Zutara Week. Day Two. History.

I own nothing! Zuko, Katara, Iroh, Ozai, Azulon, Sozin, Roku, and anything else recognizable belong to Mike/Bryan/Nickelodeon/Viacom!

Zutara Week 2011 is, of course, run by the lovely trishna87, senbo-sama, AnimantX, and Irrel on deviantART. Best wishes to GreenifyME, who unfortunately couldn't participate in Zutara Week this year.

Lineage

Dappled light seeped between giant drapes of expensive red silks. It was too dark and too quiet in the halls, even for the middle of the day. Katara was slightly unnerved by the lack of life and activity. The monstrous faces of the past Fire Lords glaring down at her did little to quell her unease.

Determinedly, she walked past the looming stone pillars that lined the hall and pushed the heavy curtains aside, gathering them in bunches to allow the afternoon sunshine flood the Gallery of Portraits. As the light chased away shadows, she continued examining one grimacing face after another.

Generations of fathers and sons of the throne watched the hall intently, followed by an empty, gilded frame that Katara assumed to be reserved for Zuko's portrait, when that time came. They all shared the same furrowed brow, humorless eyes, and antique crown. She wondered if Zuko's painting would look the same.

Standing at Zuko's great-great-grandfather, she tried to decipher the ancient text carved into the frame, only able to guess a handful of characters. A symbol that looked like redemption, another that was either monarch or conqueror.

"Ah, Nephew," she heard Uncle's voice rumble from a short distance. "She is in the Gallery." Seconds later, Zuko, in casual pants and a tunic, emerged through gold-plated doors. Following closely was the retired general, who smile as Katara curtsied for them both.

"This is…quite something," she said, a bit uncomfortably.

"I want to burn them all," Zuko scowled.

Katara frowned. "Zuko, you can't. Regardless of anything you say, these men are your family." She watched for any change in emotion, waiting for an epiphany or even a minor acknowledgment.

"The Lady is right, Nephew," Iroh reprimanded. "They are your namesake and your history. You cannot erase that."

The current Fire Lord pinched the bridge of his nose. He attempted to reign in his aggravation, but the effort was in vain. "These damned paintings are just reminders of how badly my family screwed the world." Zuko stalked over to the first painting, gesturing wildly at the looming figure.

"Ezro decided that his people were too valuable to work, so he went to the Poles and captured your people, Katara. They were slaves in labor camps and pawns in the army. Zinjon," he continued, pointing at the next portrait, "apparently didn't know his figures and plunged the Nation into a depression with a massive deficit."

Iroh shook his head sadly, watching Zuko pace. "Once the economy miraculously got back on track, Konzu decided to raise taxes on exported goods and caused all the other nations to suffer. And now we're at Sozin, who basically killed Avatar Roku, hunted the dragons to near extinction, and—oh, yeah. Started the entire war. Azulon wanted to kill me, and Ozai nearly destroyed the entire planet." Zuko hung his head in shame, his voice almost breaking as he finished. "So what am I supposed to do to fix few centuries' worth of mistakes?"

The waterbender reached out and laid her hand on his shoulder. "Zuko," she and Iroh said together. Katara blinked in surprise and nodded, a silent invitation for the old man to speak first.

"There is one Lord that is excluded from the Gallery," he said, raising a grey eyebrow. "The Sages insist that that Lord is to be forgotten and is not to be taught about in lessons." Iroh walked over to the far left, pointing between the second and third paintings. "Here is where the Lord should go."

Katara caught Zuko's eye before asking the question that she knew was on his mind. "What did he do that banned him from…everything, really?"

Iroh gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Actually, she was one of the best things that has ever happened to the Fire Nation." The two young benders exchanged looks of bemusement. "Fire Lord Zolara abolished Erzo's slavery laws, and, with many years of dedication, managed to restore the nation's economy almost single-handedly."

"Why isn't she a part of the Gallery?"

"Zolara was a very wise woman, beyond her years with knowledge and strength of heart. She stayed unwed for a very long time, but when she did choose her Prince, it was out of pure love rather than politics. He was an average man, not of noble blood or high status. His name was Kassum, and he was a palace guard. This young gentleman was a waterbender from the Tribes."

Katara could feel her breath lock in her throat, and Zuko tensed next to her.

Iroh cast a suspicious glance at the pair of benders, but said nothing of their reaction. "Lord Zolara and Prince Kassum tried to produce an heir for the throne, but after three miscarriages and one born with a stilled heart, they gave up. Lord Konzu was her eldest nephew. The Sages were outraged and said that she disgraced her country, banishing her after she handed her crown to Konzu.

"So Nephew, rethink your standings. There is goodness in your bloodline. Your honor as an individual will not be lessened for the things that have happened long before your time. As for the more recent affairs, you are capable of creating a new era." With those words, Iroh ambled across the floor and headed toward the kitchens.

Both Katara and Zuko stared after him, and then Katara turned to him and offered her condolences. Zuko hesitantly stepped into her open arms, immediately finding comfort in the steady rhythm of her breath. "I can't do this," he murmured.

"You always forget something really important. You don't have to do everything by yourself. If it gives you any consolation, you're already following in Zolara's footsteps." She grinned when he muttered a vague question into her hair. "Falling in love with a waterbender? Done."

A little bit of genealogy, anyone? :) So...I made up my own Fire Nation history. Kind of. Ezro, Zinjon, Zolara, and Konzu are figments of my imagination. however, they do fit in with the pattern that the Fire Lords have the letters Z and O in their names. As for Kassum, he's named after a real-life person.

On the Avatar-Wiki site, it says that "Fire Lord" is used regardless of gender. I used this site for some other stuff, too. (:

Review, please?
Tchao, Zutarians.
Erika
xoxo