Chapter 36
"I know I shouldn't be saying this because it's very mean," Yue whispered in Katara's ear as they were both waiting for Jet to finish mixing their strawberry daiquiris. "But he really looks very dorky with glasses."
"That is very mean, Yue," Katara whispered back, trying to look harsh, but failing as she nearly lost it and burst into giggles. Jet's poor eyesight was certainly no laughing matter, and she was relieved that Kori had finally forced him to see the best ophthalmologist in Yu Dao who had given Jet a sorely needed prescription. Katara had no idea what sort of buttons Kori had pushed to actually manage to talk Jet into wearing glasses, but she had clearly succeeded in that effort. "But also, you're not wrong," Katara giggled, relieved that Jet was focusing on making their cocktails perfect as usual. "Why did he decide on these round glasses? I don't think they suit him well at all?"
"Maybe Kori chose them," Yue chuckled. "I mean, she's a politician, right? She knows how to get what she wants. She probably has Jet wrapped all around her little finger."
"An ex-politician, but your point is well made, my dear," Katara grinned, watching Jet pour some lime syrup into their drinks. It was a sight that made Katara brim with happy nostalgia, reminding her of all those parties their group of friends had enjoyed back at the International House of Lesbians in Ba Sing Se, with Jet always playing their bartender. Reliving that memory was a treasured part of the celebrations of her thirty-second birthday, held at Kori's Yu Dao estate and attended by nearly everyone from their old group of friends, now including the more recent additions of Kori Morishita and On Ji Takeda.
Not everything was well, however, and no amount of putting up appearances could hide certain tensions from seeping through the happy birthday party mood. The whole drama involving Zuko, Toph and Aang made the occasion feel weird and strained, and it left a bitter taste in Katara's mouth. This group of friends was meant to be tighter than this, and by now they should have been immune to this sort of drama. But perhaps Katara was still a little too much of a naïve idealist. She had to concede that with the big prize so close on the line, tensions were always likely to rise and reach the boiling point.
Katara had always held a very dim view of the whole arrangement between Zuko, Toph and Aang. She had been looking forward to them abolishing the deal they had struck, but she hadn't expected for that to happen the way it had. Katara was deeply conflicted about Toph blindsiding Aang and Zuko as she had literally thrown a hand grenade at their agreement. In fact, Katara had been so conflicted that for a while, she had considered asking Toph not to attend her birthday, but she hadn't been able to turn her back on one of her oldest friends even if she was upset with Toph like never before.
So, Toph was here, together with her husband, and the way she and Zuko pointedly ignored one another was seriously bringing down the mood of Katara's birthday party. The falling out was making everyone uncomfortable, especially their partners, with Sokka and Teo looking rather miserable and exchanging apologetic stares now and then. Aang also looked deeply downcast, probably regretting his involvement in this whole arrangement to begin with. Also, Azula didn't appear to be rejoicing about the falling out amongst Yue's main rivals. Instead, Azula looked concerned and a little bit withdrawn throughout most of the evening.
Not having as good a time as she had hoped for was making Katara hit the booze a little harder than she had planned ahead of another match day, but being tipsy seemed like a prerequisite to actually enjoying her own birthday party. A couple of hours into the party, and she was already a little bit sauced. Still, it wasn't like she had to play high stakes Pai Sho the next morning. As long as she and Azula made sure that Yue remained mostly sober, Katara could afford to enjoy a few more of Jet's expertly mixed cocktails before calling it a day.
They were still sipping their daiquiris and chatting with Jet when Toph approached them a while later. "Thanks for inviting us, Katara, but I think Teo and I will be on our way," Toph said, looking a little tense. "Maybe that'll liven up the party. I know I've been dragging it down, so I'll get out of your hair now." Katara felt almost relieved at Toph's words, a sensation that was immediately replaced by crushing guilt for feeling this way towards an old friend. Still, Toph was primary to blame for this latest drama, Katara could not deny that.
"Maybe if you apologized to Zuko, everything could still work out over time," Yue suggested hopefully.
"Maybe," Toph shrugged. "Teo says I should give Zuko a bit more time to calm down before I speak with him, though. And considering the way he's glaring at me I think that's probably a good idea. Perhaps we'll sit down to talk after the tournament."
"I hope it can be fixed," Katara sighed. "I just wish I could understand why you did it, Toph. You can't seriously think that the title is worth more than lifelong friendships, can you?"
"I don't think that, no," Toph shook her head. "But there are things that you don't know about, okay? I had some very good reasons to do what I did. And Azula raised some very good points as well."
"Wait a moment," Yue blurted out instantly. "What's this about Azula raising some good points?"
"Oh, so she didn't tell you about our conversation?" Toph appeared surprised. Katara couldn't help but feel like Toph was doing a bit of playacting. "She told me that after Zuko and Aang had both won their titles, they'd just turn their backs on me and abandon our agreement. I never wanted to think that about them, but I guess I've always carried that fear, you know?"
"Azula wouldn't have said that," Yue insisted passionately, while Katara was slower to react, feeling a little stunned and trying to make sense of what she was hearing.
"Well, she said that and more," Toph shrugged. "And I probably wouldn't have listened to her if I hadn't already been struggling with the whole estate situation."
"What estate situation?" Katara asked quickly.
"My family is in dire financial straits because of… well, obvious reasons," Toph sighed. "We're about to lose our ancestral estate, the place of my birth. The only way to keep it was the prize money and the sponsorships that would have come from me winning the world title. Azula knew about my situation with the family estate. Don't ask me how she knew about it, you know perfectly well that she's always informed about everything. She said that if I wanted to keep the estate, I should just go for it. I admit, I was already tempted, but her words really tipped me over the edge and pushed me to make that decision."
"You could have told Zuko and Aang the truth about your situation," Yue insisted. "You didn't have to handle it like this!"
"Also, you're thirty, Toph. You're no longer a child," Katara said sternly. "You can't make such hurtful decisions and then try to blame them on Azula egging you on." Toph briefly looked taken aback by Katara's words before quickly recomposing herself.
"I bet you're just saying this because you're trying to throw me off ahead of our game tomorrow," Yue said, nodding confidently.
Toph shook her head, laughing incredulously. "Sure, believe that if you want," she shrugged before turning to walk away. "But I would suggest that you have a talk with Azula if you want to know the actual truth."
"She's lying, isn't she?" Yue asked desperately as they watched Toph walk up to Teo and help push his wheelchair out of the room. "She has to be. Azula promised not to mess with the relationships between our friends. Toph is just trying to play mind games with me, right?"
"I think it's not a coincidence that she brought it up now, before your match tomorrow," Katara admitted. "But… that doesn't mean she's lying, Yue," she added, having a bad feeling about this situation. Suddenly, Azula's nervousness was starting to make a lot more sense.
"Well, then I guess we should find Azula and have a word with her," Yue said sternly, taking Katara's hand and all but pulling her along as they left on a search for their missing Fire Nation wife.
They eventually managed to find Azula in the billiard room, together with Zuko and Sokka. Even if Azula was trying desperately to appear relaxed as she joked and laughed with the others, the rigid tension in her posture did not escape Katara. The fact that she was in trouble also didn't escape Azula as soon as she spotted their approach. "Let's step aside for a moment," Katara said in a way that made it clear to Azula that escaping this conversation was not an option.
"Let me guess," Azula said, following Katara and Yue into the downstairs library without any protestations. "You look like you've had a word with Toph."
"So, you admit that everything she said was true?" Katara asked.
"Well, not being privy to your conversation, I couldn't say that," Azula shrugged. "But if she claimed that I encouraged her to break the agreement with Zuko and Aang, then yes, she was telling the truth."
Katara and Yue exchanged stares at the unexpectedly candid confession. "Right now, I'm really struggling not to scream angrily," Yue said through clenched teeth. "You promised not to pull anything that would ruin the relationships between our friends!"
"I did promise that," Azula admitted. "And I didn't intend to break it. I just… I don't honestly understand what happened. I saw an opportunity to gain advantage, and somehow, that was all my mind could focus on."
"Is that all you can say?" Katara exclaimed, losing her patience with Azula's excuse which she found very lacking. "It's not just about the ruined friendships between Toph, Zuko and Aang! What about your relationship with Zuko? After so much effort to rebuild your sibling bond, why would you encourage someone to turn on your brother? How is Zuko expected to see this as anything else but betrayal?"
Azula winced at Katara's passionate exclamation. "I just don't like the idea of Zuzu becoming the world champion through this rather dubious agreement of theirs. I think my brother is better than that and he can win the title without relying on such shameful arrangements. But he'll have to win the title another year," Azula said. "You're right that Zuko would see this as me betraying him, though. I sort of… didn't stop to think about that. Still, I can fix this. I know I can."
"And just how do you plan to fix this, Azula?" Katara asked sternly.
"I'll come up with something, okay?" Azula sighed. "You'll just have to trust me that I can fix it."
"You did something like this behind our backs and now you're asking us to accept that you'll fix this just based on blind faith?" Yue asked, sounding incredulous. "Well, excuse me, but my faith in you has been rocked, Azula. I think you should elaborate." Katara found herself nodding along with Yue's words.
"I'll just… give Toph and Zuko something they badly want," Azula said. "And I know that they are both desperate to win the title, but they can't have it this year, because we have already decided that you're winning this year, Yue."
"I don't even want to win the title if the cost is ruined relationships with our friends," Yue snapped.
"It won't be the price of your win, I swear," Azula implored desperately. "Like I said, I'll find a way to make up to both Zuko and Toph, and hopefully it will smooth over any hurt feelings. And Zuko won't feel like I betrayed him."
"What if Toph tells Zuko about you egging her on?" Yue asked worriedly.
"I don't think at this point Zuko would believe anything Toph tells him," Azula said. "That's my lone saving grace. But I also realize I need to tell Zuko the truth before he hears it from Toph."
"Well, at least you have that much… or little sense," Katara rolled her eyes.
"Right, I deserve that," Azula admitted. "I promise to sit down with both Toph and Zuko as soon as possible. And I won't back down until I've fixed the damage I've done."
"I suppose you at least understand that you've fucked up and you're determined to fix it," Yue sighed. "But I'm still seriously pissed off that you kept your involvement from us."
"I'm sorry, but there's something seriously wrong with me, because I understood how much you would hate me meddling like this, and yet I did it," Azula sighed. "I don't know what to say. I don't have any excuses. I can only make apologies."
"But do you even mean them?" Yue pressed.
"I do," Azula nodded. "This fallout has been much worse than I expected. Apparently, I am still awful at anticipating normal human reactions," Azula frowned. "And I haven't even told you about the other thing I have been keeping from you. But before you get even angrier, you should know that I only learned this information very recently."
"What is it, Azula?" Katara asked nervously.
"Zhao has summoned his goons to Yu Dao," Azula replied, her words making Katara tremble with nervousness. "As far as I know, they haven't been given any orders yet, but this is a cause for concern. You must remain calm, though. I am taking precautions and I will protect you both, I promise. I know I messed up with Toph and Zuko, but please at least trust me on this," Azula said, looking a little desperate.
"Well, I know from experience that you'll pull off the craziest stunts ever in order to protect me, so I will trust you on that," Yue smiled nervously. "But this will stress me out, I don't think there's any way to avoid that."
"You have to avoid it, though. You want to win the title, don't you?" Azula asked insistently. Yue responded with a stiff nod. "If you really trust me to protect you, then you need to find a way to relax and focus on Pai Sho. And Katara, I'll have to ask you to dig as deep as you possibly can for the rest of the tournament. You'll have to take over the prep single-handedly from now on."
"Very well, I can do that, but what will you do?" Katara asked.
"I'll have to focus on the extracurricular stuff from now on," Azula sighed. "That involves fixing the mess with Zuko and Toph, and countering any threats that Zhao and his goons might pose. I can't let any of these outside factors affect you during this final stretch, Yue, and I won't let that happen."
"I suppose that makes sense," Katara sighed.
"Yes," Yue nodded in agreement. "I don't like the situation we're in, but Azula's suggestion is probably the best way to handle it."
"I'm glad you agree," Azula said. "So… will I have to sleep on the sofa tonight?"
Katara exchanged another glance with Yue, a slightly softer one than before. "Well, I'm still very upset with you, but I'm not mad enough to kick you out of our bed," Yue sighed reluctantly.
"I agree," Katara nodded. "But you need to fix this, Azula. You really do."
"Believe me," Azula sighed. "You're not telling me something I don't already know…"
Despite promising to relax and focus only on her Pai Sho performance, Yue entered her match of the fifteenth round against Toph in a foul mood. Toph had made a concerted effort to disrupt her before the game, and Yue could not stop feeling angry and annoyed about that, even if Toph hadn't lied or manipulated Yue to achieve her goal. She had simply revealed an inconvenient truth at a very inopportune time, and she had achieved the desired effect, because try as Yue might, she could not stop herself from wanting to get back at Toph. And just knowing that anger was an unproductive emotion didn't help Yue stop feeling the way she did.
Yue could tell that Katara had correctly predicted her mental state, which was the reason why during their preparations, Katara had tried to push for more balanced tactics that were not overly aggressive. Yue recognized the reasoning behind that. Given her volatile state of mind, it made logical sense to try and calm down, and not force the events, perhaps being content with a draw. Still, now that she was sitting opposite to Toph at the Pai Sho board, Yue couldn't imagine doing anything else than to aggressively push for the win and make Toph regret the decision to try and unsettle her.
Of course, by doing this Yue was walking straight into the trap that Toph had prepared. She launched one attack after another at Toph's position, but her opponent did what she knew best. Toph dug in and tried to weather the fierce storm of Yue's attacks. For all the effort that Yue put into her offensive, while it didn't lack in passion and commitment, it certainly lacked in precision. As Yue sacrificed more and more tiles in order to break through, her remaining forces began to dwindle, and before too long Toph felt safe in launching a counter attack. Yue's remaining flower tiles struggled to put up adequate resistance and Toph's forces soon overrun her position. By the time they reached the time limit of forty moves, Yue saw the writing on the wall. Her situation was so grim that continued struggles would only mean that she expended extra energy without any hope of changing the outcome.
"Congratulations," Yue said in a clipped tone as she shook Toph's hand, trying to hide her annoyance.
"Thanks," Toph smiled. "Damn, you really are pissed. Is this the angriest you've ever been with me?"
"Yes," Yue replied curtly. She really was in no mood to indulge Toph, or let her make light of what had happened.
"Even though I didn't say anything that wasn't true," Toph said. "And as for the other thing, you never liked the agreement I had with Zuko and Aang. You, Azula, Katara, you all wanted us to break it off."
"Not like this, though," Yue just about managed to hold herself back from snapping at Toph. "You really blindsided Zuko-"
"And you blindsided all of us with your surprise comeback," Toph interrupted her.
"Are you seriously still crying about that?" Yue sighed, starting to lose her patience. "You stabbed Zuko in the back and then you used that to make me angry and upset. You're being a bad friend right now, Toph. I hope that in the end you'll feel that it was worth it."
"I'm trying to stand up for myself for bloody once," Toph exclaimed, also looking a little annoyed. "And when I finally put myself first, that suddenly makes me a bad friend. Actually, I'm starting to think that I've been way too soft with you all. I would have probably reached the top many years ago if Aang and Zuko hadn't convinced me to carry the water for them."
"That's a very revisionist view of our Pai Sho history," Yue rolled her eyes. "Anyway, if you're going to act like this in order to reach the top, all I can say is that it's going to be a very lonely place when you get there."
"You… you're just jealous, that's all," Toph shot back an almost nonsensical rebuttal before hurrying away, for once failing to hide that Yue's words had managed to get under her skin. Was Toph starting to realize that her behavior was appalling? Yue could only hope, because despite feeling angry at Toph right now, in the end she did not want to lose a friend.
Only as Yue watched Toph rush away, did she become aware that their spat had been a rather public one, taking place on the stage. Blushing with embarrassment, Yue wondered why the tournament officials hadn't stepped in to reprimand them, because they had surely created a distraction for the other players… and it was only at this point when Yue realized that the other games had already ended. It certainly explained why the officials hadn't felt a burning need to step in.
Yue's mood didn't improve when she looked at the display boards and the updated standings. Aang had finally become tired of losing and in a battle of the back markers, he had managed to hold Piandao to a draw. They were now both on 6,5 points, with two points behind the leaders and five games to play. It was not an insurmountable gap, but still, there was little indication that Piandao had any chances of retaining his world title.
In the other game, Zuko had frustratingly lost to Zhao. It was obvious that Zuko still hadn't recovered from Toph's vicious backstab several rounds ago. As a result, Zuko's chances were fading fast and he was going down in flames. Zuko was now on 7 points. The difference of a point and a half to the leaders didn't seem large, but with the way Zuko was playing, it was clearly more of a chasm than a small gap.
Yue frowned when she saw her name no longer at the top of the standings, but instead being relegated to the third spot. She was only half a point behind the leaders, but Yue was also aware that she was not in the right mindset for the final stretch of the tournament. Katara was trying her best to put her in a good mood and find strategies that matched her mindset, but it was a tough task. Yue believed that Azula was being sincere in trying to fix the mess she'd made with Toph and Zuko, and she knew that Azula would go above and beyond the call of duty to protect her and Katara from all external threats, but Yue felt that she really needed to see some progress in repairing their friendships in order for her mindset to improve.
At least there was a silver lining in Aang being her opponent in the next round. With Aang not playing for the title, Yue hoped that she could score a much-needed win that would put her flailing championship aspirations back on track.
In his venerable age, Iroh Nakamura had not planned to make the journey to Yu Dao in person. Still, his recent phone conversations with his beloved nephew had made Iroh feel concerned. Zuko had been so upbeat about his play and chances in the tournament until very recently. Following his loss to Toph, however, Zuko sounded increasingly downbeat and depressed, and Iroh hadn't been able to find proper words over the phone to provide encouragement and inspiration. So, after a grueling day of travel from Ba Sing Se, Iroh Nakamura found himself sitting in the stands of the Yu Dao Museum of Modern Arts and observing the matches of the sixteenth round.
And what Iroh observed, confirmed his fears that despite Zuko's insistence that he could still win the title, deep inside the flame had gone out and Zuko had already given up. His play in the sixteenth round when facing Piandao was uninspired and lackluster. To Iroh it felt like his nephew was simply going through the motions. He was not making any mistakes that were glaringly obvious, but instead he was simply playing a very passive game, and Piandao was too good of a player not to take advantage of it. It took a little over forty moves for the game to be over and Iroh watched Zuko slumping off the stage, looking rather dejected.
The spectator reaction to Piandao's victory was akin to a disinterested shrug. With the two leaders, Toph Beifong and Zhao Sakamoto, squaring off in a heated contest, everyone's eyes were on those two. The spectators gave Yue Taqqiq a few mild cheers following her victory over Aang Jetsun before going right back to enraptured observing of the contest between the two leaders. The match was an epic back and forth struggle that kept Iroh in his seat for longer than he had intended, considering that the main purpose of his visit was to talk things over with Zuko. In the end, Toph and Zhao ended up settling for a fighting draw, which meant that with four rounds left to go, the tournament now had three joint leaders, Toph, Zhao and Yue. Zuko was two points behind, well and truly sunk. As he got up to leave, Iroh knew that his task to help with Zuko's rotten mindset would be a challenging one.
With Zuko clearly in a hurry to leave, Iroh realized too late that he had lingered for too long. With Zuko and Sokka getting into a cab and driving off, there was nothing else for Iroh to do but to head back to the hotel and wait for his nephew there. Fortunately, Zuko didn't make him wait for too long and Iroh was glad to see genuine joy on his nephew's face, brought about by their unexpected reunion. Having exchanged warm greetings and manly embraces, Iroh, Zuko and Sokka sat down at a table in the hotel's restaurant for a long overdue chat that Zuko was clearly in a desperate need of.
"Have you given up, my boy?" Iroh asked softly, for once deciding not to beat around the bush.
"I have not given up," Zuko's first instinct was to snap defiantly. "Well, I hadn't given up until this latest loss. I don't think there's even a mathematical chance of me winning the title now."
Sokka hummed gently as he appeared to be doing some mental calculations. "There's a chance, but a very slim one," Sokka eventually said. "But be honest with your uncle, you were playing like you had given up already. Even I could tell that, and I understand maybe two thirds of what's happening on the Pai Sho board."
"Sokka is right, isn't he, Zuko?" Iroh asked.
"Ugh, but can you blame me?" Zuko groaned in frustration. "I really thought this was my year, you know? I felt like I had really earned it, but what Toph did… I feel like the title is being stolen from me yet again. I'm just so disillusioned by it all."
"Yes, I haven't been able to inspire or encourage him," Sokka admitted reluctantly.
"I would have been languishing in the last place without you, trust me on that," Zuko sighed. "You're really making a difference, but this one is on me. Maybe I just don't have what it takes. Anyway, if you came here to give me a pep talk, uncle, I'm afraid you've wasted your time and money, because it's too late for that."
"I haven't wasted anything, because there's no price that can be put on spending time with my favorite nephew," Iroh smiled kindly. "And if what I have to tell you doesn't salvage this tournament for you, so be it. I hope that my words of wisdom will stay with you for longer than just this tournament."
"And what great words of wisdom have you brought to impart my way?" Zuko asked. He then winced and gave Iroh an apologetic stare. "I'm sorry for the attitude, uncle. You know I always appreciate your advice, even if I'm being awful at showing my gratitude."
"Don't worry about it, Zuko. Remember, I've dealt with you when you were a moody teenager. And shockingly, you have lost some of the impetuousness of your youth," Iroh chuckled. "What I have to say to you won't be anything new, though. I have watched you struggling through multiple championship finals by now, and I've never been more certain of the cause of your problems than I am now. You are simply placing yourself under too heavy weight of expectations during the finals."
"Don't take it the wrong way, uncle, but this seems like the worst advice you've ever given me," Zuko sighed. "Of course, the weight of expectations is heavy. Becoming a world champion would be the crowning achievement of my career. I want to take my place among the truly great players such as you."
"I see," Iroh hummed. "So, you want to be acknowledged as one of the greats. Well, there's nothing wrong with that aspiration. But tell me, Zuko, would you say that my old friend Bumi should be considered a great player?"
"Obviously," Zuko nodded without any hesitation. "Bumi is one of the strongest players of the past… half-century, really. He's like a legend in Omashu and throughout many parts of the Earth Kingdom. The Pai Sho world will be talking about him for the decades to come."
"Even though he never became a world champion," Iroh pointed out. "Bumi didn't need that title to leave a shining legacy, wouldn't you agree?" Zuko nodded reluctantly. "And now consider your late father," Iroh continued. "Winner of an unprecedent number of world titles, and yet, when his name comes up now, is it because he is remembered as a Pai Sho great? After all is said and done, what sort of legacy has Ozai left?"
"One that is utterly tainted," Zuko admitted.
"Indeed," Iroh nodded with a smile. "So, we have someone with multiple world titles and someone who never became the world champion. Who would you rather look up to as an example of a great Pai Sho player, Zuko?"
"You know perfectly well that there can only ever be one answer," Zuko sighed. "Anyone looking up to my father as a shining example of greatness needs their head examined. I concede your point that it is not absolutely necessary to win the world title in order to be considered a great player. I still am desperate to win the title, though."
"But then you should consider something else," Iroh continued. "Zuko, perhaps you have forgotten this, but remember that when I first won the world title, I had just turned forty. Piandao didn't win his first title until he was in his mid-fifties. Plenty of grandmasters have triumphed in the finals in the later stages of their careers. Zuko, you have been playing like this year is the last time when you still have a chance to win and that's just not true. You need to relax."
"I think it's because Katara and Azula won their titles when they were so young," Sokka pointed out. "Zuko's putting pressure on himself because of that."
"Katara and Azula achieved something that is very much outside the norm in the world of Pai Sho," Iroh said patiently. "If they had continued their careers, there are no guarantees that they would have won more titles. Maybe, maybe not. All I'm saying is that you will have many more opportunities to triumph, dear boy. You have been getting wrapped up in the wrong thing, Zuko. Don't make winning the title at all costs your focus. Instead, you should focus on yourself, as a player and as a person, and try to be the best version of yourself that you can be. Try it, Zuko, and you might find that success will come without you having to force it."
"I really like that advice, Zuko," Sokka smiled at his boyfriend. "Maybe that really is something you need to try?"
"You know, if I hadn't witnessed these Pai Sho rivalries negatively affecting my friendships, I would probably consider this advice just some feel-good word salad," Zuko said earnestly. "But given everything that has happened, this actually feels true to me. I feel like ever since Azula, Katara and Yue all retired, we have slowly started to forget just how much strength we drew from our friendships, and instead we have become mired in these rivalries. Maybe it's time to get back to what's really important. And maybe it might include being the bigger man and forgiving Toph, although I'll have to think very hard about that one. And I'll need a real apology from her, first."
"It would be great to get back to where we were as a group," Sokka nodded wistfully. "I know that Katara's birthday sucked because of all these tensions and I hated to see my sister feeling upset because of that."
"Agreed," Zuko nodded. "I have to play Yue next. After our match, I'll make sure to sit down with her, Katara and Azula for an earnest talk. Hopefully we can get back to being on the same page."
"I know you can," Iroh smiled, giving his nephew an affectionate shoulder clap. "And once you've done that, mark my words, you'll see success coming your way in no time."