"It's so nice to have a moment together like this, nephew, just the two of us," Iroh smiled happily at Zuko as they sat in his uncle's tea room. Summer had come to the Fire Nation once again and Zuko felt good for it. Like his mood was simply improved under the life-giving light of Agni in its most powerful phases.
Zuko held his tea in one hand, unaffected by the scalding heat of the cup thanks to his abilities as a Firebender. He took a small sip and let the ginger root tea clear his sinuses before he took a deep breath, letting the air fill his lungs. It was nice to relax in such a pleasant heat. "I think so too Uncle," Zuko said simply, closing his eyes and breathing slowly.
"While it is important to learn how to work in life, it is also important to learn how to relax," Iroh said back, "Now that the Zhao incident has been resolved I think you've earned some time to yourself, even if for a few days."
"Trouble in the Fire Nation won't wait until I'm done with a vacation, Uncle," Zuko said glumly with a short sigh, "There's still so much to do both in and beyond the Fire Islands." Even after a month of peace Zuko still felt uneasy. Zhao's actions hadn't helped ease the world's opinion of the Fire Nation so now that the physical fighting was over he was stuck with the political battles which had meant some courtesy visits to the other nations. Thank goodness they had air travel again.
The Earth King, Kuei, had been placated by King Bumi who had explained that the Fire Nation had played a pivotal role in stopping Zhao's renegades, but even so, the King's advisor, a man by the name of Long Feng, was far less trusting. It was obvious to Zuko that Long Feng was really the man in the charge of Ba Sing Se and the Earth King was his puppet even though he didn't know it.
Zuko had even received reports of the Earth King not knowing about the war until after it was over. He hoped they weren't true but whenever Zuko spoke with Earth King Kuei the young king would politely try to adhere to what he thought were common courtesies in the Fire Nation. Sadly they had always been severely outdated and rarely seen in modern Fire Nation gatherings which left Zuko with the impression that Kuei's knowledge of the Fire Nation was literally a century old. This all lent to the rumours of Kuei being a sheltered figurehead some truth and it disturbed him greatly. Kuei was a poor, but blissfully ignorant, ruler with good intentions and while Long Feng was far better suited to leadership, he was also conniving. Zuko had decided that when dealing with the Earth Kingdom, he would always ensure that King Kuei was in attendance before starting anything, with or without Long Feng.
And then there was the situation with the Northern Water Tribe. Chief Arnook was a wise and patient man but he didn't trust the Fire Nation and it had been him who first expressed his doubt that the Fire Nation would remain peaceful, right in front of the Fire Lord no less. His daughter, Yue, seemed to be far more inclined towards being polite, however.
Zuko smiled at the thought of Yue. Her pale white hair was a stark contrast to his deep black and her brown skin made him look ghostly pale in comparison. He shook his head of her and took another sip of his tea. "The Fire Nation needs me here, not off on Ember Island playing volleyball." He had been so lost in thought that he nearly forgot he was with his Uncle.
"You are worried that if you take time to yourself that you'll only feel guilty?" Iroh said to Zuko who nodded. "Then why not take smaller moments for yourself during the day instead of sitting at a desk from dawn until dusk?"
"It's been two years since I was made Fire Lord," Zuko reminded him, "And yet I feel like I've barely addressed any of the problems in the Fire Nation."
Iroh closed his eyes but nodded in affirmation. "I know you mean well but I've told you before that you will learn very little from a sheet of parchment Zuko," Iroh told him gruffly, "Why not take the palanquin and see the city for yourself?"
Zuko scoffed at the idea. "And I've told you before that I hate the palanquin," Zuko said with a shake of his head, "The servants have better things to do than carry royalty who are too lazy to walk on their own two feet. I think I'll walk myself or even wear a disguise and see the city unhindered."
"That would be unwise," Iroh smiled at Zuko's confused look, "On foot, you are an easy target but if you venture out in disguise you may be able to go unseen but then what good will that do? Think about it, what if the people saw their Fire Lord actively venturing into a poorer area of the city and then having something change for the better?"
"They'd know it was my doing," Zuko said with a smile, "But if I learned of it under disguise and unseen then they'd likely think I'd done something good on a passing whim." Iroh often threw these little tests at Zuko which he appreciated since they kept him right.
"Correct," Iroh said with a nod, "My father and brother ruled through fear and secrecy, if you are to improve the royal family's image then you must not hide."
"I understand Uncle," Zuko stood up and downed the rest of his tea, "I think I will go out into the city with the palanquin, will you come?"
"Agni's Fire, no," Iroh said quickly, "I'm quite happy hiding away here for now." Zuko rolled his eyes at Iroh before they both started laughing together.
Zuko had a servant get everything ready for an afternoon outside the Palace. He would be leaving in the afternoon so after enjoying a light lunch he walked to the front of the Palace where he spotted the palanquin waiting for him. Zuko looked at it with disgust, the curtains were always drawn, why? Why shouldn't the people see him? He wasn't some god who would blind a mere mortal for gazing up at him.
"Can you remove the curtains?" Zuko asked his retainer, a man named Jinn. He was the very same man who had served his father and even his grandfather. He was a good and capable retainer whom Zuko trusted more than most. He was loyal to the Fire Nation, not any single Fire Lord, so when Azula had defeated their father he had been the one to remind everyone who could rightfully succeed him while the rest of the elders talked of banishing Azula simply for loving Katara. Such small-minded fools.
"My Lord?" Jinn looked unsure of the request, "They are to keep the rabble from-"
"From seeing their Fire Lord?" Jinn looked nervous but nodded quickly, "And why shouldn't they see me?" Zuko approached the palanquin and grabbed one of the curtains. They were silk and quite well made, he honestly felt sorry for the weaver when he tore it from the frame. Jinn flinched when he did it.
"Those are antiques," he said softly, "This very same palanquin carried Fire Lord Sozin around." Zuko sighed. If ripping a few curtains insulted Sozin's legacy he guessed he could live with that.
"My Great Grandfather is long dead," Zuko said adamantly before ripping off another set of curtains, "The old ways of ruling through fear are over, I want the people to see me, not just my silhouette behind these old curtains." He moved to a corner of the palanquin and grabbed the two remaining curtains. "If the wind blows then I will feel it with the people, if it snows then I will be cold with them, if it rains then I will be soaked with them," Zuko said to Jinn, "I may be the Fire Lord but I'm still a person, it's time the people were reminded of that."
Jinn knew he could do nothing to deter Zuko. He was headstrong and committed. "Very well Fire Lord Zuko," Jinn said with a bow, "Shall we remove the curtains from the other palanquins as well?"
"You shall," Zuko moved to sit inside the now open air box. He folded his legs and placed his hands on his knees. It wasn't the most comfortable pose but even if he wanted to be more humble, he knew he still had to look strong. Four men in light clothing approached the four handles of the palanquin and bowed to Zuko. He nodded his head at them and the men picked the palanquin up.
Their strained grunts made him feel guilty but he knew he wasn't that heavy, he was wearing his summer clothes after all and hadn't bothered to adorn himself in the usual regalia his father would have worn when going out. Still, he wasn't comfortable being carried around by peasants who couldn't hide from the oppressive heat as easily. Zuko leaned to his side and fixed his eyes on the man carrying the left front post.
"Excuse me," Zuko said to him but got no reply, "You in front, can you hear-"
"Fire Lord Zuko, he is busy," Jinn walked beside him with a fan, cooling himself off with it, "The help know better than to speak to their Fire Lord." Zuko glared at Jinn who fixed Zuko with a stubborn look in return.
"Then at the very least listen," he said now, hoping the men could hear him, "If you feel tired or need to stop do not hesitate to ask Jinn for a break, he will grant you one, yes?" he looked at Jinn again who looked like he was going to argue but instead bowed. Zuko nodded back and fixed his gaze forward.
Another reason he hated palanquins was because of how slow they were. In half an hour he could still see the palace quite clearly behind them. He had ordered the men to venture towards the outskirts and while Jinn had protested going into such a poor, and dangerous, area Zuko had politely told him to be quiet.
Much to his delight, his appearance in public had drawn a crowd. The people poked and prodded one another when they spotted him, wondering if he was some noble but then they noticed his scar and those that knew of it were sure that it was indeed the Fire Lord himself. Zuko smiled and waved at those who waved at him.
He had to work hard to hide his discomfort. They weren't even in the poor part of the city and already he was seeing a side of it he was never exposed to growing up. So many looked like they hadn't had a good meal in weeks, others were begging. One old beggar tried to approach the palanquin but he was pushed aside by an armed guard.
Zuko watched the old man move back into the crowd, uninjured but shaken at his treatment. He wished he could just allow people to approach him but he knew it was dangerous, even if his venture into the city was random he did not doubt that someone in the crowd would happily try to stick a dagger into his heart. It did warm his heart when Jinn approached the man and offered him a gold piece while saying, "Take this with the Fire Lord's blessing and get yourself a warm meal," he said kindly. Zuko smiled at Jinn, he truly was a kind man even if he was a snob at times.
"And here I thought you hated poor people?" Zuko said jokingly.
"Oh my heart bleeds sometimes Fire Lord," Jinn said back.
"I heard it was impossible to get blood from a stone?
"Your wit makes me miss your Grandfather, he was nice and boring."
"You enjoy it, don't lie."
"He wasn't deluded either."
Another reason Zuko admired Jinn was that he wasn't afraid to exchange barbs with Zuko. When he discovered that Zuko wouldn't get angry over a simple joke at his expense he had treated him like a normal person ever since. It was nice and Jinn's example had rubbed off on other members of his staff. Under his father, they had been terrified of Ozai's quick temper so when Zuko came to power he worked very hard to not be his father.
Zuko found he enjoyed looking around the city. The most he had ever seen of it before now was the market and some noble estates, never places like this and as they moved closer to the outskirts the first thing to hit him was the smell. The people back the way he came may as well have lived like nobles compared to the people here. This was a slum, no place for a Fire Lord to venture into and Jinn had made that opinion very clear.
He put the guards on high alert and what had started as a pleasant stroll was becoming decidedly tenser. The poor, starving and downtrodden all looked in awe at him but in their eyes, he could make out one of two things. Hatred or fear. While he ate lavish meals these people scavenged for scraps. He had fine clothes made by the best tailors in the Fire Nation and yet some of the children were lucky to have more than a simple loose robe to cover their nudity.
In his nearly twenty years of life Zuko had known hardships of his own but in the grand scheme of things they had been short-lived and nothing compared to these people who struggled just to see another day. Just by looking around, he knew he had to make things right. Clean water, food aid, clothing for the little ones. It was going to be expensive but the Fire Nation wasn't poor, not by a long shot, which only made him angrier that these people were forgotten about. They were at the very bottom of the social hierarchy. Nobody could be any lower.
Right?
Suddenly Zuko heard a small squeal of fright come from in front of him. It had sounded like a child, and a second later the palanquin jutted violently before one side was dropped as the man carrying it fell over. Zuko rolled out of the palanquin and into the mud. Gasps came from the gathered crowd as their Fire Lord scrambled to get up.
"Blasted clumsy little Burakumin!" Jinn shouted angrily before marching in front of the downed palanquin. Zuko watched as he approached a small lump in the road and began to kick down hard on it. "How dare you, an unclean Untouchable, cross the Fire Lord's path so carelessly you little wretch!" The lump then cried out in pain and Zuko's good eye went wide with shock.
Zuko moved over to the palanquin and helped the carrier slide out from under the post that had kept him down. Jinn hadn't even bothered to check if the man was alright and had immediately started beating whoever had caused the tumble. "Can you stand?" he asked the man kindly, pulling him to his feet.
"I can, thank you Fire Lord Zuko," the man said with a short bow. Zuko smiled at the man before turning his attention to Jinn who was still kicking away at the poor soul. This wasn't right, beating someone just because he got a little muddy.
"Jinn, that's enough!" he said to the man, "No need to be so cruel." Zuko looked down at the figure who had curled up into a small ball to avoid Jinn's assault. Then the figure raised its head and Zuko locked eyes with a little girl with bright amber eyes and jet black hair whose small face was covered in mud and dirt.
"Do not concern yourself with this creature my Lord, she is Burakumin," Jinn said back. "She is Unclean and Untouchable, Lord Zuko, hardly even fit to breathe the same air as you."
Just as Zuko was about to ask what Jinn meant, the girl suddenly spoke up. "Forgive me Mr Fire Lord Sir, I was just-" another sharp kick to her side caused the girl to cry out again.
"How dare you speak to the Fire Lord!" Jinn shouted this time, "You are nothing, you may as well not exist you filthy little shit!" He began to kick her again, this time aiming for her face, "I ought to have you flogged!"
Zuko had seen enough and grabbed Jinn by the shoulder then moved him aside. "Go back to the Palace, Jinn," he said in a serious tone, "You are dismissed for now."
"But my Lord Zuko we are still-"
"Did I not just give you an order, Retainer?" Jinn's eyebrow twitched in barely concealed rage but he bowed quickly and began to walk away. Zuko realised that he didn't know enough about the situation to punish the man, there was something at play here he didn't fully understand, but he would sooner give up his Firebending before allowing Jinn to beat the child further.
Zuko watched him leave and then eyed the palanquin. The fall had caused the post to snap, it was useless now. "Please take the palanquin back to the palace for repairs," he said to the carriers, "And thank you for your hard work today, you bore me well." He hoped his smile would catch on but the men simply bowed like Jinn before lifting the palanquin off the ground and leaving.
It was now just Zuko and his guards but he ignored them and instead turned back to the girl. Aside from some mud and a bruise or two, she looked unharmed. "Are you alright?" Zuko still asked, offering her a hand to help her stand. Suddenly the crowd around him gasped in shock, but why? The girl didn't even look up at him or acknowledge his gesture, instead, she moved to bow so low she may as well have curled back up into a ball.
Just what was this girl and why were the people so offended by her? He berated himself again for not understanding the situation but right now all he saw was a scared little girl. He got down to her level, earning more gasps from the crowd, and gently lifted her head with a finger under her chin. He offered a kind smile when he saw the dirt on her face. "What a state, you're filthy," Zuko said warmly before licking his thumb and wiping a smudge of dirt from her cheek. Zuko remembered his mother doing similar things and it had always made him feel better. "Oh, I think I see a pretty face." Little girls liked being called pretty right? Azula had when she was little, so did Katara and his mother had said something similar but called him handsome after wiping away dirt.
It dawned on Zuko that he still had no idea how to speak to girls, no matter their age. Thankfully, she blushed with a small smile and Zuko smiled at her reaction. "So what's your name?" he then asked. The girl looked around the crowd, some still looked shocked but others were genuinely disgusted. "Hey, I'm not asking them their names, I'm asking you," Zuko said to her, gently turning her head back to face him.
"My-my name is Kira," she said in a small voice, "Sorry for making the man drop you."
"It's alright, it was an accident," Zuko assured her, "But are you okay?"
The girl looked like the question was unexpected. As if being asked about her wellbeing was some foreign practice. "Yeah, I'm fine," the girl moved to kneel on the muddy ground now and Zuko saw something red on the back of her right hand. He knew a brand when he saw one, Toph was covered in them and he had one himself. Right over his left eye. The Fire Nation could be monstrous when it came to using fire for punishment.
Zuko then looked at her clothing which consisted of only a simple brown, but filthy and torn, robe which ran just past her knees. She seemed to be wearing nothing else, not even sandals. The biggest question was why was she branded? This kid was just so confusing. "I'm sorry for my Retainer's actions, why don't we get you home to your family?" he then asked, trying to distract himself from what he saw.
The girl shook her head much to his surprise. "I'm not allowed to go home," she then said with a small shrug, "But the boss lets me sleep outside near where I work," she then got up and bowed quickly, "Thank you for being nice to me, Mr Fire Lord Sir," she said before darting away. Zuko reached his hand out but she was too fast and the crowd quickly parted to let her through. They were keeping her at a safe distance like she was diseased or something.
Zuko frowned in her direction. He had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Burakumin," he said to himself, remembering that Jinn had called Kira that name. "What is that?" He got back to his feet and studied the crowd around him. The caste system deemed most who lived here as the lowest of the low but now he was starting to wonder if that was true.
Uncle would know...
Zuko didn't even bother cleaning up and instead headed straight for Iroh's manor on the Palace grounds. He had walked back to the Palace with his guards and that had taken a while. When they were safely back at the Palace he dismissed them and walked quickly to Iroh's home, letting himself in and treading mud behind him much to the chagrin of the maid cleaning the floors. He stopped in his tracks and took off his sandals, placing them by the door. "Apologies," he said with a small bow, not wanting to be rude. He didn't stick around to see her reaction and instead went to find Uncle who had moved to his library as the evening rolled in.
He found the old man huddled over a scroll as he sat at his desk. He recognised it as one of the poems Iroh gave him when he returned from his travels. Zuko stored them here since he didn't trust the Palace librarians with them.
Iroh noticed Zuko and smiled up at him. "I haven't seen you covered in mud like that since you still played with Lu Ten," he chuckled at the memories, "How was your time out of the palace?"
Zuko moved to sit on a chair opposite Iroh and sighed heavily. "It was everything I thought it would be but also worse," he said sadly, "Even before we entered the poorer districts I saw for myself the full extent of our poverty crisis," he then shook his head before changing the subject, "But that can wait a little longer, I have some questions for you Uncle if you have a moment?"
"Oh?" Iroh rolled up the scroll he had been reading and placed it back into the metal container that held it safely. "I will answer as best I can." Zuko took a moment to find the right words. If he didn't then he knew he would just ramble so he allowed himself to relax and form his questions fully.
"Today Jinn beat a child right in front of me, right in front of a crowd of onlookers, and nobody stepped in to stop him before I did," Zuko said bluntly, causing Iroh to look a little shocked, "This is the same Jinn who gave a gold piece to a starving beggar not long before but as he beat the girl he called her something." He had tried to recall the word but could only remember a small part of it. "Bakarunim...Barakamon..."
"Burakumin," Iroh said gruffly with a low sigh, "I see, so you met one?"
Zuko nodded. "I spoke to her and everyone acted like it was nothing short of disgusting," Zuko put out. Iroh looked as grim as Zuko had ever seen him which only made him more confused. "What's are these burakumins and why have I never known about them?"
"It's not something the Royal Family concerns itself with, Zuko, and most people pretend they don't even exist," Iroh told him, "It's an old practice from ages past that has persisted into this modern era. I would suggest you ignore it but I know you well enough to know that you won't," he took in another deep breath and sighed loudly, "Burakumin used to mean Hamlet Dweller and was reserved for those who lived outside of the larger towns or cities. They did work our people considered unclean which, in hindsight, was a great personal sacrifice on their part because they were shunned and mistreated for how they chose to make a living. They worked as executioners, slaughterhouse workers, butchers and tanners, that kind of thing."
"But the city is full of slaughterhouses and butchers?" Zuko said, "We even have butchers in the city who are widely respected for their cuts?"
"True but this all happened a long time ago nephew," Iroh stated, "And the meaning of the word has changed over time, it is now reserved solely for those who are forced to live outside the social castes. The commoners call them the Untouchables or the Unclean and while they are permitted to live and work in the city they are afforded very little respect. Even a beggar could demand one to bow before them and they would have to obey."
"A sure way to know someone is a Burakumin is by a brand on their right hand that looks like this," Iroh quickly pulled out an empty sheet of paper and some ink and a brush so he could scribble something on it. He did it in nine strokes and when he showed it to Zuko, the young Fire Lord scowled. "Did the child have this on her hand?" Zuko remembered the red mark he saw on her hand and nodded at the question.
"That is the mark of a Burakumin. When a person is made into one it is called Shaming or being Shamed. The brand means 'Dirt', and they can be punished severely if they're caught hiding it. Because of this, it is easy to pick one from the crowd so as a boy it was not uncommon for my friends to throw rocks at them," he then looked guilty, "I hate to say that I joined in more than once."
"That's an awful way to live," Zuko's voice was tinged with sadness though he chose not to berate Iroh for his cruel actions. He was a different person back then. "What could they have done to deserve such treatment?" The feeling in the pit of his stomach was only getting worse now.
"Any number of things," Iroh explained, "It could be that someone in her family acted with great dishonour or even betrayed the Fire Nation so badly that future generations were condemned."
"No, she said she wasn't allowed to go home," Zuko looked at Iroh who had a sad look in his eyes. "I think she's the only one in her family who was shamed."
"I see," he looked back at Zuko, "I can't honestly think of a reason a child might be singled out for Shaming, perhaps someone in her family was important enough to escape the punishment but she was Shamed in their place? Whatever the reason I don't think you should dwell on her fate."
"But I can't get her out of my mind Uncle," Zuko sounded exasperated, he only wished he could be so cold as to live like normal knowing what he now knew but he also knew himself too well, until he did something he would never get Kira out of his mind. He remembered Toph and how powerless he had felt when he learned of the horrible things that were happening in the name of the Fire Nation, which meant they may as well have been in his name.
He wouldn't let children suffer a similar fate in his homeland, not now, not ever. "Can you use your contacts to find this girl, Uncle?" Zuko asked bluntly. Iroh still looked uncertain. A thought then came to him that might help change Iroh's mind. "Tell me Uncle, who changed the meaning of Burakumin?"
Iroh grimaced. "I believe it was my grandfather," he said simply, "Which is reason enough to oppose it I suppose."
Zuko smiled at him. "When she's found just tell me her location and I'll go to her myself." Iroh nodded so Zuko stood up. "Thank you, Uncle, I'm going to go get cleaned up." He bowed to his Uncle and left the room, feeling slightly better than Kira might be found again.