Their quiet moment was shattered rather suddenly when they heard screaming coming from the nursery. Ari quickly took her pan off of the hot stove and they ran to see what had happened. Opening the nursery door they could see the smiling visiges of Roku, Rowan, Aeron, and Koda sitting on top of the toy box; the screaming coming from inside the box itself.
"Get down." Ari scolded with a stern frown as the children scrambled off of the box.
Lifting the lid Ari revealed the crying forms of Kaelan and Lily, who had no doubt been coersed into the small space before their older siblings had trapped them.
"Aww come here babies." Ari cooed as she lifted the younger two out together, before handing Kaelan off to Zuko who was scolding the older children for the treatment of their younger siblings.
"Breakfast is ready kids come out and eat. We have a lot to do today. Nana, Boppa, Lolo, and Auntie Kiyi are arriving today." Ari told the kids as she hearded them all towards the oversized kitchen table.
"Where is everyone staying again?" Zuko ask Ari as she set the plates down on the table.
"Your family is staying here. Katara, Aang, and Toph are staying at Hakoda and Malinas' place until after the wedding. Accommodations are being provided for all the other royal guests of the summit and wedding; it's just different for us because we live here." Ari reminded him.
"How were the kids?" Suki ask breezing in with a couple of baskets of supplies for dinner that night.
"Monsters." Ari told her with a small sarcastic chuckle.
"Oh no what did they do now?" Suki ask her with a frown.
"The older four trapped Kaelan and Lily in the toy box." She said giving the older boys a pointed stare.
"Koda! Why would you do that to your brother?" Suki ask rounding on her oldest son.
"I dont know." Koda mumbled bashfully as his mother looked at him with a disappointed frown.
Around midday Sokka came rushing into the house.
"Guy's they've caught the first sightings of the airships." Sokka told them, pausing just slightly to catch his breath from his run to the house.
"Alright I guess it's now or never." Ari said nervously before the four adults started the tedious process of bundling up six struggling children in thick parkas.
All bundled up they made their way slowly to the harbor where the air ships would be landing.
"Poppo! Mima!" Koda cried out running to his grandparents when he saw Hakoda and Malina just outside city hall, as they also made their way to the docks to great guests. Katara and Aang were not far behind.
"Hey guys we heard that King Kuei's air ship was sighted not far behind the one from the Fire Nation." Katara told them as they joined the group.
"Has anybody heard from Toph? How was she planning on arriving?" Ari ask the group at large.
"I'm not really sure." Sokka admitted with a frown. "I know she's coming I'm just not sure how."
"You know how Toph can be." Katara told them with a raised eyebrow.
"She won't miss this, she'll show up one way or another." Suki added.
The large party continued on their way to the docks to watch for their friends and loved ones.
They arrived at the bustling docks. It was chaotic and loud, ships arriving and unloading, bringing the goods that would be used, eaten, or simply sold in market during the busy week ahead. With people arriving from around the world there was plenty of money to be made selling pretty much anything and everything. They observed the mayhem intently as they waited for the two airships in the distance to land. It was clear from their coloring that the first airship was carrying the rest of Fire Nation royal family while the other appeared to belong to Earth King Kuei. Zuko and Ari practically buzzed with excitement at the prospect of having their entire family finally in the same place at the same time; as they watched the airship land.
"Nephew!" They heard Iroh boom as soon as the door had opened.
"Uncle!" Zuko yelled as he ran to embrace the man as soon as he had stepped out.
"Zuzu!" Kiyi called out excited to see her brother as Ursa and Noren stepped out laughing at their antics.
"Mother, Noren it was so good that you all could come." Zuko told them, still holding onto Kiyi.
"I'm happy to spend the time with my darling grandchildren and we're all excited for the wedding." Ursa told them while she made a bee line for Ari.
"It's nice to see you Ursa." Ari told her with a smile as she inclined her head.
"Oh look at her! How- how big she's gotten." Ursa said with tears in her eyes but covering her slip up quickly. "You are even more beautiful than before." She told Lily, who quickly hid behind her mother.
"Nana!" Roku called out as he hugged her. "Did you and Boppa bring me anything?"
"Roku!" Ari admonished her son.
Ursa just laughed. "Of course. We brought presents for all of you." She said as she kissed the tip of his little nose, with the parka on their wasn't much else that she could kiss.
"Zuzu." Kiyi tried to whisper, but in her excitement was a little over loud. "We have a surprise for you."
"What?" He ask her eyeing her suspiciously.
"Me!" Toph yelled.
"Toph!" The old members of Team Avatar yelled in shock.
"Hey Twinkle toes, Sugar Queen. You two ready for this." Toph teased them.
"Emotionally yes. Physically there are still several things that need to be done before Saturday." Katara told her, taking a steadying breathe as the stress threatened to strangle her.
"Hey, don't worry we'll help you get through this." Ari tried to comfort her.
They watched for a moment as the other airship landed.
"Ursa would you mind keeping an eye on them for just a second so that we can go great Kuei?" Ari ask her mother in law.
"Don't even worry about it." Ursa assured her with a smile.
Actually getting away proved to be a touch problematic, Lily was feeling clingy surrounded by so many people and Ari quickly gave up and just took the little girl with her.
Hakoda, Sokka, Aang, Zuko, and Ari holding onto little Lily stepped forward to meet Kuei as he exited the air craft.
"Welcome back to the Southern water tribe, Earth King Kuei." Hakoda greated Kuei formally.
"It's good to be back Head Chieftain Hakoda." Kuei said respectfully bowing to the man. "It's good to be surrounded by so many friends and leaders for such a happy occasion."
The other four bowed to him.
"Good to see you Earth King Kuei." Zuko told him.
"You as well Fire Lord Zuko, Fire Lady Ariadne, and who is this?" He cooed as Lily tried to hide her face.
"This is our youngest, Princess Lily." Ari told him. "She's a little shy."
"I'm glad you could come." Aang told Kuei.
"I would never miss such an occasion Avatar Aang. I'm sure the wedding will be lovely and organizing a summit beforehand was a stroke of genius." Kuei praised.
"Thank you. Thank you." Sokka smiled.
"You'll have to excuse Sokka, his head starts to get a little big when words like genius are thrown around." Ari teased her friend and they all laughed.
"Why don't I show you where you will be staying while you're here." Sokka offered as he led Kuei away.
"Let's get back to the house." Ari told Zuko. "You two are still coming for dinner tonight right Hakoda?" Ari ask him.
"Wouldn't miss it! See you tonight." He told her as he headed back to City hall with Malina.
"Come on Toph, Katara and I will take you to where you'll be staying this week." Aang told her as they broke off from the larger party.
"We'll see you tonight!" Katara called back to them as they walked away.
As the large party made their way back to the house, Ari briefly wondered if it would have been a better idea for all of them l to stay at the Fire Nation embassy instead of their home. But with their time left here in the Southern water tribe short they hadn't wanted to abandon their home until it was absolutely necessary. As sad as it had been to leave the Fire Nation it would be just as sad to leave the warm cozy home they had made here.
They finally arrived home, which had been no easy task as they hearded 6 small children home.
"Alright I think some introductions are in order." Ursa said excitedly the second the door had closed and they were sure of their privacy. Ari, Suki, and Zuko hurried to strip the heavy parkas off the children as the adults found seats.
"Alright kids. We have some very important people we need to introduce you too." Ari told them as she took a seat on the couch and pulled the children closer. "This is your Nana Ursa, Boppa, Auntie Kiyi, and Lolo. Everybody meet Rowan, Aeron, and Lily." She told them her face breaking into a wide grin.
"They're beautiful Ari." Iroh told her proudly.
Ursa had started to quietly tear up. "Hi kids, I'm your Nana."
"You're not Nana." Aeron told her, looking confused.
Ari hugged him and told him gently, "She is your Nana now, we won't be able to see Nana Daphne again, but Nana would be so happy that you have a new Nana that loves you so much. Now why don't you guys go play." Ari told them directing them towards the nursery to play.
"I'm sorry. They should hopefully get it quickly." Ari told Ursa.
"Don't worry about it. It is a big adjustment for them, they will understand." Ursa told her. She knew her daughter in law was afraid she had been offended, but she knew better than anybody that this would be a massive adjustment for the children. She had lived through the personal pain of Kiyi's initial rejection of her once her face had changed and all the changes that had come moving into the royal palace. Ari's children would have to adapt to far more than that, it wasn't just Ari's face that had changed slightly, but the world arpund them.
With the children occupied with their own play, and the men keeping an eye out for them; Ari, Suki, and Ursa got to work preparing the evening meal for their large family dinner that night. Feeding 11 adults and 7 children was no small undertaking. After a while their efforts were joined by Katara and Malina. The five women worked together in perfect harmony; cooking, laughing, and genuinely having a good time with one another. At some point while they had been cooking the men had transformed their living room into a dining area. An extra table had been added and more chairs brought in to accommodate the large group. A smaller children's table had been set up just a few feet away surrounded by diminutive chairs; it had been specially made by Hakoda and Sokka. Ari felt a twinge of sadness when she looked at it, they had done such a good job with it's construction, but after this week there would be no use for it here. She briefly thought to herself that she should just ask the men if it was okay to take it with her, at least back home in the fire nation it would still be used regularly; with the added benefit of being a pleasant reminder of good friends and her home away from home.
"Dinners ready!" Katara called out with authority.
"Finally I'm starving!" Sokka told her dramatically as the last of the food was placed on the table and everyone began to find their seats.
"Watch it Sokka or you'll be eating last." Katara threatened her brother with a glare.
"Come on kids that means you two!" Ari told the younger group as she and Suki got them settled at their table with their own dinners. Kiyi had originally been disappointed to be relegated to the kids table, but was now sitting at its head like a ruler, ruling over her young subjects.
"So Ari you are planning to speak at the summit, correct?" Hakoda ask her as the dishes were being passed around the table.
"Of course." Ari answered her face creasing just briefly at the question.
"You'll probably be the only female ruler to speak at the summit." Sokka told her matter of factly.
"Why? Neither of you are going to speak?" She ask turning to Katara and Malina who shifted nervously in their seats. As the wives, or in Katara's case technically fiancée, of the Head Chieftain of the Southern water tribe and of the Avatar respectively, they both had just as much right to address the council as Ari did as Fire Lady.
"I'm not really a politician." Malina shrugged.
"I'll be the most junior leader there, and only allowed to even sit at the council because the peace summit is just before Aang and I's wedding." Katara admitted.
"I seriously doubt Dongmei will speak either." Hakoda told her, speaking about Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe's wife. "Things are done differently in our sister tribe. The two of you will probably get along quite well, you're both demure proper rulers, she is just more reserved and timid." He explained.
Zuko saw the frown on his wife's face at the thought of being expected to remain silent. "Don't worry. I for one appreciate that your not afraid to voice your opinion. I know that you would never undermine my authority as a ruler in public, but you also wouldn't stay silent if you felt I was making a mistake. You are good for both me and our people" He assured his wife who was blushing from the praise.
"What were you preparing to speak on?" Iroh ask Ari.
"Education reform. It's been my passion project for years." Ari told him.
Iroh nodded sagely, "It is a very worthy cause. The root of excellence lies in a good education."
"Exactly. Not only that but knowledge is power and information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society. As you know, since Fire Lord Sozin's time a lot of what was being taught in the Fire Nation schools was nothing but propaganda. When you can make people believe absurdities, you can make them commit atrocities."
"Ooh you should use that line." Sokka told her.
Ari flapped her hand dismissively. "I'm not completely sure what I'll say yet I'm still writing." She told him.
"Ugh me too. It's so hard to decide what to say." Aang added, rubbing his face in frustration.
"Right there with you buddy." Zuko told him.
"So, what's on the agenda tomorrow?" Ari ask with a shake of her head, changing the topic.
"Chief Arnook, Dongmei, and their northern council will arrive by ship as will Bumi and his delegation." Hakoda told them.
"We should all walk down together and great them at the docks." Katara told the group.
"I agree." Zuko replied.
"Then the state dinner that evening?" Toph ask them.
"Yep." Sokka nodded, looking up from his food.
"I'll admit, I am nervous about that." Suki told them.
"You'll do great." Ari assured her normally extroverted friend. "We can all get ready together." She said with a smile looking to the other women.
"That sounds like so much fun." Katara replied with a broad grin.
"Ugh you guys are going to make me look girly aren't you?" Toph ask with a frown.
"Yeah probably." Suki answered with a sly smile.
"What do you think we should do about the children during the state dinner?" Ari ask them.
"I hired a girl from the school to watch Koda and Kaelan tomorrow night, but its difficult with the other four because they have to at least make an appearance." Suki added.
"Noren, Kiyi, and I can ride back with them after we have all made our appearance." Ursa offered.
"Are you sure you two can handle all of them?" Ari ask her. "Also with all of the extra people in town it could be dangerous for two adults to try and travel back home at night with five children. You're outnumbered. "
"Oh it will be fine. The babysitter can stay long enough to help get them all in bed, and as for the trip back; we can just use some of the Fire Nation guards stationed at the embassy to accompany us. It will be perfectly safe." Ursa assured her.
"Besides it will be a good test run. We'll be watching them lot throughout the summit and wedding." Noren said speaking up.
The next day dawned bright and clear, a promising sign for the events ahead of them. Just as they had done the day before, they all walked down to the docks together. While the pending arrivals were not as exciting as the day before, Aang at least was thrilled to wait for Bumi's ship to dock. As they found themselves with time to kill, they spent their time browsing and shopping at the myriad of stalls that had popped up around the harbor.
"Look they have little Aang and Katara dolls!" Sokka called out at one of the stalls holding up the two chubby dolls.
"Aww look they kiss!" Suki told the embarrassed couple as the magnets in the dolls faces made them kiss; causing the rest of the group to laugh.
Eventually the ships were sighted on the horizon and they made their way closer to the docks where they would be landing. Once the rest of their guests came ashore they went over to greet them. The greetings with Chief Arnook and Dongmei were curtious and subdued, while Bumi behaved in his usual uproarious manor. Ari was quite sure she would never get use to the peculiar man. Once that social obligation had been completed it was time for them to make their way back home, to begin preparing for the state dinner that evening.
"Why don't you guys go get ready at Hakodas." Suki told the men not long after they arrived home.
"Aww why?" Sokka complained.
"Because us girls wanted to get ready together, and that would be a lot harder to do if you guys are still here." Ari told them.
"Don't worry Ari, I'll convince them to do it. Right boys." Iroh said turning to the other men and raising an eyebrow. "That way you can be surprised when you pick up your lovely dates for the evening." He said with a wink.
There was a fair bit of reshuffling, but not long after the men had left the house with their formal wear for the evening, Katara, Malina, and Toph arrived to get ready with the other women.
The house was a flurry of activity for the next couple of hours. Their first task had been to tackle hair and makeup; with the added complication of keeping the children far away from the hot hair tools and expensive cosmetics. The solution to that problem had turned out to be rather simple. Once they had finished Kiyi's hair, the commander of the small troop of children was returned to power; and she was able to entertain them in the nursery. It reassured Ari to see how big of a help Kiyi could be, considering how much she would have to rely on her family in the next few days between the wedding and the summit. Things would be much simpler once they returned to the Fire Nation and could trust the Royal nannies to watch after the children during state obligations.
"Ugh I hate all this girly stuff." Toph complained as Ari worked on her make-up.
Katara walked over to check on the other woman's work, her own head still wrapped in the hot curlers. "Wow great work Ari. You look so pretty Toph."
"She always looks pretty. She's just more polished this way." Ari replied as Toph grumbled.
"Hurry up over there, it's your turn in the chair next." Suki called put to Ari as she placed the last few pins in Ursas' hair.
Ari chuckled as she completed the finishing touches to Tophs makeup. "There, your ready." She said as she put down the last brush.
"Alright do your worst." Ari teased Suki as she sat in the chair Ursa had recently vacated.
"I wish I could grow my hair out this long." Suki mused as she fluffed out the waist length curls before beginning to arrange an elegant top knot.
"You would hate it. It's too much work." Ari told her friend.
"I know, I know, I'm just too low maintenance for all that." Suki sighed.
"Im right there with you." Malina agreed as she ran her fingers through her own hair that was even shorter than Suki's.
With hair and makeup done it was time to start dressing.
"We are going to freeze to death wearing silk tonight." Ari complained, she had lived in the south pole for far too long and knew just how cold it was going to be.
"You're right." Suki frowned, crossing her arms as she looked at the silk dresses that Ursa, Ari, and Toph would be wearing in styles popular in their own nations.
"The parkas will help a little bit." Katara said mirroring the frown on the other two's faces as she looked away from the warmer dresses she, Malina, and Suki were wearing that evening.
"Do you think anyone would notice if we wore our moccasins under the dresses." Ari ask the other women.
"It would be the most practical solution. These delicate silk shoes just don't cut it here." Malina mused lifting one of the beautiful but highly impractical shoes up.
"What do you think?" Ari ask Ursa as the most senior member of nobility in their midst.
"The dresses are long enough, we might be able to get away with it." Ursa agreed.
The last hurdle to jump was dressing the five smallest members of the Fire Nation royal family; it was no small feat.
"Lily for goodness sake if you pull your top knot out one more time mommy is going to loose her mind." Ari told her daughter with a huff as Ursa laughed.
"Its too bad that Rowan and Aerons' hair is so short." Ursa mused. "It's just not the style for Fire Nation nobility, they don't have enough hair for a top knot." She said as she ran her fingers through Aerons pale curls.
"You can always tell people that they got ahold of a pair of scissors and cut their own hair. They might be princes but they're still just kids." Malina offered.
"That's brilliant." Ari said with a laugh.
"For some reason I can just imagine Sokka did that at least once as a kid." Suki laughed turning to Katara.
"More than once." Katara told her as they all laughed.
They had just enough time for finishing touches as they watched the two large Snow leopard caribou drawn sleighs pull up outside the house.
"Wow nice touch." Suki said with awe as she looked out the window.
"It was Sokkas idea." Katara told her.
"It was a good idea. Walking to the event hall in formal wear would have ruined all our hard work." Ari told her with an appreciative nod.
"Ugh between the snow and the thick shoes I could barely feel them pull up. It's going to be a long week." Toph complained. Her senses were so dulled in the south pole she typically limited her visits; disliking the feeling of vulnerability. They filed out of the house, those of them with long dressea careful to draw them up so they wouldn't drag in the snow.
The men exited the sleighs so they could assist them.
"Don't you ladies look gorgeous!" Iroh boomed. "We are lucky men to be surrounded by such beautiful women." He told the other men as they began helping the women and children up into their transportation for the evening.
"Thank you Iroh, you're such a flatterer." Ari gold him with a smile.
"It is all true. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but you my dear are a sight to behold." He said as he kissed the back of her hand.
"You're too much." Ari said with a giggle.
"Stop flirting with my wife, uncle." Zuko told him with mock irritation.
They arrived at the event hall before to long and began the process of removing their thick outerwear in the antechamber before lining up to be formally announced.
"I didn't realize how much I had missed seeing you in Fire Nation formal wear." Zuko whispered to Ari as he gave her glamorous silk robe a once over.
"It's beautiful but highly impractical. Even inside I'm still cold." Ari whispered covertly so that no one else could hear her complaint.
"Well then I guess I'll just have to keep you warm." Zuko whispered back as he drew her close to his warm body with a smirk.
They listened as their groups formal introductions began.
"Head Chieftain Hakoda and his wife Malina." The announcer boomed as Hakoda and Malina stepped into the room.
"Sokka of the Southern water tribe and his wife Suki of the Kyoshi islands."
"Avatar Aang and Katara of the Southern water tribe."
"Toph Beifong of the Earth Kingdom."
"Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Ariadne joined tonight by Crown Prince Roku of the Fire Nation, Prince Rowan, Prince Aeron, and Princess Lily." He announced as the Royal family began their decent.
"General Iroh of the Fire Nation, Dragon of the West."
"Lady Ursa, and Noren accompanied by Kiyi." He announced as the last of their party entered the room.
"I can't tell you how much I hate that part." Toph said with a shiver.
"Don't worry Toph that part is over now its time to party." Sokka said excitedly.
"Its not really a party." Ari said sedately as she took a glass of champagne from a passing tray. "We have the next hour to mingle before a very boring stuffy dinner." She said as she let her long familiar mask slip back into place, reserved for occasions such as this.
"Well but there is dancing after that." Suki offered, looking a little uncomfortable in the formal setting.
"Fancy dancing." Toph grumbled.
"Come on guys it will be fun." Aang told them brightly.
"Greetings everybody and welcome to the Southern water tribe! We will have enough politicizing in the coming days, so for now please eat, drink, and be merry! Thank you all!" Hakoda announced to the room to stately applause.
The night passed without incidence; Zuko and Ari had introduced their children around to the other rulers before Ursa and Noren quietly slipped away with the children before the formal plated dinner. The rest of the evening was spent in polite conversation with the other world leaders over a nice meal and the dancing that followed. It was a brilliant start to the summit that lay ahead of them. A chance to more casually socialize. Thankfully no one wished to stay too late so as to be refreshed for the peace summit the next day. If anybody had stayed to carry on the party, it most certainly was not those who would be speaking in the coming days, and needed to remain sharp and focused.
The next day came all too soon. Everybody was a bundle of excited nerves, whether their part to play that day was large or small. The week having two main events; the summit and the wedding was going to be physically and emotionally exhausting.
"Welcome to the first official world peace summit, the Southern water tribe is happy to be able to host this monumental endeavor. We will all have an opportunity to speak momentarily, but let me first turn the floor over to the Avatar." Hakoda announced as he turned the floor over to Aang.
"Thank you Head Chieftain Hakoda. Friends, I am glad so many of you could make it on such an auspicious occasion. The last 6 years we have enjoyed the dawning of a new era of peace and love, something the world had not been seen in over 100 years. It is our job as world leaders to ensure that it remains this way. The road has at times been frought with challenges that we could not have anticipated, but together we have overcome each obstacle as it has been placed in our path, and come out stronger for it. We must continue to persevere in this endeavor, lasting peace is not easy, but it is of the utmost importance. The lessons we have learned from this process are clear; whatever life throws at us our responses will be stronger if we work together." Aang spoke to the council, sounding much wiser than his years.
The Earth King Kuei and Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe both spoke before the floor was turned over to Zuko.
"It is with great pride that I am able to stand here today and address not only my fellow rulers but their esteemed councils as well. We have been blessed beyond measure to see our hopes and dreams for peace realized. We all must strive to work together to maintain that fragile thing that is peace. Let us continue to persevere, let us strive to be slow to anger, and steadfast in diplomatic endeavors. As a new ruler I have had to learn the hard lesson to listen to and trust what my own instincts are telling me; but more than that I've had to learn to really listen to the advise of those around me. A wise man once told me that 'It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale.' As such I would be remiss if I ignored the most readily accessible advice available to me. I have been fortunate to have my family by my side through all the trials and tribulations that leadership brings. I have been able to lean on their strength and their wisdom when mine alone was not enough. The price of greatness is responsibility, and we have a responsibility to our peoples to persevere and endure in our mission to actualize lasting peace."
Discussions turned for a time on subjects great and small, on issues that needed attention. They talked for some time about the colonies; while no longer considered the Fire Nation colonies, they were still struggling to become their own thing. For the time being they were still just considered the colonies, some of the effort of becoming a new nation would depend on those that gained power there. In time hopefully they would become a nation of its own with leaders who could represent them on the world stage. Eventually Ari was granted her opportunity to speak about the need for education.
"My cause of choice for years now has been education reform. The Fire Nation has had a large hurdle to jump in that regard. While education has been available to much of the populace, the majority of it was quite simply propaganda; which made the general public easier for the previous regime to manipulate. With the help of the fire sages we are striving to fully incorporate the real history of the Fire Islands. I'm sure our nation is not the only one however that would benefit from education reform. It would do us all well to look inward at where we may be failing our people in that regard. The goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done before them. It is imperative to learn from the past so as to create a better future. Education is the most powerful weapon with which we can change the world."
The rest of the peace summit past in a whirlwind of lectures, speeches, and negotiations from various dignitaries on a variety of subjects. The entire event did its job of strengthening the alliance of world leaders.
Iroh came up to the group as they were talking together at the completion of the summit. "If you had told me seven years ago that this would have been possible, I'm not sure I would have believed you." Iroh told the group, with tears welling up in his eyes. "I am so proud of the men and women you have all become." He said he pulled them all in for a hug.
With the completion of such a monumental event they felt drained but ready to take on the enormous tasks that still lay ahead of them in Aang and Katara's wedding. The summit may have added an extra layer of stress to the coming events, but Ari had been through a couple of weddings herself to know just how much still needed to be done.