The Education of Miyako's Father
Part 3: The Nature of Fire
Zuko didn't really care whether his daughter was a firebender or not. He was married to a non bender, after all, and knew all too well, just how powerful they could be. There was a small part of him, though, that hoped Miyako might bend. He could supervise her training, make sure that she learned at her own pace, and was encouraged, not put down. He would make certain that expectations weren't placed unreachably high. The devastating effects of that practice he had seen firsthand. He would teach her to respect fire and to love it while never abusing her power. The thoughts of teaching her warmed him and excited him and Zuko found himself waiting for that very first spark to appear.
Their little girl was three now, closer to four really, and the light of both their lives; a handful, an energetic, curious and sometimes mischievous handful, who sucked up a lot of Mai's and Zuko's energy. Neither would have it any either way. Thoughts of a second child still hovered in the background, but together they had decided to concentrate on Miyako for another year or two. They were still young, after all, twenty seven and twenty six. There was lots of time ahead for more children.
"What exactly do you expect to see?" Mai asked Zuko as they watched Miyako drift off to sleep. She'd had a busy day of digging in the garden and playing with Susu, her beloved black cat. The Fire Lady reached out and brushed back a wild bit of hair from her daughter's forehead. Sometimes, her heart ached as she looked down at their girl. She wanted to keep her little forever, didn't want her to grow up and leave them. But that was a silly notion. Little girls became bigger girls and then women. That was nature's way, no matter how much the thought might pain her. "Do you think she'll make fire in her sleep?"
Zuko was staring intently at Miyako, studying every frown, every movement of her eyes beneath closed lids, every twist and turn she made in her little bed. "Huh? Oh, no, I'm just committing everything to memory. She's beautiful, isn't she?" He curled an arm around Mai's shoulders and drew her in close to him. "We did something really, really right, didn't we?"
"Yeah," Mai chuckled. "I'd say we did." Kissing Zuko on the cheek, she gently drew him out of Miyako's room and into their own next door.
Susu slept protectively at the foot of the princess's bed, only the yellow of her eyes showing in the dark as Zuko extinguished the lamps.
"I'm sorry, my lady, but Miyako simply won't stop crying." The nanny, her name was Midori, pulled the distraught little girl by the hand and presented her to Mai and Zuko. "There was a bit of an incident."
The couple was in Zuko's office, working their way through a mound of paperwork and discussing the meeting they had presided over earlier. Miyako spent four mornings a week with Midori. It was good preparation for the time she would soon be spending with a tutor. She liked the nanny well enough, but sometimes only Mom or Dad could make things right again.
She broke free of Midori and ran to Zuko first, climbing up into his lap and pressing her damp face into his heavy robes. He rubbed her back soothingly, moving his hand in small circles until her cries became soft hiccoughs instead. "What's wrong, Miya? What happened?"
Mai got up from her seat and perched on the desk, close enough to stroke her daughter's hair. "It's all right; you can tell us." She looked to Midori then. "You may go home now, Midori. We'll take things from here. And thanks."
The nanny bowed her head and slipped quietly out the door. Miyako lifted her head finally and looked between her mother and her father. When she spoke, it was in a trembling little voice that wrenched at both her parents' hearts.
"I, I," she sniffed, "I burned Susu and she ran away. She's gone." Fresh tears spilled down her damp cheeks and she buried her face in Zuko's chest again.
"Wait, did you say 'burned'?" the Fire Lord asked hopefully. "You mean, you made a flame?" He gently roused the girl, pulling her back so that he could look into her narrow gold eyes.
She nodded. "I didn't mean to. It just, it just came, in my hand…"
"Do you think that you could do it again?" Zuko's voice was eager, too eager, and Mai gave him a nudge.
"Maybe we should find Susu first, make sure she's okay." She stood up, went to the doorway, and pulled the chime for a servant. As soon as one arrived, Mai gave instructions to have the entire staff look for the missing cat. "No one stops until Susu is found. Do you understand?"
"Yes, my lady, I understand." The servant scurried off, worried about the cat herself. Susu was a fixture in the palace and everyone, even the hardest, coldest person loved her. Of course, the little princess was beloved too and making her happy was always a priority.
"There," Mai reassured her daughter. "Susu will turn up soon. I'm sure of it. She's probably missing you already."
"Can we look too?" the girl asked.
"Definitely," Zuko answered before Mai had a chance to. He kissed the top of Miyako's head then lifted her off his lap, setting her down on the carpet.
Both parents held out a hand and the little girl walked between them, safe and shielded and feeling a little bit better.
"No talk about bending until the cat is found," Mai warned her husband as they walked through the gardens, looking under shrubbery, up into trees and behind pillars.
"Fine," the Fire Lord acquiesced. "But I'm thrilled, Mai. Our daughter is a firebender and I'll get to teach her."
Mai lifted up her eyebrows and peered deep into Zuko's eyes. "If you can remain neutral; if not, we'll get her another teacher, right? You agreed to that, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know; neutral, calm." His eyes were trained on Miyako as she bounded about the garden calling out the cat's name.
"Susu, Susu," she shouted in a sing song voice. "I'm sorry. Come back."
Servants milled about too, and it was a wonder the feline hadn't been spotted yet.
"You don't think she's left the palace grounds, do you?" Zuko asked Mai. "I don't know how we would find her then."
"She'd better not have." Mai felt a pang of sadness at the thought. She loved the cat as much as Miyako did though she would never admit it.
Three hours of searching the entire palace, every nook and cranny, all the grounds, and when Susu was finally discovered, she was dozing comfortably on Miyako's bed, unaware of the tumult she had caused.
"Oh, for Agni's sake," Mai groaned. "I can't believe we didn't look here first."
Zuko snorted with laughter and kissed his wife's cheek. "Smart cat," he declared.
With unusual restraint for a four year old, Miyako approached Susu on tip toes and crooned softly to the cat. She reached out a hand and timidly touched Susu's head before crawling up onto the bed. When the feline didn't dart away, the girl grew more exuberant and kissed the animal resoundingly before scooping her up and examining every inch of her body. Mai and Zuko knelt by the bed and checked out the pet too.
"Right there," Zuko said, pointing to a little patch of singed black hair. "It's not bad, Miyako. Susu will be just fine." The girl began to cry again, this time from sheer relief. "But, if you've begun to make fire, you'll need to learn how to control it, so no one ever gets hurt." Zuko glanced at Mai and she cleared her throat emphatically. "But, we'll worry about that tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy; you're not mad?" Miyako's lower lip stuck out now and Zuko's heart melted.
"No, I'm not mad and neither is your mother. Come on, how about we get Susu a special treat. I think she deserves it."
The little family trooped off to the kitchen, Miyako sitting on Zuko's shoulders, Susu cradled carefully in her arms.
Mai looked over at her husband and giggled. "You are such a softie."
"Hmmph, so what if I am?' he retorted.
"Oh, I'm not complaining," Mai continued. "I think it's adorable." She wore a smile for the remainder of the day.
The following afternoon, after a hard morning's work, Zuko took Miyako out into the courtyard, far from any innocent plants and people, and asked her if she could produce another flame. Mai sat on a nearby bench reading one of her favorite books. Susu was curled up on her lap, and she paused after every page or so to give the cat a lingering pat. She had a good vantage point, and peeked over the pages of her book, keeping an eye on the proceedings.
"Think about fire, think about making a flame, but don't worry if you can't." He sat on the cool stone and watched as Miyako closed her eyes tightly and concentrated.
Nothing happened and the little girl tensed up. Zuko put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "It's okay. Don't worry. It's not something you can force. Try again when you're ready."
The Fire Lord couldn't help but recall his lessons with Iroh; the man had been a study in patience and tolerance, never forcing, never pressuring, but still strict enough to expect his nephew's full attention and cooperation. Zuko hadn't realized back then, how lucky he had been to have Iroh, both as a firebending instructor and as a surrogate father of sorts. He knew now, of course, and tried his best to keep all that Iroh had taught him about love and fatherhood alive in his relationship with Miyako.
"Try taking a really deep breath, like this…." Zuko inhaled deeply and then let the air out very slowly. "It helps me relax."
"Okay, Daddy." Miyako grinned and waved at Mai first. She longed to go play with Susu but stopped herself, just barely. "Like this," she repeated her father's words, and took a huge breath. She held it a bit too long and began to turn pink before finally letting it go.
Chucking her chin, Zuko laughed. "Let the air out a bit sooner. Here, watch me again." He demonstrated once more, inhaling and exhaling, slow and easy.
The little girl tried a second time and got it just right. She breathed in and out slowly and carefully.
"Once more," Zuko urged her. "And then try to make a flame."
She repeated the procedure with closed eyes, pictured a pretty orange flame in her mind and then held out her little hand, palm facing upward. There was a flicker and Zuko held his breath. The flicker became the tiniest spark of fire and Zuko grinned. It died quickly, but that didn't matter in the least. He hugged her then, whispering words of praise and encouragement. Miyako beamed proudly and ran off to Mai, shouting over and over again, "I made fire, I made fire. Did you see, Mommy?"
"I did," Mai replied, "and it was very exciting. You're my little firebender."
"And Daddy's the big one." Miyako giggled and climbed up onto the bench beside her mother. She lay her head on Mai's lap, right next to Susu and promptly fell asleep.
Zuko wore a troubled expression as he and Mai got ready for bed. Miyako had been in bed for a few hours already and the couple had enjoyed some quiet time together.
"What's with the face?" Mai sighed as she slid between the silky soft sheets. They felt deliciously cool against her skin.
"Part of me wanted to push her," he mused. Mai said nothing, letting Zuko get everything off his chest. "Miyako created that little flame and I was ready to push until she made another and another, each one stronger than the last. I was so excited, Mai, and so proud."
"Maybe you wanted to, but you didn't push her. You were great, Zuko. I was as proud of you as I was of Miyako." She snuggled against her husband, curling herself around him much as Susu curled herself around people when the mood struck her.
"Really?" He ran his fingers through Mai's ebony hair and leaned his head down, inhaling her scent.
Mai yawned and tightened the grip on her husband. "Yes, Zuko, really."
"You'll stop me, won't you, if I ever get like my father." The Fire Lord sounded genuinely scared and his voice shook.
"I won't have to," Mai insisted. "You're not Ozai and you could never be. Zuko, you're doing a great job. Stop with all the worrying." She yawned again and closed her eyes.
"I'll try, Mai, but I can't promise anything."
Mai didn't hear. She was already fast asleep. Kissing the top of her head, Zuko put out the lantern and wriggled his way down further down into the bed. He followed Mai into sleep a few minutes later.