Part 4: Chapter 29
Weeks later, Katara delivered Suki's third child. Sokka nearly passed out from seeing all the blood. That was progress, since he had passed out for the first two births. The baby boy was healthy, and Kazia helped her mother bathe him before swaddling him for Suki. Sokka named him Hako after his and Katara's father. Suki's other two children were very happy to welcome their little brother into the world.
Meanwhile, news about the Fire Nation was spreading like wildfire. Fire Lord Zuko had stepped down from the throne and named a young woman as his heir. She had been crowned by the fire mages just a week before. Hardly anything else had been discussed on Kyoshi Island since the news had arrived by hawk from Ba Sing Se. Katara and Sokka had been bombarded with questions about Zuko's frame of mind, but both had brushed off the questions by talking about Suki and the new baby.
Behind closed doors, it was another story.
The night after she and her daughter had arrived on the island, Katara confided in her brother about Kazia's outburst and the realization she was the Avatar.
"Wow," Sokka said, smoothing his hair back. "Married to one Avatar and mother to the next? That's… complicated."
"Aang and I were never married," Katara reminded him for the thousandth time. "Focus, Sokka. What do you think I should do?"
"What can you do?" he asked. "She's ten. Let her be a kid until her sixteenth birthday. And try not to worry too much, okay?" He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Not that telling you that has ever stopped you before!" he added.
. . . . .
The fire mages had been shocked when Zuko told them he was abdicating the throne. He had known he'd face resistance, but their adamance against his plan was infuriating.
"Sire, there has not been a voluntary abdication since Fire Lord Rozan!" one insisted.
"And he lived over five hundred years ago!" another added.
"And he was very ill, and appointed his only son," said a third.
Zuko raised his hands to silence them. "I've made my decision," he said. "This is the best thing for the nation."
"The nation will riot," a fire mage said. "Sire, how could this be the best thing for the nation?"
"It would be easier if she was even a distant relation," another mumbled. "The people would more readily accept her."
Zuko cleared his throat loudly to get their attention. "It's been decided. Sho-ren Zhenzhu's parents will be here from Yu Dao in a few days to give their blessing. So make the appropriate arrangements."
. . . . .
Three days later, Zuko prepared to meet Zhenzhu's parents. The girl had seemed shocked when Zuko had told her he was renouncing the throne, but she had accepted his offer with dignity and humble grace.
"I'm just a backward peasant girl from a forgotten colony," she admitted. "But it would be my greatest honor to serve this nation."
She had immediately invited her parents to attend the ceremony and asked Zuko to meet them. He had agreed to have tea with them in the eastern tea room the afternoon before he would officially abdicate the throne to her. Outside the eastern tea room, he noticed a thick red rug covering the cracked floor where Kazia had thrown his world out of orbit just a few weeks before.
When Zuko stepped into the room, Zhenzhu and her parents rose to bow to him. He greeted her father formally, but was struck speechless when his eyes met his mother's.
"Mom?" he whispered, his voice and heart breaking.
"Hello, my love. I'm so sorry to surprise you like this," she said. As her eyes filled with tears, she asked, "Can we speak together?"
They walked to the garden that had once been hers, sitting beside a tree that she had planted before he was born. Turtle-ducks quacked in a pond nearby. The tree's pink flowers floated down around them as she wrapped him in a hug.
"I'm so sorry for leaving you, Zuko," she whispered. "I only wanted to protect you. And then I was afraid you'd be angry with me for abandoning you."
"Why… how… what are you doing here?" he asked.
She smiled with a hint of sadness. "I'm Zhenzhu's mother. She's your half-sister."
"I chose my own half-sister to be my heir?" he said in disbelief.
Ursa laughed a light, musical laugh that Zuko hadn't heard in almost twenty years. "I can't believe you didn't realize, my love. She has all your mannerisms and quirks. And all your values. You both always wanted what was best for the people of this nation. You were both kind, empathetic children. Being near her was like having a part of you with me."
"Promise me you won't leave," he whispered.
"Never again, Zuko," she said as she kissed his forehead.