ZW 2011 Day 2: History
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Lost to Time
Centuries after the war, a Fire Nation woman brings Li Peng some old, unreadable letters and asks for his help.
Li Peng is a humble restorer. He specializes in the thin paper scrolls favored during the Kaki dynasty (his preference is the scrolls with heat-sensitive invisible ink-a marvel-but few survived Sozin's War. He's poring over the ancient texts found in a wrecked warship, the author one Commander (Admiral, depending on the date of writing) Zhao. A girl enters his shop, and he starts at the jingle of the bells hanging from his door.
"Welcome to Li Peng's Restoration Service," he calls, trying to smile (but not too much). Li Peng has never quite had a knack for talking to customers. He's better with parchment.
The girl smiles back and approaches his desk, and as she comes closer he can see the pure gold of her eyes framed by black hair. He is struck by the notion that if the Council of the Four Nations hadn't banned monarchies years ago, he'd think her a princess. Come to think of it, she bears a resemblance to Fire Lord Izumi II (not that the girl would know who he was talking about. The woman abdicated and disappeared 60 years ago in favor of democracy).
"I have some letters," she begins, quiet and shy. "They've been in my family since Sozin's War."
Li Peng's eyebrows climb to his hairline. "Can they be read?" He asks, breathless.
"No," she replies. "My great-grandmother could read the Old Language, but the characters are faint and she can't see them well enough. That's why I brought them to you."
Li Peng nearly begins bouncing in his chair. "I can fix them for you-they'll look as they did 500 years ago." He pauses, looking at his hands.
"How much?" She murmurs, as if afraid to ask. "I don't have much to offer you."
"I'll do it free," he says. "But when your grandmother has read them, please write down her translation. I'd love to have it."
She offers him another smile, wider this time. "Deal."
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It's late, hours after he's closed his little shop and locked himself into the back bedroom with the box of letters. The girl (Li Peng is more than a little upset with himself for not catching her name) was right; the characters are faded enough that he has to put them under a scope to make out where the ink starts and ends, but he manages, and after several hours of work, the first letter is finished. He's made the letters black against the yellowed parchment, as he imagines they would have been so long ago. It's handy that he has these letters from Zhao; they seem to be from almost the same period, and the years spent in a metal box wrapped in ice has done a better job at preserving those letters than whatever has happened to these.
As the weeks go by and the work progresses, Li Peng's excitement grows. He's brushed up on the Old Language just a bit in his spare time, but it doesn't tell him much. His excitement comes from two names. Each letter starts with "Dear Katara," and ends with "Zuko."
If Li Peng knows his history, Katara was Avatar Aang's waterbending master and (this is the part that really gets Li Peng's blood pumping) Zuko must then refer to Fire Lord Zuko, firebending master to Avatar Aang, the legendary Fire Lord who defeated his sister in an Agni Kai for the throne and helped end the 100 year war. The man whose statue still stands in the Senate Chamber, across the room from Avatar Aang's.
Li Peng thinks he may just have a heart attack.
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The girl is as good as her word. Once Li Peng has finished restoring the ink and she's taken them home, she returns a few weeks later with a stack of translations. Li Peng rubs his hands together as she puts them on his desk with a smile. "Tell me, what was in them?"
She glances at him. "Sordid love letters."
Li Peng gapes at her. "You're not serious."
"Read them and find out," she replies. "Maybe you'd like to get coffee when you're done and we can talk about them."
Li Peng smiles. "I'd like that."
She nods, still smiling, and bows (an afterthought, Li Peng thinks). "See you."
"Wait-" Li Peng stands from his desk and pushes his chair back. "What's your name?"
"Ursa."
Li Peng plops back into his chair heavily. "Your nameā¦"
"Read the letters," she orders. "It's a family name."
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Dear Katara- Li Peng squirms in his chair. He was right about the name, then-
It's not honorable to write this, so you should burn this, and I wouldn't tell you except you and Aang aren't together anymore and [Ursa has dutifully left a large blob of ink on the translation where he remembers filling it in on the original]
Anyway I was wondering if maybe you wanted to have dinner feed turtleducks have tea with me-and Uncle!- not just me, I think I know where my mother is.
Your friend,
Zuko.
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Dear Katara,
I wrote you a letter before but it was stupid so I didn't send it. Would you honor me with your presence at tea with my uncle? We need to talk about reparations to the Southern Tribe-do you need metal. No, of course you don't, you have bone and you probably don't want my charity, but my council has been enjoying the arctic wine your father sent and they want more. It's awful; worse than the Fatherlord Fire Lord's sake and
Never mind. This is stupid. Why am I so bad at writing?
Zuko.
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Dear Katara,
Mai might want to get back together but I'm not really sure why. I'm not really sure why she left in the first place. Anyway how have you been? Uncle wants the three of us to have tea.
Your friend,
Zuko.
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Dear Katara,
I was thinking maybe we should leave Uncle out of the tea, maybe it should be just the two of us. I miss you everybody, we should get together soon.
Zuko
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Dear Zuko,
Why don't you ever write? You promised you would! Sokka and I have been designing new walls for the Southern Tribe (Sokka is very excited to be Head Architect, but some of the waterbenders from the North aren't happy about it). I haven't heard from Aang lately either, but I'm not expecting to either. I miss him, you know? We aren't really in love anymore, but he's still my best friend. It's just so awkward.
How've you been? How's Mai? Your uncle? My father says to pass along his highest regards, and Sokka says to say hi to the jerkbenders.
Please write. Even with the rebuilding it's quiet here, and I miss having all of us together.
Love,
Katara
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Dear Katara,
I try to write! It's just that nothing ever comes out the way I want it to. I'm sorry.
Zuko.
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Dear Katara,
I really do try to write. How have you been? I'm glad Sokka is making himself useful happy. Are you happy? I wish you'd come to the Fire Nation You should come to the Fire Nation. The five year anniversary is coming and Aang thinks we ought to bring dancing back and have a ball. I told him it was stupid, but maybe you'll like it. And maybe you'd want to go with me?
I wish
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Dear Katara,
The Council wants me to marry to secure my throne. They're probably right. Mai still wants to get married but I don't know. I want you I want us to I want to have everybody come to the palace
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Dear Zuko,
Sokka got your invitation to come to the palace. A reunion is a great idea! We're looking forward to seeing everybody. Aang and I can talk without it being too awkward again, which has been really nice. Toph was thinking about coming to visit but Sokka told her there isn't any dirt under the ice near the city, so she decided not to (I hear she's staying with you for a few weeks?).
Rumor has it your Council wants you to marry. Do you have anybody in mind? Your uncle told me last time I was in Ba Sing Se that you might but wouldn't say who it is. That's exciting. Is she pretty?
I wish you'd write to me sometimes.
Love,
Katara
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Dear Katara,
Yes, she's very pretty. She has blue eyes and brown, wavy hair that flies around her head. She's not pretty; actually, she's beautiful. I'll be seeing her when she comes with her brother to our Team Avatar -that's such a stupid name- reunion.
[A blacked out paragraph]
[The rest of the paper had been torn off]
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Dear Katara,
It was good to see you. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to feed the turtleducks or have tea with Uncle. I had meetings. And things.
I'm not avoiding you, I swear. I just don't know how to look at you You're beautiful and I don't want to mess this up so I tried not to look stupid in front of you but
I wish I could have spent more time with you.
Love,
Zuko.
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Dear Zuko,
I'm starting to think I should stop writing. You never respond, and I barely saw you when we visited.
If you ever want to, you can still write.
Love,
Katara.
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Dear Katara,
Please don't stop.
Love,
Zuko.
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Dear Zuko,
It's been a few years, hasn't it? I miss you. Aang and I have decided to try again (actually he proposed last week). We were going to tell you when we came next week, but I suppose I wanted you to know before.
Katara
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Dear Katara,
I am so, so sorry. Please don't marry him. We should have tea.
I don't want
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Dear Katara,
The wedding was beautiful.
You were beautiful.
Love,
Zuko.
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Dear Zuko,
I feel my life leaving me. Ever since Aang died, I've been living in the South, and I feel the cold more than I used to. Before I go, I want you to know that you've always been one of my best friends, and though I hoped once that we could be more, I understand that you've never felt that way about me. But I wanted to tell you.
I hope all is well with you and your family.
Best,
Katara.
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Dear Katara,
I love you. Hang on until I get there.
Love,
Zuko.
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Dear Ambassador Zuko,
Katara passed away this morning. The Southern Water Tribe hopes you'll be able to attend her funeral, which will be later in the week.
Best,
Avatar Korra.
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Jing: Send word to Avatar Korra that we'll be there within the hour. I'll be meditating in my quarters.
Ambassador Zuko.
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A/N: WordHippo tells me that Kaki is roughly translated to fire, fervor, ardor, etc. I thought it was fitting. I'm open to other input though since I am not at all an expert in the Japanese language.
