Memorial Day - A candle for Kya
One of Gladiator’s most emotionally-charged scenes up to date took place in chapter 147. Within the story, the Fire Nation holds a week of festivals, and one of its days is Memorial Day: as is obvious, it’s a day meant for mourning the dead. There are two different rites, one meant to honor the most important people of the Fire Nation, for whom shrines are erected inside the Capital’s Temple (the Fire Lords, royals and nobles, military leaders, culturally-relevant poets and artists... alas, noteworthy people). The second rite is far more inclusive, and it’s based on one of the rites held in our world’s Ghost Festival, where lit lanterns are sent out in a body of water, with the name of the deceased carved on the candle.
While Sokka has adjusted to living in the Fire Nation over several years by then, he had never participated in this day of the festivals until that chapter. By the time he does, he’s most determined NOT to honor any of the Fire Lords in the first rite, but he does partake in the second rite, once Azula tells him there’s no way anyone will know who he’s lighting his candles for, meaning he’s free to light candles for non-Fire Nation people if he chooses to do so.
Azula helps him light his candles after lighting the ones she sent out for herself. For artistry’s sake I decided to have the candles retaining the color of the fire she used with each of them, so the gesture she does for Kya would be more apparent: Azula lights Kya’s with gold fire, paying the deepest respect she can to the brave Water Tribe woman. Her guards, who have grown fond of Sokka over the years, proceed to strike up the most respectful reverence possible when Sokka sends out that final candle, and Azula does it too. Sokka, of course, is emotionally wrecked, but hopeful that, if he has inspired Azula and her guards to change their worldview so much that they would respect Kya so deeply, then perhaps changing the world for the better isn’t an impossible dream to work towards.
The story doesn’t mention Kya is watching over Sokka as he sends out the candle... but I’d hope it’s implicit enough that his kind-hearted mother would be very proud of the great man he has become. So, when @gd2go2 commissioned this artwork and asked for a spirit Kya right behind Sokka, I cracked my knuckles and got to work at once. I had wanted to draw this scene someday, and I would have added it to the Festivals’ artwork back for the Seventh Anniversary, but it didn’t fit in the least with the mood of that particular artwork... so when this opportunity came knocking, I knew I had to do my very best with it. It’s one of my favorite scenes within one of my favorite arcs... so I hope I did it justice.