FIRE LORD ZUKO.

my father says she was born lucky. he says I was lucky to be born. i don't need luck, though. i don't want it. i've always had to struggle and fight, and that's made me strong. it's made me who i am.

[prncezukos]

time: the first nation town hall meeting mentions: soundtrack: everybody wants to rule the world wc: 500

zuko knew that this forum had been his idea, still he couldn't help but feel he was setting himself up for his own demise. having people speak their minds, saying whatever without censor or pause — it worried him but he supposed he wasn’t wrong to feel that way. people were hurt and people were angry. so long had they been stifled and shut out. this couldn’t wait any longer. they would have strong words to say, rightly so. but throughout this, his friends had said something that stuck with him : this wasn’t his fault.

and it wasn’t. he kept saying that to himself over and over. the state of the world they lived in was because of his forefathers, not him. no decision or choice on his part had led to things becoming so appalling. he knew not everyone would see it that way, though, and because of this, he steeled himself when he faced the crowd.

he kept his head high, his gaze steady as he scanned the crowd. there were many faces here and he wished he knew more of them. that was another problem that crept upon him when he wasn’t looking for it: he felt estranged from his people. perhaps if he had lived longer in the fire nation, as a proper adult, even, he would know them better. but he had a long life ahead of him. there would be time for amends and do-overs.

finally, he cleared his throat.  a hush fell over the crowd. all eyes were on him.

“ good morning. ” there was a tone of politeness in his voice, but there was no doubt he still sounded authoritative. “ i’d like to thank you all for joining me here today. i promised you all love and peace. i promised you that i would restore the honor of our nation. those are all things i intend to do. ”

he paused for a moment, letting his words sink in.

“ but we have suffered — the whole world has suffered for one hundred years. the world is hurt and still bleeding. the harm that has been done, it will take time to mend it, and some scars will never go away. were i able to fix things in only a moment’s time, i would, but quick changes will fall apart. i intend to make changes that will stick. ”

“ i know a meeting of this sort is long overdo, and that you all have a lot on your mind. i promise that i am listening. everything said today will be taken into consideration when i begin to develop our plans for transformation. ”

his hands were resting on the podium he stood behind, and fingers clenched the edge of the wood tightly.

“ one thing i ask is that, during this meeting, we all treat each other with respect. ” his gaze was steely. “ do not let your emotions control you during this. derision or mockery will not be tolerated. ”

“ i’d like to ask the first community member to begin speaking. ”

[prncezukos]

ty lee

truthfully, ty lee didn’t think a lot about zuko before azula tried to, y’know, kill him. she was so besotted with the princess, she didn’t think about much else when she was with her. she supposed that was the entire reason she had been blind for so long. there were so many things that azula did that she didn’t want to see, like how…enthusiastic she was about hunting down her own brother, that she imagined them all away with a bat of her lashes. 

now, however, ty lee saw zuko, and she had no doubts that he could heal the hurt his family caused (( that she caused )). “everyone has the time to breathe, zuko,” she hummed with a small smile and a tilt of her head, “or else they’d be…not breathing, and that’s definitely not a good thing.” she watched him take a breath and clasped her hands behind her back. “energy cleansing takes more than one second, silly. you have to give yourself the chance to recenter yourself. let your mind go blank and things just seem to fall into place.” she paused for a moment and tucked her bottom lip between her teeth as she rocked back onto heels, “you don’t have to do this alone, you know––you can’t do this alone, but you’ve got a lot of people to lean on.” 

zuko couldn’t help but groan at her comment. she was right, he knew that, and somehow he wondered why his friends ( though, ty lee might be more-so friend adjacent, if he thought about it — azula’s friend first and now mai’s ) always ended up being more-correct than he ever was. “ you just sound so sure that it’s going to work, and what if it doesn’t ? ” he sounded tense, his brows were furrowed. he had heard her ramble about her newfangled ideas before but he would have been lying if he said that he had really taken the time to listen.  “ chi and energy and all that — it — i don’t know. ” he exhaled sharply, suddenly wondering how azula could stomach the talk of it all of the time. maybe there was one good thing about his sister: the way her loyalty could know no bounds.

“ how do you let your mind go clear ? ” he sounded incredibly disbelieving. it seemed impossible. he couldn’t think of a moment where he didn’t have a thought or worry burrowed deeply into his mind, impossible to get rid of or clear away, and he wondered if it wasn’t like that for everyone. “ that seems a good way to — i don’t know. get attacked while you’re distracted by ... nothingness. ” zuko grimaced, his mouth drawn in a tight line. “ i know that, ” the way he spoke was petulant. “ but i don’t want — i have to be able to do things for myself, you know. ”

[prncezukos]

mai

“I know,” she admitted. Everything he said just now was right. She knew that. Mai felt her chin jut out, a gesture she recognized as one that she had inherited from her father, who did the same thing whenever he was being stubborn or getting defensive. “But maybe you could make an exception. For me.” 

But even as the words left her mouth, Mai already knew that Zuko would say no. She could see how angry he was now as he paced in front of her, and she’d seen how angry the people had been outside the palace doors as they yelled about corruption and accountability. And Zuko had already made it clear in the past that if it came down to choosing between her and doing what he thought to be right, he’d choose the latter. This time would be no different. 

She thought back to what her father had said to her the night before. How she had saved his life by helping him escape from Azula. At the time, she had felt a wave of disgust that he’d even suggest using that as leverage. And yet… what other leverage did she have? “I saved your life once,” she said quietly. “One could say that you owe me a favor.” And again, she already knew what his answer would be. Still, she waited for him to speak, unable to control the feeling of hope that still lingered.

somehow, mai asked the one question zuko hadn’t known he was dreading to hear. somehow he didn’t know what to say and how to answer it. at his  there was only one answer he could give, only one that would be fair and right. still, when he saw her face, when he heard how she was speaking, he wanted to tell her yes, that he would. for a second, he considered it. but then it occurred to him that if he made an exception now, people would remember it. they would see him as the fire lord who made concessions when it was convenient for him and his friends, they would see him as someone who could be manipulated if the right buttons were pushed. “ i can’t. ” he said it in a breath. “ if i could, i would, in a heart, you know that. ” he hoped that she did. he hoped she saw how much he cared for her. “ but i can’t — it wouldn’t be the right thing to do. not when i am starting a new era for us, for the entire fire nation. i need to do what is right and just even if it does up hurting. ” he reached a hand out, gentle fingers resting on her arm. he hoped it was consoling.

his golden eyes flashed — with anger ? with hurt ? perhaps it was a mixture of both. his clenched jaw shook from the tension and finally he spat out, “ i didn’t ask you to do that, mai ! ” he turned away from her, his face angling up towards the bright sun. “ i was expecting to die. “ there was a long pause before he added, “ if i had known your favor would come with such a condition, maybe i would have said you should let us die. ” he didn’t mean it. had it only been himself, perhaps then, and only then. but since there were others with him ? surely not. he pressed his face into his hands before pulling them back, fingers pressing against slicked back hair. his voice softened. he couldn’t bring herself to look at her. “ sometimes doing what’s right comes at a price, and you know what that price is ? not getting anything in return, not a favor or prize or an acknowledgment — not anything, mai. nothing. ”

[prncezukos]

teo

He giggled at the Firelord’s reassurance. “Sounds good ‘Just Zuko’.” He winced at the attempt at a dad joke, face scrunching up in regret as he turned towards the ruined wall. He really should have been more careful trying to get through or at least thought for a second before acting on instinct. “I am going to fix it, maybe some cool iron bars or something?” Teo looked down at his notebook and spent a couple minutes sketching out a rough idea of what he wanted. “Something like this? Like a prison gate or a big street drain or something.” He held the drawing up to Zuko. “It’s a quick sketch so it will look a lot better in real life!”

He watched as Zuko gazed out at the mob of angry voices, red reflected in his golden eyes. Teo’s cheerful demeanor turned contemplative. “I don’t think suffering is measured in degrees, emotions and trauma don’t work like that.” Crossing his hands in his lap, he looked up at the older boy’s scar, traced it with his gaze. “We can’t weigh our suffering against the suffering of others, we don’t have the capacity to truly understand a spectrum of experience that isn’t our own. That doesn’t stop us from caring though, from loving.” He tilted his head up to look at the cloudless sky. “I don’t know what it’s like to be cast out, burned by my own father.” Teo took Zuko’s hand without looking at him and squeezed it, eyes still turned upward. “You don’t know what it’s like to live everyday in a world that isn’t built for you. What it’s like to have everyone else literally look down on you.” His eyes traveled back to the Firelord’s face. “One isn’t worse than the other, they just are. They exist without judgement.” Lips quirking up slightly, he let go of the other boy’s hand. “I just know that the universe is proud of you, cares about you, and there’s a whole lot of people in it who love you.”

“I’m glad you’re here to listen to them Zuko.” Teo smiled up at him. “It matters a lot that you came here to do that.” He waved a hand out at the crowd. “They may not know that yet, but they will. I know that for certain.”

he supposed he walked himself into that joke. mouth parted, he considered correcting teo, but he shut his lips and just shook his head. it was sort of funny, he had to admit. he watched the other curiously as he pulled out a sketchbook, and eyes followed graphite as they begun to add shape to the page. “ i don’t think i care much to what it looks like in the end — ” zuko admitted with a casual shrug “ — just so long as there isn’t a hole leading into my palace. but your drawing looks fine. it looks great actually. ”

teo was right but all zuko could muster was a half-hearted shrug. someone’s suffering couldn’t compare to another’s. at his core, he knew that. how much easier things could be if it could. caring and loving. hearing the words spoken allowed, his face wrinkled, not in disdain or dislike, but discomfort. for so long, he had swallowed soft emotions whole, leaving only negativity in their wake. “ sure. ” it was a weak response, furthered by a weathered expression on his face.

zuko startled when the younger boy spoke of his scar, and he couldn’t help it when his heart began to thud in his chest. in a rush that felt like it lasted ages, he could feel his face burning, his pulse thudding loudly in his ears. it was something that made him uncomfortable to speak about, let alone think about. and to think teo knew ? he wondered which of his old friends had leaked that secret. when he finally found the words, he said, “ no, i suppose you wouldn’t. ”

he stared at a fixed point on the ground when teo spoke of his own struggles. he wondered what it said about him that he didn’t quite care for the conversation they were having. but he wouldn’t say a thing. he wouldn’t walk away. he was being bigger than himself in ways he’d never imagined.

his fingers felt clammy within teo’s, but he didn’t pull away, not until the other let his hand go.

“ the universe shows it cares in strange ways then. ” he didn’t elaborate but he thought about his family hating him, the few that didn’t gone to places he couldn’t easily reach. he thought about so many of his people hating him. the heavy, uncomfortable things easily outweighed the few good things he clung to desperately. he didn’t want to dismiss teo outright, but he found it so hard to listen to positive things said about him, it left him squirming and feeling wrong.

zuko took a deep breath, mustering up the confidence that slipped through his fingers all too easily, and found himself nodding. “ i hope so. ” it was all he could manage. he couldn’t agree or find himself bolstered by the words. he wished he could, but it wasn’t for him.

[prncezukos]

aang

Aang stood with a straight back, trying to make himself taller. He didn’t even look around at the council chamber – the place that he’d imagined in his nightmares, when he’d thought about fighting Ozai, the place where three generations of Fire Lords had planned. The room where Sozin had probably talked about destroying the Air Nomads. He gripped his glider a little tighter, but focused on Zuko. He needed to focus on Zuko right now. He knew people were angry, but his friend’s first council meeting was the worst possible time for something like this to happen.

“That’s good,” he said. Zuko might not have been surprised at the people, but Aang was. He’d thought something would happen, but not this. Not this outcry of voices and confusion, before Zuko had even had a chance to do anything. When Zuko said he’d give then actions, Aang nodded, stoically. “I know you will,” he said. He had complete faith in Zuko. The people wanted change to come to fast. “And today was an action, Zuko. You dismissed your father’s old council, and you told the people what they needed to hear. Change is coming. You gave them action.”

zuko nodded, not quite absently, at all that aang said. he was still captured in thought ; ideas of this and that, where fate would take him and the rest of his nation. little changes and little fixes added up over time. they could create a current that would drag them all under should he not be careful. he clenched his fists, blunt nails digging into his palms. he was going to be careful — and eventually, he was going to be great. he was sure of it ( not really, but he was hoping and wishing and doing all that he could to ensure it ). 

he looked surprised at his friend’s words. he didn’t consider speaking to the councilmen as an action, not really, but he supposed aang was right. it was the first step, a little one albeit, but he hoped it would show as progress to his people. “ you think they’ll see it as that ? ” he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “ if i could take bigger action, i would, honest. ” he felt incredibly young in that moment, like he were just a child playing pretend. “ but i don’t want to make a mistake. i don’t want to hurt people any more than they’ve already suffered. ”

[prncezukos]

aang

closed starter for @prncezukos!

Aang knew he needed to talk to Zuko. He’d encouraged his friend to speak, but the crowd hadn’t completely broken up, even after what Zuko had said. He didn’t wanna just leave them, in case things turned ugly, so he hung around outside for a while, until he was sure things wouldn’t get even more heated. And Zuko’s meeting had to be finished by now, so he gave the protesters one last look, and headed in through the front doors of the Fire Nation Royal Palace. He had a pretty good idea where Zuko would be, and, sure enough, as he headed into the now empty council chamber, he saw his friend.

“Zuko!” he called, hurrying over. “How’d the rest of the council meeting go? People are still outside. They don’t look like they’re gonna break it up any time soon.” He felt like he should’ve done more, should have said more, outside, but what else was there to say? Zuko had been right. Change was coming, but it wasn’t going to happen over night. The Fire Nation had done so much damage in the hundred years that Aang had been away. It would take time to fix it. And he couldn’t help but remember his fight with Ozai, just a few days ago. He was the Avatar, but didn’t he deserve a little break, before his responsibilities started piling up again?

the council chamber seemed smaller than he remembered it being as a child. if he closed his eyes, zuko felt small, everyone else towering above him in the vast room. and ? he was the equal of all else there, if not their better. for so long, he had given up on the idea of leading this room. it still felt unreal. the door to the room opened and he glanced over, his gaze narrowing as he prepared to speak ( maybe yell ) at one of the councilmen returning to fight for the cause.

instead, it was aang.

“ it went as well as it could have gone, ” he deadpanned. “ for my telling them the majority of them would likely lose their positions, i did imagine more fireballs being aimed at my head. ” it was the right thing to do to let them know that change was coming. there was no sugarcoating it or giving them false hopes. “ and i’m not surprised at the people, not anymore. they want actions, not just words. when i’m able, i’ll give that to them, but not any time sooner. ”

[prncezukos]

suki​:

The insecurity he must have felt, taking on a role with such a heavy burden, was understandable. His predecessors weren’t the most highly regarded amongst the people. Feared, yes, but she wasn’t sure how much love filled their lives. Zuko, on the other hand, definitely had people on his side, supporting him sincerely. Suki knew she was barely an acquaintance and her words probably held little to no weight. Still, she felt the need to assure him that he wasn’t as alone as he seemed to think. “Change will come in time.”

“Sokka is a great man.” Suki gloated with pride. “And I think he would get a kick out of seeing you perform.” She smirked, attempting to hold back a snarky chuckle. By now, the fire performers were taking their bow. “Maybe then you can prove that you’re just as good as they are.” She nodded towards the stage as she applauded their hard work. 

FIN.

[prncezukos]

mai

She watched as Zuko paced, clearly agitated. As usual, she waited for him to finish letting off steam before saying anything. 

“You’re right to be angry. My father and the others allowed horrible things to happen under Ozai’s rule.” She paused, having to take a deep breath before admitting, “My father did horrible things under Ozai’s rule.” Accepting the governor position at New Ozai, terrorizing the Omashu citizens of the Earth Kingdom in the process. Turning a blind eye to the war crimes of the Fire Nation, as it almost always meant that his own pockets grew heavier with gold looted from the Earth Kingdom colonies. And fully supporting the inhumane treatment of war prisoners, even sending his own brother to contribute to the brutal process. 

Mai felt her throat beginning to close as she said in a small voice so unlike her usual snarky quips, “But he’s still my father.” Having a terrible dad was a great burden to bear. Zuko of all people understood that, didn’t he? But his father now sat in a prison cell. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for her father to face the same fate.  “What will happen to him?”

angry was an understatement. zuko hated his father and all of his forefathers. they were monsters — were things different, he would have turned out just the same — and now he was left to fix their mess. it wasn’t that he didn’t want to, no, he very much wanted to make reparations, but the weight of that task had settled heavily upon him. “ they were tyrants, ” he spat out. “ and i have to fix their mistakes. how am i supposed to make up for their pain and loss ? ” he didn’t think he could.

zuko looked up, surprised when he heard the shift of her voice. for a second, she sounded like a stranger. “ i know he is. ”he looked at mai, unable to hide the pain on his face. “ but i don’t know yet. “ that was partially true. he knew he had to strip the older man of his position and power, but would that be enough ? he thought of his own father in prison. how many would join him there ? could he enforce fines and taxes ? sure. but he was certain that many would expect him to suffer. allowed to sit at his own home, his luxurious well-stocked home — it didn’t seem that much like a punishment.

“ but i can’t leave him unpunished, mai. not him — not any of the worst offenders. giving only a slap on the wrist would be spitting in the face of those who suffered. ” zuko fell silent again. he wondered how she’d respond if he asked her what decision she would make. he didn’t ask. “ i know they have families, but so did all of the fire nation’s victims. ”

[prncezukos]

teo

His eyes widened at the sight of Zuko, no the Firelord, knocked to the ground. As he picked himself up off the cobbled street, Teo bit his lip and fiddled with his breaks nervously. A panicked look crossed his face as the older boy talked about an attempt on his life. “Holy Shu, I’m so sorry Zuko- I mean Mr. Firelord sir?” He grimaced at his failed attempt at a title. “Can I still call you Zuko? It’s kinda hard to make the switch in my head from gloomy, awkward, teenage Zuko to His Holy Majesty the Firelord.” Teo gave a deep mock bow, smiling as he sat back up to let the other boy know he was joking. Looking back at the destroyed wall behind him, he giggled. “Oh money has nothing to do with my ability to fix that.”

When Zuko brought up the meeting, he shrugged. “I figured it wasn’t a secret, I heard some guards in the palace talking about it so I assumed it was public knowledge.” Teo said, peering curiously out at the crowd of protesters. “I’m glad you agree with that part, I do too. Being someone whose voice can’t be heard on issues that matter to you is a really defeating experience.” He sighed, turning back to Zuko. 

“I probably wasn’t actually going to join them anyway, this crowd doesn’t look like it would be super accommodating of someone who takes up as much space as I do.” He patted the side of his chair affectionately. “Not that it’s stopped me before.” A bright smile turned into a thoughtful expression as Teo considered Zuko’s words. “Do the people know it’s in the works? Like has there been a public announcement about it?” Quirking an eyebrow up at the Firelord, his eyes suddenly widened. “Also what the hell are you doing here anyway? Isn’t it dangerous for you to be out in the open at an event like this?”

there was instinct to take insult at the remark, but zuko shrugged it off. he was awkward. he would never admit it, but that didn’t negate it. “ just call me zuko, would you ? firelord feels — ” he wanted to say wrong but he bit back the comment “ — just zuko is fine, okay, teo ? ” he looked back to the wall, rubble on the ground. it was certainly a mess. he should probably alert someone to fix it but — that could be done later. “ i’m not saying you should fix it, but if you’re going to make breaking things a habit, it might make the palace staff less inclined to be upset with you when they see the mess. ”

he was glad someone else knew it wasn’t meant to be a secret. every time falsehoods greeted his ears, he had to stifle back groans. he followed teo’s gaze towards the crowd. they moved as a sea of red, ebbing and flowing against the gates. “ i know i haven’t suffered nearly as much as some, and i know what it means to be privileged, but i understand the weight of having nothing. i understand the pressure of being silent. it’s — it’s going to take time, but i will make sure they are heard. not only that, listened to, as well. ”

zuko had the decency to look sheepish about the remark of where he was at. “ the palace guards weren’t entirely pleased when i let them know i was leaving — but they still worry i’m like azula or my father. they haven’t found their voice to tell me no yet. ” the wry smile on his mouth is not pleased, it borders on the edge of deprecating. “ if you’re really curious, i just — i had to hear some of the words of the people for myself, beyond what they are yelling at the gates. ”

[timbllr]

dead poets society (1989), via weheartit

[prncezukos]

mai

location: fire nation royal palace gardens closed to @prncezukos

After witnessing the mob of angry protestors from her balcony that morning, Mai knew that she had to move fast to fulfill her promise she had made to her father. She had to talk to Zuko, and she had to do it soon. She waited for the commotion outside to subside and for the crowd to disperse before making her way to the palace. She flagged down one of the palace servants to let the Fire Lord know that she’d be waiting for him by the garden, and hesitated before adding an additional message that she’d wait as long as he needed. Based on the way her father had stormed back home, angrily ranting about the new Fire Lord, she could only assume that the council meeting hadn’t gone well. As if the angry protestors hadn’t been an indication enough. Mai wasn’t sure what the protocol for dealing with angry citizens were in this new era of love and peace– no one would have dared to shout to angrily protest like that in front of Ozai’s palace doors, out of fear of being dragged away by the palace guards never to be seen again, if not worse. 

Whatever Zuko was doing, Mai was sure that he’d be busy trying to deal with everything that had happened this morning. But surprisingly, she didn’t have to wait too long before she heard his familiar steps approach her by the pond, where they had just talked to each other just the day before. That felt so long ago now. 

“I heard you had a nice talk with my father,” she said in lieu of a greeting. She turned to face him. “Charming, isn’t he? You can see where I get it from.” 

when he called the second council meeting to an abrupt end, it should have been expected that the councilmen would object. zuko had hoped they would take the time to process his declaration and consider the weight of their actions and errors. instead, they clamored for his attention, shouting objections and pleas. he heard none of them. they were poised with their own manipulations, ready where he was not. the time would come for them to share their entreaties and he would wield his decisions.

it was not going to be easy, he knew that, but this fact was cemented when he was given notice of mai’s message. her father was one of the men not too pleased with him. it wasn’t a stretch to think she had already heard what had happened. he finished his business quickly before heading to join her down in the gardens.

there was no time for greetings once he arrived. hearing her words, he took a deep breath before exhaling a sigh. “ i had a nice talk with all of the councilmen. ” he presumed that the focus of this conversation would be her father. he was quiet before saying, “ the family resemblance is startling. ” he was only-half joking. zuko could bring himself to look at her. instead, he began pacing, long strides alongside the pond.

“ they ambushed me. i didn’t have the chance to talk before we were called away to address the mob. ” his anger was written across the face. “ i suppose i could have dealt them the news of the coming changes a little nicer, “ zuko’s mouth twisted in a sneer, “ but why sugarcoat it ? ” 

[prncezukos]

teo

He wasn’t supposed to be here. Zuko may have brought the Fire Nation into a new age, but many of the palace employees were still stuck in the past. To have an Earth Kingdom peasant roaming their halls, let alone rolling, was an insult to the hegemony of the former empire. This wasn’t enough to stop Teo. He’d wheeled out of his room early in the morning, timing his exit with the shift change of the palace guard. Homemade map wedged firmly in the wraps around his legs, he traveled as quietly as he could toward the eastern part of the palace. Yesterday he’d discovered a lantern, that when turned would open up into a secret passage. He hadn’t been able to explore it before the sound of the guard’s boots shooed him away, but today he was determined to see where it went.  

Approaching the lantern, he looked around quietly before pulling a lever just behind his breaks. The sound of metal on metal echoed through the hallway as the seat of Teo’s chair tilted upward to support him in a standing position. He winced at the noise before quickly reaching up to turn the lantern. The passageway opened up and he returned his chair to it’s normal state, speeding off into the tunnel as fast as he could. 

It seemed to go on forever, lit only by the firefly lantern he’d hidden in the undercarriage of his chair. Teo spent almost an hour rolling through the tunnel before he finally reached a dead end. A sliver of light bled through a crack in the center of the wall. He frowned, waiting a moment before rolling back a few feet. Steeling himself, he wheeled forward suddenly with all the force he could muster, breaking clean through the wall and out into the sunny street.

Blinking at the sudden change in light, Teo squinted at his surroundings. Eyes widening, he realized he had busted into the palace courtyard. He took in the crowd that he was pretty sure wasn’t usually there. Was it? Teo wasn’t the most observant when it came to noticing other people. Despite his general lack of awareness, he looked behind him and saw that he’d knocked someone over after bursting out of the wall. He rolled over to them quickly.

“Holy shit, I’m so sorry I should have been more careful!” He offered a hand to them before looking back over his shoulder. “Do you know what’s going on? What’s with the angry mob? Not that I’m not a fan of a good riot, but I like to know what the motivation is before I go crazy along with them!” Teo rubbed his hands together gleefully, hoping the cause was a good one so he could get in there and cause a ruckus with everyone else.

zuko blinked. one moment, he was standing, the next he was on the ground. his heart jumped to his throat and immediately he thought the worst (  — it wasn’t out of line for such ideas to creep into his head. he was fire lord now. that alone was reason enough for others to want him dead. it didn’t help that guilt stained his fingers like spilt ink. his hands bore the scars of his own evil deeds ) but a second passed. he saw it was only teo. immediately, he relaxed, his shoulders falling, his heart beginning to slow. he stood up quickly, hands reaching down to dust the dirt off of himself.

“ be glad no guards were here to see that. they might think it an attempt on my life. ” it was a dry attempt at a joke. teo was ... a friend, or if not, something more than an acquaintance. he turned to look at the now-damaged wall. “ hope you can afford to fix that. ” another wry comment.

his mood shifted when teo brought up the mob and reluctantly zuko nodded his head. “ people are angry about the council meeting. some people assumed it was a secret when it was nothing of the sort — ” he couldn’t help but be angry at that ; he wasn’t the keep of anyone else’s knowledge “ — and others are upset for not having a voice. i do agree with that. there is more to the fire nation than rich industrialists — it’s time for that to be seen. ”  

his face fell at the idea of his friend ( friend ? he was still wondering ) joining into the crazed noise. “ i’d suggest that ... you didn’t. i know they have a point and i do agree with them, but they are protesting for something that is already in the works. it’s — ” he loathed to call it a waste of time, but the idea was there “ — their energies could be better put elsewhere. ”

[prncezukos]

ming

Hopefully, we’ll see sort of those things? That’s all he had to say? She remembered what her father had said, about how she was supposed to be a leader for her people, and now she was talking to the one person who could actually change things for them and all he had to say was hopefully? She had gotten herself in the mindset that out of anyone in the royal family (except Iroh) Zuko, the former banished prince, would be the one person who would agree with kindness and forgiveness, but apparently she was wrong. She tried to shrug it off, but that comment didn’t sit right with her. She could have screamed in frustration, but instead she put on a small smile and laughed at his Iroh impression. She might have seemed a little tense, but it was because she had to tell herself she couldn’t keep this Fire Lord in check from a jail cell, so any argument or fight was not worth it. Yet.

“Your Iroh impression is really good. If I didn’t know better I’d say you’ve practiced,” She tried to say in a joking tone, but then realized that she needed to bring back a more formal tone, ”But of course, a Fire Lord doesn’t have time for such silly things.” Actually, what did Fire Lords do in their free time? Did they get free time? She tried to imagine what Ozai did- laugh at the casualty list of Earth Kingdom soldiers? Take hot baths heated by underpaid and overworked servants? Oh, or his favorite, burn the faces of children? Ming knew that Zuko’s face was burned (he was standing right in front of her) but it was how that made her skin crawl. Ozai practically promoted the Agni Kai amongst elite officials and civilians, Ming’s own mother was there amongst the crowd, and saw the whole thing with her own eyes. It was what made her put down her sword and settle down in the colonies with Ming’s father for good. It was also proof to her parents that not having Ming taught how to firebend, and instead instilling in her from a young age that her power was more of a burden than a blessing, was the right thing to do. 

Earlier, she had been wrong. Zuko was different, there was no way that he could live through that and not see how much change had to be done. He was just restraining himself, like all politicians need to. Promises are hard to keep in his line of duty. While she was thinking this, Zuko mentioned his father. What do you say to someone who has experienced what Ozai has done? The only thing that came to Ming’s mind was a hug, but she was pretty sure that was off the table. Instead, she let him have a moment of silence. When he did return to the conversation, she was excited that it was about her tea and not another dark experience that she couldn’t respond to. “Iroh mentioned he’d be seeing you later, possibly tomorrow I’m not sure, but I’ll be sure he gets the tea to the kitchen. And I’m glad you like it.” She took Zuko’s now empty cup, and refilled it once more, then poured herself a cup of cheap black tea. 

She gently blew the surface for a second, then stopped to ask Zuko a question. “Do you have somewhere else you’d rather be? If you need to leave, feel free to. I’m not going to plan a revolt in your absence, I can promise you that. At first I wasn’t sure about you, but now you’ve won me over.” Offering a smile, she hoped he would get the joke.

he noticed her silence towards his comment and he swallowed, quick to add an amendment. “ i don’t want to make promises, not now, when i still am working out how to change things. i will do what needs to be done, but i will not rush myself. half-hearted attempts will not do any good for anybody. ” the tone of his voice made it clear he was finished speaking on the topic. he had nothing else to say, especially not someone he hadn’t known for only handful of minutes. he planned to speak to the avatar, iroh, and perhaps some of his council, at least those he would come to trust.

zuko didn’t laugh at her remark. “ i haven’t been practicing at all. ” he couldn’t help it when his face flushed pink, but he didn’t meet her eyes. “ in my position, i have been doing my best to organize my council. there is a meeting soon to discuss our nation’s future. i’ve had little downtime beyond now, where i’m expected to mingle with my people and our visitors alike. ” he had the impression that she thought he wasn’t doing enough and it was taking all of his self control to not bristle. it had not been long since he had been crowned fire lord. for those to expect change to already have greeted them and becoming upset, they were naive. he was change, his friends — and all those he had met since living as a refugee in ba sing se — could vouch for him. permanent change would take time. anyone who would care to see it rushed was naive, and did not actually care for the future well-being of their nation — and in extension, the world.

“ he’ll know where to find me tomorrow. ” he would be in the palace, preparing for the meetings that were sure to throw him into his position without much grace. he was ready. he was sure of that. he planned to address the current members of the council, explaining that their loyalty to the fire nation was surely something to be admired, but rankings needed to change. they committed horrors and atrocities — and if it weren’t by their own hand, they were complicit in it. he thought of mai’s father — he didn’t want to hurt mai, but the man could not remain in his position, he had been ozai’s right hand, after all. some could stay, he had decided. how many, that was unsure, but there had to be a voice for the more affluent fire nation members. to extinguish their presence completely was just the same as having silenced the poorer previously. he wondered briefly, aloud, “ you weren’t complicit in all of the rules of being a guard. why not ? ” his voice was neither accusing nor harsh, only pensive. “ would i be wrong to assume you and your family aren’t ... well-to-do ? ” he dipped his head, an apology for something he knew could offend. “ i don’t have the ability to now, but i would appreciate your presence in speaking with me at a later time in the coming weeks. ”

at her comment, he nodded. “ not anywhere that i’d rather be — ” he looked a little stressed at the idea of leaving the comfort of his uncle’s shop “ — but duty and obligation demands my presence elsewhere. ” there was no rush to him, though, and he took the time to finish the tea she had made him. he dipped his head in thanks before saying, “ i’m glad you think you can tolerate me. ” he coughed out an awkward laugh. “ it was good meeting you, ming. i’m sure i’ll be seeing you in the future. ” he took a step away before looking over his shoulder. “ — and thank you. for what you did for uncle. ”

[prncezukos]

suki​

As the conversation progressed, it was clear that Suki wasn’t one with words. She realized that Zuko was much more beat up about this all than she could ever imagine. Alone, he seemed to carry the sins of the Fire Nation on his shoulders. “I believe you.” Her hand hovered over his shoulder hesitantly. Would her words or actions provide any kind of comfort for Zuko, or would it just make him uncomfortable? Her thoughts bantered back and forth before deciding to give the new Fire Lord a friendly pat on the back. “You’ve got the opportunity to show the world that you’ve changed. Aang and the others have got your back.” 

Following a stifled laugh, Suki scooted away towards the other. Was he reading her mind now?! “Me? Take advice from Sokka? As cute as he is, I could never even think to do something so ch-cheesy…” She was barely able to mumble out the last word, making a mental note of apologizing to the latter once provided with the opportunity to do so.

Suki nodded along to the other’s words under the false pretense that she actually believed him. His contrary behavior actually reminded him of another member of the Fire Nation: Mai. I wonder if they’re close. She thought to herself with a small giggle. “Yes, of course. I guess your performance will have to wait for another time.”

he didn’t expect for her words to hold such a weight for him, but zuko felt some semblance of relief when she said that. he had a deep set fear that people would look at him and only see his errors and mistakes ; worse, they would look at him and see his father. he nodded his head as she spoke. “ i know it should mean the most to me that my — my friends see how i’ve changed, but now so many people are looking at me. i’ve got more expectations on me now than just my own. ”

“ cheesy. ” zuko couldn’t help but snort. “ his entire — “ he gestured vaguely in front of them “ — being is composed of cheesy jokes. i’m not surprised he’s rubbed off on you. ” he had, in fact, finally realized they were together. he had come to this sudden realization days after seeing suki outside of sokka’s tent and seeing the latter with the rose. he had not brought it up to either.

“ if by another time, you mean never, exactly. ” he would hold firm on that. perhaps on his own, he would do the dancing dragon, or maybe with aang. he didn’t trust his people not to mock it. maybe that was something that needed to be addressed, but everyone had wounds. they would take time to heal.

[prncezukos]

sokka

“cheer up, buddy. what’s a coronation without your good pal sokka here to make you feel small while all these old guys line up to kiss your ass?” sokka clapped zuko on the shoulder, then ditched his empty tray of snacks so he could fold his hands behind his head. “but yeah, don’t worry. i am well aware that i am ridiculous, disrespectful, and childish. those are three of my favorite middle names.”

as the grin crept across zuko’s face—sokka watched what he assumed was zuko’s attempt to resist it, only to be thwarted by the indomitable will of his facial muscles—sokka beamed with anticipation, a frankly disproportionate response. “is that—is it—ohp—aw, yeah, there it is!” did he cheer on zuko’s tiny smile as it appeared like he might a turtle duck fighting its way out of its shell to breathe for the first time? why yes, yes he was. anything to embarrass zuko on his big day. “look at you, almost laughing and cracking jokes. yeeep, still got it.” he brushed some dirt off his shoulder. “we really need to talk about this ‘kids’ thing. katara and i are barely younger than you. and just because i wasn’t the head of some big fancy navy ship doesn’t mean i wasn’t in charge of my village.” while his dad was gone, yes, but still.

“well, who’s gonna stop us now? they’re your tunnels. might as well know where they are.”

end.

[prncezukos]

aang​

“Uh huh,” Aang said, watching his friend carefully. He was standing on Zuko’s right side, so, from where he was, he couldn’t see the dark pink scar Ozai had given him. He turned away and watched the crowds too, so Zuko wouldn’t feel like he was staring at him, but, out the corner of his eye, he saw his friend’s shoulders lower. And he smiled and felt strangely proud of Zuko. He wouldn’t have told him – it sounded so patronising – but he was. He knew this stuff didn’t come easily to Zuko, but that was why Aang wanted to show him that there was a different way to look at things.

“Yeah, they sure are,” he said, smiling at the crowd. When he’d been travelling the world, and everything had been so different from before he was frozen, Aang had wondered if he could ever restore the balance, like he was supposed to. But now, just looking at the Earth, Fire, and Water Nation people all together again, enjoying themselves, he knew that they were on their way to healing the rifts. He didn’t say anything for a few seconds, and then, “Being frozen isn’t too great. Trust me, I have firsthand experience.” It was a lame joke, but he wanted to make Zuko smile. He didn’t like that his friend had said he wasn’t enjoying himself, but he knew it couldn’t be resolved just like that. Sometimes, living in the present meant sitting with the pain you felt, and letting yourself feel it.

perhaps it was selfish, maybe a bit childish, but he found himself jealous of his friends and people alike. they were enjoying themselves with what seemed to be little restraint. they were laughing and joyful — very rarely had he known such open peace freely. feasibly he could find time for that in the future.

at aang’s joke, a horrified expression crossed zuko’s face, and he was readying himself to utter a flurry of apologies when he realized that it was a joke. for aang’s sake, he smiled. looking around, people still sought his attention. to his friend, he muttered a quiet, “ thank you, ” before dipping his head and stepping away. 

fin.

[prncezukos]

ty lee

when in doubt, rely on your base instincts––at least that had always been ty lee’s philosophy. currently, she was on her hands, dainty feet pointed towards the ground near her head, trying to keep her face stoic despite the way her lower wanted to jut out into a pout. sometimes, it seemed that the world would never find balance no matter how much positive karma people put out into the universe. blowing her bangs out of her eyes, ty lee set her jaw and narrowed her eyes at the growing crowd of protestors––well, she would just have to try harder then, wouldn’t she?

“i think we all just need a little r&r and some time to process our feelings.” she paused and flipped back onto her feet, clasping her hands together as her face broke out into a bright grin, “i know !! i could lead some deep breathing exercises.” she brought her hands up to her chin and allowed her grin to relax into a solemn expression that she’d seen some of the kyoshi warriors use during mediation, “inhale the positive energy,” and then she pushed her hands down to her waist as she let out a loud sigh through her nose, “exhale the negative energy.” 

he didn’t dislike ty lee, that was for certain. actually, it was the opposite. sometimes her eccentricities went over his head and she could be a bit much, but her positivity was a breath air for zuko. even when they were children, she had been bright, a stark contrast from her closest friends, azula and mai. he would admit that sometimes he couldn’t fathom what she was talking about, but he supposed some people would think the same of him.

“ some of us don’t have the luxury to do that, ” he muttered, his hands resting atop his head. there was so much happening, so soon. it was as if the people were expecting a miracle ; instead, all they had was him. it was heavy, undoubtedly. he planned to do what he could when he could, but the people were breathing down his neck. still, ty lee was only trying to help. maybe it was worth a chance. to appease her, he took a deep breath. his eyes shut as he exhaled. he still felt stressed. “ is that supposed to work immediately ? ”