Chapter 5
Independence for Yu Dao!
YU DAO. Last week Firelord Zuko, Earth King Kueh, and the Avatar made a joint announcement declaring that on the first day of the new year the former Colony of Yu Dao will become a free and independent state.
Mayor Morishita, first appointed to govern Yu Dao by Firelord Ozai, will now head the new Yu Dao Council. The Council's members will be chosen by the Firelord and the Earth King from a list of Yu Dao citizens.
"This is just the first step," says Morishita. "I am still a firm advocate for the independence of all former Fire Nation colonies. The new United Republic will be for those of us who are neither Fire Nation nor Earth Kingdom, and who instead want to create something new."
The Firelord brushed aside comments that (continued on page 4)
Temurin picks up the gazette to finish the article, but the street vendor scolds him furiously. "You want to finish this story, you'll have to buy it!" she says, waving a crooked finger at him. "My son brought this news all the way from Taiyang!"
"What's this?" Nekana comes up from behind and glances at the title. Her eyes widen. She snatches the gazette from Temurin's hands and walks a few paces towards the wagon, reading furiously.
The street seller sputters indignantly. "Young lady—"
"I'll pay," sighs Temurin. It's been nearly a week since he and Nekana met, and by now he doesn't expect the girl to abide by social niceties. She nearly killed Mila on the road! He deposits a few coins into the old woman's hand and strides over to Nekana, who by now has flipped to page four.
"I was reading that," he says. She ignores him completely—again, nothing new. Temurin settles for reading over Nekana's shoulder.
The Firelord brushed aside comments that Yu Dao or any future 'United Republic' are in fact Fire Nation puppet states.
"The Fire Nation voluntarily withdrew its military from the Earth Kingdom," Firelord Zuko said, looking harried. "And we will withdraw permanently from Yu Dao and the current Colonies once the borders are decided. I will not leave Yu Dao unprotected. But the Fire nation has no say in how the Yu Dao Council governs itself."
The Avatar confirmed that more changes are coming for the Colonies. "Negotiations are ongoing," he told Colonial Gazette reporters. "Next we'll be trying to determine which other Colonies want to join Yu Dao in independence."
When asked about rumors of Earth Kingdom soldiers spotted in major cities Colonies, the Earth King replied that "The Earth Kingdom Army is dedicated to protecting all people who call the Earth Kingdom home." He declined to comment on the expansion of Yu Dao into a United Republic.
Whether or not there will be a United Republic, one thing is clear: two months from now, Yu Dao will join the ranks of the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, and two Water Tribes as an independent country.
At the bottom of the article is a detailed woodcut print of the Firelord shaking hands with the Earth King while the Avatar beams in between them.
"Wow," says Temurin. He nudges Nekana, who is still staring at the print. "This is big!" Indeed, when he looks around the New Azulon town square, he sees many people poring over copies of the article. A colonial official pounds up an abridged version to the central notice board. Temurin allows himself to smile. Independence for the Colonies? Without a war? It seems too good to be true. It probably is too good to be true. He wonders what Zhao thinks about this. Is independence enough for her?
"He's keeping his word," says Nekana, finally putting down the newspaper.
"Who?"
"Zuko. The Firelord," she says. "He promised to keep the Colonies out of Earth Kingdom hands."
"Did he?" Temurin doesn't remember the Firelord promising anything like that, but it's possible he missed something while traveling. He shrugs.
"We should get to my sister's house," says Temurin. "She'll be excited to hear the news."
Nekana looks at Temurin strangely. "You seem…happy. Do you support independence?" Her lip curls.
"I'm not very political," says Temurin. "Most of the war is posturing between angry fools who don't care who gets caught in the middle."
"But?"
"But my father is from the Earth Kingdom, and my mother first came to the Colonies as the maidservant of a Fire Nation noblewoman." He stops to let a small cart rattle by, then leads their ostrich-horse across the street. The medicine wagon clatters noisily behind them.
"I don't want the Fire Nation to stay in control. But I also don't want my mother deported back to the Fire Nation, which is what the Earth Kingdom would do."
"You don't look very Fire Nation."
"It sometimes works out that way," says Temurin wryly, thinking of the hours he spent in genetics class at Yu Dao University.
"I know," snaps Nekana. "Most observable Fire Nation traits are recessive."
Impressive. She clearly had excellent tutors. They turn right at another intersection, the wagon barely making the curve.
"Did you ever study how bending abilities are passed on?" asks Temurin as they enter a quieter street.
"No," says Nekana, her eyebrows lifting. "Did you?" For the first time in over a week, she seems actually interested in something he has to say.
"Yes, it's quite fascinating," Temurin says eagerly. "Were either of your parents firebenders?"
"My father."
"Right, okay," answers Temurin. "Good example. Being a bender doesn't just depend on having the gene for firebending or earthbending. You also have to have what gene scholars call the 'spirit' gene…"
For the next half hour, Temurin shares what he learned in medical school. It's been so long since he could talk like this with someone. Nekana is eerily intelligent, asking questions he would expect from a second or third year student. And when she's curious she forgets to be demanding.
"This must be fascinating to study in the Colonies," Nekana says excitedly. "Since there are so many more mixed-race people, you have more earthbending genes coming in contact with firebending genes."
"Precisely!" says Temurin. "There's also a class element: over time, benders have risen to the aristocracies of the three nations. Constant intermarriage keeps bending abilities mostly concentrated in the upper ranks. But in the Colonies, class has started to blur a little, so almost anyone you meet can be a bender."
"Is anyone in your family a bender?" asks Nekana.
"No," says Temurin. "We're artisans, mostly."
They've entered a residential area, full of brick or earthbender-created houses. Vines creep across the brick wall to Temurin's right. They probably bloom with flowers in the springtime. The road turns to dirt, and the wagon kicks up an incredible cloud of dust. Temurin coughs and squints, wondering if he should stop walking the ostrich-horse and get up on the high driver's seat.
"Here." Nekana hands Temurin a handkerchief, her own face already covered. He accepts with a nod and ties the cloth around his face. It blocks the dust fairly well.
"I wonder if you could breed the perfect firebender," muses Nekana, her voice slightly muffled. "By going through parents' genealogy and making sure both parents have the correct 'fire' and 'spirit' genes."
"You probably could," replies Temurin warily. "But should you?"
Nekana looks at Temurin like she doesn't understand the question.
"I guess you could make a lot of money off of that kind of matchmaking," Temurin concedes. It's not a half bad idea. Although only the nobles would have records of their ancestry.
"Money," scoffs Nekana. "Is that all you care about? Think of the power you'd wield if you could breed a cadre of elite fire, earth, and waterbenders."
"You seem awfully preoccupied with power for…who are you again?"
Nekana's golden eyes narrow over the top of her handkerchief. Temurin wonders how common such distinctive eyes are in the Fire Nation.
"Politics have always been a hobby of mine," Nekana replies after a pause.
This girl is far more than she says, Temurin thinks. Those golden eyes…
They pass a signpost, but the dust cloud obscures the characters. Temurin pulls back sharply on the lead rope and the ostrich-horse squawks. His sister's house is on this road somewhere. Up ahead, Temurin spots a small figure running towards them, down the winding road between the houses. He squints.
"Uncle!" yells the boy.
"Jirou!" Temurin shouts back. He drops the lead rope and waves at his soon-to-be apprentice.
