On most mornings, the young Fire Lord woke up with a certain waterbender curled up behind him with her chin tucked into the crook of his neck. Or perhaps her head rested on his chest with an arm lazily draped across his stomach. Or she could be on the other side of the bed with all the sheets wrapped around her, a tangle of curls and blue pajamas, oblivious that she'd left him cold and coverless in the night. Well, he said he was cold just to tease her. A firebender never gets cold. Clearly, you haven't spent much time in the South Pole had been her clever retort.
Since when did we become like an old married couple? This was Zuko's first thought on the morning of his 18th birthday. He expected to find Katara-the-Cover-Stealer on the other side of the bed, but she wasn't. He squinted in the dim morning light toward the dark corner where the entrance to the secret passageway was. It was still too early for her to have come and left again. Besides, she was not an early riser. Perhaps she never came…
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Something came bounding out from the dark corner, and it was decidedly not Katara.
"Aang! What in Angi's name are you doing!?"
"I'm the first to wish you happy birthday!" The airbender rocked back and forth on his heels looking quite pleased with himself.
"Yeah, but where did you come from?" Zuko instinctively pulled the sheet up to cover his bare chest which he then realized was silly since he used to train shirtless with Aang. They also used to camp out together and wake up side by side each morning. Regardless, the current situation made him feel awkward. I was expecting Katara…
"Well, I felt an air draft coming from the wall in your old room," Aang explained. "I pushed on this indentation, and a door opened up! So I followed it, and this is the first place it led to. You didn't know about it?"
"I…" Did my father ever use a passageway between my room and his? I don't think so… "I know there's a whole series of passageways. I haven't figured out where all of them go, yet."
"Oh. You should do that. Seems unsafe to not know… especially the ones that lead into your own room." Aang twisted his face into a scowl.
"I know. I'll get Toph to help." Zuko stood and retrieved a tunic from his wardrobe.
"Oh! I have a present for you! Can I be the first person to give you a present on your birthday!?" Aang's characteristic smile returned, and he started bouncing again.
"If you don't count the cheaters who gave me their presents early, then yes." Zuko laughed and shook his head in amusement at his friend. He's more excited about my birthday than I am. Aang disappeared through the shadows and materialized mere seconds later holding a good-sized wooden box. Zuko removed the lid and carefully lifted a set of metal tubes that appeared to be connected by a thick cording of sorts. "It's a…"
"They're wind chimes," Aang said. "You hang them up outside, and they make music when the wind blows. The different lengths of the metal tubes make the different notes."
Zuko held the top of the round disc that the tubes connected to and extended his arm out so that the wind chimes were suspended in air. Aang then sent a small burst toward them, bringing forth a melodious series of clangs that caused both young men to smile.
"It's amazing, Aang. Did you—"
"I just learned how to metalbend. It's my first project. Or well, I practiced a lot with forks and spoons first."
Zuko cautiously eyed the doors to the balcony adjacent to his room. He hadn't opened them in nearly a year, but he had been letting go of a lot of fears lately. Aang followed his gaze across the room and understood.
"Zuko, are you sure?"
"Where else would I put them? Besides, I miss watching the sunsets."
With Zuko still holding the wind chimes, Aang fiddled with the rusty locks until the balcony doors swung open. The crisp morning air met them, and it nearly took Zuko's breath away. A shiver went up his spine. Winter in the Fire Nation.
It was shortly after his seventeenth birthday that arrows rained down on this very balcony. It had been a small-scale assassination attempt, a group of disgruntled high-ranking army officers who had struggled to find work—and purpose—after the war. It served as a reminder that his position of power would always come with threats, and that the delicate state of peace in the world was paper thin at best.
Aang hung the wind chimes, and as Zuko listened to their song match tempo with the early morning breeze, he sighed. The sound comforted him, and the memories of fear began to fade.
"There's another reason I made them for you." Aang joined Zuko in resting his elbows on the balcony ledge. "They're a traditional Air Nomad craft, as you'd probably guess… because of the wind and all. But the monks teach that the music is pure because the tubes are hollow, empty. This is how we can achieve peace, by emptying ourselves of all our pain and worries."
"If only it were that easy."
"Well, exactly," Aang continued. "So, the wind chimes are supposed to help. To ward off bad feelings… and… stuff. Listen to the music, Zuko. Especially at night, to help with… well, you know…"
"How did you know about… my nightmares?"
"Well, I didn't know for sure… until now." Aang shrugged. "But I have them, too. So I figured if I have them after one battle with your father, then you must—"
"You have nightmares about Ozai?"
"Uhhh… you should've seen him on the day of Sozin's Comet, Zuko. He was—"
"Yeah, ok. I get it. Umm, I'd rather not… on my birthday…"
Zuko tried to shake the unbidden images of his raging father combined with the consuming fire effected by the comet. Zuko had felt the power burning within himself that day. He could only imagine what such a sensation would do to a man like Ozai… it would be anyone's nightmare. When he felt his breath start to quicken, Zuko then focused on the tones of the wind chimes. So random, yet in harmony. Contained by metal and string, yet so free. It helped. It really did.
"Of course." Aang smiled brightly, seemingly unaware that Zuko's mind went there and back again. "Breakfast then?"
Zuko nodded and returned the Avatar's smile. "Hey, thanks for the wind chimes. They're really great."
After they had left the room, another figure emerged from the dark corner. Fighting a pang of disappointment that she hadn't been the first to wish Zuko a happy birthday—with a kiss and maybe something more—Katara set about a most important task. She needed to pack a bag for the Fire Lord's upcoming trip to Ember Island. The plans were in place, the day had arrived. Secret Operation Winter Solstice, or SOWS as Iroh had called it, was finally underway.
The top leaders from each nation had been invited to breakfast in the palace dining hall. It should not have surprised Katara that Zuko would strike up a conversation about politics with King Kuei that would last the duration of their meal and continue the entire walk back to the Earth Kingdom Embassy afterward. Ugh, this is why we have to get away for his birthday…
It wasn't that politics didn't interest Katara. Such topics normally intrigued her, especially since she had recently learned that Zuko didn't actually hate them. Lately they'd had several invigorating conversations on international affairs, in fact. But when Suki fell in step with them, Katara realized it had been so long since she'd had a girl her own age to talk to, the subject of their conversation naturally went a different direction.
"My skin is soooo dry in Two Rivers. I have to import this special soybean oil from Kyoshi just to keep moisturized!" Suki lamented.
"Ugh, I know. My hair does not know what to do with the heat and humidity here. It is always a crazy curly mess!" Katara ran her fingers through her tangled tresses.
"Oooh, let's fix each other's hair for the festival! Want to come to my room later?"
"Oooh, and makeup, too!" The two girls squealed in delight.
Zuko and Kuei glanced back at them briefly, rolled their eyes at each other, and jumped right back into a conversation about trade routes along the Chalang River. When Katara looked past them to the embassy courtyard, she saw Song, Keui's betrothed and the future queen of the Earth Kingdom, waiting there.
"Song!" Katara called her over. The young woman appeared relieved to see someone she recognized. "Suki and I were just planning to meet in her room to get ready for the festival. Would you like to join us?"
"Oh, sure. That sounds like fun." Song looked imploringly at Kuei, but it seemed that King and Fire Lord were now engaged in full-on negotiations, and no one was going to get a word in edgewise.
Suki leaned in toward the other two girls. "I didn't know they got along this well. Things were so tense at the peace talks last year."
"Fire Lord Zuko came to visit in the spring and then again in the summer. He's been so proactive with all the peacemaking efforts, especially where the colonies are concerned. Plus, things are always better when the Dowager is not hovering…" Song shrugged.
"Has she really backed off?" Katara found it hard to imagine that Kuei's mother would really loosen her grip, but stranger things had happened.
"She's left him alone for the most part, yes. She's completely consumed with the wedding, though. If I had it my way, we would've been married a year ago!"
"Song, I'm so sorry. She really is—is she here?" Katara wanted to speak her mind about the Earth Kingdom Dowager, but she figured if Zuko had been able to make amends—or at least learn to tolerate the insufferable woman—she could, too.
"No, thank the spirits! But she did feel compelled to pick out a dress for me." Song frowned. "She doesn't trust my low class tastes."
"I'm sure it's a lovely dress." Suki linked her elbow with Song's. "Come on, let's go! Katara, go get your stuff and meet us in my room!"
It was indeed a lovely dress—green, of course, but perfectly tailored and exquisitely designed. Katara marveled at the deep emerald color and decided that Song looked like just that, a gemstone—perhaps not as polished as her future mother-in-law would like, but most definitely radiant, and even better, multi-faceted. She would be an active and passionate queen, not the type to just sit back and look pretty at her husband's side.
Then Katara saw another jewel enter her field of view. She expected a second green-clad girl to emerge from the dressing room, but instead the sight of Suki wearing sapphire made her jaw drop.
"I'm hoping Sokka will have that reaction, too." Suki gauged Katara's reaction with curiosity and satisfaction.
"Oh, he will. Trust me," Katara assured her. "But why not green? I guess I figured everyone would wear their nation's colors for the festival."
"Well, the Two Rivers model is pushing toward something different, I guess. An international city with representative rule. Sokka and I are always talking about being neutral and impartial while serving on the council…"
"So you chose deep blue because it communicates your commitment to international cooperation and not because it happens to match your eyes perfectly, accent your beautiful red hair, and also happens to be my brother's favorite color?" Katara raised an eyebrow at her friend.
"That shows what you know. Sokka's favorite color is orange." Suki's smirk quickly faded into a drawn-out sigh. She twirled around in front of the mirror, but suddenly looked doubtful.
"It's beautiful, and he will love it," Song said. "Speaking of the Water Tribe blue, Katara, where is your dress?"
"Oh, I am still fussing with my hair! I can't get these frizzies to calm down." Katara patted the top of her head. After living in the Fire Nation for over a year, she knew her efforts were futile especially with the winter wind coming into play.
"Oh! I have just the thing!" Suki rummaged through her bag and procured a small bottle. "Soybean oil works wonders for your hair, too!" She placed a small dab of the oil in her palm, rubbed her hands together, and worked it through Katara's hair. "It's lightweight, so it won't make your hair look greasy."
Katara admired the obvious improvement the oil had made. "Wow, this soybean stuff is really great, huh?"
"We grow a lot of them on Kyoshi Island. They're high in protein, therefore a dietary staple there. Of course, you've seen what it can do for skin and hair. Oh, and it's the base for the Kiyoshi Tablet as well."
"Ohhhhh, right!" Katara nodded her comprehension.
"Speaking of, do you need any more? I've brought some for you if you need to restock." Suki started sorting through her bag again.
"Actually, since I work at the hospital now, I've got regular access to them. Thanks, though. The Fire Nation's version is made from yams. Interesting, huh? I guess they grow better in this hot climate."
"Excuse me." Song cleared her throat. "But what are you two talking about?"
Katara and Suki both whirled around to face the queen-to-be. "Birth control," Suki said. "Need any?"
"I…uh, yes. If you're offering."
"Does the Earth Kingdom have its own version?" Katara thought the science behind it all was fascinating even though she wasn't quite sure how it worked.
"I… wouldn't know. We haven't…" Song blushed.
"What?" Katara asked the question but knew the idea wasn't too far-fetched. She had told herself once upon a time that she planned to wait, too. However, there was something about how long it took her and Zuko to actually get together and the depth of their friendship that had developed in the meantime that flowed quite naturally into intimacy.
"It wouldn't be proper, according to the Dowager. This is one message she's drilled into him pretty hard, I figure, and I respect that. This is another reason why I pushed for an earlier wedding. But the worst part is, information about birth control in Ba Sing Se is very scarce. When I asked the Dowager about it, she told me I didn't need it, because once we got married, my only job would be to produce heirs anyway." The redness is Song's face deepened, but not from embarrassment.
"That's horrible. How can she of all people say that? She obviously enjoys her power, why not empower other women?" Katara shared her anger.
"I d-d-on't know, Katara, but it's not just her. The idea is everywhere. That women are to be controlled. Submissive. I mean, you know about what happened with some of the Joo Dees…"
Their collective gasps were followed by a somber silence.
"Well, I'd like the pills for myself. I'm not planning to have a baby right off the bat. I have other projects I'd like to implement when I become queen, most of them centered around women and children's rights. We have an alarming number of overcrowded orphanages especially in the lower districts. So, that's what often happens when a woman gets pregnant unexpectedly. So, I'd like to explore trade opportunities with either Kyoshi or the Fire Nation for these contraceptives. For the women in the Earth Kingdom, this is long overdue."
To say Katara had been inspired would be an understatement. Song had ideas, and compassion, and practical insight, and personal experience… and soon she would be in a position to actually render change. Suddenly the prospect of becoming Fire Lady became so much more than the dream of whimsical wedding planning… or the fear of what the Fire Sages might think of her. There was a nation—and a whole world—full of people who were broken and hurting, and she could actually do something about it.
"Katara?" Song's voice broke through her thoughts. "What about your dress?"
"Yeah, Ambassador Waterbender," Suki echoed. "I want to see if you chose blue or red."
Katara smiled at her friends. "Actually, neither."
A/N: So, yes, I'm introducing a little more politics in this fic than the last one, but in no way am I intending for this to be political. I don't have an agenda, and I'm not trying to make a statement even though I realize that can't necessarily be helped. What I am trying to do is show that a group of young people are emerging into positions of influence, and they are forming their own ideas about the world.
The Kyoshi Tablet is not my invention, and Katara and Suki had another conversation about contraceptives in Not Stalking Zuko, Chapter 11: Misunderstandings Involving Penguins. While I know the Avatar world may predate the actual introduction of "the pill," I had to include it (and the scientific bit about soybeans and yams which were the pioneer ingredients of synthetic hormones). If I'm going to have teenagers having sex in my fic, then they have to be smart about it. I know I don't even address other issues, so let's just say that Suki and Sokka and Zuko and Katara have only been with each other and leave it at that.
Also, the implication with the Joo Dees... I'm a bit weary of the abuse theme for now. (Like Dr. Jung said, when you start to uncover the deeper issues, you may feel very raw.) But this comes from Not Stalking Firelord Zuko, Chapter 14: No War in Ba Sing Se if you want more details.
Oh, and this is huge! Song! As King Kuei's betrothed... that's all from NSFZ as well. Emletish likes to bring all the ATLA characters full circle, it seems, so yes, this is THE Song, the girl Zuko meets in the Earth Kingdom farm village who helps heal his uncle, shows him her scars, etc. Apparently Kuei met her when he had to flee the palace after Azula's takeover. He fell in love with her, but his mother, the infamous Dowager (an OC of Em's, although I could have sworn she was canon) does not approve of Song's low-class background. This story line is well-developed in NSFZ, and I only provide small snippets of it here. The significance of Song's reappearance is her inspiration to Katara. They are both women who are defying tradition, marrying outside their race and/or class, and stepping into a realm of power and influence. Even Suki is grappling with the implications of her future. Is she committed to the republic model in Two Rivers to the point that she would relinquish her role as leader of the Kyoshi Warriors? And how does that fit in with Sokka and his duties to the Southern Water Tribe?
So, basically we have three strong women with incredibly bright futures. Hooray! And they each have loving and supportive men who will all get a bit weak-kneed in the next chapter.